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The Speaker Editors
South Sudan: Update In-Depth: Rebels Advance on Bor as Uganda Warns Machar
October 17, 2014 December 30, 2013 by The Speaker Editors
As rebels advance on Bor and Uganda warns Machar, those on the ground watching the situation unfold are anxious for an in-depth South Sudan update. The remnants of the White Army that have been marching toward Bor over the past days have gotten within miles of the city. Observers expect a serious battle within the next 24 hours.
The two forces–the Sudan People's Liberation Army and the rebel army–had engaged in a limited manner Sunday, Dec. 29, when the SPLA soldiers stationed in Bor had come out of that city to attack the approaching White Army.
The White Army is Lou Nuer, a tribe loyal to former Vice President rebel leader Riek Machar. On Dec. 30, army spokesman colonel Philip Aguer announced that the rebel forces were expected to attack the city soon, but that Aguer was confident that the government army would keep them from taking Bor.
The White Army had advanced toward Bor over the previous days. South Sudanese Information Minister Michael Makuei reported that the rebel force, initially 25 000-strong, had been largely convinced by Nuer tribal elders to discontinue the mission. 5,000 of the youth army continued, dislodging SPLA troops from Mathiang, a town near Bor, before proceeding another 18 miles to the city. The rebels have 30 vehicles and are armed with machine guns, according to Aguer.
Bor had been taken by rebels days after the South Sudanese conflict originally broke out Dec. 15 and was retaken by the SPLA on Dec. 24. On Saturday the rebel forces commented on this, saying that their troop withdrew briefly for tactical reasons but that the rebels would reclaim the town in time to prevent lynchings of Bor residents suspected of rebel support.
During the days after the rebels were forced out of Bor, they staged several attacks on the city, but civilians had begun returning to Bor, according to SPLA spokesmen. However, in fear of the White Army's advance, civilians have again fled, this time across the White River into the neighboring state, according to UN reconnaissance.
Gadiang, north of Bor, also had seen clashes between the two forces on Dec. 29. The rebel group in this instance was believed to be loyal to rebel leader David Yuayau. In addition to killings, workers in the area were warned by the rebel leader to cease work, and people's phones were taken.
Yauyau, a politician who failed to become representative of his home country Pibor in last year's elections, is one of three men who rebelled against the government in May last year.
Malakal was retaken by the government Sunday, Dec. 29 after a fierce battle, and the SPLA had pursued the rebels outside of the town, according to the South Sudanese government. Malakal had been partially controlled by both forces during the previous week, during which time the two forces had engaged several times.
Juba, the capital of South Sudan, is under maximum security control, according to the Aguer.
The current number of displaced South Sudanese is 180,000, according to the UN. 75,000 are receiving refuge in UN compounds around the country; 20,000 around Bor and 22,000 around Malakal. According to the army, 1,000 government soldiers have been wounded.
Aid organizations working in South Sudan have asked for $209 million to provide for the next three months. They have received $43 million so far.
Both President Kiir and Machar are facing growing international pressure to resolve their dispute. The UN delegation in Juba has repeatedly urged Kiir to find a means to engage Machar in dialogue to avoid further turmoil. The UN fears that the conflict could escalate into a tribal civil war. Other South Sudanese and international activists and organizations have also been vocal about seeking immediate conflict resolution.
The UN, who has the largest international presence in South Sudan, has had some success in mitigating the conflict. The UN mission started conducting aerial reconnaissance flights Dec. 29 to monitor the White Army's progress through Jonglei state. UN representatives contacted the White Army to convince them to halt for the sake of avoiding further escalation, according to UN spokespeople.
The UN is doubling its peace-keeping force in South Sudan to nearly 14,000, which should be fully installed in South Sudan within two weeks. The troops will be redeployed from other UN missions in Liberia, Darfur, Haiti, Cote d'Ivoire and elsewhere.
Other East African nations have begun to involve themselves in the conflict. At a meeting last week held in Nairobi, attended by the six nations of East Africa's IGAD organization, several resolutions were made regarding the rebel uprising. According to South Sudan's Cabinet Affairs Minister, "The government accepted in principle to do four things. First, we accepted to stop hostilities as [a] priority. We also accepted to release political detainees; some of them have already been released. Thirdly, we accepted and commit ourselves to peaceful dialogue without preconditions. The fourth one is to provide access to all areas for humanitarian assistances and operations."
Monday, the Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, threatened Machar, stating that if Machar fails to heed the ceasefire demanded by IGAD, that region's leaders would band together against Machar's forces. Museveni has sent Ugandan troops to fortify Kiir's SPLA.
"We gave Riek Machar four days to respond and if he doesn't we shall have to go for him, all of us, that is what we agreed in Nairobi," Museveni told reporters, referring to the deadline of Dec. 31 by which time IGAD members wanted Machar to call off his attacks.
The intentions of neighbor states in South Sudan have been questioned by some activists and politicians who suspect that IGAD leaders have double standards and are not interested primarily in ending South Sudan's current conflict. One political prisoner released by the South Sudanese government last Friday, former Minister for Higher Education Adwok Nyaba, alleged that Uganda had close to 3,000 troops and some war planes active in South Sudan. The Ugandan government dismissed these allegations.
"That remains speculative and I have no idea that we've engaged in such an action at all," said a spokesman for the Ugandan army.
A Ugandan MiG-29 bombed rebel-held positions near Bor before Kiir's SPLA retook that town from the rebels, according to Machar in an interview given Dec. 27. Marchar complained that Uganda was interfering in the internal affairs of South Sudan.
Ethiopia, fearing a civil war, began evacuating its 15,000 citizens who reside in South Sudan in the hundreds. 650 Ethiopians have been evacuated from Nasir town in Upper Nile state, 300 Ethiopians have been flown out of Bor to Juba on UN helicopters, and 800 Ethiopians were evacuated from Bentiu, the capital of Unity state, to Heglig oil field on the northern border.
Other international residents have also evacuated hundreds of their citizens from South Sudan during the past weeks.
Although EGAD and the South Sudanese President have called for immediate peace talks, President Kiir has flatly refused any possibility of sharing power with Machar. Kiir stated that sharing power was "not an option." Kiir cited his claims that Machar had attempted a coup and stated that Machar did not deserve to share power in South Sudan: "These men have rebelled. If you want power, you don't rebel so that you are rewarded with the power. You go through the process."
Machar, for his pary, stated on the 29th that he would not participate in any talks with the government until all political prisoners were freed from Juba.
The origin of the South Sudanese conflict lies in hostilities that broke out in Juba between the guards of South Sudan's President Kiir and former Vice President Machar Dec. 15. The conflict quickly and spontaneously spread across South Sudan's 10 states.
By Day Blakely Donaldson
Land and Sea Journal
Sudan Tribune
Oman Observer
South Sudan: 987 Wounded Government Troops
Currently, 987 SPLA government soldiers are being treated in Juba Military hospital in the capitol of South Sudan, according to Vice President Wani Igga.
The news comes after a day of reports that a 25,000-strong Nuer tribal youth army loyal to Riek Machar had been marching towards the capital city, Juba, in the capitol of South Sudan and reports that the forces had ambitions to attack Bor city.
Bor is the capital of South Sudan's Jonglei province. Bor was captured by the rebels on December 18. The rebels were not able to hold the city when the government army attacked and soon left without much resistance. Philip Aguer, army spokesperson, had earlier Saturday stated that the rebels were preparing for a fresh offensive to retake the city of Bor.
Jonglei officials have appealed to humanitarian organizations to provide food to Bor residents after the Bor market was devastated by fighting.
The SPLA army announced that it has initiated a force to recapture the rebel-held capital of Unity State, Bentiu.
The government also announced that it has agreed to release to the rebel forces; 11 political prisoners, up from its previous offer of 8, which offer was declined by Machar.
The 987 wounded government troops are being treated at the Juba military hospital, South Sudan.
Eye Radio
Guardian LV
South Sudan: 25 000-Strong White Army Marches as UN's 6000 Troops Begin to Arrive
The White Army, 25 000 strong, is moving toward Juba, the capital of South Sudan, as the first of the UN's 6000 troops arrive.
The army is a tribal militia local to the Lou Nuer sub-clan. Former Vice President Riek Machar is also Lou Nuer.
Information Minister Michael Makuel Lueth stated that Machal had organized the White Army in the name of his tribe. Opposition leader Machar is Nuer and President Kiir is Dinka.
Juba was the initial site of the rebel outburst of violence when on December 15 President Kiir accused his former Vice President Riek Machar of attempting a foiled coup. Forces loyal to Machar began violence against Kiir, according to the government. Machar's forces charge that the violence began when Kiir's guards tried to disarm Machar's guards. Machar and his party have since called for the end of Kiir's presidency.
Since that time, in Juba a door-to-door search was conducted and hundreds were arrested from houses and hotels.
Friday, the governments of South Sudan and other East African nations announced that they were ready for "a ceasefire to begin immediately." IGAD, the 8-country regional trading bloc in East Africa, demanded that negotiations begin before the year's end.
The South Sudanese government also promised to release eight political prisoners that were arrested since the fighting began. Two of the eight were released already. Machar had demanded the release of 11 political prisoners as a precondition for negotiations. At this point, the government was unwilling to release the former Finance Minster, former Cabinet Affairs Minister, or former Secretary General.
Machar responded to the announcements of the Kiir government in a BBC satellite-phone interview stating that any negotiation would have to be participated in by both sides of the conflict, not just the South Sudanese government and neighbor nations.
Machar said in the interview that a mechanism to monitor any ceasefire would also be necessary: "For the ceasefire to be credible there is need for a mechanism, or else we will be deceiving ourselves," said Machar.
The South Sudanese government complained that Machar was putting obstacles in front of a genuine call for peace and that the "main issue now is to stop violence."
The UN estimates that around 1000 have died in the two weeks of fighting. 63 000 are seeking refuge in UN compounds around South Sudan. 120 000 have been displaced.
UN reinforcements also arrived Friday. This 72-member contingent of UN police is the first to arrive since the UNSC voted last week to double its peacekeeping force in concerns that South Sudan may slide into civil war. 6000 more troops are expected to arrive Saturday.
Bor, in addition to Juba, is also believed to be a target of the rebel forces. Jonglei's provincial capital was taken by the rebels December 18. The army defeated the rebels there without much resistance December 24. Philip Aguer, army spokesperson, stated his belief that the rebels are preparing their forces for a fresh offensive to retake Bor.
The White Army in 2011 announced that the Nuer would fight until their rival tribe were completely eradicated and that the government should stay out of their way. The White Army was formed as early as 1991 to protect Nuer cattle and to fight as a minor participant in the Second Sudanese Civil War.
The bulk of the UN's 6000 troops is expected to arrive Saturday, as the 25 000-strong White Army march toward the capital of South Sudan.
Antara News
Court on NSA Surveillance: 10 days, Two Judges, Two States, Two Rulings
July 30, 2016 December 27, 2013 by The Speaker Editors
Two opposite court judgements have been handed down regarding the NSA surveillance program in 10 days by two US district judges in two states.
On December 27, US District Judge William Pauley in New York ruled in ACLU v. James R. Clapper that the NSA's metadata program is lawful under Section 215 of the Patriot Act. The ACLU sought a preliminary injunction against the Government's program, but this was denied.
On December 16, US District Judge Richard L. Leon in DC ruled in Klayman v. Obama that the NSA program was "likely unconstitutional." Leon found against the NSA's metadata program and granted a preliminary injunction, but stayed the ruling to allow for appeals.
James R. Clapper was filed June 11 by the American Civil Liberties Union against the director of National Intelligence, James Clapper. Days earlier, Edward Snowden's leaks were published by Britain's Guardian newspaper, revealing the NSA's telephone data collection program, which records in dragnet the numbers and duration of calls Americans dial, but not the content of those calls.
Pauley cited several reasons for his decision.
Pauly framed the NSA program within a group of counter-measures the government had effected in order to combat the threat posed by a new enemy: terror networks. The September 11 terrorist attacks, Pauly reasoned, might have been prevented if the metadata program had been in place at that time.
Pauly stated that the "blunt tool"–the metadata program–works only because it collects everything.
Pauly found that, putting aside the public and government discussion and litigation taking place in the wake of the unauthorized disclosures of Edward Snowden, the question Pauly was tasked to deal with in James R. Clapper was specifically whether the bulk telephony program is lawful. Pauly found that it was lawful, but noted explicitly that "the question of whether that program should be conducted is for the other two coordinate branches of Government to decide," referring to the legislative and executive branches of government.
Pauly concluded by quoting Justice Jackson: "the Bill of Rights is not a suicide-pact," observing that the Forth Amendment right against search and seizure is "fundamental, but not absolute." Pauly framed the question of government surveillance in terms of reasonableness. Pauly cited the voluntary giving of information more personal than telephony metadata by most Americans to various trans-national corporations. There was no evidence that the government had used any of its collected data for any purpose other than investigating terrorist attacks – violations, Pauly said, stemmed from human error and the complex nature of the information tool – and that the metadata program was subject to responsible oversight and monitoring. Pauly reiterated his concern over the "cost of missing such a [useful piece of information against a terrorist plan]" that could be horrific, referring to the 9/11 attacks.
Pauley dismissed the ACLU's complaint and denied the ACLU's motion for injunction.
The ACLU commented after Pauley's decision, complaining that the decision misinterpreted relevant statutes and understated the privacy implications of the NSA program. The ACLU also complained that Pauley's ruling relied on and misapplied the precedent of Smith v. Maryland (1979), which is the precedent referred to in cases where third-party disclosures are at issue.
Smith v. Maryland continued a tradition in U.S. law that "a person has no legitimate expectation of privacy in information he voluntarily turns over to third parties." In Smith, the Supreme Court found that no warrant is required to obtain information from phone companies for metadata those companies hold as business records. FISA has also upheld this ruling in secret, one-sided courts conducted since 2006.
Klayman v. Obama, ruled on by Judge Leon on December 16, had an opposite result. Leon called the NSA program "almost Orwellian" and said that the program probably violated the Fourth Amendment. Leon observed that James Madison would be "aghast" at the program.
Leon stated that the government had not shown any case where the program actually stopped an immanent terrorist attack. This function is the primary rationale for the program that Leon found to probably infringe on Americans' constitutional rights.
Leon noted Smith v. Maryland, but found that the meaning of telephone use had changed substantially since the 1979 case–beyond what could even be conceived at that date–and so should not be relied on in the trial.
Leon warned the government that he was providing six months for the government to prepare for eventual defeat if the appeals Leon expected the government to make did not succeed.
Klayman was brought by a conservative lawyer, Larry Klayman and the father of a soldier killed in 2011 in Afghanistan, Charles Strange.
Law Professor at George Washington University, Orin Kerr, commented on the two rulings, calling them "dream rulings" for each interested party respectively, "Point and counterpoint" of the issue. Kerr explained that both opinions were material for the appeals courts to take up.
President Obama has voiced his intention to state publicly in January what reforms to the NSA program he supports. Obama's personally appointed review panel recommended last week that the NSA should conduct significant reforms and no longer store the metadata in question.
From here, the losing parties of the two trials on NSA surveillance will proceed to appeals courts; the ACLU said that it intended to appeal James R. Clapper and the government is expected to appeal Klayman in the upcoming months.
Memorandum Opinion of Judge Pauly
Memorandum Opinion of Judge Leon
Categories U.S.
South Sudan: Rebels Hold out in Malakal, Seize Oil Wells
Malakal, South Sudan – In the capital of the Upper Nile State, fighting continued for the third day as the rebel forces held out against the government army; rebels have also seized oil wells in the region.
Oil production in the Upper Nile State has been shut down due to this weeks fighting. Oil output is down a fifth to 200 000 barrels per day. The rebels-held oil wells are a concern to the government and oil companies, who fear the rebels may damage the facilities.
South Sudan's army spokesman Philip Aguer stated again that the rebels, who control half of Malakal, will be defeated soon.
South Sudan's President Kiir met with Uhura Kenyatta and Hailemariam Desalegn, Kenya's President and Ethiopia's Prime Minister. This meeting was set in Juba and lasted three hours. It is not known whether Riek Machar, the former Vice President of South Sudan, was involved in the talks. The current whereabouts of Machar are unknown.
The two opposing leaders have stated that their disagreement is political, and leaders from neighboring countries have spoken out against foreign press who might be creating the impression that the conflict is inter-ethnic. However, both Dinka and Nuer people are in fear of tribal (aka ethnic) violence at each others hands during the political conflict, according to the personal testimony of many of those affected on the ground.
Civil strife began in Juba on December 15 after President Kiir accused former Vice President Machar of attempting to stage a coup and Machar accuesd Kiir of attempting to purge his rivals. South Sudanese loyal to Machar began violence against the government in several cities. The rebels were forced out of Juba and Bor but have been able to hold half of Malakar; the government holds the other half.
Currently, 58 000 civilians are seeking refuge in UN compounds, according to UN spokespersons. 93 000 people have been displaced by the nearly two weeks of fighting.
The UN is awaiting military and personnel reinforcements. UN officials are working to finalize the details of the reinforcements that were voted on Tuesday. The vote was to increase the peacekeeping force to 12 500 soldiers and 1300 police officers. This is a doubling of the current UN force in the country.
UN officials commented on their concern about recreating "nightmares of the past" in African peacekeeping and their surprise at the rapidity and scale at which the deterioration of order in South Sudan has occurred.
UN top official in South Sudan Hilde Johnson, whose task it is to oversee the protection of civilians in the UN camps said, "All peacekeepers are under instruction to use force when civilians are under imminent threat."
The first UN reinforcements are expected in two days.
China has announced that it will spend a special envoy to South Sudan. China has a significant stake in oil production in South Sudan.
Australia has offered two large military transport aircraft, a Globemaster and a Hercules, to assist with the in- and outflow from South Sudan. Australia is awaiting UN instructions before sending the aircraft.
Nairobi will be the location of the next international meeting between South Sudan and its neighbors. This meeting is scheduled for Friday. The goal of these talks will be to end the rebel hold out in South Sudan.
Written by Day Blakely Donaldson
South Sudan: Fighting Continues in Malakal After Bor Recaptured
Malakal in the Upper Nile State of Sudan is the site of the most recent fighting, continuing the now-10-day struggle for power between the Kiir government and the Machar-led rebels. Malakal is the capital of the Upper Nile State, an oil region.
On December 24 the South Sudan army defeated the rebels without much resistance in Bor, which had been under siege for a week after the rebels took it late Wednesday. The violence in Bor prompted 17 000 civilians to flee to UN compounds. Information Minister Michael Makwei said, "We recaptured Bor on Tuesday evening, just before sunset, and this morning there are currently operations against some pockets of rebels within the airport area," also announcing that the remaining rebels were on the run.
The Sudanese government has stated that Malakal has not fallen to the rebels, but fighting continues. Much of Jonglei state is still held by the rebels.
The unrest began 10 days ago on December 15 and quickly spread from Juba. The country was divided between Nuer and Dinka ethnicities.
Fighting began Tuesday between rebels and government loyalists after President Kiir accused his former Vice President Riek Machar of attempting a coup. Machar countered that Kiir was on a campaign to purge his rivals. Machar vowed to oust Kiir and called on the army to carry out this purpose. A powerful army commander mutinied last week, joined Machar, and seized Bentiu.
A mass grave was reported to have been discovered in Bentiu. On Tuesday UN officials stated that the remains of up to 75 Dinka soldiers (Sudan People's Liberation Army). Bentiu is the capital of the rebel-held Unity State. Two other mass graves were found in Juba. UN officers have not been able to visit the two Juba grave-sites, in Jebel-Kujur and Newside, near Eden. These killings followed ethnic violence. (The reports of the mass grave in Bentiu is currently under review after being denied by the UN mission in South Sudan. The report was initially issued by the office of the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, and was later revised to 34 bodies and 75 missing persons.)
UN Human Rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay stated, "Mass extrajudicial killings, the targeting of individuals on the basis of their ethnicity and arbitrary detentions have been documented in recent days."
Pillay also talked about the hundreds of civilians were who arrested from houses and hotels in Juba during a house-to-house search.
The same Tuesday a resolution was passed by the UN Security Council to send an additional 5500 peacekeepers to South Sudan. The force will likely be assembled from peacekeepers currently stationed in other African countries. The UN also intends to boost contributions.
Currently, 40 000 Sudanese are sheltered in UN bases. Civilians of both tribes fear being killed by ethnic enemies. Relief organizations are struggling to handle thousands who are caught in the fighting or have fled from violence in the capital. 80 000 Sudanese have been forced to leave their homes.
Responding to allegations of "death squads" carrying out ethnicity-targeted massacres, South Sudan foreign minister, Barnaba Benjamin, replied, "This is not an ethnic war frankly speaking…. It is true that this is a struggle for power, a political struggle." Benjamin admitted that there were isolated cases of genocidal killing, but asserted that this was not the main theme of the conflict, and reminded observers that the army was mixed-race.
U.S. Marines have been moved to Djibouti in preparation for the evacuation of Americans and to protect U.S. facilities.
December 15, President Kiir accused former Vice President Machar of attempting a coup in Juba, which attempt Machar denied. Kiir is Dinka and Machar is Nuer. Both leaders have indicated their willingness to talk peace.
President Kiir announced, "Innocent people have been wantonly killed. People are targeting others because of their tribal affiliation. This is unacceptable…. These atrocities recurring by now have to cease immediately."
Machar announced December 24: "Yes we are ready for talks. I have formed my delegation." This delegation would likely attend talks in Ethiopia, with whose government Machar had been in communication. Ethiopia was decided on as a site of "neutral ground." Machar himself would not go to Ethiopia, he said.
However, Machar announced that he was willing to negotiate only on condition that detained political prisoners were freed by the government. Kiir rejected this condition.
A spokesman from the army stated that within a few days the army would attack Bentiu.
Americans and UN officials members of every level have called for peace. Commentators have started to voice concern over the compatibility of the Sudanese situation with the Central African Republic and other African nations which slid into genocide and lawlessness. For now, fighting continues in Malakal after Bor was recaptured yesterday.
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Fortune Teller Sued for $1 Million
Lawyer Michael Busby is seeking $1 million in damages from a Houston fortune teller after a ritual to reunify Busby with his wife went awry. The Houston lawyer filed the lawsuit December 16 against several defendants allegedly associated with the Houston psychic services business, Psychic Love Spell Center.
Busby, a certified attorney since 2002 and currently a bankruptcy and family law practitioner at Busby & Associates, is suing Melena Thorn, the fortune teller. Busby allegedly states that fortune teller, Thorn did not return $2,700 Busby gave her in order to be ritually reunited with his wife.
The $2,700, Busby says, was to be cleansed by the psychic and then returned and placed under the marital bed. Busby alleges that he "filed suit not because the ritual failed, but because the contract was not honored and the woman lied about services being sold."
Busby first paid $30 for a tarot reading, after which the psychic advised the husband-wife reunification ritual. Busby paid for the tarot reading he said, to "give [him] an edge." The fee for the ritual was $500, which Busby paid by gift card.
Busby is seeking a class action suit, alleging that over 100 people have been defrauded by Psychic Love Spell Center.
Thom has responded that she never received the $2700 from Busby, and that the $500, which was used for candles and other materials involved in the ritual, would be refunded when she could get the money together.
Busby has published the work up of the case, in which he notes that "The defendants are a family of Roma…. The family have strong gypsy roots…. I believe that all the names used are not birth names, nor has there ever been a court order granting name changes for any of the defendants…." Busby also notes that he has not found any listed corporate entity for the defendants, no "doing business as filings," and no records of sales tax paid to the state.
Busby filed his original petition December 16, in which he seeks "monetary relief over $1 million" and a permanent injunction against the named defendant from fortune telling within the state of Texas. Busby is also seeking a "permanent injunction prohibiting the defendants from practicing or advertising Psychic abilities within the state of Texas." On December 20 subpoenas were issued to the Houston Better Business Bureau and the Bellaire Police department.
Busby is reaching out to prospective co-plaintiffs: "Texas and Houston residents, I have stuck my chin out there and they are taking swings at me. If you need help with this family, now is the time to come forward."
Commenting lawyers have noted that the proceeding may not succeed as a class action suit. There is not sufficient commonality (under rule 23(b)(3) for class actions that require that "questions of law or fact common to class members predominate" over individual concerns and make the class action a better method than individual adjudication. The prospective co-plaintiffs will be hard to find because of the high level of potential embarrassment and the low potential of recovery. Busby has addressed this issue, "If you do not want to go public about your dealings with the family, I understand. You are welcome to discuss concerns with me privately should you be undecided."
Lawyers have also commented about the practice of tarot readings to "get an edge" in legal proceedings. Some argue that it is a breach of attorney ethics, others disagree because oracles are available to both sides.
Busby expects to see class action certification before February 2014. Fraud, violation of Texas consumer law and breach of contract are among the causes of action in the lawyer's lawsuit for $1 million against the fortune teller.
Busby Law
ABA Journal
South Korea Claims Airspace Overlapping Japanese and Chinese Claims
Dec 8. South Korea has announced the extension of its air defense zone (to take effect Dec. 15). The new zone overlaps the zones claimed by Japan and China.
In the East China Sea a dispute arose Nov. 23 when China announced new borders for its air defense zone, and warned that all aircraft entering this space must notify the Chinese authorities in advance, and that China's air force would be on high alert to firmly protect its airspace.
This warning was directed particularly at Japan, who has held an air zone which is overlapped by China's recent claim. This zone was decided by the victors of WWII, and is protected by America through the Japanese-American Treaty of Mutual Protection. The new Chinese zone also claims a submerged rock and research station belonging to South Korea.
The Senkaku Islands were annexed by Japan in 1895, before which no country had pronounced any claim over them. America occupied them for a period after the 1945 Japanese surrender. The islands have been used for ecological surveys and US military bombing sites since the 1940's, when the last residents stopped fishing there. The islands were privately owned by Japanese entrepreneurs since 1900 and rented by the Japanese government until 2012 when the Japanese government bought the islands.
Taiwan and China have claimed the islands since 1971. China and Taiwan claim ownership from 1534 and claim that the islands, though signed over to Japan in the first Sino-Japanese war, should return to China because after WWII Japan released certain of its territories. Japan rejects both claims.
No details specific to these islands are contained in the treaties wherein Japan gained or ceded control of her empire. What is stated in both the 1895 and the 1951 treaties is that Japan gains and then relinquishes Formosa and "all islands appertaining to or belong to Formosa."
America administered the area from WWII to 1972, when it returned ownership to Japan. The US does not have an official position on the competing claims. However, the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the US and Japan binds America to protect these islands (confirmed by US government officials 2004, 2010, and 2012, when the US senate amended the National Defense act for 2013 to specifically cover the Senkakus as protected Japanese territory). The US government has also mentioned the Senkakus specifically since the discovery of nearby oil reserves in 1969 and since the Taiwanese and Chinese contentions in 1971. Before that time, the Senkakus were not mentioned; only the Ryukyu island chain was mentioned as Japanese territory.
Recent years have seen protests and clashes between Chinese and Japanese boats and in some cases air craft.
Nov. 23 after announcing their claim, China sent an air force mission to patrol the area. Japanese commercial flights were ordered to disregard the Chinese warnings. Nov. 26 America, who declared the airspace international, flew two unarmed B-52s through it. The US military stated that they would continue to do so and without identifying themselves. South Korea and Japan have also sent military aircraft to the area. Commercial airlines have been using the area uninterruptedly since China's warnings. America, Japan, and South Korea have protested China's statement claiming new airspace.
South Korea possesses the submerged rock called Ieodo, upon which rests a South Korean research station. The rock is also claimed by China. The South Korean air defense zone was established by the US during the Korean War. The US, Japan and China have agreed that the expansion of the South Korean air zone is in line with international law.
Many commentators note the importance of the islands as oil and gas reserves. In 2009 the US sanctioned Iranian oil and gas. Japan had been importing oil from Iran until then (so had China, which bypassed US sanctions). Some commentators point to the economic gains that come from military expansion as a motivation for increasing tensions in the area.
Book: The Self Immolators (2013)
January 26, 2021 June 8, 2013 by The Speaker Editors
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The Self Immolators (2013) Day Blakely Donaldson
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Tibetan protester dies of torture after being released on "medical parole"
December 5, 2014 March 10, 2013 by The Speaker Editors
A Tibetan protester who was arrested for taking part in a pro-Tibet march has died. Released on "medical parole" after years of torture, the man's health continued to decline until he died Mar. 1.
Lobsang, 43 was arrested May 5, 2010. Chinese police charged that Lobsang had been the leader of the 2008 Machu Protest–which lasted three days and in which 12 Tibetans were killed when Chinese military police opened fire at over 2000 people who were marching and calling for Tibet's independence.
Several Tibetans were arrested and charged with "spear-heading" the Machu protests.
Lobsang was held for five months before being sentenced to 10 years prison for participating in the protest.
Lobsang was released last year on what Chinese officials call "medical parole."
"The Chinese police and prison authorities brutally tortured him in detention and in prison. He suffered death-threatening injuries as a result. Since the authorities feared that he might die in prison, they decided to release him on medical parole, before he was to complete his full sentence. He was released on 27 October 2013," said a source who is in contact with Tibetans involved.
"He was literally reduced to skin and bones. He could not walk. He could not eat or drink. He could not even utter a single word," said the source.
A note written by Lobsang while imprisoned Sept. 28, 2012, translated by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy.
Photos: Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy


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Home > European Union > A Primer on the GDPR: What You Need to Know
A Primer on the GDPR: What You Need to Know
By Courtney M. Bowman on December 23, 2015 Posted in European Union, International
Now that it's been approved by the EU Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee, Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (the "GDPR" or the "Regulation") is well on its way to replacing the 20-year-old Data Protection Directive (the "Directive") as the EU's omnibus data protection law. Although it won't officially become law until it receives the approval of the EU Parliament, now is the time to study the most important aspects of the GDPR so you can be prepared for the new regime.
Why replace the Directive?
The technology landscape was very different 20 years ago, when the Directive was first adopted. Today, with the widespread usage of social media, apps, and the Internet generally, personal data is being shared and transferred across borders more than ever before, and many felt that the Directive was due for an overhaul in light of all these changes.
Moreover, the Directive was limited because it was just that – a directive. As a directive, it could only set the minimum legal standards the EU member states had to meet in their own data protection laws; the member states otherwise could craft their own laws as they saw fit. This led to a patchwork of data protection laws across Europe, with some countries implementing more stringent (and occasionally more unique) laws than others.
The GDPR is meant to solve this problem. As a regulation, as opposed to a mere directive, it directly imposes a uniform data security law regime on all EU members. There is no need for a member state to enact legislation in order to make the GDPR law within that country; once the GDPR is passed, it will become the law in every member state, thereby harmonizing EU data protection law from A(msterdam) to Z(agreb).
What are some of the major ways the GDPR differs from the Directive?
Territorial scope. Article 3 of the GDPR states that the Regulation applies to the processing of personal data of data subjects located in the EU, even if the relevant controller or processor is not established in the EU, provided that the processing relates to the offering of goods or services to the data subjects (whether or not payment is required), or the monitoring of data subjects' behavior. In practical terms, this means that any company that markets goods or services to EU residents may be viewed as subject to the GDPR, regardless of whether the company is located or uses equipment in the EU or not. This provision essentially makes the GDPR a worldwide law, as many entities – think app developers to e-commerce companies and multinational corporations – want or need access to the European market, even if they do not have any European offices. In contrast, the Directive was not as expansive in its geographic reach.
Increased fines for violations. One of the provisions getting the most attention is Article 79, which states that a company that violates certain provisions of the GDPR – such as the basic processing principles (see description of Article 5 below) or the rules relating to cross-border data transfers – may be subject to fines amounting to 4% of the company's total worldwide annual turnover. Four percent may not seem like much, but in reality this could mean millions, even billions, of dollars in fines for large companies that violate the GDPR. Also, given the risk of incurring a significant fine for a violation, this provision underscores the importance of implementing a mechanism that allows for the legal transfer of personal data from the EU to the US, such as binding corporate rules (see below).
Greater control for data subjects. Article 18 of the GDPR grants data subjects a "right to portability" with regard to personal data of theirs that is automatically processed. This provision allows data subjects to more easily transfer their personal data from one controller to another, which will come in handy when, for example, a data subject wishes to change service providers and transfer his or her personal data from one service provider to another. A data subject also has the right to receive any personal data he or she provided to the controller and is being processed via automated means "in a structured and commonly used and machine-readable format." Also, Article 17 sets out the "right to erasure," also known as the "right to be forgotten," which gives a data subject the right to order a controller to erase any of the data subject's personal data in certain situations. Article 17 requires a controller to erase a data subject's personal data "without undue delay" when the personal data is no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which it was collected or processed, or the data subject withdraws his or her consent or objects to the processing and there is no other legal basis for the processing, among other grounds. A controller may be obligated to restrict processing where the data subject contests the accuracy of the data, as well as in certain other situations set out in Article 17a.
Data protection officers. Article 35 requires companies whose "core activities" involve large-scale processing of "special categories" of data – defined as information that reveals a data subject's racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade-union membership, genetic data, biometric data (if processed in order to uniquely identify a person), health or sex life, or sexual orientation – to designate a data protection officer. Companies should be aware that even if they do not collect this type of information from their customers, they may collect some of this information from their employees for human resources purposes, and therefore may need to appoint a data protection officer. Under Article 37, data protection officers must provide advice about, and monitor compliance with, the Regulation, as well as serve as the contact person for communications with the relevant supervisory authority.
Data breach notification. Under the Directive, member states were free to adopt different data breach notification laws, which meant that companies that suffered data breaches in the EU had to research and ensure compliance with the appropriate requirements. However, Article 31 of the Regulation sets out a single data breach notification requirement designed to be applicable across the EU. The rule requires controllers to notify the appropriate supervisory authority of the personal data breach within 72 hours of learning about the breach. The notification must describe the nature of the personal data breach, the categories and approximate number of data subjects implicated, the contact information of the organization's data protection officer, the likely consequences of the breach, and the measures the controller has taken or proposes to take to address and mitigate the breach. Additionally, a processor is required to notify a controller of a data breach "without undue delay." Article 32 requires controllers to notify data subjects of breaches "[w]hen the personal data breach is likely to result in a high risk [to] the rights and freedoms of individuals" and must notify data subjects of the breach "without undue delay." The notification must include the contact information of the company's data protection officer, the likely consequences of the breach, and the remediation and/or rectification measures the company has taken or intends to take to address the breach. However, the controller does not have to provide notice to data subjects if the controller (1) had implemented "appropriate technical and organisational protection measures" and applied those measures to the affected data; (2) took subsequent measures to ensure that the risk to data subjects' rights and freedoms would be "no longer likely to materialize;" or (3) notification would require "disproportionate effort," in which case a public communication would be sufficient as long as the data subjects were notified "in an equally effective manner."
Are there any important points on which the GDPR is similar to the Directive?
Yes – one of the most significant of these is consent. Similar to the Directive, the Regulation provides that consent is a valid basis for processing personal data, and in Article 4 defines consent as "freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous" (the Directive defines consent, in Article 2, as "freely given specific and informed"). Under the Directive, employees generally could not be viewed as freely giving consent to their employers' processing or cross-border transfer of their personal data given the inherently unbalanced power dynamic in the employer-employee relationship. As the Regulation's language on consent mirrors that of the Directive, we may assume, for now, that the same restrictions on employee consent will remain.
What about the Directive's data protection principles? Does the Regulation change those in any way?
One of the key components of the Directive is its list of "Principles Relating to Data Quality" in Article 6. Under Article 6, member states had to require that that personal data be processed fairly and lawfully; collected for specified and legitimate purposes; adequate, relevant, and not excessive given the purposes for which the data was collected and processed; accurate and kept up to date, where necessary; and kept in a form that allowed for the identification of data subjects for no longer than necessary given the purposes for which the personal data were processed.
Article 5 of the Directive maintains and expands upon these principles, even giving each principle a name – the first principle, for example, is labeled "lawfulness, fairness and transparency." It also adds an additional "integrity and confidentiality" principle, which requires that data be "processed in a way that ensures appropriate security of the personal data." The Regulation, like the Directive, also states that controllers must demonstrate compliance with these principles.
How does this affect the US-EU Safe Harbor?
As you may recall, the US-EU Safe Harbor program was declared invalid this past October. While the GDPR does not provide for a new Safe Harbor program, it is important to note that the Directive did not envision a Safe Harbor program either; instead, the Safe Harbor program was implemented five years after the Directive, pursuant to Decision 2000/520/EC. (It was this Decision that the European Court of Justice invalidated this past October, which in turn essentially ended the Safe Harbor program.) In other words, just because the GDPR doesn't specifically provide for a Safe Harbor program doesn't mean there isn't a new Safe Harbor program on the horizon. Indeed, American and European officials have been negotiating the contours of Safe Harbor 2.0 and hope to reach an agreement by January.
In the meantime, Chapter V of the GDPR, which deals with cross-border data transfers, indicates that binding corporate rules ("BCRs") and standard contractual clauses remain valid tools for transferring personal data outside the EU. Unlike the Directive, the GDPR even details the basic requirements for BCRs in Article 43; until this point, the BCR requirements had been set out in a series of Working Documents published by the Article 29 Working Party, and those drafting the BCRs had to cross-reference the various documents in order to piece together a truly comprehensive picture of what to include. Moreover, the GDPR's approval of mechanisms such as BCRs and standard contractual clauses alleviates the concern that some member states' data protection authorities will follow Germany's lead in declaring that these tools offer insufficient protection for personal data transfers to the US.
When would the GDPR become effective?
If approved, the GDPR would not become effective until 2018, giving companies time to ensure compliance with the new law.
Please check back for additional updates on the GDPR and its implementation.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
KOJIPRO-GODz
KAMIYO-神代-
Generative NFT
Kemigawa-jinja amulet NFT
Voicy
Japan's oldest history book "Kojiki".
Created 1,300 years ago, this book is a serious book that describes the history from Japanese mythology to around 600 AD.
… or so I thought, but it's actually a messed up story!
It is no exaggeration to say that it is the origin of manga, anime, and games that Japan is proud of.
The KOJIKI-project, which is the parent body of this project, is a creator team that creates entertainment works such as music, voice dramas, manga, and stage performances based on the Kojiki and local Japanese myths.
Creators who have other main businesses gather and stand up as a circle.
We have devoted ourselves to creating our own works in order to widely disseminate Japanese culture such as myths and shrines as entertainment works to the world.
While continuing to steadily create works, we became a corporation in 2019 for contracts with voice actor offices and shrines.
While returning the profits obtained from the work to everyone, the rest will be fully invested in the production of the next work without hesitation.
In addition to music and voice dramas, in 2021 it will finally be staged.
The KOJIKI-project is a team of 10 people who are enthusiastic about creating works like a cultural festival every day, like a prototype of DAO.
The KOJIKI-project is still not well known.
In order to spread our work to the world, and to fulfill new dreams, we were always looking for new possibilities.
Around last year, highly sensitive people around the world began to take an interest in NFT, web3, and DAO. Murakami, the representative of the KOJIKI-project, became interested in NFTs and became convinced that there was a way out in this world while studying, and actually participated in several DAOs this year.
In that world, there is clearly a world where creators are rewarded, and there was something that made me feel that the KOJIKI-project was full of possibilities to make dreams come true.
In this world where creators and actors are not able to get the right compensation on a daily basis, creators are not allowed to talk about money in Japan. I thought I could change that in the world of NFT and web3, so I was looking to start the NFT project.
One day, Murakami, the representative of several participating DAOs, happens to reunite with his old friend, lawyer Sato Rui.
While working with crypto assets, NFTs, and the Metaverse both as a lawyer and as an individual, Sato is convinced that WEB 3.0 will become commonplace in the near future. I was about to set up a shrine and start an NFT project related to the shrine.
Currently, it is said that there are about 80,000 shrines in Japan, and according to one theory, about 90% of them are suffering from the management of rituals.
Some shrines have a single chief priest who concurrently serves several companies, and there are even many uninhabited shrines without administrators.
Therefore, in order to create a path to improve the management of shrines that are struggling with the management of rituals, NFT / Metaverse was selected as a method. I thought that Kemigawa-jinja would take the lead and put it into practice.
The three people, who have the same goals as each other, decide to start a project that combines their plans.
Using the power of anime and manga, which Japan is proud of, we launched the KOJIKI project Crypto!, a project to spread Japanese mythology and shrine culture to the world.
Kemigawa Shrine
KOJIKI project
Statement based on the Act on Specified Commercial Transactions
© 2023 KOJIKI project Crypto!


text:
Regulatory documents of the department
Double diploma
Preparatory Department
Rules of admission
Documentation and registration
Admission procedure for international students
Admission of foreigners and stateless persons to the Khmelnytskyi National University (University) is carried out according to the Law of Ukraine "On Education", "On Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons", "On Foreign Ukrainian", "On Refugees and Persons in need of Additional or Temporary Protection", Decrees of President of Ukraine dated June 03, 1994 number 271 "On measures to develop economic cooperation with neighboring regions of Ukraine regions of the Republic of Belarus and the administrative-territorial units of the Republic of Moldova", the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on February 26, 1993 number 136″, "On learning of foreign citizens in Ukraine" dated on September 11, 2013 number 684, "Some issues for teaching foreigners and stateless people", Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated on November 01, 2013 number 1541″. Some issues of recruitment and education (training) for foreigners and stateless citizenship", registered with the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine dated on November 25, 2013 number 2004/24536 (in the wording of the Order the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated on December 11, 2015 number 1272).
Foreigners and stateless people (henceforth – foreigners) can get higher education at the expense of physical (legal) people, unless otherwise stipulated by international treaties of Ukraine ratified by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, laws or agreements between universities on international academic mobility. The acceptance of foreigners to higher education institutions to study on public contract is within the quota for foreigners.
The quota for foreigners is a number of public order, which is used for the reception of applicants from among: foreigners who come to study in accordance with international treaties of Ukraine; Foreign-Based Ukrainians, who have certificate of Foreign-Based Ukrainians.
Foreigners who come to Ukraine to study, can enter universities by the accredited educational programs (specialty).
Enlistment of foreigners arriving to study at the expense of physical (legal) people to university lasts:
twice a year, before and at the beginning of the academic semester (but not later to the November 01 and to the March 01) to obtain a bachelor's degree, master's degree;;
during the year for postgraduate study, doctoral studies.
All categories of foreigners who come to study at Khmelnitskyi National University under the orders of enlistment, formed in a single database.
Foreigners who get state scholarships for international agreements, national programs and other international obligations of Ukraine, adopted on the study within the established quotas for foreigners under the directions of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
Foreigners, who come to Ukraine to participate in the programs of academic mobility or for higher education agreed on between Ukrainian and foreign universities educational programs are accepted to study for the appropriate contractual obligations of the University.
Foreign-Based Ukrainians who legally reside in Ukraine, who have status of Foreign-Based Ukrainians ( which is certified), when entering KhNU have the same rights to education as citizens of Ukraine, with the exceptions established by the Constitution of Ukraine, laws of Ukraine or international agreements, ratified by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
Foreign-Based Ukrainians, who have status of Foreign-Based Ukrainians (which is certified), can be accepted to the university on the training of public contract (free of charge) with the established quotas for foreigners based on the interviews with subjects under the rules of admission.
1. Admission requirements
Foreigners and stateless people who come to Ukraine and have foreign documents on full secondary education are accepted for studying for a bachelor's degree on the first year of study at the University.
Foreigners and stateless people who come to Ukraine and have foreign education documents corresponding to the educational background of the bachelor's degree are accepted for studying for the master's degree on the first year of study at the University.
Foreigners and stateless people entering the University should have level B1 in Ukrainian, Russian or English, depending on the language of teaching at the chosen educational program (specialization)
2. Terms of reception of applications and documents
Organization of admission to study at the University of Foreigners is assigned to the selection committee of the Preparatory Department for Foreigners, the Department of International Relations and the Admission Committee of the University.
Procedure of the selection committee:
Monday Thursday, 9:00 – 18:00
Friday 9:00 – 17:00.
3. Registration and issuance of invitations to study, admission of applications and documents, entrance examinations, renewals, transfers and enrollments for admission students are conducted in the following terms:
Stages of the admission campaign
Beginning of registration and issuance of invitations to study foreigners from May 15, 2017
Beginning of reception of applications and documents from July 03, 2017
Terms of reception of applications and documents for the renewal, transfer from higher educational institutions of Ukraine and foreign educational institutions July 03 – August 31, 2017
The deadline for applications and documents September 29, 2017
The end of processing and issuing of invitations to training foreign citizens September 20, 2017
The University's entrance examinations July 05 – October 15, 2017
Admission to state-commissioned education July 17 – October 18, 2017
Admission of entrants for the funds of legal persons July 17 – October 18, 2017
4. An invitation is issued by the University's previous treatment of the foreigner providing the following documents:
the copy of the first page of the national passport of the foreigner establishing his identity, translated into Ukrainian;
the copy of the document about the previous education with the received by marks (points) or academic reference (with the number and the title of the document) with translation into Ukrainian;
consent to the processing of personal data.
The documents should be scanned and sent to the email of the international relations Department interdept.khnu@gmail.com or fmv.margo@gmail.com
3. The order reception of applications and documents
Documents from applicants-foreigners are accepted only in paper form.
Documents required for admissions for foreigners and stateless people:
statement;
application form;
a foreigner's national passport or other document certifying a stateless person with a D-type visa (04/12) for countries with a visa-entry visa issued at Ukrainian Embassy on the basis of invitations to study, unless otherwise provided by international agreements of Ukraine;
a visa application form;
Birth Certificate;
a certificate issued by the Consular Office of Ukraine abroad on the termination of the citizenship of Ukraine of a foreigner, indicating the relevant Decree of the President of Ukraine, if the place of birth of a foreigner is in Ukraine;
document that indicates the right of the candidate to continue studying at the educational establishments of the country where he/she has got a secondary education;
medical health certificate, certified by offcial body of health protection of the foreigner's country and is issued at least for two months before leaving for Ukraine;
8 photos (3*4);
consent to the collection and processing of personal data;
the liability insurance contract for reimbursement of costs associated with implementation of the decision on administrative expulsion outside the territory of Ukraine (deportation);
If available, copies and original of the following documents are presented:
a temporary residence permit in Ukraine, a permit for immigration to Ukraine, a diplomatic card of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine or another document on the right to stay in Ukraine;
a tax authority's certificate of assignment of the registration number of the taxpayer's account card.
All documents must be attested according to the legislation of the country where they were taken and legalized (Ukrainian translation and notarized confirmation).
The originals of the passport, birth certificate, education document, residence document and tax authority certificate are checked.
Medical documents are provided in the original. Birth certificate, education document and medical document, issued abroad, must be certified and legalized in prescribed manner if there is no stipulation in the international treaties of Ukraine.
4. Organization of competitive selection
The enlistment of foreigners to study at an appropriate level of higher education is carried out by the results of entrance examinations on certain subjects and language training. They are to have academic rights to continue studies provided by a document of acquired education in the country of origin. It has to be taken into account the points of success, claims, continue education at the next level of higher education in accordance with the laws of the country that issued the document on acquired education.
Selection for the bachelor's degree consists of two stages:
entrance test language (Ukrainian or English);
interview a professional discipline;
3. For the test of the Ukrainian or English language creates the subject examination Commission, whose composition is approved by order of the rector of the University.
4. The competitive selection for the master's degree is based on the results of entrance examinations in:
foreign language (Ukrainian or English);
specialty.
International Relations Office © 2020


The Aeron Chairs sold in the Mass Order are all fully loaded.
Graphite colour frame or Polished Aluminium frame.
Posture fit SL or Lumbar pad back support.
Vinyl or leather arm pads (Leather is only for polished aluminium frame models).
Hard or standard hard castors.
Add on fully adjustable headrest from Engineered one(USA).
We do not order the basic models as they don't have the ergonomic features.
The most commonly ordered upgrades are the hard castors and headrest addon.
The information below is for the Remastered Aerons only. The classic version may have slight differences.
It's more for aesthetics, there's no functional difference between the two frames.
Both are back supports that work differently.
The posturefit SL has two pads that provide support to the sacrum and lumbar region, and its depth is can be adjusted to fit the curve of the spine.
The lumbar pad only supports the lumbar and is height adjustable, however, the position of the support tend to slip.
For the mass order, we only have the posturefit SL available for its preferred support.
The leather arm pads are only available for models with the polished aluminium frame.
Casters are the wheels of the chairs.
Standard BB casters are for carpet , they are very hard wheels with no additional coating.
Hard floor casters are with a softer polyurethane coating on the wheels which increase the amount of traction, to keep the chair from gliding away easily. The coating also reduces noises during rolling and reduce the chance of scratching hard floor.
The hard casters that we have are German-made from the same OEM factory as the original that are more durable and more stable in its quality. It can be used on carpet too. They come with rollaway resistance, a subtle braking system that keeps your chair from rolling too far away when not in use. They are also with the latest noiseless roll technology, which greatly reduces the amount of sound from vibration when rolling.
It is important for the user to keep the casters away from aggressive liquid detergent and keep the wheels from direct sunlight. The habit of stepping on the wheels may result in disintegration. Do note that hard casters breaking down within 5 years due to poor compatibility with the flooring, will be replaced with standard BB casters.
3rd party fully adjustable head rest from Engineered One(USA).
Many users requested for a headrest to lean back for taking naps, or simply to rest their head .
This is the most frequently requested upgrade.
They're only a few makers for headrest in the market. A few trials had been made and the best headrest comes from the company call Engineered Now from the USA which has a fully adjustable design to fit all users.
Angles can be tilted to any degrees.
Flexibility in extending to both height and depth.
Able to lock positions for most joints. (Many other makers have a problem with locking in the depth and getting out of position).
Mesh design – No entrapment of body heat causing discomfort.
Better flexibility on the mesh to facilitate contouring.
We do have headrest for the classic Aerons as well.
The main advantage of the engineered one headrest is the adjustability and its breathable material.
It empties every gap from your entire spine up to your neck developing the perfect support.
As it's adjustable, you can tune the right angle to fit the position of your neck, as well as how much support is necessary.
It fits so snugly until you can't move much out from your correct posture.
We highly recommend this upgrade above all the other upgrades.
Another thing is the tension can be adjusted by tightening the screw.
Original version versus remastered version of Aeron Chair.
The original classic version had been around since 1994, created by designers Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick. Bill Stumpf was working with specialists in orthopaedic and vascular medicine and had conducted extensive research into ergonomics, specifically in the way people sit. Unfortunately, Bill Stumpf deceased in 2006.
In 2016, a remastered version was released by the original designer Don Chadwick. After 2 decades, the classic design was overdue for an update. It combines all the new found technology and techniques to improve the quality of the chair in almost every way. As well as to correct the defects or issues found in the classic model.
The features and functionality of the remastered Aeron chair remain the same with the following changes.
The gearbox has a new design, knobs are shifted to the front.
Tilt movement is more fluid and bouncy, reducing stress on the back.
The pellicle fabric had been changed to have a softer and more comfortable feel. This is quite a remarkable improvement over the classic.
The posture fit has a change in the way it supports, it is longer and supports along the spine on both the sacrum and lumbar region, this gives you a more natural curve compare to the old design that only supports the lumbar region.
The base of the chair is now made of a very hard plastic that is the same as the frame of the chair. It makes the chair a lot lighter and easier to shift around, which makes movement easier. Active movement is important to keep blood circulating and it promotes better metabolism and blood flow to the spinal region. Weight limit for the chair remains the same.
The new fully adjustable arms have more adjustability. The user can now adjust its angle, height and depth.
All in all, the remastered Aeron is an improved design which increases the comfort level of the user with much better support.
Here are the size charts.
It will be more appropriate to get the right size base on the chart than testing.
In the event the given weight and height have two possible sizing, users are encouraged to read the chart and decide which size it's closer to.
Do note that if the chair is too big, the user will lose the dexterity of tilting the chair. As the user do not have the weight and height to angulate and pivot the tilting mechanism.


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text:
I read a news story last week about a couple, ages 90 and 94, who had been married for 72 years. After a serious car accident they were taken to intensive care, put into beds close together, and died within an hour of one another.
"It was really strange, they were holding hands, and Dad stopped breathing, but I couldn't figure out what was going on because the heart monitor was still going," the couple's son, Dennis Yeager, told KCCI.com. "But we were like, 'he isn't breathing. How does he still have a heartbeat?' The nurse checked and said that's because they were holding hands and it's going through them. Her heart was beating through him and picking it up."
My brother sent the news story to my mom. I was afraid it would upset her, because if she'd had her choice, she and Dad would've left the planet together. Instead, she is still here, aching, loving him from afar in possibly the most extreme sense of that phrase.
But still, that heartbeat traveling from one to another seems a perfect metaphor for the way my parents love each other. Yes, present tense. I'm convinced that death doesn't stop that, in either direction.
Today would have been their 70th anniversary.
I think about you often, Candy. was glad to get this alert about your blog. I too believe that love can be that true. No question.
BIG hugs. = ] xx
At 9:43 PM, E. said…
Aww. Happy anniversary to your mom and dad. I know it's "'til death do us part," but I believe that they'll be together again before too long, and forever.
I love the heartbeat story. Love is so amazing, and it doesn't die with age. It dies sometimes, sure, but not because of years gone by. There are those loves that just get stronger as the decades pass.
At 7:23 PM, jenni said…
Candy, it has been a long, long time since I visited; my own blog has lain fallow off and on through the past couple of years. However, I have thought of you and your gift for words and the tender way you always wrote about your Daddy...I am sad to come and find that he has gone ahead of us now. Many hugs and prayers for you and your mama.
At 11:25 AM, Jerry said…
rsumings gDon't give up Candy; surely your motivation must be returning. We live in a vibrant, screamingly belligerent world of misfits and morons.
Our death is immanent and we still like cupcakes. Grab a brownie and get back into the game. Maybe take a new tact and express your ire about the wealthy (the class I have striven to enter without the least success).
We can still demonize them out of shear envy. Give it a go.
Beautiful, Candy. I've missed you. Anita
What happened? Where did you go?
I Don't Know What I Expected of Grief
Bye, Dad.
Shame on Me for Slacking on the Beer Diary! Bottl...
TSNOWNAMI!
I Need More Hours!
Positive News from the Neurosurgeon
I See Lint People


text:
Die römisch-katholische, denkmalgeschützte Pfarrkirche St. Ägidius befindet sich in Rödelmaier, einer Gemeinde im Landkreis Rhön-Grabfeld (Unterfranken, Bayern). Das Bauwerk ist unter der Denkmalnummer D-6-73-156-1 als Baudenkmal in der Bayerischen Denkmalliste eingetragen. Die Pfarrei gehört zur Pfarreiengemeinschaft St. Martin Brend (Brendlorenzen) im Dekanat Bad Neustadt des Bistums Würzburg.

Beschreibung
Bis auf die unteren, im Kern mittelalterlichen Geschosse des Choranschlussturms im Osten sind alle übrigen Bauteile der Saalkirche 1762 neu gebaut; das gilt für das Langhaus und den eingezogenen Chor zwischen Langhaus und Kirchturm. Das obere Geschoss des Kirchturms, das die Turmuhr und den Glockenstuhl beherbergt und den ihn bedeckenden schiefergedeckten Knickhelm, wurde erst 1889 errichtet. Die mit einem Volutengiebel bedeckte Fassade im Westen ist durch Lisenen in drei Bereiche gegliedert; im mittleren befindet sich das Portal, in den seitlichen stehen Statuen in Nischen. Die Deckenmalereien von 1763, u. a. über Mariä Himmelfahrt stammen von Johann Peter Herrlein. Die heutige Orgel mit 14 Registern, 2 Manualen und einem Pedal wurde 1996 von Horst Hoffmann gebaut.

Literatur
 Georg Dehio: Handbuch der deutschen Kunstdenkmäler, Franken, Die Regierungsbezirke Oberfranken, Mittelfranken und Unterfranken. Deutscher Kunstverlag, München 1999, S. 889.

Weblinks

Einzelnachweise

Kirchengebäude im Bistum Würzburg
Ägidienkirche
Saalkirche
Agidien
Erbaut in den 1760er Jahren
Kirchengebäude in Europa
Kirchengebäude im Landkreis Rhön-Grabfeld

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: "Unresolved library: keyboard" - Visual Studio Code, Robot Framework project I installed the keyboard library by "pip install keyboard" in the CMD/terminal, but my VSC still does not read it? It's a robot framework automation testing project
https://prnt.sc/l1o6iEMsKAOA

A: Your problem is that you are trying to load a python library, namely keyboard as a RobotFramework library, which is not possible and that's why you get your current error.
To fix your problem you need to create your own custom library that makes use of the keyboard python library. You can also search for existing RobotFramework libraries that allows you to do what you need. I'm not sure what you want to do, but be aware that BuiltIn, OperatingSystem, Process libraries might be able to execute keyboard commands.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Fortune Theatre Directions
Fortune Theatre
Russell Street
WC2B 5HH
(5mins) Go right on Long Acre; turn right into Bow Street and after 100 metres go left on Russell Street, from where the theatre logo can be seen.
Nearest Underground/Tube Station:
Convent Garden or High Holborn
Nearest British Rail station:
Access/ How to Get There
The venue is found on Russell Street, which places it within near distance to venues such as the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the Aldwych Theatre, the Novello Theatre, the Duchess Theatre and the Lyceym Theatre, in addition to the Royal Opera House. Due to its central London location, which brings it near to the Strand, it is also near to a number of amenities one might expect to find in the centre of a city.
For those arriving by the London Underground, the nearest tube station serving the Fortune Theatre is Covent Garden, though Leicester Square, Embankment and Holborn are also in relatively close proximity. Meanwhile, for those arriving by the train, the nearest railway station can be found at Charing Cross.
Arriving by road will require visitors to utilise car parks such as the NCP on Drury Lane, whilst those arriving by bus will find that the theatre is served by a number of bus services and bus stops in the area.
In terms of disabled access, the Fortune Theatre does not feature an adapted toilet, though there is a toilet located near to Box A that has the best access to it. The theatre is also lacking in spaces for wheelchair users, who would have to navigate stairs. To get to Box A, visitors can access a side entrance from Crown Court.
For those hard-of-hearing, there is an amplification system in place and a loop system, with headsets and loop headsets available to visitors (twenty amplification headsets and five loop headsets). Whilst staff members are available to dog sit, guide dogs are not permitted into the auditorium.


text:
Browse: Home / 2017 / November / 22 / Signs Show Planet Entering A New Dalton Minimum…Solar Cycle 24 Continues To Be Weakest In 200 Years!
Signs Show Planet Entering A New Dalton Minimum…Solar Cycle 24 Continues To Be Weakest In 200 Years!
By P Gosselin on 22. November 2017
Global surface temperatures have been falling steadily since the last El Nino, glacier melt has been decelerating rapidly and Arctic sea ice has been making a surprising recovery this year. Moreover, the equatorial Pacific has just entered a global cooling La Nina phase.
But there is another far more ominous, long-term sign that the planet is cooling, Prof. Fritz Vahrenholt and Frank Bosse write: Signs show the earth is heading into a Dalton Minimum like the one the planet was forced to endure some 200 years ago.
The Sun in October 2017
By Frank Bosse und Fritz Vahrenholt
(Translated/edited by P Gosselin)
The (almost) sole provider of the Earth's energy at the center of our solar system was once again well below normal in activity last month. The measured sunspot number (SSN) was on average only 13.2. Especially during the middle October trimester (from October 9 to October 20) the sun was almost spotless (11 of 12 days). Thus our sun saw a level of activity that was just 33% of what is normal for this month (no. 107) into the solar cycle.
Looking at the entire solar cycle, the current cycle is only 56% as active as the mean solar cycle (shown in blue below), which is calculated from the previous 23 solar cycles:
Figure 1: The current cycle is shown by the red curve and is compared to the mean curve (blue) and the similar solar cycle number 5 (black). Over the past year we observe that there has been a hiatus in solar activity with a mean SSN of about 25.
Comparison of all the cycles follows:
Fig. 2: The accumulated sunspot anomaly from the mean of the previous 23 cycles – 107 months into the cycle.
The current solar cycle 24 is the third weakest since the systematic observation of solar cycle activity began in 1755. Only solar cycles nos. 5 and 6 (1798…1823 during the Dalton Minimum) were weaker.
Now we would like to look into the future to solar cycle number 25, which is expected to begin around 2021. To do this we use the strength of the current polar field, which we reported on in greater detail in December 2016, also read here in English.
Entering a phase similar to the Dalton Minimum
The researchers at the Wilcox-Observatory of Stanford University were alerted to a impaired mirror that caused inaccurate readings. Since then the error has been resolved and we can now take another look at the data. The fields (the average of the northern and southern hemisphere values) were at 57 centi-Gauss (cG).
The previous solar cycle 23 (an indicator for sunspot activity for the current cycle) at the same point in time in the cycle was approx. 61 cG. In comparison: the quite normal solar cycle 23 (see Fig. .2) was indicated by a field of approx. 104 cG. Thus it is highly probably that also solar cycle 25 will be less active than normal like the current cycle is.
As a result we will experience a weak solar phase that is comparable to that of the Dalton Minimum. It is unlikely that we will experience an even weaker phase like that of the Maunder-Minimum, which occurred between 1650 and 1700.
Posted in Solar Sciences | 28 Responses
28 responses to "Signs Show Planet Entering A New Dalton Minimum…Solar Cycle 24 Continues To Be Weakest In 200 Years!"
John F. Hultquist 22. November 2017 at 7:46 PM | Permalink
Years ago there were things that indicated the continents moved around. Some of these, beyond just the shape, were amazing. Still, "Continental Drift" was in the limbo of infants because a mechanism for the movement was unknown.
If there is a known mechanism for the connection of sun spots (solar activity) and Earth's temperature, I have yet to read it. I'm not saying there isn't one, just that I don't understand what it is.
I also think there are things going on, on Earth, that complicate the issue.
Richard111 23. November 2017 at 7:36 AM | Permalink
Good question John. My only eduction on the subject comes from reading on the internet. Here's my take. Low solar sunspot activity indicates low magnetic activity from the sun. This allows Earth's magnetic field to relax somewhat. The result is more cosmic rays to impact the atmosphere producing increased cloud cover which is a cooling effect. Also it seems the relaxing of the Earth's magnetic field effects magma flow which seems to be triggering more volcanic events. Again gas and muck from volcanoes provides cooling. Too much cooling and global temperatures will drop.
Only confirmation of this is current observations. Something is happening and it is not global warming.
SebastianH 25. November 2017 at 12:32 AM | Permalink
Says a guy in the seconds/third warmest year on record that came right after the warmest year on record …
Kenneth Richard 25. November 2017 at 1:07 AM | Permalink
Assuming you believe that humans caused the 2016 anomalously warm year, and that the natural 2015-'16 Super El Nino event had little to do with the temperature increase, what mechanism do you attribute the -0.6 C cooling during 2016 to?
http://www.woodfortrees.org/plot/uah6/from:2016/to:2017
SebastianH 25. November 2017 at 8:40 AM | Permalink
You and you assumptions and interpretations … you really should stop doing that.
Is 2017 an especially cold year or an especially warm year? Or is this – again – a case of faked temperature data? The manipulation conspiracy that only you guys are aware of and everyone else "just believes" as the sheep we are? 🙂
I'd like to find out how you will answer the question. I'll ask again…let's see if you dodge it again. You seem to have great difficulty answering mechanism questions in light of your beliefs.
Is 2017 an especially cold year or an especially warm year?
Relative to when? Considering the Earth is 4 to 6 degrees colder now than it was during the Holocene Thermal Maximum, when CO2 concentrations were 260 ppm, some context is needed.
faked temperature data?
What do you call it when areas that have no instrumental thermometers post record-high temperatures? How does that work, exactly?
https://realclimatescience.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/122016.gif
SebastianH 25. November 2017 at 5:21 PM | Permalink
I am not dodging, I am saying you should stop assuming things …
There are multiple assumptions in your reply which lead to wrong conclusions and – I assume – are the reason why you think you are a skeptic or must be a skeptic.
Kenneth Richard 25. November 2017 at 6:40 PM | Permalink
I am not dodging
Then why is this now the 3rd time I have asked this question?
I assume – are the reason why you think you are a skeptic
My question has nothing to do with what I think regarding being a skeptic. I'm asking you to identify the mechanism that caused the -0.6 C cooling anomaly during 2016. I understand why you're dodging the question, but doing so speaks to your integrity.
yonason 26. November 2017 at 1:38 AM | Permalink
"You and you assumptions and interpretations … you really should stop doing that." – SebH
If you weren't so vague, we wouldn't have to guess about what you meant. YOU should really stop doing THAT!
But I'm guessing that it's probably deliberate on you're part. And, yes, that's an "assumption," but it's one that is justified based on how little you ever have to say.
Chris in Calgary 27. November 2017 at 6:33 PM | Permalink
John: a good question indeed. Though our knowledge of these mechanisms is nowhere near complete, at least one mechanism has been proposed: cosmic rays hitting the atmosphere causing cloud formation.
The Sun's magnetic field tends to deflect cosmic rays from hitting the Earth. As the Sun's magnetic field weakens, more cosmic rays get through to cause cloud formation, which reflects more sunlight back to space.
This is known as the "Svensmark effect".
See here: https://principia-scientific.org/strong-evidence-that-svensmark-s-solar-cosmic-ray-theory-of-climate-is-correct/
Stephen Richards 22. November 2017 at 8:28 PM | Permalink
I can't wait to see another 1881 blizzard in london
Graeme No.3 22. November 2017 at 10:22 PM | Permalink
A foot or more of snow in London with drifts 3 feet or more high? (halfway up the lamp posts). Overnight minimums of minus 15℃ ?
I take it you don't live in London (or you dislike those who do).
tom0mason 23. November 2017 at 10:54 AM | Permalink
A "1881 blizzard in london"…
Power interruptions causing communications failures, transport hardly moving, food and water shortages, hospitals overflowing, businesses at a standstill, and the London's freezing population hunkered down in their poorly insulated homes.
Umm…, not good!
AlecM 22. November 2017 at 8:42 PM | Permalink
Solar tsi falls, Earth cools – it's the new LIA sent to us to humiliate the climate fraudsters.
tom0mason 22. November 2017 at 10:06 PM | Permalink
Could you please update you link for "Sunspot Tracking Graph"(http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/SolarCycle/) on the right side of the page, it appear to out of date.
Maybe this one http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/solar-cycle-progression or maybe a page from https://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/ , or even from http://www.solen.info/solar/ where they compare solar cycles 12, 13, 14, 16 and the current 24 — solar cycle 12 appears to be a quite good fit to our current if a little displaced in time but not in intensity.
David Turner 23. November 2017 at 2:31 AM | Permalink
Some time in life earth will change .my life your life earth will change and it is changing
Sparks 23. November 2017 at 3:08 AM | Permalink
We can't kill humans, so lets make them suffer.
We're going to always have severe winters, thanks to some brain dead civil servants. We can enjoy, expensive winters.
But civil servants are just doing their job, isn't that right?
RAH 23. November 2017 at 2:02 PM | Permalink
I'm not buying the idea we're going into another LIA yet. Too early to tell just how deep cycle 24 will go or how long it will hang at or near it's minimum. The Dalton minimum ran from the minimum of cycle 4 to the minimum of cycle 7. Even Layman's sunspot count does not show cycle 24 nearly as weak as cycle 5 was and besides your going to need to throw in some heavier volcanic activity to get us back to the conditions of the later half of the LIA.
Solar Cycle Points to a Coming Global Cooling – CO2 is Life 23. November 2017 at 5:56 PM | Permalink
[…] Read more: Signs Show Planet Entering A New Dalton Minimum…Solar Cycle 24 Continues To Be Weakest In 200 Year… […]
I segnali mostrano che il nostro pianeta è entrato in un nuovo minimo di Dalton ... Il ciclo solare 24 continua ad essere il più debole da 200 anni! : Attività Solare ( Solar Activity ) 23. November 2017 at 7:01 PM | Permalink
[…] Fonte: No Tricks Zone […]
Willis Eschenbach 23. November 2017 at 9:29 PM | Permalink
Your post says:
Prof. Fritz Vahrenholt and Frank Bosse write: Signs show the earth is heading into a Dalton Minimum like the one the planet was forced to endure some 200 years ago.
Since the peak of the solar cycles was in 1950, and the strength of the sunspot cycles has been steadily dropping since then … if the "It's The Sun, Stupid" meme is true, why haven't temperatures been dropping for the last sixty years?
Kenneth Richard 23. November 2017 at 10:39 PM | Permalink
Since the peak of the solar cycles was in 1950
According to other solar indices which are not preferred by the IPCC and those who advocate for a negligible role for solar activity, the peak of the solar cycles and the zenith of the Modern Grand Maximum was the year 2000, not 1950. The Modern Grand Maximum only ended recently, with a +3 W m-2 TSI forcing between 1900 and 2000.
Reconstructions of surface temperatures that are not compromised by artificial, non-climatic heating (i.e., urbanization) show a very clear correlation between TSI forcing and climate for the modern era, including the undulation between the 1950s and 1970s prior to the recent (1980s to late 1990s) increase (as shown by ACRIM data). For example, see here:
Northern Hemisphere:
https://notrickszone.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/TSI-20th-Century-Northern-Hemisphere-Schneider-2015.jpg
https://notrickszone.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Soon-Connolly-2015-NH-Temps-and-TSI.jpg
https://notrickszone.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/TSI-20th-Century-Northern-Hemisphere-Christiansen-Ljungqvist-2012.jpg
Antarctica:
https://notrickszone.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/TSI-20th-Century-Antarctica-Schneider-2006.jpg
Indian Ocean:
https://notrickszone.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/TSI-20th-Century-Indian-Ocean-Zinke-2016.jpg
Willson, 2014
• Comparison of the results from the ACRIM3, SORCE/TIM and SOHO/VIRGO satellite experiments demonstrate the near identical detection of TSI variability on all sub-annual temporal and amplitude scales during the TIM mission. A solar magnetic activity area proxy [developed in 2013] for TSI has been used to demonstrate that the ACRIM TSI composite and its +0.037 %/decade TSI trend during solar cycles 21–23 [1980s-1990s] is the most likely correct representation of the extant satellite TSI database.
• The occurrence of this trend during the last decades of the 20th century supports a more robust contribution of TSI variation to detected global temperature increase during this period than predicted by current climate models.
• One of the most perplexing issues in the 35 year satellite TSI database is the disagreement among TSI composite time series in decadal trending. The ACRIM and PMOD TSI compostite time series use the ERB and ERBE results, respectively, to bridge the Gap. Decadal trending during solar cycles 21–23 is significant for the ACRIM composite but not for the PMOD. A new [2013] TSI-specific TSI proxy database has been compiled that appears to resolve the issue in favor of the ACRIM composite and trend. The resolution of this issue is important for application of the TSI database in research of climate change and solar physics.
• The ACRIM TSI composite is data driven. It uses ACRIM1, ACRIM2, ACRIM3 and Nimbus7/ERB satellite results published by the experiments' science teams and the highest cadence and quality ACRIM Gap database, the Nimbus7/ERB, to bridge the ACRIM Gap.
• The PMOD TSI composite, using results from the Nimbus7ERB, SMM/ACRIM1, UARS/ACRIM 2 and SOHO/ VIRGO experiments, is model driven. It conforms TSI results to a solar-proxy model by modifying published ERB and ACRIM results and choosing the sparse, less precise ERBS/ERBE results as the basis for bridging the ACRIM Gap (Frohlich and Lean 1998).
• The Earth's climate regime is determined by the total solar irradiance (TSI) and its interactions with the Earth's atmosphere, oceans and landmasses. Evidence from 35 years of satellite TSI monitoring and solar activity data has established a paradigm of direct relationship between TSI and solar magnetic activity. (Willson et al. 1981; Willson and Hudson 1991; Willson 1997, 1984; Frohlich and Lean 1998; Scafetta and Willson 2009; Kopp and Lean 2011a, 2011b) This paradigm, together with the satellite record of TSI and proxies of historical climate and solar variability, support the connection between variations of TSI and the Earth's climate. The upward trend during solar cycles 21–23 coincides with the sustained rise in the global mean temperature anomaly during the last two decades of the 20th century.
Van Geel and Ziegler, 2013
• [T]he IPCC neglects strong paleo-climatologic evidence for the high sensitivity of the climate system to changes in solar activity. This high climate sensitivity is not alone due to variations in total solar irradiance-related direct solar forcing, but also due to additional, so-called indirect solar forcings. These include solar-related chemical-based UV irradiance-related variations in stratospheric temperatures and galactic cosmic ray-related changes in cloud cover and surface temperatures, as well as ocean oscillations, such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the North Atlantic Oscillation that significant affect the climate.
• [T]he cyclical temperature increase of the 20th century coincided with the buildup and culmination of the Grand Solar Maximum that commenced in 1924 and ended in 2008.
• Since TSI estimates based on proxies are relatively poorly constrained, they vary considerably between authors, such as Wang et al. (2005) and Hoyt and Schatten (1997). There is also considerable disagreement in the interpretation of satellite-derived TSI data between the ACRIM and PMOD groups (Willson and Mordvinov, 2003; Fröhlich, 2009). Assessment of the Sun's role in climate change depends largely on which model is adopted for the evolution of TSI during the last 100 years (Scafetta and West, 2007; Scafetta, 2009; Scafetta, 2013).
• The ACRIM TSI satellite composite shows that during the last 30 years TSI averaged at 1361 Wm-2, varied during solar cycles 21 to 23 by about 0.9 Wm-2, had increased by 0.45 Wm-2 during cycle 21 to 22 [1980s to late 1990s] to decline again during cycle 23 and the current cycle 24 (Scafetta and Willson, 2009).
• By contrast, the PMOD TSI satellite composite suggests for the last 30 years an average TSI of 1366, varying between 1365.2 and 1367.0 Wm-2 that declined steadily since 1980 by 0.3 Wm-2.
• On centennial and longer time scales, differences between TSI estimates become increasingly larger. Wang et al. (2005) and Kopp and Lean (2011) estimate that between 1900 and 1960 TSI increased by about 0.5 Wm-2 and thereafter remained essentially stable, whilst Hoyt and Schatten (1997) combined with the ACRIM data and suggest that TSI increased between 1900 and 2000 by about 3 Wm-2 and was subject to major fluctuations in 1950-1980 (Scafetta, 2013; Scafetta, 2007).
• Similarly, it is variably estimated that during the Maunder Solar Minimum (1645- 1715) of the Little Ice Age TSI may have been only 1.25 Wm-2 lower than at present (Wang et al., 2005; Haig, 2003; Gray et al., 2010; Krivova et al., 2010) or by as much as 6 ± 3 Wm-2 lower than at present (Shapiro et al., 2010; Hoyt and Schatten, 1997), reflecting a TSI increase ranging between 0.09% and 0.5%, respectively.
P Gosselin 23. November 2017 at 11:26 PM | Permalink
Hint: Complex system with thousands of interrelated factors.
Sara Sportingbet 24. November 2017 at 9:52 PM | Permalink
Everything changes, the earth is changing
Chemist 27. November 2017 at 12:19 AM | Permalink
Maybe the years-long delay in temperature increase from the maximum solar output in the 1950's is similar to how on earth the maximum temperatures are experienced 2 – 3 hours after high noon, on average. http://nickelblock.com/?p=7763. Instead of 2 – 3 hours after maximum, it's 2 – 3 decades for the climate patterns to fully change (?). I'm not a climate scientist, just a good study of general patterns I see being duplicated across multiple disciplines.
LOL – Rush Limbaugh has them pegged.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJv3RrxPEww
"If global warming were science, it wouldn't need a PR campaign"
In this recent video Tony Heller, exposes yet a few more of the lies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JroqZ44Plho


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By jdupuis on February 21, 2017.
US president Donald Trump's Executive Order 13769, Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States, is a terrible idea for many different reasons and has been widely condemned. Banning people due to their refugee status, religion or national origin has no place in a civilized society. while it has been overturned in court, it appears that Trump is going to try again with a new Order.
The purpose of this post isn't to go into the details of the Executive order or to analyse the myriad reasons why it's a terrible idea, but rather to share a detailed cross section of commentary and analysis as to why the ban is a terrible idea for the United States' scientific culture and practice in particular. The main reason is that it curtails the free flow of people and ideas in general and affects the individual lives of many innocent scientists at all career levels.
Below is a selection of readings, in no particular order. While this list isn't meant to be comprehensive, if I've missed something important either in terms of whole issues or particular items, please let me know in the comments or at dupuisj at gmail dot com.
Trump Created a Wandering Band of Excellent Scientists: Banned from the U.S. and unsupported at home, Iranian scientists have nowhere to go.
I fail to see how it's such a terrible idea to protect the people of the United States from a group of foreigners that don't hold the same values and ethics that most Americans do. Europe is already seeing the mistake they have made by letting so many undocumented people within their borders. Higher crime rates in Germany and Sweden show how they are a danger to whatever country they migrate to. Not all refugees are terrorist, not even most of them but I'm not willing to take the chance that there would be any among them. If you had a hand full of small candies and one of them was filled with a poison and looked just like the rest of them, would you start eating them? Of course not. You wouldn't compromise the safety of your body so why would you compromise the safety of your country? They can slip by easy enough already, but if we let in so many undocumented refugees how can we see how many of them have ties with ISIS or any other terrorist organization. I feel terrible for these people that have lived through the destruction of their country by the hands of their own leader, but it is simply too dangerous to let them into our country.
NHMtsusp17 - You also fail to see the fact that immigration has NOT increased Swedish crime rates", the elementary logic involving refugees being those trying to escape from fanatical ideology rather than perpetuate it, and the obligations of compassion towards those in desperate need.
In short, you fail as a human being, period.
"They can slip by easy enough already,..."
Umm no, I know the right tries to sell that particular line of crap all the time but it isn't true.
It's always sad to see someone (you, in this case) repeat a long list of talking points that are merely camouflaged statements of dislike of people who are not like you. It is even more sad that, despite the ample evidence that your assertions about Germany and Sweden aren't true, you people continue to repeat them. We in the US are supposed to be better than that.