The purpose of life, then, is to pass the many many tests that we must undergo during our sojourn here on this earth. If we pass these examinations or trials, then there will be eternal rewards, but woe to us if we should fail them. Among the many possible tests, one of the examinations that we can be tested with is wealth or poverty. While it sure is nice to have material wealth because of the ease and comfort that it affords us, there is a hidden deception in it so that it is actually one of the more difficult tests for us to bear. Wealth, by it's very nature, has the potential to lead one astray far more easily than poverty ever could.
"It is difficult for a man laden with riches to climb the steep path that leads to bliss."
Between the human being and God are just two veils—health and wealth—all other veils come from these. Those who are healthy do not look for God and do not see Him, but as soon as pain afflicts them they cry out, "O God! O God!" calling out and surrendering to God.
Therefore, health is their veil and God is hidden in their pain. As long as people have wealth, they gratify their desires, and are preoccupied night and day with pleasures. The moment poverty appears, their spirits are weakened and they turn to God.
I am the slave of Your drunkenness and need!
But Job was never sated of his pain.
Allah s.w.t. has given us so many gifts and blessings that we simply cannot count them all. One of His most awesome blessings to us is our health - both good and bad. Disease does not prove the non-existence of health altogether nor decay the non-existence of body. It is an extraordinary blessing when we are healthy and it is also an extraordinary blessing when we are ill. So how can these two opposite statements be true at the same time? After all, to be sick can be a very difficult trial, (although it may be a source of many blessings - blessings in disguise at that!) whereas to be healthy is comparatively easy to bear.
Jalalu'ddin Rumi says that Allah s.w.t. created suffering and heartache so that a joyful heart might appear through its opposite. Hence, he maintains that hidden things become manifest and known to us only by means of their opposites. He then says, that since Allah does not have an opposite, He remains hidden. "Hidden things, then, are manifested by means of their opposite; since God hath no opposite, He is hidden. . . The Light of God hath no opposite in (all) existence, that by means of that opposite it should be possible to make Him manifest. Necessarily (therefore) our eyes do not perceive Him, though He perceives (us) . . ." [Mathnawi, Book 1, Pg. 63, trans. by R.A. Nicholson]. Rumi's explanation, among other things, shows how it is that we come to know about good health through sickness and vice versa. Such explanations that are based on the personal experiences of people like Rumi "have made thinking humanity believe in the continuity of life after death. It is they who radiate a faith in everlasting life which in its turn takes away the sting from ill health and death and enables us to view life with a sense of ease."
For those who have had temporary illnesses mixed with good health, then, it is easy to see how good health is a blessing. After all good health is a most excellent state - a miracle if you like. It is simply amazing that all the organs in the human body function with such astonishing unison and perfection. I once knew a heart surgeon who, through his pioneering work, developed the pacemaker, (among other major medical breakthroughs) yet he, with all his knowledge of the human body, was continually amazed by the exquisite perfection of the human body and its workings and so he was truly humbled by his knowledge of it. He was also amazed by the fact that the human body did not break down more often than it did. After all, how could such perfection continue to run like clockwork day in and day out year after year and not break down?
Islam has an elegant yet simple answer to this question. It is Allah s.w.t. who is our Creator and it is He in His Perfection and Wisdom (as well as with all His other attributes) who 'runs the show' shall we say. Absolutely nothing can occur without His permission. When He, in His perfect wisdom, decrees good health for us, then we will be healthy. When He in His perfect wisdom decrees ill health for us, then we will suffer from illness. Good health is truly a wonderful blessing and we should be grateful when Allah s.w.t. decrees that for us. It is an honour. But then ill health is also a marvellous blessing. If a sick person can still remain grateful to Allah s.w.t. through the course of his or her sufferings, trials and tests of illness, and still not oppose his or her destiny and endure patiently, then there will be many rewards and recompenses for them. Their sufferings will be rewarded with spiritual honours and gifts of forgiveness.
Dr. Mahmud Es'ad Cosan says, "Sickness wakes people up from heedlessness, guides them to give up their sins, makes them think about the Hereafter, leads them to pious foundations; makes them more thankful to Allah, and teaches them the necessity of taking better care of their health and making better use of their life - something they didn't realise before - teaches them to understand other sick and pained people better, to feel sorry for them and to help them; and raises their ranks and degrees higher in the Hereafter."
And just as wealth is a far more difficult trial because of its potential to lead one astray, so is health a more difficult trial than sickness, despite its outward appearance of ease.
Abdul Qadir Gilani r.a., tells us that Abu Dharr (may Allah be well pleased with him) used to say: "Poverty is dearer to me than affluence, sickness is dearer to me than health, and death is dearer to me than life."
"Comforting it is to experience pain on account of the Friend who is also a physician daily visiting the home of the sick."
"And know the help of God comes through patience and comfortable circumstances with distress and that difficulty is accompanied by ease."
"Sincerity [of actions] resides in a grief-stricken heart."
Appendix A contains more quotes from this book.
This essay has been written from personal experience, and I have shared with you some of the many valuable lessons that I've learned about both health and illness from my own firsthand trials. You see, for the past eight years now, I have personally suffered from a progressing and debilitating disease that has so far left me paralysed over 80% of my body. As if being paralysed were not harsh enough, I also suffer from a very long list of other incapacitating symptoms which affect every single part of my body. For example, among my many other symptoms, I also have extremely poor vision. But this illness has been very beneficial for me and so in spite of its severity, I am grateful to Allah s.w.t. for giving me this disease because through it I've learned many lessons that I could never have learned had I been healthy.
People who know me always seem to be amazed by the fact that I am constantly cheerful. How can this be? Well the answer is simple - as you know, cheerfulness or happiness is a state of mind and one's state of mind depends on what one's point of view is. To wit: is the glass half full or half empty?
My basic belief is that EVERYTHING is a blessing from Allah s.w.t. and that He takes the most excellent care of me despite other people's shallow observations about my outward appearance. I can attest to the fact that His care has been the best and most superb ever imaginable! Therefore, I have completely resigned myself to, and totally believe that whatever is willed by Allah s.w.t. is not only perfect, but is the best that could conceivably happen in every situation and in all circumstances. I also have enormous trust in Allah s.w.t. and His wisdom because I know that He is behind everything. So for those who may wonder how or why I find it easy to cope with this illness, my reply is simple . . . it is Allah s.w.t. who is helping me to cope. Period.
Despite the prohibition to commit suicide and the strict Shar'iah prohibitions forbidding us to even wish for death, some persons may nevertheless still long for a glimpse of Allah ta'ala's face. But this is not considered to be disobeying the Shar'iah law because the longing to meet our Creator is clearly not the same as wishing for death -- these are two separate desires that are actually opposites and both are distinguishable by intention. You see, to look forward to one's death hoping to catch a glimpse of our Creator is completely different from wishing for death because what one really wants to do is avoid suffering and thus reject and complain about Allah ta'ala's blessings.
So it is not difficult to see why a good Muslim looks forward to meeting his or her Maker with full anticipation and absolute hope and trust in Allah ta'ala's Mercy and His Forgiveness. After all, in our primordial state, all of creation was offered this trust and only man accepted it because he fully believed in Allah ta'ala's Mercy (Rahmat).
This is why the Sufis celebrate the anniversaries of the deaths of saints. Those anniversaries are called "Urs" celebrations. Interestingly, the translation of the word 'urs' means 'bridle celebration' which is obviously a joyful occasion where the bride gets to meet and join with her beloved bridegroom. Incidentally the word 'urus' is a derivation from the same root and means 'bride.' It's the same with death, it's a joyful occasion where the lover is reunited with the Beloved -- the reunion of a loving friend after a long separation (i.e., meeting our Maker). What a lovely thought and what a beautiful anticipation!
"We are rewarded only because we have also accepted to be punished for acts which are predestined. This seems to be the Divine Deposit [i.e. a place for safekeeping] with which we have been entrusted, when the Qur'an (33/72) reports: "We did indeed offer the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains; but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof: but man undertook it; -- he was indeed unjust and ignorant." God said: "I shall predestine your acts, and want to reward or punish you according to whether they are good or evil. Other created beings said: How? Thou wilt create, and we have to be responsible for the same? They got afraid. Man believed in the limitless mercy of the Lord, and said: Yes Lord, I accept to take this responsibility and the Deposit of Thine. This pleased the Lord so much that He ordered even the angels to prostrate before man. To sum up, since Islam separates completely the two questions, it is not difficult for it to admit simultaneously the requirement of man (effort, sense of responsibility) and the rights of God with all His attributes, including the power to predetermine."
So life is a gift -- a trust from Allah s.w.t. Our bodies and our lives belong to Him. Therefore, as trustees, we are required to take care of our bodies, protect our bodies from all adversities and guard our lives under all circumstances, until the appointed hour of our transfer to the other world comes from Allah ta'ala. Contrary to what some people seem to believe, it is NOT up to us to decide to take our own lives by suicide, believing incorrectly that our bodies and our lives somehow belong to us and that we can deal with our bodies in whatever way we want to.
I must admit that I do long for the vision of the beautiful face of my Creator after my natural death. I join with all the wise people in their prayers: "O Lord, do whatever You wish, but don't cut us off from this [vision of Your face]."
The Quranic term 'ibadat' is usually translated as 'worship'. A better translation would be 'service' or 'service unto Allah' because the word 'ibadat' is derived from 'abada' and since 'abad' means 'servant/slave', 'ibadat' means 'service'. Therefore one should keep in mind that not only (a) mundane (lawful) acts (acts that are done with sincere intention, and done for the sake of Allah s.w.t. alone), (b) as well as all obligatory acts or other forms of worship (i.e. the five pillars of Islam) and (c) Zikr (remembrance of Allah) are ALL considered to be acts of worship. Also, don't forget that we also have the obligation to purify ourselves and acquire good moral characters as set out in the Quranic verse above (87:14,15). That is, we are to purify ourselves (i.e. get rid of our evil traits) and thus enable ourselves to do good deeds (technically called tazkiya) in addition to fulfilling those two other duties (mentioned above), namely, zikr (remembrance of Allah) or glorifying the name of our Lord and prayer (or worship as described above).
". . . [we] must acquire purity in body, speech, thought, heart, and soul.
Washing off any unclean substance can purify the body, whereas purity of speech can be attained by always speaking the truth, keeping one's promises and not speaking evil of anyone. Also, one should not curse others, nor say anything that could hurt other people's feelings. To attain purity of thought, one should not think evil of anyone, nor should one bear any ill will toward them. One should not annoy nor harm others. Purity of heart can be attained by guarding one's heart against anger, malice, hypocrisy and pride. One should not harbour animosity, become spiteful, bear a grudge nor be jealous of anyone. Instead one should keep one's heart ready to impart love, sympathy and generosity for the service of humanity. Purity of soul is acquired when one becomes filled with love for Almighty God. One guards this by not allowing this love to be surpassed or overwhelmed by the love for anyone or anything else."
And regarding zikr (remembrance of Allah), he said, "The result from chanting Zikr is constant recollection and realization (gnostic knowledge, marifat) of God. Almighty God says: "Remember Me and I will remember you."
In closing, I would like to reiterate that Allah s.w.t. has created all of creation out of His Mercy (Rahmat) as a manifestation of His glorious name 'al-Rahman' and so no matter what one's destiny is, whether it be health, sickness, wealth, poverty, etc., etc., there is Mercy and Wisdom in it. And since I believe in the limitless Mercy of the Lord, (from our primordial state to now) I cannot help but conclude that Allah s.w.t. has predetermined precisely what my tests will be. I know that my particular tests are THE BEST that could ever happen to me. Allah s.w.t. has total control of how He chooses to 'run the show', shall we say, and He does this according to His Divine Wisdom. So it is obvious to me that His particular tests for me are the very best that could possibly ever happen. It is the same for everyone else too. Without this belief, tawakkul (trust in Allah) and tawhid (belief in the Oneness of God) would be meaningless. Obviously sickness was in my personal destiny, whereas other people will be given either health or sickness, wealth or poverty, etc. as part of their destinies. So the real challenge is to realize just how perfect and beautiful Allah ta'ala's blessings are in spite of either good fortune or tribulation. Believe me when I tell you that good fortune is an exceptionally difficult trial because of its subtlety. It is actually a far more difficult trial to pass because, in actual fact, the potential to stray is so very high. It's better to suffer tragedy!
"Paradise is compassed about with the things we dislike (to do); the fires (of Hell) are compassed about with our lusts."
Now I will tell you what made me say what seems to be the most outrageous observation about my illness so far -- that my cheerfulness results from the joy of illness. No I'm not a masochist. Yes I am 80% paralysed and that means that I am physically unable to perform most tasks. But these things are still being done for me through the help of other people, by the grace of Allah ta'ala. He has also given me all kinds of help through many kinds of mechanical devices. Technology has been wonderful for me! Al hamdu li Allah this has left me with a great deal of "free" time so as to pursue other more important tasks of the spiritual kind such as constant, uninterrupted and highly concentrated "worship/zikr" of Allah s.w.t every single moment of my life. How can that be a problem? To me it is an incredible gift from Allah ta'ala, because every single breath I take, whether inhaling or exhaling, is my attempt to keep Allah s.w.t. in the forefront of my every waking moment.
So you see, Allah s.w.t. has given me, through my illness, the opportunity to occupy myself with far more important matters, namely the preparation for real life in the Hereafter and so, because of my progressing disabilities, I am actually very fortunate because I can spend less and less time on necessary worldly affairs. To quote William Wordsworth, "The world is too much with us."
My point is this, if a person chooses to remain blind and therefore refuses to benefit from the many "blessings in disguise" that are given to us, then the seeds of his or her own discontent have been planted. What kind of a plant could possibly grow from those seeds? Think about it . . . self-pity and anger are both poisonous. All that could ever grow from those kinds of reactions to suffering is abject misery and sometimes even a desire to end it all. No thanks!
To be miserable and unhappy because of self-pity or angry over something that you have no control over is not only futile but a complete waste of time. I prefer to put my full trust (tawakkul) in Allah s.w.t. rather than lead life in extreme misery and sorrow! Do I take my illness grudgingly, all the while complaining about what did I do to deserve it or do I accept it willingly and cheerfully? From day one I have been given the freedom and the opportunity to freely and voluntarily surrender my will to Allah ta'ala's will and I've never been forced. I've always had and still have the privilege/obligation to choose one of the two alternatives - one of the two divergent roads. In this regard, the lines from the poem, "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost comes to mind . . .
And just like the poem, wherein the author has actually travelled on a well-trodden path, so it is that we Muslims (all 1.2 billion of us!) are travelling a well-trodden path with each other, for we all share this same perspective on suffering and life and death. Therefore our viewpoints may not be as unique and the path may not be as "less travelled" as we may think! Our goal then, is to follow faithfully in the footsteps of the Prophet s.a.w.s. and to not create innovation and to remain obedient (to Allah ta'ala and His Prophet) and to not transgress.
Well everyone, this is Islam and I am a Muslim.
I would like to thank my spiritual advisor, Syed Mumtaz Ali, for his endless patience, guidance and help and for giving me this opportunity to express my views on this subject.
And as for the trial of man - sometimes it comes as a punishment for any violation of law and, any sin which has been committed; at others it comes with the object of removing the defects and refining the nature of man, and at still others it comes to raise a man in spiritual rank and to take him to higher stages where he may join the people of spiritual knowledge who have experience of different states and positions, for whom the grace of the Lord of the creation and humanity has been allotted beforehand, who have been made to travel in the fields of calamities riding on the conveyance of tenderness and kindness and whom He has soothed by the breeze of kind observation and loving watch in their movements and repose, because such a trial was not meant for destruction and for hurling them in the depths of hell; on the contrary, by means of these trials God has tested them for selection and choice and has brought out from them the reality of faith and has refined it and made it distinct from polytheism and boastings of self and hypocrisy and has made a free gift, as a reward for them, of various kinds of knowledge and secret, and light.
So when these people have become clean outwardly and inwardly and when their hearts have become purified, He has made them among the specially selected and the favourites of His court and companions of His mercy in this world and in the hereafter - in this world through their hearts and in the hereafter through their bodies. Thus the calamities are purifiers of the dirt of polytheism and breakers of connections with people and with the means of the world and with desires and wishes and are instrumental in melting the boastfulness and greediness and the expectation of returns for obedience to commandments in the shape of high positions and stations in paradise and gardens of heaven.
Now, the indication of trial by way of punishment is want of patience on the arrival of these trials and bewailing and complaints before people. And the indication of trial by way of purification and removal of weaknesses is the presence of graceful patience without any complaint and expression of grief before friends and neighbours and without any disgust with the performance of commandments and acts of obedience. And the indication of trial for the exaltation of rank is the presence of pleasure and amity and composure of mind and peacefulness with regard to the act of God, the Lord of the earth and heavens, and to completely lose oneself in this trial till the time of its removal in course of time.
So whoever desires safety in this world's life and in the hereafter, he should cultivate patience and cheerful submission and avoid complaining against people and obtain all his necessities from his Lord, the Mighty, the Glorious, and make it an obligation to obey Him and should wait for ease and be exclusively devoted to Him, the Mighty, the Glorious. He in any case is better than those besides Him in the whole of His creation.
More often than not, the deprivation caused by Him is a gift. His punishment a blessing. His calamity a remedy, His promise a cash. His credit is existing state, His word is a deed. Undoubtedly, His word and His commandment, when He intends to do anything, is only saying to it "Be," and it comes into being. So all His actions are good and based on wisdom and expedience, excepting that He keeps the knowledge of His expedience hidden from His servants and He is alone in this. So it is better and proper for the servants to be in a state of cheerful submission and resignation and to be engaged in service to Him by carrying out His orders and observing His prohibitions and being resigned to His allotment and by discarding such occupations as pertain to the nourishment of the creation - because this privilege is the source of all allotments and the point of their coming into force and their basis; and to be silent on why, how, and when (of happenings) and to refrain from ascribing fault to God in all His actions and inaction.
And know that the help of God comes through patience and comfortable circumstances with distress and that difficulty is accompanied by ease.
Know that people are of two kinds. One kind of people are those that are blessed with the good things of the world, whereas the other kind are tried with what their Lord has decreed for them. As for those who receive the good things, they are not free from the blemishes of sin and darkness in the enjoyment of what they are given. Such a person indulges in luxury on account of these things, when all of a sudden the decree of God comes, which darkens his surrounding through various kinds of misfortunes and calamities in the shape of diseases and sufferings and troubles on his own life and property and on the members of his family and on his offspring so that life becomes miserable through them, and it appears as if he had never enjoyed anything. He forgets the comforts and their sweetness. And if the affluence continues together with wealth and position and male slaves and female slaves and security from enemies, he is in a state of blessing as if calamity has no existence for him. And if he is in the midst of calamity it seems as if happiness has no existence. And all this is due to ignorance of his Master.
Thus if he had known that his Master is absolutely free to do whatever He likes and changes and transforms and sweetens and embitters and enriches and impoverishes and raises and lowers and gives honour and abases and gives life and causes death and gives a man precedence and pushes him to the background - if he had known all this he could not have felt secure in the midst of happy worldly circumstances and could not have felt proud on account of them, nor would behave despaired of happiness while in a state of calamity.
This wrong behaviour of his is due also to his ignorance of this world, which is in reality the place of trials and bitterness and ignorance and pain and darkness, and of which the rule is trial and happiness only an exception. Thus the worldly life is like a tree of aloes of which the first taste is bitter whereas the ultimate consequence is sweet like honey and no man can get at its sweetness unless he has first swallowed its bitter taste and no one can reach the honey unless be has first showed patience with its bitterness. So whoever has shown patience on the trials of the world is entitled to taste its blessings.
From the book "Al-Ghunya li-Talibi Tariq al-Haqq" [Sufficient Provision for Seekers of the Path of Truth] by Abdul Qadir Gilani, r.a.


text:
Why We Publish
Editorial Board and Sponsors
Game Tape Analysis: Why Catalonia Represents All of Us
By: Samantha WasekOctober 24, 2017
[PDF][Print]
At the southern tip of Europe, stretching out its two hands of Ceuta and Melilla to reach Africa, Spain usually goes unnoticed. Our news hardly ever makes world headlines; it's simply not impactful enough. Over the past month, however, my adopted homeland has been enveloped in one of the most controversial events of the decade, and finally our dirty laundry is being hung out to dry on the international clothesline. The threat of Catalonia breaking away from Spain is juicy. It's the political equivalent of a marriage gone wrong, complete with steepled-finger scheming, mutual resentment, and fittingly, bouts of domestic violence. But it also serves to show how the choices and actions of politicians turn a prominent issue in need of discussion into a roiling turmoil. The question of Catalonian secession is the result of the thoughtless, petty political practice that is ubiquitous in governments around the world, but that should have no place in the future of governance.
I live in Seville, in southern Spain, the capital city of Andalusia, which has the resources to potentially be one of the richest regions of the country, but which is, unfortunately, one of the most mismanaged regions and thus suffers poverty and unemployment levels among the highest in the nation. Long before I had ever set foot in this land, or could even find my present-day home on a map, leaders of one of the actual richest regions of the country started to feel an inkling of doubt in their relationship with their peninsular brethren.
Catalonian elected officials had been inspired to seek more autonomy when they re-drafted their regional statute, specifically taking measures to express their discontent with the redistributive nature of the tax system. Maybe negotiating the tax system didn't seem too farfetched. The Basque Country, another autonomous region, does have their own internal revenue service. Perhaps the Catalans foresaw the economic crisis and wanted to safeguard against having to pay the welfare checks of other regions. Either way, I suspect that those Catalan leaders were thinking as most politicians do in modern times—not in what would make their constituents, their own people satisfied, or even happy with their lives while keeping the region afloat, but rather in 1) what do I personally believe, 2) what tactics can I use to get the people behind me, and 3) what move will keep me in this politics game the longest?
In 2004, the Catalan parliament began to rewrite their Statute of Autonomy, the collection of regulations that guides the operations of all aspects of the region. However, the powers that were introduced some controversial articles that would have given Catalonia more judicial and economic independence, as well as implied a compulsory nature of the use of the Catalan language in the public sphere, and most concerning for the conservative Partido Popular (People's Party, or PP) representatives in the regional parliament, the use of the word "nation" to refer to Catalonia in the statute's articles. As the heirs to the Francoist ideal of a strong centralized Spain, if there's one thing the PP is good at, it's reading too much into what someone says, especially if it threatens the idea of One Spain.
Controversy rose to a fever pitch, with the PP, led by current president Mariano Rajoy, stoking the fires of patriotism to shed a villainous light on the Catalan government. Finally, a compromise was made between socialist president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and Catalan political leader Artur Mas, a redrafted solution found. It was rejected by the PP and the Catalan separatist party for being both too radical and too lenient at the same time, but it passed nonetheless. So the citizens got to vote. However, low voter turnout was a huge issue at that point in time, and the new autonomous statute received an overall approval, but only by the votes of 49% of the population. This is where things started to go awry. The PP were emboldened, and both sides were looking for a fight.
Catalonia was unhappy with their situation. One contentious issue was the fact that as one of the wealthiest regions, taxes were levied on them by the central government and then fairly distributed amongst all the regions of the country, obviously having to contribute more to the poorest ones. The Catalans weren't getting back what they were putting in. In addition to the economic issue that sparked the inferno, I would mention that tension has existed between Castilians and Catalans since the Hapsburg-Bourbon contest for the throne in the 18th century. Furthermore, during the Spanish Civil War, a topic that, frankly, Spaniards avoid talking about at all costs, Francoist forces made sure to act on this old feud. During this severely damaging period of time, which in my opinion has never seen proper closure, the Catalan, Basque, and to a lesser extent, the Galician cultures were oppressed, with Franco favoring pure Castilian traditions. Their language, their mother tongue, their most natural and fluid way to express their humanity, was prohibited as well as their centuries-old tradition of self-governance.
When Spanish politicians are faced with the possibility of progress, a suggestion of change, they panic. The People's Party always falls back on words like legal and tradition to back up what they believe is right, and they combat their opponents like seventh grade tattletales, keeping track of every single misdeed, and going after physical appearance if all else fails. And in some way, I understand this nervousness. There's a tense undercurrent in Spain that is never mentioned. It's as if the nation's leaders feel that at any moment this fragile network of autonomous communities, so different one from another, and brought together forty years ago in an open-ended experiment in creating democracy, could come undone at any moment. I understand why they all look like they have stomach ulcers. Spain has been through a lot, and is still finding its identity as a modern nation.
Once the citizens of Catalonia underwhelmingly voted in support of the proposed statute, the PP presented various cases of unconstitutional articles to Spain's Supreme Court. From the filing of the lawsuit in 2006, the PP and the Catalonian leaders began to engage in a back and forth escalation of jabs. Both sides tried to get one another's magistrates removed from the judicial panel, and in the end, the PP succeeded in the strategy that the Catalans had originated, and in 2010 the court finally ruled that parts of the document did indeed violate the Constitution. The response to the ruling was to calls for a referendum on whether Catalonia should take the step towards independence, and thus began the manipulation and mobilization of the people by the Catalan government.
The Catalonian separatist movement is not a grassroots movement. The whole idea of secession, a legitimate threat of secession, came from the top, from leaders like Artur Mas and Oriol Junqueras, and the hastily-assembled idea of separating from Spain was spread by word of mouth and through Catalan media until people began to be convinced that it would be a good idea. I sympathize. The ham-fisted mannerisms of the conservative leaders are downright infuriating, and I have no doubt that many Catalans have a strong regional identity, pride in their culture, and disdain and resentment for past events that would propel them to distance themselves from the Spanish conservatives, who can't stand Catalonia, yet abhor even more the idea of a Spain with a piece missing.
As a leader, though, this is not the time to generate more controversy that will only lead to the edge of cliff, where we find ourselves today; it's the time to take a breath, gather up your fellow policy makers, and rack your brains to find the best diplomatic solution to the problem. Instead, strong rhetoric and appeal to patriotism and cultural nationalism was employed, and a message of reassurance, that Catalonia could easily break away and that life would basically continue on as usual, only better, was propagated. But did those who spread the message of independence take the consideration to also share the practical, logistical planning that would have to take place if they really wanted to become an independent state? Did they leave their ego at the door? Did they give the Catalan separatists the chance to understand what they're getting into?
The issue went into a tailspin. The conservatives began to lash out ungracefully in fear. Catalan officials began to take measures that served for nothing but to save face and protect their own fragile egos, calling for referendums that were obviously non-binding and unofficial, over and over. Neither side did what they were elected to do: to guide us into a future where everyone is better. Politicians are the people I want to see leading us, and instead of having brave women and men who think in terms of solutions and are at the forefront of societal progress, we have at the very top of our political chain mere placeholders who duck and cover at the appearance of an opportunity to make our lives better. I ask them: if you aren't here to eloquently solve our problems, who is? I look around the world and I see people who we refer to as "leaders" who are devoid of any shred of dignity and courage, whose practical skills are nil, and who are completely inept. But they're great campaigners.
They're of a dying breed. The result of the argumentative nature of political behavior in our times is illustrated in the issue of Catalonian secession, and it shows how imperative it is to change. There is no stopping the advances that we as humans are taking, and the world is getting more complicated. However, we are not living merely to survive anymore. Our leaders and ourselves now have the time and the means to think about doing good instead of just staying afloat, and the real problems we are facing—global warming, unequal distribution of wealth worldwide, a solution to the eventual end of fossil fuels—are going to require cooperation and the ability to look beyond the fears we've inherited from older generations. Great people who embody ethical politics and possess an ability to think beyond the constraints of party platforms and one's own self-interest in order to have an honest and evolving debate about issues, to act in good conscience on the behalf of those they represent, to lead, are the future of politics, but only if we take the conscious steps to make it reality.
Posted October 24, 2017 Culture & History, Spain by Dan La Botz
‹ Police Are the Problem, Not the Solution
The Complete Guide to China's Leadership Re-shuffle ›
If you've read this far, you were pretty interested, right? Isn't that worth a few bucks -maybe more? Please donate and subscribe to help provide informative, timely analysis unswerving in its commitment to struggles for peace, freedom, equality, and justice — what New Politics has called "socialism" for a half-century.
Donate to Support New Politics
Please donate to New Politics to allow us to continue bringing you independent, sharp, and provocative political analysis.
You can make a tax-deductible contribution by clicking here.
To subscribe, click here. Need help in making your donation or in subscribing—or just want to send us your suggestions? Contact us at newpoliticsjournal@gmail.com.
France at a Crossroads January 16, 2020
Review: "Tramps and Trade Union Travelers" by Kim Moody January 15, 2020
How Mayor Lumumba was Bought: The Closed Bloomberg Meeting in Jackson, Mississippi January 14, 2020
The Federation of Teachers of Puerto Rico needs your help January 12, 2020
Doug Henwood Has It Wrong This Time January 10, 2020
New Politics actively seeks submission of online articles
We welcome the opportunity to be a site of left discussion and debate, and we are especially interested in running articles that engage important issues on the left that are in keeping with the broad democratic and socialism-from-below approach that is a proud tradition New Politics continues to embrace. See Why We Publish for our general political perspective. Please send submissions to newpoliticsjournal@gmail.com.
© 2020 New Politics
Welcome to New Politics
Some of the best things in life (under capitalism) aren't free. Like producing a thoughtful, intellectually serious socialist journal and website. That costs money, even when volunteers make things happen, as we do at New Politics.
Please help us by subscribing and making a tax-deductible contribution.
Current subscribers receive the print issue before anyone else. You'll be ahead of the buzz and you'll help New Politics to continue its proud tradition of publishing smart, topical analysis about "socialism from below."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Gov. Nixon announces travel dates to Cuba
By: Katie Hynes
1/21/2015: Newspaper Story - Nixon's State of the State Address features call for Medicaid expansion, but few specifics otherwise
1/21/2015: Newspaper Story - Senate committee discusses first agriculture bill of session
1/28/2015: Radio Story - House finalizes dairy revitalization bill
The same week that Cuba is undergoing trade negotiations with the U.S., Governor Nixon announces his travel dates to Cuba.
OutCue: SOC
Wrap: Governor Nixon has been attacked for creating plans for trading with the communist country.
Senator Rob Schaaf of St. Joesph's has questioned conducting business with a country controlled by a dictator and has a history of human rights violations.
Nixon says trading with Cuba will not only be beneficial to the state, but also to diplomatic relations.
Actuality:
FARM1.WAV
Description: "I just believe that the best way to have an open and peaceful world is to feed people and meet people. And this gives us an opportunity right here in the heartland to be a leader."
March first through fourth, Governor Nixon will travel to Havana.
Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Katie Hynes.
In less than five week Gov. Nixon will be traveling to Cuba to promote trade negotiations for Missouri.
Wrap: Surrounded by agriculture leaders around the state, Governor Nixon discussed how trade with Cuba can lead to more jobs in Missouri.
Description: "I mean the rule of thumb we use is for every billion dollars in trade it's about six thousand permanent jobs here at home."
Nixon emphasized the need for Missouri to be the first state to capitalize on possible trade with a market that is ninety miles away from the United States coastline.
Senator Rob Schaaf from St. Joseph's questions trading with a country controlled by a dictator with a record of human rights violations.
Nixon will be in Cuba from March first through the fourth.


Our company is highly acclaimed in offering a wide range of Marine Navigational Systems. These systems are very popular for their unique features such as versatility, efficient performance, non-corrosiveness and resistance to wear and tear. The wide range of systems offered by us includes RADARS, ARPA RADARS, GPS, DGPS, Master Gyro Compass, Autopilots, Magnetic Compass, Echo Sounders and Anemo Meters.
Our company is highly acclaimed in offering a wide range of Marine Autopilots. These Autopilots offer great solutions to marine vessels in path finding, steering and detecting. Our products are highly appreciated for low fuel consumption and manpower conservation. Thus, these products offer solutions to small and big ship's IMP Complaint. These marine products are precision engineered and are dimensionally accurate.
Auto Learning using IST Technology.
Auto Sea State adjustment for reliability in all weather condition.
Rugged Marine Computers have the following specification.
The Navigator Radar Skipper GDS 101 is a navigation Echo Sounder with a large, high resolution colour LCD display. The Echo Sounder graphics are continuously shown on the LCD along with complete navigational details. External connectors are provided for printer, VGA and NMEA in/output.
Autopilots, Radar, AIS, Plotters, etc. Accurate 2D heading and positioning data. Better than 0.60 degree Heading accuracy. Provides Heave, Pitch and Roll information. DGPS provides sub-meter positioning accuracy.
Looking for Marine Navigational Systems ?


Liz Lee joins us again for this episode of The Deal Room Podcast where we talk about earn-out arrangements in the sales and acquisitions space; the risks, controls, and other considerations. This episode is for both business purchasers and sellers as it gives insights on how you can protect yourself, whichever side of the transaction you are on.
Joanna: Hi it's Joanna Oakey here and welcome back to The Deal Room Podcast. Today we have the fabulous Liz Lee with us again to talk about the area of tips and traps for earn-out arrangements. Hi Liz, thanks a lot for coming back again.
Liz: Hi Jo, thank you for having me.
Joanna: Great. All right so look, I guess this area of earn-out arrangements is really typical in the sales and acquisitions space because lots of buyers like to purchase on the basis of using an earn out as a way to either have deferred payment or some sort of protection for them in relation to the amount that they're paying and sellers on the other hand feel often quite anxious about earn-outs as a whole.
Liz: Yes, and often I think purchasers will offer to buy a company or business using the earn out mechanism to offer more for the business.
Joanna: Yeah. So it's an opportunity, isn't it? If sellers can get their head around it, then it can be an opportunity for them to potentially get a higher value and sometimes also open up the range of who might be sitting out there as a buyer that might be interested in their business. I guess that's the positives but whilst there's positives I guess there's also risks. So what do you see as the real risks for sellers looking to adopt an earn out arrangement as part of the transaction fee?
Liz: Yes, so there are also elements that could be taken into consideration for earn-out arrangement from a vendor's perspective, and the seller's perspective. They need to know that this is for the vendor to earn the earn-out because once they've sold the business, they have given control of the business to the purchaser, essentially. There may be ways to try to limit that control but at the end of the day once the vendor has sold, it's a risk for the vendor. So therefore the vendor needs to be very clear about the protection mechanisms that they want included in the sale and purchase agreement.
Joanna: Absolutely, that's a really good point. OK. So, let's talk about some ways that we might protect sellers in this environment in the documentation, I guess it might be useful for people to understand some of the ways that you can limit the control that a buyer has.
Liz: Yes, that's right. So there's operational controls: who's going to be running the business, what parameters are there going to be in running the business, is there a business plan that they're going to go with, can the purchaser radically change the strategy of the existing business? So you've got these overarching structural type operational controls that the vendor might want to impose on the business going forward. There's also the issue of financial contribution. Will there be sufficient resources and a working capital provided by the purchaser for the business to realise its potential? So those two elements are really important.
Liz: And also, certainty as to staff who have stayed on, remained with the business. You want to have protection about this ongoing human resources that will be supporting the business too.
Joanna: Yeah. Nothing like the key staff. Not getting the raise that they are expecting the next year and then racing off and then suddenly your whole prospect of getting your earn out diminishes with staff member that run off. So I guess also there's this whole concept of credit risk exposure. Can the new entity pay and indeed how is it that you force payment. So that's something that is always important to work through as well.
Joanna: And there's ways that you can, bearing in mind that exposure, you also then need to think about how far you want to go in protecting your position because there's many potential protections that you can build in place but you have to work out whether or not you want to register on the PPSR and how far you want to take this protection.
Liz: Yes, well there's a fine balance between protecting the vendor and compromising or capturing the purchaser's right to own the business and to operate it in the way that it wants to as well. It's actually a really fine balance there.
Joanna: Yeah that's a good point because a part of what we've been talking about has been from the seller's perspective but from a buyer's perspective they're walking into this earn out arrangement as a way that they can perhaps protect a bit of their risk in the purchase in relation to how much they've paid for the business to make sure it is adequate in relation to how much the business is earning going forwards. But of course they themselves don't want to be completely hamstrung by the earn out arrangements that are in place so that they can't run the business the way they think it should be run.
Liz: Yes, that's correct because whilst the purchaser might offer to purchase a business on that basis at the same time the purchaser's got to be careful as to these issues that the vendor might break down and string them in relation to having owned the business.
Joanna: Absolutely. And I guess the last item here that should be considered is what about unexpected events because I guess this is something that has to be borne in mind by both parties, like death or some sort of TPD event. So what's the suggestions we can give our listening audience about the sorts of things to think about that?
Liz: Some of the mechanisms that are often used to the concept of there being an accelerated payment due to an unexpected event happening like this. I mean this is something that occurs beyond the vendor's control, with the death or TPD. And therefore, should the vendor really be penalised for something like this that occurs, that's beyond their control. So you could work in a regime of accelerated payment to the vendor's estate. It's unfortunate for the purchaser and therefore there might be ways in which to hedge that risk such as insurance policies and so forth. So, they're ways to deal with this type of risk.
Joanna: Great. OK. All right. Well look I think that's a good quick snapshot. Maybe in the future we'll do another episode where we really drill into some of these areas in more detail. But today was really just about giving a quick overview for organisations that are looking to buy or sell and considering whether or not earn out arrangements are something that they might want to consider as part of the structure of the sale price so we just wanted to cast a bit of light. So there were some fair understanding of the pros and cons of incorporating earn out arrangements.
Joanna: So as a bit of a recap, we talked about earn-out arrangements and some of the risks that can relate to earn-out arrangements. And also some of the ways that you can structure these earn out arrangement clauses to protect yourself whichever side of the fence you're sitting on. So if you would like more information about this topic head over to our website at thedealroompodcast.com where you'll be able to download a transcript of this podcast episode if you'd like to read it in more detail. There you'll be able to find details of how to contact Liz Lee if you'd like to discuss the potential sale or purchase of a business. And we also have a great number of services that help businesses both prepare for a sale or acquisition to help them prepare in advance and to get transaction ready. We also have a range of services to help guide businesses through the sale and acquisitions process.
We work with clients both big and small and have different types of services depending on size and complexity. So don't hesitate to book an appointment if you want to find out more about how we might be able to assist you or your clients. And finally if you enjoyed what you heard today please pop over to iTunes and leave us a review. Thanks again for listening in to The Deal Room Podcast. You've been listening to Joanna Oakey and Elizabeth Lee. See you next time!


Feel friendly and confident in social situations.
Communicate honestly, clearly and with ease.
Embrace lifelong learning and continue to evolve.
Cultivate generous and thoughtful relationships.
Let Blue Quartz ignite new exciting ideas!
Location: The best transparent Blue Quartz crystals are found in Italy and Spain. Additional deposits of Blue Quartz are located in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Columbia, Congo, French West Indies, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, United Kingdom, and the United States (Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Virginia).
Mineral Family: Blue Quartz is the rare blue variety of Quartz, which is in turn a Silicate mineral. Silicate minerals are the largest family of minerals, including more than 25% of all known minerals and 40% of all common minerals. In addition to being a major part of the Earth's crust, Silicate minerals have also been found on the moon and in meteorites. Silicates are minerals which contain the elements Silicon (a light gray shiny metal) and Oxygen (a colorless gas). Together, these two elements form a tetrahedra – a shape similar to a pyramid – with a Silicon atom in the center and Oxygen atoms at each of the three corners. These tetrahedras connect with other chemical structures, in six different ways, to form various minerals and rocks. There are six main groups of Silicate minerals, and these main groups are further subdivided into secondary subdivisions, such as Quartz and Feldspar. Quartz is a large mineral family in its own right and its members come in every shade of the rainbow. Colorless Quartz is called Clear Quartz or Rock Crystal. Yellow Quartz is Citrine. Green Quartz is Prasiolite. Brown Quartz is Smoky Quartz. Pink Quartz is Rose Quartz. The most highly prized variety of all is Amethyst, or purple Quartz.
Formation: Blue Quartz is created when liquid magma from a volcanic explosion cools down and transforms into igneous rocks. During this cooling down period, silica acid bubbles shift from being a gas/liquid into a solid compound. The bubble becomes a hollow space in the igneous rock and the silica acid becomes Quartz crystals. The blue color is caused by tiny inclusions of blue minerals like Dumortierite.
Mining: In Spain, rare Blue Quartz crystals are prized and a focus for several mines. In the rest of the world, Blue Quartz is typically mined as a secondary mineral within other commercial mines.
Enhancements: Blue Quartz can be fully natural or created from Clear Quartz that has been irradiated with gold to create a bright neon blue color.
Blue Quartz is a relatively "new" stone to the metaphysical world and was not included as a distinct mineral in any early lapidaries, texts which describe gemstones and their powers.
Spiritual: Blue Quartz is a gentle stone to inspire great personal growth. It reveals our path forward and help us to walk it gracefully and confidently. Blue Quartz helps us to stay calm and centered during times when our life is disrupted or at a crossroads, transforming from one stage of life to another. It reminds us that each stage of life is a wonderful opportunity all its own. So, do not mourn a previous time of life, or seek to hurry forward to the future. Rather enjoy the present moment and take time to explore all the delicious possibilities it presents! Blue Quartz reminds us that we are all one family and that connecting with others and supporting each other on our journeys is powerful good medicine. Blue Quartz is a particularly good stone for people who practice yoga, meditation or other forms of breath-work. It is attuned to the Throat and Third Eye Chakras and linked to the astrological signs of Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces. It is connected to the elements of Wind and Water and vibrates to the number 4.
Emotional: Blue Quartz brings a calm self-confidence, a sense of ease and soul-purpose deep within ourselves. It encourages us to be generous with our time and energy, with the people that matter most to us. Blue Quartz also encourages us to cultivate thoughtful relationships, and to be with people who make us feel good and help us to grow. Blue Quartz teaches us that "fear", especially fear of the unknown, is often little more than "incomplete knowledge" and that the way to move past fear is to simply learn more! It also reminds us to reach out to others for support when in need and to trust that we will receive good energy. Blue Quartz inspires hope and helps us to trust ourselves and to listen to the promptings of our heart.
Mental: Blue Quartz is a wonderful stone for the mind and inspires lifelong learning. It teaches us that we are constantly evolving, ever changing, and that each season of our life is full of interesting challenges just waiting for us to solve them. It helps us to see new opportunities as exciting and encourages us to ponder new ideas. Blue Quartz improves our communication skills, helping us to find the right words to express whatever we are feeling, thinking or dreaming into. Blue Quartz is an excellent stone for anyone undergoing talk therapy.
Physical: Blue Quartz is used by metaphysical healers to treat the lungs, heart and spleen, as well as to heal the endocrine system. It is said to stabilize the metabolic process and to strengthen the immune system. It is believe to be especially useful for treating blood clots that are caught in the lungs. Blue Quartz is highly recommended to work with when learning how to control and be conscious of breathing, for meditation and healing purposes.
These Blue Quartz were mined and tumbled in the United States.
I met the owner of the US tumbling company at the 2014 Gem and Mineral show in Tucson, Arizona. This company only sells tumbled stones twice a year, once at the Tucson show and later at the Sainte Marie Aux Mines International Mineral and Gem Expo in Provence, France. They offer one of the largest selections of high quality tumbled stones in the industry and are one of my favorite suppliers.
It would be my pleasure to hand-select a beautiful Blue Quartz for you.
This price is for one stone. You can buy a single Blue Quartz or several, depending on your individual needs. Each Blue Quartz measures at least 1 inch at its longest length and have a unique shape with soft edges. Tumbled stones are natural products and variations are part of their beauty.
The stone I choose for you will be smooth and free of chips and be a beautiful bright blue opaque stone, possibly with darker blue markings. If you buy multiple stones, I will choose stones that look and feel particularly good together. Stones will be cleansed and smudged with sage before being shipped to you.
With their beautiful color and clean energies, these Blue Quartz are perfect for crystal healing. Add them to a medicine bag, place them on an altar, use them in a crystal elixir, fashion them into jewelry, or simply carry them in your pocket.
The blue quartz is a pretty vibrant blue! I also love how it fades from bright blue to light blue. Weird comparison, but it kind of reminds me of blue jeans in a way. It may be small, but it is pretty and fits nicely in my hand.
Received guickly very satisfied. Thanks seller!!
Great seller! Communication A+++ from start to finish a highly valued seller!!!!
Great seller .Fast and free shipping.
Quick ship-beautiful stone-will buy from again!


There can be only one... Game of the Year, that is.
The Spiel des Jahres is considered the highest honor in the world of board and card games. Founded in 1979 and awarded in Germany each year, the trophy goes to the best game for families - a game that's easy to learn, fun to play and one kids and parents will want to return to again and again.
Part 2 of our coverage features a full review of the third and final nominee, The Game, a cooperative card game where table talk (of a sort) is allowed. After our review, we see how it stacks up against the jury's criteria.
We hear from three listeners with their predictions and then we put our necks on the line and try to predict this year's winner.
The 2015 Spiel des Jahres is... Colt Express!
Congrats to designer Christophe Raimbault & publisher Ludonaute.


1. Body shape: three body segments. Spiders have two body segments so ant-mimics must evoke the three body segments of an ant (head, thorax, abdomen) The large palps of male Steatoda bipunctata, carried raised and together, appear to make the role of an 'ant head'. Check!
2. Three pairs of legs and one pair of antennae. I need to carry more observations on live individuals to assess how the front legs are carried, as ant mimics carry them forward and often raised.
3. Petiole or 'waist' of the ant. My spider has a strong constriction at the end of the cephalothorax reminiscent of the 'waist' between the thorax and the abdomen of the ant. Check!
4. Mandibles. Pointed palps, but not an obvious feafure of Lasius niger.
5. Pair of compound eyes. No clearly mimicked, but also not a very distinctive feature of L. niger.
6. Sting. Not normally visible in Lasius niger.
7. Thin body and legs. Check!
8. Shiny surface. Very shiny, waxy looking. Check!
9. Segmented abdomen. Abdomen with bands that reflect light as the tergites in an ant abdomen, with a similar pubescence. Check!
Not bad, a clear 5 out of 9 ant-mimic features clearly by this species, and I must add that something missing from the list are the general size and colour, which in this case also fit the garden ant. That the male does resemble an ant more than the female could be explained by the fact that he is likely to be exposed to predation while he moves in search of females - who sit on their webs and would be unlikely to gain much from resembling an ant.
I just found one of these trying to build a web between the sink and the faucet handle in the kitchen. I thought at first that it WAS an ant, as it's HUGE compared to all but one of the other spiders of this species that I've found in my house in the last year or so. (we're apparently a good breeding place for the False Widow spiders, as they keep popping up everywhere). I have him safely in a jar right next to my computer as we speak. I'm not sure where I'm going to relocate him to, since winter is rapidly approaching. Can you direct me to any other websites with more information on these nifty little nippers?


text:
Bill Haley and His Comets
Billy Haley and his Comets fused elements of country music, Western Swing, and black R&B to produce some of rock and roll's earliest hits. His "Crazy, Man Crazy" from 1953 was the first rock and roll record to make the pop charts.
A six month old Haley with father
Margaret Haley far right
Bill Haley was born in Highland Park, Michigan on July 6, 1925 to William and Maude Haley. The couple's second child, Haley had a sister Margaret who was born two years earlier.
When Haley was four while having an operation to repair an inner ear ailment the doctor accidental cut an optic nerve. The result was that Haley would never ever see out of his left eye.
The Haleys had moved to Detroit from Firebrick, Kentucky, where William Sr. found work in a nearby service station as a mechanic while his wife gave piano lessons in their home for twenty-five cents an hour. Maude Haley, a woman of strong religious convictions, had come to America with her family from Ulverston in Lancastshire, England before the First World War. Later the family moved to Boothwyn, near the town of Chester, Pennsylvania.
William Haley Sr. was a quiet man from the hills of Eastern Kentucky who had to quit school early to find work. His father had died young and his mother desperately needed his income to raise the younger children. William Sr. struggled with this burden until the last of his brothers and sisters were educated and on their own. Only then, after he was thirty years old, did he marry.
Haley's father played the banjo and mandolin. Though he couldn't read music he had an ear for country music and was able to pick out any tune he wanted by ear.
At thirteen Haley received his first guitar. His father taught him to play the basic chords and notes by ear. It was at this time he began his dream of becoming a singing cowboy like the ones he idolized every Saturday afternoon at the movie houses in nearby Marcus Hook or Chester.
In June of 1940, just before his fifteenth birthday, Haley left school after finishing the eighth grade and went to work bottling water at Bethel Springs. This company sold pure spring water and fruit flavored soft drinks in a three state area. Here he worked for 35 cents an hour, filling large five gallon glass bottles with spring water. Only the absolute best of the best were making a living from making music.
Bill Haley "The Rambling Yodeler, 1946
Promoting Candy Kisses
Photo courtesy Rex Zario Collection
At 18 he made his first record "Candy Kisses" and for the next four years was a guitarist and singer with country and western bands.
The Range Drifters
Brother Wayne, Bill Haley, Bob Mason, Lloyd Cornell circa 1948
The Downhomers
Bill Haley, Shorty Cook, Bob Mason,Guy, Campbell Lloyd Cornell
After time on the road with the Down Homers Haley returned to his parents' home in Booth's Corner in September of 1946. He was ill, disillusioned and so broke he had to walk from the train station in Marcus Hook four miles to Booth's Corner. His only request to his mother was not to tell anyone he was home, not even his fiancée Dorothy. Bill fell into bed and slept thirty hours. Over the next two weeks Mrs. Haley slowly nursed her itinerant son back to health.
Dorothy Haley
By the age of 21, Haley felt he wasn't going to make it big as a cowboy singer and ill left the 'Downhomers', and returned to Chester to host a local radio program.. At this time he also married his childhood sweetheart Dorothy Crowe a beautiful part American Indian girl.
Bill Haley as musical director WPWA 1949
Left to right: Julian Barnard, Wayne Wright, Fran Chandler, Bill Haley
Haley was hired in 1947 as musical director for radio station WPWA. Working twelve to sixteen hours a day, six days a week he interviewed dozens of local people, always looking for good ideas and new talent. Each Sunday he would go to Radio Park and invite celebrities to do a special half hour program where he would interview them and ask them to sing or play their latest tunes.
The Four Aces of Swing
( l to r Al Constantine,Tex King, Bill Haley, and Julian "Bashful Barney" Barnard)
It was during this time that he put together a band The Four Aces of Swing that performed on the his show. In 1948 on the Cowboy label Haley recorded with The Four Aces of Western Swing. The Four Aces disbanded in mid '49 and Haley formed a new band, the Downhomers with which he recorded country music. Later he left the group to return Chester to host a local radio program.
Jimmy Myers
In the summer of 1950, through the efforts of Jimmy Myers, Bill Haley and his Saddlemen cut their first records. They were on Ed Wilson's Keystone label, a small Philadelphia independent publisher. The songs were standard western swing tunes: "Deal Me A Hand" /" Ten Gallon Stetson" and "Susan Van Dusan" /" I'm Not To Blame." They were the first recordings of the band that would become the nucleus of the world famous Comets.
With their new, exciting sound the name "Saddlemen" no longer seemed appropriate. According to Marshall Lytle, it was Bob Johnson, Program Director at WPWA who first suggested the name Haley's Comets. "Ya 'know, with a name like Haley, you guys should call your group the Comets!"
Just before the Thanksgiving holidays in 1952, Haley's band changed their name and their image for the last time. Off came the cowboy boots and the white Stetsons. With some regrets and more than a little apprehension, the four young musicians, turned their backs on their beloved country/ western music and bravely faced an unknown future as "Bill Haley and His Comets".
One example of that change was "Rock the Joint" which sold 75,000 copies. In 1953 he wrote "Crazy Man Crazy" which became the first rock and roll record to make the Billboard pop chart reaching the Top 20.
Saddlemen became the Comets. This photo is of the 1952 Comets.
Clockwise from the bottom: Bill Haley, bassist Marshall Lyte, Steel guitarist Billy Williamson and accordionist Johnny Grande.
Comets in 1953
On April 1st, 1954, Jimmy Myers, Milt Gabler and Bill Haley met in Decca's New York offices. The three men discussed a contract for four records a year, a standard royalty of 5% of sales, $5,000.00 in advance royalties and the understanding that Decca would mail out each release to two thousand disc-jockeys with full support publicity. Plus full page ads in Billboard and Cash Box magazines! With the deal set and signed, the three men shook hands and agreed on a recording date four days after the Essex contract was due to expire.
Sonny Dae and His Knights
Clockwise from left: Hal Hogan
Paschal Vennnitti, Art Buono, unknown
Pythian Temple
Going over arrangement at Studio A
R-L: Haley, manager Jim Ferguson
Milt Gabler
Comets at Studio A at Pythian Temple
Milt Gabler below stage, circa 1956
Milt Gabler was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991
It was while at Decca that Haley fell under the influence of Milt Gabler who had produced Louis Jordan. Gabler would convince Haley to change his sound. That change would be evident when on April 12th 1954, at Pythian Temple Studio with the recording of "Rock Around the Clock." The song that introduced rock & roll to White America. "Rock Around the Clock." Originally recorded by Sunny Dae in 1952, "Rock Around the Clock" had initial sales topping 75,000. "Rock Around the Clock" was a modest hit, until the song was used as the title track of "The Blackboard Jungle," a movie about juvenile delinquents, some 12 months later.
His next record a cover of Joe Turner's "Shake, Rattle and Roll' was a top ten hit. It was the first rock & roll record to sell a million copies
Danny Cedrone
On July 17, 1954, three months after the Shake, Rattle and Roll session the Comets lost their studio guitarist Danny Cedrone who laid on Rock Around the Clock the first recognizable guitar solo of rock and roll. He would be replaced by Francis Breecher who had been introducer to the Comets by Billy Williamson a tear earlier.
The next really big hit came with "See You Later Alligator" which sold a million copies within a month.
L to R counterclockwise from top
Bill Haley guitar, saxophonist Rudy Pompilli, Bill Williamson, bassist Al Rex, Johnny Grande, drummer Ralph Jones and guitarist Franny Beecher
In September, 1955 Dick Richards, Marshall Lytle and Joey D'Ambrosio went to the Comet's manager Jim Ferguson and asked for a raise. Turned down they gave two weeks notice. They then went and signed with Capital Records and recorded as the Jodimars.
Lytle was replaced by Al Rex Haley's original basist from the Saddlemen, D'Ambrosio by Rudy Pompilli and Richards by Ralph Jones.
"We took parts of four different types of music: dixieland, country and western, rhythm and blues, and our old jazz standards"
Bill Haley, BBC interview, September 14, 1956
In 1957, Haley began touring touring Britain as his popularity began fading at home. The first American Rock and Roll star to come to Britain, he was met with large and enthusiastic crowds. The British soon found out what American teenagers already knew. Haley with his spit curl was old (30), overweight and rather mechanical when compared to Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Gene Vincent and Elvis who were younger and who's music was more exciting. Bill Haley & His Comets were there first, but now they were part of the establishment.
After 1957 Haley had a few minor hits, but spent the remainder of his life touring and playing Rock and Roll Revival shows. In the early morning hours of February 9th, 1981, Bill called two of his sons, Scott and Jack, and had his last known conversations. He died, in his sleep of an apparent heart attack, about 6:30 that morning at his home in Harlingen, Texas.
Bill Haley was was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
The Comets were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012
Rock Around the Clock - A Tribute
James Myers - the man who wrote "Rock Around the Clock."
We'll Always Remember


text:
Alec Baldwin Slams "Bulls —' Claims He Isn't Complying With Cell Phone Search Warrant
Alec Baldwin retorts at claims that his compliance with the ongoing investigation into the murder of "Rust"Halyna Houtchins, cinematographer. In a Saturday Instagram video, the actor claimed that he would not hand over his phone to police. "bulls—."
"Any suggestion that I am not complying with requests, or orders, or demands, or search warrants about my phone, that's bulls—t. That's a lie,"Baldwin stated in the video that the video was taken from the front seat of the car. "This is a process…"
Investigators first obtained a warrant to search Alec Baldwin's iPhone in December, for belief that "there may be evidence on the phone, due to individuals using cellular phones during and/or after the commission of crime(s)."Baldwin observed that the process is slower because two states are involved and that more people are involved.
"They have to specify what exactly they want. They can't just go through your phone and take, you know, your photos or your love letters to your wife or what have you," Baldwin continued. Baldwin added "But of course, we are 1000% going to comply with all that. We are perfectly fine with that."
You can watch the actor's full comments in the video below.
Baldwin then returned to Baldwin's claim that he was not cooperating in the police search warrant and urged viewers to "consider the source," likening the situation to the difference in coverage of Sidney Poitier's death between The Daily News and the New York Post.
Baldwin did speak on Halyna HUTCHINS again, insisting that his cooperation is complete and that the investigation is thorough.
"The best way — the only way — we can honor the death of Halyna Hutchins is to find out the truth," Baldwin said. "That's what I'm working toward, insisting on, demanding. That the organizations involved in this investigation do everything in their power, everything in their power, to find out what really happened. That's all that matters."
Previous articleMeghan Markle's Lawyer has Something to Say About Bullying Claims
Next articleBrexit: What does Article 16 mean and how can it be used if it is activated?


text:
[//]: # (title: Make your Android application work on iOS – tutorial)

Learn how to make your existing Android application cross-platform so that it works both on Android and iOS.
You'll be able to write code and test it for both Android and iOS only once, in one place.

This tutorial uses a [sample Android application](https://github.com/Kotlin/kmm-integration-sample) with a single screen
for entering a username and password. The credentials are validated and saved to an in-memory database.

> If you aren't familiar with Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile, learn how to [create and configure a cross-platform mobile application from scratch](multiplatform-mobile-create-first-app.md)
> first.
>
{type="tip"}

## Prepare an environment for development

1. [Install all the necessary tools and update them to the latest versions](multiplatform-mobile-setup.md).

   > You will need a Mac with macOS to complete certain steps in this tutorial, which include writing iOS-specific code
   > and running an iOS application. These steps cannot be performed on other operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows.
   > This is due to an Apple requirement.
   >
   {type="note"}

2. In Android Studio, create a new project from version control:

   ```text
   https://github.com/Kotlin/kmm-integration-sample
   ```

   > The `master` branch contains the project's initial state — a simple Android application. To see the final state
   > with the iOS application and the shared module, switch to the `final` branch.
   >
   {type="tip"}

3. Switch to the **Project** view.

   ![Project view](project-view-for-integrate.png){width=200}

## Make your code cross-platform

To make your application work on iOS, you'll first make your code cross-platform, and then you'll reuse your
cross-platform code in a new iOS application.

To make your code cross-platform:

1. [Decide what code to make cross-platform](#decide-what-code-to-make-cross-platform).
2. [Create a shared module for cross-platform code](#create-a-shared-module-for-cross-platform-code).
3. [Add a dependency on the shared module to your Android application](#add-a-dependency-on-the-shared-module-to-your-android-application).
4. [Make the business logic cross-platform](#make-the-business-logic-cross-platform).
5. [Run your cross-platform application on Android](#run-your-cross-platform-application-on-android).

### Decide what code to make cross-platform

Decide which code of your Android application is better to share for iOS and which to keep native. A simple rule is:
share what you want to reuse as much as possible. The business logic is often the same for both Android and iOS,
so it's a great candidate for reuse.

In your sample Android application, the business logic is stored in the package `com.jetbrains.simplelogin.androidapp.data`.
Your future iOS application will use the same logic, so you should make it cross-platform, as well.

![Business logic to share](business-logic-to-share.png){width=350}

### Create a shared module for cross-platform code

The cross-platform code that is used for both iOS and Android _is stored_ in the shared module.
The Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile plugin provides a special wizard for creating such modules.

In your Android project, create a Kotlin Multiplatform shared module for your cross-platform code. Later you'll connect
it to your existing Android application and your future iOS application.

1. In Android Studio, click **File** | **New** | **New Module**.
2. In the list of templates, select **Kotlin Multiplatform Shared Module**, enter the module name `shared`, and select
   the **Regular framework** in the list of iOS framework distribution options.
   This is required for connecting the shared module to the iOS application.

   ![Kotlin Multiplatform shared module](multiplatform-mobile-module-wizard.png)

3. Click **Finish**.

The wizard will create the Kotlin Multiplatform shared module, update the configuration files, and create files with
classes that demonstrate the benefits of Kotlin Multiplatform.
You can learn more about the [project structure](multiplatform-mobile-understand-project-structure.md).

### Add a dependency on the shared module to your Android application

To use cross-platform code in your Android application, connect the shared module to it, move the business logic code
there, and make this code cross-platform.

1. In the `build.gradle.kts` file of the shared module, ensure that `compileSdk` and `minSdk` are the same as those in
   the `build.gradle` of your Android application in the `app` module.

   If they are different, update them in the `build.gradle.kts` of the shared module. Otherwise, you'll encounter a
   compile error.

2. Add a dependency on the shared module to the `build.gradle` of your Android application.

    ```kotlin
    dependencies {
        implementation project(':shared')
    }
    ```

3. Synchronize the Gradle files by clicking **Sync Now** in the notification.

   ![Synchronize the Gradle files](gradle-sync.png)

4. In the `app/src/main/java/` directory, open the `LoginActivity` class in the `com.jetbrains.simplelogin.androidapp.ui.login`
   package.
5. To make sure that the shared module is successfully connected to your application, dump the `greeting()` function
   result to the log by updating the `onCreate()` method:

    ```kotlin
    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)

        Log.i("Login Activity", "Hello from shared module: " + (Greeting().greeting()))

    }
    ```
6. Follow Android Studio suggestions to import missing classes.
7. Debug the `app`. On the **Logcat** tab, search for `Hello` in the log, and you'll find the greeting from the shared
   module.

   ![Greeting from the shared module](shared-module-greeting.png)

### Make the business logic cross-platform

You can now extract the business logic code to the Kotlin Multiplatform shared module and make it platform-independent.
This is necessary for reusing the code for both Android and iOS.

1. Move the business logic code `com.jetbrains.simplelogin.androidapp.data` from the `app` directory to
   the `com.jetbrains.simplelogin.shared` package in the `shared/src/commonMain` directory.
   You can drag and drop the package or refactor it by moving everything from one directory to another.

   ![Drag and drop the package with the business logic code](moving-business-logic.png){width=350}

2. When Android Studio asks what you'd like to do, select to move the package, and then approve the refactoring.

   ![Refactor the business logic package](refactor-business-logic-package.png){width=500}

3. Ignore all warnings about platform-dependent code and click **Continue**.

   ![Warnings about platform-dependent code](warnings-android-specific-code.png){width=450}

4. Remove Android-specific code by replacing it with cross-platform Kotlin code or connecting to Android-specific APIs
   using [`expect` and `actual` declarations](multiplatform-connect-to-apis.md). See the following sections for details:

#### Replace Android-specific code with cross-platform code {initial-collapse-state="collapsed"}

To make your code work well on both Android and iOS, replace all JVM dependencies with Kotlin dependencies in the
moved `data` directory wherever possible.

1. In the `LoginDataSource` class, replace `IOException` in the `login()` function with `RuntimeException`.
   `IOException` is not available in Kotlin.

    ```kotlin
    // Before
    return Result.Error(IOException("Error logging in", e))
    ```

    ```kotlin
    // After
    return Result.Error(RuntimeException("Error logging in", e))
    ```

2. In the `LoginDataValidator` class, replace the `Patterns` class from the `android.utils` package with a Kotlin
   regular expression matching the pattern for email validation:

    ```kotlin
    // Before
    private fun isEmailValid(email: String) = Patterns.EMAIL_ADDRESS.matcher(email).matches()
    ```

    ```kotlin
    // After
    private fun isEmailValid(email: String) = emailRegex.matches(email)

    companion object {
        private val emailRegex =
            ("[a-zA-Z0-9\\+\\.\\_\\%\\-\\+]{1,256}" +
                "\\@" +
                "[a-zA-Z0-9][a-zA-Z0-9\\-]{0,64}" +
                "(" +
                "\\." +
                "[a-zA-Z0-9][a-zA-Z0-9\\-]{0,25}" +
                ")+").toRegex()
    }
    ```

#### Connect to platform-specific APIs from the cross-platform code {initial-collapse-state="collapsed"}

In the `LoginDataSource` class, a universally unique identifier (UUID) for `fakeUser` is generated using
the `java.util.UUID` class, which is not available for iOS.

```kotlin
val fakeUser = LoggedInUser(java.util.UUID.randomUUID().toString(), "Jane Doe")
```

Since the Kotlin standard library doesn't provide functionality for generating UUIDs, you still need to use
platform-specific functionality for this case.

Provide the `expect` declaration for the `randomUUID()` function in the shared code and its `actual` implementations for
each platform – Android and iOS – in the corresponding source sets.
You can learn more about [connecting to platform-specific APIs](multiplatform-connect-to-apis.md).

1. Remove the `java.util.UUID` class from the common code:

    ```kotlin
   val fakeUser = LoggedInUser(randomUUID(), "Jane Doe")
   ```

2. Create the `Utils.kt` file in the `com.jetbrains.simplelogin.shared` package of the `shared/src/commonMain` directory
   and provide the `expect` declaration:

    ```kotlin
    package com.jetbrains.simplelogin.shared

    expect fun randomUUID(): String
    ```

3. Create the `Utils.kt` file in the `com.jetbrains.simplelogin.shared` package of the `shared/src/androidMain`
   directory and provide the `actual` implementation for `randomUUID()` in Android:

    ```kotlin
    package com.jetbrains.simplelogin.shared

    import java.util.*

    actual fun randomUUID() = UUID.randomUUID().toString()
    ```

4. Create the `Utils.kt` file in the `com.jetbrains.simplelogin.shared` of the `shared/src/iosMain` directory and
   provide the `actual` implementation for `randomUUID()` in iOS:

    ```kotlin
    package com.jetbrains.simplelogin.shared

    import platform.Foundation.NSUUID

    actual fun randomUUID(): String = NSUUID().UUIDString()
    ```

5. All it's left to do is to explicitly import `randomUUID` in the `LoginDataSource.kt` file of the `shared/src/commonMain`
   directory:

   ```kotlin
   import com.jetbrains.simplelogin.shared.randomUUID
   ```

   For Android and iOS, Kotlin will use its different platform-specific implementations.

### Run your cross-platform application on Android

Run your cross-platform application for Android to make sure it works.

![Android login application](android-login.png){width=300}

## Make your cross-platform application work on iOS

Once you've made your Android application cross-platform, you can create an iOS application and reuse the shared
business logic in it.

1. [Create an iOS project in Xcode](#create-an-ios-project-in-xcode).
2. [Connect the framework to your iOS project](#connect-the-framework-to-your-ios-project).
3. [Use the shared module from Swift](#use-the-shared-module-from-swift).

### Create an iOS project in Xcode

1. In Xcode, click **File** | **New** | **Project**.
2. Select a template for an iOS app and click **Next**.

   ![iOS project template](ios-project-wizard-1.png){width=700}

3. As the product name, specify **simpleLoginIOS** and click **Next**.

   ![iOS project settings](ios-project-wizard-2.png){width=700}

4. As the location for your project, select the directory that stores your cross-platform application, for
   example, `kmm-integration-sample`.

In Android Studio, you'll get the following structure:

![iOS project in Android Studio](ios-project-in-as.png){width=194}

You can rename the `simpleLoginIOS` directory to `iosApp` for consistency with other top-level directories of your
cross-platform project.

![Renamed iOS project directory in Android Studio](ios-directory-renamed-in-as.png){width=194}

### Connect the framework to your iOS project

Once you have the framework, you can connect it to your iOS project manually.

> An alternative is to [configure integration via CocoaPods](native-cocoapods.md), but that integration is beyond the
> scope of this tutorial.
>
{type="note"}

Connect your framework to the iOS project manually:

1. In Xcode, open the iOS project settings by double-clicking the project name.

2. On the **Build Phases** tab of the project settings, click the **+** and add **New Run Script Phase**.

   ![Add run script phase](xcode-run-script-phase-1.png){width=700}

3. Add the following script:

    ```text
    cd "$SRCROOT/.."
    ./gradlew :shared:embedAndSignAppleFrameworkForXcode
    ```

   ![Add the script](xcode-add-run-phase-2.png){width=700}

4. Move the **Run Script** phase before the **Compile Sources** phase.

   ![Move the Run Script phase](xcode-run-script-phase-3.png){width=700}

5. On the **Build Settings** tab, switch to **All** build settings and specify the **Framework Search Path** under
   **Search Paths**:

   ```text
   $(SRCROOT)/../shared/build/xcode-frameworks/$(CONFIGURATION)/$(SDK_NAME)
   ```

   ![Framework search path](xcode-add-framework-search-path.png){width=700}

6. On the **Build Settings** tab, specify the **Other Linker flags** under **Linking**:

   ```text
   $(inherited) -framework shared
   ```

   ![Linker flag](xcode-add-flag.png){width=700}

7. Build the project in Xcode. If everything is set up correctly, the project will successfully build.

> If you have a custom build configuration different from the default `Debug` or `Release`, on the **Build Settings**
> tab, add the `KOTLIN_FRAMEWORK_BUILD_TYPE` setting under **User-Defined** and set it to `Debug` or `Release`.
>
{type="note"}

### Use the shared module from Swift

1. In Xcode, open the `ContentView.swift` file and import the `shared` module:

   ```swift
   import shared
   ```

2. To check that it is properly connected, use the `greeting()` function from the shared module of your cross-platform app:

   ```swift
   import SwiftUI
   import shared

   struct ContentView: View {
       var body: some View {
           Text(Greeting().greeting())
           .padding()
       }
   }
   ```

   ![Greeting from the shared module](xcode-iphone-hello.png){width=300}

3. In `ContentView.swift`, write code for using data from the shared module and rendering the application UI:

   ```kotlin
   ```
   {src="android-ios-tutorial/ContentView.swift" initial-collapse-state="collapsed"}

4. In `simpleLoginIOSApp.swift`, import the `shared` module and specify the arguments for the `ContentView()` function:

    ```swift
    import SwiftUI
    import shared

    @main
    struct SimpleLoginIOSApp: App {
        var body: some Scene {
            WindowGroup {
                ContentView(viewModel: .init(loginRepository: LoginRepository(dataSource: LoginDataSource()), loginValidator: LoginDataValidator()))
            }
        }
    }
   ```

![Simple login application](xcode-iphone-login.png){width=300}

## Enjoy the results – update the logic only once

Now your application is cross-platform. You can update the business logic in one place and see results on both Android
and iOS.

1. In Android Studio, change the validation logic for a user's password in the `checkPassword()` function of
   the `LoginDataValidator` class:

   ```kotlin
   package com.jetbrains.simplelogin.shared.data

   class LoginDataValidator {
   //...
       fun checkPassword(password: String): Result {
           return when {
               password.length < 5 -> Result.Error("Password must be >5 characters")
               password.lowercase() == "password" -> Result.Error("Password shouldn't be \"password\"")
               else -> Result.Success
           }
       }
   //...
   }
   ```

2. Update `gradle.properties` to connect your iOS application to Android Studio for running it on a simulated or real
   device right there:

    ```text
    xcodeproj=iosApp/SimpleLoginIOS.xcodeproj
    ```

3. Synchronize the Gradle files by clicking **Sync Now** in the notification.

   ![Synchronize the Gradle files](gradle-sync.png)

You will see the new run configuration **simpleLoginIOS** for running your iOS application right from Android Studio.

![iOS run configuration](ios-run-configuration-simplelogin.png){width=200}

![iOS application password error](iphone-password-error.png){width=300}

![Android application password error](android-password-error.png){width=300}

You can review the [final code for this tutorial](https://github.com/Kotlin/kmm-integration-sample/tree/final).

## What else to share?

You've shared the business logic of your application, but you can also decide to share other layers of your application.
For example, the `ViewModel` class code is almost the same for [Android](https://github.com/Kotlin/kmm-integration-sample/blob/final/app/src/main/java/com/jetbrains/simplelogin/androidapp/ui/login/LoginViewModel.kt)
and [iOS applications](https://github.com/Kotlin/kmm-integration-sample/blob/final/iosApp/SimpleLoginIOS/ContentView.swift#L84),
and you can share it if your mobile applications should have the same presentation layer.

## What's next?

Once you've made your Android application cross-platform, you can move on and:

* [Add dependencies on multiplatform libraries](multiplatform-add-dependencies.md)
* [Add Android dependencies](multiplatform-mobile-android-dependencies.md)
* [Add iOS dependencies](multiplatform-mobile-ios-dependencies.md)

You can also check out community resources:

* [Video: 3 ways to get your Kotlin JVM code ready for Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6ckI1JWjqo)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Laurent Mangel, né le  à Vesoul, est un coureur cycliste français, professionnel de 2005 à 2014. Il a notamment remporté la Classic Loire-Atlantique en 2010.

Biographie
Compétiteur d'une grande carrure, soit d'un mètre 95, Laurent Mangel débute dans le cyclisme dans le club de la Roue d'Or Noidans. Il passe professionnel en 2005 et court jusqu'en 2008 avec l'équipe AG2R Prévoyance. Il rejoint la formation Besson Chaussures-Sojasun en 2009.

En 2007, il se classe deuxième de la  du Tour d'Italie. En 2010, lors du Grand Prix de Plouay il fait partie d'un groupe de coureurs échappés sur plus de  et repris à  de l'arrivée. L'année suivante, lors du Tour méditerranéen, il croit s'imposer au sprint lors de la première étape de l'épreuve. Cependant, il célèbre sa victoire trop tôt et se fait battre sur la ligne par Thomas Voeckler.

Il fait partie des coureurs ayant terminé, au moins une fois, les trois grands Tours du circuit professionnel.

Il annonce qu'il prend sa retraite à l'issue de la saison 2014.

Palmarès
 2002
  du Critérium du Printemps
 2003
 Grand Prix de Tourteron
  du Giro del Mendrisiotto
 2004
 Ruban granitier breton :
 Classement général
  et
 Tour Nord-Isère :
 Classement général

  du Tour Nivernais Morvan
  de Dijon-Auxonne-Dijon
  de Paris-Troyes
  de la Ronde du Canigou
  de Troyes-Dijon
  d'Annemasse-Bellegarde et retour
 2005
  des Boucles de la Mayenne
 2006
  du Tour de Langkawi
 2009
  du Tour de Bretagne
  du Tour du Gévaudan
  de Manche-Atlantique
 2010
 Classic Loire-Atlantique
  des Boucles de la Mayenne
  du Tour de Wallonie
  du Tour de Wallonie
  de Paris-Camembert
2012
  du Grand Prix de Lillers-Souvenir Bruno Comini
  de Cholet-Pays de Loire

Résultats sur les grands tours

Tour de France
1 participation
 2011 :

Tour d'Italie
2 participations
 2007 :
 2008 :

Tour d'Espagne
2 participations
 2013 : abandon ()
 2014 :

Classements mondiaux

Notes et références

Notes

Références

Liens externes

 Site officiel

Coureur cycliste français
Naissance en mai 1981
Naissance à Vesoul

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


People with a taste and penchant for sculptures can now buy sculptures online and add to their collection by ordering these sculptures from us. For anybody wishing to decorate their houses, offices or any other spaces, sculptures work as a great option. Sculptures today have become an inevitable part of today's décor. Sculptures suiting the taste of one and all can be ordered online. Gifting these sculptures also seems to be an amazing option for every occasion. May it be birthdays, anniversaries, office opening or house warming parties, our sculptures fit into any gifting category. Right from the traditional deity idols to modern day artworks, sculptures have always found their way into one's spaces, be it homes or offices.
Sculptures of wood, marble, stone and many other materials are available with us. If you plan for an exquisite sculptures online shopping india now you know your needs end with us. Surprise your loved ones with some amazing artwork exhibited in these sculptures. Order sculptures online according to your occasion and get them parceled or gifted to any place in the world. Being available online in myriad options gives you the much needed freedom from those crowded market places and price haggling vendors.


text:
Nadia Collins
Nadia Collins is a working actor and comedienne, who has just returned to Perth after three years working and training in Melbourne. She has been performing weekly with The Big HOO-HAA! improv comedy troupe since 2007, and has been performing stand-up comedy since 2009. She starred in children's theatre shows Lost the Plot & The Hidden Forrest; monologues at The Blue Room Theatre (The Door in 2010, Herpes in 2011), The Museum Comedy Tour (2012), I've Just Had An Idea (2012), The My Sandwich Show (2012), and has lent her voice to award-winning iPad animated roleplay AUTHENTIC IN ALL CAPS (2011, 2012). She competed at Sydney's Theatresports National Championships (Enmore Theatre) in 2010, and has appeared in short films It's Just Gary (2009), Propaganders (2011) and Problems (2012). She performs regularly with Impro Sketch, Impro Melbourne's Theatresports, Impro Sketch, Maestro, The Improv Conspiracy, and Dungeon Crawl.rnShe has trained with Barking Gecko Theatre Company, Black Swan State Theatre Company, Deckchair Theatre, VCA (Short Courses), NIDA Open Program, NIDA Actors Studio (2013 intake),16th Street, and Edinburgh Award Winner (2012) "Dr Brown" (aka Phil Burgers), among many others. She has spent the last year working with Zoos Victoria as Zoopergirl, the Zoo's very own Extinction Fighting Superhero. She is also a qualified lawyer and swimming teacher.


"This is an exciting and essential step in our plans to expand our business around the world," said Chief Executive Officer, Josh Paine.
PLANO, TX, August 03, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- WorldVentures™, the leading direct seller of global travel and leisure club memberships, has opened WorldVentures Marketing S.R.O. in a new market, the Czech Republic, a move expected to bolster the region's economy through business opportunities and increased tourism.
"This is an exciting and essential step in our plans to expand our business around the world," said Chief Executive Officer, Josh Paine. "We want to share the WorldVentures opportunity with as many people as possible."
The announcement means that Czechs with entrepreneurial ambitions can join hundreds of thousands of Independent Representatives across the globe who earn income by selling WorldVentures' flagship product, the DreamTrips™ Membership. Additionally, DreamTrips Members in the Czech Republic can enjoy professionally curated travel opportunities — near and far — and a loyalty program at select restaurants, spas and entertainment venues around the globe.
WorldVentures Marketing S.R.O. is subsidary of WorldVentures Holdings LLC, a privately held company based in Plano, Texas, that sells travel and leisure club memberships providing a diverse set of products and experiences. The company's goal is to help Independent Representatives, DreamTrips Members and employees achieve more fun, freedom and fulfillment in their lives. WorldVentures uses the direct sales model to go to market with active Representatives and members worldwide. For more information, visit worldventures.com.


This report shows the hit history for category Navajo County Navajo County. The hit counter for this directory shows 16206. The full tree contains 22 categories and has had 48346 Hits. This directory has had 33.521% of the total. View all categories.


"Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. It also marks the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence in Canada and around the world.
These 16 days remind all Canadians of the awful reality that women and girls face violence and the threat of violence on a daily basis. They include December 6th, Canada's National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. On this solemn occasion, we remember the tragic murder of 14 cherished young women at l'École Polytechnique de Montréal in 1989 who were killed because they were women.
This year's theme for the 16 Days of Activism is #Actions Matter.


As Jared Leto is fond of pointing out in the most self-pitying way possible, most of his "best" stuff from David Ayer's recently released Suicide Squad was excised from the final film. Apparently, his iteration of the Joker was supposed to have a lot more to do than pop up, be annoying in the direction of Harley Quinn, and then vanish. Why most of his part got cut remains an open question; maybe it's due to the fact that the movie already runs over two hours as is, or maybe it's because his character does not serve the narrative in any appreciable way. His co-star Margot Robbie, however, has a different theory.
Basically, there was likely a lot of footage of Leto "going deep" as the Clown Prince of Gotham, especially since he refused to break character while on set and often barked out random Joker-esque orders to the actors hired to play his onscreen henchmen. You can watch the whole mimosa-soaked conversation between Robbie and Hayes below, or you just jump ahead to the eight-minute mark to hear Robbie explain her theory.


text:
La laguna del Yeso es un cuerpo de agua léntico en ubicada en los orígenes del río Cachapoal, en la Región de O'Higgins.

Ubicación y descripción

La laguna tiene como emisario al río Las Leñas, que tras corto trayecto las descarga en el río Cachapoal.

Hidrografía

Historia

Luis Risopatrón la describe sucintamente en su Diccionario Jeográfico de Chile (1924):
Yeso (Laguna del). Tiene unos 2 kilómetros de largo i unas 80 hectáreas de superficie, es pintoresca, de transmisión i se encuentra en la medianía del cajón de Las Leñas del río Cachapoal.

Población, economía y ecología

Véase también

 Anexo:Cuencas hidrográficas de Chile
 Hidrografía de Chile

Referencias

Bibliografía
 Atlas del Alto Cachapoal: Relatos de su flora y fauna

Yeso
Yeso