The pinnacle of the Club's social year, the Summer Ball marks he height of the golfing season!
Captain Henry welcomes you all to help celebrate a great season's golf in style in the Cub's only Black Tie event of the year.
With an impressive 4-course meal, and everyone decked out in their finery, it promises to be a night not to be missed.
This event is always popular, so the Club will be employing its ballot system of ticket purchase in the case of increased demand.


This nice little landscape will take you through various scenes along the trail. The main looping trail here is a pretty easy hike, as the main loop is under 2 miles. There are other pathways that explorers can use to extend this hike a bit, and some of them skirt right along the lake's edge. The terrain is easily manageable in most areas, but can become muddy in spots. As hikers progress along the trail, there will be notices of private property and trail users should respect those notices. The best time to hike through the area is early to mid Spring, as the wildflowers will be coloring the hillsides. The Washington Trails Association points out that Arrowleaf Balsamroot will be plentiful in the Spring, and that is also the best time to see the other wildflower varieties. The waterfall will also be at it's strongest flow during this time of year.
The lake is open in the Winter for fishing as well, as it opens the Friday after Thanksgiving as stated by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. It is a relatively popular trail, and can be used by people of any skill level as suggested by AllTrails.com. The trails out there are great for dogs but keep them on a leash and keep them away from the edge of the higher cliffs. Hikers will also be able to potentially see a variety of songbirds and larger wildlife. Deer have been seen in the area, and once in a while a coyote is spotted. Smaller mammals such as squirrels, chipmunks, and other animals can be spotted along the trails as well. Visitors should also be aware that insects and spiders will also be found as the weather warms up. Hikers may also encounter some smaller snakes on the rocks overlooking the lake, and the vast beauty continues throughout the entire hike.
There are no fees or passes required to visit the area, which is another great reason to visit Hog Lake. The trails are all pretty easy to identify and follow, although as mentioned on The Washington Trails Association it is possible to become confused with some of the cattle trails that scatter the hillside. As I mentioned above however there are property boundary signs, which are private property markers for the farms surrounding the area. That is also the reasoning for some of the gates people may encounter along their journey at Hog Lake. A trip report on theoutbound.com mentions those same gates, but goes on to mention the incredible views to be encountered along the trails. Also claiming that some of the best landscape photos can be taken on the ridge-lines that carry the trail along the cliff's edge. It is truly an experience to make time for, and one that will be sure to create a great hiking adventure.
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Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge has become one of my favorite places to visit, hike, explore, and photograph. Having visited many times, I still find something new and interesting about the area every time I go. The refuge spans a little over 18,000 acres between wetlands, prairies, and forested woodlands. Throughout the acreage, an abundance of diverse wildlife can be found. Everything from birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and numerous mammal species can be seen at Turnbull.
The number of birds that utilize the refuge is quite high at around 200 different species. Some of the more sought out birds to be found are the Trumpeter Swans, Great Horned Owls, Blue Herons, American Goldfinch, and the American White Pelican. Many of the birds are migratory and can be seen seasonally as they come and go, but there are also a large number of birds (over 120 species) that nest in the refuge. The best seasons to see the majority of birds are the warmer months, while hiking through the refuge under beautiful blue skies and Spring and Summer sunsets.
A nicely detailed map of the refuge can be found on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service website. This map shows the hiking trails and driving route with accurate descriptions and points out various areas of interest. A large variety of mammals wander though the refuge also, and can be spotted quite often. Obviously the chances of spotting certain animals depends on the season and time of day. Most recommendations, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife point to going in the early morning and evening, as the larger animals are out and about more during those hours.
I have been fortunate enough to capture photos of many of the animal species that leave tracks through Turnbull. Tiny chipmunks, graceful coyotes wandering through the snow, massive moose that simply stop and gaze at exploring hikers. Those are some of the experiences I have had, and there is also a herd of close to 400 elk as some sources say. I have seen some of that herd off in the distance, grazing upon the grass growing along the treeline of the pine forest. Warmer weather will have the frogs and snakes and other small reptiles and amphibians out in the rocky outcroppings as well.
So how was Turnbull formed, and how did it become such a rich habitat for the animals we can see there today? As with many other regions in Washington, forces of nature from a very long time ago all played a part in the development of the area as we know it. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife website a combination of ancient volcanic activity, glacial movements, and incredibly powerful floods helped to form the area known as the channeled scablands. Established in 1937, the refuge has a lasting beauty that is enhanced by the trees, shrubs, and wildflowers you can enjoy while hiking along the many trails that dissect the landscape. Just a short drive from Spokane, this is certainly a place to take day trips and enjoy a plethora of wild flora and fauna.
Having visited the falls 3 times so far, I can honestly say I have enjoyed each trip down there. Although it was during the colder Winter months the place was exquisitely beautiful, and had that layer of pillowed silence that the cold and snow seems to bring. Mystic Falls can be found by hiking through Trail 121 of Indian Canyon Park. This trail is known as the waterfall loop for obvious reasons, but it isn't actually a true loop. Adding a bit of trail 102 will effectively give hikers a looping trail to follow down through the ravine, to the falls, and back out as described in the Hiking Project.
Simply looking back on my own visits, I would say this is a must visit place for anyone in or near Spokane. It may end up becoming a favorite place to visit, as it is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. My first visit was a solo hike and took place in late December. The entire waterfall was basically frozen solid, and it was actually my first time seeing a winterized waterfall. I visited again about 3 weeks later with a buddy and fellow photographer Nate. This time it wasn't quite as cold, and the falls were flowing quite freely. My last visit was only a few days ago with my wife Sarah, and the trails were once again snow packed. After a brisk and brief hike, we made it down to see a half frozen waterfall. The falls were basically outlined in ice with water flowing directly down a channel in the center. Each visit presented unique opportunities to see this place and every time it was outright mind-blowing. As you venture down the trail, you almost feel as if it is a bit of a fantasy world. Trees reach out over pathways and the small creek babbles away. This all leads up to the opening that brings hikers right up to the foot of the waterfall. Give this place a visit or three, because I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Tracy L. Rebstock, "Indian Canyon Park," Spokane Historical, accessed March 1, 2018, http://www.spokanehistorical.org/items/show/147.


STEVE STAUNTON believes that the new year offers Darlington the opportunity to begin their season from scratch.
While the Quakers boss would love to turn the clock back to last August and begin the campaign afresh, he regards the chance to rebuild his side over the next few weeks as being the next best thing.
January is expected to be another month of upheaval at Darlington, with at least three new faces expected to arrive at The Northern Echo Arena and five players ending their loan spells. Staunton has used the enforced lay-off from league action to step up his quest for the type of characters who are fully committed to helping the club avoid relegation.
said Staunton, who had a striker and midfielder from the League of Ireland on trial at the club last month and also hopes to add a couple of defenders to his ranks.
"If we have to go down the loan route again then so be it, but we're certainly trying to get two or three permanent signings in, until the end of the season at least, who will be hungry for the club and will want to get us out of the bottom two.
"I actually see the postponed games as a blessing in disguise. Don't get me wrong they haven't helped the club financially and the people who have helped to clear snow off the pitch will have been pretty disappointed not to have seen any football at the Arena over Christmas.
He continued: "It's difficult for fans to forget about what's happened in the first half of the season, but we want to start afresh and have a right good go.
Following Steve Foster's assertion this week that he wants to resolve his contract dispute with the club, Staunton is in no doubt that the ball is firmly in the veteran centre-back's court.
The defender is at loggerheads over a clause in his contract that entitles him to a longer deal should he start two more matches.
"I spoke with Steve over the Christmas period and there is nothing more we can do as a club," said Staunton. "He wants to play, we want him to play, but only he can take the clause out of his contract.
"The club has made a decision not to put itself in a financially difficult position.


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NBC Host Fights RNC Chair; She Takes the Heat to the Democrats
On Saturday morning, Today co-host and weekday White House correspondent Peter Alexander was throwing hardballs at Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel, who gave as good as she got. Much like their contentious Lara Trump interview last month, NBC is pushing the Trump team around, and Team Biden gets to hide from scrutiny.
These are the Alexander hardballs:
1. "Americans, as you know well, want to know when life is going to get back to normal. The president said this week that we are rounding the final turn, but Dr. Anthony Fauci said it will be well into 2021, possibly the end of 2021 before that happens. So why not just level with the American people?"
McDaniel noted Trump's optimism and Fauci's estimate of when life will be fully normal are different things, but there is good news, like a dropping number of cases.
2. "Of course, just yesterday, 46,000 new infections were reported, more than a thousand deaths. The death toll in this country is now approaching 200,000. The president, as you know, holds another rally in Nevada today. For months, he's urged Americans to follow the state and local guidelines that limit large gatherings, call for social distancing. So why is he putting his own supporters at risk and flouting those very state and local guidelines?"
McDaniel put Alexander in his place by noting that the press doesn't fuss about flouted guidelines when protests they like are organized. Alexander granted this point, but tried to say the president should be different. Why?
3. "Let me ask you about Bob Woodward's new book that made a lot of headlines this week, revealing that the president said one thing privately. He said that the virus is, quote, more deadly than even your strenuous flus, but said another thing publicly, almost three weeks later, saying that the virus would go away. And that it was just like the flu. So shouldn't the American people expect honesty from the president?"
McDaniel listed the "decisive" actions the president has taken to fight the virus.
The hardest hardball came at the end as the TV screen read "THE POLITICS OF FEAR." Alexander suggested Trump played down the coronavirus, but he's "stoking" fear of urban looting and violence:
PETER ALEXANDER: The president said he downplayed the virus because he didn't want to frighten people or cause a panic, but during this pain, he's repeatedly warned people that agitators and looters were going to overrun their neighborhoods, were going to overrun the suburbs. If the president isn't, I guess, sparking fear, why in those examples is he the one who's stoking it?
RONNA McDANIEL: I don't think he's stoking it. I think we're seeing things on TV — you look at Kenosha, Wisconsin, it looks like a third world country that got burned out. It's really frightening to see businesses being burned down and looted and Democrats failing to protect their cities. Look at Portland right now. And I think this is a real unrest that we're seeing across this country. You know, if we have a difference of opinion, we can talk about it. But it's not okay to go burn down cities and burn down livelihoods and decimate police precincts, which you've heard some Democrats call for rioters to go do. This is not okay. And I think the president is ringing a warning bell that Democrats are not standing up to this type of violence.
Alexander wrapped the interview by inserting a final rebuttal, insisting the murder rate is going up in Republican-run cities, too, like Tulsa and Miami.
This combative segment was brought to you by Volvo.
Published at Sat, 12 Sep 2020 20:19:00 +0000

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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OREGON HEALTH FORUM
SHAPING TOMORROW TODAY
ABOUT OHF
ALL PAST EVENTS
May 23: Should Employers Pay for Health Insurance? Lessons From Other Countries
February 21, 2018 May 23, 2018 Oregon Health Forum
Oregon's healthcare costs, like those in other states, are the highest in the world. Oregon's employers, like those in other states, struggle to keep their workforces healthy and their business costs down. No state has solved this challenge.
Yet other industrialized countries spend half what we do and enjoy healthier populations and workforces. How do they do it? What is unique to the United States that prevents us from finding solutions? What can successful healthcare policies in other countries teach Oregon about providing better care for less money?
Two internationally recognized speakers, moderated by a business leader in Oregon's healthcare communities, discuss these topics that may allow Oregon's next steps in healthcare more successful than in our past.
Theodore R. Marmor, PhD is emeritus professor of public policy and management at Yale University School of Management. Dr. Marmor has written and presented extensively on social security, healthcare policy, and healthcare reform since his work during the early days of Medicare as aide to Wilbur Cohen, Under Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. Among his many published books is "Politics, Health, and Health Care," a 2014 collection of essays with Rudolf Klein. Marmor has published over 200 articles in a wide range of scholarly journals, as well as being a frequent op-ed contributor to U.S. and Canadian newspapers. He is currently on the editorial boards of the Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis and the Journal of Health, Politics, Policy and Law. He is also a national senior doubles squash champion.
Kieke Okma, PhD is Visiting Professor at Catholic University in Leuven, Belgium and has spoken around the world on international healthcare policy. She has been Senior Policy Advisor to the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport in the Netherlands, Advisor to the World Bank on Health Policy, and a participant in other international health policy agencies. She has been published in several languages on healthcare policy and economics. Her 2011 article, "A Dutch Model for Medicare? Sobering Lessons from the Netherlands' Experience with Competition," co-authored with her husband Dr. Marmor, appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. Her latest publication is "Health Care Reforms across the World," published with six co-authors in the latest issues of American Affairs.
Greg Van Pelt is president of the Oregon Healthcare Leadership Council and former CEO of Providence Health and Services Oregon. He served Providence in multiple roles for 38 years, including Chief Executive of Providence Health Plan and Chief Executive of Providence-St. Vincent Medical Center. He is currently a director of St. Charles Health System, the largest healthcare provider in Central Oregon. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
7:00am Buffet Breakfast
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Interested in sponsoring this breakfast forum? To learn about the benefits of supporting Oregon Health Forum contact Rian Sands at rian@oregonhealthforum.org.
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Amber Sandford sits in her bedroom with her binder and computer after working on her English homework. Amber has been assisted with her housing needs by the Victoria Human Exchange Society. The philosophy behind the society's often misunderstood moniker is that every exchange between people is valuable. Its name derives from the Thomas Merton quote: "Every meeting of persons is an exchange of life's gifts."
Victoria Human Exchange turns 20
Society relies almost solely on donations and hardcore volunteers
Natalie North
Jun. 9, 2012 1:00 p.m.
Every few minutes, the hum of Linda's cellphone vibrating against the table glass interrupts her words. From morning until night and all hours in between, Linda answers calls from some of Victoria's most vulnerable and marginalized people.
Linda – whose last name is withheld to protect her privacy – had planned to retire from banking and spend more time with her seven grandchildren when she first heard about transitional housing providers, the Victoria Human Exchange Society. Six years since the 65-year-old thought she was signing up for a volunteer job "stuffing envelopes," she sits at the kitchen table of Edith Gulland House in Saanich, the women's home where she lives and volunteers as a facilitator.
"If someone calls at 1:30 in the morning needing to talk, you're darn right I'm going to listen," says Linda, also the chairperson of the society. "I'll grab a nap tomorrow afternoon. That person needs me now. If I don't talk to them, how do I know they're not going to hang up the phone and commit suicide or relapse?"
Linda is proud to volunteer for the society that has largely flown under the radar since its inception in 1992, sparked by the death of a homeless man beneath the Johnson Street Bridge. Now, on the society's 20th anniversary, Linda's reaching out.
"Closing a house is just heart breaking … but if we don't get some help soon, we are going to have to close a house and it will be this one. The cost of everything's going up and donations are going down."
The Victoria Human Exchange Society has a monthly operating cost for rent and utilities of about $20,000 – the same amount the society receives annually from a provincial gaming grant.
With so much reliance on donations, the society's eight houses – including three in Greater Victoria and locations in Nanaimo and on Salt Spring Island – currently operate month-to-month. Volunteers are often picking up the bill for household necessities, Linda says.
Making a strong case for transitional housing is Amber Sandford, who's spending this morning studying in the bedroom she rents at Edith Gulland House. The exact location of the home is confidential due to security issues for the clients.
Sandford, who's all smiles and jokes from behind her laptop, has been that person in need of an affordable, non-judgemental place to stay. At 35, she's spent the majority of her years entrenched in substance abuse and the sex trade. After a year-long stay at the four-bedroom Edith Gulland House, with Linda at the helm, Sandford is 18 months clean and sober, completing her dogwood and planning her next step in education. This month she will leave the house to live on her own.
"I came from nothing," says Sandford, whose time at the house lasted about nine months longer that the average stay. "I was a junkie hoe and within the year I'm going to be a Grade 12 grad going to Camosun (College). Where am I going to be five years from now?"
Sandford attributes the positive changes to a support team comprised of Narcotics Anonymous members, her father, and Linda – who she admires for her complete intolerance of alcohol, drugs or theft in the house.
"This has given me a place where I can afford the rent. It's given me a safe, clean place. I can do my homework and go to my 12-step meetings and work on myself and getting ahead so that I can be a productive member of society."
Any money donated to the society goes toward the basic costs of providing the housing, from the $400 in rent each resident is expected to pay if they can, to other necessities, at times, such as food and feminine supplies.
The contributions, no matter how modest, have a measurable effect, Linda says. Some who have benefitted from the housing continue to support its work through contributions of $10 and $15 cheques monthly.
In two decades of operation, the Victoria Human Exchange Society has sheltered 400 people referred to them by emergency housing and shelter providers, including the Cridge Transition House and the Sandy Merriman House, an emergency shelter for women run by the Victoria Cool Aid Society.
Brianna Cook-Coates, emergency support worker at Sandy Merriman says the independent nature of the accommodation is often what women are looking for.
"The clients are self-sufficient and looking for community and it appears that the houses provide that," Cook-Coates said. "The clients we've referred have had trouble finding housing like that and when they've had it, it just seems to fit."
The Human Exchange provides housing for about 90 per cent of its applicants, with an average of 40 people housed at any given time, who will leave when they have found long-term stable housing. There is a wait-list, but it doesn't get in the way of an emergency stay.
"I've never turned anyone away from my door," Linda adds.
To give to the society, or to learn more, visit humanx.org.
nnorth@saanichnews.com
Police hunt suspect after elderly woman's purse snatched
Oaklands residents abandon church purchase


On our walk with God, it's easy to get sidetracked and lose focus of Him. The stuff of this world is loudly trying to steer us in a completely different direction. From comparison to materialism to distractions and busyness, it's overwhelming. I too have been in those valleys where my heart feels like it's up to my neck and where my mind refuses to rest… A physical reality of an inner battle.
But whether at a glorious mountaintop or in a dark valley, let's choose a better kind of overwhelmed.
Instead of being overwhelmed by this world, let's be overwhelmed by God.
Instead of fear, we get to be overwhelmed by His peace.
Instead of lies, overwhelmed by His truth.
Instead of circumstances, overwhelmed by His sovereignty.
Instead of doubt, overwhelmed by His faithfulness.
Instead of failures, overwhelmed by His grace.
Instead of sorrow, overwhelmed by His joy.
Instead of hatred, overwhelmed by His love.
Isn't that the most beautiful kind of overwhelm?! It's where I want my heart to be day after day – rooted in and overwhelmed by Jesus! And so, when the anxiety or stress hits (because let's be real, we're not perfect and it will) we can trust our hearts to Him and be encouraged by who He is. Just to know Him. From that place, our worship overflows and it changes everything.
Psalm 23:3-4 // He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 59:16 // But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
Ephesians 3:17-19 // And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Lord, thank you for being an amazing Father. I thank You that we can be overwhelmed by You in good times and in bad. I thank You that Your love is in our midst even when we're stressed, anxious, and distracted – never abandoning us but rather giving us a home and hope every day. God, help us to choose and focus on You. Open the eyes of our hearts to see just how blessed we are in Jesus. And help us to bless others with that same good news. In Jesus' name, Amen.
How Might God Use You To Share His Love?


Expedition to Undermountainis a 224-page super-adventure that revisits the greatest dungeon in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. Located beneath the city of Waterdeep, Undermountain has lured countless heroes to their doom.
Like other adventures in the "Expedition" series, this product takes a classic D&D location, updates it for v.3.5, and features many new surprises. It also includes source material for the players and a new combat encounter format designed to make the Dungeon Master's job easier, as well as information to help Dungeon Masters adapt the adventure to serve their home campaigns.
Expedition to Undermountain (2007), by Eric L. Boyd, Ed Greenwood, Christopher Lindsay, and Sean K. Reynolds, is as much source book as it is campaign adventure. Reworking the massive, sprawling dungeon crawl for 3.5 D&D, the campaign is designed to bring heroes from 1st level to 10th. The underground adventure location is huge, with nine main levels and about 20 sub-levels that connect to caverns, more dungeons, and the Underdark.
This book is designed to let a DM turn Undermountain into a longterm campaign setting, so it provides lore, plot hooks, and details about the power groups who clash for control of Undermountain. This is a more freeform, less directed approach than the 2e AD&D mega-dungeon version of Undermountain, but which works regardless.
All Things Pass.The world has changed, the mad Archmage Halaster has died (pretty definitively, according to the DM text - although let's face it, if you haven't seen the body, then it's still suspect). Once more, adventurous PCs enter the Yawning Portal to see what lies beneath. There is no central and over-riding quest that sends PCs into the dungeons; instead, a number of individual missions to find and recover objects lead to clashes and conflict with the various groups who hope to rule the shadowy passages of Undermountain.
The adventure begins with a strong synopsis of Undermountain, giving DMs a solid understanding of how different levels fit together and interact. Halaster's death has the opportunity to open up a power vacuum in Undermountain, and the various factions may choose to exploit that. Note that the Encounter structure, breaking out encounters into their own pages later in the book, has caught some readers off guard: It makes reading the book a bit choppy, with more page-flipping required between encounters and the map sections than some DMs are used to, even while running the actual encounter becomes easier since all the needed information is summarized on one or two pages.
Battles tend to be tactical and relatively deadly for incautious players. That's fun for many groups, but players who aren't used to working as a team may find themselves badly savaged by swarms of tiny beholder eyeballs.
Also? There are stats for a swarm of beholder eyeballs. Consider yourself warned.
You Can't Get There If You Don't Have a Map. Expedition to Undermountain gives a side-view cutaway map of the complex, something that has been conspicuously missing in previous Undermountain products. Cartography-wise, there are a few locations developed in Expedition to Undermountain that don't easily fit into the maps of older products. The town of Spiderhaven is one of these, as is Belkram's Fall. There's also a reasonable argument that the maps of several areas are smaller than they should be, making it a bit difficult to track PC progress through the underground settlements. That actually turns into a positive, though, when it comes time for a DM to fill out and customize undescribed areas of Undermountain, for there is plenty of space and plenty of latitude for expansion.
Where's the Earth-Shattering Kaboom? Due to the nature of the beast, the DM has extensive freedom to customize his adventures within the framework that this book provides. The downside of that is that there isn't necessarily a noteworthy cinematic climax to the adventure as written. PCs have so many options on where to go and how to explore that providing a single scripted ending would be difficult. Yet even with lots of fun, exciting smaller encounters detailed within each area, DMs may want to think forward to crafting this sort of emotional and deadly conclusion to their PCs' adventures. With the tools and framework provided, they'll have a lot of options for doing so.
If you're looking at a massive dungeon crawl for 3.x D&D, or if you want superb inspiration for assembling a mega-dungeon of your own, you'll find this book both useful and entertaining.
About the Creators. Eric L. Boyd has written dozens of articles and books for Greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms, as well as for Paizo's Pathfinder.
Ed Greenwood is a Canadian writer, designer, and storyteller who created the Forgotten Realms.
Christopher Lindsay is a Washington-based designer and author.
Sean K Reynolds started as TSR's online coordinator in 1995, and has gone on to be a celebrated designer on dozens of superb products for TSR, Wizards of the Coast, and Paizo Publishing.
is the hardcover of this identical to the original hardcover release?
Still waiting for Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk in POD form, please!
This title was added to our catalog on April 23, 2013.


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Denney Accent Chair
Denney Accent Chair Plush comfort with its high supportive…
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Dalma Wing Chair
Dalma Wing Chair The Dalma Wing Chair features traditional,…
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Willa Armchair
Willa Armchair https://youtu.be/RxiniG-xpYk The Willa Armchair…
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Sylvana Accent Chair
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Kandy Velvet Armchair
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Leisa White Armchair
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The Lost Orchard (Kobo eBook)
By Mustafa Kabha, Nahum Karlinsky
The Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe) of 1948, devastated Palestinian lives and shattered Palestinian society, culture, and economy. It also nipped in the bud a nascent grassroots, binational alliance between Arab and Jewish citrus growers.
This significant and unprecedented partnership was virtually erased from the collective memory of both Israelis and Palestinians when the Nakba decimated villages and populations in a matter of months. In The Lost Orchard, Kabha and Karlinsky tell the story of the Palestinian citrus industry from its inception until 1950, tracing the shifting relationship between Palestinian Arabs and Zionist Jews. Using rich archival and primary sources, as well as on a variety of theoretical approaches, Kabha and Karlinsky portray the industry's social fabric and stratification, detail its economic history, and analyze the conditions that enabled the formation of the unique binational organization that managed the country's industry from late 1940 until April 1948.
Publisher: Syracuse University Press
Publication Date: June 30th, 2021
Hardcover (June 30th, 2021): $93.75
Paperback (June 30th, 2021): $35.94


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Q: Comparação de retorno de query com status "N" Preciso de ajuda para comparação no "if" c# de um retorno de banco de dados dataTable.
Abaixo o trecho do código:
public class ArcerarDto
{
    public DataTable SelectArcerarContract()
    {
        ArcerarDal arcerarObj = new ArcerarDal();
        DataTable arcerarDt = arcerarObj.SelectArcerar();

        if (arcerarDt.Rows[0][2].ToString() = 'N') ///// erro aqui
        {
            //logFile "ERRO", "Contrato do xxx está Inativo."
            //aborta processamento
        }

A: if (arcerarDt.Rows[0][2].ToString() = 'N')// erro

Operador de igualdade em C#: ==.
A utilização do "=" é quando você vai setar algum valor a variável ou propriedade.
No caso de IF / ELSE utiliza-se operando "==" (operador de igualdade).
if (arcerarDt.Rows[0][2].ToString() == "N")// correto

A: Verificar se não faltou um "=" no trecho abaixo:
if (arcerarDt.Rows[0][2].ToString() **==** 'N')

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Mike Nied Published: August 29, 2022
Scott Gries, Getty Images
Avril Lavigne was at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards to crown Dove Cameron as this year's Best New Artist Sunday (Aug. 28).
It was a fitting passing of the torch during last night's star-studded awards show — 20 years ago the "Complicated" icon was in the same place as Cameron when she accepted the award herself.
"I love that I get to hand out the award for Best New Artist tonight. Because it's about to change somebody's life like it changed mine 20 years ago. And it's still one of my favorite memories," Lavigne said while on stage at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
The pop-punk princess picked up her own Best New Artist Moon Person at Radio City Music Hall in New York on Aug. 29, 2002. Her win has gone down as a defining moment for the Y2K pop-rock era.
Of course, it also kicked off a successful career for the "Head Above Water" singer who has become an undeniably versatile artist over the years. Back then, though, she was one of the driving forces of a pop-rock and pop-punk radio takeover.
After a wave of bubblegum pop fronted by Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, a new era had clearly begun.
Avril Lavigne at the 2002 VMAs
Lavigne certainly proved herself worthy of the title of Best New Artist. Dressed in her signature baggy cargo pants, tank top and necktie, she rocked out outside the venue during the 2002 pre-show.
However, her defining VMAs moment came during the main event. The up-and-coming rocker accepted her award from a surprising, yet of-the-moment group — the cast of the inaugural season of American Idol, including Kelly Clarkson, who just two years later would launch her own pop-rock era with her smash album Breakaway.
Lavigne's acceptance speech was both gracious and appropriate for the occasion.
"Dude, this is amazing. My dreams are coming true. This is something that I won't take for granted. I've had this dream for a very long time, and it's incredible," Lavigne enthused.
She wrapped things up in a true rocker fashion.
"Yeah," she bellowed while holding up her trophy. "That's what I'm talking about."
Revisit her speech below:
The moment has gone down in history for several reasons. For starters, it was one of Lavigne's first major wins. Her debut album Let Go — which featured smash hits "Complicated," "I'm With You" and "Sk8er Boi" — later peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
The win also sparked rumors of a surprising feud.
Clarkson handed over Lavigne's Moon Person and reportedly got elbowed in the face in the process. She reflected on the moment and Lavigne's eventual apology in 2017.
"Years later she saw me and she said, 'Oh my gosh, I don't know, people keep saying I elbowed you in the face, and I'm so sorry,'" Clarkson said, according to In Touch. "She did it, but I don't know if she felt bad about it, or, like, she didn't mean to do it or what. But it felt purposeful."
Thankfully there doesn't seem to be any bad blood between the two. Lavigne wrote Clarkson's smash hit "Breakaway," and they reunited on The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2022.
Twenty years later, Lavigne was likely reflecting on her own iconic win while on stage with Cameron. So were her fans.
"Avril lavigne 20 years later and more iconic than ever," one fan tweeted, summing everything up nicely.
Barrier-Breaking Women in Music
Filed Under: Avril Lavigne, VMAs
Categories: MTV Video Music Awards, Music News, News, TV News


text:
Q: C# network scanner unable to detect other devices, think due to firewalls I am currently creating a C# network scanner, but I have run into an issue where I am not able to detect devices other than the one running the code. I have been following a couple guides as to how to go about it, but even if I just copy and paste their code it runs into the same issue. I have a feeling it might be due to firewalls because of this but if that is the case how would I do that?
This is my boiled down code using just console. It runs through all the IPs, while rather slow, and picks up this device but not the others I have connected. It uses the prebuilt ping class and sends it to every possible device on the subnet.
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Ping myPing;
            PingReply reply;
            IPAddress address;
            IPHostEntry host;

            string iP = "172.20.10.";
            Console.WriteLine("start loop");
            for (int i = 2; i < 240; i++)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Hello");
                string deviceIP = iP + i.ToString();
                Console.WriteLine("selected " + deviceIP);
                myPing = new Ping();
                reply = myPing.Send(deviceIP);
                Console.WriteLine("contacting " + deviceIP);

                if (reply.Status == IPStatus.Success)
                {
                    host = Dns.GetHostEntry(deviceIP);
                    Console.WriteLine(host.HostName.ToString() + " is connected");
                }
                else
                {
                    Console.WriteLine("^non existant^");
                }
            }
            Console.WriteLine("end loop");
        }


text:
Oops: The Ultimate Rick Perry Blooper Reel – VIDEO
John Wright January 2, 2015
Texas Republican Gov. Rick Perry will leave office this month as the longest-serving chief executive in the state's history. He's also been Texas' most anti-gay governor to date.
Perry championed the state's 2005 marriage amendment, before holding a ceremonial signing of the legislation at an evangelical church in Fort Worth. When asked what he'd say to gay military veterans who protested outside the signing ceremony, Perry said: "Texans made a decision about marriage and if there's a state that has more lenient views than Texas, then maybe that's a better place for them to live."
Years before, Perry had called Texas' sodomy ban "appropriate" before it was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in Lawrence v. Texas — but by 2011 he had apparently forgotten what the case was even about.
He has also repeatedly compared homosexuality to alcoholism, including as part of his staunch defense of the Boy Scouts' ban on gays — a crusade which he once likened to opposing slavery.
Perry ran a decidedly homophobic presidential campaign in 2012, which he kicked off with a rally hosted by the American Family Association, an anti-LGBT hate group.
Of course, Perry's presidential campaign eventually crumbled thanks to a few of his trademark gaffes — which are the theme of a new video mashup toasting the departing governor from The Texas Tribune.
Given Perry's fascination with LGBT issues — he's also been dogged by rumors that he's closeted — it isn't surprising that the Tribune's blooper reel includes some of his most homophobic moments, such as his response to a question about "reparative therapy" last year, as well as a clip from his "Strong" presidential campaign ad. In the ad, which became the subject of some memorable memes, Perry declared while donning a "Brokeback Mountain"-esque jacket: "I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a Christian, but you don't need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school."
So long, Rick, we hardly knew ya. But we look forward to many more entertaining blunders in 2016 — assuming you're not in prison.
Until then, watch the Tribune's mashup, AFTER THE JUMP …
play-rounded-fill
Topics: History, Supreme Court More Posts About: Austin, Austin, Boy Scouts, Boy Scouts, gay marriage, gay rights, Rick Perry, Rick Perry, Texas, Texas
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Published by BANG Showbiz English Jeff Richmond and Tina Fey want the 'Mean Girls' musical movie to have a "fresher palette". The pair are adapting their musical for the big screen and composer Jeff revealed his …Read More »
Published by BANG Showbiz English Jennifer Coolidge went to the wedding of Billie Eilish's parents. The 61-year-old actress had been friends with Maggie Baird and Patrick O'Connell – who are the parents of pop star Billie, …Read More »
Published by AFP The US city of Memphis, Tennessee, on January 27, 2023, released footage of the fatal police beating of a 29-year-old Black man, Tyre Nichols Washington (AFP) – The shocking death of Tyre Nichols …Read More »
Published by DPA Pope Francis speaks during the general audience at the Pope Paul VI Hall at the Vatican. Michael Kappeler/dpa Pope Francis has clarified his earlier comments on homosexuality following confusion in recent days, saying: …Read More »
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Comcast Sports Bay Area: Blacked Out Warrior Games?
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. DirectTv Now has the CSN Bay Area channel which is the main reason I paid for membership. But, why are Warrior games unavailable when they are live? Is this similar to the NBA League Pass black-out rules? This seems deceiving because the DirectTV regional sports PDF file (when looking into subscribing) mentions CSN Bay Area for my zip code as well as listing Warriors and Giants games. Tonight's game happens to be on TNT too...not sure if that is impacting my viewing either.
Re: Comcast Sports Bay Area: Blacked Out Warrior Games?
You will find Blackout information here.
If you have any other questions, feel free to check out our Help Center.
Hi, I am unable to watch CSN Bay area live program (Warrior games). when the game was live, I got this error message.
I got this error message in my Ipad and Chrome browser on PC. I was watching from 95134 zip code. CSN Bay area is supported in this zip code. Can you please let me know why I get this error message ?
I had the same issue at zip 94556. Warriors coverage was the reason I paid for the service. Chat had no clue but to say that the local channel has the option to block streams of their games. What's the point of a RSN if you can't watch games? I was persistent about canceling and a rebate but she would not budge. If what she said is true I feel misinformed at sign up.
I agree, I paid for this service for watching Warrior games.. It was disappointing to get that error message. Luckily the game was on TNT too. Chat agents were not able to help. If this is a problem, I will cancel the service too.
Looks like a common issue in multiple regions.
Maybe we have the solution. You were able to watch the game through Directv Now on TNT? I switched to my cable CSN.
"If a network that DIRECTVNOW carries - such as ESPN, TNT, TBS, or USA - has the national rights to broadcast a game, DIRECTV customers will be able to see it on those channels"
Yes, I was able to watch it on TNT, using Directv now app. Hopefully, we will be able to watch next game on CSN Bayarea as it is not nationally televised. Lets see what happens.. Thanks for sharing this !!
My zip is 95823 and i don't see CSN Bay Area. I used to have both CSNBA and CSNCA.
I have my billing zipcode set to and I phycially reside in the area covered by CSN Bay Area and CSN California. But all the local games featured in these channels were blocked. Please help!
Same thing happened to me with the Celtics on Comcast Sportsnet New England. Wednesday was nationally televised on NBAtv so I thought that was the issue. They played again tonight, but not on National TV and it was still blacked out. I did a chat session and the person I talked to said it was a known issue that they are working to fix. I don't have complete faith in their support yet, but hopefully he was telling the truth.
Same here. I should have both, but CSN Bay Area isn't even showing up as an option. Live in Sacramento and when I try to watch a Sharks or Kings game, it's blacked out until the game is over.


This usually happens when the device was running for a long time without reboot. Basically what happens is that iOS cannot find enough memory for System Status and kills it. In these cases it's best to restart the device because the same will happen also with other apps which need larger amounts of memory.


Here is the novelization of the premiere episode of Star Trek, Voyager, the unprecedented fourth television series based on Gene Roddenberry's vision of the future. It is the story of the crew of the Starship Voyager, who are hurled far across the galaxy and must team up with their most dangerous adversaries to return home. Theirs is the voyage of a lifetime, taking them into uncharted space, where no one has gone before.
loved it great book need more Star Trek Voyager books Robert picardo great narrator fantastic actor.
The narrator did wonderful job. With different modulations and tones, it never felt that we are listening to one person.
although I have watched the episode earlier, the scenes became live in my eyes while I listen to it.
Would you consider the audio edition of Star Trek, Voyager: Caretaker (Adapted) to be better than the print version?
I haven't read the printed version but I aim in doing so.
Robert Picardo's narration was excellent as he guided the story along. Having seen the televised episode I could clearly 'see' where the characters were in the story and what they were doing. Robert Picardo played the other characters well as well as the computer voice.
I could follow the story with ease with Robert Picardo's narration.
What about Robert Picardo's performance did you like?
It was clear,succinct expressive and easy to follow. Robert Picardo was clearly keen to do this narration.
I felt joy at the characters surviving and amassing their traditional crew with new characters coming in at intervals. I felt a pang of sympathy for Voyager's crew as they're 70,000 light years from Earth and have a heck of a journey home.
This version was adapted from the original screenplay and bits of the original were cut out but it proved to be a very satisfactory audiobook with Robert Picardo narrating.


text:
Home Page > Adventure Games
Adventure Games Listings Results: 91 Records - Page 5 of 10
LucasArts.com | Welcome to LucasArts.com
LucasArts.com | Welcome to LucasArts.com LucasArts and the LucasArts logo are registered trademarks of Lucasfilm Ltd.©Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd. or Lucasfilm Ltd. & ® or &t
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Shattered Horizon
Shattered Horizon Shattered Horizon coming to French games retailers: http://bit.ly/bwaqkUFree Weekend on Steam - Shattered Horizon will be free to play and 50% off to bu
http://www.shatteredhorizon.com
SouthPeak Games | Choose Your Country or Region
SouthPeak Interactive Corporation develops and publishes interactive entertainment software for all current hardware platforms including PC and platforms manufactured by Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo.
http://www.southpeakgames.com
http://us.battle.net
Battle.netSign Up Now! Already a user? Log In Join millions of players online and discover the most EPIC gaming experiences� ever! Learn More Log in or Create an Account Account Support Explore
BioWare | Dragon Age: Origins
close Destructoid - "...this game is hot." BioWare's Dark Fantasy EpicFrom the makers of Mass Effect�, Star Wars�: Knights of the Old Republic�, and Baldur's Gate� come
http://dragonage.bioware.com/agegate
DC Universe Online, a joint video game from Sony Online Entertainment, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC comics is an action-packed, physics based MMO game for the PLAYSTATION�3 and PC
http://www.dcuniverseonline.com
Final Fantasy Shrine - The Ultimate Final Fantasy Fansite
A Final Fantasy offering walkthroughs, media, news, music, MP3s, trailers, a chat and forums.
http://www.ffshrine.org
http://www.godofwar.com
http://us.playstation.com/godofwar2
God of War - Ghost of Sparta
The Ghost of Sparta! In his quest to rid himself of the nightmares that haunt him, Kratos must embark on a journey that will reveal the origins of lost worlds, and finally answer long-awaited questio
http://www.spartansstandtall.com


President Elect Donald Trump is choosing Rex Tillerson who is the CEO of Exxon Mobil which is the 5th largest publicly traded company in the world. Rex Tillerson has been the CEO for over a decade. How's that for experience? The revenues annually are over $260 billion dollars and has operations in over 21 countries. Exxon employs over 75,000 employees. President Elect Trump stated that he would pick the best and the brightest and he is sticking to his word.
Tillerson has been at Exxon for over forty years and because of company policy he was expected to retire in March 2017. Tillerson accepts the challenge of Secretary of State because like Trump he wants to make America great again and what a challenge it is after Secretary of State John Kerry leaves.
Tillerson understands that the state department requires a complete overhaul. It has a budget of 65 billion dollars and 70,000 employees. Tillerson is known world wide for his negotiating skills.
There are however several republicans who are not comfortable with Trump's choice namely John McCain and Lindsey Graham, as their concern is with Russia's president Vladimir Putin. Since Tillerson has made deals all over the world it does not seem strange that he would know Putin and have dealings with him as well.
Tillerson like Trump knows how to get things done, not just talk about them like 99% of the politicians.
Wouldn't it just be a perfect scenario if John Bolton is appointed as deputy secretary of state who has extensive experience with the state department?


Although probably such a strike would not have matched the January 2012 general strike and mass protest in scale and fury; yet it could have become the starting point of a mass movement led by the working class and organized labour and been a bold example to the pauperized people whose frenzied hope for change three and a half years ago has been replaced by anger, disappointment and complacency. For a graphic illustration of the mood and possibilities if the strike had gone ahead, a brief report in the Guardian newspaper (7/11/2018) titled "Kwara workers refuse to suspend strike" tells of how many workers shunned their offices and workplaces on the day of the strike despite the announcement of suspension. According to the paper, "Checks by The Guardian in Ilorin, the state capital, showed that only one-third of workers at both the federal and state secretariats turned up. It was the same in places like the Governor's Office along Ahmadu Bello Way, ministries of finance, education, lands and housing, health and information. Many public primary and post-primary schools recorded scanty attendance of pupils, as many of the teachers shunned duties. Some of the workers, who spoke under condition of anonymity, expressed shock by the decision of labour to back out of the proposed strike, 'having initially directed us to stock our stores and pantries with foodstuff'."
Very clearly, the government and the labour bureaucracy knew they were on the eve of a major class confrontation. This explains the feverish effort over the past few days to both compel and cajole the labour leadership to suspend the strike. Seeing that a court order hastily procured last Friday would be defied, the regime reconvened a meeting of the tripartite committee of the minimum wage negotiation to resume negotiation. The meeting lasted from 11am to 11pm, on the eve of the strike.
This could have been the most combative general strike in terms of scale of compliance to be led by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and United Labour Congress (ULC) since the inception of the Buhari regime. At the November 5 joint meeting of the three labour centres and the Joint Action Front (JAF), the mood of activists of the affiliate unions was unmistakably combative. Unlike previous strikes, many of the affiliate unions had sent strike compliance notices to all their branches at least 48 hours to the strike. Also, rallies had been held nationwide on October 30 to mobilise the public. In speeches after speeches, workers leaders vowed to shut down their respective sectors. The airports and seaports were to be shutdown, government secretariats to be shut, all public schools closed, banks and finance houses to be picketed. The chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lagos Chapter, vowed to pull the popular danfo buses off the road. This would ensure that the strike hit the massive informal sector if the threat had been carried out.
A central strike monitoring committee was set up to move round the city to enforce compliance and provide support to unions where needed. As the meeting concluded, every one scurried either home or to other meetings; loud rendition of the traditional solidarity song that often starts and ends such meetings carelessly forgotten. Everyone was going to have a short night's rest, if any. Activists of the airport unions were reportedly to sleep at the union offices. If they would ensure no plane flies, then they must rise before dawn. By 5:30 am, the working class everywhere would be asserting itself as the master of society.
On the long drive home, Lagos was bustling as usual but with an air of apprehension. Everyone, whether directly or indirectly connected to the strike, whether in support or not, was doing their best to prepare. Long queues were reported at Automated Teller Machines and last minute purchases of food items at the markets. On the car stereo, the dominant discussion was the strike. Usually at that time of the evening, Lagos radios often play music interspersed with general interesting and social discussions. The whole idea is to help tired commuters to bear the daily horror of long traffic as they find their way home after another day of toil. This night was different. The music played, loud and boisterous, but the discussion was mostly serious and political. The working class was stirring and the whole of society was held in a mood of expectancy.
But despite these positive signals, the readiness of the leadership was uncertain. At the strike meeting in Lagos, despite the air of battle-readiness, there were no leaflets and scant attention paid to logistics. Only the Joint Action Front (JAF) had printed leaflets in preparation for the next day. Key national labour leaders who would lead the strike enforcement at various cities were still holed up at the long meeting with the government in Abuja. If no agreement was struck, then they would have to find their way to their duty posts by midnight. But within the movement, everyone knew that true to type, the labour leadership could suspend the action midnight if it gets anything, even if only a verbal promise, from the regime because it understand clearly that this general strike represented a major class confrontation which could open a dam of discontent.
How did a struggle for minimum wage get to a point whereby it commands the attention of the entire population? Truly, the organized workers in Nigeria who are to directly benefit from the winning of a higher wage are a fraction of the population. But against the background of a neo-colonial capitalist economy where unemployment is at record numbers, it is only the wages of the workers which circulates into the informal sector. The Buhari regime prides itself on having pulled Nigeria from recession but vast layers of the population continue to see their living standard plummet. This year, under a regime that promised change, Nigeria became the poverty capital of the world. Therefore, a higher minimum wage is the only means through which the so-called exit from recession and consequential economic growth can get to many layers of the population especially those in the informal sector like traders, transporters, artisans etc.
Also, the minimum wage debate is in many ways a litmus test for a capitalist regime whose political representatives swim in opulence. Regardless of their attitude to the question, many could not stomach the spectacle of overpaid and overfed politicians claiming the government cannot afford a N30, 000 minimum wage in a country where a senator earns at least N13.5 million monthly allowance. All of these meant that the general strike if it had gone ahead had a chance of enjoying some measure of popular support. A successful strike would also have bolstered the confidence of the mass of oppressed people to confront the regime on other demands.
The current minimum wage is N18, 000 – an amount whose real value has been severely eroded by inflation and a fall in the value of the currency. As negotiation progressed, labour's negotiators climbed down from Labour's initial demand of N65, 000 to N30, 000 but even this inadequate amount led to furious protest from the Governors and the Federal Government. In accordance with Nigeria's labour laws, the minimum wage is meant to be negotiated every five years between the trade unions through the labour centres and representatives of the Federal Government, State governments and private sector. The current N18, 000 minimum wage was enacted in 2011 after two years of struggle and ought to have been renegotiated in 2016.
But the class collaborationist policy of the labour leadership manifesting in a sympathetic attitude towards the Buhari regime at inception meant that the government was given a large elbow room to maneuver and drag the process up till now. This class collaborationist stance which has always been the hallmark of the bureaucracy was given a boost by the general mood of hope and illusion in the new regime when it emerged in 2015. But as the regime's anti-poor and pro-capitalist character became more pronounced and mass disappointment deepened, the question of wages both in terms of backlog of salaries and pensions and the need for a higher wage figure became an issue capable of accelerating the mass discontent building up in society. Labour should not have accepted this over two year delay in increasing the minimum wage. This was not an abstract point to debate about, it had a real effect on worsening the lives of millions.
By the suspension of the strike, the regime has gained some more time but for how long before the movement breaks out again? This is because against the background of a stalling economic growth and unrelenting global crisis of capitalism, Nigeria's capitalist ruling elite cannot guarantee better living standards for the working class. Therefore any promise to pay a higher wage must be taken with a pinch of salt. Only mass struggle can force implementation. Without struggle, once the 2019 general elections are over, both the government and private employers of labour will certainly renege. This was the experience with the ongoing minimum wage enacted a few weeks to general elections in 2011 but which many state governments have defaulted on the implementation till date. In a situation where workers in over 10 states are still not being paid their back salaries, there is a danger that even if the new minimum wage is formally agreed, it is not paid.
According to media reports, as he announced suspension of the strike, the NLC president could not pronounce the figure that the committee agreed to. It seems there was no consensus on the minimum wage figure. The tripartite committee seemed to have struck a bargain to present to the President the figure of N30, 000 supported by labour and the private sector while equally noting that the Federal Government team strongly pushed for a lower figure of N24, 000 on the basis of "affordability" and "sustainability". The state governors had earlier argued that they could only pay N22, 500, citing their purported difficulty to even pay N18, 000 minimum wage. This suggests that most state governors will not willingly pay the new minimum wage. They could be silent on their objection now because of the incoming elections. Even the presidency has refuted the report that President Buhari accepted N30, 000 as the new minimum wage meaning a lower figure could be presented to the national assembly for enactment. All of these show the struggle is not yet over.
Today, November 7, the Nation newspaper quoted the NLC president as saying "payment of the new wage might be difficult at the beginning of implementation". This, coming out of the mouth of a labour leader, can only be seen as giving a green light to governments for further delays! Workers have to be prepared to return to the barricades again and again until victory is won. This is why instead of demobilizing, the intervening weeks need to be utilized by the labour movement to review, assess and map out a programme of action both on the minimum wage and to resist the pro-capitalist attacks on workers, students, youth and all layers of the oppressed masses.
Interestingly, the support of the private sector for N30, 000 means nothing in practical terms. They have no problem supporting a higher figure since many private employers of labour are always known not to pay minimum wage. In fact wages and working conditions in the private sector are some of the worst with casualization being the order of the day and the labour movement after winning an increase in wages rarely commits to ensure implementation at the different factories and companies. It is the federal and state governments that are the most pivotal stakeholders when it comes to winning a minimum wage demand and their hostility to N30, 000 only means that this retreat will be temporary. However, even if for the purpose of looking good for the next general elections, a new minimum wage of N30, 000 is enacted into law, it would take only serious mass struggle for implementation to be achieved. At the moment, more than ten states are owing several months of salaries and pensions.
Therefore, regardless of how the labour bureaucracy continues to maneuver, it would not be able to avoid calling for strikes and mass struggle again and again. Against this background, the suspension of the strike is only a short pause. But for future strike actions, which will be inevitable over implementation of the new minimum wage and other issues, to be successful, it would require the role of an active rank and file which mobilizes from below and is able to take initiative for every struggle including determining through democratic discussions at all levels of the movement when to call actions and when to suspend. A struggle or strike movement cannot be turned on and off like a switch, the failure of the May 2016 strike should be remembered as a warning of how not to mobilise.
Ultimately, except for minimal improvements here and there, the capitalist system cannot guarantee on a sustained basis a living wage for workers. Only the democratic and collective running of the economy by the working class under a socialist plan can ensure that Nigeria's massive wealth is judiciously used to meet the needs of all instead of the greed of a few. This is why alongside with a persistent struggle to win improvements for workers, labour needs, alongside combative unions, a political vehicle, a mass workers political party, to fight for the kind of Nigeria that can afford a living wage for workers. The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN), registered by the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) and others, can be a starting point if it is supported by the labour movement, the left and the working class at large.