Ishan Gupta is CEO at RipenApps. This mobile app development company was founded in 2013 by Saurabh Pandey. It is located in Noida, India. Mr. Gupta joined the company in 2017, but has been within the mobile app development domain for the past 7 years.
Here's what Ishan Gupta had to say about RipenApps and the mobile app development world.
We deliver design and development services for mobile app and web-based products. We stay more focused on simplifying challenges with the use of technology rather than just staying limited to traditional mobile app development.
We have developed multiple applications for corporates like DELL Inc. and Amazon, Media Houses like Newscode and startups/entrepreneurs from different parts of the globe.
If you had to choose one category, what kind of app do you think is your mobile app development company's speciality?
We are primarily concentrated in Internet of Things and Healthcare for now, along with other areas. Over the time, this has essentially become our domain of expertise.
We have a dedicated team working and managing projects in those segments.
What is the average budget for the mobile apps you develop?
Since we work on new ideas for our clients along with B2B solutions for corporations, this is a wide slab. Still, you can consider 4000 USD to 12000 USD, which seems close enough to the average budget.
We do it all in-house. We have a dedicated team of developers and designers along with Analysts, and I believe this has been a vital factor in completing projects on time and as per the satisfaction of our clients. A complete team at one place enables intact communication and coordination.
Sendy: A location-based parcel delivery solution.
DELL EMC Forum: Event Management solution developed for DELL Inc.
Baranoy: Quiz based Mobile App.
Newscode: An app for Hyper Local Media House.
We always recommend development with Native technologies as latest SWIFT for iOS and Java for Android.
They enable us to ensure the trust of our clients in the long term, as these products are scalable and yield utmost quality.
For the last 3 years, I would say both iOS and Android are practically on the same level. It's tough to predict cons of any of the platforms. The best way to decide would be based on your target audience or region of launch. If your target audience is majorly on Apple devices, you shall go to iOS first, and vice versa.
Back were the days when the quality of Android lacked comparison with iOS. However, over the time, Android has evolved significantly and become even better in certain aspects.
Analyzing the stats of last 3 years, I believe Android would have a better place. But still, no one knows what surprises Apple shall bring this year as has been the usual practice.
Apps we develop are functional on any device with Android above 5.0 and iOS 8.0. I believe there is no specific name that is leading. It depends more on the type of usage as in you require a better camera or if you are fond of gaming and require a high-performance processor and display.
It's not a single person's job. We are a team where everyone finds their ease in working for their own domain. While being in Analysis Phase, we just identify the target audience and region of launch with our clients and depending on the same we recommend them what shall suit their requirement.
AppFutura brings in qualified leads through mobile app projects in the marketplace where clients are more aligned towards having a quality product. That makes our job a bit easier while finding their convenience in our services.
Secondly, a listing of companies on the basis of their work and client feedbacks creates a fair competition to deliver quality.
Go to AppFutura's RipenApps app developer profile to get more information about them.


Why? Because I keep showing up on them silly! :) I have to admit, I am more than a little amused at how I can now search for myself on-line (using Windows Live Search of course!) and get more than 3 hits, LOL.
So MDC is almost completely sold out, and we are so pumped to be able to bring the best of PDC live to you in Chicago. I am extremely excited to be able to bring everyone the Lap Around VSTS 2010 content. You'll even get your hands on the Beta bits for Windows 7, as soon as it is available that is (might not be at the MDC event but you WILL get one).
Lego SeriousPlay WomenBuild workshop at the MSDN Developer Conference!
WomenBuild will consist of a series of Lego workshops, multimedia presentations, and discussions that will run at the MSDN Developer Conference events from 10:30am – 4:30pm. If you are interested in participating, please register for MDC using the RSVP code "MDCWIT".
All attendees will receive a Lego SeriousPlay WomenBuild kit!


text:
DARPA's Networks of the Sea Enter Next Stage
January 11, 2017 By E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy
DARPA has successfully completed phase 1 of its Tactical Undersea Network Architecture (TUNA) program, a system of temporary sea buoys that will serve as a backup for military communications at sea. DARPA hopes to prove in the final phase that the TUNA Program is capable of maintaining the vital flow of data in the event primary networks are compromised.
DARPA wraps up first phase of program developing temporary underwater fiber-optics communications networks to ensure connectivity when tactical networks are unavailable.
DARPA's Tactical Undersea Network Architecture (TUNA) program recently completed its initial phase, successfully developing concepts and technologies aimed at restoring connectivity for U.S. forces when traditional tactical networks are knocked offline or otherwise unavailable. The program now enters the next phase, which calls for the demonstration of a prototype of the system at sea.
TUNA seeks to develop and demonstrate novel, optical-fiber-based technology options and designs to temporarily restore radio frequency (RF) tactical data networks in a contested environment via an undersea optical fiber backbone. The concept involves deploying RF network node buoys—dropped from aircraft or ships, for example—that would be connected via thin underwater fiber-optic cables. The very-small-diameter fiber-optic cables being developed are designed to last 30 days in the rough ocean environment—long enough to provide essential connectivity until primary methods of communications are restored.
"Phase 1 of the program included successful modeling, simulation, and at-sea tests of unique fiber-cable and buoy-component technologies needed to make such an undersea architecture work," said John Kamp, program manager in DARPA's Strategic Technology Office. "Teams were able to design strong, hair-thin, buoyant fiber-optic cables able to withstand the pressure, saltwater, and currents of the ocean, as well as develop novel power generation concepts."
Supplying power to floating buoy nodes on the open sea presents a particular challenge. During the first phase of the program, the University of Washington's Applied Physics Lab (APL) developed a unique concept called the Wave Energy Buoy that Self-deploys (WEBS), which generates electricity from wave movement. The WEBS system is designed to fit into a cylinder that could be deployed from a ship or aircraft.
Having now entered its second and final phase, the program is advancing to design and implement an integrated end-to-end system, and to test and evaluate this system in laboratory and at-sea demonstrations. As a test case for the TUNA concept, teams are using Link 16—a common tactical data network used by U.S. and allied forces' aircraft, ships, and ground vehicles.
Source: DARPA

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


SEARLE AND MYLAN ARE FIRST GENERIC HALOPERIDOL TABLET MARKETERS after receiving FDA approval on June 10. While a few companies have already received approval for and begun marketing haloperidol oral solution (including Bay Labs, Barre-National, and National Pharmaceutical Manufacturing), Searle and Mylan are the first competitors to CmNeil's Haldol tablets. Both Searle and Mylan received approval to market .5, 1, 2, and 5 mg tablets. Searle additionally received approval for 10 mg tablets, 20 mg tablets (which cannot be marketed until Sept. 24 under exclusivity provisions of the ANDA/Patent Restoration law), and oral concentrate (2 mg/ml) in 120 ml bottles. In a June 11 release announcing the approval, Mylan said that "current annual sales of Haldol are approximately $60 mil. and Mylan expects to ship $3 mil. worth of haloperidol within the next 45 days." Mylan said its product, which it began shipping to customers June 11, is priced 30-to-50% below Haldol. For Searle, the U.S. approval will complement its overseas haloperidol marketing effort. In a June 10 release on the approval, Searle maintains that it "is the number one marketer of haloperidol in 64 countries, with nine manufacturing sites worldwide." Noting that Searle "has manufactured and distributed this anti-psychotic drug outside the U.S. . . for more than a quarter century," Searle VP David Bethune said in the release that the company is "taking advantage of our international experience in producing and marketing haloperidol by now making it available to pharmacists and patients in this country." Searle's haloperidol tablets, with the exception of the 20 mg strength, and oral solution became available to the trade June 11. Searle is offering a special introductory haloperidol deal to whslrs. for one week. Prices for 100 tabs are: $12.60 for the .5 mg, $18.65 for 1 mg tab; $25.70 for 2 mg tabs; $42 for 5 mg tabs; and $54.09 for 10 mg tabs. The introductory price for the 2 mg/ml solution is $19.65 for a 120 ml bottle. Following the introductory offer, regular prices for the products, respectively, will be: $14; $20.72; $28.56; $46.67; $60.10; and $32.75. The one-week special deal price cuts approximately 10% off Searle's regular price for the tablet products and 40% off for the oral solution. Searle's regular prices to whslrs. are approximately 20% below average whsle. prices for McNeil's Haldol prices, according to Redbook figures.


Trying to decide on a single beach vacation rental can definitely be tricky. There are so many out there to choose from that travelers often get overwhelmed and especially if it is their first time going on this sort of travel, they get frustrated and don't even know where to start. If this sounds like you, you should know that there are a few very easy steps that you can take and which will ensure that you find the perfect beach vacation rental.
There are basically a few questions that if you answer for yourself, you are going to make sure that you find the best beach vacation rental for you. One of the first questions is whether you want a casual or luxury vacation rental. This is going to depend largely on the amount of money that you have to work with of course, because the luxurious rentals are typically much more costly.
Depending on how extravagant you want to go with your vacation, you can choose from having just the basic hotel room to one that is set right on the water with room service and secluded beaches.
Another question that you have to answer for yourself is how large you want the beach vacation rental to be. Maybe you are just traveling for yourself for personal or professional purposes, or traveling with a partner, or even bringing the whole family along. Either way, determine early on how much room you think you are going to need to be comfortable.
There are lots of different types of beach vacation rental that you can choose from. There are condos, hotels, motels, and then there are even vacation rental homes by owner, which means that you are dealing with the person who actually owns and lives in the vacation home. This is often a great way to get a deal but then you have to worry about ruining their things which are in the home.
These are all important things that you need to take into consideration when you are trying to find a vacation rental for your travels. Unlike flights where you often can save money by booking later on, if you want to save money here then you are going to have to make sure that you book earlier on, and also so that you can make sure to get in for the particular time and date that you need the rental for.


It's never too early to get started planning this year's Santa Secret Shop. In fact, the sooner everything is handled the better, and the beginning of the school year is the ideal time to figure out the plan before everything gets too hectic later on. Fun Services always strives to make the process as simple and stress-free as possible, which is why we're hosting more than a dozen open houses across Ohio, NY and PA throughout September and the beginning of October to help schools get moving in the right direction.
A Santa Secret Shop is a wonderful fundraising opportunity for any school. It's also an event which the kids will really look forward to and be excited about. By working with Fun Services, all of the logistics and hassle of the holiday gift shop are handled, so schools can kick back and worry about bigger concerns.
Learn more by coming to one of these free open houses, at restaurants such as Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill and Red Lobster. Lunch is provided, and the school planning committee or event group can come at their convenience to ask questions, get a sneak peek at all of the new gift items available for the year, and more.
There's no pressure, no big presentation and no sales talk. It's all about helping the school learn more about why a school gift shop with Fun Services may be a great choice. Worst case is that a school grabs a free lunch and gains some insight into holiday gift shops, it's that simple.
Anyone who attends can come and go at their own leisure within the open time window, and it's a wonderful opportunity to share ideas and tips, make new connections, and get started with a holiday gift shop that will be a real winner for the school this season. Schools can RSVP at their convenience, but this isn't required and anyone is welcomed.
Plus, Fun Services is also offering a free e-book, which features helpful tips and advice for running an easy and successful Santa Secret Shop. Learn about the Six Steps for a Successful Holiday Gift Shop by downloading the e-book for free.
Fun Services has more than 40 years of experience hosting successful school fundraisers and holiday gift shops. We work with schools throughout Ohio, western New York and western Pennsylvania, and we're ready to put our expertise to work for the next school planning committee in need of some assistance. Learn more by calling 800.362.8305 or emailing [email protected] to reserve a table and ask any questions.


text:
Menu Thursday, July 18, 2019
Email (@stetson.edu)
Green Pages
MyStetson
Solar Shines Even Brighter at the CUB
As it turns out, the sun is shining even brighter on Stetson's largest-ever solar photovoltaic project.
A total of 231 rooftop solar panels are expected to result in an annual cost avoidance of almost $10,000.
Photo: Stetson University/Matt Adair
When the solar panels atop the newly renovated and expanded Carlton Union Building began generating power to the university in January, the total of 231 solar panels were expected to produce an estimated annual value of 131.2 MWh. Following initial monitoring of the system, however, the projected annual output was conservatively increased to 143 MWh. In turn, the corresponding estimated annual metered cost avoidance was ticked up a bit to nearly $10,000, according to Bob Huth, Stetson's executive vice president and chief financial officer.
And, to literally shine light on the project — which internally is referred to as the CUB Dining Room Flat Roof Rooftop — the daily output of the solar panels will be displayed on video monitors in the CUB and throughout campus. Additionally, an online portal, SolarEdge, provides real-time output details for power and energy.
The surprise was a pleasant one for a project that Huth labeled as "bold" even before the output had improved.
The approximately $170,000 solar project marks the culmination of an ambitious effort by students, called Stetson's Revolving Green Fund.
Nate Bodger '19, an Environmental Fellow, remembers helping to start discussions as a first-year student in 2015. A year earlier, Stetson's first-ever Environmental Fellow, Sarah Coffey '18, had raised the idea of a green fund on campus to Stetson Professor Tony Abbott, Ph.D., who had helped to establish the Environmental Fellows' program. With university funding generally tight, Bodger's thought was that "maybe students would want to chip in." He created the initial proposal and gave to the Environmental Working Group, composed of students, faculty and staff, which he now chairs.
In May 2017, following lengthy groundwork by students and administrators — including surveys, various approvals and final determinations — Stetson established the green fund, with all students paying a $5 fee each semester to fund environmental projects.
The solar project was a case study in effective collaboration between Stetson and students. From left is John Wimer of Facilities Management, joined by students Nate Bodger '19 and Jimmy Dean '20.
Photo: Stetson University/Brittany Strozzo
In November 2017, students were asked to submit ideas for projects that would save the university money and decrease environmental impact. Nearly 200 suggestions were received, and the clear winner was solar, conceived on the idea of efficiently generating electricity. Ultimately, the CUB location was chosen as the solar site by virtue of both cost-effectiveness and visibility. A nearby off-campus site also was seriously considered.
The CUB has been a campus focal point since its original construction in 1957. And that site puts the solar project "right above the students' heads rather than off campus," said Jimmy Dean '20, one of the students who helped steer the project last spring.
Bodger agrees, noting that the location and the public display will help "students to own it."
"I think the success of the continuation of this initiative, and the creation of more sustainable technologies like this one on campus, is for students to continue to own it. And for students to see that some of their money went to saving 'this many' atoms of carbon from going into the environment, I think that's really important," he said.
In terms of funding, students and university administrators effectively came together. The Revolving Green Fund paid $60,000. The Student Government Association and the university each paid $30,000, with the remainder to the funding coming from a university loan to be repaid by the metered cost avoidance (estimated at almost $10,000 a year). After the loan is repaid, those cost-avoidance dollars will be deposited back into green fund. If the solar array produces more energy than anticipated, the loan can be paid off earlier, and a greater amount of money will go into the green fund, Huth explained.
For Huth, the project represents a continual march through strategic mapping that began in 2014 by the university. More than just a solar project, he said, it's "part of an orchestrated effort" that follows in line with the university's strategic map (2014-2019), with the overarching goal to "establish Stetson as a university of choice for innovative approaches to tackling complex challenges," which was approved by Stetson University's Board of Trustees.
For Bodger, who graduates in May and has an eye on law school, there is a sigh of relief, along with ample pride.
"I'm just really happy that it came together," he said. "To be honest, there were so many different people involved in this and so many moving parts, it's just kind of miraculous that is ended up coming together.
"I'm proud of everybody involved in it. I'm proud that the students have the mindset that they're valuing the future and sustainability. And I'm proud of the administration."
– Michael Candelaria
Copyright © Stetson University


text:
Q: Script Execution Inconsistency Using Browser Sleep I am using browser.sleep(10000); in my JavaScript code using Protractor frame work.However,when i execute my script multiple time some times it gets passed or failed for not identifying the object.
Is there an alternative method to check whether the page is loaded and element is visible and enabled so that script does not fail during execution.

A: FWIW, I have a blog post on how I deal with page loading. Basically, I have wrapper methods that I use to go to() a page, and then test that I'm at() that page, using ExpectedConditions. I also have working, example code up on github.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: How do I get my toolbar to show? I have this GUI and it works perfectly however now I wanted to add a toolbar which will have a "File" button that will go down with two options, which are Exit and About. Exit is supposed to close the GUI while About should give out another JFrame box that contains a string about the assignment. For some reason, I could not get my JMenubar to show up there when I run the program. I can type stuff which lets me know if a word or a string is palindrome or not but did not have any luck with toolbar. How should I implement it so that my toolbar shows with "file" button that will have two options below? I am not so good when it comes to GUI's so I would be happy if you walk me through this.
Thanks
Here is my code below
import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.Font;
import java.awt.GridBagLayout;
import java.awt.GridLayout;
import java.awt.Insets;
import java.awt.TextField;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JMenu;
import javax.swing.JMenuBar;
import javax.swing.JMenuItem;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JTextArea;
import javax.swing.JTextField;

/*
 * To change this license header, choose License Headers in Project Properties.
 * To change this template file, choose Tools | Templates
 * and open the template in the editor.
 */
/**
 *
 * @author Owner
 */
public class PalindromGUI extends JFrame {

    private JTextField TextField;
    private JTextArea textArea;
    private JMenuBar menubar;
    private JMenuItem exit;
    /**
     * @param args the command line arguments
     */
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        PalindromGUI gui = new PalindromGUI();

        gui.setVisible(true);

    }

    public PalindromGUI() {

        this.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        setBounds(50,50,90,650);

//Create a panel and add components to it.
        JPanel contentPane = new JPanel();
        BorderLayout experimentLayout = new BorderLayout();

        contentPane.setLayout(experimentLayout);

        contentPane.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(800, 500));

        TextField = new JTextField();
        TextField.setForeground(new Color(0, 0, 0));
        TextField.setOpaque(true);
        TextField.setBackground(new Color(255, 255, 255));
        TextField.setFont(new Font("Verdana", Font.PLAIN, 30));
        TextField.setMargin(new Insets(20, 20, 20, 20));//add margin 30
        TextField.setText("Enter a word to see if it is a palindrome");
        TextField.setEditable(false);

        //toolbar
        menubar = new JMenuBar();
        setJMenuBar(menubar);

        exit = new JMenuItem();

        //    exit.addActionListener(new exitApp());
            contentPane.add(exit);

//         menubar.setForeground(new Color(0, 0, 0));
//        menubar.setOpaque(true);
//        menubar.setBackground(new Color(255, 255, 255));
//        menubar.setFont(new Font("Verdana", Font.PLAIN, 40));
//        menubar.setMargin(new Insets(20, 20, 20, 20));
//

        textArea = new JTextArea();
        textArea.setForeground(new Color(0, 0, 0));
        textArea.setOpaque(true);
        textArea.setBackground(new Color(255, 255, 255));
        textArea.setFont(new Font("Verdana", Font.PLAIN, 40));
        textArea.setMargin(new Insets(20, 20, 20, 20));//add margin 30
        JButton enter = new JButton();
        enter.setText("GO");
        enter.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {

            @Override
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae) {
                String pal = textArea.getText();
                String temp = pal.replaceAll("\\W", "");

                Palindrome myPalindrome = new Palindrome(temp);

                if (myPalindrome.isPalindrome()) {
                    TextField.setText(pal + " is a palindrome");
                } else {
                    TextField.setText(pal + " is not a palindrome");
                }
                textArea.setText("");
            }
        });

        contentPane.add(enter, BorderLayout.EAST);
        contentPane.add(textArea, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
        contentPane.add(TextField, BorderLayout.CENTER);
        contentPane.add(menubar, BorderLayout.PAGE_START);

        setContentPane(contentPane);

//        this.add(contentPane);

        this.pack();

        this.setVisible(true);
    }

}

A:     menubar = new JMenuBar();
    setJMenuBar(menubar);
    exit = new JMenuItem();

You don't add anything to the menubar. You need to create a JMenu and add it to the menubar. Then you need to add your menuitem to the menu.
Read the section from the Swing tutorial on How to Use Menus for more information and working examples.

A: The technique is to create the JMenuBar which contains JMenu's which in turn contain JMenuItem's, e.g.:
//toolbar
JMenu fileMenu = new JMenu("File");

exit = new JMenuItem("Exit");

fileMenu.add(new JMenuItem("About"));
fileMenu.add(exit);

menubar = new JMenuBar();
menubar.add(fileMenu);
setJMenuBar(menubar);


8 3/4" x 2 3/4" x 1/2"
5 1/4" x 5 1/2" x 1"
Heather White's work is highly influenced by historical metal objects and ornamentation made for royal figures, non-secular rituals and military forces, such as crowns, brooches and other forms of adornment. These pieces are at once beautiful, sculptural forms as well as functional objects that relate to the viewers' physical presence, to the essence and history of antiquated objects and to the concerns of the era. White's work combines the inherent beauty of working with precious metals with larger issues surrounding ornamentation and decoration.
White currently teaches Metalsmithing and Jewelry at Massachusetts College of Art and Design.


I grew up playing volleyball – constantly surrounded by tall, skinny, beautiful women. I never thought I fit in with them because I'm short and was never skinny like them. It didn't even matter that I played just as well as they did. And it would be a lie to say that college does great things for people's self esteem.
Throughout high school and freshman year of college, I tried eating well, turned to fad diets, and exercised more. Nothing seemed to work. I could never hold myself accountable – I always cheated on my diets and sometimes did as little as possible during my workouts. I was never content, but still I suffered.
I have always hated my body, constantly trying to stuff myself into a smaller space so people wouldn't notice me. I avoided looking in mirrors in department stores, and I was always embarrassed to shop with my friends. I would only wear neutral colors so I wouldn't stand out in a crowd.
Not feeling confident in your body is a crippling, terrifying thing, and there's no way around it.
At the beginning of this year, I wrote the words: It's 2016, let's all try to love ourselves a little better this year. And I cringe to say that I never thought I'd be able to actually follow those words. But I at least wanted the chance.
But now, it's official – I've lost 20 pounds and gained a lot of muscle. I'm not (that) ashamed to admit it. No, it's not for a boy. No, it's not because society pressured me to. It's just because I always wanted to do it, and this year, I stuck with that desire. I'm not at my goal, but it's a start. And starting is always the hardest part.
On my winter break, I decided 2016 was going to be the year: the year I stuck to a diet. The year I lost the weight. The year I chose myself over everything else.
I spent a lot of time researching diets I could do on my own time, that would make me eat well and build up my will power. I researched diets that would help me make good habits, and continue to live with them.
I settled on Weight Watchers – a plan where I can eat what I want to eat, when I want to eat it, and all I have to do is stay honest with myself. Here's how it works: you're not supposed to starve yourself – and that's basically it. You eat what you want, and the program helps you learn portion control. At the same time I started this, I began to go to Pure Barre. This is a workout that targets every muscle in a 60-minute, low impact workout. Within five days, my posture had improved, and I felt stronger already.
This is all to say, I have begun to love my body for the first time in my life. I made this choice on my own and I held myself accountable for once. I made the choice to feel good about myself and, this time, it actually stuck. I no longer look away from mirrors in stores and I have started to believe people's compliments. I feel strong and I feel healthy. I eat better, and I exercise more. I've created good habits, and have forced myself to continue doing them. Now, it's nearly second nature.
This is not to say I am 100% confident and I strut my stuff. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to feel that way. For now though, I can just keep doing what I'm doing – feeling good and taking good care of my body. And since it's 2016 and all, maybe, just maybe, I can try to love myself a little better.
Thank you for putting into words what I never could. What a good and inspirational piece!


text:
Tankcsapda es una banda de hard rock/heavy metal procedentes de Hungría, siendo la banda de rock más popular de este país. Activos desde 1989 hasta hoy día. Conformada originalmente por tres amigos, Lukács, László (guitarra, voz), Buzsák George (batería), y Toth "Labin" Laboncz Attila (bajo).

Historia

La primera alineación original es conocida después de 1989 y así se llamó desde el primer día de su formación, El 14 de octubre de ese año, debutando con el demo Baj van!! un álbum de estilo punk tendiente al rock.

Miembros

Miembros Actuales
 Lukács Laci – Voz, bajo  (desde 1992), 1989-1992 Voz, guitarra solista
 Cseresznye (Molnár Levente) – Guitarra Solista (desde 1992)
 Fejes Tamás – batería (desde 2000)

Discografía

 Baj van!! (1989, demo )
 Punk and Roll (1990, casete)
 '91 demo (1991, casete)
 A legjobb méreg (1992, casete)
 Baj van '93 demo (1993, casete)
 Punk and Roll és A legjobb méreg (1994) (2 album 1 kazettán, illetve CD-n)
 Jönnek a férgek (1994) (CD)
 Az ember tervez (1995) (CD)
 Eleven (koncertfelvétel – 1996) (CD)
 Connektor :567: (1997) (CD)
 Ha zajt akartok! (1999) (CD)
 Tankológia (kizárólag kiadatlan felvételek – 1999) (CD)
 Agyarország (2001) (CD)
 Baj van!! (2002, az 1989-es demó bővített kiadása) (CD)
 Élni vagy égni (2003) (CD)
 A legjobb mérgek ("Best of" válogatás – 2004) (dupla CD)
 Mindenki vár valamit (2006) (CD+koncert DVD)
 Elektromágnes (2007) (CD+klipeket tartalmazó DVD)

Grupos de música de Hungría
Grupos de rock de Hungría
Grupos de hard rock de Hungría
Grupos de punk rock de Hungría
Grupos de heavy metal de Hungría
Grupos de música de los años 1980
Grupos de música de los años 1990
Grupos de música de los años 2000
Grupos de música de los años 2010
Grupos de música formados en 1989
Grupos de música formados en los años 1980

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
What is the Point of Being a Superpower?
If we won't knock heads together, what are we doing?
By Christopher Marlowe | June 12, 2009
After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communism in the USSR, rightist triumphalism knew no bounds. We were told regularly that we lived in a monopolar world.
I found that rather strange. Monopolar became uni-polar which wasn't quite as bad, but all in all what it was supposed to mean was that the United States was the sole superpower and enjoyed a monopoly of weapons systems and influence. There was a long gap between the US and any number of other powers, but being something of a pedant, I took gentle offense at the use of the term monopolar. Not only is it a contradiction in terms, but it represented the dangerous thought that the world was dominated by the US.
Amidst all the rejoicing about the collapse of the Evil Empire and the rise of a new economic system known as globalization, something near and dear to my heart was lost: Social democracy Scandinavian-style vanished down the plug hole of history. Much as I admire America (and if I had my time round again, I could well have ended up in one of the 48 states), I have a phobia about something called "socialism." Everything that goes against the grain of recent economic theory is described as socialism and the next step is therefore, by definition, Communism.
The Legitimacy of the State
It would be too long and tedious an exercise for me to explain what I believe the role of the state should be in everyday life. My views are entirely my own and irrelevant to readers of Scragged. Suffice it to say that I'm proud to have been an active ally in the great struggle of the 20th century - and so were many social democrats.
We now know, or at least think we know, that the combination of Reagan, Thatcher and Pope John Paul II was instrumental in winning the battle of ideas against Communism. We also know from the briefly opened archives in Russia that the system which they called Communism did not work. The only problem was that our victory came at great economic cost: as a relative of mine would say, "We shot the cat." By that he meant the stratospheric debt incurred by rearming and equipping all branches of the US armed forces.
Twenty years on, those forces are without doubt still the most powerful in the world. I have seen so many articles in both reputable and sleazy journals that ask the question, on behalf of Americans: "Why do they hate America so much?" Quite a few American acquaintances have asked me why people have turned on the US.
Some of the feelings are basically a human trait or two: envy and jealousy. But the major problem was that the stool was kicked out from under the latte set and their minions, known to the Brits as "the chattering classes." It left an ideological void because social democracy had been lost.
The crypto- and quasi-marxists had no real model to point to and say: "Behold the future." This left the chattering classes with nothing constructive to say.
Hating America
I have no reason to want to write for the next 50 years explaining the phenomenon of the "hate Amerika first" lobby.[1] The American Constitution and the rights attached thereto guarantee freedoms that some envy and others despise. The usual trick is to point to the right to bear arms every time we see shooting on our TV screens - and yet I know there are parts of US cities, towns, and outlying districts where people do not wear a shoulder holster as a mandatory accessory[2]; nor do they stock up food under the house or in a cellar and purchase rocket launchers and a lot of automatic weapons. I have a slight leaning to the view that guns don't kill, it's the people holding them that kill.
It could well be that tightening rules and regulations would reduce the tragic toll each year, but comparing death by vehicular accident and shooting is a no contest: as in Australia, the motor car is the most lethal weapon of all.
The short answer to why so many people hate America is that they have never been there; their views are colored by TV and film. They also misunderstand American governance. Quite apart from anything else, everyone hates the big kid on the block.
In the English-speaking world and some parts of Europe where I can understand the language, the basic problem appears to be that the US never developed a party along the lines of those such as the Labour Party in Britain or the social/Christian Democratic parties in Germany and Scandinavia. It is generally believed, albeit without much evidence, that the US political parties do not care for voters, they care only about power.
I am not qualified to make a judgment on whether that's the case, but the depiction of America as being hell-bent on world domination and the system based on capitalism "red of fang and claw," is the staple food of university studies in just about every subject. A good friend of mine reckoned that at a local college, anti-US propaganda could be quite literally stitched into the course in needlework.
Appreciating America
My generation is somewhat different in that without the intervention of the US, World War II might well have turned out very differently. One of my indulgences is to read alternative histories alongside real histories and it is surprising just how close some wars have been. More people than the British Gen. Wellington would have reason to say (after certain battles) that: "It was a damned close run thing."
All manner of crimes against humanity are attributed to the US and sad to say, in many respects, America and Americans are their own worst enemies. However, every country that purports to be democratic faces the same problem these days.
The rights and freedoms that our forefathers fought for by revolution, separation and evolution are under threat from the noxious doctrines of fundamentalist Islam and others who would turn the clock back centuries. The whole Western world faces the undeniable proposition that our freedoms are used against us from within.
Multiculturalism is the bane of Western society and it is hard to avoid the conclusion that the "melting pot" idea upon which America was founded has, in its turn been melted down and citizens are encouraged to be hyphenated Americans. In general conversation, it does not pay to get me started on that topic.
There has been a great deal of crowing in the Arab world and among the left in westernized countries at the problems caused by 9/11 and what followed. I can't pretend to know whether George W. Bush was the biggest idiot in the world or whether he was sage and took advice which turned out to be flawed - such matters are totally beyond a non-resident.
How Would YOU Handle 9/11?
If I had a chance, I would ask the leaders of any Western country: "What would you have done after 9/11 if it had occurred in your country?"
Imagine for a moment, the consequences of an airliner or two flying into the Mother of Parliaments at Westminster and Buckingham Palace with the possibility of totally decapitating the British power structure. In France, the Arc de Triomphe; the Eiffel Tower; Centre Pompidou; the Louvre the French Parliament at the Palais Bourbon, Notre Dame Cathedral and the other many significant cultural and historical buildings that the German army refused to destroy in 1944.
What would be hit in Germany, largely re-built with American assistance? Looking for icons/iconic buildings that either survived the bombing of the capital, there are still many tempting targets. Firstly the Brandenburg Gate (sometimes known as the Brandenburg Tor); then the Reichstag/Bundestag and other historical buildings; including museums, and the commercial heart, the Kurfurstendamm.
Every government would have reacted with force but inevitably they would've looked for support from the US. When I think of the sneering French academics, especially Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber and his fellows, and what was inflicted on us from their works, would they have spurned US assistance if their heartland had been attacked? Somehow I think not.
My grasp of American history is somewhat limited and I can't and won't pretend to be an expert. I think it was President Theodore Roosevelt who coined the term: "walk softly and carry a big stick" and more recently, we had Ronald Reagan making the very sensible statement: "trust but verify."
US Power and the Cold War
US power has often been used in strange ways to non-American eyes. Under the threat of mutually assured destruction, the Hungarians cried out in vain for assistance when they revolted against the Soviets in 1956. The US used its power to stymie British attempts to retake the Suez Canal a couple of years later.
Throughout what is known as the Cold War, fierce proxy battles took place in the Third World. The tacit agreement between the USSR and the US over the use of military force in the First World certainly did nothing to stop both sides engaging in espionage or propaganda campaigns and preparing for the war that never came. I know because I was there.
One day, someone will write a history of the Cold War and set out quite clearly the number of times it nearly turned hot, very hot. I agree with General Oleg Kalugin (KGB retired) who now lives in the US and is a frequent commentator on events in Russia. The Cold War was World War III. He claims that the West won and in most respects that is correct but some days, you really have to wonder.
For many years reputable institutions such as the British Institute for International Studies produced erudite papers on the struggle in the Third World across the continents of Asia, Africa, Latin and South America and what the British cheerfully referred to as the subcontinent - India, Pakistan and adjoining states, now home of the arc of instability. There have been some excellent books on why we lost World War III although it's never referred to in those terms. The basic problem was that the enemy could tell lies (and have them believed) better than we could tell the truth.
In America, the UK and other Western countries, agents of the Comintern and Soviet military intelligence recruited many intellectuals and other useful idiots including people in the press such as I.F Stone. Universities were hotbeds of social ferment and the choices were stark - appeasement with the Axis powers, military action and for many Communism.
My bookshelf is studded or perhaps groaning under the weight of the work of people who have tried to expose just how Communism managed to get an iron grip on intellectuals, academics, politicians and many others who were prepared to believe that homo Soveiticus was new man and communism the way of the future.
The naive were played by experienced Soviet recruiters, like a virtuoso with a violin. I look at the case of Alger Hiss and there is still argument about whether he was a Soviet agent. Then there was the "baseball spy" a Belarus-born American citizen, later a resident of Sioux City, Indiana, recruited by the Soviet GRU and never discovered until Vladimir Putin mentioned him in December 2007 when he posthumously awarded George Koval (codename Delmar) the medal of Hero of the Russian Federation.[3]
The name George Koval doesn't appear in the indices of my books on the atom spies but he was at the heart of the Manhattan project. Thanks to him and others, Stalin got the bomb long before his scientists could have produced it, although that's not what Soviet history books will tell you. At present, they are going through another phase of rewriting history venerating Stalin who remains popular among the elderly, the peasantry and hard-line Communists.
Forgetting Communism's Victims
I was once foolish enough to enter a blog on the subject of the Holocaust and I merely posed the question why was it that Hitler killed 6 million Jews and there are memorials everywhere and the German people were subjected to a rigid de-nazification program - but where was the support for the victims of Communism? Should there not be trials of murders and an analogous process to denazification?
Note that I did not at any stage condemn Israel or the Jews: in fact in many of my papers I have written that no race more than the Jewish has the right to say "never again" and make it stick. The slew of cheap shots accusing me of being an anti-Semite was enough for me: I retired feeling bruised and hurt.
Getting back to the critical period before World War II, while many people sneer at appeasement as a policy, in Britain and France in particular, World War I - the war to end all wars - had taken an horrific toll of lives and there were cases where families were wiped out. People did not want war and appeasement was respectable and that should never be forgotten.
American Isolationism
With America, things were slightly different. The US entered World War I later than the major powers of Europe and yet my reading of American history indicates that there was a very strong isolationist movement which set out to ensure that the US was not dragged into World War II. I confess to disagree strongly with the views of Patrick Buchanan; in my view they do not stand serious scrutiny.
The godfather of the Kennedy clan Joseph Patrick Kennedy was another case entirely. I have read of his diplomatic correspondence to Washington when he was ambassador to the UK. I have read a great deal of material that suggests that he had considerable industrial and financial interest in the Third Reich and I was told by one American historian whom I respect that America's entry into World War II really came about because of Pearl Harbor; Hitler was a secondary concern. I don't want to dwell on these arguments because there are more important things to consider in the middle of 2009.
American Involvement
For good or ill, Barack Obama was elected President of the United States last November and since assuming power in the White House, he has taken some decisions which have been reviled and cursed by some and praised by others. The brouhaha over Richard Nixon is as nothing when compared to the campaign to skewer the current President.
He has done the unthinkable: reaching out to Russia, Iran, the states of Latin and South America, including Cuba which for many years played a very important role in Soviet war fighting plans. Most recently he made a quite remarkable speech in Cairo which was presumably intended for the consumption of the Arab world.
No one does TV satire as well as the British and I can just hear the senior mandarin telling Prime Minister Jim Hacker in the series "Yes, Prime Minister" whenever he made a decision that the civil service disagreed with, it was "courageous" - implicitly either foolhardy, stupid or both. The speech in Cairo was courageous because explicitly and implicitly President Obama changed US policy on the Middle East by declaring that there must be a Palestinian homeland - a two state solution long rejected by the Israelis. To be polite, and not use the vernacular, this would have been an act described by Indira Ghandi, the assassinated Indian Prime Minister, as "the solids hitting the punkah."
My crystal ball lost power recently but I don't think that the President's words would have gained him too many new supporters. More importantly, he appears to be rewriting history on the run by claiming that Muslims played an important part in the settlement of the US. I wonder how many Americans have scratched their heads and wondered why they weren't taught that fact at school.
Then inevitably there is the cacophony of criticism about whether Barack Obama is (i) American-born and (ii) whether he is a Muslim. I am constantly deluged with protest material and have received some intriguing offers including a handgun of my choice and training free of charge and membership of the "Conservative underground." I don't know a great deal about these people but they certainly don't appear to be very short of funds. The so-called tea parties did not make much impact in the Australian press - hardly unexpected - but there appears to be centrifugal forces at work in the US and somehow I'm not surprised.
Clouds on the Horizon
As far as the trajectory of his presidency is concerned, Obama's approval ratings are still around 60% but he has problems around the world. The Israeli government will be weighing up very carefully his words on the two-state solution and no doubt Benjamin Netanyahu will be taken a close interest in this week's "elections" in Iran. Sooner or later, the Iranian nuclear question will rear its ugly head once more but the most pressing problem at present is naturally enough North Korea.
In the long and distinctly frigid relationship since the now abrogated armistice of 1953, this nation of some 24 million people has continually proven to be an irritant to the US. The so-called demilitarized zone (DMZ) is honeycombed with tunnels for attacks on the South. The US military presence in South Korea is frequently the subject of demonstrations by students who should know better.
Perhaps a stint in one of the luxurious reform-by-labor camps, to which two US female journalists have recently been sentenced for 12 years hard labor, would open a few eyes, especially as BBC radio reported that a South Korean had been snatched from a joint project just inside the North Korean border and accused of being a spy. It is not likely that he will get such generous treatment.
North Korea, as ever
North Korean diplomacy, if it can be dignified with such a title, has been to attempt to get the US to the negotiating table, with full recognition of the DPRK and its status as a nuclear power. In my recent article "Mr. Kim's bombshell" I mentioned preparations for the possible launch of a long-range missile, a modified Taepodong-2 with a performance possibly tweaked to hit the Northwest seaboard of the US and Alaska.
In the few days since, the North Korean government has sentenced Laura Ling and Euna Lee, ironically reporters for a TV company run by former "Veep" Al Gore. Their heinous crime was to have entered the country illegally and committed the "grave crime" of "hostility to the Korean people."
The gulags of North Korea masquerade as reform centres and indeed are known as places of reform through labor. Does that have any synchronicity with "Arbeit macht Frei" I wonder? Not possible, I suppose, but perhaps Mr Jeffrey Greenfield who writes for the Canadian Free Press is better equipped to offer an opinion.
Reporting on this matter has been somewhat peculiar because the two women in question were arrested three months ago and a lot has happened since. President Obama is said to be deeply concerned about their fate and Secretary of State Clinton has also voiced strong feelings.
Not unsurprisingly, I read in the Huffington Post that President Obama was considering sending ex-VP Gore to help secure their release. According to this liberal newspaper, Victor D. Cha, the Korea chair of the at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, apparently said that Mr. Gore would be the best person to attempt to secure their release. Mr. Cha also added helpfully that the North Koreans "are very sensitive about their public face" and "having Gore there would help ease their concerns."
The Perils of Power
This is the peril of being a superpower. A flea bite country with a few nuclear weapons and delivery systems is holding the US to ransom. Over the years, North Korea has done much more than snatch a couple of journalists. US and South Korean soldiers patrolling the DMZ have been captured or shot; maritime surveillance aircraft in international airspace have been attacked by the North Korean Air Force and if memory serves me right, at least one has been shot down with the total loss of crew.
I don't suppose Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton remember very much about 1968 apart from what the radicals told them occurred around the world in the way of student protests, but a lot happened that year of worldwide impact. Czechoslovakia was invaded by the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact forces and in January of that year, and North Korea seized the USS Pueblo, delicately referred to in some sources as a naval technical research ship - read spy ship with signals intelligence capacity. Naturally enough, the North Koreans claimed that the Pueblo had strayed into Korean waters but the United States refuted the claim stating that the vessel was in international waters at the time of being boarded.
The tragedy of this particular situation was that during the chase of the Pueblo by North Korean torpedo boats, a submarine chaser and aircraft, the US vessel was in constant contact with the US Seventh Fleet. A reconstructed history of the event suggests that no one was brave enough to wake up President LB Johnson and by the time he woke, the ship was in the hands of the Koreans.
The crew suffered brutal treatment throughout, being beaten and prodded with bayonets. The Pueblo's skipper was tortured and faced a mock firing squad to obtain a confession from him.
The usual diplomacy followed and the outcome under normal circumstances could be considered to be unworthy of the US. The crew was released on December 23, 1968 and had to walk across the Bridge of No Return between the two Koreas. The apology was subsequently retracted along with an admission that the Pueblo had been on a spying mission. Unfortunately for the captain, Lloyd M. Bucher, the injuries he sustained during interrogation and imprisonment led to an early death from complications (in San Diego 2004).
In one of life's rich little parodies, the USS Pueblo remains on the U.S. Navy's active ship list but remains in the North Korean port adjacent to Pyongyang, as a tourist attraction. In moving it from the port of Wonsan to the North Korean capital, it was towed through international waters in 1999. Remarkably, no attempt was made to recapture the vessel.
The Weakness of Power
The whole point of the Pueblo saga and the unfortunate prisoners in North Korea is that it demonstrates quite clearly the weaknesses of a superpower in dealing with a ruthless and merciless enemy. In the past few days it has been revealed that contact with the women has been through the Swedish Embassy, the logical consequence of not having direct diplomatic relations with Kim Jong Il's regime. One Gotham Chopra, son of the famous father, who writes regularly for the Huffington Post has called for strong action by President Obama and by that he means direct bilateral talks by a senior and experienced diplomat.[4]
Pardon me? The US has to grovel to a tinpot tyrant whose country has a population of about 8% of that of the US; an economy that is risible and for many years depended on the drug trade and now makes money from exporting nuclear technology?
A mere two weeks ago, the Independent (UK) claimed that the world was scrambling to find a response to North Korea's nuclear posturing[5] and the US press was rubbing its collective hands rather like Uriah Heep. Surely we know enough about North Korea now to assess their intentions.
A former colleague of mine considers that the two women in custody are a bargaining chip along with developing nuclear technology and testing missiles of increasing range. The responses by President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton to the North Koreans are akin to being flogged with a lettuce leaf. If you offer them an olive branch it is not rejected but stolen and used for display purposes.
In Latin America, South America, the Middle East, Iran, the "arc of instability" parts of Africa and Russia, the mettle of the US is being tested. A dialogue with North Korea in any form is a dialogue with the deaf: they don't want to hear, just be seen as humbling a superpower.
I can't say that I know a great deal about Mr. Alan Caruba who writes for the Canadian Free Press but he is concerned about North Korea selling a small nuclear weapon to Islamofacists, who would then smuggle it into the US to destroy a city and its inhabitants. Far be it from me to point out that just as much damage can be the result of using dirty bombs, but I do agree with him that scolding North Korea will get nowhere. Nor will sanctions or any other diplomatic maneuvers.
Time for Action?
It's time for action: Mr. Caruba fancies nuking them and while I am not exactly convinced that would be the best action, certainly stern measures are required. That does not mean the usual lily-livered protests passed on by the limp-wristed denizens of Foggy Bottom or anyone to whom the task is subcontracted.
A good start would be to seize North Korean property around the world; round up some of their citizens, most of whom are spies, and throw them into Gitmo. If that doesn't have the desired effect, shoot down their wonderful new long-range missile and from there, promise further escalation including destruction of missile and nuclear facilities.
I finish with a rather sour note. In the good old days of the Cold War, the Russians would never stand for any such nonsense.
Two stories stand out: the first was after the US embassy in Tehran was seized in 1979 and Ayatollah Khomeini's "student protesters" having dealt with the great Satan were plotting to repeat their performance with the Soviet embassy. Within a matter of hours, something like 350 painters and decorators came to renovate the embassy - but I don't think you can use AK-47s as paint brushes. From gossip, I rather gather that the painters and decorators were Spetsnaz and the Iranian students most certainly got the message.
The second incident occurred in the Middle East and I won't specify the country. A Soviet diplomat (who may or may not have been an intelligence officer) was snatched off the street by Islamic radicals who then started to make unspecified demands of the USSR. The following day, a leading Islamic figure vanished from the streets and a few hours later, was deposited in front of his organization's headquarters.
His captors made a slight adjustment to his appearance. His lips were sewn shut and when the stitches were taken out, the fundamentalists had to remove his penis. No further aggressive action was taken by Islamic extremists in that country against representatives of the USSR.
Have We Forgotten What Teddy Understood?
The moral to the story is surely "walk softly and carry a big stick" and use it now and then. Pussyfooting around and pretending to be civilized when dealing with barbarians and tyrants never produces the desired result.
If they harm one hair on the head of the two US citizens or the South Korean employee, there must surely be some creative work available for US government authorities to conduct on the persons of North Koreans rounded up in the US or plucked off the street from any country in the world. The world is watching Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin is smirking: the world awaits your decision Mr. President! As Hillary Clinton memorably put it in a campaign commercial: what's going to be the answer of the 3AM telephone call?
[1] I am fairly sure that the spelling of America with a K. came about during the days of the Weathermen and the SDS. On some slogans, it was transmogrified into a swastika - yet another example of the land of the free allowing its children free rein to denigrate democracy.
[2] It never ceases to amaze me how commentators like to have their pictures in the press or on the Internet. One gentleman whose name I will not mention is obviously wearing a shoulder holster. I would imagine for him it would be mandatory but as we often used to joke; "the best underarm protection in the world is not Old Spice, but a Smith & Wesson 38 in a shoulder holster."
[3] "A spy's path: Iowa to A bomb to Kremlin honor." New York Times November 12, 2007 by William J. Broad and "An American regular guy was a Russian top spy" by the same author in the international Herald Tribune November 11, 2007.
[4] Huffington Post June 11, 2009: "Laura Ling and Euna Lee A Foreign Policy Crisis."
[5] "World scrambles to find response to North Korea." The Independent UK, May 28, 2009.
Christopher Marlowe is a retired intelligence operative from a major NATO nation. Read other Scragged.com articles by Christopher Marlowe or other articles on Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Kim's Bombshell
Forrest Gump said:
"How Would YOU Handle 9/11?"
Carpet bomb the middle east, women and children included. Be MORE vicious then them, and they'll stop. If you smack the playground bully but the sting just makes him mad, he'll smack you back. If you drop a blow that leaves him reeling, he won't touch you again.
car guy said:
The point of being a superpower is to make the world safe for gas guzzlers. We went to Iraq to whip their ass and take their gas, I wish people wouldn't forget that.
If we took it all, we'd not need Saudi.
Carpet-bombing might be a bit unbusinesslike - we still want to sell them iPods and music CDs. As I recall, the Russians only roughed up ONE of their guys and they chilled it. Didn't you say something about the Romans and decimation? Killed fewer people in the end?


text:
Salisbury woman with history of charges again charged with child abuse
Published 11:44 am Friday, November 16, 2018
By Shavonne Potts
By Shavonne Walker
shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — A Salisbury woman with a history of child abuse and drunken driving convictions has been charged with child abuse after her 13-year-old autistic son was found wandering in the road.
April Olivia Lomax, 36, of the 1000 block of Coley Road, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor child abuse. She was arrested Wednesday and has since been released under a $5,000 secured bond.
A Rowan County Sheriff's Office deputy was flagged down by someone who saw a young boy with no pants darting onto Stone Road, a report said. The person said the child had almost been hit by vehicles twice. The child was running in 40-degree rainy weather, the deputy noted.
The deputy found the boy on Stone Road. When he tried to approach him, boy ran to the Coley Road home.
As the deputy arrived, he said he saw another young child run into the house from a nearby barn.
The deputy met Lomax at the door and she appeared to be intoxicated, he reported. She had slurred speech and was unsteady on her feet, the deputy said.
The deputy asked if there was a sober adult who could watch the children; Lomax said she was not intoxicated and that she could take care of them. Lomax told the deputy her fiance's father lived next door.
The father told the deputy that Lomax has a drinking problem, and he agreed to watch the children until his son returned home.
The deputy returned to Lomax's home, but she was not in sight. He eventually found her in the garage, along with a bottle of wine.
Lomax was convicted in April 2017 of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She was convicted in December 2016 of misdemeanor larceny.
In August 2014, Lomax was charged with misdemeanor child abuse after she contacted authorities about a larceny. When officers arrived at her home to discuss the report, they reported that Lomax was "very intoxicated." She never mentioned the larceny and told the officer that her children needed to calm down and have a timeout.
In March 2011, police charged Lomax after she wrecked her car with her children inside. Police said in that accident, Lomax was intoxicated.
She was convicted in September 2012 of six counts of driving while license revoked in incidents that spanned March 2010 to March 2011. She was also convicted in September 2012 of three driving while impaired offenses that stemmed from charges in July 2010, December 2010 and March 2011.
Lomax was convicted of DWI in February 2012. In February 2012, she was convicted of misdemeanor child abuse, driving while license revoked, DWI, driving on the wrong side of the road, and giving fictitious information to law enforcement officer, for incidents from July 2010 to March 2011.


text:
About Don't Tell Harry
Support Don't Tell Harry
Spider-Man movies blog
Twelve actors you forgot were in the Spider-Man movies
By Alex Wiggan
Image: ©Sony Pictures/Columbia Pictures/Marvel Entertainment
The Spider-Man movie series has had its fair share of big-name actors, from Willem Dafoe and Michael Keaton, to J.K. Simmons, Woody Harrelson and Tom Hardy, but what about some of the names that have slipped under radar?
In this post, I am highlighting twelve actors who you may have forgotten appeared in a Spider-Man movie. These are actors who either had small parts, or who blended so seamlessly into the Spidey-verse that you simply forget they were part of the film series.
Do you remember all of these?
Image: ©Marvel Entertainment
Let's kick things off with the very first Spider-Man movie, 1977's Spider-Man! This film was originally the pilot for CBS' live-action Spider-Man show, but was released into cinemas for audiences who lived outside of the US.
The actor that you probably forgot appeared in this movie was David White, who played the role of J. Jonah Jameson. White is best known for playing the role of Larry Tate on the sitcom, Bewitched.
Before he took on the part of Sam Malone in the extremely popular American sitcom, Cheers, actor Ted Danson cropped up in an episode of CBS' live-Action Spider-Man television series in the role of Major Collings. That episode was The Chinese Web, which was later edited and released theatrically as the movie, Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge (1979).
Did you know that Elizabeth Banks was in a Spider-Man movie? Would it surprise you if I told you that Elizabeth Banks was in three Spider-Man movies?
The actress/writer/director played the role of J. Jonah Jameson's secretary, Betty Brant in Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007).
Jurassic World actress, Bryce Dallas Howard appeared in Spider-Man 3 in the role of Gwen Stacy – a sort-of rival for the affections of Peter Parker. This was a one-time role, but one which could have continued if Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy (2002-2007) had expanded to a fourth film.
Continuing the Stacy lineage, you may have forgotten that James Cromwell took on the role of Gwen's father, Captain Stacy for a brief appearance in Spider-Man 3. Once again, this is a part which could have developed in sequels, had Sam Raimi's Spider-Man series moved beyond three pictures.
Image: ©Paramount Pictures
Over to animation for this one and there is a good chance this one slipped you by, if you weren't paying enough attention.
Star Trek actor, Chris Pine has appeared in a Spider-Man movie and it was via the 2018 animated adventure film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Pine voiced the role of the blond-haired Peter Parker/Spider-Man who appears towards the beginning of the movie.
Image: ©Lucasfilm/Disney
Sticking with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse for this next one and it is Star Wars actor, Oscar Isaac. The actor took on the role of Miguel O'Hara/Spider-Man 2099 during the movie's post credit scene.
Macho Man Randy Savage
Recognise the wrestler who appears as Bonesaw McGraw in Spider-Man (2002), but can't quite place him? Well, the part was played by WWF/WWE wrestler, Macho Man Randy Savage.
And speaking of wrestling, during the wrestling scene in Spider-Man (2002), Octavia Spencer appears in a brief role as 'check-in girl'.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) spent a great deal of time setting up plot threads and characters for future Spidey movies – which never came to pass. One of these characters was Aleksei Sytsevich aka the Rhino.
The character appeared at the beginning and the end of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, bookending the picture. Paul Giamatti took on the role.
Another actor who appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, who you may have overlooked, is Felicity Jones. Star Wars fans will know Jones as Jyn Erso but for Spidey fans, Jones took on the part of Norman Osborn's assistant, Felicia Hardy.
And finally, actress Lucy Lawless appeared in a blink-and-you'll miss it cameo in 2002's Spider-Man. The actress had worked with director, Sam Raimi on Xena: Warrior Princess and was given a (very brief) role in Raimi's first Spidey film.
How many did you remember? Sound off in the comments about other forgotten Spider-Man movie stars.
And for further Spider-Man movie-related posts, feel free to read through one of the recommended reads below. These will offer you additional insights into the movie series.
What are the Spider-Man movies?
How old do you need to be to watch the Spider-Man movies?
What is Spider-Man's mantra?
Tags: Actors who appeared in Spider-Man movies, Actors you forgot appeared in Spider-Man movies, Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pine, David White, Elizabeth Banks, Felicity Jones, Film blog, Films, James Cromwell, Lucy Lawless, Macho Man Randy Savage, Marvel Comics, Marvel movies, Movies, Octavia Spencer, Oscar Isaac, Paul Giamatti, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 2002, Spider-Man 3, Spider-Man actors, Spider-Man blog, Spider-Man blogger, Spider-Man film blog, Spider-Man films, Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man Marvel movies, Spider-Man movies, Spider-Man movies blog, Spider-Man The Dragon's Challenge, Ted Danson, The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Categories: Spider-Man, Spider-Man 1977, Spider-Man 2002, Spider-Man 3, Spider-Man movies, Spider-Man The Dragon's Challenge, The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Can the Spider-Man movies be watched in any order?
How much money did Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy make?
The highest grossing Spider-Man movie
Best Ghost Rider movie quotes
How many Marvel Anime shows are there?
Why was Spider-Man 4 cancelled?
Follow Don't Tell Harry on WordPress.com
Don't Tell Harry is a fan blog. The site is in no way endorsed by Sony Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Marvel Studios or Marvel Entertainment. All images on this blog are the right of their respective owners unless otherwise stated.
Suggested Sites
I'll Get Drive-Thru – Batman movie blog
It's A Stampede! – Geek blog
Book to buy: Rewind to the '90s
Don't Tell Harry


Do you need AC Service in West Allis, WI? Papa's Heating & Air is an AC service specialist in the West Allis area. Summer is a great time of year, but it also means your air conditioning unit needs to be functioning properly. There are many different problems that can go wrong with an air conditioning system, therefore it is very important to keep your AC well-maintained so that you do not end up with unexpected expenses and no cool air for your home.
If your air conditioner is not working at all, you want to check to see if all of the settings are correct. Always take a look at your thermostat to confirm it is set to "cool". Then, you always want to be sure that you have not tripped a breaker, so always go to your electrical panel and double check. If everything looks good, it is time to call an AC service West Allis, WI professional.
When your air conditioner is running, but it is making strange noises that are different than the norm, you should make sure that the settings where they normally are. Also, turn off your air conditioner for a moment, then turn it back on – if you still hear the strange noises, calling an AC service company in West Allis, WI is highly recommended.
Short cycling is perfectly normal if your air conditioner starts to do that when it gets warmer during the summertime. However, if the outside temperature is not particularly warmer than normal, but your air conditioning unit continues to turn on and off, there may be some type of malfunction going on. Contact an AC service West Allis, WI repairman for troubleshooting.
If you see any type of water leaking in or around your unit, it may be an issue. A small amount of condensation is normal for an air-conditioning unit, but if there is excessive water, it might mean several different problems could be going on. An AC service professional in West Allis, Wisconsin is recommended for this type of issue, because your air conditioner has many different electrical components and getting them wet could mean ruining your entire unit.
Do you need AC Service in Superior, WI? Papa's Heating & Air is an AC service specialist in the Superior area. Summer is a great time of year, but it also means your air conditioning unit needs to be functioning properly. There are many different problems that can go wrong with an air conditioning system, therefore it is very important to keep your AC well-maintained so that you do not end up with unexpected expenses and no cool air for your home.
If your air conditioner is not working at all, you want to check to see if all of the settings are correct. Always take a look at your thermostat to confirm it is set to "cool". Then, you always want to be sure that you have not tripped a breaker, so always go to your electrical panel and double check. If everything looks good, it is time to call an AC service Superior, WI professional.
When your air conditioner is running, but it is making strange noises that are different than the norm, you should make sure that the settings where they normally are. Also, turn off your air conditioner for a moment, then turn it back on – if you still hear the strange noises, calling an AC service company in Superior, WI is highly recommended.
Short cycling is perfectly normal if your air conditioner starts to do that when it gets warmer during the summertime. However, if the outside temperature is not particularly warmer than normal, but your air conditioning unit continues to turn on and off, there may be some type of malfunction going on. Contact an AC service Superior, WI repairman for troubleshooting.
If you see any type of water leaking in or around your unit, it may be an issue. A small amount of condensation is normal for an air-conditioning unit, but if there is excessive water, it might mean several different problems could be going on. An AC service professional in Superior, Wisconsin is recommended for this type of issue, because your air conditioner has many different electrical components and getting them wet could mean ruining your entire unit.
Do you need AC Service in New Richmond, WI? Papa's Heating & Air is an AC service specialist in the New Richmond area. Summer is a great time of year, but it also means your air conditioning unit needs to be functioning properly. There are many different problems that can go wrong with an air conditioning system, therefore it is very important to keep your AC well-maintained so that you do not end up with unexpected expenses and no cool air for your home.
If your air conditioner is not working at all, you want to check to see if all of the settings are correct. Always take a look at your thermostat to confirm it is set to "cool". Then, you always want to be sure that you have not tripped a breaker, so always go to your electrical panel and double check. If everything looks good, it is time to call an AC service New Richmond, WI professional.
When your air conditioner is running, but it is making strange noises that are different than the norm, you should make sure that the settings where they normally are. Also, turn off your air conditioner for a moment, then turn it back on – if you still hear the strange noises, calling an AC service company in New Richmond, WI is highly recommended.
Short cycling is perfectly normal if your air conditioner starts to do that when it gets warmer during the summertime. However, if the outside temperature is not particularly warmer than normal, but your air conditioning unit continues to turn on and off, there may be some type of malfunction going on. Contact an AC service New Richmond, WI repairman for troubleshooting.
If you see any type of water leaking in or around your unit, it may be an issue. A small amount of condensation is normal for an air-conditioning unit, but if there is excessive water, it might mean several different problems could be going on. An AC service professional in New Richmond, Wisconsin is recommended for this type of issue, because your air conditioner has many different electrical components and getting them wet could mean ruining your entire unit.
Do you need AC Service in Monona, WI? Papa's Heating & Air is an AC service specialist in the Monona area. Summer is a great time of year, but it also means your air conditioning unit needs to be functioning properly. There are many different problems that can go wrong with an air conditioning system, therefore it is very important to keep your AC well-maintained so that you do not end up with unexpected expenses and no cool air for your home.
If your air conditioner is not working at all, you want to check to see if all of the settings are correct. Always take a look at your thermostat to confirm it is set to "cool". Then, you always want to be sure that you have not tripped a breaker, so always go to your electrical panel and double check. If everything looks good, it is time to call an AC service Monona, WI professional.
When your air conditioner is running, but it is making strange noises that are different than the norm, you should make sure that the settings where they normally are. Also, turn off your air conditioner for a moment, then turn it back on – if you still hear the strange noises, calling an AC service company in Monona, WI is highly recommended.
Short cycling is perfectly normal if your air conditioner starts to do that when it gets warmer during the summertime. However, if the outside temperature is not particularly warmer than normal, but your air conditioning unit continues to turn on and off, there may be some type of malfunction going on. Contact an AC service Monona, WI repairman for troubleshooting.
If you see any type of water leaking in or around your unit, it may be an issue. A small amount of condensation is normal for an air-conditioning unit, but if there is excessive water, it might mean several different problems could be going on. An AC service professional in Monona, Wisconsin is recommended for this type of issue, because your air conditioner has many different electrical components and getting them wet could mean ruining your entire unit.
Do you need AC Service in Racine, WI? Papa's Heating & Air is an AC service specialist in the Racine area. Summer is a great time of year, but it also means your air conditioning unit needs to be functioning properly. There are many different problems that can go wrong with an air conditioning system, therefore it is very important to keep your AC well-maintained so that you do not end up with unexpected expenses and no cool air for your home.
If your air conditioner is not working at all, you want to check to see if all of the settings are correct. Always take a look at your thermostat to confirm it is set to "cool". Then, you always want to be sure that you have not tripped a breaker, so always go to your electrical panel and double check. If everything looks good, it is time to call an AC service Racine, WI professional.
When your air conditioner is running, but it is making strange noises that are different than the norm, you should make sure that the settings where they normally are. Also, turn off your air conditioner for a moment, then turn it back on – if you still hear the strange noises, calling an AC service company in Racine, WI is highly recommended.
Short cycling is perfectly normal if your air conditioner starts to do that when it gets warmer during the summertime. However, if the outside temperature is not particularly warmer than normal, but your air conditioning unit continues to turn on and off, there may be some type of malfunction going on. Contact an AC service Racine, WI repairman for troubleshooting.
If you see any type of water leaking in or around your unit, it may be an issue. A small amount of condensation is normal for an air-conditioning unit, but if there is excessive water, it might mean several different problems could be going on. An AC service professional in Racine, Wisconsin is recommended for this type of issue, because your air conditioner has many different electrical components and getting them wet could mean ruining your entire unit.
Do you need AC Service in Omro, WI? Papa's Heating & Air is an AC service specialist in the Omro area. Summer is a great time of year, but it also means your air conditioning unit needs to be functioning properly. There are many different problems that can go wrong with an air conditioning system, therefore it is very important to keep your AC well-maintained so that you do not end up with unexpected expenses and no cool air for your home.
If your air conditioner is not working at all, you want to check to see if all of the settings are correct. Always take a look at your thermostat to confirm it is set to "cool". Then, you always want to be sure that you have not tripped a breaker, so always go to your electrical panel and double check. If everything looks good, it is time to call an AC service Omro, WI professional.
When your air conditioner is running, but it is making strange noises that are different than the norm, you should make sure that the settings where they normally are. Also, turn off your air conditioner for a moment, then turn it back on – if you still hear the strange noises, calling an AC service company in Omro, WI is highly recommended.
Short cycling is perfectly normal if your air conditioner starts to do that when it gets warmer during the summertime. However, if the outside temperature is not particularly warmer than normal, but your air conditioning unit continues to turn on and off, there may be some type of malfunction going on. Contact an AC service Omro, WI repairman for troubleshooting.
If you see any type of water leaking in or around your unit, it may be an issue. A small amount of condensation is normal for an air-conditioning unit, but if there is excessive water, it might mean several different problems could be going on. An AC service professional in Omro, Wisconsin is recommended for this type of issue, because your air conditioner has many different electrical components and getting them wet could mean ruining your entire unit.
Do you need AC Service in Union Grove, WI? Papa's Heating & Air is an AC service specialist in the Union Grove area. Summer is a great time of year, but it also means your air conditioning unit needs to be functioning properly. There are many different problems that can go wrong with an air conditioning system, therefore it is very important to keep your AC well-maintained so that you do not end up with unexpected expenses and no cool air for your home.
If your air conditioner is not working at all, you want to check to see if all of the settings are correct. Always take a look at your thermostat to confirm it is set to "cool". Then, you always want to be sure that you have not tripped a breaker, so always go to your electrical panel and double check. If everything looks good, it is time to call an AC service Union Grove, WI professional.
When your air conditioner is running, but it is making strange noises that are different than the norm, you should make sure that the settings where they normally are. Also, turn off your air conditioner for a moment, then turn it back on – if you still hear the strange noises, calling an AC service company in Union Grove, WI is highly recommended.
Short cycling is perfectly normal if your air conditioner starts to do that when it gets warmer during the summertime. However, if the outside temperature is not particularly warmer than normal, but your air conditioning unit continues to turn on and off, there may be some type of malfunction going on. Contact an AC service Union Grove, WI repairman for troubleshooting.
If you see any type of water leaking in or around your unit, it may be an issue. A small amount of condensation is normal for an air-conditioning unit, but if there is excessive water, it might mean several different problems could be going on. An AC service professional in Union Grove, Wisconsin is recommended for this type of issue, because your air conditioner has many different electrical components and getting them wet could mean ruining your entire unit.
Do you need AC Service in Weston, WI? Papa's Heating & Air is an AC service specialist in the Weston area. Summer is a great time of year, but it also means your air conditioning unit needs to be functioning properly. There are many different problems that can go wrong with an air conditioning system, therefore it is very important to keep your AC well-maintained so that you do not end up with unexpected expenses and no cool air for your home.
If your air conditioner is not working at all, you want to check to see if all of the settings are correct. Always take a look at your thermostat to confirm it is set to "cool". Then, you always want to be sure that you have not tripped a breaker, so always go to your electrical panel and double check. If everything looks good, it is time to call an AC service Weston, WI professional.
When your air conditioner is running, but it is making strange noises that are different than the norm, you should make sure that the settings where they normally are. Also, turn off your air conditioner for a moment, then turn it back on – if you still hear the strange noises, calling an AC service company in Weston, WI is highly recommended.
Short cycling is perfectly normal if your air conditioner starts to do that when it gets warmer during the summertime. However, if the outside temperature is not particularly warmer than normal, but your air conditioning unit continues to turn on and off, there may be some type of malfunction going on. Contact an AC service Weston, WI repairman for troubleshooting.
If you see any type of water leaking in or around your unit, it may be an issue. A small amount of condensation is normal for an air-conditioning unit, but if there is excessive water, it might mean several different problems could be going on. An AC service professional in Weston, Wisconsin is recommended for this type of issue, because your air conditioner has many different electrical components and getting them wet could mean ruining your entire unit.
Do you need AC Service in Marshfield, WI? Papa's Heating & Air is an AC service specialist in the Marshfield area. Summer is a great time of year, but it also means your air conditioning unit needs to be functioning properly. There are many different problems that can go wrong with an air conditioning system, therefore it is very important to keep your AC well-maintained so that you do not end up with unexpected expenses and no cool air for your home.
If your air conditioner is not working at all, you want to check to see if all of the settings are correct. Always take a look at your thermostat to confirm it is set to "cool". Then, you always want to be sure that you have not tripped a breaker, so always go to your electrical panel and double check. If everything looks good, it is time to call an AC service Marshfield, WI professional.
When your air conditioner is running, but it is making strange noises that are different than the norm, you should make sure that the settings where they normally are. Also, turn off your air conditioner for a moment, then turn it back on – if you still hear the strange noises, calling an AC service company in Marshfield, WI is highly recommended.
Short cycling is perfectly normal if your air conditioner starts to do that when it gets warmer during the summertime. However, if the outside temperature is not particularly warmer than normal, but your air conditioning unit continues to turn on and off, there may be some type of malfunction going on. Contact an AC service Marshfield, WI repairman for troubleshooting.
If you see any type of water leaking in or around your unit, it may be an issue. A small amount of condensation is normal for an air-conditioning unit, but if there is excessive water, it might mean several different problems could be going on. An AC service professional in Marshfield, Wisconsin is recommended for this type of issue, because your air conditioner has many different electrical components and getting them wet could mean ruining your entire unit.
Do you need AC Service in Tomahawk, WI? Papa's Heating & Air is an AC service specialist in the Tomahawk area. Summer is a great time of year, but it also means your air conditioning unit needs to be functioning properly. There are many different problems that can go wrong with an air conditioning system, therefore it is very important to keep your AC well-maintained so that you do not end up with unexpected expenses and no cool air for your home.
If your air conditioner is not working at all, you want to check to see if all of the settings are correct. Always take a look at your thermostat to confirm it is set to "cool". Then, you always want to be sure that you have not tripped a breaker, so always go to your electrical panel and double check. If everything looks good, it is time to call an AC service Tomahawk, WI professional.
When your air conditioner is running, but it is making strange noises that are different than the norm, you should make sure that the settings where they normally are. Also, turn off your air conditioner for a moment, then turn it back on – if you still hear the strange noises, calling an AC service company in Tomahawk, WI is highly recommended.
Short cycling is perfectly normal if your air conditioner starts to do that when it gets warmer during the summertime. However, if the outside temperature is not particularly warmer than normal, but your air conditioning unit continues to turn on and off, there may be some type of malfunction going on. Contact an AC service Tomahawk, WI repairman for troubleshooting.
If you see any type of water leaking in or around your unit, it may be an issue. A small amount of condensation is normal for an air-conditioning unit, but if there is excessive water, it might mean several different problems could be going on. An AC service professional in Tomahawk, Wisconsin is recommended for this type of issue, because your air conditioner has many different electrical components and getting them wet could mean ruining your entire unit.
Do you need AC Service in Eau Claire, WI? Papa's Heating & Air is an AC service specialist in the Eau Claire area. Summer is a great time of year, but it also means your air conditioning unit needs to be functioning properly. There are many different problems that can go wrong with an air conditioning system, therefore it is very important to keep your AC well-maintained so that you do not end up with unexpected expenses and no cool air for your home.
If your air conditioner is not working at all, you want to check to see if all of the settings are correct. Always take a look at your thermostat to confirm it is set to "cool". Then, you always want to be sure that you have not tripped a breaker, so always go to your electrical panel and double check. If everything looks good, it is time to call an AC service Eau Claire, WI professional.
When your air conditioner is running, but it is making strange noises that are different than the norm, you should make sure that the settings where they normally are. Also, turn off your air conditioner for a moment, then turn it back on – if you still hear the strange noises, calling an AC service company in Eau Claire, WI is highly recommended.
Short cycling is perfectly normal if your air conditioner starts to do that when it gets warmer during the summertime. However, if the outside temperature is not particularly warmer than normal, but your air conditioning unit continues to turn on and off, there may be some type of malfunction going on. Contact an AC service Eau Claire, WI repairman for troubleshooting.
If you see any type of water leaking in or around your unit, it may be an issue. A small amount of condensation is normal for an air-conditioning unit, but if there is excessive water, it might mean several different problems could be going on. An AC service professional in Eau Claire, Wisconsin is recommended for this type of issue, because your air conditioner has many different electrical components and getting them wet could mean ruining your entire unit.
Do you need AC Service in Stoughton, WI? Papa's Heating & Air is an AC service specialist in the Stoughton area. Summer is a great time of year, but it also means your air conditioning unit needs to be functioning properly. There are many different problems that can go wrong with an air conditioning system, therefore it is very important to keep your AC well-maintained so that you do not end up with unexpected expenses and no cool air for your home.
If your air conditioner is not working at all, you want to check to see if all of the settings are correct. Always take a look at your thermostat to confirm it is set to "cool". Then, you always want to be sure that you have not tripped a breaker, so always go to your electrical panel and double check. If everything looks good, it is time to call an AC service Stoughton, WI professional.
When your air conditioner is running, but it is making strange noises that are different than the norm, you should make sure that the settings where they normally are. Also, turn off your air conditioner for a moment, then turn it back on – if you still hear the strange noises, calling an AC service company in Stoughton, WI is highly recommended.
Short cycling is perfectly normal if your air conditioner starts to do that when it gets warmer during the summertime. However, if the outside temperature is not particularly warmer than normal, but your air conditioning unit continues to turn on and off, there may be some type of malfunction going on. Contact an AC service Stoughton, WI repairman for troubleshooting.
If you see any type of water leaking in or around your unit, it may be an issue. A small amount of condensation is normal for an air-conditioning unit, but if there is excessive water, it might mean several different problems could be going on. An AC service professional in Stoughton, Wisconsin is recommended for this type of issue, because your air conditioner has many different electrical components and getting them wet could mean ruining your entire unit.


text:
What does Jeremy Corbyn mean for Scotland and the SNP?
Posted byEditor September 12, 2015 September 13, 2016 Posted inUncategorized
Good news, Scottish Labour – your eight years in the wilderness are about to come to an end.
Jeremy Corbyn has been elected leader of the UK party and as his Scottish boosters assured us during the campaign his anti-austerity agenda is poised to return Scotland to the Labour fold. The SNP was swept to 56 MPs on a wave of left-wing optimism and a populist Labour Party would replicate this success across the UK, including north of the border.
McCorbynites were encouraged in this analysis by the radical edges of the nationalist movement, which strive still to present the past year as a social democratic mahapach.
So it's a good day for Scottish Labour, which can expect a membership surge from all those people who are definitely not nationalists and only joined the SNP because it was more left-of-centre. And if Labour in Scotland takes its orders from the UK leader, as we are regularly told, Kezia Dugdale's own views shouldn't matter. Scottish Labour is a Corbynite party now.
Safe to say the phones aren't ringing out on Bath Street.
The reorientation of Scottish politics since the referendum has been towards nationalism, not a revived 1970s-style socialism. Nicola Sturgeon talks the talk but when it comes to governing at Holyrood, her party has stuck rigidly to the centre ground. Tory-bashing rhetoric for the grassroots, tax breaks for business and middle class families.
We shouldn't begrudge the SNP its posturing and positioning – that's what political parties do – but now they are faced with an opportunity they could hardly have imagined a year ago. The Labour Party has abandoned the mainstream and left an opening for a serious and conscientious opposition to the Conservative government. Despite its relatively modest parliamentary strength, the SNP has the potential to fill that role more effectively than a divided and out-of-touch Labour Party.
True there are some Nationalist MPs who make stocks in Thorazine a sound investment but every party has its fringe-dwellers. On the frontbenches and backbenches of the SNP, they are outnumbered by bright and talented parliamentarians from Brendan O'Hara to Stewart McDonald, Joanna Cherry to Stephen Gethins and more besides.
Angus Robertson, SNP leader in the House of Commons, is a man of substance and a gifted politician who can prosecute a compassionate, left-of-centre case against the Conservatives. It is not difficult to imagine him becoming a more articulate critic of government policy than the new leader of the opposition. He has hinted at this in his consistent critiquing of the Prime Minister's stance on refugees and there is scope to widen this to the economy, foreign policy, and security.
There is a moderate-left position that believes in enterprise and growth but also wants to protect the social safety net; that challenges the cost and value of Trident but wants strong conventional defences; that favours greater reform in international institutions but is unapologetically pro-European and pro-Nato. The Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn cannot represent these people but, with some modulation, more nuance, and a hushing of the shouty people, the SNP could begin to claim this mantle.
It wouldn't be easy. The SNP is a Scottish party and many in England are still suspicious of its intentions; for all Nicola Sturgeon's protestations, the Nationalist surge undoubtedly helped the Conservatives in May. It would have to tread carefully on devolved matters but there is no reason it should shy away from working with trade unions, charities and civic society in England to hold ministers to account on areas like health and education.
The Nationalists have a chance to show Liberal England and Middle England what they really are, neither a kilted clanjamfrie of Bannockburn re-enactors nor the Socialist Workers Party with more electoral nous. Left-leaning voters will appreciate the solidarity and come to recognise the SNP as partners in certain areas. Floating voters in Nuneaton aren't likely to agree with them on much but they might be less inclined to vote Tory out of fear of the SNP. (The Labour Party will provide the terror all on its own next time.)
And in return they will get independence. Scotland is already on the tipping point and a generation of Tory governments delivered by an unelectable Labour Party will give voters the final shove they need. But by working constructively within the Union in its final years, the SNP will reap real rewards. The eventual separation would be less acrimonious, progressive English opinion less uniformly hostile. The next five years, or however long Jeremy Corbyn lasts in the job, allow the SNP to set out its stall for an independent Scotland that is a friend and ally to the remaining UK.
The party that was supposedly heading to Westminster to wreck the joint could be the best thing that's happened to parliamentary politics in a long time. It would take hard work and a genuine political will but Labour's self-injury paves the way for the SNP to become the unofficial opposition.
Originally published on STV News. Feature image © First Minister of Scotland by Creative Commons 2.0.
For the sake of the monarchy, long may the Queen reign
Labour has abandoned its purpose and those who rely on it