text:
Well, it's Valentine's Day Weekend, and we know what that means.
It's time for my Christmas Card! For those who may not know, I have always celebrated Christmas with a Greeting of Words. I have always believed in the power of Words, and for years, I sent out cards with the words of others, celebrating the Joys of the Season. Now, in this Second Half of Life, I am finding my own Voice, and adding to the Words and Stories of our culture which Celebrate this most Wonderful Holiday. It takes me awhile to find just the right words, so my Christmas Card is offered traditionally sometime between the Twelve Days of Christmas and the First Day of Spring.
Nowadays, My Christmas Story is posted here electronically, at Live The Questions Now. Please feel free to "Like," "Follow," "Subscribe," "Share," Tell Your Friends, or just sit back with a mug of your favorite Hot Beverage and Enjoy a few minutes of Bonus ChristmasTime… I hope you enjoy this year's Offering…
"Christmas in the Bronx"
It was the Bronx. 1966.
It has been half a century — seven generations since (or nearly three, depending upon how you count it)
It was before man had walked on the moon (Well, at least as far as we know.)
The buildings were brick. No one was rich, but people lived well enough.
People who had come of age during the Great Depression now had groceries every week and could provide three meals a day for their families.
Oh, it wasn't an easy thing; it took great sacrifice — budgeting decisions wiser than anything one sees in Congress these days, and some backbreaking physical labor.
But they did it. And Joyfully.
They lived gratefully for what they had. If everyone gets fed and all your kids have shoes, you've much for which to be grateful.
And they knew it.
Vincenzo was a New York City Police Officer.
He graduated college, a fact of which his immigrant parents were very proud. (There was not a lot of political controversy about immigration back then, as pretty much everyone's parents or grandparents had immigrated from somewhere else.)
He had been a First Generation Italian American with a college degree in physical fitness from New York University (the Bronx Campus, in those days). Then America entered World War II, and honoring his patriotic duty, he joined the army.
He returned to marry the most beautiful girl in the world. And he never forgot that.
And he wouldn't forget it when after sixty-five years of marriage, faced with the decision, he would choose home hospice care at 90 years old so that she would hold him as he died, at home together in their bed, where he was happiest — with her. When we are lucky enough to find that in Life, our human instinct is to never ever let it go. And she felt just as Lucky.
There were four children now, in the two-bedroom apartment in the Bronx.
Vincenzo was nearing fifty, his beautiful wife, Fortina, was younger by eight years.
How to make Christmas happen with four children on the salary of a New York City Cop in 1966?
They lay in bed together pondering that question a few weeks earlier.
"What if," he asked her, "I took my vacation time in December, and used those weeks to work full-time — Christmas help at UPS?"
Yes, he would be the hero of the story, but Fortina quietly surrendered every dream she had of romantic time spent together — quiet starry-eyed evenings after the children went to sleep and the most passionate nights. Sometimes, when it was just the two of them, he would hold her and they would dance together, just there alone in the middle of the living room, to whatever standards were playing on the radio. It reminded them of the dance halls during their courtship. Those evenings out were four children ago, but they never lost that sense of romance. And how they loved to dance in one another's arms. These moments she would miss most of all.
"If you think…" she would say, with a tone of unalloyed support that always made him feel he could accomplish anything.
He kept his checkbook accurately and paid all his bills on time. They had no credit cards and didn't know other people who did.
Back then, banks controlled neither our government nor our lives, and existed as service organizations. In fact, the whole neighborhood had only two: the clock-faced bank building on Perry Avenue and 204th Street and the newer North Side Bank for Savings, further up the hill.
Transactions were paid in cash, or occasionally by check. And the numbers spelled clearly that Santa would not arrive on Mosholu Parkway that year, unless they could conjure a plan.
They lived only half a block from his precinct — the "Five Two" as it was called, there under the Third Avenue El that ran along Webster Avenue.
There was a dream of some day saving enough to own a house in the suburbs.
That dream would never be realized.
And this was a Great Blessing, though they did not know that then. He would never know it.
But a life well lived has nothing to do with having what you want, and everything to do with wanting what you have.
There was magnificent stone work in the building courtyards: white stucco with inlaid sand stone, granite and quartz crystal that glistened on sunny days — pillars and fountains that had been remodeled as planters; lush green bushes that ran along the sides; grand palatial staircases going up — brickwork and masonry that represented countless hours of labor by so many people whose names we would never know — people who went before us, making our lives better and our world more beautiful.
And although we did not think about it then, even without a single Christmas present it would have been a truly wonderful place to live out one's childhood. Beyond the bricks and mortar, a loving home is in itself a great gift. And the greatest gift a father can give to his children is to love their mother. This, Vincenzo gave.
Autumn brought a majestic display of colors from the variety of trees in the park across the street, which went largely unnoticed by most of the children as the great Miracle that it was.
Halloween came along and there was Trick Or Treating, often in the snow, as back then, mid-Autumn behaved more like Winter. Grandparents disparaged Halloween, telling how they used to call it "begging" and they went door to door with their sacks on ThanksGiving calling out, "Anything for ThanksGiving?"
ThanksGiving was a Holiday spent with family, and enjoying a feast so grand that one could not conceive of such a thing coming out of kitchens that small.
And then, lurking in the second week of December, there was this increasing feeling of something extraordinary about to happen.
Everyone felt it, children and parents alike.
No one dreaded it; no one stressed over it.
It was a lot of work — that was the core of its pleasure.
The subtle slow simmering anticipation bubbled quietly in the air, like the stems of those special colorful strands called "bubble lights" which adorned so many trees back then.
There was a certain scent in the apartments — it was the smell of the radiators sending up heat, and the no doubt lead paint on them, which were blasting pretty high by the snowy days of mid-December, and gave the air a certain flavor, unmistakably sweet in memory.
Children would wake up to that smell of painted metal heated by steam in the mornings and they knew that it meant that soon enough there would be decorations on a tree and relatives and presents;
There would be glowing lights and tinsel and certain music sung by Julie Andrews , Andy Williams, Nat King Cole, Perry Como and Dean Martin — songs you didn't hear at other times of year, and that really only played for a two week period, most of that between Christmas and New Year's Day.
These were the years that saw the premieres of "A Charlie Brown Christmas," "The Grinch that Stole Christmas," and the Rankin/Bass "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." Every home having a television set was kind of a new thing. Some were ensconced in large and fancy lacquered wood cabinets. Vincenzo's was small and set upon a tiny metal stand with plastic wheels. Seven channels existed. Remote controls did not. Almost all sets were black and white. Color televisions were new and there were warnings about the radiation emitted from them causing cancer. These profound and ominous warnings were widely and blithely ignored in favor of the entertainment experience they provided, much as it is for the so-called smartphones of today. Vincenzo would never have owned one at all, except that she loved movies and with four kids they didn't get out to see them anymore — it was another thing they'd given up — and the television set made her happy.
Christmas Day was coming.
Everyone would be of good cheer — even those whose dispositions were not ordinarily inclined that way.
There wasn't a kid in that neighborhood who didn't know from the smell of those radiators and the pages turning on the calendar, that this time would be something Astonishing.
Time — everyday, commonplace, and simultaneously our Greatest Gift,
Alternately squandered and treasured.
In the Summer it went way too quickly.
The three days surrounding a funeral would pass more like a month.
And your Birthday sped by in a beggar's paucity of hurried minutes.
But this particular time of year, was neither fast nor slow;
It was the Time itself that was celebrated.
And that always makes life richer.
Giant wood boards were put up in bedrooms and Lionel tracks were screwed down into them. Train sets were erected, operated by a large black and red transformer. There were little villages and miniature people, as well as fake snow to set the scene: horse cars, and milk cars, and trolley cars that went back and forth.
Keepsakes were taken down from old cardboard boxes stored at the top of closets, and shiny red Santa dolls were pulled from them like furry white rabbits from black tophats and put on display. Fortina would sew fabric holly leaves onto the plastic molded doorway garlands, to give them a shade more authenticity, and there was always such festive and delicious cooking.
Vincenzo worked both jobs for a month — Each morning he donned the blue uniform of New York's Finest, protecting his fellow-citizens, and each afternoon, he traded it in for the brown uniform of United Parcel Service, lifting heavy packages onto trucks and pallets for the giant shipping conglomerate. Each night he came home after the children were asleep, utterly enervated. But he came home to her.
She always had his dinner waiting, and just warmed up for him on the small gas stove, and amidst all else there was to be done at this time of year, she had freshly laundered sheets on the bed every week, pillows were fluffed, and the children were tucked in their beds.
During his two weeks "vacation" from the Police Department, he was able to do just the one job at UPS every day. And, although his hours lifting boxes increased, in comparison to doing both jobs the previous weeks, that indeed felt like a vacation of sorts. It meant that there was only the one uniform; only the one set of tasks.
During the other weeks when he did both jobs, his Sergeant, Clancy, sympathetic to his doing this for his children, would tell him, "If the head of the force comes 'round, you go hide in the broom closet. I don't want 'em seeing one of my men so tired and bleary-eyed. They'll think I'm workin' ya' to death!"
What Sergeant Clancy didn't know was that he wasn't doing it for his children. He did it for her. She loved her Children. And he loved her. That was his sole motivation for everything he accomplished.
Did she marry him precisely because he would make a wonderful father?
No. She married him because she loved him.
Then she embarked upon a half century journey to make him a wonderful father for the children she loved.
Like most men, he would become a wonderful grandfather first.
Or is it that that is the turning point at which children begin to see clearly what their father was doing for them all along?
Stretching himself too thin at his regular job wasn't the only problem Vincenzo faced. His supervisor at UPS was a tough working class regular. Bonan had the kind of stroppy blustering authority that comes from having fallen short of the kind of power one was so set upon achieving in life, and so with a modicum of seniority over a few others not as lucky, he lived out the illusion of that power by treating those under him as substandard and valueless. He was not pleased about having Vincenzo on his team. Fifty was older then than it is now. It was the first time in his life Vincenzo had encountered that American phenomenon in which those younger and with less experience would be regarded more highly than those who had served and achieved so much; our culture was growing enamored of potential and dismissive of accomplishment.
"Lift! Move these boxes!" Bonan would decree.
Vincenzo worked more quickly. As he lifted, he sometimes would find himself whispering as if asking for help in a prayer, "It's heavy."
"It's not heavy unless I say it's heavy! Got it?" Bonan would bark. Having served in the military, Vincenzo knew how to get by with men like this. It often involved an increase of adrenaline and physical strength, which was not quite the resource it once was.
He told no one he was a Cop. The culture was beginning to disrespect police officers. Those who broke the law felt the officers were a hindrance and began to infiltrate the vernacular with terms such as, "Pig" and "Fuzz." Even "Cop" had begun as a derogatory term, though it had grown more commonly accepted. Lifting boxes, he was neither a college educated man, nor an Officer of the Law who might one day save this man's life. He was a cog in the wheel — merely a set of muscles, as useful as they could be. He was the true soul of Santa Claus! Loading that sleigh for every kid in the world each year could be no less taxing than this. But in both cases, it wasn't about what you were doing, so much as the reason you were doing it.
"Hey, Old Man," Bonan called to him at the end of a particularly grueling shift, in a decidedly depreciatory tone.
"I counted the boxes you lifted today. They were a full twenty less than my other men. You're the weak link on my team. I could fire you for that! I hate dead weight! I don't expect you to make it to Christmas Eve, with your back in tact. So, Dead Weight, I'm gonna' move you to the Heavy Parcel line beginning in the morning. 'Cause the sooner you're outta here, the better it is for me. Oh, and I've always hated WOPs."
Wop was a term meaning "With Out Papers" which was used derogatorily toward Italians since the big Immigration from Italy — those who came to America to escape political oppression in the early 1900's, and arrived without papers. They had gone on to serve in the American Armed Forces in World War I in disproportionately high numbers, and made substantial contributions toward moving this country forward into the Industrial Age, as well as holding government offices with profoundly impressive records of achievement in benefitting American society.
Vincenzo himself was born here, and had fought in World War II to defend the United States — he was flown out of Pearl Harbor the day before the attack that brought us officially into the War and killed so many of his friends.
But he was not concerned with any of that here. He only thought of her. And he would do whatever was necessary to give her the Christmas she wanted for her children. Had he been on his own without that responsibility, he would have slugged Bonan in a way that would make him remember not to disrespect any Italian American — or anyone — like that again — He had a degree in Physical Fitness, and you can be sure he knew how to deliver a punch. But there was more dignity in defending that which she needed from him; defending his home; working from Love first. And, though difficult for a man who could be as hotheaded as he was at times, that was the choice he made in that moment. It took extraordinary courage, and although he did not feel it, that choice made him a better person. Love makes better people of us all.
That evening when he returned home she asked, "How was work?" He responded by shrugging and saying simply, "Eh. It was work. How did you manage today?"
She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. She adored him.
December's double income began to trickle in — in those days the median household income was about $36,000 per year — adjusted for inflation in today's dollars, that's a value of about $6,000 — Was a Christmas Tree surrounded by piles of toys on Christmas morning really necessary? Vincenzo wrestled with this question as he labored. His childhood was spent in the Great Depression, and although his parents did their best, like so many Immigrants who came here for a better life, they didn't find it. They were ultimately able to give it to their children and grandchildren. But they never found it for themselves. And in those early years settled in the Bronx, the boy would have been lucky to find an orange in his Christmas stocking — even this didn't happen every year. But when it did, he was most grateful — Jubilant, even. His daughters found jewelry in their Christmas Stockings — every Christmas. And in making this happen, he honored his Father and Mother and the sacrifice they made. You see, this was the American Dream. It was not something that people came in the early 1900's to have for themselves. It was something they came to give to their children. That was the Beauty of it — the Power of Giving. A Course in Miracles, which would be published a decade later, put it like this: "Having rests on giving, not on getting. Who understands this must laugh at the idea of sacrifice."
The dream they were living appeared burdensome but they were willing to show up for it out of Love — Love for their Children, Love for their Parents, Love for their Spouse. It was a Dream built on Love.
Fortina rushed up to 204th Street. A year of sorting coupons and tracking specials from supermarket circulars, splitting her grocery shopping between the A&P and Pioneer Supermarket even walking up the hill to Met Food or further to Daitch Shopwell, kept the grocery bills lower than would be imaginable today. Scrimping and saving, she could now buy a new treetop, not just at John's Bargain Store or Sav-On or Woolworth, but this time she would go to Honig's Parkway on Webster Avenue. She was determined that this year there would be a fine treetop on that tree he lugged home. She had seen one at Honig's which had a star shape inside of a round garland with steady-burning lights punctuating the star and each of the lights with a clear plastic reflector around it. It was glorious. She had impeccable taste, and he trusted all decisions about the home décor to her, and wisely so.
Christmas Eve arrived, and that evening there would be no deliveries. 204th Street went dark about 4 or 5 o'clock, as respect for workers — and employers honoring their civil responsibility over profit — enabled employees to be home with their families to celebrate Christmas. The focus was on pausing and celebrating and simply being together — this is what generated the warm feelings for which Christmas song lyrics would nostalgically pine in years to come. In this America, time was respected as a more valuable commodity than money.
So, Vincenzo and his friend Guisseppe from the force, went to the lot where they sold trees. In those days, the tree was put up Christmas Eve, and children believed Santa had done it when he came in the night. For ten bucks, they would get a bundle of five trees, and split them with the other officers.
When they untied the bundle, their hearts sank. These trees were so bare and had lost so many needles that they decided to tie two of them together and make a Tree out of it.
They brought their creation up to the small two bedroom apartment, and put it out on the fire escape while Fortina herded the children into the far bedroom with some task for them to work on, making snowflakes or paper ornaments with colored tin foil coating. There was so much business going on — cooking and wrapping, cards and crafts, model train sets running, and other kids from the neighborhood visiting to see the trains on display and play with them. In a community in which everyone had so little, the willingness to share made everyone feel they had so much.
That night when the children were finally asleep, the tree was brought in and put up in the stand. The ornaments the children had made were added, and wasn't Vincenzo dazzled by the new Star TreeTop!
"How much did that cost?" was all he could ask, with the weighing pressure of four growing children and the need to upgrade to a three-bedroom apartment in which to raise them. But she promptly put his mind at ease, saying soothingly, "It was a very good price." She kissed him tenderly. He knew he would have given her anything, and she knew it too. But she asked for so little. That was the Love they had found. And it was a profound Miracle.
In the wee hours of the morning, the place was sparkling with magic: the lights on the beautifully decorated tree of two sparse trunks tied together with rope by two World War II Vets who had the skill to do it; the copious abundance of wrapped presents under the tree for each of the four children — way more than his single income could possibly have allowed; the brick patterned crepe paper taped in front of the bookcase to make it look like a makeshift fireplace with the stockings hung with care, now brimming over with gifts; the small plastic radio playing Christmas music without commercial interruption… And most magical of all, the two people in Love standing in the center of the room, very tired and with their arms around one another. They had done it! CHRISTMAS! They had done it again! And they would do it again, year after year until the children were grown.
The next morning would be nothing short of spectacular. It would happen in many homes — in many small apartments in the Bronx, and around the world. But here, in this little apartment on Mosholu Parkway, there would glow luminously the very core of what Christmas is about. The children never knew their father did any of this. He made special efforts to never wear the brown uniform in the home. He would bring it with him, change in the locker room at work, and change out of it before he left. They also had no idea of the derision he faced, being an Italian American worker in 1960's New York. He remained respectful in all his dealings. He was an Officer of the Law. He would even years later go out of his way to protect the very supervisor who had treated him so badly, and that man would never know that the Cop who saved his life had been one of the Italian-Americans who had been subject to his abuses as his Christmas Help years earlier.
The children would grow up to live their lives keeping Christmas always, and teaching their children to do so, as well — part of the American Dream for which their Grandparents had sacrificed so much, and would never live to see. The next generation would do the same. And as for the generation after that, which he himself would not live to see… well, who knows?
Christmas Spirit… much has been said about it. And all who have felt it appreciate the intoxicating and unparalleled Joyfulness its random acts of kindness bring; we work above and beyond expectation to give rise to gladness in those we love, and those we've yet to know.
There were no ghosts who visited that night; no green mythical figure who came and stole all the presents only to return them the next morning, no pocket watch and long beautiful hair that had been sold. It seems hardly a story worth telling.
Except that the Miracle of Christmas shone so brightly that night — perhaps more brightly than it had since the very first, and for the very same reasons.
A courageous act of Love was proclaimed in this world; great sacrifice was made; there was immense exertion and exhaustion, but as a result of these brave and daring acts of Love on both their parts, their children experienced enchantment beyond their imaginings, and even amidst the scarceness typical of second generation immigrant families, there were riches and such abundant appreciation for what they had.
These commonplace ordinary occurrences happen every day. People igniting wondrous phenomena and creating new worlds full of Wonder, in ways that surpass that of which we know ourselves to be capable.
These occurrences are called Miracles, and transpire when ordinary folks like Vincenzo and Fortina and you and me act out of Love and without reserve. And these ordinary Miracles change the World.
Many Eastern spiritual disciplines focus less on the rewards of the next world and more on inhabiting this world as fully as possible. That is to live well. That is the highest spiritual attainment. That was attained this one Christmas here — quietly and without fanfare, under the guise of ordinary living. It is attained whenever we inhabit this world as fully as possible, show up for our Lives, and muster the Willingness to fearlessly do that which is before us to be done. Simple. Though not always easy.
The stars in the sky twinkled brilliantly through the Fire Escape window looking out at the brick buildings, past the clotheslines across the courtyard.
And in the glow of the two strands of twinkling lights on the makeshift tree, they kissed under the mistletoe. They held one another, and began to sway to the soft Christmas music. And in the glimmer of the lights, in the wee small hours of the morning, he took her in his arms, and they danced.
by Arnold J. Mungioli on February 13, 2015 • Permalink
Tagged 204th Street, 52nd Precinct, A Charlie Brown Christmas, American Dream, Anything for ThanksGiving, Begging for ThanksGiving, Bronx, Bronx 1966, Christmas, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Tree, Cops, Daily Miracles, Early Television, Fatherhood, Growing up in the Bronx, Honig's Parkway, How to Create a Miracle, Italian American Cops, Italian Immigartion, Italian-Americans, Making Christmas, Mosholu Parkway, New York City Cop, Norwood, Norwood Heights, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Second Job at CHristmas, Star TreeTop, The Grinch that stole Christmas, time, What a Father can do for their Children
Posted by Arnold J. Mungioli on February 13, 2015
Why Is This Happening For Me?
Pete Marchese
I'm down here in Florida and you have filled me with the Christmas spirit and a number of tears in my eyes. That was one beautiful posting, thank you for including me in your Christmas card
christinerosas42
"Like most men, he would become a wonderful grandfather first. Or is it that that is the turning point at which children begin to see clearly what their father was doing for them all along?" This really clicked for me! 🙂 What a nice delight to be in front of my computer in the warmth of the Middle East dessert on a February morning and then swept away to a Northeastern US Christmas!
I could almost hear the Lionel trains, smell the pine from the Christmas tree and taste your Mom's struffoli. Such a beautiful perspective of a 1960s Christmas in the Bronx written with love and adoration directly from the heart. *love* *love* *love* it!!! Thank you for sharing such a wonderful story!
Dara
Stunningly beautiful, deeply touching, and one of the most magical Christmas stories I've ever read. Thank you so much!
Darcie
Beautiful! Bravo, Arnold! Love what you say at the end about inhabiting this life more fully. Christians are preoccupied with what happens in death, but even Jesus said, "I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) From all of your Christmas posts, it's apparent that you are are someone whose heart (and, therefore, life) is abundant with love and gratitude.
Terry Burrell
It is easy to see how the love and the caring of Vincenzo and Fortina shaped the man you are today. I love them through your memory of them and believe me when I tell you Arnold that they to this very day guide and protect their baby boy. Thank you for including me with this beautifully written Christmas story. I feel calm and loved and surrounded by my own angels.
motherbethel
indeed good to get Christmas
dsbishop
I love this and I love your heart in the writing of it. Great job, Arnold! You have a gift. Thank you for sharing that gift with us all.
Ann Steele
Simply, I thank you.
Lou Monteforte
Simply wonderful but why you change the names?
Ha! Thanx, LOU!
Well… Poetic License.
I mean, if you think about it, I was 5. So I can't really know any of the details for sure… so I had to make 'em all up.
Does that make it a fiction? Life imitating Art… Art imitating Life… All I know is that I sure am Grateful… Merry Christmas! XXOO
Stuard M. Derrick
Just lovely, Arnold. And Merry Christmas!!


Daly Industrial Supplies U18 Premier League: Castleview 2 Bandon 2, College Corinthians 0 Mayfield United 2, Carrigaline United 4 Rockmount 1.
Daly Industrial Supplies U18 League 1: College Corinthians A 0 Blarney United 7, Carrigaline United 3 Ballincollig 2, Greenwood 3 Wilton United 1, Midleton 2 Leeds 0.
Daly Industrial Supplies U18 League 1A: Passage 4 Macroom 3, Buttevant 2 Donoughmore 1.
Daly Industrial Supplies U17 Premier League: College Corinthians A 1 Everton 1, Ballincollig 1 Leeds 8, Springfield Ramblers 3 Leeside 2, Rockmount 2 Mayfield United 4.
Daly Industrial Supplies U17 League 1: St Mary's 4 Douglas Hall 2.
Daly Industrial Supplies U17 League 1A: Douglas Hall 5 Blarney United A 2, Ballinhassig 2 Midleton 0, College Corinthians B 1 Ringmahon Rangers 10.
Daly Industrial Supplies U18 League 1A: Avondale United 1 Fermoy 5, Lakewood Athletic 3 Douglas Hall A 0.
Daly Industrial Supplies U17 League 1: Blarney United A 4 Kinsale 0.
Daly Industrial Supplies U18 Premier League: Douglas Hall 2 Ringmahon Rangers 1.
Daly Industrial Supplies U18 League 1A: Watergrasshill United 5 Grenagh 1.
Daly Industrial Supplies U18 Premier League: Bandon 1 Carrigaline United 1, Mayfield United 4 Douglas Hall 2, Ringmahon Rangers 0 Castleview 4.
Daly Industrial Supplies U18 League 1: Greenwood 1 Ballincollig 3, College Corinthians A 4 Carrigaline United A 0, Midleton 0 Wilton United 0.
Daly Industrial Supplies U18 League 1A: Macroom 4 Watergrasshill United 1, Fermoy 1 Buttevant 1, Donoughmore 1 Douglas Hall A 0, Passage 3 Lakewood Athletic 4.


text:
This is a list of newspapers and news agencies in Tajikistan.

Newspapers
Asia Plus
Avicenna – in Tajik and Russian (Dushanbe)
DigestPress – in Russian (Dushanbe)
Farazh  – Tajik (Dushanbe)
Golos Tajikistana – published weekly in Russian by the Communist Party
Jumhuriyat – government-owned, published tri-weekly in Tajik (Dushanbe)
Khalq Ovozi – government-owned, published tri-weekly in Uzbek
The Khujand Plov (Khujand) – English-language, caters to foreigners, specializes in satirical content
Minbar-i Khalq – published by the People's Democratic Party
Najot – published weekly by the Islamic Rebirth Party
Narodnaya Gazeta – government-owned, published tri-weekly in Russian
Neru-i Sukhan – privately owned, published weekly
Nido-i Ranjbar – published weekly in Tajik by the Communist Party
Sadoi mardum – a thrice-weekly newspaper published in Tajikistan; one of the most widely circulated papers in the country; in Tajik
Tojikiston – privately owned, published weekly in Tajik

News agencies
Asia-Plus – private, English-language agency
Avesta – private, English-language
Khovar – state-run
Varorud – private

See also
List of newspapers
List of journalists killed in Tajikistan

References

Tajikistan

Newspapers

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Rise of a Legend
James Haydock
From playing a rogue agent in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, to taking on the role of villainous Bane in Batman: The Dark Knight Rises—an in-depth look the versatile and edgy actor
With his raw talent, edginess, and ability to utterly inhabit the characters he plays, Tom Hardy is well on his way to becoming the finest actor of his generation. With a host of critically acclaimed performances under his belt, Tom's star is undoubtedly in the ascendant. Born into an idyllic, middle-class, suburban life, by his teenage years Tom had grown restless and started to rebel. Bad behavior in the form of alcoholism, drug abuse, and criminal activity ensued and, after a brief stint working as a model, fate intervened and he found his way into an acting course at a local college. Having been plucked from drama school to appear in Band of Brothers, by 2003 his addictions had got the better of him and he collapsed in Soho. Rehabilitation followed, as did a rare second chance at hitting the big time. It was Hardy's stand-out performances as Stuart Shorter in BBC TV's Stuart, A Life Backwards and as Britain's most notorious prisoner in the film Bronson which really made audiences and critics sit up and take notice. Since then, he has earned himself a reputation as a shape-shifting actor with the skill to slip effortlessly in and out of contrasting characters such as Eames in the blockbuster Inception and Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. This biography explores his wayward youth, his drama school years, his burnout, and his complex route to eventual success. With a host of major films in 2012 and beyond, he is clearly Hollywood's hottest property.
John Blake
Chicago Review Press, Inc. DBA Independent Publishers Group
More Books by James Haydock
I, Jonathan Blue
But Not Without Hope
Of Time and Tide: the Windhover Saga
Tom Hardy - Rise of a Legend
The Woman Question and George Gissing
Mose in Bondage

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Welcome to the Out of the Office blog.
I am an expat from the UK now living in Cape Town, South Africa with my husband, Adam and our Basset Hound, Snoop. I am a marketing and communications professional with 10 years of experience in web and traditional advertising, promotions, events and campaigns.
I'm excited to have the opportunity to share my expat experiences with you as I settle in to my new home country. Read on and enjoy. Please also feel free to get in contact - I'd love to hear your feedback and any recommendations!
Proudly listed on BlogExpat.com
Hannah D
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text:
Herbert Gunter Grubel (1934, Fráncfort, Alemania) es un economista y antiguo político canadiense.

Es profesor emérito de economía en la Universidad Simon Fraser. También ha sido profesor en las universidades de Yale, Stanford, Chicago y Pennsylvania.

Una de sus contribuciones más importantes a la economía internacional es el índice de Grubel y Lloyd, utilizado para medir el volumen de comercio intrasectorial de un determinado producto.

Enlaces externos
Herb Grubel

Economistas de Alemania del siglo XX
Economistas de Canadá
Políticos de Canadá
Economistas de Alemania del siglo XXI


text:
Asesoria en Comercio Exterior
CONSULTORÍA NEGOCIO Y MARKETING
2017 International Tax Competitiveness
Inicio / News / 2017 International Tax Competitiveness
Por Riveraadmin
Posted enero 17, 2018
2017 International Tax Competitiveness2018-01-172018-01-17http://riveragrouprd.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/whatsapp-image-2021-12-06-at-6.50.12-pm-e1641592016237.jpegRivera Grouphttp://riveragrouprd.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/tax.jpg200px200px
The structure of a country's tax code is an important determinant of its economic performance. A well-structured tax code is easy for taxpayers to comply with and can promote economic development, while raising sufficient revenue for a government's priorities. In contrast, poorly structured tax systems can be costly, distort economic decision-making, and harm domestic economies.
Many countries have recognized this and have reformed their tax codes. Over the past few decades, marginal tax rates on corporate and individual income have declined significantly across the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Now, most nations raise a significant amount of revenue from broad-based taxes such as payroll taxes and value-added taxes (VAT).
New Zealand is a good example of a country that has reformed its tax system. In a 2010 presentation, the chief economist of the New Zealand Treasury stated, "Global trends in corporate and personal taxes are making New Zealand's system less internationally competitive."[1] In response to these global trends, New Zealand cut its top marginal individual income tax rate from 38 percent to 33 percent, shifted to a greater reliance on the goods and services tax, and cut its corporate tax rate to 28 percent from 30 percent. New Zealand added these changes to a tax system that already had multiple competitive features, including no inheritance tax, no general capital gains tax, and no payroll taxes.
Some nations, however, have not kept up with the global trend. The United States, for example, has not reduced its federal corporate income tax rate from 35 percent since the early 1990s. As a result, its combined federal, state, and local corporate tax rate of about 39 percent is significantly higher than the average rate of 25 percent among OECD nations.[2] In addition, as most OECD nations have moved to a territorial tax system, the United States has continued to tax the worldwide profits of its domestic corporations.
Other nations have moved further from well-structured tax policy. Over the last few decades, France has introduced a number of reforms that have significantly increased marginal tax rates on work, saving, and investment. For example, France recently instituted a corporate income surtax, which joined other distortive taxes such as the financial transactions tax, a net wealth tax, and an inheritance tax.
A competitive tax code is one that keeps marginal tax rates low. In today's globalized world, capital is highly mobile. Businesses can choose to invest in any number of countries throughout the world to find the highest rate of return. This means that businesses will look for countries with lower tax rates on investment to maximize their after-tax rate of return. If a country's tax rate is too high, it will drive investment elsewhere, leading to slower economic growth. In addition, high marginal tax rates can lead to tax avoidance.
A neutral tax code is simply one that seeks to raise the most revenue with the fewest economic distortions. This means that it doesn't favor consumption over saving, as happens with investment taxes and wealth taxes. This also means few or no targeted tax breaks for specific activities carried out by businesses or individuals.
To measure whether a country's tax system is neutral and competitive, the ITCI looks at more than 40 tax policy variables. These variables measure not only the level of taxes, but also how taxes are structured. The Index looks at a country's corporate taxes, individual income taxes, consumption taxes, property taxes, and the treatment of profits earned overseas. The ITCI gives a comprehensive overview of how developed countries' tax codes compare, explains why certain tax codes stand out as good or bad models for reform, and provides important insight into how to think about tax policy.
Country Overall Rank Overall Score Corporate Tax Rank Consumption Taxes Rank Property Taxes Rank Individual Taxes Rank International Tax Rules Rank
Estonia 1 100.0 1 10 1 7 7
New Zealand 2 88.7 18 7 3 1 15
Switzerland 3 85.2 7 1 33 4 9
Latvia 4 85.0 2 27 7 6 5
Luxembourg 5 82.7 26 5 18 13 2
Sweden 6 81.8 6 11 6 22 8
Australia 7 78.9 25 6 5 11 17
Netherlands 8 77.5 19 14 24 14 1
Czech Republic 9 74.3 8 32 10 3 10
Slovak Republic 10 74.1 10 31 2 5 27
Turkey 11 73.7 15 25 17 2 11
Korea 12 71.8 20 3 27 8 31
Austria 13 71.3 16 12 9 33 6
United Kingdom 14 70.8 17 17 31 18 3
Norway 15 70.7 14 23 16 10 14
Ireland 16 70.4 4 24 12 23 20
Canada 17 69.1 21 8 23 17 22
Slovenia 18 68.2 9 26 15 16 16
Finland 19 68.2 5 16 19 28 21
Hungary 20 67.0 3 35 26 24 4
Denmark 21 67.0 13 21 8 30 23
Japan 22 66.8 34 2 28 26 25
Germany 23 66.6 23 13 13 32 12
Iceland 24 63.5 12 22 22 31 19
Mexico 25 62.2 31 19 4 9 35
Israel 26 61.5 29 9 11 27 32
Belgium 27 60.3 30 33 25 12 13
Spain 28 59.8 27 15 32 21 18
Greece 29 57.2 24 28 21 15 30
United States 30 55.1 35 4 29 25 33
Poland 31 54.4 11 34 30 20 29
Chile 32 53.1 22 29 14 19 34
Portugal 33 51.9 32 30 20 29 28
Italy 34 47.7 28 20 34 34 26
France 35 43.4 33 18 35 35 24
Table 1. 2017 International Tax Competitiveness Index Rankings
Riveraadmin
Summary of the law of asset laundering
Resumen de la ley de lavado de activo
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text:
Movies Sex Legitimate or Illegitimate A dilemma
In any country, the film industry is one of the most loved and followed industry. There is a high amount of glamour associated with it. Fans are tending to follow or in some cases imitate their movie stars. This is true to a level that their character is also judged publicly. This makes it imperative for modern filmmakers to make films that are culturally relevant in a particular country.
In some countries, fans love and follow the porn stars similarly to the actors working in commercial cinema.
Movies are enjoyed by people of all cast creed ethnic origin and age. That is why movies with family-oriented content are most like commonly across the globe. With the paradigm shift in culture, more people who follow cinema have enlarged their horizons in watching movies. Hollywood movies are accepted and followed in most parts of the world.
Now even fans from totally conservative societies have started to like socially and sexually relevant content in a film. But still Movies Sex is banned and prohibited in many countries.
They believe it is potent to destroy the fundamental principles of their society and culture
We can hardly comment on this notion because in a world of more than eight billion human beings diversity is inevitable. So it is the censor board and acceptability of the people of a nation that determines whether Movies sex is legitimate or illegitimate?
The filmmakers need to understand the acceptance of fans in a country while making a movie but are not their responsibility to enhance the horizon of issues on which the films are made?
Porn industry – A home to Japanese sex movies
Simulated and Unsimulated sex scenes in a movie
Why interracial sex movies are different from others?
Is Oral Sex a Sin? Theoretically and Practically
Designed by HooThemes. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Pardosa rascheri este o specie de păianjeni din genul Pardosa, familia Lycosidae. A fost descrisă pentru prima dată de Dahl, 1908. Conform Catalogue of Life specia Pardosa rascheri nu are subspecii cunoscute.

Referințe

Pardosa


text:
Q: NHibernate delete from LINQ results I'm wondering about the best usage of the delete method in nhibernate.
If you go the entity than just call delete and send it, but if not you need to query it or write a query and send it to delete method.
I'm wondering if its possible to write a linq expression and send it to delete.
Is it possible to perform a Linq transformation to hql and than call session.Delete(query)
with the generated hql?
I want to call Session.Delete, and give it a linq so it can know what to delete without selecting the data. Do you know a class that can convert linq expression to hql?

A: You now can directly in linq with NHibernate 5.0
    //
    // Summary:
    //     Delete all entities selected by the specified query. The delete operation is
    //     performed in the database without reading the entities out of it.
    //
    // Parameters:
    //   source:
    //     The query matching the entities to delete.
    //
    // Type parameters:
    //   TSource:
    //     The type of the elements of source.
    //
    // Returns:
    //     The number of deleted entities.
    public static int Delete<TSource>(this IQueryable<TSource> source);

Exemple:
        var tooOldDate = System.DateTime.Now.AddYears(5);
        session.Query<User>()
            .Where(u => u.LastConnection <= tooOldDate)
            .Delete();

A: The Q in LINQ stands for "Query". So, no, you can't use a LINQ expression for delete.
That said, NH's query language, HQL, does support that.
In the same way that you can say "from Foo where Bar = :something" to get all the foos matching a condition, you can do this:
session.CreateQuery("delete Foo where Bar = :something")
       .SetParameter("something", ...)
       .ExecuteUpdate();

A: I have submitted a pull request for NH-3659 - Strongly Typed Delete. The link is available at nhibernate.jira.com/browse/NH-3659.

A: I know this is an old question but for those reading this now. NHibernate 5 released Oct 10, 2017 has added a Delete Linq extension
from documentation 17.6.3. Deleting entities
Delete method extension expects a queryable defining the entities to delete. It immediately deletes them.
session.Query<Cat>()
    .Where(c => c.BodyWeight > 20)
    .Delete();

A: I'm sure it would be possible to do what you want but the bottom line is that it doesn't make a lot of sense (not sure why you want to give NHibernate the select criteria when you can do it in a single statement, your approach would end up causing 2 hits to the database), having said that, one easy option you could do, is query the IDs using LINQ and pass those to NHibernate
int[] deleteIds = (from c in Customer where {some condition} select c.Id).ToArray<int>();

session.CreateQuery("delete Customer c where c.id in (:deleteIds)")
            .SetParameterList("deleteIds", deleteIds)
            .ExecuteUpdate();

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
CONNECTING THE AUSTRALIAN CHANNEL
Channel Academy
Channel Chiefs
Business Cloud Collaboration
Data centre Digital Distribution
Hardware Mobility Networking
Printing Security Servers & Storage
Services Software Telco
Magazine Partner Content
Business Cloud Collaboration Data centre Digital Distribution Hardware Mobility Networking Printing Security Servers & Storage Services Software Telco
Photos Pipeline Channel Academy Impact Awards Fast50 Channel Chiefs Resources
The rise of Zero Trust in a connected world
By Arrow on Oct 8, 2020 7:59PM
Organisations are increasingly turning to Zero Trust as a security framework, amid pressure to protect systems and data from sophisticated attacks.
The 2019 Zero Trust Adoption report, by Cybersecurity Insiders, found that 78 per cent of IT security teams are looking to embrace Zero Trust.
The trend towards Zero Trust has been exacerbated by increased adoption of cloud services, IoT and a mobile workforce, where corporate assets and users are beyond traditional security perimeters.
This article explores the principles of a Zero Trust model and how this model can help organisations overcome many security challenges. It also covers steps organisations can take to get started with a Zero Trust model.
Zero Trust: The new frontier
The idea of Zero Trust is simple: Trust no one.
While traditional security models apply a 'Trust but verify' approach, Zero Trust follows the principle of 'Never trust, always verify'. It does this by continuously authenticating and monitoring, using AI and machine learning.
Zero Trust is an end-to-end approach to cybersecurity, encompassing identity, network and endpoint protections. The following diagram by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology shows an example of the core logical components in a Zero Trust architecture that may operate on-premises or in the cloud.
The Zero Trust framework. Source: National Institute of Standards and Technology
This conceptual framework shows the basic relationship between Zero Trust components and their interaction.
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to Zero Trust, the idea behind them all is the same:
To understand who the user is, and to confirm their identity
To understand the user's endpoint, and its security status
To have a conditional policy that specifies whether the user can have access to something.
In achieving this, Zero Trust architecture's typically draw on a range of practises and technologies, including:
Microsegmentation, to limit the attack surface and give security teams more control over lateral movement
Multifactor Authentication (MFA), to authenticate access to trusted users
Identity Access Management (IAM), combines MFA with other identity solutions, including single sign-on
Privileged Access Management (PAM), to secure, manage and monitor privileged access to critical assets
Monitoring and analytics, to identify anomalies in user behaviour and traffic, and provide data to trigger alerts for suspicious activity
Orchestration, to automate processes and shrink the security perimeter around a single application
Encryption, to protect sensitive data
Network access control (NAC), to strengthen security by enforcing policies across all users and devices
Mobile device management (MDM), to monitor, manage and secure employees' mobile devices
File system permissions, to control the user's ability to view, navigate, change or execute on the contents of a protected file system.
Many organisations consider Zero Trust the holy grail of cybersecurity, for good reason.
A Zero Trust framework enables organisations to significantly reduce the attack surface, and the effectiveness of stolen credentials. Zero Trust can also reduce or eliminate the need for VPNs, while enabling a better user experience and longer-term cost savings.
Zero Trust: A rising need
The need for a Zero Trust approach to cybersecurity is clear.
Consider these statistics: global spending on cybersecurity is $173 billion and is forecast to reach $270 billion by 2026, according to the Australian Cyber Security Growth Network. Organisations are throwing their money behind security in an effort to outpace cybercriminals.
According to Australia's Cybersecurity Strategy, cyber incidents targeting small, medium and large Australian businesses can cost the economy up to $29 billion per year, or 1.9 per cent of Australia's GDP.
The types of attacks taking place demonstrate why Zero Trust is so important.
According to the 2019 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, 81 per cent of data breaches are caused by compromised, weak and reused passwords.
The same report shows that 34 per cent of data breaches involve internal actors.
The shift to a remote workforce combined with digitisation and the exponential growth of data has also led to a rapidly expanding and complex attack surface that has effectively made the traditional security perimeter redundant.
Zero Trust overcomes modern security challenges by extending security beyond the perimeter and abiding by the principle of least privilege.
It assumes everyone and everything is a potential threat both inside and outside the network, and applies strict and continuous authentication and controls to govern access.
It also uses automation to help security teams focus on their most important tasks – a huge advantage in an industry short of skills.
Zero Trust is not a 'set and forget' strategy, but rather a multi-phase journey that starts with improving visibility and a clear, strategic plan incorporating the right technologies.
Arrow can assist channel partners establish an end-to-end security framework to deploy a full Zero Trust architecture.
With one of the strongest global security propositions in the market, Arrow provides partners with leading technology solutions from the world's most innovative security vendors. It also provides specialist expertise across the whole security space.
Channel partners can also leverage Arrow's vast network of suppliers to deliver an end-to-end security offering that protects their customers' critical infrastructure from edge to core to cloud.
Get in touch to learn more about Arrow's security and Zero Trust capabilities.
Copyright © CRN Australia. All rights reserved.
arrow cybersecurity framework identity access management microsegmentation multifactor authentication nist privileged access management promoted content security zero trust
By Arrow
Which partner security solutions are growing the most?
Aussie IT service provider Green Light expands security business to Canada
5 key business continuity features you need from edge data protection products
How to recover from ransomware when prevention fails
OTHER TECH SITES: BIT | IoT Hub | iTnews


I'm dedicated to all that's creative~ My main focas is on Machine embroidery and sewn gifts. I also act on camera in film, TV and commercials, professionally. Photography is a hobby I want to learn so much more about! I'm a mom to two grown kids, and a wife of 39+ years to one man. … I am about to be a Grammy, too! Twice within eight weeks! I am blessed.


text:
Q: HTTPS, AWS ELB, CloudFront & S3 Background: My division of bigcorp.com was sold off and now we are lilcorp.com.  We have a fleet of appliances deployed that will be looking for software updates on https://updates.bigcorp.com/, but since we no longer control bigcorp.com, we need to update our appliances to check https://updates.lilcorp.com.  bigcorp has given us a cert for updates.bigcorp.com and has a DNS CNAME in place that forwards traffic for updates.bigcorp.com to server.lilcorp.com.
I'm trying to config things like this:
              HTTPS           HTTPS

Appliance -----------> ELB -----------> CloudFront ----------> S3

                    Cert for             Cert for
                    updates.             updates.
                    bigcorp.             lilcorp.
                      com                  com

I've got the following DNS records in place:

*

*updates.bigcorp.com CNAME to server.lilcorp.com

*server.lilcorp.com CNAME to ELB

*updates.lilcorp.com CNAME to CloudFront.net address

CloudFront is configured to use an S3 bucket as its origin.
Status:  Things work if I hit CloudFront directly, but that doesn't help since the appliances are hitting the updates.bigcorp.com address.
Questions:

*

*Can an ELB forward to a CloudFront deployment?  I'm not seeing how to make it a "target".

*Do I need to put a web server in the middle of this to handle the redirect/forward?

Thanks in advance.

A:
Can an ELB forward to a CloudFront deployment? I'm not seeing how to make it a "target".

No it cannot. The target (for ALB) can be only an private IP address, lambda and instance id.

Do I need to put a web server in the middle of this to handle the redirect/forward?

Yes, you would need some kind of proxy. With ALB, you could use lambda function. So ALB would invoke a lambda function, and the function would query external CloudFront distro and return the results.


text:
Oratory of St. Catherine of Siena
Inclusive. Sacramental. Independent. Catholic. Christian.
About the Chaplain
About the Oratory
The ICCC
Praying for Peace
Scriptural Stations of the Cross
Intercessory Mass for Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, and Togo on Sept. 7, at 10 PM
Intercessory prayer allows Christians of all types and places to join together, lifting our hearts and our souls up to God for the world.
On Saturday, September 7, at 10 PM EST, the Oratory will offer an intercessory mass for the countries of Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, and Togo. Resources from the World Council of Churches' Ecumenical Cycle of prayer for the world will be used. (https://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/prayer-cycle/benin-cote-d-ivoire-togo)
It is not necessary for you to be physically present at the mass in order to join in. A candle at the mass will be lit in the name of anyone who comments below, likes or comments on the Oratory's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Oratory-of-St-Catherine-of-Siena-264477326928667/), or contacts the chaplain, Mother Sandra, at beguine2@yahoo.com.
As Christians, we need to remember that the world is much larger than the small portion of it that we see around us. It has much to offer us; and we each have much to offer it.
« Intercessory Mass for Ghana and Nigeria at 10 PM on Sept. 14
August 31 Mass For Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal 10 PM »
beguine2@yahoo.com
Mass is celebrated on certain occasions as described in the blog. All are welcome. Check with the Chaplain for more details.
Follow Oratory of St. Catherine of Siena on WordPress.com
"Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem" Mass, January 11, 2023 at 8 p.m. EST
Blue Christmas Service: December 21, 2022 at 8 p.m.
Mass in the Middle of the Night on January 18 at 11 p.m. EST
October Mass in the Middle of the Night at 11PM EST
Sat. Night Prayer Mass for Andorra, Italy, Malta, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, and Vatican City


text:
In the U.S. state of Florida, a notary public is a public officer appointed by the governor of the state to take acknowledgments, administer oaths, attest to photocopies of certain documents, solemnize marriage, protest the non-acceptance or non-payment of negotiable instruments , and perform other duties specified by law.

A notary may only perform a notarial act upon receipt of satisfactory proof of identity (i.e. a driver's license or other form of identification card), or by the notary's own personal knowledge of the person appearing before them, or upon the sworn statement of two witnesses who personally know the person whose signature is to be authenticated. A notary may not notarize their own signature, or the signature of their spouse, parent, or child.

Authority of a Florida notary public
Notaries public in Florida have the authority to take acknowledgments, administer oaths, solemnize marriage, certify the contents of a safe-deposit box, certify the vehicle identification number of a motor vehicle, and certify copies of documents which are not public records.
 Acknowledgments are usually taken in correlation with a real estate transaction, but are often used in cases where a mere "identity verification" is needed to ensure that the document is being executed by an authorized party.
 Oaths are administered orally in depositions and court hearings in which a party is being sworn in over the telephone instead of being personally present before a judge. In this respect, notaries administer oaths in the same way as a judge. Many court reporters are also notaries, as this allows one person to both swear the party in for a deposition and to transcribe the deposition. Oaths are also administered in the form of affidavits and other sworn statements on paper.
 Marriages may be legally solemnized by a notary public between parties who present the notary with a valid marriage license. The law has no requirements for the form of a marriage ceremony, therefore many notaries perform both civil and religious marriage ceremonies.
 The contents of a safe-deposit box are certified by a notary public in cases where the owner has died or otherwise abandoned the safe-deposit box. In this case, the notary must be present while a bank official and other witness open the box. The notary then certifies the contents of the box and makes a certificate thereof for presentation to the court or to the personal representative of the Decedent's estate.
 Notaries are authorized by Florida law to verify a vehicle identification number and certify this fact to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles when that vehicle has not previously been registered with the state.
 A notary public may supervise the copying (or printing, as the case may be) of any record and attest to the trueness of the resulting copy or printout. The record being copied (or printed) cannot be a vital record, nor can it be a public record (if a copy can be obtained from the custodian of the public record).
 The most rare of notarial duties in Florida is the drafting of protests, i.e. certificates of dishonor, which certify that payment on a negotiable instrument has been refused. This is an antiquated act that appears only one place in the Florida statutes.

Commission requirements
Any individual at least 18 years of age who is a resident of Florida may apply for and obtain commission as a notary public, provided that they have obtained a $7,500.00 public bond from an insurance company, and taken a notary education course administered by an authorized course provider. Such commission is usually obtained by legal secretaries, paralegals, and attorneys for use in their place of work, where the notarization of client signatures is a requirement on many court pleadings and other documents. However, occupation in the legal profession is not a prerequisite to becoming a notary, and a person of any profession may apply for and obtain a commission. Many banks also have notaries on staff to notarize the signatures of their customers.

Seal requirements

A notary seal of the rubber stamp type is required to be affixed to all notarized paper documents. The rubber stamp must include the commissioned name of the notary public, the words "Notary Public-State of Florida", the notary's commission number, and the date on which the notary's commission expires. Prior to the mid-1970s, the only statutory requirement regarding notarial seals was that one be used and that it include the words "Notary Public" and "State of Florida at Large"; the name of the notary was optional, and the law did not specify what types of seals were permissible. This law was later amended to state that the seal must be round in design and of either the rubber stamp or impression type. In the early 1990s, the statute was again changed to require a rubber stamp seal, with an impression type seal being optional and not acceptable unless used in conjunction with a rubber stamp. However, many notaries continue to use the impression seal with their rubber stamp to allow for easy detection when trying to determine which document is an original. This process is made more difficult for notaries who only use a rubber stamp seal, as the Florida statutes require that the seal be affixed in only photographically-reproducible black ink.

References

External links
Official state notary website
https://legaldocprepnotary.com/how-to-be-a-notary-in-florida/

Government of Florida
Florida law
Region-specific legal occupations
Notary


text:
Houston after Harvey: city faces huge hurdle to recovery
Houston after Harvey: city faces…
Texas region is grappling with the slow grind of bureaucracy, the urgent need to clear detritus and the natural desperation to return quickly to normal life
by Tom Dart in Houston
A month after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas, there is still a simple way to tell if a particular street flooded in Houston. Just look at the front lawns.
Debris rose as the water receded and residents returned to gut their ruined homes, disgorging the contents curbside. There is so much to remove, and trips to landfills are taking so long, that the region is months away from clearing it all.
'Everything is gone': Americans return to their flooded homes
Those unwilling or unable to pay private companies hundreds of dollars to shift the detritus are waiting for the city to remove it. But Houston's mayor, Sylvester Turner, warned at a council meeting earlier this month that it could take until Christmas to deal with.
In a Friday update after clashes between council members over the handling of the problem, Turner said landfills would operate 24 hours a day as more than 300 trucks collect more than 8 million cubic yards of debris at a cost of more than $250m.
Some of the worst-affected neighborhoods are located around Eldridge Parkway, a busy road in west Houston's energy corridor where many oil and gas corporate offices are located and a few routes remain closed because of high water. Here, piles of rancid rubbish curl like a wall around a complex of dozens of townhomes opposite a library.
Late last week, a trio of contractors sweated as they plunked large kitchen appliances on to a flat-bed truck. "The whole job's gonna take probably a good two months," said one, Anthony Brown.
Built in the 1970s, the houses are framed on three sides by a creek that branches off from the Buffalo Bayou, a major flooding source during Harvey that extends more than 50 miles from Houston's western suburbs through downtown and out into Galveston Bay. The massive Addicks and Barker flood-control reservoirs and dams, which feed into the Bayou, are less than two miles away.
What four weeks ago were cherished possessions now languished as flotsam, junk chucked indiscriminately a few yards outside front doors. Flies zig-zagged over rotten food next to mattresses, door frames, wall panels, furniture, board games; more or less anything that was on the ground floor in late August. Spanish-language pop music blared from the bowels of one house being cleared out by contractors. Next door, a warning was posted out front: "You loot, we shoot." But all that remains seems worthless.
A traffic cone protruded horizontally from the second-storey wall of one house, by a window. Olga Weber pointed at it. "That's where they rescued me, right there," she said. Weber is a maintenance worker at the complex and was the last to leave – by rescue boat, after she attached the cone to attract attention and wrote a cry for help on a bedsheet draped outside the window.
Bob Williams, tasked with restoring air-conditioning to some of the homes – a vital way to help them dry out and limit mold – gestured at the desperate scene, redolent of an explosion or a tornado's devastation. "This, it would make you drink but I don't drink," he said. "It's what made me smoke again. I hadn't smoked for six years."
Laura Goncalves has lived here for a decade. Her ground floor is an empty shell. Wearing a face mask to protect against the noxious smell, her daughter helped with the clean-up. "I'm 61 years old," Goncalves said. "I was $22,000 away from paying off my house so I could retire in four years. And now I have to work until I die."
Her voice wavered. "I've worked hard, two jobs, to pay for this house, to update it. And it just in two days was all gone. You call companies to come and clean and spray and they're charging you $5,000. I don't have the $5,000, I haven't gotten any money from the insurance yet."
'The numbers for flood insurance are pretty low'
Harvey made landfall in Texas as a category 4 hurricane on the evening of 25 August, severely damaging several places near the coast. It weakened into a tropical storm but stalled, soaking parts of the Houston area in four days with an excess of 50in of rain – about what the city might expect in an average year. More than 80 people were reported killed in Texas and an estimated 136,000 structures in Harris County, which includes Houston, were flooded by a trillion gallons of precipitation.
The aftermath is endured at multiple speeds: the slow grind of bureaucracy and delayed responses caused by the scale of the disaster contrasts with the urgent need to clear and treat buildings before mold and structural damage may render them permanently uninhabitable, and the natural desperation to return quickly to a semblance of normal life.
Goncalves said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) provided a $500 critical-need payment a few weeks back. A couple of days ago she called and spent five hours on hold before being told someone would be in touch, but it might take 30 days.
There are jarring visions of the everyday and the abnormal side by side, as gardeners tend to manicured lawns and bushes around the corner from streets scarred by mangled heaps of belongings. Grassy medians are pockmarked with signs advertising contracting services and handwritten placards with the phone numbers of house flippers willing to pay cash for flooded properties.
Read More: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/sep/25/hurricane-harvey-houston-recovery-effort
Category: UncategorizedBy Eagle Restore October 10, 2017
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Astronomers Image Massive Exoplanet in Triple-Star System
By Paul Scott Anderson, on July 12th, 2016
Artist's conception of the star system HD 131399, with the planet HD 131399Ab in the foreground. Image Credit:
ESO/L. Calçada/M. Kornmesser
Over the past couple decades, astronomers have been discovering a seemingly endless variety of exoplanets orbiting other stars. Some are rather similar to planets in our own Solar System, while others are more like ones depicted in science fiction, ranging from rocky worlds about the size of Earth and larger, to massive, searing hot planets larger than Jupiter orbiting very close to their stars. Tatooine is another well-known example—the desert planet orbiting two suns in the Star Wars films. Now astronomers have found a similar world, using direct imaging, but which orbits within a system of three stars.
The discovery was made using the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope in Chile, and led by astronomers from the University of Arizona. Exoplanets orbiting in multi-star systems have been found before, but this one wasn't expected to be possible in terms of its orbit, but there it is. It was also imaged directly, something which astronomers have only been able to do with a handful of exoplanets so far, due to the tremendous distances and brightness of their host stars.
The planet, known as HD 131399Ab, is 320 light-years from Earth and orbits the brightest of the three stars in the triple-star system. This orbit is the widest known of any planets in similar star systems, and for this reason was very surprising to astronomers. The gravitational interaction between the three stars is always changing, making larger orbits of planets inherently unstable. But that is just what was found, so scientists aren't quite sure how to explain it just yet; it's a planet which probably shouldn't be there, but it is.
Image showing the newly discovered exoplanet HD 131399Ab, along with the three stars in the system. The image was obtained with the SPHERE imager on the ESO Very Large Telescope in Chile. Image Credit: ESO/K. Wagner et al.
"HD 131399Ab is one of the few exoplanets that have been directly imaged, and it's the first one in such an interesting dynamical configuration," said Daniel Apai, from the University of Arizona. He is also a co-author of the new paper.
"For about half of the planet's orbit, which lasts 550 Earth-years, three stars are visible in the sky; the fainter two are always much closer together, and change in apparent separation from the brightest star throughout the year," added Kevin Wagner, the paper's first author and discoverer of HD 131399Ab. "For much of the planet's year the stars appear close together, giving it a familiar night-side and day-side with a unique triple-sunset and sunrise each day. As the planet orbits and the stars grow farther apart each day, they reach a point where the setting of one coincides with the rising of the other – at which point the planet is in near-constant daytime for about one-quarter of its orbit, or roughly 140 Earth-years."
The planet itself has a mass four times that of Jupiter and a temperature of about 1,070 degrees Fahrenheit (580 degrees Celsius), which actually makes it one of the coolest exoplanets found so far. It may not be the best candidate by any means in terms of the search for life, but its very existence will help astronomers learn more about planetary formation in general. At an estimated 16 million years old, it is also one of the youngest exoplanets discovered so far. Earth and our Solar System, by contrast, are about 4.6 billion years old. The planet orbits its star at a distance of 80 AU, which is about twice the distance from our Sun to Pluto.
As noted by Wagner, "It is not clear how this planet ended up on its wide orbit in this extreme system, and we can't say yet what this means for our broader understanding of the types of planetary systems, but it shows that there is more variety out there than many would have deemed possible," concludes Kevin Wagner. "What we do know is that planets in multi-star systems have been studied far less often, but are potentially just as numerous as planets in single-star systems."
"If the planet was further away from the most massive star in the system, it would be kicked out of the system," Apai explained. "Our computer simulations showed that this type of orbit can be stable, but if you change things around just a little bit, it can become unstable very quickly."
The brightest star in the system, HD 131399A, which the planet orbits, is also orbited by the other two stars (B and C) and is 80 percent more massive than our own Sun. The two smaller stars orbit at a distance of 300 AU, and also orbit each other, at a distance of 10 AU. One AU is equal to the distance between the Earth and Sun. Needless to say, this is a complex system, the likes of which had not been seen before now.
In 2014, an exoplanet was discovered with an Earth-like orbit in a binary star system of two red dwarf stars. The planet, OGLE-2013-BLG-0341LBb, is no more than twice the mass of Earth, with an orbit of approximately 90 million miles, or 0.9 AU. Like HD 131399Ab, the finding of the planet in a binary star system of two red dwarfs was surprising, and was also the first exoplanet discovered with an orbit very similar to Earth's.
"Binary systems were largely ignored before," said Dr. David Trilling, Assistant Professor of Astronomy at the Northern Arizona University's Department of Physics and Astronomy. "They are more difficult to study, but they might be the most common sites for planet formation in our galaxy. There appears to be no bias against having planetary system formation in binary systems. There could be countless planets out there with two or more suns." Trilling also led a research team in 2006 which discovered stable protoplanetary disks around dozens of binary stars, using data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
Another study in 2015, published in The Astrophysical Journal, reassessed the potential habitability of exoplanets in multi-star systems. The study, led by Kimberly Cartier, a graduate student at the Pennsylvania State University's Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, found that some planets which were thought to lie within their stars' habitable zones, actually were not. Other planets, however, thought to have been outside the habitable zone, were actually inside. The habitable zone is the region around a star where temperatures could allow liquid water to exist on the surfaces of rocky planets. Studying exoplanets in double and triple star systems is important, since most stars have companions, unlike our Sun, which is solitary.
Graphic depicting the orbit of the planet (red line) and the orbits of the stars (blue lines). Image Credit: ESO
The team concluded: "Habitable planets in the canonical sense must not only have the capability for liquid water on the surface, but also have a solid surface on which that water can exist. In short, the planets must be rocky and not gaseous. Using radial velocity measurements coupled with Doppler spectroscopy, high-resolution imaging, and asteroseismology, [previous studies] measured the radii and masses for 65 planet candidates and concluded that only planets with radii less than 1.5 Earth radii are compatible with purely rocky compositions. Planets larger than that must have a larger fraction of low-density material, e.g. hydrogen, helium and water. Our updated planetary radii indicate that none of our potentially habitable planets (Kepler-296Af, Kepler-296Bf, Kepler-296Be, KOI-2626 A.01, KOI-2626 B.01, and KOI-2626 C.01) are small enough to have purely rocky compositions and thus are not habitable in the canonical sense."
The discovery of an increasing number of exoplanets in multi-star systems supports other findings that planets are very common in the universe. Some research suggests they are even more common than stars. These worlds will be as varied from one another as snowflakes, which makes finding and studying them all the more exciting. Some of them will be habitable, at least by Earthly standards. And some of those, just maybe, are indeed inhabited. Perhaps not on HD 131399Ab, but there may be lifeforms somewhere which gaze up into a sky with two or three suns—an incredible thought.
"This is the kind of discovery that helps us place our own Solar System in the context of the diversity of worlds beyond it, by finding systems that are much different from our own," said Mary Voytek, senior scientist for astrobiology and program manager of the NExSS network at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "By combining these results with research on the formation of habitable worlds, we will have a better understanding of the systems in which habitable worlds might form. NExSS will ensure such connections are made, within and beyond our NExSS teams."
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July 12th, 2016 | Tags: AmericaSpace, astronomers, astronomy, binary stars, Chile, Daniel Apai, ESA, ESO, Exoplanets, Exploration, Explore, habitability, Habitable Zone, HD 131399Ab, Kevin Wagner, Mary Voytek, NASA, news, News Release, NExSS, orbits, red dwarfs, research, Science, Solar System, Space, space exploration, SPHERE, Stars, Tatooine, triple stars, University of Arizona, Very Large Telescope | Category: AmericaSpace, Astrobiology, astronomy, ESA, European Southern Observatory (ESO), Exoplanets, Exploration, Kepler, NASA, News, News Release, Research, Science, Solar System, Space, Space Exploration
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Q: reading FPGA's block RAM from pc I am using Xilinx ISE 14.7 synthesizer. I am able to initialize my BRAM with a .coe file and access it. Also I can update it with new .mem file using data2mem tool and update my bit file. Here I have configured it as ROM.
My problem is, I don't know how to store the BRAM contents to a file. I am using Single port block memory from the core generator. I am configuring it as RAM. I want to write data to it and access it later. I didn't find any relevant post stating this. May be its only me who didnt find a way to save the contents to a file. For example, in Altera in-system memory content editor, there is an option to export the data to a file. Is there any such way in Xilinx or some way to do it with data2mem tool?
I can send the memory content to PC using serial port but that's not my concern right now. I am really looking for some way to store the content to a file (probably a .mem file) and use it in MATLAB. Can anyone explain it to me or point a document or some link. I have studied the relevant documentation but it didn't strike my mind. Any kind of suggestion would be highly appreciated. Also, tell me if I am thinking in a wrong way.

A: Let me clarify, you want to initialize the BRAM with some data, then make some processing on it, then auto-magically download it to the PC and make further analysis? If I am right, you need also to clarify, if you need production solution or debug solution, for production you need to design a data-dump module and connect it to specific communication module, but for debug purposes you can do it using jtag (be aware, dumping bram content at runtime using jtag will corrupt your data! make sure that circuit is stopped and nothing is updating bram during dumping), if you have Zynq device you can try with:
https://forums.xilinx.com/t5/7-Series-FPGAs/read-bram-from-jtag-or-uart-or-zynq-PS/td-p/738600
otherwise try with readback feature of 7series fpga's
https://www.xilinx.com/support/documentation/application_notes/xapp1230-configuration-readback-capture.pdf


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Q: Using jspdf-autoTable margin top a gap is coming between two table Using jspdf-autoTable 3.1.1 and jspdf 1.5.3, why a gap is coming between two autotables passing margin object :
First Table:
margin: {top: 10, right: 14, bottom: 0, left: 14}

Second Table:
margin: {top: 20, right: 14, bottom: 0, left: 14}

Thanks in advance.

A: you can use this option:
startY:50


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We Will Riot - Trailer
Uploaded on Tuesday 11 February 2014
We Will Riot is a film directed by Romas Zabarauskas. The main story focuses on Luke, an up-and-coming DJ from an affluent New York family with a Lithuanian father and an African-American mother. When Luke hears from an estranged grandmother in Lithuania, he defies his parents and decides to visit this far-away country, flying straight to the capital city Vilnius. He falls in love with the city, a rebellious girl called Marta, and the local music scene - the beatmakers - promoted by an aggressive gay manager, Andy.
Luke's grandma's connections get him a deal with the municipality to become the manager of a new nightclub, and he takes up the challenge... but the deal turns out to be poisoned, forcing Luke to rebel in ways he never imagined.
WE WILL RIOT portrays the innovative Lithuanian beatmaking scene alongside the shady dealings of corrupt governments. Music production and spontaneous political protest explode together onscreen, fuelled by the internet and access to new technology in Eastern Europe.
Language: Lithuanian


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Rett was a double major in English and psychology.
Because the rivers freeze in the winter in Massachusetts, the rowing team often travels to Florida for training. In March, the women trained in Cocoa Beach.
Tuesday, the rowing team had just announced its spring competition schedule, with nine events beginning April 4 and facing colleges such as the University of Massachusetts, Colgate and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The devastating crash, which injured several members of the crew team, has shaken the college campus of about 3,000 students.
Wednesday's Holy Cross men's basketball game against Army West Point was postponed because of the crash, according to an announcement from the team. The game will instead be played at 2 p.m. Thursday.
"Please keep all those involved and their families in your prayers," the announcement said.
The Holy Cross chaplains and counselors announced they would be available at the campus for support of students and faculty.
College President Rev. Philip L. Boroughs, Athletics Director Marcus Blossom, and other college chaplains were traveling to the Treasure Coast Wednesday to support the team, Holy Cross officials said.
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Afternoon co-host Phil Mackey leads Skor North's content development.
ESPN 1500 had a problem. Well, it had a few problems. One was that it was a distant also-ran in the sports radio wars. KFAN had the Vikings, and that would seemingly never change. KFAN moved to an FM signal a decade ago, which was the proverbial game-changer. 1500's core talent, Joe Soucheray and Patrick Reusse, were eligible to collect Social Security in a business whose prime demographic caps out 20 years younger.
In the final ratings periods before its format refresh last fall, the station ranked 17th in the media market, with a roughly 1.3 to 1.4 percent share of the radio audience among adults ages 35 to 64. During that same period, KFAN ranked sixth and held down roughly a 5 share.
What 1500 had going for it was a local owner, Hubbard Broadcasting, which was unafraid to put intentional dollars and innovation behind its properties. Last summer, it announced a major overhaul, tossing overboard all but one local program and most of its on-air talent.
It is perhaps telling that after the on-air purge, when the station aired little local content, its audience only dipped slightly.
"It" is the changing media consumption habits of millennials and now Gen Z, the prime audience demographic for sports radio. "I like to say, 'Every day a 44-year-old turns 45, and takes those media habits out of the buying demo,' " Seeman says. "And every day a 17-year-old turns 18, and brings their media habits into that money demo."What that means is the media expectations of Gen Xers and especially baby boomers should no longer be driving the programming decisions of radio stations. The weak spot, ironically, wasn't programming — it was format. Sports is sports, in a sense; but under-45s consume media differently.
And Hubbard's sports station was at the far end of an AM dial, facing extinction. Every funeral represents another loss to AM radio's audience. It was an existential problem lacking a solution — until recently.
"The problem AM has is a huge number of people never listen at all," says Andy Bloom, former operations boss at WCCO Radio. "All of the electronics we have create interference with AM radio." Bloom cites statistics showing that a decade ago in the Twin Cities, 61 percent of the radio audience was exclusive to FM. By 2016, it was 75 percent, roughly the national average. That means ESPN 1500 really only had access to a quarter of the listeners KFAN had.
The internet has commodified content in a number of ways. It has rendered sports news non-exclusive. A fan need not tune into the radio at a given time of day to know the goings-on in their team or league. A crawl runs on ESPN all day, and notifications are pushed to your smartphone.
The web has also created a slew of sports programming, some of it microcasting about local teams, available off-air in podcast form — programming that can be listened to whenever. The same forces buffeting network television have hit radio harder. Commercial music radio has been affected most profoundly — what does it offer that Spotify and Apple Music don't?
As Seeman and team began to strip down AM 1500, they focused on how modern sports fans absorb content, from wakeup to bedtime.
So Hubbard set out to own the local sports fan's smartphone by building a content platform that didn't have to be exclusively consumed live, in the car.
One key for Hubbard is an element of counterprogramming. Its primary radio competitor, KFAN, is personality driven. Some of its most popular shows are rather light on sports content, not geared to a hard-core fan. It's an outlier format that performs very well in this market.
"We're trying to be opportunistic. Where are the holes?" Seeman says. "The biggest issue here is this linear versus on-demand listening. A Twins fan that is not getting fulfilled in traditional media can find their Twins programming here," any time of day.
The programming day has changed as a result. "Instead of three- to four-hour talk-radio shows, our goal was to build something that would exist with or without radio and plug it into radio," Mackey says. "The maximum time slot for us now is two hours." Programming is available on a redesigned website and app that's easy to find content on.
For example, Mackey and Judd Zulgad do a predictions segment ("Write This Down") during their afternoon drive show. It airs on the radio, Twitter, and Twitch. The station also streams some content over Periscope and Facebook.
Industry insiders say Skor North is ahead of its time. Most terrestrial radio stations have not taken such a deep dive into multi-platform because radio, like print, has yet to master a digital revenue model. It explains why KFAN and WCCO Radio, stations with more to risk in a rebranding, will likely sit back and watch Skor's growing pains. "Most radio groups are wanting the revenue model to be established first," Bloom says.
The one fly in the ointment is the real potential that car ownership in America is about to fall off a cliff. No one really knows, but futurists say driverless cars, pervasive use of ride-sharing, and other radical changes in the transportation landscape are a decade or so away. Radio may "own the dashboard," but it's incumbent on radio to find other ways into people's lives if it is to ensure its longevity. "Driverless has the potential to change everything," Seeman admits.
ESPN 1500's weakness has proved a strength, but one that was exploitable only because a local owner known for prioritizing innovation decided to make an investment.
Adam Platt is TCB's executive editor.


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All of the graduates from our Orange County C# programming course tell us how amazed they are with their new skill set. Not only do they set out on a new journey toward a career they never thought possible. They also report back to us and tell us about some other profound lessons they've learned.
There are many different success stories that come back and tell us about how they've reached their career goals through our Orange County C# programming course. Many of these folks like to tell us how inspiring they find education. For a lot of people, learning a new skill set is an abrupt change of course sometimes in the middle of their lives.
What might seem daunting at first soon becomes exhilarating. When they understand how they're going to be able to reach new horizons by coding, they feel like they're starting on a brand-new path.
That's one of the things that inspires our instructors here too. Being able to make such a large impact on someone else's life is an inspiring moment for everyone that works with us.
There are still lots of people who think that becoming a coder is difficult. There's still a fair percentage of the population that thinks you need to be a mathematical genius to learn this kind of skill. The reality is, nothing could be further from the truth.
People from all different walks of life can learn to code. We hear over and over again from different people how they are inspired and feel they can do whatever they set their mind to.
This is an excellent shift in people's thinking for several reasons. First and foremost is the fact that people need developers and software engineers like never before.
We're also happy to report that may of our graduates report back and tell us that they've learned that classrooms are collaborative. The best way to learn how to code is to feel comfortable enough to ask any questions from your fellows as you go through our Orange County C# programming course.
Getting the most from the Orange County C# programming course we offer depends on your commitment too!