Would you rather the kid your babysitting fall down stairs and die or Your mom die after the last thing you say to her is "burn in hell" ?
line Your mom die after the last thing you say to her is "burn in hell"
I wouldn't say it to her.
My father died after i said "I love you."
This one is beyond stupid.
I would never say something like that to my mother.
It'll be easier to clean my tracks. You didn't exactly say if the kid "fell down by accident" or if he was "pushed".
Yeah have fun with that!
What a horrible feeling to know that you were held responsible for another life, and failed :( But I do love my mommy!


text:
Countess of Southampton is a title that may belong to either the wife of the Earl of Southampton or a countess in her own right. The title may refer to:

Mary Wriothesley, Countess of Southampton (1552–1607), wife of Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton
Elizabeth Wriothesley, Countess of Southampton (1572–1655), wife of Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton
Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland (1640–1709), countess in her own right

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
LASG to disburse N25b employment fund in December
By Olaolu Oladipo, Lagos
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has state that the current administration will commence the disbursement of the N25billion Employment Trust Fund (ETF) initiative in December.
Ambode spoke at the graduation ceremony for 500 artisans trained by the state government on modular employability programme in nineteen different trades.
He said the informal sector remains a critical vehicle for economic recovery, adding that Government was passionately committed to repositioning the sector for economic gains.
He said the N25billion ETF, which would be disbursed for the next four years on N6.25billion annual basis, was one of the initiatives designed to empower the informal sector, adding that government was open to ideas and strategies that would aid sustainable growth of the sector.
"Let me tell you clearly that the N25bn ETF is for artisans and entrepreneurs in Lagos State. We will commence disbursement from the month of December, 2016 and let me assure you that a larger percentage will go to our carpenters, our tailors, our hairdressers, our vulcanizers, and so on.
"Everybody that is a tradesman and is an artisan in Lagos will have automatic access to the Employment Trust Fund (ETF)," Governor Ambode said.
Speaking at the event which also coincided with the 7th Tradesmen and Artisans' Week, the Governor said the ETF was an initiative with the cardinal mandate to support the establishment and growth of small businesses to create job opportunities for the people, adding that soft loans would be provided to genuine and credible artisans and traders in the State.
He assured that his administration would not sit and wait for oil prices to rebound in the international market before arriving at a solution to the challenges confronting the state, hence the need for the ETF and other initiatives.
On the training for artisans, he said such was one of the platforms for recognizing and projecting the significant contributions of the informal sector as a vehicle for economic development, adding that government was equally mindful of the fact that artisans were the major players and the conveyor belt for industrial enterprise in the country.
While urging the newly trained artisans to leverage on the strategic position of Lagos as the contributor of 25 percent of the total GDP of Nigeria and 5th largest economy in Africa, Governor Ambode said the training which they passed through was designed to address this skills mismatch and provide the right mix of skills needed to service the industrial needs of the State.
Responding to requests by artisans through their representatives, Governor Ambode approved that the beneficiaries of the training should be increased to 1,500 artisans next year and a yearly subvention of N12million and brand new operation bus for the Lagos State Council of Tradesmen and Artisans (LASCOTA), among others.
Earlier, Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mr. Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti said the 500 artisans were re-trained and up-skilled on eight weeks intensive programme solely sponsored by the State Government for better service delivery.
LASG to disburse N25b employment fund in December	2016-11-30
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text:
Mapping the world's opinions
About us Style guide FAQ
Is it offensive for sports teams to use Native American mascots and names?
<- Back to full map
Yes, it is offensive
No, it shouldn't be a cause for offense.
Damages young Native Americans' self-esteem
Borne from racism
Historical baggage
Spreads harmful stereotypes
Offence is subjective
A mark of respect
It can be tasteful
Native Americans aren't offended
Read Edit Revision history Discuss
⟨ Is it offensive for sports teams to use Native American mascots and names? Show more Show less
Teams like the Washington Redskins, the Atlanta Braves and the Cleveland Indians have always used Native American imagery and mascots in their branding. Advocacy groups accuse them of cultural appropriation and playing on racial slurs. Are their claims justified? Is the use of Native American imagery a sign of respect for their culture? Is their offence justified?
Yes, it is offensive Show more Show less
The use of native American names is offensive.
(1 of 2 Positions) Next >>
The depiction of Native Americans in sports culture perpetuates harmful and prejudicial stereotypes.
<< Previous (5 of 6 Arguments) Next >>
Most people do not have regular contact with Native Americans. Therefore, their understanding of Native American culture and customs comes from the way the people are depicted in popular culture. Mascots depict Native Americans as foolish, war-like and aggressive people. This allows harmful stereotypes to propagate and causes a loss of empathy for Native American people.
Seeing Native American mascots can lead to the spread of misinformation and negative stereotypes surrounding the way Native Americans look, behave, communicate and interact with the world at large. Alternatively, it can give the impression that they have been relegated to warriors of the past, like Vikings, gladiators and knights, neither of which are positive outcomes.[1] Both of these are damaging because they are ultimately dehumanizing and can result in a loss of empathy for Native Americans among sectors of the population whose only contact with Native culture has come from sports teams. A 2016 study found that people who live in the cities of professional sports teams that have adopted Native American mascots and imagery in their branding, subconsciously believed that Native Americans were more war-like and aggressive. The study found that residents of Cleveland, home to the Indians baseball team, were more likely to believe that Native Americans held war-like traits than residents of Miami, Detroit and Atlanta, the control cities. [2] If Native American mascots are allegedly displaying positive attributes, why would people from these cities have a more negative attitude towards Native Americans?
If anything, these stereotypes are positive. Courage, bravery and strength are all positive traits and are ultimately the reason why the Native American warrior figures were selected as mascots for many professional sports teams. The propagation of positive stereotypes is not harmful. It earns Native Americans respect and honour and fosters a positive image of them as wise, brave and deeply spiritual people.
[P1] Mascots promote negative stereotypes of Native American people. [P2] Therefore, they are offensive.
Rejecting the premises
[Rejecting P1] The sentiments of Native American people present in sports are almost entirely positive. [Rejecting P2] Therefore, they are not offensive.
https://globalsportmatters.com/culture/2018/04/24/native-american-mascots-honoring-culture-symbol-disrespect/
https://theconversation.com/new-research-shows-how-native-american-mascots-reinforce-stereotypes-63861
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Seeing their culture mocked and laughed at damages the self-esteem of young Native Americans.
The names and mascots are borne from a place of racism, not respect.
Native Americans have a history of marginalisation and mistreatment in the US.
Native American imagery and symbolism in sports is a clear example of cultural appropriation.
If Native Americans find it offensive then it is offensive.
This page was last edited on Wednesday, 4 Sep 2019 at 14:51 UTC
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1st November 2014 marks 3 years since the Junior ISA was introduced by the government.
JISAs, as they are also known, are today firmly established as a popular way to save or invest for a child resident in the UK who didn't qualify for a Child Trust Fund.
To mark this special occasion, Scottish Friendly is running a Facebook competition called #SelfieAt3. You could win a set of 6 Gruffalo cuddly toys including the Gruffalo himself as well as other popular characters from Julia Donaldson's marvellous book series: the mouse, the squirrel, the owl, the fox and the snake.
Just post a picture (or 'selfie') of yourself aged 3 (or thereabouts) to the Scottish Friendly Facebook page with the hashtag #SelfieAt3.
Get five likes for your picture.
'Like' the Scottish Friendly Facebook page and share our post.
Get five likes for your picture and you will be entered into a prize draw with all other pictures with 5 likes or more. The winner will receive the full set of Gruffalo toys as shown at the top of the page.
As mentioned, to be eligible for the competition, you will also need to 'like' the Scottish Friendly Facebook page and share our post.
The closing date is Friday 31st October. For full details, see our terms and conditions.
What could your child get back from a Junior ISA?
Why not find out how much your child might get back from a Scottish Friendly Junior ISA by using our new interactive projection charts.
It's impossible to tell you the exact return your child may get in the future but we can give you a rough idea. Remember stock market investments can go down as well as up and you could get back less than you have paid in.


Phenomenal and Spectacular late 19th century Italian walnut bed lavishly decorated and carved in Renaissance manner with delicate gilt floral and mythical creatures tracery. Lion Paw carved feet with egg and dart moulding around base and dental moulding and Corinthian detail carving on head board. Latin central plaque reads Vsove dvm vivam et Vitra ….. During Life and Beyond Overall dimensions 237cm wide, 232cm long, 222cm high. Base and mattress can be supplied at this size is various comfort feels POA National and international delivery can be arranged.


Everyone's knowledge of social media and how best to use it, differs. These workshops respond to this and keep clients up-to-date with an ever changing landscape.
Using my background as an elite athlete, and as a journalist working on national newspapers, I deliver memorable workshops to all ages from school children to teachers and parents baffled by the interest and obsession with communicating online.
If there is something specific you need addressed just ask.


If you don't come from a family where cars are kept in excellent condition and then passed down through the generations to become classic vehicles, you're going to have to shop around to find the classic car you want to add to your automobile collection.
A great place to shop first for older models is through online auction sites like Copart.com. The selection of vehicles changes constantly, so be sure to check in frequently to see if a vehicle you would like to purchase available to bid on. You can also sign up for alerts to be notified when new classic vehicles are up for auction.
* Your budget – It goes without saying that you shouldn't place a bid that's higher than what you can afford. Also remember, your budget should include the transportation costs of getting the car. Classic cars are often put up for auction to be sold for parts, resulting in shipping costs. Or, if the vehicle is drivable, you may still need to purchase airfare and hire a rental car to get to where the vehicle is located. Shipping costs can vary depending on distance. Visit www.transportreviews.com to learn more about shipping costs for cars.
* View the car in person – Copart provides photos, detailed written descriptions and a link to inspection services of the vehicles available for auction. However, if you are the type of person who wants to check out potential purchases in person, you can set up a viewing, and will have to add additional time and travel expenses to your schedule and budget to handle this. For classic vehicles, it can be especially important to review how much of the vehicle is original and what has been updated.
* Acceptable forms of payment – Some auctions require the money be paid at the time the bids are closed and the vehicle declared "sold." It's a good idea to know before you bid if cash is collected, credit cards allowed or some other form of payment is required. Some places, like Copart, accept cashier's checks, which means you'll need to have access to your bank to get it set up.
* A plan for getting the vehicle to your garage – As mentioned earlier, the auction house will want you to have transportation plans in place for taking the vehicle. Be sure to take into consideration if you want to purchase a drivable car, or are fine with something you can put your heart and soul into bringing back to its original condition.
The number of classic cars available for sale via auction might surprise you, so if you're in the market for purchasing an older model vehicle, be sure to check sites out like Copart.com.


Modern detached home.- private garden overlooking sea of Cortez.
Private pool & Jacuzzi, observation deck-sundeck.
$350 per night or $2400 per week - $450 per night - $3000 per wk.
$625,000. all cash. will throw in my 97 nissan pathfinder.


Area Industry is a once a year ceramic festival that spotlights Pacific Northwest makers. The geometric symbol and hand painted textures are inspired by minimal craftsmanship and artistic elements of designing with clay.
The monogram mark is graphic, abstract, and playful. The bright blue color set against a neutral background reflects the technical aspect of design in a fun, yet simple style.


text:
Beale no longer chairman of CIDI
shadiasimpson, [email protected]
BARBADIAN?John Beale has been replaced as chair of the Organization of American States' (OAS)?Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI).
Beale, Barbados' permanent representative to the OAS, held the post for the past semester.
Permanent Representative of Belize to the OAS, Nestor Mendez, took over on Friday as the chair of CIDI, the main body of the hemispheric organization with decision-making power in matters of partnership for integral development.
Beale emphasized the central role played by development in the work of the OAS. He highlighted education in particular, and cited as an example of its impact the experience of the Colombian city of Medellin that has achieved "a remarkable turnaround and is now recognized as a major centre of entrepreneurship".
"All this is due to education," said Beale, adding that through better education the people of the Hemisphere could achieve a better quality of life and distance themselves from the problems of violence, crime and drugs.
Ambassador Mendez presented a plaque of recognition to Beale on behalf of the council, for his work as CIDI chair, and said he faced a difficult task to live up to the work of his predecessor.
The Belizean diplomat said integral development was a fundamental element in fighting the ills that afflicted society such as violence, crime and insecurity.
"Those things can best be combated by the creation of access for economic opportunities for our people," Mendez said.
The CIDI reports directly to the General Assembly and is intended to promote cooperation among member states for the furtherance of their integral development and, in particular, to help eliminate extreme poverty. (AB)


Dr. Kunk earned his medical degree from the University of Tennessee. He completed his internal medicine residency and a fellowship in hematology & oncology at the University of Virginia. Dr. Kunk is board certified in internal medicine.
During his fellowship at UVA, Dr. Kunk was recognized as Hematology/Oncology Chief Fellow and received the Joseph H. Farrow Research Award.
Dr. Kunk manages patients with gastrointestinal cancers, including cancers of the colon, rectal, pancreas, liver, neuroendocrine system, bile duct, esophagus, stomach and small intestine. He has research interests in immunotherapy and combination chemotherapy.
In his spare time, Dr. Kunk enjoys rowing, curling and hiking.


We're somewhere out in the Yellowstone backcountry. It doesn't matter where. Every place doesn't need to be described by its coordinates.
There are geothermal areas that roads don't go to, basins with mudpots and hot springs and geysers that you have to work to see. Their perceived status as minor attractions, perhaps, by early park authorities has benefitted them in the long run. No parking lots here, no selfie sticks, no warning signs. It is wonderfully uncrowded, save for the bison.
We have been hiking for a good while to arrive at this spot. It was open grassland fringed by forest for the most part, with streams trickling down from the ridges and toads leaping away from our boots. Two times we abandoned the trail: once to circumvent a bison and once to stand right here. Before us is a wide break in the grass and woodland. No plants are growing down there. Lupine and paintbrush bloom at my feet, but their resplendent purples and reds are confined to the land that has soil, absent from the barren, cracked, and steaming earth downslope. Low, bubbling sounds pulse in the unseen depths of cauldrons nearby. Vapor dissipates above milky, turquoise pools and tinges of yellow in the crust on the opposite ridge corroborate the testimony on the air: the smell of sulphur.
While sitting in rare shade and admiring these features, we are interrupted. A lone bison has come over the ridge behind the little stand of trees in whose shadows we are resting. He's just 15 yards away. He must have heard our voices, must know we're here, but there's no need to stick around and confirm his apparent lack of aggression. We quickly pack up and move away, continuing our walk along the perimeter of the geothermal area, taking care to step where it's clear other bison have been before. If the ground supported them, it'll hopefully support us.
We've crossed to another ridge with a good view back to where we were. There's the bison, grazing in our shade. And here he comes, right down the game trail we just took to give him his distance. Apparently he has not been informed of our legal requirement to stay 25 yards away. He's just too curious.
On we go through the lodgepole, taking care to make noise and look ahead so we don't startle any other bison along the way. We look back and see our friend again. He's in no rush, ambling through the sparse woods. A plume of dust rises from behind a small stand of trees. Clearly he has availed himself of a dirt bath.
Later, we emerge from the forest and cross the creek that drains these hot springs. The water is surprisingly cool. The flowers are blooming here, too. They reach up towards the cloudless sky above, bathed in the sunlight that feeds them. The hillsides are void of trees, covered instead by green and gold stems of grass and dried disks left by those great grazers who have to be feeling a little overheated on this July afternoon. I'm feeling a little overheated, and I'm not covered in thick, dark fur. All the more reason to respect the bison: they are far tougher than I could ever dream of being.
Our steps parallel the creek, following the trickle as it grows to a more substantial stream thorough the contributions of smaller hot springs along the way. Atop a ridge where I can see the wide valley through which our "official" trail runs, the valley that will carry us back to the roads and the noise, I turn back once more to the land we're leaving behind, the uncrowded and unclouded basin where the supervolcano's work goes on unnoticed. There, on the path behind us, stands a bison. The bison? Is it the same one? Has he been following us this whole time? I can't say for sure, so I'll go with the romantic version of the story. It is our bison. He just wanted to make sure we got out okay, that we enjoyed our visit, and that we don't tell too many people precisely where we've been. He likes it uncrowded.


text:
Triceratops used horns to fight, research shows
By Thomas H. Maugh II
Many types of dinosaurs had elaborate sets of horns and frills, and scientists have argued for decades about whether such features were strictly ornamental or meant for fighting. A Claremont researcher has now found firm evidence that they were meant for internecine warfare.
Andrew A. Farke, curator of the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology on the campus of the Webb Schools, and his colleagues studied fossilized bones from Triceratops specimens in museums throughout North America. Triceratops had a pair of massive horns on its head and a shorter horn on its snout, as well as a shield-like frill around its neck.
They compared the bones with those from Centrosaurus, a related species with smaller, less imposing horns on its head and a larger horn on its snout, looking especially at the squamosal bone, which forms part of the frill.
They reported Wednesday in the online journal PloS One:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0004252 that the squamosal bone in Triceratops -- which protects the neck and body -- had 10 times as many combat scars as that from Centrosaurus, while the other bones on their heads had similar numbers.
That, says Farke, is clear evidence that Triceratops used its horn to battle others of its ilk in the same manner that elk and other modern horned animals battle for mating supremacy. But they may have also used the horns as a mating display, with bigger, heavier ornaments indicating increased fitness for reproduction.
"I like to think of the headgear on Triceratops as a Swiss Army knife," he said in a statement. "They probably used their skulls however they wanted, whether it was for combat, defense or display."
thomas.maugh@latimes.com
News Analysis: Boeing sacrificed quality on the altar of shareholder value
Boeing cut corners to get the 737 Max on the market fast. A company long run by engineers for engineers is now a company run by corporate bureaucrats.


text:
Ordisoftware Engineering
Agile creation of object-oriented applications
1 January 2021 > New year 2021
1 November 2020 > Added electronic instrumental music production section
IUT 3D Animation
Skills IQ
Libre software
Home > Legal information > About libre software
About libre software
There are two categories of software : those which are proprietary and we must usually pay for their use, and those which are libre and we have no obligation to purchase.
Commercial and libre software are not necessarily opposable, and sometimes the objectives have no relationship with their differences that can be mixed according to the domain, the need, the type and the scope of a project.
In both cases, developers supply an immaterial work through a physical medium, for which they are intellectually the authors, and which takes time and investment. The purpose of a work being to live and survive, for oneself and for others, a free software is not thus synonymous of gratuitous, unless it is a public service funded by taxes.
Donations are a source of income for free software designers. Just like we are free to use these programs, we are also free to define what we give according to our means. Sometimes the authors don't ask for money for various reasons.
But the shareware donation system, outside the case of amateurism regarding few currency units, except for humanitarian work not controlled by the State, is a false and problematical litigious solution for a false cash flow problem, and from a fiscal point of view it would be more accurate to consider the libre purchasing as commercial sales when the product is an intangible deliverable, which requires to not flat rate taxing the existence of an entity and only the generated flow of money.
Developing free or open source software is a vision about source code, sharing of knowledge and evolution of computing. You can read different points of view from Free Software Foundation, from Open Source Initiative and from Creative Commons.
I consider the right and need of the source code of all software sold or distributed free of charge, and therefore not falls within the internal and legal activity of a group nor the national security, to be as free and monetizable by its producer as the text of a book because of the immutable principle that a code hidden to the public is like a book hidden to the public.
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Lesser General Public License 3.0
Free Documentation License 1.3
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Tipeee.com page creation
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Editorial content licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0
Downloadable documents and software have their own licenses
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THIS GAME IS INTENDED FOR PLAY ONLY WITHIN THE 50 UNITED STATES (AND WASHINGTON D.C.). U.S. LAW GOVERNS THIS GAME. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO PLAY OR WIN. PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. OPEN ONLY TO U.S. RESIDENTS, 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER ONLY. VOID IN ALL U.S. TERRITORIES (e.g., GUAM AND PUERTO RICO) AND WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. HEAD2HEAD SPORTS IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE (NHL) AND ANY NHL TEAM OR NHL PLAYER.
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Overview. Teams are assigned a rating value based on 2017-18 final standings and projected 2018-19 performances, (the "team ratings"). Entrants must select one team from each of the six (6) team groupings to form a complete active roster. Points are awarded following each game (see Scoring System below). Overall prizes are based on the cumulative score from all game periods (see Prizes below). There are also game period prizes available.
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Period Play. The Game will separate the 2018-19 NHL hockey schedule into six periods detailed below. Points scored each period will carry over for cumulative game scoring, and Team Groups (explained in Overview above) will be reset after each Period. Rosters, however, do not carry over from period to period so every participant will need to select new teams prior to the beginning of a new scoring period.
Scoring. From all eligible entries received, the winners will be determined based on their ability to use their skill and knowledge of Professional Hockey to accumulate the most points during each period. In the event a scheduled game does not occur as scheduled (e.g., the game is cancelled, postponed, etc.) you will only receive points for that game if you have the team on your roster during the period the game is officially completed. Ties will be broken in accordance with the Tiebreaker procedure below.
Scoring System. Each entrant's team will be ranked by total points by applying the official scoring system: Each period your team earns two (+2) point for each win, one (+1) for each goal scored and minus one (-1) for every loss for each team on your roster during the scoring period. There are no points for ties.
Lock Time. All rosters will lock at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT for the periods designated above and must be submitted, received and recorded by H2H's computer by the scheduled lock time. Selections submitted after the deadlines listed above are considered invalid. H2H's computer is the official time keeping device for this game.
Early Games. The NHL may schedule games to be played prior to the 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT lock time for each period. In these situations, you must select those teams prior to the designated NHL start time. After the designated start time, you will be unable to pick up or drop teams from the game(s) that have started. For the remainder of the period you will be limited to choose from teams that have not played prior to the designated final trade deadline.
Tiebreakers. Should a tie exist between two (2) or more entrants eligible for any period or cumulative prizes, the winner will be the entrant that has the highest score in Team Group #1 for that period. If a tie persists, the winner will be the team with the highest score in Team Group #2. Persisting tiebreakers will continue using Team Group #3, Team Group #4, and so on. If required the tiebreaker will use previous periods to continue the tiebreaker using the same process described above. If a tie continues to persist, all remaining entrants will split the prize, in the case of a cash prizes. For all non-cash prizes, all remaining entrants will receive the respective prize. In all cases, an entry that does not win a tiebreaker is eliminated from consideration.
Prizes. Prizes will be awarded to the top point scoring teams over the regular NHL season. The approximate retail value ("ARV") of all prizes is $3,070.00.
Overall Prizes (100 winners). H2H will award one of one-hundred (100) prizes to the entrants who accumulates the most points during all season periods. To calculate total points, H2H uses each all period scores. The Grand Prize is $1,000 cash, 2nd place is $250, 3rd place - $100, 4th and 5th places - $50, 6th-10th Place - 4,000 Fantasy Buck$, 11th-50th Place - 2,000 Fantasy Buck$, and 51st-100th Place - 1,000 H2H Fantasy Buck$.
Period Prizes (6 winners). H2H will award one of six (6) period prizes to the entrant who accumulates the most points during each Period (and wins any pending tiebreaker). Each Period Winner will receive $50.
Odds of winning prizes. Depends on the total number of eligible entries received and the relative Professional Hockey knowledge of all entrants.
Prize Delivery. Weekly Winners should allow up to 4-6 weeks after they return their signed affidavit to receive their prize. Prizes returned as undeliverable or otherwise not claimed within fourteen (14) days after being sent will be forfeited.
"Prize Notice" via Email or Mail. Winners will be notified via email (or overnight mail) sent approximately 7 (seven) days following the end of the Game Period. Entrants are responsible for insuring that all mailing and e-mail information is up-to-date and accurate.


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City Hall, Commentary, Public Policy, Transportation
Congestive Failure
April 10, 2018 Editor	3 Comments
by Geov Parrish
Mayor Jenny Durkan's announcement that she wants the city to come up with a plan for "congestion pricing," to toll surface streets in downtown and South Lake Union, is only the latest in a growing tradition of city policies that are meant to sound and feel good, but that are deeply delusional and throw Seattle's working poor under the bus – in this case, literally.
As with many of these policies, the general goal of Durkan's edict sounds laudable – to get more people out of their cars and using public transit, thereby reducing the carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. As Durkan notes, the last four mayors have been trying to reduce Seattle's carbon output, but it has remained basically stable over that time. That doesn't mean past efforts have failed – on a per capita basis, they've had impressive success. But explosive population growth, both in the city and in our region, has offset the per capita reductions. Durkan wants more.
Okay – but at what cost, and to what benefit? Seattle's contribution to national carbon emissions, let alone global ones, is miniscule. In absolute terms, reducing it by ten percent – which would be a lot, given that Seattle's population growth isn't expected to slow any time soon – just doesn't matter much. It does allow Seattleites to feel smug about ourselves, and it would help to shame a somnambulant federal government, if Republicans were capable of shame. But by itself, it won't do much to actually slow down climate change.
Seattle is even unlikely to influence other American cities, several of whom have already considered and rejected congestion pricing. Most famously, New York City has had several such proposals to toll access to Manhattan in the last decade. No US city has actually enacted such a plan. The best-known examples of congestion pricing are European: Stockholm, Milan, and especially London, the first major city to implement it.
But as we should have learned with bicycles, homelessness, and any number of other issues, Seattle is not Europe. Our geography (especially the sprawl) is different. Our levels of poverty and our social safety net programs (such as they are) are different. Even our hills are something that regularly cited bike-friendly models like Copenhagen and Amsterdam don't have.
In this case, cities like London can use congestion pricing to reduce car usage because they have a well-established public transportation system that people can and do use instead – especially rail, which takes people off the streets entirely and is more carbon-friendly than buses.
For example, Greater London, with 14 million people, has not only a robust passenger rail network, but its subway system – The London Underground, or The Tube – has 11 lines, 270 stations, 250 miles of track, and 1.3 billion passengers annually. Metropolitan Seattle, including Pierce and Snohomish Counties, has a quarter of London's population – but Link Light Rail has only one Seattle line, with 16 stations, 20 miles of track, and 23 million passengers annually. That's less than two percent of London's ridership, or eight percent of its per capita ridership. And, of course, Link light rail's one line doesn't even serve most King County neighborhoods, with the next expansion – the relatively modest four mile extension from UW to Northgate – not due to open until 2021, the same year Durkan wants congestion pricing to start. Assuming no delays, the first stations on a second, Eastside line will open in 2023.
Metro buses are also a problematic option to replace car usage. Every year recently has seen record ridership, but for years Metro funding hasn't kept up with demand. Voters approved a record $930 million transportation levy in 2015, but the city is quietly getting ready to announce reductions in the projects that levy was meant to fund, due both to escalating costs and the predictable loss of federal funding under the Trump Administration. Some projects will be hit harder than others – particularly the projects, like the proposed seven new Rapid Ride lines, that were expecting to rely heavily on federal funding. Without those new lines, bus options won't be much better in 2021 than they are now, with central city routes already frequently at capacity during precisely the same hours as the vehicle gridlock that congestion pricing will supposedly address.
At this point, congestion pricing resembles nothing so much as Seattle's current approach to homelessness, which is to dismantle most emergency shelters and social support services in favor of funneling the homeless into permanent affordable housing that does not exist, at least not in anywhere near the amount needed to meet the demand. A similar dynamic awaits those who decide to turn to public transportation rather than paying to drive downtown. After decades of political leaders using transportation money to fund vanity projects and real estate development schemes, Seattle doesn't have the public transit infrastructure a city our size should have – let alone one that can accommodate our projected future growth, let alone our ambition to, uniquely among US cities, get people out of their cars.
And beyond all of that, congestion pricing, like so many of Seattle's other revenue sources, is extremely regressive. Someone who can afford a downtown condo or rental won't even notice downtown tolling – but someone who works downtown but has been forced out to Kent, Lake City, or some other outpost in search of slightly less outrageous housing costs faces a light rail system that's irrelevant and a bus system that's frequently packed in rush hours but doesn't even serve many areas well on nights or weekends. What are they supposed to do? If they're driving because, like in most American cities but unlike the rest of the world, there are no practical alternatives, it doesn't make sense to force them out of their cars until those alternatives are in place. Having to choose between increased driving costs and, say, rent or food seems pointlessly cruel – but people in that situation are precisely the ones who will be impacted by most variations on the type of plan Durkan wants.
But, as with the homeless waiting in vain for alternatives, the city's policies doesn't really much care about the working poor. Instead, Seattle simply hopes they'll go away, in this case in service of a largely symbolic goal. It hasn't worked with the homeless, and it won't with this, either. It will simply place more burdens and misery on the lives of people far removed from the eco-friendly confines of City Hall. Most good Seattle liberals would be mortified by the comparison, but there's something positively Trumpian about city leaders that make policy decisions based on the city they imagine, rather than the one that actually exists.
Feature image courtesy Alex Garland
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3 thoughts on "Congestive Failure"
Dick Burkhart says:
Remember that transit cards like ORCA Lift are programmed to provide discounts to the working poor, they could even do subsidies for that matter. These could also work in conjunction with free transponders on vehicles, so I don't see poverty as the main problem. Rather, it would be the logistics of setup, maintenance, and enforcement, and the complexities of who gets discounts, how much, for what purposes, and when, etc.
In some cities they have actually gone much further than congestion pricing – they actually have car free zones. Examples I've enjoyed are in Porto Alegre and Curitiba, Brazil. These are fantastic, but all small enough to be walkable, with delivery truck access at night, and only emergency or other special vehicles during the day.
Georgia S. McDade says:
Thanks for the figures.
Fred Quarnstrom says:
About 15 years ago the city screwed up Beacon Avenue. It went from a 4 lanes, 2 north 2 south to 2 lanes. You also blocked left turns from some intersections. I cannot turn left into my office parking lot. I have to go down the block and take a left turn into an alley. This is much more dangerous.
Next the city decided to plant trees. It will be like Paris driving through the tunnel of trees. 15 years later. We could not open the front door to our dental office. The sidewalks are buckled up to 18 inches at the base of the trees. Two elderly people fell due to the broken concrete of the sidewalk in front of my office one broke an arm. The other hit her head and died 2 days later. You cannot walk the sidewalks on Beacon Avenue. Kids cannot ride they bikes, skates or skateboard. Every 15 feet the concrete is broken sticking up to 12 to 18 inches. It is dangerous to walk down Beacon Ave. Look around we have more trees than ticks on a hound dog. We have many trees. Look at the mountains. We did not need to destroy our sidewalks.
The trees look like giant "Y"s the city had carved out the middle of the trees to clear power lines. These trees are seriously weakened and you will find them all over the South end. The next time we have a heavy snow, cars and homes will be damaged if not destroyed.
Next you put the train down the middle MLK. This is the only part of Sound Transit that goes down the middle of a busy street. You cannot cross the tracks. I have sat several times for 15 minutes to get a left turn light to allow me to cross the tracks one time it was 17 minutes. Just as it is our turn here comes another train. But of course this is the low income area; it does not need to be in a tunnel like the rest of the system. Certainly Bellevue would never have put up with this.
Next we came to a meeting about the road diet for Rainier Avenue. 105 people were at the meeting. 2 people spoke for the road diet everyone else was strongly against it. This was a Friday evening. As the meeting ended, we were told Rainier Ave. would be restriped Monday morning. No one listened to the concerns of the citizens. You have made Columbia City a parking lot from as early as 6 am to as late as 10 pm. You cannot use Rainier Ave. to go north and south. You destroyed half the north south streets in southeast Seattle. You have loaded up Seward Park Ave. and Lake Washington Boulevard with cars.
Seward Park Ave. has taken a lot of that traffic. I have a photo on my phone that shows 72 cars lined up bumper-to-bumper trying to get past the stop signs at Othello. This happens every afternoon about 3 pm and lasts to 7 or 8 pm. By screwing up Rainier Ave you have made Seward Park Ave. almost unusable every afternoon.
It will be wonderful for bikers we were told. The bikers have no license to ride to show they know traffic rules. They ignore stop signs and lights. They pay no licenses fees, they pay no fuel taxes and yet you have given them half the NS streets in SE Seattle. They make up less than 1% of the vehicles on the streets. but you gave them half the streets. Last Friday on a trip from Capital Hill to SE Seattle I counted 300 autos and 2 bikes. You have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars striping bike lines up McClellan, Spokane, Morgan streets. I have never seen a biker going up or down any of these streets. If most of us rode a bike up these streets you had better have a medic unit at the top to restart our hearts. If we rode a bike down, our breaks would be on fire or you would have to install arrest nets like on an aircraft carriers. 23rd Ave. use to be a reasonable route to the U of W. Well you fixed that. It is now a 2 lane stop and go street, with cars sitting idling waiting to be able to move.
I have a solution for Seattle's traffic problems. Lets first look at what has been done and how well it works. I am most familiar with S.E Seattle. We have road diets and are about to have a new road diet on Rainier Ave. S. In a road diet they take a perfectly good 4 lane avenue and make it a 2 lane avenue. When a bus stops to pick up riders, cars are stopped behind it. They place islands in the middle lane so you cannot go past the stopped bus. They also eliminate many left turns. In doing so, SDOT tells us they will be able to move more cars. They did this on Beacon Ave. we now have traffic jams each morning and afternoon. The volume of traffic is much lower than it once was and many drivers had to shift to Rainier Ave.
A road diet is about like telling the firemen to put away their 5" hoses and use ¾" garden hoses. By using smaller hoses you will get more water for your fire. If we place some further obstructions in the hoses, this will further increase water flow. We all know that if the Fire Department did this our homes and businesses would all be at great risk should a fire get started. Our road diets are a bit like using the garden hose for water to put out a fire. If you think you can eliminate half the north south lanes in Seattle and get more traffic moved you are drinking some very strong liquor.
Lets start with prevention. Place roadblocks on all the streets leading into the city. Do not allow any motor vehicles to enter the city. Put one-way spikes allowing motor vehicles to leave but not to come back.
Housing prices will plummet. Those who remain in the city will be able to live anywhere at no cost as most houses will be vacant. Only bicycles will be allowed on the streets. Those houses on steep hills will be abandoned and the hills will revert to blackberries and ivy.
Boeing employees will leave Seattle as will Boeing. Amazon employees and Amazon will leave. The U of W will have much smaller classes because students will not be able to get there from the eastside. Microsoft employees will not live in Seattle. Stores will close, schools will close and businesses will leave.
In the end, Seattle will become, the much discussed Urban Village, of about 20,000 inhabitants who will live in the flat areas where bikes work. Medic One will be a tandem bike with a defibrillator. If they get your heart restarted, you may live. You will have to ride your bike to the hospital. They will have no way to transport you; nor will we will have hospitals. The sick and old will simply die and add to the smell of rotting garbage. Remember there will be no garbage trucks. Seattle will become a small town of unemployed, no income, bike riders. The citizens will be fit and young because no one else will be able to mount Seattle's many hills on their bikes.
You think bikers are aggressive and abusive now. Just think how it will be when you have 30 bikers at the same time running stoplights and stop signs all from a different direction knocking each other over. There will be no services, no big box stores, no mail delivery, no fire engines, no ambulances and very little in the way of jobs. This will be known era of under development of the once great city, Seattle.
You have taken 4 streets with 16 lanes north south to 8 lanes. Traffic comes to a total standstill every day thanks to your brilliance. Now you want to screw up Wilson Ave. What is it you drink and smoke downtown to come up with such stupid ideas. What have we done to you to cause you to be so negative and vindictive to those of us who live in SE. Seattle.
'Church on the Yard' – Filthy Rags Shepherds Prisoners on the Journey From the Inside to the Outside


There are many curses that can plague you from reoccurring sicknesses, marital problems, to repeated financial failures. Many addictions, financial losses, infirmities, and sicknesses continue to reoccur within the family because of generational curses. This is because evil spirits find open doors into your family. Scripture declares that God visits the iniquities of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate him. You cannot choose your relatives any more than you can choose gender. Before you can break generational curses you need to identify them. Family curses are real. You can't ignore them. Learn what to do.
How to Keep Your Deliverance.
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Guest: Erik Seedhouse. Topics: Erik's latest book, "Beyond Human: Engineering Our Future Evolution," & human modification for long duration spaceflight. Please direct all comments and questions regarding Space Show programs/guest(s) to the Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments and questions should be relevant to the specific Space Show program. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are a violation of our copyright and are not permitted without prior written consent, even if for your own use.
Guest: Dr. Erik Seedhouse. Topics: We discussed his book, "Interplanetary Outpost: The Human and Technological Challenges of Exploring the Outer Planets," the human factors issues & the technical issues for such missions. You are invited to comment, ask questions, and discuss the Space Show program/guest(s) on the Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments, questions, and any discussion must be relevant and applicable to Space Show programming.


Quantity is a real factor in taking nice pleasing candids. Even really good and experienced photographers don't get good photos 100% of the time, however they may get a higher percentage. The answer then is to shoot and keep shooting. The other night at a a local benefit talent show, I shot over 335 photos and out of those pictures I recovered 13 nice shots.
The lighting was poor and flash was not a possibility. The only available lens that was fast enough for that lighting condition was a manual focus 50mm f1.8. Focusing manually can be a little difficult. specially when the camera it is attached too doesn't provide a focus aid. The majority of my problem was in focusing, however I did have some exposure issues as the lighting varied from act to act. The other factor to the night was I was confined to a single seat, it would have been weird to get up and move about for better angles and such.
Here are a few of my winners.
I love to one of DR jost! Great shots!


text:
Grand Opera Through the Grand Lens
by Rolf Sachsse
…Ahmet Ertuğ reveals himself as a photographer who is capable of more than just capturing the moment: he directs our view of history. That he uses more than just light and colour for this shall be seen in the example of European opera and music house opulence.
Perhaps a Japanese experience influenced the photographic work of Ahmet Ertuğ: temples may only appear correct if they are, materially speaking, new and fresh – Kyoto's restorers must possess the oldest workshops in the world, some more than eight hundred years old. The material tradition is less important here than the ideal, even if the quality must be the finest available at the time of execution. This certainly applies to Ahmet Ertuğ and his photographic books: The images represent the view of an age, the books are long-lasting products and therefore culturally sustainable, exhibitions of photography serve as a better awareness of the true world.
Ahmet Ertuğ is a true exponent of history in stories; in his individual images just as in the context of his exhibitions, portfolios and books. His route from the Orient to the Modern Age was dictated by a view to preservation, initially leaving his own architectural and civil-planning modernity in doubt. That this view itself would become a historic moment; that the books and their images would themselves make history, could not have been anticipated by Ahmet Ertuğ at the outset. Now, after a quarter of a century and over twenty books on historic themes, he is finally able, in Palaces of Music, to capture the most up-to-date objects as he is able to predict their going down in history. He is now able to look back on each picture – and we with him – and find his own history reflected within. He furthermore represents the progression of photographic history and its social acceptance as art. Ahmet Ertuğ has become one of the greatest of his kind.
Ahmet Ertuğ is not just an active contemporary of the world cultural heritage – his work has become part of this cultural heritage itself.
One final aspect of the story seems worth mentioning: as long as Ahmet Ertuğ continues to work as architect and photographer, the United Nations World Cultural Heritage agreement will continue to exist. Unlike any other photographer, Ahmet Ertuğ has implemented the intentions of this agreement. Whichever theme he chooses for his photography, whatever he turns into a series of stunning images –the objects of his curiosity inevitably become part of the world's cultural heritage. His vision, his images stand for the independence of the recognition of Eurocentric history; they guarantee a post-colonial glimpse of that which is worth preserving in the world. Ahmet Ertuğ is not just an active contemporary of the world cultural heritage – his work has become part of this cultural heritage itself.
Copyright © 2020 The Photography of Ahmet Ertug
@ahmetertugphotography


text:
<?php

namespace app\models;

class User extends \yii\base\Object implements \yii\web\IdentityInterface
{

    public $id;
    public $usuario;
    public $email;
    public $nombre;
    public $apellido;
    public $nacionalidad;
    public $clave;
    public $authKey;
    public $accessToken;
    public $activate;
    public $rol;
    public $verification_code;

    # busca la identidad del usuario a traves de su $id */

    public static function isUserAdmin($id)
    {
    	if (Usuarios::findOne(['id' => $id, 'activate' => '1', 'rol' => 3])){
    		return true;
    	} else {

    		return false;
    	}

    }

    public static function isUserCatalog($id)
    {
    	if (Usuarios::findOne(['id' => $id, 'activate' => '1', 'rol' => 2])){
    		return true;
    	} else {

    		return false;
    	}

    }

    public static function isUserSimple($id)
    {
    	if (Usuarios::findOne(['id' => $id, 'activate' => '1', 'rol' => 1])){
    		return true;
    	} else {

    		return false;
    	}
    }

    public static function findIdentity($id)
    {

        $user = Usuarios::find()
                ->where("activate=:activate", [":activate" => 1])
                ->andWhere("id=:id", ["id" => $id])
                ->one();

        return isset($user) ? new static($user) : null;
    }

    # Busca la identidad del usuario a trav�s de su token de acceso */
    public static function findIdentityByAccessToken($token, $type = null)
    {

        $users = Usuarios::find()
                ->where("activate=:activate", [":activate" => 1])
                ->andWhere("accessToken=:accessToken", [":accessToken" => $token])
                ->all();

        foreach ($users as $user) {
            if ($user->accessToken === $token) {
                return new static($user);
            }
        }

        return null;
    }

    /**
     * Finds user by username
     *
     * @param  string      $username
     * @return static|null
     */

    /* Busca la identidad del usuario a trav�s del username */
    public static function findByUsername($username)
    {
        $users = Usuarios::find()
                ->where("activate=:activate", ["activate" => 1])
                ->andWhere("usuario=:usuario", [":usuario" => $username])
                ->all();

        foreach ($users as $user) {
            if (strcasecmp($user->usuario, $username) === 0) {
                return new static($user);
            }
        }

        return null;
    }

    # Regresa el id del usuario
    public function getId()
    {
        return $this->id;
    }

    # Regresa la clave de autenticaci�n
    public function getAuthKey()
    {
        return $this->authKey;
    }

    # Valida la clave de autenticaci�n
    public function validateAuthKey($authKey)
    {
        return $this->authKey === $authKey;
    }

    /**
     * Validates password
     *
     * @param  string  $password password to validate
     * @return boolean if password provided is valid for current user
     */
    public function validatePassword($password)
    {
        /* Valida el password */
        if (crypt($password, $this->clave) == $this->clave)
        {
        return $password === $password;
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Profitability debate: to franchise or remain independent
Independent operators often wrestle with the question of whether or not to join a franchise network, with debate about which delivers higher profitability being chief among their concerns.
According to Mister Minit Australia's CEO, the proof is in the pudding, with many of the franchisees in his business, who were long-time independent operators, reporting considerably higher profits under the Mister Minit brand than they ever managed independently.
"A franchisee we have up on the Central Coast … had his own business for 23 years. He had five shops, 23 years. We bought that business off him I think about four years ago now," explains Mark.
After then going through Mister Minit's technical assessment process, which all prospective franchisees are required to undertake, the man joined Mister Minit as a franchisee, and Mark says he hasn't looked back since.
"He said to me, 'Best thing I've ever done.' He said, 'I make better returns than I ever did'."
Mark says this is not an isolated example, but that "A number of our franchisees had previously worked for themselves".
"We have another successful franchise here. I won't mention his name, but he had his own business for 15 years and sadly actually went into administration. It was a pretty tough gig coming out. He worked for us many years and he's now a very successful franchisee. He says the same thing."
The reason for this, says Mark, is predominantly because operating under a strong franchise brand enables a business owner to focus their time more closely on serving their customers – and of course the more customers you can serve, the higher the incoming revenues.
"Most small business people actually don't want to talk to the landlord too much. They don't actually want to have to go through the pain of doing lease renewals and having to do fit-out things and so it goes on and on," says Mark.
"We try to make it as simple as we can and do ... the crappy stuff that you've got to do if you're in business, but it doesn't have a whole lot of value to it."
Hear more insights from Mark on franchising, customer attraction, adapting to digital disruption and more on the My Business Podcast below:
Australians forgoing $200,000 retirement windfall
Rogue accountant jailed for $2m tax fraud
Last Updated: 26 October 2017 Published: 26 June 2017


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Storm King's Barrows—A DMs Guild Review (part 1)
Patrick August 5, 2018 Leave a comment
Storm King's Barrows: Tombs and Crypts of the North is a DM's Guild product with ten dungeons in the northern Sword Coast area. This is the first in a five part series of reviews. I will cover the first two dungeons in this review. The first is Breve Heeros Onli! by George Sager. The second is Geschmalig's Tomb by Christian Eichhorn. Each dungeon will receive it's own, standalone rating and I will also give an overall rating for the entire Storm King's Barrows product upon completing the series.
Storm King's Barrows
Storm King's Barrows: Tombs and Crypts of the North
Writer(s): Jason Bakos, Matt Butler, Andrew Dempz, Christian Eichhorn, David Flor, Edward Gioffre, Darren Parmenter, George Sager, Rob Twohy, Christopher Walz, and Micah Watt
Publisher: DMs Guild
Product Length: 135 pages
Type: Adventures
Level(s)/Tier(s): 1st-15th/1st-3rd
First things first. This review is of version 1.3 of the product so if there are any inconsistencies between any factual comments I make regarding Storm King's Barrows and what you believe to be accurate, please ensure you are referencing the same version I am. Additionally, this product comes with high-resolution maps for each adventure (.png format) as well as a Map of the North. All of these maps are also at the end of their respective adventures. And, finally, there is an ink-friendly version which you will want to take advantage of if you plan to print any of these adventures on your home printer as the background for the high-res PDF is sure to be an ink hog.
This map of the North does not reveal the dungeons' locations. However, the product comes with a marked version.
1. Storm King's Barrows: Breve Heeros Onli! by George Sager
Storm King's Barrows—Breve Heeros Onli! An adventure for PCs level 7-15 (optimized APL is 7 for four characters)
There are two primary elements at the heart of Dungeons & Dragons. Those two things are…wait for it…dungeons and dragons. Storm King's Barrows wastes no time beating around the bush and gives us both of these elements in the first adventure. Dragons aren't ones to sit around and pine about their disabilities. They still adore their hoards and dream of acquiring more and more wealth. To what end? Well, because they wants it!
Shevra is a vindictive black dragon who slaughtered a clan of kobolds upon finding her mate, Grystix, slain. In the process, Shevra, loses her only good eye and the kobold clan's sole survivor, Heep, made an agreement with the dragon. She would guide unwary adventurers through the network of tunnels under Mount Black. The dragon would receive treasure, the occasional softened game, and she'd regain control over the mountain as the hapless adventurers killed other denizens of Mount Black. And, of course, Heep would get her cut. She would also get her life.
Using deception and misdirection, Heep's plan is to gather intelligence on travelers and convince them to buy rigged equipment from her and then decide where best to advise the group to go within the tunnel network (generally to an encounter that is just a bit too challenging). Most noteworthy is the fact that she'll send a group directly to the dragon by exaggerating her disabilities if she deems the group foolhardy enough to follow through.
Originality (5 stars)
Overall, I enjoyed Breve Heeros Onli! Heep is an interesting character. I happen to count kobolds among my favorite monsters. Probably from nostalgia—my first AD&D adventure involved killing some kobolds who were attacking a small supply caravan. Nonetheless, I still like them and seeing George Sager bring an enigmatic character like Heep to Storm King's Barrows was great! I loved her double-crosses, scheming, and charisma. She carries the bulk of my rating in the Originality category.
The encounters were nice too. You won't find standard dungeon fair in this dungeon. Sager has taken the effort to put in some creative monsters that I wouldn't ordinarily associate with dungeons. Consequently, there are weretigers, grimlocks, as well as the black dragon, Shevra, found within. I typically associate black dragons with swamps and bogs but I don't find this one in the mountains to be all that misplaced. And I guess I haven't really ever considered where I'd most likely encounter a weretiger. A jungle seems fitting but I liked them here in Mount Black all the same. Also, there are great opportunities for role-playing. Particularly where it concerns those weretigers.
Writing (4 stars)
George Sager's writing was concise and easy to read. There were no unnecessary superlatives or flowery language. He gets his point across and is able to be thorough without bogging things down.
Production (4 stars)
The maps included with this portion of Storm King's Barrows are sufficient enough for my liking. I don't have to have excessive detail on these images to appreciate the dungeons. I do wish they were in line with the adventure instead of just at the end. This is a minor issue but it might've been helpful. Especially if you consider the separate high-res .png files. A sharp-eyed reader may notice the second map has no grid lines and want to cry foul. However, there is a grid version in the high-res maps.
I would have loved a portrait of Heep as well as one of Shevra. After all, a blind dragon would be something to behold!
Aside from these two issues I don't have any complaints to speak of.
Design (5 stars)
Have I mentioned Heep yet? I love her! PCs will spend a fair amount of time engaged with her making Insight and History checks. She may double-cross you. But in an effort to save her own skin, she may double-cross the dragon. The encounter with the weretigers gives ample opportunity for Stealth, Investigation, and Survival checks. And defeating the dragon will take more than waltzing in and kicking ass. She may be blind but that only means she has a heightened awareness of her other senses. With the dragon mentally enervated, there are alternatives to a standard toe-to-toe battle.
Cost (4 stars)
Storm King's Barrows costs $14.95. It may seem prudent to take that price and divide by 10 to calculate the appropriate cost per adventure. However, I believe a more useful means is to go by page count. Breve Heeros Onli! is 10 pages long. So this adventure has an allocated cost of just under $1.11. This is a great price for such a wonderful adventure.
Overall Rating: 4.4 Stars
2. Storm King's Barrows: Geschmalig's Tomb by Christian Eichhorn
Storm King's Barrows—Geschmalig's Tomb. An adventure for PCs level 8-12 (optimized APL is 10 for five characters)
Geschmalig's Tomb is the longest adventure in Storm King's Barrows. Including all the maps, stat blocks, and appendices, it is 22 pages. However, when I read it I didn't think it overstayed its welcome. In fact, I quite enjoyed it. This story involves an undead army hellbent on conquering northern settlements in Geschmalig's name.
According to legend, Geschmalig is the mortal son of the Raven Queen. She left him in the care of uthgardt barbarians and as he grew he developed a reputation as both a bruiser and a lady's man. Ultimately, his tribe grew tired of his ways and prayed that Uthgar would do away with him.
This didn't happen. Instead, Geschmalig met a kindred in a man named Udiken and the pair soon set out to wage war on weaker tribes. Stricken by a mysterious illness, Udiken dies an agonizing death. A grief-stricken Geschmalig abandons his ambitions and can think of nothing except returning his friend to the land of the living. In an odd twist of fate, Geschmalig dies trying to help his friend. Now a hundred years have passed and an undead Udiken has returned the favor to his friend. But not unlike Dr. Malcolm Crowe in The Sixth Sense, Geschmalig doesn't know he's (un)dead.
As I've stated already, I enjoyed Geschmalig's Tomb. It is ultimately a story about kinship. Brotherhood. Even in undeath these two men have remained loyal to one another and feel a deep sense of compassion and indebtedness to one another. Players will find themselves with good options during each encounter and even some potential hooks for future adventures with the treasures they find. I love a good redemption story and if run well-enough a DM could easily make this a touching and memorable story of regret and sorrow.
All in all, Christian Eichhorn has written a solid adventure. There are a few nagging spelling errors and comma splices but nothing that takes away from the narrative. That narrative, by the way, is gripping and well-paced. Geschmalig is not exactly a likeable character. At least I don't think that was the intent. But ultimately I found myself rooting for him.
Similar to Breve Heeros Onli!, the maps are at the end of the adventure so I won't reiterate where my preference for them is. The formatting is good. The art—a sketch of one of the scenes and picture of a journal—are nice additions with the former being a bit amateurish but charming nonetheless. The dungeon maps follow the same design as the previous adventure and are effective. The unmarked dungeon maps included along with the PDF are particularly useful for using in VTT (or to print) and not giveaway trap locations.
A full 5 stars for this category! Eichhorn went to great lengths to make the characters experience his adventure with all the senses. Constitution checks and howling winds will remind the players of how bitterly cold it is here. Smells permeate the tomb. Both Geschmalig and Udiken are imposing figures. Players will want to consider their choices and role-play as befitting their characters. They should prepare themselves to fail at some tasks. The DCs are sometimes really high. Not impossible. But high enough to be incredibly memorable if the party succeeds. Furthermore, the magic items gained are excellent hooks for future adventures. Some of them even have long-term ill effects.
Geschmalig's Tomb is 22 pages long. So this adventure has an allocated cost of roughly $2.44. Still less than the cost of a coke and a bag of chips from a convenience store.
Thanks, Christian Eichhorn, for the review copy of Storm King's Barrows: Tombs and Crypts of the North.
Tagged Breve Heeros Onli!, Christian Eichhorn, DMs Guild, dungeons & dragons, George Sager, Geschmalig's Tomb, Storm King's Barrows
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Trump: "Squad" Should Apologize to the U.S. and Israel, Do Not Love America
by Team BonginoPosted: July 22, 2019
President Trump slammed Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and her "squad" yesterday, tweeting that the four lawmakers should apologize to both the United States and Israel.
"I don't believe the four Congresswomen are capable of loving our Country. They should apologize to America (and Israel) for the horrible (hateful) things they have said. They are destroying the Democrat Party, but are weak & insecure people who can never destroy our great Nation!" he wrote on the social media site.
I don't believe the four Congresswomen are capable of loving our Country. They should apologize to America (and Israel) for the horrible (hateful) things they have said. They are destroying the Democrat Party, but are weak & insecure people who can never destroy our great Nation!
The so-called "squad"– consisting of Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) have a history of disparaging both the United States and Israel.
**LISTEN: Dan addresses the latest liberal media hoax to completely collapse**
Ocasio-Cortez created a firestorm recently when she claimed the United States was running "concentration camps" at the U.S. border.
Omar has repeatedly made anti-Semitic comments, and recently stated that politicians are paid off by pro-Israeli groups for their support.
Last week, the Congresswoman, along with Tlaib co-sponsored a resolution supporting the right to boycott Israel.
Fox News reports:
Omar's resolution seeks to push back against U.S. laws banning the boycott of Israel and affirms the right of Americans to organize boycotts of foreign countries if they so wish.
While the resolution doesn't explicitly name Israel or the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, she told media outlets that the resolution concerns the Jewish state.
Omar told Al-Monitor, "We are introducing a resolution … to really speak about the American values that support and believe in our ability to exercise our First Amendment rights in regard to boycotting. And it is an opportunity for us to explain why it is we support a nonviolent movement, which is the BDS movement."
Last month, the "squad" released a statement slamming both ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in which they claimed the agencies were "radicalized, criminal agencies" that were "destroying families and killing innocent children."
The lawmakers called to "abolish ICE" due to its blatant "human rights abuses."
"We must be equitable in our outrage. We must abolish ICE. We must invest in community-based alternatives to detention. We must end the system of mass detention and deportation of immigrants. We must create an immigration system that reflects our values and respects the dignity and humanity of all."
Ep. 1027 Another Liberal Hoax Exposed
WATCH: Unhinged Rep. Tlaib Once Dragged Out of Trump Event by Secret Service


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Detroit Woman Accused and Arrested for "stealing" a lost card
A Detroit Woman tried to return a lost credit card until she was wanted by the police for stealing it.
By Gladys W. MuturiPublished about a month ago • 3 min read
Sandra Wilson on WXYZ
This is a story of a good deed gone wrong. A Detroit woman was at a gas station buying cigarettes until she found a lost card at the station and returns it to who she thought was the owner of the card until she was wanted by the police for Fraud when she went to the station to explain the police didn't believe her and arrested her almost charging her which cost her entire life.
It was on the evening of June 16, Sandra Wilson, a security guard and a regular gas station customer at the. On surveillance video, she can be seen entering the gas station wearing a blue dress. Inside are two other women who would prove important to what would later happen.
Sandra Wilson, a security guard
A surveillance footage of Wilson walking inside the gas station.
While Sandra was waiting in line, one of the customers ahead of her is seen putting her credit card down on the counter while she talks to an employee. Seconds later, she leaves the store but leaves her credit card behind.
Wilson standing on the line for cigarettes while the woman in the pink pants at the counter.
Another woman enters the store at the counter playing the lotto numbers then leaves her credit card behind.
Woman in the pink pants leaves and Wilson at the counter.
The lost credit card still on the counter.
Sandra can be seen walking up to the counter to purchase her cigarettes while she was waiting she sees a card sitting there. But instead of picking it up, she follows the customer who most recently walked out of the store and said she asked her whether the card was hers. She said yes.
Wilson sees the credit card
Sandra could be seen grabbing the card and walking it out to the woman while she sat in her car. She didn't know it, but Sandra gave the card to the wrong woman who said "Yes".
Wilson walks out to confront the woman who left the card.
The woman took the card and left the gas station. No one alleged that Sandra ever used the credit card. In fact, she only held on to it for about 15 seconds. Wilson left until the following week. During the following week after she got her cigarettes, she started getting calls from family and friends asking why she was wanted by the police.
Wilson confronts the woman who thought left her credit card then later "returns" it to her.
Detroit police Twitter page
Detroit Police Instagram page
A snap surveillance picture of Wilson appeared on social media, first on the Detroit Police Department's 7th Precinct Twitter account, then on the popular Crime News in the Detroit Police Instagram page.Both said she was wanted for illegally using someone else's credit card. Wilson went to the 7th precient to clarify what happened. Her interrogation was recorded. Shortly after sitting down, Sandra is told by a detective she is "the focus of the investigation" and is told she'll be read her Miranda Rights. Quickly, Sandra says she wants a lawyer. repeat her request for a lawyer twice. The detective has Sandra read her Miranda rights aloud, initialing and then signing her name. The detective wrote at 10:54 AM: "The subject refused to make a statement and asked to speak to an attorney."
7th Precinct
Wilson seen visibly upset on the police interrogation video
But the interrogation didn't stop. It continued for another 30 minutes, and not just with one officer. A second would later join. As the questioning continued, Wilson is seen crying and growing frustrated. The cops kept asking her "who she gave the card to?" she kept until they handcuff believing they caught the culprit.
Wilson handcuffed by the police.
Wilson spent the next three days in lock up and would later be charged with two felonies, facing up to 4 years in prison. After she was released, she was fired from her job as a security guard. In October, the case went to a jury trial, and thankfully the Judge sided with her and was acquitted. The Judge called the whole "Absurd and ridiculous and wrong". However, even though Wilson won her case, she is still jobless, her family and friends still wonder if she did something wrong, social media labeled her as "criminal" and was evicted from her home.
"They embarrassed me. Humiliated me. I have 49 applications and I can't get a job,"
Wilson told WXYZ
Honestly, I find this totally unfair what the police have done to this woman they could have handle it in a different way. I am glad the Judge stick up for this woman. I am deeply sorry to Sandra Wilson that I hope she sues the police for all the damages that has cost her hopefully soon and please anyone in Detroit give her a job give her a chance.
All sources from WXYZ
innocenceinvestigation
Gladys W. Muturi
Hello, My name is Gladys W. Muturi. I am an Actress, Writer, Filmmaker, Producer, and Mother of 1.
Instagram: @gladys_muturi95
Twitter: @gladys_muturi
Facebook: facebook.com/gladystheactress
YouTube channels in the works
patreon.com/gwmuturi
More stories from Gladys W. Muturi and writers in Criminal and other communities.
The Tragic Murder of Amie Harwick
A 38-year-old Hollywood sex therapist and ex-fiancee of Price is Right host Drew Carey, Amie Harwick was passionate about helping others with relationships and sex life pretty much trying to be the next Dr. Ruth Westheimer until February 15, 2020 she was found by the police fallen off the balcony and already strangled and was pronounced dead. Close sources from Harwick believed her death was caused by an ex-boyfriend who has been abusive towards her and stalking her.
By Gladys W. Muturi2 months ago in Criminal
Dua For Husband Health And Success
Do you want the best Islamic prayer for my husband success from the Quran? If yes, then we are going to share the most powerful dua for husband health and success in Urdu and English with you. Keep on reading this article for learning about the surah for husband success and health to always be best.
By Abdul Rahman3 days ago in Criminal
The Fleet House Horror: A Town's Tragic Tale
It was a dark and stormy night when the police received a call about a disturbance at Fleet House, a large Victorian mansion on the outskirts of town. When they arrived, they found the front door ajar and the lights on inside. As they entered, they quickly realized that something was horribly wrong.
By Martian about 18 hours ago in Criminal
Carousel Dance
They're razing the old carousel today so I figured you'd come home. Still, it shocks me to see you after all this time. Your face is weathered now, your once supple skin sagged and sun-creased into frown lines that retreat behind your greying beard, and there's a middle-aged paunch that wasn't there before. But you're standing with those same slouched shoulders and your hands in your pockets, smiling that same gapped-tooth grin, and I recognise you in an instant.
By Em Starrrrr5 days ago in Fiction


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Bonesville: The Authoritative Independent Voice of East Carolina
News & Features from ECU, the AAC and Beyond
Legacy Archives
COMING TUESDAY: "FROM THE ANCHOR DESK"
Insights from Brett
Houston pressing for better execution
October 14, 2019 By Brett Friedlander Leave a Comment
The East Carolina football team has reached the midway point in its 2019 season. While its 3-3 record isn't exactly what new coach Mike Houston had hoped, it's still the best the Pirates have been after six games since 2015.
Now the task becomes building on that promising start, getting even better over the final six games and finishing on a high note — whether it ends up in bowl eligibility or not.
ECU coach Mike Houston (File photo by Al Myatt)
It's a goal not out of the realm of possibility given the progress this team has already shown and a remaining schedule that, while difficult, includes eminently winnable games against South Florida, Connecticut and Tulsa.
As Houston and his staff bring their team out of a well-timed open date into what promises to be the most difficult test they'll face all year at Central Florida on Saturday, here are three areas that need the most improvement as they embark on the second half of the season:
There have been times throughout the first six weeks in which the Pirates appeared to have been on the verge of a breakthrough. But there have been just as many times in which they continued to be haunted by the mistakes and bad habits of the past three years.
This is a concern in all three phases of the game, but especially on the offensive side of the ball, as was vividly illustrated during the Pirates' last outing, a 27-17 Thursday night loss to Temple at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
In that game, ECU started with a 90-yard, 12-play touchdown drive on its opening possession and an 84-yard, nine-play touchdown march the final time it touched the ball. That's 174 yards and 14 points on 21 plays.
In between, however, the Pirates mustered only 153 yards and three points on the other 53 plays they ran in the game.
So what do they need to do to eliminate such a wide disparity?
It starts with the ability to run the ball effectively, a pursuit that will presumably be aided by the return of Darius Pinnix — who was averaging five yards per carry and 78 yards per game before he got hurt. But it's also going to take better blocking from the big guys opening the holes up front.
A serviceable ground game and the more balanced attack it would provide would also benefit quarterback Holton Ahlers, who needs to improve on his so-so .530 completion percentage and begin throwing more touchdowns and fewer interceptions than his current ratio of six scores and five picks.
Speaking of turnovers, nothing would help Ahlers and his offense more than to be given a few more short fields with which to work rather than having to put together as many epic 90- and 84-yard drives.
While the Pirates are on pace to far surpass their total of just 11 takeaways in 2018 and have already equaled their total of five interceptions, their eight forced miscues through the first six games still ranks in the bottom half of the American Athletic Conference.
Creating turnovers was a major point of emphasis for defensive coordinator Bob Trott during preseason camp and it's something the Pirates have to continue to stress — and follow through with results — to make the second half of the season a success.
Winning third down
The ability to stay on the field offensively and get off the field defensively is the key to success at every level of football, but it's a skill ECU has yet to master on either side of the ball.
Offensively, the Pirates have only converted 32.2 percent of their third down opportunities (28 of 87). That ranks 11th in the 12-team AAC and 116th out of 130 FBS teams nationwide.
They're only slightly better on the other side of the ball, allowing opponents to convert 40 percent of their possession situations (36 of 90) — a figure that ranks 10th in the conference and 85th nationally.
Whether it's cutting down on pre-snap penalties, missed assignments or any number of other little things that together can cause big problems for a team struggling to get over the hump, it's a problem Houston and his staff must try to solve to accomplish the still attainable goals they have for the rest of this season.
If there's one thing the young Pirates have going for them, it's that effort (or lack thereof) is no longer the issue it has been at times during the recent past. Now all they have to do is match the effort with the same level of execution.
"I just don't understand, not that we weren't playing hard, but when you don't play things according to your keys, where you have all week — that is very, very frustrating," Houston said after the Temple game. "That is a big point of emphasis this week.
"Playing hard, OK, we're doing that now. OK, we've got to play well. We've got to continue to bring drill work and team work during the week. And we've got to bring team work to game day. That's all three phases."
ECU 2019 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
PIRATES UNDERGO VIDEO REVIEW
PIRATES NOT OUT OF BOWL PICTURE YET
CRUMP BRINGS "SHUT-DOWN CORNER" SKILLS TO ECU
HERRING FOLLOWS TESTED PATH TO OPPORTUNITY
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text:
Blockaded Gaza faces an avalanche of suffering as new lockdown begins
HomeBlogsBlockaded Gaza faces an avalanche of suffering as new lockdown begins
Quality and Accountability Framework Statement
Muneeb Abu-Ghazaleh, Country Director of Islamic Relief in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
The Covid-19 crisis is like a snowball that keeps expanding. I worry it may become an avalanche that engulfs us all, warns Muneeb Abu-Ghazaleh, Country Director of Islamic Relief in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The blockade on Gaza has caused much suffering over the years, but it had one unexpected benefit: it helped keep coronavirus out – until a few days ago. People with symptoms were taken straight from the entry gates into quarantine, and this meant cases were contained within the quarantine centres.
"It turns out that the blockade does have a benefit," people remarked sarcastically. Sadly Gazans no longer have even that slim comfort now. At about 8pm on Monday 24 August, I heard the news that four Covid-19 cases had been found outside of the quarantine centres.
The whole Strip panicked.
Expecting lockdown, many people rushed to grocery stores and bakeries to buy food. At 11pm a 48-hour curfew was announced. Some people were able to get the supplies they needed before the shops were forced to close, and some were not. I was one of the unlucky ones. I went to the supermarket where I usually go to buy bread daily; shelves were empty. I then went to a bakery to find a long queue outside. I went to a second and third one; all the same. I decided to buy wheat and make bread at home.
Despite the warnings and stories we read from all over the world, we were still caught out when Gaza locked down. God only knows how long it will continue.
An invisible crisis inflicting more wounds on Gaza
Unlike any other crisis that hit Gaza before, the Covid-19 crisis is invisible. It is like a snowball that keeps expanding. I worry that it may become an avalanche that engulfs us all.
Many people were unable to get essential supplies before the curfew started.
Gaza is already exhausted after 13 years of a very tight embargo, one imposed on two million people, half of whom are children. The economy has collapsed and the health system is close to breaking point.
To make matters worse, Gaza barely used to get eight hours of electricity every 24 hours. This means no water supply, which directly contributes to pollution and the spread of disease. Increased restrictions on the main border crossing, imposed this week, have led to further fuel shortages. We only get four or five hours of electricity per day now.
Municipalities and public service institutions have for some time been asking Islamic Relief to support with fuel for generators, but the needs here are so great that we lack the resources to help with this on top of everything else we do.
Islamic Relief's focus is to provide food for families in lockdown. Around 50,000 families are expected to become food insecure after losing their daily income because of the lockdown. We are also supporting hospitals with essential needs. Coronavirus cases have been discovered at the Strip's main hospital.
Families face deepening poverty and suffering
My children, like many other students, have already lost half of the last year since schools closed to curb the spread of the virus. Now the new school year has begun we looked forward to children restarting their education, but with coronavirus in our communities, the schools have closed again.
I worry not just about their lost education, but also about the immense stress children are under as they are stuck at home – and of course, the anxiety they cause their parents and guardians! The younger children are easier, but teenagers are struggling with the loss of independence and the social isolation that comes with lockdown.
The streets of Gaza that would normally be full of people and traffic are now empty.
As a humanitarian worker as well as a father, I worry how the most vulnerable people will survive the lockdown. I believe that no more than 20% of Gazans were able to stock up on supplies in the hours before lockdown. The rest – the poorest, older people, people with disabilities – are going without.
Many rely on charity to meet their basic needs. Without a refrigerator or electricity, they have no way to store fresh food. In normal circumstances, Islamic Relief would be a lifeline for these households but our operations are suspended in the lockdown and the shops are closed.
How will they eat and feed their children now? How with older people and those who are sick get the medication they need? I want to help them.
Islamic Relief is determined to help those who need us
The Islamic Relief emergency team will seek permission to work through this crisis as we have in all other emergencies, and we will do what we can to supply families with food and hospitals with their essential needs.
For months, we have been providing nutritious daily meals to cancer patients whom hospitals could not feed. During one of my hospital visits, a woman told me, "I never had a meal as delicious and clean as this one. I thank God for sending Islamic Relief to us."
I am determined to find a way to resume providing these meals. God knows, these patients are already suffering so much – they should not have to go hungry too.
With our strong network of local partners all over the Gaza Strip and with strict protection and precautionary measures in place, Islamic Relief must take the calculated risk and go out to help.
Since March we were providing daily meals and water to people in quarantine, including food during Ramadan. We have provided disinfecting materials for schools and public places. We are also providing ICU beds to hospital Covid wards.
Now with the new cases discovered within communities and the lockdown imposed, Islamic Relief will soon start providing vulnerable families with their basic needs again, as well as supporting health institutions so they can continue to provide essential services to the community.
Islamic Relief has never let the people of Gaza down, through every crisis, and insha'Allah we will get through this one too.
Please donate to our Gaza Emergency Appeal.