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The Undertaker could set a historic win achievement at WrestleMania 33
The Undertaker has the most PPV wins in WWE history and will go for a very notable mark this Sunday at WrestleMania.
WWEBy Phillip Bupp on March 28, 2017 March 28, 2017
When The Undertaker matches up with Roman Reigns this Sunday at WrestleMania, the Deadman has a chance to do something no other professional wrestler has ever done.
This stat really went under the radar but according to Wrestling Data, The Undertaker has a record of 99-66-5 during Pay-Per-View matches ever since he debuted at Survivor Series 1990. If he defeats Reigns, The Undertaker will win his 100th PPV match.
I have to be honest, I never knew The Undertaker was even close to a chance at winning 100 PPV matches before reading that. I'm sure WWE didn't either because I don't believe there has been any mention of this and you would think this would be a big deal to market (as if an Undertaker WrestleMania match needs marketing).
WWE may also want to keep that detail under wraps because if Roman Reigns defeats The Undertaker, it would not help Reigns' "face" status by not only being the second man to defeat the beloved wrestler but also deprive him of reaching 100 PPV wins. Especially when this could realistically be The Undertaker's final match.
In case you're curious, the top 10 in PPV wins is John Cena (88), Triple H (86), Kane (70), Randy Orton (62), Edge (61), Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho and Big Show (52) and The Rock (42).
You can go down a rabbit hole with these stats. For instance, if you want to be depressed today, Kofi Kingston (36) has more PPV wins than Hulk Hogan (28), Randy Savage (23) and Ric Flair (22). Granted, there weren't as many PPV's back in their heydays than now and they all had sizable tenures in WCW (which doesn't apply to these numbers) but it's still pretty jarring that someone from The New Day has more wins than three people you could put on a Mount Rushmore of the best professional wrestlers ever. Speaking of Flair, Ric's daughter Charlotte would get her 19th PPV win if she wins the Raw Women's Championship so she will likely pass her father within the year.
Also, it should be shocking to see, Hulk Hogan only has a 28-13-1 record which I find that hard to believe. Yes, Hulk lost a few times at WrestleMania but you would think the person who was the face of WWE at a time where he held the championship for multiple years straight and could go undefeated for over a year having that kind of record.
But getting back to The Undertaker. It would seem like a terrible tease, at least from those really into the industry, that The Undertaker lost on Sunday and ended his career on 99 wins. There's no indication that The Undertaker is retiring but we're getting to the point where we've been thinking the next match would be Taker's last for at least the past five or so years. You would think WWE would have The Undertaker win but he is going against Roman Reigns so…yeah Reigns will probably win and get even more heat from fans.
[Uproxx/Wrestling Data]
the undertakerWrestlemania
About Phillip Bupp
News and soccer editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. I also do video highlight game coverage for Major League Soccer as well as a freelance writer for hire. Opinions are my own but feel free to agree with them.
Follow me on Twitter and on Facebook @phillipbupp
View all posts by Phillip Bupp	Follow on Twitter
Simona Halep beats Serena Williams easily in Wimbledon final
Simona Halep handled Serena Williams 6-2/6-2 at today's Wimbledon singles final, capturing the second grand slam title of her career.


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Home » News » Germany May Offer Model for Reining In Fossil Fuel Use
Germany May Offer Model for Reining In Fossil Fuel Use
Source: By MELISSA EDDY, New York Times • Posted: Tuesday, December 8, 2015
A wind farm near Berlin. In pursuit of sustainability, Germans have had to pay more for energy, and most support the efforts. Credit Gordon Welters for The New York Times
BERLIN — If negotiators in Paris reach an agreement next week on a global plan to rein in the use of fossil fuels, the next question becomes this: How can the participating countries fulfill their pledges to do their part?
They may get some direction from Germany, which has claimed some early success in diversifying its energy sources and balancing economic growth with environmental concerns.
Many other nations and political and business leaders had scoffed when Germanyset out to make the transition from carbon-emitting power plants to renewable energy, committing itself to developing new energy sources, reducing consumption, phasing out nuclear power and investing in a low-carbon future.
But last year, Germany, the world's fourth-largest economy, reached a milestone by reducing its overall energy consumption while still recording modest economic growth of 1.5 percent, breaking a traditional pattern in which nations see their energy use fall only during recessions. The share of renewable energy use has continued to rise as the use of fossil fuels has fallen — all while tempering the concerns of industry about rising costs and maintaining global competitiveness.
A brown coal facility in Jänschwalde, Germany, in 2014. Solar, wind and other renewable sources accounted for 27.8 percent of power generated in Germany last year, for the first time surpassing lignite, or brown coal. Credit Gordon Welters for The New York Times
"Germany is the first country in the world to show they can uncouple growth from burning of fossil fuels," said Jim Yong Kim, president of the World Bank. "This is the main task of our generation."
Not that the efforts have been without challenges. As Germany has accelerated its phaseout of nuclear power, it has at times relied too heavily on coal-fired power plants, and it will need to make deeper cuts to its yearly carbon emissions if it is to meet the goal of a 40 percent reduction from 1990 levels by 2020, a target that the government set for itself. (The European Union, including Germany, is committed to reaching that same goal as a bloc by 2030, as part of the Paris deal.)
High-power transmission lines to carry wind-generated power from turbines in the north to factories in the south have run up against not-in-my-backyard resistance, and the automobile industry's foot-dragging on curbing emissions recently has been laid bare by American regulators who caught Volkswagen cheating on its numbers for diesel cars.
Get daily news and analysis by email from the climate change conference in Paris. You will also be among the first to receive our new Science newsletter.
German consumers are being asked to bear much of the price of the energy transition, which the government projects will be at least 550 billion euros, or about $597 billion, by 2050, in order to shield energy-hungry heavy industry from higher costs. This has left households with far higher electricity rates than their counterparts in most other countries.
Most recently, experts have warned that the influx of nearly one million people this year seeking asylum could cause a spike in emissions.
"It is important that we address the issue of population now, or it could jeopardize our 2020 goals," said Andreas Löschel, a professor of economics at the University of Münster and an adviser to the government.
Still, Barbara Hendricks, Germany's environment minister, said she believed that the country could meet its climate goals. She said the ability to expand the economy while reducing energy use was a major achievement.
"That is the decisive point for sustainability, to be as or more successful, while using fewer resources," Ms. Hendricks said on Saturday.
Few thought it was possible. But since 2000, across party lines, German governments have passed laws and set regulations encouraging the production of solar, wind and bioenergy, in a program known as the Energiewende, or Energy Transition. At the same time, businesses, enticed by subsidies and prodded by Berlin, have worked with researchers on new ways to improve efficiency.
The foundation for the entire effort has been the support of German citizens, who have been willing to shoulder the burden of increased costs in the short-term, in the long-term hope of leaving their children with a cleaner, more sustainable system.
That course is now being sought by nearly 200 countries in Paris, which aim to wean the planet from dependence on energy produced by fossil fuels.
Germany has already realized its goal of increasing the share of power generated by solar, wind and other renewable sources, without hurting industry or plunging the nation into darkness. Last year, those energy sources accounted for 27.8 percent of all power consumed, for the first time edging out lignite, or brown coal, the country's favorite fossil fuel. The national goal for renewables is 35 percent by 2020.
In the long term, Germany's ambitious goals remain to reduce levels of greenhouse gases by at least 80 percent of 1990 levels in 2050, with 60 percent of energy consumed from renewable sources.
Dirk Messner, a member of the German Advisory Council on Global Change, which advises the government, recalls being invited in 2011 to present a study on German climate policies at the Brookings Institution, in Washington.
"The attitude then was, 'Go ahead, you can take the lead on this one,' " Mr. Messner said. "There were many at the time who considered this a wacko-green idea."
That made the energy transformation task even tougher, and many industry leaders complained about rising energy prices caused by the hefty taxes and surcharges that have underwritten the process. The government responded by waiving the surcharges for companies that could prove a strong need for energy; some 2,000 were exempted.
The bill was passed onto consumers, and electricity prices for a three-person household have risen 68 percent since 1998, according to the German Association of Energy and Water Industries.
Yet public support remains strong. A survey by TNS Infratest pollsters this year showed a strong majority of Germans continue to back the energy transformation effort, with 67 percent saying they favored the government's policies.
Some companies have come to see the plan as an opportunity to expand the markets for their products.
Schüco, one of Germany's oldest window companies, also designs low-energy doors and facades. Andreas Engelhardt, the company's chief executive, said countries like China and India, which rank among the top greenhouse gas emitters globally, and are plagued by worsening air pollution, have shown growing interest in sustainable, environmentally friendly buildings.
The Chinese have even asked if Schüco could develop a "smoke window" capable of filtering the outside air, he said.
Companies like Florida-Eis in Berlin, which makes specialty ice cream, have embraced low-carbon production and national energy goals, with the company's owner Olaf Höhn, even selling his private jet and cashing in his retirement plan to invest in a new factory covered in solar panels.
Cartons of vanilla and Swiss chocolate chill in propane-cooled deep freezes delivered by a fleet of battery-run trucks.
Amid the successes, there have been some disappointments. Germany has not fully resolved the nearly universal challenge of delivering alternative energy power to where it is most needed — and it has not been able to eliminate the need for an overlap to cover periods when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing.
Lignite looms as Germany's potential Achilles' heel. While generous tariffs to accelerate investment in solar and wind power helped spur renewable energy development, no similar incentives were offered to address the dependence on soft coal, Germany's only abundant native fossil fuel.
Ms. Hendricks, the environment minister, has recently called for the country to shutter its lignite-fueled power plants in 20 to 25 years. Miners' unions and businesses say that would kill jobs and overburden the power industry, but environmentalists say that is not fast enough.
Germany, Ms. Hendricks said, needs to set targets and be willing to work toward them, as it did with renewable energy. "Everyone is looking at us to see if we can make it," she said.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Ara Lee and RedRay Frazier take the stage in support of the latest album release.
With the highly anticipated release of "Volcano" from The Get Ahead, Ara Lee and her ensemble of highly talented musicians and RedRay Frazier and crew took to the stage at the Mississippi Studios in Portland, OR. They played to a full house their mix of blues, folk, and soul, which evoked emotions, lifted spirits, and had the audience on their feet dancing.
With a commanding stage presence and powerful voice, Ara Lee captivated the audience, creating and emotionally charged atmosphere and getting the crowd dancing, while singing and playing guitar to heartfelt ballads and playful soul songs. Her accompanists were providing backing vocals and performing with fiddles, standup bass, traditional drum kit, electric guitar, and djembe. In order to truly appreciate the lyrical and musical styling's from Ara Lee, you have to see and hear her perform live. Be sure to catch Ara Lee performing with remaining dates in March and April.
The Get Ahead are a new band with an old soul. The release of their latest labor of love, Volcano, is much-anticipated. Nathan Earle (guitar and vocals), Juliet Howard (vocals), Sean Farrell (bass), Steve Sevrin (saxophone), and Danny Johnson (drums) make up the neo-soul, rhythm & blues rock band. The band entices listeners to get their groove on, which they did when the band played their latest release in its entirety including an extra song, "Love Crime." If you're thinking about going to an upcoming show date in March and April, be sure to bring your dancing shoes. You're going to need them.
Closing the evening was RedRay Frazier and his crew who played a really cool, hip mix of rock, rhythm & blues, and soul. With east coast roots and a background in gospel, RedRay Frazier uses all of his influences. His songwriting draws comparisons from Ben Harper to Maxwell. However, his smooth and smoky vocal quality, along with his gospel approach sets him apart.
RedRay Frazier is currently performing in support of his solo debut CD release, Follow Me, while working on an EP with Portland music scene staples (Ezra Holbrook, Matt Brown, Jeff Baxter, and Tom Nunes). Look out for RedRay Frazier; you will be glad you did.


Are you in a mommy rut? Do you need a little excitement in your life (other than the chaos created by your two-year-old)? I know the feeling. I like play dates as much as any mom, but a steady diet of parks and fast food play areas has the potential to turn a once pretty cool chick into a dull girl.
Host an outdoor shark party night with a twist.
Show a shark movie on an outdoor screen (ex. Jaws, Sharknado), but here's the twist: have your friends watch the movie while floating on tubes in a pool. The sensation of water, nighttime, legs dangling in the water and shark awesomeness is pretty freaky. Bonus points if you and your friends watch the movie in a pond or lake.
Do something requiring a helmet.
Biking, rock climbing, horseback riding, zip lining, sky diving all require helmets and all scream adventure.
I spent four days with 20 of my friends hiking part of the Maryland portion of the Appalachian Trail, and the experience was empowering and crazy fun. I didn't know one thing about backpacking, but my former Marine-friend knew all things woodsy. I am certain I am still alive today because of this amazing woman.
Find a cause you are passionate about and get involved.
Some of the greatest adventures begin with giving and serving. Living out your passion with a friend can turn an ordinary friendship into something extraordinary. Bonus points if you and your friend start a new ministry or non-profit.
Break Your Momma's Rules and Go To That Concert.
Gather a group of girlfriends and go see your favorite band from when you were in high school. Bonus points if you dress for the concert in an outfit you would have worn when you were a teenager. Double bonus points if your momma would not have let you leave the house dressed like that.
Figure out the details for making your house kid and hubby free, and invite your friends to a mommy sleepover. Turn on Netflix, eat lots of fun food, stay up too late and enjoy just being a girl with your friends. Bonus points if someone pees a little from laughing too hard. Double bonus points if you and your guests sleep until noon the next day.
Organize a scavenger-hunt-double-date-night with a friend.
You and your friend are the organizers of the scavenger hunt, but the actual hunt is for the husbands. Have the husbands try to find you and your friend by placing clues throughout your city: a certain bicycle rack, a vintage sign, a touristy must-see, map coordinates, a geocache. The boys will like the challenge of the hunt, while you and your friend enjoy the fun of being mysterious. Bonus points if the evening ends with an overnight stay somewhere fun.
Get off that park bench and let your kids reteach you how to play. Go down that slide. Jump in that pool. Run through that sprinkler. Slide head-first down that waterslide. Kids find adventures every day. Maybe we are in a rut because we have forgotten how to play. Bonus points if your child isn't the only one who scraped their knee that day.
Go to your favorite restaurant and order something different.
Gasp! I realize this is way outside the comfort zone for some of you. Be brave, live on the edge, and eat something new. Bonus points if you order something you can't pronounce.
Registration is now open for you and a group of your friends to attend the MOPS International Leadership Conference in Indianapolis on September 17-19, 2015. Bonus points if you and your friends compete to see who can make the most friends while at the conference.
The easiest way to get out of a rut is to try something new. An adventure doesn't always require a helmet, but it does require risk and attention. Sometimes resisting the need for to escape by choosing to be present in the wonder of your everyday life can be rut-crushing enough.
What adventure do you need to plan into your life?
Tasha Levert, Ph.D., is a licensed professional counselor in New Orleans who provides face-to-face and online care. She is a conference speaker, worship leader and the author of Stories of Hope for the Sleep Deprived. Tasha and her husband Tim (Pastor with Students at the Vineyard Church of New Orleans) have three beautiful daughters and a lazy schnauzer named Gumbo.
To find out more about Tasha or her practice go to tashalevert.com or broomtreecounseling.com.


"I love Pulp! I probably go there at least twice a week. They have great smoothies for a cheaper price than normal smoothie..."
"I've always been a fan of Subway only because it was better than McDonalds but as the years go by Subway's standards get..."
"First off, the hommous is second to none! most places you go to its either too bland or too soupy! Not wafas! My favorite..."


text:
Posted inHong Kong
Scholars and religious figures urge for investigation into anti-extradition law clashes, as Beijing decries protester 'violence'
by Kris Cheng 12:32, 26 June 2019 23:17, 31 March 2020
Scholars and religious figures have urged the Hong Kong government to set up an independent inquiry to investigate the clashes between protesters and the police on June 12 over the city's controversial extradition bill.
Pro-democracy lawmakers and activists have accused the police of using excessive force when clearing demonstrators from around Admiralty that day. Police said 150 tear gas canisters, 20 beanbag rounds and several rubber bullets were used after demonstrators pushed forward throwing objects.
The city's security chief and chief executive have said complainants can use existing procedures if they have complaints. However, Sing Ming – a political scientist at the University of Science and Technology of Hong Kong – said the existing mechanism to investigate alleged police abuse of power was not good enough.
Reverend Yuen Tin-yau, political scientist Sing Ming and Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen. Photo: inmediahk.net.
He said the Complaints Against Police Office is an internal department of the police, whilst the Independent Police Complaints Council does not have any investigative power.
"It would be 'police investigating police' – it is easy for the police to be sympathetic towards each other," Sing said. "There could be pressure on the police officer conducting the investigation as well, because the person being investigated could be someone they know, or their future supervisors."
Sing said the investigation could examine the reasons behind the protest – during which tens of thousands of people participated. Its scope could also include the reasons behind the clashes, the force used, and the injuries sustained. It could examine the actions of the police as well as the protesters, he said.
Photo: May James.
Reverend Yuen Tin-yau, a former chair of the Hong Kong Christian Council, said many of the city's Christians also supported an inquiry.
He said protesters and the police have been condemning each other over the use of violence: "I don't see what the result would be. A fair way would be setting an independent committee to look into the incident thoroughly and make suggestions. This will be an important step to lead society towards harmony," he said.
Britain has also called for an independent investigation, after halting licences for the export of crowd control gear to Hong Kong.
'Balance'
Pro-Beijing lawmaker Priscilla Leung said there was a need to balance opinions from different groups.
Priscilla Leung. File Photo: Apple Daily.
She said on an RTHK radio programme on Tuesday that police groups may need time to think about whether they would accept the scope of the proposed inquiry.
"If we use politics to resolve this, then it would just be about mobilising crowds every day – this crowd says [police] should be prosecuted, another crowd would say they should not be prosecuted," she said. "It is not good to resolve problems by mobilising crowds. It is better to do so using the law."
Li Fei. File Photo: Apple Daily.
In Beijing, Li Fei – head of the National People's Congress Constitution and Law Committee – said he did not understand why protesters would use violence against the police during protests.
"Hong Kong is a place with rule of law. It is fine to have peaceful demonstrations. But why do they have to use violence every time when they protest against the government? I do not understand," he asked.
Hong Kong's anti-extradition law protests, which have rocked the city over recent weeks, have been largely peaceful. Organisers said two million people attended a mass protest against the legal reforms on June 16.
Li did not give a direct answer when asked about whether the incident reflected a lack of confidence in the mainland legal system: "You don't have to talk about other things. You tell me if [the protest] was legal or not," he said.
The extradition bill was first proposed in February to allow the city to handle case-by-case extradition requests from jurisdictions with no prior agreement. However, there have been mass protests and widespread criticism over the risk of residents being extradited to mainland China, which lacks human rights protections. The bill was suspended after huge demonstrations, but has not been axed.
The Hong Kong Free Press #PressForFreedom 2019 Funding Drive seeks to raise HK$1.2m to support our non-profit newsroom and dedicated team of multi-media, multi-lingual reporters. HKFP is backed by readers, run by journalists and is immune to political and commercial pressure. This year's critical fundraiser will provide us with the essential funds to continue our work into next year.
Tagged: China Extradition, Li Fei, Police, Priscilla Leung, Sing Ming, Yuen Tin-yau
Kris Cheng
Kris Cheng is a Hong Kong journalist with an interest in local politics. His work has been featured in Washington Post, Public Radio International, Hong Kong Economic Times and others. He has a BSSc in Sociology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Kris is HKFP's Editorial Director.
More by Kris Cheng


text:
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Home > Sociology > Modern Thai Buddhism and Buddhadasa Bhikku: A Social History
Modern Thai Buddhism and Buddhadasa Bhikku: A Social History
By Tomomi Ito
The Buddhist monk Buddhasdasa Bhikku (1906-1993) injected fresh life into Thai Buddhism by exploring and teaching little known transcendent aspects of the religion. His investigations excited both monks and lay people, and gave rise to the vigourous discussion in shops, temple yards and newly founded Buddhist associations. Moreover, he was a prolific author, who produced a rich array of publications that are indicative of his popularity and the impact of his teachings. While these discussions included serious exchanges on doctrine and practice, they also included jokes and light humor, criticisms of weak evidence for certain positions, and a defamation campaign arising from rumors that Buddhadasa was a communist sympathizer.
Buddhadasa's thoughts and historical context coincide with the general picture of "modern Buddhism" and he may be seen as an agent of "Buddhist modernity," but he worked predominantly in Thailand through the medium of the Thai language, and he contributed much more significantly to Thai Buddhists than to Buddhist practice outside the country.
An enormous amount of material relating to Buddhadasa Bhikkhu has been captured in religious journals and in numerous "pocket books" aimed at a general audience. Departing from the classical method of studying Buddhism through philology, Tomomi Ito's account of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu draws on this popular literature and on conversations with a broad spectrum of the people involved in these discussions to develop an account of Buddhism as it is experienced by Thai people. The result is a lively intellectual and social history of contemporary Thai religion and society built around the life of an exceptional monk who captured the interest of Buddhists pursuing spiritual depth in the context of the ideological conflicts of the Cold War.
"A welcome contribution...An excellent contribution to Buddhist Studies." - Monica Lindberg Falk
"[Ito's book] offer[s], for the first time, an honest, non-hagiographical, study of Buddhadãsa...It would make a wonderful addition to courses on modern Southeast Asian history and religion, and force people to rethink the way they have read the work of Buddhadãsa Bhikkhu." - Justin McDaniel
"...should be considered a fundamental reference book not only by those who want to know Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu better, but also by scholars of Thai history and people interested in Southeast Asia...an extraordinary chance to penetrate the history of Thailand and to understand Southeast Asia and its position in the political events of the 20th century." - Claudio Cicuzza
"...this book provides a perceptive account of the profound impact Buddhadãsa has had on many aspects of Thai Buddhism. It fills some important gaps in Buddhadã sa-related scholarship and therefore deserves to be read by those interested in Theravada and Thai Buddhist studies as well as by scholars of Thai and Southeast Asian history."- Jordan Baskerville
"Apart from her meticulous and thorough research, Ito deserves high praise for her innovative approach - introducing the concept of the Buddhist Public Sphere to the study of a well researched in the history of Thai Buddhism." - Susanne Ryuyin Kerekes
Tomomi Ito is Associate Professor in the Graduate School and Faculty of Intercultural Studies at Kobe University.
360 pages, 229mm x 152mm
ISBN: 978-9971-69-572-9, Paperback
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Q: How to make x axis lie on y=0 on Octave gnuplot? How to make x axis lie on y=0? Right now it's lying on whatever is ymin.

A: I do not know if they changed syntax in Octave versions or there is something specific in my code or functions but with Octave version 4.4.1 I was not able to get this axis with "zero" but with "origin"
    set (gca, "xaxislocation", "origin")

A: You can add zeroaxis with the set command:
plot(...)
set(gca, "xaxislocation", "zero")

You may also want to add:
set(gca, "box", "off")

There is a similar discussion on the octave mailinglist.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
<?php

namespace Audiens\AdForm;

use Audiens\AdForm\Cache\CacheInterface;
use Audiens\AdForm\Provider\CategoryProvider;
use Audiens\AdForm\Provider\SegmentProvider;
use Audiens\AdForm\Provider\DataUsageProvider;
use Audiens\AdForm\Provider\DataProviderAudienceProvider;

/**
 * Class Adform
 *
 * @package Adform
 */
class Client
{
    /**
     * Version number of the Adform PHP SDK.
     *
     * @const string
     */
    const VERSION = '0.2.0';

    /**
     * URL for the AdForm API.
     *
     * @const string
     */
    const BASE_URL = 'https://dmp-api.adform.com';

    /**
     * @var Authentication
     */
    protected $auth;

    /**
     * @var HttpClient
     */
    protected $httpClient;

    /**
     * @var CacheInterface
     */
    protected $cache;

    /**
     * @var CategoryProvider
     */
    protected $categories;

    /**
     * @var SegmentProvider
     */
    protected $segments;

    /**
     * @var DataUsageProvider
     */
    protected $dataUsage;

    /**
     * @var DPAudienceProvider
     */
    protected $dataProviderAudience;

    /**
     * Constructor.
     *
     * @param string $username
     * @param string $password
     * @param CacheInterface $cache
     */
    public function __construct($username, $password, CacheInterface $cache = null)
    {
        $this->auth = new Authentication($username, $password);

        $this->httpClient = new HttpClient($this->auth);

        $this->cache = $cache;
    }

    /**
     * A proxy method for working with categories
     *
     * @return CategoryProvider
     */
    public function categories()
    {
        if (is_null($this->categories)) {
            $this->categories = new CategoryProvider($this->httpClient, $this->cache);
        }

        return $this->categories;
    }

    /**
     * A proxy method for working with segments
     *
     * @return SegmentProvider
     */
    public function segments()
    {
        if (is_null($this->segments)) {
            $this->segments = new SegmentProvider($this->httpClient, $this->cache);
        }

        return $this->segments;
    }

    /**
     * A proxy method for working with data usage reports
     *
     * @return DataUsageProvider
     */
    public function dataUsage()
    {
        if (is_null($this->dataUsage)) {
            $this->dataUsage = new DataUsageProvider($this->httpClient, $this->cache);
        }

        return $this->dataUsage;
    }

    /**
     * A proxy method for working with data provider audience reports
     *
     * @return DPAudienceProvider
     */
    public function dataProviderAudience()
    {
        if (is_null($this->dataProviderAudience)) {
            $this->dataProviderAudience = new DataProviderAudienceProvider($this->httpClient, $this->cache);
        }

        return $this->dataProviderAudience;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


M&P can make custom Kel-F Machined Parts to your specifications or drawings.
We have a plastic machine shop; Kel-F® is one of the plastics we can use to make parts.
The Kel-F® brand of PCTFE is a registered trademark of 3M, but they discontinued production in 1995.
Kel-F® Machined Parts are made in a completely controlled environment.
Kel-F O-rings, Kel-F Seats, Kel-F Bushings, Kel-F Bearings, Kel-F Guide Blocks, Kel-F Wear Pads, Kel-F Washers.
Kel-F® is the registered trademark of 3M.


The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right is a new book with a fresh view on on the lowly checklist–its practicality and usefulness for not only routine tasks, but also for highly complex situations like building skyscapers and operating on people.
Written by Boston surgeon Dr. Atul Gawande, The Checklist Manifesto takes us on a journey to save lives by using checklists. Dr. Gawande headed an initiative with the World Health Organization to figure out how to reduce the number of deaths occuring from avoidable mistakes made during surgery. The problem: What could they do to save lives, yet be relevant for diverse surgical procedures in any country or language, and cost next to nothing to implement? The solution: A checklist.
This entry was posted in Books, Lifehacks on February 7, 2010 by James Allen Willis.


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Luxury retailers are enjoying the prosperity of the One Percent. Photo by Steve Minor
'Tis the Season to Shop at Tiffany's
Retail sales are up in the top 1 percent's plutonomy, but down in the realonomy where the other 99 percent live.
By Salvatore Babones | December 24, 2011
The economy is expanding, the unemployment rate is down, and consumers are spending again. The National Retail Federation expects holiday season sales to be up 3.8 percent over 2010, and other organizations predict increases of 3.5 percent to 4 percent. It all sounds like it's shaping up to be a happy holiday season for America's retailers.
But which retailers? Black Friday sales at JC Penney were down 2 percent compared with 2010 and 5 percent at the Gap, Bloomberg News reported. Sales at Kohl's were down 6.2, while Gap's discount line Old Navy reported a fall of 7 percent.
On the other hand, sales at upscale stores are up — and up more the more upscale the store. Black Friday sales at Macy's were up 4.8 percent, Nordstrom's rose 5.6 percent, and Saks Fifth Avenue's spiked by 9.3 percent, according to The New York Times.
Meanwhile luxury leader Neiman Marcus sold out of the Ferraris in its Christmas catalog in less than one hour. Neiman's $125,000 bookshelves are also selling well, New York magazine reports. (Not to worry, they come pre-stocked with books). "The most affluent luxury customer is spending with confidence," Neiman Marcus CEO Karen Katz told Reuters.
Whew! We were all worried about the most affluent luxury customers. After all, sales growth at Tiffany's has recently slowed to the low double-digits. Its stock has taken a beating.
The premiumization of holiday shopping is nothing new. It's all part of the premiumization of life that has been creeping up on us for forty years. Retail trends began to favor the wealthy long before the beginning of the current downturn.
In 2005 three Citigroup stock analysts announced the arrival of a new kind of economic system, which they dubbed the "plutonomy." They pointed out that aggregate statistics like national retail sales had become so skewed by the spending of a few wealthy people as to be almost meaningless. In their own words:
The World is dividing into two blocs — the plutonomy and the rest. The U.S., UK, and Canada are the key plutonomies — economies powered by the wealthy. In plutonomies, the rich absorb a disproportionate chunk of the economy and have a massive impact on reported aggregate numbers like savings rates, current account deficits, consumption levels, etc. There is no "average consumer" in a plutonomy. Consensus analyses focusing on the "average" consumer are flawed from the start.
Six years later, this analysis is more accurate than ever. Yes, total retail sales are up this year. And the economy is growing. But is the recession over?
The Stagnant Realonomy
If it doesn't feel like the recession is over, that's because nearly all of the country's national income growth is going to the top 1 percent of the population. It's that same top 1 percent of the population that's driving the rise in retail sales. The plutonomy is growing, but the "realonomy" — the real economy in which the rest of us live — has been stagnant for three years now. In fact, it's hardly grown at all since 1999. And it wasn't going all that strong even then.
It's been widely reported that median incomes have been stagnant since the 1970s. What's been much less reported is that even college-educated professionals' incomes have been falling for a dozen years. Adjusting for inflation, no group below the top 5 percent has seen its income rise since 1999.
Among Americans with high school degrees only, median incomes have fallen 10.4 percent since 1999. Among Americans with college degrees, median incomes have declined by 7.6 percent. As a result, even families at the 95th percentile of the U.S. income ladder have seen no raises since 1999. Their incomes are down on average 1.2 percent in real terms, from $202,850 to $200,354.
When the data show that no one in the bottom 95 percent of the national income distribution has seen a raise in over 12 years, it's no wonder that holiday sales are driven by luxury goods.
All that talk about "the 1 percent versus the other 99 percent" really is true. Before 1973, America's economic prosperity was widely shared. In the 1980s and 1990s most of the country's economic growth went to the top 20 percent. In the 2000s, rising prosperity benefited only the top 5 percent.
Since 2008, only the top 1 percent have seen their incomes grow. They're Neiman's "affluent luxury customers." Pity them. At Christmas of all times it is wise to remember that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
There's no word on what books are included with that Neiman Marcus $125,000 bookshelf, but I know one I might recommend.
Salvatore Babones is an American sociologist at the University of Sydney and an Institute for Policy Studies associate fellow. His book on the American economy, Benchmarking America, is due out in 2013. www.ips-dc.org


Bolognese sauce (49%) (water, tomatoes (tomatoes, tomato juice, acidity regulator (330), firming agent (509)), beef (8%), tomato paste, onions, Capsicum, carrots, celery, flavours (malt extract (wheat, barley), natural flavours (soy), balsamic vinegar, colours (150d, carotene), sugar, vegetable oils (olive, sunflower, soybean), spice, spice extracts), thickener (1422), wheat flour, canola oil, herbs), cooked pasta (32%) (wheat flour, water), cheese sauce (18%) (cheese (cream, milk, salt, milk solids, cultures, enzymes), water, milk solids, thickener (1422), flavour, stabilisers (415, 466), emulsifier (331), acidity regulator (451), food acid (270), yeast extract, natural colours (carotene, turmeric)), parmesan crumb (1%) (breadcrumbs (wheat), parmesan cheese, paprika, parsley).
1. Pre-heat fan forced oven to 180°C.
2. Remove frozen meal from carton. Place on middle shelf of oven.
3. Cook for 60 minutes.
5. Stand for five minutes.
NOTE: Meal is not to be heated in a toaster oven.
CAUTION: MEAL WILL BE VERY HOT. BE CAREFUL TO AVOID STEAM BURNS.


I recently saw "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs," a play written by Mike Daisey and performed locally by M.T. Pockets Theatre Company.
The play, which is a series of monologues, covers the history of Apple and specifically addresses the realities of the workers who make electronic devices in Foxconn's massive factories.
About 10 years ago, when I began the first drafts of "The STARLING Connection," I'd been reading news reports about the 19th-century like atmosphere of these overseas factories, the long hours, the inability to unionize, and ultimately the suicides of workers leaping to their deaths from several stories up in the on-factory-site Foxconn dormitories where the workers live. The shocking "solution" by the company has been to install "suicide nets" on the outside walls of the dormitories to catch workers trying to kill themselves.
I took pains in "The STARLING Connection" NOT to single out any particular entity, as these issues apply to more than one corporation, group or individual. This is why every entity in "STARLING" is fictional: TEMPLE, PATRIOT SECURITY, etc.
However, at the time I began writing "STARLING," I'd begun to notice, among other concerning trends, the super-hyped Apple product launches, how people would camp out for DAYS and / or wait for hours in long lines in front of the company store to get their hands on the "latest device."
Something about the whole "camping out for DAYS" thing seemed extreme and off-balance to me, particularly the way in which so many people today seem to have a kind of religious devotion to a transnational corporation and appear to have no care or concern whatsoever about precisely how those devices are made, what is going on across the world, the working conditions of the folks who make said devices, etc.
Today's electronic device product worship strikes me as cult-like, as a kind of technology worship or worrisome use of technology. It appears to be much more "see my latest phone / see my status symbol," rather than "I have in my hands a powerful tool of communication and I'll use that tool as best I know how to advocate for human rights around the world."
What happens when a population wholly devote themselves to technology, yet lack compassion?
Is technology making people more compassionate or less compassionate?
Are the "latest devices" increasing critical thought or decreasing it?
Of course the issue is larger than only the technology-obsessed individual camped out at the company store to get his hands on the latest device because suddenly last week's device is no longer "good enough."
But has this tech-crazed person seriously considered the amount of hours he himself works to obtain each & every "latest" device? And more importantly, who is he or she working for? Is he or she working for oneself or, like the overseas factory worker, working his or her whole life for someone else? How much opportunity for a whole life as a fully developed human being who knows a measure of peace and love do individuals around the world truly have in today's system? Today the corporation you work for may give you no choice about whether you will carry your "latest device" 24-7 where you can be reached 24-7 and work 24-7 for someone else 24-7. Are you profiting? Or are you running ever faster and losing ever more of your life, time, humanity, family? Do we have balance or humanity or are we losing balance and humanity?
Is What I am Trading in Reality Worth the True Cost?
Or are the "smart" devices actually serving to distract thousands & thousands of folks from fully facing these questions?
It's true we can't necessarily say this technology is "all bad," but we also clearly cannot say it is "all just peaches & cream" either. I am VERY concerned that our society is rushing full speed into a world that many of us may not want to live in, a world we may not necessarily realize we are creating. I take a hard look at this world, and the possible resulting end game regarding what it could mean for our humanity, in"The STARLING Connection."
The issue of course goes beyond "smart" phones to gaming & the rise of virtual "reality."
Where are we headed with these increasingly powerful technologies?
Have we created or are we creating a "god" out of our technology?
Is our new "god" now become artificial virtual "realities" so many are now heavily involved in burning away their short lives?
Then we must seriously consider the extent to which we are slaves to consumerism and become slaves to technology, to artificial "reality" and a particular system-Construct. Are most of the people in the world truly free in today's "globalized" Construct? Or are most of us working all our days under a tech-enabled form of slavery?
The issue runs head on into the serious extreme issues surrounding what is commonly called "globalization" and the question of whether or not there can be such a thing as "free" trade? How much has truly changed, in terms of the level of human consciousness, since the transatlantic slave trade? Have we not today simply shipped slavery and pollution overseas while pretending we're "free"? But how can any person or nation be truly "free" if another is enslaved?
I worked on "The STARLING Connection" for almost 10 years, between other jobs. One of my goals was to try to dig deeper into the issue of how and why people have come to worship their devices and technology so much and appear to put more faith and trust into technology than perhaps is truly warranted, considering the infinite face of the unknown, including the nature of our humanity or why we are here.
"STARLING" looks deeper into what this all means and whether or not our unbridled faith in our devices and technologies will truly bring us to the "Promised Land," as advertised? Or are we rushing frantically to further build something far, far, FAR different than a technological so-called "globalized 'free' trade" "Heaven on Earth"?
ULTRAs are the computer-driven pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles you can fit two families or even a whole office full of people in. I guess the "grown-ups" all fly by so fast they don't even see the kids that nobody cares about get thrown over the hill. Maybe they're doing really important work with their noses stuck all the way up into their Me-Pages.
Me-Pages are TEMPLE's main product. They're high-tech, stretchable personal supercomputers made out of nanomaterial. Recons work 23-hours a day making the Me-Pages behind bars in the massive Reconditioning Center "dormitories." Everyone has a Me-Page, even toddlers.
Has our "free" trade bought Freedom for the WHOLE World?
Or have we traded ourselves deep into a Cult of Tech-enabled Slavery?
It's not the technology itself that's the problem -- like anything else, it can be produced in ethical or unethical ways and used for good or evil (although there are some environmental considerations since laptops, tablets, and I believe all types of cell phones are made with small amounts of precious metals including gold, palladium, copper and platinum, so that makes an extra reason not to dump these in landfills). There's quite a lot of middle ground between "smart phone user" and "camps out in the front of the apple store for a week." It doesn't feel great to be judged for having a smart phone, either.
Thanks for reading the post Marjorie & many thanks for the insightful reply/comment. Excellent points!


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Cloverfield Monster Versus Vacuum Bomb
David Axe
Note: If you haven't seen J.J. Abrams' kick-ass monster flick Cloverfield yet, you might want to avoid this spoilery post. Shells fired by M-1 tanks from the New York National Guard's 42nd Division just bounce off its hide. Same with MLRS and AT-4 rockets, missiles from F/A-18s and Mk 82 bombs dropped by a B-2 […]
Note: If you haven't seen J.J. Abrams' kick-ass monster flick Cloverfield yet, you might want to avoid this spoilery post.
Shells fired by M-1 tanks from the New York National Guard's 42nd Division just bounce off its hide. Same with MLRS and AT-4 rockets, missiles from F/A-18s and Mk 82 bombs dropped by a B-2 bomber. Infantry are like camouflaged candy to the five-legged, 500-foot-tall creature that flattens Manhattan and gobbles hipsters in the new movie Cloverfield. After the everyday weapons fail, in a last-ditch defense the U.S. military apparently deploys one of the most powerful non-nuclear bombs in its inventory: the Massive Ordnance Air-Burst, aka "Mother of All Bombs."
MOAB releases a cloud of combustible gas before igniting, creating a vacuum effect that pulverizes anything nearby and, at a distance, can turn bodies inside out, according to legend. The weapon is so impressive that last fall the Russians staged a rigged test of their MOAB-esque bomb in an apparent effort to score some prestige points.
This isn't MOAB's first appearance in popular culture. In Max Brooks' novel World War Z ("An Oral History of the Zombie War"), the Pentagon uses MOAB in a last desperate attempt to stop New York City's zombie hordes from overrunning the U.S. Army in Yonkers. It doesn't work. And recalling the effects of the blast, one of Brooks' characters, a grizzled Army veteran, describes zombies with their lungs hanging out of their mouths, still shuffling around attacking the living. If you happen across this grizzly sight, the sergeant says, "Let me know ... I'm always up for meeting another veteran of Yonkers."
So does MOAB work against the Cloverfield monster? It's hard to say. The blast is the last thing we see. But over the end credits, a garbled voice reportedly says, "It's still alive."
That's one tough critter. But if it indeed came from the deep sea, as some fanboys have speculated, then perhaps it's got the evolutionary chops to resist one of the U.S. military's most fearsome weapons.
David Axe reports from war zones, shoots television and writes comic books.
TopicsAnimal KingdomBizarro


text:
Is Acapulco A Dangerous City?
Is Cancun safe right now?
What places to avoid in Mexico?
How many tourists died in Cancun?
Is Cancun Safe 2020?
Why is Mexico so poor?
Is it possible to travel to Mexico right now?
Is Acapulco really that dangerous?
How many murders are there in Acapulco?
What is the deadliest city in Mexico?
Why is Mexico so dangerous right now?
Is any part of Mexico safe?
Is Acapulco Safe for Tourists 2019?
Is Acapulco worth visiting?
How many tourists are killed in Mexico?
How dangerous is Mexico right now?
Cancun is a safe town to visit – locals are friendly and crime rates are very low compared to other cities in Mexico.
The latter has a 13-mile arc of beautiful white-sand beaches lined with resorts and hotels, and considered the safest part of Cancun..
The 12 Most Dangerous Cities in Mexico to Avoid at All CostsMazatlan. The State Department has warned citizens about traveling to this region. … Reynosa. Many people travel through Reynosa, Mexico, to get to the U.S. | John Moore/ Getty Images. … Tepic. The U.S. government doesn't want its citizens to visit Tepic. … Ciudad Obregón. … Chihuahua. … Ciudad Juarez. … Culiacán. … Ciudad Victoria.More items…•
The site reports 16 people have been killed in Cancun so far this month. Five people — a woman, her daughter and three friends — were found shot to death April 4 in a house about 25 minutes from the beach, according to SIPSE, a Mexican media conglomerate.
In general, there have been no incidents near the tourist area." The most recent shootings also occurred in clubs well outside the tourist zone which rarely see foreign visitors. Due to Cancun's limited access – one entrance, one exit – along with heavy security throughout, Cancun is incredibly safe.
The reasons for poverty in Mexico are complex and widely extensive. There is an agreement that a combination of uneven distribution of wealth and resources sponsored by economic and political agendas to favor the rich and powerful is a major contributor to the millions left behind.
Americans Have Traveled to Mexico Throughout COVID. While the U.S.-Mexico land border is currently restricted to essential travel, air travel between the United States and Mexico is permitted. Technically, there's a ban on nonessential travel across the border through January 21.
The tourist hotspot of Acapulco is now a danger zone. There are places that are clearly dangerous, like the border towns. … "This was once a world-renown tourist hotspot, but reports are that it is history and the city is now known as one of the most dangerous cities in the world due to violent crime.
874 peopleBy the end of 2018 874 people were killed in Acapulco. The violence has continued. In February 2019 a tourist from the U.S. was shot and killed.
TijuanaTijuana, which is the world's busiest land border crossings with over 50 million people passing through it every year, is the most dangerous city in Mexico. Tijuana's homicide rate is 138 homicides per 100,000 people with a total of 2,640 homicides in 2018.
Drug trafficking has led to corruption, which has had a deleterious effect on Mexico's Federal Representative Republic. Drug trafficking and organized crime have also been a major source of violent crime in Mexico.
"Mexico's most popular tourist destinations like Cancun, Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico City and Cabo San Lucas remain safe," says Brussow. "Perception doesn't always match reality as often violent crimes that are reported on in the U.S. take place outside of main tourism zones.
UPDATE – 05 November 2019 – We have updated our guidance re Acapulco with a new post → Acapulco remains an unsafe destination. Acapulco, Mexico, in the state of Guerrero is no longer the luxury haven of rest and recuperation made famous in films and by its famous residents.
Of course, there is a visible minority of innocent victims that simply were in the wrong place at the wrong time but you as a tourist have nothing to fear about Acapulco since Acapulco is perfectly safe for tourists.
In fact, Mexico had the most by far: 196 Americans died just south of the border last year. Most of them were murdered with 67 homicides. 66 died from some sort of accident, and 23 people drowned.
Mexico state (Estado de Mexico) – Reconsider Travel Both violent and non-violent crime are common throughout Mexico state. Use caution in areas outside of the frequented tourist areas, although petty crime occurs frequently in tourist areas as well. There are no restrictions on travel for U.S government employees.
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Editorial: Worse Than Raisani By Malik Siraj Akbar
The P.M.L.-N. should take advantage and recommend Dr. Malik Baloch as the chief minister. Dr. Baloch, a former education minister and a member of the Senate, fully understands the complexities of Baloch society and enjoys a better reputation than Mr. Zehri. Dr. Baloch is the symbol of Balochistan's educated middle class and by supporting people like him the P.M.L-N. will also help the Baloch people get out of the cultures of tribalism.
The Pakistan Muslim League (P.M.L.-N) has
attained the required support to form a coalition government in Balochistan after the Pakhtunkhawa Milli Awami Party (P.K.M.P) of Mahmood Khan Achakzai and the National Party of Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch announced to join the next administration. The new coalition partners have decided to keep the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (J.U.I.-Fazal) and the Pakistan Muslim League (P.M.L-Quaid-e-Azam) out of the upcoming government because of their flawed policies in the past governments they headed. It seems a little strange considering the fact that the P.M.L-N has invited the J.U.I-F to join its government at the Center. The reason for excluding J.U.I-F from the Balochistan government could probably be P.K.M.P.'s opposition to the right wing party, which was recently heavily defeated by the latter in the Pashtun-majority districts.
The P.M.L.N's method to lead the coalition government in Balochistan is, however, faulty. It clearly indicates P.M.L.N's lack of respect for the local mandate. After the 2008 elections, for example, the Pakistan People's Party, which became the main ruling party at the Center, also imposed its chief minister upon the province despite obtaining fewer seats than the P.M.L.-Q in the provincial legislature. This time, the P.M.L-N did not win most seats either but it is still determined to influence the government-formation process in Balochistan and impose its man, Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, as the chief executive of the province. What makes it easier for major political parties like the P.M.L.-N and the P.P.P. to dominate the provincial government is their ability to buy off the independent candidates.
The good news for the P.M.L.-N is the joining of Baloch and the Pashtun nationalists of the new government. These two parties are known for their progressive views and popularity among the masses. They boycotted the last general elections and have won a sizable number of seats in return of their electoral promise to their voters to bring peace and stability in Balochistan after coming into power.
What will distinguish the upcoming parliament from the previous one is the presence of a strong opposition comprising of veteran politicians from the J.U.I.-F and the P.M.L-Q. It is still not known whether or not Sardar Akhtar Mengal of the Balochistan National Party, who has been complaining about election fraud, would join the government or prefer to sit in the opposition. While joining the provincial government would contradict his allegations of fraud, sitting with the J.U.I.-F on the opposition benches would make him look even more awkward because of his longstanding opposition to the J.U.I-F. After the passage of the 18th Amendment, the provincial governments are also required to restrict the number of ministers in the provincial cabinets which means everyone who will support the future government would not necessarily become a minister, as was seen during the dark days of Nawab Aslam Raisani's government.
What has sent waves of shock and disappointment ahead of the formation of the new government in Balochistan is the P.M.L-N's decision to nominate a notorious tribal chief as its candidate for the office of chief minister. Sardar Sanaullah Zehri is in fact the only remaining man in the Balochistan government who remained a part of the past two governments. In 2002, he was appointed as pro-Musharraf Jam Yousaf's Minister for Home and Tribal Affairs while he remained Nawab Aslam Raisani's Minister for Services and General Administration (S&GAD). Mr. Zehri has a reputation as a corrupt politician, criminal and tyrant tribal chief. He is controversial to such an extent that he has disputes with almost everyone in Balochistan, ranging from his own brothers to most respected Baloch nationalist leaders like Nawab Khair Baksh Marri and Sardar Attaullah Mengal.
Since Mr. Zehri has still not been appointed as the chief minister, the P.M.L-N. should immediately withdraw his name from the race. His appointment as the head of the government will not only fail in resolving the existing crises but it will surely open new fronts of unwonted political and tribal clashes which will lead to further destabilization of Balochistan.
If elections were meant to bring a change then the P.M.L-N. should help Balochistan achieve that goal. A man who has already become deeply objectionable in the national and local media should not lead the future government. Mr. Zehri has not only taken public fights with the Marris and the Mengals but has also provided space to Mr. Sarfaraz Bugti, an ardent opponent of Nawabzada Bramadgh Bugti, the chairman of the Baloch Republican Party.
The P.M.L.-N. should take advantage of the National Party's decision to join the coalition government and recommend veteran Baloch nationalist leader Dr. Malik Baloch as the chief minister. Dr. Baloch, a former education minister and a member of the Senate, fully understands the complexities of Baloch society and enjoys a better reputation than Mr. Zehri. Dr. Baloch is the symbol of Balochistan's educated middle class and by supporting people like him the P.M.L-N. will also help the Baloch people get out of the cultures of tribalism. If we want to change Balochistan, we should trust and empower the educated middle class of the province. Appointment of a tribal chieftain will take us back to square one where Islamabad patronized Baloch tribal chiefs for its own benefits. Dr. Baloch may not be able to fully resolve all of Balochistan's problems but his appointment will at least help in liberating and empowering the province's middle class.
MALIK SIRAJ AKBAR
The Baloch Hal
Published in The Baloch Hal on May 18, 2013
Being Muslim Isn't Enough By Karma Orfaly
Iranian Minorities: What Future After Ahmadinejad?
Missing Persons Dawn Edtorial
Washington's Policy Towards Balochistan May Change, Says U.S. Based Think Tank
Iran Human Rights Remain A Concern
Iran Is America's Real Middle East Priority By Ian Bremmer
Nightmare In Balochistan: By Selig S. Harrison
Mengal Seeks International Intervention For Settlement Of Balochistan Issue
Baloch Intelligentsia Emphasise On Need For Forming United Front
From Gwadar To Zahedan: A Common Story Of Discrimination For The Baloch People
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"I am ready to turn this all over to Mike Munger," Beitler said, referring to the party's last gubernatorial candidate. Many state Libertarians expect Munger, a Duke University professor, will run again in 2012. Munger got nearly three percent of the vote for governor in 2008, which allowed the state Libertarian Party to remain ballot qualified.
Beitler said it's time for the Libertarians to get past the idea of just staying on the ballot and start building an organization that runs and wins elections. He said he entered the race in order to "ask the hard questions" of the two establishment candidates.
"The establishment parties will continue to drive our country off the cliff until the American people wake up to the reality that both establishment parties will continue to serve their lobbyist corporate masters to the detriment of the American people," Beitler said in a thank you message on his campaign blog.
Beitler's vote total of 55,201, representing 2.1 percent of the vote, is the second highest for a Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate. Chris Cole garnered the Libertarian highest vote totals, 133,430 votes (3.1 percent) in the historical 2008 presidential election year. But voter turnout that year was a record-shattering 70 percent. In most elections, especially off-year elections, voter turnout in this state hovers around 43 percent.
The North Carolina Libertarian Party has fielded a candidate in every U.S. Senate race since 1996.


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