Random Thoughts: JOHN KERRY--A PRIZE FROM ALFRED--BUT WHICH ONE?
I've been thinking of nominating Secretary of State John Kerry for a Nobel Peace Prize. I would include President Obama except he already got one for . . . . .
Why do I think the Secretary of State might be deserving of the Prize? Well, when was the last time we've seen Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Egyptian President al-Sissi, Jordan's King Hussein, the Saudi's, and the United Arab Emirates all united and in agreement? No, I can't remember that time either.
But, Kerry has done it. How? By pulling one of the stupidest stunts in the history of American foreign policy. All those parties, allies of the U.S., feel betrayed by the U.S. and are incredibly angry at what they see as an American lifeline being tossed to a terrorist organization whose ideology and actions represent a serious threat to the region.
Hamas was on the ropes. Gazans had had it with them for dragging them into this war. The Egyptians, who rightly see Hamas as a terrorist extension of the Muslim Brotherhood and who have put a tighter blockade on them than Israel, had proposed a ceasefire deal that Israel had embraced and that would have ensured an end to the rocket fire and the tunnels. Abbas, who the Obama Administration purportedly wants to promote as the leader of the recently reunited Palestinian Authority, had embraced the proposal.
Hamas rejected the proposal because it would have made them look like losers and would have crippled their ability to terrorize Israel. One would think that the U.S., having designated Hamas a terrorist organization like al-Queda and other evil organizations, would have liked the notion of Hamas appearing to be losers and, in fact, being seriously set back in their objectives.
So, what does the Secretary of State do? Well, first, his undersecretary, in a soon amended tweet, puts out a message that ends with "#United with Gaza." How did that happen? No one seems to know.
Then, the Secretary of State himself is heard saying into a microphone that was supposed to be off (whoops, how does that always happen?) ridiculing the notion that Israel is trying to do "pinpoint strikes," apparently astonished that wars initiated by Hamas from within heavily populated areas might lead to the death and injury of Gazans when Israelis defend themselves.
Then, the Secretary jets off reportedly uninvited to mediate a ceasefire. He stops in Egypt where the Egyptians, apparently peeved at him for past slights, find a clerk that purportedly does not know who he is and, therefore, puts him through a security clearance. He pops in on Israel where he meets a "no" to one of his ceasefire proposals.
He then announces that there is no ceasefire because the parties have to "come to their senses," thus putting on equal plane Israel's legitimate right to defend itself from rockets and tunnel attacks aimed at its civilians with Hamas' efforts to injure and kill those civilians.
After spending a few unproductive days here in the region, where all the relevant parties but Hamas have agreed to the Egyptian proposal, Kerry flies off to Paris. Who does he meet with there? Representatives of Qatar, a country which has no relations with Israel and which has been a primary funder of Hamas' tunnels and rockets; representatives of Turkey, whose leader has reached new heights, or lows, in his spewing of Jew hatred; and various European leaders.
Who does Kerry forget to include in his Paris meetings? President Abbas, whose aides were fuming over the involvement of Qatar and the elevation of Hamas to a negotiating partner; the Israelis who, from the left and the right, believe the United States has betrayed it and who think that his actions have rescued and emboldened Hamas at a time that it was clearly weakened; King Hussein, whose country has a peace treaty with Israel and who sees Hamas and other Islamic extremist groups as a threat to his survival; and Egypt, whose new President would naturally align with the West but who has flirted with Russia because of his anger with the U.S. over prior actions.
Abbas, King Hussein, al-Sissi, and Israel all clearly said that the Egyptian proposal was the only game in town. They recognized that Hamas was down and they wanted it out. The last thing these players wanted was elevating Hamas's standing and providing it a lifeline and enhancing the influence of Turkey and Qatar in the region.
What does Kerry come up with after his meetings in Paris with Turkey and Qatar and their European pals? Surprise, a proposed ceasefire agreement that looks strikingly like that of Hamas: open borders (so that smuggling of materials for missiles and tunnels can proceed unimpeded) , release of prisoners, a port, and on and on.
And what about Israel's security needs? Oh, that's for further discussion.
It does not help Israel, advance long-term U.S. interests, help the Palestinians, or create the prospects for a sustainable peace to have the U.S. Secretary of Kerry running around the region and Europe undercutting Abbas and Israel and leading Hamas to think the U.S. does not totally back Israel, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority. What it does do is provide Hamas an incentive to hold on and to continue firing missiles at Israel and protecting its tunnels whose only purpose is to kill Israeli civilians.
Having dictators like Hussein, al-Sissi, and Abbas (in the 10th year of his four year term) as your allies is not a democracy's dream. However, in the Middle East it beats the alternatives, which is terrorists and states that support terrorists. That Arab Spring thing that Tom Friedman and President Obama were so in love with hasn't worked out all that well.
It takes a very special talent to unite Abbas, Bibi, King Hussein, al Sissi, the Saudis, and the UAE's all in anger at the U.S. What is hard to determine is whether this is sheer stupidity and incompetence or whether it is a thought-out, ill-intentioned policy toward allies, or a combination thereof.
Ari Shavit, a left-wing columnist for the left-wing Israeli newspaper Haaretz, whose book, My Promised Land, received almost obsessive attention by the some in the American Jewish community, thinks Kerry is very stupid and reckless. In a recent column, Shavit opined that, if Israel is now forced to undertake an expanded ground operation, it would be appropriate to name the offensive after the person who caused it: John Kerry.
"But over the weekend, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry ruined everything. Very senior officials in Jerusalem described the proposal that Kerry put on the table as a 'strategic terrorist attack.' His decision to go hand in hand with Qatar and Turkey, and formulate a framework amazingly similar to the Hamas framework, was catastrophic. It put wind in the sails of Hamas’ political leader Khaled Meshal, allowed the Hamas extremists to overcome the Hamas moderates, and gave renewed life to the weakened regional alliance of the Muslim Brotherhood.
"The Obama administration proved once again that it is the best friend of its enemies, and the biggest enemy of its friends. The man of peace from Massachusetts intercepted with his own hands the reasonable cease-fire that was within reach, and pushed both the Palestinians and Israelis toward an escalation that most of them did not want."
Shavit makes a credible argument that Kerry is responsible for the continuation of the conflict, for its possible escalation, and for helping to keep Hamas alive and somewhat well. That would seem to argue against a Nobel Peace Prize.
Still, one cannot deny the once-in-a-century achievement of uniting Israel, Egypt, the Palestinian Authority, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan in anger and in a feeling that, once again, the United States has proven to be an unreliable ally. That is surely worthy of some recognition.
If something from Alfred B. Nobel is not appropriate, perhaps something from another well-known Alfred, as in Alfred E, as in Alfred E. Newman, is. Clearly, the Secretary's antics are as crazy as anything ever published in Mad. Sadly, they are much more dangerous.
The first job of any nation state is to protect its citizens. And so I can assure you that ...if somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I'm going to do everything in my power to stop that. And I would expect Israelis to do the same thing.
In terms of negotiations with Hamas, it is very hard to negotiate with a group that is not representative of a nation state, does not recognize your right to exist, has consistently used terror as a weapon, and is deeply influenced by other countries. I think that Hamas leadership will have to make a decision at some point as to whether it is a serious political party seeking to represent the aspirations of the Palestinian people. And, as a consequence, willing to recognize Israel's right to exist and renounce violence as a tool to achieve its aims. Or whether it wants to continue to operate as a terrorist organization. Until that point, it's hard for Israel, I think, to negotiate with a country that -- or with a group that doesn't recognize Israel's right to exist at a country".
.New York Times, July 23, 2008.
Press conference by presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Approximately 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the current war. Most estimates are that one-third to one-half of those killed are combatants. It could be even higher, given the fact that the dead appear to be overwhelmingly men between the ages of 18 and 36. No matter what the number, any civilian deaths are regrettable and unfortunate. Still, given the virtual non-stop attention to the deaths in Gaza, it is worth nothing that those deaths represent one half of one percent of the approximately 170,000 deaths in Syria. Hear much about Syria on the news lately?
Speaking of things the media pays little attention to, we are now seeing the death, forced conversion, and exile of the Christian community in the new Islamic government of Iraq. This is what happens when you don't stand up to evil, when you are "tired of being the world's policeman." Evil doesn't go away. It grows and expands. Where is the Presbyterian Church USA and the other "mainstream" churches that devote so much time and resources to condemning Israel? Where is the UN, whose despot-heavy "Human Rights Council" condemns Israel at every turn? Where is the U.S. and the Europeans, who think that if only we reason with people and make strong statements, this hate will disappear? This will be a stain on the free world that will last decades, if not centuries.
Great musings. Alan. So which pejorative(s) would you use to describe Kerry? Obama? US Foreign Policy? I'll refrain from posting mine.
If it weren't for Karl Rove, he would have been President! Stay safe.
The smartest guys in the room appear to be not so.
American Jews and Catholics elected this guy. We have a big opportunity to send a message next year in the mid-terms. Let's do it!
Well said. I hate to say what I'd do if some group lobbed rockets at me while swearing my ultimate demise and illegitimate right to exist.
And then all I see on American news is the trashing of Israel for bombing Gaza.
Hate to say this but both Obama and Kerry look like they're deer in the headlights. Wow.
Bless you. This is so true.
I often wondered whether he had a grudge against his Jewish brother and is settling his accounts with his brother on the back of Israel.
Got to beat them. We would not let someone send missiles into our country. Or at least we would not before Obama.


(NewsUSA) - Sponsored News - Are people wising up when it comes to ensuring their retirement won't be like something out of "The Hunger Games"?
Two years ago, Fidelity Investments (Fidelity.com) came up with a unique way of measuring not only how close working Americans are to meeting their post-retirement expenses, but also how different generations - baby boomers, Gen Xers, and Gen Yers - stack up against each other. The one standout back then was boomers.
But now that same gauge, the Retirement Preparedness Measure (RPM), is signaling more widespread improvement - thanks in large part to what John Sweeney, Fidelity's executive vice president of retirement and investment strategies, ascribes to "across-the-board progress in savings, and investments being allocated in a more age-appropriate way."
Specifically, the number of people likely to afford at least their essential expenses in retirement jumped 7 percentage points since 2013, from 38 to 45 percent, according to the firm's biennial "Retirement Savings Assessment" study.
On the flip side, of course, that means 55 percent are estimated to be "at risk of being unprepared to completely cover" essentials like housing, food and health care.
Dark Green. Twenty-seven percent are on track to cover more than 95 percent of their total estimated expenses (up 4 percent).
Green. Eighteen percent are headed toward only covering essentials, with no money for travel and entertainment (up 3 percent).
Yellow. Twenty-three percent are off track and would likely require "modest" lifestyle adjustments (up 4 percent).
Red. Thirty-two percent definitely "need attention," to put it mildly, though that's down significantly from 43 percent.
So which generation is faring best?
Well, boomers saved the most - stashing away 9.7 percent of their salaries (up from 8.1 percent, which is still below Fidelity's recommended rate of at least 15 percent). However, millennials showed the most improvement by boosting their savings from 5.8 percent to 7.5 percent.
For those curious how they're doing, Fidelity now allows anyone to access their personal retirement score online. And if you are flashing "code red" - or just eager for a more comfortable retirement - certain "accelerators" can help.
Saving that aforementioned 15 percent of your income, for example, brings the study's median RPM score of 76 - smack in the yellow zone - up to the green zone's 84. Replacing portfolios that are either too conservative or too aggressive with more age-appropriate asset mixes can help improve the score, too.
"The score reaches 100 if you combine delaying retirement with the other two accelerators," says Sweeney.


Review: Domino's Brooklyn Style Pizza : The Brooklyn style pizza from Domino's Pizza tastes really good. It's not as good in the pizza in New York or New Jersey because it doesn't have the water in the dough but it's still good. My only complaint is that Domino's no longer offers the larger pieces of pepperoni as an option. Those large pieces of pepperoni really added a touch of class to the Brooklyn style pizza! Domino's, please bring back the large pieces of pepperoni!
The Brooklyn style pizza from Domino’s Pizza tastes really good. It’s not as good in the pizza in New York or New Jersey because it doesn’t have the water in the dough but it’s still good. My only complaint is that Domino’s no longer offers the larger pieces of pepperoni as an option. Those large pieces of pepperoni really added a touch of class to the Brooklyn style pizza! Domino’s, please bring back the large pieces of pepperoni!


Yahoo: Out With the Old, in With the ???
Yahoo on Wednesday announced a leadership reorganization that moves Carol Bartz out as CEO and replaces her in the interim with Timothy Morse, the company's chief financial officer. The board has also formed a new executive leadership council populated by key senior executives to support Morse in day-to-day operations until a permanent CEO is appointed.
Further, the board initiated a comprehensive strategic review to position the company for further growth.
The market welcomed the move. Yahoo's stock rose about 4.5 percent following the news.
Bartz, who took over in January 2009, instituted cost-cutting measures, including layoffs, that were meant to reverse the company's decline. However, her efforts generally were met with investor criticism.
Yahoo's board has started its search for a permanent CEO and expects to hire a nationally recognized executive search firm to help identify candidates for the position.
Yahoo did not respond to the E-Commerce Times' request for comments by press time.
There was a time when Yahoo was the giant, and Google was a dream in the heads of two college kids. However, as Google ascended, it became known for a continuous stream of innovation and reinvention, while Yahoo was slipping into irrelevance. Bartz was brought on board to change that.
"The board just felt that she didn't do enough," Zeus Kerravala, senior vice president of global enterprise and consumer research at the Yankee Group, told the E-Commerce Times.
"Look at what she did while Google was doing Google Docs and buying Motorola's multimedia group. Yahoo hasn't been doing much," he said.
"What is the most innovative things they've done in the last two or three years?" Kerravala asked rhetorically. "Yahoo has a great platform, but Google has become a part of everyone's life today."
CEOs count. One of the great examples is Apple, which foundered in between Jobs' stints as leader.
Yahoo's board made the right move in ousting Bartz, in Kerravala's view.
"Changing Yahoo requires a CEO who acts more quickly," he said. "Apple was down one time and look at them now. You need the right leadership in place. She didn't bring the right leadership. I think the board did a good thing. Ever since Microsoft didn't buy them, they've been in a quandary."
Yahoo seemed to lose its grip on the steering wheel in recent years. Any company -- GM is a prime example -- can get lost in the woods, but when you operate on Internet time, a couple of months out of focus lets a slew of competitors get the upper hand.
"Turning around a technology company is no easy task," Azita Arvani, principal of the Arvani Group, told the E-Commerce Times. "Carol faced a big challenge when she took over in 2009. However, in the dynamic world of information and communications technology -- especially the Internet companies -- the classic turnaround formula of focusing on a few areas of current success and cutting costs is not sufficient."
It's critical to have a vision of where future growth will come from, and a company has to invest in strategic areas while saving the current business, said Arvani. "If you are gutting out the search infrastructure, then where else are you creating a technological edge to differentiate and grow in the future?"
One major misstep in recent years was Yahoo's failure to embrace mobile applications just when everyone's phones were discovering the Internet.
"I was disappointed that Yahoo abandoned their mobile work," said Arvani. "Yahoo was on the forefront of mobile for a long time. Then, just when things started heating up in mobile, with the arrival of modern smartphones, Yahoo pulled back on their mobile initiatives. That was a real missed opportunity."
Yahoo has slipped so far off the radar, it's hard to tell what the company is actually producing. Search? News?
"The sad part is, in Yahoo's current state, it's hard to judge success or failure. It would take truly phenomenal success or terrible failure to stand out," Steven Savage, technology project manager and Geek 2.0 blogger told the E-Commerce Times. "Bartz needed to take more risks. Yahoo has to either be completely re-envisioned, tighten it's focus considerably, or try and ape -- and overtake -- others. None of those tasks are easy."
That said, the board's move looks desperate and flailing, Savage remarked.
"Bartz was in a very no-win situation. Yahoo is in its death throes, as only radical strategies will save it, [but] I don't see those getting much buy-in," he said. "Yahoo might use this as a chance to get radical -- I hope it does."


Montreal, Canada: Haitian-born Canadian Adonis Stevenson retained his World Boxing Council light-heavyweight title on Saturday after fighting Sweden's Badou Jack to a majority draw in which no judge scored him a winner.
Stevenson, a 40-year-old southpaw, kept the title after two judges scored the bout 114-114 and the third saw Jack as a 115-113 winner in the title bout at Toronto.
In a fight nobody lost, both fighters saw themselves as winners.
"I thought I definitely won the fight," Jack said. "No judge had him winning."
Stevenson's record went to 29-1-1 while Jack settled for his third career draw against 22 wins and a lone defeat.
"I feel I win the fight," Stevenson said. "I hurt him in the body. He got slowed down. I keep pressure on him. He moved slick but I touched him more all the time. I think I win this fight."
All three judges awarded Jack the 12th round to lift him into the draw, which could set the stage for a title rematch.
"I feel I win this fight but Badou is a good fighter, two-time world champion," Stevenson said. "I can give him a rematch if he needs one."
Jack is ready, but wants Stevenson to fight outside Canada for the first time since September 2011.
"Let's do a rematch. Let's do it in Vegas," Jack said. "I came to his place. Now it's his turn to come to my place."
Jack settled for a draw two fights ago in January 2017 with James DeGale and wondered if the fact he is promoted by retired unbeaten champion Floyd Mayweather played a role in his struggles to get more than draws.
"I have no idea," Jack said. "It could be they are jealous of Floyd. I'm one of Floyd's top fighters.
"I don't know. I can't do anything about it. I'm not the judge. I've got to respect."
Stevenson extended the second-longest active reign in boxing. He knocked out Chad Dawson for the crown in 2013 and since then stopped six of eight prior foes with two other victories by unanimous decision.
Stevenson, who had not fought since stopping Poland's Andrzej Fonfara last June in Montreal, dominated early but struggled late as Jack, with Mayweather at ringside cheering him on, bloodied the champion's nose in the eighth round and controled the pace to the finish.
Jack, a 2008 Olympian for his father's homeland of Gambia, owned the WBC super-middleweight crown from 2015 to 2017 and stopped Britain's Nathan Cleverly last August for the World Boxing Association crown, but relinquished the title for the chance to fight Stevenson.


Iraqi president says "important steps" made towards long term US military presence.
Illustrating that point, roadside bombs in Iraq's capital left four US soldiers dead over the last two days.
The latest attacks bring to 10 the number of Americans who have been killed in Iraq in the past week.
And US forces have been accused of killing Iraqi civilians in three separate attacks over the last two weeks.
Witnesses said American soldiers entered homes overnight and killed whole families, including children, while the US military said troops were forced to respond against "terrorists".
The two countries are negotiating a new security deal after a United Nations mandate expires on December 31, along with a separate long-term agreement on political, economic and other security ties.
The State of Forces Agreement (Sofa) has led to protests in Iraq after media reports said the US was demanding immunity for military contractors and that the deal provided for the presence of up to 50 permanent military bases in the nation - reports later denied by US officials.
However, speaking exclusively to Al Jazeera earlier this month, Hoshyar Zebari, the Iraqi foreign minister, said the US had accepted Iraq's demand that any new security deal would not include immunity for US contractors working in the country and said the clause would be stated explicitly in the agreement.
"There would be no immunity whatsoever for private contractors because of what we've gone through with them in the past and because of the sensitivities for the Iraqi people," he said.
Zebari said the new agreement would also state that Iraq cannot be used for "any offensive actions" against "any" of Iraq's neighbouring countries, in reference to ongoing US tensions with Iran over its nuclear programme.
However, the US would be granted control of Iraqi airspace below 10,000m, he said.
The presence of tens of thousands of foreign private security contractors in Iraq has been heavily criticised, especially after the killing last year of 17 Iraqis in Baghdad by Blackwater, a US company which protects US officials in the country.
Zebari also told Al Jazeera the US was showing "great flexibility" and that he was confident the deal would be finalised by the end of June.


Based on "Handbook of Applied Cryptography".
I had one problem. My computer's Global Settings are set to the Lithuanians, but now I live in Austria. I need to change the currency of my program from litas (LTL) to euro (EUR). How could I do that? It's very simple: using System.Globalization; // Code... CultureInfo ci = new CultureInfo("de-AT"); // Code... Console.WriteLine(stringWithCurrency.ToString("C", ci)); Happy coding!
Trumpai buvau Italijoje. Tad, keletas įspūdžių iš šios šalies :) Iš mano nedidelio miestuko tiesiai į Italiją niekas nevažiuoja. Tad teko mauti per Linz (kaip visada). Deja, kaip supratau, į Sommerau pusę yra taisomas geležinkelis, tad teko važiuoti autobusu. Iš Linz nuvažiavome (keliavome dviese iš Lietuvos) į Innsbruck'ą. Innsbruck'e buvom po 2h ryto, tad ėjome pasivaikščioti po Innsbruck'ą. Miestas labai gražus, kalnai... Na, daugiau kaip 500 metrų virš jūros lygio. Pasivaikščiojome naktį.
Today I went to Freistadt in order to get a permit of residence. Because I am foreigner and I want to stay in Austria longer than for 3 months I must get permit of residence (in the German language: Anmeldebescheinigung). But that's the same in every country I guess. If you're foreigner and you want to stay in country for longer period of time - you must get such document. Everything was quite simple there.
I was browsing (ok, lets be honest - Goooogling) the web in order to find some Multiple-Precision Modular Arithmetics algorithms. Our lecturer recomended a very good book - "Handbook of Applied Cryptography".


Leigh's first single on Capital, "Won't Be a Lonely Summer," reached the Top 20 at RPM in August 1965. When the singer's album, Shadows of Your Heart, came out the following summer, it contained a wealth of material written by Canadian songwriters, including Les Pouliot, of "Country Hoedown" and "The Tommy Hunter Show" fame, Lennie Siebert, of The Sons of the Saddle, and Quebec's Douglas Trineer.
Capital released two singles from the album. The title track, written by Canadian country legend Ray Griff, hit #1 on the RPM country chart, while "Why Can't He Be You," a Hank Cochran song originally recorded by Patsy Cline, made it to #3. Leigh released 3 more singles for Capital in 1967: "Lets Talk it Over" and two which once again took her to #1 on RPMs country chart, "Mr. Jukebox" and "The Sound That Makes me Blue."
She remained with "Country Music Hall" until 1969, the year she won the last of her five consecutive RPM Gold leaf Awards (Junos) for Top Female Country Singer in Canada. Leigh moved on to record conntry, Christmas and gospel albums for a variety of other labels (Chart, RCA Victor, Condor, Marathon and Birchmount). She continued to make numerous TV appearances on shows such as "Country Time," The Tommy Hunter Show, " The Ronnie Prophet Show," Family Brown," At the Caribou," and even co-hosted "The Harry Hibbs Show" prior to her retiring from show business in 1976.
During the early years of her career, Dianne was fortunate to be able to share the stage alongside many of the original great country music artists who shaped the industry today.. Singing with the likes of Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, Carl Smith, Porter Wagoner, Roy Clark, Dottie West and Faron Young to name a few, Dianne established herself as one of the few Canadian artists to gain fame on both sides of the border at a time when the country nusic industry was dominated by the American greats. It was Dianne's success back in the 1960s and early 70s that opened the door for future Canadian artists to strut their stuff on the North American stage.
"Canada's Queen of Country Music," Dianne Leigh, wore that title like a shining crown throughout much of the 1960s. And deservedly so. The winner of the RPM Gold Leaf Award (now called the Junos) for Top Female Country Singer for a record five consecutive years, Leigh was a prominent star in Canadian music at a time when, unlike today, few woamn stood in the spotlight. Her pioneering success helped pave the way for every female country performer in Canada who followed, from Carroll Baker to Shania Twain.
Leigh's rise to stardom began when she was only 15. Born and raised in Toronto, the eldest of five children, Leigh had no dreams of a career in music.In fact, the teenager was working as a typist at the time. A cousin who heard her sing was so struck by her crystal-clear voice that he arranged for her to meet The Sapphires, a local rock-harmony group. After an impromptu audition, Leigh was conscripted and began singing songs by Peggy Lee and Julie London with The Sapphires at teen dances and local music events.
One night, with some friends, an underage Leigh used some fake Identification to get into a Toronto bar to hear "The Sons of the Saddle," a popular western group. At the time, Leigh professed not to country music. "I couldn't stand that terrible nasal sound they all used to use," she later recalled. But the group, she discovered, sang country classics in glorious harmony. Emboldened by two beers, Leigh asked if she could sing with them. Although she was turned down, the group invited her back the next day for a rehearsal.
Once again, Leigh passed the audition , singing the only country song she knew, "Your Cheating Heart." She went on to perform with Vic Siebert and the Sons at that bar for the better part of a year - and would have sung with them longer had the Women's Christian Temperance Union not discovered that she was underage and forced the club's owner to fire her. Undeterred, Leigh introduced herself to Jack Starr, owner of Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern, then the city's leading country bar. Using a forged identity, she auditioned and earned herself another singing job.Several days after she started work, three detectives escorted her from the stage after learning she was underage. Realizing club work was out of the question, Leigh got herself work on Patsy Cline's Canadian tour - as a drummer. When that ended, she headed to the Maritimes with a travelling country show.
Leigh's first major break came when she landed herself a spot on Carl Smith's "Country Music Hall" show on the CTV network. The national profile brought her to the attention of Capital Records'Paul White, who promptly signed the singer. She and White flew to Nashville , where they recorded several singles and a collection of songs that would eventually make up Leigh's debut album. Around this time, she travelled to Germany to entertain the American armed forces with graham Townsend, the world-renowned Canadian fiddler, and Jack Kingston (the same country singer who had recorded Capital Canada's first domestic 78 rpm record in the early 1950s.
Daniel Zloty © All rights reserved.


In this lesson, students learn about the differences that occur to verbs in present simple with the third person singular through guided discovey. The lesson begins with listing the form of positive and negative sentences in present simple, followed by drilling to notice the different sounds at the end of each infinitive in addition to a listening in order to learn how to link between consonants and vowels while reading. At the end of the lesson, students practice what was taught to them during the lesson using many sentences.
To provide clarification, review and practice of positive and negative sentences in the present simple in the context of free time activites.
I am going to write 4 sentences in the present simple 3rd person singular on the w/b. I am going to ask students which ones are negative and which ones are positive. Then elicit the characteristics of both positive and negative sentences. After that, I will hand them the gab-fill task to make the rules on the handsouts complete.
Back to the sentences on the board, reading the verbs, noticing the different pronunciations of the end of each verb, and underlining the different endings of the verbs.
- Each student is going to tell another student about his or her partner.


I am writing a memoir that involves ritual abuse as well as severe self-harm (including permanently disabling myself). I do not want to use anyone's real names and real locations (except my own) for obvious reasons.
1. If I want to talk about a psychiatric hospitalization (which there are many) and I'm using a location other than the real one (for other people's privacy sake), should I use the name of a real hospital in that location (even though it's not the one I was truthfully at)? Do I make up the name of a hospital? Same thing with theatres (professional acting). How does that work?
2. If I change everyone's name and location, but the book is still written by me, won't people who know me (even if just casually, like at church) be able to figure out who the real people are? How do I get past legal ramifications.
I believe my story should be told. I just am not sure how to go about it without risking a lawsuit. Can someone help me?
I am writing a similar story. I've decided to go the fiction way, called Fictionalization, thus my name on this board. This way there is no threat of lawsuit from anyone.
I've read enough information on the legal aspects of writing fiction based on fact to know that my characters cannot be even remotely like the original perpetrators, places, crimes, etc. They must be different enough that someone would NOT identify themselves in my book.
My book will state something like: The names, places and crimes have been changed and do not bear any resemble to them to protect the innocent and the guilty.
I found one article written by a non-fiction writer, novelist, writing teacher and faculty member of the Wordwright critique service.


What role do drugs other than alcohol have in deaths related to motor vehicle crashes?
Do most people who drink and drive have serious alcohol problems?
Of the 41,967 traffic fatalities in 1997, 39% were alcohol-related (i.e., either the driver of the crash vehicle or an affected person not in a vehicle (e.g., a pedestrian or a bicyclist) had a blood alcohol concentration of at least 0.01 gram per deciliter (g/dL).1 The U.S. is making progress toward reducing alcohol-related traffic fatalities. The 16,189 alcohol-related traffic fatalities in 1997 represent a 32% reduction from the 23,641 alcohol-related fatalities in 1987.
From 1985 to 1995 for persons ages 15-34 years, the alcohol-related traffic fatality rate declined 32% while the nonalcohol traffic fatality rate declined 13%.2 Each year in the U.S. there are over 120 million episodes of impaired driving among adults.3 About 1.4 million arrests are made annually for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics (1 in every 123 licensed drivers).
In 1997, 14% of drivers aged 16-20 years and 26% of drivers aged 21-24 years who were involved in fatal crashes were legally drunk (BAC 0.10g/dL or greater).1 Young men aged 18-20 years (too young to legally buy alcohol) report driving while impaired almost as frequently as men aged 21-34 years.3At all levels of blood alcohol concentration, the risk of being involved in a crash is greater for young people than it is for older people.
In 1996, 21% of the 2,761 traffic fatalities among children aged 0-14 years involved alcohol.6 Of the child passenger deaths that involve a driver with a BAC >0.10 g/dL, 60% of the time it is the driver of the child's car who is impaired.
Male drivers who die in motor vehicle crashes are almost twice as likely as female drivers to be legally drunk (BAC of 0.10 g/dL or greater).1 The highest intoxication rates among drivers in fatal crashes in 1997 were for those 21 to 24 years old (26.3%), followed by 25 to 34 years old (23.8%) and 35 to 44 years old (22.1%).1 Drivers aged 21-34 years who have been arrested for driving while impaired are over four times as likely to eventually die in a crash involving alcohol than those who have not been arrested for driving while intoxicated.
Adult drivers aged 35 years or older who have been arrested for drunk driving are over 11 times more likely to eventually die in crashes involving alcohol than are those who have never been arrested.
Drugs other than alcohol (e.g., marijuana and cocaine) have been identified as factors in 18% of deaths among motor vehicle drivers. Other drugs are generally used in combination with alcohol.8 ;Most fatally injured drivers who have used drugs other than alcohol are male, or 25-54 years of age, or both.
In 1994, alcohol-related crashes cost the U.S. $45 billion in direct cost, loss of earnings and household productivity.
More than 70% of drivers convicted of driving while impaired are either heavy frequent drinkers (alcohol abuse) or alcoholics (alcohol dependent).
In all drunk driver auto accident cases it is essential that measures be taken promptly to preserve evidence, investigate the accident in question, and to enable physicians or other expert witnesses to thoroughly evaluate any injuries. If you or a loved one is a victim of an automobile accident involving a drunk driver, call a Phoenix car accident attorney at Breyer Law Offices, P.C. or CLICK HERE to submit a Simple Case Form. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to accept your case, we will work on a contingent fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary award or recovery of funds. Don't delay! You may have a valid claim and be entitled to compensation for your injuries, but a lawsuit must be filed before the statute of limitations expires.
Phoenix Accident Victim Lawyer Disclaimer: The legal information presented at this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice, nor the formation of a lawyer or attorney client relationship. Any results set forth herein are based upon the facts of that particular case and do not represent a promise or guarantee. Please contact a lawyer for a consultation on your particular legal matter. This web site is not intended to solicit clients for matters outside of the state of Arizona.


Home Gautreaux, Tim. SAME PLACE, SAME THINGS.
Title: SAME PLACE, SAME THINGS.
In his stunning debut collection, Tim Gautreaux chronicles the lives of "ordinary" people - a farmer on his porch, a woman fixing her tractor, a train engineer passing through a small town - who face extraordinary circumstances or decisions. The farmer has just learned he must raise his infant granddaughter; the woman is about to watch a helicopter land in her back field; the train engineer will cause a colossal disaster. Most of these stories are set in Louisiana, and some incorporate the customs and cadences of modern Cajun life. Many are about work and how people do their jobs, from radio announcers to pump repairmen, from bug exterminators to tugboat crews.<br />These are stories about real people, stories filled with heart and humor, event and consequence. With an unerring eye for detail and a pitch-perfect ear for language, Tim Gautreaux brings his characters to life in twelve perfectly crafted, beautifully told tales of love, redemption, and second chances. Same Place, Same Things resonates with the hope and possibility of everyday life.
Louisiana is a state like no other. Why is it so strange? Mostly because of the people who live there, some of whom constitute the characters in this quirky collection of short stories, the first collection by Tim Gautreaux. There's a cold-feeling grandfather who is forced to raise his infant grandchild after his own child dies and who knows little more than to offer shotgun shells as toys; a pump repairman during the Great Depression who runs from the death of a farmer and his pursuing wife; and a drunken train engineer who crashes with a cargo of chemicals and becomes a fugitive.


Restoring the house has been the Dales' plan . Mrs. Dale said when they first bought the house they figured it would take five years to restore it and make it comfortable. After two years, they have come a long way.
"We thought the ceilings were in good condition but when the house dried out, the upstairs ceiling fell in," she said.
They have also had to replace most of the windows . After close inspection, they found many had beebee holes in them or had weathered so badly a person couldn't see through them. All the windows had to be reglazed and caulked.
Doors also proved to be a problem. They are all oversized, and it was impossible to find replacements or storm doors. "You just don't go into Sears and buy one like that," Mr. Dale said. Finally, they had to have special doors made from converted screen doors.
In restoring the house, the Dales have knocked out six walls put in while the house was being used as an apartment building. They have also started stripping the varnish and paint off the old oak wainscotting and woodwork.
Matching the original oak's color was a problem when they put in the stairway to the upstairs, Mr. Dale said.. New oak is white and it took several coats of stain before they got a color similar to the original, he said.
The Dales had to replace three walls damaged by water over the years. They discovered the walls' condition while pulling off the old wallpaper, Mr. Dale said. "There must have been 20 layers of paper. I think it was holding the walls together. We'd rip off some paper and a chunk of plaster would be stuck to it," he said.
Mr. Dale said that after putting in some electrical wires, they will lower the ceilings six inches. That will be just enough to cover pipes and wires. "The ceilings will be 11 feet upstairs and 13 downstairs," he added.
Mrs. Dale said after they bought "Old Brick" she dreamed of finding all sorts of treasures in the attic. They were in for a rude shock, though.
"Harry told me to go up and look in it first. When I got up there I said, `Harry, you know what I found up here?' He said, `What?' I laughed.
The Dales have one advantage. They will never need air-conditioning. The house sits on a hill, and a steady breeze is always with shade trees surrounding the house, the Dales have a huge amount of window space which includes working transoms. "With the breeze blowing and all the window space, we'll never need a air-conditioning," Mr. Another hilltop advantage and having all that window space is the magnificent lake view. In fact, the lake is what brought the Dales here from theChicago suburbs. "We would have never tried this if we didn't love the lake so much," Mrs. Dale said.
The Dales have heard many stories about the house since moving here. One favorite concerns the upstairs being used by ladies of the evening during the 1880's and 1890's while the building was still the original saloon. A back stairway was supposedly built leading to the women's quarters, Mr. Dale said.
Their son once was asked where he lived by an old man, she said. When he told the man, the man's eyes widened "They and he said, used to keep fancy ladies there"' she laughed.
Other stories include the existence of a duck pin alley in the house. Mr. Dale said he has been told the picnic tables in the town park were made from wood which was used in the alleys. Another story concerns a beer garden in the back. Mr. Dale said the design of the structure in back and a solid cement floor makes it look like the garden did exist. Somebody built small apartments on the cement and rented them to fishermen after the tavern was closed. The Dales have taken the structure and turned it into a guest cottage.
A special doorway to the basement proved to be the spot where the beer was taken downstairs and placed in a large tank, Mr. Dale said. The tank was filled with water fed by an artesian well. After the tavern was forced to close, when the town went dry in 1903, the new owners capped the well and diverted the water into the drain which empties into the lake. "It runs all year round, the same temperature... he said.
Mrs. Dale said they have no idea how old the building is, but they know the place was built before 1872 because of the land abstract they have. The place has had several names. They include the original name, Kreuzberger’s Park and Saloon, and Lakeview Place. The name most often used is “Old Brick,” Mrs. Dale said.
There is a pipe which sticks out above the front door where they believe signs were hung. Mr. Dale said after they have the house finished he will hang a sign from it which says, "The Old Brick."
The building's construction is unusual. The walls are more than one foot thick. They consist of three layers of bricks with some air space between each layer. The floor joices, which are two inches by 12 inches thick, are built into the walls, so no supports are needed inside the hou se. The plaster was placed right on to the brick wall, Mr. Dale said. The place is absolutely still, even during the hardest storms, his wife added.


Reach Wholesale Distribution software caters to three operational types. The first type covers a scenario where a sales team will go on field to get orders from retailers. Most of the FMCG products come under this category. The second type is where the retailer places order directly to the wholesaler. The wholesaler will be just delivering materials to the retailer. The third type will cover both the scenarios. With Reach Wholesale Distribution software, users can easily manage sales orders, stock delivery, replenishment, accounting, taxes and more.
Reach is an IT software development company and has been involved in creating simple but powerful business applications on the cloud across the world Businesses. Backed by a strong management team and Sequoia Capital, the company has been making slow but steady progress in vision of empowering Indian businesses with world class business tools.
Sync all your emails into one place and manage the leads, bills, compalints and sales orders from a single software block.
Leads from all sources,Leads extractions via mail server,Converting leads to appointments,Quotes,Converting quotes to Invoices,Email-SMS update,Delivery status update,Work pending strategy.
Income & Expense Grouping,Accounting Ledgers,Tax Heading Creations & Operations,Bank & Cash Creation & Operations,AssetLiability Creation & Operations,Income & Expense Recording,Journal Entries & Contra Transactions,etc.Create Invoices with your own branding or choose from over 20 templates (includes contractor Invoices). Generate Invoices or convert quotes to Invoices. Automatically convert invoices raised in foreign currency to INR. Raise recurring Invoices. Email, print or extract Invoices to pdf. Get reminded every time an Invoice is due. Send reminder sms or emails.
Multi-User operation with restriction menus,Auto Back up,Accounting Period Auto change,Any Location operation,Easy to handle,No hard accounting process and buttons,Auto conversion to accounting formats.
Reach ERP Software can help you automate your Wholesale and Distribution business. It is best for multi-location business. since its on the cloud, the information can be transfered realtime between sales offices, warehouses and admin offices.
Q. Will my data be safe on the cloud?
We have given you the following security options to protect your data: 1)You can set Access Level Restrictions for your employees. 2)Software shoots an OTP every time your employee logs in from outside your office. 3)All your data can be automatically backed up through an email everyday. 4)We give you Bank level protection (256 bit encryption). 5)We backup your Data automatically every 3 hours.
Q. What if my server is hacked?
Q. How is this better than having a Local Server?
Q. What if my accountant is not able to adopt?
Implementing an ERP system bring benefits to the entire company (Not only accounts) It automates the Supply Chain, Logistics and Sales Force. It will be a good idea to win the confidence of the accountant by giving a trial Management direction will be key in bringing about the change. It’s important that you instruct the team to move to the cloud to take advantage of real-time information.
Q. Who will help me move my data from Tally/ Excel?
Importing data from excel to Reach is easy. if needed, We can help you import your data and setup your account for a nominal fee.
Q. How can I trust your company?
Reach has been involved in creating simple but powerful business applications on the cloud. Backed by a strong management team and Sequoia Capital, we have been making steady progress in our vision of being the preferred online replacement for desktop business tools. In the last 10 years, Reach has grown to a team of 50 members, with over 1000 customers, in 3 countries.


The money that is earned by allowing other people to use your monetary assets.
Tom needs $100,000 to start a business. The bank says they will loan him the money at 15% interest. This means that every year Tom has to pay the bank $15,000 (.15 x $100,000) until the money is repaid. The $15,000 is interest income to the bank.


Does tossing chocolate chips in flour before adding them to a cake really keep them from sinking to the bottom, and if so, why?
I've read a bit about this and there are quite a few people who swear by tossing them in flour (first coating them very lightly in cooking spray so it sticks). As Susan mentioned below, sometimes, depending on the cake, the flour can show when it is baked. For this reason, in a chocolate cake, you can use cocoa powder instead of the flour. Personally, I try to use very thick batters to avoid the problem altogether. The reason coating the chips (or fruit/nuts) works (sort of) is because it creates a barrier between the batter and chip forming a little pocket for it to sit in and prevents sinking.
I have not noticed a difference. If your batter is thick, that will help. When making brownies or a sheet cake, I sprinkle them on top and it works great. Also, the flour often shows through in the finished product if it's a chocolate cake.
why do my cookies (typically chocolate chip) brown at the bottom and the edges when the middle looks raw?


Where can I find more information about Sunsetting Storage of Connection Logs for Heroku Connect?
I received an email notification with the subject Heroku Connect: Sunsetting Storage of Connection Logs and I would like more information about this change.
Storage of the last 10 days of historical logs will be removed from the Heroku Connect service on Friday the 12th of April 2019. No action is required on your part; post-discontinuation, you will need to configure a log drain to continue having access to historical logs from Heroku Connect.
How do I configure a log drain for Heroku Connect?
It depends on whether or not you use Shield Private Spaces. If you use Shield Private Spaces, log drains are configured at the space level. Otherwise, log drains are configured at the app level. You will need to configure your log drain on either the space or the app that is associated with your Heroku Connect add-on.
What will the Logs tab of the Heroku Connect dashboard look like starting on April 12, 2019?
The Logs tab will continue to be present on the Heroku Connect dashboard, but it will only stream logs as they occur. It will not display any of the logs that were written prior to loading the tab.
How do I view historical logs from Heroku Connect?
You will need configure a log drain as described above, which will send your logs to either a logging add-on provider or your own log drain. Then you'd use the logging add-on provider or your own tooling to view and analyze the logs from Heroku Connect.


04-208.txt 2004-01-14 167 Brainerd Clarify the "as if" rules.
04-223.txt 2004-01-28 167 fortran.com Add unary operators, ++, += etc.
04-244.txt 2004-02-13 167 Long TYPELESS feature for f03++.
04-262.txt 2004-02-20 167 fortran.com Triplets in substring subscripts.
04-372.txt 2004-08-01 169 Ingrassia Response to 04-371.


It doesn't do any good to have a website if your potential customers don't know about it. Porter Graphics will get your website seen by the people who need to see it with the latest techniques described below.
One of the most useful online tools is the search engine. Popular sites include Google, Yahoo and Ask, but there are many, many more. Your website will be submitted to all the main search engine websites to be included in their databases to be placed high in the list. These search engines will also find your website by the keywords that are placed in the coding of your website.
How it will build website traffic.
When a potential customer is looking for the product or service you provide and don't know where to find it, they will use search engines to find it. By utilizing the best keywords and reciprocating links, your website will be at the top of the list.
What better way to reach your potential customer than by direct advertising? Generate an email list of your customers with online registration and send them regular emails with updates, sales or coupons to get their return business.
Email ads will refer the customer back to your website to download recent sales coupons or to register for ongoing contests.
When used properly, banner ads can yield excellent results. Placing banner ads on established websites that have a constant flow of hits will point those potential customers to your site.
Potential customers will see your banner ad on another website and when clicked will instantly take them to your website. Banner ads allow you to target specific markets. For example, if your company sells shoes then you would want to advertise on a website such as Runner's World.


In his life of Guido Reni (published in 1678), Carlo Cesare Malvasia stresses the role of Guido in the emergence of the new "maniera moderna." After reaching its apogee of perfection with the work of the three Carracci, especially of Ludovico, painting evolves toward a new epoch, the so-called "fourth age of painting." In Malvasia's view, Guido was both a protagonist and, to a great extent, a creator of a new "modernity." In defining what comes after perfection, Malvasia struggles with the construction and definition of a new paradigm of artistic excellence only partially embodied by Guido's work. But how can perfection generate new forms of artistic perfection without repeating itself? And if perfection in the "fourth age of painting" is unattaible by definition, what forms of partial perfection can subsequently be developed by artists? In Malvasia's words, Guido's painting is marked by "nobility" ("nobiltà") and "celestial ideas" ("idee celesti"); his craftsmanship is a heavenly one ("un fare di paradiso"). But what exactly is Guido's "divine manner"? What is the role of "sweetness" ("dolcezza"), "softness" ("soavità"), and "delicacy" ("delicatezza") in Malvasia's interpretation of Guido's painting?
Lorenzo Pericolo is Associate Professor of History of Art at the University of Warwick. He studied at the Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, and the École pratique des Hautes Études en Sciences Historiques et Philologiques, Sorbonne, Paris. Among his books: Caravaggio and Pictorial Narrative: Dislocating the Istoria in Early Modern Painting (2011); Subject as Aporia in Early Modern Art (co-edited with Alexander Nagel, 2010); Remembering the Middle Ages in Early Modern Italy (co-edited with Jessica N. Richardson). He is working on Volume Nine (Life of Guido Reni) of Malvasia's Felsina pittrice: Lives of the Bolognese Painters (co-edited with Elizabeth Cropper).


The idea that people should be treated fairly is important for developing a culture of reporting safety issues. But what is fair, and who gets to decide?
What is justice? What is culture? How long is a piece of string?
Because there will always be different ideas about the meaning of ‘justice’ and ‘culture’, the foundations of just culture are necessarily vague. No single, universal definition will ever be accepted by everyone. But just culture is an important idea that is central to strengthening aviation safety, and in any consideration of ‘just culture’, it is important that everyone knows what is being discussed, even if they don’t all agree.
CASA has adopted a rational approach to just culture that aligns fully with international best practice. Adopting the language used in the new European legislation, CASA’s Regulatory Philosophy defines just culture as, ‘an organisational culture in which people are not punished for actions, omissions or decisions taken by them that are commensurate with their experience, qualifications and training, but where gross negligence, recklessness, willful violations and destructive acts are not tolerated’.
Professor Sidney Dekker, of Griffith University, expanded awareness and debate on the concept in his book Just culture: Restoring trust and accountability, now in its third edition.
Dekker acknowledges that just culture will always be a contested term because justice itself is not, and can never be, fully and finally defined.
CASA’s General Manager of Legal Affairs, Regulatory Policy and International Strategy, Jonathan Aleck, makes a similar point. ‘The concept is well embraced. It’s easy to say people shouldn’t be punished for honest mistakes. There should be learning opportunities and people should be encouraged to be candid, without fearing the consequences.
Another contentious just culture issue involves deciding what does, and what doesn’t, constitute punishment. Modern approaches to just culture have effectively resolved an important aspect of that issue, Aleck says, and CASA’s definition of just culture’ reflects this.
‘If someone is simply sacked for having made an error, and sent away with the warning “never darken our door again”, such action has a clear and distinctively punitive quality,’ he says.
The difference between such preventive, corrective and remedial measures, and a punitive or disciplinary response is that limiting actions (taking a pilot or engineer off the line for retraining, or curtailing or restricting an organisation’s activities) are only taken until the person demonstrates they can perform their duties safely, Aleck says.
These different, but complementary, considerations are reflected in CASA’s regulatory philosophy, as they are in the new ICAO Annex 19 standards and the European legislation.
‘In most jurisdictions, occurrence reporting is managed by the regulatory authority. In Australia, most of these reports go to the ATSB, and people have sometimes confused that as meaning all occurrence (or incident) reports get the same kind of protection as accident and serious incident investigation reports get. That is not, and has never been, nor was it ever intended to be, the case. Limitations on the use to which the safety information conveyed in certain occurrence reports may properly be put has always been subject to exceptions,’ Aleck says.
Dekker notes that South Africa did this on a national scale, with the truth and reconciliation commission that followed the apartheid years. ‘In statecraft there are trade-offs between justice and peace; in aviation, health-care and high-consequence industries, the trade-off is between justice and learning,’ he says.
‘There are certainly people who might think that the engineer got off too lightly but the payoff was not in the punishment and the feelings of righteousness that accompanied it. It was in learning, and improving—avoiding making the same mistake again.
The amazing thing that I find with the whole issue of action that is deemed to be punitive against those found to have contributed to an incident is, why aren’t the actions of those further up the chain of command who have had a bearing on a failure further up the causal path dealt with. While ever this continues to occur, the people at the pointy end will never feel that they have been treated with fairness.
Just culture is just a couple of BS made up words to appease the ever increasing power of HR. Don’t forget any department within an Airline is run by humans, the species that is selfish, vindictive & corrupt!
Walter, that is an unfortunate point of view.
Understanding how people work best within an organisation helps in far more ways than just safety. I would recommend you do some reading on the real world effects of a Human factors/Just Culture system.
As a leader in aviation, I have found this approach invaluable and the results undeniable,.
Just Culture is absolutely essential in building the trust, on which successful organisations run.
I personally led a ramp safety audit and intervention program for a major US airline and my going-in position was that we were not going to ‘take names’, as had been done in the past.
We were going to record objective details (aircraft tail #, time etc) and then try to determine why safety deficiencies existed and the context in which they arose.
That last part is critical because no action can be understood outside of its context.
I had a team of supervisors working 24/7 and when we would turn up at a gate, would correct whatever procedure hadn’t been completed, help the crew turn the aircraft and then after the departure, talk about what we noticed and ask them to help us understand the situation.
When they realised that we wanted data and understanding and were not going to punish them, they began to trust us and we discovered all manner of incredibly valuable information about why things happened the way they did.
In most cases, they weren’t being lazy or careless, they were under enormous pressure and operating with equipment and procedures that were not always optimised for the task.
Humans in a complex system often create workarounds because of competing pressures.
Work as imagined (the procedure) is often not ‘work as done’, for many reasons.
Turning a wide-body in 40 minutes (sometimes in horrific weather) creates a range of competing priorities and these must be understood and managed properly.
By using Human Centred Design/Human Factors principles and engaging the workers in the solution, we were able to redesign processes, get new or more suitable equipment and engage them in the mission of being efficient and safe.
The result was a huge success. Aircraft damage, injuries and even some types of delays dropped dramatically. More importantly, people started coming to us to point out issues before they caused problems.
The simple fact is that if you want machine reliability – get a machine but if you want the flexibility, adaptability and problem-solving ability humans offer, you have to accept the vulnerabilities that go along with it.
If you work with humans, you cannot eliminate mistakes but you can make your system resilient, so mistakes don’t result in negative outcomes.
Most humans are well-intentioned in that they don’t intend to get things wrong. Honest mistakes can happen for myriad reasons, many of which can be system or environment related (remember SCHELL?) and so it is critical that we understand these reasons, otherwise someone else will have the same problem.
Having a workforce that is comfortable in self-reporting errors knowing that they will not be punished, is absolutely critical in building a predictive and proactive culture which can prevent incidents and accidents from happening.
And that is good for everyone.


The news that Amazon will soon start showing Premier League matches in the UK marks a big milestone in the rise of the FAAMGs in sports broadcasting.
When an ad is shown for a product on Amazon, it would be much easier to track the immediate effect that ad has on viewer behaviour - from clicking to browsing to purchasing.
At the start of the game, when the camera zooms in on the ball before kick-off, could a pop up appear which tells the viewer how much that ball costs online, and so on.
Could we start tailoring advertising to the individual user based on their purchase history and other demographics (I say this without knowing Amazon's broadcast capabilities). For example, someone who bought Wimbledon tickets online then sees ads about tennis rackets and then sees ads about tennis lessons and so on.
But this is already happening online I hear you say? Well, yes, but TV viewers who see an on-screen ad are much more likely to notice, observe and discuss that advert than internet users who come across them while surfing the web alone.
The original point above was about tailoring adverts in ad breaks. But you could also start to tailor the advertising boards on the edge of the pitch or the logo on the umpires back as well during in-game activity.
If you can start to measure a direct link between the time a product spends on screen (for example, the coach's suit or the goalie's gloves) and the subsequent sales it achieves, could you start to auction off additional camera time to the makers of those products?
These are all questions, but they're things the traditional broadcasters don't currently offer which Amazon could potentially do. For now, it means fans will have to subscribe to three different broadcasters to watch all Premier League games, so on face value, it adds complexity. However, at the same time, it's also another part of our day-to-day life now 'living' on these digital platforms.
While you're thinking about the finance of football, Deloitte has just released its Annual Review of Football Finance 2018 and it reveals a new era of improved profitability and financial stability for football clubs.
Amazon and other technology groups are increasingly pushing into live sport, challenging traditional broadcasters which have used them to underpin their subscription packages to consumers.
This is so clearly the future of sports broadcasting: https://t.co/CqVQ6vXx3i Whoever creates a #Netflix-style user experience for live sport will be a multi-billionaire. Question is, will it be: @AmazonUK @Google or even @DAZN_CA or someone entirely different?


How can an EB-5 applicant prove non-immigrant intent to obtain a B-2 visa from a consular officer?
I have applied for an EB-5 visa and the I-526 was filed two months ago. While I wait for adjudication, I would like to vacation for a few weeks in the U.S. this spring. What is the most effective way to prove non-immigrant intent to a consular officer? Also, are there any documents I should compile to show binding ties to my home country?
It will come down to the proper documentation. An I-526 by itself should not give rise to immigrant intent but you may very well get some additional questions. Working with an immigration attorney will help you be prepared for all questions and documentary requirements.
You should tell a consular officer you intend to process upon approval of your I-526 form. You should indicate this intention on the I-526 and gather as much evidence of your home country ties for the B visa interview as possible, such as a clear itinerary of what you plan to do in the U.S. for a temporary trip, evidence of a job or business in your home country, property ownership, other family members, etc.
The process of getting an EB-5 visa is at least two years. As an EB-5 investor, you can show your high net worth and merely let the consular officer know you plan to return home. Have a very specific and clear itinerary for the officer to review. As for showing good ties to your home country, that is simple. During the two-year waiting period, you should continue to live your regular, comfortable life. For example, do not quit your job during this time.
It would be helpful to show the consular officer proof of your long-standing job in your home country, the property you have there, or an upcoming event you will not miss (e.g. a wedding). You should also remind the officer you requested consular processing on the I-526.
It is technically possible to apply for a B-1/B-2 multiple entry visitor visas even after you have filed an EB-5 Investor Petition on Form I-526. To start, you will need to fully disclose that the petition was filed. You must also indicate, while you have a long-term intent to obtain Permanent Residency, you still have strong ties to your home country and have a short-term interest in taking a vacation in the U.S.
The best way to prove non-immigrant intent is to be very upfront with the consular officer about the fact that you are aware of the long processing times for I-526 petitions and that you have no intention of jeopardizing your future EB-5 visa petition by overclocking your tourist time. It is helpful to show proof of employment and other documentation still tying you to the home country.
As long as your present intent is well supported (i.e. temporary visitor), you should be fine to apply for a B-2 for a vacation while you wait for your EB-5 Petition. You should provide home country ties in the form of proof of employment, home ownership, family, etc.
You can simply show the purpose of the trip and your intent to return to your foreign residence to a consular officer.


A beautifully executed kick, an impeccable dive, and a Picasso painting, would one consider these to originate from the same category? We speak of art and aesthetic in life and sport, but are they one in the same? Some believe that some sports could be considered a form of art because of their aesthetically pleasing components, while others argue in opposition. In the world of sport there are two different categories, which include purposive sports and aesthetic sports. Within each category one may derive a few examples of beautifully executed movements, but does that constitute an art form or just an aesthetically pleasing component of sport? I will argue that sport can be considered a sub genre of art, although an artfully executed play or movement is not always the goal. There are definite overlapping factors that allude to sport being a form of art; in this article I will discuss such factors that may allow sport to be considered an art form in its own right and own genre.
Art is a form of expression, whether a painting, dance, poem, or sculpture it is an expression of the individuals thoughts, desires, and can reflect social, emotional, and political situations. Art as an expression of ones self is subjective and when first observed may not hold any intrinsic value or beauty, but once the meaning and understanding is established it has the ability to become beautiful, meaningful, and truly moving. In Bests’ article “The Aesthetic in Sport” he states, in art the means are inseparable from the end. He also believes that is may be the differing factor that makes sport not a form of art but only aesthetically pleasing to the spectator. He states that in the case of purposive sports the means are in no way connected to the end. In a game of soccer it does not matter in what way the goal was executed, but that the goal was scored. Aesthetic sports, however, are closer to an art form, considering that the means do correlate to the end product. In the example of the gymnast, it is all about how the action/performance was executed and aesthetics are what allow the athlete to succeed; but Best believes that the apparent lack of self-expression allowed in aesthetic sports is what separates it from the arts. In opposition Boxill disagrees. She believes that sport is considered a form of art, and I would have to agree.
In Boxill’s article “Beauty, Sport, and Gender” she makes many valid points to prove that sport is an art form. One, in which I strongly agree, is the parallel of how sport and art become aesthetically pleasing and become an object of self-expression. She references the novice musician or athlete and that in their attempts made to master a skill the beginning is never aesthetically pleasing. A sport or art form must become mastered in order to show beauty, skill, and fluidity in movement and form. I believe that sport, just like art, is an avenue to express oneself. Whether it is done skillfully or with beauty and grace, that may not necessarily be the main objective. I know that when I participate in sport it is a way to distress; this is also the case when I draw, sing, or dance. I may not have mastered each skill but it is still a form of my self-expression because it comes from me and no one else.
There are so many different forms of art, most are free of restriction and rules but some do have certain criterion that must be abided, such as in sport. Some type of poetry has certain criterion for which one must abide to be labeled so; this calls for more creativity on the part of the writer, just as in sport the rules are derived to challenge an athlete. Boxill uses the example of the 3-second lane in basketball, “was widened to prevent a 7-footer from just standing next to the basket waiting for a lob pass inside.” Such rules are made so that the athlete must use skill to complete a task. Yes, in sport grace and skill are not always achieved along side victory, but it does not conclude that the athlete has in no way showed a sense of self-expression.
There are many ways to express oneself. To be artistic should hold no boundaries. We all have the ability of self-expression and at times it may not always be viewed as beautiful and graceful, but that does not mean it lacks expression of oneself. We all have been a novice at a sport or instrument, or any other form of art, the beauty that we see in the world is subjective and no one should tell us that what we create or derive from our being is not art in its own right.
This entry was posted in Philosophy of sport by Kristina Macias. Bookmark the permalink.


"Optimus Prime smash!" in "Transformers: The Last Knight."
Despite being the right age, I was never into Transformers as a kid, so as an adult, I haven't had much of an interest in the film series, and thus haven't seen any of them. I can't speak to whether "Transformers: The Last Knight," the fifth installment of the massively lucrative global franchise, is any better or worse than the previous movies. But I do know that the guiding idea behind the series appears to be: "What if we took a beloved property about how neat it would be to make friends with a race of alien robots who can turn into cars you can ride in, and made it absolutely no fun whatsoever?"
Mark Wahlberg returns to the series as the impeccably named Cade Yeager, inventor and unofficial protector of the Autobots. In order to save humanity, Cade teams up with Izabella (Isabela Moner), a spunky orphan he insists on calling "bro," and Dr. Vivian Wembley (Laura Haddock), an Oxford professor-slash-supermodel, to use a medieval talisman to find an ancient staff that will help prevent the Transformers' home planet of Cybertron from crashing into Earth. Or something. Also there's a connection to Arthurian legend.
Sitting through "The Last Knight" is like listening to a 5-year-old on a sugar high describe a dream they had ... while they pummel you with the entire contents of their toy box. The plot is so indecipherable, I can only describe it in the style of Bill Hader's club kid SNL character, Stefon.
This movie has everything: three-headed robot dragons; Mark Wahlberg quoting Arthur C. Clarke; malevolent assassin pocket watches; Nazi flashbacks; secret messages hidden in children's pop-up books; drunk Merlin; interstellar space goddesses; Stonehenge; Sir Anthony Hopkins as the keeper of the secret history of Transformers; and a psychopathic metal butler named Cogman.
I know listing everything this way makes watching the movie sound like a blast, but in practice, even half-heartedly keeping track of it all is exhausting. At some point during the endless climactic battle, I realized that a young boy was singing the ABCs at the top of his lungs in the middle of the theater. Normally that might have proven annoying, but here it provided a much-needed tether, pulling me back to reality when time and space had started to lose all meaning. So I thank you, child.
I definitely saved myself a lot of headache by not having any previous point of reference for the nonsensical story; whenever something didn't make sense, I chalked it up to being something established in a previous film (although based on conversations after the fact, it seems that's hardly ever the case).
There's no need for a movie about giant robots smashing things to be this complicated. But there's so much weirdness crammed into the margins (for example: a throwaway line tells us the Transformers aided Harriet Tubman with the Underground Railroad), that it becomes kind of compelling. There's something to be said for Michael Bay's determination to deliver pure kinetic chaos and spectacle straight into his audience's eyes, and if you surrender to its gonzo energy, it's hard not to get caught up in it, at least a little. Just remember to bring some aspirin.
Check back on Friday for additional film coverage, including a review of Edgar Wright's "Baby Driver."


After being charged with assault in Greenwich, it is important that an individual contact an experienced Greenwich assault attorney immediately. An individual should not get involved in any other issue that would create a concern to law enforcement or potentially result in another arrest. Further, they should refrain from any contact at all with the person that was involved in the assault.
Calling an attorney is important to make sure that the person does not make things worse. The incident is already in the past, and the act of assault can not be changed. Consulting with a lawyer will help a person understand what their rights are and what they should or should not be doing in terms of interacting with law enforcement or other people.
Also, an attorney can inform an individual as to what a person should be doing in order to make their case go smoother so that they do not make their situation any worse than it already is.
It is critical that an individual does not get involved in any sort of situation that could lead to another arrest, such as committing another crime or getting themselves into any sort of trouble. A person should make sure that the issue is isolated to this one event instead of being a product of more circumstances that may complicate the situation.
Finally, the most important step after being charged with assault in Greenwich is ensuring there is no further contact with the other party involved in the assault.
Interaction with the alleged victim can exacerbate the situation and make it worse for the defendant by making the other individual appear to be afraid. This situation could reflect a more severe or malicious intention as to the alleged victim if the person is still contacting and interacting with the person.
An individual should expect that their Greenwich assault case will be taken seriously, and that the prosecuting authority will be in touch with the alleged victim of assault and will be interested in knowing how they are progressing and what their wishes are.
The person involved in an assault case can expect that there may be additional consequences that go beyond just the punishment of the crime such as lost work opportunities or the loss of other rights and opportunities that might have otherwise been available to them.
A person charged with assault can also expect that, to help mitigate their circumstances, they should be willing to go to some form of counseling or anger management in order to show the prosecutor and court that they are willing to address any underlying issues. This is a crucial step to take after a Greenwich assault charge, as it can make the individual look better in the eyes of the court.
An individual should know that this process is going to take a lot of time, and is not something that will go away in just a couple of court dates. It is likely to be a number of court dates that span over a period of six months to up to two years before the case is settled.
Video evidence, witnesses, medical evidence, and photographs that show the physical injury will be collected and presented by the prosecution. To combat this, it is crucial that one of the first steps an individual takes after an assault charge in Greenwich is to contact a lawyer.
Only an experienced attorney will be able to help effectively reduce or dismiss any penalties associated with the charge.


I am asking this question in order to clarify my understanding of the Master Profile model and whether it is STATIC or DYNAMIC.
1) Simply create a COPY of the Master Profile at time of Custom Profile creation and then any change to the Master Profile would only affect NEW Custom Profiles created?
2) If not, then does that mean ANY configuration changes to the Master Profile will propagate across ALL Custom Profiles overwriting ANY "customization" within that Custom Profile?
Finally, what about the inverse? If you decide LATER that something that existed in the Master Profile should NOT exist in ANY Custom Profiles and you remove it? Does it remove it from ALL Custom Profiles or does it leave it and then you have to manually remove it?
This would imply that Custom Profiles are STATIC copies and only aggregate NEW items that do not exist, so my concern is about items that already exist and if it is DYNAMIC and re-configures anything.
If you make a change to the master, it will impact ALL profiles, not just new profiles. For example, if you pull a field from the master, it will remove it from every profile as well. Usually you do not edit the Master unless you want to hide something for all users.


They could combine their talents to make a movie.
Jason Markarian could write the script and maybe direct; Rachael Markarian could act and dance; and Adam Markarian could be the stylist adding avant-garde dash to the film�s overall look.
The three would be too modest to call their movie �The Talented Markarians,� although the title would be apt. As for a plot, how about a scenario when the three return home for the holidays?
Actually, siblings Jason, Michael and Adam Markarian have been back in their old stomping grounds and staying in Holden with their mother, Robin Markarian, for the past week. No, they are not filming their stay � just enjoying it. But their respective and collective stories could fuel several interesting scripts.
Jason, 30, is a former model who has acted in Los Angeles and now is a screenwriter working on several projects after the success of the short film �Mercenary,� which he co-produced, co-wrote and co-directed. Rachael Markarian, 27, is back in Los Angeles after spending two years touring the world as backup dancer for Rihanna. She�s also been seen recently on �Dancing with the Stars.� Adam Markarian, 29, is a celebrity stylist living in New York City whose clients have included Mariah Carey and Zac Posen.
Robin Markarian has been relishing the holiday visit � the first time everyone�s been together in a year. �It�s awesome for me,� she said.
The family grew up in Worcester. �Everyone�s so keen to get out of Worcester, but it�s nice to have that base,� Jason Markarian said of return journeys.
Los Angeles can be �crazy,� he said; New York �a grind,� added his brother. So it was a cozy scene in the living room Monday. Outside, it was even snowing.
The three siblings have been out and about, revisiting places. Rachael Markarian taught a master dance class at Burncoat Senior High School. Today she�ll fly back to LA. Jason and Adam Markarian plan to leave Saturday.
Far from it, in fact.
Her husband, Michael Markarian, the father of Adam, Rachael and Jason, was a clothier. He died in 2001. �He was so proud of them. No matter what they did he would light up. Rachael would dance in the kitchen � he would light up,� Robin Markarian said.
About the time of her father�s death, Rachael found herself newly moved to Los Angeles with $4 in her bank account. She had been told that she was too tall to be a dancer backing an artist.
Jason had started out as a model traveling to Italy with $150 in his pocket.
Adam said he was thrown out of Worcester Academy because he was a bit of a nonconformist and not very good at math. He lived in San Francisco for 11 years, starting out there by enrolling in art school, then leaving because money was tight, and then working as a bartender.
Back stateside, Jason tried law school, left, and ventured into acting instead.
�We�re optimists,� he said. Indeed, that trip to Italy with $150 in hand ended up being a successful three-year stay as he modeled for agencies and magazines.
Going for auditions as an actor in LA, he noticed how appalling a lot of the scripts were. He and his friend John Mirabella started writing scripts. The two are now represented by the William Morris Agency.
Rachael went to an agency in LA and told them, �I need to hit the ground running.� Soon she was making commercials, and landed a dancing gig for Chayanne�s world tour in 2004.
Adam discovered that his interest in sculpting could cross over to hair styling. He served an apprenticeship, developed a base of his own in San Francisco, then moved to New York. Early in the new year he�ll be busy at the New York, London, Milan and Paris fashion shows.
�You take the jump and whatever comes, comes,� Rachael said.
Mike Miller, Robin�s fianc�, is now part of the family picture . �Mike reads all the scripts I send over,� Jason said. He fits right in.
So will the three siblings ever take the plunge and combine on a specially scripted Markarian project?
�I think at some point it�s going to happen. I think it�s a little bit too early because we�re all hyper-focused,� Adam said.
There was general agreement. �There are no deadlines,� Rachael said.
Besides, it was still the holidays.


Car breakdowns are one of the most universally-loathed things that can happen to a vehicle short of a total breakdown, and that’s not much of a surprise – every time they happen, we were planning to be somewhere. Before a few of you pull an Alanis Morissette and talk about how ironic the situation is, but the truth of the matter is that cars will eventually break down and it is usually the worst place and the worst time for it to do so. But with our help, we can make it a little easier to deal with a car breakdown when you’re in that situation.
So in summary of the paragraph you read above, car breakdowns are the worst! They’re also the most common type of problem on the road – a study at the turn of the century found that more than two-thirds of all traffic incidents involved vehicle breakdowns. To make matters worse, if your vehicle is not up-to-speed and experiences a breakdown that leads to a collision or any other type of accident, the fact that your vehicle was the one that malfunctioned means that you are the one liable for the accident. Now we know what you’re thinking, “But it’s not like I knew my vehicle was going to break down!” Unfortunately, this defense will not hold up in a court of law or an insurance agent’s office.
Breakdowns are more common than many drivers believe, too – while there are roughly 125 million vehicles out on the road, the AAA alone had about 28 million requests for help in 2012… and that number doesn’t count anyone who had a breakdown and didn’t use their service. Statistically, you are almost guaranteed to experience a car breakdown at some point in your life – and probably more than one.
Evaluate your surroundings and make sure everyone is safe.
Pull your vehicle over to the shoulder, away from traffic around you.
Turn off the vehicle and allow it to rest.
Call any roadside assistance or motor club you may have.
Wait for help inside of the car with hazard lights on, do not attempt to diagnose the issue unless you are aware of what you’re doing and located in a safe environment.
The good news is that when an issue with your car does arise, it can usually be quickly resolved by a technician who knows what they’re doing and has the right replacement parts on-hand. However, as technology becomes an ever-more present factor in all of our products, our vehicles are not as simple to fixed as they once were. And with the national labor rate increasing on a yearly basis, these vehicles that we rely on so desperately might soon be too costly to operate altogether.
While we hope that Tesla or Local Motors will be developing some crazy new car that will last forever, or at least be affordable to repair, we have compiled the following tips on how to deal with a car breakdown, both on and off the road. Here are the most important things you should remember when your vehicle experiences a breakdown.
If You’re Driving: Evaluate your surroundings and the nature of your problem. If you can make it to a safe, open area – such as a parking lot – then try to do so. Otherwise, pull over to the side of the road, and as far as you can go while still remaining on flat, level terrain. Your goal is to get as far away from traffic – and the chance of a collision – as possible. Remember to turn on your emergency flashers to alert other drivers to your problem.
Do not try to push a disabled car off the road if there’s any other traffic around. Similarly, do not remain in the car if there is any chance it could be struck by another vehicle. Exit the vehicle on the side away from traffic.
If You’re Not Driving: Consider how important your plans for the day are, and contact whoever needs to know about the situation. This may be your spouse, your boss, your child’s daycare center, and so on. Let them know your status and your plan to have the car repaired, then move on to the next step.
If You’re Away From Home: Unless you’re an automotive repair expert yourself, the first thing to do is contact a technician who can come examine your vehicle and figure out what the problem is. Take note of any local landmarks you can use to guide them to your location, and provide as much information about the problem as possible – sounds, smells, how it felt while driving, and so on. This may help the technician pinpoint your problem even before they arrive.
Many cases can be resolved on the spot, but about 40% will require being towed to a repair facility. Other fixes may be temporary – just enough help to get you there on your own. In a certain percentage of cases, mechanical breakdowns are immediately followed by a collision. You should be ready to deal with such events.
If You’re At Home: You might be able to take another vehicle and pick up the repair parts yourself if you’re confident in what you’re doing. This is a fairly straightforward process for maintenance items such as replacing windshield wipers, oil changes, and dead batteries, but the majority of us are not trained mechanics who can fix a vehicle on the spot, so it’s better to leave it to the professionals. And if your vehicle is still covered by your manufacturer’s warranty, you may still qualify for complimentary towing and roadside assistance.
Ideally, you would be able to resolve a breakdown yourself in a fast, efficient manner – in fact, some drivers carry common parts for that very reason. Unfortunately, you can’t count on your problems being that easy – and that’s where an Extended Auto Warranty comes in. We’re sure that you have heard of extended car warranties before, but if you’re new to the subject matter, an extended auto warranty is a special type of coverage that does exactly what it sounds like it should, extend your vehicle’s warranty coverage once the original manufacturer’s warranty has expired. And it’s much easier to get a shop to repair your vehicle, and not to mention fit the repairs into your household budge, if you have vehicle protection covering the costs.
A huge benefit to having extended warranty coverage for your car is that you have a trusted group of professionals that have your back any time that your vehicle goes into the repair facility. It is a common notion that most drivers hate taking their car in to be repaired. Obviously these drivers are going to be upset that they are unable to drive their vehicle and are already missing work to deal with the mess of a breakdown, once you factor in the fact that finding a trusted mechanic that will not overcharge you or perform unnecessary repairs to make a buck, you’ll see why vehicle protection is a safe bet.
You may even be able to get a better deal from the mechanic when you have this coverage, as it’s not uncommon to have an expert evaluate the claims and costs of repair, which encourages all repair facilities to keep their prices in check and ensure that you aren’t having work performed that you don’t need done. This means a lower out-of-pocket expense for you, a higher chance of finding a facility that you can trust and use in the future, and a shorter time before you can get back on the road again and back to what you really wanted to be doing really want to be doing.
There are many benefits to extended vehicle protection, and Endurance is the nation’s premier provider. Endurance has been saving drivers thousands on auto repairs for years and can do the same for you. With 24/7 Roadside Assistance, Towing Service, Rental Car, Trip Interruption Benefits, and more, any driver on the road today that doesn’t have Endurance is gambling in a game that had the odds stacked against them. If you would like to know more about Endurance Vehicle Protection and get your free estimate on how little coverage will cost you and how much you can save, give us a call today!


Sblocca il capitolo "Past Simple Tense"
Use the correct form (assertive) of the verb in brackets.
Yesterday, I (arrive) _______ late at work.
We (go) _______ to Greece last year. It (be) _____ a lot of fun !
Use the correct form (interrogative) of the verb in brackets.
A: So, how (be) _______ your flight ?
Cave people (hunt) _______ wild animals and then (cook) _______ them on fire.
Napoleon (win) _______ many battles.
Yesterday morning, I (find) _______ a wallet, so I (take) ______ it to the Police, I (give) _____ it to them and then I (go back) _____ home.
I (study) _______ for 5 years at the university and now I'm a lawyer.
When he's on vacation, he usually goes to the beach, he reads a book or plays beach volley and then around 7 pm he goes back home for dinner.
John is a nice guy. I like him !
When I was a child, we used to go to the countryside and we used to climb up trees to get fresh apples. Then we used to go back home and our mom used to bake us a delicious apple pie.
A: The train is late !
B: Are you sure ? When ___ they (announce) it ?
A: A few minutes ago.
A: What a surprise ! When ___ you (arrive) from China ?
A: Have you been to that new restaurant on the 5th Avenue ?
B: I have, but the food (be) ____ horrible and the waiters (be) ____ slow !
A: Have you read this book ?
A: When ____ you (read) it ? ___ you (like) it ?
The sun is really hot today !
I don't want to go to the gym. I feel so tired right now !
Detective: Where ____ you last night around midnight ?
Suspect: I ___ at home.
Detective: ____ you ever _____ the apartment ?
Suspect: Yes, I ____ the dog out... but only for a few minutes.
Detective: ___ you ___ anything suspicious ?
Suspect: No, I ____ ____ anything weird.
Detective: All right, that's all for now !
Steve Jobs ____ an American entrepreneur.
he _____ at Reed College in Oregon.
Apple ___ still a very successful company today.
Unfortunately, Steve Jobs _______ in 2011.
You watched the game last night.
His coworker bought a very expensive car.
They studied all night for this exam.
We flew over the Andes on the way here.
Your sister had a cute cat back then.
The teacher showed the students an interesting documentary.
You saw the car coming from the opposite direction.


Is the National Security Agency (NSA) snooping?
there's more concurrent criminal activity out there facing companies than ever before. It's more tumultuous and there's more diversity in the threats they face.
The above quote is from Network World's interview with Bryan Sartin, director, Verizon's RISK team. They specialize in securing business intelligence through RISK management - Research, Investigate, Solution, Knowledge.
Is the NSA snooping or harvesting intell? I think the latter.
According to Mr. Sartin of Verizon security, cyber-espionage -stealing intellectual property or other types of information -accounts for about 20% percent of the cases. Insider jobs, though few in number, wield a big blow to companies by stealing a large data set. Mr. Sartin's group helps to produce the annual Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR). I'm pretty sure I'll never read it page for page, but I did find the interview a good overview of what security issues exist and are being investigated by private companies such as Verizon.
Mike Rogers, Michigan's 8th district US House of Representatives congressional representative and chair of the House Intelligence Committee, says the NSA surveillance program isn't the scandal we think it is.
"As chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, it is my responsibility to ensure strict and thorough congressional oversight of the important work done by America’s intelligence agencies. I have been disheartened by dangerous national security leaks that have grossly distorted two vital National Security Agency programs that have proved very effective in preventing terror attacks in the U.S. without infringing on Americans’ privacy and civil liberties."
Mr. Sartin eloquently describes the need to collect knowledge on each RISK mission. This knowledge becomes helpful when evaluating other cyber-espionage and hacker cases. Mr. Rogers reports the legislation has "been authorized by large bipartisan majorities in Congress and are regularly reviewed by the House and Senate Intelligence committees. The effectiveness of these programs is without question. Both have produced vital intelligence that has prevented dozens of terrorist attacks within the U.S. and around the world."
If you want to learn more of the details from the Network World interview with Mr. Sartin and the Rep. Mike Rogers weekly report you will find my sources at the links below.