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SEVENTEEN Mingyu's Fansite SHUTS DOWN After Fans Realize He GAVE AWAY Birthday Presents
Popular idols all have fansites that work very hard to support their careers and make them feel appreciated.
And while SEVENTEEN's Mingyu was known for having an incredibly dedicated fansite despite still being a rookie, the site has since closed down.
According to netizens, the head of the fansite had worked incredibly hard to publicize the Pledis Entertainment singer's birthday and buy him many gifts, including products from luxury brands. However, after seeing Mingyu's group members and sister using some of the presents, the fansite admin expressed frustration and inevitable closed down the site.
Find out what Netizens had to say about this article below!
Koreaboo has collected reactions from Netizens who commented on the original article from our Korean source. The below comments are the most popular comments at the time of this article being published.
"I would be so disappointed and sad"
"I would also be sad as well"
"As a person giving the presents, I would be sad too"
Source: Instiz


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ASMR Basics: How to use YouTube videos to fall asleepHealth The List
For too many people, a good night's sleep is just a dream. Sleeplessness is a crisis in America — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has even classified it as a public health problem. Sleep has become a $66 billion global industry. Now, insomniacs are logging onto a new weapon: YouTube. These videos and podcasts have a name: ASMR which stands for autonomous sensory meridian response. Donna Ruko has the basics for better understanding this trendy sleep method.
1. What is ASMR
The best way to describe ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) to someone who has never heard of or experienced it is it's similar to the feeling you might get when you get an amazing massage. Your brain gets really fuzzy and relaxed and your muscles feel relaxed — you just want to stay in that state for as long as you can. There's usually a physical sensation as well.
2. How Does ASMR Work
What is usually involved in creating an ASMR video is whispering, soft speaking, tapping on objects, scratching objects, personal attention. Anything that can help trigger the ASMR feeling.
3. Benefits of ASMR
These ASMR videos can help you fall asleep, control anxiety and depression and even PTSD. Our brains are hard wired to be soothed by people talking to us in a comforting way. Which sounds very circular in logic, but the visual here is a new born child. While more research is needed, hundreds of millions of views on YouTube is its own endorsement.
Big thanks to:
Dr. Craig Richard
Ph.D. in Physiology and Cell Biology
Professor, Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences,
School of Pharmacy, Shenandoah University,
Winchester, Virginia, USA
Founder: The ASMR University website
Researcher: The ASMR Research project
Host: The ASMR University podcast
AMSR Artists:
Gentle Whispering
ASMR Darling
What do you think of the ASMR trend? Join the conversation on our Facebook page, @TheListShowTV.

subset: commoncrawl


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- Who started "REcycle" project ? How did the "REcycle" idea came about ?
"REcycle" idea has been started by Vyacheslav Stoyanov and his adventures:
" I've been traveling for almost seven years and have visited a lot of different countries in the world. I've seen luxury and misery. Nevertheless, the most uncomfortable thing for me was the low culture and consumerism, which are responsible for harming the nature and polluting our planet.
All the time, while riding my bicycle through the wonders of nature, I was encountering illegal junkyards and single serving plastic. I was thinking about all the fancy wraps, whose purpose is to make us buy the stuff inside. They are a terrible view in the nature.
I wanted to share that great positive feeling, which I was getting from riding my bicycle. However, I also wanted to share my concerns about the wellbeing of the planet. This is how I decided to realize my first serious expedition "REcycle," taking part along the shores of Black Sea. The name is a play on the words bicycle, cycling and recycling.
The main idea of the expedition was to encourage the countries, sharing the shores of the sea, to keep it clean. In addition, to start recycling, to destroy the illegal junkyards, and to start using the bicycle as a main mean of transportation... "
- What happened after the "Recycle" expedition ?
2009 - "REcycle Expedition", Greece coast
2010 - Cycling Relay-race around the Mediterranean sea
2011 - "Cycle Safe Marathon" Bulgaria
2011 - "Cycle Safe Expedition", Netherlands and Belgium
2011 - "Cycle Safe", cycle for social events: "Sofia cycling morning"; "Sofia cycling night".
2011 - Sofia Green Tour www.sofiagreentour.com
2012 - Sofia Bike Rental
2013 - Sofia Run
2013 - "40 UNDER 40" - Vyacheslav is one of the Bulgarian Young Leaders (here)
2014 - "Cycle Safe" expedition, Turkey
2014 - The book "REcycle Expedition" (here)
- How the project "REcycle" grew into "Cycle for recycle" ?
The main idea is to make a web of people all around the world, who already are using the bicycle as a way of transportation. These people can help in engaging more and more new people to start following their example, to begin sharing their activities and projects related to bicycle riding and recycling in their own countries.
- What is the goal of "Cycle for recycle" ?
The idea is that, when the people in the world are riding their bicycles, they should have the clear understanding that they are helping to keep the world clean. The goal is to unite not only organizations but people, who are working in the same direction and want to give a positive personal example to the young ones.
"Cycle for Recycle" is the change we want to encourage in people with our personal example.
Let's everybody start thinking about the nature and the planet.
About Cycle Americas Expedition
- When will we attempt the Cycle Americas expedition?
We will start at 01.06.2015, and will finish in the spring of 2017.
We will cross the Americas by bicycles. The start is on 01.06.2015, from Deadhorse, Alaska. We will visit all countries in North and South America. The final destination is Ushuaia, Argentina, in the spring of 2017. The route of the expedition covers over 60,000 km, for which not even one drop of oil will be spent and no harmful gases will be released into the atmosphere. During our trip we will invite everybody willing to participate to ride a bike with us. Anyone can decide for how long and from where to join us and will organize their personal budget. We will get help for this from the cycling clubs, with which we are working in partnership. They will spread the call among its members and will share it on their communication channels.
- What is our objective?
We want to accomplish much more than just an ecological revolution. We want to awaken a process of self – awareness in people in order for everyone to understand that they are an important and an integral part of the future of the planet. We want to challenge people to ask themselves the crucial questions and therefore achieve change and start working for a more positive society where everyone cares for each other and thus for the planet. On our route we are also going to cycle through wild places where a human foot rarely steps. We are going to challenge ourselves in climbing mountains and going through rough terrains. We are going to look for native tribes and will share their knowledge and respect for nature.
- Why are we doing Cycle Americas expedition? Elaborate on the style in which we will attempt our endeavor.
We are doing this because we are all used to always be nurtured by Mother Earth, but she already has too many children. The motto of the mission is "Recycling of thinking in favor of environmental protection." We have chosen bicycles because when a person is making their own effort to accomplish something they think a lot more about actions and consequences. The easy life the society is seeking is destroying our connection with the Nature and our respect for the planet and ourselves.
- What is the history behind our endeavor? Who has gone Cycle Americas before us? When? What did they do?
- Greg Siple who made the trip from Alaska to Argentina in the year of 1972 with his wife and another couple and after that they started the "American Cycling Organization" in Montana. Now they are providing bicycle maps.
- Stacey Gibson at 2009, riding to raise money for the Canadian Mental Health Association.
- In 2005, Brooks Allen and Gregg Blakney rode from Prudhoe Bay to Tierra del Fuego to raise money for Diabetes.
- MichielRoodenburg and JoostNotenboom in the year of 2010 rode bamboo bicycles, raised awareness on the global water crisis and fundraised for water projects in Latin America.
- Billy Lavelleat 2012 did it to raise money for Trócaire's work in Latin America.
- Philippe Jacq went on the journey in 2005 and he wrote a book about it.
- Mark Beaumont who did an expedition in 2010; he climbed the highest peaks (Denali and Aconcagua) within a single climbing session.
- The Vogel cycling family started their trip also from Deadhourse in 2008, their sons made a record for the youngest people cycling through both continents.
- What is succeeding in this proposed endeavor?
We are not scientists, ecologists, social scientists or athletes with great achievements. We're just dreamers who never give up in the face of challenges. What we have is our travel experience. We have learned that when a person is traveling they are achieving more honest and personal communication with people. And they seek contact and show interest in your sense of adventure. We are both artists who know that everything you put your infinite love and effort in is an art. Life itself is also an art, as long as you appreciate and cherish it as something sacred. Therefore we have to respect and protect all its forms and pass the message to the future generations.
"Cycle Americas" is a first big project of the "Cycle for Recycle"
During the expedition we are going to raise money for the Grant, for the best project which is going to save the Nature globally. The budget for the grant will be very big and will motivate a lot of people from all around the world to apply for it. That's way we will have a lot of followers on our website: www.cycle4recycle.com
We are from a small country, which is not popular worldwide, but we believe that regardless of where you are, the important thing is how wide your eyes are open for life. Ultimately, great deeds are achieved by ordinary people.


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About Europages European business directory
Europages European business directory, European business directory Europages European business directory EUbusiness has joined forces with EUROPAGES, a specialised B2B website for small and medium-sized companies wishing to promote their products and services. The EUROPAGES portal is a genuine European B2B search engine bringing you a range of companies in 25 business sectors and in 25 languages. Discover the cream of European business in a database containing Europe's 600,000 top companies. Save time when searching for companies, suppliers, service providers, manufacturers or other professionals both in Europe and around the world. Use of this online B2B directory is free of charge and covers over 30 countries. Search the Europages in the following industry sectors: Agriculture & livestock Energy & raw materials Banking & finance Food & related products Information Technology Marketing, Advertising & the Media Chemicals and pharmaceuticals Telecommunications industry Transport Services The EUbusiness web site is Europe's leading independent online business information service about the European Union. Founded in Luxembourg in 1997 by Managing Director Nick Prag, with the help of former Europe Online colleague and editor Wendy Jones, the site is managed and owned by EUbusiness Ltd in the United Kingdom. Our journalists provide daily-updated news and information about EU policy, legislation, economic data and opportunities to a fast-growing membership of over 55,000 business professionals, of which more than 14,000 receive the weekly email newsletter EUbusiness Week. In April 2005 EUbusiness entered into partnership with business publisher Crimson Business. Crimson Business seeks to inspire and inform owners and directors of the UK's smaller and mid-sized businesses through magazines, websites, customer media and events which help business people to improve their company. Prior to EUbusiness, Managing Director Nick Prag was Senior Editor at Europe Online SA in Luxembourg, where he played a major part in the launch of Europe Online International. Before this, he worked as a freelance editor and journalist, mainly in the field of the European Union. On the EUbusiness Board is Michael Ter-Berg, formerly Chief Executive of Medic2Medic, and before that Director of Development at DMG Information, part of the Daily Mail Group, investors in, and managers of, high growth international companies. Team The EUbusiness team includes Technical Director Keith Bramich, who is also managing director of Orion Computer Consultants Ltd, a web design firm with special interests in the arts, business and communication; and Sales Manager Joanna Smyth. More than 160,000 unique visitors per month rely upon our objective pan-European perspective. Our aim is to become the premier business information source about the European Union. User Profile A unique high-level mix of readers doing business in and with the EU. Consumers of luxury goods, from laptops and mobile phones to cars. Opinion formers - lobbyists, academics and journalists. Policy decision makers – international and national politicians and civil servants. High income earners – 12% earn over EUR 100,000 per year. Frequent business travellers - over 50% make 1-5 business trips per month. The EUbusiness audience includes many of Europe's senior business people, consultants, lawyers and public-sector decision makers, as well as visitors from the EU's trading partner countries. 65% of EUbusiness users work for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). Over 18% of users form part of large multi-national corporations with turnovers of over €50m. 28% are key business decision makers at firms employing more than 500 employees.
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South Kitsap grad Lucas Knowles' baseball road leading to Kentucky
Former South Kitsap baseball player Lucas Knowles won't be pitching for the University of Washington any more after helping lead the Huskies to the College World Series last spring.
Knowles, who is enrolled at Central Arizona College, committed to the University of Kentucky on Sunday after earning a scholarship following a visit with the Wildcats in Lexington over the weekend.
"I feel great," Knowles said. "Really confident in the decision. I had visits lined up over the next five weeks with a lot of great schools. But when you know, you know."
The redshirt sophomore said his exit from UW came as a result of a 50 percent scholarship offer — made after his freshman season — that never came to fruition.
Knowles, a walk-on who served as the Huskies' No. 3 starter during the 2018 season, went 6-5 with a 4.65 earned run average in 15 starts. He began the season as a left-handed reliever before stepping up when the Huskies needed to add an arm to the rotation.
"We don't get to Omaha if I don't win some of those games," Knowles said.
Knowles said he learned he wouldn't be receiving the scholarship during an exit interview with UW head coach Lindsey Meggs over the summer.
Describing his departure from UW as "heartbreaking," Knowles said the most difficult part was having to tell his teammates, including roommate Nick Roberts, a former standout at Central Kitsap.
"That's just about the hardest conversation I've had," Knowles said.
Knowles said he harbors no ill will toward UW's coaching staff.
"I'll be a UW fan the rest of my life," he said.
Visiting with Kentucky, Knowles said he was impressed with the coaching staff — "they are unbelievable people" — and the fact that the Wildcats will begin play in a new $50 million baseball stadium in the spring of 2019.
Knowles plans to head to Kentucky next summer, after finishing his year at Central Arizona, a junior college in Coolidge, Arizona. Although Knowles will be eligible for the Major League Baseball draft next June, he said his priority is getting ready to pitch for the Wildcats.
"I really, really like the team aspect of college baseball," Knowles said. "I'm in no rush to get to pro ball."
As a junior at South Kitsap, Knowles helped pitch the Wolves to a Class 4A state title. He missed his senior season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.


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A few years ago there was no electricity. And when electricity arrived, it could only be used a few certain hours per day. Now there's wifi, a couple of fast boat companies and as many hostels and bungalow resorts as local villager's houses. Koh Rong is changing fast, and most people can picture how the island will look in the near future.
Located 25km from Sihanoukville, in the gulf of Thailand, four tiny towns gather around a thousand villagers. Phearun, 25, lives in the main village, where the tourist ferries from Cambodia's state the changing environment of the island. This young man owns a kayak rental business located under the palm trees that separate the beachfront from the jungle. He's the youngest of five workers, but he speaks English, and this beats anything in a paradise land sold to tourist desire.
Nowadays, all kids go to school –a surprising rate in a country where only 61% of children finish primary studies according to UNICEF–. They learn, of course, the universal language of tourism. Phearun's associates didn't care much for English, so they spend their days pulling and tucking the kayaks their boss rents at a "golden price" –that is, reasonable for tourists and a fortune for locals.
"I'm from another part of the island, but when they told me that there would be electricity all day, I came to open my own business", explains Phearun. He sees tourism with good eyes, the same as the rest of young people who decided to stick around when there was nothing to do on this tiny island. "I hope that tourism grows and I can get my younger brothers to work with me one day. For now they go to school and I don't let them go to Sihanoukville, because it's a dangerous city and nobody cares if children go to school or instead start working when they're only ten or twelve years old".
China's new strech of sea
Phearun's dream of buying a boat and become a tourist guide and PADI instructor is closer since China augmented the investment on Sihanoukville's coast to a 100 million dollars. The maths for both sides are pretty simple. Cambodia's government sees how the small stretch of seaside will become a main tourist destination for one of the world's biggest populations. The Chinese, on the other hand, expect to get cheap pieces of land to develop infrastructure such as giant casinos, motorways and marinas. The profits flow on both sides.
Although Southeast Asia is trending amongst young westerners around the world, the bulk of Koh Rong's tourists come from China. The industry has registered a 400% increase in the last few years thanks to cheap airplane tickets and the tiny cost of living. There is only one problem: backpacker life is not so attractive to a Chinese middle class that prefers spending their scarce holidays in hotels or resorts with all-included policies. This is why Cambodia's government is having a think or two about the 99 year exploitation contract with these investors.
Koh Rong, and specially Koh Rong Sanloem, its little sister, still preserve a lot of virgin beaches without touristic intrusions. You can camp in white sand beaches, in front of the turquoise sea, far away from the noisy dancehall music from the pubs around town. The planning of the Royal Group, a conglomerate of businesses that invest in diverse sectors of Cambodia's economy, are to fill these wonderful stranded beaches with big resorts and busy nightlife clubs.
Jesús Bolinches has visited this island three times in the past four years. He's a living testimony of how it has radically changed. "Four years ago we were camping in Long Beach for one week. In two years, a permanent campsite hosting up to 150 people was already in place and a honky-tonk run by foreigners", recalls Bolinches. He was even more surprised when he found out, one morning, that a barge was approaching the paradise beach with three giant excavators. "They put them down and started to deforest the jungle, I couldn't believe my eyes".
This summer, Jesús wanted to show his parents what was left of his long yearned paradise in Cambodia's coast. He was fearful of what he would find in Long Beach. How much could it have changed after another two years? "I ventured to cross the island and when I got to the top of a hill I saw disaster", he says. His campsite was now a big resort, his snorkeling beach a marina for fancy boats.
Koh Rong has the potential of becoming a sister island to Thailand's Koh Phi Phi or Indonesia's Bali.
The vision of tourists –seeing the island as an uncut diamond discovered– and the population –that has to live from it– are completely opposite. The tourists will go back home and boast about their discoveries, ironically contributing to the process of massification they want like to stop. The locals will look back at the early years, jobless and penniless. Mass tourism might kill the richness of the island, the raw beauty of it… but it will also translate into money, jobs and a better life.
Samnang, a 23 year old, fled to Sihanoukville to work but came back home two years ago. The tourist boom made for great opportunities. "It's good news that they'll build infrastructures so more people can stay in the island. Every investment attracts more tourists, this translates into money". He now works in a bar owned by foreigners that stayed over when they discovered the island. The beach and party vibe in Koh Rong contributes to the degreadation of the coastline. "No one cares about the nature and the landscapes inland, so it's not an issue if it gets urbanized", points the young man.
One of the foreigners that has lived the longer on the island is Gary, a Frenchman that owns the only cashier stall in the whole island (there are still no ATM's available). This expat came to Cambodia when he was 24 and now, at 56, celebrates his fifth anniversary living on the island. "They will make the rest of the island look like a copycat of Sihanoukville's coastline, and this will ruin everything".
He is, nonetheless, contributing to the phenomenon since he makes a living from tourists coming over. If the Cambodian government promotes this kind of tourism, nothing will stop Koh Rong from being another wrecked paradise. Gary looks at a bunch of trash piled next to the abandoned fishing boats. He looks resigned. He sighs and stares into oblivion while the loudspeakers from the bar contaminate the natural richness of this beautiful place on earth.


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Heavy security cover for Prez visit
Ludhiana, November 26
Traffic diversion will also be imposed as the President is also scheduled to visit Sat Paul Mittal School in Dugri.
It is learnt that the cavalcade of The President would head for school, during noon, following inauguration of conference at PAU.
The traffic on both sides of the Ferozepur road would be blocked temporarily to provide a safe passage to the Presidents cavalcade. The route, however, has not been divulged due to security reasons. Sources said the Presidents cavalcade would head towards Bharat Nagar Chowk and would reach Atam Park Chowk from where it would proceed towards Sat Paul Mittal School in Dugri.
Multi-layered security
PAU turns into fortress
Ludhiana, November 26
CCTV cameras have been installed at strategic points. There is only one entry gate number 4 to the campus which will have a triple security check. Besides CCTV cameras, ultramodern scanning equipment has also been provided to the security personnel on the campus.
A senior police officer said: "Foolproof security will be provided to the President.
He said: We have deployed security personnel in every nook and corner of the campus and there is no chance of security breach. The central security officials and the Presidents security in charge have also expressed satisfaction over the security arrangements on the campus, said another police official.
Ludhiana Commissioner of Police Ishwar Singh said: We have made elaborate security arrangements according to the protocol.
jain murder case
Rajneesh Lakhanpal
Ludhiana, November 26
The court of Additional Sessions Judge SS Paneasr held Reema Jains brother-n-law Anil, aka Micky Jain, a resident of premium apartments, Pakhowal Road, Ludhiana, and three others guilty of murder. However, the court reserved its order for pronouncing sentence to the accused till December 3.
Those convicted include Micky Jain, Jasvir Singh of Narangwal village, Kuldeep Singh of Mandiani village and Tarsem Singh of Kotmana village, Jagraon.
Reema Jain had gone missing on July 30, 2005. The case was investigated by the then SP City-I, RK Jaiswal. However, after he was promoted as the SSP, Jagraon, the probe was handed over to SP (detective) Gurpreet Singh. The case was finally cracked by Jaiswal, when he was posted as the SSP Jagraon.
Six-and-a-half months after Reema Jain was kidnapped and murdered, a special team of the Jagraon police recovered some parts of her badly decomposed body from the septic tank of M/s Aranath Textile Mills, Sherpur Khurd, Focal Point, owned by her brother-in-law Micky Jain.
According to the prosecution, Mickey was taken to his the textile mill following a statement by him that he had thrown Reemas body into the septic tank.
Initially, a case for kidnapping was registered at the division no. 5 police station on July 31, 2005, following the complaint of Bhanu Partap Jain, Reemas son. However, after the recovery of dead body, the accused were charged with murder and destroying evidence.
The complainant had submitted before the police that her mother had left for Sutlej Club in her Honda Accord car where she used to go daily for swimming, but she did not return back. Micky Jain was earlier acquitted in the murder case of his brother, Reemas husband.
Son seeks death penalty
MC earns Rs 35 crore from auction of 21 sites in SBS Nagar
Ludhiana, November 26
After this auction, the MC will be able to earn a revenue of more than Rs 35 crore that will act as a breather for the financially ailing MC. The reserve price for these 30 SCOs of 100 sq yard was Rs 1.5 lakh per sq yard, which means each SCO will be sold for at least Rs 1.5 crore.
But the highest bid went as high as Rs 1.62 lakh, which was for a corner plot. This means that the successful bidder will have to pay 10 per cent extra. The lowest bid was Rs 1.53 lakh.
Hemant Batra, senior town planner, said the auction started at around 11 am and continued till 5 pm. "We are thankful to the bidders for showing faith in us. We have managed to collect more than Rs 3.5 crore from earnest money," Batra added.
Another MC official said: The jinx has ended now. After two failed auctions, we have had a very successful auction. We could have easily sold all 30 plots had we known that we would get late because there was no arrangement of lighting at the auction site, said assistant town planner Surinder Singh Bindra.
To boost its income, the MC had planned to auction three of its properties in different parts of the city.
The 9,820 sq yard residential plot near Dairy Complex on Hambran Road was put to auction on November 23. The reserve price was fixed at Rs 10,000 per sq yard but the highest bid went for just Rs 10,160 per sq yard, which was only Rs 160 more than the fixed reserve price. That is why the senior MC officials present on the spot cancelled the auction, as only four bidders took part in the auction.
Not even a single bidder turned up for the auction of 5,917 sq yard commercial site near the Tehsil office on Hambran Road on November 21.
The successful bidders of today's auction will have to pay 10 per cent of the amount within 24 hours, 15 per cent within 15 days and the remaining 75 per cent in six half-yearly instalments.
years of PAU
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the city would not have been what it is today had the university not been there
Kuldip Bhatia
Ludhiana, November 26
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the city would not have been what it is today had the university not been there. If the industry is termed as the lifeline of the mega city, the PAU can rightly claim to be its lungs which breathe life into it to make it a vibrant city.
And the visible impact that the PAU has made in all spheres of the city, academic, economic, real estate, employment, banking and various others over the years, have contributed tremendously to make the city as the nerve centre of Punjab.
"The PAU is not just a premier educational institution," says a faculty member and adds,"It is a mini city within the city. "Going by some 4,500 employees, including the faculty members, their dependents and an estimated student strength of 3,500, the claim is not unjustified.
City residents from different walks of life agree that the landscape and lush green cover in the university campus is just one aspect of the institution which is used to the hilt by morning walkers and others. But at the same time, the contribution of the PAU community to various other spheres has also to be taken into account.
Old timers in the city go a step further to maintain that the development of the city that took place on Ferozepur Road across Sidhwan Canal was to a great extent made possible due to the location of the university. "The PAU acted like a hub and facilitated development of many posh residential localities and commercial centres in the surrounding areas," they say.
The business circles in the city say the PAU faculty members and employees with a considerable disposable income, and quite a few of the students belonging to affluent families are big buyers of two-wheelers, cars and SUVs, household and consumer durable items, thereby making a significant contribution to the economy.
The PAU students, they point out, are frequent visitors to several eateries, restaurants, coffee shops, malls, multiplexes and general merchants in the localities situated around the campus. That the commercial establishments value this particular section of consumers and visitors is evident from the fact that many of them offer special discounts to the students.
Even though the city has earned notoriety as one of the worst polluted cities in Northern India, the PAU is like a whiff of fresh air to the residents, especially to those who go there regularly for morning walk or jogging. "Once you enter the campus, you feel that the city is left far behind and you are at some different place," say regular visitors.
GADVASU's efforts have fructified: VC
Ludhiana, November 26
The total milk production of the state which was 1.92 million tonnes in 1966 has increased to 9.50 million tonnes in 2011, indicating a five-time increase in the milk production.
With the consistent efforts of GADVASU, in the past few years, the population of cattle decreased from 31.6 lakh to 17.61 lakh. There has been a decline in males, desi cows, unproductive and poor yielding animals due to the efforts made by GADVASU.
About 1 million unproductive buffaloes have decreased during 2003 to 2007, still there has been no decline in the milk production.
Dr VK Taneja, Vice-Chancellor, GADVASU, said the livestock was contributing 9 per cent to the total GDP of Punjab as against 3 per cent in India. Keeping in view the importance of livestock sector in the agricultural economy, the College of Veterinary Science of PAU was separated in 2005 and Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University came into existence.
The VC added, "GADVASU has played an important role in changing the scenario of dairy farming by providing technical know-how, quality germplasm and motivation to dairy farmers to adopt scientific breeding, feeding and management practices. The average first lactation milk yield of the cross-bred progenies in the adopted villages before interventions in 1979 was 1,698 kg which as a result of supply of high-quality semen of test bulls increased to 2,961 kg in 2006. The milk yield in the operational area increased to 3,388 kg in 2011 (14.42 per cent increase from 2006 to 2011)," said Dr Taneja.
Many progressive dairy farmers, after getting training and superior germplasm from the university have established cross-bred herds with lactation milk yield of more than 6,000 litre and peak yield of their cows is more than 40 litre a day. A total of about 42,000 cross breds were produced in the field, out of which approximately 15,000 were the female.
GADVASU has also taken up the genetic improvement of buffaloes under a project funded by the ICAR. The milk yield of buffalo herd has increased from 1,671 kg in early 1970s to the present level of 2,389 kg. Till date, the university has supplied 554 bull calves/bulls and 2.2 lakh doses of liquid and frozen semen to the dairy farmers and other dairy development agencies, which has borne fruitful results.
"The interventions with breeding, nutrition, silage making, mineral mixture, bypass fats and protein, management of reproductive disorders and health cover have made Punjab a dairy developed state compared to any other dairy developed country in the world," said Dr Taneja.
PAU to lay emphasis on crop protection
Ludhiana, November 26
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, will inaugurate the conference on November 27 being organised as a part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the PAU. The Governor of Punjab and Chancellor of the University, Shivraj V Patil, will be the guest of honour while the Chief Minister of Punjab Parkash Singh Badal will preside over the conference. Nearly 1,100 delegates from across the country and globe will participate in the conference.
During the inaugural session, Dr RA Zeigher, director-general, International Rice Research Institute, Philippines; Dr Thomas Lumpkin, director-general, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), Mexico, and Dr S Ayyappan,
director-general, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, will share their views. Dr RS Paroda, former director-general of the ICAR, will also speak on the occasion.
Besides, discussing options to deal with the challenges to stimulate collaborative research among institutions, the conference aims at sharing latest advances, knowledge and technologies regarding agricultural production. The conference will focus on the theme areas, including breeding crops for food security and climate resilience, natural resource conservation-a key to sustainable agriculture, crop protection, food processing and nutritional security, advances in veterinary and animal sciences for sustainable livestock development and joining hands for economic development.
There will be invited plenary lectures, poster and oral presentations and panel discussion.
The conference will see the participation of 14 renowned farm scientists like Dr Gurdev Singh Khush, Dr DJ MacKill, Dr Rattan Lal, Dr Kulwinder Gill, Dr Parwinder Grewal,
Dr R Pal Singh and Dr M Erbaugh from the USA, Dr Hans-Peter Piepho from Germany, Dr Baljit S Gill from Canada, Dr Zora Singh Khangura from Australia, Dr Richard Fallon and Dr Harjinder Singh from New Zealand. Delegates from ICAR institutes and state agricultural universities will participate in the conference.
'Proud to have graduated from
Ludhiana, November 26
A graduate from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Dr SNS Randhawa, director, research, GADVASU, said the students who did bachelor of veterinary sciences from the PAU way back, were getting recognition worldwide. About 300 veterinary students from both PAU and GADVASU were successfully practising in the USA and Canada. "Punjab Agricultural University has always maintained its academic standards. On similar lines, GADVASU is carrying forward the legacy. I took admission in 1971 and that time, the poultry farms and herds of the PAU were rated outstanding. And GADVASU, the part of PAU is being considered as number one veterinary institution in India due to its academic and research approach. Recognising the consistent efforts being made by GADVASU, the inflow of funds from various agencies has never been a problem and due to the funds, we have been able to get some excellent projects
Dr SNS Randhawa, director, research, GADVASU
I can just say that it is because of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) that people from rustic background have got International acclaim. With simple and rural backgrounds, our fellow beings hold prestigious positions in every nook and corner of the world. And this experience has been nostalgic. From a student to the present position, I have witnessed a sea change and everything for the betterment," feels Dr RS Sahota, director, extension education at GADVASU. Dr Sahota said the PAU had taught them from a scratch, the language difference between rural and urban population was a unique experience to learn. Besides, all those associated with the PAU have reached the top positions. They did not have any godfathers and the journey has been excellent. The alumni hold key positions in the Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR), Dairy Development Board and Animal Husbandry Department
Dr RS Sahota, director, extension education, GADVASU
Dr HS Sandhu, Dean, College of Veterinary Sciences, said the PAU provided him with education, family and job. "GADVASU, today has become a full-fledged veterinary university. When it was a part of the PAU, it had just one college, College of Veterinary Sciences. And now, GADVASU has three colleges, College of Veterinary Sciences, College of Fisheries and College of Dairy Science. We have expanded as we have gained a lot from the farm university," said Dr Sandhu. Dr Sandhu said GADVASU was getting several projects and funds were being provided to accomplish these projects. With the improvement in the financial position of GADVASU, the university has further strengthened its research base. "It is a continuous process. Today, GADVASU is considered at par or even better in certain fields than Tamil Nadu Animal Sciences University (TANVASU), the number one university of India.
Dr HS Sandhu, Dean, College of Veterinary Sciences
presidents visit
Puneet Pal Singh Gill
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, November 26
As MC officials came to know about the Presidentâs route plan this morning, they were busy in directing the staff in cleaning and maintaining roads.
The President is expected to reach the PAU in a special helicopter for which a helipad has been prepared on the campus. After attending the function at the PAU, the President will proceed towards Sat Paul Mittal School in Dugri. The Presidentâs cavalcade will pass through Malhar Road, Ishmeet Chowk, take a right turn and reach Dugri.
âWe came to know about the Presidentâs route this morning and since then, we have been cleaning roads from where the cavalcade will pass, besides the garbage dump near Gurdev Nagar and other places on the route and cleared,â said an MC official.
The roads in the Dugri area, located near the school premises, have been re-carpeted and repaired. This has brought cheer on the faces of those living in the vicinity.
"The roads in our area were in a poor condition for the past several months. But when I reached home today evening, I was surprised to see that some roads were being re-carpeted while some were being repaired. I wish that the President keeps visiting our area quiet often," said a resident of Dugri, Phase II.
City to witness a plethora of events
Ludhiana, November 26
A number of VVIPs are expected to visit the city.
Various events, including a cancer awareness campaign, will be held.
Awareness on AIDS will be created through a Red Ribbon Express. For the smooth conduct of all these events, the health department has roped in officials and employees of five adjoining districts.
Ludhiana Civil Surgeon Dr Subhash Batta said, "We will be covering five districts, including Jalandhar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sangrur, Kapurthala and Nawanshahr. In coming days, the VVIPs will be coming to the city.
The President and Prime Minister of India, along with foreign delegates, will be gracing the International Kabaddi Cup. We have constituted teams that will monitor the events."
Dr Batta said, "Our department's events will also be held simultaneously as we are to launch
On November 27, President of India Pranab Mukherjee will attend a function to mark the golden jubilee celebrations of the PAU. On December 8, Prime Minister of India
Dr Manmohan Singh will visit PAU. On December 15, the city will witness the final of the International Kabaddi Cup.
PAU has produced gifted men
Ludhiana, November 26
Not only agriculture scientists, the PAU has produced prominent personalities in various fields like sports, literature, art, journalism, politics and administration.
There are three alumni of the PAU Olympians Charanjit Singh, Prthipal Singh and Ramandeep Singh who represented India in the Olympics. In the field of literature, PAU passout Amarjit Garewal is a prominent name.
University authorities said around 20 former students of the institution have served as Vice-Chancellors of various universities. Human rights activist HS Fulka was also a student of the PAU.
A number of award winning agriculturists, including Jagjit Singh Ara, Darshan Singh Tabbeba, Sangeeta Deol, have been trained in the PAU.
Emphasis on practical knowledge
Ludhiana, November 26
A student of MSc (agronomy), Jasdeep Singh, said the university helps explore the students' talent. He said good books were available in the library. He added that the university emphasised on practical knowledge.
A student of MSc (microbiology), Maninderjeet Kaur, said the university had the best faculty. She added that she always wanted to study in such an institution.
Another MSc student Sukhpal Singh said the infrastructure was good and latest equipment were available in the university.
He urged the government to pay attention towards the development of the university.
"The government should do something to tide over the staff crunch," he added.
Ravneet Kaur, a student of Msc (microbiology), said the institution was better than other universities. The campus has all the facilities.
"Students are encouraged to participate in co-curricular activities," said Navdeep Singh, a student of BSc (agriculture) while adding that the faculty polished the skills of students.
Learning becomes fun
Ludhiana, November 26
They taught the alphabets to us. But now the role is being taken over by technology. New books available in the market come with a sensor pen with a build-in speaker. The software of is pre-programmed. The moment you keep the pen on a word, it senses the word and a voice emanates from the pen pronouncing the word where the pen is kept.
The set of books have icons at the bottom of the page. Putting the pen on one of the icons, the text on the page is read. Placing the pen onto the other icon reads the translated version of the story.
Vinod, a parent, said, "Although the role of a teacher cannot be replaced but such technologies can expedite the learning process. These are like toys for children."
Her ordeal seems to be unending
Ludhiana, November 26
Parvati can be seen shuttling between court rooms and the railway police station with her three children. The state government had recently rejected Parvati's plea for a government job on the grounds that the incident was not an act of terrorism.
Parvati laments that she along with her brother-in-law Pankaj are frequently summoned by the Government Railway Police (GRP) to join the investigation.
Our only fault is that we are migrants and came here to earn a living. Had any native laid down his life while nabbing a terrorist, his family would have got all the benefits. If my husband's killing was not an act of terrorism then Bhootna should be released. Then why I and my brother-in-law are summoned by the court and the police station to join the investigation every now and then, said Parvati.
Documentary evidence with The Tribune reveals that while CM Parkash Singh Bada hailed Santoshs heroism. But the state government had stated that no compensation was necessary as it was not an incident involving terrorists. The memo no 5/1/2008-1 D.M 3/15878 dated August 30, 2011, a copy of which is with The Tribune states that subject matter is not a terrorist incident. So the dependent of Santosh Kumar, vendor, could not be given job and pension on compensatory ground.
The denial has come as a sharp contrast to the governments own stand on the incident. The police officials who were involved in nabbing of Balbir Singh Bhootna were rewarded and even given gallantry medals for successfully nabbing a terrorist.
"The money I received during the death of my husband is now getting exhausted. For how long I will I keep on fending for my children. I desperately need a job, said Parvati.
Living in misery, Parvati along with her three children have been camping in the city following Santosh's death. They are putting up in a dingy room in the Singpura area near the Jagraon bridge.
Bhootna had shot at two policemen. My husband was aware of the fact that Bhootna was carrying a weapon, but he did not care for his life and overpowered the terrorist. Had my husband not nabbed Bhootna, he might have fled the scene," said Parvati.
Hero's death
Govt rejected parvatis
MPs campaign gone
No headway in abduction case at Sahnewal
Sahnewal, November 26
A minor girl (14 years) of Katani Kalan village was allegedly abducted on November 21 by her neighbour Rajinder Kumar of Uttar Pradesh. He has been residing in the nearby quarters of the same village. A case was registered against the alleged accused the next day.Even after four days of the incident, the Sahnewal police could not nab the accused along with the girl.
Sham Sunder, the father of the victim, said that his daughter was studying in a school at Katani Kalan. On the day of abduction, we were not at home and my daughter was alone in the house, Rajinder Kumar came to our place and forcibly took her away with him. I have tried to enquire about them at all the hideouts of the accused but to no avail. I am now making rounds of the police station so that the latter may help me find my daughter. But unfortunately, the police has not been able to make any headway in to the case. I and my family are very anxious as our daughter is a minor and he could mislead her said the anxious father.
Sub inspector Chamkaur Singh, who is handling the case, could not be contacted for comment despite repeated calls, SHO Kulwant Singh said that the police was trying to trace the couple.
Our Correspondent
Mandi Ahmedgarh, November 26
Ravinder Puri, president of the council, led the committee consisting of executive officer Chetan Sharma, executive magistrate Manmohan Singh, SHO Jasbir Singh, former councillor Ramesh Chand Ghaie and social activist and SAD youth leader Sukhsagar Singh Sodhi.
A large number of employees of the municipal council and policemen were involved in the drive.
A majority of businessmen of the town and the surrounding area had removed the encroachments after an appeal made by the municipal council about a week ago. But the MC employees had to remove a substantial number of temporary extensions installed in front of establishments situated on both sides of the main markets. Main Bazar, Bus stand Road market, Railway Road, Raikot Adda Market and Chaura Bazar were among the areas from where encroachments were removed today.
Puri said the operation had been conducted in compliance to the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He further said shopkeepers and the public would be benefited with the exercise. Appreciating the positive attitude of the office bearers and activists of a majority of social, political and trade organisations, Puri regretted that some leaders had allegedly tried to instigate a section of shopkeepers and vendors not to abide by the rules. "However we succeeded in persuading a majority of such people to remove encroachments on their own and belongings of others were removed by the council officials according to directions of the court," said Puri.He further said that the operation would be continued in the markets that could not be covered today.
The removed seized materials included wooden fixtures, showcases, baskets of fruit and vegetable sellers and paraphernalia of tea-stalls, sweet-makers and dhabas.
Homage paid to Ghadar Movement revolutionaries
Ludhiana, November 26
The seminar was organised by the Ludhiana branch of the Communist Party of India (CPI) at Shaheed Karnail Singh Isru Bhawan yesterday.
Asserting that Ludhiana district occupied a place of pride in the freedom movement, Jagmohan cited names of several ghadris (revolutionaries) from the district like Baba Gurmukh Singh Lalton, Baba Usmaan, Baba Bhan Singh, Baba Dulla Singh and youngest of them being Kartar Singh Sarabha.
CPI assistant secretary Dr Arun Mitra, while introducing the subject, said the British came to India as a trading outfit in the name of East India company which slowly spread its tentacles to gain power.
"It is unfortunate that in the present era also, a false illusion is being created by the ruling classes while showing a similar trend of inviting foreign multinationals.
Vegetable prices dip in city
Ludhiana, Novenber 26
Talking to The Tribune, Gurmeet Singh, a vegetable vendor at the Civil Lines, said since it was winter, the vegetables remained fresh for a longer time.
"New crop of potato, carrots, cauliflower has come into the market, so the vegetables will be cheaper for the next two to three", said the dealer.
2 policemen held for graft
Mandi Gobindgarh, November 26
An FIR Number 234 has been registered under Section 7(13) of the Anti- Corruption Act 1988 and 120B of the IPC against the police officials but the accused officials have not yet been arrested.
Beas House win Kho-kho match at Harkrishan school
Doraha, November 26
It was an inter-house tournament. The final match was played between Ravi house and Beas House. Beas House won the match. All students enjoyed the competition. Principal Manjushaw Vinayak appreciated the efforts of all the students. At the end, the prizes were distributed among the winning team by chief guest Karamvir Singh, director of the School. He motivated the other houses as well.
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First-time actor from Minneapolis attracts Oscar buzz for role in Tom Hanks film
Oscar buzz continues to mount for a first-time actor from Minneapolis for his performance opposite Tom Hanks in the true-life high-seas drama "Captain Phillips."
Barkhad Abdi -- who plays the head Somali pirate Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse in the film based on the 2009 hijacking of Captain Richard Phillips' freighter, the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama -- is being often mentioned as a Best Supporting Actor Oscar contender for his role in the film.
Variety has already listed Abdi as a frontrunner in the category, along with the likes of Matthew McConaughey for "Mud," Michael Fassbender for "12 Years a Slave" and Harrison Ford for "42."
The Hollywood Reporter also says the film could earn up to eight Oscar nominations, including one for Abdi.
If Oscar comes calling, Abdi will be the first Somali actor in history to be nominated for an Academy Award.
The Associated Press also puts Abdi in prestigious company by including the actor in its "Fall movies: 10 performances to watch" list. Others on the list include Sandra Bullock for "Gravity," Robert Redford for "All is Lost" and Oscar Isaac for the Joel and Ethan Coen's upcoming film, "Inside Llewyn Davis."
Hitfix said Abdi "stands toe-to-toe with Hanks and delivers a compelling portrait" in the film.
"Billy Ray's screenplay does some of the work for him, painting Muse with a few more empathetic strokes than you might expect of a film like this, but Abdi, a mild-mannered guy from Minneapolis so believable he feels like a local plucked for the production, is captivating from frame one," Hitfix says.
Upon the announcement of the screening of the film later this month at the New York Film Festival, the Huffington Post weighed in on Adbi, asking, "Should we add him to the list of possible Best Supporting Actor nominees in 2014?"
"Captain Phillips" opens in theaters Oct. 11.
See Abdi in the trailer for "Captain Phillips" below.


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Can a placebo win the presidency?
Tim Pawlenty tries to define himself
By R.M. | WASHINGTON, DC
WHEN Charlie Cook, the political analyst who runs the Cook Political Report, came by the office last month to discuss the 2012 presidential race, he told us that he liked Tim Pawlenty's chances in the Republican primaries. Then he referred to Mr Pawlenty in a way that seemed to capture the essence of his candidacy. He called him "a placebo". Mr Pawlenty, the ho-hum former governor of Minnesota, largely unknown, running a rather innocuous campaign for the presidency that may yet elicit a positive response from the electorate. A placebo. Perfect.
This is not to say that Mr Pawlenty lacks intelligence or ideas, or that he has no record to run on. In fact, Minnesota has come through the recession quite well, with an unemployment rate of 6.7%, well below the national average. And although Mr Pawlenty left his state with a $6 billion deficit, he has some fiscal-conservative bonafides. (Let's be honest, fiscal conservatism nowadays has everything to do with lowering taxes and spending and little to do with actual deficits.) He won a fight with a public-employees' union long before Scott Walker did, and he made liberal use of his veto pen when it came to spending bills, something he likes to brag about. Elected twice, most would at least say he had an uncontroversial two terms in office. Many would even call his tenure a success.
But many more don't know anything about his governorship, or all that much about the man himself. As a result, Mr Pawlenty's candidacy lacks definition. Unlike other potential candidates who already have very public personae, Mr Pawlenty is in the unique position of being able to invent his. His story is not well known, he hails from a state that attracts little attention, his governorship has not come under intense scrutiny, and he has never run a national campaign. Of course, more will become known about Mr Pawlenty once the race heats up and his campaign gets into gear. Few people knew Mike Huckabee by this point in 2007. But the odd thing about the Pawlenty campaign thus far—and he's given enough stump speeches to call it a campaign—is that the candidate seems content to play the placebo. He has tried to be everything to everyone, and as a result seems like nothing in particular—a completely anodyne figure that attracts no enmity, inspires no passion, but could end up being "good enough" in the minds of Republican voters to win the nomination.
Earlier this month the New York Times noted Mr Pawlenty's conservative promiscuity. "I want to be every person's candidate—that's my goal," Mr Pawlenty told the Times, which reported
At a recent Tea Party Patriots rally, he pronounced, "The government's too damn big!" To an evangelical audience, he declared, "The Constitution was designed to protect people of faith from government, not to protect government from people of faith." And to Republicans in New Hampshire, he closed with a gentle plea: "Please leave with hope and optimism."
I saw Mr Pawlenty at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February, where he tried to rile up the crowd by presenting himself as a god-loving, Obama-hating, tough-as-nails leader. He was not very believable as any of these things, but his inauthenticity seemed harmless, not a cause for distrust. He does not come off like a chameleon, as Mitt Romney did in 2008. It's Mr Pawlenty's shouting and aggressiveness that seems put on, not his conservatism. His anti-Obama barbs sound rehearsed and hollow, but there is no doubt that he disagrees with the president's agenda. His rhetorical passion for religion is over the top, but he is an evangelical Christian. It's his personality that he's faking, not his platform.
And that may be just fine with Republican voters. If Mr Pawlenty's conservative-for-all-seasons strategy is successful, he could come to be seen as a combination of his rivals—Romney, but not so slippery; Huckabee, but not so evangelical; Gingrich but not so aggressive; Daniels, but not so bookish; Palin, but not so scary. He's no one's perfect candidate, but he's no one's nightmare. He's harmless, waiting for voters to find whatever value they will in him, and then be satisfied enough to give him their vote. A placebo.
(Photo credit: AFP)
More from Democracy in America
The fifth Democratic primary debate showed that a cull is overdue
Thinning out the field of Democrats could focus minds on the way to Iowa's caucuses
The election for Kentucky's governor will be a referendum on Donald Trump
Matt Bevin, the unpopular incumbent, hopes to survive a formidable challenge by aligning himself with the president
A state court blocks North Carolina's Republican-friendly map
The gerrymandering fix could help Democrats keep the House in 2020


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Despite his production appearing on records from the likes of Lil Wayne and T-Pain, only now has New York producer DrewsThatDude put out an EP of his own material. Cool label HW&W Recordings have picked up the "En Amor" EP, and it's available to purchase now.
Spanning six tracks in length, the New York based artist should be proud of this body of work. The opening track "Dive" sets the scene for this blissed out tracklist perfectly, before the more chopped sounds of "Addiction" takes over. There are two great collabs on here as well, including "Iced Tea" ft. Fortune and the super cool "Relapse" ft. PYMDPLAZA.
The full "En Amor" EP can be grabbed here.
Connect with DrewsThatDude
Facebook / Twitter / SoundCloud


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Perumal Murugan and TM Krishna need no introduction to those in my social circle. But in case someone does, here you go.
Perumal Murugan — a poet, author and scholar. While his books have had good reviews, he shot into national and global prominence due to the controversy around his book 'Mathorubagan'. He was hounded by his detractors to the extent that he vowed that he would not write anymore, an act that was reported as literary suicide by global media. Writers, Tamil and beyond, along with many others stood behind him and supported him during this controversy. An equally vocal group called him out, as defaming the town, Tiruchengode and slandering the local deity, and asking for a ban on the book. The state High Court, not only provided relief to him but also used this incident as an opportunity to advise the Government how to handle such controversies. Hated by the Hindutva group.
T.M.Krishna — singer, writer and activist. Enfant Terrible of Carnatic music. Outspoken to a fault, he has been vocal about many taboo subjects in music, such as the role of caste and religion in carnatic music, and the behind the scenes machinations in the sabha culture. His opinions on non-music topics also attract quite polarized views. His recent Magsaysay award generated a lot of opinions on him and on the topics, he writes about. TMK has written in support of Perumal Murugan and also shared a stage with him in a literary event. Hated by the Hindutva group.
If you have ever wondered what would be the result of a collaboration between these two, you don't have to wonder anymore. In a recent concert, TMK sang as virutham, a poem penned by Perumal Murugan. The simple yet deep poem reflects the struggle that Perumal Murugan is going through and fittingly appeals to the very same Mathorubagan to alleviate him of his pain. TMK for his part, has sung it with the emotion that such lyrics deserve. With a lovely selection of Ragas, he has brought out the feelings of the poet very well and followed it up with a very apt song — 'Maadu Vazhi Maraithirukkudhe'.
The lyrics of the virutham are
முடியாத துயரில் நான் மூழ்கிக் கிடக்கின்றேன்
மூர்க்கம் சூழ்ந்திட மருகித் தவிக்கின்றேன்
விடியாத இருள் போதில் வெகுதூரம் கடந்து
விரைந்து வந்து வந்து இளமை வலுவோடு
படியேறிப் படியேறிப் பாதம் தோய்ந்தவன்
படும்பாடு பார்க்கப் பார்வை திருப்புநீ
மடியேறு முகமேறு மலர் போல வாடிடும்
மனமேறு மருள் நீக்கு மாதொரு பாகனே!
And you can listen to TMK's rendering, published here after taking necessary permissions.
So what the collaboration of these two has delivered is a beautiful poem in supplication of the Lord and a soulful rendering of the same. A result, that should be celebrated by the right wing Hindus. But am sure, the personalities behind the work is what would matter to them and they would miss appreciating this beautiful work of art and sledge it as usual. Par for the course.
While the rest of us, should not waste any time and lap up such a wonderful treat!
Title: Pain and a prayer to alleviate it is universal and I found this particular verse from Bible to be quite apt — Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am faint; heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony. (Psalm 6:2)
- My earlier post on TMK singing a song on Allah — https://medium.com/@elavasam/when-you-do-see-why-dont-you-observe-when-you-do-hear-why-don-t-you-listen-cd408c87581f#.y2hhsvkwu
- High Court Order — http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/archive/02921/Perumal_Murugan_ca_2921087a.pdf
- TMK's Column in support of Perumal Murugan — http://blogs.economictimes.indiatimes.com/et-commentary/how-i-failed-perumal-murugan/
- TMK and Perumal Murugan share a stage — http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/art-is-a-tool-to-break-patterns/article9078498.ece


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Beef & Lamb Recipes
Find the most amazing beef and lamb recipes that everyone will fall in love with! I will show you how to cook beef and lamb in SO MANY different ways.
From the most amazing Veal Chops to Braised Beef Short Ribs to Bo Luc Lac (Vietnamese Shaking Beef), find the perfect beef or lamb to satisfy (and impress of course) your friends and family.


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Dan's Guide to Voting in the Union
Writing about web page http://www.sunion.warwick.ac.uk/portal/voting/
I voted in the union elections and referenda yesterday. Don't believe them when they tell you that it's sexy. It's not. It's not even fun…unless you turn it into a little game, like what I did.
My approach to voting was based upon a number of factors: my democratic principles, pragmatism and superficiality.
First of all, I had to read the terms and conditions. Or, at least, I had to tick a box saying I agreed to them. The fun part to this was that there were a couple of other boxes that you could tick if you want to define yourself as a female and black. Needless to say, as I type this, I am, in the Union's democratic eyes, a black woman. You can call it making a mockery of the system; I call it upholding my democratic principles – I'm just exercising my rights albeit for the sake of a cheap laugh.
Next came the referenda. There are two motions: the one about reforming democracy, and another about banning racists and fascists. To be honest, I couldn't give a flying monkey's about either one, but as they want to be quorate I thought I'd be nice and vote in them. Without any personal preference, I was going to base my judgement on the strength of the two cases for each. There was a problem in that no one opposing the motion had submitted a case against. Obviously, to vote based on the strength of the cases, my vote should have gone for the motions, but surely I needed to make an informed decision? What were the cons of the motion? I felt betrayed as a voter by the Union. So I expressed my 'boo's to the Union in the form of Abstain.
Lastly were the elections. My strategy here was simple: first, I wouldn't vote for anyone without a manifesto. Second, I would vote for anyone who was running alone (no matter if they're a psycho – surely it would be way more fun if they were?). Third, I would vote for people I knew and vaguely liked. Fourth, for the postions I was still stuck on, I voted for the candidate who conveyed some sense of humour in their manifesto.
There you go: my guide to voting. Perhaps a little politics-geeky for some tastes, I admit. Now go and vote! Vote like the wind!
A message to Union hacks: if this contravenes your democratic code of conduct, let me know in the form of a comment and I'll take it off. Only to put it back on after voting has ended. Ta!
11 comments by 2 or more people[Skip to the latest comment]
I think thats the way most people vote in the elections, which is why the democracy needs to be reformed to make less electable positions.
Colin Paterson
Wouldn't going to the RaW website and voting for the best single of 2004,
and also e-mailing firstname.lastname@example.com you choice for the best film of 2004,
be a far more constructive use of everyones time?
Colin Paterson
Sorry email@example.com
Vote now! :)
Lee Davis
Having been a union hack many years ago many miles from here I had a better idea on the referendum motions (and voted the oposite way on one to the way the current hacks would like).
As for the candidates I follow the same methodology, except since I don't even vaguely know any of the candidates it is purely a random number excercise amongs the candidates who bothered to submit a manifesto (with a final vote for RON to further reduce the chances of the remainder). Though since for most of the elections there are more positions than candidates they wil nearly all get co-opted on anyway.
I'm still confused by something by the voting on the rascism issue. although i'm against all rascism, surely it should be down to us to decide not to vote for rascists, like in the voting system we have for the government in this country. Once we start banning people we find rascist or 'offensive', then dont we then start on a slippery slope to banning people who dont agree with the majority??
And in terms of the elections…yep i go on the 'looks least of a gimp gets my vote' basis.
And people excercise your democratic right of freedom of listening and tune in to The Ben n Andy Show wed. 1 – 3.
And Westbrooks a gimp (sorry ive just been far too serious here, i need to be offensive at some point!)
Another excellent show is on Sundays from 12 o'clock. You should all listen in, for good music and top tips.
Ah ha! So Daniel that was you.
I'm an in agreement with Ben on the racism issue. I like to draw a parallel with banning a random selection of songs in the union. Some songs may offend some people, but you can't just censor everything. In fact it'd be better not to censor any songs. Then you'd end up censoring books'n'videos'n'everythin.
As for racists, we are all smart enough to know that racism and fascism isn't big and nor is it clever, but we don't have to ban people from saying racist and fascist things to know that.
Hmm, I may have got myself entangled in deeper issues here.
Hmm. Old union hack myself, once upon a time voted for the most attractive candidates for sabb in my first year! :)
Come now Tal, and last year (hee hee)
Haha. No it was just first year, and I voted for Alan rather than John who I went on to lust after for the entire year!


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New Research Concepts for Lyme Disease Emerge from Lyme Innovation Hackathon, #HackLyme
Bay Area Lyme Foundation joins with Harvard Medical School and Spaulding Rehabilitation Network's Dean Center for Tick-Borne Illness for Lyme Innovation Hackathon
Oct 31, 2017, 11:03 ET
BOSTON, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Motivating additional scientific experts to join the fight against Lyme disease, Bay Area Lyme Foundation, in collaboration with the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network's Dean Center for Tick-Borne Illness, Harvard Medical School Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, MIT Hacking Medicine, and the Veterans Affairs Center for Innovation, hosted Lyme Innovation, the second annual Hackathon for Lyme disease. Scientists, clinicians, engineers, and investors from across the US, including Southern and West Coast states, participated in this event. The goal is to make Lyme easy to diagnose and simple to cure, as 329,000 people are infected each year with this potentially devastating, and sometimes fatal, disease.
"Bringing new ideas and research expertise into Lyme disease research is critical to solving the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges facing patients and doctors," said Wendy Adams, Research Grant Director, Bay Area Lyme Foundation, who provided an overview of the challenges of Lyme disease and mentored the teams competing at the event. "We are excited to involve a broader set of skills and researchers to address the challenges of Lyme disease."
The five winning teams, which each received $5,000 to kickstart their projects, consisted of three teams seeking novel diagnostics and two investigating potential treatment options. For the diagnostic projects, one team plans to explore the use of CRISPR for tick-borne disease diagnosis, another aims to develop a direct detection diagnostic through gold tagging technology, and a third team seeks to employ mass spectrometry and nanoparticles. The treatment-focused teams presented preliminary plans for clinical trial development for therapeutic regimens that may offer hope for patients experiencing post-treatment Lyme disease: hyperbaric oxygen treatment and stem cell transplants coupled with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG).
"At Spaulding Rehab, patients come to us seeking help when their Lyme disease has progressed to the point that they are unable to walk, or have other challenging complications. Some patients we see can no longer complete a thought due to the damage caused by the bacteria and the post-infectious inflammation and autoimmunity to their organs." Nevena Zubcevik, DO, MSPT, Clinical Co-Director of the Dean Center for Tick Borne Illness, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital/Harvard Medical School Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, who was among the event organizers and presented about the challenges of Lyme on patients. "By establishing a forum for scientific collaboration and highlighting the need for a focus on finding solutions for Lyme disease, we hope that one day we can solve this challenge, and allow patients to live better lives."
Other experts presented on the challenges of diagnosing and treating Lyme disease, including:
- Christine Green, MD, Chief Physician, Green Oaks Medical Center, and Chair, ILADS Medical Education Committee
- Kristen Honey, PhD, PMP, Senior Policy Analyst, Office of the Federal Chief Information Officer, White House Office of Management and Budget
- Linden Hu, MD, Professor of Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Tufts University
- Jacob Lemieux, MD, DPhil, Infectious Disease Fellow, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Alessandra Luchini, PhD, Associate Professor, George Mason University
Two teams who competed in last year's event offered an update on their progress. Yuko Nakajima, PhD, postdoctoral fellow, Brandeis University shared details about how she is leveraging genetic techniques being used to fight cancer in an effort to identify a viable treatment for Lyme disease. Based on the idea Dr. Nakajima explored at Lyme Innovation 2016, she obtained additional grants from Bay Area Lyme Foundation, National Institutes of Health and Brandeis University. Additionally, Kerry Lang, mental health counselor, Dean Center for Tick-Borne Illness, whose team last year devised a patient-powered platform to combat isolation, depression and suicidal feelings among Lyme patients, shared that the team is now seeking to address additional mental health concerns related to Lyme disease.
More information is available at www.lymeinnovation.org. Follow Lyme Innovation on Twitter @lymeinnovation.
About Lyme disease
One of the fastest growing vector-borne infectious diseases in the United States, Lyme disease is a potentially serious infection caused by bacteria transmitted through the bite of an infected tick to people and pets. If caught early, most cases of Lyme disease can be effectively treated, but it is commonly misdiagnosed due to lack of awareness and unreliable diagnostic tests. There are approximately 329,000 new cases of Lyme disease each year, according to statistics released in 2015 by the CDC. As a result of the difficulty in diagnosing and treating Lyme disease, as many as one million Americans may be suffering from the impact of its treatment resistant long-term symptoms and complications, according to Bay Area Lyme Foundation estimates.
About Bay Area Lyme Foundation
Bay Area Lyme Foundation, a national organization committed to making Lyme disease easy to diagnose and simple to cure, is the leading public foundation sponsor of innovative Lyme disease research in the US. A 501c3 non-profit organization based in Silicon Valley, Bay Area Lyme collaborates with world-class scientists and institutions to accelerate medical breakthroughs for Lyme disease. It is also dedicated to providing reliable, fact-based information so that prevention and the importance of early treatment are common knowledge. A pivotal donation from The LaureL STEM Fund covers all overhead costs and allows for 100% of all donor contributions to Bay Area Lyme Foundation to go directly to research and prevention programs. For more information about Lyme disease or to get involved, visit www.bayarealyme.org or call us at 650-530-2439.
About Spaulding Rehabilitation Network
A member of Partners HealthCare, the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network includes Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, its main campus in Charlestown as well as Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod, Spaulding Hospital Cambridge and Spaulding Nursing and Therapy Center Brighton, as well as twenty-five outpatient sites throughout Eastern Massachusetts. In 2017, U.S. News & World Report named Spaulding as the #4 rehabilitation hospital in the nation. Spaulding is one of the few hospitals in the U.S. to be awarded the prestigious Model Systems designation in all three areas of care—Spinal Cord Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Burn Injury—selected by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research. A teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, Spaulding has been recognized for fostering the #1 residency program in the country for research output by Doximity Residency Navigator. Spaulding also was recognized by the 2017 Disability Equality Index as a "Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion". For more information, please visit www.spauldingrehab.org.
SOURCE Bay Area Lyme Foundation


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(CNN) - The Senate failed to garner enough votes Thursday to stop a filibuster against Defense Secretary nominee Chuck Hagel.
Fifty-eight voted to move forward with the nomination, while 40 voted to hold it up. One senator, Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch, announced present, and Republican Sen. David Vitter missed the vote.
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Democrats needed 60 votes to end a filibuster, but the move failed due to GOP opposition surrounding questions about Hagel's finances, as well as remaining tension between some Republican senators and the White House over the terror attack in Benghazi, Libya.
The chamber largely voted along party lines, with the exception of four Republicans who voted with Democrats.
Republicans, however, signaled they're willing to allow the nomination to proceed after recess, when only a simple majority of 51 votes are required to stop a filibuster. The Senate is not in session next week.
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin's office announced the Senate will take up another vote to move forward on Hagel on Tuesday, February 26.
Filibusters of cabinet officials are extremely rare, largely because senators typically believe a president has a right to pick the leaders of his government.
"I regret that Republican senators, except the valiant four, chose to filibuster the nomination," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on the Senate floor. "Republicans have made an unfortunate choice to ratchet up the level of destruction here in Washington. Just when you thought things couldn't get worse, it gets worse."
The White House sent a letter to Capitol Hill Thursday stating that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Libyan President Mohammed Magariaf the same night as the attack. President Obama, according to the letter, did not speak to the Libyan president until the evening of the day following the violence.
Read the letter obtained from a Democratic official here.
Before committing to vote on Hagel's nomination, three GOP senators–Sens. Lindsey Graham, John McCain and Kelly Ayotte–had demanded answers about the attack in a letter Tuesday to the Obama administration. Graham publicly stated that he was specifically asking whether Obama called Libyan officials on the night of the attack against the consulate in Benghazi, which left four Americans dead.
The administration had been wary of responding-saying the GOP was simply moving goal posts-but the response was a sign they were losing patience and getting nervous about the Hagel nomination.
Showing further scramble on the part of the White House to keep Hagel afloat in the confirmation process, Vice President Joe Biden made calls Thursday to Republican senators about the nominee, according to a senior Democratic source.
Hagel has been battling his way through a rocky nomination process. Democrats were at one point confident they had the 60 votes, including five Republicans, needed to stop a GOP filibuster, but concerns suddenly escalated Wednesday when McCain said he was reconsidering his previous commitment to vote against a filibuster.
McCain, R-Arizona, said Thursday evening on Fox News that Republicans approach to the Hagel vote was colored by past experiences.
"To be honest with you ... it goes back to [that] there's a lot of ill will towards Senator Hagel because when he was a Republican, he attacked President Bush mercilessly and [said] he was the worst president since Herbert Hoover and said the surge was the worst blunder since the Vietnam War, which was nonsense," McCain said. "He was anti-his own party and people. People don't forget that."
McCain now says he's satisfied with the answers the White House provided to questions about Benghazi and that he is in negotiations to get answers about Hagel's finances. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and other GOP senators want to know the source of Hagel's income in the years after he left the Senate.
"I think it was an adequate response, yes," McCain said about the Benghazi matter. "We are working on and having negotiations now trying to smooth this thing out and get it done."
But he later said on the Senate floor that will vote "no" to ending the filibuster on Thursday. He will, however, vote "yes" after recess.
"That is sufficient time to get any additional questions answered and I will vote in favor of cloture on the day we get back and I believe that my colleagues, enough of my colleagues will do the same," he said. A cloture vote would allow the nomination to proceed.
Graham, R-South Carolina, agreed and also told reporters he would vote for cloture after recess unless some huge "bombshell" comes out over the next week. His comments signaled that the votes will be there for Hagel when the Senate resumes session the week after next.
Multiple Republican senators told CNN earlier Thursday that they also planned to vote against ending a filibuster, saying the vote is too rushed with outstanding questions. When they hold a filibuster vote after the chamber gets back from recess, then they will allow the nomination to go through and the Senate can hold an up-or-down vote on Hagel.
Democrats, on the other hand, see this as a time to make it seem like Republicans are opposing Hagel for political reasons and holding the filibuster vote Thursday, as opposed to after recess, would further illustrate that objective.
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, one of the few lawmakers to go against her own party on the vote, said she voted for cloture because "I said I was not going to support a filibuster, and I stuck by my word." Murkowski was one of the senators who spoke with Biden on Thursday.
Susan Collins of Maine, another Republican senator who voted yes, said she thinks the president should be able to choose his own cabinet. But she plans to vote no on Hagel when it comes to an up-or-down vote.
Reid took to the Senate floor on Thursday morning, building pressure on Republicans to back off of their threats. He added that the letter sent from the White House answers "all their questions."
"This isn't a high school getting ready for a football game or some play that's being produced at the high school," he also said. "This is, we're trying to confirm somebody to run the defenses of our country, the military of our country."
Outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says he will remain in his position until a defense nominee is "sworn into office," a senior Pentagon official said Thursday.
Administration officials and Congressional Democrats said they were on the phone late into the night Wednesday discussing how to get Republican votes. The sources said the administration had been told they did not have enough GOP votes to gain the necessary 60 to stop a filibuster.
Meanwhile, some questioned whether Hagel would withdraw his nomination. But one senior administration official said that idea is "insane."
Referring to the GOP, the official said, "No one knows what they really want. There is nothing real to be had."
"They wanted testimony from (former Secretary of State) Hillary Rodham Clinton and Leon Panetta and they got it...there is nothing real to be had," the official continued.
Hagel's brother Tom, a law professor who's in constant contact with his brother, also said Hagel will not withdraw his name.
"Knowing him, not only will he not withdraw, but he will be motivated to fight harder," he said.
Asked Wednesday in a press conference whether the GOP was moving goal posts on the issue, Graham gave a firm "no."
"I'm gonna hit you, and keep hitting you," he vowed. "Absolutely. You're not going to get away without answering the basic questions. Did you make a phone call on September 11th to any Libyan government official using the weight and the voice of the president of the United States to help these people in their time of great need."
Speaking aboard Air Force One, however, White House Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest stressed earlier Thursday a sense of urgency in filling the new defense secretary position.
"It is difficult to explain to our allies why exactly that is happening. It also sends a signal to our men and women in uniform who are currently deployed around the world and who are currently serving in the frontlines of Afghanistan and are taking fire today," he told reporters. "They need a new secretary of defense. So we urge Republicans in the Senate to drop their delay."
- CNN's Athena Jones, Barbara Starr, and Ashley Killough contributed to this report.
Hagel has said many degrating anti Isreal comments and has questionable support towards questionable islamic terror groups. Why do people question them wanting more info?
Another Republican fillibuster? Forgive me if I am not surprised.
Good! Glad to see the GOP sticking to its principles and blocking this goof! Keep it up; treat Bozobama EXACTLY the way HE treated you!
might as well get someboby from Isreal to run the show- they run the show anyhow
I think the Tea Party should be named as a terrorist group. Clearly in their quest to destroy government, they are political anarchists. Nothing positive has come forth from them since they took over Congress under the stealthy leadership of their kingpin, Grover Norquist.
To quote most of PAPA's comments;
"Typical. If Obama nominated" Jesus Christ " the GOP would object. That's what has been wrong with this country for the past 4 years. Obstruction by the GOP. They don't care if it is one of their own. Turn on 'em like a pack of wolves. It's time the Republican party was voted out of office once and for all."
Republicans – Never have so few done so little and made so much while scr€wing so many.
So our country is without a Secretary of Defense while Congress takes a ten day recess? The term just started and they go home while our enemies sense a whole in our Department of Defense? What happens if were attacked during this time when we don't have a cabinet level Secretary of Defense? While the Republicans are playing games with politics they have just put us in a dangerous position. This is absolutely outrageous behavior. All to punish Chuck Hagel who is a bonafide war hero and a man who tells it like it is. Shameful.
Get Sarah Palin on the phone, President Obama. If McCain and the GOP thought she was qualified to be president and commander-in-chief, they can't oppose her as Secretary of Defense. Would love to see them justify voting against HER! LOL
So Harry Reid, care to explain why filibuster reform was a bad idea 3 months ago?
Boy, ya' think Harry Reed feels stupid now??
They have a new system that will make things move smoother in the senate. We don't have to worry about any filibusters!
Meanwhile.... And of course you won't see this on CNN...
Pelosi thinks pay cuts for congress undermines dignity of the job.
Just can't get anything to go through. The messge cycle is being tightly controlled!!
No reason to go to the summit if we don't have a legitimate representative there to represent us.
It's not really that important, is it??
So they will vote for him after recess but are fillibustering him today?? Sounds like a naked display of the GOP (with fewer votes) telling theDEMs(with more votes) that they have all the power. Why do we allow our elected officials to stop anything from coming up to a vote? Even if you need a super-majority it should still come to a vote.
If you can't govern then stop every thing. Who cares If we look like fools.
It's true! Republicans eat their own!
Mid-term elections are coming up. All that needs to be done is remove a few of these self serving GOP jerks from office. We should start with McCain and Graham ...
Reid always has the "nuclear" option. The GOP went back on their handshake deal (did anyone expect them not to), so Reid has it in his powers to get rid of the filibuster once and for all. He should do it. There is no downside and the American people (who are just as sick of the GOP with their 11% rating) as the rest of Congress. The Party of No is doubling down on their anti-science, pro-Birther, pro-assault rifle, anti-history, pro-Oil, anti-teacher, pro-Big Business, anti-middle class, anti-environment agenda. Let them.
GOP is dead wrong on this. Hagel is the best man for the job, because the President with highest rating in the history TRUST him.
Obama's State of the Union speech sent a very clear belligerent message to all conservatives and republicans. He intends to continue spending and taxing with absolutely no restraint. He fully intends to put this country in the toilet. I can only imagine what would happen if he had a democratic Congress...we'd be a third world country in no time.
Obama and democrats are all about BIG government and BIG spending...that's got to stop...we're broke!!!!
John McCain and Senator Graham and their new-found puppy dog Kelly should be ashamed of themselves. I would like to send e-mails to NBC, CBS, and ABC Presidents to stop these highly partisan folks to constantly appear on their networks. It's time that these ever-so-partisan, self proclaimed "leaders" be neutered. They are making mockery of their positions. The country deserves better.
Great! He's a lousy choice and should never have even been nominated. Thanks to the Seante for rejecting Mr. Hagel. His testimony was horrible and he was revealed to be almost totally clueless. Our armed forces and citizens deserve a better Sec. of Defense. Maybe the Prez will come up with a more qualified nominee next time.
As a GOP supporter I'm getting frustrated with the Rebuplican leaders saying "look at us, we want to lose in 2014, 2016, etc." ... come on guys ... try to play a smarter game!
If there had been meaningful filibuster reform when the Senate had had a chance then this nonsense wouldn't have happened. Harry Reid's cowardice has come back to haunt him – cowardice has consequences.
I'm pretty sure if the parties were reversed here the GOP would be calling an obstruction of the Secretary of Defense's confirmation "treasonous" and "debilitating for the country's security" and doing everything they could to display the other guy as being uncaring about the best interests of the na- oh wait.


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ShipRocked 2012: Filter, Korn, Sevendust + More – Day 4 Recap + Photo Gallery
On the final day of the ShipRocked 2012 cruise, rockers spent the day at sea on our way back to Ft. Lauderdale. After hitting the massive breakfast buffet for the last time on the MSC Poesia, concertgoers headed over to the Deck stage at noon in order to catch Filter's second performance.
Frontman Richard Patrick knows how to reach out to fans and work the crowd. The band performed a wide array of tracks such as 'The Take,' 'No Love,' 'Welcome to the Fold,' 'Take a Picture' and of course 'Hey Man Nice Shot' among others. Patrick decided to stage dive and crowd surf on his beloved fans towards the end of the set.
Legendary New York band Helmet took the Deck Stage next and put on a stellar set. Notable members from other bands gathered around side stage and the balcony to watch their performance while others joined fans in the crowd.
ShipRockers got the chance to see former Queensryche frontman Geoff Tate belt out some serious notes in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the talented guys from Fuel, who delivered a solid set with their raspy vocals and gritty sound.
Over in the Carlo Felice Theater, Sevendust shook the foundation of the ship with a moving and vigorous performance. As a veteran of many Sevendust shows, it's worth noting that the band has never looked and sounded better, not to mention they gave fans a taste of new music off of their upcoming ninth studio album 'Black Out the Sun.'
Samantha ShipRocked (that 2 foot Barbie doll with the short, red, frilly skirt who first made her appearance known on the cruise during Godsmack's set on the first day) made her way to the stage and into the arms of frontman Lajon Witherspoon.
No doubt Korn was the main event of the day as their late night performance outside on the Deck Stage was the perfect way to end the trip. Jonathan Davis' force onstage, drummer Ray Luzier's relentless thrashing behind the skins, Fieldy's booming bass lines, Munky's blistering guitar skills and the band's overall endless energy make Korn one of the bands that you just never get sick of seeing live.
Other performances of the day included The Letter Black, P.O.D., The Halo Method and 10 Years.
Sleepy rockers woke up to disembark the ship at 7am, as yours truly waited in the Zebra Lounge – Five Finger Death Punch just happened to be passing through with their luggage when Ivan Moody looked at me and humorously said, "Sweetie, you look hung over."
After four days of no sleep, myself and about 2,000 other people on that boat probably looked the same way but every bag under the eye and every sore muscle was well worth this incredible experience aboard the MSC Poesia for ShipRocked 2012.
Check Out Photos From the Final Day of ShipRocked 2012:
Geoff Tate:


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I think there's this certain stereotype that only the most outgoing, extroverted people can lead a team–that managerial skills are based highly on conversational skills, and if shyer individuals aren't small talk pros, they might be most useful in a cubicle, working alone on their computers.
I'm here to challenge that.
I've had supervisors and mentors who've ranged from ask you about your weekend as soon as you walked in and others who you'd have to approach first to converse with. One thing I've learned from the variety is how many factors go into being an effective leader. I used to think that it was just how well someone could conduct him/herself in a social setting, but as I observed different leaders more, I realized that becoming one isn't limited to a certain personality. I think it's more that certain personality types make for different leaders–for example, I'd hypothesize that extroverts might thrive on making their presence highly known throughout the team, and that leader might take pride in winning their team members over. Conversely, introverts might make less forward appearances in the group, but the members know the leader will lead in times of distress. I think it's more of a "hands on" vs. "hands off" approach.
I'm an introvert, and I think we have great potential for leadership for different reasons than my extroverted counterparts; here're a few reasons why I'm sure of it:
- Introverts are natural listeners
We specialize in listening. We enjoy hearing what others have to say, and a lot of the times, we'll only comment once we've formed a fully-formed opinion. It's not in our personality to constantly interrupt or take over the conversation; this is a great leadership quality because it allows the leader to get a more complete view of his/her team members' ideas, understand a situation from a variety of perspectives, and allowing the team members to feel heard (I'm going to write a thought on this soon, because I think it's a vital, but often overlooking quality).
- Introverts spend a lot of their time thinking
As I implied before, we aren't usually ones to talk extensively until we've formed a well-thought-out opinion about the topic. When you hear us monologue, you can be sure that we've spent a lot of time debating and assessing the situation. This is a great quality for a leader because you want one who doesn't take concerns flippantly–you want someone who you know will give a dilemma ample time to think about and give as best of a solution as possible.
- Introverts aren't concerned with being the center of attention
You don't have to worry about us trying to steal the spotlight–we're not naturally ones who enjoy being the center of attention, and I think that's an excellent leadership quality. It gives the group members time to shine and recognize each others' value. It's highly important to realize how skilled your team members are, and when the leader is not forcing him/herself into that light, it indirectly creates that recognition system.
- Introverts are best with one-on-one communication
We're much more comfortable with one-on-one communication than with group communication. This is an awesome leadership quality because it gives the team members the opportunity to form an individual relationship with the leader and develop a unique relationship with him/her. This can facilitate personal growth and mentorship, and it can prohibit the team member from feeling like just a number or another employee to the leader.
- Introverts like being alone
We find value in spending time in solitude. This is a beneficial leadership quality because it can prevent the leader from becoming overbearing and obnoxiously involved. You also don't have to worry about us feeling lonely when we're by ourselves because being alone is sometimes what we look forward to; additionally, you'll know that when we come out of our offices to visit, we'll be more energized and ready to socialize or tackle problems. I'd assume that you wouldn't have to worry about an introvert leader always trying to steal his/her group members' attention for meaningless topics; we have an intuition for when it's best for us to stay out of the way. It also gives us this enhances self-awareness (more about that in the next bullet point) and self-control.
- Introverts are self-aware
We know ourselves really well because we spend a lot of our day thinking. We make efforts to understand the roots of our emotions and thought processes. This is an important quality for a leader because, a lot of the time, it leads to heightened emotional maturity and empathy. We can put ourselves in another's place because we spend so much time thinking and relating our experiences to each other to find trends in our own psychological behavior.
Ultimately, introverts have the potential to make great leaders. Theymre self-aware, they understand when it's time to leave their team members alone, and they work well with one-on-one communication. Sure, the leading style might differ from an extrovert's, but, in some cases, a different leadership style (introverted OR extroverted) might prove most suitable.