Daily Archives: December 18, 2019

PewDiePie Quits Twitter After Confirming YouTube Hiatus – We Got This Covered

Posted: December 18, 2019 at 9:40 pm

Having dedicated a major part of his life to creating and uploading videos on YouTube over the last decade, it appears as if PewDiePie has finally decided to throw in the towel, so to speak.

The internet star, who owns YouTubes most-subscribed independent channel, confirmed in a video titled YouTubes New Update Has A BIG FLAW that hell be taking a step back from his work commitments in the New Year. I think now is a great time as any to announce: I have a special announcement to make, he said, adding, I am taking a break from YouTube next year. I wanted to say it in advance because I made up my mind.

In reassuring fans that the timeout wont be permanent, PewDiePie, real name Felix Kjellberg, inferred that his reasons for the limited-time departure come largely as a result of fatigue stemming from uploading new videos almost every day for 10 years on the trot.

The news comes not long after YouTube outlined changes to its anti-harassment policy, which has come under heavy fire for making life incredibly difficult for genuine content creators. Kjellberg has been a vocal critic of both the aforementioned proposals and YouTubes business practices numerous times in the past and we wouldnt be surprised if recent events have contributed to his momentary departure.

As for when the stars legion of followers can expect a return to normality, Kjellberg hasnt specified an exact date and, whats more, appears to have committed to a total detox of social media. In the days since his initial shock announcement, the YouTubers Twitter profile has been scrubbed clean and abandoned, its profile bio simply reading I dont use Twitter, this account is just to prevent fake accounts.

In light of the total blackout, then, it appears fans will simply have no choice but to wait until the New Year arrives to learn when PewDiePie plans to make his return. Watch this space.

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Everipedia Gives Back to Children by Partnering with GIVE Nation – GlobeNewswire

Posted: at 9:40 pm

BOSTON, Dec. 17, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Everipedia, the worlds largest blockchain-based encyclopedia, and GIVE Nation, a childrens gamified wallet focused on teaching sustainable financial literacy program and altruism, announced a co-education sharing partnership!

GIVE Nation will be the first outside organization to build a custom front-end that interacts with the IQ Network. This is a major milestone for both organizations and is a perfect synergy for Everipedias mission to be the knowledge layer of not only blockchain but of web 3.0.

In this collaboration, GIVE Nation will be powering its content from a selection of Everipedia pages that are deemed age-appropriate for their audience. Furthermore, GIVE Nation will be uploading their lessons to Everipedia. The goal for this partnership is to provide a reliable platform for GIVE Nation to pursue its mission of educating children.

Everipedia currently boasts millions of monthly visitors from all over the globe who are curious about the world around them and counts Brave browser as one of their partners. GIVE Nation is providing a suite of financial literacy programs to children and encourages philanthropy through a number of activities. GIVE Nation has partnered with organizations and governments around the world to fulfill its mission.

We are looking forward to building a new ecosystem with Everipedia. This will be an essential piece of GIVE Nation's media infrastructure, empowering millions of children around the world" states Arnaud Saint-Paul, the CEO of GIVE Nation.

Everipedia Director of Partnerships and Exchanges David Liebowitz adds that We see GIVE Nation being the first of many partners that utilize our platform to foster learning for people of all ages worldwide. We are excited to be working on this together and look forward to making a substantial impact.

About Everipedia InternationalOriginally started in 2015 as a more modern and inclusive alternative to Wikipedia, Everipedia is now building the worlds first peer-to-peer encyclopedia on the blockchain, incentivizing content creators by making them stakeholders in the knowledge base themselves. With millions of monthly unique users and millions of wiki articles, everipedia.org has already surpassed English Wikipedia as the worlds largest English encyclopedia by content. Find out more at everipedia.org and follow Everipedia on Facebook and Twitter.

About GIVE NationBy focusing on community driven education and including philanthropic actions; GIVE Nation helps 518 year olds with sustainable financial literacy while positively impacting their community through the power of altruism and partnered charities. GIVE offers unique education and opportunities for children, while providing a reward system for good behavior & charitable acts. GIVE Nation's incubator retains features for our children within a safe ecosystem that's been scientifically proven to not only generate business opportunities, but more importantly; GIVE Nation's platform offers features for our children within a safe ecosystem to improve our planet and foster entrepreneurship, imagination, and altruism. GIVE's mission encourages an altruistic culture in young minds by improving the planet through promoting transparent acts of kindness. Future generations achieve happiness and sustainable financial well-being through a real-world education using digital currencies, blockchain and A.I. technology, while supporting charities. GIVE Nation is a world for kids by kids.

All trademarks and product names are the property of their respective companies. Our discussion may include predictions, estimates or other information that might be considered forward-looking. While these forward-looking statements represent our current judgment on what the future holds, they are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect our opinions only as of the date of this presentation. Please keep in mind that we are not obligating ourselves to revise or publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events.

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Heavy freight: Why drop-in pitches can’t be moved interstate – Sydney Morning Herald

Posted: at 9:40 pm

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Given each trip is about eight kilometres, you can imagine why relocating them some 3400 kilometres across the Nullarbor has not been considered.

"The time it was on the road, the amount of drying that would happen if it was exposed, you would actually need a week or two to settle it back down to play on it," Optus Stadium curator Brett Sipthorpe said.

"It's not like you could take one to each venue and keep it going. I don't think it's a feasible option, no."

Cricket Australia insists the punishment Hobart Hurricanes wicketkeeper Emily Smith received for innocently uploading her team's batting order onto social media won't be revoked. Smith was banned for 12 months, with nine months suspended, covering the WBBL, WNCL and even grade seasons.

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Australian Cricketers Association president Shane Watson will meet with CA chairman Earl Eddings next week to discuss how the case was handled but nothing is likely to change despite the ACA arguing CA has the power to change its own rules. What is clear is that all parties could have done things better. Smith, for one, should have had legal support in her initial hearing, and been encouraged to launch an appeal.

The ACA and CA agree Smith's actions were not linked to corruption but the punishment has angered many, including Isa Guha, the former England cricketer and now Fox Cricket commentator who said "common sense" should have prevailed.

Guha suggested it had been a case of "targetting someone who might not necessarily fight back".

"I personally didn't think the punishment fit the crime," she said. "But it's a situation that I am glad people are talking about now because that didn't happen a few years ago when a few girls got done for gambling where again it was a tricky circumstance, just the way it was handled, the way the girls were kind of ostracised from the cricket community they weren't able to set foot in the nets, turn up to games, which I just thought was horrendous.

'Bigger issues': Isa Guha has gone to bat for Emily Smith.Credit:Getty

"This has become their life. Cricket is now a viable option for women, so I was gutted to hear she was going to be out for the whole year but it looks like the ACA are providing some good support. The way I see it, Cricket Australia is using it as a deterrent. For me, there are much larger issues going on in match-fixing and gambling, just in world cricket."

The planets were aligned for Mitchell Starc's bid for a hat-trick. He had a pink ball, under lights and the jinx, broadcaster and writer Adam Collins, was nowhere to be seen at Optus Stadium.

Collins, who estimates he has attended 116 Tests and never witnessed a hat-trick, has left the Test circuit for the summer. Alas, for Starc that was not enough to seal the deal, though he does not seem to mind. "It's definitely not a goal that I have to tick off. If it happens, it happens," Starc said.

Kim Hughes has never been afraid to speak his mind, and the former Australian captain has made it clear what he thinks about the possibility of Steve Smith returning to the top role.

Tim Paine remains a series-by-series proposition, and Smith appears his logical successor, despite having served a ban for bringing the game into disrepute in South Africa last year.

"As far as Smith is concerned, he should never captain Australia again," Hughes said at the Lord's Taverners Breakfast during the week.

"Our national side is the most important [team] sport. I hope that he can concentrate on being the best player in the world and then let other people do the other things.

"It would be a mistake [for Smith to captain] even in two or three years' time."

Andrew Wu writes on cricket and AFL for The Sydney Morning Herald

Jon Pierik is cricket writer for The Age. He also covers AFL and has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing.

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Amazfit GTR is the Best First Smartwatch for Watch lovers – International Business Times

Posted: at 9:40 pm

Amazfit GTR is a smartwatch that doesn't look like a smartwatch (Jeff Li/IBTimes)

Being a watch enthusiast, I find myself struggling to appreciate smartwatches as timepieces.

They feel much more like extensions to my phone that straps to my wrist, and I think the main reason for that is not because they can't tell time as well as traditional watches. In fact smartwatches are connected to phones which gets it's time from an atomic clock through GPS, which means when in sync, its accuracy is unbeatable by any traditional watches.

The main mental block that prevents me of thinking of smartwatches as timepieces pertains mainly to its craftsmanship, its aesthetics, and the fact that they need to be charged too often when compared to traditional watches.

After using the Amazfit GTR for the last few weeks, I'd have to say that my mental block is crumbling down over time. This is a Smartwatch that has been beautifully crafted out of premium material, and balances its functionality with its aesthetics, plus having a large user base who are watch lovers and having the ability to be customized; it is a package that cannot be equaled by any other smartwatches on the market right now.

Polished Stainless Steel case with a Ceramic bezel: What else do you need? (Jeff Li/IBTimes)

Premium build

There are not many smartwatches on the market that I would call premium build, and I certainly did not expect this from the GTR mainly due to its price point. However taking it out of the box, the first thing I noticed is that it handled exactly like a traditional watch. Its weight, cold and polished metal body and dimensions felt oddly familiar. At first touch, I immediately thought Huami has struck some kind of perfect balance in the build to make this Smartwatch not feel like a Smartwatch at all. I bet if someone gave me a blind test, I would not be able to pick it out by feel next to other traditional watches.

On closer inspection, the stainless steel case did not disappoint. Its curves and finish are precise and exudes strength and class. They did not skimp out on the two buttons either which are both clicky and felt as premium as the case.

Curiosity did strike me when it came to the bezel though, as it is a ring of matt finish with hourly markings but also has a polished chamfer. After inquiring the Huami team, they confirmed that the bezel is actually made of ceramic (Specifically microcrystalline zirconium ceramics according to the website, like the ceramic edition of the iWatch). This I thought was very promising, because the Gorilla glass surface recesses below the ceramic bezel and would be strong enough to be its protection from scratches.

Leather outer, rubber inner - my perfect combo (Jeff Li/IBTimes)

Going to the back of the watch, the back of both the watch and the leather strap is synthetic, which for me, I was completely ecstatic. One of the biggest challenges I face with watch wearing is sweat corrosion and unpleasant smells. Name a trick online, and I've tried it all on my leather straps, and nothing have worked. Not only is the leather strap of the GTR rubberized, it is also ribbed, allowing for extra air flow. In the weeks of testing this watch, I have not experienced any odor issues. I'm also a fan of the synthetic back of the watch for similar reasons. I have started to like synthetic backs since trying out the Suunto Traverse, and the back on the GTR is just as inert and sweat resistant - exactly how I like it.

Amazfit itself has plenty of good looking watch faces, but there's even more (Jeff Li/IBTimes)

Watch loving community generated watch faces

This is arguably the best thing about Amazfit watches, and the GTR in particular; the watch enthusiasts behind it. The Amazfit somehow got all the planets aligned, where it:

Because of not one, not two, but all three of these things combined, what you get is a Smartwatch that can load beautifully made watch faces made by watch lovers, of which a considerable library is already available.

When I realized this, I immediately found an app to customize the watch face and started trying out them out. I felt like a giddy teenager who just discovered Windows Vista sidebar and widgets for the first time! Compared with any other smartwatches that I know of, the Amazfit GTR has the most extensive and high quality custom watch faces that I have seen, thanks to the community of watch lovers behind it.

(Caution: Do use unofficial watch faces at your own risk. Like any computer device, uploading unregulated, user generated software always come with an unavoidable risk and may cause damage to your device if there are malwares. If you want to play safe, the Amazfit app itself has plenty of well-built watch faces to choose from)

You only need to see this once a month (Jeff Li/IBTimes)

24 Days Battery life

Not sure if this was a tongue in cheek statement, but instead of a 24 hour battery life - which is quite typical for smartwatches, the GTR has a 24 day battery life. When put into daily use, this makes a day and night difference. After its first full charge, enduring all my watch face uploading, synchronizing, and all the screen-on time for gawking at new watch faces - I haven't needed to charge the watch, not even once.

Magnetic 'puck' for charging (Jeff Li/IBTimes)

When you do need to charge it, the GTR charging system is easy enough that you might as well charge it every night. With a magnetic puck, it attaches itself (Like the good'o Magsafe chargers on the Macbooks) and the way it goes.

Who is the Amazfit GTR for?

What sets this smartwatch apart is not its software, and Huaimi knows it. They made a conscious decision to put a considerable effort into getting the hardware just right, and after using it for a few weeks, I'd say it paid off big time. From the premium build, to the long battery, to the possibilities of loading on sophisticated watch faces, the Amazfit GTR has become in my mind the first compelling Smartwatch that belong in my timepiece collection.

David is a tech enthusiast/writer who is often on the move and is on a mission to explore ways to make his overhaul flights more enjoyable. This is a contribution to an ongoing IBTimes review series on gadgets for Business Travellers.

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Jigs and fixtures by Xometry – 3DPMN

Posted: at 9:40 pm

Jigs and fixtures are often made with custom parts from Xometry. Both of these devices help engineers and manufacturers to make better products.

A jig is a device that helps support, hold and locate a workpiece by guiding the tools that are needed to execute a manufacturing operation. Well-made jigs can have a major impact on the repeatability and accuracy of a manufacturing process. Jigs are used in uni-dimensional processes like drilling, tapping and reaming. Jigs also can have installed components, like bushings, which can come into contact with the cutting tool. An example is a drill bushing, which keeps drills in the right position and at the right angle to perform their work. 3D printing jigs is common practice due to the process ability to create conformal shapes and off-angle features without expensive tooling and setups.

Unlike jigs, which help to guide tools, fixtures help to hold workpieces in position so that they can be machined accurately. Examples include blocks of raw materials fixed inside machines and vices or clamps that hold workpieces in place. Most manufacturing facilities use fixtures to enable automation to increase production speed. For example, Xometry builds automotive fixtures for BMW that are used for aligning a vehicles front end during assembly. This helps BMW to manufacture their vehicles more efficiently and reduce operational error though repeatable work holding and installation solutions. BMW uses 3D printing services, urethane casting and CNC machining services to produce custom fixture assemblies.

Jigs and fixtures are both used to increase the productive time of mass production processes. But there are key differences between the two. Jigs always help guide a tool, while fixtures hold and locate the work, but do not guide tools. Fixtures are usually heavier and are bolted directly to the machine table, while jigs are usually lighter and are not affixed directly to the table. Jigs are also generally more complex to design and more expensive to produce than fixtures.

Both jigs and fixtures can be made with CNC Machining or 3D Printing, though it is more common to see 3D printed jigs since they are lighter. 3D printing can be a great choice with parts with complex geometries since they can often be expensive or challenging to machine. 3D printed jigs can be significantly cheaper than machined ones, so its worth getting a quote in 3D printing as part of your process.

Designing a fixture or jig begins with the application in mind as well as the quantities needed. There are three main processes used when making jigs or fixtures.

1. CNC machining is great for producing low to medium complexity shapes that require high stiffness, extreme environments and precision tolerances. Delrin (Acetal), Garolite, PTFE and PEEK are the most common polymers used for machining jigs and fixtures. In metal, typically Aluminum 6061-T6 is the most common, which can be enhanced by finishes like metal plating, color anodizing and chemical conversion coatings. CNC milling is the best approach for quality check fixtures, due to its ability to achieve precision tolerances and surface finishes.

2. Additive manufacturing or 3D printing can produce low to very high complexity shapes with ease. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is heavily used in making fixtures because of a build area up to three feet and the ability to make lightweight parts using sparse infill. Handheld jigs, such as surgical drill guides, may utilize processes like Carbon DLS or Stereolithography due to a good combination of precision and durable parts. PolyJet 3D printing is useful for laser marking fixtures because of its ability to produce soft-touch, non-marking holders using multi-material 3D printing, similar to a rubber overmold.

3. Urethane casting combines the design freedom of 3D printing with high-wear, urethane-based materials. Urethane casting can produce low volume production parts that can be color-matched, hit a specific durometer and are non-marring for holding finished products and ornamental pieces. Cast urethane parts are often flexible or rubber-like but can also be highly stiff depending on the material used.

Each jig or fixture is custom, and specifically designed for its application. There is no right way to make or combine parts together but there are best practices that will help guide your thought process. The tips below aid in design best practices for fixtures and jigs.

1. Make a mockup if you do not have the part yet. 3D printing is by far the best means to get a rapid prototype of a part to be fixtured. Even before the design process, a physical model to reference can be a powerful tool to inspire a design approach. 3D printed parts can also be robust enough to trail fixture or jig setups, including drilling, part marking and running automated inspection like CMM.

2. Limit your touchpoints in the design to those which critically support the object as well as indicate or index its orientation. This will reduce the complexity of the jig or fixture and save headaches when the digital design meets realitywhere minor deviations may occur from manufacturing.

3. Give clearances to corners and bends when designing conformal jigs and fixtures. Many manufacturing processes may have small radii in sharp internal corners. Instead of risking an interfering fit, it is best to design generous pockets or clearances around those features. For fixturing bent tubing or sheet metal components, it is best to design for the maximum condition of the curve or avoid touchpoints in that area altogether. This is due to deviations from the CAD which can often occur in the bent or formed locations.

4. Split up large parts to reduce manufacturing costs and increase the flexibility in the design. For example, you can build a 30 fixture, but it may be 2-3X less expensive to build smaller components only where the touchpoints are requiredespecially if the fixture will be mounted to a threaded plate.

5. Make the parts lightweight by using ultralight or sparse infills with FDM, or by designing features like pockets, ribs and holes to reduce the material used. This is particularly useful for jigs, where it is very common they will be handheld. Lighter parts will reduce fatigue over time and can be easier to store between uses.

6. Mix materials and processes to get a specific function out of the jig or fixture. It is not uncommon to see 3D printed components cover the highly custom contours of a jig or fixture while other features are generated using precision milling or other processes. Each process has its strengths and trade-offs, and with manufacturing as a service models (MaaS) like Xometry there are very few restrictions to what process and materials can be used.

7. Use COTS frequently to reduce costs on standardized components like handles and clamps. COTS stands for commercial off the shelf and is a catch-all term for anything you can buy without needing to custom design it (screws, pins, handles, rails, etc.). COTS components are almost always cheaper than custom manufactured pieces, often by orders of magnitude in costs. The custom components machined, cast or additively manufactured should be specific to the application need. Adding threaded inserts or tapped holes to the custom components prepares them for custom COTS integrations.

8. Prepare for benchtop adjustments by incorporating adjustable features. For example, metal shims between screw-mounted components are extremely common to compensate for tolerance deviations in assemblies. Using slots for table top-mounted fixtures allows minor adjustments to be made without heavy rework. Spring-powered pogo pins, whether custom or off-the-shelf, are also useful for giving firm mounting while allowing for small deviations between parts.

With online machine shops and online 3D printing services available today, it has never been easier to produce single and low volume custom jig and fixtures. Xometry has the benefit of providing the most common services and materials used for producing custom guides and work holding solutions with short lead times and low costs. Xometry can even build custom assemblies on-demand as it does for BMWs automotive line. Getting started is easy by uploading the 3D models for the jig or fixture to Xometrys Instant Quoting Engine.

This article was published in collaboration with Xometry.

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Samsung Shifts Southeast Asia & Oceania PR Duties To IN.FOM – The Holmes Report

Posted: at 9:39 pm

SINGAPORE Samsung Electronics has shifted PR duties for Southeast Asia and Oceania to IN.FOM following a competitive review, the Holmes Report has learned.

Singapore firm IN.FOM takes on an assignment that includes regional PR duties and the domestic PR mandate for Samsung in Singapore.

The duties were previously held by Edelman, which has a global relationship with the Korean electronics giant. It is understood that Edelman's role as Samsung's domestic PR firm in Australia is unaffected by the move.

The shift effectively means that IN.FOM and Edelman have swapped accounts, after Edelman took on the regional Microsoft PR assignment earlier this year. IN.FOMresigned its biggest account anchor client Microsoft in April, but continues to handle the Singapore mandate.

Rachel Um, Samsung senior regional manager for PR and citizenship, Southeast Asia & Oceania, confirmed the shift when contacted by the Holmes Report. Um joined Samsung in 2018, after four years with Edelman.

Edelman and IN.FOM representatives referred request for comment to Samsung.

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George Orwell’s ‘1984’ revisited: What Oceania and Israel have in common – Haaretz

Posted: at 9:39 pm

George Orwell is one of the most widely read English-language authors, and has certainly been one of the most quoted ones for more than a half-century. There is no need to mention the many concepts associated with him: Newspeak, thought police, Orwellian and so on. At the same time, the man who strove, as he himself said, to turn political writing into an art and who declared that everything he wrote after 1936 (subsequent to his participation in the Spanish Civil War, against fascist forces) was written against totalitarianism and in favor of democratic socialism, continues to be perceived, ultimately, as a storyteller.

In contrast to the approach of the vast body of writing that exists about Orwell, and about his novel 1984 in particular, I will argue here, in brief, that his output needs to be seen as belonging to the realm of of political theory. In other words, Orwell is (also) a political theoretician (in the conventional sense of the term: a person who espouses a theory about the social reality). Moreover, and especially in his 1949 dystopic novel, he contributed significantly to the understanding of the dynamics of modern politics and in particular of the phenomenon the Roman historian Tacitus called the secrets of governing (arcana imperii). Every new political theory, by whatever name it called itself, led back to hierarchy and regimentation, Orwell wrote.

Any consideration of Orwells writing cannot ignore the fact that he chose the literary genre as the most congenial for giving expression to his views. Writing was for him a tool for changing social reality, and the literature he wrote was political. In fact, it often seems as though the narrative interferes with his attempt to set forth his views about modern capitalism (and about democracy, on the one hand, and fascism, on the other). Indeed, when he encountered difficulties in plot construction, he was known to deal with them by devious literary means, so as to retain his political point.

A vivid example of this is his insertion of a completely theoretical text running to dozens of pages in 1984, by means of a literary stratagem of introducing a fictitious book-within-a-book. The text, The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism, is manifestly a sociopolitical analysis of trends in modern industrial society and a historic description of the phenomenon called government. Some people advised him to remove the book from the book. Happily for us, he ignored them.

It depends on you

Orwell did not in any systematic way read the classic works of political thought and theory (as opposed to contemporaneous political writing, about which he was extremely knowledgeable), and that may help us understand why he chose the literary genre rather than focusing on philosophy or political science. In his works he gave expression to, and provided an explanation (theoretical) for, developments in modern society. Shortly before his death, in 1950, he made it unequivocally clear that the appalling picture of the future starkly depicted in 1984 was not some imaginative exercise for him. Dont let it happen. It depends on you, he asserted toward the end of his life. In his view, the dystopia had already begun to materialize.

What is the it he warned against? He is referring to the fact that in the struggle to impose limits on political power, society is at a disadvantage. Orwell went a few steps further, developing the analysis of Jos Ortega y Gasset, who in his book The Revolt of the Masses (1932), wrote, This is the gravest danger that today threatens civilization: State intervention; the absorption of all spontaneous social effort by the state The result of this tendency will be fatal. Spontaneous social action will be broken up over and over again by State intervention; no new seed will be able to fructify. Society will have to live for the State, man for the governmental machine. In 1984, Orwell showed how that scenario could be realized in everyday life.

His writing from the 1930s onward displays a persistent effort to identify the socioeconomic forces that were pushing toward the emergence of a society whose features resemble those he would portray in 1984 and to warn against them. For this reason, Orwells final book was a very frightening one. He was out to scare his readers, because he wanted to make them think about the direction in which modern society was being led. Power is not a means, it is an end, he wrote at the end of 1984.

Then, as now, the public had trouble conceiving of the fact that there are sociopolitical elements whose goal is to preserve a class society. In other words, precisely in an era in which technology is creating great abundance, unparalleled in human history, it is scarcity that rules. (In principle the war effort is always so planned as to eat up any surplus that might exist after meeting the bare needs of the population. In practice the needs of the population are always underestimated, with the result that there is a chronic shortage of half the necessities of life, Orwell wrote.)

In his view, this state of affairs was not the result of a mistake, a hidden hand or a government of fools; it was a deliberate policy advanced by an exploitative elite. And it isnt by accident that the masses dont grasp what is happening: In the long run, a hierarchical society was only possible on a basis of poverty and ignorance. In other words, there are forces whose vested interest is to preserve high and low. The rationale for this was explained as early as the 17th century by the French statesman Cardinal Richelieu in his Political Testament: All students of politics agree that when the common people are too well off, it is impossible to keep them peaceable It would not be sound to relieve them of all taxation and similar charges, since in such a case they would lose the mark of their subjection and consequently the awareness of their station.

Orwell died young, aged 46 younger than the age at which many thinkers in the realms of humanities and social sciences have written their magnum opus. From this point of view, its hard to imagine how our world would look if Niccolo Machiavelli (who died at 58), Karl Marx (at 64), Jean-Jacques Rousseau (66), Immanuel Kant (79) or Thomas Hobbes (91) had died when they were still in their forties. By the same token, its tempting to imagine how our world of ideas would look if Orwell had lived another 40 years.

A survey of his development as a thinker, beginning from his period of service in the Imperial Police in Burma (when he was in his 20s), shows one thing clearly: The issues that troubled Orwell beginning in the 1930s won a richer and more complete theoretical expression in 1984. Indeed, when we consider the stage his intellectual progress had reached in the autumn of his years, we find new directions, not yet fully matured, in his analysis of modern politics.

Mechanism of power

What Ive written so far is meant to justify my reading of 1984 as political theory, and not just as a novel. The general plotline is well known and needs no elaboration. I will only mention that the book covers a short period in the life of Winston Smith, a citizen of Oceania (a region congruent with much of todays Western world), which is under tight totalitarian rule as part of a one-party system and where life plays out under the watchful eye of Big Brother.

Over the years, what has drawn the most attention in the book and is also considered Orwells legacy is the description of the totalistic means of supervision and control that exist in Oceania, and in particular the telescreen that monitors people nonstop and identifies deviations from the governments sadistic path. And, of course, the notion of the media as serving political interests. (Most of the material that you were dealing with had no connection with anything in the real world, not even the kind of connection that is contained in a direct lie, Orwell wrote). In the wake of the technological and political developments of recent decades, references to him are only increasing, but often those references miss the crux of the book: not the mechanism of power, but the motif that generates it.

Two great questions arise from the book: How did it happen and why did it happen? That is, how did humanity reach a situation in which a small elite possesses spiritual and physical power over the entire population? Or, in Orwells famous formulation in 1984: I understand HOW: I do not understand WHY.

How refers to the technique: the tools that the development of modern industrial society has placed at the disposal of the rulers. Orwell offers a horrific account of the means by which the rules control the masses and bring about a totally regimented society: atomic bombs, perpetual war, Thought Police, social inequality, creation of a besieged city atmosphere, two minutes of hate fomented by the authorities against specific groups, and more. These and other means, Orwell makes clear, generate a disciplined community of fear. And even technological progress only happens when its products can in some way be used for the diminution of human liberty, he wrote, explaining the logic of technological and industrial development in Oceania.

He was adept at describing the how in the daily life of the countrys citizens: Technological developments have placed in the hands of an exploitative minority more efficient means to control the masses. And if in the past, the mechanisms of rule required the presence of physical violence, abuse, torture, executions and the like, the new techniques had to a certain degree made superfluous the Nazi Gestapo and the Stalinist NKVD, which unleashed terror in the streets. Authority in 1984 is reflectled in a total inner capitulation to the Moloch of government.

Orwells comments in this context are almost prophetic: Part of the reason for this was that in the past no government had the power to keep its citizens under constant surveillance. The invention of print, however, made it easier to manipulate public opinion, and the film and the radio carried the process further. With the development of television, and the technical advance which made it possible to receive and transmit simultaneously on the same instrument, private life came to an end.

Now, Orwell maintained in 1984, the new technologies made it possible to control the individuals thought. In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it. Tweeters would do well to make this their motto (it also helps one stay below character limits). Absurdly, a theoretical possibility that frightened many when the book was published is today legitimized by a public which considers itself enlightened, liberal and democratic.

In this sense, Oceania is so frightening because the totalitarianism of rule has resulted in the emergence of a totally static society, where no social change is possible. History indeed ended with the emergence of Oceania, which is also why the novels original title was The Last Man in Europe Winston is the last person who still thinks. If you are a man, Winston, you are the last man. Your kind is extinct; we are the inheritors, says OBrien, who is out to mend Winstons sick (and skeptical) mind.

Relentless war

One of the most illuminating aspects of 1984 is Orwells perceptive description of the relationship between domestic policy and foreign policy. The world of 1984 is divided into three powers Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia which wage unceasing wars on each other. The parallel to the blocs of the Cold War is perfectly clear. The wars, however, have limited goals and the adversaries are not capable of or interested in truly destroying one another. To understand the nature of the present war for in spite of the regrouping which occurs every few years, it is always the same war one must realize in the first place that it is impossible for it to be decisive. This principle is surely fraught with great meaning for people living in Israel, and we would be doing justice to Orwells memory to consider it more closely.

In the world depicted in 1984 (and by this Orwell meant everywhere) foreign policy is an instrument of domestic policy. As such, in his view, foreign policy is a continuation or projection of internal policy. Why? Because the former is implemented by the same elite that rules the country, and it has the same goals in foreign policy as it does in domestic policy. This is one of the splendid theoretical contributions of 1984. In contrast to the realistic description that is common in political science faculties (dealing with confirmation and preservation of the existing order), according to which foreign policy is activity by state A (as subject) directed at state B (as object) for the benefit of citizens of the former Orwell shows that the division between domestic and foreign policy is formal (illusory) and is only presented to the public as the form in which decisions are made by the political echelon. In fact, he maintains, the whole purpose of foreign policy is internal. Meaning, the implementation of power by the rulers is in fact aimed toward the population within a given country, and not toward populations in other countries, which are not the object of that specific government.

War is the direct expression of foreign policy, Orwell explains, but it is entirely aimed at influencing the domestic situation at home: War, it will be seen, is now a purely internal affair The war is waged by each ruling group against its own subjects, and the object of the war is not to make or prevent conquests of territory, but to keep the structure of society intact. The citizen doesnt know much about the wars the state is fighting, even though his whole being is mobilized for that end, Orwell avers. The antennas broadcast to the masses what the elite wishes them to hear: The enemy of the moment always represented absolute evil. The ruling groups know that, it is necessary that the war should continue everlastingly and without victory. This state of affairs creates the ultimate man of the masses for the rulers imbecilic masses whose psychological makeup is appropriate for the perpetuation of a hierarchical society. Fear, which is largely invented, is the means of control by which the society is organized.

But when war becomes literally continuous, it also ceases to be dangerous, Orwell writes. In practice, because war is ceaseless, there is no such thing as military necessity. War is life (itself). Its worth noting that Orwell coined the term Cold War (in a brilliant October 1945 article, You and the Atom Bomb). A reading of 1984 shows exactly what he meant: The aim of war is not a conquest of one kind or another, but the preservation of a hierarchical society of high and low. In fact, Orwell contended, we should talk about continuous warfare (and not about war that takes place in a given time) that serves the balance of forces in every country and allows the continuation of social inequality. This means, he notes, is also useful in keying up public morale to the necessary pitch.

War needs to be managed not resolved, Orwell explains (and one is compelled to mention here the grotesque concept that is dominant in these parts, that of conflict management). In practice, It does not matter whether the war is actually happening, and, since no decisive victory is possible, it does not matter whether the war is going well or badly. All that is needed is that a state of war should exist.

In this connection, a prime principle in Orwells politological analysis is the difference between formal posturing/speech (aimed at the masses in order to mobilize public opinion) and realistic posturing/speech. War is waged for purposes quite other than the declared ones. This, in Orwells view, is one of the secret(s) of rulership.

Indeed, in Oceania as in Israel there is no threat of destruction, even though its hammered into the publics head relentlessly that the Sword of Damocles is hovering over everyone. Occasionally, in Oceania as in Israel a missile falls and creates panic. This is the meaning of continuous war today, and it achieves its goal: constant deprivation, perpetuation of distress and the heightening of the fear level. Orwell explains the politics underlying the missile: because a general state of scarcity increases the importance of small privileges and thus magnifies the distinction between one group and another. This is what rulers want, he argues.

However, the big question Orwell tries to answer is the why: Why did a society come into being in which God is power and in which political power is concentrated in the hands of a small privileged caste? This question perturbed Orwell for the last 15 years of his life, and in 1984 he addresses that complex issue: But there is one question which until this moment we have almost ignored. It is; WHY should human equality be averted?... what is the motive for this huge, accurately planned effort to freeze history at a particular moment of time?

A reading of 1984 shows that Orwell did not think, as is usually thought today, that the difference between the rulers and the ruled lies only in only a division of labor (as if the ruler punches a card in the elected institutions). In his view, societys division into a working class (tasked with the industrial production that is the foundation of modern society) and a ruling class (whose role is to rule and to swallow up the profits the workers create) is a historical phenomenon that demands explanation. He is critical of the establishment scholars who interpreted history as a cyclical process and claimed to show that inequality was the unalterable law of human life.

Answering the why

Already in the opening of the book-within-a-book, Oligarchical Collectivism, Orwell explains that rule, enslavement and exploitation are a phenomenon that has characterized human society probably since the end of the Neolithic Age. In other words, in the period of the agricultural revolution some 10,000 years ago, the social structures were created that institutionalized exploitation of the community by a ruling elite. In terms of Homo Sapiens, this is a new phenomenon.

Herein lies the heart of the matter of 1984 and of the why the reason for the continued existence of a hierarchical society, of an exploitative minority and an exploited majority. Orwell noted that the growth in social wealth (which already was a fact at the time the book was written, and remains so today) and the way that wealth is distributed is destined to wreak destruction on the class society. Why? It was possible, no doubt, to imagine a society in which wealth, in the sense of personal possessions and luxuries, should be evenly distributed, while power remained in the hands of a small privileged caste. But in practice such a society could not long remain stable. For if leisure and security were enjoyed by all alike, the great mass of human beings who are normally stupefied by poverty would become literate and would learn to think for themselves; and when once they had done this, they would sooner or later realize that the privileged minority had no function, and they would sweep it away.

This is why continuous war is needed, why rule by fear is essential. And this is where Orwells greatness resides: in his horrifying account of the everyday existence of a person living in a society where fear rules and war never ends. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face for ever, OBrien tells Winston near the end of the book.

I am obliged here to recall Jack Londons hair-raising passage in his masterful novel The Iron Heel (1907), which Orwell read and very much esteemed: We will grind you revolutionists down under our heel, and we shall walk upon your faces. The world is ours, we are its lords, and ours it shall remain. As for the host of labor, it has been in the dirt since history began, and I read history aright. And in the dirt it shall remain so long as I and mine and those that come after us have the power. There is the word. It is the king of words Power. Not God, not Mammon, but Power. Pour it over your tongue till it tingles with it. Power.

The author of Ecclesiastes seems to have had thoughts along the same line when he wrote (8:4), Inasmuch as a kings command is authoritative, and none can say to him, What are you doing? Indeed, who can say?

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George Orwell's '1984' revisited: What Oceania and Israel have in common - Haaretz

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Boxing: Why the Asia/Oceania Qualifiers are crucial for Indias Tokyo Olympics hopes – Scroll.in

Posted: at 9:39 pm

Before the evening training period, the Indian boxing team is having an extended video analysis session. High performance director Santiago Nivea is explaining how to evade a clear punch from a southpaw boxer. The video clips are from professional boxers, amateurs and even training footage.

The next day at the national camp which is being held at the Inspire Institute of Sports, Vijaynagar, a fight night is conducted. It is an occasional event where they recreate a competition hall and pit boxers against each other for a bout.

Some times we do it thrice a month, India mens boxing coach CA Kutuppa said. The last camp had six of them. Mainly, we want boxers in the camp to feel that they are ready for competition. Some of them may not get the competitions outside so everyone needs a chance. Everyone here will be boxing, controlling weight and in process.

The need to increase the number of competitions, Kutuppa believes, is necessary given that the Asia/Oceania Olympic Qualification Event is just two months away. The event will be held from February 3 to 14 in Wuhan, China.

That will be the first chance for Indian boxers to book their tickets to the Tokyo Olympics. Kuttappa said that it is the best chance for India to qualify maximum boxers for the 2020 Games. The World Qualifiers are scheduled to be held in Paris from May 13 to 24.

If we can repeat the performance we had at Asian Championships, we can qualify six boxers from China, he said. We have Vikas [Krishan], 57 kg has some top guys. There is no question of how many. We have to qualify maximum because World Qualifiers will be tougher.

Indian boxers won seven medals at the Asian Championships earlier this year. But repeating that performance will take a herculean effort from the team which will be selected through a trial, which will be held on December 28 and 29 at the IIS centre.

Know your Dronacharya awardee: CA Kuttappa

Since the start of December, the Indian boxing team has been divided in three groups. One batch is participating in the Indian Boxing League in Delhi, other batch went to the South Asian Games while the third stayed at IIS.

The league wasnt in our plans [in December] but we cannot help it, Kuttappa said. But the league was important because people should know what is boxing. Every sport had a league apart from boxing. We had planned one in 2011 but then the boxing federation got banned and the plan was cancelled.

The performance of the boxers in the league will be crucial. On the basis of that performance, they will be allowed to participate in the trials. The only category which wont have the trials is 51 kg. Amit Panghal, who is participating in the league, won a silver medal at the World Championships to get the exemption.

Other categories will have World Championships boxers, number two will be the national champion, three are silver medallists and then the best one. That will be decided on how they perform in the league, SAG and here in the camp, he added.

Boxing Federation of Indias decision to shift the camp from the National Institute of Sports, Patiala to IIS has come as a welcome change. Both Nieva and Kuttappa pointed out that they were able to host a camp with more synergy.

Patiala had a problem that on weekends, boxers used to rush home, Kuttappa said. That is not happening here and we have 23 new boxers here who are getting top-class facilities.

Indian boxing has seen a steady rise since the arrival of Nieva and even Kuttappa as the chief coach. The latter said that the number of competitions and discipline at the camp is the main reason for the transformation.

We were practising earlier as well but we did not have results, he said. But now we have competitions. Everyone wants to win and show they are good. Earlier there were trials for everyone but now only the best get it. Its not like number one or two were getting selected for every tournament. Now, number three and four are also going.

When Kuttappa arrived at the national at the start of the this year, he felt that too many boxers and coaches took their place in the team for granted. So he began an overhaul.

Dicispline is primary, he said. One boxer was expelled, we began writing reports of sessions, shooting videos, analysing individual boxers. So they knew they have to improve themselves. No coach used to be at the ringside. Now, two coaches are ringside to guide them while they are sparring so they always feel that they are competing.

There were critics of this style as well. Many would come up to Kuttappa and tell him that the boxers are only focussing on competing and not training, especially after World Championships bronze medallist Manish Kaushik lost to a Nepal boxer at the SAG.

People tell me that we are only focusing on competition and not training, he said. Why are we training? If we dont get competition, then what is the point of training. Let them box and prove them. An injury here and there is the only issue.

But for the 40-year-old, this is just the beginning of what can be another memorable era for Indian boxing.

Boxers are more interested in boxing, he said. Tyson and Ali ke video dekhne se boxing nahi hoti [You cannot become good just by watching videos of Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali]. You must know yourself and understand why [you] are in the national camp.

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Solomon Islands banned from next U16 Championship – Football in Oceania

Posted: at 9:39 pm

The OFC have banned the Solomon Islands for the use of yet another overage player.

Following a hearing by Oceania Football Confederation Disciplinary and Ethics Committee on 11 December 2019, Solomon Islands footballer Maxwell Keana was found in breach of Article 73(1) (Ineligibility) of the OFC Disciplinary Code by playing in five official matches in the OFC U-16 Championship 2018 while he was ineligible to play, a statement on the Oceania Football Confederation website read.

Read the full statement at the bottom of this article.

Keana will be suspended from playing football in Oceania for 12 months.

Earlier the Solomons have also had Chris Satu suspended for being an overage player.

But worse for the Pacific country is the fact that the OFC have also slapped the team with a suspension.

The OFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee also excluded Solomon Islands Football Federation from entering a team in the next OFC qualifying tournament for the next FIFA U-17 World Cup for boys (currently set as the OFC U-16 Championship 2020).

The OFC also put a fine of NZ$ 10.000 on SIFF.

Update: Read SIFF President Lais answer in this article.

Following a hearing by Oceania Football Confederation Disciplinary and Ethics Committee on 11 December 2019, Solomon Islands footballer Maxwell Keana was found in breach of Article 73(1) (Ineligibility) of the OFC Disciplinary Code by playing in five official matches in the OFC U-16 Championship 2018 while he was ineligible to play.

Mr Keana played for the Solomon Islands team in the OFC U-16 Championship 2018 in September 2018.

The OFC U-16 Championship 2018 Regulations stipulated eligible players had to be born on or after 1 January 2002. The player has admitted having played in the tournament despite being born on 28 July 1998. The passport Mr Keana used to enter the OFC U-16 Championship had a date of birth of 1 July 2002.

Also, Mr Keana was found in breach of Article 59 (1) and (2)(Forgery and Falsification) of the OFC Disciplinary Code, by obtaining and using a false birth certificate and passport to improperly seek eligibility for the Solomon Islands national team in the OFC U-16 Championship 2018 and the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2019.

The OFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee suspended Maxwell Keana from playing football matches in the Oceania region and from representing an OFC member association or club in an international match for a period of 12 months and imposed a fine of NZ$10,000 on Solomon Islands Football Federation.

The OFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee also excluded Solomon Islands Football Federation from entering a team in the next OFC qualifying tournament for the next FIFA U-17 World Cup for boys (currently set as the OFC U-16 Championship 2020).

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Solomon Islands banned from next U16 Championship - Football in Oceania

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Bankruptcy: How it Works, Types & Consequences | Experian

Posted: at 9:37 pm

Bankruptcy is a legal process overseen by federal bankruptcy courts. It's designed to help individuals and businesses eliminate all or part of their debt or to help them repay a portion of what they owe.

Bankruptcy may help you get relief from your debt, but it's important to understand that declaring bankruptcy has a serious, long-term effect on your credit. Bankruptcy will remain on your credit report for 7-10 years, affecting your ability to open credit card accounts and get approved for loans with favorable rates.

Bankruptcy can be a complex process, and the average person probably isn't equipped to go through it alone. Working with a bankruptcy attorney can help ensure your bankruptcy goes as smoothly as possible and complies with all the applicable rules and regulations governing bankruptcy proceedings.

You'll also have to meet some requirements before you can file for bankruptcy. You'll need to demonstrate you can't repay your debts and also complete credit counseling with a government-approved credit counselor. The counselor will help you assess your finances, discuss possible alternatives to bankruptcy, and help you create a personal budget plan.

If you decide to move forward with bankruptcy proceedings, you'll have to decide which type you'll file: Chapter 7 or Chapter 13. Both types of bankruptcy can help you eliminate unsecured debt (such as credit cards), halt a foreclosure or repossession, and stop wage garnishments, utility shut-offs and debt collection actions. With both types, you'll be expected to pay your own court costs and attorney fees. However, the two types of bankruptcy relieve debt in different ways.

Chapter 7 bankruptcy, also known as "straight bankruptcy," is what most people probably think of when they're considering filing for bankruptcy.

Under this type of bankruptcy, you'll be required to allow a federal court trustee to supervise the sale of any assets that aren't exempt (cars, work-related tools and basic household furnishings may be exempt). Money from the sale goes toward paying your creditors. The balance of what you owe is eliminated after the bankruptcy is discharged. Chapter 7 bankruptcy can't get you out of certain kinds of debts. You'll still have to pay court-ordered alimony and child support, taxes, and student loans.

The consequences of a Chapter 7 bankruptcy are significant: you will likely lose property, and the negative bankruptcy information will remain on your credit report for ten years after the filing date. Should you get into debt again, you won't be able to file again for bankruptcy under this chapter for eight years.

Chapter 13 bankruptcy works slightly differently, allowing you to keep your property in exchange for partially or completely repaying your debt. The bankruptcy court and your attorney will negotiate a three- to five-year repayment plan. Depending on what's negotiated, you may agree to repay all or part of your debt during that time period. When you've completed the agreed repayment plan, your debt is discharged, even if you only repaid part of the amount you originally owed.

While any type of bankruptcy negatively affects your credit, a Chapter 13 may be a more favorable option. Because you repay some (or all) of your debt, you may be able to retain some assets. What's more, a Chapter 13 bankruptcy will cycle off your credit report after seven years, and you could file again under this chapter in as little as two years.

Throughout bankruptcy proceedings, you'll likely come across some legal terms particular to bankruptcy proceedings that you'll need to know. Here are some of the most common and important ones:

While bankruptcy can eliminate a lot of debt, it can't wipe the slate completely clean if you have certain types of unforgivable debt. Types of debt that bankruptcy can't eliminate include:

Perhaps the most well-known consequence of bankruptcy is the loss of property. As previously noted, both types of bankruptcy proceedings can require you to give up possessions for sale in order to repay creditors. Under certain circumstances, bankruptcy can mean losing real estate, vehicles, jewelry, antique furnishings and other types of possessions.

Your bankruptcy can also affect others financially. For example, if your parents co-signed an auto loan for you, they could still be held responsible for at least some of that debt if you file for bankruptcy.

Finally, bankruptcy damages your credit. Bankruptcies are considered negative information on your credit report, and can affect how future lenders view you. Seeing a bankruptcy on your credit file may prompt creditors to decline extending you credit or to offer you higher interest rates and less favorable terms if they do decide to give you credit.

Depending on the type of bankruptcy you file, the negative information can appear on your credit report for up to a decade. Discharged accounts will have their status updated to reflect that they've been discharged, and this information will also appear on your credit report. Negative information on a credit report is a factor that can harm your credit score.

Bankruptcy information on your credit report may make it very difficult to get additional credit after the bankruptcy is discharged at least until the information cycles off your credit report. Lenders will be cautious about giving you additional credit, and they may ask you to accept a higher interest rate or less favorable terms in order to extend you credit.

It will be important to begin rebuilding your credit right away, making sure you pay all your bills on time. You'll also want to be careful not to fall back into any negative habits that contributed to your debt problems in the first place.

Just as bankruptcy can hinder your ability to obtain unsecured credit, it can make it difficult to get a mortgage, as well. You may find lenders decline your mortgage application, and those that do accept it may offer you a much higher interest rate and fees. You may be asked to put up a much higher down payment or shoulder higher closing costs.

Rather than give up your home and try to get a new mortgage after bankruptcy, it may be better to reaffirm your current mortgage during bankruptcy proceedings. You would be able to keep your home, continue paying on your current mortgage free of other debts and stay in your current home.

When you're struggling with unmanageable debt, bankruptcy is just one solution; there are others to consider. Most will also affect your credit, but probably not as badly as a bankruptcy plus, these alternatives can allow you to keep your property, rather than having to liquidate it in bankruptcy proceedings.

Some bankruptcy alternatives you might consider are:

Be aware that whenever you fail to honor the debt-repayment terms you originally agreed to, it can affect your credit. That said, bankruptcy will still have a more significant negative impact on your credit than will credit negotiation, credit counseling and debt consolidation.

Whenever you fail to repay a debt as you originally agreed to, it can negatively affect your credit. Some types of debt relief come with consequences that are more damaging and long-term than others. Before you make any decision about debt relief, such as declaring bankruptcy, it's important to research your options, get reliable advice from a qualified credit counselor, and understand the impact your choices can have on your overall financial well-being.

Regardless of what type of debt relief you choose, you can begin taking better care of your credit immediately by putting simple, responsible, credit-positive actions into practice such as:

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Bankruptcy: How it Works, Types & Consequences | Experian

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