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Samsung Galaxy Mega 2 specs revealed in GFXBench results
Shipra Sharma
After launching the Tab S series and the mini variant of the Galaxy S5, South Korean giant Samsung (KRX: 005930) is reportedly working on the Mega 2 devices which will be available at affordable prices. The information is revealed on GFX benchmark, where Samsung Galaxy Mega 2 name prompt up.
As per the GFX benchmark’s findings, the Galaxy Mega 2 features a 5.9-inch screen along with an HD 1280 x 720 pixels screen resolution. Passing by the benchmarks, the new Mega 2 will come controlled by a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 CPU coupled with 2GB of RAM.
On the camera front, one can expect a 12-megapixel rear-facing and a 4.7-megapixel front-facing shooter, which is also capable of shooting full-HD resolution videos.
It gets 8GB of internal storage, yet there is no statement on expandable memory space.The device will run Android 4.4. KitKat and feature the usual connectivity options such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC and GPS. It will also come fitted with sensors like gyroscope, proximity, light sensor and accelerometer.
Apart from these features, very little else is thought about the device. The definite estimating and accessibility subtle elements are additionally misty. The new Mega smartphone could likewise mean Samsung arrangements to present a low-end Note-like device run in the monetary allowance portion.
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December 2001 - February 2002 | Issue 2445
Benjamin Seel, Matthew Paterson and Brian Doherty (eds), 'Direct Action in British Environmentalism'
Mahmood Mamdani, 'When Victims Become Killers: Colonialism, Nativism, and the Genocide in Rwanda'
Michael Franti and Spearhead, 'Stay Human'
Pramoedya Ananta Toer (Translation by Willem Samuels), 'The Mute's Soliloquy'
Peter Brock and John LH Keep (eds), 'Life in a Penal Battalion of the Imperial Russian Army: The Tolstoyan NT Iziumchenko's Story'
Brian Burch (ed), 'Resources for Radicals'
Mirroring neighbours (Comment)
The anti-war movement's challenge (Comment)
The Intifada: from violence to more violence (Comment)
An intense experience (Comment)
Reflections on a one-week meeting (Comment)
Editorial: Moving out of the "comfort zone" (Comment)
From protest to resistance: War resistance after 11 September (Comment)
Taking action in prison (Feature)
Amnesty International's continuing struggle against torture (Feature)
Limited reading list (Feature)
World Prison Population Statistics (Feature)
New Web-based resources (Feature)
Web-based resources (Feature)
Delivering the message, loud and clear (Feature)
Prisoners for Peace, 2001 (Feature)
Prisoners for Peace - the 2001 list (Feature)
Prison letter (Feature)
Against the current views on crime and punishment (Feature)
Quit tickling! (Feature)
Mahmood Mamdani, 'When Victims Become Killers: Colonialism, Nativism, and the Genocide in Rwanda' (Review)
Michael Franti and Spearhead, 'Stay Human' (Review)
To work or not to work...? (Feature)
Prison and nonviolent Struggle (Feature)
So live! (Feature)
The praxis of resistance (Feature)
The Great Escape! - campaigning in support of a total objector in Finland (Feature)
Peaceniks win prizes (again!) (News)
We'moon on the Wall 2002 Calendar (Review)
Prisoners of homophile conscience (Feature)
Behind bars hotels (Feature)
Terror, prison and the time to rebuild (Feature)
Torture: its complexity, moral dilemmas and its introduction into our lives (Feature)
Pramoedya Ananta Toer (Translation by Willem Samuels), 'The Mute's Soliloquy' (Review)
Peter Brock and John LH Keep (eds), 'Life in a Penal Battalion of the Imperial Russian Army: The Tolstoyan NT Iziumchenko's Story' (Review)
Brian Burch (ed), 'Resources for Radicals' (Review)
Gandhi and prison: an opinion (Feature)
For peace in Chechnya (News)
Review by Sarah Irving
Routledge 2000. ISBN 0 415242460, £17.99
As an individual involved in nonviolent direct action, I'm often suspicious of academic books about activism. What purpose do they serve? They are too often "studies of" rather then any advancement of debates or ideas.
They seem to have little effect in informing the mainstream press or persuading them to be any more open or honest in what they write - as seen in media coverage of the Mayday "riots", which became "riots" some weeks before they actually took place. And the movements they describe often bear little resemblance to anything I've ever been involved in - in 10 years of activism.
This edited volume does not entirely break the mould. However, many of the articles are intelligent and sympathetic (see, for example, Doherty on protest camp tactics or Cathles on local groups), and manage not to fall into the "I'm cool `coz I've got mates with dreadlocks" school of coverage.
The historical scope of pieces on tactics or media treatment of direct action are both interesting as narratives and also potentially useful in providing a long-term perspective on topics, which could inform future action. Work situating the development of anti-roads protest within the wider political context also represents an interesting contribution to ideas about how direct action should relate to other tactics, such as political lobbying. It also emphasises the interaction between NVDA and other types of political action.
As with many studies of direct action movements, however, it is not always possible to avoid the feeling that protesters are an "exotic other", in the manner of traditional anthropology, to be observed and interpreted, not engaged with. Some of the pieces dealing with the media or identity politics descend into jargon-laden socio-waffle, placing themselves firmly in the ivory tower. Given the presence of these, it may be useful to see this volume very much as a collection of individual pieces, to be taken or left according to their separate merits and usefulness. But, given that some of the contributions do indeed have very strong merits, it’s also important not to throw out the baby with the bathwater.
Topics: Green
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Maker Faire overview
by Andra Keay
It’s impossible to see everything at Maker Faire but I tried. I was exhibiting with my hackerspace Robot Garden and had the pleasure of being both a participant and a spectator. This was the 8th annual Maker Faire and it’s grown from 18,000 attendees to over 165,000, and that’s not counting hundreds of participants ranging from hobbyists and performers to startups to research groups, hackerspaces and supporting companies like Autodesk and TechShop. And yes, there were robots.
Revolution was in the air. Some of the feature speakers were; Chris Anderson, ex Wired editor-in-chief, founder of DIY drones and 3D Robotics and author of “The New Industrial Revolution”, Nolan Bushnell, cofounder Atari and author of “Finding the Next Steve Jobs” and Lee Felsenstein, designer of Osborne 1, the first commercially successful personal computer, founding member of the Homebrew Computer Club and veteran of the 60s free speech counterculture revolution and the 70s/80s personal computing/internet revolution.
Lee Felsenstein pointed out that the maker movement has all the hallmarks of the revolutions he has lived through already, including being visible largely in hindsight, being a movement with mass uptake in many small particulars, eventually leading to wholescale social change. Chris Anderson situates the many small particulars in all the materials, manufacturing and funding changes available today, which lead to increasingly low barriers to entry into a creative economy. The importance of creativity was echoed by Nolan Bushnall who said, “If you want to be creative, read science fiction. As history.” Bushnall offered other tips such as play games, keep your workplace crazy, have a lot of different jobs, feed your brain, and say no to no sayers. Bushnall looked into a future of 3d printing, nanotechnology and robotics and the complete disruption of education within 5 years.
Robotics at the Faire
I noticed that there were more drones this year at Maker Faire with a Drone Games arena in the Expo Hall. OpenROV had a swimming pool at the back (but wasn’t the only submarine or UAV about!) There were blimps as well, with space represented by Ardusat, Nanosatisfi, NASA and the CubeSat initiative. There were several budding robotics startups like Barobo, who are on to their 3rd iteration of modular robots and just launched a kickstarter campaign for their new Linkbots.
While the Linkbot is easy to use straight out of the box and suits any ages, it’s got a lot of features that will appeal to hardcore hackers. The Linkbot has two rotating hubs with absolute encoding, an accelerometer, buzzer, multicolor LED, and is ZigBee-capable wireless with a 100m line-of-sight range. The Linkbot is Arduino compatible and a breakout board allows users to connect all sorts of sensors such as range finders, LEDs, or thermostats. Plus you can 3D print and mount any sort of arm or wheel or connector to the 3 attachment plates on each Linkbot.
EZ-Robot is another fun educational robotics product that I’ve been following for a couple of years and I’ve watched them grow from 1 person with prototype at Maker Faire 2011 to a polished 8 person organization with Dagu as their distribution chain.
Fellow Robotics is a relative newcomer but I’m going to be following Fellow closely. At first glance they appear to be a double for Double Robotics, however the team were keen to explain that their focus is on creating a multi sensor capable platform with native web browser support. Look out for a Fellow Robotics crowdfunding campaign soon, but as a result of feedback received during Maker Faire, they may have pivoted from selling their robot package to simply selling their controller board.
There were a lot of interesting sensors and chips, some new but it’s great to see just how creative people can get with comparatively simple components. Another great robotics announcement was the launch of Massimo Banzi’s Arduino Robot. For around $275, the official Arduino Robot will be available from June.
The robot has two processors, one on each of its two boards. The Motor Board controls the motors, and the Control Board reads sensors and decides how to operate. Each of the boards is a full Arduino board programmable using the Arduino IDE, based on the ATmega32u4 (datasheet). The Robot has many of its pins mapped to on-board sensors and actuators. Both processors have built-in USB communication, eliminating the need for a secondary processor. This allows the Robot to appear to a connected computer as a virtual (CDC) serial / COM port. The Arduino Robot is the result of an international collaboration aiming to make science fun, and is completely open source.
More cool tech
There were 3D printers everywhere but OmNom Project (at Robot Garden) launched the world’s first functioning 3D plastic recycler filament maker. Printrbot launched the Simple, a 3D printer kit for less than $300. Printrbot was one of the first crowdfunded 3d printer success stories and in only a year, Brooke Drumm has gone from being ‘just a guy in a garage’ to a million dollar business with 5 or 6 employees.
Shopbot also launched Handibot, the first portable CNC machine, at Maker Faire. Handibot, or something similar, is going to become THE tool at every construction site, and in most garage workshops. Handibot exemplifies the new ‘smart digital power tool’ class of devices which will soon become the norm. With one touch of a button, you can download specs for your job, into your device and get perfect results.
Another smart digital power tool, the Othermill, comes from Saul Griffith’s robotics lab, Otherlab in San Francisco. The Othermill is a small CNC machine aimed at creating custom circuitry. There’s also a kickstarter for the Othermill which is already 200% oversubscribed with 13 days still to run.
There were also laser cutters and Sugru and so so much more! but the how things are put together are just as big a feature of Maker Faire as the what.
Robotics Art & Education
Flaming Lotus Girls, Christian Ristow, Nemo Gould, Mark Setrakian. Fighting robots, flaming robots, shaking robots, swimming robots, sensing robots, biological robots, walking robots, talking robots. I’m posting a separate piece on Mark Setrakian and the making of Robot Combat League and also enjoyed the talk by biological artist, Alan Macy, who was responsible for the Reincarnation Lounge Chairs and Vivisection project.
As well as running a biomedical company, Macy is a technical artist, specializing in the creation of interactive sculpture and installation environments. Presently, Macy is working in the areas of magnetic resonance imaging, virtual reality, multichannel wireless physiological monitoring and smart textiles.
Alongside the art were many amazing educational STEM and robotics groups that I’ll mention only a few that resonated with me; Makie.me, Roominate, Goldiblox, LightUp (also with a Kickstarter), HackerScouts, Arcbotics, Thymio and as previously mentioned, EZ-Robot and Barobo.
Well, one trend was more drones, blimps, satellites, rockets and space. Another trend was seeing tech transfer over a few years, from the really bleeding edge to the excitingly forward thinking. One example would be cocktail or bartending robots. Bartendro from Party Robotics just had a successful kickstarter and has been iterating for a couple of years in places like Barbot. The Barbot competition and Roboexotica in Europe have spawned an increasingly complex and polished set of cocktail dispensing robots over the last few years, and have managed to make combining alcohol and robotics an even more attractive research topic, which in turn has culminated in a virtuoso performance by Makr Shakr, a project from MIT’s Senseable Lab, at Google IO last week.
So if you build it and it’s crazy, funny and completely impractical and clunky… just wait a couple of years and the first seriously commercial versions will start rolling out. Ditto with laundry folding and hamburger flipping robots.We’ve gone from novelty to plausibility in a fairly short time frame.
And finally the role of crowdfunding in all these new hardware and robotics endeavours is an almost pervasive trend. Most teams I talked to got going with a small amount of angel investment, primarily family and friends funding or sweat equity. Then instead of turning to institutional investors, VCs or angels at the early prototype stage, they are turning to crowdfunding. Teams expect to keep greater control over their projects, give away less equity and to be able to iterate as they explore their product/market fit in a less constrained environment.
Hardware startups aren’t sitting back waiting for term sheets these days, they are setting their own terms. This is particularly interesting, and perhaps frustrating to traditional analysis, because there is no guarantee that the next iteration from the team will have any connection to the last successful product. This leaves more scope for invention and you could see crowdfunding being utilized as research grants, as well as business development.
Andra Keay robot startup strategist.. read more
Follow @robotlaunch
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roger toogood thorp
film art
song films
I have just built a new website that focuses on my installation practice. Please take a look here: rogerthorp.net
The Fountain Project saw its first installation in the James Turrell Sky Space at Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens (3rd May 2013). A huge thank you to Neil Armstrong and Miki and Justin from Lime Tree Cafe. Special thanks too to Jesse Leroy Smith and Joseph Clarke and the Cornwall Art Biennale.
“Having seen Roger’s work at the Dark Rooms I knew we were in for a treat. For one evening only James Turrell’s Skyspace hosted video and soundworks of majestic scale and impact. The audience lingered longer than was needed or usual, clearly spellbound by the quiet power of the occasion. Beautiful, hypnotic and magical were the words I heard later as folk yielded to the pressing need to describe the experience.”
Neil Armstrong, Director, Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens
On February 2nd and 3rd Dwell 1.85:1 was shown at the CAST Institute in Helston, Cornwall, a visionary project created by Teresa Gleadowe and Karen Townsend.
The Dark Rooms – CAST’s opening exhibition – featured 40 artists and was curated by Jesse Leroy Smith.
Dwell 1.85:1 engages the viewer directly in a cinematic landscape. As they enter a pool of light the viewer’s image appears on the screen. International voices are heard, people talking about their place in the universe in response to the question… ‘what do you feel when cold and all alone in a winters field you gaze into a clear night sky?’
Dwell 18.5:1 works on different levels. In a quiet situation it is calm an contemplative. In a busy gallery children may play a game…
Jesse Leroy Smith and Faye Dobinson /Artists
‘Roger’s work is conceived with a profound love of the mediums of light and cinema and from a truthful engagement with people. In a recent installed work (The Dark Rooms) he used the lush, generous archetypal imagery of roads and mountains and fused them with familiar landmarks, creating an immersive collective experience.
The sound of visitors wandering through the room melded with the layered soundtrack of testimonials concerning the night sky. Their body language reflected their wonder as they emerged from darkness and realised that they were the subject within the specatcle of film.
The camaraderie and invention of collaboration is inherent in Roger’s work and process, while his intuitive rapport with both artists and the public make him a joy to work with.’
Dwell 1.85:1 was first exhibited at the Art 75 exhibition in Penzance (then entitled In a Darkened Room)
IN A DARKENED ROOM
In a Darkened Room was first created for the Art 75 exhibition at the Lido in Penzance. Here’s what the curators thought:
“IN A DARKENED ROOM was a real highlight of the ART 75 show at the Lido in Penzance. People of all ages enjoyed discovering and interacting with the work which was also admired by established artists. I look forward to seeing more in the future.”
JESSE LEROY SMITH – ART 75 PROJECT MANAGER
“The interactive video piece by Roger Thorp was unexpected and engaging. To walk out of the bright sunlight around Jubilee Pool and come face to face with yourself in the cool dreamlike world of “In a Darkened Room”, as though you too were swimming underwater, was a memorable experience.”
ROSE BARNECUT – HEAD OF CREATIVE SERVICES – CORNWALL COUNCIL
My four year old son and I were transfixed by the installation. After the initial exploration of the ‘game’ of the piece for the most part we just watched the reactions of other people experiencing the installation and slowly found ourselves interacting with the work and them. As an arts funder I was very pleased that FEAST could be associated in a small way with work like this.
JACK MORRISON – FEAST PROJECT MANAGER
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Romney Presbyterian Church
Come In To Be Filled
Go Out to Serve
07-22-18 – “Breaking Divisions” – Rev. Kevin Hay
“Breaking Divisions”
Rev. Kevin Hay
2:11 So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth,
called “the uncircumcision” by those who are called “the circumcision” —
a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands–
2:12 remember that you were at that time without Christ,
being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel,
and strangers to the covenants of promise,
having no hope and without God in the world.
2:13 But now in Christ Jesus
you who once were far off
have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
2:14 For he is our peace;
in his flesh he has made both groups into one
and has broken down the dividing wall,
that is, the hostility between us.
2:15 He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances,
that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two,
thus making peace,
2:16 and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it.
2:17 So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off
and peace to those who were near;
2:18 for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father.
2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,
but you are citizens with the saints
and also members of the household of God,
2:20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.
2:21 In him the whole structure is joined together
and grows into a holy temple in the Lord;
2:22 in whom you also are built together spiritually
into a dwelling place for God.
Breaking Down Divisions
from the beginnings of the Church until today
Jesus has been breaking down divisions
and bringing peace
THEN, it was divisions over the Law
and who was in and who was out…
Jews and Gentiles
the Circumcised and the Uncircumcised
strangers and aliens…
those from far away, those from nearby…
Divisions grew deep and people dug their heels in
about who was included on the inside
of God’s Covenant with the people of Israel…
as Paul wrote to remind the Ephesians
who were arguing over who was in and who was out
that they too were once on the outside…
as the uncircumcised Gentiles…
Division is an age old problem
though Divisions often seem to be growing even more, today,
What are the divisions that run deep today?
What are the things that divide us and cause us to dig our heels in…
in the world, in this country, in this state and community, in the Church…
Who are the circumcised and the uncircumcised?
Who are the strangers and aliens?
What Divisions do we need Christ to break down the dividing walls today?
As many of you know
I come from a pretty long line of Presbyterian ministers
8 generations in fact…
my grandfather – Rev. Dr. Edward C. Hay
was a Pastor of many churches throughout the southeast
during his life in ministry…
and his 2nd to last church before retirement
he was called to be the Pastor of First Presbyterian Church
in Birmingham, Alabama
so in 1965, he moved his family of 6
his wife, my grandmother
2 other sons and 1 daughter
to Birmingham, Alabama
and they moved right in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement
to the downtown Presbyterian Church in Birmingham
there was some pretty extreme Division and Racial Tension
going on in downtown Birmingham during this time…
segregation was deeply entrenched
in both the legal system and social culture of Birmingham
segregation was a way of life in Birmingham…
restaurants, buses, bathrooms…
the bombing of the 16th St. Baptist Church in 1963
was just 4-5 blocks away from First Presbyterian Church
the infamous fire hose scene also took place downtown in 1963
where Birmingham Police Chief
Eugene “Bull” Connor used high-pressure fire hoses
and police attack dogs on protestors
marching from the scene of the 16th St. Bombing to City Hall
protesting this tragic bombing…
and amidst all of this racial tension and division
and protests of the Civil Rights Movement
Martin Luther, King, Jr.
found himself in jail… in April of 1963
where he penned the infamous
on scraps of paper given to him by the janitor
and later on a legal pad given by his lawyers
and while the letter has become famous
many people skip over WHO the letter was actually addressing…
the letter itself was addressed to
8 white clergymen in downtown Birmingham, Alabama
it was an open letter, intended to be read for all,
much like many of Paul’s letters
as it was published by the Birmingham News paper
but it was addressed to 8 white pastors of churches in downtown Birmingham
including the pastor of First Presbyterian Church
whom my grandfather followed soon after…
his name was Rev. Dr. Edward Ramage…
Dr. Ramage faithfully served First Presbyterian
in downtown Birmingham
for 19 years in a time of great division and racial tension
he was often caught in the middle of the division and tension
as one who was criticized for supporting desegregation
by the segregationist
while also being criticized for moving too slowly
by the desegregationists…
in fact that’s what Dr. King’s Letter was addressing
was pastors who spoke out in support of the Civil Rights movement
but who also seemed to be “playing it safe”
by also encouraging the movement,
and leaders like Dr. King
to wait, to be patient, to let the process play out in court…
as these pastors had recently published a letter in the paper
“A Call to Unity”
urging them to stop doing things like
boycotting local downtown businesses
and organizing various protests, sit-ins, and marches
that were “disrupting” the city…
and so as Dr. King found himself incarcerated
he sought to respond to this “Call to Unity”
by these 8 local white pastors…
by writing his response in the famous
a letter that was actually just recommended
by the most recent General Assembly of the PC(USA)
to be studied for possible inclusion in our Book of Confessional Statements…a letter where Dr. King famously argued that
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere….
as King says…
We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality,
tied in a single garment of destiny.
Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly…
Anyone who lives inside the United States
can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.”
and King addressed the suggestion that the movement wait for the process to work itself out in the courts, saying…
“‘Wait’ has almost always meant ‘Never.'”[6]
Declaring that African Americans had waited
for these God-given and constitutional rights long enough,
King quoted Chief Justice Earl Warren,
who said in 1958 that “justice too long delayed is justice denied.”[6]
arguing that…”Perhaps it is easy for those
who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, ‘Wait.'”[10]
It was a time when Division and Racial Tension ran deep…
and Martin Luther King, Jr.
sought to offer leadership in the midst of division in in the South
much like Paul sought to offer leadership in the midst of division in Ephesus
another aspect of the civil rights movement in downtown Birmingham
amidst the boycotts of local businesses, protests, sit-ins, and marches…
and the stirring conversation around the “Call to Unity”
and Dr. King’s response in the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
there was a growing rumor
that on Easter Sunday in 1963
the black community was planning
to enter the local white churches in downtown
on Easter Sunday…
and of course, in a deeply segregated city…
the big question was
what would the pastor do if this happened?
and since it was such a widespread rumor…
there were even rumors of tv cameras
hanging around the downtown churches on Easter Sunday
prepared to report on this development…
the daughter of Pastor Ed Ramage
– who was the Pastor at First Presbyterian at this time…
reflected on this experience in a blog…
Kathy (her friend) and I stood dead still and fell silent
when they walked into our sight. The choir kept singing.
They were finely dressed walking arm-in-arm, bravely,
like two Joan of Arcs, heads held high and proud,
their shoulders square.
They were two young African-American women
holding on to each other tightly
in a fancy downtown church of all white people.
They looked straight ahead
and kept walking down that long red carpet.
I couldn’t see their faces but I could tell they were brave
because everybody was looking at them
and they didn’t take the first open seat, or the second.
As they passed rows,
I saw members of the congregation in the side sections
peel off and walk right out of the church.
The young women walked all the way down to the second row.
Kathy’s daddy moved over and motioned them in.
I felt so relieved and was certain that he and my daddy
had cooked up a plan for him to do just that
because Dr. Joe didn’t make a habit of sitting up front.
Daddy delivered the shortest Easter sermon in history that day,
and I did not listen to a word of it.
Then it was over – “May the Lord bless you and keep you and may his face shine upon you both now and forever. Amen.”
2 young black women bravely came into a church service
not long after the 16th St. Baptist church bombing just blocks away…
walking all the way down to the 2nd row…
while other church members walked out
and news cameras awaited to report on what happened…
the following weeks and months… after allowing this to happen…
Pastor Ed Ramage began to receive hate mail, death threats
people slashed his tires
and he began to fear for his own safety
and the safety of his family…
the division and racial tension was so extreme
the he eventually decided to leave this church and move his family away
in December of 1963…
and understandably so…
this was the type of Division and Racial Tension
that was prevalent in downtown Birmingham
at First Presbyterian Church
a church and community
my grandfather soon moved his family to in January of 1965
Division and Racial Tension
of the Civil Rights Movement
the 16th St. Bombing
Fire hoses and police dogs
boycotts, sit-ins, protests, marches
the Letter from a Birmingham Jail addressed to his predecessor
the controversy over the black community
coming into worship on Easter Sunday…I’ve been told that…
the next several years as my grandfather was the Pastor
in preparation for Easter
and in fear of another visitation from the black community
the Session would discuss and vote on
what the Pastor was supposed to do if this were to happen again…
My grandfather knew all the background going in
and he was clear with the Session before he came
that he believed God’s Church
and the Lord’s Table was open to all God’s people
and that if we was going to go to Birmingham,
they needed to know where he stood on this issue…
and that he would stand firm in his views…
yet for the first several years, as the Session voted,
the Session continued to vote that…
if any African Americans attempted to enter the sanctuary
they would NOT be welcomed by the Pastor.
it was a time and place of extreme Division and Racial Tension…
I remember my grandmother telling another story several times
it was the time for the Presbyterian women in Birmingham
to come together for a Triennial luncheon gathering
the women of all the Presbyterian Churches in town
would gather every 3 years for a luncheon
and my grandmother was involved
with a group of women in charge of organizing this gathering…
but one of the churches that would be invited
was the historically black Presbyterian church
the church where Condoleeza Rice grew up actually…
and nobody knew what they were supposed to do…
how do you have a luncheon with the women from the black church?
when at the time, it was culturally and socially
inappropriate and unacceptable
for white women and black women
to sit together at the same table…
when divisions are so deeply engrained in our culture
when we have our heels dug in so deep…
how do we break down divisions like Jesus does for all of us?
how do we throw open the doors
and invite all God’s people into worship?
how do we invite all of our neighbors to join us for a meal,
when it’s culturally and socially unacceptable?
Division is an age old problem, we continue to wrestle with today…
Paul writes to the Ephesians
as they are still wrestling with God’s covenant with Israel
and whether or not all believers in Christ are equal
when it comes to salvation and God’s covenant
the Division Paul is addressing,
could as easily describe
the Division during the Civil Rights movement
just as much as it could easily describe
the many Divisions we experience today…
but in a world full of Division
Paul reminds the Ephesians, and us
that Christ brings us peace and breaks down dividing walls..
saying..
but what does that look like today
what does Christ bringing peace
and breaking down divisions look like today?
in a world divided over political parties
both democrats and republicans have their heels dug in so deep
it often seems that it’s nearly impossible
to accomplish anything in government…
we stick to our own groups of like-minded people
watching and reading our own versions of the news
sticking to our own sources of conservative or liberal bias…
as the divisions grow deeper and deeper
we dig our heels in about our stances on…
– separating children from their families
immigration enforcement and literally building walls
or who should be our next Supreme Court Justice
just to name a few…
and it happens in other places too…
we dig our heels in about our stances on various issues
at work, in our social life…
even in the Church…
we have become so Divided
that conversations
coming together to talk
or to share a meal with one another
has become nearly impossible
much less reaching any agreement or compromise…
It took several years,
but after continuing to include it on the Session Agenda
after several years of my grandfather
being intentional about having the conversations
with the leaders of the Church every year…
eventually, those conversations
allowed Christ to break down the dividing walls
as the minutes eventually
showed the word “NOT” being crossed out by my grandfather
instead of saying:
the sentence eventually changed to simply say
they would be welcomed by the Pastor.
and that happened because the Session intentionally engaged in conversation
with people of differing perspectives
and allowed Christ to break down the dividing walls…
as the Presbyterian Women discussed how to proceed
with their triennial luncheon with the women from the black church
my grandmother eventually offered a solution
saying – let’s just remove the chairs
and we can all eat standing up
so that’s what they did – they removed the chairs…
and she says it was a beautiful moment, of getting creative
and allowing Christ to break down the dividing walls of society and culture…
so in times of increasing Divisions
socially, politically, even within the Church…
how can we allow Christ to break down the dividing walls?
as the middle of our Affirmation of Faith reminds us today…
“In each time and place, there are particular problems and crises
through which God calls the church to act.
The church, guided by the Spirit,
humbled by its own complicity
and instructed by all attainable knowledge,
seeks to discern the will of God
and learn how to obey in these concrete situations. “(9.43)
So… in this particular time and place…
How can we be intentional about engaging in the hard conversations
so that we can cross out some of those divisions?
In this particular time and place…
How is God calling each of us to get creative
and find ways to
to remove the chairs…
so that all God’s people can gather at the table…
as we allow Christ to break down the dividing walls…
in today’s society and culture?
How can we say together, as the hymn we sang says it…
Here the love of Christ shall end divisions
All are welcome, All are welcome, All are welcome in this place.
as Paul reminds us so well…
WE RESPOND IN FAITH
*Affirmation of Faith – Excerpts from the “Confession of 1967” of the PC(USA)
As a denomination, part of our constitution consists of the Book of Confessions
it is a series of creedal statements like the Apostle’s Creed
officially approved by our denomination.
Each one has it’s own unique character
and is often shaped by the history and events of it’s time…
While we typically just use the Apostle’s Creed here at Romney Presbyterian
We now currently have 10 confessional statements of the Presbyterian Church
the most recent one approved was the Belhar Confession
and just this summer at the most recent General Assembly,
the process was initiated, to begin exploring adding another one
“Letter from a Birmingham Jail” Martin Luther King, Jr.
In that spirit, I invite us today to join in using one of our current confessional statements,
the Confession of 1967 as our Affirmation of Faith
Excerpts from the Confession of 1967 of the Presbyterian Church (USA)
“In Jesus Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself.
We confess that Jesus Christ is God with us, the eternal Son of the Father,
who became human and lived among us to fulfill the work of reconciliation.
We believe that the risen Christ is present in the church by the power of the Holy Spirit
to continue and complete his mission.
This work of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
is the foundation of all we say about God, ourselves, and the world.” (9.07)
humbled by its own complicity and instructed by all attainable knowledge,
seeks to discern the will of God and learn how to obey in these concrete situations. “(9.43)
“God has created the peoples of the earth to be one universal family.
In his reconciling love, God overcomes the barriers between sisters and brothers and breaks down every form of discrimination based on racial or ethnic difference, real or imaginary.
The church is called to bring all people to receive and uphold one another
as persons in all relationships of life: in employment, housing, education, leisure,
marriage, family, church, and the exercise of political rights.
Therefore, the church labors for the abolition of all racial discrimination
and ministers to those injured by it.
Congregations, individuals, or groups of Christians
who exclude, dominate, or patronize others, however subtly,
resist the Spirit of God and bring contempt on the faith which they profess.” (9.44a)
© 2019 Romney Presbyterian Church. All Rights Reserved
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Home › Quantum Mechanics
Part of the Ladybird Expert series, Quantum Mechanics is a clear, simple and entertaining introduction to the weird, mind-bending world of the very, very small.
Written by physicist and broadcaster Professor Jim Al-Khalili, it explores all the key players, breakthroughs, controversies and unanswered questions of the quantum world.You'll discover how the sun shines, why light is both a wave and a particle, the certainty of the Uncertainty Principle, Schrodinger's Cat, Einstein's spooky action, how to build a quantum computer, and why quantum mechanics drives even its experts completely crazy.
'Jim Al-Khalili has done an admirable job of condensing the ideas of quantum physics from Max Planck to the possibilities of quantum computers into brisk, straightforward English' The Times
Written by the leading lights and most outstanding communicators in their fields, the Ladybird Expert books provide clear, accessible and authoritative introductions to subjects drawn from science, history and culture.
For an adult readership, the Ladybird Expert series is produced in the same iconic small hardback format pioneered by the original Ladybirds. Each beautifully illustrated book features the first new illustrations produced in the original Ladybird style for nearly forty years.
Just one of our definitive collection of Astronomy & Space books here at Royal Observatory Greenwich. Discover more at Royal Museums Greenwich online shop.
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Where am I? South Africa » South Africa > Free State > Oosthuizen takes Berge & Dale title
Oosthuizen takes Berge & Dale title
Date: 23/02/2019 | Posted in Free State | Gauteng | News
Jason Oosthuizen outduelled fellow teenager Marc Pritzen to win his first major road classic in the 20th edition of the Takealot Berge & Dale cycling race in Krugersdorp on the West Rand today.
Caption: Carla Oberholzer crosses the line to successfully defend the women’s title in the Berge & Dale 108km cycle road race in Krugersdorp on the West Rand today. Photo: Jetline Action Photography
In a two-man breakaway over the final few kilometres in the 108km feature race, the TEG ProCycling rider edged the in-form Pritzen in the sprint for the finish up Krugersdorp hill.
He crossed the line in 2:29:09, with Pritzen (OfficeGuru Racing) centimetres behind and credited with the same time. Travis Barrett, also of OfficeGuru, completed the podium in 2:29:23.
As a Krugersdorp resident, the 19-year-old Oosthuizen said it was a special feeling to win a race in his own backyard.
“I have raced it a couple of times and contended as a junior, but never won the event,” he said. “So this was a really good moment for me and my team.”
He won the national U23 road title last year, but said this was a major victory for him in the elite category.
Oosthuizen said the race boiled down to an attack on the Sterkfontein climb after a group of 15 riders had broken away around the 40km mark, creating a gap of two minutes, 15 seconds.
“But we had a few guys on the front rolling through and we gradually brought them back at the foot of Sterkfontein,” he added.
“At that stage, Marc Pritzen [the current SA U23 road champion] attacked over the top and five of us – I, Marc, Kent Main, Travis Barrett and Chris Jooste – got away from the bunch.
“Marc then attacked again and I managed to stay with him as we got a gap on the other three.
“It was a difficult sprint up Krugersdorp hill because it’s a new one after they flipped the route, but luckily the timing was on my side and I managed to edge home on the line.”
Faced with a new route, which race organisers ASG Events changed to improve the safety aspect of the event, Oosthuizen said he felt it had been a good challenge.
“This route is a different ball-game because going through the Cradle [Cradle of Humankind] it is quite hilly and you have to consider your options.
“You don’t want to miss a big break in the start, but you also don’t want to spend all your pennies and not be able to contend when it comes to the climbs.
“It definitely provides a different perspective and makes for positive racing because you can’t just sit in the bunch and wait for the sprint – you have to race it.”
He added that his victory would not have been possible without the support of his team.
“If you don’t have a team ethic in this sport you won’t make it, so a big shout-out to my teammates for this win.
“We missed the breakaway about 40km into the race, but even the junior riders came forward to help and it was great to win for them.”
Oosthuizen said they would now turn their attention to the Takealot Tour of Good Hope in the Cape Winelands from March 4 to 8 before tackling the Cape Town Cycle Tour on March 10.
On a good day for the Oosthuizens, Jason’s father, Thys, won the 40-49 category in a time of 2:37:41.
In the women’s race, Demacon MaxWax claimed their first podium spot of the year when Carla Oberholzer successfully defended her title, holding off Johanna van de Winkel (Cycle Nation) in a sprint finish.
She crossed the line in 2:57:16, with Van de Winkel five seconds off the pace. Oberholzer’s teammate Kim le Court completed the podium in 2:57:51.
After a breakaway by Le Court at the Sterkfontein climb, Oberholzer said she and Van de Winkel were able to close the gap before going head-to-head in the final stretch.
“Jo was really strong today and almost caught me unawares on the last uphill sprint,” she said.
“I had to work extremely hard to come over to her for the win, but in the end it was a phenomenal team effort that got me home.
“After going up Sterkies [Sterkfontein] you think there is time to recover, but there isn’t really because basically you have to pedal all the way and the uphill finish makes for interesting racing.
“I love this route, which I prefer to the old one as it makes it a race which offers something for the climbers.”
After her team dominated women’s cycling in South Africa last year, Oberholzer said it was “amazing to win a race again”.
“We have not had the best start to the year and the morale was a little bit low, but we always said we just need to keep our heads up.
“Our goal will always be to win whenever we compete and that goal has not changed. Today we rallied as a team and it’s good to be back on the top podium spot.”
1 Jason Oosthuizen 2:29:09
2 Marc Pritzen 2:29:09
3 Travis Barrett 2:29:23
4 Kent Main 2:29:24
5 Chris Jooste 2:29:31
1 Travis Stedman 2:29:51
2 Tiano da Silva 2:30:28
3 Dian Fritz 2:30:54
Veteran men (30-39)
1 Adolph Krige 2:38:31
2 Richard Baxter 2:38:31
3 Werner Roux 2:38:33
1 Thys Oosthuizen 2:37:41
2 David Labuschagne 2:37:42
3 Johan van Rooyen 2:38:35
1 Samuel de Swardt 2:48:21
2 Graeme Cronje 2:48:26
3 Grant de Ridder 2:48:27
1 Carla Oberholzer 2:57:16
2 Joanna van de Winkel 2:57:21
3 Kim le Court 2:57:51
4 Sanet Coetzee 2:58:31
5 Kelsey van Schoor 2:58:32
Oosthuizen Takes Berge Dale Title 2
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The English used in this article may not be easy for everybody to understand. You can help Wikipedia by reading Wikipedia:How to write Simple English pages, then simplifying the article. (March 2012)
Emma Thomas
Comic Book:
Bob Kane
Bill Finger
Mark Boone Junior
Larry Holden
Syncopy
Batman Begins is a 2005 superhero movie, based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman. Christopher Nolan directed the movie, which stars Christian Bale as Batman, as well as Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy and Morgan Freeman.
Batman Begins was successful, and in 2008 a sequel titled The Dark Knight was released.
Batman Begins was the first movie in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy.
Cast[change | change source]
Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne / Batman: A billionaire industrialist whose parents were killed by a mugger when he was eight years old. He returns to Gotham after traveling the world for several years to seek the means to fight injustice. At night, Bruce becomes Batman, Gotham City's protector.
Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth: The trusted butler to Bruce Wayne's parents who continues his loyal service to their son after their deaths. He is Bruce Wayne's closest confidante. Nolan felt Caine would effectively portray the foster father element of the character.[source?] Although Alfred's family is depicted in the movie as having served the Wayne family for generations, Caine created his own backstory, in that before becoming Wayne's butler, Alfred served in the Special Air Service. After being wounded, he was invited to the position of the Wayne family butler by Thomas Wayne because, "He wanted a butler, but someone a bit tougher than that, you know?"[1]
Liam Neeson as Henri Ducard / Ra's al Ghul: While in the guise of Ducard, Ra's trains Bruce in distinctive forms of martial arts.
Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes: A childhood friend of Bruce who serves as Gotham City's assistant district attorney, fighting against the corruption in the city.
Gary Oldman as Sgt. James Gordon: One of the few uncorrupted Gotham City police officers. He was the officer on duty the night of the murder of Bruce Wayne's parents. In this way, he shares a special bond with the adult Bruce (and thus with Batman).
Cillian Murphy as Dr. Jonathan Crane / The Scarecrow: A psychopharmacologist who works at Arkham Asylum and has developed chemical that causes fear. He takes on the persona of the Scarecrow to scare others and further his study of fears.
Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox: A high-ranking Wayne Enterprises employee who was demoted to working in the company's Applied Science Division, where he conducts advanced studies in biochemistry and mechanical engineering.
Colin McFarlane as Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb: The main commissioner of the entire Gotham police department.
Larry Holden as Finch: A Gotham City attorney and detective who was friends with Rachel until he was killed by Ra's al Ghul's henchmen.
Gerard Murphy as Judge Faden: A corrupt Gotham City judge.
Tom Wilkinson as Carmine Falcone: The most powerful Mafia boss in Gotham. He had shared a prison cell with Joe Chill after Chill murdered Wayne's parents.
Rutger Hauer as William Earle: The CEO of Wayne Enterprises who takes the company public in the long-term absence of Bruce Wayne.
Mark Boone Junior as Detective Arnold Flass: Gordon's corrupt partner and is a drug dealer.
Ken Watanabe as Ra's al Ghul's decoy: a decoy of Ra's al Ghul.
↑ "Alfred the Butler". Empire. July 2005. p. 79.
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Following (1998) • Memento (2000) • Insomnia (2002) • Batman Begins (2005) • The Prestige (2006) • The Dark Knight (2008) • Inception (2010) • The Dark Knight Rises (2012) • Interstellar (2014) • Dunkirk (2017)
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HomeAutoAuto Expo 2014: Isuzu Motors launches Isuzu D-Max Space Cab
Auto Expo 2014: Isuzu Motors launches Isuzu D-Max Space Cab
December 12, 2014 , 7:12 pm | The Superman
Isuzu Motors, the iconic Japanese automobile maker and a recognized diesel-engine expert, today unveiled its globally successful “ISUZU D-MAX Space Cab” India’s First Multi-Utility Pickup at the Delhi Motor Show.
A globally proven and successful product, the Isuzu D-MAX Space Cab is the first such product in the Indian pickup truck market. With a specially built in cabin space of 1.5 feet behind the drivers’ seat, the D-MAX Space Cab offers Multi-utility capability to the pickup truck. The Space Cab is targeted to the Owner Driven customer, the largest and fastest growing segment in India.
On the occasion, Takashi Kikuchi, President and Managing Director, Isuzu Motors India, said, “In India, the pickup truck segment is one of the largest and fastest growing segments in Commercial Vehicles (CV), accounting to 35% of the total CV market. With the growth in the Indian economy and the resulting pickup truck market dynamics, we estimate India to be the world’s largest 1 Tn pickup truck market by 2023. The Isuzu D-MAX is one of the world’s favourite pickup truck brands, preferred world over by the Owner driven customers”
The Owner driven customer segment, businessman who drives his own pickup truck is a fast emerging segment. These customers want pickup trucks that they can drive with ownership, and also sometimes use as their multi-utility vehicles. Valuable cargo and equipment – power tools, hardware and electronics, perishable and exotic cargo can be safely carried inside the specially built in cabin space. The owner can also use this for carrying personal belongings – luggage, music system, pets etc. With loaded features like air conditioning, power windows, styling and comfort to match, the D-MAX offers a refined global experience for the first time to the Indian customers.
Powered by the world renowned 2.5 litre Isuzu diesel engine which offers a max power of 100 kW power at 3600 rpm, the D-MAX Space cab offers unmatched fuel efficiency, reliability, durability and power. Isuzu is known for building tough, durable and long lasting vehicles and the D-MAX carries this tradition in India.
Along with the unveiling of the D-MAX Space cab, Isuzu Motors also showcased the D-MAX Single Cab, India’s First Global Pickup which was launched in India in 2013 as a CBU imported from Thailand, and has now been customized for the Indian market. The D-MAX range of pickup will be assembled at the Hindustan Motors Chennai car plant where Isuzu Motors also assembles its MU-7 Sports Utility Vehicle. The D-MAX Space cab will soon be launched in India at a value for money price, and will be available at Isuzu dealerships in India, including Delhi-NCR.
Boxtag:12th Auto Expo 2014 Auto Expo Commercial vehicle Isuzu D-Max Isuzu India Isuzu Motors New Delhi Pickup Truck SUV
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Auto Expo 2014: Isuzu debuts with MU-7 and D-max
Auto Expo 2014: Isuzu D-Max Space-Cab revealed in flat and arched deck
Auto Expo 2014: Isuzu D-Max Thailand Rally and Single Cab at display
Auto Expo 2014: Isuzu MU-7 launched with Taiko beats
2015 Isuzu D-Max Blade is a flagship, starts at Rs. 23.68 lakhs in UK
Auto Expo 2014: VW reveals Taigun concept and flashes Polo R
Auto Expo 2014: Renault KWID concept revealed in India
Auto Expo 2014: Chevrolet Adra concept SUV revealed
Auto Expo 2014: DC launches Eleron SUV
Auto Expo 2014: Hyundai launched new Santa Fe at INR 26 lakh
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South Asia Scene
Home Arts & Culture Why do I need Urdu?
Why do I need Urdu?
sasteam
I remember the look on my mother’s face, when she was asked ‘Why do I need Urdu?’ She didn’t deem the question worthy of a response. Safe to say because the question had never arisen in her mind – not by chance but quite the contrary, due to careful deliberation over her values, cultural and linguistic heritage.
Urdu, or for that matter every regional vernacular is a defining aspect of one’s identity. Nuances, comedy and emotion borne out of a culture are expressed through language, (and in the subcontinent hand gestures and head movements). It’s a tool to explore heritage and history and a means of communicating with all those you share that heritage with; being able to communicate with grandparents, and even cousins. For me, being able to rely on all the formal registers not present in English has saved me from many an awkward situation! Matters of culture, to be valued on non-monetary terms are not considered ‘needs’. These are ‘wants’. A desire to engage, experience, and explore.
English has robbed many of their linguistic pride
Modern-day India alone boasts over 120 major languages, with countless different dialects and regional accents, though this vibrant diversity may be viewed as debilitating, not allowing for free communication across the region: Enter English. A ‘gift’ left behind by our colonial rulers, which whilst holding the flag of fluid communication across the globe, has robbed many a country of their linguistic pride. To the extent that which in Punjab, Pakistan today, the local language Punjabi was referred to as “foul language” by a school in Lahore. If educational institutions are not instilling this linguistic and cultural pride, where are children to get it from? Neither MTV nor QTV promote it for its sole cultural value.
Meanwhile, the reputation of the language is again at stake in the raging discussions on the Central Superior Services (CSS) examination in Pakistan. The highly respected Civil Service examinations, with a notoriously low pass rate, (only 3% successfully clearing the exams in 2015), may be conducted in Urdu following 2017. Urdu – a language not native to the majority of Pakistan’s population, nor their go-to idiom for academic work (most being educated in English-medium schools). If efforts are being made to claim back our vernaculars, changes can not only be made in the highest ranks. Grassroots work is required, but first and foremost, a respect for regional and cultural languages must be revived.
Let’s take pride in our linguistic diversity and use it to unite. Strong regional and linguistic identities are crucial to the essence and beauty of the subcontinent.
by Werisha Husaini
SOURCEsasteam
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[ July 16, 2019 ] China set to deorbit disused Tiangong 2 space lab Mission Reports
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Rocket Lab flies again from New Zealand as work progresses at Virginia launch pad
June 29, 2019 Stephen Clark
If you would like to see more articles like this please support our coverage of the space program by becoming a Spaceflight Now Member. If everyone who enjoys our website helps fund it, we can expand and improve our coverage further.
Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket lifts off from New Zealand on Saturday. Credit: Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab’s third flight of the year delivered seven small commercial, military and educational satellites into orbit Saturday after a launch from New Zealand, while construction of a new launch pad in Virginia continues on pace for completion by the end of the year.
The 55-foot-tall (17-meter) Electron rocket fired nine kerosene-fueled Rutherford engines and climbed away from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula on New Zealand’s North Island at 0430 GMT (12:30 a.m. EDT) Saturday.
Liftoff occurred at 4:30 p.m. New Zealand time, shortly before sunset at Rocket Lab’s privately-operated launch base.
The commercial two-stage rocket, made of black carbon composite structures, pitched toward the east over the Pacific Ocean. A downward-facing camera showed Mahia Peninsula receding from view as the Electron rocketed into space with more than 40,000 pounds of thrust.
Two-and-a-half minutes into the mission, the Electron’s first stage shut down and jettisoned, and the rocket’s single Rutherford second stage engine ignited for a burn that lasted more than six minutes to reach a preliminary parking orbit.
Rocket Lab’s webcast streamed spectacular live video from cameras aboard the launch vehicle, but the live stream ended after the second stage completed its burn and released the Curie kick stage for the final phase of the flight.
A camera on-board the Electron rocket’s second stage shows a Rutherford engine, with its glowing engine nozzle, and part of the launcher’s payload fairing falling away from the vehicle around three minutes after liftoff Saturday. Credit: Rocket Lab
The Curie kick stage, fueled by a “green” non-toxic fuel, was programmed to ignite around 50 minutes after liftoff for a 44-second firing intended to circularize the rocket’s orbit 280 miles (450 kilometers) above Earth, with an inclination of 45 degrees to the equator.
That maneuver apparently went off without a hitch. Peter Beck, Rocket Lab’s CEO, tweeted that all payloads — totaling around 176 pounds (80 kilograms) — deployed from the Curie kick stage, ending what he called a “perfect flight.”
Saturday’s mission, the seventh orbital launch attempt overall for Rocket Lab, was delayed two days to allow time for crews at Launch Complex 1 to replace faulty components on ground tracking equipment used to support the rocket’s flight termination system, which ground teams would activate to destroy the vehicle if it flew off course.
“That particularly system is getting quite old now,” Beck said. “We’re having more and more maintenance issues with it, and we are moving to an autonomous flight termination system here shortly, so it’s just a matter of keeping that equipment running,” Beck said in an interview with Spaceflight Now before the launch.
Rocket Lab’s first Electron launch in 2017 fell short of orbit after a ground tracking system lost a telemetry link with the rocket, prompting safety officials to send a destruct command to the vehicle. An investigation revealed the error was with the ground equipment, and the rocket itself was flying fine at the time of the destruct signal.
With Saturday’s flight, all six Electron missions since the failed first launch have been successful
“Giving our Flight 1 experience, we double and triple check that equipment every flight,” Beck said. “It’s not something we take risks with, so we replaced some hardware, and then we needed to run through a full set of verifications, and that all checked out.”
Saturday’s mission was nicknamed “Make it Rain” in a nod to the damp climate of Seattle, the home of Spaceflight, and at Rocket Lab’s launch site in New Zealand.
A glimpse of payload deployment from the Kick Stage for today's #MakeItRain mission for @SpaceflightInc. ️ pic.twitter.com/Gp6DtkWuRa
— Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) June 29, 2019
The biggest payload on the next Electron launch was the BlackSky Global 3 Earth-imaging satellite — with a launch weight of approximately 123 pounds (56 kilograms) — set to join BlackSky’s first two commercial surveillance craft already in orbit after launches last year.
BlackSky is a business unit of Spaceflight Industries, which is also the parent company of Spaceflight, the rideshare launch broker.
Like the two BlackSky Global satellites currently in space, BlackSky’s third satellite will be capable of capturing up to 1,000 color images per day, with a resolution of about 3 feet (1 meter).
Last year, Spaceflight Industries announced a joint venture with Thales Alenia Space — named LeoStella — to build the next 20 BlackSky satellites in Tukwila, Washington, following the initial block of four smallsats, which includes the BlackSky Global 3 spacecraft launched Saturday.
BlackSky says its fleet of satellites will enable frequent revisits over the same location to help analysts identify changes over short time cycles. The company expects to have eight satellites in orbit by the end of the year, and aims to eventually field a constellation of up to 60 Earth-imaging spacecraft deployed.
One major customer for BlackSky could be the U.S. government. The National Reconnaissance Office, which owns the government’s spy satellite fleet, announced three study contracts earlier this month with BlackSky, Maxar Technologies and Planet to assess the usefulness of commercial imagery for U.S. intelligence agencies.
The BlackSky Global 3 Earth-imaging satellite was the largest of seven spacecraft launched on Rocket Lab’s seventh mission. Credit: Rocket Lab
The launch also delivered two Prometheus CubeSats to low Earth orbit for U.S. Special Operations Command. The Prometheus smallsats are the latest in a series of CubeSats designed to test low-cost, easy-to-use communications relay technologies that could be used by special operations forces on combat missions.
According to information previously released by the military, the Prometheus spacecraft demonstrate the transmission of audio, video and data files from portable, low-profile, remotely-located field units to deployable ground station terminals using over-the-horizon satellite communications.
Two SpaceBEE CubeSats from Swarm Technologies, each weighing less than 2 pounds (1 kilogram), were also aboard the launch. The “BEE” in SpaceBEE stands for Basic Electronic Element.
Swarm is developing a low-data-rate satellite communications fleet the company says could be used by connected cars, remote environmental sensors, industrial farming operations, transportation, smart meters, and for text messaging in rural areas outside the range of terrestrial networks.
Swarm’s first four SpaceBEEs launched in January 2018 aboard an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle without approval from the Federal Communications Commission. After an investigation into the unlicensed launch — a first for the U.S. commercial satellite industry — the FCC fined Swarm $900,000 but allowed the launch of three more satellites on a Falcon 9 rocket in December.
The FCC raised concerns that the first four SpaceBEEs, each about the size of a sandwich, were too small to be reliably tracked by the military, which maintains a public catalog of objects in orbit. Like the satellites launching this month, the SpaceBEEs shot into orbit in December used a larger design based on a one-unit, or 1U, CubeSat standard.
The ACRUX 1 CubeSat developed by the Melbourne Space Program, a non-profit educational organization affiliated with the University of Melbourne in Australia, also launched on the Electron rocket. Built by engineering students, ACRUX 1’s primary mission is education.
The ACRUX 1 CubeSat. Credit: Melbourne Space Program
Australia’s first amateur satellite, Australis-OSCAR 5, was also built by students in Melbourne. Launched in 1970, it was the first amateur satellite designed and assembled outside North America.
“Since then, Australia’s satellite-related space capabilities have been stymied by outdated policies and regulation, hindering growth of the nation’s space industry and support of its incredible local talent,” members of the Melbourne Space Program wrote in an update on the organization’s website.
“In light of these challenges and obstacles, the Melbourne Space Program considers the design and build of ACRUX 1, as well as the successful securing of an international launch and related licenses, as significant accomplishments in themselves,” team members wrote on the group’s website.
The student engineers who developed the ACRUX 1 CubeSat say they will consider the mission fully successful if they receive a “ping” signal from the spacecraft. The ACRUX 1 team confirmed it received data packets from the CubeSat shortly after Saturday’s launch, verifying that the nanosatellite is alive in orbit.
“Receiving that ping from ACRUX 1 may seem like a modest mission goal, but the truth is far from it,” the team wrote before the launch. “That ping would mean ACRUX 1 has not only turned on in space, but has also communicated data back to us at our ground station in Greater Melbourne. In other words, it demonstrates that the satellite system built by our engineers actually works in space.”
A seventh satellite rode to space on the “Make it Rain” mission, but Spaceflight and Rocket Lab have not revealed its identity or owner.
Beck said it was the customer’s decision not to disclose the identity of the seventh payload on Saturday’s launch. The satellite’s purpose and owner coul be announced at a later date.
“There’s nothing incredible there,” Beck said. “Some customers have business propositions and business ideas that they’re trying to get to market first, just like every other industry. This is an example of that.”
He said the mystery satellite is not owned by Rocket Lab.
“It’s really up to the customer,” Beck said. “We’re providing the flight service. The customer has all the appropriate government approvals, so it’s purely a business decision.”
Construction pace at Virginia launch pad continues at “breakneck speed”
The construction of a new Rocket Lab launch pad in Virginia remains on a pace for the facility to be operational by the end of the year, Beck said.
The new launch pad, named Launch Complex 2, will look much like Rocket Lab’s existing facility in New Zealand. Launch Complex 2, or LC-2, is located at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia.
Rocket Lab announced Wallops as home of the company’s first U.S. launch site last October.
“There are not two days that look the same at LC-2,” Beck told Spaceflight Now. “The speed at which it’s being put together is truly impressive.
“For us sitting back here in New Zealand, we’re watching the might of the American machine and American scale at full pace,” he said. “There are rows of concrete trucks, the erector is fabricated and painted. It’s moving at breakneck speed and on schedule to be operational by the end of the year.”
A view of Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 2 under construction at Wallops Island, Virginia. Credit: Rocket Lab
The Electron launch pad at Wallops is, more or less, a “copy and paste” job from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, according to Beck. The layout and design of both pads will be much the same.
Teams in Virginia have updated some of the new pad’s design since construction began late last year. Rather than tapping into the kerosene and liquid oxygen supplies at a nearby launch pad used by Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket, the new launch pad for the Electron rocket will have its own kerosene and liquid oxygen ground tanks.
“It turned out, because our vehicle is so small, we spend more liquid oxygen chilling in the large pipes that are designed for Antares than we actually use the vehicle,” Beck said. “So it becomes economically silly to take these large 4 inch pipes and chill them all in to provide a 2-inch pipe into an Electron. It made a whole lot more sense to just put the right size tank there to supply the vehicle.”
The chilling procedure involves pumping small quantities of cryogenic fluids through ground system and rocket plumbing, helping ease the thermal shock before propellant loading begins.
Beck said Rocket Lab is also going with its own kerosene, or RP-1, fuel farm at Launch Complex 2, rather than rely on the tanks at the nearby Antares launch pad.
“It’d be more work to interface with the RP-1 from Antares than us just creating our own system,” Beck said.
Rocket Lab is headquartered in Huntington Beach, California, and operates two factories.
One factory in Auckland produces composite structures for the Electron rocket, and is home to the company’s primary control center. Rocket Lab’s Huntington Beach plant builds engines and avionics.
Rocket Lab has not announced a payload for the first Electron launch from U.S. soil, but the company has said the facility will be tailored for government customers. The new launch pad in Virginia will be capable of supporting up to 12 launches per year, Rocket Lab officials said.
Meanwhile, launch campaigns will continue in New Zealand, which will remain Rocket Lab’s primary launch site, according to company officials.
The next Electron launch is scheduled for August carrying another batch of small satellites into orbit on a rideshare mission arranged directly by Rocket Lab, rather than through a third-party broker, Beck said.
By the end of the year, Beck said Rocket Lab should achieve a cadence of monthly launches.
“We got a little bit of a slow start at the beginning of the year, so we’re trying to play catch up,” Beck said. “So somewhere between eight and 10, I would say, will be where we get to, but it really depends on a couple of things. How quickly we can continue to scale and turn around the launch vehicles? We’ve also got a couple of really major projects later this year with LC-2 coming online in Virginia, and a couple of R&D (research and development) projects we’ll be announcing in the later half of this year.
“People will see what we’re up to,” he said. “It’s a very busy time.”
Email the author.
Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1.
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Soyuz meets multipurpose SES-owned telecom satellite for Thursday launch
Brexit raises question mark over UK’s role in some European space projects
Video: Liftoff of Atlas 5 on NROL-55
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SpaceX points to leaky valve as culprit in Crew Dragon test accident
Final assembly and test milestones on tap for NASA’s first Orion moon ship
Launch of Indian moon lander postponed by ‘technical snag’
Made in Space wins NASA contract to 3D-print satellite structures in orbit
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BREAKING: Sexual Assault Charges Dropped Against Actor Kevin Spacey
UK Security Guards Acquitted of Killing Angolan Deportee
© Flickr/ 4WardEver Campaign UK
15:24 17.12.2014 (updated 18:40 17.12.2014) Get short URL
Angolan man died from heart attack after being restrained to his seat by security guards.
MOSCOW, December 17 (Sputnik) - A UK court has found three UK security guards not guilty of killing an Angolan man, Jimmy Mubenga, who died from a heart attack during his deportation from the UK, according to BBC.
The men "bitterly regret the death of Mr. Mubenga but have always said they were trying to do a very difficult job in difficult circumstances, to the best of their ability,” Alex Preston from Olliers Solicitors, a legal company specializing with criminal cases, cited by the newspaper.
Three guards from G4S security firm were accused of restricting Mubenga’s breathing ability by restraining him to his seat due to his allegedly aggressive behavior. The guards said they used the restraining tactic to prevent Mubanga from hurting himself and other passengers.
According to the available data, passengers heard the man crying “I can’t breathe”, but security guards did nothing to help him, leaving him sitting with his head down on his knees, a dangerous position which can cause asphyxia. When the guards were conceived of Mubanga’s critical condition, it was too late, said prosecutor Mark Dennis.
The court has found the three contractors not guilty, a decision which has left his wife in a state of despair.
“For the last four years I have fought for justice for Jimmy and our five children,” said Adrienne Makenda Kambana, cited by the Guardian. “It is hard for me to understand how the jury reached this decision with all the overwhelming evidence that Jimmy said over and over that he could not breathe,” she added.
Jimmy Mubenga’s widow: I can’t watch this happen to another family http://t.co/4FdvwvSaUH pic.twitter.com/td0BqeOCgO
— Guardian news (@guardiannews) 16 декабря 2014
Mubenga and his wife entered the UK in 1994 and received official permission to stay in the country. After a fight in a nightclub in 2006, Mubenga was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison. After serving his sentence, he was brought to an immigration detention center and placed on a plane to Angola, following the decision of UK authorities on his deportation.
Int'l Criminal Court Should Probe UK Security Services War Crimes: Expert
UK High Court Rules Legal Aid Restrictions on Immigration Cases as Unlawful
UK Court Ruling on Surveillance Disregards Citizens Rights: Politician
heart attack, plane, death, killing, criminal case, deportation, United Kingdom
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23:33Sexual Assault Charges Dropped Against Actor Kevin Spacey
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Legends articles, Avian and airborne sentient species, Mammalian sentient species, Outer Rim Territories species
Viska
Rordak[1]
"I can see my Viska friends on the horizon. Do you think they'll want you as a slave or a meal?"
―Major Drummond[src]
The Viska (singular, Visk) were winged sentients, indigenous to Rordak.[1]
Biology and appearance Edit
The Viska's bodies were between two and three meters long, while their leathery wings spanned five meters. They had a pair of arms in the center of their body used for manipulation. They had long, narrow heads, with wide-set eyes and large ears. Their eyes were so widely placed that they could see all the way around themselves, even directly behind them. They also possessed infra-red vision, allowing them to see perfectly in the dark.
Most prominently, they had a forty-centimeter long needle-sharp proboscis. Their circular mouth extended this proboscis - called a blossug - when feeding. It was made of several layers of strong muscles covering a hollow bone with a sharp jagged tip. This bone would be pushed into the flesh of their victim, whereupon the Visk would use muscles in their snout and skull to drain the creature's blood.
Due to their primitive digestive tract, they were completely unable to eat meats or plants. They had to consume two liters of blood per day. Creatures from their homeworld - mostly grazing herd animals - provided the most nutrition to a Visk. They would refrain from feeding on alien creatures or sentients, as off-world blood would often physically harm them. Viska would not feed off of one another, but could use their blossug as a weapon in physical combat.
Viska expended a great deal of energy in their day-to-day activities, and had to rest for at least eight hours a day.
Society and culture Edit
Their world was ruled by a caleisk, a monarch who was chosen when their predecessor died. All of the caleisk's children would battle to the death, with the sole survivor becoming the new monarch. This new ruler would then choose between three to six clans who would control all of the repulsorlift cities across the planet. These chosen clans were called the lurinn, whereas unempowered clans were called calsedra.
Each clan was ruled by a calsk. When the calsk died, his children would also fight to the death for power, just like those of the caleisk. Power would only shift to a new family if a calsk died without any children. Each family would then choose a leader, who would battle all other chosen leaders for the calsk position.
Each lurinn clan had absolute authority over particular calsedra clans, and each calsk likewise had total authority over each Visk in his clan. Individual Visk were told what tasks or occupations they could have, and had no choice in the matter. They would often excel in their professions, but as Viska society was highly merit-based, they would mostly try to move upward in society through success. Viska were always seeking more wealth, influence, and comfort, as well as a higher personal status and a higher status for their clan. In order to prevent any back-handed or stealthy methods of altering Viska power-structure, such as assassination - rather than the all-out battles that decided their leaders - any individual found guilty of participating in such a plan would be executed, if the victim was within their family. If the victim was a member of another family, the guilty party's entire family would be executed.
The Viska lived in large repulsorlift cities. This was due to the volatile nature of Rordak's surface, which suffered from groundquakes and volcanic eruptions. Even before Republic scouts brought repulsorlift technology, the Viska had developed a society that stayed away from the ground. With their new technology, the Viska developed a completely aerial society. These cities were huge structures, made completely open to the air due to the Viska's large wingspans. Their buildings were attached to enormous repulsor columns, over 500 meters long and 100 meters in diameter. The levels of these cities would often extend thousands of meters into the air. The upper levels of their cities were reserved for the royals of the clans, while the lower workers and clans lived on the bottom levels. The middle levels were used for manufacturing, trading, and as spaceports.
Due to their need for large quantities of blood, the Viska tended to enormous herds of grazing animals, such as the kessarch and the drivveb. They imported vast amounts of grain and grasses to feed these herds.
It was rare for a Visk to leave Rordak. If one did, they were forced to avoid elite Viska warriors and bounty hunters their clan would send after them.
Due to their diet of blood, and their well-known disregard for the sanctity of life, they were commonly referred to by off-worlders as "the great bloodsucking fiends of Rordak". This was erroneous, however, as they very rarely fed off of other sentients. Even still, they were very intimidating to off-worlders, a trait the Viska were very proud of.
The Viska had progressed to an atomic level of technology on their own before being contacted by other sentients. When Republic scouts arrived, the Viska eagerly embraced their space-level technology. The "bloodsucking fiends" soon became well-known throughout their home sector.
By the rise of the Galactic Empire, the Viska had been part of galactic society for over three centuries. After the formation of the Empire, the Imperials immediately began to use the planet as a prison world.
In The New Jedi Order: Dark Tide II: Ruin, Viska is mistakenly used to refer to only one of the species.
The New Jedi Order: Dark Tide II: Ruin (as a sculpture)
Planets of the Galaxy, Volume One (First mentioned)
↑ 1.0 1.1 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
A Visk
Retrieved from "https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Viska?oldid=7939047"
Avian and airborne sentient species
Mammalian sentient species
Outer Rim Territories species
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The Perfect Storm: When Continuity Remainers Meet NHS Worshippers
September 21, 2018 September 22, 2018 Samuel Hooper1 Comment
When all else fails, Continuity Remainers invoke the NHS in their last-gasp attempt to win support for their “People’s Vote”
The past few years have seen an inexplicable surge in the release of implausible, cheaply-produced disaster movies, aided by the falling costs of CGI, with plots based on supersized or hybrid creatures doing battle with the unfortunate humans who encounter them.
One of the first such movies, Sharknado, premiered in 2013 and is now up to the sixth film in the franchise (The Last Sharknado: It’s About Time). The dubious low-budget aspiring cult classic has also spawned spin-offs such as Lavalantula, a gripping tale of fire-breathing spiders which take over Los Angeles. Indeed, in order to maintain viewer interest the premises and storylines have had to become more and more outrageous, such that most new movies in the genre now require more than one type of freakish hybrid monster pitted against another – see Sharktopus vs. Pterocuda, in which a half-shark / half-octopus fights a half-pterosaur / half-barracuda for ninety excruciating minutes.
And as is often the case, what screenwriters see in their florid imaginations is eventually reflected to some degree in the real world. Right now, for example, British politics can be best analogized to the climate disaster movie The Day After Tomorrow, in which multiple large storm systems combine to create a deadly superstorm which plunges the world into a new ice age.
One such storm in Britain – as ever present as the red spot on Jupiter – is the constant chorus of mindless praise for the National Health Service, a gale which blows moderately during Labour administrations but turns into a full force hurricane whenever the Conservatives are in charge (despite the constant failure of the Tories to destroy the NHS, as warned by the Left). This storm system manifests itself in the hordes of pathetic activists who croon love songs to the NHS on YouTube, but also in actual political parties which have been established for the sole purpose of uncritically venerating this one very specific public service.
Another such storm, much more recently developed, is generated by the ongoing howls of indignant outrage from Continuity Remainers who lost the EU referendum in 2016, failed to engage in any introspection during the subsequent two years and who have now convinced themselves that they and the entire machinery of the British state were plucky and outmatched underdogs who lost against a dastardly Leave campaign with a complete monopoly on lies and misinformation. To their minds, Brexit is an evil con perpetrated by Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg and the Russians, and while the issue of Britain’s EU membership should never have been put to a public vote in the first place, now that the people have foolishly voted to leave the EU we must immediately hold another “People’s Vote”, and another one after that if necessary, until the current result is overturned.
Two political storms, both alike in stupidity. And now, as in a bad sci-fi movie, these two storms have collided and given us a superstorm – something new but equally tedious to watch:
Thanks to everyone who came along to the #PeoplesVoteNHS rally on Saturday! Great to meet so many of you campaigning for a vote on the final deal to save our NHS 💪🏥🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/aK93q3domU
— NHS Against Brexit (@NHSvBrexit) September 17, 2018
Just as every general election since the 1950s has been billed as our last chance to save the NHS, now we are being told that thwarting Brexit and keeping Britain in the EU is the only way that a benighted country like the United Kingdom can possibly continue to provide healthcare free at the point of delivery.
Why? Because some opportunistic souls working for the Astroturf, Not At All Funded By Foreign Billionaires group People’s Vote realized that there were few more effective ways to rally hordes of whinnying, metro-leftist, public sector voters to their banner than by merging their own pet issue with the seventy-year campaign to Save Our NHS.
This is the new B-movie of British politics. Call it Sharktopus, call it Pteracuda, call it the Perfect Storm – what we have are two laughable, commercially dubious characters or phenomena forced together and foisted on the public in the grasping hope that the people will be too dim to see through the cynical political manipulation and buy into the resulting hackneyed storyline.
Watching Continuity Remain merge with Britain’s incessant Cult of the NHS is like witnessing two giant storm systems collide and combine to produce a Force 5 shark-spitting tornado of self-obsessed, teenage drama. This is disaster porn for crusty socialists and upper middle class EU cheerleaders who have yet to learn that a public which was not persuaded by hysterical worst-case scenarios during the 2016 referendum is not going to be effectively persuaded by an even cheaper, more ludicrous sequel two years later.
The ironic thing, though, is that these B-movie producers of British politics don’t see themselves as peddlers of low-budget tat; on the contrary, they think that they are highly skilled directors producing a critically acclaimed masterpiece. These are the folks who consider themselves the smartest people in the room, the people who think that their social position, academic credentials and professional accomplishments make them uniquely equipped – and entitled – to chart Britain’s political course. And the best that Britain’s top policy minds have come up with in response to Brexit is “let’s try shouting about the NHS at the same time we shout about the EU”. No introspection. No positive, compelling vision for Britain within the EU with which to convince swing voters. Just more worst-case scenario disaster peddling from the same overcredentialed mediocrities who still haven’t figured out why they lost the last round.
At this point, one can only laugh. If they were to have any hope of decisively seizing the public imagination and turning the tide against Brexit, Remainers needed to come up with a rich, compelling and superior new narrative. They needed to produce The Godfather, but instead they have given us Sharktopus.
Agree with this article? Violently disagree? Leave a comment.
Brexit, Healthcare, LeftWatch, UK Current Affairs, UK PoliticsB Movie, Brexit, Continuity Remain, Democracy, European Union, NHS, NHS Industrial Complex, Peoples Vote, Remain Campaign, Sharknado, Sharktopus, Socialism
Unsurprisingly, The “Disparate Impact” Test Reveals That Brexit (And Everything Else) Is Sexist
July 27, 2018 July 27, 2018 Samuel Hooper4 Comments
Leftists to women: “Don’t you worry your pretty little minds with complicated talk about geopolitics, democracy or the long-term national interest – just think about Brexit in terms of whether you stand to gain or lose government benefits and entitlements”
It must have seemed like a godsend to whichever scheming left-winger first thought it up – the notion that any proposed government policy should be analysed primarily according to its impact on different identity groups, with any disproportionate impact expected to be felt by minority or designated victim groups providing concrete “proof” that said policy is inherently racist, sexist or otherwise deliberately prejudiced and therefore political Kryptonite.
Here, suddenly, was a super-weapon which could be deployed effectively against almost any policy originating from the right-of-center, and an argument structure which could be adapted and endlessly recycled by lacklustre, uninspired left-wing politicians and activists who would otherwise struggle to string a coherent sentence together on television.
Why does it work so well? Because since right-of-center policies often involve reducing or re-targeting government programs (or encouraging their future provision through the private or nonprofit sectors rather than directly through the state) and since the Left ostentatiously claims to work and speak for the recipients of many of these services, leftist politicians have been able to insinuate that innumerable conservative policies were not conceived in the national interest but rather out of a burning desire to hurt certain vulnerable communities.
Since women and certain ethnic minority groups are disproportionate consumers of certain government services and benefits, virtually any policy which rolls back government spending in these areas can be condemned not only as misguided or callous but as inherently racist, sexist and discriminatory. And the policy’s proponents, in turn, go from being wrong on a matter of policy to inherently evil. Couple this with a left-wing media which is only too happy to take up the clarion call of discrimination without putting too much actual thought or analysis into the matter and you have effectively built an automatic, reflexive Conservative Policy Smearing Machine.
One need only put the conservative policy du jour in the machine’s slot, crank the handle (sometimes multiple rotations are needed depending on the number of degrees of separation between the policy and being able to suggest a favoured minority getting less stuff from the government) and out flies a prefabricated furious press release, a viral social media campaign and an eager up-and-coming left-wing politician to make their name fighting for justice and equality.
And so it was inevitable that leftists, once their initial shock at the EU referendum result had subsided, would seek to crank up their trusty Conservative Policy Smearing Machine and aim it square at the heart of Brexit. This blog has previously highlighted one such effort being promoted by EU idolatry magazine The New European, in which the author declared:
Let’s get one thing straight. This self indulgent pratting about over Brexit will be stopped. But not by MPs kowtowing to party whips in rapture to the latest autocratic executive power grab. And not because media silence blanks out the protests of citizens, but by women kicking off.
Let’s face it. Brexit is essentially sexist. Those spitting out their dummies need a good slap as my gran would have said, and she would have been only pleased administer. She’d have probably denied them sweets, treats and pocket money until they came to their senses too. Her view would be behave like brats, and get treated accordingly.
The chain of “logic” here is that because Brexit (or specifically a mishandled Brexit resulting in economic damage, not the concept of Brexit itself, though it is not in the author’s interest to acknowledge this nuance) may have negative economic consequences, this will result in a recession, which will result in lower government tax revenues, which would mean that the government would have no choice but to cut spending (though the Left also love to argue for stimulus spending, not cuts, during economic downturns) which would then disproportionately impact women, since women are more likely to claim tax credits or various other taxpayer-funded benefits.
You could be forgiven for thinking that this chain of illogic is rather too long and twisted for the conclusion to justify the premise, being more akin to the Underpants Gnomes from the satirical TV cartoon South Park (in which little creatures busily steal underpants from the town’s inhabitants, feverishly working to the formula Underpants + ? = Profit, with the question mark never being identified). And you would be right. But for Continuity Remainers and leftist defenders of the European Union, any embarrassment at drawing such a tenuous connection is outweighed by the opportunity to smear Brexit as being not only misguided but motivated by a callous desire to hurt women. No matter how implausible, if a line can be drawn linking Brexit to misogyny or racism then that line will be drawn, personal dignity and intellectual integrity be damned.
And now, charging into the debate, we have the London School of Economics’ execrable Brexit blog, an embarrassment to academia which exists primarily as a platform to cast as many aspersions against Brexit as possible without ever once seriously engaging with democratic or constitutional criticisms of the EU.
In a new essay by Julie MacLeavy of the University of Bristol for the LSE Brexit Blog, it is suggested that the goal of gender equality is “adrift in the Brexit backwash”. Good luck trying to decode the following identity politics word soup:
With European legislation and regulation on gender equality framed as inhibiting economic growth, the post-Brexit environment is likely to see the simultaneous intensification and erosion of gender. Should the UK government deregulation fail to enact sufficient legal protection to compensate for the removal of EU laws, directives and charters, the prior neoliberal tendencies of individualisation and the transfer of reproductive responsibilities towards the feminised spaces of communities and families – renewed in part through the implementation of austerity measures in recent years – will no longer be restricted by the promotion and implementation of gender equality policies.
At the same time, deregulation and the reprivatisation of social reproduction are likely to affect not just women, but a number of feminised individuals upon whom the burden of additional care work falls. The dimensions of class, race and ethnicity mean that any change in the gender regime will affect constituted groups differently. In this sense, Brexit indicates the significant intensification of the practices that reflect and reproduce gendered labour and economic inequality.
Making the case for Europe’s democratic values and its commitment to social justice will depend on both the popularisation of a feminist campaign in which gender equality as a main goal is rendered legitimate, as well as the incorporation of a feminist ethic within the auspices of the state. This latter task is becoming increasingly difficult given the support expressed for the repatriation of European powers by previously pro-European factions.
Left Foot Forward has also been promoting the same infantilising line of argument.
MacLeavy’s line of argument is distasteful more for its haughty contempt for democracy rather than its condescending view of women and minorities. The entire operating assumption of the article and the academic “thinking” behind it is that because Britain is a terribly backward and barbaric place, crucial and fundamental human rights have to be imposed on us by a higher, outside authority (in this case, the EU).
Since nasty, backward British voters cannot be trusted to believe in or vote for the right things, we need human rights imposed on us at a European level, so that present and future UK governments could not dial back certain rights or entitlements even if they wanted to. This is predicated on the belief that democracy, popular will, should not trump everything, which is actually a perfectly reasonable position – any good constitution should have checks and balances built in to it in order to prevent the passion of the moment finding its way onto the statute books without due discussion, diligence and consideration of the rights of dissenting minorities.
But the academic Left’s naive approach assumes that the EU will always be a force for the kind of socially progressive agenda that its academics seek to champion. By defending a structure which permanently paints the UK as the authoritarian bad guy and the EU as the right-dispensing good guys, it provides no defence in the event that the EU flips and takes a less expansive view of human rights than is currently the case. And this is more than a theoretical, irrelevant supposition – with the rise of populists and authoritarians throughout Europe, a time may eventually come when some decidedly illiberal policies flow down from Brussels. And what defence would Britain then have, given that the Left trust European voters and politicians over British people to be the final arbiter of rights and freedoms in the UK?
Thus, at best this “resist Brexit to preserve women’s rights” movement is guilty of exceptionally short-term, two-dimensional, narrow thinking in which the policy thought most likely to guarantee certain rights and entitlements today is mistakenly held as the optimal policy for the longer-term, and at worst it is as contemptuous of women as it is of democracy itself.
In truth, women should be insulted by this definition of sexism based on disparate impact, by the suggestion that women are helpless supplicants without agency or power, whose lives and livelihoods are dependent on government largesse. Self-respecting women should reject the condescending notion that their worth or societal footprint is somehow bound up in how many taxpayer resources they consume, and that they are effectively “gender traitors” if they allow their constitutional and democratic arguments for Brexit to overrule the grasping desire to secure government entitlements in perpetuity.
Is anyone else getting tired of the intellectually dishonest, emotionally manipulative “disparate impact” political test to determine the presence of sexism or racism? No policy or political decision will ever affect all identity groups equally, but this fact does not make them all inherently discriminatory. That much can only be determined by considering the intent of the policy – is there or is there not reasonable cause to believe that a particular policy was proposed or implemented with intent to disproportionately impact a specific demographic group for no reason other than an innate physical trait shared by that group?
Under this far more reasonable test for discrimination, the idea that Brexit is somehow sexist rightly appears absurd – one may just as well declare that going to war is sexist and deliberately antagonistic toward women because it would redirect taxpayer resources from welfare to the military, even though men would be doing the lion’s share of the fighting and dying. Brexit, like going to war, is based on a foundation of interweaving ideas and aspirations far wider and more complex than a desire to roll back societal progress toward gender equality. It encompasses arguments about governance, democracy, trade and regulation, almost none of which are even tangentially linked to the relative status of men and women. Even so far as Brexit can be conceived as a desire to roll back employment and other regulations, the idea that the goal of such rollbacks is to harm women because they are women is utterly ridiculous.
If politicians, activists or academics came to me and told me that as a mixed-race man raised in a single-parent family I would be disproportionately impacted by Brexit and should therefore abandon my existing views on the European Union in order to vote in accordance with someone else’s interpretation of my best interests, I would tell that person to take a hike, and none too politely.
As a country, isn’t it time we shut down this growing cottage industry of left-wing wannabe heroes whose loudly stated conception of what is best for minorities always conveniently gels with their pre-existing leftist, Utopian worldview? Isn’t it long past time that the entire country told these unwanted saviors to mind their own business?
Brexit, LeftWatch, UK Current Affairs, UK PoliticsBrexit, Discrimination, Disparate Impact, EU Referendum, Identity Politics, Julie MacLeavy, LSE, Racism, Sexism, Welfare
The good aspects of this populist insurgency need saving from horrified (and increasingly organized) antidemocratic elites – but also from cynical and incompetent populist leaders who are squandering our last best hope of democratic renewal
I have struggled of late to bring myself to write much about politics. The temptation to offer the odd hot take on Twitter can never be fully avoided, but while I usually find myself with enough time to write only one of every five articles which pop into my mind, these past months I have struggled to generate more than a couple of vaguely original ideas or pieces of commentary in the space of a month.
The reason, I have come to realise, is that for all the furious words being written and opinions expressed, nothing much seems to be changing. Despite a political discourse which has rarely been more shrill, with unbridled hysteria on both sides and nearly every aspect of life being sucked into the black, inescapable vortex that is our ongoing culture war, neither side is making definitive progress. As at the Western Front in 1915, both sides have dug into hardened positions in anticipation of a long, drawn-out stalemate. Both sides double down on their dogma and rhetoric, both sides continue to defend or even embrace the worst elements of their own cause because the enemy does likewise with his; both dehumanise one another and suggest that what was once seen as sincere and legitimate political difference is now irrefutable evidence of moral turpitude.
Both sides feel that they are losing an existential fight; both feel under attack and in retreat. On a superficial level, the progressive left (and here I use the term to describe those who broadly hold socially liberal, secular, intersectional, economically redistributive and de facto open borders political views) have more cause to be alarmed – after all, they have to deal with what they see as the “twin disasters” of Donald Trump in the United States and Brexit in the United Kingdom, as well as rising populism throughout Europe and much of the world.
However, as someone who fits into neither the populist or elitist category but perhaps has greater sympathy for the former, I see only danger, risk and oncoming ruin for the populists. My gnawing fear is that an increasingly inept Trump administration which fails to deliver on even his more decent campaign promises and a botched Brexit leading to economic damage and future ongoing “vassal state” status within an unreformed European regulatory ecosystem may come to represent the dismal high water mark of populist achievement. Such has been establishment shock at the political success of the populists, such is their determination to wrest back control and such is their domination of the main levers of influence and power (media, business and culture) that it is those gathered under the banner of unaccountable supranational and technocratic government who now march with a spring in their step, and those who believe in the nation state, democracy and self-determination who find ourselves endlessly on the defensive.
All of which might not be so bad if the temporarily-displaced elites had learned anything meaningful from their electoral rebukes, engaged in some introspection and returned chastened and humble, with a newfound willingness to consult and be guided by the people they lead rather than continuing to implement their own highly Utopian vision of the future with no consultation or consent. But of course there has been no such introspection, and there is precious little humility to be found among those who lost control of the political narrative in 2016.
President Trump is bad, but the people whose self-serving incompetence in government gave us President Trump in the first place are still very much present, unrepentant and with their credibility intact. Brexit negotiations may be lurching toward disaster, but the people whose uninspired leadership and scant regard for democracy helped give us Brexit in the first place soldier on with reputations intact, peddling the myth that everything was fine before the EU referendum came along, and that Brexit can be thwarted with no adverse societal consequences.
If the people who believe they are morally and intellectually better than Donald Trump voters and Brexiteers want to win, they need to do more than stand laughing or indignant at the sidelines as the worst elements of these camps drive their populist train off the rails; they need to actively come up with something more attractive; a unifying, compelling national vision which amounts to something more than just rolling the clock back to the day before the EU referendum or US presidential election. But instead we see little other than smug self-satisfaction and blind hatred of (or contempt for) those who took the populist side, born of the delusion that populist incompetence in government somehow discredits their basic cause, and that political elites can therefore press on with their own discredited and failed agenda without incurring any negative consequences.
But the populists are by no means innocent. It is very easy to strike a trendy rhetorical pose against unloved ideas and institutions, but much harder to grapple with cold hard reality and propose policy changes which respect democratic input while also standing a chance of lasting success in the real world. One of the hardest things in recent months has been witnessing thinkers, writers and organisations I once broadly respected choosing the path of least resistance, playing to their respective galleries and choosing outraged purity over sullying themselves with necessary compromise.
Thus we see this year’s Orwell Prize for journalism awarded to someone who sniffs out and extrapolates wrongdoing in the EU referendum Leave campaign to the delight of her establishment audience, but shows zero curiosity about malfeasance in the Remain campaign (or the relative impact of each). And thus we are subjected to otherwise-compelling contrarians like Brendan O’Neill of Spiked magazine actively harming the cause of Brexit by ignoring all nuance when it comes to the trade and regulatory relationships under discussion, turning the most momentous issue to face Britain in decades into just another facet of the culture war.
It must be easy to write when possessed of great certainty that one is indisputably morally superior and on the “right” side of history (or at least that one’s actions and side will be recorded as being on the right side of history). I often envy the leftist, identity politics-soaked social justice warriors and their enablers within the political class for possessing such fervor. It is much harder to write day after day when one fears that one’s side will ultimately lose, and that one will be remembered as a cranky obstacle to glorious progress at best, and as something akin to a Jim Crow segregationist at worst. Every tweet or blog post them becomes not a small brick in the foundation of some glorious building for which one can claim partial credit, but rather just another nail in the coffin of one’s own future reputation and ultimate legacy.
And right now, I think the chances of defeat for conservatives, traditionalists, democrats and nation state defenders are very high indeed. In Britain, the UK government’s mishandling of Brexit and the atrophy of our self-governance capability may yet vindicate every hysterical warning about the folly of leaving the European Union’s unwanted, antidemocratic political-union-by-stealth. In the United States, President Donald Trump’s impulsive, often proudly ignorant or counterproductive policies and bigoted rhetoric tarnish the valid causes he supports (like greater immigration control) by mere association, rendering them toxic, while the reputations of some truly awful people are laundered thanks to their cynically ostentatious opposition to Trump.
In all of this, the media is firmly planted on one side, unable to report objectively on issues of concern to so-called populists by virtue of having so few reporters and editors drawn from the relevant social and demographic circles. And virtually every element of our culture, from classical and pop music to television and even corporate culture, are marching to the beat of divisive, intersectional identity politics with its avant garde gender theory and disdain for those institutions which are the bedrock of a stable society. In such circumstances it is small comfort to be right when one’s own side stands on the verge of total defeat.
And yet it is not in my nature to bow down before these forces and declare “I, for one, welcome our new antidemocratic, technocratic, authoritarian and coercive SJW overlords”. I don’t welcome them. Even if things go as badly as in my most pessimistic moments I fear they may, I believe it is still important to stand up and argue in the public square, register dissent, bear witness to what is happening and force the progressive side to defend their ideas on logic and merit rather than wallow endlessly in their feelings.
Conservatives and true liberal democrats, people who believe in government of the people and the right to freedom of speech and thought, should be under no illusion at this time – we are losing the decisive battle. A few standout conservative podcasts, YouTubers and bloggers are no match when the other side has a vice-like grip on the entire culture and is snarlingly intolerant of the slightest dissent to the extent that they willingly throw their own leaders and figureheads under the bus for thoughtcrime infractions.
I hope that this defeat can be reversed, but doing so will require millions of people who currently sit at home quietly shaking their heads at what our political elites and culture-makers are doing but otherwise raising no public objection to stand up and be counted – and quite likely incur social or economic cost – which they have not been called upon to do before.
I have just started reading “The Benedict Option“, a book by an American Christian conservative blogger I much admire, Rod Dreher. The book is a warning to Christians (particularly aimed at but by no means limited to traditionalists) that the demands of their faith and those of our culture and “polite society” are drifting decisively and definitively apart, and that the time may soon come when faithful Christians are forced to choose between practising their faith according to their conscience and maintaining their current social and economic standing.
I see a similar fork in the road coming the way of all conservatives and moderates, religious or not – indeed, anyone who is not a staunchly progressive social justice warrior or otherwise happy to accede to that particular worldview. Already we see businesses and charities seeking to adopt progressive positions on social issues as corporate policy, mandating speech and behavior which would force employees and volunteers to violate their own beliefs or else face disciplinary action. Already we see censorious activist mobs seek to dictate where private companies advertise or sell their product. And already, dissenters are paying the price when they stand up and refuse to go along with these coercive demands.
In a few weeks I shall matriculate at law school in Washington, D.C., where I will spend the next three years earning my law degree. Being on an American university campus, it would be infinitely easier – professionally, socially and otherwise – for me to simply delete my blog and Twitter account, and pretend to anyone who asks (and it will certainly come up; already I have had to give notice of my “preferred pronouns”) that I hold the standard suite of progressive leftist political views which are almost de rigeur for students and within the legal profession. But that would be a lie, and I will not do so. Will professing my religious and political beliefs cost me potential friendships and career opportunities? I would be naive if I thought otherwise. Will I find my own free speech threatened or stifled at times? Quite possibly – I have spent three years documenting on this blog what happens to free speech advocates and identity politics heretics on American college campuses, and it is often not pretty. But so be it.
And so even if it brings less joy than it once did, I will keep writing, speaking and standing up for both the expression and validity of traditional, time-proven values and honest political opinions which were considered perfectly mainstream just a few years ago, but which are even now being recast as fundamentally hateful and ignorant by zealots who would reshape the world with their uniquely totalitarian conception of tolerance.
We all have a duty to take a stand, and this is what I shall do, from my own very marginal and unscrutinized place in history. I encourage others to undertake a brief personal inventory and consider whether there is more that you could do at this juncture with your own time, talents and resources. Because right now, we are losing the war. Worse still, some of the gravest long-term threats we face come from the supposed leaders of our cause, and too few of us are willing to admit this painful truth.
Help is not going to come from outside; we go to battle with who and what we have at hand. Unlike the people who melt down over a presidential tweet or democratic referendum, or who cynically downplay their own immense power and privilege to cast themselves as latter-day victims, it is we who are engaged in the real resistance of our time.
Brexit, LeftWatch, Social Justice Watch, UK Current Affairs, UK Politics, US Current Affairs, US PoliticsBlogging, Brexit, Culture War, Democracy, Donald Trump, Elitism, Free Speech, Nation State, Patriotism, Political Blogging, Populism, Resistance, Rod Dreher, Technocracy, The Benedict Option
Is Brexit Sexist?
When anti-Brexit hysteria and identity politics collide…
As the question of Britain’s future relationship with the European Union is folded ever more deeply into our ongoing culture war, it continues to be the establishment centre-left – that bipartisan group who broadly support the status quo of the past two decades and viscerally hate the very idea of Brexit – who continue to acquit themselves the worse in public debate.
The country already has very low expectations when it comes to mainstream Brexiteers, both within government and without. Whether it is the increasingly Alex Jones-style populism of Nigel Farage, the polished and carefree ignorance of Jacob Rees-Mogg, the unhinged provocation (and potentially illegal activity) of Leave.EU or the most proudly obnoxious Brexit supporters on social media, few people think of the Brexit movement as one characterised by profound intelligence or abiding statesmanship. That may be unfair on the more earnest, thoughtful Brexiteers – such as those of the Leave Alliance, with whom I stand – but it is undeniably the case, and few of us now waste time trying to challenge the abiding impression given off by our movement, particularly in the face of a fundamentally uncurious media who have no interest in looking beyond their preset narrative.
This is not the case when it comes to the Remain camp, however. From the beginning, EU apologists and campaigners against Brexit have sought to trade on their reputation as cool-headed, fact-based, reason-driven pragmatists who alone are untouched by base motivations such as nationalism or political tribalism. While Brexiteers may be gammon-faced nostalgics or barely concealed racists, goes this narrative, Remainers think with their heads, not their hearts. They take a broader, more strategic view of affairs. They certainly do not need to resort to rhetorical trickery or emotional manipulation in order to win support for their cause.
After a two-year public meltdown on the part of Britain’s political, academic and cultural elite, I think we can finally disabuse ourselves of these unhelpful stereotypes – because it turns out that in their sorrow and rage, Remainers have quickly caught up with the worst traits of the worst Brexiteers, often exceeding them in both passion and delusion. Whether it is intellectual pin-ups such as the eminent Professor A C Grayling peddling risible conspiracy theories or establishment fossils such as Andrew Adonis attempting to save the country from Brexit with their trusty swords of sanctimony and shields of superiority, not only has the Remain camp failed to learn a single lesson from their 2016 referendum defeat; worse, they have decided to double down on all of the political tactics, talking points and personality traits which led them to defeat in the first place.
Since June 2016, Remainers have replaced arrogance with an even more supercharged arrogance that they and only they could have correctly weighed up all the important variables worth considering and found in favour of the EU. They have replaced intellectual and cultural contempt for their opponents with an even deeper, uglier form of largely class-based hatred which they espouse with ever-decreasing shame, particularly the racist and classist term “gammon” which they use to describe white working class Brexit supporters. They have replaced a naive total faith in supranationalism with an even more derisively hostile attitude toward the nation state and any continuing relevance it may have for the good governance of human society.
But worse than all of that, Remainers have become the very caricature which they attempted to make of Brexiteers. It was long claimed that Brexiteers won the referendum by painting a dishonestly simplistic view of the world and proposing glib, simplistically local solutions to global challenges. Now it is Remainers who promote a falsely simplistic worldview where supranationalism solves everything and nations with very different cultures, priorities and national interests hold hands beneath a rainbow and joyfully hand their worries over to a benevolent continental technocracy. No longer do Remainers grudgingly admit that the EU needs reform; now it is a perfect and noble institution with greater claims to democratic legitimacy than the British government itself. Now it is Remainers who peddle simplistic and misleading slogans such as the idea that Brexit means “going it alone” and “trying to resurrect Empire 2.0”, that supporting Brexit means rejecting the very concepts of friendship and cooperation among individuals, groups and nations.
This much became inevitable when Brexit was folded into the larger culture war. At that point, reinforcing the dogmas and credos of one’s own tribe (whichever it may be) became more important than meaningful discussion or attempting to empathise with the other side. Acceptance by and membership of one’s own tribe became contingent on adopting a pure and uncompromising position rather than engaging in introspection or admitting doubt, with dissenters either shamed into silence, bullied into conformity or else simply left out of a prestige media narrative which sought to pitch the good and the right (Remainers) versus the stupid and malevolent (eurosceptics).
This is a problem afflicting both sides. For example, in the past this blog has often found common cause with Brendan O’Neill and other writers at Spiked magazine on matters of liberty and democracy, but that publication’s uncompromising take on Brexit – effectively asserting that anything less than a total severing of every link with the EU and single market, be they related to political union or not, represents some kind of betrayal of the people – is an extreme stance which I cannot and do not share. Unfortunately, the culture war lens applied to Brexit by the likes of Spiked has become the prevailing view among Brexiteers, to the extent that pragmatists favouring a compromise form of Brexit are now regarded with suspicion at best, and as traitors to the cause at worst.
But this pathology affects the Continuity Remain side of the debate just as badly, and often worse, since they are able to use their public platforms and reputations to give their tribal anti-Brexit behaviour an undeserved veneer of serious thought and respectability. There was a time when prominent Remainers could be found admitting through clenched teeth that “of COURSE the EU needs reform”, before quickly changing the subject with an impatient wave of the hand. Now, this is increasingly rare. Mention any of the EU’s once commonly accepted and lamented democratic flaws, for example, and Remainers are far more likely to shoot back with an irrelevant wisecrack stating that the existence of the House of Lords or our First Past The Post (FPTP) electoral system invalidates any criticism of Brussels (thus totally skirting the EU’s glaring lack of a demos coherent enough to justify the institutions established in their name).
In other words, just when Remainers need to show contrition and understanding if they are to have any hope whatsoever of persuading Leave voters to change their minds, many are instead doubling down and insisting on the EU’s relative perfection. Their rage and political tribalism blind them to the politically astute path of action.
The latest sign that Brexit has fused with our ongoing culture war is the risible claim that Brexit is inherently sexist. We have long been lectured that Brexit is inherently racist, because wanting to control immigration from other majority-white European countries is somehow a sign of white nationalism, but now many Remainers are advancing the idea that Brexit is sexist too.
While the tempo of these claims has increased, the seed was planted before the referendum even took place, with articles such as this in the Guardian, declaring:
If you were feeling waspish, you might conclude that women’s major contribution to the EU debate so far has been to say that more women should contribute to the EU debate. On 27 January, Caroline Lucas of the Greens called out the abundance of “men in grey suits”. On 1 February, Barbara Judge, chair of the Institute of Directors, asked if “women had been sidelined or have chosen to absent themselves from the debate”. On 1 March, Labour’s Mary Creagh warned we should not leave the decision to the “old boys’ club”.
But ever since the Remain campaign lost the EU referendum, despite enjoying every conceivable advantage, the exculpatory narrative has moved on from women’s voices supposedly not being heard enough in the public debate to Brexit causing real, tangible, gender-targeted harm to women.
Professor Juliet Lodge, writing in that bastion of pro-EU groupthink The New European, recently wrote a masterpiece in which she crowed that it is good that the EU makes Brexit nearly impossible for a departing member state, declares Brexit to be immoral, sexist and doomed to defeat by an army of angry women who will supposedly rise up and stop the “nonsense” of a democratically determined secession from the EU.
Money quote:
The Fawcett Society, in thrall to intersectionality, published a report warning of the specific impact of Brexit upon women back in March this year, based upon the Harriet Harman technique of making dubious predictions about absolutely every possible variable and claiming that any sphere where a particular impact might be felt more by women than men is de facto evidence of sexism.
The report was full of the kind of tenuous nonsense and logical overreaches which now sadly characterise the identity politics Left, and thus we learn that clothing and textile industries being vulnerable to potential trade barriers will disproportionately affect women, though the fact that hits to engineering or aerospace industries might disproportionately impact men is of seemingly no relevance at all.
We also learn that a potential fall in GDP may lead to government cuts, which would impact more greatly on women as they are more likely to work in the public sector and consume public services. Never mind that the inevitability or even desirability of this state of affairs being taken as given by the Fawcett Society and others is itself a sign of a condescening, paternalist attitude towards women, assuming that women are perpetually vulnerable wards of the state – no, we are supposed to take this seriously too.
And from there the report delves into all kinds of Remainer fantasyland predictions about what Brexit “could” do – the Fawcett Society’s most gnawing fear that an economic crisis would lead to draconian rollbacks of employment rights – though at best this fear is tied to one potential governmental response to Brexit rather than being inherent in Brexit itself. Nonetheless, we are firmly told that with Brexit “we risk turning the clock back on gender equality”, because women are incapable of articulating or defending their own interests and require the EU and its hagiographers to do so on their behalf.
CapX effectively rebutted many of the report’s claims in a piece by Madeline Grant:
But relying on potentially faulty forecasts is the least of the report’s crimes. The authors call on the Government to “amend the EU Withdrawal Bill to protect [gender] rights from being weakened”. This is where the report becomes disingenuous. The EU Withdrawal Bill already enshrines all EU rights into UK law. Any alterations made by a future government would have to be approved by Parliament, and so the amendments they propose would be both unnecessary and meaningless.
More broadly, their insistence that, free from the EU, the UK government would choose to scale back gender equality legislation is tenuous. So far, all indicators suggest that the government is moving in the opposite direction, and strengthening these rights. This year, the UK became one of the first countries in the world to require private- and public-sector employers with 250 or more employees to publish their company-wide gender pay gaps.
[..] Historically, the UK, far more than the EU, has led the way when it comes to women’s rights and workplace and family protections. The first Equal Pay Act (championed by the sewing machinists in Dagenham) in 1970, predates our accession to the European Union by several years, as do the Abortion Act (1967), the Divorce Reform Act (1969) and the decision to make the contraceptive pill free on the NHS. FGM has been illegal in Britain since 1985, but the EU only passed legislation addressing it in 2012.
The infamous “tampon tax”, which levies a 5 per cent VAT on sanitary products and contraception, is an EU directive which we have been obliged to impose despite the opposition of government and a majority of MPs. Moreover, the UK’s 52 weeks of statutory maternity leave is considerably more generous than the 14 weeks guaranteed by EU law.
In short; suggesting that EU intervention is required to safeguard these rights is to ignore reality, and shows very little faith in British lawmakers.
Others, including Nina Parker of the #WomenAgainstBrexit movement and the Our Future Our Choice campaign have taken up the same self-debasing arguments, writing in Left Foot Forward:
Equality rights have for too long been second to the interests of business. Trade is not the most impending risk posed in Brexit Britain. It is human rights which should be at the forefront of negotiations.
The Brexit path being taken is very male, very right wing, deeply un-progressive, extremely unrepresentative. if we get a chance to vote on the final deal, we owe it to the memory of the suffragettes too, to use it. And we owe it to ourselves to fight to get that vote and reverse the catastrophic path we are on.
One might have thought that the suffragettes strove to win the very right to influence political decision-making in their country which Remainers are now desperate to continue divesting to a more distant, unaccountable supranational body. But today’s EU-supporting progressives, playing their part in the culture war, instead seem to believe that the goal of women’s suffrage is the right to meekly accept or petition for rights underpinned at a supranational level, through fear and mistrust of the domestic electorate. There seems to be little to support this patronising and fundamentally antidemocratic worldview in the historical literature, but nonetheless this is what we are asked to believe.
And what can one say in response? Identity politics and the culture war have firmly taken hold of Brexit, with the progressive Left (minus a Corbynite subset) co-opting the Remain position and fiercely clinging to that stance. And since the modus operandi of identity politics activists is to identify and exploit any angle or facet of an issue which can be shown to affect designated gender or minority groups, it was inevitable that we would eventually be told that Brexit is a specific assault on women, on ethnic minorities, on gay people or transgender individuals. Because the identity politics Left long ago gave up any concept of unifying shared citizenship, many activists are now only able to communicate in terms of how a particular issue or eventuality will impact specific subgroups with competing and often diverging interests.
The downside for progressive Remain campaigners is that in folding Brexit into the wider culture war and making the issue indistinguishable from all their other intersectionality-soaked grievances, they risk speaking only to themselves. Unfortunately for them, many British people do still acknowledge the idea of a unifying bond connecting all British citizens regardless of race, gender or sexuality, even if those bonds are frayed or even inarticulable at times. Few Leave voters went to the polling booth motivated primarily by thoughts of how Britain’s future relationship with the EU would affect them and their country based on their particular gender, and many are suspicious of Remainer entreaties to view basic matters of democracy and self-determination through the ludicrous prism of their genitalia.
After two years of furious denialism and rage against the EU referendum result, Remainers among the identity politics Left have become world experts in talking amongst themselves and telling one another exactly what they already think and want to hear, with arguments perfectly tailored to their own worldview and niche obsessions. As an act of misguided, unhelpful civic engagement this is depressingly predictable. But as a strategy for overturning Brexit and re-establishing the status quo it is incredibly tone-deaf, short-sighted – and ultimately doomed to failure.
Brexit, Social Justice Watch, UK Current Affairs, UK PoliticsBrexit, European Union, Fawcett Society, Feminism, Identity Politics, Juliet Lodge, Remain Campaign, Sexism, Social Justice, The New European, Tribalism
Middle Class Saviours Against Brexit: The Arrogant #FBPE Movement
June 6, 2018 June 6, 2018 Samuel Hooper8 Comments
Middle class #FBPE-ers of Britain unite! Talk to your Brexity, working class butchers, builders, plumbers, electricians and gardeners and educate them out of their superstitious dislike of the European Union
There are few things more irritating than being called ignorant and closed-minded by a group of people who are themselves at that very moment being monumentally ignorant and closed-minded.
Sadly, this is the daily fate of eurosceptics and Brexit voters as they endure a daily barrage of insult, invective and condescension from a segment of British society who seem to believe that their naive, childlike faith in (and often equally childlike understanding of) the European Union makes them both intellectually and morally superior.
This manifests in numerous ways, from the political machinations of establishment fossils such as Lord Andrew Adonis or philosopher/conspiracy-theorists such as AC Grayling to the patronising tone in which much of the prestige media covers Brexit, both at home and abroad. But it is perhaps most visible on social media, where attitudes toward Leave voters ranging from smug condescension to bigoted hatred gather under the banner of #FBPE – Follow Back, Pro-European.
While a number of decent, thinking people still use the #FBPE identifier in their Twitter or online biographies, it is increasingly associated with age, race and class hatred-tinged attacks on “gammons” – white, working class, middle aged men who dare to express an opinion supportive of Brexit, particularly if they do not have academic letters following their name. Intentionally or not, #FBPE is becoming a redoubt of middle class, establishment resistance to the supposed horrors of Brexit – a cabal of people who believe that their moral and intellectual superiority entitles them to look down on others (at best) or even thwart their political aspirations by underhand means.
A new Twitter thread today shows the extent of the sanctimony and assumed intellectual superiority at work. Helen Holdsworth, who goes by the handle “Bakehouse Cottage” on Twitter and whose bio indicates that they are an “EU citizen” and “political theorist”, relates what she clearly believes to be an inspiring and respectful anecdote about her recent interaction with a Leave voter:
Here we see the Educated Upper Middle Class Saviour phenomenon in full action as Helen Holdsworth proudly boasts about her ability to “rescue” a benighted, intellectually limited tradesman from the clutches of his Brexity superstition.
This modern day Cicero later goes on to claim that “every one of the repair people & tradesmen has come here a Brexiteer and left a Remainer“, thus deftly stereotyping Leave voters and boasting about her immense powers of persuasion at the same time. Naturally this tale was retweeted numerous times by the approving #FBPE army, thus amplifying the dubious tale of an ignorant working class soul saved among the Continuity Remain echo chamber.
We then see this delightful exchange between Holdsworth and David Woodhouse, one of her #FBPE followers:
Take a second to appreciate the rank bigotry in Woodhouse’s tweet, and the unconcealable condescension toward Leave voters evident in Holdsworth’s response.
David Woodhouse is publicly proclaiming that he is in the habit of making fleeting impressions of people and then denying them employment if, on some arbitrary criteria, they fit the mould of what he believes a Brexiteer looks or sounds like. He proudly states that he engages in such discrimination, which while not illegal (and rightly so – the last thing this country needs is more protected classes) is certainly to be condemned.
But worse than this is Holdsworth’s reply, which truly reveals the dark heart of the #FBPE movement. While at face value Holdsworth seems to be conciliatory, she is effectively stating that tradesmen and people who work with their hands possess such a different and inferior skill set that they cannot possibly be expected to “understand the EU” or render an informed, reasoned judgment on whether or not Britain should remain in supranational political union. Furthermore, Holdsworth believes that only when such intellectually limited people have the EU explained to them “with examples” – and quite possibly sock puppets and colourful diagrams to aid their comprehension – can they be trusted to make informed decisions.
At this point, Mr. Woodhouse veers from the bigoted toward the profane:
In other words, it is just about acceptable to not hold the same unquestioningly worshipful opinion of Britain’s European Union membership as David Woodhouse, but acting on one’s scepticism by voting to leave the EU is akin to killing a child while drunk driving.
I would like to be able to say that these attitudes are rare, and that they do not represent the wider #FBPE community or the broader Continuity Remain campaign in either tone or sentiment – but I cannot do so, because these tweets are remarkable only inasmuch as they are particularly frank and unguarded expressions of a very widely-held attitude toward Leave voters. Similar exchanges can be found on social media every day, and similarly arrogant attitudes toward Brexiteers heard from members of the general public to elected politicians or esteemed academics.
Only this week, David Colquhoun – a prominent academic from University College London – after realising that I supported Brexit and failing to defeat me in open debate, decided instead to mine my blog for “opposition research”, lie about my political beliefs to his thousands of Twitter followers and then slander me by falsely accusing me of belonging to the far right:
What power do I have, with my relatively meagre social media following, to push back against the false narrative peddled by public figures who are taken seriously and unquestioningly quoted in the media? Fortunately in this case, public ridicule and the vast overreach of his argument was sufficient to protect me from any reputational harm, but it could quite easily have been otherwise, had Colquhoun been more tenacious and less sensationalist in his attack.
While Brexiteers have their fair share of trolls, unpleasant and untruthful characters – some of them in government – the Remain camp purport to hold themselves to a higher standard. Their entire self image is one of well-intentioned, educated experts seeking to hold back an uninformed, dangerous populist tide. The entire rationale for casting doubt on the EU referendum result and agitating for a retake is predicated upon a conception of Remainers as sober-minded rationalists making benevolent decisions based on an evidentiary assessment of all pertinent facts. Yet in their rage at being defied by the electorate, many of the #FBPE crowd are taking to ad hominem attacks and conspiracy theories even more enthusiastically than the most unhinged of Brexiteers.
All of this might yet be understandable (if not justifiable) if only the #FBPE, Continuity Remain crowd truly were intellectually superior and possessed of a deeper, fuller understanding of the European Union and the necessity of supranational political union. But again, this is simply not the case, as aptly demonstrated once again by Helen Holdsworth:
Here we see that the intellectual and rhetorical wonder who claims to have convinced a whole army of humble Brexit-votin’ tradesmen of the error of their ways has still not moved on from childlike, simplistic tropes about “collaboration” and the need to “work together”, as though such international cooperation were only possible through the European Union.
Remainers have had nearly two years to engage in some introspection, to revisit their old campaign talking points and ask themselves what worked and what failed, and yet the #FBPE collective are still muttering exactly the same basic talking points as ever before. One of their bedrock arguments remains the facile claim that the European Union is the only significant means of international partnership and collaboration. Still they have not produced an effective response to the quite reasonable rebuttal that other countries cooperate deeply on a whole range of issues – and even manage to avoid going to war with one another – despite not dissolving themselves into continental political union.
Remainers have had every opportunity to realise that they lost the referendum because the values and facts on which they built their case were not the values and facts which mattered most to Leave voters; because their hysterically exaggerated warnings of economic catastrophe had tipped over into the realm of absurdist bullying; because one cannot win an argument about democracy and national identity by shrieking about reduced GDP growth or wailing about the supposed lost opportunities of a privileged and increasingly divergent segment of British society. And yet they have not moved on one inch from the “holding hands beneath a rainbow” crayon portrait of European political union which led them to abject and deserved defeat in June 2016. And these are the people to whose intelligence and expertise we are meant to defer?
Is it clear to you yet that Brexit has become part of a much larger, deepening culture war, with the #FBPE crowd viewing themselves as part of the Tolerant, Open and Educated group (whilst ironically behaving in a most intolerant, illiberal manner toward those in the out-group) facing off against what they consider to be the benighted savages of Brexitland? Because the dripping contempt evident in the typical #FBPE Twitter threads shown above should make it abundantly plain.
If you voted to leave the European Union (and increasingly if you deign to hold any political or cultural position not in full accordance with current progressive identity politics dogma) then the #FBPE, Continuity Remain community do not see you as a fellow citizen with differing political views. They see you as a stupid, backward and dangerous force for evil, someone who might potentially be worth educating out of your reactionary views if you seem like a sufficiently reformable soul but otherwise as someone to be ridiculed, sidelined, excommunicated from polite society and quarantined from the political decision-making process by any means necessary.
They consider you stupid, gullible and prone to influence by shadowy villains. They tell one another behind your back that you are borderline evil, and strongly imply the same to your face. They publicly shake their heads in resignation at your lack of education and intellect, whilst having repeatedly failed to deploy their vaunted intellect to address the genuine issues which prompted the Leave vote, or even admit the legitimacy of those issues. They comport themselves as though they are the magnificent, enlightened, moral centre of the universe, basking in their avowed tolerance while shrieking “gammon!” at anybody who disagrees.
Remainers who eschew the #FBPE moniker, attempting genuine dialogue with Brexiteers – and there are many such people, though regrettably they tend to enjoy a far lower profile than their extremist culture warrior brethren – should be given a respectful audience and deserve full respect as fellow citizens diligently acting according to their conscience.
But the #FBPE collective – they whose delusions of moral and intellectual superiority are belied by their rank bigotry, illiberalism and dogmatic regurgitation of basic pro-EU propaganda – fully deserve the crushing defeat they endured in 2016, and which they now beg to relive.
Brexit, UK Current Affairs, UK PoliticsBrexit, Class Warfare, Culture War, David Colquhoun, Elitism, European Union, FBPE, Helen Holdsworth, Peoples Vote, Social Media, Tribalism, Twitter
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St. Rose Medical Pavilion > News > Community Wellness > Lancaster completes St. Rose rehab, continues exercising at gym
Lancaster completes St. Rose rehab, continues exercising at gym
By SRHC - In Community Wellness, HaysMed / St. Rose - March 27, 2017
Mike Penn, R.N., said it was “obvious from day one” that Larry Lancaster didn’t want to be there.
Lancaster, Great Bend, had been referred to Cardiac Rehabilitation at St. Rose Health Center following a heart-valve replacement and single-bypass surgery.
“Larry thought it would be a grand waste of time,” recalled Penn, Cardiac Rehab nurse. “After several visits, however, he started to warm up to it. But the most surprising thing is what Larry is doing today.
“He followed our advice and is now exercising regularly; he is in the Top 5 for attendance at a local gym. It is not uncommon for people to be resistant but Larry is testament to what can be accomplished.”
Penn noted it isn’t uncommon to resist rehab but many patients discover they want to follow through. For some, it even becomes a social event.
Both men shared this story to encourage other heart patients.
Lancaster, 69, acknowledged he wasn’t the most cooperative patient in the beginning.
“In fact,” he laughed, “they probably never had a patient so resistant. I was not looking forward to rehab at all.
“As time went by, I actually started looking forward to it. I was feeling better and the Cardiac Rehab staff is good – they are so good. They can sense when you are struggling physically or emotionally, and help you through it. They are very attentive.”
Lancaster’s heart procedures were performed on March 8, 2016. He was referred to rehab and then learned Penn is a nurse at St. Rose’s Cardiac Rehab.
“I had known Mike for years, and trusted and respected him,” Lancaster said. “It was a no brainer at that point. But that didn’t mean I had to look forward to rehab.”
He reported for duty Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for 12 weeks. His program entailed 15 minutes on each machine – the treadmill, stationary bike and recumbent stepper. Another 15 minutes was devoted to stretching.
“When that was over, I started going to the gym,” Lancaster said. “I started with three days a week and now I go five days a week. It became a habit, just part of the routine.”
The Great Bend man, who works part-time calling on oilfield-chemical customers, also noted that 11 years ago, he had a triple bypass.
“I ignored the obvious back then; you know the male mentality, don’t you? Then around Christmas 2015, I had bronchitis. I thought I was over it but I wasn’t.
“Eleven years ago and then again last year, I knew something was not right,” Lancaster said. “I had no energy or stamina. Now I have both.”
St. Rose specializes in primary care, prevention and wellness. Services include St. Rose Family Medicine, Convenient Care Walk-in Clinic, Great Bend Internists, Imaging, Cardiac Rehab, Physical Therapy, Golden Belt Home Health & Hospice and a comprehensive Specialty Clinic. St. Rose is co-owned by Hays Medical Center and Centura Health.
St. Rose Health Center complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age disability, or sex.
ATTENTION: If you speak a language other than English, language assistance services are available to you free of charge. Call 1–855-429-7633 (TTY: 1–800-766-3777).
ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1–855-429-7633 (TTY: 1–800-766-3777).
CHÚ Ý: Nếu bạn nói Tiếng Việt, có các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ miễn phí dành cho bạn. Gọi số 1–855-429-7633 (TTY: 1–800-766-3777).
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St. Rose therapist offers special technique for pain, other conditions →
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Tag: Yankee Stadium
Boys Soccer: State champion Tuckers honored at Yankee Stadium
The state champion Mattituck High School boys soccer team enjoying the Yankee Stadium experience on Friday night. (Credit: Courtesy Photo)
For perhaps one last time, the Mattituck High School boys state championship team got together for a soccer game, not to play in one, but to watch one at Yankee Stadium.
The Tuckers were among eight teams honored at New York City F.C.’s High School Champions Night on Friday. They watched the hosts rally from a two-goal deficit while playing a man down to record a 2-2 draw with the Chicago Fire. (more…)
Ben Knowles, boys soccer, Mat Litchhult, mattituck, NYCFC, Yankee Stadium
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What types of content can I share with my family using purchase sharing?
Purchase sharing is a feature of Family Sharing that allows family members to share eligible songs, albums, movies, TV shows, books, and apps with everyone else in the family.
What you can share
You can share most content that you purchased using your Apple ID. You can share:
Music, movies, and TV shows from the iTunes Store
Books from the Book Store in Apple Books
Most apps from the App Store
Purchase Sharing doesn't include subscriptions. But if you use Family Sharing, you can share your Apple Music family subscription, and your iCloud storage and Apple News+ subscriptions, with your family members.
The availability of App Store and iTunes Store content depends on your country or region.
To share apps, you need iOS 8 or later or OS X Yosemite or later. To make the most of Family Sharing, update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to iOS 11 or later and update your Mac to macOS High Sierra or later.
What you can't share
Individual or student Apple Music subscriptions and other subscriptions.
In-App purchases.
Items that are no longer available on the App Store and iTunes Store.
Items that you or another member of your family group have hidden. Learn more about hidden purchases.
Some apps from the App Store. Find out if your app is shareable.
If you're on an Apple TV, you can't access shared music.
Find out if your app is shareable
On an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
On your Mac or PC
How to see if content is shareable on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
Check all apps:
Open the App Store on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
Find the app that you want to share.
Scroll down to the Supports section.
If you can share the app, you'll see Family Sharing listed.
How to see if content is shareable on your Mac
Open the App Store on your Mac.
Scroll down to Supports. If you can share the app with your family, you'll see Family Sharing listed.
Family Sharing requires a personal Apple ID signed in to iCloud and the App Store and iTunes Store. Family Sharing makes it easy for up to six family members to share iTunes, Apple Books, and App Store purchases, an Apple Music family subscription, and an iCloud storage plan. Your family can also share photos, calendars, and reminders. You can even help find each others' missing devices.
Music, movies, TV shows, and books can be downloaded on up to 10 devices per account, five of which can be computers. iOS 8 and later and OS X Yosemite and later are required to set up or join a Family Sharing group. But we recommend that you update to iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra or later. Not all content is eligible for Family Sharing. Content can be hidden by family members; hidden content is not available for download. Content downloaded from family members or acquired via redemption codes is not subject to Ask to Buy.
If one of your family members received their content through Apple ID for Students, you won’t see it in their shared purchases. This includes apps and other content distributed through the school.
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Faculty LMS Content
(Faculty LMS) Switching Roles
(Faculty LMS) Managing Notifications
(Faculty LMS) Adding to the Path
(Faculty LMS) Editing Content in the Classroom
(Faculty LMS) Submitting Final Grades
(Faculty LMS) Setting up the Faculty Profile
(Faculty LMS) Viewing the Roster
(Faculty LMS) Managing Announcements
(Faculty LMS) CLC Groups
(Faculty LMS) Navigating the Forums
Collaborative Learning Communities (CLCs) are used for a wide range of group projects to facilitate collaboration and communication. Faculty are responsible for creating the CLC groups within the classroom.
Setting up CLC Groups
The first step in setting up groups is navigating to a CLC Assignment dropbox in your classroom. This can be achieved by clicking on the Path tab in the Navigation Menu.
Once on the Path page, select the Topic in which the CLC Assignment is due and then click on Tasks to expand the menu. Click on the CLC Assignment to go to the CLC Assignment page.
On the CLC Assignment page, click Manage Groups.
All students who have not been assigned to a group will show on the left side of the screen under Students Not Assigned. To create a new group, click Add Groups.
In the Add Group window, enter a Group Name and click Add. You cannot have two groups with the same name.
To assign students to a group, check the box next to their name(s) and click the blue double arrow button next to the corresponding group to which you wish to assign them. The group name can be edited by clicking Edit Title next to the current name.
You may also disable a group by selecting the Deactivate button to the right of the group name. Essentially, disabling a group removes access to the CLC group forum. To remove a student from a group, check the box next to their name and click Remove to place them back into the column on the left.
NOTE If an assignment has been submitted by the CLC group, the assignment will need to be reassigned before any edits can be made to the group (i.e. adding or removing members). For more information, please see Reassigning Assignments and Quizzes.
Once a CLC assignment has been submitted by a group, it can still be reassigned. For more information, please see Reassigning Assignments and Quizzes.
Viewing the Group Forum
To view CLC group forums, navigate to the assignment details page. Click the grade point box next to the student whose group you would like to view.
In the grading box that appears, click the icon in the upper left corner next to Group Forum.
Any posts that have been made in the group forum will appear below.
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Just a year since new owners revamped the food and spruced up the styling, this locals' favourite is back on the gastropub menu.
September and October are busy months for birthdays in the Muddy Surrey house so we tend to have a big family get-together to celebrate. A stylish gastropub with a versatile menu is top of our checklist, preferably somewhere mid-distance between us and the in-laws, or within easy access of the M25.
Step forward The Retreat in Staines-upon-Thames. It seemed a fitting choice as the pub too was celebrating a birthday – with it’s first birthday just around the corner after a swanky new makeover last year. What with its hot new come-hither look, and the recent appointment of a new head chef I couldn’t stay away.
You’ll find the pub on Staines Road, a little out of the town centre. To the nimble of mind, the pub’s previous incarnation as The Angler’s Retreat would strongly suggest a river setting. And while it is indeed only a couple of hundred metres from the river, there are no water views to be had so leave the rods and tackle at home.
More than a mere nip and tuck, The Retreat went in for some serious surgery a year ago and she’s come out the other side shining like a new pin. It’s an old pub – it was called the Lucan Arms, after Lord Lucan, until the late nineties – and many of the original features have been retained in the refurb.
The update has resulted in a striking mix of old and new, quirky and contemporary, with a mix of Mediterranean and north African influences. It’s a substantial pub, mostly open plan, with zoned dining spaces. It’s very much a local vibe in here – not pretentious, definitely friendly and also welcoming to kids. We went on a Saturday at lunchtime and it was busy and buzzy.
SCOFF & QUAFF
A new head chef Daniel Donohue arrived in August – coming from the popular Running Horses in Mickleham. He oversees a menu that has plenty of choice, with Starters and Salads, Burgers, Pizza (from an authentic pizza oven), Grill (offering Australian beef from Tom Hixson at Smithfield Market), and the Classics, plus daily specials. There were six around our table, and we sampled meals from across the menu. Our starters order included sticky pork ribs, glazed goat’s cheese with beetroot and rocket, mushrooms on toast and salt and pepper squid. Mine was the goat’s cheese, and a mighty fine choice it was too. But I’d have been happy with any of the others – and so were the family.
For mains, my daughter went for the burger from the kids’ menu and my son chose the Milano pizza. I gave the illusion of being healthy and ordered the classic Caesar salad with wood fired salmon, while the others went for the Mac ‘n’ chesse, halloumi burger, and the Oxford Gold beer-battered haddock and chips. Again we were all pretty happy with our choices. No crumbs left on our plates.
Puds were a must – I didn’t order the salad for nothing – and between us we had the chocolate brownie, classic Eton mess, summer berry and white chocolate cheesecake and peach and raspberry crème brûlée. Another triumph.
KID-FRIENDLY?
Yep. Kids, and dogs too. If you fancy popping in after a long dog walk up the river, dogs are welcome in the bar area. There’s a bar menu if you want food, but between 3-5pm they serve only pizza and sandwiches. I’ll be the one dozing with my pooches by the fire – just give me a shove if it starts getting dangerously close to school pick up time will you!
Staines is pretty close to the trio of themed family parks in this part of the world, with Thorpe Park the nearest at only 10 minutes away, and Legoland and Chessington World of Adventures each about a 30 minute drive. Windsor Castle is less than 20 minutes away, as is Windsor Great Park. Henry’s old gaff, Hampton Court Palace is also just 20 minutes away. If trains are your thing, the Great Cockcrow Railway is five miles away in Chertsey.
THE MUDDY VERDICT:
Good for: Relaxed dining – food is served all day so no rushing to get you in or out. Locals, families, relaxed groups of friends, casual drinkers and bar food nibblers. Veggies and kids both well catered for.
Not for: Day-trippers expecting stupendous country views, or expansive grounds. Anyone who thinks the former name brings water views – it’s a few hundred metres from the Thames. But you could still combine a lunch here with a walk along the river.
£££: Reasonable. Starters are from £5-£8; steaks are from £16.50-£30 depending on the size and cut, with sides all around the £3 mark. The burgers are £11.50 for halloumi, £12.50 chicken or beef, and £15.50 for Wagyu beef; and the pizzas are all around the £10. The Classics menu starts at 9.50 for the baked ham with double free range eggs and fries, rising to £18 for the 10oz bone-in lam leg steak with roast potatoes.
The Retreat, Staines Road, Staines, TW18 2RT. Tel: 01784 464839. theretreatstaines.co.uk
Eat outPubs & Inns
Great pub with gardens in Surrey
Going plastic free: Noel’s Farmshop
Middle Eastern pop-up
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Views: Hobart TAS, Australia by Tasmanian Geographic
Sphere: Campbell Street Penitentiary – The Chapel
July 10, 2014 Penitentiary ChapelIssue Twenty One, Photosphere, The Historical Treasurycampbell street, Convict, Heritage, immersive, photography, sphere, teleport
You can navigate in the photosphere by sliding or clicking the immersive image above.
From a History of the Campbell Street Penitentiary Chapel, by Brian Rieusset:
The Penitentiary Chapel Historic Site on the corner of Brisbane and Campbell Streets was one building that Colonial Architect and Civil Engineer John Lee Archer designed to cleverly fulfill the answer to several problems.
By 1829 St. David’s Church in Hobart Town was becoming so overcrowded that a second Anglican church was needed to enable the free inhabitants to worship in comfort, especially those who now lived in the outer regions of the town. But more importantly it was felt that a place for worship and religious instruction for the vastly increasing numbers of arriving convicts was long overdue.
In 1830, ships brought 2150 new convicts making a total of over 10,000 convicts in Van Diemen’s Land . Many had been assigned out, but a considerable number were housed in the Prisoners’ Barracks Penitentiary or as they called it ‘The Tench’. Most of these convicts were taken out on daily work parties for road and building construction, while those with bad records toiled on the barracks’ treadmill grinding wheat. Others carted and broke large rocks from the nearby quarry into small stones to be used for road works.
Although Hobart Town had originally been established only as a gaol town with many convicts and a few free settlers, facilities for the secure holding and separating into classes of such large numbers of prisoners were virtually non existent.
Convicts and free settlers alike who committed local offences were held in the town gaol in Murray Street near the corner of Macquarie Street . This small two-story building, begun in 1816, was soon falling apart as it had been constructed using inferior bricks on soft damp ground. It rapidly became overcrowded and escapes were numerous, but it remained in full use as town gaol and scene of all Hobart executions from 1825 until 1857.
In 1829 John Lee Archer designed a new gaol to be built directly across Murray Street next to the courthouse on the present site of the Treasury Buildings. It was in the shape of a cruciform with a flat landing leading from a chapel on which it was proposed to execute criminals. This building was never built, but its cruciform shape was to be used when Lee Archer prepared the plans for the Penitentiary Chapel.
Rural Dean Rev. Philip Palmer was installed as Penitentiary chaplain, but soon incurred the wrath of Lieutenant Governor Arthur by hanging a screen to shield the public from the gaze of the convicts. The screen remained even though the convicts sorely objected to being so segregated.
Complaints were also forthcoming regarding the total lack of ventilation in the chapel and the disruption to services caused by the terrible noises which could be heard coming from the chained convicts in the cells beneath the floor.
The Penitentiary Chapel was never consecrated as a church, although normal services including communion, baptisms, funerals and marriages were conducted for many years.
The courts continued with various uses as Supreme Courts, Criminal, Magistrates and Coroners Courts up until 1983, with only minor alterations such as additional toilets in 1916, electric lighting and heating and the acoustic ceiling and air conditioning of Court 2 in the 1950’s.
With the transfer of prisoners to Risdon Prison early in 1961, the 1910 Deputy Gaoler’s residence in Brisbane Street was converted to a daytime holding block with ‘cyclone wire’ cells for prisoners awaiting trial.
In order to gain access to the tunnels under the courts leading to the docks, the chapel was demolished and the wire security cage runway installed.
Thus, we have existing today a fascinating insight into Colonial Tasmania. A beautiful 1834 tower with the two courtrooms remaining virtually unchanged for over 145 years.
And the Gaol Chapel, although partially destroyed in the 1960’s, has been restored to depict the original architectural design concept of John Lee Archer’s Penitentiary Chapel.
philosophy Atmosphere Issue Two The Embassy for Southern Hemisphere Links exiles Philosophical refugees rescue coast crime satellite steady shot swamp gum imagination Fiji Avoca photagraphy Caves farming Performance usa alphabetical Issue Thirty Two mount roland Question Bugs bird waters anatomy Borders melaleuca Conglomerate Rock Issue Twenty Eight Analogy strahan Cape Raoul printing Mars climate change Feature ecotourism seals Southwest Tasmania sea sparkle The Embassy for Southern Hemisphere Links
Campbell Street Penitentiary Chapel
Situated on the corner of Brisbane and Campbell Streets in Hobart, Tasmania, the Penitentiary Chapel was built in the early 1830's according to the design of Irish born Colonial Architect and Civil Engineer John Lee Archer. Originally designed as a Chapel for the growing ale convict population in Hobart Town, the Chapel served the adjoining Prisoners Barracks or Penitentiary, which later became the Hobart Gaol. Today the Penitentiary Chapel Historic Site remains a fascinating insight into Colonial Tasmania. There is the beautiful 1834 tower with the two Courtrooms remaining virtually unchanged for over 150 years,and the Gaol Chapel restored to display John Lee Archer's original design. Come along and and participate in one of the guided tours. You can learn more at the Penitentiary Chapel website:
Penitentiary Chapel
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Google Ventures-Backed Bitcoin Exchange Buttercoin Is Shutting Down
Jon Russell @jonrussell / 4 years
Buttercoin, a bitcoin exchange startup backed by Y Combinator and Google Ventures, is closing its doors this month after failing to raise new investment.
“Buttercoin will be turning off our service on April 10th at 11PM Pacific,” the company said in a note on its website. “Be sure to move your bitcoins to another service and remove your dollar balances by Friday April 10th at 11PM.”
Any unclaimed funds will be returned to the accounts that they came from, the company added.
Unlike other bitcoin shutdowns, which are often triggered by hacks and result in customers losing money, Buttercoin is solvent and will provide users with their balance in full. The startup said it is winding down because it wasn’t able to raise new funding — that’s something it attributes to a “dip in bitcoin interest among Silicon Valley investors.”
Buttercoin launched in 2013 with the aim of tackling the global remittance space, aka money that migrant workers send to their relatives back home. It’s a huge opportunity — The World Bank estimates that some $515 billion will be sent in developing countries this year — and Buttercoin’s take was ambitious, it wanted to open local exchanges in a range of countries to facilitate cheaper cross-border currency transfer.
Buttercoin raised a total of $1.6 million from investors, including Google Ventures’ Kevin Rose and Chris Hutchins, Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, Floodgate, Initialized Capital, Rothenberg Ventures and Switzerland’s Centralway, via its first early-stage investment fund.
Yet, despite those influential backers, it looks like investors are less keen to be involved in bitcoin. Beyond the valuation of the cryptocurrency, which has found some stability this year — as the chart from Coindesk below shows — the bitcoin exchange market has found relative maturity. The rise of Coinbase, Bitpay and a handful of others — which have sucked up millions from investors and won big clients — makes the chances of a smaller player breaking through less likely. Even when that player is backed by reputed people and institutions.
Might this be the first of many casualties from the consolidation of bitcoin? We shall find out.
The value of bitcoin versus the US dollar over the past year
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‘I just don’t think he deserved this:’ Friend of Bruce McArthur’s alleged victim speaks out
by News Staff and The Canadian Pres
Posted Feb 14, 2018 2:22 pm EDT
Last Updated Feb 14, 2018 at 2:55 pm EDT
A photo of Dean Lisowick (centre) posted on the Facebook page of his friend Jeffery Tunney. HANDOUT/Facebook
A man who knew of one of Bruce McArthur’s alleged victims said he’s been “numb” since learning about his friend’s apparent fate.
Jeffery Tunney was in a College Park court on Wednesday, as McArthur, 66, appeared via video. McArthur is facing five first-degree murder charges related to the disappearances of men who are all believed to have had ties to the LGBTQ community.
One of those men, Dean Lisowick, lived with Tunney for a couple of months in an apartment near Church and Wellesley streets.
“He paid his rent on time. He was good. He kept the apartment clean,” Tunney said.
“Everybody’s been going around saying that he’s homeless. I know he was a drug addict, but I just don’t think he deserved this.”
Lisowick, who police have said had no fixed address, drifted back and forth between shelters and Tunney’s home in the heart of Toronto’s gay village, before settling with Tunney for around two and a half months beginning in 2015, Tunney said.
Lisowick moved out after the pair had a disagreement over his drug use, Tunney said. But in spring 2016, Lisowick showed up outside Tunney’s home.
“He said he was going to be back and then he never came back, and nobody knew what happened,” Tunney said.
Lisowick, who was either 43 or 44 at the time of his death, was never reported missing.
Tunney said he assumed Lisowick had simply found a better place to live.
Lisowick worked part time as a cleaner in the local bar Statlers and also earned money as a sex worker, Tunney said.
Tunney and a friend had tried, unsuccessfully, to warn Lisowick away from the sex trade, he added.
“I was a little worried for his safety because he seemed to be a naive guy that just goes anywhere,” Tunney said.
Tunney said Lisowick has a daughter who is probably around 12 or 13.
Police have so far identified only one set of remains — those of Andrew Kinsman, another man McArthur is accused of killing — and have said they continue to analyze the others.
Last month, McArthur was charged with 49-year-old Kinsman’s death, as well as the presumed death of 44-year-old Selim Esen. Both men went missing from Toronto’s gay village in 2017.
Police laid three more first-degree murder charges against McArthur about two weeks later, related to the disappearances of Lisowick, Majeed Kayhan, 58, and Soroush Mahmudi, 50.
“I want to find out what was done with Dean and I’ve been getting the runaround,” Tunney said. “Nobody will tell me what [McArthur] did to him.”
Alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur appears in court Wednesday
No more human remains found at Leaside home in McArthur case
Memorial and vigil held for Dean Lisowick
bruce mcarthur | Dean Lisowick | LGBTQ | missing men
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Daily Ratings & News for Hannover Re
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UBS Group Analysts Give Hannover Re (FRA:HNR1) a €135.00 Price Target
Posted by Linda Flegge on Jun 24th, 2019
UBS Group set a €135.00 ($156.98) price objective on Hannover Re (FRA:HNR1) in a report released on Thursday, Borsen Zeitung reports. The firm currently has a neutral rating on the stock.
Several other analysts have also commented on HNR1. Goldman Sachs Group set a €120.00 ($139.53) price target on shares of Hannover Re and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Independent Research set a €130.00 ($151.16) price target on shares of Hannover Re and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, March 8th. Royal Bank of Canada set a €130.00 ($151.16) price target on shares of Hannover Re and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 7th. Deutsche Bank set a €116.00 ($134.88) price target on shares of Hannover Re and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, April 12th. Finally, DZ Bank restated a neutral rating on shares of Hannover Re in a research report on Tuesday, May 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and thirteen have issued a hold rating to the company. The stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of €119.92 ($139.45).
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Shares of HNR1 stock opened at €141.70 ($164.77) on Thursday. Hannover Re has a twelve month low of €94.75 ($110.17) and a twelve month high of €116.37 ($135.31).
About Hannover Re
Hannover Rück SE, together with its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance products and services worldwide. It operates through Property & Casualty Reinsurance, and Life & Health Reinsurance segments. The Property & Casualty Reinsurance segment offers specialty lines comprising marine, aviation, facultative, credit, surety, and political risks reinsurance products; and treaty, catastrophe XL, and structured reinsurance, as well as insurance-linked securities.
Read More: How does equity income fit into an investing strategy?
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Trupanion (NASDAQ:TRUP) Rating Increased to Hold at Zacks Investment Research
Basf (ETR:BAS) Given a €64.00 Price Target by UBS Group Analysts
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Hemp 101: A Complete Lesson on Hemp
The myths and misinformation about cannabis, put it's helpful cousin in a peculiar spot.
Hemp use is intertwined in the fabric of human history.
Until the the classification of cannabis as an illegal drug, hemp was poised to be a billion dollar industry.
Hemp can help save farms, reduce our foot print and make us all healthier.
So, why aren’t we using it more?
Today, is a lesson in hemp 101.
We’re going to look at what hemp is, all the benefits different hemp products have to offer, and we can use hemp.
What we Mean by Marijuana
What we Mean by Hemp
What Can Hemp Do?
What is Industrial Hemp Used for?
How is Hemp Different from Marijuana?
Anatomy
Cultivation Environment
The Legality of Hemp
Hemp and the Farm Bill
Why was Hemp Illegal?
The History of Hemp
What Can't Hemp Do?
Fun Facts About Hemp
The Future of Hemp
Can Hemp Make a Comeback?
Hemp is the non-psychoactive variety of the Cannabis sativa L plant.
It's non-psychoactive,” because of the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) it produces.
Hemp contains a negligible amount of THC.
We're talking less than 1% THC here.
It’s more than being genetically distinct from marijuana plants that differentiates it.
Hemp is also distinguished by the methods for growing it, its chemical makeup and its uses.
This is further explored with the specific uses of some cannabis plants.
For example, you can use high-potency marijuana strains for medicinal or recreational purposes.
Hemp strains are cultivated for seed production or fiber.
Hemp can be genetically engineered for many purposes, which is what makes it such a useful and promising plant.
We use the term "marijuana" to talk about Cannabis sativa L. varieties that cultivated for it's THC—commonly used for recreational or medical uses.
We use "hemp" and "industrial hemp" to talk about Cannabis sativa L. varieties that are non-psychoactive and have less than 1% THC.
We're still uncovering the countless things hemp can be made into.
Biofuel, insulation, biodegradable plastic, paper, food, shoes, clothing, rope and textiles, are a few.
With this level of versatility, imagine the possibilities.
It's also a superfood!
Hemp seeds are rich in fiber and other nutrients.
It’s also an environmentally friendly, sustainable alternative and replacement for petroleum-based products.
In the same breath, hemp helps farmers on a regular basis.
Hemp breathes in CO2 and detoxifies the soil around it, which prevents soil erosion.
Making it an attractive, rotation crop for farmers to ensure the health of their harvests.
Furthermore, industrial hemp legally requires no pesticides, and it needs less water to grow, making it much more environmentally friendly than other crops.
Let's dive deeper into hemp's specific uses.
Hemp Used for?
According to founder and director of Hemp Cleans, Jason Lauve, “any product which contains petroleum can be produced from hemp, and it’s renewable.”
We also know, according to Lauve, that fabrics made from hemp have better insulation for both heating and cooling.
They’re also stronger and water absorbent, but the water also evaporates very quickly.
Ballistic material or car part.
Petroleum clean-up product or simple animal bedding.
Hemp can likely not only make it, but make it even better than its current primary material.
Hemp generally contains high percentages of CBD while remaining low in THC.
This makes hemp perfect for CBD products.
Cannabidiol is extracted from hemp—usually through CO2 extraction.
The CBD is either extracted by itself as an isolate or with other cannabinoids and terpenes for a broad-spectrum or full-spectrum formula.
Confused about the spectrum talk?
Full- and broad-spectrum CBD products contain more of the hemp plant than an isolated CBD formula does.
The additional cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids and other components extracted from the plant alongside the CBD provides what many call the Entourage Effect.
The Entourage Effect enhances the medicinal properties CBD has to offer, extends how long a CBD product can last and intensifies the experience.
We nee more research on the Entourage Effect, we mostly have anecdotal data to go on for now.
Regardless, full-spectrum—or even broad-spectrum formulas—do seem to provide better results than their isolated counterparts.
If you didn’t already guess, a CBD isolate product is when only the CBD is extracted from the hemp plant, ripped from the rest of the cannabinoids and other components.
Many who want to be still sure they can pass a drug test for work take CBD isolates thinking that there’s it's only CBD, so there’s no risk of THC showing up in their systems.
Unfortunately, unless the CBD company tests each batch with a third-party, independent lab, there’s likely to be a slip up that puts your ability to pass a drug test at risk.
Remember, the legal maximum of THC is 0.3% in any CBD product.
Consuming more than the average serving frequently or going with a CBD brand that doesn’t always test their products can lead to some inconsistencies in meeting this standard.
The CBD industry still wildly unregulated right now.
But people are trying CBD products every day and discovering the many medical benefits of cannabidiol.
Hempoline, or biodiesel, is a biofuel oil made from hemp stalks and seeds.
This fuel can be used to power engines, though it currently take quite a lot of raw material to produce any substantial amount.
More research is needed, and we’re a few decades away.
But there’s sure to be a breakthrough soon on a viable fuel option made entirely out of hemp.
Hemp is a superfood, with the primary nutritional sources deriving from the seeds and oil of the plant, as well as the heart.
The seeds are extremely nutritious, and some speculate that ancient Chinese and Indians were some of the first to consume the seeds as food.
How is Hemp a Superfood?
Hemp is also high in potassium, magnesium, L-glutamic Acid, and L-Arginine.
Though it’s packed with protein, it’s also more digestible than any other high-protein food thanks to its added fiber.
Research indicates that hemp can lead to reduced inflammation, improved brain function, better cholesterol, lowered blood pressure, lowered chance of heart disease or stroke, the potential for weight loss and increased energy throughout the day.
High in antioxidants and minerals, you can be sure to get a dose of vitamin E, vitamin B6, riboflavin, thiamin, carotene, potassium, magnesium and calcium with hemp seeds.
Hemp hearts, or the heart of the hemp seed, are nutritionally dense additions to any meal and have a subtle but enjoyable sunflower seed taste.
Of the fat within hemp seed oil, 75 to 80% are the polyunsaturated “good fats” we seek, and only 9 to 11% contains “bad fats.”
Good for the brain, hemp seeds contain omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids that amount to more than any fish and most fish oil supplements.
Finally, hemp is a viable plant-protein that has a highly concentrated balance of proteins - less than soybeans, but more protein than barley, corn, rye, oats or wheat!
We touched on it in the introduction, hemp can make rope, textiles, paper and different fabrics.
In fact, the word “canvas” derives from the word cannabis.
As its tensile strength is very high, hemp makes a great rope, string or thread.
Hemp has a high amount of cellulose, which you want in fibrous material.
Hemp is so strong that when it’s harvest correctly, it can be stronger than steel.
You’ll notice that the names don’t get much more creative as we go down the list because “hempcrete” is concrete-like bricks made out of hemp.
Want to know something coool?
We can make houses, cars, electronics, biodegradable plastics, and anything wood from hemp.
Making history in August of 2010 in Asheville, North Carolina, the first American home went back to its roots with hemp-based materials.
As hemp gains traction across the world (again), Canada and Europe have also started to build more houses with hempcrete and other hemp materials.
It’s no wonder why.
Hemp will only continue to get bigger across the globe.
Hempcrete is windproof, has strong and durable insulation and a low carbon footprint.
What more could you want in the literal building blocks of your home?
We look forward to seeing what other building materials make the switch to hemp as a natural replacement to the current material.
Though they can appear similar, both hemp and marijuana have some clear distinctions.
Hemp plants appear as skinny leaves concentrated towards the top of the plant.
These plants are skinnier and grow taller than their marijuana counterpart, with just a few branches beneath its upper body.
Marijuana, on the other hand, blooms frosty dense buds with bushy, broad leaves.
Marijuana is also much shorter than hemp because it devotes energy to grow flowers.
Hemp can grow up to 20 feet tall in hopes of reaching the sun.
The environment needed to grow hemp is vastly different compared to marijuana.
Hemp is typically much easier to grow.
It can grow in a variety of conditions and is likely to thrive in most environments.
Hemp's grown closer together than marijuana, sometimes as close as 4 inches apart.
Needing such little space, you can grow a massive amount of hemp, fast.
The typical growth cycle for hemp is 108 to 120 days.
Meanwhile, marijuana takes only 60 to 110 days.
And marijuana can only survive in very specific, tailored conditions.
Marijuana needs a humid, warm and tightly controlled atmosphere for optimum growth.
Usually, it’s recommended that marijuana is grown indoors hydroponically.
Outside, they have to be grown at 4-6 feet apart with most conventional growing techniques.
Plus, the amount of THC left in the flowers at harvest can be considerable.
The biggest difference between hemp and marijuana is their chemical composition.
A marijuana plant can contain anywhere from 5 to 20% THC, though highly modified strains can get up to 40%.
Industrial hemp contains a max of 0.3%.
Aside from THC, they contain mostly the same cannabinoids in varying degrees.
For instance, since there is hardly any THC, cannabinol (CBN) is almost non-existent.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, hemp plants can be rich in cannabidiol (CBD).
CBD, is the cannabinoid opposite THC.
It's the non-psychoactive counterpart that acts as THC’s antagonist.
And by that, we mean you can cancel out THC’s psychoactive effects by ingesting CBD.
CBD is responsible for most of the medicinal properties that cannabis is well-known for.
Combined with the other cannabinoids, terpenes and other compounds in cannabis, CBD can provide a series of medicinal benefits that we’ll touch on more later in this guide.
While people use marijuana either medicinally or recreationally, hemp has far more versatility.
Hemp has a wide range of industrial uses.
It’s the main ingredient in a massive selection of THC-free CBD oils, flower and edibles.
People use these CBD products for finding relief from pain, inflammation, anxiety, depression, insomnia and nausea.
Hemp lotions line the shelves of Walmart.
Hemp can even be used as a textile, plastic, clothing material, and countless other industrial uses.
Compared to marijuana, hemp is certainly the more versatile of the two.
It's usefulness is part of the reason hemp found it's way back to legality much quicker than marijuana.
The 2018 Farm Bill made industrial hemp legal in all 50 states.
It’s not legal to cultivate industrial hemp in every state, but the sell and use are legal across the entire nation.
Hemp plants in the USA can have a maximum of 0.3% THC, though most of the rest of the world is 0.2% or lower.
As it naturally contains very little THC, hemp is legal in most parts of the world.
Where it’s not legal, the consequences for hemp are minor or negligible.
However, a license may be required to legally cultivate, transport, or sell hemp products of any kind, especially in the United States.
There may also be additional requirements depending on your individual state’s laws.
Marijuana, on the other hand, is still classified as a Schedule I drug on a federal level.
Only recreationally legal in 10 states and Washington D.C., marijuana is still cloaked in a stigma that is slowly being broken down, albeit slower than for hemp.
Thirty-three states have legalized marijuana for some medical purpose, however, which is a big step in the right direction for legalization across the nation.
Hemp is capable of producing four times the paper per acre than trees can.
Back in 1938 popular Mechanics praised hemp as the “Billion Dollar Crop.”
But, hemp got lumped with marijuana during the 1930's cannabis prohibition.
Crushing and industry that would've been worth around $192 billion in today’s market.
Able to act as a more viable alternative across countless industries, hemp has been speculated as a potential market that can produce more than 25 thousand different products.
The global industrial hemp market is expected to reach $10.6 billion by 2025, according to a report by Grand View Research, Inc.
Hemp has a long history of chalk full of propaganda.
Kept in the dark, inaccessible to those who could genuinely take advantage of its effects.
Many of our oldest generations are still against the plant due to the reefer madness propaganda spread in the 1930s.
Hemp effectively became illegal just over 70 years ago.
The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 strictly regulated the sale and cultivation of all cannabis.
This meant treating marijuana and hemp as if they were the same plant, with the same purposes.
There was a lull in the government’s restriction of the plant during World War II when there was a massive demand for rope material.
Jute and abaca, which are used to make rope, were limited during World War II, prompting the government to start various pro-hemp farming campaigns.
Their video, called “Hemp for Victory,” aimed to help meet the Navy’s demand for rope.
Watch the Hemp for Victory video here:
Unfortunately, the governments restriction on the plant resumed once the war ended and the demand for rope fell.
Then, the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classified all cannabis plants as a Schedule I drug.
After a 60-year ban, Canada was the first country to make hemp legal again in 1998.
The US didn’t follow suit until the 2014 US Farm Bill, which allowed states to pass their own individual industrial hemp laws.
While this enabled the development and research of hemp, it wasn’t until the 2018 Farm Bill that industrial hemp was officially made legal on a federal level in the United States.
Congress agreed to the final version of the 2018 Farm Bill in December of 2018.
The bill expanded upon provisions in the 2014 version; specifically, the Hemp Pilot Programs that were created with the 2014 Farm Bill.
These programs “created a framework for the legal cultivation by states of ‘industrial hemp’ without a permit from the Drug Enforcement Administration.”
The provisions in 2018 defined hemp in legislation as any cannabis plant with no more than 0.3% of THC.
Now, hemp is legal in all 50 states, though there are some serious restrictions.
Hemp cultivation is allowed broadly, and transfer of hemp-derived products across states lines for any purpose, commercial or otherwise, is now explicitly allowed.
As long as hemp-derived products are produced in a manner consistent with the law, there is no restriction on the possession, transport or sale of these products.
However, this new Farm Bill still doesn’t create a completely free system for businesses or individuals to grow hemp wherever and whenever they want.
Instead, there’s a significant regulatory power shared by the state and federal governments.
State departments of agriculture have the opportunity to consult with the state’s chief law enforcement officer and governor to devise a plan for industrial hemp that must then be submitted to the Secretary of the USDA.
Once the Secretary of USDA approves a state’s plan, only then can the state begin operations.
The states that opt out of devising their hemp regulatory program are constructed a regulatory program by the USDA.
Hemp growers in states like these must comply with a federally-run program and apply for the proper licenses to start their operations.
The short answer? Money.
American industrialists led by DuPont executives and newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst didn’t like hemp cutting into their market’s share.
DuPont had recently started processing petroleum and wood for plastic, which is not as environmentally friendly or as economic, while Hearst owned 800,000 acres of timberland acquired from the Mexican Revolution.
These two entities led the charge in whipping the public into a frenzy over the "dangerous" and ill-causing effects of marijuana.
Strategically tarnished as the “assassin of youth,” the cannabis industry went into outlawed and unjust silence.
Hearst, is best known for his role in the surge of “yellow journalism.”
And he's responsible for publishing the largest chain of US newspapers in the late 19th century.
“Yellow journalism” refers to the pure sensationalization of journalism that took place starting in the 1890s.
Many refer to the Spanish-American War as the first “media war” because of the sensationalized journalism that sparked it all.
In short, Hearst birthed the “fake news” that still plagues the world.
Journalism has never been the same; forever tainted by the yellow journalism sensationalized need for drama instead of fact.
In poetic symmetry, the hemp industry’s reputation was tarnished for decades.
Only now, within the past two decades, has a positive light been able to burst through public perception and shine brightly on hemp.
We may be able to date hemp back further than any of humanity’s other industrial efforts.
It’s widely thought that hemp was the first plant cultivated as a textile fiber - as far back as 8,000 BCE.
There are also rope imprints on broken Chinese pottery (potential archeological hemp evidence) that’s dated back to 10,000 BCE.
Hemp’s been through it all.
The plant was used to make the 600-year old Gutenberg Bible.
Even more impressive, it’s speculated that the sails of the English fleets that defeated the Spanish Armada were hemp - what a sight to see!
“Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth and protection of the country,” said Founding Father and former President Thomas Jefferson.
He's not the only Founding Father with an affinity towards hemp.
President George Washington urged two things in his farewell address:
Don’t have a two-party system and don’t deal with foreign affairs.
But he also urged Americans to “make the most you can of the Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere.”
Not only did we not listen, but we’ve stubbornly chosen to do the opposite.
Washington encouraged the cultivation of hemp, knowing it could be a more profitable crop than even tobacco—the most popular crop of that century.
Hemp was already abundant in Virginia as elsewhere throughout the country.
We only needed to keep cultivating it and turn it into something huge!
The biggest mistake people make is thinking hemp can get you high.
There is no "reefer madness" and this sure isn't the devil's lettuce.
Hemp doesn’t have the same properties marijuana does.
It’s missing the secret ingredient, THC, remember?
This makes hemp a viable medical option for those looking to access the various other cannabinoids found in cannabis, but want to bypass the psychoactive effects THC provides.
THC is the component in cannabis plants that can get you high, and hemp doesn’t contain enough THC to give you this feeling.
Even if hemp plants contain more than the legal max of 0.3%, the amount of THC they do have is still negligible.
In other countries, you can expect less than 0.2% and even less than 0.1% THC within CBD or hemp products.
We didn’t stop using hemp for clothing until the 1920s. In fact, the first pair of Levi’s, were first made from hemp in the 1890s.
King Henry VII of England passed a law in 1535 that forced every landowner to plant a patch of hemp.
A great legend states Buddha went on a fast that lasted six years, sustaining himself with a daily hemp seed.
The hemp industry is fast-growing in popularity thanks to CBD.
While CBD products are certainly helping the industry, the 2018 Farm Bill opening up legal cultivation of industrial hemp has also helped even more.
Hemp is the quickest growing industry in the market right now.
And there are countless practical usages and bio-friendly alternatives made possible through hemp.
Furthermore, hemp’s future is generating more employment, sustainable living for local farmers and growth in local farming in the US.
There seems to be no limit to what hemp is capable of.
It can be a plastic, a tasty edible, a dog treat, a shirt, and just about anything in between.
The possibilities for what we could do with hemp are still growing, and we are witnessing history being made before our eyes.
Many speculate that hemp is already making a comeback.
Thanks to the industrial hemp laws now in place and the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills.
With the lastest polls showing almost 61% of america is in favor of legal cannabis, I think it's safe to say hemp will have a huge come back.
We’re seeing hemp in a new light as we discover more uses and medicinal benefits the plant has to offer.
With it's legality in its infancy, I am certain this is just the beginning.
Hemp finally is free from the shackles on of a schedule 1 drug.
It can once again thrive being made into textiles, ropes, lotions, cars, houses, drinks, medicine and whatever else it wants to be.
The most versatile plant on the planet, hemp can help the global economy and give farms a sustainable and profitable cash crop.
While marijuana still has a ways to go for legalization, the eco-friendly hemp plant is finally in people’s homes once more.
As the cannabis industries climb faster than any other industry in the present day marketplace, we look forward to a greener future.
Tony Hand Jr
Thrive Test
Tony Jr is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of THCoverdose.com. If he’s not smoking, writing or watching anime, then you can usually find him on the couch yelling over terrible play calling.
Nothing on this website should be considered legal advice. Please respect the marijuana laws in your state. Please read our full disclaimer.
10109 Lake Creek Pkwy #33 Austin, TX 78729
THCoverdose.com participates in various affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links at no extra cost to you! Read our full earning disclaimer here.
Copyright 2017-2019 by THC Overdose
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Punjab Elections
Bathinda ASI suspended for beating youth
TNN | Updated: Jun 4, 2019, 11:40 IST
BATHINDA: An assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of Bathinda police has been suspended after being accused of beating up a youth mercilessly.
Manvir Singh (24) of Nawa Killa village in Faridkot district was allegedly following a woman from Mehma Sawai village in Bathinda when he was rounded by ASI Kaur Singh. The in-laws of the woman had complained against the youth.
The cop allegedly thrashed the youth on Sunday. Manvir's kin Angrej Singh said, initially, they took Manvir to a private hospital in Bathinda, but was referred to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College, Faridkot. Bathinda SSP Nanak Singh said Kaur Singh had been placed under suspension. "A police team has been sent to Faridkot to record the statement of the boy," he addded.
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Kerala Elections
Kochi News
Few women, none from 'banned' age group, enter Sabarimala as its gates open after SC verdict
This story is from October 17, 2018
PTI | Updated: Oct 17, 2018, 23:05 IST
Chaos ruled supreme on the road leading from Nilackal, the gateway to the shrine
Women journalists were heckled, their vehicles smashed and young female Ayyappa devotees turned back as hordes of right activists besieged the road leading to the hill-top temple
Both the Congress and BJP have lent support to the agitation against the SC verdict
Police escort Madhavi and her family members after she was heckled by protesters while she was seeking entry t...Read More
NILACKAL/PAMBA: The iron gates of Sabarimala temple opened on Wednesday for the first time since the Supreme Court allowed women of menstrual age to enter the shrine but by all indications none from the "banned" age group could make it to its hallowed precincts amid a welter of protests and violent clashes.
Women journalists were heckled, their vehicles smashed and young female Ayyappa devotees turned back as hordes of right activists besieged the road leading to the hill-top temple, abode to Lord Ayyappa, its eternally celibate deity, officials said.
Chaos and mayhem ruled supreme on the road leading from Nilackal, the gateway to the shrine, to Pamba in the foothills from where the devotees start the arduous trek to Sabarimala, as activists of Hindu fringe groups fought pitched battles with police, leaving many injured and bleeding.
Condemnable!The way women journalists were manhandled by so called devotees is unacceptable.Who are those attacking… https://t.co/dPJ8Aa068L
— ANI (@ANI) 1539786755000
Incensed over Kerala's Left Front government's decision to not file a review plea against the Supreme Court's September 28 landmark order, protesters pelted police with stones and the latter hit right back with vengeance wielding batons with telling effect, leaving many fallen and writhing in pain on the road.
Several protesters were seen being bundled into police vehicles, while siren blaring ambulances carried some to hospitals.
Devotees wait in queues inside the premises of the Sabarimala temple in Pathanamthitta. (Photo: Reuters)
Simmering tension prevailing in Nilackal since morning erupted into raucous rowdyism as scores of activists of fringe groups heckled women journalists of at least four national TV channels and vandalised their vehicles.
National TV showed protesters wearing black and saffron turbans running after their cars, violently pounding and kicking the vehicles in a bid to stop them from proceeding to Pamba from Nilackal on way to Sabarimala.
At least 10 people from the media, including reporters and photojournalists, were injured and equipment of several of them damaged, senior minister EP Jayarajan said.
Denouncing the attacks on media, he said cases were being registered against the suspects under sections relating to non-bailable offences.
Police clash with activists as they stop a bus of protesters in Nilackal. (Photo: AFP)
Unfazed by the unfolding violence, Madhavi, a gutsy woman from Andhra Pradesh in her 40s, tried to climb the Sabarimala hills to reach the Lord Ayyappa temple but was forced to return to Pamba, menaced by agitated male devotees.
Liby, a woman from Kerala's Alappuzha, also in the "banned" age group, was prevented from proceeding to Sabarimala at Pathanamthitta bus terminal. She was escorted to safety by police.
Both the Congress, the main opposition party in Kerala, and the BJP, which is desperately seeking to expand its footprint in the state, have lent support to the agitation against the Supreme Court verdict.
State Congress working president K Sudhakaran led his party workers in a protest at Nilackal to express solidarity with Ayyappa devotees.
An embattled Left Front government reacted sharply to the protests, with the state's religious trusts minister Kadakampally Surendran calling them "politically motivated".
Surendran, who reviewed the situation and preparations for the three-month-long Mandalam-Makaravilakku-festival beginning November 17 at Sannidhanam (Sabarimala temple complex), said the government would tackle the agitation politically.
"The BJP-RSS are trying to create tension and destroy the peaceful atmosphere in Kerala for political gains. We know the agenda of the RSS and BJP very well," he said, and insisted the government did not want any confrontation with believers.
The BJP rejected the allegation, saying the government was responsible for the "collapse" of law and order.
Party leader and MP V Muraleedharan said the government should shed its stubbornness and respect the sentiments of the people of Kerala.
Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala blamed both the ruling CPM and the BJP-RSS combine for the violence.
Even as streets in Nilackal and Pamba erupted in tumult, thousands of bare-chested Ayyappa devotees waited patiently in the vast concourse outside Sabarimala for its gates to open at the appointed hour - 5 pm.
Carrying "Irumudikettu" (the sacred bundle containing ghee-filled coconuts they offer to the deity), they calmly walked past security personnel to take their place in the long queue where they would wait for hours on end for a glimpse of Lord Ayyappa.
Though older women and very young girls could be seen in the crowd, none of menstrual age was spotted.
"No girl or woman in the age group of 10 and 50 has visited Sannidhanam (the temple complex) so far," a senior official of the Travancore Devaswom Board, the body which manages the shrine, told PTI wishing not to be named.
The shrine will remain open for the 5-day monthly pooja during the Malayalam month of Thulam before being closed on October 22.
The Pathanamthitta district authority has promulgated prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC banning assembly of four or more people in strife-torn Pamba and Nilackal following Wednesday's violence and a strike called by right wing outfits.
'Antharashtriya Hindu Parishad' led by Pravin Togadia and the 'Sabarimala Samrakshana Samithi', an outfit of devotees, have called a 24-hour-long hartal starting midnight.
The BJP and its NDA partners have backed a 12-hour 'hartal' called by Sabarimala Action Council to protest the police action against devotees. The Congress said it would not join the strike but hold protest demonstrations across the state on Thursday.
Kerala: SFI students clash with each other
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'Kesari' box-office collection Day 7: The Akshay Kumar starrer war drama crosses the Rs 100 crore mark at the box office
'Kesari' box-office collection Week 1: The Akshay Kumar and Parineeti Chopra starrer sees a good extended first week
'Kesari' box-office collection Day 6: The Akshay Kumar and Parineeti Chopra starrer saw a decent Tuesday
'Badla' box office collection Day 18: The Amitabh Bachchan starrer suspense thriller crosses the collection of 'Andhadhun' within three weeks
'Spiderman: Far From Home' box office collection Day 4: The Tom Holland starrer sees a good first-weekend
'Spiderman - Far From Home' Box office collection Day 2: Tom Holland starrer collects Rs.8.50 crore nett on its second day
‘Men In Black International’ box office collection Day 2: Chris Hemsworth-starrer is the top new release this week
'Men in Black International 2' box office collection day 1: Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth starrer collects 2.75 on its opening day
‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ box-office collection Day 3: The sci-fi monster film grosses Rs 4.50 crore on Saturday
'Avengers: Endgame' box office collection Day 33: The Marvel film continues to run in its fifth week
'Oh Baby' box office collections week one: Samantha's film rakes in Rs 20.2 Cr gross
'Maharshi' box office collections day 11: Mahesh Babu, Pooja Hegde and Allari Naresh's film rakes in Rs 72.79 Cr in AP & TS
Mahesh Babu, Pooja Hegde and Allari Naresh's 'Maharshi' stands at #8
Maharshi box office collections first weekend: Mahesh Babu's film crosses Rs 200 Cr mark
'Maharshi' box office collections first weekend: Mahesh Babu, Pooja Hegde and Allari Naresh's film rakes in Rs 100 Cr worldwide
'Maharshi' box office collection day 2: Mahesh Babu, Pooja Hegde and Allari Naresh's film rakes in Rs 32.57 Cr share in AP & TS
Updated: Mar 29, 2019, 18:15 IST
Anurag Singh directorial war drama ' Kesari' starring Akshay Kumar and Parineeti Chopra in the lead roles saw a good extended first-week collection at the box office, crossing the Rs 100 crore mark in the first week itself. The film which narrates the historic tale of the Battle of Saragarhi runs high on patriotism and has managed to keep the critics and the audience on the edge of their seats. The film which released on March 21 on the festival day of Holi saw an extended first-week. 'Kesari' also registered the highest opening of the year 2019.
Read Also:Kesari Movie Review
According to the latest report on the Boxofficeindia.com, on Thursday, the film has managed to rake in a total of Rs 6 crore on its eighth day at the box office. The film has managed to collect a total of Rs 106 crore in eight days at the box office.
Akshay Kumar, who has been heaping praises for his performance in the film opened up about a terrible accident that happened on the sets while shooting the film. Akshay recalled as they were about to film one of the most crucial battle sequences in Wai, within seconds, the entire set was engulfed by fire. It happened so fast, people did not even get time to react, the actor said.
Read Also:Akshay Kumar recalls a terrible accident that took place during the shoot of ‘Kesari’
The plot of the film revolves around the historical figure Havildar Ishar Singh (played by Akshay Kumar), who led the 36th Sikh Regiment of the British Indian Army in the Battle Of Saragarhi, which was fought in 1897. The film tells the incredible story of 21 Sikh soldiers who fought valiantly against 10,000 Afghan troops.
Directed by Anurag Singh, the film also stars Parineeti Chopra, Mir Sarwar, Vansh Bhardwaj, Jaspreet Singh, Vivek Saini and Vikram Kochhar in supporting roles. The film was initially planned as a production collaboration between Salman Khan and Karan Johar and was announced in October 2017. However, Salman later quit the project.
Video: Ranveer & team '83's' practice session
The cost of Deepika Padukone's Wimbledon outfit will blow your mind!00:58
Vidya Balan's latest ‘Tak-Tuk Time Pass' video will leave you in splits!00:48
Watch: Bhojpuri song 'Baraf Ke Paani' from 'Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahi' Ft. Rakesh Mishra and Tanushree Chatterjee02:44
Malaika Arora and Arjun Kapoor give out yin and yang vibes in white and black ensemble on lunch date00:49
‘Sip Sip’ song from ‘Arjun Patiala’ is out now!01:12
Sanjay Dutt: Eagerly waiting to start shooting for 'Munna Bhai 3'00:54
Why Shah Rukh Khan saw 'The Lion King' 40 times01:21
Hrithik Roshan meets Sushil Modi in Bihar00:52
Latest Haryanvi Song 'Thade Zamidar' Sung By Kabir Sabhrwal And Aarti03:28
Latest Bhojpuri song 'Fagun Ke Mahinawa' from 'Dus Puriya Rang' sung by Mohan Singh04:02
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Raising Hope: FOX TV Series Renewed for Season Two
by Trevor Kimball, January 11, 2011
Though its sister show, Running Wilde, has just been officially cancelled, Raising Hope has been renewed for a second season. The FOX sitcom has benefited greatly by having a lead-in like Glee but loses a significant amount of those viewers. Still, the network is apparently satisfied with Raising Hope’s ratings. The 11 episodes that have aired thus far this season have averaged a 2.6 rating in the coveted 18-49 demographic and 6.26 million total viewers.
Here’s the official announcement from the network…
FOX “RAISING HOPE” FOR SECOND SEASON
FOX has ordered a second season of the critically acclaimed comedy RAISING HOPE, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President, Entertainment for Fox Broadcasting Company.
“RAISING HOPE has emerged as a comedic standout: wickedly smart, hilarious and full of heart,” said Reilly. “Greg Garcia and his great cast have established an appointment show on Tuesday nights this season, and we’re confident it’s just the beginning of great things to come.”
“I’m happy that the show is getting another year,” said Garcia. “But the fact that I’ve been trying to think of a funny quote for the last two hours and this is the best I could come up with makes me a little nervous about Season Two.”
Season One of RAISING HOPE continues with all-new episodes Tuesday, Feb. 8 (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
Created by Emmy Award winner Greg Garcia, RAISING HOPE follows the Chance family as they find themselves adding an unexpected new member to their household. The series stars Lucas Neff, Martha Plimpton, Garret Dillahunt and Shannon Woodward. Cloris Leachman guest-stars as MAW MAW.
RAISING HOPE is produced by Amigos de Garcia Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Garcia serves as executive producer on the series.
What do you think? Are you glad to hear Raising Hope will be back for season two? What do you like or dislike about it?
Image courtesy FOX.
More about: Raising Hope, Raising Hope: canceled or renewed?, Raising Hope: ratings
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Tuesday TV Show Ratings: Vegas, Hart of Dixie, Mindy Project, New Normal, Parenthood, Raising Hope, Ben and Kate
Raising Hope: 2011-12 TV Season Ratings
Glee, New Girl, Raising Hope: FOX TV Shows Renewed for 2012-13
Raising Hope: New TV Show Gets Full Season with Nine More Episodes
Running Wilde: FOX Sitcom Pre-empted; Cancellation Next?
My Name Is Earl: Did You Catch the Shout Out in Raising Hope?
Raising Hope: New FOX Sitcom; Cancel or Keep It?
Loved this show and been a devout fan since day one…… glad to see that FOX grew a pair and decided NOT to pull the plug on this masterpiece.
For those of you reading this that haven’t seen this sitcom yet….prepare yourself.
It’s like Malcom In The Middle….ON STEROIDS!!!!!!!
Grab yer popcorn and dim the lights, season two is on the way!
Yippie!!!!!!!
Pardon the faux pau…..I meant season three.
Yowsers!!!
this show is the best i love it!!! im so happy its coming back cant wait to see the new ones
B. Ersckoff
Think this show is very funny and different. Don’t understand how shows like “The Big Bank Theory,” “How I Met Your Mother,” Two Broke Girls(?)” have survived for so long when I haven’t been able to sit through one episode. I don’t even understand how “30 Rock” rates so highly except I guess too many of their peers are the ones voting for these shows and actors and they really need to thank their buddies for their loyalty because that to me is about all these shows have going for them. Sure miss the days of great and quick witticism,… Read more »
Love this show!!!!!!!!
I am so glad this show will be on for another season. I love every character, especially mawmaw! I still have every show on my dvr and watch them just to get a laugh!
My husband and I have loved this show from the first episode. Congratulations to the writers, actors and network for coming up with a lighthearted comedy, we need more of these. Thanks
G. B.
The writing on this show is so clever it reminds me of the cutting edge comedy of Will & Grace. At the same time the characters are so much like people the average middle class person knows or has in their family it’s hard not to relate. When I Googled to see if the show had been renewed I saw the headline for this site (Series Finale) and thought sure it had been canceled. I’m looking forward to more episodes! LOVE IT LOVE LOVE IT!
I love this show!! It’s a true american story. I can relate. Next They have to write a show about me. My family and I are so happy You’ll be doing a season 2 we can’t wait.
Looking forward to watching another episode. one of the few TV shows we watch. Please don’t cancel it!
Linda Garrett
The brilliant comedy writing about an idiot family takes a special kind of intelligent humor to appeal to so many people and Raising Hope not only rises to the challenge, but surpasses it. The dichotomy of intelligent humor for an idiot family is proof of the talent of the writers and actors. I love this show even though sitcoms are not shows I typically watch. I would hate to see this show cancelled because this is the only one that makes me laugh out loud. Each character adds his/her own off beat persona that plays off the others to create… Read more »
I LOVE that this was given another season. There are not too many family comedies that are this hilarious. I love every single character in the show,(espeically burt and Maw-Maw), and it’s very rare that I can’t find a character to hate.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS SHOW!! SO HAPPY IT WAS PICKED UP FOR SEASON 2. THE WRITERS MAKE YOU CARE ABOUT THE CHARACTERS OF THE SHOW—-ALWAYS LAUGH OUT LOUD FUNNY!
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NHPTV
Broadcast Dates
Overview History Where to Tune In Press Releases Broadcast Channel List
Currently filtering programmes for Any SeriesDoctor WhoDoctor Who (Miscellaneous)TorchwoodThe Sarah Jane AdventuresClassK-9 and CompanyK-9Aaru MoviesBig FinishFactualMusicGamesStageshowsRelated Items Premieres only?
«« Earliest «« #201-300 Broadcasts: #301-400 #401-500 »» Latest »»
Listing entries including Sunday 9th September 2001
Episode Broadcast Viewers Share Pos
The Armageddon Factor: Part Six Fri 29 Jun 2001 12:30am EDT
The Armageddon Factor: Part Five Sun 1 Jul 2001 12:30am EDT
The Armageddon Factor: Part Six Sun 1 Jul 2001 1:00am EDT
Destiny of the Daleks: Episode One Fri 6 Jul 2001 12:00am EDT
Destiny of the Daleks: Episode Two Fri 6 Jul 2001 12:30am EDT
Destiny of the Daleks: Episode One Sun 8 Jul 2001 12:00am EDT
Destiny of the Daleks: Episode Two Sun 8 Jul 2001 12:30am EDT
Destiny of the Daleks: Episode Three Fri 13 Jul 2001 12:00am EDT
Destiny of the Daleks: Episode Four Fri 13 Jul 2001 12:30am EDT
Destiny of the Daleks: Episode Three Sun 15 Jul 2001 12:00am EDT
Destiny of the Daleks: Episode Four Sun 15 Jul 2001 12:30am EDT
City of Death: Part One Fri 20 Jul 2001 12:00am EDT
City of Death: Part Two Fri 20 Jul 2001 12:30am EDT
City of Death: Part One Sun 22 Jul 2001 12:00am EDT
City of Death: Part Two Sun 22 Jul 2001 12:30am EDT
City of Death: Part Three Fri 27 Jul 2001 12:00am EDT
City of Death: Part Four Fri 27 Jul 2001 12:30am EDT
City of Death: Part Three Sun 29 Jul 2001 12:00am EDT
City of Death: Part Four Sun 29 Jul 2001 12:30am EDT
The Creature from the Pit: Part One Fri 3 Aug 2001 12:00am EDT
The Creature from the Pit: Part Two Fri 3 Aug 2001 12:30am EDT
The Creature from the Pit: Part One Sun 5 Aug 2001 12:00am EDT
The Creature from the Pit: Part Two Sun 5 Aug 2001 12:30am EDT
The Creature from the Pit: Part Three Fri 10 Aug 2001 12:00am EDT
The Creature from the Pit: Part Four Fri 10 Aug 2001 12:30am EDT
The Creature from the Pit: Part Three Sun 12 Aug 2001 12:00am EDT
The Creature from the Pit: Part Four Sun 12 Aug 2001 12:30am EDT
Nightmare of Eden: Part One Fri 17 Aug 2001 1:00am EDT
Nightmare of Eden: Part Two Fri 17 Aug 2001 1:30am EDT
Nightmare of Eden: Part Three Fri 24 Aug 2001 12:00am EDT
Nightmare of Eden: Part Four Fri 24 Aug 2001 12:30am EDT
Nightmare of Eden: Part Three Sun 26 Aug 2001 12:00am EDT
Nightmare of Eden: Part Four Sun 26 Aug 2001 12:30am EDT
The Horns of Nimon: Part One Fri 31 Aug 2001 12:00am EDT
The Horns of Nimon: Part Two Fri 31 Aug 2001 12:30am EDT
The Horns of Nimon: Part One Sun 2 Sep 2001 12:00am EDT
The Horns of Nimon: Part Two Sun 2 Sep 2001 12:30am EDT
The Horns of Nimon: Part Three Fri 7 Sep 2001 12:00am EDT
The Horns of Nimon: Part Four Fri 7 Sep 2001 12:30am EDT
The Horns of Nimon: Part Three Sun 9 Sep 2001 12:00am EDT
The Horns of Nimon: Part Four Sun 9 Sep 2001 12:30am EDT
The Leisure Hive: Part One Fri 14 Sep 2001 12:00am EDT
The Leisure Hive: Part Two Fri 14 Sep 2001 12:30am EDT
The Leisure Hive: Part One Sun 16 Sep 2001 12:00am EDT
The Leisure Hive: Part Two Sun 16 Sep 2001 12:30am EDT
The Leisure Hive: Part Three Fri 21 Sep 2001 12:00am EDT
The Leisure Hive: Part Four Fri 21 Sep 2001 12:30am EDT
The Leisure Hive: Part Three Sun 23 Sep 2001 12:00am EDT
The Leisure Hive: Part Four Sun 23 Sep 2001 12:30am EDT
Meglos: Part One Fri 28 Sep 2001 12:00am EDT
Meglos: Part Two Fri 28 Sep 2001 12:30am EDT
Meglos: Part One Sun 30 Sep 2001 12:00am EDT
Meglos: Part Two Sun 30 Sep 2001 12:30am EDT
Meglos: Part Three Fri 5 Oct 2001 12:00am EDT
Meglos: Part Four Fri 5 Oct 2001 12:30am EDT
Meglos: Part Three Sun 7 Oct 2001 12:30am EDT
Meglos: Part Four Sun 7 Oct 2001 1:00am EDT
Full Circle: Part One Fri 12 Oct 2001 12:00am EDT
Full Circle: Part Two Fri 12 Oct 2001 12:30am EDT
Full Circle: Part One Sun 14 Oct 2001 12:00am EDT
Full Circle: Part Two Sun 14 Oct 2001 12:30am EDT
Full Circle: Part Three Fri 19 Oct 2001 12:00am EDT
Full Circle: Part Four Fri 19 Oct 2001 12:30am EDT
Full Circle: Part Three Sun 21 Oct 2001 12:00am EDT
Full Circle: Part Four Sun 21 Oct 2001 12:30am EDT
State of Decay: Part One Fri 26 Oct 2001 12:00am EDT
State of Decay: Part Two Fri 26 Oct 2001 12:30am EDT
State of Decay: Part One Sun 28 Oct 2001 12:00am EDT
State of Decay: Part Two Sun 28 Oct 2001 12:30am EDT
State of Decay: Part Three Fri 2 Nov 2001 12:00am EST
State of Decay: Part Four Fri 2 Nov 2001 12:30am EST
State of Decay: Part Three Sun 4 Nov 2001 12:00am EST
State of Decay: Part Four Sun 4 Nov 2001 12:30am EST
Warriors' Gate: Part One Fri 9 Nov 2001 1:00am EST
Warriors' Gate: Part Two Fri 9 Nov 2001 1:30am EST
Warriors' Gate: Part One Sun 11 Nov 2001 1:00am EST
Warriors' Gate: Part Two Sun 11 Nov 2001 1:30am EST
Warriors' Gate: Part Three Fri 16 Nov 2001 12:00am EST
Warriors' Gate: Part Four Fri 16 Nov 2001 12:30am EST
Warriors' Gate: Part Three Sun 18 Nov 2001 1:00am EST
Warriors' Gate: Part Four Sun 18 Nov 2001 1:30am EST
The Keeper of Traken: Part One Fri 23 Nov 2001 12:00am EST
The Keeper of Traken: Part Two Fri 23 Nov 2001 12:30am EST
The Keeper of Traken: Part One Sun 25 Nov 2001 1:00am EST
The Keeper of Traken: Part Two Sun 25 Nov 2001 1:30am EST
The Keeper of Traken: Part Three Fri 30 Nov 2001 12:30am EST
The Keeper of Traken: Part Four Fri 30 Nov 2001 1:00am EST
The Keeper of Traken: Part Three Sun 2 Dec 2001 1:00am EST
The Keeper of Traken: Part Four Sun 2 Dec 2001 1:30am EST
Logopolis: Part One Fri 7 Dec 2001 12:30am EST
Logopolis: Part Two Fri 7 Dec 2001 1:00am EST
Logopolis: Part One Sun 9 Dec 2001 12:00am EST
Logopolis: Part Two Sun 9 Dec 2001 12:30am EST
Logopolis: Part Three Fri 14 Dec 2001 12:00am EST
Logopolis: Part Four Fri 14 Dec 2001 12:30am EST
Logopolis: Part Three Sun 16 Dec 2001 12:00am EST
Logopolis: Part Four Sun 16 Dec 2001 12:30am EST
Castrovalva: Part One Fri 21 Dec 2001 12:00am EST
Castrovalva: Part Two Fri 21 Dec 2001 12:30am EST
Castrovalva: Part One Sun 23 Dec 2001 12:00am EST
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Mobile Application Performance Monitoring Tools for iOS
by Svitla Team
Application Performance Monitoring (APM) Tools have become the industry’s standard to provide an enhanced and superior user experience and general app excellence. In this article, you will see what Mobile APM is, its tools, key metrics, and analytics to better understand how it is improving mobile applications.
Competition is at its fiercest stage today, with every company deploying applications left and right. This highly-competitive environment reduces the timeframe for the application development lifecycle, which can result in unstable or faulty performance. This new phase in application development calls for a systematic method and solution to monitor apps effectively. Let’s take a look at what Application Performance Monitoring is and the tools that are shaping the future of apps.
What is Mobile Application Performance Monitoring?
Application Performance Monitoring is “one or more software and hardware components that facilitate monitoring to meet five main functional dimensions: end-user experience monitoring (EUM), runtime application architecture discovery modeling and display, user-defined transaction profiling, component deep-dive monitoring in an application context, and analytics”, as Gartner defines it. This clear definition is essential to further exploration of APM tools.
EUM: refers to any bottleneck or issue experienced by the end user within the application.
Runtime application architecture discovery modeling and display: reviews the potential scope of a problem in the application’s runtime architecture.
User-defined transaction profiling: refers to transactions made by the end user as they transit across different paths to assess the source of a problem.
Component deep-dive application monitoring: refers to a deep-dive examination of components executed based on the previous dimensions.
Analytics: the final dimension, refers to establishing a root cause, based on data resulting from the first four dimensions, to mitigate or prepare contingencies for future end-user experience problems.
To a certain extent, it is expected that applications will fail or demonstrate an undesired behavior. Simply put, application performance monitoring examines, measures and studies the performance and the user experience of software applications. As stated above, it monitors a number of aspects such as runtime, speed, display, reliability, and other metrics that measure the optimal level of service from an application.
With variables such as numerous operating systems, browsers, connection speeds, devices, and locations it can be challenging to do local testing, so it is important to use a robust APM tool to obtain the most accurate measures of an application’s overall performance.
Now that we have a clear understanding of what APM entails, let’s dive into iOS Performance Monitoring.
iOS Performance Monitoring
As recorded by Statista, Apple’s App Store is the second largest app store worldwide with over 2 million available apps. With the vast number of applications available for Apple devices, Application Performance Monitoring for iOS increases in significance as it is all about improving the performance of apps available in Apple’s App Store.
iOS Performance Monitoring tools help track and monitor the performance of different activities such as every user action, session, finger-swipe, screen loading, and more, specific to iOS-native applications. The APM monitoring helps identify, mitigate and solve problems or issues that may arise in the app, which ultimately affects the overall reviews. There are a number of metrics that are helpful when monitoring an iOS application. Next, you will find a more detailed review of these metrics.
Mobile APM tools for iOS
In the world of mobile, the user experience is pivotal and performance is the main ingredient for providing a premium user experience. Mobile APM tools for iOS monitor backend service infrastructures for both native and hybrid mobile apps. With that being said, tools help identify root causes of detected problems in the application.
How do performance monitoring tools improve the user experience?
Everyone wants a fault-free, seamless mobile application. While this may be hard to obtain, with the right APM tool in place, it is not impossible. Every day, new tools emerge with more features and capabilities that make them better able l to identify, mitigate and resolve probable and existing issues.
User experience is considered by many the most relevant aspect of a successful mobile application. Everything is centered around the end user experience and how users interact with the application.
With APM tools, users are spared many issues, defects, and bugs that may otherwise be undetected by the development team. With outbursts of data pouring in, these tools help provide actionable insights by performing a series of tests and analytics to pinpoint areas of concern.
Types of APM tools for iOS
According to industry experts, there are three types of APM tools for mobile, including both Android and iOS. These are:
Metrics-based tools: These tools use metrics to measure and monitor an application’s performance.
Code level performance tools: Code level performance tools are based on code profiling and transaction tracing to monitor an application.
Network-based tools: These types of tools monitor and measure an application’s performance based on network traffic.
iOS app analytics
Key metrics to measure and monitor application performance
The most important metrics to measure and monitor for iOS app analytics are:
User satisfaction
Launch time and resume time
UI average response time
Error rate
Cellular data consumption
Application and server CPU usage
IOS Crash reporting and analytics
As we mentioned before, it is inevitable for mobile apps to crash. But what is the source of these crashes? The questions of “what”, “how” and “why” - are the focus of crash analytics. With crash analytics, users are able to filter crash results based on the app’s version, device, operating system, and more.
iOS app analytics for crashes is critical to the features and capabilities of mobile APM tools for iOS. Crashes can drive users away completely or cause them to interact with the application less and less as they become disengaged with the user experience and overall performance. Understanding the context behind why an app crashes can help developers and analysts alike generate a strategy to prioritize and solve crashes.
By identifying isolated and recurring crashes, mobile developers can swiftly fix these events before they negatively impact the app’s ratings.
With iOS crash reporting, you can find out all of the reasons involved in why an application crashes and understand how to solve them quickly and easily, while also analyzing how to prevent them in the future. Most tools offer smart troubleshooting when it comes to crash patterns, providing code-level visibility for the traces of an issue’s trail.
Performance mobile app analytics tools
Mobile app analytics tools take performance analytics very seriously, as performance plays the critical role of ensuring the user experiences a satisfactory application. Performance analytics is broad and encompasses a number of factors that affect the application’s end-user experience. By understanding how a given issue directly affects a user, mobile developers can work on addressing the concern, sometimes within hours or even minutes, with the help of the right mobile app analytics tools.
Performance analytics take the guesswork out of locating issues, which makes it easier, more cost-effective, and faster to fix a performance bottleneck.
Some of the key metrics for performance analytics, are user satisfaction scores, average response time, error rates, number of running application instances, traffic monitoring, application availability, and more.
With the insights gained from these metrics, mobile developers can understand how the user experience is affected by performance issues. This visibility drives upgrades for improved and enhanced applications.
Back-end analytics
Mobile developers have their work cut out for them when dealing with and managing the backend aspects of the application. Complexity is not unusual when it comes to the backend of an application, which is why backend analytics is helpful in shedding light and offering control in terms of programming languages, containers, versions, databases, and more.
While fast backend transactions don’t necessarily equal an outstanding user experience, it can definitely help significantly to track problematic events that affect the overall rating of an app. For example, with backend analytics, you can see how internal services or 3rd party API call performance issues affect the application.
Additionally, you can leverage backend analytics to understand and diagnose problems you may not have been able to uncover in backend production.
The best APM tools for iOS
Let’s review some of the most outstanding mobile application performance monitoring tools for iOS.
New Relic: One of the most widely-used tools for APM, New Relic is a tool that helps teams build high-performance, stable applications. New Relic’s toolset quickly spots and resolves internal backend services or 3rd party API call performance issues. It provides diagnostics on performance per operating system, devices, and different versions, it discovers response time, data transfer and network failures across geographical regions, and it identifies performance breakdowns across wireless carriers or networks.
Dynatrace: Dynatrace monitors the stability, performance, and usage of iOS apps in real-time. It helps users understand how and why iOS app crashes occur through statistics that trace platforms and other criteria to indicate root causes. Mobile crash reports can be filtered based on app versions and provide downloadable traces to pinpoint the root cause of crashes. In essence, Dynatrace provides insights about crashes, affected users, the percentage of crash-free users, number of crashes per minute, and crash reports.
Raygun: Raygun provides a focused approach to errors, crashes, and performance issues. It is capable of collecting errors under a single root cause to help isolate and diagnose performance issues of any kind. Additionally, it identifies users to detect who specifically is encountering errors. Among its key features, there is full-text search and filtering, multiple tracking of apps with any language/framework, a centralized platform to track errors, crashes and performance issues, unlimited end users, critical bug discovery, version tracking, automatic error reporting, and more.
AppDynamics: This tool provides real-time insights about iOS mobile application performance by continuously monitoring data categorized by device, carrier, geographical region, and more to gain visibility of the mobile end-user experience and proactively pinpoint and mitigate performance issues.
Features and Capabilities of APM tools for iOS
The key features and capabilities that APM tools for iOS should have can be summarized as follows:
Ability to monitor activities with a timestamp to identify the time in which each event occurs.
Ability to monitor calls-to-action made from real users in real time.
Ability to provide a detailed app error analysis report.
Ability to deep-dive into device data (database, memory, UI performance).
Ability to personalize metrics to suit specialized transactions.
Ability to perform compelling analytics about how the app performs on different devices and operating systems.
Ability to compare app performance from different app versions.
Ability to alert users when the app is not functioning as expected.
Ability to monitor performance by region.
Ability to monitor performance across wireless carriers or networks.
Ability to identify internal backend services or 3rd party services that affect the app’s performance.
Nowadays, speed is vital. Every minute is critical when it comes to having an application in the market, s because revenue and customer engagement are directly affected. Companies are shifting gears to embrace application performance monitoring tools to get the job of assessing performance in a quick and accurate fashion.
A shift in the market, where app monitoring tools are more comprehensive than ever before, delivers immense value to companies that want the best application performance tools in their toolbelt for software applications.
Performance, user experience, and analytics are the backbone of a successful application and APM is the solution to analyze all of the Big Data associated with applications, in order to gain insights for more compelling and substantial results.
iOS and Android App Development: What to Start With When Going Mobile?
Major Cross-Platform Mobile Development Tools
Mobile App Development Process
Enterprise Mobile Applications Development
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The Release Process
2.0 2.1 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 4.0 4.1
Standard Releases
Long Term Support Releases
The Release Process¶
This document explains the Symfony release process (Symfony being the code hosted on the main symfony/symfony Git repository).
Symfony manages its releases through a time-based model; a new Symfony release comes out every six months: one in May and one in November.
This release process has been adopted as of Symfony 2.2, and all the "rules" explained in this document must be strictly followed as of Symfony 2.4.
Development¶
The six-months period is divided into two phases:
Development: Four months to add new features and to enhance existing ones;
Stabilisation: Two months to fix bugs, prepare the release, and wait for the whole Symfony ecosystem (third-party libraries, bundles, and projects using Symfony) to catch up.
During the development phase, any new feature can be reverted if it won't be finished in time or if it won't be stable enough to be included in the current final release.
Maintenance¶
Each Symfony version is maintained for a fixed period of time, depending on the type of the release. We have two maintenance periods:
Bug fixes and security fixes: During this period, all issues can be fixed. The end of this period is referenced as being the end of maintenance of a release.
Security fixes only: During this period, only security related issues can be fixed. The end of this period is referenced as being the end of life of a release.
Standard Releases¶
A standard release is maintained for an eight month period for bug fixes, and for a fourteen month period for security issue fixes.
Long Term Support Releases¶
Every two years, a new Long Term Support Release (aka LTS release) is published. Each LTS release is supported for a three year period for bug fixes, and for a four year period for security issue fixes.
Paid support after the three year support provided by the community can also be bought from SensioLabs.
Below is the schedule for the first few versions that use this release model:
Yellow represents the Development phase
Blue represents the Stabilisation phase
Green represents the Maintenance period
This results in very predictable dates and maintenance periods:
End of Maintenance
2.0 07/2011 03/2013 (20 months) 09/2013
2.1 09/2012 05/2013 (9 months) 11/2013
If you want to learn more about the timeline of any given Symfony version, use the online timeline calculator. You can also get all data as a JSON string via a URL like http://symfony.com/roadmap.json?version=2.x .
Backward Compatibility¶
After the release of Symfony 2.3, backward compatibility will be kept at all cost. If it is not possible, the feature, the enhancement, or the bug fix will be scheduled for the next major version: Symfony 3.0.
The work on Symfony 3.0 will start whenever enough major features breaking backward compatibility are waiting on the todo-list.
Deprecations¶
When a feature implementation cannot be replaced with a better one without breaking backward compatibility, there is still the possibility to deprecate the old implementation and add a new preferred one along side. Read the conventions document to learn more about how deprecations are handled in Symfony.
Rationale¶
This release process was adopted to give more predictability and transparency. It was discussed based on the following goals:
Shorten the release cycle (allow developers to benefit from the new features faster);
Give more visibility to the developers using the framework and Open-Source projects using Symfony;
Improve the experience of Symfony core contributors: everyone knows when a feature might be available in Symfony;
Coordinate the Symfony timeline with popular PHP projects that work well with Symfony and with projects using Symfony;
Give time to the Symfony ecosystem to catch up with the new versions (bundle authors, documentation writers, translators, ...).
The six month period was chosen as two releases fit in a year. It also allows for plenty of time to work on new features and it allows for non-ready features to be postponed to the next version without having to wait too long for the next cycle.
The dual maintenance mode was adopted to make every Symfony user happy. Fast movers, who want to work with the latest and the greatest, use the standard releases: a new version is published every six months, and there is a two months period to upgrade. Companies wanting more stability use the LTS releases: a new version is published every two years and there is a year to upgrade.
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Torchwood: End of Days
End of Days was a great end for the first series of Torchwood, and they certainly did pull out all the stops for this final episode and, the result was a, thrilling conclusion to what I consider to be an exciting series.
I must admit that I didn’t feel absolutely anything when I heard the TARDIS at the end (which I will assume would be most Doctor Who fans favourite moment of the whole series), mainly because I am not the slightest bit interested in the Tenth Doctor. Part of me hopes that when Jack enters the TARDIS he has a barny with the Doctor asking where the Doctor went and why he is speaking in that crap Dick Van-Dyke style accent, and then slaps him round the face with the wet end of the Doctor’s severed hand (that bit won’t happen as he didn’t take the tank with the hand in to the TARDIS with him did he?)
It can only be the Doctor really as for some reason his hand glowed when we heard the dematerialisation sound and if that wasn’t a definitive clue as to who it was I don’t know what would be, but I think it would more interesting if it was the Master who’s TARDIS Jack ran to at the end of the episode. I know that that is not very likely, but that’s just me.
Following on from the end of the previous episode we get to see the full consequences of Owen’s meddling with the rift and boy does he start to panic when he discovers the full meaning of what has happened, but doesn’t regret it, which I suppose he wouldn’t when we was only doing it to get his missus back.
Again all of the characters had something to do in this episode and all of them (apart from Jack and Gwen) had a vision telling them that they had to open the rift in Owen’s case it was Diane again, with Ianto it was Lisa in her pre-cyberwoman persona and with Tosh it was her mother. This was a good idea as they all had to have a reason to try and make sure the rift was opened again and what better reason that to have someone who you care about, because otherwise you wouldn’t either have bothered.
With Gwen it was the possibility that she might lose Rhys, even though she did often seem to be that concerned about him, I think that she really does love him but she wants to have her normal life with him, and the excitement of her life with her mates at Torchwood as well and it is patently obvious that she cannot really have both, and at times did chose the Torchwood crew over him.
It was certainly a shock to me when Billis actually did stab Rhys because you (well I did anyway) actually believe that Rhys was safe with being in the cells at Torchwood, and even when he did leave the cells, I still did think that he might have been able to escape, but of course the rather strange Billis actually did it the end.
Billis Manger was in this episode just as odd as he was in the previous episode and we still know no more about him that we did in the previous episode. He is certainly not human, or at least not a pure human and that was much is obvious with his ability to project himself into a police cell and then being able to disappear seemingly at will.
I have heard a theory that he might be a Timelord, which as they have now mentioned Gallifrey in Doctor Who, seems plausible and I for one never believed that there was no other Time Lords in exsistence. I am still not sure that Jack is pure human either, perhaps he might be a Time Lord as well. You never know, and I wouldn’t put it past RTD at all.
There were a load of interesting ideas in this episode and it is quite possible that some of them might have made interesting storylines in their own right, such as an outbreak of the plague in modern day Cardiff, which could possibly work in a Doctor Who setting if it were done right. If I had a main criticism of the episode it was that that could have been an episode in its own right, and who is to know that it might not be in the future.
One thing that made me laugh was the little piece of rolling news on the news reports that the Beatles were on the roof of Abbey Road studios. It was nice that other temporal refugees were mentioned such as the samurai running amok through the streets of Tokyo, but I wonder why Diana wasn’t thrown back, perhaps she never actually made it through the rift, and if she had of done, would she just have vanished at the end of the episode when the rift was sealed once more?
I thought that it was quite good to see the other crew members actually standing up to Jack for the first time, although I did think Owen shooting him was probably a little too far to go, but that allowed Jack to let everyone, apart from Gwen, to know a little bit more about him. I would assume that revelation will bring the characters a bit closer together in the second series (if Jack makes it past Doctor Who this coming season that is), because they all now know that Jack is virtually indestructible. That may well change the dynamic of the crew next series.
So we now come to the end of the first full series of the first spin off from Doctor Who, and I for one can say that, for me at least, the series has been everything that it could have been and was pretty much what I thought it would have been like. I can’t say that I had particular hopes for the series, because I didn’t, but I was more than happy with the finished results and look forward to the second series.
Posted at 16:57 in Adam Stone, Torchwood: End of Days | Permalink | Comments (19)
Quatermass & The Shit
What is this deathly chill I feel? Is it the life-draining shadow of the Son Of Beast? No, it's the flashbacks to The Time Monster before the opening titles have even started, and from then on it's downhill all the way. Abaddon all hope ye who enter here.
Admittedly, End Of Days isn't the worst Chris Chibnall episode of the season. There is at least a sound core idea in here, it feels suitably epic provided you can get your head round how insane as all arseholes it is, and you can count on Chris Chinball to give everyone something to do, even if it's entirely the wrong thing. But it's all buried under a mountain of turds, a vast Pythonesque cavalcade of out-of-nowhere excess and pseudo-biblical David Koresh prophesising cobblers. Almost every intelligable word of dialogue is a portent of doom, some new apocalyptic gabble lifted from Ianto's copy of Old Moore's Almanack, or a jarringly smarmy one-liner. That's when you can actually make the words out when the cast aren't screaming out their rage at each other, at the world in general and at the viewing audience hanging onto their seats lest they be blasted clean out of the room. Everything about Chibnall's horrible writing can be summed up by Ianto reading Daniel chapter 12 direct from the Bible, and managing to get the verse number wrong. Chibnall wastes no time in flaunting his own juvenile crassness, losing me ten seconds in with Gwen's 'nice arse' quip as Rhys moons his wobbly mastodon buttocks for the camera. No real-life adult couple I've ever encountered has shared his episodes' sniggering soggy-biscuit attitude towards anything to do with sex or romance, or if they did they had enough taste and dignity not to share it. STOP IT! IT'S NOT NICE AT ALL!
"Abaddon all hope ye who enter here"
And by now EVERY SINGLE AUTHORITY FIGURE ON PLANET BLOODY EARTH knows about Torchwood and its activities. And if PC Andy's understandable attitude to this bickering, broken, power-corrupted bunch is anything to go by, they all openly hate Torchwood's guts, but like an abused child, sit back every time and let their terminal fuck-ups assrape them one step closer to potential oblivion, instead of taking matters into their own hands, because Daddy obviously knows best. Who in the name of blue, blistering Christ gave Fulchester United effective life-or-death power over all human creation? How are they able to walk down from the Hub to the local boozer without getting lynched? IT'S. UTTERLY. STUPID.
"All our actions have consequences." On this show? Do they fuck.
But hey, it's the wham-bam final episode. We need action! Adventure! Really wild things! Screw common sense. Let's instead try and wring some scrap of tension out of all the diseases which mankind has already conquered, because, you know, medical science throws all its research away once they're done with it. (Though Owen, in acknowledging the threat of future plagues and infections, as well as Ebola, manages to redeem this scene.) Let's watch Gwen wail like a foghorn as she cradles the corpse of a man she's been an utter bitch towards for the best part of three months. Let's have Jack's posse of masturbating baboons cast off every advancement they made in the previous episode as they join Owen, a misogynist who still refuses to accept that his woman told him to fuck off, in letting their own inability to grow up dictate the future of the human race. Let's watch Owen blackmail Jack with knowledge that he stole in order to crap all over his authority and doom the world in the first place. Then for an encore, how about if Owen pumps Jack full of lead knowing full well this will achieve absolutely nothing except to prove Jack's whole point about them all being the least life-qualified meat-puppets you could never want. Oh God, what am I doing wasting my breath on the BLATANTLY OBVIOUS?
"Everything about Chibnall's horrible writing can be summed up by Ianto reading Daniel chapter 12 direct from the Bible, and managing to get the verse number wrong"
And where is all this empty noise leading us? For half an hour, your guess is as good as anyone else's. The world's going to hell, but instead of putting their differences aside, they stand around and argue. Lots. Who am I supposed to root for? I'm damned if I'm going to side with Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo when all previous experience tells me Jack is right, but at the same time if there really is no solution, the story will add up to as big a pile of nothing as the last time Jack couldn't be bothered at the end of Small Worlds. But at least Owen is finally given the boot we've waited far too long for as Jack lays it on line - you're with him, or you can get out. And since nothing Owen has done all season has warranted the slightest bit of sympathy, retconning the bastard would only be doing him a favour. Treasure this scene, as it's the nearest Chibnall ever gets to advocating consequence, until Owen just strolls right back in later. Wha'? Bilis Manger - you remember him, since it hasn't been seven episodes since his last appearance - is tormenting the Torchwood underlings with visions of loss in order to persuade them to open the rift. That much is clear enough except, er, Owen already opened it. But who is he? Why is he doing this? Is he an alien? A Time Lord? His "I'm so sorry" quotient outclasses even David Tennant's, but that's the only other clue we get over Captain Jack Harkness that Bilis is more than he looks. The whole point of a mystery is to keep introducing fresh twists to keep you guessing and interested, instead of throwing up a brick wall until the goose is ready to have 'boo' said to it.
And his clock shop is called 'A Stitch In Time'. How insufferably smug is that?
Bilis murders Rhys. This is actually the one plot thread that's had some thought put into it, as Gwen's grief and rage turn her into the catalyst that the others rally around, but since her on-screen time with Rhys has almost always featured their relationship deteriorating, I'm not sure what to believe. More shouting and loud noise, followed by even more loud noise as Owen's .32 calibre wins the argument and the rift is opened. This bit, at least, is good; enough so that I wished that season one of Bollocks 7 could have ended right there with the Huberator destroyed and Roj Jack drifting off into the wild blue yonder for possibly the final time. That would have been a good cliffhanger, but no such luck.
"My own hunch is that in Chibnall's original script Bilis is a refugee from Refusis II, since it refuses to tell us, refuses to make sense and refuses to credit us with any intelligence whatsoever"
Because now the last remaining shreds of plot credibility go straight out the window as, completely out of left field with no buildup whatsoever, the Gilliam-animated monster cat from Monty Python's 'Killer Cars' sketch stomps into view heralded by Bilis, an empty street and a car alarm. A bit more mystical mumbo-jumbo from Theodore Maxtible and then as if by magic - ping! - the shopkeeper disappears, leaving us still none the wiser as to his real identity, his ability to time-slip, or even his motivations or what he expected to get out of all this. My own hunch is that in Chibnall's original script Bilis is a refugee from Refusis II, since it REFUSES TO TELL US, REFUSES TO MAKE SENSE AND REFUSES TO CREDIT US WITH ANY INTELLIGENCE WHATSOEVER. Why am I still WATCHING THIS!
But then just when you think it couldn't get any more ludicrous with the whole of Cardiff spontaneously keeling over from the sheer inanity of it, even the visual effects decide to plummet straight to hell in the same overstuffed handbasket as Jack is somehow able to shout above the cacophony and grab the Beast's attention from fucking MILES AWAY! Go back and look at it - Abaddon even performs a double-take! Jack's vain attempt to commit suicide and go down with the show - his screams of agony roughly mirroring mine by the point - comes to nothing since his battery storage potential - presumably from tapping an infinite number of land cards a la Magic The Gathering - is greater in one small human frame than that of the rest of humanity combined, and 'the life-eater under whose shadow the whole world shall die' doesn't have the sense to WALK AWAY once he's feeling full up. After ten seconds. The sequence flatly contradicts itself and crawls right up its own illogical mobius strip-shaped arsehole with barely two sentences having been said.
And so it's Planet Mondas time for Abaddon. Entry to exit in the space of under FIVE MINUTES. Worst. Big Bad. Ever.
With Abaddon gone the rift itself has likewise given up and died for no adequately explained reason which means that - God only knows how - none of the episode ever happened. This kind of Big Finish non-twist is lazy enough, but it once again reaffirms that like George W. Bush, this quintet of nincompoops can pull whatever shit they want and NEVER EVER have to face the music for it. But hang on... if the Torchwood gang can still remember the event, doesn't that mean that the REST OF THE WORLD also remembers what happened and HOW TORCHWOOD WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR IT THEMSELVES? What are they going to do, stand enigmatically on a building and announce "sorry, our bad"? It's going to take a bit more than an apology to placate the orbital laser satellites and nuclear warheads no doubt streaming towards Cardiff at this very moment.
"What are they going to do, stand enigmatically on a building and announce 'sorry, our bad'? It's going to take a bit more than an apology to placate the orbital laser satellites and nuclear warheads no doubt streaming towards Cardiff at this very moment"
But it's not over yet as the episode still has one final sucker-punch to deliver; namely, the worst Christ complex I've EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. Yes, after laying down his life in the cause of righteousness, Jack lies in state for several days surrounded by his followers who suddenly can't constrain their own love for him; he rises from the dead (though to his credit, Jesus didn't need a Prince Charming kiss from Cinderella's ugly sister), forgives everyone for their sins (with the obligatory male-on-male snog, and we all remember what happened the last time Ianto - sorry, Judas - did that) and gets taken up into heaven via the TARDIS. The glow surrounding the Doctor's hand isn't from the Time Vortex, it's from the kinetic energy built up from it making frantic wank-gestures at this whole sequence. And the whole farrago takes LONGER THAN ABADDON'S ENTIRE SCREEN TIME. Gaaaaaaaaaaah.
If you sat the proverbial infinite number of monkeys down at an infinite number of typewriters, they could eat the paper and typewriter ribbons and SHIT a better season ending than this. But don't take it out on Jack - after all, he's finally happy, he's the only one with regenerating braincells and he's earned his wish and escaped this mess. This is supposed to be our 'cliffhanger'? The only one I see is the prospect of a second season of the Scooby gang - now with a mean of twenty-five percent more cretin - unravelling the fabric of reality without a worldy-wise commander to constrain them back. As Owen remarked earlier, 'everything is out of synch.' Too bloody right mate.
"Oooooooh NASTY," says Russel T Reguard. "Now you must wait while the Hub shifts to another phase. When will the aliens come? Who knows? But remember, when Cardiff burns... the nightmare returns."
The Humper Book Of Sexually Torchwooded Diseases has this to say about End Of Days: "You people love any story that denies the randomness of gzornenplatz."
Posted at 21:21 in Dave Sanders, Torchwood: End of Days | Permalink | Comments (23)
To Shanshu in Cardiff
I’ve finally come to the conclusion that Torchwood is to sci-fi what Big Brother is to modern TV: one great big guilty pleasure.
There were times in this final episode when I got so caught up in the bombastic pace, the in-yer-face characterization and the punch-the-air cliff-hanger that I completely lost all awareness that I was watching one of the silliest, most non-sensical pieces of television I’ve witnessed in a long time. Forget the bad science; it’s the bad science-fiction that has proved to be Torchwood’s fitting epitaph.
In fact End of Days has all the faults of this stumbling, shambling spin-off of a show in microcosm: plotting so juvenile as to insult even the Sarah-Jane demographic; characterization so broad as to belie the idea that writer Chris Chibnall even knows any real people; and an ending which simultaneously makes you want to scream with delight and hide your head in shame at the same time. It’s a good thing I watched this sober as I may not have crawled out of the bottle again.
So, that plot then - it’s something out of the early days of the DWM comic strip, innit? Roman centurions found marching along the streets of modern Cardiff. UFOs circling the Taj Mahal - just after all those pesky Cybermen have been seen off too - and just in case we’ve forgotten how much of a reheated ready meal of a Joss Whedon show this series has been, a CGI monstrosity to top things off. I mean, when someone mentioned putting the kitchen sink into this series finale, they forgot to say leave out the aga, the twin hob and the dish-washer too.
And don’t you just know that Gwen’s hapless boyfriend Rhys’ days are numbered the minute you see the pair share a tender moment for the first time since about fifteen minutes into episode one. Subtlety has never really been Torchwood’s key strength, but there’s so much shoe-horning of elements here that you feel like sitting in front of the telly with a ballpoint and a tick-sheet. And when Ianto starts quoting the passage from Daniel - bible-quoting never being a good sign for a series trying desperately to pin some dramatic credibility to its malnourished bones - you know the apocalypse is at hand; and that Torchwood’s days are seriously numbered.
Forget the bad science; it’s the bad science-fiction that has proved to be Torchwood’s fitting epitaph
But if anything, 'End of Days' feels more like the bastard offspring of those two behemoths of modern television: Big Brother and The Apprentice. Like the former, the housemates of the Hub finally turn on the supposed leader of the group when they get the scent of revolution in the air; while the latter proves that Jack’s own brand of man-management skills come straight from the book of ‘I’m right, you’re wrong’ diplomacy. It would have actually been rather fun to have had a special diary room confession area put aside for each of the team to air their thoughts during the cataclysmic events of this finale. It would have made the histrionics of Nikki seem like the quiet musings of a shy and retiring librarian in comparison.
But put your brain in neutral and your critical faculties on the back burner, and there’s a lot to enjoy that you know you really shouldn’t. And like the recent Christmas excesses, you just know that you’re gonna pay for it in the New Year. Take Jack’s ‘Logopolis’ moment when he gets to deliver a few home truths to his less than welcome colleagues. Or how the barely concealed contempt that the members of this most disorganised group of world-defenders boils over into Tarantino shouting matches and gun waving turned up to eleven. But surely it should have been Ianto and not Owen who delivered the killing blow to their supercilious boss, what with the evening-out of matters that the cleaner-upper’s character has demanded ever since his girlfriend got totalled? If Torchwood had any real balls then surely the fall-out of this episode’s home-truths would have left the remaining members glad at the thought of their leader’s death; not hugging and kissing him like a returning prodigal brother following yet another resurrection. It’s this sort of flim-flam characterization that so inures people to Torchwood, not to mention that characters do things simply to serve the plot rather than because it’s what a real person would actually do.
Gwen's reaction to Rhys’ death is heart-wrending; her temporary insanity in the aftermath about the most believable thing done by anyone in this show yet
And how exactly does sealing the rift - which no-one exactly wanted opening in the first place anyway - reset all the strife that has been done? I mean, time’s not been reversed - if it had, surely no-one would remember any of this happening - and seeing as the Caretaker who murdered Rhys was himself a time-traveller, surely his actions are exempt from any deus-ex-machina-style wipe-clean anyway. And while we’re on the subject, what exactly does Abadon the Devourer suck out of Jack during their final face-off? His vortex-induced immortality? His life-force? His teeth-whitening? Or was it something that explains why Jack had such a contented expression on his face while lying on that mortuary slab..?
But somehow - somehow - amidst all this panto-style running around there is (that word again) a heart to 'End of Days' that makes you want to forgive Torchwood all its inumerable foibles and give it a nice warm mug of cocoa. And alone amidst a sea of snarling, bitching stereotypes, Eve Myles finally shows some of the acting credentials that got her noticed by the boffins at BBC Wales in the first place. Her reaction to Rhys’ death is heart-wrending; her temporary insanity in the aftermath about the most believable thing done by anyone in this show yet; and it’s only spoilt by the fact that - having against hope got the love of her life back - she only goes and abandons him again to go and sit with Corpse Jack.
Go on, admit it. Tell me you didn’t feel just a tiny thrill when the sound of the TARDIS engines whisked Jack off...
Ah yes, Jack. Like a certain vampire-with-a-soul before him, Jack gets to fulfil his prophecy and regain his humanity by sacrificing himself to save the whole world. At least, that’s what I’m reading into what happened in those admittedly confusing final moments. Redemption or resurrection, you choose for yourself. But whether it be Gwen’s love or something else that once again brings him back from the grave, you feel that particular issue will be left for Season Two to decide. But knowing this show, there’s about as much chance of that as Torchwood having two consecutively bullet-proof episodes.
Which leaves us with just that cliff-hanger. Go on, admit it. Tell me you didn’t feel just a tiny thrill when the sound of the TARDIS engines whisked Jack off to Doctor Who and God knows what convoluted explanation to his ongoing story arc. Personally I just knew from the moment that the Doctor’s severed hand - a plot point only us die-hard aficionados will have even taken any notice of, remember - started shaking around like a trapped animal that RTD just couldn’t help himself from tying his two love-children inextricably together. No doubt putting the whole debate regarding the morality of having an adult series so dependant on the viewership of a children’s show firmly back on the front burner.
I guess you’ll just have to humour me for this; but as one of Torchwood’s biggest latter-day apologists, I loved 'End of Days' despite all the reasons I shouldn’t have. And if you think I’m mad for doing so then I guess - like the employees of that particular organisation - we all end up alone sometimes.
(Cough) Roll on Season Two! (Cough)
('The Torchwood Book of Made-Up Facts' has this to say about End of Days: devotees of this show are now collectively known as ‘Jack’s f**k buddies’)
Posted at 20:49 in Sean Alexander, Torchwood: End of Days | Permalink | Comments (6)
Jack f**king Harkness
If you're waiting for the BBC Two repeat don't read this review. I wouldn't want to spoil it for you because it's a treat really. Everyone on Outpost Gallifrey is giving it five stars. Now for the rest of us ...
What - the fuck - was that?
It's perhaps fitting that the final episode of Torchwood, after what has, at best, been a variable season should be utter bollocks. But when the announcer beforehand suggested that there may be strong language, I really hadn't expected it to be from my own lips as I resorted to a mixture of swearing at the sheer awfulness masquerading as quality drama and laughing so hard I nearly pissed myself. After blast of comedy that was The Runaway Bride, the intricate beauty of radio Who yesterday and the joy of The Sarah Jane Adventures earlier, I might have known Torchwood would ruin this Whovian marathon like a pissed streaker knocking over Paula Radcliffe just inches away from the finishing line and a world record.
But actually, no, I should really save my enmity for the End of Days until I've dealt with Captain Jack Harkness, the first episode tonight, not the man. Because, and I'm sure this'll be a total surprise considering the opening paragraph to this review. I really quite liked it. And not just because Ianto finally got around to shooting Owen. In keeping with most of the season, of course some elements were entirely derivative, this time of anything from Back To The Future to the underrated Frequency, with a character lost in the past leaving clues to some future friend to help them escape and the well worn conceit of not being able to tell someone about their fateful future.
Where it really scored was as a character piece which developed some of the mystery of Captain Jack which has been brewing since the first series of Doctor Who.
Where it really scored was as a character piece which developed some of the mystery of Captain Jack which has been brewing since the first series of Doctor Who. For the first time in ages he seemed to be somewhat close to his old self, compassionate without being deadly really wanting, with a Sam Beckett Quantum Leap vibe to give the man whose identity he would 'borrow' the best final night he could, and with, for once, lots of romance. Well alright it was a bit of a coincidence that he should meet his name sake in Cardiff on that night of all nights, but sometimes this kind of serendipity can work well in drama and it did here. The sudden reappearance of what looked like the basement from New Earth jarred, but the recreation of the rest of the period setting was lovely and the introduction of wartime animosity towards Tosh was surprisingly realistic.
Pleasingly, however, the contemporary scenes ran in parallel and the whole benefited from having a definable goal to work towards, the find of the equation, the opening of the rift. Considering that this was a Doctor Who spin-off tackling time travel at least it was doing something else with it, really showing the consequences of potentially being lost in time. Pity Owen though, that, even when he's doing something for best of intentions he still came across as a twat and when the bullet pierced his shoulder it really was a shame that it wasn't his head (for reasons that'll become clear below). I genuinely thought they were going to kill him off, so the only real disappointment of the episode was that he lived to snarl another day. My only real question is -- what was the missing dongle from the Rift Machine doing in a grandfather clock in some random dance hall?
Barrowman probably gave his best performance of the season and he was aided by a feisty turn from Naoko Mori revealing once more what a wasted opportunity the persistent focus on Gwen all season has been. It's just a shame that the apparent loyalty between whatever his name is and Tosh wasn't carried over to the next episode - but this is the upbeat part of review so I'm really not going there yet. Matt Rippey as the real Jack was excellent too, very touching as a man divided and for once a guest cast member who worked within the ensemble rather than overshadowing them (which is actually a good thing). Murray Melvin as the time hopping Bilis, who I'm sure will eventually be revealed to be Gary from Goodnight Sweetheart at pension age, was particularly creepy in his scenes and if I'd had a week between episodes I really think I would have been looking forward to seeing what they did with him. Thank god for that.
Matt Rippey as the real Jack was excellent too, very touching as a man divided and for once a guest cast member who worked within the ensemble rather than overshadowing them (which is actually a good thing).
It's a pity then that it was all for naught as, after a quick flash of the logo, the series once again plunged headlong into a vat of manure. The trailer for End of Days was quite promising with all the visitations from the past and Sarah Hughes in The Observer built my hopes up further by suggesting that 'this excellent finale shows' that the programme 'has potential'. Sarah, given that you also say that the scripts needed tightening up how can you justify this episodic mess as being 'excellent'. Were we watching the same programme?
Y'know the one were they didn't seem to have a clue how to finish the season so decided to pull a hitherto unheralded fifty-foot demon out of the ground and have it stomp all over Cardiff, which looked half amazing but made NO FUCKING SENSE WHATSOEVER? At least when Buffy revealed the First Evil it ran with it for a whole season and didn't just trot it out in the closing twenty minutes. We've seen surprise aliens before, but this appeared without any logical foreshadowing.
It's a shame because the episode began quite well with the cameo from Carrie Gracie from News 24 and the indications of all the timeslips across the world (the sudden appearance of The Beatles on the roof of Abby Road studio is a good thing). This created the potential for an epic battle with time, a season long story of attempting to send everyone back where it came from Invasion of the Dinosaurs style. But then Torchwood, the series and the organization, did what it always does, sits around in the hub having an argument and then interacted with the big epic happening by meeting a Roman Centurion in a police cell and a couple of extras in a hospital. Not even the sudden appearance of PC Andy, the man who is a regular in the good version of the series in my head, with his lovely acting could save the tedium. While the idea was probably to make the big, small, how boring is that?
But then Torchwood, the series and the organization, did what it always does, sits around in the hub having an argument and then interacted with the big epic happening by meeting a Roman Centurion in a police cell and a couple of extras in a hospital.
The episode was, well episodic, so once all the stuff that was happening across the globe had been established and they'd made the ooh two visits to see what was happening in Cardiff (hardly the montage sequence in Ghostbusters is it? And we know they've seen Ghostbusters) everything finally came home to roost after yet another argument in the hub and Owen finally being kicked out (well until he sneaked back in later). This was spoilt by taking about half an hour as Owen knocked on for no readily apparent reason about retcon again. Get out of there. No one cares and this has zero to do with what is to come. This was another example of Torchwood dropping in useless exposition that would not be paid off later when it should have been consolidating the overall story of the coming apocalypse.
Meanwhile, the sudden appearance of Lisa to Ianto in the trailer was revealed to be - nothing more than a vision cooked up Buffy First Evil style by whatever lies beneath to try and get them to open the rift. Again. And for the lucky people who might have skipped every other episode there was the usual nano-flashback to explain who she is, although I wonder how many people would actually recognize her without the metal bondage gear and high heals. Same thing happened for Owen and although it was, nice, seeing these old faces again I don't think their presence was really explained or how whatever it was had read their mind.
The not unexpected visit to the caretaker's shop was marred by being apparently minutes after Owen had been kicked out of the hub and a repeat of the characterization incongruity that occurred in Countrycide after Owen and tried to dry hump Gwen up against a tree. After telling Jack what to go do with himself after kicking out her fuckbuddy, who let's be clear on this, has potentially brought about the end of the world, Gwen's in the shop cracking jokes again and joshing with whatever his real name is. What is it with this characterization? Shouldn't she still be a little bit pissed off?
The not unexpected visit to the caretaker's shop was marred by being apparently minutes after Owen had been kicked out of the hub and a repeat of the characterization incongruity that occurred in Countrycide after Owen and tried to dry hump Gwen up against a tree.
As usual, there was no urgency to the scene and at no point have we being reminded of the stakes. Bilis is back, still creepy, still possibly a really interesting character. Is he a timelord? Probably not, but his sudden CGless disappearance into time was fairly interesting even if the scene lacked momentum. It's at this point then that the episode went totally off the rails as though all sense had left the writing and directing process and the story was being put together by a group of chimps playing a Torchwood Roleplaying Game.
Well alright I can see now what they were doing. Bilis gives Gwen vision of the future and the death of Reece. Gwen takes Reece to Torchwood. Bilis breaks into Torchwood and kills Reece. Cue tragic music and much emoting from poor Eve Myles, who was acting her heart out for nothing. Inevitably, this being Torchwood I assumed that they really had killed her boyfriend, it being entirely likely that he'd been pottering about in seven odd episodes, shouting now and then, so I was pretty incensed. That fact that now I'm only realising that he was murdered by Bilis to turn Gwen to the point of wanting to open the rift either means I'm very slow or it simply wasn't made very clear in the episode. Probably the former.
You see you really have to wonder what goes on in the tone meetings when Owen just wonders back into the hub, the gang standing over the corpse of Reece and Tosh grins like she's just won the lottery, whilst and let's make this again quite clear, the world is ending and it's his fault. At least this led into the best part of the episode when John Doe launched into a list of everything the team has done wrong all series and pays off everything I've been saying. It wasn't quite the meta-joke I was expecting but at least it showed that he was aware of the mistakes the other characters had made, bravely underlining the fact that this is the series that has no likeable characters whatsoever. It's a misfortune then that, well alright let's call him Jack for now, received the gun shot to the head as this bunch of jerks showed the loyalty we've loved to see from them all these episodes.
You see you really have to wonder what goes on in the tone meetings when Owen just wonders back into the hub, the gang standing over the corpse of Reece and Tosh grins like she's just won the lottery, whilst and let's make this again quite clear, the world is ending and it's his fault.
Now I have to admit to the next section of the episode being something of a blur. I remember cheering when the hub was blown up Liberator style, seeing them run for their lives, suddenly deciding that Jack is still their leader when they need him, dragging his body outside. And Bilis talking in tongues and bringing out the re-rendering of the beast from The Satan Pit, something else buried in the Earth that is being unearthed this festive season. He was the Son of the Beast apparently. Of all the mother series monsters to make an appearance I hadn't expected that. Disappointingly no attempt was made to suggest that all of the characters wierd behaviour in the previous twelve episodes was a result of his influence, just this one, and after that I was laughing at it too much to remember much else apart from seeing John Barrowman, so great on Loose Women and Never Mind The Buzzcocks, the man who could have been Will with Grace, having to sit in some gravel being oppressed by a giant shadow. Is Jack dead? Is this going to be the cliffhanger?
Err no. Two reasons. Firstly we know Jack's back in Doctor Who Season Three in, Utopia, an episode written by Steven Moffat. Secondly, because there are ten minutes of the episode remaining. Of Gwen sitting around at his bedside waiting for him to rejuvenate. You mean there wasn't another ten minutes of cool time tripping goodness at the opening of the story because of this? This scene might have worked if we still thought about any of these characters sympathetically but, and this is the reason I've been so detailed in my description of their actions, they've been so random in their behviour for the whole episode, let alone series that we just don't care.
I spent half of it wondering how killing the beast meant that time became a do-over, fixing the hib and everything else. It was like watching the final episode of that season of Dallas in which Pam woke up and Bobby stepped out of the shower, the bomb explosion in an office that took out both JR and Sue Ellen simply part of a wacky dream reseting everything that had gone before much like the re imagining of the timeline that went on here s0 that everybody lives. The other half was taken up with a wait for the inevitable, a final blast of lethargy in a series that has been filled with it. Seeing Jack stand and forgive his teammates was nice, but you just know that they're not going to be any different next series ...
Then in the final moments, Jack's whisked away by the sound of the Tardis. It says a lot that this sound can still be quite stirring and that you can imagine that the Doctor and Martha are already on board, enjoying their adventures. Perhaps we'll eventually find out why they decided to select that moment to pick up Jack and not when Cardiff was being menaced by a giant beastie and the Earth was being destroyed by giant cracks in time. Perhaps there will be an episode of that series that will explain all of the plotholes in this episode but I doubt it. But it says a lot about Torchwood that it didn't end with its own internal cliffhanger and one that will instead be explained in a mother series entirely. If only I'd watched the film End of Days. At least that has the unlikely sight of Miriam Margolese in a fist fight with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
If only I'd watched the film End of Days. At least that has the unlikely sight of Miriam Margolese in a fist fight with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
I appreciate this has all been very harsh and sarcastic and fueled by too much caffeine and I'll probably regret some of it in the morning, particularly the bit about the chimps but Torchwood has largely been a massive disappointment and it simply makes no sense to me that the same production team behind Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures can turn out something this crude and apparently be very pleased with it. As this review/rant has demonstrated I have a tendency to over analyze everything which could be why I tend to focus on narrative flaws at the expense of what is often quite fluid direction, remarkable lighting design, editing and music. If anything Captain Jack Harkness pointed to there still being potential in the series, but End of Days was no way to do anything. And I do wish I could be one of the people on Outpost Gallifrey giving it five stars, but I'm not, I'm the grinch and that's that. Perhaps on the level of a television comic book it works. I just expect a bit more from something calling itself adult drama.
I'm going to bed.
Posted at 02:03 in Stuart Ian Burns, Torchwood: Captain Jack Harkness, Torchwood: End of Days | Permalink | Comments (75)
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Versus Trump Podcast
Ensuring the President “shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed”
Other Conflicts
Cyber Policy
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Removal from Office
The Value of Gerrymandering
G. Michael Parsons
// 10/7/17 // Commentary
Cross-posted from Modern Democracy
On Tuesday, Justice Sotomayor asked a “simple but devastatingly effective” question of Erin Murphy, one of the attorneys arguing in favor of Wisconsin’s gerrymandered map: “Could you tell me what the value is to democracy from political gerrymandering?” At first glance, Justice Sotomayor’s question seems important because it transcends “the technicalities of constitutional doctrine” and raises “first principles,” making the presumed answer easy: “Political gerrymandering has no value in a democracy.”
Murphy’s answer—claiming that gerrymandering “produces values in terms of accountability”—seemed incomprehensible to observers. “I really don’t understand . . . what that means,” was the Justice’s own apt response. The type of gerrymander enacted in Wisconsin is specifically designed to defeat accountability, not foster it. What was Ms. Murphy—a stellar advocate—talking about?
The answer is more revealing than it might seem because Justice Sotomayor’s question is more complex than it might seem. Asking about the “value” of gerrymandering doesn’t just implicate democratic “first principles”—it strikes at the heart of the constitutional doctrine as well.
As Justice Breyer observed in his Vieth dissent (invoked by Ms. Murphy), political considerations can “play an important, and proper, role in the drawing of district boundaries.” In Vieth, Breyer points to an example of a neutral court-appointed boundary drawer accidentally moving an uninhabited swamp from one district to another, thereby inadvertently disrupting environmental projects that were important to the politician representing the swamp’s former district. This may be a “micro” political consideration, but any person (or organization) that has spent years working with his or her representative on a specific neighborhood project will recognize the democratic value in keeping certain areas tied to certain seats, whether to support and maintain the politician who is doing good work or to mobilize and defeat the politician who has stymied that work. This accountability and responsiveness to voters’ interests is a feature of democracy, not a bug.
At a “macro” level, the Court has also previously allowed mapmakers to allocate seats proportionally based on statewide party voting strength, and presumably would allow a legislature to draw “competitive” seats, if it so chose. Because both of these interests require mapmakers to draw districts based on voters’ political preferences and beliefs, however, both of these forms of redistricting are also—in the Court’s own confusing doctrinal parlance—“political gerrymandering.”
In other words, “political gerrymandering” (as the Court has curiously defined it) can serve important democratic values such as accountability, competitiveness, proportionality, etc. Murphy’s unconvincing attempt to tie the Wisconsin map to these examples and precedents, however, reveals a key doctrinal distinction: political gerrymandering for partisan advantage does not have any such constitutional legitimacy. That is why divvying up congressional seats in purple North Carolina between 6 Ds / 6 Rs in 2001 can be constitutional, even if divvying up the same state between 3 Ds / 10 Rs in 2016 is not.
Justice Kennedy makes a similar point in LULAC when discussing the difference between legitimate incumbency considerations and illegitimate incumbency considerations (leaving open the question of whether such a distinction might support a claim outside the racial gerrymandering context):
“The Court has noted that incumbency protection can be a legitimate factor in districting, but experience teaches that incumbency protection can take various forms, not all of them in the interests of the constituents. If the justification for incumbency protection is to keep the constituency intact so the officeholder is accountable for promises made or broken, then the protection seems to accord with concern for the voters. If, on the other hand, incumbency protection means excluding some voters from the district simply because they are likely to vote against the officeholder, the change is to benefit the officeholder, not the voters. By purposely redrawing lines around those who opposed [the incumbent], the state legislature took the latter course. This policy, whatever its validity in the realm of politics, cannot justify the effect on Latino voters.”
Justice Sotomayor’s question isn’t a “gotcha” intended to corner an advocate—it’s a graceful synthesis of the Supreme Court’s confusing case law. If a map advances democratic values, or legislators redistrict with the purpose of advancing democratic values, then there is little justification for courts to get involved, as the Justices recognized in Gaffney v. Cummings: “[The] judicial interest should be at its lowest ebb when a State purports fairly to allocate political power to the parties in accordance with their voting strength and, within quite tolerable limits, succeeds in doing so.” When legislators act counter to democratic values and attempt to insulate themselves from their own voters, however, they cannot hide behind the mere fact that “politics” play a (well-warranted) role in the redistricting process—a distinction the Justices also recognized in Gaffney: “[A plan] may be vulnerable [to challenge], if racial or political groups have been fenced out of the political process and their voting strength invidiously minimized.”
Sotomayor’s question lays bare the simplicity of this constitutional issue in a way “the intelligent man of the street” is sure to appreciate. Far from diminishing the Court’s credibility, judicial intervention along these lines would enhance the reputation of the Court, just as the one-person one-vote doctrine did decades ago. And just as this generation may now wonder how an obvious doctrine like one-person one-vote took so long to arrive, “[s]o too will it be when this generation explains to their children that the government used to be able to discriminate between citizens based on how the government predicted they would vote, allowing the state to favor preordained candidates and to suppress the influence of those who disagreed with the state-sanctioned choices.”
What is the value to democracy from political gerrymandering for partisan advantage?
The intuitive answer is the right one: None.
Checks & Balances Judiciary Democracy Voting & Elections
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Jussie Smollett expected to plead not guilty in Chicago court today
Empire actor Jussie Smollett is expected to plead not guilty Thursday to charges he lied to police about being the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in downtown Chicago a few weeks ago.
The hearing in Cook County Circuit Court began with Judge Steven Watkins being assigned to oversee the case, including the trial, if it reaches that point.
Smollett is expected to enter his plea before Watkins after a short recess. He’s charged with 16 counts of disorderly conduct.
Smollett is black and gay, and plays the gay character Jamal Lyon on the hit Fox TV show. It’s alleged he hired two friends to help him stage the attack on him in downtown Chicago early the morning of Jan. 29, and Smollett was unhappy about his salary and wanted to drum up publicity to help his career.
Smollett has denied he staged the attack and maintains he is innocent. His lawyers have called the charges “prosecutorial overkill.”
There were several supporters outside the courthouse doors as Smollett arrived for the hearing, including some waving signs.
Activist Wisdom Cole led a few chants in support of the actor, the black community and the LGBTQ community.
“Jussie has been a person of high calibre and character,” Cole said. “He comes from an activist family. He has a consistent track record and history of supporting marginalized people … and so his track record is not on par with the idea of a hoax.”
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Category Archives: Articles
Week 15 Draftkings Picks
Posted on December 14, 2018 by Brad Moore
Top Tier :
Kirk Cousins vs. Miami Dolphins ($6200)
This won't be a popular play on the main slate this week. Coming off a terrible showing in Seattle last week, and the firing of their offensive coordinator, I think people will be staying away from Cousins this week. I like him in this spot a lot.
The Vikings are 7 point home favorites in a game they have to win – they now only have a 42.4% chance of making the playoffs. They're projected to score 26 points and their points are typically scored through the air. Miami is ranked 26th, in terms of DVOA, vs. the pass and they just got beat up by Tom Brady last week. To expound on that, they're 22nd vs. WR1 and 18th vs. WR2, so both Thielen and Diggs are in play.
Mike Zimmer clearly has an offensive game plan in place, or he wouldn't have fired his OC at such a critical point in the season. I could see Minnesota scoring a ton of points in this spot.
Mid-Tier :
Derek Carr @ Cincinnati Bengals ($5400)
Over his last 2 games, Derek Carr has completed 75% of his passes, thrown 5 touchdowns, no interceptions, averaged 307 pass yards and 23.5 Draftkings points per game. He's finally putting it together, and at $5400 vs. the Bengals defense, he should have another great weak for DFS.
The Bengals are allowing the 2nd most DK points per game to QBs ( only 0.02 per game fewer than the Falcons). They're giving up 283 passing yards and 2.08 touchdowns per game.
The Bengals are going to score points in this game, and Oakland will be passing in response. The price, the spot, and the ownership are right for Carr this week.
Lower Tier :
Nick Mullens vs. Seattle Seahawks ($4800)
Mullens is coming off back-to-back 22+ DK point performances; the best of those – 26.66 – came in week 13 @ Seattle. Now, he gets to face them again, but at home. At $4800, in a week where the main slate QB selections are very ‘up-in-the-air', Mullens is in play in all formats, and may end up being my cash game play.
He's thrown 81 times the last 2 weeks and has averaged 373 yards and 2 touchdowns. I think it's safe to say they'll be playing catch up in this game (they lost 43-16 in week 13) so you can expect a lot of volume from him.
New to DraftKings? Sign up here for a free contest entry!
Ezekiel Elliott @ Indianapolis Colts ($9000)
The Cowboys have finally figured out that they can throw Zeke the ball, and when they do, their offense can be very successful. Over the last six weeks, Elliott has 40 receptions; that's 2nd to only Christian McCaffrey, at the RB position, over that period.
There's a lot of talk about how Amari Cooper has changed that offense. He's put up incredible numbers since joining the Cowboys, but it's been Zeke's increased early-down usage in the passing game that has opened up their passing game and allowed Cooper to dominate as he has.
The Colts are ranked 26th in DVOA vs. pass-catching RBs, and they haven't faced any of the elite pass-catching RBs; Lamar Miller is arguably the best ‘combo-back' they've seen since Joe Mixon in week 1, and Mixon went for 25.9 DK points. Zeke is a plug and play in cash and tournaments for this week.
Chris Carson @ San Francisco 49ers ($5600)
Carson has emerged as the go-to guy in the Seahawks backfield. It's always tough to fully trust Pete Carroll, but at this price and perceived gamescript, Carson is a pretty safe play with big upside.
The 49ers are 14th vs. the rush; 16th in terms of adjusted line yards. The Seahawks look to run and run and run some more, week after week. This game flow should allow them to do that, and I expect Carson to get at least the 22 touches that he got last week.
Price and low-ownership put him in play in both cash games and tournaments.
Doug Martin @ Cincinnati Bengals ($4700)
It's odd to be talking about Doug Martin as a DFS play, but he's in play this week. The Bengals defense is climbing the ‘all-time worst defense' rankings, they've given up the most DK points to RBs this season, Martin is the lead RB for Oakland, he's scored in three straight games, and he's only $4700.
It's the ‘brand' that will keep people away from playing Doug Martin this week, not the spot. He's currently projected to have 1% ownership in tournaments, making him a great option there.
Juju Smith-Schuster vs. New England Patriots ($8000)
This game looks to be the best on the main slate. Lots of star-power, and a very, very important game for the home team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Patriots defense struggled last week vs. the Dolphins, and they have much more to worry about this week at Heinz Field.
Juju has seen 48 targets in the last 4 weeks – 10, 17, 9, and 12 last week. That kind of volume in that kind of offense (4th highest scoring in the NFL) is exactly what we're looking for when paying way up for a WR. In his last (and only career game vs. the Pats) he caught all 6 of his targets for 114 yards. He'll largely avoid Stephon Gilmore in coverage, and Pittsburgh will be pass-heavy, as usual.
Smith-Schuster is a cash game play for me, and I'll have a lot of tournament exposure, as well.
Tyler Boyd vs. Oakland Raiders ($5700)
Once again, the Raiders must be picked on. They have the worst pass defense in the league, and they're on the road this week. Add to that the fact that their offense has actually come alive the last couple of weeks, and should be able to produce points again this week against the 27th ranked Bengals pass defense, and Tyler Boyd is the guy for Cincinnati now since A.J. Green is on IR.
He's averaging 19 DK points in home games, and has 33 targets in his last 4 games; $5700 is too cheap for a #1 WR facing the Raiders, especially in a game that will likely be competitive.
Boyd is definitely a viable cash game play, and with a projected ownership of 10%, is in play for tournaments.
Marquise Goodwin vs. Seattle Seahawks ($4500)
I like Nick Mullens this week, and I like pairing him with Marquise Goodwin. You've already read what Mullens did to the Seahawks in week 13, and that was without Goodwin.
The Hawks are 13th overall vs. the pass, but they're 26th vs. WR1. The 49ers will in all likelihood be trailing, and Mullens will be slinging it. Everyone will be playing George Kittle – and he's a solid play – but the Hawks are 8th vs. TEs; they funnel passes to the outside.
At $4500, Goodwin can easily pay off his salary with one big play, and I think he makes one. I really like the Mullens / Goodwin salary-saver stack this week.
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Eric Ebron vs. Dallas Cowboys ($5900)
Ebron is having a fantastic season with the Colts; the change of scenery has served him well. He's the second highest priced TE this week, and he's underpriced. He's been underpriced every week.
In games that Jack Doyle has missed, Ebron is averaging 10.7 targets per game; that's #1 amongst all TEs. He has 12 touchdowns on the season; that's also #1, and he's averaging the 4th most DK points per game @ 15.6.
In terms of the matchup: The Cowboys funnel 8 targets per game to TEs; that's 3rd most in the league, and they give up the 10th most yards per game to TEs – 62 per game. Ebron can be looked at as a $5900 WR, basically. He's a cash game play, and you'll want exposure to him in tournaments as well.
Vernon Davis @ Jacksonville Jaguars ($3200)
It'll be another Big Vern week, for me. Jordan Reed is out, it looks like Josh Doctson will be out and Josh Johnson will be getting the start. The Jaguars have given the 5th most touchdowns to TEs this season, so I'll spend the $3200 on Davis, and hope he catches 3 or 4 passes and finds the endzone.
Good Luck in Week 13!
Brad Moore is a DFS contributor for TheFantasyTakeaway.com. You can find him on Twitter @Bam79x or contact him by email at Brad@TheFantasyTakeaway.com
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Posted on November 30, 2018 by Brad Moore
Cam Newton @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($6600)
We have a full 13-game main slate this week, so there are lots of great plays to choose from. At the top of the QB heap, the cash game play is quite clear – it's Cam Newton vs. the Bucs. There's no need to over-complicate it. The Bucs get smashed by QBs, Cam has as good a cash game floor as anyone, with high upside to match.
The Bucs allow 2.36 passing touchdowns per game – the most in the league. They allow the sixth most passing yards per game – 291.45, and the fourth most Draftkings points per game – 22.99, to Qbs. Newton threw for 247 yards, 2 touchdowns and ran 11 times for another 33 yards back in week 9 vs. the Bucs. Considering the Panthers scored 42 points in that game and Cam only had 21.18 DK points, he was extremely unlucky; he could've just as easily had 40.
I'm still not sure exactly how I'm going to construct my cash game lineups, but I do know that Newton is my QB if I'm paying up.
Lamar Jackson @ Atlanta Falcons ($5900)
Jackson was my mid-tier pick for last week, as well. I commented that @ $5700, it sort of felt like a reach. Well, this week @ $5900, it certainly doesn't feel like anything than other than a LOCK play. We haven't seen anything close to his ceiling yet, and his floor is about as good as it gets.
In his first start, he only attempted 19 passes, he didn't score a touchdown in the air or on the ground, threw an interception, fumbled, and still had 19.9 DK points. Last week, he attempted only 25 passes, had two total touchdowns, two interceptions, fumbled, and still got you 22.2 DK points. Those matchups were against the Bengals and the Raiders, and this week he gets the Falcons. Let the good times roll.
The Falcons are ranked 29th in pass DVOA and 31st vs. the rush, earning them the honor of being ranked 32nd overall. Jackson should have plenty of great opportunities in both the running and passing games this week.
Chase Daniel @ New York Giants ($4800)
This might be the best sub-$5000 QB play of the season, thus far. Last week @ Detroit, Daniel showed he was quite capable of delivering value at his low-salary ($4400) by putting up 19.4 DK points. This week, he has a similarly advantageous matchup @ the Giants.
The Bears are ranked in the bottom five teams in the league in terms of adjusted line yards, and the Giants have the 27th ranked pass defense. If they're going to reach or surpass their 25 point implied total, it'll be done through the air. I wouldn't be comfortable playing Daniel in cash games, but he makes for a decent tournament play at this price.
Christian McCaffrey @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($8800)
This is the spot. It's been the spot, and it will continue to be the spot until wholesale changes are made by Tampa Bay. Cam Newton / McCaffrey stacks will be all over the DFS landscape this Sunday, for good reason.
McCaffrey is coming off an explosive week 12 performance in which he tallied 52.7 Draftkings points. He's already lit up the Bucs once this season. In week 9, he put up 32.7 DK points on 22 touches against them. Did I mention the Panthers have a 29 point implied total? Yeah, there's that.
In cash games this week, he's a lock play for me. His ownership should be high enough that fading him will be a very, very risky thing to do.
Phillip Lindsay @ Cincinnati Bengals ($5400)
The Bengals season has been in free-fall mode for several weeks now. The defense has been consistently bad all season, and the effort level looks like it's getting worse of late.
The Broncos are 4.5 point road favorites against the Bengals' 30th ranked rush defense, and 32nd ranked defense vs. pass catching RBs. Lindsay should absolutely roll in this game. Royce Freeman will steal some carries from him, but @ $5400, that isn't a big deterrent from loading up on Phillip Lindsay this week.
He's one of my favorite plays on the entire slate. He's a definite cash game play for me, and as long as his ownership isn't projected to be astronomical – and I don't think it will be – I'll be overweight on the field in tournaments, also.
T.J. Yeldon vs. Indianapolis Colts ($4400)
T.J. Yeldon is in play this week, primarily because Leonard Fournette lost his mind last week and started throwing punches on the sideline, and also because Blake Bortles is bad at football (as we all know) and it's led to his benching in favor of Cody Kessler. So, this is pretty self-explanatory, right?
The Jags have been a disaster. Cody Kessler has, largely, been one as well. Carlos Hyde's touches will, presumably, be limited by a game-script that will not favor him. It seems to me that the only bright spot from a fantasy perspective on the Jags' side is T.J. Yeldon. A $4400 price tag is pretty interesting in this spot, indeed.
The Colts rank 28th vs. pass catching RBs. Yeldon is about the Jags best option in this spot, when you consider game-script, and their QB situation. At the lower end, I like this play. Even for cash, if you need to.
Tyreek Hill @ Oakland Raiders ($9100)
I typically shy away from paying for the top WR on the board, especially when that WR is $9100. I have no such concerns this week with Hill. The Chiefs have a 35 point implied total, on the road – where Tyreek thrives – against the 32nd ranked pass defense. It's a fantastic spot.
On the road this season, he's averaging 7 receptions, 123 yards and 1.3 touchdowns per game. That's good for 30.2 Draftkings points. He's had at least 42 DK points in three games – 45.3, 42.2 and 46.5.
Ownership should be tempered by his big price tag, which makes him a great tournament option as well as a cash game play. He may not make my cash game lineup, but he's definitely my favorite WR on the slate.
Corey Davis vs. New York Jets ($5500)
I'm no fan of Corey Davis as a football player. I actually don't think he's a very good player. That being said, he's the clear #1 for the Titans, he sees a lot of targets and he's not priced like it.
Davis has had two games of at least 23.5 DK points in his last three – 28.5 and 23.5. The Titans are a 9 point home favorite, with a 25 point implied team total. If they're getting there, Davis is going to be involved.
Josh Reynolds @ Detroit Lions ($4900)
With Cooper Kupp out, Josh Reynolds has become an active part of the Rams offense. A Rams offense that is lighting up the scoreboard every week. In a happy coincidence, the Lions secondary is getting lit up every week! I think this could work out.
The Lions have given up 330 passing yards, or more, in two of their last three games – games against the Bears and Panthers – and now they get to face Jared Goff? This is a great spot for Reynolds @ only $4900.
Travis Kelce @ Oakland Raiders ($7000)
It's Travis Kelce's turn this week. It's not completely arbitrary, however – he's facing the Oakland Raiders. The league's worst pass defense, in terms of DVOA, and also the worst, specifically against TEs, will have to deal with the Chiefs offense this week.
Kansas City has an implied team total of 34.75 – the highest of the week. The ONLY thing not to like about Kelce this week is his $7000 price tag. It's a bit prohibitive, but like I mentioned regarding Tyreek Hill, the high price will keep ownership down so you can play him more comfortably in tournaments.
Cameron Brate vs. Carolina Panthers ($3700)
This is a really nice price for Brate. The Carolina Panthers have allowed the most touchdowns in the league to TEs this season. They've allowed 9 on the season, in 11 games. We know Jameis Winston loves targeting his TEs. Matter of fact, Brate caught an early touchdown last week vs. the 49ers. He's a nice play at a low price this week.
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Andrew Luck vs. Miami Dolphins ($6400)
This is the third week in a row that I've mentioned Andrew Luck. This week, for the first time, he's priced in the top tier. His elite performances – and other great QB options being on the Thanksgiving Day slate – have finally forced the Draftkings salary-makers to bump his price over $6000.
Luck has 29 touchdowns on the season now. He's thrown at least three in seven straight games. He's at home this week vs. a Miami team that despite facing the fourth fewest pass attempts per game over the last four weeks – 29 – are allowing the sixth most passing touchdowns per game over that span – 2.33.
The Colts have the highest implied total of any team on the main slate – 30 – and are 10 point home favorites. Luck is averaging 26.4 Draftkings points at home this season; he has 16 touchdowns, only 2 interceptions and averages 304 passing yards per game at Lucas Oil Stadium. He's an automatic play for me, yet again, this week.
Lamar Jackson vs. Oakland Raiders ($5700)
This seems like such a reach, but it really isn't. A home QB, favored by double-digits, under $6000 vs. a team that has totally quit. I know, I know – ‘but, they won last week!' Yes, the Raiders won last week, against an Arizona team that just hasn't been playing solid football all season. Josh Rosen completed just nine of twenty passes in the game.
Lamar Jackson certainly isn't going to stand in the pocket and shred defenses with his arm at this stage of his career, but he looked alright in his start last week completing 13 of 19 passes. He runs the ball a little bit, too. He rushed TWENTY-SEVEN TIMES for 117 yards last week vs. Cincinnati. I certainly don't expect that kind of rush volume, but now that he's shown that, he should get more opportunities to look downfield as teams try to contain him in the pocket.
As usual, the Raiders will provide no resistance defensively, and with a solid start under his belt, I expect Jackson to at least match his 19.7 DK points from week 11 this week.
Russell Wilson @ Carolina Panthers ($5600)
Russell Wilson is less expensive than Lamar Jackson this week. That's certainly an indictment against the Raiders, which is reasonable, but Russ' pass volume has been up, he's facing a secondary that over the last four weeks has allowed 3.0 passing touchdowns per game – the second most in the league, and more than the Raiders – and he's actually been better on the road, averaging 20.1 DK points with 14 touchdown passes and only 4 interceptions.
The Seahawks are a 3 point road underdog, and the Panthers have faced only 19.2 rush attempts per game over the last four weeks – the eighth fewest over that span – so Wilson should see a high number of pass attempts. He's a nice play at this price, and may go overlooked in tournaments this week.
Nick Chubb @ Cincinnati Bengals ($6300)
This is definitely the cheapest ‘top-tier' RB I've liked this season. Between the Thanksgiving Day slate and the teams on bye, Chubb is actually my overall top RB this week. On the road, as a 3 point underdog seems like an odd place to find a ‘lock-and-load' cash game RB, but that's what he is this week.
The Bengals are on the list; the list of teams you want to target every week. Last week, the Lamar Jackson / Gus Edwards – led Ravens rushed for 265 yards @ a 4.9 yards per carry clip. Read that again, and tell me you don't like Chubb @ $6300.
Chubb is coming off a 20 carry, 3 catch, 209 yard, 2 touchdown, 38.9 Draftkings point game. Now, he gets an even better matchup. I'll have heavy exposure to him this week vs. the Bengals.
Marlon Mack vs. Miami Dolphins ($5500)
What makes a good cash game RB? A home favorite = check; not just a home favorite, but a 9 point home favorite. A high game total = check; not just a high game total, but a 30 point team total – the highest on the slate. A matchup vs. a bad run defense = check; not only are the Dolphins bad vs. the rush, they're allowing 134 rush yards per game over the last month @ 5.7 yards per carry – 134 rush yards per game is fourth most in the league over that time.
At $5500, with ALL the boxes checked, Mack is a lock for me in cash lineups.
Josh Adams vs. New York Giants ($3800)
This might be the biggest miss on the slate in terms of pricing. It might also be reasonable, based on the fact that his touches aren't guaranteed. Even if they are, he only had 10 total touches last week, but he did find the endzone to buoy his score, as he finished with 16.2 DK points (@ a $3300 price tag).
The Eagles are a 6 point home favorite vs. a Giants' defense that has allowed the third most rush yards per game over the last month – 135.3 @ 5.3 yards per carry.
IF Adams is going to be the primary RB in this game, and something to that effect is announced prior to the game, he's going to be the chalk play this week. At $3800, you eat this good chalk, and move on.
Odell Beckham Jr. @ Philadelphia Eagles ($8800)
The Eagles' secondary is in shambles. It's been bad all year, and all of their starters are now out. For the second consecutive week, Odell Beckham is my favorite play at the top of the WR heap.
The knock on OBJ this year is his QB. That's a fair criticism. Eli Manning is nothing more than ‘serviceable' at this point. However, in spots where we've expected him to ‘be good' – he has been. That's all that's needed for Beckham to pay off his price tag.
The really exciting thing about OBJ is that he hasn't had that game yet. That 10 catch, 200 yard, 2 touchdown game that you KNOW is coming at some point. With all the injuries in the Eagles' defensive backfield, this could be the week for OBJ.
Doug Baldwin @ Carolina Panthers ($5100)
The season has been a write-off for the most part, thus far, for Doug Baldwin. He's been dealing with various injuries since the outset. It looks like he's now healthy – much healthier than he's been, certainly – and it's translating into performance on the field.
He saw 10 targets last week, catching 7 of them for 52 yards and a touchdown. That's what I've been expecting from him for a few weeks already.
This week, he gets a road matchup against the Panthers, who have allowed 22 passing touchdowns this season – the second most in the league.
Danny Amendola @ Indianapolis Colts ($4600)
Play someone from the Miami offense? It does make me a bit uncomfortable, but it makes sense. At $4600, in this matchup, Danny Amendola is a solid play. He's a cash game play if you need to save salary.
Over the last five weeks, Amendola has seen 41 targets – 8.2 per game. He's averaging 14.5 DK points per game over that period, with a high game of 20.4, and only one game under 10 – 9.7 vs. the Jets in week nine.
He's averaging over 3x value over the last five games at this salary. It does seem like a thin play, but it's actually quite solid.
George Kittle @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($6200)
The TE category continues to be a wasteland outside of the top couple of options. Zach Ertz and Rob Gronkowski are two of the top-priced players, and sandwiched between them is George Kittle, in a plus matchup against Tampa Bay.
Kittle has had at least 75 yards in seven of the ten games he's played. He's averaging just over seven targets per game, and 15.4 Draftkings points per game. All he needs to do is have an average game, and find the endzone for him to pay off in all formats. There's a good chance of that this week. The Bucs are allowing the second most DK points per game to TEs this season, and giving up touchdowns at the fourth highest rate.
Nick Vannett @ Carolina Panthers ($2700)
The team that allows more points to the TE position is the Carolina Panthers. They've given up nine touchdowns to TEs in ten games. Russell Wilson spreads his redzone targets around – Doug Baldwin has seven; David Moore, six ; Vannett, five – so Nick should be in line to get a look in the scoring area. At $2700, he's as good a punt play as there is.
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Carson Wentz @ New Orleans Saints ($6300)
There are some really nice options at the top of the QB heap this week. Cam Newton is a very attractive play, as is Drew Brees. Wentz is priced between those two guys and is in arguably the best spot.
This game has a 56 point implied total, with the Eagles being an 8.5 point underdog. The Saints have been extremely stout against the rush – they currently have the 3rd best rush defense in terms of DVOA – and the Eagles are a pass-first team, so it definitely figures that Wentz will be passing the ball a lot. The Eagles are passing the ball 39 times a game on average, and this game will most certainly be be over that. While the Saints have been stout against the rush, they've been shredded through the air. They currently have the 29th ranked pass DVOA.
Of the guys at the top, I think Wentz has the easiest path to the highest volume, and for cash games, that's what we're looking for from our QBs; guaranteed volume against bad pas defenses.
Andrew Luck vs. Tennessee Titans ($5900)
Luck was my mid-tier pick – and cash game play – last week vs. Jacksonville and I have to go right back to him this week, at home, vs. the Titans. He's playable every week at this point as long as his pricing stays in this range, and this week he has a fantastic matchup. I might like him even more for tournaments this week at his current 5% projected ownership. I suspect a lot of people may not be looking at him because of the Titans' win last week vs. New England. There's nothing to be concerned about here, at all. The Titans' secondary is awful.
Luck has thrown the third most passes in the league. He has the second most touchdown passes, with 26. He's thrown 3 or more in six straight games – the third longest streak in NFL history. The Titans, and namely Malcolm Butler, are 31st vs. WR1s. They're 23rd vs. WR2s, and 17th vs. WR3s.
This sets up very nicely, yet again, for Luck to have a three or four touchdown day, at a very reasonable price.
Josh Rosen vs. Oakland Raiders ($4800)
Three things that you can expect me to write about, most weeks: How bad the Raiders are, how bad the Bucs are and if you're paying down at QB, I like Josh Rosen. This week is no different.
While Rosen hasn't really paid off with any type of upside, his salary hasn't sunk cash lineups. Now that the offense is looking competent, and the Raiders are in town, he's actually a very good play AND his salary hasn't been adjusted.
I don't know how eager I'd be to roster him in my cash game lineups, as David Johnson may simply run all over the Raiders and Rosen won't be asked to do much, but for tournaments, pairing him with Larry Fitzgerald, and/or Christian Kirk, and/or Johnson makes for a very intriguing team stack.
David Johnson vs. Oakland Raiders ($7500)
Just in time. David Johnson is getting touches, valuable touches, just in time for a visit by the Raiders. There is no bigger joke in the league than the franchise that will soon be relocating from Oakland, and Johnson will help deliver the punchline on Sunday.
The Raiders have the 31st ranked DVOA overall; 32nd vs. the pass; 25th vs. the run, and 32nd vs. RB pass attempts. Add to that the fact that Arizona is a 5.5 point home favorite and Oakland is just as bad, or maybe worse, offensively, and it's pretty easy to see a 22-25 touch game for Johnson here.
There are five RBs priced above him this week. I'm not sure why that is, and I'm fairly certain that won't be the case next week. David Johnson is back to being the ‘David Johnson' we thought he would be, and at $7500, I'll be playing him everywhere this week.
Tevin Coleman vs. Dallas Cowboys ($5300)
I don't like the options in the $5000-$5900 range this week. Some are dependant on gamescript – like Coleman is, for me – others, on the health of other RBs – like Philip Lindsay's situation with Royce Freeman possibly making his return. Coleman has gotten 10 or more carries in four straight games, and he's been targeted in the passing game 12 times in the last two weeks. I think he's the safest play here, and has obvious big upside. He scored 32.6 Draftkings points in week nine vs. the Redskins.
The Cowboys have been very good vs. the run thus far, but have struggled against RBs who catch the ball out of the backfield. They have the 4th best rush DVOA but are 26th against pass-catching RBs. I like the gamescript for him here – I think Atlanta wins handily – and he's definitely in consideration for my cash game lineup.
Alex Collins vs. Cincinnati Bengals ($4400)
The Ravens may be starting someone other than Joe Flacco on Sunday when they face the Cincinnati Bengals. The same Bengals who fired their defensive coordinator on Monday after allowing 500 yards of offense for the third consecutive game.
Whether Flacco plays or not isn't a ‘make or break' as to whether Collins is in play against the Bengals and their 27th ranked rush DVOA, but if Robert Griffin gets the start, I have to think it gives Collins a boost. Either way, he'll get goal line touches and enough work to pay off his $4400 price tag, with nice upside attached.
Odell Beckham Jr. vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($8400)
I target the Bucs' secondary, every week. I always have some exposure to Beckham, every week. When doing one means doing the other, it sets up a ‘perfect storm'-type situation that I will have a lot of exposure to.
The Bucs are still on a record-setting pace for passing yardage allowed, and Beckham can break a slate on any given week. This is a pretty easy sell; the only reason for any hesitation is the fact that Eli Manning is no longer good at football, and he could simply check down over and over. Luckily, the Giants defense is quite bad, and Eli will be forced to throw far more than the coaches would prefer. This is obviously good for Beckham. You can lock Beckham in, in all formats, this weekend.
Amari Cooper @ Atlanta Falcons ($5400)
What a difference a couple of weeks makes. Amari Cooper was targeted 31 times in six games with the Raiders, and already has 18 in his first games with Dallas. While Dallas isn't exactly re-inventing the ‘air raid offense', they have a much better offense than what he was part of in Oakland.
Cooper has quickly become the #1 target for the Cowboys; 8 targets in his first game, and 10 in his second. I expect him to see another 10 this week, in a game that Dallas should be trailing, and needing to catch up, or keep pace, at best. At $5400, he's a bargain this week.
Maurice Harris vs. Houston Texans ($4500)
I have no way of knowing exactly what the Redskins' plan was for this season, but I think it's pretty fair to say that not much has gone according to that plan so far. I mean, I'm writing about Maurice Harris as a DFS play, so..
Last week, Harris caught all 5 of his targets for 52 yards; the week before that, he caught 10 of 12 targets for 124 yards. The Redskins defense isn't good, and the offense isn't good, either, but they have to pass the ball, and Harris has been the safety valve that ‘gun-shy' Alex Smith has grown comfortable with. At $4500, he's got a decent floor for cash games, and still brings some upside if you want to run him out there in a tournament lineup.
Zach Ertz @ New Orleans Saints ($6600)
This week it's Ertz at the top of the list, since Kelce isn't on the main slate. Ertz is having an unbelievable season so far,, and he's got a great matchup again this week. That kind of goes without saying when you're getting more than 11 targets a game.I've said it before, but it remains true: Zach Ertz is an elite WR; he's just listed as a TE.
If you're not completely punting the position, play Ertz. Don't try to get cute in cash games by trying to pick the random guy that hits this week.
Ricky Seals-Jones vs. Oakland Raiders ($2900)
If you're not playing Zach Ertz, why not Ricky Seals-Jones? He's got a great matchup at home vs. the Raiders and their 32nd ranked defense vs. TEs. It makes sense to me.
He's averaging over 5 targets per game, has big play capability, he's playing the Raiders, and he's $2900.. Sounds good indeed.
Posted on November 9, 2018 by Brad Moore
Patrick Mahomes vs. Arizona Cardinals ($7200)
Mahomes continues to put up big numbers regardless of opponent. A home matchup vs. Arizona shouldn't change that at all. A $7200 price tag may seem pretty steep, but considering he's performing at a level we haven't seen since Tom Brady's historic fantasy season, it's actually not steep at all. He's underpriced, really.
The Chiefs are 16.5 point favorites this week. They'll be able to do anything they want offensively. Mahomes is a virtual lock for 300 passing yards, and two touchdowns, and I would say three is very likely.
I'll be paying down at QB for cash games, as usual, but there really isn't a safer play this week that comes with the upside that Mahomes does. If you're paying up, go to the top of the board and plug in Mahomes.
Andrew Luck vs. Jacksonville Jaguars ($5500)
Too cheap. Andrew Luck is far too cheap this week. This price stood out to me immediately, and for some reason it seems I'm the only one. I haven't heard anyone mentioning Luck this week. The Jags have a ‘name brand' defense that shouldn't be scaring anyone away from playing him.
In games vs. the Giants, Titans and Jets, Jacksonville allowed an average of 163 pass yards and 0.3 touchdowns. Those were weeks 1, 3 and 4, respectively. In the last three weeks, vs. the Cowboys, Texans and Eagles, they've allowed six passing touchdowns. Andrew Luck is second only to Patrick Mahomes in touchdown passes this season, having thrown 23 in his first eight games. We can talk about the names in the Jacksonville secondary all we want, but without pressuring the QB, those names don't matter. Luck has been sacked 10 times – the second fewest in the league; one more than Drew Brees. The Jags are 25th in sacks. The only teams with fewer sacks than them? Bucs, Falcons, Saints, Dolphins, Patriots, Giants and Raiders. These are teams that we target every week.
Last I checked, he was projected to be 1% owned in tournaments. I'll be playing Luck in cash games, and if it seems like ownership will actually be in that range, he'll also be in the majority of my tournament lineups, as well.
Marcus Mariota vs. New England Patriots ($4700)
This is a great example of price plus matchup putting someone into play. I'll be very clear: Marcus Mariota isn't good at playing QB in the NFL. However, in tournaments, in this home game against New England, he's in play because the guys that play defense for the Patriots aren't good at playing football, either.
The Patriots allow 21.75 Draftkings points per game to QBs; that's the seventh most. They allow 2.1 passing touchdowns per game; that's sixth most. Mariota had his best game of the season last week vs. Dallas, and with a visit from the Patriots coming this week, at this very cheap price, I think that he can continue to look like a startable NFL QB for one more week, at least.
In tournaments, you could play him on his own because of his rushing upside, or pair him with Dion Lewis, who's about the only other capable offensive player on the team, and also very cheap this week.
Melvin Gordon @ Oakland Raiders ($9000)
This was the easiest play of the week for me. Gordon may find his way into every lineup I make – cash games and tournaments. Todd Gurley is in a great spot, as always; Kareem Hunt is in a great spot. Both are fantastic plays, but Gordon is playing a team that has simply quit.
The Oakland Raiders have no answer for anything on either side of the ball. Period. Add that to the fact that even if they did, they don't WANT to be competitive. What the Chargers want to do is give the ball to Melvin Gordon. He's going to rush the ball; he's going to catch the ball; he's going to do anything the team wants to do.
The Raiders' DVOA: 31st overall; 32nd vs. Pass; 25th vs. Rush; 32nd vs. RB pass attempts. We target the Buccaneers every week because of how inept they are on defense – they're on pace to set all-time records for futility. Guess what? The Raiders' defense is worse. The only reason why they haven't been torched quite to the extent that the Bucs have, is simply because the Raiders offense is just as bad. They can't respond. If the offense was in any way competent, their defensive metrics would be much worse than the Bucs. Gordon is a virtual lock in all formats.
Aaron Jones vs. Miami Dolphins ($5000)
This is the week! It's gotta be, right? This is the week that the Packers finally decide to stop fighting reality and simply give Aaron Jones the touches he needs for the team to be successful. This is only difficult to grasp for the Packers coaching staff, apparently. With the departure of Ty Montgomery and a home matchup with the helpless Dolphins defense – this is the week!
The Dolphins surrender more fantasy points to RBs than the Bucs, Raiders, Lions and Giants – 30.27 per game. That's 6th most. They see the 26.1 rush attempts per week – 2nd most; allow 120 rush yards per game – 4th most; allow 53.7 receiving yards per game to RBs – 10th most.
There is some risk that Jones doesn't get ‘all' the work, but I don't think it's high risk. He's a great play this week for cash or tournaments. He's likely going to make my cash lineup this week. This is the week!
Mike Davis @ Los Angeles Rams ($4300)
This is a very intriguing play. The Seahawks want to run the ball, a lot, every week. This week, they'll want to run it even more. It's Thursday, and it looks like there's a good chance that Chris Carson won't play. It's being said that he's likely a game-time decision. Not a word that ever comes out of Pete Carroll's mouth can be believed, so there is some risk involved here too, but if it turns out that Carson isn't playing, Davis isn't some type ‘punt-play', he'll be in line for a heavy workload in both the run AND passing game this week.
Last week, after Carson left the game with injury, Davis totaled 107 yards. He had 15 carries for 62 rush yards and got 8 targets in the passing game, catching 7 of them for another 45 yards. Twenty-two touches last week – in less than 3 quarters of action – heading into a matchup vs. the Rams 24th ranked rush DVOA for $4300 is a great look this week. If Carson is out, Davis is viable in cash games, for sure.
Jarvis Landry vs. Atlanta Falcons ($6200)
The Cleveland Browns have gotten their identity back. After a few weeks of wild optimism, they're back to being the ‘dumpster fire' that we've grown to accept. They've fired Hue Jackson, and somehow, managed to make their coaching situation even worse. THAT'S Cleveland Browns football! Their defense has eroded to the bare bones, and the Falcons are in town on Sunday. How is this promotional for Jarvis Landry? Well, the Falcons pass defense, and specifically their slot coverage, is also an absolute dumpster fire.
Maurice Harris – 124 yards; Sterling Shepard – 167 yards; Adam Humphries – 82 yards; Tyler Boyd – 11 catches for 100 yards. These are the last four slot WRs the Falcons have faced. Jarvis Landry is averaging 6.1 receptions per game, and 11.2 targets per game.
There are lots of guys in this price range that I really like, but Landry is my cash game play, easily, in this pricing group. Pricing, matchup, target volume – all are in Landry's favor here.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling vs. Miami Dolphins ($5000)
‘MVS' is a thing now. It hasn't taken long for this Packers WR to gain Aaron Rodgers' trust and explode onto the DFS scene. An injury to Geronimo Allison, a great home matchup vs. Miami, and a $5000 price tag make MVS a cash game play for me.
He's gone over 100 yards in two of his last three games, on only 6 targets in each of those games. All targets aren't created equal, and targets from Aaron Rodgers are more valuable than most. Targets from Aaron Rodgers against the 23rd ranked pass DVOA are more valuable still.
With the high-end, high-priced RBs in great spots this week, having a clear-cut, slam dunk WR play at $5000 for cash games is fantastic, and MVS is that play.
David Moore @ Los Angeles Rams ($3900)
“Moore is always more.” That's a motto I've employed for quite some time. Because, it's true! This week, I think it's undeniably true if we're talking about Seahawks' WR David Moore.
The Seahawks want to run the ball, a lot. The only problem is, they're 10 point road underdogs, and there's a high probability that they'll be down those 10 points very shortly after opening kickoff. There should be many targets to go around, and Moore has shown big play capability, has gotten redzone targets and has scored four touchdowns in the last four games.
$3900 is a great price. He's a borderline cash game play this week, and a tournament lock. I'll have him across most of my tournament lineups.
Travis Kelce vs. Arizona Cardinals ($7000)
This section is becoming the ‘Travis Kelce section.' It's not by design, it's just falling that way. Kelce is elite; he's one of two elite TE's. If Ertz isn't on the main slate, it's ‘Kelce week' at the top of the salary scale. I'm not forgetting about Rob Gronkowski; he's extremely beat up and can't be trusted to get a full compliment of snaps or any relevant target share.
The Chiefs are a 16 point home favorite, have an implied total of 33 points, are without Sammy Watkins, and facing the 23rd ranked DVOA vs. TEs. Kelce is a very easy play again this week.
Vernon Davis @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($2800)
The Washington Redskins have been very disappointing for DFS purposes this season. That will no doubt continue this week, and they have a prime matchup vs. Tampa Bay.
Chris Thompson is out, Jamison Crowder may not play, the offensive line has been decimated by injury, and Alex Smith hasn't looked great when the team has been at full strength. Jordan Reed, although a bit ‘dinged up' is one of the last men standing on offense, but he's been very disappointing thus far. How ironic is that? Enter ‘Big Vern'! He's going to be running routes, getting targets and making plays. That's what Big Vern does.
I couldn't write this article and not mention any of the Bucs awful defensive metrics, so: DVOA vs. TEs – 29th. They've allowed the 2nd most points to TEs; the 5th most targets; the 4th most receptions; the most most receiving yards per game, and the 5th most expected touchdowns. I love Vernon Davis @ $2800 this week in all formats.
Week 9 Draftkings Picks
Cam Newton vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($6600)
This is the easiest call of the week, and one of the easier calls of the entire season. Cam Newton is the best cash game QB most weeks, and this week he's clearly the best play on the board, IF you like paying up for QBs in cash games.
Newton's floor is fantastic because of his rushing upside. He's getting you more than a passing touchdown's worth of points every week on the ground. He's averaging 44.1 rushing yards per game, hasn't had fewer than 29, and has gone over 50 twice. He now gets a home game against the Bucs.
As we all know by now, the Bucs are an automatic target, every week. The league's worst pass defense, and last-ranked DVOA overall. They allow 332 passing yards, 2.86 tds and 27.3 Draftkings points per game to QBs. If you're paying up, Newton is the play here.
Ryan Fitzpatrick @ Carolina Panthers ($5500)
It never really went away; it was just mistreated, under-appreciated and disrespected. I'm talking, of course, about the #Fitzmagic. It provided early-season NFL with all the fantasy goodness it could handle. Then, attempts were made to extinguish it; to cast it aside like it wasn't there, and never really happened. Try as they did – they couldn't stop it!
Todd Monken knows what he's doing. His offense is filled with weapons and is humming along. Ryan Fitzpatrick is averaging 26.8 Draftkings points per game. That is higher than anyone on the main slate, not named Patrick Mahomes – who is averaging 30.5 – and he's $1500 cheaper than Mahomes.
He's a 6.5 point road underdog, facing the league's 20th ranked pass DVOA. The Panthers are going to score at will and it'll be all on Fitzpatrick to respond. He's a great cash game play, and because of his upside, is in play for tournaments, also.
Case Keenum vs. Houston Texans ($4900)
If for some reason you don't believe in #Fitzmagic, Case Keenum is your cash game QB this week. Write it down so you don't forget. The Texans pass defense is not good, and at $4900, I'll be locking Cash Keenum into my case lineups…or something like that. There's a perception that the Texans defense, particularly their pass defense, is pretty good. Most of the numbers look good, so why am I saying they're bad? Let's have a look..
Tom Brady : 26/39, 277 yards, 3 touchdowns. 27 points for the Pats.
Andrew Luck: 40/62, 464 yards, 4 touchdowns. 34 points for the Colts.
The rest? – Blaine Gabbert, Josh Allen, Eli Manning, Cody Kessler/Blake Bortles, Brock Osweiler and Dak Prescott – Backups and ‘should be backups.' The lot of them.
Keenum will be the first competent QB they will have faced since Andrew Luck in week 4. Keenum is THE cash play this week. Don't lose your note.
Alvin Kamara vs. Los Angeles Rams ($7300)
I considered posting a picture of Terrell Owens eating from a five-gallon bucket of popcorn as a lead-in to this game. It is filled with DFS goodness on both sides of the ball. The over/under is SIXTY, as I type this. 60.
Alvin Kamara is priced as the number six RB this week. At home, as a favorite, versus the twenty-fifth ranked run DVOA, in a game with a projected total of sixty? I'm in. We've seen how the Saints use Kamara. They line him up everywhere and do a fantastic job of getting him the ball in space. He is my second favorite play of the week at RB, and he's a cash game lock for me. 60 points. Get your popcorn ready.
Mark Ingram vs. Los Angeles Rams ($5000)
When I said that Alvin Kamara was my ‘second-favorite RB play of the week,' it was because Mark Ingram is my favorite play. $5000 in a matchup with the Rams is fantastic. He has the third highest projected tournament ownership at RB at 17.5%, behind Kamara (22.5%) and Todd Gurley (32.5%). I fully expect that by game time on Sunday afternoon that Ingram will be 25 – 30% owned, and rightfully so.
The Green Bay Packers followed the formula, stuck to the blueprint and put themselves in a position to beat the Rams last week by running the ball. The only mistake they made was not trading Ty Montgomery a week earlier. Montgomery doesn't play for the Saints, Mark Ingram does, and he's going to be a focal point of the offense this week.
The Rams allowed 101 yards rushing on 18 carries last week. Two of those carries went for touchdowns. With the two-headed backfield that the Saints have, I think playing both of the Saints RBs is a viable strategy in cash games. Home RBs, who are heavily involved in the passing game, in a game with a sixty-point total for $12,300. I like it. As of now, I'm planning on playing them both in cash games.
Isaiah Crowell @ Miami Dolphins ($4200)
I think if you're paying down in this range for cash game RBs this week, you're doing it wrong. That being said, Miami is a really bad football team, and they're allowing opposing RBs to carve them up. They watched Lamar Miller run for 133 yards on only 18 carries and score a touchdown against them last Thursday night.
The Dolphins have faced the second most rush attempts per game – 26.8; allowed the fourth most rushing yards per game – 125.1; and have given up the fourth most Draftkings points per game to opposing RBs – 31.65. When we add the fact that they're the twenty-first ranked DVOA defense in terms of defending RB pass attempts, and sixteenth versus the run, all the other stats come in to focus, and it becomes clear that all starting RBs are in play vs. Miami…Did I mention Lamar Miller rushed for over 130 yards against them last week?
If you're going to be wrong this week, at least do it right and play Crowell.
I mean, if Lamar Miller can do it….
Robert Woods @ New Orleans Saints ($7000)
SIXTY! The over/under is sixty. That was the deciding factor in settling on a top tier WR pick this week. Woods vs. Ken Crawley in THIS game, is as solid a spot as you can wish for. Brandin Cooks is also in a great spot, obviously, but not quite as juicy as the opportunity for Woods.
The Saints DVOA rankings: vs. the pass – 29th; vs WR1's – 32nd; vs WR2's – 32nd. So, regardless of who's playing what role and categorized as which WR, the Saints won't be covering them. They'll be chasing them around, just trying to keep them in front of them.
Woods leads the Rams' WRs in targets, catches, yards and is second in touchdowns. He's as solid as it gets in this matchup, and you must have a piece, or several, of this game.
Desean Jackson @ Carolina Panthers ($5000)
This game is playing second-fiddle to the game in New Orleans this week, but you'll definitely want exposure to it. Whether you believe in certain types of magic or not is irrelevant because Desean Jackson does. He's embraced the #Fitzmagic and has THRIVED on it.
‘DJax' is averaging 84.9 yards per game; a 1360 yard pace. In the first four games of the season, with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center, he averaged 106 receiving yards per game, and caught 17 of his 21 targets. He was efficient AND making explosive plays down the field. Typically, field stretchers are inefficient because of where they see their targets, but Jackson and Fitzpatrick have shown great chemistry and that's led to great efficiency.
Cam Newton is going to light up the Bucs' secondary like a Christmas tree, all day long, so it's a very safe bet that Jackson will be targeted early and often in this game out of necessity; they'll be trying to not get blown out.
D.J. Moore vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($4300)
Do I love Devin Funchess this week? Yes. He's a solid play. Anyone wearing a Panthers jersey who's part of the 53-man roster and active for the game is in play vs. the Buccaneers. There's no doubt I will have exposure to Funchess, however, I like D.J. Moore and his $1300 discount a bit better.
Cam Newton is going to be able to do anything he wants on Sunday; just like everyone has that has faced the Bucs, thus far. Well, everyone not named ‘Baker Mayfield', at least. With Moore having somewhat of a breakout game last week, it seems very reasonable to me to expect Newton to keep it going and keep building his relationship with his rookie WR; if for no other reason than he simply can. The Bucs can't do anything about it. Funchess and Moore could both easily reach the 100 yard bonus. It's not an ‘either or' situation here.
I think at this price, if you decide to not pay attention to the value plays that are available to you this week, and go with some ‘questionable' roster construction that leaves you needing a cheap WR, Moore is a solid play. If you build your cash lineups correctly, you won't need him there, but for tournaments? I like him a lot.
Travis Kelce @ Cleveland Browns ($6600)
This is not ground-breaking analysis. Travis Kelce is the only elite play at the position this week and he gets a plus matchup against the Browns. Cleveland is allowing the fifth most targets per game to the position, and the Chiefs may be without Tyreek Hill, though it looks like he'll be good to go.
Kelce is averaging just under 9 targets per game, and has had 10 or more in four of eight games. He's as a safe as play as there is most weeks, and that definitely applies this week. If safety at TE is what you want, Kelce is who you want.
Chris Herndon @ Miami Dolphins ($3000)
It looks like the Jets are going to be without both Robby Anderson and Quincy Enunwa this week, and Sam Darnold has already shown some chemistry with Herndon.
Herndon has caught 7 of 11 targets the last three weeks, and has a touchdown in each game. For $3000, against a terrible Miami defense, Herndon makes for a decent punt play at TE.
Good luck this week!
Posted on October 26, 2018 by Brad Moore
Aaron Rodgers @ Los Angeles Rams ($6400)
Even with 12 QBs unavailable for the main slate, there are some great choices at the top this week. Settling on one was tricky. Ultimately, I'll take the guy who's playing as a 9.5 point road underdog because, well, it's Aaron Rodgers. Having to chase points against a Rams secondary that has been very beatable thus far puts Rodgers in a great spot, and I want him in my lineup this week.
The Rams have the highest implied total on the main slate this week, which sits at 33 points right now. They're averaging 33.6 points a game and have been scoring almost at will, it seems. The Packers 24th-ranked rush DVOA will not serve them well this week against Todd Gurley and the Ram's run game. The Packers are one of twelve teams that rush the ball less than twenty times per game, so there's little chance they'll even attempt to slow it down and ‘grind it out' on offense.
The Rams pass defense is very beatable; Aqib Talib is out, and Marcus Peters is playing through an injury. Kirk Cousins threw for 422 yards and 3 touchdowns; Case Keenum – 322 yards and 2 scores; Russell Wilson threw 3 touchdown passes against them, and Derek Carr threw for 303 yards against them. I'll take 35 pass attempts, at minimum, from Aaron Rodgers this week, plus his rushing upside. He's hoping to play without the knee brace this week, so that just adds to his upside. I don't usually pay up for QBs in cash games, but I am this week; Rodgers is the guy.
Russell Wilson @ Detroit Lions ($5900)
Pete Carroll isn't a good football coach; he's actually quite bad. Luckily for him, he's got Russell Wilson to hide his bad decisions and put the team in a position to win, or at least compete, most weeks. This week should be no different.
Wilson has 6 touchdown passes in the last two weeks on just 45 pass attempts. He's starting to round into form now with Doug Baldwin back in the mix and the run game able to take some of the pressure off of him. The game currently sits at a 49.5 over/under, with Seattle being a 3 point underdog. If they're going to keep it that close, it'll be on Wilson to do so and coming off their bye-week, he'll be fresh and ready to go. The only real concern I have about this play is that the Lions play at such a slow pace. That's something to keep in mind, but otherwise I really like Wilson here.
Josh Rosen vs. San Francisco 49ers ($4800)
This is the third week this season that I've mentioned Josh Rosen. When I look at QBs under the $5000 price tag, I look at opportunity and the weapons around him, because that's all I can do to try and justify playing a guy in this tier. On the other side of this game, C.J. Beathard was someone I considered but Rosen is simply in a better spot here.
Arizona has a new OC this week – Byron Leftwich. How good he is as a play-caller remains to be seen, but I'm willing to bet that he's better than Mike McCoy. I'm also willing to bet that he'll get Christian Kirk and David Johnson more involved, and more importantly, put them in situations where their potential is maximized. That has been the biggest issue for the Arizona offense thus far.
Is it a safe play? No, but if you want to jam in the studs in the high-total shootout games, Rosen is definitely in play at his price and he's currently projected to be around 1% owned in tournaments, as well.
James Conner vs. Cleveland Browns ($7500)
Todd Gurley is the #1 play at any position, every week. You cannot fade him in cash games, and you should have exposure to him in tournaments as well. Saquon Barkley is also a fantastic play for the obvious reason – his usage is crazy high – but, James Conner is $1300 less than Barkley and is in an absolutely prime spot. If you can get up to Barkley, I wouldn't try to talk you out of playing him, but based on the cost savings, I'll be playing Conner in cash games.
Week 1: 31 carries for 135 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with 5 receptions on 6 targets for another 57 yards and 38.2 Draftkings points. That's how Conner started the season against the Browns. Now, in week 8, we have the Steelers coming off their bye week, at home, facing a Browns team that has been gashed week after week by RBs. They're allowing 112 yards a game, at a 5.2 yards per carry clip, and 1.14 rushing touchdowns per game.
The Cleveland defense has played more snaps than any other defense in the league, and are coming off yet another overtime game last week. Everything has been catching up to the Browns recently, and I expect Pittsburgh to blow them out this week, and Conner will be leading the way. I will have Conner everywhere; cash games and tournaments.
Marlon Mack @ Oakland Raiders ($5400)
The Raiders have a bad defense. Not only do they have a bad defense – they have no way to fix it. Not only do they have no way to fix it – they don't WANT to fix it. They're very bad, getting worse, and don't care. On the flip side, the Colts have a good offense that is getting better, and they're getting healthier by the week.
The Colts offensive line has allowed the lowest sack rate in the league at 3.1%. I repeat: The Colts offensive line has allowed the lowest sack rate in the league. This is extremely significant. Last season, the Colts allowed 56 sacks – the most in the NFL. The 10.3% sack rate was also the worst in the league. In 2016, they allowed the fifth most sacks. My point here is that they haven't allowed Andrew Luck the luxury of any protection, OR to benefit from any semblance of a run game – until now.
In Marlon Mack's two weeks back: 31 carries for 215 yards – 6.9 yards per carry – and a touchdown, plus 3 receptions on 5 targets for another 37 yards and a touchdown. GREAT production. Yes, it came versus the Bills and the Jets, but now he gets the Raiders, and that's an even better matchup. At $5400, Mack is definitely in play for cash and tournaments this week. Oakland is looking for draft picks so they can maybe find a top WR or pass rusher, since they're hard to find.
**Update: Mack did not practice on Thursday. He was held out because of an ankle injury. Keep an eye on his practice status on Friday and the updates afterward.**
Adrian Peterson @ New York Giants ($4900)
Adrian Peterson is his team's entire offense. Yes, it's 2018. No, I don't quite understand it, but it's the case. The Redskins are currently decimated by injuries on the offensive side of the ball. Maurice Harris has been talked about as being ‘in play' in DFS, just to illustrate how bad it's been. Even before the injury bug really crippled the receiving core, the offense sputtered. The only consistent player has been Peterson.
Four of six weeks, he's gotten at least 96 rushing yards – 96, 120, 97, and 99. While those three games that have come up just short of the 100-yard bonus frustrated owners to no end I'm sure, AP has been very dependable in an offense that now NEEDS him. The last two games, he's gotten 17 and 24 carries, and now he faces the Giants in what should be a close, low-scoring game. The price is definitely right for the workload and gamescript he'll see on Sunday.
A.J. Green vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($8000)
The Bucs' secondary is the most consistent unit in the NFL. I've talked about them every week, and it sure seems like I'll continue to. I mean, I have to, right? They go out there and earn a spot in this article week after week after week. I can't deny them their due.
I was going to talk about Tyler Boyd in this spot; he's a fantastic play here, too. If you're looking to save the $1300, he's a fine play over Green. I prefer Green simply because of how much he's moved around in the offense. No one in the Tampa Bay secondary can cover anyone, and the fact that Green moves around so much, just makes it that much more likely that they won't be able to get comfortable, at all, with what he's doing out there.
The Bucs allow the 2nd most Draftkings points to WRs overall, and the most touchdowns allowed per game at 1.83. I talk about them every week – “no pass rush, no secondary, no answers, no clues” – so I don't need to say too much this week. The Bengals are at home with a 29.5 point implied total, and A.J. Green has arguably the best WR/CB matchup on the entire slate. Add that to the fact that Tampa has an implied total of almost 25 points, and you can see that this is a likely shootout that you'll definitely want a piece of in your lineups. Green is the piece I like the most.
Geronimo Allison @ Los Angeles Rams ($5000)
If you like Aaron Rodgers this week, you might want to pair him with one of his pass catchers. I can tell you that I'll be doing both of these things. Allison is expected to be a ‘full-go' on Sunday in a game where WR targets will be aplenty. I like Davante Adams a lot this week, but the fact that he's almost $3000 more than Geronimo (Adams is $7900) will likely mean I'll have more Allison than Adams. Rodgers spreads the ball around, so the cost savings really stands out to me.
He'll be lined up against either Marcus Peters – who's struggled greatly the last few weeks, as he battles a heel injury – or Troy Hill, who has struggled greatly this season with not being good at football. He'll get to avoid Nickell Robey-Coleman, who's been the Rams best cover cornerback.
Is Allison a better overall play than Adams? No, but dollar-for-dollar there's an argument to be made for it. You could just avoid choosing one altogether and ask yourself: “Why not both!?” That's what I did, and I couldn't argue with my suggestion.
Sammy Watkins vs. Denver Broncos ($4600)
Last week, I talked about Jermaine Kearse in this spot. ‘Everybody' talked about what a great play Kearse was. Then, he scored zero Draftkings points. That wasn't optimal. I think the main problem with that play was that Jermaine, like Troy Hill, isn't good at football, so it didn't work out. Sammy Watkins IS good at football, and that has been translating into more than zero Draftkings points when you put him in your lineup.
He's averaging just under 6 targets and 50 yards per game. He's not a sure thing, but he's priced correctly for the role he plays in the KC offense. Tyreek Hill's home/road splits are real. Why? I have no idea, but they're a real thing. That helps Watkins' stock this week at home vs. Denver.
I won't be playing him in cash games, simply because I don't have to, but if I was down to $4600 to fill my WR3 spot, I would be fine with playing Watkins there. He would be my choice.
Travis Kelce vs. Denver Broncos ($6800)
It's always tough to pay up for a TE who isn't named Zach Ertz. Ertz is playing in London this week, so he's off the main slate, and Kelce stands far and above the rest in both price and in regard to my level of interest. As I say, regularly, Ertz is an elite receiver; he's simply listed as a TE. The same could be said for Kelce. He doesn't get the usage that Ertz gets, but the talent is there, and the QB play is most certainly there.
He's seeing an average of 8.5 targets a game, and he hasn't gotten fewer than 5 in any game. That game was last week, and he caught all 5 for 95 yards. Not only is he a volume play, but his targets are high-quality targets. Unless this is your first day, you already know that Patrick Mahomes is an exceptional QB.
In home games this season, Kelce is averaging 6 receptions for 103 yards and he's had no fewer than 95 – 114, 100, 95. Paying almost $7000 for a TE is a tough thing to do most weeks, but Kelce is the safest play, with the most upside, on the main slate this week and could easily outscore WRs in this price range.
C.J. Uzomah vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($3500)
There are three players priced very similarly in this group that I like, and will likely have exposure to: O.J. Howard ($3900), Vance MacDonald ($3700) and Uzomah. I prefer Uzomah simply because he's the least expensive and he's got the best matchup.
The Bucs can't stop anything that involves passing the ball through the air to any player on the field. I think I may have mentioned that already, but it definitely applies to TEs and Uzomah has shown he's a capable pass-catcher.
At home this season, he's caught 11 of 13 targets for 142 yards, and he's caught 17 of 19 targets on the season overall. He's very reliable. What's even more reliable is the Bucs inability to defend the TE position. They allow a league-worst 20.13 Draftkings points per game to TEs.
Any of the three names I mentioned are good plays, but I'll take the savings plus a matchup with the Tampa defense this week if I'm looking to pay down at TE.
Kirk Cousins @ New York Jets ($6400)
The QB position is interesting this week as most of the best matchups involve the QBs in the mid-to-lower price ranges, and the highest priced guy is Jared Goff, who comes with some worry of having Todd Gurley vulture touchdowns. If you do want to pay up, Cousins is a great play this week.
The Vikings run game hasn't been very successful yet this season, and it's largely been abandoned. They have the eighth fewest rushing attempts in the league after six weeks, and have attempted the fourth most passes. The Jets have faced the fourth most pass attempts, as that's how teams have found success against them. They've allowed the tenth most passing yards, and the sixth most touchdown passes. That's 292 pass yards, and 1.83 touchdowns per game. Cousins is averaging 320 pass yards and 2 touchdowns per game.
Slot receivers have done the most damage against the Jets so far, and I'm pretty sure the guy who runs the majority of the slot routes for the Vikings is pretty good at it, so this matchup sets up very nicely for Cousins. He might be the safest QB play on the entire main slate.
Baker Mayfield @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($5800)
This is tier is filled with great QB matchups this week. It's harder to find plays I don't like than those I do in this tier. Every week, since week 2, we've talked about picking on the Bucs pass defense, and it has to be talked about yet again in week 7. If Mayfield is going to have a big, breakout game, this should be it.
The Bucs are on pace to have the worst pass defense in over a decade. They rank 32nd in pass yards allowed per game – 367; passing touchdowns allowed per game – 3.2; completion rate – 76.8%, and QB rating – 128. They're also tied for 32nd in interceptions, with 1, and have the second fewest sacks in the league, with 9.
Mayfield had his worst game as a pro last week, but the Buccaneers defense in no way resembles that of the Chargers. He should not only have a bounce back game, but he's in line to have the best game of his young career.
C.J. Beathard vs. Los Angeles Rams ($4800)
Last week, there was no one worthy of mentioning in this tier at QB. This week there are two, at least. Beathard seems to carry some stigma with him for some, but he's been good in his starts, and at $4800, he definitely deserves consideration; especially if you really want to play RBs that cost $9800 because you like winning money.
In three starts, Beathard has scored 19.8, 27.6 and 18.9. That's a very solid floor for cash games, in a game where hes's going to have to throw. A LOT. The Rams secondary can certainly be had, as over the past four weeks, they've allowed 23.25 Draftkings points per game to QBs – the eight most over that span – and that includes giving up 292 passing yards per game, which is eleventh most.
Marcus Goodwin had a break-out game last week, and George Kittle is emerging as one of the better TE receiving threats in the league. If you like jamming those elite players in your cash games, and you should, of course, playing Beathard in your cash game lineups will help you do it. You need to save somewhere to play guys that cost, say, $9800, and QB is one of the best spots to do that.
Ezekiel Elliott @ Washington Redskins ($8100)
“Todd Gurley is good at football.” This is the third consecutive week I've opened the RB section with that statement. It's still true this week. It's not only true, but it's so completely obvious that Gurley doesn't need to be talked about here. Todd Gurley is the #1 RB play this week, and every week moving forward. Just put him in your lineups. If you're looking to pay up for two elite guys, Zeke is the other guy you'll want.
Elliott is second in the league in rushing, and is getting a league-high 50% of his team's touches. 50%. That's pretty ridiculous usage, and makes him basically matchup proof on volume alone. The Redskins have been decent against the run, though they've faced the second fewest rush attempts per game over the last four weeks – 15. Last week, Mark Ingram had 73 total yards and scored twice vs. the ‘Skins on 18 total touches. Zeke hasn't had as few as 18 touches since week 1, and over the last three weeks has seen 29, 27 and 25 respectively.
No matter how this game goes, for Dallas it goes through Zeke. It may be difficult to pay $17,900 to fill your two RB spots, but if you decide to, you can rest easy with Elliot in your lineup.
Tarik Cohen vs. New England Patriots ($5100)
The Bears' DST wrecked everyone last week. Well, I guess it was Brock Osweiler who wrecked the Bears' DST, so technically, Brock Osweiler wrecked everyone last week. To say that was surprising would be a gross understatement. What wasn't all that surprising was Tarik Cohen; they got him the ball, and he produced.
The first three games, Cohen didn't touch the ball more than 8 times in any of the games – 8, 5 and 8 – and never really got anything going, even though they had good matchups for him. The last two weeks, he's seen 20 touches and 12. In those two games, he has 14 catches for 211 yards and 84 rushing yards and two total touchdowns. He's looking like a consistent player, and not just an ‘electric, gadget-type' player. Jordan Howard has fallen to the way-side the last couple of weeks, and hasn't looked good at any point this year, besides.
The Patriots struggle with pass-catching RBs. Over the last four weeks, they're allowing 63 receiving yards per game – the fourth most in the league. They're allowing 154 total yards to the RB position over their last games, including 4.5 yards per carry. Cohen was in a great spot last week vs. Miami, they gave him the ball, he produced. That was the second week in a row, and he's in another great spot here in a game where the Bears will be looking to redeem themselves after the ‘Osweilering' they got last week. I would expect another 12 – 15 touches for him this week, at minimum, and good cash game value with tournament upside.
Peyton Barber vs. Cleveland Browns ($3800)
If I said you could play a team's lead RB in a home game where his team is favored, against a team that is allowing 142 rushing yards per game at a 5.9 yards per carry clip over the last 4 weeks (30th in the league), another 50 yards in the passing game and 1.3 total touchdowns per week for $3800 – Is that something you might be interested in? Does it matter that it's Peyton Barber? It shouldn't. I think this should interest all of us.
The Browns rush defense has been horrendous. 246 yards allowed last week, and 167 per game in their last three games. The Bucs finally had some success last week. Yes, they were playing Atlanta, but now they play the Browns, and there's little difference in regards to allowing points to RBs. Over the last four weeks, the Falcons allow 35.7 Draftkings points per game to RBs – fourth most in the league. Right on their heels, are the Browns, allowing 32.5 – the sixth most per game.
Does clicking the button to the right of Barber's name make you uncomfortable? That would be reasonable, but dismissing the great spot and even nicer price simply because of the name associated with it, isn't very reasonable. The spot plus the price make him a borderline cash game play for me this week.
Jarvis Landry @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($7300)
Adam Thielen is the top play here. Like Todd Gurley, I don't have to explain why, right? 28.5 Draftkings points per game on 13.5 targets. He's on pace to break all-time receiving records and he's playing the Jets. I mentioned the great matchup for Kirk Cousins in the QB section above. IF you'd like to save $1300 and play the WR in the best possible matchup, Jarvis Landry is your guy.
Landry has had a tough three week stretch, catching only 11 of 29 targets. Facing the Bucs secondary is the best medicine. He lines up in the slot 76% of the time, and M.J. Stewart – one the worst rated defensive backs in the league – plays 93% of his snaps in the slot.
There isn't a whole lot to sell here. Landry is in a dream spot, he's had double digit targets in every week but one, and that was week 2, and he needs to bounce back this week. I think he's a cash game lock at this price.
Devin Funchess @ Philadelphia Eagles ($5300)
Jalen Mills. Does that name ring any bells? I may have mentioned him before. Maybe even every week. The Eagles are an extreme pass funnel defense, and when teams look to target the secondary, they target Mr. Mills because it works. A lot. This week, he'll be chasing Devin Funchess around the field about half of the day.
Mills has allowed more touchdowns than any other defensive back since the beginning of last season. He's allowing a 112 QB rating on the season this far. Considering just how good the Eagles are against the run, Cam Newton will be looking down the field on Sunday. Eli Manning threw for 280 yards; Kirk Cousins threw for 301 yards and a score, and Marcus Mariota threw for 344 yards and 2 touchdowns, and ran for 44 yards and another score. Funchess is projected to be 7.5% owned in tournaments this week. I think that's too low, and I'll definitely have him in a few lineups.
Jermaine Kearse vs. Minnesota Vikings ($4100)
Forty-three targets through the first five weeks. That's what Quincy Enunwa saw from Sam Darnold. Enunwa is now out with an ankle injury, and when Kearse took over that role last week, he got targeted early and often.
Kearse had 9 receptions on 10 targets for 94 yards. With the boom or bust nature of Robby Anderson on the outside and facing a Vikings run defense that allows virtually nothing on the ground, Kearse is almost a lock to get double-digit targets again this week. For $4100, he's a cash game play, and I like him for tournaments, as well at his current 1% projected ownership. Yes, please.
David Njoku @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($4200)
You know I love Zach Ertz. He's an elite WR, just listed as a TE. He's playable every single week. He's the only ‘top-tier' TE I would consider this week. But, he's not the best play. Don't overthink it; don't worry about ownership, or anything else. David Njoku is the best TE play on the main slate this week.
He's seen 23 targets over the last two weeks. The Bucs allow the most points to TEs this season. The average game for a TE against them is 7 receptions for 97 yards and 0.6 touchdowns; 21.12 points. He would reach more than 5x value if he simply gets the average. Play NJoku in all formats this week.
Charles Clay @ Indianapolis Colts ($2800)
It's Derek Anderson Week! Are you excited? You probably shouldn't be. However, I'm excited to get a chance to play a healthy Charles Clay in a plus matchup, for $2800.
Over the last four weeks, the Colts have allowed the fourth most Draftkings points to TEs, surrendering an average line of 6 receptions for 84 yards and 0.5 touchdowns; 18.65 points.
Do you think Derek Anderson will look to check down to McCoy and Clay in his first action off the couch? I think he will, and for $2800, I'll be betting on it because I like rostering players that cost $9800.
Posted in Articles | Tagged DFS, Draftkings, Week 7 | Leave a reply
Matt Ryan vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($6800)
One of the main themes, “the easy calls”, through the first five weeks was: Target the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense. Welcome to Week 6, where that theme continues. Matt Ryan at home vs. Tampa Bay is easily the top QB play on the main slate. He's the highest priced player at the position, but that isn't a deterrent from rostering him in a game that has the highest implied total on the slate, at 57.5 points.
The Bucs have given up the most points, the most yards per play, the most passing yards, the most passing yards per attempt, and the third most first downs. Add to that the fact that they're 3rd best in rushing yards allowed, and rushing attempts against, AND the fact that they don't get any pressure on QBs – they have the 26th ‘best' sack percentage – and what you're left with is a complete and total pass-funnel defense that has no answers for it.
In Ryan's three home games – weeks 2, 3, 4 – he's scored 31.68, 43.16, and 32.26 Draftkings points. That's a per game average of 355 passing yards, 3.3 tds and 0.3 ints. He's also scored 2 rushing tds. You can roster him without any of his receivers, as he spreads the ball around so much. If you like the safety of paying up for QBs in your cash lineups, Matt Ryan is the easy and obvious choice this week.
Jameis Winston @ Atlanta Falcons ($5800)
If you don't like to pay up for QBs, you'll want to have a look at the guy on the other sideline in Atlanta on Sunday. I've mentioned several reasons why Matt Ryan is a great play vs. Tampa Bay's defense, and now I'll mention several reasons why Jameis Winston may be every bit as good a play based on the $1000 savings you can get by rostering him over Ryan.
The Falcons have allowed the second most points, the fourth most total yards, the ninth most yards per play, the ninth most passing yards, the second most first downs, AND have the fourth worst sack percentage in the league. So, to recap: Only the Bucs have allowed more points and first downs than Atlanta, and the Falcons get even less pressure on QBs than Tampa Bay.
There is a narrative to be made that might say, “Hey! This is Winston's first start; he may be rusty.” That could be true, but is there a better spot for him to succeed? In Week 15 last season vs. Atlanta, Jameis had 299 passing yards and 3 tds; 3 rushes for 18 more yards, for a total of 25.76 Draftkings points. He'll face a depleted version of that same defense on Sunday. All the weapons he has, the lack of any run game and his team's inability to play defense makes him a great play in this spot. I don't like to pay up for QB if I can help it, so Jameis is my guy for cash games this week.
Russell Wilson @ Oakland (in London, England) ($5700)
I had to go with another ‘mid-tier' priced guy here. There is no one in the lower tier this week worth discussing in any detail, so there's no point in wasting anyone's time mentioning one. I'm willing to bet that rostering Russell Wilson will not be a waste of time, however. Wilson at $5700 vs. the Raiders, in England – where the majority of NFL games have gone over the projected total – is in play for cash games or tournaments.
It's been said, recently, in terms of pass rushers that “it's hard to find a great one.” The same guy also said, “if I can’t get it done, I’m not going to take their money. ” That guy, of course, is Raiders Head Coach John Gruden.
The Raiders have allowed the third most points, the second most total yards, the second most yards per play, the second most yards per pass attempt and the eight most pass yards overall. They've also allowed the fifth most rushing yards at the fifth highest yards per attempt. Their defense isn't much of one in any aspect, and the biggest single factor contributing to that may be their third worst ranking in sack percentage.
This is Doug Baldwin's second game back, and I think it's a certainty that he'll get more than the one target he had in his return last week. Add that to the fact that Tyler Lockett has found a rapport with Wilson, and Wilson now should have two reliable targets in the pass game. If that fails, somehow, his rushing upside against the Raiders' barely functioning run defense provides a nice safety net in cash games, and big upside in tournaments. Wilson is one of my favorite tournament plays this week. I think Russell will definitely get it done, and I have no worries about him taking my money.
Todd Gurley @ Denver Broncos ($10,000)
“Todd Gurley is good at football.” That was the opening sentence from my Week 5 RB article where I suggested that Gurley was a cash game lineup lock. He ended up being the second highest scoring RB, with 33.3 Draftkings points; 4.2 less than James Conner's 37.5. I loved him last week at $9400, and I may like him even more this week at $10,000 heading to Denver. I've heard a lot of mention that because of his price, he should be a fade this week. I'm not sure why that is, when almost everyone around the industry loved him last week.. Does $600 make that much of a difference when you're talking about a guaranteed 25 – 30 point cash game play? It certainly doesn't to me.
He had 26 total touches last week, and scored 3 times. It could've been 4; one was called back, and they settled for a field goal. In Week 4, 21 touches – 1 score; Week 3, 28 touches – 1 score; Week 2, 22 touches – 3 scores; Week 1, 23 touches – 1 score.
He's averaging 29.3 Draftkings points per game. That's not buoyed by up and down weeks, as he hasn't scored under 25.6 in any game. He's scoring a touchdown every 13.3 times he touches the ball. He's averaging 24 touches a game. He plays behind the league's best offensive line. Two of the Rams three starting WRs may not play on Sunday, in a game, as of now, that is expected to see snow. The Broncos just got torched by Isaiah Crowell and Bilal Powell for 318 rushing yards. The previous week, Kareem Hunt ran for 121 yards and scored once. Gurley is second in the league in rush yards, 6th amongst RBs in receiving yards, and leads all players in touchdowns, with 9. I could go on, but I think my point is pretty clear.
There is no player with a safer floor OR higher upside than Gurley. A $600 price increase shouldn't raise a red flag in terms of him being a cash game play this week.
Nyheim Hines @ New York Jets ($5100)
A Colts RB is in play this week. I certainly had no expectation of suggesting such a thing, maybe, at any point this season. But, Nyheim Hines is being used as a dual-purpose back, and Andrew Luck has a shortage of receivers to target. Eric Ebron is the #1 target for Indy. That's something else I thought I wouldn't be saying. At the price, Hines is a reasonable play.
First, I do have to mention that Marlon Mack has practiced in full today (it's Wednesday) and is expected to play. This will likely take at least a couple of touches away from Hines, but I don't expect to see much of a decline in his usage, as he's been quite effective as a pass catcher.
In the last three weeks, Hines has 21 receptions, on 25 targets, for 133 yards and 2 scores. He's also rushed for another 73 yards on 24 carries. His Draftkings points totals in weeks 2 through 4 have been 9.3, 28.3, and 16, respectively.
A 3 yards per carry average isn't going to earn you much favor, even in a bad rushing offense like the Colts, so I think it's fair to assume that he will lose some rushing attempts to Mack, but he should maintain his passing game usage. T.Y. Hilton and Jack Doyle are out this week, and we've seen Hines upside in the passing game in week 4. At $5100, he'll be a low-owned tournament play that could pay off very nicely for you.
Carlos Hyde vs. Los Angeles Chargers ($4900)
Carlos Hyde is under-priced this week. He might be the most most under-priced player on the slate. I'm not going to complain about it; I'm just going to take FULL advantage of it.
Hyde has 106 total touches this season – 100 rushes, 6 receptions. That's an average of 21 touches per game; he's seen as many as 25, and hasn't gotten less than 17 in any week. He's scored a touchdown in every game but one. The Browns are playing at home this week in a game where they're 1.5 point underdogs, so they're going to want to slow it down as much as they can, and keep Philip Rivers and Melvin Gordon off the field. They should be able to accomplish that on the ground with Hyde.
The Browns have the most rushing yards in the league after five weeks, the sixth best yards per attempt at 4.6, and the second most rushing touchdowns. The Chargers do have a top ten rush defense in terms of yards allowed and touchdowns allowed, but they have also faced the tenth fewest rush attempts. It's only Wednesday, but at $4900 I think Hyde will be in my cash lineups, and he's a great tournament play as well.
Mike Evans @ Atlanta Falcons ($8100)
In case you haven't noticed, I really like the Tampa Bay @ Atlanta game this week. It's got so much DFS potential, I simply must have a decent sized piece of it, and so should you. Unlike the Atlanta side, the Bucs that are likely to be targeted in the passing game are much easier to pinpoint; especially now since Jameis Winston is back.
In two games vs. Atlanta last season, Evans caught 11 of 20 targets for 157 yards and a touchdown. Only one of those games was with Jameis; the one in which he caught his touchdown. This game should be a shootout and we've seen that Winston loves targeting Mike Evans. I think his target floor is 10, and I wouldn't be shocked if he saw 15.
The Falcons have allowed 12 receiving touchdowns. That's second most in the league; only one behind the Steelers and, of course, the Buccaneers. I've already talked about how bad the Falcons pass defense is in the QB section as part of my Jameis Winston write-up. Evans is the third highest priced WR on the slate, but the ownership projections I've seen have him projected behind six other WRs, so his cost will likely keep him from being too chalky for tournaments. I like pairing him and Winston for cash games this week, and that's just what I'll be doing.
John Brown @ Tennessee Titans ($5500)
Brown had 14 targets last week; 8 of them were over 20 yards. He has 14 such targets this season; that's the most in the league. He leads the league in air yards, and has 6 receptions of 25 yards or more. That's second most in the league, trailing only Tyreek Hill and Desean Jackson who each have 7. He also ranks 3rd in yards per catch at 20.84. John Brown is back in a big way so far this season. He's being provided with many big play opportunities, and he's delivering. There's more to it than that, though.
Brown is tied for the team lead in redzone targets with 5, and leads the team in targets inside the 10 yard line (3) and targets inside the 5 (1). So, it's not just deep routes where Flacco is targeting him. He's being used all over the field, in all situations. His price seems too low to me this week, making him a borderline cash game play, and certainly a great tournament play. I haven't even mentioned his matchup.
When you think of the name ‘Malcolm Butler', you probably don't think ‘defensive liability' or ‘turnstile.' Well, you wouldn't be wrong if you did. In the first four weeks, Butler was targeted 27 times (6th most); allowed 21 receptions (4th most); gave up 397 yards (the most); and 4 touchdowns (the most). Play John Brown this week.
Mohamed Sanu vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($4800)
Have I mentioned the Tampa Bay at Atlanta game? I think there'll be lots of points scored in that game, and at $4800, Mohamed Sanu is a great way to get a piece of it without giving up a huge chunk of your salary cap. I won't recommend Sanu as a cash game play, simply because Matt Ryan has several options at receiver, but in tournaments, he should be the lowest owned of the pass catchers in Atlanta, behind Julio Jones, Austin Hooper and Calvin Ridley. Even if he isn't fourth on that list, his ownership will be very low overall.
Sanu will draw M.J. Stewart in coverage. He's the fourth-worst rated defensive back on the main slate, according to Player Profiler. Calvin Ridley draws the fifth-worst rated defensive back, Carlton Davis, and will cost you an extra $1500. Sanu has more targets and receptions on the season than Ridley, and makes for a great pivot off him this week.
Jared Cook vs. Seattle Seahawks ($5000)
How do you know when you should pay down or punt the TE position altogether? When you see Jared Cook near the top of the salary list and he's your favorite play because Eric Ebron is at the top of that list. That being said, Cook is the best receiver on his team right now, and if for some reason, you're looking to pay up at the position, he's in a good spot vs. the Seahawks this week.
He leads the Raiders in targets, receptions and yards, and is one touchdown behind Jordy Nelson for the team lead there too. League-wide at the TE position, he ranks 4th in targets, 2nd in receptions, 4th in yards and 3rd in touchdowns.
I expect this game – which is being played in London, England – to be high-scoring, and if so, Cook will be heavily involved. I have zero interest in playing him, but I certainly understand why he's in play this week.
Cameron Brate @ Atlanta Falcons ($3700)
Have I mentioned this game yet? Regardless, Brate is in a great spot this week. He gets his QB back! Jameis Winston has been notorious for targeting TEs throughout his collegiate and pro careers, and Brate has been the recipient of it. O.J. Howard has made it back to practice this week, but will not play on Sunday, leaving all the TE targets for Brate.
*Update : Howard practiced in full today (Friday) and it looks like he may play on Sunday. Brate is still a great play, but you may want to keep an eye on that situation.*
The last two weeks, Brate has caught 6 of 8 targets for 63 yards and 2 touchdowns. I'd be satisfied with 3 for 30 and a touchdown for $3700, and in a high passing volume game, like the one on Sunday projects to be, that's a very reasonable expectation for Brate. I think he's certainly cash game viable.
C.J. Uzomah vs. Pittsburgh Steelers ($3000)
This is one of my favorite plays on the slate on this week. Seriously. So many DFS players are going to be focused on so many other plays in this game that Uzomah is going to be overlooked, and at $3000 he's a welcome addition to my lineups.
The Steelers are seeing 11 targets go to the TE every week – the most in the league. They're allowing 8 receptions a game to TEs – the most in the league. They allow 85 receiving yards per game to TEs – third most in the league. They allow 20.68 Draftkings points per game to TEs – second most in the league.
Almost 21 points allowed to the position per game. No Tyler Eifert. No Tyler Kroft. A 53 point implied game total. $3000. Sign me up.
Week 5 Draftkings WRs & TEs
Posted on October 5, 2018 by Brad Moore
Stefon Diggs @ Philadelphia Eagles ($7000)
There are more enticing plays at the WR position this week than we’ve seen in the previous four. Many of them have been priced up, correctly, making our choices tougher than they’ve been. Diggs is WR11 in terms of pricing for the main slate, but if you were to remove all the salaries and ask me to pick one guy, it would be him. Diggs will be matched up against Jalen Mills. If you’re reading this article, you likely know all about Mr. Mills.
Jalen Mills has allowed the most touchdowns of any cornerback in the league since the beginning of last season. Remember Week 2? The #Fitzmagic? The first play of the game for the Buccaneers went for a 75 yard touchdown to Desean Jackson. He beat Mills in coverage. Remember last week vs. the Titans? Corey Davis had 9 catches for 161 yards and a touchdown. Corey Davis.
Diggs plays 24% of his outside snaps on the right side – that’s second on the team to Laquan Treadwell – Mills lines up there over 70% of the time. When not facing Mills, Diggs will see Ronald Darby, who’s been very bad in his own right. Both he and Adam Thielen play the majority of their snaps from the slot, though Thielen plays 70% of his from there, to just over 50% for Diggs. They will see Sidney Jones on virtually all of those slot snaps. Jones is the 5th best cornerback in the league in terms of passer rating allowed, so I see no reason why Minnesota will force Diggs into the slot to face him when the matchups on the outside are so favorable. Diggs is a cash game and tournament play for me this week.
Sterling Shepard @ Carolina Panthers ($5600)
This is a tough choice. This pricing tier is smaller this week, and Calvin Ridley, playing in what is all but certain to be a total shootout, is at the top of it @ $5800. Joe mentioned Shepard in last week’s article, and rightfully so. He was a fantastic play, and I’m going right back there this week.
Shepard has one of the better matchups of the week vs. Captain Munnerlyn. Shepard runs over 75% of his routes from the slot, and Munnerlyn lines up there 97% of the time, and is in man coverage for more than one-third of those snaps. We’ve seen what happens when Evan Engram misses time: Shepard gets a ton of targets and has big games. Last week, he caught all 10 of his targets for 77 yards and a touchdown. This week with the Panthers being favored by a touchdown at home, I expect Shepard to see double-digit targets, again, against a very beatable cornerback. If you’re looking for a pivot to get away from Calvin Ridley, Shepard is your guy.
Donte Moncrief @ Kansas City Chiefs ($4100)
This pricing tier is filled with potential large tournamet winning plays this week. ‘Chalk’-full, you could say. That attempt to be humorous may not have landed, but certainly there are any number of players who could, and I have no doubt there will be a few that will in this price range. Donte Moncrief is one that I will betting on to hit this week.
I’ve already talked about Blake Bortles as a potential cash game play this week in the QB section of this week’s picks because of the great matchup. The Jaguars are in Kansas City against a Chiefs team that has allowed the 2nd most receiving yards in the league thus far, without the services of Leonard Fournette, in a game with an implied total of 49 points. The Chiefs will likely be able to put up points against the obviously great Jacksonville defense, and if that happens, Bortles and his receivers may ALL have big days.
The target share amongst the WR group has been fairly even – 28 for Dede Westbrook, 24 for Keelan Cole, and 22 for Moncrief – but Moncrief has been their most efficient receiver over the past two weeks catching 7 of 8 targets for 125 yards and a touchdown. He also leads the team in touchdowns, with 2; in yards per catch, at 14.4; and redzone targets with 2. There will be plenty of opportunity to increase those numbers this week.
Zach Ertz vs. Minnesota Vikings ($6500)
The thought of paying up at the TE position can be… unpleasant. It usually is for me. I usually start looking at the bottom of the salary scale, and scroll up until I see a play that I can put in my lineup that makes me a slightly less nauseated than I would had I paid WR salary for a TE. However, this week I feel good about spending up.
Double-digit targets in every game this year (10, 13, 10, 14), a per game average of just under 8 receptions per game (7.8), and 82 yards per game for $6500? If Zach Ertz was a WR, he’d be chalk every week. This week he’s at home against the Vikings – a team that just got torched down the seam by Rams’ WRs in Week 4. This game has a 45.5 implied total, and I think it goes way over that. I lke Ertz for cash games, and definitely in game-stacks with the elite Vikings WRs.
Austin Hooper @ Pittsburgh Steelers ($3000)
This is the most interesting tier of the week, at any position. There are only four players in it, three of them are in the same game, and that game has a whopping 57.5 implied total. If you were to tell me that you thought Austin Hooper was the worst play of the three guys involved in the Falcons @ Steelers game, I wouldn’t take issue with it. At all. I chose Hooper for two reasons: One is price, the other, narrative.
The main reason I like Hooper is price. He’s the cheapest of the four guys in this tier. Vance McDonald is the guy on everyone’s radar right now, but he’s $3700 and I’d rather have the savings. The reason is that I think James Conner has a bounce back game here and sees a lot of carries and targets out of the backfield. By now, everybody knows about the Falcons vs. pass-catching RBs – they can’t defend them.
Hooper has 15 targets in 4 games; McDonald has 15 targets in 3 games. They both have a touchdown. They both have a great matchup this weekend, but so does every player in both offenses, and I’d rather have the $700 savings to help pay up for the players who will be doing the majority of the scoring in this game.
CJ Uzomah vs. Miami Dolphins ($2900)
No, I didn’t misspell ‘Tyler Kroft.’ I like the guy who plays more snaps, gets more targets, and has scored more touchdowns, and that’s Uzomah. They’re both $2900 this week, in a game that has sneaky shootout potential. The current Vegas total is 48.5 and I like this game to go over that total. There isn’t a whole lot of analysis to be done at the bottom of the TE salary scale, just a whole lot of hoping that if you choose to spend way down at this spot, that they find the endzone once..or twice…or three times. #MarcedesLewis.
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Anova Group - Going Places
by Chris Haris
8 December 2011, at 12:00am
Viet Nam is an amazing country, in theory Communist, but where free enterprise flourishes, writes Suart Lumb for TheFishSite.
On the way to visit a 2000 sow pig unit you pass through villages, where a subsistence farmer is delighted to show off his two sows.
Many Westerners have come unstuck by assuming that because a Western business model works well in Europe it will work well in Asia.
However, David Serene, former CEO of the Ho Chi Minh City based Anova group, which is a leading manufacturer of veterinary and aquaculture medicinal products, has no such illusions and knows that with care and over time Western business techniques can be beneficially applied to Asian livestock production.
David was born in France , trained as a vet there and is a graduate of the Stanford and Harvard Business Schools. David has held senior management positions in Thailand and S.Africa before moving to Ho Chi Minh City.
The Anova group has a turnover of $100 million and has a warehouse site in the port area to conveniently accommodate raw materials brought in by boat.
The company has moved into other aspects of agribusiness.
According to Mr Serene the company has to diversify - just being a veterinary products company is simply not good enough - other big multinationals will move in and grab market share, as has happened in many other countries.
The major European supermarket chains have moved into Vietnam but nevertheless apply the same criteria to Vietnamese farm products as they would to European ones, namely consistency , traceability and sustainability.
The supply chains are very different, with the average size of Vietnamese pig farms and productivity being so much less than European ones plus mental attitudes are poles apart - a pig farmer will only buy 1ml of a drug - why not 100ml? Well, the pig may not be alive tomorrow!
Viet Nam has a massive fish industry and Anova has recently entered into a joint venture with EWOS, which is proving very successful.
EWOS is a Norwegian, now worldwide company with 50 years experience producing fish feed, initially for the salmon industry and now for Pangasius catfish. For example, EWOS is using its experience in fish nutrition to establish the nutrient requirements of Pangasius.
Adopting Norwegian feeding techniques is another area where Norway can help Vietnam, whereby automated feeding several times a day can usefully replace twice daily hand feeding.
Mr Serene added that the Vietnamese producers sell catfish purely on price.
Competition can be cutthroat which results in cost cutting and hence quality suffers. Quality control is lacking. For example glazing of fish (coating of fish in ice) is very variable and has weight implications and again this must be standardized as the supermarkets,as with pigmeat, demand consistency, traceability and sustainability.
Hence, Anova is going into processing to have more control over the end product.
David Serene has helped Anova start on a long and exciting journey -it will take a while, but as Chairman Mao famously once said,to climb a high mountain you do it slowly, one step at a time…
Chris Haris
More articles on freshwater fish
New strains, new gains for Nile tilapia producers
A strain of tilapia that has been recently developed by WorldFish in Egypt is producing significantly improved fish yields, lower feed conversion ratios and improved profits for farmers.
Questions raised over cage culture's propensity to aggregate wild fish
The use of open net pen farms has been questioned in a new paper looking into their impacts on wild fish populations.
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According to a 2016 report by the Public Policy Forum, 225 weekly and 27 daily newspapers have closed in Canada since 2010. We monitor how the media covers energy and environment issues and track how public policy developments impact the future of Canadian news.
Latest News about "Media"
How Likely is a Canadian Oil-by-Rail Boom?
James Wilt
Apr 27, 2018 8 min read
In the weeks since Kinder Morgan’s announcement that it was suspending all “non-essential spending” on...
Why is it So Hard for Canada to Have a Real Conversation about Pipelines?
Jimmy Thomson
Reflecting on his long struggle against South African apartheid, Nelson Mandela said, “One effect of...
That Time a Foreign-Owned Newspaper Called Out Environmentalists for Taking Foreign Money to Fight a Foreign-Funded Pipeline
Emma Gilchrist
Mar 29, 2018 8 min read
On a certain level, Vivian Krause and her cadre are right when they accuse Canadian...
The Myth of the Echo Chamber
Elizabeth Dubois, University of Ottawa and Grant Blank, University of Oxford “Information warfare” may be...
Why Canada’s Promise to Explore Charitable Status For News Organizations is a Very, Very Good Thing
Feb 28, 2018 4 min read
A brief paragraph on page 186 of Tuesday’s federal budget held some of the best...
Some Federal Scientists Still Not Free to Speak About Work Under Trudeau Government
Remember the bad old days when federal scientists were muzzled by the Harper government and,...
How the Media Failed Colten Boushie
By Candis Callison, Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Journalism, University of British Columbia...
Our Commitment To Our Readers in 2018
Jan 3, 2018 3 min read
As a new year gets underway, we’ve been taking some time to reflect. 2017 was...
How The Media Failed British Columbians on the Site C Dam
There is much to debate about Monday’s decision by the B.C. government to move forward...
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Instagram appears to have passed 25 million users, adding up to 3000 more per hour
by Martin Bryant — in Social Media
It appears Instagram may have passed the 25 million total users mark, if a bit of sleuthing around its API is to be believed.
The latest official numbers from Instagram were in December at the LeWeb conference, when CEO Kevin Systrom revealed that 15 million users had signed up. He told NPR later that month that he estimated the number had exceeded 16 million. Since then, there has been nothing official from the company, but a bit of digging reveals that the photo-sharing app’s growth appears to be continuing apace.
London-based Dirk Singer spotted, via a couple of Instagram apps – Statigram and Ink361 – that individual user numbers showed up in the apps’ user profile URLs. The numbers are consistent between the apps, indicating that they’re the unique numbers used by Instagram to identify each user.
Although there appears to be no number 1 or 2, account number three is Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom, with co-founder Mike Krieger at number 4.
Now, it’s worth noting that private accounts, and accounts that presumably don’t exist, both show up marked as ‘private’. However, continue counting up and you can get almost to 26 million before the public accounts dry up. When Dirk checked four and a half hours ago at the time of writing, the highest account number he could find was 25,973,449. Checking just now, we reached 25,989,400 indicating that Instagram, assuming we’re counting accurately, could well have added over 3,000 accounts per hour in that time.
The danger of counting user ID numbers
Judging the number of users a service has by its account numbers is fraught with danger. Some users will have closed their accounts, and it’s fair to assume that a few may be in-house developer test accounts too, but seeing as the highest numbers are brand new users, with new accounts being added every few seconds, it seems that we’re probably onto something here.
Given that the highest user number right now is almost at 26 million, even with a generous margin for error, that’s safely 25 million. With estimates that the number of photos shared on Instagram are growing at twice the rate of Flickr, and the company targeting the Asian market with its latest update, the figure is unsurprising.
We’ve contacted Instagram for comment and will let you know if we hear back, but for now it certainly appears that it has passed the 25 million users mark.
Read next: There's an app for deals: Iddiction launches App-o-Day, dubs it the "Groupon for Apps"
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Tag Archives: Ian McKellen
September 26, 2011 Frenemies with Benefits
When we streamed X-Men: First Class in our living room the other night, we roped our fourteen-year-old daughter into watching too. My wife promised cute guys. So it’s not surprising that Madeleine noticed first:
“Wait, are they gay?”
She meant Magneto and Professor X and, wow, was she right.
In retrospect, their first meeting (a passionate underwater hug) should have been a clue. I didn’t see it till the shot of Chuck and Eric nuzzled shoulder to shoulder in the strip joint bed. Madeleine got it when they were gazing at each other across a chessboard with the, um, Empire State Building in the background. Apparently Wolverine smelled it too. When the two ubermutants saddle up to him in a bar, he spells it out: “Go fuck yourself.”
Oh, I think they are.
Even without the gay rights subtext (when Charles accidentally outs Hank McCoy, the mutant tells his C.I.A. employer: “You didn’t ask, so I didn’t tell”), the air was already thick with bromance.
Before the release, actor James McAvoy (Charles) promised a “kind of love story, like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, which, really, was a love story between two men.” The difference is that Redford (or was Newman “Butch”?) got a sappy love montage riding a bicycle with his very heterosexual love interest. 1969 was not a year to come out of the Brokeback closet.
Charles and Erik pay some minimal attention to women (Charles has a couple of lazy pick-up lines, and Erik solidifies Mystique’s allegiance with an off-camera consummation), but their real passion is for each other. Erik cradling the crippled Charles in his arms says it all. “I want you by my side.”
Once they break up, both instantly sublimate into new and wholly heterosexual channels. Charles and his C.I.A. contact were Platonic before he pecks her on the lips and strips her memory (the ultimate rufie?). Erik is more blatant when he springs the comically underdressed Emma Frost from a C.I.A. holding tank.
“Where’s your telepath friend?” she asks.
“Gone. Left a bit of a gap in my life if I’m to be honest. I was rather hoping you would fill it.”
The last actor to play Magneto would have gone further. For his third and last X-Men movie, Ian McKellen wanted the camera to discover him and Patrick Stewart (a sexier, albeit balder Charles than McAvoy’s) in the throes of a sex scene. Bryan Singer might have gone along with it (both he and McKellen are gay), which could also explain why Fox handed control of X-Men: The Last Stand to a different director.
But Charles and Erik are not the first superpowered frenemies with benefits. It was the subtext of the arch rival since its comic book conception.
Superman faced down his first supervillain, the Ultra-Humanite, back in 1939. Like Professor X, Ultra is a bald, wheelchair-bound super-genius. Creator Jerry Siegel retconned him into the first dozen Action Comics as the secret mastermind behind all those garden variety crimes Superman so effortlessly ended. The Man of Steel needed an opponent on his own playing field.
As McAvoy says about Magneto and Professor X: “This is the first time in their lives they’ve met someone who is an equal of sorts, someone who understands them and can connect and push them too.”
Batman creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger exploited the same, not-so-subtle sexual subtext with Catwoman. Simply “The Cat” in her first 1940 appearance, she attempts to seduce Batman after he captures her: “Why don’t you come in as a partner with me! You and I TOGETHER!” (Robin is conveniently looking away during the embrace.)
Though tempted, Batman refuses. But he also lets his favorite feline escape. “Lovely girl! What eyes! Maybe I’ll bump into her again sometime.” (We can discuss Robin’s jealous reaction elsewhere.)
Siegel understood the subtext too. Perhaps too well. Like the Scarlet Pimpernel’s wife Marguerite, Lois Lane is the one antagonist always on the verge of discovering Superman’s secret. But Superman had an even bigger breasted threat.
After Ultra’s first four appearances (and second apparent death) the original comic book nemesis returned. As a woman. Superman recognizes his arch rival in the “blazing eyes” of screen star Delores Winters.
“You thought you had killed me in our last encounter, didn’t you? But look—as you can see, I’m very much alive!”
And very much female in that tight, red, spaghetti-strap dress Joe Shuster sketches for her/him. How is such a villainous transformation possible!
“My assistants, finding my body, revived me . . . and following my instructions, they kidnapped Dolores Winters yesterday and placed my mighty brain in her young vital body!”
From all the bodies on the planet, Ultra chooses to become a famously gorgeous film actress. That’s not a metaphor. The guy is transsexual.
Superman continues to call the post-operative Ultra/Delores “he,” but even when Shuster draws Delores’ body in trousers, she’s still all woman. In Ultra’s next (and last adventure), the villain(ess) even uses his feminine wiles to seduce an atomic scientist (“The fool!”).
The gender bender proved too much for Siegel and/or his DC editors. Veiled homosexuality is one thing. An explicitly transgendered supervillain is another. The solution? A not-yet-bald Lex Luthor replaces Ultra in the next episode.
And so the bromance continues . . .
Tags: Charles Xavier, first transexual supervillain, frenemies with benefits, gay supervillains, Ian McKellen, James McAvoy, Jerry Siegel, Magneto, Patrick Stewart, Profesor x, Superman, Ultra Humanite, X-Men:First Class
Posted under Uncategorized
My third book, Superhero Thought Experiments, co-authored with Nathaniel Goldberg, will be published by the University of Iowa Press in fall 2019. My second book, Superhero Comics, was published by Bloomsbury in 2017. My first book, On the Origin of Superheroes, was published by the University of Iowa Press in 2015. And my fourth book, Creating Comics, co-authored with artist Leigh Ann Beavers, is forthcoming from Bloomsbury in 2020.
I’ve also published a series of individual essays about comics, superheroes, and genre fiction:
“Clarifying Closure.” Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics. 2019.
“Refining the Comics Form.” European Comic Art. 11.2. 2018.
Co-written with Dan Johnson. “The Genre Effect: A Science Fiction (vs. Realism) Manipulation Decreases Inference Effort, Reading Comprehension, and Perceptions of Literary Merit.” Scientific Study of Literature. 7.1. 2017.
Co-written with Nathaniel Goldberg. “Dr. Doom’s Philosophy of Time.” Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics. 8.4. 2017.
Co-written with Maria Chavez and Nathaniel Goldberg. “Loving Lassos: Wonder Woman, Kink, and Care.” Wonder Woman and Philosophy. Wiley. 2017.
Co-written with Nathaniel Goldberg. “Marvels of Skepticism.” Foundation: the international review of science fiction. 46.1. 2017.
Co-written with Nathaniel Goldberg. “’I Want to Believe’ vs. ‘The Will to Believe’: Fox Mulder Meets William James.” The X-Files and Philosophy. Open Court. 2017.
Co-written with Nathaniel Goldberg. “Alan, Moore, Donald Davidson, and the Mind of Swamp Things.” The Journal of Pop Culture. 50.2. 2017.
“The Art of Literary Violence.” Ford City Workshop Anthology. Urban Farmhouse Press. 2016.
“‘Something Like This Just Couldn’t Happen!’: Resolving Naturalistic Tensions in Superhero Comics Art.” Studies in Comics. 7.1. 2016.
“The Meanings of Comics.” International Journal of Comics Art. 18.1. 2016.
Co-written with Nathaniel Goldberg. “Economy of the Comic Bool Author’s Soul.” International Journal of Comics Art. 18.1. 2016.
“The Anti-Superhero in Literary Fiction.” Image [&] Narrative. 17.3. 2016.
Co-written with Nathaniel Goldberg. “Time to Choose.” Superman, Batman, and Philosophy. Open Court. 2016.
“The Rise and Fall of Fascist Superpowers.” Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics. 7.1. 2016.
“The Pulp Fiction of Jennifer Egan.” The Writer’s Chronicle. 48.4. 2016.
“Genre Apocalypse.” The Chronicle of Higher Education. January 26, 2015.
“Zombies vs. Superheroes: The Walking Dead Resurrection of The Fantastic Four Gender Formulas.” ImageTexT. 7.4. 2015. Reprinted in Literary Criticism on Stan Lee (Layman Poupard Publishing).
“The Well-born Superhero.” The Journal of American Culture. 37.2. 2014.
“Is and Isn’t: Literary Upheavals in the Post-Real Landscape.” The Writer’s Chronicle. April 2014. Reprinted in Phantom Drift. 4. 2014.
“The Imperial Superhero.” PS: Political Science & Politics. 47.1. 2014.
“How to Teach Zombies.” The Chronicle of Higher Education. October 29, 2013.
“The Ku Klux Klan and the birth of the superhero.” Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics. 4.2. 2013.
And if you’re into superhero-themed stories, you might also enjoy:
“Paragon Comics.” Drawn to Marvel: Poems from the Comic Books. 2014.
“Script Outline: ‘The One and Only!’ Draft 1.” The Pinch. 31.2. 2011.
In addition to this blog, “The Patron Saint of Superheroes” is the working title of my novel-in-progress.
Meanwhile, please stop by Mondays for new posts.
Patron Saint Stats
Three Things That Don’t Define Conservatism
Tumultuous
Event Closure (Visualizing Plot, Part 5)
In French, the masculine takes precedence.
Whiteness Isn’t Blankness
A New Dynamic Duo
Why Don’t I Like Donald Trump?
Don’t Read This Comic (Look at it Instead)
Why I Shouldn’t Be Fired for Teaching Comics
Comics at the new Shenandoah
My Process on a Work-in-Progress
Stories of O
Strolling in a Meta-Garden of Not-Quite Abstraction
Portraits of the Comics Scholar as a Middle-aged Man
Paintings of a Painter’s Paintings
Space Scribbles
What Does “Plotte” Mean?
Defining Comics Definitions
Is God Bipolar?
Technique, Style, Image, Story
But Is It a Memoir?
The king died and then the queen died of grief
Woman World on My Woman Shelf
A Wilder West
My Favorite Translated Graphic Novel of 2018
Clarifying Closure
Intro to Graphic Novels
That Other Gay Dynamic Duo
Tillie Walden in the new Shenandoah
Secret Superhero Syllabus
Meet Mita Mahato at the new Shenandoah
Bidwell’s Ghosts: A Silent Comic
Combining Words and Images
Breaking New Ground in Nonfiction Graphic Novels
The Scifi Joy of Low-tech Comics Art
Nude Descending an Escalator
What If This Were the Cover of a Book Called What If?
Fiona Smyth’s Sweet Spot
An Un-Manga Manga Classic
My Kavanaugh Comic Strip
The Metaphysics of Emanata
Foucault Comics
Magritte: This is not a Biography
My Colonnade
Word Containers
The Art of Words
How to Create a Comic Book Character
Words Are Images
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Chapter X: A Mistake Made is One Lesson Learned (Part 3)
Charlotte ran with her backpack slung across her shoulder to the ship’s ramp off but was stopped by three people waiting for her. Elliot, Simone, and Andy were talking in soft voices before noticing Charlotte’s arrival and turned to her.
“Good, you have not left yet,” Elliot replied, and Simone smiled.
“We have something we need to discuss with you about what you said about Zeke’s meeting. It’ll just be a couple of minutes.” Andy gestured with his arm to walk with them to a quieter location on the ship, but before they could go, Aden and Damien appeared with their baggage. They stopped for a brief second to give the four a strange look.
“Let’s go, damsel,” Aden replied, and Charlotte gave him a scowl.
“I have a name, you know!”
“Right, ‘Char . . . well, you know.’”
“How long are you going to hold that over my head?” she yelled back at him, which was received with a smirk.
Damien chuckled, seeing that the two were acting like they normally would. He was slightly concerned that the girl would be slightly nervous or awkwardly bashful around them after her breakdown earlier that morning. At least, everything appeared normal on the outside.
“You guys go on ahead,” Andrew Nielsen replied with a smile. He was adjusting his ruffled collar while Elliot looked down at the fourth new guest of their group. The Great Dane cowered under his gaze before running over to Charlotte’s side and hiding behind her leg.
“Take the Great Dane with you,” Elliot icily replied, and Cesium violently shook its tail into Charlotte’s calves. Apparently, it did not like being around Aden since it had that bad experience with him.
“Can it stay with me? It seems to not want to leave just yet.” Elliot stared at Charlotte before sighing. Simone chuckled, and Nielsen waved the two boys off with a napkin.
“That is that then. Adieu, gentlemen. We’ll return your third member when we’re done.”
“See you there, Charlotte!” Damien waved then walked off the ship, and Aden followed suit silently. He didn’t even bother looking behind him as she continued staring at him.
When the two were gone, Charlotte was ushered to a quieter place on the deck, and Simone spoke quietly just enough for them to hear, “You know why you are being ordered off this ship and this continent, do you not?”
The girl nodded her head with a small smile. “Is it because of all the trouble that occurred a couple of days ago?”
Elliot nodded before looking off into the distance. “Zeke told you information that should have never been revealed to anyone. Even Nielsen did not know of what you told him when you came to us about everything Zeke said.”
Charlotte swallowed the lump in her throat, remembering the night when Aden and herself had left prematurely.
They arrived in the dead of night where only a few crew members were still on board and working on small work projects. For the most part, a majority of the crew had been celebrating at the town festival and masquerade party.
Aden merely walked off in silence, brooding with a dark expression on his face. He did not walk her up the dock to the ship but rather stood at the edge of the dock and told her to walk straight to the Phoenix.
“Are you not coming?”
“No. Get going,” he replied and did not budge from his spot until she had started her trek up the ramp. He was giving her a mysterious and dark expression the entire time that made it that much harder to ask him about the truth to Zeke’s words, which then reminded her of the two other people on the ship who could confirm Zeke’s words.
She all but ran to the captain’s room where the three were normally located at and burst in with shallow breaths. Andy was shocked by her entrance while Elliot and Simone stopped midway through their conversation.
“Is it true?” she blurted out to the two sitting adjacent from each other, not bothering to look at Nielsen. “Is it true the government experimented on you as children using the stones?”
Nielsen gave her a startled and confused expression. “Charlotte, what on earth are you talking about?” the teacher asked.
Elliot and Simone gave her a pointed look, and she began to shake her head. “Deny it, for the love of the life we are living, deny that you had any prior connections to my mother, the government, and those blasted stones!”
The two turned to look at each other. The one that finally broke the trance was Simone who interlaced his fingers together on the table. “Did you tell anyone else of what you heard tonight, Charlotte?”
Vigorously, she shook her head, causing her tiara to fall off the top of her head with a loud clanging sound when it hit the floor. Nielsen gave the two boys a bewildered look before getting up from his seat and picking up the tiara that dropped. “What is she talking about?”
“Something that never was released to the public,” Elliot replied dully. “We are the first generation of children that was experimented with the true Relic stone when they were creating copy stones. As you might have already guessed, Andy, we have powers from the stones that they created.”
Nielsen was rubbing his chin while looking up at the sky. “I confirmed with Giselle everything that Zeke had discussed with you, even though Elliot and Simone said it was the truth. I needed my own time to research this. The answer to those earlier questions seems to be clearer with each new piece of information we gain.”
Elliot nodded. “The experimentations that were being carried were only known to the scientists who were all killed in the explosion Lessye created to get us out, Lessye, and your father who was our teacher as well as his older brother. No one else could have known that information.” The man then frowned. “Your uncle is dead, and there is no way for Lessye to have come here with Zeke as her enemy. I am now concerned as to who would know this information to pay Zeke to tell you this now.”
Simone agreed and continued on, “We can only continue taking things one step at a time, Charlotte, but at this moment, we need you to do is leave this port. With the way things are going, we cannot put you in danger while we are in the middle of reconstruction.”
Clapping his hands together, Nielsen smiled at the younger girl. “By the time you guys come back, we will prepare for the storm, and then be ready to make our way to our next destination when it is all clear.”
The girl nodded before twiddling her thumbs. She was going to head off but had one more question to ask. “The day I went missing, how did you all know I was with Zeke? Damien would not have known that so I was ju—ah . . .” she broke off her train of thought because she did not know what to say. Also, she found it hard that Aden happened to know everything that happened to her scene for scene.
“Aden reported to us that you had gone to Zeke’s estate.” Elliot then grabbed a couple of tickets still left over from his pocket.
“He procured enough tickets for us to sneak in,” Simone added, and Charlotte felt her eyes widen.
She was remembering the man in the alley, the only one by himself. She started to remember the man’s strange reaction when she was about to knee him. It was like a rock or something blunt had been thrown because there had been a thud sound just before she had kneed him. “He was watching me.”
Nielsen nodded. “Aden was asked to watch you since I would become main captain of the ship. We did not want to leave you without a bodyguard, especially with everything that had happened at the Cheric estate.” The gruesome details of how Charie had been cut through by Zaine still rang hollow in his mind.
Simone reached for her hand, gripping it and making Charlotte look at him quizzically. “What’s wrong?”
“No, just thinking. Do not worry about it.” He released her hand before turning to the rail. He saw Xavier working in the distance on the drifter. “Looks like Xavier will be joining you on your journey. I hope you’re ready.”
The girl nodded while lifting her backpack with her shoulder. “I’m all ready to begin—anything to keep my mind off the current things.” She chuckled before looking at the Great Dane robot clinging to her legs. “Ready, Cesium?” The robot howled sadly in response.
“Bon voyage, Charlotte! We will see you in three to four days.” Andy waved the girl off as she beckoned the robot to follow her off the Phoenix.
Previous PostChapter X: One Mistake Made is One Lesson Learned (Part 2)Next PostChapter X: A Mistake Made is One Lesson Learned (Part 4)
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Police take down illegal poker club
Nguyễn Ngọc Phúc, Nguyễn Tiến Long and Hoàng Minh Châu (left to right) were arrested for organised gambling. — Photo baomoi.com
HÀ NỘI — Police in Hà Nội on Wednesday declared they had busted an illegal poker gambling ring.
Police arrested three people including Nguyễn Ngọc Phúc, 36, chairman of the Capital & Pik Bridge & Poker Club based on Tăng Bạt Hổ Street in Hai Bà Trưng District; Hoàng Minh Châu, 37, deputy chairman of the club; and Nguyễn Tiến Long, 37, also deputy chairman of the club.
They also temporarily detained 24 gamblers for investigation.
The police confiscated more than VNĐ286 million (US$12,400), eight sets of computers, 40 mobile phones, six poker sets and other evidence.
Police said it was a large-scale ring and took advantage of the Vietnam Bridge and Poker Association’s regulations about practice, competition and awards to gamble.
In December 2017, Châu, Phúc and Long asked local authorities for permission to found the Capital & Pik Bridge & Poker Club. When the club started operating, they organised regular tournaments, each one lasting for a day and the winner claiming a prize based on the club’s regulations. The Vietnam Bridge and Poker Association recognised the competition and award.
However, they expanded the operation to make more profit, and each took a 10.7 per cent cut. — VNS
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‘My Story’ by Com. Jyoti Basu
Settlement of Medical Bills of Pensioners
Historic Victory!
VAN Namboodiri's Blog
~ Welcome to V.A.N. Namboodiri's blog…
Com.K.G.Bose remembered
Posted by VAN NAMBOODIRI in General, Obituary, Tributes, P&T TU Movement, Uncategorized
7th July 2019 is the 98th birth anniversary of the great revolutionary leader Com.K.G.Bose. He was born in 1921 and passed away at the comparatively young age of 54, on 11-12-1974.
Com.K.G. Bose is the inspiration of thousands and thousands of Central employees and in particular that of P and T employees. He fought with the government for the rights of the workers and also fought against the revisionism in the organisation. His life and work is a saga of struggle, sacrifice and achievement.
I fondly remember the many times when I got the opportunity to be with him in the Conferences, in tours and in discussions. He was simple and friendly to all.
On his birth anniversary, I pay respectful homage! Red Salute to Com.K.G.Bose!
Dark Memories of hated ‘ National emergency’ 1975
Posted by VAN NAMBOODIRI in General, Uncategorized
'National Emergency 1975'
The dark memories of the draconian ‘National Emergency’ is still not forgotten. It was on 25th June 1975 that the President of India promulgated the ‘National Emergency’ at the instance of the Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi. In fact, the declaration was not because there was an emergency situation in the country, but only because there was a danger to the continuance of the Indira Gandhi government after the Supreme Court verdict nullifying her election. It was a fake emergency imposed upon the people to save Indian National Congress and Indira Gandhi.
The 1974 Railway Strike and various agitation by the workers, the strong protest against the anti-people decisions of the government followed by the Supreme Court verdict created a situation, where the ruling party was not in a position to digest. The panacea to pass over the crisis was the declaration of emergency. All political opponents were arrested and put in jail arbitrarily. Trade Union leaders were also jailed. The newspapers were silenced. They could not print any criticism of the government. Functioning of political parties and democratic institutions were literally prohibited. The police and the government machinery were utilised to crush any opposition to the ruling party and the government. It was real dictatorship.
Leaders of central/state government employees’ unions were also jailed. I wThe emergency prohibited and suppressed all kinds of protests and democratic rights of the people. The newspapers were gagged. Without screening by the government censors, no paper could be published. Meetings, demonstrations – all were prohibited.as taken in to custody twice, but later released. It was difficult even to hold union meetings. There were spies, CBI, CID etc. every where to report any objection to the emergency. Student leaders were arrested and jailed. NFPTE also had to face a lot of victimisation.
The entire opposition parties united to fight against the National Emergency. Thinking that the entire opposition was derailed, Indira Gandhi declared General election in 1977 after about two years of emergency. But she was mistaken. The people who were suffering under emergency ensured that the Congress was utterly defeated. The Janatha government came to power. The dark days were over.
My own experience: Date: 25th June 1975
I was in the train along with a few other comrades going to Delhi from Kerala to attend a Convention of the Central Government Employees and Workers on 26th June 1975 to chalk out agitation programmes on the urgent demands of the workers. On alighting at New Delhi Railway Station, we found that there were a large number of police personnel. There was complete silence and people spoke in hushed voices only. Some comrades from Delhi came to us and told that National Emergency has been declared by the Government and it is not safe to stay where our accommodation was arranged. We were taken to the residence of Comrade Jyothirmoy Basu, CPI(M) leader and Member of Parliament. He had already gone underground to escape arrest. After reaching there, our comrades told about the explosive situation under the draconian emergency. We were told not to go outside, to avoid arrest.
However, I went to No.4, Ashoka Road,which was the bungalow allotted to Comrade A.K.Gopalan, M.P. I met Comrade Narikutty Mohanan there, who was the Delhi correspondent of Deshabhimani, the CPI(M) daily being published from Kerala. Incidentally at that time a call came from Ernakulam Telephone Exchange.There were no mobile phones at that time.Even STD was not available.Every trunk call was to be connected through Telephone Exchange only. It was fortunate that Comrade K.Prabhakaran, well known P and T leader called at that time. Since all press news were completely barred and communications through telephones and fax were all censured, there was no opportunity for Narikutty to give the latest report to the Deshabhimani in Kerala. When Prabhakaran contacted I asked him to connect Deshabhimani and Narikkutty gave detailed report about the declaration of emergency, the list of the arrested leaders and other information. And in the next day in Deshabhimani, all the news came with photos of the arrested leaders and a strong statement of leaders condemning Emergency. I was told later that Com. Narikkutty was taken into custody and questioned, but the police could not find how the news reached Ernakulam Deshabhimani, because there were no records of fax, trunk call etc.
Next day, I walked through Rafi Marg on the side of which is the Mavlankar Auditorium where the CGE convention was to be held. The entire area was cordoned and a large number of police were there.The convention was already banned and the leaders were compelled to cancel it. So the first taste of emergency for me was in Delhi only.
Later, so many leaders of CGE movement were arrested and put in jail till the end of emergency. Com. Prabhakaran was one among them. I was taken in to custody twice during the emergency and questioned a whole night, but was later released. The period of Emergency were black days for the entire country. No criticism of the government or the ruling party was allowed. It was a reign of terror. ‘India is Indira’ became the slogan of the sycophants. People were arrested and jailed without any reason. It was dictatorship. But resistance continued inside and outside.
During Emergency period, myself as Circle President and Com.T.V.Joseph as Circle Secretary of NFPTE E.III Union, went and met Kerala Chief Minister Shri C.Achutha Menon and requested for grant of parole to Com. V.A.Ouseph, NFPTE leader at Calicut, who was in jail, to attend to his sick mother. CM stated that he has no power in the matter and everything was decided by the Home Minister Shri K.Karunakaran only. We met Sri Karunakaran. When we introduced as representatives of the telecom Union, he became irritated. He cited an incident when a telephone operator refused to extend a trunk call he made to Smt. Indira Gandhi for more than six minutes. He told that ‘where I a Minister at that time, he would have been put in jail immediately.’ He also told that ‘all you union people are to be put in jail.’ We kept smiling, because we were interested in getting bail for Com. Ouseph. Fortunately he was given the parole as requested.
By 1977, Indira Gandhi felt that the situation is under control and election can be held. But her calculation failed. In the 1977 General Elections, Congress was routed out. For the first time in India, a non-congress government came in to power consisting of almost all opposition parties which won with thumping majority. The Shah Commission which was appointed to enquire in to the Emergency excesses gave a true picture of what the nation and the people suffered during the Emergency. (In the Shah Commission report on Emergency excess, it has been stated that Kerala Government has given parole to the emergency prisoners and cited the case of Com. Ouseph, stating that he was given parole twice. Hundreds of arrested persons were not granted parole even once.)
No Indian wants a recurrence of that draconian Emergency. But what happens at present gives a resemblance to the pre-Emergency days. RSS and Sangh Parivar with the full support of the government attacks the rights of the people to eat what they want, how to dress, whom to love, what to study etc. etc. The trend is similar to what happened in the early days of the Nazi rule under Adolph Hitler. Trade union rights are curtailed; Achieved benefits are taken away. Public Sector Units are sold for a song. Minorities are attacked under the open eyes of the authorities. Moves are afoot for the creation of a rightist Hindu Rashtra. The secular fabric of the nation is being torn and the dark forces are creating communal tensions.
The National Emergency of 1975-77 and its brutal suppression of people and their rights have not been forgotten. Nobody wants another or similar Emergency and attack on the people. Dark clouds are hovering over the sky. It is only through the determined mighty united struggle of the people that the recurrence of another Emergency can be avoided.
We learn from the past to defend our future!
World Population to increase by 2 billion by 2050 – India will lead in population by 2027 : UN
Posted by VAN NAMBOODIRI in General
A journalist holds a copy of the World Population Prospects 2019:
UNITED NATIONS, June 17 — The world’s population is expected to increase by 2 billion in the next 30 years, from 7.7 billion currently to 9.7 billion in 2050, according to a United Nations report released here on Monday.
The World Population Prospects 2019: Highlights, published by the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, said that the world’s population could reach its peak around 2100, at a level of nearly 11 billion.
The report also confirmed that the world’s population is growing older due to increasing life expectancy and falling fertility levels.
The age group of 65 and over grows the fastest and by 2050, one in six people in the world will be over age 65, up from one in 11 in 2019.
The number of countries experiencing a reduction in population size is growing.
Populations are projected to decrease by 1 percent or more in 55 countries or areas, of which 26 may see a reduction of at least 10 percent.
China’s population is projected to decrease by 31.4 million, around 2.2 percent, between 2019 and 2050, the report said.
The report said that India is likely to overtake China as the world’s most populous country around 2027.
CPI(M) condemns Pragya Singh’s statement on Nathuram Godse
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the outrageous statement of BJP candidate from Bhopal Parliamentary Constituency, Pragya Singh Thakur, describing the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi Nathuram Godse: “was a patriot, is a patriot and will remain a patriot….”. Pragya Thakur is a terror accused out on bail on medical grounds.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described her as “a symbol of India’s civilizational heritage”. By fielding her, the RSS-BJP were seeking to whip up communal polarization and consolidate the ‘Hindutva communal vote bank’. This reflects the RSS-BJP attitude towards terrorism, a terror accused and the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi. The apology she has made, at the behest of the BJP, is an eyewash confirming that she adheres to her position.
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) refrains from approaching the Election Commission of India, on this score, given its recent track record. The Polit Bureau calls upon the Indian people to defeat and reject the BJP in order to safeguard and strengthen the Indian Constitutional Republic.
Narendra Modi – ‘India’s Divider-in-Chief’ says Time Magazine.
10 Friday May 2019
T he American magazine, Time in it’s May 20, 2019 international editions – the Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia and South Pacific – feature the Modi cover story with the main headline “India’s Divider in Chief”. A detailed article on the cover story is also published.
The article indicates that the international media is also aware of the latest developments, including the general elections.
May Day observed all over the world
Wage Revision discussion in BSNL
Posted by VAN NAMBOODIRI in BSNLEU, General, Pension
BSNL workers are eligible for pay revision with effect from 01-01-2017. 10 years are over since the last pay revision w.e.f. 01-01-2007. Actually, five years should be the period, but at least it should be given after 10 years.
Since BSNL is 100% government owned PSU and is fulfilling the social obligation of the government for universal connectivity all over India, without considering profit or loss, the criteria of profit making is not applicable to it. Further, it is due to the anti-PSU policy of the government as well as the cut throat competition that BSNL, which was profit making, has become loss making.
The DOT / BSNL should not hesitate to agree for 15% fitment as suggested by III PRC.
Pension Revision also should be made immediately, without waiting for the Pay Revision since the issues are delinked.
May Day 2019: The wealth belongs to those who produce it! WFTU Call
Posted by VAN NAMBOODIRI in General, Uncategorized, WFTU
The World Federation of Trade Unions, on the behalf of its 97 million members in 130 countries of the 5 continents, greets the celebration of the International Workers’ Day 2019 with the slogan: “The wealth belongs to those who produce it!”
We greet workers throughout the globe, and their irreplaceable role in the production of all goods and services, necessary to cover all contemporary needs of the peoples internationally. We honor the history of the world working class, the great struggle of workers in Chicago in May 1886, who fought and achieved the establishment of the 8-hour working day, even by sacrificing their life.
The class oriented trade union movement, through the ranks of the World Federation of Trade Unions, firmly continues its struggles with demands for the essential improvement of the working and living conditions of workers and poor popular strata.
Nowadays, when 1% of the population possesses more than 80% of the produced wealth, while 4.5 billion people live in poverty and misery, workers must claim even more dynamically all the wealth we create, so as to put an end to the injustice and inequalities!
In countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America, monopolies exploit their immense natural wealth, giving peanuts to the peoples. The rivalries among the powerful imperialist states maintain tensions, outbreaks of war and open wounds in countries where interventions, wars and bombings have taken place in the previous years, where crowds of uprooted peoples, of migrants and refugees, were created.
Even in the so-called developed countries, the attack against salaries and pensions, against historic achievements of workers, is taking place in the name of the capitalist economic crisis, for the support of the profitability of big businesses. Poverty, unemployment, insecurity are on the rise, healthcare services are deteriorated, the governments try to limit the action of the militant trade union movement with fierce repression, by putting obstacles to trade union actions, to the right to strike.
The World Federation of Trade Unions calls on its members, friends, workers of the world, to hoist the flag of historic struggles of the peoples and to organize May Day’s strike for one more year, in a way worthy of the day when the world working class celebrates.
For peace, for the end of foreign interventions in internal affairs of the countries. For the right of the peoples to decide on their own about their present and future.
For the end of racism, fascism, xenophobia, which is promoted by capitalist exploitation. For the unity of all workers. For the end of imperialist wars, waged for the interests of a minority who exploit the toil of workers and bathe the peoples in blood.
For the end of capitalist exploitation, for a society with true justice and equality, where the wealth will belong to those who produce it, to workers, who are the driving force of all progress and achievements of humanity.
Since the first moment of its foundation and for the 74 years of its course and action, the WFTU firmly by the side of the workers around the globe, on the occasion of May Day 2019 expresses once more its solidarity to the peoples of Venezuela, Cuba, Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Libya.
We will steadily continue our struggles, aiming to make them stronger through new initiatives, activities and mobilizations! With internationalism and solidarity.
Let’s continue our efforts for the strengthening of the militant trade unions with many new members, with young people and women, with the enhancement of class characteristics and of the class unity of all workers.
By revealing the dirty role of reformists and of corrupted bureaucrats that turn trade unions into servants of the bourgeoisie.
We participate actively in the strike of May Day 2019!
Long live the International Workers’ Day!
The wealth belongs to those who produce it!
Jet Airways closed!
Jet Airways, once the biggest Airways company, in the country has closed its services yesterday. The company has been making losses and was expected to close any time. This is the second big private airlines company that is being closed. A few years back, Kingfisher Airlines was closed and its owner Mallya leaving the country. It is not known what hit the Jet Airways, mismanagement or something.
The closure of these two big private company once again shows that despite given full freedom and unlimited loans, private companies are also collapsing. But the propaganda is against the PSUs, if even there is a small amount of loss. The PSUs are not becoming loss making due to lack of business or operations, but mainly due to the anti-PSU policy of the government.
IAS Officer suspended for checking the PM’s Chopper.
New Delhi, Apr 18 : The Election Commission has suspended a high-ranking poll observer deputed to Odisha on charges of “dereliction of duty” with regard to “SPG protectees” — in a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to an EC order, Karnataka cadre IAS officer Mohammed Mohsin was suspended for “actions contrary to the instructions of the Commission concerning SPG protectees” on April 16 — the day SPG-protectee Prime Minister Modi visited Sambalpur to address an election rally.
The EC took the action against the general observer of Sambalpur on the basis of a report submitted by the district collector and the deputy inspector general of police.
Modi was stated to have been held up at the place for nearly 15 minutes because of Mohsin’s “actions”. The officer allegedly checked PM’s chopper in violation of norms.
“Checking of the prime minister’s chopper, undertaken at Sambalpur, was not in accordance with the EC guidelines as SPG protectees are exempt from such checking,” said an official in Bhubaneswar without elaborating.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s helicopter was also checked by EC flying squad personnel in Rourkela on Tuesday.
A similar check was carried on another Cabinet Minister also. (Ganashakti)
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PlayStation continues to dominate Xbox and Nintendo as gaming ads ramp up for December
Eleanor Semeraro, iSpot.tv December 3, 2017 7:15 AM
Above: That's Senua under all that blood and grime.
Image Credit: Ninja Theory
Y’all really like watching commercials for PlayStation games, as Sony has again has more TV ad impressions than any other video game publisher in the U.S.
GamesBeat has partnered with iSpot.tv, the real-time TV ad measurement company with attention and conversion analytics from more than seven million smart TVs, to bring you a monthly report on the TV ad impressions generated by the gaming industry’s biggest campaigns. These are the ads, and by extension the games, that game makers are putting major muscle behind.
Below are the top five most-seen gaming industry brands from October 16 through November 15.
TV ad impressions in the gaming space exploded during the period measured, up from 2.9 billion last time to over 6 billion. Overall, 33 companies ran 135 spots over 27,700 times with an estimated spend of $125.6 million. PlayStation maintained a strong lead with nearly a third of the industry’s impressions, followed by Xbox and Nintendo.
PlayStation captured 1.8 billion of the industry’s impressions with 18 commercials that aired over 5,500 times. “Call of Duty: WWII: Winter Front” was the most-seen spot with 228.7 million impressions. PlayStation ads racked up top impression counts on ESPN, Fox, and Adult Swim, and during programming including NFL football, NBA basketball, and the 2017 World Series.
Xbox maintained its place at No. 2 by running nine spots over 3,400 times, which generated 1.2 billion impressions. The ad with the most impressions (657.4 million) was “Feel True Power,” featuring music from Kanye West. Xbox got its ads in front of a male-skewing, sports-loving crowd by running on Fox, ESPN, and NBC, to name three of the networks it prioritized, and during specific programming including NFL football, the 2017 World Series, and episodes of The Walking Dead.
Once again Nintendo came in third place, this time with 23 commercials that aired over 6,100 times and racked up over 1 billion impressions. The company’s most-seen ad was “Super Mario Odyssey: Jump Up, Super Star!” with 189.3 million impressions. Among the networks Nintendo prioritized: Disney Channel, Nick, and MTV; among the specific programming: SpongeBob SquarePants, NBA basketball, and The Loud House.
Bethesda Softworks is back on the ranking at No. 4 after some time off. The company ran three spots over 3,600 times, which resulted in nearly 647 million impressions. The most-seen ad (553.4 million impressions) was “Havoc,” promoting Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. Bethesda Softworks prioritized AMC, Fox, and Syfy when it came to networks and The Walking Dead, the 2017 World Series, and NFL football when it came to specific programming.
Ubisoft took fifth place with 291.4 million impressions from seven commercials that aired 957 times. “South Park: The Fractured but Whole: Masked” was the ad with the most impressions (112.1 million). The networks generating the most impressions for Ubisoft included ESPN, Adult Swim, and Comedy Central, while the top programming included NFL football, Family Guy, and South Park.
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Employers and their health plans should encourage employees, health plan members and their families to dispose of outdated and unused medications cost effectively on the upcoming National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 27, 2019.
Led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), for several years, the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day celebrations provide U.S. families an opportunity to safety dispose of unused or expired prescription pain and other medications cost effectively by dropping them off at one of 4,000 collection sites.
Expired and unused medications present a host of safety risks.
Educating employees, plan members and their family about the importance of properly disposing of unused and expired medication is important. Medications generally only should be used by the patient for whom they are prescribed and within the period before their scheduled expiration. Keeping unused or expired medication creates a host of risks for patients and others in their families and communities. Unneeded or unused painkillers, attention and anxiety medications and other prescriptions often are diverted to recreational or other use by patients other than the individual for whom they were prescribed.
Risk also can arise when a patient prescribed a medication consumes it after its originally intended consumption period. Pain, anxiety or other prescription medications used after their originally intended period of use may create safety issue due to interactions with conditions or medications not contemplated when originally ordered, may be used with good intentions for the wrong purposes, or even used by patients in an unsafe or abusive manner. Patients may delay or undermine their recovery from a new condition by self-treating a new condition by taking previously physician prescribed antibiotics or other medications ineffective or contraindicated for the new condition the patient seeks to treat.
Expired medications also create risks from loss of potency or other instability that can occur after their expiration date. As a consequence, disposing of extra or expired medication is an important part of safe medication management.
On the other hand, disposing of unused or outdated medication can be challenging. Throwing medication in unsecured trash disposal creates risks of improper access, contamination of water and other environment or both. Washing unused medications down the drain or flushing them down toilets also creates contamination concerns. However, finding a no or low-cost place to dispose of unneeded or expired medication historically has been challenging. While many pharmacies offer disposal packages, chargers to use these services generally are expensive.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day helps educate Americans about the need for timely proper medication disposal and management while also providing a cost effective means for disposing of unused medications safely. Individuals can drop off unneeded prescription drugs at one of the 4,000 collection sites identifiable using the Site Collection Locator.
Health plans, employers, health care providers, churches, schools, parent teacher associations and other community organizations are encouraged to help spread the word and encourage participation in the April 27 observances using the free promotional materials or other related resources included in the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Toolbox.
Tips and tools for medication management are just some of the tools and training included in the Family Health Care Toolkit Resources and Program authored by Ms. Stamer. Want to learn more? Know other challenges, issues or resources? Solutions Law Press invites you to join the discussion and learn and share more about health, disability and aging challenges, needs, resources and victories on Facebook @projectcopecoation and/or in the Project Cope LinkedIn Group. Learn and discuss about Human Resources and employee benefit practices and requirements by joining the discussion in our HR & Benefits Compliance Group.
Recognized by LexisNexis® Martindale-Hubbell® as a “AV-Preeminent” (Top 1%/ the highest) and “Top Rated Lawyer,” with special recognition as “LEGAL LEADER™ Texas Top Rated Lawyer” in Health Care Law and Labor and Employment Law; as among the “Best Lawyers In Dallas” for her work in the fields of “Health Care,” “Labor & Employment,” “Tax: Erisa & Employee Benefits” and “Business and Commercial Law” by D Magazine, the author of this update is widely known for her 29 plus years’ of work in health care, health benefit, health policy and regulatory affairs and other health industry concerns as a practicing attorney and management consultant, thought leader, author, public policy advocate and lecturer.
Throughout her adult life and nearly 30-year legal career, Ms. Stamer’s legal, management and governmental affairs work has focused on helping health industry, health benefit and other organizations and their management use the law, performance and risk management tools and process to manage people, performance, quality, compliance, operations and risk. Highly valued for her rare ability to find pragmatic client-centric solutions by combining her detailed legal and operational knowledge and experience with her talent for creative problem-solving, Ms. Stamer supports these organizations and their leaders on both a real-time, “on demand” basis as well as outsourced operations or special counsel on an interim, special project, or ongoing basis with strategic planning and product and services development and innovation; workforce and operations management, crisis preparedness and response as well as to prevent, stabilize and cleanup legal and operational crises large and small that arise in the course of operations.
Past Chair of the ABA Managed Care & Insurance Interest Group and, a Fellow in the American College of Employee Benefit Counsel, the American Bar Foundation and the Texas Bar Foundation, Ms. Stamer also has extensive health care reimbursement and insurance experience advising and defending health care providers, payers, and others about Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare and Medicaid Advantage, Tri-Care, self-insured group, association, individual and group and other health benefit programs and coverages including but not limited to advising public and private payers about coverage and program design and documentation, advising and defending providers, payers and systems and billing services entities about systems and process design, audits, and other processes; provider credentialing, and contracting; providers and payer billing, reimbursement, claims audits, denials and appeals, coverage coordination, reporting, direct contracting, False Claims Act, Medicare & Medicaid, ERISA, state Prompt Pay, out-of-network and other nonpar insured, and other health care claims, prepayment, post-payment and other coverage, claims denials, appeals, billing and fraud investigations and actions and other reimbursement and payment related investigation, enforcement, litigation and actions. Heavily involved in health care and health information technology, data and related process and systems development, policy and operations innovation and a Scribe for ABA JCEB annual agency meeting with OCR for many years who has authored numerous highly-regarded works and training programs on HIPAA and other data security, privacy and use, Ms. Stamer also is widely recognized for her extensive work and leadership on leading edge health care and benefit policy and operational issues including meaningful use and EMR, billing and reimbursement, quality measurement and reimbursement, HIPAA, FACTA, PCI, trade secret, physician and other medical confidentiality and privacy, federal and state data security and data breach and other information privacy and data security rules and many other concerns.
A former lead consultant to the Government of Bolivia on its Pension Privatization Project with extensive domestic and international public policy and governmental and regulatory affairs experience, Ms. Stamer also is widely recognized for regulatory and policy work, advocacy and outreach on healthcare, education, aging, disability, savings and retirement, workforce, ethics, and other policies. Throughout her adult life and career, Ms. Stamer has provided thought leadership; policy and program design, statutory and regulatory development design and analysis; drafted legislation, proposed regulations and other guidance, position statements and briefs, comments and other critical policy documents; advised, assisted and represented health care providers, health plans and insurers, employers, professional. and trade associations, community and government leaders and others on health care, health, pension and retirement, workers’ compensation, Social Security and other benefit, insurance and financial services, tax, workforce, aging and disability, immigration, privacy and data security and a host of other international and domestic federal, state and local public policy and regulatory reforms through her involvement and participation in numerous client engagements, founder and Executive Director of the Coalition for Responsible Health Policy and its PROJECT COPE: the Coalition on Patient Empowerment, adviser to the National Physicians Congress for Healthcare Policy, leadership involvement with the US-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, the Texas Association of Business, the ABA JCEB, Health Law, RPTE, Tax, Labor, TIPS, International Life Sciences, and other Sections and Committees, SHRM Governmental Affairs Committee and a host of other involvements and activities. The American Bar Association (ABA) International Section Life Sciences Committee Vice Chair, a Scribe for the ABA Joint Committee on Employee Benefits (JCEB) Annual OCR Agency Meeting, former Vice President of the North Texas Health Care Compliance Professionals Association, past Chair of the ABA Health Law Section Managed Care & Insurance Section, past ABA JCEB Council Representative, past Board President of Richardson Development Center (now Warren Center) for Children Early Childhood Intervention Agency, past North Texas United Way Long Range Planning Committee Member, and past Board Member and Compliance Chair of the National Kidney Foundation of North Texas, Ms. Stamer has worked closely with a diverse range of health care providers, managed care, insurance and other health care payers, quality assurance, credentialing, technical, research, public and private social and community organizations, foreign and US federal, state and local agencies and others on health care, aging, disability, savings and other process improvement, change management; regulatory affairs and public policy and other concerns.
A Fellow in the American College of Employee Benefit Counsel, the American Bar Foundation and the Texas Bar Foundation, Ms. Stamer also shares her thought leadership, experience and advocacy on these and other related concerns by her service in the leadership of the Solutions Law Press, Inc. Coalition for Responsible Health Policy, its PROJECT COPE: Coalition on Patient Empowerment, and a broad range of other professional and civic organizations including North Texas Healthcare Compliance Association, a founding Board Member and past President of the Alliance for Healthcare Excellence, past Board Member and Board Compliance Committee Chair for the National Kidney Foundation of North Texas; former Board President of the early childhood development intervention agency, The Richardson Development Center for Children (now Warren Center For Children); current Vice Chair of the ABA Tort & Insurance Practice Section Employee Benefits Committee, current Vice Chair of Policy for the Life Sciences Committee of the ABA International Section, Past Chair of the ABA Health Law Section Managed Care & Insurance Section, a current Defined Contribution Plan Committee Co-Chair, former Group Chair and Co-Chair of the ABA RPTE Section Employee Benefits Group, past Representative and chair of various committees of ABA Joint Committee on Employee Benefits; a ABA Health Law Coordinating Council representative, former Coordinator and a Vice-Chair of the Gulf Coast TEGE Council TE Division, past Chair of the Dallas Bar Association Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Committee, a former member of the Board of Directors of the Southwest Benefits Association and others.
Recognized for her pragmatic and insightful thoughleadership, Ms. Stamer also publishes and speaks extensively on health and managed care industry regulatory, staffing and human resources, compensation and benefits, technology, public policy, reimbursement and other operations and risk management concerns for the American Bar Association, ALI-ABA, American Health Lawyers, Society of Human Resources Professionals, the Southwest Benefits Association, the Society of Employee Benefits Administrators, the American Law Institute, Lexis-Nexis, Atlantic Information Services, The Bureau of National Affairs (BNA), InsuranceThoughtLeaders.com, Benefits Magazine, Employee Benefit News, Texas CEO Magazine, HealthLeaders, the HCCA, ISSA, HIMSS, Modern Healthcare, Managed Healthcare, Institute of Internal Auditors, Society of CPAs, Business Insurance, Employee Benefits News, World At Work, Benefits Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, the Dallas Morning News, the Dallas Business Journal, the Houston Business Journal, and many other symposia and publications. She also has served as an Editorial Advisory Board Member for human resources, employee benefit and other management focused publications of BNA, HR.com, Employee Benefit News, Insurance Thought Leadership and many other prominent publications and speaks and conducts training for a broad range of professional organizations.. Health Care Compliance Association, Atlantic Information Service, and others.
For more information about Ms. Stamer or her services, credentials, publications, involvements or presentations, see here or contact Ms. Stamer via telephone at (214) 452-8297 or via e-mail here.
Solutions Law Press, Inc.™ provides human resources and employee benefit and other business risk management, legal compliance, management effectiveness and other coaching, tools and other resources, training and education on leadership, governance, human resources, employee benefits, data security and privacy, insurance, health care and other key compliance, risk management, internal controls and operational concerns. If you find this of interest, you also be interested reviewing some of our other Solutions Law Press, Inc.™ resources here.
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©2019 Cynthia Marcotte Stamer. Non-exclusive right to republish granted to Solutions Law Press, Inc.™ All other rights reserved. For information about republication or other use, please contact Ms. Stamer here.
Leave a Comment » | Consumer Protection, Drug & Alcohol, Employee Benefits, Employer, Employers, Employment, health insurance, health plan, Health Plans, Human Resources, insurers, Managment, Prescription Drugs, Uncategorized, Wellness Programs | Permalink
Posted by Cynthia Marcotte Stamer
Adding employee recess to the workday schedule could be a cost effective wellness tool based on health research recently reported by the National Institutes on Health (“NIH”).
Sedentary work and lifestyles fuel many of the heath risks and costs targeted by employer and health benefit employee wellness programs.
With most American adults now spending an average of 11 to 12 hours a day sitting, sedentary work and life styles present leading disease and health cost drivers. Research showing long periods of sitting increase the risk of heart disease and death overall make finding ways to counteract the negative health effects of sedentary lifestyles a key objective of many wellness and public health initiatives. However questions exist about the effectiveness and return on investment of many of the wellness program strategies and tools in the marketplace in producing meaningful changes in employee health or health related behavior.
Findings of research recently announced by NIH suggests giving employees movement breaks for as little as 30 minutes a day could counteract the adverse health effects of their sedentary work. See Light activity may lower harmful effects of sitting.
According to NIH, a study of nearly 8000 people aged 45 or older found as little as 30 minutes of light activity per day may reduce the risk of death incurred by sitting. Replacing sitting with just a few minutes of movement at a time provided health benefits.
NIH reports researchers found that any amount of activity was better than sitting. People who swap 30 minutes of sitting for 30 minutes of light-intensity activity per day would have a 17% lower risk of death. Light-intensity activities include walking and doing chores that require moving around.
People who swap 30 minutes of sitting for 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day would have a 35% lower risk of death from any cause. These types of activities can include jogging, bicycling, and playing sports.
But people didn’t have to move for a full 30 minutes in a row to benefit. Even smaller intervals to break up periods of sitting—including from just 1 to 5 minutes of activity—reduced the risk of death.
NIH also reports positive effects of movement were seen regardless of age, race, weight, smoking and drinking patterns, or existing health problems.
Small amounts of movement mainly benefitted people who didn’t already have an active lifestyle. For people who had a low activity level overall, taking modest activity breaks made a big difference in the risk of death. For people who already had a high level of activity during the day, however, no additional benefit was seen from a little extra movement.
The findings of the health benefit of movement breaks is consistent with findings of a growing series of other recent health studies showing getting adults and children moving during the day even for short periods during the day can produce major heath benefits. See, e.g. Brief Activity Breaks May Benefit Children’s Health; Physical Activity Program Helps Maintain Mobility; Moderate Exercise May Improve Memory in Older Adults. The message is clear: Even modest increases in activity can reduce risk for many serious conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, certain kinds of cancer, and some types of depression and cognitive disorders.
The research also shows that the health benefits can come from engaging in light or moderate movement activities as little as 30 minutes a day even if these activities are broken up and not participation in traditional exercise. Healthful physical activity includes exercise as well as many everyday activities, such as doing active chores around the house, yard work, or walking the dog.
Aerobic activities that make heart and blood vessels by healthier by causing individuals to breathe harder can include brisk walking, dancing, swimming, and playing basketball. Strengthening activities, like push-ups and lifting weights, help make your muscles and bones stronger and can also improve balance.
While the benefits of movement are clear, too many employees fail to do it. Although most people know that physical activity is a good thing, most adults nationwide don’t meet even the minimum recommended amounts of physical activity of at least 30 minutes of brisk walking or other moderate activity, 5 days a week.
NIH-funded research has found that environment—where people live, work, or go to school—can have a big impact on how much individuals move and even how much they weigh. These findings suggest employers and communities can do many things to encourage their people to fit movement into their sedentary lifestyles.
To create a work or other environment that encourages employees to get moving, NIH suggests looking for opportunities to change the environment so activity is an easier choice for workers to make.
Some suggestions include:
Structuring meetings, job duties and other activities to require or encourage sedentary workers to stand up, walk and move around periodically throughout the day;
Providing access to walking sidewalks, trails and other places workers can walk and encouraging workers to use them;
Encouraging workers to walk or take public transportation to lunch or other meetings when feasible rather than drive;
Encouraging people to walk and talk rather than sitting while holding discussions;
Encouraging workers to find waking buddies to walk to lunch or share other exercise breaks or activities with in and outside the workplace;
Encouraging management and employees to incorporate stretching or other movement breaks into meetings and other gatherings; and
Encouraging people to take the stairs and walk to meet fellow employees in person rather than communicating by phone or e-mail when practical.
While each workplace presents different opportunities and challenges, the message from the research is clear: Getting your people moving can produce meaningful health and health and disability cost savings. Maybe it’s time for your company to add short movement recesses to its employees’ day to capitalize on these benefits.
Want to learn, share or discuss other human resources, benefits and compensation, or health and wellness management developments and ideas? We invite you to share your own best practices ideas and resources and join the discussions about these and other human resources, health and other employee benefit and patient empowerment concerns by participating in and contributing to the discussions in our Health Plan Compliance Group or COPE: Coalition On Patient Empowerment Groupon LinkedIn or Project COPE: Coalition on Patient Empowerment Facebook Page.
Recognized by her peers as a Martindale-Hubble “AV-Preeminent” (Top 1%) and “Top Rated Lawyer” with special recognition LexisNexis® Martindale-Hubbell® as “LEGAL LEADER™ Texas Top Rated Lawyer” in Health Care Law and Labor and Employment Law; as among the “Best Lawyers In Dallas” for her work in the fields of “Labor & Employment,” “Tax: ERISA & Employee Benefits,” “Health Care” and “Business and Commercial Law” by D Magazine, Cynthia Marcotte Stamer is a practicing attorney board certified in labor and employment law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and management consultant, author, public policy advocate and lecturer widely known for 30+ years of management focused employment, employee benefit and insurance, workforce and other management work, public policy leadership and advocacy, coaching, teachings, and publications.
Highly valued for her rare ability to find pragmatic client-centric solutions by combining her detailed legal and operational knowledge and experience with her talent for creative problem-solving, she is nationally recognized for her leading edge work, publications, advocacy and programs on making compliant wellness and disease management programs that work and other health and disability plans and management strategies and concerns.
Ms. Stamer’s clients include employers and other workforce management organizations; employer, union, association, government and other insured and self-insured health and other employee benefit plan sponsors, benefit plans, fiduciaries, administrators, and other plan vendors; domestic and international public and private health care, education and other community service and care organizations; managed care organizations; insurers, third-party administrative services organizations and other payer organizations; and other private and government organizations and their management leaders.
Throughout her 30 plus year career, Ms. Stamer has continuously worked with these and other management clients to design, implement, document, administer and defend hiring, performance management, compensation, promotion, demotion, discipline, reduction in force and other workforce, employee benefit, insurance and risk management, health and safety, and other programs, products and solutions, and practices; establish and administer compliance and risk management policies; comply with requirements, investigate and respond to government, accreditation and quality organizations, regulatory and contractual audits, private litigation and other federal and state reviews, investigations and enforcement actions; evaluate and influence legislative and regulatory reforms and other regulatory and public policy advocacy; prepare and present training and discipline; handle workforce and related change management associated with mergers, acquisitions, reductions in force, re-engineering, and other change management; and a host of other workforce related concerns. Ms. Stamer’s experience in these matters includes supporting these organizations and their leaders on both a real-time, “on demand” basis with crisis preparedness, intervention and response as well as consulting and representing clients on ongoing compliance and risk management; plan and program design; vendor and employee credentialing, selection, contracting, performance management and other dealings; strategic planning; policy, program, product and services development and innovation; mergers, acquisitions, bankruptcy and other crisis and change management; management, and other opportunities and challenges arising in the course of workforce and other operations management to improve performance while managing workforce, compensation and benefits and other legal and operational liability and performance.
Past Chair of the ABA Managed Care & Insurance Interest Group and, a Fellow in the American College of Employee Benefit Counsel, the American Bar Foundation and the Texas Bar Foundation, heavily involved in health benefit, health care, health, financial and other information technology, data and related process and systems development, policy and operations throughout her career, and scribe of the ABA JCEB annual Office of Civil Rights agency meeting, Ms. Stamer also is widely recognized for her extensive work and leadership on leading edge health care and benefit policy and operational issues. She regularly helps employer and other health benefit plan sponsors and vendors, health industry, insurers, health IT, life sciences and other health and insurance industry clients design, document and enforce plans, practices, policies, systems and solutions; manage regulatory, contractual and other legal and operational compliance; vendors and suppliers; deal with Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, Medicare/Medicaid Advantage, ERISA, state insurance law and other private payer rules and requirements; contracting; licensing; terms of participation; medical billing, reimbursement, claims administration and coordination, and other provider-payer relations; reporting and disclosure, government investigations and enforcement, privacy and data security; and other compliance and enforcement; Form 990 and other nonprofit and tax-exemption; fundraising, investors, joint venture, and other business partners; quality and other performance measurement, management, discipline and reporting; physician and other workforce recruiting, performance management, peer review and other investigations and discipline, wage and hour, payroll, gain-sharing and other pay-for performance and other compensation, training, outsourcing and other human resources and workforce matters; board, medical staff and other governance; strategic planning, process and quality improvement; HIPAA administrative simplification, meaningful use, EMR, HIPAA and other technology, data security and breach and other health IT and data; STARK, antikickback, insurance, and other fraud prevention, investigation, defense and enforcement; audits, investigations, and enforcement actions; trade secrets and other intellectual property; crisis preparedness and response; internal, government and third-party licensure, credentialing, accreditation, HCQIA, HEDIS and other peer review and quality reporting, audits, investigations, enforcement and defense; patient relations and care; internal controls and regulatory compliance; payer-provider, provider-provider, vendor, patient, governmental and community relations; facilities, practice, products and other sales, mergers, acquisitions and other business and commercial transactions; government procurement and contracting; grants; tax-exemption and not-for-profit; 1557 and other Civil Rights; privacy and data security; training; risk and change management; regulatory affairs and public policy; process, product and service improvement, development and innovation, and other legal and operational compliance and risk management, government and regulatory affairs and operations concerns.
A former lead consultant to the Government of Bolivia on its Pension Privatization Project with extensive domestic and international public policy concerns in pensions, healthcare, workforce, immigration, tax, education and other areas, Ms. Stamer has been extensively involved in U.S. federal, state and local health care and other legislative and regulatory reform impacting these concerns throughout her career. Her public policy and regulatory affairs experience encompasses advising and representing domestic and multinational private sector health, insurance, employee benefit, employer, staffing and other outsourced service providers, and other clients in dealings with Congress, state legislatures, and federal, state and local regulators and government entities, as well as providing advice and input to U.S. and foreign government leaders on these and other policy concerns.
Author of leading works on a multitude of labor and employment, compensation and benefits, internal controls and compliance, and risk management matters and a Fellow in the American College of Employee Benefit Counsel, the American Bar Foundation and the Texas Bar Foundation, Ms. Stamer also shares her thought leadership, experience and advocacy on these and other related concerns by her service in the leadership of the Solutions Law Press, Inc. Coalition for Responsible Health Policy, its PROJECT COPE: Coalition on Patient Empowerment, and a broad range of other professional and civic organizations including North Texas Healthcare Compliance Association, a founding Board Member and past President of the Alliance for Healthcare Excellence, past Board Member and Board Compliance Committee Chair for the National Kidney Foundation of North Texas; former Board President of the early childhood development intervention agency, The Richardson Development Center for Children (now Warren Center For Children); current Vice Chair of the ABA Tort & Insurance Practice Section Employee Benefits Committee, current Vice Chair of Policy for the Life Sciences Committee of the ABA International Section, Past Chair of the ABA Health Law Section Managed Care & Insurance Section, a current Defined Contribution Plan Committee Co-Chair, former Group Chair and Co-Chair of the ABA RPTE Section Employee Benefits Group, past Representative and chair of various committees of ABA Joint Committee on Employee Benefits; an ABA Health Law Coordinating Council representative, former Coordinator and a Vice-Chair of the Gulf Coast TEGE Council TE Division, past Chair of the Dallas Bar Association Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Committee, a former member of the Board of Directors of the Southwest Benefits Association and others.
For more information about Ms. Stamer or her health industry and other experience and involvements, see here or contact Ms. Stamer via telephone at (214) 452-8297 or via e-mail here.
Solutions Law Press, Inc.™ provides human resources and employee benefit and other business risk management, legal compliance, management effectiveness and other coaching, tools and other resources, training and education on leadership, governance, human resources, employee benefits, data security and privacy, insurance, health care and other key compliance, risk management, internal controls and operational concerns. If you find this of interest, you also be interested reviewing some of our other Solutions Law Press, Inc.™ resources here such as the following:
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If you or someone else you know would like to receive future updates about developments on these and other concerns, please be sure that we have your current contact information including your preferred e-mail by creating your profile here. We also invite you to join the discussion of these and other human resources, health and other employee benefit and patient empowerment concerns by participating and contributing to the discussions in our Health Plan Compliance Group or COPE: Coalition On Patient Empowerment Groupon LinkedIn or Project COPE: Coalition on Patient Empowerment Facebook Page.
NOTICE: These statements and materials are for general informational and purposes only. They do not establish an attorney-client relationship, are not legal advice or an offer or commitment to provide legal advice, and do not serve as a substitute for legal advice. Readers are urged to engage competent legal counsel for consultation and representation in light of the specific facts and circumstances presented in their unique circumstance at any particular time. No comment or statement in this publication is to be construed as legal advise or an admission. The author reserves the right to qualify or retract any of these statements at any time. Likewise, the content is not tailored to any particular situation and does not necessarily address all relevant issues. Because the law is rapidly evolving and rapidly evolving rules makes it highly likely that subsequent developments could impact the currency and completeness of this discussion. The presenter and the program sponsor disclaim, and have no responsibility to provide any update or otherwise notify any participant of any such change, limitation, or other condition that might affect the suitability of reliance upon these materials or information otherwise conveyed in connection with this program. Readers may not rely upon, are solely responsible for, and assume the risk and all liabilities resulting from their use of this publication.
©2019 Cynthia Marcotte Stamer. Non-exclusive right to republish granted to Solutions Law Press, Inc.™ For information about republication or the topic of this article, please contact the author directly. All other rights reserved.
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Court Ruling Obamacare Unconstitutional Leaves Obamacare Future Uncertain As Annual Enrollment Period Ends
A ruling by a Federal District judge on Friday (December 14, 2018) ruled unconstitutional the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) touches off a new wave of uncertainty about the future of the massive healthcare reform law commonly known as Obamacare just as the enrollment period for 2019 health coverage ended. While Federal District Judge Reed O’Connor finds in his ruling released on Friday that amendments passed by Congress last December robbed the ACA of its original constitutionality, only time will tell if the ruling actually will end the ACA reforms or the effect of such ruling on the hotly debated ACA reforms and other statutory and regulatory reforms Congress and the Trump Administration subsequently prospectively or retrospectively. Consequently, health plans, their employer and other sponsors, insurers, administrators, and fiduciaries; health care providers, consumers and others will need to watch developments closely.
Justice O’Connor’s decision was released one day before the last day of the enrollment period for Americans to elect whether and what coverage, if any, to enroll in through the Obamacare exchanges for calendar 2019.
In Texas v. US, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and other Republican governors challenged the constitutionality of the ACA following passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA). The plaintiffS argued the TCJA rendered the ACA unconstitutional because it repealed the individual mandate of the ACA upon which the Supreme Court previously found the ACA constitutional.
In the 2012 decision in Nat’l Fed’n of Indep. Businesses v. Sebelius (NFIB), 567 U.S. 519, 530–38 (2012) written by Chief Justice Roberts, the Supreme Court ruled that Congress could not rely upon the Commerce Clause for Constitutional authority to enact the ACA. However, the Supreme Court nevertheless found the Individual Mandate provisions of the ACA preserved the constitutionality of the ACA as a constitutional exercise of Congress’ Taxing Power.
In Texas v. US, the plaintiff governors argue that the repeal of the Individual Mandate as part of Congress’ passage of the TCJA last December robbed the ACA of its constitutionality. They say it is no longer fairly readable as an exercise of Congress’s Tax Power and continues to be unsustainable under the Interstate Commerce Clause. They further urge that if they are correct, the balance of the ACA is untenable as inseverable from the Invalid Mandate. Judge O’Connor agreed with the plaintiff’s in his ruling on Friday. Now it remains to be seen if his ruling will face and withstand the appeal and if so, what effect it will have on Obamacare overall and other subsequent statutory and regulatory reforms.
While only time will tell whether the decision stands and its effect, the path to clarity promises to be filled with more drama and uncertainty. Former US Attorney General Jeff Sessions previously had stated that the Justice Department under his leadership would not expend resources to defend the ACA. It remains to be seen how the Justice Department will not respond in light of his recent resignation. Even if the Justice Department does not step up to defend Obamacare, it is likely that states like California that have intervened in support of the ACA in the litigation will attempt to appeal the action. Assuming that an appeal proceeds, a Court of Appeals would hear the appeal before an almost certain appeal by the losing side in that appeal to the United States Supreme Court, where President Trump’s new appointee would hear the action. Along with the possibility that these Courts will uphold the trial court’s ruling, either of these appeals courts could overrule the trial court in whole or in part. Thus, subsequent appeals decisions could:
Reverse Judge O’Connor’s ruling entirely, leaving The ACA intact in its current form; or
Uphold part but not all of the decision, leaving some parts in place but not others.
pending further decisions, it remains unclear if subsidies, prohibitions against preexisting conditions, guaranteed issue, cost regulations, benefit and coverage mandates and other insurance reforms, health care billing and other reforms will survive.
Meanwhile, regardless of the outcome of the appeals, the decision and its fallout almost certainly will touch off more debate in Congress. With health care reform already a hot topic, more Congressional battles were inevitable. However the decision adds a new and significant wrinkle to the politics of the health reform fight.
In January November’s election will cause the leadership of the House of Representatives is set to transfer from Republicans to Democrats while leaving control over the Senate in the hands of Republications. With leadership of the two legislative bodies split, Democrats are unlikely to be able to use their new control of the House to enact legislation that would overrule outright an adverse decision by the courts. Consequently, Democrats will have an uphill battle if the court decision stands unless and until they can regain Senate control. Instead they are likely to be related to the role occupied by the House the past 4 years in which bills to enact the Democrat vision will pass the House only to die a quick death in the Republican controlled Senate or face veto by the Republican President.
On the other hand, Republicans also could not overcome a decision unfavorable to their agenda for the opposite reason: Despite control of the majority in the Senate and having a Republican President opposed to the ACA, Republicans can’t enact legislation without winning a majority of votes in the House.
On the other hand, either party can and almost certainly will use its veto power over the other party’s agenda. The fight likely will spill over into budget, immigration, workforce and other jet legislation that otherwise might and should enjoy bipartisan support in Congress.
As the litigation proceeds, concerned parties will want to keep a close eye of the Courts, the regulation and enforcement actions of the Trump Administration and the Congress.
Meanwhile, it is important to keep in mind that implementation of Judge O’Connor’s decision is stayed pending appeal.
Recognized by her peers as a Martindale-Hubble “AV-Preeminent” (Top 1%) and “Top Rated Lawyer” with special recognition LexisNexis® Martindale-Hubbell® as “LEGAL LEADER™ Texas Top Rated Lawyer” in Health Care Law and Labor and Employment Law; as among the “Best Lawyers In Dallas” for her work in the fields of “Labor & Employment,” “Tax: Erisa & Employee Benefits,” “Health Care” and “Business and Commercial Law” by D Magazine, Cynthia Marcotte Stamer is a practicing attorney board certified in labor and employment law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and management consultant, author, public policy advocate and lecturer widely known for 30+ years of managed care and other health industry, health and other benefit and insurance, workforce and other management work, public policy leadership and advocacy, coaching, teachings, and publications.
Past Chair of the ABA Managed Care & Insurance Interest Group, a Fellow in the American College of Employee Benefit Counsel, the American Bar Foundation and the Texas Bar Foundation, Ms. Stamer is nationally recognized as a thoughtleader in health benefits and health care matters domestically and internationally. She has been continuously involved the design, regulation, administration and defense of managed care and other health and employee benefit, health care, human resources and other staffing and workforce arrangements, contracts, systems, and processes. As a continuous component of this work, Ms. Stamer has worked closely with these and other clients on the design, development, administration, defense, and breach and data recovery of health care, workforce, insurance and financial services, trade secret and other information technology, data and related process and systems development, policy and operations throughout her career.
Scribe of the ABA JCEB annual Office of Civil Rights agency meeting, Ms. Stamer also is widely recognized for her extensive work and leadership on leading edge health care and benefit policy and operational issues.
Ms. Stamer’s clients include employers and other workforce management organizations; employer, union, association, government and other insured and self-insured health and other employee benefit plan sponsors, benefit plans, fiduciaries, administrators, and other plan vendors; managed care organizations, insurers, self-insured health plans and other payers and their management; public and private, domestic and international hospitals, health care systems, clinics, skilled nursing, long-term care, rehabilitation and other health care providers and facilities; medical staff, health care accreditation, peer review and quality committees and organizations; managed care organizations, insurers, third-party administrative services organizations and other payer organizations; billing, utilization management, management services organizations; group purchasing organizations; pharmaceutical, pharmacy, and prescription benefit management and organizations; claims, billing and other health care and insurance technology and data service organizations; other health, employee benefit, insurance and financial services product and solutions consultants, developers and vendors; and other health, employee benefit, insurance, technology, government and other management clients.
Beyond her public policy and regulatory affairs involvement, Ms. Stamer also has extensive experience helping these and other clients to design, implement, document, administer and defend workforce, employee benefit, insurance and risk management, health and safety, and other programs, products and solutions, and practices; establish and administer compliance and risk management policies; comply with requirements, investigate and respond to government; accreditation and quality organizations; private litigation and other federal and state health care industry investigations and enforcement actions; evaluate and influence legislative and regulatory reforms and other regulatory and public policy advocacy; training and discipline; enforcement, and a host of other related concerns. Ms. Stamer’s experience in these matters includes supporting these organizations and their leaders on both a real-time, “on demand” basis with crisis preparedness, intervention and response as well as consulting and representing clients on ongoing compliance and risk management; plan and program design; vendor and employee credentialing, selection, contracting, performance management and other dealings; strategic planning; policy, program, product and services development and innovation; mergers, acquisitions, and change management; workforce and operations management, and other opportunities and challenges arising in the course of their operations.
Ms. Stamer also has extensive health care reimbursement and insurance experience advising and defending plan sponsors, administrators, insurance and managed care organizations, health care providers, payers, and others about Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare and Medicaid Advantage, Tri-Care, self-insured group, association, individual and employer and association group and other health benefit programs and coverages including but not limited to advising public and private payers about coverage and program design and documentation, advising and defending providers, payers and systems and billing services entities about systems and process design, audits, and other processes; provider credentialing, and contracting; providers and payer billing, reimbursement, claims audits, denials and appeals, coverage coordination, reporting, direct contracting, False Claims Act, Medicare & Medicaid, ERISA, state Prompt Pay, out-of-network and other nonpar insured, and other health care claims, prepayment, post-payment and other coverage, claims denials, appeals, billing and fraud investigations and actions and other reimbursement and payment related investigation, enforcement, litigation and actions. Scribe for the ABA JCEB annual agency meeting with HHS OCR, she also has worked extensively on health and health benefit coding, billing and claims, meaningful use and EMR, billing and reimbursement, quality measurement and reimbursement, HIPAA, FACTA, PCI, trade secret, physician and other medical, workforce, consumer financial and other data confidentiality and privacy, federal and state data security, data breach and mitigation, and other information privacy and data security concerns.
Author of leading works on a multitude of health care, health plan and other health industry matters, the American Bar Association (ABA) International Section Life Sciences Committee Vice Chair, a Scribe for the ABA Joint Committee on Employee Benefits (JCEB) Annual OCR Agency Meeting, former Vice President of the North Texas Health Care Compliance Professionals Association, past Chair of the ABA Health Law Section Managed Care & Insurance Section, past ABA JCEB Council Representative and CLE and Marketing Committee Chair, past Board President of Richardson Development Center (now Warren Center) for Children Early Childhood Intervention Agency, past North Texas United Way Long Range Planning Committee Member, and past Board Member and Compliance Chair of the National Kidney Foundation of North Texas, Ms. Stamer’s health industry clients include public health organizations; public and private hospitals, healthcare systems, clinics and other health care facilities; physicians, physician practices, medical staff, and other provider organizations; skilled nursing, long-term care, assisted living, home health, ambulatory surgery, dialysis, telemedicine, DME, Pharma, clinics, and other health care providers; billing, management and other administrative services organizations; insured, self-insured, association and other health plans; PPOs, HMOs and other managed care organizations, insurance, claims administration, utilization management, and other health care payers; public and private peer review, quality assurance, accreditation and licensing; technology and other outsourcing; healthcare clearinghouse and other data; research; public and private social and community organizations; real estate, technology, clinical pathways, and other developers; investors, banks and financial institutions; audit, accounting, law firm; consulting; document management and recordkeeping, business associates, vendors, and service providers and other professional and other health industry organizations; academic medicine; trade associations; legislative and other law making bodies and others.
A popular lecturer and widely published author on health industry concerns, Ms. Stamer continuously advises health industry clients about contracting, credentialing and quality assurance, compliance and internal controls, workforce and medical staff performance, quality, governance, reimbursement, privacy and data security, and other risk management and operational matters. Author of works on Payer and Provider Contracting and many other managed care concerns, Ms. Stamer also publishes and speaks extensively on health and managed care industry regulatory, staffing and human resources, compensation and benefits, technology, public policy, reimbursement and other operations and risk management concerns.
A Fellow in the American College of Employee Benefit Counsel, the American Bar Foundation and the Texas Bar Foundation, Ms. Stamer also shares her thought leadership, experience and advocacy on these and other related concerns by her service in the leadership of the Solutions Law Press, Inc. Coalition for Responsible Health Policy, its PROJECT COPE: Coalition on Patient Empowerment, and a broad range of other professional and civic organizations including North Texas Healthcare Compliance Association, a founding Board Member and past President of the Alliance for Healthcare Excellence, past Board Member and Board Compliance Committee Chair for the National Kidney Foundation of North Texas; former Board President of the early childhood development intervention agency, The Richardson Development Center for Children (now Warren Center For Children); current Vice Chair of the ABA Tort & Insurance Practice Section Employee Benefits Committee, current Vice Chair of Policy for the Life Sciences Committee of the ABA International Section, Past Chair of the ABA Health Law Section Managed Care & Insurance Section, a current Defined Contribution Plan Committee Co-Chair, former Group Chair and Co-Chair of the ABA RPTE Section Employee Benefits Group, past Representative and chair of various committees of ABA Joint Committee on Employee Benefits; an ABA Health Law Coordinating Council representative, former Coordinator and a Vice-Chair of the Gulf Coast TEGE Council TE Division, past Chair of the Dallas Bar Association Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Committee, a former member of the Board of Directors of the Southwest Benefits Association and others.
Solutions Law Press, Inc.™ provides human resources and employee benefit and other business risk management, legal compliance, management effectiveness and other coaching, tools and other resources, training and education on leadership, governance, human resources, employee benefits, data security and privacy, insurance, health care and other key compliance, risk management, internal controls and operational concerns. If you find this of interest, you also be interested reviewing some of our other Solutions Law Press, Inc.™ resources here such as:
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Construction industry and other employers of employees working in summer heat impacted environments need to take appropriate steps to prevent heat related injuries and illnesses
Every year, dozensof workers die and thousands more become ill while working in extreme heat or humid conditions. More than 40 percent of heat-related worker deaths occur in the construction industry, but workers in every field are susceptible.
Working in extreme heat without appropriate precautions creates heightened risk of a range of heat illnesses. These risks can affect anyone, regardless of age or physical condition.
Employer Responsibility to Protect Workers
Protecting workers from extreme heat generally is part of the responsibility of an employer to provide a safe workplace under the Occupational Health & Safety Act (OSHA) and state occupational health and safety statutes.
Aside from the worker’s compensation, medical and disability costs and workplace disruptions that heat related illness can create, heat related injuries or illnesses to workers also create risks of civil penalties and other liabilities under OSHA.
To minimize risks of heat related OSHA violations and other exposures, an employer of workers exposed to high temperatures should establish and document their training and administration of a complete heat illness prevention program that meets or exceeds applicable OSHA standards.
OSHA’s Occupational Exposure to Heat page explains what employers can do to keep workers safe and what workers need to know – including factors for heat illness, adapting to working in indoor and outdoor heat, protecting workers, recognizing symptoms, and first aid training. The page also includes resources for specific industries and OSHA workplace standards.
Employers can help promote compliance and reduce heat related injury risks by training and requiring workers and their management to use three common sense elements for preventing heat related injuries and deaths to workers – Water. Rest. Shade.
OSHA guidance urges employers to prevent heat-related injuries by taking the following steps:
Provide workers with water, rest and shade.
Allow new or returning workers to gradually increase workloads and take more frequent breaks as they acclimatize, or build a tolerance for working in the heat.
Plan for emergencies and train workers on prevention.
Monitor workers for signs of illness.
Take prompt action to provide appropriate intervention and medical care in response to signs of potential heat related health issues.
To ensure that they can prove these expectations are met, Most employers will want to adopt specific policies require in well-documented compliance with these requirements.
If you need more information about or help with these or other workplace concerns, the author of this article may be able to help.
Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law, a Fellow in the American College of Employee Benefit Counsel, the American Bar Foundation and the Texas Bar Foundation; Former Chair of the RPTE Employee Benefits and Compensation Committee, a current Co-Chair of the Committee, and the former Chair of its Welfare Benefit and its Defined Compensation Plan Committees and former RPTE Joint Committee on Employee Benefits Council (JCEB) Representative, Cynthia Marcotte Stamer is a Martindale-Hubble “AV-Preeminent” practicing management attorney, consultant, coach, author, public policy advocate, author and lecturer repeatedly recognized for her 30 plus years’ of work and pragmatic thought leadership, publications and training on labor and employment, compensation, health, pension and other employee benefit, insurance, and health care fiduciary responsibility, payment, investment, contracting and other design, administration and compliance concerns as among the “Top Rated Labor & Employment Lawyers in Texas,” a “Legal Leader,” a “Top Woman Lawyer” and with other awards by LexisNexis® Martindale-Hubbell®; as among the “Best Lawyers In Dallas” for her work in the field of “Labor & Employment,” “Tax: ERISA & Employee Benefits,” “Health Care” and “Business and Commercial Law” by D Magazine, in International Who’s Who of Professionals and with numerous other awards and distinctions.
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DOL Spending Reports Required As Taxpayer Tool Need Improvement
Department of Labor (DOL) and other agencies’ spending reports posted at USASpending.gov to comply withthe Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 (DATA Act) are intended to help taxpayers, government leaders and others monitor and evaluate agency spending. However a new report from the DOL Office of Inspector General (OIG) found data reporting and other issues have compromised the reliability of the data reported in DOL reports posed on USASpending.gov.
The Data Act requires federal agencies to report spending data in accordance with new government-wide data standards developed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Department of Treasury (Treasury). The data reports are posted on so taxpayers and policy makers understand how the Department is spending its funds. The Act requires federal agencies to report spending data in accordance with new government-wide data standards developed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Department of Treasury (Treasury). The Act also requires the Inspectors General of each federal agency to conduct a review of the agency’s DATA Act compliance every two years and report on the completeness, timeliness, accuracy, and quality of the agency’s data.
The new report reports OIG’s findings from a performance audit OIG performed to assess: (1) the completeness, timeliness, accuracy, and quality of data submitted by the Department; and (2) the Department’s implementation and use of the Government-wide data standards established by OMB and Treasury for the Fiscal Year 2017 second quarter. While OIG found DOL effectively implemented and used the Government-wide data standards established by OMB and Treasury to prepare the reports and timely submitted the DATA Act required reports, it found numerous issues with the overall quality of the spending data it submitted for publication on USAspending.gov. Among other things, OIG reports that DOL:
Did not report all the required data elements for 19 percent of the transactions sampled. OIG found 77% of these errors occurred because the Department did not include Unique Record Identifiers for transactions when it was required to. This could cause issues when linking financial data with grant data on USAspending.gov.
74% of the transactions sampled contained an error in one or more data elements. OIG reports many of these errors resulted from issues in the Treasury’s DATA Act broker data extraction process.
Excluding those errors, 52% of the transactions sampled contained inaccurate information.
In addition to errors uncovered from OIG’s sampling audit, DOL also reported inaccurate program activity and object class codes for 5 and 7 percent of transactions, respectively, in its File B submission.
OIG attributes these errors in accuracy and completeness occurred because of data entry mistakes, data extraction issues, and weak data validation processes and concluded that these control deficiencies will have a negative impact on the quality of the data DOL reports until corrected.
Based on these findings, OIG has made eight recommendations to DOL’s Principal Deputy Chief Financial Officer to improve the quality of the data the DOL reports to USAspending.gov in the future and to strengthen internal controls over its data management processes.
While OIG reports DOL has concurred with these recommendations and has stated it has implemented additional controls, resulting in fewer errors with each submission, taxpayers and others using past reports need to consider the reported deficiencies in their evaluation and use of the data as well as assess the validity of future reported data for possible issues for future assessments. Even considering these issues, however, taxpayers and government leaders should consider consulting the data when investigating or evaluating DOL or other program activities or expenditures for policy, enforcement priority or other purposes.
Solutions Law Press, Inc.™ provides human resources and employee benefit and other business risk management, legal compliance, management effectiveness and other coaching, tools and other resources, training and education on leadership, governance, human resources, employee benefits, data security and privacy, insurance, health care and other key compliance, risk management, internal controls and operational concerns. If you find this of interest, you also be interested reviewing some of our other Solutions Law Press, Inc.™ resources at SolutionsLawPress.com such as the following:
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April 1 New Deadline To Update Benefit Plan Disability Determination Claims & Appeals Procesures; Hear More on 1/26
Employer and sponsors, fiduciaries, administrators and insurers of employee benefitplansof any type covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) making any disability based determinations now have until April 1, 2018 to bring their plans’ claims and appeals procedures for disability-based decisions and related notices and communications into compliance with substantially more complicated requirements in new Department of Labor Employee Benefit Security Administration (EBSA) regulations.
The EBSA announced on January 5, 2018 the extension of the effective date of new requirements for benefit plan processing and providing notification about claims or appeals involving disability determinations from their originally scheduled effective date of January 1, 2018 to April 1, 2018.
While the extension gives employer and other sponsors, fiduciaries, administrators and insurers of employee benefit plans making disability-based benefit determinations a few extra months to review and update their plan documents, summary plan descriptions, procedures, processes and claims and appeals notices to meet tightened new federal rules on disability-based benefit determinations applicable to all post December 31, 2017 claims under the restated Final Rule on Claims Procedure for Plans Providing Disability Benefits (“Disability Claims Rule”), the nature and scope of these new requirements will require updates to virtually all ERISA-covered benefit plans with any disability dependent provisions. These updates are likely to include changes to plan documents, summary plan descriptions, notices, contracts, processes and procedures for a broad range of plans. Consequently, employer and other plan sponsors, fiduciaries, administrators, insurers and others responsible for any benefit plan not already reviewed and updated to comply should get moving to complete the necessary review and update to meet the April 1, 2018 deadline.
Cynthia Marcotte Stamer and others will lead a free telephone study group discussion of “Claims Regulations and Other Developments Affecting Plan Fiduciaries” on January 26, 2018 beginning at 1 PM (Eastern), Noon (Central), 11 AM (Mountain), and 10 AM (Pacific). For more details about the Study Group, see here.
New Disability Claims Rule Overview
Originally published in final form by the EBSA on December 16, 2016, the Disability Claims Rule generally require all ERISA-covered employee benefit plans making any disability benefit or other determination conditioned upon a finding of disability to comply with the new Disability Claims Rule for any claim received after March 31, 2018.
Based on EBSA’s previously adopted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) group health plan claims and appeals rules, the new Final Disability Claims Rule will apply to all disability determinations made under any ERISA-covered plan after March 31, 2018, regardless of how the plan characterizes the benefit or whether the plan is a health or other welfare, pension, 401(k) plan or other savings plan.
The new Disability Claims Rule will apply to a broad range of plans, most of which historically have not followed the detailed claims and appeals notification, independent and impartial decision-making, rescission, deemed exhaustion, “culturally and linguistically appropriate” and other procedural protections and safeguards that the Disability Claims Rule extends from the current group health plan rules to all ERISA-covered plans making benefit determinations based on disability. Consequently covered plans making disability-based benefit or other covered determinations are likely to require updates to plan documents, insurance or administrative services contracts, summary plan descriptions and other plan communications, claims and appeals notices, and other related processes, procedures and documentation to meet these new requirements. Since certain requirements of the Disability Claims Rules like the summary plan description advance disclosure requirements are required to be provided before the claim is received, plans and their sponsors, fiduciaries, insurers and administrators risk being accused of violating these requirements by waiting to update plans, their processes and materials until after claim involving a disability based determination arises.
Ensuring that impacted plans are updated before the April 1, 2018 deadline is important because the Disability Claims Rule, like the group health plan claims and appeals rules upon which it is based, also states that noncompliance with any of its requirements empowers a participant to immediately sue the plan for enforcement if his rights without further complying the the plan’s administrative procedures. Moreover, failing to comply with summary plan disclosure or claims or appeal adverse benefit determination notification requirements also may subject the plan administrator to administrative penalties under ERISA section 514(c); fiduciaries to ERISA fiduciary liability, and compromise the ability to defend otherwise defensible decisions. Consequently, employers and other plan sponsors, fiduciaries, administrators and insurers will want to act quickly to ensure that their plans, their summary plan descriptions and other communications, notices, processes, contracts and procedures are updated appropriately before April 1, 218.
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President Trump today (October 12, 2017) issued the following that he promised to be the first in a series of executive orders and other administrative actions that his administration will roll out to provide Obamacare relief for consumers, employers and others by promoting healthcare choice and competition given the continued difficulty by the Republican-led Congress to pass legislation repealing or replacing the health care law.
What actually will result remains to be seen. Like the January 20, 2017 Executive Order Minimizing the Economic Burden of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Pending Repeal that President Trump signed as his first executive order, the new Executive Order doesn’t actually change anything; it merely directs the agencies to review and propose for implementation changes to regulations and other guidance allowed by law.
On the heels of his announcement of the Executive Order, President Trump moved forward on his promise to take other action on Obamacare by announcing that the Administration will not continue funding for individual subsidies that currently are continued under an Obama Administration action in the absence of Congressional action funding those subsidies.
Concerned parties should monitor and inform themselves about proposed changes in the Executive Order and other actions as they are proposed and develop, and provide timely comments and other input to help influence the shape and content of any changes proposed or adopted in response to the Executive Order. Solutions Law Press, Inc. will be monitoring developments. Stay tuned for updates.
Language of Executive Order
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy.
(a) It shall be the policy of the executive branch, to the extent consistent with law, to facilitate the purchase of insurance across State lines and the development and operation of a healthcare system that provides high-quality care at affordable prices for the American people. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), however, has severely limited the choice of healthcare options available to many Americans and has produced large premium increases in many State individual markets for health insurance. The average exchange premium in the 39 States that are using http://www.healthcare.gov in 2017 is more than double the average overall individual market premium recorded in 2013. The PPACA has also largely failed to provide meaningful choice or competition between insurers, resulting in one-third of America’s counties having only one insurer offering coverage on their applicable government-run exchange in 2017.
(b) Among the myriad areas where current regulations limit choice and competition, my Administration will prioritize three areas for improvement in the near term: association health plans (AHPs), short-term, limited-duration insurance (STLDI), and health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs).
(i) Large employers often are able to obtain better terms on health insurance for their employees than small employers because of their larger pools of insurable individuals across which they can spread risk and administrative costs. Expanding access to AHPs can help small businesses overcome this competitive disadvantage by allowing them to group together to self-insure or purchase large group health insurance. Expanding access to AHPs will also allow more small businesses to avoid many of the PPACA’s costly requirements. Expanding access to AHPs would provide more affordable health insurance options to many Americans, including hourly wage earners, farmers, and the employees of small businesses and entrepreneurs that fuel economic growth.
(ii) STLDI is exempt from the onerous and expensive insurance mandates and regulations included in title I of the PPACA. This can make it an appealing and affordable alternative to government-run exchanges for many people without coverage available to them through their workplaces. The previous administration took steps to restrict access to this market by reducing the allowable coverage period from less than 12 months to less than 3 months and by preventing any extensions selected by the policyholder beyond 3 months of total coverage.
(iii) HRAs are tax-advantaged, account-based arrangements that employers can establish for employees to give employees more flexibility and choices regarding their healthcare. Expanding the flexibility and use of HRAs would provide many Americans, including employees who work at small businesses, with more options for financing their healthcare.
(c) My Administration will also continue to focus on promoting competition in healthcare markets and limiting excessive consolidation throughout the healthcare system. To the extent consistent with law, government rules and guidelines affecting the United States healthcare system should:
(i) expand the availability of and access to alternatives to expensive, mandate-laden PPACA insurance, including AHPs, STLDI, and HRAs;
(ii) re-inject competition into healthcare markets by lowering barriers to entry, limiting excessive consolidation, and preventing abuses of market power; and
(iii) improve access to and the quality of information that Americans need to make informed healthcare decisions, including data about healthcare prices and outcomes, while minimizing reporting burdens on affected plans, providers, or payers.
Sec. 2. Expanded Access to Association Health Plans.
Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Labor shall consider proposing regulations or revising guidance, consistent with law, to expand access to health coverage by allowing more employers to form AHPs. To the extent permitted by law and supported by sound policy, the Secretary should consider expanding the conditions that satisfy the commonality‑of-interest requirements under current Department of Labor advisory opinions interpreting the definition of an “employer” under section 3(5) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. The Secretary of Labor should also consider ways to promote AHP formation on the basis of common geography or industry.
Sec. 3. Expanded Availability of Short-Term, Limited‑Duration Insurance.
Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretaries of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services shall consider proposing regulations or revising guidance, consistent with law, to expand the availability of STLDI. To the extent permitted by law and supported by sound policy, the Secretaries should consider allowing such insurance to cover longer periods and be renewed by the consumer.
Sec. 4. Expanded Availability and Permitted Use of Health Reimbursement Arrangements.
Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretaries of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services shall consider proposing regulations or revising guidance, to the extent permitted by law and supported by sound policy, to increase the usability of HRAs, to expand employers’ ability to offer HRAs to their employees, and to allow HRAs to be used in conjunction with nongroup coverage.
Sec. 5. Public Comment.
The Secretaries shall consider and evaluate public comments on any regulations proposed under sections 2 through 4 of this order.
Within 180 days of the date of this order, and every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretaries of the Treasury and Labor and the Federal Trade Commission, shall provide a report to the President that:
(a) details the extent to which existing State and Federal laws, regulations, guidance, requirements, and policies fail to conform to the policies set forth in section 1 of this order; and
(b) identifies actions that States or the Federal Government could take in furtherance of the policies set forth in section 1 of this order.
Sec. 7. General Provisions.
(a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
THE WHITE HOUSE,
Implications & Actions
The impact of this and other Executive Orders and other Presidential actions depend upon what actions, if any, the agencies determine they are allowed by law to take and how those changes are implemented. Concerned persons and organizations should begin preparing input to the agencies and monitoring and commenting on proposals and other guidance to help shape the outcome.
Solutions Law Press, Inc. is preparing initial analysis of this Executive Order and will be closely monitoring and updating this analysis. Follow up to learn more and stay abreast of new developments.
Recognized by her peers as a Martindale-Hubble “AV-Preeminent” (Top 1%) and “Top Rated Lawyer” with special recognition LexisNexis® Martindale-Hubbell® as “LEGAL LEADER™ Texas Top Rated Lawyer” in Health Care Law and Labor and Employment Law; as among the “Best Lawyers In Dallas” for her work in the fields of “Labor & Employment,” “Tax: Erisa & Employee Benefits,” “Health Care” and “Business and Commercial Law” by D Magazine, Cynthia Marcotte Stamer is a practicing attorney board certified in labor and employment law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and management consultant, author, public policy advocate and lecturer widely known for management work, coaching, teachings, and publications.
Ms. Stamer works with businesses and their management, employee benefit plans, governments and other organizations deal with all aspects of human resources and workforce, internal controls and regulatory compliance, change management and other performance and operations management and compliance. Her day-to-day work encompasses both labor and employment issues, as well as independent contractor, outsourcing, employee leasing, management services and other nontraditional service relationships. She supports her clients both on a real-time, “on demand” basis and with longer term basis to deal with all aspects for workforce and human resources management, including, recruitment, hiring, firing, compensation and benefits, promotion, discipline, compliance, trade secret and confidentiality, noncompetition, privacy and data security, safety, daily performance and operations management, emerging crises, strategic planning, process improvement and change management, investigations, defending litigation, audits, investigations or other enforcement challenges, government affairs and public policy.
Well-known for her extensive work with health, insurance, financial services, technology, energy, manufacturing, retail, hospitality, governmental and other highly regulated employers, her nearly 30 years’ of experience encompasses domestic and international businesses of all types and sizes. Author of numerous works on privacy and data security, Ms. Stamer‘s experience includes involvement in cyber security and other data privacy and security matters for more than 20 years.
A Fellow in the American College of Employee Benefit Counsel, the American Bar Foundation and the Texas Bar Foundation, Ms. Stamer also shares her thought leadership, experience and advocacy on these and other concerns by her service as a management consultant, business coach and consultant and policy strategist as well through her leadership participation in professional and civic organizations such her involvement as the Vice Chair of the North Texas Healthcare Compliance Association; Executive Director of the Coalition on Responsible Health Policy and its PROJECT COPE: Coalition on Patient Empowerment; former Board President of the early childhood development intervention agency, The Richardson Development Center for Children; former Gulf Coast TEGE Council Exempt Organization Coordinator; a founding Board Member and past President of the Alliance for Healthcare Excellence; former board member and Vice President of the Managed Care Association; past Board Member and Board Compliance Committee Chair for the National Kidney Foundation of North Texas; a member and policy adviser to the National Physicians’ Council for Healthcare Policy; current Vice Chair of the ABA Tort & Insurance Practice Section Employee Benefits Committee; current Vice Chair of Policy for the Life Sciences Committee of the ABA International Section; Past Chair of the ABA Health Law Section Managed Care & Insurance Section; ABA Real Property Probate and Trust (RPTE) Section former Employee Benefits Group Chair, immediate past RPTE Representative to ABA Joint Committee on Employee Benefits Council Representative, and Defined Contribution Committee Co-Chair, past Welfare Benefit Committee Chair and current Employee Benefits Group Fiduciary Responsibility Committee Co-Chair, Substantive and Group Committee member, Membership Committee member and RPTE Representative to the ABA Health Law Coordinating Council; past Chair of the Dallas Bar Association Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Committee; a former member of the Board of Directors, Treasurer, Member and Continuing Education Chair of the Southwest Benefits Association and others.
Ms. Stamer also is a widely published author, highly popular lecturer, and serial symposia chair, who publishes and speaks extensively on human resources, labor and employment, employee benefits, compensation, occupational safety and health, and other leadership, performance, regulatory and operational risk management, public policy and community service concerns for the American Bar Association, ALI-ABA, American Health Lawyers, Society of Human Resources Professionals, the Southwest Benefits Association, the Society of Employee Benefits Administrators, the American Law Institute, Lexis-Nexis, Atlantic Information Services, The Bureau of National Affairs (BNA), InsuranceThoughtLeaders.com, Benefits Magazine, Employee Benefit News, Texas CEO Magazine, HealthLeaders, the HCCA, ISSA, HIMSS, Modern Healthcare, Managed Healthcare, Institute of Internal Auditors, Society of CPAs, Business Insurance, Employee Benefits News, World At Work, Benefits Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, the Dallas Morning News, the Dallas Business Journal, the Houston Business Journal, and many other symposia and publications. She also has served as an Editorial Advisory Board Member for human resources, employee benefit and other management focused publications of BNA, HR.com, Employee Benefit News, InsuranceThoughtLeadership.com and many other prominent publications and speaks and conducts training for a broad range of professional organizations and for clients on the Advisory Boards of InsuranceThoughtLeadership.com, HR.com, Employee Benefit News, and many other publications.
Want to know more? See here for details about the author of this update, attorney Cynthia Marcotte Stamer, e-mail her here or telephone Ms. Stamer at (469) 767-8872.
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Swedish Chef Magnus Nilsson and World’s Best Female Chef Ana Roš Among Speaker Line-Up for Food On The Edge 2017
by Darina Coffey · February 20, 2017
Anticipation is building for this year’s Food On The Edge, the food symposium which will take place in Galway on the 9th and 10th of October. Food On The Edge 2017 will focus on food stories from around the world as well as the theme ‘Action and Reaction’ prompted by the themes of the symposia to date.
To add to the 2017 stellar line up that was announced last year, including Paul Cunningham of Henne Kirkeby Kro in Denmark and Ashley Palmer-Watts, Head Chef at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Food On The Edge will play host to Nordic chef Magnus Nilsson of Fäviken. Not only is Nilsson regarded as an authority on Nordic cuisine due to his purist and perfectionist approach to Nordic food culture, he is also regarded as a poet and philosopher. His restaurant, Fäviken, is located in remote Sweden 375 miles north of Stockholm and is regarded as exemplifying the “new Nordic” food trend, which venerates regional and local food.
Nilsson became a household name through the Netflix documentary Chef’s Table and his books Faviken and The Nordic Cook Book, both of which are published by Phaidon. JP McMahon, symposium director of Food On The Edge, commented that “There is great potential in Ireland to learn from the Nordic countries and we are delighted to have Magnus over to share his wealth of knowledge and to hear his food story.”
Slovenian chef Ana Roš of Hiša Franko restaurant, will also travel to Galway in October to relay her food story. Ana was named 2017’s Best Female Chef in The World by World’s 50 Best. California-based French chef Dominique Crenn of Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, who was 2016’s World’s Best Female Chef, is also on the confirmed 2017 speakers’ list. Another Californian chef flying in for the symposium is trailblazer Niki Nakayama of n/naka in Los Angeles. Niki was also featured in Season One of the Netflix series Chef’s Table.
New York-based Danish star chef Bo Bech of Geist restaurant in Copenhagen and the The Bride of the Fox pop-up series in New York City is among the speakers travelling from stateside. Also travelling from the US, from New York City is Emma Bengtsson, executive chef at two Michelin starred, Scandinavian restaurant Aquavit, as well as author Kat Kinsman, food and drinks editor at Time Inc website Extra Crispy and founder of the mental health awareness website Chefs With Issues.
Another leading Danish chef taking part is Torsten Vildgaard of STUD!O restaurant in Copenhagen and former head of R&D at Noma.
As in previous years, Food On The Edge 2017 will welcome leading and rising international chefs from five different continents to Galway, including rising star of Asian cuisine Hiroyasu Kawate of Florilége in Tokyo, Japan, locavore chef James Viles of Biota restaurant in Bowral, Australia and Margot Janse of The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français in South Africa.
Many of this year’s speakers have restaurants that feature on the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants list based on votes by chefs, restaurateurs, critics and gourmands produced annually by Restaurant magazine, including Austrian chef Heinz Reitbauer of two Michelin star Steirereck restaurant in Vienna, which is number nine on the list, Enrico Crippa of Piazza Duomo in Piedmont, Italy, which is number 17 on the list, and Jorge Vallejo of Quintonil in Mexico City, number 12 on the list.
Other confirmed speakers are Soenil Bahadoer of De Lindhof in The Netherlands, Nicolai Nørregaard of Kadeau in Denmark, Sven Elverfeld of three Michelin star Aqua in Wolfsburg, Germany, ex-Noma chefs Samuel Nutter and Victor Wagman of BROR in Copenhagen, Tom Adams of Pitt Cue in London, and Bertrand Grébaut of Septime restaurant in Paris.
A mix of panel discussions, 15-minute high impact talks, intimate sessions with leading voices and some networking activity will be introduced for this year’s symposium. JP said, “This year will see some new twists and turns. It’s important that we keep the event dynamic and actively encourage delegates to network and build new relationships.”
To buy tickets and for more information see www.foodontheedge.ie. Follow the official hashtag #FOTE2017 for regular updates.
Tags: Ana RošFood On The EdgeFood on the Edge 2017 Line UpFood on the Edge Speakers 2017Food StoriesFOTEFOTE2017JP McMahonMagnus Nilsson
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Home › News › MAYOR OF TAMALE FACES IMPEACHMENT
MAYOR OF TAMALE FACES IMPEACHMENT
At least 31 out of the 58-Member Tamale Metropolitan Assembly have signed a petition to impeach the Mayor over disrespect and some financial under-dealings. In the petition intercepted by Joy News Wednesday, Mohammed Iddrisu Musah Superior is alleged to have issued contracts under dubious means. He is also accused of channelling the Assembly’s “meagre” resources into the salary payment of cronies to the neglect of critical developmental issues. The petitioners claimed the Assembly under Mr Musah is bankrolling a 61-member taskforce with the sum of ¢9,150 monthly for no work done. Confirming suspicions of bad blood at the Assembly, the petitioners said the Mayor has been “disregarding and disrespecting Assembly Members.” The petition is the first major opposition to Mr Musah’s leadership since his overwhelming endorsement in March this year, Joy News Northern Regional Correspondent Hashmin Mohammed reported. He garnered all 58 valid votes cast during his confirmation, representing 100 percent. But activating Section 20 clause 4(a) of the Local Government Act 2016 (Act 936), the Assembly Members are seeking to pass a vote of no confidence in Mr Superior. The Act in Section 27 stipulates the processes for passing a vote of no confidence in a District Chief Executive. The Section in clause 1(d) says the allegations against the DCE will have to be made available to the Assembly’s Public Relations and Complaints Committee for investigation. After the veracity of the complaints is established, all the Assembly Members will vote to decide the fate of the DCE. The DCE will then be removed from office when a vote of no confidence is supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds of all the members of the District Assembly.
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Tagged with: dce-impeachment, musah-superior, tamale-dce
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Opposition lawmaker Villalta: ‘I would never turn my back on the people’
Zachary Dyer July 25, 2013 July 25, 2013
NICOYA, Guanacaste – Nearly 500 demonstrators marched on Nicoya’s central park Thursday morning to voice their frustration with President Laura Chinchilla, but the president was not here to hear them.
As protesters rallied in front of La Anexión Hospital in Nicoya, on Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula, on a humid morning under overcast skies, Chinchilla’s office announced that she would not be speaking until 5 p.m. this evening. Traditionally, the president’s annual speech in Nicoya to mark the annexation of Guanacaste, a national holiday, takes place early in the morning.
Soon after news of the schedule change, The Tico Times spoke with the Broad Front Party’s presidential candidate, lawmaker José María Villalta, who was at the march.
The candidate had harsh words for the president’s decision to change the hour of her speech last minute.
“It’s a slap in the face to the people. If the president hid behind barricades in Alajuela, today she’s hiding from the people,” he said, referring to Chinchilla’s not-so-public appearance during Juan Santamaría Day on April 11, when ordinary citizens were blocked from hearing her speak to a group of gathered bureaucrats.
“If I were president, I can tell you one thing I would not do is turn my back on the people,” Villalta told The Tico Times.
Villalta pointed out that he attended the march Thursday morning as a private citizen, and that his opposition political party was participating as a social actor, not an organizer of the march, as Communications Minister Carlos Roverssi accused last week during a press conference.
The legislator noted that the protest was a response to three years of unfulfilled promises and perceived mistreatment of Guanacaste, the second poorest province in Costa Rica after Limón.
Villalta saw the wide range of voices present a boon for the march. “Diverse voices show that this march isn’t an isolated event but symptomatic of the terrible abandonment felt here in Guanacaste,” he said.
Marchers represented unions, student organizations, environmentalists and social actors from across Costa Rica calling for clean drinking water, lower taxes, better health care and infrastructure, and justice for Jairo Mora, a slain sea turtle conservationist.
“All these problems have solutions. Nothing here is impossible to address,” he observed, listing the need for improved conditions in pubic hospitals, infrastructure investment for all Guancastecos – not just large farm owners and luxury beach hotels – and a more equitable tax base.
“What’s important is that the voices of Guanacaste are heard,” he added.
Book Review: Girl with the Crooked Smile
The Limits to Knowledge
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Урок–путешествие по теме "Хотел бы ты поехать в Шотландию?"
Лапина Любовь Семёновна, директор
Разделы: Иностранные языки
Задачи урока:
Совершенствование коммуникативной компетенции, интеллектуального развития обучающихся.
Углубление знаний обучающихся по культуроведению Великобритании.
Повышение мотивации изучения английского языка путем личностной вовлеченности обучающихся в учебную деятельность на уроке.
Цель урока: Развитие речевого умения устной и письменной речи обучающихся на основе аутентичных текстов для аудирования и чтения.
Оснащение урока: карта Великобритании с обозначенными на ней географическими и культурными центрами, видеофильм о Шотландии, раздаточный материал (карточки для индивидуальной работы), национальные сувениры Британии, аудиозапись аутентичного диалога, иллюстрации достопримечательных мест Шотландии.
Teacher: I’m glad to see you. I hope you are all right. I’ve got a surprise for you. You are to gather the words around the classroom and guess what will be the name of our topic. You are to divide into three groups. Let’s start. You have three minutes to do it. Mind the order of the words.
1. W – Why not
9. L – Lifestyle
17. T - Tolerant
2. O – Opportunity
10. I – Imagine
18. O - Outstanding
3. U – Underground
11. K – Keep
4. L – Language
12. E – Emblem
19. B - Boast
5. D – Doubt
20. R - Recognize
13. T – Typical
21. I - Island
6. Y – Yes
14. O – Order
22. T - True
7. O – Opinion poll
23. A - Ancient
8. U – Union
15. G – Go
24. I – In my mind
16. O – Official
25. N – Number plate
Teacher: So, children, would you like to go to Britain?
Pupils: Such an interesting question. Of course, we’d like to go to this wonderful country.
Teacher: Open your books page 41, ex.1. Why travel to the UK, I wonder? Can you think of any reasons for traveling to the UK? Complete the Word Web. One of you will be a scriber.
1. to meet people
2. to take part in a festival
3. to learn about customs
WHY TRAVEL TO THE UK?
4. to visit new places
5. to taste British food
6. to practice English
Teacher: Listen to the conversation of Russian teenagers who decided to spend their summer holidays in Britain. Tick their answers. (Listening for specific information)
Teacher: You‘ve got a chance to visit Great Britain as tourists, of course. You go to Edinburgh by plane. You are on а board now.
Stewardess: Hello, ladies and gentlemen! Fasten your seatbelts, please! The pilot is preparing to take off. Thank you.
Pilot: Ladies and gentlemen. This is the pilot speaking. I would like to welcome you aboard British Airways Flight 21, non-stop to the Airport to Edinburgh. We are currently flying at an altitude of 11,000 meters. Our flight time today will be approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes. We’ll arrive in Edinburgh at about 10 a.m. If there is anything we can do to make your trip with us more comfortable, please, let us know. Otherwise sit back and enjoy the flight.
Stewardess: May I have your attention, please. Our flight is full of different lotteries. Now you’ll have one. What do you know about Scotland? The more information you say the more chances you have to win a prize.
P1. Scotland is a country in the United Kingdom to the north of England.
P2. Edinburgh is its capital.
P3. Its Symbol is a thistle.
P4. Its patron is St. Andrew.
P5. The country is divided into Highlands and Lowlands.
Stewardess: Thanks a lot. These are your prizes. Ladies and gentlemen. The pilot is preparing for landing. When we are in the airport in Edinburgh the tourists group from Ardatov will be met by a guide.
Pilot: Ladies and gentlemen. This is the pilot speaking. We are about to touch down in Edinburgh. It’s 10 a.m. The temperature outside is 15 degrees above zero. Thank you for flying British Airways. Enjoy your rest! Bye!
Teacher: We are in Edinburgh and this is our guide.
Guide: How do you do? Welcome to our country. Pleased to meet you. Let me introduce myself. My name is Mary. I’m your guide. I hope we’ll de friends.
P1. How do you do! My name is Helen Kusnetsova. You may call me Helen.
P2. Hello! I’m Kate Kheruimova. You may call me Kate.
P3. Hi! My name is Alex Morosov. You may call me Alex.
P4. Pleased to meet you. I’m Irene Malova. This is my sister Yana. We are twins.
P5. Nice to meet you. My name is Nastya Smolinkina. We are so grateful to you!
Guide: Think nothing of it. The pleasure is all mine. There is a bus waiting for us.
I think you ‘ll have some difficulties with new options. May be you don’t have them in the Russian culture.
Match words and pictures
sporran
Teacher: During our excursion I want you to number places of interest in order you see them.
Ex.1
The Palace of Holyrood
The Royal Mile
The Firth of Forth
King Arthur’s Seat
The ruins of the Abbey
Teacher: Let’s return back to the places we’ve already visited. Just to remember some facts of history of this ancient city.
Ex.2. Choose the correct answer.
1. Who lived in Edinburgh Castle until 1603?
a. King James VI
b. Mary Tudor
c. Richard the Chancellor
2. In which direction does the Royal Mile go?
a. straight ahead
b. eastwards
c. southeast
3. What is a kilt made from?
a. tartan cloth
b. leather
c. silk
4. How much material is needed to make one?
a. eighteen meters
b. eighty meters
c. eight meters
5. When does the Queen visit Edinburgh?
a. in summer
b. in autumn
c. in winter
6. What can you see at the Palace of Holly Roodhouse?
a. Edinburgh Castle
b. The ruins of the Abbey
c. The Firth of Forth
7. How many hills are there in Edinburgh?
a. three
b. nineteen
c. nine
8. Which river runs north of Edinburgh?
a. the Thames
b. the Severn
Ex.3. Choose the phrases on the right which complete the phrases on the left.
1. Edinburgh is a city…
- by craftsmen in workshops.
2. Edinburgh is full of …
- as a souvenir.
3. Many of the buildings…
- for people who like to walk.
4. Off the Royal Mile …
- are made of grey stone.
5. You can buy many tartan things…
- green parks, gardens and hills.
6. Bagpipes are made …
- was built by a Scottish king.
7. The Palace of Hollyrood House…
- you can walk through old, narrow streets.
Teacher: I’d like to present you with a travel leaflet about Edinburgh. Look through it. Perhaps you’ll find some more information about the capital of Scotland. You have five minutes for reading. What places do you find the most attractive? Give reasons.
(Pupils read the text and tell about the most attractive places in Edinburgh).
Edinburgh is a capital of Scotland. This city is attractive, very proud, and friendly and has a great past. Edinburgh is known as Athens of the North. It is an ancient city and if you walk around it you can touch on history at every step. Practically every building has a tale to tell.
The two most interesting parts of the city are the Old Town and the Town. The Old Town lies between the Castle and Holy rood Palace. The Castle hangs over the city like some Disney cartoon – but it is real. The Castle, in fact, is older than the city. No one can say exactly when the first settlers came to live on the huge rock that stands high above Edinburgh. Later they built here a castle than used to be a fortress and then a royal palace. It looks god in any weather but at night when it is floodlit it looks just like a castle in a fairy tale. It is not surprising that the Castle attracts a lot of tourist.
The Edinburgh military tattoo takes place every August and September and is known throughout the world. For 90 minutes on five or six night a week, 600 people perform in the square in front of the Castle. The performers play military music and march to it. At the same time as the tattoo, you can go to the famous Edinburgh festival started in 1947. Every year the best performances from all over the world are shown in Edinburgh.
A line street, which runs from the Castle to Holly rood House, is called the Royal Mile. Holly rood House is a big royal palace which is the residence of the Queen when she is in Edinburgh. The most picturesque part of the Royal Mile is the Cannongate, which gives a good idea of what the Old Town was like. Closes (narrow passages) lead to little yards and attractive historical building.
One of the most modest and yet one of the best known monuments in Edinburgh is a monument to a dog called Bobby. The dog belonged o John Gray. When he died Bobby lived near his grave for twenty-six years. Later Bobby was buried near his master and statue in the Old Town has become a symbol of devotion. The Old Town is a striking contrast to the New Town with its white and beautiful streets lined with trees. Princes Street is the most beautiful street of the New Town. It has a lot of gardens on the side and it is also Edinburgh’s popular shopping center. Princes Street is connected with the name of the famous writer Sir Walter Scott. A monument 200 feet high rises between green trees. They call it a poem of stone. It is the Scott Monument. Inside it there is a marble statue of the writer, and of his favourite dog.
Princes Street lies between the New Town and the Old Town. The modern town is on the lower side, the old one – on the higher. They look at each other across the valley under Scotland’s blue sky.
Match the proper names and their definitions:
*The Edinburgh military tattoo
- is a festival of performances that started in 1947
*The Royal Mile
- is a show that takes place five or six night a week in August and September
*The Cannongate
- is the oldest part of Edinburgh
*Princes Street
- is a line of streets that connects the Castle and Holly rood Palace
*Holly rood House
- is a Royal Palace
*The Castle
– is connected with the name of Walter Scott
*The Edinburgh festival
– is the most picturesque part of the Royal Mile
Teacher: Our first day in Edinburgh is over. You’ll have a rest in a hotel. Please, write a letter to your parents about your first day in Scotland.
Thank you for the lesson. Your marks are good.
See you tomorrow. I love you all.
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Garou: Substance Shake.
Tagged 3S, Arcade Games, Arcades, Capcom, Fatal Fury, Fighting Games, Game Design, Games, Garou: Mark of the Wolves, King of Fighters, SNK, Street Fighter, Street Fighter III, Street Fighter III: Third Strike, The Last Blade, Video Games
Artillery.
When I started playing fighting games seriously, there were things people would tell me.
There were things I didn’t understand.
I didn’t understand the difference between a link system and a chain combo system.
I didn’t understand what DP meant.
I didn’t understand what spacing was.
Someone would always insist that spacing in a fighting game, especially Street Fighter, was important.
It was an ethereal concept to me: What does that mean? What do I do with it?
Because I was usually the most inexperienced person in whatever FGC (Fighting Game Community) I was a part of, I focused on more obvious points.
I practiced combos in training modes. I worked on my blocking technique. I tried to pry open different fighting games’ design philosophies.
I couldn’t understand spacing, so I avoided it. I convinced myself I would get to it later.
It wasn’t obvious.
Capcom keeps their systems hidden. This is part of what led to Capcom’s ascension in the United States over SNK.
Capcom leaves guidance and discovery up to the community. They depend on the FGC to figure things out.
Because of it’s difficulty, Street Fighter mastery is considered one of the pinnacles of success in the FG genre.
SNK, though, enforces the subtle. SNK transforms the subtle into a lesson.
I believe this is why SNK has found success everywhere else in the world.
SNK fighters are lessons.
Every SNK fighting game has a shakiness to it.
From Fatal Fury to The Last Blade to King of Fighters, SNK games tend to either be mechanically broken or make viable only a handful of characters.
But SNK does something that Capcom does not: Force the player to pay attention.
Starting with Fatal Fury 2, SNK implemented an at-will two-plane system, the first of its kind in the genre. This allowed players to jump between the foreground/background of a stage.
With a two-plane system, the player had to be aware of which plane their opponent was on, the best way to move to that plane, and to avoid level hazards.
The Last Blade series had a deflect button. If the player pressed the deflect button just as an opponent attacked, the attack would be parried, leaving them open for a counterattack.
This forces the player to watch their opponent carefully, to read frames carefully. The Last Blade drills players’ focus faster than any other fighter I’ve seen.
Capcom tried to do something similar in Street Fighter III with the introduction of the parry mechanic: The player taps forward when an opponent’s attack connects and the attack is neutralized with no damage taken.
The parry mechanic along with a flood of other innovations led to SFIII becoming one of the most highly regarded fighting games ever made.
But because SFIII was tailored with immense precision, it garnered vast critical approval, but nowhere near the financial success of its predecessor.
When SFIII: Third Strike came around, the game was dead in the United States.
Even the ‘Daigo Parry‘ couldn’t save it.
Capcom tried to out-SNK SNK.
By building a solid, tactical, mechanically coherent fighting game with polish and little brokenness, Capcom suffered.
People didn’t expect that from them. They just wanted another SFII.
It would take Capcom 10 years before they would release another game in the Street Fighter franchise and Street Fighter IV was an exercise in back-tracking.
(Here is the best review of SFIII: Third Strike you will read).
Clack.
At the same time Capcom released their most complex and technical iteration of Street Fighter, SNK put out its last iteration of the Fatal Fury series: Garou: Mark of the Wolves.
Garou and 3S are often considered companion games.
Both are beautiful. Both innovate on their established franchises. Both are technical.
Garou pushed the limits of what was capable on SNK’s Neo Geo system.
Even though Neo Geo was incapable of semi-transparency and 3D effects, SNK was able to simulate them using complex 2D techniques.
Like SFIII, Garou was a reset.
SNK even altered the signature look of Terry Bogard, the series mascot.
They also eliminated the two-plane system Fatal Fury had introduced and become known for.
With Garou, SNK pruned away all the excess a decade of half-finished ideas left them with.
Fighting games are usually loud. They scream. They affirm their place in the arcades.
In the mid-90’s, you couldn’t walk into an arcade anywhere in the world without being pummeled with SFII audio.
Garou is a quiet game.
Garou is serene.
The introduction shows nothing but Geese Howard‘s death and a small montage of Terry Bogard raising Geese’s son, Rock Howard.
Garou’s music is comprised of low-key, modern jazz and dance tracks. The music keeps the atmosphere light and reinforces the game’s growth.
No loud guitar music. No pop music with nonsense lyrics.
Keeping with this minimal style, SNK also paired back the roster of playable characters from the previous iteration by almost half.
Garou only has 14 characters.
There is a sense of intimacy in Garou’s world. There is a sense that the characters and places are all familiar to each other.
Because of the limited roster, each character has personality. Each character feels important.
The game does a profound job relating both characters and players to places in the world.
Garou’s greatest innovation is the stage introductions.
Before each fight, the stages are presented in short, animated clips.
There is no music. There is only ambient sound from the stage itself.
They are so well-done, so elegant, so subtle: They could be meditation objects.
Garou is a cohesive game.
All the aesthetic innovations are matched by the mechanical.
It introduces the ‘Tactical Offensive Position’ (T.O.P.). TOP is a customizable comeback mechanic.
After selecting a character, the game asks the player to choose a portion of the character’s lifebar (roughly one-third).
The player can choose the beginning, middle, or end.
During the fight, if that portion of the character’s lifebar is reached, they will begin flashing, indicating that TOP has engaged.
TOP grants the player access to a move that isn’t normally available, some health regeneration, and increased damage output.
TOP is a proto-X-Factor over a decade before Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
SNK also introduced a ‘Just Defend’ mechanic similar to the SFIII parry. If the player blocks just before an attack connects, they recover more quickly from block.
All of Garou’s mechanical developments lead to an encouragement of offense.
Many of SNK’s fighting franchises are defensive and tactical.
Garou is a massive divergence from SNK’s traditional formula.
Lifebars disintegrate as fast as they did in SFII and the game’s offense functions on how well a player can use their normal attacks.
With its speed and small levels, Garou reinforces the importance of spacing.
It is a perfect exercise in learning what spacing is.
There is nowhere to run and attacking without thinking is easily punished here.
Garou wants the player to be offensive, but not stupid.
It wants the player to not only think about what attack to use, but about the potential space of that attack.
With Street Fighter III, Capcom sought to slow the game down. They wanted players to take their time and think. They wanted each hit to count.
Defensive players flourished in SFIII’s space.
Garou taught players how to attack. It was the antibody to a generation of SFII button-mashing.
It is by no means a perfect game, but an important one.
It is a game I would encourage anybody to play.
Garou is important as a whole work.
It reinforces FG basics in a soft, clear, beautiful way.
Brandon Sheffield once referred to Garou as being ‘holistic’.
And it is.
This is a game designed with clarity.
This is a game that balances light and seriousness with grace and perspective.
The gaming world has never been as toxic or as melodramatic as it is today.
And Garou’s softness, humor, and expectation are both reaffirming and cleansing, 15 years on.
« Plastic Fingers: Feedbacker.
Double Cross: Fear and Asking. »
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Union school board discusses cash in schools
By Rebecca Panico on September 23, 2017 Comments Off on Union school board discusses cash in schools
UNION, NJ — Union Board of Education members are considering new policies to reduce the amount of cash from student activities that is stored inside school buildings following a midnight burglary at the high school during the summer.
During a Sept. 12 school board work session, members discussed the June 29 theft of $26,000 from a Union High School secretary’s desk. Nine suspects, including the son of BOE Vice President Nancy Zuena, were charged in connection with the burglary.
New policy options discussed included using an online payment system for student activity fees and items like caps and gowns. A similar system, MySchoolBucks, is already in place for parents to pay for school lunches and is used in other districts, according to school business administrator Gregory Brennan at the meeting.
If parents or guardians are unable to access the online system, they’d be encouraged to pay with a money order made out to the student activities account, Brennan said.
BOE policy currently requires school activity funds to be deposited “promptly.” The board discussed that cash on hand received for student activities should be deposited in a bank within 48 hours.
The 48-hour policy takes into account the weekend, when getting to a bank may be more difficult, Brennan said at the meeting. School officials declined to comment when asked if the stolen cash had been accumulated within a 48-hour window.
The break-in occurred eight days after the last day of classes for underclassmen, which was Wednesday, June 21; graduation was held Friday, June 23.
The discussion about a new payment policy came when a vote was posed for a resolution regarding the renaming of the school’s account at ConnectOne Bank from “Union High School Booster Association” to “Union High School Student Activities.”
When board member David Arminio asked why the account had to be renamed, Superintendent Gregory Tatum said it was simply for auditing purposes, and that there is “no such thing” as a booster account.
The board unanimously passed the resolution at the work session meeting. There was no resolution on the table for the policies that were discussed.
According to Union Township Police Director Daniel Zieser, the stolen $26,000 has yet to be returned to the school.
“No money, to our knowledge, has been returned,” Zieser said in a Sept. 15 phone interview. “If they’re found guilty, restitution might be part of the sentence.”
The nine students arrested in connection with the burglary are: Fernando Cuhna, Joshua Cipriano, Kevin Rea, Christian Pereira, Marlon Roberts, Joshua Monica, Jason Laurent, Nichola Zuena and an unidentified 17-year-old juvenile.
Court officials said Cuhna and Cipriano were to have pretrial intervention hearings on Sept. 20, while Roberts, Pereira, Monica, Laurent and Zuena have court hearings scheduled for Sept. 21.
Rea does not have a scheduled court date yet, court officials said.
The next work session meeting is scheduled for Oct. 10, followed by the regular meeting on Oct. 17, at 7 p.m.
Union school board discusses cash in schools added by Rebecca Panico on September 23, 2017
View all posts by Rebecca Panico →
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According to § 5 TMG:
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Personalized Military Gift Plaque Going Away Retirement Homecoming Poem Plaque Marine Corps Air Force Navy USMC USAF USN Soldier Service
Quantity 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168
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Review: Rick’s plan goes horribly awry on an intense ‘Walking Dead’
Alan Sepinwall
Senior Television Writer
10.25.15 151 Comments
A review of tonight's “The Walking Dead” coming up just as soon as I find a building that will burn…
“Thing is, they aren't all gonna make it.” -Rick
Well, that's not something I was expecting to see happen anytime soon on the show, if ever.
The series' key philosophical conflict at the moment involves Rick's group trying to toughen up the pampered, whiny Alexandrians, who think their new ant overlords neighbors are being way too ruthless and dangerous. “Thank You” puts that conflict even more front and center than the premiere or last week's failed Wolves invasion did, by placing Michonne and Glenn in charge of a group of Alexandrians who are in way over their heads as they try to make it back home ahead of the stray zombie herd.
The show has struggled at times in finding the good balance in this debate. Obviously, Rick is right and the Alexandrians are wrong, but if you push that too far, then his people are all superheroes, and the Alexandrians are all strawman villains who deserve the idiotic deaths they walk into, like how the very first death in “Thank You” involves the guy who was loudly complaining about Rick's leadership only moments earlier. So when Rick warned that some of the group wouldn't survive the long walk, I figured the victims would all be redshirts, since the show's gone a very long time without killing off a core member of Rick's team. In particular, nobody from the initial group in the quarry outside Atlanta has died since Andrea way back at the end of season 3. “Walking Dead” had, by now, become a show where Anyone Can Die, Except If They're Near The Top Of The Call Sheet.
Then Glenn and Nicholas ran down that alley together.
And there was no way out, short of a massive cheat that “Thank You” wisely avoided.
Of the quarry survivors, Glenn's always been the one the show's done the least work in developing – the group's reliable, but not particularly interesting, backbone – but so much time has been devoted to his relationship with Maggie that he seemed more death-immune than many. Instead, he dies a pretty gruesome death, made worse because Nicholas once again is a coward and shoots himself in the head, without the decency to at least do the same for Glenn first. (The image of his guts being torn out looks nearly identical to what happened to Noah – also because Nicholas was a coward.)
Killing off Glenn (not even heroically, but in such meaningless fashion) not only jolts the show out of complacency – if the main characters are invulnerable and the Alexandrians are all cannon fodder, where's the tension? – but makes clear that for all of the self-righteousness of Rick and his people, even having superior training, equipment, and the right mental attitude won't always save you in this world. In a vacuum, Glenn is better-equipped to survive a zombie attack than, say, Heath. But Heath went down an alley where there was safety on the other side of the fence, and Glenn went down one where there was no way out.
There were some logistical issues in this one, tied mainly to the fact that Rick's original plan was so terrible (see below), but as a relentless “And Then There Were None”-style ordeal where the trained and the unqualified alike are doomed to watch people they care about die horribly, it worked extremely well.
And between Glenn's death and Carol very publicly taking out so many Wolves, maybe the surviving Alexandrians will stop complaining so much about how mean Rick is once he finally makes it back to town.
Which will likely still happen, despite the overwhelming odds he himself is facing in the episode's final shot, but which seems slightly less of a guarantee now that Glenn has finally fallen.
UPDATE: Or has he fallen? A lot of you have speculated that Glenn may have somehow survived this, and “Talking Dead” apparently treated the scene ambiguously. Given how tightly the show has clung to Glenn and the other remaining quarry folk, and given that the show has previously put Glenn into a situation (also involving Nicholas) where death seemed inevitable, only to have him miraculously escape, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised if he survives this. But the odds in this scenario were so overwhelming, and the whole point of the episode was that anyone can die when the situation gets bad enough, that it would be a spectacular cop-out if Glenn turns up in Alexandria an episode or two from now with some ridiculous story about how having Nicholas' body on top of him somehow prevented dozens and dozens of zombies from also eating him. It would signal that certain characters on the show are just invulnerable, make the emotional distance between them and any newcomers even greater, and turn the whole thing into an exercise in fan service, because Glenn is popular.
So stay tuned on that, I guess.
Some other thoughts:
* Now that we know the full nature of Rick's plan with the herd was just to drive them 20 miles up the road, I have to agree with my HitFix colleagues that this was a terrible plan, even before they had to turn the dress rehearsal into the real thing. There was a period where all those zombies were trapped in the quarry, and rather than lead them all outside, where a stray noise like that truck horn could lead hundreds of them off the path, they could have just filled the whole pit with kerosene and lit it on fire. Wouldn't have killed the zombies, but would have left most of them so physically damaged that they wouldn't be a threat anymore. This approach had too much risk for too little reward. Literally moving your problem on down the road only does so much, because what's to keep the horde from eventually drifting back in your direction?
* The Wolves attacking Rick in the RV appear to be the same ones Morgan chased out of Alexandria, but the choreography of those scenes makes it unclear whether they only have one gun (the pistol their leader grabbed as he was on his way out of town), or several guns. Which again gets back to the weirdness about the Wolves and guns. On the one hand, they're organized enough to set up something like the trap that nearly killed Daryl and Aaron last season, and being that good and still alive all this time later, you would think they've amassed a decent arsenal. On the other, they invade Alexandria with only machetes and knives, and lose despite the surprise factor because Carol and a few others have guns. So perhaps they have a code against guns, but then at least one of them grabs a gun and tries to use it against Rick, so… I have no idea. It's distracting.
* Given the deserved heat the show has taken at times over the years for its There Can Only One approach to African American men surviving in the group – and the larger horror genre trope of black characters not lasting very long – I have to assume it's not a coincidence that the last three people standing (even if one is leaning on the other two) on the perilous walk from the quarry back to Alexandria are all black. Maybe Gimple's finally taken that particular criticism to heart?
Before we go to the comments, it's time once again to explain how this blog's No Spoiler rule applies to this show:
1. No talking about the previews for the next episode.
2. No talking about anything else you know about upcoming episodes from other sources – and, yes, that includes anything Gimple and Kirkman have said in interviews.
3. No talking about anything that's happened in the comic that hasn't happened in the TV show yet. (Or anything that's been revealed, like character backstory and motivation.) As with “Game of Thrones,” the goal is to treat “The Walking Dead” TV show as exactly that, and not as an excuse for endless comparisons with the comics. If you want to talk about the comics, feel free to start up a discussion thread on our message boards.
What did everybody else think?
Alan Sepinwall may be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com
TOPICS#The Walking Dead Review#Norman Reedus#The Walking Dead
TAGSANDREW LINCOLNMICHAEL CUDLITZNORMAN REEDUSRobert KirkmanThe Walking DeadThe Walking Dead Review
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> Our Work > Explore Our Programs > Conserving Biodiversity > Rangeland Rehabilitation
RANGELAND REHABILITATION
The rangelands cover three quarters of Kenya and underpin our livestock and wildlife industries. However, rangeland communities are the poorest and least politically represented in Kenya and face several growing threats. Severe droughts, wildlife poaching, land degradation, land subdivision, lack of basic infrastructure and poor education have resulted in deepening poverty and social disruption. In the past, various landowner and wildlife associations have tried to address these threats, however their voice has been weak. ACC in collaboration with the South Rift Association of Land Owners (SORALO) have formed the Kenya Rangeland Coalition (KRC) to give voice to the communities residing in these rangelands and influence development to enhance their future.
RESEEDING PROJECT
Over 200 acres of formerly degraded rangeland has been reseeded with drought resistant grass species in Amboseli and South Rift, producing over 1400 bales of hay. From this over 700 bales of hay were harvested at Rombo Group Ranch and stored in community stores. This has helped reduce environmental degradation caused by overstocking thus allowing the regeneration of rangeland.
PASTURE MANAGEMENT TRAINING
Training on harvesting and storing of hay on the site is being coordinated by the ministry of livestock officers who also give tips on pasture management. This project is providing options of fodder for the livestock during the dry periods and also provides seeds which are used for planting during the next season thus improving food security.
The stocked supply of hay provides feeds to livestock during the dry seasons thus improving the food security. A total of 200 bales were harvested by the farmers who reseeded their own degraded plots with drought resistant grass varieties. Some of the community members who took part in the rehabilitation harvested between 40-100 bales from their respective land parcels.
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Drug Rehab and Treatment Centers Information Folsom, New Mexico
Looking for Drug Rehab and treatment centers in Folsom, New Mexico?
There are numerous drug and alcohol rehab centers solutions to folks living in the Folsom area. You will need to understand all the types of treatment possibilities that are available in Folsom, AB., in order to select the suitable rehab option for yourself or a loved one. Selecting the most appropriate alcohol and drug rehabilitation center in Folsom is the central factor in the treatment of substance abuse, drug addiction and alcoholism. The following data will help ensure you fully grasp your numerous treatment possibilities so that you have the best potential for an ideal outcome.
Let's have a look at the many drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities in Folsom, New Mexico options that correlate with the circumstances of the individual looking for rehabilitation.
Inpatient drug and alcohol treatment in Folsom, AB. is a rehabilitation possibility best in case you need health-related intervention throughout rehab or individuals with considerable substance abuse histories. Men and women can develop both mental and physical dependence to drugs and alcohol even after a short time period, so inpatient drug and alcohol rehab in Folsom is among the most effective rehabilitation option in the majority of situations. On account of substance abuse and addiction, women and men will frequently be unable to make a full recovery using the limited solutions made available from outpatient treatment programs in Folsom, New Mexico where drugs and alcohol remain easily accessible when they leave the outpatient program. Likewise, people in rehab who receive outpatient rehab rather than inpatient alcohol and drug rehabilitation in Folsom remain susceptible to damaging influences and conditions which can cut across their recovery process. When someone resides with an abusive partner or continues to maintain relationships which entail drug abuse, any rehabilitation endeavours in outpatient rehab will be in vain. For this reason in-patient drug rehabilitation in Folsom, AB. will generate more tangible outcomes which will prove lasting contrary to an outpatient drug rehab facility where benefits are often very minimal and short-lived.
In Folsom there is both short-term and long-term inpatient drug rehab. Short-term is a 30-day center, while long-term inpatient alcohol and drug treatment in Folsom, New Mexico is significantly more extensive and treatment can last 3 to 6 months generally speaking. This is an excellent environment for clients as it is a safe and secure drug-free environment where they can heal both physically and mentally without distraction. Preferably, people will continue in the long-term in-patient drug and alcohol treatment facility in Folsom for the maximum time period permitted, so that they can deal with anything which might cut across their abstinence after they depart rehab. Due to the fact detoxing and becoming physically stable can require a couple weeks alone, the three to six months in long-term in-patient alcohol and drug rehab in Folsom is going to be time spent well and a lot more effective than short-term centers.
The key component of all if you or someone you love is struggling with a drug abuse or addiction concern is to do something about it, make calls and talk to skilled addiction specialists and get an assessment and rehabilitation options to guarantee the greatest opportunity for a recovery.
Drug Rehab Exact Match:
Drug And Alcohol Detox Programs
Short Term Drug Rehab Centers
Drug Treatment for Dual Diagnosis Clients
Drug Rehabs For Gays and Lesbians
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There are no local drug rehab listings for Folsom, New Mexico so we have provided the 6 closest treatment facilities arranged by distance from Folsom:
Tri County Behavorial Health Services
(Clayton is 37.1 from Folsom)
Clayton, NM. 88415
Contact Tri County Behavorial Health Services, by calling 575-374-2032.
Outpatient Drug Treatment Programs
Self Pay Drug Rehab Programs, Drug Rehabs That Accept Medicaid, Drug Treatment Programs That Accept Medicare, State Financed Insurance, Drug Rehabs That Accept Private Health Insurance, Drug Treatment Centers That Accept Military Insurance, Drug Rehabs With Sliding Scale Fees, Drug Treatment Centers With Payment Assistance Programs
Tri County Community Services Inc
(Raton is 49.7 from Folsom)
Raton, NM. 87740
Contact Tri County Community Services Inc, by calling 575-445-2754.
Spanish Peaks Mental Health Center
(Trinidad is 55.8 from Folsom)
417 South Indiana Avenue
Trinidad, CO. 81082
Contact Spanish Peaks Mental Health Center, by calling 719-846-4416.
Outpatient Drug Treatment Programs, Drug Treatment for Dual Diagnosis Clients, Drug Rehab Programs For Criminal Justice Clients, Drug Rehab Centers For Spanish Speaking Clients
Self Pay Drug Rehab Programs, Drug Rehabs That Accept Medicaid, Drug Treatment Programs That Accept Medicare, State Financed Insurance, Drug Rehabs That Accept Private Health Insurance, Drug Treatment Centers That Accept Military Insurance
Southeast Health Group at SECO Hosp
(Springfield is 60.9 from Folsom)
Springfield, CO. 81073
Contact Southeast Health Group at SECO Hosp, by calling 719-336-7501.
VA Eastern Colorado HCS Denver VAMC
(La Junta is 73.8 from Folsom)
1100 Carson Avenue
La Junta, CO. 81050
Contact VA Eastern Colorado HCS Denver VAMC, by calling 719-383-5195.
Southeast Health Group
711 Barnes Avenue
Contact Southeast Health Group, by calling 719-384-5446.
Outpatient Drug Treatment Programs, Drug Rehab Programs For Hearing Impaired Clients, Drug Rehab Centers For Spanish Speaking Clients
Most youths aged 12 to 17 believed their parents would "strongly disapprove" of their using substances. In 2008, 90.8 percent of youths reported that their parents would strongly disapprove of their trying marijuana or hashish once or twice; this was similar to the 91.0 percent reported in 2007, but was higher than the 89.1 percent reported in 2002. Most (89.7 percent) reported that their parents would strongly disapprove of their having one or two drinks of an alcoholic beverage nearly every day, which was similar to the rates in 2007 (89.6 percent) and 2002 (89.0 percent). In 2008, 92.4 percent of youths reported that their parents would strongly disapprove of their smoking one or more packs of cigarettes per day, which was similar to the 92.1 percent reported in 2007, but was higher than the 89.5 percent reported in 2002.
In 2008, there were 1.1 million persons aged 12 or older who had used hallucinogens for the first time within the past 12 months. This estimate was not significantly different from the estimate in 2007, but was higher than the estimate for 2003 (886,000).
Based on 2006-2009 combined data, among persons aged 12 or older who needed but did not receive illicit drug or alcohol use treatment, felt a need for treatment, and made an effort to receive treatment, the most often reported reasons for not receiving treatment were (a) no health coverage and could not afford cost (36.8 percent), (b) not ready to stop using (30.5 percent), (c) able to handle the problem without treatment (10.2 percent), (d) no transportation/inconvenient (9.7 percent), (e) had health coverage but did not cover treatment or did not cover cost (8.8 percent), (f) might have negative effect on job (8.6 percent), (g) might cause neighbors/community to have negative opinion (8.5 percent), and (h) did not feel need for treatment at the time (7.1 percent).
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Classical music: On Thanksgiving Day, what composer or piece of music do you give thanks for?
IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, PLEASE FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event.
ALERT: This morning, Wisconsin Public Radio will air not only music that is appropriate for Thanksgiving, but also performances by students marking the 50th anniversary of the Wisconsin School Music Association.
Today is Thanksgiving Day, 2018.
And today’s post is a simple one where readers can do the work.
The Ear simply wants to know: What composer or what piece of music do you give thanks for?
That doesn’t mean it is the only composer or work you give thanks for.
And anything is allowed.
You could name a famous composer such as Johann Sebastian Bach (below) or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven or Johannes Brahms. Or you could name a one of the many neglected composers.
You could also name a big work such as a symphony by Gustav Mahler or Anton Bruckner, or an opera by Giuseppe Verdi or Richard Wagner. Or you could name a small work, maybe a song by Franz Schubert or a prelude by Frederic Chopin (below).
The music itself does not have to relate to the Thanksgiving holiday.
All that matters is that you recognize the role that important music plays in your life and that you give an example of what music you are especially grateful for – perhaps with a YouTube link to a performance that adds to our sampler.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving and a Musical Thanksgiving!
Tags: #AntonBruckner, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #FacebookPost, #FamousComposer, #FamousComposers, #FranzSchubert, #FredericChopin, #GiuseppeVerdi, #JohannesBrahms, #JohannSebastianBach, #LudwigVanBeethoven, #MusicalComposer, #NeglectedComposers, #NewMusic, #PieceofMusic, #RichardWagner, #ThanksgivingDay, #ThanksgivingHoliday, #WisconsinPublicRadio, #WisconsinSchoolMusicAssociation, #WolfgangAmadeusMozart, alert, anniversary, Arts, Bach, Baroque, Beethoven, Blog post, blog posting, Bruckner, Chamber music, Chopin, choral music, Classical music, Compact Disc, composer, concerto, conductor, Early music, Facebook, famous, Franz Schubert, George Frideric Handel, Holiday, Jacob Stockinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, life, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, Mozart, Music, New Music, opera, Orchestra, Piano, piece of music, Prelude, role, Schubert, Sonata, song, Student, symphony, Thanksgiving, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Verdi, Viola, vocal music, Wagner, Wisconsin, wisconsin public radio, Wisconsin School Music Association, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, YouTube
Classical music: The Madison Symphony Orchestra concerts this weekend feature three local debuts — by a woman conductor, a Grammy-winning cellist and an immigrant composer
Three local debuts will take place this weekend in the three “Epic Romance” concerts by the Madison Symphony Orchestra (below).
Renowned Canadian guest conductor Tania Miller will lead the MSO while music director John DeMain makes his debut at the Liceu Theater in Barcelona, conducting the opera Candide in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth.
Grammy Award-winning American cellist Zuill Bailey will make his Madison Symphony Orchestra (MSO) solo debut in Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto.
And Canadian composer Michael Oesterle will be performed for the first time in Madison when his work “Home” opens each concert.
The second half of the program is Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5.
Performances will be held in Overture Hall of the Overture Center, 2912 State Street, on Friday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m.; on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 8 p.m.; and on Sunday, Oct. 21, at 2:30 p.m.
Here are more details:
Canadian Conductor Tania Miller has distinguished herself as a dynamic interpreter, musician and innovator, on the podium and off. She has been praised for “energy, grace, precision and restraint.” She has appeared as a guest conductor in Canada, the United States and Europe with such orchestras as the Bern Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Oregon Symphony and the Vancouver Symphony, among others.
Over a 14-year tenure as the Music Director of the Victoria Symphony in Canada, Miller (below) gained national acclaim for her passion and commitment to the orchestra and community. Recipient of the 2017 Friends of Canadian Music award from the Canadian League of Composers for her acclaimed commitment to contemporary music in Canada, Miller has been an example of the impact of commitment and dedication to an orchestra and to the future of orchestral music through creative innovation and vision.
You can hear Tania Miller discuss women conductors in the informative YouTube video at the bottom.(But please be forewarned: YouTube was having major technical issues and glitches last night that affected all their videos on this blog, not just this one. If it doesn’t load when you try, wait and then try again.)
Zuill Bailey (below), described by Classical Net as “easily one of the finest cellists today,” has been featured with symphony orchestras worldwide, including Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, Israel, Cape Town, and the Bruckner Orchestra in Linz, Austria. Bailey has also appeared at Disney Hall, the Kennedy Center, the United Nations, Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.
In 2017, Bailey won a best solo performance Grammy Award for his live recording of “Tales of Hemingway,” by composer Michael Daugherty. His celebrated “Bach Cello Suites” and recently released Britten Cello Symphony and Sonata CD with pianist Natasha Paremski immediately rose to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard magazine Classical Chart.
His Cello Concerto was the last notable work by Sir Edward Elgar (below), composed in 1919 in the aftermath of World Ear I. Upon regaining consciousness following a 1918 tonsillectomy, Elgar immediately asked for pencil and paper and wrote down the melody that would become the first theme in this concerto.
Despite today’s renown as a crowd favorite, the piece did not achieve wide popularity until the 1960s, when a recording by Jacqueline du Pré caught the public’s attention, and it became a classical favorite.
Michael Oesterle’s “Home” had its world premiere in November 2017 with the Royal Conservatory Orchestra and conductor Tania Miller.
The piece is an homage to the great geographical ebb and flow of humanity, also known as the immigrant experience. Oesterle (below) notes, “I wrote it through the filter of my personal impressions as an immigrant, and with the realization that this subject is humbling in its breadth.”
Composed between May and August 1888, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 was first performed in St. Petersburg at the Mariinsky Theatre with Tchaikovsky below) conducting.
Unlike its two predecessors, there is no known program for the Fifth Symphony, save for a recurring main theme heard throughout all four movements. Over the years this theme has become known as the “fate” motive; its original ominous character undergoes various metamorphoses, emerging triumphant in the score’s concluding pages.
ABOUT ATTENDING
The lobby opens 90 minutes prior to each concert. One hour before each performance, Madison Symphony Chorus Director and UW-Madison director of choral activities Beverly Taylor (below) will lead a 30-minute Prelude Discussion in Overture Hall to enhance concertgoers’ understanding and listening experience. It is free to ticket holders.
The MSO recommends concert attendees arrive early for each performance to make sure they have time to pass through Overture Center’s security stations, and so they can experience the Prelude Discussion.
Program notes for the concerts are available online: http://bitly.com/oct2018programnotes
Tickets can be purchased in the following ways:
Single Tickets are $18-$93 each and are on sale now at: https://madisonsymphony.org/ax through the Overture Center Box Office at 201 State Street, or by calling the Box Office at (608) 258-4141. Fees apply to online/phone sales.
Groups of 10 or more can save 25% by calling the MSO office at (608) 257-3734. For more information, visit, https://www.madisonsymphony.org/groups.
Student rush tickets can be purchased in person on the day of the concert at the Overture Center Box Office at 201 State Street. Students must show a valid student ID and can receive up to two $15 or $20 tickets. More information is at: https://www.madisonsymphony.org/studentrush
Seniors age 62 and up receive 20% savings on advance and day-of-concert ticket purchases in select areas of the hall.
Subscribers to 5 or more symphony subscription concerts can save up to 50% off single ticket prices. More information is available about the season at: https://madisonsymphony.org/18-19
Flex-ticket booklets of 10 vouchers for 18-19 symphony subscription concerts are available. Learn more at: https://madisonsymphony.org/flex
Discounted seats are subject to availability, and discounts may not be combined.
Find more information, go to madisonsymphony.org
Major funding for the October concert is provided by: Mirror 34 Productions and National Guardian Life Insurance Company. Additional funding is provided by John A. Johnson Foundation, a component fund of the Madison Community Foundation, Barbara J. Merz, Selma Van Eyck, and the Wisconsin Arts Board, with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Tags: #AmericanImmigration, #AntonBruckner, #AsianImmigration, #BarcelonaSpain, #BenjaminBritten, #BillboardMagazine, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BoxOffice, #CanadianComposer, #CanadianConductor, #CanadianLeagueofComposers, #CanadianMusic, #CandideOpera, #CapeTown, #CarnegieHall, #CelloConcerto, #ChoralMusic, #ClassicalChart, #ClassicalNet, #CompactDisc, #ContemporaryComposers, #ContemporaryMusic, #DisneyHall, #EbbandFlow, #EdwardElgar, #ErnestHemingway, #EuropeanImmigration, #FacebookPost, #FemaleConductor, #GrammyAward, #GuestConductor, #HomeWebsite, #InsuranceCompany, #JacquelineduPré, #JohannSebastianBach, #JohnDeMain, #KennedyCenter, #LeonardBernstein, #LincolnCenter, #LinzAustria, #LiveRecording, #MadisonCommunityFoundation, #MadisonSymphonyChorus, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MariinskyTheatre, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MichaelOesterle, #MusicalInterpretation, #MusicDirector, #NatashaParemski, #NationalEndowmentfortheArts, #NationalGuardianLife, #NewMusic, #OperaMusic, #OrchestralMusic, #OregonSymphony, #OvertureCenter, #OvertureHall, #PeterIlyichTchaikovsky, #PublicAttention, #RoyalConservatory, #RussianComposer, #SeattleSymphony, #SeattleWashington, #SoloCelloSuites, #SoloDebut, #SouthAfrica, #StateOfWisconsin, #TalesofHemingway, #TaniaMiller, #TechnicalGlitch, #TechnicalIssue, #The1960s, #The60s, #TorontoCanada, #UnitedNations, #UnitedStates, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #VancouverCanada, #VancouverSymphony, #VictoriaSymphony, #WisconsinArtsBoard, #WomanConductor, #WorldPremiere, #WorldWarI, #YouTubevideo, #ZuillBailey, 1960s, acclaim, anniversary, Anton Bruckner, Arts, Austria, award, Bach, Barcelona, Benjamin Britten, Bern, BernSwitzerland, Billboard magazine, birth, Canadian, Candide, Cape Town, Carnegie Hall, cellist, Cello, centennial, character, Chicago, choral music, Classical chart, Classical music, Classical Net, commitment, community, Compact Disc, composer, concerto, conductor, debut, dedication, discount, discussion, Disney Hall, Edward Elgar, epic, Ernest Hemingway, Europe, example, Facebook, favorite, female, funding, geographical, geography, glitch, Grammy, Grammy Award, group, homage, Home, immigrant, immigration, impact, impression, innovation, innovator, insurance, interpretation, interpreter, Israel, issue, Jacob Stockinger, Jacqueline du Pré, Johann Sebastian Bach, John DeMain, Kennedy Center, Leonard Bernstein, Lincoln, LIncoln Center, Linz, Live Recording, Los Angeles, Madison, Madison Community Foundation, Madison Symphony Chorus, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre, Mead Witter School of Music, melody, metamorphoses, Michael Oesterle, Music, Natasha Paremski, National Endowment for the Arts, NEA, New York City, ominous, online, opera, Oregon, Passion, personal, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Pianist, Piano, podium, popular, popularity, Prelude, public attention, Romance, Royal Conservatory, Russia, San Francisco, Seattle, security, senior, solo, Sonata, South Africa, Spain, St. Petersburg, State of Wisconsin, Student, subscriber, Switzerland, symphony, Tales of Hemingway, Tania Miller, technical, theme, ticket, Toronto, United Nations, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Victoria, Viola, Violin, vision, web site, Website, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Arts Board, women, YouTube, Zuill Bailey
Classical music: The Madison Summer Choir celebrates its 10th anniversary with one of the best concerts of the year
Here is a special posting, a review written by frequent guest critic and writer for this blog, John W. Barker. Barker (below) is an emeritus professor of Medieval history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He also is a well-known classical music critic who writes for Isthmus and the American Record Guide, and who hosts an early music show once a month on Sunday morning on WORT-FM 89.9 FM. For years, he served on the Board of Advisors for the Madison Early Music Festival and frequently gives pre-concert lectures in Madison. He also took the performance photos.
By John W. Barker
The Madison Summer Choir (below) celebrated its 10th anniversary on Wednesday night at the First Congregational United Church of Christ.
Each year’s program has had a theme, and for this one it was “Old Wine in New Bottles”— though it might as well have been the other way ‘round.
The idea, though, was that the selections showed their composers looking back to the techniques and tastes of earlier generations while writing new music. Conductor Ben Luedcke (below) introduced each work to explain how such approaches worked out.
The first half of the program was devoted to four works, dating from three different centuries.
Two were by contemporary composers. A setting in English of the Psalm text “By the Waters of Babylon” by Sarah Riskind (below top) was followed by Amor de mi Ami, a tribute to his wife, in Spanish, by Randall Stroope (below bottom).
Each work had instrumental additions — in the first, piano with cello, in the second, just piano) which personally I found unnecessary. Riskind’s choral writing is attractively full and quite idiomatic, while Stroope achieves a natural lyricism. I would be interested to hear just the choral parts alone for each work. (Editor’s Note: You can hear the work by Randall Stroope in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
These two items were framed by music of earlier epochs. The Geistliches Lied (Spiritual Song) by Johannes Brahms showed his ability to create his own version of both pre- and post-Baroque polyphony. And Mozart’s Psalm setting Laudate pueri, from one of his Vespers collections (K. 339), showed his assimilation of Baroque counterpoint.
Bruce Bengtson played the part Brahms included for organ (or piano), and he also played the organ reduction of the orchestral part for the Mozart.
It was partly the acoustics, but also a weakness in diction that made the words in those four pieces all but indistinguishable, in whatever language was being sung—my one serious criticism of the performances.
The second part of the program was devoted to the first of the numbered Mass settings by Anton Bruckner. In some ways, such large-scale sacred works were studies for his majestic symphonies yet to come.
In this Mass No. 1 in D minor, Bruckner saw himself in the line of earlier Austrian church music, but anyone expecting bald imitations of Haydn, Mozart or Beethoven would be disappointed.
In his dense and highly chromatic writing — something like a step beyond Schubert — Bruckner created some very fascinating music. It reached really exciting power in the Credo, and the words “dona nobis pacem” at the conclusion had a deeply moving sense of serenity.
The choir, of 68 mixed voices, was joined for the Bruckner by four soloists — Chelsie Propst, Jessica Lee Timman, Peter Gruett, Christian Bester (below on the left) — who sang their parts handsomely, and by an orchestra of 30 players, who provided strong and sturdy support.
Luedcke deserves particular praise for giving a chance to hear the Bruckner Mass, which was thought to be its Madison premiere. It climaxed a really enterprising event, one that I think will stand as among the Best Concerts of the Year.
Tags: #AmericanRecordGuide, #AntonBruckner, #BaroqueEra, #BaroqueMusic, #BenLuedcke, #BlogPosting, #BruceBengtson, #CelloMusic, #ChelsiePropst, #ChristianBester, #ChristianChurch, #ChurchMusic, #ContemporaryComposer, #EnglishLanguage, #FirstCongregationalUnitedChurchofChrist, #FranzJosephHaydn, #FranzSchubert, #IsthmusNewspaper, #JessicaLeeTimman, #JohannesBrahms, #JohnW.Barker, #LivingComposer, #LudwigVanBeethoven, #MadisonEarlyMusicFestival, #MadisonSummerChoir, #MedievalHistory, #MusicalPerformance, #NewMusic, #OrchestralAccompaniment, #PeterGruett, #RandallStroope, #SacredMusic, #SarahRiskind, #SpanishLanguage, #SpiritualMusic, #TheBible, #UniversityofWisconsin, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #WolfgangAmadeusMozart, #WORT-FM89.9, #YouTubevideo, American Record Guide, amor, anniversary, Anton Bruckner, Arts, attractive, Austria, Austrian, Babylon, Baroque, Beethoven, Ben Luedcke, best, Bible, bottle, Bruce Bengtson, Cello, Chelsie Propst, choral music, Christian Bester, Classical music, classicalmusic, composer, conclusion, conductor, counterpoint, Credo, critic, Early music, epoch, event, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Franz Schubert, Haydn, History, idea, idiomatic, introduce, Isthmus, Jacob Stockinger, Jessica Lee Timman, Johannes Brahms, John W. Barker, language, lecture, Love, Ludwig van Beethoven, lyricism, Madison, Madison Early Music Festival, Madison Summer Choir, mass, Medieval, natural, new, old, orchestral, organ, organist, part, performance, Peter Gruett, Piano, player, polyphony, posting, praise, professor, program, psalm, Psalms, Randall Stroope, review, sacred music, Sarah Riskind, serenity, singer, soloist, song, Spanish, spiritual, taste, technique, text, theme, tribute, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, vesper, Viola, Violin, vocal music, wife, Wine, Wisconsin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, work, writing, year, YouTube
Classical music: The Madison Savoyards marks its 55th anniversary with six performances of “Die Fledermaus” starting this Friday night
ALERT: Tomorrow, on Wednesday night, July 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1609 University Avenue near Camp Randall Stadium, the Madison Summer Choir will mark its 10th anniversary with a performance of the choral and orchestral Mass in D Minor by Anton Bruckner and other works including one by Johannes Brahms. For more information, go to:
http://www.madisonsummerchoir.org
https://welltempered.wordpress.com/?s=Madison+summer+choir
Starting this weekend, the Madison Savoyards presents Die Fledermaus, or The Bat, by Johann Strauss Jr. — sung in English with supertitles — at UW Music Hall at the base of Bascom Hill.
Evening performances are on Friday, July 20; Friday, July 27; and Saturday, July 28; matinees are at 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 21; Sunday, July 22; and Sunday, July 29.
Ticket prices are $30 for the public; $28 for seniors; $15 for students and youth under 17; and $5 for children under 5. Tickets can be purchased through UW Box Office at (608) 265-2787, www.arts.wisc.edu, or in person at the door. Group sales of 10 or more available by telephone only.
For more information, go to the website: www.madisonsavoyards.org
The production marks the 55th anniversary of the Madison Savoyards, best known for presenting the operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan.
For this production, board director J. Adam Shelton makes his debut as stage director and Kyle Knox (below), a UW-Madison graduate, returns as music director and conductor. He is also the music director of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras and the new associate conductor of the Madison Symphony Orchestra. (You can hear the popular Overture to Die Fledermaus in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
Die Fledermaus is the story of a romantically stale couple that learns to love again all the while playing the fools in this comedy of errors.
Eisenstein and his wife Rosalinda, fall prey to a cruel joke by their old pal Falke involving their chambermaid, a Russian prince, a prison warden and a tenor who can’t get the girl. Everyone works his or her way up and down the social ladder in this futuristic production set in 2021.
The famous second act masquerade ball is a menagerie theme featuring a ballet performance by Central Midwest Ballet Academy of Middleton.
The choreographer is Kristin Roling, with costumes by Rebecca Stanley and set design by Corey Helser.
The cast includes Tim Rebers (below top) as Eisenstein and Erica K. Bryan (below bottom) as Rosalinda.
Also featured are Michelle Buck (below top) as Adele; Ben Swanson (below second) as Falke; Kirsten Larson (below third) as Prince Orlofsky; and Tom Kastle (below bottom) as Frosch.
Grant funding supports the artists and underwrites the Children’s Pre-Show (1 p.m. on July 22 at UW-Madison’s Music Hall) where children will meet members of the cast and crew, and learn about the show and its music, tour the theater, and create a show-centric craft for free.
American Sign Language service is available, by request, for the July 21 performance.
ABOUT THE SAVOYARDS
It is the mission of the Madison Savoyards “to preserve the works of Gilbert and Sullivan (below) and other light opera by producing and promoting live performances; to develop the skills and talent of cast, crew and musicians of all ages; and to inspire, entertain, and educate the community through performances and other initiatives.”
More information can be found on the company’s Facebook page along with behind-the-scenes insights to the production.
J. ADAM SHELDON (below) ANSWERS TWO QUESTIONS FROM THE EAR:
Why does the anniversary production feature Johann Strauss Jr. rather than Gilbert and Sullivan?
“We decided to celebrate our 55th anniversary with Die Fledermaus to try something new as a company. Strauss Jr.’s Fledermaus is always a party and will elevate our audiences in the same ways as they have come to expect with G&S.
“We have actually continued our tie to G&S by choosing a libretto that is based upon Gilbert’s translation of the original Meilhac and Halevy play, Le Réveillon. Gilbert’s On Bail brandishes the same humor, socio-political commentary, and alliterative patters we expect from his pen. It only seemed logical to use a translation steeped in Gilbert’s.
“Additionally, our company has performed nearly every work in the G&S collaborative canon — the only exceptions being the reconstructed Thespis & Pineapple Poll — and we want to see how the community embraces us peppering in other light opera and operettas into our repertoire. Some celebrate 55 years with emeralds; we’re celebrating with love… and a twist!
“The story of Fledermaus really did not need a ton of punching up to meet the year. For fun we have included Wisconsin references like Spotted Cow beer, cheese curds (my personal favorite), and Old Fashioneds, which enliven the second act even more, but the core of the story is timeless.
“Whether told with Viennese costumes, or modern attire and cell phones, this story could happen anytime, anywhere. People still play practical jokes on one another, people escape to costume parties for fun, and lovers still fall in, and maybe out, of love.
“Furthermore, Rebecca Stanley (our costume designer) and I imagined a grand masquerade ball in the second act where high fashion meets “cosplay.” (EDITOR’S NOTE: For a definition of “cosplay,” here is a link to Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosplay)
Why did you choose to do it in English?
“The Madison Savoyards is dedicated to continuing the tradition of performing in English. It offers accessibility to our audiences that larger operatic works sometimes cannot. Plus, light opera historically is offered in the vernacular of wherever it’s performed.
“Likewise, we are continuing to offer comedic works as the core of our repertoire.
“We recognize we have a powerful place in the community offering comedic works exclusively in English. But we will offer supertitles this summer for those who might not be familiar with the story.”
Tags: #AntonBruckner, #BascomHill, #BoxOffice, #BrassMusic, #CampRandallStadium, #CentralMidwestBalletAcademy, #CheeseCurds, #ChoralMusic, #ChristianChurch, #ChristianReligion, #DieFledermaus, #EnglishTranslation, #FirstCongregationalUnitedChurchofChrist, #GilbertandSullivan, #JesusChrist, #JohannesBrahms, #JohannStrauss, #KyleKnox, #LightOpera, #LoveStory, #MadisonSavoyards, #MadisonSummerChoir, #MaskedBall, #MasqueradeBall, #MiddletonWisconsin, #MusicDirector, #MusicHall, #OperaComposer, #OperaMusic, #OperaOverture, #OperaSinger, #OrchestralMusic, #PercussionMusic, #PoliticalCommentary, #SocialCommentary, #SocialLadder, #StageDirector, #UniversityofWisconsin, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #WindMusic, #WisconsinYouthSymphonyOrchestras, #YoungChildren, #YoungPeople, #YouTubevideo, anniversary, Arts, ballet, Beer, Bruckner, Camp Randall Stadium, cast, Cello, Central Midwest Ballet Academy, children, choral music, choreography, Classical music, comedy, commentary, composer, conductor, costume, crew, design, evening, Friday, futuristic, girl, grant, Humor, Jacob Stockinger, Johannes Brahms, live, Love, love story, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, masked ball, matinee, Music, opera, Operetta, Orchestra, orchestral, Overture, patter, performance, popular, prince, production, Romantic, Russian, Saturday, senior, sets, sing, singer, socio-political, Student, Sunday, supertitle, support, symphony, telephone, theater, ticket, translation, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Vienna, Viennese, Viola, Violin, vocal music, Website, Wisconsin, WYSO, Youth, YouTube
Classical music: Rehearsals for the Madison Summer Choir’s 10th anniversary concert, featuring the Mass in D minor by Bruckner on July 18, start this Monday and Tuesday nights
Each year since 2008, founder Ben Luedcke (below top) directs and rehearses the annual Madison Summer Choir (below bottom), which took the place of a summer choral concert dropped and defunded by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The choir sings a cappella as well as accompanied by piano and orchestra.
Membership and rehearsals start TOMORROW, June 11.
The choir rehearses on Monday and Tuesday nights from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Mills Hall at the UW-Madison’s Mead Witter School of Music. The rehearsals last for six weeks.
Then on Wednesday, July 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1609 University Avenue, across from Camp Randall Stadium, the Madison Summer Choir plus a pick-up orchestra will perform the Mass in D Minor by Anton Bruckner. (You can hear the opening Kyrie movement in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
Sorry, no word has been received about ticket prices and availability, or about other possible works on the program.
For information about auditions, rehearsals and membership fees, go to:
http://www.madisonsummerchoir.org/join-us.html
Here is a link with more information about concerts this summer and in past summers:
http://www.madisonsummerchoir.org/concerts.html
Here is a link to the home website, where under “People” you can find background and a biography of Ben Luedcke and the names of the members in last summer’s choir:
Tags: #ACappellaMusic, #AntonBruckner, #BenLuedcke, #CampRandallStadium, #FirstCongregationalUnitedChurchofChrist, #JesusChrist, #MadisonSummerChoir, #OrchestralAccompaniment, #UniversityofWisconsin, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, anniversary, Arts, Choir, choral music, chorus, Christ, church, Classical music, composer, Concert, Jacob Stockinger, Kyrie, Madison, mass, membership, Monday, Music, night, Orchestra, Piano, rehearsals, summer, Tuesday, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Viola, Violin, vocal music, Wednesday, Wisconsin, YouTube
Classical music: What music do you listen to when you are sick – if any?
About a week ago, The Ear asked how the terrible flu that is going around has affected the classical music scene for both players and audiences.
https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2018/02/03/classical-music-how-is-the-bad-flu-epidemic-affecting-classical-music-in-madison/
Since then, the flu has only gotten worse and it still shows no sign of peaking. More deaths of children and the elderly have been reported.
And now hospitals and emergency rooms are reaching capacity or exceeding it. They are getting understaffed as doctors, nurses and others also come down with the flu and can’t work.
But it got The Ear to thinking:
When you get sick, do you listen to music?
Does it make you feel any better?
Or distract you?
What kind of music — if any – do you prefer to listen when you are sick: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modern or Contemporary?
And why do you like it?
Are there specific composers or pieces you turn to when you are sick?
The Ear often listens to Baroque music for the reason he listens to it in the morning: It is upbeat and generally seems to impart energy without taxing your attention span too much.
In fact, he particularly partial to violin concertos by Antonio Vivaldi and the keyboard concertos (below) of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Mahler and Bruckner symphonies or Shostakovich string quartets are just too overwhelming and dark to be salutary. But that is just one person’s opinion.
So given how many people are suffering with the flu or other sickness these days, what advice and illness and listening to music would you give?
Leave a recommendation in the COMMENT section – with a link to a YouTube performance, if possible.
Tags: #AntonBruckner, #AntonioVivaldi, #DmitriShostakovich, #EmergencyRoom, #ER, #GustavMahler, Arts, Bach, Baroque, Beethoven, Cello, Chamber music, choral music, Classical, Classical music, composer, concerto, contemporary, dark, death, doctor, Early music, energy, flu, Franz Schubert, George Frideric Handel, Hospital, illness, Jacob Stockinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, Keyboard, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, Mahler, modern, Mozart, Music, nurse, opera, Orchestra, overwhelming, Piano, piece, Romantic, Shostakovich, sick, staff\, String quartet, suffering, symphony, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, upbeat, Viola, Violin, Vivaldi, Vlassical, vocal music, Wisconsin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, work, YouTube
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Kabila joins peace campaign in DRC's restive Kasai region
Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban with AFP
President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila, has travelled to the restive Kasai region to attend a forum for peace.
Kabila is expected to preside over the opening session of a two-day forum in Kasai’s main city of Kananga. He arrived to heavy security in the area.
It is not known whether he will be flying afterwards to the United States for the United Nations General Assembly that kicks off on Tuesday September 19.
The main opposition have criticized the forum describing it as a mini rally for the ruling party. In attendance was Prime Minister Bruno Tshibala. “Peace is essential. Without peace we can not talk about development,” Tshibala was quoted by the AFP news agency.
Kabila Et Tshibala au Kasai pic.twitter.com/HyWVP9HpKE
— Paulette Kimpiob (@PauletteKimpio1) September 18, 2017
The eastern Kasai region has been home to armed clashes over the last year. Militia and state forces have engaged in running battles that have lead to deaths and displaced thousands.
There have also been reports to mass graves found in parts of the region. Two United Natiosn investigators were also killed in the region prompting the international calls for investigations.
The U.S. has called for the U.N. Secretary-General to initiate a special investigation into the murder of UN officers Michael Sharp of the U.S. and Zaida Catalan of Sweden.
As a member of the Human Rights Commission, the U.S. said it will support a resolution to establish a Commission of Inquiry into the ongoing human rights violations in the Kasai regions of the DRC. Kinshasa has so far fended off the overtures.
DRC authorities confirm death of Goma Ebola patient
DR Congo: First case of Ebola in Goma [The Morning Call]
Congo politics
Violence in Kasai
DRC launches "large-scale" military operations in North-Eastern region
Jean Pierre Bemba returns to DR Congo
Tshisekedi meets with Nkurunziza
Ebola in DRC, not a health emergency of international concern - WHO
Katumbi returns to DR Congo on May 20 after 3-year exile
Kabila meets new DRC governors, rallies support for Tshisekedi alliance
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Somalia hosts Turkey's largest overseas military base
Somali and Turkish officials on Saturday officially opened a military training base in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
The facility is Turkey’s largest overseas military training facility. Somalia’s Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Khyare, was joined by the Turkish army chief, General Hulusi Akar and other top officials for the ceremony.
Turkey is seen as a major security and development ally of the Somali people. President Erdogan last year opened the country’s new embassy also in Mogadishu.
The Horn of Africa region given its strategic location is a choice location for military bases by foreign powers. Neighboring Djibouti for instance hosts bases for China, France and Japan.
#Somalia Premier SomaliPM & Turkish Chief of Staff officially open in #Mogadishu 1 of the largest Turkey's military base in overseas . pic.twitter.com/2YCv85LoPf
— Mohamed Moalimuu (MOALIMUU) September 30, 2017
In July last year, the Somali government ordered the shut down of organizations linked to Fetullah Gulen – the supposed mastermind of a failed coup in Turkey. There were also nationwide protests held in support of Erdogan’s government.
The relations between Turkey and Somalia date back to the Ottoman Empire when Somalia had extensive relations with the Sultan Selim, during his rule in 1517.
Tunisia bans full face veils in govt offices as a security measure
Burkina Faso urged to avoid curbs on security reporting
UN-backed Libyan govt blames Haftar forces for airstrike
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Nancy Gay Has it All Wrong. Pioli? Please.
By Oscar Aparicio
Quite simply, Nancy Gay has it all wrong. Pioli for president? There are several problems with her reasoning. Sure, it sounds good on face but Gay seems more enamored with the Patriots and Head Coach Bill Belichick than with Pioli. Let's look at her reasoning:
According to Gay, Pioli would be great because he has been a part of the personnel department of 4 NFL franchises. Guess what, Scott McCloughan was with Green Bay under legendary personnel man Ron Wolf and then with Seattle. In fact, Wolf went so far as to say that McCloughan, "has an exceptional eye for talent." Quite simply, the number of franchises you work for has nothing to do with your success rate. It just goes to show you that the good ol' boy network still works.
Gay seems to be in love with Belichick throughout her article. She heaps praise on him with comments like, "detail oriented" and "meticulous." She notes his impressive lists of candidates that is 10-12 coaches deep and further lauds Belichick's "impressive group of protegés."
That's all well and good, but when did Pioli become Belichick? Belichick might be detail oriented, but does that mean that Pioli is too? In heaping all this praise on one man who leads a successful team she forgot that Pioli is a different person with perhaps a different organizational style.
Oh, and my favorite part: Pioli's father-in-law is Bill Parcells. Really. You can't even make the whole "football runs in his genes" argument here because it's his father-in-law. News flash, Dick Nolan was Mike Nolan's father. Fat lotta good that did the former head coach.
She doesn't even delve into the nitty gritty of what a hire like Pioli would mean for the 49ers. Where would GM Scott McCloughan fall on the organizational chart? Would Pioli keep Singletary? Would Pioli come to a team where the coaching staff was set?
Gay asserts that continuity in the coaching ranks has been a major problem for the 49ers and she is spot on. But Pioli would have no control over this. Coaches would still come and go and he would be stuck drafting for coaches with different philosophies. Does he draft for the Mike Martz offense or a ball-control run-based offense that Singletary seems to prefer? Consistency would not come from Scott Pioli, it would come from the Yorks getting their act together and hiring a coach that will succeed in implementing a vision and a consistent philosophy on offense and defense.
Pioli would have no control over coaching, that's Scott McCloughan's job. Wait...er, um...McCloughan would be fired. Wait, then would Pioli keep Singletary or some other Belichick protegé in his stead? Wouldn't hiring Pioli kind of go against that whole continuity argument?
Scott Pioli is a great talent evaluator for the Belichick system. Belichick is a great coach. Does that mean that Pioli would fix all of the 49ers wrongs? No. Might he be an improvement? Perhaps, but there are just too many gaps in the reasoning. The heart of the 49ers problems lie with coaching and consistency. Scott Pioli does not fix either one of those problems.
The views within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.
By: Scott
Date: Dec 27, 2008 at 6:24 AM
Comment: Good read, but it sounds more like a b***h session, than it does an article about the niners...
☆ 0
By: Mark Egan
Date: Dec 18, 2008 at 12:50 PM
Comment: Here's a reason you're wrong: Alex Smith. Scott McCloughin didn't do his homework. Alex's old coach said he wouldn't work in a pro system unless he knew it perfectly - which few quarterbacks ever do, much less, a team with rotating offensive coordinators. Pioli is known for running the best prepared organization. That's what we need.
Response: But what evidence do you have that Pioli is actually running the show there? Is he riding Belichick's coat tails? Have Pioli's drafts really been that good?
By: sl
Date: Dec 16, 2008 at 8:17 PM
Comment: Holmgren not qualified. ( 49ers , GB, Seattle all in the SB) wonder what Gay thought about Tuna taking over in Miami. Miami sure isnt complaining.
Response: Holmgren may have experience, but in his latest stint with Seattle his GM abilities were terrible. I will elaborate further in a blog later this week.
By: Edward
Date: Dec 15, 2008 at 11:39 AM
Comment: nancy gay and gwen knapp are horrible writers/columnists. this article serves as case in point. even while i'm inclined to agree (or at least consider) that pioli could be a great pick to run the niners organization, gay's article contains no cogent supporting evidence, fails to address pioli's failures and explain why these missteps should be overlooked, and offers a bunch of nonsensical, irrelevant garbage as the basis for her main point. Heres the real truth. the pats's past and success are largely based on three moves: drafting tom brady, the tuck rule, and randy moss. getting brady was pure luck and a fluke. i dont think anyone can plausibly argue that the Pats knew he would be this good. at best, they thought he might be a good nfl qb, not the second coming of montana (just like how i doubt even walsh knew montana was going to be the second coming of unitas). the tuck rule was a gift from the nfl rulebook. and moss was a gift from the raiders.
Response: While I agree that there is some bit of luck to what the Patriots are doing, drafting Tom Brady being up there, I think you might be undervaluing what t hey are doing there. Belichick is a good coach and he gets the most out of his players. Schematically, the Patriots are always at the top of the league. I think you can look at players like Bruschi and Vrabel and see that it's a little more than just Brady, Moss and the Tuck rule.
By: jon hyde
Comment: The 49er personnel picks have been very weak vis-a-vis their draft position since Nolan and McCloughan took over. All you have to do is look around the league to see how much talent and depth other teams have built in the past few years. On top of that, their free agent batting avg. for noticeable contribution/ impact has been terrible. After all these miserable years they're no better than a 8-8 team and yet some people keep thinking they're on the right track. The few top players they picked up are strictly the luck of averages. Nothing more. You must have been a Bush supporter as well. Maybe you still are!
Response: 1) Funny you presume I think McCloughan's drafts have been stellar. I think McCloughan's drafts have been average, but certainly better than Donahue. 2) The article was simply stating that Pioli may not be the best man for the job and Gay hasn't really stated any compelling reason why Pioli would be great in SF. 3) What the heck does my belief about the 49ers franchise have anything to do with my political preferences? It seems that your myopic model for the world has me as a supporter of our current administration. Get your head out of a dark crevice (yours or someone else's) and realize your tremendous logical failure.
By: Daniel
Comment: i love you
Response: I know that I might inspire that emotion in people, both men and women. In fact, I often experience similar emotions as I go through this life. I assure, you, though, that you have a snowball's chance in hell of having your inner most dreams realized.
By: shaj
Comment: Oscar, Bellichick (sp?) was a nobody until he came to the patriots. We have already established that a big part of that success was due to Tom Brady, but under Cassel, we have also seen that Bellichick has a system and process that has also been a major reason. That includes awesome team management and drafting. He wasn't able to do that with the Browns, so all factors indicate that Pioli has played a big role in the concurrent success of Bellichick and the Patriots. I think you're highly underrating Pioli.
Response: Is Pioli the only difference between his time in Cleveland and his time in New England? How much influence does Belichick have in personnel? It's a pretty big leap to go from Belichick having a great system and the Pioli being able to emulate that.
By: Steven
Comment: I agree with you and wish more people would stop drinking the Pioli Kool-aid. He does a terrible job drafting and most people don't know it. When you go back and look at the Patriot drafts from 2000 to 2005, only 12 players out of 51 selected from all those drafts are still with the team. Their most recent drafts haven't had much success either. There is only 3 players left from the 2006 draft and only one is left from 2007. If he was good at scouting and drafting then more players would be around from the 2006-2007 drafts and fewer would be left from the earlier drafts. They've had 70 draft picks since 2000 and only have 16 players left out of those 70 picks. That is not a good record. McCloughan has shown he has an eye for talent and now those young players are getting their chance now that Nolan is gone.
Response: Those are some interesting stats from Pioli's term as the personnel guy in New England. If they are true they only bolster my case. I also think that McCloughan's picks aren't that bad either. Even Parys Haralson, a 5th round pick, is showing he can produce given the opportunity. And really, that's what most of these rookies have needed - an opportunity.
More by Oscar Aparicio
Kendall Hunter Tears His ACL: What Does it Mean for the 49ers?
The Better Rivals Podcast Logo Story
Three Things to Watch For in Kaepernick's First Start
All Articles by Oscar Aparicio
Finding Space: 49ers' Levine Toilolo vs. Jordan Matthews
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7-a-side Tactics – The Essential Guide
Do you ever come off the pitch thinking that you’ve lost a game you should have won – just because you weren’t organised enough?
Whether you’re playing 7-a-side yourself or coaching one of the many kids teams playing the 7-a-side game, it’s important to have a clear idea of your playing tactics.
As with all forms of football, having good individual players is only part of the formula for success. The other key ingredient is having a clear idea about the way you’re playing; a framework to get the most out of those individuals.
Below you’ll find a range of formations that your team can try out to bring that much-needed organisation and winning-structure to your games.
The basic principles – whatever your formation
All good formations need two things:
1. Balance
Things work best when there is a natural balance to the team. If your 6 outfield players all think they are attackers then you’re going to have major difficulty beating any decent opposition. It’s the same if all 6 of your players are stuck defending. Your objective should be to achieve enough balance between attack and defence, left and right sides.
2. Play to the player’s strengths
I wish I could give you one single formation that will work for every team. Sadly that doesn’t exist because each team is made up of different individuals and you need to find a way of playing that plays to their unique talents the best.
Maybe your side has a couple of players who can easily cover distances at pace – you might consider playing with wingers. Maybe you’ve got two excellent strikers that can form an effective partnership – your challenge might be to arrange a team to best support them.
There’s no right on wrong answer when it comes to formations. In a lot of cases it will be worth trying a couple of different systems before landing on the one or two that work best for your group. And remember, whether you’re a group of adults or coaching this to a bunch of kids, systems take time and patience for players to understand their roles so don’t necessarily expect instant success.
2-3-1 The Popular Choice
This has got to be one of the most popular formations. It’s heavy on midfielders who are expected to help out the defense as well as getting forward to support the attack. Because of its mix of defensive cover with attacking potential, it’s one of the most commonly used tactics.
+ Provides solid defensive foundations
+ Midfielders can help bolster the defense when needed, as well as support the attack, making this a dynamic formation.
+ Provides width from the left and right midfielders. It’s especially good if they have the pace and stamina to both support attacks and help with defense.
– Places a lot of demands on the midfielders, whose versatility is key to making this work.
– Risk that only two players are back defending if midfield do not have the discipline to track back.
– Possible lack of support to the striker
Here’s what a group of youth coaches thought about the 2-3-1 (by the way, the issues in trying to get youth to adopt this formation are the same as for the adults):
2-1-2-1 – A defensive tweak
Very much like the 2-3-1, but this formation purposely splits the midfield into two attacking midfielders and a more defensive midfielder. Of course all of the midfielders are expected to play a part in attacking and defending, but this formation allocates more of a mix between the team: 3 of the team are more attacking, and 3 are more defending. This is excellent if your defensive midfielder is a good ball-player who can set up attacks as well as cover the defense.
+ Provides balance between defense and attack
+ Allocating a more defensive midfielder reduces the risk of all of the midfielders rushing forward without supporting the defense.
+ Wingers provide width.
– Risk of the team operating as two separate units – the front 3 in attack and the back 3 in defense – rather than one cohesive team.
– Defensive midfielder needs to be tactically aware and a good distributor of the ball.
And here’s what the youth coaches think:
1-1-3-1: Attack Minded
Perhaps you’re more attack-minded and you want to use a 1-1-3-1. This formation keeps one player well back to deal with the attacking threat, whilst the midfielders push forward as a group, keeping a defensive midfielder in a deeper position to support the defender if needed. Not the most popular formation, but one that is used by more attacking teams.
+ Focuses on attacking play – useful where a team expects to dominate the game.
+ Loads the midfield area with players.
– The lone defender will need to be very competent (and fast if possible) as defensive support is limited.
– Leaves a team open to the counter attack
Here’s the view from a youth coach:
3-2-1 – “The Tree”
A more defensive strategy. With three at the back this provides a solid foundation to build forward from. It isn’t supposed to be an entirely defensive strategy though. It can be made to be an attacking formation by pushing the full-backs on for attacks, or pushing the central defender into midfield on the attack (see ‘combinations’ below).
+ Provides solid defensive base on which to build.
+ Useful where playing against better / faster teams.
– Possible lack of support to the attackers
– Possible lack of width and forward passing options when breaking forward
Here’s what the youth coaches said:
Other mentions: the 2-2-2 and the 1-4-1
Other possible formations, but ones that don’t seem to be in common use are the 2-2-2 and the 1-4-1. In theory they are both perfectly balanced between attack and defense but neither of them seems to have caught on in popular usage.
The 2-2-2, appears not to provide much structured width, instead relying on the forward attacking players making the wide runs. But this could still be effective where players have enough positional discipline to make runs either forward or wide, and for other players to cover appropriately for them.
The 1-4-1 is an extension of that principle. If you have good enough players that can join in with the attack and the defense, and have the discipline to do both then then using 4 midfielders who switch between these tasks could be a viable option. Potentially, this provides the most flexibility and dynamism of all of the formations, although I suspect it will feel too unstructured for most.
Advanced Tactics – Blend these formations
The chances are that your 7 players are not going to move around the pitch the whole time in the above set formations. Players will get dragged out of position, need to help cover other areas of the pitch, and may find it useful to adopt different positions when attacking to add the element of surprise. So don’t make your formations too inflexible.
In a small-sided formation, it’s often more sensible to talk about using at least two different tactics. Don’t over complicate this, especially if you’re working with kids (no 10 year old is going to want a vast playbook of tactics), try to limit yourself to talking about two simple shapes: one that you use when defending and another for attacking.
This can be helpful for the players and, unless unrealistic expectations are placed on them, it should allow them to picture their defensive and attacking positions more effectively. Examples of this include the following:
This illustrates how a team might employ a more defensive formation in defense and adapt it to be more attacking when it is going forward. Here, when a team is defending, they play 3 at the back with two midfielders sitting in central positions. However, when defense turns into attack, the two midfielders go forward and wide to provide attacking options, whilst the central defender moves forward into midfield as a holding player. If you’ve got a strong, tactically aware, ball-player in that defensive position then this can be a very effective formation.
Here’s another illustration of how two formations can be blended. Whilst a 4-1-1 formation would be far too defensive for most teams to use for an entire match, this could be the shape that you want your players to take up when you’re defending deep in your own half. As soon as you’re on the attack, your wide players could then begin moving forward to support the attacking effort, making it an effective 2-1-3. Your midfielder would also push on, leaving your two core defenders ready to deal with any attacking threat. Of course this requires very mobile full-backs/ wingers, but can be effective with the right players.
Even though 7-a-side only has 6 outfield players, there are a lot of possibilities over how to set up your formation and tactics. There’s no one single solution; each team is likely to have their own specific needs depending on the abilities and understanding of the players. Getting things exactly right is going to take a lot of trial and error, as well as patience, but the benefits should quickly show when your team finally understand the system.
Filed Under: Tactics Tagged With: 7-a-side, Formations, Tactics
Robert Brown says
My U11’s set up in a 2-3-1 formation and my wingers are encouraged to track the runs of their midfielders but to push on when we have possession. I ask them to drive forward and find a cross with the opposite winger hitting the far post. If we are dominating or chasing a game at times I have switched to a 1-3-2 and what happens is one of my defenders pushes into midfield when we gain possession, pushing one of my midfielders up front to play as a 2. When we lose the ball they all drop back into their normal positions. I am lucky as I have some technically able lads who are also fit so can cope with the demands of this system.
Hi Robert, thanks for sharing details about the formations that have been working for you. It’s great when we can all learn off each other!
Jeff Williams says
Need help. I’ve coached 7 v 7 for years using a 2-3-1 first and lately a 2-1-2-1 or even a 1-2-2-1. We’ve won our championship 5 out of the last 6 years. We are U16 level now.
The past two years a team has beaten us twice. They use a high pressing 3-1-2 which is almost a 3-3 because of how high they play their back line. Their keeper sweeps and their best player is their center back who is 6’ 3” and as fast as anyone on the field.
Last season we lost 5-2 and we won 5-0. We lost 3-1 this season and have one more game vs them upcoming. I’m looking for a counter formation or system to beat this high pressure 3-1-2. Their two Strikers are above average but not remarkable. The center-mid is scrappy but not too great. Their back 3 are tremendously mobile and big.
We have 1 very gifted Center-Mid, 1 big holdup style Striker who scores a lot of goals, 3 Ronaldo type iso wingers who don’t pass but have pace and skill and a bunch of above average backs. Our keeper is a very good ball stopper and has the most pace of anyone on the team. Our weakness may be depth at central midfield.
This does sound like a tricky one, but here’s a thought. If they have one outstanding player in the base of defence then how about trying to move him about a bit more.
I’m thinking that you perhaps play a 2-3-1 against this team. Your striker should could try to draw the defenders about a lot and then you could try to use the 3 midfield runners to get into the space that the striker is hopefully leaving for them as he tries to pull the defence about a little.
The wide midfielders could try to make sure that you keep the defenders stretched by giving as much width as possible, hopefully opening it up for the others to make runs in to the spaces that are left.
These are just a few ideas. Ultimately it might just be the case that you’re coming up against a very strong team and it’s going to be hard whatever tactic you try. Let us know if you crack it! 🙂
Coach Newsom says
I am a brand new coach. I have never coach nor watched a soccer game. How many different formation should I have? I was thinking about starting out with 4 then keep what works as the season goes on.
Hi Coach. Hopefully you’ve settled into a groove by now. My advice would be just start with 1 and then play with variations of it as the season goes on and you work out what will complement the players the most as you go. If you’re playing with younger age groups, you don’t need lots of tactics. It’s all about helping them learn the various positions within the system, and letting them have a go at several of them. It’s a learning experience for you all. Good luck!
Stev says
I play a 3-1-2 with one Cb and the two wing backs getting forward and back one attacker stays up top at all times and the other attack drops back when we don’t have possession of the ball it’s more psychological playing two strikers giving the striker who drops back the mindset of getting forward when we attack
Bruce Contant says
Thanks for all of your time replying to these comments, very helpful!
I’m helping to coach a U9 boys team. They play 7 v 7. It’s very recreational, but there’s certainly a willingness to learn. Let’s say that if I had to rate their skills and knowledge overall (1 = learning to run, 10 = competitive club team), they are about a 3 (due to 1-2 players being well skilled)
I’m trying, in the short amount of time I have to give them something SUPER EASY to understand. Most still chase the ball like a swarm of bees, similar to my 6 old daughter.
Last week, I tried a 3-3, three guys back & 3 guys forward (that seems super simple to understand). I found that it worked okay (something is better than nothing I suppose).
I’ve already separated on paper which kids seem to be more natural patient mid fielders and which ones are attackers.
I think tonight we try 3-2-1, what is recommended at the most BASIC LEVEL?
Final question: what are the top 3 things to emphasize for the duration of the season to give these kids the best chance of enjoying the game without lengthy explanations? Currently I’m focusing on 1) moving the ball up the sides, 2) teaching the goalie to PICK UP the ball (throw, kick or roll –> they’ve never been taught what a goalie can do), supporting each other on the field and then returning to their position as needed.
ROBERT MACKENZIE says
Hi Really enjoy your comments and feedback
My son Thomas had trials a few months ago and has got into a different team playing in the top tier of the county under 11s league , the coaching is poles apart and he is really enjoying himself and I feel your advice and feedback has really helped in him achieving this.
He is playing left wing / wing back or left back and enjoys all these positions and he really enjoys using the width when pushing up so any advice on getting the best out of these wide positions ? I think the coach is looking ahead to the team playing 11 a side ( they are currently playing 9 a side ) he does seem to get a little isolated out wide and the team do not seem to use the wide areas as much as I think they should but hey its not me coaching the team ! so should my son come to the ball a bit more loosing width or stay wide and provide width ?
Hi Robert, it has been a while since you posted this – how’s your son getting on now. Good quality coaching can make a world of difference! I’m glad if I helped in any small way, but credit goes to you for creating the right environment for him.
It’s difficult if the coach has a set idea and he desperately wants width, but really if that means your son is just out on the touchline not getting involved enough then I don’t think there is any harm in having the occasional foray in field! Hopefully over time, it will become clear to him when he’s best staying wide to create space for the team, and when he’s better dropping in to take the ball.
Messi says
What about 3 1 2 a good tactic like false 9
A false 9 is a level of complexity that hasn’t been raised yet. But sure, it’s something that could work if you have the players for that system. Good luck!
Gerard Pearson says
I coach an U11 Girls team and we play a 312.
Luckily, I have a handful of really quick, strong girls that can play as wingbacks, bombing up the wings and giving us loads of width to pull defences open.
You need a mobile Centre Back who is good at delaying and deflecting play. Also needs to be vocal and direct her wingbacks to come and help.
Central Midfield tends to stick to the centre circle and just mop up there. When they do get the ball, they should have two forward passes, and two wide passes on.
If you have a pair of forwards who play well together, they’ll fill their boots if the wingbacks can get the balls in. Even better if you have a target and a nippy player to play off them.
Big Sam says
Sorry, another thing I wouldn’t mind other peoples opinion on….we currently play 3-2-1, the striker plays high up the pitch and is encouraged to stay there by the manager (i’m the assistant). It looks to me like he should drop into midfield a little to get involved, not too far but just a bit. Any thoughts?
And similar for the defenders, but the opposite, they are encouraged to stay back when were in possession, which is good because then we’ve always got defensive cover but then when we do get the ball in the opponents half we’re always outnumbered and the attack rarely comes to anything.
Hi Sam, it’s a matter of personal preference. The thing with tactics, though is to try different things, see what works then adjust some more and so on. So, I’d say it’s definitely worth giving your suggestions a go. If, after giving those ideas a chance, they don’t work then at least you know.
It can be difficult if you’re the assistant manager. The manager is ultimately the one who should be calling the shots, but if you’ve got a good relationship with him then he should be listening to your ideas. Try to approach the subject in a friendly, helpful way.
I coach a 7 a side under 9’s team that really struggle at the moment. I’m not too worried as we are a new team this season with most of the players not been involved in a team before so they all have lots to learn. However, any advice would be welcome.
We adopted a 2-3-1 formation at the start of the season but moved to a 3-2-1 as we were conceding lots of goals and not scoring any or even getting the ball forward. 3-2-1 now definitely gives us a more robust defence and we now don’t leak as many goals but a) struggle to get the midfielders back to defend, and b) also still struggle to get the ball forward. We have a variety of players, some good, some inexperienced, good tacklers, and players with pace, and physically strong players. So definitely a lot to work with.
Any words of wisdom would be appreciated.
I’m thinking things like, in a 3-2-1, should I get the LD and RD to both push up the pitch when we’re in possesion and have the CD sit back,
Or have the central defender push on and support the midfield and have the other 2 defenders hold the fort?
And then when defending…should the 2 midfielders come back and defend in wide positions or to sit in front of the defenders?
And then lastly, from goal kick, if we play a short pass, play it out to the wings? Or just get the goalie to do a big kick?
Hope this doesn’t sound like a cop out, but I do think that patience is the key with this team. If they’re inexperienced then it will come and I don’t think there’s one particular answer that will be right for them. The thing I would say, if they’re generally inexperienced with football is that developing technique and basic skills is WAY more important than anything you can do with them tactically. You need to give them the basic patterns of passing, retaining the ball and defensive technique. With those, they’ll be able to fit any formation you want to put them in.
Specifically on your question, if your RD or LD have pace and stamina then it might be worth pushing them on when attacking – they will have fun doing that anyway. I would have my midfielders come in and defend more centrally when defending, but that’s personal preference. Good luck!
Ronnie O says
I am a keeper on a men’s 7. I find that our defensive formation is best as a fluid man to man situation that changes each time the ball is back in play with keeper calling a counter play. Example…player D1 go tight on A2 stay on him…or D2 Go to the ball, or drop left…etc…the attackers we play are constantly running plays, criscrosses etc…and only by calling defensive counters do we stop the always different attacks …center back is often high to control the middle. Speed is all, and often men are purposefully left open if in less dangerous to apply more pressure on others.
Ateeb says
I’ve played the tactic of 3-2-1. playing both the defenders going towards wing and then comes a cross. A really nice tactic.
Mark Tirchett says
I just had a difficult game last week and since i also had my regular keeper missing i opted for the 3-2-1 and my aim was to protect the new keeper and it worked
I normally play 2-3-1 and find it easier
My son has played three 9 a side games and one mini tournament and progressed well from 7 a side so far and its going ok . He has scored one goal and pretty much put several goals on a plate for his team mates with great crosses from the left wing position . We have been playing a loose 3 4 1 and are lucky to have two players playing wide that are comfortable and confident in the space on the wings , the defence soak up pressure well and are pretty solid but we do concede goals on the break and its pretty obvious that the midfield is playing too attacking at times so any advice on gently coaching the attack / defend mind set ? Also the boys seem comfortable and confident in their positions and the team pretty much picks itself and they all play well in their current positions . As you have mentioned previously its healthy to play the boys in different positions but they all seem happy as they are and know the position and responsibilitys of the position well so any advice on the boys playing different positions without upsetting the balance and dynamics of the team ? .
Thanks and always enjoy reading your advice and feedback .
Hi Robert, getting the right balance between attack and defense is really tricky. It’s hard for kids to have the awareness to be thinking about defensive cover when there’s exciting attacking action going on. Perhaps some training games that focus on reacting at the moment of ‘transition’ (ie. when you lose the ball) would be good. Not only will it help them react when the ball is lost, but it will also help them think about how they might be overcommiting.
As to rotating players, I’d take the slightly radical view that you should go ahead and just do it without worrying too much about upsetting the balance. Those who do rotate the team like this are probably likely to do so at the expense of results, but it should be in the long-term interest of the players to do it. If you’re worried, and players are particularly stuck in their positions, why not try doing little-by-little, like swapping players round near the end of games when you’re winning.
Hi , don’t want to make a nuisance of myself !! thanks for you feedback and advice regarding my son and the junior 7s team he plays for . Since being given more freedom to push up and express himself more he has been playing in a winger / wing back role and his confidence has really improved and has really grown into the role making great runs on the left wings and putting in some very good quality crosses and cut back balls , pretty much making a real head ach for the other team !!, however he still has that defensive mindset and seems to get a bit stuck between defending and pushing up supporting the attack . Its a different role he is playing and I am confident he will grow into it as time goes on . Is it a question of my son reading the game more or the coach being a little bit more specific in the job he wants the boys to do in the game or game plan / opposition ? . He has got a few tournaments coming up over the next month that he is looking forward to some 7 aside and some 9 aside ( he will be playing 9aside next season ) any advice regarding the attack / defence question greatly appreciated !! and thanks again for the feed back and advice .
Best regards Rob .
Hi Rob, no problem with these questions. Good to get the debate going.
It’s good that your son’s confidence has been improving with his increased license to go forward. In terms of him developing and understanding between attack and defense, this is quite difficult. He’s still very young, so I don’t think too much can be expected of him too quickly – there are lots of adult players who don’t understand the right balance! I would say that if you or another coach thinks the balance is perhaps wrong then you could help him with it. I wouldn’t do it in a way that just simply tells him what to do, but I’d give him some thoughts and questions so that he can think about it for himself. It’s very difficult to achieve a perfect balance and just make sure that if he gets it wrong a few times he isn’t hammered for it – those are the moments we should learn from. Also, going forward does naturally entail taking some risk, so occasionally the other team might exploit this. It’s all part of figuring out what’s best for him and the team.
Hi you gave some advice regarding my son paying in a junior 7s team , the coach has had a shift round with team shape and positions , the last game set up was a loose 2 3 1 and it worked very well , my son playing left back pushed up really well when in possession and gave width and options for the midfield players and picked up cleared loose balls from just outside the box , we have a big lad playing centre mid who is a great target player and holds the ball up really well and a fast centre forward playing up on his own getting good service from the midfielders because the midfield is strong playing the 3 , its looking pretty good so far !! thanks for the advice and honest practical advice on here .
Hi Rob, it’s great to hear from you with a follow-up! It just shows, when you play to people’s strengths, you get more out of them and people seem to enjoy it more too! Really appreciate you getting back to us with this.
Hi my son plays in a mixed ability junior sevens team , he usually plays left back and is comfortable receiving the ball from the goal keeper and moving the ball up to the midfield , however in the last few games he has not seen much of the ball but stays back and holds his shape very well , possibly too much , he seems pretty disciplined at understanding he is last man so sometimes gets little out of the game so comes away frustrated , the coach plays a fairly rigid 2 2 2 so any ideas how he can get more of the ball and be involved more ?
Hi Rob. I don’t want to be too negative about your son’s sevens team, but if he’s really young and they’re playing him as a defender every game, I don’t believe that’s ideal from a development perspective. How can a young kid be labelled as a defender and be asked to stay back the whole time whilst everyone else participates the forward play? It’s my belief that kids should experience playing a variety of positions over the season. Ok, he may be more naturally defensively inclined and play more games in defense, but I don’t like them being fixed to a position too young.
I think it may be worth speaking to the coach, and asking if there are ways he can be more involved in the attacking play. Be it trying a new position, or just being given more license to roam forward. If he values your son then I think he’ll find a way.
Another thing you could do is show some examples to your son of some famous players who played defensively, but also were a threat going forward. I’m sure there’s footage of Dani Alavez, Marcelo, etc that you could show him on YouTube – they are defenders who go forward. Pique, Ramos, John Stones – they all are comfortable on the ball and can pass it around.
However, if the coach isn’t going to change the way he picks positions then there isn’t much you can do – short of trying another team.
Matt Senior says
Totally agree with this. If the coach is doing his/her job correctly, then they have enjoyment and development at the forefront of their mind when making decisions like team selection. All the children should be experiencing different positions and asked to perform different roles, so long as they know what they are doing and why they are doing it.
Also, definitely show examples of defenders contributing to the attack whilst balancing their main responsibility. It’s no coincidence that some of the most renowned ‘minds’ in the game were defenders as players. It’s a position that demands intelligence.
Piet Verschoor says
Hi Gaffer,
First things first, thanks for uploading this article! I’m sure it has helped a lot of coaches and players!
The reason why I’m writing a message, is because I’m curious to hear your opinion on the experience I have had with my team. This is my third year coaching an U11’s, they play 7 vs 7. I’m coaching a pretty good team, every player understands the principals of football. I live in the Netherlands and I guess you know we like to play possession-based football out here. For this reason, I tried to play a couple games in the 1-2-3-1 formation in the beginning of the season. In training, it went pretty good, the defenders and midfielders could keep possession for a relatively long time and could create chances. The problem I experienced during the matches, is that our wide midfielders, had to run too much. They are used to play like wingers, so almost ever time they receive the ball, they dribble at their oponnent and make an action. They’re really fast and have a good technique, so that’s not a problem. But when they lose the ball, they have to run back to our own goal, because they have to defend as well. After 15 minutes or so, they are completely exhausted and their dribbles won’t be as effective as if they are fit. Because the strong points of my wide midfielders aren’t defending, I think this formation is not the right one.
After these games, I switched to the 1-3-1-2. My wingers were my attackers now. I said they should stay in the middle of the field, so they could run into the gaps. Also I said that they could change positions sometimes, so the opponents would be confused. My centre (only) midfielder had to drop next to the central defender if the goalkeeper had te ball and he wasn’t able to play to the midfielder. The bottom line is that he just had to look for space. Because we were playing with 3 defenders, our attackers and midfielder hadn’t to run over the whole field and could concentrate on their attacking tasks.
I think the 1-3-1-2 is one of the best ‘basic’ formations. Defensive-wise, it is really reliable bacause of the 3 defenders + midfieder and offensive-wise, the attackers can do their thing and keep energy to hurt the opponent. Do you think I’ve done right changing formation after hearing this, or do you think I should have sticked to the 1-2-3-1?
Yes Piet, you have done the right thing. The right thing is to think about the issues and to experiment with solutions. You will soon know if the idea has worked, and if not you can always go back to how it was. But in experimenting, you will develop ideas, and importantly you’ll develop as a coach. I also believe that your players will be better, for having a coach who is prepared to trial different tactical solutions – provided it is done in an organised way.
On the specific change you made. It sounds like the switch to the 3-1-2 is backed by some good rationale for the system you’re playing. One thought though: are your three defenders now separated from the attacking unit? It sounds like you might have divided the group into an attacking unit and a defensive unit. Whilst it might work well, is that best for their development? I don’t know, I’m just questioning.
Davedoza says
We play a 1-3-3, no out and out attacker instead we push up as a unit and defend as a unit, the full backs overlap the wide players. It’s a lot of fitness but we have seen big improvements in our results
That sort of attack is very hard to defend against. When teams run at you in numbers, in an unpredictable way, it’s hard to set up defense. Thanks for sharing your way of doing it and glad it’s working for you.
Ronnie says
We have played sucessfully with to triangle with points facing each other..so from the back
2-1-1-2…..guess that would be what its called. Great site thanks
Thanks Ronnie, that sounds like a decent way of playing.
moey says
hi gaffer. for my birthday I am having a 7 a side football game vs my brothers team on a astro turf pitch. my team has skill and pace but we are lacking defense a bit. could you suggest a formation for my team which will help me with both. thank you.
Hi Moey, firstly congratulations on picking a great way to spend your birthday. Perhaps you could use something like a 2-3-1. If you have pace and stamina then you can have the midfield 3 working back on defense to be a really strong unit. Another option for you could be the 2-1-2-1, which would give you defensive cover at the back, but also allow you a defensive midfielder to drop back into the defense for extra cover.
The main thing is that everyone has an attitude that you defend as a team, and when you lose the ball you work back. I could suggest playing with 7 defenders, but if none of them wanted to be defenders and didn’t work back when the ball had been lost, the defense would still be rubbish! It’s got a lot to do with picking the right players for the job, and developing a mindset that defending happens as a team. Good luck.
thank you so much. could you also send me some pre match tactics. thank you again.
Yeah, I can do. But what sort of thing do you mean?
hi gaffer. could you give me some training drills before my 7 a side football match please. I also have loads of forwards so could you give me a way on how to choose where they play. thank you
The issue of having loads of forwards is a common one. Look at their individual skills and their tactical discipline and try to build a team from them. Also ask them where they want to play, as they’ll realise they can’t all play up front.
As to training drills, if you’ve got time then anything fitness related will help. You can practice skills individually with a ball, but the best way – certainly the most fun – is to practice by playing lots of games.
Akgigyani says
Hey Gaffer
This article was really helpful.
This 2-3-1 formation is what our team need to adopt.
How should we pay against a team that plays slowly, passing and moving around, looking for spaces and exploiting defender’s weakness in order to score?
Waiting for your response
Hi Akgigyani, I’m glad the article helped. It sounds like difficult opponents there if they’re passing around and waiting for the right moment to strike – only teams that are comfortable on the ball can play that way! There are really only two ways to go: either press them and try to break the passing rythm, or sit back and resolutely soak up the pressure before launching a counter attack. I don’t know which will suit your team better because I don’t know your players. But I will say that pressing only works if people know how to do it and it’s done as a team, with discipline. So I’d be tempted to go with the other strategy (unless you’re confident in pressing) of sitting back, defending the important areas near your goal and then hitting them on the counter. Hope that helps.
Thanks a lot Gaffer
Your comment was really helpful. I am not fully confident that my team have what it takes to press the other team. They are disciplined but patience is something that we lack. We’ll try to defend and wait for an opportunity to counter attack at the same time practicing the ability to press. I thank you once again
When playing 7 a side at the u18 level, I employ a different formation in the attacking and defending phases of play like those suggested in the “advanced tactics” section, but I look to rotate in the opposite way. We defend in a 2-3-1 that lets us press high up the pitch with 4 players and win the ball back quickly, but when we transition into attack, the central midfielder drops between the backs allowing the backs to provide width and the other midfielders into the center of the pitch. I really like 2-3-1 as a defensive shape because it allows us to press high up the pitch, but I don’t like it as an attacking shape because they two backs have to stay back almost exclusively which means the opposition only have to worry about defending 4 players. Conversely, The 3-2-1 allows any of the backs to join the attack while the others cover meaning all 6 field players have an opportunity to get involved going forward meaning the opposition need to be wary of everyone. The 3-2-1, however, struggles to press high up pitch with only 3 players free to engage.
The base system is essentially like the 2-1-2-1 but is highly fluid with the players who play as the ‘2-1’ in the ‘3-2-1’ allowed to interchange in attack and then naturally fall back into any of the their 3 defensive positions when the ball is lost based on where they end up when attacks break down. As the front 3 players roam around the pitch, it is up to the ‘3’ to balance the movements of the ‘2-1’. If the front players overload one side of the pitch, the back on the far side will push up to provide balance while the defensive midfielder and near side back provide cover. If the ‘2-1’ are covering the width of the pitch well, the defensive midfielder might step forward and provide an option to switch the point of attack while the backs provide cover.
So you have:
Sweeper Keeper: Along with fulfilling typical goalkeeping duties, 7 a side keepers take on a much greater responsibility in starting attacks with their feet than 11 a side keepers. 7 a side plays much closer in style to 5 a side than it does 11 a side. It is critical they form a diamond with the two defenders and defensive midfielder to initiate early build up by forming a rondo around the opposition’s initial press.
Defenders (x2): Exceptional athleticism is most important. They need the strength and ball-winning ability of a traditional center back along with the pace and stamina to provide width when the opportunity arises. More pace means a higher defensive line and a more aggressive starting position on the wing because of the recovery speed. Ability on the ball is still important for initiating attacks, but they should usually be in space when we are in possession. If they are being closed down quickly, the team shape is poor or the opposition are pressing so dangerously high that we must have 1v1 opportunities up front to play directly into.
Defensive Midfielder: This player functions as the team’s pivot and is the most important player on the pitch for playing possession football. They initiate attacks and form triangles with teammates to allow ball retention and circulation while balancing the movement of the other 5 field players. More than anything else, this player needs to be an intelligent reader of the game who enjoys doing the simple things exceptionally well. We don’t need him to get assists or make last ditch tackles. We need him to close down dangerous space before the opponents can exploit it and find space in possession to allow the team to keep the ball.
Attackers (x3): Versatile attacking players work best here. The front three need to link up and interchange as much as possible while the back three provide balance when the pitch is overloaded in one area. Generally, you would want three attacking midfielder/deep lying forward type players but less versatile strikers and wingers can offer a more one dimensional option if that is what your squad has available. If 2 of the three players are specialists however, the attack can get really static as the third player has nobody to interchange with regardless of how versatile he is so playing a target man and a winger (or 2 wingers) at the same time can be really limiting. The more one-dimensional the attackers are, the fewer of the back three can get involved in attacking. (example: if the right wing player stay on the touch line almost exclusively, the right back is always forced into a cover position and never gets to overlap while the defensive midfielder and left back have opportunities to join the attack and the advantage of attacking with all 6 players is lost.) The front three don’t always drop into the same covering positions in the defensive phase. If the nominal forward pulls left and the left player makes a run through the center, the forward may defend from the left when the ball is lost while the midfielder takes up his position pressing from the front.
Wow, I can’t believe the detail that’s gone into this one. That’s going to be so helpful for others to read – thank you for sharing that!
Jordan Mondello says
This is my first year coaching kids old enough to play 7 a side, I have been using a 3-1-2. I have to do this because I have two well below average players who I make my wing backs. Their only job is to funnel attackers to the outside and force them into mistakes. My CB is a great natural sweeper and does well in that role. I have several very attack minded players so I play two of them as forwards and one as a midfield with responsibilities on both sides of the pitch. Thinking about going to an outright 3-3 though and having the attacking players play with a center forward and two wings.
Arun says
MY team has a
– natural winger
-short left back who is slow presses well
-attacking creative midfielder dribbles
-defender who is slow tackles
-deep lying midfielder long passes
-forward tall and fast
Pls suggest a best formation
I would suggest 3 1 2 defending.
Jeremy Ebelebe says
Would you suggest a 1-4-1 with sort of a target man striker and then the wide midfielders coming in a bit as sort of second forwards to support him then the two Cms can sit behind them to and try dictate play while the Centre back remains free to just thwart any attacks or open up the opposition from the back himself?
Hi Jeremy, I think this could work if you have quite an adaptable, tactically aware midfield. And also a very good, quick defender. You’re asking the 1 at the back to do a lot of work there, so he’ll need a lot of support from the midfielder, especially if you come up against a strong team that are pushing more than one player beyond your midfield 4. I think it could work, but as with all these formations, it’s making sure that you have the players to really make them a success. Good luck!
Kypus Diepreye says
Am just gathering a team of people i barely know for a 7 a side competition by ending of this month and i have little time to know their strengths and weaknesses.. What formation can be best prescribed for me…nice football article..good for inspiring professional coaches looks us out there..
I always like to try to fit the formation to suit the players, but given that you’ve got no time to work out what your players are like, that is going to be difficult.
If it’s a team that’s just been thrown together then I suspect that you might struggle with tactical discipline, and I’d worry a little about players just deciding to go forward and not come back to help with the defense. So I’d be minded to pick a slightly defensive set-up, possibly the 3-1-2, or maybe a 2-3-1 with a holding midfielder.
People will probably naturally want to attack, but if you’re finding it too defensive then you can start letting them off the leash by pushing an extra player forward. Hope that helps.
gamechamp says
i used the 3-2-1 formation and it did show gud results,but our next match is against a really strong team,have u got any formation which will help us get across the half-court without losing possesion as well as not putting any pressure on the defence, coz’ our defense is kinda slow. Can i use 1-2-1-2 formation.with 2 defensive mids,1 defender and 1 attacking midfielder and 2 strikers.
Hi there. Yeah, you can definitely give evidence that formation a try, but I’d just have a think about why you’re playing two strikers against a very strong team. I might expect, in this case, that they will be attacking you a lot, and if your strikers don’t work back, this could make it difficult. Also, with only 1 dedicated defender that might be tough.
Maybe a 1-3-1-1 might be better? It’s very similar to what you suggested, but offers a bit more defensive cover. If you need an extra target in attack you can always shuffle your attacking midfielder up a little more. Just a thought – hope it helps.
Ricky says
My team mostly playing 3-3-0 and I feel we are very connected in both attack and defense. Is it a uncommon tactics since you didn’t mention here?
Hi Ricky,
It’s unusual to play with no strikers, but if you have enough midfielders who are capable of pushing forward then it can be really effective .
Gregory Iszchak says
You’ve missed out the 3-1-2.
Strikers aren’t needed in small sided football so this formation works as you have two fullbacks and two wingers (in the way Ronaldo is a winger) meaning that four of your outfielders play out wide where the space is.
In addition, you have one centre back and one centre mid. No one shares a position so the left back is in sole charge of that role and its responsibilities, allowing for greater opportunity to develop, especially at youth level.
The individuality of the players bring the formation to life. One season, my right back was a player who would have suited CAM in 11aside. At right back, he had the space to run with the ball and attack but the opposition struggled to track him from such a deep position. His 30 goals in 13 games was evidence of this tactical success.
I partly agree with your comment about strikers not being needed in small sided football. Players who are all-out strikers and don’t do any defending are definitely people that would be very diffcult to carry, but it sounds like we’re saying the same thing.
You do of course need to make sure that you’ve got enough numbers when you’re attacking – teams usually need to attack in numbers of at least 3, and your wingers strategy seems to do this.
Thanks for posting yet another good, alternative strategy. Hopefully others will give it a try.
Essa says
Hey Gaffer,This is a great article and it’s also helpful.
I want to know what is the best possible way to stop a Team which is Fast,Skilled,Deep in defense and Active in offense?.
Our Team is the weakest out there right now.Our only strength is 2 good midfield players with strength and stamina.
Hi Essa, that’s really tough! The team you have described playing against sounds like the complete package. The best way to go is to exploit opposition weaknesses, and to play to your own strengths.
Perhaps a 3-2-1 is the way for you to go. The midfielders can do a bit of everything, so why not give them a solid defensive base that they can play infront of? That way they can be more free to help the attacker.
gamst11 says
Great post! my team just got trashed by a faster team, we almost didn’t have possession tried with the “tree” the whole game but they still scored 6 past us, we had the lead for 5 minutes only ha! problem is we lack stamina, only 2 players can do attacking and defensive work, my defenders are slow and one of the players with a lot of stamina is our only good midfielder, our strikers are skilled tho. Any suggestions for my weak team? haha
Hi Gamst, sorry to hear that you had such a tough game. It’s always going to be difficult if the opposition are ahead of you in terms of either skill or stamina – both are such important attributes to winning the game. Luckily, it sounds like it’s just the fitness that’s the issue here, and this can be improved over time of course.
In the short-term, you could experiment with a few different tactics. Here’s one that might work for you. Try playing a 3-1-2. It’s not a formation that I’d often suggest but it might play to a few of your strengths. You say you have two good strikers and this will free them up to cause problems against the opposition and allow you to counter-attack. With 3 at the back, you should always have defensive cover, even if one of the 3 goes forward to support the attack. I’d keep that defensive 3 fairly narrow so that you’re not being taken on down the wings where you don’t have the speed or stamina. Then you’ve got the midfielder who is your one player who does have the lungs to get up and down the pitch. He’s the link between your defensive unit and your attacking two – a lot will depend on his ability to play box-to-box, helping the strikers whilst also being able to drop back in and make a compact defensive unit when you haven’t got the ball.
Just a thought – let me know what ends up working for you.
Joshua Oduse says
Joshua, glad it helped!
John Phelan says
This is really good, I’m a coach mentor foe the FA and I will share these with the coaches I work with. I will also share the link to your website. Have you got anything on 9v9 and 11v11? thanks John Phelan.
Thanks John, glad it helped. I have thought about doing 9v9 but it is moving a little bit more away from small-sided football, which is our focus. But because I’ve been asked a few times, I’ll see if I can do something later this year. Thanks
Really good to see coaches sharing what they know passing on their knowledge. it will be a massive help to some of the coaches i work with also the girls football team at work thanks again John.
These are great articles (I read your 5-a-side one too). Is there a 9-a-side one anywhere? (thinking about progressing my junior team through the age groups.)
Hi Matt, it’s coming soon – due to popular demand.
Paul. says
Another well constructed article. Thanks. PS Any chance of getting Spurs to use any sort of recognisable tactic in 11 a side?
Paul, I’m happy to help, but I’d need to be a magician to sort out the spurs!
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Hit man turned prosecution witness
Monday, September 3rd, 2018 at 12:05am
Editor’s note: The FBI and federal prosecutors relied on “cooperators” to take down more than 120 members and associates of the notorious Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico prison gang. More than a dozen were convicted at trial or pleaded guilty to murder in aid of furthering the gang’s racketeering activities. Some “cooperators” had criminal histories as violent as the men they testified against. Roy Paul “Shadow” Martinez is a case in point. This story is the second in a two-day series, and contains graphic content that describes violence some may find offensive.
Roy Paul Martinez credits Matthew Cavalier with saving his life in prison in 1995.
“He told me, ‘Man, I like you, youngster. You’re a good dude and they ordered me to hit you by Sunday and I can’t do it, man.’ ”
That good deed haunted Martinez when the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico prison gang ordered him to kill Cavalier five years later.
Roy Paul “Shadow Martinez looks back to make eye contact with his wife at his sentencing hearing for the murder of inmate Matt “Moscow” Cavalier in 2002. (Rick Scibelli/For the Albuquerque Journal)
“I could talk to him, and, also, he was a good dude,” Martinez testified earlier this year in U.S. District Court.
Martinez told federal court jurors he and Cavalier became friends while in neighboring prison cells. When the time came for him to kill Cavalier in 2000, he testified, “I kind of wanted to tell him (about the SNM hit), the way he did to me. He spared my life; he tried to warn me. But my loyalty was to the SNM, and I had feared the consequences of not taking care of that. So I made a ligature.”
Even as he braided torn jail sheets into the ligature used to strangle Cavalier, Martinez testified, “I’m thinking about attempting to go tell him.”
Martinez, who rose to be a high-ranking SNM leader, testified as a government cooperator in a massive federal prosecution aimed at dismantling the 38-year-old violent prison gang. It marked the first time Martinez, now 45, publicly detailed his role in two Albuquerque murders that made headlines from 1998 to 2001.
Roy Paul “Shadow” Martinez, a top ranking member of the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico, was among the government cooperators in the SNM prosecution.
Back in 1995, Martinez was 21 when he arrived at the state Penitentiary in Santa Fe on an aggravated assault conviction. He wasn’t an SNM gang member yet, but found himself in a dispute with an inmate from another prison gang that was negotiating a “peace treaty” with the SNM.
To settle the matter, SNM agreed to kill Martinez.
But Martinez testified that SNM member Cavalier, also known as Moscow, “campaigned” to spare his life.
By August 2000, Cavalier had been released from prison but was back in jail in Albuquerque on a parole violation.
Some years earlier, SNM leaders branded Cavalier a snitch for cooperating with law enforcement in a prior prison slaying, and he was “greenlighted” by the gang, or marked for death.
So Martinez, awaiting trial on a 1998 murder charge at the time, joined two other SNM members at the then-Bernalillo County Detention Center to carry out the hit. “We (decided) we couldn’t let him leave alive.”
This is a cell at the New Mexico Corrections Department’s maximum security level. Members of the violent Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico prison gang have been held in maximum security while incarcerated in New Mexico, at times on lockdown because of gang violence. (Source: NM Corrections)
It all went according to plan, he testified. They entered Cavalier’s cell to smoke a cigarette together. When Martinez, also known as Shadow, tossed the cigarette into the toilet, that was the signal for the others to jump up and grab Cavalier.
“My back was turned (at the toilet) but I knew what was happening. I could hear it – the scuffle … and I heard Rabs (Samuel Silva) put that grip on. I call it a death grip.”
With one inmate holding Cavalier’s legs and Silva his upper body, Martinez pulled the homemade ligature off his waist to wrap around Cavalier’s neck.
“And he’s staring at me all the time. I tried not to look at him. I tried to avoid him, and he says, ‘Don’t do it, Roy.’
“Those were his last words. That I’ll never forget. But I tuned it out.”
Matthew Cavalier
Cavalier, trying to keep his chin down, was struggling and fighting. With one hand, Martinez pulled back Cavalier’s head.
“I put my knee on the back of his head and held it there because I was losing strength,” Martinez testified. “I was wearing down. Then it was slow motion. I heard his neck pop. … So he kind of went limp, and, then, I don’t know, seconds later he died.”
It was 14 hours before jail guards discovered Cavalier’s body.
Martinez’s hands were swollen with ligature marks. He and three other SNM members, including Gerald “Styx” Archuleta, were initially charged in Cavalier’s murder. All but Silva pleaded guilty.
Martinez took the rap, he said, so charges would be dismissed against his SNM brother Silva.
“We call it ‘carnalismo,'” Martinez testified.
Not his first murder
Cavalier wasn’t Martinez’s first murder victim. In 1998, Martinez fatally shot his girlfriend of two months, Albuquerque Police Department Sgt. Cheryl Tiller.
The Albuquerque Police Department released this mug shot of Roy Paul Martinez after the murder of APD Sgt. Cheryl Tiller in 1998.
Martinez, then 25, had just been released from prison when he met Tiller through her niece, who worked near an Albuquerque truck stop where Martinez sold drugs.
Tiller was aware of his criminal activity, he testified, “and said she would help connect me with people she knew could help me grow bigger and do more things (as a drug trafficker).”
Martinez was on the run after breaking parole by cutting off his ankle bracelet. But one night, Tiller was off duty and wanted to go for a drive. He thought it strange when she told him to leave his ID at home.
“We went through a couple of (law enforcement) checkpoints, and she flashed her badge at them, and we went right through,” he testified.
Tiller parked her truck near the Petroglyphs National Monument, and Martinez noticed a car parked 100 yards away. The car had its headlights off and was facing them.
“That’s where people go to hide away their little sins,” he testified. “I had a bad vibe.”
APD Sgt. Cheryl Tiller was found shot to death on Albuquerque’s West Mesa in 1998.
His fears mounted. So he hugged and kissed Tiller to get close enough to grab her APD service revolver from her waistband. He told her to confess that she had set him up to be killed, but she resisted. He shot her three times.
“There were no headlights. The only thing was the moonlight. And I just seen the shadow disappear.”
Though news reports of his murder trial in Tiller’s death make no mention of a set-up, Martinez told a federal court jury earlier this year that he found out later that she was in debt to Mexican drug dealers for $70,000.
“The people I met with her were these hard-core Mexicans that were big-time in Albuquerque, and they were some scary people. Those people don’t care. They’ll bury you.”
Tired of gang life
Martinez is serving a life sentence in state prison in Tiller’s death. His 15-year prison sentence in Cavalier’s murder is running concurrently.
As a prosecution witness in the Syndicato racketeering case, Martinez testified that he no longer uses heroin.
“After the murder of Moscow (Cavalier), I just stopped doing everything. I stopped everything.”
He said he was also tired of the gang life.
“I had already wrote letters (to Corrections officials) trying to ask a way out. I wanted a way out. But people like me, I was a leader, I guess they really didn’t give a way out.”
Why cooperate? one defense attorney asked Martinez.
“My daughter, already in her 20s, pleaded with me, crying. She asked me when I am going to change my life?”
After being indicted in the SNM racketeering case in 2015, Martinez pleaded guilty a year later to conspiring with other top ranked SNM members to kill then-state Corrections Secretary Gregg Marcantel and another top prison official.
“I wanted him dead,” Martinez said of Marcantel, who placed gang members on lockdown after the 2014 murder of an SNM member at Southern Correctional Facility in Las Cruces.
“He told us that he decided to lock us down and keep us on restriction until we decide we’re not going to kill each other anymore,” Martinez testified.
SNM leaders in turn began discussing a hit on Corrections officials. And Martinez wrote letters, beginning in early 2015, to recruit SNM hitmen in Albuquerque. Those letters ended up in the hands of Corrections and, ultimately, the FBI.
Martinez could face up to 20 years in federal prison for his role in the conspiracy but hasn’t yet been sentenced.
While waiting to testify in the racketeering case, Martinez and other former SNM members-turned-informants attended a special “philosophy class” in state prison.
There, the instructor “wanted us to change our thinking because of who we once were. Because we were used to thinking the gangster life and taking aggression out on certain things instead of talking out and trying to approach things differently.”
And the classes helped, he testified, adding that he’d like to take more.
“Like dealing with the administration. When we don’t get what we want, we used to go off and burn and do some pretty bad things to make their lives miserable. Now I just … I wait, be patient. … I just got to talk to them.”
In late 2016, Martinez attended a prison pizza party Corrections officials threw for some SNM cooperators and their families.
FBI agents attended, and Corrections administrators gave speeches, he recalled.
“They said they were happy we chose a different life. That we’re not the ruthless gangsters that they were used to dealing with, being they were having real serious problems with us over the years.”
Some were “real surprised” the former SNM members had become cooperators, Martinez testified.
“They said they never thought they would shake some of our hands. They know we have done very harmful things. They know we put hits on their bosses, and they know our records.
“We are killers, you know.”
Syndicato trial judge: No shanks or drones, please
ABQnews Seeker
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Psychic TV was first born in 50 Beck Road, Hackney in 1982 following his termination of Throbbing Gristle in 1981. Six months later the duo completed the nucleus of the new unit with ex-TG’er Peter Christopherson. By that time Genesis had already conceived, named and pioneered the genre “lndustrial Music” with Throbbing Gristle. Along with the Velvet Underground, Throbbing Gristle is and remains one of the most influential rock groups of the last 30 years; if you haven’t heard their music, you will certainly have listened to someone who has. In Throbbing Gristle, Genesis and company synthesized the influences and philosophies of Gen’s close friends and collaborators, including Beat writer William S. Burroughs; Beat poet and painter Brion Gysin; psychedelic shaman Dr Timothy Leary; queer activist film maker Derek Jarman; and those of legendary occultist Austin Osman Spare, theorist John Cage and various seminal underground authors, thinkers, artists and film makers. The group “TG” produced some of the most unsettling and thoughtprovoking music of all time. Their pioneering “Industrial” sound and self-sufficient approach to record distribution has had a profound impact, becoming key elements of underground music production and distribution ever since.
A Unity of Miseries: High-Functioning Flesh is an Electro-punk act from Los Angeles, USA, in the vein of bands like Portion Control and Cabaret Voltaire, as executed by electronic body mutants Greg Vont and Susan Subtract. Their unique hard beating electronics is heavily infused with body horror and seeks to revive us all from our spectacle-induced coma. Unlike the swarm of revival, retro, and oldschool bands out there hoping to capture your nostalgia or naivety, HFF is looking to pump your bodies and refresh your mind from the tired beat.
Cairo Pythian dirties up his Goth/glam snake shed skin, like a reincarnated, monstrous Jobriath who’s just discovered his venom glands. All of Touched feels at once more unified, more ambitious, and way more ragged than the polished bone china of his past few releases for Perennial, the artist (at least lyrically) opening up sexual preference to all teams, amping up the sleaze and more or less barebacking the entirety of side 1. It’s a bit difficult to frame this guy’s work in terms of such a homogenous sound (all buzzing, schaeffel beats, vampiric crooning and sinister whispers) in comparison to the radically organized sounds that came before Touched, but he and his band (featuring Reuben Storey from Christian Mistress and Dave Harvey among other Olympia-centric notables) crank up the trash and go for it. What’s missing from the first seven songs is an appreciable boost in production techniques, almost seeming like Pythian is hitting a creative ceiling due to low/no budget, but the vibes open up nicely on side 2, culminating in the predatory dance party/psychotic Prince phone call track ethos of “Playboy Blues: Laced Again.” Change is good, directions need to be followed, and once again Cairo Pythian follows the darkness in his soul. Pretty gross, but also cool. NC-17 just based on tone (here)
(Doug Mosurock)
← Karl Evangelista’s Taglish @ Which Way West? Sunday Concert Series (previous entry)
(next entry) Joel Friedman – When the World Disintegrates Before Your Eyes (East Coast Premiere) / Friday Music Series: New Orchestra of Washington | Free Event →
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What To Watch, Sept. 1-7
What Every Guy Should Watch This Week: September 1st to 7th
Daniel Bettridge
Good Morning Vietnam 1/9
We lost a great one with the tragic demise of Robin Williams last month. The actor/comedian was one of Hollywood’s brightest stars, a prodigious talent who’s had a hand in some of the best movies to make it to the multiplex in recent decades. But amongst a cinematic resume that includes the likes of Dead Poets Society, Mrs. Doubtfire and One Hour Photo, his award-winning turn as irreverent DJ Adrian Cronauer in this 1987 classic is perhaps his finest hour. And the film’s arrival on Netflix this month gives us all an opportunity to remind ourselves why Williams will be so sorely missed.
All Is Lost 5/9
Robert Redford is the sole star in this critically acclaimed survival film, which serves up an unflinching portrayal of one man marooned at sea. Amazingly, the 144 minute film has almost no dialogue; what it does have, however, is plenty of scowls, grimaces and winces from its star, whose captivating performance was given a standing ovation when the film premiered at last year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Best in sports
Thursday Night Football — 7:30-11:30pm NBC, Thursday, September 4th
It’s been a long wait but football is finally back on our screens this week. The NFL action gets underway on Thursday night as Russell Wilson and his defending Super Bowl champions the Seattle Seahawks host Aaron Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers at Centurylink Field.
If the idea of switching on your TV feels like too much work here are some of our favourite YouTube videos for you to enjoy, including Jimmy Kimmel’s Friends reunion, Danny MacAskill’s joyride around The Playboy Mansion and this particularly funny Ice Bucket Challenge FAIL. Enjoy!
Shots, Shots, Shots: OK on a First Date or Not?Read More
Useless Gym Habits, According to TrainersRead More
The Most Scenic Running Routes Across the United States
A Closer Look at The Strip's Famous Wedding Industry
Social Media Model Abigail Ratchford Isn’t Into Your Awful Pick-Up Lines
Mario Lopez Has a Lot on His Plate — Just How He Wants It
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Makes a reliable, moderately large, stopper knot.
Form a loop in the rope. Pass the end through it. Pass the end through the loop again. Tighten the knot to make a secure stopper knot.
Double Overhand Stopper Details
Found in: Boating, Climbing, Household, Scouting, Search & Rescue, Stoppers
Boating, Climbing, Household, Scouting, Search & Rescue, Stoppers
Uses: The Double Overhand Stopper Knot (ABOK # 516, p 84) is based on the Overhand Knot with one additional turn. It creates a reliable, moderately large, stopper knot.
Double Overhand Threading End
Alternative Method: In addition to the technique shown in the animation, the Double Overhand Stopper Knot can also be tied by threading the end of the rope through the coil as shown here.
Double Fisherman’s Knot
The Double Overhand Stopper provides the basis for other useful knots, e,g, the Double Fisherman’s Knot and the Poacher’s Knot or Double Overhand Noose.
Uses with Other Knots: In addition to acting as a Stopper Knot in the end of a rope, the Double Overhand Stopper Knot has another use; it can also be used to increase the security of another knot:
1. The short end of the Figure 8 Loop Follow Through is tied around the standing end.
2. The short ends of the Figure 8 Bend are both tied around their adjacent standing ends.
Bowline with Stopper to Loop
3. Unless under load, a Bowline can shake loose. To virtually eliminate this risk, the short end is tied round the adjacent part of the loop to make a Stopped Bowline.
Other Stopper Knots: The Figure 8 may be the most widely used, especially in boating, but it tends to come undone. The Ashley Stopper Knot and the Stevedore both deserve to be more widely used and known. The Matthew Walker requires three or four strand rope because it is tied with the separated strands. Therefore, after the strands are reassembled and whipped it cannot be just “untied”. Its greatest use may be in smart installations such as rope handrails. For slippery ropes the EStar Stopper is the best.
Stopper Knots
Stopper Knots Home
Crown Knot
Double Matthew Walker Knot
Stopper Loop
Underwriter’s Knot
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Shinichiro Watanabe, BONES' Original Carole & Tuesday Anime Reveals Promo Video, Cast, April 10 Premiere (Updated)
posted on 2019-02-21 07:09 EST by Crystalyn Hodgkins
Global singers audition winners also revealed
The official website for Carole & Tuesday , the new original anime by supervising director Shinichiro Watanabe ( Cowboy Bebop , Kids on the Slope , Terror in Resonance ) and anime studio BONES , began streaming a full promotional video for the anime on Thursday.
The site also revealed a key visual (above) and the winners of the global audition for the show. Nai Br.XX (first picture below) and Celeina Ann (second picture below) will perform songs in the show, with Nai Br.XX performing as Carole and Celeina Ann performing as Tuesday. The site stated that the anime is the "world's first Japanese anime to have all English vocals" and teases a "soundtrack that transcends international boundaries."
The website also revealed Japanese cast members for previously revealed characters:
Miyuri Shimabukuro as Carole ( Nai Br.XX as vocalist)
Kana Ichinose as Tuesday ( Celeina Ann as vocalist)
Sumire Uesaka as Angela
Akio Ohtsuka as Gus
Hiroshi Kamiya as Tao
Miyu Irino as Roddy
Mamoru Miyano as Ertegun
The site also revealed that the anime will premiere on Fuji TV 's +Ultra programming block on April 10. The show will also premiere on Netflix on April 10 in Japan only, with new episodes streaming on Thursdays on Netflix . Netflix also has the exclusive worldwide streaming rights to the series, but the site did not announce when the show will start streaming outside of Japan. The series marks the 20th anniversary of BONES and the 10th anniversary of Flying Dog .
The website describes the story:
Fifty years have passed since mankind began migrating to the new frontier: Mars.
It's an age where most culture is produced by AI, and people are content to be passive consumers.
There's a girl.
Scrapping a living in the metropolis of Alba City, she's working part-time while trying to become a musician. She's always felt like something is missing.
Her name is Carole.
Born to a wealthy family in the provincial town of Herschel City, she dreams of becoming a musician, but nobody around her understands. She feels like the loneliest person in the world.
Her name is Tuesday.
A chance meeting brings them together.
They want to sing.
They want to make music.
Together, they feel like they just might have a chance.
The two of them may only create a tiny wave.
But that wave will eventually grow into something larger...
Motonobu Hori is directing the anime, and Tsunenori Saito ( Blast of Tempest , Sword of the Stranger ) is designing the characters for animation. Canadian artist Mocky is composing the background music.
The staff also includes Eisaku Kubonouchi ( Chocolat , "Hungry Days" commercials) as original character designer, Aya Watanabe ( Carnation , Josee, the Tiger and the Fish ) as scriptwriter, and Flying Dog as in charge of music production. The anime is collaborating with synthesizer and keyboard brand Nord and guitar maker Gibson .
Composers for the anime include: Jen Wood (This White Light), Maisa Tsuno (Akai Ko-en), Benny Sings, Lido, Evan “Kidd” Bogart, Tim Rice-Oxley (Keane), Eirik Glambek Bøe (Kings of Convenience), and Nulbarich . Ann and Nai Br.XX will also perform both the opening and ending theme songs. Nulbarich is writing and composing the opening theme song "Kiss Me." Benny Sings is writing and composing the ending theme song "Hold Me Now."
Update: The official website for the anime also revealed on Thursday that the anime will air for two cours (a total of two quarters of a year). The first cours will center on the meeting between Carole and Tuesday and will follow them up through their debut, and the second cours will focus on their story after their debut. [Via @liborek3]
Sources: Carole & Tuesday anime's website, Comic Natalie
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Coral, a marker of global warming
Location: Glorieuses / Juan de Nova
Mission: REEFCORES III
Expedition Leader : Gwenael JOUET Ifremer Brest
The boat chartered for this mission is a Malagasy vessel ANTSIVA, based in Nosy Be (Northwest Madagascar). This aluminum schooner is the only waterway available and suitable for this expedition to the Scattered Islands. He has recently been certified and has permission from the French Southern and Antarctic Lands Administration (TAAF) to work in these highly protected areas (eg the Glorieuses Natural Park). The ANTSIVA has all the embedded resources necessary for the implementation of our geophysical prospecting tools and the realization of our sedimentary samples. It is particularly suitable for shallow work and for acoustic survey operations (very low engine noise). Seismic and bathymetric prospecting requires in particular a specific technical deployment:
Material transport capacity (> 1.5T)
Length greater than 20m for simultaneous and interference-free use of the EM3002 (bow) and Sparker (stern) seismic
Draft less than 1.5m to work in very shallow waters
Has 2 rigid annexes for work on land and at sea
Ability to ship 7 scientists who will implement the systems and autonomy for 25 days at sea.
Ability to deliver electrical power> 5 kVA for acquisition systems
Geophysical (in addition to the ship's own systems)
Features a retractable boom at the bow for the EM3002 sounder (manufactured for mission requirements)
Has a hydraulic load mast (port) and a gantry (stern) for the implementation of the sediment bin.
The technical and scientific skills of the crew associated with ANTSIVA's characteristics were a major asset for the acquisition of quality data and undeniably contributed to the success of the REEFCORES-3 mission.
Alex EHRHOLD
Charline GUERIN
Christophe PRUNIER
Claire JEAN
Gwenael TOY
Jerome BOURJEA
Mayeul DALLEAU
Pascal LEROY
Simon COURGEON
Stéphan JORRY
Stéphane Ciccione
This 3-week mission that will take us (after sailing some 1,500 nautical miles) from the Glorious Islands to Juan de Nova through the continental shelf off Majunga promises to be dense and rich with loaded targets.
On the program: bathymetric and sonar data acquisition, seismic data acquisition and sediment grab sampling.
The main objective of this new REEFCORES mission is to reconstruct sea level variations and environmental and climatic changes from Quaternary to the present day.
For this, Antsiva is equipped with a new equipment for the installation of a multibeam echosounder: it is a swivel pole with a length of 3.50m, fixed to the front of the boat. This boom can accommodate a sounder but also many other instruments oceanographers.
Antsiva, calling at Reunion has already loaded in its bunkers the 8 pallets of equipment that scientists will need during this mission. For navigation to Madagascar all crates have been rigged and stowed but even tidy they already represent a volume of nearly 10m3.
D-Day, Antsiva embarks the whole team to Diégo Suarez. Hardly on board, geologists are eager to test and install their equipment. In a few hours, all the boxes are emptied, their contents unpacked and the ANTSIVA volumes transformed into different scientific laboratories.
Thus, the front cabin becomes the "bathymetry lab": screens, computers, transmitters, receivers and processing units are quickly mounted and fixed on the table, electric cables run forward. back of the boat.
Christophe is the conductor of this transformation and, in spite of the suffocating heat, our geologists, in swimming constantly pursue the installation of the other instruments. They then install the "seismic lab" in the main hold. Here again screens and processing units are strapped, and still these electric cables which, such capricious creepers arise and gradually invade the airspace of the boat.
Finally, several GPS antennas are deployed and an additional screen is attached to the cockpit. The latter will prove very useful since it will allow the pilot to follow the cartography of the bathymetry live and stay in the fixed lines.
There remains one last thing to do before the apparatus (and not least): the test of the multibeam sounder and its installation on the pole. The sonar is then fixed and bolted to the plate at the end of the pole. This one slides in a sleeve and goes down until the apparatus is found at 1.5m under water. After some unsuccessful attempts, Charline leaves the cabin with a smile "It works, it's great! "
And now, the cry of departure is launched. Everything is ready, we can weigh anchor. We leave the port of Diégo to the tide slack not to suffer too much the phenomena of current against wind frequent in the pass.
Until the Cap d'Ambre, it shakes a lot and the first hours of navigation are not very comfortable but it allows the whole team to glide quickly. Around midnight, we pass the famous Northern Cape of Madagascar. As if by magic, the sea is leveling, the wind is favorable to us. We hoist the sails to let ourselves grow to the Glorious.
The Glorious and the Isle of Lys
Wake up early in the mornings Glorious. Everyone is on the bridge, eager to find or discover this green island on its turquoise lagoon.
But the scientists' time is running out and it's about optimizing this first day of work.
The formalities carried out, we disembark the team of turtles on land with an annex and fuel and let Mayeul and Claire to the good load of the soldiers who, very nicely, will offer them the cottage and the cover during the 4 days they will go on Glorious.
Their work will consist of immature catches on which they will carry out the following operations: baggage, weight and measurement, profile and scale photo and genetic sampling.
And we leave with the team of geologists to immediately start the data acquisition and make a first profile and a first small "box" on the island of Lys.
We will stay there for the duration of the Glorious, since the work of geologists is located on this part of the island.
Once the instruments are deployed, ie the multibeam echosounder and the seismic cables launched, the work on board Antsiva consists of following lines given by Gwen. The work of the pilot requires a great concentration because the boat must not deviate from these lines.
As we progress, we see the seabed in live and in color on the screen the bathymetry installed at the chart table.
A "box" is made when enough profiles have been made on a given area.
Meanwhile, Christophe and Pascal, each "isolated" respectively in the forward cabin and in the cargo hold manage and monitor their instruments. Charline, meanwhile, staring at her computer screen processes data acquired the day before.
For two days in a row, Stéphane and Simon descend to the ground to study the rocks and the particular geology of the ancient submerged reefs of the island of Lys. So we leave them in the morning on this island where the vegetation is rare and the sun relentless and we find them in the evening somewhat leached but very enthusiastic.
The 3rd evening, we return to the anchorage of Glorieuses to find Mayeul and Claire who are in lack of fuel for the annex. They suggest geologists to follow them during their night campaign. The interest of these multidisciplinary missions also lies in these exchanges between scientists and this is an opportunity for geologists to participate in a "turtle nesting" evening on the beach in the company of turtle specialists who will guide them and give them all the necessary explanations.
Four days to Glorious, all the profiles have been realized. It is time to go back to sea because two days of sailing are necessary to reach the port of Majunga. As no seismic or bathymetry work is planned on the route, we take the opportunity to fish along the Malagasy coast.
On arrival in Majunga, Stéphane and Jérôme are already waiting for us to change the "turtle" duo.
The time of a supply of fruits and vegetables and here we are headed towards Juan de Nova. This trip will still take us 2 whole days because many profiles and different "boxes" must be made during this crossing. The work is chained night and day and shift teams take turns for steering and monitoring instruments.
Juan de Nova
Finally, on the 5th of April we reach the anchorage of Juan de Nova. Jerome and Stéphane are on the starting blocks and arrive immediately. They are eager to experiment on the ground with their new manipulation. This is to pose on the shell of some juvenile turtles a Go pro camera that will record all their movements. The goal is to discover the feeding places of these turtles.
Two geologists, Stéphane and Simon also descend ashore to study the formerly submerged coral reefs of Juan de Nova.
The southern part of the island presents particularly interesting formations with vast excavations in the coral and enomes fossil clams.
Meanwhile, the work of geologists repends.
The seismic and bathymetry devices are deployed again. Alex also installs a small sonar that we hang in the back of the boat.
And while Antsiva conscientiously follows the lines of the profiles given by Gwenael, the appendix leaves with a small team to take samples of sediments by bucket.
The four days spent on Juan de Nova will allow us to sail up and down the entire lagoon. And after some 150 nautical miles of profiles done on this lagoon, this one will really have no more secrets for us!
For the last morning, all scientists arrive on the island. It is a question of recovering the material left on the ground by the team of geologists. It is also an opportunity for them to stretch their legs and take a dip in the wonderfully turquoise waters of Juan de Nova.
At 3 pm, the white "tuttle men" annex comes back on board. We are waiting for them to weigh anchor and leave Juan de Nova for Mayotte.
This time, Eole is not with us; the south wind that had been blowing for two days has weakened and it is all the engine that we will make this last crossing.
But that leaves time, time ...
geologists to unplug all the instruments and calmly store the material in the many trunks provided for this purpose.
Charline to finish the data processing and finally be able to see serenely a sunset
Stéphane and Jérôme watch the movie hours where turtles swim, swim and swim ...
Simon to present us very pedagogically his thesis project
Christophe to try an nth approach to pussy Cinnamon
Gwen to recover a few hours of sleep rocked in the hammock
and for all to enjoy a brief parenthesis away from any outside aggression
Thank you to the entire team for this new mission which remains an adventure in its own right.
Thanks to Ifremer Brest and IUEM who have allowed ANTISVA to acquire new skills and new tools in the field of bathymetry,
Thanks to Ifremer Reunion and Jérôme for the logistical and moral support provided during the development of this mission
Thanks to Kélonia for its teams of 'turttle men', always so professional
And finally thank you to Gwenael and Stephane who, despite the many difficulties encountered during the assembly of this mission we have always trusted.
Sed Aliquam in quis, risus. odio id facilisis Curabitur Aenean porta. Praesent
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Ending COAH conflict of interest in Holmdel too little too late: Letter
It's too late for Holmdel Mayor Tom Critelli to end his potential conflict of interest in COAH negotiations.
Ending COAH conflict of interest in Holmdel too little too late: Letter It's too late for Holmdel Mayor Tom Critelli to end his potential conflict of interest in COAH negotiations. Check out this story on app.com: https://www.app.com/story/opinion/readers/2018/10/24/coah-conflict-interest-holmdel-tom-critelli/1694230002/
Asbury Park Press Published 10:44 a.m. ET Oct. 24, 2018
Dover fire displaces 100+; Asbury Park guilty pleas; Sandra Day O'Connor's diagnosis APP NewsBreak, Asbury Park Press
An affordable housing development.(Photo: file photo)Buy Photo
At the Oct. 9 Holmdel Township Committee meeting, Mayor Tom Critelli stated he had eliminated himself from a potential conflict of interest on Holmdel’s Council On Affordable Housing (COAH) negotiations. He asserted he had “extinguished any conflict that could have arisen from having an interest in the property moving forward.”
The COAH negotiations with the township, developers and courts were ongoing long before Critelli’s denial and during his term on the committee. Critelli's stated 2016 divestiture of his properties being strong contenders for COAH designation and the buyer for his property being his “former” business partner appears to be too little too late.
Designated COAH properties have a high anticipated investment return as the building density per lot size vastly increases value for the builder, reaping a significant profit margin and escalating the incentive to build.
The insider information on the mayor’s once-vested interest on pending COAH property designations was apparently known by members of the Township Committee but not disclosed to the public. Nor was the mayor publicly asked to step down on COAH decisions by any Township Committee member from their behind-closed-door's years of selecting properties eligible for COAH.
It was nonpartisan, unaffiliated 2018 Holmdel Committee candidate Lea Shave who brought all this insider trading to light. Her diligent, time-consuming research revealed the court record facts the public should have been readily made aware of by sitting elected officials.
Apparently the Township Committee has a hard time divesting from its party affiliation and breaking free of their brotherhood to openly represent the people first and foremost in Holmdel.
Carole Balmer
Read or Share this story: https://www.app.com/story/opinion/readers/2018/10/24/coah-conflict-interest-holmdel-tom-critelli/1694230002/
Oyster Creek: Stay on top of nuclear plant decommissioning to protect wallets, safety
NJ Orthodox: We're somewhat insular, but we aren't rejecting America
NJ Orthodox: What does it mean to be an observant Jew?
NJ Orthodox: Lots of variation in Lakewood’s Jewish community
State needs to pick up tab for private school busing, special ed
Union rail trail extension will add to quality of life in Ocean, Monmouth
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Birmingham council OKs resolution supporting city school superintendent
Updated Apr 10, 2012 ; Posted Apr 10, 2012
By Joseph D. Bryant
Birmingham school Superintendent Craig Witherspoon. (The Birmingham News file)
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The Birmingham City Council has passed a resolution supporting embattled school superintendent Craig Witherspoon with some members planning to attend this afternoon's board of education meeting.
"Dr. Witherspoon has been a breath of fresh air compared to all the superintendents we've had," said Councilwoman Valerie Abbott.
Following her comments, Council President Roderick Royal moved for an official resolution.
Councilwoman Carole Smitherman called the board's talk of firing Witherspoon "a knee-jerk reaction."
Both Smitherman and Councilman Steven Hoyt said they would be at the board's meeting and deliver the council's resolution.
Witherspoon's contract is likely to be discussed at this afternoon's Board of Education meeting, after a special called meeting to discuss it Friday was canceled. Five board members -- Tyrone Belcher, Virginia Volker, Alana Edwards, Edward Maddox and Emanuel Ford -- have expressed dissatisfaction with Witherspoon's performance, saying he communicates poorly with the board, employees and community.
Scores of people who support the embattled superintendent are expected to attend the board meeting, which begins at 3:30 p.m. at Central Office, 2015 Park Place.
News staff writer Marie Leech contributed to this report.
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The Global Mid-Market Specialist
Austria & CEE
Students or recent Graduates
Professionals with Experience
Career Developement
Contacto de Comunicación
Acerca del Grupo
The New Alantra
Cultura y Equipo
Cultura Corporativa
Corporate Portfolio Advisors
Active Funds
Market Clips históricos
In Corporate Finance Alantra has consolidated itself as a leading independent financial advisor in the global mid-market.
We provide all range of investment banking services to midmarket companies and institutions through a highly talented and experienced team made up of more than 260 professionals, based in 20 countries.
Based in Paris, the French office of Alantra provides M&A and strategic advisory services and capital markets services to mid-market family-owned companies, mid cap corporate and institutional investors.
Managing Partners & Partners
Franck Portais
Managing Partner & CEO of Alantra France
Franck Portais has extensive experience in M&A and Private Equity, having advised on more than 50 transactions with a total value of over €10bn during the last 10 years
Franck Portais is Head of Corporate Finance in France. Franck, who was previously Managing Director of goetzpartners Corporate Finance in Paris, has extensive experience in M&A and Private Equity, having advised on more than 50 transactions with a total value of over €10bn during the last 10 years.
Olivier Guignon
Olivier started his career as a lawyer during 3 years and then spent 13 years in the Legal and Financial Affairs of Lazard where he has been involved in several transactions involving listed companies
Olivier started his career as a lawyer during 3 years and then spent 13 years in the Legal and Financial Affairs of Lazard where he has been involved in several transactions involving listed companies (public takeovers, anti-takeover defenses).
He then joined Oddo Corporate Finance in 2012 as a Partner in charge of stock-market engineering. Over this period, Olivier was the leading presenting banker of tender offers in France with 18 transactions closed.
Olivier holds degrees from ESCP, the Université Panthéon-Assas and the Barreau de Paris.
Franck Noat
Franck Noat has nearly a 20-year experience in corporate finance, having advised corporate, investment funds and governments in France, Europe and Emerging Markets. Franck joined Alantra from Oddo & Cie where he was head of M&A in the investment banking arm
Franck Noat has nearly a 20-year experience in corporate finance, having advised corporate, investment funds and governments in France, Europe and Emerging Markets. Franck joined Alantra from Oddo & Cie where he was head of M&A in the investment banking arm.
Franck started his career with Société Générale Investment Banking, then joined Rothschild & Cie and later BNP Paribas Corporate Finance. In January 2007, with the support of family offices, Franck participated to the creation of Partanea, a M&A boutique which was acquired by Oddo & Cie in December 2008.
Franck holds a degree from ESCP Europe in Finance and is a holder of the DESCF (Equiv. ACCA/SIMA).
Ashley Rountree
Ashley has 30 years of M&A experience and was formerly a founding Managing Director of C.W. Downer
Ashley is a Managing Partner of Alantra France Corporate Finance.
Ashley has 30 years of M&A experience and was formerly a founding Managing Director of C.W. Downer. He was responsible for European operations and the consumer practice
Ashley received a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in History and Literature from Harvard College.
Oriane Durvye
Oriane has 10 years of M&A experience in various sectors such as media, food and retail. She has advised entrepreneurs, corporates and private equity houses on many buy-side and sell-side transactions, often cross-border
Oriane Durvye has more than 10 years of experience in corporate finance, during which she advised on many M&A transactions, often cross-border: sales for entrepreneurs, families, industrial clients and investment funds, acquisitions for strategic buyers and financial investors, ranging in value from 15 million to over 1 billion euros. She joined Alantra after participating in the development of goetzpartners Corporate Finance for 9 years in France and graduated from EM Lyon and holds a DECF (Diploma in Accounting and Finance).
Florian Touchard
Florian has over 10 years of M&A experience in various sectors such as healthcare, transport & logistic, leisure and telecom. He has advised entrepreneurs, corporates and private equity houses on various transactions
Florian is Executive Partner of Alantra France Corporate Finance.
Florian has 10+ years of M&A experience in various sectors such as healthcare, transport & logistic, leisure and telecom. He has advised entrepreneurs, corporates and private equity houses on various transactions.
Before joining Alantra, Florian worked for Oddo Corporate Finance and HSBC.
Florian is graduated from Ecole Nationale des Arts et Métiers (ENSAM) and holds a Master’s degree in Finance from HEC.
Lahlou Khelifi
Before joining Alantra, Lahlou worked for Lazard, Goldman Sachs, the French Caisse des Dépôts and Mercialys notably
Lahlou is Managing Director of Alantra France Corporate Finance. He coordinates the Real Estate sector for France
He has 30+ years of experience in the finance and Real Estate sector in Europe, but also in South America, Asia and North Africa contributing to over €2.5bn of real estate assets disposal
Lahlou has a Master’s degree from Sciences Po Paris and holds a MBA from INSEAD.
Nicolas Vienot
Nicolas has 10 years of M&A experience across various sectors including industrial, aerospace, retail and software. He has advised families, entrepreneurs, corporates and private equity clients on domestic and cross-border transactions
Nicolas has 10 years of M&A experience across various sectors including industrial, aerospace, retail and consumer goods. He has advised families, entrepreneurs, corporates and private equity clients on domestic and cross-border transactions.
He joined Alantra after spending 10 years with C.W. Downer & Co, the US-boutique investment bank acquired by Alantra in 2016. He is a graduate from the National Institute of Telecommunication (INT) and holds an Advanced Master in Finance from ESCP Europe.
Pierre-Louis Nahon
Director & Head of Debt Advisory
Pierre-Louis has a 15-year experience in leveraged finance and corporate finance. He has advised or arranged more than 35 acquisition finance deals on the mid-market, with a cumulated financing amount of close to €10bn
Pierre-Louis is Head of Debt Advisory for the French market. With nearly 15 years of experience in leveraged finance and corporate finance, notably with BNP Paribas CIB and KPMG, he has advised or arranged more than 35 acquisition financings mostly linked to private equity transactions in France (cumulated amount of close to €10bn). Pierre-Louis holds a DESS in Structured Finance from Ecole des Ponts and a Maîtrise de Sciences de Gestion from Paris Nanterre university.
Jérôme de Bucy
Jérôme has 10 years of M&A experience in various sectors such as Industrials and TMT. He has advised Corporate clients, families and private equity funds on 30+ M&A transactions since 2007
Jérôme de Bucy has 12 years of experience in Corporate Finance, during which he advised Corporate clients, families and private equity funds on 30+ M&A transactions in various sectors, with a specific focus on Industrials and on Telecom Media & Technology.
Prior to joining Alantra, Jérôme was a Director in the Corporate Finance Team at Société Générale.
Jérôme de Bucy started his career at PwC and is a graduate of Centrale Supélec.
Sectors AutomotiveBuilding ProductsBusiness SupportChemicalsConsumer & RetailFinancial InstitutionsFood & beverageTechnologyIndustrial AutomationHealthcareFood & Special IngredientsIndustrialsReal EstateFashionIndustry MachineryManufacturingAerospaceAeronauticsEnergyCPANursing homes Services Capital MarketsM&ADebt AdvisoryPortfolio AdvisoryStrategic Advisory
Permira
France, Food & beverage, M&A
Advisor to Permira on the acquisition of a majority stake in Hana Group
LFPI
France, Technology, M&A
Alantra advised LFPI on the acquisition of a minority indirect stake in Umanis
Isaltis
France, United States, Chemicals, M&A
Advisor to the shareholders of Isaltis on the sale of the company to Macco Organiques
Montaner Pietrini Boissons
France, Food & beverage, Debt Advisory, M&A
Advisor to the shareholders of Montaner Pietrini Boissons on the sale of a minority stake to CM-CIC Investissement
Groupe TDS
France, Business Support, M&A
Advisor to the shareholders of Groupe TDS on the sale of the company to Groupe Berto
Residalya
France, Nursing homes, Real Estate
Advisor to Residalya in the sale and leaseback of 14 nursing homes to Icade Santé
Bridgepoint
Advisor to Bridgepoint on the acquisition of a minority stake in bee2link
France, Building Products, M&A
Advisor to Ardian on the acquisition of Revima
Wilbur Curtis
Italy, United States, France, Food & beverage, M&A
Advisor to the shareholders of Wilbur Curtis on the sale of to Groupe SEB
France, Spain, Fashion, M&A
Alantra advises Vivarte on the sale of Merkal Calzado to OpCapita
France, Aerospace, M&A
Advisor to the shareholders of Trigo on the acquisition of Supplier Management Solutions (SMS)
Korian
France, Nursing homes, M&A
Advisor to Korian on the acquisition of Groupe Omega
Group Label
France, Manufacturing, M&A
Advisor to Group Label/Mister Menuiserie on the sale of a minority Stake to IDl
France, Financial Institutions, M&A
Advisor to the founders of Harvest on the sale of a majority stake to Five Arrows Principal Investments
Quadriga Capital
Advisor to Quadriga Capital on the sale of DOREA to Groupe Maisons de Famille
Advisor to Colisée on the acquisition of STS Grup (6 nursing homes)
Mecafi
France, Industrials, M&A
Advisor on the combination of Mecafi and Nexteam Group
Txcell
France, M&A
Simplified tender offer on Txcell initiated by Sangamo
France, United States, Manufacturing, M&A
Advisor to the shareholders of Trigo on the acquisition of Lumbee Enterprises
Nexteam Group
Advisor to Nexteam Group in the context of a minority investment of Tikehau Capital of €114m
H8 Collection
France, Real Estate, M&A
Advisor to the shareholders of H8 Collection on the sale of a minority stake to the family office Labruyère Eberlé
United States, Spain, France, Food & beverage, M&A
Alantra acts as the exclusive financial advisor on the sale of Lolea, a Spanish premium sangria company, to Zamora Company.
M&A and Debt Advisor to the shareholders of Montaner Pietrini Boissons on the sale of a minority stake to CM-CIC Investissement
Umanis
Alantra advised Umanis on the acquisition of a minority indirect stake in LFPI
A2Mac1
France, Automotive, M&A
Advisor to Five Arrows Principal Investments in its investment in A2Mac1
France, Technology, Debt Advisory
Debt advisor of Coyote on the refinancing of the company
ORAPI Group
France, Healthcare, Debt Advisory
Debt advisor of Orapi on the refinancing of the company
Philogeris Résidences
France, Nursing homes, Debt Advisory, M&A
M&A and Debt Advisor to Philogeris Résidences Group founder on its OBO
Philogeris Group
Advisor to Yann Reboulleau, founder and CEO of Philogeris Group, on the buyout of 123 IM’s stake to become the sole shareholder of the Group through an OBO transaction.
Argos Soditic
Switzerland, France, Financial Institutions, Industry Machinery, M&A
Advisor to Argos Soditic, a leading pan-European private equity group focused on the mid-market, on the sale of its portfolio company BMF Group to a fund jointly managed by Rantum Capital and Cedarlake Capital
BMF Group
Advisor to Argos Wityu, a leading pan-European private equity group focused on the mid-market, on the sale of its portfolio company BMF Group to Rantum Capital and Cederlake Capital.
5àsec
France, Consumer & Retail, Debt Advisory, M&A
M&A and Debt Advisor for Bridgepoint Development Capital (BDC) on the acquisition of 5àsec
Yukadi Villages
France, Consumer & Retail, M&A
Alantra advises the shareholders of Yukadi Villages, a campsites operator, in the reorganization of its share capital with the support of 123 Investment Managers and Entrepreneur Venture
Change Capital Partners
France, Fashion, M&A
Alantra advises Change Capital Partners, a London-based private equity funds, in the sale of a majority stake in Paule Ka to Xavier Marie
Eductive
France, Business Support, Consumer & Retail, M&A
Advisor to Eductive's shareholder on the sale of the company to LFPI
Quintessential Brands
Alantra advised Quintessential Brands Irish Whiskey (QBIW) on the €18.3mn investment from Stock Spirits Group for a 25% share in QBIW
France, Aeronautics, M&A
Alantra advises investment firms Chevrillon and Idi on the acquisition of aeronautics equipment supplier Alkan
Chevrillon/Idi
Alpha MOS
France, Food & Special Ingredients, M&A
Simplified tender offer on Alpha MOS initiated by Jolt Capital and Ambrosia Investments
Spain, France, Healthcare, M&A
Alantra advised Spanish pharmaceutical and health group Cinfa on the acquisition of French company Natural Santé, a specialist in natural food supplements, from private equity fund Argos Soditic
miLibris
Advisor to the founders and CapHorn Invest on the sale of 100% of miLibris to Altice
Form Sport Développement
Advisor to Form Sport Développement shareholders on the reorganization of its capital
Zodiac Milpro
France, Transport, M&A
Advisor to Oaktree on the sale of Zodiac Milpro to argos Soditic
Oaktree
Phili@ Medical Editions
Advisor to Phili@ Medical Editions’ shareholders on the sale of the company to Europa Organisation
CCA Internacional
France, Business Support, Financial Institutions, M&A
Alantra advised Finapertel, a subsidiary of LFPI (formerly known as the private equity arm of Lazard group) on the acquisition of two blocks of shares of CCA International
Finapertel
Alantra advised Coyote on the acquisition of a majority stake in Traqueur
Alantra advises the founder of Colisée, the 4th largest French operator of nursing homes, on its disposal to IK Investments Partners
Advisor to Colisée on the acquisition of 12 nursing homes from GDP Vendôme
Alantra, supported by Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners and AccorHotels, advised the management of POTEL & CHABOT on the acquisition of the Company from 21 Centrale Partners
Buldog Gin
France, Italy, Food & beverage, M&A
Alantra advised the shareholders of Bulldog Gin in the sale of the brand to Gruppo Campari for US$55mn
Dragon Bleu / Venum Group
France, Fashion, Debt Advisory
Raised convertible bonds from Trocadero Capital Partners and senior debt from Caisse d’Epargne to finance the shareholding reorganization of the Dragon Bleu / Venum Group
Le Noble Age Groupe
Advisor to Le Noble Age Groupe on the acquisition of the care at home business of Adir Assistance
Advisor to Le Noble Age Groupe on the sale of a Belgium beds portfolio to Care-Ion
France, Healthcare, Nursing homes, M&A
Advisor to Maison de Famille on the acquisition of Grupo Amma
Tokheim Service
Advisor to the management of Tokheim Service on a MBO
Centrax
United States, France, Aerospace, Industrials, M&A
Advisor to Centrax Group on the sale of its Centrax Turbine Components subsidiary to MB Aerospace, a portfolio company of Blackstone
Trescal
United States, France, Business Support, Industrials, M&A
Advisor to Trescal on the acquisition of American Precision Metrology
Freudenberg Chemical Specialties
France, Chemicals, M&A
Advisor to Chem-Trend, a division of Freudenberg Chemical Specialties on the acquisition of Huron Technologies
Italy, France, Consumer & Retail, Fashion, Debt Advisory, M&A
M&A and Debt Advisor to Activa Capital in the acquisition of Atlas for Men
Activa Capital
Advisory to Activa Capital in the acquisition of Atlas for Men (M&A and Debt Advisory)
La Fortezza
France, Italy, Consumer & Retail, M&A
Advisor to the shareholders of the Italian La Fortezza on the merger with Swedish ITAB for €105mn
France, Consumer & Retail, Fashion, M&A
Advisor to Activa Capital on the acquisition of the French menswear distance selling and e-retailing company Atlas for Men (Editions Atlas, De Agostini)
Smartrac
France, Netherlands, Technology, M&A
Advisor to Smartrac on the sale of its Secure ID & Transactions division to Linxens, a portfolio of CVC and Astorg
Ynsect
Advisor to Ynsect on a €14.2m fundraising
Advisor to the shareholders of Carven on the sale of a majority stake of the company to Bluebell
Advisor to 3D Systems on the simplified tender offer and squeeze-out on Phenix Systems
Future French Champions
Advisor to Future French Champions (partnership between CDC International and Qatar Investment Authority) on the investment in Devialet
France, Consumer & Retail, Food & Special Ingredients, M&A
Advisor to Pierre Hermé Paris Group on reorganising its shareholding
QuelleEnergie.fr
France, Energy, M&A
Advisor to the founders and shareholders of QuelleEnergie.fr on their strategic partnership with Groupe Certinergy
Arneg
Advisor to Arneg of Italy on its acquisition of Manor Concepts of the United Kingdom
DSO Interactive
Advisor to the financial shareholders – Seventure Partners, Siparex and CM-CIC Capital Privé – and the management in the sale of DSO Interactive to Montefiore Investment
France, Spain, Industrials, M&A, Portfolio Advisory
Advisor to Oaktree Capital Management on the sale of Evac Oy of Finland to IK Investment Partners of Sweden
Alantra es una firma de Investment Banking y Asset Management especializada en proveer servicios de alto valor añadido al segmento de compañías de tamaño medio (mid-market) y con oficinas en los principales mercados de Europa, Estados Unidos, Latinoamérica y Asia
En Investment Banking, Alantra cuenta con más de 360 profesionales y asesora en operaciones de M&A, deuda, carteras de crédito y mercados de capitales
La división de Asset Management gestiona €10.500 millones en activos bajo gestión a través de una amplia gama de estrategias de inversión (inversiones directas, fondos de fondos, coinversiones y gestión patrimonial)
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About ALMA
Global Collaboration
Privileged Location
How ALMA works
How does ALMA see?
Deep Field
Early Galaxy Formation
Star and planet formation
Detecting extrasolar planets under formation
Evolved stars
Dust and molecules in space (Astrochemistry)
Optic fiber
Correlator
How ALMA Observations are carried out
ALMA in Chile
Benefits for the Community
The ALMA Board
ALMA Management
The ALMA Committees
ASAC Members List
JAO Science Team
The Workers at ALMA
Image Release
ALMA Site Visit – Educational / Science / Insititucional
ALMA Site Visit – Media
ALMA Observatory Public Visits
Request for talks with astronomers and/or engineers
Live from Chajnantor
ALMA Software
About ALMA, at first glanceHow ALMA worksTechnologiesReceivers
©ALMA (ESO, NRAO, NAOJ)
The ALMA Front End system is the first element in a complex chain of signal reception, conversion, processing and recording. It is designed to capture signals from ten different frequency bands. This system is far superior to any other in existence. In fact, products derived from ALMA prototypes are improving the sensitivities of other radio telescopes around the world. The Front End units are composed of numerous elements that are produced as far away as Europe, North America, Eastern Asia and Chile.
Cryostats: The largest individual element in the Front End system is the cryostat and its adjoining cryo-refrigerator, and it keeps the receivers in extremely cold temperatures.
Cryostats contain receivers or bands that are mounted on cartridges and can be installed or replaced with relative ease. The “warm” optics, the part located in the ‘warmer’ area of the cryostat, the windows and the corresponding infrared filters were provided by the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM). The cryostats’ operating temperature is extremely low, reaching four degrees Kelvin (equivalent to ‑ 269 ºC).
Cryostats contain receivers or bands that are mounted on cartridges and can be installed or replaced with relative ease. The “warm” optics, the windows and the corresponding infrared filters were provided by the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM). The cryostats’ operating temperature is extremely low, reaching four degrees Kelvin (equivalent to ‑ 269 ºC).
Frequency bands of receivers: When it has all 10 bands incorporated, ALMA will measure signals from 8.6 mm to 0.32 mm. the following table shows the specifications of the bands astronomers will be able to use for their observations with ALMA (available from Cycle 5, in construction, and under development):
Band Wavelength
(mm) Frequency
1 8,6 – 6 35 – 50
2 4,6 – 3,3 65 – 90
3 3,6 – 2,6 84 – 116
4 2,4 – 1,8 125 – 163
10 0,4 – 0,3 787 – 950
During Cycle O and Cycle 1, the antennas were outfitted with four bands: Band 3, Band 6, Band 7, and Band 9. Two more were added in Cycle 2: Band 4 and Band 8. Band 10 was added in Cycle 3 and 4.
The technical specifications of the different receivers are very demanding and at the time they were defined, they were cutting edge and beyond. In some cases, the performance of these receivers has gone beyond expectations.
The Front End integration centers: The construction of ALMA required consensus of the partners on several organizational and management decisions. This required several in-depth studies of different scenarios for assembling and integrating Front end components, and identified that the best solution was a “parallel approach,” installing one Front End in Europe, another in North America and another in Taiwan, all with identical procedures. This was the preferred scenario due to logistical, organizational and programmatic considerations.
The European Front End Integration Center (FEIC) is located in the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, the North American one in NRAO and the Asian one in Taiwan, all used for integration of the Front End assemblies required for the antennas.
Water vapor radiometers: One of the primary factors that limits the resolution (and to a lesser degree, sensitivity) of the millimetric and submillimetric wavelength radio telescopes is the atmospheric fluctuation, specifically water vapor. This is due to a combination of two factors: its uneven dispersion into the atmosphere and its high refractory index. The Water Vapor Radiometers (WVRs) allow for correction of the atmospheric water vapor fluctuations. Two different WVR prototypes were developed at the University of Cambridge (UK) and the Onsala Space Observatory (OSO, Sweden), and underwent intensive testing in the Submillimeter Array (SMA) in Mauna Kea, Hawaii.
ALMA’s Back End systems convert analog signals -received by Front End units installed on each antenna- to digital signals and sends these to the Correlator installed in the Array Operations Site (AOS) Technical Building. This diagram shows signal processing and data transfer.
Diagram: ALMA signal processing and data transfer from the Front End to the Correlator.
The analog data, produced by Front End electronics, are processed and digitized before being entered into the data coder, followed by optic fiber transmitter units and multiplexers. These elements are all installed in each antenna’s receiver booth. The optic signals are then transmitted by fiber to the AOS Technical Building where they are demultiplexed and de-formatted before entering the Correlator.
New ALMA Equipment Designed in Chile
Final ALMA Front End Delivered
ALMA opens new windows to exploring the Universe
ALMA Doubles its Power in New Phase of More Advanced Observations
ALMA, a worldwide collaboration
© ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)
Family & Friends Visits
Work at ALMA
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BioSolar Selects Stevens Urethane to Manufacture BioBacksheet
Visit http://www.biosolar.com for further information
They have state-of-the-art equipment and the know-how to manufacture BioBacksheet to the extremely high standards demanded by our PV customers
05/29/12, 07:23 AM | Solar & Wind | BioSolar, Inc.
SANTA CLARITA, Calif.--BioSolar, Inc. (OTCBB: BSRC), developer of a breakthrough technology to produce bio-based materials from renewable plant sources that reduce the cost of photovoltaic (PV) solar modules, today announced that it has entered into a manufacturing agreement with Massachusetts-based Stevens Urethane, a subsidiary of JPS Industries, for the upcoming full-scale production of the company's BioBacksheet for North American customers.
Dr. Stanley Levy, BioSolar's chief technology officer, who spearheaded the selection process, commented, "After reviewing a number of major manufacturers, we concluded that Stevens Urethane was the best fit for BioSolar. Stevens Urethane, in addition to their line of EVA encapsulants for the solar industry, is a leading worldwide manufacturer of polyurethane film, sheet, tubing, cord and profile, including optical interlayer materials used in class I-VIII bullet resistant glazings, airplane and high speed train windshields, security glass, embassy windows, hurricane glass and paint protection films. They have state-of-the-art equipment and the know-how to manufacture BioBacksheet to the extremely high standards demanded by our PV customers."
Jim Coletta, President of Stevens Urethane, stated, "We are excited to partner with BioSolar to manufacture BioBacksheet. BioSolar is a technology driven firm that has established a strong reputation for bringing innovative, performance driven products to market. BioSolar's BioBacksheet will be manufactured to stringent quality standards required to meet the demands of the photovoltaic market. We take pride in BioSolar's selection of Stevens Urethane based on our history of successfully manufacturing products for "can't fail" applications. Stevens' manufacturing expertise, ISO 9001 certified quality systems and the dedication of our associates to first time right quality and services will allow us to meet or exceed the expectations of BioSolar as this business grows."
Commenting on the company's business outlook, David Lee, BioSolar's chief executive officer, said, "We are making great progress transitioning into a go to market mode. We are implementing internal quality control and measurement standards, developing logistics for shipping and handling product and building up our marketing and sales infrastructure. This has been a challenging endeavor, but with quality partner like Stevens Urethane, I firmly believe we are on track to achieve commercial success."
About BioSolar, Inc.
BioSolar, Inc. has developed a breakthrough technology to produce bio-based materials from renewable plant sources that will reduce the cost per watt of solar cells. Most of the solar industry is focused on photovoltaic efficiency to reduce cost. BioSolar is the first company to introduce a new dimension of cost reduction by replacing petroleum-based plastic solar cell components with durable bio-based materials. To learn more about BioSolar, please visit our website at http://www.biosolar.com.
About Stevens Urethane
Stevens Urethane is a manufacturer of extruded urethanes, ethylene vinyl acetates and other thermoplastic elastomers for specialty applications in a wide expanse of markets requiring highly engineered solutions. Stevens Urethane products are used in civilian and military components, ballistic glass laminates for security and transportation, photovoltaic solar modules, paint protection films, medical, automotive and industrial components, textile film laminates and other high performance end uses.
HPS EnduraCoilTM Cast Resin Medium Voltage Transformer
HPS EnduraCoil is a high-performance cast resin transformer designed for many demanding and diverse applications while minimizing both installation and maintenance costs. Coils are formed with mineral-filled epoxy, reinforced with fiberglass and cast to provide complete void-free resin impregnation throughout the entire insulation system. HPS EnduraCoil complies with the new NRCan 2019 and DOE 2016 efficiency regulations and is approved by both UL and CSA standards. It is also seismic qualified per IBC 2012/ASCE 7-10/CBC 2013. Cast resin transformers are self-extinguishing in the unlikely event of fire, environmentally friendly and offer greater resistance to short circuits. HPS also offers wide range of accessories for transformer protection and monitoring requirements.
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Work Van Rear-wheel Drive Extended Cargo Van
2012 GMC Savana 3500
Years 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009
GMC's rear-wheel drive Savana 3500 passenger and cargo vans provide a rugged and durable means of transporting several passengers or a large payload of cargo. The Savana 3500 passenger and cargo vans are available with a 135-inch or a 155-inch wheelbase. There are three available engines for the Savana 3500 lineup: a 280-hp Vortec 4.8-liter FlexFuel V8 available on the cargo vans only, a 324-hp Vortec 6.0-liter FlexFuel V8, and a 525 lb.-ft. of torque Duramax Diesel 6.6-liter V8. All of the engines are teamed with a six-speed automatic transmission. Passenger vans are available in LS or LT trim, can accommodate up to 15 passengers and offer several convenient options. Cargo vans are available in Work Van trim and provide an excellent base for a multi-purpose utility vehicle that can be equipped to suit your comfort needs, or modified for your workplace requirements. Safety features include 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, Stabilitrak, and front airbags with a side curtain airbag on the passenger vans. For 2012, the Savana 3500 is carried over from 2011.
Choose a Trim Rear-wheel Drive Cargo Van (Work Van) Rear-wheel Drive Extended Cargo Van (Work Van) Rear-wheel Drive Passenger Van (LS) Rear-wheel Drive Passenger Van (LT) Rear-wheel Drive Extended Passenger Van (LS) Rear-wheel Drive Extended Passenger Van (LT) Rear-wheel Drive Cargo Van (Diesel) Rear-wheel Drive Extended Cargo Van (Diesel) Rear-wheel Drive Passenger Van (2LT) Rear-wheel Drive Passenger Van (2LS) Rear-wheel Drive Extended Passenger Van (2LT) Rear-wheel Drive Extended Passenger Van (2LS)
Be the first to write a review Review the2012 Savana 3500
More Savana 3500 Information
Savana 3500 News
GMC Dealers
2012 GMC Savana 3500 trims (12)
Trim Family 2LS 2LT DIESEL LS LT Work Van
(Work Van) Rear-wheel Drive Cargo Van
(Work Van) Rear-wheel Drive Extended Cargo Van
(LS) Rear-wheel Drive Passenger Van
(LT) Rear-wheel Drive Passenger Van
(LS) Rear-wheel Drive Extended Passenger Van
(LT) Rear-wheel Drive Extended Passenger Van
(Diesel) Rear-wheel Drive Cargo Van
(Diesel) Rear-wheel Drive Extended Cargo Van
(2LT) Rear-wheel Drive Passenger Van
(2LS) Rear-wheel Drive Passenger Van
(2LT) Rear-wheel Drive Extended Passenger Van
(2LS) Rear-wheel Drive Extended Passenger Van
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Cadillac Cars >
Cadillac DTS >
2006 Cadillac DTS
8 Trims Available
Cadillac CT6 PLUG-IN
Cadillac CT6-V
Cadillac Escalade EXT
Cadillac Escalade Hybrid
Cadillac STS-V
Cadillac XLR-V
Cadillac DTS 2006
The 2006 Cadillac DTS is available as a 4-door, 5-seat sedan. Starting at $00, the 2006 Cadillac DTS Base is powered by a 4.6L, 8-cylinder engine mated to an automatic transmission that returns an EPA estimated 17-mpg in the city and 25-mpg on the highway. The top of the line 2006 Cadillac DTS Funeral Coach, priced at $42,095, is powered by a 4.6L, 8-cylinder engine mated to an automatic transmission that returns an EPA estimated 14-mpg in the city and 20-mpg on the highway.
People who viewed the Cadillac DTS also viewed:
2006 Infiniti M35
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Learn More AboutCadillac DTS
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Ayla Oasis Development Company
About Aqaba
The Making-of
Golf Residences
Island Apartments
B12 Beach Club
Ayla Events
Ayla Golf Club
Sports at Ayla
Marina Amenities
Marina Village
Ayla TV
Ayla in a nutshell
The Ayla Experience
Bringing life to the shores at Ayla
The Ayla Golf Club Experience
Summer ’18 Opening at B12 Beach Club
Holidays at B12 Beach Club
The Marina Village at Ayla
Ayla’s Golf Residences
Own your home at Ayla
Golf Residences by Ayla
Jordan Mixed Masters | Presented by Ayla
Golf MENA tour 2017
The Ayla International Art Symposium
IWWF Jordan Ayla Wakeboard World Cup 2018
Star Wars at Ayla, Aqaba
Golf Residences at Ayla Oasis
Golf Residences 2 at Ayla Oasis
Three man-made blue lagoons with a total area of 750000 m², and comprising a constellation of 17 white sand beaches are spread over the Ayla community.
Offering world-class amenities in a glorious picture-perfect setting, Golf Hills is home to Jordan’s first 18-hole golf course. The district offers a contemporary Ayla Golf Club and Academy, extraordinary guest accommodations, as well as beautifully designed residential apartments, townhouses and villas.
As part of Ayla’s mission to help create a prosperous community that embraces its natural assets, the company strives to develop the golf course to become one of the most environmentally friendly in the world. At the district, every detail conspires to provide its residents and guests with a spectacular experience. With over 12km² of rolling greens, the lush landscape features three green pockets with panoramic views of the area, paved courtyards reminiscent of a traditional Arabic medina, playgrounds, sundecks, and swimming pools – including an infinity pool overlooking the golf course.
Golf Residences Ayla Golf Club
The Avenue district is Ayla’s interpretation of downtown living on the coast of the Red Sea.
This pedestrian-friendly boulevard boasts designer brand local and international names in fashion and lifestyle.
Our walk-friendly roads will guide you through the cosmopolitan Avenue district, taking you from the modern residences and apartments to the vast shopping and dining areas, which lead into historic Aqaba.
Offering the perfect blend of land and sea – from luxurious waterfront residences, to a world-class marina, to the Marina Village’s unique boutiques and restaurants – the district’s pulse of the Ayla community. Encompassing modern luxury and historic beauty, the Marina District comprises 17,000 m² of commercial space, three hotels with approximately 700 rooms, as well as 582 residential apartments and private villas.
The district is also home to Aqaba’s largest marina with almost 300 berths, fitting boats up to 40m long with a draft up to 4m, and providing exceptional facilities and services that adhere to international standards. With its pedestrian friendly roads, yearlong activities catering to adults and children, biking lanes, world-class amenities, and a bustling nightlife, the district offers its residents and visitors the opportunity to get lost in the magnificent coastal allure of the Red Sea.
Marina Village Hotels Island Apartments
Dazzling entertainment venues, organic designs, and culture, unite at Ayla’s Creek District – creating an urban-spirited community bustling with extraordinary energy. The district is home to an exquisite beach club as well as a collection of contemporary riverfront residences that combine the perks of urban and coastal living. The district’s waterfront includes 420 townhouses and 72 apartments.
Back to Master Plan
Aqaba,JO
Aqaba continues to garner new investments with another major partnership signed between Ayla and Eat Restaurant Group
As the real estate landscape in Aqaba evolves through a multitude of far-reaching projects, the city continues to garner a wealth of investment opportunities that will not only enrich the offerings available to residents and visitors but will also create a wide array of livelihood opportunities to its growing labour force.
Recently, one of the city’s fastest growing projects — Ayla — announced new and substantial partnerships with one of the region’s leading restaurant holding groups – Eat Restaurant Group. This big scale partnership with the well know Jordanian born conglomerate aims to diversify the food and beverage outlets available at the project’s highly popular Marina Village. The partnership will see the group launching several venues that include the international urban hotspot - Mingle, a branch of its Italian restaurant - Casereccio, and a branch of the group’s flagship healthy eatery, Pepper & Pine.
Ayla’s Managing Director, Sahl Dudin, underscored the importance of continually expanding the array of leisure and service outlets available in Aqaba, which he noted is a core focus of Ayla’s strategy and part of the vision the project has for the future of the city. Dudin also noted that a key priority for Ayla is quality control, particularly as Aqaba comes an international hub for tourism, business and leisure, and noted that Ayla is regularly working toward securing additional partnerships that not only increase the volume of choices available to residents and visitors of Aqaba but also guaranteeing harmonious operation that directs these partnerships toward supporting the future trajectory of the city. He noted that variety is key with regards to investments, as this will guarantee the continuous availability of employment opportunities for Jordanians of various educational and professional backgrounds, thus contributing to sustainable development in the city on a much larger scale.
Omar Tabbaa, Chairman of Eat Group expressed his optimism towards the partnership that adds Aqaba to the group’s current portfolio of 43 outlets in 12 cities and contributes to positioning Jordan as key player in the hospitality industry both regionally and globally. Tabbaa also stressed the importance of such investments to the future of Aqaba and its workforce, particularly given national efforts to promote the city as a vital regional hub and an attractive destination for global investment.
Send Inquiry Contact Details
36 Sharif Hussien Bin Ali Street
Astra Plaza, 6th Floor
P.O. Box: 83 Amman 11118, Jordan
Email address: info@ayla.com.jo
Al Farouq Street
Al Nakheel Area – Aqaba
P.O.Box: 2303 Aqaba 77110 Jordan
2019® AYLA. all rights reserved
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Republicans pick new leaders in the Arizona Legislature after holding majorities
Republicans held leadership elections in the Arizona Legislature on Wednesday, as the party hung onto power at the state Capitol.
Republicans pick new leaders in the Arizona Legislature after holding majorities Republicans held leadership elections in the Arizona Legislature on Wednesday, as the party hung onto power at the state Capitol. Check out this story on azcentral.com: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/11/07/rusty-bowers-karen-fann-picked-new-leaders-arizona-legislature/1922967002/
Ballots are processed on Nov. 7, 2018, at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center, 510 S. Third Ave., Phoenix. Mark Henle/The Republic
Election Day in Arizona: Ballots are processed
Gary Ramirez processes ballots on Nov. 7, 2018, at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center, 510 S. 3rd Ave., Phoenix. Mark Henle/The Republic
Steven Borth processes ballots on Nov. 7, 2018, at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center, 510 S. 3rd Ave., Phoenix. Mark Henle/The Republic
Gary Ramirez (right) processes ballots on Nov. 7, 2018, at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center, 510 S. 3rd Ave., Phoenix. Mark Henle/The Republic
Ballots are processed on Nov. 7, 2018, at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center, on 510 S. Third Ave., Phoenix. Mark Henle/The Republic
Gary Ramirez processes ballots on Nov. 7, 2018, at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center, on 510 S. 3rd Ave., Phoenix. Mark Henle/The Republic
Ballots are processed on Nov. 7, 2018, at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center, on 510 S. 3rd Ave., Phoenix. Mark Henle/The Republic
Kimberly Yee makes her victory speech for State Treasurer during the Republican watch party at the DoubleTree Resort in Scottsdale on Nov. 6, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic
Phoenix mayoral candidate Kate Gallego talks to a crowd of supporters at the Hilton Garden Inn in Phoenix on Nov. 6, 2018. Darryl Webb/Special for The Republic
Former Phoenix Mayor Terry Goddard supports Phoenix mayoral candidate Kate Gallego at the Hilton Garden Inn in Phoenix on Nov. 6, 2018. Darryl Webb/Special for The Republic
Former Phoenix Mayor Terry Goddard introduces Phoenix mayoral candidate Kate Gallego at the Hilton Garden Inn in Phoenix on Nov. 6, 2018. Darryl Webb/Special for The Republic
Democrat supporters cheer after national results are shown on CNN at an election party on the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel on Nov. 6, 2018. Nick Oza, Nick Oza/The Republic
Democratic supporter Audrey Bell Jenkins cheers at the an election party at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel on Nov. 6, 2018. Nick Oza, Nick Oza/The Republic
Jevin Hodge, vice chairman of Arizona Democratic Party, speaks at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel on Nov. 6, 2018. Nick Oza, Nick Oza/The Republic
Democrat supporter Frank Portera cheers after national results are shown on CNN at an election party on the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel on Nov. 6, 2018. Nick Oza, Nick Oza/The Republic
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich speaks with supporters after making his victory speech during the Republican watch party at the DoubleTree Resort in Scottsdale on Nov. 6, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic
Attorney General Mark Brnovich pumps his fist after speaking to supporters during the Arizona Republican election night party in Scottsdale on Nov. 6, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Attorney General Mark Brnovich throws out beer koozies to supporters during the Arizona Republican watch party in Scottsdale on Nov. 6, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Attorney General Mark Brnovich speaks to supporters during the Arizona Republican election night party in Scottsdale on Nov. 6, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
David Garcia, Democratic candidate for Arizona governor, hugs his children as he exits the stage at the election night watch party on Nov. 6, 2018, at the Renaissance Hotel in Phoenix. Rob Schumacher/The Republic
David Garcia, Democratic candidate for Arizona governor, addresses the crowd at the election night watch party on Nov. 6, 2018, at the Renaissance Hotel in Phoenix. Rob Schumacher/The Republic
Greg Stanton, Democratic candidate for U.S. Representative of Arizona's 9th Congressional District gives, his victory speech along with his family at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel on Nov. 6, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic
Greg Stanton, Democratic candidate for U.S. Representative of Arizona's 9th Congressional District gives, his victory speech along with his family at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel on Nov. 6, 2018. Nick Oza, Nick Oza/The Republic
Governor Doug Ducey speaks alongside his wife, Angela, during the Republican watch party at the DoubleTree Resort in Scottsdale on Nov. 6, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic
Gov. Doug Ducey supporters take a selfie before Ducey speaks at the Republican watch party at the DoubleTree Resort in Scottsdale on Nov. 6, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic
Gov. Doug Ducey speaks hugs his wife, Angela, during the Republican watch party at the DoubleTree Resort in Scottsdale on Nov. 6, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic
Gov. Doug Ducey speaks as Cindy McCain, the wife of the late Senator John McCain looks on during the Republican watch party at the DoubleTree Resort in Scottsdale on Nov. 6, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic
Greg Stanton, Democratic candidate for 9th District District, addresses the crowd at the election night watch party on Nov. 6, 2018 at the Renaissance Hotel in Phoenix. Rob Schumacher/The Republic
Phoenix mayoral candidate Kate Gallego is all smiles as she talks on the phone at the Hilton Garden Inn in Phoenix on Nov. 6, 2018. Darryl Webb/Special for The Republic
Phoenix mayoral candidate Kate Gallego gets a hug from a friend at the Hilton Garden Inn in Phoenix on Nov. 6, 2018. Darryl Webb/Special for The Republic
Phoenix mayoral candidate Kate Gallego talks to constituents at the Hilton Garden Inn in Phoenix on Nov. 6, 2018. Darryl Webb/Special for The Republic
Phoenix mayoral candidate Kate Gallego gets a round of applause from constituents at the Hilton Garden Inn in Phoenix on Nov. 6, 2018. Darryl Webb/Special for The Republic
Gov. Doug Ducey speaks to supporters Nov. 6, 2018, during the Arizona Republican Party Election Night party in Scottsdale. Ducey won his re-election against Democratic challenger David Garcia. Michael Chow/The Republic
Gov. Doug Ducey speaks as Cindy McCain, the wife of the late Sen. John McCain looks on during the Republican watch party at the DoubleTree Resort in Scottsdale on Nov. 6, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic
Gov. Doug Ducey speaks to supporters Nov. 6, 2018, during the Arizona Republican Party Election Night party in Scottsdale, Ariz. Ducey won his re-election against Democratic challenger David Garcia. Michael Chow/The Republic
Republicans watch the results roll in on Fox News early in the night at the DoubleTree Resort in Scottsdale on Nov. 6, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic
Congressional District 2 candidate Ann Kirkpatrick gives a victory speech Nov. 6, 2018, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Tucson. Mike Christy/Arizona Daily Star
Democrat supporter Joey Czajkowski cheer to national results on CNN at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel on Nov. 6, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic
Democrat supporter Dale Dedrick cheers after hearing national results on CNN at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel on Nov. 6, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic
Democrat supporters wait in line to see candidates at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel on Nov. 6, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic
Democrat supporter Douglas Capitan checks his tweets at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel on Nov. 6, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic
Democrat supporters cheer after hearing national results on CNN at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel on Nov. 6, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic
Democrat supporters Olivia Scott talks to her daughter Talon Watchman, 11, while others watch the national results on CNN at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel on Nov. 6, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic
Democrat supporters watch national results on CNN at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel on Nov. 6, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic
Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb (left) talks to fellow Republicans at the Republican watch party at the DoubleTree Resort in Scottsdale on Election Day for the midterms on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic
Conservative television host Josh Bernstein and Laurie Gonzalez watch early election results at the Republican watch party at the DoubleTree Resort in Scottsdale on Election Day for the midterms on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic
Republican James Murr of Scottsdale watches early results during the Republican watch party at the DoubleTree Resort in Scottsdale on Election Day for the midterms on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic
Republicans Michael Jabri of Phoenix (left) of Phoenix and Ashur Warda of Peoria watch early results during the Republican watch party at the DoubleTree Resort in Scottsdale on Election Day for the midterms on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic
Republican Ashur Warda (center) of Peoria watches early results during the Republican watch party at the DoubleTree Resort in Scottsdale on Election Day for the midterms on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic
Republican Stephen Fischer of Surprise watches early results during the Republican watch party at the DoubleTree Resort in Scottsdale on Election Day for the midterms on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic
Rep. Andy Biggs speaks during the Republican watch party at the DoubleTree Resort in Scottsdale on Election Day for the midterms on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic
Congressman Andy Biggs speaks during the Arizona Republican Party Election Night party in Scottsdale Nov. 6, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
U.S. Representative David Schweikert speaks during the Republican watch party at the DoubleTree Resort in Scottsdale on Election Day for the midterms on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic
U.S. Representative David Schweikert speaks as his wife, Joyce, kisses their daughter, Olivia, during the Republican watch party at the DoubleTree Resort in Scottsdale on Election Day for the midterms on Nov. 6, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic
Larry Hagan watches election returns at the Arizona Republican Party Election Night party in Scottsdale Nov. 6, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Angie Peterson (left) and Teresa Lariviere watch early returns on a screen during the Arizona Republican Party Election Night party in Scottsdale Nov. 6, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Supporters celebrate after a Fox News projects Republicans retain control of the Senate during the Arizona Republican Party Election Night party in Scottsdale Nov. 6, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Rep. Debbie Lesko speaks to supporters during the Arizona Republican Party Election Night party in Scottsdale Nov. 6, 2018. The Republican incumbent is facing Democratic challenger Hiral Tipirneni for Arizona's 8th Congressional District. Michael Chow/The Republic
Arizona voters cast their ballots at Burton Barr Central Library, one of the polling places on Nov. 6, 2018 Nick Oza, Nick Oza/The Republic
Arizona voters cast their ballots at Burton Barr Central Library polling place on Nov. 6, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic
Rudy Rangel (left) and Bryan Mulloy help themselves to pizza while waiting in line to vote at the Tempe History Museum in Ariz. Nov. 6, 2018. An anonymous person bought pizza for people in line. Michael Chow/The Republic
Voters wait in line to to cast their ballots at a polling station at the Tempe History Museum in Ariz. Nov. 6, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Arizona State University students wait in line for up to 2 1/2 hours to vote at the polling place on the ASU Tempe campus on Nov. 6, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic
Arizona State University students wait in line to vote at the polling place at ASU's Tempe campus on Nov. 6, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic
Arizona State University student Alex Riordan (left) and other ASU students wait in line to vote at the polling place at ASU's Tempe campus on Nov. 6, 2018. Riordan is a first time voter. David Wallace/The Republic
Greg Stanton, a Democrat running for U.S. Congress in Arizona's 9th Congressional District, shakes hands with Arizona State University students as they wait in line to vote at the polling place at ASU's Tempe campus on Nov. 6, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic
Arizona State University student Urban Stewart (center right) high fives other ASU students as they wait in line to vote at the polling place at ASU's Tempe campus on Nov. 6, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic
Voters wait in line to vote at the Tempe History Museum in Arizona on Nov. 6, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Eve Beresford, 18, gets help filling out her early ballot from her mom, Celia, outside a polling station at the Tempe History Museum in Arizona on Nov. 6, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Students at Arizona State University's Tempe campus were sent free pizza from Twitter users and the Arizona Democratic Party while waiting in line to vote on Election Day, Nov. 6, 2018. Lily Altavena/The Republic
The line at the polling location around 1 p.m. on the Arizona State University campus on Election Day, Nov. 6, 2018. Lily Altavena/The Republic
The line on the ASU main campus in Tempe at Palo Verde West dorm polling location was an hour long as of 12 p.m., according to a poll worker, Nov. 6, 2018. Jen Fifield/The Republic
Bill Pierce, candidate for state mine inspector, was talking to voters outside a polling place at the ASU main campus in Tempe, Nov. 6, 2018. Jen Fifield/The Republic
Voters wait in line near the Gila polling site in Chandler. The poll workers were locked out of the site after the tenant did not pay their rent. Workers moved the polling site to the south side of the building in an empty suite, Nov. 6, 2018. Cheryl Evans/The Republic
Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., the Democratic candidate for Arizona's U.S. Senate seat greets Leanna Huerta and her children Xavier and Alexandreia outside a polling center on Nov. 6, 2018 at the Burton Barr Central Library in Phoenix. Rob Schumacher/The Republic
Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., the Democratic candidate for Arizona's U.S. Senate seat, talks to the media outside a polling center on Nov. 6, 2018 at the Burton Barr Central Library in Phoenix. Rob Schumacher/The Republic
Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., the Democratic candidate for Arizona's U.S. Senate seat, thanks a couple for voting outside a polling center on Nov. 6, 2018 at the Burton Barr Central Library in Phoenix. Rob Schumacher/The Republic
Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., the Democratic candidate for Arizona's U.S. Senate seat, stops at America's Taco Shop on Nov. 6, 2018 in Phoenix. Rob Schumacher/The Republic
Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., the Democratic candidate for the Arizona's U.S. Senate seat, talks to the media at America's Taco Shop on Nov. 6, 2018 in Phoenix. Rob Schumacher/The Republic
Skip Chase owner of Chase's Diner in Chandler and his daughter Jennifer, right, visits with Rep. Martha McSally on Election Day, Nov. 6, 2018. Cheryl Evans/The Republic
Rep. Martha McSally makes a stop at Chase's Diner in Chandler on Election Day, Nov. 6, 2018. Cheryl Evans/The Republic
Luke Mosiman, 17, of Mesa, shakes hands with Rep. Martha McSally on Election Day at Chase's Diner in Chandler, Nov. 6, 2018. Cheryl Evans/The Republic
Terry (right) and Betty O'Donnell leave the polling place after casting their ballots, Nov. 6, 2018, at Lakeview Rec Center, 10626 W. Thunderbird Blvd. in Sun City. Mark Henle/The Republic
Jim Carper leaves the polling place after casting his ballot, Nov. 6, 2018, at Lakeview Rec Center, 10626 W. Thunderbird Blvd. in Sun City. Mark Henle, Mark Henle/The Republic
Voting sign, Nov. 6, 2018, at Lakeview Rec Center, 10626 W. Thunderbird Blvd. in Sun City. Mark Henle, Mark Henle/The Republic
A portrait of Don Johne after he voted, Nov. 6, 2018, at Lakeview Rec Center, 10626 W. Thunderbird Blvd. in Sun City. Mark Henle/The Republic
Kurt Goeing arrives to drop off his ballot, Nov. 6, 2018, at Glendale Elementary School District, 7301 N. 58th Ave. in Glendale. Mark Henle/The Republic
Michael Abril takes a selfie with his daughter, Hazel Abril, 3, before they go in for him to vote, Nov. 6, 2018, Glendale Elementary School District, 7301 N. 58th Ave. in Glendale. Mark Henle/The Republic
Terri Bailey arrives to drop off her ballot, Nov. 6, 2018, at the Burton Barr Library, 1221 N. Central Ave. in Phoenix. Mark Henle/The Republic
Gov. Doug Ducey heads to his polling place in Paradise Valley to drop off his ballot around 8:40 a.m., Nov. 6, 2018. Maria Polletta/The Republic
Jonathan Maldonado (left) and his sister, Yolanda Medina count voters as they arrive, Nov. 6, 2018, at Glendale Elementary School District, 7301 N. 58th Ave. in Glendale. Over 60 votes were cast at this poll before 9 a.m. Mark Henle/The Republic
A voter leaves the polling place after casting his ballot, Nov. 6, 2018 at the Burton Barr Library, 1221 N. Central Ave. in Phoenix. Mark Henle/The Republic
Voters wait in line near the Gila polling site in Chandler. The poll workers were locked out of the site after the tenant did not pay their rent. Poll workers set up a temporary location in front of a nearby store, Nov. 6, 2018. Cheryl Evans/The Republic
Offline printers created long lines for voters at Chandler City Hall on Election Day, Nov. 6, 2018. Cheryl Evans/The Republic
Voters leave the polling place after casting his ballot, Nov. 6, 2018, at the Burton Barr Library, 1221 N. Central Ave. in Phoenix. Mark Henle/The Republic
Workers scramble to set up a new polling site after being locked out of the Gila polling site in Chandler due to the tenants' failure to pay rent, Nov. 6, 2018. Cheryl Evans/The Republic
Voters wait for the polls to open, Nov. 6, 2018, at the Burton Barr Library, 1221 N. Central Ave. in Phoenix. Mark Henle/The Republic
Voters wait for the polls to open, Nov. 6, 2018, at the Burton Barr Library, 1221 N. Central Ave. in Phoenix. Mark Henle, Mark Henle/The Republic
Due to the failure to pay rent the landlord changed the locks on the door preventing access to the Gila polling place in Chandler, Nov. 6, 2018. Cheryl Evans/The Republic
Inspector Eileen Wendt looks at a sign from the landlord that says the tenant did not pay rent and the locks have been changed preventing access to the Gila polling place in Chandler, Nov. 6, 2018. Cheryl Evans/The Republic
Due to the failure to pay rent the landlord changed the locks on the door preventing access to the Gila polling place in Chandler. Cheryl Evans/The Republic
Voters arrive at a polling place on Arizona Avenue in Chandler to find the doors padlocked, Nov. 6, 2018. Maddie Johnson/The Republic
Ballots are processed on Nov. 7, 2018, at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center, 510 S. Third Ave., Phoenix.
Dustin Gardiner, Arizona Republic Published 5:50 p.m. MT Nov. 7, 2018 | Updated 6:42 p.m. MT Nov. 7, 2018
State Rep. Rusty Bowers speaks to the media after being named the speaker of the Arizona House on Nov. 7, 2018, at the state Capitol in Phoenix.(Photo: Sean Logan/The Republic)
Republicans in the Arizona Legislature are on track to narrowly maintain their decades-long grip on power at the state Capitol following Tuesday's midterm election.
If unofficial results hold, Democrats will fall short in their quest to flip a legislative chamber. They had set their sights on taking control of the state Senate, where Republicans are likely to keep their slim majority.
But the minority party could make historic gains in the House of Representatives, where they will reduce the GOP's majority to 31-29 if they keep current leads in two races.
Democrats will pick up seats in the House due to a handful of upsets. Their candidates are on track to defeat Republicans in swing districts that span east Phoenix, Ahwatukee Foothills and Chandler.
While several key races still are undecided as many votes are still left to count, Republicans held leadership elections for the Legislature's next session on Wednesday.
The next Legislature will begin its session on Jan. 14.
Panelists from "The Gaggle" examine the November election results and give you the big takeaways from this election cycle. William Flannigan and Thomas Hawthorne, Arizona Republic
Rusty Bowers to lead House
State Rep. Rusty Bowers, R-Mesa, was chosen by his GOP colleagues to be the next speaker of the House of Representatives.
Bowers, who spoke to reporters after he emerged from the closed-door GOP meeting, said the tightly divided chamber will give members of both parties considerable leverage with their votes.
"Every member of either caucus has a great amount of authority and power," he said. "And how we exercise that, the people will be our judge."
VIDEO: Incoming #ArizonaHouse Speaker Rusty Bowers says close split in chamber will give every member in both caucuses “a great amount of authority and power.” #ArizonaLegislature@AZHouseDems@AZHouseGOP@azcpolitics@azcentralpic.twitter.com/YEXT58Kku2
— Dustin Gardiner (@dustingardiner) November 7, 2018
Bowers is a professional artist and longtime lawmaker, who returned to the Legislature in 2015. He previously served in the House from 1993 to 1997, and the Arizona Senate from 1997 to 2001, including a stint as majority leader.
He's a colorful character known for his floor speeches; last session, he quoted the lyrics to "Hotel California," the classic rock song by the Eagles, during one lengthy speech.
The Republican House leadership team will include Rep.-elect Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, as majority leader; and Rep. Becky Nutt, R-Clifton, as whip.
READ MORE: When will close races be called? What we know
Republicans currently hold a dominant 35-25 majority in the House. If that majority is narrowed to 31-29, as early returns suggest, it would be the most closely divided chamber in five decades.
Democrats last had a majority in the 60-member House in 1966.
They lost the majority after the Arizona Supreme Court made its "one man, one vote" ruling that required districts to be redrawn based on population, not county lines.
The minority party will hold its leadership elections Thursday morning. Contenders for House minority leader are Rep. Charlene Fernandez, D-Yuma, and Rep. Reginald Bolding, D-Phoenix.
Karen Fann 2nd woman to lead Senate
State Sen. Karen Fann, R-Prescott. (Photo: Charlie Leight/The Republic)
Meanwhile, in the Arizona Senate, Sen. Karen Fann, R-Prescott, will lead her GOP colleagues. Despite two close races, Republicans are expected to keep a majority in the upper chamber.
Fann, who owns a company that installs highway guardrails, is the second woman in Arizona history to serve as Senate president. She is preceded by former state Sen. Brenda Burns, who last held the post in 2000.
Fann has been a senator since 2017, and served four years in the House before that. She previously was mayor of the town of Chino Valley and served on the Prescott City Council.
She did not immediately respond to an interview request.
READ MORE: Nearly 650,000 ballots left to count in Arizona
The Republican Senate leadership team will include Sen. Rick Gray, R-Sun City, as majority leader; and Sen. Sonny Borrelli, R-Lake Havasu City, as whip.
Democrats in the Senate are expected to pick their leaders on Thursday. Those vying for minority leader include Sen. David Bradley, D-Tucson; and Sen. Martín Quezada, D-Phoenix.
Republicans currently hold a 17-13 majority in the Senate, and early returns suggest they are likely to maintain that grip on power.
Democrats were optimistic they could flip the chamber this year, but have fallen short. They last held a majority in the Senate in 1991-92, and the 30-member chamber was evenly split in 2001-02.
Results still coming in key races
Meanwhile, both parties continued to watch results trickle in for several key races (each district elects one person to the Senate, and two to the House):
District 28, east Phoenix/Paradise Valley
Senate: Incumbent Sen. Kate Brophy McGee, R-Phoenix, extended her slim lead over Democrat Christine Marsh.
House: Democrat Aaron Lieberman narrowly led incumbent Rep. Maria Syms, R-Paradise Valley, in a battle for the district's second seat.
District 6, northern/eastern Arizona's mountain country
Senate: Incumbent Sen. Sylvia Allen, R-Snowflake, grew her lead over Democrat Wade Carlisle.
House: Incumbent Rep. Bob Thorpe, R-Flagstaff, held a narrow lead over Democrat Felicia French in a fight for the district's second seat. Thorpe's edge has steadily grown since late Tuesday.
District 18, Ahwatukee Foothills and parts of Tempe/Chandler
House: Democrat Jennifer Jermaine maintains a steady lead over incumbent Rep. Jill Norgaard, R-Phoenix, in a fight for the district's second seat.
District 17, parts of Chandler and Gilbert
House: Democrat Jennifer Pawlik clung to a small lead over Republican Nora Ellen in a fight for that district's second seat.
Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/11/07/rusty-bowers-karen-fann-picked-new-leaders-arizona-legislature/1922967002/
Mesa officer rehired to help him get a public-safety pension
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Teacher may have been grooming other students for sex, report shows
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Leigh Steinberg Quotes
Economy Football Sports
Be open to the amazing changes which are occurring in the field that interest you.
Leigh Steinberg
Work, Fields, Interest
The only thing certain about any negotiation is that it will lead to another
negotiation .
Business, Negotiation, Certain
It is soooooo necessary to get the basic skills, because by the time you graduate, undergraduate or graduate, that field would have totally changed from your first day of school.
Inspirational, Funny, Graduation
People who have addictive problems usually have some subset of emotional difficulties that causes them to abuse substances.
Emotional, People, Abuse
Source: bleacherreport.com
Very narrow areas of expertise can be very productive. Develop your own profile. Develop your own niche.
Niche, Economy, Profile
I'd like to add that negotiating is not something to be avoided or feared - it's an everyday part of life.
Everyday, Add, Parts Of Life
Challenge yourself, its fine not to be a totally finished person.
Challenges, Challenge Yourself, Fine
There's never a benefit to bragging too much about a deal because the only sure thing is that I'm probably going to be dealing with that same general manager or that same person over and over again.
Benefits, Too Much, Bragging
Work needs to be a reflection of your social values. You are how you work!
Reflection, Social Values, Needs
I love the values football can teach. It gives young people a sense of how to defer present gratification for future success, it teaches self-discipline, it teaches teamwork, it gives them a bonding experience that can be hard to find somewhere else, it teaches the ability to process large amounts of information and apply it in real time.
Teamwork, Football, Real
Never underestimate the capacity of another human being to have exactly the same shortcomings you have.
Underestimate, Capacity, Humans
When it comes to holdouts, there's a presupposition that the player is some angry rebel who's defying authority and only cares about the money.
Player, Rebel, Care
Cameron was able to get an inside look at professional football from the standpoint of athletes and agents and general managers that few people have ever seen.
Football, Athlete, People
But the truth is, growing up in California, we knew nothing about hockey.
Growing Up, Hockey, California
But the equipment to protect the players hasn't developed along with that, so now you have more players out with worse injuries, for longer periods of time.
Player, Injury, Periods
A player cannot be part of the training camp experience as a rookie unless he is signed to a contract.
Player, Training, Rookies
As for football in L.A., it's going to take a loooong time before another team comes here.
Football, Team
In reality, we can prove that the incidents of drug, alcohol abuse and violence have dropped dramatically among professional athletes - but the problem is it would be impossible to convince than fans, because of what they read on the AP wire.
Athlete, Reality, Alcohol
Then I went to UCLA - so of course I became a huge Bruin basketball fan... and later came to football.
Basketball, Football, Ucla
For a generation that gets most of its information off a computer screen (be it Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter or what have you), an athlete has to be very careful about the public/private aspect of that. Be careful not to be overly critical, be careful with use of language, and understand the whole world is watching.
Athlete, Generations, Use
Well, my favorite sport as a kid was clearly baseball.
Sports, Baseball, Kids
Whatever fighting words you hear from the bargaining table, the reality is that with the new TV contract about to take effect and the incredibly lucrative ancillary revenue streams, both sides know we are on the verge of ushering in the most lucrative payday in the history of professional sports. The history of professional football is that nothing happens until the very last moment.
Sports, Football, Fighting
The NFL today has bigger, stronger, bodies than ever, moving faster than ever, hitting a stationary object harder than ever before - so the physics of the hit have changed.
Moving, Nfl, Stronger
The Super Bowl is like a movie, and the quarterback is the leading man.
Movie, Men, Actors
Well, when you've had Tom Cruise play you, anything else is a comedown.
Play, Economy, Cruise
"Superstar agent's image savaged in court battle / Steinberg wins breach-of-contract suit, but at high PR cost" by C.W. Nevius, www.sfgate.com. November 18, 2002.
Ryan Leaf
"I love the values football can teach. It gives young people a sense of how to defer present gratification for future success, it teaches self-discipline, it teaches teamwork, it gives them a bonding experience that can be hard to find somewhere else, it teaches the ability to process large amounts of information and apply it in real time."
- Leigh Steinberg,
bleacherreport.com, added Nov 18, 2015
Troy Aikman American football player
Warren Moon American football player
Ryan Leaf Football player
Cameron Crowe Film director
Bill Simmons Sports Columnist
Morgan Spurlock Documentary Filmmaker
Tom Cruise Film actor
Steve Young Football player
Ricky Williams Football player
Drew Bledsoe Football player
Camille Grammer Television Personality
Bryant Gumbel Journalist
Emmitt Smith Football player
Michael Irvin American football player
Roger Staubach Football player
John Elway Football player
Joe Montana Football player
Dan Marino Football player
Brett Favre Football player
Peyton Manning Football player
Born: March 27, 1949
Occupation: Sports agent
New Quotes (6)
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garden railroad « previous next »
Author Topic: garden railroad (Read 21528 times)
Chuck N
Re: garden railroad
No one is putting nickel silver track in a starter set. The Bachmann track is steel, not stainless steel. It works very well indoors, but outdoors it will end up as a pile of red dust.
mrrailroad
garden trains!
Thanks everone what's everyones opinion on a raised railroad or on the ground?
check out my website!
http://gardentrains.webs.com/
« Last Edit: March 08, 2013, 07:53:34 PM by mrrailroad » Logged
my website for all garden train fans
my website for all model trains
http://usamodeltrains.webs.com/
Kevin Strong
Both have their merits. On the ground layouts are easier on the bank account to construct since you're not needing to build retaining walls, etc., or ordering truckloads of dirt to fill in the space behind said retaining walls (and waiting for the dirt to settle before construction so your railroad doesn't sink, etc...)
On the flip side, "on the ground" means under foot, and can (and will) get walked on, knocked into, tripped over, etc. It also means you're going to spend a lot of time bending over, kneeling, or contorting yourself to do maintenance. If you're not as flexible as you used to be, it's something to consider.
Also you have to consider what works better with your landscape. Often, a raised railraod isn't practical given the constraints of the yard. In otther cases such as steeply sloped hillsides, it's often the only way you can go.
Tuscarora RR Blog
Friends of the EBT
How steep can you put the track before its straining the train motor
I am not talking about a 50 degree change over a year, I am talking about a 50 degree change in 24 hours.
While the theory of expansion is one thing, the real world is what I am talking about. Several people have used Nickle Silver rail and had problems with their layouts when one rail on a track was in the sun and the other rail because of a building or trees was not. The rail in the sun ripped out of the tie strip.
Yes, stainless is harder to cut. I went to my local home center and they had some hack saw blades for stainless. Yes, it took time. After cutting I then filed the rail end smooth.
Stainless does not conduct as well as the others. Yes we added additional feed points. No we did not solder the rail, we used rail clamps. When we went from brass to stainless we used 8 foot lengths of rail. We started with the outer rail of a loop and went counter clockwise replacing the existing rail. Then we went clockwise on the inner rail. This made it so the joints did not line up except at the turnouts. This helped in reducing derailments due to expansion and contraction.
Tie strips have been a problem. Some have had to be replaced in as little as 5 years. Others have lasted over 20 years.
Track cleaning for the club layout was easier with the stainless compared to the brass. The club has a track cleaning car that has a block that you wrap dry wall sanding plastic around. They also have a stick type dry wall sanding pad and one they have warped a piece of towel around. The track cleaning car is run. Where the bad spots are you use the dry wall sanding stick and where the sap from the trees is you use isopropyl alcohol on the towel. The club runs three to four days each weekend. With the brass track it normally took an hour to clean the track. With the stainless it normally takes 1/2 hour.
The only other problem has been where the deer run through the layout area, the club is in a park and can not put up a fence, the deer have caught their hooves's on the tack and ripped some of it up.
Nathan,
Time has no bearing on thermal expansion. The expansion will be the same regardless of whether it is 24 hours or 24 years, expansion is a function of material, length and temperature rise.
While the theory of expansion is one thing, the real world is what I am talking about.
I will address this in the real world. I have seen 1/4" steel plate with 6" channel stiffeners wleded to the plate where the welds have been broken apart and the plate with rips in it from thermal expansion. I have seen compaines spend thousands of dollars in extra piping to allow for thermal expansion in steam pipes to keep them from stress carcking, they call them "expansions loops". Look them up if lyou would like. Real world is the world of Physics, and the laws of Physics don't change just because we are in model railroading.
Several people have used Nickle Silver rail and had problems with their layouts when one rail on a track was in the sun and the other rail because of a building or trees was not. The rail in the sun ripped out of the tie strip.
What I am reading between the lines in your statement above is that you (meaning the people you refer to, your club, yourself or whomever) have your track anchored far too tightly. Let me explain my feelings. IF you have the differential expansion you allege in your statement above you have far greater issues than just expansion. By your statement I gather that 1) all the screws are still in place anchoring the tie strips to the rail, 2) all the tie strips are securely anchored to a sub roadbed that is permanent with little or no give, 3) you are using some form of rigid joining system such as "Hillman" or "Split Jaw", and 5) you have quite long runs between switches with no allowance for expansion. Based on that statement I would think you will have a devil of a time trying to keep alignment. I have no doubt that the rail that had the most expansio 'ripped out of the tie strip'.
When we went from brass to stainless we used 8 foot lengths of rail. We started with the outer rail of a loop and went counter clockwise replacing the existing rail. Then we went clockwise on the inner rail. This made it so the joints did not line up except at the turnouts. This helped in reducing derailments due to expansion and contraction.
Making certain that the joiners do not line up will aid in eliminating derailments in any rail material just for the reason that the tie strip will hold the gauge at the joint using the continuous rail through rail for stability. Stainless steel has not bearing here, nor does the expansion and contraction.
Now let me make a couple of suggestions. First, if you wish to maintain the rigid nature of your track and joining system, then I recommend that you allow your track to free float on the road bed. Remove any anchorage between the tie strips and the road bed (except at the switches, they need to be fixed). This is exactly what the prototype does. And in case you haven't heard, they also have issues with alignment from thermal expansion even with a floating system. The floating system allows the track as a whole to absorb the expansion by pushing and pulling a little here and a little there on curves, maybe makine one slightly larger radius and one slightly smaller. My club layout has several 270 degree 20 diameter curves and in the heat of the summer we have seen the center of the curve move as much as 1.5 to 1.75 inches with the expansion.
If you wish to maintain the ties anchored to the road bed, maybe for clearance or other reasons, then I suggest removing the screws from the ties to the rails and allowing the rail to slide in the tie strip. You will also need to either install "Hillman" style expansion joints or gap the ends of the rails every other length by about a quarter thickness or so to allow the rial someplace to expand. Allowing the rail to move will eliminate it ripping itself out of the tie strips.
I will describe my personal method for track laying. I will be using a ladder system of PVC pipe posts and pressure treated lattice strips for the runners with pressure treated blocking for track anchoring. I will be joining two sections of track with rigid joiners. The tie strips on either side of the joiners will be left secured to the rail. ALL other screws will be removed. Standard slip joiners will be used on the ends of the track in the normal as supplied fashion. This will produce a 10 foot section of track. This section will be located and all tie strips secured to the ladder system. NOTE - except at the center, the rail is free to slide in the tie strips. The next 10 foot section will be located and secured in a similar manner, except there will be a 3/32 inch gap between the ends of the rail sections, the joiners will be used for alighment only. Sections will be electrically joined with soldered wire jumpers from 10 soot section to section. This will allow for the expansion of the rail, and the differential expansion of the track and the ladder system. It sounds like a lot of up front work, and it will be. However, I have learned from experience that expansion must be dealt with, and will not be denied or contained.
Critter problems are the bane of others.
Bob C.
thanks anybody have ideas of companies that make dcc controllers(wireless) for g scale?
another thing I'm working on a website does anyone like it? It's still in construction though
At least 3 companies make DCC compatible wireless items that use battery power:
CVP http://cvpusa.com/
NCE http://ncedcc.com/
QSI http://www.qsisolutions.com/
Tony's has several pages of information about them: http://tonystrains.com/index.html
If you are just looking for wireless cabs and track power all the major DCC manufactures can so that.
smcgill
Were are you located?
This info helps to answer questions!
You never know we may be neighbors??
You can find a lot of info @ this location :http://www.largescalecentral.com/members/home
P.S. Every one loves Pics!!
Kansas is a big state, but there are active groups in KC and Wichita. Don't know about western Kansas. If you're within a few hours' drive of any of those groups, I'd strongly recommend getting in touch with them (assuming you haven't yet.) I think they do summer tours and/or a regional show every year, but don't quote me.
There are two garden railroad clubs near me But haven't had the chance to go to one I mean I'm only 11
veetwelve
Eleven?! THAT explains why your website looks so great!
Keep at it... we need a younger perspective in this hobby!
thank you Jay. I've worked on it for a while.
another Question whats a good starter set I have one but I bought it used and I'm going to sell it to buy a new one any suggestions?
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Northern Ireland football team
Former Northern Ireland international Paddy McCourt signs for Finn Harps
The 33-year-old joins the Donegal outfit after leaving Glenavon last year
Adam McKendry
Paddy McCourt in action for Glenavon (Image: Brian Little/Presseye)
Former Northern Ireland winger Paddy McCourt has signed for League of Ireland outfit Finn Harps after leaving Glenavon .
The 33-year-old left the Lurgan Blues in December after struggling to adapt to part-time football and has now been given a shot in Donegal with the Harps.
The former Derry City and Celtic winger played for his new team in a friendly against Cabinteely on Saturday and is expected to make his competitive debut in the FAI Cup against Cork City on Friday.
McCourt is no stranger to the League of Ireland having played in it for Derry and Shamrock Rovers, while he also had successful stints in England with Barnsley, Brighton, Notts County and Luton.
Ballymena United goal hero Allan Jenkins hails impact of David Jeffrey
However the most successful stint of his career came in Glasgow where he spent five seasons with Celtic, bringing two SPL titles and two Scottish Cups back to Parkhead.
McCourt also made 18 international appearances for Northern Ireland between 2002 and 2011, and has scored two goals for his country.
Ballymena United's cup win dedicated to a “gentleman and a braveheart”
Glenavon FC
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Home › News › Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland braced for a cold Easter as temperatures set to plummet
A waterfall in the Mournes is frozen solid by the Beast from the East
Heavy snowfall in Glasgow
Storm Emma rolls in over Dublin bay last month
By Stewart Robson
It may almost be April, but if you thought the cold weather was over, then think again.
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/northern-ireland-braced-for-a-cold-easter-as-temperatures-set-to-plummet-36738045.html
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/article36738044.ece/0f1db/AUTOCROP/h342/2018-03-24_new_39540793_I3.JPG
An Easter chill is predicted to sweep across Northern Ireland next week.
Dubbed as the Siberian hamster, the cold snap is expected to hit on Wednesday, bringing freezing temperatures nearly a month after the Beast from the East hit the country.
Click here for today's weather
Many roads and amenities were closed during the weather that brought much of the country to a standstill.
A forecast for the middle of April shows a similar weather front that could bring more extreme conditions.
This month has seen one of the coldest starts to spring in recent history with mild days coming few and far between.
Derrylin in Co Fermanagh suffered temperatures as low as -7C during the early part of this month.
Now, with the harsh weather set to continue, local farmers will again be wary of the potential impact on their land and animals, mindful that something similar happened five years ago during late March.
Reinout van der Boorn from forecast organisation Meteogroup said: "A cold easterly flow is stretching from Scandinavia over the North Sea through the UK to Northern Ireland. This would result in the third cold spell in recent weeks.
"Some frost at night might be possible. Temperatures at daytime would be much lower than normal. Some wintry precipitation may be possible as well.
"The cold spell would not be longer than two or three days. We've already dubbed it the Siberian hamster after the Beast and the mini Beast from the East earlier this year."
The forecast has been given by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts which predicts that wintry showers are expected as a northerly wind batters the UK. It is expected to hit the UK mainland first before making its way to Northern Ireland.
A weather forecaster for the BBC said: "Some computer models are suggesting that we are going to have a blast of cold Arctic air with wind coming in from the north.
"In this situation we do tend to get snow across northern Britain and there could even be wintry showers further south as well."
Dr Todd Crawford, chief meteorologist at The Weather Channel, said: "As we head into April, most computer forecast models suggest we will get at least one more big cold spell before the blocking pattern fades, with warmer and wetter weather confined to parts of southern Europe."
Easter 2013 is recorded as being Northern Ireland's sixth coldest Easter period.
Farms and families were cut off by huge snow drifts, with many roads left impassable for days on end.
Warning issued after fake Belfast Fashion Week Instagram account contacts young girls...
By Gareth Cross The director of Belfast Fashion Week has issued a warning to aspiring models after a fake Instagram account was set up asking girls to send pictures.
Open organisers sidestep controversy over flute band event
The Open’s organisers moved to sidestep potential controversy over a flute band event coinciding with the tournament by insisting they are mindful of being guests.
Torrential rain fails to dampen spirit as Open clock ticks down
Torrential downpours failed to dampen the spirits at Royal Portrush as the clock ticked down towards the opening round of the Open.
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Sarina Belly Dance Eugene
Fusion Friendly Events
on Mon, 16 Mar, 2015
Fusion Friendly Events started as a response to the need for a fusion community and support of creating venues for fusion dancers in Eugene. The first event was started in 2009 by Sarina Dorie who has continued to serve creative director, constultant and as a board member since that time.
Fusion Friendly Events is a collective of experimental and avant-garde performers who fuse belly dance with other styles such as flamenco, breakdance, modern dance, jazz, burlesque, theatrical and poi. They currently host four themed events a year, usually at Cozmic Pizza. Examples of their events have included: Cirque du Eugene (their annual spring circus); Gipsy Nouveau; Tango Infusion; Myth, Magic and Music and others. To understand why F.F. was created, one had to understand the history and politics of the belly dance community in Eugene, Oregon.
Eugene is a culturally rich and creative community with advocates of the arts, theatre and dance. When people think about Eugene, they might think of Country Fair, FaerieWorlds, rainbows, sustainable living, shabby sheik upcycled fashion, bicycle riders, handcrafted items at the Saturday Market and other symbols of the community’s creativity. It is hard to imagine such a free-spirited city as not being supportive of art and expression. Yet the need for a fusion community is actually because of that need for expression.
MEDGE (the Middle Eastern Dance Guild of Eugene) is a group in Eugene, Oregon that runs the majority of the belly dance community in the Eugene area. Medge hosts monthly events as well as special shows, advertises classes and products of members and has a newsletter for members. Their focus is on “Middle Eastern” dance, costuming, music and culture. A dance can be Middle Eastern and not be a form of belly dance; for example, it could be a Turkish folkloric dance. They allow one “alternative” performance per show, meaning one dancer can dance to non-Middle Eastern music. They provide one show per year allowing all alternative music in February. This is the most popular monthly event during the year, sometimes having better attendance than shows with big name performers from out of town.
Although Medge offers many advantageous features to members (being allowed to perform in shows, a quarterly newsletter, being listed on the website), it doesn’t serve the needs of all members or belly dancers in the Eugene community. Medge has rules which limit the creativity and expression of belly dancers who consider themselves fusion, alternative, or who simply wish to dance to music which may not be Middle Eastern.
Some cities have divisions between belly dancers based on studio rivalries, turning dancers into snobbish divas. In some areas, the schism is based on cabaret versus tribal rivalries, turning belly dance performers and teachers into belly dance Nazis. In Eugene, the division in the communities is based on long standing disputes over the inclusive/exclusive terminology and rules of the dance guild based on which dances are deemed to be “Middle Eastern.” Although there are dancers who perform and practice multiple styles and belong to both communities, it is sad to see such exclusiveness over creative difference in the tree-hugging, rainbow-loving, bicycle-riding, creative hipster community of Eugene, Oregon.
Subscribe to Sarina's Belly Dance Eugene mailing list
© 2014 Belly Dance Eugene | Sitemap
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Melissa Block
U.S. Women Defeat France In Hard-Fought Quarterfinal Victory
By Melissa Block • Jun 28, 2019
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
'I Am A Woman': Track Star Caster Semenya Continues Her Fight To Compete As Female
By Melissa Block • May 31, 2019
This week, the Olympic champion runner Caster Semenya of South Africa filed an appeal in a case that hinges on her right to compete as a woman. It's the latest chapter in a fight that's gone on for years, and that raises thorny questions about fairness and ethics in sport.
Militias Test The Civility Of An Arizona Border Town
By Melissa Block & Marisa Peñaloza • Apr 15, 2019
Arivaca, Ariz., is a tiny village, population about 700, with an outsize problem.
It sits just 11 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border and has become a magnet for self-styled militia groups from out of state that say they want to patrol the border and stop migrants. Their presence has strained a town that has long prided itself on its live-and-let-live, cooperative spirit.
When the women of Arivaca gather for Monday afternoon gentle yoga, there are certain topics they know to avoid.
Parkland Family Reflects On A Year Of Anguish And Activism
By Melissa Block • Feb 11, 2019
Carmen Schentrup was one week away from celebrating her 17th birthday when she was killed in last year's mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
A talented musician and driven student, Carmen had dreams of becoming a medical researcher and finding a cure for the neurodegenerative disease ALS.
Now, her parents, Philip and April, wear teal bracelets printed with her name and the dates that mark her short life: 2/21/2001-2/14/2018.
2018 Brought A 'Tectonic Shift' In The Gun Control Movement, Advocates Say
By Melissa Block • Dec 26, 2018
Gun control advocates view 2018 as a turning point in their campaign to strengthen the country's gun laws.
They cite widespread success in passing laws through state legislatures. They're also buoyed by Democratic victories in the midterm elections, which flipped control of the House of Representatives. Another benchmark: In this election cycle, gun control groups outspent gun rights groups for the first time ever.
Gun Shops Work With Doctors To Prevent Suicide By Firearm
By Melissa Block • Nov 21, 2018
Doctors across the U.S. have become increasingly vocal in addressing gun violence as a public health crisis, a posture that recently has drawn the wrath of the National Rifle Association.
Yet, in Colorado, a diverse group that includes doctors, public health researchers and gun shop owners has come together to bridge this divide. The Colorado Firearm Safety Coalition has found common ground on at least one issue: preventing firearm suicide.
Firearms And Dementia: How Do You Convince A Loved One To Give Up Their Guns?
Families of people with dementia will often take away the car keys to keep their family member safe. They might remove knobs from stove burners or lock up medicine.
But what's less talked about is the risk of guns in the home for those with dementia.
Amid A Hispanic Boom, Conflicting Feelings On Immigration
By Melissa Block • Jul 17, 2018
Immigration is near the top of the list of issues Americans find "the most worrying," according to a new poll conducted for NPR by the research firm Ipsos.
But Americans' views on immigration diverge sharply depending on party affiliation, where in the country we live, and whether we know people who were born outside the United States.
A Look At Immigration From A Virginia Town With A Fast-Growing Hispanic Population
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
After Daughter's 'Unimaginable' Death, Parkland Family Moved To Action
By Melissa Block • Mar 15, 2018
For Philip Schentrup, whose daughter Carmen was among the students killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., each day brings the same, sharp pain. The same search for answers that don't come.
"To be honest, it's the same day I live over and over," he says. "Since February 14, this is every day. Every day of trying to hold yourself together."
"You search for normalcy, a 'new normal,'" he says, then pauses.
"I say those words. I don't really know what they mean yet."
It's been one month since the mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas.
The Experts Known As 'Ice Meisters' Create Perfect Olympic Skating Surfaces
In the Winter Olympics, where races can be won or lost by thousandths of a second, tiny imperfections can make all the difference.
Nowhere is this more true than in the ice venues, where skilled technicians called "ice meisters" have honed their expertise over years of crafting the perfect surface.
Make that surfaces: It turns out that all ice is not created equal.
Depending on the sport, the ice might need to be softer or harder, colder or warmer, textured or smooth.
For Some, Competing At The Olympics Runs In The Family
There are Olympic athletes, and then there are Olympic families. NPR's Melissa Block caught up with a famous former Olympian as she watched her daughter compete in South Korea.
UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Singing) We will, we will rock you.
Aerials Skier Ashley Caldwell's 'Bold Move': A Quadruple-Twisting Triple Flip
Since she was a little girl, Ashley Caldwell has been in constant motion: jumping out of her crib, tumbling off the couch, leaping down stairs, flipping on a trampoline.
So it seems fitting that now, at 24, Caldwell is the reigning women's world champion in aerials skiing — a sport in which she somersaults and spins through the air, some 60 feet off the ground.
Maame Biney Came To The U.S. From Ghana At 5. Now 18, She's A Team USA Speedskater
Remember this name: Maame Biney.
The short track speedskater just turned 18; she's not even out of high school. But she is already one of the biggest U.S. names at the Winter Olympics.
Everyone Has Anxiety Dreams. Olympic Athletes Have Olympic-Size Ones
By Melissa Block • Feb 7, 2018
Here are a few of the big questions hovering over the Pyeongchang Olympics, about to get underway in South Korea:
Which Russian athletes will be allowed to compete?
How will the North Korean team fare?
Can the United States top its highest number of Winter Olympics medals — the 37 it won eight years ago in Vancouver?
But way up on my own list of burning questions is this: What do these athletes dream about?
Face-Down, Head-First, 90 Miles An Hour On The Ice
By Melissa Block • Jan 10, 2018
At the Winter Olympics, which get underway next month in Pyeongchang, South Korea, some of the most blistering speeds will come in the three high-adrenaline sliding sports, where top athletes zip on the ice at about 90 miles an hour.
There's bobsled, kind of like a downhill race car on steel runners.
In the luge, athletes lie back on a sled, going down the track feet first and face up.
And then there's skeleton, where racers go head-first, face-down, in a blink-and-you-miss-it blur of speed.
Tom Petty's Songs Served As Anthems For Many Generations
By Melissa Block • Oct 3, 2017
A moment now to remember one of rock music's most-beloved musicians.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "AMERICAN GIRL")
TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS: (Singing) She was an American girl.
'They're Scared': Immigration Fears Exacerbate Migrant Farmworker Shortage
By Melissa Block • Sep 27, 2017
On a recent, perfect morning at Johnson Farms in northern Michigan, workers climb wooden ladders high up into the trees, picking bags strapped across their bodies. The branches are heavy with fruit that glows in the morning sun. Their fingers are a blur, nimbly plucking fruit and filling bushel bags: about 50 pounds per load. It's hard, sweaty work.
Apple season was just getting underway on Old Mission Peninsula, a finger of land poking into Lake Michigan, dotted with lush farms.
'You Have To Help': Gulf Coast Neighbors Fly, Cook And Organize For Harvey Evacuees
By Melissa Block • Sep 8, 2017
Right after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, electrician Rocky Breaux, 53, loaded up his airboat in Houma, La., and drove to help rescue people from the swiftly rising floodwaters.
And now that the waters have receded, the ad hoc "Cajun Navy" has gone airborne: Breaux is now helping out with what's being called the "Cajun Airlift." Breaux has his own small plane — a Piper Arrow. When he heard that evacuees at one of Houston's big shelters needed more supplies, he loaded his plane, tanked up, and flew west, with Andy Cook as his co-pilot. "We're locked and loaded," Breaux says.
Young Astronaut Hopeful Gets NASA Tour Of His (Space) Dreams
By Melissa Block • Aug 14, 2017
Sixteen-year-old Murad Rahimov peered down into a gigantic space he had only dreamed about before: the world's largest clean room, kept scrupulously free of any dust or contamination, where NASA assembles and tests spacecraft before launch.
Murad's eyes gleamed and a smile played on his face as he took it all in — the scientists encased in sterile white suits; the replica of the massive new space telescope, the most powerful ever built, that will study the first galaxies born after the Big Bang.
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Charter flights to Kenya's coast this December to give tourism a boost
Airbnb delivers opportunity, not direct threat, to South African hotel industry
Cape Town tidal pools get revamp in time for the holidays
Application for Membership - Ashnil Hotels
Cape Verde airline in takeover bid
Cape Town hotel rooms remain cheaper than last year, despite the Western Cape recovering from drought
Application for Membership - Rare Earth Retreats
WTTC welcomes Botswana Tourism Organisation as new Destination Partner
Seychelles Ocean Festival Begins Today
Singapore Airlines expands Johannesburg service in NS19
Ethiopia overtakes Dubai as top feeder of air traffic to Africa
Ethiopia has overtaken Dubai as a conduit for long-haul passengers to Africa, highlighting the success of the state airline’s expansion drive and the reforms of its new prime minister.
Travel consultancy ForwardKeys said the Addis Ababa airport had increased the number of international transfer passengers to sub-Saharan Africa for five years in a row, and in 2018 had surpassed Dubai, one of the world’s busiest airports, as the transfer hub for long-haul travel to the region.
Analysing data from travel booking systems that record 17 million flight bookings a day, ForwardKeys found the number of long-haul transfers to sub-Saharan Africa via Addis Ababa jumped by 85 percent from 2013 to 2017. Transfers via Dubai over the same period rose by 31 percent.
So far this year, Addis Ababa’s growth is 18 percent, versus three percent for Dubai.
Dubai has long been a major global air travel hub because it is the base of Gulf carrier Emirates. Given the lack of an “open skies” deal smoothing flights across Africa, many passengers travelling between one part of the continent and another, or from Asia or Europe to Africa, must often transit through Dubai.
But this is changing.
Ethiopian Airlines, the country’s most successful state company, is accelerating a 15-year strategy it launched in 2010 to win back market share on routes to and from Africa that are dominated by Turkish Airlines and Emirates.
It is also weaving a patchwork of new African routes to rapidly expanding and lucrative Asian markets.
ForwardKeys also attributed the recent jump in bookings via Addis Ababa in part to a positive international response to the broad reforms introduced by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who came to power in April and has upended politics in the Horn of Africa country of around 105 million people.
It cited two changes in particular: a move to allow visitors to apply for visas online, and Abiy’s pledge to open Ethiopia’s largely state-controlled economy to foreign investment.
After Abiy made peace with Eritrea to end a two-decade state of war, Ethiopian resumed flights to its neighbour in July. This month, it relaunched flights to Somalia’s capital after four decades.
And the rise of travel via Addis Ababa looks set to continue. International bookings via Ethiopia are up 40 percent year-on-year for November to January 2019, ahead of all other destinations in Africa, ForwardKeys said.
Source: CGTN Africa
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In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites listeners into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her - from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work to her time spent at the world's most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it - in her own words and on her own terms.
Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches. In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father's junkyard. Her father forbade hospitals, so Tara never saw a doctor or nurse. Gashes and concussions, even burns from explosions, were all treated at home with herbalism. Then, lacking any formal education, Tara began to educate herself. Her quest for knowledge transformed her.
For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life - until the unthinkable happens.
Beloved author Elizabeth Gilbert returns to fiction with a unique love story set in the New York City theater world during the 1940s. Told from the perspective of an older woman as she looks back on her youth with both pleasure and regret (but mostly pleasure), City of Girls explores themes of female sexuality and promiscuity, as well as the idiosyncrasies of true love. In 1940, nineteen-year-old Vivian Morris has just been kicked out of Vassar College, owing to her lackluster freshman-year performance.
Margot Cary has spent her life immersed in everything Lake Sackett is not. As an elite event planner, Margot's rubbed elbows with the cream of Chicago society and made elegance and glamour her business. She's riding high until one event goes tragically, spectacularly wrong. Now she's blackballed by the gala set and in dire need of a fresh start - and apparently the McCreadys are in need of an event planner with a tarnished reputation.
Rachel Hollis has seen it too often: women not living into their full potential. They feel a tugging on their hearts for something more, but they’re afraid of embarrassment, of falling short of perfection, of not being enough. In Girl, Stop Apologizing, number-one New York Times best-selling author and founder of a multimillion-dollar media company, Rachel Hollis sounds a wake-up call. She knows that many women have been taught to define themselves in light of other people - whether as wife, mother, daughter, or employee....
By: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Narrated by: Jake Gyllenhaal
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic American novel of the Roaring Twenties is beloved by generations of readers and stands as his crowning work. This new audio edition, authorized by the Fitzgerald estate, is narrated by Oscar-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain). Gyllenhaal's performance is a faithful delivery in the voice of Nick Carraway, the Midwesterner turned New York bond salesman, who rents a small house next door to the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby....
Simple, Beautiful, and Exquisitely Textured
The Nickel Boys
By: Colson Whitehead
Narrated by: JD Jackson, Colson Whitehead
In this bravura follow-up to the Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning number one New York Times best seller The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead brilliantly dramatizes another strand of American history through the story of two boys sentenced to a hellish reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida.
By: Tom Wolfe
Narrated by: Dennis Quaid
Millions of words have poured forth about man's trip to the moon, but until now few people have had a sense of the most engrossing side of the adventure: namely, what went on in the minds of the astronauts themselves - in space, on the moon, and even during certain odysseys on earth. It is this, the inner life of the astronauts, that Tom Wolfe describes with his almost uncanny empathetic powers that made The Right Stuff a classic.
Splendid Narration of One of My Favorite Books
By M. Clarke on 02-08-18
Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening, her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face and then never speaks another word. Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety.
Brené Brown has spent the past two decades studying the emotions and experiences that give meaning to our lives, and the past seven years working with transformative leaders and teams spanning the globe. She found that leaders in organizations ranging from small entrepreneurial startups and family-owned businesses to nonprofits, civic organizations, and Fortune 50 companies all ask the same question: How do you cultivate braver, more daring leaders, and how do you embed the value of courage in your culture? This audiobook answers this question.
Under Currents
By: Nora Roberts
Zane Bigelow grew up in a beautiful, perfectly kept house in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Strangers and even Zane’s own aunt across the lake see his parents as a successful surgeon and his stylish wife, making appearances at their children’s ballet recitals and baseball games. Only Zane and his sister know the truth, until one brutal night finally reveals cracks in the facade, and Zane escapes for college without a thought of looking back....
NR never disappoints!!!!!!!!!!
By: Elin Hilderbrand
Welcome to the most tumultuous summer of the 20th century. It's 1969, and for the Levin family, the times they are a-changing. Every year, the children have looked forward to spending the summer at their grandmother's historic home in downtown Nantucket. But like so much else in America, nothing is the same.
great story
12 Rules for Life
An Antidote to Chaos
By: Jordan B. Peterson, Norman Doidge MD - foreword
Narrated by: Jordan B. Peterson
What does everyone in the modern world need to know? Renowned psychologist Jordan B. Peterson's answer to this most difficult of questions uniquely combines the hard-won truths of ancient tradition with the stunning revelations of cutting-edge scientific research. Humorous, surprising, and informative, Dr. Peterson tells us why skateboarding boys and girls must be left alone, what terrible fate awaits those who criticize too easily, and why you should always pet a cat when you meet one on the street.
Not Your Average 'Self Help' Book
By TheBookie on 06-04-18
Girl, Wash Your Face
Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be
As the founder of the lifestyle website TheChicSite.com and CEO of her own media company, Rachel Hollis developed an immense online community by sharing tips for better living while fearlessly revealing the messiness of her own life. Now, in this challenging and inspiring new book, Rachel exposes the 20 lies and misconceptions that too often hold us back from living joyfully and productively.
More for women who are mothers
By MeredithNCSU girl on 04-07-18
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed
By: Lori Gottlieb
Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
One day, Lori Gottlieb is a therapist who helps patients in her Los Angeles practice. The next, a crisis causes her world to come crashing down. Enter Wendell, the quirky but seasoned therapist in whose office she suddenly lands. With his balding head, cardigan, and khakis, he seems to have come straight from Therapist Central Casting. Yet he will turn out to be anything but.
Great listen, great narration
On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump
By: Tim Alberta
Narrated by: Jason Culp
The 2016 election was a watershed for the United States. But, as Tim Alberta explains in American Carnage, to understand Trump’s victory is to view him not as the creator of this era of polarization and bruising partisanship, but rather as its most manifest consequence. American Carnage is the story of a president’s rise based on a country’s evolution and a party’s collapse. As George W. Bush left office with record-low approval ratings and Barack Obama led a Democratic takeover of Washington, Republicans faced a moment of reckoning.
Barf 🤢🤮
By Greb on 07-17-19
You can go after the job you want...and get it! You can take the job you have...and improve it! You can take any situation you're in...and make it work for you!
Born a Crime
Stories from a South African Childhood
By: Trevor Noah
Narrated by: Trevor Noah
One of the comedy world's fastest-rising stars tells his wild coming of age story during the twilight of apartheid in South Africa and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed. Noah provides something deeper than traditional memoirists: powerfully funny observations about how farcical political and social systems play out in our lives.
Cover your ears
By Werner Williams on 04-30-19
Stephen R. Covey's book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, has been a top seller for the simple reason that it ignores trends and pop psychology for proven principles of fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity. Celebrating its 15th year of helping people solve personal and professional problems, this special anniversary edition includes a new foreword and afterword written by Covey that explore whether the 7 Habits are still relevant and answer some of the most common questions he has received over the past 15 years.
Richard H. Thaler has spent his career studying the radical notion that the central agents in the economy are humans - predictable, error-prone individuals. Misbehaving is his arresting, frequently hilarious account of the struggle to bring an academic discipline back down to earth - and change the way we think about economics, ourselves, and our world.
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Maria Konnikova
Science & Technology | Arts & Entertainment
Maria is the author of two New York Times best-sellers, The Confidence Game (Viking/Penguin 2016) and Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes (Viking/Penguin, 2013). She is a contributing writer for The New Yorker, where she writes a regular column with a focus on psychology and culture, and is currently working on a book about poker and the balance of skill and luck in life, to be published by Penguin Press in 2019. She is the host of the longform storytelling podcast "The Grift," on the Panoply network, and has written for The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, California Sunday, Pacific Standard, The New Republic, WIRED, Smithsonian, and Scientific American, among numerous other publications. Maria graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard and received her Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University. She lives in New York City and is currently completing her first novel.
The Confidence Game
Why We Fall for It...Every Time
By: Maria Konnikova
Narrated by: Maria Konnikova
From multimillion-dollar Ponzi schemes to small-time frauds, Konnikova pulls together a selection of fascinating stories to demonstrate what all cons share in common....
The Confidence Game = major disappointment
By Nicole Kiess on 02-16-16
How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes
Narrated by: Karen Saltus
No fictional character is more renowned for his powers of thought and observation than Sherlock Holmes....
Mindless: How to Regurgitate Useless Information
By CC on 02-12-13
The Psychology of the Con and Why We Fall for It Every Time
Con men are artists of persuasion and exploiters of trust. They hold a deep, enigmatic fascination for us. But how do they do it? Find out....
A helpful guide for unlocking mental blindspots
By Tumwine on 01-27-17
Täuschend echt und glatt gelogen
Die Kunst des Betrugs
Narrated by: Oliver Schönfeld
Es passiert nur den anderen, den Leichtgläubigen und den Gierigen, aber niemals uns: Onlinediebstahl, Anlagebetrug, Abzockerei. Doch die wahren...
By Hoan Phan on 02-12-19
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See all in Mysteries & Thrillers
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Edgar Awards
Named after Edgar Allan Poe, and presented each year by the Mystery Writers of America.
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The ITW Thriller Awards honor excellence in the field of thriller and suspense writing.
Listener Love
Agent Zero By: Jack Mars
“Top Notch Espionage!! With first class narration!”
— shelley, Audible Listener
Up Against the Wall By: David Hasselhoff
“Hofftastic! Great writing, and GREAT presentation by David! Hope to hear more from him soon.”
— RobertKnightRider, Audible Listener
Mission Critical By: Mark Greaney
“ Superb!! Mark Greaney is at the top of his game!”
— Matthews, Audible Listener
Next Up in Favorite Mystery & Thriller Series
By: Mark Greaney
Narrated by: Jay Snyder
Court Gentry's flight on a CIA transport plane is interrupted when a security team brings a hooded man aboard. They want to kick Gentry off the flight but are overruled by CIA headquarters. The mystery man is being transported to England where a joint CIA/MI6 team will interrogate him about a mole in Langley. When they land in an isolated airbase in the UK, they are attacked by a hostile force who kidnaps the prisoner. Only Gentry escapes. His handlers send him after the attackers, but what can one operative do against a trained team of assassins?
Superb!! Mark Greaney is at the top of his game!
By Wayne on 02-21-19
Verses for the Dead
A Pendergast Novel
By: Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child
Narrated by: Rene Auberjonois
After an overhaul of leadership at the FBI's New York field office, A. X. L. Pendergast is abruptly forced to accept an unthinkable condition of continued employment: the famously rogue agent must now work with a partner. Pendergast and his new teammate, junior agent Coldmoon, are assigned to Miami Beach, where a rash of killings by a bloodthirsty psychopath are distinguished by a confounding M.O.: cutting out the hearts of his victims and leaving them - along with cryptic handwritten letters - at local gravestones, unconnected save in one bizarre way.
Completely Absorbing Pendergast novel...
By shelley on 01-01-19
Stone Barrington, Book 47
By: Stuart Woods
Narrated by: Tony Roberts
Upon returning to the states from a European jaunt, Stone Barrington makes the acquaintance of a stunning woman who seems like she could be an ideal candidate to meet some of his professional - and personal - needs. Before long, though, Stone is put to the task of protecting his new hire when New York City is rocked by a series of disturbing crimes, and it looks as if she might be the next target.
If this were any more juvenile ...
V.I. Warshawski Series, Book 19
By: Sara Paretsky
Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
Legendary sleuth V.I. Warshawski returns to the Windy City to save an old friend’s nephew from a murder arrest. The case involves a stolen artifact that could implicate a shadowy network of international criminals. As V.I. investigates, the detective soon finds herself tangling with the Russian mob, ISIS backers, and a shady network of stock scams and stolen art. In Shell Game, nothing and no one are what they seem, except for the detective herself, who loses sleep, money, and blood, but remains indomitable in her quest for justice.
By Jean on 11-08-18
Lethal White
A Cormoran Strike Novel
By: Robert Galbraith
Narrated by: Robert Glenister
When Billy, a troubled young man, comes to private eye Cormoran Strike's office to ask for his help investigating a crime he thinks he witnessed as a child, Strike is left deeply unsettled. While Billy is obviously mentally distressed, and cannot remember many concrete details, there is something sincere about him and his story. But before Strike can question him further, Billy bolts from his office in a panic. Trying to get to the bottom of Billy's story, Strike and Robin Ellacott - once his assistant, now a partner in the agency - set off on a twisting trail that leads them through the backstreets of London....
🍊🍾🔑🤺🗡🏇🏼💊Only Sorry There’s No Book Five Yet 💵🧯🔦📞♟🎨🐴
By Gretchen SLP on 01-08-19
By: James Patterson, James O. Born
Narrated by: Danny Mastrogiorgio
An anonymous tip about a crime in Upper Manhattan proves to be a setup. An officer is taken down - and, despite the attackers' efforts, it's not Michael Bennett. New York's top cop is not the only one at risk. One of Bennett's children sustains a mysterious injury. A series of murders follows, each with a distinct signature, alerting Bennett to the presence of a professional killer with a flair for disguise. Michael Bennett can't tell what's driving the assassin. But he can tell it's personal.
awful wordy
By shawn on 10-15-18
By: Michael Connelly
Narrated by: Titus Welliver
Harry Bosch is back as a volunteer working cold cases for the San Fernando Police Department and is called out to a local drugstore where a young pharmacist has been murdered. Bosch and the town's three-person detective squad sift through the clues, which lead into the dangerous, big business world of pill mills and prescription drug abuse.
Bosch Survives Two Career Ending Threats
By Russell on 11-20-17
A Virgil Flowers Novel
By: John Sandford
Narrated by: Eric Conger
Pinion, Minnesota: a metropolis of all of 700 souls. Nothing ever happened there - until the mayor of sorts (campaign slogan: "I'll Do What I Can") and a buddy come up with a scheme to put Pinion on the map. They'd heard of a place where a floating image of the Virgin Mary had turned the whole town into a shrine, attracting thousands of pilgrims. And all those pilgrims needed food, shelter, all kinds of crazy things, right? They'd all get rich! What could go wrong? When the dead body shows up, they find out, and that's only the beginning of their troubles - and Virgil Flowers'....
F*****G Flowers and Frozen Pot Pies!!!!
A Mitch Rapp Novel, Book 17
By: Vince Flynn, Kyle Mills
When Max Krupin - Russia's leader - discovers that his kidney cancer has spread to his brain, he's determined to hide his diagnosis. He begins by getting rid of anyone threatening to him - as well as creating chaos in the region to keep the world's attention diverted. Soon, Krupin's illness becomes serious enough that he needs a more dramatic diversion, prompting him to invade the Baltics. Desperate to understand what's causing Krupin's unusually erratic behavior and Russia's aggressive moves in the region, America begins working with Russia's disgraced prime minister to stage a coup.
This was not a Mitch Rapp novel! He's a tag-along.
By Avid Reader on 10-02-18
Shadow Tyrants
By: Clive Cussler, Boyd Morrison
Narrated by: Scott Brick
Nearly 2,000 years ago, an Eastern emperor charged a small group with safeguarding secrets powerful enough to change the history of mankind. They went down in legend as the Nine Unknown Men - and now two rival factions of their descendants are fighting a mighty battle. Both sides think they are saving the world, but their tactics could very well bring about the end of humankind. Soon, Juan Cabrillo and his team of expert operatives aboard the Oregon find themselves trapped between two adversaries, both of whom are willing to use shocking means to accomplish their goals.
Action packed
The Forbidden Door
(Jane Hawk, Book 4)
By: Dean Koontz
Narrated by: Elisabeth Rodgers
She was one of the FBI’s top agents until she became the nation’s most-wanted fugitive, a happily married woman before becoming a devastated widow. Now Jane Hawk may be all that stands between a free nation and its enslavement by a powerful secret society’s terrifying mind-control technology. She couldn’t save her husband, or the others whose lives have been destroyed, but equipped with superior tactical and survival skills - and the fury born of a broken heart and a hunger for justice - Jane has struck major blows against the insidious cabal. But Jane’s enemies are about to hit back hard.
Disappointing...
By Lori on 11-13-18
Depth of Winter
By: Craig Johnson
In Craig Johnson's latest mystery, Depth of Winter, an international hit man and the head of one of the most vicious drug cartels in Mexico has kidnapped Walt's beloved daughter, Cady, to auction her off to his worst enemies, of which there are many. The American government is of limited help and the Mexican one even less. Walt heads into the 110-degree heat of the Northern Mexican desert alone, one man against an army.
Maybe Craig is getting tired.?.?.
By Miles on 09-09-18
The Hollow of Fear
The Lady Sherlock Series, Book 3
By: Sherry Thomas
Narrated by: Kate Reading
Under the cover of "Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective", Charlotte Holmes puts her extraordinary powers of deduction to good use. Aided by the capable Mrs. Watson, Charlotte draws those in need to her and makes it her business to know what other people don't. When the estranged wife of her dear friend Lord Ingram is discovered dead on his estate, all signs point to him as the murderer. With Scotland Yard closing in, Charlotte goes under disguise to find out the truth.
Love this series
By Jane on 10-02-18
The Valens Legacy: Publisher's Pack 4
The Valens Legacy, Books 7-8
By: Jan Stryvant
Narrated by: Leland King
The Valens Legacy: Publisher's Pack 4 contains books seven and eight in The Valens Legacy series, following Sean in the world of the supernatural. In Vegas Rules, fresh from his victory in Reno, Sean's now in Las Vegas has to fulfill his promise to help the lycans there with their own slavery problems. Things are starting to heat up for Sean and for some of his allies in Desperate Measures. When several of the councils decide to ban together in a move to eradicate him and his followers, Sean has no choice other than teach them a painful lesson.
Always great
By Logan79 on 10-02-18
Blood Communion
A Tale of Prince Lestat
By: Anne Rice
Narrated by: Eric Shaw Quinn
The Vampire Chronicles continue with a riveting, rich saga - part adventure, part suspense - of Prince Lestat and the story of the Blood Communion as he tells the tale of his coming to rule the vampire world and the eternal struggle to find belonging, a place in the universe for the undead, and how, against his will, he must battle the menacing, seemingly unstoppable force determined to thwart his vision and destroy the entire vampire netherworld.
change the narrator!!
By Chris on 10-02-18
Deck the Hounds
An Andy Carpenter Mystery, Book 18
By: David Rosenfelt
Narrated by: Grover Gardner
Seeing a dog next to a homeless man inspires lawyer Andy Carpenter to give the pair some money to help. Soon after Andy’s encounter with them, man and dog are attacked in the middle of the night on the street. The dog defends its new owner, and the erstwhile attacker is bitten but escapes. But the dog is quarantined, and the man, Don Carrigan, is heartbroken. Andy’s wife, Laurie, can’t resist helping the duo. In a matter of days, Don and his dog, Zoey, are living above Andy’s garage and become two new additions to the family. But things soon go awry....
More of the same.... Thankfully!
By Atlanta Russ on 12-01-18
In Watching You, Joey’s crush on her next-door neighbor nearly destroys her life. Here are three other great listens looking at what happens when infatuation crosses the line into obsession and stalking.
Lisa Jewell — Best-selling author of Watching You
The Hypnotist's Love Story By: Liane Moriarty
“This is the story of professional hypnotherapist, Ellen, who’s finally met the man of her dreams. Except he comes with a big catch. A stalker.”
Into the Darkest Corner By: Elizabeth Haynes
“Catherine is starting to heal from the trauma of an abusive relationship. Her ex is behind bars, she’s met a new man and things are looking up. Until the day the phone rings.”
Before I Go to Sleep By: S. J. Watson
“Every morning Christine’s husband must remind her who she is and tell her about the accident twenty years earlier that decimated her long-term memory. But something about his story doesn’t ring true.”
P.O.W.: A World War Two Novella
By: Libby Fischer Hellmann
Narrated by: Diane Piron-German
As World War II rages across Europe and the Pacific, its impact ripples through communities in the heartland of America. Mary-Catherine, a farm girl, is locked in a dangerous love triangle with two Germans soldiers held in an Illinois POW camp in the Chicago suburbs. Mary-Catherine thinks she's in love, but the German POW may have other plans for their relationship.
Elena Estes, Book 1
By: Tami Hoag
In her latest thriller, New York Times best-selling author Tami Hoag takes listeners on a suspense-filled ride of shocks and twists leading to an explosive finish. It is the story of an ex-cop, a missing girl, and a killer locked in a race where there can be only one winner - and the losers die trying.
Bark of Night
Andy Carpenter Series, Book 19
When defense lawyer Andy Carpenter’s veterinarian asks to speak to him privately at the checkup of his golden retriever, Tara, the last thing Andy expects is Truman. Tiny, healthy French bulldog Truman was dropped off days ago with instructions to be euthanized by a man everyone thought was his owner. But now the owner is nowhere to be found. But that’s not all the vet tells Andy. Thanks to Truman’s chip, it’s discovered that the man wasn’t Truman’s owner at all.... Truman's real owner was murdered.
By Jan on 07-16-19
Shamed
A Kate Burkholder Novel, Book 11
By: Linda Castillo
Narrated by: Kathleen McInerney
The peaceful town of Painters Mill is shattered when an Amish grandmother is brutally murdered on an abandoned farm. When Chief of Police Kate Burkholder arrives on the scene, she learns that the woman’s seven-year-old granddaughter is gone, abducted in plain sight. Kate knows time is against her - the longer the girl is missing, the less likely her safe return becomes. The girl’s family is a pillar of the Amish community, well-respected by all. But Kate soon realizes they’re keeping secrets - and the sins of their past may be coming back to haunt them....
Tangled webs...
Breaking Arliss
By: John Lyes
Narrated by: Joe Mills
A vicious killer is on the hunt for his next victim and CID Inspector Prav Shira is fatigued by the lack of progress. With reluctance he brings in psychologist Dr. Arliss Grey to aide in the investigation. But Arliss is a woman plagued by her own demons, and wrought by a dark secret from her past what she soon uncovers brings her closer to a sinister conspiracy that weaves itself into the halls of power.
By: Karin Slaughter
Narrated by: Kathleen Early
In the trauma center of Atlanta’s busiest hospital, Sara Linton treats the city’s poor, wounded, and unlucky - and finds refuge from the tragedy that rocked her life in rural Grant County. Then, in one instant, Sara is thrust into a frantic police investigation, coming face-to-face with a tall driven detective and his quiet female partner....
Great Re-Record, Will Steals Your Heart
By Empress Karen on 07-16-19
Rules of War
A Thriller (The Logan West Thrillers, Book 4)
By: Matthew Betley
The vice president of the US is missing, the director of the National Security Agency has been assassinated, and the mysterious organization orchestrating global instability is in tatters. While John Quick recovers from a gunshot wound that nearly killed him, Logan West is on the hunt to bring the vice president back to the US to face justice for his treason. The final stakes have never been higher, and Logan and his task force are left with little to no options. Will it be this warrior’s end?
By: Nancy Ann Healy
Narrated by: Cassandra York
What had started as a simple case three years earlier, forever altered the course of FBI Agent Alex Toles’ life. A committed investigator, Alex had always avoided personal entanglements. That was until she meet Cassidy O’Brien. Alex had been sent by President John Merrow to investigate threatening letters that had targeted Cassidy and her ex-husband Congressman Christopher O’Brien. Three years later, Alex finds herself a devoted wife and parent. Her life and her work center on Cassidy and their two children Dylan and Mackenzie.
Five years have passed since Alex Toles walked away from the covert world of international espionage. Alex spends her days as an instructor at the police academy, and her evenings coaching the local high school track team. Life in the Toles household has fallen into a familiar routine. But a missing teenager's photography project will lead Alex into the woods of Connecticut, and the twisted mind of a sadistic killer. Paired with an unlikely partner, Alex will face old ghosts and new demons as new adversaries shine light on shadows of the past.
Alex Madison, Book 1
By: Adam Southward
Three university scientists are found dead in a gruesome murder-suicide, and the only suspect in the case, Victor Lazar, is quickly captured. When the spate of violent suicides follows him to prison he is moved to solitary confinement, reserved for the highest-risk inmates. And then his assigned psychologist inexplicably takes his own life. Alex Madison, a former forensic psychologist turned private therapist, is brought in to interview Victor. He suspects that Victor is controlling his victims, somehow coaxing them into a suggestive trance.
The Pawful Truth
Cat in the Stacks Mystery Series, Book 11
By: Miranda James
In addition to his library duties and his role as doting grandad, Charlie has enrolled in an early medieval history course offered by young, charismatic professor Carey Warriner. Charlie feels a bit out of place - his fellow classmates are half his age - except for Dixie Bell Compton, another "mature" student. When Charlie hears an angry exchange between her and their professor, his interest in piqued. He's even more intrigued when she shows up at his office asking for a study partner.
Don’t Let It Snow in Deadwood
Deadwood Mystery, Book 10
By: Ann Charles
Narrated by: Caroline Shaffer
It’s Christmas Eve, and Violet Parker has one request on her list for Santa - to make it home to her kids. Unfortunately, “home” is also the lair of her life-long nemesis, her sister Susan, aka the devil’s concubine. Standing in Violet’s way is Old Man Winter, who slammed the Black Hills with a show-stopping blizzard. However, a little snow isn’t going to ground her sleigh, not with family counting on her to deliver Santa’s goods.
The Hex Files: Wicked All the Way
By: Gina LaManna
Narrated by: Allyson Ryan
During the holidays, a snowstorm isn’t the only thing threatening the paranormal sixth borough of New York. A student has been killed on the Campus of Magic, and Detective DeMarco is called to the case. But once she begins to unravel the clues surrounding the murder, she realizes the incident is far more complex - and dangerous - than she ever imagined. Meanwhile, Grey has been gone for weeks, and Matthew is caught up in his new role for the NYPD. When Dani is assigned a rookie partner to help her with her latest case, it’s the last straw...until the killer sets his sights on Dani.
Tell Me Everything
By: Cambria Brockman
Narrated by: Ariadne Meyers
In her first weeks at Hawthorne College, Malin is swept up into a tight-knit circle that will stick together through all four years. There’s Gemma, an insecure theater major from London; John, a tall, handsome, wealthy New Englander; Max, John’s cousin, a shy pre-med major; Khaled, a wisecracking prince from Abu Dhabi; and Ruby, a beautiful art history major. But Malin isn’t like the rest of her friends. She’s an expert at hiding her troubled past while using her extraordinary insight to detect her friends' deepest vulnerabilities and weaknesses.
Testimony of Two Men
By: Taylor Caldwell
Hambledon, Pennsylvania, is still reeling from the sensational murder trial that shattered the peace of the bucolic hamlet less than a year ago. Dr. Jonathan Ferrier was accused of killing his beautiful young wife after she died following a botched abortion. The scion of a powerful old eastern family, Jonathan hired the best attorneys money could buy. When he was acquitted, many believed he had bought his freedom. Now, he has returned home to sell his practice and move on. But haunted by his wife's death, Jonathan still strives to heal the judgmental people of his divided town.
This Side of Night
By: J. Todd Scott
Narrated by: T. Ryder Smith
In the Mexican borderlands, a busload of student protesters is gunned down in broad daylight, a violent act blamed on the Nemesio cartel. But its aging leader, Fox Uno, sees the attack for what it is: another salvo in the long-running battle for control of Nemesio itself; perhaps by a rival cartel, or maybe someone closer to home....
An Audible Original Drama
By: Agatha Christie
Narrated by: Tom Conti, Jane Asher, Ruta Gedmintas, and others
What begins as a routine journey on the luxurious Orient Express soon unfurls into Agatha Christie's most famous murder mystery....
A Classic Mystery, dramatized by Audible
Alicia Berenson’s life as a famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer is seemingly perfect. One evening, her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face and then never speaks another word....
Whisper Network
By: Chandler Baker
Narrated by: Almarie Guerra
Sloane, Ardie, Grace, and Rosalita have worked at Truviv, Inc. for years. The sudden death of Truviv’s CEO means their boss, Ames, will likely take over the entire company. The whispers about his behavior have been ignored by those in charge....
What to expect when starting this book--
By JessB on 07-05-19
The Deep, Deep Snow
By: Brian Freeman
In an intense, emotional mystery that spans a decade in the life of a small town, best-selling author Brian Freeman brings us an unforgettable heroine who discovers that the dead may sometimes be easier to rescue than the living....
Get this while it's the daily deal!!!!
True Places
By: Sonja Yoerg
Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan
Suzanne Blakemore hurtles along the Blue Ridge Parkway, away from her overscheduled and completely normal life, and encounters the girl. As Suzanne rushes her to the hospital, she never imagines how the encounter will change her - a change she both fears and desperately needs....
Courage before status quo
By E. Tillema on 02-25-19
When defense lawyer Andy Carpenter’s veterinarian asks to speak to him privately at the checkup of Tara, the last thing Andy expects is Truman. Tiny, healthy French bulldog Truman was dropped off days ago with instructions to be euthanized by a man everyone thought was his owner....
Missing Molly
By: Natalie Barelli
Narrated by: Lucy Price-Lewis
Everyone has secrets, and Rachel Holloway is no exception. She’s worked hard to keep the past where it belongs: dead and buried. But now the small newspaper where she works wants to produce a podcast on a cold case: the disappearance 12 years ago of young Molly Forster....
Missing Molly. Not For Long.
By Deedhopes on 04-01-19
The Scot Harvath Series, Book 19
By: Brad Thor
Narrated by: Armand Schultz
In ancient texts, there are stories about men who struck from the shadows, seemingly beyond the reach of death itself. These men were considered part angel, part demon....
Sensational!!!
By: James Patterson, David Ellis
Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins, Brittany Pressley
FBI Agent Emmy Dockery is absolutely relentless. She's young and driven, and her unique skill at seeing connections others miss has brought her an impressive string of arrests. But a shocking new case - unfolding across the country - has left her utterly baffled....
Very good procedural...
By: Jeremy Robinson
Narrated by: Luke Daniels
Stranded in the Amazon rainforest, a lost man fights for survival and discovers that the root of evil doesn’t just reside in the world’s darkest corners, but inside the hearts of all mankind. Dr. Gregory Zekser is on a mission to visit the furthest reaches of the Amazon....
An amazing glimpse into the dark heart of humanity
Sold on a Monday
By: Kristina McMorris
Narrated by: Brian Hutchison
2 CHILDREN FOR SALE. In 1931, near Philadelphia, ambitious reporter Ellis Reed photographs the gut-wrenching sign posted beside a pair of siblings on a farmhouse porch....
Not what I anticipated...
By Lashawn on 10-13-18
One Good Deed
It's 1949. When war veteran Aloysius Archer is released from Carderock Prison, he is sent to Poca City on parole with a short list of do's and a much longer list of don'ts....
By: Adrian McKinty
Your phone rings. A stranger has kidnapped your child. To free them you must abduct someone else's child. Your child will be released when your victim's parents kidnap another child....
Amazing yet terrifying
By stuartjash on 07-10-19
Twisted and deliciously chilling, The Wife Between Us exposes the secret complexities of an enviable marriage - and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love....
An Amish grandmother is murdered on an abandoned farm, her seven-year-old granddaughter abducted. Chief of Police Kate Burkholder plunges headlong into a case that quickly becomes a race against the clock. She knows the longer the girl is missing, the more likely a tragic outcome....
By: John Grisham
Narrated by: Michael Beck
Pete Banning was Clanton's favorite son, a returning war hero, the patriarch of a prominent family, a farmer, a father, a neighbor, and a faithful member of the Methodist church....
The Overstory
By: Richard Powers
Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
The Overstory unfolds in concentric rings of interlocking fable that range from antebellum New York to the late 20th-century Timber Wars of the Pacific Northwest and beyond....
eye opening
By Michael Stansberry on 05-23-18
The Other Mrs. Miller
By: Allison Dickson
Narrated by: Holly Palance
Phoebe Miller isn't sure when the rusty car started showing up in the cul-de-sac she calls home, or why its driver would be spying on her. What could be interesting about an unhappy housewife who drowns her sorrows in ice cream and wine and barely leaves her house....
Narrated by: January LaVoy, Kevin Collins
Everyone thinks Emmy Dockery is crazy. Obsessed with finding the link between hundreds of unsolved cases, Emmy has taken leave from her job as an FBI researcher....
Totally WARPED Antagonist! Loved It...
By: Stephen King
Narrated by: Will Patton
An 11-year-old boy's violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City's most popular citizens....
Will Patton great - story so so
By Randall on 06-19-18
Memory Man Series, Book 5
Narrated by: Kyf Brewer, Orlagh Cassidy
Amos Decker and his FBI partner Alex Jamison are visiting his hometown of Burlington, Ohio, when he's approached by an unfamiliar man. But he instantly recognizes the man's name: Meryl Hawkins. He's the first person Decker ever arrested for murder back when he was a young detective....
Like cordwood the bodies stack up...
Before She Knew Him
By: Peter Swanson
Narrated by: Sophie Amoss, Graham Halstead
Hen and her husband have settled into a quiet life in a new house outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Hen has finally found some stability and peace. But when they meet the neighbors next door, that calm begins to erode as she spots a familiar object on the husband’s office shelf....
Very Dark Psychological Thriller...
Lock Every Door
By: Riley Sager
Narrated by: Dylan Moore
The next heart-pounding thriller from New York Times best-selling author Riley Sager follows a young woman whose new job apartment sitting in one of New York’s oldest and most glamorous buildings may cost more than it pays....
The Have and the Have Nots
By Megan C. on 07-03-19
By: A. J. Finn
Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee
For readers of Gillian Flynn and Tana French comes one of the decade's most anticipated debuts....
An excruciating listen.
By Debra on 01-12-18
By: Chuck Wendig
Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman, Xe Sands
Shana wakes up one morning to discover her little sister in the grip of a strange malady. She appears to be sleepwalking. She cannot talk and cannot be woken up. And she is heading with inexorable determination to a destination that only she knows. But Shana and her sister are not alone....
Rare thing
By Stephanie J on 07-03-19
On his thirty-sixth birthday, Travis Cornell hikes into the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains. But his path is soon blocked by a bedraggled Golden Retriever who will let him go no further into the dark woods....
A stunning masterpiece that leaves you with hope.
The Girl Who Lived
By: Christopher Greyson
Narrated by: Amy McFadden
10 years ago, four people were brutally murdered. One girl lived. As the anniversary of the murders approaches, Faith Winters is released from the psychiatric hospital and yanked back to the last spot on earth she wants to be - her hometown....
Kept me on the edge of my seat
By reviewer in Wisconsin on 01-24-19
By: Blake Crouch
Narrated by: Jon Lindstrom, Abby Craden
Memory makes reality. That’s what NYC cop Barry Sutton is learning, as he investigates the devastating phenomenon the media has dubbed False Memory Syndrome - a mysterious affliction that drives its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived....
By Bree Salyer on 06-12-19
From number one New York Times best-selling author Stephen King comes the most riveting and unforgettable story of kids confronting evil since It - publishing just as the second part of It, the movie, lands in theaters....
Fall; or, Dodge in Hell
By: Neal Stephenson
Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
Fall; or, Dodge in Hell is pure, unadulterated fun: a grand drama of analog and digital, man and machine, angels and demons, gods and followers, the finite and the eternal. In this exhilarating epic, Neal Stephenson raises profound existential questions....
What Did I Just Listen To?
By Bauart on 06-20-19
A New Harry Hole Novel
By: Jo Nesbo
Narrated by: John Lee
Brilliant, audaciously rogue police officer Harry Hole, from The Snowman and The Thirst, is back and in the throes of a new, unanticipated rage - once again hunting the murderer who has haunted his entire career....
By Ruth on 07-14-19
Stephen King returns to the characters and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance....
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There are no rules when it comes to fairy tale retellings! Join Rapunzel in space, defend a kingdom with a troll princess, and find out why Cinderella has to obey her stepmother.
Fantasy, mystery, sci-fi, or romance—discover the most popular titles for tweens and teens!
The talent of skilled narrators is always impressive, but never more than when they guide you through a novel in verse.
By: Elizabeth Acevedo
Narrated by: Elizabeth Acevedo
Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiago’s life has been about making the tough decisions - doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Even though she dreams of working as a chef after she graduates, Emoni knows it’s not worth her time to pursue the impossible. Yet once Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free.
I felt every word.
By Sekai on 05-09-19
Coming of age with a kick
I picked up this listen after a stint of binge watching Chef’s Table, and thought I would find one more inspiring chef’s story, but With the Fire on High is much more. Elizabeth Acevedo’s sophomore novel brings flavor and sazon with its musical verses and fast-talking Spanglish. Acevedo, who narrates (yay!), has a way of infusing magic into the swept-under-the-rug vernacular, as she explores the unique challenges of being bicultural, a woman, a minority, and the universal challenges of being a lost 18 year old with no idea what path to take—or even if there is a path to take. You’ll find grit, recipes, strong female friendships, and even a dash of romance. But be warned, it will leave you with a strong craving for mofongo and tostones.
Mariana P.
By: Juliet Marillier
Narrated by: Gemma Dawson
Hulde is a queen’s daughter and lives in a palace. But her life is lonely. Growing up atop the glass mountain, she knows only her violent and autocratic mother and a household of terrified servants. Then a white bear named Rune comes to visit, and Hulde learns what kindness is. But the queen has a plan for Hulde. When she turns 16, she will wed the most beautiful man in all the world. Hulde has never met her intended husband, and her mother refuses to explain the arrangement.
Wonderful story from my favorite author
By Torrie McAllister on 06-08-19
A Norwegian fairy tale transformed by two huge talents
You don’t need to know East of the Sun, West of the Moon to enjoy Beautiful, but listeners who remember the fairy tale will appreciate the twist at the beginning of this Audible Original. The plot twist sends the tale spinning in a new—and deeper—direction. With the glass mountain (and other realms), Juliet Marillier—as she did in her Sevenwaters series—creates a world of simple rules but emotional complexity in Beautiful. Gemma Dawson’s artistry brings Hulde to life as a sympathetic heroine.
Christina H.
Bloodleaf
By: Crystal Smith
Narrated by: Nicola Barber
Princess Aurelia is a prisoner to her crown and the heir that nobody wants. Surrounded by spirits and banned from using her blood-magic, Aurelia flees her country after a devastating assassination attempt. To escape her fate, Aurelia disguises herself as a commoner in a new land and discovers a happiness her crown has never allowed. As she forges new bonds and perfects her magic, she begins to fall for a man who is forbidden to rule beside her.
Quality writing
By Krispian on 03-20-19
Tell me a fairy tale like this
Right out of the gate, Crystal Smith’s debut novel has been getting some capital-H Hype for its fast-paced plot and clever twists. It’s a fairy tale retelling of Grimm’s "The Goose Girl" about a princess who’s supposed to marry a prince she doesn’t like, but then has her identity stolen by her lady-in-waiting, causing things go awry pretty quickly. The princess, Aurelia, can use illegal blood magic, which she’s forced to use to survive in the underbelly of society. Narrator Nicola Barber can keep up with the fast clip of the story as well as slow it down when we reach the quieter moments. Death and danger run amok in this story, but there’s also romance here too, and Barber is deft in carrying us through it. I can see how this one is going to claim a spot in the lineup of fantastic new YA fantasies this year.
By: Laurie Halse Anderson
Narrated by: Laurie Halse Anderson
Best-selling author Laurie Halse Anderson is known for the unflinching way she writes about and advocates for survivors of sexual assault. Now, inspired by her fans and enraged by how little in our culture has changed since her groundbreaking novel Speak was first published 20 years ago, she has written a poetry memoir that is as vulnerable as it is rallying, as timely as it is timeless.
Honest and Deep
By elizabeth williams on 03-30-19
Speak. Shout. Listen.
Since its publication 20 years ago, Laurie Halse Anderson’s breakout novel Speak has been captivating and shifting the perspective of teens and adults alike. In the years since, she has been a tireless and unflinching advocate for survivors of sexual assault and now has written Shout, a searing little memoir in lyrical verse that’s at once a poignant revelation on Anderson’s fascinating and sometimes troubled upbringing (not to mention her own experiences with sexual assault), a retrospective of the writing and publication of Speak, and a rallying-cry for justice in the #MeToo era. It’s impossible to distill this incredibly layered, important, and powerful listen into a few sentences, but no other in my Audible library has as many saved clips as this one. Anderson’s story, and those of the survivors she’s met over the years, is filled with lines and paragraphs that stick with you and make you want to pause and think, and to hear them read in her own voice is as powerful as it gets.
Beast Rider
A Boy's Journey Beyond the Border
By: Tony Johnston, María Elena Fontanot de Rhoads
Narrated by: Christian Barillas
Twelve-year-old Manuel leaves his small town in Mexico to join his older brother in Los Angeles. To cross the US border, he must become a “beast rider” - someone who hops on a train. The first time he tries, he is stopped by the Mexican police, who arrest and beat him. When he tries again, he is attacked by a Mexican gang and left for dead. Just when Manuel is ready to turn back, he finds new hope.
I'm grateful
To the border and beyond
About a decade ago I read a novel about a teen boy’s attempt to cross from Mexico to California by riding on the top of a train. It’s a story that’s stayed with me and I’ve wondered how things might have changed for train-jumpers in recent years. That’s why Beast Rider jumped out at me from the list of new releases. The creative trinity behind this story (award-winning children’s author, Oaxaca-based therapist and translator, and Latino narrator) seems ideal to tell the story of a young man’s dangerous attempt to pursue his dreams of a better future. I added it to my wish list without pausing, steeling myself for the challenging listen ahead.
Heather S.
After With the Fire on High: Next Listens
The Poet X
Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking. But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers - especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, whom her family can never know about.
By Sarah Donovan on 04-13-18
The First Part Last
By: Angela Johnson
Narrated by: Khalipa Oldjohn, Kole Kristi
Bobby is a typical urban New York City teenager, impulsive, eager, and restless. For his 16th birthday he cuts school with his two best buddies, grabs a couple of slices at his favorite pizza joint, catches a flick at a nearby multiplex, and gets some news from his girlfriend, Nia, that changes his life forever: He's going to be a father.
pretty alright
By aziz on 08-04-16
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
Narrated by: Kyla Garcia
Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents' house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family. But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga's role. Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed.
FOR LATINAS WHO ARE OFTEN TOLD THEY "SOUND WHITE"
On the Come Up
By: Angie Thomas
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least get some streams on her mixtape. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died right before he hit big, Bri's got massive shoes to fill. But when her mom unexpectedly loses her job, food banks and shut-off notices become as much a part of Bri's life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it - she has to make it.
Thomas and Turpin are my perfect pairing
By Katie - Audible on 02-05-19
By: Ibi Zoboi
Zuri Benitez has pride. Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable. When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can’t stand the judgmental and arrogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding.
Every girl from the hood needs to listen to this
By Kiana on 09-19-18
Black Enough
By: Ibi Zoboi, Tracey Baptiste, Coe Booth, and others
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin, Ron Butler
Edited by National Book Award finalist Ibi Zoboi and featuring some of the most acclaimed best-selling black authors writing for teens today - Black Enough is an essential collection of captivating stories about what it’s like to be young and black in America.
By MzL8dy on 05-10-19
Gabi, a Girl in Pieces
By: Isabel Quintero
My mother named me Gabriella, after my grandmother who, coincidentally, didn't want to meet me when I was born because my mother was unmarried, and therefore living in sin. My mom has told me the story many, many, many, times of how, when she confessed to my grandmother that she was pregnant with me, her mother beat her. BEAT HER! She was 25. That story is the basis of my sexual education and has reiterated why it's important to wait until you're married to give it up.
Very good YA
By Sunshine on 02-25-18
Let Me Hear a Rhyme
By: Tiffany D. Jackson
Narrated by: Korey Jackson, Nile Bullock, Adenrele Ojo, and others
Brooklyn, 1998. Biggie Smalls was right: Things done changed. But that doesn’t mean Quadir and Jarrell are cool letting their best friend Steph’s music lie forgotten under his bed after he’s murdered - not when his rhymes could turn any Bed-Stuy corner into a party. With the help of Steph’s younger sister, Jasmine, they come up with a plan to promote Steph’s music under a new rap name: the Architect. Soon, everyone wants a piece of him. When his demo catches the attention of a hotheaded music label rep, the trio must prove Steph’s talent from beyond the grave.
By Rena on 05-30-19
Books On Screen
Riverdale: Get Out of Town
By: Micol Ostow
Narrated by: Ramón de Ocampo, Taylor Meskimen, Frankie Corzo, and others
When Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead take a road trip, they discover that their small-town problems seem to follow them wherever they go. Archie's on trial for murder, and the evidence is stacked against him. Betty, Veronica, and Jughead all know that Archie is being framed by Hiram Lodge, but how can they prove it? The gang comes up with a last-ditch plan to prove Archie's innocence: They have to go back to the scene of the crime. They have to go back to Shadow Lake.
Another great effort for her
Batman: Nightwalker
DC Icons, Book 2
By: Marie Lu
The Nightwalkers are terrorizing Gotham City, and Bruce Wayne is next on their list. Bruce is turning 18 and inheriting his family's fortune, not to mention the keys to Wayne Industries and all the tech gadgetry that he could ever desire. But on the way home from his birthday party, he makes an impulsive choice that leads to community service at Arkham Asylum, the infamous prison. There, he meets Madeleine Wallace, a brilliant killer with ties to the Nightwalkers. A girl who will speak only to Bruce. She is the mystery he must unravel.
Not for Batman fans
By mep201787 on 04-07-18
The Day Before
Riverdale, Book 1
Based on the massively successful CW show, Riverdale, this prequel novel explores what the gang was doing before season one. Why did Jughead and Archie have a falling out? What did Veronica’s life look like in the Big Apple? And how long has Betty really been in love with Archie? Told from multiple points of view, your favorite characters tell their story their way.
Huge Riverdale Fan
By Elizabeth Snyder on 03-30-19
Marvel's Black Widow: Forever Red
By: Margaret Stohl
Natasha Romanoff is one of the world's most lethal assassins. Trained from a young age in the arts of death and deception, Natasha was given the title of Black Widow by Ivan Somodorov, her brutal teacher at the Red Room, Moscow's infamous academy for operatives.
Not a guilty pleasure - a waste of a credit
By Floyd on 06-26-17
Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: Force Collector
By: Kevin Shinick
In this Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker young adult novel set just before The Force Awakens, a restless teenager sets out to discover what connection his mysterious Force powers have to the fabled Jedi and what the Force has in store for him.
By: Nicola Yoon
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin, Raymond Lee, Dominic Hoffman
I'm a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I'm definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is 12 hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won't be my story.
This was cute but flawed
By BookItForward.Blog on 12-06-16
His Dark Materials, Book 1
By: Philip Pullman
Narrated by: Philip Pullman, full cast
Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steal - including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world. Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want. But what Lyra doesn't know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other....
By Arnold C. Macdonald on 01-28-04
The Official Movie Novelization
By: Pat Cadigan
Based on manga by Yukito Kishiro, this official audio novelization to the 2018 science-fiction film, Alita: Battle Angel, features a female cyborg rescued from the scrap heap by a scientist in the 26th century.
Very well done, very enjoyable
By slosuenos on 03-01-19
Wonder Woman: Warbringer
By: Leigh Bardugo
Narrated by: Mozhan Marno
She will become one of the world's greatest heroes: Wonder Woman. But first she is Diana, princess of the Amazons. And her fight is just beginning. Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law - risking exile - to save a mere mortal. Even worse, Alia Keralis is no ordinary girl and with this single brave act, Diana may have doomed the world.
Good narration, but flat characters
By jeffery on 08-31-17
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Young Readers Edition
By: William Kamkwamba, Bryan Mealer
Narrated by: Korey Jackson
When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba's tiny village in Malawi, his family lost all of the season's crops, leaving them with nothing to eat and nothing to sell. The family was starving, and they could hardly find money for food, let alone school fees. Forced to drop out, William began to explore the science books in his village library. There, he came up with an idea that would change his family's life forever: he could build a windmill.
kids loved it
By Summer on 08-21-17
The Hunger Games: Special Edition
By: Suzanne Collins
Narrated by: Tatiana Maslany
Emmy Award-winning actress Tatiana Maslany narrates a brand-new special edition recording of the first audiobook in the worldwide best-selling trilogy from Suzanne Collins! In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by 12 outlying districts. The Capitol keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Now THIS is what Katniss is supposed to sound like
By Carly Jurica on 11-02-18
Captain Marvel: Higher, Further, Faster
By: Liza Palmer
Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
Carol Danvers kicks off her US Air Force career with her first year at flight school, where she'll be tested in ways she never thought possible - and make a lifelong friend, Maria Rambeau, in the process - in this atmospheric and exciting prelude to the upcoming Marvel Studios film Captain Marvel!
Awesome story, but no superhero stuff.
By Doctor P. on 03-15-19
By: Julie Murphy
Narrated by: Eileen Stevens
Dubbed "Dumplin'" by her former beauty queen mom, Willowdean has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American-beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked...until Will takes a job at Harpy's, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn't surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.
Enjoyable heartwarming story
By Jenjer on 08-26-16
By: Rachael Lippincott
Narrated by: Joy Osmanski, Corey Brill
Stella Grant likes to be in control - even though her totally out-of-control lungs have sent her in and out of the hospital most of her life. At this point, what Stella needs to control most is keeping herself away from anyone or anything that might pass along an infection and jeopardize the possibility of a lung transplant. Six feet apart. No exceptions. The only thing Will Newman wants to be in control of is getting out of this hospital. He couldn’t care less about his treatments or a fancy new clinical drug trial. Will’s exactly what Stella needs to stay away from.
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
This Book Changed My Entire Perspective
By Wendi on 01-14-18
Titan Consumed
By: Barry Lyga
Narrated by: Tom Taylorson
In Avengers: Infinity War, a threat emerged from the cosmos - Thanos, a ruthless warlord who plans to collect all six Infinity Stones. Joined by his formidable allies, he will be near-unstoppable at achieving his goal. The Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, and Spider-Man must join forces and fight side by side to stop Thanos, while the fate of the Earth and the universe lays in the balance.
What a great story
By tye syd on 12-23-18
By: Jenny Han
Narrated by: Laura Knight Keating
Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control in this heartfelt novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer I Turned Pretty series. What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once?
By Jennifer on 07-17-15
Mortal Engines, Book 1
By: Philip Reeve
Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
Welcome to the astounding world of Predator Cities! Emerging from its hiding place in the hills, the great Traction City is chasing a terrified little town across the wastelands. Soon, London will feed. In the attack, Tom Natsworthy is flung from the speeding city with a murderous scar-faced girl. They must run for their lives through the wreckage - and face a terrifying new weapon that threatens the future of the world.
Creative but hard to stay engaged in
By Karissa Eckert on 11-26-17
By: Jason Reynolds
Narrated by: Guy Lockard
Miles Morales is just your average teenager. Dinner every Sunday with his parents, chilling out playing old-school video games with his best friend, Ganke, crushing on brainy, beautiful poet Alicia. He's even got a scholarship spot at the prestigious Brooklyn Visions Academy. Oh yeah, and he's Spider Man. But lately Miles' Spidey-sense has been on the fritz. When a misunderstanding leads to his suspension from school, Miles begins to question his abilities.
"You Are Just Like Me"
By Jaime Alvarez on 08-09-17
By: Ernest Cline
Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
At once wildly original and stuffed with irresistible nostalgia, Ready Player One is a spectacularly genre-busting, ambitious, and charming debut—part quest novel, part love story, and part virtual space opera set in a universe where spell-slinging mages battle giant Japanese robots, entire planets are inspired by Blade Runner, and flying DeLoreans achieve light speed.
I’m sorry I waited so long to read this book.
By Julie W. Capell on 05-27-14
By: Madeleine L'Engle
Narrated by: Hope Davis, Ava DuVernay, Madeleine L'Engle, and others
Meg Murry, her little brother Charles Wallace, and their mother are having a midnight snack on a dark and stormy night when an unearthly stranger appears at their door. He claims to have been blown off course and goes on to tell them that there is such a thing as a "tesseract", which, if you didn't know, is a wrinkle in time. Meg's father had been experimenting with time travel when he suddenly disappeared. Will Meg, Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin outwit the forces of evil as they search through space for their father?
Thank You for a New Narrator
By Patricia on 02-01-12
By: David Levithan
Narrated by: Alex McKenna
Every morning, A wakes in a different person’s body, a different person’s life. There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere. It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply....
Conflicted after the ending
By Sarah on 07-26-13
Thirteen Reasons Why
By: Jay Asher
Narrated by: Debra Wiseman, Joel Johnstone
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush, who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice explains that there are 13 reasons she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why.
An Ideal Audio Book
By Diana on 01-10-11
The Young Prince
By: Ronald L. Smith
Narrated by: Dion Graham
Life is comfortable for 12-year-old T'Challa in his home of Wakanda, an isolated, technologically advanced African nation. When he's not learning how to rule a kingdom from his father - the reigning Black Panther - or testing out the latest tech, he's off breaking rules with his best friend, M'Baku. But as conflict brews near Wakanda, T'Challa's father makes a startling announcement: he's sending T'Challa and M'Baku to school in America.
Coming to America meets Harry Potter
By Wayne Edward Evans on 01-15-18
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin, Robbie Daymond
This innovative, heartfelt debut novel tells the story of a girl who's literally allergic to the outside world. When a new family moves in next door, she begins a complicated romance that challenges everything she's ever known.
Bubble Girl Meets Boy
By FanB14 on 09-16-15
The Knife of Never Letting Go
Chaos Walking, Book 1
By: Patrick Ness
Narrated by: Nick Podehl
Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him - something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she?
Really interesting world but seriously messed up
By Howard on 05-24-12
Alita: Battle Angel - Iron City
The Official Movie Prequel
On the shattered surface of the earth, there is a metropolis that lives amid the garbage thrown down from the inhabitants of a sky city floating above it. Welcome to Iron City. A lonely doctor specializing in cyborg repair, Ido, is doing his best to help the citizens of Iron City. Hugo, a young man surviving on a life of crime, spots the ultimate steal: an object that will unearth secrets from his own past. And Vector, the most powerful businessman in the city, has his sights set on a new technology that will change the future of Iron City forever....
By Jason on 11-26-18
By: W. Bruce Cameron
Narrated by: George K. Wilson
After searching for his purpose through several eventful lives, Buddy is sure that he has found and fulfilled it. Yet as he watches curious baby Clarity get into dangerous mischief, he is certain that this little girl is very much in need of a dog of her own. When Buddy is reborn, he realizes that he has a new destiny. He's overjoyed when he is adopted by Clarity, now a vibrant but troubled teenager. When they are suddenly separated, Buddy despairs - who will take care of his girl?
A Darker, Sadder Sequel
By Library Volunteer on 07-13-12
Notorious RBG
The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
By: Irin Carmon, Shana Knizhnik
Narrated by: Andi Arndt
Nearly a half century into being a feminist and legal pioneer, something funny happened to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The octogenarian won the Internet. Across America, people who weren't even born when Ginsburg made her name are tattooing themselves with her face, setting her famously searing dissents to music, and making viral videos in tribute.
Fall in love with RBG! I did.
By serine on 01-23-16
By: John Green
Narrated by: Kate Rudd
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten. Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning-author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.
Wonderful Poignant Story
By AudioAddict on 04-25-13
Award-Winning Young Adult Literature
By: Markus Zusak
Narrated by: Allan Corduner
It's just a small story really, about, among other things, a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist: books.
Glad I took a chance.
By: Maya Angelou
Narrated by: Maya Angelou
Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local “powhitetrash.” At eight years old, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age - and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. But years later, she learns about love for herself and the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors.
Emotional & Powerful
By Miss Toni on 06-30-13
By: Neal Shusterman
Narrated by: Greg Tremblay
A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: Humanity has conquered all those things and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life - and they are commanded to do so in order to keep the size of the population under control. Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe - a role that neither wants. These teens must master the "art" of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.
Best book I have read this year.
By Jonathan Purcell on 10-15-17
Narrated by: Mandy Siegfried, Ashley C. Ford, Jason Reynolds, and others
From her first moment at Merryweather High, Melinda Sordino knows she's an outcast. She busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, a major infraction in high-school society, so her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't know glare at her. She retreats into her head, where the lies and hypocrisies of high school stand in stark relief to her own silence, making her all the more mute.
The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage
Book of Dust, Volume 1
Narrated by: Michael Sheen
Renowned storyteller Philip Pullman returns to the parallel world of Lyra Belacqua and His Dark Materials for a thrilling and epic adventure in which daemons, alethiometers, and the Magisterium all play parts.
Disturbing differences from print text
By Damon D. Hickey on 10-24-17
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
By: Benjamin Alire Saenz
Narrated by: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship - the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
One of the best novels I've listened to in years.
By Rain on 10-27-13
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue
By: Mackenzi Lee
Narrated by: Christian Coulson
Henry "Monty" Montague doesn't care that his roguish passions are far from suitable for the gentleman he was born to be. But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quests for pleasure and vice are in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family's estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.
Even better than I expected...
By 5ismyfavoritenumber on 07-22-17
Looking for Alaska
Narrated by: Jeff Woodman
Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words - and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.
Looking for Alaska brilliantly chronicles the indelible impact one life can have on another.
Beautiful story
By Natalia on 07-02-10
Narrated by: Jason Reynolds
A cannon. A strap. Or, you can call it a gun. That's what 15-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. See, his brother Shawn was just murdered. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That's where Will's now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother's gun. He gets on the elevator, seventh floor, stoked. He knows who he's after. Or does he?
Real and Relevant!
By tarafarah7: Tara Brown on 11-05-17
Code Name Verity
By: Elizabeth Wein
Narrated by: Morven Christie, Lucy Gaskell
Code Name Verity is a compelling, emotionally rich story with universal themes of friendship and loyalty, heroism and bravery. Two young women from totally different backgrounds are thrown together during World War II: one a working-class girl from Manchester, the other a Scottish aristocrat, one a pilot, the other a wireless operator. Yet whenever their paths cross, they complement each other perfectly and before long become devoted friends. But then a vital mission goes wrong....
Do Not Read Any (other) Reviews of this Book!
By HDJ on 12-15-12
By: Rainbow Rowell
Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman, Sunil Malhotra
Set over the course of one school year, in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits - smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love - and just how hard it pulled you under.
E + P 4-ever!
All American Boys
By: Jason Reynolds, Brendan Kiely
Narrated by: Guy Lockard, Keith Nobbs
A bag of chips. That's all 16-year-old Rashad is looking for at the corner bodega. What he finds instead is a fist-happy cop, Paul Galluzzo, who mistakes Rashad for a shoplifter, mistakes Rashad's pleadings that he's stolen nothing for belligerence, mistakes Rashad's resistance to leave the bodega as resisting arrest, mistakes Rashad's every flinch at every punch the cop throws as further resistance and refusal to STAY STILL as ordered.
By J. E. Abel on 09-18-16
Far from the Tree
By: Robin Benway
Being the middle child has its ups and downs. But for Grace, an only child who was adopted at birth, discovering that she is a middle child is a different ride altogether. After putting her own baby up for adoption, she goes looking for her biological family, including: Maya, her loudmouthed younger bio sister, who has a lot to say about their newfound family ties. And Joaquin, their stoic older bio brother, who has no interest in bonding over their shared biological mother.
SO MOVED BY THIS STORY! GREAT FICTION!
By Ann on 02-28-18
Dear Martin
By: Nic Stone
Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League - but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.
Excellent narration!
By Chari F. Kauffman on 02-26-18
Strange the Dreamer
By: Laini Taylor
The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around - and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old, he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.
Great until the ending
By Shane A. McGarry on 10-23-17
The House of the Scorpion
By: Nancy Farmer
Narrated by: Raul Esparza
Matt is a clone of El Patrón, a powerful drug lord of the land of Opium, which is located between the United States and Mexico. For six years, he has lived in a tiny cottage in the poppy fields with Celia, a kind and deeply religious servant woman who is charged with his care and safety. He knows little about his existence until he is discovered by a group of children playing in the fields and wonders why he isn't like them.
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pldittrich
Temple of Cocidius
The Complete First Adventure
By: Maxx Whittaker
Narrated by: Soren Gray
I'm Tamlir Kynthelig, mercenary. I lost my home, my family was slaughtered, and my kingdom was usurped. And then things really got bad. I saved King Mynogin and won the honor of a likely-fatal run through the Temple of Cocidius to gain him its treasure. Trust me when I say this isn't a change in my luck. Gathering the temple's eight artifacts has never been accomplished, and a thousand men have perished to its beasts and puzzles.
No bullshit, my HANDSDOWN favorite book
By Gavin Markowitz on 07-09-19
yes. just yes all around. excellent job done here
if u r looking for a monster girl harem with just the right amount of plot, romance, anatomically unique sex scenes, and quality narration, then look no further
ReDeath 1: Raven
A Scifi LitRPG
By: Jaeger Mitchells
Narrated by: Carver Claeys
After the dust settles, Jackson awakens to a world torn apart by his own actions. Just when defending his homeworld seemed impossible, Jackson hatched a desperate, last-ditch plan with is CO: activate and launch highly experimental nuclear missiles contained in a nearby silo. Unfortunately, the missiles were far more effective and unstable than they could have imagined. Waking up in a cavern, Jackson quickly realizes that the world around him has changed, and not for the better.
A great start to an exciting series!
an excellent addition to harem litrpg style novels
This was a very good addition to anyone harem litrpg fans collection. Honestly, I liked this more than the others other title, oblivion online. It was really quite good and had significant # of surprises that made it all the more interesting. There was plenty Of appreciation of the scenery. The narrator also did a splendid job.
That said, there is always room for improvement. One thing id definitely like to see more of from the author is a bit more variety and subtlety in his descriptive verbiage. For example, there are a lot more things to call a p$&%y than saying the word p#&%y all the time. And there is more to describe about a woman than fixating on a single mental title (like "battle goddess"). But, every author has their strengths and weaknesses. We cant hold every little thing against them, b/c they can never please everyone.
This was an excellent harem litrpg book for those who r fans of such things. Has e everything u could ask for. Bear in mind, this is a sci fi style litrpg, not fantasy. So u will be dealing with mostly technology based levelling, rather than magic.
Great book, looking forward to its sequal.
I was given a promo code by the author, so received this audio book free Of charge, in the interest of full full disclosure. However, I'd like to think I've been as fair and honest as possible in my review.
Dungeon Bringer 1: A litRPG Adventure
By: Nick Harrow
When the Inkolana Cartel's experimental computer network comes under attack, they give white-hat hacker Clay Knight two hours to fix the problem. If he succeeds, he'll be rich beyond his wildest dreams. If he fails, he's a dead man. But when Clay hacks the hackers, he stumbles into an ancient ritual that summons him to the dusty, forgotten world of Soketra...Clay finds dungeons, monsters, and a fierce pride of beautiful cat women who believe he is the reincarnation of the ancient Dungeon Lord Rathokhetra. Listen to find out more.
another great gamelit harem.
By pldittrich on 05-29-19
This was an excellent title of its type. Now, it didnt blow my socks off with its creativity and unique genius, which is the only reason the story didnt get a 5. You wont see a whole hell of a lot that truly surprises you, if u r into the harem gamelit genre. It hits everything you would expect. but that isnt necessarily a bad thing. This genre is fairly niche. But this book hits all the right buttons for people who are into this sort of thing. Including hot catgirls, with a neat egyptian theme that is just waaayyyyy underappreciated in its hotness. so glad somebody finally recognized that.
Now, if you are looking for graphic sex scenes, then you may need to go elsewhere. fade to black is device used here for MOST of the actual sex scenes (there is some, just not a lot). Frankly, i prefer it this way. These types of stories are way better when the author takes the time to descriptively help u appreciate the scenery as you go, and build the tension. the little, constant things, that all add up to a great experience. Thats so much better than just one flimsy excuse after the next for people to start humping. Frankly, it kinda kills a book like this if i have to keep hearing certain 4 letter words for male genitalia ALL THE TIME. id much rather enjoy subtle and detailed descriptions of his female companions in their various states, because women can just be sexy in a lot of different ways doing a lot of different things (that's just how most of us with Y chromosomes see it).
So, while this mostly wont blow u away with originality, its an excellent book of the genre and well worth the listen. And the author seems to have been like "i dont care how cliche it seems, catgirls are awesome, and so i see no reason there shouldnt be plenty in my story". And i applaud him for this. There is nothing wrong with finding an excuse to use what people LIKE.
The author also made the very wise choice to enlist James Patrick Cronin. Not only does this show he did his homework and found a good narrator, it also shows he was willing to invest in the best for his book. I'm not knocking authors who go for more bargain deals when looking for their narrator. Tough world. i get it.
However, when an author cares enough to invest in someone well known in harem gamelit circles, and favored by those listeners, it makes all the difference. Hell, i often look for new audio books based solely on what certain narrators have been doing, and james patrick Cronin is one of those narrators.
On the narrator, i saw some reviews above complained about Cronin's use of a "french" accent for the sort of egyptian cat ladies. Initially, i would have said that he needed a foreign accent to help distinguish characters, and i would have been fine with that argument alone. However, look up arabic and egyptian accents. if u start googling it, you will find many links talking about how similar they are to the french accent. Like, native speakers will sometimes mistake it.
What does this mean? it isnt just a french accent, its the accent most appropriate for the setting. Cronin did his research. those people who complained about the "French accent killing it for them", had no idea what the appropriate accent for the setting would have actually sounded like. Because it would have sounded very much like a french accent. so, if you go into the book and are like "why does this egyptian catgirl sound french?", just ask urself if u know what an EGYPTIAN accent would actually sound like. Because u probably dont. Cronin nailed it. look it up if u dont believe me.
So, fans of gamelit, monster girls, and dungeon core novels, go for it. This book hits all the right buttons. well worth a listen. im looking forward to book 2.
- note: i did receive a free credit for this book as part of a random giveaway. just want to b upfront. but it isnt like they were paying me to leave a review, or made me legally obligated. Its just the decent thing to do, if they are kind enough to give u a free listen. Ive tried to be fair and honest with my review though, and hope thats adequately reflected here.
Hazard Online, Book 1
Narrated by: Maximillian Breed
A freak accident leaves childhood friends Aiden and Scarlet dead and stranded in Hazard Online, a VR MMORPG. They're pushed to the brink of their sanity as they awaken with the knowledge of their death and are thrust into an experimental expansion, which only further threatens to tear them apart.
so so
By jessie on 04-08-19
an interesting take on the litrpg style.
this was a good addition to the harem litrpg genre. listeners should be warned that it definitely isnt a "fade to black" book, but it isn't the bulk of the book. the author knows how to appreciate the scenery, but could maybe use a little more refinement in the subtlety. then again mmorpgs, by nature, aren't exactly subtle, so u have to make allowances.
where the author really shines is in the psychological dept. I don't want to spoil anything, but he explores a lot into the sort of deep psychological mischief and confusion that can b done to people who r suddenly existing in a purely digital state, along with the question of what's real and not real, and what still counts as human (fans of ghost in the shell would understand this). but the psychological dysfunction applies to those still outside the game. alot of nuances and mental jiggery. good stuff. a good first book, and a nice hook at the end.
a book truly has to blow me away to get a 5 star, and while this is definitely worth a listen, I couldn't justify a max rating. this author does well, and I'm looking forward to seeing how he expands on the excellent foundation laid out by this books end, but there is certainly room to grow.
the narrator is alright. id put him squarely in the middle of the road. not amazing enuf to buy more books based on his being the narrator alone, but he was understandable and improved alot at distinguishing between characters as the book progressed, though thats usually true for most narrators starting the first book in a series. like the author, he's a little rough the edges, but shows promise. he's no luke Daniels or jeffrey kafer, but he doesn't kill the experience either.
again, this is definitely worth a listen, if you are looking for a new harem litrpg.
i confess that the author gave me a code for this audio as part of a promotional, requesting only that I leave a review. I apologize for taking so long, as things came up, but I'd like to think that i wrote a fair and informative review. I hope this helps new listeners find his book, as its definitely worth a shot.
Fostering Faust: Book 2
By: Randi Darren
Narrated by: Stephanie Savannah
Alex has taken firm control over his county as the Count of Brit. By and large, everything has settled into a fairly normal pattern for him, his numbered, and his wife. There's still an ongoing war between two Duchies, and Regina Tannulf, Alex's liege and lord, has plans for him. Plans that he wants no part of. Except that he doesn't really have a choice in the matter.
great work as always
another awesome hit of moral ambiguity.
as usual, randi Darren has delivered us another unique story that makes u rethink the way we see the world. who is the villain, and who the hero? what would it be like if the greatest master manipulator villain was on YOUR side (and didn't let ego get in his way)? brilliant. truthfully, it is a little toned down,compared to book one, where the morally reprehensibleness is concerned. focus is a little more on MC protecting those who matter to him, rather than degredation (it still happens, But Anna is arranging majority unseen). so some of the complainers should be satisfied.
Stephanie swift pulled off a fantastic performance, and really brought the characters to life, especially Anna.
Power of the Lost
Celestine Chronicles, Book 3
By: Cebelius
Narrated by: Tess Irondale
A man is only as good as his word.... Celestine is a vast world, filled with mysteries and peopled by creatures most men consider nothing but flights of fancy.
cebelius definitely scored another home run
no part of this book was ever boring. The characters are ALL dynamic, rather than only the main character (which is what gives u EXCEPTIONAL writing rather than merely good writing). There is definitely healthy amounts of adult situations, but it never feels forced. I hope this author continues his now well established pattern of quality storytelling for many years to come. I will certainly continue buying his work so long as this is the sort of quality I can expect.
Dan the Adventurer
Gold Girls and Glory, Book 2
By: Hondo Jinx
Narrated by: Andrea Parsneau
During Dan Marshall’s second year of college, the real world melded with a home-brew Towers & Trolls adventure. Dan got barbaric and battled giant spiders, an apocalyptic death cult, and an undead necromancer bent on flooding the universe with eternal darkness. Luckily, Dan has two amazing women at his side: Holly, a grey elf druid from a powerful family; and Nadia, a streetwise shifter with heavy connections in the local thieves’ guild.
Great adult fun and listening!
By 9 Mil on 03-19-19
loved it. worth every penny
good sequel to an awesome series. can't wait for the next one to come out
By: Logan Jacobs
Narrated by: Joshua Story
When the aliens came down and told us they’d enslave all of the human race if we didn’t send our bigliest warrior to participate in their arena death games, I laughed at them. It was really funny because they obviously didn’t know who they were dealing with. Know what I mean? Then they said they would pick the greatest warrior, and they picked Marc Havak. He seemed like such an average guy, but he was a true-blue American. He even worked as a truck driver! That’s the kind of good guy we want defending us from aliens.
he really did a great job
By Laurie Lavelle on 02-18-19
excellent book of its type
great. Joshua story did an excellent performce, and the book had just the right amount of attention to scenery detail to make u hungry for more, without making u want to cringe at the over drawn out passion scenes
The Immortal Continent
The Godking's Legacy, Book 2
By: Virlyce
Narrated by: Mare Trevathan
Lucia's the strongest person in the world, and she's perfectly content with living out the remainder of her life gorging herself on acorn stew and hot chocolate. Unfortunately for her, her sadistic sword spirit, Durandal, has different plans.
Ignore the detractors and enjoy it for what it is
By Jamie on 02-04-19
what u expect from this series
If u listened to the 1st, expect more of the same, in a good way
Super Powereds: Year 4
Super Powereds, Book 4
By: Drew Hayes
Narrated by: Kyle McCarley
The final year at Lander has finally arrived for the Melbrook students and their peers, and with it comes a whole new set of challenges. Still reeling from the events of their junior year, the remaining students will have to push past their pain - and so much more - if they hope to be one of the 10 to claim the title of Hero upon graduation.
Its finally over....what do I do with my life now?
By Jared on 07-11-18
amazing finale!
I could not have dreamed of a greater finale than the one found here, and the narration is as impeccable as always
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HomeRallyInternational Rally Of Queensland
International Rally Of Queensland
March 22, 2014 Lorne Close Rally 0
INTERNATIONAL RALLY HQ RETURNS TO CALOUNDRA OAKS OASIS RESORT
COMPETITORS from overseas and around Australia will be based at Caloundra’s Oaks Oasis Resort when the International Rally of Queensland returns to the Sunshine Coast on 20-22 June.
The 170-plus room resort also will be the organizational and media headquarters for the rally, one of the region’s biggest annual sporting events.
The International Rally of Queensland brings to the Sunshine Coast, 100 kms north of Brisbane, the fastest drivers in the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, East Coast Bullbars Australian Rally Championship and supporting rally categories. It attracts thousands of visitors and team members and enjoys dedicated television coverage in around 120 countries.
Event Director Paul Woodward said he was delighted the International Rally of Queensland was returning to Oaks Oasis for another year. “Oaks Oasis is an annual home away from home for us and through our partnership over many years has become well known to rally teams from as far afield as Europe, India, Asia and the Pacific,” Mr Woodward said.
“It perfectly suits the needs of a large, complex event such as ours, with a range of different accommodation rooms for groups and individuals, all with wireless internet access, complimentary on-site parking, Reflections Restaurant and Bar, conference facilities and a garden setting complete with a lagoon and swimming pool.
“Teams returning this year also will find freshly-refurbished guest rooms and a new water play park, where they and their families can relax after a day’s hot competition.
“Finally, Oaks Oasis is ideally located. It’s close to the main north highway and access to the hinterland competition stages, while Caloundra itself offers everything a visitor needs, from beaches to restaurants to great shopping.” Oaks Oasis General Manager Greg Guilford welcomed the rally back for another year.
“The International Rally of Queensland, with drivers and crews from up to a dozen countries plus Australia, exciting cars and lots of media attention, brings a special buzz to the Oaks Oasis Resort,” Mr Guilford said.
“It also brings to the region and individual tourism operators like us valuable direct economic benefit, plus worldwide media exposure we could not achieve any other way.
“We look forward to welcoming back the rally teams and their supporters.”
The resort’s Reflections Restaurant and Bar will host a rally after-party open to the public on Sunday night 22 June.
Accommodation can be booked on the Oaks Oasis Resort website, www.oakshotelsresorts.com.au/oaks-oasis.
The International Rally of Queensland is supported through Tourism and Events Queensland’s Regional Development Program as part of a growing calendar of events across the State.
The International Rally of Queensland also is supported by the Sunshine Coast Regional Council.
Chris Nixon
Mob.: (0418) 759 417
Email: media@rallyqueensland.com.au
Web: rallyqueensland.com.au, aprc.tv, rally.com.au
CAMS to enforce Frontal Head Restraints
Acshon Racing
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PUBG Mobile and TikTok have been targeted and have been tagged with keywords like addictive and harmful. But we must carefully look at things to understand if these are justified.
Bodhisatwa Ray
@BodhisatwaRay
Published: April 22, 2019 4:32 PM IST
India and the world have been abuzz with apps and games such as TikTok and PUBG that have permeated into the popular culture over the past year. These apps and games burst forth into fame and people took these up like hotcakes being sold out. PUBG or PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is a battle royale game that is available on PC, consoles and most importantly on smartphones. TikTok, on the other hand, is a social media app based on user generated video content.
To speak plainly, PUBG Mobile which released last March, proved to be an extremely exciting game for smartphones topped with exciting visuals, clean mechanics and innovative concept. TikTok enabled just about anyone to be a video creator. And as is the fate of anything that becomes popular very quickly, using and playing these were termed ‘a fad’, a term that hardly ever conveys positivity.
With the news and media highlighting certain negative stories on PUBG Mobile where people who played the game went through mishaps, things began to escalate. A man from Kashmir was reported to have played PUBG too long and had a psychological breakdown, while another man apparently left his pregnant wife and children to focus playing the game. These stories were speculations at best with no basis towards the claims. Parents complained that their children were missing their studies because they spent too much time playing the game. This escalated the situation where it was banned in a college in Vellore first and then in the state of Gujarat in India, followed by countries such as Nepal and now Iraq.
Ubisoft makes Assassin's Creed Unity free following the Notre Dame Cathedral fire
Parents and authorities did support and act over these claims with the reasoning that the game involves guns and violence and hence inspires aggression. Having said that, none of the bans were backed by rational thought or method to back them up. If anything, they just seemed to be a knee jerk reaction based on speculation. Several recent researches including one at the Oxford university that show that games are hardly ever the motivator for aggression, instead they may even have the opposite effect on players.
To impress on the fact that games that involve violence or shooting are hardly catalyst in promoting aggressive behavior is that there have been games such as Counter Strike and Dota that are decades old with millions of players worldwide, but these never attracted bans of the sort. Of course there have been questions of whether they promote violence, but that is where the researches came in. As for the aspect of PUBG being an addictive game, that can’t even qualify as an argument, because gamers who play games such as Counter Strike and Dota 2 regularly play 10-12 hours a day, because that is the kind of dedication it needs to get better at the game. If parents really want their children to not play a mobile game for too long surely there are better ways to do it than asking the game to not exist, and one of those ways could be imposing a smartphone curfew. The real problem here is that parents are more likely to want a game banned than impose restrictions on their children because this deems the authorities as a blaming figure for the children rather than they themselves.
The arguments are similar when it comes to TikTok which has been deemed a sleaze app which apparently only has cringe worthy content by the populous that support banning and removing it from the app stores. The order for removal of TikTok from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store by the Madras High Court was worded as an app for inappropriate content. TikTok is a social media app, and if this contains sleaze or inappropriate content then how is the extremely popular Instagram, Facebook and even Twitter better off for that matter. The internet is full of inappropriate content and one app cannot be the be all and end all of this situation. As for the accidents that have happened because people were recording TikTok videos, this is a very thin argument which falls flat when countered that selfies have killed more people than either of these two apps combined. And yet we have popular figures, heads of states taking and promoting selfies by taking them all over the world. We must question then, why isn’t there a widespread ban on selfies? More importantly, one of the biggest and most important pitches for all the billion dollar smartphone companies are better front cameras for selfies.
Internet Freedom Foundation files PIL against PUBG ban in Gujarat
The result of banning PUBG and TikTok that we recently saw in India, could only be counteractive as all bans always have. Banning an app or game does not stop their idea or what these represented, and its reaction would never be a positive on from those that will be deprived from it. There will always be other games, social media apps and what could essentially have been a ‘fad’ would gain more prominence in its abstinence. But what is most important is that this is a gross imposition and curb on the freedom of choice and representation. Like the present statement from the Supreme Court of Nepal which stayed the ban order on PUBG rightly stated, “Since press freedom and freedom of expression are guaranteed by the constitution, it is necessary to prove that such bans are just, fair and reasonable, and the actions of the authorities concerned are wise and logical… if the ban was allowed to remain in effect, it could adversely impact people’s rights to freedom.”
WATCH: Android Q First Look
Extreme measures such as bans would almost always incite extreme results, and these should not be promoted when there are better alternatives to tackling the situation. The authorities could always reach out to the developers and work towards certain reasonable restrictions that could be implemented in the app – a good example would be how the Chinese government worked with game developers last year.
Published Date: April 22, 2019 4:32 PM IST
Telangana government officials face strict action after office TikTok videos go viral
PUBG Lite getting new 'Radio Message' feature from main game
Is Facebook launching new TikTok competitor?
Tencent Games has shared a list of PUBG Mobile cheaters
PUBG Mobile update with Season 8 Royale Pass rolling out
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Howl like a Wolf!: Learn to Think, Move, and Act Like 15 Amazing Animals
by Kathleen Yale, Kaley McKean (Illustrator)Kathleen Yale
2018 INDIES Winner Gold, Juvenile Nonfiction (Children's)
Gold Mom's Choice Award Winner
2019 National Parenting Product Awards Winner
Creative Child Magazine Book of the Year Award Winner
Honor Book for the 2018 Montana Book Awards
Nautilus Book Awards Gold Winner
What does it feel like to “see” with your ears like a bat or go through a full body transformation like a frog? Can you wriggle in and out of tight places like an octopus, camouflage yourself like a leopard, or do a waggle dance like a honeybee? This creative and beautifully illustrated interactive guide makes learning about animals fun for children ages 6 and up. Fifteen animals explain their amazing feats and invite kids to enter their world by mimicking their behavior — an imaginative approach to learning that fosters curiosity, empathy, and dramatic play.
Storey Books
Kathleen Yale spent more than 10 years chasing critters through the Rocky Mountains as a wildlife field biologist and holds degrees in conservation biology and environmental studies. She has served as Orion magazine’s Reviews editor and has authored text for a number of nature-related books and games for adults and children, including Mountain Goats of Glacier National Park, North American Birds, Backyard Birds, and Baby Animals of the World. Her essays, poems, and reviews have been published in various places including Orion, High Country News, Camas, Big Sky Journal, and High Desert Journal. She recently spent several years researching and writing creative and humorous scripts for the popular, award-winning educational YouTube channels SciShow and Crash Course. Yale currently lives with her family in Montana, just outside of Glacier National Park, where she works as a freelance writer and editor.
Kaley McKean is an illustrator based in Toronto. This is her first children's book. Visit her at kaleymckean.com.
Howl like a Wolf
Slide like a Penguin
Keep Cool like an Elephant
See like a Bat
Squeeze like an Octopus
Rattle like a Rattlesnake
Build like a Bowerbird
Engineer like a Beaver
Sneak like a Leopard
Sing like a Humpack Whale
Dance like a Honeybee
Joke like a Raven
Spray like a Skunk
Transform like a Frog
Graze like a Deer
Downloadable Masks
A 2018 Creative Child Magazine Book of the Year Award Winner
“Wild things who learn best by doing will appreciate the imaginative play . . . this is all about the action. As a bonus, masks can be downloaded from the publisher's website. . . . full of opportunities for participation.” — Kirkus Reviews
“An excellent nonfiction treat of information and dramatic play all rolled into one! ... A book that will be well-worn, loved and studied by animal-loving children ... Oh, how I have my fingers crossed for a follow up book with even more animals!” — ReadingRumpus.com
“As packed with legitimate learning as it is with legitimately fun activities. Yale’s passion and knowledge for the Earth and for children combines with inspired and beautiful art to make a pretty perfect package.” — Hank Green, co-creator of SciShow and CrashCourse
“A wonderful world of imagination and play where children can become the animals they love. Full of factual information presented in a fun and dynamic way; perfect for reading over and over again!” — Jessi Knudsen Castañeda, host of SciShow Kids
Fifteen animals introduce themselves and their behaviors. After each, youngsters are encouraged to talk or act like them. Readers meet creatures that run, slither, swim, fly; they might live in a tropical forest, in Antarctica, or in a river or ocean. Each one is known for a unique, sometimes peculiar, habit. The Table of Contents provides a list of antics to come: howl like a wolf, slide like a penguin, sing like a whale. Many animals will be recognizable to children, but one or two may be unfamiliar, such as the bowerbird, which builds an elaborate nest, decorates it with found objects, and dances and sings to lure a prospective mate. Critters are captured in rich, matte colors; environments are somewhat representational, such as the acid-yellow desert the rattlesnake occupies. In the concluding section of each brief chapter, one or two members of a diverse cast of children demonstrate the activities that emulate the animal in question. Some of these are easier to enact than others (some require a great deal of room and water), but wild things who learn best by doing will appreciate the imaginative play. Serious naturalists will regret the absence of standardized facts, such as habitat/region and size, as well as suggestions for additional reading, but this is all about the action. As a bonus, masks can be downloaded from the publisher's website.Somewhat limited in scope but full of opportunities for participation. (Nonfiction. 5-8)
Howl like a Wolf!: Learn to Think, Move, and Act Like 15 Amazing Animals 5 out of 5 based on 0 ratings. 1 reviews.
MomsChoiceAwards More than 1 year ago
A recipient of the Mom’s Choice Award! The Mom’s Choice Awards® (MCA) evaluates products and services created for parents and educators and is globally recognized for establishing the benchmark of excellence in family-friend media, products and services. Using a rigorous evaluation process, entries are scored on a number of elements including production quality, design, educational value, entertainment value, originality, appeal and cost. Around the world, parents, educators, retailers and members of the media trust the MCA Honoring Excellence seal when selecting quality products and services for families and children.
book by jackson landers
book by temple grandin
book by dale strickler
book by derek deek diedricksen
book by deborah l martin
harpercollins publishers animals book
An Herbalist's Guide to Growing & Using Violets
Since 1973, Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletins have offered practical, hands-on instructions designed to help readers ...
Since 1973, Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletins have offered practical, hands-on instructions designed to help readers master dozens of country living skills quickly and easily. There are now more than 170 titles in this series, and their remarkable popularity reflects the ...
Chowderland: Hearty Soups & Stews with Sides &
Sample Creamy Clam Chowder, Portuguese Caldo Verde Chowder, Northwest Salmon Chowder with Leeks and Peas, ...
Sample Creamy Clam Chowder, Portuguese Caldo Verde Chowder, Northwest Salmon Chowder with Leeks and Peas, Double Corn Summer Chowder, and more! Brooke Dojny offers 57 recipes for chowders of all kinds — made with meat, seafood, or veggies — plus ...
Cold-Climate Gardening: How to Extend Your Growing Season
Gardening in colder regions means dealing with early and late frosts, arctic winds, and inhospitable ...
Gardening in colder regions means dealing with early and late frosts, arctic winds, and inhospitable terrain. Sharing knowledge gained from years of gardening in northern Vermont, Lewis Hill provides proven methods for growing abundant vegetables and maintaining a beautiful landscape ...
Dishing Up Maryland: 150 Recipes from the Alleghenies
From the Chesapeake to the Alleghenies, Maryland offers a rich diversity of native foods and ...
From the Chesapeake to the Alleghenies, Maryland offers a rich diversity of native foods and traditions. Lucy L. Snodgrass’s compilation of 150 delicious recipes from the Old Line State’s most celebrated chefs will have you feasting on Corn and Quinoa ...
Easy-to-Build Birdhouses
Eating Aliens: One Man's Adventures Hunting Invasive Animal
North America is under attack by a wide range of invasive animals, pushing native breeds ...
North America is under attack by a wide range of invasive animals, pushing native breeds to the brink of extinction. Combining thrilling hunting adventures, a keen culinary imagination, and a passionate defense of the natural environment, Eating Aliens chronicles Landers’ ...
Forest Bathing Retreat: Find Wholeness in the Company
People have been retreating to the woods for quiet, meditation, and inspiration for centuries, and ...
People have been retreating to the woods for quiet, meditation, and inspiration for centuries, and recent research finds that time spent in the forest doesn’t just feel good but is, in fact, good for you. Inspired by the Japanese concept of ...
Growing and Using Cilantro
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by Jeremy PageJeremy Page
$13.50 $15.00 Save 10% Current price is $13.5, Original price is $15. You Save 10%.
"A moving portrait of a father who, unable to save what he most loved, tried to save what could have been." -The Atlanta Journal- Constitution
From the acclaimed author of Salt comes this exquisitely written and deeply haunting novel of love and family. When a terrible tragedy changes his family forever, Guy-alone and searching for answers-embarks in his old barge on the stormy waters of the North Sea, writing in his diary about the man he might have been and the family he should have had. His voyage unfolds in unexpected ways, and when he meets two women at sea on a similar quest, Guy realizes that it just might be possible to begin his life again.
Penguin Publishing Group
Jeremy Page has worked as a screenwriter and script editor for the BBC and Film Four and currently teaches creative writing at the University of East Anglia. He lives in London.
Within each horseradish leaf, where it unwinds from the stem, there’s a small bead of rainwater. He sees one there, shining brilliantly in the morning sun, as if it’s been placed, a jewel, pure and dazzling. It’s perfect. This will be lovely he thinks, leading his daughter towards the plant, her hand so small and cool in his own, both of them crouching over the leaves till their shadows merge. Briefly, the sunshine becomes extinguished from the drop of water, he repositions himself, and it sparks back to life. He imagines a direct unbending shaft of light, taut and without substance, stretching between the sun and its own captured sparkle, a miniature sun in itself, caught in some bend of the refraction.
She is captivated. Surprises like this, especially beautiful ones, always bring a brightness in her, too. She’s four years old, and already there is a sense of such conspiracy between them, father and daughter, such gorgeous intimacy. They share the fascination of pausing to look at things they discover, in detail, her waiting for him to explain what they see. It’s a familiar routine. And he knows even then, that he will want to hold on to this moment for the rest of his life, like the leaf holds its soft capture of that beautiful jewel, to be with her, in that wide sunny field in East Anglia, crouching by the horseradish plants.
From his position in the grass he has a low-angled view of his wife, Judy, sitting on a fallen branch about twenty feet away. She’s wearing dark glasses, and is bent over a small open book on her lap. He knows what she’s reading – a collection of poems, it’s for inspiration, for some lyrics she’s working on, and she likes to make notes in the margins. She has the pencil poised, and every so often he thinks he can hear her humming the tune. So typical of her, really, surrounded by such a perfect morning, to enter into her own private world, so readily. He smiles at her, at the thought of her, smiles at the way her knees are drawn together and the way both ankles bend awkwardly beneath them, giving her a childish look. She’s pretty, he thinks.
His daughter leans as soft as a reed against him as she looks down at the water droplet. She’s wearing one of her favourite dresses, and it smells of washing powder and warm cotton and just a hint, even in the field, of her bedroom’s mix of books and toys. It’s lilac, or had once been brighter than that but has faded, and is cut in an old-fashioned style which makes her more doll-like than usual, with a wide band round the waist which she tends to stroke in a comforting gesture. Around the hem at the bottom of the dress is an unusual trim of farm animals in a printed design, running after each other. They’d made up stories about these animals before, how the goose seems to chase the dog, and how the pig is seen chewing a flower. He looks at this design, stretched across her knees as she crouches in the grass, and he knows she’s itching to reach out and touch the bead of rainwater. She’ll probably knock it off the leaf, so he whispers Freya, watch this, as he holds the plant gently, from underneath, bending it gradually so the droplet begins to stretch and tremble. The leaf has prominent raised veins running across its surface in a root pattern, and the water adheres stickily to one of them, then begins to slide along the vein’s length, rolling, leaving absolutely no mark of wetness behind it, constantly gathering into its own flattened egg shape. The little sun in there dances and sparkles with new brilliance, and he can see how the shine from it has added an extra point of light on to the surface of the leaf.
‘Is it a raindrop?’ she asks.
‘No – not really.’
‘Daddy, is it a piece of the sun?’
He smiles. ‘That’s lovely,’ he whispers. ‘A sun-drop.’ He coaxes the water further along the leaf. ‘Look, it’s like mercury,’ he says, marvelling at it.
‘What’s mercury?’ she asks, carefully. Her voice is slow and deliberate and made a little husky by a child’s effort of whispering.
‘It’s a metal, but it’s liquid – I mean it’s wet like water.’
‘Oh,’ she says. He smiles at that, at the apparent nonsense adults sometimes say.
He encourages the droplet towards the tip of the leaf. ‘Look,’ he says, ‘look into the drop – can you see your reflection?’
Freya peers closer. He smells the malty scent of her breath which is always there when he is this close, whatever the time of day or night. She sucks in her lower lip for concentration, and he watches the corners of her mouth bending up in a little smile. A few tiny hairs there, above her upper lip. Keep it still Daddy, she says, and he tries to do so, but even the touch of his hands below the leaf, even his heartbeat in a far off part of his chest is enough to make the droplet tremble.
‘See the sun in there?’ he whispers. ‘The whole world’s in there if you look close enough.’
‘Can I touch it?’ she says. He nods, then waits while she reaches out, deliberately choosing a finger, then deciding on a different one, before she touches the water. Both of them see how it sticks instantly to her skin, making a small curving bridge between itself and her, before it separates into a pinhead of water on the tip of her finger, just below the nail. She holds her hand up to inspect the new, smaller droplet.
‘Is that like mercury?’ she asks.
‘Yes,’ he replies, thinking, No, it’s not like mercury at all – which is so grey and flat and without reflection, a dead and poisonous thing.
She pretends to lick it off her finger and begins to giggle. He laughs too, a child’s happiness so infectious. But her laughter deepens, becomes something else, not just amusement, but a reaction now, the kind of laugh she has when she watches a cartoon on TV.
‘What is it? What’s so funny, Freya?’ he asks, still smiling.
‘It’s silly,’ she says. ‘That pony’s being silly.’
He looks at her eyes, how she’s angled her eyebrows into an expression which is half amusement, and half worry – an expression of not quite grasping something, a complex expression she must have copied from somewhere. They try so many things out. And even there, even her being so young, there is a little worry-line above the nose on her forehead, like the tiniest of scratches.
‘What pony?’ he asks, amused.
‘...it’s doing a silly dance,’ she says, the laughter breaking through her words once more and the worry-line vanishing.
Guy half-turns, still crouching. He sees not a pony but a horse, a stallion, half-way across the field, and for a moment he smiles too, because the stallion does indeed seem to be dancing. It’s standing in a patch of bare earth where the rest of the pasture has worn away, and is rocking curiously back and forth in a restless motion, as if it’s caught in something. He has the feeling the animal may be in some sort of trouble. Maybe it actually is caught – snagged on a loose wire or section of fencing.
‘What do I do with it?’ Freya asks, lifting her finger to inspect the drop of water.
‘Whatever you like,’ he says.
‘I can’t take it home, can I?’
He smiles. ‘Freya, you’re lovely. I’m afraid not.’
She pretends to put it in the open pocket on the front of her dress, patting the pocket for safekeeping effect, then suddenly lifts it again and peers into it – the droplet almost touching her eyelashes. ‘Daddy, I can’t see the pony in the raindrop.’
‘No?’ he says, imagining the horse suspended upside down in the lens of water and, when he looks beyond at the field, he’s shocked to see the stallion is closer, much closer, as if it indeed has been magnified.
He sees then what he hopes Freya doesn’t see. The stallion has a startled bloodshot eye, and is rocking to and fro in an agitated motion, with an edge of wildness that makes it look untrustworthy. His first unconscious movement is to put an arm round his daughter. He feels the thin bones of her shoulder and realizes he is already starting to stand. She seems a lot smaller then, lower to the ground, closer to the field than him.
‘What’s the matter?’ Freya asks, her face angled up at him. He’s never been able to mask his surprise.
‘Nothing. Nothing’s the matter,’ he says. He glances at the stallion. He can’t gauge it. It’s a mottled grey with long unkempt black hair down the nape of the neck, and has a tail that’s short and flicking as it stands, side-on to them, at the other edge of the marshy area. It watches him wide-eyed, with a look of madness. He sees a quiver develop in the muscle on its flank, rising quickly across its back.
‘Judy,’ he says, in an urgent whisper, ‘Judy!’
She deliberately finishes the line she’s reading, then looks up at him, raising her hand to shield her eyes from the glaring sun. He looks at the two blank reflections of her sunglasses, and then sees a sudden and minute tightening of her mouth. The shock of it, seeing what he has only just seen himself. Involuntarily she too begins to stand and he puts out his arm to stop her, stop, movement is a thing to be cautious of. He looks at his fingers and he feels a tension he can almost grasp, in a widely emanating circle around them, centred on his hand as it holds the air still, holds on to nothing.
‘I don’t like that pony,’ Freya says, standing like a little statue by his side. She sounds disappointed – her love of horses is usually so overwhelming. Stop the car, she’ll say, every time they pass a horse field, clucking her cheek even as the car slows down, but here, she’s silent.
Where is he, he thinks, taking in as many details as he can. The field’s an open one, and rises all round them in the shape of a shallow dish. They’re just about in the middle of it. In the middle, at the bottom, it amounts to the same, with a marshy stream running from left to right, dividing the field roughly in two. The stallion’s on the other side of the stream, perhaps fifty feet away, still strangely rocking and lifting a front hoof hesitantly off the ground, looking lonely and deranged. What else – a tree, yes, the ancient oak under which Judy’s sitting, that was the thing they all headed for when they entered the field. It’s close. He keeps an eye on the horse and gathers Freya to him, holds her hand which has suddenly gone compliant and cold in his own.
‘Let’s go to the tree,’ he says, quietly, amazed at how calm his voice sounds. ‘That oak tree.’
‘All right,’ she says. He’s glad to hear her voice, that she’s still talking, glad to hear her voice is as steady as his own.
They walk slowly to the tree, to Judy, who has now risen to her feet as if she’s balancing something on her head, the book of poetry has fallen from her lap on to the soil. They approach her, across the marshy ground, which he notices for the first time is deeply rutted with the hoof marks of horses not in the field any more.
Beyond the stream the stallion does an abrupt theatrical stamp with one of its front hooves. Guy sees the ripple of the shock dart up the cartilage of the leg, so thin at the knee, but solid just above that, and rising into a slab of muscle which curves up to the shoulder like the side of a car. The stamp doesn’t scare him, but it makes him angry, angry that this animal has hijacked the moment, that it might scare Freya more than it needs to, maybe even put her off horses. And with some relief he notices the stallion has continued to face them side-on, and appears reluctant to make any kind of movement whatsoever, apart from the repeated jerks of its head as if it’s wrestling with invisible ropes.
‘What’s it doing?’ Judy says, quietly.
Guy shakes his head slowly. ‘I think it’s just showing off,’ he says, hopefully.
Judy has done a strange thing. She’s stepped the other side of the log, as if it’s a great barrier, and is holding out her hands for Freya to come towards her. Each hand stretches woodenly, pathetically, like she’s sleepwalking.
He can tell Freya has become scared. She’s gripping on to him and that might not be helpful, he thinks. He’ll have to make all the decisions, he knows that, but she’ll have to go along with them instinctively, without question.
He tells her not to worry. ‘He’s upset by something, that’s all.’ But as he’s saying that he knows the only thing that is possibly upsetting the stallion is the sight of them. The three of them, in this field.
Judy takes hold of his arm, above the elbow, her fingers are sharp and tensed on his muscle. That’s good, he thinks. It feels like an advantage of sorts, although he knows it’s no such thing. She’s strong – small, but with a mother’s strength. With her other hand she has grabbed Freya, on her shoulder. It’s like they’re lashing themselves together.
‘Where did it come from?’ Judy whispers.
Guy doesn’t know. It had been an empty field, like all the fields they’d walked through this morning. He’d been at the horseradish leaves, crouching, close to the ground. She’d been sitting on the fallen branch, reading. Sunglasses, he thinks, remembering how she had looked to him, so absorbed, both of them, and he notices she isn’t wearing them any more. They are lying a few feet away, unfolded on the grass.
‘It’ll move off,’ Judy says. ‘It’s probably just startled to see us here.’ Guy says yes, more to Freya than Judy and, trying not to alarm them, looks about for anything that he might pick up to ward it off. But there are no sticks, no weighty logs, only this knobbled dead branch lopped from the oak – huge and twisted and a perfect reading spot for his wife and her book of poems, but not something you could lift. The oak itself is above them, with a wide span of heavy dark arms, but the closest of the branches is at least twice his height. He notices Judy also looking up at the tree, and even Freya, this small person between them, looking up for heavenly answer, reaching the same conclusion a few seconds behind her parents.
‘We can’t climb it,’ he says, quickly looking for ways up the trunk, and seeing the countless bumps and calluses of the tree’s life but no clear hold.
‘You sure?’ Judy says, feeling the necessity to voice all options. Nothing he can easily scale, let alone with Freya and Judy too. You can cling to an oak but you can’t climb them, he thinks, and it would only make them more vulnerable to attempt it. He doesn’t want to make a wrong decision.
‘What shall we do if it doesn’t go?’ Judy asks, giving him a natural permission to act, to take the lead.
‘Let’s keep still,’ he whispers, ‘really still.’
Freya’s frozen to the spot anyway, but he sees her nod obediently below him, and he hears her swallowing. He has a strange impression of himself, standing with the others in the centre of the field. He must look ridiculous, all angles and vulnerable and out of his depth.
‘We’re here,’ he says, pathetically.
‘Didn’t you see it coming?’ Judy says, unable to mask an accusation.
‘No. No, I didn’t. Did you?’
The stallion makes a deep snorting sound and half-turns so its eye is again completely side-on to them. He sees the bend in its body just behind the front legs, where the skin has rippled into long lines that run the height of its flank. The grey hair has mottled patches of dirty brownish-black hair. Its head is a squared-off anvil which starts to dip and swing as he looks at it – as if the effort of keeping it in the air is not easy.
‘Perhaps it’s ill,’ he offers to his wife, worrying that that might be a worse scenario, and he hopes the horse might suddenly kneel down in the dirt. It would be a relieving sight, to see it keel over. He looks again at the stallion’s head: it has a wide brow and a long nose with prominently raised veins running across it, and dark nostrils surrounded by wet purplish skin. He sees a thickly matted scar poking through the whorls of black hair on the top of its head, and a small mean ear which twitches at flies whether they’re there or not.
‘Here’s what we’re going to do,’ he says, calmly. ‘We’re going to stand like this, perfectly still, till that thing moves off, OK?’ Neither Judy nor Freya say anything. ‘OK?’ he repeats.
‘Yes,’ Judy says, formally.
‘Right. Are you scared?’ he asks Freya.
‘No,’ she whispers, lying.
‘Neither am I.’
It’s ridiculous, to be standing like this, like scalded children, while this animal makes a blustery show of strength. Or territory, who knows. Keep your sodding field, he thinks, glad to discover some anger, but knowing also the world has reduced effortlessly in a matter of minutes to a few simple truths, just this field, and around him the intricate details of things that are no use – the grass and twigs under the oak tree – the dried tops of last year’s acorns, the patches of bare soil. A busy sense of nature which is indifferent and safe and nothing to do with him any more. Beyond that, the field itself, curving up a small rise towards a thin and distant hedgerow. It’s not a large field, but they’re a good three minutes run from any edge of it, slower if he’s carrying Freya, and there could easily be boggy patches that might be disastrous. The field’s like a desert, he thinks, an open space, exposed and dangerous, and the hedgerows around it are the borders to another country entirely – a country where he can make a thousand decisions and has all the time in the world to make them. He lets his thoughts run, hoping they might quarry a solution, then consciously he forces himself to think calmly, without panic. How did the horse get in here, he wonders, how did it just manage to appear like that on the small patch of dirt, and he has an unsettling vision of how it must have been, a few minutes ago, the stallion trotting noisily across the field, its hair shaking with the movement, while they’d been looking at the droplet of water, while Judy had been reading her poem. And while he’s imagining this he spots a five-bar gate on the brow of the field which is clearly half-open and leaning as if it’s come off its hinges. The gate’s open, he mouths to himself.
‘Daddy,’ Freya says, a little too loudly, ‘is it a pony or a horse?’
‘It’s a stallion.’
Perhaps there’s a mare and foal beyond that gate, on the other side of the hedge – it’s possible. Maybe the mare is afraid of them approaching the foal and the stallion is trying to warn them off? Who knows? It feels plausible, in a moment full of uncertainties. He doesn’t even know how long they’ve been standing here. Probably just a minute or two. But Judy’s reached her limit.
‘Let’s go,’ she says.
‘Judy,’ he answers, ‘it’s going to move off, you know, it’s going to get bored. We’re doing nothing to bother it.’
But at that moment the horse seems to drop a shoulder and lurch forward, stumbling into movement in fast trotting steps, beginning a steady jog which runs alongside the brook and turns into a wide curve towards them. Judy pulls at his arm, fixing herself to him, and Freya twists behind them, hiding, almost tripping him up as he takes a step back. It’s moving too quickly. His mind freezes, staring at the ridge of coarse hair, shaking with each step along its spine. At the random pattern of splattered mud across its back, at the heavy sense of muscle bending along its side, details, he’s trying to take it in, trying to work it out, when suddenly it stops, as abruptly as it started, mistrust in its every move, on the edge of the marshy grass, its stilt-like hooves sinking, readjusting, making puncture holes in the ground that fill immediately with dirty water.
Judy swears, pulling him and Freya back as she does so, towards the oak tree.
‘Let’s get behind that trunk,’ she says, practically, and he knows that’s what they have to do and he has the unsettling image of the three of them, trying to skirt the big tree while that horse comes at them, and all three of them tripping up on each other and tripping up on those big roots he can see sticking out along the ground. It’s full of its own perils.
‘I’m not sure,’ he says. He takes a quick look at her expression, gauging it, and sees how dark and intense her eyes have become, her face is as sharp as an axe head. She’s not to be disagreed with. But just as they have started to move they all immediately stop, reacting on instinct to a new series of actions from the horse. A tossing and throwing of its head, its lips pulled back to reveal a dirty set of wide flat teeth. He sees strands of saliva falling from the mouth, the bumps of skin above, around the nostrils. Nostrils flaring in dark holes like the barrels of a gun, and he realizes he’s seeing these things in more detail now, because the animal is closer, much closer.
Freya is twisting in his grip, doing the wrong thing, he looks at her shoes so clumsily placed in the soil, oddly turned. He imagines her running, how ineffective it would be, and he hopes the horse might tire or trip off to another edge of the field. Just a show of strength. Protecting its foal and family. A show of strength. And at that moment the stallion decides to come at them, dropping its shoulder like it did before but this time directed towards them, head on, in a stamping, bucking trot which shakes the horse as it gathers pace. It slews one way and for a second moves sideways at them, as if approaching a fence, its dark brittle hooves rising in uncertain steps – but still closing the distance, the horse snorting loudly and Guy sees its lips peeled back once more as it swings its head and neck from side to side. One crazed eye looks at him, then the other, afraid, but compelled to act. The head lowers in three sudden movements and he hears Freya scream and knows she’s frozen. They all have. But with the scream he knows this is really happening – this is the beginning of a chain of events. They hear the hooves punching the wet mud and then the eerily hollow sound as it gallops across the dried earth under the tree, beneath the tree which until that point had been their tree, their protected patch of earth.
Guy does everything to avoid the mouth that lurches at him. He shouts a manic wharr! at it and the horse bridles, pulled up by phantom reins. For a moment he sees it impossibly tall, reared up, its onward momentum held at bay then, falling forward at him, scaring itself and rushing by in a skittish, terrified dash. The stallion has thundered past, close, a shuddering dark shape of hair and solid curves, in the middle of it he had seen part of the head, tossing violently as high as his own head, the white of the horse’s eye stretching, blurred, into the carpeted hair of its cheek. He’d seen a filthy tobacco stain of wetness, around its eye socket. And then the glisten of saliva, a thin strand of it, looping through the empty air after the horse vanished, with a snake-like motion, twisting as it fell. Guy has been stamped on; his foot feels shattered, leaving a hot sensation in his shoe, and he smells the stallion’s unmistakable odour, a dark musk of outside fear which holds his jacket like a grip, even now.
He looks for the others and cannot see them, the way things must wipe away after a hurricane and, instead, he sees a glimpse of the horse as it trots away, an oddly feminine gait to it, much less fast than he thought it had been. He stares at the ugly raised stump of its tail, so like a bend of old rope, and the dry waxy folds of its backside.
An awareness floods him, quite suddenly, an overwhelming sense of strength surrounding him and he knows his body is at its centre, capable, intact, and with an arm which feels entirely disembodied from himself he reaches out into the blue nothingness that engulfs him and he literally sweeps Freya up in one curving motion which has her suddenly held to his face. She stares deeply into his eyes, trying to find a father’s answers. He stumbles, wounded but invigorated, to the tree, and tries to push Freya up into it while Judy shouts something from near to him, or not so near, he’s not that sure, and the tree almost comically seems to grow higher out of his reach as if wanting to be no part of this and Judy is shouting a warning again and Guy turns this time to see the stallion, once more, circling faster now, building a new momentum, still throwing its head up at imaginary riders. Guy hears an ugly rasping huh noise across the field and he stares unbelievingly as the animal stumbles into a light-footed trot, coming at them. Judy must distract it, he thinks, she must wave at it and split its target so its run will miss them all. But she doesn’t. The hooves begin to hit the ground faster, an accelerating rhythm of one after the other, then in unison, bucking the front part of the stallion higher in quick shaking jerks, as the head lowers, swinging from side to side, until he sees the length of hair stretching down its back.
The second charge has more purpose. Guy screams at the horse, finds himself taking a rash leap towards it, and for a second he is across the animal’s neck, lifted up, moving across the ground – he sees the grass blur as his separation from the others increases. A glimpse of the horseradish leaf, then of his daughter standing as rigid as a small scarecrow, white with fear, whiter than he’s ever seen her before. He falls forward from the stallion and seems to be overrun, run over, slipping down the animal’s front under its head and his cheek becomes smeared with a great wipe of wetness from hair or skin, and then the relief to be falling, to be separate from the horse at least, although he sees it in terrible closeness, even the swinging motion of its throat, brushing him off, and the hardness of the animal getting even harder and more solid as he falls beneath it. Soft marshy ground here and the stallion’s front leg punches into the mud like a steel piston right by his face and Guy gets splattered by drops of soft wet mud and is then alone again.
The field has a kind of stunned silence to it as Guy lifts himself on to one elbow and sees the oak tree and Judy and Freya still standing a little way from it. Judy, wanting to run to her husband, holding herself back to be with Freya. Both of them look so relieved, so happy in this little instant, it’s a sight which fills him with love, their care, their absolute loyalty. The others are safe. He must have been brave, leaping at the horse like that, and perhaps it balked as a result, at the last minute; the danger’s over now. He looks at Judy, and surprisingly they smile at each other. It’s a strange moment, but it’s really there, a warm smile between them, no sense of panic or recrimination or anything other than sheer relief.
He lifts himself up, a little groggily, and limps towards them.
It’s actually a surprisingly little distance to be together again, and he hugs them, he’s winded and defeated but he was their best chance, and then he looks for the stallion, knowing he’s now acting instinctively, without caution. He’s declared himself – he’s declared that their life came before his. It’s given him a wonderful sense of rightness, to be thinking this way.
‘It’s OK now,’ he says, and then he says, ‘where is that thing?’ and he sees it trotting in a wider circle, collecting itself, the bastard, getting its breath back.
‘The horse is so strong,’ he says, absurdly, to the others, and he looks at the animal as it shakes itself down again, as if shaking off the memory of the man who’d briefly hung on its neck.
The first attack, yes, that was terrible, but the second one, I won that, he thinks. It’s been scared off. Learn your lesson, and as he looks at the horse now he wonders how long it had taken to better this animal. It hadn’t been agile. When it came at them, it didn’t even try to deviate from the run. There was no disguise to the direction. It was determined, but it was really just a blatant show of bullying aggression and force.
There was an element of sport too, to have faced this thing. The stallion’s runs had been brief and had clearly taken their toll. It had seemed petrified, even as it ran at them. Disorientated. He sees it across the field, breathing too quickly, its snorts and whinnies almost overlapping themselves. He imagines its great lumbering heart jerking rapidly and beyond its limit, and he wants it to die.
‘I think it’s over now,’ Judy says, calmly, bringing his attention back to being with them. She’s holding him tenderly and he notices she has the book of poems back in her hand, she’s picked it up, in itself that smallest of gestures must mean the danger has now passed. The stallion has proven its point, it can go back through the gate to be with its family, if there is one, it can receive their gratitude and adoration if that’s all it needs. He sighs with relief, and crouches down to take a breath, and to make himself equal with Freya, to be on her side, her support and friend. Freya comes to him, so upset, so terribly small, her love for horses shattered, and he holds her, feels her warmth like it’s the most precious substance the world can offer, which it clearly is. She whispers to him in a dry voice that she wants to go home now, can they go home now, and he smiles and says yes, let’s go. And as he holds her and nestles into her neck he hears Judy’s dead calm voice whisper Oh no, oh dear God no and Guy doesn’t even look, he just pushes Freya away, pushes her to get behind that tree, that great solid tree, Freya can run round that trunk all day – the horse is too frightened to keep this up for long, and Guy has his daughter safe behind that commanding oak, at least, when the stallion begins to face him a third time. When he turns to confront it he discovers he now has a stump of wood in his fist, it’s not a branch but it’s heavy. The block of wood has been by their feet all along, but only now he’s realized it’s in fact a pretty good weapon. He can use it like a brick to club the horse on the jaw. Maybe break a tooth, or he can try and jam the corner of the log into the eye. He’s capable of anything. He’s seen this animal up close, knows where the patches of skin might be softer. He’s earned an understanding of this danger, and a right to be cruel.
Guy has made this fight his own now, and the stallion knows it too, preparing itself, its head swinging in small movements from left to right. Perhaps a horse cannot see absolutely straight ahead, he thinks, abstractly. He knows that whatever happens at the end of this run the horse will lose interest, will stand panting in the pasture with total indifference and he and Judy and Freya will be able to walk calmly back to the gate as if nothing happened. He’ll be able to brush the mud from his jeans, wipe the sweat from his palms and internalize the fear as his own, protect them, make light of what’s happened. He sees its eye and flash of hair across the head, the spot just high of the mouth he will dig the log into. Guy braces himself for the arrival of the force as the animal canters at him, knowing instinctively that the tiny colourful disturbance at the edge of his vision is wrong, a wrong thing, his daughter, abandoning the tree in a reckless dash. She’s stumbling in little trippy steps across the grass in what seems to be a crazy intersection towards the stallion. Guy hears a simultaneous panicked shout from Judy and he knows this next second, this next momentous second, could become the worst moment of his life, the worst moment any man would ever have to witness, and he’s struck rigid with the sudden overwhelming effort of keeping the impossible from happening, the effort of keeping these things apart.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Sea Change"
by .
Copyright © 2011 Jeremy Page.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Page (Salt) provides a fresh perspective on parallel lives in his latest novel about life after the death of a child in a seaside English town. Five years after the loss of his young daughter, Guy is living alone on a boat drifting aimlessly about the North Sea. His world is far from uninhabited, however, as the characters of his diary swirl about his mind. He writes about what could have been, imagining a life where his daughter is still alive and accompanying her still-married mother and father on a road trip through America. Interestingly, domestic bliss doesn't permeate the fantasy; the tale is wracked with drama and familial discord. As Guy teeters between two lives, the thin line of reality becomes very hard for him to discern. He struggles to find answers in both the endless sea and vast imagined stretches of America, and eventually comes into contact with another family, also reeling from loss, which gives rise to the possibility of stability and comfort. With lyricism and poise, Page renders a doubly engaging story, with one narrative as intricate and essential as the other. (Dec.)
A lyrical and elegiac novel about a real past and an imagined future.
A family tragedy forces Guy, the main character, to relocate on an old Dutch ship, the Flood, a 90-foot coastal barge on which he lives. The tragedy occurs when Guy, his wife Judy and his young daughter Freya are picnicking in a field on a "perfect" day. Something freakish and unimaginable happens—a loose stallion wildly attacks them and tramples Freya. Three months after, after they come close to completing a double suicide out of despair, this incident leads to the breakup of Guy and Judy's marriage. Guy spends the next five years of his life roaming about the North Sea area on the Flood. Each night he lovingly crafts a fantasy life in his diary, imagining himself into the life that might have been had Freya not died and his marriage not collapsed. Page (Salt, 2007) alternates his narrative between Guy's dismal present—the cold, damp, windy and occasionally treacherous conditions of life on the sea—and the deeply personal imaginative projection of the life-that-might-have-been, including a trip across America and a Nashville recording session for Judy. His life on the ship is complicated when he meets Marta, an attractive woman with a gorgeous 22-year-old daughter, Rhona. Both women are attracted to Guy, but he finds himself in a curious chronological limbo, for he's ten years younger than Marta and 15 years older than her daughter. Both relationships verge on the sexual but never quite get there. Meanwhile, in Guy's diary all is not well, for Judy begins an affair with Phil, a musician who'd played in a folk band with both Guy and Judy—and it turns out that Guy's imagined version of events mirrors what actually happens in his life.
In this impressive novel, Page is at home on the estuaries around the North Sea, on a journey across America and in the lonely spaces in family relationships.
Sea Change 4.5 out of 5 based on 0 ratings. 4 reviews.
tututhefirst on LibraryThing More than 1 year ago
A stunning novel, one that provokes a string of adjectives to describe the experience it brings to the reader: haunting, eerie, poignant, memorable, distressing. Guy watches as his four year old daughter is killed....this happens at the very beginning of the book, and right there, I was seriously tempted to abandon further reading. I don't like violence to children, but this one is written in such a dreamlike way that I was trying to figure out what was really happening.After that 1st short chapter, we are suddenly catapulted to a scene that is five years later, and Guy is alone on a barge floating in tidal coastal waters near the North Sea. He spends his time writing a diary of what he thought his life with his family would have been. This surreal narration is interspersed with his introspection as his navigates the waters and spends his lonely hours filling time with music, reading, and the essentials of daily life.He meets fellow marine nomads, an older woman and her barely adult daughter. As he shares a few days with them, he begins to recover from his previous loss, and we get fleshed out details of what else happened to him at the beginning of the story. This story is not a rip-snorting adventure story, nor a fast paced narrative. It floats along at about the same pace as his daily life on the barge. Simply put, in spite of his dreams to the contrary, life goes on, inexorably drawing him to the sea. The story culminates in a splendid maritime storm scene that even non-sailors can appreciate, with a trance like and somewhat bizarre ending that will satisfy some readers and leave others scratching their heads. It is a splendid piece of writing. Page's prose is exquisitely evocative, and produces images that allow readers who have never been to sea, or to the North Sea area of the world, to experience the sights, sounds, smells, swells and sensations of a "sea change."
JackieBlem on LibraryThing More than 1 year ago
I got pulled into this book by its beautiful, descriptive language. The land, the water, the boat were characters that participated in the plot in very real ways. And the world "real" means a lot here, because the main character, Guy, is at best half real. He lives on an old barge, trolling around the North Sea's coast, lost in more ways than one. Five years prior a terrible fluke accident had occurred and his young daughter was killed. His marriage did not survive long after her death. At least in the real world. But every night Guy sits in his boat and writes a diary of what could have/should have been. It is far more of his life than the physical world is. Until a chance encounter with another woman and her daughter gives him a glimpse of a possible connection to and future in the real world. The question is if that glimpse has come in time. This is a quiet, layered book that leaves you pondering what happens in it long after the last page is turned.
Tribute_Books_Reviews More than 1 year ago
Some pieces of literature are art in its highest form. "Sea Change" by Jeremy Page is one of those books. He paints with words instead of merely constructing a narrative. His writing style is lyrical. He transports the reader into a world fully realized and created on the page. Things begin in a surreal fashion. Guy and Judy are enjoying a carefree day in a secluded field with their preschool-age daughter, Freya. Page opens with the beautiful image of the young girl capturing a small bead of rainwater from a leaf. The peaceful moment is broken when out of nowhere, a wild stallion appears. He charges the unsuspecting couple killing Freya. The setting shifts to five years after the accident. Divorced from Judy, Guy is living alone on a houseboat incessantly writing in a diary about what the couple's life would have been like if Freya had lived. He vividly imagines an alternative existence for the three of them. With maps filling the cabin, he envisions a family road trip across the southern United States. While fashioning this parallel world, ugly truths begin to emerge from his inner consciousness as he struggles to maintain a sense of what is real and what is not. Stopping at a coastal pub where he once shared a poignant moment with Judy, Guy encounters Marta and her daughter, Rhona. Marta is a recent widow trying to come to terms with her husband's passing. Rhona, a wild child now in her twenties, expresses her grief through sexual provocation and suicide attempts. Despite the drama they bring to his solitary existence, Guy begins to feel an intimate connection to them. His feelings for Rhona are complicated. At times, he feels nothing but lust, or he looks at her like the daughter he once had who never had the chance to grow up. On the other hand, he looks at Marta as a kindred spirit who possesses the innate ability to truly understand him. Throughout the book, nature is framed as a powerful adversary. In a foolhardy frame of mind, Guy heads straight into the storm clouds of the treacherous North Sea. As he struggles to stay alive, he has a ghostly visitation from Freya. Throughout the novel he is desperate to get back to her, but he comes to realize she has been there the entire time. She has never left him, and never will. The ending of "Sea Change" is quite extraordinary. Page knows what the reader wants. However, he doesn't take the easy way out with a predictable pattern. Instead, he hands the reins over to Guy. It is truly an inspired twist. One that garners a more appreciative response from the reader rather than if Page tied all of the loose ends in a neat bow. It is an open-ended conclusion, but that's what makes it more fulfilling. Overall, the brutal power of nature pales in comparison to the tumult of one's inner life.
book by john shors
book by martin page
book by jeremy clarkson
book by karen white
book by jeremy rifkin
book by rachel carson
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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Wives comes another riveting novel of the Schuyler sisters—where the epic story of star-crossed lovers in pre-war Europe collides with a woman on the run in the swinging '60s...In the autumn of ...
Cathedral of the Sea
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An unforgettable fresco of a golden age in fourteenth-century Barcelona, Cathedral of the Sea is a thrilling historical novel of friendship and revenge, plague and hope, love and war. Arnau Estanyol arrives in Barcelona to find a city dominated ...
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Ignorance is bliss, or so hopes Antoine, the lead character in Martin Page's stinging satire, How I Became Stupid'a modern day Candide with a Darwin Award-like sensibility. A twenty-five-year-old Aramaic scholar, Antoine has had it with being brilliant and deeply ...
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A dazzling new collection from an award-winning poet--longlisted for the 2015 National Book Award for ...
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Stangle Award for Distinguished Service
Established in honor of Trustee Emeritus Bruce Stangle ’70, P’96, the Stangle Award for Distinguished Service to the Bates Community recognizes Bates leaders whose body of work has touched countless Bates people and helped them become better professionals in their careers or in their volunteer work.
+Robert E. Cramer ’79, P’13, P’14
In 2017, the award was presented to Robert E. Cramer ’79, P’13, P’14 by President Clayton Spencer during Reunion Weekend.
This award, as many of you know, is given to acknowledge Bates leaders whose body of work has helped alumni and students become better professionals, in their careers or in their volunteer work.
Rob, it’s no exaggeration to say that this honor was made for you. As an executive with RBC Wealth Management and now with Oppenheimer, you have, for many years, provided Bates graduates who are interested in the world of finance with invaluable advice. Beyond offering wise counsel that has set many young alumni on the path to career success and lives of meaningful work, you have also, in a number of cases, played a direct role in placing Bates graduates at your firms.
One such grateful alumnus is Zak Ray, of the Class of 2007, who, when asked to share his thoughts about the power of your support, said, “Anything for Rob.”
Zak, who, at the time, was the third Bates graduate Rob brought into the Boston office at RBC, says that Rob knows the adjustment to investment banking for liberal arts students can be a challenge, which is why he structured his analyst program such that each new Bates hire would learn the ropes from a Bates graduate Rob hired two years prior.
“Unlike many investment banking bosses,” says Zak, “Rob encouraged us to be curious about other opportunities and to prepare for them. He also made it abundantly clear that he respected our work and that he would be thrilled to have us stay on for as long as we wished. His devotion to helping students has created, outside of Lewiston, an ever-expanding circle of Bates alumni. We often meet as a group for lunch with him to discuss business opportunities, consult with each other on career opportunities, and most importantly enjoy Rob’s company. Many of us never set foot on the Bates campus together as students, but we all have two things in common — Bates and Rob. From the day we met him, Rob was the best of bosses, our career consultant, and our friend.”
At Bates, we strive to give our students a strong bridge to life after college. Rob, you have been a champion in this effort.
For your long service to Bates as co-chair of the Mount David Society Committee as well as a member of the Alumni Council, Bates Fund Executive Committee, the Parents Fund Committee, the Class of ’79 Reunion Gift Committee, and the College Key — and your dedication to helping Bates alumni acquire the knowledge, experiences, and relationships necessary to pursue their career aspirations, it is my great pleasure to present you with The Bruce Stangle Award for Distinguished Service to the Bates Community.
+Edmund J. Wilson ’62
In 2016, the award was presented to Edmund J. Wilson ’62 by President Clayton Spencer during Back to Bates: Homecoming & Family Weekend.
With the alumni honor he is receiving today, it is fitting to say that Ed has achieved the Bates equivalent of horse racing’s Triple Crown. In 2012, Ed received the Helen A. Papaioanou Distinguished Alumni Service Award. That same year, he received a Bates’ Best Award. Today we honor him with the Bruce Stangle Award for Distinguished Service to the Bates Community.
Ed, rarely, if ever, has a Bates graduate received all three alumni awards. We find ourselves faced with the wonderful dilemma of running out of ways to honor you for your long and loyal service to the college and to Bates alumni.
For those of you who may not know, Ed’s service to Bates and his classmates began 57 years ago, when, in his freshman year, he began the first of his four terms as class president. Faculty and staff elected him to the College Key. He also distinguished himself in athletics by captaining the baseball team and winning All-East ECAC honors in football and the team’s Alan C. Goddard Achievement Award.
Not long after graduating from Bates with a bachelor’s in history, Ed landed what he considered to be his dream job — the chance to work at Bates as assistant to Dean of Admission Milt Lindholm. It was, as Ed described it, the chance to learn college admissions from “the master. The dean of deans.” Three years on, his appetite for work in college administration whetted, he left Bates to earn a master’s in student personnel services at Columbia. He then earned an MBA at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, where he would become among the school’s most popular administrators over the next 30 years, first as director of admissions and financial aid, then as director of the executive master’s program, and finally associate dean for student affairs.
While he may have rooted for the Wildcats throughout his storied career at Northwestern, he never stopped being a loyal Bobcat. In addition to generously serving Bates as a member of the Board of Trustees, Ed has been a class agent for nearly 20 years, an Alumni-in-Admission volunteer, and a 50th-Reunion chair. He is now a member of the Cheney Society and is hard at work to make sure the Class of 1962 has a splendid 55th Reunion this coming June.
If you ask alumni about Ed, you will hear about his eagerness to mentor alumni and make them feel at home in the Bates community. “After I was accepted to Kellogg,” recalls one alumnus, “I traveled to Evanston to visit the campus. When Ed learned of my arrival, he was kind enough to show me around, introduce me to faculty, and take me to lunch. When I moved there, his grace and generosity only expanded. His selflessness continues to show me what it means to be a loyal and supportive member of the alumni community.”
Ed, through your deep affection for Bates alumni you have done just what the Stangle Award recognizes — you have always helped make connections for Bates people, for the benefit of their careers, their lives, and the college.
It is my great pleasure and privilege to present you with this year’s Bruce Stangle Award for Distinguished Service to the Bates Community.
+Jennifer Guckel Porter '88, P'15
In 2015, the award was presented to Jennifer Guckel Porter ’88, P’15 by Michael Lieber ’92, president of the Alumni Association, and Lisa Romeo ’88, vice president of the Alumni Association, during Back to Bates: Homecoming & Family Weekend.
Since she graduated from Bates in 1988 with membership in Phi Beta Kappa and honors in economics, Jennifer Guckel Porter has compiled a resume that is, without a doubt, a Fortune 500 headhunter’s dream: an MBA from Stanford, vice president of operations for Einstein Bros. Bakery, chief operating officer of the corporate concierge service Circles, managing partner of the consulting firm Spencer and Bean, chief operating officer of Sentinel Jet, and now founder and managing partner of The Boda Group, where she now provides leadership development and executive coaching to a broad range of multinational companies, all household names.
In that same time, she has compiled a record of service to Bates and her fellow alumni that is equally impressive. A Bates Trustee since 2005, Jennifer was one of the founders of the Bates Boston Business Network and has been an active member of the Alumni Council, the Bates Fund Executive Committee, her Reunion Gift Committee, and the Parent’s Fund.
It is especially fitting that Jennifer receives this award since she frequently shares her expertise in leadership development and coaching with other alumni, offering invaluable career advice to those in need — something she generously credits Bruce for doing with her and so many other Bates alumni. Jennifer, the same can be said of your stewardship of the Bates community.
Jennifer, you are a tireless and devoted champion for our alma mater, demonstrating the power of engagement in service to alumni and the college. On behalf of the Bates College Alumni Association, it is our privilege to present you with the Bruce Stangle Award for Distinguished Service to the Bates Community.
+Bruce Stangle ’70, P’96
In 2012, Bruce Stangle ’70, P’96 was the inaugural recipient of this award in recognition of his work mentoring, guiding, hiring, and advocating for Bates students and alumni of all ages throughout their career exploration, professional advancement, and service to the College.
At Bates, Bruce majored in English. He played hockey, golf, and intramural sports. He earned an M.S. in management and a Ph.D. in applied economics from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Bruce’s wife, Emily Siegel Stangle, Class of 1972, and their children join us this evening.
Bruce has always been a very engaged alumnus and Trustee. He sits on the Board’s Governance, College Advancement, and Investment committees. He served on the Leadership Gifts Committee and the Campaign Committee for the most recent Campaign for Bates. Bruce and Emily have generously supported the Harward Center for Community Partnerships, student and faculty research in Economics, the Betty Doran Stangle Chair in Applied Economics, Frank’s Lounge in the dorm at 280 College Street, and Pettengill Hall. Bruce chairs the Friends of Bates Athletics Leadership Council and was an early and active supporter of the Garcelon Field Project. He is also a founding leader of the Boston Bates Business Network, serving on the Steering Committee and vocally supporting the Business Networks for the past ten years.
But even beyond his great dedication and general service to the Bates community at large, we create and confer the new Bruce Stangle Award with a focus on Bruce’s extraordinary leadership in career development. Bruce has devoted countless hours to talking with, advising, and connecting Bates students and alumni so they could reach their full professional potential. Bruce has served as a Bates Career Development Center advisor, a Career Discovery Internship sponsor, a speaker, and a host for many Career Development and Business Network events. He and his firm have been committed to recruiting and hiring from Bates for many years. This goes beyond just looking at Bates resumes: Analysis Group actively recruits Bates students and creates internships for them during school breaks. In addition, Bruce gets personally involved and provides critical feedback to Bates about how our students are faring, what additional preparation they need, and what is necessary for them be competitive in the job market.
A true testament to the depth of his personal commitment, Bruce often has the most significant impact behind the scenes. Whether it’s a current student who has no idea where they’re headed and sends him an email, a recent alum he meets at a BBBN event, a mid-career acquaintance considering a career shift, an entrepreneur with a new idea, or a Bobcat nearing retirement, Bruce can be counted on to listen, offer thoughtful and straight counsel, make an introduction, and give endless encouragement.
Beyond helping Bates students and alumni in their careers, Bruce has mentored many Bates volunteers to achieve excellence in the work they do for the College. From brand new alumni serving on a committee, to members of the Business Network Steering Committee, to fellow Trustees looking for guidance in fulfilling their potential, Bruce provides clear insight, straight talk, helpful guidance, and warm support. Bruce’s impact will ripple through the Bates community and multiply in the world for decades to come, as the alumni he has touched go on to accomplish great things and serve both our community and society at large in countless important ways.
Bruce, you and your family have given more to Bates and our community than we could ever thank you for. Your career development leadership on behalf of Bates students and alumni, your gifts of time and talent to important programs at the College and in the wider world, your personal leadership, shining example, and long dedication to so many priorities for Bates – all these things have had immeasurable impact on Bates and the world. We are forever touched, and ever grateful, for your generous devotion.
It is our distinct honor to present to you this inaugural Bruce Stangle Award for Distinguished Service to the Bates Community.
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Alumni Call For News
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Tech selected
Dyson invests £5m in robotic vision lab with Imperial
By Matthew Wall Technology reporter, BBC News
Image copyright dyson
Image caption Sir James Dyson has always been an evangelist for engineering
Dyson, the engineering company best known for its bagless vacuum cleaners, is to invest £5m in a robotics lab at Imperial College, London.
The research will focus on vision systems that can help robots understand and adapt to the world around them, the company said.
Dyson has been working on robotics with Imperial's Prof Andrew Davison since 2005, and he will run the new lab.
The research will cover domestic robots as well as robotic vacuum cleaners.
Sir James Dyson said: "My generation believed the world would be overrun by robots by the year 2014. We now have the mechanical and electronic capabilities, but robots still lack understanding - seeing and thinking in the way we do.
"Mastering this will make our lives easier and lead to previously unthinkable technologies."
In 2001, Dyson's prototype robotic vacuum cleaner - the DC06 - nearly made it into production, but Sir James pulled the product saying it was too heavy and expensive.
Image caption Dyson's prototype DC06 robotic cleaner never made it to market
Since then a number of small robotic vacuum cleaners, such as LG's Hom-Bot and iRobot's Roomba, have come on to the market
The five-year investment, supplemented by an additional £3m of match-funding from other sources, will pay for 15 scientists, including some of Dyson's own engineers, the company said.
Prof Davison, currently head of robot vision at Imperial's department of computing, is an expert in Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) systems using a single camera.
He said: "A truly intelligent domestic robot needs to complete complex everyday tasks while adapting to a constantly changing environment.
"We will research and develop systems that allow machines to both understand and perceive their surroundings - using vision to achieve it."
In January, Dyson announced a £250m investment to double the size of its research centre in Wiltshire and hire 3,000 more engineers.
The company said it had "drawn up a blueprint" for the largest expansion in its 20-year history.
The plans include a new technology research and development campus but are still subject to planning permission.
CES 2014: Samsung Smart Home aims to connect devices
Video CES 2014: Robot window cleaner gets to work
Dyson plans to double UK research site in Wiltshire
Dyson to recruit 250 new engineers in Malmesbury
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Who do you want to know about?
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Home > Categories > Sports > Football > Guus Hiddink's Biography
Guus Hiddink's Biography
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Guus Hiddink Facts
Photo of Gus Hiddink by Новикова Юлия [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink was born on 8 November 1946 in Varsseveld, Holland.
His father Gerhardus was a hero in the Dutch resistance during the Second World War.
At 15, Hiddink played for SC Varsseveld's senior team. Subsequently he played mainly for De Graafschap with a brief spell at PSV Eindhoven.
His football management career was more notable than his playing career.
In 1988 he managed PSV Eindhoven to not just winning the Dutch league but also the European Cup. He also managed Fenerbahçe and Valencia before becoming manager of Holland, where his side reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in 1998.
He accomplished the same feat, but more surprisingly when his South Korea side reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2002, Hiddink having had spells at the helm of Real Madrid and Real Betis in between.
Guus Hiddink then had more success at PSV before becoming manager of Australia and, later, Russia.
In 2009, whilst still managing Russia, he had temporary charge of Chelsea and guided them to victory in the FA Cup.
After a spell as manager of Turkey, Hiddink returned to being Holland's manager but left in June 2015.
A note of controversy entered Hiddink's life when in 2007, he was found guilty of tax fraud by a Dutch court and given a six-month suspended jail sentence, plus a fine.
In December 2015, Hiddink revealed that he was in talks to rejoin Chelsea, after they had sacked Jose Mourinho, and his appointment to the role was announced on 19 December 2015.
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Priority booking
Six-week course, beginning Thu 16 May 2019, 18:00 - 20:00
This event has taken place
Email: boxoffice@bl.uk
Full Price: £295.00 Member: £295.00 Other concessions available
Discover Gothic literature
Course dates: Thursdays 16, 23, 30 May and 6, 13, 20 June 18.00 – 20.00
Read the course outline.
Gothic has been thrilling, delighting and disgusting its readers and audiences for over 250 years. It is both highly conventional and infinitely adaptable. Over the years, its casts of vampires, monsters, ghosts, zombies and persecuted protagonists have passed through Italian castles, Victorian mental asylums, New Orleans marshes and terraced houses in Bristol.
This series of six seminars acts as an introduction to Gothic, from Horace Walpole to Twilight. En route it will take in a novel by the 'Shakespeare of romance writers' Ann Radcliffe, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and short stories by Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Angela Carter and Patrick McGrath amongst others. Gothic has never been solely a literary phenomenon. Although the course’s primary focus is on literature, there will also be reference to film, television series, architecture and painting.
Built into this course will be the opportunity to see texts from the British Library’s unique collection – such as the beautifully illustrated edition of Walpole’s Description of Strawberry Hill, Victorian periodicals, first (and later) editions of the texts we will be discussing, and rare examples of the cheaply produced chapbooks of the 1790s.
Harry M Weinrebe Learning Centre
NW1 2DB
Show Map How to get to the Library
Thu 16 May 2019, 18:00 - 20:00
Full Price: £295.00
Member: £295.00
Senior 60+: £265.00
Student: £250.00
Registered Unemployed: £250.00
boxoffice@bl.uk
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Mark Lebovitch
BLB&G’s Mark Lebovitch Selected an Adviser on ALI’s “Restatement of the Law, Corporate Governance” Project
BLB&G partner Mark Lebovitch has been invited to serve as an Adviser on the American Law Institute’s (ALI) Restatement of the Law, Corporate Governance project. As a prominent attorney in the field, he joins nearly 50 national leaders in the area of governance who will work closely with ALI to consult and review updates to its Principles of the Law, Corporate Governance: Analysis and Recommendations publication, last published in 1993. The project, expected to last several years, strives to examine the state of the law today.
Mr. Lebovitch is primarily responsible for the firm's corporate governance litigation practice, focusing on derivative suits and transactional litigation. He has prosecuted numerous high-profile cases on behalf of institutional investors to preliminary injunctions and to trial, obtaining billions of dollars for investors and achieving unprecedented corporate governance improvements. Named a 2018 “Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Trailblazer” by The National Law Journal, the 2016 national “Plaintiff Attorney of the Year” by Benchmark Litigation, and the 2016 M&A Litigation “Lawyer of the Year” for New York City by Best Lawyers, he is also one of the “500 Leading Lawyers in America” by Lawdragon, and recognized by Chambers USA and Legal 500 as one of an elite group of notable practitioners in securities and M&A litigation.
External Link: Click here for more information about the project. (link will open in a new window)
Law360 Names Mark Lebovitch a “Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar”
Benchmark Names Mark Lebovitch One of the Nation’s Top 10 Securities Lawyers
Law360 Names BLB&G a 2018 “Securities Group of the Year”
BLB&G Opens New Delaware Office Led by Top Litigator and New Partner Greg Varallo
The National Law Journal Again Honors BLB&G as “Elite Trial Lawyers” Practice Area Award Winner
Chambers Again Ranks BLB&G Among Nation’s Top Securities Litigation Firms
Forbes Highlights Pivotal Role of Private Shareholder Litigation in Checking Corporate Misconduct
Three BLB&G Attorneys Recognized Among the The Best Lawyers in America©
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