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The Sneeve -- or sneeze sleeve -- aims to curb flu spread
By Stacey Sager
PORT WASHINGTON, Long Island (WABC) -- Some local students are trying a new technique to stop the flu epidemic before it spreads, literally wearing their protection on their sleeves.
It's called a Sneeve, and it's helping kids arm themselves to fight back.
We saw it in action as students squeezed out a sneezing lesson at a pre-K class at the Port Washington Children's Center.
And this time of year, from the playground to the actual ground to your sleeve, the flu is the biggest concern. And so Stan Bratskeir had an a-ha moment. It was actually a few years ago, as he watched his grandson repeatedly sneeze into his elbow.
"But it's sort of gross," Bratskeir said. "So I said, Chase, you know what you need? You need a Sneeve."
It sounds like a Dr. Seuss word, but it is now a reality. And the full-day nursery school has been testing the Sneeve since November. Kids with a cold either put it on at school or at home, and the stretchy, disposable fabric is treated with a safe anti-microbial.
The creator makes no promise that this is a cure-all, and that's why he's been doing studies to collect data.
The school continues to emphasize all prevention methods, especially frequent hand washing. On Friday, four of the 18 students in the class were absent, but the school director said that's an improvement over last year and that attendance is critical to their working parents.
health & fitnessport washingtonnassau countyhealthfluflu prevention
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Lovestruck Little Boy Talks About Getting First Kiss From His Valentine
Do you remember the first kiss you ever got from someone you cared about? Yeah, me neither. But lots of people do because it’s a momentous and meaningful moment in their life. The kid in this video is a prime example of the power of a kiss. Clearly he received his first kiss from a girl at school today. And it’s really messing with him, in a good way of course! Listen to him confess to the camera how he’s feeling. It’s impossible to watch this video without smiling at least once and thinking back to your grade school crush. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, check out how this lovestruck little boy talks about getting first kiss from his valentine!
Jeez, you think he likes her?
This kid is talking straight into the camera without anyone around. That mean his parents aren’t feeding him any questions. And he’s not being grilled by any friends or siblings. He’s just so emotional after getting a kiss that he needs to vent about it. Now don’t worry, the emotions are good. He’s very happy about it. But he’s also kinda torn. I guess like everyone’s first kiss, it can be a strange feeling. It’s a good thing and it gives the heart a workout. But it also introduces the affection that comes along with a kiss and that can be rather aching. Wondering to yourself, does she like me as much as I like her? Remember going home from school when you had a crush? And even though you hated being at school, you wanted to go back because it meant you’d be around your crush again? When else do kids actually want to be at school than when they have a crush!? Never.
Crushes are the only thing that make school bearable.
The way he describes his emotions is just so hilarious. He uses phrases like “amazing” and “mind blowing” and “it’s mixed up in my head and heart.” Dare I suggest, this kid is really feeling all the feels right now! That’s pretty much it, when your head and your heart fight over which one wants to feel the most emotion over someone you like, that’s when you’re lovestruck.
Something tells me this little guy is in love.
What do you do when you’re in love but that young? I guess just ask your mom to give you an extra pudding pack for your lunch so you can share it with her. Part of me was a little surprised he got a kiss this young! Impressive, little guy. Man, I don’t think anyone wanted to kiss me until I was in late middle school. I was a late bloomer. Here’s hoping he didn’t fall too hard for her. As we all know, young love can be quite… fleeting. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth sharing!
Do you have a video of your child getting their first kiss? Or talking about it afterwards? If so, we’d love to see it! Send it HERE!
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Is PII Still The Third Rail Of Privacy For Ad Tech?
by AdExchanger // Monday, October 26th, 2015 – 12:05 am
"Data-Driven Thinking" is written by members of the media community and contains fresh ideas on the digital revolution in media.
Today’s column is written by Alan Chapell, president at Chapell & Associates.
The rules around the merger of personally identifiable information (PII) with ad-serving data are perhaps the most oft-referenced privacy rules in ad tech. Over the past 15 years, if you asked any ad tech CEO about privacy, the first words out of his or her mouth would have been: “We don’t collect PII.”
Even where senior execs didn’t know much about digital privacy, the one thing all of them did know is that PII was the third rail of digital privacy. As a result, the mere appearance of touching PII has been a non-starter in ad tech for as long as anyone can remember.
The core privacy rules were created 15 years ago when the marketplace looked very different. I believe it’s time to revisit some of those rules – and for ad tech companies to reconsider leveraging PII.
The Initial Visceral Reaction to PII merger Vs. Marketplace Growth
When DoubleClick bought Abacus Direct back in 1999, many worried it would combine Abacus’ personal information with DoubleClick’s online browsing data. Many things drove the reaction to the privacy scandal – not the least of which was an emotional response. Advocates lamented that DoubleClick/Abacus was creating a “surveillance database of Orwellian proportions,” and a constant stream of criticism rained down on DoubleClick for months. Collectively, advocates, regulators and the press drew a line in the sand indicating that ad networks must be kept as far away from the personally identifiable as possible.
Yet during the past 15 years, companies in the digital media marketplace continued to inch closer to PII. This begs the question: Has time softened the perspective of advocates and regulators? One thing is clear: Marketplace growth has clearly outpaced anything DoubleClick may have been contemplating.
Consider this: In March of 1999, DoubleClick’s US network boasted more than 120 of the web's most recognized sites, and DoubleClick as a whole delivered a “whopping” 30 billion ads every month.
By today’s standards, the scope and scale of information collected by DoubleClick during the Abacus acquisition seems almost quaint; I’m certainly not the first person to make this observation. Heck, even Merkle’s new deal with News Corp. will impact more consumers and serve more ads than DoubleClick/Abacus ever did.
But this goes far beyond Merkle’s people-based marketing program or Experian’s OmniView multichannel ID or Facebook’s merger of PII with the behavioral data it collects from 90% of the Internet or Google’s new program enabling marketers to buy on YouTube with email addresses. Across the spectrum, the Chinese wall separating PII and non-PII in digital media has narrowed during the past decade to the point where we can practically see through it.
In light of all this, why is the ad tech community clinging to these rules? Is there either a business or privacy advantage to maintaining the current pseudonymous data approach? (Some background is available here.)
Moving To An IOT-Enabled World
The Internet of Things (IoT) will exponentially increase the amount of digital data collected through watches, fitness devices, thermostats, automobiles, major appliances and dozens of other things that we haven’t even thought of yet. Marketers will need to be able to structure all of this data if they want to draw user-centric insights. As of today, there are really only two viable paths to structure IoT data.
Marketers could take a platform approach using pseudonymous identifiers. This is the approach currently utilized widely in mobile advertising and relies on a pseudonymous ID provided by the mobile operating systems. In an IoT-enabled world, an identifier could be provided by an OS, wireless carrier, browser and a social networking platform.
Marketers could also take a PII approach, which is practiced by many retailers that use customers’ email address or telephone number to tie all of this information together.
The platform approach works relatively well where the advertiser wants to understand what a particular piece of media cost, how many impressions it generated and what the audience looks like. But most platforms don’t allow third-party verification of their numbers or enable advertisers to understand the impact of cross-platform advertising. Answering simple questions such as, “How do users respond when they’ve seen my ad twice on Facebook and twice more on YouTube?” is nearly impossible with a platform approach.
As the number of customer touch points increases exponentially in an IOT-enabled world, advertisers are incented to move away from the platform approach, which they don’t control, to a PII approach, which they can control.
The Privacy Argument
I’m sure the mere mention of merging PII with digital data bits will give many privacy professionals fits. Nonetheless, the current regulatory climates in the EU and US aren’t currently focused on reigning in PII merger practices.
The European Union arguably has the world’s strictest privacy rules. Over the past several years, EU policymakers have grown increasingly reticent to draw distinctions between personal data and pseudonymous data. There are many different things at play in the EU as we head into 2016, and the EU’s knee-jerk response to every privacy problem boils down to one word: consent.
Ultimately, if EU policymakers continue down the path of requiring consent for the collection and use of a cookie ID, they are essentially signaling to the marketplace that it should obtain consent as broadly as possible. By requiring an expansive consent, you create incentives to collect as much data as possible.
In the US, it’s worth noting that in the 15 years since the DoubleClick Abacus scandal the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has publicly said little about merger of PII with ad-serving data. If anything, the FTC has seemingly shifted its focus away from the merger of PII with online profiling information. In 2010, it acknowledged that the “distinction between PII and non-PII continues to lose significance.” And there’s no mention of PII merger concerns in the recent FTC IoT staff report (PDF).
Facebook and Twitter have used email as a targeting ID both on and off their respective platforms for some time now, with nary a peep from the FTC.
If those entities are tacitly allowed to do that, is it a big deal for Merkle to use PII to target ads within the four corners of News Corp. sites? What are the distinctions we’re drawing as we head into 2016? Are larger entities really “more privacy protective because it’s all within one company” or are there other considerations?
In other words, what is the current rationale for the distinctions that are being drawn today?
To be clear, I’m not advocating any policy in particular. I’m simply noting that the industry came together and created a set of rules in 2000. And since that time, the industry has changed drastically – heck the whole world has changed. Given all this transition, it’s worth asking whether some of these old rules still make sense.
Follow Alan Chapell (@chapell68) and AdExchanger (@adexchanger) on Twitter.
Richard Lack October 26, 2015
Great article Alan, and one which leaves me itching ti reply.
I was there at ground zero in '99 in NYC with DoubleClick when the controversy erupted. 15 years on and from the perspective of regulators, the sell side and users, I have grown accustomed to hearing "we don't use/merge PII data" in almost robotic tone, sometimes with comedy effect. It's become the digital marketing equivalent of "I was only following orders" or "I did not inhale"
What HAS changed is that the targets have become more diffuse and complex for those who might wish to complain or regulate, and the reason the conversation has moved towards consent is because this thankfully remains a simple concept with is hard to cheat. It either exists, or it does not. I personally combine this with the Creepy Test. Would a user be surprised / creeped out to learn where their data, or elements of it have ended up?
My day job involves helping publishers to collect permission based first-party registration data, much of it from social login. Confusion often arises when they are using ad tech to monetise this data. Often logged in users consume 3x more page impressions and the ads can be direct sold against this data at 3x CPM and 3x yield. That can mean that a site with 15% registration can have 50% of ads targeted against 1st party data, and 80% + revenues coming from non-programmatic. My real challenge, frankly, is persuading them to put their shoulder behind moving this inventory themselves instead of dumping it to secondary RTB channels and partners.
Since most of them also use a DMP to sift for value I conducted a straw poll of providers, in an attempt to understand which of them would respect the consent to use the data on the publishers site(s) only.
With the exception of one provider who saw value in this promise, the rest changed the subject or stared awkwardly at their shoes while mumbling "We do not use/merge PII".
I agree that PII is ill-defined. But I've yet to see an honest way around consent. There is no PII or non-PII in my brave new world. There is just user data and consent. If you are a publisher or site being bamboozled by justifications to the contrary, then maybe a good place to start is to audit how and to whom user data is leaving you site. Does it pass your own creepy test?
Kim Garretson October 29, 2015
Alan, I would suggest looking at one emerging trend combining PII and consent in the retail segment, Intelligent Triggered Alerting. What that means is e-commerce product pages offering a new 'action' other than Add To Cart. It might say 'Get Alerts' and offer shoppers the ability to leave their email address (no other registration) and give their consent for specific criteria to trigger email or SMS alerts to them, such as price drops, new items added by the brands, new reviews, back-in-stock, other. I call this Permission Marketing at scale, and we are seeing several of the top 20 retailers heading in this direction. They've long known that they average less than a 2% conversion on product page views, yet they've never really been 'customer-centric' in simply asking page viewers for consent to market to them after they leave the site.
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You are › Home / Amy Winehouse News / Amy Winehouse Clothes Are Stolen
Amy Winehouse Clothes Are Stolen
In this report from The Sun, Mitch Winehouse is quoted as saying: “It’s a blow” as Amy Winehouse clothes are stolen.
Thieves took the white anchor-pattern cotton dress Amy wore to her marriage with Blake Fielder-Civil in Miami in 2006.
Thieves also took a newsprint cocktail dress she wore on Jools Holland’s BBC music show later the same year.
Amy Winehouse shrine looted
Dad’s fury as iconic outfits worth £130,000 are stolen
TWO of Amy Winehouse’s dresses worth £130,000 have been stolen from the house where she died.
Her wedding dress and a cocktail frock she wore on TV were swiped from the home in Camden, North London, that fans turned into a shrine. Dad Mitch said: “It’s a blow.”
The frocks were due to be auctioned to raise cash for the Amy Winehouse Foundation.
Mitch, 60, said: “It’s sickening that someone would steal something in the knowledge of its sentimental value.”
Thieves took the white anchor-pattern cotton dress Amy wore when she wed junkie Blake Fielder-Civil in Miami in 2006.
They also took a newsprint cocktail dress she wore on Jools Holland’s BBC music show Later the same year.
The dresses had been set aside for auction in New York later this year to raise money for the charity set up in her name after her death in July 2011 aged 27.
The wedding dress was expected to raise £100,000 and the TV dress £30,000.
They were among items of Amy memorabilia being catalogued at the house in Camden, North London, where she died — and which was turned into a shrine by fans.
The fact other expensive dresses were ignored raises the suspicion the two items were stolen to order.
Mitch said: “The house in Camden is being sold so all of her possessions have been tagged, numbered and logged in preparation of storage.
“There was a window of about two days while that process was underway when the dresses could have been taken.
“A few people were involved and there was some coming and going.
“We’re going through everything else to see what else, if anything, has been lifted.
“We are all baffled as to why some of her designer dresses didn’t go too. There were a couple from Dolce & Gabbana worth a fortune.
“Her wedding dress was only a little cotton thing, a hundred quid at best in the shops. Whoever nicked it realised its significance and knew it had an extra value.”
In the past year the Amy Winehouse Foundation has raised well over £1million.
Cash goes to children’s hospices and funds drug counsellors to help addicts battle the demons Amy had to confront.
The Amy Winehouse Foundation was setup by her family after Amy’s untimely death in July 2011.
Was the Amy Winehouse Clothes Are Stolen information helpful? Be sure to check out the related posts below.
Amy Winehouse News | Amy Winehouse Blake Fielder-Civil camden Clothes Cocktail Cotton death Foundation Frock Home Jools Holland Looted Marriage Mitch Winehouse Newsprint Shrine Stolen Thieves Wedding White Anchor-Pattern Dress | Bookmark this Entry
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BBC Radio 1Xtra Gone To Soon The Amy Winehouse Story
Mitch Winehouse Interview
Blake Fielder-Civil, Amy Winehouse’s ex-husband is to appear on the ITV’s daytime chat show The Jeremy Kyle Show. According to this report in The Mirror, Jeremy Kyle will “grill Blake on his... Continue →
Back To Black For Beyonce
Back To Black for Beyonce as Mitch Winehouse makes Beyonce pay for recording his daughter’s song Back To Black for The Great Gatsby film soundtrack. Not only does Beyonce have to pay ‘a lot’... Continue →
The Camden Home Of Amy Winehouse Has Been Sold
The Camden home of Amy Winehouse has been sold at auction for just under £2 million. Auctioneers McHugh & Co have sold the semi-detached house for £1.98 million, just above the list price of... Continue →
Did Bulimia Contribute In The Death Of Amy Winehouse
On the third anniversary of the passing of Amy Winehouse, Naomi Parry Amy’s closet friend and stylist talks with Cosmopolitan how she tried to save Amy Winehouse from Bulimia. “I tried to save Amy... Continue →
Loving Amy A Mothers Story By Janis Winehouse
Singer songwriter Amy Winehouse was born to Janis and Mitch Winehouse in September 1983 and sadly passed away in July 2011 at age 27. There have been many books written about the life of Amy Winehouse and now... Continue →
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Society & Culture Cultures & Groups Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered
Was this really bad?(first time giving a bj).?
So I was a virgin til a last night(not really, I had sex with a girl when I was 14.. just to loose my virginity though. And so people didn't think I was gay). So I consider myself a virgin cause I really regret that... cause I'm gay, and I knew that. I just came out.. a few months ago. So NO ONE knew. But I... show more So I was a virgin til a last night(not really, I had sex with a girl when I was 14.. just to loose my virginity though. And so people didn't think I was gay). So I consider myself a virgin cause I really regret that... cause I'm gay, and I knew that. I just came out.. a few months ago. So NO ONE knew. But I met a guy that I'm like in love with. So I came out for him. We just had sex for the first time cause I was nervous, cause I didn't want him to think I had no idea what I'm doing.. he gave me a bj, then he wanted me to give him one... he said it felt good. But when he came in my mouth I didn't know what to do. And he laughed and ran his fingers through my hair, then he was like, "you can spit". Then he pinched my cheek, and said, "you're so cute" and laughed. I know he was just teasing me.. but that made it way worse! And my face gets really red when I'm embarrassed, so it was probably red:(
Was that really bad?(I'm 20, and he's 26)
Update: lol. I was gonna swallow! but it tasted weird.. and I wasn't ready for it. So I just got really confused
Update 2: and that wasn't all of it.. we had sex(not just oral), and it hurt really bad:(
Update 3: "You're a late bloomer" - yeah:( My parents are homophobes, and so is the rest of my family. So I was raised thinking it's not ok.. and it's wrong, and all that. So I really hated myself until I met my boyfriend.
Best Answer: AWWW that is sooo cute!!!! as a gay couple there is always a guy who is a bit more feminine then the other guy so i think who would be counted as the feminine guy becuz he called u cute.<33 its ok if u spit out the ***, if u get used to having sex with him then in time u will start swallowing it. its alright he seems to find that cute about u so just be urself
You're a late bloomer, brother. No way of going back and changing that.
But no, you don't need to sink thru the floor or slink back into your closet. As first sex goes, that actually sounds pretty good.
Especially if you enjoyed what he did for you, which you barely mention.
And you don't have to spit unless you want to! Many guys are turned on by swallowing, and many are turned on by having their partner swallow. Or getting kissed with it still in your mouth. Or whatever your kinky mind can think of that your partner is also willing for.
And from what the 'Net tells me, it does NOT increase your chances of picking up HIV.
georgetslc · 8 years ago
Lol I would of spat it in his face :) jk omg that's so cute how he pinched ur cheek don't worry im just like u!!! Had sex at 16 with a girl to lose it and now I'm 17 and like a "gay" virgin hahaha omg made my day
Zakary · 8 years ago
Didn't sound like he minded. People prefer the other to swallow though.
What do you mean was it bad?
Letting the guy **** in your mouth and getting red or having gay sex?
Lol calm down you enjoyed yourself and it sounds like he did to...
Hahaha brush your shoulders off and take a nap =)
Awesome One You Look At · 8 years ago
that's like the cutest thing ever.. he definitely likes you!! don't worry about the whole what to do after thing.. it happens. lol.. it's kind of an awkward situation when you don't know what to do after.
Dexter · 8 years ago
No, that's actually kinda funny lmao
no,it sounds like he had a good time with you dont worry about it :)
awwww thats so cute :3
Lol don't worry he probably knows its your first time, why would that matter to him?
Bi guy · 8 years ago
Can someone decode what they are trying to say here?
How do I tell my religious family/friends i'm gay?
Don’t understand how the LBTQ community could ever say they deserve more recognition than veterans who serve for our country everyday.?
What makes you think being transphobic is a bad thing?
Why are sodomites not put to death?
So Trump told AOC to go back to her own country even though she was born in the U.S.? what country was he talking about?
Men try to PERSUADE us to have sex with them ——— Why ?
What is your opinion of the lgbt community?
Why do homosexuals think that homosexuality is not a sin?
Should intersex people be allowed to marry?
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Home Reviews Willie Nelson: Live! At the US Festival 1983
Willie Nelson: Live! At the US Festival 1983
Written By Dave Gil de Rubio // April 13, 2012
Live! At the US Festival 1983
(Shout! Factory)
By the time Willie Nelson was asked to headline Country Day at Steve Wozniak’s US Festival on June 4, 1983, he’d been a major instigator of the outlaw country movement, racked up 30 Top 40 country hits (eight of which were chart-toppers) and had four motion-picture appearances under his belt. Suffice it to say, the Red Headed Stranger was hitting on all pistons when he strapped on his trusty battered guitar Trigger to lead his crack band on this particular Saturday night.
With nary an introduction, Nelson launches into jaunty opener “Whiskey River” and from there it’s a trip through a canon dotted by self-penned classics and uniquely interpreted covers. Sporting a white bandana and rocking a red, white and blue guitar strap, the Texas native performed with a preternatural ease, seamlessly segueing from songs like “Funny How Time Slips Away” into “Crazy” and then “Night Life.” While his entire coterie of sidemen compliment each other like musical puzzle pieces, special nods go to sister Bobbie on piano and harmonica player Mickey Raphael who comes off looking like a Magic Dick doppelganger with a smaller Afro. Bobbie Nelson’s matter-of-fact runs give the Bob Wills gem “Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer)” a juke joint swagger. And while Raphael’s harp may not be a traditional country music instrument along the lines of pedal steel or a fiddle, his contributions are crucial whether it’s how he punctuates the double-time cadence of “Bloody Mary Morning” or provides subtle accompaniment on the Irving Berlin ballad “Blue Skies.”
A special treat is the appearance of fellow outlaw Waylon Jennings, who’d appeared earlier on the bill (and has his own Live At the US Festival 1983 DVD). Looking hale with his trademark black hat and vest, he’s greeted with a hug by Nelson before the duo launch into “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys.” The two then perform “Good Hearted Woman,” a song so good that you don’t mind hearing it a second time after Jennings’ host sang it earlier in the set. While the editing looks dated right up to and including a cheesy Willie Nelson insignia better suited for a public access show that periodically flashes on the screen in-between songs, the stellar quality of the performance holds up almost three decades after the fact.
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← Every day is a short story
Eudora Welty (1909-2001) →
I’m nobody and so are you
Posted on January 24, 2018 by Art for Housewives
It was the fall of 1884 and I was in Amherst watching the leaves fall to the ground. The maple trees were dripping red and yellow foliage. In awe, I signed up for a watercolor class with the intent of immortalizing their beauty forever. It was here that I met Mabel, the wife of an astronomy professor who was often away to look at stars.
Mabel and I enjoyed taking long walks together. As our walks grew longer, so did our exchange of secrets. I told her about the exasperating crush I had on a local philosopher. In return, Mabel confided that she was having an affair with a much older and married man named Austin.
Being an accomplished piano player, Austin would sometimes invite Mabel to play for his reclusive sister and invalid mother. The sister, Emily, was a strange type. While Mabel would play, the sister would listen near the stairwell hidden by the shadows. And when Mabel would finish playing, Emily would have a glass of sherry sent to her as well as a poem she’d written to express her gratitude.
Mabel kept a diary but, fearing someone would find it, she could never be as explicit in her writing as she could when talking with me. Nevertheless, Mabel truly enjoyed writing in her diary as it was here that she was always the protagonist.
Her husband, although often nice and naughty with her, did not give her the feeling of uniqueness Austin did. And Austin, whose wife was a frigid nag, adored Mabel because she was sexually uninhibited and called him her king. Their fixation with one another did not go unnoticed and inspired much gossip.
Mabel and I kept in touch even after I left Massachusetts. Of course she was always writing about Austin. But it was the stories she told me about Emily that interested me most. Even though practically neighbors, the two never visited vis-à-vis communicating only by letters. Emily’s agoraphobic nature had given her an incredible mystique. Curious, the townspeople turned into amateur sleuths collecting info about her as if collecting clues for a whodunit.
They knew only that she wore white dresses with pockets sewn onto them for her poems, liked to garden and to bake bread, and spent much of her day in her rose papered bedroom writing poetry. Sometimes, from her window, she would lower a basket tied to a rope with little treats for the neighborhood children. Mesmerized, the children would stare at her window to see those skinny little arms lowering and raising the basket.
The first time Mabel actually saw Emily was in her coffin. After her death, Emily’s sister, Lavinia, asked Mabel to help publish Emily’s poems even though there was much bickering in the family as to their ownership. Once they were published, Mabel sent me a copy. Although I struggled to understand many of the poems, the one that starts out “A charm invests a face” intrigued me. Basically it’s about Emily standing in front of a mirror asking herself whether or not she should lift the veil covering her face. Metaphorically or not, she knew that veils are provocative as the imagined is more erotic than the real.
Throughout history, sculptors have used the Wet Drapery Effect to create veil covered bodies. The cloth clings so tightly that it becomes part of the body itself. Naked is no longer nude. My favorite such statue is that of St. Cecilia in Rome by Stefano Madero. Lying face down, the recumbent martyr has replaced the veil with the ground.
Female slaves and prostitutes in ancient Greece, as opposed to aristocratic women, were prohibited from wearing veils.
In the Koran, it’s written that the most tempting part of a woman’s body is her face. Thus, to avoid lusty desires, it’s covered.
Traditionally, women wear veils during their wedding ceremony. But, once married, the groom lifts the veil–maybe to be sure he’s gotten the right bride.
When the Countess of Castiglione, Virginia Oldoini, aged and her beauty disappeared, she acquired an appreciation for veils. But instead of wearing them, she put them over her mirrors.
Itching to see beneath Emily’s veil, I abandoned any sense of discretion and pumped Mabel for information. She told me that, an avid gardener, Emily spent years collecting and pressing flowers for her Herbarium (she had over 400 specimens!) Often she collected plants while taking long walks with her dog, Carlo, named after the dog in Jane Eyre. Her father was very strange and would give Emily books he’d then prohibit her from reading. But he did build a conservatory next to the house where Emily could care for her plants all year long. She referred to flowers as “ the Beautiful Children of Spring”.
Emily’s knowledge of horticulture influenced her writing. Via her knowledge of floriography, she used flowers as metaphors to describe emotions. Since every flower was symbolic of a particular sentiment, it was very fashionable in Victorian times to use little bouquets to convey feelings. These nosegays were also used as fashion accessories.
Some floriographic examples: roses = beauty, irises = eloquence, violets = faithful love, larkspurs = levity, daisies = innocence, foxglove = insincerity, daffodils = rebirth, sweet peas = delicate pleasure, etc.
Emily, taught as a young girl to embroidery, used her sewing skills to make little books of poetry. After editing then recopying a group of poems several times, she would sew them into little fascicles. More than a seamstress, she was a self publisher.
Raised in a Calvinistic household, Emily was very frugal and often wrote on scraps of paper including used envelopes. Her pencil, like a loaded gun waiting for something to shoot at, wrote whenever and on whatever it could. Visually, Emily’s envelope poems are quite lovely and gave me the idea of creating an envelope diary. By punching holes in envelopes from invoices to be paid, I can create little pockets for paper souvenirs that are held together with notebook rings then cover the envelops’ surface with cryptic phrases.
(from The Diary of Luz Corazzini, Cynthia Korzekwa ©)
This entry was posted in Drawings & Paintings, THE DIARY OF LUZ CORRAZZINI and tagged countess of castiglione, Emily Dickenson, envelope diary, Herbarium, THE DIARY OF LUZ CORAZZINI. Bookmark the permalink.
2 Responses to I’m nobody and so are you
Martine says:
Thank you Cynthia, this is such a lovely story…………
Art for Housewives says:
Thanks Martine! you are always so dELiCiOuS with me….
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Chapter 267: Too embarrassing
Han Yunxi could clearly see through Duanmu Yao's little scheme. Since she'd teamed up with Jun Yixie, she must know that the Bone Poison had no antidote, and that nobody had seen a hint of the poison beast in the Sky Pit. Duanmu Yao had swallowed the certainty that she couldn't save Long Tianmo.
Very well, she'd see who would eat whom today!
Han Yunxi's icy gaze stared straight at Duanmu Yao as she retorted brusquely, ’’His Highness has already refused the marriage decree with Princess Duan. What does him losing face have anything to do with you?’’
Nobody expected Han Yunxi to strike back at Duanmu Yao with the marriage alliance in public. She hadn't spoken a word about it despite being a rightful consort back then. Now it almost looked like the rightful consort was rebuking a would-be mistress of her husband. In a flash, everyone's eyes on Duanmu Yao had changed into ridiculing or looking down on her, though there were sympathetic gazes mixed in the lot. Duanmu Yao was caught off-guard, her decision to be a simple onlooker foiled as she became the laughingstock of the crowd. At first, she could still bear it, but the sound of laughter made her eyes fill with tears. As a woman, was there anything more humiliating than being rejected for marriage?
Shamed into rage, Duamu Yao cried, ’’Han Yunxi, don't be too outrageous!’’
But Han Yunxi was all innocence as she replied. ’’It was the Duke of Qin who rejected you, not me. If you want to blame anyone, then blame him.’’ Today she was in a bad temper. Who cares what kind of relationship Long Feiye and Duanmu Yao had? Since they'd made her unhappy, she was willing to attack them both-even almighty Long Feiye!
Her words caused the crowd to fall silent. Long Feiye's firm, cold mouth seemed to twitch;he might've been caught unawares as well. Still, he chose to remain silent and watch on quietly.
’’You...you...’’ Duanmu Yao was truly angered to tears, so much that she couldn't speak.
Many rumors had circulated about her failed marriage alliance, much of which she'd released herself on purpose. Her motive was to have everyone believe that the Duke of Qin only rejected her because there were difficulties behind the scenes that were inconvenient to elaborate on. At least this way, she could save some of her face. Still, Han Yunxi's words had clearly told everyone that it was the Duke of Qin's own idea to reject her, rather than anyone else's idea. There were no internal difficulties beyond the fact that the Duke of Qin simply didn't want her. Once news of this spread, how was she to have any face to see people in the future?!
’’What about me?’’ Han Yunxi said with a naive expression, before she teased, ’’Princess Duan, if I were you, I'd definitely avoid the Duke of Qin as soon as I saw him. It's too embarrassing, isn't it?’’
’’Han Yunxi, you're going too far!’’ Duanmu Yao was truly angered to tears. She'd rather take out her sword and stab this woman to death, but she had no choice but to endure. As soon as she made a move here, she'd lose. She looked towards Long Feiye and said in a coquettish voice choked with sobs, ’’Senior brother, just look, she's too much of a bully!’’
Long Feiye didn't pay Duanmu Yao any attention, but kept his eyes on Han Yunxi the entire time. Sadly, Han Yunxi wasn't looking at him. She hadn't met his eyes from the first moment she stepped onto the scene. Actually, what Long Feiye hated most of all was women arguing with each other, but as he stared at Han Yunxi's side profile, he felt a sudden wish for her to turn and look at him and tell him she wanted to act this way. It was a pity that Han Yunxi didn't turn back. She stood in the middle of the crowd like a proud but solitary soldier.
’’Senior brother!’’ Duanmu Yao stomped her feet to act like a spoiled child, obstinately believing that he'd saved her at the Sky Pit for more reasons than listening to his master's words. They'd both entered Celestial Mountain Sword Sect as children and were its only two closed door disciples. After being martial brother and sister for so many years, it was impossible for them to share no feelings at all. At most, it was just his personality that was naturally cold and expressionless.
While everyone was waiting for Long Feiye to react, he was waiting for Han Yunxi to turn around. In the end, he didn't say anything at all, much less acknowledge Duanmu Yao. Duanmu Yao might have said a lot of wrong things, but she was right on one point. This man was naturally cold and detached. He never responded to her, and she could never get an answer from him.
Long Feiye's prolonged silence caused a flash of disappointment to flit past Han Yunxi's eyes, but that quickly disappeared. She finally turned around, still avoiding Long Feiye's eyes as she smiled. ’’His Highness Duke of Qin has tacitly agreed as well. I think you should leave, Princess Duan.’’
’’You!’’ Duanmu Yao felt like spitting up blood. Helplessly, she changed the topic. ’’Qin Wangfei, stop trying to buy time by spreading gossip. Human lives are more important. As a doctor yourself, isn't time equal to lives? You should hurry up and save that person.’’
’’Princess Duan, it was Third Elder who made the bet with this wangfei, and it's Tianning's crown prince who's waiting for this wangfei to save him. What do they have to do with you? Why are you in such a rush?’’ Han Yunxi was calm and composed.
’’Because this princess wants to see if you really have the skills, or if you're just a swindler with an undeserved reputation!’’ Duanmu Yao said overbearingly.
’’Has this wangfei cheated or swindled you? Princess Duan, all this wangfei did was beat you at the Plum Blossom Meet so you couldn't compose poetry for the rest of your life. Are you still brooding over that?’’ Han Yunxi brought up an old score again. What a big disgrace that'd had been. Anyone would definitely brood on it for the rest of their life. Despite that, Han Yunxi was extremely self-assured when she asked the question.
Around them, more than a few people couldn't resist the urge to smile. Commentary rose on all sides once again. Western Zhou's princess was skilled in both literary skills, martial arts, and appearances. There were people who envied her every year or begged for an audience with her. As things stood, she was the one with the undeserved reputation. In terms of looks, she was indeed beautiful, but unkind. Look at how indignant she was now, just like a tigress preparing to eat a person whole. In terms of literary accomplishments, she'd actually lost to Han Yunxi, who was of common birth? And in terms of martial arts, that wasn't something everyone cared about. In this time and age, virtuous women knew no martial arts!
When Duanmu Yao heard the whispers, jeers, and laughter around them, her fairy-like face turned savage. She hadn't raised any old scores with this woman, but she'd done the opposite to humiliate her.
’’Han Yunxi, you're clearly dawdling for time here because you can't save him,’’ she raged.
’’I'm not!’’ Han Yunxi rebutted loudly.
’’Then why don't you go save him?!’’ Duanmu Yao didn't want to argue with Han Yunxi anymore. If this kept on, who knows what other old accounts she'd dig up. But as it turned out, Duanmu Yao had realized the possibility all too late.
An unhurried Han Yunxi remarked, ’’Princess Duan, I saw you with Northern Li's Duke of Kang earlier. I heard that he's a poisons master as well, but I don't know if he's around. I want him to give testimony on my behalf.’’
The crowd exploded into an uproar at her words!
The relationship between the three countries of Tianning, Western Zhou and Northern Li were well known to all. Duanmu Yao actually colluded with Jun Yixie. This wasn't just a private friendship, but implicated national affairs. In a flash, Duanmu Yao's furious red face immediately turned ashen white. She never thought that Han Yunxi would reveal the connection between her and Jun Yixie in such a setting, much less expose Jun Yixie's aptitude with poisons. Over half of the medical academy was standing witness today, so Han Yunxi's words could quickly spread beyond the academy to Medical City, and then the entirety of Cloud Realm Continent.
How was she supposed to explain to her Imperial Father then? Because the marriage alliance had failed, Imperial Father had started to dislike her a bit. Meanwhile, the revelation that Jun Yixie knew poisons would cause massive waves back in Northern Li. Forget about Jun Yixie though, her own troubles were getting big!
’’Han Yunxi, don't frame a case against me!’’ she hastily denied the claims.
Finally, Han Yunxi turned to look Long Feiye in the eyes. ’’Your Highness Duke of Qin, you saw Princess Duan and the Duke of Kang together with your own eyes as well. Chenqie isn't lying, am I?’’
Duanmu Yao was scared to death. She immediately looked towards Long Feiye, her eyes filled with a pleading look. She'd already told Tang Li that she'd help senior brother face off against Jun Yixie if he ever needed it. Both her and her senior brother had grown up in imperial households. He should be very clear of her consequences should the princess who failed to secure a marriage lost favor at court.
Senior brother, you can't be so heartless!
Long Feiye didn't pay Duanmu Yao any attention, but looked at Han Yunxi's serious expression. Subconsciously, his own gaze filled with warmth. This woman had done everything ingeniously. He was just worrying over the fact that there was no chance to expose Duanmu Yao and Jun Yixie's collaboration, as well as Jun Yixie's knowledge of poisons, when Han Yunxi's arguing had fixed the problem for him. Because he seemed to want to look at Han Yunxi longer, he didn't immediately reply. However, Han Yunxi only looked at him for a while before averting her gaze, her clear eyes devoid of emotion.
Only then did Long Feiye withdrew his thoughts and remarked, ’’Your lordship did see. Third Elder doesn't understand poisons, so there's harm in letting Princess Duan invite the Duke of Kang here for a demonstration.’’
Han Yunxi didn't find Long Feiye's reply out of character. These matters naturally involved relationships between the three countries, so spreading the news would only benefit Long Feiye without any harm.
Duanmu Yao, though, was crestfallen. ’’Senior brother...’’ Her voice stuck in her throat as her eyes turned red and threatened to overflow with tears. Han Yunxi's words might have no weight, but Long Feiye was different. Who wouldn't believe his words?
Now she couldn't pass muster in Western Zhou's imperial court!
More commentary rose around them as various people made guesses and conjectures. Some even theorized that the Duke of Qin had rejected the marriage alliance because Duanmu Yao and Jun Yixie were having an affair. Duanmu Yao stood in place with gritted teeth as she stared at Han Yunxi, her eyes vicious enough to kill. In order to see Han Yunxi lose, she'd paid too heavy of a price. No matter what, she was going to hold onto the issue of Long Tianmo's poison to the end.
Han Yunxi, don't think you can escape. This princess's namesake might have been ruined today, but I'll drag you down with me!
Duanmu Yao was about to speak with the demonic expression on her face when Han Yunxi cut before her, denying her the chance to create more difficulties. ’’Princess Duan, since you're so concerned with whether I win or lose the bet, come inside with me if you have the guts! I'll give you a good show!’’
So speaking, she turned around elegantly and took big strides towards the inside of the rooms. The commentary stopped at her actions, the crowd marveling at how this woman looked so noble even when she walked. It was only after Han Yunxi entered the door that Duanmu Yao recovered her senses. What should've been her method to threaten Han Yunxi had turned into a weapon for provoking herself instead. A keen sense of frustration filled her heart. What had she become? Someone singing her own tune while deluding herself with wishes?
She wouldn't accept that!
Han Yunxi had to be pretending, she had to be scaring her on purpose.
Duanmu Yao followed her inside without the slightest hesitation...
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Aru Shah and the End of Time
Pandava Quartet, Book 1
Pandava Quartet
by Roshani Chokshi
Roshani Chokshi
Best-selling author Rick Riordan introduces this adventure by Roshani Chokshi about twelve-year-old Aru Shah, who has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school. While her classmates are jetting off to family vacations in exotic locales, she'll be spending her autumn break at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, waiting for her mom to return from her latest archeological trip. Is it any wonder that Aru makes up stories about being royalty, traveling to Paris, and having a chauffeur? One day, three schoolmates show up at Aru's doorstep to catch her in a lie. They don't believe her claim that the museum's Lamp of Bharata is cursed, and they dare Aru to prove it. Just a quick light, Aru thinks. Then she can get herself out of this mess and never ever fib again. But lighting the lamp has dire consequences. She unwittingly frees the Sleeper, an ancient demon whose duty it is to awaken the God of Destruction. Her classmates and beloved mother are frozen in time, and it's up to Aru to save them. The only way to stop the demon is to find the reincarnations of the five legendary Pandava brothers, protagonists of the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, and journey through the Kingdom of Death. But how is one girl in Spider-Man pajamas supposed to do all that?
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Starred review from December 18, 2017
This series kickoff, which is also the first book from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, expertly channels the humor and action that have made Riordan’s own work so successful. Twelve-year-old Aru Shah lives with her mother in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture in Atlanta. Aru’s tendency to bend the truth gets her into trouble when three of her classmates dare her to light a supposedly cursed lamp called a diya, which awakens the demonic Sleeper. With the help of her guardian, a pigeon named Subala, Aru learns that she is the reincarnation of one of five Pandava brothers, each the child of a different god. Aru meets one of her “soul-related” siblings, smart but timid Mini, and they head off to stop the Sleeper from reaching Shiva, Lord of Destruction. With her quick wit and big personality, Aru commands the spotlight (“I’m an A student,” she boasts to a doubtful Subala. “In the sense that she was a student whose name started with an A”), and Chokshi (The Star-Touched Queen) weaves an engrossing adventure that will leave readers anticipating the next installment. Ages 8–12. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra & Associates.
Starred review from March 1, 2018
Gr 3-6-Seventh grader Aru should never have lit the ancient lamp. When she put the lighter to the wick, the world froze and she released the awful Sleeper. Aru is suddenly launched into the world of the gods and surrounded by mythical characters come to life. Aru discovers she is a Pandava, born with the soul of one of the five brothers featured in the Mahabharata. She also has a soul sister, Mini, to assist her in this quest-highly unusual for a Pandava. Aru and Mini must enter the Kingdom of Death to find out the secret that will destroy the Sleeper. Rick Riordan writes the introduction to this book that has a similar tone and pacing to his popular "Percy Jackson" series, but Chokshi brings her own sensibility and style. Using Hindu mythology as the foundation, Chokshi has created an exciting adventure around a coming-of-age tale. A glossary provides readers with a basic introduction to the various traditional stories that Chokshi drew from. Just as "Percy Jackson" led tweens to a deeper exploration and appreciation of classic Greek mythology, Chokshi's tale will likely inspire a similar demand for traditional Indian mythology. VERDICT An enthralling start to a series that Riordan fans and anyone in the mood for a high-octane adventure will love.-Clare A. Dombrowski, Amesbury Public Library, MA
Starred review from February 15, 2018
Aru Shah of Atlanta, Georgia, is a seventh-grader and social misfit. While her classmates jet set around the world, Aru spends her holidays at home with her curator mother in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture. But one day, three of Aru's classmates show up at her doorstep and dare her to light the cursed Lamp of Bharata. When Aru lights the lamp, she releases the Sleeper from his slumber and must--with the help of her newly found soul sister, Mini, and their pigeon sidekick, Subala, or "Boo"--go on a quest to stop the Sleeper from awakening the Lord of Destruction, who will, in turn, end the world. Aru and Mini's adventures range from discovering that they are the reincarnations of the Pandava brothers (demigods and the protagonists of the Hindu epic poem the Mahabharata) to slaying demons and shopping at the Night Bazaar (effectively disguised as Costco). In her middle-grade debut, Chokshi (TheStar-Touched Queen, 2016, etc.) spins a fantastical narrative that seamlessly intertwines Hindu cosmology and folklore, feminism, and witty dialogue for an uproarious novel for young readers. For readers of Indian origin, especially, the novel presents a culture that is not often seen--or accurately represented--in mainstream children's and young adult literature.Chokshi comes into her own in this novel, reminding readers of the power of language and of stories. (Fantasy. 8-12)
COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Click to copyhttps://apnews.com/01c1532119f54d73a3bcb14cb7fd18d1
Arkansas deputy fatally shoots man who held crossbow
LONE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Authorities in north Arkansas say a sheriff’s deputy investigating a report of a stolen tractor fatally shot a Texas man who confronted him with a crossbow.
Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery said Tuesday that Deputy Craig Gates shot 50-year-old Michael Lavelle Holliman — who said he was from Nacogdoches, Texas, when he was arrested in January for driving while intoxicated in Mountain Home.
Montgomery said Gates had responded to a call at a store in Lone Rock, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of Little Rock, when he saw a tractor that had been stolen earlier in the day.
Montgomery says Gates stopped the tractor, and Holliman confronted him with a crossbow before Gates opened fire.
Arkansas State Police agents are investigating.
Gates suffered minor injuries and is on leave.
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Find complete services for Morning, Evening and Night Prayer from the Church of England with this official Daily Prayer app
by Aimer Media Ltd.
Find complete services for Morning, Evening and Night Prayer from the Church of England with this official Daily Prayer app.
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Full Daily Prayer Sub 12 Months offline
From the earliest days of Christianity, Christians have gathered at regular times each day and night to read the Bible, praise God and pray for the world. Daily Prayer helps the Christians of today take part in this regular pattern of worship.
For every day of the year, it presents material for Morning, Evening and Night Prayer in both contemporary (Common Worship) and traditional (Book of Common Prayer) forms. All services are provided in full and include Bible readings (NRSV translation), psalms, canticles and seasonal variations.
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Daily Prayer is the first official app to allow easy and elegant access to the hugely popular Daily Prayer feed from the Church of England website. It is published by Church House Publishing, the official publisher of the Church of England. For more information visit www.chpublishing.co.uk
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Daily Prayer is the latest app in a range of official Church of England apps developed with Aimer Media, links to which can be found within the app and at http://aimermedia.com/client/church-of-england/ .
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Buying, renting or investing in property is a big decision. Knowing that Campbell is right for you is just as important as the property itself. We've done some number crunching on Campbell's property supply and demand, median property prices, and demographic information to help you make a more informed decision and better understand the Campbell lifestyle.
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Comparison of these prices with Australian Capital Territory
With a median House price of $1,267,500, Campbell is higher than Australian Capital Territory's median House price of $670,000. When it comes to renting, the Campbell median House rental price per week is $735 which makes renting more expensive than Australian Capital Territory's average of $560.
Median Price: The price of a property that falls in the middle of the total number of units sold over a period of time, no data available as less than 10 sales have been recorded 2018-06-01 ~ 2019-06-27.
Median Unit Rent
The advertised weekly rent of a property that falls in the middle of the total number of units listed over a period of time, based on 113 unit listings 2018-07-01 ~ 2019-07-18.
1 Bedroom price is based on 49 unit listings.
The median sales information is current as at the publication date only. The median sales information is based on Third Party Content (within the meaning of our website terms of use). Myfun.com does not make any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of the information or accept any liability arising in any way from any omissions or errors. The information should not be regarded as advice or relied upon by you or any other person and we recommend that you seek professional advice before making any property decisions.
Supply and demand in Campbell
The level of competition in a suburb can affect prices and availability.
Visits per property
Average of ACT
Supply and Demand data.
To give you an indication of the level of competition in Campbell, the ratio of demand relative to supply is considered.
Demand is calculated as the average number of visits per listing per month over the last 12 months to realestate.com.au/buy that included at least one property details page view in Campbell, ACT 2612. Supply is calculated as the average number of property listings per month on realestate.com.au/buy in Campbell, ACT 2612 over the last 12 months.
The level of demand for individual listings varies. The data above shows the average for the suburb. realestate.com.au makes no claim about the statistical significance nor accuracy of the data. Please note: This information is based on realestate.com.au data. The purpose is to give buyers and sellers an indication of interest in properties in the suburb, based on that data. It is not a definitive representation of market supply and demand.
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Campbell Report
You may be interested to know within Campbell during June 2019 there were a total of properties sold. Prices ranged from for a , through to for the sale of a .Examples at both ends of the market include a that sold for between and a that sold for between .
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The lifestyles and people of Campbell
The lifestyle of a suburb is often influenced by who lives there.
Top 3Details
Older Couples & Families
Independent Youth
Established Couples & Families
Maturing & Established Independence
Older Independence
Elderly Singles
Maturing Couples & Families
Elderly Families
How this was calculated and classification information
Older Couples & Families make up the largest percentage of people living in Campbell followed by Independent Youth and Established Couples & Families.
The statistics above have been sourced from Mosaic demographic data that is the copyright property of Experian Australia Pty Limited (or its licensors).
Young Families - Families, Extended Families and Single Parents under 35
Independent Youth - Couples, Singles and Homesharers under 35
Maturing Couples & Families - Families, Couples, Extended Families and Single Parents aged 35-44
Maturing Independence - Singles and Homesharers aged 35-54
Established Couples and Families - Families, Couples, Extended Families and Single Parents aged 45-54
Older Couples & Families - Families, Couples, Extended Families and Single Parents aged 55-64
Older Independence - Singles and Homesharers aged 55-64
Elderly Families - Families, Extended Families and Single Parents 65 and over Empty Nesters - Couples 65 and over
Elderly Singles - Singles and Homesharers 65 and over
Schools located in Campbell
Campbell High School
Secondary Government
Campbell Primary School
Primary Government
St Thomas More's Primary School
Primary Catholic
About school information
The data (or parts of the data) used in this publication are sourced from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and are available from ACARA in accordance with its Data Access Protocols and are for the purpose of end users’ reasonable use only.The schools listed above are located in the same suburb as the property. Myfun.com is not responsible for the verification of the truth, integrity and reliability of all the information and services provided by third parties and is not liable for any possible losses caused by such information and services. For more details, please contact the third party service providers directly.
Latest Campbell property listings
Chic Duplex. Minutes to CBD.
Finely Crafted Residences In The Heart Of Campbell
澳元 $670,000
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Love what Campbell has to offer? You may also be interested in taking a look at some of the following areas.
How similarity was identified among suburbs
Experian Pty Ltd classifies Australian households into one of 49 Mosaic Types based on geo-demographic segmentation. realestate.com.au calculates the composition of household Mosaic Types within each suburb, and compares this composition across suburbs to determine the similarity between suburbs. The suburbs with the most similarity to Campbell, ACT 2612 are shown. No other factors are considered.
Mosaic data supplied by Experian Australia Pty Ltd.
Mosaic data is the copyright property of Experian Australia Pty Ltd (or its licensors).
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Inside the Newsroom: Rolling Stone backs off, New York stands up
Published Friday, Dec. 5, 2014, 6:31 pm
Front Page » Chris Graham » Inside the Newsroom: Rolling Stone backs off, New York stands up
Augusta Free Press editors Crystal Graham and Chris Graham dive into two major news stories in this edition of Inside the Newsroom.
Rolling Stone is backing away from its recent controversial story alleging that UVA administrators are covering up a culture of rape on Grounds. What are the repercussions on UVA, Rolling Stone and the efforts to bring attention to sexual assaults as a way of combatting the problem? AFP tries to give some answers on all three.
The focus then shifts to the mass protests that have arisen in cities across the country in the wake of two grand jury decisions against indicting cops in separate cases accused of killing unarmed petty crime suspects. What is at the heart of the protests, and is America about to undergo another civil rights movement?
powered by podcast garden
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Kobe Steel’s scandal spreads to tires and engines
Internal engine parts and steel belts in tires are now suspect
Wesley Wren
Kobe Steel supplies major automakers like Nissan, Toyota, Ford and GM with steel and aluminum to make components.
Following on reports that Kobe Steel, one of Japan’s leading steel manufacturers, manipulated manufacturing data for its copper and aluminum production, new information claims the company also falsified data for its steel manufacturing. According to Bloomberg, Kobe Steel falsified quality certification data for steel wire. Parts using this type of wire can include belts in radial tires and critical internal engine parts like valve springs. There aren’t any reported recalls associated with this announcement at the time of writing, but considering the risk, that’s bound to change.
2.7 million more Takata airbag inflators recalled after new findings
Like the Takata airbag scandal, the initial findings appear to be opening floodgates of deep-seated misconduct. Insiders aren’t sure why the company is certifying materials outside of the acceptable ranges, but according to the managing director of the Bucephalus Research Partnership, it’s likely due to one of two reasons: either the company is just trying to save money or they can’t produce the right material in the right amounts.
The scandal is still unfolding, but it’s reported that Kobe Steel has lost nearly $2 billion in market value so far. The companies that used Kobe for as a supplier are also under investigation.
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Moving Image81
KUHT-TV (Television station)81
television programs81
KUHT Film and Video81
University of Houston Libraries Special Collections81
You searched for: Date 1992 Remove constraint Date: 1992
1. Almanac, Episode 418 (57:57)
In the first segment, J. D. Houston and Patricia Gras discuss the upcoming special legislative session called to redraw district boundaries with Ken Bentsen Jr., Chair of the Harris County Democrat...
The first segment is an interview with Congressman Jack Fields of the Humble area to talk about the economy and other issues concerning voters. The second segment is a discussion about oil in Ameri...
In the first segment, Sue Davis and Patricia Gras discuss the Gulf War one year on with Dr. Stephen Klineberg, sociology professor at Rice University, and Dr. Jean Luc Krawczyk, Professor of Middle...
The first segment is a segment on trying children as adults, with Judge Eric Andell, Assistant District Attorney Bob Molder, and Dr. Jorge Ordonez of the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center. Th...
In the first segment, J. D. Houston and Pat Ryan discuss Houston's high murder rates for the month of January with Dr. Bob Kendrick, Executive Director of the Division of Continuing Education at th...
In the first segment, Pat Ryan and Patricia Gras discuss Houston METRO's plan to do away with monorail, and acquire more federal funding for the bus system with METRO Board Chairman Billy Burge. S...
The first segment is an interview with Houston's new police chief, Chief Sam Nuchia. The second segment is a discussion about the presidential race, with Jane Ely of the Houston Chronicle and Dr. R...
In the first segment Patricia Gras and J. D. Houston discuss neighborhood revitalization in Houston with Maria Emerson, co-chair of the Metropolitan Organization, and developer, Robert Siivers. Sec...
Part I of "Surviving Adolescence: It's Tough to Grow Up" series. Begins with commentary by Sue Davis which offers an overview of "Surviving Adolescence" series. First segment focuses on gangs, and ...
10. Almanac, Episode 430 (58:01)
Part II of "Surviving Adolescence: It's Tough to Grow Up" series. The first segment is a discussion on illiteracy in children and adolescents, and the educational system, with M. H. Teague of the N...
Part III of "Surviving Adolescence: It's Tough to Grow Up" series. In the first segment, J. D. Houston and Patricia Gras discuss teen health, sexuality, pregnancy, and AIDS with Ron Thomas, Coordin...
Part IV of "Surviving Adolescence: It's Tough to Grow Up" series. In this episode, the focus is on interviewing teens.The first segment focuses on the educational system. J. D. Houston and Patricia...
The first segment is a discussion on the environment, with Mary A. Van Kerrebrook of the Houston Sierra Club, Dr. Stephen Klineberg of Rice University, and Dr. Steven B. Sands. The second segment i...
The first segment is a discussion about cable television in Houston, with Ronald N. McMillan of Warner Cable, and Tom Cantrell of Access Houston. The second segment is a discussion about Kiev Unive...
The first segment is a discussion about hardcore rap, the song "Cop Killer," and whether music can incite violence. J. D. Houston interviews Sgt. Doug Elder of the Houston Police Officer's Associat...
First segment is a discussion with the Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, Michael White, on the issues cities face as the government cuts funding to cities. Second segment discusses the oil business and how...
In the first segment, Sue Davis discusses U. S. Supreme Court ruling in Planned Parenthood v. Casey with Susan Nenney, Director of Communications for Houston Planned Parenthood, Don Treshman, Direc...
First segment discusses the potential shutdown of schools if a suitable funding plan is not created with state representatives Robert Eckels and Sylvester Turner. Second segment discusses Democrat ...
First segment discusses Ross Perot dropping out of the presidential election, and what it could mean for the other candidates, with Nancy Sims of Quantum Consultants, Denis Calabrese of Calabrese a...
First segment is a discussion on the prospect for peace in the Middle East with Israel Consul General, Mordekhai Artzieli and Egypt Consul General, Ahmed Gomaa. Second segment is a discussion about...
First segment discusses an upcoming election that includes approving a bond referendum that will be used to pay off legal claims against the city with former Houston Fire Chief, Robert Clayton, who...
In the first segment, Pat Ryan discusses pending vote on city bond referendum with Athalea Curry, President of the Taxpayer's Coalition of Greater Houston, and City Controller, George Greanias. Sec...
In this first segment, Sue Davis discusses the upcoming Republican convention to be held in the Astrodome, with Denis Calabrese of Calabrese and Associates. In the second segment, Pat Ryan discusse...
In the first segment, Patricia Gras discusses discipline in high schools. Feature on Principal Mary Ellen Thornton at Patrick Henry Middle School and the disciplinary contracts implemented there. S...
In the first segment, Patricia Gras discusses the canceled presidential debate between Bill Clinton and George Bush. On the street interviews with voters to find out if they are influenced by debat...
In the first segment, Patricia Gras discusses U. S. trade in Latin America with City Councilwoman, Eleanor Tinsley, Founder and President of Houston International Initiatives, and George Donnelly, ...
In the first segment, Patricia Gras discusses Mayor Bob Lanier's proposal to annex another fifteen square miles for Houston with Councilmember John Goodner, and Representative Peggy Hamric. Segment...
First segment contains Patricia Gras's pre-recorded interview about early voting and the race for President with Texas Secretary of State, John Hannah. Second segment focuses on the Grand Parkway, ...
Patricia Gras discusses the AIDS demonstrations that took place outside the recent Republican National Convention in Houston with Doug Elder, President of the Houston Police Officers Association, C...
First segment contains Patricia Gras's pre-recorded interview about fitness after age forty with Nolan and Ruth Ryan. Second segment addresses Domestic Violence Awareness Month in light of fifteen ...
Patricia Gras discusses proposal from Austin to close all Texas state public schools if the legislature cannot come up with an acceptable funding plan by June 1st, with Representative Sylvester Tur...
Patricia Gras discusses crime in Houston public housing with Robert Reyna, Director of Housing Management for the Housing Authority, Diane Sheffield, President of the Cuney Homes Resident Council, ...
Patricia Gras discusses the difficulties of growing up young, Black, and male in America with Dr. Lee P. Brown, Professor at Texas Southern University and Houston's former Chief of Police. Includes...
Patricia Gras discusses teen pregnancy and STDs, and a new Gallup poll that shows 68 percent of Americans approve of the distribution of condoms in schools, with Dr. Robert Weinberger, a clinical p...
First segment contains a pre-recorded interview by Sue Davis with author Pete Brewton about his assessment of the Savings and Loan Crisis. Segment includes note on former Houston developer, Robert ...
Patricia Gras interviews Dominique de Menil and former U. S. President Jimmy Carter about human rights and the Carter-Menil Human Rights Foundation. Includes report on the awarding of the Carter-Me...
Patricia Gras discusses new standards in banking regulation with Richard Shockley, Assistant Professor of Administration at Rice University. Includes report on new Federal Deposit Insurance Corpora...
38. Convention! (56:01)
Documentary recounting the history of the 1928 Democratic Convention and 1992 Republican Convention. Credits: Ryan, Pat (reporter/producer/writer), Crowe, Robert (videographer/editor), Davis, Sue (...
39. Focus on Success, Episode 101: Breaking the glass ceiling (26:50)
Carrie Anna Criado interviews four experts to discuss how women can "break the glass ceiling." Guests include Assistant Managing Editor for the Houston Chronicle, Susan Bischoff; Southwestern Bell ...
40. Focus on Success, Episode 102: Entrepreneurs (26:41)
Carrie Anna Criado interviews four female entrepreneurs: Speakers Unlimited founder Bonnie Foxworth, publisher of the Houston Defender Newspaper Sonny Messiah, Stellar Network, Inc. founder Carole ...
41. Focus on Success, Episode 103: Smart Money (26:50)
Carrie Anna Criado interviews four experts to help women learn to save and invest their money. Guests include President of Woodway Financial Advisors Judy Bozeman, Assistant Vice President for Cred...
42. Focus on Success, Episode 104: Changing job market (26:48)
Carrie Anna Criado interviews four experts about the changing job market's impact on women. Guests include former Hallmark Card Vice President Joan Bishop, former Vice President at Talent Tree Pers...
43. Focus on Success, Episode 105: Mentoring (26:48)
Carrie Anna Criado interviews four experts about the importance of mentoring for women. Guests include Dean of Students at Houston Community College Maya Durnovo, President of Newsom Communications...
44. Focus on Success, Episode 106: Women & Philanthropy (26:38)
Carrie Anna Criado interviews four experts about how women can help other women through charitable donations. Guests include United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast President Judith Craven, Baylor Colle...
45. Focus on Success, Episode 107: Women in Ethnic Communities (26:50)
Carrie Anna Criado interviews three experts about the unique challenges faced by women who are part of racial/ethnic minorities. Guests include Division Manager for Community Relations at Houston L...
46. Focus on Success, Episode 108: What's ahead for women (26:38)
Carrie Anna Criado interviews four experts to discuss what opportunities are ahead for women and girls. Guests include former YWCA President Vanessa Gilmore, Randall's Food Market Director of Commu...
47. J.D.'s Journal, Episode 203 (28:11)
John Davenport goes to a salvage yard in Houston that has been operating since 1910. He meets a man who shines shoes for a living and a 91-year old McDonald's employee. There is a segment rememberi...
John Davenport visits women working in male-dominated professions. In the second half, he reports on one of the few remaining blacksmith/farriers working in the country today. Finally, Davenport hi...
John Davenport goes to Galveston to meet an 8th grade girl who plays on the middle school football team, then meets with a male kindergarten school teacher at Rosenberg Elementary School. Interview...
John Davenport visits a train engineer who is a 60-year old woman; then to Sylvan Beach train depot in La Porte. He visits lost and stolen property storage at Houston Police Department. There is a ...
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Awesome 3-on-3 Jam Photos & Recap
3rd Annual Awesome 3-on-3 Jam: Recap & Photos
November 13, 2017 February 19, 2019 no2boundaries
NOVEMBER 11, 2017 | Our Awesome 3-on-3 Jam was conceived three years ago as a celebration of girls’ and women’s basketball in our community before the ultra-competition for the best in the state begins for our players and coaches!
“The Awesome 3-on-3 Jam was truly AWESOME!!! I had a lot of fun playing against new opponents and competing in the shooting contests. It was also cool to watch the Women’s Division because it’s super intense. One of my favorite parts of the tournament was coming up with team cheers and code words such as “pineapple” (alley-oop) and “grape” (behind-the-back pass). I would definitely recommend this tourney to anybody who loves basketball and a good time.” – Andrea Dang
Andrea Dang, senior at Redmond High School, with WNBA’s Alex Montgomery.
This year, with six teams in the high school division and five squads in the women’s division, both groups competed in a round-robin. Our women’s division once again featured Alex Montgomery of WNBA’s San Antonio Stars, Seattle Storm’s practice player/intern Ashley Graham, and Purdue University’s Track & Field National Champion Lindsey Blaine. We also welcomed overseas player Yuuki Terada and Japanese national team member Hiromi Suwa – among so many other women who have played at the highest level!
A.C.G.S. from Tacoma/ Olympia taking a break between games
In the women’s division, A.C.G.S. took a defining championship back to the Tacoma/Olympia area, winning swag–colorful tights and long-sleeves for the winter–donated by Oiselle totaling over $100 in retail value! Championship players: Alex Montgomery, Gabby Wade, Chene Cooper, and Sarah Quantz.
The high school division ended in a three-way tie between NBA-Bound, Chicken Noodle Hoop, and Flaming Gummy Bears. Although the Roosevelt-laden team, captained by Karmelah Dean, came out in the final game with an overtime win against the eventual champions, the Flaming Gummy Bears brought home their own swag with a +9 advantage in point differentials. Championship players: Andrea Dang, Mackenzie Ault, Britton Steckler, and Sami Castanos – all from Redmond High School!
Redmond’s Flaming Gummy Bears posing with their championship swag.
Our contests were dominated by Redmond players and coaches – must be that home court advantage. In our free-throw shooting contest, Redmond’s senior point guard Andrea Dang faced off her varsity assistant coach Jen Bresler in a shoot-off – and Jen prevailed! And in our three-point contest, Redmond’s Britton Steckler knocked down 17 shots in a minute (is this an Awesome 3-on-3 Jam record?) to beat out her own coach, Ashley Graham, in the second round, before losing to Redmond’s former JV coach, Bea Chang, who can’t seem to make a shot in games but somehow ended up taking home her own swag.
Your 2017 free-throw and 3-point contest winners splurging on nachos and fried foods after the event #blurry
We would like to thank our sponsors for making this event possible once again. Our Awesome 3-on-3 Jam believes in empowering the girls’ and women’s basketball community, and this year, we raised scholarship funds for need-based girls to the Team Awesome Basketball Leadership Community.
Thank you to all those who planned, participated, and attended. We hope you all had a good time. Best of luck in the season ahead! Enjoy these photos!
In hoops and love,
Bea Chang and Sara Thomas
Previous postThe Season is Coming!
Next postChecking In With TABLA Junior Counselors…
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All posts tagged Doris
London Match by Len Deighton (1985)
I nodded and wondered where Posh Harry had got the idea that Bret was suspected of leaking to the Americans. Was that Lange’s misinterpretation or Harry’s? Or was it simply that no one could start to envisage him doing anything as dishonourable as spying for the Russians? And if that was it, was I wrong? And, if he was guilty of such ungentlemanly activities, who was going to believe it? (p.122)
The whole book – the entire trilogy – is like this. When he said X, did he really mean Y, or is he getting at Z, or am I misunderstanding and it’s all a plot to undermine A?
What [Bret] said about the radio made sense and I felt a bit better about it. But I noted the way he was going into bat for Stinnes. Was that because Bret was a KGB agent? Or simply because he saw in Stinnes a way of regaining a powerful position in London Central? Or both? (p.220)
A miasma of bluff and double bluff, of myriad interpretations of events and intentions, all rotating round the ideas of loyalty and betrayal. There is no particular military secret or big event going on (as, say, in a Frederick Forsyth thriller), there is just endless puzzling over whether this agent is telling the truth or is conspiring with that agent to create a deception in order to implicate a third agent and set the Department on a false trail. Unless the trail isn’t false and one or more of the agents is telling the truth… but then why did they say this? Or did he say that? Or she say the other? For 405 pages.
‘I’ve changed my mind about the whole business.’
‘The whole business? Her collecting that material from the car at the big party in Wannsee? Did she want to get arrested that night when we set it up so carefully and were so pleased with ourselves? Was that confession she gave you at some length – was it all set up?’
‘To implicate Bret? Yes, the Miller woman made a fool of me, Werner.’ (p.334)
Right up to the last few pages there are, as Samson understates it, ‘a lot of unanswered questions’ (p.389). It is not an action adventure novel, it is a puzzle. Or a series of puzzles which shift like a kaleidoscope as new events, and new snippets of information, continually realign the picture.
I poured myself a drink while I pulled my thoughts together. Was Bret admitting to me that he was a KGB mole? Had he come to me convinced that I was a KGB agent too? And how the hell was I going to find out? (p.346)
London Match is the third in Deighton’s trilogy of novels featuring sardonic, downbeat ‘spy’, Bernard Samson. Although the main theme is the bluff and double bluff which is the meat and drink of a counter-intelligence agency, in fact so much time is spent describing his personal life (children, nanny, sister-in-law, father-in-law, visits to the kids’ godfather out in the Cotswolds, and so on), and on office politicking among the small number of his colleagues in ‘the Department’ (Dicky, Bret, Frank), all of them having affairs or difficulties in their marriages, that the novels are settling down to feel like a soap opera or sitcom, with a small cast of characters we see over and over again, getting to know and enjoy their habits and tics and catchphrases – more The Archers than James Bond.
It was like that with all of us. We all knew each other very well; too damned well at times. (p.404)
Completely contrary to the blurbs on the back, I didn’t find this novel at all ‘bleak’ or ‘harsh’, I found it light and gossipy, immensely enjoyable and very more-ish. I can’t wait to read the next trilogy…
I was surprised to read that the escape of ‘Brahms Four’ – one of our top spies in East Germany, whose identification and flight is the subject of the first novel, Berlin Game – is here described as happening ‘a few short weeks ago’ (p.48). Does that mean the entire action of the middle novel, Mexico Set took place in a matter of weeks? On page 197 Samson says he’s been thinking about Bret and the possibility he had an affair with his wife ‘for the past few months’. So have all three novels taken place over the space of a few months at most? Months or weeks, the timeframe of all three novels is extremely compressed.
Like the others in the trilogy, it can be summarised easily: having exposed his wife, Fiona, as a high ranking KGB mole in the Department (book 1), and organised the defection to our side of a KGB agent (book 2), Samson begins to suspect there is another mole at work, and the novel stacks up a lot of evidence to suggest it is his American superior, Bret Rensaeller.
The book opens with Samson and his old Berlin friend Werner Volkmann staking out a high-class party in Berlin where they proceed to arrest a senior aide in the Bundestag, on the basis of information supplied by the KGB defector Samson helped defect in Mexico Set, Erich Stinnes.
Mrs Miller
As a bonus, they catch a middle-aged Englishwoman, Mrs Miller, taking a security file from the aide’s car; Samson interrogates her and she breaks down to confess she is a long-time member of the British Communist Party and has been silly and naive and got caught up in regularly passing messages from London to the East. Samson is riveted to learn that she handled messages from London which came under two codenames. Two. One must have been his wife, Fiona: could she have been using two separate codenames? Unlikely. Could it be, then, that there were two moles in London Central?
He’s barely arrived back in London when Samson hears that Miller has tried to commit suicide (pills), and then that the ambulance she was being taken to hospital in has crashed into a Berlin canal. Damn. And double damn, because his boss orders him back to Berlin at Christmas to supervise the recovery of the ambulance… In a scene straight from a movie, Samson stands in the snow with a police inspector watching the big cranes winch the wreck up out of the oily black water: it is empty. Was she spirited away by the KGB, who always look after their own? That’s the last we hear of her for 300 pages…
While in Berlin there is an unusually violent and jarring scene where Samson realises he is being followed and then is suddenly seized, bound, blindfolded and smuggled through the Wall into the East. He wakens handcuffed in a cell, and can see into a neighbouring room, where he is horrified to witness a boy wrapped up and in what appear to be his son’s clothes, being injected by a nurse supervised by a KGB doctor.
Rarely for Samson he loses self-control, starting to shout his son’s name, ‘Billy, Billy’, in blind panic before the door opens and the big strong goon who we met at the end of Mexico Set, Moskvin, beats Samson up a little. Once our man is sat, panting recovering from his injuries, Moskvin tells him the KGB know London Central are planning to fill two vacancies which have come up at the Washington Embassy. ‘Apply for one’, he says. ‘No,’ says Samson.
‘We can pick you up any time we want’, says Moskvin grinning. ‘You, your girlfriend, your children, Any time. Think about it.’ And leaves the cell laughing, calling for the driver who will take Samson back through a checkpoint to the West… Scarey, but quickly forgotten in the giddy round of social life and office politics which continues as usual. The Washington gambit is never mentioned again. In fact the entire scene leaves no trace on the plot, like a hallucination.
Samson’s personal life
There is a lot of personal stuff around his flirty friendship with his wife’s sister, Tessa, and her husband George, the used car salesman, who we see in a number of sympathetic scenes and who Samson spends some effort trying to reconcile. But the main thread in his personal life is that Gloria Kent, the stunning 20-year-old secretary he was flirting with in the last book, has definitely fallen in love with him and they are an item. Improbably. As is the way, she is soon nagging that he’s putting on weight (the same accusation was made against the Ipcress File narrator all those years ago) and nagging that she wants to move in completely and nagging that she wants to get married, which he refuses. There are tears before bedtime.
The defector Erich Stinnes
Samson and others in the Department are frustrated that Stinnes is being held out at the prison-like Berwick House where the clumsy Debriefing Team are getting little out of him. Eventually Samson overcomes various objectors to get Stinnes released to a cosy safe apartment in Notting Hill Gate (with a Special Branch minder), takes him out for a stylish dinner (well, a curry) and Stinnes responds by starting to talk.
The case against Bret
Meanwhile, there’s a continuous drip-drip throughout the book, in various scenes and conversations, interrogations and implications, which appear to throw up evidence incriminating Bret, reinforcing the suspicion planted in Samson’s mind by the Miller woman.
Samson visits Lange, a disgruntled American who was recruited by Samson’s father and was successfully running a number of networks after the war, when along came Rensaeller from London with instructions to ‘de-Nazify’ and break them all up: or was it at the behest of Moscow? Bret later gives his version – that Lange was a black market mobster, and he was specifically tasked with decriminalising or dismantling his criminal networks… or so he says…
Then, another American, Posh Harry, CIA, shows Samson a photocopy of a Cabinet Office briefing about a security exercise carried out on West German military bases, which has ended up in Moscow. ‘You have a mole’, says Posh Harry. And Samson engineers an interview with a redoubtable senior secretary at Number Ten who confirms that this particular copy must have come from Rensaeller’s office…
Later on, tricky Dicky Cruyer adds his two-pennyworth by recalling to Samson an occasion decades earlier, in Kiel, when a defector they were swapping for a captured agent of ours, appeared to recognise Bret but, at a signal, switched to blank non-recognition. Aha. It all makes sense to Dicky now…
Two-thirds through the novel a new front opens up, when Stinnes gives his interrogators detailed information about a spy network working around a Cambridge research institution. Uncharacteristically, Bret, the smooth-talking desk jockey, says he will handle the field operation this entails, personally. He chooses Ted Riley, an aged security man who (like so many of the characters) knew and worked for Samson’s father, to go with Samson.
The first step is to break into the safe in a solicitor’s office in Cambridge in order to take a load of papers relating to the institution. This goes disastrously (and rather puzzlingly) wrong when the safe turns out to be booby-trapped and Riley and the safe-cracker Bret had imported to carry out this ‘routine job’ are blown to smithereens. The small group we always see meeting and conspiring – Bret, Dicky, Frank and Samson – are shaken.
But Bret insists on taking part in a further operation (which, again, wasn’t quite explained, or I didn’t quite follow). They arrange to meet some of Stinnes’ contacts in a laundrette in Hampstead – Bret and Samson waiting in the dingy interior with a laundry bag at the bottom of which is a bundle of cash, Stinnes hidden outside in a car with a minder. This, also, goes disastrously wrong, when the ‘contacts’ turn out to be two thugs in balaclava masks carrying sawn-off shotguns: they’re in the middle of demanding the money and Bret has frozen with fear, when there is a loud explosion – the car Stinnes and his minder were in has exploded, giving Samson the chance to pull his gun, shooting one goon, then chasing the other up a darkened stairwell and shooting him as well. Samson drags the stunned Bret outside where they are amazed and relieved to find Stinnes still alive – the minder pulled him out of the car at the first sign of trouble. Into the spare car they bundle and race off.
What the hell is going on? Is there a Cambridge circle of spies? Is Stinnes’ information genuine? Or are these deliberate traps he’s inventing? Did he somehow tip off Moscow about the break-in to the solicitors’ office so they could booby-trap it? But how, Stinnes is under 24 hour surveillance, surely he couldn’t communicate with anyone? And who were the goons who turned up in the laundrette? More KGB thugs? Or is Bret the mole? Did Bret take personal charge of these (disastrous) operations in order to scupper them? But why risk himself, and put himself in the firing line to take the blame?
These and other questions, and all possible permutations of them, are what Samson discusses at length with his boss Dicky, with Werner, with his lover Gloria, with Frank, with Silas Gaunt at his country mansion, each of them confusing the picture with additional information or conflicting interpretations.
Superficial incidents aside, it is the same basic plot as the first novel: not a ‘whodunnit’, a ‘whoisit‘.
Bernard Samson – 40-something intelligence agent, sardonic, clever, tough and, I’m beginning to realise, immensely talkative. In this book’s 400 pages there’s no-one he doesn’t discuss his theories with – Tessa, Gloria, Silas, von Munte, Werner, Zena – about the only person who doesn’t get dragged into his constant theorising about what’s ‘going on’ is the plump nanny from Devon.
Fiona – his wife who also worked in the Service and was revealed, in Berlin Game, to be a KGB agent, and so fled behind the Curtain.
Billy and Sally (8) – Bernard and Fiona’s children, living with Samson in his central London house, looked after by the plump nanny from Devon, Doris.
Tessa – Fiona’s younger sister, posh, feisty, her marriage to George is on the rocks, she fancies Bernard like mad, but is having an ill-judged affair with Dicky Cruyer.
David Kimber-Hutchinson – very well-off father of Fiona and Tessa, determined to take custody of his grand-children.
George Kosinski – Tessa’s husband, a Polish immigrant and very successful used car salesman who Tessa is serially unfaithful to.
Gloria Kent – luscious young secretary who falls in love with Samson at the end of the previous novel and is now seriously infatuated with him, wanting to move in and completely redesign his life.
Richard ‘Dicky’ Cruyer – Oxford man, Controller of German Stations, Samson’s immediate boss, fussy, self-interested. Samson hates these smug, self-satisfied, patronising Oxbridge-educated desk men.
‘Let me tell you something, Bernard,’ said Dicky, leaning well back in the soft leather seat and adopting the manner of an Oxford don explaining the law of gravity to a delivery boy… (p.28)
Frank Harrington – pipe smoking, 60-year-old head of the Berlin Field Unit (the job Bernard’s father had way back), fanatical Duke Ellington fan. Proves loyal in the book’s closing section.
Tarrant – Frank’s inscrutable valet at his big country house out at Grunewald.
Bret Rensselaer – mid-fifties, confident American (an American high up in MI6?), head of the Economics Intelligence Committee of SIS, sleek, suspicious. His plans took a knock with the defection of the agent called Brahms Four in Berlin Game, upon whose steady flow of economic intelligence about the Russkies Bret had built a little empire within SIS. In this book evidence mounts up which appears to incriminate him of also being a mole…
Morgan – creepy assistant to the ailing Director-General and therefore powerful.
Silas Gaunt – retired legend in the Department, living in a massive ramshackle house – Whitelands – in the Cotswolds, who Samson visits in each novel for a symbolic Communing with the Elders, in this novel bumping into the agent, Brahms Four, who Samson smuggled out of East Berlin in Berlin Game.
Henry Tiptree – contemporary of Dicky’s at Balliol college, Oxford, and now SIS’s man in Mexico, crops up here in some meetings and committees.
Ted Riley – old-timer who (like so many) worked for Samson’s father, but after getting caught doing a bit of black marketeering, was pushed sideways to become security at the safe house at Berwick House. As such he accompanies Stinnes to the London apartment to guard him and then is tasked with helping Samson in the raid on a Cambridge office, in which he is blown to smithereens.
Sir Henry Clevemore – Director-General of the Department, who Samson thinks is more or less gaga. It is a little bizarre to portray the head of Britain’s intelligence service as a senile fool.
Werner Volkmann – Samson’s oldest friend from his Berlin childhood, big, bearlike, Jewish, he runs a successful if unofficial import-export agency into East Berlin but is keen to work for (and be paid by) the Department. In the later parts of the novel he and Samson have several really long sessions drinking and reminiscing about their childhood escapades in post-war Berlin, interspersed with the usual thorough review of what’s ‘going on’.
Zena, Werner’s wife, young tough, ambitious. Show me the money. Improbably, in the first novel she had a brief affair with ageing Frank Harrington. In the second novel she fell passionately in love with the defector Stinnes (well, the money he stood to gain).
Lisl Hennig – old lady in Berlin whose house Samson remembers growing up in when his dad moved the family there after the war but which has become a rather run-down boarding house and is where Samson always stays in Berlin, rather than the ritzy hotels he has the expenses for.
Lothar Koch – 80-year-old friend of Frau Hennig.
John Koby aka Lange or ‘Lofty’ – 70 year old Yank, recruited by Samson’s dad but then dropped for alienating American intelligence. Still bitter, but as the novel progresses we learn he was in fact using his position to become a big player in the Berlin underworld.
Posh Harry – flash American ‘businessman’, knows everyone, can fix anything.
Erich Stinnes – thin professional KGB man who Samson first met when he was being held by him in Stasi headquarters at the end of Berlin Game, and who Samson persuades to defect in Mexico Set, and who is now the centre of London Match, as he leaks information to his interrogators. But is it the real thing – or is he supplying deliberate disinformation to help discredit the totally innocent Bret Rensselaer?
Things move swiftly to a climax. The interrogation of Stinnes is handed over to a joint committee from the Department and MI5 and Stinnes makes more admissions implicating Bret, who is promptly placed under house arrest. He manages to escape, cadging a flight with a friend with his own plane, out of England and turns up looking worse for wear in Berlin, at Frau Lisl’s where Samson is staying.
Samson had just reluctantly seen Werner off on a trip to the East, because Werner had spotted the Mrs Miller from the start of the novel not at all drowned and dead but happily working in the east Berlin Town Hall. He is going back over to find out more.
Next day we discover Werner has been seized by the Stasi. Bret’s panic fear about being arrested has made Samson decide which one of the two possible theories about Stinnes he believes: Bret is not a mole, the evidence from Mrs Miller (staged), from Lange (personally biased) and Posh Harry’s document (a set up) is all a put-up job, and Stinnes is no defector but sent to discredit Bret and undermine the Department.
But now his old friend Werner is being held, and so Samson, in Berlin, contacts Frank and recruits him for a desperate gamble. He persuades Frank to pull rank and get Stinnes transferred out to Berlin, while he sends messages to the other side that he’s ready to do a swap.
At a ritzy West Berlin hotel Fiona and an entourage of KGB heavies meet him. During the negotiations for the exchange of Werner and Stinnes, Samson gets Fiona alone in a hotel room for an intense couple of pages in which the entire freight of personal and professional betrayal intensify into a multi-leveled moment of tension, stress, anguish, old love and determined hard-headedness.
Her readiness to make the exchange confirms that Stinnes is a stooge and effectively exonerates Bret, thus making all his colleagues back in London look like fools for believing the defector. But then, driving on the way to the exchange point, there is an accident which the KGB heavy, Moskvin, who’d accompanied Fiona on the trip, takes to be an attempt on his life. He leaps out of the car, runs off into the busy Berlin streets, shooting at his pursuers – Samson, Bret, Frank and numerous Berlin Office staff. In fact from nowhere it turns into a cinematic chase through crowded streets with shots going off in all directions. Some innocent bystanders as well as some of our boys are shot – including Bret, who is seriously injured – before Moskvin is himself shot dead.
The exchange goes ahead anyway, Werner for Stinnes, Werner confirming that Stinnes is greeted like a conquering hero on the East side. In the hotel room Fiona had said her condition for exchanging Werner wasn’t Stinnes – it was that Moskvin be bumped off. Now, whether by intention or lucky accident, that has happened. Could it possibly be that the entire sequence of events starting with Stinnes’ defection was designed solely to get Moskvin off Fiona’s back and give her unrestrained control of the East German setup? What an elaborate plan?
On the last few pages Samson and his cynical old mate Werner sum up what has happened. Was it, as Werner claims, game, set and match to the KGB? Did they get their high-ranking spy – Fiona – back to them with no loss, while using Stinnes to sow confusion and distrust (not least between the Department and MI5 who have seen our chaps’ incompetence at close quarters)? Or is it, as Samson insists, game, set and match to us, because we exposed Fiona – forcing her to leave in a rush without taking incriminating documents – OK, we were taken in by Stinnes but in the end exposed him, and have emerged stronger?
Even at the end it hasn’t ended: even when it’s all over the questions, and the maze of multiple interpretations, continues. As it does in life…
Man of the world As pointed out in my review of the previous Samson novels, the thriller writer (or his protagonist) need to show us he is a man of the world, an expert in many forms of knowledge, and Deighton is a very knowledgeable writer. Thus the text is dotted with offhand insights and knowing asides, especially about his specialist subject, Germany, German history, culture and language.
[von Munte] nodded sadly. ‘Yes, Saupreiss,’ he said, using the Bavarian dialect word for Prussian swine. (p.54)
[Frau Koby] was a small thin woman, her face pale like the faces of most Berliners when winter comes. (p.83)
The Handschlag, the hands slapped together in that noisy handshake with which German farmers conclude a sale of pigs. (p.84)
She had the flat features, narrowed eyes, and pale colouring that are typical of people from Russia’s eastern Arctic. (p.101)
Berliners give themselves wholeheartedly to everything they do: Berlin opera and concert audiences cheer, boo, jeer or applaud with a mad tenacity unknown elsewhere. (p.109)
I’ve never been to Berlin so I’ve no idea whether any of this is true, but it sounds good and makes our man sound like a native and an expert.
Foodie We know Deighton has special knowledge and expertise when it comes to cookery and cuisine because of his successful cook books. No surprise, then, that his narrator has needle-sharp, accurate knowledge of all things gastronomic.
‘Brötchen,‘ she said. Zena was born and brought up in Berlin, but she didn’t call the bread rolls Schrippe the way the rest of the population did. (p.19)
Some Kipfel on a silver platter. Klara knew that the little crescent shaped shortcakes were Werner’s favourites. (p.340)
Old and tired Probably the cliché of the thriller/spy genre is the way the hero always feels old, old and tired – indicating to us safe, boring readers what an action-packed life he’s led, what terrible things he’s seen, what a battering his body and soul have taken.
When he thought I wasn’t observing him, I could see the signs of that energy flagging. Stinnes was growing tired. Or old. Or frightened. Or maybe all three. I knew the feeling. (p.186)
I looked at the dangers now and shuddered. I looked at many such previously encountered dangers now and shuddered; that’s why I was no longer suitable for employment as a field agent… I should have noticed the car at the start. I was becoming too old and too careless… (p.97) [The KGB man said] ‘No gun, Samson? This is not the expert we’ve heard so much about. You’re getting old and careless.’ (p.99)
We get the picture. He has lived more than we ever will. (As an aside, is the repetition of ‘old and careless’ within two pages deliberate or an indication that these long (402 pages) novels were written and published at speed?)
Men and woman Part of this old-hand-ish, seen-it-all-before, jaded attitude is the easy generalisations about men and women which stud the text. In fact, in line with the way at least half the text is about the private life of Samson, Gloria, his kids and nanny, his father-in-law, his sister-in-law Tessa and her lover Dicky and her husband George the car salesman, etc etc, there are as many or more sentences and paragraphs about relationships, about men and women, as there are about spies, the CIA, SIS or KGB.
Women are always attracted by purposeful masculine strength, organising ability, and the sort of self-confidence that leaves everything unsaid. (p.132)
It was only a matter of time. The urge to reform the male is something no woman can resist. (p.163)
‘[Posh Harry] is a slippery bastard,’ I said. But I wouldn’t deliver him to Morgan.
‘It might be him or you,’ she said with that ruthless simplicity that women call feminine logic. (p.181)
Why did women always feel the need to write letters when ending an affair? (p.283)
Did all wives fear and resent the friendships that came before marriage? (p.384)
Like all women she was tyrannised by her biology. (p.385)
These doubtful generalisations, generally about women, are just the most prominent parts, the tips of the great icebergs of text dealing with personal relationships, with love and fidelity and betrayal etc, especially now Samson is sleeping with a 20-year-old secretary and feeling guilty about it.
If you’d told me that these aspects of my love affair with her were only what could be expected when a man of forty falls in love with a woman young enough to be his daughter, I’d have agreed with you. I worried about it constantly and yet I always ended up asking myself whether such elements of paternalism weren’t to be found everywhere. Maybe not in every happy marriage, but certainly in every blissful affair. (p.165)
If you blank out all the spying content (OK, quite a task), there’s the makings of a cracking Jackie Collins novel about a small circle of middle-aged couples having dinner parties and affairs, bonking, splitting up, getting back together, and worrying about children and nannies, trying to get out of this book.
Bureaucracy There are countless references to the labyrinthine bureaucracy of Whitehall, to the endless delays of Civil Service administration – there is a complex passage about the various colours of chit you need to get access to Cabinet Office documents – references to characters being worried about their pensions, and so on – the same humorous, long-suffering, institutional attitude of the Ipcress narrator – only maybe a bit less jolly, more real.
Public school Then there is the permanent thread of resentment Samson has against the way most jobs in his Department – and indeed Whitehall – are taken by public school men and the Oxbridge mafia, with their all-important codes of dress and speech designed to put everyone else in their place.
Unlike Bret, who was wearing the same sort of Savile Row suit he wore to the office, Frank had come correctly attired for the upper-class weekend: old Bedford cord trousers and a khaki sweater with a silk scarf in the open neck of his faded shirt. (p.50)
The public-school senior staff at London Central spent just as much money on their Savile Row suits and handmade shirts and Jermyn Street shoes, but they wore them with a careless scruffiness that was a vital part of their snobbery. A real English gentleman never tries; that was the article of faith. (p.134)
Winning one little argument with the public-school mafia at London Central was like landing a blow on a heavy leather punching sack – the visible effect was slight, and two minutes later the pendulum swung the whole contraption back again and knocked you for six. (p.144)
The choice of casual words, and the softness of his voice, did nothing to hide the authority behind what he said; on the contrary, it was the manner in which certain classes of Englishmen give orders to their subordinates. (p.59)
In this, as in so many spy novels, there are few if any references to actual politics – no mention of Mrs Thatcher and President Reagan who dominated the 1980s with their abrasive anti-communist rhetoric, no mention of the high profile nuclear disarmament talks which dominated the headlines, no mention of the protests at Greenham Common about the siting of US missiles there, which began in 1981.
Characters routinely explain their fear of the KGB, describe its all-powerful rule of terror, explain why they hate ‘traitors’ – but in words which could have been spoken at any time between 1962 (when Deighton and Le Carré published their first novels) and 1985 when this novel was published. It is as if the backdrop of the Cold War is fixed, inflexible, unchanging, like the static ahistorical setting of Hollywood Westerns, where there is never any change or development, never any external events to upset the mythical backdrop, where there are just good guys, bad guys, Injuns and countless shootouts; or, in the spy world, our agents, their agents, double agents and endless plotting.
In the whole book there is only really one passage about contemporary politics, about the actual economic and political issues which divide the West from the East, have pitted them against each other for forty years since the end of World War Two, and which were moving, changing, evolving in the 1980s.
It is a page-long disquisition where Samson deliberately bates Stinnes by describing in detail why the Russian communist economy is collapsing (mentioning, in passing, the rise of the Solidarity trades union in Poland – founded 1980). Samson explains how the populations of the USSR made a sullen pact with the communist party to be quiescent and not cause trouble in return for steady jobs, accommodation, pensions. But as the economy fails, jobs, goods, food, accommodation are no longer guaranteed, the people are restless, the party doesn’t know what to do next.
This is all very prescient: London Match was published in 1985 and it was in May 1985 that new Communist Party General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev made the speech in which he admitted ‘the slowing down of the economic development and inadequate living standards’ and introduced the new ideas of ‘restructuring’ and ‘openness’, perestroika and glasnost, which he said were required to get the USSR back on track. (Wikipedia article – Perestroika)
These are the first stirrings of the political and social revolution which led to the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, the end of the Cold War, and the evaporation of the worldview which had underpinned spy thrillers for two generations.
London Match on Amazon
London Match Wikipedia article
London Match article on the Deighton Dossier website
Granada paperback cover of London Match
Len Deighton’s novels
1962 The IPCRESS File Through the thickets of bureaucracy and confusing misinformation which surround him, an unnamed British intelligence agent discovers that his boss, Dalby, is in cahoots with a racketeer who kidnaps and brainwashes British scientists.
1963 Horse Under Water Perplexing plot which is initially about diving into a wrecked U-boat off the Portuguese coast for Nazi counterfeit money, then changes into the exposure of an illegal heroin manufacturing operation, then touches on a top secret technology which can change ice to water instantly (ie useful for firing missiles from submarines under Arctic ice) and finally turns out to be about a list – the Weiss List – of powerful British people who offered to help run a Nazi government when the Germans invaded, and who are now being blackmailed. After numerous adventures, the Unnamed Narrator retrieves the list and consigns it to the Intelligence archive.
1964 Funeral in Berlin The Unnamed Narrator is in charge of smuggling a Russian scientist through the Berlin Wall, all managed by a Berlin middle-man Johnnie Vulkan who turns out to be a crook only interested in getting fake identity papers to claim the fortune of a long-dead concentration camp victim. The Russians double-cross the British by not smuggling the scientist; Vulkan double-crosses the British by selling the (non-existent) scientist on to Israeli Intelligence; the Narrator double-crosses the Israelis by giving them the corpse of Vulkan (who he has killed) instead of the scientist; and is himself almost double-crossed by a Home Office official who tries to assassinate him in the closing scenes, in order to retrieve the valuable documents. But our Teflon hero survives and laughs it all off with his boss.
1966 Billion-Dollar Brain The Unnamed Narrator is recruited into a potty organisation funded by an American billionaire, General Midwinter, and dedicated to overthrowing the Soviet Union. A character from Funeral In Berlin, Harvey Newbegin, inducts him into the organisation and shows him the Brain, the vast computer which is running everything, before absconding with loot and information, and then meeting a sticky end in Leningrad.
1967 An Expensive Place to Die A new departure, abandoning all the characters and much of the style of the first four novels for a more straightforward account of a secret agent in Paris who gets involved with a Monsieur Datt and his clinic-cum-brothel. After many diversions, including an induced LSD trip, he is ordered to hand over US nuclear secrets to a Chinese scientist, with a view to emphasising to the Chinese just how destructive a nuclear war would be and therefore discouraging them from even contemplating one.
1968 Only When I Larf Another departure, this is a comedy following the adventures of three con artists, Silas, Bob and Liz and their shifting, larky relationships as they manage (or fail) to pull off large-scale stings in New York, London and the Middle East.
1970 Bomber A drastic change of direction for Deighton, dropping spies and comedy to focus on 24 hours in the lives of British and German airmen, soldiers and civilians involved in a massive bombing raid on the Ruhr valley. 550 pages, enormous cast, documentary prose, terrifying death and destruction – a really devastating indictment of the horrors of war.
1971 Declarations of War Thirteen short stories, all about wars, mainly the first and second world wars, with a few detours to Vietnam, the American Civil war and Hannibal crossing the Alps. Three or four genuinely powerful ones.
1972 Close-Up Odd departure into Jackie Collins territory describing the trials and tribulations of fictional movie star Marshall Stone as he betrays his wife and early lovers to ‘make it’ in tinseltown, and the plight he currently finds himself in: embroiled in a loss-making production and under pressure from the scheming studio head to sign a lucrative but career-threatening TV deal.
1974 Spy Story The Unnamed Narrator of the Ipcress spy novels returns, in much tamer prose, to describe how, after escaping from the ‘Service’ to a steady job in a MoD war games unit, he is dragged back into ‘active service’ via a conspiracy of rogue right-wingers to help a Soviet Admiral defect. Our man nearly gets shot by the right-wingers and killed by Russians in the Arctic, before realising the whole thing was an elaborate scam by his old boss, Dawlish, and his new boss, the American marine General Schlegel, to scupper German reunification talks.
1975 Yesterday’s Spy Another first-person spy story wherein a different agent – though also working for the American Colonel Schlegel, introduced in Spy Story – is persuaded to spy on Steve Champion, the man who ran a successful spy ring in Nazi-occupied France, who recruited him to the agency and who saved his life back during the war. Via old contacts the narrator realises Champion is active again, but working for Arabs who are planning some kind of attack on Israel and which the narrator must foil.
1976 Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Spy (aka Catch a Falling Spy) The narrator and his CIA partner manage the defection of a Soviet scientist, only for a string of murder attempts and investigations to reveal that a senior US official they know is in fact a KGB agent, leading to a messy shootout at Washington airport, and then to an unlikely showdown in the Algerian desert.
1977 Fighter: The True Story of the Battle of Britain Abandoning fiction altogether, Deighton published this comprehensive, in-depth and compelling history, lavishly illustrated with photos and technical diagrams of the famous planes involved.
1978 SS-GB A storming return to fiction with a gripping alternative history thriller in which the Germans succeeded in invading and conquering England in 1941. We follow a senior detective at Scotland Yard, Douglas Archer, living in defeated dingy London, coping with his new Nazi superiors, and solving a murder mystery which unravels to reveal not one but several enormous conspiracies.
1979 Blitzkrieg: From the Rise of Hitler to the Fall of Dunkirk Another factual history of WWII: Deighton moves quickly over Hitler’s rise to power and the diplomatic bullying of the 1930s, to arrive at the core of the book: an analysis of the precise meaning of ‘Blitzkrieg’, complete with detailed notes on all the weapons, tanks, artillery and hardware involved, as well as the evolution of German strategic thinking; and then its application in the crucial battle for the river Meuse which determined the May 1940 Battle for France.
1980 Battle of Britain
1981 XPD SIS agent Boyd Stuart is one of about 20 characters caught up in the quest for the ‘Hitler Minutes’, records of a top secret meeting between Hitler and Churchill in May 1940 in which the latter was (shockingly) on the verge of capitulating, and which were ‘liberated’ by US soldiers, along with a load of Nazi gold, at the very end of the war. Convoluted, intermittently fascinating and sometimes moving, but not very gripping.
1982 Goodbye, Mickey Mouse Six months in the life of the 220th Fighter Group, an American Air Force group flying Mustangs in support of heavy bombers, based in East Anglia, from winter 1943 through spring 1944, as we get to know 20 or so officers and men, as well as the two women at the centre of the two ill-fated love affairs which dominate the story.
1983 Berlin Game First of the Bernard Samson spy novels in which this forty-something British Intelligence agent uses his detailed knowledge of Berlin and its spy networks to ascertain who is the high-level mole within his Department. With devastating consequences.
1984 Mexico Set Second of the first Bernard Samson trilogy (there are three trilogies ie 9 Samson books), in which our hero manages the defection of KGB agent Erich Stinnes from Mexico City, despite KGB attempts to frame him for the murder of one of his own operatives and a German businessman. All that is designed to make Bernard defect East and were probably masterminded by his traitor wife, Fiona.
1985 London Match Third of the first Bernard Samson spy trilogy in which a series of clues – not least information from the defector Erich Stinnes who was the central figure of the previous novel – suggest to Samson that there is another KGB mole in the Department – and all the evidence points towards smooth-talking American, Bret Rensselaer.
1987 Winter An epic (ie very long and dense) fictionalised account of German history from 1900 to 1945, focusing on the two Winter brothers, Peter and Paul, along with a large supporting cast of wives, friends, colleagues and enemies, following their fortunes through the Great War, the Weimar years, the rise of Hitler and on into the ruinous Second World War. It provides vital background information about nearly all of the characters who appear in the Bernard Samson novels, so is really part of that series.
1988 Spy Hook First of the second trilogy of Bernard Samson spy novels in which Bernie slowly uncovers what he thinks is a secret slush fund of millions run by his defector wife with Bret Rensaeller (thought to be dead, but who turns up recuperating in a California ranch). The plot involves reacquaintance with familiar characters like Werner Volkmann, Frau Lisl (and her sister), old Frank Harrington, tricky Dicky Cruyer, Bernie’s 23-year-old girlfriend Gloria Kent, and so on.
1989 Spy Line Through a typically tangled web of incidents and conversations Samson’s suspicions are confirmed: his wife is a double agent, she has been working for us all along, she only pretended to defect to the East. After numerous encounters with various old friends of his father and retired agents, Samson finds himself swept up in the brutal, bloody plan to secure Fiona’s escape from the East.
1990 Spy Sinker In the third of the second trilogy of Samson novels, Deighton switches from a first-person narrative by Samson himself, to an objective third-person narrator and systematically retells the entire sequence of events portrayed in the previous five Samson novels from an external point of view, shedding new and sometimes devastating light on almost everything we’ve read. The final impression is of a harrowing world where everyone is deceiving everyone else, on multiple levels.
1991 MAMista A complete departure from the Cold War and even from Europe. Australian doctor and ex-Vietnam War veteran Ralph Lucas finds himself caught up with Marxist guerrillas fighting the ruling government in the (fictional) South American country of Spanish Guiana and, after various violent escapades, inveigled into joining the long, gruelling and futile trek through the nightmareish jungle which dominates the second half of the novel.
1992 City of Gold A complex web of storylines set in wartime Cairo, as the city is threatened by Rommel’s advancing Afrika Korps forces in 1942. We meet crooks, gangsters, spies, émigrés, soldiers, detectives, nurses, deserters and heroes as they get caught up in gun smuggling, black marketeering and much more, in trying to track down the elusive ‘Rommel spy’ and, oh yes, fighting the Germans.
1993 Violent Ward Very entertaining, boisterous first-person narrative by Los Angeles shyster lawyer Mickey Murphy who gets bought out by his biggest client, menacing billionaire Zach Petrovitch, only to find himself caught up in Big Pete’s complex criminal activities and turbulent personal life. The novel comes to a climax against the violent backdrop of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles in April 1992.
1993 Blood, Tears and Folly: An Objective Look at World War II
1994 Faith Return to Bernard Samson, the 40-something SIS agent, and the world of his friends and family, familiar to us from the previous six Samson novels. Most of the characters (and readers) are still reeling from the bloody shootout when his wife returned from her undercover mission to East Germany at the climax of the previous novel. This book re-acquaints us with all the well-loved characters from the previous stories, in a plot ostensibly about smuggling a KGB colonel out from the East, but is really about who knows the truth – and who is trying to cover up – the real cause of the Fiona-escape debacle.
1995 Hope 40-something SIS agent Bernard Samson continues trying to get to the bottom of the death of his sister-in-law, Tessa Kosinski and is soon on the trail of her husband, George, who has gone missing back in his native Poland.
1996 Charity Ninth and final Bernard Samson novel in which it takes Bernard 300 pages to piece together the mystery which we readers learned all about in the sixth novel of the series, ie that the plot to murder Fiona’s sister, Tessa, was concocted by Silas Gaunt. Silas commissioned Jim Prettyman to be the middle-man and instructed him to murder the actual assassin, Thurkettle. Now that is is openly acknowledged by the Department’s senior staff, the most striking thing about the whole event – its sheer amateurish cack-handedness – is dismissed by one and all as being due to Gaunt’s (conveniently sudden) mental illness. As for family affairs: It is Bret who ends up marrying Bernard’s one-time lover, the glamorous Gloria; Bernard is finally promised the job of running the Berlin Office, which everyone has always said he should have: and the novel ends with a promise of reconciliation with his beautiful, high-flying and loving wife, Fiona.
by Simon on September 1, 2015 • Permalink
Posted in Books, Novel, Spy novel, Thriller
Tagged 1985, Bernard Samson, Billy Samson, Bret Rensselaer, David Kimber-Hutchinson, Dicky Cruyer, Doris, Erich Stinnes, espionage, Fiona Samson, Frank Harrington, George Kosinski, Gloria Kent, Henry Tiptree, John Koby, Lange, Len Deighton, Lisl Hennig, London Match, Lothar Koch, MI6, Posh Harry, Sally Samson, Silas Gaunt, Sir Henry Clevemore, SIS, spy, Tarrant, Ted Riley, Werner Volkmann, Zena Volkmann
Posted by Simon on September 1, 2015
https://astrofella.wordpress.com/2015/09/01/london-match-len-deighton/
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beth wiemann
composer and clarinetist that drives a lot
Compositions by genre
List of Compositions
UNTIL THE WAR IS OVER
Doing things around snowstorms..
Mar25 by beth wiemann
Last week, I, along with 7 other UMaine faculty and 4 students, managed to play a recital, in spite of the fact that the University was closed for parts of two days just before the event. This is kind of a deal for us, since many faculty live on the coast, or commute long distances (like myself – see title of this blog). So traveling to the rehearsal/gig can be as difficult as playing the rehearsal/gig. Plus, the faculty had just experienced weather-related challenges when our Pierrot lunaire performance was postponed by that cute storm Nemo in February. (Faculty at our sister campus in Gorham had a similar Pierrot Experience with last week’s storm – just ask Dan Sonenberg.)
So, it was a relief that the concert went off as scheduled, since we were hosting a guest composer (and my former teacher) Peter Westergaard. He was able to make the final rehearsal and performance of his new trio for clarinet, ‘cello and piano, All Odds. This was the only piece on that evening’s program that had NOT changed since the original planning last spring. Back then, it was going to be a clarinet-piano show with one trio piece, but the “new” Paul Schoenfield piece turned out not to exist quite yet (we hope to play that sometime in 2014). Then, as I mentioned, UMaine’s Pierrot got postponed twice, essentially, so rehearsals for that were still going on in January. Adding more rehearsals for clarinet-piano got sort of tricky. Then, a faculty/student group that was working on a Scott Wheeler piece wound up with no available concert date on which to perform, in part because of all of the scheduling weirdness.
Finally, we went with a program of contemporary music by composers whose names begin with “w” – Westergaard, Wheeler, Weir (a clarinet-piano piece, oldest piece on the concert) and Wiemann. My piece was the last addition to the program – the faculty singers that were originally scheduled to perform my songs next year decided that they would ramp up their rehearsal plans, and do a premiere this semester before repeating the work in the fall. For which I was really grateful – here’s the last movement, on Sarah Manguso’s poem “The Rider,” for soprano, mezzo-soprano and flute:
“The Rider” Soundcloud clip
The Westergaard visit (Peter and his wife Barbara) tuned out great, although moving around parking lots that had not been plowed made for some high level strategizing. They were impressed with the non-pretentious-ness of Orono (particularly Pat’s Pizza) and with the still dominating amounts of still-white snow. And with local beer – microbrews being an important part of the local culture. Unless you’re my husband and want to order a Bloody Mary for photo contrast while hosting other people drinking beer:
← Proof that the melodica version of “Sanctus” has been premiered…
Welcome, spring 2013… →
"Make Good Time" played by Transient Canvas
Beth on Spotify
Interview with Frank Oteri
My bio, and whatnot
my husband and his thoughts
my publisher
my stuff on Soundcloud
My Vimeo samples
My Youtube samples
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Redpath Claims Tas Title Hat Trick
Home » Redpath Claims Tas Title Hat Trick
For the third season in a row, Luke Redpath last Saturday night at Carrick Speedway picked up the Webster Trucks Tasmanian Wingless Sprint Title spoils.
Despite the Sassafras, Tasmania-based racer qualifying for the Webster Trucks Tasmanian Title-deciding feature race on the outside of the front row and settling into second place in the early stages of the race, he was then able to chase down pole-sitter Scott Thomsen, stealing the lead from him just two laps in.
Redpath paced the field for the remainder of the 25-lap distance, and while he was forced to endure some pressure rom Thomsen towards the end of the race, he maintained his composure, going on to greet the chequered flag as a comfortable winner.
The lone interstate entrant of the Tasmanian Title, Queenslander Thomsen enjoyed a pleasing performance throughout his heat races aboard the car owned by local Tim McKinnell to earn the pole position start. After leading the opening couple of laps, Thomsen fell victim to Redpath’s passing move but that didn’t stop him from continuing to apply the pressure on the leader throughout the duration.
Showing his nose with five laps remaining, a subsequent mistake from Thomsen dashed his hopes of taking over first place, leaving him forced to settle for second.
Local runner Jacob Goodluck put in a career-best drive to complete the podium in third place, which bettered last season’s result of fifth.
Just missing out on the podium in fourth was Jamie Rolls ahead of Bradley Walkley and former Tasmanian Title holder Brad Whitchurch. The latter, who was regarded as one of the event’s favourites, crashed earlier in the night but managed to repair the car to record a sixth-place finish.
The remaining finishers were Josh Padman, Samuel Laing, Jake Power and Jason Taylor.
Troy Lewis was unable to finish the feature race, while Nicholas Curtin was a feature-race non-starter following dramas in his qualifying heat races.
The action in the qualifying heat races was thick and fast, with Padman, Redpath and Whitchurch sharing the wins. Despite not recording a win, the likes of Rolls, Laing, Thomsen and Goodluck performed strongly with various minor podium finishes.
Redpath has without a doubt been the form driver this season and it was quite fitting that he came away with a Tasmanian Title hat trick of wins.
The AWSR would like to thank Webster Trucks for their support of the Tasmanian Wingless Sprint Title. Established in 2007, Webster Trucks offers a wide range of heavy trucks across four brands: Isuzu, Mack, UD and Volvo. With facilities located in Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie, Webster Trucks has the most extensive retail network of service and parts outlets in Tasmania. To find out more about Webster Trucks, visit their website at www.webstertrucks.com.au.
For more information on the AWSR, visit their website at www.awsr.com.au or LIKE them on Facebook or Follow them on Instagram and Twitter by searching Australian Wingless Sprint Racing.
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Jason’s JubilationNews
Aus Championship Podium Locked InNews
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Competitive ballroom dancing takes center stage
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Archive for the ‘adolf alix’ Tag
Sinag Maynila 2016 Leave a comment
So yesterday I did a marathon of all Sinag Maynila entries. Sinag Maynila is a project close to me since I worked on it in its initial year up until the announcement/selection for this batch (before I left my previous work). I was really interested with the movies this year particularly because I already have a clue with these entries, so to see them translated in the big screen is what made me excited. Anyway, here are short thoughts on the 2016 batch.
TPO (Joselito Altarejos)
Probably the best in this bunch, Altarejos managed to capture in less than 80 minutes the pain, the process, the aftermath of domestic violence and how this goes beyond the victim and the abuser. Characters weren’t one-dimensional and the use of long shots made the situation linger. If anything, TPO shows how people cope up with this illness and how it’s reflective of our society.
Expressway (Ato Bautista)
Everything in Expressway is flamboyant from its full opening credits to its choreographer stunts. One can make a case that it has a tendency to go style over substance for a paper thin story that’s predictable and excessive, but it was a joyride to see Alvin Anson and Aljur Abrenica navigate through it – the former to get a leading role like this, the latter to totally embrace the batshit character he’s portraying (even if in some scenes, he went full retard). Oh, and for some reason, setting the film during Christmas season somehow added to its appeal.
MRS. (Adolf Alix)
MRS. is a character study for its lead Virignia (what a comeback for the always dependable Elizabeth Oropesa) as she deals with everything happening around her – her older sister wanting to sell the lot of her house, her loyal house helper who’s getting married, her daughter who has joined a cult, her missing child. She’s living in a house situated on a fault line thus her house has cracks and looks old which probably signifies where she is in her life right now. The film contains really powerful moments, and I acknowledge the intent more than I appreciate it. That said, Alix continues to bring out the best in his actors.
Dyamper (Mes de Guzman)
What’s exciting about Dyamper is director Mes de Guzman’s humor obviously present in it. When following about the lives of these so-called “dyampers”, the movie is at its peak. The back story of Alchris Galura’s character however, while not cringe-worthy and him totally selling it, felt a bit disjointed than the “dyamper” storyline. It’s not actually bad, but I think there’s a lack of smooth transition between these two parts that’s a tad jarring.
Lila (Gino M. Santos)
Philbert Dy summed it best when he said that “Lila feels like a script that Regal rejected.” For what it’s worth, the film was stylishly done and everyone involved seemed so committed with it. That said, not only is the lead character one of the more clueless leads in recent horror film memory, but probably one of the slowest readers… ever? Like if I discovered someone’s thin diary, you bet on it I’m done with it by the second hour, notes and all. Heh.
Since the Gabi ng Parangal happens tonight, I’ll offer my personal choices on this batch’s winners. Picture and Directing obviously goes to TPO and Joselito Altarejos. Actor I give to Aljur Abrenica (give or take his really over the top scenes, but playing that annoying young character seems right up his alley). Actress is obviously Elizabeth Oropesa (no contest!). Screenplay and Editing go to TPO, Cinematography is Dyamper, Production Design is MRS, and Score goes to Expressway. Lila probably gets best outfits for Enchong Dee.
While we’re at it, I still invite you to watch all five films from this year’s Sinag Maynila. And (heh), avail the Sinag Maynila ePLUS Festival Kit Card because trust me, it’ll save you a lot of money (I think a movie is at Php280 each if I’m not mistaken). Until next year! #SinagMaynila2016
Posted April 24, 2016 by Nicol Latayan in Films, Reviews
Tagged with adolf alix, Alchris Galura, aljur abrenica, Alvin Anson, Ato Bautista, brillante mendoza, carlo aquino, Dyamper, elizabeth oropesa, enchong dee, Expressway, gino santos, Janine Gutierrez, Joselito Altarejos, Lila, lotlot de leon, mara lopez, mes de guzman, MRS., Oliver Aquino, reviews, Sherry Lara, Sinag Maynila, Sinag Maynila 2016, Sinag Maynila reviews, Timothy Mabalot, TPO
9th Cinemalaya Film Festival Review: Part 2 9 comments
Hi everyone! The 9th Cinemalaya Film Festival is still on going so in case you still want to watch this year’s entries, you can do yourself a favor by going to CCP, Greenbelt 3, Trinoma, or Alabang Town Center. So far, there’s some really good stuff from what I have seen. Anyway, I will now share with you the second batch of my reviews. Yesterday, I already tackled Gil Portes’ Liars, Mikhail Red’s Rekorder, Carlo Obispo’s Purok 7, and Jeffrey Jeturian’s Ekstra which you can access here. Now I’ll add three more reviews in the list:
Director:Adolf Alix
Cast: Angel Aquino, Carlo Aquino, Yul Servo, Rosanna Roces
An assassin, a porn dubber, and a transgender. Three souls, on explicit illusion: to find the ultimate joy in their lives. A safe haven, where passion and love means enlightenment and the soul is the ultimate arbiter of the truth.
Coming off from Kalayaan from last year’s Cinemalaya, it’s somewhat of a hard task to see what Porno will bring to the table. The trailer doesn’t give a clue on what this is about, though the title does give one. There’s actually a lot to like about Porno. For one, Alix’s style has continues to evolve over the years, and this one is yet a new addition on the list. Then you also have the riveting performances of the cast with everyone delivering an array of performances from Angel Aquino’s physically transformed role, up to Carlo Aquino’s bold one and the sensual chemistry of Yul Servo and Rosanna Roces. Alix’s production design is also a stand out here, particularly the one in the earlier motel scenes. The heart shaped mirror with the shining curtains and the blue lights set the mood in the beginning of the film. I like how it’s contemplative that the porn in the film goes far deeper than the erotica of the human body, especially in Angel Aquino’s storyline, but this is probably a case of me acknowledging the film’s merits than loving it.
INSTANT MOMMY
Director: Leo Abaya
Cast: Eugene Domingo, Yuki Matsuzaki, Luis Alandy, Rico J. Puno
In order to solve a personal predicament, Bechayda (Eugene Domingo), a wardrobe assistant in TV commercials pretends to be pregnant.
Instant Mommy has a really good story in it. Bechayda’s predicament when she pretended to be pregnant was a highlight in this film. However, in order to get to the good story, you’d have to go through weaker ones first. That’s what pulls the film from achieving what it actually intends to do. It suffers from a lot of tonal inconsistencies and you’d get confused with where they want to bring the story. While there are certainly humorous scenes in the film (with the birth giving scene a top highlight), the uneven writing makes it difficult to identify where the film wants to stick. At times, it’s a glimpse of what happens in advertising agency, then it shifts to Bechay’s problem, then it shifts to loyalty issues between her and her Japanese boyfriend. I’m also probably nitpicking here, but there are very visible goofs within the film (with the taxi direction standing out a lot). If anything, watch out for Eugene Domingo who gives a very humanizing performance here that perfectly balances comedy and drama, but even she can’t save this one.
DEBOSYON
Director: Alvin Yapan
Cast: Paulo Avelino, Mara Lopez, Ramona Raneses, Roy Dominguiano
Mando (Paulo Avelino), a Bikolano devotee of Ina, Virgie ng Penafrancia, injures himself in the middle of the forest. A mysterious woman, Saleng (Mara Lopez), found and nursed him back to death. They soon fell in love. But when Mando invites her to come with her to the plains, Saleng refuses. She holds a secret that will devastate Mando’s love for her.
If there’s one word that I’d describe the film, it’s hypnotizing. I like how straight forward the film is: we just follow the film and watch Mando at the beginning with what he’s doing, until he meets Saleng and how he was smitten by her, and what the implications of this to both him and her were. The movie rests solely on the shoulders of Paulo Avelino and Mara Lopez, but they sure did one hell of a job in doing so. So far, Avelino is 2/2 when it comes to his performances from Yapan’s direction, and I’m looking forward to more collaborations. Mara Lopez is an inspired casting choice as she was perfectly suited for Saleng’s character. The movie also boasts of really impressive technical achievements with the captivating cinematography and visual effects. I always have a penchant for directors who include big crowd scenes (such as the Nazareno feast in Brillante Mendoza’s Tirador), and Alvin Yapan does the same feat here in the near end with the Ina, Virgie ng Penafrancia. Supported by the haunting musical score of Teresa Barrozo, the juxtaposition of the feast and the final scene is one that speaks volumes about the faith and acceptance we have of a certain thing – may it be love or commitment or just one’s mere existence. It’s definitely one of the best so far from this year’s batch.
There you have it! I am to release the third batch on Friday. And as always, you can follow me on Twitter: @nikowl
Posted July 31, 2013 by Nicol Latayan in Films, Reviews
Tagged with adolf alix, alvin yapan, angel aquino, carlo aquino, cinemalaya 2013, debosyon, debosyon reviews, eugene domingo, instant mommy, instant mommy reviews, leo abaya, mara lopez, paulo avelino, porno, porno reviews, yul servo
Top Local Movies of 2012 8 comments
2012 in cinema is probably one of the most enjoyable in a while. I liked a lot of the movies that I’ve seen this year, (though maybe I really avoided the bad ones? LOL), and a lot of these films would have topped any other weaker years. On top of that, we’ve also seen a lot of impeccable performances from these films. Mind you, while I have seen 60+ local films this year, there’s a lot left still to be seen. Despite that, I feel that 2012 is one of the better years in recent Filipino cinema, and here are 12 reasons why:
12: UNOFFICIALLY YOURS
Arguably, the best output from commercial filmmaking this year is this Cathy Garcia Molina’s relationship story between two people that sprouted from a one night stand. Molina has really mastered how to make supposedly conventional studio produced films more engaging and interesting. Also, watch out for John Lloyd Cruz and Angel Locsin’s palpable chemistry here.
11. MNL 143
I’m a sucker of travel/road movies. With that said, Emerson Reyes’s first feature length film is a poignant love story of a man (Allan Paule) who’s looking for the woman of his life is something that’s easier to relate to; not the search per se, but the longing and the optimism for it to finally arrive is a familiar feeling that can resonate well to its viewers.
10. REquieme!
Loy Arcenas’ consecutive Cinemalaya entry is a dark comedy that focuses on Swanie, a barangay captain who involves herself as a relative of a suspect in an international murder case. With a witty screenplay and Shamaine Buencamino’s effective portrayal as Swanie and breakthrough talent Anthony Falcon, the movie is definitely one of 2012’s brightest spots.
09. PASCALINA
This Cinema One Originals winner which was also Pam Miras’s feature debut about one’s self discovery about her monsters within is one of the surprise entries in my list. Not because it is bad, but because I liked and appreciated it better days after seeing it. Oh, and if Maria Veronica Santiago’s performance in the title role won’t charm you enough, then I don’t know what will.
08. ANG NAWAWALA
Another first feature effort this year, this time by Marie Jamora, Ang Nawawala is bound to be a cult classic. Yes, it probably caters to a younger crowd, to those in the middle status, or to those who are into local music scene, but one universal thing that I sure can relate to is how it connects you back to yourself. Plus points for the eye candy production design and the compilation soundtrack.
07. BWAKAW
The Philippines’ submission to the Oscar Foreign Language Film category this year (and its best submission in years, I must say) is this little gem by Jun Lana about an old gay man living alone with only his dog named Bwakaw, and how he tries to make the most out of his remaining days. It’s just one of the most heartfelt films of the year that makes you laugh and cry while watching. Also, Eddie Garcia’s performance is to watch for here.
06. THY WOMB
Brillante Mendoza’s Venice entry this year is also the comeback vehicle of one of the Philippines’ greatest actresses to date, the Superstar Nora Aunor. I guess my favorite aspect of the film is how it showcased to us this little gem of a place called Tawi-Tawi, and how the film introduced us to its culture. That, and of course La Aunor’s towering performance in it.
05. ANG PAGLALAKBAY NG MGA BITUIN SA GABING MADILIM
My favorite from the whole Cinema One Originals bunch this year is Arnel Mardoquio’s feature about the escape of three Muslim rebels, together with a ten year old child in the midst of the Bangsa Moro issues in Mindanao. But unlike any previous Mindanao related war-themed films, this one stands out because it’s does not lecture you. And within this silence is where the actual emotions linger.
04. GIVE UP TOMORROW
This Filipino/Spanish/American production directed by Michael Collins on what was labeled as the trial of the century in the Philippines (the involvement of Paco Larrañaga to the disappearance of the Chiong sisters) is one film that probably triggered the most emotions while watching. The film for the most part was half maddening and half heartbreaking. But it probably contains one of my most favorite quotes of the year when Paco said “If you want to give up, give up tomorrow. When tomorrow comes, then give up tomorrow.“
03. APARISYON
Vincent Sandoval’s Cinemalaya entry about the secluded lives of nuns in a monastery in 1972. The film’s strength lies in its capability to build an atmosphere that was intense and arresting that once the movie hits it middle part, you just feel as if you’re a part of it. If you’re into the technical aspect, this movie also boasts of a complete top notch production values: neat production design, applicable costumes, captivating cinematography, polished editing, and haunting score.
02. GRACELAND
Ron Morales’s Tribeca entry about a loyal driver caught in the middle of his congressman employer’s paying of sins is as intense as one can get. Fifteen minutes in, there’s already a shooting scene. And the rest of the movie was packed with emotional punches, as it dwells with questions about one’s choices in life. Is this the correct choice? What happens when it’s not? Where do we go next? Also, Arnold Reyes’s terrific performance as the driver is a must see.
01. KALAYAAN
And my top pick for local cinema this year is Adolf Alix’s Kalayaan. On the outside, it’s about a soldier solely stationed in the Kalayaan islands and a run on his daily activities, until two additional soldiers were sent there with him. The first hour of the film solely shows on the day to day routine of Julian. Rarely any dialogue was spoken in it, but the message was effectively sent. Once the credits rolled, you feel that you’ve known enough yet it will also prompt you to ask some more. Definitely my favorite film of the year!
Well that’s it! What are your favorite local movies of the year? In case you are wondering, the reason why there’s no top international picks yet is because I’m still catching up on a lot of the Oscar movies til the next two months. So I guess, you can expect my list by March.
Posted January 3, 2013 by Nicol Latayan in 2012 Year End Lists, Films, Lists
Tagged with 2012 lists, adolf alix, allan paule, ananda everingham, ang nawawala, ang paglalakbay ng mga bituin sa gabing madilim, angel locsin, anthony falcon, aparisyon, arnel amrdoquio, arnold reyes, best foreign language film, best movies of 2012, brillante mendoza, bwakaw, cathy garcia molina, cinema one originals, cinemalaya, dominic roco, eddie garcia, emerson reyes, fe ginging hyde, give up tomorrow, glorypearl dy, graceland, jodi sta maria, john lloyd cruz, joy viado, jun lana, kalayaan, lists, loy arcenas, luis alandy, marie jamora, michael collins, MNL 143, mylene dizon, nora aunor, paco larranaga, pam miras, pascalina, requieme, ron morales, shamaine buencamino, star cinema, thy womb, unofficially yours, veronica santiago, vincent sandoval, zanjoe marudo
The biggest Philippine independent film festival has already begun, and this year marks the 8th edition of Cinemalaya. I’ve been going back and forth at the CCP for the last few days, so I can watch all the participating movies both in the New Breed and Directors Showcase categories. Here’s the first of my four part Cinemalaya reviews:
MGA MUMUNTING LIHIM
Director: Jose Javier Reyes
Starring: Judy Ann Santos, Iza Calzado, Janice de Belen, and Agot Isidro
When Mariel (Santos) died, she left a box to her best friend Carla (Calzado) containing all of her diaries back when she started writing one. As Carla reads all of them, secrets between her, Mariel, Sandra (Isidro), and Olive (de Belen) started to affect their friendship.
This is Jose Javier Reyes’ first foray into indie filmmaking, and this shows some potential. I have issues with the treatment of the movie as a whole, and the sound seems to inconsistent at times. However, whatever issues you have with the film won’t bother you that much when you focus on the two greatest aspects of the movie: the writing and the acting. Reyes’s lines seem straight out of his personal journal as well, and it’s pretty obvious that he has a lot of inspiration when he was writing this. While one may think that it may be exaggerated, I claim to say that it is rather truthful. The other strength lies within the acting; the four leads can carry the whole film on their shoulders and yet remain as interesting. The chemistry was prevalent, and whether it was Iza’s stares, Judai’s facial expressions, Agot’s delivery, or Janice’s cussing, it was all very natural. Part of me thinks that they did cast lesser known actors as it’s difficult to hold up with this great ensemble. That alone is worth the ticket. All in all, it was a very realistic portrayal of friendship that is relatable to everyone.
KAMERA OBSKURA
Director: Raymond Red
Starring: Ping Medina, Joel Torre, Nanding Josef
A man locked inside a cell for many years finally makes his way out and as he gets to see the reality of the world when he mysteriously traveled a building with a video camera in hand as he sees activities of betrayal and corruption left and right.
I admit that this is the film that I’m excited the most; thus, it has the highest expectations I have for the whole festival, and it certainly did not live up to its expectations. For one, the potential was there; but the treatment was pretty redundant especially the first and last scene where they almost used the same script, as I feel it did not gel well with the rest of the film. For a silent film, I find it too loud with all the unnecessary sound effects used. Add the fact that it was too wordy as well. I also had issues with the too much “in your face” with the message that it wants to deliver. Still, there were also great spots that the film possesses. One, Pen Medina was charismatic in the lead role and suits with the direction Red wants to be in to. Even his son Ping Medina (who played the young Pen) was a treat albeit short appearance. I also like the visuals of the film, as they were detailed, and parallel to the message it wants to present. For what it’s worth, this one suffers from some issues but still brings in a pretty much enjoyable film watching experience.
INTOY SYOKOY NG KALYE MARINO
Director: Lemuel Lorca
Starring: JM de Guzman, LJ Reyes, Joross Gamboa
Intoy (de Guzman), now living alone, learns that the love of his life Doray (Reyes) is the town’s prostitute. Now he tries his best to earn an extra amount of money so they can both start life anew, until a new set of unsolvable problems lead their way.
At times, the movie tends to be pretty formulaic with the sequence of events happening in the film. I also noticed some repetitive shots in various scenes in the movie. However, the heart and soul of the film is Intoy himself. JM de Guzman was captivating and heartbreaking as the lead character. You can feel the energy, the enthusiasm, the heartbreak, and the innocence in his face. He was perfectly casted, and he definitely delivered. LJ Reyes was also excellent as Doray Langaw, and his chemistry with de Guzman is palpable. I also particularly liked how they made Kalye Marino as another character in the movie bringing it to life and translating it to the audience. The movie somehow can’t prevent itself from going poverty porn at times, but I totally bought the emotions they showed especially the one between the two leads.
Director: Adolf Alix Jr.
Starring: Ananda Everingham, Zanjoe Marudo, Luis Alandy
A soldier living alone in Kalayaan Islands deals a daily repetitive schedule as he spends his last few remaining days in the middle of the Erap impeachment trial.
I was surprised to learn that this is already Adolf Alix’s 20th movie, but seeing this shows that he has already mastered his craft and has achieved growth if you go way back to his earlier films. I actually find this film very therapeutic; each scene brings you right where the character is, and the good thing about it is that it lingers. I particularly liked how we just go with the flow with Victor (Everingham) feeling for him, understanding him, and living with him. Once the characters of Zanjoe Marudo (who definitely brought humor and comedic relief) and Luis Alandy, we tend to get more intrigued, yet understand the life that they are living in Kalayaan Islands. This one has part fantasy, part horror, and part comedy, but the sum is greater than all of its parts. I really like the cinematography, and the musical score above everything else. Once the credits rolled, you feel that you’ve known enough yet you ask some more. This is probably my favorite film for this year’s festival, and for the year (so far) as well.
Tagged with adolf alix, agot isidro, ananda everingham, cinemalaya 2012, intoy syokoy, iza calzado, janice de belen, jm de guzman, joey reyes, joross gamboa, judy ann santos, kalayaan, kamera obskura, lemuel lorca, lj reyes, luis alandy, mga mumunting lihim, pen medina, ping medina, raymond red, zanjoe marudo
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Explore Sungai
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A SECRET TO BE DISCOVERED, HIDDEN DEEP IN THE HEART OF THE AUTHENTIC BALI.
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Sungai provides guests with unrivalled levels of comfort and exceptional access to the region’s geographic, historic and cultural marvels.
A new wave of experiential travelers are seeking more authentic, personal stays that leave lasting impressions. There is a burgeoning desire to stray from that beaten path and understand how the locals live, work and play, and perhaps give something back in exchange for that understanding.
The island of Bali is part of the Republic of Indonesia, the largest archipelago in the world with over 18,000 islands. Bali is surrounded by the Bali Sea and the Indian Ocean. It’s positioned in Southeast Asia, in central Indonesia, and sits just to the east of the island of Java and just west of the island of Lombok.
Coordinates – Latitude/Longitude 08° 39′ S, 115° 13′ E
Population – 4,225,000
Capital City – Denpasar
Languages – Bahasa Indonesia (plus regional dialects), English, Dutch
Currency – Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
Religions – Hindu (95%), others are Muslim, Buddhist, Christian
Land Area – 5,632 sq km (2,174 sq miles)
Cepaka
Along the riverfront is where you can find Sungai and Sungai Gold, elegantly perched to provide unimpeded views of the vast palms and tangled jungle all around.
Whilst staying with us in Cepaka you can choose to witness typical traditional life at first hand. Working together towards a common goal, men and women set out at dawn to their fields, ploughing, irrigating, planting, and harvesting. In the village compound they gather to make delicate and colourful offerings for their ancestral forbears and Hindu deities, and carry out other village activities, which involve all members of the community. Balinese call this “gotong royong”, which means helping each other, or community teamwork.
This community spirit, untiring religious devotion, and the fact that the people work closely with nature epitomize their “trihita karana” philosophy of the interconnection between man, nature and the divine. There are no restaurants, cafes or even shops bigger than tiny stores selling the most basic supplies. There are just lanes of typical sprawling Balinese house compounds, several temples including the main one that we are fortunate to sit below, and a handful of workshops producing some of the handcrafts that fill tourist shops in Ubud or Kuta. Mobile phones, motorbikes and televisions are the modern day additions. We are part of this community.
The cultural benefits of staying within a beautiful traditional village are compelling. The packaging of culture is inevitable with mass tourism, and in Bali, visitors typically encounter it through carefully choreographed performances. You won’t find anything staged in this authentic village. But that doesn’t mean you won’t witness a temple ceremony or an even more intimate rite of passage in someone’s home. It really just depends on what’s happening that day.
Our guests delight in the opportunity to be shown around the rice field-cocooned local village by the manager MADE, including a visit for children to the local primary school, and maybe even a visit to his own family temple and compound. MADE’s knowledge of the village is laced with folk wisdom passed down through the generations.
The Balinese take the mundane and elevate it to a celebration, giving thanks for every aspect of their life. The amazing thing about being in Bali is that you feel part of the culture and can’t help but be caught up in the spirit.
We found Cepaka has something very spiritual and magical about it.
Kylie Hayes
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What In The Actual Fuck
Gotta Have A Sequel: BLACK PANTHER’s Joe Robert Cole Hired To Write CALL OF DUTY 2
In case you're wondering, no there isn't a CALL OF DUTY 1 yet.
By Jacob Knight Nov. 28, 2018
Studio logic is often baffling, but wait until y'all get a load of this shit.
Earlier this year, Activision Blizzard Studios hired Sicario 2's violent Italian auteur, Stefano Sollima, to helm a Call of Duty movie (the first in a proposed "shared universe"). That part makes sense, because Call of Duty is a franchise so old and recognizable that it stretches back to when even I mashed buttons on a video game controller (which, at this point, is many, many years ago). In fact, it's sort of weird that there hasn't been a COD movie up until this point. There are still bags of Doritos to sell, after all.
No, what's weird as all fucking get out is that Activision/Blizzard have hired Black Panther co-scribe Joe Robert Cole (who also penned episodes of the amazing People v OJ Simpson) to deliver a sequel screenplay for that first movie, which reportedly hasn't even begun casting yet. Sollima's Call of Duty is set to go into production early next year, which is also allegedly the due date Activision has given Cole.
I mean, on one hand this sort of makes sense, as Call of Duty has a solid chance of being a hit on name recognition alone (just ask any racist, online thirteen-year-old hopped up on Mountain Dew), and Sollima has proven himself quite the capable maestro of carnage, both in his native Italy and with Sicario 2: Dawn of Daddy Brolin. Plus, apparently Cole's is only one of several screenplays the budding studio has commisioned. All told, they're probably just making sure all their ducks are in order, so the project can be greenlit as soon as the franchise inceptor storms the opening-weekend box office beaches.
Either way: good on Cole, who remains employed and probably picked up a decent paycheck here, regardless of what actually ends up happening with Activision's "shared universe" (though this is Trump's America, so it'll probably be massive). Hopefully, he can keep Call of Duty 2 from becoming Shoot Up The Brown Folks: The Motion Picture (and hey, maybe even give some notes on the first).
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 - PlayStation 4 Standard Edition
Video Games | Activision Inc.
joe robert cole
Here Are Your 2019 Academy Award Winners
By Emily Sears, Feb 25, 2019
Miss last night's Oscars broadcast? We've got the full list of winners.
Who’s Going To Win The 2019 Academy Awards (And Who We Hope Actually Wins)
By Leigh Monson, Feb 18, 2019
Decimate your office Oscar pool like a snap-happy Thanos.
Leigh’s Top Ten Films Of 2018
I had such an ordeal trying to narrow this down.
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THE FLASH 5.14 Review “Cause And XS”
Every single member of the DCTV universe wishes they were as brave as Iris West Allen.
By Amelia Emberwing Feb. 13, 2019
This post contains spoilers for The Flash.
Check out our last review here.
It’s Groundhog Day on The Flash! When The Flash has to go into the Speedforce to help synthesize the Meta Cure, he leaves the city in XS’s hands. Turns out, it’s not the population of Central City that needs protection. Just the members of Team Flash. After Iris ruffled Cicada’s feathers by breaking into his house last week, this season’s big bad is out for blood. He’s moved on from his Meta killing spree to focus on a certain gumption filled journalist, but he’ll accept any member of Team Flash.
After watching Killer Frost die in an attempt to save her mother, Nora immediately turns back time to ensure her family makes it through the night. She figures that a little tweak to the timeline will ensure everyone’s safe and sound until her dad gets back, but history shows us that isn’t quite true.
We follow Nora through five out of the fifty-two times she attempted to undo the murders of her respective teammates. Each time she gets more desperate, and each time she fails. As she starts to unravel, Cisco begins to vibe the other timelines. This should tip him off to the fact that time’s being altered, but he calls himself out later on in the episode, so he’s forgiven. Sherloque also begins to see some signs, but he’s reset every time the timeline is.
On attempt number fifty-three, the team manages to put Nora’s panic together and call out that she’s changing the timeline. With their powers combined, they come up with a plan that uses Cicada’s own dagger. Not gonna lie, it’s pretty satisfying to see him get stabbed after all of his showboating.
Once Cicada runs off and the family returns to STAR Labs, Barry hops out of the Speedforce with a fully synthesized Meta Human cure. There are still a lot of ethical conversations to be had over such a thing, but first Barry has to have the talk with his daughter. It was wonderful to see Barry teaching Nora about time the same way Jay Garrick did with him (we miss you, John Wesley Shipp), but I imagine Nora learns just about as well as Barry did.
“Cause and XS” has a lot of things going for it. Bye, mopey Cisco. May you never return again. Characters should have dimensions and emotions, but the grump fest coupled with the out-of-the-blue done with his powers mope was too much at once. The episode is also a solid reminder that Iris West Allen is the bravest, most unwavering member of Team Flash. No powers, no training, but the girl will still square her shoulders, look a serial killer in the eye, and confidently tell him that her team is going to whoop his ass. I want to be her when I grow up.
All of that boils down to one question: what did Nora break? Barry shattered the timeline by saving his mother. Is it possible that Nora did the same while trying to save hers? Iris might have been the only one who didn’t bite it, but a lot of things were altered. And what is it that Eobard is planning? They drove home the point that everyone is capable of change earlier in the season, but could The Flash’s arch enemy really do so? He says that Nora needs to keep following his orders because it’s the only way he can save her father, but something tells me that Thawne’s still the reason that Barry disappears.
The Flash will be on a little mini-hiatus until March. But, when it returns, we’re all getting the comic book monster fight of our dreams! Gorilla Grodd vs. King Shark? Yes, please! I don’t even care that it’s going to be a filler episode, stream that into my eyes immediately. You know what to do if you had thoughts on this week’s episode in the meantime!
Flashpoint Companion (2012-) #1
eBooks | DC Comics
Amelia Emberwing
Survives on a steady IV of caffeine, rants, pixie dust and fangirling. Will probably sass you.
THE FLASH Season Finale “Legacy”
By Amelia Emberwing, May 15, 2019
We'll see you at our next Crisis event.
THE FLASH 5.21 Review “The Girl with the Red Lightning”
"I don’t want to give into fear just because there’s danger involved."
THE FLASH Review 5.20 “Gone Rogue”
By Amelia Emberwing, Apr 30, 2019
Bad Gal™.
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Tag Archives: Georgia Burnell
Bolly Good Show
DISHOOM!
Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Tuesday 16th October, 2018
Priding themselves on giving voices to British Asian theatre-makers, Rifco Theatre Company brings this new piece from playwright Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti (writer of the excellent Elephant) to Coventry.
Set in 1978, this is the story of Simon, a wheelchair-bound Indian boy, growing up in England. His mother having died, Simon is brought up by his father and grandmother – the latter expressing her shame at having such a child in the family. When Baljit comes to stay, ostensibly to ‘help out’, Simon finds an ally in his bid for independence.
It’s a very funny family drama, along the lines of Anita & Me and East is East, dealing with the clashing of cultures: traditional Indian values vs trying to fit in to a British way of life – but also, the rise of the National Front, a stain which spreads and spreads until the characters, chiefly Simon, have to confront it. With the bookish Baljit at his side, Simon is bolstered by the fantasy world of Bollywood films – the play’s title is an onomatopoeic word for the sound of a bullet being fired.
In his professional debut, Bilal Khan impresses as the beleaguered Simon, while the excellent Gurkiran Kaur’s Baljit is both a figure of fun and a voice of reason. Omar Ibrahim gives Simon’s Dad sensitivity – Ibrahim later appears as a quack swami figure, claiming to be able to get Simon on his feet and walking for the price of an iron and a toaster, in one of the play’s funniest scenes. Georgia Burnell is strong as Donna, object of Simon’s affections; Elijah Baker demonstrates his skills at disco-dancing as mixed-race Mark, caught between communities; while James Mace’s rage-filled Keith is the ugly voice of racism, wrongly attributing the loss of a job opportunity to the arrival of That Lot. The play acknowledges how white people can get caught up in this skewed way of looking at the world – Wouldn’t it be great to be able to state that such thinking has been thoroughly confined to the past? Of course, the play is commenting on today as much as 1978.
Just like Simon’s household, the play is dominated by the matriarchal Bibi, in a commanding, hilarious performance from Seema Bowri, veering from the tyrannical to the desperate, but all done with love and the desire for the best for the family.
Neil Irish’s ingenious set gives us swift transitions between locations, along with Rory Beaton’s lighting, that accentuates the Bollywood fantasy moments. Arun Ghosh’s original music heightens mood and flavour – together with extracts from Bollywood films, providing moments of nostalgia for many of the audience members tonight. Andy Kumar’s choreography is joyous. Director Pravesh Kumar balances the humour and drama of the domestic scenes, with the stylised action of the fantastical moments, and successfully evokes the menace of the largely off-stage racist rabble.
It all adds up to an enjoyable show with all-too strong parallels to today’s society. What comes across most strongly is the shared humanity of the characters, in positive and negative lights. This is thought-provoking entertainment of a very high quality.
Gurkiran Kaur and Bilal Khan clash with more than the wallpaper (Photo: Richard Lakos)
Leave a comment | tags: Bilal Khan, Coventry, Dishoom!, Elijah Baker, Georgia Burnell, Gurkiran Kaur, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, James Mace, Neil Irish, Omar Ibrahim, Pravesh Kumar, review, Rifco Theatre Company, Rory Beaton, Seema Bowri, Warwick Arts Centre | posted in Review, Theatre Review
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Tag Archives: John Marquez
Going off the Handel
The REP, Birmingham, Monday 22nd October, 2018
Writer Patrick Barlow is the genius behind the hilarious hit adaptation of The 39 Steps, a show that never fails to tickle the funny bone. Here, his first play from 1983, gets a wash-and-brush-up in a perky revival – Barlow also directs, bringing in up-to-date topical references. The nature of his early work as the driving force of the ‘National Theatre of Brent’ is very much in evidence, as a pair of inept but well-meaning actors attempt to stage the biggest of stories: the birth of Jesus, using little more than a chair or two to stand on and the odd bit of costume to run around in.
Hugh Dennis is Maurice Rose – the Barlow figure of the two – whose grandiose ideas outstrip his capabilities. It’s not much of a stretch for Dennis, a widely recognised face from TV comedy, but this is the kind of thing at which he excels. The delivery and timing are impeccable. He is supported by John Marquez as Ronald Bream, an enthusiastic but clueless sidekick, who gets most of the laughs up against Dennis’s straight man. The pair is augmented by the addition of a special guest, Mrs Leonara Fflyte, a snooty opera singer who punctuates the story with unaccompanied singing. I would find it funnier if she were a Florence Foster Jenkins figure rather than the pitch-perfect Lesley Garrett – then, later, when the team actually achieves a moment of beauty, the singing of ‘Silent Night’ would come as a powerful surprise… But that’s just me.
Garrett proves herself a good sport, donning robes and headwear and a comedy beard and tearing around the stage as one of the Three Wise Men, pursuing the Star, and, of course, the singing is sublime – quite at odds with the ridiculousness of the action.
Barlow’s script is peppered with malapropisms, anachronisms and word play – it’s the kind of thing Radio Four churns out. There is even a Morecambe & Wise moment, as Dennis and Marquez back up Garrett, in much the same way that Eric & Ernie would ‘support’ Shirley Bassey. It’s funny stuff but there is nothing we haven’t seen before and in the genre of theatre-done-badly, the pinnacle has been attained by The Play That Goes Wrong. This is a smaller-scale affair that lacks big surprises.
For all that, it’s an amusing piece, quintessentially English in its humour, that mocks the storytelling rather than the story (the religious will not be offended). Your ribs will be tickled but you won’t split your sides.
Not the Messiah, they’re two very silly men. Hugh Dennis and John Marquez (Photo: Robert Day)
Leave a comment | tags: Hugh Dennis, John Marquez, Lesley Garrett, Patrick Barlow, review, The Messiah, The REP Birmingham | posted in Review, Theatre Review
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Prison responsibilities shifts, back under Health Ministry
in All News / By: BVI News on May 13, 2019 at 6:22 AM /
From left: Governor Augustus Jaspert, Superintendent of Prison Verne Garde, Health & Social Development Minister Carvin Malone, and his permanent secretary Petrona Davies.
Her Majesty’s Prison has been shifted back to the Ministry of Health & Social Development.
Under the previous National Democratic Party administration, prison responsibilities were placed under the Ministry of Education & Culture where former legislator Myron Walwyn served as minister.
But, speaking with BVI News on Sunday, Health Minister Carvin Malone said prison responsibilities were originally under his ministry.
“It was shifted from Health to Education in 2004 because the then Minister was the Finance Minister and the ministry was overloaded with subjects and it was shifted that way. But, Health was the original home,” Malone explained.
The minister further said he believes prison responsibilities are best served under his ministry.
“That’s where all the social programmes are. And if you talk about reform, all of the agents of reform are within the Ministry of Health & Social Development,” he reasoned.
While stating that no meetings have been held between himself and the Superintendent of Prison yet, Malone said plans will be developed for the penitentiary now that it is back under Health & Social Development.
The prison responsibilities are jointly shared between Governor Augustus Jaspert and Malone.
Disclaimer: BVI News and its affiliated companies are not responsible for the content of comments posted or for anything arising out of use of the comments below or other interaction among the users.
That PS needs to go home. Complete waste of time.
vip heckler says:
That’s A*****e’s sister so you won’t see that happening
owl says:
Who? the one who ran against Fraser?
Trinigirl says:
No, she needs to go to Trinidad. She will work better down there. Ram bam jee will get her a nice job, so he doesn’t have to come here faking no mooh.
Makes sense.
It’s needs to be a conjunction with both Edcation and Health. Those guys have an mental issue and they to education.
Everybody need education and not every criminal have mental issues.
Home Boy says:
I think it is where it is suppose to be, nothing is wrong with the ministery working with Education as it relates to education reform.
son of the soil says:
Get rid of the lucian and put a bvislander. I am sick of seeing these island people on top here in the BVI
Fairisfair says:
Find the competent Virgin Islander and he has a job. Remember when we were on the boat from Ghana, we were one African displaced people? Well, if our brother from the Caribbean can do the job, let it be, just don’t bring another “Foot” to put in our mouth.
Hmm says:
I heard he even offered his services to the royal police force. And he got 2 extra years to serve at the her majesty prison great job now fix the rehabilitation up the
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Historical Collections and Artwork
175th Anniversary (RG76)
Kalamazoo College 175th Anniversary Photograph Collection
Kalamazoo College Students in Late 1930s
Unknown (Kalamazoo College, 2009-08-28)
A large group of Kalamazoo College students, taken from above. The students are not identified. Some are wearing sweaters with numbers "39" or "40" on the front, denoting their class year, so this photograph was likely ...
Kalamazoo College Students at Ladies' Hall
Unknown (Kalamazoo College, 1913)
A group of female students on the front steps of Kalamazoo College's Ladies' Hall (later Wheaton Lodge) in 1913. The students are not identified, but the woman in the upper left is probably Mrs. Archibald Wheaton, who was ...
Kalamazoo College Tredway Gymnasium
The interior of Kalamazoo College's Tredway Gymnasium. Athletic facilities on campus have been located for over a century at the east end of the campus. Named after 1898 graduate and benefactor Arthur Tredway, Tredway ...
Kalamazoo College 1917 Class Picture
Harrington Studio (Kalamazoo College, 1917)
The Kalamazoo College Class of 1917, spelling out "17" on the hill next to Bowen Hall. Individual students are not identified.
Kalamazoo College Students at Arcadia Creek Bridge
Unknown (Kalamazoo College, c. 1950-59)
An unidentified group of Kalamazoo College students gathered on a bridge over Arcadia Creek, in about 1950. The creek runs along the railroad tracks on the southeast side of campus. This picture was probably taken near the ...
Kalamazoo College 1936 Freshman Initiation
A group of male Kalamazoo College students during Freshman Initiation, 1936. The students are all in their pajamas and some have musical instruments. On the back of the photograph are the signatures of Henry B. Royce, "The ...
Kalamazoo College Students at Red Square Fountain
Short and Millgard (Kalamazoo College, 2009-08-28)
Three female Kalamazoo College students at the Red Square fountain on campus, sometime in the 1970s. The students are not identified. This is photographer Short and Millgard negative no. 91030-3 (Roll 2).
Kalamazoo College Olds Science Hall Chemistry Lecture Room
Morgan, Ward C. (Kalamazoo College, 1943)
The Chemistry Lecture Room in Olds Science Hall, 1943. Professor Lemuel Fish Smith is seen at the far right. R.E. Olds Science Hall, dedicated in June 1928, was named for Ransom E. Olds, the founder and chair of the Reo ...
Kalamazoo College Bookstore
Maxwell, Robert (Kalamazoo College, 1958)
Two unidentified Kalamazoo College students in the campus bookstore, 1958. At that time, the bookstore was located in Welles Hall. The female student is wearing a felt beanie all freshmen were required to wear, known as a "pot."
Kalamazoo College Trowbridge Hall Lounge
The Lounge in Kalamazoo College's Trowbridge Hall, in about 1942. One of the oldest buildings on campus as of 2009, Mary Trowbridge Hall was first occupied in Fall, 1925. As with Wheaton Lodge, an earlier hall for women, ...
AuthorUnknown (11)Maxwell, Robert (2)Harrington Studio (1)Morgan, Ward C. (1)Short and Millgard (1)Subject
Kalamazoo College -- Students (16)
Kalamazoo College -- Facilities (9)Dormitories (4)Campus Scenes - Other (3)Campus Scenes - Interiors (2)Class Pictures (2)College teaching (2)Facilities - Trowbridge Hall (2)Kalamazoo College. Bowen Hall. (2)Kalamazoo College. Trowbridge Hall (2)... View MoreDate Issued2000 - 2009 (6)1900 - 1999 (8)1886 - 1899 (1)
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Sucre’s Cementerio General
The Complete Guide to Cemetery Symbolism
We were introduced to Sucre’s general cemetery by Roger, a kid who works there as an informal guide, during a half-day tour of the city we wrote about earlier. The beauty of the cemetery surprised us, and we soon went back for more pictures and to explore at our own pace.
I’m always amazed by the differences between the cemeteries of various countries. In Bolivia, the family pays for a vault upon their loved one’s demise: $10,000 for seven years. After those seven years are up, the corpse is moved from the vault into the ground. And after twenty years in the ground, the remains are removed entirely. Seems kind of harsh, but still: there are probably very few people whose deaths need more than 27 years of mourning.
Men are often buried with their workmates, betraying how tightly bound a Bolivian’s identity is to his profession. Here, they’re not so much family men who happen to work as truck drivers; they’re truck drivers who happen to have a family. In Sucre’s cemetery, large common vaults owned by unions — coal miners, lawyers and teachers among them — occupy a lot of ground.
Likewise, children aren’t buried with their parents, but with other children under a large hill of white graves, which is both beautiful and sad. The kids’ shrines are filled with Disney characters, coke bottles, toys and poems. Adults, too, have shrines filled with the things they loved — often tiny liquor bottles, or a pack of cigarettes.
There’s a lot of history in Sucre’s cemetery, as well. Among the many presidents buried here is Hilarión Daza, who sparked the disastrous War of the Pacific with Chile, which cost Bolivia its coastline. Daza fled for France with much of the country’s treasury, only returning years later, after reasoning that the danger had passed. But that was a fatal miscalculation: he was shot dead in Uyuni’s train station almost immediately after arriving back in Bolivia.
Another monument pays tribute to three students who died in a 2007 mini-revolution, which pitted Sucre against La Paz over constitutional changes proposed by Evo Morales. After the fighting had ended, Sucre’s police force abandoned the city for a week, allowing all the prison inmates to go free and leaving the town a lawless zone of anarchy.
We learned so many stories and anecdotes; I could go on for pages about the cemetery. If you go, definitely hire one of the young guides, who know the history behind the graves and the customs of the Bolivian burial process. It’s a gorgeous and fascinating place, and a great way to spend a sunny afternoon.
Location on our Bolivia Map
Previous visited cemeteries: Bonaventure, Laurel Grove and Recoleta
Beauty,Bolivia,Cemetery,Death,Friedhof,Grave,President,Sucre
The Faces of Bolivia
Glorieta Castle is Ridiculous ... In a Good Way ... Mostly
Sucre's Cementerio General We were introduced to Sucre's general cemetery by Roger, a kid who works there as an informal guide, during a half-day tour of the city we wrote about earlier. The beauty of the cemetery surprised us, and we soon went back for more pictures and to explore at our own pace.
Sergio Marcio
People of Sucre is very proud about the Cementerio General. I think it’s a beatiful cemetery and one of the most interesting places in the city.
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Brian Donesley Attorney at Law Boise Idaho
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New Senate chief could have big effect on future of gambling
The Star Tribune takes a look at the behind-the-scenes jockeying leading up to Tuesday's vote, in which Republicans will pick a new Senate majority leader to replace Amy Koch. The election could have huge implications for proposals to put slot machines in race tracks or build a casino in downtown Minneapolis.
The Star Tribune takes a look at the behind-the-scenes jockeying leading up to Tuesday's vote, in which Republicans will pick a new Senate majority leader to replace Amy Koch. The election could have huge implications for proposals to put slot machines in race tracks or build a casino in downtown Minneapolis.
Amy KochLegislatureSenateNews
Senate GOP will elect new majority leader Tuesday
The Senate will hold a private caucus just after Christmas to elect Sen. Amy Koch's replacement. The majority leader is the state Senate's most powerful figure.
Senate source: Michael Brodkorb was 'abusive,' 'vicious' and 'threatening'
City Pages quotes an anonymous Republican senator who says the ousted Senate communications chief created a hostile work environment and that numerous legislators complained about his behavior but then-Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch refused to take action.
Michael Brodkorb says he'll sue Senate for defamation
The ousted communications chief will reportedly file a lawsuit seeking $500,000, claiming Senate Secretary Cal Ludeman defamed him when he told the press Brodkorb was trying to "blackmail" the Senate through a wrongful-termination case. Brodkorb was fired from the Senate after his affair with then-Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch came to light.
So what's the big deal about a Senate majority leader anyway?
Amy Koch is out after a scandal involving an inappropriate relationship with a staffer, and Republicans on Tuesday are set to vote in a new chief. Forum Communications' Don Davis takes a look at just what it means to be majority leader or house speaker, and hold one of the most powerful posts in the Legislature.
Koch stepping down as Senate majority leader
Amy Koch issued a surprise announcement that she's stepping down as Majority Leader of the Minnesota Senate. Koch's letter to fellow Republicans did not specify a reason, but called the past year challenging, exciting, and exhausting.
Brodkorb, state narrow case over Senate firing
A former Minnesota Senate aide who was fired over an affair with the chamber's majority leader is slimming down his lawsuit against the state. Michael Brodkorb was fired last year after Senate leaders discovered his affair with then-Majority Leader Amy Koch. He is suing the state over the dismissal. Now he's dropping several invasion-of-privacy claims to focus on defamation and gender discrimination claims.
Senate Democrats file ethics complaint against Sen. Geoff Michel
DFLers say the Senate deputy majority leader betrayed the public's trust by failing to respond quickly and honestly to allegations of an affair between Sen. Amy Koch and staffer Michael Brodkorb.
Senjem promises 'fresh start' for senate
After more than 11 hours of debate at a hotel in Roseville, Minnesota Republicans chose Sen. David Senjem, of Rochester, to represent them as majority leader in the state senate. Senjem will replace Amy Koch, who resigned earlier this month after admitting to an inappropriate relationship with a senate staffer.
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Canopy Growth’s Stocks Soar as Beer Giant Invests $4 Billion
Inside the New Cannabinoid Commodity Market
Meet the Psychedelic English Countess Marketing Cannabis to Europe
Fragrant Possibilities: Craft Cannabis in Canada’s Legal Market
Big Pharma Has Big Advantage in Global Marijuana Expansion Game
Photo Gracie Malley for Cannabis Now
In the surest sign yet of synergy between the cannabis and booze industries, one of North America’s top brewers just dropped $4 billion into the continent’s top legal cannabis cultivator. The move sent the cultivator’s stocks soaring — although not the brewer’s.
Bill Weinberg
Shares of the Ontario-based cannabis producer Canopy Growth Corp. jumped nearly 30 percent on Aug. 15, after beer giant Constellation Brands announced it will invest another $4 billion in the Canadian company.
Constellation last year paid $190 million for a 10 percent stake in Canopy Growth, with an eye toward the development of a cannabis-infused beer. This new investment will increase Constellation’s stake in the company up to about 38 percent.
“Over the past year, we’ve come to better understand the cannabis market, the tremendous growth opportunity it presents and Canopy’s market-leading capabilities in this space,” Constellation CEO Rob Sands said in a statement. “We look forward to supporting Canopy as they extend their recognized global leadership position in the medical and recreational cannabis space.”
Constellation Brands, based in upstate New York, is the stateside brewer of Corona beer and distributor of Robert Mondavi wine. In Mexico, where the brand originates, Corona is brewed by Grupo Modelo. Constellation also markets Modelo and Pacifico beer in the United States, as well as Sweden’s Svedka vodka.
The 30 percent jump was the biggest one-day gain Canopy has seen since it began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in May of this year. Canopy Growth, with a massive grow operation in Smith Falls, Ont., is North America’s top producer of legal cannabis.
Cannabis and Cannibalization
Constellation’s move is most the dramatic evidence yet of the emerging synergy between the cannabis and alcohol industries. Speaking to Market Watch, Wells Fargo analyst Bonnie Herzog called the news “very positive” for the company, as it “further solidifies Constellation Brands’ first-mover advantage as many of the major brewers are now pursuing cannabis as a potential growth driver.”
However, she acknowledged that “there could be some cannibalization risk for Constellation Brands’ beer/alcohol portfolio.”
Investopedia defines market cannibalization as a situation in which a new product introduced by a company “eats” up the demand for the current product, potentially reducing overall sales. This points to the long cultural divide between booze and pot as stimulants of choice — although there is clearly also broad overlap.
Nonetheless, Herzog was generally bullish on the move, even conjecturing that Constellation may eventually buy all of Canopy. She noted that the brewer has already reported a gain of more than $700 million on its initial investment.
The move also marks the entry of the United States’ big banking interests in the cannabis industry, as Constellation received financing for the deal from Bank of America and Goldman Sachs.
Canada is preparing for full legalization of cannabis this year following Parliament’s approval of the Canadian Cannabis Act in June. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said the country will legalize by Oct. 17.
On the Sober Side…
More sobering news was provided by CNBC, which noted that Constellation’s own stock plummeted 6 percent upon the announcement of the deal — its worst daily performance since January 2017. And trade website Brewbound reports that news of the deal came just as Constellation laid off dozens of employees tasked with marketing the company’s craft and specialty beers throughout the United States.
“Pot is certainly the next frontier for growth, but it’s also fraught with risk,” Boris Schlossberg, managing director of forex trading strategy at BK Asset Management, told CNBC.
“I view it almost like coffee. It’s a plant-based product that is very ripe for price competition,” Schlossberg added. “Basically, anyone can produce it. Could they be undercut through prices by somebody else once pot goes essentially global in the marketplace?”
TELL US, do you have any cannabis stocks?
Related Topics:Canadian Cannabis Act, Cannabis, Canopy Growth Corp, Constellation Brands, New York Stock Exchange, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Robert Mondavi
More in Economics
By Jimi Devine July 14, 2019
Growing cannabinoids on yeast is officially a big-money business, as the California-based company Demetrix just raised...
Cannabis Concentrates Are a Multi-Billion Dollar Powerhouse
The latest data shows the concentrate sector could be worth more than $13 billion by 2026.
Taxing Based on THC: What It Means for Concentrates
By Julia Clark-Riddell July 9, 2019
Most states tax cannabis products based on weight, but one state has recently decided to tax...
Confusion Surrounds New ‘Dr. Gupta’s’ Hemp CBD Products
Are Tobacco Companies Next to Invest Big In Marijuana?
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Cape Cod Hair: Sea, Sand & Sky At Work
HYANNIS – When it comes to hair, Cape Codders have a secret weapon: humidity. The Cape’s moisture-full air makes fine hair noticeably fuller, according to local hair professionals.
“The humidity makes hair more voluminous. People say, ‘All of a sudden, I’m really looking good,’” Jim Bowen, master color artist at Artisan Salon in Falmouth, said.
Bowen and other hair stylists say it is all about the Cape’s ultra thick air mixed with salty breezes from the surrounding ocean. Throw in a dip in the salt water plus some sand for added texture and—Voila!—you have Cape Cod hair, in all its beach-y perfection.
“Visitors don’t know about it, but the locals sure do.” Jim Bowen, Artisan Salon, Falmouth
Turns out, many Cape Codders are well aware of this beauty secret.
“Visitors don’t know about it, but the locals sure do,” Bowen said.
Hair stylist Kate Scott, curly hair expert, works on the ultra-thick locks of Christina Bologna at Salon 700 & Day Spa in Hyannis.
Kate Scott, a curl expert whose business is Hair and Lifestyle Design, said the Cape’s special summer air gives fine hair a fullness and a little bit of texture. But as an expert in curly hair, most of her clients are fighting the effects of humidity.
She is a local expert on a system called Ouidad, named after the Lebanese woman who invented it, that is a special product line for those with curly hair.
Clients with looser waves like the humidity but for those with tighter curls: “They can’t stand it. It’s out of control and frizzy,” Scott said.
Dougie Freeman, owner of West End Salon & Spa in Provincetown, said the Cape’s unique weather has a definite effect on hair.
“The humidity on the Cape increases the chance for curl. People who never had curly hair find they do when they are on the Cape,” Freeman said.
Freeman pointed out that it’s not just the moisture-heavy air that serves as a beauty enhancement. It’s the salt water and the sand.
“People leave the salt water in their hair and that also gives thickness to fine hair,” Freeman said. He recommends people head to the beaches on the bay side of Dennis where the tide rolls out leaving miles of exposed sand as a place to go for a self-made exfoliant treatment, good for the skin and the hair.
Dougie Freeman of the West End Salon and Spa in Provincetown said the Cape’s humidity is just one of the beauty secrets of Cape Cod.
“It’s one of those benefits to being on the Cape. Cape Cod air gives you an appetite. Prevailing winds change the air and water a couple times a day. My clients say their hair looks better on Cape Cod. It’s also the water here,” Freeman said.
Kathy Carette of Hair by Kathy at Viva La Vida Beauty Salon in East Falmouth agreed.
Cape Cod hair is “relaxed and beachy, very textured, very carefree. People don’t want to spend a lot of time on their hair but they want to look great,” she said.
Humidity, Carette said, is definitely a factor. “For us girls who have straight to wavy hair, we love it because it plumps up the hair. The humidity actually causes the hair to expand. We get a lot more volume than we do in the winter when the air is dry.”
Hairdressers throughout the region are happy to explain the science behind the phenomenon of good hair during the Cape Cod summer.
Bowen said, “Humid air causes hydrogen bonds to form and they react with water molecules and protein in the hair. It literally swells the hair. The hair becomes wavier and it swells so it has more volume.”
In fact, humidity’s affect on hair has long been a known quantity to scientists.
Bowen pointed out that in the old days, a single horsehair was used in barometers to gauge the density of the air. “That’s what they would use to tell the humidity,” he said.
“People who never had curly hair find they do when they are on the Cape.” Dougie Freeman, West End Salon & Spa, Provincetown
But as much as the humidity is a gift to those with fine hair, Bowen agreed with stylist Kate Scott about the downside. “For most people with thick curly hair, it is a negative,” he said.
Scott, who is the curly hair specialist at Salon 700 in Hyannis, also discused the science behind the phenomenon, stressing the importance of moisture to the inner part of the hair cuticle, the protein bonds and the chains of amino acids that make up hair.
What it comes down to, Scott said, is her client’s preference. Do they want to fight the humidity or go with the flow? That will affect what treatment and products she uses.
On a recent evening, her client, Christina Bologna of Harwich said she welcomes the summer humidity and its impact on her curly hair. “It behaves pretty well,” she said of her long locks.
In fact Bologna, that rare curly-haired lady who embraces the Cape’s humidity, said she likes everything about the Cape Cod summer’s influence on her look.
“There’s definitely something to be said about salty breezes. I love the look after a day at the beach when you’ve been in the water, the saltwater, sun and a little bit of sand. It’s my favorite. I love it. It creates a curl you can’t get anywhere else,” Bologna said.
“There’s definitely something to be said about salty breezes. . . . It creates a curl you can’t get anywhere else.” Christina Bologna of Harwich
Bowen said for people with thick hair who do battle with the Cape’s humid summer weather, there are methods called keratin treatments and Brazilian Blowout, which are hair smoothing treatments that lasts for the 12 to 14 weeks of summer.
But he said most of his clients have fine hair that improves with humidity.
“It’s a phenomena that begins in June and ends after Labor day, according to Bowen. “The temperature isn’t as critical as the amount of humidity in the air:”
Bowen said 75 to 80 percent of his clients appreciate the effects of the humidity on their hair.
For Kate Scott, the curly hair expert, it is the opposite: “20 percent like it; the others fighting it,” she said.
Kathy Carette of Hair by Kathy at Viva La Vida in East Falmouth said nothing beats the natural effect of the Cape’s salty air on hair.
Scott pointed out that products have been devised that mimic the Cape’s natural affect on the hair, not just the moisture, but event the salty air.
“They make products called salt spray or beach spray to do what salt air will do. Salt creates texture and a little bit of a grit, not just gives it hold but makes it malleable. You can work with it. It almost acts like a styling product,” Scott said.
Though there are products that can mimic the look, Carette said, nothing can quite replace the real thing.
“That is all natural. It really brings the hair closer together so you get those nice beach-y waves that people like. That’s why so many people try to recreate that beach look that we have here on the Cape,” Carette said.
Scott, who lives in Chatham, said there is no secret about when the air on Cape Cod reaches that saturation point of moisture that results in Cape Cod hair.
“Whenever that fog rolls in,” she said.
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Assigning Himself Creativity – Jake Spagone, Aspiring Video Game Artist
House Concert Video – Dirk Powell & Riley Baugus In Orleans
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Shells and Gulls at Sea Street Beach – Slideshow
Pretty As A Picture; Forest Beach, The Marsh Behind & More – SLIDESHOW
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Format: txt
BC Schools - Examinations Results
BC schools grade 10, 11, 12 examinations results 1996/1997 to 2015/2016.
Hospitals in BC
Medical institutions in BC that provide diagnostic and treatment services for people whose illnesses or injuries require that they occupy a bed for at least one night. Hospitals...
British Columbia Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The Province of British Columbia prepares the British Columbia Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory. British Columbia Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions are attributed to five defined...
Walk-in Clinics in BC
Programs in BC that provide walk-in treatment services for people who have minor illnesses or injuries that do not require a visit to a hospital emergency department or an...
Water Licensed Works - Lines
Province-wide SDE layer showing linear works associated with a Water Licence
BC Schools - Course Enrolment and Completion by School
Course enrolment and completion by school for all Distributed Learning schools and public schools offering Grades 8 through 12 in school years 2009/2010 to 2012/2013....
Schools (K-12) with Francophone Indicators
This dataset is comprised of all schools for Kindergarten to Grade 12 in British Columbia. Indicators are included for schools that offer French programs including: Core...
Water Licensed Works - Points
Province-wide SDE layer showing point works associated with a Water Licence
Emergency Rooms in BC
Hospitals and other health care facilities in BC that provide 24-hour diagnostic and treatment services for people who have acute, life-threatening injuries or severe illnesses....
BC Schools - Eligible to Graduate Rate
Proportions of eligible-to-graduate Grade 12 students who graduated from 1996/1997 to 2015/2016.
British Columbia Greenhouse Gas Emissions ARCHIVE
British Columbia Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) are published annually by the Province of British Columbia. CURRENT estimates of GHG emissions since 1990 are available here....
BC Schools - School District Information
School Districts - Boards of Education current and historical location and contact information to 2013/2014.
BC Schools - Programs Offered in Schools
BC Schools English Language Learners, French Immersion, Francophone, Career Preparation, Aboriginal Support Services, Aboriginal Language and Culture, Continuing Education and...
North Cowichan Ortho-Imagery, LiDAR, Contours
Contains 10cm resolution ortho-imagery, 12-15 points per meter LiDAR, and 1 meter contours derived from the LiDAR. The data was collected during leaf--off conditions late May...
Immunization Services in BC
Programs in BC that provide inoculations or other prophylactic measures to prevent susceptible individuals from contracting specific diseases for which means of control have...
Laboratory Services in BC
Programs that perform a laboratory analysis of body fluids and tissue to determine the presence of irregularities or to identify unknown substances submitted for analysis....
Pharmacies in BC
Organizations in BC that are involved in the business of preparing, preserving, compounding and dispensing drugs in accordance with prescriptions prepared by licensed...
BC Schools - Passport to Education Awards
The distribution of Passport to Education awards by district and grades 10, 11 and 12 up to 2011/2012.
Respite and Medical Benefits Monthly Caseload for Children and Youth with Spe...
This data set contains the number of Medical Benefits and Respite Services case files per month by Ministry of Children and Family Development Region from April 2002 to present.
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Disbursement of District and Provincial Scholarships to 2011/2012, including counts by male and female students.
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Collected - Limited Gold/Red 180 Gram...
Collected - Limited Gold/Red 180 Gram Edition (2LP) [Import] (Vinyl LP)
The Zoo (The Human Zoo)
Just To Be Close To You
Too Hot Ta Trot
Three Times A Lady
Old-Fashion Love
Lady (You Bring Me Up)
Painted Picture
Goin’ To The Bank
Grrip
Everything Reminds Me Of You
Forever Came Today (Bonus Track from ‘Motown Superstars Sing Motown Superstars’)
The American funk/soul band Commodores peaked in the late 1970s through the mid-1980s with some wonderful hit classics, like "Just to Be Close to You", "Easy", "Three Times a Lady", "Still" and "Lady (You Bring Me Up)". Our exclusive Commodores Collected release contains all these classics, supplemented with fan favourites and other tracks from their impressive oeuvre.
180 gram audiophile vinyl
Gatefold sleeve
PVC Protective sleeve
Includes liner notes
Career spanning selection featuring the international hits "Brickhouse", "Just To Be Close To You", "Easy", "Three Times A Lady", "Still", "Lady (You Bring Me Up)", "Nightshift" and many more songs
Limited first pressing of 2.500 individually numbered copies on gold (Disc 1) and red (Disc 2) vinyl
Collected - Limited Gold/Red 180 Gram Edition (2LP) [Import]
Flere titler med Commodores
Gold [Import]
Movin' On
Best Of Commodores-millennium [I...
13 (Touchdown) [Import]
Heroes [Import]
Natural High (3 Times A Lady) [I...
Definitive Collection [Import]
Natural High -ltd- [Import]
Machine Gun -ltd- [Import]
Caught In The Act -ltd- [Import]
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Intelligent Cross-Sell: The CNET Years
After integrating ExactChoice into CNET.com, my main task was to create something new for CNET. That became Intelligent Cross-Sell, a product used by four of the top ten brands in the Internet Retailer 500, among others.
I was part of CNET Channel, since renamed CNET Content Solutions. Its customers are e-commerce sites that sell technology and consumer-electronics products. Its primary product is a detailed database of products. E-commerce sites use this database to display products and specs in a standardized way. For example, if you see a product page for a computer on CDW.com, much of the page’s content is actually from CNET.
Circa 2005, having attracted a large number of e-commerce customers worldwide, CNET was looking for something new to sell them. My job was to determine what it should be and then to build it with my own team.
The industry term for this role is intrapreneur. It can mean anything from “leader of a CEO’s pet-project skunk works” to “random guy building something not elsewhere classifiable on the org chart.” In my case, I was fortunate to have both a specific place in the org chart and a high degree of autonomy. I also had strong executive support.
By choice, I worked as part of a two-person team, with my ExactChoice partner Howard Burrows. We knew how to explore concepts quickly and cost-efficiently, having practiced what today would be called lean-startup techniques since founding ExactChoice in 2002.
At the outset, I talked with dozens of CNET customers about their e-commerce businesses, looking for the pain points we could reasonably address, ranking them by risk and reward. The opportunity that kept winning was a tool to automate cross-selling. Although everyone was familiar with Amazon.com’s “people who bought this also bought that,” tech and consumer-electronics sites could not use it to determine, for example, the right carrying case with a computer.
Among the challenges with “people who bought this also bought that” were:
If a few consumers mistakenly bought the wrong-sized case for a computer, the algorithm would start recommending the bad combo, causing a slew of returned products.
It was useless for new products without sales history—no people who bought this, then no people who bought that.
It left no room for merchandising. For example, as computers began appearing with the Bluetooth wireless standard, cross-selling Bluetooth mice made sense. But how could merchants tell the algorithm to do that when it was only looking backward at the non-Bluetooth past?
Because of these issues, many large tech and consumer-electronics sites were using humans to manually configure cross-sells. These sites had tens or hundreds of thousands of products, changing rapidly. The humans could not keep up. We would later attract two of our early customers—billion-dollar e-commerce sites—by showing them their percentages of empty cross-selling slots.
The beauty of the opportunity was that it played to CNET’s strength. The CNET product database, DataSource, had the size of most computers. It also had the size capacities for most carrying cases. A trivial math operation could prevent a sizing mismatch. This is what the humans were doing in their heads, one product combination at a time. This is what we could do nearly instantly, across an entire product catalog.
In addition to preventing bad cross-sells, we could also enable good ones: Bluetooth mouse to Bluetooth computer? No problem. Match the mouse’s brand with the computer’s brand? Easy. CNET’s database had more than 100 million product attributes to fuel such rules, which would emulate how a person intelligently chooses cross-sells.
Of course, the system would measure itself, so we would have additional data about each product’s sales, its effectivness as a cross-sell, even its behavioral performance in “people who did this also did that.” I liked that, because attribute-driven rules and behavioral data were together likely better than either approach separately.
Finally, the system would need to support hands-on use by merchandisers. Rules would be customizable, in a drag-and-drop way. And reports would link back to rules, so a merchandiser could see which rules caused which numbers.
That was the vision for Intelligent Cross-Sell. We announced the product in February 2006 and released it later that year, with paying customers.
By the first release, we could already see Intelligent Cross-Sell was substantially increasing customers’ cross-selling revenue. We later did case studies with Office Depot and Dell that reported a doubling of cross-sell and upsell revenue. (Upsells are another type of production recommendation that Intelligent Cross-Sell does. Whereas a cross-sell offers a carrying case with a computer, an upsell offers a better computer in place of the one you are considering. When doing this, Intelligent Cross-Sell can automatically generate “pitch text” based on an analysis of each computer’s specs, such as “Faster processor and 50% more storage.”)
Although we hit the market as the housing-bubble-induced recession was starting, we managed to get a decent core of customers in the 2007 to 2009 timeframe. By 2010, among our customers were four of the top ten brands in the Internet Retailer 500’s list of e-commerce sites. We had also gone international, at sites in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Denmark. Later, we reached sites in Sweden, Norway, and the Baltics.
As we grew Intelligent Cross-Sell’s revenue, we hired a small team to help evolve and support the product. Things were good in our little world.
But 2010 was a turning point. In the previous few years, several venture-funded startups had emerged as competitors, each with vastly more resources than our small group. They had all started with “people who did this also did that” technology, applying it not just to tech and consumer electronics but to all e-commerce categories. Although Intelligent Cross-Sell was still superior for cross-selling tech and consumer-electronics products, the best start-ups were using their greater resources to offer a broader set of capabilities, with cross-selling and upselling being just one aspect.
We knew the game was changing when, in mid-2010, two customers who had been highly satisfied nevertheless defected to other vendors. The other vendors simply offered more stuff. It was like being a bakery in a town that starts getting supermarkets. Our bread was better, but we didn’t have a deli counter or a produce aisle.
We could have adapted by becoming even more specialized, like an artisanal bakery of cross-selling. But it would have been hard to do within CNET, which had become CBS Interactive when the media giant CBS acquired CNET in 2008. As an enterprise software-as-service player, we were already an outlier of a business within CNET, more so for CBS. I did not want to make us even more marginal. So I concluded that everybody—CBS/CNET, the Intelligent Cross-Sell team, our customers—would be better off if we could partner with one of the other players whose only business was doing what we did.
The right match turned out to be RichRelevance, the personalization company with, by far, the most blue-chip customer base, as well as the most complementary approach to the market. In the partnership, RichRelevance would run the Intelligent Cross-Sell technology and employ the team; CNET would license its data and provide sales collaboration. The best supermarket would now offer artisanal bread.
The deal proved to be a win for everyone. For me, having spent five years on the product, having built a team without ever losing an employee, and having worked directly with every customer, I wanted Intelligent Cross-Sell to continue on the best footing possible. It did, and still is.
Posted by Steve Krause at 8:04 AM 0 comments
Labels: Personal, Web/Tech
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Blog The Diabetes Site Blog
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Wow! I Had No Idea Dogs Taught Us How to Treat Diabetes!
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By L.D.
Most of have heard about the growing number of people diagnosed with diabetes each year. You’ve probably even heard that it’s an epidemic. However, what you might not know is that this condition has been around since Ancient Egypt. In fact, the term diabetes was first used in 250 BCE.
However, despite physicians having a basic understanding of the symptoms associated with diabetes, no one really understood what was actually causing it for a long time. A very long time. It wasn’t until about one HUNDRED years ago that we started to make significant strides towards really understanding it.
Moreover, until then, a diabetes diagnosis was essentially synonymous with a death sentence until this progress began.
So, what changed?
That’s right. Man’s best friend. In the video below, we learn how dogs held a crucial key to the understanding and treatment of diabetes. Some dogs lost their lives in early insulin experiments, and without them it’s unknown how long it would have taken humankind to develop an effective diabetes management tool. Now that we have insulin, veterinarians can use it to help dogs with type 1 diabetes, and there are more of those than you’d think! Check it out, and as always, let us know what you think in the comments below!
“NEXT” to learn how dogs detect diabetes!
10-Year-Old Helps Arthritic Great-Aunt with Insulin Injections Every Day: Click “Next” below!
L.D. and her eleven-year-old lab, Eleanor Rigby Fitzgerald, moved from Seattle to Grand Rapids earlier this year, and are currently enjoying exploring their new city! She likes books, music, movies, running, and being outdoors as much as possible.
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The Tortoise and the Secret
Gossip, the eternal mouthpiece of the never satiated has found its zenith in technology. That is why trust is such a rare commodity. Not only has social media exposed secrets, so have good friends.
Gossip has made bedfellows of men in distant lands and ruined lives of closest neighbors.
The distinguishing characteristic G-d instilled in Man is bechira, choice. Choice permits us freedoms that ultimately define to a great extent who we are.
Included in those freedoms is an inalienable right, to keep the secrets we wish to keep secret. We may wish to define ourselves by what and to whom we reveal not by those seeking to portray us in their imagined image.
A friend wondered, which is better today?
With the advent of Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and the like, where one literally makes ‘friends’ via keystroke with hundreds and thousands baring their soul for worldly view no work no time involved, or is it the old fashioned world of yesteryear where a secret may be cloaked in an inner sanctum or cherished amongst two closest friends.
Rabbi Yaakov Hillel a Kabballist compares the word wine to secret, in Hebrew these words are yayin and sod respectively. Kabbalists often cite gematria, numerical value to infer a relationship between words.
Rabbi Hillel argues that wine a sweet desert can represent the hidden meaning of Torah, literally meaning the ‘secrets’ of Scripture.
Hence, wine and secrets have the same numerical value. If we invest our time in the study of Torah we will be rewarded with having its wisdom and secrets revealed, ‘poured’ out to us.
This would require an active search of our own volition.
No Google, no Vimeos just the old fashioned way investing hard time to study and learn new meaning from old teachings immortalized thru the ages.
Our experiences working with many adolescents and adults whose lives have been scarred with abuse and violence, is they indeed carry a secret that may be marred by wine.
Unfortunately, in their inability to find a trusting person, or community, to share their secret with, they too often turn to wine or other addictive behavior, and away from G-d in search of relief.
These individuals take Rabbi Hillel’s mystical equation of wine and secret and in their enormous inner pain seek to quell or forget the pain, and shame their secret has caused them by drinking wine to hide their secret.
When such secrets are revealed and reviled for the world to literally see by purveyors of the latest technology, the secret carrier’s shame is compounded often sending them into an abyss of loneliness, depression or worse.
In how many friends would we trust our deepest secret?
It may be a spouse, a confidante we’ve been friends with forever, a Rabbi, a therapist, a close colleague at work.
Often it is that one rare person in our lives in whom we have the trust to say anything and with it feel both unburdened and safe. But only to a person we are certain can keep our secret.
In how many such people would you place that eternal trust?
170 years ago on May 24, 1844 Samuel Morse telegraphed “What hath God wrought” essentially the first tweet of the modern world. Sending his message from the chamber in the Supreme Court in Washington DC, where ultimately the battle between Apple and the U.S Government may be fought over privacy in technology, to the B and O Railroad in Baltimore MD, is there any more old fashioned mode of transportation, Samuel Morse unknowingly also reinvented gossip.
The world is changing rapidly. Secrets change slowly.
As in the great fable The Tortoise and The Hare we may find today’s equivalent to be old speed and warp speed.
There’s a place and need for both, no one should stand in the way of progress, nevertheless we should remember that in the realm of secrets, snail mail remains a cherished form of sharing.
Your secret should be safe with you and only with whom you cherish to share.
David Mandel is Chief Executive Officer of OHEL Children's Home and Family Services in New York
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Centre for Publishing
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My Name is Leon, Kit de Waal
By Helena McNish, on 4 May 2017
Longlisted for the Desmond Elliot Prize 2017
Kit de Waal’s enchanting debut novel My Name is Leon has been longlisted for the Desmond Elliott prize. This achievement is well deserved as, from the first chapter, I was engrossed in the observant perspective of eight year old Leon. His narrative voice evokes the innocence of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, allowing the sensitive issues of racism, the 1981 riots sparked by police brutality and the Irish republican hunger strikes, to be presented in a sensitive, thought-provoking way, adding additional layers of complexity to the story.
The book opens with the birth of Leon’s brother, immediately demonstrating his mother Carol’s inability to raise her children, as she steps out for a cigarette leaving the baby in Leon’s care. However, de Waal describes this scene neutrally, leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions about Carol’s behaviour. Employing Leon’s perspective allows de Waal to refrain from overt judgement of her characters throughout the book. The host of flawed figures are described with great compassion, balancing their shortcomings with exploration of their struggles and hardships.
As the story continues, Leon’s circumstances become increasingly heartbreaking as he is placed into foster care and his brother is later adopted by another family. Leon is devastated by his separation from Jake, and struggles to understanding why his mother cannot take care of him. Yearning for his biological family, Leon’s anger builds throughout the novel, manifesting in petty thievery and minor property damage. Thankfully, de Waal surrounds Leon with well-intentioned characters who develop into parental figures. Most importantly, Leon is gifted with a genuinely loving foster mother, Maureen, who does all she can to ease Leon’s pain and keep him in contact with his family. Maureen becomes the voice of the reader’s outrage and frustration at social service’s shortcomings, Leon’s parents’ failings, and the racial injustice Leon faces at that time as a mixed race child.
Kit de Waal’s Irish and Caribbean heritage, and her many years of experience in family law, foster care and adoption panels, provide immense credibility to her novel. For this reason, Leon’s voice feels truly authentic and completely immerses the reader in his perspective.
My Name is Leon is an ultimately hopeful and heartwarming tale written in simple, beautiful prose. It is a story of love, friendship, family and childhood, exploring complex issues of race, class, and cultural change. It is truly a worthwhile, enjoyable read.
I completely fell in love with Leon’s story and have no doubt you will too.
Madison Price
My Name is Leon is published by Viking
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School of Planning, Public Policy and Management
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There are numerous sites for international internship opportunities.
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Internships in Washington, D.C. and abroad. Graduate students only. Typically opens in December.
Internships for graduate students only. Application process is decentralized; internships are advertised on UNDP’s job site.
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Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge themed F&B – Blue Milk and Bloody Rancor
1st March 2019
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has revealed details of its themed dining and F&B including Blue Milk and Bloody Rancor drinks.
Brimming with rides, new ships, droids, creatures and fan-favourite characters, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is just months from opening at Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
Ahead of opening its doors to the public, the 14-acre attraction has finally unveiled via StarWars.com some of the themed food and drinks on offer at its newly-revealed restaurants and bars as well as its attractions and activities.
Fortunately for fans of the Star Wars franchise, The Black Spire Outpost will seemingly provide an exciting culinary experience – with guests able to visit Ronto Roasters, Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo, and Oga’s Cantina.
Brian Piasecki, culinary director of concept development at Walt Disney World Resort said: “What is our creative direction of the food, because we don’t know. What does it taste like? What does it smell like? What does it look like?
“So we had that opportunity to really bring all of those touch points to every single guest that’s going to visit Galaxy’s Edge, and we’re super excited about that.
“If it looks like one thing and maybe it tastes like something else, that could be really cool.”
Ronto Roasters
Ronto Roasters will, according to concept art, feature a giant podracer engine as the cooker.
“This location is super fun because it’s all about meat, and it’s all about heat,” explained Piasecki.
Food will include turkey jerky, and the signature Ronto Wrap (a pitta bread filled with grilled sausage, roasted pork, cabbage slaw, and a spicy ‘clutch sauce’).
Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo
Cargo crates double as eating stalls at this restaurant, which will serve Fried Endorian Tip-Yip (fried chicken with roasted vegetable mash and herb gravy), Kaadu Ribs (sticky pork ribs with blueberry corn muffin and cabbage slaw), Felucian Garden Spread (plant-based ‘meatballs’ with herb houmous, tomato and cucumber relish, and pitta bread).
“The flavors in Galaxy’s Edge and Docking Bay 7 are going to be very bold. A lot of spice-forward,” added Piasecki.
Oga’s Cantina
Similar to the Mos Eisley cantina in A New Hope, beverages here include the non-alcoholic Tatooine Sunset, Moof Juice, and Oga’s Obsession.
For those after something a little stronger, alcoholic drinks include The Fuzzy Tauntaun, The Bespin Fizz, The Bloody Rancor (complete with edible bone) and The Outer Rim.
Also available is Blue Milk – the iconic drink first served by Aunt Beru – made with plant-based dairy. There will also be frozen versions at the Milk Stand.
“They’re very flavorful, they’re kid-friendly. Guests of all ages can enjoy these,” said Brian Koziol, food and beverage concept development director at Walt Disney World Resort.
Images: Disney
Bea Mitchell
A journalist specialising in entertainment and attractions, Bea loves theme parks (mainly Disney) and is particularly interested in things of a gothic, horror or fantasy nature.
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Biofunctional activity of tortillas and bars enhanced with nopal. Preliminary assessment of functional effect after intake on the oxidative status in healthy volunteers
Juan Carlos Guevara-Arauza1,
José de Jesús Órnelas Paz2,
Sergio Rosales Mendoza1,
Ruth Elena Soria Guerra1,
Luz María Teresita Paz Maldonado1 &
Diana Jaqueline Pimentel González3
Prickly pear cactus stem (nopal) has been used in folk medicine and a raw material since ancient times. Stems have been proved to possess components with valuable biological activities: anti inflamatory, antioxidant, antiulcerogenic, hypoglycemic, and so forth. Nowadays, people consume foods not only to cover the nutritional requirements, they also demand for healty, natural and convenient foods that show biological activity. This study evaluated the bio-functional effects of consuming tortillas or bars (filled with prickly pear fruit jam) supplemented or not with nopal dietary fiber.
The addition of nopal increased the fiber and polyphenols content in both tortillas (16.67%, 2.33 mg QE/L) and bars (13.79%, 1.99 mg QE/L). Furthermore the trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC, 1.47 mmol/L), polyphenols (7.67 mg QE/L) and vitamin C (77.91 μmol/L) showed increased levels in volunteer's plasma after intake. Also lower levels of glucose (4.43 mmol/L), total cholesterol (4.27 mmol/L), LDL (1.96 mmol/L) and triglycerides (1.54 mmol/L) were observed in plasma after the supplementation scheme with nopal-based tortilla, while GSH:GSSG ratio in erythrocytes was higher.
The results suggested that the intake of nopal-based tortillas with high content in fiber and antioxidant compounds can help to improve the overall oxidative status in healthy humans, which can reduce the risk of some chronic diseases. In addition, these products showed suitable physicochemical characteristics to be marketed.
Several researches have showed that a regular or intensive intake of horticultural products can reduce the risk of chronic degenerative diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases, in which oxidative damage is an important etiologic factor [1]. These benefits are mainly attributed to the antioxidant compounds and dietary fiber (DF) present in fruits and vegetables [2]. The DF is defined as carbohydrate polymers with 10 or more monomeric units which are not hydrolyzed by endogenous enzymes in the human small intestine, having beneficial effects on health. This includes natural and synthetic DF. The DF can be supplied by normal food intake, including a diet with high content of DF or as an ingredient obtained via enzymatic, physical or chemical processes using different raw materials. The synthetic DF covers those synthetic polymers that have shown beneficial physiological effects to health [3].
Recently more sources of fiber are being evaluated in order to provide functional properties such as the water holding capacity and improvement in mechanical and rheological properties, among others [4]. Horticultural products have a balanced content of soluble and insoluble DF, so these can be suitable for enriching products with DF [5]. Due to the increasing consumer demand for convenient, healthy and natural foods and beverages, various attempts are being carried out with the aim of improving the nutritional value of products by changing the nutritional composition [6]. In Mexico, nopal is integrated as part of a healthy diet due to its high fiber content with concentrations of 40-60 g/100 g dry weight (dw) and the presence of total phenolic compounds (free and conjugated) with concentrations of 80-90 mg/100 g dw, including (2R,3R)-3,5,7-trihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2,3-dihydrochromen-4-one (aromadendrin), (2R,3R)-2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3,5,7-trihydroxy-2,3-dihydrochromen-4-one (taxifolin or dihydroquercetin), 3,5,7-trihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxy3-methoxyphenil)chromen-4-one (isorhamnetin), 5,7-dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-8-[(2S,3R,4R,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]chromen-4-one (vitexin), 3,5,7-trihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)chromen-4-one (kaempferol), 2-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-3,5,7-trihydroxy-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one dihydrate (quercetin) and derivatives like 3,5,7-trihydroxy-2-(3,4,5-trihydroxyphenyl)chromen-4-one (myricitin), 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-8-[(2S,3R,4R,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]chromen-4-one (orientin) and some derivatives of pyrone [7]. However, the presence of flavones and flavanones in nopal has not been reported. On the other hand, the reported concentrations of phenolic compounds in prickly pear cactus fruit ranged 30-40 mg/100 g dw, while the fiber content is ranged 20-25 g/100 g dw [8]. Phenolic compounds from nopal have showed antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, anti inflammatory, analgesic, antiulcerogenic, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and hypocholesterolemic properties [9].
The aerobic metabolism is characterized by a constant production of mainly oxygen reactive species. Even in healthy subjects, pathophysiological events can be elicited when the generation of pro-oxidants exceeds the cellular capacity for self-protection mediated by some antioxidant defense systems [10]. Since phytochemicals with antioxidant activity in fruits and vegetables are responsible for opposite effects, the development of new products made with horticultural products can generate a wide range of functional foods [11].
The objective of this study was to produce nopal-based tortillas and bars, to characterize some physicochemical parameters [chemical composition, color, hardness, water activity (aw)] and to evaluate its potential as functional food, measuring the effect of their ingestion over 3 weeks in the oxidative status (antioxidant capacity and oxidative stress biomarkers) of healthy volunteers.
Results and Discussions
Physicochemical parameters of tortillas and bars
In order to gain knowledge about the physicochemical characteristics of tortillas and bars supplemented (+NDF) or not (-NDF) with nopal dietary fiber as well as bars filled with prickly pear fruit jam (PPJ), comparative analyses were carried out for these formulations.
Analysis of total polyphenols
Phenolic compounds content was increased with the addition of nopal in both tortillas and bars (Table 1). Changes in total phenols content between different formulations of bars and tortillas can be the result of different degrees of interaction between phenolic compounds and formulation components (dietary fiber and protein) [12]. It is known that thermal treatment induces oxidative condensation producing complexes, via multiple hydrogen bonds between the hydroxyl groups of polyphenols and carboxyl groups derived of pectin polysaccharides and/or proteins present in the formulation. However, long term exposure to high temperatures induce degradation of these thermolabile complexes causing an increase in phenols extracted from both bars and tortillas [13]. These interactions could be involved in the higher content of phenolic compounds. However more studies should be conducted to provide further explanation of this observed finding. No change in the polyphenols content was observed by addition of PPJ to the bars.
Table 1 Physicochemical analysis in nopal-based tortillas and bars.
Total dietary fiber, ash, proteins and lipids
The addition of nopal to the formulation of tortillas and bars increased the dietary fiber content (16.67%; 13.79%, respectively), the ash content (1.16; 1.18, respectively), but not the protein content (Table 1). No differences were observed in both fiber and ash content by adding PPJ to bars. On the other hand the addition of PPJ resulted in a dilution effect on protein content in both -NDF and +NDF bar formulations (Table 1). According to the FDA, both bars and tortillas can be declared as a high source of fiber because the contribution of these foods is at least 20% of the daily value per serving and is considered a good source of nutrients when the food intake ranged 10-19%. An intake of 2,000 calories has been established as the reference for the energy demand per day while fiber content reference is 11.5 g of fiber per 1,000 calories [14]. Interestingly, the fiber in nopal is composed mainly by soluble fiber, resulting in a better water retention capacity in foods made with this component [8, 15].
The nopal contained in the formulations reduced the protein content in our products, which might be related with the increased water retention capacity by the fibers. It may also be due to a reduced amount of protein available since it has previously developed Maillard reactions [16] or complex with polysaccharides [17]. Futures studies must be conducted to support these assumptions.
The lipid content in bars was positively correlated with fat and vegetable oil in the formulation. The addition of NDF to the formulation of tortillas and bars resulted in a decrease in lipid content, which is associated with a dilution effect directly related to humidity content in the samples.
Moisture content and water activity
The addition of NDF in the formulation resulted in an increase in the moisture content of the bars (6.78%), with higher content in those made with PPJ (7.71%). The same effect was observed for tortilla, which showed an increase from 7.74% to 12.17%. The -NDF bars did not show differences in humidity content (5.63%) with the addition of PPJ (5.66%). The water as a constituent of foods influences the stability, quality, physical properties and shelf life. The texture characteristics are closely related to moisture content, so this parameter directly contributes to the product quality and acceptance by consumers. High moisture content can cause plasticising or antiplasticising effects [18], and brittle materials with the consequent loss of crusty attribute [19].
The determination of water activity (aw) helps to predict the mechanical properties, stability and shelf life of food [19]. The addition of nopal to the bars produced no changes in aw (p < 0.05) (Table 1). Furthermore, the addition of NDF increased the aw of tortillas from 0.48 to 0.57; these values are below 0.7, indicating a low risk of microbial growth; also chemical and enzyme reactivity diminishes, which would provide adequate life and preservation of the products during storage.
Hardness and Color
Hardness parameter did not show changes in -NDF bars (63.21 N) compared to those added with PPJ (p < 0.05). Bars +NDF showed to be softer (53.72 N) than -NDF. Presence of PPJ did not modify bar hardness formulated with nopal (49.05 N, Table 1). The +NDF tortillas showed to be softer (35.68 N) than -NDF tortillas (45.38 N). Texture generated as a result of the interaction between the components of the formulation is a relevant parameter which contributes to shelf life and acceptance of foods. In the bars, wheat protein provides viscous properties and act as a gelling and water retainer, influencing the texture through a gradual tightening [20]. Such effect could be associated with the water migration from carbohydrates (pectins, maltodextrins, starch and sugars) to proteins [20]. It is known that carbohydrates retain moisture, modifying texture and preventing loss of moisture as consequence. However these phenomena fail to prevent moisture transfer to and from the protein. The addition of soluble fiber, carbohydrates, with low digestibility or highly branched, in the formulation can increase the shelf life. Soluble fibers such as inulin and pectin, as well as maltodextrin are the most common agents used to increase the initial softness in bars after processing. The observed effects in this study could have implications in this field.
In thermal treated food, the color on the surface is an important feature for consumers, because it indicates the magnitude of heat treatment. In the case of -NDF bars the value of L * (lightness), which defines in a sample as black (0) or white (100) raging 58-63, having lower values in the +NDF. The a * value defines colors from red (+) to green (-), the -NDF bars showed values of 8-9, changing to negative values (-4 to -3) on +NDF bars, which indicates a change in color from red-orange to green. The b * value, which defines colors from yellow (+) to blue (-), was determined within the range of 16-20 (data not shown).
In the +NDF tortillas we observed a decrease in L *, a * and b * values (62.3, -7, 22.48) compared to the -NDF tortillas (73.4, 2.68, 25.69), indicating darker tortillas with green color. The ΔE* value is an overall measure of the change in color that resulted in the different products formulation, comparing NDF and/or PPJ enhanced and control products (-NDF -PPJ). The limit value which defines the difference in color was established in 3.7 units, since this value has been recognized as the level to match the color in several studies [21]. Both, +NDF bars and +NDF tortillas showed difference (p < 0.05) in overall color change (ΔE*) with values between 13 and 15 units, respectively (Table 1). Color change is a dynamic process in which color transition occurs during the baking procedure. Because the thermal processing was the same for all samples, this suggest that the color is influenced by the ingredients of the formulation, which has been reported for some cereals [22].
Effect of intake on oxidative parameters
To determine if the ingestion of the manufactured foods have a positive effect on the oxidative status, 28 healthy volunteers were subjected to a supplementation scheme. Anthropometric measurements of volunteers were: age (years) = 22 ± 3.7, stature (cm) = 177.4 ± 5.7 and 164.9 ± 7.2, body weight (kg) = 65.8 ± 9.6 and 56.9 ± 6.4, body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) = 21.7 ± 2.5 and 20.94 ± 2.3 for men and women, respectively.
Plasma antioxidant status
The trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) evaluated in plasma is usually considered to provide indications of the body's global antioxidant status. With respect to baseline, the supplementation over 21 days with nopal-based tortillas generated an increase (p < 0.05) in plasma antioxidant capacity (1.47 mmol/L) of 10.53% (Figure 1). Statistically, the intake of tortilla caused a change in plasma TEAC, which is in agreement with previous reports [23], although some others have not found changes in plasma antioxidant activity after prolonged intake of foods with high content of phenolic compounds [24].
Plasma antioxidant status. a) Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC); b) Total polyphenols concentration; c) Vitamin A; d) Vitamin C and e) Vitamin E levels in healthy volunteers.
The total polyphenol concentrations in plasma after supplementation with +NDF tortilla showed a significant increase of 8.12% attaining levels of 7.67 mg QE/L (p < 0.05; Figure 1). This result agrees with previous reports [25]. No changes on TEAC and phenolic compounds content were detected after ingestion of +NDF +PPJ bars. Similarly, no changes were detected on the levels of vitamin A and E after supplementation with +NDF tortillas or +NDF bars, which is consistent with previous reports [26]. Vitamin C levels in plasma showed an increase of 25% following the ingestion of +NDF tortillas (77.91 mmol/L) and +NDF bars (78.13 mmol/L) (Figure 1), which can be related to the absorption of this component supplied from the modified food or by a replacement effect of this vitamin by vitamin E, B or polyphenolic compounds [26].
Lipid oxidation directed by free radicals is a fundamental feature of oxidant stress, therefore the quantification of the end products from lipid peroxidation like Propanedial (Malondialdehyde, MDA) level in plasma and erythrocytes is considered an excellent marker of oxidative status in vivo [27]. The plasma MDA concentration was significantly different (p < 0.05) in respect to the baseline after supplementation with +NDF tortillas (0.87 mol/L) and +NDF +PPJ bars (0.96 mol/L), representing a decrease of 25% and 12%, respectively (Figure 2). Low levels of MDA indicate that body lipids are preserved in larger proportion. It is feasible that antioxidant vitamins, along with various phytochemicals present in nopal (flavonols) and maize (hydroxycinnamic acids) contribute to maintain adequate oxidative status. This observation correlates with the levels of antioxidant vitamins and polyphenolic compounds (Figure 1), suggesting a strong contribution to the observed effect. The contribution of pigments and other phytochemicals with antioxidant activity in the prevention of oxidative damage in vivo should also be considered [28].
Oxidative stress biomarkers. a) Malondialdehyde levels (MDA); b) Ratio of reduced to oxidized glutathione (GSH:GSSG) in healthy volunteers.
(2S)-2-amino-5-[[(2R)-1-(carboxymethylamino)-1-oxo-3-sulfanylpropan-2-yl]amino]-5-oxopentano-ic acid (Glutathione) is the most potent cellular antioxidant. It is also a cofactor of the GSH-peroxidase family, which is related in the prevention of oxidation and cross-linking of proteins thiols. Therefore, the GSH:GSSG ratio is an important index of the body's oxidative status [29]. GSH levels were unchanged (p < 0.05) after supplementation with either +NDF tortillas (2.29 mmol/L) or +NDF +PPJ bars (2.17 mmol/L). Interestingly, the level of GSSG (0.17 mmol/L) showed a decrease of 19% from the baseline after the ingestion of +NDF tortillas, resulting in an increase of 23% of the GSH:GSSG ratio (Figure 2), reflecting an improved antioxidant status [13]. This result indicates that supplementation with tortilla reduces oxidative damage and increase the potential reduction of the cell.
Polyphenols have been considered as important contributors to the antioxidant activity of horticultural products [25]. Among polyphenols produced by nopal, 2-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-3,5,7-trihydroxy-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one dihydrate (quercetin) and its derivatives are relevant examples, as well as pigments like (2S)-4-[2-[(2S)-2-carboxy-6-hydroxy-5-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-2,3-dihydroindol-1-yl]ethenyl]-2,3-dihydropyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (betanin) and (2S)-1-[(2E)-2-[(2S)-2,6-dicarboxy-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyridin-4ylidene]ethylidene] pyrrolidin-1-ium-2-carboxylate (indicaxanthin) due to its high antioxidant capacity. The scavenger and antioxidant activity of these compounds has been demonstrated in several chemical and biological systems [11, 30]. These are absorbed from the nopal and prickly pear fruit, and are bioavailable in humans, reaching peak plasma concentrations of micromoles at three hours, suggesting that these phytochemicals have potential contribution to the protective effect. These results support the benefits of diets supplemented with nopal and prickly pear fruit as a via to reduce the risk of chronic degenerative diseases in which oxidative stress plays a pathogenic role.
Healthy status indicators
Glucose, cholesterol (total, HDL, LDL) and triglyceride levels are considered indicators of good health, therefore high levels of these are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and chronic degenerative diseases. After supplementation with +NDF tortilla, glucose levels (4.43 mmol/L), total cholesterol (4.27 mmol/L), LDL (1.96 mmol/L) and triglycerides (1.54 mmol/L) showed significant changes (p < 0.05), decreasing 17.52%, 8.57%, 16.95% and 9.94%, respectively (Figure 3). On the other hand, +NDF +PPJ bars only induced a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in glucose (4 69 mmol/L) and LDL (2.19 mmol/L) levels of 12.66% and 7.20% respectively. These results indicate that +NDF tortillas have a higher functional effect compared with the +NDF bars. Several studies have identified components of dietary fiber (mucilage and pectin) as the main factor for these effects [31], although the action mechanism which generates an overall improvement in physical functioning is not yet clearly defined and therefore further studies should be conducted to provide a detailed explanation of this observed effect.
Healthy status indicators. Glucose (a), Total cholesterol (b), HDL (c), LDL (d) and Triglycerides (e) in healthy volunteers.
Nopal and yellow prickly pear fruits from (Opuntia ficus-indica plants, cv. Milpa Alta) were obtained from commercial plantations in Milpa Alta, DF, Mexico. The prickly pear cactus stems (about 15-20 cm long; respiration rate of 11.2 μL kg-1 s-1) and fruits (about 140-190 g; respiration rate of 19.7 μL kg-1 s-1) were manually harvest (a day before being processed) by cutting the articulation with the 'mother cladode' during afternoon at end July, 2010. The cut zones were immersed in a solution of ascorbic acid (100 ppm) for 15 min. Both stems and tunas were placed in a cover carton containers and transported to the laboratory by land. They were washed in a NaOCl solution (200 ppm) at 4°C for 15 min and dried very fast using a fan. Further they were selected and classified according to size, uniformity and freedom of defects. The respiration rate of the stems and fruits were determined using a closed system according to the methodology established by [32] and adapted to cladodes by [33]. Reagents 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetrametilcromano-2-carboxylic acid (Trolox), 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfunic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), 1,4-bis(sulfanyl)butane-2,3-diol (dithiothreitol) and standards of (2R)-2-[(1S)-1,2-dihydroxyethyl]-4,5-dihydroxyfuran-3-one (ascorbic acid), (5R)-5-[(1S)-1,2-dihydroxyethyl]oxolane-2,3,4-trione (dehydroascorbic acid), (2E,4E,6E,8E)-3,7-dimethyl-9-(2,6,6-trimethylcyclohexen-1-yl)nona-2,4,6,8-tetraen-1-ol (all-trans-retinol), 2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-2-(4,8,12-trimethyltridecyl)-3,4-dihydrochromen-6-ol (α-tocopherol) and 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3,5,7-trihydroxychromen-4-one (quercetin), were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO). Methanol, propan-2-one (acetone), hexane and ethanol (HPLC grade) were purchased from JT Baker (Baker Mallinckrodt, Mexico).
Nopal grounded
Nopal previously blanched by immersion in water (90°C, 15 s) was immediately despinned using knives and grinded using a food processor (Osteriser® model 9110, Jarden Corporation, USA) at high speed for 45 s until a dispersion was obtained.
Prickly pear fruit jam (PPJ)
It consisted of a jam made with 62% prickly pear fruit pulp, 30% sucrose, 7% water, 0.05% pectin and 0.04% citric acid. The jam development process was carried out according to standard procedures reported previously [34].
Three type of bars were produced. Basic formulation included: 33% wheat flour (11% of protein content, Molinos Mexico), 19.8% oat bran (Quaker), 0.3% sucrose (Danisco), 1.1% vegetable oil (Unilever), 0.3% salt (Sanudo), 0.1% calcium carbonate (Calymar), 10.6% liquid egg (Inova Alimentos), 1.9% butter (Unilever), 0.1% pectin (Texture innovation company), 0.3% glucose syrup and 0.4% maltodextrins (Corn Products S.A de C.V.), all companies from Mexico. Nopal-based bars included in addition 32% grounded nopal. The wet ingredients were mixed and then poured into pre-mixed dry ingredients. The resultant mixture was mixed thoroughly by hand, and thirty five grams were weighed out and pressed into rectangle-shaped casts (10 cm × 10 cm × 2 cm) and rolled on a hollow cylinder, which was removed once bars were baked (180°C, 20 min) using a TEDESCO oven (FTT 300, Coaxias do Sul/RS Brasil). A third type of bar was obtained by adding 15 g of PPJ inside the bars. The bars were packed at room temperature in polyethylene bags of high density and final weight was 40 g. The elaboration process was repeated every seven days.
Nopal-based tortillas
Nopal based tortillas were made initially mixing 51.3% corn flour nixtamalized (Maseca®), 0.7% texturizer and softener (MEXELIN®, Mexico) and 48% of ground nopal using a mixer (LENIN, Mexico) with a capacity of 50 kg for 10 min. The resulting dough was allowed to steep for 5 min prior to processing it into tortilla disk and baked on a triple-pass, gas-fired baking oven (model MLR 30, LENIN, Mexico) at an average temperature of 280°C for 60 s. The tortillas were vacuum-packed in Freshness Plus™ bags (Sealed Air, Duncan, SC, U.S.A.) containing 500 g of tortillas using a vacuum packaging (EVD-4, TOREY, Mexico) at room temperature before being physicochemical and nutritionally evaluated. A batch of 40 kg of tortillas was made every week throughout intake period.
Physicochemical analysis in bars and tortillas
The content of total phenolic compounds (free and conjugated) expressed as mg quercetin equivalents (QE) was determined according to a previously described methodology [35]. The total dietary fiber (method 985.29) [36], ash (method 940.26) [36], protein (method 2001.1) [37], lipids (method 2003.05) [37], moisture (method 925.10) [37] and aw (method 978.18) [36] were also assessed.
The color in the samples was determined using a Minolta colorimeter (CR-300, Konica Minolta Sensing Inc., Osaka Japan) and was expressed as the total color difference (ΔE*) according to the formula:
Δ E * = [ ( L 1 * − L 2 * ) 2 + ( a 1 * − a 2 * ) 2 + ( b 1 * − b 2 * ) 2 ] 1 2
Where L*, a* and b* represent the parameters of luminosity, red-green and yellow-blue, respectively, between nopal enhanced and control products (without nopal).
This parameter was determined as the maximum force (N) required to penetrate 5 mm into bars and tortillas (folded transversely into four parts), using a texture analyzer (Texture Technologies Corp, NY) with a circular probe of 14 mm diameter at a speed of 1 mm/s [38].
Subjects and study design
Twenty-eight volunteers (16 women and 12 men) were recruited with prior consent. The health of the participants was determined by anthropometric measures and a questionnaire under the following criteria: 1) no history of gastrointestinal, kidney, liver, or cardiovascular disease, 2) not using antibiotics or vitamin or mineral supplements six weeks before the start of the study and 3) no smoking. The protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee for Human Studies of the San Luis Potosí Autonomous University (UASLP).
By a double treatment, and completely random cross-linked, 28 healthy volunteers supplemented their diet with 100 g of nopal-based tortilla (5 pieces) or 40 g of nopal-based bar (1 piece) filled with prickly pear fruit jam (PPJ), twice daily for three weeks with no supplementation period of six weeks between each treatment. Subjects were allowed to continue their usual eating habits, with the restriction of omitting any horticultural products in their diet.
Blood samples from the volunteers were collected after an overnight fast ≥ 8 h by venipuncture in tubes containing EDTA (1 mg/mL) before (baseline) and at the end of each supplementation period. The samples were stored at 4°C and subjected within the next 2 h to centrifugation at 3000 × g for 10 min to separate the plasma from erythrocytes. Samples were stored at -40°C for subsequent biochemical analysis (TEAC, total polyphenols, vitamins, malondialdehyde, glucose, cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides). The red blood cells were washed with phosphate buffered saline (5 mmol/L, pH 7.4) and were analyzed immediately.
HPLC Procedures
A HPLC system (Varian Inc., Walnut Creek, CA) composed by a ternary pump (Solvent Delivery System Model 9012), UV/Vis detector (Model 9050), Refractive Index detector (Model Star 9040) and a Fluorometric detector (Model 1200) was used.
Oxidative status indicators
The trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) was determined according to a previously reported method [39].
Total polyphenols in plasma
Total polyphenols were measured using the Folin-Ciocalteau method [40]. The absorption at 376 nm was measured spectrophotometrically. The total polyphenol content was expressed as quercetin equivalent per liter.
The (2E,4E,6E,8E)-3,7-dimethyl-9-(2,6,6-trimethylcyclohexen-1-yl)nona-2,4,6,8-tetraen-1-ol (all-trans-retinol) and 2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-2-(4,8,12-trimethyltridecyl)-3,4-dihydrochromen-6-ol (α-tocopherol) were determined using HPLC as reported before [23]. (2R)-2-[(1S)-1,2-dihydroxyethyl]-4,5-dihydroxyfuran-3-one (ascorbic acid) was determined in 500 μL of plasma using 1.0 mM of 1,4-bis(sulfanyl)butane-2,3-diol (dithiothreitol) as reducing agent. The extraction, HPLC separation and spectrophotometric detection at 266 nm were carried out as previously reported [41].
Propanedial (Malondialdehyde, MDA)
It was evaluated in plasma by colorimetric reaction with 2-sulfanylidene-1,3-diazinane-4,6-dione (thiobarbituric acid) as previously reported [39].
(2S)-2-amino-5-[[(2R)-1-(carboxymethylamino)-1-oxo-3-sulfanylpropan-2-yl]amino]-5-oxopenta-noic acid (Glutathione)
GSH and GSSG in red blood cells were assessed by HPLC ion exchange reverse phase using an aminopropyl silica column (250 × 30 mm inside diameter, Supelco) according to the method described before [42].
Glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides
Glucose levels were determined in serum using the GAGO20 kit (Sigma Aldrich), while triglycerides levels, total cholesterol and HDL and LDL fractions were determined using the kits ETGA-200, E2CH-100 and E2HL-100 (Bioassays Systems, California, USA), respectively. In all cases procedures specified by the supplier were followed.
The experiments were carried out using a completely randomized design. Values are expressed as mean ± SD of three physicochemical analyses and twenty-eight independent analysis of biofunctional activity. Significant difference p < 0.05 was determined using paired t test.
In this study nopal supplemented products, tortillas and bars, were produced having suitable physicochemical characteristics to be marketed. Interestingly a high content of bioactive components (i.e., dietary fiber and polyphenols) were achieved in the products.
Daily supplementation with nopal-based tortilla over 21 days, improved the oxidative status of healthy humans. Experimental evidence includes the increased in redox state (TEAC) and the decreased oxidative status on plasma lipids (MDA levels), as well as lower concentrations of the main antioxidant agent in the oxidized form in erythrocytes (GSSG). In addition, a diminution of glucose, cholesterol (total, LDL) and triglycerides levels were detected, which together reduce the risk of various chronic diseases. The relative low levels of antioxidant vitamins provided by the nopal-based products cannot generate the observed effects by themselves. Therefore, other compounds with antioxidant activity present in nopal, prickly pear fruit and compounds of the formulation should be involved in the observed findings.
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Sáyago-Ayerdi SG, Arranz S, Serrano J, Goñi I: Dietary fiber content and associated antioxidant compounds in Roselle flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) Beverage. J Agric Food Chem. 2007, 55: 7886-7890.
Stintzing FC, Carle R: Cactus stems (Opuntia spp.): A review on their chemistry, technology and uses. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2005, 49: 175-194. 10.1002/mnfr.200400071.
Saenz C: Processing technologies: an alternative for cactus pear (Opuntiaspp.) fruits and cladodes. J Arid Environ. 2000, 46: 209-225. 10.1006/jare.2000.0676.
Guevara-Arauza JC: Efectos Biofuncionales del Nopal y la Tuna. Horticultura Internacional. 2009, 71: 18-24.
Wolf KL, Liu RH: Cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) assay for assessing antioxidants, foods, and dietary supplements. J Agric Food Chem. 2007, 55: 8896-907. 10.1021/jf0715166.
Butera D, Tesoriere L, Di Gaudio F, Bongiorno A, Allegra M, Pintaudi AM, Kohen R, Livrea MA: Antioxidant activities of Sicilian prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) fruit extracts and reducing properties of its betalains: betanin and indicaxanthin. J Agric Food Chem. 2002, 50: 6895-6901. 10.1021/jf025696p.
Wang R, Zhou W: Stability of tea catechins in the bread making process. J Agric Food Chem. 2004, 52: 8224-8229. 10.1021/jf048655x.
Rohn S, Rawel H, Kroll J: Antioxidant activity of protein-bound quercetin. J Agric Food Chem. 2004, 52: 4725-4729. 10.1021/jf0496797.
Appendix B: Additional Requirements for Nutrient Content Claims, Guidance for Industry A food Labeling Guide, FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration: U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and Drug Administration. 2009, Georgia, United States, [http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocuments/FoodLabelingNutrition/FoodLabelingGuide/ucm064916.htm]
Medina-Torres L, Brito de la Fuente E, Torrestiana-Sanchez B, Alonso S: Mechanical properties of gels formed by mixtures of mucilage gum (Opuntia ficus indica) and carrageenans. Carbohyd Polym. 2003, 52: 143-150. 10.1016/S0144-8617(02)00269-2.
Damoradan S: Amino acids, peptides and proteins. Food Chemistry. Edited by: Damoradan S, Parkin KL, Fennema OR. 2007, Marcel Dekker Inc, 322-429.
Chao YC, Chiang BH: Cream formation in a semifermented tea. J Sci Food Agr. 1999, 79: 1767-1774. 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0010(199910)79:13<1767::AID-JSFA433>3.0.CO;2-8.
Gates FK, Dobraszczyk BJ, Stoddard FL, Sontag-Strohm T, Salovaara H: Interaction of heat-moisture conditions and physical properties in oat processing. 1. Mechanical properties of steamed oat groats. J Cereal Sci. 2008, 47: 239-244. 10.1016/j.jcs.2007.04.003.
Lewicki PP: Water as determinant of food engineering properties. A review. J Food Eng. 2004, 61: 483-495. 10.1016/S0260-8774(03)00219-X.
Shaun PA: Mechanisms of nutrition bar hardening: Effect of hydrolyzed whey protein and carbohydrate source. PhD thesis and dissertations. 2008, Utah State University
Seghi RR, Hewlett ER, Kim J: Visual and instrumental colorimetric assessments of small colour differences on translucent dental porcelain. J Dent Res. 1989, 68: 1760-1764. 10.1177/00220345890680120801.
Poinot P, Arvisenet G, Grua-Priol J, Colas D, Fillonneau C, Le Bail A, Prost C: Influence of formulation and process on the aromatic profile and physical characteristics of bread. J Cereal Sci. 2008, 48: 686-697. 10.1016/j.jcs.2008.03.002.
Tesoriere L, Butera D, Pintaudi AM, Allegra M, Livrea MA: Supplementation with cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) fruit decreases oxidative stress in healthy humans: a comparative study with vitamin C. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004, 80: 391-395.
McKay D, Chen O, Yeum KJ, Matthan NR, Lichtenstein AH, Blumberg JB: Chronic and acute effects of walnuts on antioxidant capacity and nutritional status in humans: a randomized, cross-over pilot study. Nutr J. 2010, 9: 21-10.1186/1475-2891-9-21.
Manach C, Scalbert A, Morand C, Rémésy C, Jiménez L: Polyphenols: food sources and bioavailability. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004, 79: 727-747.
Gey KF: Vitamins E plus E and interacting conutrients required for optimal health. A critical and constructive review of epidemiology and supplementation data regarding cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Biofactors. 1998, 7: 113-174. 10.1002/biof.5520070115.
Janero DR: Malondialdehyde and thiobarbituric acid as diagnostic indices of lipid peroxidation and peroxidative tissue injury. Free Radic Biol Med. 1990, 9: 515-540. 10.1016/0891-5849(90)90131-2.
Tesoriere L, Butera D, D'Arpa D, di Gaudio F, Allegra M, Gentile C: Increased resistance to oxidation of betalain-enriched human low density lipoproteins. Free Radic Res. 2003, 37: 689-696. 10.1080/1071576031000097490.
Stocker R, Frei B: Endogenous antioxidant defenses in human blood plasma. Edited by: Sies H. 1991, Oxidative stress: oxidants and antioxidants. London: Academic Press, 213-243.
Kanner J, Harel S, Granit R: Betalains-a new c1ass of dietary cationized antioxidants. J Agric Food Chem. 2001, 49: 5178-5185. 10.1021/jf010456f.
Costacou T, Mayer-Davis EJ: Nutrition and prevention of type 2 diabetes. Ann Rev Nutr. 2003, 23: 147-170. 10.1146/annurev.nutr.23.011702.073027.
Haggar PE, Lee DS, Yam KL: Application of an enzyme kinetics based respiration model to closed system experiments for fresh produce. J Food Proc Eng. 1992, 15: 143-157. 10.1111/j.1745-4530.1992.tb00148.x.
Guevara JC, Yahia EM, Beaudry RM, Cedeño L: Modeling the influence of temperature and relative humidity on respiration rte of prickly pear cactus cladodes. Posth Biol Tech. 2006, 41: 260-265. 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2006.04.012.
Santanu B, Shivhare US: Rheological, textural, micro-structural and sensory properties of mango jam. J Food Eng. 2010, 100: 357-365. 10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2010.04.022.
De la Parra C, Serna-Saldiva SO, Liu RH: Effect of processing on the phytochemical profiles and antioxidant activity of corn for production of masa, tortillas, and tortilla chips. J Agric Food Chem. 2007, 55: 4177-4183. 10.1021/jf063487p.
Horwitz W, Latimer G: Official Methods of Analysis of AOAC International, Gaithersburg MA, USA. 2000, Association of Official Analytical chemist
Guevara JC, Yahia E, Brito de la Fuente E, Biserka SP: Effects of elevated concentrations of CO2 in modified atmosphere packaging on the quality of prickly pear cactus stems (Opuntia spp). Postharvest Biol Tec. 2003, 29: 167-176. 10.1016/S0925-5214(03)00021-8.
Rice-Evans C, Miller NJ: Total antioxidant status in plasma and body fluids. Methods Enzymol. 1994, 234: 279-293. full_text.
Swain T, Hillis E: The pehenolic constituents of Prunus domestica. The quantitative analysis of phenolic constituents. J Sci Food Agric. 1959, 10: 63-68. 10.1002/jsfa.2740100110.
Lazzarino G, Di Pierro D, Gavazzi B, Cerroni L, Giardina B: Simultaneous separation of malondialdehyde, ascorbic acid and adenine nucleotide derivatives from biological sample by ion-paring high performance chromatrography. Anal Biochem. 1991, 197: 191-196. 10.1016/0003-2697(91)90378-7.
Martin J, White NH: Fluorimetric determination of oxidized and reduced GSH in cells and tissues by high-performance liquid chromatography following derivatization with dansyl chloride. J Chromatogr. 1991, 568: 219-225. 10.1016/0378-4347(91)80356-H.
The authors are grateful to Dr. Luis Cedeño from UNAM Catalysis Unit for useful discussion and Mr. David Nava Carus from HH San Luis Potosi for reading and to correct the paper.
Centro de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado (CIEP), Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, SLP, 78290, C.P, Mexico
Juan Carlos Guevara-Arauza
, Sergio Rosales Mendoza
, Ruth Elena Soria Guerra
& Luz María Teresita Paz Maldonado
Centro de Investigación en Alimentos y Desarrollo (CIAD), Cd. Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, 31570, C.P, Mexico
José de Jesús Órnelas Paz
Centro de Investigación en Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos (CICyTA), Tulancingo de Bravo, Hidalgo, 43600, C.P, Mexico
Diana Jaqueline Pimentel González
Search for Juan Carlos Guevara-Arauza in:
Search for José de Jesús Órnelas Paz in:
Search for Sergio Rosales Mendoza in:
Search for Ruth Elena Soria Guerra in:
Search for Luz María Teresita Paz Maldonado in:
Search for Diana Jaqueline Pimentel González in:
Correspondence to Juan Carlos Guevara-Arauza.
JCG conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination, performed data analysis and contributed to the drafting of the manuscript. JJO was involved in the products physicochemical assessment, the chromatographic determinations and drafting of the manuscript. SRM was the subject's coordinator who conducted volunteer interviews, set up database used to collect and organize data and drafting of the manuscript. RES was involved in analytical method development and data collection. LMP conducted statistical analysis and drafting of the manuscript. DJP was in charge of some plasma antioxidant status determinations. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Total Polyphenol
Betanin
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Home Sport Donlan’s dominant dozen
Donlan’s dominant dozen
Matt Donlan, pictured last season, drained 12 triples over the weekend for Casey. 179821 Picture: ROB CAREW
Round 12 of the Big V season was an indifferent one for the Casey Cavaliers.
The Championship men had a busy weekend and started it off with a home win over Keilor on Saturday night. It was a tight first half, but the Cavs out-scored the Thunder 28-19 in the third term to take control of the game and eventually run out 89-78 winners.
Matt Donlan (25 points) caught fire from deep to drain six triples, while Raheem Lemons (23 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists) and Brandon Polk (20 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists) did plenty of damage too.
Backing up the following afternoon, the Cavs produced a disappointing effort in Geelong against cellar-dwellers, Corio Bay.
The Cavs found it tough to slow down the Stingrays and eventually fell by eight points, 97-89. Lemons (20 points and 6 rebounds) led the way, while Donlan (18 points) was again hot from behind the arc as he drained another six long bombs to make it a dozen triples over the weekend.
After going 1-1 over the weekend, Casey remains second on the ladder with a 12-4 record.
The Championship women’s season continues to spiral out of control as they suffered their seventh loss in a row, this time falling to Southern Peninsula at home, 102-76.
Despite the best efforts of Toccara Ross (31 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals) and Sarah Halejian (16 rebounds, 14 points and 8 assists), Casey couldn’t get the required stops and they just can’t find their groove this season. With a 4-8 record, the Cavs are seventh.
The Youth League 1 men suffered a heartbreaking loss on the road against Camberwell. In a back and forth game, the Cavs fought tooth and nail for the win, but ultimately fell agonisingly short, 77-76.
Brendon Head (29 points and 10 rebounds) was sublime and almost got the Cavs over the line, while Jordan Gooiker (15 points and 10 rebounds) also battled hard all afternoon. In what is a very tight competition, Casey sits fifth with a 10-6 record.
The juggernaut that is the Casey Youth League 1 women’s team continues to roll on. Taking on third-placed Camberwell on the road shaped as a major test for the Cavs, but they passed with flying colours.
Whilst Casey struggled at times on offence, their defensive tenacity made sure they stayed in the contest and eventually flourished to beat the Dragons by 15 points, 56-41. Lauren Tuplin (22 points and 7 steals) was the lone Cav to get going on offence, but it mattered little as Casey held Camberwell to just 10 per cent shooting from deep.
The Cavs (12-2) are riding a nine-game winning streak and sit on top of the ladder.
Round 13 action tips off with a Youth League 1 women and men double-header at Casey Stadium on Saturday from 6pm, while the Championship men and women hit the road to battle Hume City.
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Criticism as Reality Check
By Rafael Gomez-Moriana / 2014/07/10 / Exclusive, Rant / 5 comments
As my article titled “Reality Check: Spain” in the current (at time of post) 50th issue of Mark Magazine hopefully makes clear, architecture critics should visit and evaluate buildings when they are in use, i.e. when they are in their “post-occupancy stage”. Those press tours that take place while the paint is still drying and the hoarding is still up, i.e. well before a building opens its doors to the public, may be a nice opportunity to interview the architect and gossip with fellow critics, but the only empirical facts that can be confirmed firsthand at these kinds of events is the quality of the craftsmanship and the charisma of the architect. A building’s reality only emerges when it is occupied and used, and if criticism is not a “reality check” of some sort, then what is it, other than architectural advertisement or political propaganda?
Let me provide you with an example: The other day I took a train from Barcelona to Zaragoza. The trip itself was very pleasant: reading the Sunday paper while gliding silently through the Monegros desert at 300 km/h sure beats driving, much as I like roadtrips. But arriving in Zaragoza’s zeppelin hangar of a train station was a shock. And I don’t mean culture shock, the shock of the new, or the kind of architectural shock that provides a sometimes necessary jolt out of complacency. I mean shockingly bad.
I had seen this building a couple of times before, originally when it was still under construction in 2003. Back then it seemed very impressive, perhaps because mega-project construction sites are always an architectural-erotic turn-on. This time, however, as a user, I grew incredibly irritated by this building. Why? Because it turns out that this mega-impressive piece of architectural bravado is frustrating to use. Sorry, but just because I happen to be in Spain’s largest pillar-free interior space (even though Saragossa, as it’s called in English, is only the fifth-largest city in the country) is no reason to expect me to park my pedestrian and practical concerns. Who was it who said that architecture should be designed for ‘people’ rather than for ‘man’? Venturi? Whoever it was, here’s a building that proves them right.
Now, to be true, Zaragoza Delicias is an intermodal station, containing the city’s main bus station as well. But it is still way oversized, and correspondingly empty in large areas, even on a busy Sunday evening, which is when I embarked on the return leg of my journey along with hundreds of other weekend travelers. It was then that I realized that this behemoth actually has its priorities completely wrong: despite its huge size, the spaces where passengers have to line up –first for a security check and then again for an electronic check-in– are ridiculously small and cramped, forcing line-ups to bend around corners and double back on themselves. The main concourse, usually any train station’s busiest space or “people-place”, is fragmented, labyrinthine and fussy. Meanwhile the rest of the space is comparatively under-utilized, with huge empty areas doing nothing.
Seems the architectural intention might have been to cleverly reverse the hierarchy of the traditional train station building typology: if the 19th century type, as epitomized by Saint Pancras station in London, consists of a work of architecture acting as a monumental ‘front’ to an industrial iron-and-glass train shed, with the monument containing space for human activity (like waiting) while the shed provides covered access to trains, in this case it is the trains that get the architectural monumentality, not the humanoids.
In addition to this questionable –if not inhumane– proportioning of space: why are the exterior bow trusses that hold up the roof rotated 45º in plan, making their spans significantly longer than need be? Was another objective behind this building to waste as much steel and concrete –i.e. as much public money– as possible? I’m sure that wasn’t an intention, but it sure looks that way. Then there’s the sadly sagging cantilevered walkway, as well as the damaged ends of zig-zagging bulky concrete canopies over the roadway, presumably broken off by vehicles that didn’t quite fit under them. Let’s hope these pieces of concrete didn’t break off while fire engines or ambulance vans were responding to an emergency.
The first time I visited this building, assisting a photographer-friend hired to document its construction, I never suspected that it would function so poorly upon occupation. I was too overwhelmed by the architectural prowess and the sheer audacity of the structure to even begin to question minutiae such as where passengers could line up with a modicum of dignity. But to a user –especially, I would imagine, to a regular user upon whom the architectural “wow” factor wore off long ago– those sorts of details can be important. Why is it that “user-friendliness”, a concept that matters in the design of most things today, is somehow absent as a concept in contemporary architecture?
I suspect the answer lies in what sort of use. Practical use is, after all, very distinct from the political use that is often made of architecture by the powers that be. And I suspect that this latter type of use was the one that weighed more heavily here, as it all too often does in Spain. Interesting how the architecture that lends itself to the greatest political use is precisely that which flies most directly in the face of practical use. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
As we only know too well in Spain, politics is basically the art of screwing citizens over (and over, and over…), and unfortunately, mega-architectural projects are among the vehicles of choice for this sort of agenda. One of the most urgent tasks of criticism must surely be to denounce this, precisely by means of occasional “reality checks”, as pedestrian and unsophisticated as this may make us seem.
Zaragoza Delicias Intermodal Station
The station in 2003, when it was still under construction
A monumentally empty space. Elsewhere meanwhile, passengers must queue up in cramped holding pens.
Canopy protrusions damaged by vehicles that didn’t quite fit beneath them.
The sagging cantilevered walkway has its ups and downs.
Tags: criticism, Ferrater, politics, Spain, train station, Zaragoza
Robin Willis
Of all of the creative fields architecture is the one that fundamentally is about improving the human experience. Sometimes that mandate fails miserably like with Corbusier but the intent is always supposed to be there. Architecture is not sculpture. It’s a service must only be judged by how much it contributes the culture, society, community and individual. Part of this can be esthetics because as in nature beauty is truly valuable.
I remember having a coffee and watching a stream of old ladies sequentially plow into the pool at Meier’s Getty Center. You could almost set your watch by it. Exit door, walk 3 steps… 1,2,3… plunk in they would go. In subsequent visits they solved the problem by using very practical traffic cones. I suspect they are still there. Was “Dick” brought back into fix the problem? I suspect not… that would be way below the great man’s status. And I don’t need to tell you have well Macba has held up… at least the skateboarders have fun with it that once white big honkin’ box of ugly. The forum building has held even worse once looking like a giant wedge of deep blue cheese it now looks like giant wedge of really filthy wedge of deep blue cheese. The overall Forum site must have been a pile of politicos and their brother in law concrete contractors wet dream. Like the forum building it’s ugliness has only ripened with age. Dyno… mite baby!
Another Spanish trait is complete disregard for maintenance. Those whacked off (ahem) buttresses will remain whacked off until they pull that barn down. Why? Because the politicians who lined their pockets on the construction have no financial interest in something as pedestrian as fixing scraped off concrete.
No architecture somehow became a “fine art” as opposed to an applied art. Like the law it is a noble calling that just seems to attract the wrong people. It is not anything like great industrial design and it really should be.
Lots of typos and apologize profusely…
And I apologize profusely.
Mostafa
Dear Rafael;
I have not visited this building, but from your description and photos, I would imagine that I could agree with you in the case of this specific building. However, I have a couple of general comments regarding your article:
1- You have criticized the building for containing ‘comparatively under-utilized huge empty areas doing nothing’ and suggested the proportioning of its space is “inhumane”. Are you saying that what architecture critics often describe as ‘human scale’ in architecture should always be ‘small scale’?
I don’t think that human scale in architecture should always be small. I think architecture is a realm which should contribute to the ‘quality of experience’ of individuals and masses. And I think that it is still ok to spent lots of money (in a reasonable way) on public buildings in order to create a certain experience of space; even if that certain experience isn’t part of a practical necessity. I have to say that I have often enjoyed large, devoid, and under-utilized spaces in airports and train stations because I think they are the physical manifestation of that little grief which invades a person when he travels alone. And thus I think, despite being very large, the scales of those spaces are still very humane.
2- You have mentioned that through critical reality check, “architecture critics should visit and evaluate buildings when they are in use”. This indicates that ancient buildings which are no longer “in use” should be excluded from architectural critique. Shouldn’t critics talk about Stonehenge, Colosseum, Pantheon, and Persepolis? After all, they are not in use anymore, and no one is completely sure how they really performed during their original functioning. I would personally welcome them being excluded from the realm of architectural critique. We have all read numerous articles in which critics have fiercely praised the form, functionality, meaning, and even sustainability (!) of these buildings. But I think these articles belong to the domain of architecture history, and not architectural critique. As a critic, I would very much enjoy analyzing the role of Colosseum within the existing urban context of Rome, but I don’t trust those who describe and praise –with great confidence- how it really functioned in the Roman era.
Rafael Gomez-Moriana
Mostafa, thanks for your eloquent comment, as always. 1. I’m arguing against structures, such as this one, that are unnecessarily overblown in size and scale. Does the 5th largest city in Spain need a train station that’s the largest column-free space in Spain? Santa Justa station in Seville, by Cruz & Ortíz, handles more passengers with less space, and its architecture is fantastic, not to mention more user-friendly. Of course, an Airbus A380 maintenance hangar needs to be huge–I understand that. What I’m criticizing here is over-monumentalized architecture, because the motives behind it are usually only the aggrandizement of a politician and their architect-crony. 2. I’m referring to criticism of contemporary architecture, of course. Buildings from previous eras were built by different societies in different social, political, and economic contexts. Apples and oranges
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Classical Gaming
An academic study of video games, sound, and music.
Category Archives: Fidelity Concerns
Fidelity Concerns: Sega Master System (US) vs. Sega Master System (JP)
By Classical Gaming
Show of hands… how many people actually owned a Sega Master System? Anyone? Someone? Are you out there?
Well. Did you know that your US Sega Master System produced MASSIVELY INFERIOR audio to the Japanese Sega Master System?
Some little known facts about the Japanese system and the Konami VRC7, for some reason, after the bump.
10 Comments | tags: Fantasy Zone, Fidelity Concerns, game music, gaming, master system, retro game music, Sega, Sega Mark III, Shinobi, video game music, video games, videogames | posted in Fidelity Concerns
Fidelity Concerns: “Hip” Tanaka’s Dr. Mario, Part 1
This is Part 1 of my 2 part series on the music of Dr. Mario.
In 1990, Nintendo released Dr. Mario for both the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Nintendo Game Boy. As we know, the both of these systems use different audio instructions (Ricoh 2a03 for NES/Fami and the custom Sharp LR35902 for the Game Boy). So what challenges did Tanaka face when moving his soundtrack across these two platforms? Let’s take a look.
10 Comments | tags: dr. mario, game boy, game music, gaming, hip tanaka, nintendo, OST, retro game music, tanaka, video game music, video games | posted in Composers, Fidelity Concerns
Fidelity Concerns: Mega Man (Rockman) 1/2/3 and Mega Man: The Wily Wars (Rockman Mega World) continued-
This is Part 2 of my two part analysis of the music from Mega Man: The Wily Wars. For Part 1, please click here.
An example of fidelity lost:
I don’t normally revisit previous posts topics so quickly. After posting a lengthy discourse on the music from this game yesterday, I was listening to my iPod today and found a really quite horrendous adaptation of Mega Man 3 music on the Genesis. I figure I would post it. In general, the Mega Man 3 music is not treated particularly well but this one is pretty much the worst.
I also fixed the title and some typos. He’s known as “Mega Man” here and “Rockman” in Japan- there’s a space. Oops. I’m glad no one pointed this out. I guess I just did though. Double oops.
Here’s the offending example. The “Ending- Theme of Protoman” track from the Genesis version of this game is downright awful. Let’s demonstrate. Here’s the NES version:
(fixed this link finally – 8/20/13)
The original intention for Protoman is this idea of a whistle-based melody that plays when you meet him throughout the game. The artists, according to the Mega Man Official Complete Works, mention that Protoman was intended to be neither friend nor foe- an ambiguous character archetype from Japanese anime. The idea is that he would have a “cool” theme (literally using the word “cool” to describe him). The artists and the sound programmers worked together closely to develop a true, team-wide aesthetic. The whistle could be Protoman whistling, to announce his arrival. I feel that falls into line with the idea of how “cool” Protoman is in the sense of that epic Japanese anime hero genre from which he’s developed. Either way, when you fight him, part of this theme plays:
(credit: constantlimit – I apologize for the awful sound quality. Ouch, my ears. Clearly done on emulator or something.)
So naturally, the ending theme exposition of this theme is warranted and welcome considering how the game plays out (spoilers, etc etc). So you’d think they would do a decent job moving this over to the Genesis? Uhhhh:
(credit: progressivetuba)
(Yes, that’s me. This stuff isn’t online so I’m just going to post it. I’m sick of looking for it.)
I do not like this attempt at creating a “flute” sound or a “whistle” sound. It is unflattering and shrill. I think it does execute the “rock ballad” successfully. Then, you get to about 1:06 and you’re all set for it to go into the modulation and cool solo… and… wait.. what? The music stops and begins to repeat. I heard this on my iPod yesterday and was like: WHAT?! I couldn’t believe it. They chopped off literally 30 seconds of music. That is unacceptable in my mind. I would love to ask someone who worked on the development team why this happened. I understand there was a lot of pressure to churn this game out but wow- I don’t see why they couldn’t just spend the extra time and get it done.
More on the music:
I finally received my Mega Man Official Complete Works artbook in the mail yesterday and read some very interesting information about Mega Man: The Wily Wars. For one, the game was outsourced for the artwork and design. Also, as I quoted from Wiki, this was a very disorganized and rushed project. With book in hand, I can confirm the quote made yesterday. Keiji Inafune, the lead artist and developer, was not directly involved in any of the decisions, though, he did aid in creating the “Journey to the West” inspired villains for the bonus content. Thus, I’m not sure if we can really blame anyone in particular over at Capcom for the following Wily Tower stage tracks:
This is the “Huey Lewis and the News” track I was talking about. Yes. This is supposed to be a castle of doom. In fact, it is the second to last stage of the game.
This next track is much more “Mega Man” by comparison though. It reminds me of the later Mega Man X tracks (like Mega Man X5 and X6):
I really like this track. It’s like the classic “Mega Man” feel meets epic anime theme song.
Since I’m in the uploading mood, here’s a couple more tracks that were not on YouTube I posted for your consideration:
After this, I should think the subject should be exhausted. Hope you enjoyed !
5 Comments | tags: Genesis, Mega Man, NES, Rockman, Sega, Wily Wars | posted in Fidelity Concerns
Fidelity Concerns: Mega Man (Rockman) 1/2/3 and Mega Man: The Wily Wars (Rockman Mega World)
With the popular success of Mega Man series on the Nintendo Entertainment System, Capcom decided to branch out and release Mega Man for Sega Genesis, a company and console that Capcom rarely worked with. Capcom was looking to absorb more of the market and since they had very good success releasing Street Fighter II: Champion Edition (mainly due to the fact that the giant cartridge released for Genesis had enough room to put the four boss characters into the game… a subject to be explored later), they decided they could resell to a whole new group of gamers.
2 Comments | tags: Genesis, Mega Drive, Mega Man, NES, Rockman, Sega, Wily Wars | posted in Fidelity Concerns, Research in Game Music
Composers: Koichi Sugiyama, Part 1 (Dragon Quest 1)
Many of what we know about video game music today was influenced by Koichi Sugiyama. Here’s some exceedingly brief background information.
A classically trained conductor, Sugiyama graduated from University of Tokyo will full honors in 1958. After a brief stint in broadcasting, he shifted his focus to composition, writing many movie and anime sountracks. In the 80s, he was contacted by Enix to work on Dragon Quest for the Nintendo Famicom (aka Dragon Warrior in the US). His career took off and Sugiyama, at age 79, is still composing game music today. There’s so much to talk about when it comes to Sugiyama, I’d rather split it up into a couple blog posts. I’m very excited to get to his orchestral contributions rather than bore you with his life story (though it is really fascinating).
That being said, Sugiyama is credited as being the first game music composer to have his works arranged and composed live. In 1987, Sugiyama arranged and conducted his music from Dragon Quest II at the first “Family Classic Concert” series (performance by the Tokyo City Music Combination Playing Group on August 20th, 1987). He has since then participated in many other orchestral game music concerts as a conductor and arranger.
(A wiki aside: the wiki for Koichi Sugiyama is horrible- I’ll highlight all the errors soon enough. For one, it says that he released Dragon Quest 1: Symphonic Suite on CD in 1986. Right… considering I took two seconds to google this and found that the CD was released in 1994. Plus the fact that Sugiyama hadn’t written the music to Dragon Quest II yet so… how would he know it was to be called Dragon Quest 1 ? Bahhhhhhh!!! Reference here.)
Okay, let’s listen in on a track of his original Dragon Quest music and orchestral arrangements:
(credit: RamzaVGM)
This is the “battle theme” from the game. It’s effective and epic in its own regard if simplistic. I spent many hours listening to this (and being frustrated). It never got old. Here’s Sugiyama’s orchestral version from Dragon Quest I: Symphonic Suite:
(credit: PeyserConley)
As you can see, there was… considerable orchestration done here. This (I BELIEVE) is Sugiyama conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra. It is a live recording (hence the really bad french horn clam at around 0:18). What is fascinating is that it was largely cited that Sugiyama wrote orchestral arrangements first and then “dumbed” them down to fit the sound limitations of the Famicom.
What is interesting to note is that Sugiyama has re-recorded many of these tracks 12-15 times making alterations, orchestration changes, etc many of which are recent and actually of a better quality. There is a large amount of misinformation I’m finding on the exact releases of his works and their original forms. It could be assumed that perhaps his works in the 80s were released on LP (a Japanese friend of mine confirmed that he did indeed own Dragon Quest LPs. I’ll have to look into this). I’ll have to research this. At any rate, this has been Part 1 of an introduction to Koichi Sugiyama. Comments welcome.
3 Comments | tags: Dragon Quest, Dragon Warrior, Famicom, Koichi Sugiama, NES, orchestra, SFC, SNES | posted in Composers, Fidelity Concerns
Fidelity Concerns: Atari’s Paperboy and Mindscape’s Paperboy 2
I have talked an awful lot about the ability of NES’s sound. I think it is time to talk about the limitations.
First, let’s briefly compare the music of the original Atari full size arcade game, Paperboy, with its Nintendo Entertainment System version. Here’s the arcade console version of the music:
(credit: CecilMcW00T)
And the NES version:
(credit: GBelair)
Um. Wow. No comparison. The NES version actually has mistakes in the pulse waves. The noise channel isn’t even used. They convert the music horribly across the two platforms. I feel like I’m falling asleep. The original arcade version was released in 1984 and the NES version was released in 1988. Even by 1988 Nintendo music standards, this is a meager track (Contra and Castlevania II are both from 1988 as well). I bet someone could’ve made an awesome VRC6 track that sounded more like the arcade version of the music… but still. Ouch.
Later, in 1992, Paperboy 2 releases for the the Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Both have the same music. But there are many key differences. Let’s listen to the Super Nintendo music first:
(credit: fidy11)
And now the Nintendo version of this theme:
Ouch. It’s hard to listen to. They at least add drums but a ton of instruments and sounds are missing. It captures the idea of the music a little better than the attempt at Atari’s Paperboy but by comparison, is still quite inferior. The issue presented is many of the sound modules, like MMC5, were still expensive even in 1992. Many companies began to realize that the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis (both 16-bit systems) had vastly superior sound capabilities. This marked the end of the 8-bit era, with a lot of the sound capabilities of the old hardware unchecked or unused. That’s why we have many brilliant chip tune composers today keeping it alive.
There are many more examples of the short comings of NES sound that I will post in the future. I plan on moving forward to the next generations of consoles this week. Comments are welcome.
Leave a comment | tags: arcade, atari, bgm, game music, mindscape, nintendo, OST, paper boy, retro game music, video game music, video games | posted in Fidelity Concerns
Fidelity Concerns: Dracula II: Noroi no Fuuin vs. Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest
After focusing on the VRC6 vs. the MMC5, I decided maybe we should highlight the Nintendo FDS vs. the Nintendo MMC1. The beloved game Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest was originally released for Famicom Disk System before it was released as a cartridge. The Famicom Disk System version featured a “save” system that allowed the player to actually save their progress on the disk, while the Nintendo version we know and love featured a password system.
What is interesting to note: Dracula II: Noroi no Fuuin only utilized the Nintendo FDS. Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest was one of the first US games to use the Nintendo MMC1. The MMC1 is the famous chip used for Megaman 2. The main feature of the MMC1 was that it allowed for game saving and vertical/horizontal scrolling…. (which makes me think – why couldn’t you save in Megaman 2… or the US version of Dracula II for that matter?)
Anyhow, strangely, the US version of the music is actually more advanced than the Japanese version, containing first party (H. Maezawa) remixes of the original tracks. Let’s look at the classic Castlevania series theme “Bloody Tears”, which was introduced in this game:
(credit: Divisiblebywaffle)
So this is the Famicom Disk System version. It features the 2A03 and the Nintendo FDS. Here’s the US Nintendo version:
(credit: KamilDowonna)
I’m not sure which version I like better. Both have a certain charm. I think the MMC1 version has more… weight. The Nintendo FDS version is lighter and more lively. I don’t know if I think that’s the best “mood” for the game. At any rate, I hope this was informative. Comments are welcome.
Leave a comment | tags: castlevania, castlevania II, Dracula II, Famicom, Famicom Disk System, game music, mmc1, nintendo, Nintendo FDS, retro game music, video game music, video games | posted in Fidelity Concerns
Composers: H. Kingsley Thurber
Originals: The Last Dream (EP)
Lesser-known Video Game Soundtracks: Castlevania Legends (GB)
Sunday Game Soundtrack: DuckTales (FC/NES)
Archive Select Month May 2014 (1) December 2013 (1) October 2013 (4) September 2013 (3) August 2013 (1) July 2013 (1) June 2013 (3) May 2013 (1) April 2013 (5) March 2013 (3) February 2013 (5) January 2013 (6) December 2012 (3) November 2012 (12) October 2012 (8) July 2012 (3) June 2012 (3) May 2012 (8) April 2012 (3) March 2012 (8) February 2012 (3) January 2012 (2) May 2011 (1) April 2011 (4) March 2011 (7) February 2011 (7)
Composers (9)
Covering a Tune (13)
Fidelity Concerns (10)
Friday Video Game Music Round-up (5)
Game Music Hell (3)
Lesser-known Video Game Soundtracks (29)
Meet the System (4)
Research in Game Music (7)
Sunday Game Soundtrack (12)
Another Gamer's Blog
Beta Test Music
Less Talky More Shooty
Retro Game Audio
Retro Game Music
[Score.]
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Game Night!
So, amidst all of my philosophical blatherings I thought I would take a minute and let you know what else I am up to. It's summer of course, which means I am not at school fulfilling my adventurous role as vice principal. I have one college class this summer, and am 3 credits and my thesis away from finishing my masters. That will be nice to have out of the way! I work as a biological field technician during the summer for a mosquito control district, but that's actually quite a nice break from the normal school year for me. I was contacted by a gamer new to the area who was interested in getting a game going. So, I figured my schedule was good enough now to at least allow me a game night every other week, This is our second meeting, but our GM is unavailable tonight due to some things that came up at work.
We decided last week after some deliberation to let our newest addition GM. He is most comfortable with Pathfinder, and was more than willing to give it a go. So we decided we would start with PF as the quickest route to move ahead. My schedule is still not free enough to allow me to do justice to running a campaign right now, but my masters program is almost over and that will free me up considerably. We are finalizing our PF characters and going to run through the Curse of the Crimson Throne. After that we may shift gears to another more preferred system.
There is some interest in Hackmaster among several us, but we are all a tad intimidated by it. So since our regular GM is out tonight, we are planning on running a HM playtest session. I'll GM the Training Dungeon, which is a free download from the Kenzerco which we'll play with the HM PreGens that come with the Basic Download. Personally I want to get a feel for HM combat and see if it is something I am comfortable with. But I am also interested to playtest a 5e / D&D Next session, as my brother is playing it and feels like it has some old school feel to it. We'll see. The plus for both of these, in fact PF too is that the basic system or SRD is available online. Not to digress too much back into my running essay on "my" game--that's a big plus for any game you're going to regularly play.
So we'll see how HM and maybe 5e shakes out. But I'm sort of thinking as far as my DMing goes, I'm going to settle into a system (as referenced in my recent posts) and start creating my own campaign and writing my adventures for that system. And if I DM I will choose to run that before anything else. Of course, gaming is gaming and gaming friends and the stories we tell make the fun. I have had fun with just about every system I've played in, yes even 4e for quite some time. But we all have our druthers, our gaming "home" if you will and that is what my other posts have been about. My children are also involved in a sporadic game I GM when their cousins come over. We play generally Castles & Crusades in that game, as it is easy to grasp and comfortable for me. We have run a modified C&C adventure called Dark Journey which I have modified to include a Chronomancer. We which led to the DCC adventure Doom of the Savage Kings. We play that about the equivalent of once a month--the next session of which should run mid August.
So, yeah :-) Gaming continues! I am very excited to have a regular group which I can commit to now. I sure have appreciated their patience with me and my crazy schedule! I'll post a review of our experience with Hackmaster combat maybe tomorrow after I finish homework. So that's what this Hobbit Magic User has been up to of late. Hope your gaming is going well too.
Old School Sensibility
Sensibility: the kinds of feelings that you have when you hear, see, read, or think about something (Merriam Webster)
Old School Sensibility: the kinds of feelings that you have when you hear, see, read, or think about old school role playing
To continue the train of thought in my last post, I want a light, fast and flexible game that has the old school sensibility that I prefer. Though I may be in love with a particular ethos, theme or tone expressed in a game, that doesn't necessarily mean that it allows me to play in the story oriented, rules light way I am used to and particularly enjoy. That was sort of where I left off with my last entry.
In the past couple of entries, as I've been through this journey of reflection, I have walked through the fact, that though I loved AD&D, I never really played it like 1e was written. The more I looked at it the more I realized I played it sort of like a modified Original/Classic Version of D&D. As a bit of an aside, the versions of D&D that are of interest to me are sort of considered as:
"Original" Dungeons & Dragons = The 3 little brown books
"Classic" Dungeons & Dragons = Holmes / Moldvay / Cook
"Advanced" Dungeons & Dragons circa '77
But there was a middle ground between Original and Classic that approached Advanced, but wasn't exactly the revised Advanced that Gary re-wrote and began publishing in 1977 or so. The Original version included the supplements Greyhawk, Blackmoor, Eldritch Wizardry, Gods Demi-Gods & Heroes, and Swords & Spells. The very supplements that would supply the bulk of the expansion that would become Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. But long before that they were played in the Original manner.
Dr. Holmes would write the "Basic" set as a streamlining of the original rules, so that those who wished could continue to play the Original rules--but these, though written more cohesively, were limited in scope and would not include the supplemental material in any significant sense. Later, Moldvay & Cook would expand Holmes' offerings slightly, retaining the spirit of the three little brown books, but still not much of the supplemental material.
Advanced D&D would be a notable departure from much of the Original Edition, with the addition of numerous rules that defined a version of the game similar to, but developed from the Original Rules plus the supplements. It is a game vast in scope, and deeply rooted in the worlds of Greyhawk and to a lesser extent Blackmoor. This would also be a departure from the spirit of the Original three in the sense that Gary, Dave and the other early contributors were encouraging players and DMs to do their own designing. The point was to take the outline of the rules and run with them in your own direction. Advanced D&D, of course, retained the idea--but had been heavily influenced by the home campaigns of Arneson and Gygax. Spell names, magic items and the like not only flavored the Advanced game but influenced the development of the ruleset to some degree. This was not entirely new, of course, as the Greyhawk and Blackmoor supplements had already begun to do so as a separate option to the Original rules. But Advanced D&D was not to be seen so much as a suggested beginning for play, but as the definitive set of rules to be used without significant deviation.
So, what do I recall playing? Well, that's an interesting question actually. I never really thought of it before; but to explain my theory fully I have to go back to the beginning of my introduction to gaming.
As I explain in previous posts, I was introduced to gaming in 1981 at my first Boy Scout meeting at my local church. The guys who were playing were about a year and a half older than me. They were almost 14, I had just turned twelve. The books they were using were AD&D books. Those were the books we used to develop characters. They never let me look at the Monster Manual or Dungeon Master's Guide; those were off limits and I would have to wait until I bought them for myself before I accessed that hidden knowledge. However, it didn't matter much as they were a resource at best--only referred to casually when we needed to know a modifier or some such. Our play was highly improvisational, and story driven. We mostly played at Scouts, or on camp outs, but occasionally at guys' houses. I distinctly recall being at one fellow's house and seeing his collection of gaming books. There on his shelf was a small beige box labelled Dungeons and Dragons. I recall asking about it, to which he replied, that taking the box off the shelf, that these were the the first rules of the game put out a long time ago (a long time ago relative to our ages--this was 1981 or 2). He showed me the original books and one or two supplement books (I can't recall which) and explained with reverence that this was the way it was originally played, the way he was taught to play by guys at the high school; but, he continued matter of factly putting the books back, we used the advanced version now. His tone was obviously one betraying the clear superiority of the large hard back books we used.
That's the memory. And I never thought much about it, but as I consider the way I was taught to play the game, the way I taught others to play the game I believe it has significant relevance. It is my belief now that those early gaming mentors were playing a version of the Original Game with some advanced supplemental material. We used race as separate from class, advanced hit die, saves, alignment, weapon damage and the like but the game itself was a very simple approach to play. It was that very free form creative space between the Original Game and the Advanced Game that could for all intents and purposes be called Edition "Zero Point Five" (0.5). Not quite Advanced D&D "by the book" as it were, but a definite extension of the Original Edition incorporating much of the supplemental material.
The significance of this, of course, is that it answers so many questions I have been asking myself for so long. Why can't I find the game I used to play? Why are so many newer games, or retros of past games dissatisfying to me? I'm not just looking for fast and light and flexible--lots of games provide that. I'm looking for that classic sweet spot between two editions. I am tempted to say that the edition I'm looking for doesn't exist as it replicates play similar to the Original Edition with the Advanced Books as a reference. It's not quite Original and it's not quite Advanced.
However, I think some very viable options do exist. Games which were created to sit exactly in that sweet spot. And there is also another matter entirely that needs addressed; each of which I will take in turn in subsequent posts.
Tenkar Rules! The One True Edition
Over at Tenkar's Tavern he brought up a drunken gem, or drunkenly brought up a gem, that we gamers always love, or in many cases hate, to endlessly debate ...
The One Ring!
Or rather ...
The One Game!
Any way you debate it, the comparison is quite apt, as the prophecy says ...
Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
Could just as easily be transformed to read ...
Three Games for New Wave-Gamers under the hobby shop lights,
Seven for the Strategy-Gamers before tables of minis,
Nine for Old School Grognards doomed to roll the die,
One for the Melancholy Nostalgist on his lonely throne
In the Land of the Past where the Memories lie.
One Game to rule them all, One Game to find them,
One Game to bring them all and in the FLGS bind them
I am not foolish enough to think that there is one game for all the gamers out there these days. The very reason so many games dot the market today is because there are so many types of gamers. Talented gamers with a vision to share. Some out of necessity, some out of artistic desire, some out of nostalgia, some out of various what if scenarios and they are all marvels to behold. But it can make it harder than ever for a group to decide on what they want to play. If there is any one game, it would be for the gamer herself. What game do you prefer to play above all others. What is your go-to game?
As I consider the matter for myself, I would offer a brief retrospective of my own gaming life:
April 1981 -- I start with AD&D 1e and feel like it is the only and definitive game; but I never play the game as written--a very streamlined version with minimal attention paid to rules.
December 1981 -- I get the Basic & Expert Set for completion sake, thinking I should have read them before beginning AD&D. Only, I realize that they are very different, seem limited and I never actually play by these rules. I do use Basic and Expert modules however, with my AD&D games.
1982 -- In the Jr. High gaming club I realize there are different ways of playing the game. Neat, I think, but somehow wrong.
1983 -- Mt first Dragon Magazine subscription shows me a lot of the "weird" alternatives out there are actually alternatively sanctioned rules! I hesitantly allow some of it in my games.
1983 to 1985 or so -- It is clear there are lots other games out there. I play some Gamma World, Some Call of Cthulhu, Star Frontiers but by and large stick with AD&D. I also realize there are lots of AD&D supplements--Arduin's Grimoire, Judges Guild and the like. I use some of their stuff, but always in the context of my version of AD&D.
1987 -- I enter the Army and realize there are vastly different ways to play the game. Wow, maybe I was near sighted in my gaming.
1990 -- 1994 or so I see the first second edition stuff. At first I rebel. Then (in secret) I realize that some of it is pretty cool, even if THAC0 sucks. I pick up up some 2e stuff, but never run a strict "2e" game as it were--still playing my own streamlined version of 1e. My only "other" game is Call of Cthulhu at this point, but I play it rarely.
Here I would like to point out that I find it humorous I was such a purist about AD&D, but really I was playing a very "light" and "rules free" version of the game. We resorted to the books only when we were stumped on how to resolve a technicality.
1995 -- I drop out of the gaming scene, miss the rise of 3e and then 3.5. I travel, serve a mission for my church, get married, start my teaching career etc.
2004 to 2006 -- I am begged and ultimately, convinced to start the gaming club at the school where I teach. The kids are all playing 3.5. I buy all the 3.5 books, well not all, but lots. We play 3.5 at the start of the game club, reluctantly so for me, but I am convinced by others that this is the "better" game. I am convinced of the d20 concept as an improvement, though reluctant to admit it.
2006 to 2007 -- I find out they are releasing 4e. Argh! I just bought all the 3.5e books! But I am psyched up by the WoTC adverts and also convinced that it has "fixed" all the problems. Problems I really didn't even comprehend. I mean 3.5 was different from AD&D, so maybge 4e would "fix" that?
2007 to 2008 -- I convince everyone to make the switch to 4e. We play an enthusiastic game for about a year. I start the blog! And I also discover the OSR movement online, which influences the title of my blog "Classic" RPG Realms--even though we are playing 4e.
2008 to 2009 -- I become seduced by the OSR. But not necessarily unwillingly. It is still hard for me to parse out how much the OSR caused my dissatisfaction with 4e, and how much was legitimate on my part. We were having lots of fun playing the Keep on the Shadowfell and though I kind of disliked the heavy use of minis, I was cruising along. Then over time, but 2010 for sure I am dissatisfied with 4e. The focus on my blog shows this as well. I rediscover KODT and am excited about maybe playing Hackmaster 4e. Only to discover they are reinventing the game in 2009. I also hear about DCC RPG and think it might be my savior.
2010 to 2012 -- We switch to OSRIC and play a two year OSRIC campaign. I become somewhat disillusioned with the differences between OSRIC and AD&D and fool myself that maybe I ever played AD&D by the book. We run into some angst over demi-human level limits. I am reading tons of other rules systems trying to decide what to play. There is no way for everyone to really play 1e without buying all the books used. I find out that
2012 to 2013 -- I buy Castles & Crusades books for the club and we try that for a short time. I like the idea of the Siege mechanic, but it feels different in play. A group of Pathfinder players convinces us to play Pathfinder. It is successful for about a year or so, but I become disillusioned with the endless character options and optimization. I also am playing several one offs and short campaigns outside of the gaming club. I try various systems in these, but often default to C&C.
2014 plus -- By now I have read and bought most clones and retro variants on the market. They are all good in their way, but I see problems with all of them in one way or another. I had actually played:
AD&D 1e
AD&D 2e (mixed with 1e)
OSRIC
Labyrinth Lord + AEC
DCC RPG
2014 plus continued -- 5e comes out. I played it twice during the play test. I was not overwhelmed with awesomeness, but it plays relatively quick and light. Classes seem a bit overpowered. The actual release of the rules confirm that classes are more powerful at baseline than I am comfortable with, but the rules look okay.
Now, as I have mentioned recently, the fact is I never played AD&D with the "rules" so to speak. It was great, but I think I might be in love more with the memory of the time--with the nostalgia I feel about it--than the actual game. The game has become a symbol for me, a metaphor for something bigger than the rules contained in its pages.
The problem is that I am judging all other games by that standard. Only the standard I have before me is not the rules contained in AD&D, which have little to do with what I experienced back then. The other portion of that standard is the nostalgia I feel, that contains enough saudade within it that it will never actually be regained. Saudade, for those of you who don;t know, is a Portuguese word which means something like a deep inner longing for something that you know can never be regained. No game can ever give me that, because it can;t work as a time machine. However, a game can give me the light, fast, flexible old school sensibility to allow me to play like I prefer and to build new memories.
That would be my One Ring. And I'm not sure it would even be one game, but maybe several that play like that. I have several ideas already that I'll write about next.
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ETH $218 +0.64%
QUOINE Raises 350 Million QASH In Significantly Oversubscribed ICO
QUOINE’s ICO, also known as the QASH Token Sale, started on November 6th at 00:00AM SGT.
QUOINE’s ICO, also known as the QASH Token Sale, started on November 6th at 00:00AM SGT. The QASH Token Sale had 4,988 participants from 98 countries around the world. At the end of the sale on November 8th at 23:59PM SGT, the allocation of 350 million QASH (the equivalent of 350,000 ETH or USD105 million) was oversubscribed, making it one of the most successful blockchain fintech ICOs globally.
Given the ICO hype, it seems as if anyone with a white paper, a good idea and a team of advisors can launch an ICO. Many ICOs are funded at the very first stage of their life cycles which represents significant product development risk for token holders. As a result, studies show that most ICOs fail. This leads to overall fatigue from hyped-up ICOs that have seen the value of their tokens depressed post-listing.
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The QASH Token Sale is only the beginning. After sufficient funds are raised, the QUOINE team will be working hard to develop the QUOINE LIQUID platform to meet the huge demand for liquidity in the crypto markets.
Tentatively, QASH will be listed on QUOINEX, QRYPTOS and partnered exchanges by December 1st.
Regarding the huge success of the QASH Token Sale, CEO and Co-founder Mike Kayamori commented: “I would like to thank everyone who participated in our QASH Token Sale. Our responsibilities are bigger now. We have a clear fiduciary responsibility now to our token holders. First, from the product development perspective, we have to deliver our product as promised. QUOINE LIQUID already has the core development, and now we are moving into refining the user experience. Second, we have to provide liquidity by making sure that besides QUOINEX, QRYPTOS and QUOINE LIQUID platforms, other exchanges will be listing our QASH tokens, that there will be price stability, and there is an upward appreciation to all token holders. I would like to thank everyone, including our team members for your commitment and continued support. And I would like to invite everybody to be a part of this exciting journey.”
ABOUT QUOINE
QUOINE is a leading global fintech company that provides trading, exchange, and next generation financial services powered by blockchain technology. With offices in Japan, Singapore and Vietnam, QUOINE combines a strong network of local partners with extensive team experience in banking and financial products to deliver best in class financial services for its customers. More information is available at www.quoine.com
In 2014, QUOINE launched Quoine Exchange, now known as QUOINEX, which became one of the largest bitcoin exchanges in the world by transaction volume. QUOINE offers powerful trading features, a sophisticated user dashboard, and secure regulatory compliance to individual and corporate customers. QUOINEX provides trading services for bitcoin and fiat currency pairs in Japanese yen, US dollar, Euro, HK dollar, Indonesian rupiah, Singapore dollar, Philippine peso, Indian rupee, Australian dollar, and Chinese Renminbi. QUOINEX has exceeded USD12 billion in transactions in the past two years. In September 2017, QUOINE Corporation became the first global cryptocurrency exchange to be officially licensed by the Japan FSA. More information can be found at www.quoinex.com
In June 2017, QUOINE launched a fully digital cryptocurrency exchange and trading platform called QRYPTOS, exclusively for cryptocurrency trading in desktop version at www.qryptos.com.
In October 2017, QUOINE became the first licensed global cryptocurrency exchange in Japan to launch a global Initial Coin Offering (ICO), also known as the QASH Token Sale. QUOINE Corporation was officially licensed by the Japan FSA on 29th September 2017.
In November 2017, QUOINE successfully raised 350M QASH (the equivalent of 350K ETH or ~USD105M) in a significantly oversubscribed ICO at the website, to fund the growth of the QUOINE LIQUID platform. More information can be found at:
QASH Token and QUOINE LIQUID website
QUOINE ICO Brand Reel
QUOINE LIQUID Reel
Company website: www.quoine.com
Contact Person: Katherine Ng
Email: katherine.ng@quoine.com
This is a paid press release. Cointelegraph does not endorse and is not responsible for or liable for any content, accuracy, quality, advertising, products or other materials on this page. Readers should do their own research before taking any actions related to the company. Cointelegraph is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in the press release.
#Quoine
#Press Release News
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MY SPY Coming to Theaters This Year
MY SPY follows JJ a hardened CIA operative (Dave Bautista) who has been demoted and finds himself at the mercy of a precocious 9-year-old girl, named Sophie (Chloe Coleman) where he has been sent undercover begrudgingly to surveil her family.
When Sophie discovers hidden cameras in her apartment she uses her tech savviness to locate where the surveillance operation is set. In exchange for not blowing JJ’s cover Sophie convinces him to spend time with her and teach her to be a spy. Despite his reluctance JJ finds he is no match for Sophie’s disarming charm and wit.
The film is being directed by Peter Segal (“Get Smart”) from a script penned by Jon and Erich Hoeber (“Red”).
Dave Bautista is a tough guy who gains a new partner, Sophie, who is 9 years old. In this comedy, Bautista is an undercover CIA agent whose cover is blown and is forced to teach a wily kid how to be a spy.
The Secret Life of Pets 2 in Theaters June 7th
Where to Pick Free Apples in Connecticut This Fall
A Portable Jumper Starter will keep you on the road
A Cylinder Air Pump is a Handy Tool To Keep Around the House
The 10 Best Places to Go Ice Skating in Connecticut
Ice Skating Rinks in Southeastern Connecticut
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Bennet, Gardner, and Perlmutter Watch 3-30-15: Recent Votes
Filed under: Bennet Watch,Gardner Watch,Perlmutter Watch — Sofie @ 6:39 am
Tags: Colorado, Congress, Cory Gardner, Ed Perlmutter, Michael Bennet, US House, US Senate
From MegaVote at Congress.org:
Recent Senate Votes
Fiscal 2016 Budget Resolution – Adoption – Vote Agreed to (52-46, 2 Not Voting)
The Senate passed adopted the concurrent resolution that would set broad spending and revenue targets over the next 10 years. It would allow $523 billion for defense discretionary spending and $493.5 billion for non-defense spending in fiscal 2016, the statutory level set by the 2011 budget law.
Sen. Michael Bennet voted NO
Sen. Cory Gardner voted YES
Recent House Votes
Ukraine Military Assistance Passage – Vote Passed (348-48, 36 Not Voting)
The House agreed to a motion to suspend the rules and adopt the resolution stating that the House of Representatives “strongly urges” the president to fully and immediately exercise authorities provided by Congress to provide Ukraine with lethal defensive weapons systems in order to enhance the ability of the Ukrainian people to defend their sovereign territory from the “unprovoked and continuing aggression of the Russian Federation.”
Rep. Ed Perlmutter voted YES
Veterans Affairs Future Budget Planning Passage – Vote Passed (420-0, 12 Not Voting)
The House agreed to a motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended, that would direct the Veterans Affairs Department to annually submit to Congress a future-years veterans program with its budget request. The program would reflect estimated expenditures and proposed appropriations for that fiscal year and succeeding four fiscal years, and would include a five-year plan for the department to meet its commitment to veterans, including the resources needed to do so.
Comments Off on Bennet, Gardner, and Perlmutter Watch 3-30-15: Recent Votes
Bennet, Gardner, and Perlmutter Watch 3-23-15: Recent and Upcoming Votes
Human Trafficking Restitution Fund – Cloture – Vote Rejected (56-42, 2 Not Voting)
The Senate rejected a motion to invoke cloture, and thus limiting debate, on the bill that would use fines and penalties against sex-trafficking perpetrators for more restitution and assistance funds for victims.
Volunteer Firefighters Healthcare Passage – Vote Passed (415-0, 17 Not Voting)
The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the bill that would clarify that qualified services rendered as a bona fide volunteer to an eligible employer do not count as employee hours of service for the purposes of the employer mandate under the 2010 health care overhaul.
EPA Rule-Making Guidelines Passage – Vote Passed (241-175, 16 Not Voting)
The House passed a bill that would prohibit the EPA from proposing, finalizing or disseminating a rule or other covered action unless all scientific and technical information used to decide upon the rule is made available to the public so the research can be independently analyzed and reproduced.
Rep. Ed Perlmutter voted NO
NLRB Case Representation Procedures Passage – Vote Passed (232-186, 14 Not Voting)
The House passed a joint resolution that would provide for congressional disapproval and nullification of the National Labor Relations Board rule relating to case representation procedures.
Upcoming Votes
Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determining Reauthorization Act – H.R.360
The bill would reauthorize the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996, and for other purposes.
Tenant Income Verification Relief Act – H.R.233
The bill would allow reviews of certain families’ incomes every 3 years for purposes of determining eligibility for certain Federal assisted housing programs.
Department of Veterans Affairs Budget Planning Reform Act – H.R.216
The bill would amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a Future-Years Veterans Program and a quadrennial veterans review, to establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs a Chief Strategy Officer, and for other purposes.
Comments Off on Bennet, Gardner, and Perlmutter Watch 3-23-15: Recent and Upcoming Votes
Bennet, Gardner, and Perlmutter Watch 3-9-15: Recent and Upcoming Votes
Keystone XL Pipeline – Veto – Vote Not Sustained (62-37, 1 Not Voting)
The Senate’s vote to override President Obama’s Feb. 24, 2015 veto of the bill that would immediately allow TransCanada to construct, connect, operate and maintain the pipeline and cross-border facilities known as the Keystone XL pipeline, including any revision to the pipeline route within Nebraska as required or authorized by the state failed.
Sen. Michael Bennet voted YES
Fiscal 2015 Homeland Security Appropriations Motion to Recede and Concur – Vote Passed (257-167, 9 Not Voting)
The House agreed to a motion made by Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho., to recede from the House amendment and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (HR 240) that would provide $47.8 billion in fiscal 2015 for the Homeland Security Department and related activities. The motion cleared the bill for the president.
Amtrak Reauthorization Passage – Vote Passed (316-101, 15 Not Voting)
The House passed a bill that would reauthorize Amtrak through fiscal 2019, and restructure funding according to Amtrak’s major lines of business. It would authorize funds for Amtrak operating expenses in the Northeast corridor at the following levels: $439 million for fiscal 2016, $464 million for fiscal 2017, $480 million for fiscal 2018 and $498 million for fiscal 2019; and for Amtrak operating expenses within the national network at the following levels: $973 million for fiscal 2016, $974 million for fiscal 2017, $985 million for fiscal 2018 and $997 million for fiscal 2019.
Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 – S.625
The bill would provide for congressional review and oversight of agreements relating to Irans nuclear program, and for other purposes.
Comments Off on Bennet, Gardner, and Perlmutter Watch 3-9-15: Recent and Upcoming Votes
Fiscal 2015 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations – Passage – Vote Passed (68-31, 1 Not Voting)
The Senate passed a bill that would provide $47.8 billion in fiscal 2015 for the Homeland Security Department and related activities. The bill would include $12.6 billion for Customs and Border Protection; $6 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement; $7.2 billion for the Transportation Security Administration, including fees; $10 billion for the Coast Guard; $1.7 billion for the Secret Service; and $10.8 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including $6.4 billion for emergency disaster relief.
Fiscal 2015 Homeland Department Continuing Resolution Passage – Vote Failed (203-224, 6 Not Voting)
The House rejected a joint resolution that would make further continuing appropriations for the Homeland Security Department for fiscal 2015. The measure would extend funding for the department for three weeks, through March 19, 2015.
Education Savings Plan Expansion Passage – Vote Passed (401-20, 11 Not Voting)
The House passed a bill that would permanently expand the use of “529” educational savings plans by allowing tax-free distributions for students to buy computers and software. It also would eliminate the requirement that multiple 529 accounts held by a beneficiary be treated as a single account and exempt from taxation any amounts that are refunded from colleges as long as the beneficiary re-contributes the funds back into a 529 account within 60 days.
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015 – H.R.240
The Senate is scheduled to work on this bill that would make appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015, and for other purposes.
Secret Science Reform Act of 2015 – H.R.1030
The bill would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from proposing, finalizing, or disseminating regulations or assessments based upon science that is not transparent or reproducible.
Long-Term Care Veterans Choice Act – H.R.294
This House bill would amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into contracts and agreements for the transfer of veterans to non-Department medical foster homes for certain veterans who are unable to live independently.
Child Pornography Victims Restitution – Passage – Vote Passed (98-0, 2 Not Voting)
The Senate passed a bill that would expand restitution for victims of child pornography. The bill would expand a victim’s losses to include medical services, therapy, rehabilitation, transportation, child care and lost income. It also would allow defendants who have contributed to the same victim’s losses to spread the cost of restitution among themselves and establish minimum award levels for certain offenses.
Keystone XL Pipeline Passage – Vote Passed (270-152, 10 Not Voting)
The House passed a bill that would immediately allow TransCanada to construct, connect, operate and maintain the pipeline and cross-border facilities known as the Keystone XL pipeline, including any revision to the pipeline route within Nebraska as required or authorized by the state. It also would consider the January 2014 environmental impact statement issued by the State Department sufficient to satisfy all requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act.
Small Business Tax Extenders Passage – Vote Passed (272-142, 18 Not Voting)
The House passed a bill that would that would make permanent increased expensing limitations in the tax code that allow small businesses to deduct up to $500,000 of their equipment costs for a maximum of $2 million worth of property. The bill would make permanent the reduced recognition period for S corporations under which they could be taxed for sales of certain assets. It would make permanent a tax break for the charitable contributions of S corporations and allow them to qualify for the same tax exemptions that apply to individuals for charitable contributions.
Filed under: Bennet Watch,Gardner Watch,Perlmutter Watch — Sofie @ 2:49 pm
Fiscal 2015 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Cloture – Vote Rejected (52-47, 1 Not Voting)
The Senate failed to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill that would provide $47.8 billion in fiscal 2015 for the Homeland Security Department and related activities. The bill also would bar the use of funds to implement the administration’s immigration policies or to grant any federal benefit to any illegal immigrant as a result of those policies. Sixty votes were required.
Healthcare Overhaul Repeal Passage – Vote Passed (239-186, 8 Not Voting)
The House passed a bill that would repeal the 2010 health care overhaul. The bill would delay the repeal by 180 days after enactment and direct several House committees to submit alternative legislation with a number of provisions, including ones to increase economic growth by eliminating certain regulations; lower health care premiums through increased competition; overhaul the medical liability system; and provide states greater flexibility to administer Medicaid programs.
Small Business Regulatory Revisions Passage – Vote Passed (260-163, 10 Not Voting)
The House passed a bill that would give the Small Business Administration new authority to ensure that federal agencies comply with a 1980 law requiring that they be flexible in taking regulatory actions that affect small businesses, including by getting more directly involved with an agency’s reviews of proposed rules and requiring SBA to convene panels of small entities to review rules proposals.
Botticelli Nomination – PN60
The Senate is expected to consider the nomination of Michael P. Botticelli, of the District of Columbia, to be director of National Drug Control Policy.
Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act – S1
The House will consider a Senate-passed bill that would immediately allow TransCanada to construct, connect, operate and maintain the pipeline and cross-border facilities known as the Keystone XL pipeline, including any revision to the pipeline route within Nebraska as required or authorized by the state. The measure also would consider the January 2014 environmental impact statement issued by the State Department sufficient to satisfy all requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act.
America Gives More Act – HR644
The House will consider a bill to combine four charitable tax measures. The measure makes permanent a number of tax provisions intended to provide incentives for charitable giving including those related to food contributions, conservation property, contributions from certain retirement accounts and the treatment of private foundations.
America’s Small Business Tax Relief Act – HR636
The House is expected to consider a bill to combine three small-business tax measures. The legislation makes permanent increased Section 179 expensing limitations for small businesses and farms, as well as rules for the S-corporation built-in gains tax and for S-corporation charitable contributions all of which expired at the end of calendar year 2014.
Keystone XL Pipeline – Passage – Vote Passed (62-36, 2 Not Voting)
The Senate passed a bill that would immediately allow TransCanada to construct, connect, operate and maintain the pipeline and cross-border facilities known as the Keystone XL pipeline, including any revision to the pipeline route within Nebraska as required or authorized by the state. It also would consider the January 2014 environmental impact statement issued by the State Department sufficient to satisfy all requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act.
Liquefied Natural Gas Exports – Passage – Vote Passed (277-133, 23 Not Voting)
The House passed a bill that would require the Energy Department to make a decision on pending applications to export liquefied natural gas within 30 days of the bill’s enactment or at the end of the public comment period, whichever is later. Under the bill, applications would have to publicly disclose the countries that would receive the proposed exports.
Rep. Ed Perlmutter voted Not Voting
Clay Hunt SAV Act – HR203
The Senate will consider a bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide for the conduct of annual evaluations of mental health care and suicide prevention programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs and to require a pilot program on loan repayment for psychiatrists who agree to serve in the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Repeal – HR596
The House will consider a bill to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and health care related provisions in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. The bill would require four House committees to develop health care legislation to replace the law.
Keystone XL Pipeline – Climate Change – Vote Rejected (50-49, 1 Not Voting)
The Senate rejected a Schatz, D-Hawaii, amendment to a bill that would immediately allow TransCanada to construct, connect, operate and maintain the pipeline and cross-border facilities known as the Keystone XL pipeline. The amendment would express the sense of the Senate that climate change is real and that human activity significantly contributes to it. By unanimous consent, the Senate agreed to raise the majority requirement for adoption of the amendment to 60 votes.
Sen. Cory Gardner voted NO
Keystone XL Pipeline – Climate Change – Vote Agreed to (56-42, 2 Not Voting)
The Senate agreed to table (kill) a Sanders, I-Vt., amendment to a bill that would immediately allow TransCanada to construct, connect, operate and maintain the pipeline and cross-border facilities known as the Keystone XL pipeline. The amendment would express the sense of the Senate that climate change is real and caused by human activities. It also would urge the U.S. to overhaul its energy system away from fossil fuels and towards sustainable energy.
Keystone XL Pipeline – Energy Efficiency Standards – Vote Agreed to (94-5, 1 Not Voting)
The Senate adopted a Portman, R-Ohio, amendment to a bill that would immediately allow TransCanada to construct, connect, operate and maintain the pipeline and cross-border facilities known as the Keystone XL pipeline. The amendment would would direct the General Services Administration to establish best practices regarding energy-efficiency in commercial real estate buildings, including those that house federal agencies. It would require the GSA to incorporate energy-efficiency standards into its building leasing program for federal agencies.
Gas Pipeline Permit Deadlines Passage – Vote Passed (253-169, 11 Not Voting)
The House passed a bill that would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to approve or deny a natural gas pipeline project within one year after receiving a completed application. Federal agencies responsible for issuing permits would have to issue a ruling within 90 days of when FERC issues its final environmental statement for the project.
Federal Abortion Funding Ban Passage – Vote Passed (242-179, 12 Not Voting)
The House passed a bill that would permanently prohibit the use of federal funds, facilities or staff to provide abortion coverage and services, except in cases of rape or incest and for saving the life of the woman. It also would prohibit individuals and small business from receiving federal subsidies and small businesses from receiving federal subsidies and tax credits under the 2010 health care overhaul to purchase plans that cover abortions.
Keystone XL Pipeline – S1
The Senate will consider a bill that would immediately allow TransCanada to construct, connect, operate and maintain the pipeline and cross-border facilities known as the Keystone XL pipeline.
Human Trafficking Prioritization Act – HR514
The House will consider a bill to prioritize the fight against human trafficking within the Department of State according to congressional intent in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 without increasing the size of the Federal Government.
LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act – HR351
The House will consider a bill to provide for expedited approval of exportation of natural gas.
Keystone XL Pipeline – Cloture – Vote Agreed to (63-32, 5 Not Voting)
The Senate agreed to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill that would immediately allow TransCanada to construct, connect, operate and maintain the pipeline and cross-border facilities known as the Keystone XL pipeline.
Rulemaking Process Overhaul Passage – Vote Passed (250-175, 8 Not Voting)
The House passed a bill that would modify the federal rulemaking process by requiring agencies to estimate the cost of proposed regulations and consider new criteria, including potential costs and benefits of alternatives. The bill would create additional steps that agencies must follow when proposing major rules with annual costs of more than $100 million, or high-impact rules with annual costs of more than $1 billion, including an advanced-notice comment period to determine whether the rule-making process should proceed.
Fiscal 2015 Homeland Security Appropriations – Passage – Vote Passed (236-191, 6 Not Voting)
The House passed a bill that would provide $47.8 billion in fiscal 2015 for the Homeland Security Department and related activities. As amended the bill would bar the use of funds to implement the administration’s immigration policies or to grant any federal benefit to any illegal immigrant as a result of those policies.
Financial Regulatory Revisions – Passage – Vote Passed (271-154, 8 Not Voting)
The House passed a bill that would modify numerous requirements under the 2010 financial regulatory overhaul. It would delay until July 2019 a requirement under the Volcker rule that banks sell off collateralized loan obligations, the complex securitization vehicles that are backed predominantly by commercial loans and exempt non-financial companies from margin requirements under the law.
Keystone XL Pipeline Act – S1
The Senate will consider a bill to immediately allow TransCanada to construct, connect, operate and maintain the pipeline and cross-border facilities known as the Keystone XL pipeline.
Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act – HR161
The House will consider a bill to provide for the timely consideration of all licenses, permits, and approvals required under Federal law with respect to the sitting, construction, expansion, or operation of any natural gas pipeline projects.
Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act – HR36
The House will consider a bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to protect pain-capable unborn children, and for other purposes.
Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Passage – Vote Passed (93-4, 3 Not Voting)
The Senate passed a bill that would extend the Terrorism Insurance Act for six years, through 2020, and raise the threshold of insured losses at which federal assistance kicks in, reducing the share of losses that federal assistance will cover and increasing the amounts that the government recoups from the insurance industry. It also would clarify that certain entities, or so-called “end users”, who trade in derivatives are not subject to margin requirements for those derivatives.
Healthcare Employer Mandate Passage – Vote Passed (252-172, 5 Not Voting)
This bill would modify who is covered as a full-time employee under the employer mandate in the 2010 health care law by replacing the 30 hour-a-week threshold with 40 hours per week. It also would change how companies calculate how many of their employees can be counted under the employer mandates 50-employee threshold.
Keystone XL Pipeline Passage – Vote Passed (266-153, 1 Present, 9 Not Voting)
Keystone XL Pipeline Act – S.1
The bill would approve the Keystone XL Pipeline.
Promoting Job Creation and Reducing Small Business Burdens Act – H.R.37
The bill would make technical corrections to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, to enhance the ability of small and emerging growth companies to access capital through public and private markets, to reduce regulatory burdens, and for other purposes.
Regulatory Accountability Act – H.R.185
The bill would reform the process by which Federal agencies analyze and formulate new regulations and guidance documents.
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Humberto de la Calle (Photo: President's Office)
Suspending Colombia peace talks is not a topic of conversation: Chief govt negotiator
by Daniel E Freeman October 17, 2013
The chief government negotiator in Colombia’s peace talks with rebel group FARC said on Wednesday that pausing peace talks for the 2014 election cycle has not been discussed at all.
Humberto De La Calle confirmed that there has been no discussion in Cuba, the headquarters for peace talks that have been ongoing since November 2012, on the topic of suspending dialogues with the FARC for the impending congressional and presidential elections.
“The hypothesis of a suspension has not officially been put on the table,” the negotiator asserted at a packed audience at the EAN University in Bogota Wednesday, “nor has the government or President [Juan Manuel Santos] instructed the delegation [in Cuba] to entertain such a hypothesis.”
Despite De La Calle’s insistence that the subject has not been officially debated, unofficially media outlets, the FARC, and the President himself have seemingly discussed it at length over the past two weeks.
Last week, Santos was reported discussing the possibility of suspending talks with his political coalition and the FARC responded to the rumors a day later saying that it would be open to such an idea.
MORE: FARC willing to suspend peace talks during Colombia’s 2014 elections
“The government’s position has been and remains that there is a need for an efficient discussion to achieve agreements that meet the expectations of society, not for the government to achieve results quickly,” affirmed De La Calle.
These statements coincided with Santos’ statement on Wednesday saying that he would sacrifice possible reelection if it means achieving peace.
MORE: I would sacrifice reelection for peace: Santos
It seems clear that it would be difficult to both run a presidential campaign against candidates who are gaining serious traction in polls and attempt to lead a dialogue with the FARC in Havana that is moving at a snail’s pace.
Gobierno no debatió con Farc ‘pausa’ en proceso: De la Calle (La Terra)
“No se ha planteado suspensión de diálogos con las Farc”: De la Calle (Vanguardia)
armed conflictFARCHumberto de la Callepeace talks
‘Colombia’s former army chief continued to promote murder after his resignation’
ELN shuts down southwest Colombia to commemorate 55th anniversary
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Shakira shares sensual photo from new music video
by Brandon Barrett April 2, 2012
Colombian heartthrob Shakira shared a sexy photo with her fans from her new music video being shot in Los Angeles.
The video for “Addicted to You”, directed by Anthony Mandler, began filming March 29 and is the fifth single from Shakira’s seventh studio album “Sale el Sol”.
The album has sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide and was nominated for three Latin Grammy awards including Album of the Year.
{japopup type=”image” content=”pics/2012/mphoto/shak1b.jpg” title=”A picture of a new music video AddictedToYou of Shakira” } {/japopup}
musicShakira
Payola: how corrupt radio stations are killing Colombia’s music
The origins of Herencia de Timbiqui
Tens of thousands gather at Colombia-Venezuela border concert
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Crush the turtle
Finding Nemo Coloring Pages
Crush the turtle coloring page
Do you like it? Just click on it!
Crush the turtle is one of the most important animated film from Disney and Pixar Finding Nemo. Crush the turtle lives with her son in the ocean currents, here meets Marlin, who searches for his son Nemo with the help of Dory fish. Crush the turtle teaches Marlin to swim in ocean currents after rescue from poisonous jellyfish.
Times Painted:
This coloring page has been painted 8536 times online. Ranking 0 of The Best Coloring Pages.
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Painted 8536 times
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Coloring Page of Crush the turtle
The Turtle Crush is one of the favorite characters from children\'s movie Finding Nemo by their speech and cocky surfer style. It has a very healthy philosophy of life and all the kids love this character protectos and caring. Sea turtles live in the seas. It is the relaxed sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) somewhat hippie attitude, 150-year-old Marlin and Dory helps to go to Sydney via East Australia Current.
Let's paint Crush the turtle coloring page Do you like Finding Nemo coloring pages? This is a picture of Crush the turtle to color or paint online from your browser without having to download or install anything, is absolutely secure. From here you can paint free Crush the turtle coloring page on Finding Nemo. All children like crafts and activities at home, such as Crush the turtle coloring page is in English and is related to Finding Nemo. Our drawing of Crush the turtle is one of the best drawings and pictures to paint of Finding Nemo that you are getting and you can share it with your friends and contacts on social networks. You can print the black and white drawing of Crush the turtle invite you to try and then color it with colored markers or wax paper, learn about it and share it in the comments, show it to your friends. It is a fun and educational activity for children, which helps them develop motor skills and coordination while having fun.
Finding Nemo most painted pages
5 out of 10 - 30 votes
Nemo is a small clownfish. Nemo is the main protagonist of the animated film from Walt Disney and Pixar Finding Nemo, which tells the story of this small fish that lives in the coral reef until it is caught by a diver who takes Sydney to an aquarium. His father, Marlin, begins traveling along the ocean to find and rescue his son.
8 out of 10 - 7 votes
Dory is one of the main characters from the Disney Pixar film Finding Nemo. It is a black and blue tang (Paracanthurus hepatus) very fun and crazy. Suffers from anterograde amnesia, he forgets everything at second. Accompanies Marlin in the search for his son Nemo, getting into many adventures. Dory, a good-hearted and optimistic Regal blue tang with short-term memory loss.
Nemo and his father
Nemo and his father Marlin, are the stars of the animated film from Disney and Pixar on fish world. The film is called Finding Nemo and tells the story of these two little orange clown fish living in a coral reef in Australia until the son, Nemo, kidnapped by a diver and taken to your aquarium. Marlin begins a great adventure across the sea to rescue his son.
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Cycling as a second career: a look at the other lives of cycling pros
by Anne-Marije Rook & Jeanine Laudy
Photography by Cor Vos, Above Four Media & Cathy Fegan-Kim Cottonsox Photography
WOMEN'S CYCLING BROUGHT TO YOU BY ORBEA
While women’s cycling is evolving, it still has a long way to go. Whereas minimum wage requirements ensure that riders competing at the men’s WorldTour and Pro Continental level are paid a salary where they can live off, there is no minimum wage at any women’s level. Even some of the best teams on the scene can’t afford to pay their riders a full salary. As a result, many pros cycle only part time, spending the other half of their time supplementing their income with side jobs, studying or taking care of their families.
Here’s a look at the ‘other’ lives of some cycling pros.
Claire Rose, a British doctor in America
If cycling doesn’t work out for British individual time trial champion Claire Rose, she’s got a medical career to fall back on.
The 30-year-old started cycling after an injury ended her rowing career. Within seven months, she started racing bikes and was picked up by the British team pursuit program. She would represent team GB at several international events but decided to continue her studies and work as a doctor.
Still, she was curious to see where cycling could take her. So when her British team Podium Ambition folded at the end of 2016, Rose decided to cross the pond and sign with American UCI team, Visit Dallas-DNA, eyeing the national TT title and a chance to prove herself on the world’s stage at the 2017 UCI Road World Championships in Richmond. Her first goal has been reached, now we’ll have to wait to see if she makes it to Bergen.
| Related: Going against the tide: a European chasing her cycling dream in America
“Having spent a couple of years working as a junior doctor, I knew that I had to make the decision now if I was going to really go for it and give cycling a good shot again otherwise I would miss out on the opportunity,” Rose said in an Ella CyclingTips interview earlier this year.
“It’s not that I don’t love medicine or that I didn’t want to be out there working. I just knew I also wanted to be out there riding my bike and you can’t do both together,” Rose said. “Medicine will always be there. They always need doctors. So I know that if cycling doesn’t work out, I can go back and throw myself into medicine. I just know that if I don’t do this now I will definitely regret it.”
Elisa Longo Borghini, a future Italian police officer
When Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle-High5) crossed the finish line of the Italian road championships, she wasn’t donning her usual black Wiggle-High5 kit. Instead, she wore the blue and purple outfit of the Fiamme Oro State Police.
Ahead of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Longo Borghini took a month off for a training block and to graduate a one-year program at the Italian police academy. And upon winning the bronze medal in the road race, she was honoured in the prestigious Coni a Roma ceremony by the Italian police.
Longo Borghini is part of the Fiamme Oro program (‘fiamme oro’ meaning ‘golden flames’), which dates back to 1954, when the state police devoted themselves to the development of high-profile athletes across several disciplines. The aim is to maintain and promote and enhance the national sports heritage.
“In Italy if you one of the top riders, and are a candidate (or have been to) the Olympics, you can enter the army or state police in the sports sector,” Longo Borghini told Ella CyclingTips.
“You do some courses and attend some lessons, but you can complete your sports career with funding from the state. And when you finish your sports career you return to the police or army to complete the academy and start working on duty. You can choose your speciality and I, for example, want to work with dogs. It’s a good program because you have a proper job, pension facilities, etc. It allows you to focus 100 percent on your sports career and you know you for sure have a job when you finish.”
Elisa Longo Borghini in her police uniform.
As long as Longo Borghini is a professional cyclist, she will not actively be on police duty, but her education with the police means she knows, among other things, how to shoot a weapon.
In addition to a career in the police force, Longo Borghini has also expressed a wish to get a degree to become a Russian or Chinese translator. We are interested to see what Longo Borghini’s post-cycling career will look like, but that won’t be for several years yet.
“Yes, it will be some years still. I’m like the wine, the older I get, the better I get,” Longo Borghini joked.
Amalie Dideriksen, world champion and student
World road champion Amalie Dideriksen wins Ronde van Drenthe.
Even world champions sometimes need to juggle their professional cycling careers with something else. With Amalie Dideriksen (Boels-Dolmans), however, that has mostly to do with her age. Becoming a world road champion at just 21 years of age, Dideriksen had yet to finish school when she earned the rainbow stripes.
Dideriksen attended a special elite athletes’ high school; Team Denmark Class. While regular high school in Denmark is three years, usually Team DK athletes graduate high school in four years. Dideriksen got it even further extended to five years, due to her many travel days. She was always doing homework on the road and got her training rides in before she went to school or after she returned home.
“Most of my classmates finished school last year,” Dideriksen said in her Ella Rainbow diaries of May 8. “Because I have juggled full-time racing with school, I needed some extra time. My school worked with me to accommodate my unique situation, and while I really appreciate that, I’m also very much looking forward to having one less ball in the air. It will be really nice not to constantly have deadlines looming and assignments clamouring for my attention.”
“The increased focus on school until my exams are over means a small step back from cycling. I’ll still race and train hard, of course, but extra energy will go to school for the moment. It’s a bit of a bummer that my year in the rainbow jersey can’t be all about cycling all the time, but I proud to graduate in the same year that I’m world champion.”
Graduated school yesterday???? #falkostudent17
A post shared by Amalie Dideriksen (@amaliedideriksen) on Jun 22, 2017 at 2:55am PDT
Luckily, for now at least, the end of a dual career as a professional cyclist and student is over. She graduated in June and can now turn 100% of her focus on cycling.
“I’m happy that my last exam is now finished so all my attention can be directed towards cycling. It’s my dream that this single-focus will help me reach another level,” Dideriksen penned in her latest Rainbow Diary.
“The women’s peloton includes a lot of people that are juggling a professional cycling career, alongside academic pursuits to try and pave out a future career path. Special shout-out to all of them. I’m super impressed by their commitment to education and cycling but I’ve decided that I need a break from school to embrace the opportunities I have at the moment. I can study later, but I can’t cycle forever.”
Carmen Small, DS and caretaker for her nieces
USA rider Carmen Small tries to cool herself down after the individual time trial.
In 2014, when her sister was no longer able to care for her two teenage daughters, Carmen Small (Team VéloConcept) took them under her wing. While it could have meant the end of her professional cycling career, Small was able to combine both and went on to win a second world title in the team time trial with her teammates from Specialized-lululemon, several individual time trial races, like the 2015 Panamerican individual time trial championships, and a stage in the Cascade Cycling Classic.
Coming from a troubled family, Small went back and forth between her addicted mother and her father growing up. Her parents had separated when she was two. Small’s sister was having her own issues and taking in her nieces when her sister could no longer care for them, was a logical thing to do.
“My husband and I decided we were going to take my nieces,” she told Bicycling at the time. “I knew it was going to be challenging, but I didn’t know how hard it was going to be. Because of all their baggage. It’s not like I’m just getting two teenagers. I’m actually getting two teenagers who have huge issues.”
Three years on and Small is transitioning away from being a rider and into a new career as Director Sportif with her new team, VéloConcept. A heavy crash in de Ronde van Drenthe left her with a severe concussion of which she still hasn’t recovered fully. But she’s trying to pick up DS duties as much as she can, having coached teammate and pupil Shani Blochi-Daviov to the Israeli national time trial title, which shows the caring side of Small – even when it sometimes goes against her own health. We hope to see a smashing performance once more by Small before she truly says goodbye to the sport as a racer.
Christine Majerus, a cycling soldier
Christine Majerus is the Luxembourg national champion across three disciplines, holding 27 national titles in total. She only wears the regular Boels-Dolmans outfit three times a year – when she defends her national title on the road, in time trials and in cycloross. She wears the red-white-and-blue kit throughout the rest of the year
Never one to shy away from hard work, Christine Majerus (Boels-Dolmans) is the ultimate domestique who’ll do whatever is necessary to get her team the desired result. It’s not a stretch then, to imagine her as part of the Luxembourg army.
Majerus completed her army education back in 2012, when she was racing for the French Team GSD Gestion, and won’t have to serve on active duty until she finishes her cycling career.
“Physically, [the military eduaction] was not a problem,” she told Luxemburger Wort after graduating. “Discipline also played an important role in the army. It’s important for soldiers to be prepared for foreign missions as optimal as possible. There shouldn’t be any mistakes, because it’s about human life. If someone from our group had not adhered to the rules, we were collectively punished.”
Similarly to Longo Borghini, Majerus won’t be actively taking part in any military operations while she’s a professional cyclist. But the army still plays a big role during her cycling career, as training programs and race schedules are drafted upon consultation with the national federation, the Luxembourg Olympic committee and Majerus herself, so that they are in line with military regulations and procedures.
Being part of the army does offer some extra racing opportunities in military cycling events, and in the early years of her career, Majerus also took part in the world military championships, and won silver in the 2013 road race. In addition to the army program, Majerus also holds a Master’s degree in Sports Science.
Think you can tell which girl spends the off season with the army @C_Majerus early vs just on time ???? pic.twitter.com/AvxwJJMcNi
— Lizzie Deignan (@lizziedeignan) 11 april 2015
Scotti Lechuga, coach and mom to twin boys
Scotti Lechuga (Hagens Berman Supermint Pro Cycling Team) took stage 1 of the Redlands Bicycle Classic in front of the Twenty16 RideBiker duo of Kristin Armstrong and Alison Jackson.
In 2008, Scotti Lechuga (nee Wilborne) knew that she wanted to become a professional cyclist and represent the United States in the Olympic Games, and so she reached out to coach Ernie Lechuga to help her out in training. But what she didn’t know then was that Ernie Lechuga would not only become her coach but her life partner as well, and they’d be having twins within just under two-and-a-half years of meeting him.
Related: Don’t underestimate the power of a mum on the bike
Putting her own career on hold, the couple set up coaching company LeBorne coaching, offering coaching, bike fits and testing to cyclists.
In July 2011, Lechuga gave birth to Eli and Ethan, and just seven months later, Lechuga was back to racing. The couple now take their kids to as many races as possible, making it fun family outings as much as a means of living.
At the Amgen women’s Tour of California this year, Lechuga was the only mother in the peloton.
Lechuga with her twin boys
Riejanne Markus, co-owner of sock company Sockeloen
The WM3 team rocking their team socks. Riejanne Markus stands in in the back row.
As part of the Rabobank Continental Development team, Jasper Ockeloen was known as ‘Sockeloen’ due to his extreme focus on wearing the right socks of good quality. When no cycling sock met his standard, Ockeloen decided it was time to take action himself.
He started redesigning and testing different types of socks himself, cutting and stitching all types of socks by hand. With the knowledge and experience he gained from this, he created a company that produced socks that did meet his standards. The company was, of course, called Sockeloen.
Ockeloen’s long time partner is cyclist Riejanne Markus of WM3 Pro Cycling. She was there alongside Ockeleon to witness the evolution from making cycling socks as a hobby to a professional business. She co-owns the company and helps out with the financial administration and PR, often acting as a sales representative at fairs and bike shows.
Sockeloen is also the official sock provider of the WM3 Pro Cycling team.
???? SNEAK PEEK???? @sockeloen.nl Aerosocks are coming soon. Keep following us for more ! Here you see @riejannee testing the socks during the National TT champs !! ????????????????????????
A post shared by Sockeloen (@sockeloen.nl) on Jun 22, 2017 at 3:57am PDT
Stories like these are a dime a dozen, which female professional cyclists with second careers would you like to read about?
Tags: Amalie Dideriksen, Boels-Dolmans, Carmen Small, Christine Majerus, Claire Rose, Elisa Longo Borghini, Features, hagens berman-supermint, riejanne markus, Scotti Lechuga, Team VéloConcept, Visit Dallas-DNA, Wiggle High5, WM3 Pro Cycling
Rainbow diaries: Dideriksen on major milestones made sweeter by rainbows
Amalie Dideriksen surprises, sprints to victory in World Championship road race
A Day in the Life of pro cyclist Amalie Dideriksen: no summer break shenanigans for this university student
Not above bottle duty: Amalie Dideriksen’s year ahead in the rainbow stripes
Meet Amalie Dideriksen: Your new world champion
‘Remember to enjoy it, Amalie’: Dideriksen, on kicking off new season in rainbow stripes
Hagens Berman rider Scotti Lechuga takes opening stage at Redlands Classic
Cyclocrosser Katerina Nash takes on the Women’s Tour of California: final report
Going against the tide: A European chasing the cycling dream in America
Riders and name announced for Marianne Vos’ 2017 team
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“Crapitalism”: Hypocritical Dems Who Complain About The System While Exploiting It (Video)
10.07.2014 | News | Howard Portnoy |
What do the rapper Jay-Z, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and filmmaker Steven Spielberg have in common? If you said that all are Obama supporters, you’d be right. But there’s a deeper connection. Consider…
Jay-Z bilked taxpayers out $750 to build the Barclays Center for the Brooklyn Nets, then boasted about the millions he personally raked in as a result of the deal. Reid used his considerable influence to persuade the city of Henderson, Nev., to amend its job requirements for the position of city attorney so that his son, Josh, could qualify. Spielberg, a billionaire, helped himself to millions of dollars in tax breaks and incentives for agreeing to film his movie “Lincoln” in Virginia.
These are just a few of the stories about bleeding heart Democratic leeches who complain about income inequality while gaming the system on the backs of hard-working Americans. All are exposed in Jason Mattera’s new book titled “Crapitalism: Liberals Who Make Millions Swiping Your Tax Dollars.” The book hits bookstore shelves today, and offers up the occasional belly laugh to offset the agitá.
‘Crapitalism’ follows a theme introduced in Jason’s previous books, “Obama Zombies: How the Liberal Machine Brainwashed My Generation” and “Hollywood Hypocrites: The Devastating Truth About Obama’s Biggest Backers.” Both were New York Times bestsellers.
Jason was on Sean Hannity’s show on Fox News Channel last night, not only ro promote his new must-read, but provided a sneak-peek of his latest ambush interview. His mark? None other than disgraced former IRS paper pusher Lois Lerner! Mike Dorstewitz has the entertaining video here.
Pick up your copy of ‘Crapitalism’ here.
Read more at libertyunyielding.com
Howard Portnoy
Howard Portnoy has written for HotAir, NewsBusters, Weasel Zippers, Conservative Firing Line, RedCounty, and New York’s Daily News. He has one published novel, Hot Rain, (G. P. Putnam’s Sons), and has been a guest on Radio Vice Online with Jim Vicevich, The Alana Burke Show, Smart Life with Dr. Gina, and The George Espenlaub Show.
← Previous Story Who is Joe Biden? No One in Los Angeles Seems to Know…
Next Story → Crapitalism: Liberals Who Make Millions Swiping Your Tax Dollars By Jason Mattera Drops Tomorrow – Go Get Your Copy ASAP!
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I spent the last two days on my second Elder Scrolls Online beta test. I wanted to post about it after the first beta I participated in but the NDA was still in effect. With the NDA lifted, I can now publicly pass nerd judgment.
I’m coming at ESO primarily as a longtime fan of the Elder Scrolls series more so than an avid MMO player. In general I do not like MMOs, though every couple years I try a new one to see if I still dislike the form as much as I remember. I spent several months playing Dark Ages of Camelot back when it launched, a year on WoW after it launched, and only about two months on Star Wars: Old Republic, also at launch.
I had little choice but to try out ESO because despite my usual dislike of MMOs, and the rumor was that you could play it almost entirely like a single player game. I managed to make level 14 in the course of these two play weekends and only grouped once for a fight I simply could not win, although I am sure after some more time in game that had I just come back in two levels I could have taken the mob on my own. Other than that it was solo time for most of my weekends with the zone chat disabled because I just didn’t need to hear the same three neck beard arguments ad inifitum.
There is no shortage of write ups on the web about the first few levels and the content offered in them so I will not rehash any of that here.
One of the greatest complaints on the gaming blogs after the last beta weekend was that the game was too linear and did not allow for exploration. Most of the reviewers seemed to base this entirely on the first six levels or so which is a bit silly considering that these levels have to provide enough structured content to keep complete newbies from getting lost and putting down the game immediately. It’s true that the first areas (I played through early levels in both Ebonheart Pact and Daggerfall Covenant) leave little else for you to do but bang through the first six quests, but you can finish the entire newbie garden in about an hour once you’ve got your feet and know how all the mechanics work. The first five levels of any characters existence are of little note anyway.
By the time you reach the second tier area, it becomes apparent (if you’ve even tried to go off the main road) that there are treasure chests hidden all over the world. I really enjoyed sniffing these out because the spawn frequently enough in out of the way places that you can find several of them and I found quite a bit of good loot in them. There are also “soul shards” hidden about the world that you can collect in threes for a not insignificant amount of bonus skill points.
That being said, this is not like other Elder Scrolls titles in that there simply doesn’t seem to be many out of the way hidden dungeons that are not part of a particular quest. I did find a few side quests this way but with some NPC standing in front of the cave it just doesn’t have that same feeling as other ES titles that you’ve found something unique that no one else has set foot into for years or would never dare go.
The crafting in ESO is one of its best features. Foodstuff consumables are craftable with reagents that are practically jumping into your pockets out of crates and barrels along with new recipes to turn them into food and drink. Both offer lasting buffs to health, magicka, or stamina in the form of a max bonus or regen bonus, nothing groundbreaking there. Compared to the cooking offered in Skyrim, it is a hundred fold more useful and is essential for a solo style player to buff their stats.
My main crafting focus was on blacksmithing, which is simple to manage yet allows you to make significant and useful items early on and to enhance them in many ways. Items are constructed of two elements, a base element ( e.g. iron or steel) that determines the item base tier and a secondary element that determines what style motif to which the armor will conform. Each of the races of Tamriel has its own style motif which can be learned from picking up books on each. Even the Kajiit and Argonian have their own style motifs (finally, wtf Bethesda) and I really liked the look of the Kajiit helm I added to my otherwise Nord setup. Only the secondary elements can be purchased from vendors (they also drop).
Additionally, gems can be expended to add traits to craft items, but only after those traits have been learned by researching an item already bearing that trait. Research occurs on a static clock so you can fire it up before logging off and/or let it run while doing other things. This mechanic seems to be popular and I know other MMOs have implemented it since it first showed up (to my knowledge in Eve Online).
Existing items can also be improved with additional reagent types such as honing stones and Dwarven oil. This is where I have a gripe, as improvement can be applied with anywhere from one to five of the improvement reagents with each one you add adding another 20% to your chance of success. If you fail the item is destroyed, a man rings your doorbell, and he punches you in the face as you open the door. Okay so the punching does not actually happen, but you’ll sure feel like it did when you build a new item and decide that 80% odds are pretty good but lose the item anyway. I hate this mechanic and would have rather they just made the reagents five times less plentiful and only require one. This gambling mechanic is no fun and just teaches you to wait until you have five anyway, so why even tempt us?
Combat is an interesting mix of real time hit per click and auto targeted cool down abilities. Melee is hit per click like single player ES games, but magic attacks will remember the target that was in your crosshair when you started casting and will find its way to the target (if still in range) even if you move to the left or right, at least in PVE. I can’t say for sure with PVP (about which I will have more to say in a moment). The cooldown on all abilities seems to be very quick with stamina and magicka being the real limit to what you can do when. One of the big letdowns with Star Wars: Old Republic was its use of the old click to acquire a target and cue up the same four abilities dynamic that had already grown so stale in WoW. At early levels you still end up executing the same few moves in a row (there is no queue) until your targets become more varied and required different tactics.
There is no enormous menu of items and abilities as per the other MMOs I have played. There are only five hot keys allowed for each weapon load out you have and you can’t even use the second load out until level 15 so I never got to try that bit out. Surely some of this is because of the limits imposed by future support of ESO on PS4 and Xbox One and the controllers that will be used on those platforms. However I find this preferable to six rows containing every ability ever because when given that many options I still can’t find what I need when I really want it. The limited set requires you to have a plan of attack and execute it and if your next target is different, then you must rearrange your small set of keys. Having forty shortcuts never worked for me because when things got crazy there was only a 10% chance I could remember the location or hotkey for Divine Intervention in time to use it.
I got to PVP late on the last day but in short, I hated it. I’ve never been good at PVP in MMOs for the most part so I’m a hard sell on this feature, it’s one that just doesn’t appeal to me. For my part PVP games are Quake, or I’m not playing them.
All of Cyrodil is the battleground and each of the three factions has forts that can be taken, lost, and retaken, each supported by smaller nearby locations like farms and lumbermills which also must be defended or taken. You and 100 of your closest friends use siege weapons to breach the keeps and claim Elder Scrolls tucked away within. What it breaks down to for me is way too many people playing a game of capture the flag. If you are a melee character you get nuked before you can swing your blade. If there is no forward camp up when you die you have to run fifteen miles back to the fight (unless you have bought a mount for a small fortune of 17,400 gold) only to die again in an equally ridiculous way. Absolutely nothing about it was fun because unless you belong to a guild that only does this one thing with their lives you will never be on the winning side of the battle, period. I’m disappointed that this was the route Zenimax took for PVP, but again, I don’t generally like PVP, so this part of the game just doesn’t cater to me. There are other quest type options for the PVP areas that are scouting based missions but without a mount they just seemed like they would be work. I actually had much more fun back in Old Republic with its smaller 10 vs 10 maps on quick rotation.
There is a great deal of polish on the content in the Ebonheart Pact areas, but the time I spent beta before last in the Daggerfall Covenant area was less than impressive. NPCs spawned in silly places at the wrong time, reagents for crafting where far too scarce, and the voice acting and writing for Daggerfall is just not as good as Ebonheart Pact. In some instances it was downright abysmal. The graphics are breathtaking all over but I have not mentioned them until now because as much as I appreciate them they don’t make the game in any case. For my money I will not likely buy this title at launch but only because I have been burned so many times in the past buying MMOs at launch. They get cheap too fast, or go “free to play” so that you end up feeling like you got mugged and that is just not an experience I want to associate with Elder Scrolls or Zenimax. Once the launch dust clears, however, I will very likely be back to give this another go. The crafting and solo PVE still scratch the Elder Scrolls itch even if they are more MMO than ES. I am also interested to see what Zenimax does the subscription model and what kind of tweaks and updates they will make to the game. Even when not playing, I will still have a very close eye on ESO.
Author cwestpPosted on March 3, 2014 March 6, 2014 Categories Games, Video GamesTags Elder Scrolls, ESO, MMO1 Comment on Elder Scrolls Online Beta Impressions
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Toddler died after hanging himself on cord of window blind
September 17, 2015 /in Uncategorized /by Paul Pollard-Fraser
Thirteen-month-old Johnny Doran was pronounced dead at the John Radcliffe Hospital Photo: ITV Meridian
A toddler died by accidentally hanging himself on the cord of a window blind in his parents’ bedroom, an inquest heard.
Thirteen-month-old Johnny Doran was found suspended above the ground next to the window by his father Martin, 35, when he walked into the room.
The father-of-five, from Bampton, tried to resuscitate his son before ambulance crews arrived and took him to hospital in February.
The toddler never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead shortly before 10pm at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
Martin and Anne Doran lost another son, Martin Jr, to sudden infant death syndrome at their family home in November 2011.
On the evening of the latest tragedy, ground-worker Mr Doran had picked up his eldest son Jimmy, 13, from a boxing session, returning home just before 9pm.
His wife Anne and their two other children Larry, 11, and Margaret, nine, were watching TV in another room of the family bungalow in Weald Street.
Mrs Doran, a housewife, said she had sent her daughter to check on Johnny earlier in the evening and that he was fine.
The inquest heard that Mr Doran used the toilet by the back door before walking into the bedroom – which he shared with his youngest son – to put his coat away.
A statement by Mr Doran read: “I saw Johnny standing next to the window.
“He looked like he was leaning over.
“I knew something was wrong, he was not moving – he was limp.”
He then called the ambulance from his son Jimmy’s phone and gave his youngest son CPR.
Coroner Darren Salter said it was a “tragic accident” and described the boy’s death as “extremely sad and depressing”.
Mr Salter also encouraged homeowners to ensure their blinds met new legislation – as the Dorans’ set did not.
Detective Superintendent Andrew Ryan said that police investigations with trading standards found no wrong-doing on behalf of the blind company that now no longer trades.
The new rules state that blind cords – made after February last year – must either be fixed to the wall or have a snap-mechanism when more than 4kg is applied.
Mr Salter recorded a verdict of accidental death.
Last updated Wed 16 Sep 2015
http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2015-09-16/toddler-died-after-hanging-himself-on-cord-of-window-blind/
Tags: blinds, Mr Salter, Thirteen-month-old Johnny Doran, window
https://cheshireplantationshutters.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/devablindslogo-2-2.png 0 0 Paul Pollard-Fraser https://cheshireplantationshutters.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/devablindslogo-2-2.png Paul Pollard-Fraser2015-09-17 08:49:372015-09-17 08:49:37Toddler died after hanging himself on cord of window blind
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Economy Finance Auto Energy Tech Property Agriculture Retail
Manufacturing remains weak[1]- Chinadaily.com.cn The preliminary reading was 48.3, compared with 48.0 in March. A reading below 50 indicates a contraction.
Domestic demand improved slightly, as suggested by an increase in new orders. The sub-index reading rose to 47.7 in April from 46.5 in March. Output rebounded to 48.0 from 47.2.
Infrastructure projects set to boost growth – Business – Chinadaily.com.cn China announced 80 major public infrastructure projects on Wednesday to arrest the economy’s slowdown while experimenting with wider access for private and overseas investors.
The projects will cover railway and harbor construction, new infrastructure needed by information technology, major clean energy projects such as hydropower, wind power and photovoltaic power, as well as modernization projects in oil and gas and chemical industries.
China Opens 80 Projects in State-Run Sectors to Investors – Bloomberg The projects are in industries including railways, ports and clean energy, according to a statement posted on the central government’s website yesterday that cited a State Council meeting. The projects are also in information technology, oil and gas pipelines, coal-to-chemicals and petrochemicals, it said.
State-controlled companies including PetroChina Co. (857) and China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (386) have been leading a drive to find private investors amid a push by Premier Li Keqiang to give markets a bigger role in the allocation of resources. The country’s economy grew 7.4 percent in the first three months of the year, the slowest pace in six quarters.
Weakening RMB affecting dim sum bond market｜Finance｜Business｜WantChinaTimes.com Continued depreciation of the renminbi has made investors more cautious in credit checks of offshore RMB bond issuers as the fear of a market reaction has caused some Chinese companies to turn to dollar bonds to raise cash.
Since mid-February, the Chinese currency has depreciated by nearly 3%, meaning investors snapping up “dim sum bonds,” or RMB-denominated bonds issued outside the Chinese mainland, can no longer speculate on a rising yuan.
China Resources ‘mistress’ business link tracked – FT.com China Resources, the state-owned conglomerate whose chairman was detained last week by anti-corruption investigators, has allocated many of its investment banking deals over the past five years to institutions employing the chairman’s alleged mistress.
From 2009 until 2012, Credit Suisse was one of the most prominent advisers on acquisitions and capital market activity carried out by China Resources and its numerous subsidiaries, according to data from Dealogic financial services information. This period coincides with the employment of Yang Lijuan, who also goes by the name Helen Yang and who is alleged to have been the mistress of the disgraced China Resources chairman Song Lin.
Contrarian Fund Will Seek Opportunities in Suffering Chinese Shares – WSJ.com Value Partners Group Ltd., a money manager based in Hong Kong, plans to open a fund in the third quarter to snap up shares in companies such as coal miners and steelmakers. They have been big decliners since China’s government started making noise about pollution and taking aim at energy-intensive heavy industries.
“They are too severely punished, to the point where it’s worth thinking about deep value buying,” said Cheah Cheng Hye, chairman and co-chief investment officer of Value Partners Group Ltd., which will likely look to raise at least US$50 million for its contrarian fund.
Chinese firms turn to foreign investors to borrow – MarketWatch Businesses based in mainland China–led by banks, property developers and energy companies–at the end of last year had a total of $169.2 billion of bonds outstanding held by investors outside China, up 60% from the previous year and more than double the amount from 2011, according to a new analysis by Nomura Holdings Inc. Many of the bonds are sold in Hong Kong, a Chinese city that operates under its own laws, and in the Caribbean. Of all the estimated $2 trillion of Chinese corporate bonds outstanding, about 8% is held by foreigners, the Nomura study shows.
Chinese brokerages queue up for next round of IPOs | GlobalPost The China Securities Regulatory Commission published the application prospectuses of 19 firms on its website on Tuesday evening, bringing the total to 65 applicants over the last five days.
One firm, Guotai Junan Securities Co Ltd, has applied for an IPO in Shanghai that could raise nearly 22 billion yuan ($3.5 billion), according to Reuters calculations.
Short-Seller Accuses Chinese Rubber Recycler of Doctoring Financials – WSJ.com Short-seller Glaucus Research Group California LLC on Thursday accused a Taipei-listed Chinese foam-rubber recycler of doctoring its financials.
In a 32-page report, Glaucus said it believes Asia Plastic Recycling Holding Ltd , based in China’s Fujian province, has overstated its net income by around 10 times, citing Chinese government tax records. Glacus also said public-land records show the company paid much less than it reported in acquiring two pieces of land and in expanding a factory since 2011.
Tesla CEO Pledges to Build Up Support Network in China – WSJ.com Tesla Motors Inc. Chief Executive Elon Musk pledged to enhance the auto maker’s support network in China to help broaden use of the company’s niche electric car, and offered new details about a $5 billion battery factory Tesla plans to build in the U.S.
Speaking in Beijing Tuesday at a ceremony marking the first handover of a Tesla vehicle to a customer in China, Mr. Musk said U.S.-based Tesla is building out hundreds of service centers around China but didn’t offer a time frame for their completion.
China Ends Environmental Ban on CNPC, Sinopec Refining Projects – Bloomberg Overturning an eight month-old ban, China National Petroleum Corp. and China Petrochemical Corp. can resume applying for clearance from the Ministry of Environmental Protection for new refining and petrochemicals projects, the ministry said today on its website.
CNPC, China’s biggest oil and gas company and parent of PetroChina Co. (857), and Sinopec Group, Asia’s biggest refiner and parent of China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (386) known as Sinopec, were banned from seeking environmental clearances in September 2013 following a review of their emissions in 2012. The ban effectively prevented the companies from building new refineries and petrochemical facilities.
PetroChina Company Limited Given Average Rating of “Buy” by Brokerages (NYSE:PTR) | WKRB News PetroChina Company Limited (NYSE:PTR) has received an average recommendation of “Buy” from the twelve brokerages that are covering the company, ARN reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have given a hold recommendation and seven have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $102.00.
CNOOC Ltd offers $4bn bonds -Upstreamonline.com The overseas arm of state-run China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) is offering $4 billion worth of bonds to help repay loans related to its takeover of Canada’s Nexen last year.
CNOOC Ltd revealed it planned to sell $1.25 billion three-year notes, $2.25 billion 10-year notes and $500 million 30-year notes.
CNOOC Ltd names new Nexen boss -Upstreamonline.com Current executive vice president of CNOOC Ltd Fang Zhi will take over for Kevin Reinhart as Nexen’s chief executive, the company said.
Reinhart, who has worked for Nexen for 20 years, was named interim chief executive in early 2012 following the abrupt departure of former boss Marvin Romanow. Reinhart has held the position since then and oversaw the $15.1 billion sale to CNOOC Ltd, which was finalised in February last year.
Competition, Subsidies Hit China Mobile Earnings – WSJ.com China Mobile, however, has been dependent on homegrown 3G technology, which is compatible with fewer handsets. To maintain its dominant position, the company plans to double its capital spending to $12 billion this year to build a speedier 4G network. Apple and other major smartphone makers including Samsung Electronics Co., Sony Corp. and HTC Corp. already make phones to support this 4G standard.
China Mobile added 1.34 million 4G users in February, of which about one million were new iPhone users, Chief Executive Li Yue told The Wall Street Journal last month. The company said Tuesday it added 1.45 million 4G users in March, but it didn’t give a breakdown of iPhone users.
Tencent $2.5bn bond sale defies tech sector gloom – FT.com The deal, announced to the Hong Kong stock exchange on Wednesday, is part of the company’s medium-term notes programme established earlier this month, and is split into three-year and five-year tranches. The shorter duration debt offers a yield of just over 2 per cent while the notes maturing in 2019 – the bulk of the deal, at $2bn – pay out 3.4 per cent.
The five-year portion was priced at a spread over US Treasuries of 165 basis points, a new low for the company. It paid a spread of 375 bps in its first US dollar deal in 2011, and 275 bps in 2012.
Alibaba Starts to Sells First Ever Private Brand Hardware Tmall Box for 299 Yuan | TechNode Alibaba starts to sell set-top-box Tmall Box today on its B2C e-commerce site Tmall. This is the first time for the Chinese Internet giant to commercialize private brand hardware, although it has released last year another set-top box Wasu Rainbow together with Wasu Media, one of the several state-authorized content providers.
The product is priced at 299 yuan (around $48), while 10,000 Tmall credits will be distributed to each buyer, who can purchase 100 yuan worth of products on Tmall.
Xiaomi announces expansion into 10 more countries this year This afternoon Xiaomi, China’s fast-growing smartphone maker, held a meetup in Beijing to announce it would enter some new markets and also reveal a new product it had been teasing for the past several weeks.
Asia: Malaysia, Indonesia, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam
Europe: Russia, Turkey
Latin America: Mexico, Brazil
Uber rolls into Beijing, now in 5 cities across China As is Uber’s usual strategy, the Beijing debut is a quiet ‘soft’ launch ahead of a more high-profile entrance at a later date. Uber gave rides to two Beijing luminaries earlier today – local tech blogger Keso, and Beijing newbie Hugo Barra, the Googler who’s now heading the global push at phone-maker Xiaomi.
New competition coming soon in China 4G, broadband | South China Morning Post Just a day after China Mobile (0941.HK; NYSE: CHL) reported some of its worst results in years, new developments in the telecoms space are showing why the nation’s leading telco will face a rough time for the rest of this year and quite possibly well beyond that. According to the latest media reports, China’s telecoms regulator could issue 4G licenses for the main technology being used by China Mobile’s two rivals as soon as next month, injecting a major shot of competition into the market. The second telecoms news bit comes in broadband, with reports that the nation’s newly formed national cable TV company has formally registered and will start business soon.
Huawei to boost its smartphone brand via new retail, online push | South China Morning Post “There are different ways to build a brand,” said Shao Yang, vice-president of marketing for Huawei’s consumer business group. “We will adopt measures not that new to the market but new to Huawei.”
Shao said the China market will be the focus of the company’s efforts in 2014, mainly because of the launch of 4G networks on the mainland. The company trails only Samsung and Apple as a leading producer of smartphones. It plans to manufacture 80 million smartphones this year, having shipped 52 million units in 2013.
China mobile Zong wins Pakistan’s 3G, 4G spectrum – Xinhua | English.news.cn Pakistan raised 1.1 billion U.S. dollars in its first auction for 3G and 4G mobile phone networks on Wednesday and China Mobile Pakistan, or Zong, emerged the sole winner of Pakistan 4G spectrum license and one of four winners of the country’s 3G spectrum licenses.
China Money Network − CITIC Capital, Sonae Sierra Launch Property Management Joint Venture CITIC Capital Holdings Limited and international shopping center operator Sonae Sierra says they have launched a joint venture to provide management and leasing services to shopping centers in China, according to a company announcement.
Headquartered in Shanghai, the joint venture will focus on adding long-term value to shopping centers in China. It will start by providing property management services to retail projects currently invested by CITIC Capital.
Shanghai Dairy planning independent public listing｜Companies｜Business｜WantChinaTimes.com Shanghai Dairy Group, a subsidiary of Bright Dairy and Foods, plans to go public independently, the subsidiary’s chairperson Shen Weiping told Shanghai-based China Business News, denying rumors about Shanghai Dairy’s capital being invested into the listed Bright Foods stock-trading platform.
Shen also said that Shanghai Dairy had reached an agreement with Nestle to build a milk production line in the Heilongjiang region of northeastern China to supply milk to Nestle’s baby formula brands. The planned investment will be worth several billion yuan, Shen stated.
Posted in Business Briefs and tagged Alibaba, Asia Plastic Recycling Holding, China Mobile, China National Petroleum, CITIC Capital Holdings, CNOOC, Guotai Junan Securities, Huawei, PetroChina, Shanghai Dairy Group, Sinopec, Tencent, Value Partners Group, Xiaomi, Zong on April 24, 2014 by bucketoftongues. Leave a comment
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Reform of China’s state-owned sector gains momentum | South China Morning Post **Cross river by feeling the stones, etc** Far from the spotlight, in secretive high-level meetings and company boardrooms, Beijing is drawing up one of the country’s thorniest reforms: an overhaul of China’s hugely inefficient state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
It shapes up as an eclectic mix of pilot projects and initiatives rather than a single blueprint, which makes it hard to judge their progress.
Yet, taken together, they probably mark the beginning of the biggest revamp of China’s state sector since the late 1990s, when Beijing set out to shore up industry before joining the World Trade Organisation.
South China’s Balancing Act Between Raising Wages & Keeping Investors | China Briefing News In South China for example, minimum wages were last increased in Dongguan, Foshan, Zhuhai and Zhongshan on a mandatory basis on May 1st of last year. This year, no announcement has been made, although rumors are the increase is being deferred a few months to August.
There are signals that local governments are now having to strike a balancing act between making companies happy (with no further labor cost raises) and workers demanding higher salaries – which will attract more workers and increase local consumption. In terms of social insurance, although this is compulsory, some local companies have been late in paying their obligations in full.
Chinese Bad-Loan Ratio Rises ‘Significantly,’ Huarong Says (1) – Businessweek China’s bad-loan ratio rose “significantly” in the first quarter, increasing risks for the nation’s banking industry, according to the nation’s largest manager of soured debt.
The business environment this year has been “grim and complicated” as lenders face pressures on asset quality, liquidity and lending margins, China Huarong Asset Management Co. Chairman Lai Xiaomin said during an internal meeting on April 15, according to a statement today on the website of the Beijing-based company.
Chinese Shoemakers Are on Strike for Benefits — But Who Will Foot the Bill? – China Real Time Report – WSJ The workers said the Hong Kong-listed company has been making social insurance contributions based on basic wages rather than total actual pay as required by law.
According to an estimate by a not-for-profit labor support organization, Yue Yuen’s back payments could total more than 100 million-200 million yuan ($16 million-$32 million) depending on how many of the workers are owed for long years of service.
Slower growth poses challenges: AmCham[1]- Chinadaily.com.cn “With slower growth, we see more challenges,” AmCham China Chairman Gregory Gilligan told reporters in Beijing. “That is the reason some American companies are scaling back their investment plans.”
China Warns of Rising Risks From ‘P2P’ Lending – WSJ.com **Again** “Currently, P2P lending has been growing rapidly. The number of new P2P lending websites and the total of loans they have issued have been rising rapidly,” said Liu Zhangjun, director general of the Office of the Interagency Anti-illegal Fundraising Taskforce, a group that includes bank regulators, police and court officials.
Closer Look: Regulator Takes Hard Look at Jack Ma-Hundsun Deal – **Is Ma starting to overreach?** The securities regulator has been consulting large securities firms and fund companies regarding the proposed acquisition of a leading financial software provider by Jack Ma, the founder and chairman of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, sources with knowledge of the matter said.
Banks to issue preferred shares this year – Headlines, features, photo and videos from ecns.cn The first batch of Chinese commercial banks may issue preferred shares this year, and investors will ask for a higher dividend rate while putting up with more uncertainties, experts said.
Preferred shares pay fixed dividends and enjoy priority over common stock in the event of bankruptcy. They typically do not trade on the open market, carry no voting rights and do not dilute net profits attributable to shareholders.
“The pace of Agricultural Bank of China and Bank of China is faster, and they probably will issue preferred shares this year,” said an insider at one of the four major State-owned commercial banks.
China may let banks default when deposit insurance begins – SFGate Authorities may tolerate failures of smaller banks once depositor safeguards are in place, Kwong Li, Chief Executive Officer of China Lianhe Credit Rating Co. said. Among lender bonds rated at or below AA, the extra yield investors demand to hold the 2022 securities of China Bohai Bank Co. in the northern city of Tianjin surged to an 11-month high of 245 basis points on Thursday. The premium on the notes due 2019 of Harbin Bank Co., a lender near China’s border with Russia, has jumped 51 basis points in the past year to 225.
DZHNews.com- Breaking China Biz News, Financial Updates, Corporate News Wang Yongli, vice president of Bank of China Ltd. (BOC, 601988.SH) quitted his job last week, following reports that he was under investigation by the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) discipline department.
Wang’s resignation came after he had reportedly been investigated by the CPC’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).
Forex controls and VIEs | China Accounting Blog | Paul Gillis Chukong Holdings Limited filed on last Friday with the SEC for a U.S. IPO. Chukong is an online game company so it uses the variable interest entity (VIE) structure despite a specific MIIT prohibition against using VIEs for game companies. The company also faces a lawsuit alleging they ripped off their game Fishing Joy from an arcade game, report that they have not been paying required employee benefits, never bothered to register their stock option plan, and have an auditor facing suspension by the SEC, but based on past history investors ignore such matters.
Beijing mulls bond sales by local gov’ts｜Finance｜Business｜WantChinaTimes.com Money raised by the bond sales could be used to partly finance construction projects that have been included in the provincial-level governments’ general public budget plans, it said.
No other forms of debt raising by local governments and their subordinate organs would be allowed under the draft revision. Furthermore, local governments and their subordinate departments should not provide debt guarantees for any institutions or individuals, under the proposals.
WH Group Said to Mull Cutting $5.3 Billion IPO in Half on Demand – Bloomberg The company may sell new shares equivalent to 10 percent of its enlarged market capital, about half of what it previously planned, the people said yesterday, asking not to be identified as the information is private. Existing investors including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) may also refrain from selling stock as part of the IPO, the people said.
At $5.3 billion, the WH Group IPO would have been Hong Kong’s biggest since October 2010, when AIA Group (1299) Ltd. raised $20 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The company struggled to attract investors even after hiring 28 underwriters, the most ever for an IPO in the city.
Wanda Cinema Line Plans CNY2 Billion IPO in Shenzhen — Update – WSJ.com China’s biggest cinema operator in terms of box office revenue plans to sell up to 60 million yuan-denominated A shares to fund the opening of new cinemas and to supplement working capital, according to a preliminary prospectus posted late Monday by the China Securities Regulatory Commission.
The planned listing comes as China pushes to generate economic growth more through domestic spending and less through state-backed investment. The film industry, part of the so-called “cultural industry” that Beijing wants to build up, has in recent years grown rapidly with box office revenue rising by about 30% a year.
Huarong Q1 profits up by 75% – Business – Chinadaily.com.cn Huarong, one of four asset management companies the government set up in 1999 to absorb toxic assets held by China’s four biggest banks, said total assets and net assets were 432.9 billion yuan and 56.7 billion yuan, respectively, at the end of March.
Profits nose dive for Chinese rare earth miner｜Markets｜Business｜WantChinaTimes.com The company made 1.6 million yuan (US$261,300) in net profits from the start of January to the end of March, diving by 94.1% year on year, according to a financial report released on Monday.
The miner’s business revenue also declined by 98.5% to reach 3.3 million yuan (US$529,100) in the first three months. The financial results came after a 20.5% decline in net profits and a 57.6% drop in business revenue in 2013.
GM to battle VW in China with $12 billion investment and new plants | Reuters GM expects its China sales to expand 8-10 percent this year, in line with the overall growth of the Chinese market, where foreign firms, such as Volkswagen AG, and domestic players like SAIC Motor Corp vie for more market share.
“We are investing wisely and accelerating our vehicle development and manufacturing to keep pace with market demand. In total we are investing $12 billion between 2014 and 2017,” Matt Tsien, president of GM China, said at the Auto China show in Beijing.
Chinese Nissan Leaf goes on sale in September as Venucia e30 The upcoming Chinese version of the Nissan Leaf, the Venucia e30, was not the highlight of the Dongfeng Nissan stand at this year’s Beijing Motor Show. That honor goes to the R30, a compact car with “segment-competitive fuel economy” and a starting price of under RMB 50,000 ($8,033 US). But that doesn’t mean Dongfeng didn’t make some news about the debut of the world’s most popular electric vehicle in the world’s most populous country.
China Province to Spend $3.35 Billion on Water Projects – Bloomberg A northeastern Chinese province is planning to invest 20.9 billion yuan ($3.35 billion) this year on water-conservation projects as the world’s most-populous nation tries to ensure residential and industrial supplies.
The works in Heilongjiang province, which borders Russia, will highlight agricultural irrigation and drainage, improved flood protection and preserving water resources, the official Xinhua News Agency reported today, citing a provincial government work meeting.
Sany digs deep to lay foundation in Africa[1]- Chinadaily.com.cn However, Xiao Jiang, general manager of subsidiary Sany Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd, said that while Africa has tantalizing potential as a market, any Chinese company contemplating taking advantage of that potential needs to take a long-term view.
“If all you do is scramble for market share by offering the lowest price and don’t care about related services, it’s only a matter of time before your operations fold,” Xiao said.
CNOOC Limited Announces Key Operational Statistics of Q1 | The Jakarta Post – PR Newswire In the first quarter, the Company achieved a total net production of 108.1 million barrels of oil equivalent (“BOE”), representing 15.5% increase year over year (YoY).
In the first quarter, the unaudited oil and gas sales revenue of the Company reached approximately RMB59.15 billion, representing an increase of 6.9% YoY, mainly due to the increase of oil and gas production. During the period, the Company’s average realized gas price was US$6.33 per thousand cubic feet, representing an increase of 9.3% YoY while the Company’s average realized oil price was US$104.63 per barrel.
PetroChina hikes 2015 shale gas output target to 2.6 bil cu m: report – Natural Gas | Platts News Article & Story State-owned PetroChina has hiked its shale gas production target significantly and now expects to produce 2.6 billion cubic meters/year next year, a senior executive was reported as saying Monday.
This is an increase from an earlier target of 1.5 billion cu m/year made in August last year.
China Petroleum and Chemical’s Underperform Rating Reaffirmed at Zacks (SNP) – Mideast Time Zacks’ analyst wrote, “We are maintaining our recommendation on Sinopec at Underperform, ahead of first quarter results. During 2013, the company witnessed a sharp drop in crude oil prices, which dragged down the Exploration and Production (E&P) segment’s operating profit by 21.8% year over year. However, increases in the price of international crude oil amid government caps on fuel prices prevented the company from fully passing on the spiraling costs to consumers. We believe that Sinopec’s matured domestic oil fields and associated rising costs will continue to be an overhang on its operations as natural declines become pricier to counterbalance. In view of these factors, we see no positive catalyst in the near term.”
Exclusive – Nigeria favours local firms in $40 billion oil contract awards – Yahoo Singapore Finance A number of other former winners were also absent from the 2014/2015 list, which will take effect from June. China’s Unipec, the trading arm of top Asian refiner Sinopec Corp , as well as Azeri state oil company Socar, were former contract holders and did not feature on the new list.
China Hydroelectric Corporation Announces Results for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2013: PR Newswire Business News – MSN Money China Hydroelectric Corporation (NYSE: CHC, CHCWS) (“China Hydroelectric” or “the Company”), an owner, developer, and operator of small hydroelectric power projects in the People’s Republic of China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and twelve months ended December 31, 2013.
For the fourth quarter of 2013, revenues from continuing operations (net of value-added tax) declined by 18.5% year over year to $10.1 million, due to a 16.6% decline in electricity sold. We recorded a net loss attributable to China Hydroelectric shareholders from continuing operations of $5.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2013, compared to a $9.2 million loss for the same period of 2012. This improvement is partially attributable to a $2.9 million decrease in general and administrative expenses.
China Mobile Profit Declines as Costs Rise With IPhone Release – Bloomberg China Mobile Ltd. (941), the world’s largest phone company by users, posted its third straight drop in quarterly profit as expenses for subsidizing Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s iPhone and building networks increased.
Net income fell 9.4 percent to about 25.24 billion yuan ($4 billion) in the first quarter, the Beijing-based company reported yesterday. Profit was expected to be 27 billion yuan, based on the median of five analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg News.
China Unicom Q1 Earnings Soar on 3G Adoption – April 22, 2014 – Zacks.com China Unicom Hong Kong Limited, China’s second largest mobile operator, announced results for first-quarter 2014 with adjusted net income of RMB 3.302 billion ($539.5 million) that surged 73.8% year over year on strong revenue growth and higher adoption of the 3G plan. Earnings per share soared 75% year over year to RMB 0.14 (2 cents).
Total revenue (excluding deferred fixed-line upfront connection fee) climbed 8.3% year over year to RMB 76.5 billion ($12.5 billion) in the first quarter. Telecommunication service revenues, comprising roughly 81% of total revenue, were RMB 63.80 billion ($10.4 billion), up 11.8% year over year.
Xi’s Squeeze Leaves China’s Heartland Missing Boom – Bloomberg “Cities in China are facing some serious real estate bubbles, and the bubbles in third-, fourth-tier cities have the risks of total collapse,” said Tao Ran, director of the China Center for Public Economics and Governance at Renmin University in Beijing, in a phone interview on March 31. “The central government and banks tightened credit in the property market because they realized the risks.”
Liu said three years ago he could get loans from China Construction Bank Corp. (939) and Agricultural Bank of China Ltd. for half the value of the land at about 6 percent to 7 percent interest. Now he’s forced to rely on “friends with connections” and pay rates of about 20 percent.
Closer Look: Why Gov’t Is Eager to Renovate Shantytowns – Premier Li Keqiang said in a recent work report that the government plans to start building 7 million low-income housing units this year, 340,000 more than the number built last year. But the number to be completed is 4.8 million, 640,000 units less than in 2013.
A rough estimate based on the data from Li’s report shows investment in affordable housing for this year will be around 1.2 trillion yuan, similar to last year’s level. In 2013, 1.12 trillion yuan was spent to build affordable housing, equivalent to 13 percent of the year’s total real estate investment, and 2 percent of GDP.
Shandong Airlines orders 50 Boeing aircraft for US$4.6 billion | South China Morning Post The company signed a deal to purchase 16 Boeing 737-800s and 34 Boeing 737 MAX planes, a statement said, in a drive to grow its fleet for business expansion in the future.
China’s commercial airline industry is dominated by the “Big Three” – flag carrier Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines – but a move towards greater competition has seen the growth of smaller players in the market.
China Money Network − Baidu Likely To Report Better-Than-Expected Earnings Baidu, Inc. will report first quarter results on April 24th after the market close. We believe its results are highly likely to come in better than consensus expectations, mainly driven by its mobile business and other non-traditional search businesses such as online video.
In the mobile area, the number of downloads for both Baidu app stores and Baidu’s apps showed significant growth based on our proprietary data.
Ban on Video Game Consoles Tentatively Lifted in the Shanghai FTZ | China Briefing News **Nuts, when you think about it** On Monday this week, details were announced regarding the lifting of China’s 14-year ban on video game consoles, set to begin as a pilot program in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone (FTZ). The lifting of the ban is poised to fundamentally alter China’s lucrative video gaming market, which is currently dominated by PC and mobile games, as the giants of console gaming compete over the world’s 3rd largest video game market in terms of revenue (valued at 123 billion yuan).
Qingguo Jizhang, WeChat-based Daily Expenses Tracking App | TechNode Qingguo Jizhang is one of those expense tracking apps that hopes to make your life easier through their outstanding value proposition – using audio recording function to track your expenses.
By tapping on the WeChat platform and its audio message capability, Qingguo Jizhang wants to make expense tracking easily accessible, hassle-free and most importantly, cultivate a habit of managing your finances on a daily basis.
Alibaba’s chat app has turned its focus away from messaging **”Me too! Me too!”** How is the new Laiwang different from the old app? For starters, let’s take a look at the design. A screenshot of the original Laiwang ought to show up as a picture under the Chinese-English dictionary entry for the word “uninspired.” Its app icon featured a speech bubble enclosed in a kelly green backdrop. Look familiar? Laiwang’s user interface, meanwhile, closely mimicked that of the original WeChat interface, before Tencent placed public accounts on separate pages from ordinary contacts pages.
Now, the updated Laiwang is drenched in sour-candy yellow as it sports a new lemon theme. It even has a new mascot of sorts – anthropomorphic lemons.
Days after promising to go legit, police in China raid offices of notorious video piracy app Police in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen performed a raid this morning on the offices of one of China’s most notorious video piracy apps. The raid on Kuaibo, makers of the QVOD app for streaming films and TV shows, comes less than a week after the company promised to remove pirated content – which can be streamed or downloaded – from QVOD.
Late last year, QVOD (pictured below) and a mobile app made by search engine Baidu were the targets of a $50 million legal challenge by legitimate video streaming sites in China.
China Money Network − China Everbright Supports Management Buyout Of iSoftStone Beijing-based Chinese IT services provider iSoftStone Holdings Limited says it has entered into a definitive agreement, in which its chairman and CEO Liu Tianwen, together with China Everbright Investment Management Limited, will take the company private, according to a company announcement.
Millions of China’s Farmers Now Buy Climate-Change Insurance – Scientific American Li is one of hundreds of millions of Chinese farmers who are now using insurance as a tool to hedge against the risks of climate change. China is the world’s second-largest agricultural insurance market after the United States by premium income, and it is scrambling to spread the use of climate-related insurance into other sectors.
Chinese policymakers in recent years have already persuaded hundreds of millions of farmers there to buy agricultural insurance, forming a capability of covering losses worth 1.4 trillion yuan ($225 billion) in 2013. Climate risks are known as the biggest danger for losses in agriculture.
Fosun-TPG Group Agrees to Buy Chindex With Sweetened Bid – Bloomberg **Wonder how this will affect expat media – United Family Hospitals are one of their biggest advertisers** Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. (2196) and its partners agreed to acquire hospital operator Chindex International Inc. (CHDX) for about $433 million, after raising their offer to counter another bidder.
The group comprising Fosun Pharma, TPG Capital and Roberta Lipson, Chindex’s chief executive officer, boosted its offer for the hospital operator to $24 a share from $19.50, the Chinese drugmaker said yesterday. Chindex, based in Bethesda, Maryland, signed an amended agreement with the group after another bidder, who earlier offered $23 a share, declined to bid further, Chindex said in a separate statement
Posted in Business Briefs and tagged Agricutural Bank, Air China, Alibaba, Baidu, Bank of China, China Bohai Bank, China Eastern, China Everbright Investment Management, China Hydroelectric Corporation, China Lianhe Credit Rating Co., China Mobile, China Southern, China Unicom, Chindex International, Chukong Holdings Limited, CNOOC, Dongfeng Motor, Harbin Bank, Huarong, iSoftStone Holdings, Kuaibo, PetroChina, Qingguo Jizhang, Sany Southern Africa, Sinopec, Wanda Group, WH Group on April 23, 2014 by bucketoftongues. Leave a comment
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Bank Defaults Seen as Dark Side of Deposit Vows: China Credit – Bloomberg Authorities may tolerate failures of smaller banks once depositor safeguards are in place, Kwong Li, chief executive officer of China Lianhe Credit Rating Co. said. Among lender bonds rated at or below AA, the extra yield investors demand to hold the 2022 securities of China Bohai Bank Co. in the northern city of Tianjin surged to an 11-month high of 245 basis points on April 17. The premium on the notes due 2019 of Harbin Bank Co., a lender near China’s border with Russia, has jumped 41 basis points in the past year to 217.
China allows gold imports via Beijing, sources say, amid reserves buying talk | Reuters China has begun allowing gold imports through its capital Beijing, sources familiar with the matter said, in a move that would help keep purchases by the world’s top bullion buyer discreet at a time when it might be boosting official reserves.
The opening of a third import point after Shenzhen and Shanghai could also threaten Hong Kong’s pole position in China’s gold trade, as the mainland can get more of the metal it wants directly rather than through a route that discloses how much it is buying.
China streamlines tax break procedures for SMEs – Business – Chinadaily.com.cn The State Administration of Taxation (SAT) said in a statement that small firms with annual taxable income under 100,000 yuan (about $16,000) may have their business income tax halved without approvals.
On April 8, Chinese authorities rolled out the taxbreak, which is valid from Jan 1 this year until the end of 2016, shortly after a cabinet executive meeting, at which the government announced an economic package to address downward pressure.
China Unveils Slate of 28 Companies Planning IPOs – WSJ.com Beijing ended a 14-month-long moratorium on initial public offerings in January, allowing 48 companies to be listed in the first two months of this year. However, the new issues halted abruptly in March, when authorities stopped granting approvals because of loopholes in new IPO rules and lackluster market conditions.
But late Friday night, the China Securities Regulatory Commission announced a list of 28 companies that have disclosed their IPO plans. The “preliminary disclosure” of IPO plans, which includes the size of fundraising and intended use of proceeds, typically suggests the regulator is close to the final stage of issuing approvals.
Commercial banks need to diversify business – BUSINESS – Globaltimes.cn China’s commercial banks should diversify beyond traditional banking, Yi Gang, deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China (PBC), the country’s central bank, said over the weekend.
Instead of competing on better services for local residents and small and medium-sized enterprises, many city commercial banks are vying with each other in expanding their retail footprint, according to Yi, who cautioned the country’s commercial banks have yet to develop specific services targeting the fields of real estate, automobile, bills or credit cards.
First Shanghai Stock Designated for Delisting in 7 Years Plunges – Bloomberg Shares of the oil-shipping company, which has posted four consecutive annual losses, fell 9.8 percent to 1.47 yuan as of 9:40 a.m., compared with a 0.3 percent decline for China’s benchmark Shanghai Composite Index. (SHCOMP) The stock, which had been suspended for a year until today, will move to an over-the-counter board for small- and medium-size enterprises after 30 trading days, according to the company.
China firm plans $1 billion distressed asset fund for foreigners | Reuters A unit of one of China’s biggest bad-debt banks plans to woo foreign investors with a $1 billion fund for soured property loans and distressed real-estate assets, reopening the sector to outsiders after a failed attempt last decade.
That the fund is being launched just as growth in the world’s second-largest economy has slowed to an 18-month low and the housing market is losing strength is no coincidence.
Agricultural Bank of China launches ‘Pretty Mom’ credit card – Economic Times A Chinese bank has launched a new ‘Pretty Mom’ credit card targeting young mothers, a growing group in the world’s most populous country known for their love of shopping and their greater say in the family budget.
The cards – issued by Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) – focus on the needs of new mothers with children up to the age of six by offering discounts on major baby productbrands and early education institutions.
HEARD ON THE STREET: China’s Geely Shouldn’t Drive Solo – WSJ.com Geely isn’t without foreign expertise: Its parent company bought Volvo in 2010. Yet the benefits of this are out of reach for Geely’s shareholders. Volvo sales are up 25% this year in China, all of which goes to the parent. Geely and Volvo opened a joint research center last year and are working on a new subcompact, but results will take time.
Geely’s shares are down 24% this year. Even so, they are no bargain. Geely earns nearly a quarter of its operating profit from government subsidies and capitalizes a chunk of research-and-development spending. Strip out these elements, and the stock trades at 14.3 times core earnings, according to estimates from Sanford C. Bernstein.
Brilliance China Automotive Holdings, which builds higher-margin premium cars with BMW, fetches only 12.2 times. Investors should be skeptical as long as Geely drives solo.
Chinese Car Makers Struggle to Lure Buyers – WSJ.com Chinese brands are struggling to win Chinese consumers, a trend that appears to have accelerated in the first quarter. Geely’s Hong Kong-listed unit reported sales of 89,607 vehicles, down about 37%. Warren Buffett -backed BYD Co. sold 103,500 cars in China in the first quarter, a drop of about 28% from the same period the previous year. Chery Automobile Co. reported a 25% fall to 109,000 vehicles.
Poor quality, uninspiring marketing and an inefficient industry structure lie at the heart of Chinese auto makers’ woes. Compounding these problems, foreign car makers and their Chinese joint-venture partners are increasingly looking to produce low-cost cars as they anticipate a boom in demand as hundreds of millions of rural Chinese move to cities to seek jobs, housing and cars. Foreign car makers are required to operate in China through joint ventures with Chinese auto makers.
China set to replace U.S. as Volvo’s biggest market this year – Yahoo Singapore Finance China is set to surpass the United States to become Volvo Car Group’s biggest market in 2014 with sales of at least 80,000 cars in the world’s largest auto market.
Its car sales target for 2014 is around a third higher than the 61,146 cars sold in 2013, while sales in the United States in 2014 are expected to increase only in line with the broader market, it said in a statement on Sunday.
Daimler/BYD Joint Venture Unveil Plans for All-Electric Car for China – WSJ.com The new electric car, called the Denza, is entitled to subsidies from both the central and local governments in China, Daimler officials said. The car was developed by Shenzen BYD Daimler New Technology Co. Ltd, the Daimler-BYD joint venture that was formed in 2010. The five-seater Denza is expected to go on sale in China in September, and is priced at 369,000 renminbi, or about $60,000. With government subsidies, Daimler said the price for the consumer could be reduced by 120,000 renminbi.
Construction at Karuma hydro power project starts THE Karuma hydro-power project, worth about Sh.4.3 trillion ($1.7billion) has commenced with the construction of two big underground access tunnels and access roads at the site.
The eight month old construction of the 600 megawatts dam was commissioned by President Yoweri Museveni in August 2013, who said 85% of the funding will be procured by Sinohydro Corporation Ltd, a Chinese firm with a soft loan from Exim bank and the Uganda government will cater for the 15%.
Merapoh, China Energy JV to revive Zipy | theSundaily The agreement will see state-owned China Energy emerging as a majority shareholder with a 70% equity interest in Merapoh and an investment of almost RM70 billion by China Energy, which will enable Merapoh to proceed with its projects and plans.
According to a media advisory issued by Merapoh last Friday, the most immediate project that Merapoh intends to proceed with is the creation of Malaysia’s biggest oil refinery complex to be built in Kedah.
China Is Quietly Profiting From the Russia-Ukraine Standoff: Here’s How Much to the chagrin of the United States, China has the innate ability to negotiate major energy deals in the midst of conflict. PetroChina’s (NYSE: PTR) state-run parent company, China National Petroleum, or CNPC, was the first oil company to secure a contract in the Iraqi oil fields following the fall of Saddam Hussein, and today both it and CNOOC (NYSE: CEO) are two of the most active oil comapnies there. With Russia and the West at a standstill over the recent events in Ukraine, it appears that CNPC is about to seal another energy coup. Let’s look at this deal and what it means for the future of energy around the world.
Nuclear plants to get the nod[1]- Chinadaily.com.cn China is quickening its approvals for nuclear energy and will launch projects in coastal areas to ensure energy security and economic growth, according to the State Energy Commission.
In a statement released on Sunday, the commission said it discussed strategic problems in the development of the energy resources industry as well as some major projects.
The latest approvals of nuclear plants and other energy projects are part of the government’s plan to push economic growth with minimal measures.
Merging cloud, big data and smart cities – Headlines, features, photo and videos from ecns.cnTian, founder and chairman of China Broadband Capital Partners LP, is probably the best-known venture capitalist in the country and one of the first players in China’s big data business.
“Data is the most valuable asset in the 21st century. We can build a long industry chain based on data-related businesses such as analytics, information security and statistics exchange,” Tian said during the opening of the Shenzhen data center on March 30, which was built in less than six months.
Chinese Mobile Gaming Company Chukong Files for US IPO to Raise USD150 million | TechNode The company, according to SEC filing, positions itself as a mobile content platform and development service provider, but it’s more known as a mobile game developer and, more recently, mobile game development service provider. In 2013, 98.5% of its total revenues were from mobile gaming and the rest, 1.5%, was from advertising — it runs a mobile advertising platform PunchBox.
New York Real-Estate Agent Scores $13 Million Deal on WeChat – China Real Time Report – WSJ Last month, Yue (Emma) Hao, a New York-based agent at real-estate brokerage Douglas Elliman, received an unsolicited message on WeChat from a Chinese entrepreneur who wanted to know more about a residential building in Manhattan associated with the crystal brand Baccarat. Ms. Hao, who is from Beijing, realized the person was talking about the Baccarat Residences, a 50-story glass condo tower under construction across from New York’s Museum of Modern Art. The building, which is expected to open later this year, will have 61 units priced from about $3 million to about $60 million.
Ms. Hao left a message with the person on WeChat, telling her she’d inquire. After visiting the Baccarat’s sales center, she sent the Chinese entrepreneur, whom she declined to name, pictures of what the condos would look like and the neighborhood’s amenities. The next day, after speaking with the woman by phone, Ms. Hao hammered out the deal: a $10.25 million three-bedroom apartment on the 39th floor and a one-bedroom unit on the 21st floor for about $3 million.
Apple’s App Store China revenue jumps 70% after China Mobile deal – Silicon Valley Business Journal Apple iOS revenue from China increased 70 percent this quarter, according to a report from apps analytics firm App Annie. The index also found that the games, travel and social networking categories led the strong app download numbers.
China Money Network − Why Do We Still Like The Chinese Technology Sector? Governments around the world are slowly shifting away from austerity and, comprising 20% of spend in technology, are expected to be a contributor of overall demand for technology related goods and services.
The sector also has good exposure to the emerging markets where demand growth is structurally strong. In the case of the smart- phone market, penetration rates in Asia are a fraction of that in the U.S. and are likely to increase over time as people become wealthier.
Lastly, the technology sector is not expensive relative to its own history and in certain markets, such as the U.S., is trading at a discount to the local market indices.
China Money Network − Counting Jack Ma’s $5B Shopping Spree In 2014 As you will see from the list below, most deals are led by Alibaba Group. Even though he stepped down as CEO last May, Jack Ma continues to shape the company’s business strategy. Not to mention he still holds 7.4% of the e-commerce giant.
Travel and Expense Management Solution Baoku Announces Nearly $10 Mn of Series A Funding | TechNode Kubao, Chinese business travel & expense management solution provider, recently confirmed on its microblog that the startup raised nearly $10 million of Series A funding from CBC and AsiaInfo Linkage without disclosing the detailed amount of the financing.
Founded in 2007, the Beijing-based SAAS startup builds web-based corporate travel management systems that ensure policy and regulatory compliance, sales platforms for airlines and traveling agencies, as well analytics systems.
China to maintain high grain output in 2014-2023 – Business – Chinadaily.com.cn Xu Shiwei, director of the Agriculture Information Institute under the CAAS, said that the output of China’s three main grain crops — rice, wheat and corn — will achieve a high rate of self-sufficiency during the next decade.
Imports for meat and dairy products will see rising growth, while slower growth will be seen in soybean imports, and cooking oil imports will decline, Xu said.
Can KFC Win Back China? Any investor savvy to Chinese growth stories knows about Yum! Brands’ (NYSE: YUM) KFC. Since opening its first shop in 1987, KFC has reigned as the chicken king in China. Already operating more than 6,000 Chinese stores, KFC’s future growth will be harder to attain. KFC has also lost favor with Chinese consumers in the face of greater Western competition and health scares.
Let’s look back at how KFC won China the first time, and see whether or not the chain can do so again.
China Focus: Chinese manufacturers not counting on yuan depreciation for profits – Xinhua English.news.cn“Regardless of depreciation or appreciation, the impact on us would be complex,” said Sun Shubao, a senior executive of Haier Group, one of China’s leading home appliance firms with 24 factories worldwide.
“The yuan’s depreciation will not boost our exports as people assume,” Sun said.
Posted in Business Briefs and tagged Agricultural Bank, Alibaba, Brilliance China Automotive Holdings, BYD, Chery Automobile, China Broadband Capital Partners, China Energy, China Mobile, China National Petroleum, Chukong, CNOOC, First Shanghai, Geely, Haier, PetroChina, Sinohydro Corporation, Tencent on April 21, 2014 by bucketoftongues. Leave a comment
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Four reasons the yuan will struggle to gain acceptance | South China Morning Post Yet a look at the economic history books advises caution. Over the past 50 years, other currencies – including the deutschemark, its successor the euro, and the Japanese yen – had been tipped to steal the dollar’s crown.
All failed. And the obstacles the yuan will have to overcome to unseat the dollar are just as formidable as those that defeated the three earlier pretenders.
Intel Economist Sees Pollution Contributing to Slower China Growth – China Real Time Report – WSJ Mr. Thomas predicted slower growth in China, the world’s second-largest economy, in part because of rising concern about air-pollution problems. He said Intel, like many non-Chinese companies, has installed additional air filters in its facilities in China and that many employees use air filters in their homes.
Shenzhen has China’s highest minimum wage｜Markets｜Business｜WantChinaTimes.com The Shenzhen city government announced that the city’s minimum wage has been raised from US$213 to US$241 a month, which has made it the city with the most expensive labor in China. The minimum wage in the city in 1992 was US$39.
In 2013, Shanghai had the largest minimum wage, followed by Shenzhen and Guangdong. In addition to Shenzhen, the growth for the minimum wage in Xinjiang was 31%, 29.8% in Jiangsu, 19.2% in Guangdong, 11.7% in Shanghai and 11.1% in Beijing.
What’s Driving China’s New Economy? Three months after the conclusion of China’s Third Plenum, the state seems to be fulfilling every prophecy set out by economists. These meetings, used by Chinese political leadership to set policy goals and the general direction of the country, seem to show that the state may be giving up its usual stance on intervening in the market for something a little more hands-off. This move is still in its infancy, but in an economy expected to be the world’s strongest by 2020, the move seems to be one a long time in coming.
Although China’s slowing economy has been compared to a near-apocalyptic sign of failing markets, indications show the slow to be a forced suppression of an economy that had been bubbling in the early 2000s. This bubble is now being deflated, says Professor Yiping Huang, by Premier Li Keqiang’s government who seeks less market volatility. In an economic view that has been dubbed “Likonomics,” the Chinese premier calls for the establishment of a market built on no stimulus, deleveraging of current assets, and structural reform.
GlaxoSmithKline hails drug pipeline after 2013’s China scandal The pharmaceutical giant unveiled its drugs pipeline as it revealed that turnover rose 1% to £26.5bn in 2013, while pre-tax profits inched up by 0.7% to £6.6bn. Sales continued to slide in its scandal-hit China division, but the pace of decline slowed down: drug and vaccine sales were down 18% in the final quarter of 2013, compared with a 61% drop in the previous quarter.
Chinese authorities have accused GSK of being a “criminal godfather”, running a £320m slush fund to bribe doctors and hospital officials with cash payments and visits to prostitutes, in order to sell its products.
Big Four’s Chinese Affiliates May Mull Workarounds – China Real Time Report – WSJ The Big Four’s Hong Kong affiliates aren’t affected by the ruling, and if they were to temporarily take over some of the Chinese affiliates’ work, it might minimize the disruptions the suspension would cause for the Chinese firms’ clients, some observers believe.
But others say a switch would be unfeasible as the Chinese firms’ reason for refusing to give the SEC the documents it wanted – they said Chinese laws on state secrecy prevented them from turning over the documents – could also apply in certain cases to the Hong Kong firms if they took over the work. That could leave the Hong Kong firms similarly unable to comply, and potentially subject to U.S. sanctions.
Singapore Bank Expands China Presence; OCBC Buys Ningbo Bank Shares – WSJ.com A week after announcing that it was in exclusive negotiations to buy Hong Kong’s Wing Hang Bank Ltd., OCBC said Tuesday that it has agreed to buy up to 207.5 million new ordinary shares in Bank of Ningbo, which is undertaking a private placement of shares to current substantial shareholders. The 383 million-Singapore-dollar (US$303 million) investment will raise the Singaporean bank’s stake in the Chinese lender to 20% from 15.35%.
Westpac to launch derivatives business in China – MarketWatch Westpac Banking Corp. (WBC.AU) plans to launch a new derivatives business in China, tapping into increased capital flows after Australia and China agreed to allow each other’s currencies to be directly converted last year.
The Sydney-based bank said Thursday it has been granted a general derivatives license by the China Banking Regulatory Commission. It will offer derivatives trading from its branches in Shanghai and Beijing, where it has already built up its dealing rooms in the past year to support yuan trade.
Bank of China International hires Ex-Goldman metals chief – Yahoo Singapore Finance Bank of China International (BOCI) has recruited former Goldman Sachs (GS.N) metals trading chief as an adviser to help it expand its commodities business.
BOCI’s appointment of Stephen Branton-Speak as an adviser is one of the highest profile metals industry hires by a Chinese bank since Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd bought the London Metal Exchange (LME) for $2.2 billion in 2012.
Aston Martin recalls 75% of the cars it has built since 2008 – FT.com The British supercar manufacturer is recalling almost 18,000 cars – 75 per cent of the cars it built since 2008 – after discovering a Chinese supplier used fake materials in its cars’ accelerator pedals.
Rail will cost more than Sh1.3trn – PIC | The Star The committee also found out the railway line awarded to China Roads and Bridges Corporation will be constructed in line with the Chinese specifications.
While appearing before the committee on Monday, former Transport Minister Chirau Mwakwere told the committee that CRBC is a credible firm having constructed the 1,390km Shanghai- Beijing railway.
But the committee has information that CRBC was just a sub-contractor in the project and that various audits carried out in China had raised serious audit queries against the firm.
Sierra Leone News: Amb. Zhao visits Hydro & Regent Grafton Rd Construction sites « Awoko Newspaper Chinese Ambassador Zhao Yanbo less than a month after taking office as the new Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone has made a visit to the Hydro construction at Charlotte and the Regent Grafton Road sites.
Moving Average Crossover: Great News for CNOOC Limited (CEO)? – Tale of the Tape – NASDAQ.com CNOOC Limited (CEO) could be a stock to avoid from a technical perspective, as the firm is seeing unfavorable trends on the moving average crossover front. Recently, the 50 Day Moving Average for CEO broke out below the 200 Day Simple Moving Average, suggesting short-term bearishness.
This has already started to take place, as the stock has moved lower by 15.8% in the past four weeks. Plus, the company currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) meaning that now could definitely be the time to get out of this potentially in-trouble stock.
Ethiopia: How Foreign Oil Companies Annihilated the Lives of Ordinary African Population in Ogaden Region February 13, 2013, China’s oil and gas producer of Petro-trans negotiated with Somaliland’s officials for the possibility to extend Berbera port’s container and mineral export services to help China’s grasping ways to profit Ogaden gas and oil financially but has scrapped plans to build a liquefied natural gas facility. Now China’s GCL Poly Petroleum signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wednesday January 8, 2014, with the government of Djibouti that will allow the company to construct two pipe lines stretching from Ethiopia to Djibouti.
Regional commentators believe that China is good for Africa leaders but it’s bad for Africans as long as human rights concerned. And it uses the key president’s issue to penetrating, like the European colonial times, more or less. Sad and angry Somali people in Ogaden say, every coming year it is Dhina’s day-dreaming to produce oil and gas from Ogaden region and Ethiopia’s nightmare of being an oil-industry nation, dreams likely to be a needle in a haystack.
China’s Oil Pipeline Through Myanmar Brings Energy—and Resentment – Businessweek Until recently, 80 percent of China’s oil and gas imports were transported by ship through a narrow waterway separating Indonesia and Malaysia, known as the Strait of Malacca. The possibility that hostile forces could one day block that crucial passageway and starve the country of energy has long made China’s leaders nervous.
Petrochina’s Neutral Rating Reaffirmed at Zacks (PTR) | Ticker Report Zacks reiterated their neutral rating on shares of Petrochina (NYSE:PTR) in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning, AnalystRatings.Net reports. The firm currently has a $102.00 price target on the stock.
Maintenance at UK’s Buzzard oilfield set for Q2 and Q3 -Suncor – Yahoo Finance UK Britain’s biggest oilfield Buzzard will undergo routine, planned maintenance in the second and third quarters of 2014, Suncor, which owns a 29.9 percent stake in the field, said.
Nexen (KSE: 005720.KS – news), Buzzard’s operator and a unit of Chinese state company CNOOC (HKSE: 0883.HK – news) , has said that it aims to improve Buzzard’s reliability in 2014.
WeChat’s money gifting scheme lures 5 million Chinese users Last week WeChat, the popular Chinese messaging app, launched a feature letting users based in China gift money to friends and family.
The feature went viral in China, and yesterday parent company Tencent disclosed to Chinese media that during the first two days of Spring festival, over five million users participated in the scheme, exchanging over 20 million envelopes. At its apex, over 585,000 people sent over 121,000 red envelopes within a five-minute stretch.
Probe against Huawei over hacking of BSNL network – The Hindu The Centre told Parliament on Wednesday that an inter-ministerial team had been formed to investigate the hacking of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. network in Andhra Pradesh allegedly by the Chinese telecom equipment-maker Huawei.
In probably the first case of its kind, the Centre is investigating corporate rivalry between Huawei and another Chinese company, ZTE, which has bagged the BSNL’s network-expansion project, including in Rajahmundry, that led to the alleged hacking.
China’s housing market is looking ugly, which is scary for its financial system – Quartz Sales have “showed a sharp decline” (paywall) in January, compared to Dec. 2013, according to China Confidential, a Financial Times research outfit, even when controlling for softness due to the Chinese New Year holiday. Official data show prices still high in December (the last month for which data were available), but those will likely be dragged down in the coming months.
Housing investment is a big engine of China’s economy. And though slower growth could help end China’s dangerous reliance on credit-backed investment, an abrupt slowdown will freak out global markets and throttle commodity prices.
Chinese government foundation teams up with investors in Hong Kong and Dubai to build resorts catering to elderly | South China Morning Post China Ageing Development Foundation, a fund under the Ministry of Civil Affairs, has formed an alliance with investors in Hong Kong and in Dubai for an aggressive plan to build 12 upmarket retirement and health resorts on the mainland and overseas to tap the country’s rapidly greying population.
“Population ageing in China is expected to lead to a burgeoning demand for aged-care services over the next 40 years. It is now recognised that the ageing of China’s population will have far reaching implications for society, for the economy and for the ability of the government to meet the expectations of the community,” the consortium said in a written reply to questions from the South China Morning Post.
China’s Top Revenue-generating Mobile Apps of 2013 App ranking and analytics service App Annie released top trends of 2013 on iOS and Google Play. For Google Play isn’t widely accessible in mainland China and the majority of Chinese users download Android apps through dozens of other stores, the revenues in China market recorded by App Annie are mainly from iOS platform. What’s interesting is the most revenue-generating non-game categories include dating, messaging, navigation, among others.
Glu Mobile: Better Play Than Zynga [Apple Inc., Zynga Inc] – Seeking Alpha Following the announcement of Apple’s (AAPL) deal with China Mobile (CHL), the mobile gaming stock most likely to benefit, in my opinion, from a double-whammy of an additional 24 million iPhones held in the hands of gamers in China, of which, whose spending on gaming apps soared 247% (y-o-y) in 2013 is: Glu Mobile (GLUU).
I also expect Glu Mobile could reach $9 in 2015, but, first, the lead-up to my analysis.
This Movie Beat Iron Man 3 in Chinese IMAX Corporation Theaters (DIS, IMAX) But that young record fell this week. That’s right — not even Iron Man’s robotic power could hold back the magical armies of the Middle Kingdom this time. Chinese kung fu production The Monkey King just laughed at Iron Man‘s $1.5 million first-day sales, on its way to a $1.8 million opening day in IMAX theaters.
So IMAX is finding new ways to grow in the crucial Chinese market. Furthermore, the company should be able to apply the lessons learned here in other important markets, accelerating revenue growth in places like Latin America and major European markets.
Posted in Business Briefs and tagged Bank of China, Bank of Ningbo, China Mobile, China Roads and Bridges Corporation, CNOOC, GCL Poly Petroleum, Glu Mobile, Huawei, PetroChina, Tencent on February 6, 2014 by bucketoftongues. Leave a comment
China’s strong currency problem – Craig Stephen’s This Week in China – MarketWatch There are other vulnerabilities too exposed by China’s renewed popularity as a destination for “hot money” playing the yuan carry trade.
For one, it means its economy and financial system is now reliant on the fickle and potentially destabilizing short-term foreign capital its closed financial system was designed to guard against. This is hard to quantify but claims Hong Kong banks have on mainland counterparts give an approximation of the size of these yield-seeking structured products. As of October, those claims were a record HK$2.3 trillion ($295 billion), up 53% since the end of 2012
China Money Network − Is A Re-Run Of The Asian Financial Crisis Likely In 2014? The emerging market world may not be facing a re-run of the late-1990s, as some have suggested, but the precarious position of some emerging markets makes it likely that several economies will run into trouble over the next couple of years.
Events remain in a state of flux but there are five questions that we have been asked over the past week or so that merit a first stab at answering.
Pimco’s Bill Gross Says He Avoids China ‘Mystery Meat’ – Bloomberg Bill Gross, who oversees the world’s biggest bond fund at Pacific Investment Management Co., said the pace of economic growth in China is among the biggest questions in developing nations and the largest risks for markets.
“I call China the mystery meat of emerging-market countries,” Gross said yesterday during an interview on Bloomberg Television’s “Market Makers” with Erik Schatzker and Stephanie Ruhle. “Nobody knows what’s there and there’s a little bit of bologna, so we’re just going to have to wonder going forward through this year as to the potential problems in China and other emerging markets.”
China Policy Institute Blog » Middle Power Pushback: Explaining Australia’s China Challenge In 2007, China overtook Japan as Australia’s largest trading partner, reflecting unprecedented levels of demand for iron ore and coal resources to power Chinese economic growth. In 2012, Australia and China signed a ‘Strategic Partnership’, which was highly vaunted by the then Gillard Labor Government as marking a new era in the bilateral relationship. While the Sino-Australian ‘Strategic Partnership’ did not constitute a security agreement, much less a formal alliance, for supporters of closer ties between Beijing and Canberra it represented a major step forward.
China Money Network − HK Millionaires Will Possess $1.7T In Combined Wealth In 2017 There will be more than 339,000 millionaires in Hong Kong in 2017, and the amount they possess will increase by 53% to over $1.7 trillion in combined wealth, according to a report release by London-based wealth management research firm WealthInsight.
Austerity drive among factors taking toll on luxury market – Business – Chinadaily.com.cn China’s luxury goods market has slowed from 7 percent growth in 2012 to around 2 percent in 2013, with expectations of similarly slow growth in 2014, according to the China Luxury Goods Market Study by consultancy Bain & Co.
Chinese shoppers now do about two-thirds of their luxury shopping abroad, which has triggered a slowdown in domestic store traffic and store openings, the report said.
Foreign retailers learning how to click with Chinese fashionistas[1]- Chinadaily.com.cn “Cyber Monday” and “Black Friday” are no longer unfamiliar terms to China’s price-savvy middle class. A growing number of English-speaking credit card holders have joined the international fray.
The popular trend of cross-border online shopping is being spearheaded by a number of shopaholics who understand how to buy things overseas. They usually choose items with price differences or things that tend to be unattainable in China.
The dark economic thoughts of Charlene Chu | South China Morning Post Charlene Chu, a former senior director and head of China financial institutions at the ratings agency Fitch, has been talking to Britain’s Telegraph about why she feels that China is on the verge of a crisis.
Chu left Fitch last year and will join US-based Autonomous Research later this year. She maintains that a banking crisis in China is not just an outside chance but a certainty. “The banking sector has extended US$14 trillion to US$15 trillion in the span of five years. There’s no way that we are not going to have massive problems in China,” she told the newspaper.
China and the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act | China Briefing News For several years now, the United States has been preparing legislation under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), a complex reporting and withholding regime intended to enable the U.S. to better access offshore accounts, investments and income of U.S. citizens who have failed to rigorously report these holdings. Despite several nations’ embrace of the FATCA, China has continued to delay negotiations with the U.S. Treasury over whether or not to allow Chinese financial institutions to report U.S. taxpayer or U.S. firm information to the United States Government.
China Has How Many Cars? More Cities To Implement Limiting Car Sales? | China Car Times – China Auto News Chinese media are today reporting that the total number of vehicles on Chinese roads has broken the 250 million barrier for the first time, with 31 cities boasting a vehicle population exceeding one million vehicles.
Out of China’s 1.3 billion people, only 280 million people have a driving license however over 18.44 million people took their driving tests in 2013. Drivers with less than one years driving experience under the belt caused 15% of all accidents in China last year, down slightly from 16.7% a year previously but drivers with more than 3 years of experience caused 51,000 accidents causing 14,000 deaths and 56,000 injuries.
Carmaker Tesla gambles on ‘fair price’ strategy in China despite risk of losing prestige | South China Morning Post In China, where higher prices mean prestige, Tesla, a US maker of luxury electric cars, is taking a bold step to win customers and cachet by restricting its mark-up to half of what some of its rivals can command.
In an unusual blog post last month, the firm announced the lower-than-expected 734,000 yuan (HK$933,000) China price tag for its high-end Model S electric car. The price, still 50 per cent higher than in the United States, includes only “unavoidable” taxes and transport costs, it said.
Changing the rules of engagement on infrastructure – Business – Chinadaily.com.cn Although there are roads, bridges, railway lines and various other government buildings that stand testimony to the Chinese capabilities, companies are now gearing up to participate in projects such as urban facilities, modern transportation and manufacturing.
Sun Guoqiang, general manager of CGC Overseas Construction Group, a Chinese construction major that has been in Ethiopia for more than 15 years, says that although there are still plenty of construction projects in Africa, his company will move away from the business in five to 10 years.
Sierra Leone News: Grafton road to be handed over as Independence gift -Wang Kai Ge « Awoko Newspaper The General Manager of China Railway Seventh Group Ltd, constructing the Regent Grafton Road has told this medium that they intend to finish the road and hand it over to Sierra Leone government on the 27th of April as their own gift to the people of Sierra Leone as they celebrate Independence.
Research and Markets: Concise Analysis of the Asia Pacific Oil and Chemicals Storage Industry – Forecasts to 2017 “Concise Analysis of the Asia Pacific Oil and Chemicals Storage Industry – Forecasts to 2017”, is the essential source for industry data and information relating to the oil and chemicals storage industry in Asia Pacific. It provides asset level information relating to active and planned oil and chemicals storage terminals in Asia Pacific. The profiles of major companies operating in the oil and chemicals storage industry in Asia Pacific are included in the report.
China Mobile’s 4G expansion drives smartphone supply buildup in China | South China Morning Post Analysts see the 4G network roll-out being led by China Mobile, the world’s largest wireless network operator, changing the competitive landscape for smartphones in the domestic market, where most of the country’s 1.23 billion subscribers at the end of December were still tied to old 2G cellular infrastructure.
While Apple recently hogged the headlines by having China Mobile as a new carrier-partner for the iPhone, the domestic brands led by Lenovo, Huawei Technologies, ZTE and Coolpad were expected to step up their supply of cheaper smartphones to help the operator sign up more 4G subscribers nationwide, analysts said.
Chinese New Year welcomed in with 13.6 billion messages in 1 day on China’s top social network While everyone’s talking about WeChat, it’s easy to forget that Tencent makes another social network that’s even more popular. It’s called QQ. Today Tencent (HKG:0700) revealed that QQ’s users sent a total of 13.6 billion QQ chats on the instant messaging service during Chinese New Year’s Eve, the busiest and most raucously celebrated day of the year.
Chinese tech giant Huawei enters Nepal’s market – Business – Chinadaily.com.cn Speaking during the launching program held in Kathmandu, Huawei representative Li Ji said that the Chinese tech giant in partnership with Nepal Telecom, the country’s State-owned telecommunication service provider, has the potential to bring a positive change in the lives of Nepalese nationals.
Apple silences FaceTime Audio for iPhone and iPad buyers in China Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) FaceTime was updated with audio support in iOS 7, but a growing number of iPhone and iPad owners in China are realizing that they’ve been left out. Anyone who has bought a made-for-China iPhone 5s, 5c, or newest-gen iPad will find that they only get the option to make FaceTime video calls, with the audio ability nowhere to be seen.
China Savers’ Penchant for Property Magnifies Bust Danger – Bloomberg Some 66.1 percent of family assets were in housing in 2013, a national survey of about 28,000 households shows. Mortgage debt as a share of disposable income rose to 30 percent from 18 percent in 2008, according to estimates by Nicholas Lardy at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington.
The buildup raises the stakes for any slide in property prices amid China’s efforts to head off defaults by local governments and developers that propelled a run-up in borrowing that now amounts to more than double the size of the economy, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. A hit to household wealth could impair consumer spending, rebuffing policy maker efforts to rebalance the economy toward domestic demand.
Countries tap into China’s medical tourism market｜WantChinaTimes.com South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan have been actively developing their medical tourism industry, capitalizing in part on the growing demand for such service among China’s nouveau riche, reports the Guangzhou-based New Express.
The policy is also in line with the expanding global medical tourism market, which has seen an annual growth rate of 20% in recent years, with the market scale topping US$100 billion in 2012 alone, the paper said.
Alibaba’s Average Valuation Rises to $153 Billion After Earnings – Bloomberg Alibaba is valued at an average of $153 billion, based on the estimates of 10 analysts. That compares with the $120 billion average of six analyst estimates in October. The company last week reported profit of $792 million for the three months ended September, a 12 percent increase from the June quarter, as revenue surged 51 percent to $1.78 billion.
Analysts expect the company, based in Hangzhou, China, to hold the biggest initial public offering since Facebook Inc. (FB) Goldman Sachs Group Inc. valued Alibaba at $150 billion in a Jan. 29 report, saying that may be a “conservative” estimate.
Hon Hai to launch B2B e-trading platform｜Companies｜Business｜WantChinaTimes.com Hon Hai Precision Industry — the world’s largest contract electronics maker, also known by its trading name Foxconn — will launch a business to business (B2B) trading platform in early March, a move perceived as a way for the company to broaden its business model, market sources said on Tuesday.
The sources said Hon Hai chairman Terry Gou made an internal announcement before the Lunar New Year holiday, saying that the Taiwan-based company will gear up to develop its electronics commerce business this year.
Smart Air filters China’s pollution with budget air purifier Despite having no business background, setting an arbitrary price point, and starting off with no name recognition whatsoever, Beijing-based startup Smart Air has sold over 2,500 cheap and frankly ugly do-it-yourself air purifier kits, almost as many replacement filters, and another 600 of the more powerful “Cannon” kits since sales began in mid-September.
The scrappy team of four is making waves across polluted Chinese cities with an incredibly simple fact: by strapping a HEPA1 filter to a household fan, you can clean the air in your home for just RMB 200 ($33).
China’s solar firms consider response to US probe｜WantChinaTimes.com After the US Department of Commerce recently initiated anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations on imports of silicon solar photovoltaic (PV) products from China and Taiwan, Chinese PV makers plan to jointly discuss countermeasures by focusing first on cutting the scope of products covered by the probe, the Shanghai-based China Business News reports.
Bigger farms reap bigger fortunes upon rural land reform – Xinhua | English.news.cn Lured by better employment and salaries, as many as 260 million farm workers have left the countryside for cities. A side effect of the exodus is a vast amount of land being left uncultivated. Farmers have very little wriggle room in land transfers and don’t make much money from land deals anyway, so they often simply abandon their land and start afresh on their urban journey.
With food security and the economic potential of rural and ex-rural residents foremost in their minds, authorities are promising more property rights for farmers. These include transfer and mortgage of land-use rights, and the ability to take shares in large farming entities, according to a document released after the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee last November.
Posted in Business Briefs and tagged Alibaba, CGC Overseas Construction Group, China Mobile, China Railway Seventh Group, Foxconn, Huawei, Smart Air, Tencent on February 5, 2014 by bucketoftongues. Leave a comment
Sorry about the lack of posts yesterday. Beijing seems to hit my immune system with frequent minor ailments. All a bit wearisome.
China Credit Trust Says It Reached Pact on Troubled Product – Bloomberg China Credit Trust Co. said it reached an agreement to restructure a high-yield product that sparked concern over the health of the nation’s $1.67 trillion trust industry and contributed to a global selloff in emerging-market assets.
The agreement includes a potential investment in the 3 billion-yuan ($496 million) product, Beijing-based China Credit Trust said on its website today, four days before payment is due. The two-line statement didn’t identify the source of funds, or say whether investors would get their money back.
China shadow bank says reached pact to avoid default – Yahoo Singapore Finance In a notification to investors, obtained by Reuters, the trust firm declared that an accord had been reached and advised investors to contact client managers, but the document, did not say how or when investors would be repaid.
Citing an unnamed investor in the trust product, Caixin, a respected financial magazine, reported on Monday that the agreement allows investors to recover their invested principal, but not the final interest payment originally promised.
China Trust Default Avoided…What Comes Next? – Forbes A default of the “Credit Equals Gold #1” trust product has been avoided. What happens in the coming months will either push China closer towards a financial crisis or help it gradually step back from the edge.
Heard on the Street: China’s Default That Wasn’t – WSJ.com Like clockwork, a mysterious third party has sprung to the rescue, allowing China Credit Trust to repay the principal on high-yield investment products tied to a struggling coal miner. Savers will miss some interest payments and get a lower effective yield, but otherwise escape unharmed. So does the reputation of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the country’s largest commercial lender, which sold the trust products to clients.
The hand of the state seems to be at work. Officials in the miner’s home province were actively involved in coming up with a solution, The Wall Street Journal reported. The bailout involves the third-party investor taking an equity stake in the coal company, which came only after the company suddenly gained approval to restart a closed mine.
China’s top diplomat wants free-trade deal with Europe | Reuters Beijing’s top diplomat called on Monday for China and the European Union to consider a multi-billion-dollar free-trade deal, a once unthinkable step that shows a big improvement in relations between two of the world’s largest markets.
“There are bright prospects for China-EU business cooperation,” Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi told reporters after meeting EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton ahead a visit to Brussels by President Xi Jinping in March.
China Trade Puzzle Revived as Hong Kong Data Diverge – Bloomberg China’s trade numbers, distorted by fake exports (HKETEXPC) last year, are set to come under renewed scrutiny after a discrepancy between Hong Kong and Chinese figures for bilateral trade widened to the largest in eight months.
Hong Kong’s December imports from China fell 1.9 percent from a year earlier to HK$176 billion ($22.7 billion), the city’s statistics department said yesterday. That compares with $38.5 billion in exports to Hong Kong reported earlier this month by China’s customs administration, up 2.3 percent, based on data compiled by Bloomberg.
China Property New Loans Hit $380Bln in 2013, Accounting 1/3 of Total-Caijing China’’s property sector attracted 2.34 trillion yuan (about $384 billion) of new loans in the past year, representing nearly a third of the total from the banking institutions, a central bank report showed.
Outstanding yuan-denominated lending to the property sector from both Chinese and foreign financial institutions to the property sector rose 19.1 percent year-on-year to 14.61 trillion yuan by the end of 2013, the People’s Bank of China said.
Total loans outstanding at commercial banks amounted to 71.9 trillion yuan at the end of December, up 14.1 percent year-on-year and compared with a growth rate of 15.0 percent in the previous year.
Currencies and banks: the two big questions about China | The A-List But in the financial world the Chinese remain a little more hesitant. Two big issues kept recurring, one international, the other domestic:
-will the renminbi soon rival the dollar as a global reserve currency?
-is the rapid growth of shadow banking an accident waiting to happen?
China’s debt-fuelled boom is in danger of turning to bust – FT.com Debate rages over how this tale will end. Most analysts believe that the Chinese economy will once again expand by more than 7 per cent this year, despite ballooning private sector debts. But the pessimistic minority has history on its side. Only five developing countries have had a credit boom nearly as big as China’s. All of them went on to suffer a credit crisis and a major economic slowdown.
Banks see slower growth in assets – Frontpage – BUSINESS – Globaltimes.cn Assets of the banking industry totaled 148 trillion yuan ($24 trillion) by the end of 2013, up 12.8 percent from a year earlier, according to data released Sunday by the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC). The growth rate was the lowest since 2003, when the CBRC first started revealing such data.
Banking assets mainly refer to financial institutions’ lending assets. Meanwhile, total liabilities reached 137.9 trillion yuan.
Beijing says US should stop new dumping probe on solar cells | South China Morning Post China’s commerce ministry called on the United States on Sunday to stop anti-dumping investigations into imports of solar power products from China, expressing “serious concern” and vowing to defend its producers.
“The Chinese side expresses serious concern,” the commerce ministry said in a statement on its website. “China urges the United States again to carefully handle the current … investigations, be prudent in taking measures and terminate the investigation proceedings.”
Life Insurance in China, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2017 – PR Newswire – The Sacramento Bee The report provides in depth market analysis, information and insights into the Chinese life insurance segment, including: • Benchmarking analysis of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries • The Chinese life insurance segment’s growth prospects by life insurance categories and customer segments • The various distribution channels in the Chinese life insurance segment • The competitive landscape in the Chinese life insurance segment • A description of the life reinsurance segment in China • Detailed analysis of the regulatory framework in China
Oil Companies Using New Logic in Their Overseas Acquisitions – Among mergers and acquisitions of global upstream oil and gas assets over the past few years, one trend has seen European and American companies selling while national oil companies in China and Russia have been buying.
“In 2013, global M&A transactions of upstream oil and gas assets were the lowest since 2008,” said a January report by IHS, an energy consultancy. The report said that from 2010 to 2012, global M&A transactions of upstream assets totaled US$ 600 billion, with 2012 the highest in a decade, at US$ 250 billion. But this fell to US$ 136 billion in 2013.
Capital’s Expensive Plan to Fight Air Pollution Misguided, Expert Says – However, Tao Guangyuan, executive director of the Sino-German Renewable Energy Cooperation Center, said that while the sum shows determination, the government’s approach might be unnecessarily costly. (The center is supported by the governments of China and Germany.)
Much of the 760 billion yuan will go toward converting coal-burning power plants into ones that burn natural gas. Tao says the government will need to invest heavily in equipment and production facilities, but doing this will also create a long-term financial burden because gas is more expensive than coal.
Selling products and Services into China The big issue today is not so much how to make product in China, but how to sell product and services to China, be that within China or from outside China. Needless to say, the “within China” part is where the complicated legal regulations and hence the tensions can arise.
China’s guarantee companies face survival problems amid slowing economy｜WantChinaTimes.com Since the second half of 2011, the government’s four trillion stimulus policy began to ebb, followed with a tightening monetary policy and the implementation of macro-economic control. Bad debt from soft government funds exploded from small and medium-sized enterprises, leading to rising pressure on guarantee companies.
Reforms to fuel Shanghai’s growth in 2014 – Xinhua | English.news.cn Economists believe the city’s financial sector is going to grow even more this year, while Shanghai Mayor Yang Xiong estimates the city economy will grow by 7.5 percent. A series of reforms in the landmark Shanghai Free Trade Zone, including changes to capital accounts and interest rates, are expected to add new sources of growth to the financial sector.
Talent returns to China, but progress slow – Business – Chinadaily.com.cn A report on returned overseas talent compiled by Wang found that more than 270,000 people came back in 2012, an increase of 46 percent over 2011, adding that rapid economic development in China is one of the major attractions.
Of those who returned, more than 30 percent took jobs or started a business in areas such as new materials, energy, biotechnology and electronic information.
8.8% salary hikes expected for 2014 – Chinadaily.com.cn Salary increases are expected to hit 8.8 percent in 2014, a slight rise on the 8.6 percent for 2013, according to a survey issued by 51job.com, a human resources service provider.
It found that the highest salary increases occurred in the financial sector, reaching 10.4 percent, followed by real estate (10.1 percent), high tech (9.9 percent) and bio-pharmaceuticals (9.2 percent).
Li reaffirms commitment to social welfare system[1]- Chinadaily.com.cn During his visit, the premier highlighted the importance of social relief work and urged the governments to do a better job in providing basic welfare to disadvantaged people.
“The government has to tighten up the network of social security. A welfare system must be in place for the poor to fall back on if they encounter difficulties,” he said. “Otherwise, these disadvantaged people can easily impact the bottom line of society.”
Hong Kong export growth misses forecast | South China Morning Post The growth, which lagged economists’ forecasts of a rise of 4 to 5 per cent, underscored a weak economic recovery in the United States and disappointing demand in Europe in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis, they said.
However, some economists expected better prospects this year on the back of recent strength in the US recovery while Europe’s turmoil hit its bottom.
China probes death of official who liquored up at lavish banquet | Reuters **”negative social impact” is my new favourite euphemism** The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection is investigating Chen Ruixi, deputy mayor of the small city of Sanming in coastal Fujian province, who attended the banquet, as well as his colleagues.
One official died suddenly after the feast, held at the canteen of a private company, the agency said, adding that the event had made a “negative social impact”.
Citic’s bad loan writeoff a sign of strain in China’s mid-sized banks | South China Morning Post China Citic Bank’s shareholders have agreed for the bank to more than double bad-loan writeoffs for last year, the latest sign of how much China’s economic slowdown is costing the country’s mid-sized banks.
At a meeting in Beijing yesterday, shareholders signed off as expected on management’s plan to write off 5.2 billion yuan (HK$6.6 billion) in non-performing assets, Citic said in a Hong Kong stock exchange filing. The bank originally budgeted for two billion yuan in writeoffs.
Lenovo expands into internet service market｜WantChinaTimes.com The Lenovo Group, one of the world’s largest PC suppliers, is placing putting more emphasis on catering to internet services in a bid to become more competitive, reports Shanghai-based First Financial Daily.
Instead of focusing on only hardware production, the company is shifting towards an operational style that will also values software capabilities and offering customized internet services.
Mobile Tourism Service Yikuaiqu Nets Millions of Dollars in Series A Financing Yikuaiqu, a tourism app, announced that it has raised millions of dollars in Series A financing led by Shenzhen Hight-tech Investment and followed by Shenzhen Capital Group, etc. The company has secured millions of yuan of angel investment in 2012. The capital will be used in research and development of its travel applications for scenic spots, said Liang Jiankun, CTO of the company.
Suning Commerce Fully Acquires Group-purchasing Site Manzuo with Nearly 10 Million Dollars Suning Commerce (SZ:002024) announced that it fully acquired group-buying site Manzuo for nearly $10 million (source in Chinese), continuing its expansion into Internet industry after becoming the largest shareholder of peer-to-peer video streaming service PPTV last year.
In addition to maintaining independent operation, Manzuo will also take over the group-buying and travelling businesses under Suning. Feng Xiaohai, founder of Manzuo, will be named as the head of Suning’s local life sector. The acquisition procedure will be completed by the end of this March.
Alibaba unveils its three games for Laiwang and Taobao The games are available on two of Alibaba’s mobile apps. Users who update Laiwang, Alibaba’s social messaging app, to the new 4.5 version, will notice a new tab under the “Explore” page with a castle icon. Pressing the tab takes users to the app’s new game center, which currently features two titles.
Not unexpectedly, all three titles fit firmly in the “casual” genre, which have proven to be popular among game developers looking to reach broad audiences, and social networks looking to keep up user retention. Of the games on Laiwang, “Pa Pa Pa” bears a resemblence to Line’s Bubble Pop, while “Po Po Po” recalls Simon. Taobao’s “Crazy Toy,” meanwhile, has many of the trappings of King’s Candy Crush Saga.
China Mobile Ltd. (ADR) (CHL): China Mobile Shakes Up Fixed-Line Broadband – Seeking Alpha A welcome development looks set to shake up China’s fixed-line broadband sector this year, with word that leading wireless carrier China Mobile (HKEx: 941; NYSE: CHL) is offering aggressive pricing after receiving a license to offer fixed-line service late last year.
After-school Tutoring Service TAL Education Injects 150 Million Yuan in Childcare Portal Babytree TAL Education (NYSE:XRS), a K-12 after-school tutoring services provider formerly known as Xueersi, announced today it will inject 150 million yuan ($24.79 million) of strategic investment in childcare portal Babytree. Babytree has secured a combined $20 million of investments in previous rounds.
The acquisition of Babytree will help TAL to include pre-school children into its target customers. TAL has acquired education site Kaoyan.com for 50 million yuan last year.
Flying the flag for Chinese cars – Xinhua | English.news.cn Chinese carmaker Hong Qi, or Red Flag, is pressing to have its brand move into the mainstream here in China after years of supplying vehicles to the Chinese government.
Six months ago, Red Flag opened this showroom in Beijing’s exclusive Jinbaojie Street, which makes them almost neighbours with other top name carmakers such as Ferrari and Maserati. So what makes Red Flag Sales Manager Wang Rui Chao believe customers will come to his showroom and not theirs?
Drilling services provider COSL expects deep-water revenue boost | South China Morning Post China Oilfield Services (COSL), the mainland’s dominant provider of offshore drilling services, expects more work and a greater contribution from more capital-intensive deep-water jobs will lift revenues this year.
However, the company warned that the subdued outlook for oil prices will constrain the upside for drilling rates.
China’s Tencent WeChat App Targets U.S. Users – China Real Time Report – WSJ The fast-growing smartphone messaging application is now trying to expand in the U.S. market with a newly launched promotional campaign.
According to WeChat’s Chinese website, here’s how the new promotion works: Tencent is asking people who hold Google accounts to connect their accounts with WeChat, so they can invite their Google contacts to join WeChat. People can win a $25 Restaurant.com gift card from Tencent by getting five of their Google contacts to join WeChat.
Tencent Fully Acquires Map Service Linktech Navi with 60 Million Yuan Chinese Internet giant Tencent continues its acquisition spree this year by pouring 60 million yuan ($9.92 million) of funding in Beijing-based mapping service Linktech Navi for a 100% stake in the company (source in Chinese).
Founded in 2001, Linktech Navi is accredited with the state Grade-A qualification on surveying and mapping. The company’s main businesses are digital maps, navigation system, GPS vehicle monitoring solution, LBS application solution, etc. Linktech Navi’s customers include automobile manufacturers, like Chery, Shac, and Hawtai Motor, navigation services, telecos, among others.
Closer Look: Developers Build Banking Ties with Stake Purchases – Hong Kong-listed Evergrande Real Estate Group expanded into banking by acquiring a 4.5 percent stake in Beijing-based Huaxia Bank for 3.3 billion yuan last week.
A source close to the property developer said the purchase is a strategic investment. Huaxia has a strong balance sheet that can improve Evergrande’s financials. It may help Evergrande finance at a lower cost, he said.
BRIEF-China Life Insurance expects 2013 net profit up 120 pct on investment gains | Reuters China Life Insurance Co Ltd
* Says expects 2013 net profit up 120 percent y/y versus net profit of 11.1 billion yuan ($1.8 billion) previous year
Source text in Chinese: link.reuters.com/wac46v
BRIEF-Ping An Insurance 2013 premium income totalled 268.7 bln yuan | Reuters Ping An Insurance Group Co of China Ltd
* Says 2013 premium income totalled 268.7 billion yuan ($44.4 billion)
Source text in Chinese: link.reuters.com/seb95v
allAfrica.com: Ethiopia: Halfway Point Reached in Inner-City Rail Project (Page 1 of 2) While China Railway Group Limited (CREG) won the contract for the construction of the lines, it was the Metal & Engineering Corporation (MetEC) that was charged with supplying the tracks and the trains to transport passengers. Once complete, the tracks will be of standard size (1.435m wide) double track for the whole route.
LNG import: SSGC, ECC likely to award $1.4b contract today – The Express Tribune EVTL had submitted the offer for LNG services in partnership with China Harbour Engineering Company, a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company, which has been blacklisted by the World Bank until January 2017.
However, the government cleared the company, saying that the project was not being funded by the World Bank, therefore, EVTL could not be disqualified. However, “a question arises why such clause was made part of the tender when it could not be implemented,” an official asked.
SKAI Holdings secures AED737.6m (USD201m) of financing from China’s ICBC for its Viceroy Dubai Palm Jumeirah projectReal Estate – Zawya SKAI Holdings, the Dubai-based real estate investment company, today announced it has secured AED737.6m (US$201m) of financing for its AED3.75bn Viceroy Dubai Palm Jumeirah, ensuring the project is fully funded.
The financing agreement, which further reaffirms SKAI Holdings commitment to the UAE’s hospitality sector, was arranged by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), China’s largest bank, marking its first project financing deal for a hospitality project in the Middle East.
BRIEF-China’s Jiugui Liquor says police investigating theft, financial impact uncertain | Reuters China’s Jiugui Liquor Co Ltd
* Says police investigating 100 million yuan ($16.53 million)stolen from its account with Agricultural Bank of China’s Hangzhou Branch, financial impact of the theft still uncertain
Chinese Pork Supplier WH Group Said to Apply for $6b IPO – Bloomberg WH Group Ltd., the Chinese company that bought the world’s biggest pork supplier last year, applied to the Hong Kong stock exchange for an initial public offering, said two people with knowledge of the matter.
The company plans to seek as much as $6 billion from the offering in the first half, the people said yesterday, asking not to be identified as the information is private. WH Group changed its name from Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd. this month.
The WSJ Weekend Interview with Erik Prince: Out of Blackwater and Into China – WSJ.com Now, sitting in a boardroom above Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour, he explains his newest title, acquired this month: chairman of Frontier Services Group, an Africa-focused security and logistics company with intimate ties to China’s largest state-owned conglomerate, Citic Group. Beijing has titanic ambitions to tap Africa’s resources—including $1 trillion in planned spending on roads, railways and airports by 2025—and Mr. Prince wants in.
Nicaragua canal fast-tracked with Chinese boost The Chinese company, HK Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Co. Ltd., is working with the Nicaraguan government on a massive canal project experts say could take 11 years to finish, cost $40 billion and require digging about 130 miles (200 kilometers) of waterway.
Just as the Panama Canal was a projection of growing U.S. power at the start of the 20th century, the Nicaragua project already reflects China’s influence and financial clout around the world. Another Hong Kong-based company has been operating port facilities on both ends of the Panama Canal.
ICBC Chief: China’s Shadow Banking Overblown – TheStreet Viewers of China’s state-run television Saturday heard the head of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China say shadow-banking problems in the country have been overblown and “distorted.”
ICBC Chairman Jiang Jianqing, interviewed by CCTV television at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, said “society has over-exaggerated and completely distorted the severity of shadow banking” in China.
I did not disown rail deal – AG | The Star Githu further discounted claims that his office’s endorsement of the commercial agreement signed between Kenya Railways and the China Road Corporation was also an approval of the tendering process. He said the SGR the logic of the financing agreement had “the making of a closed tender”.
Posted in Business Briefs and tagged Alibaba, Babytree, China Citic Bank, China Communications Construction, China Life Insurance, China Mobile, China Oilfield Services, China Railway Group, China Road Corporation, Evergrande Real Estate, Frontier Services Group, HK Nicaragua Canal Development Investment, Hong Qi, ICBC, Jiugui Liquor, Lenovo, Linktech Navi, Manzuo, Ping An Insurance, Shenzhen Capital Group, Shenzhen Hight-tech Investment, Suning, TAL Education, Tencent, WH Group, Yiakuiqu on January 28, 2014 by bucketoftongues. Leave a comment
China races to prevent trust loan default – FT.com Chinese authorities are racing to prevent the default of a soured $500m high-yield investment trust, in a closely watched test case for the country’s shadow banking sector.
Local media reported on Thursday that the Shanxi provincial government is considering helping fund a bailout of the trust loan after ICBC, which distributed the product through its branches, said last week it would not provide a backstop. However, Time-Weekly, a state-owned newspaper, reported that the bank – the world’s biggest by assets – and the product issuer China Credit Trust will also be asked to chip in.
China’s First Default Is Coming: Here’s What To Expect | Zero Hedge So with under 10 days to go, for anyone who is still confused about the role of trusts in China’s financial system, a default’s significance, the underlying causes, the implications for the broad economy, and what the possible outcomes of the CCT product default are, here is Goldman’s Q&A on a potential Chinese trust default.
The People’s Money: The Benefits of Default – WSJ.com So far, Chinese investors who bought fixed-income wealth-management products have enjoyed higher returns than bank deposits offer, without suffering any losses. But that looks to be changing now, as a slowing economy starts to expose the weakness in the system, and the Chinese government may not want to absorb all the losses.
China’s Big Four banks raise their lending: report – MarketWatch China’s top four state-owned banks extended 440 billion yuan ($72.7 billion) of new loans in the first 20 days of January, according to a report by the 21st Century Business Herald on Thursday.
In January 2013, Chinese banks extended a total of 1.07 trillion yuan in new loans. The total amount this January is expected to exceed 1 trillion yuan, according to the report.
The top four banks–Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd. (1398.HK), China Construction Bank Corp. (0939.HK), Agricultural Bank of China Ltd. (1288.HK) and Bank of China Ltd. (3988.HK) — typically account for about 30% of total lending in China.
China PBOC Injects Another CNY120 Bln For New Year Holiday | MNI The People’s Bank of China injected another CNY120 billion into the interbank system on Thursday, bringing the total addition of funds via its open market operations this week to CNY375 billion.
Today’s injection, transacted via 21-day reverse repos, follows the CNY255 billion added on Tuesday and the bank’s notice that it is expanding its Standing Lending Facility to make funds available to smaller lenders when market rates rise above preset thresholds.
China households elude taxman – and official GDP bean-counters | Reuters Data released this week showing China’s economy grew 7.7 percent last year suggested the imbalance is worsening, with consumption unchanged at just under 50 percent of GDP, but investment growing to slightly more than half.
A growing number of economists, however, say official statistics have got it wrong. To avoid taxes, consumers routinely get employers to buy things for them, resulting in a gross underestimation of how much consumers spend and exaggerating just how lopsided China’s $9.4 trillion economy is.
Rhodium Group » China’s Interbank Squeeze: Understanding the 2013 Drama and Anticipating 2014 The year 2014 has started off with additional drama over credit markets in China, and concerns that rising costs could lead to defaults for some risky financial products and end up spilling over to a broader financial crisis in China. In this note we explore the current situation and the recent changes in money market structure. We also consider the common view that the central bank is not in control, and whether its intervention can steer reform for the coming year. As we held throughout 2013, we believe the Bank knows what it’s doing, is being as rational as it can be in the context of China’s unique political crosswinds, and will play a decisive role in shaping 2014 outcomes.
Salty fish, MNCs and the SEC ban | China Accounting Blog | Paul Gillis As much as the firms are feeling sorry for themselves, it is their clients and their investors who will be hurt if they are banned from practice. A ban could lead to the companies being kicked off of U.S. stock exchanges for failing to produce audited financial statements. IPOs would have to be postponed until the bans were over. Financings would be delayed. Fortunately appeals are likely to delay this for a long time.
McKinsey Greater China – Why should Chinese companies list overseas? 2014 is expected to be a busy year for Chinese companies seeking to list overseas. But the delisting of several Chinese firms from foreign exchanges in recent years has some wondering: why should Chinese companies list overseas? In this podcast, Nick Leung tackles this question with Gordon Orr and David Cogman. Gordon is Asia Chairman of McKinsey. David is a Partner in the Corporate Finance Practice. Nick is Managing Partner of McKinsey’s Greater China Practice.
Beijing considers industry fund to transfer excess capacity abroad｜WantChinaTimes.com China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is considering setting up an industry investment fund to encourage businesses with a production capacity surplus to transfer capacity to other countries, with its size estimated to reach 100 billion yuan (US$16.53 billion), reports the Shanghai-based National Business Daily.
This time, however, China’s State Council is determined to target five sectors that have shown a production capacity surplus, namely steel, cement, aluminum, plate glass and shipping.
China’s fiscal revenue rises 10.1% in 2013 |China Data |chinadaily.com.cn China’s fiscal revenue climbed 10.1 percent year on year in 2013 to reach 12.91 trillion yuan ($2.11 trillion), the Ministry of Finance said Thursday.
The growth pace, however, slowed from the 12.8 percent reported in 2012 and 24.8 percent registered in 2011.
China’s 2013 M&A Value Hits Record High: PwC-Caijing The total value of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in China reached a record high of $260 billion last year, a PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report showed on Wednesday.
It noted that M&As among China’s state-owned enterprises were mostly concentrated in energy, resources and industrial areas, while investments by privately owned enterprises were more diversified.
China’s carbon market may remain a solo one as companies get rights to offset pollution with non-CO2 credits China will allow big emitters to use offset credits from nitrous dioxide (N2O) destruction to meet domestic climate targets, giving its nod to a type of project that has been banned in other carbon markets.
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) published on Wednesday a list of more than 120 new types of projects eligible to earn carbon credits that can be sold to power generators and manufacturers facing emission caps under China’s fledgling carbon markets.
Crowdfunded in China: water cup, smartphone button, sex toy With Kickstarter-like Chinese site Demohour’s recent funding, we’ve taken notice of China’s growing crowdfunding scene. In light of this trend, we’re trying something new starting this week: a regular list of our favorite projects assembled from the top crowdfunding sites in the country. Depending on feedback and how many cool projects we can find, this could be a weekly or bi-weekly post. So to get things started off, here are our inaugural top five picks.
China becomes top gold consumer in 2013 – FT.com China has overtaken India as the world’s largest gold consumer thanks to soaring purchases of jewellery, minted Panda coins and small gold bars.
According to the Thomson Reuters GFMS gold survey, the most widely followed report on the industry, Chinese demand reached 1,189.8 tonnes last year, a 32 per cent year-on-year jump and a fivefold increase since 2003.
China’s rebalancing requires more investment of the right kind – FT.com To work out what the Chinese economy needs to invest in more one only has to spend a few days in Beijing or any other major city and listen to the things that ordinary people complain about.
There is enormous demand for better public transport, cleaner energy, environmental protection, industrial upgrading and other investments that can clean up the air and alleviate terrible gridlock on the roads.
Slowing China Economy Raises Questions About Policy – China Real Time Report – WSJ A sharp downturn in manufacturing activity in China is a warning sign to the government not to move too quickly to tighten monetary conditions, says HSBC’s chief China economist, Qu Hongbin.
Mr. Qu said China needs to get a handle on its huge shadow banking sector to avoid messy defaults. But he pointed out that policy makers need to do this without tightening credit for companies in the manufacturing sector, given that inflation remains low across the economy.
China Money Network − China Added A Record 12 Gigawatts Of Solar Panels In 2013 China installed a record 12 gigawatts of solar panels in 2013, the most solar power added in a single year by any country in history, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
The research and data firm says that the number may be as high as 14 gigawatts if including year-end activities.
Investors Offer Hospitals a Market Injection – Which is one reason why local governments and the nation’s health care industry players have been carefully reviewing guidelines issued in October by the State Council, China’s cabinet, designed to encourage fresh investment in the nation’s more than 10,000 public hospitals.
The guidelines complement previous policy directives introduced by Beijing in recent years that encouraged a more market-oriented approach to managing the big, mainly urban hospital networks at the heart of the nation’s health care system.
Hong Kong Jewelry Sales Hit the Rocks, Says MasterCard Report – China Real Time Report – WSJ Hong Kong’s traditionally hot growth in jewelry sales is sagging, according to a new report analyzing MasterCard spending here, which the authors say is a warning signal for the city’s economy.
Nearly one year ago, year-over-year growth in jewelry sales was as high as 19%, said Sarah Quinlan, senior vice president for MasterCard Advisors, a division of the U.S.-based credit-card company. But according to a MasterCard report analyzing Hong Kong spending, that growth rate dipped below 6.4%, the average overall retail growth rate in the city last month.
ICBC’s Jiang Won’t Compensate for Trust Product, CNBC Reports – Bloomberg Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd. Chairman Jiang Jianqing said the lender won’t compensate investors for losses tied to a troubled trust product distributed by the bank, CNBC reported on its website.
Investors in the 3-billion-yuan ($496 million) Credit Equals Gold No. 1 high-yield product met with ICBC officials at a Shanghai branch yesterday to demand their money amid concern that the trust wouldn’t repay the funds. A default on the trust product, which raised money for a failed coal mining company, would shake investors’ faith in the implicit guarantees offered by trust companies to draw funds from wealthy investors.
Investors Meet ICBC Officials on Concern of Trust Default – Bloomberg Investors in a troubled trust product distributed by Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd. met with the lender’s officials at a private-banking branch in Shanghai, demanding their money amid concern of a default.
Individuals were asked to sink at least 3 million yuan ($496,000) in the 3 billion-yuan Credit Equals Gold No. 1 product amid guarantees that it was “100 percent safe,” said Fang Ping, one of 20 investors who went into the branch. The product, which comes due on Jan. 31, raised funds for a coal mining company that collapsed after its owner was arrested.
Closer Look: New 4G Offerings Have Put China Unicom on Its Heels – Three years ago a long-time China Mobile customer told me he was lured away by China Unicom’s offer of an iPhone and 3G service. Now, however, he is returning to China Mobile, which is preparing to offer faster 4G service and the popular Apple Inc. gadget.
Since China Mobile’s iPhone sales started on January 17, many people have told me they are abandoning China Unicom. It remains to be seen exactly how successful China Mobile will be with its new offerings, but alarm bells are ringing for China Unicom and China Telecom.
23rd January downstream news PetroChina has delayed the startup of two new refineries and the expansion of a third in order to counter the threat of overcapacity as oil demand growth slows.
The company will now start up its 200 000 bpd Kunming refinery in the Yunman province in 2016, two years behind the original schedule.
Operation of a 400 000 bpd joint venture refinery in Jieyang of Guangdong will be delayed to 2017, rather than 2013.
Alibaba Stake in Citic 21CN Sends Shares to Highest Since 2000 – Bloomberg Citic 21CN Co. (241)’s shares rose the highest in intraday trading in almost 14 years after Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., the owner of China’s biggest e-commerce business, said it would invest in the company to enter the drug-data industry.
Former Foxconn manager detained in kickbacks probe – Business – Chinadaily.com.cn A former senior manager at Taiwan’s technology giant Foxconn has been detained in an ongoing probe into kickbacks from suppliers, prosecutors said on Thursday after reports he pocketed NT$100 million ($3.33 million) in bribes.
Liao Wan-cheng was taken into custody late on Wednesday, while three other ex-employees were questioned and released on bail, an official at the Taipei District Prosecutor’s Office said.
China CNR Plans to Raise Around $1.5 Billion in HK IPO in 2nd Quarter – WSJ.com China CNR Corp. is planning to raise around US$1.5 billion in a Hong Kong initial public offering in the second quarter, people with direct knowledge of the deal said Tuesday.
CNR, which is already listed in Shanghai, is China’s second-biggest train maker by sales after CSR Corp Ltd., which is listed in Hong Kong and Shanghai. It is planning to submit an application to list to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in coming weeks, the people said. A listing application is the first step toward an IPO in Hong Kong.
China’s Harbin Bank Said to Apply for $1 Billion Hong Kong IPO – Bloomberg Harbin Bank Co., a Chinese lender based near the Russian border, applied to the Hong Kong stock exchange for a $1 billion initial public offering, said two people with knowledge of the matter.
All three sponsors of the IPO are Chinese investment banks, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. The lender, based in the capital of northeastern China’s Heilongjiang province, aims to start trading in the first half, they said.
Apple Inc. (AAPL): Why Apple’s China Mobile Launch Was A Flop – Seeking Alpha The answer is partly in Apple’s “Premium” strategy and partly in the unique nature of the complex China smartphone market. In North America customers are pretty well divided between Apple and Samsung with a smattering of Motorola, LG, HTC and BlackBerry users and a group of also ran suppliers including Windows OS phones like the Nokia Lumia. Apple is the number one brand in the United States increasing its market share to 42% in the Christmas quarter.
irasia.com – China Telecom Corporation Limited China Telecom Corporation Limited (“China Telecom” or “the Company”; HKEx: 00728; NYSE: CHA) was voted by leading equity analysts “No.1 Best Managed Company in Asia”, across all industries at the “Best Managed and Governed Companies – Asia Poll 2014” (“the Poll”) by Euromoney, a leading international financial magazine.
Backers say twin $1 billion methanol plants planned by China-backed joint venture would be safe and environmentally sound | OregonLive.com A joint venture backed in part by a Chinese government agency has plans to build two $1 billion plants, one in Clatskanie and the other in Kalama, Wash., which would export methanol to China for making plastics and rubber.
allAfrica.com: Kenya: I Did Not Disown Rail Deal – AG (Page 1 of 2) Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter yesterday appeared before the committee where he said that the China Road and Bridge Corporation is blacklisted from engaging in projects funded by the World Bank. Keter tabled a press release from the bank indicating the CRBC was blacklisted five years ago.
Museveni assures Chinese Railway Company of Government support President Yoweri Museveni has assured the China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd of Uganda Government support while the company will be undertaking the up-grading of the Northern and Eastern railway-line.
President Museveni said that the China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd will be one of the 2 construction companies the Government of Uganda will work with in improving the railway transport system in Uganda, especially the route from Kampala to Tororo in Eastern Uganda.
How I Lost My Offshore Oil Empire | The Global Mail Sun claims in a lawsuit in US District Court in Los Angeles that the Chinese oil giant Sinopec colluded with Chinese police to illegally detain him for five years and, while he was in prison, connived with his employees to wrest away an offshore firm that controlled much of his oil empire.
Sinopec – the fourth-largest company in the world behind Royal Dutch Shell, Wal-Mart and Exxon Mobil— has filed a motion to dismiss the suit, scheduled to be heard in March. It argues that the proper jurisdiction for the case is China rather than the US and that, even if events had happened as Sun alleged, they would not amount to the extortion, kidnapping and torture that he claims.
The “Self-developed” China Operating System by Chinese Academy of Sciences is A Windows Phone 7 Firmware? One week ago, the Institute of Software under Chinese Academy of Sciences unveiled China Operating System (COS) together with Shanghai Liantong Internet Technologies Ltd, as reported by CCTV, China’s state-owned TV station.
Posted in Business Briefs and tagged Alibaba, China CNR Corp., China Harbin Bank, China Harbour Engineering, China Mobile, China Road and Bridge Corporation, China Telecom, China Unicom, Foxconn, ICBC, PetroChina, Shanghai Liantong Internet Technologies, Sinopec on January 24, 2014 by bucketoftongues. Leave a comment
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Dreamland Drifter
"A guilty conscience needs to confess. A work of art is a confession." – Albert Camus
Sugar Sugar Rune, vol. 5
Posted on May 25, 2018 by dreamlanddrifter
It’s odd to think about how I dropped off following Sugar Sugar Rune with this volume while it was still in print, because the story takes a sharp turn that reinvigorates an already solid series into something new.
The last volume ended with Chocolat and her gang joining Vanilla on a beach getaway. A mysterious force pulls Chocolat underwater. This volume opens with Vanilla getting knocked out by some ogre cohorts, bringing with them a shocking twist: Chocolat may disappear forever if she can’t resurface before Vanilla slumbers. When Chocolat doesn’t appear, the beach setting disappears from view, as do the collective memories of Chocolat and Vanilla’s friends.
The rest of the volume follows Chocolat and Pierre on a new adventure, in the depths of a magical cave. Pierre intuits that a gateway to the magical world exists within the cave, so the two start to wander in search of it. They do eventually find it, after a run-in with a giant enemy spider, but while falling through a cosmic portal, Chocolat lets go of Pierre’s grasp and separates from him.
When Chocolat lands in the middle of a desert, she then encounters a witch named Amber, who helps her find a means to travel to the “center” of the magical world in exchange for manual labor. Chocolat struggles a bit, but she’s able to earn her reward and hitch a ride to a place that can better connect her to the magical world. In doing so, she finds Pierre, and they attempt to make their way back to the human world. They encounter a conman in a local town who forces them to perform in the street for ecure. But when they think they’re able to get home, the conman ups the price, the only concession being Pierre’s noir heart. Pierre takes him up on the offer, and Chocolat escapes on her own. That said, she uses a super-powered L’Etoile Brilliant to psyche out the conman and rescues Pierre in one fell swoop.
Talk about a shake-up! This was the best volume of Sugar Sugar Rune yet. For the entire volume, it stopped being so much about interpersonal connections and petty rivalries and became a small-scale fantasy epic. Just in seeing the new sights and changing the narrative’s routine, this one was a fun ride.
Another great thing about this volume is how it displays Chocolat’s growth as a person. She is pretty calm and collected when in the magical cave, her only emotion being the nervousness she feels being around Pierre. When she winds up in the desert, she pitches no fits to get what she wants. Amber tells her what she needs, and Chocolat commits. Even when Amber corrects Chocolat’s language for being less than polite, Chocolat responds with a level head, accepting that her way of carrying herself may need to change to benefit the situation. Lastly, her last-second decision to save Pierre with a quick spell was such a nice sight. I remember how she used to struggle with her magic usage, so this was a real treat. For all she has been through, Chocolat has displayed true maturity in these chapters.
While I have enjoyed reading this series up to now, I would hesitate to say that it’s truly special or up there with the greats. This volume, however, has moved to a new locale and hit all the right beats, so maybe the high praise this series gets will start to make sense to me with the remaining volumes. I, for one, am definitely optimistic about what comes next.
Sugar Sugar Rune was written and illustrated by Anno Moyoco. It was serialized in Kodansha’s Nakayoshi magazine from 2004 to 2007, and its chapters were later collected in eight bound volumes. Del Rey Manga released all eight volumes in North America from 2005 to 2008 before they ceased operations in 2010. This review is based on that edition, which is out-of-print. The North American rights were reacquired by Udon Entertainment in 2015, though their release of the series is still forthcoming as of 2018.
This entry was posted in manga and tagged anno moyoco, shojo, sugar sugar rune by dreamlanddrifter. Bookmark the permalink.
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Telecom brings faster mobile and internet services closer to communities
Posted by Mandisa Rasmeni | Dec 19, 2018 | Technology
Telecom Namibia has upgraded 22 mobile sites and erected 10 new base stations in various parts of the country under its TN Mobile brand and has also extended its 3G and 4G connectivity to both urban and rural areas.
Oiva Angula, Head of Corporate Communications and Public Relations at Telecom said they have invested in infrastructure development over the last few months as part of their network modernisation programme.
“We focused on two key areas, the expansion and the enhancement of our networks. Therefore on network enhancement, we are reviewing the network architecture to optimise its performance and mitigate network strain. Our network optimisation will result in us consistently delivering a quality mobile service and experience,” he emphasied.
He said that in addition to all the upgrading they have done they have plans to roll out about 50 new mobile base stations to improve its 3G and 4G coverage within strategically selected areas across the country. “Network expansion and densification are strategic for us, with the goal of enhancing speeds, capacity, quality, reliability, reach and ultimately customer experience,” he explained.
Angula said they will continue to add more network sites to increase and enhance data and voice quality throughout the country with an additional investment as part of its five-year Strategy Plan. “This includes connecting all and in particular the far flung areas of the country where access to ICT services is limited. In that way we continue to serve as a catalyst of growth in Namibia’s economy,” he added.
Telecom Namibia had new 4G mobile base stations installed at Ongwediva, Tsumeb, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Rossmund, Ongha, Katima Mulilo, Katima UNAM campus and in Windhoek in Olympia, Otjomuise and Pioneers Park suburbs.
They have also modernised the latest 4G technology, equipment and software at 24 network sites around Arandis, Henties Bay, Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, Rossmund, Langstrand, Walvis Bay Airport and Talismanus to cater for its fast increasing data subscriber growth.
The towns of Lüdertiz, Uis, Omaruru, Rehoboth, Nkurenkuru and Okongo were upgraded from 3G to 4G, while additional 4G sites were switched on at Ongwediva, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Katima Mulilo and Windhoek’s Katutura, Rocky Creat and Kleine Kuppe suburbs. Capacity upgrades were done on other 4G base stations in Rocky Crest, Suiderhof, Pioneerspark and Kleine Kuppe.
The 3G network has been extened to the rural settlements of Chinchimane, Otuani, Anabeb, Otjomatemba, Onyuulaye, Onkani, Omatjete and Okombahe, Mpacha Airport 18 km southwest of Katima Mulilo, Oshivelo, Onathinge, Oniipa, Omungwelume, Oshigamba, Ondobe, Endola, Omundaungilo and Oshikuku.
Services at Trigbaken, Namib Fontein and Trekkopje were upgraded to 3G and Karibib and Usakos to 4G.
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Mandisa Rasmeni
Mandisa Rasmeni has worked as reporter at the Economist for the past five years, first on the entertainment beat but now focussing more on community, social and health reporting. She a born writer and is working on her degree in Journalism at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST). She believes education is the greatest equalizer. She is the epitome of perseverance, having started as the newspaper's receptionist in 2013.
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The Whitman Option: “Bathe me O God in thee”
Over thirty years ago, I left the Southern Baptists and was confirmed as a Roman Catholic. There were many reasons for my conversion but among the most important was their suspicion and fear of culture. I was taught God spoke only through the “Bible,” properly interpreted of course, and Catholics believed in “idols” beginning with the Virgin Mary.
The Catholic Church that I discovered didn’t believe in idols but embraced God’s presence in culture and history, beginning with the saints and including the arts, sciences, humanities, philosophy, and even politics. His presence was encountered throughout creation and among the descendants of Adam and Eve, in all that they did, thought, made, imagined, dreamed, and what they created made the limiting of Christian wisdom to Scripture both unnecessary and “downright un-Biblical.”
While Scripture and tradition remained normative among Catholics, both the knowledge and experience of God were viewed as ubiquitous, literally everywhere.
Thus, when I encounter the same a negative attitude towards culture among fellow Catholics I get cranky. Over the past thirty years, I have watched as good people bailed out of the “culture wars” either because the good guys were losing or it just no longer appealed to them, while others have decided to “say goodbye” to the division between “left and right.” (And I have lost count of the number of times in the past 30 years this has been announced.)
The so-called “Benedict Option” takes another approach to erasing the tension between faith and culture — the retreat to the safe environs of a home and community where the incoming cultural “stimuli” can be intercepted and repelled.
That these sentiments emerge among Catholics from to time to time testifies to the Puritan-Protestant roots of our nation’s culture. As Alexis de Tocqueville wrote after his American visit in the 1930s, “methinks I see the destiny of America embodied in the first Puritan who landed on those shores, just as the human race was represented by the first man” (Democracy in America, Ch. 17.1). As a result of this pervasive influence, Catholics in America have been attacked head-on throughout our history, think of the Blaine Amendment (1875) and Prohibition (1917). But instead of Catholics reaffirming their unique heritage, and in spite of the exclusion, persecution, and prejudice, they self-appropriated much of the Protestant criticism which led them to find a safe refuge in self-doubt and conformity.
Let me propose another option, one both more Catholic as well as being American in the best sense: The Whitman Option, named for one of the greatest of our native poets, Walt Whitman (1817-1889). More than reprinting his words from “Leaves of Grass” (1855-1892), I’m posting his words set to music by the composer Ralph Vaughn Williams, an Englishman, who like many artists of his generation, were inspired by Whitman’s unabashed poeticizing in free verse about the body, soul, nature, and God. In A Sea Symphony (1910), Vaughn Williams found the music to match the irresistible desire, unforeseen exultation, and the expanding vision of a soul seeking God.
The Whitman Option goes in the opposite directions from those who seek either refuge from, or a faux reconciliation of, the tensions between faith and culture: a radical openness to seeking and embracing all that is good, beautiful, and true in our world. Rather than a theological argument, two lines of Whitman will guide us: “Bathe me O God in thee” and “Are they not all seas of God,” lines which combine the desire for God with His ubiquitous presence.
In the final section of the “A Sea Symphony,” called “The Explorers,” the two solo voices announce their intention to “launch out on the trackless seas . . . singing our song of God.”
O we can wait no longer,
We too take ship O soul,
Joyous we too launch out on trackless seas,
Fearless for unknown shores on waves of ecstasy to sail,
Amid the wafting winds, (thou pressing me to thee, I thee to me, O soul,)
Caroling free, singing our song of God,
Chanting our chant of pleasant exploration.
The voices pause for a moment of reflection before both the poet and his soul are slowly and unexpectantly drawn upward with a prayer, “Bathe me O God in thee, mounting to thee.” But we have not yet reached the place of vision. That arrives as the most powerful moment of the symphony: “O Thou transcendent . . . Light of the light, shedding forth universes, thou centre of them.” These last four words are punctuated with the crash of cymbals.
O soul thou pleasest me, I thee,
Sailing these seas or on the hills, or waking in the night,
Thoughts, silent thoughts, of Time and Space and Death, like waters flowing,
Bear me indeed as through the regions infinite,
Whose air I breathe, whose ripples hear, lave me all over,
Bathe me O God in thee, mounting to thee,
I and my soul to range in range of thee.
O Thou transcendent,
Nameless, the fibre and the breath,
Light of the light, shedding forth universes, thou centre of them.
Such a vision cannot last, the poet and his soul “shrivel at the thought of God,” shrinking for a moment before regaining footing, “turning, call to thee O soul, thou actual Me,” the one who has “swellest full the vastnesses of Space.” The chorus singing, “Greater than stars or suns,” declares that God’s being transcends the whole of His creation. But in spite of infinite vastness ahead of them, and its mystery, they, “hoist instantly the anchor!”
Swiftly I shrivel at the thought of God,
At Nature and its wonders, Time and Space and Death,
But that I, turning, call to thee O soul, thou actual Me,
And lo, thou gently masterest the orbs,
Thou matest Time, smilest content at Death,
And fillest, swellest full the vastnesses of Space.
Greater than stars or suns,
Bounding O soul thou journeyest forth;
Away O soul! hoist instantly the anchor!
Cut the hawsers — haul out — shake out every sail,
After hints of a mystical vision, their searching will continue in “the deep waters only.” Here they “will risk the ship, ourselves, and all.” After all, they ask, “are they not all the seas of God?” so why not “farther, farther sail.” The poet and his soul continue on.
Reckless O soul, exploring, I with thee, and thou with me,
Sail forth — steer for the deep waters only,
For we are bound where mariner has not yet dared to go,
And we will risk the ship, ourselves and all.
O my brave soul!
O farther farther sail!
O daring joy, but safe! are they not all the seas of God?
O farther, farther, farther sail!
There will be those who predictably read The Whitman Option with exactly the suspicion that makes them live safely indoors, so to speak. They will accuse me of recommending the words and deeds of a pantheist and accused homosexual in the place of a saint. They will be missing the spirituality of Whitman’s text and how it is deepened and amplified by the beauty of Vaughn Williams music, who himself professed agnosticism in spite of editing the English Hymnal (1906) and composing a large corpus of sacred music.
Yes, these two, Whitman and Vaughn Williams, hardly stand for role models in Christian saintliness. Yet, the beauty they created has stood the test of time, in part because each of them gave expression to our infinite desire for God in a way that made that desire palpable. We are convinced not by argument but by the extraordinary experience of encountering what they, as artists, made for us. This can be an experience of ekstasis in which we are taken out of ourselves for a time. As I once put it in an essay on Jacques Maritain’s aesthetics: in a work of art, the ecstasy of the artist meets the ecstasy of his viewer.* Needless to say, such encounters can be life-changing.
The Whitman Option is offered on behalf of those whose intellectual curiosity, aesthetic hunger, political participation, artistic creativity, and social activism is part of their daily bread. This bread feeds their souls and those who are in their care. They pray “Bathe me O Lord in thee” and live their lives in expectation of joy. They’ve decided that joy is possible, even in a wicked world. Yes, these are “reckless” souls, but they know wherever they choose to journey, “are they not all the seas of God??
*”The Ecstasy Which Is Creation: The Shape of Maritain’s Aesthetics,” in Understanding Maritain: Philosopher and Friend, eds. Deal W. Hudson and Matthew J. Mancini, Mercer University Press, 1987.
These clips are taken from a performance of Ralph Vaughn Williams “A Sea Symphony” at the 2013 BBC Proms conducted by Sakari Oramo with the BBC Orchestra and Chorus, and soloists Roderick Williams and Sally Matthews.
Posted in Culture, Music, Spirituality, The Christian Review 2018 on May 29, 2018 by Deal Hudson. Leave a comment
← Christopher Nolan’s Brilliant, Un-Romanticized, “Dunkirk”
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Red Velvet’s Joy Collapses On Stage
May 26, 2016 De De Tillman Blogs, Red Velvet’s Joy Collapses, Red Velvet’s Joy NewsDe De Tillman
Reblogged By: De De Tillman
Source:Koreaboo – Dispatch
Media:Koreaboo – Dispatch
Posted: Thursday May 26, 2016 @8:54 p.m PST
Red Velvet member Joy had fans worried for her after she seemingly collapsed mid-performance on stage at a recent music festival event.
During one of their sets on May 26th in which they sang their debut track “Happiness,” the performance, which has been modified for five people instead of four, seemed to continue without a hitch. Three minutes into the song, Joy suddenly clutched her head before falling to the floor, looking dazed. All of the members showed extreme concern for Joy with Yeri and Irene helping her up.
Nevertheless, Joy continued the performance like a true professional as she recovered in a matter of seconds and took her appropriate place in the choreography to continue, completing the stage without any more problems.
The video has since gone viral with over 273,000 views on Facebook and 152,000 views and counting on YouTube in over a day. Many fans took to social media to express their concern over Joy’s health as many idols collapsing on stage comes from a result of insufficient rest.
However, this time around, it seems that the situation laid in Joy’s earpiece as it electrocuted her mid-performance with some fans claiming to have seen the sparks coming from her ear.
Super Junior’s {Kangin} Gets Into Hit-and-Run While Driving Drunk
May 24, 2016 De De Tillman Blogs, Super Junior's KanginKangin Druck Driving, Kangin Hit and Run, Supper Junior's KanginDe De Tillman
Source:Koreaboo – Insight
Media:Koreaboo
Posted: Tuesday May 24, 2016 @ 5:21 a.m PST
Super Junior’s Kangin is under investigation for driving while drunk and getting into a car accident, but not remaining at the scene of the crash.
Super Junior Kangin is currently under investigation for being responsible for a car accident while under the influence of alcohol.
The Seoul Gangnam police department stated that Kangin crashed into a streetlight located in front of a convenience store located at Sinsadong, Gangnam. Kangin was not present at the scene when the police arrived but were able to discern that Kangin was responsible for the accident from witness statements. Kangin when questioned by the police stated, “I remember hitting something but I didn’t know it was a street light”. His alcohol level was at a 0.05% when the police tested him, enough under Korean law for a suspension of driving license.
The police stated that “We suspect that when we take into consideration the Widmark formula, his alcohol level at the time would have been much higher. We are also investigating the possibility that he ran from the scene on purpose after the incident.”
Jia {miss A’s} Kpop Has Left The Agency
May 20, 2016 De De Tillman BlogsJYP Entertainment, miss A’s Jia, miss A’s Jia Leaves Group, miss A’s Jia NewsDe De Tillman
Source:Koreaboo – Star News and TV Daily
Posted: Friday May 20, 2016 @ 6:26 p.m PST
Breaking news has left fans with a broken heart as Jia, member of JYP Entertainmentgirl group miss A, has been confirmed to have left the agency.
According to JYP Entertainment on May 20th, Jia’s exclusive contract recently expired with both parties coming to an agreement that it would not be renewed.
JYP Entertainment continues in their official statement to the press, “We cheer on Jia and wish for more success in her future as we’ve been with each other for a long time. We have finished renewing Fei‘s contact and we will support her to the best of our abilities in her Chinese and Korean activities. Suzy and Min’s contracts have their terms left. Miss A will remain together and they will mostly revolve around solo activities.”
Jia debuted in 2010 as part of the four-member girl group miss A, and has attracted fans with her amazing dance skills and charisma.
miss A’s last activities as a group was with their album Colored released in March 2015 which held their hit title track “Only You.”
Used With Permission
Block B’s B-Bomb Shuts Down Dating Rumors
May 20, 2016 De De Tillman Blogs, GoogleBlock B’s B-Bomb, Kpop, Kpop Dating RumorsDe De Tillman
Source:Koreaboo
Media:Koreaboo = Instiz
Posted: Friday May 20, 2016 @6:08 p.m PST
Block B‘s B-Bomb has become embroiled in dating rumors but within the following hour since it began to spread, quickly responded with clarifications, amazing fans with his fast response.
With idol relationships going public on the rise along with the increase in K-Pop celebrities joining various social media sites, fans have come to compare accounts with suspicions that two individuals may be in a secret relationship, causing rumors to spread.
In this particular instance, a “Lovestagram” (Love Instagram) posts were compared to that of B-Bomb with some suspecting that he is in a relationship. This is due to his and someone else’s Instagram posts being highly similar while being posted around a nearly identical time frame. The posts were originally made in October 2015 and recently resurfaced on May 19th, beginning the rumors.
Laysha {K-Pop Girl Group} Suggestive Choreography
May 8, 2016 De De Tillman Blogs, Laysha KPop Girl Group, Laysha KPop NewsGoogle, Laysha KPop GroupDe De Tillman
Posted: Sunday May 8, 2016 @ 5:33 p.m PST
While the popularity of idol groups continue to grow, girl groups focused just on dancing are also becoming increasingly popular in Korea.
Although there are tons of different dance cover groups all over Korea, Laysha has become notorious because of their revealing outfits and extremely suggestive choreography. And while the group wore less revealing clothing during latest performance than usual, fans were mesmerized by the group’s floor routine, which left little to the imagination.
Asian Girl’s Attempt To Eat Corn Off A Power Drill That Goes Horribly Wrong! (+Hospital Video Update)
May 8, 2016 Asian Women Hair, De De Tillman BlogsAsian Girl Eats Corn, Asian Girl's Hair, Drill Eats Girl's Hair, GoogleDe De Tillman
By now, most of the internet has seen the viral video of a man eating corn that’s attached to a drill. An Asian woman attempting that exact video has gone horribly wrong!
The original video was of a man eating a corn, attached to a drill, extremely fast. The video went viral instantly and got millions of views on multiple websites.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH ALL VIDEOS
Kyuhyun {Super Junior} Confesses To Receiving Plastic Surgery
May 5, 2016 De De Tillman BlogsKyuhyun, Super Junior's KyuhyunDe De Tillman
Reblogged By : De De Tillman
Media:Koreaboo – Sports Chosun
Posted: Thursday May 5, 2016 @ 6:14 p.m PST
In the recent broadcast of Radio Star, Kyuhyun gave a surprising confession after labelmate Dana outed him for missing a week of practice at a musical they both participated in.
The episode aired on May 4th, Dana made a guest appearance along with Lee Seung Chul, labelmate and Super Junior member Kangin and producer Brave Brothers.
During the show, Dana revealed that she had worked together with Kyuhyun in the musical The Musketeers but commented that the Super Junior member had been missing from practice for approximately a week. She followed with, “I thought he was gone because of an international schedule. But when he came back he looked strange. ‘What’s this?’ It turned out Kyuhyun had double eye-lid surgery.”
Not denying her comment, Kyuhyun added that the reason he needed the surgery again was due to his first double-eye lid disappearing after five years which he has grown
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Doctor Strange Review
November 14, 2016 June 1, 2018 by El Burrito Blog
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has come a long way since 2008 with the launch of Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. With trilogies of solo Avengers, galactic battles in space, and all-star team ups, it’s time to gear up for Marvel’s new heroes for even more adventures and possibilities. Doctor Strange isn’t an unfamiliar face if you know comic books, but he is the hero that we have been looking for some time now.
Doctor Strange stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the Sorcerer Supreme. A brilliant neurosurgeon that loses the use of his hands in a horrible car accident, he pursues any method and expense he can to regain his ability to use his hands once more. After many failed procedures, he turns to a rumored spiritual healing process at Kamar-Taj. Here is where we are introduced to the sorcerer Mordo, and the all-powerful Ancient One who guides Strange to a new way of perceiving the world. When a rogue sorcerer named Kaecilius aims to bring the Dark Dimension to Earth, it’s up to Doctor Strange to use his new abilities to stop him.
Doctor Strange is one of Marvel’s biggest and most important characters in all of comic book history. With this character, we are introduced to the world of magic and other dimensions that lead to multiple universes and other beings from other worlds. Now that Strange is a part of the MCU, we are likely to expect all sorts of characters from around the galaxy and across space and time. While the rest of the MCU is gearing up for the final showdown between the Avengers and Thanos in Infinity War, Doctor Strange will have a vital role as far as what will happen afterwards to our heroes.
Besides how important this hero is to the rest of the MCU, the strongest part about Doctor Strange is Cumberbatch’s portrayal of the character. Strange goes through quite a heavy change in character throughout the movie; at first being an arrogant and rude neurosurgeon, to later becoming a powerful sorcerer that would give his life to save Earth. Cumberbatch is able to range his emotions, sarcastic attitude, and power through truly empowering acting that leaves us wanting even more of Strange. The supporting cast of Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mordo and Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One, both prove also to be well-fitted for their perspective roles, despite the initial criticism for changing the characteristics of the characters in the comics. Personally, I think The Ancient One provided much more depth to the character for being a woman.
For those who are strict about comic book movies staying tight to the source material,have no fear as Doctor Strange manages to capture some of the most enticing and memorable visual effects that comes straight from pages by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. As Strange begins to learn about his powers and the infinite possibilities that are beyond perception, he begins to explore the astral plane and other dimensions, including the infamous Dark Dimension that the villainous Dormammu lurks within. These sequences within the movies brings a whole new level of CGI and visually stimulating images. I imagine some of the visual effects would seem like being on the best(or worst) kind of acid trip you could possibly have. At one point Strange holds up his hand, and his fingers are growing hands, which are also growing hands. I do highly recommend going to see the film in 3D also, it was definitely worth the trippy experience.
While the MCU excels in all of their films and has truly succeeded at sharing movies together, the one aspect that they tend to fall short sometimes on are the villains. It seems that even though some amazing actors have portrayed some infamous villains over the years, they manage to stay in the same formula of shortly establishing a character and then falling flat. Mads Mikkelsen plays the dark Kaecilius, and while he looks pretty crazy and has some great action sequences with Cumberbatch, unfortunately his true potential of being a memorable villain sinks by the end. However, with the introduction of Dormammu in the Dark Dimension, we can probably say that he will be the big bad in the third chapter of Doctor Strange. I am also excited to see Mordo unfold into his new dark side after the events of the film.
Doctor Strange proved to be another successful hit for Marvel. Phase 3 has only just began but we are about to gain a bunch of new heroes like Black Panther, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, and even more introduced in Infinity War. While we have to wait a little ways to see Strange team up with the rest of The Avengers, it is comforting to see a new side to the MCU that deals in the realm of magic and other dimensions. We were also given that the Time Stone lies with Strange now, so we are only missing one more Infinity Stone that Thanos is seeking. With some amazing and trippy visual effects, great action sequences, and a truly captivating story and performance with the entire cast, I’d say that Doctor Strange is one of my new favorite Marvel films.
Did you see Doctor Strange in theaters? What did you think of the film? Let us know in the comments below!
Tags: captain america comic book movies comics doctor strange Iron Man marvel marvel cinematic universe MCU Reviews spider-man thor
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Tractional Retinal Detachment
Updated: Sep 20, 2018
Author: Lihteh Wu, MD; Chief Editor: Hampton Roy, Sr, MD
Anytime subretinal fluid accumulates in the space between the neurosensory retina and the underlying retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a retinal detachment occurs. Depending on the mechanism of subretinal fluid accumulation, retinal detachments traditionally have been classified into rhegmatogenous, tractional, and exudative.
A tractional retinal detachment (TRD) is the second most common type of retinal detachment after a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD).
In TRD secondary to proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) and penetrating trauma, contractile vitreoretinal, epiretinal, intraretinal (very rarely), or subretinal membranes pull the neurosensory retina away from the RPE. PVR can be considered to represent an inappropriate or uncontrolled wound healing response. Microscopic examinations of these membranes have revealed their cellular composition. RPE cells, glial cells, fibrocytes, macrophages, and collagen fibrils are important components of these membranes. RPE cells are the major players in these membranes. They gain access to the vitreous cavity during retinal break formation. It has been shown that the amount of RPE cells in the vitreous cavity correlates with the size of the retinal breaks. The larger the break, the larger the amount of RPE cells intravitreally.
In addition, RPE cells also may be dispersed into the vitreous cavity by excessive cryotherapy, cryotherapy on bare RPE, and scleral indentation following cryotherapy. Once in the vitreous cavity, the RPE cells undergo morphological changes where they attain fibroblastlike activity, secreting growth factors that stimulate collagen and fibronectin production.
Cryotherapy also causes breakdown of the blood-ocular barrier, allowing serum to enter the eye. Serum components fibronectin and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) are strong chemoattractants for other RPE cells, astrocytes, and fibrocytes. Thus, one can understand the risk that vitreous hemorrhage poses in the chances of periretinal membrane formation. Once collagen sheets form, the individual cells pull on them, leading to TRD. Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) is also a potent chemoattractant for monocytes and fibroblasts.[1] TGF-ß stimulates fibronectin synthesis and collagen contraction by RPE cells.[2, 3] Fibronectin may serve as a provisional matrix and scaffold for RPE cells in PVR membranes. It also induces conversion of RPE cells toward a fibroblastlike phenotype. In a rabbit model of PVR, decorin used as an adjuvant during vitrectomy reduced the amount of fibrosis and TRD.[4]
TRD may occur in a number of ocular pathologic conditions, such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), sickling hemoglobinopathies, retinal venous obstructions, and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), that are characterized by progressive retinal ischemia. Examples are shown in the images below.
Patient with a central retinal vein occlusion complicated by neovascularization at the disc with subsequent tractional retinal detachment.
This patient underwent a scleral buckle for a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Now, the patient presents with proliferative vitreoretinopathy with a membrane tenting up and detaching the retina.
A patient with proliferative diabetic retinopathy complicated by a tractional retinal detachment over the supertemporal arcade.
Progressive retinal ischemia leads to secretion of growth factors, especially vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Neovascularization ensues, and the vitreous serves as a scaffold where strong vitreoretinal adhesions develop. With time, as the vitreous starts pulling away, a mechanical separation of the neurosensory retina from the underlying RPE occurs.
At the molecular level, VEGF is the main driver of angiogenesis and the resulting neovascularization. VEGF upregulates the profibrotic growth factor connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in various cell types in the newly formed neovascular membranes. Increasing levels of CTGF inactivate VEGF, and when the equilibrium between these two factors shifts to a certain threshold ratio, the neovascular membranes become more fibrotic and less vascular. Fibrosis driven by excess CTGF leads to scarring and blindness.[5]
In the past few years, intravitreal anti-VEGF agents have gained popularity in the treatment of several diseases of the posterior segment of the eye characterized by macular edema and intraocular neovascularization such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). In addition, they have been used as presurgical adjuvants in diabetic vitrectomies and ROP. Despite the advantages of such treatment, caution must be exercised in eyes with advanced PDR and ROP since a rapid involution of the fibrovascular proliferation may lead to the development or the progression of a tractional retinal detachment. In the largest study to date, the earliest development or progression of a TRD occurred 5 days after the injection. Timely surgery should be anticipated following intravitreal bevacizumab. Therefore, to be on the safe side, if bevacizumab is to be used as a vitrectomy adjunct, surgery should be performed no later than 4 days after injection.[6, 7]
PVR is responsible for most failures of retinal reattachment surgery. It occurs in about 7% of eyes after retinal reattachment surgery. In 1 year, approximately 1600 new cases of PVR are seen.
Approximately 500 cases of blindness secondary to ROP are reported per year in the United States.
Mortality/Morbidity
Recent series have reported that the anatomical success rates of PVR are about 75-90%. However, the functional results are not that good since only about 40-50% of eyes attain 20/400 or better visual acuity.
ROP complicated by TRD is the leading cause of childhood blindness.
Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in the working age group. In the 1960s, prior to the advent of laser photocoagulation, up to 50% of patients with PDR were legally blind. With new techniques, currently only 5% of patients with PDR progress to legal blindness.
TRD related to sickle cell disease occurs mainly in blacks.
No studies exist that specifically refer to the incidence of TRD according to gender. However, it is well known that men are more susceptible to penetrating trauma than women.
The incidence of TRD according to age depends on the cause.
Visual prognosis depends on the underlying cause of TRD.
Anatomical success rates for retinal reattachment surgery for PVR are anywhere from 75-90% of eyes. However, visual results are poor, since only about 40-50% obtain a visual acuity of 20/400 or better.
The results after ROP surgery are very poor but better than the natural history (no light perception).
For PDR, series by Rice et al, Thompson et al, and Williams et al report 70-80% of eyes attain 5/200 or better visual acuity with 40% achieving 20/100 or better.[8, 9, 10]
Patients with diabetes must be aware that a fully dilated eye examination by a competent ophthalmologist should be performed at least once a year. Depending on the presence and degree of retinopathy, the patient may need to be seen on a more frequent basis.
Patients should be educated about the importance of good glycemic, hypertensive, and lipemic control.
Vitreoretinal traction develops insidiously in most cases.
The visual field defect progresses slowly and may become stationary for months or years.
If the macula becomes involved, the patient will experience a drop in vision.
The detachment has a concave configuration.
The subretinal fluid is shallower than in RRD and often does not extend to the ora serrata.
The highest elevation of the retina occurs in sites of vitreoretinal traction.
Retinal mobility is severely reduced, and shifting fluid is absent.
See the list below:
Penetrating trauma
Proliferative sickle retinopathy
Retinal venous occlusions
Retinal redetachment
Vitreous hemorrhage
Phthisis bulbi
Differential Diagnoses
Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion (BRVO)
Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO)
Colonic Polyps
Epiretinal Membrane
Exudative Retinal Detachment
Hemoglobinopathy Retinopathy
Postoperative Retinal Detachment
Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment
The diagnosis of a TRD is made clinically. Further laboratory workup is unnecessary.
In eyes with vitreous hemorrhage, a B-scan ultrasound is a useful adjunct to evaluate the presence or absence of retinal detachment.
The same findings as those found in RRD (see Retinal Detachment, Rhegmatogenous), that is, photoreceptor outer segment loss in the acute cases. Following successful retinal reattachment, regeneration of the outer segments may occur. In chronic detachments, atrophy of the entire photoreceptor layer, cystic degeneration, macrocyst formation, demarcation lines, and even rubeosis iridis may be seen.
In addition, TRDs have periretinal proliferation. Light and electron microscopy have revealed the composition of the periretinal membranes. These are composed of RPE cells, astrocytes, fibrocytes, monocytes, and collagen fibrils.
Currently, no role exists for medical care in the treatment of TRD.
Depending on the underlying cause and extent of the TRD, surgical intervention is offered to patients. For instance, a patient with TRD secondary to PDR that does not threaten the macula probably can be monitored closely. The main surgical goal in all these cases is to relieve vitreoretinal traction. Traction may be relieved with scleral buckling techniques and/or with vitrectomy.
In certain cases, combined RRD and TRD may be present. Usually, the retina becomes detached from the vitreoretinal traction. With further traction, small breaks may occur causing a combined TRD-RRD. In these cases, the surgical goal is to identify all the breaks and to close them in addition to the relief of vitreoretinal traction.
Tractional Retinal Detachment Due to Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy
In TRD secondary to PVR, usually a broad circumferential element, such as a 287 buckle, is placed. A decision is made whether the crystalline lens needs to be sacrificed. A complete vitrectomy follows. Inside-out (posterior to anterior) forceps (not pick) membrane peeling is the preferred dissection method with or without perfluorocarbon liquid injection. Perfluorocarbon liquid may be injected at the surgeon's discretion to stabilize the posterior retina. If residual traction remains, subretinal membranes may need to be excised if causing traction. If necessary, a relaxing retinectomy is created. A fluid-air exchange is performed. Endophotocoagulation is followed by either air-silicone oil exchange or air-gas exchange. If perfluorocarbon liquids are not used, the dissection starts anteriorly and proceeds posteriorly.
A randomized controlled clinical trial of a perioperative infusion of 5-fluorouracil and low molecular weight heparin was not able to demonstrate a better surgical outcome in eyes with established PVR. There has been a recent interest in using methotrexate as an antiproliferative agent.[11, 12]
Tractional Retinal Detachment Due to Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy
In TRD secondary to PDR, several surgical techniques have been developed. A scleral buckle usually is not used unless anterior breaks are present.
A central vitrectomy is performed with the vitrector clearing the axial opacities and the cortical vitreous gel. A large opening is created in the posterior hyaloid until vitreoretinal adhesions are encountered. Segmentation and/or delamination of these adhesions (as described by Charles) are used for virtually all diabetic TRD.
Delamination refers to the separation of the retina from the extraretinal proliferation. This dissection proceeds from posterior to anterior. Fibrovascular tissue often bridge separate retinal zones. Segmentation refers to cutting of the fibrovascular tissue bridge into small separate islands of tissue.
Care must be given to create as few iatrogenic breaks as possible. If breaks are identified, usually fluid-air exchange with photocoagulation reattaches the retina. Breaks should be marked with diathermy, so they are identified easily in the air-filled eye. The incidence of RRD in patients who underwent vitrectomy for PDR has been reported to be 4.3%. Intraocular bleeding also must be monitored closely. Diathermy to active neovascular fronds may be necessary.
Other techniques include the en bloc dissection. En bloc is a name applied to outside-in delamination where the vitreous is used to pull on the epiretinal membrane. Outside-in causes more retinal breaks than inside-out, making it a dangerous maneuver.
Recent advances in small-gauge instrumentation have facilitated the peeling of membranes in these cases, in many cases obviating the need for intraocular picks and scissors.[13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18]
Intravitreal bevacizumab has been reported as a preoperative adjunct in vitrectomy for PDR. Bevacizumab seems to reduce the bleeding associated with the segmentation and delamination of fibrovascular membranes. However, in eyes with severe ischemia, the neovascularization regresses rapidly, but the resulting fibrous scar tissue may lead to the development or progression of TRD. Therefore, caution should be exercised when injecting these eyes, and patients should be scheduled for surgery days, and not weeks, after the injection.
Anti-VEGF agents such as bevacizumab have been used as adjuncts to vitrectomy. The advantages of using preoperative bevacizumab includes faster surgery and reduced risk of intraoperative bleeding, which facilitates membrane dissection.[19, 20, 21, 22] Care must be taken because it has been reported that, in very ischemic eyes, TRD may occur or progress shortly following intravitreal bevacizumab.[20, 21] It is speculated that rapid neovascular involution with accelerated fibrosis and posterior hyaloidal contraction as a response to decreased levels of VEGF is responsible for this phenomenon. In this retrospective series, the time from injection to TRD was a mean of 13 days, with a range of 3-31 days.[20] Therefore, the time between bevacizumab injection and vitrectomy should not exceed 3 days.
Tractional Retinal Detachment Due to Retinopathy of Prematurity
The treatment of TRD secondary to ROP depends on the stage of the disease.
Although many vitreoretinal surgeons advocate an encircling band for stage 4A ROP, no scientific evidence is available that supports its efficacy. In stage 4B, vitrectomy is recommended. It is currently unclear if lens-sparing vitrectomy has any advantages over lensectomy.
For stage 5 ROP, visual and anatomical results have been disappointing, making some surgeons abandon surgery for these cases. Others have tried vitrectomy and lensectomy with or without scleral buckling. In these cases, a 2-port vitrectomy technique is recommended since the small size of the eye and orbit limits ocular manipulation if a 3-port technique is used. The use of intravitreal triamcinolone as a postoperative adjuvant might improve the rate of retinal reattachment after vitrectomy.
A recent case series of aggressive posterior ROP suggested that early vitrectomy with lensectomy in these cases is effective in preventing TRD.
Special attention must be given to avoid iatrogenic retinal breaks because of the poor prognosis associated with this complication. The goal of surgery is to obtain macular reattachment.
Patients with TRD should be referred to an experienced vitreoretinal surgeon for further management.
Proliferative vitreoretinopathy
Extensive cryotherapy, cryotherapy over bare RPE, and scleral depression after cryotherapy should be avoided because this will disperse RPE cells into the vitreous cavity. Cryotherapy also causes breakdown of the blood-ocular barrier, allowing serum (containing various growth factors believed to be stimulatory to the formation of PVR) to enter the eye.
A double-masked, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial reported that adjuvant therapy with 5-fluorouracil and low molecular weight heparin does not improve anatomical and visual success rates in retinal detachments with preexisting PVR. Furthermore, it is associated with worse visual outcomes in cases with macula-sparing retinal detachment.
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy
Patients with diabetes should be monitored closely and treated with aggressive panretinal photocoagulation when indicated.
Screening protocols should be monitored, and patients should be treated with laser or cryotherapy as indicated.
Further Outpatient Care
Certain eyes that undergo vitreoretinal surgery have an intraocular gas bubble to serve as internal tamponade. Depending on the gas used and the location of the breaks, the surgeon instructs the patient to maintain a certain head position for a limited time.
Most vitreoretinal procedures currently are performed in an ambulatory setting.
Postoperative medications usually include a topical corticosteroid, a topical cycloplegic, and a topical antibiotic. The intraocular pressure is monitored and controlled accordingly.
TRDs are considered to be surgical diseases. However, experimental drugs have been used in numerous protocols to try to prevent PVR at different stages of the disease process. Among the drugs studied are heparin and its low molecular weight derivatives, corticosteroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, antimetabolites, and retinoic acid. Most of these agents have been shown to reduce retinal proliferation. However, such issues as drug toxicity, drug delivery, and drug duration of action remain without an ideal solution.
Lihteh Wu, MD Ophthalmologist, Costa Rica Vitreo and Retina Macular Associates
Lihteh Wu, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Retina Specialists, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Club Jules Gonin, Macula Society, Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology, Retina Society
Disclosure: Received income in an amount equal to or greater than $250 from: Bayer Health; Quantel Medical.
Dhariana Acón, MD Ophthalmologist, Caja Costarricense Seguro Social, Hospital de Guapiles, Costa Rica
Simon K Law, MD, PharmD Clinical Professor of Health Sciences, Department of Ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine
Simon K Law, MD, PharmD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Ophthalmology, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, American Glaucoma Society
Steve Charles, MD Founder and CEO of Charles Retina Institute; Clinical Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tennessee College of Medicine
Disclosure: Received royalty and consulting fees for: Alcon Laboratories.
Hampton Roy, Sr, MD Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Hampton Roy, Sr, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American College of Surgeons, Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology
V Al Pakalnis, MD, PhD Professor of Ophthalmology, University of South Carolina School of Medicine; Chief of Ophthalmology, Dorn Veterans Affairs Medical Center
V Al Pakalnis, MD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American College of Surgeons, South Carolina Medical Association
Teodoro Evans, MD Consulting Surgeon, Vitreo-Retinal Section, Clinica de Ojos, Costa Rica
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Foul mouthed “comic” comes to Dayton and Dayton embarrasses itself posted on March 31, 2018
School board hell bent on violating sunshine laws again- just to show they can at will posted on July 18, 2019
Judges fiddle while Rome burns
Posted on May 9, 2019 @ 5:36 am by David Esrati
The next time they run for office, you might want to consider voting for whomever is running for these judicial seats to replace the following judges: Richard Skelton in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, Judges Jeffrey M. Welbaum, Michael T. Hall and Michael L. Tucker all of the 2nd District Court of Appeals.
Oh, that’s right, you’ll never see these judges face an opponent, thanks in part to the “Culture of Corruption” in Montgomery County where the two political parties cut a deal where Judges races are only contested when a seat has been vacated, or if you are appointed, at the end of your first term. After that, you’re in for life thanks to a backroom deal.
Note, Richard Skelton broke that “unwritten rule” when he ran against Judge Frances McGee-Cromartie, daughter of former Dayton Mayor James H. McGee, after she had survived her challenge period. His race was one of the only ones where I saw elections officials step in and try to interfere, complaining that the word “for” wasn’t big enough on his expensive large signs and made him redo them and an early postcard that was sent out.
Why you ask should these judges be sent packing? Well, while they have been protecting the legal profession and it’s strict rules and processes allowing my case against the illegal “School closing task force” the people who very obviously broke the law, and should have been at a minimum punished and at a maximum, removed from office per the infamous Open Meetings Act/Sunshine Law/ORC 121.22 the Dayton Public Schools has continued to devolve into an even bigger shit-show than it was when I was playing watchdog.
Need proof? Despite not even being looked at during the illegal bus tour, DPS is now going to close Residence Park Elementary (AKA WOW) and Dayton Boys Prep, one of the only “magnet” type schools in the system, is going to be turned into a regular old school- named “Roosevelt” disgracing the name of the once proud building that used to stand on the same lot. Yep, to all the proud “Teddy’s” that graduated from that grand building with it’s WPA art, and solid soaring, serious architecture- you will confuse future generations by being represented by a school connected to a pint sized rec center that has a pool that didn’t come close to what they tore down. (btw- the building of all these “new” schools in Dayton was a bonanza not only for the construction companies who wrote the rules- but to the demolition companies at the center of the “culture of corruption” investigation).
The reason, according to Superintendent Doktor, Herr Elisabeth Lolli? Because “parents and staff failed to market their schools effectively and grow enrollment” (paraphrase- although the quote is out there somewhere). Excuse me? Didn’t your district not only hire the esteemed Ohlmann Group while you were a chief in the district (oh, that’s right- you weren’t even on the selection committee, but your buddy Dr. Markay Winston was) and then you hired a Fahlgren Mortine as well and the new board tried to hire their buddies who ran their campaign Burges and Burges out of Cleveland and… oh, that’s right, you hired the replacement for Marsha Bonhart (who sent an email telling school folks not to email each other because, well, I could public records search it and prove that they were violating the law against private meetings- the OMA- yes, she was THAT stupid) in December, but didn’t renew her contract less than 5 months later. Note, I recommended firing her less than a month in if you read this post.
PDF of response, click image to download entire response
But, the dysfunction extends way past marketing or incompetence. Although the judges don’t care about that at all, all they care about is how I didn’t file my case pro-se correct enough for them and that I wasn’t willing to spend enough of my own money to protect their profession and to hire a lawyer. They made that abundantly clear when they issued their response to my request for reconsideration on their decision to allow Skelton’s summary judgement to stand (a summary judgement is a court order ruling that no factual issues remain to be tried and therefore a cause of action or all causes of action in a complaint can be decided upon certain facts without trial.).
There are plenty of causes of action to hear this case, but the judges are dead set on helping the law firm that the school board used to use, Subashi and Wildermuth, continue to run up their bill at tax payers expense. The main issue according to the judges is my failure to prove whether people were engaged in “deliberations” while in a meeting that I wasn’t allowed either in, or to record for the record- both of which are violations of the OMA. The claim is that this was an “Information Session” – a nebulous construct of the courts that would totally circumvent the letter of the law and the more important, spirit of the law when it comes to open meetings in Ohio. For this reason, I am now forced to do one of two things- either refile the original lawsuit, being careful to name each and every participant on the task force so that I can force them into court effectively, or appeal to the Supreme Court, to finally get clarity on these so called OMA runarounds the judges think are legal: “Information sessions.” I have 45 days to file in the supreme court.
In case you are new to all of this case, you might want to watch this video we produced “Goodbye Sunshine” that clearly shows multiple violations of the law. It’s made up from hours of actual video that was never admitted into court- because, despite not being able to collect fees or compensation for my time like a lawyer in filing a case where the law states citizens are supposed to challenge their elected officials in court, I’m supposed to reach the exact same level of legal competence for free. Note, in my original filing I quoted the Sunshine Laws Handbook- item 62 of the original filing:
62. Because the law can be difficult for common citizens to apply, the State of Ohio has provided a handbook in common language expressing the intent of the law and before they jump into legalistic lingo, quote the founders of our country who used clearer language: “The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when rulers may be concealed from them… [T}o cover with the veil of secrecy the common routines of business, is an abomination in the eyes of every intelligent man.” Patrick Henry ~see State of Ohio Sunshine Laws Manual http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Files/Publications-Files/Publications-for-Legal/Sunshine-Law-Publications/Sunshine-Laws-Manual.aspx
and 66. “the Open Meetings Act is intended to be read broadly in favor of openness.”
And I also included the following which gets to the crux of the appeal in my original brief:
67. And while the Sunshine Laws handbook includes this nonsense statement: “In evaluating whether particular gatherings of public officials constituted “meetings,” several courts of appeals have opined that the Open Meetings Act “is intended to apply to those situations where there has been actual formal action taken; to wit, formal deliberations concerning the public business.”941 Under this analysis, those courts have determined that gatherings strictly of an investigative and information-seeking nature that do not involve actual discussion or deliberation of public business are not “meetings” for purposes of the Open Meetings Act.942” The public has no way of telling that the meeting was in compliance if it was held in secret, thereby negating any and all semblance of being open.
As to what other stupidity has gone on while this case has dawdled through the courts and Mohamed Al-Hamdani and his wrecking crew have been at work (He was the co-chair of this illegal task force) I’ll have to save for another post, but one look at staff turnover in the year of Dr. Lolli should tell you the district has somehow gone from worst to, well, worse than worse. All while the State has decided to opt out of the responsibility of fixing this mess with their former threat of district takeover.
I’ll have more posts soon, fully sharing some of the dysfunction.
Category: Dayton Public Schools, Open Meeting laws
Tags: Dayton Boys Prep, Dr. Elizabeth Lolli, Judge Jeffrey M. Welbaum, Judge Michael L. Tucker, Judge Michael T. Hall, Judge Richard Skelton, Marcia Bonhart, Mohamed Al-Amdani, Ohlman Group, Residence Park Elementary, Subashi and Wildermuth
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Next Post: David Lawrence vs Libby Lolli
Bubba Jones
Glad to see you fighting these meetings. I think that the Sunshine Laws are violated all the time, all over the State. I know of one local municipality that has 20-30 minute meetings that are televised and/or recorded, but then have “work sessions” that last a couple of hours. The Sunshine Laws state that full minutes must be created for work sessions and also states that no decisions may be made during a work session. But, this municipality will write something like “Discussed Budget” for a 3 hour meeting as the extent of their minutes. Their work session minutes also mention that “a consensus was reached” for several items. If a consensus was reached – isn’t that decision making??? They’re trying to get around it by not taking the roll to reach the consensus.
With regards to replacing the judges, I’m with you 100%! There should be term limits for local/county judges, but that will never happen. I’ve met/dealt with several local judges and none of them have been very impressive. Many of them were mediocre attorneys that had small local practices. Becoming a judge was a good way to boost their income, not have to worry about billable hours and get a state retirement. Sure beats chasing ambulances for a living! Yeah, replace ’em all!
By the way, Congrats on the “win”, David! I’m looking forward to watching you campaign over the next several months. Its sure would be good to see a couple of the incumbents unseated in November!
Vote Up4-1Vote Down
May 9, 2019 @ 8:12 am 8:12 am
SheliaO
I think a lot of the judges need to be tossed out at the earliest opportunity. Especially the one who directly impacted my neighborhood by sending a habitual and well known drug dealer to “rehab” instead of jail on the millionth time he got caught so that he could do more free advertising for his business. You know business will pick back up when he gets done serving his time. Nothing ever changes.
May 15, 2019 @ 9:23 am 9:23 am
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Construction is to Begin on the Nassikas Thruster II Prototype
By Paul LaViolette | June 20, 2016 - 12:05 pm | September 30, 2016 Climatology, Electrogravitics, News!, Physics
The Indiegogo crowd funding campaign for the Nassikas II levitation thruster ended on June 2nd (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/superconducting-levitation-thruster/x/13625374#/). At that point a total of 285 backers had provided 60% of the needed $32,000 goal amount. This amounted to 54% of the needed funds after subtracting credit card and PayPal fees as well as the Indiegogo commission. However, at the conclusion of the campaign, an angel donor, Dorothy, came forward and contributed the remaining $14,618 needed to achieve our goal. Thanks to Dorothy and all the others who contributed, we were able to inform the superconductor manufacturer to begin work on the conical superconducting coil. This phase will take several months, the time needed for the company to schedule and begin work on the coil construction.
If the liquid nitrogen test is successful, we will need an additional $9000 to conduct an additional liquid helium test of the coil’s propulsion force. Those wishing to make further contributions to this project, i.e., $50 or more per donation, may still submit them through PayPal by submitting to email address starcode@aol.com (Starlane Publications). Funds thus submitted will be added to the Nassikas thruster project account. For those wishing to make very large donations by bank transfer to our dedicated bank account for the project, please send an email to ethericgate@gmail.com.
More information about the Nassikas thruster II research project may be found here:
http://etheric.com/nassikas-thruster-ii/
Early in the crowdfunding campaign, researcher Fajfer Remigiusz built a conical solenoid wound from copper wire to test for the production of a propulsive thrust toward the coil’s narrow end. The video he posted of his tests is shown below
https://youtu.be/xPxMBCMqBKs
When he energizes the coil in pulsed fashion, the coil is seen not only to twist but to swing in the direction of its narrow end. The twisting action is likely the tendency of the coil to orient its magnetic pole in the direction of the geomagnetic field. However, the swinging of the coil to an off plumb position appears to indicate the development of a propulsive force as predicted by Dr. Nassikas (PCT GR2016000009).
29 Responses to Construction is to Begin on the Nassikas Thruster II Prototype
Mike Hingle says:
Size Really Matters with Superconductors
Resultant Magnetic Strength = (Amps x Turns) ÷ Coil Length
Increasing coil Turns allows you to proportionately decrease input Amps.
< 100µm OD, room-temperature electrically superconducting
magnetically excited xenon gas filled SiO2 “Plasma Capillaries”
will allow for thousands of times more coil turns in the same coil space, thereby proportionately allow for thousands of times less electrical input power to create the same required working magnetic field strength.
Fred Koch says:
Mike where’d you get this data?
I was abducted by aliens & they told me. 😏 Just kidding. You don’t think that magnetically excited xenon gas is superconducting?
“March 2016 marks 5 years since room-temperature superconductivity was first achieved. However, this anniversary is bittersweet, as the scientific community persistently refuses to vet or even investigate the 35 Room Temperature compounds discovered so far by Superconductors.ORG.”
http://www.superconductors.org/News.htm
How about charging & pulsing Tesla Bifilar coils (replacing capacitors) and dumping the BEMF into the conical coils? This could provide highly efficient high frequency, high current excitation, with extremely short duty cycles. Nikola Tesla explains that a standard coil of 1000 turns with a potential of 100 volts across it will have a difference of 0.1 volt between turns. A similar BIFILAR coil will have a potential of 50 volts between turns. In that the stored energy is a function of the square of the voltages the energy in the BIFILAR will be … 50 squared / .1 squared = 2500 / .01 = 250,000 times greater than the standard coil. http://www.magnetricity.com/Bifilar.php
Shaming the Scientific Community with Record Superconductivity – 02/20/16
http://www.superconductors.org/158C155C.htm
Paul, I usually get my updates thru Richard Hoagland’s show, which you were on months ago. I have been fascinated by this thruster and have shown it to anyone who will look at it. In particular I know a physicist who worked at FermiLab and he has always asserted that it needed peer review for him to accept any part of it. Even the term “ether” prompted a derisive chuckle from him. I’ve always held the notion that if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it surely is a duck. I’m counting on you two to prove him ultimately wrong! Regards, Fred
There will come a day when physicists will look back on our present times and laugh at the idea that physicists actually believed that space was a void and contained no carrier for fields. Today’s accepted field concepts will go the way of the 17th century phlogiston theory of heat transfer after the advent of Boltzman’s thermodynamics.
Paul, I remember hearing there might be an update on the construction of the mark ii around October. I’m champing at the bit. I need something to keep my mind off the horrific election…
Harry Paul Sprain says:
Our company has developed a real propellantless propulsion system that is proven and is now at a major university being evaluated and designed for commercial use. This technology is proven! It has passed all tests including a balanced pendulum test. Our problem has been investors they have all promised and never deliver. THIS IS REAL it will change every aspect of space travel.
We are based out of Atlanta. any help will be appreciated. We are looking for bridge money until grant from university comes in.
Juan Pastor says:
Greetings and congratulations!
Can you please provide data and, or video?
We plan to make public the results of the experiment including any videos after we have had a chance to analyze everything.
John Woo The Laffing Booda 777 !!! says:
ANY photos ???
We will post these at a later date.
Jimmie says:
Any possible updates on the status regarding the production of the thruster? I can’t wait to see this thing!
nothing new to report
Larry Adams says:
Congratulations, Dr. LaViolette!
From the first mini-thruster to this one is real progress.
But how are you going to keep the coil cool from the rays of the Sun?
it will use a sun screen. Sunscreens are 50 year old technology that NASA uses regularly on their spacecraft.
I wish all the best for you Dr La Violette ,i watched all your videos in youtube and as a former automation engineer i can’t wait to see the promising results of this method of harvesting power from the ether .
Karim from Canada
I wonder if the Podkletnov effect will also be present if the coil spins on its axis, looks like the beginning of something interesting… not to mention the effects of HV discharges perpendicular to the coil in low pressure He.
Don’t know how productive those ideas would be. Must back them up with some theory.
Standa says:
Mr. Paul may I ask you where we can check for the latest updates on the building of the Nassikas Thruster II?
Is it here or perhaps on different site?
All the best to the Nassikas team on building this device. Thank you for trying to push humanity into the spacefaring age! ( and car flying age too 🙂 )
We will post on this site. Next posting on this will perhaps be in two months.
Ioannis says:
I support that all kind of such technologies can be explained and engineered over a single theory:
http://www.ioannisxydous.net.gr/
How long should we expect construction and test to take?
Perhaps the coil will be ready to test this coming October. The timing depends partly on the company’s scheduling of the construction.
Zephir says:
Nassikas Thruster is not just “another realization of propellantless thruster design” – it’s unique device and true perpetuum mobile on its very own. But I’m missing the blind experiment excluding the interference with Earth geomagnetic field in existing demonstrations of it.
The indication that the Earth’s magnetic field is not causing this is indicated in one of the videos which shows that the thrust disappears when the superconductor has warmed above its critical temperature. If you hang a 0.5 tesla magnet from a string you will not see it doing asymmetrical swinging motions as the Nassikas thruster does.
Ed Mayer says:
Dear Dr. LaViolette,
I listened the interview by J B Wells. I read your book about Antigravity that was a total eye-opener, although my knowledge of Quantum Physics is near to none.
I just wanted to let you know that I just sent a $Cad 50 donation via PayPal to starcode@aol.com.
I hope you succeed with the test for the progress of humanity and science. As Watt’s, Deimler’s and Tesla’s contribution, this is the time of LaViolette breakthrough.
Thank you !!!
Ed, thank you very much for your donation.
Tom Womeldorf says:
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Steroids for acute spinal cord injury
Posted By: Gordon S. Doig
E-Mail: gdoig@med.usyd.edu.au
Posted Date: Apr 19, 2005
Title: Steroids for acute spinal cord injury
Authors: Bracken, MB
Reference: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2002;(3):CD001046. [Updated 17 Nov 2004]
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Acute spinal cord injury is a devastating condition typically affecting young people with a preponderance being male. Steroid treatment in the early hours of the injury is aimed at reducing the extent of permanent paralysis during the rest of the patient's life.
OBJECTIVES: To review randomized trials of steroids for acute spinal cord injury.
SEARCH STRATEGY: The review draws on the search strategy developed by the Cochrane Injuries Group. In addition, files of the National Acute Spinal Cord Injury Study have been reviewed and a Medline search conducted.
SELECTION CRITERIA: All published or unpublished randomized controlled trials of steroid treatment for acute spinal cord injury in any language.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Data have been abstracted from original trial reports. For the NASCIS, Japanese and French trials, additional data (e.g. SDs) have been obtained from the original authors.
MAIN RESULTS: There are few trials in this area of medical care. Only one steroid has been extensively studied, methylprednisolone sodium succinate, which has been shown to improve neurologic outcome up to one year post injury if administered within eight hours of injury and in a dose regimen of: bolus 30mg/kg administered over 15 minutes with a maintenance infusion of 5.4 mg/kg per hour infused for 23 hours. The initial North American trial was replicated in a Japanese trial but not in the one from France. Data has been obtained from the latter studies to permit appropriate meta-analysis of all three trials. This analysis indicates significant recovery in motor function after methylprednisolone therapy when administration commences within eight hours of injury. A more recent trial indicates that if methylprednisolone therapy is given for an additional 24 hours (for a total of 48 hours), additional improvement in motor neurologic function and functional status is observed. This is particularly observed if treatment cannot be started until between three to eight hours after injury. The same methylprednisolone therapy has been found effective in whiplash injuries and a modified regimen found to improve recovery after surgery for lumbar disc disease.
REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: High dose methylprednisolone steroid therapy is the only pharmacological therapy shown to have efficacy in a Phase Three randomized trial when it can be administered within eight hours of injury. A recent trial indicates additional benefit by extending the maintenance dose from 24 to 48 hours if start of treatment must be delayed to between three and eight hours after injury. There is an urgent need for more randomized trials of pharmacological therapy for acute spinal cord injury.
Yes. The author attempted to address the role of steroids in acute spinal cord injury. To do this, two main mechanisms of injury were considered: whip lash and lumbar disc disease.
Yes. Although the authors state that pseudo-randomised trials, which are known to violate allocation concealment and thus are prone to severe bias, were to be included, no pseudo-randomised trials were identified.
The authors attempted to identify trials where patients had a similar mechanism of injury.
Yes. Multiple databases were searched and article retreival was not restricted to English. The addition of searching of conference abstract books and key publications makes it unlikely key publications were missed.
Yes. Papers were appraised for the three most important methodological criteria: 1) maintenance of allocation concealment, 2) appropriate use of blinding and 3) presentation of intention-to-treat results.
Unsure. There was only one reviewer. Validity appraisal and data abstraction agreement was not reported.
Unsure. Very few of the questions were addressed by 3 or more trials. It is impossible to formally assess heterogeneity, and thus conduct a meaningful meta-analysis, with only two trials. However the inability to conduct a formal meta-analysis does not preclude this paper from providing a meaningful systematic review of the topic.
The most important question addressed by this systematic review is the comparison of steroids to placebo.
Only three trials addressed this question. It is reported that one of these trials had excessive loss to follow-up. No outcomes were consitently reported between all three trials. Conclusions should be based on the individual interpretation of each trial. Overall, this systematic review does not firmly establish benefit or harm from the use of steroids compared to placebo.
Yes. This systematic review identifies and critically appraises the evidence from a number of trials. The patients entered into these trials can be identified in clinical practice.
The authors considered almost all measures reported in each trial. These included measures of neurological function at various follow-up times, survival, measures of harm (wound infections, onset of sepsis, major GI bleeds) and as many other outcomes as possible.
Steroids are cheap. There are suggestions that outcome (neurological function, mortality) may be improved if given early. There may be an increase in non-fatal wound infection rates or GI hemorrhage rates. It is up to the individual clinician to weigh the potential benefits against the possible harms in any specific clinical situation.
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Posts tagged “Ice Warriors”
“The House That Ate Time”
“The House That Ate Time” (1TD01)
by Nathaniel Torson
Game Master: Erin Players: Adam, Brian, Erin
Game Date: 6 July 2018; 28 July 2018; 18 August 2018
Characters: The (Nth) Doctor, The (Lost) Doctor, The (Zen) Doctor, Selene, Marilyn, K9
Adversaries: The House, The Weeping Angels, The Reapers, et al.
Allies: Howard Carter, John Smith
Time: 16 November 1891 CE; 2 August 1914 CE; 9 September 1988 CE
Space: Great Thrumpton, England, Earth; Valley of the Kings, Egypt, Earth; Montana, United States, Earth
Continuity: The first adventure featuring the Zen Doctor and K9.
Synopsis: In the tunnels beneath the Martian moon Phobos, the Doctor and Selene evade Ice Warrior extremists. Down the autumnal paths of nineteenth century New England, the Doctor and his trusty steed Marilyn flee the manifestations of a nightmare. And in the peace and serenity of his TARDIS, the Doctor’s meditations are interrupted by a warning from K9 concerning a temporal disruption. In one continuum-shattering instant, these three distinct incarnations of the same renegade Time Lord find themselves face-to-face, and the implications of such a convergence are nothing short of catastrophic.
The force that has brought three Doctors to the same deceptively nondescript basement vault is driven by hunger, an all-consuming hunger greater than the raging energies of the time vortex itself. It feasts on the transcendental flesh of god-like Chronovores, and it saps the artron emissions from prototype Sontaran timeships. Unchecked, it will devour the TARDIS whole. Putting aside their differences to investigate this ravenous presence, the Doctors discover that beyond the underground labyrinth stands a house unlike any other, where spacious halls and tastefully decorated lounges conceal an architecture that mocks the laws of physics, and each door and window opens onto a different time and place. Reality itself is but a pabulum here, for this is the house that eats time!
Deconstructing the deadly mysteries of this astonishing structure requires a coordinated effort across three distinct timeframes, moments in history infected by its corrupting influence. In each of these eras, a Doctor must face a gauntlet of terrors, for the paradoxes produced by this insatiable beast of an abode have attracted some of the universe’s most dangerous temporal parasites. But there is hope to be found in these distant times and places, for a lone figure is present wherever the Doctor ventures. Earth’s history and the survival of the TARDIS may depend upon the kindness and goodwill of one Dr. John Smith, an ordinary Englishman caught up in most extraordinary circumstances.
Three Doctors. Three timeframes. One monstrous threat. It’s time to bring down the house.
27/11/2018 | Categories: The Lost Doctor, The Nth Doctor, The Zen Doctor | Tags: Episodes, Ice Warriors, K9, Marilyn, Reapers, The House That Ate Time, Weeping Angels | 2 Comments
Teaser: “The House That Ate Time” (The Nth Doctor)
AS SHE felt rivets and bolts and sharp metal edges pass down the length of her body in the suffocating darkness, Selene couldn’t remember when she had ever been more uncomfortable. As an engineer, she was accustomed to wriggling into tight industrial spaces from time to time, when the job demanded it. Negotiating the twisting, mazelike interior of the subterranean base’s ventilation shafts, however, was another chore entirely. She couldn’t see, she couldn’t breathe, and their efforts to keep moving were growing clumsier with each slip of the arm and elbow to the face.
It wasn’t as if the Doctor was enjoying himself either. His lack of enthusiasm for their irksome errand was abundantly clear. As he pushed himself around a bend in the ductwork, he muttered angrily to himself, something about “human beings,” their “preposterous pretensions,” and the “gossamer fragility of time!” Clearly, he was no more impressed with Dr. Klemperer’s hairbrained plans than those in the Galactic Federation were. The sooner they put an end to the mad scientist’s shenanigans, the better.
02/10/2018 | Categories: The Nth Doctor | Tags: Galaxy 5, Ice Warriors, Selene, Teasers, The House That Ate Time | 2 Comments
These are exciting times for Doctor Who. As the countdown continues to the Twelfth Doctor’s final adventure—an episode that will also serve as an all-new television adventure for the First Doctor!—the series itself is undergoing a regeneration. Jodie Whittaker has claimed the role of the Thirteenth Doctor! We couldn’t be more proud, and we’re excited to see her take over the TARDIS. Our Doctor Who roleplaying campaign, like so many others, openly embraces the myriad possibilities embodied by the show’s changeable title character. There is so much potential in the role of the Doctor, and Whittaker will usher in a bold new era for the character. If regeneration stories have taught us anything, it’s that change is necessary, even if it can be hard to accept.
Amid the flurry of news regarding this changeover, it’s time to for us to share an update from the game table. Series 10 is at an end, and so is our most recent run of roleplaying adventures. “The Starmind” concluded an unforgettable second series for the Lost Doctor, Jeremy Brett (pictured here with esteemed Doctor Who guest star David Suchet, Fifth Doctor Peter Davison, and John Thaw, each of them a famous TV detective). The Lost Doctor and Riddell braved the elements across frozen tundra, through the depths of teeming alien jungles, and into the roiling cytoplasm of the universe’s largest living amoeba. They faced the Master, the Chelonians, the Ice Warriors, and the enigmatic Viyrans. The series ended with an epic cliffhanger, the revelation that the Cybermen have evolved to vanquish one of the most advanced races in the galaxy! What could possibly happen next? When the Dark Dimension campaign resumes later this week, you’ll find that we’ve jumped a time track.
After two series of adventures featuring the Lost Doctor, it’s time to change things up. Our next run of stories will return us to the era of the Nth Doctor, Richard E Grant. We promised you he’d be back! Consider these to be the Nth Doctor’s lost adventures. They’ll break the chronological order of things and take place earlier in the timeline, slotting into the existing chronology for the character. (The episode guide will, of course, be appropriately updated.) Ultimately, our intention is to introduce a unique original Doctor for each of the players in our campaign, and we’ll alternate between them from time to time. This is intended to ensure variety and allow everyone in our game an opportunity to play the Doctor, create a companion, and serve as our game master.
So, prepare yourself for all-new adventures in time and space with a familiar hero! The Nth Doctor remains a tormented puppet of the Time Lords, sharing his TARDIS with the ever-inscrutable android Master. We’ll also be introducing a never-before-seen companion who will join in these adventures.
The Lost Doctor will return, in time. After all, someone has to stand up to those pesky Cybermen…
27/07/2017 | Categories: The Lost Doctor, The Nth Doctor | Tags: Chelonians, Cybermen, David Suchet, Ice Warriors, Jeremy Brett, Jodie Whittaker, Peter Davison, Richard E Grant, The Master, The Starmind, Viyrans | 2 Comments
“Before the Storm” (2LD03)
by Steven Dieter & Nick Seidler
Game Date: 8 April 2017
Adversaries: The Ice Warriors
Allies: UNIT
Time: 12 January 2017 CE
Space: Ontario, Canada, Earth
Synopsis: The CR 238 to Toronto is going to be significantly delayed. Boarding the train, the Doctor and Riddell learn that it has become the target of saboteurs. In the first-class dining car, panicked passengers are succumbing to an unconventional poison. Among them is Brigadier General C.G.I. Coupland, a senior military official who clings to consciousness long enough to reveal that he has been placed aboard the train to safeguard the Unified Intelligence Taskforce’s most closely guarded secrets. Backup is unlikely, for outside an unexpected snow storm is becoming a full-blown blizzard!
As the train is plunged into darkness and slows to a standstill, the Doctor and his allies set out to search its secure cargo cars. There they meet up with an old friend—one of UNIT’s extraterrestrial operatives—and uncover a cache of strange and powerful artefacts bound for UNIT’s Black Archive beneath the CN Tower in Toronto. Perhaps the most powerful of these is the ion drive, a salvaged spacecraft engine that has been modified by UNIT’s boffins to operate as a means of controlling the weather! As the storm intensifies and heavily armoured alien soldiers close in on the snowbound train, the Doctor begins to understand the strategic value of Coupland’s operation and the nature of the enemy that threatens it. The Ice Warriors of Mars have been monitoring UNIT for some time, and the 238 to Toronto represents a strategic opportunity that they will not fail to seize!
09/04/2017 | Categories: The Lost Doctor | Tags: Before the Storm, Episodes, Flo, Ice Warriors, Riddell, UNIT | Leave a comment
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A state of the nation address from a frayed electronic mind flying high above that nation and looking for a place to hit
— The Scotsman, ★★★★
Summerhall, Edinburgh Fringe
Made in Scotland Showcase 2019
7.10pm: 31, 2-11, 13-17
BSL Interpretation: August 8th and 14th.
Relaxed Performance: August 14th.
Full Accessibility Information Here
A live jam of sound, visuals and poetry, telling the story of a military drone’s life and fears. The drone is part weapons system, part office worker, part tense background hum. The bleak humour and tender fury of Drone sees the unmanned aerial vehicle as the technology of a neurotic century, surveilled and surveilling, asking how anxious people can live as part of systems of such astonishing destruction.
Drone is proud to be part of the Made in Scotland showcase at the Edinburgh Fringe, a curated showcase of the best performance from Scotland at the world’s biggest arts festival. As part of Made in Scotland, we’re actively seeking national and international tour dates: get in touch.
Written by the Forward-shortlisted poet Harry Josephine Giles and performed by them with international sound artist Neil Simpson (Buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo) and digital artist Jamie Wardrop (Beats, The Dwelling Place), Drone is the spectacular culimination of five years of work. Directed by Rob Jones, the performance is mixed new every night, the three artists making a live cabaret band for an intense and groundbreaking multimedia poetry show.
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Hutt, Michael (2018) 'Revealing What is Dear: the post-earthquake iconisation of the Dharahara, Kathmandu.' Journal of Asian Studies. (Forthcoming)
On 25 April 2015 central Nepal was struck by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake which killed over 9000 people and displaced 2.8 million. The image of the Dharahara, a nineteenth century minaret which collapsed during the quake, quickly became for many Nepalis an iconic representation not only of the disaster but also of a national determination to recover and rebuild. Edward Simpson has argued that the aftermath of a disaster is ‘a product of the longer history of a locality’ and it is the aftermath ‘that may reveal what is dear’ (Simpson 2013: 53, 50). Drawing upon media and literary discourse in the Nepali language, this article asks why the Dharahara tower loomed so large in the Nepali imagination in the immediate aftermath of the April 2015 earthquake, rather than the country’s severely damaged World Heritage sites, and why it became a rallying point for a resurgence of Nepali hill nationalism.
Disasters, nationalism, heritage, Nepal, public memory, politics
Departments and Subunits > School of Languages, Cultures & Linguistics
J Political Science > JQ Political institutions (Asia, Africa, Australia)
P Language and Literature > PI Oriental languages and literatures
D History General and Old World
J Political Science
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HISTORY 239G: The Algerian Wars (CSRE 249, FRENCH 249)
This course offers to study the Algerian Wars since the French conquest of Algeria (1830-1847) to the Algerian civil war of the 1990s. We will revisit the ways in which the wars have been narrated in historical and political discourse, and in literature. A special focus will be given to the Algerian War of Independence (1954-1962). The course considers the continuing legacies surrounding this traumatic conflict in France and Algeria and the delicate re-negotiation of the French nation-state that resulted. A key focus will be on the transmission of collective memory through transnational lenses. We will examine how the French and Algerian states, but also civil societies (Pieds-Noirs, Arabs, Kabyles, Jews, veterans, Harkis, "suitcase carriers") have instrumentalized the memories of the war for various ends, through analyses of commemorative events and monuments. Readings from Alexis de Tocqueville, Albert Camus, Frantz Fanon, Mouloud Feraoun, Rachid Mimouni, Wassyla Tamzali, Germaine Tillion, Pierre Nora, Benjamin Stora, Todd Shepard, Sarah Stein, Pierre Vidal-Naquet, James Lesueur. Movies include "The Battle of Algiers," "Indigènes," and "Viva Laldjérie." Taught in French.
Terms: Spr | Units: 3-5 | UG Reqs: WAY-A-II, WAY-ED | Grading: Letter or Credit/No Credit
HISTORY 239G | 3-5 units | UG Reqs: WAY-A-II, WAY-ED | Class # 33931 | Section 01 | Grading: Letter or Credit/No Credit | SEM | Students enrolled: 3
04/03/2017 - 06/07/2017 Wed 1:30 PM - 4:20 PM at 60-108 with Ulloa, M. (PI)
HISTORY 239K: Revolutionary Moments in French Thought (FRENCH 128)
French intellectual and political culture has often been associated with revolutionary attempts to break free from the hold of tradition. Indeed, the concept of "revolution" has itself become a French tradition of sorts. Over the last 500 years, these revolutions have taken place in a number of arenas. In philosophy, René Descartes challenged all traditional learning and defined new principles that were central to the so-called ¿Revolution of the Mind.¿ In religion, Enlightenment thinkers not only advocated the toleration of different faiths but also questioned the veracity of Christianity and of all theistic worldviews. In politics, the French Revolution redefined the very concept of a political revolution and set the stage for modern conceptions of sovereignty. French socialist thinkers of the 19th century, in turn, reshaped the ways their contemporaries thought about socio-economic arrangements. Finally, 20th-century existentialists have attempted to rethink the very purpose of human existence. In this course, we will explore these and other seminal revolutionary moments that not only transformed French society, but that also had implications for European and, indeed, global culture. Taught in English, readings in English.
Terms: not given this year | Units: 3-5 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II | Grading: Letter or Credit/No Credit
HISTORY 244: Egyptomania! The Allure of Ancient Egypt Over the Past 3,500 Years (AFRICAAM 87, CLASSICS 87)
HISTORY 244 | 5 units | UG Reqs: WAY-A-II, WAY-SI | Class # 18645 | Section 01 | Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) | COL | Students enrolled: 5
HISTORY 254: Popular Culture and American Nature
Despite John Muir, Aldo Leopold, and Rachel Carson, it is arguable that the Disney studios have more to do with molding popular attitudes toward the natural world than politicians, ecologists, and activists. Disney as the central figure in the 20th-century American creation of nature. How Disney, the products of his studio, and other primary and secondary texts see environmentalism, science, popular culture, and their interrelationships.
Terms: not given this year | Units: 5 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II, WAY-SI | Grading: Letter or Credit/No Credit
HPS 60: Introduction to Philosophy of Science (PHIL 60)
The nature of scientific knowledge: evidence and confirmation; scientific explanation; models and theories; objectivity; science, society, and values.
Instructors: Longino, H. (PI) ; Kim, H. (TA)
HPS 60 | 5 units | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II | Class # 29633 | Section 01 | Grading: Letter or Credit/No Credit | LEC | Students enrolled: 3
09/26/2016 - 12/09/2016 Mon, Wed 9:00 AM - 10:20 AM at 200-203 with Longino, H. (PI); Kim, H. (TA)
Instructors: Longino, H. (PI); Kim, H. (TA)
HUMBIO 162H: Hysteria and Modern Culture (TAPS 169)
The term "hysteria" has been used for centuries to categorize the mysterious ailments of others. This course will focus on the history of hysteria's representation and production from the late nineteenth century through WWI. Readings will include medical writings (Charcot, Bernheim, Freud), plays (Ibsen, Strindberg, Toller), and feminist theory (Cixous, Clément, Diamond). We will also devote some attention to the ongoing influence of the discourse of hysteria on contemporary medical and popular cultures.
Terms: not given this year | Units: 3-5 | UG Reqs: WAY-A-II | Grading: Letter or Credit/No Credit
HUMBIO 162L: Psychosis and Literature (ANTHRO 82P, PSYC 82, PSYC 282)
One of the great gifts of literature is its ability to give us insight into the internal worlds of others. This is particularly true of that state clinicians call "psychosis." But psychosis is a complex concept. It can be terrifying and devastating for patients and families, and yet shares characteristics with other, less pathological states, such as mysticism and creativity. How then can we begin to make sense of it? In this course, we will examine the first-hand experience of psychosis. We will approach it from multiple perspectives, including clinical descriptions, works of art, and texts by writers ranging from Shakespeare, to the science fiction writer Philip K. Dick, to patients attempting to describe their experience. This class is not only for students thinking of careers in medicine, psychology or anthropology, but also readers and writers interested exploring extraordinary texts. There are no prerequisites necessary; all that is needed is a love of language and a curiosity about the secrets of other minds.
Terms: Spr | Units: 3-5 | UG Reqs: WAY-A-II, WAY-ED | Repeatable for credit | Grading: Medical Option (Med-Ltr-CR/NC)
Instructors: Mason, D. (PI)
HUMBIO 162L | 3-5 units | UG Reqs: WAY-A-II, WAY-ED | Class # 34757 | Section 01 | Grading: Medical Option (Med-Ltr-CR/NC) | LEC | Students enrolled: 22
04/03/2017 - 06/07/2017 Mon, Wed 3:00 PM - 4:20 PM at STLC114 with Mason, D. (PI)
HUMBIO 162L | UG Reqs: WAY-A-II, WAY-ED | Class # 35575 | Section 02 | Grading: Medical Option (Med-Ltr-CR/NC) | DIS | Students enrolled: 1
04/03/2017 - 06/07/2017 Wed 4:30 PM - 5:50 PM with Mason, D. (PI)
HUMBIO 167: The Art of Vision
This course is about eyes and art. We explore how eyes are built, how they process visual information, and how they are affected by disease. And we explore how fine art and famous artists (from all eras, ancient to modern) have depended upon vision, both normal and abnormal. There are short diversions into animal eyes and the role of vision in music, literature, and sports. Prerequisite: HumBio 4A or BIO 42 or consent of Instructor.
Terms: Win | Units: 3 | UG Reqs: GER: DB-NatSci, WAY-A-II | Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP)
Instructors: Marmor, M. (PI) ; Chattopadhyay, A. (TA)
HUMBIO 167 | 3 units | UG Reqs: GER: DB-NatSci, WAY-A-II | Class # 17142 | Section 01 | Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) | LEC | Students enrolled: 33 / 30
01/09/2017 - 03/17/2017 Mon, Wed 11:30 AM - 12:50 PM at 200-303 with Marmor, M. (PI); Chattopadhyay, A. (TA)
Instructors: Marmor, M. (PI); Chattopadhyay, A. (TA)
HUMBIO 175H: Literature and Human Experimentation (AFRICAAM 223, COMPLIT 223, CSRE 123B, MED 220)
This course introduces students to the ways literature has been used to think through the ethics of human subjects research and experimental medicine. We will focus primarily on readings that imaginatively revisit experiments conducted on vulnerable populations: namely groups placed at risk by their classification according to perceived human and cultural differences. We will begin with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818), and continue our study via later works of fiction, drama and literary journalism, including Toni Morrison's Beloved, David Feldshuh's Miss Evers Boys, Hannah Arendt's Eichmann and Vivien Spitz's Doctors from Hell, Rebecca Skloot's Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go. Each literary reading will be paired with medical, philosophical and policy writings of the period; and our ultimate goal will be to understand modes of ethics deliberation that are possible via creative uses of the imagination, and literature's place in a history of ethical thinking about humane research and care.
Terms: Spr | Units: 3-5 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-A-II, WAY-ER | Grading: Letter or Credit/No Credit
Instructors: Ikoku, A. (PI) ; Elbaz, E. (TA) ; Jayasinghe, D. (TA)
HUMBIO 175H | 3-5 units | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-A-II, WAY-ER | Class # 19861 | Section 01 | Grading: Letter or Credit/No Credit | SEM | Students enrolled: 8
04/03/2017 - 06/07/2017 Wed 1:30 PM - 4:20 PM at 420-050 with Ikoku, A. (PI); Elbaz, E. (TA); Jayasinghe, D. (TA)
Instructors: Ikoku, A. (PI); Elbaz, E. (TA); Jayasinghe, D. (TA)
HUMBIO 175L: Literature and Global Health (AFRICAAM 229, AFRICAST 229, COMPLIT 229, CSRE 129B, FRENCH 229, MED 234)
This course examines the ways writers in literature and medicine have used the narrative form to explore the ethics of care in what has been called the developing world. We will begin with a call made by the editor-in-chief of The Lancet for a literature of global health, namely fiction modeled on the social reform novels of the nineteenth century, understood to have helped readers develop a conscience for public health as the field emerged as a modern medical specialty. We will then spend the quarter understanding how colonial, postcolonial, and world literatures have answered and complicated this call. Readings will include prose fiction by Albert Camus, Joseph Conrad, Tsitsi Dangaremgba, Amitav Ghosh, Susan Sontag as well as physician memoirs featuring Frantz Fanon, Albert Schweitzer, Abraham Verghese, Paul Farmer. And each literary reading will be paired with medical, philosophical, and policy writings that deeply inform the field of global health.
Terms: Win | Units: 3-5 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-A-II, WAY-ER | Grading: Letter or Credit/No Credit
Instructors: Ikoku, A. (PI) ; Di Dio Di Marco, P. (TA) ; Jayasinghe, D. (TA)
HUMBIO 175L | 3-5 units | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-A-II, WAY-ER | Class # 18636 | Section 01 | Grading: Letter or Credit/No Credit | SEM | Students enrolled: 10
01/09/2017 - 03/17/2017 Wed 1:30 PM - 4:20 PM at School of Education 313 with Ikoku, A. (PI); Di Dio Di Marco, P. (TA); Jayasinghe, D. (TA)
Instructors: Ikoku, A. (PI); Di Dio Di Marco, P. (TA); Jayasinghe, D. (TA)
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321 - 330 of 463 results for: PWR
PWR 2KD: Writing & Rhetoric 2: Un-Performing Ourselves: The Design and Craft of Presentations
Prerequisite: PWR 1. Further work in developing skills in argument and research-based writing, with emphasis on both written and oral/multimedia presentation of research. Exploration of how the application of performance techniques makes academic or professional presentations more compelling. See http://www.stanford.edu/dept/undergrad/cgi-bin/drupal_ual/AP_univ_req_PWR_Courses.html.
Terms: not given this year, last offered Winter 2013 | Units: 4 | UG Reqs: Writing 2 | Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP)
PWR 2KDA: Writing & Rhetoric 2: Remix Culture
Prerequisite: PWR 1. What does a musical about founding fathers ( Hamilton) have to say about current political upheaval? What do plastic surgery resorts have to say about identify politics? What does Steph Curry's game have to say about Hamlet - and about Prince - with alternative forms of masculinity? In this course we will examine contemporary mashups and remixers and you will build a research project to ground our work across the quarter creating interesting, meaningful, and dynamic presentations and papers. For more information about PWR 2, see https://undergrad.stanford.edu/programs/pwr/courses/pwr-2. For full course descriptions, see https://vcapwr-catalog.stanford.edu. Enrollment is handled by the PWR office.
Terms: not given this year, last offered Spring 2018 | Units: 4 | UG Reqs: Writing 2 | Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP)
PWR 2KDB: Writing & Rhetoric 2: This is America: Virals, Videos and Values
Prerequisite: PWR 1. Further work in developing skills in argument and research-based writing, with emphasis on both written and oral/multimedia presentation of research. For more information about PWR 2, see https://undergrad.stanford.edu/programs/pwr/courses/pwr-2. For full course descriptions, see https://vcapwr-catalog.stanford.edu. Enrollment is handled by the PWR office.
Terms: Aut | Units: 4 | UG Reqs: Writing 2 | Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP)
Instructors: DiPirro, K. (PI)
PWR 2KDB | 4 units | UG Reqs: Writing 2 | Class # 18969 | Section 01 | Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) | SEM
09/23/2019 - 12/06/2019 - with DiPirro, K. (PI)
PWR 2KDC: Writing and Rhetoric 2: Rhetoric of DiPirro C
Terms: Win, Spr | Units: 4 | Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP)
PWR 2KDC | 4 units | Class # 31570 | Section 01 | Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) | SEM
01/06/2020 - 03/13/2020 Mon, Wed 9:30 AM - 11:20 AM at 160-127 with DiPirro, K. (PI)
PWR 2KEB: Writing & Rhetoric 2: Sports Appeal: Packaging and Promoting Stanford Athletics
Prerequisite: PWR 1. Further work in developing skills in argument and research-based writing, with emphasis on both written and oral/multimedia presentation of research. See http://www.stanford.edu/dept/undergrad/cgi-bin/drupal_ual/AP_univ_req_PWR_Courses.html.
Terms: not given this year, last offered Autumn 2010 | Units: 4 | UG Reqs: Writing 2 | Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP)
PWR 2KEC: Writing & Rhetoric 2: It's About Time: Seizing Opportunity in Rhetoric, Writing, and Performance
PWR 2KM: Writing & Rhetoric 2: A Planet on the Edge: The Rhetoric of Sustainable Energy
Prerequisite: PWR 1. Sea-level rise, the halting of major ocean circulatory currents, outbreaks of superstorms leading to floods and droughts - can an energy revolution still save a planet on the edge? This class explores the intricacies of sustainable energy, focusing on the myths, slogans, and rhetorical narratives that surround these debates. For example, is environmentalism inherently at odds with economic prosperity? Does living an environmentally conscious lifestyle require personal sacrifice and suffering? How does rhetorical framing affect the research, implementation, and public perception of new technologies in the field of sustainable energy? For more information about PWR 2, see https://undergrad.stanford.edu/programs/pwr/courses/pwr-2. For full course descriptions, see https://vcapwr-catalog.stanford.edu. Enrollment is handled by the PWR office.
PWR 2KMA: Writing & Rhetoric 2: Natural Enemies: The Rhetoric of Invasion Biology
Prerequisite: PWR 1. Further work in developing skills in argument and research-based writing, with emphasis on both written and oral/multimedia presentation of research. Study of the use of metaphors and argument in the context of invasion biology and species conservation, especially the effects those metaphors and claims have on practice and policy outcomes. See http://www.stanford.edu/dept/undergrad/cgi-bin/drupal_ual/AP_univ_req_PWR_Courses.html.
PWR 2KS: Writing & Rhetoric 2: Happy Now? The Anatomy of Happiness
Prerequisite: PWR 1. Further work in developing skills in argument and research-based writing, with emphasis on both written and oral/multimedia presentation of research. How the emerging field of happiness studies involves psychologists, economists and policy-makers in defining what happiness is and determining how society might create the conditions in which it can flourish. Exploration of how happiness studies can uncover happiness at the heart of arguments about democracy, religion, and personal lifestyles, exploring what makes people happy across cultural, social, and national contexts. See http://www.stanford.edu/dept/undergrad/cgi-bin/drupal_ual/AP_univ_req_PWR_Courses.html.
PWR 2KSA: Writing & Rhetoric 2: The Rhetoric of Childhood and Children's Culture
Rhetorical and contextual analysis of readings; research; and argument. Focus is on development of a substantive research-based argument using multiple sources. Individual conferences with instructor. See http://www.stanford.edu/dept/undergrad/cgi-bin/drupal_ual/AP_univ_req_PWR_Courses.html.
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WVU Clay County Extension Service
4-H clover at the entrance to the Clay County Park
Clay County in the News
WVU Extension Service and CDC project announces community partnerships to support healthy lifestyles in southern West Virginia
Improving the healthy lifestyle landscape in some West Virginia areas might sound like a tough task, but a group of passionate West Virginia University faculty and staff believe the secret lies in empowering communities and providing the support they need to take control of their own health.
WVU Extension Service agent’s work spurs on Buffalo Creek recreation and tourism
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – In a sense, for many West Virginia University Extension Service agents, a normal work day is anything but. As an agent in one of West Virginia’s 55 counties, typical office hours could bring questions about invasive plant species or pests, canning questions, 4-H meetings and more — especially in counties where there are two, or sometimes only one, agent. The work doesn’t pause after work hours and on weekends.
WVU faculty awarded CDC grant to help southern West Virginia communities build healthy futures
It’s no secret that West Virginia has some of the highest rates of obesity and cardiovascular disease in the country. But to create a healthier landscape in some of our state’s unhealthiest counties, a few West Virginia University faculty believe you have to empower the entire community.
Clay County News
Contact the Clay County Office for current news and to learn about upcoming opportunities in our local area. Ask us for more information about topics including:
Clay County 4-H Youth Development
The Clay County Extension office provides aid to farmers, gardeners, and homeowners, but also local educational programs for area families, businesses, and communities. On our website you will find Extension Service related information on all of these subjects. If you have questions, you can always call our office or email us.
We are also your link to other WVU Extension offices and to West Virginia University’s related colleges. WVU’s Clay County Extension Office is part of the national land-grant system. Each office has the same mission as its foundation: to help people put knowledge to work. On our website, we also link you to eXtension, a link to a national clearinghouse on Extension Service information, gathered by over 3000 Extension Agents across the United States.
Each WVU Extension Office can provide the public with information on many topics from many resources. The Clay County Extension Office faculty and staff provide assistance and educational programs in the following areas: Agriculture & Natural Resources, 4-H Youth Development, and Family & Community Development. To meet and support the needs of local people and communities, county faculty and staff involve local residents in developing and leading specific programs and activities.
Clay County Office
New Courthouse
Clay, WV 25043-0119
Email: Clay County
Office Hours: 8 – 4:30 Mon-Fri
Learn more from Clay County...
© 2019 West Virginia University. WVU is an EEO/Affirmative Action employer — Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran. Last updated on March 11, 2019.
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WEATHER UPDATE: Hurricane Jose intensifies to Category 3
Dominica News Online - Thursday, September 7th, 2017 at 5:57 PM
At 5 pm, Jose intensified to a Category 3 hurricane near latitude 15.5 degrees north and longitude 52.4 degrees west or about 590 miles east of the Lesser Antilles.
Interests in Dominica are advised to monitor the progress of Hurricane Jose and to make the necessary preparations as the system moves closer to the Leeward Islands.
The concern for Dominica at this time is possible impacts associated with feeder bands from Hurricane Jose. The current projection is for an increase in cloudiness, showers and thunderstorms, which could be moderate to heavy at times and gusty winds, by Friday afternoon and particularly on Saturday.
A flood watch or warning may be issued for Dominica by Friday Afternoon.
Meanwhile, the latest weather outlook for Dominica predicts that lingering moisture and instability will continue to produce cloudiness, scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms across parts of the island chain during the next 12 to 24 hours.
Persons in areas prone to flooding, landslides and falling rocks are advised to continue to exercise caution.
Moderate seas are expected during the next 12 hours with waves peaking near 8.0 feet. Small craft operators and sea bathers should continue to exercise caution. A further increase to peak between 10.0 to 12.0 feet is expected thereafter.
Tropical wave to affect Dominica
Tropical wave is affecting Dominica
Unstable weather continues to affect Dominica
Tropical wave affecting Dominica
WEATHER: More rain affects Dominica
sheeple wake up from your slumber do some research on HAARP. CHECK IT OUT ON YOU TUBE. the elites want to get rid of us
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News Update: Alia Responds to Kangana, Why Context is Important
Posted on February 11, 2019 by mredlich21
Sometimes I really hate media. This is being sold as “Alia-Kangana Feud Heats Up!”, but really it is just Kangana making wild insane (literally) accusations and Alia trying not to deal with it. Exactly like the Hrithik situation, which was sold as “Hrithik-Kangana Break-Up Goes Bad!” instead of “Hrithik Roshan is Victimized by a Stalker”.
Alia’s Response, Kangana’s Supporters, and Context
Let’s talk about context first. Kangana’s original remarks were in an interview to Pinkvilla. She volunteered them, Pinkvilla asked her general questions about her film release and how she felt, and she went off on a long tangent on being abandoned by the Hindi film community in which she mentioned Alia Bhatt among others (like, Aamir Khan). Alia happens to be promoting her new movie Gully Boy at the moment which means she is giving a bunch of interviews and is available to reporters. Unlike, for instance, Aamir Khan who was also mentioned.
During a press interaction, she was put on the spot and asked about what Kangana said, and replied that she feels bad if Kangana feels bad and would like to work this out in private. Basically, “I am not going to respond to this in a public forum, don’t ask me any questions”. Which is standard procedure with these kinds of feuds, during the long long Salman-Shahrukh feud, they were lockstep in their press interactions, it was a personal matter, it would be solved personally, they were not going to talk about it. And they never did, we still don’t really know why they fell out or why they made up. They weren’t denying there was a break, just saying it is none of our business what it was about. Perfectly fair so far as I am concerned, and a wise way to handle it, the fans don’t feel lied to, but also don’t need to get all up in the stars’ business.
Kangana, in response to Alia’s reasonable remarks, reached out to Pinkvilla again and gave a long rant about what she claimed to have said to Alia in a personal phone call. Taking their personal business and waving it around like nasty dirty laundry in public. It is wrong on so many levels. It’s modeling terrible behavior to the world, you should never make personal issues public like this. And it is attacking someone who never attacked you, Kangana is forcing this issue and forcing it out into the public while Alia was just trying to run away from it. Most of all, it is attacking someone who CAN’T run away. Alia is promoting her movie, doing her job like a professional, which means she has to have press conferences and interviews. It’s like going to someone’s office and ranting at them, they can’t run away and you are clearly the one attacking, not them, because you are bringing the fight to them.
Alia tried to avoid the question as long as she could, but finally in an interview with DNA she absolutely had to say something. This is not “Alia hitting back”, this is “Alia being trapped and forced into responding to a situation that Kangana created”:
I would like to react to her personally if she has any complaints. I don’t want to talk about it in the media. As I have said before, I really admire her as an actor and the choices that she makes. She’s a very outspoken person and I admire her for that as well. If I have upset her unintentionally, then I don’t know. Basically, it wasn’t my intention. I didn’t do anything to get a reaction like this.
https://www.dnaindia.com/bollywood/report-exclusive-alia-bhatt-on-kangana-ranaut-s-grow-a-spine-comment-i-didn-t-do-anything-to-get-a-reaction-like-this-2718100
Of course, I know what will happen, because it is the same thing that happened with Kangana and Hrithik. The two quotes will be taken out of context and presented as equal. Just like Kangana’s volunteered quotes to Pinkvilla were presented as equal to quotes from Hrithik’s private legal letter to her (which she also provided to Pinkvilla).
And at the same time, the Kangana politicians continues to bludgeon us with the lesson that she is the one true “feminist” in India. Maybe because only a crazy woman would play the “feminist” for the BJP so they have to take what they can get?
Ms Kangana Ranaut Ji has rightly defined what it means being successful. Being successful means to shoulder social responsibilities, to take role as leader. @KirenRijiju @ChownaMeinBJP @TapirGao @bamangfelix @MoheshChai @GamlinJarkar @AloLibang @NabamRebia @TamiyoTaga https://t.co/kCj4AMN0Db
— Pema Khandu (@PemaKhanduBJP) February 10, 2019
#KanganaRanaut is a ROCKSTAR. She is brilliant. I applaud her courage and performances. She is also the real example of #WomenEmpowerment.:) https://t.co/WeFgWsdiSW
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) February 9, 2019
Oh, and you realize Kangana has now neatly flipped the script from “She stole a movie away from her honest director and co-stars and there are legitimate reasons for her fellow professionals to avoid working with her” to “Kangana versus Alia, hardworking outsider versus spoiled princess”?
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Alia Bhatt, Filmi News You Can Use, Kangana Ranaut, News Round-up by mredlich21. Bookmark the permalink.
19 thoughts on “News Update: Alia Responds to Kangana, Why Context is Important”
Ticket on February 11, 2019 at 1:08 pm said:
A wise person once told me, passive-aggressive people always win.
Sad but true — at least for the short term.
mredlich21 on February 11, 2019 at 1:13 pm said:
The odd thing here is, I think Kangana is being straight up aggressive-aggressive. But somehow because she is a woman, it’s being read as passive aggressive still, like she is being attacked instead of attacking.
On Mon, Feb 11, 2019 at 1:08 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
Shreyans Goenka on February 11, 2019 at 6:36 pm said:
A big part of me wants Alia to not be so mature and sensible and instead escalate this whole thing with a nasty retort…just coz this whole thing is so entertaining. Fight! Fight! Fight!
Sorry…I’m a terrible person…
I want Priyanka and Kangana to end up on opposite sides. I feel like they are the only evenly matched pair in terms of dirty fighting, social media gangs, and not being afraid to play the victim card as much as is handy.
I was about to say Kangana and Kajol, but heck, they’ve already ended up on the opposite side of things and Kajol just coolly ignored her as beneath her notice.
Ooohh that will be so much fun!! I think we can instigate this fight…send Bollywood Hungama an email with the title – Priyanka said Kangana is a bad actor (or something worse!)…they will naturally create an entire article about it and then voila the epic battle will be in motion!
Yes! And then they can just tear each other down and leave the rest of the world alone.
Vaishali on February 11, 2019 at 7:03 pm said:
I hope Gully Boy is a runaway success and Alia gets lots of great reviews; protege of Karan Johar or not, she’s a really good actress, and she’s just shown how much more mature and well-spoken she is. (And don’t discount the political aspects of Kangana specifically calling out Alia – Kangana is in tight with the BJP and Alia’s dad campaigned for Congress in 2014, so as much as Kangana complains about nepotism, she certainly doesn’t seem to mind profiting off her political connections. I find the idea that the head of the censor board would be the writer for a film a huge conflict of interest but there you go …)
Alia and Kangana are really interesting opposites, aren’t they? Very much representative of the political backgrounds they come from. And far more equal than Kangana would like to make it out. Sure, Alia is from a film family, but her family drama could give anyone’s a run for the money, she just doesn’t play it up. And she has an educated background, but hardly rich, refugees and social out-castes all around who managed to find a place in the film industry. And Kangana may have come from a rural area, but her family was far more stable in every way than Alia’s. Alia is traditional film not because she is connected, but because the film industry is all about inter-religious marriages and refugees and breaking the social rules of Indian society. If Alia wanted to, she could counter all of Kangana’s victim cards quite handily with her own background. But she won’t, because she is too classy.
Anonymous on February 12, 2019 at 7:36 pm said:
I don’t know about classy and all that. I just think Alia is… young and she’s had a relatively easy life. She wouldn’t be able to counter someone like Kangana who is mean and not afraid to give low blows. She also probably just doesn’t care. Her life is great. Her acting career is going great. Everyone loves her within the industry and outside it too. Whatever Kangana says is really water off a duck’s back for Alia.
Karan on the other hand is snide, mean, and immature just like Kangana in many ways. If he’s not able to control his temper and ends up saying something, Kangana will have all the fuel she needs to keep this going for ages.
Akshat singhania on February 12, 2019 at 1:11 pm said:
I feel alia is just the spring board.
Her real target is kjo
She is clearly instigating him as we all know how possessive kjo is towards alia
Once kjo utters something in her defence ,kangana will again play the nepotism is outsiders card and say. That they r hanging on her etc.
It’s a lose lose situation for kjo currently
Based on what we know of Kangana, I also think her criticism of Karan is another obsession with her. If she was truly concerned about nepotism (really, just cliques in the industry, not simply family relationships), then she should be calling out the Akhtars and the Chopras and really every powerful studio just as much as Karan. Heck, T-Series does the same kind of stuff. But Karan is the one she keeps going after.
I feel like she calls out Karan because he’s gay, tbh, and, as much as he’s an insider, he’s also an outsider because of that. Which makes him an easy target.
It’s the same way that she feuds with actresses like Alia Bhatt, but not, say, Saif Ali Khan?
Yep, definitely. He’s gay, and he puts himself out there. The gayness, the star struckness, his open love for the movies, it’s all setting him up as an easier target than someone like Aditya Chopra who no one really knows and is boringly respectable.
Plus, Karan responds. Which I think is just who he is, he can’t resist responding to these things unlike other stars who are better at staying mum and letting it go. We saw it even with the Kajol feud, right? He couldn’t stop himself from putting it all out there, and then they made up and he regretted it.
On Tue, Feb 12, 2019 at 4:40 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
I disagree. There are too many gay people in the industry for Karan to really be an outsider in that sense. I could name dozens of well known names.
She goes after Karan because he’s the most openly nepotistic and proud of it. He practically waves it in people’s faces and takes pride in it. He gets lots of flak about how he helps Alia so what does it do? He does a magazine cover with Alia and him posing and titled “my brilliant friend.” Ayushman even mentioned it that he was told outright that Dharma does not want outsiders when he was trying to make it. Aditya Chopra is invisible and even so, his company has introduced people like Parineeti and Anushka. Karan even tried to convince Aditya to drop Anushka because she’s “ugly” and take Sonam instead.
Kangana is obnoxious but some of the things she says are not wrong. She is mentally unbalanced and doesn’t know how to deal with things in a normal way. But the essence of what she said about Alia isn’t wrong. Alia herself messaged Kangana and wanted her to watch Raazi and was seeking approval. Kangana did watch it and praised her for the work she did but the same courtesy was not extended to Kangana when her own film was up for release. A normal person would make note of the selfishness displayed by Alia and not respond when she wants approval the next time. A normal person would ignore the snub and move on. Kangana can’t handle it and starts blasting them and makes matters even worse.
Angie on February 13, 2019 at 2:36 am said:
Yes, she doesn’t go after Karan for being gay, but because he is the most famous out there. She was acting strange and talking bad about people for some time, but it was only when she argued with Karan that she suddenly was in all news and a lot of people started supporting her.
Anonymous on February 13, 2019 at 12:26 pm said:
The Indian Supreme Court decriminalized homosexual sex in SEPTEMBER 2018; until then, it was a crime. So yeah, being gay in the Indian film industry *was* until very recently being an outsider. Just as it was in Hollywood for decades.
mredlich21 on February 13, 2019 at 12:31 pm said:
I suppose it depends on whether you are talking about within the film industry, or within greater Indian society. Karan in particular is so upfront in his personality that he is essentially “out” to all of India. Which I don’t think is the case for any other film personality. Within the film industry, it won’t make much difference to him. But on a public forum playing to the media and the public, Karan is more vulnerable as an openly gay man than, for instance, Rekha.
There was an interview a few months ago where she did go after Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar.
Priya on February 13, 2019 at 1:38 pm said:
Agree with Anon above – Karan sort of asks to be attacked for nepotism. What was the point of his magazine cover with Alia? What were they trying to sell? Dharma – as a group of insiders only? And all that father – daughter talk is just humbug and a branding exercise.
I’m no Kangana fan either, but she does have some relevant points atleast when she talks about nepotism. And Dharma is the biggest offender there. The other production houses atleast make an effort to be diverse in this aspect, but Dharma is extremely elitist. I just watched the latest KwK episode and his attitude to Kriti on that has made me extremely angry! More on that if/when you write about it.
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Rescuers prepare to move rest of boys, coach from Thai cave
Two helicopters wait near the cave for more evacuations of the boys and their soccer coach who have been trapped since June 23, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand Monday, July 9, 2018. Thailand's interior minister says the same divers who took part in Sunday's rescue of four boys trapped in a flooded cave will also conduct the next operation as they know the cave conditions and what to do. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
MAE SAI, Thailand (AP) — Authorities were preparing Monday to resume the urgent, dangerous operation of extracting a youth soccer team from a flooded cave in Thailand a day after four boys were rescued and as rain threatened to raise water levels inside the cave again.
A heavy but brief downpour hit the area Monday morning, but it was unclear how the rain affected the conditions inside the cave where the 12 boys and their coach were stranded by the high water more than two weeks. New oxygen tanks were being placed in the cave before the second stage of the rescue effort began.
Extracting everyone from the cave could take up four days, but Sunday's success raised hopes that could be done.
Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda said the same divers who took part in Sunday's rescue will return to extricate the others as they know the cave conditions and what to do. He said the boys rescued Sunday were strong and safe but needed to undergo medical checks.
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha was scheduled to visit the site later Monday, after first traveling south to Phuket, where a boat capsizing resulted in 42 deaths, mostly tourists from China.
"The operation went much better than expected," Chiang Rai acting Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn, who is overseeing the mission, said Sunday night.
He told reporters the four rescued boys were taken to the hospital in the town of Chiang Rai, the provincial capital, for evaluation, and the next phase of the operation would resume after about 10-20 hours.
Narongsak said 13 foreign divers and five Thai navy SEALs took part in the key leg of the rescue: taking the boys from where they have been sheltering and through dark, tight and twisting passageways filled with muddy water and strong currents.
Two divers accompanied each of the boys, all of whom have been learning to dive only since July 2, when the first searchers found them.
Cave rescue experts consider an underwater escape to be a last resort, especially with people untrained in diving.
The death Friday of a former Thai navy SEAL, Saman Gunan, underscored the risks. The diver, the first fatality of the rescue effort, was working in a volunteer capacity and died on a mission to place oxygen canisters along the route., necessary for divers to safely travel the five to six hour route to where the boys are.
Narongsak said ahead of the rescue dive that recent mild weather and falling water levels had created optimal conditions for an underwater evacuation. Those conditions won't last if the rain resumes, he said.
After the four boys were removed from the cave, heavy rain started falling.
The potential for rising water and the dwindling oxygen levels added to the urgency of getting the team out. Efforts to pump water out of the cave have been set back by heavy downpours.
Narongsak said that experts told him new rain could shrink the unflooded space where the boys are sheltering to just 10 square meters (108 square feet).
On Sunday night, Thai navy SEALs posted a celebratory note on their Facebook page, saying: "Have sweet dreams everyone. Good night. Hooyah."
The boys and their coach, whose team is known as the Wild Boars, became stranded when they were exploring the cave after a practice game on June 23.
Monsoon flooding cut off their escape route and prevented rescuers from finding them for almost 10 days.
The ordeal has riveted Thailand and captured the world's attention. The search and rescue operation has involved dozens of international experts and rescuers, including a U.S. military team.
Elon Musk's Space X rocket company is testing a "kid-sized submarine" that could be sent to help boys trapped in a flooded Thailand cave.
Musk posted videos on Twitter of the aluminum sub being tested at a swimming pool Sunday midafternoon California time. If the tests were successful, the sub was to be placed on a 17-hour flight to Thailand.
A spokesman for Musk's Boring Co. tunneling unit, which has four engineers at the cave, has said Thai officials requested the device, which could potentially help the children through narrow, flooded cave passageways. However, it is unclear if the device is part of any current rescue plans.
President Donald Trump tweeted Sunday: "The U.S. is working very closely with the Government of Thailand to help get all of the children out of the cave and to safety. Very brave and talented people!"
Crews rescue man stuck in grease vent of restaurant
Cargo boat wrecks on reef outside Kanduoiy Giri
Safari yacht wrecks off the coast of Dharavandhoo
Rescuers look for Japan flood victims; 122 dead
World News Asia Missing Persons Search & Rescue Thailand
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Christian VIII of Denmark
(Redirected from Christian VIII)
"Christian Frederick" redirects here. For other uses, see Christian Frederick (disambiguation).
Christian VIII
Portrait by Louis Aumont, 1831
King of Denmark
3 December 1839 – 20 January 1848
Frederiksborg Palace Chapel
Frederick VI
Frederick VII
King of Norway
17 May – 10 October 1814
Christiansborg Palace, Copenhagen
Amalienborg Palace, Copenhagen
Roskilde Cathedral
Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Caroline Amalie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderborg-Augustenburg
Frederick VII of Denmark
Christian Frederick
Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Denmark
Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Danish Royalty
House of Oldenburg
Prince Christian Frederick
Christian VIII (18 September 1786 – 20 January 1848) was the King of Denmark from 1839 to 1848 and, as Christian Frederick, King of Norway in 1814.[1]
2 Marriage
3 King of Norway
4 King of Denmark
5 Honours
8 Obituary (astronomy)
Christian was born at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen. He was the eldest son of Hereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway and Duchess Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. His paternal grandparents were King Frederick V of Denmark-Norway and his second wife, Duchess Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.
Christian's mother died in 1794 when he was eight years old, and his father died in 1805 when Christian was nineteen. His upbringing was marked by a thorough and broad-spectrum education with exposure to artists and scientists who were linked to his father's court. Christian inherited the talents of his highly gifted mother, and his amiability and handsome features are said to have made him very popular in Copenhagen.
Marriage[edit]
Christian first married his cousin Duchess Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin at Ludwigslust on 21 June 1806. Charlotte Frederica was a daughter of Friedrich Franz I, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1756-1808). His first-born son was Christian Frederik, who was born and died at Schloss Plön on 8 April 1807. His second son became Frederick VII of Denmark. The marriage was dissolved by divorce in 1810 after Charlotte Frederica was accused of adultery.[2]
Christian married his second wife, Princess Caroline Amalie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (daughter of Louise Augusta of Denmark, the only sister of Frederick VI) at Augustenborg Palace on 22 May 1815. The couple was childless and lived in comparative retirement as leaders of the literary and scientific society of Copenhagen until Christian ascended the throne of Denmark.[3]
Christian had ten extramarital children, for whom he carefully provided. It is rumored that these extramarital children included the fairy tale author Hans Christian Andersen, though there is little evidence to support this.[4]
King of Norway[edit]
Main article: Kingdom of Norway (1814)
Christian Frederick in 1813, aged 27 years
In May 1813, as the heir presumptive of the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway, Christian was sent as stattholder (the king's highest representative in Norway) to Norway to promote the loyalty of the Norwegians to the House of Oldenburg, which had been very badly shaken by the disastrous results of Frederick VI's adhesion to the falling fortunes of Napoleon I of France. Christian did all he could personally to strengthen the bonds between the Norwegians and the royal house of Denmark. Though his endeavours were opposed by the so-called Swedish party, which desired a dynastic union with Sweden, he placed himself at the head of the Norwegian party of independence after the Treaty of Kiel had forced the king to cede Norway to the king of Sweden. He was elected Regent of Norway by an assembly of notables on 16 February 1814.[5]
This election was confirmed by the Norwegian Constituent Assembly convoked at Eidsvoll on 10 April, and on 17 May the constitution was signed and Christian was unanimously elected king of Norway under the name Christian Frederick (Kristian Frederik in Norwegian). Christian next attempted to interest the great powers in Norway's cause, but without success. On being pressed by the commissioners of the allied powers to bring about a union between Norway and Sweden in accordance with the terms of the treaty of Kiel, and then return to Denmark, he replied that, as a constitutional king, he could do nothing without the consent of the parliament (Storting), which would not be convoked until there was a suspension of hostilities on the part of Sweden.[6]
Sweden refused Christian's conditions and a short military campaign ensued in which the Norwegian army was defeated by the forces of the Swedish crown prince Charles John. The brief war concluded with the Convention of Moss on 14 August 1814. By the terms of this treaty, King Christian Frederick transferred executive power to the Storting, then abdicated and returned to Denmark. The Storting in its turn adopted the constitutional amendments necessary to allow for a personal union with Sweden and on 4 November elected Charles XIII of Sweden as the new king of Norway.[7]
King of Denmark[edit]
Christian VIII and his consort Caroline Amalie of Augustenborg during his anointing on 28 June 1840 in Frederiksborg Palace Chapel.
On 3 December 1839 he ascended the Danish throne as Christian VIII. The Liberal party had high hopes of “the giver of constitutions,” but he disappointed his admirers by steadily rejecting every Liberal project. Administrative reform was the only reform he would promise. In his attitude to the growing national unrest in the twin duchies of Schleswig and Holstein he often seemed hesitant and half-hearted, which damaged his position there. It was not until 1846 that he clearly supported the idea of Schleswig being a Danish area.[8]
King Christian VIII continued his predecessor's patronage of astronomy, awarding gold medals for the discovery of comets by telescope and financially supporting Heinrich Christian Schumacher with his publication of the scientific journal Astronomische Nachrichten. It was during his reign that the last remnants of Danish India, namely Tranquebar in the south and Serampore in Bengal, were sold to the British in 1845.
His only legitimate son, the future Frederick VII (1808–1863) was married three times, but produced no legitimate issue. Since he was apparently unlikely to beget heirs, Christian wished to avert a succession crisis. Christian commenced arrangements to secure the succession in Denmark. The result was the selection of the future Christian IX as hereditary prince, the choice made official by a new law enacted on 31 July 1853 after an international treaty made in London.
King Christian died of blood poisoning in Amalienborg Palace in 1848 and was interred in Roskilde Cathedral. Some historians and biographers believe that King Christian would have given Denmark a free constitution had he lived long enough; his last words are sometimes (rather tragically) recorded as "I didn't make it". (Jeg nåede det ikke) [9]
Honours[edit]
Belgium: Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold in 1845.[10]
Spain: Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1840.[11]
Ancestry[edit]
Ancestors of Christian VIII of Denmark
8. Christian VI of Denmark
4. Frederick V of Denmark
9. Princess Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
2. Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Denmark
10. Ferdinand Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
5. Duchess Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
11. Duchess Antoinette of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
1. Christian VIII of Denmark
12. Christian Ludwig II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
6. Duke Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
13. Duchess Gustave Caroline of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
3. Duchess Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
14. Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
7. Princess Charlotte Sophie of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
15. Princess Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
^ "Christian 8". Den Store Danske. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
^ "Charlotte Frederikke•". Den Store Danske. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
^ "Caroline Amalie (1796 - 1881)". Dansk Kvindebiografisk leksiko. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
^ Rossel 1996, p. 6
^ Knut Mykland. "Christian Frederik". Norsk biografisk leksikon. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
^ "Kong Christian Frederik". kongehuset.no. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
^ Knut Dørum. "Christian Frederik". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
^ "Christian VIII". Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
^ "Christian 8". gravsted.dk. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
^ Le livre d'or de l'ordre de Léopold et de la croix de fer, Volume 1 /Ferdinand Veldekens
^ T.F. BoettgerChevaliers de la Toison d'Or. Knights of the Golden Fleece.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Christian VIII.". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Obituary (astronomy)[edit]
MNRAS 8 (1848) 62
Media related to Christian VIII of Denmark at Wikimedia Commons
The Royal Lineage at the website of the Danish Monarchy
Christian VIII at the website of the Royal Danish Collection at Rosenborg Castle
Ripley, George; Dana, Charles A., eds. (1879). "Christian, the name of nine kings of Denmark. IV. Christian VIII." . The American Cyclopædia.
Born: 18 September 1786 Died: 20 January 1848
Frederick VI King of Denmark
Duke of Schleswig, Holstein
& Saxe-Lauenburg
3 December 1839 – 20 January 1848 Succeeded by
17 May – 10 October 1814 Succeeded by
Frederik of Hesse Governor-General of Norway
1 May 1813 – 16 February 1814 Succeeded by
Hans Henric von Essen
Danish princes
The generations are numbered from the implementation of hereditary monarchy by Frederick III in 1660.
King Christian V[1]
Prince Frederick[1]
Prince George, Duke of Cumberland[1][4]
2nd generation
King Frederick IV[1]
Prince Christian William[1]
Prince Christian[1]
Prince Charles[1]
Prince William[1]
Prince William, Duke of Gloucester[1]
Prince George[1]
King Christian VI[1]
Prince Frederik Charles[1]
Prince Frederik Christian[1]
King Frederick V[1]
King Christian VII[1]
Hereditary Prince Frederick[1]
King Frederick VI[1]
King Christian VIII[1]
Hereditary Prince Ferdinand[1]
King Frederick VII[1]
King Christian IX[5]
King Frederick VIII[5]
King George I of Greece[5]
Prince Valdemar
King Christian X
King Haakon VII of Norway
Prince Harald
Prince Gustav
King Constantine I of Greece[2]
Prince Nicholas[2]
Prince Andrew[2]
Prince Christopher[2]
Prince Aage
Prince Axel
Prince Erik
Prince Viggo
10th generation
King Frederick IX[3]
Hereditary Prince Knud[3]
King Olav V of Norway[1]
Prince Gorm
Prince Oluf
King George II of Greece[2]
King Alexander I of Greece[2]
King Paul I of Greece[2]
Prince Peter[2]
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh[2][4]
Prince Michael[2]
Prince George Valdemar
Prince Flemming Valdemar
Prince Henrik[5]
Prince Ingolf[3]
King Constantine II of Greece[2]
Crown Prince Frederik
Prince Joachim
Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece[2]
Prince Nikolaos[2]
Prince Philippos[2]
Prince Christian
Prince Vincent
Prince Nikolai
Prince Felix
Prince Henrik
Prince Constantine-Alexios[2]
Prince Achileas-Andreas[2]
Prince Odysseas-Kimon[2]
Prince Aristide-Stavros[2]
1 Also prince of Norway
2 Also prince of Greece
3 Also prince of Iceland
4 Also prince of The Kingdom of Great Britain / The United Kingdom
5 Not Danish prince by birth, but created prince of Denmark
Princes that lost their title following an unequal marriage are shown in italics
Monarchs of Denmark
Knýtlinga
c. 916 – 1042
(Harthacnut)
Gorm the Old
Harald Bluetooth
Sweyn Forkbeard1
Harald II
Cnut the Great1
Harthacanute1
Fairhair
Magnus the Good
Estridsen
Sweyn II Estridsen
Harald III Hen
Canute the Saint
Olaf I Hunger
Eric Evergood
Eric the Memorable
Eric Lamb
Sweyn Grathe / Canute V / Valdemar the Great
Canute VI
Valdemar the Victorious / Valdemar the Young
Eric Plough-tax
Christopher I
Eric Klipping
Eric Menved
Christopher II / Eric Christoffersen
Valdemar III
Interregnum
Valdemar Atterdag
Bjelbo
Olaf II
Margrethe I2
Eric of Pomerania2
Palatinate-Neumarkt
Christopher of Bavaria2
Christian I2
Christian II2
Frederick I
Christian III
Frederick II
Christian IV
Frederick III
Christian V
Frederick IV
Christian VI
Frederick V
Christian VII
Glücksburg
Christian IX
Frederick VIII
Christian X3
Frederick IX
Margrethe II
Italics indicates Danish monarchs who were also monarchs of Norway.
1 Also monarch of England.
2 Also monarch of Sweden.
3 Also monarch of Iceland.
Monarchs of Norway
I. Independent Norway
Foreign and non-royal
rulers in italics, disputed
monarchs in brackets
Harald I Fairhair
Eric I Bloodaxe
Haakon I the Good
Harald II Greycloak
Harald Bluetooth d & Haakon Sigurdsson r
Olaf I Tryggvason
Sweyn Forkbeard de & Eric Haakonsson r & Sweyn Haakonsson r
Olaf II the Saint
Cnut the Great de & Haakon Ericsson r & Sweyn Knutsson r (Ælfgifu r)
Magnus I the Good d
Harald III Hardrada
Magnus II Haraldsson
Olaf III Kyrre
Haakon Magnusson
Magnus III Barefoot
Olav Magnusson
Eystein I Magnusson
Sigurd I the Crusader
Harald IV Gille
Magnus IV the Blind
Sigurd II Munn
Inge I Haraldsson
Eystein II Haraldsson
(Magnus Haraldsson)
Haakon II Broadshoulder
Magnus V Erlingsson
Sverre Sigurdsson
Haakon III Sverresson
(Guttorm Sigurdsson)
Inge II Bårdsson
Haakon IV Haakonsson
(Haakon the Young)
Magnus VI the Law-mender
Eric II Magnusson
Haakon V Magnusson
Magnus VII Ericsson s
Haakon VI Magnusson s
Olaf IV Haakonsson d
Kalmar Union
Margaret ds
Eric III ds
Christopher ds
Charles I s
Christian I ds
John ds
Christian II ds
Denmark–Norway
Frederick I d
Christian III d
Frederick II d
Christian IV d
Frederick III d
Christian V d
Frederick IV d
Christian VI d
Frederick V d
Christian VII d
Frederick VI d
II. Independent Norway
Only 1814
Union with Sweden
Charles II s
Charles III John s
Oscar I s
Charles IV s
Oscar II s
III. Independent Norway
Haakon VII
Olav V
Harald V
r Regent
d Also Danish monarch
e Also English monarch
s Also Swedish monarch
Governors-General of Norway
Povel Huitfeldt
Ludvig Munk
Axel Gyldenstierne
Jørgen Friis
Enevold Kruse
Jens Hermansson Juel
Christoffer Urne
Hannibal Sehested
Gregers Krabbe
Niels Trolle
Iver Krabbe
Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve
Vice Governors:
Ove Juul
Erik Banner
Just Høeg
Frederik Gabel
Johan Vibe
Ulrik Frederik Valdemar
Claus Henrik Vieregg
Frederik Krag
Ditlev Vibe
Christian Rantzau
Jacob Benzon
Charles of Hesse
Christian August
Frederik of Hesse
Hans von Essen
Carl Mörner
Johan Sandels
Baltzar von Platen
Herman Jarlsberg
Severin Løvenskiold
LCCN: nb99068594
MusicBrainz: c51e0c92-390d-4d71-848a-b481a0c0d1e3
SNAC: w6g207q5
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christian_VIII_of_Denmark&oldid=900324786"
Nobility from Copenhagen
Danish monarchs
Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg
Dukes of Schleswig
Dukes of Holstein
Regents of Norway
Protestant monarchs
Knights of the Golden Fleece
Burials at Roskilde Cathedral
19th-century monarchs in Europe
Grand Commanders of the Order of the Dannebrog
Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference
Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica
Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from The American Cyclopaedia
Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from The American Cyclopaedia with a Wikisource reference
This page was last edited on 4 June 2019, at 22:05 (UTC).
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Is EL&U becoming ESL?
Maybe it's just me, but I get the feeling we are seeing an increasing number of English language learner questions.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but is it what we really want? Aren't we going to scare away (or just plain bore) the experts?
Related question, (to which the accepted answer was "Let's wait and see"): Is this site for “English as a second language”?
Obviously both that question and this one are badly titled - there's no problem with people who have English as a second (or third, or fourth) language, it's the level they're at.
The Question: Are we ok with this? If not, can we think up some guidelines for what kind of beginner questions we accept (and how to identify them)?
discussion site scope
BenjolBenjol
Related question: meta.english.stackexchange.com/questions/742/… – Benjol Feb 21 '11 at 8:56
Case in point, with the appropriate (I think) answers: meta.english.stackexchange.com/questions/752/… – Benjol Feb 22 '11 at 11:10
I would agree, especially over the past few days.
I think that they're generally fine, so long as they're asked in good faith, meaning some effort has been put into the question to make it comprehensible. I don't think the experts are going to leave-the number of expert questions aren't decreasing; it's just that we never had that many in the first place.
I would suggest that unless this becomes a huge problem, that we simply close questions as duplicate if they are, and otherwise just answer them and allow them here. I tend to trust an answer a lot more when it's been voted up and defended on Stack Exchange. Plus, there are those who might learn something from it, but didn't ask the question because they didn't know there was something they didn't know.
waiwai933♦waiwai933
Questions can always be edited for clarity, etc. The site will not be in danger in any way until the answers become something out of an ESL study group. – bye Feb 18 '11 at 13:39
"...there are those who might learn something from it, but didn't ask the question because they didn't know there was something they didn't know." Story of my life. +1 – kitukwfyer Apr 10 '11 at 14:19
I made this flowchart for Science Fiction & Fantasy because we had a problem figuring out whether a question was too easy to be allowed.
NB: "General reference" is a close option that Jeff is considering implementing, for questions that are too basic. Until it's implemented, or if it's never implemented, then closing as off-topic seems like the best candidate for the job.
Borror0Borror0
+1, +2 if you make it a png :) – Benjol Feb 21 '11 at 5:44
Maybe an [ESL] tag would be useful? – Charles May 5 '11 at 20:30
This is a tough question. We had the same problem emerge at alt.usage.english back in the Usenet era.
Yes, there are obviously many non-native speakers venturing here to get a layman's explanation of idiom, or a clarification of an obscure sense of a word or term. It would be nice if there were less of that.
On the other hand, "out of the mouths of babes" does apply. Sometimes the seemingly simple question a learner asks can be profound precisely because a native speaker would never ask it. The search for an answer can, in such cases, teach us something valuable.
It's a "forest for the trees" thing. Our familiarity with the language can, at times, blind us to the kind of problems that are readily apparent to the learner.
What worked (for a while, anyway) at alt.usage.english was not to drive off the non-native speakers, but to encourage the participation of deeply learned professionals and academics. Grow the power base and the small problems take care of themselves.
The RavenThe Raven
I'm afraid if you were to submit EL&U.SE to a strict interpretation of such a leash law, we wouldn't have no dogs at all runnin' around over there.
RobustoRobusto
How are you supposed to determine what an ESL question is? If it's too simple? Plenty of native speakers have simple questions too. If the question is well formulated, people will gladly answer it.
Juan MendesJuan Mendes
Always assuming we use the "General Reference" reason for closing judiciously, I don't see a problem. The only slight fly in the ointment being that as we get more users with sufficient rep to close questions, we may lose some potentially interesting ones that look superficially trivial.
If there is a problem in this general area, it's that "serious" users don't upvote really interesting questions enough to counteract "trivia-seekers" who upvote things that are effectively just dross. If you don't believe me, spend a couple of minutes leafing through past questions in Votes sequence. That's a really depressing exercise for anyone who wants ELU to be a font of wisdom.
I agree, but I've always thought one of the target audiences of this site (but by no means the only one) is people who were learning English as an additional language.
I thought the target audience was people who have a question about English and its usage ;-) Regardless of whether English is their mother tongue or not. – Jürgen A. Erhard Feb 20 '11 at 11:35
Yes, this is more what I meant to say - just that some people who have questions about English don't have it as a native language. Thank you for phrasing it better. – Andy Feb 21 '11 at 15:36
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged discussion site scope .
Should EL&U offer free English lessons?
Is this site for “English as a second language”?
Roses are red, apples are green
Why is this place becoming so mean (and how to fix it)?
How should we handle users who generate consistently low-quality and off-topic questions?
Why not keep this kind of question open?
What resources should we link to in the FAQ for learning English?
Should we link to resources for learning English in order to prevent scope-creep?
Close reconsideration - what constitutes “subjective and argumentative”?
Single word requests, crosswords, and the fight against mediocrity
Excessive number of fundamental questions
Bad questions can lead to good answers
Please change the canonical 'ordinal question' to one which is more informative
I have a question, but it's off-topic. Where else could I ask?
I didn't know the yellow ax question had been locked. Did you?
What is the appropriate state of this question regarding feminizing girls?
How should the new Lexico-hosted Oxford dictionary be cited?
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Showing posts with label Gingerol. Show all posts
RAS signaling, Autism, Cancer and Gingerols
Sytrinol (Tangeretin), sacrificial Gummy Bear and Gingerol
Today’s post follows on from an earlier one that introduced the term RASopathy. A RASopathy is a disease characterized by over-activation of the RAS protein.
RASopathies are of interest because if you have one, you are highly likely to also have autism.
RAS dysfunction is also present in many types of cancer and there are existing drugs to inhibit RAS signaling. It has been claimed that:-
"If RAS proves to be a key player in autism … it might suggest new treatments for autism, as many cancer drugs inhibit RAS signaling."
Regular readers of the Simons Foundation autism blog may have read the following:
RAS pathway, a potentially unifying theory of autism
Cancer pathway connects autism to set of rare disorders
If RAS proves to be a key player in autism, she says, it might suggest new treatments for autism, as many cancer drugs inhibit RAS signaling.
RAS-based interventions
My Polypill already has one RAS-based component, the statin. This (the statin) is now being patented by the University of California.
Statins as Treatment for Cognitive Dysfunction Associated with RASopathies
Professor Alcino Silva and colleagues at the UCLA department of Neurobiology have repurposed HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (or statins) to reverse the cognitive dysfunction associated with RASopathies. By blocking HMG-CoA reductase, the drug prevents overactivation of the Ras protein, which leads to deficits in long term potentiation, a mechanism of learning and memory. Using in vivo models of NF1 and Noonan Syndrome, the researchers have shown that lovastatin is able to restore both LTP deficits and cognitive function to wild-type levels.
• Treatment of cognitive dysfunction associated with NF1
• Treatment of cognitive dysfunction associated with Noonan syndrome
• Treatment of other disorders driven by hyperactivation of the Ras-MAPK pathway
• Statins would represent the first and only drug available to treat the cognitive defects observed in NF1, Noonan and other RASopathies
• Statins have already been approved by the FDA as a cholesterol-lowering drug, demonstrating an amenable safety profile in humans
• Effectiveness in restoring cognitive function has been demonstrated in vivo
The studies using Lovastatin were positive:-
Lovastatin as treatment for neurocognitive deficits in neurofibromatosistype 1: phase I study
Lovastatin regulates brain spontaneous low-frequency brain activity in neurofibromatosis type 1.
However in the following trial in the Netherlands, Simvastatin was shown not to be effective in NF-1.
Simvastatin for cognitive deficits and behavioural problems in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1-SIMCODA): a randomised, placebo-controlled trial
The UCLA team seem to think Lovastatin has potential, even though Simvastatin appears not to.
There is a comprehensive presentation from Silvalab at UCLA below,
Mechanisms and Adult Treatments for Neurodevelopmental Disorders
It seems that in Rett Syndrome (not a RASopathy) statins may also help.
Statins Suppress Rett Syndrome Symptoms in Mice
So choose your statin with care.
We use Atorvastatin. It works; but it has various possible modes of action, one of which is RAS. Another is upregulating PTEN.
Upregulating PTEN is good, but if used to excess it may lead to reduced insulin sensitivity and type 2 diabetes.
However, anti-oxidants, sulfurophane and PPAR gamma agonists (Gingerols, tangeretin) all increase insulin sensitivity so this tiny risk can be mitigated. Verapamil protects beta cells (that produce insulin) from damage.
Statin MAX
I was interested in further increasing the RAS inhibition to see if there would be further cognitive or other improvement. This is not possible via increasing the dose of statin, but it is possible by using Farnesyltransferase inhibitors, these are mainly anti-cancer research compounds, but one is the flavonoid Gingerol.
Ginger is another of those substances that has been used for centuries in traditional medicine. Gingerols are found in uncooked ginger.
Gingerols in “Medicine”
Fortunately ginger has many claimed medical benefits, ranging from arthritis to cancer prevention and treatment. As a result standardized concentrated versions are widely available.
When it comes to my experiments, one problem has been the taste of the substance and the loss in bioavailability by having to open up/crush the various substances.
Swallowing Pills
Swallowing pills is not an option for some people, but in some cases you lose the effect of a drug if you remove the outer coating. This is true with the drugs that lower the acidity of your stomach (Proton Pump Inhibitors). They are designed to dissolve in the acidity of your intestines and not before.
Sytrinol ,the tangeretin flavonoid that is an attractive PPAR gamma inhibitor, is packed in a thick capsule, because the research shows this increases its bioavailability. So me squeezing it out on a piece of toast will dilute its potency.
Having obtained my high gingerol content potion, the first thing I did was to open the capsule and taste it. Not nice at all.
Monty, aged 11 with ASD, has an elder brother who makes an enormous fuss on the very rare occasion he has to swallow a tablet.
Having overcome the usual autism problems of visiting a dentist and a hairdresser, the time had come for Monty to learn how to swallow pills.
In the end it was a non-event.
Having agreed that a gummy bear would be the reward and with the usual glass of water sitting beside it, the lesson began. I put a NAC pill on my tongue and he put a Tangeretin capsule on his.
Before I could even suggest he drank some water, he had swallow the Tangeretin and bitten the head off the gummy bear.
This was swiftly followed by the rather odd smelling gingerol capsule.
So, rather unexpectedly, I can proceed with my gingerol investigation.
Gingerol may or may not be effective in our type of autism, but the research is highly promising in several other areas, some comorbid* with autism.
· Asthma*
· Ulcerative Colitis*
· Arthritis *
· Cancer*
No data suggests people with ASD are prone to Alzheimer’s, although some Alzheimer’s drugs do help some people with ASD. It may just be that people with ASD do not make it to their eighties.
Ginger is very widely used and I do not see any safety issues, just taste issues.
Active Components of Ginger Potentiate b-Agonist–Induced Relaxation of Airway Smooth Muscle by Modulating Cytoskeletal Regulatory Proteins
Natural herbal remedies, including ginger, have long been used to treat respiratory conditions. Many individuals with asthma use herbal therapies to self-treat their asthma symptoms; however, little is known regarding how these compounds work in the airway. In the current work, we show that 6-gingerol, 8-gingerol, and 6-shogaol potentiate b-agonist–induced relaxation of airway smooth muscle by inhibiting both phosphodiesterase 4D and phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C, leading to downstream regulation of contractile proteins. These data suggest that natural compounds can work in combination with traditional asthma therapies to relieve asthma symptoms.
Ginger Compounds May Help Treat Asthma
Comparative Effects of Two Gingerol-Containing Zingiberofficinale Extracts on Experimental Rheumatoid Arthritis1
“In conclusion, these data document a very significant joint-protective effect of these ginger samples, and suggest that non-gingerol components are bioactive and can enhance the antiarthritic effects of the more widely studied gingerols.”
Arthritis. Some research shows that taking ginger can modestly reduce pain in some people with a form of arthritis called “osteoarthritis.” One study shows that taking a specific ginger extract (Zintona EC) 250 mg four times daily reduced arthritis pain in the knee after 3 months of treatment. Another study shows that using a different ginger extract (Eurovita Extract 77; EV ext-77), which combines a ginger with alpinia also reduces pain upon standing, pain after walking, and stiffness. Some research has compared ginger to medications such as ibuprofen. In one study, a specific ginger extract (Eurovita Extract 33; EV ext-33) did not work as well as taking ibuprofen 400 mg three times daily for reducing arthritis pain. But in another study, taking ginger extract 500 mg twice daily worked about as well as ibuprofen 400 mg three times daily for hip and knee pain related to arthritis. In another study, a specific ginger extract combined with glucosamine (Zinaxin glucosamine, EV ext-35) worked as well as the anti-inflamatory medication diclofenac slow release 100 mg daily plus glucosamine sulfate 1 gram daily. Research also suggests that massage therapy using an oil containing ginger and orange seems to reduce short-term stiffness and pain in people with knee pain.
Pharmacological Activity of 6-Gingerolin Dextran Sulphate Sodium-induced Ulcerative Colitis in BALB/c Mice
Gingerols are phenolic compounds in ginger (Zingiber officinale), which have been reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. The present study aimed at evaluating the possible pharmacologic activity of 6-gingerol in a mouse model of dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis. Adult male mice were exposed to DSS in drinking water alone or co-treated with 6-gingerol orally at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg for 7 days. Disease activity index, inflammatory mediators, oxidative stress indices, and histopathological examination of the colons were evaluated to monitor treatment-related effects of 6-gingerol in DSS-treated mice. Administration of 6-gingerol significantly reversed the DSS-mediated reduction in body weight, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and colon shrinkage to near normal. Moreover, 6-gingerol significantly suppressed the circulating concentrations of interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor alpha and restored the colonic nitric oxide concentration and myeloperoxidase activity to normal in DSS-treated mice. 6-Gingerol efficiently prevented colonic oxidative damage by increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes and glutathione content, decreasing the hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde levels, and ameliorated the colonic atrophy in DSS-treated mice. 6-Gingerol suppressed the induction of ulcerative colitis in mice via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, and may thus represent a potential anticolitis drug candidate.
PPARγ
6-gingerol inhibits rosiglitazone-induced adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
We investigated the effects of 6-gingerol ((S)-5-hydroxy-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-3-decanone) on the inhibition of rosiglitazone (RGZ)-induced adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. The morphological changes were photographed based on staining lipid accumulation by Oil-Red O in RGZ (1 µmol/l)-treated 3T3-L1 cells without or with various concentrations of 6-gingerol on differentiation day 8. Quantitation of triglycerides content was performed in cells on day 8 after differentiation induction. Differentiated cells were lysed to detect mRNA and protein levels of adipocyte-specific transcription factors by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis, respectively. 6-gingerol (50 µmol/l) effectively suppressed oil droplet accumulation and reduced the sizes of the droplets in RGZ-induced adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells. The triglyceride accumulation induced by RGZ in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells was also reduced by 6-gingerol (50 µmol/l). Treatment of differentiated 3T3-L1 cells with 6-gingerol (50 µmol/l) antagonized RGZ-induced gene expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α. Additionally, the increased levels of mRNA and protein in adipocyte-specific fatty acid binding protein 4 and fatty acid synthase induced by RGZ in 3T3-L1 cells were decreased upon treatment with 6-gingerol. Our data suggests that 6-gingerol may be beneficial in obesity, by reducing adipogenesis partly through the down-regulating PPARγ activity.
6-Shogaol and 6-gingerol, the pungent of ginger, inhibit TNF-alpha mediated down regulation of adiponectin expression via different mechanisms in 3T3-L1adipocytes
ABSTRACT In this study, we demonstrated that the two ginger-derived components have a potent and unique pharmacological function in 3T3-L1 adipocytes via different mechanisms. Both pretreatment of 6-shogaol (6S) and 6-gingerol (6G) significantly inhibited the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) mediated downregulation of the adiponectin expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Our study demonstrate that (1) 6S functions as a PPARgamma agonist with its inhibitory mechanism due to the PPARgamma transactivation, and (2) 6G is not a PPARgamma agonist, but it is an effective inhibitor of TNF-alpha induced c-Jun-NH(2)-terminal kinase signaling activation and thus, its inhibitory mechanism is due to this inhibitory effect.
Microglial Activation
Inhibitors of Microglial Neurotoxicity: Focus on
Abstract: Microglial cells play a dual role in the central nervous system as they have both neurotoxic and neuroprotective effects. Uncontrolled and excessive activation of microglia often contributes to inflammation-mediated neurodegeneration. Recently, much attention has been paid to therapeutic strategies aimed at inhibiting neurotoxic microglial activation.
Pharmacological inhibitors of microglial activation are emerging as a result of such endeavors. In this review, natural products-based inhibitors of microglial activation will be reviewed. Potential neuroprotective activity of these compounds will also be discussed.
Future works should focus on the discovery of novel drug targets that specifically mediate microglial neurotoxicity rather than neuroprotection. Development of new drugs based on these targets may require a better understanding of microglial biology and neuroinflammation at the molecular, cellular, and systems levels.
8. Gingerol from Zingiber officinale
Ginger, the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, has a long history of medicinal use. In traditional oriental medicine, ginger has been used to treat a wide range of ailments including stomach aches, diarrhea, nausea, asthma, respiratory disorders, toothache, gingivitis, and arthritis [98-100]. Several studies have shown that ginger inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-2 , TNF-α, and interferon (IFN)-gamma [101]. Ginger also has been shown to decrease synthesis of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes via inhibition of COX-2 and 5-lipoxygenase (5- LOX) enzymes, which are the targets for numerous anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals.
Grzanna et al. tested the effects of a ginger extract on THP-1 monocytic cells to determine whether it can block the induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines in these cells stimulated with LPS. The results of this study suggest that the anti-inflammatory properties of the ginger extract may provide beneficial effects similar to those of currently used COX inhibitors [102].
Recently, Jung et al. reported that the hexane fraction of Zingiberis Rhizoma Crudus extract inhibits the production of nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokines in LPS-stimulated BV-2 microglial cells via the NF-κB pathway [103]. The authors indicated that ginger hexane extract significantly inhibited the excessive production of NO, PGE2, TNF-α, and IL-1β in LPS-stimulated BV-2 cells. Ginger extract also attenuated the mRNA expressions and protein levels of iNOS, COX-2, and proinflammatory cytokines. The molecular mechanisms that underlie ginger hexane extract-mediated attenuation of neuroinflammation were related to the inhibition of the phosphorylation of three mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2), p38 MAPK, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and the activation of NF-κB [103].
6-Gingerol (Figure 2B), one of the active ingredients of ginger, has been reported to impart ginger with its anti-inflammatory properties. The 6-gingerol inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines from LPS-stimulated macrophages, and inhibited COX-2 expression by blocking the activation of p38 MAP kinase and NF-κB in phorbol ester-stimulated mouse skin [104-105]. Data indicate that several doses of 6-gingerol selectively inhibit production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-12 by murine peritoneal macrophages in the presence of LPS stimulation.
The authors also revealed that 6-gingerol does not affect antigen presenting cell (APC) function or cell surface expression of MHC II and co-stimulatory molecules [105]. These remarkable beneficial properties of ginger and 6-gingerol and the lack of gastrointestinal and renal side effects distinguish it from other NSAIDS. Considering the broad spectrum of ginger’s anti-inflammatory actions and its safety record in clinical trials, it is likely to be a valuable dietary supplement in the treatment of neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases. However, the ability of gingerol to cross bloodbrain barrier has not yet been explicitly demonstrated and needs further investigation.
At least in rats, we know that Gingerol does cross the blood brain barrier.
Protective effects of ginger root extract on Alzheimer disease-induced behavioral dysfunction in rats.
The aim of this study was to assess the ability of a traditional Chinese medicinal ginger root extract (GRE) to prevent behavioral dysfunction in the Alzheimer disease (AD) rat model. Rat AD models were established by an operation (OP) in which rats were treated with a one-time intra-cerebroventricuIar injection of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) and continuous gavage of aluminum chloride every day for 4 weeks. GRE was administered intra-gastrically to rats. After 35 days, learning and memory were assessed in all of the rats. Brain sections were processed for immunohistochemistry and Hematoxylin & Eosin (H&E) and Nissl staining. The latency to show significant memory deficits was shorter in the group that received OP with a high dose of GRE (HG)(OP+HG) than in the groups that received OP with a low or moderate dose of GRE (LG, MG)(OP+LG, OP+MG) (p<0.05). The expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the OP+MG and OP+LG groups was up-regulated compared to the OP+HG groups (p<0.05). The rats in the OP+HG groups had lower levels of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and malondialdehyde (MDA) expression than the rats in the OP+MG and OP+LG groups (p<0.05). This experiment demonstrates that the administration of GRE reverses behavioral dysfunction and prevents AD-like symptoms in our rat model.
[6]-Gingerolattenuates β-amyloid-induced oxidative cell death via fortifying cellularantioxidant defense system
β-Amyloid (Aβ) is involved in the formation of senile plaques, the typical neuropathological marker for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and has been reported to cause apoptosis in neurons via oxidative and/or nitrosative stress. In this study, we have investigated the neuroprotective effect and molecular mechanism of [6]-gingerol, a pungent ingredient of ginger against Αβ25–35-induced oxidative and/or nitrosative cell death in SH-SY5Y cells. [6]-Gingerol pretreatment protected against Aβ25–35-induced cytotoxicity and apoptotic cell death such as DNA fragmentation, disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential, elevated Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and activation of caspase-3. To elucidate the neuroprotective mechanism of [6]-gingerol, we have examined Aβ25–35-induced oxidative and/or nitrosative stress and cellular antioxidant defense system against them. [6]-Gingerol effectively suppressed Aβ25–35-induced intracellular accumulation of reactive oxygen and/or nitrogen species and restored Aβ25–35-depleted endogenous antioxidant glutathione levels. Furthermore, [6]-gingerol treatment up-regulated the mRNA and protein expression of antioxidant enzymes such as γ-glutamylcysteine ligase (GCL) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), the rate limiting enzymes in the glutathione biosynthesis and the degradation of heme, respectively. The expression of aforementioned antioxidant enzymes seemed to be mediated by activation of NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). These results suggest that [6]-gingerol exhibits preventive and/or therapeutic potential for the management of AD via augmentation of antioxidant capacity.
NAC interferes with some anti-cancer actions, be careful if self treating
6-Shogaol induces apoptosis in human colorectal carcinoma cells via ROS production, caspase activation, andGADD 153 expression
Ginger, the rhizome of Zingiber officinale, is a traditional medicine with anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic properties. This study examined the growth inhibitory effects of the structurally related compounds 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol on human cancer cells. 6-Shogaol [1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-4-decen-3-one] inhibits the growth of human cancer cells and induces apoptosis in COLO 205 cells through modulation of mitochondrial functions regulated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS generation occurs in the early stages of 6-shogaol-induced apoptosis, preceding cytochrome c release, caspase activation, and DNA fragmentation. Up-regulation of Bax, Fas, and FasL, as well as down-regulation of Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL were observed in 6-shogaol-treated COLO 205 cells. N-acetylcysteine (NAC), but not by other antioxidants, suppress 6-shogaol-induced apoptosis. The growth arrest and DNA damage (GADD)-inducible transcription factor 153 (GADD153) mRNA and protein is markedly induced in a time- and concentration-dependent manner in response to 6-shogaol.
Comparative antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of [6]-gingerol, [8]-gingerol,[10]-gingerol and [6]-shogaol
In the antioxidant activity assay, [6]-gingerol, [8]-gingerol, [10]-gingerol and [6]-shogaol exhibited substantial scavenging activities with IC50 values of 26.3, 19.47, 10.47 and 8.05 μM against DPPH radical, IC50 values of 4.05, 2.5, 1.68 and 0.85 μM against superoxide radical and IC50 values of 4.62, 1.97, 1.35 and 0.72 μM against hydroxyl radical, respectively. The free radical scavenging activity of these compounds also enhanced with increasing concentration (P < 0.05). On the other hand, all the compounds at a concentration of 6 μM have significantly inhibited (P < 0.05) f-MLP-stimulated oxidative burst in PMN. In addition, production of inflammatory mediators (NO and PGE2) has been inhibited significantly (P < 0.05) and dose-dependently.
6-Shogaol has exhibited the most potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which can be attributed to the presence of α,β-unsaturated ketone moiety. The carbon chain length has also played a significant role in making 10-gingerol as the most potent among all the gingerols. This study justifies the use of dry ginger in traditional systems of medicine.
Growth Inhibition of Human Non-Small Lung Cancer Cells H460 By Green Tea and Ginger Polyphenols
Conclusion: The study reports the antiproliferative and apoptosis-mediated cytotoxic effects of green tea and ginger polyphenolic extracts on human H460 cell line, indicating their promising chemopreventive effect against lung cancer.
Ginger certainly does look to be good for you, but it has to be uncooked, otherwise you lose those gingerols.
I expect in ten years’ time we will know whether RAS signaling does underlie the autism of a wider group of people than those with currently identified RASopathies.
If you are impatient to know the answer you have a few choices:-
· Statins
· Gingerols
· Other farnesyltransferase inhibitors (FTIs), a class of experimental cancer drugs that target protein farnesyltransferase with the downstream effect of preventing the proper functioning of the Ras (protein), which is commonly abnormally active in cancer.
Labels: Alzheimer's, arthritis, Asthma, Atorvastatin, Autism, cancer, Farnesyltransferase inhibitor, Ginger, Gingerol, Lovastatin, NF-1, RAS, RASopathies, Simvastatin, Ulcerative colitis
Gingerols and Statins (as Farnesyltransferase inhibitors) for RASopathies and Some Autism
Today’s post was driven by another attempt not to take a statin.
Statins are among the world’s most prescribed, and yet most maligned, drugs. Hundreds of millions of people take a statin drug every day to lower their cholesterol, but a small, vocal minority complain about muscle pains, memory loss and even type 2 diabetes.
Since my Polypill is evidently a therapy, and not a cure, for autism, the odds are that it will be needed life-long. Regardless of the apparent lack of side-effects, nobody should be taking drugs/supplements that are not really needed. Atorvastatin (Lipitor/Sortis) is part of my Polypill for the type of autism affecting Monty, aged 11, with ASD.
Every time I stop the statin part of my Polypill therapy, I end up starting it again after only a one day break. I notice all sorts of little behavioral changes that I really do not want to see.
These changes involve loss of initiative, flexibility and motivation. I really do not see how these would be measured in any existing behavioral assessment of autism. These little changes make a big difference in daily life, so-called adaptive behavior.
In case you are wondering, the types of people with autism that I think might benefit from statins, have high cholesterol and some of the following:-
· Non-verbal, or people who are slightly verbal, but choose not to speak
· Poor ability to generalize skills already mastered in 1:1 therapy
· Great difficulty in separating
· Great difficulty in coping with change
As with some other elements of the Polypill, there are numerous reasons why statins could/should help in autism. Today I found yet another one and an interesting non-drug alternative.
Why Statins?
I originally choose statins as a possible therapy, based on their ability to control pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g. cytokine storms), and their known neuro-protective properties (e.g. reduce mortality after a traumatic brain injury).
I then noted they also affect some autism target genes, such as PTEN and BCL-2.
I did also note that statins were being researched to treat Neurofibromatosis, a single gene condition that is frequently comorbid with an “autism” diagnosis.
Today’s post is really about why statins should help in Neurofibromatosis and what else shares the same mechanism of action.
Putting aside cytokines, PTEN and BCL-2, this new mechanism (excessive RAS/ERK signaling) might also be active in broader autism and Intellectual Disability / MR.
The other recent development was a study at UCLA that looked at a rare condition called Noonan Syndrome. Noonan Syndrome and Neurofibromatosis are members of a group of conditions called RASopathies.
The RASopathies are developmental syndromes caused by mutations in genes that alter the Ras subfamily and Mitogen-activated protein kinases that control signal transduction.
Statins reverse learning disabilities caused by genetic disorder
Drawing upon Silva’s previous research on neurofibromatosis 1, another Ras-influenced disease, the UCLA team treated the mice with lovastatin, an FDA-approved statin drug currently in wide clinical use.
When adult mice with Noonan were treated with lovastatin in the UCLA study, the drop in Ras activity dramatically improved their memory and ability to remember objects and navigate mazes.
“We were amazed to see that statin treatment restored the adult animals’ cognitive functions to normal. Traditionally, science assumes that therapy needs to start in the fetal stage to be effective,” explained Silva. “Our research suggests that the leading gene mutation responsible for Noonan syndrome plays critical roles not only in fetal development, but also in how well the adult brain functions.”
According to Silva, UCLA’s approach could help the estimated 35 million Americans who struggle with learning disabilities
The paper itself:-
Mechanism and treatment for learning and memory deficits in mouse models of Noonan syndrome
RAS/ERK Inhibitors
For those of you more interested in the implications, rather than the science, here they are.
Known RAS inhibitors include:-
· Statins, the popular cholesterol reducing drugs. The “lipophilic” statins (Simvastatin, Lovastatin, Atorvastatin) can cross the blood brain barrier
· Farnesyltransferase inhibitors, these are mainly anti-cancer research compounds, but one is the flavonoid Gingerol
Gingerol, is the active constituent of fresh ginger. It is normally found as a pungent yellow oil, but also can form a low-melting crystalline solid.
Cooking ginger transforms gingerol into zingerone, which is less pungent and has a spicy-sweet aroma. When ginger is dried, gingerol undergoes a dehydration reaction forming shogaols, which are about twice as pungent as gingerol. This explains why dried ginger is more pungent than fresh ginger.
Ginger also contains 8-gingerol, 10-gingerol, and 12-gingerol.
Gingerol seems to be effective in an animal model of rheumatoid arthritis.
Gingerol has been investigated for its effect on cancerous tumors in the bowel, breast tissue, ovaries, the pancreas, among other tissues, with positive results.
Neurofibromatosis, Behavioral dysfunction and RAS signaling
Neurofibromatosis Type 1: Modeling CNS Dysfunction
Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is the most common monogenic disorder in which individuals manifest CNS abnormalities. Affected individuals develop glial neoplasms (optic gliomas, malignant astrocytomas) and neuronal dysfunction (learning disabilities, attention deficits). Nf1 genetically engineered mouse models have revealed the molecular and cellular underpinnings of gliomagenesis, attention deficit, and learning problems with relevance to basic neurobiology. Using NF1 as a model system, these studies have revealed critical roles for the NF1 gene in non-neoplastic cells in the tumor microenvironment, the importance of brain region heterogeneity, novel mechanisms of glial growth regulation, the neurochemical bases for attention deficit and learning abnormalities, and new insights into neural stem cell function. Here we review recent studies, presented at a symposium at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting, that highlight unexpected cell biology insights into RAS and cAMP pathway effects on neural progenitor signaling, neuronal function, and oligodendrocyte lineage differentiation.
Working memory, which, like attention, depends on intact prefrontal circuitry, is also impaired in both Nf1+/− mice and in individuals with NF1. Functional imaging studies showed that the working memory impairments of NF1 subjects correlated with hypoactivation in the prefrontal cortex, which may reflect increased GABA-mediated inhibition in prefrontal cortical circuits of Nf1+/− mice. Remarkably, a dose of a GABA receptor inhibitor (picrotoxin), which caused deficits in working memory in control mice, rescued the working memory deficits of Nf1+/− mice, a result consistent with the hypothesis that increased inhibition is at the root of the working memory deficits associated with NF1.
Increases in RAS/ERK signaling in Nf1+/− mice have been implicated in the working memory, attention, and spatial learning deficits of these mice. Genetic and pharmacological manipulations that target the RAS/ERK signaling pathway were shown to rescue the physiological and behavioral deficits of Nf1+/− mice. Importantly, pharmacological manipulations that impair the isoprenylation of RAS (statins, farnesyl transferase inhibitors), and therefore decrease the levels of RAS/ERK signaling, also rescue key electrophysiological and behavioral phenotypes of Nf1+/− mice. Indeed, at concentrations that do not affect signaling, physiology, or behavior of wild-type controls, statins reverse the signaling, electrophysiological, attention, and spatial learning deficits of Nf1+/− mice. Prompted by these findings, clinical studies are currently underway to test the efficacy of statins as a treatment for the behavioral and cognitive deficits in individuals with NF1.
Similar to individuals with NF1, Nf1 mutant mice also show attention deficits. These deficits are thought to be key contributors to academic and social problems in children with NF1. Using an additional Nf1 GEM strain to study attention, in which the Nf1+/− mutation is combined with Cre-driven homozygous Nf1 gene deletion in GFAP-expressing cells (Nf1 OPG mouse), it was found that reduced striatal dopamine was responsible for the observed attention deficits. Treatment with methylphenidate (but not with drugs that affect RAS) reversed the attention deficits of these Nf1 OPG mutants, suggesting that defects in brain catecholamine homeostasis contribute to the attention deficits observed. These results suggest that, in addition to drugs that affect RAS/ERK signaling, drugs that manipulate dopaminergic function could also be used to treat the cognitive deficits associated with NF1.
Treatments and future directions
With the availability of genetically engineered mouse models for NF1-associated CNS pathology, it now becomes possible to envision a pipeline in which fundamental basic science discoveries lead to the identification of new cellular and molecular targets for therapeutic drug design, culminating in preclinical evaluation before testing in patients with NF1. First, the success of Nf1 mouse model implementation has already resulted in the clinical evaluation of lovastatin in children with NF1-associated learning deficits and rapamycin analogs for the treatment of glioma. Second, mouse models afford an opportunity to envision specific features of NF1 as distinct diseases defined by the timing of NF1 gene inactivation or the particular cell of origin. Similar to other cancers, the identification of molecular or cellular subtypes of NF1-associated nervous system tumors or learning/behavioral problems may result in more individualized treatments with a higher likelihood of success. Third, as we further exploit these powerful preclinical models, additional cellular and molecular targets may emerge as candidates for future therapeutic drug design. In this regard, one could envision more effective therapies resulting from the combined use of targeted inhibition of multiple growth control pathways regulated by neurofibromin in the neoplastic cell (NF1-deficient neuroglial precursor) or dual targeting of non-neoplastic (microglia) and neoplastic cells within NF1-associated CNS tumors.
RASopathies & Autism
Autism traits in the RASopathies
Higher prevalence and severity of autism traits in RASopathies compared to unaffected siblings suggests that dysregulation of Ras/MAPK signalling during development may be implicated in ASD risk. Evidence for sex bias and potential sibling correlation suggests that autism traits in the RASopathies share characteristics with autism traits in the general population and clinical ASD population and can shed light on idiopathic ASDs.
This systematic study offers empirical support that autism traits are associated with developmental Ras/MAPK pathway dysregulation. It suggests that individuals affected by RASopathies should be evaluated for social communication challenges and offered treatment in these areas. This is the first strong evidence that multiple members of a well-defined biochemical pathway can contribute to autism traits. Future studies could explore potential modifying or epistatic factors contributing to variation within the RASopathies and the role of Ras/MAPK activation in idiopathic ASDs.
Inhibition of Ras for cancer treatment: the search continues
Despite intensive effort, to date no effective anti-Ras strategies have successfully made it to the clinic. We present an overview of past and ongoing strategies to inhibit oncogenic Ras in cancer.
Since approaches to directly target mutant Ras have not been successful, most efforts have focused on indirect approaches to block Ras membrane association or downstream effector signaling. While inhibitors of effector signaling are currently under clinical evaluation, genome-wide unbiased genetic screens have identified novel directions for future anti-Ras drug discovery.
In some people with “autism” statins are an effective therapy. Higher doses of statin are associated with side effects. By knowing the principal mode of action of statins in autism, we might be able to develop a more potent therapy – STATIN PLUS.
On the basis of today’s post, investigating Farnesyltransferase inhibitors, as inhibitors of RAS signalling, looks an interesting option.
Gingerol is available as an inexpensive, supposedly standardized, product. Ginger itself has been safely used in traditional medicine for thousands of years.
Perhaps Gingerol is the PLUS and for people unwilling to use a statin, perhaps Gingerol could be the statin?
The current medical view on ginger:-
According to the America Cancer Society
Recent preliminary results in animals show some effect in slowing or preventing tumor growth. While these results are not well understood, they deserve further study. Still, it is too early in the research process to say whether ginger will have the same effect in humans.
Anti-Oxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Ginger in Health and Physical Activity: Review of Current Evidence
Note on Intellectual Disability / MR
Regular readers may recall, I have commented that not only are many types of autism partially treatable, but so should be some types of Intellectual Disability / MR. This same theme about treating cognitive dysfunction is raised in the paper below.
In the days when most readers of this blog were at school, 30-50% of people with an autism diagnosis were also diagnosed with Intellectual Disability / MR. This is no longer the case; as autism diagnoses have skyrocketed in Western countries, diagnosis of Intellectual Disability / MR has not followed it.
People born today with what used to be called autism, often suffer from epilepsy and impaired cognitive function. They do now tend to get rather sidelined by the much wider scope of the “autism” diagnosis used today, mainly in Anglo-Saxon countries (where most research is carried out).
The point where this matters is in clinical trials, since many of the milder autisms (now even being called “quirky autism”) may be caused by entirely different dysfunctions. The observational diagnosis of “autism” is enough to enter most trials, but as we have seen in this blog, autism is not a true diagnosis; it is merely a description of symptoms. It is like going to the doctor and saying “I think I might have a head ache” and after some questions, the doctors sits back and says “yes, you have a headache”. You want to know why you have a head ache and how to make it go away.
Understanding Intellectual Disability through RASopathies
A fraction of the cases of intellectual disability is caused by point mutations or deletions in genes that encode for proteins of the RAS/MAP Kinase signaling pathway known as RASopathies. Here we examined the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in this group of
genetic disorders focusing in studies which provide evidence that intellectual disability is potentially treatable and curable. The evidence presented supports the idea that with the appropriate understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved, intellectual disability could be treated pharmacologically and perhaps through specific mechanistic-based teaching strategies.
Labels: Atorvastatin, Autism, ERK, Farnesyltransferase inhibitor, Ginger, Gingerol, Intellectual Disability, Lovastatin, Neurofibromatosis, Noonan, RAS, RASopathies, Simvastatin
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Lenoir resident David Barnes’ love of nature lives on in donations to Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina
Home / 2019 / May / Lenoir resident David Barnes’ love of nature lives on in donations to Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina
On April 6, David Barnes, Jr., a lifelong resident of Lenoir and a nature enthusiast, passed away. His family has deep roots in the farmlands of Alexander County and the Blue Ridge Mountains and his childhood was spent primarily outdoors.
“Those days, there wasn’t much else to do but be outside,” said Greg Hamlyn, Barnes’ son-in-law. “The forests and creeks of Lenoir were his playground and where he spent every day.”
Upon his passing, Barnes’ family asked for donations to Foothills Conservancy in his memory, to honor his love for Wilson Creek and the surrounding foothills. Donations made in his honor included nearly $3,000 from Red Hat, Inc. in Raleigh, which was raised by coworkers of Barnes’ daughter Laura Hamlyn, as a surprise to her and her family.
“When we asked Greg what would be best, he said that the family had selected a nonprofit that encompasses everything [Laura’s] dad loved about where David grew up and the outdoors,” said Leigh Blaylock, who works with Laura Hamlyn at Red Hat. “The family specifically chose Foothills Conservancy because of the work the conservancy has done at Wilson Creek, David’s favorite spot.”
Memorial gifts like those made in honor of David Barnes are meaningful to Foothills Conservancy’s ongoing work preserving the natural and cultural heritage of the Blue Ridge Mountains and foothills.
“We’re so grateful that David’s family chose to honor his love of nature with donations to Foothills Conservancy,” said Beth Willard-Patton, the conservancy’s associate director. “Our organization is proud to carry forward his legacy in the work we do conserving important land and waterways in this region.”
Barnes loved the mountains of Western North Carolina and always held particular affection for Wilson Creek. He cherished the time he spent at his sister’s home in Sugar Grove where her family lived surrounded by dogs, greenhouses and a trout pond. He lived his entire life with a love for the outdoors and natural things. He also lived for his family.
“He never missed anything in his children’s lives,” said Greg. “His children lived primarily in South Carolina with their mother while he lived in Lenoir. It didn’t matter if they had a 15-minute recital or a birthday party—he made the trip and was there for it all.”
Additional donations in memory of David memory can be made at www.foothillsconservancy.org/donate.
Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina protected lands grow with 90-acre donation in Burke County and 19-acre donation in McDowell County
Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina partners with businesses across the region for Proceeds for Land Protection fundraising event June 1
Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina purchases land adjoining Lake James State Park for state park expansion
Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina purchases land for new park in Catawba County
Foothills Conservancy’s Our Big Backyard summer camp
Foothills Conservancy of NC Meet and Greet May 4 at Fonta Flora Brewery
Foothills Conservancy hosts meet and greet at Newgrass Brewing Co. in Shelby on April 13
Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina under time-sensitive purchase option for 660 acres in Morganton’s Oak Hill community
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Bicycle lockers are usually in outdoor locations near railway stations and the like where people may want to store bicycles securely. They are often banked together, with individual lockers shaped like an isosceles triangle for efficient and compact storage of a bicycle. This triangular shape permits the lockers to be grouped either in a radial pattern (with the sharpest points of the lockers together), or in a row in alternating orientations.
In schools without lockers, students are sometimes provided with two complete sets of textbooks, one set being kept at school for use in class, and the other being kept at home for referring to for homework, thus limiting the amount of heavy carrying that would otherwise be required without having lockers to store them in between classes.[1] However, research has shown an increase in the incidence of back injuries in some students, which has been directly attributed to the lack of lockers for storing books in, thus forcing students to spend more time carrying heavy loads of books in backpacks.
Officeworks School List Service is backed by our Parents Price Promise - ‘Find an identical stocked item on a quoted school list at a lower price and we’ll beat it by 20%’. For 2019 school lists, the Parents Price Promise is only applicable on prices that appear on valid 2018 school book lists for the quantity listed. Valid on identical stocked or Officeworks-deemed equivalent items where identical products are not available. Excludes competitor out of stocks, categories or items not ranged and items available only for customer order at Officeworks. Offer available from 01/09/18 to 11/02/19. Cannot be used in conjunction with Officeworks’ 5% Price Guarantee.
With the same standard features as the Traditional line, the Traditional Plus Collection is intended for more rugged applications. Plastic Lockers are ideal for high-humidity moisture applications, as these virtually maintenance-free lockers will never rust, rot or corrode. These lockers are available in multiple configurations and are backed by a 15-year warranty. locker
With the same standard features as the Traditional line, the Traditional Plus Collection is intended for more rugged applications. Plastic Lockers are ideal for high-humidity moisture applications, as these virtually maintenance-free lockers will never rust, rot or corrode. These lockers are available in multiple configurations and are backed by a 15-year warranty.
Don't count on finding this kind of thing. Some silly people put bombs in there. Our Homeland Security people try to head those things off. In Europe, especially GB, you can't even find a trash can on the sidewalks for the same reason. A worker at the train station told us to just throw it on the floor, the people in the green jackets will pick it up. Really. What a world we live in.
Salsbury Industries carries a complete line of metal lockers that are designed for heavy duty use and storage. Metal lockers are constructed of 16 gauge steel and are available in single tier, double tier, triple tier, six tier box style, box style bridge, extra wide single tier, extra wide double tier and extra wide triple tier lockers. Metal lockers are available as Standard Metal Lockers, Extra Wide Standard Metal Lockers, Vented Metal Lockers, Extra Wide Vented Metal Lockers and in a variety of additional products.
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Personification Life - IC Part III
by Swith Witherward » Tue Dec 18, 2012 9:46 pm
Germanic Templars wrote: *He stood there for a second, looking at the ground before looking back up* "Lots of things, and that if I tried to sort through all of the things I was thinking, it would end up in me stuttering a bit and being slightly frustrated from the headache that would follow."
"Then tell me one thing," she shrugged and stepped off the roof, landing smartly on her odd feet next to him. "Or two, if you have the time. But what I want to know is what happened to you yesterday? You were right behind me when we were running down the path."
OOC: technically, it's Bones' ship... I think... not sure if Swith shares ownership.
Swith walked out of the cabin and stood on the deck. She glanced at the bar and other items that hadn't been removed from the Zalgofest. She cocked an eyebrow and peered at the bartender.
"Superbia, why are you still here? Your shift ended days ago."
by Torsiedelle » Tue Dec 18, 2012 9:48 pm
Katya and Torii both looked at Lidev.
"The Reds VS West is more than party and politics. It's been going on since the 1940s.....even after the Cold War, we were still bombing each other and fighting over land. Our governments threaten each other with nuclear war....the whole war is part of our culture.....we grow up being taught about it, and how to fight, and how to do all sorts of evil things......
by The New Velociraptor Empire » Tue Dec 18, 2012 9:49 pm
The New Velociraptor Empire wrote: Gretta maan inhuman scream and clamped tighter, and grabbed Klanov's wrist with the knife, using her strength to begin to crush his wrist. NVE bit Klanov's leg at the achillies tendon. The seemed to get angrier with every attack.
Klanov was beginning to really feel pain. There was only one option left. "MMMOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He cried. Then, there was a sudden gust of air and a cloaked figure standing above the scene before it on a branch.
The reptile people ceased their attack and turned to the cloaked figure. "What do you want?" NVE asked and wiped the blood off his mouth with his good hand that wasn't stabbed.
Last edited by The New Velociraptor Empire on Tue Dec 18, 2012 9:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Germanic Templars
Capitalist Paradise
by Germanic Templars » Tue Dec 18, 2012 9:52 pm
Swith Witherward wrote:
"Ah yes, I remember now. Lets see here, I quickly kicked Fortu in the shin before running off, then he sent his grotesque creature after me, I turned into a snake and got into a fight with it. Then two falcons showed up and one of then tried to drop a large rock on my head and kill me with it or something. Luckily at the time I turned into a jaguar and was able to dodge that.... and that's all." *he told nonchalantly*
"I'm still here because I was waiting for you to give me the okay to leave the ship. Now you're possibly wondering, is this fierce loyalty or just plain stupidity that this daemon is showing off? "
Never forget those who died under communist regimes
"Some dream of becoming a hero, while a hero relives it in his nightmare."
All American Patriotic Constitutionalist/Classic libertarian (with fiscal conservatism)
Religiously Tolerant
Hoplophilic/ammosexual
X=3.13, Y=2.41
Supports the Blue
I support Capitalism do you? If so, put this in your sig.
XY = Male, XX = Female
For those who want a dancing Totodile
by Monfrox » Tue Dec 18, 2012 9:54 pm
Lidev looked at them both with a deadpan expression. "Did I fail to mention that these are warring factions? Literally, the entire Zone is a civil war. All of these factions had different agendas and are practically always at the other's throats 95% of the time. I didn't even get into the other public enemies." She said.
The cloaked figure looked down from the tree branch. "Let.....him......go....." Came a female's voice in a commanding tone. Another gust of wind swirled the leaves around her.
Monfrox wrote: The cloaked figure looked down from the tree branch. "Let.....him......go....." Came a female's voice in a commanding tone. Another gust of wind swirled the leaves around her.
"Why? He drew first blood, that makes him fair game." Gretta said holding her bleeding cheek.
The New Velociraptor Empire wrote:
"Chasing my child into a trap and forcing him to defend himself does NOT make him fair game!" The woman's voice came much more sternly this time.
Tsuyoi Tekikoku
by Tsuyoi Tekikoku » Tue Dec 18, 2012 10:00 pm
"tsu walks out of the trio's hut,sense she was ingored"
why am i always ingored?....does none care for me?"tsu thinks for a second"
and,now im sad......and i also remeber i hate valetines.and christmas
Predictably unpredictable and fabulous at the same time!
XA-1MVGLHS
Queen Oberon, our red devil! Click the URL to learn about our Leader!
Edelweiss and Reina, the two previous ones are still alive. None of Tsuyoi Tekikoku's leaders are killed in their duels of succession.
I'd prefer the pronouns she/her,if your referring to me
by Germanic Templars » Tue Dec 18, 2012 10:00 pm
*Lucius sat up and stared at the cloaked figure. He felt something that raptors couldn't feel, that was the strong spiritual energy that she had. If they knew they better, they would know to head home.*
by Monfrox » Tue Dec 18, 2012 10:01 pm
Tsuyoi tekikoku wrote: "tsu walks out of the trio's hut,sense she was ingored"
"Tsu, you're repaying me for the roof." Lidev said to her on her way out.
by Swith Witherward » Tue Dec 18, 2012 10:02 pm
Germanic Templars wrote: "Ah yes, I remember now. Lets see here, I quickly kicked Fortu in the shin before running off, then he sent his grotesque creature after me, I turned into a snake and got into a fight with it. Then two falcons showed up and one of then tried to drop a large rock on my head and kill me with it or something. Luckily at the time I turned into a jaguar and was able to dodge that.... and that's all." *he told nonchalantly*
"I don't remember seeing him. Oh, wait, there was a woman there and I knocked her down. Anyway, I was wondering if that really was you at the hut last night. Large cat. Your wrist device is good, but you need a name tag."
She flicked her ears. "Question answered! I'll get out of your hair now," Naomi smiled. "You've got shiny new toys to explore."
by The New Velociraptor Empire » Tue Dec 18, 2012 10:03 pm
The New Velociraptor Empire wrote: "Why? He drew first blood, that makes him fair game." Gretta said holding her bleeding cheek.
"The trap and chasing is all just fun and games." NVE said and sucked on this hand where Klanov stabbed him. "We never hurt him, until he made us bleed." Gretta said defensively.
"Err..Okay, nice to see you, Naomi." *he walked into the building where he looked around at all of the new equipment. He walked over to the mech suit and stared at it.*
and how am i gonna repay? give you a free ticket to one of my concerts? give you 100,000,000,000 dollars?
Monfrox wrote: "Chasing my child into a trap and forcing him to defend himself does NOT make him fair game!" The woman's voice came much more sternly this time.
"You play your games with my child and expect me to take your side!? NVE, Gretta, leave him be before I make you a stain on the face of this Earth!" The woman said. The voice was obviously a bit different due to the level of anger, yet there was something about it...
Tsuyoi tekikoku wrote:
Monfrox wrote: "Tsu, you're repaying me for the roof." Lidev said to her on her way out.
"No, that would be too easy. You will fix the roof and then help me do renovations afterward." Lidev said, pulling out a bottle of vodka and taking a drink.
Tsuyoi tekikoku wrote: and how am i gonna repay? give you a free ticket to one of my concerts? give you 100,000,000,000 dollars?
like hell i will! my wings and vines aren't for fixing their for hurting! why would i help you anyways?...........you kuudere! tsu said as her wings laugh unleashing demonic chuckles
The New Velociraptor Empire wrote: "The trap and chasing is all just fun and games." NVE said and sucked on this hand where Klanov stabbed him. "We never hurt him, until he made us bleed." Gretta said defensively.
"You just don't get our culture." NVE said in a manner of fact tone. "How do you know our names? Gretta asked suspicious of the hooded figure.
Germanic Templars wrote: "I'm still here because I was waiting for you to give me the okay to leave the ship. Now you're possibly wondering, is this fierce loyalty or just plain stupidity that this daemon is showing off? "
"It's greed?" Swith asked. "I suppose you'll want to be paid for all this time you didn't leave?"
She sat down and yawned. "Of course, I'll pay you for it. It's my own fault for not stopping by sooner. I apologize."
"Thriller?" Naomi's shadow appeared in the doorway. "Oh, never mind," she said kindly. She'd noticed that he was in his own bit of heaven. She stared at the suit, appreciating the metal, before walking away in search of something to do.
by Torsiedelle » Tue Dec 18, 2012 10:15 pm
"Wait a minute, I still wanna hang out with Tsu."
Torii stopped her sulking and joined her.
"I could help you fix everything....or Katya-""
"Like hell I would."
Torsiedelle wrote: "Wait a minute, I still wanna hang out with Tsu."
"tsu looks at torii"
Maybe you should stick around with lidev.....cause i think she might end my life soon
"Because I can make the rest of your existence a torturous Hell. That, and break my roof was really uncalled for." Lidev said, unphased by Tsu's attempt. "But yes, Torii. You can go and hang out with her. Your sister intrigues me and I'd like an opportunity for a little chit-chat." She said.
No Helping It
"I get your culture completely. You play mindless, seemingly harmless games and tease about eating people to hide your ulterior motives in plain sight. And I know your names because I know you. I know all about you two." The woman hopped down and landed gracefully on the jungle floor before looking up at the raptors with golden eyes. She cast off her cloak to reveal that she was the User the whole time, holding out her katana at her side. "Just who the hell do you think I am?!" She shouted.
The New Velociraptor Empire wrote: "Probably." Fortu agreed and took an extention cord out of his toolbag.
"Let's use the hut and sleep on the bus!"
Monfrox wrote: "Because I can make the rest of your existence a torturous Hell. That, and break my roof was really uncalled for." Lidev said, unphased by Tsu's attempt. "But yes, Torii. You can go and hang out with her. Your sister intrigues me and I'd like an opportunity for a little chit-chat." She said.
and who would you make that happen exactly? i stopped begin scared of you and nothing can change that and i told you
THAT DAMN QUEGZALCOATL DRAGON WAS THE REASON!
"But is the Quetzalcoatl going to repair my roof?" Lidev inquired.
Users browsing this forum: Europa Undivided
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Income and expenditure on solid waste by Masterton District Council, New Zealand
Year ended June 2003–2018, NZD thousands
Local government: New Zealand has a system of local government administered by local authorities. Local authorities comprise city councils, district councils, regional councils, and unitary authorities. Unitary authorities are city and district councils that also perform the functions of a regional council. Local authorities all have elected boards called councils.
Local government funding: Councils are free to set their expenditure priorities and overall levels of expenditure. They receive income from many sources including rates, sales, and grants. Local government in New Zealand is not involved in the funding, administration, or management of education, social welfare, police, traffic control and enforcement, or urban fire services.
ACTIVITY TYPES
Roading: Includes maintenance of gravel and tar-sealed roadways, bridges, cycle lanes, verges, and footpaths.
Transportation: Includes bus and all other forms of passenger transport such as rail, trams and ferries, parking (including on-road and council-managed car parks), airports, and transport planning.
Water supply: Includes both drinking and non-drinking water supply, delivery networks and storage (such as reservoirs), irrigation and water treatment.
Wastewater: Includes sewerage network systems (including mains), sewage treatment (such as oxidation ponds), stormwater disposal (such as water run-off from roads, driveways, footpaths, and rooftops), culverts, and drains.
Solid waste/refuse: Includes the collection, recycling, recovery, and disposal of solid waste and refuse, landfill operations, street and roadside rubbish bins, recycling centres, reusable materials depots, and roadside recycling.
Environmental protection: Includes air and water quality measurement and education, land and soil management (soil conservation, erosion control, shelter belts, non-urban run-off), flood protection and river control, agricultural effluent monitoring, and pest management (such as opossum, rabbit, and invasive weed control).
Culture: Includes library facilities and materials (books, CDs, etc), museums and galleries (including historical and scientific preservation), and festivals and events.
Recreation and sport: Includes aquatic and sports facilities, zoological and botanical gardens, parks, reserves and playgrounds (such as bike and walking tracks, and parks and trails), and marine recreational facilities (such as berths, moorings, and access ways to water for sport and recreation activities).
Property: Includes social housing (such as housing programmes for low income earners and disadvantaged groups), community property (such as community halls, heritage sites, and camping grounds), council-owned property, commercial property (such as leased parking buildings and concert and cultural events facilities), and cemeteries and crematoria.
Emergency management: Includes emergency and disaster management (such as rural fire and civil defence services).
Planning and regulation: Includes building control (such as building consents, code compliance certification, and LIM reports (Land Information Memoranda), resource management (such as district and coastal policy and planning, city and town planning, and consent processing and hearings), animal control (such as dog registration, stock control, and trapping), environmental health (such as food and hairdressing premise regulation and licensing), health nuisance control (such as food poisoning investigations), liquor licensing, enforcement of council bylaws, and marine safety.
Community development: Includes community support (such as funding community organisations and projects), iwi liaison, social and research grants, community advocacy, and community safety (such as CCTV, street lighting, and emergency housing).
Economic development: Includes business and tourism promotion.
Governance: From 2009, includes financial matters related to the elected councils and community boards. Before 2009, governance is likely to have included governance, community development, economic development, council support services, and other activities.
Council support services: Include overheads for local authority administration, finance, IT, and HR functions as well as report preparation (such as annual reports and long-term council community plans).
Other activities: Include all activities undertaken by councils that are not included in the above categories.
INCOME FROM CURRENT OPERATIONS:
Rates: Include all forms of rates such as uniform annual general charges, water rates, and targeted rates. Rates collected on behalf of other local authorities (such as regional councils) are not included. Water sold by meter is included in sales and other operating income.
Regulatory income and petrol tax: Include fees, consents, fines, penalties (including rates penalties), and local and regional council petrol taxes.
Current grants, subsidies, and donations income: Include those from central government (such as roading and transport grants from NZTA) as well as those from all other sources for operational (current) use.
Interest income: Includes interest earned from interest bearing deposits, short and long-term investments, loans, and all other interest bearing investments.
Dividend income: Arises from council ownership of equity in CCO and other entities, and includes councils’ share of profits or losses from associates.
Sales and other operating income: Include income from admission charges, water sold by meter, rental income from properties, rubbish bag sales, and other miscellaneous operating income. Internal transfers and charges (such as overheads) are excluded.
EXPENDITURE ON CURRENT OPERATIONS:
Employee costs: Gross earnings of all paid employees in the authority. Overtime, sick and holiday pay, severance and redundancy payments, levies paid to the Accident Compensation Corporation, and employer contributions to superannuation schemes are all included.
Depreciation and amortisation: Depreciation on fixed assets includes depreciation on infrastructural assets, restricted assets, buildings, vehicles, other plant, machinery and office equipment, and all other types of fixed assets. Amortisation is charged on intangible assets, the most significant being computer software.
Current grants, subsidies, and donations expenditure: Include those that local authorities give to others for operational (current) use.
Interest expenditure: Includes interest on all loans and other interest bearing liabilities raised by councils.
Purchases and other operating expenditure: Include payments for expert advice and services (such as consultants, legal, and other experts), business and property insurance premium payments, rent, fuel, postage, repairs and maintenance, contracts for services, fringe benefit tax, and other purchases of goods and services.
https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/local-authority-financial-statistics-year-ended-june-2018
General rates are not always allocated to activities by local authorities. Before 2009, attempts were made to allocate total rates across activities.
Before 2009, current grants, subsidies, and donations was likely to have included some capital grants.
Before 2009, governance was likely to have included governance, community development, economic development, council support services, and other activities.
Local Authority Financial Statistics: Income and expenditure by activity (Annual-Jun) 2018
Infoshare -> Government finance -> Local Authority Financial Statistics -> Local Authority Financial Statistics income and expenditure by activity (Annual-Jun)
File as imported: Local Authority Financial Statistics: Income and expenditure by activity (Annual-Jun) 2018
From the dataset Local Authority Financial Statistics: Income and expenditure by activity (Annual-Jun) 2018 , this data was extracted:
Rows: 3-3,810
Provided: 350,336 data points
This data forms the table Local Government - Local authority income and expenditure by activity and item by 2003–2018.
Stats NZ collect data on local authorities' finances in the Local Authority Census, a comprehensive and detailed questionnaire. For most local authorities, the requested data will be based on their audited financial accounts, supplemented by information from individual local authority annual reports and subsequent enquiries to councils.
Information collected from New Zealand museums are also included in this release as these data are covered in government finance statistics (local government).
Income and spend on solid wasteby Gore District Council2003–2018
Income and spend on solid wasteby Grey District Council2003–2018
Income and spend on solid wasteby Hastings District Council2003–2018
Income and spend on solid wasteby Hauraki District Council2003–2018
Income and spend on solid wasteby Horowhenua District Council2003–2018
Income and spend on solid wasteby Hurunui District Council2003–2018
Income and spend on solid wasteby Kaikoura District Council2003–2018
Income and spend on solid wasteby Kaipara District Council2003–2018
Income and spend on solid wasteby Kapiti Coast District Council2003–2018
Income and spend on solid wasteby Kawerau District Council2003–2018
Income and spend on solid wasteby Southland District Council2003–2018
Income and spend on solid wasteby South Taranaki District Council2003–2018
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Journal of Environmental Protection
Vol.4 No.4(2013), Article ID:30751,4 pages DOI:10.4236/jep.2013.44046
Fluoride Mobilization Due to Coal Mining in Parts of Chhattisgarh
Piyush Kant Pandey1, Madhurima Pandey2, Meena Chakraborty2
●Abstract
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●How to Cite this Article
1Bhilai Institute of Technology Raipur, New Raipur, India; 2Applied Chemistry, Bhilai Institute of Technology, Durg, India.
Email: drpiyushkant_pandey@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2013 Piyush Kant Pandey et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Received July 22nd, 2012; revised February 25th, 2013; accepted March 27th, 2013
Keywords: Chhattisgarh; Contamination; Fluoride; Ground Water; Treatment
This paper reports the ground water quality deterioration due to fluoride in the parts of Chhattisgarh state. Out of selected 60 sites, high contamination of fluoride content up to 7.00 ppm was found in Kolam, Muragaon and Saraitola villages and in the range of 1.0 to 1.2 ppm in Basanpalli, Bhalumuda, Dolesara, Penkapara, Kunjhemura villages. Ten new areas were selected for yearly monitoring and fluoride concentration was found up to 1.44 ppm. The results call for immediate steps for monitoring and treatment of contaminated locations.
Around 200 million people among from 25 nations the world over, are under the dreadful fate of fluorosis. India and China the two most populous countries of the world, are the most affected [1,2]. Concentration of fluoride in ground water is mainly due to natural or geogenic contamination which depends on the geogenic reasons of an area [3,4]. Fluorosis is endemic in 17 states of India. The most seriously affected areas are Andhra Pradesh [5-7], Punjab [8], Haryana [9], Rajasthan [10,11], Gujrat [12], Tamilnadu [13], Orissa [14], Maharashtra [15] and Uttar Pradesh [16]. Recently some highly fluoridated areas in Chhattisgarh have also been located. Out of selected 60 sites, high contamination of fluoride content up to 7.00 ppm was found in Kolam, Muragaon and Saraitola villages and in the range of 1.0 to 1.2 ppm in Basanpalli, Bhalumuda, Dolesara, Penkapara, Kunjhemura villages of Raigarh but when we moved ahead towards Sarguja (north to Raigharh) we found concentration of Fluoride up to 1.44 ppm, which is entirely related to the geological structure of the study area. Thus the main objective of the study was to assess the contamination of fluoride in water & its cause.
The Raigarh district (Figure 1) lies between 21˚22' - 22˚42' North latitude and 82˚55' to 83˚49' East longitude. The area is made up of sandstone, carbonaceous shale and feldspathtic stone. Surguja district (Figure 2) lies between 23˚37'25'' to 24˚6'17'' north latitude and 81˚34'40'' to 84˚4'40" east longitude.
2. Materials and Methods
Sampling of contaminated area was carried out in 2008. The sampling bottles of one liter capacity were cleaned with detergent, chromic acid, tap water and finally with double distilled water. Then the samples were collected in these pre cleaned bottles. Duplicate samples were collected from each sampling site. Water samples were analyzed in laboratory for different water quality parameters pH, conductivity, total dissolved solid (TDS), alkalinity, hardness, calcium, chloride, sulphate, nitrate and for heavy metals including iron, copper and zinc. Standard analytical methods were used for all water parameter: pH measured using a single electrode pH-meter, conductivity using a conductivity meter; alkalinity, calcium and chloride were analyzed titrimetrically, sulphate with a turbidity meter and nitrate by the brucine method (APHA, 1992) [17]. For detection of iron, copper and zinc Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (Varian AA240FS) was used. Analysis of fluoride was carried out by ion selective electrode.
Initially we randomly collected water samples from various locations of study area and then we had chosen ten particular locations for yearly monitoring of fluoride
Figure 1. Raigarh district.
Figure 2. Surguja district.
concentration. Statistical analysis shows that average fluoride concentration ranges from 0.39 ppm to 0.55 ppm with the mean value of 0.46 ppm. The results indicate that the fluoride is present in all samples analysed. The yearly mean values observed were pH 7.23, conductivity 0.48 µS, alkalinity 178 ppm, hardnerss 245 ppm, chloride 20 ppm, calcium 66 ppm, copper 0.13 ppm, sulphate 36 ppm, nitrate 1.65 ppm, fluoride 0.46 ppm, zinc 0.05 ppm and iron 0.02 ppm. The statistical analysis further showed very small values of Kurtosis and Skewness signifying relatively stable concentrations of all parameters during the study period. However the post monsoon season had shown the peaking of fluoride values and lowering of pH values during the season.
This picture becomes clearer if we take a single month of December 2008 (Tables 1 and 2). In the month of December the mean values observed were pH 7.02, conductivity (cond) 0.6 µS, alkalinity 279.5 ppm, hardness (hard) 254 ppm, chloride 6.66 ppm, calcium 93.6 ppm, copper 0.36 ppm, sulphate 27.7 ppm, nitrate 1.06 ppm, fluoride 1.17 ppm, zinc 0.01 ppm and iron 0.01 ppm. The higher mean value of fluoride is noteworthy. In the correlation studies on the entire data the fluoride showed positive correlation with conductivity, Total dissolved solid (TDS), alkalinity (Alk), chloride, calcium, nitrate and iron but shows negative correlation with pH, hardness, copper, sulphate and zinc.
Based on correlation study (Table 2) the explanation of appearance of fluoride appears difficult. In the literature also the fluoride is generally attributed to the presence of sodium and potassium salts [18]. This paper did not find a conclusive correlation with sodium; hence it is felt that the source of fluoride is different. To account for it the coal deposits of the area were analysed. The area contains significant concentration of sulphides (0.5% - 3.5% S) in certain coal seams. The coal mining of the area has been taken up by various national and private mining agencies. We feel that the sulphide minerals, especially pyrite, FeS2, present in the host rock is causing the internal generation of sulphuric acid, giving the water low pH at the point of generation [19].
Fluoride is more readily available in high clay soils and calcium tends to increase fluoride immobilization. As the pH of water decreases it tends to dissolve the calcium compounds and hence it may be possible that the dissolution of calcium is making the fluoride mobile. This acidity generation is not widespread and we did not come across acid mine drainage (AMD) however a few stream beds in the area show a distinct mild deposition of gypsum. Gypsum formation accounts for near neutral drainage and the low levels of calcium and sulphate in the studied samples. The absence of calcium as a binding agent results in the presence of free fluoride; source of
Table 1. Statistical analysis of the results obtained in December at all stations.
Table 2. Correlation matrix of the data set.
which is the geochemical reactions in the mildly acidic environment. Negative correlation obtained in our results between sulphate and fluoride proves the above theory. Geologic presence of fluoride and sulphur in the region is likely to further affect the water quality in the localized parts of Chhattisgarh state.
The studied area of Raigarh-Sarguja has shown significant presence of fluoride in the ground water. The probable reason for this appears to be the increasing coal mining actives in the region. Geologic presence of fluoride and sulphur in the region is likely further to affect the water quality in the Chhattisgarh state.
N. S. Rao and D. J. Devadas, “Fluoride Incidence in Groundwater in an Area of Peninsular India,” Environmental Geology, Vol. 45, No. 2, 2003, pp. 243-251. doi:/10.1007/s00254-003-0873-3
Q. Xiang, Y. Liang, L. Chen, C. Wang, B. Chen, X. Chen and M. Zhou, “Effect of Fluoride in Drinking Water on Children’s Intelligence,” Fluoride, Vol. 36, No. 2, 2003, pp. 84-94.
V. K. Saxena and S. Ahmed, “Dissolution of Fluoride in Groundwater: A Water-Rock Interaction Study,” Environmental Geology, Vol. 40, No. 9, 2001, pp. 1084-1087. doi:/10.1007/s002540100290
R. Srikanth, K. S. Viswanatham, F. F. Ahsai, A. Fishahatsion and M. Asmellash, “Fluoride in Groundwater in Selected Villages in Eritrea (North East Africa),” Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, Vol. 75, No. 2, 2002, pp. 160-177. doi:/10.1023/A:1014491915537
A. Nagaraju, M. R. S. Sarma, J. A. Aitkenhead-Peterson and K. Sunil, “Fluoride Incidence in Groundwater: A Case Study from Talupula, Andhra Pradesh, India,” Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, Vol. 172, No. 1-4, 2010, pp. 423-427.
K. Brindha, R. Rajesh, R. Murugan and L. Elango, “Natural and Anthropogenic Influence on the Fluoride and Nitrate Concentration of Groundwater in Parts of Nalgonda District, Andhra Pradesh, India,” Joumal of Applied Geochemistry, Vol. 12, No. 2, 2010, pp. 231-241.
R. S. Sathish, B. Ranjit, K. M. Ganesh, G. Nageswara Rao and C. Janardhana, “A Quantitative Study on the Chemical Composition of Renal Stones and Their Fluoride Content from Anantapur District, Andhra Pradesh, India,” Current Science, Vol. 94, No. 1, 2008, pp. 104- 109.
S. S. Jolly, “An Epidemiological, Clinical and Biochemical Study of Endemic Dental and Skeletal Fluorosis in Punjab,” Fluoride, Vol. 1, No. 2, 1968, pp. 65-75.
Meenakshi, V. K. Garg, Renuka and A. Malik, “Ground Water Quality in Some Villages in Haryana, India: Focus on Fluoride and Fluorosis,” Journal Hazardous Material, Vol. 106, No. 1, 2004, pp. 85-97. doi:/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2003.09.007
A. K. Yadav, A. Kumar and P. Khan, “Fluoride and Flurosis Status in Groundwater of Todaraisingh Area of District Tonk (Rajasthan, India): A Case Study,” International Journal of Chemical, Environmental and Pharmaceutical Research, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2010, pp. 6-11.
D. Muralidharan, A. P. Nair and U. Sathyanarayana, “Fluoride in Shallow Aquifers in Rajgarh Tehsil of Churu District Rajasthan—An Arid Environment,” Current Science, Vol. 83, No. 6, 2002, pp. 699-702.
S. D. Dhimani and A. K. Keshari, “Hydrogeochemical Evaluation of High-Fluoride Ground Waters: A Case Study from Mehsana District, Gujarat, India,” Hydrological Sciences Journal, Vol. 51, No. 6, 2006, pp. 1149- 1162. doi:/10.1623/hysj.51.6.1149
G. Viswanathan, S. Gopalakrishnan and S. S. Ilango, “Assessment of Water Contribution on Total Fluoride Intake of Various Age Groups of People in Fluoride Endemic and Non-Endemic Areas of Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu, South India,” Water Research, Vol. 44, No. 20, 2010, pp. 186-200. doi:/10.1016/j.watres.2010.07.041
N. Kundu, M. K. Panigrahi, S. Tripathy, S. Munshi, M. A. Powell and B. R. Hart, “Geochemical Appraisal of Fluoride Contamination of Groundwater in the Nayagarh District of Orissa, India,” Environmental Geology, Vol. 41, No. 3-4, 2001, pp. 451-460. doi:/10.1007/s002540100414
A. N. Tiwari, V. P. Nawale, J. A. Tambe and Y. S. Kumar, “Correlation of Fluoride with Bicarbonate in Groundwater of Exploratory Wells in Parts of Maharashtra,” Journal of Applied Geochemistry, Vol. 10, No. 1, 2008, pp. 93- 102.
B. S. Sharma, J. Agrawal and A. K. Gupta, “Emerging Challenge: Fluoride Contamination in Groundwater in Agra District, Uttar Pradesh,” Asian Journal of Experimental Biological Sciences, Vol. 2, No. 1, 2011, pp. 131- 134.
APHA/AWWA/WPCF, “Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater,” 18th Edition, American Public Health Association, Washington DC, 1992.
M. K. Beg, S. K. Srivastav, E. J. M. Carranza and J. B. de Smeth, “High Fluoride Incidence in Groundwater and Its Potential Health Effects in Parts of Raigarh District, Chhattisgarh, India,” Current Science, Vol. 100, No. 5, 2011, pp. 750-754.
E. A. Keller, “Environmental Geology,” CBS Publisher and Distributer, Delhi, 1985.
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3 Bargain Stocks You Can Buy Today
Lee Samaha, The Motley Fool
Motley Fool June 14, 2019
Market volatility in 2019 has created some interesting stock-buying opportunities, and vehicle technology company BorgWarner (NYSE: BWA), enterprise asset intelligence (don't worry I'll explain later) company Zebra Technologies (NASDAQ: ZBRA) and process automation and climate technology company Emerson Electric (NYSE: EMR) are three of them. To be clear, they all face some short-range headwinds, but their valuations now should be low enough for investors to tolerate any near-term disappointments, and their long-term prospects look attractive.
Valuations look good
Starting with valuation matters. As the chart below shows, all three are trading at reasonable forward P/E ratios, and as they're all good at converting earnings into free cash flow (FCF), they also trade at attractive price-to-FCF multiples.
BWA Price to Free Cash Flow (TTM) Chart
BWA Price to Free Cash Flow (TTM) data by YCharts
What about near-term headwinds?
Of the three, BorgWarner undoubtedly has the toughest hurdles to overcome. The market hasn't hesitated to sell off automotive-related stocks at the merest hint of a deterioration in the outlook for global light vehicle sales.
Indeed, BorgWarner expects production in its end markets to decline by 2% to 5% in 2019. However, the company has a good track record of outperforming its end markets, and consequently, management is forecasting organic sales for the year will land in a more optimistic range, from down 2.5% to up by 2%.
A rising stock chart.
That said, that guidance range is still for contraction at the midpoint. What's more, BorgWarner's earnings declined more than might be expected in the first quarter. So what's so attractive about the stock?
The fact is that the automotive sector is cyclical, and it always has been, so the likelihood is that it will turn upward again. Moreover, BorgWarner is taking actions during the downturn intended to strengthen its competitive position as a parts supplier for a slew of hybrid/electric vehicles due in 2020. In fact, CEO Frederic Lissalde plans reduce annual structural costs by $40 million to $50 million (via restructuring activity that will cost $80 million to $100 million through the end of 2020) and then plow back the cost savings into R&D and new business development.
Analysts expect BorgWarner's EPS will return to its 2018 levels in 2020, which would mean a stock trading at around 9 times earnings, and with decent growth prospects thanks to a stabilizing light vehicle end market, plus the kicker of the company's improved positioning on hybrid/electric vehicle programs.
Emerson Electric
Things haven't quite turned out as expected for Emerson Electric in 2019. This was supposed to be the year when a rebound in process automation spending arrived, and orders in its commercial and residential solutions segment were forecast to begin growing after their China-led dip into negative territory in 2018.
Unfortunately, performance in both of those segments has been a bit weaker than expected, and when Emerson delivered its second-quarter earnings report in May, management was forced to cut its full-year underlying revenue growth guidance to a 4% to 5.5% range from a previous range of 4% to 7% amid talk of weakness in upstream oil and gas spending in North America. Factor in the recent dip in the price of oil, and the market has reason for concern. https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/06/07/why-emerson-electric-stock-fell-151-in-may.aspx
But here's the thing: Some of the issues holding back oil and gas industry spending -- notably, poor winter weather in the Bakken Field and a lack of takeaway capacity in the Permian Basin -- are likely to be resolved later in the year. In other words, there's a good chance that revenues have simply been pushed into the future. If that's the case, then Emerson Electric looks like a more attractive stock to buy now.
Emerson Electric Underlying Sales Growth
Data source: Emerson Electric presentations. Chart by author.
Barcode readers and printers, and handheld devices that capture data from manufacturing, logistics, and retail environments may not seem the sexiest of tech businesses. However, Zebra's solutions are an integral part of gathering the information that enables companies to implement their Internet of Things (IoT) strategies.
As such, they are used or e-commerce fulfillment, smart manufacturing, retail management and warehouse management. Without data capture in a live environment, there can be no data analytics or IoT operability, so Zebra is a key play on growth in intelligently managing assets.
The stock has been on a great run -- it's up 245% in the last three years -- so it shouldn't have been too much of a surprise that it took a bit of a pullback recently, particularly as Zebra imports a substantial fraction of its products from China. The company's recent results looked good, though, and the stock trades at an attractive valuation.
Stocks to buy?
All told, BorgWarner and Emerson Electric look liable to deliver some near-term disappointments to shareholders, but at these valuations, it would take some pretty nasty surprises to prevent them from being good values in the long term. Investors should just keep an eye on global car sales and production figures (BorgWarner) and the price of oil (Emerson Electric).
In the case of Zebra, America's trade conflicts will be key, so listen carefully to what management says about the impact of tariffs on its costs in its next earnings report. Those risks aside, though, all three of these stocks look attractive for long-term investors.
Lee Samaha has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends BorgWarner and Zebra Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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Before You Buy Akari Therapeutics, Plc (NASDAQ:AKTX), Consider Its Volatility
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Disney poaches Netflix film executive for streaming service
Reuters June 25, 2019
FILE PHOTO: The entrance gate to The Walt Disney Co is pictured in Burbank
(Reuters) - Walt Disney Co said on Tuesday it had hired a top executive in Netflix Inc's original film division, Matt Brodlie, to lead international content development for its upcoming family-oriented streaming service called Disney+.
As director of original film at Netflix, Brodlie was responsible for films including "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" and "Ibiza."
He also acquired award-winning movies "Roma" and "Mudbound" for Netflix. "Roma" won three Academy Awards.
In his new role at Disney, Brodlie will determine what content needs to be produced or acquired for Disney+ customers outside of the United States, according to a statement from the company.
In recent years, Netflix had been luring away high-profile executives from rivals and was earlier sued by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp for poaching employees as it built an audience of nearly 149 million global customers.
Disney unveiled details of Disney+, an ad-free monthly subscription streaming service, in April and priced it at $7 monthly or $70 annually with a slate of new and classic TV shows and movies from some of the most popular entertainment franchises.
Disney+ is set to launch on Nov. 12.
(Reporting by Sayanti Chakraborty in Bengaluru and Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Lisa Shumaker)
What Happened in the Stock Market Today
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'A new beginning': Man convicted of murder in the '90s exonerated thanks to genetic genealogy
911s Are So Special That Porsche Only Makes The Same One Twice a Year
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REC Silicon - Second quarter 2018 results
GlobeNewswire• July 19, 2018
Fornebu, Norway - July 19, 2018: REC Silicon ASA (REC Silicon) reported second quarter 2018 revenues of USD 58.9 million, down from USD 69.6 million in the previous quarter. The corresponding EBITDA during the second quarter was a loss of USD 9.6 million compared to a positive USD 14.6 million in the previous quarter. Polysilicon sales volume for the quarter was 2,077 MT, a 28.5 percent decrease from the first quarter, while inventory increased by 401 MT.
REC Silicon reported a cash balance of USD 42.4 million on June 30, 2018. This represents a decrease of USD 69.6 million compared to March 31, 2018. The company refinanced its outstanding debt during the quarter with a net repayment of USD 59.5 million. Cash outflows from operations was USD 7.1 million for the quarter.
Silicon gas sales volumes for the second quarter were 918 MT, an increase of 2.4 percent compared to the first quarter. Prices were 2.1 percent higher than first quarter. Second quarter semiconductor polysilicon production was 267 MT, in line with guidance of 270 MT.
FBR capacity utilization was decreased to approximately 25 percent in early June resulting in cash costs of USD 13.4/kg, compared to USD 9.40/kg in the first quarter. FBR production was 2,078 MT, a 1,049MT decrease compared to the first quarter.
The Yulin JV plant continued to operate at reduced capacity utilization during the second quarter. The plant produced approximately 1,000 MT of granular polysilicon during the quarter. Year-to-date, the plant has produced a total of 1,800 MT compared to a target of 8,000 MT for 2018.
REC Silicon reported impairment charges of USD 340.4 million due to the market disruption from the curtailment of solar incentives in China, as well as continued trade barriers that prevent access to primary markets inside China. As previously announced on July 1, 2018, REC Silicon reduced its Moses Lake workforce by approximately 30 percent.
President and CEO, Tore Torvund, said, "Although our semiconductor and silane gas business in Butte remains strong, it is regrettable that we had to reduce our headcount by 85 highly-skilled employees. Despite having the most advanced polysilicon manufacturing technology; REC Silicon has no access to the largest market for polysilicon in China due to the 57 percent duty imposed by China. We need the United States and Chinese governments to cooperate in ending the solar trade dispute between the two countries to prevent additional job losses and to enhance the value of the solar industry in the United States and China."
For more information, please see the attached second quarter 2018 report.
Morning Program:
The company will give a presentation at 8:00 am CET today at Høyres Hus Konferansesenter, Stortingsgaten 20, Oslo, Norway. The presentation will be in English.
A live webcast from the presentation can be accessed at www.recsilicon.com or with the following link: http://webtv.hegnar.no/presentation.php?webcastId=92016267
It will also be possible to listen to the presentation through a conference call. Please make sure to dial in 5-10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time on one of the following numbers:
Norway (Tollfree/Freephone): 800 51025
Norway (Local) +47 2100 2613
United Kingdom (Tollfree/Freephone): 0800 358 6374
United Kingdom (Local): +44 (0)330 336 9104
United States/Canada (Tollfree/Freephone): 800-289-0462
United States (Local): +1 323-794-2442
Other international: +44 (0)330 336 9104
Please provide confirmation code 873909 and state your name, company and country of residence.
James A. May II, Chief Financial Officer
REC Silicon ASA
Email: james.may@recsilicon.com
Nils O. Kjerstad
IR Contact Europe
Email: nils.kjerstad@crux.no
About REC Silicon
REC Silicon is a leading producer of advanced silicon materials, delivering high-purity polysilicon and silicon gas to the solar and electronics industries worldwide. We combine over 30 years of experience and proprietary technology with the needs of our customers, with annual production capacity of more than 20,000 MT of polysilicon from our two US-based manufacturing plants. Listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (REC.OL), the Company is headquartered in Fornebu, Norway.
For more information, go to: www.recsilicon.com
This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
REC Silicon Q2 2018 presentation
REC Silicon Q2 2018 report
Source: REC Silicon ASA via GlobeNewswire
HUG#2205977
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What Does SMA Mean Regarding Stocks?
By: Tom Streissguth | Reviewed by: Ryan Cockerham, CISI Capital Markets and Corporate Finance | Updated March 07, 2019
Every stock has a chart, and every chart has an SMA.
Hand on stock page with chart drawn image by Allen Penton from Fotolia.com
1. What Is "EMA" in Stock Trading?
2. Definition of Divergence in Stocks
3. What Is the MACD in Stocks?
If you're an independent investor, get to know your stocks better by doing some basic chart analysis. By understanding indicators such as the simple moving average, or SMA, you can follow the price trends of your securities. SMA is a simple arithmetical equation that calculates an asset's price over a certain time period, which can help investors identify whether the price stays constant, increases or has potential to reverse.
SMA is calculated by adding closing stock prices over a period of time and dividing the sum by the number of days during the same time period.
Creating a Definition of SMA
The SMA is the sum total of the stock price over a specified period of time, divided by the number of days in that stretch. When analyzing stock charts, a little history comes in handy: specifically, the recent trend in price, which the simple moving average will reveal
To get a 20-day simple moving average, for example, you add up all the price closings over the last 20 days and then divide by 20. The result is a number that might be above or below the current price of the stock, and which trends in the general direction of that price.
Implications of Rising, Falling and Steady Charts
When the SMA is rising, then the stock price is going up, generally. Although it might have dips and swoons from day to day, investors in general are showing optimism. When the SMA is falling, then the stock has been pulling back. SMAs smooth out the price action and give you a little clarity.
The most important consideration for investors is not what happened in the past -- they want to know the future. For this, two different SMAs can be plotted on the same chart.
The Significance of Crossovers
Plotting a long-term SMA (100 days, for example) alongside a short-term line (20 days) gives you parallel indicators that from time to time will cross over each other. To experienced investors, the SMA crossover provides a flashing mathematical beacon that shows a (possible) change in price trend.
When a rising short-term SMA dips across the long-term and heads downward, the stock migh be reversing its upward trend. However, trading on that signal alone is hazardous. You should always take into account factors that have nothing to do with the fundamental financial well-being of the company, such as market trends, speculative selling, or macroeconomic news that might be coming into play.
Evaluating SMAs and EMAs
As long as you're delving into SMA and other financial acronyms, consider the related EMA indicator. The exponential moving average uses the same basic calculation of the SMA, but it gives greater weight to the more recent closings. (Most investor charting software will display these averages with a click on a pull-down menu, with the user providing the desired time periods).
The EMA line tends to track the current price more closely. For both indicators, the shorter the time period you use, the faster the change in direction. The longer the period chosen, the smoother the line.
Always calibrate moving averages to your investing time horizon, which you can measure in hours, days or years.
Online Trading Concepts: Simple Moving Average
Investopedia: Simple Moving Average - SMA Definition
Investopedia: How is the Exponential Moving Average Calculated?
Founder/president of the innovative reference publisher The Archive LLC, Tom Streissguth has been a self-employed business owner, independent bookseller and freelance author in the school/library market. Holding a bachelor's degree from Yale, Streissguth has published more than 100 works of history, biography, current affairs and geography for young readers.
How to Use Just the MACD FOREX Chart
How to Use Candle Volume on Stock Charts
How to Calculate Daily Price Variation in Stocks
How to Read RSI
What Does 'Golden Cross' Mean in Financial Terms?
Displaced Moving Average Trading Strategy
Performance Analysis for a Stock Portfolio
Aroon Indicators for Selling Stocks
How to Use Market Timing Indicators for Stock Picking
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California. Department of Fish and Game. Marine Resources Region2
Pacific Fishery Management Council (U.S.)1
United States. National Marine Fisheries Service1
Oceans[remove]2
Bathymetric maps1
Biogeography1
Capes (Coasts)1
Continental shelf1
Contours (Cartography)1
Año Nuevo Island (Calif.)1
Duxbury Point (Calif.)1
Lopez Point (Calif)1
Santa Maria River (Calif.)1
Sequit Point (Calif.)1
You searched for: Subject Location Remove constraint Subject: Location Subject Oceans Remove constraint Subject: Oceans Year 2000 Remove constraint Year: 2000
1. Bio-Geographic Points, California, 2000
2000. California. Department of Fish and Game. Marine Resources Region. This point shapefile contains six geographic points that are commonly used for demarcation of convenient marine management areas or possible marine... California. Department of Fish and Game. Marine Resources Region.
2. Ocean Depths: California Coast, 2000
2000. California. Department of Fish and Game. Marine Resources Region, Pacific Fishery Management Council (U.S.), United States. National Marine Fisheries Service, and United States. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This point shapefile depicts ocean depths gridded on a 5-minute latitude/longitude interval. This coverage was created from data extracted from the... California. Department of Fish and Game. Marine Resources Region.
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Larry Gordon
Rebounding And Interview Expertise Go Hand In Hand With Giessen 46er Larry Gordon
There are quite a few qualities about Larry Gordon that nobody would ever have the audacity to complain about on and off the court. He has many qualities that stand out as he is a prolific scorer and hard worker on the defensive end, but the skill that stands out the most is his rebounding. There has to be a reason why where ever he has laced up his sneakers being if it was with Cal Poly(NCAA2), Austria, Germany, Korea, or Kazakhstan he has belonged to the top rebounders. One also can´t forget that the American isn´t a center listed at 2,10cm or a power forward listed at the ideal height of 2,03cm, but a small forward listed at 1,96cm that rebounds the ball with heart, passion and effort. Having the knack to haul down the ball seems to be in his blood. “I can´t really explain it, it´s just something that is embedded into my game. It´s a lot of heart and relentless effort to get the rebound that makes me so good at it. When the ball goes up you will always see me near the rim no matter what. That is just what I do”, warned Larry Gordon. What else does any coach want from a player when it has that commending attitude. Giessen 46ers head coach Ingo Freyer could probably fill a university auditorium in Giessen any day now and give a heart filled lecture about why he loves Larry Gordon. There has to be a reason why he was able to hold him three years in Hagen in a low market including for a third season after he had torn up the BBL averaging 15,5ppg and 7,6rpg where he must have had better offers from top teams in Germany and elsewhere. There also has to be a reason why Gordon is back together in Giessen this season reunited with his former head coach Ingo Freyer. It has already fit between the two guys. But not only on the court is Gordon at home with his game, but off the court with how he treats the media. There are quite a lot of players that I have enjoyed not only interviewing once, but two or three times and then again there have been guys that I have interviewed more than 10 times like three time Euroleague winner Kyle Hines, Jacob Burtschi, Kevin Hamilton, John Bynum or Josh Young to name just a few. However there are few that have had my question thrown at them as often as Larry Gordon. One could say that Gordon has had more interviews with me that Allen Iverson uttered the word practice in his legendary press conference years ago. To be exact Gordon has done 40 interviews with me since he arrived in Germany in 2012 with the first being in October 2012. Alone in his first two seasons it was 22. He still had patience with me in his third season, but after that the Q & A sessions have died down a little as he played in other countries. After 40 interviews there is only so much you can ask the guy, but the way he can handle the boards with ease, the same he does with my pin point questions as there has never been a dull moment in our question and answer sessions. Not only does rebounding come automatically for him, but so does interviewing. “It isn´t a challenge. If you look at my past, rebounding has always been a part of my game. Rebounding comes automatically to me. There is no effort for me I just go go go to the basket and enjoy rebounding”, warned Larry Gordon. Many guys know how to play the game well and other´s are noted interview partners while rebounding and interview talent go hand in hand with Larry Gordon.
Miles Schmidt-Scheuber has covered Larry Gordon since his arrival in Germany in 2012. Gordon belongs to the most interviewed player in Schmidt-Scheuber´s career as at the moment the count is at 40. This picture was taken at the 2015 BBL allstar game in Bonn
Posted in BBL and tagged Gießen 46ers, Larry Gordon on November 17, 2018 by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber. Leave a comment
Larry Gordon (SC Rasta Vechta) Derrick Allen Gives Me Hope As A Basketball Player
Larry Gordon is a 29 year old 196cm forward that is back in Germany having signed with SC Rasta Vechta. He started the season with Sonic Boom KT (Korea-KBL) playing 19 games averaging 14.9ppg, 6.2rpg, 2.1apg, 1.3spg, 2FGP: 51.3%, 3FGP: 35.6%, FT: 82.1%. Last season he played with the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven playing 33 games averaging 10.1ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 57.8%, 3PT: 42.6%, FT: 84.3%. The American played a total of 101 games for Phoenix Hagen from 2012-2015 leading them into the playoffs once He played at Cal Poly Pomona (NCAA2) from 2005 to 2009 playing a total of 116 NCAA2 games. In his senior year, he played 33 games: 15.7ppg, 10.4rpg, 2.0apg, 1.7apg, FGP: 53.8%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 75.7%. He was a CCAA Player of the Year and NCAA D2 Finalist in 2009. In 2009-2010, he came to Europe as a rookie and played for Landstede Basketbal Zwolle (Holland-Eredivisie) playing 36 games and averaging 14.0ppg, 8.1rpg, 1.8apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 48.3%, 3PT: 33.7%, FT: 75.8%. He played for ECE Bulls Kapfenberg (Austria-A Bundesliga) from 2010-2012 before coming to Phoenix Hagen in 2012. Larry Gordon has been a regular for German Hoops as he gave his 40th interview for the website.
Larry thanks for talking to German Hoops Welcome back to Germany. When I say 36/22 do you have any idea what I am referring to?
I have no idea!
Well let me clear up the math lesson and tell you that 36 stands for the minutes you played in a 75-67 win in Vecta 3 years ago where you led the team with 22 points. What do you remember about the breathtaking atmosphere in the Rasta Dome?
It’s small and loud, with a great fan base.
How excited are you to be playing in Vechta? How big is this challenge for you coming and trying to get Vechta back to winning ways?
I’m very excited, I’m back in Germany which is like a second home for me. This will be a very big challenge for me given the situation but nothing I haven’t experienced before.
Posted in BBL, Interviews and tagged Derrick Allen, Eisbaeren Bremerhaven, Larry Gordon, Phoenix Hagen, Rasta Vechta on January 5, 2017 by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber. Leave a comment
Larry Gordon (KT Sonic Boom) I Have A Chip On My Shoulder And That´s The Way I Will Play This Season In South Korea
Larry Gordon is a 28 year old 196cm forward that recently finished his first season with the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven playing 33 games averaging 10.1ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 57.8%, 3PT: 42.6%, FT: 84.3% This season he will take his talent east to South Korea. The American played a total of 101 games for Phoenix Hagen from 2012-2015 leading them into the playoffs once He played at Cal Poly Pomona (NCAA2) from 2005 to 2009 playing a total of 116 NCAA2 games. In his senior year, he played 33 games: 15.7ppg, 10.4rpg, 2.0apg, 1.7apg, FGP: 53.8%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 75.7%. He was a CCAA Player of the Year and NCAA D2 Finalist in 2009. In 2009-2010, he came to Europe as a rookie and played for Landstede Basketbal Zwolle (Holland-Eredivisie) playing 36 games and averaging 14.0ppg, 8.1rpg, 1.8apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 48.3%, 3PT: 33.7%, FT: 75.8%. He played for ECE Bulls Kapfenberg (Austria-A Bundesliga) from 2010-2012 before coming to Phoenix Hagen in 2012. Larry Gordon has been a regular for German Hoops as he gave his 39th interview for the website recently from South Korea.
Larry thanks for talking to German Hoops Where are you at the moment and how was your summer?
No problem sir it’s always a pleasure man. At the moment I’m in South Korea, preparing for my upcoming season in the KBL. I had an incredible summer, took a vacation, traveled a lot and of course worked on my game.
After 7 years in Europe and four in Germany, you are headed east to South Korea to play for KT Sonic Boom. How excited are you about this new adventure?
Man I’m real excited, it’s a new situation for me and my career. The league is a bit different than leagues in Europe, but I’m adjusting so far and just want to make big impact here my first year.
Posted in Former BBL Players, Interviews and tagged Eisbaeren Bremerhaven, KT Sonic Boom, Larry Gordon, Phoenix Hagen on September 20, 2016 by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber. Leave a comment
Larry Gordon (Eisbaeren Bremerhaven) I Have To Prove Myself Again This Year To Show That I’m Capable Of Playing At A High Level
Larry Gordon is a 28 year old 196cm forward that recently finished his third season with Phoenix Hagen and will play for the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven this season. The American played a total of 101 games for Phoenix Hagen leading them into the playoffs once and last season played 30 games averaging 14.0ppg, 6.2rpg, 1.7apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 53.2%, 3PT: 34.7%, FT: 72.1% He played at Cal Poly Pomona (NCAA2) from 2005 to 2009 playing a total of 116 NCAA2 games. In his senior year, he played 33 games: 15.7ppg, 10.4rpg, 2.0apg, 1.7apg, FGP: 53.8%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 75.7%. He was a CCAA Player of the Year and NCAA D2 Finalist in 2009. In 2009-2010, he came to Europe as a rookie and played for Landstede Basketbal Zwolle (Holland-Eredivisie) playing 36 games and averaging 14.0ppg, 8.1rpg, 1.8apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 48.3%, 3PT: 33.7%, FT: 75.8%. He played for ECE Bulls Kapfenberg (Austria-A Bundesliga) from 2010-2012 before coming to Phoenix Hagen in 2012. Larry Gordon spoke to German Hoops about basketball.
Larry thanks for talking to German Hoops. Where are you at the moment and how has your summer been?
I’m in sunny Southern California. My summer was really great, me and my wife traveled and really enjoyed our summer. And of course it was in the gym continuing to develop my game.
After three seasons with Phoenix Hagen you have made the jump to the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven. What were the main reasons for joining this team?
It really just was the best the situation/ opportunity for me and my wife. I talked with coach Muli and I like what is his concept is and how he wants to play this season. And I think the roster of guys we have, will give us a big chance to be successful this season.
Posted in BBL, Interviews and tagged Eisbaeren Bremerhaven, Larry Gordon on August 17, 2015 by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber. Leave a comment
The Larry Gordon(Phoenix Hagen) Versatility Has Made Him Into A Top Beko BBL Player This Season
When you see Larry Gordon depart a locker room after a hard fought basketball battle win or loose in any German arena, you see similarities to other players in that he is wearing normal leisure basketball attire, has headphones as huge as 70´s afros and has a gentle smile to fans who are inquiring for an autograph, however there is one big difference to the regular Beko BBL player in that when he is on the court, his game separates himself from most as he belongs to the top five players at his position. Gordon is a 26 year old 196cm guard/forward that is playing his fifth professional season and second in Germany with Phoenix Hagen after having played as a rookie in Holland and two seasons in Austria. He never won anything in his first three seasons in Europe, but was a major force in those leagues. Usually when you see a player coming from a lower league to the Beko BBL, one may have some skepticism as to wheather the player can make the jump to a higher league. We have seen it ever so often in the Beko BBL for example a Derrick Allen coming from Iceland to BG Karlsruhe, a high scoring Davin White coming form Mexico to Germany last season or a James Florence coming from Hungry to Braunschweig this season. All these guys were able to make the transition as was Larry Gordon. Gordon already had a stellar rookie season in the Beko BBL, but in a way was in the shadow of Davin White who led the Beko BBL in scoring and steals and won 4 Eurobasket.com All-German Bundesliga awards. White was a big reason why Phoenix Hagen was able to reach the playoffs. Last season Gordon in a way was the unsung hero award, but he put up amazing stats in 37 games averaging 12.7ppg, 6.4rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 52.9%, 3PT: 43.0%, FT: 83.2%. One could say that without a Gordon, White would not have been as lethal and reaching the playoffs would have been more difficult. Gordon knew before the season that there would be more expected of him on the court. “Yea I worked hard on my game this off season, I really wanted to get better at certain things so I can be a major threat when I’m on the court and so my teammates as well as the coaches can trust that I can make the right plays no matter what the situation is. I set a goal for myself to be more of a threat this year in the BBL and I will continue to work to achieve that goal”, stressed California native Larry Gordon. This season Gordon has improved his stats in scoring, rebounding and assists. There was a time where he was leading the Beko BBL in rebounds by himself, but at the moment is still leading it, but is in a dog fight with Bonn center Jamel Mclean of Bonn. “Rebounding is one of my strongest attributes but I’m an All Around player so I don’t just focus on one thing, I do a lot of other different things on the court that sometimes stats do not show. So I’m just going to keeping doing what I’m doing and let everything else take care of itself. It actually feels good, because I pride myself on rebounding because it’s one of the strengths in my game. Also because I’m a 6’4 guard leading a league with a lot of really good big man in rebounding, so it feels real good”, commented Larry Gordon. Gordon can fill up the stats sheet and his versatility and passing game are big suits of his overall game. “My versatility is one of my strong suits in my game, so when something is not working I just do what is and let everything else take care if itself. Creating has always been in my game but people only notice when it shows up on the stat sheet, I create a lot good looks for my teammates and that’s what makes me an effective combo guard in this league”, warned Larry Gordon. With only a few weeks to go in the regular season and Phoenix Hagen two wins from the last playoff spot, it will require a minor miracle to make the playoffs as individual success is always in the shadow of Gordon. “It’s been tough as of late to enjoy individual success when your not winning games. I’m the type of player that really doesn’t care unless we Win games. Not saying I don’t observe the way I play but you take more pride as a player when you can back your stats up with Wins”, added Larry Gordon. If that playoff miracle does arise, then one will be sure that Larry Gordon had his magical hands and basketball IQ involved in reaching the promised land.
Posted in BBL and tagged Larry Gordon, Phoenix Hagen on April 17, 2014 by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber. Leave a comment
Larry Gordon (Phoenix Hagen) I Just Feel Like Some Teams Have The Ability To Throw Them Off Their Game And Are Not Caught Up With The Fact That They Are FC Bayern Munich
Larry Gordon is a 26 year old 196cm forward that is playing his second season in the German Beko BBL for Phoenix Hagen. Last season for Phoenix Hagen he helped the team reach the playoffs playing 37 games: 12.7ppg, 6.4rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 52.9%, 3PT: 43.0%, FT: 83.2%He played at Cal Poly Pomona (NCAA2) from 2005 to 2009 playing a total of 116 NcAA2 games. In his senior year, he played 33 games: 15.7ppg, 10.4rpg, 2.0apg, 1.7apg, FGP: 53.8%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 75.7%. He was a CCAA Player of the Year and NCAA D2 Finalist in 2009. In 2009-2010, he came to Europe as a rookie and played for Landstede Basketbal Zwolle (Holland-Eredivisie, starting five): 36 games: 14.0ppg, 8.1rpg, 1.8apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 48.3%, 3PT: 33.7%, FT: 75.8%. He played for ECE Bulls Kapfenberg (Austria-A Bundesliga) the last two seasons and in his last season played 38 games: 14.7ppg, Reb-3(8.4rpg), 1.8apg, FGP-3(65.2%), 3PT: 36.2%, FT: 77.1%. He spoke to German Hoops before the game against medi bayreuth.
Phoenix Hagen suffered a tough 82-76 loss at home against FC Bayern Munich last weekend. How much pain was it being able to stay with them for 30 minutes, but then not being able to close out the game?
It was a bad feeling, we had them beat. But with good teams like them you have to do something extra to Win
Phoenix Hagen was up by two points going into the fourth quarter, but allowed FC Bayern Munich to go on a run. What was key for FC Bayern Munich pulling out the road win?
They started to hit shots and calls starting going their way towards the end.
Posted in BBL, Interviews and tagged Larry Gordon, Phoenix Hagen on March 8, 2014 by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber. Leave a comment
Larry Gordon (Phoenix Hagen) I Go Out And Play Hard Every Game No Matter What My Stats Are
Larry Gordon is a 26 year old 196cm forward that is playing his second season in the German Beko BBL for Phoenix Hagen. Last season for Phoenix Hagen he helped the team reach the playoffs playing 37 games: 12.7ppg, 6.4rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 52.9%, 3PT: 43.0%, FT: 83.2%He played at Cal Poly Pomona (NCAA2) from 2005 to 2009 playing a total of 116 NcAA2 games. In his senior year, he played 33 games: 15.7ppg, 10.4rpg, 2.0apg, 1.7apg, FGP: 53.8%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 75.7%. He was a CCAA Player of the Year and NCAA D2 Finalist in 2009. In 2009-2010, he came to Europe as a rookie and played for Landstede Basketbal Zwolle (Holland-Eredivisie, starting five): 36 games: 14.0ppg, 8.1rpg, 1.8apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 48.3%, 3PT: 33.7%, FT: 75.8%. He played for ECE Bulls Kapfenberg (Austria-A Bundesliga) the last two seasons and in his last season played 38 games: 14.7ppg, Reb-3(8.4rpg), 1.8apg, FGP-3(65.2%), 3PT: 36.2%, FT: 77.1%. He spoke to German Hoops before the game against the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg.
Congrats on the big 81-75 win against Alba Berlin. How good did it feel beating the best team in the Beko BBL currently?
It felt great, Alba is good tough team, so to get this Win meant a lot to our team. We needed to get that one.
Phoenix Hagen have had great fortune in last years beating Alba Berlin at home. Did Ingo Freyer ever mention this last season or this season leading up to the Alba Berlin games, or did he want to keep that good streak more of a secret? Perhaps Storch Kruel let out the secret of the wins the last years against Alba Berlin?lol
No there was no hype about it, we just went into the game normal. Just trying to protect our home court.
Posted in BBL and tagged Larry Gordon, Phoenix Hagen on February 22, 2014 by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber. Leave a comment
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Y! Big Story: Lesser known truths about Fourth of July What the frack? North Carolina lawmaker accidentally votes to legalize fracking
Romney: Insurance mandate is a tax, high court ‘has spoken’
fuzzysdad01 Uncategorized Leave a comment
This is from Fox News.
I want to offer Mitt a little advice.
It is time to replace your spokesman Eric Ferhnstrom.
It sounds like Mr.Ferhnstrom has worked for John McLame.
It sounds like he is a squishy moderate.
Keep saying it is a tax and it is on the middle class.
Say it day and night and every time you open your mouth.
Mitt Romney on Wednesday made another attempt at clarifying his view of the recent Supreme Court decision on President Obama’s health-care reform law, saying the punishment for failing to purchase insurance is a tax – not a penalty fine.
The GOP presidential candidate said he agreed with the minority of justices in the 5-4 decision that the punishment is a fine, but “the Supreme Court has spoken.”
“The majority of the court said it’s a tax, therefore it’s a tax,” Romney said in a CBS News interview. “They have spoken. There’s no way around that. … The American people (now) know that President Obama has broken the pledge he made. He said he wouldn’t raise taxes on middle-income Americans.”
Romney’s comments follow top campaign adviser Eric Fehrnstrom saying Monday the candidate thinks the consequence for not purchasing mandated insurance is a penalty. Fehrnstrom said that position is the same one Romney took on a similar fine under the statewide health-care initiative he instituted as Massachusetts governor.
Fehrnstrom’s statement was a departure from House Speaker John Boehner and other Republican leaders who have, since the high court’s decision Thursday, gotten behind the majority ruling, an election-year attempt to pin a tax increase on the president.
GOP leaders also have said congressional Democrats up for reelection this fall will have a hard time defending the law now that its central provision is, according to the court, a tax.
Romney’s comments Wednesday in fact mark the second time in three days that the campaign has attempted to clarify its position.
Hours after Fehrnstrom’s comment, the campaign issued a statement saying Romney considers the fine an “unconstitutional penalty” rather than a tax.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/04/romney-insurance-mandate-is-tax-high-court-has-spoken/#ixzz1ziUBTwRf
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Daredevil Photographer Rappels Down Skyscrapers For the Perfect Shot
Filed to: photographyFiled to: photography
Even window washers can be scary when you don’t expect to see them outside your office window. But a camera-wielding man dangling from a single rope goes beyond the pale. A fearless photographer named Carlos Ayesta is doing just that, rappelling down the side of Paris’s skyscrapers to shoot remarkable images of the city's towers.
Ayesta is an architectural photographer and urban spelunker: With the help of his team, he’s rappelled down the sides of the tallest buildings in Paris, including the shell-shaped Center of New Industries and Technologies. He calls the ongoing project Vertical Visions of La Defense, the Paris business district that’s long been at the center of a city-wide scandal over the construction of new skyscrapers (basically, companies want them and Parisians don’t).
Ayesta’s photos are less about the contentious politics of the neighborhood and more about capturing the contentious buildings from a unique perspective. "My approach of taking photographs whilst abseiling and from hanging platforms shows the architecture in another dimension," Ayesta told Dezeen recently. "I can take pictures of hidden things. No-one on the ground or on top of the buildings can see what I see.”
Check out Ayesta's website to see him dangling from the top of La Grande Arche, the monumental Mitterrand-era rectangular monument designed by Johann Otto von Spreckelsen in the 1980s—and make sure to peep the building occupants in several of the images.
Recent from Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan
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Three Surprising Parts of the World Where Air Pollution Decreased
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New Golden Jags head coach visits Guyana today
Michael Johnson, the new head coach of the Senior Men’s National Football Team, will visit Guyana today to meet the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and football stakeholders, and to visit the new FIFA-funded GFF National Training Centre currently under construction at Providence, East Bank Demerara.
Forty-four-year-old British Johnson, a former Jamaica international and English Premier League and Championship veteran, is the highest qualified national coach in the history of the Golden Jaguars, with a UEFA Pro Licence and the League Managers Association Diploma in Football Management. His references for the role included former England Manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, the Premier League and the English Football Association.
“We look forward to hosting Michael this week as we introduce him to the local football fraternity and immediately get to work on taking the performances of our national team to the next level,” said GFF President Wayne Forde.
“Michael’s appointment is a big statement of intent and sends a strong signal to our players and to our regional opponents. It also speaks volumes about the visible progress we are making in rebuilding the image of football in Guyana, and in developing the game.”
Johnson’s first competitive game in charge will be a home fixture against Barbados in the CONCACAF Nations League qualifiers on September 8, as Guyana seeks to reach its first ever CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament in 2019. The all-weather National Training Centre pitch at Providence – part of Guyana’s first dedicated, national facility for football, funded by the FIFA Forward programme – is on schedule to be completed in time to host national squad preparations for that match.
Johnson will also visit the Leonora Track and Field Centre, West Coast Demerara today, which has staged recent CONCACAF international
June 7, 2018 in International Football.
Golden Jaguars Head Coach formally introduced
Golden Jaguars to prepare for CONCACAF Nations League Qualifer
CONCACAF Nation’s League Countdown
← Dowrich-Holder defiance curtails Sri Lanka’s early advantage
Annandale, Diamond to battle for top honours →
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Terminal - Full Movie Watch Online, Download and Stream HD
Much has changed the career of Margot Robbie since this project was announced, ‘Terminal’. The film, written and directed by Vaughn Stein, was announced in February 2016. Now we finally have a first preview of this story that combines black cinema and fantasy. And it seems darker than he had imagined.
The film is also starring Simon Pegg, Mike Myers, Max Irons and Dexter Fletcher, and will hit US theaters on May 11. The story follows two assassins with a sinister mission for a mysterious man who has paid a large sum for such work. Their lives will intersect with several characters a sick teacher, an enigmatic concierge and a waitress with a double life.
If in itself the synopsis emanates turbidity, the advance brings more restlessness and coldness. Robbie is presented in this teaser walking and narrating in a very sinister way his speech, talking about a place like no other, “with mystery and danger”, as what you see: black shadows of the characters under colored lights. The actress ends by saying: “Some say that to survive you have to be as crazy as a hatter, something that luckily I am.”
Director: Vaughn Stein
Actors: Dexter Fletcher, Katarina Čas, Margot Robbie, Max Irons, Mike Myers, Nick Moran, Simon Pegg
Having been absent from the big screen since 2013’s The Canyons, Lindsay Lohan is set to make her return this year with the werewolf thriller The Shadow Within. The project…
Genre: Crime, Horror
We are going with the trailer for ‘November Criminals’, an adaptation of the Sam Munson novel that was published in 2011. Under the direction of Sacha Gervasi (‘Hitchcock’), the film…
Good Time, United States, 2017) / Direction: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie / Screenplay: Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie / Cast: Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, Taliah Webster, Peter Verby, Jennifer Jason Leigh,…
Loving Pablo
In the temperamental and somewhat schematic ‘Loving Pablo’, Fernando León de Aranoa puts his craft to the test as an artisan of international productions and, along the way, makes some…
Country: Bulgaria, Spain
Gabrielle Union is going to kick everyone’s ass in Breaking In, a new thriller that plays out like a reverse Panic Room. When Union’s kids are taken hostage in a…
Tango One
Three undercover recruits are assigned a special mission: to bring down one of the most wanted men in the world, notorious drug dealer Den Donovan (Vincent Regan), also known as…
If it has ever happened to you, you know that when you “go up the dead” is a terrifying experience, in which you can not really believe that you were…
Genre: Crime, Horror, Thriller
Already on the 9th of August, the latest crime drama filming started in the movie theaters. On Sunday the cinema tour ended with two dates in Ingolstadt. Color Me True…
Keanu Reeves is back. After a couple of years without an important role on the big screen, the actor recovers a character made to suit him: the professional killer John…
Country: Hong Kong, USA
Through an exclusive clip, actress Michelle Rodriguez shows us how the movie Fate of the Furious was filmed in Cuba. “During [this] production, we were able to enjoy Cuban culture…
Country: China, Japan, USA
Genre: Adventure, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Genre: Adventure, Crime, Fantasy
Satyameva Jayate
Even before the release of Parmanu – The Story of Pokhran, John Abraham was seen juggling between schedules. Reason? He has been shooting for his next film Satyameva Jayate simultaneously….
Trailer: Terminal
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Frank Zappa: Chunga’s Revenge (LP 1970)
Chunga’s Revenge
Reprise (2030)
Producer: Zappa
Released November 1970 (US & UK)
While this still has plenty of his lunacy, Mr. Zappa started getting more focused in the 70s. This album certainly has its share of annoying material, more griping about life on the road and such. As if anybody could possible care about his problems as a rock star with loads of loose groupies, the portrait of the struggling artist and all that crap. Fortunately, this also includes some of his strongest instrumentals to date, including the title track, “Transylvania Boogie,” and the brief “Twenty Small Cigars.”
While half of this set is fairly forgettable, the other half makes this more than a worthwhile grab for fans.
The vocal cut “Sharleena” is an excellent addition to the Zappa catalog as well, with Frank returning to doo-wop for inspiration. While half of this set is fairly forgettable, the other half makes this more than a worthwhile grab for fans.
Musicians include Aynsley Dunbar, Ian Underwood, Max Bennett, John Guerin, George Duke, Jeff Simmons, Sugar Cane Harris, and of course the Phlorescent Leech & Eddie (vocals). Classic gatefold by Cal Schenkel.
http://eight-track.com/good_shit__new_main_page.html
PS: I’m putting together a list of the best albums ever. Any suggestions?
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High-Tech Gründerfonds Invests in Click-2-Call, the Next Generation of VoIP Technology
C2Call (Click-to-call) GmbH, a developer of a ground-breaking new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology has received start up venture capital from High-Tech Gründerfonds and angel investors Michael Brehm – former executive director of StudiVZ – and Tapesh Sinha – Founder of Acctel Group. This investment will fund the internationalization and marketing of www.friendcaller.com, the world’s first Java browser-based VoIP suite and the popular FriendCaller iPhone apps.
Developers of C2Call took a radical new approach in Internet Telephony by developing a Java-based internet telephony solution that starts in any popular browser and operating system without installation of software.
“Our vision was a true Click-to-Call (C2Call) experience where users don’t have to bother with prerequisite software installation and configurations – our aim was instant browser-based VoIP,” explained Michael Knecht, Founder and CTO of C2Call GmbH. “With the launch of www.friendcaller.com and Apple’s approval of our FriendCaller iPhone app, we achieved the proof-of-concept and turned to High-Tech Gründerfonds for help in preparing for the next steps, namely the internationalization and marketing of C2Call.”
“Both the founders and angel investors are very pleased about the successful financing of the company,” said Martin Feuerhahn, Founder and CEO of C2Call GmbH. “Over the past four years of its existence, High-Tech Gründerfonds’ investments have become a desired “seal of approval” for all promising German start-ups focusing on high tech development. The High-Tech Gründerfonds not only provided investment, but opened its impressive network of portfolio companies to us and helped us to prepare our corporate structure and legal framework for the next growth phase,” Feuerhahn continued.
According to Andreas Quauke, Investment Manager with High-Tech Gründerfonds, market surveys show that PC-based VoIP is still only used by a small percentage of all Internet users. “C2Call is poised to change the market. We followed the fast development of this new Click-to-Call technology almost from its inception and were impressed with the speed and efficiency the small C2Call team pushed forward. The market potential of the new technology and the experienced team were the deciding factors for our engagement,” he continued.
About C2Call GmbH:
C2Call is pioneering browser-based VoIP for the computing cloud. It powers the popular FriendCaller www.friendcaller.com website and FriendCaller iPhone apps. FriendCaller allows users to instantly connect over the Internet through the company’s patented Callme links. FriendCaller is the first VoIP service available currently that does not require prior software installation, registration or ID exchanges by users.
C2Call GmbH was founded in April 2008 by Martin Feuerhahn and Michael Knecht with Headquarters in Werl Germany and an office in Taiwan. Its group of angel investors includes Michael Brehm, former executive director of StudiVZ , Europe’s largest social networking site and Tapesh Sinha, Founder of Acctel Group of companies. For further information please visit www.c2call.com
Martin Feuerhahn
C2Call GmbH, Werl, Germany
GSM: +49 178 417 1523
Phone: +49 2922 8703 650
martin.feuerhahn@c2call.com
www.c2call.com
Andreas Quauke
Investment Manager
Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2
Phone: +49 228 965685-00
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Transcatheter Technologies GmbH closes Start-up Financing Round with High-Tech Gründerfonds and Bayern Kapital
Development of a novel, repositionable biological heartvalve
The newly founded medical technologies company Transcatheter Technologies GmbH (Regensburg, Germany) announces the successful closing of a seed financing round of 600.000 € with High-Tech Gruenderfonds and Seedfonds Bayern. The funds will be used for the development of a novel biological heart valve up to the proof of concept. The patented design enables the repositioning of the valve and thereby decreases the number of complications during the implantation procedure. This allows for the therapy of high risk patients.
The technology of Transcatheter Technologies GmbH makes it possible to implant aortic valves without the need for traumatic open-heart surgery. The heart valve is mounted on a self-expanding stent and implanted through a small incision between the ribs and in a later stage through the femoral artery. Patients are expected to have shorter hospital stays and dramatically shorter recovery times.
Key features allow the physician to reposition the valve during implantation. At the same time the stent can safely be deployed without harming sensitive heart tissue.
“Compared to current products, this new device has many innovative features offering doctors better control over the implantation procedure and improved safety for the patient.” says Hou-Sen Lim, company founder.
The total annual patient pool for aortic valve replacement is expected to grow from 350,000 today to about 400,000 by 2012, of which approximately 80,000 potential procedures could be transcatheter based. That will translate into over US$ 1B market in the next decade. In addition, the catheter technology will open new markets. 5% of the people older than 75 years suffer from a symptomatic aortic stenosis that requires surgical aortic valve replacement. But one third will not get referred to a cardiac surgical therapy, because the patients have an intolerable high risk of lethal complications.
In the future these patients can receive a low risk catheter based heart valve.
“We are developing a new heart valve that will save the life of patients who are nowadays sent home by their doctors to die because there is no therapy available for them.” says Wolfgang Goetz MD, PhD, company founder and cardiac surgeon. “This innovative technology reduces the risks associated with early percutaneous valve systems. In case of complications, these new prostheses can be repositioned and removed without harm to the patient.”
„Transcatheter Technologies´ valve design can solve major problems of common prosthesis. Thereby, valve implantations become an option for currently untreatable patients. We are convinced that the medicinal as well as technological expertise of the team provide an ideal base for a successful development“, adds Dr. Michael Nettersheim from High-Tech Gruenderfonds.
Monika Steger, team leader at Bayern Kapital GmbH comments: “Transcatheter Technologies stands out for its extraordinary motivated founders. We believe that the team is capable of moving the already advanced valve design successfully from development to market stage.”
About Transcatheter Technologies GmbH:
Transcatheter Technologies GmbH was incorporated on January 2009 and is a privately held early stage start-up company based at BioPark in Regensburg, Germany. The company develops medical devices aimed at reducing the trauma of open-heart valve surgeries. Its re-positionable transcatheter aortic valve system is at the forefront of next generation valve implantation technology.
Wolfgang Goetz, Tel: +49 170 6309920,
wolfgang.goetz@transcatheter-technologies.com
Hou-Sen Lim, Tel: +49 170 6309921
housen.lim@transcatheter-technologies.com
Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 253175 Bonn
Phone: +49 228 / 965685-00
Fax: +49 228 / 965685-50
About Seedfonds Bayern (SFB) from Bayern Kapital:
Seedfonds Bayern exists since 2003 and has a volume of 22 Mio. Euro to invest venture capital in young and innovative Bavarian technology-companies with high prospects that are transferring promising research results to business enterprises.The fund is managed by Bayern Kapital GmbH. Bayern Kapital GmbH is a Bavarian venture capital company and was founded as part of the “Bavarian Future Initiative” as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the LfA Foerderbank Bayern (Bavaria‘s development bank) at the end of 1995. Bayern Kapital and its funds have invested about 142 Mio. Euro in more than 180 companies and currently manages funds to the value of 190 Mio. Euro.
Bayern Kapital GmbH
Ländgasse 135 a
Phone: +49 871 92325 0
info@bayernkapital.de
www.bayernkapital.de
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