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__label__wiki	0.901762	0.901762	Thermo scientific nalgene GRIFFIN LOW-FORM BEAKER, PPCO GRADUATED, 2000 ml (1201-2000) This category evaluates the steps that have been taken to reduce energy, water, and waste at their manufacturing facility. The score of 10 in this category reflects that no verifiable programs exist at this facility to reduce energy, water, or waste. The manufacturing facility at which the Griffin Low-Form Beaker, PPCO Graduated, 2000 mL is made does not use renewable energy. The score of 1 in this category reflects proof of an active Environmental Health and Safety program. In addition, the Griffin Low-Form Beaker, PPCO Graduated, 2000 mL does not contain CMR, PBT, Red List or GS LT-1 chemicals at or above 95% by weight of the product. Shipping Impact The Griffin Low-Form Beaker, PPCO Graduated, 2000 mL is manufactured in Monterrey, Mexico. The Griffin Low-Form Beaker, PPCO Graduated, 2000 mL is made with virgin materials; no sustainable content is used to manufacture the product. The score reflects that the box and the label contain 100% post-consumer recycled content and that the packaging materials contain 97% post-consumer recycled content. This product does not consume energy when it is in use. This product does not consume water when it is in use. The lifetime of the Griffin Low-Form Beaker, PPCO Graduated, 2000 mL depends on user practices. Storing the beaker away from UV light, rinsing it promptly after each use, and minimizing the frequency it is autoclaved will prolong the lifetime of this product. Autoclaving has the greatest impact on the product’s lifetime. The score on the label reflects the lifetime rating of the beaker when it is properly cleaned and stored. The box is recyclable, however the bag and the label are not readily recyclable. The Griffin Low-Form Beaker, PPCO Graduated, 2000 mL is recyclable, but it is not readily recyclable; recycling this product would require a certain infrastructure and/or agreement with a waste hauler.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line808
__label__cc	0.5225	0.4775	Request our digital marketing brochure today! By pressing ‘Send’, you are confirming your agreement to receiving a brochure by email from ActiveWin. Your details will be stored and processed in accordance with the ActiveWin Privacy Policy, and only used for the purpose specified here. http://www.activewin.co.uk/privacy-policy/ You're all done! Our brochure will be sent to your email shortly Email: embrace@activewin.co.uk PPC and Media Buying Key marketing trends to watch out for at the World Cup Key Marketing Trends at the World Cup \| ActiveWin Ok, no-one is yelling ‘marketing’s coming home!’ from the rooftops, but the 2018 World Cup could not only be a golden opportunity for Gareth Southgate’s men, it could also be a vital platform for marketers. With this in mind, we take a look at some of the marketing trends that have defined the World Cup so far. It is a well-known fact that sponsorship is down for the 2018 edition of the tournament when compared to the samba-infused competition of 2014, but not all of that is attributable to the bad press surrounding Russia. One key trend of this World Cup is that more and more matches have been streamed over the internet rather than watched traditionally on TV with major markets such as India and China seeing just under 50% of all viewers watching online. Closer to home, both the BBC and ITV have reported that England matches have seen over 2 million stream requests on their respective services. With the online viewing trend showing no signs of slowing, sponsorship opportunities will continue to shift and the way marketers view the tournament as a vehicle for advertisement will change in step. Alongside the shift to online viewing, there has also been a study in what individuals are doing while watching the game. Of course, most of the diehard fans will be glued onto the game, feeling every kick of the ball as they cheer their heroes on to success. However, just over 50% of all fans watching matches will be engaging on social media according to GlobalWebIndex while around the same number will chat or message friends mid-match. This has seen plenty of money spent on marketing during the match as firms try and increase engagement when fans are using social media, which has been particularly prevalent in the gambling industry. Leading sportsbook giants have spent big this summer in a bid to tempt customers into opening an account through lucrative sign-up offers both pre-match and in-play. That said, other firms have also been muscling in on the act with pizza firm Domino's running a successful ‘order now for half-time’ advertisement. Indeed, during the World Cup, advertising spend will be up £40 million when compared with this time last year and that reflects both those looking to cash-in on the interest around the tournament and those bowing out due to the competitiveness. It has even been a boost to traditional industries, with newspaper sales soaring through the roof and a consummate rise in print ads has followed this trend. Across the world, the tournament will contribute to an estimated increase of $2.4 billion to global ad spend according to Zenith. Much of this growth will be centred on China and specifically Chinese millennials where there is an unusually large bulge of this demographic tuning in. Even though the national side - ranked 75th in the world by FIFA – failed to qualify, there will still be hundreds of millions of Chinese tuning in to track the progress. One thing that is perhaps missing from the to0urnament is a large American viewership. With the USA failing to qualify for the first time since 1986, there has likely been a small drop in viewing figures across the Atlantic. The world landscape for marketers is constantly shifting and the World Cup is just another event which is being altered with each passing. However, if firms can embrace the trends successfully, then they can also have a shot at the glory normally reserved for the 32 competing nations. Successful 2019 for Digital Marketing Company of the Year ActiveWin Media is ending the year on a high, thanks to our most recent award win. We were delighted to be crowned ‘Digital Marketing Company of the Year’ at the 2019 Manchester Prestige Awards. A Look into Amazon’s Premier League Streaming This week, we saw the launch of the Amazon Premier League football coverage, which was kicked off by Crystal Palace taking home the first victory of the Amazon era, shortly followed by Manchester City… Friday, December 6, 2019 8:59 AM TikTok: The Future of Marketing or Just Another Fad? There is a nearly overwhelming number of social media platforms in the online landscape. They cover every content medium you could imagine; picture or video, long-form or short-form, whatever you’re l… Tuesday, November 26, 2019 3:23 PM ActiveWin Sponsors Northern Marketing Awards 2019 On Thursday 21st November, ActiveWin Media was a proud sponsor of the 2019 Northern Marketing Awards held in The Point at Emirates Old Trafford. The night celebrates the creativity, excellence, and a… Friday, November 22, 2019 11:29 AM Address: ActiveWin Media Ltd, 72-76 Cross Street, Manchester, M2 4JG Phone:0161 359 3593 Sitemap \| Cookies Policy © All content copyright 2013 - 2020 ActiveWin Media Ltd.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line809
__label__wiki	0.672899	0.672899	The Advance-Titan Titans dig into Homecoming with Spoons Homecoming week is underway, but there are still plenty of opportunities to get involved with the festivities. UW Oshkosh kicked off its Homecoming on Sunday as campus life organizations painted the windows in Reeve Memorial Union. On Monday, students participated in a spoons tournament that required participants to sign a waiver acknowledging the dangers that could ensue when the games were to get intense. On Tuesday, students participated in a talent show in the Reeve Memorial Union Ballroom. Wednesday night featured UWO’s annual Homecoming comedian. This year, Chris Distefano, who stars in MTV shows “Guy Code” and “Girl Code” was the featured comedian, performing in Albee Hall. Tonight’s events include the Residence Life and Greek Life house and hall decorating, as well as flag football at the Rec Plex. The homecoming comedian and the tailgating event on Saturday usually draw the biggest crowds and are planned by students in the Reeve Union Board beginning in early summer. The biggest draw of Homecoming is on Saturday, when alumni and families are invited to a day full of food and sports, featuring the football team’s Homecoming game versus UW-Eau Claire. “Saturday is a day of lots of free food, games and activities for families to enjoy with their students,” Missy Burgess, associate director for student involvement said. “There are so many thing to enjoy, and most of them are free. We hope they get a taste of how much fun life as a Titan can be.” Fraternities, sororities and residence halls are typically the most involved, although all students are welcome to participate in the events. “Greek Life is super into homecoming,” Lauren Perry, a member of Alpha Xi Delta said. “Our favorite event is probably the lip sync competition. That’s a really big one for us just because everyone gets so into it; they get to dress up, they get to make up a routine for their theme and they get to practice with like everyone who’s participating, and it’s always super fun.” Perry is one of several students running for Homecoming royalty. “I’m running because I wanted to represent Greek Life in a different way,” Perry said. “I think it’s super important to represent UWO in every aspect, rather than just in my organization, and I just really like that opportunity to get myself out there.” "" class="enlarged-photo" data-width="1501" data-height="1001"/> "By Ethan Uslabar Homecoming week is underway, but there are still plenty of opportunities to get involved with the festivities. UW Oshkosh kicked off its Homecoming on Sunday as campus life organizations painted the windows in Reeve Memorial Union. On Monday, students participated in a spoons tournament that required participants to sign a waiver acknowledging the dangers that could ensue when the games were to get intense. On Tuesday, students participated in a talent show in the Reeve Memorial Union Ballroom. Wednesday night featured UWO’s annual Homecoming comedian. This year, Chris Distefano, who stars in MTV shows “Guy Code” and “Girl Code” was the featured comedian, performing in Albee Hall. Tonight’s events include the Residence Life and Greek Life house and hall decorating, as well as flag football at the Rec Plex. The homecoming comedian and the tailgating event on Saturday usually draw the biggest crowds and are planned by students in the Reeve Union Board beginning in early summer. The biggest draw of Homecoming is on Saturday, when alumni and families are invited to a day full of food and sports, featuring the football team’s Homecoming game versus UW-Eau Claire. “Saturday is a day of lots of free food, games and activities for families to enjoy with their students,” Missy Burgess, associate director for student involvement said. “There are so many thing to enjoy, and most of them are free. We hope they get a taste of how much fun life as a Titan can be.” Fraternities, sororities and residence halls are typically the most involved, although all students are welcome to participate in the events. “Greek Life is super into homecoming,” Lauren Perry, a member of Alpha Xi Delta said. “Our favorite event is probably the lip sync competition. That’s a really big one for us just because everyone gets so into it; they get to dress up, they get to make up a routine for their theme and they get to practice with like everyone who’s participating, and it’s always super fun.” Perry is one of several students running for Homecoming royalty. “I’m running because I wanted to represent Greek Life in a different way,” Perry said. “I think it’s super important to represent UWO in every aspect, rather than just in my organization, and I just really like that opportunity to get myself out there.” " Ethan Uslabar Ethan Uslabar, Arts and Entertainment Editor By Ethan Uslabar Homecoming week is underway, but there are still plenty of opportunities to get involved with the festivities. UW Oshkosh kicked off its Homecoming on Sunday as campus life organizations painted the windows in Reeve Memorial Union. On Monday, students participated in a spoons tournament that required participants to sign a waiver acknowledging the dangers that could ensue when the games were to get intense. On Tuesday, students participated in a talent show in the Reeve Memorial Union Ballroom. Wednesday night featured UWO’s annual Homecoming comedian. This year, Chris Distefano, who stars in MTV shows “Guy Code” and “Girl Code” was the featured comedian, performing in Albee Hall. Tonight’s events include the Residence Life and Greek Life house and hall decorating, as well as flag football at the Rec Plex. The homecoming comedian and the tailgating event on Saturday usually draw the biggest crowds and are planned by students in the Reeve Union Board beginning in early summer. The biggest draw of Homecoming is on Saturday, when alumni and families are invited to a day full of food and sports, featuring the football team’s Homecoming game versus UW-Eau Claire. “Saturday is a day of lots of free food, games and activities for families to enjoy with their students,” Missy Burgess, associate director for student involvement said. “There are so many thing to enjoy, and most of them are free. We hope they get a taste of how much fun life as a Titan can be.” Fraternities, sororities and residence halls are typically the most involved, although all students are welcome to participate in the events. “Greek Life is super into homecoming,” Lauren Perry, a member of Alpha Xi Delta said. “Our favorite event is probably the lip sync competition. That’s a really big one for us just because everyone gets so into it; they get to dress up, they get to make up a routine for their theme and they get to practice with like everyone who’s participating, and it’s always super fun.” Perry is one of several students running for Homecoming royalty. “I’m running because I wanted to represent Greek Life in a different way,” Perry said. “I think it’s super important to represent UWO in every aspect, rather than just in my organization, and I just really like that opportunity to get myself out there.” Ethan Uslabar, Cartoonist Wrestlers grab first win of young season Goodbye Grads: Cody Wiesner Goodbye Grads: Leo Costello Goodbye Grads: Jack Tierney Jewson a lyrical miracle UWO excels at accessibility Former IT specialist charged with theft of UWO equipment UWO bacteriology class partners with Tiny Earth 130 students charged in government hoax Police fail to solve mystery: ‘Shed some light on this horrific death’ Broadcast received Reed all about it Arts and Entertainment Cartoons Warming shelters: Helping homeless day by day Faculty disputes sustainability myths Student drug dealer tells all Independent Student Newspaper of UW Oshkosh Campuses The Advance-Titan • © 2020 The Advance-Titan, 800 Algoma Blvd, Oshkosh, WI 54901 • Privacy Policy • FLEX WordPress Theme by SNO • Log in	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line812
__label__cc	0.746601	0.253399	HIll of Tara January 27, 2019 January 27, 2019 Ireland Leave a comment Ancient Irelandceltic fertility sitesgoddess worshipHIll of TaraNeolithic siteNewgrangepassage tombsRiver Boynesolsticestone age artstoneage buildersUNESCO Heritage site Ancient Ireland—Nature’s Rhythm Step into my time machine and buckle up for a wild ride. Leave your cell phone behind–Stone age people will sacrifice your life to the goddess if they find technology. Our first stop is 3,200 B.C. Ireland to a settlement along the River Boyne, called Newgrange. later enclosure built downhill from Newgrange with stones from the temple We’ve teleported to the far side of the river, allowing a walk through the village of thatched roof, wattle and timber dwellings. Metal smithing hasn’t been invented yet, but let me point out the men expertly flinting stone where they sit around the fire. Women work in the fields, tending crops and taking care of newly domesticated animals in penned enclosures. Leaving a nomad life behind, this community follows the rhythm of nature: warming of the earth, fertility of soil followed by harvest leading to preparation for winter darkness and death. They know the importance of the sun, measuring time and observing astronomy. With settlement, a religion honoring women has developed. The young girl rises to fertility. A new mother mysteriously births a child and then nourishes her young from her own body. If she lives long enough (doubtful) she will become a frail woman of forty years. Seasons of nature reflect seasons of life. Let’s walk up the hill to the passage tomb and temple. The entrance faces the rising sun. On the winter solstice, light enters the roof-box above the entrance, flashes down the narrow 60’ corridor and illuminates the back wall for seventeen minutes. This engineering marvel measures 279’ wide, 39’ high, covering a little over an acre of land. Approximately 200,000 tons of rock, including a face of white quartz (collected from 25 miles to the south) and dark cobbled stone (collected from 25 miles to the north) outline the face of the temple. 547 huge inner slabs and outer kerbstones support the weighted structure. It’s estimated that the monoliths were transported by river and then uphill to the site. Life is good and peace reigns, otherwise this marvel wouldn’t have been created. There are many chamber and passage tombs all over Great Britain, but Newgrange is the grand cathedral because of extensive art work. The triple spiral represents the goddess, three female forms for eternity. Christianity stole the symbol, changing the threesome to the male Father, Son, and Holy Ghost after destroying matriarch religions and subjugating women as chattel. Cupules carved into kerbstones appear in groups of 6 or 3. Is this a recording of events on a calendar or something else? Parallel lines lead to zigzags, or spirals. Unique triangles and diamond shapes might be a reminder to remain grounded to earth but keep focus on the spirit world. Or is the stylized shape a woman’s genitals, honoring where life begins? Enter the passage, bending your head in submission. Notice the carvings inside, especially the outline of feminine hands. Think about them as we stand in the same spot. At the end, three side rooms face different directions: East, West, and North. Each chamber has a stone basin and two of them held cremated remains and bone remanents of at least 5 individuals. But the chamber on your right has a special carved basin made of granite. Human ash wasn’t found here. Maybe this was used as a birthing place with worshiped ancestors in the other chambers. Observing nature, would ancient people contemplate the complexity of reincarnation and renewal? As decades progress, standing stones will be erected around the behemoth cairn. In our era there are 12 remaining but book the Bronze age time travel tour, to see a majestic 35 stone circle. You may also book the later Iron age journey, with the addition of pit circles and timber arches. Six thousand years later, Newgrange remains a place of inspiration. Let’s follow the light from burning bonfires atop the hill of Tara, the earthly portal to the ancient gods and the entrance of heaven. We are still in the stone age, but the later neolithic era. The 100 acre site is the coronation place for over 142 high Kings of Ireland and is the largest Celtic monument in Europe. The ancient name was Liathdroim with dedication to the mother goddess Maeve. A text from around 600 A.D. states a contender for the throne from the chiefs of Ireland had to get drunk and marry the goddess in a ceremony. Women were treated as equals in this time, with all rights afforded men. In fact, a ring fort dedicated to a legendary warrior queen lies 1/2 mile from where we stand. The oldest mound is a neolithic passage tomb that held hundreds of cremated remains as well as a rich burial of a young man. This is known as “the mound of hostages” and was constructed 5,000 years ago. The name implies the safety of this place where chieftains exchanged captive prisoners. strone of destiny Moving to the north are ringforts, one with three banks known as the Rath of Synods and an Iron age earthwork with an internal ditch, thought to be the royal enclosure. This is the standing Stone of Destiny. If the would-be-king is righteous, the stone will roar three times. When I touched the phallic shaped stone, not even a whisper was heard. In myth, King Laoghaire is buried nearby in an upright position, dressed in full armor. A grove of Hawthorn trees form a line. This is the tree of the goddess for seduction and fertility. To this day, women tie colored strings in the branches or leave notes and offerings. Moving down the hill, there’s remains of a long ceremonial avenue or maybe a banquet hall. Debates continue over the function of the 656′ ruin. A 11th century text states a hall with over 140 entrances stood here. If you visit in modern times, there’s a decommissioned Catholic church built above other ruins. Near an old wall there is an easily missed small standing stone. It’s believed that the figure of the fertility god, Cernunos is etched on the face. Modern travelers can visit these sites as well as the Hill of Slane where St. Patrick defied the Celtic king in 433 AD, and 5th century Monasterboice, founded by St. Buite on a day trip from Dublin. We liked the small group size and reasonable rates with https://www.daytoursunplugged.ie	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line813
__label__wiki	0.97407	0.97407	Thomas Chau Zayn Malik Teases New Music With a ‘Lil Taster’ of Things to Come Zayn Malik teases fans on Twitter with a clip of new music. Justin Timberlake Opens the 2017 Academy Awards With Electric Performance: Watch Justin Timberlake opened up the 2017 Academy Awards with a live performance of his Oscar-nominated hit, "Can't Stop the Feeling." 10 Best Movie Soundtracks of 2016 From 'The Edge of Seventeen' to 'The Nice Guys', we take a look at the 15 best movie soundtracks of 2016. Ariana Grande Unveils ‘Side to Side’ Collaboration With Nicki Minaj Ariana Grande has unveiled her new collaboration with Nicki Minaj on the track "Side to Side." The song will be featured on Grande's forthcoming 'Dangerous Woman' album. Watch Celine Dion Cover Adele’s ‘Hello’ on New Years Eve Celine Dion treats her fans at her New Years Eve show to a special rendition of Adele's "Hello." Taylor Swift Braves the Elements in ‘Out of the Woods’ Music Video Taylor Swift ends 2015 with the release of her music video for 'Out of the Woods.' R&B Legend Natalie Cole Has Passed Away at the Age of 65 R&B icon Natalie Cole has passed away at the age of 65. Did Mel B Confirm a Spice Girls 20th Anniversary Reunion? Mel B drops hints that 2016 will see the return of the Spice Girls! Justin Bieber Strikes Back at Michael Clifford After 5SOS Rolling Stone Story Justin Bieber defends himself after his name is brought up in a 5 Seconds of Summer interview with Rolling Stone. Rihanna’s ‘ANTI’ Album Delay Due to Travis Scott, Says Songwriter in Twitter Rant Is Rihanna's rumored boyfriend Travis Scott the reason why her new album 'ANTI' has been delayed? From 'Furious 7' to 'Straight Outta Compton', these are the movie soundtracks that made the biggest impact in 2015. Kanye West and Kim Kardashian Welcome Baby Boy (Update: And He’s Got A Name!) Kanye West and Kim Kardashian announce the birth of their baby boy early Saturday morning. Maddie WestRead Articles KendraRead Articles Nino NCognitoRead Articles AshRead Articles DJ GroovesRead Articles WDKS-FM on Facebook	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line818
__label__wiki	0.533832	0.533832	NATO TARGETS CHILDREN'S BEDROOMS IN LIBYA An international team of investigators from Voltaire Network is currently in Libya. (http://www.voltairenet.org/Tripoli-bombed-but-steadfast) Thierry Meyssan writes: 1. NATO is striking key Libyans "where it hurts most... "The missiles are ... aimed at their private quarters and, more precisely, their children’s bedrooms." 2. Saudi Prince Bandar’s mercenaries (working for the CIA) committed atrocities in the Libyan city of Cyrenaica. Some of the the Al-Qaeda leaders in Libya (working for the CIA) were sent directly from Guantanamo to fight alongside the United States. The (CIA backed) rebels have carried out lynchings and mutilations in cities which have been transformed into Islamic emirates. 3. Colonel Gaddafi has armed the population. Approximately two million machine guns have already been distributed to the civilians. The idea is that each adult, man or women, should be in a position to defend his or her home. Libya "follows an original system of participative democracy, similar to the grassroots assemblies in Vermont." People are used to being consulted and assuming responsibilities. Hence, it is easy to mobilize them en masse. 4. A portion of Libyan assets has been grabbed by western governments. "Perhaps this is the success that NATO is talking about: colonial pillaging." 5. With the exception of Cyrenaica, the Libyans did not rise up against the "regime." The only exit allowing NATO not to loose too much face is the division of the country. Benghazi would thus become the equivalent of Camp Bondsteel, the largest US military base in Europe, which acceded to the status of an independent state by the name of Kosovo. Cyrenaica would serve as the base that Africom lacked for the control of the black continent. Posted by Anon at 5:38 PM 3 comments: Labels: Child abuse, CIA, Libya, NATO FINANCIAL CRISIS IN US AND UK NOT RESOLVED; BIG CORPORATIONS DESCEND ON EGYPT There are growing trade deficits in the USA and in parts of Europe. China is booming; the USA and UK are not. There is growing debt, both government debt and personal debt, in the USA and parts of Europe. Interest rates are being kept low in the USA and UK. Monetery policy is loose. It is still too easy for certain people to borrow money. The financial sector in the USA and UK has not shrunk. The Bank of International Settlements, based in Basel, points out in its recent report that none of the problems that led to the financial crisis has been resolved. (FT.com / Global Economy - BIS warns on domestic and international debt) In the USA and UK, economic power lies with the big global companies. These big global companies are happy to make money in Asia, Africa and South America. These big global companies have no particular loyalty to the ordinary folks in the USA and UK. Cairo - Daniel Mayer On 27 June 2011 Tony Cartalucci wrote about the Corporate Locusts, the big global companies that are hoping to take over Egypt, Tunisia and other such countries. Cartalucci reports: "The very corporations that funded the think-tanks and media organizations that crafted and sold the entirely engineered 'Arab Spring' hoax to the world, have finally swarmed into Egypt to settle in and strip its lands clean." US Senator John McCain recently led a delegation to Egypt and Tunisia. "Traveling with McCain was a collection of corporate parasites from General Electric, Boeing, Coca-Cola, Bechtel, ExxonMobil, Marriot, and Dow who surveyed Cairo like conquering despots." George Soros has been funding the drafting a of a new constitution for Egypt. "The end game in Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, Libya, Thailand, Myanmar, and eventually China and Russia (is) to form a homogeneous, centrally controlled, one world government where megalomaniacs arbitrarily contrive the rules by which the rest of humanity is made to live." "Boycotting and replacing entirely these corporations that are now parading around Egypt's Cairo must be foremost on our agenda." Activist Post: Iceland Declares Independence from International Banks. Many thanks to C. for the link. Posted by Anon at 9:02 AM 6 comments: Labels: China, Corporations, Economy, Egypt, USA TARPLEY IN TRIPOLI JEWS IN CHINA Israel Epstein, second from right in front, standing in front of Mao. He later became the minister of appropriations, 'an extremely powerful position in a practically cashless era'. To the right of him is another Jew, also under cover as a journalist. 'Jewish' folks are said to be influential in many parts of the world, sometimes working behind the scenes, sometimes taking key posts in governments, the media, business and the security services. China has a Jewish population. Jewish settlers are documented in China as early as the 7th or 8th century AD, but may have arrived early as 231 BC. In the 17th century, in China, there were Jews in government service and many Jews owned big properties. In the 19th century, Elias David Sassoon arrived in Shanghai and many Jews followed. Jews from the Middle East set up some of the leading trading companies in China in the second half of the 19th century. After World War I, many Jews arrived in China from Europe. (History of the Jews in China - Wikipedia Mao in a meeting with Frank Coe, Israel Epstein, Elsie Fairfax-Cholmely, and Solomon Adler. Pas drew our attention to 'The Secret Role of Jews in China' http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/7j49iK/jewishfaces.com/china.html / Jews In China Mao's China had a number of Jewish friends. One such was Israel Epstein who became a Chinese citizen in 1957 and a member of the Communist Party in 1964. In China, Epstein served on official government and party committees and was at one time Minister of Appropriations. From 1983 on, he was a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the politburo, the top advisory body in China. Two other Jews, Sidney Shapiro and Chen Bidi, were also members of the same top body. (Israel Epstein Times Online Obituary / New York Times Obituary by Douglas Martin / Obituary People's Daily Online / Retrospective, China Today / http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/7j49iK/jewishfaces.com/china.html In 2005, Hu Jintao, leader of the Communist Party, praised Epstein’s 'outstanding contributions' to China. Epstein's parents, originally from Poland, moved to China in 1917 and lived in Tianjin, the seaport of Beijing, home to a large number of Jews. Israel Epstein chatting with Chairman Hu. With Epstein in Beijing were a number of 'foreign friends' of China, including: Rewi Alley (a New Zealander, allegedly a crypto-Jew. "His prime motivation for going to China was to prey on young boys" Rewi Alley, Jewish Power) George Hatem and Sidney Shapiro (both Americans), Ruth Weiss (a Jew born in Vienna) and Alan Winnington (a Briton). Mao with Sidney Rittenberg. Sidney Rittenberg is a Jewish-American scholar who lived in China from 1944 to 1979. He worked closely with Mao Zedong, military leader Zhu De, statesman Zhou Enlai, and other leaders of the Communist party during the war, and was with these central Communist leaders at Yan'an. He was the first American citizen to join the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Rittenberg's connections and experience have enabled him to run a successful consultancy business representing some of the world’s biggest brands, such as Intel, Levi Strauss, Microsoft, Hughes Aircraft and Teledesic. (Sidney Rittenberg - Wikipedia) Robert Lawrence Kuhn is a Jewish investment banker and "consultant" to the Chinese communist party. "For over 20 years, he has worked with China’s senior leaders, advising on economic policy, science and technology, media and culture, Sino-U.S. relations, and international communications." Virginius Frank Coe, reportedly Jewish, joined a circle of expatriates working with the Chinese government. In 1962, he was joined by Solomon Adler. Coe participated in Mao's Great Leap Forward, a plan for the rapid industrialization and modernization of China. His works include articles justifying the Rectification campaign. Coe (1907 - 1980) was a United States government official who was identified by Soviet defectors Elizabeth Bentley and Whittaker Chambers as being an underground member of the Communist Party and as belonging to the Soviet spy group known as the Silvermaster ring. "Rewi Alley, the man who organized communes in China before Chinese even knew they were to be ruled by Jewish communists (well before 1949)" Rewi first went to China in 1927. When Japan went to war with China in 1937, Rewi organised thousands of industrial co-operatives in China. (Rewi Alley.) Maurice Strong: the son of Deng Xiaoping and Anna Louise Strong? - Planning the People's Republic from France - Like father, like son? Source: Cambridge Forecast Group Posted by Anon at 10:03 AM 10 comments: Labels: China, Jews THE CIA'S NINJAS AND PENTACOSTALISTS TO MAKE INDONESIA LIKE PAKISTAN? According to The Wall Street Journal, "Indonesia is in danger of sliding in the direction of Pakistan." (Indonesia's Next Challenge) The CIA is not happy that Indonesia is increasingly friendly with China. (China Ready To Take Part In Realising The Expansion Of Indonesia's economy.) In 1998, mysterious Ninjas, said to be linked to the CIA, murdered hundreds of people in Situbondo, and surrounding districts, in Indonesia. Someone was trying to destabilise Indonesia and its president, Abdurrahman Wahid. In June 2011, The Economist tells us about a Christian woman, a Pentacostalist, who was kidnapped in Situbondo by men in Islamic clothing. (Religious extremism in Indonesia: Under attack) Someone is trying to destabilise Indonesia and its president, Susilo Yudhoyono. The Pentacostalists are said to be used by the CIA in many parts of the world. (The Born Agains) According to The Economist: On 9 June 2011, in Situbondo in Indonesia, Aprilia was abducted by three men after leaving a church service. She was found battered, but alive, hundreds of kilometres away. She managed to get home after local farmers gave her some money for her bus-fare. In 2011, there have been around two dozen attacks on churches in Indonesia, mostly on the main island of Java. This 'Kidnap' Case looks fishy, if you read The Jakarta Globe "The men dragged her into their car. "Once inside, Aprilia managed to send a text message to her mother and two dorm friends that she had been kidnapped... "Aprilia claimed she had been bound and blindfolded inside the car, then brought to an empty house where she was beaten and slashed repeatedly, before being dumped in the middle of a cornfield." The Situbondo Police chief of detectives said Aprilia’s story was inconsistent and full of holes. "Like the fact she was able to text her mother and her friends after she was kidnapped," he said. "How did she do that? Why would the kidnappers allow her to do that?" Sunarto also said her family had refused to let her be questioned by police. "How can we trust her if we’re not allowed to speak to her on the pretext that she’s still in shock?" he said. He said there seemed to be no motive for abducting her, given that no ransom demand was made and they barely said a word to Aprilia. What about the Ninjas in Situbondo? Peter Dale Scott has written about the Ninjas at - http://www.fair.org/extra/9901/java.html In late 1998, black-clad ninjas murdered hundreds of innocent people in East Java, in Indonesia. Some of the victims were mentally handicapped youths, easy targets. (Murder in Java: Psychological warfare and the New York Times) Bloody decapitated heads were paraded around the streets. Reportedly, the killings were part of a psychological terror campaign ( like that waged in 1965 by the US-advised Indonesian Army, when at least 500,000 civilians were killed.) In 1998, as in 1965, there was the distribution of death lists to terrify the public, the arrival of assassins in trucks, mutilation of corpses and display of body parts in public places. Some observers believed that a faction of the US-trained army was fomenting terror to justify a military crackdown. Army members were arrested by local authorities for the killings, and then mysteriously released. Pro-democracy activists in Jakarta pointed out that'Ninja' is the term popularly used to designate the Army Special Forces (Kopassus) in disguise. "The U.S.-trained Kopassus Special Forces were the preferred assets of the CIA and Pentagon." Posted by Anon at 10:00 PM 4 comments: Labels: CIA, Indonesia, Ninjas, Pentacostalist, Situbondo JUSTIN BIEBER AND 9 11 Payton Wall, Avery Wall and Madison Roberson - left to right. (Facebook) Glen Wall and Donny Robertson, executives with Cantor Fitzgerald, were reportedly killed in the 9 11 attacks on the Twin Towers. (Justin Bieber.) Glen's daughters Payton Wall, 14, and Avery Wall, 12, met President Obama at a Ground Zero ceremony in May 2011. The girls asked Obama to help them meet Justin Bieber. 'I know Justin,' Obama said. 'Maybe I could set something up.' Justin and friend. On 23 June 2011, Justin met the girls at Macy's department store, in New York. Also in attendance was Madison Roberson, 14, daughter of Donny Robertson who was reportedly killed in the Twin Towers on 9/11. Justin Bieber said hello and asked them if they were wearing the perfume he was promoting called 'Someday'. 'He didn't even look real,' Avery Wall told the New York Post. (President Obama sets up meeting with Justin Bieber for girls.) In the February issue of Vanity Fair (Justin Bieber Vanity Fair), Bieber is reported as saying: "I'm crazy, I'm nuts. "Just the way my brain works. "I'm not normal. I think differently - my mind is always racing. I'm just ... nuts." "Just prior to 9/11, Cantor Fitzgerald layed off 800+ employees... "They hired 200 new and young, very young bond traders." (Fake 9/11.) Labels: 9 11, Justin Bieber, Obama THE PLAN TO HIT CHINA Chinese Cheerleaders - Sand show by cmaccubbin How will the CIA destabilise China? In Egypt, Mubarak's sucessful attempts to help the poor meant that the upper middle class had to pay more tax. The CIA's coup in Egypt made use of the discontented upper middle class. The Economist, on 23 June 2011, reports on the possibility of the Chinese government doing more to help the poor. If the middle class has to pay more in tax, it may rebel. "That is a day the party dreads... "The party fears them far more than it does unruly farmers or migrants. "Beijing's centre was flooded with police earlier this year when calls for an Arab-style 'jasmine revolution' circulated on the internet." Truants by Greg On 24 June 2011 Tony Cartalucci wrote about Collapsing China According to Cartalucci: 1. In 1997, Neo-Con Robert Kagan wrote an article in the Weekly Standard about a "New Strategy of Containment" for China. 2. Kagan writes that the West's goal is to collapse China's government. He writes, "Some new China hands agree that the Chinese regime is vulnerable and believe that increased ties will hasten the day when political liberalization finally catches up with economic liberalization. "By embracing the Chinese, by exporting our Western ways through our Western goods, we will bring them down. "By helping them expand their economy, we will exacerbate the contradictions of 'authoritarian capitalism' and force their resolution in favor of more democratic forms... " Chinese leaders are more aware than anyone that there are contradictions in their system, and they will not be comforted to know that America's policy of 'engagement' contains the hope that they will be swept away by an uncontrollable tide of liberalization." 3. China's has increasing influence throughout Southeast Asia. It has a naval port in Pakistan. It has growing influence in the Middle East and in Africa. 4. The engineered "Arab Spring" is meant to put pressure on China via its dependency on foreign oil. China's friend Pakistan is facing increased aggression from US intelligence and military forces. Similarly, there are efforts to destabilize China's neighbors throughout Southeast Asia including Thailand and Myanmar. 5. America's influence in South east Asia has been reduced. It seems that the West hopes to create a sufficient amount of chaos around the world to disrupt China's economic growth, while attempting to destabilize Beijing itself through foreign-funded sedition. China has now openly accused the West of fomenting unrest both abroad and within its own borders. 6. The global elite are attempting to impose on us all a despotic global regime. Kagan himself admits that "Western goods" are the method through which this modern empire expands its reach, so logically boycotting and replacing them with "local goods" and solutions is the answer. Labels: Arab Spring, China, Middle Class GREECE IS CORRUPT GREEKS PROTEST AUSTERITY CUTS by Joanna Greece is corrupt. The Greek government hospital system is said to be the most corrupt institution in Greece. (Near-bankrukpt Greece a culture of corruption.) What is the average salary of the people working for the railway system in Greece? This includes cleaners and track workers. Is it £20,000 or £60,000? It is £60,000. (The Big Fat Greek Gravy Train.) The wage bill of the Greek railway system is £500 million per year. The annual income of the Greek railway system is only £80 million. The wage bill of the Greek public sector has doubled in ten years. The Greek school system employs more people than it needs - four times more teachers per pupil than Finland. (The Big Fat Greek Gravy Train.) Crete by jpbell11 Greece has spent vast sums on armaments. Guess which bankrupt EU state is the world’s fourth biggest arms importer During the years 2005 to 2009, the defence bill in Greece grew by a third. During the years 2005 to 2009, Greece doubled the amount it borrowed from western banks. So French banks lent money to Greece and Greece bought French fighter planes. Bribery of top Greek politicians, public officials and military leaders has been used to secure contracts. Many of the Greek tycoons and industrialists pay no tax. Greek shipping tycoons are exempt from tax. There is a lot of Greek money in tax havens such as Liechtenstein, the Bahamas and Cyprus. (The Big Fat Greek Gravy Train.) aangirfan: CIA COUP COMING IN GREECE? aangirfan: MOSSAD AND CIA IN GREECE Posted by Anon at 6:13 PM 11 comments: Labels: Greece EGYPT LOSING SINAI? How safe is Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt's Sinai? What is happening in Egypt's Sinai: In June 2011, unknown gunmen attacked a police checkpoint. (2 Egyptian policemen killed in Sinai ) The police now need army escorts. (23 June 2011, The Economist, The Bedouin of Sinai: Free but dangerous) In June 2011, two Egyptian soldiers were shot dead by masked gunmen in a main street of el-Arish, the chief city of the region. Hospitals are crowded with the victims of violence. Bedouin tribesmen recently cut the road to Sharm el-Sheikh. Women have been disappearing. Traders carry guns. Egypt's prime minister, Essam Sharaf, recently visited el-Arish. Hours after he left, a bomb blew up a pipeline that supplies gas to Jordan. "They may yet attack South Sinai's oil installations and tourist resorts." (23 June 2011, The Economist, The Bedouin of Sinai: Free but dangerous) The governor blames Islamic extremists for some of the trouble. Israel grabbed the Sinai in 1967, but handed it back in 1982. Israel would like the Sinai to be part Israel. How long before Israel grabs the Sinai from Egypt? According to The Economist, there could be a big Middle East war during 2011. "Unless remedial action is taken, 2011 might see the most destructive (Middle East) war for many years." (The United States, Israel and the Arabs.) Step 1 - topple Mubarak Step 2 - create turmoil in the Sinai Step 3 - invade If Israel is to invade the Sinai it needs an excuse. "A Coptic church in the Egyptian town of Rafah bordering the Gaza Strip was in flames on Saturday (5 January 2011), with witnesses reporting a blast... "Witnesses said they saw flames coming out of the Mar Girgis church in Rafah after hearing an explosion. Armed men on motorbikes were spotted near the church, one of them said." (Church in flames in Egypt's Sinai: witnesses) According to http://twelfthbough.blogspot.com/ (sabotage adds new dimension): Egyptian state TV reported 'dangerous explosions continuing from one spot to another' in the main source of gas supplying pipeline in El Arish. The attackers used explosives to blow up the 240km- long pipeline in the town of Lihfen in northern Sinai near the Gaza Strip and the army shut down the gas supplies to Israel and Jordan, Egyptian officials said. "It's big terrorist operation," the state-tv quoted an official as saying, who blamed the attack on "foreign elements." The attack on the pipeline came after Israel, which receives 40 per cent of its gas demand from Egypt, expressed concern that the supplies could be threatened if a new regime takes over in Cairo... The SITE intelligence group, which monitors Al-Qaeda and other Islamist websites, said some groups had been urging Islamic militants to attack the pipeline to Israel while the security situation in Egypt is in flux. Egypt is a modest gas exporter, using pipelines to export gas to Israel and also to Jordan and other regional states. SITE intelligence being, of course, Rita Katz, the notorious Zionist disinfo peddler of ZERO CREDIBILITY... Problems in the Sinai, problems that raise concerns in Israel about Israel's security, and which can be blamed on Islamic terrorists, would be very helpful to JUSTIFY some sort of military intervention. We assume that is one of Israel's goals - to occupy the Sinai. Turns out, the Israeli section was not hit. Subsequent reports said the attack struck a part of the pipeline carrying gas to Jordan. The Israeli section was not hit, but gas flow was interrupted to prevent damage. In his Cairo speech, Obama said: "I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world." The new beginning would seem to involve the USA destroying the last remaining parts of the Moslem world that are prosperous and at peace. Labels: Egypt, Israel, Sharm el Sheikh, Sinai CHILD ABUSE AND TOP PEOPLE? Jason Owen, linked to a child abuse ring and top people? In 2007, in the UK, 17 month old Peter Connelly, known as Baby P, was found dead with over 50 injuries. In 2008, Jason Owen was jailed in connection with the killing of Peter Connelly. In 2011, Jason Owen is to be released from prison. (Baby P's killer is demanding a new ID so he can live by the sea.) Owen has not been placed on the sex offenders' register. In the past, Owen has been investigated for alleged sex attacks on children. Peter Connelly The death of 'Baby P', in London in the UK, is said to have links to a paedophile ring involving top people. On 30th November 2010, we read that there is "No need for Baby Peter inquest, coroner rules." A cover-up to protect top people? Jason Swift has links to Baby P. In 1985, 14-year-old Jason Swift was killed by a child-abuse gang. Jason is believed to have lived in Islington council's Conewood Street children's home. A close male relative of Baby P reportedly recruited boys from children's homes in Islington for the child-abuse ring. Islington children were reportedly sent to Jersey, the island linked to child abuse. Peter Connelly receiving 60 visits from social workers, doctors and police at his home. At the same time, Peter suffered more than 50 serious injuries, including a broken back, over the eight-month period. Jason Owen When he was aged 13, Jason Owen (born Jason Barker) was accused of beating and raping an 11 year old girl. (Jason Owen. / Baby P killers unmasked.) Prosecutors decided not to prosecute. According to relatives, Jason Owen inflicted cigarette burns on his younger brother Steven Barker. By the time he was 20, Jason Owen had a string of convictions for burglaries, arson and assault. In 1995 police were asked to investigate allegations that Jason Owen tortured his grandmother. The charges were dropped after the grandmother died. In 1999 Jason Owen set fire to his own family's house. A few years later the police were asked to investigate allegations that Jason Owen had tried to kill his sister and burn down her house. Jason Owen stayed in the same home as Baby Peter. The Mail on Sunday reported that children from Islington childrens homes were taken to the 'child abuse' island of Jersey 'on unofficial visits'. A close relative of Baby P was reportedly involved with the Islington child abuse ring. Baby Peter suffered eight fractured ribs. The tip of his little finger was missing, when he was found dead in August 2007. Owen "had joined in the habitual ... kicking ... of the child, as the child was used as a 'punching bag'". (Baby P lodger s) Judges, led by Lord Justice Hughes, ruled that Owen's previous convictions and his sexual relationship with a 15-year- old girl at the time of Peter's death did not mean he posed a 'significant risk of serious harm' in the future. (Jason Owen.) Lord Justice Hughes has been tipped as a future Lord Chief Justice. Earlier in 2009, he cut the sentence imposed on a rapist who fathered 19 children with his two daughters. Baby Peter's mother is Tracey Connelly. A close male relative of Tracey Connolly was investigated over his alleged involvement in the Islington children's home scandal in the 1990s. "When the child abuse scandal that permeated Islington's homes was exposed in the 1990s the position of Connelly's relative was considered so serious that a separate report was written about him. "Known as Child A, he was targeted by the paedophile ring as a victim and then groomed into becoming a kind of pied piper, luring other children from Islington homes into the grips of the group of abusers." (Tracey Connelly. ) Channel 4 News revealed that Tracey was abused by a male relative in the 1990's. "This male relative was known to the authorities as Child A – a teenage pimp helping to run a care home paedophile ring in the London borough of Islington. "Child A had also been abused at the hands of a paedophile ring." Channel 4 News also revealed that Baby Peter’s grandfather and Tracey Connelly’s biological father, is a convicted sex offender. "He raped a minor in the Midlands in the 1970s and was convicted of another sex offence in the 80s." Tracey Connelly was convicted of allowing Baby Peter's brutal death. The Baby Peter murder may be linked to top freemasons? In 2007, Baby Peter was tortured to death. And his torturer may have friends in high places? Jason Owen told friends: "Me and a friend tortured someone... but we went a bit too far." (Sadist lodger Jason Owen.) In court, Jason Owen was blamed for Peter's death. Has he got friends in high places? When Baby Peter died, Jason Owen went to a campsite in Epping Forest, east of London, and helped dispose of bloodstained bedding and clothing. He was on bail until halfway through the trial. He was known to police. (Baby P: Jason Owen was nicknamed Fat Boy - Telegraph ) Eileen Fairweather, in the Mail on Sunday, has linked Baby Peter to Islington and Jersey ('I have known about Jersey paedophiles for 15 years,' says award-winning journalist.) Baby Peter, the Haringey boy, from Labour-run Haringey in London, was tortured to death by a satanist. On 16 November 2008, the Mail on Sunday tells us How a close male relative of Baby P is linked to a big paedophile ring. This child-abuse ring operated in Labour-run Islington, the part of London where Tony Blair once lived. Reportedly, the ring supplied boys to top people. (This child abuse ring, reportedly, has links to the child abuse in Jersey, which in turn, reportedly, has links to the Dutroux affair and the security services) The close male relative of Baby P reportedly recruited boys from children's homes in Islington for the child-abuse ring, according to a secret report seen by The Mail on Sunday. In the early 1990s, the relative, as a boy, was put in a children's home, in Labour-run Islington, in London. All 12 of the children's homes in Islington were being used by the child-abuse ring, which reportedly had links to top people. This ring included three pimps called Alan, John and George. Reportedly, the relative, then aged 13, was persuaded, by money, drugs and threats, to supply the pimps with young boys. The relative tried to blow the whistle. Reportedly, the relative told social workers the names of boys who were being ferried from the children's homes to various parts of London (Manor Park, Tottenham, Soho and Westminster) to ‘be buggered by old men’. Reportedly, none of the men were put under surveillance or questioned. Haringey Boy - Photo copyright Tim Stewart Whistleblowing Social worker Neville Mighty, who had received death threats, named the relative in a report. Neville Mighty contacted Islington’s then director of children’s services, Lyn Cusack, who is married to a senior policeman. In June 1992, Mighty was sacked. Liz Davies, the senior Islington social worker who encouraged Mighty to go public, said: 'We got too close. There were too many powerful people involved. 'Child sex, pornography and sadism are extremely lucrative industries.' In 1994, an independent report criticised the failure of police and social workers to help the relative. Bryn Estyn - one of many children's homes linked to child-abuse On 2 March 2008, Eileen Fairweather at the The Mail on Sunday had an excellent news story entitled 'I have known about Jersey paedophiles for 15 years,' says award-winning journalist. Eileen Fairweather described the links between child abuse in Islington in London and child abuse on the islands of Jersey and Guernsey. She also suggests possible cover-ups by top police and politicians. According to the Mail on Sunday article: 1. About 15 years ago, Detective Constable Peter Cook uncovered a child sex ring, with victims in both Britain and Jersey. Cook's police bosses barred Cook from alerting police abuse specialists in London. Inquiries by junior detectives were closed down by senior police officers. The child abuse ring members included an aristocrat, clerics and a social services chief. Their friends included senior police officers. Cook managed to meet people at the National Criminal-Intelligence Squad. Little happened. 2. In February 2008, 'a child's remains' were found at a former children's home on Jersey. More than 200 children who lived at Haut de la Garenne have described sexual and physical torture dating back to the Sixties. 3. There are the links between the child abuse at care homes in Islington, North London, and the child abuse on Jersey. 14-year-old Jason Swift, killed in 1985 by a paedophile gang, is believed to have lived in Islington council's Conewood Street home. Two sources claimed this. Every one of Islington's 12 care homes included staff who were paedophiles, child pornographers or pimps. Police secretly confirmed that several Islington workers were 'major operators in the supply of children for abuse and pornography'. Islington children were taken to Jersey 'on unofficial visits'. Government Minister Margaret Hodge, then council leader in Islington, denounced "gutter journalists" who supposedly bribed children to lie about abuse. (The Right Honourable Margaret Eve, Lady Hodge, MBE (née Margaret Oppenheimer; born September 1944, Cairo) is a British politician and Labour Party Member of Parliament for Barking. She was the first Minister for Children appointed in a newly created post within the Department for Education and Skills in 2001.) 5. Jersey social worker Simon Bellwood was sacked in 2007 after speaking out. Jersey health minister Stuart Syvret was sacked after publicising a suppressed report into abuse allegations. 6. In June 1991, police in Cambridgeshire raided the home of Neil Hocquart who abused children in Britain and Guernsey. Hocquart, along with a social worker from Jersey, supplied child pornography to a huge sex ring. Hocquart, nee Foster, was abused while in care in Norfolk and was eventually 'befriended' by Captain H. Hocquart of Vale, in Guernsey. Cambridgeshire police and a Scotland Yard squad raided Neil Hocquart's Swaffham Manor home in June 1991. At nearby Ely they found his friend, Walter Clack, who was also reportedly involved with child pornography. Police did not get a chance to properly interview these men. Hocquart died suddenly and Clack 'escaped with a £5,000 fine'. Scotland Yard detectives related that they found at least "two or three" wills of older men who died of apparent heart attacks shortly after leaving everything to Neil Hocquart. These deaths were never investigated. 7. Nicholas John Rabet, born on Jersey, was a friend of Hocquart's. Rabet became a childcare worker on Jersey. Later, Rabet became deputy superintendent of islington council's home at 114 Grosvenor Avenue. Rabet became a key supplier of children from Islington's care homes to paedophile rings. Rabet and a colleague took children on trips to Jersey. 'Allegations mounted but nothing was done'. Rabet befriended the widow of an American oil millionaire. This lady died after writing her will in Rabet's favour. Rabet inherited a property in Sussex, where he opened a children's activity centre. Children in Islington's care were regularly invited to stay there. Hocquart and Walter Clack became "volunteers" at this activity centre. Hocquart befriended one young boy called Shane (not his real name) who stayed at an islington care home. Sussex police raided Rabet's children's centre and then contacted Shane, at his Islington children's home. Shane confirmed months of 'abuse'. Attempts to investigate further 'were thwarted by Islington Council'. Islington 'falsely told Sussex officers it had no file material on Rabet or his alleged victim'. The independent White inquiry into the abuse in Islington children's homes found that "at assistant director level . . . many confidential files were destroyed by mistake, although there is no evidence of conspiracy." During the Rabet investigation, Islington refused to interview any other children in care or help Sussex police identify other children in Rabet's photos. Police decided not to prosecute. Shane told journalist Eileen Fairweather: "This goes right to the top. You have no idea how big this is." Fairweather writes: "Third World police... succeeded where Britain's finest in Cambridgeshire, Sussex, London and Jersey had failed." Rabet was arrested in Thailand in 2006 and charged with abusing 30 boys, some as young as six. Thai police believed he had abused at least 300. Rabat was never tried. He died suddenly on 12 May 2006. 8. Two other Jersey-born social workers also worked in Islington. One arranged sailing trips to Guernsey; the other sent children to Rabet's centre. Both were accused of abuse. 9. When Detective Constable Cook travelled to Guernsey, he met two brothers whom Hocquart 'delivered to a high-ranking, respected local man to rape'. Reportedly no action was taken by senior police. Jason Swift In 1985, 14-year-old Jason Swift was killed by a child-abuse gang. Jason is believed to have lived in Islington council's Conewood Street children's home. (Jersey child abuse link to Islington, London) Sidney Cooke, Leslie Bailey, Robert Oliver, and Lennie Smith, were imprisoned in 1989 for the manslaughter of Jason Swift. Cooke and his gang had sexually tortured and prostituted a number of boys. The gang is believed to have killed at least nine children.[2] Cooke was sentenced to 19 years in prison. In 1998, Cooke was let out of prison eight years early. There have been allegations that very powerful people have been involved in a child-abuse ring connected to Islington children's homes. ( Jersey child abuse link to Islington, London) In 1982 Margaret Hodge (nee Oppenheimer) became Islington council leader. She became a close friend of Tony Blair, who lived in Islington, a few doors away from Hodge. In February 1990 Liz Davies and David Cofie, senior social workers, discovered evidence of sex abuse of children and reported it to a residents' meeting attended by Mrs Hodge. In May 1990 Mr Cofie and Ms Davies were told by Lyn Cusack, assistant director of social services, to stop interviewing children about the abuse claims. On 1 May 1997 Tony Blair moved from Islington to Downing Street. In June 2003 Mrs Hodge was made minister for Children. (Another minister under fire: call for Hodge to quit over child ...) The Independent, 9 March 2008, has an article on missing children (Our children are missing: Most vulnerable youngsters are targeted) which tells us the following: Sarah Benford, 14, disappeared from Welford House children's home in Northampton in April 2000. She is still missing. The UK's Police National Missing Persons Bureau has 1,418 "open cases" of missing children. According to Police figures more than 100 children who should be in care have been missing for at least four years. Many children who go missing are not reported to the police. Member of parliament Helen Southworth says: "All figures on children missing from anywhere are estimates because, astonishingly, there is no requirement for data to be recorded or collected nationally." Almost 1,000 children went missing from UK residential and foster care in 2007. The number that went missing from care increased from 570 in 1997 to 950 in 2007. CHILD ABUSE AND THE POLICE aangirfan: MADELEINE, CHILD ABUSE RING IN BELGIUM, FASCIST ... aangirfan: JASON OWEN; A CHILD ABUSE RING aangirfan: BABY PETER COVER-UP; TOP CHILD ABUSE RING aangirfan: JERSEY CHILD ABUSE COVER UP; VICTIM SENTENCED aangirfan: BABY PETER AND A TOP CHILD ABUSE NETWORK aangirfan: CHILDREN TRAFFICKED FOR SEX Labels: Baby P, Child abuse, Jason Owen, Jason Swift RUSSIAN PLANE CRASH SABOTAGE? The Russian nuclear experts killed in the plane crash, in Russia, on 20 June 2011, helped design a nuclear facility in Iran. Iranian nuclear scientists have in the past been involved in unexplained accidents and plane crashes. Designer of Indian N-reactor killed in Russian plane crash Sergei Ryzhov, the chief designer of the nuclear reactors built by Russia in foreign countries, including India, was among those killed. The whole leadership of the designers units of Russia's state nuclear corporation was killed when the Tu-134 passenger plane crash landed in the northern republic of Karelia. Posted by Anon at 1:14 PM 1 comment: Labels: Iran, Nuclear, Russia MOSLEMS USED TO BREAK UP MOSLEM COUNTRIES Brigadier Ali Khan, who has been arrested in Pakistan, due to his reported links to Hizb ut Tahrir, an organisation said to be working for the CIA and MI6. The CIA and its friends reportedly use the organisation called Hizb ut Tahrir to break up Moslem countries, such as Libya and Pakistan. Hizb ut Tahrir has links to the CIA's Operation Gladio and its Ergenekon operation in Turkey (Gladio-style terror in Istanbul, New York, Jakarta ...) Hizb ut Tahrir has close links to the CIA's Muslim Brotherhood (Israel and the Pentagon.),which is now so powerful in Egypt and elsewhere. Working for MI6? On 22 June 2011 we learn that, in Pakistan, a top military man, Brigadier Ali Khan, has been arrested for having links with CIA-backed militants A Pakistan military spokesman has said that brigadier Ali Khan is linked to Hizb ut Tahrir. Talking to a private television channel, the spokesman said that Hizb ut Tahrir is linked to the United Kingdom. In the Pakistan Observer, on 24 June 2011, an article entitled Hizb ut Tahrir and the MI6 connection tells us more: Pakistan military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas says Ali Khan, and four others, were detained for questioning on their links with London-based Islamist party Hizb ut Tahrir (HuT). HuT is an international political organisation which seeks the establishment of a global Islamic Caliphate. HuT has close ties to MI6, according to certain analysts. HuT is said to be part of the plot to destabilise Pakistan. Former President Pervez Musharraf complained to the UK that HuT was involved in a campaign against the Pakistan military. HuT has been active in the Middle East. It has been part of the plot to overthrow Arab regimes. In the Arab countries, it infiltrates the armed forces, and then tries to bring about military coups. After the Abbottabad raid, HuT has been making use of Facebook, Twitter, posters and processions in order to stir things up in Pakistan. From 1986 to 1996, under leadership of Syrian born Omar Bakri Muhammad, HuT grew from a very small organization in Britain to become one of the most active Islamic organization in Pakistan. In 1996 Bakri moved to Al-Mujahajiroun. Experts believe that HuT is used by MI6 as part of the Anglo-American strategy to contain the influence of the Russians and Chinese in the Central Asian Republics. HuT is reportedly linked to the Muslim Brotherhood which has long been a front for the CIA and MI6. The Muslim Brotherhood has been used by MI6 and CIA to weaken independent governments in the Middle East. Presently, the HuT has been given the task of destabilizing Pakistan by targeting the armed forces. Hizb ut Tahrir and the MI6 connection Labels: Ali Khan, CIA, Hizb ut Tahrir, MI6, Muslim Brotherhood, Pakistan SEX TOURISM Mumbai. In the 19th century, there are reports of sex tourism. American women liked to visit North American Indians and European women liked to visit Turkey 'to enjoy sex far from home'. (Womens Sex Tourism) Imagine a pretty fishing village on the coast of some tropical land. Rich guys buy up the beachfront for a very low price and build hotels. Drug peddling and prostitution arrive. Some of the prostitutes will be children as young as 7. The prostitution of boys is said to be the fastest growing trade in the sex industry. ('Sun-Surf-Sex Tourism' in Samar Magazine) Some young males service older women. Some middle aged male child abusers set up orphanages for boys. Ruan is 7 years old and has been used in pornographic films, made by a group of German 'tourists'. ('Sun-Surf-Sex Tourism' in Samar Magazine) 7 year-old Menaka is a prostitute. She has "no smile on her face, and her wide eyes register only fear." ('Sun-Surf-Sex Tourism' in Samar Magazine) The favourite destinations for women seeking sex tourism include Israel and Jamaica. (Female sex tourism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) One Asian country is reported to have 1.2 million child prostitutes. Many Arabs like to travel to India for child sex. (Fly-by-night bridegrooms / One minor girl, many Arabs) "Often bearded, invariably in flowing robes and expensive turbans... "The Arabs usually 'marry' the girls for short periods, sometimes just a single night." What about other parts of the world? "In a sleazy hotel room, 'Brittany,' then aged 16 and drugged into oblivion, waited for the men to arrive. "Her pimps send as many as 17 clients an evening through the door. This took place in Atlanta, in the U.S. Bible Belt. "Men fly in, are met by pimps, have sex with a 14-year-old for lunch, and get home in time for dinner with the family," said Sanford Jones, the chief juvenile judge of Fulton County, Georgia. Child sexual exploitation is believed to be the world's third-biggest money maker for organized crime. http://today.reuters.com/News/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=N03210934 Sex tourist destinations are not safe. 48 year old tourist Peter A was found dead in his hotel room in Soi Pattayaland 3, in Pattaya. The deceased's room had been ransacked and there was blood all over the bathroom, according to the Pattaya Mail. 40 year old tourist Erich B fell from his Pattaya hotel room to his death. Earlier, a local Thai had been seen coming out of his room, according to the Pattaya Mail. 43 year old Oleg C was found dead in his Pattaya hotel room. He had been beaten. A tourist in his 50's was found dead in a locked room... "Within a two month period, there have been 7 foreigner deaths (in Pattaya)" reported the Pattaya Mail in a recent edition. 42 year old Peter D was assaulted by a gang of knife wielding thugs and had to receive 70 stitches. The attack took place at a bar on Soi 2, in Pattaya. 35 year old Brian E lost most of his valuables when his South Pattaya hotel room was burgled.... The Pattaya Mail had a report about money being extracted from tourists, by the police. "There are police behind the scenes helping the foreign mafia do their dirty work," reported the Pattaya Mail. Female tourists are not necessarily totally safe in Thailand. 23 year-old Johanne M from Cheshire was raped and murdered by a Thai monk. Her body was found south-west of Bangkok. 24-year old Kirsty J was raped and killed in a guesthouse in Chiang Mai. On the island of Phuket a 22 year old student from Lanarkshire was brutally raped. Posted by Anon at 7:46 AM 11 comments: Labels: sex, tourism FINANCIAL CRISIS IN US AND UK NOT RESOLVED; BIG CO... THE CIA'S NINJAS AND PENTACOSTALISTS TO MAKE INDON... IS TURKEY PART OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER? WHAT NATO IS DOING IN LIBYA PROSTITUTION AND TERROR USED BY FOREIGN SPOOKS IN ... ISRAEL AND BANKERS GAIN FROM ARAB SPRING THE FAKE STORY THAT STARTED THE CIA COUP IN TUNISI... JEWS IN INDONESIA BOMBING OF CIVILIANS IN LIBYA DELIBERATE? THE SYRIA CONSPIRACY HEADLEY; AMERICAN CONSULATE; RANA NOT GUILTY CIA TO TOPPLE KAYANI? LORD GLENCONNER; WEST INDIAN MANSERVANT; TOP PEOPL... WHO IS THE GIRL? THE USA VERSUS BRICS SECRET BACKERS Dodgem NATO BOMBS CIVILIANS IN LIBYA THE GLOBAL ELITE AND THE SUPPRESSION OF DISSENT FRANK MULHOLLAND AND LOCKERBIE WHOSE WAR? ISRAEL'S BANK GOVERNOR TO HEAD IMF? RIGGED - BOXING AND MUSIC? HERE IN ST MORITZ LOCKERBIE - NEW EVIDENCE THAT 'BOMBER' IS INNOCENT... BLACK ECONOMY; DEAD CHINAMAN THAI GIRL; THAI BOY; TV TERRORISTS ALLOWED TO ESCAPE DO COMPETITIONS GET FIXED BY GAMBLING SYNDICATES? RONAN, JAI AND THE BOOKIES USA WANTS COUP IN BAHRAIN RONAN PARKE - WAS IT RIGGED? GAY NAZIS BANKS CONSPIRACY; LIBYA, 9 11, 7 7 THE GROOMING OF RONAN PARKE MCKINNEY IN LIBYA ORGY WITH LITTLE BOYS CHRISTINE LAGARDE WORKS FOR US CORPORATIONS? Pakistan, Colton Burpo, Omar bin Laden RONAN PARKE THE NEW JUSTIN BIEBER? WHO KILLED JOURNALIST? PAKISTAN'S WAR ON CIA INFIL... 700 CIVILIANS KILLED BY NATO IN LIBYA OSAMA DEAD CONSPIRACY 'OSAMA' COMPOUND USED HARDLY ANY ELECTRICITY OSAMA 'WAS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN' PAKISTAN'S ENEMY WITHIN?	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line828
__label__wiki	0.557719	0.557719	Join Bega Valley game changers Register for our events Bega Valley Citizen of the Year nominations now open Ian Campbell 11 November 2019 Bega Valley Mayor, Cr Kristy McBain conducting the citizenship ceremony in Bega on Australian Day 2019. Photo: Ian Campbell. Nominations are now open for the Bega Valley Shire’s Citizen, Young Citizen (under 25) and Senior Citizen (over 65) of the Year, Sportsperson of the Year and the Australia Day awards. Council is calling on residents to recognise the efforts of friends, neighbours, colleagues and family. Mayor, Kristy McBain says, “It’s a highlight of the year to present these special awards to recognise these outstanding achievers and community champions for their hard work and determination in enriching the social fabric of the shire.” “The awards are a great way to honour those who work hard to make our community a better place; those who quietly and selflessly help others.” Nominations should include information about a person’s service to the community or of a distinguished performance over the past 12 months. Winners will be acknowledged on Australian Day 2020. We package up the most-read About Regional stories of the past week and send direct to your inbox every Tuesday afternoon. Subscribing is the easiest way to keep up, in one hit. By submitting your email address you are agreeing to About Regional’s terms and conditions. In 2019, Tathra’s Deb Alker was named the Bega Valley Citizen of the Year on Australia Day following her work with Tathra’s bushfire recovery. “When the people of Tathra were reeling from the tragedy and trying to adjust to a ‘new normal’ Deb at the Post Office was a mainstay of normality for many,” Cr Mc Bain said at the time. “Even though some of Deb’s family and friends lost their homes in the fire, Deb was committed to keeping the Post Office services running as normal, and in so doing she provided an important community hub, disseminating and sharing vital information about bushfire-related services and meetings, offering people a reassuring chat, and providing that all-important social glue in a time of great stress and distress. “As a grateful resident said, – Going to the Post Office was a little bit like going home – especially for those of us who had no home to return to.” To nominate someone for the 2020 awards, visit Council’s website, email [email protected] or deliver nominations to any Council office by November 24. For more information contact the Executive Assistants on 6499 2222. Bega Valley Year 10 students pitch solutions to real-world problems The problem: Marley, from Wolumla, is 15 and wants to go to Merimbula to meet friends and go shopping. She's... Bega Valley draft climate resilience strategy open for comment now The highly anticipated and widely debated Bega Valley Shire Council draft Climate Change Resilience Strategy 2050 is available now and... Young Canberra Citizen of the Year makes every week National Recycling Week James Jayatilaka has recently been named Young Canberra Citizen of the Year 2019 in the environment and sustainability section for... Future land use up for discussion in Bega Valley Two important draft land use strategies are currently on public exhibition; summer reading for residents of Bega Valley Shire Council. Council...	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line830
__label__cc	0.73459	0.26541	Tag: autistic experience Autism and Handwriting This week I’d like to talk about something that you may not be aware is an issue for autists- handwriting. Experts have noted that a large number of autists have difficulties with handwriting skills and in particular tend to have worse quality in forming letters than their age matched neurotypical peers. Seems a trivial issue I know, but the affliction of “doctor’s scrawl” can be incredibly frustrating, and particularly challenging for written examinations. In my childhood I picked up handwriting itself fairly easily (I was so proud that I was one of the few who could write their name before they started school! 😎), however, when it came to learning joined writing- that was an entirely different kettle of fish! I was ABYSMAL (still am to be fair, unless I try hard! 😛 ). Everyone else in my class had no issue with handwriting, but just as with knitting, skipping, cycling and tying my shoelaces, I fell way behind. My mother even bought me loads of special inky/gel pens to try to encourage and improve my technique. Granted, I got there in the end (well sort of…it’s still an untidy scrawl, but it is joined up!), however, it was extremely frustrating to develop this skill. So why is handwriting such a struggle? Based on the research it seems that the difficulties autists experience with handwriting are related to hand muscle strength and poor control of finger movements. Moreover, many of the regions of the brain associated with handwriting such as the superior frontal sulcus and the cerebellum, are altered in the autistic brain. Some autists may also suffer from a co-morbid condition known as dysgraphia- a neurological condition that impacts handwriting and coherence (I’ll write a separate post on this at a later stage) which would explain why some autists struggle with handwriting tasks more than others. So is there anyway to improve handwriting issues? Time, practice and patience are key when it comes to handwriting difficulties, however encouraging an autist to use their hands more for such activities as colouring or working with play doh will help to improve finer motor skills, which will in turn help to improve issues with handwriting. I also found in my experience, as simple as it was, that the pens my mother bought were quite useful in helping me to develop my joined writing skills. Although the inkier pens can be a little messy, there was far less resistance as they moved across the paper, allowing me to develop and better control my handwriting. If however handwriting is proving particularly challenging, from an academic perspective it may be helpful to look into getting a scribe for exams or to ask your teacher if they will accept typed homework (I’ve strangely never had the same coordination issues with typing as I’ve had with handwriting!🤷) Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings! 🙂 Autism on Screen- Atypical (Season 2) Following on from last years discussion of the Netflix smash ‘Atypical‘, I wanted to see how the second season fared in it’s portrayal of autism 🙂 In case you need a reminder, ‘Atypical‘ focuses on autistic teenager Sam as he navigates his senior year of high school. The show also focuses on Sam’s wider family and friends so that we are not given a mere one dimensional look at the reality of living with autism. Picking up where the last season left off, ‘Atypical‘ follows Sam through the latter half of his senior year in high school, charting his girl trouble, struggles with change, and his fears and ambitions for life after school. The season in particular focuses a great deal on the difficulties Sam experiences with change as he comes to terms with the consequences of his mother’s affair, needing to find a new therapist, his sisters transfer to a private school along with an assortment of other changes associated with the end of his school days. You can check out the trailer for season 2 here: Just like last season, I highly enjoyed this refreshing and endearingly comedic portrayal of autism. The acting was again excellent and I believe that the show gave a well rounded view of the autistic experience. What I liked in particular about this season was Sam’s support group. In order to prepare himself for “the abyss” or his future after graduation, Sam joins a group for high-school seniors with ASD’s. The good thing about this group meant that it allowed for other autistic characters and their traits to shine through in the series. In addition to this, many of these group members were themselves on the spectrum (as the first series was criticized for not making greater use of spectrum actors) which meant that we actually saw a realistic portrayal of several spectrum characters! 😀 This was great for showcasing autistic women, especially as one of the characters was shown to have “super empathy” after stealing Sam’s art portfolio to keep him from going to college as he was afraid of becoming a starving artist! 😂 Additionally the struggles to regulate tone were also evident in this group- a common trait with limited awareness. Furthermore the season highlighted a growing area of importance- first responder autism training. Sam get’s overwhelmed when he attempts to sleep over at his friend Zahid’s house and leaves for home in his PJs. He is subsequently arrested for his odd behaviour in his attempts to “stim” and calm down, even after Zahid tells the officer that he is autistic. Here in Ireland, autism charity AsIAm are particularly dedicated to offering training to a number of services in the public sector for encounters such as this one: https://asiam.ie/our-work/asiam-public-sector-training/ However, there was one major issue in this season, which we Irish found highly irksome- the mispronunciation (or absolute butchering) of Kilkea, Athy, Co. Kildare (https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/banter/trending/irish-netflix-viewers-bemused-by-atypical-characters-pronunciation-of-kildare-athy-and-kilkea-37308271.html). This town was pronounced as kill-kay-ah, ath-ee, county kill-daahr. For the record- it’s pronounced kill-key, a-thigh, county kill-dare (literally no reason to mispronounce the last one! 😛 ). I didn’t even realize where they were talking about until they said Ireland at the end! Perhaps the scriptwriters would do well to double check their place names in future 😛 All in all I highly enjoyed the sophomore season of ‘Atypical‘ and would highly recommend this quirky comedy for a weekend binge watch 🙂 Have you ever had any burning questions about autism that you’d like answered? Is there any aspect of autism that you’d like to know more about? For the past 18 months, you’ve listened to my ramblings about life on the spectrum, but now I’d like to turn it over to you guys! 🙂 For some time now I’ve been meaning to start a series called “Ask an Aspie” to allow you the opportunity to ask me questions/address the spectrum topics that you want to know more about 🙂 So write me a comment or send me an email and let me know what YOU want to know most about! 😀 Enjoy the weekend Earthlings! 🙂 Sheldon Cooper- A Case Study So today I’d like to take a quick look at one of the most famous TV characters in recent years- ‘The Big Bang Theory’s‘ Sheldon Cooper. Strictly speaking, the show’s creators have said that Sheldon is not specifically autistic (and have been frequently criticized for stereotyping autistic behaviour), however, the evidence is overwhelming that he is a cornucopia of autistic traits. In fact, having seen every episode (and many episodes dozens of times thanks to the constant replays on E4!), I believe that he has demonstrated practically every single common autistic trait, and also many rarer traits which the average viewer may miss. In case you haven’t seen him in action, here’s a video of some of his best “sheldonisms:” So let’s take a closer look at who exactly is Dr. Sheldon Cooper? Sheldon is a socially awkward, routine obsessed, theoretical particle physicist of genius intellect (cough stereotype!) who’s array of outrageous quirks have been the cornerstone of ‘The Big Bang Theory’s‘ enduring success. Much of the show’s humour hinges on Sheldon’s OCD, specialist interests (such as trains, physics, comic books and sci-fi), mind blindness and bluntness, with particular attention to his struggles to perceive sarcasm. Sheldon constantly has to be coached on appropriate social behaviour, including one particularly memorable episode where he had to practice smiling to feign support when his friend Raj was being obscenely obnoxious. It may surprise you to hear that many autists have struggles with smiling, particularly in forced situations such as in front of the camera (or in Sheldon’s case in an attempt to endear himself). I certainly went through a phase of not knowing what to do with my face in pictures as a child- there’s some pretty awful photos of me from one particular holiday until I copped how creepy it looked 😬! Sheldon has also shown signs of synaesthesia (a phenomenon where one sense is perceived in terms of another i.e. hearing colours, smelling sounds etc- which I will talk about in a later post), a common, but not widely known autistic trait in the following scene: Immortalized by the line “I’m not crazy; my mother had me tested!” (a line which I have jovially used since my own diagnosis 😛 😉 ), Sheldon can be a lot to handle. His narcissism, OCD, TMI and childish tendencies whilst comedic, often alienate him from friends, family and the world in general. As annoying as Sheldon can be however, we have seen huge improvement in his character over the course of the last 11 seasons- he has become more socially aware of others, more in sync with the ins and outs of humour, more comfortable with touch and has even bagged himself a girlfriend who will soon become his wife in the current season finale 🙂 This character development is particularly poignant as it shows how in spite of the difficulties associated with autism, with time, effort and a LOT of patience, autists can overcome so much! 😀 All in all whilst Sheldon’s character is highly exaggerated with many stereotypical autistic behaviours, I think it’s really important that a character like Sheldon features so prominently in a prime time TV show to help normalize the autistic experience, and more importantly to see the lighter side of things. So often we fail to see the funny side of autism- what can you do but laugh when Disney films trigger a happiness meltdown (wouldn’t know anything about that happening…😬😂)?! Autism on Screen- Please Stand By In this weeks edition of ‘autism on screen’, we’re going to take a look at a brand new film about autism- the 2018 film ‘Please Stand By.‘ What’s that I see in the poster? A young woman with autism?! 😲 Nice to see Hollywood change things up a bit! So what’s the story about? Starring Dakota Fanning (was wondering what she was up to these days after Twlight!), ‘Please Stand By‘ tells the story of Wendy, a girl with Asperger’s syndrome living in a home for people with disabilities. When the opportunity arises to enter a screenwriting contest for ‘Star Trek‘ fan-fiction, Wendy must step outside her comfort zone and boldly cross the country alone (she ran away- a common trait in autistic women) in order to get her script to the studio on time. You can check out the trailer for the film here: So how did this film fare in it’s depiction of autism? Well…as excited as I was to see this film…the reality did not live up to my expectations. Indeed, Wendy showed the classic signs of autism- meltdowns, lack of eye contact, preference for routine, social awkwardness, literal thinking etc., but she did not stand out as a unique character. She was quirky, but there was nothing unique about her quirks, unlike Sigourney Weaver and her fondness for snow in ‘Snow Cake.‘ Surprisingly, Wendy didn’t appear to be a savant as in other films, however, she did have superb recall of the minutia of her specialist interest ‘Star Trek‘! I am a little shocked seeing as her character was so derivative in other respects! 😛 What really bugs me about this film however were the missed opportunities. As Wendy spends much of this film by herself, ‘Please Stand By‘ had the perfect opportunity to focus in on the challenges of a high functioning female autist. To the outside world, most autistic women appear fine; we employ learned/observed techniques to blend in- known as ‘masking’. However, behind closed doors it’s a very different story. Case in point-check out this clip from last week’s Channel 4 documentary ‘Are You Autistic‘: You would never know that these women are on the spectrum, but you could pick Wendy out of a lineup! The film uses a lot of narrative introspection to give us some insight (albeit minor) into the autistic psyche, but alas the full potential here was not harnessed. Wendy mainly spoke in ‘Star Trek‘ quotes which while poignant, this narrative could have been put to better use to give us true insight into the speed/and or disordered array of thought within the autistic mind. I often compare my thoughts to that of Marisa Tomei’s character in ‘What Women Want‘ (which by the way is just as funny 18 years on as it was when it was released… Man I feel old!😬). To be quite frank, the film is kind of forgettable (I even had to look up Wendy’s name she left that little of an impression on me!)- it just didn’t draw me in and I found it incredibly tedious. But as I say with all these films- if you think it’s your thing, why not check it out? One man’s trash is another man’s treasure after all! 🙂 This week I’m going to discuss an important issue for many people on the spectrum- going to the dentist. I know- no one ever really enjoys going to the dentist (except maybe Bill Murray in ‘Little Shop of Horrors‘! 😛 ), but for autists in particular, visits to the dentist can be quite traumatic. For many, the invasion of space can be an issue, for others, a trip to the dentist can aggravate sensory sensitivities (the sensation of brushing, the taste of toothpaste, the smell of latex gloves etc). Thankfully I have never had any major issues with going to the dentist (aside from one unpleasant incident where the anesthetic didn’t take and I felt the drill hit a nerve…), nevertheless it wouldn’t be one of my favourite activities. The high pitched squeal of the tools, the scraping sensation against my teeth, the needles (shudder!)- it’s not the most pleasant of experiences inside my head! There’s a lot of fist clenching! 😛 So how might we navigate an autists difficulties at the dentist? Here are just a few tips and tricks that might benefit parents, dentists and autists alike: Inquire if your dentist is autism friendly– Have they had autistic patients before? Do they have any special tools or techniques to make the visit more comfortable? Do they take any sensory interventions such as dimming the lights, providing sunglasses or minimizing any loud noises that may startle the child? Prepare for a dental visit– Help to desensitize an autist to the experience by story-boarding a trip to the dentist with them so that they know what to expect. When it comes to anxiety, the fear of the unknown is often greater than the reality of the experience. Why not inquire if your dentist will allow you to visit the surgery/send pictures to desensitize your child to the environment and meet the staff before coming in for the real thing? 🙂 Wear noise cancelling headphones– whilst this may not be as effective as in other situations given that the tools are operating so close to the ears, nevertheless this may help to take the edge off any noise related issues. Weighted blanket– A weighted blanket sitting on your lap could be quite beneficial in calming an autist. As I’ve discussed previously, the deep pressure stimulation can calm the mind and put the autist at ease. X-ray jackets can also be used to substitute for a weighted blanket. Comforters such as soft toys or other sensory items that autists use to ‘stim‘ can also be useful to help put them at ease. Communication is key– as I’ve said above, the unknown is often one of the more unsettling aspects of a dental visit for an autist. Talk them through each step, show them what you are planning to do to their teeth, allow them to see and feel the tools- testing a motion on the hand can be useful to desensitize an autist prior to the oral exam. Rewards and Bribery– what child doesn’t love a good bribe to motivate them to get through their dental appointment?! There’s a lot to be said for the power and promise of a treat (I may have even bribed myself with a trip to the cinema to motivate me to get this post finished on time! 😂) Sedation– though not the best of options, this can sometimes be the only way for particularly anxious autists or those with gagging issues to get through a visit to the dentist. I’ve also found this useful video about visiting the dentist if you want to check it out: You can also find more information in the following link: https://www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/documents/dentalguide.pdf So there we have it Earthlings! I hope you’ve found this post useful 🙂 Dental care isn’t always the easiest for an autist, but remember, prevention is always best- so get try to find a toothpaste that you like, pick the right toothbrush (soft bristles can be helpful) and take care of those pearly whites! 🙂 Autism and Smell As I mentioned in last weeks post on taste sensitivity, this week we’re going to discuss sensitivity to smell in autism. As with other senses we have discussed, autists can be either hyposensitive or hypersensitive to odours. One autist may enter a malodorous environment without noticing anything amiss, another autist may wretch, or worse! As a child, my nose was particularly sensitive to my environment (although judging by how I could taste the beer my friends were drinking yesterday evening from the fumes alone, this may still be the case on occasion 😛 ). Bad smells were especially trying- the smell of salads, fish, cigarette smoke, incense, even something so simple as a bag of popcorn could easily turn my stomach. But it wasn’t all bad- this sensitivity comes with a heightened appreciation for pleasant smells too 🙂 Baking, chocolate, nice perfumes, the outdoors, the smell of metal (don’t ask me why I love this one so much- must be something to do with my taste in music! 😛 😉 )- in fact, such smells are not only a sensory sensation, but can also be used to help calm an autist. As easily as an unpleasant smell could unsettle me, the right smell could calm me back down again as a child. I always kept a teddy or a blanket near at hand that I could smell to help soothe and calm me and to lull me off to sleep- I couldn’t sleep without one particular teddy until I was 16! ^^^^My teddy was a lot more raggedy than this…😬 So why does smell affect autists so much? Interestingly, some studies indicate that there are no differences in sensitivity to smell between autists and their neurotypical peers, however, much research points to the cortex of the brain. This region is heavily involved in smell processing, and yep, you guessed it- the autistic brain shows signs of dysfunction in this region. In fact, the pre-frontal cortex shows signs of overgrowth and excessive linkage in the neurons (just like an overloaded plug), so no wonder sensory perception is altered in autists! This region is also associated with the formation and retrieval of long term memories, which could also explain why smells are often tied to memory recall in autists (which I will explore in more detail at a later stage 🙂 ). One study also shows that autists may not inhale smells in the same way to their neurotypical peers. Evidence suggests that autists inhale deeply and intensely for both pleasant and unpleasant smells, whereas neurotypicals will tentatively sniff in the presence of an offending odour, which could further explain differences in scent processing. In addition to this, research suggests that alterations in smell can influence social behaviours. A recent study in fact suggest that autists cannot smell fear and that there is a reversal in their response to fear. In this study, a group of autists were calm when presented with a sample of sweat from a skydiver, whereas their neurotypical peers exhibited classic signs of fear. In contrast, their fear levels increased when presented with the sweat sample from a calm individual! In other words, an autists social behaviour may be affected by an inability to interpret social cues carried in odours- the mind boggles! So there we have it dear Earthlings- hope this post didn’t ‘stink’ too badly 😛 😉	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line839
__label__cc	0.670962	0.329038	Posted by Kody in Uncategorized 50 shades abuse, domestive violence, plagiarism, twilight So this week in twitter-land I started to feel like I had fallen out of a Cranes song: “Where am I? Where am I?” –but without the awesome bass drop 😦 I think it’s pretty clear by this point what my feelings are about Fifty Shades of Grey. If you aren’t sure, see my earlier post. Let’s begin with this: We recently discovered that in an article, E.L. James said she is “freaked out” when people claim they see domestic violence in 50shades, and that people who claim such are “trivializing” the experiences of real domestic violence victims. Yeah…. Jenny Trout offers up a fabulous rebuttal. So we keep trying to explain to E. L. James that domestic violence victims are the ones trying to bring awareness to domestic violence in her books. We just want her to acknowledge this. Word on the street is that she won’t listen. So on twitter it popped up in my stream that someone told a CG “role player” (because apparently that’s a thing now, God help us) that Christian Grey is a wife beater. Some kind of back and forth arguing ensued, at which point E.L. James herself jumped in and recommended that her followers not “feed the trolls.” So I replied, “Please consider the fact that those who see domestic abuse in your books aren’t trivializing it, since they actually lived it.” Update: as of the end of 2017, still blocked. I did not accuse, I did not blame, I did not name call. I asked her to consider a different opinion from her own. She could have engaged in an informative discussion with me, and considered my point. But no. We all know what happed. She blocked me. She blocks everyone who suggests there is domestic violence in her books. So moving on… People might be wondering, “If you hate 50shades so much, don’t you also hate Twilight?” Well, no, I don’t hate Twilight. I actually kind of like it. I like vampires, and I like sparkly things. But let’s be clear: if someone asks, “Don’t you see coercion/abuse in the way Edward treats Bella?” my answer is going to be, “Yes, yes I do.” If someone approaches me about the domestic violence issues in Twilight, I’m not going to tell them they are wrong, because there is evidence of domestic violence there. Here’s something I understand, that apparently many people cannot fathom: it is possible to be a fan of something and still admit that it is flawed. Did everybody get that? It’s not complicated. It is possible to be a fan of something and still admit that it is flawed. If people feel like they need to speak out about domestic violence in Twilight, they should go right ahead. I’m not going to tell them they are wrong, I’m not going to try to stop them, and I am certainly not going to say, “Who cares? It’s just a book!” But I’m not flipping out over the abuse in Twilight the way I am over 50shades for several reasons. First and foremost: the young adult fiction Twilight is not being touted as the most romantic book ever, it is not supposedly revolutionizing and reinvigorating women’s sex lives, and it is not being held up as a (flawed and horribly wrong) “how-to” for kinky/taboo sex. (At least I hope to God everything I said just now is true. Because if grown women are using Twilight for their sex lives, I’m sorry but that is a book about teenagers. Gross on you.) [Addendum: if you want to fantasize about the grown, totally legal actors from the movies and not the underage characters that they portray, that’s your business.] Second: Twilight is about vampires. There are some things in Twilight that I can see applying to a world of vampires. Example: Edward is an anal-retentive asshole control freak. I mean, he really is. He’s also over a hundred years old, and just fell in love for the first time. So while it’s still crappy of him to do some of the things he does, it makes sense in a sick kind of way that he would be paranoid, jealous and controlling of his new girlfriend. Another example: in 50shades, Ana can’t tell anyone what’s really going on because she signed a piece of paper, and if she tells, at worst it will piss off Christian — the man that she loves/is terrified of angering. In Twilight, Bella can’t tell anyone what’s really going on because she’s involved in a secret world of vampires, and if she tells she will either be silenced by the creepy-evil vamps or end up locked in a padded room. In one of these two books, the forced silence is way more disturbing than the other (hint: it’s not the one with the creepy vamps). Third (and this one is important): Twilight is about vampires. Wait, I already said that. But let’s talk about it just a little longer. Girls can dream about meeting their Edward or their Jacob all they want. But we live in the real world, and no matter how much some teenage girl hopes, she is never going to meet a seventeen year old vampire or a sixteen year old werewolf. We know that this is purely fantasy, and as much as that teenager might dream of falling in love with a vamp, deep down she knows that this is the real world, and vampires are not a part it. Therefore, the fantasy of this unhealthy relationship is already punctured (pun intended) by its very nature. Women have, however, talked about how much they want their own Christian Grey, and while most men won’t be so ridiculously rich, there are controlling, abusive men just like Grey out there who are more than pleased that so many women suddenly want them. Now, all of that was not to argue against people who see/speak out about domestic violence in Twilight. Those are my own personal reasons for being so much more concerned about the 50shades examples of domestic violence. Randomness on the writing of 50shades vs. Twilight: Both have been held up as examples of bad writing. I think –if bad writing were a contest –50shades would win hands down. Here’s why: they both could use some work, but 50shades has themes geared towards adults, so it would stand to reason that it should be written at an adult level. Twilight is aimed at a young adult audience, so expecting it to be written at an adult level is silly. If anyone still hasn’t figured out why I keep talking about 50shades in conjunction to Twilight, it’s because 50shades is a direct plagiarism of Twilight. I’ve heard the argument, “50shades isn’t about vampires and werewolves! How can it be plagiarism?” So I’m going to take some time to actually point out all of the instances of plagiarism that I can find. Therefore, coming soon on the blog: “50shades of Theft.” [Updated to add that you can check out all of those posts here!] Some notes on the domestic violence in 50shades: Many have said that there is nothing wrong with a BDSM lifestyle, and that we shouldn’t call it abuse. A lot of people have clarified this already, but let me say it again: WE ARE NOT SAYING THAT THE BDSM ASPECTS OF 50SHADES ARE ABUSIVE. The BDSM aspects in 50shades are actually, by all accounts, tame. We are seeing the other aspects of the relationship between Christian and Ana as abuse. Examples: he gets her drunk to coerce her consent, he keeps her from communicating with her friends, he buys out the company that she works for so that he becomes her boss, he stalks her and has her followed, he follows her across the country when she purposefully tries to distance herself from him, he insists that her car needs to be replaced even though she likes her car, he puts unwanted marks on her body so that she will be too ashamed to show her skin in public…. It goes on and on. 17 thoughts on “What just happened?” Ani Taylor said: 50 Shades is Twilight fan fiction with all of the Twilight removed and sex added so… While theft and plagiarism E L James has always said it started as fan fiction which went legit. Possibly the only thing that’s terrible about her book that she’s admitted. You probably know that already to be fair. Kody said: Oh, yeah. I know she admitted that. But she’s also backtracked and more recently just claims twilight as an “inspiration.” Plus, this is aimed less at her and more at the fans (some of whom I know in person) who are all fan-crazed “OMG it’s not a rip-off!!” Alys B. Cohen said: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2211596/50-Shades-Of-Grey-sex-toys-The-collection-E-L-James-hopes-spice-Middle-England.html#axzz2JoiizNAD Just in case anyone wants to claim she doesn’t endorse the actions on her book. Official 50 Shades sex products, including a paddle called the “Twitchy Palm.” I’ve written a book that is the opposite. Abuse sucks in it, abused girl gets out, and it’s supernatural. Sadly it seems everyone’s wanting more abuse. One beta told me it might do better if the abuser gets the girl instead of her getting herself (though two betas identified their own relationships as abusive and got out, so THERE to the one who thinks Abuser-Boy should win). HEAD DESK. Unbelievable that, after the progress we women made, we’re living through regression where abuse is ideal and women finding their strength and getting out is looked down on. If someone can’t take criticism, that someone shouldn’t try being a professional writer. I listen to the criticism I’ve received and have used that to improve. James is just a child who can’t handle anything. cami said: I see it a lot in many fanfictions. There are characters I like and that if in a relationship they are respectful of each other, learn from one another and grow as persons from their experiences. However the most popular fanfics out there (and I’m talking about several different shows/movies/books with different characters and relationships) are the ones in which the male is controlling, possessive and that instead of thinking about her they think on how much she affects HIM. The female is also turned into a lip biting, eager to please, eager to be controlled . One of the many disturbing things about this is that she knows that the guy is a jerk and bad but they crave to be wanted by this guy especially because he’s hot and obsessed with them. I try to picture my favorite characters in these stories and they would run away in fear of becoming that, or killing those insipid copies and saving the world from their very presence. Pingback: The Glorification of Abuse in 50 Shades \| It's Dangerous to Go Alone Eleanor (@selcaby) said: I really like this post, and it makes some very good points, but I have to disagree with this part: “I think –if bad writing were a contest –50shades would win hands down. Here’s why: they both could use some work, but 50shades has themes geared towards adults, so it would stand to reason that it should be written at an adult level. Twilight is aimed at a young adult audience, so expecting it to be written at an adult level is silly.” I haven’t read Twilight or 50 Shades, so I can’t comment on their quality, but this is a bit like saying you expect children’s clothes to be lower quality just because they’re smaller. Writing “at an adult level” (i.e. for adult readers) is not the same thing as good writing. If you’ve read a popular YA book and felt it was too simple or predictable, or it bored you by teaching you things you already knew, that’s probably because you weren’t the target audience. Chances are, it was very carefully honed to fit people who don’t yet have as much life experience as you. Such honing is not easy. It’s true that if you use bad grammar in a children’s story your readers aren’t so likely to notice, whereas in an adults’ book they would. That doesn’t mean children’s publishers are any less tolerant. For one thing, publishers are adults, and the children’s and YA markets are very competitive. For another thing, you’re supposed to be setting your readers a good example, and this matters far more when your readers are still going to school. I agree. I was more commenting on the criticism I’d heard about Twilight in regards to the fact that the writing seems “simple,” sentences aren’t very complex in construction, and there is some repetition from one chapter to another. I viewed that more as the writer keeping it at a middle school reading level, and repeating to remind young readers about things they could have forgotten. Even so you are correct, writing should set an example for readers. I just thought it silly that adult readers wanted a young adult novel to be challenging and riveting for them. sniddley said: Reblogged this on snads. Pingback: Velociriot! \| Twitter Tuesday: Mara Wilson is a “sad f*ck,” and other untruths from E.L. James Sanne said: Reblogged this on Some Daft Thoughts and commented: 50 Shades of Grey is little more than a disease, and it’s unsettling how the author rejects the impact her books have. Pingback: Let’s talk about 50 Shades in a calm and rational way. \| Trout Nation Trias said: Here’s a story for ypi: Young sheltered beauty (who has no idea she’s gorgeous and never even kissed a boy) meets handsome young man with a dark past. He’s cultured, has money, and lots of women after him. She is swept off her feet by him, but his dark past makes him feel the need to control her.Her friends and family warn her,, but she’s so in love land she just knows he’ll change someday. He makes many mistakes but he begs for forgiveness , which she gives freely. Sound familiar? That’s my parents’ story. Fast forward a few years… They have kids. He starts to behave violently toward them, because kids are annoying. He hits them, too. Cops get called. She tells her kids to lie and say Daddy didn’t hit, because he’ll change someday, wait and see. He’s been through so much, he doesnt mean it, if we love him enough he’ll come around. Someday never comes…I would like to see what kind of dad Christan becomes. Will he beat his kid for spilling grape juice on his suit? For making too much noise? For “misbehaving”? Will he let their daughter go through the rebellious teenage years? What if she gets a boyfriend he doesn’t like, or wants to wear clothes he doesn’t approve of? What if she doesn’t want to go to the college he chooses for her? I hope their daughter is a stillborn for her own sake. Danie said: Great post! I totally agree about 50 Shades. I honestly don’t remember much of Twilight, and I read it before I had experienced DV in my own life, so I don’t know if I would have recognized the signs as strongly as I did in 50 Shades. Thank you for the links to the other blogs! I’ll have to check them out! Pingback: 50 Shades of Meh \| Screen Adventures Pingback: E.L.James on Domestic Abuse Survivors \| Alys Marchand Pingback: Dear EL James, Here’s one way to keep that hashtag thing from ever happening again. \| Mandi Rei Serra Pingback: EL James is Big Brother \| Work The Grey Matter	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line841
__label__wiki	0.905136	0.905136	Domestic Mac sales flat in April, viewed as slight positive for Apple By AppleInsider Staff Monday, May 20, 2013, 10:50 am PT (01:50 pm ET) The latest data from the NPD Group shows that domestic sales of Mac computers were about even year over year in the month of April, which one analyst interprets as potentially a positive sign for Apple. Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray revealed the latest figures from NPD in a note to investors on Monday. He said the fact that Mac sales were flat year over year is a neutral to slight positive sign for Apple. Munster's own forecast has called for total worldwide Mac sales for the June quarter to be down about 5 percent year over year. But because the NPD group tracks domestic sales, and a greater percentage of Macs are being sold overseas, Munster noted that it's becoming increasingly difficult to draw conclusions from the NPD's monthly tracking data. For example, in the month of March, NPD saw U.S. Mac sales down 8 percent, while Apple's official numbers revealed worldwide sales were up 7 percent for the month. The NPD data has been off by more than 10 percentage points from Apple's official worldwide numbers in three of the last five months. In addition, Munster said Macs are becoming a "less meaningful piece of the Apple story," as the company's profits are now largely driven by the iPhone and iPad. He also expects that the iPad will continue to cannibalize Mac sales. For the remainder of 2013, Munster sees Apple's main catalyst becoming a low-cost iPhone, which he sees being launched before the year is out. He also continues to hold out hopes that Apple will introduce a full-fledged television set. As for its Mac lineup, Apple is expected to introduce new notebooks featuring Intel's latest Haswell processors at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference in a matter of weeks. Last week, AppleInsider noted that reseller supply of some MacBook Air models has been dwindling ahead of the anticipated product refreshes. New MacBook models would boost Mac sales for Apple, but the effect of a product launch may not be felt until after the June quarter concludes. Well-connected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has signaled that new MacBook Air and disc-drive-equipped MacBook Pro models will become available before the end of June, while new Retina MacBook Pros will reportedly arrive at a later date. Current Hardware, Piper Jaffray, Gene Munster, Mac marketshare, Apple's retail stores now earn record $58 per visitor Apple debuts new iPhone discounts, subsidies to gain ground in India Get a $20 bonus on trades $200+ at Gazelle 256GB iPhone X $330.00* $364.00* 64GB iPhone X $314.00* $338.00* 256GB iPhone 7 $108.00 $176.00 128GB iPhone 7 $98.00 $169.00 32GB iPhone 7 $73.00 $151.00 128GB iPhone 6s $98.00 $169.00 32GB iPhone 6s $73.00 $151.00 *$20 bonus on $200+ trades w/ above links	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line845
__label__wiki	0.51967	0.51967	The latest on Cuba Travel after Hurricane Irma Here's the latest on the situation in Cuba following Hurricane Irma, for those considering travel to the island later this year or in 2018. The part of the island most directly impacted was the northeastern coast and beach resorts hundreds of miles from Havana. The U.S. Embassy in Havana reports today (9/14/17) that “Cuban authorities have made progress in clearing debris following Hurricane Irma. Major roads are now mostly open in Havana.” Power and water have been restored to most of Havana, and the new Kempinski hotel tells us that it is unaffected except for minor electrical issues being repaired this week. Travel to other commonly-visited places like Viñales, Cienfuegos and Trinidad will not be impacted. We remain in regular contact with our team in Havana and the Kempinski, and will continue to monitor progress. We expect that all trips from November onward will be able to proceed as planned, with only minor adjustments such as some of the Havana paladares where guests will dine. We look forward to welcoming visitors to Havana in the coming months. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or to make plans for future Cuba travel. Ready to start planning a custom, private people to people Cuba journey? Send us an email or call us today (877-333-4988). Return to Our Magazine DISCOVER OUR SISTER COMPANIES Exeter International Exeter International creates extraordinary journeys to Central Europe, Russia and Central Asia. Our specialty is to distill the best of the best in iconic places that are on so many people’s bucket list. LEARN MORE Exeter Safari Company Exeter Safari Company, are experts in affordable luxury safaris. Covering destinations across the continent, from the southern tip of Cape Town to the mountains of Rwanda and everything in between. LEARN MORE At Almaz Journeys, we are passionate about Latin America and her myriad landscapes, cultures and cuisines, after years spent living and traveling throughout the region. This website or its third-party tools use cookies, which are necessary to its functioning and required to achieve the purposes illustrated in our privacy policy. If you want to know more or withdraw your consent to all or some of the cookies, please refer to our privacy policy. Find out more.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line846
__label__cc	0.666692	0.333308	The One Question Podcast By Kristian & Bibiana One Question: Ten Minutes. Every week we sit down and dedicate 10 minutes to discussing a single question related to design. Co-hosted by Design Leader Kristian Simsarian and CCA Interaction Design students Curran Dwyer and Bibiana Bauer, this podcast explores answers to everything from "What are the origins of Interaction Design?" to "How do we design for data and privacy?" S02E03 - Designing with Data (Part 1) As we look to the future of Design, there's a new material to consider: Data. In this episode, Kristian and Bibiana explore the rise of big data, the upsurge of data science and research, the advent of algorithmic products, and the role of designers in this future ecosystem. S02E02: Determining Deliverables In this episode Kristian and Bibiana sit down for a discussion of two interrelated topics: #1 Bibiana's Interaction Design thesis work, and #2 How to identify and self-manage the right set of deliverables when working on a solo or personal design project. S02E01: Facing Wicked Problems Kicking off Season 2, co-hosts Bibiana and Kristian talk about "wicked problems," how to approach them, and how to avoid burning out when dealing with complex long-term projects. S01E08: Ethical Design for Artificial Intelligence We talk about taking an ethical design approach to artificial intelligence. Kristian, who got his PhD in artificial intelligence years ago, explains why it’s important to get this right and how we might start to go about it. S01E07: Graduation! Curran is graduating this week! In this episode, Kristian asks Curran to reflect on what he learned at CCA. The combination of brain, heart, and hand is what makes CCA such a valuable experience. S01E06: Designing for Data and Privacy (Part 2) As we continue our conversation about ethical design beyond the interface, MDes Chair Kristian Simsarian argues that designers need to be the "heart at the table" during conversations that shape major technologies. Mark Zuckerberg recently testified before Congress, apologizing for what many people considered Facebook’s misuse of customer data. How might we design systems that use (or do not use) data in a responsible, comprehensible way? S01E04: Defining Our Discipline There are lots of different names for what we do: User Experience Design, Information Architecture, Product Design, User Interface Design, and many others. What exactly does it mean to be an Interaction Designer? How does IxD intersect with these other titles? S01E03: On the Origins of Interaction Design What are the origins of Interaction Design as a practice and formal discipline? When did the need for Interaction Design emerge, and why? How can we trace the discipline’s development, and at what point in its history do we currently stand? S01E02: Growing our Lego Collection With Story and Time What does telling stories have to do with interaction design, and how did Kristian figure that out? How do interaction designers use story to create compelling experiences for the people who will be interacting with the products and services that we design? S01E01: The Influence of Design and Designers How did design come to have a position of influence in the business and tech community? How can designers - interaction designers in particular - leverage their influence to promote better decisions within an organization?	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line851
__label__cc	0.66949	0.33051	Huawei P30 smartphone image renders, 360-degree video shared online Aside from the Samsung Galaxy S10, another major premium flagship that we’re anticipating this first quarter is the Huawei P30. We’re assuming it will also have a Pro variant as in the previous years. The past few months, we’ve been hearing different details about this one including the idea of a quad-camera setup. It’s not surprising that the top Chinese OEM will make it a standard. We don’t even doubt Huawei will once again start a trend as it did with the dual camera setup on the P10 and the triple rear cam setup of the P20 Pro. We mentioned before Huawei may implement a quad-camera setup after the success of the triple shooter system on the Mate 20 Pro and the P20 Pro. Four lenses may seem to be too much but apparently not because Nokia is planning a penta-camera system. We believe 2019 is the year when more camera lenses will be used. This year, Huawei may use four and maybe five next year. It’s too early too tell but for now, here are early image renders of the Huawei P30 as presented by 91Mobiles and @onleaks. As usual, 5K image renders and a 360-degree video are available. Oh wait, those are just three cameras on the rear. So the Huawei P30 will only have three and not four? Maybe. Maybe not. We can’t say for sure–yet. Before the holidays, Huawei P30 Pro protective phone cases were revealed on Mobile Fun. An image was also leaked and then compared with the P20 Pro. Looking at the new images, we notice the gradient finish that Huawei is slowly being known for. We’re really more curious about whether the smartphone will have three or four cameras on the rear. But then again, these simply are renders. The rendered Huawei P30 Pro shows a triple-camera setup with dual-tone LED flash and a notched display. The screen may be 6-inches with very small bezels and measure 149.1 x 71.4 x 7.5mm in dimensions. There is no rear fingerprint scanner so there may be an on-screen fingerprint reader. We see a USB Type-C port, power button and volume rocker on the right, and a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom. We’re taking things with a grain of salt but we’re looking at a Sony 38MP RGB sensor with 5X optical zoom, 24MP selfie shooter, AI functions, Kirin 980 mobile processor, 6GB or 8GB of RAM, and 128GB or 256GB onboard storage. Expect a Mobile World Congress (MWC 2019) announcement next month. VIA: 91Mobiles Huawei P30 Pro protective phone cases revealed on Mobile Fun Huawei P30 Pro image leaked, compared with the P20 Pro	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line853
__label__wiki	0.925158	0.925158	Category: S91 – Rockshots Records 0 May 2019 – Powerplay Magazine – Album Reviews – Tanagra, Gone Cosmic, West of Hell, Our Dying World, S91 (Rockshots Records), Misshapen – Get your copy now! http://powerplaymagazine.co.uk/issue-219/ · Gone Cosmic · Misshapen · Our Dying Wolrd · S91 - Rockshots Records · Tanagra · West of Hell 0 World of Metal – #albumreviews S91, The Flaying · S91 - Rockshots Records · The Flaying https://worldofmetalmag.com/world-of-metal-magazine-27/ 0 Breathing The Core – Track By Tracks: S91 – Along The Sacred Path (2019) · S91 - Rockshots Records http://www.breathingthecore.com/2019/03/track-by-tracks-s91-along-sacred-path.html 0 Breathing The Core – Behind The Artworks: S91 – Along The Sacred Path (2019) http://www.breathingthecore.com/2019/03/behind-artworks-s91-along-sacred-path.html 0 Rockshots Records: Christian Power Prog S91 Posts New Lyric Video “Constantine The Great” · Music News · S91 - Rockshots Records Montreal, QC – February 28, 2019 Rockshots Records: Christian Power Prog S91 Posts New Lyric Video “Constantine The Great” New Album “Along The Sacred Path” Out March 22, 2019 Italian Christian power prog metal band S91 will be unleashing their sophomore album “Along The Sacred Path” on March 22, 2019, via Rockshots Records and are excited to share with fans their new lyric video for the first single “Constantine The Great” at the following link: https://youtu.be/jY3SxnJZPOM. S91‘s new album follows their 2016 debut full length “Behold The Mankind”, which was a concept release about the history of humanity from the point of view of Christian theology. That album was produced by Cristiano Bertocchi (Labyrinth, Vision Divine, Wind Rose) with mastering done by Simone Mularoni (Domination Studios). Received well by critics and audiences, the debut opened doors for the band to tour across Italy and abroad, including a performance at the latest edition of “Elements Of Rock” (Switzerland), the largest Christian metal festival in Europe. The band explains their sophomore full length: “‘Along The Sacred Path’ is a concept album that traces the history of Christianity, continuing the narrative from “Behold The Mankind”. The story is told through the life of some key figures that are not always considered positive by everyone. The main goal is to show how the Gospel message has spread in its original form, becoming the fabric of modern Western society. Scrolling through the track listing, you will see that all the characters are of European origin.” Album pre-order is available on Rockshots Records at https://shop.rockshots.eu/en/cd/1129-s91-along-the-sacred-path-.html. Previous releases can be heard on the band’s Bandcamp, Youtube and Spotify. 1 – Constantine the Great (5:40) 2 – Saint Patrick (5:24) 3 – Pope Gregory I (3:38) 4 – Olaf II Haraldsson (5:02) 5 – Godfrey of Bouillon (5:02) 6 – Joan of Arc (4:42) 7 – Martin Luther (4:39) 8 – John Williams (8:18) 9 – Dietrich Bonhoeffer (10:50) S91 are: Maria “Marì” Londino: Lead Vocals Francesco “Franz” Romeggini: Guitars, Lead/Backing Vocals Giacomo “Jack” Manfredi: Bass Francesco “Frank” Londino: Keyboards Giacomo “Giachi” Mezzetti: Drums and Percussions, Lead/Backing Vocals http://www.rockshots.eu http://www.facebook.com/S91band S91 was formed in 2006 with the intention of playing rock music with Christian lyrics. After several lineup changes and the release of some self-released albums, the band developed its’s own sound influenced by progressive-metal with psychedelic and symphonic influences. In 2012, the band began to write their debut album “Behold the Mankind” in collaboration with producer Cristiano Bertocchi (Labyrinth, Vision Divine, Wind Rose). The album was released in 2016 on the label “Underground Symphony”. The album’s concept was about the history of humanity from the point of view of Christian theology. The audience response was well received and pushed the band to perform on great festivals such as Elements Of Rock in Switzerland (the greatest European Christian Metal festival). S91 are currently wrapping up their follow up release “Along The Sacred Path” due out March 2019 via Rockshots Records. #.514.581.5780 \| asher@ashermediarelations.com Facebook \| Tweet @AsherMedia \| Instagram @AsherMedia 0 Rockshots Records: Christian Power Prog S91 Reveal Artwork + Track Listing For New Album Out March 2019 Montreal, QC – January 17, 2019 Rockshots Records: Christian Power Prog S91 Reveal Artwork + Track Listing For New Album Out March 2019 New “Along The Sacred Path” Out March 22, 2019 Italian Christian power prog metal band S91 will be unleashing their sophomore album “Along The Sacred Path” on March 22, 2019, via Rockshots Records and are excited to share with fans the release’s track listing plus artwork by Gustavo Sazes. The album follows their 2016 debut full length “Behold The Mankind”, which was a concept release about the history of humanity from the point of view of Christian theology. That album was produced by Cristiano Bertocchi (Labyrinth, Vision Divine, Wind Rose) with mastering done by Simone Mularoni (Domination Studios). Received well by critics and audiences, the debut opened doors for the band to tour across Italy and abroad, including a performance at the latest edition of “Elements Of Rock” (Switzerland), the largest Christian metal festival in Europe. S91 first single will be released this coming February with album pre-order now available on Rockshots Records at https://shop.rockshots.eu/en/cd/1129-s91-along-the-sacred-path-.html. Asher Media Relations Tweets Album Review – Frogg / A Reptilian Dystopia EP (2020) theheadbangingmoose.wordpress.com/2020/01/17/alb… via @wordpressdotcom 3 minutes ago RT @Planetmosh: EXCLUSIVE EP STREAM: FROGG - “A Reptilian Dystopia” wp.me/p3c54J-xNw via @ghostcultmag 20 minutes ago RT @Planetmosh: Exclusive Album Stream: Sleepwraith – ‘Day Terrors’ \| Metal Insider metalinsider.net/new-music/excl… 20 minutes ago RT @Planetmosh: Italian death metallers CHRONICLES OF HATE have unleashed their music video for the title track and first single off their… 24 minutes ago Ignite Music Mag – Interview~ Tales of The Tomb ashermediarelations.com/2020/01/18/ign… 1 hour ago Interview~ @TalesofTheTomb ignitemusicmag.com/2020/01/17/int… via @ignitemusicmag 1 hour ago For fans of Symphony X, Ayreon, Opeth @rockshotsrec ISLE OF THE CROSS Single ‘Tartarus’ Off Upcoming Album “Excelsi… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 19 hours ago Video \| Chronicles of Hate (Extreme Metal Music) - The Birth Of Hate \| @HardMusicBase buff.ly/2sDav4O 21 hours ago Allaroundmetal – Iron Kingdom Un metal molto classico fuori tempo massimo ashermediarelations.com/2020/01/17/all… 22 hours ago Iron Kingdom: Un metal molto classico fuori tempo massimo - allaroundmetal.com allaroundmetal.com/component/cont… 22 hours ago Asher Media Email Subscription	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line866
__label__wiki	0.669873	0.669873	Hans Schleger, corporate exhibition and graphic designer : papersAdvertisingFisons LimitedFisons Limited advertisement designsAdvertisement "Carbyne masters wild oats - Fisons is good farming" Advertisement "Carbyne masters wild oats - Fisons is good farming" Bookmark:https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/data/gb73-aad/1995/32:aad/2008/11:aad/2014/10/aad/2008/11/3/436 V&A Archive of Art and Design GB 73 AAD/2008/11/3/436 12 3/8 x 17 inches Advertisement in Farmer and Stockbreeder Hans Schleger, corporate exhibition and graphic designer : papersAAD/1995/32 : AAD/2008/11 : AAD/2014/10 Berlin miscellanyHSchleger-1 PostersHSchleger-2 AdvertisingHSchleger-3 Various New York advertisementsHSchleger-3-1 London Passenger Transport BoardHSchleger-3-2 Shell-Mex and BP LtdHSchleger-3-3 Various London advertisementsHSchleger-3-4 American Overseas AirlinesHSchleger-3-5 Fisons LimitedHSchleger-3-6 Fisons Limited advertisement designsAAD/2008/11/3/413-566, 744 Advertisement "Man and tree"AAD/2008/11/3/413 Advertisement proof "Man and tree"AAD/2008/11/3/415 Advertisement proof "A picture of health"AAD/2008/11/3/416 Advertisement proof "Future imperfect"AAD/2008/11/3/418 Advertisement "Future imperfect"AAD/2008/11/3/420 Advertisement "Harvest and health"AAD/2008/11/3/422 Advertisement proof "Harvest and health"AAD/2008/11/3/423 Advertisement "Why are we by all creatures waited on..."AAD/2008/11/3/424 Advertisement "Zebra continent"AAD/2008/11/3/425 Advertisement proof "Zebra continent"AAD/2008/11/3/426 Advertisement proof "Sounding the earth"AAD/2008/11/3/427 Advertisement "Sounding the earth"AAD/2008/11/3/428 Advertisement proof "Harvest... to order"AAD/2008/11/3/430 Advertisement proof "Fisons formed two new companies"AAD/2008/11/3/431 Photograph of exhibition stand with Fisons advertisements at AGI show at the Louvre, ParisAAD/2008/11/3/432 Advertisement proof "Carbyne masters wild oats - carbyne is now on sale"AAD/2008/11/3/744 Advertising proof "Carbyne masters wild oats"AAD/2008/11/3/433 Advertisement proof "Carbyne masters wild oats"AAD/2008/11/3/434 Advertisement proof "The correct way to use Carbyne"AAD/2008/11/3/435 Advertisement "Carbyne masters wild oats - Fisons is good farming"AAD/2008/11/3/436 Advertisement proof "Carbyne masters wild oats - in wheat and most barley varieties"AAD/2008/11/3/437 Advertisement proof "Carbyne controls black grass"AAD/2008/11/3/438 Advertisement proof "Carbyne masters wild oats - how to use Carbyne"AAD/2008/11/3/439 Advertisement "Carbyne masters wild oats - prevents yield losses"AAD/2008/11/3/440 Advertisement proof "Carbyne masters wild oats - post emergent control"AAD/2008/11/3/441 Advertisement proof "Carbyne masters wild oats - must be sprayed in 1-2 1/2 leaf stages"AAD/2008/11/3/442 Advertisement proof "Carbyne controls wild oats - reduce wild oats seed production"AAD/2008/11/3/443 Advertisement proof "Carbyne masters wild oats - Carbyne and good husbandry go together"AAD/2008/11/3/444 Advertisement proof "Carbyne controls wild oats - 10-14 days"AAD/2008/11/3/445 Four page insert in Farmers Weekly "Report on Fisons 1815"AAD/2008/11/3/446 Magazine advertisement proof "Fisons 1815 controls more weeds in cereals"AAD/2008/11/3/447 Advertisement "Fison 1815, is mayweed your problem?"AAD/2008/11/3/448 Advertisement proof "Fisons 1815, is redshank your problem?"AAD/2008/11/3/449 Advertisement "Five years has proved Fisons 1815"AAD/2008/11/3/450 Advertisement proof "Fisons 1815 controls more weeds"AAD/2008/11/3/451 Advertisement proof "Fisons 1815 will control all these weeds"AAD/2008/11/3/452 Advertisement proof "Spray early with 1815"AAD/2008/11/3/454 Advertisement "1815 and Phenoxylene Plus - This early delivery rebate really brings down costs"AAD/2008/11/3/455 Advertisement "1815 and Phenoxylene Plus - big rebates on early deliveries"AAD/2008/11/3/456 Advertisement proof "Spray grassland with Phenoxylene Plus"AAD/2008/11/3/457 Advertisement proof "Phenoxylene Plus for highly selective weed control"AAD/2008/11/3/458 Advertisement proof "Why balance counts in Phenoxylene Plus"AAD/2008/11/3/459 Advertisement proof "Phenoxylene Plus - your special weed problems"AAD/2008/11/3/460 Advertisement proof "Spray now with Phenoxylene Plus"AAD/2008/11/3/461 Advertisement "Phenoxylene Plus - the balanced weedkiller"AAD/2008/11/3/462 Advertisement proof "Phenoxylene Plus - the balanced weedkiller"AAD/2008/11/3/463 Advertisement "Spray now with Phenoxylene Plus"AAD/2008/11/3/464 Advertisement "Phenoxylene Plus now only 20/6 a gallon"AAD/2008/11/3/465 Advertisement proof "Toward a full harvest"AAD/2008/11/3/466 Advertisement proof "Gesatop controls the widest range of weeds in beans"AAD/2008/11/3/467 Advertisement proof "New Legumex controls weeds in clover"AAD/2008/11/3/469 Advertisement "New Legumex with MCPA"AAD/2008/11/3/470 Advertisement "New Legumex can play an important part"AAD/2008/11/3/471 Advertisement proof "You need new Legumex"AAD/2008/11/3/472 Advertisement "New Legumex - without harming clover"AAD/2008/11/3/473 Advertisement proof "New Legumex controls weeds in undersown cereals"AAD/2008/11/3/474 Advertisement proof "Simazine creates a new field for... rubber"AAD/2008/11/3/475 Advertisement proof "Simanize the safe persistent weedkiller... rubber"AAD/2008/11/3/476 Advertisement proof "Simanize prevents weeds in citrus"AAD/2008/11/3/477 Advertisement proof "Simazine creates a new field for pre-emergence weed control in citrus"AAD/2008/11/3/478 Advertisement "Simazine prevent weeds in pineapple"AAD/2008/11/3/479 Advertisement proof "Simazine... weed control in pineapple"AAD/2008/11/3/480 Advertisement proof "Simazine creates a new field... coffee"AAD/2008/11/3/481 Advertisement proof "Simazine prevents weeds in bananas"AAD/2008/11/3/483 Advertisement proof "Simazine prevents weeds in tea"AAD/2008/11/3/484 Advertisement proof "Simazine creates a new field... in tea"AAD/2008/11/3/485 Advertisement proof "Simazine prevents weeds in sugar cane"AAD/2008/11/3/486 Advertisement proof "Simazine the safe persistent weedkiller... sugar cane"AAD/2008/11/3/488 Advertisement proof "Simazine... in tropical plantation crops"AAD/2008/11/3/489 Advertisement proof "Simazine... weed in apples, pears, bush fruit, etc."AAD/2008/11/3/490 Advertisement proof "Simazine and Primatol... on railways"AAD/2008/11/3/491 Advertisement proof "Caterpillars Sillortox 20"AAD/2008/11/3/492 Advertisement proof "Mankind or locusts"AAD/2008/11/3/493 Laser copy of proof "We supply Fisons Pest Control chemicals"AAD/2008/11/3/494 Advertisement proof "We supply Fisons Pest Control chemicals"AAD/2008/11/3/495 Advertisement proof "Pea moth an profit don't mix"AAD/2008/11/3/496 Advertisement proof "Fisons MCPA"AAD/2008/11/3/497 Advertisement proof "Semeron controls fat hen in kale"AAD/2008/11/3/498 Advertisement proof "Semeron... an important new aid"AAD/2008/11/3/500 Advertisement proof "Semeron... an important new aid to successful kale"AAD/2008/11/3/501 Advertisement proof "Rogor 40 - Tobacco"AAD/2008/11/3/502 Advertisement proof "Rogor 40 - Pip fruits, stone fruits..."AAD/2008/11/3/503 Advertisement proof "Rogor 40 - Citrus, sugar cane..."AAD/2008/11/3/504 Advertisement proof "Rogor 20w... systemic control of citrus pests"AAD/2008/11/3/505 Advertisement proof "Control cereal aphids with Rogor 40"AAD/2008/11/3/506 Advertisement proof "Rogor 40 controls virus yellows in sugar beet"AAD/2008/11/3/507 Advertisement proof "Rogor - the safe insecticide"AAD/2008/11/3/509 Advertisement proof "Rogor - Apples, stone fruit..."AAD/2008/11/3/510 Press advertisement proof "Rogor 40 - The systemic insecticide"AAD/2008/11/3/512 Advertisement proof "Rogor 40 gives increased protection"AAD/2008/11/3/513 Advertisement "Rogor 40- Sugar beet, potatoes..."AAD/2008/11/3/514 Advertisement proof for "Rogor 40... Look to the harvest now"AAD/2008/11/3/515 Advertisement proof "Rogor 40 in peas and beans"AAD/2008/11/3/516 Advertisement proof "Rogor 40 for safety plus versatility"AAD/2008/11/3/517 Advertisement proof "Rogor 40 the safest systemic insecticide"AAD/2008/11/3/518 Advertisement proof "Kill insect pests safely with Diazinon"AAD/2008/11/3/519 Advertisement proof "Banlene controls redshank..."AAD/2008/11/3/526 Advertisement proof "Banlene gives outstanding control"AAD/2008/11/3/528 Advertisement "Camparol controls annual weeds in potatoes"AAD/2008/11/3/529 Advertisement proof "Proved to control blight in potatoes - Blitane"AAD/2008/11/3/530 Advertisement proof "Blight - New Blitane"AAD/2008/11/3/532 Advertisement proof "Month by month spraying with Fisons Pest Control"AAD/2008/11/3/533 Advertisement proof "Month by month... January"AAD/2008/11/3/534 Advertisement proof "Month by month... February"AAD/2008/11/3/535 Advertisement proof "Month by month... August"AAD/2008/11/3/536 Advertisement proof "Month by month... November"AAD/2008/11/3/537 Advertisement proof "We supply Fisons Pest Control chemicals to solve all your weed and pest problems"AAD/2008/11/3/538 Advertisement proof "We supply Fisons Pest Control chemicals to solve your weed and pest problems"AAD/2008/11/3/542 Advertisement "Fisons Pest Control Limited serve the farmer"AAD/2008/11/3/545 Advertisement "Fisons Pest Control Limited have a wide range of chemicals"AAD/2008/11/3/546 Advertisement "The place of Fisons Pest Control in agriculture"AAD/2008/11/3/547 Advertisement "Fisons Pest Control and farming productivity"AAD/2008/11/3/548 Advertisement "It pays to choose the right weedkiller"AAD/2008/11/3/549 Advertisement proof "Next year's weedkillers are cheaper now"AAD/2008/11/3/550 Advertisement proof "Fisons Farmwork Limited"AAD/2008/11/3/551 Advertisement proof "The unwanted harvest"AAD/2008/11/3/553 Advertisement proof "The war against weeds"AAD/2008/11/3/554 Advertisement proof "Now you have complete control"AAD/2008/11/3/556 Advertisement proof "Fisons Pest Control has a compact range of chemicals"AAD/2008/11/3/557 Advertisement "A world of experience in cotton spraying"AAD/2008/11/3/558 Advertisement proof "Fisons Pest Control and farming productivity"AAD/2008/11/3/559 Advertisement proof "Richer harvests from pest-free fields"AAD/2008/11/3/561 Advertisement proof "Fisons Pest Control have a complete range of weedkillers for cereals"AAD/2008/11/3/562 Advertisement "Fisons Pest Control and farming output"AAD/2008/11/3/563 Advertisement proof "Meets Fisons Pest Control"AAD/2008/11/3/564 Advertisement proof "Things are much more certain now"AAD/2008/11/3/565 Advertisement proof "Better times"AAD/2008/11/3/566 Fisons Limited publicity designsAAD/2008/11/3/567-598 World Review of Pest ControlAAD/2008/11/3/612-619 Black and white photographs of work for Fisons LimitedAAD/2008/11/3/620-629 William Grant and Sons LtdHSchleger-3-7 Corporate Identity and PackagingHSchleger-4 SymbolsHSchleger-5 Individual projectsHSchleger-6 Unused works for commissioned projectsHSchleger-7 Exhibitions of and works on Hans Schleger's workHSchleger-8 Public relations foldersHSchleger-9 Thoughts and ideas and reference filesHSchleger-10	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line880
__label__wiki	0.952534	0.952534	Boys’ tennis swings for championships after big win early in season Senior captain Ian Kim serves a powerful ball to his opponent, hoping to win the match. Photo Andrew Gao Jen Piekarz, Staff Writer The boys’ tennis team, which sits atop Mid-Wach A with a 7-0 league record (13-2 overall), is on the road to championships after beating the defending State Champions, Westborough, 3-1. For the past four years, Westborough has had an overwhelming amount of success; this year, however, the loss of valuable Westborough opponents allowed for the team’s victory. “We didn’t lose any of our top seven players and Westborough lost several of their top seven players,” coach Gerald Cushing said. “They still are very strong, and they provided a very competitive match.” According to senior captain Ian Kim, who plays either first or second singles, in addition to the change in makeup of Westborough’s team, the doubles teams are critical to achieve success. Graphic Jen Piekarz “We needed those doubles wins really badly if we really wanted to be CMass competitors for [the] championship, and they did it,” Kim said. “Without those four on those spots we really would’ve not have been able to get the win.” The first doubles players are sophomores Andy Zhao and Riyan Farhat and the second doubles players are junior Will Koziel and senior captain Alex Daigneault. Both doubles teams won their matches along with third singles player, sophomore Christian Jorgensen. The team was overjoyed with their long-awaited triumph over Westborough. “We’ve never beaten Westborough and they were always trampling us and they always seemed so cocky about it, but beating them was just a really happy moment,” Koziel said. With the growing strength and success of their team, the boys are hopeful for the future matches. “We’re going to keep fighting,” Kim said. “We’ve always kind of been second to Westborough and this first match against them kind of proved that we’re big competitors for the championship.” In order for the team to make it to the championships and potentially win, Koziel hopes they will stay focused and not let the victories distract them. “Right now we’re on the path for the title, and I don’t think we’re going to stop,” Kim said. With their eyes on the State Title, they’re also looking even further in the future. “We want to make sure there’s still that chemistry there for the lineup to keep going and the competition between the players is still really important because they need to realize that they have spots next year and they need to push themselves to try to go for those spots,” Daigneault said. Administration holds meetings to inform students about recent threats Girls’ soccer claims CMASS Division 1 championship title against Wachusett Field hockey loses in CMASS title game European journalists visit for discussion on misinformation in the digital age Get to know the new faculty EDITORIAL: Fight for your rights Algonquin Breakfast Club provides healthy food for those in need	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line881
__label__wiki	0.659181	0.659181	gone before its time — Windows Phone is now officially dead: A sad tale of what might have been Tweets over the weekend confirm what we long suspected. Peter Bright - Oct 9, 2017 8:50 pm UTC Of course we'll continue to support the platform.. bug fixes, security updates, etc. But building new features/hw aren't the focus. 😟 https://t.co/0CH9TZdIFu — Joe Belfiore (@joebelfiore) October 8, 2017 During the weekend, Microsoft's Joe Belfiore tweeted confirmation of something that has been suspected for many months: Microsoft is no longer developing new features or new hardware for Windows Mobile. Existing supported phones will receive bug fixes and security updates, but the platform is essentially now in maintenance mode. Microsoft's difficulties in the mobile market are no secret, but for a time the company looked as if it was keeping Windows Mobile as a going concern regardless. Through 2016, Microsoft produced new builds for the Windows Insider program and added new features to Windows Mobile. At around the time of release of the Windows 10 Creators Update in April this year, that development largely ground to a halt. Windows Mobile, which already lacked certain features that were delivered to Windows on the PC, had its development forked. PC Windows development continued on the "Redstone 3" branch (which will culminate in the release of the Fall Creators Update later this month); Windows Mobile languished on a branch named "feature2." But in spite of this, until Belfiore's tweets at the weekend, Microsoft never actually said what its plans for Windows Mobile were or how it would be developed going forward. We have tried VERY HARD to incent app devs. Paid money.. wrote apps 4 them.. but volume of users is too low for most companies to invest. ☹️ https://t.co/ePsySxR3LB Answering another question on Twitter, Belfiore explained that Microsoft never got over the app incentive hurdle, with a user volume too low to justify the investment from app developers. In late 2017, with the platform all but extinct, that's not tremendously surprising. Over the last year, sales of Windows Mobile devices collapsed. Two to three years ago, annual sales of Windows Phones numbered in the tens of millions; now, they're close to zero. For fans of the platform—and I'm one—the statement... the admission... is just confirmation of what we've long suspected but hoped to avoid. The Windows Phone design, with its bold Live Tiles, white-on-black theme, and crisp design, is still the mobile platform that I find most pleasant to use. It's clean and attractive and thoughtful in a way that the competition just isn't. We wanted it to succeed because we liked the product. An inauspicious start What makes Microsoft's position particularly disappointing, at least for this writer, is a continued sense that it didn't have to be this way. In developing Windows Phone and Windows Mobile, Microsoft made a number of fumbles. The company was too slow to grasp the importance of capacitive screens and finger-first user interfaces. Instead of seeing the iPhone and immediately starting development on Windows Phone, the company first tried to graft some basic finger-friendly interface features to the (old) Windows Mobile—an operating system that remained fundamentally stylus-oriented—with miniature replicas of mouse interfaces. When Windows Phone 7 hit the market in 2010, it was clear that Redmond did, in fact, know how to put together a high-quality, finger-based user interface and build an operating system around that interface. This initial release held promise, but it was feature poor—it didn't even have copy and paste at first, in a strange mirroring of the iPhone's early feature deficits—and perhaps more fundamentally, Microsoft was sticking to its traditional business model of charging hardware companies for software licenses. On one level, this decision was understandable, because it's a model that had proven hugely successful for Windows and modestly successful for Windows Mobile in the pre-iPhone era. But on another level, it was clearly a mistake: the head-to-head competition in this market wasn't iOS (because Apple doesn't license iOS to third parties) but Google's Android. And while there were (and are) licensing complexities around the Google Apps and Google Play Store, the core Android operating system was and is zero cost for hardware companies. Anyone can throw some parts into a phone-shaped box and slap Android onto it without paying Google a penny. Microsoft then subjected users of this nascent platform to a painful transition. Windows Phone 7 was derived from the old Windows Mobile software. Windows Phone 8, released in late 2012, was not; it was a sibling to the desktop Windows operating system using the Windows NT kernel. Strategically, this was the right thing to do. Microsoft unified its Windows development using a common operating system kernel and, increasingly, developer APIs across phones, tablets, laptops, desktop PCs, servers, and even the Xbox and HoloLens. But the move was not without pain. Windows Phone 7 devices couldn't be upgraded to Windows Phone 8, leaving early adopters with phones that were prematurely end-of-lifed and a bad taste in their mouths. Moreover, the mere work of moving to the common kernel and APIs was such a huge undertaking that it didn't give Microsoft much time to actually work on features and capabilities. Windows Phone 7 had a feature deficit relative to Android and iOS, and Windows Phone 8, rather than closing this feature deficit, was instead focused on updating and replacing the operating system's core. A company that had more immediately recognized both the threat and the opportunity the iPhone represented, as well as the business transformation that Android made inevitable, might well have avoided these problems. Quicker adoption of true touch interfaces, a decision to use a common NT kernel platform from the outset, a move to a store-based revenue model rather than operating system licensing; in hindsight, Microsoft could have made better decisions and made them sooner. Doing so might well have made Windows Phone a more successful platform. Green shoots of success In spite of all of this, there was some cause for optimism. The first generation of Windows Phone 8 handsets from Nokia were well received. Nokia had a good selection of phones from the flagship Lumia 920 down to the cheap and cheerful Lumia 520. Strong cameras became something of a Lumia trademark, and Windows Phone-specific design elements—such as a dedicated camera button with half-press autofocus—provided thoughtful differentiation. The enormous Windows Phone 8.1 update added a range of useful features, including a best-in-class swipe-based keyboard. Enlarge / Nokia Lumia 920 Casey Johnston As much as the platform had struggled since its 2010 launch, the wave of 2012 and 2013 hardware and software releases appeared to put it on a surer footing. At the low end, devices like the Lumia 520 offered a true smartphone experience that Android struggled to match. Comparably priced Android hardware wasn't as good: the software felt slower; the hardware felt less carefully constructed. And at the high end, the attractive software and high-end cameras were enough to pique interest. Per Kantar Worldpanel, Windows Phone hit a 12-percent market share in the UK in August 2013; 12.9 percent in France in November 2013; 17.1 percent in Italy in December 2013; 10.5 percent in Germany even as late as August 2015. The domestic story was never as good; Windows Phone barely cracked 5 percent in the US, which for an American company was always awkward. These numbers still left Windows Phone in third place (or, occasionally, second place in markets with particularly weak iPhone penetration). But the trajectory was upwards, with a platform and product mix that was suitable for a wide range of audiences. In September 2013, Microsoft announced plans to buy Nokia's phone business in a deal that cost $7.1 billion and wouldn't close until April 2014. The future felt promising: keep the same product mix, keep making the platform better, and Windows Phone looked well positioned to, at the very least, stake out a solid third place and perhaps make a challenge for second place. Listing image by Peter Bright Page: 1 2 Next → Eurynom0s Ars Praefectus et Subscriptor That push to make it easy to get Android apps onto Windows Phone came WAAAAY too late. Hickeroar Ars Praetorian I tried WinPhone a couple times. I absolutely loved the phone interface/experience. By far it's my favorite between it, iOS, and Android. However, the apps were beyond awful. The ones that the platform actually had were horribly buggy, and for the most part common apps were just not written for the platform at all. Without the apps, they had nothing. 417 posts \| registered Dec 6, 2006 Anthony La Wise, Aged Ars Veteran I feel like one of their biggest mistakes was putting their flagships under exclusivity agreements. The second was squandering on getting it out there to more carriers. They could have done so much more. The app economy being non-existent feels like a massive chicken-and-egg effect. Someone who likes Snapchat and Instagram wasn't going to find the updated, feature-complete apps on the Windows Store for a while, so they probably wouldn't keep themselves on the platform nor recommend it to friends. Those friends toting their phones with their more complete app stores aren't going to move to somewhere where the grass isn't greener, either. And barely any users was going to equate to barely any apps — developers wouldn't want to risk it. It's a vicious cycle. Last edited by Anthony La on Mon Oct 09, 2017 4:09 pm StarKruzr Ars Tribunus Angusticlavius [NARRATOR VOICE] It could not, in fact, have been a contender. secretmanofagent Ars Praefectus et Subscriptor Hickeroar wrote: One also can’t forget how Google undermined any Windows Phone progress with no first-party apps and breaking third-party ones (Metrotube as an example). S_T_R Ars Tribunus Militum The one thing I liked about WinPho was that, as a UI guideline, they put all of the menus and controls at the bottom of the screen, instead of making you reach up to the top. Which has been a personal pet peeve, particularly as phones have gotten ever larger. Last edited by S_T_R on Mon Oct 09, 2017 3:59 pm kisunssi Ars Tribunus Militum I never liked WinPhone, but its loss will be keenly felt by all who believe that there needs to be more than just two overwhelmingly dominant players in the mobile OS market. 1592 posts \| registered Apr 12, 2013 Entegy Ars Tribunus Angusticlavius et Subscriptor Was with WP since the Samsung Focus in 2010. Ending Groove Music was the final nail in the coffin for me, and on Friday I purchased my first iPhone. I agree with Peter, iOS doesn't delight me the way WP does. The home screen being nothing but an app launcher is sad compared to Live Tiles and deep linking. iOS is the natural transition, not Android. There's no denying it's well put together with a long support period. I do like that the iPhone 8 is physically smaller than my Lumia 950. Of course I wish WP succeeded, but I think nearly 7 years is more than enough time to give it a go. 16053 posts \| registered Apr 9, 2010 sidran32 Ars Scholae Palatinae RIP indeed. I switched over to Android last year, myself. It's the best approximation of the Windows Phone/Mobile experience, but with none of the polish. The camera's worse, the app experience is worse and disjointed, my battery life is worse, and the OS is more unstable. It's very fiddly--which is why I avoided Android in the first place--and getting it to work just how I want it to is a never ending struggle but with seemingly no resolution. I didn't go for iPhone because I use a Windows PC and I have historically bad experiences with Apple software for Windows. I also tend to get frustrated with the limitations of iOS when I want to do certain things that were trivial on Windows 10 Mobile and are often workable on Android. I was an early adopter of Windows Phone, and came from Symbian. The OS was solid day to day and beautiful to look at. But Microsoft royally fumbled it. It's incredibly disappointing. retrospooty Wise, Aged Ars Veteran You just cant be years late to the party and finally put out an OS that is as good as IOS and Android and expect people to jump ship. To get people to switch, you cant just be "as good" you need to be better otherwise why would anyone go through the effort to change. MS never seemed to get that... Neither did Blackberry from 2007-2014 invertedpanda Smack-Fu Master, in training I loved my Windows phone (Lumia 950). Great UI, great camera, customize-able, and reliable.. Except for the apps. Hell, Facebook's app crashed so much and was so slow it was unusable. I bought the display dock for it, too, which was EXCEEDINGLY useful for me. After a while, though, I saw the writing on the wall and traded in my phone and picked up another Android (Galaxy S7 Edge). While it isn't quite as awe-inspiring in the UI dept, or the camera, it just plain works, and I can get just about any app I need on it. Anybody want a used Display Dock? grendel151 Smack-Fu Master, in training et Subscriptor Does this mean that they can stop trying to make my desktop look like a damn phone interface? 78 posts \| registered May 15, 2014 secretmanofagent wrote: I was lucky and was able to use the Microsoft-developed Youtube app for the few hours it was available before Google pulled its license key. It was an amazingly well put together app. That, plus the Waze debacle really left me with a sour taste in my mouth for Google. I don't like the company. At least I can use Microsoft services on my Android phone instead. Deputy Cartman Ars Tribunus Militum About damn time they came to terms with the fact that, to make an analogy, were engaged in an Olympic 4 x 400 relay, Google and Apple started at the firing of the opening gun, and Microsoft was arguing with its coaches about the best way to start and didn't get around to starting until Google and Apple had finished the first lap. Edit: It's a shame, because from what I've read, it really matured over the past few years, but it was a classic example of "too little, too late" due to its late start. lonewolfe2015 Ars Praetorian We have tried VERY HARD to incent app devs. Paid money.. wrote apps 4 them.. but volume of users is too low for most companies to invest. Well maybe if you didn't fragment people across multiple versions of the same OS and didn't give up on the platform two years ago in favor of iOS and Android-first development people wouldn't have left the Windows Phone ecosystem. Windows Phone was abandoned long before the volume of users became too low to officially pull the rip cord. S_T_R wrote: Oh hell yes. One that annoys me in my first weekend with my iPhone is how much shit is out of reach at the top of the screen. And the reachability feature is not as useful as it is on Windows Phone since I can't bring down the iPhone's notification pane from it. I even got into the Edge beta for iOS, and the address bar is currently at the top. I really want it to be like Edge on WP and have all the UI at the bottom. It's such good usability. Digital Dud Ars Praefectus Entegy wrote: That's because the best iPhone is the iPhone SE, the last phone on the market designed for human hands. 3271 posts \| registered Mar 6, 2008 TheColinous Ars Scholae Palatinae I actually think this is a little bit sad news. A few years ago I seriously contemplated buying a Windows phone, if for no other reason than to encourage (in my own tiny little way) the adoption of more platforms. This is the same reason I really wanted Canonical to finish their phone version of Ubuntu because it would have created more actors. Google is too dominant here in Europe as it is, and I think this just reinforces that dominance. kirby14 Ars Centurion et Subscriptor I also started back with the Samsung Focus and absolutely loved it. Like everyone else, the lacks of apps was OK in the beginning but ended up making me leave the platform after years of nothing. thebonafortuna Ars Tribunus Militum et Subscriptor For fans of the platform—and I'm one—the statement... the admission... is just confirmation of what we've long suspected but hoped to avoid. The Windows Phone design, with its bold Live Tiles, white-on-black theme, and crisp design is still the mobile platform that I find most pleasant to use. It's clean and attractive and thoughtful in a way that the competition just isn't. We wanted it to succeed because we liked the product. So, so sad to see this day. I'd effectively abandoned the platform because, well, my Lumia 920 fell on hard (battery) days, and they'd since released nothing of interest. It's still by far the most intuitive operating system I've ever used, phone or otherwise, and I miss it daily. iOS is fine, but it's not FUN. I don't hold Belfiore responsible. He really seemed to put everything he had into this, and I'm sure he's even more sad than we are about the outcome. It's a shame because the modern web has largely obviated the need for dedicated apps with everything, and I believe the world is more ready than ever for a third entrant into the competition. But you'd have to set expectations low and build up from the enthusiast ground roots. I'm sad about it, but can understand why Microsoft doesn't want to fight that battle anymore/again. Last edited by thebonafortuna on Mon Oct 09, 2017 4:11 pm marsilies Ars Tribunus Militum Digital Dud wrote: The Sony Xperia Compact line says hi. 11096 posts \| registered Feb 26, 2014 Rosyna Ars Tribunus Angusticlavius I never understood the appeal of Windows Phone’s monochrome UI and bad typography. Not to mention the fact Microsoft has abandoned every single mobile platform they’ve ever had. But reading the comments of hardcore Windows Mobile fans in severe denial amuses me a bit. Is that bad? They had mass with Windows Mobile 6 and lots of developers. Remember, they were the leaders in those days before the iPhone. What is the viable alternative to Windows Mobile? 🧟🧟🧟 Old_Fogie_Late_Bloomer Ars Praefectus I really liked it when I was using it. I'm not surprised to see the end arrive but I am disappointed it turned out this way. The Apple/Alphabet duopoly sucks. Yup, would have gone with SE but it was a bit too old for me at this point. As I pointed out in a previous comment, the iPhone 8 is smaller than my 950, so that's a bit of a win for me anyway. I'm used to iOS, just being forced to use it all day every day now really highlights how bad top-oriented UI is for mobile devices. Spuzzell Ars Scholae Palatinae retrospooty wrote: I'll maintain that Windows Phone was by far the nicest to use of the three OS systems until the day I die. I incredibly reluctantly moved to a S7 Edge last year from my beloved Lumia 1520, and I still miss WP every day. I used all three for work, and until the app ecosystem died completely I reached for the Lumia everytime I had a choice. It's a damn shame that Google killed WP by denying it services, it was just better. TheJet Ars Praefectus et Subscriptor Regardless of how Microsoft spins it, it wasn't the 'app gap' that killed Windows Phone, it was a factor, but lack of hardware and constant platform transitions were the killers. When my 925 screen got destroyed, there was simply no competent hardware to replace it with Made the switch to iOS because it simplified sharing with the rest of the family (who are primarily iOS users), but to this day, I am pretty much constantly annoyed with my phone. apetickler Seniorius Lurkius I’m recently back to Android after almost six years, and it feels like a bummer. I don’t think I’ll ever appreciate a phone as much as I did my trusty Lumia 925. I appreciate Android’s flexibility but wish I didn’t have to configure so much. Overall, Android is kind of a pain in the butt. A nice thing about the Windows Phone was that many of the third-party applications developed for popular platforms were more pleasant than the official versions. MyTube, 6tag, and AudioCloud were just delightful. But I avoid using YouTube for Android as much as possible, I barely ever open Instagram, and I don’t even have SoundCloud installed. Of course, if a substantial number of people had actually been using those unofficial clients, I doubt the companies operating the platforms would have allowed them to stick around for long. Between that and the fact that I got a couple of flagship phones quite cheaply because they were selling dismally, Windows Phone sometimes felt like a really nice brunch spot that nobody knows about. jnareb Smack-Fu Master, in training Rosyna wrote: I think the monochrome UI was at least part of the reason why WP phones had such long battery life compared to Android (have had both). But I don't like it either. Flatdesign in my humble opinion went to far in the direction of simplification away from skeumorphic interfaces, losing affordance and discoverability. Also the system apps on Windows 8.1 are not good enough; for example grouping of contacts is done half-way, and thus you don't have single good history of conversation (SMS). Heavily fragmenting mobile development, with each new version requiring new way of writing apps didin't help either: even most arden Microsoft Mobile supporter can lose his/her faith... Last edited by jnareb on Mon Oct 09, 2017 4:21 pm truthyboy15 Ars Scholae Palatinae i had a windows phone and liked it but microsoft screwed the pooch by not adapting much much much sooner. sep332 Ars Praefectus et Subscriptor After promising the WP10 update twice, they pulled back and never officially released it for my Lumia 920. There is a "release preview" or something but I never got it to install. Does anyone know how to download an image and flash it, or trigger that particular update manually? newyorkcitymale Seniorius Lurkius Best article I've read about the life and death of Windows Phone in a long time. Whether he realizes it or not, I think Satya Nadella has killed Microsoft as a consumer brand. I will never buy another Surface product again (I currently own three). And whenever there is an app native to iOS (I own two iPhones), I will choose those over a Microsoft app if it's better. I'm even considering making a Mac my next big PC purchase. I mean, Microsoft can't offer a complete ecosystem anymore... so why should I invest in it? 7 posts \| registered Aug 20, 2012 stormcrash Ars Scholae Palatinae Spuzzell wrote: Personally I'd argue that the interface of webOS was even better, but both held a lot of promise and died a tragic death of corporate missteps solomonrex Ars Legatus Legionis et Subscriptor For the entirety of the Windows Phone lifespan, I've been constantly reminded of pre OSX MacOS fans, who always had the most intuitive, performant, elegant interfaces but never the apps. So it's a little sad that a company as large as Microsoft, even after heavily modifying the OS to be easily maintained (as a branch of Windows 10 rather than it's own thing) can't find the stomach to keep it on. It's absolutely the right business move, of course but if Jobs had made the right business move in 1997 where would we all be now? Amazon is already beating them on ambient computing even though their mobile lineup is a bunch of store brand tablets basically. I'm sure that WP was dead, I'm not sure this means a mobile strategy built around 12" laptops and Android launchers makes much sense. Xelas Ars Praefectus Microsoft also blew their chance at neatly replacing Blackberry in the enterprise. Most corporations would LOVE to be able to manage their phones along with their PCs in AD, and have a single platform to develop and deploy in-house applications/apps for. In conjunction with Office 365 as the outsourced cloud/management system, it would have been the perfect completely scalable user device solution. It's surprising that Microsoft blew it this badly with this kind of advantage. Heck - they could have offered free phones for users that, for example, paid upfront for an Office 365 package. They had so many opportunities for cross-selling! heartburnkid Ars Tribunus Angusticlavius If you're looking for something that gives you more than an app launcher as your home screen, I would say Android is definitely the way you want to go. There are launcher apps for Android that fit any usage paradigm (even ones that mimic WinPhone's look and feel), and even the standard, icon-based ones allow live information in the form of widgets. doubledeej Ars Centurion It's really unfortunate it never caught on. The current phone user interfaces are, frankly, downright awful. At least WP made a step in the right direction. The other platforms are stale and getting worse. It's hard to believe that we have a product type as ubiquitous as smartphones that are as difficult to use as they are. In the case of the iPhone, it's having to constantly jump in and out of apps to get anything done (and a terrible UI for navigating between apps), and an absolutely ancient UI design for its home screen (Windows 3.0, anyone?). With Android, it's inconsistency from one phone to another, user interfaces that stutter and pause constantly even on top-end hardware and the latest OS, abandonment of hardware by manufacturers and carriers in a matter of months after release, and in both cases absolutely abysmal battery life and total lack of integration/communication between apps. In a lot of ways, it's like we're in the days of MS-DOS. Where have we gone so wrong? We don't necessarily think of the phones we're using as being bad, but that's only because we're used to them. If you've ever tried to help someone learn how to use a smartphone for the first time you start to understand just how terrible they really are. It wasn't perfect, but at least Windows Mobile/Phone was different. A dedicated button for the camera. Ways for developers to integrate data from their apps into the basic functionality of the phone (Facebook contacts listed along with phone contacts, for example, or photos from multiple services all listed together in one place). A home screen that actually held useful information instead of a static grid of dumb icons. These should be ideas that may have just been novel then but are needed even more badly now, yet they've never been adopted elsewhere. stormcrash wrote: Well, if we want to go down that path, the Blackberry Playbook had (and I still think, _has_) the best tablet interface of all time, and it was easily adaptable to a larger phone. What killed it was (surprise!) a complete lack of any useful apps.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line882
__label__wiki	0.561318	0.561318	All posts tagged Rupert Quine Think Inc. by Adam Diment (1971) I squeezed the trigger and there was a derisive click as the firing pin fell on nothing. The fucking gun wasn’t even loaded. (p.29) And so we bid a sad farewell to the stoned and sex-mad ‘spy’, Philip McAlpine, in this, the fourth and final novel by young Adam Diment, all public school and swinging London, who knocked out four fun short novels before disappearing from the scene and writing no more. This is his swan song, his farewell to writing, and it is surprisingly downbeat. There are still plenty of throwaway lines (‘Ostia is the Southend of Rome.’ p.8) but the book feels significantly more controlled and coherent than its predecessors, less larky. It is the best plotted and written of the four, the most psychologically persuasive, and significantly darker and more bitter. Dirty old London Though set in 1968 (it is explicitly stated that the Jewish character, David, goes home to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the foundation of Israel in 1948) the book was published in 1971 and it definitely feels like the long party which was the 1960s is over. ‘What’s London like now?’ ‘Coming down off its high. The scene is shifting but nobody is sure where to.’ (p.43) There is less London than before, no parties in bohemian flats or in dingy clubs off the King’s Road. In fact, when he does return briefly to London the text is packed with critical comments: how ugly it is; how the traffic is appalling; the unfriendliness of taxi drivers and people on buses, the quiet racism, the casual exploitation – ‘I was home and I hated it.’ (p.153) At a loose end the night before a ‘job’ which has drawn him back to the capital, McAlpine picks up a prostitute in the luxury hotel he’s staying at and surprises himself – and the reader – by the depth of pity and compassion he feels for her. He buys her an expensive dinner and gets to know about her and her pitiful attempts to break into ‘modelling’ and suddenly realises he doesn’t want to sleep with her, at exactly the same time that the girl says she does want to sleep with him, but not be paid, because he’s actually treated her like a human being. This is the first of the novels to have believable, and creditable, human emotions in it. Having burned his bridges with British Intelligence after a job handling a defector goes badly wrong (defector gets shot, government money is lost) McAlpine hightails it to to Jamaica to lie low. When he finally and reluctantly returns to Blighty for an interview at a grouse shoot (!) with his hated boss Quine, the latter says a number of agencies and individuals are after his blood: fly you fool. So McAlpine packs a fake passport and flies to Rome. Hardly has he settled into a routine of hanging round the beach at Ostia worrying where his next lira is coming from, than he is picked up by some armed goons and taken to see a gentle giant named Faustus, who runs a nice criminal syndicate, jokingly titled Think Inc. As in all the other novels, McAlpine is blackmailed into joining them; if he says no, Faustus will simply alert the British authorities and then a rat’s nest of baddies will come gunning for him. So he is involved in three scams or ‘capers’, as Modesty Blaise would call them: The faked kidnap On a light note, Think Inc. ‘kidnap’ a young gorgeous movie star, Solange Dore. In fact, she wants to be kidnapped and had contacted one of the gang to suggest it, because she wants to get out of her contract with a crappy Rome film studio. Solange flirts with the crew, creating dissension in the ranks, until giant Faustus drags her to his cabin for a good spanking; after which she behaves herself, and a few days later, after the ransom is paid, she is dropped at an isolated beach with a story of having been kept doped all the time, so she can’t identify her kidnappers. Gun smuggling and catastophe The team are using a fine pleasure cruiser, and have set up base on a tiny Greek island where Faustus once did something heroic for the locals. The second scam is smuggling guns and here, in the middle of this short novel, things go wrong and the tone dramatically changes. The captain of the boat delivering the guns recognises the number two in Think Inc. against whom he obviously has a grudge, immediately pulls a gun and starts firing. Our boys fire back at which the crew of the other boat open up with a devastating M60 machine gun. Half of Think Inc. are killed in minutes. The badly wounded Faustus tells whimpering-with-fear McAlpine where to find a machine gun and grenades in the hold, so McA takes them, swims over to the enemy boat – which is still relatively close – and use the grenades and machine gun to kill everyone on board, before blowing it up. He swims back, then coaxes Think Inc.’s battered boat back to the Greek islands where the locals patch the survivors up. Hijacking a Boeing 707 carrying a cargo of gold – part one McAlpine undergoes training to fly a 707 in a repressive Middle Eastern country. We have barely caught up with him before he is kidnapped, awaking in a concrete cellar where he is beaten to get him to reveal the details of the caper. He makes the baddies think he’s hurt worse than he is, then decks one, clouts the other and runs to the car outside. Here there is a short vicious fight with the main baddie, McAlpine using the car aerial to whip him round the face, then beating him to the ground before making his getaway, driving straight to the airport, and using his fake passport and a spare set of clothes to catch the next flight out. Diment’s spy novels have always felt like an uneasy marriage between the convincing pothead, dolly bird-shagging narrator (based rather closely, one suspects, on the author) and a lot of rather implausible spy palavah tacked on to justify their existence. Most of the shooting has been like an episode of The Man from UNCLE where bullets ricochet around and only faceless baddies fall unlamented. Only at the very end of The Great Spy Race and The Bang Bang Birds was there the real killing of characters we’d got to know – which gave both books peculiarly sour endings – but even these were quickly forgotten compared to the generally light-hearted, dope smoking, sunbathing and girl-ogling antics which dominated the texts. In Think Inc., by contrast, it is as if Diment is making a conscious effort to mimic the mainstream thrillers of, say, Alistair MacLean, with their focus on the knuckle-crunching reality of physical violence. The shootout between the boats is very detailed and gory. Him taking a beating in the concrete cellar, then the way he hits and whips his gaolers to escape, is similarly visceral. Hijacking a Boeing 707 carrying a cargo of gold – part two McAlpine escapes the gang who’d kidnapped him and, as with the other books, the text races, hurtles full pace to the final scene which is McAlpine playing the part of a replacement second pilot on a 707 (hence the training). There’s a detailed account of how he and his faked credentials take in the real crew, how they go aboard, do all the checks, and fly to Rome. Land, refuel, eat dinner etc before taking off for the Middle East – and it is on this leg that he slips a mickey finn into the crew’s coffees. They all pass out and McAlpine is free to reroute the plane to an abandoned RAF airstrip in the empty desert of Muscat. In a nailbiting sequence he just about manages to land the monster of a plan on his own, on a poor quality strip. He undoes the door as Faustus and the remainder of Think Inc. drive over in a lorry to unload the gold but – at this moment of triumph, a powerful machine gun opens up, ripping holes in the side of the plane, in Faustus and the ground team. Presumably it is the same set of crims who kidnapped him during his training, though in the panic he doesn’t wait to find out, but ducks and weaves back to the cockpit, starts the still warm engines, wheels the plane around and takes off… Sex and love and escape In the previous novels McAlpine spends a lot of effort eyeing up every woman he meets, and sleeping with as many as he could get his hands on, in an atmosphere of unlimited randiness set against the miniskirts and hash haze of the Summer of Love. This final novel is distinctly different and, although it still has enough casual sexist remarks to give any feminist apoplexy, Diment goes out of his way to have his hero actually fall in love with a woman he respects for the first time in his life. His inamorata is Charity, the only woman in Faustus’s gang, and black (itself very interesting) but the point is that the narrator shows a new sensitivity and depth in his feelings for her. She smiled softly as she undid the towel round my waist with long cool fingers and ran her nails across my stomach. I shivered and hooked my fingers into the neck of her shift. She raised her arms and wriggled slightly as I pulled it off. Her breasts were hard and small as two apples with pointed, dark chocolate nipples. Her skin was very soft and taut and had a slight, sub-cutaneous luminosity. As though there were lights just under the surface. We kissed for a long time as I stared into the wells of her gentle brown eyes and we lay in a slowly shuddering tangle of touching limbs. She closed her thighs and squeezed, trapping me and I jerked like a startled horse. (p.44) Well, I like it. Not the fact that it’s pornographic – but that it has a scattering of unexpected phrases and sweet insights. Half way through the novel there is an unprecedented event: McAlpine spends a couple of pages (pp.85-86) thinking about his life and, specifically, wondering whether he has ever loved someone and whether he ever will. These thoughts are closely tied in to reflections on his career as a murderer: including the men on the boat, he has murdered some 10 people, even though he’s never been in a war and is still not 26 (p.103). He’s sick of it. The love interest in the previous novels had existed solely to provide the hero with sex, and the girls’ main plot function was to turn out to have been agents all along, sleeping with him only to keep an eye on him – ie providing a not-very-convincing burst of fashionable cynicism or disillusion at the end of the story. Here the feeling is completely different. McAlpine is given numerous moments of introspection in which he realises he is sick of the life of murder and crime, and wants out. After the trauma of the shipboard massacre, when he is finally safely back on the Greek island, he falls into Chastity’s arms and weeps and weeps. When he awakes he realises he is genuinely in love for the first time in his life. Already he had had the novel experience of – when Solange offered herself to him – turning her down, more worried about its impact on his relationship with Chastity than the offer of quick sex. Changed. In a previous novel, when a girlfriend had revealed she was pregnant, all he could think was ‘Dozy cow! Why didn’t she take her pill?’ just like the thoughtless philanderer Alfie in the film of the same name. But now, when Chastity reveals that she is pregnant, McAlpine is genuinely overjoyed and kisses her and kisses her stomach. They have both been involved in abortions and, Diment laments, his generation has been brought up to expect instant gratification, there is rarely time to form a bond with a lover of the opposite sex before the sex has become familiar and boring and you’re on to the next partner. Now he wants to escape all of that: he realises he hates cold, ugly, polluted London with its rude racist population; he wants to give up a life of spying, crime and killing and go live somewhere peaceful with his love; and he wants to give up the shallow promiscuity that dominated the earlier novels and commit himself to marrying Chastity and becoming a husband and father. It is genuinely touching when McAlpine says he wants the baby to be a little girl because he’s always liked them. Which makes it all the more heart-rending when, in the final scene, on the final page, as the ambushers open up with the heavy machine gun, scything down Faustus and the others beside the plane, and Chastity leaps screaming with fear, reaching up to McAlpine to pull her inside the plane, at the last moment she is hit by a volley of large-calibre bullets and is already bleeding heavily and unconscious when McAlpine drags her inside, then has to duck back to the cockpit and make an emergency take-off. The novel – and McAlpine’s fictional existence – ends on a very bitter note as, once in the air, he sets the plane on autopilot, heaves himself up out of the pilot’s seat, and steels himself to go back into the cabin to confront the fact that the woman who taught him how to love, and who represented all his hopes of escape and a new life, is probably bleeding to death and might already be dead. Think Inc. on Amazon Pan paperback edition of Think Inc. Adam Diment’s novels The Dolly Dolly Spy (1967) Introducing Philip McAlpine, dope-smoking, randy and reluctant secret agent who is blackmailed into going undercover with a dodgy international charter air firm, then kidnapping a dangerous ex-Nazi. The Great Spy Race (1968) A retired masterspy organises an international spy competition, where agents from every country’s Intelligence agencies have to follow a trail of clues across Europe and out to the Indian Ocean to win a complete breakdown of Red China’s spy network, with our man McAlpine reluctantly out in front all the way. The Bang Bang Birds (1968) Our man is bullied (once again) into undertaking a mission in Sweden, to infiltrate an elite club-cum-brothel and retrieve top secret information which is being seduced out of its powerful clientele. Cue an acid-fueled orgy, a duel in a speedboat, a helicopter getaway, a high-speed car chase, lots of sex, and some rather sober and bitter killings. Think, Inc (1971) Stoner spy Philip McAlpine is back in his last adventure, blackmailed into joining the ranks of an international crime syndicate based in Rome and working on three crime capers which turn out disastrously. In a new departure for the series, McAlpine falls in love, with a black Londoner named Chastity and dreams of escaping, from filthy horrible London, from his former life of promiscuity, and from his career as a spy and hit man – dreams which are horribly crushed in the novel’s final pages. Posted in Books, Novel, Spy novel, Thriller Tagged 1971, Adam Diment, Chastity, Faustus, Philip McAlpine, Rupert Quine, Think Inc. https://astrofella.wordpress.com/2015/04/15/think-inc-adam-diment/ The Great Spy Race by Adam Diment (1968) It felt good to be alive – take a memo McAlpine – make sure you stay that way. (p.78) The main attraction of being a layabout is watching the rest of the world rushed off its aching feet. (p.83) This is Diment’s second novel featuring Philip McAlpine – a kind of lazy, dirty, dope-smoking twenty-something nephew to James Bond – who is back and reluctantly embroiled in another wildly improbable, comedy spy caper. Only quotes can convey how incredibly up-to-date and achingly 1968 Diment is: the clothes, the slang, the mini-skirts, the birds, the Stones, Dylan, the cars, the groovy boutiques and dope-ridden parties. London has always been crap The miserable drizzle gathered itself into a frenzy of proper rain as I trudged up the short, concrete crazy-paving path to the little, jerry-built semi-detached. Why for God’s sake, I thought, hadn’t I worn a hat? Answer – I haven’t got a hat. (p.7) Outside, the polar wind denied the sunny impression I had got through my office window. March in London with the mutant plane trees trying to push green buds through a coating of soot into the carbon monoxide. (p.14) It was pissing with rain in London and we stood together, gazing at our meteorological heritage. (p.75) Only bits of London are swinging, very small bits – nobody could delude themselves into thinking Barnet is swinging. (p.132) Lots of English writers accurately describe how horrible, grey, rainy, bleak and shabby London is, but Diment doesn’t let it depress him. The subject is grim but the language is always alive and amused. The sun was setting over the roof tops beyond Hammersmith and the windows of the juvenile skyscrapers along Euston Road were ablaze with reflected glory. A few black clouds were piling themselves up north of the city, which would probably mean rain later but it was, so far, a lovely spring evening. Even the other cretins blocking the roads with their rotting piles of low-carbon steel couldn’t spoil my mood. (p.28) In both his novels virtually every character we meet – and certainly all our hero’s lovers – turn out to be secret agents, comically disillusioning our man. The ubiquity of spies in his fiction presumably is a kind of satire on the ubiquity of spies in films and fiction during the great Spy Boom of the mid to late 60s. This espionage racket is spreading like mould, I thought. Soon I won’t have a friend left who’s not in the racket. Only last year I had been shocked out of my life when I discovered Lord Kilmarry, friend and titled ponce of this parish, worked for the same department as me. Now here was Timothy, cold-eyed as anything out of Le Carré, offering to flog me Kosygin’s telephone number or something. (p.18) More smuggling – if they caught me at customs they’d think they had another Philby. (p.94) ‘Exactly what are you doing here and what do you do for a living?’ On occasions like this, according to the Stationary Office Manual for Spies, you are supposed to mutter that you work for the War Office, the Ministry of Defence or the frigging Atomic Energy Commission and your actual labours are of a classified nature. This is the polite, retiring British way of saying I’m a spy or counterspy so kindly mind your own sodding business or you’ll be pestered day and night by retired security men checking you for clearance, non-membership of the communist party, debt and perversion. But ever since spying got to be a fashionable job – like photography or interior decorating, this formula is guaranteed to whet your questioner’s interest even further. (p.117) There’s a plot? Oh yes. Well, McAlpine is asked by his boss to fly to the tropical hideout of a retired superspy – Peters, ‘the last of the great spies’ – who lives with a fearsome assassin/butler and a half-naked dolly bird. He thinks it’s just a courier job, delivering money. But once out on the terrace of Peters’ fabulous modern pad overlooking the bay etc, the wicked old man reveals he has set up a ‘spy race’ ie he has posted instructions to every espionage agency in the world to take part in his espionage Olympics. Upon paying a £20,000 deposit each of the contestants will receive a series of clues which will lead him (or her) to the ultimate prize: an entire breakdown of Red Chinese agents in the Far East (p.66). And McAlpine has just unknowingly handed over his deposit. He’s in the race! It’s a great idea for a madcap chase movie in the spirit of the Beatles’ Help (1965) or It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) or even Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965), and there’s enough tense confrontations, shootouts, flying, speedboating and car chases to gladden any boys’ heart. The clues are addresses or numbers or locations, contained in bank vaults or known only to beautiful women who have to be seduced or which have to be blackmailed out of a gay boutique owner, which the spy (ie McAlpine) then has to interpret correctly. But I’m not reading it for the story, I’m reading it for its attitude and devil-may-care style and the vivid depiction of London 1968, recognisably the London I got to know in the late 1970s – not the gentlemen’s clubs of Greene and le Carré or indeed Philby, but the dirty pubs and noisy bars and cheap boutiques and dodgy bistros and tiny flats and loud parties where swinging young people drink and smoke and posture. ‘Lend me your camera, man. I’m about to picture the biggest scene this century.’ I looped it off his neck and squeezed between two posturing lads, all bulging balls and manly deodorants, who blocked my way to the door. (p.86) A dedicated follower of fashion What people are wearing is very important to the narrator and one of the many markers or indicators situating the text historically and culturally. ‘By the way,’ he crooned, as I stood with my hands on the door button, ‘I just love your suit. But I don’t think the pink flowers on the tie quite go with your dolly little shirt.’ (p.25) I dressed in bright green, high collared, military style suit with the regulation long-collared shirt and fertilised hot-house tie. Philip is wearing bright colours this spring. I clapped twenty quid into my American-style money clasp and ran the electric mower briskly over my virile stubble. (p.29) He was hardly a man in the shadows. He wore a shirt covered in Arabic scrawl raised in gold thread on a green background. His hard lemon yellow trousers reminded me of ballet and feetwise he wore knee length, purple suede. (p.85) Great party, man And how refreshing, how funny, to have a party described, not a dinner part of the Le Carré or Deighton ilk, but a messy, noisy, dirty bash full of drunk randy young people. The party was in a large studio flat over a boutique doing a strong line in old Wehrmacht uniforms. A tiny modelling girl, with long blonde hair and eyes like a bushbaby’s, led me into the room. Dark as the Western Front but not quiet, the cigarette fumes clotted the air like clouds of mustard gas while the very latest Stones’ LP gave a realistic sound track to the trench-warfare atmosphere. (p.30) McAlpine is leerily lecherous about almost every woman he meets. What makes it so 1960s is the way every woman he meets seems to be just as lecherous back, generally wearing the smallest of mini-skirts, no bras or pants, see-though dresses, topless sunbathing etc. It was the 1960s. Everyone experienced this as a tremendous liberation, apparently. And the lechery is not hateful, but is always heading in the direction of carefree consensual sex. The other thriller writers I’ve been reading rarely even mention sex or, like Graham Greene, only mention explicit details to convey more incisively their corroding despair and guilt. Diment is a reminder sex can actually be fun. ‘We asked Josephine, seen here in a compromising position with gay man about swinging London, Philip McAlpine, whether she enjoyed the “New Morality”,’ I said slipping slowly into her plump, warm clingingness and she burst out laughing in happy passion. I like my sex to be fun – you can have old Lawrence’s deadly earnest copulations. She had a neat little trick of digging her heels into the base of your spine. Our activities ended successfully and added to the scar-tissue around my verebrae. (p.38) Miss Sergeant looked much the same as she always did without clothes. I patted her generous behind and shuffled the clinging little thing over to the bed. Plump thighs flashing and little tits bouncing as she hit the springs… Rubbing against her flesh was like taking a bath in a vat of peaches. (p.98) Mrs O took off her shades and looked at me, like a farmer appraising an untried bull, with her brown, slightly slant eyes. It sent a small tremor right down to my testes. Supercharger in, lads, I thought rather faintly. (p.109) So many ‘serious writers’ come a cropper trying to describe sex which has led to the establishment of the Literary Review’s annual Bad Sex in Fiction award. Diment flirts with disaster but, I think, avoids it because he is happy and funny. ‘Mmm, you smell gorgeous. Masculine.’ She ran one hand through my hair and her nails produced a visible tremor right down my jellified spine. This girl was every carnal dream incarnate and still, I guessed, too young to vote. I took off my jacket which felt heavy as a suit of armour and dropped it on the floor. She rolled me out of my clothes like a stripper removing her nylons and led me over to the bed, gently, by my very aroused and totally uncontrollable member. ‘Unzip me,’ she said and turned round. Her hair, black and falling to the swell of her behind, covered a zipper which ran clear from the neck of her dress to the hem. I pulled it open and she stepped out of the dress and turned to me. There hung around her an aura (almost) a halo, of langorous sexuality. We rolled over on the bed kissing and feeling. (p.124) I quote at length becuase this is the dominant note of the book, not the guns or cars or planes (which are also feelingly described). I suppose for some readers the relentless lechery might get a bit trying, and the book gives a strong sense of the attitude of male entitlement which the contemporary Woman’s Liberation movement was reacting against. 1968 was, apparently, the year when the term ‘sexism’ was first used and the first major protest was staged outside the annual Miss World competition. … and drugs The protagonist enjoys getting stoned, no melodrama, no big fuss, no Victorian moralising about drugs. He rolls ’em, he smokes ’em. I flicked a joint out of the pack, the first and only manufactured packet of reefers I’ve ever seen – all little pink flowers and hearts, very psychedelic. ‘Got a light?’ … She came back with a gold Zippo lighter and I turned on. It was very good stuff that. In no time at all I was orbit high with my skin feeling lovely as I could sense every inch of it under the warm sun. (p.73) … and Len Deighton Taking a leaf from Len Deighton’s Ipress thrillers, the novel opens with a photocopy of what purports to be a ‘top secret file’ on McAlpine. Also each part (there are three) and each chapter, has an epigraph, as in Deighton’s novels – the difference is that, whereas Deighton’s were erudite allusions to the plot (for example the use of crossword clues in the chapter headings of Horse Under Water), Diment’s have the same irreverent attitude as his sparky young narrator. Eg: Play up, play up and play the game. WARCRY OF A CRUMBLIN’ EMPIRE Love is better the second time around POPULAR MISCONCEPTION Similes The text is well lubricated with a steady flow of cheeky, spur-of-the-moment comparisons: The stars were like calculating lights on a huge cosmic computer. (88) The American… was standing on the pavement looking bewildered and angry and talking to a dark-haired bird who balanced the extreme scantiness of her skirt with silver bells on her wrists. Every time she made a gesture she tinkled like a Himalayan monastery. (92) I bounced out of Nice in my hired 2CV, Michelins crying on the curves and the engine buzzing like a chainsaw to keep the tinty tin can moving at forty miles an hour. (97) She has a way of walking, that girl, like two soft ball bearings bouncing on a foam trampoline. (115) Outside the sun hit me like a stadium full of electric fires. (127) ‘Thanks man.’ I walked out across the apron to where the DC8 stood, like a great golden pterodactyl in the setting sun. (134) [The pilot landed beautifully], cutting back the engines at the last moment and bringing her down like a casual mallard showing off for Peter Scott. (135) In half an hour it would be broad daylight and if they had infra-red sights I was already staked out like a toad on a dissecting board. (136) ‘Nearly there, nearly there,’ I said, skipping rapidly and moving like Chichester in a typhoon.’ (138) My breathing steadied down as I went over the crest and my legs, like melting crème caramel on the beach, felt fine… I dropped the suede jacket and went on across the little plateau – I was going through clothes like the raviest of Mods. (148) I slammed her into second which made the gearbox cogs emit a sound like breaking bottles. (151) I went cold as fish fingers and bent over the quadrant of levers… Sweat stood out on my forehead like frosting round a lager glass. (159) Sitting placidly in the cage, gun ready to hand, was my old enemy Miss Pringe. My heart dropped like a brick off the Post Office Tower. (169) Great fun, but you can tell it won’t last. Diment’s novels make Modesty Blaise look like War and Peace. The only real character in them is the solipsistic narrator, sex mad and stoned – a very persuasive creation, this, but absolutely everything else about it, all the other characters, let alone the improbable plots, are as flaky as old paint. It’s a shame but you can see why Diment’s four novels have just about vanished without trace. The Great Spy Race on Amazon Adam Diment – The Counter-culture Ian Fleming 1968 Pan paperback edition of The Great Spy Race Tagged 1968, Adam Diment, Philip McAlpine, Rupert Quine, The Great Spy Race https://astrofella.wordpress.com/2015/04/06/the-great-spy-race-adam-diment/ The Dolly Dolly Spy by Adam Diment (1967) ‘I think the sexy spy’s going out of vogue, don’t you, Bill, darling?’ Brentridge laughed a bit. ‘Yes, worse luck. It’s all computers these days.’ (p.167) Adam Diment The mysterious Adam Diment was 23-years-old when this, his first novel, was published. It shot him to fame, he appeared in all the right Sunday supplements, and contracts were drawn up to make it into a movie starring David Hemmings… which didn’t quite come off. Diment knocked out three more larky, swinging London spy novels then disappeared without trace in 1971, never to be seen again. Potted plot It’s narrated in the first person by Philip McAlpine, a lazy, bolshy, sex-mad, pot-smoking special agent. He worked in security for a big firm for a while, and the novel opens as he is cordially blackmailed by a camp high-up at MI6 – Rupert Quine (to rhyme with ‘swine’) – to work for them. If Phil refuses – they’ll tell the cops about his dope habit and the lump of hash they found in his flat and he’ll get five years in the Scrubs. OK, he agrees. The plan is he’ll make himself available for recruitment by Charter International (CI), a charter plane company that does mostly legitimate business but intersperses it with flying wanted criminals, dodgy politicians and ‘hot’ merchandise around the Mediterranean. MacAlpine is well placed since he already has a pilot’s license. McAlpine duly applies for a job, passes an entertaining interview, is shipped off with other recruits for intensive training flying a variety of planes in the American South-West, then returns to work full time for Charter International. The deal is he’ll be handsomely paid by CI and do whatever is asked of him, but also be on a retainer from British Intelligence and tasked with taking short holidays at various places round Europe where he’ll be contacted by agents and offload everything he’s done and heard about. All goes well, Phil gets permission from CI to fly out his equally sex-mad girlfriend Veronica (‘Ronica) and they spend many rest days and nights getting stoned and making love – until one particular mission which triggers the novel’s climax and conclusion. CI ask him to fly a senior ex-Nazi from Egypt to Alla Surait. (Interestingly, Egypt is here described as a hotbed of ex-Nazis who are helping with various anti-Israeli military plans: this is precisely the premise of The Odessa File, published some six years later; maybe it was true.) However, the MI6 man, Rupert Quine, emerges spookily out of the undergrowth while Phil is enjoying a little party time with Veronica at a villa in Majorca, and orders him to double-cross CI and fly this Nazi – Detmann – not to Alla Surait but to a British base in Cyprus. Detmann knows all about Egypt’s atomic research and other nasty goings-on, and MI6 want that knowledge. (There are a couple of vivid flashbacks to Detmann’s grisly career in the SS during the war, murdering women and children, which go a long way to denting the happy-go-lucky stoner tone of the novel up to this point.) Back at Phil’s Charter International base on the (fictional) island of Dathos, someone sneaks into his apartment at night and takes a pot shot at him before he rips the assassin apart with the handy Schmeisser machine pistol he keeps by his bed. ‘Ronica is distraught. The CI authorities are impressed he has such homicidal enemies – and that he handled himself so well. But who was the assassin? Later, just as he is about to set off for the airfield to carry out the double-cross mission, Phil is surprised to be waylaid by one of the American CI pilots who says he’ll fly the trip and offers Phil $1,600 cash down to make the switch. By this time our hero has realised that a) the Americans want Detmann b) someone told the Americans Phil was a traitor, hence the CIA attack on his life c) the leak probably came from his own boss in London, ‘the bastard’. Angry, Phil knocks the Yank pilot out with a scotch bottle, ties him up, flies off to the rendezvous in the desert with Detmann – a scary vision in full SS Nazi regalia – and plies him and his henchmen with beer and schnapps heavily laced with sleeping pills. Then he flies to a tiny Greek island only he knows about, lands and unloads the unconscious Krauts, handcuffing them to the walls of a peasant hut. Phil takes off again and flies to a neutral airfield where he bribes the flight control to let him grab some sleep. From which he is brutally woken by two enthusiastic British soldiers hitting him. Who he foils and locks up, flying on to the British airfield at Cyprus. He had planned to extract money out of Quine to let him know where Detmann is but Quine refuses to pay, vehemently denies he leaked Phil’s identity to the Yanks and tells him, to his horror, that the buxom dollybird Veronica he’s been sleeping with for the past two years is – guess what – also an MI6 agent, and has been spying on Phil and reporting to Quine. He does something you rarely see tough secret agents do – our hero has a good cry – in fact he has two – at this betrayal of his finer feelings. ‘Miss Lom [Veronica] has worked for the Department for two years,’ he intoned like a kindly ghoul… She nodded, hair swaying briefly across her face, a black curtain across a quiet night…. I nodded and stared and stared at the floor. Then slowly and inexorably I began to cry. People should cry sometimes – when life becomes too complicated. It gives you a fresh start and a new, flat emotional angle. And this, for me, had been too much. Or maybe it was just exhaustion and the drug-props I had used collapsing…. I stopped after a time and blew my nose. When you get this peace you can face anything – say anything because for a few moments you see the total futility of life – yours in particular. (p.152) McAlpine turns on his heel and walks out on Quine and ‘Ronica, promising to deliver the Nazis. He flies back to the island where all does not go according to plan, leading to a shootout and an explosive finale – and then to the surprisingly upbeat ending at yet another swanky London dinner party. The swinging 60s It is 1966 and London is swinging. I flicked my cigarette out of the open window and watched it bounce, in a parabola of sparks, from the roof of an adjacent mini. (p.179) McAlpine is James Bond’s dissolute younger brother. Or maybe nephew. He plays tracks by the Stones and Dylan. He smokes dope at every opportunity, rolling big joints and sharing them with ‘Ronica or houseguests at the various villas he dosses at, lovingly detailing the affects of the first rush, then the spaced-out perspective it gives on everything. ‘You’ll have to roll one yourself, ‘Ronica, I just can’t make the effort.’ She kissed me and began to make a couple of joints. To my time-distorted senses she seemed to be moving with extreme deliberation. I leaned forward slightly and began, gently, to massage her right breast. The texture of her blouse and the firm compactness of flesh underneath took on novel sensations in my current state. I was still swinging on the up curve. (p.32) He constantly eyes up and evaluates all the talent he sees. Beside sleeping with sexy ‘Ronica he appears to have quite a few other dolly birds available. One [of Quine’s two secretaries] is an orange-haired, grimy-toothed bird called Avril, who has been with the Department as long as me… To be fair to the old cow, she has an excellent figure, especially if you dig your women well-developed of dug, and when I backed her into an empty office one dull day last July, proved to have solid talents in other directions. (p.14) He is camp and bitchy when required, calls everyone ‘luv’ and is prepared to be reasonable unless they start shooting. ‘Roll me another joint, will you, luv. Have you got any Scotch?’ The MI6 man Quine is surprisingly camp and he and Phil riff arch sentences, all luv and dahling and sweetie: ‘Philip McAlpine,’ he made it sound like a statement from a deity. ‘Do sit down, luv.’ His hair was going, but his light green suit, with turnup cuffs, was a real wow. The impression he gave was of a dandified moulting stoat. (p.18) I don’t think I believed any of the ‘hard’ plot but I was captivated by the persona, the posh stoned layabout and his reckless improvident voice, for whom nothing is serious for very long. The voice of one of the lads, a laugher, a joker, a midnight smoker, from 50 years ago, as bright, cool and antiquated as a Jimi Hendrix album cover. The cab crawled round Hyde Park Corner and tottered off towards Victoria. After shuttling through the quiet streets where even the diesel fumes smell expensive, along the dolly mews with their tubs full of dwarf trees and shining brass coachlamps, our driver eventually found the street and stopped outside, predictably, number 13. Painted virgin white with an old ship’s bell hanging outside the nail-studded, plain varnished, teak front door. One up to Rupert for the bell. God knows where he got it but the engraved ship’s name was Titanic. Funnee. (p.181) At a brisk 180-pages-long this book was bloody good fun and I’m looking forward to reading the other three. Nervously knowing Simon’s Rule of Self-Consciousness: the cheesier the spy novel, the more nervously aware it is of its own clichés: Brentridge reached the door, flung it open and leapt inside – he had his gun out in the prescribed secret agent fashion. A grenade in the other hand and a stiletto in his teeth would have completed the picture. (p.169) The view from 1966 Quine was right. This country is, for the time being, a whore. Our Empire has gone and our people remain lazy. We are clever, original, class-ridden and small. The sooner we can get back to being another small country and forget our now useless role of world arbitrator the better. Nobody has listened to our advice for years; it is just accepting this fact which is painful. Meanwhile we export fashion and trend to the rest of them, like a good little whore should. I had been the ponce scurrying round for Britannia among the rumbling power blocks who now run the world. (p.189) The Dolly Dolly Spy on Amazon Adam Diment Wikipedia article Blog post: The Disappearance of the Author Adam Diment 1968 Pan paperback cover of The Dolly Dolly Spy Tagged 1967, Adam Diment, Philip McAlpine, Rupert Quine, The Dolly Dolly Spy https://astrofella.wordpress.com/2015/03/29/the-dolly-dolly-spy-adam-diment/	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line886
__label__wiki	0.71901	0.71901	About Usgeorge2019-01-30T12:39:43+00:00 What started as a mutual love of swimming and assisted motivation in training for the Galway bay swim has led to the foundation of a sea swimming club with over 60 members. The club actively promotes the benefits of swimming, safe use of the local environment and the development of swimmers. Atlantic Masters is a community for those with an interest in swimming in the Galway area. Atlantic Masters SC are an enthusiastic community of sea swimmers, which now proudly boasts of its 60 members. Atlantic Masters is now the biggest outdoor swimming club in the West of Ireland who make the most of the Atlantic all year round with pool sessions during the winter. We are competent swimmers, of all different levels, who swim mainly outdoors. The clubs aim is to train its members under the watch full eye of their coach. To nurture, encourage, support and include swimmers from all backgrounds and abilities to achieve personal goals. Members are also encouraged to compete in the many outdoor competitive swims, which are held around the country during the outdoor swimming season. Members have competed in outdoor swimming events, ranging from 1.2k to 13k all over Ireland and have won many trophies in many categories. Since 2014 the Clubs members have raised in excess of €65,000 for Cancer Care West. In 2018 the club had 22 members swim across Galway Bay, the largest representation from any club and most of them for the first time. In September of 2018 the club had its largest number of competitors for their annual swim at Lynches pier in Kinvara the birth place of Atlantic Masters. Just under 100 swimmers from across Ireland took part in the 2.7k swim. Founded in 2014 by Helen Colfer, Mark Dwyer and Fergal Madden after a chance meeting swimming in the Maldron Hotel in Oranmore. The trio quickly discovered a shared passion and a lack of a open swimming club in the Galway region, the solution, start one. Initally coming to together for training and a ambitious target of swimming Galway Bay, the trio have gone to not only to personal achievements of multiple marathon swims, an English Channel and 100’s of kilometers swimming around the buoys in Salthill, they also set in motion this crazy community we now call Atlantic Masters. Catch Mark in the right mood and he might even tell you why there is a budgie in our club logo 😉 AM Pool Session -Thursday – Week 3 IISA Ireland National Ice Swimming Championships Club Swim – 2019 Results Thank you GBSC Summer Swim Series – Loughrea	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line890
__label__wiki	0.636187	0.636187	Solar, Wind Advances Offer Mekong Countries Alternatives to Dams, Coal By sopheakpanha nem October 29, 2017 Advocates of renewable energy in the United States point to its increasingly competitive cost in arguing against the greater use of fossil fuels. Experts at a U.S. think tank have the same message for countries in the Mekong region, which are considering plans to expand hydropower dams and coal plants. New economic and technological opportunities for improving and diversifying the Mekong Region’s energy mix are laid out in a report by the Washington-based Stimson Center. Report co-author Brian Eyler says the region’s governments would be wise to review their energy master plans in order to not miss out. “It is a good time to take a pause. Our message is not for countries in the Mekong sub-region to stop power-sector planning, but … to take a look at these emerging trends,” Eyler said. New technologies carry less environmental and social impacts than large hydropower dams and coal-fired plants. And they make economic sense, as well, says the report’s co-author, Courtney Weatherby. She notes that as solar and wind technologies become more affordable and efficient, their power will be cheaper than energy generated by the hydropower projects planned on the Mekong and its tributaries. “If you have solar available in the next few years at six cents a kilowatt hour, then some of the most-damaging dams really do not make sense when you look at the economic calculus for building them,” Weatherby said. But about half of Cambodia’s energy needs are currently met by hydropower, and Ministry of Environment spokesperson Sao Sopheap said the government carries out comprehensive environmental impact assessments for dams and addresses their negative impacts. He said energy can be generated from many sources, and hydropower from the dams is a renewable energy that Cambodia has good potential for. Despite the Cambodian government’s focus on dams, alternative energy projects in the country are advancing with donor support, and rural households are also becoming aware of the increasingly affordable solar power technology. In Boy, 65, one of the thousands of Cambodian villagers who have installed solar panels, says he was waiting for electricity for so long, he decided to buy solar power to use. He adds it is so boring when there is no electricity and residents in other areas have it too. The Stimson Center experts say as Cambodia and the other Mekong countries expand their electricity sources and national power grids through new technology and investment, there are also opportunities to improve efficiency in transmission, increase cross-border energy trade, and expand connections in rural areas.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line891
__label__cc	0.602574	0.397426	Breaking the Blood-Brain Barrier after Stroke Hess, David C (PI) There are approximately 4 million stroke survivors in the United States. Little attention has been directed to replacing lost neurons and brain tissue after a cerebral infarct. Since the time window for its application is relatively broad, cell replacement therapy remains a potential treatment option for stroke survivors. There is increasing evidence that the differentiation potential of bone marrow-derived cells is not fixed but strongly influenced by environmental cues. Recent studies show that bone marrow-derived stem cells differentiate into microglia, astrocytes, and neurons. Brain injury such as stroke may enhance this differentiation potential. The inflammatory response associated with stroke, while harmful in some ways, may also be reparative and serve to supply the brain with a reservoir of progenitor cells. Our central hypothesis is that after focal cerebral ischemia, a population of bone marrow-derived stem cells serve a regenerative function and differentiate into cerebral endothelial cells, astrocytes and "functioning" neurons. Our specific aims are: 1.) Determine if bone marrow-derived stem cells serve as progenitor cells for cerebral endothelial cells and contribute to the neovasculanzation that occurs after a focal cerebral ischemic insult; 2.) Determine if bone marrow-derived stem cells transdifferentiate into functioning neurons after focal cerebral ischemia; 3.) Determine if intravenously administered bone marrow derived stem cells differentiate into endothelial cells and/or functioning neurons in the ischemic brain. In this proposal we will use a radiation chimera in which Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) and Y chromosome-tagged marrow will be transplanted into irradiated female mice. Later these mice will undergo suture occlusion of the middle cerebral artery and the fate of the tagged marrow cells that enter the brain will determined by double-label immunocytochemistry. In some experiments, GFP-expressing and Y chromosome tagged bone marrow derived cells will be administered intravenously into mice after a stroke. Using brain slices we will determine if cells which express neuronal markers have electrophysiological and functional characteristics of neurons (e.g. membrane excitability; glutamate and GABA-mediated synaptic events National Institutes of Health: $136,325.00 National Institutes of Health: $47,000.00 Green Fluorescent Proteins Radiation Chimera Middle Cerebral Artery Infarction	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line897
__label__wiki	0.768163	0.768163	Roman Reigns Comes Clean at WWE April 10, 2019 Bob BrownBlog It’s only recently that Roman Reigns fully understood what occurred in Providence, Rhode Island that evening. It was Monday Night Raw during late October, and while he was making his way from the wrestling locker room to the all too familiar sounds of adoring fans, Roman Reigns had a great deal on his mind. However, How NXT Goes Forward Without Tommaso Ciampa April 2, 2019 Bob BrownBlog How does one recover after losing the heart and soul of NXT weeks before the largest show of the yearly wrestling calendar occurs? The heart and soul of the NXT is none other than Tommaso Ciampa, a unique character that is considered as black as a moonless night. However, his overwhelming ability to embody all The Rise of Kofi Kingston in the WWE March 27, 2019 Bob BrownBlog WrestleMania 35 is only a couple of weeks away, and while the final few details are getting sorted for the largest WWE show of the wrestling calendar. There have been a handful of superstars that have managed to go above and beyond to ensure they make the biggest splash on 7 April 2019. Kofi Kingston Current WWE Stars That Will Make The Hall of Fame The WWE Hall of Fame is considered the most esteemed place in pro wrestling, even though it’s not an actual place. This is undoubtedly the highest honour you can receive as a professional wrestler for your contributions within the wrestling business. It’s for this reason that we decided to take an in-depth look at the Becky Lynch Claims Victory During Women’s Royal Rumble The women’s Royal Rumble in 2018 was unforgettable. The match managed to close out the show and accomplished it grandly. The victory was claimed by Asuka, and Ronda Rousey managed to make her debut in the WWE after the match. This year’s women’s Royal Rumble was just as captivating. The Women’s Royal Rumble Match The Tye Dillinger Has Requested a Release From WWE March 1, 2019 Bob BrownBlog Tye Dillinger announced at midnight, on Wednesday, that he recently requested to be released from the WWE. Tye Dillinger On Twitter “Before rumours start to spread, let me take this opportunity to set things straight: Earlier this evening, I decided to request my release from the WWE world,” Tye Dillinger stated in a Twitter statement. Charlotte Flair Inserted into the Main Event at WrestleMania 35 February 24, 2019 Bob BrownBlog Charlotte Flair will be in the main event for WrestleMania 35. Everyone has had some time to process the substantial change to the overall equation that was created when Vince McMahon suspended Becky Lynch. That change included making Flair the most ideal opponent for Ronda Rousey in the women’s championship in Raw on 7 April The Best Finishing Moves in the History of the WWE The leg drop from Hulk Hogan managed to build an organisation. However, it’s not considered one of the best finishers of all-time in the WWE. While Hogan body slamming people and hulking up transformed the WWE into the world’s biggest wrestling organisation, his finishing move was rather lame. The WWE’s best finishers have three common Highest Paid Wrestlers in 2019 February 3, 2019 Bob BrownBlog There’s no denying that the WWE is considered one of the most watched shows in the world with a global and loyal fan base. It’s impossible to deny that you haven’t watched wrestling at least once in your lifetime. It’s the incredible athletes that fill the WWE universe that makes it so captivating to watch. Wrestlers That Could Join WWE in 2019 January 29, 2019 Bob BrownBlog As more and more fans of wrestling are becoming aware of the events that are taking place in the international and Indy scenes, especially in New Japan and Ring of Honour, that’s a great chance that 2019 will witness several wrestling stars get snapped up by WWE this year. However, fans also need to keep	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line902
__label__wiki	0.618098	0.618098	Simon MouldsAge: 691805–1874 Simon Modes Source: Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia, St. John's Parramatta, Baptisms, 1790-1916 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Citation details: Vol 01, Baptisms, 1790-1825; Marriages, 1789-1823; Burials, 1790-1825; p. 33, 1805 Text: Simon Modes son of Simon Modes and Ann Davis was born 29 Mar 1805 and christened 19 May 1805 registered 19 May 1805 by me Samuel Marsden Simon Mould , , Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Christening 19 May 1805 (Age 51 days) Birth of a sister 10 September 1808 (Age 3) younger sister - Susannah Moulds Birth of a sister 1 April 1811 (Age 6) younger sister - Charlotte Moulds Christening of a sister 30 June 1811 (Age 6) Birth of a brother 29 March 1814 (Age 9) Toongabbie, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia younger brother - John Mould Christening of a brother 9 October 1814 (Age 9) Marriage of parents View family 21 February 1820 (Age 14) father - Simon Mould mother - Ann Davis Census November 1828 (Age 23) Seven Hills, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Source: Census of New South Wales November 1828, ed. by Malcolm R. Sainty and Keith A. Johnson. Sydney: Library of Australian History, 1985 ie. 1980 Text: Moulds, Simon, 54, conditional pardon, Barwell, 1798, life, Protestant, farmer, Seven Hills Moulds, Ann, 54, free by servitude, Lady Juliana, 1790, 7 years, Protestant Moulds, John, 14, born in the colony Moulds, Simon, 23, born in the colony Simon held 170 acres of land of which 54 acres were cleared and 29 acres cultivated. He had 6 horses and 30 cattle. Marriage Rosetta James - View family 25 January 1830 (Age 24) St. John's Church of England Note: Simon's name recorded as 'Mould'. #1 15 August 1831 (Age 26) daughter - Ann Moulds Christening of a daughter 11 September 1831 (Age 26) #2 27 September 1833 (Age 28) daughter - Rosetta Moulds #3 15 November 1835 (Age 30) Dural, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia daughter - Elizabeth Moulds Christening of a daughter 6 December 1835 (Age 30) Death of a daughter March 1837 (Age 31) Burial of a daughter 18 March 1837 (Age 31) daughter - Mary Moulds Christening of a daughter 17 December 1837 (Age 32) son - Joseph Moulds Christening of a son 24 November 1839 (Age 34) Death of a son 24 October 1840 (Age 35) Burial of a son 26 October 1840 (Age 35) son - Simon Moulds Death of a father 17 June 1843 (Age 38) #7 5 February 1844 (Age 38) daughter - Jane Moulds #8 9 April 1846 (Age 41) daughter - Susannah Moulds son - George Henry Moulds #10 11 September 1850 (Age 45) daughter - Amelia Moulds Death of a sister 13 January 1852 (Age 46) Ashfield, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Burial of a sister 15 January 1852 (Age 46) Camperdown, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia #11 17 July 1852 (Age 47) daughter - Charlotte Moulds Marriage of a daughter Ann Moulds - View family 15 March 1853 (Age 47) son-in-law - George Skinner Witness 19 April 1853 (Age 48) Source: Black, Lyn, Letter to Marion Purnell, received Jun 15 2010 Text: on 19 Apr 1853 Simon and Rosetta were witnesses at the marriage at St Judes Dural of James Newman a carpenter and bachelor to Elizabeth Hodges a widow. George Mawbey was also a witness. Marriage of a daughter Rosetta Moulds - View family son-in-law - Stephen Purnell Death of a mother 11 March 1854 (Age 48) #1 23 March 1854 (Age 48) granddaughter - Maria Skinner #2 26 February 1855 (Age 49) granddaughter - Mary Purnell #12 27 February 1855 (Age 49) son - William Moulds #3 3 March 1856 (Age 50) grandson - John "Jack" Skinner #4 about 1857 (Age 51) granddaughter - Sarah Purnell #13 1858 (Age 52) daughter - Sarah Moulds Windsor, Hawkesbury, New South Wales, Australia grandson - William Skinner Marriage of a daughter Mary Moulds - View family 20 May 1859 (Age 54) son-in-law - John Kirk grandson - William Purnell #7 27 June 1860 (Age 55) Box Hill, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia granddaughter - Mary Anne Skinner #9 11 April 1860 (Age 55) granddaughter - Sarah Kirk #10 1 December 1861 (Age 56) granddaughter - Mary Kirk #11 27 March 1862 (Age 56) granddaughter - Ann "Annie" Purnell #12 20 November 1862 (Age 57) Box Hill, Hawkesbury, New South Wales, Australia grandson - George Skinner Marriage of a son Simon Moulds - View family daughter-in-law - Sarah Jane Kirk Christening of a grandson 28 December 1862 (Age 57) grandson - Simon James Moulds granddaughter - Rosetta Kirk North Colah, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia grandson - George Henry Moulds North Colo, Hawkesbury, New South Wales, Australia granddaughter - Emily Purnell Rouse Hill, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia granddaughter - Rosetta Skinner Marriage of a daughter Jane Moulds - View family son-in-law - James Kirk #18 8 September 1865 (Age 60) grandson - Joseph Moulds grandson - James Henry Kirk #20 23 May 1866 (Age 61) granddaughter - Sarah Ann Moulds Death of a granddaughter 25 August 1866 (Age 61) grandson - John James Kirk Death of a grandson 1866 (Age 60) #22 20 January 1867 (Age 61) grandson - Thomas Skinner #23 5 May 1867 (Age 62) grandson - Simon Peter Purnell half-sister - Mary Williams #24 2 November 1867 (Age 62) granddaughter - Mary Susannah Moulds #25 15 December 1867 (Age 62) granddaughter - Anne Jane Kirk #26 4 June 1869 (Age 64) grandson - Henry Ernest Kirk #27 2 August 1869 (Age 64) granddaughter - Mary Elizabeth Kirk granddaughter - Susannah Purnell Will 12 August 1870 (Age 65) Text: WILL OF SIMON MOULDS JNR I Simon Moulds of Dural in the Colony of New South Wales Farmer hereby revoke all wills and testamentary Dispositions heretofore made by me and declare this to be My last will. I appoint William Williams of Dural aforesaid farmer and George Skinner residing near Box Hill farmer Trustees and the said William Williams and George Skinner and my dear wife Rosetta Executors and Executrix of this my will. I bequeath to my said dear wife my household furniture and household effects absolutely she superintending the educating and maintaining my infant children Charlotte William and Sarah and also of – Joseph the son of my daughter Amelia until they shall respectively attain the age of twenty one years or marry.I devise to my son Simon and his heirs my forty acre farm on which he now resides – situate at North Colah and which I hold by Grant from the Crown and also a fourty acre farm adjoining the same which I also now hold by Crown Grant but it is nevertheless my will that the said Simon shall not be at liberty to sell mortgage or incumber the said farms respectively. I give and devise to my said dear wife the right to reside during her widowhood on my farm and homestead situate at Castle Hill being the land comprised in a grant from the Crown to my late father Simon deceased dated on or about the thirtieth day of June One thousand eight hundred and twenty three and during such time as aforesaid to receive and take of the produce and profits of the said farm sufficient for her own support and for the maintenance education and support according to their positions in life of my said children Charlotte William and Sarah and also the said Joseph until their respective majority or marriage and subject to the interest therein hereinbefore given to my said wife I give and devise the said farm and homestead unto my son George Henry and his heirs and I direct that he shall out of the produce and profits – thereof maintain support and educate as aforesaid my said children Charlotte William and Sarah and the said Joseph until their respective majority or marriage. And I hereby make their support maintenance and – education as aforesaid a charge upon the same premises. And I declare it to be my will that the said George Henry shall not in anywise sell mortgage or incumber the said devised premises. I devise sixty acres of land known as Rixon’s Grant adjoining the lastly Devised premises to my son William and his heirs but it is nevertheless my will that until he shall attain his majority the produce of the said sixty acres shall be received and taken by my said wife and my said son George Henry or should my wife marry again then by my said son George Henry solely as an aid to the support and education of the children before named as hereinbefore provided. And I declare and it is my – Simon Mould his X mark witnesses – will that the said William shall on his attaining his majority and coming into possession of the said land if my said wife shall be still a widow pay to her the annuity or yearly sum of five pounds per annum so long as she shall continue my widow such sum to be payable half yearly from the date of his coming into possession in equal portions And I declare that the said William shall not be at liberty to sell Mortgage or incumber the said devised premises I devise to the said Joseph son of my daughter and his heirs forty two acres of land situate at North Colah being a grant to me from the Crown by purchase but nevertheless it is my will that until he shall attain his majority. The said George Henry having in the meantime to maintain and educate him shall receive the produce thereof and have the management of the same and I declare that it shall not be lawful for the said Joseph to sell Mortgage or incumber the said premises And I hereby direct that in case any of my said sons or the said Joseph shall die without issue capable of inheriting the premises hereby devised to him and his heirs the share and premises given to such deceased devise shall go to the survivors of them my said sons and the said Joseph equally . I give and bequeath to each of my eight daughters Ann Skinner wife of George Skinner Rosetta Parnell wife of Stephen Parnell Jane Kirk widow of James Kirk Mary Kirk wife of John Kirk Susannah Charlotte and Sarah the sum of fifty pounds each to be paid to such of them as are under the age of twenty one years and unmarried on their maintaining majority or marriage respectively and so to the others of my said daughters to be paid to them as soon as conveniently may be after my decease such payments to be to the separate use of my said daughters whose receipts alone respectively shall be sufficient discharges for the same. I give and bequeath to my dear wife one of my horses to bed selected and approved by her for her own use I direct my Executors to sell the remainder of my horses and my horned cattle as soon as conveniently may be after my decease I devise the ten acres of land in Blue Gum Creek Windsor District to my said sons George Henry and William as tenants in common and their heirs but in case either of them shall die without issue to inherit the same then the whole shall go to the survivor and his heirs I devise my thirty acre farm situate at North Colah known as Skinners Grant unto and is the use of my said Trustees upon trust to sell the same as soon as conveniently may be after my decease and I direct that the moneys to arise by the sale of the properties hereby directed to be sold shall be applied to pay my funeral and testamentary expenses and debts and the legacies other than specific bequeathed by this my will and the residue if any divided between my said wife and children and the said Joseph equally I bequeath my carts drays ploughs and farming implements and utensils to my said son George Henry for the sue of the homestead I direct that in case of any of my said daughters dying without leaving children or a husband the share and bequest of such deceased daughter shall go to the surviving sister equally And I declare that the previous clauses of this my will so far as they concern my Trustees hereinbefore named shall extend and apply to the Trustees or Trustee for the time being of my will In witness Whereof I have to this and the two preceding sheets of paper writing set my hand this twelfth day of August in the year Of Our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy Simon Moulds his X mark Signed together with the two preceding sheets of paper writing by the said Simon Moulds as his last will and Testament in the presence of us present at the same time who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses the words “and his heirs” being first interlined in the eight line to the second page and in the word “and” written over an erasure in the 21st line of the same page and also the words “shall die” interlined in the fourteenth Line of the same page. George H Langby J.E. Bowden Solicitor grandson - Herbert Skinner Bathurst, Central Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia grandson - James H. Jackson son-in-law - James Jackson granddaughter - Theresa Jane Purnell grandson - Albert William Kirk Marriage of a son George Henry Moulds - View family daughter-in-law - Harriet Radley grandson - Elijah William Moulds Marriage of a daughter Amelia Moulds - View family son-in-law - Thomas James Hall Citation details: Australian Town and Country Journal Sat 28 Nov 1874 p. 35 Text: On October 31, at his residence, Dural, Mr. Simon Moulds, in the 79th year of his age. Burial 2 November 1874 (2 days after death) Cemetery: St. Paul's Church of England Cemetery Source: Website - The Mould Families Probate 27 November 1874 (27 days after death) Text: 27th November 1874 This day upon Petition Probate of the last will and Testament of Simon Moulds deceased was granted to Rosetta the widow of Testator and William Williams and George Skinner the Executrix and Executors in the said Will named. Testator died the 31st day of October 1874. Goods Sworn at (Pounds) 800. Probate dated the same day as granted... Birth about 1776 24 Death 17 June 1843 (Age 67) Castle Hill, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Ann Davis Birth 1773 St George, Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom Death 11 March 1854 (Age 81) Seven Hills, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Marriage: 21 February 1820 — Parramatta, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Birth 29 March 1805 29 32 , , Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Death 31 October 1874 (Age 69) Dural, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia #2 younger sister Susannah Moulds Birth 10 September 1808 32 35 , , New South Wales, Australia Death 3 February 1896 (Age 87) Seven Hills, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Charlotte Moulds Birth 1 April 1811 35 38 , , Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Death 13 January 1852 (Age 40) Ashfield, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia #4 younger brother John Mould Birth 29 March 1814 38 41 Toongabbie, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Death 19 June 1899 (Age 85) Parramatta, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Mother’s family with Samuel Richards - View family Samuel Richards Marriage: between 1791 and 1795 Mother’s family with Thomas Fowles - View family Thomas Fowles Marriage: about 1795 Elizabeth Fowles Birth 7 July 1796 23 Norfolk Island Mother’s family with Thomas Williams - View family Death 11 March 1803 Parramatta, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Birth 1799 26 , , New South Wales, Australia Death 30 May 1879 (Age 80) Parramatta, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Birth 10 June 1802 29 , Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Death 28 July 1867 (Age 65) , , New South Wales, Australia Family with Rosetta James - View family Rosetta James Birth 9 July 1814 30 24 Baulkham Hills, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Death 8 September 1889 (Age 75) Parramatta, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Marriage: 25 January 1830 — Parramatta, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia #1 daughter Ann Moulds Birth 15 August 1831 26 17 Castle Hill, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Death 28 July 1915 (Age 83) Windsor, Hawkesbury, New South Wales, Australia Rosetta Moulds Birth 27 September 1833 28 19 Castle Hill, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Death 11 March 1913 (Age 79) Galston, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Elizabeth Moulds Birth 15 November 1835 30 21 Dural, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Death March 1837 (Age 15 months) , , New South Wales, Australia Mary Moulds Death 15 February 1881 (Age 43) Parramatta, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Joseph Moulds Death 24 October 1840 (Age 11 months) Castle Hill, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Jane Moulds Birth 5 February 1844 38 29 Dural, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Birth 9 April 1846 41 31 Dural, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Birth 24 August 1848 43 34 Dural, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Death 1 February 1927 (Age 78) Dural, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia #10 daughter Amelia Moulds Death 7 November 1903 (Age 53) , , Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Birth 17 July 1852 47 38 Dural, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia #12 son William Moulds Birth 27 February 1855 49 40 Dural, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Death 30 March 1893 (Age 38) Dural, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Sarah Moulds Birth 1858 52 43 Parramatta, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Death 1938 (Age 80) Gladesville, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Birth Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia, St. John's Parramatta, Baptisms, 1790-1916 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Christening Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia, St. John's Parramatta, Baptisms, 1790-1916 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Census Census of New South Wales November 1828, ed. by Malcolm R. Sainty and Keith A. Johnson. Sydney: Library of Australian History, 1985 ie. 1980 Marriage New South Wales. Department of Justice and Attorney General. NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages. [data-base on-line]. Sydney: the Registry. Witness Black, Lyn, Letter to Marion Purnell, received Jun 15 2010 Will unknown Death National Library of Australia. Trove: one search...a wealth of information. [database on-line]. Burial Website - The Mould Families Probate unknown Shared note BURI: CEME St. Paul's Church of England Cemetery Marriage Simon's name recorded as 'Mould'. Internal reference I115 Last change 8 September 2019 - 01:01:54	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line905
__label__wiki	0.929311	0.929311	How Willys Cars Work Willys in the 1950s: Bought by Kaiser, Giving Up on Cars The 1954 Aero-Eagle was an economical hardtop coupe, but the model would not last long following Willys' takeover by Kaiser. Offerings expanded for 1953, when appearance changed only in detail -- notably red hubcap emblems and a gold-plated "W" in the grille, honoring Willys' 50th anniversary. About 500 Aero-Larks were built for export with the old F-head fours, but engines were otherwise unchanged. Aero-Wing was retitled Aero-Falcon, and a new four-door sedan arrived in Lark, Falcon and Ace versions. The hardtop Eagle was again rather pricey, though up only $2 from '52. Helped by the end of government-mandated curbs on consumer production instituted because of the Korean War, Willys had another modestly good year, selling about 42,000 cars. The situation changed in 1954, when Willys-Overland was purchased by Henry Kaiser, who combined it with ailing Kaiser-Frazer to form Kaiser-Willys Sales Corporation. K-F sold its sprawling Willow Run, Michigan, plant to General Motors (which would use it into the 1990s), and Kaiser production was transferred to Toledo. The Kaiser takeover didn't immediately affect the '54 Aero-Willys, which was little more than a '53 with larger taillights and revised interior. But March 1954 brought a raft of changes. Chief among them was Kaiser's 226-cid L-head six, which was shoehorned in as optional power for Ace and Eagle. There were also new Ace and Eagle Customs, basically the standard articles with a "continental" spare tire. Though heavier than the Willys 161, the Kaiser 226 engine produced a useful 25 extra horsepower that made the Aero relatively fast. Top speed was little higher at 85 mph, but the big six dropped typical 0-60 mph times to around 14 seconds. As an experiment, a few Aeros were fitted with 140-bhp supercharged Kaiser Manhattan engines, which made the lighter Willys a performance match for many contemporary V-8 cars -- or so company engineers claimed. All '54s handled much better than earlier Aeros, thanks to a revised front suspension. In all, the best Aeros yet failed to convince many customers, and production dropped to 11,717. By early 1955, Kaiser-Willys decided to abandon the U.S. car market. No longer called Aero, the '55s comprised Custom two-and four-door sedans and a Bermuda hardtop (formerly called Eagle); Willys also built 659 Ace four-doors, again for export. Engine choices did not change save for deletion of the Lark's 134-cid four, but prices were drastically cut in a last-ditch effort to attract sales. The Bermuda, for instance, was slashed to $1895, and was thus honestly advertised as America's lowest-priced hardtop. Sales considerations also prompted an ambitious '55 facelift by Kaiser stylists Buzz Grisinger and Herb Weissinger. The restyles' main elements were a busy two-tier grille (replacing the simple horizontal-bar motif of prior years) and Z-line side moldings that made for an odd two-toned appearance. In the meantime, a neat hardtop wagon was in the works for 1955-56, and designers "Dutch" Darrin and Duncan McRae were conjuring more ambitious restyles for the years beyond. But Willys wouldn't live to see them, at least not with passenger cars. So after a final 5986 units, most carrying the 226 engine, Willys returned to making nothing but Jeeps. Happily, the Aero would live a good while longer in South America, where Kaiser's Willys do (of) Brasil subsidiary took over the Aero dies and offered a cleaned-up '55 with F-head Willys power during 1960-62. Designer Brooks Stevens then applied handsome new square-rigged outer panels, and the car continued through '72, first as the Aero-Willys 2600, then the Willys Itamaraty, and finally the Ford Itamaraty (Dearborn acquired Willys do Brasil via American Motors in 1967). That's eloquent testimony to the sound basic design of the original Aero-Willys. A pity it wasn't more appreciated in its native land. For more on defunct American cars, see: Millennials and Gen Xers Best Boomers at Collecting Cars Henry Ford vs. the Dodge Brothers: An All-American Feud National Historic Vehicle Register Honors Elite Cars	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line907
__label__wiki	0.757263	0.757263	Why did the FAA ban all supersonic flights over the United States, rather than only supersonic flight in densely-populated areas? A major part of why the Concorde was far less of a hit than predicted, and of why the many 1980s and 1990s supersonic transport projects never got off the drawing board, was that the FAA had banned all commercial supersonic flights over the United States in 1973 (two years after the original U.S. SST effort collapsed) due to concern over sonic booms, locking SSTs out of the lucrative U.S. transcontinental routes. Given that transcontinental supersonic flights could have been flown with minimal disruption on the ground by routing them mainly over sparsely-populated areas and using brief periods of subsonic flight over major population centers (here is a map of some possible routes), why did the FAA impose a blanket ban on commercial supersonic flights, rather than merely banning supersonic flights over or near densely-populated areas? faa-regulations supersonic concorde sonic-boom SeanSean $\begingroup$ The opinion I heard on this was „to prevent a European aircraft from capturing 100% market share with US airlines“... $\endgroup$ – Cpt Reynolds May 27 '18 at 19:11 $\begingroup$ Because those of us who live in sparsely-populated areas don't like sonic booms, either! Indeed, you could turn your question around, and ask why not allow supersonic flight over heavily-populated areas, where it's so noisy that the urbanites would scarcely notice the extra boom or two. $\endgroup$ – jamesqf May 28 '18 at 5:56 The short answer is a bad PR fallout following the Oklahoma City sonic boom tests, even though the tests were generally positive. [The National Opinion Research Center] reported that 73% of subjects in the study said that they could live indefinitely with eight sonic booms per day. The FAA's poor handling of claims and its payout of only $123,000 led to a class action lawsuit against the U.S. government. On March 8, 1969, the government lost its appeal. The negative publicity associated with the tests partially influenced the 1971 cancellation of the Boeing 2707 project and led to the United States' complete withdrawal from SST design. The tested 96 Pa (2 psf) overpressure -- what an SST produces and is far lower than military jets -- according to concordesst.com is: (...) equivalent to the pressure one would feel when putting a hand out of the window of a car travelling at 30mph. A 1973 article by The New York Times, "Supersonic Civilian Flights Over U.S. Are Outlawed", does not give reasons, only that it was expected. In a new order, the Federal Aviation Administration virtually outlawed today supersonic, flight over the United States by civilian aircraft, effective April 27. The rule had been expected for three years, since the F.A.A. first proposed it in April, 1970, in a notice inviting comment for or against the action. Accordingly, it came as no surprise to manufacturers of supersonic transport planes such as the British‐French Concorde and the Soviet TU‐144. Congress canceled the Boeing‐General Electric program for an American SST twe years ago, for budgetary reasons. The New York Times also reported in 1970 about the supersonic trials over populated areas in "West Scotland, Wales and England" with no reports of any damage. Was it politically motivated? Were there really no solutions such as the proposed corridors? Those and @CptReynolds' commentary that [the US] banned it to "prevent a European aircraft from capturing 100% [of the SST] market share with US airlines" are worthy of posts on Skeptics or Politics.SE. Over there they'd know where to dig deeper. One of the things I found for example was a ban on Concorde before it set a tire in New York. So it was a ban that came before any evaluation for its subsonic noise. The Supreme Court eventually intervened and lifted the ban (The New York Times, 1977). Another find was a quotation from Ohio Senator Clarence J Brown, saying: I see no reason to oppose the SST [meaning Concorde] just because we were stupid enough to get out of the SST business ourselves (concordesst.com). Because people living in rural areas don’t like having loud, noxious sonic booms damaging their property and aggravating them at all hours of the day while these flight tiptoe around urban airspace and don’t annoy city dwellers. And they vote and have representation in Congress. Carlo FelicioneCarlo Felicione Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged faa-regulations supersonic concorde sonic-boom or ask your own question. What were the effects of the oil crises on the Concorde ticket prices? Could Mach 1.4 be a better design point for SST? What control issues did the X-1 have to overcome to achieve supersonic flight? Why is the XB-70's Top speed only about 60mph higher than its cruise speed? Why most of the supersonic or fighter aircraft use all-moving control surfaces? Why is the coefficient of drag for straight wings at supersonic speeds lower than for swept wings? What is the procedure to obtain an FAA ATP while in the United States for a holder of a CPL from Pakistan? Why does the FAA mandate a temperature indicator for all manned balloons? What safety issues led the FAA to ban Constellation flights into/out of the U.S.?	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line908
__label__wiki	0.798268	0.798268	By Sly Steve Art & Culture, Music, News 05/09/2014 Saturday 9 August \| Swingin’ Safari At the time of writing the fate of the legendary Swingin’ Safari’s is in the hands of the gods, well more accurately the overseas investors who are behind the venue operated by long time Manager Neil Beattie. Fingers and toes are crossed that the venue can remain open as it has been a bastion of good times for over ten years and supported countless local acts who have gone on to have national and international success. Sadly, it doesn’t look like it’s going to be this way though. So, as it closes its famous door, the crew from Rabbit Radio (of which I am a part) put on an appropriately epic party to celebrate the station’s second year. Beginning in a corner of the Rabbit and Cocoon precinct, Rabbit Radio has grown to become a hub for emerging musical talent on the Gold Coast and surrounds with one needing no more proof than the quality of the bands assembled for its birthday. Opening the proceedings was emerging four-piece Dead Books. The band was handpicked by Rabbit listeners as part of the station’s Get Up, Get Heard competition, which invited local artists to submit their music in order to win the coveted spot. Playing one of their first live shows the band showed no nerves and rocked their way into a set which included their brand new AA side singles Vice and Virtue. The band gained many new fans on the night, one such fan jumping on stage to help out on vocals. Not that lead vocalist Laura Cook needs any assistance. Cook has a real presence on stage; one which has established bands envious. The secret? Cook informed me that a few whiskies had gone down in preparation. This may also explain the Janis Joplin type feel to their sound, which also channelled Jefferson Airplane. Whatever their secret, be sure to catch Dead Books at their next show. Street 66 have only been on the scene a short while but have been gathering a whole heap of followers from here to the Sunshine Coast with their blend of kicked back funk grooves with hip-hop swagger. Holding the mic is Puer MC whose flow is on point tonight and has the ever increasing crowd bouncing in approval. The highlight of the set comes with the Notorious B.I.G cover laced into the set and gives Puer MC the chance to really show off with his impressive skills on the mic. The band really get into the set from here with Liam Butler keeping things tighter than Puer’s dreads on the bass and gaining plenty of love from the ever-increasing crowd. Brisbane via South Africa native Cln made the journey south for his first ever Gold Coast show, with plenty gathered to hear what all the hype has been about. Coinciding with the release of his debut EP Sideways, which had climbed to an impressive 16 on the iTunes electronic chart. The set did not disappoint, laying down a heavy helping of glitched-out beats including his recent singles Sideways and crowd favourite Better Than. Comparisons to Flume would be easy but Cln brings a smoothness and edge to his production which are entirely his own. Quite simply Cln is one to watch and you will not get a chance to see him in such intimate surrounds again. My tip is he will feature heavily over the upcoming Summer Festival season. Making my way back to the bar from Cln there was a devastating discovery; they had run out of beer. At least temporarily. It was easy to see why as every room of the house was heaving with people and a steady stream was still making their way in just in time for Salvadarlings. Having not seen Salvadarlings before I was quite keen to check them in the flesh, having heard rave reviews from their Primary Feels release show at Elsewhere a month before. Tonight didn’t change this however, as it was physically impossible to make my way through the crowd to the stage. I was later informed many punters were turned away at the door due to an over-capacity crowd. The wooden floors were literally swingin’ as Salvadarlings laid down a killer set which I heard from my vantage point sandwiched somewhere between the kitchen and the bathrooms. I could easily ‘hear’ what all the fuss has been about as the band blissed out the party with gems from their debut EP including, After Nightfall, T.M.B.C. and standout Dead Man. Salvadarlings have emerged among a strong handful of local dream/psych/pop groups alongside compatriots Tsun and Babe Rainbow, which would hold their own against contemporaries from the West Coast of the USA. Rest assured I won’t make the same mistake twice and be left in the outer when these guys play again. Having witnessed such a solid line up of wholly local acts it’s safe to say that the music vibe of the coast is in a golden period and with support from organisations like Rabbit Radio, the future is sounding bright. Please subscribe to Rabbit Radio to keep us bouncing into the new year and beyond \| www.rabbitradio.com.au. Buy Dilaudid CLNdead booksrabbit radioSalvadarlingsStreet 66Swingin' Safari View all of Steve's posts. Shihad come full circle Rabbits bring the house down Papa Roach ready to infest The Tivoli After teasing Australian audiences with only two dates for their upcoming tour, Papa Roach had people chomping at the bit for details about more…	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line918
__label__cc	0.692723	0.307277	Happy Father’s Day to me! My three sons were persuaded that if we all went to see Rocketman, that that would be a great Father’s Day gift, so off we went to the aptly-domain-named Film.Ca cinemas, and the on-again off-again 12 Dates of Christmas gift was on again. I think it was the first time we’d had that combination of the lads and me and Cathy all out to the movies in quite a while. do i have any amusing anecdotes about the actual theatre going experience this time? Well, on the way there, Nick announced he would be singing along to the chorus in Crocodile Rock – you know, the part that goes La, la-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la-laa, La-la-la-la-la…. so I made sure I wasn’t sitting right next to him. did I like the movie? Well, the first part, sure. The big Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting production number had me leaning over to Cathy to whisper something along the lines of “I’m quite enjoying this so far.” But the movie took a pretty dark turn. Admittedly, I am a casual Elton John fan but not up on his whole family story, and his family story could be described as: dark. Sad. Unfortunate. Elton, I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I’m glad that things seem to be better for you now. Especially after you married your Canadian husband! what about the guy? Taron Egerton, who I knew nothing about, was great, there wasn’t a single moment when I didn’t believe I was actually watching Elton John. He’s a very convincing singer. did elton john really take a cab from Madison Square Garden directly to what appears to be a rehab center in the UK? I dunno. Go check Wikipedia, maybe it says something there. did they do that song about candles in the wind? did they do that frequent hollywood bit where the end of the movie shows a variety of self-congratulatory scenes showing something in the movie and a similar real-life shot to prove that they got it right? how many of these movies you’ve seen with Cathy have been about rocket men? Hmm. About a third. This one, and this one too. is there another Elton John biography film that you like, preferably one that’s nice and short albeit running in reverse chronological order? Funny you should ask. This commercial from John Lewis is pretty great. And not nearly as sad. So I played in a band at the legendary Ritz in San Jose, California last night. (below are some of the many great photos of the event by Adam Tow) The whole event reminded me that it’s not really important how good a musician you are; you should just get together with your friends and play some music. (And maybe people will come! And they did, in this case; the event was a fundraiser for App Camp for Girls ) Wait, whaaat? What band are you in NOW? I thought the whole football band thing was over. Well, yeah it still is. This time I sat in with James Dempsey and the Breakpoints at their 8th annual Live Near WWDC concert. This is an annual concert put on by people attending Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference, and it’s spearheaded by my friend James who has written an entire chart-topping album of funny songs celebrating various technical aspects of programming and you can of course listen to the whole album here. The band featured a whole group of people who are stars in the Mac world – including Daniel Jalkut, author of MarsEdit, the blogging software I am typing in right now – and many other luminaries that I bet most of my friends outside the Mac world have never heard of. But I don’t care! It was great fun to be invited! Here’s one of my favourite numbers – The Liki Song (Minawana Meika La’a Likiko) It’s a little Hawaiian number with James on ukulele – and it’s about memory management. I have to admit, the first time I listened to it – while walking through an airport – I had no idea what the heck James was singing about. “Liki” ? “Mina wana meika la’a likiko”? What the heck? What is he talking about? And finally it dawned on me – “Me no want to make a lot of leaky code.” That stopped me in my tracks in the airport; I had to sit down, I was laughing so hard. And this was the big closing number at the show, with 24 musicians on stage and the entire crowd singing along. What a treat. So many songs, so many different styles. how’d this start? James and I both worked at Apple ages ago – I still do – and both presented at WWDC many times. I distinctly remember one year when I was getting ready for my talk and Matt Firlik announced to me that James had written an original song about Fetch Specifications for his talk, and right then, I knew the best any of the rest of us could hope for was to give the 2nd best presentation. For years afterwards, the word would get out that James’s WWDC session was almost over and, regardless of topic, people would suddenly arrive for the last 5 minutes to hear his latest song about localization or the perils of designated initializers or whatever else struck his fancy. A year or two later in 2002, he wrote another song at the developer conference about memory management called Hold Me, Use Me, Release Me – and I knew I had to up my game, and brought my trombone on stage for my own session on WebObjects and I told the crowd that I’d written an original trombone solo about Key-Value Coding, which I hoped I’d have time to perform. To the great relief of everyone, including me, I did not have time to perform this (nonexistent) solo. But there was some sort of community event that night and James was asked to reprise the Hold Me song, and, well I happened to be around and happened to have a trombone on hand and my arm was twisted ever so slightly so I played along on stage with James. And that was the last time I did, until 17 years later. (Ten years later, I was visiting Cathy’s mom at her home in a tiny community in northern New Brunswick and tweeted something about it, and about five minutes later, the phone rang – it was James. “Are you really in Jacquet River, New Brunswick?” he asked in amazement – because it turns out his wonderful father Wilbur lived there too! Small world.) the breakpoints James eventually struck out on his own and formed a band of various other members of the geek-Apple community – all very talented musicians – and called the group the Breakpoints. (A breakpoint is a term in software debugging for a location where you want the program to stop so you can see what’s going on.) He actually wound up with enough material to release an entire album of funny programming songs songs which actually was the #1 comedy album on iTunes for a while (and, if I remember correctly, #1 overall album in Bulgaria). I was lucky enough to be dubbed a “conditional breakpoint”, i.e. someone who played with the band only rarely. For years James and his band did these wildly popular fundraisers called “Live Near WWDC”, and I always went, and always enjoyed it, and always secretly wanted to be up there on stage too. Last night was my chance. 17 years after first playing with James, I was invited back to play trombone on a couple of numbers, including a rockin’ round of trading licks with awesome guitarist Jim Dalrymple, in a song which could only have been improved if I had not forgotten what key it was in part way through. (note: it was in “A”.) I am saving this tweet – — Jim Dalrymple (@jdalrymple) June 6, 2019 Wow, was it fun. Over 20 different muisicians in the band – singers, guitarists, drummers, a violin! a cello! And a guy with a blue trombone having the time of his life. Thank you James. And thanks for the selfie below which you actually took during the middle of my solo, which perhaps caused me to forget the key signature (note, again: “A”) I hope I can do it again in 2036. Maybe sooner!	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line926
__label__wiki	0.716047	0.716047	Last 1 2 Poll: Who is your emotional #1 QB: Goff or Rodgers? 5,004 Views \| 61 Replies \| Last: 1 yr ago by OneTopOneChickenApple B.A. Bearacus 5:33p, 9/10/18 As in, who do you feel more invested in as a fan? Star your choice. oskirules https://www.linkedin.com/in/aarongoff okaydo Jared Goff: Looked like a bust his rookie season. Aaron Rodgers: Looked like a bust his rookie season. Jared Goff: Team goes 4-12 in rookie year. Head coach is fired and replaced by an NFC offensive coordinator Aaron Rodgers: Team goes 4-12 in rookie year. Head coach is fired and replaced by an NFC offensive coordinator. Jared Goff: Looked so good in his first year starting under his second head coach that he's called a system QB. Aaron Rodgers: Looked so good in his first year starting under his second head coach that he's called a system QB. In reply to oskirules • 6:19p, 9/10/18 Jared Rodgers https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodgersjared/ Uhhh...it's hard. But I'd like Goff to overcome the perception that he's Sean McVay's puppet. For those who don't know the story: NFL Films has been the bane of Goff's existence. First he was followed by Hard Knocks from the moment he was drafted to the end of his first training camp. Then NFL Films stuck around to follow him around for Amazon's All or Nothing. Then in the Houston game, NFL Films showed McVay saying something in his mic and Goff repeating it, leading to the perception that the only reason Goff is good is because McVay is his puppet. (And every pundit saying it's so easy. This could be applied to any other struggling QB. Of course, Sean Mannion still sucks.) Drew Magary wrote this in why your team sucks. Hate it or not, that's the perception of Goff. And with him not doing preseason, it might be bad tonight. hopefully it isn't. https://deadspin.com/why-your-team-sucks-2018-los-angeles-rams-1828573405 This is what Magary wrote last year. (I'm a big fan of Magary's writing -- don't worry he sht on every team equally, including his own, the vikings): This is the 10th anniversary of Rodgers' first season as starter. And there were of course a lot of questions and doubters. It comes with the territory, especially following Favre. Hopefully, Goff could have a similar arc. (But not too similar.) In reply to okaydo • 6:23p, 9/10/18 Sunday Night Football Intro Rodgers best not be reading this thread! I would vote for Rodgers (but can't vote in this poll). Been rooting for Rodgers too long and he was the first QB I watched at Cal who blossomed into an elite NFL qb. Would be thrilled to see Goff become an elite NFL qb, but I'm not going to adjust my schedule just yet to watch Rams games. golden sloth Got to watch Goff for three years, Rodgers one (I started watching Cal football in '04). Goff by far. In reply to B.A. Bearacus • 7:21p, 9/10/18 B.A. Bearacus said: Rams and Packers play at the same time only twice this season, on December 2 and December 9. (Not counting the game they play against each other.) hanky1 Rodgers. I overlapped with him for a year at Cal. I still get pretty upset whenever he throws a single incomplete pass. It's like he really sucks whenever he does. SoFlaBear Rodgers is the G.O.A.T. QB at Cal. My emotional #1 is Steve Levy. NYCGOBEARS Goff. bearister Goff, because his loyalty to Cal was never conditioned on whether the Athletic Director made decisions regarding the Head Coach in conformity with his personal preference. Cancel my subscription to the Resurrection Send my credentials to the House of Detention I got some friends inside Okaydo, just for you for $292.95. https://www.comc.com/Cards/Football/2016/Panini_National_Treasures_Collegiate_-_Dual_Signatures/5/Aaron_Rodgers_Jared_Goff/13078119 calumnus Intellectially, it is Goff, but emotionally, it is still Rodgers. I always knew he would be a great one, and his getting screwed by the Niners and dropping on draft day, the the abuse from Farve and the Green Bay fans all had me fully invested. I still feel he does not get his due, due to his organization failing to surround him with talent. Goff, I was worried about going as the #1, and am just relieved he is not a bust. The Rams are now (again) becoming my NFL team (once the Raiders move to Las Vegas and Marshawn retires again). Hopefully Goff becomes a great one, I'm rooting for him! oursdor Aaron Rodgers is maybe the best player in the history of the game and should have played in a Rose Bowl. Goff was saddled with three miserable seasons at Cal where he put up empty calorie numbers and lost almost every meaningful conference / rivalry game. I literally can't remember a single legit "highlight" from his three seasons. None of that is his fault but it's not even close for me. tequila4kapp In reply to oursdor • 10:06p, 9/10/18 oursdor said: This is a little more pointed than I would have said it but this about sums it up for me. Plus, AR is family friends with a family friend so I pull for and like him. StillNoStanfurdium Goff beat Texas at Texas. That's pretty memorable in my book. In reply to StillNoStanfurdium • 10:53p, 9/10/18 StillNoStanfurdium said: Agreed. Beating Texas was highly satisfying and had special significance. Rank the Top 5 Aaron Rodgers victories at Cal In reply to oskirules • 11:03p, 9/10/18 oskirules said: No thinks. I did spend $50 on a Rodgers bobblehead . When Goff gets a Cal bobblehead, I'll get one too. HoopDreams 11:08p, 9/10/18 he is all Cal I am about equal on both. I searched "Goff" on Twitter, and realized I didn't want to read all the sht-talking about him. Hopefully he has a better game -- though this game wasn't too bad considering it was his first real action in 8 months and he didn't pull a "Carr" or "Garrapalo." (Carr has 3 interceptions after 1 game. Goff had 7 after 15 games last season.) It's like the old saying that there are some girls you want to settle down with and marry and there are some girls you want to have a fling with. There are some QBs who just look so good. Even though there is a lot of boom and bust to them. And there are QBs who are steady but boring. That is Goff. I will still defend him, though. I also can't stop being a fanboy about Rodgers. So he said "Butte" from about 2011/12 to 2015/16. So what? Butte was an important part of his life. Just like Rodgers was an important part of many of our Cal fandoms. I was absolutely sick during part of yesterday's Packers game. Calling his work at Cal 'empty calorie numbers' is a bit harsh and demeaning for the following reasons: 1. Goff was saddled with the worst Cal coach of the last 15 years. 2. Goff had 5 fellow offensive players drafted by the NFL spread out over his three seasons (Rodgers, Lasco, Khalfani, Trevor Davis, and Stephen Andersen) none of which were drafted early. Rodgers had 3 NFL draft picks in the backfield with him in 2004 alone (Arrington, Lynch, Forsett) and 3 on the line in front of him (Merz, O'Callaghan, Philip) and Craig Stevens at TE. 3. Memorable games include back to back come from behind wins against Colorado and Washington State in 2014, beat Texas at Texas, beat Washington at Washington (against a very good defensive backfield), and led the come from behind win versus Arizona State over Thanksgiving weekend. 4. Highlights off the top of my head, the first TD to Trevor Davis in the Utah 2015 game was beautiful, the first TD against Texas to Maurice Harris when he spins out of a sack and find him on the scramble, the second effort on the 4th down conversion to seal the game at Washington in 2015, any one of his 96 touchdown passes, in the 2015 ASU game it was late and a Dlineman had him dead to rights wrapping him, he somehow spins out of it and finds Chad Hansen for a key first down, Cal goes on to kick a field goal to win the game. 5. If Goff had missed ANY games, it would have been the dark days. He was the only thing keeping anything resembling a team together. If he had flipped to another school after Tedford's firing Cal would have won no more than 5 games over Dykes' three seasons (yes, he would have been fired and Webb would not have transferred). 6. Goff endured a lot of hits and lacked coaching talent and player talent around him, Cal may not have been on fire in his time, but he kept the flame lit, which sometimes is harder to do. In reply to B.A. Bearacus • 11:50p, 9/10/18 It was great! We were there, surrounded by Texas fans in their alumni section on the 50 yard line (but higher up). They were real friendly...at first....then they were increasing drunk and testy. Amazing plays in that game. In reply to okaydo • 12:51a, 9/11/18 okaydo said: Exactly. Probably his biggest victory was the 52-49 win over VT in the 2003 Insight Bowl, back when people thought those kinds of wins were exciting. His best performance was the 2004 SC game when he set an NCAA record for consecutive completions against the #1 team in the country on their home field. Of course, that was a loss. Truly great performance though. A couple of Big Game victories against a bottom dwelling Stanford team? We lead the nation in rushing with over 3,000 yards in 2004. We had injuries at WR. Big games from Arrington and memorable runs by Marshawn, but not a lot of opportunity for Rodgers to show off his greatness. I was so looking forward to watching him throw to Desean in 2005. Oski87 1:50a, 9/11/18 Both of them will be hall of fame QBs. Goff has a fantastic long ball, sees the field remarkably well and is in a great system. He will have a very long and illustrious career. In reply to Oski87 • 2:31a, 9/11/18 Oski87 said: Goff will have the advantage of doing it LA, versus northern Wisconsin. Neither, I root for Cal, not Cal players in the NFL. If Cal players want my fanhood, they should join the team I root for. touchdownbears43 Rodgers and it's not even close. Goff bluehenbear I saw all the home games when Rodgers was Cal QB. I was at LA Coliseum and watched him complete an insane number of completions in a row. He is an amazing talent and he's still performing magic with his arm. an ingenious tactic to rack up the blue stars... chicks galore for BABs, no doubt ColoradoBear Easy one - Rodgers. 2004 was a great year that ended with a kick in the nuts. We all know Aaron is still salty about that Mack Brown fool. And the 49er skipping over him draft debacle. The throwing 'on the shelf ' BS. And Favre's repeated unretirements. Now potentially the best ever? Come on, you all going to hate due to two words (Butte College)? Please! Not going to lie, the Dykes' era was horrible for Cal. I have more connection to the holmoe teams even. The energy at CMS has been pretty garbage since the remodel, with the exception of maybe the UCLA game in 2012. Beating Texas in Austin was great though. Skip to Last Page 1 Page 2	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line928
__label__cc	0.562658	0.437342	All posts tagged Shutler The response to the appeal for subscriptions has been, on the whole, deplorably bad Would St Bartholomew’s School memorial be able to go ahead? THE WAR MEMORIAL. E.W. Mansfield, Chairman of the Govenors. C.A. Hawker, Mayor. F.W. Thoyts, Chairman of the School Committee. H.F.E. Peake, Chairman of the Finance Committee. Governors of the School. A.E. Allnatt, formerly Cricket Captain. E. Bradfield, formerly Senior Prefect. I.K. Fraser, formerly Senior Prefect and Editor of “The Newburian”. A.J. Coles, formerly Senior Prefect, “Editor of The Newburian,” Captain of Football XV. Old Boys. B.C.L. James, Senior Prefect. E. Sharwood-Smith, Head Master. C. St. A. Lee, Second Master, Hon. Sec. and Treasurer of Committee. All communications should be addressed to Mr. Lee. THIRD LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. In publishing the third list of subscribers to the War Memorial Fund, we would point out that the response to the appeal for subscriptions has been, on the whole, deplorably bad. It is to be hoped that the many Old Boys and others connected with the school who have not already sent in their donations will make an immediate response to this most important appeal. £ s d Pte. A.E.J. Chislett 10 0 0 H. Chislett, Esq. 5 0 0 E.B. Milnes, Esq. 5 0 0 P. Williams, Esq. 5 0 0 J. Rankin, Esq. 3 3 0 Lt. W.B. Collins 2 0 0 Mrs. Shaw 2 0 0 K.P.Leng, Esq. 2 0 0 Corpl.H.S. Hobbs } Sgt. P.R. Hobbs} 1 0 0 Capt. J. Allee 1 1 0 J.F. Cannan, Esq. 1 0 0 T. Bradfield, Esq. 1 1 0 Lt. W.H. Glover 1 1 0 Miss Brough 1 10 0 Miss Gibson 1 0 0 P. Simmons, Esq. 1 1 0 Miss Farmer 10 6 J. Parr, Esq. 10 0 J.B. Webb, Esq. 10 6 W.C. Franks 10 6 B.C.L. James 10 6 Mrs. Huxham 10 0 Mrs. Staples 10 0 Mrs. Hale 10 0 J.W.Knight, Esq. 5 0 ALLEN, Pte. W.H., Grenadier Guards. BANCE, Lieut., R.A., 5th Royal Berkshire Regiment. BUCKINGHAM, Lieut., P.E., R.A.F. BURGESS, Lieut., N.G., Croix de Guerre, R.N.V. CANNON, H.S., Motor Despatch Rider. CHISLETT, Trooper, H.J.W., 1/1st Berkshire Yeomanry. COWELL-TOWNSHEND, Lieut., R., R.A.F. COX, Pte., C.W., Royal Berkshire Regiment. CURNOCK, Lieut., C.A., 10th East Surrey Regiment. DAVIES, Corpl., P.E., 10th East Surrey Regiment. DAVIS, A.H., London Artists Corps. EDWARDS, 2nd Lieut., F.A.L., M.C., Royal Berkshire Regiment. EVERS, Capt., B.S., 9th West Yorkshire Regiment. GRIFFIN, 2nd Lieut., H.S., 2/24th Royal Berkshire Regiment. HALLEN, Corpl., J.V., 1st Surrey Rifles. HARRIS, L.A., Royal Warwick Regiment. HERBERT, Pte. G.W., Royal Welsh Fusiliers. JONES, Rfn., S.W., 2nd Rifle Brigade . MATHEWS, Trooper, S.W., 2nd Rifle Brigade. MORTIMER, Pte. F.C., 4th North Staffordshire Regiment. MYDDELTON, 2nd Lieut., E.G., Suffolk Regiment. NASH, Pte. J.O., Royal Engineers. PATTERSON, Capt., R.A., 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade. PAYZE, A.R., 50th Canadian Gordon Highlanders. PEARSON, Pte. K.H., Artists’ Rifles. PLENTY, Major, E.M., R.A.F. QUARTERMAN, 2nd Lieut., P.H., 2/24th East Lancashire Regiment. RAVENOR, Lieut., G.P., Royal Berkshire Regiment. RAVENOR, Corpl., H., Australian Contingent. ROBINSON, 2nd Lieut., A.H., 1st Manchester Regiment. SOLWAY, Pte. D.G., Oxon and Bucks Light Infantry attached Royal Berkshire Regiment. SAVAGE, 2nd Air Mechanic, E.G., Royal Flying Corps. SHARP, Lieut., F.H., Royal Berkshire Regiment. SHIPLEY, Trooper, A.J., Berkshire Yeomanry. SHUTLER, Pte. R., Berkshire Yeomanry. SOMERSET, Lieut., F.H., South African Infantry. STEVENS, Pte. E.J., M.M., Royal Army Medical Corps. SWINLEY, Lieut., G.N.B., 3rd Battalion K.O.S.B. WARREN, Sergt.-Major, C.M. WILDE, Lieut., E.J., Leicester Regiment. WYLLIE, Corpl., A., Berkshire Yeomanry, attached Worcester Regiment. The Newburian (magazine of St Bartholomew’s School, Newbury), April 1919 (N/D161/1/9) Posted in After the war, Children and the war, Life on the Home Front, Never forget: remembering the war, Roll of honour: the war dead Tagged Allee, Allen, Allnatt, Artists' Rifles, Australian Contingent, Bance, Berkshire Yeomanry, Bradfield, Brough, Buckingham, Canadians, Cannon, Chislett, Coles, Collins, Cowell-Townshend, Cox, Croix de Guerre, Curnock, Davies, Davis, Despatch riders, East Lancashire Regiment, East Surrey Regiment, Edwards, Evers, Farmer, Franks, Fraser, Gibson, Glover, Gordon Highlanders, Grenadier Guards, Griffin, Hale, Hallen, Harris, Hawker, Herbert, Hobbs, Huxham, James, Jones, Knight, Lee, Leng, London Artist Regiment, Manchester Regiment, Mansfield, Mathews, Mayor of Newbury, Military Cross, Milnes, Mortimer, Myddelton, Nash, Newbury, North Staffordshire Regiment, Oxon and Bucks Light Infantry, Parr, Patterson, Payze, Peake, Pearson, Plenty, Quarterman, Rankin, Ravenor, Rifle Brigade, Robinson, Royal Air Force, Royal Army Medical Corps, Royal Berkshire Regiment, Royal Engineers, Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Voluntary Reserve, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, Savage, Sharp, Sharwood-Smith, Shaw, Shipley, Shutler, Simmons, Solway, Somerset, South African Infantry, Staples, Stevens, Suffolk Regiment, Surrey Rifles, Swinley, Thoyts, War memorials, Warren, Webb, West Yorkshire Regiment, Williams, Wylde, Wyllie https://berkshirevoiceswwi.wordpress.com/2019/04/21/the-response-to-the-appeal-for-subscriptions-has-been-on-the-whole-deplorably-bad/	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line935
__label__cc	0.564985	0.435015	January 20, 2015 Bruce Allen Morning Links #DeflateGate is over. This Is The Smoking Gun. So messing around with the inflation of the ball is something only cheating Bill Belicheat and the Cheatriots would do, right? http://www.bostonsportsmedia.com/images/hotlink-ok/rodgers-inflation.mp4 This is from the Packers/Patriots game earlier this season. (h/t to @pedroiar for the link) Nantz: We talked to Rodgers about ‘How do you like your football?’ because you know, you can rub them up before the game, this is something you really kind of created this for everyone else in the league. Simms: I don’t know if I did, because the quarterbacks got tired of complaining. But he said something that was unique. ‘I like to push the limits to how much air we can put in the football – even go over what they allow you to do. See if the officials take air out of it,’ because he thinks its easier for him to grip, he likes them tight of course he has very big hands and you can tell that by watching him play. – Play call – Nantz: …You’ve never heard of a guy really desiring the football to be fat and overinflated, correct? Simms: Everybody wants it smaller and soft so they can dig their fingers into it. (More on Rodgers’ hands) Nantz talks more about Rodgers’ hands Simms: You know, the officials do check those footballs, and sometimes you can get lucky and put an extra half a pound of air in there to help Aaron Rodgers out. Let’s just move on and talk about what should be an awesome Super Bowl, shall we? 82 thoughts on “#DeflateGate is over. This Is The Smoking Gun.” Not sure who this Hurley guy is but this take down of the SI piece on flat balls (and really all coverage of that and formation-gate) is amazing. http://boston.cbslocal.com/2015/01/20/sports-illustrated-writer-takes-belichick-cheating-accusations-to-new-absurd-levels/ GolFoxtrot Yankee says: I admire the logic that says an LB who touched the ball once is a better judge of weight than the refs which had been handling the ball, between every play, all game. bignasty96 says: “I like to push the limits” Good Lord, how f’in stupid are Patriots fans? There’s a huge difference between pushing the limits & cheating. Just accept that you root for a team, coach & organization that cheats. dewey4HOF says: Did you watch the video? You don’t think Nantz and Simms saying that he hopes to get lucky and sneak in an extra half pound of pressure means something? Mgar6577 says: and then…”– even go over what they allow you to do. See if the officials take air out of it,’ “ MikeJwF says: You didn’t watch the video, Patriots haters are so drunk with hate they can’t even read or listen. mediablowhards says: Not just drunk, but drunk, dumb and illiterate. Trip McNeely says: Says the guy who likes his own comments. What a jackass. Peadar says: “I like to push the limit to how much air we can put in the football, EVEN GO OVER WHAT THEY ALLOW YOU TO DO and see if the officials take air out of it.” Oh man, I remember this. What I remember most, was watching Good Morning America & the Today show when they lead off their shows with the story about Rodgers cheating… oh wait… that never happened. That’s because Rodgers didnt cheat. Coming close to the limit is different than cheating. Is that too much for you to comprehend? Ummm… you might want to watch/listen again closely to what Rodgers said. I’ll wait for your response. bsmfan says: Gotta wonder if Park Avenue secretly loves this. We’re talking about the NFL when it’s normally a dead week. The casual news networks will mention the SB but only the network covering it really ramps it up, usually relocating all their “elite” talent to wherever it is and doing shows from the SB. I am so tired of hearing about Spygate and not winning a super bowl since pre-Spygate and now I have to listen to talk about deflated footballs. I feel like Roger Goodell has no tact when it comes to league matters. He could have downplayed the video taping but he didn’t because it was the blatant disobedience by Belichick and not the act itself that caused him to lay such a stiff penalty on them. I felt like he wanted to make the Patriots twist in the wind. I get the same sense now as well. He could have killed this on the vine on Monday morning with a simple statement downplaying it. I don’t know how the owners don’t see that he hurts the brand by failing to knock down negative stories regarding any franchise. Can anyone remember Tagliabue botching so many issues? I personally cannot think of any. It is going to be very satisfying to watch the air go out of the haters arguments after the Patriots win this Super bowl. Look forward to response when they lose, AGAIN, post-SpyGate. Funny how not cheating makes it harder to win. You’re right, they have such a hard time winning. I don’t know who you root for… I just know they’ve won less. I am telling you they will win. But I will be here regardless. Will you be here if they win? I doubt it. The Patriots have also not won the Superbowl since they let go of Reche Caldwell after the ’06 season. That’s just as arbitrary as saying they haven’t won a SB since SG. (hint: neither have anything whatsoever to do with winning the SB, esp when you have been now 3 times since and have the best record in the league since) And you liked your own post. You are a tool. Rob Campbell says: Got anything else, skippy? The longer Goodell waits, the worse this looks for the team and the Patriots, no matter the result. They should know this but we’ve come to realize that the NFL is quite absent from reality. Mike Hamilton says: Tagliabue was a far superior commissioner. No way a fiasco like “Spygate” happens on his watch. It occasionally bothers me that he retired one year before the Patriots assembled such a historic team in 2007. Pyper says: Thank you Bruce…I was waiting for you to weigh in on this nonsense. Its a shame there are so few reasonable minds in the world of sports. I need to start a blog and do my part to assist guys like you in illuminating the idiocy so rampant these days…Until then, keep up the great work. JFP says: Do you realize the ramifications of this? Wilbon said last night on PI that if the Pats allegations were true the Colts should be sent to the SB instead of the Pats. No joke. He really did. Of course if we do that now we need to go void that GB win over the Pats. That means the final game of the year between GB and Detroit was not for the division. Restart the playoffs!!! Reminds me of the absurdity of when it comes to the NCAA vacating wins (USC comes to mind). Tony C says: The “Fab Five’s” two Final Four appearances in the early 90s apparently never happened either. Absurd is the only correct term to use. Christian DeBaun says: From Tom E. Curran – “Two officials handle the ball prior to every snap. They are — on a wet night — checking the ball condition constantly and toweling them down. A ball that was deemed too soft would, presumably, be noticed quickly. You don’t become an NFL official without having an extreme attention to detail. And you’re not going to feel a ball that’s a little soft in an AFC Championship game, shrug and say, “Eh, good enough . . . ” and throw it into play so that your colleague can spot it.” “BUT HE’S A PATRIOTS TOADIE MEDIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Lets go for a real curveball here and have QBs putting pinetar inside their uniform somewhere prior to touching the ball. Why not? QuantumMechanic says: Have to disagree with you this time, Bruce, but that clip is inapposite. That clip is about GB submitting over-inflated balls to the refs and hoping the refs miss some of them during the pre-game ball checks. What NE is being accused of (by the Colts and court of public opinion, anyways) is messing with the balls AFTER they’ve been submitted to the refs. Also, the rule in question only imposes a penalty on post-submissal messing with the balls, not submitting them to the refs in an out-of-spec state. So unfortunately, that clip doesn’t debunk anything. Though it does illustrate the double-standard, because you know that the mediots would have a coronary if NE did what GB did. A better “smoking gun” would be the article about Carolina and Minnesota getting caught heating balls during a game: http://espn.go.com/blog/minnesota-vikings/post/_/id/11218/nfl-aware-of-game-ball-incident-during-panthers-vikings thedoctlc says: You completely whiffed: if there’s veracity to what Phil Simms says, then LEAGUE officials assisted Rodgers by over-inflating balls by an extra 1/2 psig (after they were submitted, obviously). He is gone like a fart in the wind. Meanwhile back in real world (a world that is, sadly, uninhabited by most media morons), the Patriots filed tampering charges against the Jets over the weekend. The evidence of tampering is clear cut and unambiguous, unlike the “evidence” that the Patriots did something nefarious to some of the footballs used on Sunday evening. Where’s the media on this? Where is the NFL? Hello? Bueller? Bueller? With regard to Mr. Goodell, I quote Leo Amery’s House of Commons speech from May 7, 1940, in all earnestness: “You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go.” DryHeave says: That clip was a great find but I got to say, it’s never going to stop. We’re talking sports here. Opposing fans are ALWAYS going to yell, “Cheaters!,Cheaters!, Cheaters!” Because that’s the only comeback they can think of. The Media will always accuse the Pats of some kind subterfuge because they love controversy and drama plus of course they hate Belichick. I made peace with this crap along time ago….Embrace the hate, Pats fans. Embrace the hate…. you’re fighting a losing battle if you ever expect the other side to ever see the light. No matter what evidence you show them. Well said. It would have been awesome to put the cheating stuff behind us with a SB win this year, but that’s no longer going to happen. In the end I really like what Reis had to say about everything in his mailbag: “I’d start with today’s media culture, where anyone can pretty much say anything and it can catch on fire. We can’t turn back now, so as a fan, I think the easier thing to do is accept that and then make a choice: Whose opinion matters to me? Just because someone necessarily has a bigger name, or a larger platform, doesn’t necessarily mean that person has an informed opinion. In the end, while acceptance from others would be nice, the only opinion that really matters is your own. So my advice: Enjoy the ride. Someday we’ll look back at all this stuff, probably laugh, and wish we had it as good as we did then. If you’re curious for my own opinion on the deflated footballs, I think it is an overblown story.” Add to the list of “journalists who need better editors” straight outta Gregggggg Doyle, who replaced Kravitz @ the Indy Star: http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/columnists/gregg-doyel/2015/01/20/doyel-deflating-ball-beneath-most-but-this-is-the-pats/22053049/?hootPostID=%5B%27a058aa77b5920e13bd06d043cf444803%27%5D I’ll tell you what should happen: The Patriots should be removed from the Super Bowl. Which means the Colts should be going to Glendale. Will this happen? Of course not, which is why I’m mentioning it way down the story – it has to be said somewhere – but not starting this column with that idea. Because it’s a preposterous idea, not worthy of the headline. The NFL would never, ever remove the Patriots from the Super Bowl, even if it does find they were using illegal footballs. Wonder if Mike Wilbon is calling asking for attribution. This guy from Indy needs some serious counseling. He’s completely unhinged. They let people like him “inform” the public, right? Scary. I wish the Pats could sue some of the asshats who’ve spewed the most outrageous b.s. over the last 48 hours, but the burden of proof is too high, even though it’s clear that the required “Malice” is there. Tony time says: This guy writes almost as bad as me yikes Oswee Larvey Hald says: As a Patriots fan, I love that this story is huge. Can you imagine the Patriots players seeing/hearing this crap? People implying that deflated balls played a part in the outcome of a 45-7 drubbing that NE dominated in all three phases? People outright saying that they shouldn’t be playing in the SB? Not that they need any extra motivation, but I like the idea that they are going to have huge chips on their shoulders. Every single one of them. During preparation and in game. Fantastic. I can only hope that whenever a player scores a TD he mockingly squeezes the ball with both hands afterward as if to check its pressure and then hands it to the ref. the_other_side says: Adam Schein is on the Patriots’ side. No, Bruce. I was a in a bar tonight, that had music playing, with the TVs, tuned into a thankfully muted Comcast Contrarian Network. Over a span of 75 minutes, they showed the replay of the moment at the start of the second half, which actually has nothing to do with the phony controversy, of the referee switching the kicking ball for the scrimmage ball, at least a dozen times. The lead topic for Tanguay, the female Tanguay (Trini Kushnerik), Gasper and Felger, was of course, “Deflate-Gate”. By the way is there a more lazy gimmick in the world of journalism than attached the word gate to the back end of another word for the purpose of highlighting a controversy? WaterGATE was the name of the goddamn hotel! My god, these people are useless. latetodinner says: To change the topic for a moment. I thought the 20 minutes D&C&M gave to not only exposing Mike Salk as the absolute moron he is, but to then ridicule him and the manager who hired him was inspired radio that I thoroughly enjoyed. Watch us punish the Patriots, NFL, Goodell and the refs by giving Super Bowl XLIX the highest TV ratings of all time. That will show them! — Michael McCann (@McCannSportsLaw) January 21, 2015 “Everybody wants it smaller and soft so they can dig their fingers into it.” I don’t know if confirming that everyone thinks underinflating the ball provides an advantage is quite the smoking gun you were looking for. They are also clearly talking about overinflating the balls a little bit before being checked by the refs, not severely doctoring them (11 out of 12 2+ PSI low) after the refs have approved them. Get over the fact that the Pats cheated again. Do what the other Pats fans are doing and just keep repeating that it didn’t affect the outcome of the game and that makes it OK. smack_libs_around says: Affirmative action sports media hack Wilbon is apoplectic about this. There is joy knowing that this always-angry curmudgeon won’t get his way. NS Webster says: This is a bad one…I mean, I get that we’re all Patriots fans, and don’t appreciate the national media piling on, but if you read between the lines of some of these ESPN/SI “thinkpieces,” you can see the NFL’s response starting to gear up behind the scenes – and it’s not going to be good. The problem is the perception at the WORST possible time when the NFL wants to be in preening peacock mode – and now it looks like what it is, a bumbling cast of entitled billionaires who can’t run their own cartel. Faced with that perception, a cornered beast will lash back, hard. Unless BB/Patriots are exonerated, with Walt Anderson taking the briefcase full of cash and accepting blame, could you see Goodell handing the Lombardi to BB? I can’t. Last thing NFL wants is that. You’re right – they actually either HAVE to exonerate the Pats, OR come up with a punishment/explanation right now, not a month from now. That’s why it’s such a mess. It’s not us “defending the Patriots” but the NFL figuring out how to make itself not look ridiculous at its biggest event…and you know the line from the Godfather – “I will not be made to look ridiculous!” But, Rozelle gave the trophy to Al Davis, so they can probably handle that part…haha. If they’re guilty, Goodell could possibly rehab his image right here. Have to wonder, though, if he’d do it. The optics of Goodell partying with Kraft the night before the AFCCG @ his house? As Roger Goodell evaluates DEFLATEGATE, let's remember he was at Robert Kraft's home night before AFC title game. http://t.co/VFWc3P1PAB— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) January 21, 2015 How does that work? Kraft has his secretary call Goodell’s assistant. How can he say no? He’s his boss. But, then what does another owner who is not as ‘influential’ say? I agree that it looks like the league is planning to come down hard on the Pats. This was a preemptive leak by the NFL to Mortensen, who didn’t get this “scoop” by hard-nosed investigative reporting (Peter King’s in a post-Ray Rice cooling-off period for league dime-dropping). The problem is, Goodell/the league has no credibility with the public so no one will believe them if the Pats are cleared. And, as we know, they also have no integrity, so they will railroad the Pats in a vain attempt to try to restore that lost credibility. Totally correct – unless they say the very possibly legit explanation that Oswald put out there – that the weather affected footballs inflated to the bare minimum. But even then, it just looks SO bad. Ugh. And yeah, I think Mortensen IS correct and the NFL is leaking to him to try to get ahead of it. That’s why I think it’s so bad. What’s SO bad is that it doesn’t matter if the Patriots are proven to have done nothing wrong. Apparently even their supporters assume the team and coach are dirty. SMH. I AGREED WITH YOU! Relax! Calmer than you are. Haha – okay then. But I’m not assuming they’re dirty…so you’re making an assumption as well. You said you think the NFL is corrupt from top to bottom. Not assuming a thing. Just going off your words. I don’t think that the Patriots doctored the balls, and we haven’t seen any proof of that either. But Goodell’s MO – from Bountygate to Spygate to Ray Rice – is incompetence and a lack of integrity. He will do what’s in his interests at the time – truth be damned – and that looks like it’s bad news for the Pats. Acknowledging that reality does not mean one is endorsing the point of view that the Pats are guilty and should be punished. Right – that’s the big problem. This is a non-event as far as the gameplay and competition, but it’s the perception of the NFL at the absolute wrong time – so now the NFL has to respond in a way that will be out of balance with the actual event. Oh that? Yeah, I’m totally right. You think it’s NOT? Wow. Okay. First of all, let’s hold off on Mortensen’s “report” being accurate until the NFL confirms it. The guy has a long history of being wrong with such “sources.” Were 11 of 12 under inflated, or were a few? And were they actually under by 2 pounds, or was it an amount that could have been caused by the temperature change? Maybe the Patriots went for the lower end and it lost some pressure during the game. Very possible. The Globe is saying that the NFL did the check at halftime and found that some were under inflated. Nothing about how many or by how much. Also, if the check was done at halftime, didn’t the NFL pump them to regulation for the 2nd half? So let’s wipe out the 17 points that NE scored in the 1st half. 7-0 Colts. Patriots scored 28 points and Indy was shut out from that point on. They could have played with a dead pig and crushed the Colts. The game result doesn’t matter. It’s like the Saints’ bounties – it’s the “loss of institutional control” that’s the problem, or god forbid, an actual order from on high. But you’re assuming that something nefarious happened. We don’t know if Mortensen’s source is accurate. And, again, just because a ball or multiple ones were under inflated when measured at halftime or after the game, what does that prove? Like I originally said, if the Patriots chose to inflate the balls at the lowest end of the permissible psi scale and they lost pressure during the course of the game — so what?? In fact, I would be SHOCKED if balls didn’t lose pressure during the course of the game. Talking about a loss of institutional control at this point is silly. Of course you’re right – as of now. But it’s not “silly.” It is what it is. But, you’re absolutely right that the natural weather COULD provide the NFL an out to let the Patriots off the hook and let everything settle back to a normal rythym. No, it is silly. You’re jumping to conclusions based on unnamed sources and a report that may or may not be accurate. You even say that the weather COULD provide he NFL an out. You’re acting as if it has been proven that the Patriots did something wrong. You don’t know any facts at this point. The NFL could come out and say that all the balls were measured at 12.5 before the game and some measured below that at halftime. And science could show that all the changes in pressure could easily happen naturally. NOTHING has been proven yet. NOT ONE fact has been revealed. Dude, relax. I’m not jumping to anything. I’m not employed by the Patriots or the NFL. It’s NOT silly, because it’s obviously being covered – so blame the media, not me. You’re on a site devoted to talking about the media’s response, and that’s what I’m doing. This is the problem – you take offense at me, pointing out the obvious, when all this is is a discussion about what is ALREADY happening. The NFL is ALREADY investigating. I don’t need to know any facts, because I’m not involved in the investigation. All I”m talking about is how the NFL might or might not react based on the storyline so far. Seriously, you’re like lashing out at me – what do I have to do with it? I think the whole thing’s absurd, but I think the NFL is totally corrupt from top to bottom anyway. If they come out and say “weather-related” then GREAT – your theroy is correct. Hopefully that’s what happens. You’re presenting the overreaction of the media before any facts have been shown and also buying into that thinking. I’m countering with common sense thinking that is rarely seen or heard from the media. You say you don’t need to know any facts — sounds like something Felger would say. You’re just a kneejerk Patriots fan – if somebody doesn’t agree with 100 percent of every syllable, you take offense and fly off the handle. It’s no big deal. You’re a fan, I get it. I was like you too. When I was 14. Zing! Good one! I remember when I had my first beer. I am absolutely a Patriots fan. The kneejerk reaction is coming from you, though. Like I said, I’m preaching common sense and presenting an alternative to the media’s theory of what happened. I’m not jumping to conclusions as to what the truth is, who did what, what the punishment should be, or why the NFL is going to react the way that they will. It’s simple, really. We have yet to learn any facts beyond the NFL stating that they are investigating. Mortensen’s anonymous sources? Could be right, could be wrong. It’s a HUGE problem with modern “journalism.” People put stuff out there from a single source, no confirmation, slap an anonymous label on it, and if they’re wrong — no problem. It’s a joke and ethically embarrassing. I 100 percent agree with you about the media. The NFL is a corrupt and venal organization that serves only its PR ends. Surprised you’d disagree with that, but that’s fine. You aren’t jumping to conclusions – TRUE. But you are also not accepting the problem here – it does not matter about game play, or whether it would have mattered in the game – of course it doesn’t! All that matters is perception, which is what I’ve been arguing – sorry if it got crossed up or not clearly explained. I don’t really care if they did it or not – I’m inclined to believe the Patriots use as much trickery as gets them a competitive advantage, and this rule is probably not taken seriously by ANY team. So taken by itsellf, this is of course no big deal. BUT that’s not the problem. The problem is perception at the WRONG, WORST POSSIBLE TIME. Yes, they’re getting screwed by the media – but that’s why said “it’s not silly.” Because it’s NOT silly – the media is pouncing and the NFL is going into panic mode. Fair? No, but it’s reality. So you can say “this is silly!” all you want, but you need to start dealing with the reality of the situation, and it isn’t good. I don’t mean to be snarky, I really don’t – but you’re kneejerking me, when we’re really on the same side. We agree on pretty much 80 percent of this, but you’re hanging on to the 20 percent where I’m looking at the bigger picture maybe more than you are, that’s all. The Patriots ARE being treated unfairly, BUT that’s the situation. It does no good to say “it’s silly!” That ship sailed. What I said was silly was you referring to the balls being under inflated as — like the Saints putting bounties on hurting opposing QBs — a result of “lack of institutional control.” It’s silly to be assigning guilt and labels on the Patriots or BB before we know ONE SINGLE FACT. Ah – yeah, you just misunderstood me. And I misunderstood you. The ball’s have ZERO impact on the game. We agree on that. I’m saying the NFL – when they go into panic-mode – will punish for the same reason as they punished the Saints. EVEN THOUGH the two “crimes” are totally out-of-balance. We agree that “ballgate” is stupid. I’m saying I’m worried the NFL is going to overreact unfarirly because of the awful media AND the fact that the NFL is corrupt and awful. The punishment the NFL would use is the precedent set by the Saints – but the two incidents are not REMOTELY the same. (and Bountygate was stupid too) I do NOT believe that this is a “lack of instututional control.” I’m saying the NFL seems to be gearing up to use that excuse as a means they can punish the Patriots and look good to the media. I AGREED with most of what you said, and you still got angry. Relax, settle down, and save your lashing for someone who isn’t basically on your side. Damn. I’m having a discussion. If you’re not open to being disagreed with, then don’t post. I’m perfectly calm. Reading emotions from words on an internet message board? Once again jumping to conclusions. Lucas Rohr says: Turns out beside one most where close to 11.5 http://www.csnne.com/blog/patriots-talk/pft-patriots-footballs-may-have-been-closer-115-psi And getting 1 PSI below in the cold weather is easy to explain. Just one question. Did they test the Indianapolis balls too? If not, why not? That would give some pretty definitive answers one way or the other. Well, Ann, those are the kinds of facts that don’t matter. If you’re into science, via the /r/Patriots subreddit, someone did math on pressure change: Science?! Who needs it? Patriots are guilty! Mort’s anonymous source confirms it! Case closed! Colts should be in the SB! Belicheat should be fired! Jim Hutchinson says: my anonymous source says you’re an ass Oh, Jim. My source says your sarcasm detection skills are lacking. Ryan MacLeod says: D’Qwell Jackson says he never noticed anything unusual with the footballs, and never claimed to. Also says he noticed the Pats were using Colts footballs during the first half. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000462315/article/dqwell-jackson-footballs-didnt-change-outcome Send In The Clowns. Wait, They’re Already Here. Media Hypocrisy, Cowardice, Never Bigger Than When Patriots Are Involved. Deflategate - Where Are They Now?	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line948
__label__wiki	0.98963	0.98963	CEBL announced Toronto Raptors '4Korners' as host DJ of Championship Weekend in Saskatchewan The Toronto Raptors official DJ 4Korners will host the CEBL's first Championship Weekend in Saskatchewan. https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/NBA_Global_CMS_image_storage/39/f1/carlangay_bo8r1z6j8j6m1k9liwbz0hnzh.jpg?t=1317487425&w=500 By Carlan Gay @TheCarlanGay https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/NBA_Global_CMS_image_storage/f8/90/4korners_1n61hsgj5658n142fopdmrtd6q.jpeg?t=-521360397&w=500 The first-ever CEBL Championship Weekend is shaping up to be one of Canada's can't miss events on the sporting calendar. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan will serve as the host site for the inaugural Championship Weekend, which runs from Aug. 22-25 at the SaskTel Centre. The top four teams in the league, including the host team (Saskatchewan Rattlers), will battle over the three days to crown the league's first champion. On Thursday, the CEBL announced that as part of the Championship Weekend festivities the official DJ of the NBA Champion Toronto Raptors Kirk Stcyr, better known as "4Korners," will be the host DJ. "I am thrilled to have 4Korners involved in the first-ever CEBL Championship Weekend being held in Saskatoon," said league CEO and Commissioner Mike Morreale. "The Championship Weekend is not just a basketball event, it's a celebration of community, entertainment and the sport of basketball and what better way to do that than have such an influential artist set the tone for an electric time". 4Korners will be performing live on Friday, Aug. 23 at the Championship Weekend Street Concert and during the Finals on Sunday, Aug. 25. He'll also be made available for meet and greets according to the league's press release. "I can't wait to host Championship Weekend in Saskatoon. It's gonna be awesome!" 4Korners said via press release. "I'm extremely excited about the growth of the game of basketball in Canada over the past few years - it's gone from hoop dreams to reality for so many young ballers from the North and I'm pumped about what the CEBL is building." With just six weeks to go in the regular season, the Niagara River Lions have made themselves the team to beat this year with a 10-3 record. CEBL 2019 League Standings Team Record Pct% Niagara River Lions 10-3 0.77 Edmonton Stingers 8-4 0.67 Hamilton Honey Badgers 7-6 0.54 Saskatchewan Rattlers 6-6 0.50 Guelph Nighthawks 3-9 0.25 Fraser Valley Bandits 3-9 0.25 * Standing as of Thursday, July 11	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line952
__label__wiki	0.651823	0.651823	Grant Login Grant Investment Programs Calgary Arts Development is responsible for establishing grants investment programs for capital projects, organizations’ annual operations, individual artists, and other purposes that strengthen Calgary’s arts sector. Read our Accountability Report. Programs for Arts Organizations Operating Grant Program The Operating Grant Program provides stable, predictable funding to arts organizations in Calgary. Project Grant Program – Organizations This program is intended to provide one-time project funding to community based or non-profit arts organizations in Calgary who do... Contact the Community Investment Team Programs for Individual Artists & Collectives Project Grant Program – Individuals and Collectives This program is intended to provide one-time project funding to individual artists and artistic collectives in Calgary who pursue a... Original Peoples Investment Program The Original Peoples Investment Program supports the preservation and revitalization of First Nation/Métis/Inuit art through arts-based projects and activities. Grant Investment Programs Announcement Investment Program FAQ Assessor Nomination Form What We’re Working On Community Circle and Information Session Calgary Arts Development is hosting a Community Circle and Information Session on February 8. Don't Miss The Hottest 12 Weeks of Winter Re-invigorating our downtown is a major objective for The City of Calgary. Living a creative live congress CALGARY POET LAUREATE PROGRAM Mayor’s Lunch for Arts Champions CULTURAL LEADERS LEGACY AWARDS Accountability Report 2018 In late November of 2018, City Council approved a transformational increase to Calgary Arts Development’s budget, which will help build a more sustainable, resilient arts sector. Calgary Arts Development is pleased to announce its 2020 grant investment programs for arts organizations, individual artists, and artist collectives.... Calgary Arts Development is hosting a Community Circle and Information Session on February 8, 2020 from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Organizational Access Program Calgary Arts Development is pleased to release the results of the 2019 Organizational Access Program. Learning from some best practices and really looking at clarifying definitions, we are introducing a program criteria matrix in 2020 to help our juries, artists, and arts organizations have common scoring criteria. View all fieldnotes What’s On in Calgary Experience Calgary Live Free This Week Can you believe it’s the middle of January already? Make the most of it and get out of the house with free events. Find out what we’re checking out this week and start planning. Music, Words & Technology: The Impact Denimachine with Flashback and Nosis Jan. 31, 2020 - Feb. 29, 2020 Exposure Photography Festival What is Living a Creative Life? Living a Creative Life is an arts development strategy for Calgary created to align and activate Calgarians in creating a vital, prosperous, and connected city through the arts. #yyclcl #yycLCL December 2019 Helen Hajnoczky shared this awesome photo of her practicing on a little Dorothy loom. Read on to learn more. The Storytelling Project Marichu Antonio As the Executive Director of Action Dignity, Marichu Antonio is passionate about building community and she even uses the arts to do so. Tune in to hear more. Alberta Culture Days Lanre Ajayi swung by cSPACE King Edward during this year’s Alberta Culture Days. Tune in to meet the groups and artists that make it home. 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Living a Creative Life \| Photo: Jason Stang Fuelling a vital, prosperous and connected city Jill Drader \| Photo: Maria Tsudon Jill Drader A transformative woman Jill Drader has always been a builder. Only now, instead of setting tiles, she helps reset people’s lives. Public speaker, business strategist and leadership mentor, Drader—whose life history also includes stints as a Calgary tile setter and English teacher—is just back from a weekend retreat in Field, BC, where she facilitated her Recovery Transformation Workshop for 16 women. It’s an event that incorporates a strategy for participants to acquire the life skills with which to transform their lives that they aren’t receiving in traditional recovery programs. “This is [also] a response,” says Drader, “to what I found missing from my other projects. We take you through a transformational curriculum to change your [life and career] perspective, and help you identify what’s not working, in order to help you become who you ultimately want to be and give you the tools to carry that out when you leave. It’s [basically about] goal-setting, values assessment and time management.” Drader, who once traded in a white collar life teaching English at Bow Valley College for a dusty blue one as a tile setter, is—like any reliable trades person—as concerned with the tools she packs into her curriculum as she is with the outcome. That’s partly because, before she transformed from white to blue collar, Drader underwent a profound transformation in her own life. A little over a decade ago, freshly graduated from the University of Calgary, Drader was drunk as a skunk. “I was an alcoholic and addicted to cocaine,” Drader says. “I got my degree and I didn’t go to convocation, because I was in a treatment program.” She had a socially-conscious, but fairly unemployable arts degree (in African Studies, French and Spanish), to go with her bad habits, all of which led her to the other side of the planet. “I did what lots arts grads do,” she says. “I moved to South Korea to teach English where on the peninsula, there’s this collection of total lost [expatriate] souls. “So there I was [in South Korea],” she adds, “thinking—in my sick, sick way —that I actually just needed to move somewhere where they didn’t sell cocaine.” Instead of straightening out, Drader discovered a boozy, late-night bunch of drinking buddies, which led to the worst 48 hours of her life—someone slipped the date rape drug into her drink at a bar, leading to Drader being stuffed into a car in a back alley, where she was held against her will (by an AWOL American soldier), and violently raped. Drader escaped when a taxi driver she describes as an “earth angel” put her in touch with a group of American soldiers, who introduced her to social workers, who got her to a 12-step program, setting Drader on a path that reached 10 years, alcohol-free, in April 2016. It coincides with her sharing the story of the worst night of her life, publicly, for the first time. “It took 10 years,” she says, “of me having to figure out how to remove emotion from what happened and not be stuck in it—and tell the story in a way that’s transformational and can serve [others], because that was what always held me back from telling the story before. “I didn’t know how to tell it without having the PTSD come back up—or having fear around it, because that translates to really bad nightmares. Through this journey,” she says, “I had to learn to live again, and love again—and not fear, and not be angry.” Drader tells the story at maythefourth.ca, an ongoing fundraiser where a $10 donation for the Wood Buffalo/Fort McMurray food banks gets you two hours of motivational speeches to inspire and refresh. Back in Calgary a year after the horrifying incident, Drader made another discovery. “I was teaching at Bow Valley College,” she says, “and was disconnected from the work. “I’d look out the window at Olympic Plaza… and there were guys out there on scaffolds, working on the stonework in Olympic Plaza. So I went outside and asked the guys what they were doing. They said they were bricklayers.” There was something about bricks that appealed to her. Thanks to growing up with a dad who worked for Air Canada, Drader had been to places like the pyramids, Chichen Itza and the Taj Mahal—some of the great human constructs on the planet. Bricks were real. Bricks were powerful. Bricks were forever, too, if you laid them right. “I signed up for the tile setters apprenticeship program, and spent the next four years doing my apprenticeship, as a journeyman tile setter and stoneworker. And,” she continues, “I rebuilt my life, block by block.” Recovery Transformation Retreat is a united sisterhood of understanding that we are all recovering from something and we are here for each other \| Photo: Jill Drader It would be great if that were the redemption story, but there were still many twists in the road. For one thing, the construction industry still doesn’t recognize women as equals—it’s a brotherhood first and sisterhood second. When Drader discovered she was pregnant with her first son—she has two, aged four and six—she was laid off, then told to apply to go on disability—at a 50% pay cut. “I decided to build a project [Women in Work Boots] out of love,” she says, “to network women who loved their work—and that’s now grown on Facebook to more than 3,500 followers. It’s an engaged community, where I’ve gone and spoken with groups in Vancouver, Edmonton, Bonnyville, Saskatchewan, Ontario.” That involved mentoring women living at the YWCA through Women in Work Boots for five years leading to Drader being named one of Avenue Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2014. In mid-May, Drader was named a Faculty of Arts Celebrated Alumni Award by the University of Calgary. Whether as an advocate for women in the trades, or as a mentor, or public speaker or leadership coach, Drader continues to find innovative, inspired and creative responses to the challenges life throws her— and hopes to share them with others. “That [skilled trades experience] really shifted the way I did things,” she says. “And when I started to get on that page of love not fear, everything changed for me. Women in Work Boots happened for me. I had another son. I incorporated my company Steel Toe Stiletto, which was based on that time at Bow Valley College and finding that apprenticeship—because I still had to teach night classes [for financial reasons].” Now, after a ten-year wild ride that’s taken her around the planet, through some very high highs and desperate lows, there’s one tool Drader offers as a facilitator to help kick-start a participant’s own personal reset. “Really, it sounds silly,” she says, “but the first thing is saying you have permission to start thinking this way. So now that you have permission, what do you want to do with it?” recoverytransformation.com About The Storytelling Project On November 16, 2015, Calgary Arts Development hosted a working session with approximately 30 creative Calgarians from various walks of life. Many of the small working groups voiced the need to gather and share more stories of people living creative lives. That need has turned into The Storytelling Project. The Storytelling Project raises awareness about Calgarians who, by living creative lives, are making Calgary a better city, effecting positive change and enriching others’ lives. Have a story to share? Email us at news@calgaryartsdevelopment.com. Living a Creative Life Pledge Thank you for your interest in Living a Creative Life! General inquiries can be directed to 403.264.5330 or by email. If you are interested in becoming a signatory to Living a Creative Life, contact Kaley Beisiegel, Engagement Consultant. Sign up for our mailing list to receive regular updates Investment Programs Community Directory & Spaces Community Investment: 403.476.2031 Suite #501, 237 8th Ave. SE Calgary AB T2G 5C3 YYC What's On ©2020 Calgary Arts Development Site design by GOOD Company Situated on Treaty 7 territory, home of the Kainai, Piikani, Siksika, Tsuut’ina, Stoney-Nakoda Nations and Métis Nation, Region 3.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line953
__label__cc	0.526861	0.473139	Home CA Business Legacy Global Development Celebrates Surge of Vacation Home Sales at Its Beautiful Orchid Bay, Belize Property Legacy Global Development Celebrates Surge of Vacation Home Sales at Its Beautiful Orchid Bay, Belize Property Cindy Holden Orchid Bay sold out of their phase 1 bungalows and most of phase 2 beachfront condos, thanks to the success of new paradise payment program and discovery stay tours SAN DIEGO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Legacy Global Development today announced that they are experiencing a significant sales boost at its Orchid Bay, Belize property. Crediting the successful launch of its new Paradise Payment Program and Discovery Stay Tours, the property has over-sold its latest home offering, Bungalows; and has sold four out of six Phase 2 Beachfront Condominiums. All in just the last 6 weeks! Additionally, two of Orchid Bay’s Beach Villas are currently under construction, and it’s Discovery Stay Tour, which is an epic 4-day, 3-night vacation to view the property and experience the Orchid Bay community firsthand, is booked through the end of the year. “Our community has seen a dramatic jolt of momentum in 2019 with more people visiting our property for vacation and a surge of new families buying homes in our development,” said Chris Williams, CEO of Legacy Global Development. “We credit our success to the incredible community of people who live here and our team that’s dedicated to bringing the vision for Orchid Bay to life. At the start of 2019, we implemented changes based on the feedback from our residents that have had a major impact on our real estate sales, such as creating our new Village Bungalows and offering an attractive payment plan for buyers. We look forward to sharing more success with our community as the year goes on!” Orchid Bay’s newest home offering, Bungalows, were launched in March 2019. Initially, six Bungalows were released for sale, but remarkably, eight have already been sold. These Bungalows make owning a home in Belize attainable to a wider pool of potential buyers, as they’re offered at a more affordable price point than Orchid Bay’s other homes. The Bungalows are located in the heart of the Orchid Bay community and are only steps away from the glistening blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. These homes are offered in 1-bedroom/1-bath and 2-bedroom/1-bath open floor plans which efficiently maximize the use of its square footage. Each bungalow has approximately 500 square feet of covered patio for relaxing in the shade while enjoying cooling breezes, modern interior finishes, and access to all of Orchid Bay’s on-site amenities. Tower-C, the third Beachfront Condo building to be constructed at Orchid Bay, Belize, was re-launched this spring, and four of out of the six 2-bedroom/2-bath units have already sold. To meet the growing demands of Belize vacation homeowners and North Americans who are choosing to retire in Belize, the Tower-C Condos will feature updated enhancements which include high-end finishes, exceptional design and layout, an elevator, and a prime beachfront location, while being only steps away from the Caribbean Sea. Each 1,570-square foot Tower-C Beachfront Condo features a spacious layout with an open concept gourmet kitchen with center island, which overlooks the living room and dining area. Each Condo has two private outdoor terraces, at least one which provides unobstructed views of the shimmering blue Caribbean Sea. Potential home buyers are encouraged to book a Discovery Stay at Orchid Bay. While there’s been a considerable spike in bookings, there’s still space available, and all travel arrangements are handled by a Legacy travel agent, including flights. Pricing per couple is $1,999 and inclusive of all food, drinks, excursions, and in-country travel. Legacy recently launched its optional financing plan called the Paradise Payment Program. Terms include an affordable down payment and monthly payments as low as $999. This program makes owning a home in Belize highly accessible and practical and has contributed to the influx of sales. For those buyers who are looking to offset the cost of owning a home at Orchid Bay, Legacy also offers a robust optional Rental Program which manages the entire process of marketing the home, providing first-class hospitality for guests, and ensuring the house is well-maintained while owners are not present. This program comes with a 3-Year Rental Guarantee, which makes buying a home at Orchid Bay a smart real estate investment. Located in northern Belize, Orchid Bay is a gated, master-planned community situated on a 114-acre site in the Bay of Chetumal. It combines North American comforts with a spectacular Caribbean setting. The development was influenced by innovations in community design that reveal small-town accessibility, connectivity, and convenience – all with respect to the natural environment. The master plan calls for a series of canals and basins for easy navigation around the community, first world infrastructure, and 10 percent green space set aside. The community is comprised of Beachfront Condominiums, Casitas, Waterway Villas, Bungalows, and home sites and lots where Orchid Bay home buyers can build their own custom home. On-site amenities include the Tradewinds Beach Club and Restaurant, as well as a future grocery store and medical clinic, both of which will be opening in the near future. Orchid Bay offers many activities and tours for its residents, all with easy access to the best of Belize. To learn more about Orchid Bay, Belize or to book a Discovery Stay, visit https://orchidbaybelize.com/, call (877) 959-9646 or email hello@legacyglobaldevelopment.com. Terms and conditions apply and not all applicants will qualify. Learn More: https://legacyglobaldevelopment.com/ This version of news story was published on and is Copr. © 2019 California Newswire® (CaliforniaNewswire.com) – part of the Neotrope® News Network, USA – all rights reserved. Information is believed accurate but is not guaranteed. For questions about the above news, contact the company/org/person noted in the text and NOT this website. New Bungalow Homes at Orchid Bay, Belize Launched by Legacy Global Development Legacy Global Development Announces 4 New Bungalow Vacation Homes at ORCHID BAY, BELIZE Legacy Global Development Today Announced the Launch of Four New Beach Villas for Sale at Orchid Bay, Belize Cindy Holden has been an editor with the Neotrope News Network since 2004, and previously managed news content on Send2Press® Newswire. She is a part time photographer, and was born and raised in California. CA Business CA Real Estate California NEWS INDEX City: San Diego Belize Business Calif. California Business Legacy Global Development Orchid Bay Belize San Diego Business	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line954
__label__wiki	0.61426	0.61426	Focus on Computer Resources Highly Cited Collection Early Career Award Cell, Tumor, and Stem Cell Biology Interleukin-1β–Driven Inflammation Promotes the Development and Invasiveness of Chemical Carcinogen–Induced Tumors Yakov Krelin, Elena Voronov, Shahar Dotan, Moshe Elkabets, Eli Reich, Mina Fogel, Monika Huszar, Yoichiro Iwakura, Shraga Segal, Charles A. Dinarello and Ron N. Apte Yakov Krelin Elena Voronov Shahar Dotan Moshe Elkabets Eli Reich Mina Fogel Monika Huszar Yoichiro Iwakura Shraga Segal Charles A. Dinarello Ron N. Apte DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-06-2956 Published February 2007 The role of microenvironment interleukin 1 (IL-1) on 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MCA)–induced carcinogenesis was assessed in IL-1–deficient mice, i.e., IL-1β−/−, IL-1α−/−, IL-1α/β−/− (double knockout), and mice deficient in the naturally occurring inhibitor of IL-1, the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra). Tumors developed in all wild-type (WT) mice, whereas in IL-1β–deficient mice, tumors developed slower and only in some of the mice. In IL-1Ra–deficient mice, tumor development was the most rapid. Tumor incidence was similar in WT and IL-1α–deficient mice. Histologic analyses revealed fibrotic structures forming a capsule surrounding droplets of the carcinogen in olive oil, resembling foreign body–like granulomas, which appeared 10 days after injection of 3-MCA and persisted until the development of local tumors. A sparse leukocyte infiltrate was found at the site of carcinogen injection in IL-1β–deficient mice, whereas in IL-1Ra–deficient mice, a dense neutrophilic infiltrate was observed. Treatment of IL-1Ra–deficient mice with recombinant IL-1Ra but not with an inhibitor of tumor necrosis factor abrogated the early leukocytic infiltrate. The late leukocyte infiltrate (day 70), which was dominated by macrophages, was also apparent in WT and IL-1α–deficient mice, but was nearly absent in IL-1β–deficient mice. Fibrosarcoma cell lines, established from 3-MCA–induced tumors from IL-1Ra–deficient mice, were more aggressive and metastatic than lines from WT mice; cell lines from IL-1–deficient mice were the least invasive. These observations show the crucial role of microenvironment-derived IL-1β, rather than IL-1α, in chemical carcinogenesis and in determining the invasive potential of malignant cells. [Cancer Res 2007;67(3):1062–71] chemical-induced carcinogenesis IL-1α IL-1β IL-1Ra The development of malignant changes in association with chronic inflammation has long been recognized in several clinical conditions and is supported by animal tumor models (reviewed in refs. 1– 9). Persistent expression of proinflammatory cytokines, in or near tumors, likely exerts pleiotropic effects, ranging from increasing growth and invasiveness of the malignant cells to activation of immune-mediated mechanisms, leading to the destruction of tumor cells and inhibition of tumor growth. Of special relevance to the process of inflammation and malignant transformation are interleukin 1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα). These two proinflammatory cytokines are considered “alarm” cytokines, as they are generally not expressed in health, but are synthesized by macrophages soon after confronting the inflammatory insult. IL-1 and TNFα further activate stromal cells and infiltrating leukocytes to potentiate and sustain the local inflammatory response (reviewed in refs. 10, 11). Within the IL-1 family, IL-1β and IL-1α are prominent agonists mediating inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects (reviewed in refs. 10– 16). The IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), also a member of the IL-1 family, binds to the IL-1 type I receptor and specifically prevents either IL-1β or IL-1α from triggering a signal (reviewed in refs. 10– 16). Although recombinant IL-1β and IL-1α bind to the same receptors and exert the same array of biological functions, they differ in the compartments in which they are active in vivo. In order to be active, IL-1β requires cleavage of its inactive precursor by caspase-1, followed by release of the mature molecules from macrophages and other cells. In contrast, IL-1α is active either as an intracellular molecule or as an integral membrane form and is only rarely secreted by cells, mainly macrophages, following processing of the precursor by calpain (reviewed in refs. 10, 11, 17). We have assessed the differential roles of tumor cell–derived IL-1α compared with tumor-derived IL-1β on tumor-host interactions, using fibrosarcoma cell lines overexpressing either of the active forms of the IL-1 molecules. The expression of cell-associated IL-1α by tumor cells increases their immunogenicity by activating effective antitumor responses that lead to tumor regression and the establishment of an immune memory that protects mice from the malignant WT cells ( 18– 22). In contrast, fibrosarcoma cells that actively secrete IL-1β are more aggressive than the virulent parental cells, likely due to an IL-1β–induced cascade of inflammatory mediators, resulting in increased tumor angiogenesis, enhanced invasiveness, as well as tumor-mediated immunologic suppression ( 23, 24). This was also substantiated in other experimental tumor systems ( 25, 26). In support of this concept, IL-1β−/− mice fail to develop B16 melanoma tumors, due to the absence of host-derived IL-1β required for angiogenesis and invasiveness ( 20). In several human cancers, local IL-1 expression by the malignant cells or the microenvironment has been associated with aggressive tumor growth and poor prognosis (reviewed in ref. 11). Treatment of mice with the IL-1Ra or the concomitant overexpression of IL-1Ra by the malignant cells was shown to inhibit the growth and metastasis of human cancer xenografts which express IL-1, although not affecting their in vitro growth rate ( 27, 28). This indicates that IL-1 is essential for the invasiveness of malignant cells. Most studies on the effects of proinflammatory cytokines on malignant processes have assessed the tumorigenicity of existing malignant cells or the invasiveness of tumors. However, studies on the effect of proinflammatory cytokines in the process of carcinogenesis have only recently been initiated. For example, microenvironment-derived TNFα was studied for the development of malignancies of the skin ( 29– 32) and liver carcinogenesis ( 33) in TNFα/TNF receptor–deficient mice, and in other models of carcinogenesis promoted by chronic inflammation ( 34, 35). To our knowledge, there are no direct studies on the role of the different IL-1 molecules in the process of local carcinogenesis. In the present study, we have assessed the differential involvement of IL-1 in chemically induced carcinogenesis, injecting 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MCA) into WT or knockout mice that lack genes of the IL-1 family, i.e., IL-1α−/−, IL-1β−/−, IL-1α/β−/− (double knockout mice), and IL-1Ra−/− mice. The effect of host-derived IL-1 on the cellular characteristics of the arising malignant cells was also assessed. Mice. Female BALB/c mice were purchased from Harlan (Jerusalem, Israel). The generation of IL-1 knockout mice, i.e., IL-1α−/−, IL-1β−/− and IL-1α/β−/− (double knockout mice), and IL-1Ra−/− mice was previously described ( 36). These strains of mice are homozygous for the relevant mutation. The IL-1/IL-1Ra−/− mice were bred and kept at the Animal Facilities of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University (Beer-Sheva, Israel), under aseptic conditions. Mice were treated according to the Animal Care NIH guidelines adapted by our Animal Committee. Induction of 3-MCA–induced tumors. Mice were injected s.c. into the right thigh with 3-MCA (Sigma Israel, Rehovot, Israel) dissolved in olive oil (200 μg/mouse; ref. 37). In this experimental system, local fibrosarcomas developed within 3 to 5 months. Mice were inspected twice a week for tumor development. When tumors reached a diameter of 10 mm, mice were sacrificed and the tumor tissue was aseptically removed. Part of the tissue was immediately fixed in formalin for histologic analyses, and the rest of the tissue was processed for the establishment of cell lines by enzymatic digestion in trypsin (10 min at 37°C). Invasiveness of 3-MCA–induced cell lines. For determining tumorigenicity patterns of 3-MCA–induced cell lines from IL-1/IL-1Ra−/− and WT mice, 2 × 105 fibrosarcoma cells were injected intrafootpad into BALB/c mice. Tumor development was assessed twice a week using a caliper. For experimental metastasis, 2 × 105 cells were injected i.v. into the tail vein. After 10 days, mice were sacrificed and the lungs were removed. Metastasis load was evidenced by macroscopic evaluations and by the weight of the lungs. Immunohistochemistry. Samples from the site of 3-MCA injection were obtained on days 10 and 70, fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde, dehydrated in alcohol, cleared in xylene, and embedded in paraffin. Four-micron sections were stained with H&E using established protocols. For immunohistochemistry, tissue sections were deparaffinized in xylene and rehydrated with decreasing concentrations of alcohol. Endogenous peroxide was blocked with hydrogen peroxide and antigen retrieval was done by 0.01 mol/L of sodium citrate (pH 6.0) for 1 min in a pressure cooker. After blocking in the appropriate normal serum, tissue sections were stained with primary antibodies. Antibodies were used as follows: goat polyclonal anti-mouse vimentin (1:100; Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Santa Cruz, CA), rat anti-mouse F4/80 (1:20; Serotec, Oxford, United Kingdom), purified rat anti-mouse Gr-1 (1:20; eBioscience, San Diego, CA), rabbit polyclonal anti–Von Willebrand factor (1:200; Dako, Cytomatrin, Glostrup, Denmark), mouse monoclonal antibodies anti–proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA, 1:100; Dako), goat anti-mouse IL-1β (1:20; R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN), mouse polyclonal anti-COX-2 (1:1,000; Cayman Chemical Company, Ann Arbor, MI). Vectastain Elite ABC Peroxidase kit (Vector Laboratories, Inc., Burlingame, CA) was used for secondary antibody application and detection. Visualization was done by using AEC as a substrate (Zymed Laboratories, Inc., San Francisco, CA). A pathologist examined the slides in a blind manner. In vivo treatment with inhibitors of inflammation. Mice were treated with inhibitors of inflammation 2 days before carcinogen injection and then everyday for 10 days, thereafter, mice were sacrificed and tissue from the site of 3-MCA injection was removed and processed for histologic analysis. The following inhibitors were used: IL-1Ra (50 mg/kg, i.p.), TNF binding protein (TNF BP), a recombinant construction of soluble extracellular domains of human TNF p55 receptor (10 mg/kg, i.p.; ref. 38; both reagents were kindly provided by Amgen, Thousand Oaks, CA) and the cyclooxygenase inhibitor Abitren (75 mg/kg, i.m.; ABIC, Netanya, Israel). Statistical analyses. Each experiment was repeated at least three to five times with similar patterns of responses. In vivo experiments of 3-MCA–induced tumorigenicity consisted of 10 to 20 mice in each experimental group, whereas in experiments on the invasiveness of 3-MCA–induced fibrosarcoma cell lines, experimental groups consisted of 5 to 10 mice. The data shown are from pooled or single representative experiments, as indicated, and are expressed as mean values ± SE. Significant differences in results were determined using two-sided Student's t test; P < 0.05 was considered significant. 3-MCA–induced carcinogenesis is impaired in mice deficient in IL-1β, but is enhanced in mice deficient in IL-1Ra. The carcinogen 3-MCA serves as an initiator and promoter of tumorigenesis; tumors with the characteristic of fibrosarcomas develop 3 to 5 months after a single injection. 3-MCA–induced carcinogenesis was assessed in WT BALB/c, IL-1β−/−, IL-1α−/−, IL-1α/β−/− (double knockout) mice, and in mice that are deficient in the IL-1Ra. As shown in Fig. 1 , the most rapid tumor development was observed in IL-1Ra−/− mice. In contrast, in mice deficient in IL-1β, i.e., in IL-1β−/− and IL-1α/β−/− mice, impaired tumorigenicity patterns were observed, as manifested by the incidence of tumors as well as the delay in tumor development. Tumorigenicity patterns in WT BALB/c and IL-1α−/− mice were similar and showed an intermediate phenotype. For example, on day 120 after carcinogen injection, in 100% of IL-1Ra−/− mice and 50% of WT and IL-1α−/− mice tumors were apparent, whereas a much lower tumor incidence was observed in IL-1β–deficient mice (12% for IL-1β−/− and 28% for IL-1α/β−/− mice, respectively). Frequency of 3-MCA–induced tumors in IL-1/IL-1Ra−/− mice. Mice (WT BALB/c, IL-1α−/−, IL-1β−/− and IL-1α/β−/−, and IL-1Ra−/−) were injected s.c. into the right thigh, with 200 μg/mouse of 3-MCA in olive oil; tumor development was assessed by palpation. The progression of tumor development in mice is shown. Points, means of four different experiments; bars, SD (, P < 0.01; , P < 0.05 versus tumor development in WT BALB/c mice). From these data, IL-1β clearly plays a crucial role in the development of 3-MCA–induced tumors, because in the absence of IL-1β expression, there is a markedly reduced onset and incidence of tumors. In contrast, in mice deficient in the naturally occurring IL-1Ra, enhanced tumor development was observed. The congenital absence of IL-1Ra results in a condition in which IL-1β or IL-1α can bind to their receptors without competition from their naturally occurring antagonist. The development of spontaneous rheumatoid arthritis in these IL-1Ra–deficient mice has been reported ( 39– 42). As shown in Fig. 1, deficiency in IL-1α did not impair 3-MCA–induced carcinogenesis compared with WT mice. These results reveal distinct effects of microenvironment-derived IL-1α and IL-1β in carcinogenesis. The early leukocyte infiltrate at the site of 3-MCA injection in IL-1/IL-1Ra–deficient mice. To evaluate the nature of the local tissue response to the carcinogen, tissue sections from the site of 3-MCA injection were obtained on day 10. As the carcinogen is solubilized in olive oil, tissue sections revealed multiple lipid droplets, each encapsulated by a thin layer of connective tissue. These encapsulated droplets were observed in each of the IL-1 family deficiency groups as well as in WT mice. However, as shown in Fig. 2 , there were significant differences in the intensity of the leukocytic infiltrate surrounding the carcinogen-containing lipid droplets. Histologic examination at the site of the 3-MCA injection in IL-1/IL-1Ra−/− mice. Mice were treated with 3-MCA as indicated in Fig. 1. On days 10 (A–E) and 70 (F–J), tissue from the site of carcinogen injection was obtained, processed and stained with H&E, as described in Materials and Methods (magnification, ×200). Results are from one of three representative experiments done. In IL-1Ra−/− mice, a dense leukocytic infiltrate surrounded the encapsulated droplets and this infiltrate was also prominent in the surrounding connective tissues and muscles ( Fig. 2E). The infiltrate consisted mainly of neutrophils as well as scattered macrophages, which had the appearance of foam-like cells. Almost no lymphocytes were observed in any of the infiltrates. Some encapsulated droplets were heavily invaded by neutrophils, displaying the morphology of abscesses, within which necrotic tissue was observed. Some infiltrated droplets in the IL-1Ra−/− mice had morphologies similar to that of lipid or foreign body granulomas. In BALB/c mice, a connective tissue capsule consisting of fibroblasts and matrix fibers surrounded the droplets of the carcinogen; however, the leukocytic infiltrate was dramatically reduced compared with that observed in IL-1Ra−/− mice ( Fig. 2A and E). In WT mice, the leukocytic infiltrate was sparse, localized mainly around the carcinogen-containing droplets and did not invade the surrounding tissues. The infiltrate that was observed in IL-1α−/− mice was similar to that of WT mice ( Fig. 2B). In IL-1β−/− ( Fig. 2C) and IL-1α/β−/− ( Fig. 2D) mice, the leukocyte infiltrate was almost absent. In each IL-1 family–deficient group, mice were injected with olive oil, without the carcinogen. In all cases, droplets of lipid surrounded by a thin layer of connective tissue were present but without remarkable leukocyte infiltrates, even in IL-1Ra mice (results not shown). The cellular composition of the site of 3-MCA injection on day 10 was further characterized by immunohistochemical analyses in tissue sections from three prototypic experimental groups, i.e., WT, IL-1Ra−/−, and IL-1α/β−/− mice. As shown in Fig. 3 , the fibroblast content was clearly more pronounced in IL-1α/β−/− than in WT mice and was lowest in IL-1Ra−/− mice, as manifested histologically with anti–vimentin antibodies, a marker of fibroblasts. This is possibly due to differences in infiltrating inflammatory cells that invade the tissue. When infiltrating neutrophils were visualized by anti–Gr-1 antibodies, a markedly dense infiltrate was observed in sections from IL-1Ra−/− mice, whereas only a few neutrophils were observed in sections from WT mice, and there were almost no detectable neutrophils in sections from IL-1α/β−/− mice. Using macrophage-specific anti-F4/80 antibodies, a sparse infiltrate was observed at the site of 3-MCA injection in all experimental groups. In summary, it seems that in IL-1Ra−/− mice, a dense neutrophilic infiltrate surrounds the fibrotic, encapsulated lipid droplets containing the carcinogen, whereas in IL-1α/β−/− mice, a fibrotic response, without inflammation was prominent. In WT mice, an intermediate inflammatory response was observed. Immunohistological examination at the site of 3-MCA injection in IL-1/IL-1Ra−/− mice. Slides were prepared as described in Fig. 2 and stained with specific antibodies as described in Materials and Methods. Stainings with: anti–vimentin antibodies (fibroblasts); anti-F4/80 antibodies (macrophages); anti-Gr1 antibodies (neutrophils); anti-PCNA antibodies (replicating cells). Representative tissue sections from WT, IL-1α/β−/−, and IL-1Ra−/− mice (magnification, ×400). These sections are from one of three representative experiments done. To further characterize the tissue responses at the site of carcinogen injection, proliferating cells were identified with anti-PCNA antibodies. A pronounced proliferative response was observed in tissues of IL-1Ra−/− mice, as early as 10 days after the injection of the carcinogen. The proliferating cells were distributed around the encapsulated lipid droplets and in the leukocytic infiltrate. In tissues from WT and IL-1α/β−/− mice, there were fewer PCNA-positive cells, which were more numerous around the encapsulated lipid droplets. Patterns of staining in IL-1α−/− mice were similar to those in WT mice and stainings in IL-1β−/− mice were similar to those in IL-1α/β−/− mice (results not shown). At the site of carcinogen injection, fibrotic and inflammatory responses were observed. The proliferating cells observed here may thus include fibroblasts or cellular components of the inflammatory responses, i.e., stromal cells or endothelial cells. Host-derived IL-1 induces the early leukocyte infiltrate at the site of 3-MCA injection in IL-1Ra–deficient mice. In order to assess the role of microenvironment-derived IL-1 in the induction of local leukocytic infiltrate at the site of 3-MCA injection, IL-1Ra−/− mice, in which the early leukocyte infiltrate was most pronounced, were treated with different inhibitors of inflammation. Thus, after the injection of 3-MCA, IL-1Ra−/− mice were treated daily with recombinant IL-1Ra, TNF BP, or Abitren, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor. On day 10, mice were sacrificed and tissue samples from the site of 3-MCA injection were histologically analyzed for the local inflammatory response. As can be seen in Fig. 4 , treatment with IL-1Ra strongly inhibited leukocyte infiltration, whereas a more modest response was observed with Abitren. No effect was observed following treatment with TNF BP. The same patterns of changes in inflammatory responses were also observed in immunohistochemical studies assessing neutrophils, IL-1β, COX-2 ( Fig. 4), IL-1α, and TNFα (results not shown). Similar results were obtained in 3-MCA–injected WT mice, however, as the inflammatory response in WT mice was very modest on day 10, the results were not shown. These inflammatory responses were local, at the site of carcinogen injection, and no systemic manifestations were detected. These results indicate that under our experimental conditions, microenvironment-derived IL-1, rather than TNFα, induces the early inflammatory response at the site of 3-MCA injection. Immunohistological examination of the early (day 10) inflammatory response at the site of 3-MCA injection in IL-1Ra−/− mice treated with antiinflammatory agents. Mice deficient in IL-1Ra were injected with 3-MCA and were concomitantly treated with antiinflammatory agents (top). Top row, stained with H&E (magnification, ×200). Specific staining was employed in the following rows (magnification, ×400). Anti-Gr1 antibodies were used to identify neutrophils; anti–IL-1β antibodies were used to identify cells for intracellular IL-1β precursor; COX-2–specific antibodies were used to identify cells producing COX-2. These sections are from one of two representative experiments done. Late changes in inflammatory responses at the site of 3-MCA injection. The leukocyte infiltrate at the site of 3-MCA injection was also assessed on day 70 and is depicted in Fig. 2F–J. Compared with day 10, there is a pronounced increase in the intensity of the leukocytic infiltrate in WT ( Fig. 2F) and IL-1α−/− mice on day 70 ( Fig. 2G), in which the local infiltrate was dense and had already invaded the muscle. In addition, atypical fibroblastoid-like cells were abundant. In contrast, at sites of 3-MCA injection in IL-1β−/− and IL-1α/β−/− mice, the leukocytic infiltrate was still sparse, although a little increased compared with that observed on day 10 ( Fig. 2H and I, respectively). In sections from IL-1Ra−/− mice, the leukocytic infiltrate was denser, compared with day 10, and malignant cells were present and widespread in the tissue, although overt tumors were not yet evident ( Fig. 2J). These data indicate that tumors arise from sites of the encapsulated droplets of 3-MCA, in which inflammatory responses are particularly abundant in IL-1Ra−/− mice. We further characterized fibroblasts, neutrophils, macrophages, proliferating cells, and blood vessels at the site of 3-MCA injection on day 70. As depicted in Fig. 5 , fibroblasts stained with anti–vimentin antibodies were widely distributed in the tissue surrounding the 3-MCA–containing droplets in IL-1Ra−/− mice, but to a lesser extent in WT mice. On the other hand, in IL-1α/β−/− mice, fibroblasts were mostly located in the area of the lipid droplets rather than in the surrounding tissue. Immunohistochemical staining with anti-PCNA antibodies revealed that in IL-1Ra−/− and in WT BALB/c mice, proliferating cells were widespread in the tissue around carcinogen-containing droplets, whereas almost no proliferating cells were observed in sections from IL-1α/β−/− mice. Similar patterns were observed with anti–Gr-1 antibodies characterizing neutrophils. On day 70, the neutrophilic infiltrate in IL-1Ra−/− mice was less dense than on day 10. It should be noted that in WT mice, the neutrophilic infiltrate appeared later (day 70) than in IL-1Ra−/− mice (day 10). In IL-1α/β−/− mice, neutrophils were almost absent in sections from the site of 3-MCA injection, even on day 70. In stainings with anti-F4/80 antibodies, we observed a dense infiltrate of macrophages in sections from IL-1Ra−/− and WT mice, and to a much lesser degree in IL-1α/β−/− mice. Thus, the premalignant or malignant cells are embedded in tissue with an intense inflammatory reaction during the process of carcinogenesis. Angiogenesis was assessed with antibodies against Von Willebrand factor, a marker of endothelial cells. Pronounced angiogenesis was observed in tissues from IL-1Ra−/− mice, as manifested by the abundance of organized blood vessels and scattered endothelial cells. In tissues from WT mice, the angiogenic response was evident, although less pronounced than in IL-1Ra−/− mice, with smaller and less organized blood vessels. Almost no angiogenesis was observed on day 70 in sections from IL-1β (results not shown) or IL-1α/β–deficient mice. Thus, signs of malignancy, such as proliferating cells and blood vessel formation, were observed at the site of 3-MCA injection; they correlated with the local inflammatory response and with the timing and incidence of tumor development. Characteristics of the late (day 70) leukocytic infiltrate at the site of 3-MCA injection in IL-1/ IL-1Ra−/− mice. Top, type of mice (WT, IL-1α/β−/−, and IL-1Ra−/− mice). Rows, cell type using the specific antibodies as described in Fig. 2 and antibodies to Von Willebrand factor for the staining of endothelial cells (magnification, ×400). These tissues sections are from one of three representative experiments done. 3-MCA–induced fibrosarcoma cell lines from IL-1/IL-1Ra–deficient mice exhibit differential invasiveness. Cell lines obtained from 3-MCA–induced tumors were established and their potential for in vivo invasiveness was characterized following intrafootpad injection into WT mice. These fibrosarcoma cell lines specifically lack IL-1 or IL-1Ra genes because they were generated from tumors in deficient mice. As can be seen in Fig. 6A , tumor cell lines generated from IL-1Ra−/− mice exhibited a higher degree of invasiveness as compared with malignant cells derived from WT mice or IL-1α/β−/− mice that were the least invasive. This increased degree of invasiveness was also evident at the level of lung experimental metastasis following i.v. injection of the malignant cells. Lung metastases was apparent both by gross morphology of the lungs ( Fig. 6B) and by an increase in the lung weight ( Fig. 6C), the latter due to metastatic load. Lung metastases induced by a 3-MCA–derived cell line from IL-1Ra−/− mice was increased compared with a cell line that was induced in WT mice. Cell lines from IL-1α/β−/− mice were almost devoid of metastatic potential (results not shown). This behavior of the cell lines was consistent in the vast majority of cell lines tested ( 5– 10) from each phenotype. Invasiveness of tumors from cell lines derived from the site of 3-MCA injection in BALB/c, IL-1α/β−/−, and IL-1Ra−/− mice. Tumor cell lines were established as described in Materials and Methods. Cells (2 × 105) were injected intrafootpad. Tumor development was scored twice a week using a caliper. A, tumor diameters of locally developing tumors; points, means from three representative experiments; bars, SD. In addition, experimental metastasis was assessed following i.v. injection of malignant cells (2 × 105/mouse). Lungs with metastatic load are shown in gross morphology (B, results from one representative experiment) and by the weight of the lungs (C, columns, means of three experiments; bars, SE). Statistical significance: , P < 0.01; **, P < 0.05 versus the appropriate controls in each panel. The present study shows that microenvironment-derived IL-1β plays a pivotal role in the process of 3-MCA–induced chemical carcinogenesis. This carcinogen acts as a complete carcinogen, mediating the functions of an initiator and promoter of tumor development. Thus, in mice devoid of IL-1β, i.e., in IL-1β−/− and IL-1α/β−/− (double knockout) mice, 3-MCA–induced tumors developed in only 40% to 60% of the treated mice, respectively. Equally important, in IL-1β–deficient mice with tumors, the malignant process developed after a long lag phase (∼100–120 days), compared with 50% tumor incidence in the same time period in WT mice. The patterns of tumor development in mice deficient in IL-1α were the same as in WT mice. In contrast, in IL-1Ra−/− mice, tumor development was the most rapid (100% of the mice developed overt tumors by day 120), compared with 60% of WT or IL-1α−/− mice, but no tumors in IL-1β−/− or IL-1α/β−/− mice. IL-1Ra reduces the biological activity of both IL-1β and IL-1α (reviewed in refs. 10– 15, 43). However, the activity of IL-1α is mainly cell-associated, particularly active as an integral, biologically active membrane cytokine ( 10, 11, 17). In promoting chemical-induced carcinogenesis, IL-1α was less effective than IL-1β, as its activity was mainly cell-associated. For IL-1–driven inflammatory responses, the secreted form of IL-1 (mostly IL-β) is essential, as it acts on stromal and infiltrating cells, to induce the production of a cascade of inflammatory molecules/cytokines and adhesion molecules that sustain and expand the inflammatory response. The secretion of IL-1β in BALB/c mice, and particularly, in mice deficient in IL-1Ra, results in a greater number of infiltrating neutrophils to the site of the injected carcinogen. The intensity of the inflammatory response likely reflects chemokine production, which may be a result of secreted IL-1β rather than membrane IL-1α. To our knowledge, this is the first report that directly shows the role of IL-1 in chemical carcinogenesis and attributes differential roles to microenvironment-derived IL-1β and IL-1α in tumorigenesis. The mechanism of action of IL-1β, and to a lesser extent, IL-1α, in the process of chemical-induced carcinogenesis are certainly multiple, as IL-1 is a pleiotropic cytokine, affecting each stage of the malignant process (reviewed in refs. 10, 11). In the process of carcinogenesis, IL-1 is possibly responsible for both shortening the time of tumor development and increasing the rate of tumors, by amplifying the action of the carcinogen via the intense inflammatory responses it induces. IL-1 may affect the initial stages of carcinogenesis, in synergy with the initiating activities of 3-MCA, to induce mutations in the local tissue fibroblasts, mainly by activating neutrophils, macrophages, and stromal cells to produce mutagenic oxygen and nitrogen intermediates. It was previously shown that the addition of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate–activated neutrophils to fibroblasts in culture resulted in their transformation, due to the activation of the oxidative respiratory burst ( 44). Microenvironment-derived IL-1 may further affect tumor promotion by activating NF-κB in the premalignant cells, thus rescuing them from apoptosis, and further enabling their proliferation, via stimulating growth factor production in stromal or infiltrating cells. Extensive proliferation may further lead to the accumulation of additional mutations, causing overt transformation of the target cells. By stimulating local inflammatory responses, IL-1 may further contribute to tumor angiogenesis, invasiveness, dissemination, and metastasis. Indeed, we have previously shown the cardinal role of host- and tumor cell–derived IL-1β, rather than IL-1α, in tumor invasiveness ( 20, 23, 24). Our results show that host-derived IL-1, rather than TNFα, mediates the early (day 10) inflammatory response at the site of carcinogen injection, as neutrophilic infiltration was inhibited by IL-1Ra, but not by TNF BP. In addition, local TNFα levels, at the site of carcinogen injection, did not differ dramatically between control or IL-1/IL-1Ra–deficient mice (results not shown). Although IL-1 and TNFα synergize in inducing inflammatory responses, it is possible that under different experimental conditions, unique IL-1 or TNFα-dependent inflammatory responses are activated. For example, Miller et al. recently showed the critical role of IL-1 signaling in the recruitment of leukocytes to infection sites ( 45). By using a combination of TLR-2, MyD88, and IL-1RtI–deficient mice, it was shown that IL-1 signaling, rather than TLR-2 signaling, was essential for the eradication of Staphylococcus aureus by infiltrating neutrophils. However, other studies have emphasized the role of TNFα-induced inflammatory responses in experimental carcinogenesis ( 5, 34, 35, 46). We purposefully studied the severity of the inflammatory response at the injection site of the carcinogen. A thin layer of fibrotic tissue containing fibroblasts, ECM fibers, and other stromal elements were consistently observed and encapsulated the droplets of olive oil in which the carcinogen was dissolved. These encapsulated droplets, generated by the local fibrotic response, were apparent in all groups of mice, as early as 10 days after injection of 3-MCA and they persisted in the tissue until tumors developed; in fact, tumors seemed to develop from the area of encapsulated carcinogen droplets. The differences in the tissue response, at the site of carcinogen injection, were in the local inflammatory response, with the appearance of granulomas, infiltrated by neutrophils and some macrophages, which correlated with the levels of IL-1β expression. Blankenstein's group recently described a similar mechanism of carcinogen encapsulation by foreign body–like granulomas which consist of fibroblasts that form a scar tissue around droplets of the carcinogen, thus inhibiting diffusion of the carcinogen into the tissue ( 47, 48). This possibly diminishes tissue injury, protects against DNA damage, and ultimately inhibits tumor development. Indeed, protective effects of such granulomas were experimentally shown in mice injected with low doses of 3-MCA, where low tumor incidence was observed. In IL-1Ra−/− mice, products of the marked inflammatory response may impair the structure of the granuloma, enable the diffusion of the carcinogen into the tissue and also enhance tumorigenesis by the mechanisms described above. Indeed, in tissue sections from IL-1Ra−/− mice, a heavily infiltrated reactive granulation tissue, characterized by extensive cell proliferation, possibly of fibroblasts or cellular elements of the inflammatory response, as well as neoangiogenesis, was already observed on day 10 after 3-MCA injection. It is noteworthy that fibroblasts are the target cells for transformation in this experimental system and their extensive proliferation throughout the process of carcinogenesis may contribute to transformation. Massive macrophage infiltration was observed at the site of 3-MCA injection on day 70 in IL-1Ra−/− and WT mice and to a lesser degree in IL-1α/β−/− mice. On day 50, the macrophage infiltrate was still sparse (results not shown). Thus, at early stages of carcinogenesis, neutrophils were dominant in the leukocytic infiltrate at the site of 3-MCA injection, however, at later time intervals, macrophages were prevalent in the infiltrate. Thus, it seems that in our experimental system, neutrophils and their products are important for cell transformation, whereas macrophages appear possibly at a time when premalignant and even malignant cells already exist and they promote their proliferation and invasiveness. The protumorigenic characteristics of tumor-associated macrophages have been thoroughly described (reviewed in ref. 3). In our studies, no significant infiltration of lymphocytes was observed in 3-MCA–induced granulomas, indicating that this process is mediated by innate immunity mechanisms. IL-1 induced by 3-MCA may serve as the stimulus for the inflammatory response observed around carcinogen droplets. As IL-1Ra−/− mice spontaneously develop rheumatoid arthritis in a process that is T cell–dependent ( 39– 42), it needs to be determined whether inflammatory responses that precede tumor development in IL-1Ra−/− mice stem from high levels of unopposed IL-1, or whether activated lymphocytes and/or their products also contribute to the initiation of the inflammatory response in a remote manner. It was recently shown that T cells ( 49), B cells, and their secreted antibodies ( 50) were essential for the initiation of the innate cell inflammation that is involved in tumorigenesis in certain experimental systems via recruitment of the innate inflammatory infiltrate. Imprints of the “IL-1 milieu”, in which 3-MCA–induced tumors developed, were also shown by the increased invasiveness of transplantable fibrosarcoma cell lines that were established from tumors that developed in WT and especially in IL-1/IL-1Ra–deficient mice. Such tumor cell lines were subsequently injected into control syngeneic BALB/c mice in order to assess their invasiveness. Thus, 3-MCA–induced tumor cells lines from IL-1Ra−/− mice are significantly more invasive, metastatic, and induce more potent angiogenic responses (results not shown), as compared with tumor cell lines recovered from WT mice, whereas lines from IL-1α/β−/− mice were the least invasive. The increased invasive patterns of cell lines derived from IL-1Ra−/− mice may stem from inherent genetic properties of the malignant cells that were imprinted in the cells by IL-1–dependent events, during the process of carcinogenesis, i.e., potent chronic inflammatory responses. In cell lines from IL-1Ra−/− mice, compared with WT or IL-1α/β−/− mice, we could not detect differences in polyploidity of cells in karyotype analyses or in the expression of specific H-ras mutations, which are abundant in 3-MCA–induced fibrosarcomas (results not shown). Although not mutually exclusive, it is possible that potent and unopposed IL-1 activity in cell lines generated from IL-1Ra−/− mice induce IL-1–dependent local inflammatory responses, which are essential for the invasiveness of the malignant cells. These possibly involve IL-1 secretion by the malignant cells, constitutively or following stimulation by local inflammatory signals, and the subsequent activation of stromal cells and the recruitment and activation of leukocytes, to produce an IL-1–induced cytokine/proinflammatory mediator cascade, including IL-1–induced IL-1 secretion. In immunohistochemistry studies, in tumor sections, we have observed IL-1 expression both in the malignant cells and in cellular elements of the microenvironment. Also, supernatants of cell lines derived from 3-MCA–induced IL-1Ra−/− mice contained more chemokines/cytokines, and manifested a stronger angiogenic potential than supernatants of cell lines derived from WT or IL-1α/β−/− mice (results not shown). These results are in accordance with our previous observations on the role of both malignant cell- and host-derived IL-1β in promoting tumor invasiveness ( 20, 23, 24). The present findings show the correlation between the development of a heavy and persistent leukocytic infiltrate, initially consisting of neutrophils and later of macrophages, with the high incidence of tumor development in a relatively short period; this was particularly manifested in IL-1Ra−/− mice. Accordingly, in WT and IL-1α−/− mice, in which the inflammatory response develops later, tumors appear late. In mice lacking IL-1β, in which the inflammatory response at the site of carcinogen injection was minimal, with no apparent granulomas, the incidence of tumor development was lower, however, a significant percentage of the mice developed tumors. This latter observation suggests that tumor development occurs in the presence of a low but inflammatory response at the site of tumorigenesis. In contrast, when the carcinogen activates an intense chronic local inflammatory response, it enhances tumorigenesis by shortening the time of tumor development, increasing tumor incidence, and by promoting the generation of more malignant tumor cell variants. In conclusion, microenvironment-derived IL-1α and IL-1β have different effects in the process of chemical-induced carcinogenesis as well as in determining the characteristics of malignant cells that would subsequently develop. Further understanding of the role of the IL-1 molecules in the process of chemical carcinogenesis and tumor invasiveness may lead to the development of novel chemoprevention approaches, based on the neutralization of specific IL-1 molecules. Grant support: The Israel Cancer Association, the Israel Ministry of Health Chief Scientist's Office, and the Concern Foundation (E. Voronov); the Israel Ministry of Science in cooperation with the Deutsches Krebsforschungscentrum (Heidelberg, Germany), the United States–Israel Bi-national Foundation, the Israel Science Foundation founded by the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, the Israel Ministry of Health Chief Scientist's Office, the Association for International Cancer Research, and the German-Israeli DIP collaborative program (R.N. Apte); and NIH grants AI-15614, HL-68743, and CA-04 6934 (C.A. Dinarello). The authors thank Rosalyn M. White, Dr. Lubov Gayvoronsky, and Natalya Pasternak for their help. Note: Y. Krelin and E. Voronov contributed equally to this work. Prof. Ron N. Apte is an incumbent of the Irving Isaac Sklar Chair in Endocrinology and Cancer. S. Segal, deceased February 26, 2006. Revision received November 13, 2006. Accepted November 28, 2006. Nathan C. Points of control in inflammation. Nature 2002; 420: 846–52. Clevers H. At the crossroads of inflammation and cancer. 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Thank you for sharing this Cancer Research article. You are going to email the following Interleukin-1β–Driven Inflammation Promotes the Development and Invasiveness of Chemical Carcinogen–Induced Tumors Message Subject (Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from Cancer Research Message Body (Your Name) thought you would be interested in this article in Cancer Research. Cancer Res February 1 2007 (67) (3) 1062-1071; DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-06-2956 Diversity in Proadhesive Signaling Mechanisms in B-CLL Lymphocytes Role of ATM Phosphorylation in Exon 11 of BRCA1 Methylated Genes in TGF-β Signaling in HNSCC Show more Cell, Tumor, and Stem Cell Biology About Cancer Research Cancer Research Online ISSN: 1538-7445 Cancer Research Print ISSN: 0008-5472 Journal of Cancer Research ISSN: 0099-7013 American Journal of Cancer ISSN: 0099-7374	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line956
__label__wiki	0.557983	0.557983	To Meet The Threshold - Images courtesy of Io Makandal and No End Contemporary Art Space Io Makandal – To Meet The Threshold by Chris Soal Misconceptions about being an artist abound within society. Most people think we just sit around aimlessly until inspiration strikes. But if To Meet The Threshold has shown me anything, it’s the value of the dogged persistence of an artist striving to fulfill their vision. The installation enveloping the viewer is just one of a series of what Io Makandal calls “tactile drawings,” made over the last two years as part of her multidisciplinary creative practice. In the past however, these frame-shattering drawings have usually been restricted to a single wall or a corner. At No End Contemporary Art Space, Makandal had the entire space to work with. The long narrow structure of the gallery unsurprisingly caught the artist’s eye, a concept took hold and the necessary arrangements were made with the gallery to hold a show. In a previous article I observed how, for me, No End had begun to read as one of Johannesburg’s many alleyway’s, albeit, with good lighting and artworks on sale. It is this feature that I again felt was highlighted beautifully through Makandal’s intervention. The single corridor pulled the viewer in one direction, and gave no opportunity to tip toe around the installation, or view if from a distance. From the onset it outlined clear rules of engagement with its audience; enter and experience. Be engulfed. What were we asking to experience though? There was clear evidence of urban existence: broken chunks of concrete, dirty traffic cones, piping, housing insulation, and refuse, windswept around the gallery, suspended in mid-air, littering the floor. Alongside this urban debris were signs of natural life, or what was at least once alive; dead leaves, dead palm branches, twigs and a skeleton, which I assumed had once belonged to a cow. The tension set up between the natural (in its deceased and decaying state) and the urban, which for us in the twenty first century is our area of primary habitat, was striking. But it didn’t simply end there. If it had I might be writing how the installation was a reflection of the overwhelming urbanisation and the effect this has on nature. However, the third element (if I can so crudely group them like this) that I picked out was that of pure line and colour. Coloured string hung from the walls and the ceiling, draping down onto the floor. Neon duct tape covered the surface of the gallery, supporting objects on the wall or cutting through the harsh geometric surrounds. And little fluffy balls were pinned everywhere, little splashes of colour that then expanded when a balloon or party plate came into view. Makandal’s work makes me imagine what might have happened had Joan Miro worked in Johannesburg as an artist. There is the grunge and grit of this urban stew mixed in with transcendental moments of colour and form that seem to have jumped in from another dimension. Makandal’s work has a formal consistency that, even in three dimensions, reads similarly to one of her painting or drawing works. This similarity is not however where the work ends, for through the reference to the two dimensional works, a tension is set up. A tension between two dimensions and three that starts to bring to the foreground materiality, spatial concerns, and probably most intriguing for me, the human body. In a world of overwhelming complexity, detritus and structure, there was a single direct reference to the human body, a curled finger protruding from the wall, beckoning to the viewer. Asking to make the most solemn of vows, a pinky promise; we are invited to reengage with the possibilities that art present for our present reality. Savage Messiah by Laura Grace Ford The earth deteriorates into landscapes of the underworld with ‘Persephone’ ‘Life in the Entropics’ by Io Makandal - embracing the Third Landscape James Webb’s '3 Dreams of a Sinking World' – reflections on the Carlton Hotel Penny Siopis’ solo ‘Warm Water Imaginaries’ addresses climactic change Through the language of performance, Tracey Rose creates art that refuses to settle	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line963
__label__wiki	0.692654	0.692654	Multiple Teams · Sep 20 An Email From Fairview Parent I received this email and wanted to share it with the Buckeye Community: Mr. Tudor, Mr. Reisner and Mr. Pinzone, My name is Debby Brousek and I am the mother of an injured player from the Fairview Warriors Football team. My Son, Alex Brousek sustained a traumatic season ending leg injury last Thursday, the evening before the Buckeye/Fairview football game. Needless to say my son is heartbroken as both my husband and I are, that this is the ending to his High school football career. With as much heartbreak and sadness we were experience from the injury just 24 hours prior to the football gameFriday night, my son and I experienced the real reason why he loves football and why the football community in Buckeye is top-notch. Alex was on the sidelines during the game to be there for his teammates, and at the end of the game when he was waiting on the sidelines while the teams shook hands on the field, numerous amazing Buckeye players walked over to the sidelines to shake my sons hand and wish him the best of luck. Many of the coaches also came off the field to shake his hand as well. Needless to say this was beyond amazing and very emotional for me to watch the true meaning of sportsmanship unfold before my eyes. Now I truly understand why my son just loves playing football. It isn’t about winning or losing, it’s about the bond of brotherhood and the character of the players you play with and against. It still brings tears to my eyes when I think about that moment in time. Those boys weren’t told to come shake Alex’s hand, they did that completely on their own and because they have been coached well and raised right! What outstanding young men you have at your school and on your Football Team, you should be very proud of them. While Alex has a long road ahead of him, the support he has been shown from both our community and from yours on Friday night, has really helped his spirits during this trying time. Alex will be back and ready to play the game he loves again. Please tell your team and your coaches, THANK YOU, from the family of Alex Brousek. Debby Brousek Proud Mother of Alex Brousek, Fairview Warrior Football Player/Captain By Glen Reisner on Sep 20, 2016	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line964
__label__cc	0.686208	0.313792	Giuseppe Zanotti, Hong Kong One of the world’s most respected shoemaker, Giuseppe Zanotti, started his footwear company in 1994, His designs are instantly recognisable in the fashion scene for his embellished stiletto and use of vivid colours. Zanotti grew up in San Mauro Pascoli, a city in Italy famous for shoe making. He initially wanted to be a DJ until his career at a local radio station fell through and decided to make shoes. He learned shoe making skills from a group of local craftsmen and was as a freelance shoe designer for different fashion brands including Valentino. In 1996, he acquired a small shoe company and launched his brand. Business grew and his signature bejeweled footwear became popular. His glamorous heels are worn by celebrities like Beyoncé and Rhianna. Zanotti opened his first flagship store in Hong Kong in 2009 and offers shoes for men and women. Shop 2072-2073, Podium Level, ifc mall Shop 1033, Level 1, Elements, 1 Austin Road West Shop 217, Level 2, Ocean Centre, Harbour City 3-37 Canton Road Filed in : Shoes For more information visit Giuseppe Zanotti	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line971
__label__cc	0.723878	0.276122	Noor Hanif A bachelors student who is studying mass communications and enjoys reading books and listening to music. Aishwariya Rai Robot: Bollywood blockbuster takes on sci-fi If you need a laugh try watching the Hindi version of Rajnikant’s Robot (2010). The film is like a plate of mixed chaat of Hollywood hits Terminator, I Robot and Universal Soldier. The whole story is completely senseless. After watching it I want to give a suggestion to director of the movie. Please, take some time out to have your mental health checked. A very unlikely love story The leads of this film are Rajnikant and Aishwariya Rai. When I heard who the cast was I was shocked and knew I had to watch this movie. Rajnikant is plays two roles in the movie – ... We are Family: A movie to watch with the kids “Merey paas en ka guzra hua kal hai aur tumharey paas en ka aney wala kal!” This cliched line is from Indian movie “We are Family.” The line summarizes the whole story. The film is a re-make of Chris Columbus’ blockbuster Stepmom which starred Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts. In the familiar story a mother is diagnosed with a terminal illness and a young step-mom learns to fill in. The cast of the Indian version includes Kajol, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal. The film is a Dahrma production and is produced by Karan Johar and debutant director Siddharth Malhotra. What they got right Casting: The director wins half the ...	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line974
__label__wiki	0.626146	0.626146	Strategies and opportunities to STOP colon cancer in priority populations: pragmatic pilot study design and outcomes Gloria D Coronado1, William M Vollmer1, Amanda Petrik1, Josue Aguirre2, Tanya Kapka1,2, Jennifer DeVoe3, Jon Puro3, Tran Miers2, Jennifer Lembach3, Ann Turner2, Jennifer Sanchez1, Sally Retecki1, Christine Nelson3 & Beverly Green4 BMC Cancer volume 14, Article number: 55 (2014) Cite this article Colorectal-cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and Latinos have particularly low rates of screening. Strategies and Opportunities to STOP Colon Cancer in Priority Populations (STOP CRC) is a partnership among two research institutions and a network of safety net clinics to promote colorectal cancer screening among populations served by these clinics. This paper reports on results of a pilot study conducted in a safety net organization that serves primarily Latinos. The study assessed two clinic-based approaches to raise rates of colorectal-cancer screening among selected age-eligible patients not up-to-date with colorectal-cancer screening guidelines. One clinic each was assigned to: (1) an automated data-driven Electronic Health Record (EHR)-embedded program for mailing Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) kits (Auto Intervention); or (2) a higher-intensity program consisting of a mailed FIT kit plus linguistically and culturally tailored interventions delivered at the clinic level (Auto Plus Intervention). A third clinic within the safety-net organization was selected to serve as a passive control (Usual Care). Two simple measurements of feasibility were: 1) ability to use real-time EHR data to identify patients eligible for each intervention step, and 2) ability to offer affordable testing and follow-up care for uninsured patients. The study was successful at both measurements of feasibility. A total of 112 patients in the Auto clinic and 101 in the Auto Plus clinic met study inclusion criteria and were mailed an introductory letter. Reach was high for the mailed component (92.5% of kits were successfully mailed), and moderate for the telephone component (53% of calls were successful completed). After exclusions for invalid address and other factors, 206 (109 in the Auto clinic and 97 in the Auto Plus clinic) were mailed a FIT kit. At 6 months, fecal test completion rates were higher in the Auto (39.3%) and Auto Plus (36.6%) clinics compared to the usual-care clinic (1.1%). Findings showed that the trial interventions delivered in a safety-net setting were both feasible and raised rates of colorectal-cancer screening, compared to usual care. Findings from this pilot will inform a larger pragmatic study involving multiple clinics. ClinicalTrial.gov: NCT01742065 Colorectal-cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the US; the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program (SEER) predicts that, in 2013, there will be 142,000 new cases and 51,000 deaths from colorectal-cancer [1]. While regular colorectal-cancer screening has been shown to reduce colorectal-cancer mortality [2], screening rates are low in the general population, and particularly low in certain population subgroups. Data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from 2012 show that 53% of Latinos ages 50–74 were current with colorectal-cancer screening recommendations compared to 66% of non-Latino whites [3]. Colorectal-cancer screening rates are also low among those who lack health insurance (37% vs. 69% among those with insurance) or who lack a regular source of health care (31% vs. 69% among those with a regular source of care) [3]. Previous evaluations of clinic-based programs to improve rates of colorectal-cancer screening have shown that direct mailing of fecal occult blood tests (gFOBT) or fecal immunochemical tests (FIT) consistently led to 6–24% increases in colorectal-cancer screening regardless of clinical setting [4–7]. Interventions that included patient navigators (staff trained to promote screening completion and provide on-going communications and assistance with overcoming barriers) were also consistently effective and mainly focused on underserved populations [5, 6, 8–11]. Use of health educators and screening information tailored to specific cultural and language needs have been effective in some studies [4, 6, 9–11]. Although some showed promising results, none of the previous interventions embedded their registry functions directly into the electronic health record (EHR), and into existing clinical staff workflows. Our team had previously tested two direct-mail colorectal-cancer screening programs in clinical settings. One pilot tested the program among 500 low-income Latinos, but relied on manual medical chart review to identify patients and track screening outcomes [4]. A second tested a randomized controlled trial in a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) that used an EHR-linked system for patient identification and tracking, but was managed by a research team [5]. Both resulted in a 24% increase in colorectal-cancer screening, over usual care. As part of a large multi-site pragmatic study to test automated strategies to raise the rates of colorectal-cancer screening in safety-net clinics, we pilot-tested two clinic-based interventions in a single safety-net clinic organization (comprised of 4 clinics). The Auto Intervention consisted of an automated data-driven, EHR-embedded program for mailing FIT kits to patients due for colorectal-cancer screening. The Auto Plus Intervention is a higher-intensity program consisting of the same intervention as the Auto clinic, plus linguistically and culturally tailored interventions that account for the clinics’ resources, capacity, and preferences. For the pilot, the additional intervention chosen by the clinic was live telephone counselling that used motivational interviewing techniques. The pilot study involved a partnership with Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center (VGMHC), a federally qualified health center (FQHC) that operates a network of 4 primary care clinics in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area and specializes in the culturally competent delivery of primary care services to low-income patients, particularly Latinos. The pilot sought to implement the program using existing EHR tools and clinic personnel; to assess the feasibility of disseminating it to a large network of clinics; and to report preliminary estimates of the interventions’ effectiveness and reach, based on aspects of the RE-AIM framework [12]. For this report, we focus on quantitative data only; findings from qualitative interviews with patients and clinic staff will be reported separately. Strategies and Opportunity to STOP Colon Cancer in Priority Populations (STOP CRC) is a Demonstration Project of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Health Care Systems Research Collaboratory [UH2AT007782]. The Collaboratory seeks to strengthen national capacity to implement cost-effective large-scale pragmatic studies that engage health care delivery organizations as research partners, recognizing that such partnerships are essential to strengthen the relevance of research results to health practice. As such, STOP CRC is a pragmatic study [13]; this meant that we designed our program so that it could be incorporated into clinical practice; we allowed the clinic to choose intervention components, and we worked with existing clinic staff and infrastructure. All study procedures were reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Kaiser Permanente Northwest (#3397), which is in compliance with the Helsinki Declaration. Setting and background In Oregon, the Latino population represents 12% of the total state population. Latinos are the fastest growing population in the state, having increased by 64% (174,748 individuals) between the 2000 and 2010 censuses [14]. Many Latino patients in Oregon receive care at either FQHCs or “look-alikes” (serving similar populations), referred to collectively as safety-net clinics. Our partnering FQHC, VGMHC, specializes in services to Latino patients. In 2012, VGMHC had 5,190 active patients aged 50–74, of whom 46% were Latino and 59% were uninsured. Data from 2012 show that the overall rate of fecal testing (gFOBT or FIT) at VGMHC was 5.1%. For this project, VGMHC chose to use OC Micro (PolyMedco, Inc, New York), a one-sample FIT kit, and to process it at a commercial laboratory. To assure follow-up colonoscopy services for low-income patients, VGMHC partnered with Project Access Now, a local community organization that connects low-income, uninsured individuals to donated specialty medical services, including diagnostic colonoscopy, through a coordinated network of volunteer providers. To aid with the process of incorporating the intervention into clinical practice and cultural relevance, we convened a community advisory board; the board consisted of policy-makers, clinicians, patients and their advocates, and gastroenterologists. The board met 5 times throughout the year during a single 4-hour in-person meeting and 4–1.5 hour phone meetings. We also held regular meetings of project investigators and clinic staff. The pilot study aimed to recruit 200 patients aged 50–74, who received care in the past year at either of the two participating intervention clinics of VGMHC, and who were not up-to-date with recommendations for colorectal-cancer screening (did not have a gFOBT/FIT in the past 11 months, a colonoscopy in the past 9 years, or a sigmoidoscopy in the past 4 years). Consistent with the pragmatic nature of the STOP CRC study, otherwise eligible patients were excluded only if they had a history of colorectal disease, a significant co-morbid condition, or a referral to gastroenterology in the past year. To minimize staff training at each site, patients were selected from a single provider team at each of the intervention sites. We chose to include patients whose primary language was English or Spanish, to allow assessment of our cultural adaptations. To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of our program in various subgroups, eligible patients were randomly selected across three stratification variables. These variables were insurance status (insured vs. uninsured), preferred language (Spanish vs. English) and date of most recent clinic visit (< 3 months vs. > = 3 months). Within each clinic, eligible patients were grouped by stratification variable (total n groups = 8), and up to 16 patients were randomly selected within each group. Group sizes ranged from 6 to 16 patients. The intervention compared patients enrolled in clinics using two different approaches to raising rates of colorectal-cancer screening—Auto Intervention or Auto Plus Intervention—with patients enrolled in a clinic assigned to usual care. Our goal was to inform the design of a future larger pragmatic study involving multiple safety-net clinics. Clinic staff were trained to use the system by the EHR Site Specialist who had helped design the system; the Patient Care Coordinator at the Auto Plus clinic received bilingual motivational interviewing training from a bilingual project staff. Usual care For the purposes of this pilot, a single clinic in the VGMHC network was identified to serve as the usual-care site. Usual care entailed the receipt of any information and outreach on the importance of colorectal-cancer screening and ordering of screening tests provided routinely by clinic staff on an opportunistic basis during routine clinic encounters for age-eligible patients. The two interventions, implemented at separate clinic sites, were overlaid on usual care offered at each clinic. Mailed FIT kit (Auto Intervention) The Auto Intervention consisted of an automated data-driven, EHR-embedded program for mailing FIT kits (with linguistically appropriate pictographic instructions and return postage) to patients due for colorectal-cancer screening. Eligible patients, based on inclusion/exclusion criteria described above, were sent an introductory letter (written in English and Spanish) explaining the STOP CRC study and offering patients an opportunity to opt out. Patients whose introductory letters were not returned by the Post Office were presumed to have a valid address, and were mailed a FIT kit and bilingual instructions for completing the FIT. Patients who failed to return a completed FIT kit within three weeks were mailed a bilingual reminder postcard. Mailed FIT kit plus outreach (Auto Plus Intervention) The Auto Plus Intervention was a higher-intensity program consisting of the same intervention as the Auto clinic, plus linguistically and culturally tailored interventions delivered at the clinic level that account for individual clinics’ resources, capacity, and preferences. For the pilot, the additional intervention chosen by the clinic was live telephone counselling that made use of motivational interviewing techniques, delivered in English or Spanish by the team’s bilingual Patient Care Coordinator. Patients who were identified as eligible for colorectal-cancer screening were mailed an introductory letter, FIT kit, and reminder postcard as described in the Auto Intervention. Patients who failed to return the FIT kit after 1 month of the mailed reminder postcard were eligible for live telephone counselling, and all received at least 2 phone attempts. Pilot outcomes The primary purpose of the pilot was to assess the feasibility of conducting an EHR-enabled colorectal-cancer screening intervention that could be scaled up to multiple safety net clinics. We were interested in two aspects of feasibility: (1) whether our colorectal-cancer screening registry function could be embedded directly into the EHR and use real-time data to identify patients eligible for each intervention step; and (2) whether affordable testing and follow-up care to uninsured patients could be provided, given our qualitative findings documenting low provider recommendations for colorectal-cancer screening due to such barriers. Components of the RE-AIM framework guided other aspects of our feasibility assessment [12]. Specifically, as outlined in the framework, we were interested in whether clinic staff would successfully deliver each component of the intervention (implementation), in the proportion of patients we could successfully contact (reach), and in the proportion that would complete testing (effectiveness). We were also interested in whether certain population subgroups would be more or less responsive to our intervention. Given the nature of our design, we were unable to assess two aspects of the RE-AIM framework: adoption and maintenance. Preliminary estimates of effectiveness were obtained and serve as point estimates for sample sizes needed for our planned multi-site pragmatic study using a cluster randomized design. EHR data was used to calculate the proportion of FIT kits returned within 6 months of the initial mailing for the Auto and Auto Plus intervention clinics; these proportions were compared with similar data from the usual care clinic. The date of hypothetical “rollout” (i.e., initial mailing) for the usual-care site was timed to coincide with the rollout dates for the intervention sites. The measurement period was from 1/18/2013 to 7/17/2013. Reach was assessed by calculating the delivery of each program component (i.e., N intro letters mailed/N anticipated, N kits mailed/N anticipated; N reminder postcards mailed/N anticipated; N phone call delivered/N anticipated). Consistent with the pilot nature of this study, all analyses were descriptive in nature. Our focus was on describing intervention process data and estimating gFOBT/FIT completion probabilities for the two intervention clinics overall and among selected subgroups. We were able to build an EHR-embedded program that used real-time data to identify eligible patients at each step in our intervention and to track colorectal-related outcomes. Our intervention was delivered to all anticipated patients at each step (implementation). Our assessment of reach showed that the STOP CRC intervention could be delivered to a high proportion of intended patients (i.e., in only 7.5% of households were letters or kits retuned by the Post Office, and a live phone call to conduct a motivational interview was completed for 53% of the patients in the Auto Plus Intervention group who were eligible for that step). Notably, consistent with the pragmatic nature of our design, clinic staff followed the usual clinic procedure of making 2 attempts to reach a patient by phone. The clinic chose to pay for testing in uninsured patients, which meant that additional arrangements were made with the outside lab, so that patients with insurance could be billed directly and those without could be billed to the clinic. A local community organization that provides specialty services to uninsured patients in the Portland Metro area, Project Access Now, agreed to provide colonoscopies to uninsured patients with abnormal test results. Staff at participating clinics adapted existing workflows for use in the STOP CRC project. The staff were successfully trained in the use of the EHR tools. Notably, the pilot involved a one-time selection of eligible patients and mailing of outreach materials. A total of 226 patients in the Auto Clinic, and 188 patients in the Auto Plus Clinic, were initially identified as active patients aged 50–74 who had a valid address (Figure 1). After exclusions, 197 and 106 were eligible for the pilot; we randomly selected 213 patients (112 patients in the Auto Clinic and 101 in the Auto Plus Clinic) based on our stratification variables. CONSORT diagram of STOP CRC pilot. For the passive control clinic, a total of 1,269 were initially identified as active patients aged 50–74 who had a valid address. After exclusions, 656 patients were eligible and included in our analysis. Selected participants were generally aged 50–64 (82%), female (62%), Hispanic (49%), and uninsured (44%), and had household incomes below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (81%); 44% reported Spanish as their preferred language (Table 1). Table 1 Characteristics of sample Receipt of STOP CRC program (program reach) A total of 213 participants (112 in the Auto Clinic and 101 in the Auto Plus clinic) were mailed an introductory letter (Table 2). The FIT kit was mailed to 206 patients (109 in the Auto and 97 in the Auto Plus). A total of 179 patients were mailed a reminder postcard. For the follow-up phone calls in the Auto Plus clinic (anticipated n = 66), 30 (53%) were reached and counseled; the remaining 31 were not reached (20), declined (4) or had a disconnected/wrong number or moved (7). An introductory letter or FIT kit was returned as undeliverable for 16 participants (7.5%), addresses for 11 of these were updated and FIT kits were re-sent. Table 2 Intervention activities delivered Receipt of CRC screening Of the 213 patients who were originally selected, 44 and 37 patients in the Auto and Auto Plus clinics, respectively, mailed back their FIT for processing (for an intention–to-treat effect size of 39.3% in Auto and 36.6% in Auto Plus). The rate of fecal testing in the 656 patients in the usual care clinic over the same time period was 1.1% (Table 2). A total of 13 patients were referred for colonoscopy during this time period; 4.5% in the Auto clinic; 3.0% in the Auto Plus clinic, and 0.7% in the usual care clinic. Intervention clinic screening rates appeared to differ by demographic characteristics, with the highest rates observed among the 65 – 74 age group, Hispanics, and those whose primary language was Spanish (Table 3). Among the 81 patients tested, 7 were found to have a positive test result and all were referred for follow-up colonoscopy, and all but one completed colonoscopy (1 patient declined). No serious adverse events were reported related to the study. Table 3 Fecal test completion by demographic characteristic and health care utilization The STOP CRC study Auto and Auto Plus interventions were successfully implemented in two safety-net clinics. Both interventions led to higher colorectal-cancer testing rates than rates in the usual care clinic, demonstrating the effectiveness of an EHR-embedded intervention addressing colorectal-cancer screening. Our pilot findings showed high reach for the mailed component (based on the low number of mailed items that was returned from the Post Office), and moderate reach for the phone-call component (based on 2 call attempts). Further research is needed to assess effectiveness of the program as an on-going part of standard clinical care (not as a one-time mailing), and to assess the adoption, implementation, and maintenance of the program. If successful, the program may represent an effective method of raising levels of participation in colorectal-cancer screening and improving earlier-stage detection of colorectal-cancer among patients least likely to be screened. Our findings showed substantially higher colorectal-cancer testing rates in our two interventions clinics, compared to similar patients in a third VGMHC clinic that did not receive the intervention. The differences in rate of fecal testing in our two intervention sites versus the usual care site (difference in Auto Clinic vs. Usual care: 38% and difference in Auto Plus Clinic vs. Usual care: 35%) were higher than effect sizes observed in previous clinical studies on the same topic [4–7]. Our point estimate for differences in fecal testing rates between our Auto and Auto Plus clinics was marginal (Difference in differences: 38% - 35% = 3%). This may be due, in part, to the lower response in the Auto Plus clinic to the mailing of the introductory letter, and reminder postcard (FIT return rate: 32%), compared to the Auto Clinic (39%). Of the 66 Auto Plus patients identified for theory-based phone counseling, 8% of those identified, and 17% of those successfully reached, returned their FIT kits. Pooling our FIT completion rates for the 2 clinics, our best estimate of effectiveness of the Auto intervention alone is 36%, plus another 2% from phone-based follow-up. This is consistent with findings from 3 studies that used telephone reminders or theory-based phone counselling [4, 15, 16], but differed from a study conducted by Green et al. at Group Health Cooperative, which showed an added bump of 7 percentage points associated with brief phone assistance, and a further bump of 7 percentage points with more intensive ongoing phone-based navigation [5]. It is important to note that Green et al. used medical assistants and/or nurses who were hired by the study to deliver the interventions, whereas STOP CRC integrated intervention delivery into routine care. We cannot rule out the possibility that the apparent lack of effect of the phone counseling in our pilot was due to small sample sizes or differences in baseline characteristics of clinics or selected patients. Our observation that only 16/213 (7.5%) participants were found to have an invalid address (as determined by their introductory letter or kit being returned by the Post Office) was contrary to expectation. This may be due, in part, to a system-wide mailing to update patient address information that took place 3 months before our introductory letter was sent. Notably, while we observed high reach for our mailed components, it is plausible that some mailings were not received by their intended participants. Also, we anticipate that clinics with less up-to-date patient address information will achieve lower reach. While our sample size is too small to permit statistical comparisons across subgroups, our pilot data are suggestive of high levels of effectiveness among Hispanics and other individuals who speak Spanish. Notably, among Auto Clinic patients, the highest rate of fecal testing was found among those who had 6 or more clinic visits; this suggests that personal interactions with a provider in addition to the mailed program may serve to reinforce the importance of screening. This finding is consistent with data from Liles et al. in a study that enrolled patients at Kaiser Permanente Northwest [17]. Our pilot program has some limitations that we plan to address in the larger multi-site study. Our inclusion and exclusion criteria rely on EHR data, and we could not verify the accuracy of colonoscopy receipt, raising the possibility that our intervention was delivered to patients who were ineligible due to recent colorectal-cancer screening. Nevertheless, a minority of patients opted out (n = 8), and only 3 opted out because of prior testing. We plan to address this by conducting a robust validation of EHR codes used for our inclusion and exclusion of participants for the larger study. We also plan to enhance the capture of colorectal-cancer screening in EHR-based tools for tracking outside screening events (called Health Maintenance in Epic). Our feasibility assessment relied on quantitative data only; we plan to report separately on feasibility considerations based on qualitative interviews with providers and patients. Moreover, we report no data on the cost of providing affordable testing and follow-up care for patients in this setting, which may drive feasibility and sustainability over time. The small size and non-random nature of our sample limit the interpretation of our findings. Intervention effects are inextricably confounded with clinic effects, and the interventions were delivered only to patients in the practices of a single team (2–3 providers and their support staff of a registered nurse, patient care coordinator, and team assistant processing referrals) in each clinic. The patient panels appeared to differ with regard to the proportions that were excluded because of prior colorectal-cancer screening and other factors. These providers volunteered for the intervention and may have been more willing to involve their staff in conducting follow-up calls than providers in the clinic as a whole. Nevertheless, because the 3-sample gFOBT cards, and not the FIT, were offered during clinic encounters as part of usual care, we could easily discern that our findings were not impacted by more frequent recommendations for screening during clinic encounters. Nevertheless, the differences in screening probabilities between intervention and usual-care clinics were striking and we will use them to help inform power calculations for the larger study. Our pilot provided some important information that will inform the design of a large-scale pragmatic study to test the effectiveness of the program in multiple safety-net clinics. We report successful implementation, high reach for mailed components, moderate reach for telephone components, and high effectiveness for both interventions. We were also able to successfully embed our registry tools into the EHR, and use real-time data to identify patients eligible for each intervention step. These findings, as well as findings from on-going analysis of qualitative interviews with patients and providers, will inform several aspects of a planned multi-clinic study that will enroll a broad range of patients. Specifically, our preliminary estimates of effectiveness suggest that additional telephone-based outreach may not be needed. Further exploration of how a variety of factors may influence preventive services use may be needed to inform further refinements to the program. Our STOP CRC pilot shows the great potential of a larger-scale intervention to reduce disparities in colorectal-cancer screening and push back stage of detection through improved uptake of colorectal-cancer screening in a population that has historically had low colorectal-cancer screening rates. Our pilot study also demonstrated the feasibility of conducting an EHR-based direct-mailed colorectal-screening intervention at two clinics and of working with clinic staff to deliver the intervention elements. 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Dietrich AJ, Tobin JN, Cassells A, Robinson CM, Greene MA, Sox CH, Beach ML, DuHamel KN, Younge RG: Telephone care management to improve cancer screening among low-income women: a randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 2006, 144: 563-571. 10.7326/0003-4819-144-8-200604180-00006. Glasgow RE, Klesges LM, Dzewaltowski DA, Estabrooks PA, Vogt TM: Evaluating the impact of health promotion programs: using the RE-AIM framework to form summary measures for decision making involving complex issues. Health Educ Res. 2006, 21 (5): 688-694. 10.1093/her/cyl081. Riley WT, Glasgow RE, Etheredge L, Abernethy AP: Rapid, responsive, relevant (R3) research: a call for a rapid learning health research enterprise. Clin Transl Med. 2013, 2: 10-10.1186/2001-1326-2-10. US Department of Commerce: US Census Bureau: State & County QuickFacts. 6–6–0013. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html; Accessed 1/14/2014. Myers RE, Sifri R, Hyslop T, Rosenthal M, Vernon SW, Cocroft J, Wolf T, Andrel J, Wender R: A randomized controlled trial of the impact of targeted and tailored interventions on colorectal-cancer screening. Cancer. 2007, 110: 2083-2091. 10.1002/cncr.23022. Costanza ME, Luckmann R, Stoddard AM, White MJ, Stark JR, Avrunin JS, Rosal MC, Clemow L: Using tailored telephone counseling to accelerate the adoption of colorectal-cancer screening. Cancer Detect Prev. 2007, 31: 191-198. 10.1016/j.cdp.2007.04.008. Liles EG, Perrin N, Rosales AG, Feldstein AC, Smith DH, Mosen DM, Schneider JL: Change to FIT increased CRC screening rates: evaluation of a US screening outreach program. Am J Manag Care. 2012, 18: 588-595. The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2407/14/55/prepub Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number UH2AT007782. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health”. The authors would also like to acknowledge Stephen Taplin from the National Cancer Institute for providing overall guidance on the design of the project and interpretation of findings and Leslie Bienen and Chrissy Wilkins who provided technical writing and formatting assistance. Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland, USA Gloria D Coronado , William M Vollmer , Amanda Petrik , Tanya Kapka , Jennifer Sanchez & Sally Retecki Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center, Portland, USA Josue Aguirre , Tran Miers & Ann Turner OCHIN, Portland, USA Jennifer DeVoe , Jon Puro , Jennifer Lembach & Christine Nelson Group Health Research Institute, Seattle, USA Beverly Green Search for Gloria D Coronado in: Search for William M Vollmer in: Search for Amanda Petrik in: Search for Josue Aguirre in: Search for Tanya Kapka in: Search for Jennifer DeVoe in: Search for Jon Puro in: Search for Tran Miers in: Search for Jennifer Lembach in: Search for Ann Turner in: Search for Jennifer Sanchez in: Search for Sally Retecki in: Search for Christine Nelson in: Search for Beverly Green in: Correspondence to Gloria D Coronado. GC drafted and revised the manuscript; GC, BG, and JD led the study; WV designed the analytic plan and oversaw the statistical analyses; AP conducted the statistical analysis; all authors contributed to the iterative process of engaging clinic stakeholders to develop effective EHR-based tools to facilitate the intervention, and JA provided training to clinic staff in how to use the tools; and JS provided bilingual training in motivational interviewing. CN and SR provided guidance on clinic interactions and SR led the Advisory Board for this project. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated. Coronado, G.D., Vollmer, W.M., Petrik, A. et al. Strategies and opportunities to STOP colon cancer in priority populations: pragmatic pilot study design and outcomes. BMC Cancer 14, 55 (2014) doi:10.1186/1471-2407-14-55 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2407-14-55 Fecal testing Safety net clinic Federally qualified health center Pragmatic study Epidemiology, prevention and public health	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line980
__label__cc	0.599314	0.400686	A systems biology approach to invasive behavior: comparing cancer metastasis and suburban sprawl development John J Ryan1,2, Benjamin L Dows1, Michael V Kirk1, Xueming Chen3, Jeffrey R Eastman4, Rodney J Dyer1,2 & Lemont B Kier2 BMC Research Notes volume 3, Article number: 36 (2010) Cite this article Despite constant progress, cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States. The ability of tumors to metastasize is central to this dilemma, as many studies demonstrate successful treatment correlating to diagnosis prior to cancer spread. Hence a better understanding of cancer invasiveness and metastasis could provide critical insight. Presentation of the hypothesis We hypothesize that a systems biology-based comparison of cancer invasiveness and suburban sprawl will reveal similarities that are instructive. Testing the hypothesis We compare the structure and behavior of invasive cancer to suburban sprawl development. While these two systems differ vastly in dimension, they appear to adhere to scale-invariant laws consistent with invasive behavior in general. We demonstrate that cancer and sprawl have striking similarities in their natural history, initiating factors, patterns of invasion, vessel distribution and even methods of causing death. Implications of the hypothesis We propose that metastatic cancer and suburban sprawl provide striking analogs in invasive behavior, to the extent that conclusions from one system could be predictive of behavior in the other. We suggest ways in which this model could be used to advance our understanding of cancer biology and treatment. Cancer is a growing problem in developed nations, and remains the second leading cause of death in the United States. While constant progress is being made, improvements in survival have come more slowly than desired. In the past three decades the five-year survival rate for all cancers combined has risen from 50% to 66% in the US. While the death rates for cancers of the lung, colon, breast, and prostate have improved in the past twenty years, there has been little change in death caused by pancreatic, ovarian, or liver cancer [1]. Although cancer is a collection of distinct neoplasias, all share the attribute of invasiveness. This hallmark is perhaps the most important aspect of cancer needing new insight, since cancers that have not metastasized generally show higher cure rates [1]. The invasive nature of cancer is an acquired trait that develops as neoplasias undergo a process of selective expansion over a period of years [2, 3]. The inappropriate expression of genes empowering cells with movement, survival, and angiogenesis capacity is accomplished through cumulative mutations and gene de-repression, yielding cellular clones able to cause systemic disease. To understand cancer metastasis, a focus on how these acquired traits are developed and their effects on disease resilience would be informative. A system offering new insights into this process is one desirable means of accomplishing this goal. Modeling complex processes by mathematical means or by comparisons to systems with known behaviors has proven to be an effective approach in gaining insight. Striking examples of this application include the planetary model of the atom, which is still employed today. Cancer has been postulated to behave in ways consistent with evolutionary processes since the 1970s [3, 4]. Merlo and co-workers recently described how both evolutionary and ecological laws might be used to model cancer to develop new insight, making several interesting speculations, including the observation that pulsatile chemotherapy could be less efficacious than lower dose chronic therapy [4]. Likewise, Marco and co-workers have found that glioma metastasis behaves with striking similarity to the spread of Ulmus procera, the English elm, an invasive species found in Argentinian forests [5]. These models support the development of new ways to understand how cancer spreads. While biological models such as invasive species offer new interpretations, there are inherent limits to their use, since our understanding of their behavior is also developing. Mathematical models of artificial systems have the opposite constraint of needing to be tested to determine their robustness in a viable biological system with unexpected variables. For these reasons it would be beneficial to examine a system bearing strong similarities to metastasis but following laws that are well described. A suitable model would match metastatic cancer in the characteristics of structure, initiating factors, invasiveness, clonal expansion, angiogenesis, and patient death. We propose that a useful model for gaining novel insight about invasive behavior is the growth of suburban areas, specifically those fitting what has commonly been termed "sprawl" development. These two systems differ tremendously in scale, but represent an analogous pair, as we detail below. They may follow scale-invariant laws related to invasive behavior. Structural Similarities The most simplistic observation is readily detected by comparisons of histological examination of cancer versus satellite imaging of city growth (Figure 1). Suburban sprawl and malignant cancers both display an invasive style of growth, employing local and long-distance mechanisms. In fact the growth of both systems has been shown to fit the mathematical description of a fractal pattern [6–14], though the two structures have not been directly compared. An important aspect of this comparison is that sprawl growth, while having emergent properties, is largely dictated by documented man-made laws. There have also been many attempts, some successful, in limiting or preventing sprawl growth. If this matched pair fits the tenets of general systems theory, it is plausible that suburban sprawl can yield insights into cancer not easily obtained from biological systems. Structural Similarities. The figure on left shows multiple tumors derived from colon cancer that has metastasized to the liver. The right shows nighttime imaging of the United States. Both structures demonstrate a diffuse, fractal-like structure of invasiveness. Satellite image is courtesy of the Image Science and Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center. Liver section image is courtesy of Peter Isaacson, University College, London. The growth pattern of cancer and sprawl can be quantified by fractal analysis, yielding a fractal dimension value. Fractal dimensionality, D, can be measured using several different techniques. For image data, the most common of these is the box method [15]. The box method simply divides the complete image using a grid whose box size is denoted as h. For each box size imposed over the image, one counts the number of cells (N h ) that are filled with the feature of interest (e.g,. sprawl or cancer). Dimensionality is estimated as D = -limh → 0 log (N h )/log (h), which corresponds to the slope of the plot of the number of filled boxes versus box size. As an example, a 1-dimensional line whose image has been divided into a grid of 20 × 20 would have a dimensionality D = -log(20)/log(1/20) = 1 whereas a box covering the entire image would have a dimensionality of D = -log(400)/log(1/20) = 2. What the fractal dimensionality parameter provides is a statistical estimate of how an object fills a space across a broad range of scales. While fractal measurements offer only initial support for similarity, systems with similar behaviors tend to produce fractals with similar dimension values, making this a logical screening tool for relationships between systems. In support of their similar appearances, the fractal dimension values for cancer and suburban sprawl are closely matched. Ovarian cancer and glioma have been calculated to have D values between 1.20-1.38 [16, 17], while sprawl growth had D = 1.23-1.31 in a recent study ([18]; and personal correspondence). Other analogous systems suggested as cancer models are not as closely matched. For example, Marco and co-workers found invasive elm dispersal to have higher D values of 1.6-1.7 [16]. These more closely match the D values for traditional urban areas, which range from 1.5-1.8 [19] and have also been suggested to resemble malignant neoplasms [20]. These differences in fractal dimension among possible analogous systems may offer insight into behavior. The predicted power law used to calculate D values indicated that for elm dispersal, invasiveness has few constraints related to "field details", essentially meaning that the environment in which the elm tree is located does not greatly influence its ability to spread [16]. This conclusion is consistent with a wind-dispersed invasive species. By comparison, the smaller D value for gliomas, calculated in the same study, was consistent with more constrained invasiveness [16]. The physical constraints on cancer metastasis, which include connective tissue hindrance, access to blood or lymphatic vessels, and requirements for angiogenesis, mirror the limitations on suburbanization of undeveloped areas, which can differ from traditional urban development. Issues of geography, road access, and urban services can limit sprawl growth. These similarities suggest that the structural homology of metastasis and sprawl are more than coincidental, and may result from scale-invariant behaviors of an analogous pair. The closely matched fractal dimension measurements further indicate that sprawl-styled growth is, at least in mathematical terms, a plausible model for cancer invasiveness. Similar Natural Histories Both cancer and sprawl represent a new form of growth in a larger "organism". In the case of a neoplasm or "new growth", the form and behavior of the tumor cells is novel to the individual. Invasiveness is noted in many cells, such as the movement of immune cells mobilized to fight infection. However, the widely disseminated movement and continued proliferation of cancer cells is unmatched by any non-pathological process in an adult. Tumors are also unusual in that they expand as a clone of incompletely developed cells with abnormal properties including prolonged survival and dysregulated proliferation. Cancer is truly a qualitatively new form of growth in the body's natural history. The same can be said for suburban sprawl. Until the 1950's, urbanization followed a centuries-old centric pattern, slowly expanding around the borders of existing cities. Further, the type of development was always mixed, including a variety of land uses. The departure from this style of development was stark and rapid in the United States, as federal loan programs funded construction of 11 million new homes shortly after World War II. This transition was also remarkable in form. Since loan programs specified use of money for newly constructed houses, whole tracts of land were developed for single-use residential housing for the first time, leading to the secondary growth of single-use strip-mall style shopping centers. These segregated structures frequently were constructed from a limited set of blueprints, leading to something akin to clonal expansion. This segregated low-density structure was a new development in the world's natural history (discussed in detail by Duany and co-workers [21]). Analogous Initiating Factors A central question receiving much attention in cancer biology is how tumors begin. Years of work in this area has yielded precise biological answers with analogies to sprawl-styled development. Since the 1970's, Knudson's "two-hit hypothesis" [22] has suggested that most tumors develop slowly over a period of years by accumulating mutations. While the specific genetic changes vary between tumor types, a common theme exists. First, most tumors gain the propensity to proliferate due to an overabundance of growth factors or due to alterations in the cellular signaling pathways that convey growth factor signals to the cell. In either case, the developing cancer cells are "instructed" to proliferate continuously. Second, a majority of cancer cells lose the function of key inhibitory molecules that should suppress proliferation and instruct cells to die. The most commonly mutated tumor suppressor, p53, is functionally absent in 2 of every 3 cancers [23, 24]. These two changes allow the development of cancer clones. A sub-group of these cells expresses tissue-degrading proteases and angiogenic factors, allowing for invasive growth (Figure 2). Similar Initiating Factors. Left side figure shows invasive bladder carcinoma (arrow) invading into normal tissue. These tumors are often induced by the overproduction of growth-promoting hormones. Right side shows aerial imaging of residential and retail development (arrow) encroaching into a rural area. These developments are most often initiated by economic potential rather than societal need. Satellite image courtesy of Google 2008 Tele Atlas; photomicrograph courtesy of William Frable, M.D., used with permission. New anti-cancer drug therapies take advantage of these changes. For example, the effective chemotherapies Tamoxifen and Gleevec block growth factors or intracellular signals inducing proliferation, respectively, that induce proliferation [25, 26]. Experimental therapies are targeting matrix metalloproteinases required for invasion, as well as the angiogenic factors stimulating capillary growth [27, 28]. However, p53 dysfunction has proven to be a difficult barrier to standard chemotherapy, as p53-null tumors comprise a large percentage of recurrent, drug-resistant cancers [29]. Perhaps a model system could point the way to new ideas for attacking this problem. Suburban development has become stunningly invasive, consuming an amount of land that is difficult to contemplate (Figure 2). For example, from 1970-1990 the population of Los Angeles increased 45%, while its land mass grew by 300%. The United States currently develops 7000 acres of land every day, paving an area the size of Delaware each year ([30], p.12). Like cancer, this form of growth is clearly not sustainable. The stimulating factors for sprawl-style growth are strikingly analogous to tumor formation. The original VA and FHA loans made after World War II restricted funds to new residential housing, greatly limiting the diversity of development ([31], pp 205-208). In recent years, suburban sprawl has largely been driven by financial speculation rather than actual need - a fact that has left these developments sensitive to shifts in the economy [32] (Figure 3). This style of land use is, like cancer, lacking in diversity and highly invasive. Similar Patterns of Invasiveness. Left figure demonstrates dispersion of tumor cells into lung tissue, along existing blood and lymphatic vessels. Right figure shows the prominence of roadways in sprawl development, illustrated by heat dissipation around dwellings and roads. Satellite image is courtesy of the Image Science and Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center. Tumor imaging reproduced from [66], used with permission. There are obvious analogies in these two systems. The growth factors that elicit tumor formation are selective, inducing the expansion of specific populations, such that the outcome is a limited array of cells that eventually become clonal. It is intuitive that blocking growth factors can suppress tumor formation. However, years of attempts to limit suburbanization may offer more insight. Portland, Oregon is a representative case study of both successes and failures. Since 1979 the Portland metropolitan area has had strict controls on urban growth, formally delineated by an Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) designed to protect land from suburban sprawl and promote use of public transit. The success of this fixed boundary has been debated. Between 1990 and 2000, auto share within the Portland UGB decreased modestly from 87.9% to 85.5%, while transit share increased slightly from 7.2% to 9.0% [33]. However, 98% of the population relocating to the Portland metropolitan area from 2000-2004 moved to residences outside of the designated UGB [34]. There appears to be sufficient financial impetus created by higher housing costs or other issues within the UBG to promote growth outside of the designated area. This case study illustrates the difficulty in completely blocking the initiating factors for sprawl as well as the promise and incremental gains they are achieving. Tumors often escape the suppressive effects of growth factor inhibitors, such as the HER2/neu antagonist Herceptin [35]. One wonders if these two systems share similar challenges and if one system might predict success or failure in another. If financial profit is analogous to growth factor signaling, a viable comparison to the normally suppressive actions of p53 may be gasoline. A survey of ten U.S. cities showed that gasoline consumption is significantly related to gasoline price (-.6151) and vehicle ownership (+.6574) [36]. It is well documented in both America and Europe that high-density land use reduces the need for automobile travel also limits gasoline consumption [37, 38]. Hence a natural barrier to sprawl should be transportation costs. However, gasoline has been significantly cheaper in the United States compared to countries where sprawl-style growth is uncommon. Gordon and Richardson noted that the inflation-adjusted cost of gasoline over a 20 year period decreased in the U.S., encouraging households to substitute housing costs for transportation costs by moving farther from cities, thus increasing suburbanization [39]. With sprawl development increasing, Americans drive twice as many miles today as they did 20 years ago. In fact, the number of car miles driven has grown at 4 times the population rate since 1969 ([40], p.15). The low cost of auto travel in the U.S. has led some to refer to it as a "free good" in economics terms [41]. Rather than beneficial, free goods are generally destabilizing, as they increase demand in a manner that is unpredictable. In these respects, gasoline costs and p53 are analogous. The expression of p53 is supposed to represent a natural barrier to tumor growth, so its absence in tumors leads these cells to behave abnormally, ignoring normal limits on proliferation. There is much interest in restoring p53 expression to tumor cells, however the outcome of this remains unknown. With recent fluctuations in the price of gasoline, it may be possible to discern the effects on suburbanization. Since gasoline cost and consumption have been inversely correlated, higher fuel costs are predicted to slow suburbanization. In keeping with the tenets of systems biology, we may be able to predict the effects of modulating p53 in tumors based upon observations made in the realm of suburbanization and changes in transportation costs. Similar Patterns of Invasion Tumor invasion proceeds by predictable steps to form local or distant metastases. Carcinomas, the most common kind of cancer, must first detach from their surrounding cells, degrade the connective tissues around them, and invade into an existing lymphatic or blood vessel before migrating to new sites of growth (Figure 3). Once arriving at a new location, cancer cells must induce the growth of new blood and lymphatic vessels into the newly forming secondary tumor, literally creating a new local circulatory system. This process requires tumor cells to possess abilities not found in their normal counterparts. First, cancer cells ignore normal constraints on cell growth, even resisting the powerful inhibitory signals halting proliferation when DNA is damaged. Eventually a clone or group of clones is derived that possesses long term survival and proliferation capabilities, supported by the infrastructure of blood vessels necessary to exchange gases and remove waste products. Sprawl-style growth follows a strikingly similar pattern, with both local and distant invasion. Sprawl development follows existing travel corridors, but quickly requires new roads, utility services, schools and other municipal support. This also yields further development, much like secondary tumors yield further metastases. While localized spread is often seen, so-called "leap-frog" development skirts boundaries or barriers, allowing distant growth of previously undeveloped land. The continued survival and expansion of sprawl communities is dependent upon infrastructural support, and tends to ignore normally powerful constraints on growth. For example, the cost of one mile of interstate highway is estimated at $30 million ([30], p.121), with schools and municipal services costing much more. Yet these public asset-consuming communities not only survive; they are the predominant form of development in the United States over the past half-century. Similar Clonal Expansion Organs and tissues possess cellular diversity required for proper functioning. Loss of this diversity is obvious in hyperplastic states that increase the number of one group of cells. This can be a precursor to cancer, a group of still-normal cells expanding out of proportion to their environment, destroying the diversity needed for long term survival of the organ (Figure 4). Similar Patterns of Clonal Expansion. Left side shows normal mammary duct and surrounding differentiated tissues (top), compared to pre-cancerous hyperplastic ductal tissue with prominent glandular duct cells staining dark blue (bottom) (adapted from Atlas of Diagnostic Oncology, edited by Arthur Skarin; used with permission. Right side shows a differentiated urban area with various forms of residential, retail, and civic structures, compared to lower photo of suburban residential dwellings (top photo by John Ryan; bottom courtesy of Carlos Oscar Ruiz, used with permission). As stated, cancer spreads throughout the body in a clonal fashion, generated from a small group of founder cells derived from the primary tumor. This form of invasion is noteworthy not just from the novel aspect of so many cells coming from one source. In fact, the drug-resistant, life-ending population of cells that eventually kills the patient is thought to be present at an early stage of cancer's dissemination, perhaps propagated by indigenous stem cells [42]. This small population possesses some genetically-encoded ability to resist cytotoxic chemotherapy, and expands as a drug-resistant group often detected only after cancer recurs. It is this clonal expansion, and our inability to detect this dangerous subpopulation early in the disease that matters so very much to the patient. Ample evidence suggests that finding and killing these cells would improve clinical outcomes. Suburban sprawl is notable not only for its scale, but for a striking sameness in design. Some suburban streets possess rows of houses differing little beyond paint color (Figure 4). Office parks, retail space and even public buildings such as schools have been developed with extremely limited diversity. The lack of building variety in sprawl is amplified by zoning law constraints dictating segregation of incompatible uses. These zoning laws not only predict sprawl-style development; they proscribe it. For example, the acres of parking, distant set-back positions from roads, lack of on-street parking, and physical separation of retail, office, and residential buildings are all required by law. The result of these zoning constraints has been profound, yielding the now-familiar housing developments, office parks, and strip malls - each of which requires vehicle transport for access. This stands in stark difference to traditional towns, where one could live, work, and dine, attend school, religious, and civic events all in walking distance. The buildings of compact towns mirror their divergent uses, with a variety of styles found even within a limited number of architectural types. While cancer represents the true definition of a monoculture - consisting of a single cell type, nearly all of which are genetically identical - suburban housing is not far off the mark. Growth in the form of sprawl must offer advantages. It is important to note that 80% of all structures built in America were constructed since the 1950's [43]. This is especially true in suburban areas, where a combination of large-scale interstate highway construction, near-universal auto ownership, advanced telecommunication technology, favorable federal housing policies, inexpensive suburban land, and better suburban school quality, have made central city's geographic location less important. In addition, Many American households, especially middle and upper class families, have shown a preference for the suburban lifestyle. Reasons include a preference towards lower-density development (for lower ambient noise and increased privacy), better schools, less crime, and a generally slower lifestyle than the urban one [39]. Therefore, before reaching its turning point to show negative consequences, this suburban sprawl model seems to be a rational choice for many people. So too with cancer growth - once an aggressive clone of cells has developed through its latency, a huge number of cells, literally hundreds of billions, can be produced in a period of months. Perhaps cancer and sprawl are similarly successful because of their simplicity of design. Cancer cells can lose many of the markings of the tissue from which they originated, becoming anaplastic, or without form. In place of the genes that gave them a specified function in the body, these cells now have a narrowed genetic focus on continued proliferation. In fact many cancer cells are quite fragile, susceptible to a variety of cell-killing insults that minimally damage normal cells. It is this fact, coupled with the constantly proliferating nature of tumors that allows chemotherapy to work successfully [44]. Sprawl-styled development is both rapid and relatively low-cost. In some cases this style of building has led to questions of construction quality in addition to the lack of defining features to set apart one structure from another ([30], pp.39-42). These features of vast clonal expansion, coupled with the presence of rapidly-produced but undifferentiated, poorly constructed products suggest that cancer and sprawl share not only appearances but behaviors as well. There is much interest in promoting cell differentiation to suppress cancer development. For example, the drug 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine reverses DNA hypomethylation and can induce differentiation in some cancers [45]. This concept of promoting differentiation may be furthered by comparisons to suburbanization. There have been many attempts to promote diversity in suburban areas, including the building of entire communities as small towns - so-called "greenfield" developments. Even though the impact of this development model on commuting and land use has been debated [46], it may offer some insight into how differentiation as a mode of therapy might be best explored. One good example of promoting differentiation and diversity in suburban development is the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor in Arlington County, Virginia, which is a suburban county of Washington, D.C. The Washington metropolitan area has seen tremendous suburban growth, expanding at the rate of 22 km2/year from 1973-1996 [47] and eliciting interest in ways to curb sprawl. The Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor encompasses high-density, diverse, and mixed-use transit-oriented developments centered around five public transit stations. As shown in Table 1, this Corridor and the similar Jefferson-Davis Corridor have achieved remarkable successes in reducing auto use while promoting transit use, which are important to realizing a sprawl-free "Greenfield" development. It is interesting to note that the rates of auto drivers and transit use in the designated Corridors is strikingly similar to those in the District of Columbia, an area that has highly-differentiated land use and architecture. In contrast, nearby Loudon and Prince William counties, which lack the "differentiated" nature of the corridors, have approximately 50% higher rates of auto drivers and 90% less transit use. These observations support the concept that differentiation can suppress some of the negative consequences of invasiveness. Table 1 Greater Washington Metropolitan Region Mode Splits in June 2009 Analogous "Vessel" Distribution Systems Tumor angiogenesis is absolutely critical for tumor invasion and metastasis. In fact, a tumor can't easily grow beyond 1 mm in diameter until it has a new blood supply. In the absence of these vessels, cells in the center of the tumor, starved for oxygen and polluted by metabolic waste, die and the tissue becomes necrotic [48]. Although metastatic tumor cells express the genes required to elicit new blood vessel growth, they execute this process in a disorganized manner. In contrast to the predictable and efficient crossroads supplying blood to normal tissues, tumor capillary beds are a tangle of unexpected intersections delivering red blood cells in uneven amounts (Figure 5). The result is often a mass of cells that are rapidly expanding on the periphery but slowly dying in the center. Tumor angiogenesis is therefore a major focus of cancer treatment. In the absence of growing metastatic cells, most cancers could be either cured or treated as a chronic condition. Possession of a well-described model system from which treatment options and predicted responses could be derived might greatly speed progress. Similar Patterns of Inefficient "Vessel" Formation. Top shows normal (A) versus tumor-elicited (B) blood vessel pattern, illustrating differences in design efficiency. Photomicrograph by L. Heuser and R. Ackland, University of Louisville School of Medicine. Bottom shows traditional development with street grid pattern, compared to sprawl development. The possible pathways and distance from location "A" to location "B" is indicative of differences in distribution efficiency. Satellite images courtesy of Google 2008 Tele Atlas. Sprawl development has a consistent complaint: traffic. The root cause of this is simply that sprawl-styled growth forces nearly all travel to be by vehicle. For example, American suburban residents average 13 car trips a day per household, more than twice the number generated by households in traditional neighborhoods [30], p.22). However, the increase in car trips is not the sole source of the problem. While traditional neighborhood designs employ a street grid pattern allowing multiple routes to a given location, this is absent in sprawl developments. In place of a grid, suburban roads are based on a "sparse hierarchy" format, using feeder roads that terminate at a central collector road used by all traffic for short or long distance destinations (Figure 5). This forced travel by automobile has generated some striking statistics. For example, two-thirds of the land area in Los Angeles, CA is dedicated to driving or parking, while Houston, TX possesses nearly 30 paved parking spaces for every resident [40], p.64). Clearly suburban areas employ a form of road design that, like tumor angiogenesis, is resource intensive and inefficient. To deal with traffic, states such as New Jersey, Maryland and California have adopted context-sensitive road design policies that consider the impact of design decisions on abutting land uses, community character, and the comfort and convenience of pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users as well as automobiles. The utilized techniques include more rigorous management of traffic speeds, narrowing the traffic realm while expanding the pedestrian realm, accommodating bicycles and transit, using curb parking as a buffer between moving traffic and sidewalk activities, and improving the sidewalk environment and ability of pedestrians to cross the street [49]. In contrast, traffic engineers are aware of the adage that dealing with traffic by building more roads is like "trying to cure obesity by loosening your belt". In fact, new roads have consistently been shown to exacerbate traffic problems ([30], pp.88-94). There appears to be a suppressed demand for travel made evident when new roads temporarily improve traffic conditions. Some believe that this "latent demand" is perhaps 30% of the current traffic levels ([41], p122). In contrast, dismantling an existing road predictably reduces local traffic, but surprisingly has little effect on nearby roads ([30], p90). With experience in modifying road design, it seems that traffic engineers might have a lot to say to scientists designing tumor angiogenesis therapies. For example, one could postulate that the existing physiological limits on tumor angiogenesis suppress further tumor growth and spread (perhaps by 30%?), and that cutting off tumor blood vessels will eventually prove to be a useful treatment method without major side effects. Similar Causes of Death One of the striking aspects of cancer is that death is often not directly attributed to tumor-mediated organ failure. Rather, many cancer victims succumb to secondary problems created by the cancer or attempts to cure it. Many late-stage cancer patients develop a wasting syndrome called cachexia that is still poorly understood. During these last weeks or months of life, the body favors energy-burning catabolic reactions over tissue-building anabolic ones. Caloric intake fails to sustain either adipose tissue or lean body mass [50]. The immune system becomes less functional, leaving the patient susceptible to infection. Both of these issues can be aggravated by chemotherapy, which often destroys the intestinal lining and kills white blood cells. Worse yet, cachexia reduces the effectiveness of chemotherapy [51, 52]. Approximately 80% of advanced cancer patients develop cachexia [50], which is the direct cause of death in 20-40% of all cancer patients [53–55]. Opportunistic infections often co-occur with cachexia in the advanced stages of cancer. These are deemed the most common cause of preventable death among cancer patients [56]. The precise proportion of cancer patients dying directly from infection varies with cancer type, but several studies place this in the range of 13-45% [57–59]. In the end, patients enter a slow spiral of malnutrition and chronic infection with opportunistic pathogens. Cachexia and the related problems in late stage cancer are perhaps the biggest frustration for both patient and physician. As long as quality of life can be maintained, patients and their caregivers hold onto a hope for improvement and recovery. A better understanding of this wasting syndrome and how to prevent or reverse it could significantly impact cancer therapy. One consequence of sprawl-styled growth has striking similarities to cachexia. While suburban neighborhoods blossom, older areas nearby often fall into a tenacious "urban blight" zone. This term is somewhat outdated, since older suburbs that have never been truly urban now suffer the same fate as sprawl moves outward away from the city center. The symptoms of blight are obvious: stretches of under-inhabited, poorly cared-for houses near defunct businesses in an area with too little infrastructural support. There seems to be a series of predictable steps in this process. Beginning with departure of inhabitants more rapid than their replacement, the area's tax base is reduced. Lower property values promote further decay and crime (or the perception of it) increases in these areas, perhaps in part because the reduced population offers less surveillance. These factors exacerbate population loss, and decay accelerates. The loss of residents is analogous to healthy functional cells destroyed by tumor impingement and invasion, or as a consequence of chemotherapy. Crime is certainly analogous to the opportunistic pathogens plaguing immunocompromised patients. Perhaps an understanding of urban blight and attempts to reverse it could serve as a model for interventions in cachexia. Urban blight has been challenged in a variety of ways with some success (as reviewed in detail in [21] pp.153-182). During the 1970's there were attempts to battle this problem by modeling the city after suburbs. Uninhabited houses were torn down to make way for more surface parking, while zoning codes expanded street curb set-back distances and limited on-street parking. Single-use retail shopping malls were built in the city centers. These attempts to re-make cities into suburbs were most often unmitigated failures. Instead of returning to shop or live, the majority of the population found the new design less appealing, more isolating, and more crime-prone. By contrast, cities that have promoted a diversified street life and held onto their time-tested designs have generally faired better. It appears that a critical mass of residential, retail, entertainment, and occupational uses within a mile of the city center provides sufficient support to suppress urban blight. This diversity of uses is analogous to the parenchymal, stromal, and vascular tissues that comprise a healthy organ. Understanding how each element of urban development contributes to survival of the overall structure could be insightful. A few specific examples of "what works" are instructive. Many neighborhoods have noted and addressed the so-called "broken window" syndrome, the nature of blight described by Wilson and Kelling [60]. Police and others have noted that areas suffering from the early signs of decay - broken windows, graffiti, ill-kept houses - will accelerate into full-blown blight without intervention. The best example of urban decay is perhaps the Pruitt-Igoe urban housing project in St. Louis, Missouri. Shortly after its completion in 1955, the living conditions in Pruitt-Igoe began to decay due to architectural failure, economic decline of St. Louis, white flight into suburbs, and politicized local opposition to government housing projects. By the late 1960s, the extreme poverty, crime, and segregation brought the complex a great deal of infamy. Within 2 decades of its construction, this entire complex of 33 structures was razed and ceased to exist. In contrast, early intervention greatly reduces decay. Urban renewal projects, if properly managed, can yield benefits to the targeted communities. For example, during Quarter 2 of 2009 alone, the 95 active urban renewal projects in City of Los Angeles are expected to create 64,932 construction jobs and 17,115 permanent jobs throughout the City [61]. Many localities now place a premium on early intervention, stopping graffiti and enforcing laws designed to maintain the appearance of homes. There is scientific reason to believe that these efforts can be successful in slowing urban decay. Recent work demonstrates that the surroundings in which people find themselves can significantly alter behavior. In degraded surroundings, subjects were more apt to steal and twice as likely to litter [62]. These data support the idea that urban decay can be self-perpetuating and suggest that early interventions may be productive. Predictions from Comparisons of Sprawl and Cancer Systems While our main objective in this work is to introduce the concept of suburban sprawl and cancer as comparative models for a systems approach to invasive biology, some predictive partners warrant noting (Table 2). The analogous initiating stimuli of financial speculation and aberrant growth factors suggest that just as loss of financial support may slow sprawl, growth factor blockade inhibits cancer. This is already apparent from the use of tamoxifen and herceptin [63, 64]. Gasoline costs and p53 function appear to be analogs. Hence our model predicts that if rising fuel costs mitigate sprawl, restoring p53 function will slow cancer spread. Highway construction and angiogenesis are proposed as analogous factors, supporting a comparison of limited highway construction in suburban areas (as proposed in several localities) to the efficacy of anti-angiogenic factors. Table 2 Specific Analogous Factors of Invasive Behavior While these comparison sets offer logical predictions between the two systems, it is in the areas we least understand that we may gain the most from an analogous system where progress has been made. To this end, in Figure 6 we offer one view of how cancer cachexia and urban blight could be a relevant comparison set. Urban blight is understood as a collection of conditions that are self-propagating, as the loss of residents results in community degradation and crime that furthers the loss of residents. When applied to cachexia, cancer invasion is seen as destabilizing to metabolic homeostasis and immune functioning in normal tissues, resulting in conditions favoring infection. Our model predicts that these conditions are not just by-products of metastasis but actually propagate cancer spread. Predictions Based on Analogous Relationship of Urban Blight and Cachexia. Left side shows an established pattern involved in urban blight. Right side shows a predicted set of analogously interacting partners promoting cachexia, which are postulated to enhance cancer invasiveness. Attempts to treat urban blight have potentially important analogies to cachexia. First, interventions to prevent the metabolic shift towards catabolic reactions may be very effective, as they should impact an early stage of this progressive cascade. Improved immune function offers obvious patient benefit - but much more needs to be understood about this process. For example, there is evidence that activated immune cells secreting inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor may promote cachexia [65]. How can opportunistic infection be averted without a non-protective immune response that worsens the patient's health? More importantly, the proposed model predicts that the behavior of immune and perhaps stromal cells in a cachexic environment may resemble people in blighted surroundings. Studies show these people are more likely to contribute to urban decay, for example by stealing or littering [62]. By analogy, our model predicts that immune and stromal cells from cachexic patients behave in aberrant ways that propagate metabolic decay - perhaps through chronic production of cytokines or other factors. Further, while this aberrant cellular response contributes to opportunistic infection, it may also be reversed if metabolic decay and its fomenting factors are removed. As a specific example, the model predicts that if TNF is an early part of the wasting cascade, anti-TNF therapy may slow the progression of cachexia and subsequently suppress both infection and cancer spread. A detailed understanding of solutions for urban blight may be instructive when examined from a systems biology perspective. The cancer-related survival rate has improved modestly from 50% to 66% in 3 decades, but gains in cancers of the pancreas, liver, and ovaries have not been made [1]. Cancer treatment warrants a unique approach. Modeling complex behaviors through mathematical means or by comparisons to analogous systems is a productive way of making progress in challenging areas of science. Since localized cancer has a much lower death rate than disseminated disease, invasiveness is perhaps the most important aspect needing insight. If scale-invariant laws can be used to predict behaviors of similar systems, a well-understood model of invasive behavior may prove fruitful in the development of new anti-tumor therapies. For models to be useful, structure and behavior should be analogous, despite large variations in size. Cancer metastasis and sprawl development represent an ideal analogous pair. In outward appearance, cancer and sprawl exhibit invasive structures that fit fractal geometries with similar mathematical descriptions. More importantly, the initiating factors driving sprawl, its "clonal" expansion, use of poorly constructed "support vessels", and even its mode of "killing" are strikingly similar to metastatic cancer. But unlike potential biological models, suburban sprawl behaves in a way that adheres to man-made laws that led to its development and enforce its continued spread. This offers a tremendous opportunity for modeling behaviors that could lead to new insights for cancer therapy. Furthermore, the development of this model will benefit from interest in halting sprawl. These efforts to redesign zoning laws, limit growth, and revitalize urban centers should provide direct comparisons for efforts to stop tumor metastasis. We suggest that this analogous pair be further developed to define specific scale-invariant laws of invasive behavior. As shown in Table 2, there are at least 6 specific analogous pairs that can be examined for similarities in these systems. We look forward to in-depth analysis of each of these factors and others that may be apparent upon further examination. A systems biology approach to cancer invasiveness is a logical means of providing insight into this challenging health problem. We hope that this initial description of a tool ready for use leads to further work in this area. American Cancer Society: Cancer Facts and Figures 2009. [http://www.cancer.org] Cairns J: Mutation selection and the natural history of cancer. 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Saini A, Al-Shanti N, Stewart CE: Waste management - cytokines, growth factors and cachexia. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev. 2006, 17 (6): 475-486. 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2006.09.006. Farina KL, Wyckoff JB, Rivera J, Lee H, Segall JE, Condeelis JS, Jones JG: Cell motility of tumor cells visualized in living intact primary tumors using green fluorescent protein. Cancer Res. 1998, 58 (12): 2528-2532. The authors acknowledge funding from the National Institute of Health (1R01AI59638 and U19A1077435) to John Ryan. Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA John J Ryan , Benjamin L Dows , Michael V Kirk & Rodney J Dyer Center for the Study of Biological Complexity, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA , Rodney J Dyer & Lemont B Kier Urban and Regional Planning Program, L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA Xueming Chen Department of Community Development, City of Richmond, VA, 23220, USA Jeffrey R Eastman Search for John J Ryan in: Search for Benjamin L Dows in: Search for Michael V Kirk in: Search for Xueming Chen in: Search for Jeffrey R Eastman in: Search for Rodney J Dyer in: Search for Lemont B Kier in: Correspondence to John J Ryan. All authors contributed to the development and testing of this hypothesis. JJR wrote the document with editorial assistance from all authors. This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Ryan, J.J., Dows, B.L., Kirk, M.V. et al. A systems biology approach to invasive behavior: comparing cancer metastasis and suburban sprawl development. BMC Res Notes 3, 36 (2010) doi:10.1186/1756-0500-3-36 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-0500-3-36 Invasive Behavior Cancer Spread Analogous Pair Urban Renewal Project Urban Growth Boundary View archived comments (1)	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line981
__label__cc	0.515585	0.484415	Sveske i fascikle Pribor za putovanje Kancelarijski artikli Modni detalji za dame Since the creation of the fashion house in 1987 by LVMH, Christian Lacroix, its then Artistic Director, lays the foundation for a colorful and exuberant baroque unique style, rooted in his birthplace of the city of Arles. Its Hispanic inspirations, colors, innovative forms borrowed from theatrical make a sensation and are a breath of freshness in the fashion circles. Quickly, his creations, like the skirt “poof” are carried by the biggest international stars, including Madonna, Julianne Moore or Uma Thurman. Collections are presented around the world and the most influential writers of the fashion support them. The house took off with the first collections of ready-to-wear in 1988, which included the codes and inspirations of Haute Couture, and with the launch of perfumes and accessories. Store openings followed and fueled the brand to development and international influence. Successive lines of more contemporary ready -to-wear, Bazar and Christian Lacroix Jeans, were driven by an approach of more daily collections with the launch of perfumes in harmony with these collections. Today, under a new artistic direction since 2010, the Christian Lacroix brand is sold in more than 5500 selective outlets worldwide, with collections of products as varied as men’s ready-to-wear, which is developing with success and with a strong identity, and diversified collections of products such as leather goods, watches, jewellery, sunglasses, scarves, ties and fragrance. In the world of Home decor with collections of upholstery fabric, wallpapers, cushions, rugs, porcelain tableware, notebooks and scented candles. The Christian Lacroix brand subsists through timeless values. The result is a fabulously richly entwined universe, which can be continually reinterpreted, re-mixed and illuminated. The Christian Lacroix brand is fundamentally contemporary and dynamic. A complete representation of the complete universe of products of the Christian Lacroix brand can be found in the store “mix and match” Place Saint Sulpice in Paris. Style - The Power of Brands	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line983
__label__cc	0.673115	0.326885	← Pet-Kidnapping by Dr. Jane Canine Facial Cues → Brighter Tomorrows with Rainbow Rescue 29 September 2011 The-Dr-Jane-Foundation How We Give Back (1) Founded by a brother and sister duo, Rainbow Rescues of Chicopee, MA, provides a safe haven for dogs, cats and rabbits. Since 2008, they and their team of devoted volunteers have operated in the attempt to make the world a better place, one adoption at a time. Upon receipt of a new rescue, their animals are almost immediately placed in a foster home. In fact, both Maria and her brother Shawn foster dogs in their own homes, while overseeing and coordinating a network of volunteer foster pet parents. None of their rescues spend time in cages or kennels, which helps to soothe the rattled nerves of relocation. Maria O’Brien spearheads the group’s efforts to identify the perfect long-term placement for every animal. Last year, they successfully adopted out 40 companion animals to their forever homes. This rescue also takes its place in the community seriously, working to educate the public about animal welfare and other related issues. Each animal taken in by their agency receives a complete health evaluation and an emotional/temperament assessment, along with necessary vaccinations. Additionally, all rescues are spayed or neutered. Their policy is to accept all animals except for large livestock; when such cases arise, they provide referral services to agencies or fosters who specialize in livestock surrenders. In spite of their high level of care, they charge only a minimal adoption fee, to help offset the costs of medical treatments and the provisions needed to outfit their foster homes. Every cent they raise from adoption fees and donations go towards the cost of caring for these fortunate four-leggeds. No one affiliated with Rainbow Rescue receives any kind of compensation … except for, according to them, “a lot of good feelings”. Maria O’Brien said that the foundation award was “greatly appreciated” and that Rainbow Rescue was able to use the funds for a wide range of necessities, including “much needed supplies such as crates and cages, flea preventatives, heartworm preventatives, specialty foods for our food-allergy dogs, and much more”. Maria added that they were able to cover the costs of “several medical procedures for some of our adoptable pets to help them lead healthier and more comfortable lives”. In what follows, we provide some of the details regarding just three of the lives that were improved by our financial award. BETHANY [Successfully placed in a new forever home] A beautiful 3-to-4 year-old Bull Mastiff, Bethany needed corrective surgery for her eyelids. With funds from the Dr. Jane’s HealthyPetNet Foundation, Bethany received the surgery she needed, and it was a successful procedure. Shortly thereafter, she was adopted into a fantastic new home where she is happy and healthy. DELILAH [Successfully placed in a new forever home] Rescued shortly after receiving our financial award, Delilah was quickly diagnosed with both heartworms and Lyme disease. Additionally, she was suffering from malnourishment and was severely underweight. A portion of our donation helped to treat all of her conditions, making her healthy enough to be adopted by her new loving family. PERCY [Available for adoption] One of Rainbow’s older rescues is the handsome Percy. He was suffering with a large tumor on his side, which caused him discomfort and became easily inflamed when he played and rolled in the grass. Part of the money received was used to cover the costs of surgery to remove the benign growth. Post-surgery, Percy is much more comfortable and has resumed his happy and exuberant play schedule in his foster home as he patiently waits for the discovery of his forever home. In addition to the procedures and supplies mentioned above, our grant made it possible for Rainbow Rescue to afford food and toys to help newly adopted companion animals make the transition to their new homes as stress-free as possible. We’d like to convey our sincerest thanks to all of our readers who, through their personal donations and continued patronage, made this grant possible. You have directly helped the O’Briens and their dedicated network of Rainbow Rescue volunteers to continue their vital work towards making the world a better place for abandoned companion animals. Remember, every time a Life’s Abundance order is placed, a portion of the profits goes directly to the foundation. If you would like to show additional support our foundation, you may do so when placing an order online or by sending a check to Dr. Jane’s HealthyPetNet Foundation, Inc. at P.O. Box 1425, Palm City, FL 34991. Even if you can only spare a dollar or two, you’ll be providing much needed aid to deserving pet-rescue organizations, which are on the front lines of the fight to reduce and eliminate pet abandonment, neglect and abuse in America. 4f36c39a-79f9-4426-97d5-232c76931e90\|11\|5.0\|27604f05-86ad-47ef-9e05-950bb762570c Our Foundation Awards Grants to 9 Rescue Groups Charitable work is core to our mission of well-being for all. That's why every Life's Abundance orde... Giving Rescues Reasons to be Thankful A time of fellowship and enduring affections, this year’s holiday season has finally arrived. Our Foundation Awards Funding to 10 Rescues Charitable work is central to our mission of well-being for all, which is just one of the reasons we... Ellen Lakin 7/8/2012 7:25:21 PM \| Where: Colorado Springs, Colorado Why: Waldo Canyon Fire What: $2,000.00 Who: All Breed Rescue & Training Grant award being personally delivered by rep Ellen Lakin to Sarah Simon, All Breed Rescue & Training on 7/9/12 Story details and photos to follow.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line994
__label__cc	0.681878	0.318122	A Childrens’ Story About Moving House October 25, 2019 6 mins read On a beautiful, tree-lined street in a Melbourne suburb, little Maddy sat gazing out her bedroom window. The street was empty, there were no children playing, not even a dog barking. Her Mom and Dad were rushing around downstairs trying to get everything ready for the movers that were coming later that day. She didn’t want to move, in fact there was no way that she was ever leaving this house. She hated the fact that the house was all boxed up, she couldn’t even play with her dolls because her naughty Mum had packed them all away. Everything was quiet and Maddy was very bored. So bored in fact, that her eyelids began to droop, her body began to slump and within a few moments the quiet was pierced by her soft little snores. Maddy was asleep and in her sleep she began to dream… The trees on her street began to bristle, then flap and then wave around with such force until from the depths of the sky a spaceship began to descend. It made its way along the street, plodding along until it reached Maddy’s house and came to a complete stop. Out of the house, the neighbouring kids came running up to the spaceship whooping with delight as they began to inspect this mysterious aircraft that had landed on their street. All of a sudden, the large doors began to slide open. The kids jumped back in fright as three yellow men with purple feet and green tongues appeared from within. It was an odd sight, but the aliens seemed so happy to be there. They jumped from the aircraft in fits of laughter, carrying sacks of soccer balls and bubbles and princess dresses and puzzles that they handed out to the children in the neighborhood. From her bedroom window, Maddy gazed down at these mysterious creatures not wanting to leave her room in case her parents thought she was happy to leave the house. She so longed to talk to the creatures, but they were too busy handing out all the fun toys to her neighbors. Everyone but her! Maddy was so upset that she couldn’t play that she went to turn away from the window but at that moment, the creatures began to rise up into the air higher and higher until they were hovering outside her window. What an amazing sight! She quickly opened her window only to be picked up by the creatures who flew her down to the spaceship. Before Maddy even knew what was happening, she was strapped inside the spaceship, the doors closed and the spaceship whizzed away back into the sky. They passed fluffy clouds, planet after planet, beautiful collections of stars, splashes of orange and red and little floating rocks until they landed on the Planet of Fun. The three aliens helped her down from the spaceship and the sight that she was greeted with was incredible. As far as she could see, the land was piled with every type of toy imaginable. This new place was a dream come true and she played for a while until, sadly, the creatures told her that it was time to go home. She was very upset that she had to leave this awesome new place but she knew she had to return to Earth! And so, before long Maddy was placed back inside her room by the creatures, much to the envy of all the other kids, and said goodbye to the three yellow men who had shown her such an amazing place. She was pretty disappointed to be back at home. But at that moment of sadness, the little snores began to subside and little Maddy woke up only to see a very different type of spaceship plodding along. It was a big white truck, zooming it’s way along the street and again coming to a stop outside Maddy’s house. Three men appeared from within the truck and before they could even knock on the front door, Maddy’s parents were surprised to find the she was already running up the driveway to greet them. Although they were not aliens, these men were going to take her to her new home and that was just as cool as going to the planet of her dreams. Moving house is the best adventure ever! What Is Movepal? How To Use Movepal To Declutter Your Home © 2020 Movepal Blog. All rights reserved. Hit enter to search or ESC to close.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line996
__label__cc	0.609116	0.390884	Best Privacy Tools and Products To Protect Your Data Right Now - Search Encrypt Blog Best Privacy Tools and Products To Protect Your Data Right Now June 5, 2019 December 9, 2019 by Search Encrypt Ad & Tracker Blockers Browser Extensions & Add-Ons Private Browsers Private Email Services Private & Encrypted Messaging Private Search Engines File Encryption Software Decentralized, Private Social Networks Other Privacy Tools We’ve combined ad and tracker blockers because their functionalities are basically the same. Generally, they work by detecting tracking or ad scripts on the pages you visit. If the blocker detects that code, it will block the script from running, thus blocking the ads or the tracking. NoScript Security Suite: The NoScript Firefox extension provides extra privacy protection for Firefox. This open source add-on allows JavaScript, Java, Flash and other plugins to be executed only by trusted web sites of your choice (e.g. your online bank), while blocking unnecessary or privacy intrusive scripts. Privacy Badger: Privacy Badger is a browser add-on that stops advertisers and other third-party trackers from secretly tracking where you go and what pages you look at on the web. If an advertiser seems to be tracking you across multiple websites without your permission, Privacy Badger automatically blocks that advertiser from loading any more content in your browser. uBlock Origin: uBlock Origin is available as a browser add on for most major browsers. It’s a free and open-source, cross-platform browser extension for content-filtering, including ad-blocking. It’s a lightweight and efficient blocker that’s easy on memory and CPU. Browser extensions or add-ons are somewhat of a touchy subject. Some privacy advocates are against them claiming that they are just another third-party to collect your data. Others see them as valuable additions to a complete privacy toolkit. Before downloading a browser extension, do research into the permissions it requests and how it uses your data, if at all. Cookie AutoDelete: Cookie AutoDelete automatically deleted unused cookies from your closed tabs, and can keep certain cookies that you want to keep. If you are no longer using a cookie, after you close a tab, this add on will delete the cookie. This helps prevent tracking and let’s you whitelist cookies that you trust. This extension is available for Firefox and Chrome. Decentraleyes: Decentraleyes protects you from third party content delivery systems on websites you visit. Ads and trackers are a couple of examples of the content that these third parties load on different websites. Decentraleyes is designed to be used in unison with standard ad blockers like uBlock Origin or Adblock Plus. Disconnect: Disconnect crawls the web to find the companies that track people, then it blocks those companies’ tracking requests in your browser. It offers a simple user interface and once added to your browser is easy to use. HTTPS Everywhere: HTTPS Everywhere is a Firefox, Chrome, and Opera extension that encrypts your communications with many major websites, making your browsing more secure. HTTPS Everywhere is produced as a collaboration between The Tor Project and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. It makes sites that support HTTPS redirect to their secure versions to protect your data. Firefox Multi-Account Containers: Firefox Multi-Account Containers lets you keep parts of your online life separated into color-coded tabs that preserve your privacy. Cookies are separated by container, allowing you to use the web with multiple identities or accounts simultaneously. uMatrix: uMatrix is a browser add on that lets you control the requests your browser makes. You can pick and choose which types of requests you allow to load. uMatrix is useful for blocking scripts, iframes, ads, and Facebook specifically. Virtual Private Networks (VPN) VPNs are a valuable addition to a complete range of privacy tools. They help protect you and your information by rerouting your internet connection through multiple “virtual” networks with different geo-locations. VPNs make it more difficult for websites you visit to track you and determine who you are. There are tons of choices when it comes to VPNs. We’ve selected a few reputable options that deliver on their privacy promises. CyberGhost: CyberGhost VPN is 100% customizable and you can decide every aspect of your VPN experience: from specific servers to multiple features you can combine, all with the most advanced filtering and feedback options available on the market. ExpressVPN: ExpressVPN is a virtual private network service offered by the British Virgin Islands-based company Express VPN International Ltd. The software is marketed as a privacy and security tool that encrypts users’ web traffic and masks their IP addresses. In 2018, TechRadar named the services its Editors’ Choice. Hotspot Shield: Hotspot Shield is a virtual private network utility developed by AnchorFree, Inc. VPNs are used for securing Internet connections, often in unsecured networks. Hotspot Shield was used to bypass government censorship during the Arab Spring protests in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya. NordVPN: NordVPN is a personal virtual private network service provider. It has desktop applications for Windows and macOS, mobile apps for Android and iOS, as well as an application for Android TV. NordVPN is noted for its strong encryption, no-log policy, and more than 4800 servers in 62 countries. Perfect Privacy: Perfect Privacy is committed to the privacy and anonymity of its members since 2008 and is one of the most secure VPN providers worldwide since the beginning. The protection of your privacy is our main concern – therefore we do not record user activity. Private Internet Access: Private Internet Access offers hidden IP addresses, and anonymous VPN tunnels. It supports multiple VPN technologies including PPTP, L2TP/IPsec, SOCKS5 and OpenVPN. TunnelBear: TunnelBear is a public virtual private network service based in Toronto, Canada. The company was founded by Daniel Kaldor and Ryan Dochuk in 2011. In March 2018, TunnelBear was acquired by McAfee, a trusted name in the cybersecurity space. TunnelBear has been independently audited by Cure53. ZenMate: Along with ZenMate’s regular VPN product, it also offers ZenMate Business. This product offers VPN security with improved management tools to suit business needs. Zenmate is easy to set up and the Chrome extension is useful if you’re using Chrome. A strong password is one of the first lines of defense for your information. If someone can figure out your password, it could compromise your email and all the information you may have received or sent. Bitwarden: Bitwarden is a free and open source password management solution for individuals, teams, and business organizations. It works as both a password storage and generator tool. Bitwarden supports syncing between all of your devices, making it easy and convenient to use. Master Password:With Master Password you leave no passwords laying around. You no longer store passwords in commercial, proprietory apps and no longer send them off to the cloud. You are no longer tied to your laptop or the internet if you need to look one up. Even if a personal or natural catastrophe causes you loss, you can never lose your account passwords — all you ever need is your one and only secret master password and anyone’s Master Password calculator app. KeePass: KeePass is a free open source password manager, which helps you to manage your passwords in a secure way. You can put all your passwords in one database, which is locked with one master key or a key file. So you only have to remember one single master password or select the key file to unlock the whole database. The databases are encrypted using the best and most secure encryption algorithms currently known (AES and Twofish). LessPass: LessPass is a stateless password manager that works offline. LessPass is fully open source, and you can view its source code on GitHub. Read More: Best Password Manager & Password Generator Tools Private browsers use a number of ways to protect your privacy. One of the primary differences between these browsers and a browser like Google Chrome is that the browser itself doesn’t collect information about your browsing. Even though Google Chrome is one of the most secure browsers, it comes at the price of sharing all your browsing with Google. Tor Browser: Tor Browser lets you use Tor on Microsoft Windows, Apple MacOS, or GNU/Linux without needing to install any software. It can run off a USB flash drive, comes with a pre-configured web browser to protect your anonymity, and is self-contained (portable). Tor keeps you anonymous by bouncing your internet communications around a distributed network of relays run by volunteers all over the world. It prevents somebody watching your Internet connection from learning what sites you visit, it prevents the sites you visit from learning your physical location, and it lets you access sites which are blocked. Mozilla Firefox: Mozilla has added many new privacy protection features to its latest versions of Firefox. Firefox warns users when login forms aren’t secure and could be leaking private information. It also blocks insecure content from loading on secure web pages. Another unique feature is the built-in phishing and malware protection. Brave: Brave fights malware and prevents tracking, keeping your information safe and secure. Its servers don’t see or store your browsing data. Brave also blocks ads from loading so it can speed up your browsing experience. Brave is also attempting to implement a blockchain-based advertising method which prioritizes user attention over user data. Email in its default form has very little privacy protection built in. Some email providers even scan the contents of your emails to use for advertising purposes. Private email providers can encrypt the contents of your emails and take other measures to keep your communications private. ProtonMail: ProtonMail is one of the most well-known secure email providers. It allows users to send encrypted emails to their contacts, even if the other user doesn’t use ProtonMail. It’s also very simple to set up, which can’t be said for other private email services. Hushmail: Hushmail offers encrypted, private email specifically for enterprise use for the healthcare and legal sectors. It began providing secure web mail solutions in 1999, so it’s an established player in the field. It lets users easily toggle between encrypted or unencrypted communication. For emails sent to other Hushmail users, they will be encrypted by default. Non-users can view emails on a secure webpage. Mailfence: Mailfence is an encrypted email service that uses OpenPGP encryption and digital signatures. It is available in a free form with limited storage capacity. Paid plans are also available for those looking for more features and storage. You can also find a mobile version here. If you currently use Ymail, Gmail or Hotmail, you can import your account into Mailfence for more privacy. Tutanota: Tutanota is an open-source end-to-end encrypted email software and freemium hosted secure email service. Its business model excludes earning money through advertisement relying solely on donations and Premium subscriptions. As of March 2017, Tutanota had over 2 million users. These messaging services offer the convenience of instant messaging, with end-to-end encryption. Regular text messaging (SMS) is not secure and has many security threats. These services also offer other security protections like expiring and self-destructing messages. If you truly want your communications to be private, encrypted messaging is a great option. Signal: Signal uses end-to-end encryption and is engineered to keep your communication private. Signal is an Open Source project, and is supported by grants and donations, meaning it can put users first, by putting people over profits. It emphasizes delivering a “fast, simple, and secure messaging experience”. Wire: Wire is another private alternative to instant messaging apps. It allows users to communicate securely with clients and partners — even if they don’t have a Wire account. Create an encrypted guest room in seconds; just send an invitation link and partners can join with a click. Telegram: Telegram offers a private, cloud-based messaging platform for desktop and mobile users. It has grown to over 100 million monthly active users. Telegram uses end-to-end encryption, and is considered one of the most secure messaging platforms. You can send self-destructing messages that will disappear from both your and the recipient’s device after a set amount of time. Read More: Private Email & Messaging Platforms for Confidential Communication Search Encrypt: Search Encrypt uses local encryption to secure your searches. It combines AES-256 encryption with Secure Sockets Layer encryption. Search Encrypt then retrieves your search results from its network of search partners. After you’re done searching, your search terms expire so they are private even if someone else has access to your computer. Searx: Searx calls itself a “privacy-respecting, hackable metasearch engine.” It securely and privately aggregates results from over 70 search services. Searx does not track or profile its users and it works with Tor, which is another great internet privacy tool. Every result that Searx returns is a direct link to the result, and not a tracked redirect link as used by Google. Searx also allows users to visit “cached” or “proxied” links so they can get the information from a website without visiting, or passing data to, the site. StartPage: StartPage uses results from Google, which is a good thing if you prefer Google’s result without the tracking. Ixquick, which is an independent search engine that uses its own results, developed StartPage to include results from Google. Its features include a proxy service, URL generator, and HTTPS support. The URL generator is a unique feature that eliminates the need for cookies. It remembers your settings in a privacy friendly way. Qwant: Qwant is a private search engine based in Europe that “never tries to guesswho you are or what you are doing.” According to its About page, Qwant never records your searches and never uses your personal data for advertising or other purposes. Qwant has a feature similar to DuckDuckGo’s !bangs which it calls Qwick search shortcuts. Proxies are similar to VPNs in that they make your internet connection appear to be coming from somewhere other than your personal network. However, proxies don’t use the encryption typically associated with VPNs. VPNs encrypt your network activity between your computer and the VPN server, while proxies do not. However, proxies can still be useful for protecting your privacy. If you don’t want websites you visit to be able to track your location, but aren’t worried about the content you’re viewing possibly being tracked or monitored, you can use a proxy. Privoxy: Privoxy is a non-caching web proxy with advanced filtering capabilities for enhancing privacy, modifying web page data and HTTP headers, controlling access, and removing ads and other obnoxious Internet junk. Privoxy has a flexible configuration and can be customized to suit individual needs and tastes. It has application for both stand-alone systems and multi-user networks. VeraCrypt: VeraCrypt is a disk encryption software for Windows, MacOS and Linux. It works by making a virtual encrypted disk within a file and mounts it as a real disk. This way you can store your files on your physical hard drive, but they are protected in this virtual disk. You can also use VeraCrypt to encrypt external storage devices like flash drives or external hard dives. Diaspora: Diaspora calls itself the “online social world where you are in control. By combining decentralization, freedom and privacy it delivers a “social media” experience without the privacy intrusive aspects. Diaspora has a number of hosted pods, that are the networks you use on the service. These are based on specific locations or interests. You can also host your own pod, if you have sysadmin knowledge and skills. Mastodon: Mastodon is likely the decentralized social network with the largest user base (around 1.6 million people). Similar to Diaspora, Mastodon runs with thousands of independent communities for networking and sharing. Mastodon uses a number of anti-abuse tools, uses stricter moderation that other social networks, and uses a strongly enforced codes of conducts to prevent abuse. Beyond the basic range of privacy tools, there are many tools that are very unique or that don’t fall into one of the categories above. Both of these services below are useful and have played a big role in spreading privacy awareness online. Let’s Encrypt: Let’s Encrypt is a nonprofit founded in 2014 by the Internet Security Research Group. It provides an easy solution for websites wanting to enable HTTPS. Without HTTPS security, the information you enter into a website could be tracked or intercepted. Let’s Encrypt has made the process of switching to HTTPS simple. Terms of Service; Didn’t Read (ToS;DR): ToS;DR is a great tool for understanding privacy policies, which are often long, complicated documents filled with legal jargon. The people behind this product realized the issues with terms of service agreements online: no one reads them. If we’re all blindly agreeing to these long and hard to read documents, ToS;DR can help us understand what in them. The Best Internet Privacy Tools for 2019 Privacy Products Need Privacy By Default	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1001
__label__wiki	0.55681	0.55681	Quick links: creepy games done dirt creepy The Terrible Secret of Animal Crossing A retelling, or reinterpretation, of that creepy game-timesucker-thing. The creepy part is how little reinterpretation the author had to do. Illustrated with direct, unedited screenshots. (Okay, later on they're supplemented with original artwork.) It suddenly penetrates my 8-year-old brain like a brick through a convenience store window. They're all in on it. The mysterious cabbie that took off with all my shit, being forced to wear work clothes, the impossible sudden debt, the guarded gates... it's all one big conspiracy. I'm trapped here. And I'm alone. (Link thanks to tleaves.) Butchering Pathologic A review of Pathologic, a 2005 holocaustic CRPG that won a huge trail of rewards in Russia and that I never heard word one about. The game sounds astonishing, and I think I want to never play it. It's a button-buster of a review, anyway. You will not get paid money when you carry out the whims of the town's leaders. There will not be a health pack hidden behind the thug. You will not find a loaf of bread at the back of the cave. You'll find a stone wall at the back of the cave, because it's a fucking cave. Instead, survival is its own entirely separate entity. To keep up a stash of supplies you have to learn to master the town's nightmare economy. Example: giving a child a cutthroat razor in exchange for stolen jewelery, trading these jewels in at a grocers for a heel of bread. Review is spoilery; part 3 of the review is seriously spoilery. (Link thanks to Nancy Lebovitz.) Labels: animal crossing, pathologic, quick links Myst Online to be open source Cyan said a few days ago that they had a big change in the works. I wasn't expecting this: So, Cyan has decided to give make MystOnline available to the fans by releasing the source code for the servers, client and tools for MystOnline as an open source project. We will also host a data server with the data for MystOnline. MORE is still possible but only with the help from fans. This is a bit scary for Cyan because this is an area that we have never gone before, to let a product freely roam in the wild. But we've poured so much into UruLive, and it has touched so many, that we could not just let it whither and die. We still have hopes that someday we will be able to provide new content for UruLive and/or work on the next UruLive. (posted Dec 12 on mystonline.com; reprint on Spokesman Review blog.) Damn. Mondo cool. I wish I had the free energy to pitch into this full-time. Labels: cyan, myst, open source, uru Something I learned about Alternate Reality Fiction This week I learned something you can do with alternate reality fiction that you can't do with regular, localized fiction. You can create text that's part of two separate stories. (You can go back to my previous post on alternate reality fiction, or here's the short form: it's the sort of fiction that has pieces of a universe supporting it. Web sites for fictional companies, fictional people blogging and sending email, so on. When it's a game you call it an "alternate reality game", but it's not always a game, right? You can support a novel or a TV show that way. So, "alternate reality fiction.") (Yes, I am now using the flimsiest excuse for posting this on a gaming blog -- it's a followup to my previous post on this blog. Sorry, Jmac.) Now follow along; this will take a bit to set up. Let us venture into the world of fanfic. (Not because there's anything specifically fanfic about the idea. It's just the first example I noticed.) Take a look at this web site: nielsonmitchell.com. Looks like typical corporate crap (except for the disclaimer). But if you're familiar with the Stargate TV show, you'll recognize Cameron Mitchell as a character from the last two seasons. (If you're really familiar with the TV show, you might guess who JD Nielson is. But that's not important right now.) Now take a look at this flyer for the company (270kb PNG image). Indeed, the guy at the bottom right is Ben Browder, who plays Cameron Mitchell on the show. So you're getting the picture -- these two artifacts belong to the same storyline, in some sense. Maybe the flyer doesn't appear on the web site because it's not professional enough, but they fit together. Right? (I created that flyer, by the way. The amateur photoshopping is all my fault. So is the fact that it's completely silly. The role of JD is played by Michael Filipowich. The nielsonmitchell.com web site was created by synecdochic.) Now take a look at this livejournal account. (Now emigrated to dreamwidth -- Ed.) It lists nielsonmitchell.com as its web site, the location matches, it's got a "fictional person" disclaimer, and the name is shown as "Cammie"... wait. Nobody ever calls Cameron Mitchell "Cammie" on the show. Does Ben Browder look like a "Cammie" sort of person? No no no. Further, if you look at some of chemicalfuel's journal entries -- and those of vtwopointoh, who is JD Nielson -- you will rapidly deduce that Cammie is a woman. Cameron Evangeline Mitchell. So you look back at the web site, and you think, hold on -- there ain't no pronouns on that page. It does not specify whether Cameron (or, indeed, JD) is male or female. So the web site is consistent with the flyer, and it's consistent with the Livejournal pages. But they're not consistent with each other. They can't all be the same storyline. (Unless it's a storyline with magical sex-changing technology. Which is not actually beyond the bounds of the Stargate universe, and certainly not beyond the bounds of fanfic. But you'd want some corroboration before you took that interpretation.) At this point I will spill the beans. These sites are sideline material for a bunch of Stargate fan stories by synecdochic and ivorygates. Two disparate serieses of stories. In the Broken Wings series, Cameron Mitchell is permanently disabled after his Antarctic crash, and so he retires from the Air Force and starts a software company. The Mezzanine series has exactly the same premise, except that Cameron Mitchell is a woman. Different things happen. (Each series has a JD Nielson, who are both guys, but they're not quite the same guy.) The nielsonmitchell.com site is ARF material for both storylines. This is something I have not seen before. Why not? Normal fiction has no ambiguity about its boundaries -- at least, that's the modern convention. You know when you're looking at fiction; and (we generally take for granted) you know what fiction you're looking at. The publisher slaps "Hogwarts year N" or "a Repairman Jack novel" on the cover to make it obvious. But when you dissolve the first assumption, and release material which pretends to be real life, the second assumption gets fuzzy to. Why shouldn't a work fit into two different sequences? I am not, understand, talking about the crossover story. In a crossover, we point at two storylines and pretend they're the same -- Batman is fighting Spiderman, which means Gotham City is more New York than usual; they're the same place. Or Spiderman took Amtrak. (Or, since the two worlds continue to ignore each other's premises outside the suspended disbelief pentagram of the crossover, we might consider that we've created a third storyline, of limited detail, which shares some premises of each.) But however you consider it, the crossover text represents one story. Batman meets Spiderman. To truly match the nielsonmitchell.com case, you'd have to write a story in which a man named Bruce Wayne meets a man named Peter Parker, and one of them is a superhero, and the other is a regular dude who lives in New York / Gotham City. But the text wouldn't tell you which. It would fit into either the DC or the Marvel universe, but in each case it would mean something slightly different. (Perhaps something radically different!) I know I'm way out on a theoretical limb here, and maybe you can't think of a reason to write such a story. But you could try. Somebody should. ARF (or ARG) material is, I think, more suited to these tricks than plain prose -- simply because such material is usually not a story per se, but a small piece of a story -- or sideband information which enriches a story. It conveys by implication; which means you are imputing meaning based on context; which means the meaning can change in different contexts. Regular prose stories also convey stuff by implication, to a lesser degree. And (pace my original claim) I can think of some novels which pull tricks in this vein. A scene in Rosemary Kirstein's first Steerswoman novel, in which a boy dies while trying to open a cursed chest. In this case, there is "really" only one storyline -- but the reader knows something that the protagonist doesn't (or at least has the chance to figure it out). So the characters see one storyline; the reader sees two, made up of the same incidents. Sharon Shinn's Archangel (first of its series). Again, the reader can see a storyline (science fiction) where the characters see another (theological fable). This works because both are good stories; they have weight and emotional heft and change the characters' lives. Inversions, by Iain M. Banks. A better example, because it reads differently depending on whether you think it's part of a series or not. And, to bring this whimsically back to Stargate, the original Stargate movie. The people who made the movie are not same the people who made the Stargate: SG-1 TV series. This led, at one point, to the movie writers publishing a set of tie-in novels which were also sequels to the movie's story, but went in a completely different direction from the TV show (and its tie-in novels). Two storylines with the same first chapter. The first two of these examples display differences in interpretation. The characters may disagree with the reader about what happened, but we can reasonably say that the characters are wrong (or uninformed) -- there's only one sequence of events. The latter two examples are more interesting, because the reader can take different views on what's going on -- depending on context, as I said. This doesn't change what the story is directly showing us; but it does change what else we believe has happened. That is, the implied, off-screen events vary. That's the right parallel. The nielsonmitchell.com site doesn't have events, but it does have directly conveyed information (the names and bios of two people) and off-screen information (their existences, including gender). Here's where I ought to tie all my rambling together into one glorious conclusion that illuminates the future of Narrative 2.0. Haw haw. No, I have no idea where I'm going with this. It's a gimmick! It's neat. People should use it more. What if there were a community web site dedicated to ARFs (and ARGs), which became a focal point for participating in them? People would be discussing the various projects, but some of the people would also be fictional, and be conveying in-character information as they interacted. (Go where the fans are, right?) You could take it as a giant crossover where all ARGs meet (St. Elsewhere!), or you could take each fictional world separately. In this world, character X knows about the AIs infiltrating society. In that world, character Y sees the fnords, but person X is just a guy playing an ARG. Get it? (For all I know, ARGNet or Unfiction already does this.) Less apocalyptically: what if Chaz Villette invited JD Nielson over for dinner? What if an ARG included several different universes, all playing out on the Web, unaware of each other's existence but sharing web sites and (alternate versions of) characters? Three universes, say. (Recognized those Michael Filipowich images, did you?) Pick your own path. Labels: arfs, args, fanfic, not games, stargate, writing Michael Mateas talk on Facade This past Thursday, I went to a talk by Michael Mateas: "The Authoring Challenge for Interactive Storytelling". Mateas runs the Expressive Intelligence Studio at UC Santa Cruz. The talk naturally centered around Facade, an interactive drama released in 2005 by Mateas and Andrew Stern. 2005 was a long time ago now, which saves me the effort of explaining what Facade is. (What? Click on the link.) (What? Okay, here: Facade is a short game in which two friends, Trip and Grace, invite you over for dinner. They then proceed to have a horrible nasty argument and drag you into it. The interface is a real-time, free-form, natural language text prompt; the characters respond in spoken text and animated movement. It's free, go download it.) (Admission of guilt: I never got around to playing Facade before I went to the lecture. Fortunately Mateas started by showing a trailer (youtube link), so I wasn't lost. Yes, I've now played with the thing.) The lecture was nifty. So nifty, in fact, that I will transcribe all the notes I took. (My notes, to be sure, were not anything like a complete transcript of the lecture. I'm putting my notes under quote bars, but please take them as my interpretation of what I heard. I'll intersperse my own commentary.) What is interactive storytelling? not choose-your-own-adventure books not paper-and-pencil RPGs not hypertext not an "embedded linear story" in a game (the most common story model for videogames, where a fixed story plays out in cut scenes, unintegrated into the gameplay mechanics) The text adventure (Zork) is close to what Mateas is imagining. (The usual notional model is Star Trek's holodeck -- thus Murray's Hamlet on the Holodeck and so on. But even as a fictional ideal, the holodeck has been problematic.) Yay text adventures. (I am, as you will soon see, thinking about this talk from an IF-author's point of view.) As a distant spectator to the academic world, I don't know what narratologists think is problematic about the holodeck idea. (I mean, aside from it nearly destroying the Enterprise every six weeks.) I guess it's clear that the Star Trek writers had no deep notion of what interactive drama would be -- they just stuck a subordinate static narrative into the static narrative of their TV show. Except for that Moriarty episode, which showed how interactive stories didn't work... CYOAs and hypertext are easy to implement, but don't provide much sense of agency. This is even more true of linear embedded stories, obviously. D&D provides true interactivity, but you need a human game-master to run it. The holodeck, similarly, needs a 24th-century computer. So we are led to the idea of AI underpinning interactive story. AI (or at least AI techniques) seem necessary for: story generation story understanding (figuring out what the player is trying to do) drama management (selecting and ordering bits of story to create dramatic arc) autonomous characters This is where a lot of discussion in the IF world runs aground. We say things like "To really improve text parsing, you'd need real AI." Then, since none of us are AI researchers and we're pretty much implementing everything in low-level, C-like languages, we give up and say "Okay, so what can we do really well without AI?" (At least, I do. And I think I've gotten excellent answers to that latter question, but it's still fair to see it as a dodge.) Current research into interactive storytelling has been disappointing. A lot of people come up with theories of how it could work. Some people implement engines or mechanisms based on their theories. Some of those then go on to create story demos within an engine. Very few create a complete interactive story -- not just a demo, but a work that can stand on its own. Mateas and Stern created Facade out of a belief that to move research forward in an artistic sphere, you need to create complete works. In other words (my words), a demo for a new game model can demonstrate the engine, the programming techniques, etc. But it can't demonstrate the validity of the artistic approach. To do that, you need to do art. It can be a short work, but it has to be something you're aiming at players. You find out whether you're right by seeing how players react. This has been common wisdom in the IF world for a decade. Right from the beginning of the amateur-IF era, the community developed a strong response to on-line theorizing: "That sounds great. Write a game and show us." (Mateas mentions this himself, later on.) They were hoping that Facade would provoke works in response, but it hasn't. Nor have the techniques been adopted by the commercial game world. (Although some of the most recent crop of games, such as Fable 2 and Far Cry 2, are beginning to do things like it.) Nor, for that matter, have they been adopted by the indie/amateur game world. At this point Mateas played the demo reel. When the creators first started planning Facade, they wanted game-like interactions -- no explicit game goal, but many opportunities for the user to pick up on a play mechanic and try to do something with it. (Mateas mentions that in the beginning, he sternly resisted calling Facade "a game". Nowadays, sure, it's a game. He didn't say whether this was a shift in his attitude or a broadening of the expectations of the gaming audience.) Eventually they went with a model from pop psychology, transactional analysis: Eric Berne's Games People Play. The characters Trip and Grace are playing head games at each other, using you as leverage ("Courtroom", "See What You Made Me Do", "I've Got You Now, You Son of a Bitch"...) (See here for game examples from the TA literature. Or see any Woody Allen movie from his "miserable couples snipe at each other" period; Mateas cited Husbands and Wives.) This gives the player several ways to dive into the game: the affinity game: take Trip's side or Grace's side. the hot-button game: find topics that provoke the characters and see how they react. the therapy game: try to help the characters understand themselves. (This is the most subtle, but it has the strongest effect on which ending you reach.) the tension level toy: the tension level in the game always rises, but you can play with it by trying to calm it or fan the flames. (Not exactly a game.) Note that the creators don't expect players to stay in character, or take any particular role. You don't have to be a therapist. They expect players to try prodding at the edges of the story world (e.g., by talking nonsense, bringing up outrageous topics, kissing the characters, etc.) They wanted Facade to provide satisfying responses for that sort of play, just as much as for in-character or realistic play. Nor do you have to stick to one goal throughout a session. (Although Mateas does, in some articles, describe the game as an "affinity half" followed by a "therapy half". See this article, which also gives a more detailed form of the next part of the talk.) Facade offers multiple, mixable story progressions. The idea is that in a simple linear interactive story, you can either Do The Next Thing (in which case the plot advances), or you Do Something Else (which fails in some sense, and the plot doesn't advance). In Facade, there are several story elements going on at any one time. If you type something that doesn't make sense in one storyline, maybe it pushes a different one forward. These storyline threads are called "beats". I got confused at this point, because I was assuming a "beat" to be the smallest particle of performance. That's how the term is used in theater: in a back-and-forth dialogue, each line is normally a beat. (Or one character can pause a beat before replying, or so on.) Mateas uses "beat" to refer to an entire scene fragment, in which all three characters may interact. (For example, the PhoneCallFromParents beat: the phone rings, Trip and Grace argue about whether to answer it, the player may ask them to answer or ignore it.) I am going to cheat and swap around the next few lines to introduce the concepts more clearly: Facade contains just 27 beats, of which half might activate in any one run-through. Each beat has a chain of narrative goals, plus variations and reactions that depend on what the player does. Each goal is made of "joint dialogue behaviors", and each JDB consists of up to five lines of dialogue. (The JDB is more or less the smallest particle of performance, although you can interrupt one in mid-line, so they're not absolutely atomic.) Facade contains about 2500 JDBs. So each beat contains about a hundred JDBs, on average. There are three kinds of story progression, each handled by a story manager: the beat sequencer: manages the library of beats (27 of them), and picks which one to activate when the previous beat ends (or is interrupted). the beat goal sequencer: manages the goals of the currently-active beat; runs through them, or chooses variations based on player input. global mix-ins: a set of hot topics that can interrupt the currently-active beat if the player brings them up. (E.g., sex, divorce, alcohol, the view out the window, etc.) Just one beat is active at a time, but these managers hand control back and forth fluidly as the player interacts. This lets Facade provide multiple, mixable story progressions for the player to mess with. (About two-thirds of the JDBs are in beats, one-third in globals mix-ins. Then there are a small handful of JDBs which run in the background, handling "fidgeting" personality behaviors like sipping a drink or playing with a magic 8-ball.) Mateas then went on to the central point of his talk, which was that this is a hell of a lot of work. (2500 JDBs is, what, six or eight thousand lines of dialogue?) Writing the text is more difficult than writing the text of a play, because there are lots and lots of ways for lines (or groups of lines, or groups of groups) to be strung together. You have to think about the meshing at every level. Mateas and Stern tried to work with a traditional playwright, but he never got the hang of writing dialogue that fit in with Facade's machinery. There are several other areas of Facade where the implementation requires design work. For example, parsing the player's input happens in two stages. The words are parsed into a topic or phrase (as in IF). But then, the phrase has to be interpreted as an action. For example, saying "I like [Grace's] painting" could be construed as complimenting Grace, or (if Grace and Trip are arguing about the painting) as agreeing with Grace, or disagreeing with Trip, depending on exactly when you do it. There needs to be custom logic to decide which action you've taken, which is then further customized for the ArgueOverRedecorating beat. This is all design work. Then there's art design -- even the very stylized artwork of Facade has lots of code to manage body language and facial expressions. And so on. Facade took two people five years to create. Mateas estimates that creating another game with the same model and technology would take a year and a half. Is this too long? It's too long for a decent feedback cycle, either in academia or among indie game designers. Implicit is the point that the commercial game industry, which takes at least a year and a half (usually more) to produce a high-profile game, is also too slow for a decent feedback cycle. Mateas gave explicit props to the IF community, for our strong tradition of small, experimental games. (Just to talk about myself for a bit: Shade, Hunter in Darkness, and Delightful Wallpaper each took me a month to write. Each did interesting stuff. We don't get games responding to games every month -- the annual IFComp cycle slows things down -- but it's still a high rate of creativity, with lots of people involved.) To do interactive storytelling, do you have to be an artist/programmer? ("Artist" in the general sense, including "writer". Mateas and Stern each worked on both the dialogue and the implementation of Facade.) Mateas says he once thought so, but has changed his mind: he is now interested in how a powerful authoring system can support an artist who is not a programmer (or a programmer who is not an artist!) Open questions for inventing an authoring system: how much help will it provide? will it help artists, programmers, or both? is it trying to replace a weak facility, or help the user improve his facility? Attempts in progress: Storytelling Alice (Caitlin Kelleher) Storytron (Chris Crawford) Thespian (Si, Marsella, Pynadath) Wide Ruled (Skorupski, Jayapalan, Marquez, Mateas) Mateas is also planning a project, "Story Canvas", in which a user enters linear narratives; the system then remixes and spins them out into an interactive drama (with the collaboration of the user). As a final note, Mateas said that his vision for AI in interactive drama was not to replace human creation; he sees AI as being an expressive medium, a field in which artists can work. That was the body of the talk. I will summarize some of the questions and answers that followed. Did Facade have debugging tools? Yes, lots. It's essentially impossible to diagnose bugs from the player's-eye level. You have to turn on verbose logging to figure out what's going on. If branching story threads are difficult for writers (who aren't programmers), what is difficult for programmers (who aren't writers)? Ambiguity, maybe -- attacking a problem which has no clear definition, where you have to invent the problem statement and the solution in parallel. I loved this answer, because that's exactly what I think of as the fun part of being a programmer. Implementing an algorithm to achieve a specified goal is work. Figuring out what the goal should be is what the work is for. And it is design work, artistic work -- art. What about interdisciplinary teams? (That is, having an artist and a programmer work together, instead of an artist-programmer.) It's possible but Mateas hasn't done any work in that direction. It seems like it must be difficult -- all the work that an artist-programmer would do, plus the work of coordinating, communicating, and understanding each other's needs. This would have been my question, but someone else asked it first. This is, of course, the approach that Dave Cornelson is trying with Textfyre. Is Facade sociology? (That is, is it extending our knowledge of how people interact?) Um... no. Why the "kitchen drama" genre? Because it turns lots of game conventions on their head. No fantastic setting, no expansive landscape to explore, no physical danger. Mostly conversational interaction as opposed to physical interaction. Also: it's such a familiar genre that it's easy to tell if the work succeeds or fails. Could menus be substituted for Facade's natural-language prompt? Not easily. Facade allows twenty-ish speech acts, many of which are parameterized ("agree with X", "insult Y", "inspect object Z"). A menu system which really let you choose any available interaction would be huge and unwieldy. However, Mateas has considered other interface changes: perhaps displaying the system's interpretation of what you entered, or giving you an "undo" button to rewind time. As an IF weenie, obviously, I see the free prompt as Facade's big strength. You can bring up any topic at any point, and the range of topics feels infinite. It isn't really infinite, but the point of having a clear genre demarcation is to let you speculate about what topics will get interesting responses, and be usually right. (So sex, divorce, the couple's courtship, Grace's art, Trip's drinking, the things in the apartment, etc, etc.) Whew. Okay, long blog post. I hope you enjoy it. Again, I apologize for anything Michael said that I have miscontrued, misquoted, or just plain made up. It's accidental, honest. Labels: AI, andrew stern, facade, interactive drama, interactive fiction, interactive storytelling, michael mateas One more past blast: Enigma The Oxyd games, by Meinolf Schneider, were one of the great puzzle-game series of the early 90s. They originated in the Atari world; I played them on Mac. I played them for hours, because they were big, big and evil and full of puzzle goodness. I still have the Per.Oxyd shareware code book. Now -- or rather, two years ago -- an open-source implementation of the game appeared: Enigma. This means you have to play it. Now. Available for Mac/Win/Linux. (It is not, I admit, a well-chosen name. There must be dozens of puzzle games called "Enigma", not to mention Enigmo, etc. But who cares?) Oxyd is a physics puzzler, in the Marble Madness line. You roll a black ball around by nudging your mouse. When you hit certain blocks, they open, revealing a color. Then you play Concentration. Hit two blocks of the same color, and they're done. When all the color-blocks on a level are done, the level is solved. Simple! Of course! Not. You'll see walls and mazes. You'll fall into water and drown. You'll fall into quicksand and drown slowly (if you don't struggle out in time). You'll hit switches to open and close doors. You'll blow up bricks with dynamite. You'll find slopes, gravity, crates, one-way doors, timed doors, springs to jump walls, lasers, pipes, deathtraps, and mailboxes (evil, trust me). There are regions of high friction, low friction, and no friction. It's very tactile -- the mouse interface practically lets you feel the wood, carpet, or metal that you traverse. In some levels, you have to steer many marbles at once. In others, you can switch back and forth between two marbles, essentially controlling two cooperating "characters". There is, in short, a hell of a lot of variety, packed into what looks like a simple tile-based game. Enigma is a startlingly faithful reconstruction of Oxyd, considering that 640x480 was a giant-sized screen when it first appeared. The graphics have been scaled up without losing the original style. All the levels from the original Oxyd games are included; and then a big batch of new levels. And then, since it's open-source, a steady stream of user-contributed levels. The game engine is capable of emulating Sokoban, and so a set of Sokoban levels is included. Stuff like that. I could easily spend the rest of the holiday season playing through this thing. I won't, honest -- too many other games to play. (I've barely even started Mirror's Edge!) But I could. Note that Enigma is a fan recreation of Oxyd. I don't know how the original author feels about it; the web site doesn't say, except to thank him for the inspiration. There is a recent game which is an official descendant of the Oxyd line -- Oxyd Extra 2.0. (Free but not open-source.) I haven't looked at it. (I would have included this in my Forerunner Foray post if I'd known about it at the time... but I didn't. Thanks to jayisgames for tipping me off.) Labels: enigma, oxyd, physics, puzzle, quick links Forerunner foray (or, blasts from the past) I blogged a while ago about Adventure on the iPhone -- Colossal Cave, that is, not the text adventure. Now Peter Hirschberg brings us the other one: Atari 2600 Adventure on the iPhone. It's a free download. (As Nick Montfort likes to remind me, Warren Robinett intended his Atari Adventure game to be a port of the text game Adventure. It's extremely stylized, of course, but it's got the mazes and the monsters and the keys and the puzzles... the giant bat must be a reject from Wumpus, however.) While my back was turned, Fantasy Flight Games got the rights to republish Cosmic Encounter. Great Bird of the Galaxy! Cosmic was the game of my college years; we played a couple of games just about every Sunday afternoon. It was already out of print from its second publisher, and then (in 1991) reprinted by a third, and I could go on all day about the shortcomings of its various incarnations. And the expansion sets. (I had the enormous luck to find a copy of Eon's original Expansion Pack #8 in a dusty Pittsburgh gameshop. Kickers, kickers were key. I never cared for flares that much.) Cosmic reappeared in 2000 in a nicely-produced -- but expensive and oversimplified -- box set from Avalon Hill. Then Cosmic Encounter Online, a capable (okay, still simplified) browser-based game which is still going strong. And now the wheel turns again: a new box set. Fantasy Flight's web site says it will ship this month for US$60. The new edition looks pretty good. The famously complicated turn structure is diagrammed on each alien power card, with the important phase (for that power) highlighted. (Preview examples: Mind, Pacifist, Parasite, Loser, and newcomer Tripler.) No star-system hex boards, but you can make your own if you want the classic experience. The all-important artwork is satisfactory. (And when I say "satisfactory", I just mean "I will always be wedded to the Eon artwork of my youth.") Kevin Wilson, the game designer in charge of the project, calls the style "retro-futurism", which I'd agree with -- old pulp covers, more than a hint of Frank Kelly Freas. It will ship with 50 aliens, a decent selection -- handily graded by play-difficulty, if you want to introduce new players to the game. Expansion sets are promised. To be sure, each republisher of Cosmic has promised expansion sets, and I don't recall that any have succeeded except for Mayfair's minimal More Cosmic Encounter in 1992. Hopefully FF's edition will get enough love to keep growing. Labels: adventure games, cosmic encounter, iphone, quick links Muggle collegiate Quidditch For many years, Capture the Flag with Stuff reigned as the supreme overelaborated fantasy-themed sport played by overenergetic college students. Or, well, probably not. I have no idea what the kids get up to these days, really. I didn't know what kids got up to in those days. But CtFwS was the one I was aware of -- mostly because I started it. (It has evolved considerably since then; see the new KGB rules used at CMU.) (Moopsball was the supreme overelaborated fantasy-themed sport not played by enthusiastic college students. Sadly, it is no longer not played because it's too much work; it is now not played because nobody remembers it. Sic transit the guy with the hula hoop.) But the new generation has arrived, and that means Quidditch. As in, the kids who struggled through Philosopher's Stone at age 8 are now in college. Quidditch is what they want, and they have made it work. (Here I tried to interpolate some joke about what the devoted fans of Twilight will be playing at college in five-ish years. My first idea was too creepy to put in writing and they went downhill from there. Make up your own, I'll be hiding under this extremely sparkly rock.) If you've read the Harry Potter books, you know how Quidditch works. If not, this blog post will do nothing for you... okay, look, hit Wikipedia and come back. Or don't come back, because that entry has a summary of Muggle Quidditch, so what do you need me for? Huh? I'll just go hide under that extremely sparkly rock over there. (PS: Wikipedia keeps its Quidditch page up to date, but they delete the page explaining Kosho? 1000% lame.) (EDIT-ADD: Thank you Deletionpedia.) Muggle Quidditch! Rule one: you must run around holding a broomstick between your legs. ("Harder than it looks, and just as awkward," says one player.) Rule two: throw the Quaffle (a volleyball) through the goal hoop. Rule three: you must drop the Quaffle if someone clobbers you with a Bludger (dodgeball). Rule four: the game ends when someone grabs the Golden Snitch. The Golden Snitch is played by a very fast person, dressed in gold, with a tennis ball tied around his or her waist. There are other rules but they don't seem to prevent shoving and tackling, so that's basically what the game winds up being about. So it's simultaneous tackle rugby, tag, and dodgeball, all being played on the same field among different subsets of the players. I know it sounds like I'm making fun of this; but I'm impressed. All the players have to have a clear idea of what's going on, to make this work. I also admire that it's not just a game -- it's an event. The 2008 World Cup at Middlebury College had costumes, characters, role-playing. (See, there's a reason I brought up Moopsball.) There are extravagant team names. There are people on stilts. The league commissioner wears a top hat. Everything is better when top hats are involved. The biggest difference between this and Rowling's fictional Quidditch -- well, is that the players can't fly. (Everyone agrees that it's a really, really muddy time for all. On the positive side, if you slip, it's not 150 feet to the ground.) The biggest chosen difference is that grabbing the Golden Snitch is worth only 30 points, or three times the value of a goal -- not fifteen times, as Rowling had it. This brings the game into something like balance. Both Seekers have to keep an eye on the score as well as the Snitch. Unless the score is very close, one Seeker will be actively running interference against the other, rather than trying to catch the Snitch herself. Here's an article about the 2008 World Cup. There's also a rudimentary IQA web site. See also, a documentary produced by Justin Bogart (youtube video). Labels: ctfws, moopsball, quidditch, sports I am totally done with Silent Hill 5 When I say "Silent Hill 5", I mean the "Homecoming" game that just shipped. And when I say "totally done", I mean that I got a third of the way in and I'm stuck. It's the police station. There are about eight of the axe-headed bastards between me and the exit. I can generally kill about five of them. Seven if I'm lucky. I have essentially no health at the save-point -- burned it all on the previous boss monster -- and there isn't enough in the game to be getting on with. I just failed to make it through, four times in a row. So I'm done. (As per my usual rule for video game series, if I can't finish a game, I'm not interested in the sequel. Devil May Cry, I'm looking straight at you. Also Onimusha, next time one of those comes out.) So tell me: why is there no Easy Mode in SH5? All the previous games, you could choose Easy as an option (for the combat, I'm not talking about the puzzles). There was a well-understood penalty for wimps: you couldn't get all of the variant plot endings, not without going back through the game on the higher difficulty modes. But in this game, your choices are Normal and Hard. I played the four previous games in Easy Mode. I enjoyed them. I was happy with the endings I got. I was a fan of the series. With this new game, the designers seem to have decided that I was not enough of a fan, because they threw me off the bus. Some games have adaptive difficulty. If SH5 does, I'm not feeling it. Some games offer you an Easy option after you've gotten your ass kicked a few times. SH5 doesn't -- at least, it hasn't happened to me, and the walkthroughs I found on the web don't mention it. So who benefits from this? Were there people posting all over the gaming community, lamenting that the Wrong Kind of People were playing their precious survival horror game? Did people regret succumbing to temptation? I understand well the attraction of the dull path -- this comes up in adventure game design all the time, albeit with puzzle-solving skills rather than button-mashing. Players will take the easy way out, be it brute force or infinite health, and then complain that it made the game no fun. I get that. But this isn't a new format. Anyone who is interested in this thing is probably satisfied with the original game model -- at least enough to have bought SH2, 3, and 4. It's not like there was a tide of hardcore gamers waiting to rush in as soon as Easy Mode was deleted. Or was there? Answers, tips, and infinite-health cheats welcome. POSTSCRIPTUM, Nov 2016: Over the years this post has become a comment magnet for people complaining about Silent Hill 5. It's a bit silly now, eight years later. The designers have long since moved on, and the franchise itself has come to a halt -- it has entered the realm of remake-reboot-or-reimagining. (I thought "Shattered Memories" was great, speaking of.) Anyway, there's no point adding more complaints now. I have turned off the comment thread on this post. Unfortunately that means the old comments are now invisible -- sorry. Labels: homecoming, silent hill Grim Fandango puzzle design document Another in our series of historic game development trivia! (This is completely coincidental, stuff just keeps popping up.) Tim Schafer at Double Fine has posted the puzzle design spec for his classic adventure game, Grim Fandango. It is that game's tenth anniversary; it was released on the Day of the Dead, 1998. Read the Grim Fandango document (2.4 meg PDF). This document is a first draft, dated April 30, 1996. It has lots of puzzles which didn't make it into the final game. Schafer also notes: We didn’t have the last puzzle designed when I wrote that document, so I wrote two nonsense paragraphs and then overlapped them in the file so it would look like the final puzzle description was in there, but obscured by a print formatting error. That way I could turn the document in by the deadline. Bonus: Grim Fandango cake. EDIT-ADD (11/13): Schafer has taken down his blog post and the document, with no direct comment, but a very indirect hint that it wasn't his to post. Since we at the Gameshelf believe in historic preservation, I have put a copy on our own web site. So the link above works again. Labels: game design, grim fandango, puzzles, tim schafer More bad news for Cyan Recalling Cyan's status in late summer: their game development division was down to a skeleton crew, whose only funded project was iPhone Myst. They were working getting Uru back up as a low-budget, low-profile sandbox for fans to play in. Most of the company's revenue came from CyanTest, their game-testing service. Unfortunately, in October, Cyan announced that "a major revenue stream to Cyan was disrupted". We now have a little more information: CyanTest's biggest customer was Gamecock Media -- which was recently bought out by SouthPeak Interactive. Cyan's testing deal with Gamecock apparently didn't survive the acquisition. As a result, we now hear that fifty employees of CyanTest were laid off today. (News article from the Spokesman-Review.) Presumably Cyan has spent the past month looking for new customers, and failing. The layoffs leave seven people in CyanTest. So, a skeleton crew on both sides. They have a few small game-testing customers, and iPhone Myst is on track, but Cyan is now nearly nonexistent. Cyan has pitched the idea of a new video game to several publishers but hasn’t been given any funding yet. If the new project is funded, the game development side of the company will ramp up, [CEO] Fryman said. (ibid.) As long as I've got this thing lit up, have some comments from Rand Miller on Myst Online, given at a panel discussion at the Austin GDC in September. Elaborating on why the game couldn't manage to initially keep itself alive, Miller said, "I'm always going to fall back on 'we were ahead of our time,' because it's easy." "The biggest thing we did was an all or nothing proposal from an entertainment point of view," he continued. "It's not like you can start up a new TV network and give one show a month and expect it to be successful... We couldn't quite pull that off with the money we had." (from the writeup on gamesindustry.biz) EDIT-ADD: The layoffs may have been as early as October 7th, the day Cyan posted about revenue trouble. The news article only says "recently" (and not "today", as I originally misread). Rumors about layoffs popped up that day (see this forum thread), although I had no confirmation until now. Some time between then and now, anyhow. Labels: cyan, iphone, myst, uru Vote, youse This is not a political blog, although we who post in it have political opinions. (You can figure mine with a minimum of Googling.) So this will remain a non-partisan post: Tomorrow, Tuesday, is voting day in the US. Vote, you (American voting) bozos. If you are not sure whether you are a qualified American voting bozo, or how to do the deed, start here. If you have done the early voting thing and your pebble is in the jar already, I thank you. If you are sick of this election, I apologize. (But that doesn't get you off the hook.) Partisan comments in this thread will be squished because, frankly, there are forums better able to manage that kind of firefight. Talk about the Race for the Galaxy expansion instead. I got clobbered on Saturday because I couldn't get enough blue planets oh, fudge. Prince of Persia reference video Jordan Mechner has been posting his development journals from the original Prince of Persia -- from twenty-three years ago. Recently he put up the video he shot as an animation reference for the Prince's moves. It's his brother David running, jumping, and climbing around a parking lot. If you've ever played the game, you will bounce straight up in the air and shout "That's it! That's exactly it!" Watch the Prince of Persia reference video. But it's also worth browsing through Mechner's other entries (there aren't too many). This early comment is both delightful and a little heartbreaking: And... the games business is drying up. Karateka may make me as little as $75,000 all told, and it’s at the top of the charts. There’s no guarantee the new game will be as successful. Or that there will even be a computer games market a couple of years from now. (July 5, 1985) Labels: animation, jordan mechner, karateka, prince of persia Alternate reality fiction I have not blogged about Shadow Unit, because this is the Gameshelf, and Shadow Unit is not a game. I love Shadow Unit. It's a collaborative storytelling project by four well-known fantasy authors. You might call it a series of short stories about a mutant-hunting FBI team. You'd be closer if you called it a prose work with the structure of an episodic TV series. It's great writing; X-Files with human beings instead of Hollywood/TV heroes. It isn't a game. I say that because I didn't do anything; I read the episodes as they were posted. (And I dropped some cash in the hat.) No interactivity, no game. Easy distinction, right? But would Elizabeth Bear, Will Shetterly, Sarah Monette, and Emma Bull agree with that? Do they feel like they're playing a game? I'll ask around. But let's stay outside the circle of creators for now. Or... maybe not. Shadow Unit has imported some of the aspects of an ARG, an alternate reality game. Supporting web sites pop up. Characters in the story have ongoing Livejournals. You can comment in these journals. (As long as you don't break the fourth wall.) People do. Real people have long conversations with fictional people. They trade recipes and favorite TV shows. Who's playing now? Let me reach back to my post about Alternity, the Livejournal-mediated Harry Potter RPG that started recently. I called that a "game", even though it's got a bounded circle of creators and no ARG elements. Why was that a game? For one thing, the circle is larger -- twenty-ish? But mostly, I was thinking of the game model. You and your friends could set up your own game of "that thing", with your own scenario. "That thing" is fairly structured; it has rules ("journal posts only", the 15-minute correction rule, etc). The creators are continually making posts in these constrained ways. Whereas Shadow Unit's "thing" is both more nebulous and more generic: traditional short stories appear on a web site. But then, the Livejournals have a rule... Okay, I'm constructing a difference out of degrees. Never mind. A new one is launching tomorrow: Continuous Coast. (Or is it called "Mediators"? These alternate reality thingies don't name themselves!) You can read a slideshow about this thing, by creators Reesa Brown and Kit O'Connell. They presented this at Arse Elektronika 2008. They're working with fantasy author Steven Brust, plus a cast of thousands, on a... a... I have no idea. We'll find out more on October 9th, or so I hear. It has some web sites and blogs, as I linked above. It has a Twitter feed. But of course that's not the Twitter feed of the project. It's the Twitter feed of the Mediators, the ?police ?steering committee ?resident psychiatrists of a city that is clearly not on Earth, and perhaps not in our universe... So is this a game? It is impossible to describe without the perspective of ARGs. Continuous Coast is an alternate-reality presentation, in the sense of ARGs. ARGs are games. Continuous Coast is not -- by the early descriptions -- a MMO puzzle-quest in the sense of I Love Bees. It is described as interactive, in that the circle is open. Everything is Creative-Commons licensed, and the creators invite everyone to play in the sandbox. "Play" invites "game", doesn't it? Let me fling out some terminology. Shadow Unit and Continuous Coast are ARFs: alternate reality fiction. "Alternate reality", again, in the ARG sense: that which spills out from the page and mixes and blurs into our reality. "This is not fiction." Web sites, stories, art, all lived in-character. (No relation here to "alternate history", the subgenre of science fiction that deals with what-if divergences of history. Sorry about that confusion. "Enhanced reality" and "ERGs" might have been a better term, back when the Beast and the Bees came along; but that spaceship has sailed.) I'm not trying to distinguish ARFs from games, in the broad sense. I'm just trying to distinguish it from the well-described category of ARGs. I don't care whether ARF is a "game" -- doesn't matter, it is play. People will interact to shape an experience that comes as much from them as from the original designers. Really, I want to drop a different division down the cloud, and say that an ARG is alternate reality interactive fiction -- the subset of ARFs which involve specific challenges for the players to defeat. We could even distinguish between multi-player ARIF and solo ARIF: imagine a game that's spread across web sites and in-character blogs, but which is sized for a single player to work through without help. (I don't know any examples of this, but I want to avoid wiring in assumptions.) Or maybe that's silly terminology, because it's all "interactive", ARFs and ARGs and journal games and the lot. We take for granted that alternate-reality presentations are participatory. The whole point of bleeding into your reality, right, is that you live in your reality. It wouldn't be AR if you weren't involved. Or, as Brown and O'Connell write: "21st-century storytelling blurs the line between canon and fanon." Damn. Now I want to go back and rebuild my lamented Myst Online from scratch, using these ideas. I knew they were missing something... Labels: arfs, args, continuous coast, mediators, shadow unit, steven brust Ads in flash games I play a lot of teeny little Flash games. These games are free and ad-supported. Therefore, they recapitulate the entire history of Web advertising, and we could repeat it right down the line in the comments, and maybe we will. I will try to short-circuit it with the following assertions. (Expletives have been BSGified for public consumption, but really, I wrote this with a lot of swears.) People frakking hate web ads. They hate banner ads, they hate pop-up ads, they hate them all. More people hate them with silent grumbling than by jumping up and down screaming "feldercarb!" but the hate is there. This is because they are noisy, ugly visual pollution which exist to drag your attention away from what you care about. Ad companies politely pretend this hate does not exist. They pretend they are presenting valuable relevant content in parallel with your web-browsing experience. This is a load of bat-dren, but it lets them sleep at night. Some people use ad blockers and such. This makes ad companies weep, and then you get the whole "You're killing the Web 2.0 economy! You are destroying the sites that you visit!" argument. This is right up there with the "Software piracy costs 250 billion dollars a year!" argument: there is a real concern there, but it is comprehensively snowed under by phony hysteria, which is to say, an ocean of decaying dingo's kidneys. The reason this is hysteria is that, even without in-browser ad blockers, people grow ad blockers in their brains very quickly. Ad companies sit around discussing "dwell time" and "optimal ad positioning" as if they weren't staring at the proof that everybody hates them, and discussing their strategies for making everybody suffer more by breaking their brains. Therefore, speaking as a consumer, I avoid lots of ads, and you can't make me feel guilty about it. No, not even if you're the game designer who makes money off the ads. I love game designers, you're awesome, kid, now shut up. How does this apply to Flash games? Well, we have lived through the following stages of the war: A game appears on a web page A game appears on a web page with ads around it An ad appears on a web page, and then turns into a game ...and then ads appear inside the game itself (between games, or even between levels) We hit stage 3 a couple of years ago -- managed by ad companies like Mochiads. We are just now hitting the point of stage 4. Rather than trying to make a moral or aesthetic argument about this progression, I will describe my rules for dealing with it. When I fire up a web page with a game, if I see a splash-page ad, I'm going to bury the window and wait for it to finish loading. I saw your ad, now I'm doing other stuff. I'll be back later. Sorry! If you show a loading progress bar with an ad above it, I understand. I'm not watching it load with glazed consumer eyes, but I get that you're making use of dead space. If you show a falsified loading progress bar, which ticks up for 20 seconds even after the game has finished loading, you're a frakking liar. This is not a moral argument about your ad, this is a moral argument about you. "You" meaning Mochiads. You're dishonest sleazeballs when you do this. Sorry! The only thing that blinks on my screen is the game I'm playing. Animation is an emergency signal. Misuse it and I'll resize the window to cut your ad right the frell off. Sorry! Honestly, a row of brightly-colored, high-contrast ads is pretty damn noisy even if they're not animated. I'll trim them off too. There's a reason that Google Ads are homogenous in style and blend with the overall page: it makes the page suck less. You can put an ad on the "click to start game" screen. Once I click to start the game, ad time is over. I'm playing a game now. The next ad I see is the end of the game. I mean that literally: the next time I see an ad, I shout "game over!" and close the window. No, I am not playing again. You lost fired me. If you can't make a living this way, I'll play other people's games. I'm fine with that. Yes, I do design games for free. Maybe someday ad technology will get so sophisticated that I can't play Flash games at all. Do you want to go there? No, don't worry -- I don't really expect it to happen. Web ad blockers seem to be in fine shape these days. So, if you want to try to go there, you're frakked. One way or the other. What does all of this boil down to? Seriously, this: web ads are an attention tax levied on the people who don't care about them very much. I care about them a lot, so I block a lot of ads (by various means). You cannot get me to start watching ads by making them more intrusive; you can only make me hate you more. So back the hezmana off and be happy with the (large majority) of ad-viewers you've got now. Most people aren't juggling windows around to avoid your dren. You don't have to yotz up the game experience itself to make your garbage-spreading cash quota. Labels: advertising, cranky, flash games Steve Meretzky speaks in Boston tomorrow This has been announced in many places around Boston, but just in case you missed it: Infocom star Steve Meretzky (Planetfall, A Mind Forever Voyaging, Leather Goddesses of Phobos, Hitchhiker's Guide, Spellcasting 101/201/301, etc) will be speaking at MIT on Monday. Monday, Oct 6, 6:00 pm MIT, Stata Center, room 32-141 This lecture is part of Nick Montfort's Purple Blurb colloquium. Labels: boston, interactive fiction, mit, purple blurb, steve meretzky They say you can blog about whatever you want, really. But I don't have a cat, and it's not Friday. So this is Irregular Holy Crap I Wish That Were My Life Wednedays. Jay Walker's private library -- article by Steven Levy in Wired The article is game-related only in that videogames, particularly adventure games, often have imposing libraries. Some of them even look this good. But in a game library, inevitably, there are only three or five books you can look at. Just occasionally, reality is better. I've been upgrading my own library, the past few days. But when I say "upgrading," I mean "I crammed in one more small bookshelf, plus a DVD rack, and then added a second lamp so that there'd be a little more light in the back." I didn't put in floating balconies and a Nuremberg Chronicle and a Sputnik. Nor is my apartment done up in a surprisingly harmonious mixture of wood inlay and fiber-optic glass. Maybe next year. Labels: books, link farm, off-topic Infocom sales figures Simon Carless at GameSetWatch tips us off to a crazy piece of geek trivia: an internal sales report of Infocom text adventures. Click for links to complete image scans. The watershed between the two documents is Activision's 1986 acquisition of Infocom. These scans were posted by Jason Scott as part of the research he's done for his upcoming Get Lamp documentary. I don't have a lot to add to the observations in the GSW column. Zork 1 was the biggest hit, and stayed strong throughout the company's existence. Hitchhiker's Guide was their second biggest game; then Zork 2, Deadline, and Zork 3. (But the Zork sequels never did half as well as the original -- a pattern echoed, for example, by the Myst series a decade later.) I am surprised by the relative weakness of Sorcerer and Spellbreaker -- the latter was hit by nasty stock returns in 1986. (Was there some marketing or distribution screwup there? A lot of the numbers in the '86 column look too small, even assuming the report was written partway through the year.) Contrariwise, Cutthroats was a bigger hit than I ever realized. Probably my biases towards fantasy and against "mundane" fiction are showing. Of Infocom's later games, Wishbringer, Leather Goddesses, and Beyond Zork were the strongest -- but Zork 1 and HHGG just kept on selling. And then there's Cornerstone, whose story I need not tell. Are these the numbers I should be trying to beat when I launch my commercial IF career into triumph? Heck, I don't know. Probably not. Even comparing the sales numbers from 1981, 1985, and 1989 is somewhat apples to pomelos, given the enormous expansion of the computer game market over that era. Today's market makes 1989 look like a grape -- and then it's split and split again (consoles, casual gaming, MMO gaming...) and merged with a dozen other industries (movies, cell phones, advertising...) If I imagine a successful IF career today, I see something that runs between casual gamers and reading/blogging devotees. (Yes, folks, people read on the Internet.) Hasn't happened yet, no. I'll let you know. Labels: infocom, sales, text adventures Rec Zarf some PS3 smack I noticed a few months ago -- I guess when the E3 PR wave was cresting -- that a new Silent Hill game was coming. Also a Prince of Persia game, and a Tomb Raider game, and now a God of War game, and this "Mirror's Edge" thing looks pretty slick, and it was about then that I realized that I was going to wind up buying myself a PS3 this Consumptimass. I had tried to avoid it. I have a PS1 and a PS2, but when Sony started piling on the screw-you features (I am not your blu-ray sales rep) I said "You know what? I'll pay a third as much, and ride out this generation of consoles on the Wii. The decent games will be cross-platform anyhow." As it as turned out, Tomb Raider was cross-platform. Everything else quietly receded into the distance. I played a lot of PC adventure games. So, okay, I'm getting a PS3. But I haven't been paying attention to the market. Two years' worth of games came out, and I don't know which of them are worth looking at. Time for me to trawl the minds of the Gameshelf Collective. What released PS3 games should I grab? Assume that I like action-adventure games -- the titles I mention above are a guide. I also liked the Soul Reaver series, Fatal Frame, Sly Cooper, Ratchet+Clank, Okami, and (inevitably) Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Beyond Good and Evil was decent but I wasn't bowled over like everybody else. I'm okay with the more fight-y action games like Onimusha and Devil May Cry, except that I'm not quite good enough to be their target audience (DMC3 was way the hell beyond me). Squad combat and shooters are not my style. That's a one-dimensional picture, so feel free to mention the quirky and weird as well. (I liked Rez and Katamari too.) What should I look for in the used-game bin? Labels: please comment, ps3, zarf Spooooooooore So Spore is out. Everyone I know is either playing it or talking about it. This includes people who do not play videogames. So to that degree, Will Wright has pwned the planet. As a gamer, the biggest discussion I see about Spore is that DRM argument. (Don't buy Spore (yet) says my friend peterb, and then goes on to talk about the completely terrible game experience that so many people are having. Boingboing inevitably picks up the topics, etc.) The notable statistic is the Amazon product page, which shows -- as I write this -- 1911 one-star reviews hating on the DRM, versus just 166 with higher ratings (two stars or more). For a game released four days ago. Now, I'm pretty sure this Amazon review thing is a stunt. No videogame gets that many reviews that fast. Katamari Damacy, a hit for the past four years, has just 244 reviews; The Sims 2 (the previous Will Wright megablast, also four years old) has 889. More importantly, Amazon reviews are notoriously a big pile of hooey. They're one step above Youtube comments, and you can find 1900 Youtube commenters willing to fart in five-part harmony just by turning over a rock and filming it. However, it's a valid stunt. Fred Benenson, an early commenter on this mess, calls it "dis-organized collective action". Nobody thinks 90% of Spore players are dissatisfied customers -- but the dissatisfaction with crappy usage restrictions has made a big visible splash this week. That will resonate with the vast silent majority of game players, who grumble about stupid policies but eat the shit sandwich because it doesn't usually affect most of them. And if this turns out to be organized collective action, hey, it's community organization. That's how stuff gets done. I have nothing to add about the Spore experience, because I didn't buy Spore. I bought the Spore Creature Creator -- the play-with-dolls part of the game, which was released a few months ago by itself -- because it seemed like a quirky idea and I wanted to support that. As it turned out, none of my computers can run the Creature Creator. (The Mac desktop isn't Intel, the Windows box has horrible sound-card pops, and the laptop is still on OSX 10.4.) One day I will upgrade the laptop, or the Windows sound drivers, and the thing will probably work then. Then I looked at Spore, looked at all the hoo-ha, and bought Spore Origins -- aka iPhone Spore. Ten bucks in the iPhone App Store. No activation codes. No three-machine limit. No being arbitrarily yelled at for being a thief. You download it, tap the icon, and you're playing a bacterium. Obviously the iPhone is not a DRM-free device. It is restricted up the wazoo. But Sporigins isn't any more restricted than any other iPhone app. I'm using it under the terms that I've already bought into. So, there's no resistance there. Similarly, I'm looking forward to playing Bioshock this fall. Bioshock was released using the same oft-maligned SecuROM copy-protection that Spore uses. I will bypass this -- legally -- by buying Bioshock for Playstation. DRM? Sure, but it's not infecting my computer with anything, and it's not making the PS3 any more broken than it is out of the box. So the hell with it. (This is not a blind "I don't care about DRM on iPhone/PS3" position. I will be able to play that copy of Bioshock for as long as I can find PS3s on eBay. That is an important criterion and I wouldn't buy a console without it. The iPhone is a less certain proposition, but the active jailbreaking community gives me some assurance that if and when Apple lets the iPhone drop by the wayside, I will be able to monkey my apps into it if I really want to. Or, more likely, into some kind of emulator.) Electronic Arts wants you to believe that your computer is broken out of the box. If they're right, you don't care about SecuROM, you don't care that your software doesn't work reliably, and you don't care that your game purchase is a rental. This is a political position which they will win or lose, depending on how many people they convince -- and how many people are convinced they are wrong. That's why a wave of Amazon reviews, stunt or not, is at the heart of the matter. Labels: bioshock, drm, iphone, securom, spore, sporigins Another forum game I've written a couple of short articles about role-playing games on web forums. (Including one game I ran myself for a few weeks.) The context of those posts was Myst fandom. But my original inspiration was a Harry Potter fanfic RPG called Nocturne Alley. I don't know how the thing got started; it only hit my attention at its end, in mid-2004. That was the culmination of a two-year arc of Livejournal posts. A group of people took the roles of characters from the HP books -- one each, and their real identities were not public. And the characters started keeping public journals. And commenting in each others' journals. And stuff happened. The game started in Hogwarts Year Five, I believe. (The fifth book was not yet out at that point, so they were working in as-yet-unmapped territory.) Naturally, being fanfic, it diverged rapidly from Rowling's plan. (Sirius and Remus wound up married. That sort of thing. Fanfic.) It was a long-running, collaborative performance which contained a wealth of detail and characterization. More detail, in fact, than anyone can possibly assimilate. There's no way you can read Nocturne Alley. I've linked to the LJ community page, and there's an indirect index too, but you'd spend weeks re-reading everything. This is an art form which, in an odd way and despite being online, exists only in real time. (A single link I found interesting: questions answered by an organizer, afterwards.) So why am I mentioning this now? Because Alternity has just started. This is a new Harry Potter game, and it starts from the beginning -- September 1, Harry's first day at school. Only not as in The Philosopher's Stone. In this scenario, Voldemort, er, won. As Lord Protector Marvolo, he controls England... and he's just sent his eleven-year-old adopted son Harry Marvolo to Hogwarts. The conceits of the game: It's in real time. Today is September 4th, 1991, game time. The first-years are in their fourth day at school. Christmas is Christmas, summer break is summer break, and -- at least in plan -- Alternity will run for seven real years. Journal posts are journal posts. The game consists of what people say in their (public) journals. There are no transcripts of what is "really" happening, unless a character chooses to write about it. Journals are public. (Voldemort's Ministry of Magic wants to encourage discussion that they can eavesdrop on.) One exception: the good-guy conspiracy has managed to set up a private conference. (Posts marked "Order Only" are presumed visible only to Order of the Phoenix members.) It is implied that the bad guys can do something similar. Naturally, first-year students are not trusted with such secrets, no matter how well-raised they are. Some announcements and public discussion appears on the community page, but most of the action will be on the friends page. Follow if you dare. (Well, that's easy to say. I don't know how much I'll be following myself. My daily net-reading habits are not set up to just add a stream of livejournal. I try to avoid passive reading; if I don't take action to go look, I don't see it. And seven years is a long time. But I'm interested in how these things run.) Labels: harry potter, hpalternity, livejournal, rpgs Myst news sizzling off the griddle I promised, didn't I? On the Myst Forums, from Chogon (Mark DeForest, CTO of Cyan): This is a small project that probably a very few of you know about. We are porting Myst to the iPhone. Ok, before some of you start groaning, this is an outside funded project that is keeping a few developers employed... but it is really more than that. It is an interesting and fun project. This is also a very small team with three of us (which includes Derek, Rand (not Randy) [Miller] and myself). The groaning, I assume, is because of the Nintendo DS port of Myst, which debuted a few months ago to an avalanche of held noses. (Someone was passing it around at the Myst fan convention I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. I didn't get a close look, but the disgust oozing from that side of the room was tangible.) So hopefully iMyst will be smoother. Other bits from that post: MORE - UruLive: The current focus is to get the servers back online and subscribers back in the game (in other words, launched!) before the end of the year. [...] Other projects: We do have a number of other projects that are suspended waiting for publisher approval or other outside funding. These range from a large epic multi-console game to smaller single console games with a number inbetween. All of the games are unique, artistic and have different aspects of exploration... and I can't tell you anything about them until they become active. on August 20, 2008 No comments: Race for the Piggy Blog regulars will be familiar with my attitude towards the New Hotness in games (of any sort). I hear about something cool, wonder vaguely if I should try it, hear about it some more, get told in strenuous voice that I must play it, avoid spoilers, hear spoilers anyway, procrastinate, and eventually -- after several months, perhaps -- I try it. It's a secret blogging strategy. By the time I post about something, all the obvious things have been said by everyone else, so I am forced to come up with clever and original observations. (Witness my post about Portal. Hint: I am lying about the secret blogging strategy.) There are of course exceptions; I have my fanboy obsessions. You will hear Myst news here still sizzling off the griddle. Text adventure technology, I'm pretty good about. (Text adventure games, I'm years behind on.) Nonetheless, I sat around for weeks while all my friends learned Race for the Galaxy, a card game designed by Thomas Lehmann. By the time I went looking for it, it was out of print. Then it reappeared, and all my friends bought it (except the ones who fanboy-obsessively had bought it on day one). But I still didn't play it with my friends. Why? Because I was on vacation at Worldcon, where, as it happens, my other friends all showed up with Race for the Galaxy, and so I played it a bunch. Clever and original observation: it's good! Okay, skip that. How about this: Race for the Galaxy is better than any other game I know at being Interstellar Pig. Interstellar Pig is, of course, the imaginary game in William Sleator's eponymous science fiction novel. If you spent your teenage years having the crap scared out of you by Sleator novels, you know it. If not, go read it. (Although House of Stairs is more brutal and The Green Futures of Tycho is better.) The game is described pretty well in the book. Each player is a member of a different alien race, travelling around the galaxy. Each player has the advantages and weaknesses of his species, plus an array of tools, technologies, and weapons -- some in hand, most hidden on various planets. One player owns (or has hidden) the goal object: the Piggy. Whoever holds the Piggy when the timer goes off is the winner. The hunt is on; duke it out. As given, Interstellar Pig is a lousy game. (No criticism; it serves its role in the story, and Sleator is a writer, not a game designer.) One player starts out ahead, knowing where the Piggy is hidden. Or one player starts with the Piggy, which should be a good strategy -- all you have to do is run away from everyone else. Several card combinations, and at least one single card, are described as unbeatable: if you have the deadly virus and its antidote, you can sit on the Piggy and watch everyone else die. The use of a timer is all wrong for a strategy board game. Even if you convert it to a more reasonable mechanism -- a fixed number of turns, or some sequence of game events -- the games described are too short. The most a player can do is run to one or two planets to retrieve tools, and then try to get to where another player is heading (if you can guess who knows where the Piggy is). You may not get there in time -- unless you hit a wormhole, which is pure luck, or unless you have the (rare, overpowered) teleport card. If you do get there, you may find the environment unsurvivable with the tools you've got. If the factors do not align, all your play and planning are irrelevant. You just lose. On the other hand, it's a great fictional game. And it has elements which are undeniably awesome. You get to be an alien, with powers and vulnerabilities which influence your strategy, and make each game a distinct experience. The game has lots of Stuff -- poisons, antidotes, weapons, protective gear, teleporters. The Stuff and the alien powers interact in interesting ways. Also, of course, it's set in outer space. So if Interstellar Pig, itself, is not the ideal real Interstellar Pig game, what is? Cosmic Encounter is an excellent choice. You are an alien race with an alien power! You're trying to conquer the universe! There's -- well, there isn't any Stuff per se, unless you count Flares. But I remember wandering through game stores when I was ten or twelve, staring with enormous eyes at the wonderful expansion sets full of alien powers and planets and moons. Now that was Stuff, in real life. It's a wargame with rule quirks, but the rule quirks -- the alien powers -- are so pervasive that you are constantly thinking in their terms. Your game identity determines how you see every move and skirmish. That's the heart of Cosmic; that's why I played it every weekend during college. This doesn't mean that other games can't be Interstellar Pig too. The Awful Green Things from Outer Space (as seen on The Gameshelf) is set in outer space; it has alien races; it has Stuff. (Pool cues and fire extinguishers!) It's a wargame clobberfest, rather than a hunt-the-prize game; but then Cosmic is clobbertastic as well. The Awful Green Things from Outer Space is, most importantly, awesome. Particularly when you're twelve. It's not a particularly awesome game -- lots of room-by-room fighting; I could reasonably describe it as Risk with Stuff. But the theme is so delightfully done, with little cartoon aliens and critters and a three-eyed blue chicken. It glows with personality. It's impossible to pick it up without imagining you're there, pelting aliens in the Ward Room with canisters of zgwortz. It has a comic-book prologue and a CYOA epilogue! Nothing about this is less than awesome, and that's why it is Interstellar Pig. And that brings me around to Race for the Galaxy. (Which I keep mispronouncing as "Rails Across the Galaxy", because Analog magazine was awesome too when I was twelve. But never mind.) It's quick. It's in space. There are alien planets; there are technologies to develop, which are Stuff, close enough. It's neither an egg-hunt nor a wargame, but a civ-building resource race, the favoritest genre of discerning modern strategy gamers. And Race is a discerning modern game, designed with a careful eye to balance and strategy. Which makes it entirely unlike Cosmic or Green Things, those gleeful triumphs of the "heave your every idea at the wall and insist they stuck evenly" school of game design. Why is it Interstellar Pig? For all the care and finickiness of Race's rules, they all support the theme. Take an bonus card for your brown planets. Reduce the cost of yellow planets by two. Keep an extra card when you draw. Each of these, as you combine them with other powers, evolves into a game strategy. And as you play, each game strategy evokes a story: you are the mining combine, you are the interstellar explorer fleet, you are the technological hothouse, you are the fearless archaeologists amid the Forerunner ruins. These roles aren't just labels for various suits of cards. Each has a different set of mechanics, and takes advantage of different rules. Theme emerging from gameplay, rather than painted on as "color", do you see? Nor are the roles assigned to you -- you figure them out. Select one, or part of one, or a mix of several; whichever fits your hand and your luck. That has always been the real root of interactive fiction: complicity. You care most about what you do. Which is why, as someone who hasn't been twelve for a few years now, I think Race for the Galaxy is awesome. Just like Interstellar Pig. (Although, I admit, not quite. To really be Interstellar Pig, you'd have to imagine that if you don't wind up with the most victory points, then all your planets explode at the end of the game. Now that's awesome.) Labels: awful green things from outer space, cosmic encounter, game design, interstellar pig, race for the galaxy More iPhone adventures A quick note: Craig Smith has ported Frotz to the iPhone. This means that you can play I am not kidding hundreds of text adventures, including all of mine. Frotz is a free download in the iPhone App Store. (It's a Google code project.) The app comes with a nice stack of games. (Including the famous Zarf games A Change in the Weather, Spider and Web, and The Dreamhold. Also the famous not-by-Zarf-but-he-shows-up game Being Andrew Plotkin.) But the really boss trick is that it lets you browse IFDB, directly from the Frotz app. Select any Z-code game, and it's automatically downloaded and added to your game list. Think of it as a mini App Store for IF -- only all free. (I really have to adopt some cover art for my games. I did a cover for Shade that I rather like. For the rest, I will go back and look at Emily Short's IF Cover Art Drive. There were some great contributions in there, but I never bestirred my butt to accept any of them.) iPhone Frotz is a 1.0 release, and I see some rough edges, but very small ones. The worst problem I've found is that The Dreamhold plays very slowly -- not every move, but when you do something interesting. This bothers me, because The Dreamhold is my shot at an introductory IF game -- it's designed to coach players who have never tried IF. I want it to run well. My current theory is that displaying italicized text is much slower than printing plain text. More later. (I forgot to charge Mr Shiny since getting back from vacation, and I should save what's left of the battery for, maybe, receiving phone calls.) Labels: adventure games, frotz, ifdb, iphone, quick links A Tale of Two Dwarves Now, here’s the thing about dwarves: they’re not like you and me. We wake up, we shower, we get dressed, we go to work, and while we’re doing all this, sometimes we get an idea. "I should write a cookbook that focuses on pomegranates," we think, and then we get out of the shower and towel off and we don’t write the book. ...from A Tale of Two Dwarves, peterb, on tleaves This sort of post needs no comment of mine, except to say that peterb is touched, sometimes. Own up to it. On the other hand, this does tie into a conversation I once had with a friend. My friend had spent many teenage hours playing old CRPGs -- The Bard's Tale, for example. This is no unusual thing among my friends. I did it. Lots of us did it. I finished The Bard's Tale with pages of obsessively notated graph-paper maps. And, possibly, some notes on how to give yourself a zillion hit points with a disk sector editor. My friend finished The Bard's Tale with countless imagined stories about how each bard and wizard and fighter had comported himself or herself in the game world. How brave or desperate each one was? How they worried about each other's wounds, how thrilled they were to be rescued or healed? Secret crushes, secret hatreds? I don't know; our discussion didn't get into these details. It sure as hell wasn't the game I had played. And so it is worth noting, as we game designers crouch in our forges, trying to weld together plot and conflict and resolution from our fragile rules and pixels, that occasionally we will look up and realize that the players have buggered off to play on the beach. Without us. on July 30, 2008 No comments: Labels: bard's tale, dwarf fortress, tleaves This past weekend, Boston hosted Mysterium, an annual convention of Myst fandom. I attended -- my first time -- and I had fun. Mysterium is the small end of the con scale; I believe about fifty people showed up this year. (In a week I'm off to Worldcon, population circa 5000.) What do you do with fifty gamers in Boston? The answer, it appears, is to caravan them off to play Tomb. Which is what this post is really about. No, I'm not going to blog about the salacious details of Myst fandom at play. There were chocolate chip cookies, let's leave it at that. Tomb is a thing. It's this -- thing. Ummmph. Nobody has a name for what Tomb is, because it's the first one. It's the lineal descendant of a cornfield maze, by way of Myst and out of a LARP -- but not so much real live-action role-playing games, as the SF version envisaged by Niven and Barnes in Dream Park. (Can I suggest "live-action interactive fiction"? That term makes sense if you know what IF is... which, okay, makes it a terrible term. Skip it.) Anyhow, I don't think it's an accident that Tomb's logotype is a direct swipe of Zork. Here is what Tomb is. After a brief orientation, you walk into a plaster-and-styrofoam Egyptian tomb. The door grinds shut behind you -- oh no! The Pharaoh's spirit speaks! He challenges you to solve his riddles or die! That's what it is. You are in an immersive fantasy environment -- stone walls, mysterious lights, sound effects, glow-in-the-dark symbols, fog. The construction will immediately remind you of a theme-park ride, except for two small details: you're not riding anything, and it's interactive. Solve the puzzles and you'll discover the secret of the Pharaoh's tomb. Fail, and -- well, I don't know; we didn't fail. Hah. But I'm told that you undergo a horrific death and leave through a side door. Feel free to buy another ticket and try again. Your group has a guide. (Our guide, Squ'ee, is shown here dealing with her sudden induction into Myst zoology.) The guide is responsible for herding you through doors, making sure you don't miss anything really obvious, and nudging you along if you seem to be stuck. A run is scheduled for 45 minutes -- it's in a sequence of rooms, so they can start a new batch every 15 minutes. I was impressed by the interactivity. It is, literally, hands-on; you are always feeling at tiles and buttons and moveable panels. You make things happen. There are some narrative tricks and traps, which I would never be so crude as to give away, but they were nicely designed; I felt like I was the one things were happening to. Many of the story events, such as the Pharaoh's voice, are pre-recorded. Others, as I said, are the guide telling you what to do. Interestingly, the pre-recorded ones had better pacing. At several points I thought the guide was too pushy -- pointing at the next puzzle before we realized that we'd solved the last one. The sense of triumph got stepped on. On the other hand, we didn't solve any puzzles purely by luck; so we got to feel triumphant anyhow. And how are the puzzles? This thing has been open for four years, and I've been living in Boston for three. I never visited until now, because, honestly, I heard the puzzles were kind of lame. Which they are, to a puzzle devotee. Tomb is built to be solved by most people -- not just by most gamers. If you've played three computer adventure games, you've seen most of Tomb's puzzles already, or puzzles much like them. (I believe we won in just over 30 minutes.) But -- I had a good time anyway. It's a social puzzle game, and that's more fun than sitting at home alone. You win or lose as a group. The puzzles are built as group activities. Even a puzzle that you've seen fifteen times before, which you can solve as fast as mouse can click (and I think you know which puzzle I mean), turns into a party game when the guide tells you to line up and make one move per person. Much cheerful yelling ensues. So, go with friends. I think they aim for ten people as the average group size. If you show up with twelve, you can reserve a tour all by yourselves; if you have fewer than eight, or it's crowded, you could get mixed in with strangers. I recommend not being mixed in with strangers. (The Myst group wound up being split into three tours of about fifteen each, which really was too many. Small rooms were crowded, and some people wound up on the sidelines of any given puzzle.) Moral and physical health guides: Tomb has darkness, fog, and bright flashing lights. Not strobe-flashy, but sensitive brains might still want to avoid it. Also, at one point you're exhorted to stand around chanting "All hail Pharaoh!" In good fun, but it was a bit of a "you know, this really is against some people's religion" moment. I promise that neither your guide nor your teammates will mind if you chant "Whatever, Pharaoh" instead. According to the web site, the operators are planning to swap out Tomb for a new, spy-themed adventure "in 2008". I have no idea if they're on schedule with that. I hope so, because I want to do another one. Labels: 5-Wits, boston, puzzle experience, Tomb Something I learned about Alternate Reality Fictio...	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1005
__label__wiki	0.756686	0.756686	Celeb Body Size home Biography Suroosh Alvi Bio, Age, Height, Family, Wedding, Wife, Net Worth, House Suroosh Alvi Bio, Age, Height, Family, Wedding, Wife, Net Worth, House Suman Adhikari Published On Tue Mar 26 2019 Modified On Tue Mar 26 2019 Facts of Suroosh Alvi Full Name Suroosh Alvi Profession Journalist, Host, Founder Nationality Pakistani-Canadian Birth City Toronto, Ontario, Canada Father Name Sabir A. Alvi Mother Name Sajida S. Alvi Filmography VICE Religion Shia Muslim Date of Birth March 19,1969 Body and Relation Status of Suroosh Alvi What is Suroosh Alvi marital status ? Married Pakistani-Canadian journalist Suroosh Alvi is world renowned for being the founder of Vice Media, a youth media brand which has branches and affiliations in more than 50 countries. To add to his journalism career he is also an executive producer who has produced films covering film, covering global youth culture, news, and music. He has produced some award-winning documentaries based on issues like conflict minerals in the Congo, and the Iraq War. Suroosh Alvi’s Biography Suroosh Alvi was born on March 26, 1969, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to mother Sajida S. Alvi and father Sabir A. Alvi. His father is a retired professor and his mother was also an academic. He is an Aries as per her birth sign. Regarding his ethnicity, he belongs to Mixed ethnicity and is Pakistani-Canadian by nationality. Alvi speaking at an event Alvi graduated from McGill University with a Ba Degree in Philosophy. He joined the university in 1987 and graduated in 1991. Suroosh Alvi’s Body Statistics And Age Age: He is 50 years years old as of March 2019. Height: His tall height makes him stand out in a crowd. Some other tall celebrities are Weight: Alvi has a healthy weight for his age. Eye Color: His eyes are Brown in color. Hair Color: Suroosh hair is Black in color. Suroosh Alvi’s Relationship History Alvi is a happily married man with a son; although he is a famous personality in the world of news and journalism, the name of his wife and son has not yet been revealed by him. The details of his marriage have also not been revealed to the public. Similarly, the details of his former relationship are not available in the media and public domain. Currently, he lives in New York City, New York with his wife and son. The family seems to live a happy life looking at his social networking sites. Suroosh Alvi’s Net Worth And Career Alvi has amassed a net worth of more than $400 million, which he earned from his career as a journalist and the founder of the internationally acclaimed news company, VICE. The company has branches and affiliations in more than 50 countries. But, he has not mentioned his house, cars, and other properties. Also, he has not disclosed about his exact salary. VICE officially launched in 1994 as a punk magazine but slowly became one of the premiere news portals in the world. It is known for its controversial and hard-hitting news reports that focus on terrorism and similarly controversial topics. In 2006, VICE expanded from magazine to news reporting, Alvi himself reported a segment on “Gun Markets of Pakistan.” He has hosted other documentaries such as one a multi-part series, the origins and impact of the world’s deadliest terrorist organizations: al Qaeda in Yemen, al Shabaab in Somalia, Boko Haram in Nigeria, the Tehrik-i-Taliban in Pakistan and the Islamic State in Iraq. VICE has also tried its hand in the music and film industry. Some of the clients include Snoop Lion, Action Bronson, Black Lips, Justice, Chromeo, The Streets, Bloc Party, and Death From Above 1979. The journalist and founder’s tenure has lasted more than 25 years. You May Also Like: Bio, Age, Height, Family, Wedding of Janai Norman, Olivia Presti, Jared Abrahamson, Kurt Iswarienko, Jennifer Westhoven Get the latest content right in your inbox. By subscribing, you agree to the Terms & Conditions. An American Internet Personality Dan Avidan Bio, Parents, Net worth, Career, Girlfriend, Songs, Album. Devin Brugman Biography, Relationship,Facts, Age, Height, Body Measurement Jessica Olsson Age, Height, Body Measurement, Bio, Wiki, Parents, Husband, Children Matthew Mario Rivera- Loving Husband of Kasie Hunt- Know Her Biography, Married, Wife, Net Worth, Salary, Nationality. Josh Winterhalt , Married, Wife, Net Worth, Movies and TV Shows, Awards Connie Britton, Married, Husband, Children, Biography Cuba Gooding Jr Biography, Net Worth, Movies and TV Shows Lisa Boothe Husband, Age, Bio, Fox, Net Worth, Dating, Boyfriend, Career, Salary, Family Ali Wong’s Husband Justin Hakuta Biography, Personal Life, Marriage, Career, and Net Worth! Josh Brolin Height, Net Worth, Movies, Wife, Married Kathryn Tappen Biography, Married, Husband, Net worth, Career, Divorce Ri Sol-ju, Age, Married, Husband, Children, Daughter, Family © Copyright Celeb Body Size `; $(this).attr('id', id); }); $('div#toc').find('div.list-item').html(htm); });	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1008
__label__wiki	0.916373	0.916373	Aussie racing industry pledges millions for retired horses Yahoo – AFP, 28 October 2019 The Victoria Racing Club said 10% of ticket sales from the Melbourne Cup Carnival and 5% of annual membership fees would go to fund retired horse welfare (AFP Photo/PAUL CROCK) Australia's racing industry on Monday pledged millions of dollars for the care of retired racehorses, as it scrambles to address the fallout from animal cruelty allegations that sparked a major outcry. National broadcaster ABC revealed this month that thousands of retired animals were being sent to abattoirs in secret, where many were allegedly beaten and abused before being killed. Racing Victoria said it would spend at least Aus$25 million (US$17 million) over the next three years to expand an existing program of rehoming retired horses and to create a new welfare taskforce designed to prevent cruelty to racing animals. The organisation's chairman, Brian Kruger, said it was clear the industry needed to "step up and do more". "It's incumbent on us to ensure our horses have opportunities for a rewarding life after racing," he told reporters in Melbourne. Separately, the Victoria Racing Club said 10 percent of ticket sales from the Melbourne Cup Carnival and five percent of annual membership fees would go toward a new equine welfare fund, which it is seeding with an initial Aus$1.5 million. About 300,000 people attend the four-day Carnival each year, with tickets to next week's prestigious Cup race costing $90 for a general admission pass and up to hundreds of dollars for exclusive packages. Liz Walker, the CEO of animal welfare charity RSPCA in Victoria, said the measures were a "good start" but did not go far enough. "It tends to be focused towards the end-of-life of racehorses and we would say they really have to go right back to the beginning, and we really do need to have that birth-to-death reporting and recording as well as injury statistics," she told the ABC. While the slaughter of racehorses is not illegal in Australia, the ABC investigation found the practice was far more widespread than acknowledged. The racing industry insists that less than one percent of retired thoroughbreds end up in an abattoir or knackery, but the ABC claimed about 4,000 horses "disappeared" each year, with meat from slaughtered animals being shipped abroad for human consumption and pet food. The Queensland government last week announced an inquiry into the treatment of horses at abattoirs in response to the revelations. Celebrations at Uluru after climbers permanently banned Labels: Animal Cruelty, Animal Rights, Australia, Circus, Consciousness, Horse, Integrity - Ethical, Old Energy, Slaugtherhouse, Sport, Truthful and Transparent 'Justice for Jerry': Runaway bull charms Croatia Yahoo – AFP, October 28, 2019 The bull, dubbed "Jerry", escaped from a Croatian slaughterhouse last Friday and has been on the lam ever since (AFP Photo/Thierry Zoccolan) Zagreb (AFP) - The plight of a fugitive one-year-old bull named Jerry has won hearts in Croatia after the animal escaped from a slaughterhouse last Friday and has been on the lam ever since. Charmed by the 650-kilogramme (1,433-pound) brown bovine's jailbreak, Croatians are calling for his life to spared. "Justice for Jerry" and "Hang in there Jerry!" read some of the comments rooting for the bull on social media. A cat-and-mouse game has emerged as police, veterinarians and hunters help search for the bull, who was nicknamed after the mouse in the iconic Tom and Jerry cartoon series. The bull's owner, Ivan Bozic, has pledged to save the animal's life if he is captured. "Since he managed to escape a certain death he will certainly stay alive," he told local media. The owner of the slaughterhouse, based outside the coastal town of Split, said he is still baffled at how the animal managed to escape. "I simply don't know how it happened. Apparently, pure force defeated technology," Petar Skejo told local media of how the bull appeared to have slipped out of a corral where cattle intended for slaughter are kept. He took off into the woods and was later seen by locals near a hill, but again evaded capture. "We wanted to catch him alive but when we approached him he jumped skilfully like a cat on a rock... and disappeared in the bushes," Skejo told state-run HRT television. One politician, MP Ivan Pernar, has also come out in support for the beast. "Jerry I wish you all the luck in the world," he wrote on Facebook. Labels: Animal Rights, Cows, Justice, Slaugtherhouse Rescued circus elephant Ramba arrives at Brazil sanctuary An elephant named Ramba that used to perform in circuses rests after arriving at the Brazilian Elephant Sanctuary (AFP Photo/Rogerio Florentino) Chapada dos Guimarães (Brazil) (AFP) - An Asian elephant that spent decades performing in South American circuses has started a new life in an open-air sanctuary in Brazil, after travelling thousands of kilometers by plane and truck from a Chilean zoo. Ramba's much-anticipated arrival at the 1,133-hectare (2,800-acre) Elephant Sanctuary Brazil in the central west state of Mato Grosso late Friday was broadcast live on Facebook and viewed thousands of times. The elephant, estimated to be more than 52 years old, worked in circuses in Argentina and Chile before she was rescued by activists in 2012. She was then kept in a roadside zoo in Rancagua, in central Chile, while her rescuers searched for a new home. Her ordeal left her with abscesses as well as kidney and liver problems. Ramba was flown to the Viracopos international airport near Sao Paulo on Wednesday -- a day before heavily armed gunmen raided the cargo terminal in a daring heist. She was then transported by flat-bed truck to the sanctuary in Chapada dos Guimaraes, which was opened in 2016 with the help of US-based Global Sanctuary for Elephants (GSE) -- the first of its kind in Latin America. Ramba joins two other female Asian elephants, Rana and Maia, also former circus performers. Videos of Ramba's road trip in Brazil were posted online. One shows her munching on watermelons in a metal crate on the back of a truck. Ramba was accompanied by GSE chief Scott Blais as well as a veterinarian, volunteers and Brazilian federal police. "Ramba needs a quiet place, one where she feels safe and is not on display, where she is surrounded by others of her kind who truly understand her and can help her to open her heart fully," Blais said in a statement. "She needs sanctuary." Labels: Animal Cruelty, Animal Rights, Brazil, Circus, CITES, Consciousness, Elephants, Sanctuary, South America, Veterinarians, Zoo Kim's horseback ride spurs policy shift speculation Analysts say Kimg Jong Un's horseback hike may signal a new policy direction for the nuclear-armed North New pictures of Kim Jong Un riding a white horse through a winter landscape to the summit of Mount Paektu, a sacred peak for North Koreans, have fuelled speculation that the young leader may be set for a major policy announcement. The images released by the official KCNA news agency were accompanied by a gushing text, that noted the "noble glitters" in Kim's eyes, and labelled his snowy, horseback ride "a great event of weighty importance" for the nation. Accompanying officials were left convinced that "there will be a great operation to strike the world with wonder again and make a step forward in the Korean revolution," the agency said. Pictures of Kim Jong Un riding a white horse through a winter landscape have fuelled speculation that the young leader may be set for a major policy announcement Analysts said the hike may signal a new policy direction for the nuclear-armed North. "In the past, Kim has climbed Mount Paektu ahead of major political decisions," said Shin Beom-chul, an analyst at the Asan Institute of Policy Studies. Kim hiked to the peak in December 2017 before launching diplomatic overtures that led to his first ever summit with US President Donald Trump. But negotiations have been gridlocked since a second summit between Kim and Trump collapsed in February and the North has been raising tensions through a series of missile tests. The official KCNA news agency described Kim Jong Un's horseback mountain ride as 'a great event of weighty importance' for the nation The sight of North Korean leaders riding white horses across snow-capped peaks – and in particular Mount Paektu - have been a dominant theme of past photos, posters and portraits of Kim's father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung. According to B.R. Myers, a professor at Dongseo University in South Korea who specialises in North Korean propaganda, the images present an imperial motif of a leader protecting the cultural and ideological purity of the nation from corrupt, outside forces. Kim also visited the site of a giant construction project in nearby Samjiyon county, KCNA reported, and blamed US-led international sanctions for his country's hardships. Kim Jong Un also visited the site of a giant construction project in Samjiyon county, KCNA reported "The situation of the country is difficult owing to the ceaseless sanctions and pressure by the hostile forces and there are many hardships and trials facing us," Kim was quoted as saying. North Korea is under multiple sets of UN sanctions for its nuclear and missile programmes. Pyongyang and Washington restarted working-level talks this month in Sweden only for it to quickly break down, with the North blaming the US for not giving up its "old attitude". North Korea tested this month what it said was a submarine-launched ballistic missile that marked a "new phase" in its capabilities -- the most provocative in a series of weapons tests it carried out since 2018. Moon's posted two pictures of the pooches, one of them showing five furry white pups cuddled on Moon's lap with the sixth in the first lady's arms Doggy diplomacy: S. Korea unveils newborn Northern pups Pyongyang gifts dogs to S.Korea's Moon Two dogs, aged around one year old, were given as a gift to the South Korean President Moon Jae-in (AFP Photo/Handout) Labels: Consciousness, Dogs, Horse, North Korea, Peace, Pets, South Korea Aussie racing industry pledges millions for retire... Rescued circus elephant Ramba arrives at Brazil sa... Kim's horseback ride spurs policy shift speculatio...	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1009
__label__wiki	0.891097	0.891097	28-May-2015 8:38 PM Allegiant navigates pilot unrest as it records healthy profits and works to achieve growth targets Uncertainty over Allegiant Air’s 2015 growth has become clearer now that the US FAA has ended a heightened surveillance period of the airline’s operations due to labour unrest among the company’s pilots. With the lifting of the heightened surveillance, Allegiant can start planned new service and add aircraft to its operating certificate. FAA ended the extended surveillance period after Allegiant won an injunction against its pilots that prohibits flight crews from striking. Pilot discord has been simmering for a variety of reasons as it appears that little progress has been made in reaching a new collective bargaining agreement. Obviously the injunction does little to alleviate pilot discontent. But it does give Allegiant an ability to press forward with its growth, which on an ASM basis is projected at 15% to 18% for 2015. But the threat of a strike is having a small, lingering effect on the airline's 2Q2015 unit revenues. Allegiant's pilot dispute is complex, but mainly centres on scheduling The dispute between Allegiant and its pilots is complex, but basically centres on the adoption of a new scheduling system in Jul-2014 that pilots believed violated “status quo” as the two sides have been negotiating a new contract. Pilots at Allegiant are represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. In Jul-2014 a court ruling concluded that while Allegiant’s move to a preferential bidding system was a status quo violation, the judge allowed the airline to continue using the system after Allegiant convinced the court that switching back to the line bidding scheme would be disruptive. However, the judge ordered Allegiant to modify the system to “better respect pilot seniority and to provide greater transparency and predictability for the pilots”. The court also required that Allegiant submit status reports every thirty days on the progress of the modifications. The court recently stated that Allegiant did modify its monthly scheduling system with regard to the interface pilots use to create their bids. But pilots argued that they were not timely or sufficiently consulted about the changes, and also contend that Allegiant is in violation of the Loss-of-Medical-Certificate programme. Allegiant pilots also are unhappy with how the airline prioritises “Must-Fly Days”, according to court documents. Basically the pilots believe that the way those days are scheduled does not completely honour pilot seniority. A strike threat is averted, but a new pilot agreement seems far off In early Apr-2015 Allegiant’s pilots threatened to strike, and the company won a temporary restraining order preventing flight crews from striking. Following the temporary restriction on striking, a court in early May issued an injunction prohibiting Allegiant’ pilots taking strike action. After the injunction was issued, FAA opted to stop a heightened period of surveillance it had initiated during the labour unrest. The lifting of the restriction now allows Allegiant to undertake new route launches and add new aircraft to its operating certificate. But the two sides appear to remain far from reaching a new collective bargaining agreement. In Apr-2015 Allegiant CEO Maurice Gallagher stated that pilots and management had not participated in a bargaining session in roughly six months “and we obviously can’t get a deal done if you’re not talking”. Mr Gallagher remarked that Allegiant wanted to resume bargaining. Allegiant in Apr-2015 also said it was giving its pilots a 5% to 7% raise that would take effect on 1-May-2015. The company outlined the raises as it posted a nearly 90% jump in 1Q2015 earnings year-on-year to USD64.9 million. On an annual basis, Allegiant has posted largely healthy profit growth since 2008, with a high of USD93 million in 2013. Its 2014 profits fell to USD86.7 million, but were still favourable. Its operating margin for 1Q2015 jumped 13.9ppt to 32.8%. Allegiant Air's annual profits: 2008 to 2013 Source: CAPA - Centre for Aviation and company reports Several factors are driving down Allegiant’s 2Q2015 unit revenues, including pilot issues Although Allegiant has averted what could have been a disruptive pilot strike, the strike threat is having some lingering effects for the airline as one of the factors driving down its forecast 2Q2015 revenue performance. Allegiant’s total passenger unit revenue per available seat mile (TRASM, which includes ancillaries) was flat year-on-year in 1Q2015, and is projected to fall 8% to 10% in 2Q2015. Company senior vice president of planning Jude Bricker stated some of the factors contributing to Allegiant’s unit revenue decline have no relation to the demand environment, including the pass through for the increase in security fees that became effective in Jul-2014. Allegiant also shifted from a debit card discount to a credit card surcharge, which is neutral or accretive to its operating margin, but decreases unit revenues. Those two elements are reducing 2Q2015 unit revenues by roughly 4ppt. Overhang from the strike is also affecting 2Q2015 unit revenues by about 1% due to some refund policies Allegiant utilised during the risk of a strike. “In a demand neutral environment, we would be down about five percentage points in TRASM,” said Mr Bricker. Allegiant plans double digit capacity growth, but remains a small player in the market The remainder of Allegiant’s 2Q2015 unit revenue decline is healthy capacity growth forecast at 16% to 20%. Mr Bricker stated that the growth is largely driven by additional aircraft in its markets and increased utilisation. Allegiant also has a larger number of new markets ramping up in 2Q2015 versus the year prior, with roughly 11% of its ASMs stemming from markets in operation under six months compared with 2.5% in 2Q2014. During May-2015 Allegiant is launching service from Tulsa, Raleigh-Durham, Akron-Canton and Omaha to St Petersburg/Clearwater and from Cincinnati and Akron-Canton to Savannah/Hilton Head. The airline is also adding 11 Airbus narrowbodies in 2015 and retiring a single MD-80s and one Boeing 757 for a net addition of nine aircraft. Seven Airbus narrowbodies are scheduled for delivery in 2016 and two MD-80s are scheduled for retirement. Allegiant’s A319 fleet is growing from five as of 31-Mar-2015 to 17 at YE2016. Mr Bricker noted there was particular softness in terms of sourcing aircraft, particularly with the A319. United Airlines recently brokered a deal to lease 11 A319s from Aercap as it works to revamp its regional fleet to phase out 50-seat jets. Allegiant has also just brokered a deal to acquire three used A320s set to enter service in 3Q2015. Allegiant Air fleet projections: YE2015 and YE2016 Source: Allegiant Air Allegiant is forecasting capacity growth of 15% to 18% year-on-year for 2015, and Mr Bricker concluded that long term, its fleet growth should level off to seven to eight aircraft per year, which would produce mid-teens ASM growth. It seems like hefty growth for the US market place, but Allegiant is a small, truly niche player whose business model is not a threat to the majors, or LCCs. Allegiant differs from ULCCs in that it is a low frequency airline that for now operates older aircraft and offers more comprehensive travel packages. Although the airline is entering some larger markets such as Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. Its core business remains linking small destinations like Huntington, West Virginia with low frequency service to leisure destinations in Florida, Las Vegas and California. Allegiant and Southwest’s challenge: achieve meaningful goals in pilot talks As CAPA has previously observed, US airlines are in an unprecedented period of profitability, increasingly provoking labour to chase its "fair share" of the success. Both Southwest and Allegiant are experiencing pilot tension with Southwest’s pilots organising a strike preparedness committee. Labour negotiations are sensitive and complex, but a strike risk is disruptive to both operations and customers. There are few if any examples where a pilot strike has led to a win-win outcome and almost as few win-lose outcomes; the norm is for lose:lose. Most US airlines recognise that favourable labour negotiations are paramount to sustaining their profitability. The challenge is both sides feeling as if they achieve meaningful goals in negotiations, which for some airlines at the moment is not being resolved easily. See related report: The US airlines’ new era profitability offers a new basis sustainability. What will unions do?	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1011
__label__wiki	0.717555	0.717555	The Rise of Kids Tech Overview With a generation of kids growing up not knowing a life without tech, the tech and toy industries are joining forces to meet the needs and desires of this young market. Robin Raskin, Founder, Living in Digital Times The next generation of kids is “tech fluid,” according to Living in Digital Times (LIDT) Founder Robin Raskin. Raskin, a technology trends writer since the 1980s who has contributed to and been featured in major outlets, has led LIDT to look at the intersection of lifestyle and technology, producing a number of conferences at CES and other events. As CES 2020 rounds the corner, Raskin provided some insider perspective into what’s new and upcoming in the kids tech space. Kids’ ability to seamlessly move between and merge non-tech and tech has changed the way tech is presented, from lowering prices to incorporating it into traditional toys. Technology is only becoming more widespread, and as kids grow within the digital world, parents have needed to change their expectations and purchasing trends. The kids tech industry is excited to see Toys “R” Us plan a comeback and a transformation into an interactive space. With parents apprehensive about purchasing tech toys without experimenting with them first, spaces like Tru Kids’ anticipated play areas will allow for tech toy companies to showcase their products in a hands-on environment for kids and convince parents, who will be making the purchase. Experiential play places are also giving kids and young tech enthusiasts the opportunity to play with augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR). “AR makes sense to kids,” said Raskin of restaurants and airports that include AR/VR experiences. “For many kids, public spaces will be the first place they experiment with mixed realities.” Kids are also expecting a tech component in every toy, whether it’s a sensor that brings the toy alive when you approach, a voice activation, or an app that extends play life. The STEM Promise The focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education — also including arts, in some approaches, and referred to as STEAM education — continues to exhibit healthy growth with companies vying to prove that their products and services are in line with this future-focused trend. “STEM and STEAM education is paramount for the parents investing in the skills their kids need for a 21st century education,” Raskin said. “It’s a bright spot in the kids tech market.” Like video games that use building blocks digitized by an app, or robotic toys that allow kids to learn coding and decide the movements of their own toys, toys are being reimagined from traditional products that parents are used to from their own childhood. Though parents are concerned about screen time, these products — particularly those with a physical aspect along with the digital tech, like building blocks — have proven that parents are willing to spend money on tech for a reason. The next generation of kids is tech-fluid. Robin Raskin Founder, Living in Digital Times Seeing Themselves with Tech Part of the integration toward a digitized childhood is kids’ interest in being part of the content. The merge between tech and lifestyle happens in platforms such as TikTok, where the younger generation can be creators and consumers by developing their own content. The trend toward personalization of kids’ products may have started with headphones and accessories, but it’s bound to continue. Tech companies focused on kids should keep in mind the personalization of products to appeal to kids, moving away from tech for tech’s sake and building a more authentic connection with these younger audiences. “Kids love Alexa, but would they love her more if she had changing hairdos or eyeballs?” Raskin explained. “Maybe in the future, you’ve got to be able to say ‘Alexa, what’s up?’” Tech-Savvy Parents As more millennials become parents, tech toy companies are faced with convincing tech-knowledgeable parents to add the right tech to their playtime. These are parents who have started using smart home products to help monitor their child’s screen time and whereabouts. They’ll also use them to connect intergenerationally and spawn a relationship between kids and grandparents. As the tech toy market rises and continues to grow, companies must learn to produce and market reasonably priced tech toys that capture kids’ imagination and sense of whimsy without breaking parents’ pocketbooks. Living in Digital Times at CES 2020 See how Living in Digital Health is showcasing tech in daily life during CES 2020. HighTech Retailing Kids@Play/Family Tech Summit Wearables Tech Summit You May Also Be Interested In ... What to Expect: New for CES 2020 Read more arrow-black 8 Entertainment Tech Trends	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1013
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__label__cc	0.596153	0.403847	Super-Blog Team Up – The ’90s Revisited: The Death of the Mighty Mutanimals Posted on July 19, 2017 by Walt Welcome to my first-ever post of something larger than just my own posting in a near-vacuum! I was recently added to the Super-Blog Team Up, a group of bloggers who occasionally unite to thoroughly cover a topic or theme in a way that no blogger can do alone. This time around, the topic is one that has become all-too common and relatively meaningless in comics: death. There are a number of other blogs that are part of this, and I’d invite and encourage you to check them all out–both for their "tie-in" posts like mine is, but also for the indiviual flavor and content of the individual blogs. It’s quite a mix, and being in such great company has led me to try to really "up" my game with my own participating post below! The earliest days of the 1990s… After several new mutant/animal characters were introduced in the pages of the Archie-published Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures title, they were eventually brought together as their own team, and spun off into their own mini-series. We went from this ad: …to the premiere issue of the title: …The Mighty Mutanimals title took on a storyline that had been building in the pages of TMNT Adventures and following these other characters (and Raphael) as they fought the villainess Maligna, and ultimately stopped her invasion of Earth. The characters decided they’d worked pretty well together, and decided to stick together as a group. Thus, we then had the ongoing series of the same name. Over the course of the series, we saw them following Jagwar’s mother on the Path of the Four Winds, as she’s been interrupted by an avatar of Death. The Mutanimals catch up to, and the story reconnects with, the ongoing TMNT Adventures title for the United We Stand three-parter. This story puts the turtles and the Mutanimals against the avatars of the Apocalypse: War, Famine, Pestilence…and Death. The story sports a 3-panel image spread across the three different issues…at the end of getting the three-part story, one has the entire image and the entire story! From there, we’re introduced to the villainous shark Armaggon, setting the character up for The Future Shark Trilogy in TMNT Adventures. The team then re-encounters Captain Mossback, a figure Man Ray had faced in the past with the turtles…and then Slash returns, and seems to somewhat have his story resolved. Surprisingly (to me at the time) that Slash issue turned out to be the final issue. I didn’t much follow "solicitations" and the like, though I’d occasionally get an issue of Advance Comics to check out upcoming DC and Marvel stuff. But I found out that The Mighty Mutanimals was ending when I read the note in issue #9 stating that it was the final issue. Solidly into the ’90s… Not long after that, I learned that the Mutanimals were getting a "backup series" in the main TMNT Adventures title, and looked forward to it. The backup spanned the run-up to #50, and the return of some characters from earlier in the series. I remember having no idea how long the team would run as a backup, but figured as long as they were continuing, things would be ok. I was NOT all that enthralled with the new villains they were facing. They were very much "typical ’90s villains" and seemed to essentially be caricatures of a sort, playing off the "grim ‘n gritty" wave of characters of the time. We were introduced to Waster, Fist, Dead-Eye, and Lynch…who were (literally) gunning for the Mutanimals. Over the course of the backup, the Mutanimals finally got a headquarters, aided by the future-versions of Donatello and Raphael (who’d been introduced in the Future Shark Trilogy)…and of course, faced these new villains. Though a challenge, the villains were defeated…but matters became worse with the return of old foes Scul and Bean. Managing to defeat Scul and Bean (having learned a bit since their initial run-ins), the Mutanimals were not prepared for the ambush from the thought-defeated Gang of Four. The seven-issue backup series ended with these three pages: I remember thinking at the time that ok, this sucked, but we’ve got the time-traveling turtles, who seemed to have little trouble coming back in time, so surely they could fix things, despite their surprise at coming back, expecting to find the Mutanimals alive, but instead slaughtered on the beach. Of course, it’d be hard to work their time-travel magic fixy-stuff if they didn’t survive Slash, who had made his way to the site to see what was going on, and on finding the Mutanimals dead, assumed the turtles (standing over the bodies) were the culprits. This ending led stuff back to the main story in TMNT Adventures with the three-part Terracide story. Terracide dealt with the death of the Mutanimals, the turtles (future and present) finding their friends murdered, as well as the revelation and confrontation with the responsible parties! And dark as the Mutanimals’ backup series had been and wound up…it was sort of odd at the time seeing just how dark the main TMNT Adventures got with facing the heavy topic of such death and destruction…particularly of major characters! TMNT Adventures #55 opens with a scene that begins pulling the main TMNT story to the path of the Mutanimals’ story, while Future-Raph and Future-Donnie deal with the immediate situation of the deaths of their friends. The turtles and Slash are interrupted by the arrival/return of Candy Fine, who witnessed the death of the Mutanimals. They get the story from her (and this basically covers the run of the backup stories). A bit of time passes, as the future-turtles, Slash, and Candy bury their friends’ bodies, and continue to mourn and reel from the shock of this unexpected loss! They leave the island, and end up meeting up with the present-day turtles, Splinter, and Ninjara. The entire group runs afoul of the Gang of Four, as well as another old foe, behind the villains and posing quite an epic threat in and of himself: Null! In typical form for comics in an age where collected editions were pretty rare and still a new-ish, unusual-ish format…there was plenty of exposition even within chapters of the same story, in a way that would be pretty unheard of with modern comics. Continuing into the second chapter of Terracide in TMNT Adventures #56, we get another sort of re-telling of the Mutanimals’ backup series: This was the sort of thing that grabbed me, that made the story seem epic and ripe with potential. Yeah, the Mutanimals were killed…but some villain’s messing with the timeline. That means time is being messed with and as such, perhaps could be undone, and at the end of the story, after some hard-fought battle, Time itself would be restored and the Mutanimals would be alive again to carry on. After all…they wouldn’t really be killed off completely and permanently, would they? Later in this issue, Mondo’s girlfriend encounters a live Mondo Gecko…the villainous Null messing with her. He gives her a hellish vision, of the Mutanimals suffering and burning in hell: This image was a two-page spread, and quite possibly one of THE most disturbing, disquieting, uncomfortable images of the entire run of TMNT Adventures and The Mighty Mutanimals for me. While Null escapes with Candy, the turtles and Ninjara manage to defeat the Gang of Four in a darkly permanent fashion. Despite having–to a large degree–"won" or achieved vengeance for their murdered friends…Null escaped ,and must still be dealt with. The team splits up–which leads into the following story (this was also a time in which there were subplots and developments that would lead to larger stories, small things and large weaving in and out…but that’s a topic to get into in some other post). In TMNT Adventures #57–Terracide part 3–we find that once more, Null was not working alone. Once more, he has allied with Maligna! And thus, the entire Mutanimals saga basically comes full circle. The characters were brought together, formed a group, became the Mutanimals while stopping Maligna’s initial invasion attempt of Earth. Now the alien insect queen is back, and it is ultimately she who arranged for the Mutanimals’ deaths! Pretty dark, a villain(ness) winning on such a grand scale. But perhaps also effective in raising the stakes, showing just how dangerous she truly is (if not how flat-out lucky the Mutanimals were the first time dealing with her), and story-wise, allowing that much more a sense of stuff in the need to defeat her. The turtles and their allies fight valiantly, but in the battle, Maligna’s ship is stalled, and headed right for the sun…they’re not even sure if they’ll escape. But Slash refuses to join them. After seeing his own world destroyed, after all he’s been through, and his rather recent "redemption" and allying with the Mutanimals only to see these new friends unceremoniously killed, he stays behind to buy the time the turtles and friends need to be capable of escape. Slash is killed ensuring Maligna and her allies cannot escape. Though the Mutanimals are gone…the orchestrators of their deaths are also taken off the board. Some measure of justice or revenge or what-have-you. Impacting the ’90s…and Me On the subject of death in comics, there’s plenty out there on a number of topics. Add to that that I wanted to pick a topic that I hadn’t really seen specifically covered anywhere, for my participating this first time in the Super Blog Team Up. I realized that offhand, I’d virtually never seen/heard reference to the Mighty Mutanimals by anyone else in general/casual comics discussion, and "the concept" of the Mutanimals has been somewhat redone in recent years. Actually, their being redone has unfolded twice–once in the soon-to-end TMNT animated series from Nickleodeon, and the current ongoing comics from IDW. And a recent arc in the main TMNT book that involved the new iteration of the Mutanimals actually (for a moment as I read) gave me a slight "flashback" to the ’90s iterations’ deaths as I wondered if they were basically killing the group off in the current continuity. (Spoiler-ish: they didn’t, at least in that one). So with that stuff on my mind, I chose my topic, and here we are. But what does/did it all MEAN? Well, offhand, my initial response would be that their deaths didn’t really seem to mean much of anything, back in the ’90s…Not in the grand scheme of things, not outside of anyone reading Archie‘s TMNT Adventures, anyway. I don’t think I’ve ever seen reference to the Mutanimals’ deaths in any "death list" from the ’90s…I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen any mention of them in regards to the "effect of the ’90s" on comics…heck, outside of TMNT-specific sites and message forums, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen them mentioned, or any of their comics covered, etc. The death of the Mutanimals certainly never overtly–that I am aware of–particularly inspired anything or caused any great ripples or garnered any specific attention or referencing. So now, a quarter-century later…I am doing it. I am referencing them, and this, and devoting one of (if not THE) largest blog post I’ve ever written to the topic. I was introduced to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the fall of 1988…around the same time that I was introduced to comics (but that’s another story for another time). I resisted at first, but eventually "gave in," and then EMBRACED the concept…from the cartoon, to the toys, to books, comics, cereal, the movies, everything. I have some somewhat conflicting memories–of a lot of little elements in a relatively short time span remembered after over 25 years and 3/4 of a lifetime. But this isn’t where I talk about my history with the turtles. This is my history with the Mutanimals. Discovering Man Ray / Ray Fillet I had a birthday party at a local skating rink, and I think that might be where I was given Ray Fillet, one of the more "random" characters that I didn’t actually know anything about at the time other than what was printed on the card of the figure. I also remember several "storybooks" of the TMNT, including one called A Fishy Adventure. This one was a story about the origin of Ray Fillet, mutated from marine biologist Jack Finney, and his first encounter with the turtles. I would later learn that it had the same story as one of the comics–an issue of TMNT Adventures. Nicely enough, said issue was the start of that series’ diverting from merely adapting episodes of the cartoon into a continuity all its own. I also got an issue of this color TMNT comic series at a flea market called The Red Barn that my aunt had worked at. I lacked plenty of context of the series–it was #17, and I don’t think I had (yet) read any other issues, except maybe #8 and possibly #11 that a friend had had. But this issue had the turtles, as well as April and a character that looked like Ray Fillet, but in the comic was called Man Ray. Discovering Mondo Gecko I distinctly remember arguing with a friend over the pronunciation of Mondo Gecko’s name. "Mondo Geh-koh" vs. "Mondo Geek-oh." I was adamant it was "Mondo Geh-koh," largely due to one of my earliest memories in life involving toddling out to the kitchen for a drink of water and being startled by a gecko running across the front of the fridge. I don’t know if I had the figure yet and the argument arose from the pronunciation then and there, in which case I’ve crossed memories with Ray Fillet; or from talking about the character because it appeared on the back of the card for Ray Fillet. But I was interested in and wound up with/had Mondo Gecko. I vaguely remember the character appearing in an episode of the cartoon, but moreso I remember the issue he first appeared in in the TMNT Adventures series–#18–being one of my earliest "priced" back issues, bought for around $5 at Capp’s Comics (4+ times cover price) at a time when most new comics topped out at $1.50. Discovering Leatherhead I’m pretty sure my earliest memory of Leatherhead is his appearance on the cartoon, bullying the "Punk Frogs," and sporting an awful cajun-ish accent that makes Gambit sound like Frank Sinatra…and a quasi-catch-phrase of "I guarantee!" I also remember the character’s figure being rather awkward and crouched over and far less "upright" the way most other characters’ figures were. There was another "storybook," I believe TMNT: The Fight for the Turnstone, that had a completely different version of Leatherhead in it…one in which the character was an ALLY of the turtles rather than a villain, and had apparently started out as a human and was magically changed into a gator-man, rather than an alligator mutated to humanoid form. I also remember an image of the turtles fighting a giant alligator creature from a calendar my aunt got me (for the art, I think it was from the year before…I still have several of the pages, now framed and hanging as wall-art). I learned that this other version of the character (from the Mirage/original comics) was quite different from either version I’d encountered. I got TMNT Adventures #6–that version of Leatherhead’s first appearance–from a bargain rack at Comics & Collectibles, another of my earliest "specific back-issue purchases/finds" in my earlier days of being "into" comics. Discovering Wingnut and Screwloose It may well be deja vu of some sort, but I do consciously (now) know that Wingnut and Screwloose were in The Fight for the Turnstone along with Leatherhead and various other characters. Thinking back to as early as I can remember, I’m pretty sure that I first encountered these characters in TMNT Adventures #8 that a friend had, where I read their origin. I also remember another friend (that I’d argued with over Mondo Gecko) having the Wingnut action figure that came with a miniature Screwloose, much as Muckman had come with Joe Eyeball, or several other characters came with "sidekick" like characters…except that "Wingnut and Screwloose" were more "named" and went together in a way that a lot of others (outside of Muckman and Joe Eyeball) did not. The comics version was not much like the action figure in appearance–they were recognizably the same, on the surface, but not having the figure myself, I saw the comic version as quite different. And much like with Leatherhead, I remember their being part of the Turnstone story in that storybook, which I later learned was based on an issue or two of the TMNT Adventures comic series. Discovering Jagwar and Dreadmon Jagwar and Dreadmon were slightly later introductions for me, I believe I "met" them in the TMNT Adventures 1991 Winter Special, which reprinted the Mighty Mutanimals mini-series in a single issue. I later learned of their "origin issues" and got those for about $5 each, much like with Mondo Gecko’s appearance, from the "priced" back issues bins. I don’t remember their playing MUCH of a recurring role in TMNT Adventures the way Leatherhead or Man Ray did…I mostly recall them AS Mutanimals characters. Discovering Slash Slash is one of the earliest villain characters I remember getting from the toy line, after Rocksteady, Bebop, and the turtles themselves with Shredder, Casey Jones, and April. At the same time, remembering getting into the toys right at the height of their major popularity, it’s possible that I actually had Slash BEFORE the four turtles themselves! I distinctly remember rummaging through pegs and pegs of figures with Dad at the local Toys R Us (which is still there, as of this posting) and him wondering if the character might be popular for also being a turtle. I then recall the character in TMNT Adventures, from my first "off the spinner rack" issue of the title, #25; and sometime after "backtracking" to his encountering the turtles in #24, before eventually getting back to #23 at whatever point I got that issue. I believe I saw the character also on the cartoon, though right now I don’t remember if that would’ve been before or after the comics. I do remember Mutanimals #9 with Slash’s return, and then the character’s involvement in Terracide, as well. Winter Special 1991 – TMNT Present: Mighty Mutanimals – Invasion from Space Several months after getting TMNT Adventures #25, I found a thick TMNT comic on the spinner rack at Waldenbooks, along with what turned out to be the final chapter of a multi-issue story in TMNT Adventures #30. The Winter Special starred The Mighty Mutanimals, and was an EPIC story of Raph and Mondo Gecko stowing away in villainous aliens’ ship and facing Maligna in her hiveworld, while Man Ray, Jagwar, Dreadmon, Leatherhead, and Wingnut and Screwloose dealt with Malignoid insect creatures eating the rain forest and such. I remember reading this thick issue and seeing pretty clearly the issue breaks, and "sensing" that these were like three issues (despite being one big issue). Of course, I later learned I was correct, when I discovered the three-issue Mighty Mutanimals mini-series. I also got the first issue of the ongoing series when that came out–it was RELATED TO the TMNT, and was a #1, so…yeah! Unlike the monthly TMNT Adventures, the Mutanimals title was a somewhat bimonthly book, not actually having a new issue every month. It eventually had a crossover issue with two TMNT Adventures issues in the 1992 story United We Stand (mentioned earlier). I have a memory of a family vacation to Niagra Falls, and finding TMNT Adventures #36 and Mighty Mutanimals #4, and making the conscious decision at that point that I’d have to "give up" collecting the turtle figures to keep up with the comics, and WANTING to keep up with the comics more, enjoying their stories and such. I remember reading in the letters pages about the possibility of a Mutanimals cartoon and being excited at that prospect…and the disappointment when not only did that not come to pass, but that the Mutanimals series was ending at #9, perhaps to return if anything would ever come of a cartoon, but that was that. I somewhat recall being disappointed when the then-new backup feature started in TMNT Adventures, at how few pages they got, and that it wasn’t even a full "short" story, but just a few pages of some longer story. I enjoyed that we had some new villain characters for them, and that the "future turtles" Don and Raph were involved, and the Mutanimals were getting an HQ…it seemed ripe for a long-lasting "backup" that could lead to a new series and all that. I was completely shocked when the end of the latest chapter of the backup in TMNT Adventures #54 saw the characters shot and blown up–killed–in what would be the final "backup" feature (though that story was shifted to the primary for the three-issue Terracide arc). Given the presence of the time-traveling Raph and Don, though…I know I’d THOUGHT they’d pull something outta all the time-travel stuff and wind up saving the Mutanimals…but they didn’t. We learned of Null and Maligna’s return and through the time-travel turtles that the Mutanimals were "fated" to die and such, and that they couldn’t be saved. I was horrified at these deaths. These characters that I’d come to know in a way, that I’d gotten to read their debut "new" and follow their ongoing series from #1 (back then, a new #1 was actually a special thing!) were a pretty big deal to me. Sure, they weren’t the turtles themselves…but they’d all premiered in the pages of the TMNT Adventures title, and had been spun off into their own title, and even back then I had fond memories of the characters. It always stuck with me, the Mutanimals having been suddenly and without much warning machine-gunned down, then blown away with a bazooka. No fancy last words, no long-winded death scene, no real goodbyes, no cover proclamation that In This Issue: Everybody Dies!…just suddenly the characters were actually shot ‘n killed, and that was that. While I followed the TMNT Adventures for a few more issues…I actually missed an entire 4-issue arc, and there were only 15 issues of the title at all after Terracide, so this was sorta the "last, big event" of that title. With the Mutanimals gone, it was like the "heart" of the universe went with them. I eventually came to learn that the Mutanimals were killed off because the creators figured they’d have more impact that way. [Though the only ‘source’ I could find was this forums.thetechnodrome.com post that suggests they were killed out of anger is the closest I’ve found to an actual source to the statement, though I’m sure I’d seen something in some comic or book somewhere else in the last couple years.] In my searching, I did stumble across a blog from Steve Lavigne and Ryan Brown with a wealth of cool Mutanimals stuff, as well as another blog that seemed to be from Ryan Brown on the Mutanimals. And there was a great TMNT Entity post about the cartoon that almost was. At the time, I lumped the death of the Mutanimals in with the rest of the ’90s and such, as it came about when it seemed like killing off major characters was the "in thing" TO be doing in comics. Important as the Death of Superman and Batman: Knightfall were to me as a kid, I think the Mutanimals’ death was the most shocking. I don’t recall it being at all advertised ahead of time–it just happened. Then Terracide was another dark story, and not what I "expected" of the series. I also have to wonder, in retrospect, at the impact on me with the TMNTA series itself…I got Terracide, and the 2-part story of them rescuing Michelangeo, and the Cyber-Samurai Mutant Ninja Turtles 5-parter. But I completely missed a 4-part story involving Ninjara, and don’t remember if it was when I got that story that I also got the final couple issues of the series, or if I had gotten the final couple issues when they first came out, just having missed/skipped the previous four issues. But in a lotta ways, the Mutanimals were largely the "heart" of the TMNTA universe beyond the core turtles. They started out as "mutants of the month," new characters created/introduced to give some "story" to action figures concepts (or so it may have seemed at the time); but they also fleshed out and populated a wider TMNT Universe and ongoing saga that was rather definitive for me as a kid…and TMNT Adventures lasted more issues than ANY other TMNT series to date, though IDW‘s run is going to surpass it next month. In the last couple years, it’s been "interesting" seeing some of–or some form of–the characters brought back in IDW‘s main TMNT title. I especially remember (a couple years ago) a scene in one issue with the new iteration of Slash with Mondo Gecko that made me smile…AND inspired me to cobble together a quick image I’d posted at the time, highlighting my "joy" at the revival of an old but familiar concept: It was also interesting seeing the concept incorporated into the 2012 Nickelodeon TMNT series as well. I even just earlier this year acquired Leatherhead and Wingnut & Screwloose for the first time ever, "completing" my set of the classic action figures versions of the Mutanimals. But while I’m enjoying seeing the new iterations of the various characters, there’s a part of me that doesn’t exactly want to "accept" them. After all, they’re NOT "my" Mutanimals. "My" Mutanimals died in 1993, some 24 years ago. Though I think the IDW iteration of the Mutanimals is already rivaling (if not surpassing) the longevity of the originals, it’s still a different concept to me. That said…there’s such a history to the Mutanimals as a group and individual characters that I catch myself mentally shifting some of that to the new versions of the characters. And then over the course of the time I spent thinking about this topic, re-reading stuff, researching, and generally planning and procrastinating the actual writing of this post…two more TMNT issues came out, and each re-introduced an old, familiar character in a new way! The main TMNT title introduced the IDW iteration of Jagwar in #71…while TMNT Universe #11 introduced the IDW iteration of Dreadmon! So while I have mixed feelings even there…it was a joyful evening to read those issues, and cool timing with me working on stuff for this post, and even manages to make me feel a bit "old" realizing how long it’s been and simply that I’ve been around long enough to see this come to pass. But despite the ’90s, despite their deaths, despite it not seeming to impact much outside the TMNT sphere of direct influence…it’s apparent that the characters work, that they’re remembered, that they’re worth bringing into the contemporary TMNT universe/continuity…and that they matter. I could keep going on and on…but I need to end this post somewhere. I’ll certainly be revisiting much of this in the future, once I get back to my TMNT Revisited project/posts, covering the Archie TMNT Adventures issue-by-issue…including the Mighty Mutanimals issues. For now, please check out my fellow bloggers and their posts, participating in this latest Super-Blog Team Up! Also look for the Twitter posts, and any other social media chatter with this project or their blogs! #RIPSBTU, #SBTU, #SuperBlogTeamUp Chris is on infinite Earths: Death Of Supergirl Crapbox Son Of Chthulu : Death Of My Love For Marvel Comics In My Not So Humble Opinion: The Death Of Galactus Longbox Graveyard: Death Of Captain Marvel Between The Pages: I Have Been and Always Shall Be Your Friend Coffee and Comics: Superman: The Man Who Murdered The World Superhero Satellite: Death of a Collectors Passion. A redemption story Unspoken Decade: UltraVerse: Future Shock Retroist: These Pirates Of The Caribbean Models are to die for! Comic Reviews by Walt: Death of the Mighty Mutanimals Filed under: 2017 Non-Review Posts, 2017 Posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT, QUASI-REVIEW CONTENT, Super-Blog Team-Up, The '90s Revisited, TMNT Adventures Revisited \| Tagged: archie, Archie Adventure Series, Dreadmon, Jagwar, Leatherhead, Maligna, Man Ray, Mighty Mutanimals, Mondo Gecko, Mutanimals, Ninja Turtles, Null, Ray Fillet, RIPSBTU, SBTU, Screwloose, Slash, Super-Blog Team-Up, SuperBlogTeamUp, Terracide, TMNT, TMNT Adventures, Wingnut \| 9 Comments » TMNT Revisited: Mighty Mutanimals (mini-series) #3 Posted on January 11, 2017 by Walt Ride of the Ruthless! Script: Dean Clarrain Pencils: Ken Mitchroney Inks: Mike Kazaleh, Brian Thomas Letters: Gary Fields Colors: Barry Grossman Cover: Steve Lavigne, Ken Michroney Edits: Scott Fulop, Victor Gorelick Published by: Archie Comics Cover Date: July 1991 In classic comics style, we open on a full page split by the issue’s title–Ride of the Ruthless–that starts us where we left off, recapping the end of the previous issue AS we move into this one. On Earth, the Mutanimals fight the malignoids…Cudley carries them to Dimension X as they’re knocked out. On Maligna’s ship, Raph and Mondo Gecko are being drenched in honey to be eaten alive. The ship arrives in the Amazon where the Mutanimals have just defeated the batch of malignoid warriors. Scul and Bean jump into things, while a horde of malignoid ships spew forth from the mothership to terrorize the entire planet. Kid Terra rescues Raph and Mondo, while the Mutanimals defeat Scul and Bean…though they can’t do anything about the army of ships that flew right past them. Maligna finds the escaping trio, and Kid shoots one of her antennae off, bringing her up short. Should she lose the other, the Hive-Mind will be no more, and that’s far more important to her than the Earth, so she surrenders and recalls her army and leaves Earth. While the Mutanimals, Raph, and Kid take some downtime after their ordeal, we see that Null has escaped as well and thus is still out there. And finally, everything has been broadcast by Stump, likely boosting the ratings quite a bit for this “event.” Though this is another Mitchroney-penciled issue, we have yet another inking team, giving this issue another varied look from the previous two. It’s not horrible or anything, and Grossman‘s colors provide a bit of consistency within the framework, but it’s noticeable and I’m not entirely thrilled by it. I suspect a large part of the reason for this was to get the job done and the issues out in a timely fashion, as this was running concurrently with the ongoing TMNT Adventures title (specifically issues 20-22, I believe). The story itself seems to come to a bit to convenient an end and I don’t recall there being any real repercussions explored in terms of this invasion having happened (or at least begun). There’s hardly any mention of being sure that Maligna’s gone for good or even any reason for her to not blast our heroes the moment she’s away from Kid’s guns…and her vow to return when least expected flies in the face of any honor-system for leaving. But that’s certainly the adult me analyzing this where stuff worked just fine as a kid reading the story. Things were epic and huge and important because the characters talk of them being so, and I wasn’t thinking about external factors or ways to apply the story to worldwide real-world sensibilities. I certainly enjoyed this more as a kid, but appreciate it quite a bit now as an adult. I do look forward to getting back to the main TMNT Adventures issues, but also the return of the Mutanimals in their own book. Raphael guest-starred in this moreso than anything else, I think, to have ‘a Ninja Turtle’ involved to “tie” this to the TMNT for anyone who “had to” have and read anything TMNT-related but who otherwise wouldn’t care about the Mutanimals themselves. While expanding on and then tying up the “loose end” of Maligna, this series also allowed a great reason for so many strange characters that were previously in drastically different places to be brought together in one place and giving them a “home” outside of individual random guest-appearances. This also allowed for more story in a short span of time, with double the number of TMNTA-continuity issues to be out without double-shipping the main title itself (twenty-some years before “double-shipping” was a “thing” and it was simply standard for a single series to have one issue per month). All in all, the Mighty Mutanimals mini makes for a good read and I certainly have enjoyed re-visiting this story and period in TMNT history. Filed under: 2016 posts, 2016 Reviews, The '90s Revisited, TMNT Adventures Revisited \| Tagged: Adventures, archie, Archie Adventure Series, Archie Comics, Barry Grossman, Bean, Brian Thomas, Comic Reviews, comics, Dean Clarrain, Dreadmon, Gary Fields, Jagwar, Ken Mitchroney, Kevin Eastman, Leatherhead, Maligna, Man Ray, Mondo Gecko, Ninja Turtles, Null, Peter Laird, Raphael, Ride of the Ruthless, Scott Fulop, Screwloose, Scul, Steve Lavigne, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, TMNT, TMNT Adventures, Victor Gorelick, Wingnut \| Leave a comment » Posted on January 6, 2017 by Walt Under a Big Black Sun Clean-Ups: Marlene Becker Inks: Art Leonardi Letters: Mary Kelleher Cover: Ken Mitchroney, Steve Lavigne The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had hardly been around in publishing existence for seven years when this was published. Looking back, it’s been TWENTY-FIVE years since this story was published. Time certainly flies. We open with an establishing shot of Maligna’s insectoid-head-looking ship, then cut to the interior where the malignoid that shot Cudley down returns and “briefs” Maligna herself…and she promptly rewards it with a “kiss”–killing it/eating it. On Earth while Man Ray, Jagwar, and Dreadmon contemplate the fallen Cudley, they’re attacked by Leatherhead, Wingnut, and Screwloose who believe they’re threatening the downed cowlick. While they fight, the alien caterpillars have moved to a cocoon state, leaving the group to ponder what’s next. On Maligna’s ship, Null gloats, and unbeknownst to him (and Scul and Bean) Kid Terra notices Mondo’s skateboard, and sneaks off to return it, allowing Mondo and Raph to remain undetected. After Null & Co. leave to await an audience with Maligna, Raph and Mondo explore and find a chamber of empty exoskeletons of malignoids, and realize they can use them as a disguise. Back on Earth, deciding not to burn the cocoons, the group awaits whatever emerges. Jagwar details his origin around their campfire, followed by Dreadmon detailing his own. Wingnut and Screwloose return, pointing out the now-hatched malignoid warriors. On Maligna’s ship, Mondo and Raph have unknowingly backed into the queen herself, who quickly defeats the two, ordering their removal before re-setting her sights on the Earth that she believes is nearly hers. This is an interesting middle chapter of this 3-issue mini. Unlike the original TMNT mini that crammed 5 episodes’ story into 3 issues with weird break-points, this actually IS a true 3-part story with appropriate breaks. We learn more about Maligna and her culture–through her getting info from her malignoid warrior and then killing it, as well as how the warriors come to be. We have the first meeting between some of our star characters…and the obligatory fight sequence (the ridiculousness noted by Cudley and seeming some clear commentary from Clarrain on typical superhero stuff of the time). And of course further development of Kid Terra in that we see he’s really not on-board with his employer, having come to see what Null is actually up to. And in the midst of all that, though we’d had some background info on Jagwar and Dreadmon before, we get a fuller origin treatment here. Though the title Mighty Mutanimals refers to mutant animals (and I’ve referred frequently to the “mutant of the month” of the characters’ introductions) many are not mutants in the sense that the turtles are; they were transformed by other means, and I’m not sure that “mutated” is quite the proper verb for ’em. On the whole, the art struck me as a little odd in this issue, and I was actually surprised to see that this IS another Mitchroney issue. I suppose I should be safe to attribute that to Becker and Leonardi on clean-ups and inks…while the underlying pencils are familiar designs, having others (whose work I’m not used to) working over them, it makes sense there’d be a different finished look. Despite it being noticeable, it’s not too bad. That I notice the difference makes me realize I definitely prefer Berger’s inking to this. Despite not being entirely to my taste…this issue’s look brings back memories, of my original readings of the story, and that’s a definite positive, overriding any negative I notice now as an adult with more than a decade between present and the last time I read this. As a single chapter, this works well for me, bridging the introductory stuff of the first issue and the story’s end next issue; as well as filling out the origin for the characters who had not yet had that treatment. I have fond memories of this incarnation of the Mutanimals, and beginning with this story and its close tie to the main TMNT Adventures title as well as the characters all having been introduced in that title, I find this story and the characters themselves an integral part of TMNT history, as they through this are an integral part of my own memories and understanding of the TMNT mythology. Filed under: 2016 posts, 2016 Reviews, The '90s Revisited, TMNT Adventures Revisited \| Tagged: Adventures, archie, Archie Adventure Series, Archie Comics, Art Leonardi, Barry Grossman, Bean, Comic Reviews, comics, Dean Clarrain, Dreadmon, Jagwar, Ken Mitchroney, Kevin Eastman, Leatherhead, Maligna, Man Ray, Mary Kelleher, Mondo Gecko, Ninja Turtles, Null, Peter Laird, Raphael, Scott Fulop, Screwloose, Scul, Steve Lavigne, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, TMNT, TMNT Adventures, Under a Big Black Sun, Victor Gorelick, Wingnut \| Leave a comment » TMNT Revisited: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #13 Posted on December 7, 2016 by Walt The Final Conflict Plot: Dean Clarrain & Ryan Brown Clean-Ups: Buz McKim Inks: Dan Berger Cover: Steve Lavigne, Ken Mitchroney Cover Date: August 1990 Anymore, a thirteenth issue would seem a bit more special than it was even made out to be in the ’90s. Twelve issues is typically a single year, and a fairly standard-ish length for a “maxi-series” or such. Thirteen begins the second year of publishing, meaning a book has lasted past that first year. Of course, the TMNT Adventures book started out roughly bimonthly before eventually moving to a monthly schedule, so 13 isn’t all that significant…except that (sure, it’s a “stretch”) a lot of non-basic-network tv shows seem to be 13 episodes to a season/series, and I really like the analogy and have come to stick with the notion of looking at this comic series as a progression of “seasons.” This is a “fun” issue…and certainly not the most standard of things the way it opens. Despite the cliffhanger of the previous issue–the turtles and their allies surrounded by Maligna’s insectoids–we spend the first several pages of this issue with Stump and Sling (the Intergalactic Wrestling promotors/hosts) going live with a broadcast, filling their viewers in on recent events (basically, TMNT Adventures #12), clarifying who the “players” are, and then throwing us (the reader/viewers) into the action. While fighting the warrior children of Maligna, the turtles and allies realize that they’re being filmed…they’d agreed to another wrestling match for Stump, but rather than a repeat of the previous time it seems they’ve actually agreed to be filmed fighting for the Turnstone. Wingnut and Screwloose take off, though they wind up getting to make trouble for Shredder, Bebop, and Rocksteady. Leonardo and Trap find they have different notions of what works in battle, and Leatherhead finds himself hurled out of the arena in what turns out to be a fortuitous–if not predestined–turn of events. Maligna’s warriors are defeated, though Krang blasts the arena, scattering the victors before taking off. Meanwhile, Leatherhead finds the Turnstone, and manages to summon Cherubae. Seeking answers, he asks her WHY she transformed him, and she suggests that it was to ensure he’d be here, to be in the right place at the right time to get the Turnstone before Krang. Leatherhead hands the Turnstone off to her, and she brings the conflict to an immediate end, banishing the villains and arranging for everyone to return to where they’re going…as well as ensuring the Turnstone will cause no further problems. This is another Mitchroney-art issue, which I have no problem with. I definitely appreciate his designs for the characters, and I like the look. This also adds a consistency carrying over from the previous issue, giving a little bit more of a unified whole to the story than “just” a couple of single issues that happen to carry a continuation of story. The story itself–the writing–for me is probably at its best so far, as we’ve gone from “mutant of the month” to a more unified continuity involving characters beyond just the four turtles. We wouldn’t have the characters we do here if there hadn’t been some of those “mutant of the month” issues and foundations put down, though. The previous issue suggested a difference in Bebop and Rocksteady from their cartoon counterparts (and even from the earlier issues of this series that adapted episodes from the cartoon). This issue does what it seemed the cartoon would never do (I know it sort of did eventually): resolve Krang, Shredder, Bebop, and Rocksteady’s story, taking them off the board. Bebop and Rockstead are sent to a world of animals where they can “run free” amongst ’em…and their reaction seems to confirm that in this continuity, they ARE mutated animals rather than mutated humans. Shredder is sent to prison–presumably the Turnstone’s nudged reality to account for the logical process of having Oroku Saki behind bars and not cut loose the moment someone realizes there’s a random extra person amidst their prison population. And Krang is banished to a toxic waste dump world. Thus, without KILLING any of them, these primary antagonists known from the cartoon are effectively removed from their place of threat, leaving the board clear for the turtles to move on without constantly facing these four. And that’s certainly another thing I enjoyed here–getting to see a resolution, much as a season finale, combined with the fact that I do know what’s to come, and that the turtles get plenty of adventures NOT involving Shredder being a problem. This certainly could have served as a series finale, but thankfully the book continues, as we really get to see more development of these characters’ world while learning of the real world at the same time. Though this series is collected in primarily 4-issue chunks at present (and in the ’90s 3-issue chunks), it’d be great to see a larger collected volume with the 9 post-cartoon-adaptation issues thus far as a single piece. Filed under: 2016 posts, 2016 Reviews, The '90s Revisited, TMNT Adventures Revisited \| Tagged: Adventures, archie, Archie Adventure Series, Archie Comics, Barry Grossman, Buz McKim, Cherubae, Comic Reviews, comics, Dan Berger, Dean Clarrain, Gary Fields, Ken Mitchroney, Kevin Eastman, Krang, Leatherhead, Maligna, Ninja Turtles, Peter Laird, Ryan Brown, Scott Fulop, Screwloose, Sons of Silence, Steve Lavigne, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Final Conflict, TMNT, TMNT Adventures, Turnstone, Victor Gorelick, Wingnut \| 2 Comments »	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1034
__label__wiki	0.51524	0.51524	Open Today: 08:15 - 19:05 0151 709 4560 Great Charlotte Street, Liverpool, L1 1QR Home Find Us Occasionally stores will vary their trading hours, particularly during evening trading, so please call if you are making a special journey to shop at an individual store. Wednesday 25th December – CLOSED Wednesday 1st January – CLOSED Standard Trading Hours We’re ideally situated less than 10 minute walk from Queen’s Square Bus Station, and you can find up-to-date information on bus services to and from Liverpool at: www.merseytravel.gov.uk www.traveline.org.uk Clayton Square sits directly opposite Liverpool Central Train Station, which is a station well connected to the rest of the UK. Virgin Trains provide a fast service from London Euston, which takes 2 hours 11 minutes. The Northern Line, which stops at Central Station, brings people from John Lennon Airport, and Liverpool Lime Street Station is just a 2-minute walk away, too. For details of the many trains that run in and around Clayton Square, here’s all the info you need: www.nationalrail.co.uk Live Departure Times / Liverpool Central Southport 12:38 On time 2 Merseyrail West Kirby 12:40 12:43 3 Merseyrail Hunts Cross 12:43 On time 1 Merseyrail Chester 12:45 On time 3 Merseyrail Ormskirk 12:47 On time 2 Merseyrail Kirkby 12:50 On time 1 Merseyrail New Brighton 12:50 On time 3 Merseyrail Ellesmere Port 12:52 On time 3 Merseyrail West Kirby 12:55 On time 3 Merseyrail Join the M6 Motorway from Preston heading south, sign-posted Birmingham, and transfer to join the M62 westbound at Warrington (junction 8). Follow the signs to the end of the motorway (Rocket flyover). Continue straight ahead onto Edge Lane, sign-posted city centre (A5080) and continue for three miles towards the city centre. At the junction, follow the two lanes turning left and keep to the right-hand land as it merges with another lane. Continue ahead with Liverpool Women’s Hospital on your right and continue into London Road for 0.5 miles. Join the M6 Motorway from Birmingham heading north, sign-posted Preston, and transfer to join the M62 westbound at Warrington (junction 8). Follow the signs to the end of the motorway (Rocket flyover). Turn left at the sign for Lime Street Railway Station and St Johns Shopper’s Car Park (Clayton Square is next to St Johns). Follow the signs for 0.5 miles until reaching St Johns Car Park. To access Clayton Square Shopping Centre from the car park, use the lifts on levels 1A, 2A or the stairs on levels 2 or 3 to descend to the ground floor of St Johns Shopping Centre. Clayton Square Shopping Centre is situated opposite the St Johns Entrance. Liverpool Central 1 Heathfield Street L1 4EF 2 Hours Stay – £2.00 L3 2BA The Liner Hotel Lord Nelson Street L3 5QB St Johns Shopping Centre 10 St George’s Place L1 1LQ Q Park L1 1RH Liverpool Lime Street Station Being that we’re right in the heart of Liverpool City Centre, we’re very easy to find. We’re directly opposite Liverpool Central Train Station and just a stone’s throw from Liverpool Lime Street, too, so you can get to us easily from all over the UK. The Northern Line, which stops at Central Station, brings people from John Lennon Airport. Address: Great Charlotte Street, Liverpool, L1 1QR Visiting Clayton Square The centre is easy to find – we’re right in the heart of Liverpool City Centre Great Charlotte Street L1 1QR Mall Retailing & Brand Partnerships © 2018 Clayton Square Shopping Centre. All Rights Reserved. Website by OnBrand	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1037
__label__wiki	0.612329	0.612329	Cancer Therapy: Clinical Pilot Study of Vaccination with Recombinant CEA-MUC-1-TRICOM Poxviral-Based Vaccines in Patients with Metastatic Carcinoma James L. Gulley, Philip M. Arlen, Kwong-Yok Tsang, Junko Yokokawa, Claudia Palena, Diane J. Poole, Cinzia Remondo, Vittore Cereda, Jacquin L. Jones, Mary P. Pazdur, Jack P. Higgins, James W. Hodge, Seth M. Steinberg, Herbert Kotz, William L. Dahut and Jeffrey Schlom James L. Gulley Philip M. Arlen Kwong-Yok Tsang Junko Yokokawa Claudia Palena Diane J. Poole Cinzia Remondo Vittore Cereda Jacquin L. Jones Mary P. Pazdur Jack P. Higgins James W. Hodge Seth M. Steinberg Herbert Kotz William L. Dahut Jeffrey Schlom Purpose: Poxviral vectors have a proven safety record and can be used to incorporate multiple transgenes. Prior clinical trials with poxviral vaccines have shown that immunologic tolerance to self-antigens can be broken. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and MUC-1 are overexpressed in a substantial proportion of common solid carcinomas. The primary end point of this study was vaccine safety, with immunologic and clinical responses as secondary end points. Experimental Design: We report here a pilot study of 25 patients treated with a poxviral vaccine regimen consisting of the genes for CEA and MUC-1, along with a triad of costimulatory molecules (TRICOM; composed of B7.1, intercellular adhesion molecule 1, and lymphocyte function–associated antigen 3) engineered into vaccinia (PANVAC-V) as a prime vaccination and into fowlpox (PANVAC-F) as a booster vaccination. Results: The vaccine was well tolerated. Apart from injection-site reaction, no grade ≥2 toxicity was seen in more than 2% of the cycles. Immune responses to MUC-1 and/or CEA were seen following vaccination in 9 of 16 patients tested. A patient with clear cell ovarian cancer and symptomatic ascites had a durable (18-month) clinical response radiographically and biochemically, and one breast cancer patient had a confirmed decrease of >20% in the size of large liver metastasis. Conclusions: This vaccine strategy seems to be safe, is associated with both CD8 and CD4 immune responses, and has shown evidence of clinical activity. Further trials with this agent, either alone or in combination with immunopotentiating and other therapeutic agents, are warranted. immune monitoring poxviral vector Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is overexpressed in the vast majority of gastrointestinal cancers and in a substantial proportion of lung, breast, and other types of carcinoma. MUC-1, another tumor-associated antigen (TAA), is overexpressed in the vast majority of gastrointestinal, lung, breast, and ovarian cancers. An effective vaccine that targets both of these TAAs could be a therapeutic agent for a wide array of common solid tumors. Previous clinical trials using vaccines directed against MUC-1 or CEA individually have shown safety and ability to generate immune responses (1–7). We have incorporated these two TAAs in a poxviral vaccine strategy. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that immune responses to TAAs encoded by vaccinia plateau after one or two vaccinations due to neutralizing antibodies (8, 9). However, avipox vectors such as fowlpox are replication defective and do not make viral coat proteins within mammalian cells. They therefore induce little to no neutralizing antibody response, allowing for a progressively better immune response to TAAs encoded by the vector (4). Poxviral vectors containing TAA have been shown to overcome immunologic tolerance to self-antigens. Two vectors, vaccinia and fowlpox, have been engineered to express both CEA and MUC-1, with a single amino acid substitution in each gene designed to make the gene product more immunogenic (5, 6). The use of agonist epitopes within the TAA has been associated with clinical responses (7, 10, 11). Vectors directed against multiple TAAs may evoke additive or synergistic immune responses and could play an important role in overcoming antigenic escape variance. These vectors have also been engineered to express a triad of human T-cell costimulatory molecules called TRICOM, which is composed of B7.1, intercellular adhesion molecule 1, and lymphocyte function–associated antigen 3. Preclinically, TRICOM vectors have been shown to generate higher numbers of TAA-specific T cells and to greatly increase the avidity of those cells (12). These high-avidity T cells can efficiently kill tumor cells, which translates into greater antitumor responses than with the identical vaccine strategy without TRICOM (13). These vaccines are given in a diversified prime-and-boost strategy that has proved to be superior to single-vector strategies at generating immune responses, which may translate into improved clinical responses (4, 14, 15). In addition, each vaccine is given with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, which in previous studies has not been associated with significant toxicity and has been shown in numerous preclinical and clinical trials to enhance primary immune responses due to enhanced antigen-presenting cell (APC) efficiency (4, 16–19). The dose, route, and schedule of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor are designed to induce migration of dendritic cells to the vaccine site and subsequent maturation of the dendritic cells. Previous studies have shown that poxviral vaccine strategies can be used safely in patients with advanced cancer, can overcome immunologic tolerance, and have been associated with clinical benefit in some patients (7, 8, 11). Here we report a pilot study of 25 patients treated with a poxviral vaccine consisting of genes for the TAAs CEA and MUC-1, along with TRICOM (designated PANVAC). Patients were vaccinated with PANVAC engineered into recombinant vaccinia (PANVAC-V) as a prime vaccination and into recombinant fowlpox (PANVAC-F) as a multiple booster vaccination. This represents the first published report of this vaccine. Whereas a corporate-sponsored phase III study4 in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer treated with PANVAC vaccine as second-line therapy failed to improve survival, PANVAC vaccines have not yet been evaluated in a range of carcinomas and, perhaps more importantly, in patients with an expected survival of >3 months. Results of the study reported here show the safety of the vaccine and the development of both immunologic and clinical responses in some patients. Patient selection and trial design. Twenty-five patients with CEA- or MUC-1–expressing metastatic cancers who had progressive disease following standard chemotherapy were enrolled in a pilot trial approved by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Institutional Review Board and conducted at the NCI. The study was designed to evaluate the safety of this regimen. Because immunologic response was an important secondary end point of this trial, with the ELISPOT assay as the readout, all patients after the initial nine enrolled for safety were required to be HLA-A2 positive. Patients needed to be Zubrod performance status 0 or 1 and have adequate hematologic, hepatic, and renal function. In addition, patients were required to have no evidence of an immunocompromised state as defined by nonreactive HIV testing, no diagnosis of altered immune function, no prior radiotherapy to >50% of nodal groups, no prior splenectomy, and no concurrent steroid use. Prior vaccinia exposure (i.e., smallpox vaccination) was not required. Because all patients were at least 38 y old, each would have had one or more prior smallpox vaccinations. Exclusion criteria included known allergy to eggs; history of or active skin disorders such as eczema, extensive psoriasis, varicella zoster, impetigo, or burns; history of seizures; serious intercurrent illnesses; noncutaneous malignant process; and close contact with immunocompromised individuals, individuals with the above-mentioned skin conditions, or children under 5 y of age. All patients gave written informed consent in accordance with federal, state, and institutional guidelines and the principles embodied in the Declaration of Helsinki. Vaccine formulation and treatment plan. Both of the viral vaccine products were manufactured by Therion Biologics Corporation as part of a Collaborative Research and Development Agreement between Therion and the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, NCI. Vaccines were provided by the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, NCI. PANVAC-V [recombinant vaccinia-CEA(6D)/MUC-1(L93)/TRICOM; NSC #727026] was prepared from virus derived from the Wyeth (New York City Board of Health) strain of vaccinia, selected for its favorable toxicity profile. PANVAC-V was constructed by inserting the genes for human CEA, MUC-1, B7.1, intercellular adhesion molecule 1, and lymphocyte function–associated antigen 3 into the viral genome. PANVAC-F [recombinant fowlpox-CEA(6D)/MUC-1(L93)/TRICOM; NSC #727027] was constructed by inserting the identical transgenes into the replication-defective avian fowlpox virus. All patients received the same dose and schedule of vaccine. The priming vaccine consisted of 2 × 108 pfu of PANVAC-V administered s.c. The boosting vaccine was given on or about days 15, 29, and 43, then every 28 d while on study. Sargramostim, 100 μg, was given the day of each vaccine and for the following 3 consecutive days. A sterile, nonadherent dressing (i.e., Telfa) was used to cover the site. Patients were seen at least monthly while on study. Complete interval histories, physical examinations, blood chemistries, hemograms, and serum tumor markers were obtained. All patients were evaluated for toxicity by the NCI Common Toxicity Criteria version 3 and the vaccinia toxicity grading scale previously published (8). Patients had their first restaging at approximately day 71, with subsequent restaging exams approximately every 56 d thereafter. Collection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Apheresis was done twice: before vaccination and around day 71. Briefly, 5 × 108 to 2 × 109 mononuclear cells were obtained by a single-access “four-pass” mononuclear cell procedure on the Haemonetics V50 instrument (Haemonetics Corp.), during which 2.0 liters of whole blood were processed at a flow rate of 70 to 80 mL/min. At the other monthly intervals, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 60 mL of blood were collected in heparinized tubes. The mononuclear fraction of both apheresis packs and tubes was separated by Ficoll-Hypaque density gradient separation, washed thrice, and frozen in 90% heat-inactivated human AB serum and 10% DMSO in liquid nitrogen at a concentration of 1 × 107 cells/mL until assayed. Generation of T-cell cultures. A modification of the protocol described by Tsang et al. (6) was used to generate CEA-specific T-cell cultures. Dendritic cells were prepared using a modification of the procedure described by Sallusto and Lanzavecchia (20). Irradiated (3,000 rad) autologous dendritic cells were used as APCs. Autologous nonadherent cells were stimulated in the presence of autologous dendritic cells pulsed with peptides at a concentration of 10 μg/mL at an effector/APC ratio of 10:1. Cultures were maintained for 3 d in medium containing 10% human AB serum and for 4 additional days in the same medium supplemented with 20 units/mL of recombinant human interleukin-2. After a 7-d in vitro stimulation (IVS) cycle, cells were restimulated as described above for a total of two IVS cycles. T cells were assayed at IVS-2. A MUC-1–specific T-cell line was established from day 70 postvaccination samples from patient 22, as above. For cytokine assay, this T-cell line was used at IVS-3 and autologous dendritic cells were used as APCs. Peptides were used at a concentration of 20 μg/mL. The 48-h culture supernatants were assayed for IFN-γ production. Tetramer staining. The streptavidin-phycoerythrin–labeled tetramers used in this study were obtained from Beckman Coulter. All peptides used for tetramer preparation were made by Biosynthesis, Inc., with a purity of >90%. CEA-tetramer (YLSGADLNL-tetramer) and HIV Gag-tetramer (SLYNTVATL-tetramer) were used in this study. PBMCs (1 × 106) were stained with 10 μL of tetramer and anti-CD8-FITC antibody (BD Biosciences) for 30 min at room temperature in the dark, followed by two washes with fluorescence-activated cell sorting buffer, then fixed in PBS with 0.5% formaldehyde. Cells were then analyzed using a FACScan and the CELLQuest program (BD Biosciences). Data gathered from 100,000 cells were stored and used to generate results. Intracellular staining for IFN-γ. Intracellular cytokine flow cytometry assays were done following the method described by Maecker et al. (21). Briefly, PBMCs were thawed and rested overnight in complete RPMI 1640 (Mediatech, Inc.) with 10% human AB serum. PBMCs (2 × 106) in 0.2-mL complete RPMI 1640 with 10% human AB serum were plated in 96-well round-bottomed plates (Millipore Corporation). Cells were stimulated with flu peptide (1 μg/mL), HIV gag peptide (10 μg/mL), or CAP1-6D peptide (10 μg/mL) for 2 h at 37°C. Anti-CD28 and anti-CD49d antibodies were added to all tubes. Brefeldin A (10 μg/mL; BD Biosciences) was added and incubated for an additional 4 h at 37°C. Cells were then harvested and stained for IFN-γ-FITC/CD69-phycoerythrin/CD8-PerCPCy5.5/CD3-APC with a BD FastImmune CD8 intracellular cytokine detection kit (BD Biosciences). Samples were analyzed in an LSR II with FACSDiVa software (BD Biosciences). Results were expressed as percentage of CD3+/CD8+/CD69+ T cells that were IFN-γ positive. ELISPOT assay. Measurement of CD8 immune responses in HLA-A2–positive patients was conducted by carrying out an ELISPOT assay using C1R-A2 cells as APCs, as previously described (22). ELISPOT measures the frequency of T cells releasing IFN-γ in response to a CEA peptide (CAP1-6D; YLSGADLNL), a MUC-1 native peptide (ATLWGQDVTSV), an HIV gag peptide (SLYNTVATL), and a flu peptide (GILGFVFTL) in pre- and post-vaccination PBMCs. A positive response was scored as a ≥2-fold increase in IFN-γ–secreting cells. Measurement of CD4 antigen–specific responses. CD4+ T cells (2 × 105 per well) were mixed with irradiated APCs in the presence of various concentrations of CEA peptide or CEA protein (AspenBio Pharma) in 48-well culture plates. The CD4+ CEA peptide used in this study was described by Kobayashi et al. (23). This CD4+ T-cell epitope was selected from the amino acid sequence of CEA using the algorithm tables from three HLA-DR alleles (DRB10101, DRB10401, and DRB10701) described by Southwood et al. (24). The CEA peptide selected (YACFVSNLATGRNNS) was synthesized by Bio-Synthesis, Inc., with purity >95%. Flu protein and myoglobulin (Sigma) were used as controls. Autologous dendritic cells were used as APCs (2 × 104 per well). Culture supernatants were collected after 48 h for measurement of IFN-γ with ELISA kits. Detection of cytokines. Supernatants of T cells stimulated for 24 h with peptide-pulsed autologous EBV-transformed B cells, in interleukin-2–free medium at various peptide concentrations, were screened for secretion of IFN-γ with an ELISA kit (BioSource International). Serologic analysis. To detect if antibodies were generated against CA-125, serum was collected from patient 22 before the first vaccination and on day 377 following a year of monthly vaccinations. These serum samples were then cryopreserved. Anti–CA-125 antibody (IgG) was quantified in the serum by fluorescence-activated cell sorting capture assay, as previously described (7, 25), with the following modifications: Ovarian carcinoma cells SKOV3 (CA-125+; American Type Culture Collection) were preincubated with 10% normal AB serum (Gemini Bioproducts) and then used as the capture cells following fixation and permeabilization (Cytofix/Cytoperm, BD Biosciences). Capture cells were incubated for 60 min with dilutions of patient sera or positive control monoclonal antibody anti–CA-125 (clone M8072322l; Fitzgerald). After washing, cells were stained with anti-IgG-FITC. Antibodies were quantified by flow cytometry analysis. Detection limit was 100 ng/mL. Titration of serum antibodies. Anti-vaccinia and anti-fowlpox (IgG) were quantified from the serum of each patient by ELISA essentially as previously described (26). Briefly, Immulon 4 plates (Dynex Technologies) were coated with vaccinia virus (5 × 104 pfu/well), fowlpox virus (5 × 104 pfu/well), or Dulbecco's PBS (Mediatech) and held at 4°C until use. Plates were blocked with 5% bovine serum albumin in PBS for 1 h at 37°C. The plates were incubated with serum serially diluted from 1:50 to 1:6,250, as well as normal human serum or mouse anti-fowlpox antiserum as controls, for 24 h at room temperature. Plates were washed several times with PBS containing 1% bovine serum albumin and incubated at 37°C for 1 h with horseradish peroxidase–conjugated goat antihuman IgG (Fc)–specific antiserum (1:4,000) or horseradish peroxidase–conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG (H&L)–specific antiserum (1:4,000) for test samples or positive controls, respectively. Antibody was detected with a tetramethylbenzidine substrate kit (Pierce) according to the manufacturer's instructions. The absorbance of each well was read at 450 nm with a Bio-Tek EL310 microplate ELISA reader. Vaccinia and fowlpox antibody IgG titers were based on a blank absorbance of 0.5 and 0.4, respectively. Fowlpox virus neutralization. Patient serum was diluted 1:50 in DMEM-10% fetal bovine serum containing 4 × 106 pfu of recombinant fowlpox murine B7-1 (rF-mB7-1) and incubated for 1 h at 4°C. Normal human serum with or without rF-mB7-1 was used for controls. MC38 murine colon adenocarcinoma cells (2 × 105; ref. 27) were added to all samples and incubated overnight at 37°C with 5% CO2. Cell-surface expression of murine B7-1 was done as previously described (28). Briefly, cells were stained with a primary phycoerythrin-labeled antimurine B7-1 antibody (Becton Dickinson) and cell fluorescence was analyzed and compared with isotype-matched controls using a FACScan cytometer (Becton Dickinson). Baseline characteristics are outlined in Table 1 . The median follow-up is 26 months. Patients in this study were heavily pretreated, with 9 of 25 having three or more prior chemotherapy regimens. The vaccine was well tolerated (Supplementary Table S1). Apart from injection-site reaction, grade ≥2 toxicity attributed to vaccine was seen in <3% of vaccine cycles. During a flu-like illness that precipitated poor oral intake for 24 hours, one patient had a transient witnessed syncope. On subsequent readministration of the vaccine alone on an inpatient basis, no hypotension, presyncope, or other systemic symptoms were observed in this patient. Immune outcomes. Eight HLA-A2–positive patients who had completed the first four vaccinations were analyzed for evidence of CD8-mediated immune response to an HLA-A2–restricted CEA peptide. T-cell responses in those patients were evaluated before vaccination (designated as prevaccination) compared with 1 month after the fourth vaccine (designated post-4 vaccination; about days 69-84), by carrying out three different immune assays: (a) ELISPOT assay for IFN-γ, (b) CEA-tetramer staining, and (c) intracellular cytokine staining for IFN-γ. In the absence of IVS, PBMCs from all eight patients showed no CEA-specific CD8 immune responses. After being stimulated in vitro in the presence of the HLA-A2–restricted CEA peptide CAP1-6D for two cycles, T cells from three of eight patients showed a substantial increase in postvaccine (but not prevaccine) CEA-specific CD8 immune responses by ELISPOT assay (Fig. 1 ). Moreover, the percentage of CEA-tetramer–positive T cells, as well as intracellular cytokine staining for IFN-γ-positive cells, was enhanced postvaccination (but not prevaccination) in these three patients (Fig. 1 and Supplementary Fig. S1A and B). All samples were negative for responses to an HIV peptide pre- and post-vaccination (Fig. 1). Identification of CEA-specific T cells in patients pre- and post-vaccination by ELISPOT assay, CEA-MHC-tetramer binding, and intracellular cytokine (ICC) analysis. Effectors were used at IVS-2 (see Patients and Methods). Results are expressed as frequency of IFN-γ–producing cells (ELISPOT assay), percent of tetramer binding cells (tetramer binding assay), or percent intracellular IFN-γ-positive cells (intracellular cytokine staining assay). ELISPOT assays were also done on an HLA-A3 gastric cancer patient (patient 1) pre- and post-vaccination using a CEA HLA-A3 binding peptide (CAP-7; ref. 6). The results show that the precursor frequency of CEA-specific T cells was <1/200,000 prevaccination. The precursor frequency of CEA-specific T cells was 1/33,333, 1/85,714, 1/35,294, and 1/54,545 at days 12, 39, 69, and 154 postvaccination, respectively. We also evaluated CD4 immune responses in 15 patients included in the study, using CEA protein as antigen, by comparing prevaccination and post-4 vaccination (approximately day 70) samples. CEA class II peptides for DRB10701 were used in the assay, in addition to CEA protein, for patients with DRB10701 allele. CD4+ T cells were isolated from pre- and post-vaccination PBMCs and stimulated with autologous dendritic cells pulsed with CEA protein. Flu protein (data not shown) and myoglobin protein were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. Results are shown in Table 2 . Six of the 15 patients (patients 8, 9, 13, 15, 19, and 23) with undetectable levels prevaccination showed measurable levels of IFN-γ in response to CEA protein, but not to myoglobin. Patient 22 had a preexisting CD4 response that increased slightly with respect to IFN-γ production postvaccination. All 15 patients had positive immune response to flu protein pre- and post-vaccination, with the exception of the prevaccination sample from patient 19. Five patients had the DRB10701 allele. A CEA class II peptide for DRB1*0701 was used to detect CD4 immune response in these patients pre- and post-vaccination. Three of five patients (patients 8, 9, and 14) with undetectable levels prevaccination showed measurable levels of IFN-γ in response to CEA peptide, but not to the negative control HIV class II peptide (Table 2). Two of these five patients with positive immune response to the CEA class II peptide postvaccination also had a positive immune response to CEA protein. CD4 immune response to CEA in patients pre- and post-vaccination Immune responses pre- and post-vaccination to MUC-1 were also evaluated with the ELISPOT assay. Four of 14 patients were positive for the generation of MUC-1–specific T cells postvaccination. All patients were negative (<1 in 200,000) before vaccination. Patients 6, 8, 9, and 14, however, had frequencies of MUC-1–specific T cells of 1/20,000, 1/10,000, 1/6,666, and 1/4,000 postvaccination. A MUC-1–specific T-cell line was also generated from PBMC of patient 22 using the agonist MUC-1 peptide–pulsed autologous dendritic cells. This T-cell line was capable of producing 392 pg IFN-γ/mL/106 cells in response to the MUC-1 peptide but not the control prostate-specific antigen peptide. The results of patient responses to CEA peptide and/or protein and MUC-1 peptide are shown in Supplementary Table S2. Nine of 15 patients were positive for immune responses to either CEA or MUC-1. Eight of 15 patients were positive for CEA, whereas 4 of 14 were positive for MUC-1. Six of 14 patients were negative for responses to both antigens and 3 of 14 patients were positive for responses to both antigens. Patient 22 had a preexisting response to CEA, as shown in Table 2. Studies were also conducted to determine the immune response to both the vaccinia and fowlpox vectors pre- and post-vaccination. Because all of the patients in the study were >35 years old, they had at least one prior smallpox vaccination. Thus, it is not surprising that the vast majority of patients (i.e., 17 of 20) had preexisting antibodies to vaccinia. Immune responses to vaccinia went up postvaccination in most patients (Supplementary Table S3). All 20 patients analyzed were negative for antibodies to fowlpox before vaccination. The ability to mount an immune response to fowlpox is thus a good indicator of the generalized immune status of patients. Most patients mounted an immune response to fowlpox postvaccination. It is important to point out that none of these patients mounted neutralizing antibodies to fowlpox. There was also no correlation or trend toward the ability of patients to mount immune responses to the antigen in the vaccine and their ability to mount an immune response to fowlpox (Supplementary Table S3). Clinical outcomes.Table 3 describes the clinical outcomes of patients in this study. Patient 22 is a 42-year-old female who initially presented with stage IIIc clear cell ovarian cancer. Prior treatment included standard tumor debulking followed by a clinical trial with carboplatin, paclitaxel, and cetuximab. Within 4 months after chemotherapy, the CA-125 began to increase rapidly (Fig. 2 ), coinciding with the development of ascites associated with substantial gastrointestinal complaints. This patient enrolled on study, and by day 16, showed decreased abdominal distension. By the end of the first month of treatment, the early satiety and bloating had substantially improved, the ascites had completely resolved on physical exam, and the patient's weight had decreased by 6 kg. Six weeks into treatment, the patient's gastrointestinal symptoms had resolved completely. The first restaging confirmed the absence of ascites and showed a marked improvement in the mesenteric stranding often seen in metastatic ovarian cancer (Fig. 3A and B ). Serum from this patient was tested for antibodies specific for CA-125. There was no detectable IgG (any class) in the serum either pre- or post-vaccination (day 377). She had evidence of both CEA-specific and MUC-1–specific T cells. During her enrollment on study, she remained symptom-free on vaccine, with no recurrent ascites or mesenteric stranding and prolonged normal CA-125. Eighteen months after initiating vaccine, her CA-125 started to increase. This corresponded with an area of uptake in the sternum and liver seen on positron emission tomography scan. Although she had no lesions >1 cm on computed tomography scan, she was taken off study. Three months after coming off study, she died with apparent Gram-negative sepsis, although this finding is not conclusive. Her remains were autopsied at the NIH and the examination revealed that most areas of tumor had extensive areas of necrosis and/or fibrosis, consistent with her clinical course. There was no evidence of immune-related damage to any normal tissues. Serum CA-125 levels from a 42-y-old patient (no. 22) with platinum-refractory clear cell ovarian cancer who received PANVAC-V on day 1, followed by multiple boosts with PANVAC-F (vaccinations designated by arrows). The CA-125 level decreased from a peak of 351 to <10 units/mL until 18 mo on study. Representative sections (A and B) from a computed tomography scan on baseline and day 71 after initiation of vaccination for patient 22 (ovarian cancer). Baseline study reveals ascites (arrows) and mesenteric stranding, both of which are absent at day 71 and all subsequent restagings. Patient 8 is a 67-year-old female who presented with metastatic breast cancer and multiple bulky liver metastases. In the 14 months before trial, she was treated with a series of hormonal therapies, but nonetheless had a steady increase in CA27.29 from 81 to 883 units/mL (doubling about every 3 months). The five index lesions identified on computed tomography at baseline were measured per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors guidelines. The sum of unidimensional measure of these lesions was 12 cm. At her first restaging, this sum had decreased by 21%, and immune responses were seen to both CEA and MUC-1 (Table 2 and Supplementary Table S2). By her second restaging (day 127), index lesions had decreased by 24% from baseline; however, at the third restaging, they had returned to baseline. These restagings were accompanied by a decrease in CA27.29 from 657 units/mL on study to 435 units/mL and then 441 units/mL, before increasing as high as 1,160 units/mL when she came off study. A number of patients had prolonged survival after coming off trial, and several patients had somewhat unexpected clinical responses to subsequent therapies. In light of previous studies showing enhanced effects of chemotherapy following treatment with vaccine (29–32), we thought it prudent, where possible, to document clinical responses following vaccine therapy: (a) Patient 1, who had metastatic gastric cancer previously treated with three cycles of capecitabine, oxaliplatin, and epirubicin, which were poorly tolerated, was on trial for 5 months before coming off for development of symptomatic ascites. As described above, it was shown that she developed a 6-fold increase in CEA-specific T cells postvaccination. Following protocol, patient 1 received fluorouracil, leucovorin, and bevacizumab, which led to decreased ascites and a prolonged stable course. She survived for 21 months following initiation of trial. (b) Patient 8 (breast cancer) had a positive response to single-agent capecitabine following vaccine, with a decrease in CA27.29 from 1,679 to 421 units/mL and a decrease in CEA from 22.1 to 8 units/mL. On progression, she began taking paclitaxel and bevacizumab and has remained on this regimen for 15 months, during which time she has had a decrease in CA27.29 from 1,839 to 76 units/mL. (c) Patient 13 (colon cancer) had a remarkable decrease in CEA from 297 to 7 units/mL on 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and bevacizumab following vaccine. (d) Patient 10 had a similar decrease in CEA from 118.7 to 50 units/mL on 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and bevacizumab following vaccine; however, chemotherapy had to be discontinued. This patient's CEA continued to decline off chemotherapy to a nadir of 25 units/mL. Three patients who were without radiographic evidence of disease at initiation of trial remain without evidence of disease for 18 months or more since being enrolled. Their clinical course is as follows: (a) Patient 6 was originally diagnosed with a 6 × 4-cm invasive, moderately differentiated Duke's C adenocarcinoma with 4 of 22 lymph nodes positive. He underwent adjuvant fluorouracil and leucovorin chemotherapy for 6 months, followed by irinotecan chemotherapy for 4 months. Twenty months later, he was found to have a liver lesion, which was resected. He subsequently enrolled on study and has remained on study for 30+ months. (b) Patient 7 was found to have a pelvic mass and pleural effusion. She underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy. Pathology revealed metastatic, poorly differentiated signet cell cancer of the appendix, with omental and ovarian involvement. She then underwent a right hemicolectomy, which confirmed a poorly differentiated T4N1M1 cancer. She underwent adjuvant chemotherapy with six cycles of fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin, followed by two more cycles with fluorouracil and leucovorin, then 1 month of capecitabine. One month after stopping capecitabine, she was enrolled on study and has remained on study for 29+ months. (c) Patient 25 was originally diagnosed with a stage III capillary serous-appearing ovarian carcinoma and underwent debulking followed by six cycles of carboplatin and paclitaxel. A second-look operation revealed microscopic residual disease, and the patient underwent four cycles of i.p. cisplatin chemotherapy. During that time, her CA-125 dropped from 15 to 6 units/mL. She enrolled on study 4 months later and has remained on study for 19+ months. Her CA-125 has remained ≤6 units/mL while on study. The study reported here was the first NCI-sponsored study of PANVAC-VF and the first trial of its use other than in patients with end-stage pancreatic cancer (33). This trial shows the safety of this vaccine and provides evidence of clinical benefit in some patients. In a small trial with a variety of tumor types, as reported here, it is difficult to determine the true level of vaccine activity. The majority of patients with multiple prior chemotherapy regimens and advanced metastatic disease had progressive disease at first restaging. For patients who presented with no evaluable disease, the median time to progression was 6 months (range, 2-27+ months). However, several patients did have clear evidence of clinical benefit. Breast cancer that metastasizes to the liver is generally very aggressive and relatively resistant to treatment (34, 35). Thus, stabilization or shrinkage in liver metastasis suggests clinical activity. Although patient 8 (breast cancer) did not meet Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors criteria in the five bulky index lesions in her liver, if one assumes that her lesions were spheres, a decrease of 24% would equate to a decrease of >50% in tumor volume. Furthermore, during the 6-month period of stable disease, she had no symptoms from either disease or treatment. There is even clearer evidence of antitumor activity from the vaccine in patient 22, who had clear cell ovarian cancer, which is associated with poor prognosis and is largely unresponsive to systemic therapy. She was also platinum refractory, with a rapidly increasing CA-125 within 4 months following chemotherapy (the Gynecologic Oncology Group recommends using the tumor marker CA-125 as a formal response criterion following therapy of ovarian cancer; refs. 36–38). Her ascites and associated symptoms completely resolved within the first 6 weeks of vaccine therapy, and her CA-125 went from 284 units/mL on study to 351 units/mL, then dropped within normal limits by 2 months, remaining at this level until 18 months on study (Fig. 2). During the patient's time on trial, three retroperitoneal lymph nodes detected on computed tomography scan were 1.5 to 2.1 cm, but given her dramatic clinical response, she remained on trial, and the size of all affected lymph nodes subsequently decreased to <1 cm. The increased lymph node size may have been a reaction to vaccine (the patient also had inguinal adenopathy that transiently increased following each injection in alternating thighs) or may represent an influx of TAA-specific T cells into lymph nodes involved with tumor. A positron emission tomography scan done about day 180 showed uptake in two lesions, corresponding to two retroperitoneal lymph nodes on computed tomography. These had standardized uptake values of 4.6 (1-cm lymph node) and 2.9 (1.6-cm lymph node)—a level of activity that can be seen with an inflammatory lymph node (39). On autopsy, lymph nodes taken from those areas showed fibrosis consistent with a previous inflammatory process. Other studies have identified lymph nodes that increased in size following vaccination and later decreased (39, 40). These findings should be taken into consideration by investigators conducting immunotherapy trials who consider removing a patient from trial based solely on an enlarging lymph node, when the patient has an otherwise improving clinical picture. A previous corporate-sponsored clinical trial using PANVAC in patients with second-line pancreatic cancer showed no clinical benefit compared with standard treatment options. Patients with advanced pancreatic cancer have a median overall survival of <3 months (41, 42). To date, numerous randomized clinical trials using a variety of chemotherapeutic agents or combinations of agents have failed to significantly increase survival in this patient population (43). Preclinical and clinical data have provided evidence that cancer vaccines are most effective in patients with either early-stage disease or low tumor burden and when given before or in combination with conventional chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or radiation. Thus, poor results in a phase III trial in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer who have failed frontline treatment are more a failure of clinical trial design than of potential vaccine efficacy in other disease settings. A unique and intriguing aspect of vaccine therapy is its ability to initiate a dynamic process of host immune response that may be exploited in subsequent therapies. Several clinical studies have provided evidence of this phenomenon. In a phase I study at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (30), 17 patients with advanced-stage progressive cancer received a plasmid/microparticle vaccine directed against cytochrome P4501B1, which is overexpressed on most tumors. Ten of 11 patients who failed to develop immunity to the vaccine progressed on subsequent therapies. In contrast, five patients who did develop immunity to vaccine unexpectedly showed marked responses to salvage therapy administered on progression. In most cases, salvage therapy lasted at least a year. This phenomenon was also exemplified in a follow-up study from patients who received a vaccine (sipuleucel-T) or placebo for advanced prostate cancer (44). After progressing on study, patients who received docetaxel chemotherapy were followed. There was a striking and statistically significant increase in overall survival with docetaxel treatment in patients having had prior vaccine (n = 51) versus placebo (n = 31; ref. 32). The median survival was 34.5 months for patients who received vaccine followed by docetaxel. In contrast, the median survival was 25.4 months for patients who received placebo and subsequent treatment with docetaxel, a 9.1-month difference (P = 0.023; hazard ratio, 1.9). These groups seemed to be well balanced based on their baseline prognostic factors, using an independently validated predictive nomogram (45). It is tempting to speculate that chemotherapy can augment immune responses through a variety of mechanisms. These could include destruction or decreased function of regulatory elements within the immune system (e.g., regulatory T cells), apoptosis of tumor cells in a way that stimulates the immune system, a decrease in immune regulatory substances elaborated by tumor cells, and alteration of the phenotypic characteristics of tumor cells, making them more amenable to immune-mediated recognition and destruction. Indeed, these mechanisms have been shown in a variety of preclinical studies (46–52). Tumor antigen–associated T-cell effector function was monitored in a selected number of vaccinated patients included in this study by using ELISPOT, peptide-MHC tetramer binding, and intracellular cytokine flow cytometry assays, all of which have been recommended for immune monitoring to detect antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in cancer immunotherapy trials by a workshop sponsored by the Society for Biological Therapy (53). The ELISPOT is a functional assay that detects individual T cells that secrete cytokines such as IFN-γ on stimulation with a specific antigen in an MHC-restricted manner. Peptide-MHC tetramer assay measures the binding of peptide-MHC tetramers to antigen-specific T cells via the T-cell receptor. Intracellular cytokine assay quantifies functional antigen-specific T cells and determines the phenotype of T cells secreting the cytokine using multicolor flow cytometry. In the study reported here, by using T cells following two CEA peptide restimulation cycles, all three assays detected CEA-specific CD8 T cells in the blood of 3 of 8 postvaccination samples and 0 of 8 prevaccination samples. It should be pointed out that the ELISPOT assay for CEA used the agonist epitope, which is also present in the TRICOM vaccine. We have previously shown, however, that T cells generated using the agonist peptide will recognize the native CEA peptide. More importantly, we have also previously shown that CTL generated against the agonist CEA peptide were capable of lysing human cells that endogenously express CEA (54, 55). The ELISPOT assay for the MUC-1 peptide used the native MUC-1 epitope. In addition, CEA-specific CD4 responses were detected in 8 of 16 patients analyzed, as measured by IFN-γ production by CD4 T cells after stimulation with CEA protein or peptide. Although absolute levels of IFN-γ were low without IVS (22-168 pg/mL), they were similar to the flu protein control (36-130 pg/mL). These results show that both CD8 and CD4 CEA-specific T-cell responses were increased postvaccination. A previous trial with CEA-TRICOM vaccines showed significant generation of CEA-specific immune responses in the majority of patients treated, without the need for IVS of the patients' PBMCs (7). One possible explanation is that the patients in this trial had more prior chemotherapy, especially given the recent advances in chemotherapy options for metastatic colorectal cancer. This is important because it has previously been shown that the number of prior chemotherapy regimens correlates inversely with the ability of the patient to mount an immune response (56). It is possible that time to progression in advanced metastatic disease will not reflect the true clinical benefit of an active immunotherapy. One recently published phase III clinical trial showed no significantly improved time to progression, but did show statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival in patients with metastatic cancer (44). If long-term, effective antitumor memory is achieved, any subsequent therapy could not only have direct antitumor activity, but could further activate the primed immune system with dying cells. Furthermore, nonspecific tumor-directed cytotoxic therapy (e.g., chemotherapy or radiation therapy) could target T-regulatory cells and thus change the balance to a more active antitumor immune response. Finally, subsequent therapy could lead to alteration of the phenotypic characteristics of tumor cells, making them more amenable to immune-mediated recognition and killing. This trial shows that PANVAC-VF is safe and is associated with the generation of CD8 and CD4 antigen–specific immune responses postvaccination. These immune responses were seen in more than half of patients tested. Furthermore, this trial provides early evidence of clinical benefit. Based on the encouraging clinical course of several patients in this trial, we have initiated a pilot study for ovarian cancer patients and breast cancer patients to gain more information on which to base a large clinical end point study. We thank the professionals at the NIH Clinical Center Blood Bank for their part in obtaining apheresis from study patients; the medical oncology fellows at the NCI for their attention to patient care; Theresa Ferrara and Carolyn Smith for help with patient samples and data; and Bonnie L. Casey and Debra Weingarten for their editorial assistance in preparation of the manuscript. ↵4 http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/46137.php Grant support: Intramural Research Program of the Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH. Note: Supplementary data for this article are available at Clinical Cancer Research Online (http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/). J.L. Gulley and P.M. Arlen made equal contributions to this study. Data from this study were presented in part as an oral presentation at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, June 4, 2006, Atlanta, Georgia. Ramanathan RK, Lee KM, McKolanis J, et al. Phase I study of a MUC1 vaccine composed of different doses of MUC1 peptide with SB-AS2 adjuvant in resected and locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2005;54:254–64. Wierecky J, Mueller M, Brossart P. Dendritic cell-based cancer immunotherapy targeting MUC-1. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2006;55:63–7. Pantuck AJ, van Ophoven A, Gitlitz BJ, et al. Phase I trial of antigen-specific gene therapy using a recombinant vaccinia virus encoding MUC-1 and IL-2 in MUC-1-positive patients with advanced prostate cancer. J Immunother 2004;27:240–53. Marshall JL, Hoyer RJ, Toomey MA, et al. Phase I study in advanced cancer patients of a diversified prime-and-boost vaccination protocol using recombinant vaccinia virus and recombinant nonreplicating avipox virus to elicit anti-carcinoembryonic antigen immune responses. J Clin Oncol 2000;18:3964–73. Tsang KY, Palena C, Gulley J, Arlen P, Schlom J. A human cytotoxic T-lymphocyte epitope and its agonist epitope from the nonvariable number of tandem repeat sequence of MUC-1. Clin Cancer Res 2004;10:2139–49. Tsang KY, Zaremba S, Nieroda CA, Zhu MZ, Hamilton JM, Schlom J. Generation of human cytotoxic T cells specific for human carcinoembryonic antigen epitopes from patients immunized with recombinant vaccinia-CEA vaccine. J Natl Cancer Inst 1995;87:982–90. Marshall JL, Gulley JL, Arlen PM, et al. Phase I study of sequential vaccinations with fowlpox-CEA(6D)-TRICOM alone and sequentially with vaccinia-CEA(6D)-TRICOM, with and without granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, in patients with carcinoembryonic antigen-expressing carcinomas. J Clin Oncol 2005;23:720–31. Gulley J, Chen AP, Dahut W, et al. Phase I study of a vaccine using recombinant vaccinia virus expressing PSA (rV-PSA) in patients with metastatic androgen-independent prostate cancer. Prostate 2002;53:109–17. Hodge JW, McLaughlin JP, Kantor JA, Schlom J. Diversified prime and boost protocols using recombinant vaccinia virus and recombinant non-replicating avian pox virus to enhance T-cell immunity and antitumor responses. Vaccine 1997;15:759–68. Fong L, Hou Y, Rivas A, et al. Altered peptide ligand vaccination with Flt3 ligand expanded dendritic cells for tumor immunotherapy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2001;98:8809–14. Gulley J, Todd N, Dahut W, Schlom J, Arlen P. A phase II study of PROSTVAC-VF vaccine, and the role of GM-CSF, in patients (pts) with metastatic androgen insensitive prostate cancer (AIPC) [abstract]. J Clin Oncol 2005;23:A2504. Hodge JW, Chakraborty M, Kudo-Saito C, Garnett CT, Schlom J. Multiple costimulatory modalities enhance CTL avidity. J Immunol 2005;174:5994–6004. Hodge JW, Sabzevari H, Yafal AG, Gritz L, Lorenz MG, Schlom J. A triad of costimulatory molecules synergize to amplify T-cell activation. Cancer Res 1999;59:5800–7. Kaufman H, Wang W, Manola J, et al. Phase II prime/boost vaccination using poxviruses expressing PSA in hormone dependent prostate cancer: follow-up clinical results from ECOG 7897 [abstract]. J Clin Oncol 2005;23:A4501. Kaufman HL, Wang W, Manola J, et al. Phase II randomized study of vaccine treatment of advanced prostate cancer (E7897): a trial of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. J Clin Oncol 2004;22:2122–32. Morrissey PJ, Bressler L, Park LS, Alpert A, Gillis S. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor augments the primary antibody response by enhancing the function of antigen-presenting cells. J Immunol 1987;139:1113–9. Kass E, Panicali DL, Mazzara G, Schlom J, Greiner JW. Granulocyte/macrophage-colony stimulating factor produced by recombinant avian poxviruses enriches the regional lymph nodes with antigen-presenting cells and acts as an immunoadjuvant. Cancer Res 2001;61:206–14. Dranoff G, Jaffee E, Lazenby A, et al. Vaccination with irradiated tumor cells engineered to secrete murine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor stimulates potent, specific, and long-lasting anti-tumor immunity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1993;90:3539–43. Kwak LW, Young HA, Pennington RW, Weeks SD. Vaccination with syngeneic, lymphoma-derived immunoglobulin idiotype combined with granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor primes mice for a protective T-cell response. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1996;93:10972–7. Sallusto F, Lanzavecchia A. Efficient presentation of soluble antigen by cultured human dendritic cells is maintained by granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor plus interleukin 4 and down-regulated by tumor necrosis factor α. J Exp Med 1994;179:1109–18. Maecker HT, Moon J, Bhatia S, et al. Impact of cryopreservation on tetramer, cytokine flow cytometry, and ELISPOT. BMC Immunol 2005;6:17. Arlen P, Tsang KY, Marshall JL, et al. The use of a rapid ELISPOT assay to analyze peptide-specific immune responses in carcinoma patients to peptide vs. recombinant poxvirus vaccines. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2000;49:517–29. Kobayashi H, Omiya R, Ruiz M, et al. Identification of an antigenic epitope for helper T lymphocytes from carcinoembryonic antigen. Clin Cancer Res 2002;8:3219–25. Southwood S, Sidney J, Kondo A, et al. Several common HLA-DR types share largely overlapping peptide binding repertoires. J Immunol 1998;160:3363–73. Hodge JW, Grosenbach DW, Aarts WM, Poole DJ, Schlom J. Vaccine therapy of established tumors in the absence of autoimmunity. Clin Cancer Res 2003;9:1837–49. Grosenbach DW, Barrientos JC, Schlom J, Hodge JW. Synergy of vaccine strategies to amplify antigen-specific immune responses and antitumor effects. Cancer Res 2001;61:4497–505. Robbins PF, Kantor JA, Salgaller M, Hand PH, Fernsten PD, Schlom J. Transduction and expression of the human carcinoembryonic antigen gene in a murine colon carcinoma cell line. Cancer Res 1991;51:3657–62. Hodge JW, Rad AN, Grosenbach DW, et al. Enhanced activation of T cells by dendritic cells engineered to hyperexpress a triad of costimulatory molecules. J Natl Cancer Inst 2000;92:1228–39. Antonia SJ, Mirza N, Fricke I, et al. Combination of p53 cancer vaccine with chemotherapy in patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2006;12:878–87. Gribben JG, Ryan DP, Boyajian R, et al. Unexpected association between induction of immunity to the universal tumor antigen CYP1B1 and response to next therapy. Clin Cancer Res 2005;11:4430–6. Arlen PM, Gulley JL, Parker C, et al. A randomized phase II study of concurrent docetaxel plus vaccine versus vaccine alone in metastatic androgen-independent prostate cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2006;12:1260–9. Petrylak D. Defining the optimal role of immunotherapy and chemotherapy: advanced prostate cancer patients who receive sipuleucel-T (PROVENGE) followed by docetaxel derive greatest survival benefit [abstract]. Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium 14th Annual Meeting, November 2006. Madan RA, Arlen PM, Gulley JL. PANVAC-VF:poxviral-based vaccine therapy targeting CEA and MUC1 in carcinoma. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2007;7:543–54. Yamamoto N, Watanabe T, Katsumata N, et al. Construction and validation of a practical prognostic index for patients with metastatic breast cancer. J Clin Oncol 1998;16:2401–8. Selzner M, Morse MA, Vredenburgh JJ, Meyers WC, Clavien PA. Liver metastases from breast cancer: long-term survival after curative resection. Surgery 2000;127:383–9. Rustin GJ, Quinn M, Thigpen T, et al. Re: New guidelines to evaluate the response to treatment in solid tumors (ovarian cancer). J Natl Cancer Inst 2004;96:487–8. Rustin GJ. Use of CA-125 to assess response to new agents in ovarian cancer trials. J Clin Oncol 2003;21:187–93. Rustin GJ, Nelstrop AE, McClean P, et al. Defining response of ovarian carcinoma to initial chemotherapy according to serum CA 125. J Clin Oncol 1996;14:1545–51. Jones RL, Cunningham D, Cook G, Ell PJ. Tumour vaccine associated lymphadenopathy and false positive positron emission tomography scan changes. Br J Radiol 2004;77:74–5. Loveland BE, Zhao A, White S, et al. Mannan-MUC1-pulsed dendritic cell immunotherapy: a phase I trial in patients with adenocarcinoma. Clin Cancer Res 2006;12:869–77. Schuetz T, Marshall J, Kaufman H, Safran H, Panicali D. Two phase I studies of prime-boost vaccinations with vaccinia-fowlpox vaccines expressing CEA, MUC-1, and TRICOM costimulatory molecules (B7.1/ICAM-1/LFA-3) in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer [abstract]. J Clin Oncol 2004;22:2564. Schuetz T, Kaufman H, Marshall J, Safran H. Extended survival in second-line pancreatic cancer after therapeutic vaccination [abstract]. J Clin Oncol 2005;23:2576. Eckel F, Schneider G, Schmid R. Pancreatic cancer: a review of recent advances. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2006;15:1395–410. Small EJ, Schellhammer PF, Higano CS, et al. Placebo-controlled phase III trial of immunologic therapy with sipuleucel-T (APC8015) in patients with metastatic, asymptomatic hormone refractory prostate cancer. J Clin Oncol 2006;24:3089–94. Halabi S, Small EJ, Kantoff PW, et al. Prognostic model for predicting survival in men with hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer. J Clin Oncol 2003;21:1232–7. Chakraborty M, Abrams SI, Camphausen K, et al. Irradiation of tumor cells up-regulates Fas and enhances CTL lytic activity and CTL adoptive immunotherapy. J Immunol 2003;170:6338–47. Garnett CT, Palena C, Chakraborty M, Tsang KY, Schlom J, Hodge JW. Sublethal irradiation of human tumor cells modulates phenotype resulting in enhanced killing by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Cancer Res 2004;64:7985–94. Machiels JP, Reilly RT, Emens LA, et al. Cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and paclitaxel enhance the antitumor immune response of granulocyte/macrophage-colony stimulating factor-secreting whole-cell vaccines in HER-2/neu tolerized mice. Cancer Res 2001;61:3689–97. Lutsiak ME, Semnani RT, De Pascalis R, Kashmiri SV, Schlom J, Sabzevari H. Inhibition of CD4+25+ T regulatory cell function implicated in enhanced immune response by low-dose cyclophosphamide. Blood 2005;105:2862–8. Casares N, Pequignot MO, Tesniere A, et al. Caspase-dependent immunogenicity of doxorubicin-induced tumor cell death. J Exp Med 2005;202:1691–701. Gulley JL, Madan RA, Arlen PM. Enhancing efficacy of therapeutic vaccinations by combination with other modalities. Vaccine 2007;25 Suppl 2:B89–96. Reits EA, Hodge JW, Herberts CA, et al. Radiation modulates the peptide repertoire, enhances MHC class I expression, and induces successful antitumor immunotherapy. J Exp Med 2006;203:1259–71. Keilholz U, Weber J, Finke JH, et al. Immunologic monitoring of cancer vaccine therapy: results of a workshop sponsored by the Society for Biological Therapy. J Immunother 2002;25:97–138. Salazar E, Zaremba S, Arlen PM, Tsang KY, Schlom J. Agonist peptide from a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte epitope of human carcinoembryonic antigen stimulates production of Tc1-type cytokines and increases tyrosine phosphorylation more efficiently than cognate peptide. Int J Cancer 2000;85:829–38. Zaremba S, Barzaga E, Zhu M, Soares N, Tsang KY, Schlom J. Identification of an enhancer agonist cytotoxic T lymphocyte peptide from human carcinoembryonic antigen. Cancer Res 1997;57:4570–7. von Mehren M, Arlen P, Gulley J, et al. The influence of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor and prior chemotherapy on the immunological response to a vaccine (ALVAC-CEA B7.1) in patients with metastatic carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res 2001;7:1181–91. You are going to email the following Pilot Study of Vaccination with Recombinant CEA-MUC-1-TRICOM Poxviral-Based Vaccines in Patients with Metastatic Carcinoma Biomarker Analysis from the BERIL-1 Study Radiation and TGFβ Blockade in Metastatic Breast Cancer Guadecitabine and Carboplatin in Ovarian Cancer Show more Cancer Therapy: Clinical	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1038
__label__cc	0.577193	0.422807	Fragile States Although the phenomenon of state failure is not new, it has become much more relevant and worrying than ever before. In less interconnected eras, state weakness could be isolated and kept distant. Failure had fewer implications for peace and security. Now, within a more interconnected global community these fragile states pose dangers not only to themselves and their neighbors but also to peoples around the globe. Preventing states from failing, and resuscitating those that do fail, are thus strategic and global imperatives. CIC has provided research in this arena, developed panel dicussions that have explored critical issues confronting failed states. CIC has also drawn on expertise from the practitioner, NGO, academic and UN communities, provided candid recommendations and potential solutions to the global threat that failed states present. Program(s): Afghanistan-Pakistan Regional Project, Congo Research Group, Peace and Security Region/Country: Central Asia, East Asia, Horn of Africa, Libya, Syria, South Asia, India, West Africa The sixth edition of the Annual Review of Global Peace Operations was published by Lynn Reinner Publishers on 1 February 2011 and can be purchased here Praise for the Annual Review: "A vital reference for peace and conflict studies and global politics collections," — Library Journal Author(s) / Contributor(s): Center on International Cooperation Topic(s): Fragile States, International Security, Peace Operations Beyond Heavy Peacekeeping: Alternative Mission Models for Building the Rule of Law In the last decade, there have been two trends in mission mandates. The first and most obvious is the United Nations Security Council authorization of peacekeeping missions with significant military components and complex, multidimensional mandates. Yet, due to global strains on personnel, equipment, financial resources, and to competing international priorities, these missions – typically in the most challenging environments – have suffered from under-deployment and insufficient political attention. Publication Date: Jun 01, 2010 Author(s) / Contributor(s): Center on International Cooperation, Center for International Peace Operations (ZIF), German Foreign Office Region/Country: Europe Topic(s): Fragile States, Peace Operations, United Nations The Prospects for Security and Political Reconciliation in Afghanistan: Local, National, and Regional Perspectives In May of 2010 Tuft University’s Institute for Global Leadership gathered a select group of Afghan politicians and military officials, Pakistani journalists and scholars, United Nations officials, diplomats, humanitarian workers, and U.S. military representative to discuss on the opportunities for, and obstacles to, security and political reconciliation in Afghanistan. This report presents a summary of that meeting. Read the full Meeting Report here Region/Country: South Asia, Afghanistan Topic(s): Afghanistan, Fragile States, Transnational Threats Program(s): Afghanistan-Pakistan Regional Project The Arab Awakening \| America and the Transformation of the Middle East Shaky Foundations: An Assessment of the UN's Rule of Law Support Agenda Development in the Shadow of Violence: A Knowledge Agenda for Policy Diplomatic Fallout: Africa Still Matters to EU Defense Cooperation Geneva Communique: Road Map for Syria Political Transition Diplomatic Fallout: International Crisis Diplomacy on the Defensive, Part II Syria Peace Talks On the Verge of Imploding After Invitation Mishap Congo Research Group Addressing Protracted Displacement: The Turkish Case As the displacement of Syrians and other refugees in Turkey becomes increasingly protracted with no quick solution to the conflict in Syria in sight, overstretching the resources and capacities for the refugee response to its limits, formulating strategies and solutions to address the medium to long-term needs of refugees and host communities becomes increasingly vital. Gizem Sucuoglu Ahmed Rashid and Barnett Rubin: Afghanistan and Pakistan CIC Associate Director Barnett Rubin spoke on November 24 at the Carnegie Council along with Ahmed Rashid on Af-Pak, Taliban and Daesh. View the full video of the dialogue below:	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1041
__label__cc	0.69646	0.30354	Connecting Heads Orthodontic Terminology Exploring the wider role of dentistry! Dr Helen Jones LDS.RCS(Eng) BDS (Lond) MFGDP(UK) Connecting Heads is an online journal for health professionals. The posts include articles, interviews and videos relating to the paradigm shift which is taking place in the field of dentistry. I have been a member of The British Society for the Study of Cranio-Mandibular Disorders (www.jawache.com) since its inception in the late 80’s. Their journal, Cranio UK, is issued biannually and as an associate editor I contribute to this publication.Currently lecturing annually to final year students, King’s Hospital (University of London) at Guy’s Hospital campus and the Osteopathic Centre for Children/Foundation for Paediatric Osteopathy. By working with other health professionals we can achieve an outcome for our patients that is greater than can be achieved by working on our own. Getting to understand what other disciplines can offer will help us form an integrated treatment plan to the benefit of our patients. Unfortunately, dentistry has become separated from mainstream medicine. The National Health Service system of funding is probably responsible for this mind set. Furthermore, there is little emphasis on airway, muscle function and posture. This is where Cranial Osteopaths, Chiropractors and other body workers have an important role to play. The airway and early orthodontic connection is only now beginning to be recognised. In the near future it is hoped that a collaboration including ENT and peadiatricians becomes firmly established.Functional Orthodontists have recognised this for some time. The improved results that they have achieved through an integrated approach to treatment has been well documented. I feel that it is now time to encourage more collaboration between disciplines to further our understanding. Dr Helen Jones trained at Guy’s Dental Hospital. She then worked in general dental practice and in hospitals both in the UK and in South Africa. She and her family returned to the UK in 1997 and she continued in general dental practice but became increasingly interested in Orthodontics. In 1982 she limited her practice to Orthodontics with a special interest in Functional Orthodontics and the treatment of Temporo-Mandibular Joint Dysfunction. In 1993 she attained the Membership of the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) and in 2003 she was placed on the Specialist register for Orthodontics by special appeal before a GDC panel. She retired from Stricklands Dental Fitness Centre, Haslemere, Surrey at the end of 2010. She is married and lives in Surrey. She has three sons ( one in Sydney, Australia, one in Boston, USA and one in Surrey) and six grandchildren. Fortunately she loves travelling and her other interests are tennis, yoga, gardening and the theatre. During the last twenty years she has lectured both in the UK and internationally in USA, Canada, Japan, India, Nepal, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Vietnaam and Malta. These have included presentations to general practitioners, osteopaths and chiropractors. She will be giving her third annual presentation to the final year dental students at Guy’s campus, King’s Dental Institute on 8 May, 2017 “Beyond BDS – Exploring the Wider Role of Dentistry.” Currently she is presenting the following lectures: “The Orthodontic / Osteopathic and Chiropractic Connection” “The Temporo-Mandibular / Osteopathic and Chiropractic Connection” This lecture refers to movement disorders. “The Scope of Functional Orthodontics” “The Effects of Jaw Problems on the rest of the Body” King’s Dental Institute, Guy’s campus, final year students, 2015-2017 Osteopathic Centre for Children, London 2008 – 2017 International Growth Symposium 1999 UK, 2001 Japan, 2004 UK, 2005 Canada European School of Osteopathy, Maidstone 2010 McTimoney College of Chiropractic, Abingdon 2011 Manus Sinistra, the student study group of the British School of Osteopathy, London 2011 American Association for Functional Orthodontics 1998, 1999, 2000 USA Table Demonstrations: British Society for General Dental Surgery 1995 – 2009 UK, India & Far East Positions currently held: Associate editor of the Cranial Journal 2002 – Hon.Sec. & treasurer for the Functional Orthodontic Support Group 2005 – Member of the Dental Circle of King’s Dental Institute, London University 2012 – Clinical Assistant to Mr Alan Hall, St.Richard’s Hospital, Chichester 1982-1989 Gained D’Orth part I – 1984 Clinical Assisitant to Mr David Birnie, Queen Alexandra’s Hospital. Portsmouth, 1989-1993 Attendance at the academic content of D’Orth part II, Royal Dental Hospital. 1984 – 85 Clinical Assistant to Dr John Mew, Purley Clinic, 1982 – 1986 Study sessions with Mr Harry Orton at Kingston Hospital & in his private practice 1984 – Gained MFGDP(UK) 1993 6 visits to Dr Brendan Stack’s Sleep & TMJ Therapy Clinic in Vienna, Virginia. Courses & conferences in the UK and USA – too many to mention but all documented! Articles published: Cranio UK – journal of the British Society for the Study of Cranio-Mandibular Disorders -regular articles “Fulcrum” – May 2015 – journal for Cranio-Sacral Therapists -Exploring the Wider Role of Dentistry. Past positions held: British Society for the Study of Cranio-Mandibular Disorders, Hon Sec 1992 – 2002 Panellist for the Dental Complaints Service 2005 – 2010 Past Association Membership South African Dental Association British Orthodontic Society American Association Of Orthodontics American Association of Functional Orthodontics World Federation of Orthodontics Faculty of General Practice Royal Colleges UK 1. Annette Carter \| December 12, 2013 at 8:31 pm I loved the talk Dr Helen Jones gave at the ESO it has opened a whole new avenue to explore – facinating stuff 2. drhelenjones \| January 21, 2016 at 8:21 pm Thank you so much for your comment. I have a really interesting video that I would like to share with you if you contact me. 3. Clare Ballard \| March 17, 2014 at 8:26 pm Thank you for the fascinating and authoritative talk at Hawkwood College for the Sutherland Cranial College. It reinforced for me the necessity for Osteopaths and dentists to continue to work together in mutual understanding. I think Dr Helen Jones is doing very important work in this field. 5. ACW \| October 6, 2014 at 6:42 am Thank you for a fantastic lecture at the LSO! This knowledge gives us a chance to be even more holistic now and hopefully leads to a successful collaboration between osteopaths and orthodontists. 7. Chiropractic Lawrenceville \| October 19, 2014 at 5:35 am checking through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely glad I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back frequently!	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1044
__label__wiki	0.551994	0.551994	CVO Recruitment is one of the Baltic leading consulting firms specialised in employment and the labour market. Our main field of activity is recruitment and selection. By seeking and finding the best employees, we help organisations to develop, grow and attain the desired results. We use our international reach for finding the best employees and, where necessary, carry out headhunting all over the world. Feedback from candidates Triin Raamat Member of the Board, Data Protection Officer triin.raamat@cvo.ee Skype: triinraamat Triin has been with us the longest – she joined CVO in 2004 and is our inspiring leader. Above all Triin manages large-scale projects. Under her leadership various financial shared service centres have been opened and businesses from Scandinavia and Central Europe have been relocated to Estonia. Triin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Master’s degree in Organisational Behaviour and she has passed a Doctorate program in Management Sciences. Marion Laido marion.laido@cvo.ee Skype: marion.laido Marion has been with us since 2008. She started as an accountant, but soon took up the role of chief accountant. On Marion’s initiative and under her leadership our accounts are kept impeccably. Marion holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a Master’s degree in Financial Management. Geirit Jansen geirit.jansen@cvo.ee Skype: geirit Geirit’s career in the field of recruitment began in the worldwide youth organisation AIESEC where she delivered large recruitment projects and worked together with many different nationalities on a daily basis as a Human Resources Manager of the local unit. In our company, Geirit has delivered many large-scale recruitments during clients' growth phase or establishment of new units, and recruited top talents in various fields from IT, engineering, finance, sales, and administrative specialists up to executive managers. Currently, she takes care of our qualified recruitment team, making sure our people have top-level skills and knowledge about the latest innovations and methods in recruitment field. In addition, she consults local and international companies on labour market, labour legislation, recruitment, HR and salary topics. Geirit holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with specialisation in Human Resource Management, and an EQF Level 5 Certificate as an HR Specialist / Recruitment Specialist. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Organisational Behaviour, and has previously also studied in University of Bologna (Italy), the world’s oldest university. Heleen Anderson Recruitment Partner heleen.anderson@cvo.ee Skype: heleen.anderson Heleen has extensive experience in recruitment from different areas, including IT & engineering, finance, marketing, sales and management. Working in CVO Recruitment since 2016, she has executed complex recruitment projects for both local and international companies and given advice on how to establish the team from scratch in Estonia. Besides recruitment, she is interested in flexible working arrangements and has received a recognition „Best Potential in HR Management“ from the Estonian Human Resource Association for her research study in 2018. Heleen has obtained a Master’s degree cum laude in HR Management, and regularly gives lectures on different labour market topics. Piret Talviste piret.talviste@cvo.ee Skype: piret.talviste Piret found her way to the recruitment field via the student organisation Southwestern Advantage, spending four summers in the United States and Canada selling books door to door and the months in between recruiting, preparing and training students and instructing freshmen. Piret has higher education in Optometry. Stina Abner stina.abner@cvo.ee Skype: stinkuuu Stina has previously lived and worked in Greece and Australia. This experience has broadened her horizons and prepared her to work with a wide range of people from different backgrounds and cultures. Professionally Stina has come into contact with a variety of fields, and this diversity gives her a good grounding in the world of enterprise. She has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and she has obtained a Master's degree cum laude in Organisational Behaviour. Kristin Kiren kristin.kiren@cvo.ee Skype: kristin.kiren Kristin has lived around the world for shorter and longer periods - just before starting work at CVO Recruitment, she was studying and working in France for seven years. This experience broadened her mind in the field of cross-cultural knowledge in particular and confirmed her decision to make human resources her vocation. Kristin is passionate about international recruitment, talent management, organisational culture and employment branding. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master's degree in Organisational Psychology. Kristiina Saal kristiina.saal@cvo.ee Skype: kristiina.saal Kristiina started to take an interest in human resources during her psychology studies at the University of Tartu. First professional experience in human resources came through an international youth organisation AIESEC where she recruited students and managed exchange programs. This experience gave her an ambition to continue with working in recruitment and personnel selection, also headhunting. Kristiina has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology with a side speciality in Economics. Liis Toomsalu liis.toomsalu@cvo.ee Skype: toomsaluliis Liis has come across different cultures and expanded her horizons while working and studying in the US. When the primary interest in psychology emerged during her studies in the US, she further became interested in human resource field during her studies in psychology at the University of Tallinn. Liis has worked in different fields, varying from tourism to IT, but her first recruitment experience is from retail instead. So far, working as a recruiter, it has only further increased her interest in this exciting yet complex field. Currently, Liis is acquiring a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management. Sandra Sõber sandra.sober@cvo.ee Skype: Sandra Sõber Sandra is the youngest member of our team. She found her way to recruitment after 1,5 years of working and living in Australia, which gave her courage, proactiveness, ambition, and of course the experience of meeting different cultures and nationalities. Sandra has a Bachelor's degree in Business Management and she also has extensive experience as a volunteer in various organizations. Our new employee? We're always open for eager candidates, who are looking for a bright career in recruitment field. Contact us (geirit.jansen@cvo.ee) and tell us about your strengths! Narva mnt 5 (Foorum Centre), EmployerJobseeker	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1063
__label__wiki	0.982267	0.982267	News about Schumacher ‘not good’ says ex-boss By FORMER STAFF February 4, 2016 4 2010 Michael Schumacher sustained serious brain injuries following a skiing accident in France in 2013 The latest news about the health of seven-times Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher is not good, his former Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo said on Thursday. The German is still receiving intensive treatment far from the public eye at his home in Switzerland following severe head injuries that he suffered in a skiing accident in France in December 2013. “I have news and unfortunately it is not good,” Montezemolo told reporters without giving any further details. “Life is strange. He was a fantastic driver and only had one accident with Ferrari in 1999”, the former Ferrari chairman said. Schumacher‘s long-time manager Sabine Kehm, who has been steadfast in refusing to comment on rumours or speculation about the 47-year-old’s condition, had nothing to say when contacted by Reuters. F1Formula 1 Grand prixMichael Schumacher Doctors bailing from state sector Chief negotiators meet with Juncker in Brussels UK government plans light show to mark moment of Brexit	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1064
__label__wiki	0.994877	0.994877	African World Cup qualifying highlights (11 November 2017) ADV MREC Morocco's Noureddine Amrabat vies with Ivory Coast's Serge Aurier Morocco's Noureddine Amrabat (R) vies with Ivory Coast's Serge Aurier during the FIFA World Cup 2018 Africa Group C qualifying football match between Ivory Coast and Morocco at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium in Abidjan on November 11, 2017. / AFP / ISSOUF SANOGO Tunisia's midfielder Wahbi Khazri is marked by Libya's forward Mohamed Al Ghanodi Tunisia's midfielder Wahbi Khazri (L) is marked by Libya's forward Mohamed Al Ghanodi (R) during the FIFA World Cup qualification football match between between Tunisia and Libya at Rades Olympic Stadium on November 11, 2017. / AFP / FETHI BELAID Tunisian cheers for their national team in Rades Tunisian cheers for their national team ahead of the FIFA World Cup qualification football match between between Tunisia and Libya at Rades Olympic Stadium on November 11, 2017. / AFP / FETHI BELAID Morocco supporters at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan Morocco's team supporters attend at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium in Abidjan on November 11, 2017, during the FIFA World Cup 2018 Africa Group C qualifying football match between Ivory Coast and Morocco. / AFP / ISSOUF SANOGO Gabon's Llyod Palun (L) vies with Mali's Moussa Doumbia Gabon's Llyod Palun (L) vies with Mali's Moussa Doumbia (R) during the World Cup 2018 play-off football match Gabon vs Mali, on November 11, 2017 in Franceville. / AFP / Wils Yanick MANIENGUI Morocco celebrate a goal at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium in Abidjan Morocco's team players celebrate a goal at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium in Abidjan on November 11, 2017, during the FIFA World Cup 2018 Africa Group C qualifying football match between Ivory Coast and Morocco. / AFP / ISSOUF SANOGO Tunisia's forward Taha Khenissi runs after Libya's midfielder Ali Elmusrati Tunisia's forward Taha Khenissi (L) runs after Libya's midfielder Ali Elmusrati (R) during the FIFA World Cup qualification football match between between Tunisia and Libya at Rades Olympic Stadium on November 11, 2017. / AFP / FETHI BELAID Morocco's Younes Belhanda vies with Ivory Coast's Max Gradel Morocco's Younes Belhanda (R) vies with Ivory Coast's Max Gradel during the FIFA World Cup 2018 Africa Group C qualifying football match between Ivory Coast and Morocco at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium in Abidjan on November 11, 2017. / AFP / ISSOUF SANOGO A Tunisian fan cheers for his national team in Rades A Tunisian fan cheers for his national team ahead of the FIFA World Cup qualification football match between between Tunisia and Libya at Rades Olympic Stadium on November 11, 2017. / AFP / FETHI BELAID Ivory Coast's Seydou Doumbia vies with Morocco's Medhi Benatia and Mbark Boussoufa Ivory Coast's Seydou Doumbia (R) vies with Morocco's Medhi El Moutaqui Benatia (C) and Mbark Boussoufa during the FIFA World Cup 2018 Africa Group C qualifying football match between Ivory Coast and Morocco at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium in Abidjan on November 11, 2017. / AFP / ISSOUF SANOGO Morocco celebrate at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan Morocco's players celebrate at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium in Abidjan on November 11, 2017, after the FIFA World Cup 2018 Africa Group C qualifying football match between Ivory Coast and Morocco. / AFP / ISSOUF SANOGO	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1067
__label__cc	0.745628	0.254372	Bommarito, Katz, Zelner & Fowler – Distance Measures for Dynamic Citation Networks (Version 3.0 w/ Theoretical Model & SCOTUS Citation Network Application) Author Daniel Martin KatzPosted on November 30, 2009 Tags dendrograms, judicial citation network, network analysis, physics, supreme courtLeave a comment on Bommarito, Katz, Zelner & Fowler – Distance Measures for Dynamic Citation Networks (Version 3.0 w/ Theoretical Model & SCOTUS Citation Network Application) Well Formed Eigenfactor.Org–Wonderful Visualization of CrossDisciplinary Fertilization, Information Flow & The Structure of Science [Repost] Given our interest in both interdisciplinary scholarship and the spread of ideas, we wanted to highlight one of our favorite projects–eigenfactor.org. Here is basic documentation from their website. There are also links to academic papers offering far more detailed documentation for the data and algorithm choice. In particular, read Martin Rosvall and Carl T. Bergstrom, Maps of Random Walks on Complex Networks, Proc. of the Nat. Academy of Sci. 105:1118-1123 (2007). The above visualizations are written in Flare by Moritz Stefaner. Click on the slide above to reach these interactive visualizations. These mapping offer reveal the reach of various publications across disciplines–some are insular and others have incredible reach. The inner rings are journals and the outer rings are the host disciplines. Enjoy! Author Daniel Martin KatzPosted on November 29, 2009 Tags structure of science, visualization Visualizing the East Anglia Climate Research Unit Leaked Email Network As reported in a wide variety of news outlets, last week, a large amount of data was hacked from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia. This data included both source code for the CRU climate models, as well as emails from the individuals involved with the group. For those interested in background information, you can read the NY Times coverage here and here. Read the Wall Street Journal here. Read the Telegraph here. For those interested in searching the emails, the NY Times directs the end user to http://www.eastangliaemails.com/. Given the data is widely available on the internet, we thought it would be interesting to analyze the network of contacts found within these leaked emails. Similar analysis has been offered for large datasets such as the famous Enron email data set. While there may be some selection issues associated with observing this subset of existing emails, we believe this network still gives us a “proxy” into the structure of communication and power in an important group of researchers (both at the individual and organization level). To build this network, we processed every email in the leaked data. Each email contains a sender and at least one recipient on the To:, Cc:, or Bcc: line. The key assumption is that every email from a sender to a recipient represents a relationship between them. Furthermore, we assume that more emails sent between two people, as a general proposition indicates a stronger relationship between individuals. To visualize the network, we draw a blue circle for every email address in the data set. The size of the blue circle represents how many emails they sent or received in the data set – bigger nodes thus sent or received a disproportionate number of emails. Next, we draw grey lines between these circles to represent that emails were sent between the two contacts. These lines are also sized by the number of emails sent between the two nodes. Typically, we would also provide full labels for nodes in a network. However, we decided to engage in partial “anonymization” for the email addresses of those in the data set. Thus, we have removed all information before the @ sign. For instance, an email such as johndoe@umich.edu is shown as umich.edu in the visual. If you would like to view this network without this partial “anonymization,” it is of course possible to download the data and run the source code provided below. Note: We have updated the image. Specifically, we substituted a grey background for the full black background in an effort to make the visual easier to read/interpret. Click here for a zoomable version of the visual on Microsoft Seadragon. Don’t forget to use SeaDragon’s fullscreen option: Hubs and Authorities: In addition to the visual, we provide hub and authority scores for the nodes in the network. We provide names for these nodes but do not provide their email address. Phil Jones: 1.0 Keith Briffa: 0.86 Tim Osborn: 0.80 Jonathan Overpeck: 0.57 Tom Wigley: 0.54 Gavin Schmidt: 0.54 Raymond Bradley: 0.52 Kevin Trenberth: 0.49 Benjamin Santer: 0.49 Michael Mann: 0.46 Hubs returns nearly identical ranks with slightly perturbed orders with the notable exception that the UK Met Office IPCC Working Group has the highest hub score. Thus, so far as these emails are a reasonable “proxy” for the true structure of this communication network, these are some of the most important individuals in the network. Unlike some existing CRU code, the code below is documented, handles errors, and is freely available. parseEmails.py: parses dates and email addresses out of the text plotEmails.py: produces the visual Author Michael BommaritoPosted on November 27, 2009 Tags data mining, network analysis, structure of science, visualization1 Comment on Visualizing the East Anglia Climate Research Unit Leaked Email Network More Posts Forthcoming Soon …. Author Daniel Martin KatzPosted on November 25, 2009 Leave a comment on Happy Thanksgiving! Google Wave — A Promising Platform for Real-Time Collaboration Also from the good folks at Google Scholar comes caselaw and patents together with metadata, page tags and a nice “how cited” feature. Here is the announcement from the GoogleBlog. Useful analysis available at Legal Informatics Blog, Just in Case and Internet for Lawyers. Enjoy! Author Daniel Martin KatzPosted on November 23, 2009 Tags computer science, Judicial Decision Making, patents, Web 2.0Leave a comment on Google Wave — A Promising Platform for Real-Time Collaboration Visualizing the Linkage Structure of the Law Blogosphere So this is Version 1.0 of our series regarding the linkage structure of the Law Blogosphere. We are currently working on a Version 2.0 that will feature documentation and a larger set of law blogs. Check back soon for more! Author Daniel Martin KatzPosted on November 22, 2009 Tags computational legal studies, data mining, visualization, Web 2.0Leave a comment on Visualizing the Linkage Structure of the Law Blogosphere "Sink Method" Poster for Conference on Empirical Legal Studies (CELS 2009 @ USC) As we mentioned in previous posts, Seadragon is a really cool product. Please note load times may vary depending upon your specific machine configuration as well as the strength of your internet connection. For those not familiar with how to operate it please see below. In our view, the Full Screen is best the way to go …. Author Daniel Martin KatzPosted on November 20, 2009 Tags computational legal studies, computer science, judicial citation network, Judicial Decision Making, network analysis, physics1 Comment on "Sink Method" Poster for Conference on Empirical Legal Studies (CELS 2009 @ USC) Conference on Empirical Legal Studies @ USC Law School Mike and I are in route to the 2009 Conference on Empirical Legal Studies (CELS) at USC Law School. This post is actually coming to you from 32,000 feet on GoGo Wireless. I still cannot get over the idea of being on wireless from a moving airplane. We live in extraordinary times! Author Daniel Martin KatzPosted on November 19, 2009 Tags computational legal studiesLeave a comment on Conference on Empirical Legal Studies @ USC Law School Law Professoriate Poster for Conference on Empirical Legal Studies (CELS 2009 @ USC) Author Daniel Martin KatzPosted on November 18, 2009 Tags law schools, social epidemiology, Sociology of LawLeave a comment on Law Professoriate Poster for Conference on Empirical Legal Studies (CELS 2009 @ USC) Royal Society Archive Visualization [Via Chris Harrison] Author Daniel Martin KatzPosted on November 17, 2009 Tags visualizationLeave a comment on Royal Society Archive Visualization [Via Chris Harrison] Statistical Time Machines So, I was a bit late on this … However, it is a really cool idea and thus I want to flag it for those who might have missed it. As covered over at SCOTUS Blog and ELS Blog, the November 12th Wall Street Journal features a story entitled “Statistical Time Travel Helps to Answer What-Ifs.” Of interest to legal scholars, Professors Andrew Martin and Kevin Quinn discuss a series of what-ifs including how today’s Supreme Court would have voted on Roe v. Wade … Check it out! Author Daniel Martin KatzPosted on November 16, 2009 Tags Judicial Decision Making, supreme courtLeave a comment on Statistical Time Machines Programming Dynamic Models in Python-Part 3: Outbreak on a Network In this post, we will continue building on the basic models we discussed in the first and second tutorials. If you haven’t had a chance to take a look at them yet, definitely go back and at least skim them, since the ideas and code there form the backbone of what we’ll be doing here. In this tutorial, we will build a model that can simulate outbreaks of disease on a small-world network (although the code can support arbitrary networks). This tutorial represents a shift away from both: a) the mass-action mixing of the first two and and b) the assumption of social homogeneity across individuals that allowed us to take some shortcuts to simplify model code and speed execution. Put another way, we’re moving more in the direction of individual-based modeling. When we’re done, your model should be producing plots that look like this: Outbreak on a small-world network Red nodes are individuals who have been infected before the end of the run, blue nodes are never-infected individuals and green ones are the index cases who are infectious at the beginning of the run. And your model will be putting out interesting and unpredictable results such as these: Time vs. # of cases In order to do this one, though, you’re going to need to download and install have igraph for Python on your system. Individual-Based Networks It is important to make the subtle distinction between individual and agent based models very clear here. Although the terms are often used interchangeably, referring to our nodes, who have no agency, per se, but are instead fairly static receivers and diffusers of infection, as agents, seems like overreaching. Were they to exhibit some kind of adaptive behavior, i.e., avoiding infectious agents or removing themselves from the population during the infective period, they then become more agent-like. This is not to under- or over-emphasize the importance or utility of either approach, but just to keep the distinction in mind to avoid the “when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail” problem. In short, adaptive agents are great, but they’re overkill if you don’t need them for your specific problem. Small World Networks The guiding idea behind small-world networks is that they capture some of the structure seen in more realistic contact networks: most contacts are regular in the sense that they are fairly predicable, but there are some contacts that span tightly clustered social groups and bring them together. In the basic small-world model, an individual is connected to some (small, typically <=8) number of his or her immediate neighbors. Some fraction of these network connections are then randomly re-wired, so that some individuals who were previously distant in network terms – i.e., connected by a large number of jumps – are now adjacent to each other. This also has the effect of shortening the distance between their neighbors and individuals on the other side of the graph. Another way of putting this is that we have shortened the average path length and increased the average reachability of all nodes. These random connections are sometimes referred to as “weak ties”, as there are fewer of these ties that bridge clusters than there are within clusters. When these networks are considered from a sociological perspective, we often expect to find that the relationship represented by a weak tie is one in which the actors on either end have less in common with each other than they do with their ‘closer’ network neighbors. Random networks also have the property of having short average path lengths, but they lack the clustering that gives the small-world model that pleasant smell of quasi-realism that makes them an interesting but largely tractable, testing ground for theories about the impact of social structure on dynamic processes. Installation and Implementation Issues If you have all the pre-requisites installed on your system, you should be able to just copy and paste this code into a new file and run it with your friendly, local Python interpreter. When you run the model, you should first see a plot of the network, and when you close this, you should see a plot of the number of infections as a function of time shortly thereafter. Aside from the addition of the network, the major conceptual difference is that the model operates on discrete individuals instead of a homogeneous population of agents. In this case, the only heterogeneity is in the number and identity of each individual’s contacts, but there’s no reason we can’t (and many do) incorporate more heterogeneity (biological, etc.) into a very similar model framework. With Python, this change in orientation to homogeneous nodes to discrete individuals seems almost trivial, but in other languages it can be somewhat painful. For instance, in C/++, a similar implementation would involve defining a struct with fields for recovery time and individual ID, and defining a custom comparison operator for these structs. Although this is admittedly not a super-high bar to pass, it adds enough complexity that it can scare off novices and frustrate more experienced modelers. Perhaps more importantly, it often has the effect of convincing programmers that a more heavily object-oriented approach is the way to go, so that each individual is a discrete object. When our individuals are as inert as they are in this model, this ends up being a waste of resources and makes for significantly more cluttered code. The end result can often be a model written in a language that is ostensibly faster than Python, such as C++ or Java, that runs slower than a saner (and more readable) Python implementation. For those of you who are playing along at home, here are some things to think about and try with this model: Change the kind of network topology the model uses (you can find all of the different networks available in igraph here). Incorporate another level of agent heterogeneity: Allow agents to have differing levels of infectivity (Easier); Give agents different recovery time distributions (Harder, but not super difficult). Make two network models – you can think of them as separate towns – and allow them to weakly influence each other’s outbreaks. (Try to use the object-oriented framework here with minimal changes to the basic model.) That’s it for tutorial #3, (other than reviewing the comment code which is below) but definitely check back for more on network models! In future posts, we’ll be thinking about more dynamic networks (i.e., ones where the links can change over time), agents with a little more agency, and tools for generating dynamic visualizations (i.e., movies!) of stochastic processes on networks. That really covers the bulk of the major conceptual issues. Now let’s work through the implementation. Click Below to Review the Implementation and Commented Code! Continue reading “Programming Dynamic Models in Python-Part 3: Outbreak on a Network” Author Michael BommaritoPosted on November 15, 2009 Tags agent based models, network analysis, python, social epidemiology5 Comments on Programming Dynamic Models in Python-Part 3: Outbreak on a Network New Paper: Properties of the United States Code Citation Network We have been working on a larger paper applying many concepts from structural analysis and complexity science to the study of bodies of statutory law such as the United States Code. To preview the broader paper, we’ve published to SSRN and arXiv a shorter, more technical analysis of the properties of the United States Code’s network of citations. Click here to Download the Paper! Abstract: The United States Code is a body of documents that collectively comprises the statutory law of the United States. In this short paper, we investigate the properties of the network of citations contained within the Code, most notably its degree distribution. Acknowledging the text contained within each of the Code’s section nodes, we adjust our interpretation of the nodes to control for section length. Though we find a number of interesting properties in these degree distributions, the power law distribution is not an appropriate model for this system. Citation In-Degree Author Michael BommaritoPosted on November 11, 2009 Tags complex systems, computational legal studies, network analysis, united states codeLeave a comment on New Paper: Properties of the United States Code Citation Network Katz & Bommarito in the New York Times Discussing H.R. 3962 If you click through on the link above you will be directed to the New York Times Rx Blog. The full version of the article appears online while a shorter version appeared in today’s print edition. For those viewing the print edition, the story is located on page A20. This website is mentioned in both versions of the story! Author Daniel Martin KatzPosted on November 10, 2009 Tags congress, united states codeLeave a comment on Katz & Bommarito in the New York Times Discussing H.R. 3962 Visualizing the Structure of H.R. 3962 — The Health Care Bill In addition to the facts we have presented on HR 3962, we wanted to offer a visualization for the structure of the Bill. Like many other bills, HR 3962, is divided into Divisions, Titles, Subtitles, Parts, Subparts, Sections, Subsections, Clauses, and Subclauses. These hierarchical splits represent the drafters’ conception of its organization, and thus the relative size of these categories may provide an indication of both the importance of each section of the Bill as well as the overall size of the document. By clicking through the image below, you can navigate a zoomable representation of the structure of HR 3962 using Microsoft’s Seadragon zoom interface. Many of the Divisions, Titles, Subtitles, Parts, and Subparts of the Bill are labeled. The balance are not labeled because they fell on an angle on the radial layout which rendered them impossible to read. The graph is laid out in a radial manner with the center node labeled “H.R. 3962.” Legislation, the broader United States Code as well as many other classes of information are organized as hierarchical documents. H.R. 3962 is no different. For those less familiar with this type of documents, we thought it useful to provide a tutorial regarding (1) how to use this zoomable visualization (2) the correspondence between the visual and the Library of Congress version of H.R. 3962 How Do I Open/Navigate the Visualization? (1) Open the Library of Congress version of H.R. 3962 in another browser window. (2) Open the visualization by clicking on the large image above. (3) Clicking on the image above will take you to the Seadragon platform. (Note: Load times will vary from machine to machine… so please be patient.) (4) Seadragon allows for zoomable visualizations and for full screen viewing. Full screen is really the best way to go. If you run your mouse over the black box where the visual is located you will see four buttons in the southeast corner. The “full screen” button is the last one on the right. Click the button and you will be taken to full screen viewing! (5) Click to zoom in and out, hold the mouse down and drag the entire visual, etc. Now, you are ready to traverse the graph using this visualization as your very own “H.R. 3962 Magic Decoder Wheel.” How Do I Understand the Visualization? To introduce the substance of the visualization, we have color coded two separate examples right into the visualization. Example 1: Bills such as HR 3962 often feature a “short title” provision at the very begining of the legislation. For example, if you download the PDF copy of the bill, you can see the short title at the bottom of page 1 of the bill. You can also see this in the Library of Congress version of H.R. 3962. SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF DIVISIONS, TITLES, AND SUBTITLES. (a) Short Title- This Act may be cited as the `Affordable Health Care for America Act’. Zoom in close to start in the center where the large node labeled “HR 3962.” Notice the blue colorized path features the blue labels 1. and terminates with the label (a). The labels in the graph are the labels in the text above. While this is a simple example, the precise logic defines the entire graph. Example 2: This is a bit more difficult as it requires the traversal of several provisions in order to reach a terminal node. In this case, the terminal node read as follows … “SEC. 401. INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY.For an individual’s responsibility to obtain acceptable coverage, see section 59B of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (as added by section 501 of this Act).” DIVISION A–AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE CHOICES TITLE IV–SHARED RESPONSIBILITY Subtitle A–Individual Responsibility SEC. 401. INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY. Again, zoom in close to start in the center--where the large node labeled “HR 3962.” Notice the blue colorized path features the blue labels A and terminates with the label 401. In between the start and finish, there are stops at IV and A, respectfully. Just as before, the labels in the graph are the labels in the text above. The end user can follow the precise journey but without the visual by using the Library of Congress version of H.R. 3962. Author Michael BommaritoPosted on November 9, 2009 Tags congress, Google for Government, united states code, visualizationLeave a comment on Visualizing the Structure of H.R. 3962 — The Health Care Bill computer science future of law judicial citation network law schools machine learning for lawyers legal process improvement technology legal informatics artificial intelligence evolution of law open source legal operations structure of science Google for Government computational social science legal data Law as a Complex System legal tech artificial intelligence and law industries financial crisis machine learning blockchain united states code education supreme court fin tech legal technology legal entrepreneurship natural language processing congress legal complexity legal analytics Web 2.0 legal prediction economics agent based models social epidemiology legal services complex systems computational legal studies algorithms big data and law political science access to justice business of law fin legal tech quantitative legal prediction visualization smart contracts network analysis big data computational linguistics data mining legal innovation legal education the future innovation Judicial Decision Making physics	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1073
__label__wiki	0.810465	0.810465	Eminem’s Publisher Sues Spotify Over Copyright Breach (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images) Eminem’s publisher has filed a lawsuit against Spotify for copyright infringement on hundreds of songs. Eight Mile Style accused Spotify of reproducing 250 of the rapper’s songs including “Lose Yourself,” according to a report published Wednesday by The Hollywood Reporter. However, Spotify does not have any license to stream Eminem’s songs. Meanwhile, the publishing company claimed the streaming service has streamed Eminem’s compositions billions of times without providing compensation. So Eminem’s publicist tells me that he is not a party to the lawsuit against Spotify and was not even aware it was being filed. Turns out the company that owns his early catalog is doing this on their own. That’s the music industry huh. https://t.co/XSaejYGJiB — Nick Statt (@nickstatt) August 22, 2019 “Spotify has not accounted to Eight Mile or paid Eight Mile for these streams but instead remitted random payments of some sort, which only purport to account for a fraction of those streams,” Eight Mile said in the filing. The suit also brings up the Music Modernization Act (MMA) and claimed that Spotify did not complete its obligations under the act. (RELATED: Eminem Reveals He’s Been Sober For 11 Years After Struggling With Addiction To Prescription Drugs) Eight Mile Style claimed Spotify knew who published Eminem’s music but “did not engage in the required commercially reasonable efforts to match sound recordings with the Eight Mile Compositions as required by the MMA.” BREAK: Eminem’s publisher has filed a lawsuit with massive stakes. Spotify allegedly lacks license to stream “Lose Yourself” and more of rapper’s hits. The lawsuit also challenges the constitutionality of the Music Modernization Act. https://t.co/qtluCK39B8 — Eriq Gardner (@eriqgardner) August 21, 2019 The Music Modernization Act was created to make it easier for streaming services and others to match songs with their owners to make sure everyone receives compensation, The Hollywood Reporter reports. “The MMA will benefit the music community and create a more transparent and streamlined approach to music licensing and payment for artists,” Spotify’s Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs Horacio Gutierrez said after the act was implemented. Tags : eminem hollywood reporter spotify Melania Wows In Gorgeous Blush Coat And Chocolate Boots Combo At White House	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1075
__label__wiki	0.808437	0.808437	Northern Highlands Daily Voice serves Allendale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Midland Park, Saddle River, Upper Saddle River & Waldwick Mahwah-Ramsey serves Mahwah & Ramsey Pascack Valley serves Emerson, Hillsdale, Montvale, Park Ridge, River Vale, Washington Township, Westwood & Woodcliff Lake Wyckoff-Franklin Lakes serves Franklin Lakes, Oakland & Wyckoff Waldwick Resident Segues From Finances To Acting Facebook @jmuchnickdv Email me Read More Stories 01/12/2016 5:00 a.m. Waldwick resident Scott Churchson on "America's Got Talent." Photo Credit: Submitted More Articles Neighbors LITTLE HERO: Quick-Thinking 4-Year-Old In Franklin Saves Mom'... Donate Directly To Restore Franklin Lakes Church Demolished B... Fitness Guru Seeks 'Elves' To Help Bring Christmas To North J... WALDWICK, N.J. -- An ad on Craigslist changed the career direction for Waldwick resident Scott Churchson . A former financial advisor, Churchson is now a full time actor, stunt person and body double. He said he was tired of working 70+ hour weeks, with 25,000 miles a year on his car and "a ton of stress selling on commission every week." "When I finally decided to walk away from the financial world while job hunting I stumbled onto an ad on Craigslist to do extra work in TV. I always had an interest in acting/entertainment so I decided to take a run at it. Five years later, I'm still working, with 2015 being my best year yet," he said. Among some of his "coolest gigs," were working on "Dark Knight Rises," where he was a cop in the final fight scene, and on "America's Got Talent," in 2015 where he showed off his skills as a hand/face contortionist. "My goal was just to get on the show, not to really advance and I definitely wasn't expecting to win anything," he said. "But just being on the show, hanging with Nick Cannon, having the AGT Twitter page tweet about me was also incredible. I'm really grateful." Since last June he's been a body double (otherwise known as a stand-in) for the actor Donal Logue on the Fox show, "Gotham." That means, while the actor is getting into wardrobe, going over lines, etc they use Churchson to set up cameras, lights, etc., to save time. "It''s a blast hanging with the cast, being on the set and seeing all the action happening behind the scenes," he said. In between all that he has worked with both the Northeast Film Festival in Teaneck and the Hoboken International Film Festival in Middletown, N.Y Said Churchson: "I've kept myself busy, but with so much less stress than my days in finance." Go to www.scottchurchson.com/ for more information. Follow Jeanne Muchnick on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Northern Highlands Daily Voice! Serves Allendale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Midland Park, Saddle River, Upper Saddle River & Waldwick	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1078
__label__cc	0.551926	0.448074	Past & Present Clients Regulatory Agencies Take Pot Shots At Cannabis Smoking kills. And, if you’ve ever traveled to Europe, you’ll notice that the packs of cigarettes over there carry extremely graphic visual warnings that say, “Smoking Kills.” ‘Snuff said. This is ample warning. Just as alcohol advertising always carries the caveat: “Please drink responsibly.” But now, state regulators are attempting to apply the same kinds of caveats to the increasingly profitable – and legal — cannabis industry. However, officials so far have only come up with generalized heaps of warnings and regulations that some people say are too severe, in what many say is an attempt to make cannabis advertising hard to understand and confusing for the average consumer. The alcohol industry has tried to drown out cannabis for more than 75 years. Ditto the tobacco industry, which has also tried to snuff out cannabis. But unlike alcohol and tobacco – which too much of can kill you — cannabis has been medically proven to produce health benefits. And to me, as a Boston marketing expert, I don’t believe that overloading cannabis’ messaging with caveats that scientific studies have not yet supported is a good idea. Do we all really need to see a series of warnings on cannabis ads, about not driving and using cannabis? Of course. I think that most people would agree on that. But cannabis, when used responsibly, is know to produce a variety of positive health effects. Cannabis has been medically proven help to relieve and even prevent epilepsy in children. Many users attest that it produces better sleep, without the typical hangovers caused by prescription sleep medications. Thousands of patients suffering from cancer and other painful diseases swear that it relieves their pain – all without the serious risk of addiction that narcotic pain medications carry. (Can you say “opioid epidemic”?) Numerous other health benefits have been reported from responsible use of cannabis. The Cannabis Control Commission requires every marijuana advertisement to carry numerous warning messages, including one that says, “Please use responsibly.” They also require other warnings saying that minors and pregnant women should abstain; and those warnings are not unreasonable. The problem is that in their zeal to crush the growing cannabis market, competitors like the alcohol industry are urging public health regulators to require warnings that go far beyond what has been scientifically proven, or what is presently reasonable. In my opinion, I believe that cannabis advertising should simply be allowed to be sold, marketed and regulated similar to the way that alcohol and tobacco products are. I agree with reasonable warnings as to when not to use cannabis (such as when driving or operating machinery), but I don’t agree with public health officials issuing stifling and histrionic warnings, unless and until scientific testing and studies have demonstrated the need for this. What public health officials need to do, is get these clinical studies moving, so that whatever new discoveries and claims are made about cannabis, are supportted by reputable, responsible, reliable medical and scientific studies. Not submitted by the alcohol industry – which have vested economic interests in killing cannabis use, and not through “scientific studies” that are actually “junk science”. How To retire on a luxury cruise ship How To avoid paying Killer Resort AND HOTEL Fees Debbi Kickham Westwood Marketing USA Email: Debbi@DebbiKickham.com Office Ph.: (781) 407-9305 Mobile Ph.: (617) 610-2577 Sign Up For Our Business Newsletter and Blogs Subscribe to our Newsletter and blogs for industry trends and insight from our consulting team © 2020 Debbi Kickham	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1084
__label__wiki	0.956234	0.956234	PURCHASE APPAREL Del Mar Water Polo Club San Diego's Premiere Water Polo Club 10 & Under Boys and Girls 12 & Under Boys/Girls 10U Coed–Brendan Patterson 12U Boys Blue–Chad Salley 12U Boys White–Jacob Schrimpf 14U Boys Blue–Jakov Belamaric 14U Boys White–Sergei Kananovich 14U Boys Silver–Vincent Giacalone 16U Boys Silver–Jacob Schrimpf 18U Boys Blue–Jake Hodgens 18U Blue–Chad Salley 18U Boys White–Jacob Fujioka Brett Ormsby–18U Boys Blue 18U Boys–Blue Founder of Del Mar Water Polo Club, Brett Ormsby, was excited to return to San Diego to develop his own youth club. As one of the most accomplished and recognized players in the world of competitive water polo, Ormsby offers his club players an almost unparalleled level of water polo knowledge and experience – one that is unmatched by any other club coach in San Diego. Ormsby was a four-time NCAA All-American and 2004 NCAA National Player of the Year while playing for perennial water polo powerhouse UCLA from 2001-2004. While still at UCLA, he helped by serving as UCLA’s Undergraduate Assistant Coach for the 2005 season. As a member of the UCLA water polo team, Ormsby recorded 240 career goals, which puts him second on UCLA’s all-time list. Ormsby, who attended Valhalla High School in El Cajon, amassed a career-high 72 goals in 2003. He followed that season up with 70 as a senior in 2004. His 2004 effort ultimately proved to be his most successful, as he and five other UCLA seniors helped UCLA earn their eighth national title. In addition to being an integral part of his team’s success during that 2004 campaign, Ormsby was recognized for a number of amazing individual accomplishments. As well as being named the 2004 National Player of the Year, Ormsby was voted as an All-American (three first-team selections) all four years. He was also named the 2004 NCAA Final Four MVP, a four-time All-MPSF selection and was designated the conference player of the week on eight different occasions. In 2003 and 2004, Ormsby was also considered a finalist for the Peter J. Cutino Award, an honor bestowed annually to college water polo’s finest male player. While still at UCLA,, Ormsby became a member of the 2004 United States Water Polo Olympic Team that played in Athens, Greece. While playing with fellow UCLA players Brandon Brooks and Adam Wright, Ormsby scored his first Olympic goal against powerful Hungary on August 19, 2004. After he stopped playing competitive water polo due to injury, Ormsby continued nurturing his passion for water polo as a coach. Immediately following his remarkable college career, Ormsby became an assistant coach at UCLA. Following this, he began coaching for Los Angeles Water Polo Club where he helped the 16 and under girls team win a silver medal at the 2007 National Junior Olympics. After relocating to San Diego, Ormsby led an 18 and under boys team to the silver medal at the 2008 National Junior Olympics. In 2008, Ormsby accepted the head water polo coaching position at Cathedral Catholic High School. The Dons Varsity team went as far as the semi-finals in the San Diego CIF Championships in only his first year. In only his second year as head coach, Ormsby and his team won the San Diego CIF Championship. Ormsby was also selected the San Diego High School Coach of Year and was the winning coach for the San Diego High School Senior All-Star water polo game. While at Cathedral, Ormsby founded the Del Mar Water Polo Club, with the goal of using his knowledge of collegiate and international water polo to teach youth players in San Diego the fundamentals used by competitive water polo players around the world. Feel free to contact Del Mar Water Polo Club today. Please use the following email links to contact the respective individuals. CLUB ADMINISTRATOR Tommy Corcoran CONTACT THE DEL MAR BOARD APPAREL COORDINATOR Shereen Attisha BOYS 18 & UNDER-TEAM PARENT Clare Sturtevant BOYS 18 & UNDER BLUE COACH BOYS 18 & UNDER Silver COACH Sami Hill Jacob Schrimpf Preslav Djippov BOYS 14 & UNDER BLUE TEAM PARENT Melissa Clemens Jakov Belamaric BOYS 14 & UNDER WHITE TEAM PARENT Dmitry Shpak BOYS 14 & UNDER WHITE COACH Sergei Kananovich BOYS 14 & UNDER SILVER TEAM PARENT Laura Danahy John Arnold BOYS 12 & UNDER BLUE TEAM COACH Chad Salley Kim Hawkins BOYS 12 & UNDER WHITE TEAM COACH Vincent Giacalone COED 10 & UNDER TEAM PARENT Kelly Bruhn COED 10 & UNDER COACH Brendan Patterson 9/14 – Student-Athlete College Presentation 12U Coed Win Junior Olympics Gold Division 10Us Rock Junior Olympics 14A’s Finish Fifth At Junior Olympics 18’s Finish Ninth At Junior Olympics DMWPC Mailing Address/Pool Address 2658 Del Mar Heights Rd. Cathedral Catholic High School 5555 Del Mar Heights Road Follow DMWPC Online Del Mar Water Polo Club-San Diego, CA WordPress Website Customization by Zenthree © 2015 - Del Mar Water Polo Club, San Diego, CA. A non-profit organization serving youth water polo players in San Diego County	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1086
__label__wiki	0.708083	0.708083	Satellite Missions Airborne Sensors Observation of the Earth Services on SSE You are here Home › Directory › Satellite Missions › C › CHIPSat CHIPSat CHIPSat (CHIPS Satellite) CHIPSat (Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer Satellite) is a technology demonstration mission of UCB (University of California at Berkeley, PI: M. Hurwitz), supported by NASA's UNEX (University-class Explorer) program, with the objective to obtain spectral sky maps of the scientifically critical EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) band between 90-260 A. CHIPSat is in fact NASA's first UNEX mission. The CHIPS full-sky survey helps to determine the electron temperature, ionization conditions, and cooling mechanisms of the so-called “local interstellar bubble,” a cloud of hot gas surrounding our solar system that extends about 300 light-years from the sun. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Background: The CHIPS (Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer) project was selected by UNEX in 1998. The CHIPS mission (i.e. the instrument) was initially proposed as a secondary payload aboard a FAISat communications S/C. This approach was dropped in favor of a small spacecraft with a single instrument payload. Thus the CHIPS project mutated to CHIPSat. Figure 1: Artist's view of CHIPSat (image credit: NASA) Spacecraft: CHIPSat is a dedicated microsatellite built by SpaceDev, Inc. of Poway, CA for UCB/SSL (Space Sciences Laboratory). CHIPSat is a three-axis stabilized S/C using 4 momentum wheels (Dynacon MicroWheel 200), three torque coils, two sun sensors, magnetometer, a moon sensor, and rate sensors to provide an attitude pointing accuracy within ±2º. The magnetorquers are being used to balance residual spacecraft dipole and dump built-up momentum from the wheels. The S/C is nominally sun-pointing with complete freedom to yaw about the solar array normal vector allowing the CHIPS instrument to obtain a full-sky survey within six months, while avoiding pointing the instrument FOV at the sun, Earth, moon and in the orbital RAM direction. The design permits access to all points on the celestial sphere within the one year mission lifetime. 6) 7) 8) The S/C structure employs the BD-II spacecraft bus of SpaceDev, using a milled aluminum transition adapter and aluminum honeycomb panels with facesheets for structural integrity. Power (106 W EOL) is provided by body-mounted solar arrays using dual-junction GaAs/InP/Ge solar cells; NiCd batteries are used during solar eclipses. In addition, small keep-alive arrays are positioned on the other five sides of the S/C providing enough power to run critical subsystems regardless of the S/C attitude. A passive thermal subsystem is used for CHIPSat. The C&DH (Communications and Data Handling) subsystem employs a single-board computer (Motorola Power PC 750 CPU, memory, and I/O for distributed processors). The S/C mass is 64 kg, power = 42 W, its size is about 1 m x 1 m x 0.5 m, the design life is 18 months (one year mission). The CHIPSat system provides a design that utilizes COTS (Commercial-off-the-Shelf) philosophy. The avionics electronic components are primarily commercial grade with industrial temperature range. For internal communications within the bus, standard COTS interface protocols are used, most notably RS-422 and RS-485. Because TCP/IP is used for end-to-end communications, almost all hardware in the ground segment is COTS; in addition, almost all communications-related software is built into the COTS operating systems used for both the ground and space segments. The interface between the spacecraft and the ground segment consists of an HDLC point-to-point link layer. Layered within the HDLC frames is a standard TCP/UDP/IP protocol stack that, when combined with VPN (Virtual Private Network) and firewall-protected use of the commercial Internet, allows end-to-end data flow between mission control centers, science operations centers, and the spacecraft. The use of COTS Internet tools opened up a wide range of easily implemented operational capability including distributed and easily portable integration and test and mission operations. Figure 2: Illustration of the CHIPSat spacecraft (image credit: SpaceDev Inc.) Figure 3: View of CHIPSat -Z direction (auxiliary solar arrays), image credit: SpaceDev Inc. Figure 4: CHIPSat undergoes final preparation at VAFB before launch (image credit: Boeing Company) Launch: CHIPSat was launched as a secondary payload, along with ICESat as primary payload, on January 13, 2003 (UTC) on a Delta-2 7320-10 rocket from VAFB, CA. 9) Orbit: circular orbit, altitude of 190 km x 1200 km (initial) and 590 km (final), inclination = 94º, orbital period of 96.23 minutes. - Note: The 190 km x 1200 km orbit was the initial orbit in which the Delta-2 2nd stage, with CHIPSat still attached, was left when the 3rd stage separated. Then, the 2nd stage was fired twice again, first to lower the apogee, then after 45 minutes, to raise the perigee. Only then did CHIPSat separate from the 2nd stage. The CHIPSat spacecraft doesn't provide any onboard propulsion. CHIPSat communications: CHIPSat is the first NASA mission to use end-to-end satellite operations with TCP/IP and FTP (File Transfer Protocol). This concept has been analyzed and demonstrated by the NASA OMNI team via UoSAT-12. However, CHIPSat is the first spacecraft to implement the TCP/IP concept as the only means of satellite communications. The RF communications are in S-band. The transceiver is composed of a transmitter and separate receiver which are combined via a highly selective diplexer and split into two (RHCP & LHCP) antennas to provide near 4π coverage. The system utilizes FSK modulation for both uplink and downlink, and utilizes rates of 4-9.6 kbit/s and 38.4 - 115.2 kbit/s respectively. The TCP/IP and UDP/IP (User Datagram Protocol/Internet Protocol) protocol suite is used to communicate all data between the S/C and the ground user directly. Data is received, archived, and monitored at MCC (Mission Control Center) at SpaceDev, and then sent to SOC (Science Operation Center) at UCB/SSL via Internet. The UDP/IP (User Datagram Protocol) protocol is selected for real-time monitoring and real-time commanding (it de-couples both directions) and presents much less overhead. The setup permits the reception of engineering and status packets (telemetry) in case the uplink isn't working. Conversely, the setup permits also to command “into the blind” by uplinking UDP packets in case the telemetry isn't working. Note: The UDP service of the TCP/IP protocol permits to send discrete packets of information called “datagrams” that aren't guaranteed to get there and may arrive out of order depending upon their routing through the IP system. A two-way communication isn't needed in this setup because the data are broadcast. So, if a guarantee is needed that at least some packets get through, even if one direction of the communication link fails, then UDP may be used. - TCP deals with making sure that all the packets arrive and are in the correct order. TCP implies a two-way connection and a higher level of communications overhead to assure that all the packets arrive and are in the correct order. The spacecraft takes advantage of the innate capabilities and common tools of the Internet to manage time synchronization between the ground and the spacecraft. These include NTP (Network Time Protocol) on the SpaceDev TCP/IP data routers located at the ground stations and SNTP (Simple Network Time Protocol) running on the spacecraft operating system. The software running on the spacecraft periodically requests a time update from the ground station, and after a successful SNTP echo, the spacecraft clock is aligned to UTC (estimated at better than 100 milliseconds). Status of mission: • The CHIPSat mission was retired on April 11, 2008 — after 5 years of successful operations. The reason for its retirement was simply that NASA didn't provide a budget to continue the low-cost operations of the mission. 10) 11) 12) • In mid-January 2005, CHIPSat was operating for two years in orbit. 13) • During the first six months of the mission, the CHIPSat spacecraft has been able to perform per its design requirements. However, several anomalies (both expected and unexpected) have occurred. Since the start of science data collection, the net duty cycle for the acquisition of science data is ~ 95%. - Due to the use of non-radiation-hardened commercial electronics, a number of SEE (Single-Event Effect) events were expected. • Throughout the early period, mission operations were conducted from the mission operations center at SpaceDev Inc., with only instrument commands originated at Berkeley. Operation of the satellite from the SpaceDev facility was crucial, as it enabled the most experienced and knowledgeable spacecraft engineers to participate in the day-today (sometimes moment-to-moment) decision making. As operations as a whole became routine, however, it became advantageous to rely on the mission operations personnel and infrastructure developed primarily for the HESSI and FAST missions already in place at Berkeley. Operations were transitioned to Berkeley in late May 2003, with SpaceDev continuing to participate in periodic meetings and as required to resolve anomalies (Ref. 14). • Three anomalies have occurred to date relating to the onboard reaction wheels. CHIPSat is the second mission with four microwheels (the first mission is FedSat); like the flight computer, the wheel design primarily employs commercial parts. One wheel incurred a communication failure; as a result, the spare wheel is being used for active ACS control. • The spacecraft was detumbled on January 20, 2003. Checkout and commissioning of the attitude control system and spectrograph occurred over the following weeks. The detector door was opened on January 26. By February 2, all six of the entrance slit covers had been opened to their 1mm or "wide" positions (the first detente following the closed positions employed during launch). Astrophysical observations ramped up in early February as commissioning activities wound down. 14) Sensor complement: (CHIPS) CHIPS (Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer): CHIPS is a low-cost instrument with high sensitivity and spectral resolution in the spectral band near 170 A, designed and built at UCB/SSL. The science objectives are to carry out EUV spectroscopy to determine how the million degree gas-cloud surrounding our solar system, cools. - The CHIPS instrument uses an array of grazing-incidence optics to achieve a peak resolving power of f/150 for diffuse emission in a field of view (FOV) of 5º × 26.7º (the gratings are aligned in one dimension on the sky). Light enters the spectrograph through the array of six entrance slits (channels). The entrance apertures are narrow slits, each covered by a rotating mechanism with closed, narrow, and wide settings to protect the interior from contamination during launch. The gratings disperse and focus the diffuse extreme ultraviolet radiation onto a single detector through a filter assembly. The detector is a planar, photon-counting MCP (Micro Channel Plate) with a crossed delay line anode. In-band photon locations are determined from the anode, which converts the light into analog electronic pulses. 15) 16) 17) Figure 5: Light path of the six channels of the CHIPS spectrograph (image credit: UCB/SSL, Ref. 14) Note: The use of variable line-spaced gratings in instruments is of EUVE and ORFEUS (Orbiting Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrograph) instrument heritage. The ORFEUS payload flew twice with the ASTRO-SPAS missions on STS-51 (Sept. 12-22, 1993)) and on STS-80 (Nov. 19 - Dec. 7, 1996). The NASA satellite EUVE (Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer) was launched June 7, 1992. Entrance slits 0.027 cm x 6 cm Nr. of spectral channels Grating graze angle FOV (Field of View) 5º x 26.7º Groove density 1625-1900 mm-1 90 - 260 A Grating curvature 45-155 (lambda/delta lambda) Grating dimensions 8 cm x 6 cm x 1.2 cm Aeff x Omega (1.3-8.8) x 10-4 sr Payload mass <25 kg (spectrograph) 10 kg (electronics box) Detector area Payload power 21.2 W (average) 30 W (peak) Photocathode Attitude control ±2º EUV filters 720 A Polyimide; 500 A Boron, 1000 A Al; 300 A C >16 MByte/24 hours Table 1: CHIPS instrument performance parameters Figure 6: Schematic concept of CHIPS (image credit: UCB/SSL) Figure 7 provides a block diagram of the CHIPS electrical system and principal interfaces. The photon-counting system converts light focused on the spectrometer's photosensitive front surface into a stream of digitized photon coordinates. In-band photon locations are determined using a XDL anode, converting the light into analog electrical pulses. RF amps amplify the anode signal and the pulses are converted into digitized coordinates by a TDC (Time Digital Converter) in the instrument EBOX (Electronics Box). The digitized events are transmitted to a DPU/HK (Data Processing and Housekeeping Unit) for processing. The DPU/HK board packages and formats all instrument data for transmission to the CHIPSat SBC (Single Board Computer) via redundant asynchronous RS-422 links. Science and instrument HK data is then stored within the spacecraft memory and combined with orientation data prior to downlink. Low-current power to the instrument LVPS (Low Voltage Power Supply) and high-current power to the instrument door and cover actuators is supplied directly from the spacecraft 14 V batteries. The LVPS incorporates its own power converters to generate the required secondary voltages. The spacecraft provides switched heaters to keep the instrument within its survival temperature range. Figure 7: Block diagram of the CHIPS electrical system (image credit: UCB/SSL) The TDC (Time to Digital Converter) is responsible for processing valid photon events [converting analog pulses from the RF amps to digital detector (x, y) coordinates and charge amplitudes] and rejecting subthreshold or incomplete events. Figure 8: Photo of the CHIPS spectrometer (image credit: UCB/SSL) Figure 9: Cutaway view of the spectrometer configuration (image credit: UCB/SSL) Among the challenges on CHIPS were initial coalignment of the spectrometer channels, and maintenance of coalignment in the presence of thermal gradients and launch dynamics. Each spectrometer channel is a relatively slow (f/14) optical system, and therefore optical misalignments on the order of the slit width are tolerable with small degradation in spectral resolution. Because the spectrograph combines slit images from six separate channels, slit images must be coaligned, and coalignment maintained, within a small fraction of their size on the focal plane (~250 µm). Initial alignment was achieved using 5mm visible ruling patches on the ends of the gratings. A HeNe laser was split into four beamlets by 25%, 33% and 50% reflection beamsplitters. Beamwalk mirrors were used to direct pairs of beamlets through the entrance slit, off the visible patches, to the focal plane at the cross-dispersion extremes of the detector. During visible light alignment, the detector was replaced with a ground glass surrogate detector, and a pair of CMOS cameras used to image the ground glass screen near the extremes of the spectral feature. A wire fiducial mounted on the ground glass served as a coalignment target. The alignment technique is beyond the scope of this paper, but based on recognizing optical distortion and misalignment by the differences in the “speed” of motion of the near and far visible patch spots, on the focal plane, for a given grating angular motion. Initial alignment was achieved when all four spots were positioned on the wire. Fine alignment was performed with removable 80 thread per inch micrometers, based on measurements made at EUV wavelengths in the vacuum calibration facility. 1) E. Taylor, M. Hurwitz, W. Marchant, M. Sholl, S. Dawson, J. Janicik, J. Wolff, “CHIPS: A NASA University Explorer Astronomy Mission,” Proceedings of AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites, Logan, UT, USA, Aug. 11-14, 2003, SSC03-V-3 2) W. Marchant, E. Riddle Taylor, “Status of CHIPS: A NASA University Explorer Astronomy Mission,” Proceedings of the 14th AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites, Logan, UT, Aug. 21-24, 2000, SSC00-V-6 3) M. Hurwitz, W. Marchant, M. Sholl, E. Riddle Taylor, “Status of CHIPS: A NASA University Explorer Astronomy Mission,” AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites, Aug. 13-16, 2001, Logan, UT, SSC-091-V-7 4) Courtesy of Will Marchant of UCB/SSL 5) Jeffrey Janicik, Jonathan Wolff, “The CHIPSat Spacecraft Design - Significant Science on a Low Budget,” Proceedings of SPIE,'UV/EUV and Visible Space Instrumentation for Astronomy II,' Vol. 5164, Aug. 2003, San Diego, CA, USA, URL: http://chips.ssl.berkeley.edu/JanicikSPIE.pdf 6) http://chips.ssl.berkeley.edu/chips.html 7) “Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer (CHIPS): Studying the Interstellar Medium,” NASA/GSFC, FS-2002-11-048-GSFC, URL: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/pdf/110914main_FS-2002-11-048-GSFC-CHIPS.pdf 8) http://science.nasa.gov/missions/chips/ 9) “Delta / ICESat/CHIPSat Mission from VAFB Pad SLC-2,” URL: http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/payload/missions/icesat/ 10) “CHIPSat Quietly Shut Down,” June 4, 2008, URL: http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1417075/chipsat_quietly_shut_down/ 11) Information provided by Mark Hurwitz of SSL at UCB (University of California, Berkeley) 12) M. J. Sholl, Geoff Gaines, Martin Sirk, Ellen Taylor, Mark Hurwitz, “CHIPS Microsatellite Optical System: Lessons Learned,” Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 7071, 707104-1, 2008, doi: 10.1117/12.799573, URL: http://144.206.159.178/ft/CONF/16419962/16419964.pdf 13) “SpaceDev's CHIPSat Celebrates Second Anniversary in Space,” SpaceRef, Jan. 20, 2005, URL: http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=15956 14) Mark Hurwitz, the CHIPS Instrument Team, and CHIPSat Spacecraft Team, “Current status of the Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer (CHIPS) University-class Explorer Mission ,” Proceedings of SPIE, 'UV/EUV and Visible Space Instrumentation for Astronomy II,' Ed. Oswald H. W. Siegmund, Vol. 5164, 24, San Diego, CA, August 2003, URL: http://chips.ssl.berkeley.edu/Hurwitz_CHIPS_SPIE_San_Diego_II.pdf 15) “The CHIPS Instrument,” URL: http://chips.ssl.berkeley.edu/instrument.html 16) M. Sholl, B. Donakowski, G. Gaines, M. Lampton, M. Hurwitz, M. M. Sirk, E. Taylor, “Optics design and performance for the Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer (CHIPS),” URL: http://chips.ssl.berkeley.edu/SPIE-5164-09_V0.pdf 17) M. Sholl, W. Donakowski, M. M. Sirk, T. Clauss, M. Lampton, J. Edelstein, M. Hurwitz, “Opto-mechanical Design of the Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer (CHIPS),” URL: http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~srk/MiniSat/InterestingProjects/OptMechDesign.pdf The information compiled and edited in this article was provided by Herbert J. Kramer from his documentation of: ”Observation of the Earth and Its Environment: Survey of Missions and Sensors” (Springer Verlag) as well as many other sources after the publication of the 4th edition in 2002. - Comments and corrections to this article are always welcome for further updates. CanX-2 CanX-4 and 5 CartoSat-2 CartoSat-2A CartoSat-2B CASSIOPE CBERS-1 and 2 CFOSAT Chang'e-1 Chibis-M ChubuSat-1 CloudSat C/NOFS Colony-1 COMPASS-1 COMS-1 Copernicus: Sentinel-1 Copernicus: Sentinel-5P Coronas-Photon COSMO-SkyMed COSPAS CryoSat-2 CSSWE CSTB1 CubeSat concept CubeSat - Deployer standards CubeSat - Launch 1 CubeSTAR CUTE-I CUTE-1.7+APD CUTE-17+APD-2 CXBN Satellite Missions \| Airborne Sensors Observation of the Earth and its Environment Events \| Images \| Job Opportunities Maps & Orbits About eoPortal Maps \| About Orbits eoPortal News About eoPortal News \| Share your News Services \| Organisations \| News Join and Share	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1108
__label__cc	0.549955	0.450045	Large Igneous Provinces are like Lunar Mare? Would Large Igneous Provinces like the Deccan Traps have looked like ancient lunar Mare from space? Glowing lava oceans shinning in the night? Are these two things similar in nature? Would smoke from these regions fill the atmosphere with a haze that would hide the view from space? volcanology igneous SwikeSwike I disagree with Michael about the "not as large as the lunar mare" part. Head and Wilson (1992) mention that the "total area of exposed mare deposits is about 6.3 millions km2" (17 % of the Moon's surface area). They estimated a total volume of 10 millions km3. The largest mare, Oceanus Procellarum, covers about 4 millions km2. These values are quite comparable with Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) in terms of area, and are even one order of magnitude lower in terms of volume. From the Encyclopedia of Volcanoes: The composite Ontong-Java-Manihiki-Hikurangi plateau covers 3.5 million km2 with an estimated volume 59-77 million km3. [...] The Kerguelen plateau in the southern Indian Ocean is the second largest LIP, covering 2.3 million km2 with a volume of 15 million km3 [...] Not all LIPs are oceanic plateaus; for example, the North Atlantic volcanic province, derived from a hot spot presently centered beneath Iceland, has an area of 1.3 million km2 [...] Also notable are the Deccan traps in India (1.8 million km2/9.3 million km3). If lunar maria seem that large from Earth, it's only because the Moon is small! But to know if lunar maria or LIPs would have looked like "glowing lava oceans shinning in the night", we need to look at emplacement rates rather than just areas and volumes. From the same chapter, one can calculate LIP emplacement rates of ~3-13 km3 per year. It may seem quite low (for comparison, ocean ridges quietly produce ~20 km3 per year), but it is an average output rate over a few million years. As noted on largeigneousprovinces.org, their might be pulses of magmatic activity, with peaks in production rate. This is exactly what's been inferred for lunar maria by Wilson and Head (2017): even if the average output rate has been calculated at a very low 0.01 km3 per year, they found that some flows could have been emplaced with rates up to 106 m3s-1! As to whether this would have been visible from space: define "from space"! From low Earth orbit like the ISS? From the Moon itself? :) Jean-Marie PrivalJean-Marie Prival $\begingroup$ Very interesting. When I say "seen from space" I imagine a view like the one from Geostationary satellites or the Moon. I know this would be clearly visible from the ISS since volcanic eruptions are usually visible, but I would like to know if LPIs would look like glowing red patches just as lunar marae looked a long time ago from Earth, or would the smoke block the view. $\endgroup$ – Swike Dec 11 '19 at 17:44 $\begingroup$ I guess it depends where the lava is emplaced. On barren land, where there is not much to burn, you could probably see lava glowing at night. But to witness a better show, you should probably go back in time to the Hadean and look at the magma ocean. $\endgroup$ – Jean-Marie Prival Dec 12 '19 at 8:37 Yes, there would have been seas of lava glowing in the night, but not as large as the lunar mare. The lunar mare were caused by asteroids punching through the then thin lunar crust and releasing a flood of magma from below, as well as producing some magma of their own from the heat of impact. There is no evidence of anything of that nature causing the Deccan Traps or the Siberian Traps. There must have been some smoke and haze from both super-eruptions, but not enough to hide them from an observer in space in the unlikely event that there were any. Much of the incinerated trees and other vegetation were covered by sheets of lava, and therefore could not release much smoke and fumes. Michael WalsbyMichael Walsby $\begingroup$ In the case of the Siberian Traps, the rocks overlying the eruptions apparently contained large coal beds, which were set on fire by the eruptions. Also, you seem to be assuming one continuous super-eruption, rather than an ongoing series of eruptions lasting from 30 thousand to a couple of million years: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deccan_Traps en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_Traps $\endgroup$ – jamesqf Nov 10 '19 at 3:02 $\begingroup$ How did the oxygen needed to support the combustion get through many metres of lava? Anyway, the question refers specifically to the Deccan Traps. $\endgroup$ – Michael Walsby Nov 10 '19 at 9:15 $\begingroup$ @jamesqf If it were a series of eruptions instead of a continuous super-eruption what would the difference be in terms of the view from space? Less area covered with magma? Less spectacular than Lunar Mare? $\endgroup$ – Swike Nov 10 '19 at 13:57 $\begingroup$ @Swike: I don't think it would be really spectacular at all. It would be more like the Hawai'ian volcanos (with a more fluid lava that doesn't pile up) spread over a large area: occasional eruptions, but mostly nothing. Or maybe the Cascades: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascade_Volcanoes Lots of volcanic activity on a million-year timescale, yet only two significant eruptions in a very long human lifespan. $\endgroup$ – jamesqf Nov 10 '19 at 17:45 $\begingroup$ @Swike: Almost certainly not, though I'm far from being an expert. It seems much more likely to have been built up by many eruptions over thousands or millions of years. $\endgroup$ – jamesqf Nov 11 '19 at 3:45 Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged volcanology igneous or ask your own question. What, if any, paleoclimate data can be derived from igneous rocks? Magma resultant from group 1 and group 2 elements? Do discordants dykes ever travel concordantly (are transgressive dykes a thing)? What does “rapid” mean in terms of igneous rock formation? Can the atmosphere affect the composition of igneous rocks? How did the terms “acidic” and “basic” come to be associated with $SiO_2$ in igneous rocks? Are fossil fuels really formed from fossils? Where are the oldest igneous rocks found? Are the cores of every mountain range igneous?	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1109
__label__cc	0.609422	0.390578	“Location, location, location” is a common phrase for a reason. At Economy Polymers & Chemicals, we believe a company’s facilities are just as important as the products and services it puts forth each day. And we are proud to say ours are second to none. Take a moment to learn more about the warehouses, production facilities and other locations that allow our company to carry out the work that we do. Economy Polymers & Chemicals With locations the world over—from Houston, to Argentina, to India and beyond—we like to believe that each Economy Polymers & Chemicals facility is as unique as the country it calls home. Still, a commitment to quality is one constant that encompasses every one of our sites. All Economy facilities are ISO 9001:2008-certified, a standard that ensures our company consistently creates products that meet customers’ needs and stand up to regulatory requirements, while continually working to improve both the products at hand, and customer satisfaction. Calhoun Chemical Calhoun Chemical is a Port Lavaca, Texas polyacrylamide production facility that proves good things come in small packages. Situated on 250 acres of land, the plant produces the same volume as larger facilities — about 63,000 metric tons of high-quality polyacrylamide per year — without the added cost. Convenient access to highway, railcar and barge options mean lower transportation costs. Meanwhile, the plant’s Gulf Coast location allows the company to source ingredients locally, with improved efficiency and less out-of-pocket expense. RFID Inventory Management Live Tank Loading Railcar Loading & Unloading Barge Loading & Unloading 250,000-gallon Storage Capacity 150,000-square-foot Dock High Warehouse Space MSC Distribution MSC Distribution is a full-service 14-acre 3PL public warehouse that has more in store than your typical storage facility. Housed conveniently in Schulenburg, Texas, its inland location keeps your important items protected during even the strongest of storms while maintaining close proximity to Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Victoria and other distribution hubs. MSC’s versatile space easily accommodates virtually any cargo, from antique automobiles, to industrial generators and everything in between. Meanwhile, with cutting-edge remote monitoring capabilities, you can keep an eye on every ounce of your cargo, anywhere you travel. Bulk Loading Dock High Loading RFID Chip Pallet Tracking Remote Inventory Monitoring	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1112
__label__wiki	0.709247	0.709247	Who’s behind 6ixbuzztv? How the brand is going from Instagram to international empire We've got an exclusive on the founders of your favourite Instagram account. If you’re a Canadian on Instagram, you’ve most likely heard of 6ixbuzztv. The page with over one million followers has become the pulse of Toronto and its one-of-a-kind (and internationally recognized) culture. With a following that includes Champagne Papi himself (Drake) to politicians like Ontario Premier Doug Ford, 6ixbuzztv has turned its Toronto (aka ‘the 6ix’) culture into a business with smart, yet subtle, branded content. If this is your first time hearing about 6ixbuzztv, crawl out from under the rock you’ve been living under and check out some of their most popular posts: So who are the people behind the 6ixbuzztv brand? Are they just another Instagram meme and gif page? Why is it getting so much attention? Today marks 6ixbuzztv’s two year anniversary, and we’ve received the exclusive opportunity to interview the individuals behind it (a startup that is part of the DMZ roster). Learn about their start, how they would describe what they’re doing, and where they see all of this heading, below. How did 6ixbuzztv start out? August 2017 – when I was attending George Brown College. It was called ‘NorthBound Buzz’, but then was switched to 6ixbuzztv. People quickly found the page’s humour was unique and very Toronto-centric. Through sourcing content and adding clever captions which were both comedic and informative, the account slowly started gaining traction. Did you have any goals when starting out? We found the way traditional broadcast shares news to be too traditional, censored, and un-engaging. And Canada has never had a platform that included breaking news, hip-hop and entertainment talent. As a team, we wanted to create a brand that also highlights stories, situations and relatable moments that never make the news, while also providing music artists an opportunity to receive much needed attention. How do you get your content? People DM (direct message) us (2000+ a day) on Instagram. Also, just searching online, you’d be surprised where the best videos are found. How would you describe 6ixbuzztv today? Canada’s #1 media outlet for buzzin’ news, entertainment, and hip-hop. Since then, we’ve fostered a unique community that is loyal to the Toronto brand, but is still relevant to the rest of the world. Tell me more about the entertainment company you’re looking to grow 6ixbuzztv into? Given that there’s no new age media outlets in Toronto, we wanted to give artists and entertainers a platform in which they can engage with an audience that traditional outlets have a difficult time reaching. Given that we represent Toronto and Canada as a whole, we want to engage with the larger community to create positive change. This includes new initiatives like Cleanup Day, ThanksGiving Food Drive, Christmas Toy Drive, and more. We want to create an experiential stream that runs exclusive events, concerts, and festivals that bring out our community and the best of our culture. How do you pick the brands you work with? Ideally, we like working with Canadian brands, specifically those that are innovative and open to engaging with our immediate community. However, we are growing out various other streams within the 6ixbuzztv brand and each one is open to creating great activations and curated campaigns. Where is 6ixbuzztv headed next? We want to continue growing original content series (i.e., not only content aggregation), while we work to release our website and app. You can look out for a special announcement from 6ixbuzztv in Fall 2019. It’s clear that 6ixbuzztv isn’t your ordinary popular Instagram page, as the founder and partners behind the brand are far from ordinary. Time will tell how the rollout of their subsidiary brands will resonate with their growing audience. Given the household names that are clamouring to work with them and their hyper-engaged following, it’s safe to say that the 6ixbuzztv brand is destined to only go up from here. By the DMZ, Tech Accelerator Founders 5 articles in this collection Natalie Gray, Cofounder of Cover, Kicks Off DMZ Women Founders Series Visiting Founders Share their Impressions of the Canadian Startup Ecosystem DMZ Sandbox is proud to announce the Basecamp 2019 university cohort winners! Founders Natalie Gray, Cofounder of Cover, Kicks Off DMZ Women Founders Series Women founders are a key part of a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, yet they continue to make up a minority and face unique challenges. Recognizing... By the DMZ, Tech Accelerator January 14, 2020 Back to the review	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1116
__label__wiki	0.621641	0.621641	Home / Networking / The ACCC is going to need a standard speed measurement for one ADSL2+ The ACCC is going to need a standard speed measurement for one ADSL2+ admin December 13, 2019 Networking Leave a comment 18 Views On Wednesday, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) published the submissions to its inquiry into the lower end of the NBN market, launched in October. Formally dubbed the Inquiry into NBN access pricing, the ACCC is mainly concerned that people cannot get a basic NBN service at the same pricing level as prior ADSL services. In the real world, this could result in the ACCC mandating a price for a entry-level anchor plan, and the debate is centring on which speed tier it should be set at. It’s worth keeping in mind that the world of Australian telco is one in which the players create their own realities to promote their point of view. For instance, just how good was the world of ADSL2+ before the National Broadband Network was created? While viewing Telstra’s submission, which went on to create a whole new model for NBN to work from and would only lose it a little bit of money, the following chart ran alarm bells, because this is how I remember the world of ADSL. By which I mean, getting over 10Mbps was akin to living on top of a Telstra exchange. Image: Telstra So while a minimum 12Mbps NBN plan is far from a world-beater, it’s more than likely able to be better than ADSL — if the line is capable of those speeds. Enter TPG, rushing in from stage left with an arm full of facsimile printouts to paint a picture of a world I wish I knew. “TPG submits that most consumers have been using ADSL2+ services that offer effectively unlimited downloads at speeds that are between 12Mbps and 20Mbps and have been paying AU$59.99 per month,” it said. “As a result, the migration to an NBN12 bundle is in fact making them ‘worse off’.” But the Teoh company was not done and really got out the extra bright colours to add the final touches. “For ADSL2+ customers, speeds have been close to 20Mbps for the bulk of customers,” TPG said. During the start of this decade, I was on a TPG line that would run at 8Mbps on a good day. I would then faint and pass out at the slightest hint of water in the pit. I want to remember the world the way TPG does. Knowing the attack was coming, the National Broadband Network (NBN) was already armed to smack down TPG’s price talk. “TPG charges AU$59.99 per month for its unlimited ‘on-net’ ADSL2+ service, which is offered in selected exchanges in metropolitan Australia. However, for its equivalent high-data allowance ‘off-net’ services, TPG charges between AU$79.99 per month (300GB) and AU$99.99 per month (500GB), with no unlimited option,” it said. NBN is no fan of the mandated entry-level plan, which could see the ACCC name a speed that could be set at a retail price of AU$60, and has stated its plan was based on the former unconditioned local loop service arrangements that the ACCC had moved away from. “NBN does not support ACCC intervention on pricing of entry-level services because it will create artificial incentives for end users to remain on 12/1 NBN entry-level services that are unlikely to satisfy their changing usage habits as many more devices run concurrently and puts at risk the ability for Australia to realise the full benefit of the investment in the NBN network,” the company said. “The ACCC has placed over-reliance on the need to replicate a single AU$60 retail price point for entry-level services with unlimited data. There has never been a single ‘entry-level plan’ offered at a single price in the Australian retail market, but rather there has always been a diverse range of retail prices for such services on ADSL/ADSL2+ networks.” NBN warned that if such arrangements were to occur, it would mean it would be unable to recover costs from 20% of its user base. “This would render impossible the cross subsidisation required to bridge the digital divide, and undermine NBN’s incentives to re-invest in the NBN network,” it said. A common thread running through the submissions was criticism of the use of pricing discounts by NBN, which were regarded as unreliable and liable to being ripped away with little notice. “There is always an end date to the discounts and this date is often changed, compounding the challenge for RSPs in planning and managing costs,” Vocus said. “For example, the proposed end date of the DBD-R discount was May 2019. To prepare for this change, Vocus undertook significant network and IT development activity only for this date to be extended with little notice to June 2020. “NBN Co’s approach to pricing creates significant cost uncertainty through shifting goal posts and drives unnecessary operational overhead to implement changes to stay relevant in a competitive market.” For Vocus, despite the recent pricing changes from NBN, it said it was unlikely to reinstall a 12Mbps plan, and while 25Mbps could be an option with changes, it’s likely to keep its 50Mbps plans as its flagship. “We do see the value of the new 100/20 speed tier at a more reasonable access price,” Vocus added. That same tier is being lined up by Aussie Broadband as its new flagship plan. Telstra, meanwhile, wants 50Mbps as the entry-level anchor at AU$35 a month, with no bandwidth overuse charges and penalties. Australia’s incumbent telco also wants a voice-only product from NBN at a wholesale price of AU$10. “We are concerned that regulating a low speed (12/1Mbps) broadband plan will encourage customers to take-up low speed broadband, resulting in poor customer perceptions and experience of NBN, and limited achievement of the potential socio-economic benefit,” the telco said. “The choice of NBN plan for many consumers has been guided by the more readily comparable and known feature — price.” For a long time, watchers of the Australian telco space has viewed Telstra pointing to New Zealand as a broadband exemplar as a novelty, especially after its hostility to anything it didn’t come up with during the Trujillo-era. “It is notable in this regard that in both the UK and in New Zealand, the regulated broadband anchor product is of a much higher speed than 12Mpbs — 40Mbps in the UK and 100Mbps in New Zealand,” it said. “In both cases, the regulated anchor also reflects the current most popular basic speed product offered by the regulated entity — which in NBN’s case is its 50Mbps service.” Perhaps Telstra really does have some contrition for how it acted in the past, which essentially forced the government into creating NBN in order to kill off Telstra’s wholesale dominance. Elsewhere, TPG’s would-be marriage partner Vodafone wanted 25Mbps to be the entry level, along with ditched the loathed CVC altogether, another common thread among the telco submissions. Meanwhile, Exetel stood up and handed out some real talk. “NBN’s pricing (discount, credits and rebates) policies to date have been entirely self-serving with the sole focus of achieving their mandated wholesale ARPU of AU$52,” it said. “If a basic speed access product has a regulated price applied, NBN will adjust its higher speed NBN services costs higher to ensure it meets its wholesale ARPU target.” Exetel wants the 12/1Mbps entry-level bundle (ELB) plan extended to all technologies. “The exclusion from fixed wireless and satellite from 12/1 ELB supply is discriminatory and contrary to NBN’s long term interest,” it wrote. Ultimately, with the ACCC looking at the lower end of the market, it needs to decide whether to force NBN into offering a voice-only option that would allow it to mandate a 25Mbps or 50Mbps plan as entry level, otherwise it needs to decide if it could do both with the 12Mbps or 25Mbps option. If the latter options are pursed, and this is probably the direction it is headed, the ACCC is going to run afoul of the “no worse off” clauses. In such a situation, the central pillar to any determination will be how good it is perceived that ADSL was. Unlike the volume of Sydney Harbour, London buses, or Olympic-sized swimming pools, the ACCC is going to need an actual measurement. Otherwise, it will need to argue against those who want to push the idea it was a 20Mbps paradise. Because if that was what we had, we wouldn’t be in this NBN mess to begin with. Previous Microsoft warns this hacking group is targeting vulnerable web servers Next How Facebook Lite Is Evolving to Keep Up With the Changing Smartphone and Telecom Landscape Critical Cisco DCNM flaws: Patch right now as PoC exploits are released CES 2020: Comcast announces Xfinity Wi-Fi 6 certified gateway Comcast on Monday announced its new xFi Advanced Gateway, the first multi-gigabit speed Wi-Fi 6-certified ...	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1120
__label__cc	0.674558	0.325442	Posts Tagged ‘Woody Wood’ Aaron Wood on Jam in the Van! Posted in Aaron "Woody" Wood, Asheville, Jam in the Van, tagged Aaron Wood, Aaron Woody Wood, Asheville, Jam in the Van, msuic video, Music, speak your name, sunshine, Video, Woody Wood on August 31, 2012\| Leave a Comment » Asheville’s Aaron Wood Performs “Sunshine” on Jam in The Van! Aaron Wood’s “Speak Your Name” Check out more Jam in the Van at jaminthevan.com facebook.com/jaminthevan twitter.com/jaminthevan * About Jam in the Van* Jam in the Van ==== Where music takes a whole new road. They will be traveling anywhere accessible by road to find and record intimate musical experience’s for their fans. *Video Credits * Artists: Aaron Wood Director of Photography: Abran Rubiner Recording Engineer: John Washington Post Production by: Adam Weiss Created & Produced by Jam in the Van, LLC Music by: Aaron Wood www.aaronwoodmusic.com NOLA Update From The Keels on Recording the Bluebrass Project 2! Posted in Aaron "Woody" Wood, Acoustic Syndicate, Bluebrass Project, Larry Keel Music, tagged 101 Runners, Acoustic Syndicate, Big Chief Monk, Blue Brass, bluebrass, bluegrass, bluegrass and brass, brass instruments, bryon McMurry, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, funk, horns, jenny keel, Kirk Joseph, Larry and Jenny Keel, larry keel, Lionel Batiste Jr, Mad Tea Party, Maple Leaf Bar, Mardi Gras Indian Chiefs, mardi gras indian funk, New Orleans, Rebirth Brass Band, recording project, recording session, Souzaphone, string music, The Keels, Woody Wood on November 20, 2011\| Leave a Comment » Bluebrass Strings- Horns - Big Chief Monk Here’s a note from Larry and Jenny Keel and some snapshots of the Bluebrass Session they were recording last week in New Orleans: Bluebrass String Section We were honored this last week to be a part of a project where all the musicians created an entirely new form of music…legends from the New Orleans music scene and pioneers of the acoustic music scene collaborated to create Bluebrass 2… it is the continuation of the first project which we recorded in 2004, combining influences from Ireland, Scotland, England, Africa, America,delta blues, western swing, on and on … made for the most spiritual project I have ever been a part of… Recorded entirely inside the legendary Maple Leaf Bar, on Oak Street, and produced by the presiding King of Oak, Chris Jones, and executive producer Little King Steve Metcalf (royalty out the ass!!), we were guided into an adventure of epic proportions- taking a magical musical journey with all kinds of string musicians and brass and drummers: a cast of up to 15 people.. so far! Lionel Batiste Jr including heavy weights from the Rebirth Brass Band, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Mardi Gras Indian Chiefs, Acoustic Syndicate, Mad Tea Party, Aaron “Woody” Wood, and 101 Runners! Stay tuned for more info and for this music you won’t be able to resist- we’re still reeling with funky goodness from that trip! Bryon McMurry and Kirk Joseph's Souzaphone Find out more about All Go West Festival: Video Interview with Jeremiah Greer Live! Posted in All Go West, Asheville, tagged 10 Cent Poetry, Aaron Wood, Aaron Woody Wood, All Go West, Asheville, Barbeque, BBQ, beer, blue-grass, boutiques, brewery, Common Foundation, concert, Do it to Julia, Doc Aquatic, electronic, Fashion, fashion boutiques, festival, Floating Action, food, For The Birds, Harvest Records, hip hop, Josh Phillips Folk Festival, local art, Luella’s Barbeque, Lyric, Mountain Xpress, Music, Musicians, north carolina, pisgah, pisgah brewing, RBTS WIN, rock, Secret B-Sides, Sirius B, Supercollider, The Critters, The New Familiars, Uncle Mountain, vendors, Wages, Waynesville Road, West Asheville, Woody Wood on April 18, 2011\| Leave a Comment » All Go West Music festival to take on its second installment, located in the streets west Asheville NC. On April 23rd, 2011, The Festival will uniquely offer an array of musical talent, BBQ, and local Brew. Free! In the second annual running of All Go West, anticipation builds for the integrating a great deal of local artistic talent to create a superior festival based upon community. The street party takes place on April 23rd, 2011 from 12 PM until 10 PM in west Asheville, in front of Harvest Records. All Go West is a festival embracing ideals of Asheville’s naturally creative progression, offering local art, food, beer vendors, and musicians. The festival’s admission remains free, hoping to enrich the cities ethos as an outstanding venue, gifted in a strong imaginative talent. This year, All Go West is excited to introduce the newest installment, Beer and BBQ Tasting, featuring Luella’s Barbeque. The 2011 Beer vendors include Pisgah Brewing, Highland Brewing Company, Foothills Brewery, Forty Back Brewery, and more TBA. The city of west Asheville has opened up the streets of Waynesville Road and Westwood Place to local vendors, fashion boutiques, and artists for the public to contribute their own artistic venture. The most significant feature to the festival is the broad range of musical talent to take over the Mountain Xpress and Pisgah Stage located on Waynesville Road. Spanning a vast range of different genres, All Go West incorporates everything from hip-hop, blue-grass, electronic, and even rock. This year’s installment includes the musical likes of: Josh Phillips Folk Festival Floating Action Do it to Julia Uncle Mountain The New Familiars RBTS WIN Sirius B Secret B Sides The Critters Aaron “Woody” Wood Doc Aquatic Common Foundation 10 Cent Poetry www.allgowest.com “This isn’t a Woody Wood album. This is Aaron Wood.” CD Release at Highland Brewing on April 2nd Posted in Aaron "Woody" Wood, Asheville, tagged Aaron Wood, Artimus Pyle, Asheville, CD release, echo mountain, Emerald Lounge, entertainment, Highland Brewing, kickstarter, LaZoom Bus, Mike Rhodes, NC, New Album, New Orleans, Ryan Burns, Tony Black, WNC, Woody Wood on March 29, 2011\| Leave a Comment » written by Mike McWilliams. This isn’t a Woody Wood album. This is Aaron Wood. After years of going by “Woody,” a nickname given to him by a childhood friend, the 37-year-old rocker said he’s decided to start using the name his real name on stage, and his new album, he hopes, is the first step toward forging his own identity and being true to himself. “This album is me. It might be painful for me to listen to, or it might be painful for others to listen to because it’s sad, but this is who I am, and I want to make sure for the rest of my life that I don’t run away from that,” Wood said before a recent gig at the Lexington Avenue Brewery in downtown Asheville. “At the end of the day, this (album) is me and nobody else. I only hope that everything I put out from this point will be able to follow that frame of mind, and just being honest about who I am and what I am.” Wood, who’s hot guitar licks and Al Green-inspired voice have been a staple on the Asheville music scene for nearly two decades, is set to release his first full-length album at a CD release party Saturday, April 2 at Highland Brewing Co. The self-titled Aaron Wood album features 11 tracks inspired by recent trials and tribulations in his life, including a painful divorce. “There aint no happiness in any song on this. It’s all about sadness and pain,” Wood said. “This album is as true about how I have felt in the last two years and there aint a single song on there that’s not painful for me. It’s cathartic as a motherfucker.” The album has been a year and a half in the making. At the urging of his manager, Jessica Tomasin, Wood used the Kickstarter fund-raising website to help cover recording and production costs. The site raised more than $9,000 in pledges from folks all over the United States and overseas. He cut the album at Echo Mountain Recording Studio in Asheville, with some local talent lending a hand, including Artimus Pyle, Ryan Burns, Tony Black and Mike Rhodes. At the CD release party, Wood will be joined on stage by several who helped make the album. LaZoom Bus is offering a free shuttle service from downtown in front of the Emerald Lounge to the Highland Brewing Tasting room off Old Charlotte Highway. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door. After the CD release, the band will return to Emerald Lounge from midnight to 2 a.m. To play an after party featuring Motown and soul cover songs. The after party is free to those who attend the CD release party. Otherwise, it’s $5. Wood hopes the new album will allow him to take his music across the globe. Although he will always consider Asheville home, Wood also thinks it’s time to spread his wings and check out another scene for a while. New Orleans, where he regularly plays, is beckoning. “I bitch about Asheville a lot. I get sick of it a lot, and I have an urge to stay down in New Orleans for a while,” Wood said. “New Orleans is my spiritual hometown for sure.” written by Mike McWilliams. Mike writes about entertainment for take5 in Asheville. Aaron “Woody” Wood to release NEW Album at Highland Brewing on Saturday, April 2nd Posted in Aaron "Woody" Wood, Asheville, tagged Aaron Wood, Aaron Woody Wood, album release, Artimus Pyle, Asheville, Ben Hovey, CD release, concert, Debrissa McKinney, Derrick Johnson, echo mountain, Echo Mountain Studios, Emerald Lounge, entertainment, event, Greg Hollowell, guitar, Highland Brewing, J-Woo Records, Jon Ashley, Kellin Watson, kickstarter campaign, LaZoom Bus, Matt Gentling, Mike Rhodes, Music, New Album, north carolina, Paul Leech, Roger Alan Nichols, Ryan Burns, show, skinny white boy, soulful, Suspect Device Audio, text, Text Ripple, The Asheville Horns, The Blue Brass sessions, The Blue Rags, Tony Black, Western North Carolina, Woody Wood on March 16, 2011\| 1 Comment » The skinny white boy from the mountains of Western North Carolina carries around more soul in his restless bones and battered guitar than most of use could ever dream of. With a background as diverse as his music, Aaron “Woody” Wood converges elements from all walks of life to create music that we all can connect with. Aaron Wood is thrilled to announce the release of his new self-titled album at Highland Brewing on Saturday, April 2nd. The album is result of the first successful kickstarter campaign in Asheville and has been a year and a half in the making. The album is being released by J-Woo Records and was produced at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville, NC by Roger Alan Nichols and engineered by Nichols and Jon Ashley; the run-time is 41 minutes. Along with Aaron Wood on guitar and vocals the album features Mike Rhodes on drums, Tony Black and Matt Gentling on bass, Ryan Burns on organ and piano, Debrissa McKinney on backing vocals, The Asheville Horns (Ben Hovey, Derrick Johnson, and Greg Hollowell), Jon Ashley on piano and rhodes, Artimus Pyle on percussion, and a song with cellist Paul Leech. The release party is an early show that starts at 9pm and features the music from the album. Aaron performs along with Tony Black (Bass), Mike Rhodes (Drums), Josh Blake (Guitar), Kellin Watson (Vocals), Debrissa McKinney (Vocals), Ryan Burns (Keys), and The Asheville Horns. Aaron will be performing with a custom built amp and pedals at the show which are provided by event sponsor Suspect Device Audio. LaZoom Bus is offering free shuttle service from downtown in front of the Emerald Lounge (the location of the after dance party) to the newly opened Highland Brewing tasting room which is located in East Asheville off of Old Charlotte Highway. In order to make reservations, just text “LaZoom” to 411669, then wait for your confirmation within 5 days. Make your reservations early to ensure that you get your seat! The shuttle service is free for patrons thanks to event sponsors Suspect Device Audio and Text Ripple. Along with the shuttle reservations, Text Ripple also is offering a way for fans to get a free poster, koozie or free button. Just be one of the first 150 people to text “Woody” to 411699 and your free merch can be claimed at the CD Release show. The band will be making it around town late-night for an after-dance-party at the Emerald Lounge from 12-2am to play Motown and Soul covers. This after party is free for people who attended the CD release party at Highlands; otherwise it’s $5. Hopping around town for his album release and showing off his many styles is fitting for Aaron Wood who leaves a great legacy in the Southern region. As a professional musician, Aaron was a pivotal member of The Blue Rags, with whom he had success with national media coverage (MTV) and international tours. He has also recorded and preformed with a slew of New Orleans and Western North Carolinas finest musicians in what was a blending of New Orleans Jazz and Bluegrass. The Blue Brass sessions featured members of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Rebirth Brass Band, Larry Keel, Trombone Shorty and many others. One look at the long list of artists he has shared the stage with exemplifies his diversity, not to mention respect from his musical peers. From Jimmy Martin to Leon Russel, R.L. Burnside to Warren Haynes, Sara Evans to Carlos Santana, Aaron has played and learned from some of those who have helped shaped music into what it is today. Aaron delivers his music with all the soul, power, and energy that have made him renowned as a musicians musician. Roots legend, Corey Harris calls him “a master”, and Donald Harrison, New Orleans Jazz great, calls him “his musical brother.” We hope that you can join us for the the album release of Aaron Wood! Show Details at a Glance: Aaron Wood CD Release Party Highland Brewing Saturday April 2nd 21+, Doors at 8:30; Show at 9 Tickets $10 in advance; $12 at the door 12 Old Charlotte Hwy www.highlandbrewing.com Tickets available online at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/166037 Facebook event http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=130793460326088 Musician Aaron “Woody” Wood Launches Campaign To Fund Album With Kickstarter.com Posted in Aaron "Woody" Wood, Asheville, tagged A.L. Wood, Aaron Woody Wood, album, Asheville, campaign, CD release, crowd-sourced funding, downloads, echo mountain, EP, funding, guitar, incentive, interview, Jason Krekel, kickstarter, recording, Studio, usic, wood, Woody Wood on June 29, 2010\| Leave a Comment » watch a video interview with Wood about the Kickstarter campaign Aaron “Woody” Wood has a musical background that is as diverse as it can get. His earliest memories are of making the rounds in the bluegrass circuit with his father A.L. Wood, often sitting on stage with Bill Monroe and the Stanley Brothers. He’s dabbled in every genre from folk to rock to blues and was a pivotal member of the Blue Rags, a band signed to Sub Pop in the 90s. He’s had the opportunity to share the stage with R.L. Burnside to Leon Russel to Sara Evans to Carlos Santana as well as a slew of New Orleans finest. He’s currently embarking on a new venture, funding a solo project on his own. Recently Aaron finished a 5 song EP at Echo Mountain Recording in Asheville, NC. Using the site www.kickstarter.com he is asking people to work with him to finish the album. Kickstarter is a new way to fund creative ideas and ambitious endeavors. It is powered by a unique all or nothing approach where projects must be fully funded or no money changes hands. Aaron has funded the first half of his album himself, and has about 60 days to raise $9000 to finish. The risk is all on him. Project creators inspire people to open their wallets by offering smart, fun, tangible rewards, i.e. products, benefits, or experiences. Here’s an idea of some of the incentives that will be offered through the site: The $1 to $5 dollar range will get you downloads of the songs he’s already finished that you can listen to right now. Other levels will offer, hand made screen printed CDs, Posters, Vinyl, and T-shirts. There will be other levels that offer an opportunity to be apart of the recording experience, have Aaron record a mutually agreed upon cover, or have him play a private show for you and your friends. A special tier will be offered for local and regional fans, that will get you a copy of the full album as well as an invite to a house show/pool party featuring Aaron Wood, Jason Krekel and a few more musicians. Food, drink, pool, yard games and 40 ft slip and slide will be provided. Space is limited for this tier so sign up early. To hear the first 5 songs of the album, please check out www.aaronwoodmusic.com Be sure to check www.kickstarter.com for updates and to see how you can be a part of making a great record. Press Quotes: “Aaron “Woody” Wood is using a unique approach – call it social networking, or crowd-sourced funding – to get a full-length album recorded and produced… I love this model for getting an album created and honestly… In this digital age of online connectedness, it’s all about creating a vibrant network that wants to be invested.” ~ Ashevegas Blog “I’ve been a fan of Wood’s since seeing him play the first time and wondering who the hell it was that was shredding the guitar like that. I think I’m gonna pony up.” ~ Blog Asheville NC NORML Chapter is now underway // Meeting in Asheville on Sunday, June 27th Posted in Asheville, Mindtonic, tagged Aaron Woody Wood, Asheville, french Broad Brewery, Garage, Grassroots, jason Flournoy, Jay Sanders, legal education, medical marijuana, Mike Rhodes, NORML, north carolina, Woody Wood on June 21, 2010\| 8 Comments » Yes, it’s true. A statewide NC NORML Chapter is now underway (but not yet nationally certified) and we are getting together, and getting down, this Sunday, June 27th. The time for action is now, as we enter the last weeks of the legislative session where the North Carolina Medical Marijuana Act, HB 1380, is pending. Come be a part and learn how to best convey your grassroots support! Part 1 is an organizational meeting; Part 2, an awesome musical celebration! It all starts at 7pm at the French Broad Brewery with a private organizational meeting. This group will be limited to 50 people, and we will explore ideas, such as: public educational events legal education and action music and arts events, festivals adventures in public assemblage documentary and film making French Broad Brewery is opening special for us and OFFERING $3 PINTS AND DONATING $1 back to help NC NORML get 501(c)(3) status. So come on out, drink awesome local brew (as your initial donation) and throw your ideas into the mix. RSVP to Jen Foster at jnfoster@mindspring.com if you want to get involved. THEN…..DRUM ROLL, PLEASE…….AN AMAZING SHOW RIGHT NEXT DOOR! Starting around 9:30pm, the Garage will host an amazing night of music to celebrate: Aaron "Woody" Wood, Jay Sanders, Jason Flournoy Whenever Aaron Woody Wood, Jay Sanders, Jason Flournoy and Mike Rhodes get together, it is always Trouble. Long time friends and musical companions, these fearless adventurers have long been an exciting and pivotal part of the Asheville music scene. Their collective resume spans such influential groups as Acoustic Syndicate, The Blue Rags, Donna The Buffalo, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, Hollywood Red and Shanti Groove just to skim the surface. But none of the individuals have ever been bound to a singular identity. Rather, each player has forged a unique and celebrated voice in the musical community. You can expect to be entertained by their virtuosic skills as the four travelers embark on another epic adventure. Just be sure to have your seat belt fastened, we wouldn’t want to lose anyone during take-off! Closing out the evening are The Screaming Js! Boogie woogie baby! The Screaming Js are: Jake Hollifield, Jason Krekel, Abe Reid, Mike Gray, Jonathan Paul Hess, Underwood, + Special guests as announced… Minimum $10 door to help gain 501(c)(3) status, additional contributions always welcome! Bring yourself and ALL of your friends and be part of this historic formation of NORML in North Carolina. Spread the word.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1122
__label__cc	0.57489	0.42511	drfreex.com I've seen worse. A: Attack of the Aztec Mummy (1957) Click the banner for Hubrisween Central. Or visit Hubrisween on Letterboxd I spent much of my younger days in South Texas – we’re talking almost all the 60s and a couple of years into the 70s. There was a heavy Mexican flavor to life down there, even moreso than the rest of Texas. A lot of my school chums were Hispanic, my first great love in life was a Latina named Dolores. It’s therefore odd to me that I didn’t learn Español or more about the culture through sheer osmosis. What did pass before my lily-white eyeballs on the local TV channels was pretty interesting, but was mainly limited to running Neutron movies in an afternoon slot. Though I remembered seeing ads for the K. Gordon Murray imports like Santa Claus, I never got the chance to subject myself to any of them. They never seemed to come to the Rialto, and I suspect if any of them ever came to town, they were at the “other” movie theater, the one that seem to continually show movies starring Cantinflas. The ads were all in the great metropolis of Corpus Christi, which seemed to get all the good stuff, like all-night horror movie marathons at drive-ins. I gazed at those ads in youthful wonder, and one of the titles struck me as being probably the greatest title ever: The Robot vs the Aztec Mummy. My brain assembled out of whole cloth the most incredible monster movie ever. That amazingly-titled movie, I would discover many years later, was actually the third movie in a trilogy, and when I finally watched it, I would discover that it was not as amazing as its title, but was still pretty delirious in its own way, and it serves as a primer for Mexican genre cinema. But we’re here to examine the first movie of the trilogy, La momia azteca, or as it is known in these parts, Attack of the Aztec Mummy. Dr. Almada (Ramón Gay) a specialist in nervous disorders (I have to assume), is addressing a congress of scientists about reliving past lives through hypnosis, which means he read The Search for Bridey Murphy in an airport at some point. Trouble is, he is presenting this with absolutely no evidence, having put no one under hypnosis, simply going on hearsay because he is a horrible scientist. On top of that, none of the other scientists at the meeting will allow him to hypnotize them because, we are told, it is too dangerous! Scientists are such wusses. Before Fox News can hire Almada as a science consultant. his fiancee, Flor (Rosa Arenas) volunteers to undergo the regression therapy. Almada hypnotizes her, and she is attended by her father Dr. Sepulveda (Jorge Mondragon), and Almada’s cowardly assistant, Pinacate (Crox Alvarado), with all the solemnity and tools of a surgical team. I remember seeing a stage hypnotist at the Laff Stop back in the 80s. He had none of this safety equipment or medical professionals so he must have been a raving psychopath, endangering us all like that. ANYWAY. It turns out Flor is the reincarnation of Xochitl, an Aztec maiden chosen at birth as the consort of the god Unpronounceable. Popoca (Angel di Stefani), a large warrior, loves her and begs her to run away with him before she can be sacrificed to Unpronounceable. Their lovemaking is interrupted, Popoca is given a potion that will drive him mad, and he is cursed to watch over Xochitl’s corpse and the sacrificial golden breastplate and armband she wears forever. After a big song and dance (directors love creating musical numbers for ancient civilizations. Ever notice that?), Xochitl is sacrificed, and Almada proves what a dreadful scientist he is by letting her relive the sacrifice. Good thing he has a crack surgical team with him. Almada is smart enough to realize his needed evidence is in reach, and uses Flor’s newfound memories to locate the sealed sacrificial chamber in a nearby Aztec pyramid, where Xochitl’s skeleton remains, until now undisturbed. Almada lifts the breastplate and skedaddles, unaware that the shroud in the corner is starting to move. Now all of this seems pretty much standard Universal (and later Hammer) mummy boilerplate, right? well, it only seems that way because I haven’t told you about The Bat yet. The Bat is a master criminal that Exposition Radio tells us about at the movie’s opening (after the obligatory narration that tells us this is based on a true story). The Bat heads up an organization of criminals, and does things like vivisection and sewing stuff onto animals that don’t belong. The radio then informs us “Society is duly alarmed.” The Bat is always lurking about, black clothes, black cape, black fedora, black wrestling mask, looking very much like he wandered in from a 1940s serial. He frightens Pinacate several times during the nighttime visit to the pyramid, making him think he’s seen a ghost. Almada presents the breastplate to a group of scientists, proving his theory and basically going, “Nyah nyah.” The scientists are properly impressed, but then they start going on about mummy curses and the Higher Power of God. These are terrible scientists. Almada wants to translate the markings on the breastplate, which seems to point the way to some cache of Aztec gold (which is the reason The Bat and his underlings want it). However, Almada needs the armband to complete the analysis, so it’s back to the pyramid. In the chamber, Dr. Sepulveda notices the shroud in the corner and asks, “Where’s the mummy?” At this point, the three men hear something shuffling in the dark… Whatever you may think of the rest of the movie, with its costumed villains and superstitious scientists, this scene, where the Aztec Mummy sloooooowly shuffles into the light, is really good horror movie stuff. Then the men try to hold the Mummy off with their flashlights and he starts going “Raaar!” like the Frankenstein Monster and we’re back to monster basics. Though the men make their escape and think they’ve sealed Popoca in the chamber, the determined Mummy gets out and retrieves the breastplate, and notices Flor, the spitting image of his old flame, and takes her along, too. Everybody chases the Mummy back to Mummy Central, where Popoca is preparing to sacrifice Flor all over again, but Sepulveda holds the Mummy off with a crucifix (!) until everyone gets clear, then he tosses a stick of dynamite into a nearby fire. The crucifix has been explained to me as a symbol representing the higher power of God and goodness in the universe, not strictly a symbol of Christ’s execution. I’ll buy that, but harder to swallow is why The Bat is simply caught by the cops on the way to the pyramid, a fairly ignominious end for a super villain. Except! This is the first movie in a trilogy, remember! The Bat will escape! The Aztec Mummy is a lot tougher than elderly scientists and TNT! Pinacate is really a masked hero called The Angel! The Bat probably has a robot hanging around somewhere! I told you these movies were more delirious than you suspected! Like any good time bomb, The Aztec Mummy also managed to make me delirious in a different way several weeks after I had seen it. During the (to date) last Crapfest, Host Dave showed the El Santo movie El Vampiro y El Sexo/Sex and the Vampire, and after about thirty minutes of deja vu, I realized I was watching an unannounced remake of The Aztec Mummy, substituting Dracula for the Mummy, and adding several cups of feminine nudity into the mix. But back to our black-and-white, non-salacious subject: I found this on YouTube, and it is a nice explanation and exploration of these movies. It’s slickly produced and has the feel of a supplement from a DVD. Anybody know the source? Buy La Momia Azteca on Amazon Categories: The Wonderful World of Crap . Tags:hubrisween, the aztec mummy . Author: drfreex Comment by retrozombi on October 6, 2014 7:09 am Is the second Aztec Mummy film the one with the female wrestlers? They’ve all sort of blended into one muddled mess as awesome in my memory. Comment by drfreex on October 6, 2014 7:41 am That would actually be the cleverly-named The Wrestling Women vs The Aztec Mummy, seven years later. It’s been almost 20 years since I saw that, so I can remember off hand if it was even the same mummy. I do recall that one could change into a bat, though, which is the main source of my confusion. Comment by T.A. Gerolami on October 6, 2014 7:34 am One of these days I’ve got to dip back into the Mexican films of this era. One More Day B: Beast of Blood (1971) Hey Kids! Comics! Life's Rich Pageant Mindless Blather Movies That Do Not Suck Old Men Playing Videogames Pointless Nostalgia Seething Impotent Rage Senile Ramblings Technical Garbage The Wonderful World of Crap Previously, on Yes, I Know… Well. Hi there. Reverse Hibernation Everybody’s Doing Marvel Posts Galaxy Lords (2018) Hello Again. Suspirias (1977 & 2018) akira kurosawa alejandro jodorowsky alfred hitchcock amando de ossorio andy milligan bela lugosi billy wilder blind dead boris karloff burt lancaster chanbara charlie chaplin christopher lee christopher nolan crapfest criterion daily grindhouse david lynch diabetes dogville eddie romero eduardo sanchez found footage fritz lang h.p. lovecraft hal needham hammer hammer films horror howard hawks hubrisween iko uwais indonesia ingmar bergman jack hill jacques tati john ford john frankenheimer john wayne klaus kinski kung fu lee marvin luis bunuel march movie madness mario bava max von sydow merantau michael powell oliver reed paul naschy peter cushing pier paolo pasolini pupi avati quatermass richard burton roger corman roger ebert samurai shintaro katsu sid haig sonny chiba stanley kubrick Television the stabilizer too busy for tags toshiro mifune trilogy of life val guest val lewton vincent price vinegar syndrome werner herzog wuxia yakuza zatoichi	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1123
__label__cc	0.65762	0.34238	8 Year old competes in national crossfit competition As CrossFit continues to grow in Capital City, LA; even children are starting to catch onto the hype. One in particular is 8 year old Brynn Catalano. Catalano's love for fitness began at just four years old. She was inspired by her parents' routine, and wanted to be just like them. Four years later, her progress hasn't been anything less than remarkable. Brynn will be competing in a national CrossFit event this year, and says she feels both nervous and excited about the competition. When it comes to her workout routine, Brynn says, "It makes me feel happy because you get to learn new things and it's just fun. I just watch them and then whenever I can do that stuff, I try it and I keep practicing to where I can get it." Way to go, Brynn! How are you stiving for greatness in your life? With Greater Than, your children will remain properly hydrated during all of their summer activities. Our drinks are not only all natural, but are infused with superfrits for an unbeatable taste that even kids will love. Ditch the sugary drinks this summer for something delicious and all natural. Learn more about our variety packs below! Shop Greater Than Mark Sider	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1124
__label__cc	0.701246	0.298754	Berkeley Lab Cybersecurity R&D Cyber Security of Power Distribution Systems by Detecting Differences Between Real-time Micro-Synchrophasor Measurements and Cyber-Reported SCADA The power distribution grid, like many cyber physical systems, was developed with careful consideration for safe operation. However, a number of features of the power system make it particularly vulnerable to cyber attacks via IP networks. “IT security” approaches to dealing with malware and other cyber attacks via a network include traditional intrusion detection systems, firewalls, encryption, etc… These techniques can help, but as we’ve observed in a previous project, traditional IT security techniques tend to leave a gap in safety and protection when applied to cyber-physical devices because they do not consider physical information known about the cyber-physical device they are protecting. Not only does this leave a gap in protection, but it ignores valuable information that could be used to better protect the cyber-physical device. The goal of this is to design and implement a measurement network, which can detect and report the resultant impact of cyber security attacks on the distribution system network. The cyber-attacks against the distribution grid that we primarily focus on are ones that (1) modify the distribution grid operation and causing it to behave in individually or collectively disruptive or damaging ways; (2) mask communication from substation components in the distribution grid, through cyber denial-of-service attack, and prevent awareness of the actual operational function; and (3) mask communication to substation components in the distribution grid, through cyber denial of service attack, causing misbehaving components to fail to receive instructions to restore safe operation. The detection and reporting will be within short time frame, at present not communicable or measured on the distribution system, allowing operators to perform remedial action. To do this, this project uses micro phasor measurement units to capture information about the physical state of the power distribution grid and combines this with SCADA command monitoring in real time. The project will build models of safe and unsafe states of the distribution grid so that certain classes cyber attacks can potentially be detected by their physical effects on the power distribution grid alone. The result will be a system that provides an independent, integrated picture of the distribution grid’s physical state, which will be difficult for a cyber-attacker to subvert using data-spoofing techniques. See the detection algorithms in action via our graphical front-end at the LBNL Power Data Portal. Source code for the LBNL Stream-Processing Architecture for Real-time Cyber-physical Security (SPARCS) is available at GitHub. This project is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Cybersecurity for Energy Delivery Systems (CEDS) program. Principal Investigators: Sean Peisert (PI; LBNL) Ciaran Roberts (Co-PI; LBNL) Anna Scaglione (Co-PI; ASU) Senior Personnel Reinhard Gentz (LBNL) Mahdi Jamei (ASU) Industry Partners: EnerNex (Erich Gunther (previously), Aaron Snyder, Bob Zavadil, Dave Mueller, Jens Schoene) EPRI (Galen Rasche, Jens Boemer) Power Standards Laboratory (Alex McEachern) Corelight (née Broala) OSIsoft (John Matranga) Riverside Public Utilities Project Alumni: Chuck McParland (Former Co-PI; LBNL → RTISYS / LBNL Affiliate) Emma Stewart (Former Co-PI; LBNL → LLNL) Press regarding this project: Electric grid protection through low-cost sensors, machine learning (GCN) — September 21, 2018 Cyber Defense Tool Is an Early Warning System for Grid Attacks (IEEE Spectrum Energywise Blog) — March 27, 2018 Combination of Old and New Yields Novel Power Grid Cybersecurity Tool — March 7 2018 Publications resulting from this project: Mahdi Jamei, Raksha Ramakrishna, Teklemariam Tesfay, Reinhard Gentz, Ciaran Roberts, Anna Scaglione, and Sean Peisert, “Phasor Measurement Units Optimal Placement and Performance Limits for Fault Localization,” IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications (J-SAC), Special Issue on Communications and Data Analytics in Smart Grid, accepted 2 October, 2019. Ciaran Roberts, Anna Scaglione, Mahdi Jamei, Reinhard Gentz, Sean Peisert, Emma M. Stewart, Chuck McParland, Alex McEachern, and Daniel Arnold, “Learning Behavior of Distribution System Discrete Control Devices for Cyber-Physical Security,” IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, accepted 31 July, 2019. [DOI] Reinhard Gentz, Sean Peisert, Joshua Boverhof, Daniel Gunter, “SPARCS: Stream-Processing Architecture applied in Real-time Cyber-physical Security” Proceedings of the 15th IEEE International Conference on e-Science (eScience), San Diego, CA, September 2019. Mahdi Jamei, _Security Analysis of Interdependent Critical Infrastructures: Power, Cyber and Gas_, PhD dissertation, Arizona State University, December 2018. Mahdi Jamei, Anna Scaglione, and Sean Peisert, “Low-Resolution Fault Localization Using Phasor Measurement Units with Community Detection,” Proceedings of the 2018 IEEE International Conference on Communications, Control, and Computing Technologies for Smart Grids (SmartGridComm), Allborg, Denmark, October 29–31, 2018. Ciaran Roberts, Anna Scaglione and Sean Peisert, “A Holistic Approach to Distribution Grid Intrusion Detection Systems,” EnergyCentral, July 18, 2018 Mahdi Jamei, Anna Scaglione, Ciaran Roberts, Emma Stewart, Sean Peisert, Chuck McParland, and Alex McEachern, “Anomaly Detection Using μPMU Measurements in Distribution Grids,” IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, 33(4):3611–3623, July 2018. Mahdi Jamei, Anna Scaglione, Ciaran Roberts, Alex McEachern, Emma Stewart, Sean Peisert, and Chuck McParland, “Online Thevenin Parameter Tracking Using Synchrophasor Data,” Proceedings of the 2017 IEEE Power Engineering Society (PES) General Meeting (GM), Chicago, IL, July 16–20, 2017 Reinhard Gentz, Wireless Sensor Data Transport, Aggregation and Security, Ph.D. Dissertation, Arizona State University, July 2017. Mahdi Jamei, Anna Scaglione, Ciaran Roberts, Emma Stewart, Sean Peisert, Chuck McParland, and Alex McEachern, “Automated Anomaly Detection in Distribution Grids Using µPMU Measurements,” Proceedings of the 50th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS), Electric Energy Systems Track, Resilient Networks Minitrack, Waikoloa, HI, Jan. 4–7, 2017. Mahdi Jamei, Emma Stewart, Sean Peisert, Anna Scaglione, Chuck McParland, Ciaran Roberts, and Alex McEachern, “Micro Synchrophasor-Based Intrusion Detection in Automated Distribution Systems: Towards Critical Infrastructure Security,” IEEE Internet Computing,” Sept./Oct. 2016. [CDL] More information is available on other Berkeley Lab R&D projects focusing on cybersecurity in general, as well as specifically on cybersecurity for energy delivery systems. Software resulting from this project: LBNL Stream-Processing Architecture for Real-time Cyber-physical Security (SPARCS) Analytics for Stream-Processing Architecture for Real-time Cyber-physical Security (Analytic-SPARCS). cybersecurity power-grid micro-PMU machine-learning Zeek/Bro-IDS SCADA network Your use of this site is subject to our security and privacy policies. A U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory Operated by the University of California	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1130
__label__wiki	0.591973	0.591973	." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); The One and Only Hoi Polloi Ska Almanac Hoi Polloi's always essential ska almanac--updated monthly (which has be a fair amount of work to do, since John isn't simply regurgitating the same old ska factoids from year to year; he's combing through his extensive archive, which has a focus on printed ska-related materials, to keep the public informed)--is worth a regular visit (go there now). For instance, I always forget that Laurel "The Godfather of Ska" Aitken, one of my all time favorite ska performers, passed away on July 17 in 2005. Plus, it was a blast to see one of the old Moon Skazettes that I used to put together displayed with the June entries... This is an amazing resource for anyone who's into ska. Posted by Steve from Moon at 3:03 AM Labels: Hoi Polloi Skazine, Laurel Aitken Short, Sharp, Shock: Buford O'Sullivan L.R.T.R. Buford O'Sullivan L.R.T.R. Megalith Records 3-track vinyl single (Selections from L.R.T.R.), which includes a code for a free download of the complete 8 track digital EP Listening to this collection of songs about downtrodden but determined characters and their offbeat lives on Buford O'Sullivan's remarkable new EP L.R.T.R. is the aural equivalent to catching a batch of lesser-known--but definitely classic--1950s film noir (the great instrumental track included here is titled "Johnny Medium," surely a character out of a hard-boiled detective movie?), cinema verite, and sci-fi movies on TCM (think of the innocent yet guilty-looking musician Henry Fonda charged with armed robbery in Hitchcock's "The Wrong Man"; the young boy who has been fooled into thinking he has killed his brother and has small adventures on the lamb in a slightly seedy Coney Island in "Little Fugitive"; and the giant atomic bomb test-mutated ants rampaging through New Mexico in "Them"). Like these films, Buford's songs evoke deep feelings of loneliness, desperation, loss, and regret--but also find reasons to be hopeful and happy amidst the pain. With a Latin rhythm intro similar to The Drifters' "On Broadway" (or Ben E. King's "Stand By Me"), "How Right I Was" is a plaintive post-mortem of love gone sour, where the singer finally achieves mental clarity; enough time has passed and he has enough emotional space to realize what he instinctively knew all along: "She never wanted to go out me/or maybe I was just afraid to ask/But every single moment that came and went/brought another reason why I'd never see her again..." (check out the awesome horn lines on this cut--few can make the t-bone sound as sad, haunted, or bittersweet as Buford). "The Indefatigable" is a sprightly keyboard-centered ska tune imagining life as a ship and all of us serving as its crew: "It's a lifetime search for the Holy Grail/So just just knock it on back with a pint of ale/As winter gales fill the sails of The Indefatigable/You've run your boat onto the rocks/and razed the pubs by the docks/We've one request before your through/please take some dreams home with you." There are more than 8 million rodents (and roaches and now bedbugs) in the Naked City--and "The Army of Rats" is a slightly unsettling reminder that as we roam and stumble in the night searching for diversion, the rats are our constant companions from the city's underworld (perhaps waiting for us to falter). The boogie-woogie swinging ska of "Woa Let Me Tell You" is the perfect musical context for the fantastical recounting of the genesis of Buford's musical career (his "lucky breaks," if you will), beginning with him bumping into John Lennon and William S. Burroughs on Houston Street, who send him off on the LIRR to Huntington, Long Island (home to The Scofflaws) to play with Bill Clinton and see Shelley Winters, Henry Fonda, Humphrey Bogart, Bob Barker, and the like in the crowd (it's kind of like the Bugs Bunny cartoon "Slick Hare," where, in a restaurant/club serving all of the Hollywood movie stars of the 1940s, a menacing, gangster-y Humphrey Bogart orders rabbit from Elmer Fudd, who then has to catch Bugs--who runs amuck--to avoid being plugged full of holes). The chugging, propulsive rhythm of the mid-tempo ska cut "L.R.T.R." (an acronym for "Love Rules the Road") is well-suited for the kooky, psychedelic road trip the singer experiences, walking down the highway trying to hitch a ride because he can't remember where he's parked his car; along the way he has a brief affair with a woman who flies away when it's over (an angel?); and finally catches a cab whose driver has a talking cat sitting on his head dispensing sung blessings: "May your love rule the road/and your footprint be strong." Weird, but it works. And it makes you wonder what exactly transpires when bands are on tour... While Buford self-produced his first two solo albums (The Club of Hope and Fears in 1999 and The Sexy Eye in 2000) with good-to-great results, this time out he relies on his good friend and fellow ex-Scofflaw Victor Rice to provide the editorial control and top-notch studio production (check out Victor's killer version excursions on "Dub Rats" and "Indefatigable Dub") that ensures that L.R.T.R. is superb throughout (it doesn't hurt that the backing band that Buford has assembled is the cream of the NYC ska scene's crop: Agent Jay Nugent on guitar; Eddie Ocampo on drums; Ticklah on keyboards; Paul Gebhardt on sax; and Victor Rice on bass). Buford's singing has never sounded warmer, richer, and more confident--and his songs have never been better realized. Duff Guide to Ska Grade: A Posted by Steve from Moon at 12:01 PM Labels: Buford O'Sullivan, Duff Review, Easy Star All-Stars, Megalith Records, Short Sharp Shock, The Scofflaws, Victor Rice The Bummer of the Summer This is old news now--The Specials have cancelled their free SummerStage show on 8/22 due to problems with Neville Staple's visa--but no new act has yet been announced to take their place. I'm very bummed that this gig is no more (I missed The Specials' NYC shows in April due to obligations at work) and can't imagine which band the SummerStage organizers will find to sub for The Specials that won't seem like kind of a letdown... Well, I can think of one band: Madness! Labels: Madness, The Specials Short, Sharp, Shock: New Music from The Bullets and Heavy Manners Editor's note: "Short, Sharp, Shock" is my attempt to cover more new ska releases in The Duff Guide to Ska by writing more concise reviews... The Bullets Sweet Misery Jump Up Records Shame on those who shortchange The Bullets by labeling them as a side project of Aggrolites' ace organist Roger Rivas, since this is fully-realized, extremely talented band, producing a stunning mix of soul-drenched reggae love songs (think Toots & the Maytals' Funky Kingston meets Hepcat's Out of Nowhere) and killer skinhead reggae instrumentals (cue up their "Hotter Reggae" and "Smiling Horse"). Lead singer Malik Moore (Mobtown, Ocean 11) has a raspy tenor that gives these cuts an exceptional amount of warmth, urgency, and emotional impact. Key songs include the irrepressible "Shot From a Barrel" ("I'm like a cork that's shot from a barrel on a Friday night/And I'm bigger than a blast of freedom on the 4th of July"); "On That Side," a gorgeous tune where the singer wonders if it is wiser to be lovers or friends (voices in the background point out that "the grass is greener on the other side"); "Sun Drenched Witch" aches for every guy who's been bewitched by a woman who is both his "tormentor and savior"; and "Crystal Necklace," where the singer's woman "tried to stand me up to fall," but neither of them really knows what's up and where they are going to end up, since "she ain't got no crystal necklace/and I ain't got no crystal ball." Sweet Misery is surprisingly tender reggae music made by--and for--tough guys. This is definitely our pick as one of the top ska/reggae releases of the year. Highly recommended! Heavy Manners "Get Me Outta Debt"/"Fight the Good Fight" White 12" vinyl single Like most ska bands from the 80s, Heavy Manners' sound was/is more permeable than the bands that came later on the American ska scene. The advent of new wave--and the crazy jumble of sub-genres that were included under that label--freed many ska acts from that era to pick and choose what musical styles to integrate into their mix, which can be a refreshing change from the kind of stylistic rigidity that is practiced by some bands (and fans) today. So it's great to hear these two new tracks from Chicago's mighty Heavy Manners, the first they have recorded since the Eighties, and to note that their taut, angular, new wavish-ska is more in line with The Waitresses and Romeo Void than 2 Tone. "Get Me Outta Debt" is a tragi-comical take on being down and out in the post-Dubya deregulated market hangover years ("I bought derivatives/so did the relatives/Hey momma, here's a shocker/Now I'm living in my storage locker")--and seeking deliveration from "Holy Jah, Selassie I," as well as some choice herb. The harder-edged "Fight the Good Fight" gets inside the heads of the good soldiers who do what they're told, since that's what they do, even when what they're doing doesn't make sense--"Who was the President who said we won?/How come I'm sent back for another run?" The time-capsule bonus track here is an unreleased dub version of "Could Not Get Enough" by Peter Tosh, who produced a slew of songs for Heavy Manners after catching the band live. If you're a fan of the kind of square peg ska that was produced post-2 Tone, but before the ska-punk/vintage-ska split of the third wave, then this is a must! Duff Guide to Ska Grade: B+ Posted by Steve from Moon at 3:00 PM Labels: Duff Review, Heavy Manners, Jump Up Records, Los Bullets Peter Tosh, Short Sharp Shock, The Aggrolites, The Bullets Jesse Michaels of Op Ivy There was a time, from about 1988 until '90 or '91, when I would make up any lame excuse that I could to find myself in front of Bleecker Bob's on 3rd Street in the Village to rummage through their ska section. Whatever you may have thought of this establishment, at that time they had one of the best offerings of ska LPs in NYC--domestic and imported. Whoever was stocking the ska section back then did an incredible job of keeping up on the latest and greatest releases (if I read a review of a ska album in George Marshall's "Zoot," it could be found at Bleecker Bob's). Looking through my collection of records that I bought during that period, if I didn't mailorder it from Unicorn Records in the UK, then I picked it up at here. (I didn't buy many ska singles then because I was too intimidated by the surly, mega-cool staff to ask to see the box of 7"s stored behind the counter.) One of the LPs that I snagged from the ska bin at Bleecker Bob's was Operation Ivy's Energy (Lookout Records, 1989), probably after reading about it Maximum RocknRoll. If you can, try to imagine a time before the roach-like proliferation of ska-punk bands in the 90s, when the closest most people had come to the blending of these genres was The Specials' "Concrete Jungle" (seriously!). Even the Mighty Mighty Bosstones didn't drop their debut Devils Night Out (the only ska-core record I really like) until 1990. I remember playing a tape of Energy for my younger brother--who was always much more adventurous than I was in finding cool new music, genres, and styles--and he couldn't decide if it was brilliant or god-awful (for my money, I thought he would have loved it). But my brother was kind of flummoxed by it. Op Ivy were that far ahead of the times and tastes. Op Ivy singer and lyricist Jesse Michaels dropped off of most people's radar after the band broke up right after the release of Energy (guitarist Lint--AKA Tim Armstrong--and bassist Matt Freeman went on to form Rancid), so it was a nice surprise to come across this new interview with Jesse by Jon Reiss in Jewcy... Here's the money quote: You know, as soon as I start thinking of myself as some kind of rock star, I'm a prick. So, I guard against that because I don't want to be a prick. It's not because I'm heroic or super modest or spiritual, it's just because I don't want to to be a fuckin' douche bag. So if someone comes up to me and is all, "ooh ahh," I'm sort of like, "wow you have a interesting fixation on me, and that's okay, but it has absolutely nothing to do with who I am." I'm just a guy with problems. On the other hand, great art is great art. If that's great art to someone, fantastic. The music and art that I love, I love it. Of course there's a natural attraction to someone who's made something that's meaningful. I'm as subject to this as anyone else. When I met Joe Strummer, I almost shit my pants. At the same time, I know that it's just kind of this imaginary thing that I'm doing in my head, that he's just another guy with problems. Labels: George Marshall, Operation Ivy, The Specials, Unicorn Records, Zoot The Stress Are No More I'd heard a disturbing rumor from Duff Guide to Ska reader Kames Jelly that Providence, RI rocksteady crew The Stress had broken up (read my review of their excellent Muk! Muk! EP here and an interview with Mike Mowry here). So, I dropped a line to Mike and he confirmed that he and his fellow band mates have parted ways, due to creative differences. Mike writes that he will be moving forward with recording new material, and I expect that we'll hear from the other ex-members of The Stress at some point down the line, too. I wish them all the best--but I'll miss The Stress! Here's a video snagged off of YouTube of The Stress performing "Like You Say" and "What Cheer?" at a bar up in Providence last year... Labels: The Stress Duff Review: King Hammond The King and I N.1. Records After keeping him on ice for a couple of decades, Nick Welsh (Bad Manners, The Selecter, Skaville UK) has resurrected King Hammond, his late 1980s boss skinhead reggae alter-ego (influenced by--and a heartfelt tribute to--greats like Dave & Ansel Collins, Lee Perry & The Upsetters, Laurel Aitken, Harry J's Allstars, and Jackie Mittoo amongst many others) with a sensational new album: The King and I. Why bring the King back after all this time? There is the very welcome resurgence of skinhead reggae (think of acts currently on the scene like The Caroloregians, The Hard Times, and The Aggrolites). But Nick isn't necessarily capitalizing on this subcultural trend, rather he decided to revisit his King Hammond persona after writing and recording a new track as a unique 40th birthday present for a friend who was an enormous King Hammond fan back in the day. Nick found the whole experience so pleasurable and inspiring that he cut an album's worth of new KH tracks to share with us--a gift that truly keeps on giving to any fan of ska and reggae. If you are old enough to have been young enough to pick up Revolution '70 (LP, Blue Beat, 1989) and Blow Your Mind (CD, Receiver Records, 1992--which included the Revolution '70 album) when they were first released, you'll be familiar with, and crazy about, the slightly naughty ("Pussy Got Nine Lives"), definitely campy ("The Satanic Rites of King Hammond"), and oftentimes brilliant ("Stay With Me Baby," "Skinhead Revolution," "Dracula A.D.'72," "Soul Up") skinhead reggae of King Hammond, produced at a time when most acts in the UK were pretty much either disciples of The Specials or The Skatalites. While the majority of tracks on The King and I seamlessly pick up where Blow Your Mind left off (see the terrific instrumental "Reggae Movement No. 1"), Nick has expanded King Hammond's repertoire a bit, at times venturing into big band, swing, and (on one track, "Floorshaker") electronic/techo ska (shades of acid ska) territory without betraying his fans' expectations or diminishing the awesome core of his sound. The King and I abounds in great, catchy, memorable tracks--every song deserves a mention! The album begins with a wickedly cutting assault on ex-British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in particular, but also politicians in general (note the Clinton cigar reference), on "Mr. Easy Talk." The almost bombastic big band/ska sound perfectly mirrors the oily proclamations being spewed forth by PM Brown as voiced by Mr. Welsh: "Just accept my words are true/there's nothing else that you can do/It's the politics of deja vu/I'm Mr. Easy Talk..." "Cool Down Your Temper" makes a plea for peace, in response to the rise in gun and knife violence in the UK. "The Rudest Girl in Town" is an affectionate tribute to woman who "wears her trilby like a crown," refusing to tone down down her rude roots and signifiers to conform to the straight world of adults: "Yeah I'm telling ya/When I'm calling her/her ringtone's Harry J/Not Jamelia, Anastacia/She don't do Dr. Dre." "Monkey Boots" is a Symarip-like celebration of this stylish, if sometimes impractical footwear (the soles of the Czech-made monkey boots that I used to pick up at 99X in the East Village always left big black scuff marks on wood or linoleum floors--though Dr. Martens now makes a version with soles that don't!). "Blood Run Cold" echoes "Shame and Scandal" in sound and theme, though here the sexual transgression is cheating on a girlfriend or wife ("You've been a friend to me and a lover/I've been bad to you like no other"). You have to love King Hammond's explanation when he's caught with another woman in his bedroom: "You've got it all wrong! She's my social worker!" Perhaps the greatest track on the album is the pulsating, pitch-perfect "The Return of the Kung-Fu Skinhead," which manages to honor Lee "Scratch" Perry and The Upsetters' Kung-Fu Meets the Dragon obsession with 70's martial arts films without crossing over into parody. The good King Hammond plans to sort fact from fiction in all the gossip flying about by obtaining a lie-detector to see if his girl is telling him the truth in "The Loop" ("The word on the wire, it's all over town/they say you walk a crooked mile"). Music fans world-wide will recognize the truth of "Dave and Ansel," that certain songs--particularly from one's youth--will affect you in profound ways and will travel with you as a source of comfort and inspiration throughout your life ("Back in 1971/just a kid with the radio on/Having fun, threw the dial around/that's when I first heard the Monster Sound--the Monster Sound/I didn't realize it at the time/but Dave and Ansel were friends of mine!"). "The Soho Skank" is a Bad Manners Eat the Beat-era sounding, bass-heavy tune to fill the dance floor. Hitting middle-age doesn't just sometimes injure the vanity of the fairer sex--check out the taunting (and humbling) "You Can't Get Those Sweet Things Anymore." Forty-ish men might have the outlook of a twenty-something in their minds, but "you can't pull the girls like you used to" because "you're old/and you're fat/and your hair ain't growing back." Ah, the ignominy of aging--it's all downhill from here, isn't it, KH? The King and I is a triumphant return for King Hammond--and one of the best albums of 2010 that deserves a spot in every self-respecting ska fan's collection! The Duff Guide to Ska Grade: A Labels: Dave and Ansel Collins, Duff Review, Harry J's Allstars, King Hammond, Laurel Aitken, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Nick Welsh, The Aggrolites, The Caroloregians, The Hard Times, The Upsetters The Toasters Fall 2010 US/Canada Tour The non-stop touring ska machine that is The Toasters have announced their US/Canada tour dates for this fall (they are playing massive festivals in Germany, Italy, France, and Belgium this summer). Scan the dates below for a gig near you. NYC ska fans should note that The Toasters are playing an all-ages show at BB King's on October 29, 2010 with The Pietasters, Hub City Stompers, and Royal City Riot. Toasters 2010 US Fall Tour The Haunt 702 Willow Ave., Ithaca, NY 14850-3215 DOORS/SHOW : 9pm LINEUP: The Toasters Rocko Dorsey & Those Particular Indivisuals 3 Floors of Ska @ The Middle East 472/480 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA 0213 DOORS/SHOW : 8pm / 9pm TICKETS: $13adv / $15dos UPSTAIRS: Destroy Babylon The Stress Guns Of Navarone DOWNSTAIRS: The Toasters Void Union Royal City Riot Brunt Of It Vibe Lounge 60 North Park Ave., Rockville Center, NY 11701 DOORS/SHOW : 5pm / 5:30pm Monday 9/27/2010 Eleanor Rigby's Bar & Nightclub 603 Scranton/Carbondale Highway, Jermyn, PA 18433 Café Nine 250 State St., New Haven, CT Soul Merchants Pluto Gang Thursday 9/30/2010 228 St-Joseph Est, Quebec City, QC CANADA TICKETS: $15 CAN adv $20 CAN adv The Hypnophonics Friday 10/1/2010 Petit Campus 57 rue Prince-Arthur Est, Montreal, Quebec H2X 1B4 DOORS/SHOW : 8:30pm / 9pm CANADA TICKETS: $12 CAN adv / $15 CAN dos Saturday 10/2/2010 Horseshoe Tavern 368 Queen St., Toronto, ON M5V 2A2 TICKETS: $12.50 CAN / $15 CAN dos Sunday 10/3/2010 Mohawk Place 47 E. Mohawk St., Buffalo, NY Monday 10/4/2010 Peabody's 2083 East 21st St., Cleveland, OH 44115 Tuesday 10/5/2010 10339 Conant, Wayne, MI 48181 Hamtramck, MI 48212 Wednesday 10/6/2010 Southgate House 24 East Third St., Newport, KY 41071 Thursday 10/7/2010 1320 S 11th, Springfield, IL 62703 RIOT FEST 2011 West North Ave., Chicago, IL 60647 DOORS/SHOW : TBA The Firebird 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63103 8911 N. Western Ave., Oklahoma City OK 73114 The Paper Flowers Classy San Diego Jackpot Music Hall 943 Massachusetts, Lawrence, KS 66044 TICKETS: $10 (plus $2 under 21) 2709 Elm St., Dallas, TX 75226 2410 N Saint Marys St., San Antonio, TX House of Rock 511 Starr St., Corpus Christi, TX 78401 515 East 6th St., Austin, TX 78701-3741 Ryan Scroggins Bandulus The High Ground 2612 Hessmer Ave., Metairie, LA 70002 The Handlebar 319 N. Tarragona St., Pensacola, FL 32501 DOORS/SHOW : 9pm / 10pm The Engine Room 809 Railroad Ave., Tallahassee, FL 32310 1982 Bar 919 W University Ave., Gainesville, FL 32601 Jack Rabbits 1528 Hendricks Ave., Jacksonville, FL 32204 1812 N 17th St., Ybor City, FL The Culture Room 3045 N Federal Highway, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33306 TICKETS: $14.99 adv / $15 dos 54 North Orange Ave., Orlando, FL Hub City Stompers 695 North Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30308 3 FLOORS OF SKA 503 8th Ave North, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 DOORS/SHOW : 9pm (bar opens at 4) New Brookland 122 State St., West Columbia, SC 29169 224 S Blount St., Raleigh, NC The Abbey Bar 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg, PA 17101 DOORS/SHOW : 7:30pm / 8:30pm B.B. King Blues Club & Grill 237 West 42nd St., New York, NY 10036 The 8 x 10 10 East Cross St., Baltimore, MD 21230 LINEUP: The Pietasters North Star Bar 2639 Poplar St., Philadelphia, PA Labels: Hub City Stompers, Megalith Records, Royal City Riot, The Pietasters, The Toasters Fire in Mi Wire! While I'm hesitant to call out any ska music industry trends, it looks to me like several labels are now positioning themselves to push back, with varying degrees of aggressiveness, against illegal music file sharing. (For my thoughts on music file sharing, go here; and read my plea for sanity, "Better Must Come," here.) While a new model for selling recorded music in the digital age may never really emerge, since technology keeps speeding forward and a whole generation of young people now expect to acquire their music on the internet for free, the only solution may be for 1) the government to start enforcing copyright laws vigorously, and 2) a coalition of musicians and labels to start a movement to alter people's behavior--through something like social marketing--to make it so the new norm is the old one: that people should expect to pay for the music they consume, digital or otherwise. Recent actions by labels like Stubborn, Jump Up, and Megalith suggest that to some degree they are getting fed up with "giving the people what they want" (since it's helping to kill their labels and the music they love), and may be more and more inclined to limit which formats they utilize when offering new music. Exhibit #1: The newest release from Buford O'Sullivan (ex-Scofflaws, currently a member of Easy Stars All-Stars), L.R.T.R. on Megalith Records, is only available as a three-track vinyl single. However, once you purchase the single, you'll find a card that entitles you to digitally download these tracks, plus an EP's worth of new cuts, for free. Megalith is not offering L.R.T.R. for sale on iTunes or any other digital download site, so while it won't exactly prevent these cuts from ending up on a file sharing site, it does promote the old paradigm (recorded music has a monetary value)--and you actually get something in return for your purchase (a slab of wax plus artwork that exists in the real world, all of which cannot be deleted at the push of a button). It should also be noted that Megalith actively goes after file sharing sites that host any of their copyrighted material--the "cease and desist" e-mails fly out of there frequently. Sure, it's a sisyphean undertaking, but it's the damn principle of the thing that matters. Several of Stubborn Records' recent releases from A-list acts are only available on vinyl, including The Forthrights' "Other People" 7" single and King Django's Avenue A 10" EP. While it is possible to convert songs on vinyl to digital files, it's not as easy as ripping a CD, so it at least throws a bit of a wrench in the illegal file sharer's nefarious plans. Exhibit #3 While both Megalith and Stubborn Records offer a significant portion of their catalogues via digital download, Jump Up outright refuses to do so (something that I was unaware of until now). Check out Chuck Wren's new and incredibly defiant manifesto: At Jump Up, our motto is "JAMAICAN MUSIC MADE THE OLD FASHIONED WAY." Not only do you get vintage ska reggae calypso sounds that feel like they came from independence era Jamaica, but we make them the original way: LP vinyl...and sometimes we toss on compact discs for fun. We feel strongly about releasing music in physical form, which is why we choose not to deal with the digital side. We are passionate collectors of vinyl records and CDs ourselves. We don't own iPods nor have MP3's hidden on gadgets. We strive to keep an art form alive, let the others try to cash in on digital - the "easy" and soulless "format" of music. Not us! Only the best bands and records get released this way, and we stock like-minded labels from all across the globe that share our OLD FASHIONED vision. Whether or not you agree with Chuck (read JJ Loy's take on this at Ska Blah Blah), I respect his stance. I was an early proponent of selling digital downloads (I launched 7 Wonders of the World Music, an all-digital ska and reggae label, back in 1999), but that was back when people actually still paid for recorded music (7 Wonders' sales were limited--it was way ahead of the curve--but it made enough so that I could send royalty checks to the bands, though not stay in business!). I'm not so sure about offering digital downloads at all now--even for the decent folks who still buy digital music via iTunes and their ilk--the convenience of obtaining music in this manner (despite its major savings for labels, since there is no physical product to press, ship, distribute, etc.) has pretty much obliterated its intrinsic value for far too many music fans out there (I would hazard a guess that a healthy majority of people downloading their music from file sharing sites really don't believe they are stealing because they don't attach any monetary value to digital music at all). Being a music marketing and promotions guy at heart, I do see the benefits of offering free digital downloads of tracks from time to time to help spread the word about your band and/or new release. It doesn't cost much to do; it makes your fans happy; and will hopefully sell albums and bring people out to your shows. So even though it may be completely against the usual business conventional wisdom (the customer is always right, deliver your product in the form they want, etc.) the key to the ska labels' long-term survival (in a world that doesn't think it needs to pay for recorded music) may be to begin limiting their new releases solely to tangible formats: LPs, CDs, singles (try stealing these and you'll be arrested for shoplifting, buddy). If the majority of your potential customers don't think digital music has any value, why bother trying to sell it to them in the first place? On a somewhat related note (luddite-wise), you have to check out the mad cool old-skool turntable slip mats that Chuck is offering for sale. Talk about making the return to vinyl even more hip... Update: I also should mention that if you purchase a copy of The Bullets' Sweet Misery (Jump Up Records) LP, you receive a CD of the album in the sleeve as well (labels like Yep Roc have been doing this for a couple of years now--and for someone like me who usually purchases the CD and LP of a release, it's a great deal). And then the Ska is Dead Tour folks are starting up a Ska is Dead singles of the month club, featuring split 7" vinyl singles from bands like Reel Big Fish, Mustard Plug, Big D & the Kids Table, Deal's Gone Bad, The Slackers, and Sonic Boom Six... Labels: Buford O'Sullivan, Chuck Wren, Illegal file sharing, Jump Up Records, King Django, Megalith Records, Stubborn Records, The Forthrights Gaz Rockin' Blues' 30th Anniversary Party & Book! Gaz Mayall (The Trojans, Gaz's Rockin' Records, etc.) is celebrating a momentous milestone on July 3, 2010--the 30th anniversary (to the day!) of his Gaz's Rockin Blues, the longest running club night in London (which features ska, reggae, blues, world-beat, and roots-rock bands and music). To mark this extraordinary occasion, Gaz and The Trojans are performing (see flyer below), plus Gaz is previewing his new book, "Gaz's Rockin' Blues--the First 30 Years" (Trolley Books), which collects all three decades of show flyers and posters, and includes photos and stories about all of the fantastic musicians he's met and worked with over the years (click here for a selection of gig flyers and pix--plus check out the preview article in Time Out London). Here's Gaz's biographical sketch from Trolley Books: Gaz was raised on a musical diet of R&B and was dragged around every beat, pop & rock festival and venues throughout the sixties as a child, becoming a lifelong fan of reggae as a kid on the football terraces in the skinhead era circa 1968-72. He is also a great fan of boogie woogie, rock'n'roll, traditional Irish music, funk and world music. The eldest son of blues legend John Mayall, Gaz began collecting records aged 17, bulk buying cheap reggae and ska collections down street markets such as Portbello road and brick lane at a time when it seemed no one wanted them. In late 1986 he formed his band The Trojans, and for the last nineteen years has been running his own record label Gaz's Rockin' Records, producing ska acts and artistes around the world. While he may not be as well known over here in the States (although we tried to rectify this during my time at Moon--we released a great compilation from the band in 1996 titled Trojan Warriors: For Your Protection, The Best of The Trojans), Gaz really is a key figure on the UK ska scene, not only for The Trojans' Gaelic/blues/world-beat brand of ska and reggae and his superb ska label (that released music from Laurel Aitken & the Potato 5; and the Ska Stars of the 80s and Ska Stars of the 90s comps), but for being instrumental in championing ska in Britain during the post-2 Tone crash 'n' burn lean years--so much so that the scene was out-and-out flourishing by the second half of that decade (with bands like the Deltones, Hotknives, Loafers, Potato 5, Maroon Town, Forest Hillbillies, The Riffs, Bad Manners, etc.). Gaz also has produced some incredible ska compilations for major labels in the US, UK, and Japan, most notably Skandal Ska for Mango Records (essentially, the companion album to the film Scandal); the Prince Buster retrospective, King of Ska for Quattro Records; Ska Island for Island Record's 40th anniversary celebration; and Top Ska for Trojan. We know the 30th anniversary show/party will be a blast--and can't wait to get our hands on a copy of Gaz's book! Cheers, Gaz! Labels: Gaz Mayall, Gaz' Rockin' Records, Gaz's Rockin' Blues, Laurel Aitken, Potato 5, Prince Buster, The Trojans The Duff Guide to Ska Never Miss a Post! Sign up to Receive Posts from The Duff Guide to Ska by Email! The Duff Guide to Ska Album, Single, Book, and Gig Reviews! To access our archive of reviews of ska-related albums, singles, and books, click here. To check out our ska gig reviews (and their accompanying videos), click here. For Duff Thoughts, go here. Visit The Duff Guide to Ska Video Channel! 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Ska Blog Roll Bananatown (UK) Rocking Steady (Germany) Marco on the Bass (US) Hoi Polloi! (US) Reggae 69 Fan Club (US) Lawless Street (US) Vintage Reggae Society (US) New Jersey Noise (US) Monumental Tracks (US) Offbeatska (US) Deadly Dragon Sound (US) Checkered Socks (US) Mnska.com (Ska in the great state of Minnesota!) Ska Montreal (Canada) Ska 4U (US) The Ska Parade (US) Do the Dog Skazine (UK) Dizzybeat (UK/Australia) Reggae Music Talk Dancing Mood Blog (US) Dthrog Ska Review (US) Nostalgiamania (US) Dancing Mood Forum (US) Reggae Life (Japan) DanceCrasher (UK) Music is Our Occupation (US) ReadJunk (US) SKANEWS (France) Duff Ska Sites Hide the Bodies Press--Where we made our official Duff Guide to Ska stickers and buttons; they print up shirts and gig posters, too. HTB does a great job at reasonable prices--tell Paul I sent you their way! Highly recommended. Pressure Sounds (UK) --Simply one of the best reggae re-issue labels ever! Shafer Business Law (my bro is an excellent lawyer and has a good deal of experience dealing with contracts for bands and labels, etc.--he helped me out in my Moon and 7 Wonders days) Jump Up Records (a truly great ska label-and the best place to pick up both imported and domestic ska releases! DJ Chuck Wren is the man!) Megalith Records (from the ashes of Moon rises this phoenix of ska...) Prince Buster (the Voice of the People!) The Toasters (25+ years--the Ramones of ska! Never lost faith in the music.) Ernie B's Reggae (the place to buy old and new reggae titles-tons of vinyl, too) Checkerboard Kids (long-running NYC cable access ska show--go Phil!) NYC Ska (info about ska shows in NYC metro area) Don't Read That, Read This Trouser Press (the bible of alternative music, especially New Wave!) All Music Guide (the like music, they really do!) Robert Reich's Blog Dan Froomkin @ The Huffington Post Glenn Greenwald's Unclaimed Territory (Salon.com) Bob Herbert (New York Times) Paul Krugman (New York Times) Harold Meyerson (Washington Post) Eugene Robinson (Washington Post) Enough About Me "Ska--the last refuge of rebels, scoundrels, and the unemployable." "An era of information/When no one seems to know what's going on..." -- "F.A.N." by New Young Pony Club Steve from Moon--who am I? For most of the 1990s, I was the promotions, marketing, production guy for Moon Records (RIP). It was one of the best jobs I ever had. Seriously, I miss it badly. During 1999/2000, I ran 7 Wonders of the World Music, the first digital download-only ska label (that was too ahead of the curve for its own good; RIP). I filmed and edited this Toasters video for $2,500 and it made its debut on MTV's 120 Minutes. I also put together these compilations for Moon: the first three Skarmageddons; Ska United: A Global Ska Sampler; Skank Down Under; This Are Moon Ska I, II, and III; and Moonshot! Here's an old interview with Adam Coozer from Read Magazine that covers my days at Moon and 7 Wonders. Duff means worthless. I'm blogging from Gotham City, USA. If you have a ska or reggae release that you'd like me to consider reviewing, please send an e-mail to Steve at duffguidetoska@gmail.com. You should know that we I am old school and prefer music in tangible formats (plus I might use your music when I DJ ska events). I'd also appreciate any news or tips you may have about bands. All reviews and interviews posted on The Duff Guide to Ska are copyrighted and are the sole property of Steve from Moon. Please contact me for permission to reproduce anything on this blog. The Duff Guide to Ska--we really care about ska music, man. Duff Guide to Ska Merch! Show us the love by visiting The Official Duff Guide to Ska shop, where you can purchase men's, women's, and kid's t-shirts proudly sporting the official Duff Guide to Ska Bat guano logo! Plus, you'll find Duff Guide to Ska trucker hats and beer steins (we tried to do stamps, but we were denied!). As King Apparatus used to sing, Buy our stuff--make us rich!	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1131
__label__cc	0.675294	0.324706	Home » About DurangoDowntown.com About DurangoDowntown.com …your Durango, Colorado community website In the mid 1990’s Sheri Amass, a pioneer in the community website movement, began work on a “first of it’s kind in Durango” website www.durangodowntown.com. The world wide web (www), as it was called in those early days of the Internet, was still just getting started in terms of the wide spread commercial and community use we take for granted today. In fact, in the start up days of Durango Downtown, Sheri had a vision that was ahead of its time. Sheri’s determined approach to build locally owned community website is now what we see in DurangoDowntown.com Over our 18-year period (which is about history of the commercial Internet as we know it today), DurangoDowntown became the “go to web site” for the Durango, CO community. Over past few years, other local sites have been started in Durango. Each one contributes to the vitality and information to the Durango marketplace. Yet Durango Downtown.com maintains it unique position in the Durango area. In July 2011, Jasper Welch acquired DurangoDowntown.com, thus insuring local ownership and the “sense of Durango as a special place” going forward as a community focused web site. With the help of Marcy Mitchell http://mtechbd.com/speaking-training, Jasper directed a local team in maintaining and stabilizing the Durango Downtown web site. After 2 ½ years of sole ownership, Jasper determined that is was time to look at the next step of development for Durango Downtown. He retained well-qualified management consultant Jay Davis http://davisadvisoryservices.com to identify the best fit for an operating agreement to transition Durango Downtown as the best locally owned and operated community website serving the greater Durango community. This search led to an agreement to create a new LLC (joint operating agreement) with Sam Rose and Nathan Morris, that was created in early 2014. So who is the new team at Durango Downtown.com? Sam is well known in the Durango community for his work in the web space, digital marketing and customer support with his company Web Services Management. Nathan Morris works with Sam as the Chief Software Architect as Web Services Management, as well as being a well-qualified software expert and web-based platform designer. Sam Rose began his career in Internet marketing and sales as an outgrowth of his work at The Durango Herald in 1996. The Durango Herald created a department to meet the web needs of its internal departments as well as its advertising clients. Sam acted as the Online Sales Manager and then as the Director of Online Services. With a background in Sales and Business Management, Sam specializes in customer service and satisfaction. Sam is the DurangoDowntown.com Sales and Operations Manager. He can be reached at 970-259-1128 or sam@durangodowntown.com Nathan Morris serves as the Chief Software Architect for both Web Services of Durango (where he is a co-owner) and Durango Downtown.com. Educated at University of Texas at Austin, Nathan has extensive experience in software development, design and frameworks, including web services and platforms (Drupal, WordPress, HTML). As the technology guru on the Durango Downtown team, Nathan is redesigning the Durango Downtown platform, to include responsive design, faster on-line access and a cleaner page design during 2014. Nathan can be reached at 970-623-2230 or Nathan@durangodowntown.com Jasper Welch is serving as the business advisor and strategic partner for the Durango Downtown team. He’ll be working to assist Sam and Nathan as they revise, recreate and rejuvenate Durango Downtown at “the community web site” in Durango. You can drop by DurangoSpace http://durangospace.com or call Jasper 970-259-1000 or e-mail at jasper@durangodowntown.com Why locally owned (with employee ownership) and locally operated? In Durango, we have had a long tradition of local ownership and operations. Jasper has been involved in employee owned companies, such as Stoneage, Inc. and Mr. Welch has owned and operated local Durango companies, such as Basin Printing. Sam Rose and Nathan Morris own and operate Web Services Management, a locally owned web platform and web technology business that supports Durango businesses. It is the small businesses of La Plata County that create our local jobs and maintain our local economy (and tax base). According to www.youreconomy.org (Edward Lowe Foundation), companies with 9 or less employees account for 52.7% of the private sector jobs in La Plata County. And companies with 100 or less employees account for 98% of the business establishments and 86% of the private sector jobs in the Durango area. Our Durango Global, LLC team (Sam & Nathan, with Jasper advising) operates the DurangoDowntown.com community website for the benefit of our customers (advertisers), residents (locals and seasonal folks) and visitors (we welcome you to Durango). If you have ideas, suggestions or improvements that our DD team can make on DurangoDowntown.com, please let us know. We can be reached at info@durangodowntown.com Or drop by our workspace and team meeting space at DurangoSpace http://durangospace.com at 1221 Main Avenue in downtown Durango.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1132
__label__wiki	0.681697	0.681697	What are the ultimate goals for Superfund cleanup around Silverton? EPA hopes to improve water quality in Animas River below Silverton By Jonathan Romeo County & environment reporter Wednesday, March 13, 2019 4:49 PM Updated: Thursday, March 14, 2019 6:59 PM Follow @jonathandherald Peter Stevenson, on-scene coordinator for the Environmental Protection Agency, observes the Animas River after the Gold King Mine spill in August 2015. On Wednesday, the EPA announced its goals for the Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund site. Durango Herald file For the past few years, a question has loomed over the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund site of mines polluting the Animas River headwaters around Silverton: What exactly does the cleanup project seek to accomplish? On Wednesday, the EPA answered. “We’ve come up with three goals that will drive our actions moving forward,” said Doug Benevento, EPA regional administrator, in an interview with The Durango Herald. EPA had planned public meetings in Durango and Silverton this week to present the goals, but the agency had to cancel the trip because of a winter storm hitting Colorado. Benevento explained in a phone interview the goals are to improve water quality, stabilize contaminating sites and minimize the risk of future blowouts. What does this look like on the ground? Most visibly: The EPA hopes to improve water quality in Animas River in the waterway’s stretch from Silverton to Bakers Bridge, about 15 miles north of Durango, to the point where it could support healthy aquatic life communities. “We believe we can achieve fisheries in that stretch of river,” said Rebecca Thomas, the Superfund project’s lead manager. Ever since miners began digging holes in the highly mineralized mountains around Silverton, the Animas River and its aquatic life have battled adverse conditions as a result of heavy metal loading into the waterway. Case in point: The Animas is all but devoid of aquatic life from Silverton to Bakers Bridge. In August 2015, the EPA was working at one of these long inactive mines when a contracted crew breached the portal of the Gold King Mine, releasing 3 million gallons of wastewater into the Animas River. About a year later, the EPA declared 48 mining-related sites as the Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund site in the hopes of improving water quality in the Animas River headwaters. Peter Butler, with the Animas River Stakeholders Group, said there is precedent for fish returning to the Animas above Durango. In the early 2000s, for instance, a water treatment plant near Silverton operated by Sunnyside Gold Corp. had the river probably at its cleanest since Westerners arrived. But that all changed when the plant shutdown in 2004. EPA also hopes to improve water quality for aquatic life in stretches of the Upper Animas above Silverton and in two areas of Mineral Creek, a tributary. The EPA’s second objective seeks to prevent erosion of waste rock piles, make sure rain or snowmelt doesn’t drain over mine waste and remove waste rock from creek banks, among other measures. And for the agency’s third goal, to minimize the risk of mine blowouts, the EPA will consult with the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety to identify the mines most at risk of a release. Ty Churchwell, with Trout Unlimited, said the EPA’s goals are in agreement with a plan drafted by a community group over a year-and-a-half. “I’m very pleased to see our goals align,” he said. “I think that speaks highly of that process we put together.” But now comes the tricky part: How to actually implement cleanup projects to accomplish the goals? Thomas said it’s still too early in the EPA’s attempt to gain a good understanding of contamination in the Animas River basin to have the nuts and bolts of how the Superfund will play out. The EPA is hoping to carry out a quick action plan this summer that would address 26 mine sites over the next few years. jromeo@durangoherald.comAn earlier version of this story incorrectly said Sunnyside Gold Corp. closed the treatment plant in 2004. Animas River Stakeholders disband after 25 years of cleanup efforts EPA says it will carry out work Sunnyside Gold refuses to do Sunnyside Gold says ‘no’ to EPA’s work order at Superfund EPA finds low risk to human health at Superfund site near Silverton Is EPA protecting mining history around Superfund site? EPA finalizes action plan for Silverton-area Superfund EPA wants to restore aquatic life in four stretches of waterways Larry Perino, one of the last Sunnyside Gold employees, announces retirement EPA’s lead in Superfund around Silverton announces retirement EPA places Silverton’s Superfund site on fast-track pilot program Citizens group for Superfund site to meet Thursday for first time Barbara McLachlan: Good bills to come this legislative session Letters: restricting immigration is the answer	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1133
__label__cc	0.594038	0.405962	Kevin Karsch recognized as finalist for CRA undergraduate award Home > Blog > Kevin Karsch recognized as finalist for CRA undergraduate award inComputer Science, Computers & Electronics, Researcher, Students, Undergraduate Research by Ashlé Robinson Senior Kevin Karsch was selected as a finalist in the Computing Research Association’s Outstanding Undergraduate Award competition for 2009. University of Missouri senior Kevin Karsch is not your average college student. A dual major in computer science and math, he spends his spare time outside the classroom doing research. Karsch recently was excited to learn that he had been selected as a finalist in the Computing Research Association’s Outstanding Undergraduate Award competition for 2009. He has been working with MU’s Assistant Professor Ye Duan performing undergraduate research geared toward developing autism treatment. “Most of the winners are from Ivy League schools, so it was nice to see that our work was rewarded. And it will help my graduate application,” He added with a laugh. The award committee looked for demonstrated excellence of computing research ability. The quality of the research is most important, as is the student’s academic record and service to the community. Duan’s work involves a comparison between brain structures of autistic children and non-autistic children using 3-D imaging. The ultimate goal of the project is to extract explicit representation of these brain structures, using a segmentation process. “We are not sure what part of the brain is responsible for autism, but if we find that structure it may be possible to develop an effective treatment in the future,” Karsch said. Researchers from psychological sciences, the medical school, computer science and other departments across the University campus have been collaborating to perform these segmentations and analyze the results. For Karsch, the opportunity to participate in the project was an easy decision. “I’ve always wanted to work with computer graphics and vision. A lot of great improvements can come from graphics research,” Karsch said. While the 3-D imagining project continues, Karsch is transitioning to a different area of research. Still working with Ye Duan, the new Department of Defense funded project involves the use of small airborne robots to capture 3-D images for soldiers, allowing them to examine areas beforehand as they approach them. Ye Duan Mizzou Engineers leading UM System effort for computational data hub NSF REU puts students at computing’s cutting edge EECS duo earns prestigious campus accolades Computer science collaboration leads to improvements in data transmission in disasters MU researchers close in on possible autism detection method Fifth Missouri Tech Expo gives ideas a space to shine	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1135
__label__cc	0.666418	0.333582	Deoxycortisol (1) Metanephrines (1) Triiodothyronine (T3) (1) Cushing's disease (1) Graves' disease (1) Hyperglycaemia (1) Hypokalaemia (1) Phaeochromocytoma crisis (1) Pituitary adenoma (1) Agitation (1) Altered level of consciousness (1) Appetite reduction/loss (1) Bacteraemia (1) Breathing difficulties (1) Dyspnoea (1) Haematoma (1) Hypercortisolaemia (1) Ketonuria (1) Metabolic acidosis (1) Peripheral oedema (1) Poikiloderma (1) Renal insufficiency (1) Respiratory failure (1) Tachycardia (2) Vaginal dryness (1) Vaginal pain/tenderness (1) Alanine aminotransferase (1) Angiography (1) Anion gap (1) Bilirubin (1) Catecholamines (24-hour urine) (1) Cortisol (serum) (1) Creatinine (1) Dexamethasone suppression (1) Echocardiogram (1) Glucose (urine) (1) Haemoglobin A1c (1) Ketones (urine) (1) Kidney function (1) Leukocyte esterase (urine) (1) Liver function (1) Metanephrines (urinary) (1) Red blood cell count (1) TSH receptor antibodies (1) Urea and electrolytes (2) White blood cell count (4) Hypophysectomy (1) Thyroidectomy (1) Transsphenoidal surgery (1) Carbimazole (1) Ceftriaxone (1) Epinephrine (1) Etomidate (1) Insulin glargine (1) Metyrapone (1) Olanzapine (1) Potassium chloride (1) Propranolol (1) Ramipril (1) Spironolactone (1) General practice (2) Insight into disease pathogenesis or mechanism of therapy (1) Sepsis x Etomidate in the management of severe Cushing’s disease and MRSA bacteraemia in a district general hospital in the United Kingdom Stephanie Wei Ping Wong, Yew Wen Yap, Ram Prakash Narayanan, Mohammad Al-Jubouri, Ashley Grossman, Christina Daousi and Yahya Mahgoub We report our experience on managing a case of florid Cushing’s disease with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) sepsis using intravenous etomidate in the intensive care unit of a UK district general hospital. Severe Cushing’s syndrome is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Etomidate is a safe and effective medical therapy to rapidly lower cortisol levels even in the context of severe sepsis and immunosuppression. Etomidate should ideally be administered in an intensive care unit but is still feasible in a district general hospital. During treatment with etomidate, accumulation of serum 11β-deoxycortisol (11DOC) levels can cross-react with laboratory cortisol measurement leading to falsely elevated serum cortisol levels. For this reason, serum cortisol measurement using a mass spectrometry assay should ideally be used to guide etomidate prescription. Livedo reticularis: a cutaneous clue to an underlying endocrine crisis Natasha Shrikrishnapalasuriyar, Mirena Noyvirt, Philip Evans, Bethan Gibson, Elin Foden and Atul Kalhan A 54-year-old woman was admitted to hospital with a presumed allergic reaction to a single dose of amoxicillin given for a suspected upper respiratory tract infection. She complained of chest tightness although there was no wheeze or stridor. On examination, she was pyrexial, tachycardic, hypertensive and had a diffuse mottled rash on her lower limbs. Her initial investigations showed raised inflammatory markers. She was treated in the intensive care for a presumed anaphylactic reaction with an underlying sepsis. Further investigations including CT head and CSF examination were unremarkable; however, a CT abdomen showed a 10 cm heterogeneous right adrenal mass. Based on review by the endocrine team, a diagnosis of pheochromocytoma crisis was made, which was subsequently confirmed on 24-h urinary metanephrine measurement. An emergency adrenalectomy was considered although she was deemed unfit for surgery. Despite intensive medical management, her conditioned deteriorated and she died secondary to multi-organ failure induced by pheochromocytoma crisis. Pheochromocytoma have relatively higher prevalence in autopsy series (0.05–1%) suggestive of a diagnosis, which is often missed. Pheochromocytoma crisis is an endocrine emergency characterized by hemodynamic instability induced by surge of catecholamines often precipitated by trauma and medications (β blockers, general anesthetic agents, ephedrine and steroids). Pheochromocytoma crisis can mimic acute coronary syndrome, cardiogenic or septic shock. Livedo reticularis can be a rare although significant cutaneous marker of underlying pheochromocytoma crisis. Euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis: a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma Prashanth Rawla, Anantha R Vellipuram, Sathyajit S Bandaru and Jeffrey Pradeep Raj Euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis (EDKA) is a clinical triad comprising increased anion gap metabolic acidosis, ketonemia or ketonuria and normal blood glucose levels <200 mg/dL. This condition is a diagnostic challenge as euglycemia masquerades the underlying diabetic ketoacidosis. Thus, a high clinical suspicion is warranted, and other diagnosis ruled out. Here, we present two patients on regular insulin treatment who were admitted with a diagnosis of EDKA. The first patient had insulin pump failure and the second patient had urinary tract infection and nausea, thereby resulting in starvation. Both of them were aggressively treated with intravenous fluids and insulin drip as per the protocol for the blood glucose levels till the anion gap normalized, and the metabolic acidosis reversed. This case series summarizes, in brief, the etiology, pathophysiology and treatment of EDKA. Euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis is rare. Consider ketosis in patients with DKA even if their serum glucose levels are normal. High clinical suspicion is required to diagnose EDKA as normal blood sugar levels masquerade the underlying DKA and cause a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma. Blood pH and blood or urine ketones should be checked in ill patients with diabetes regardless of blood glucose levels. Thyroidectomy for the treatment of Graves’ thyrotoxicosis in thioamide-induced agranulocytosis and sepsis Colin L Knight, Shamil D Cooray, Jaideep Kulkarni, Michael Borschmann and Mark Kotowicz A 51 year old man presented with sepsis in the setting of thioamide-induced agranulocytosis. Empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics was followed by directed narrow-spectrum antibiotics, and his neutrophil count recovered with support from granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) analogue transfusions. After a brief period of multi-modal therapy for nine days including potassium iodide (Lugol’s iodine), cholestyramine, propanolol and lithium to temper his persisting hyperthyroidism, a total thyroidectomy was performed while thyroid hormone levels remained at thyrotoxic levels. Postoperative recovery was uncomplicated and he was discharged home on thyroxine. There is limited available evidence to guide treatment in this unique cohort of patients who require prompt management to avert impending clinical deterioration. This case report summarises the successful emergent control of thyrotoxicosis in the setting of thioamide-induced agranulocytosis complicated by sepsis, and demonstrates the safe use of multi-modal pharmacological therapies in preparation for total thyroidectomy. Thioamide-induced agranulocytosis is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening complication of which all prescribers and patients need to be aware. A multi-modal preoperative pharmacological approach can be successful, even when thioamides are contraindicated, when needing to prepare a thyrotoxic patient for semi-urgent total thyroidectomy. There is not enough evidence to confidently predict the safe timing when considering total thyroidectomy in this patient cohort, and therefore it should be undertaken when attempts have first been made to safely reduce thyroid hormone levels. Thyroid storm is frequently cited as a potentially severe complication of thyroid surgery undertaken in thyrotoxic patients, although the evidence does not demonstrate this as a common occurrence.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1145
__label__cc	0.572069	0.427931	The Shadows: Fire’s Hope is out now! Buy it on Amazon! The Shadows have three abilities: one unique power, the ability to enter a distant Realm and communicate through it, and one inert understanding of a human trait. A little overzealous during an MMO raid, Mark’s hands suddenly burst into flames revealing he’s a Shadow. They’re dangerous, powerful, and contained in a hidden facility covered by a shield known as the ASH. Mark can’t possibly be a Shadow, but he’s still thrown into the ASH like just another monster. Afraid the fire will consume him, he clashes with the icy Shadow, Silverstonarellena, certain he’ll live out the rest of his days imprisoned and paranoid of angering his roommate. Still, he holds onto hope that he’ll be able to escape and return home, but it might be more complicated when he finds out he has the power of an Orchestrator named Shadow Hope, allowing him to pass through the shield and free all the Shadows. Even if he is some powerful Shadow, why didn’t he know? Why wasn’t he taken to the ASH at birth like the rest of the Shadows? And why won’t anyone give him straight answers? He fights to trust the Shadows. Even though he wants to help them, he fears there’s an even bigger mystery unraveling when he uncovers the suspicious death of a Shadow who had attempted to escape and may have been his doppelganger. The Shadows: Laevatein’s Choice comes out September 1, 2019! As much as Mark wants something grand, a conventional adventure just isn’t coming. He has powers! Maybe he was expecting something a little more exciting, like a superhero’s job, fighting crime in New York City, or some quest. But at the end of the day—all day, every day—he’s just a fifteen-year-old kid who can’t do jack, even with his powers. Stuck between two worlds—one of Shadows, bewitched objects, and running off to find trouble, and the other of his parents’ possible separation—Mark is desperate to find a distraction. Until he meets Geoffrey James, a weapons enthusiast and physical trainer who agrees to teach Mark swordplay. However, blindsided by his addiction to adrenaline, Mark might not be able to help or protect his family from real danger. Across the state, Mark’s cousin Emilie also feels trapped by the need to take care of her chronically depressed mother who is barely able to provide for herself. Emilie stifles her desire for flight, freedom and even happiness now that she’s out of the ASH. And then, her father comes back into the picture, offering to pull her mother out of despair, no strings attached. Emilie can’t trust him and does all she can to find proof of his true motives. Mark and Emilie find themselves on parallel journeys of discovering their place in their families and take their first step deeper into the vast world of Shadows outside the ASH. Shadows Bookmarks and stickers! That’s right! a little bit of Shadows featured on the nerdiest shop on etsy! If you’re looking for more shadows or just a bookish merch fix, look no further than WeTheDreamingDesigns! Stickers \| Bookmarks Writing News: TS: Halo’s Rag Doll This book takes place almost two years after the events of Fire’s Hope after Mark has had time to adjust to life around Shadows and he has come into his own with his powers. The book is a 6 point plot which is my absolute favorite plot style to write in. HRD will explore themes of gender-roles and the young relationships between the cast. It will also include six non-binary characters who are either referred to as they-them or over the course of their arc choose their own pronouns. In universe I can take the liberties to make these characters truly fluid, and have a lot of fun with their personalities. I’ve never much liked writing young love so this will be a new adventure for me, as I plan to focus more on Mark’s relationships with the Shadows around him, with a little bit of romance thrown in. The 6 point plot structures allows for a lot of character development and I’m so excited for this book! TS: Frosted Flowers This is a bit of a writing tangent for me just because the editing process can be so long and grueling it feels good to just write. Frosted Flowers ended up becoming a logical continuation of Iszeldier and Nymph’s story, and it will be a part of the solo book library. “Oak roots rest just under the surface of the soil like a leaf on water, whereas the grace and breadth of cherry mirrors its structure above as below. When you’ve lived as long as I have, death feels like something that is owed you. I would have probably stood sturdier if I had chosen cherry for myself, rather than oak.” Jomaih has chosen his final resting place, taking the form of a tall oak tree and protecting his beloved from causing anymore harm. But he wasn’t strong enough to keep the beast contained and finds himself trapped in yet another life. He cannot seem to find death or peace, Now he must decide the fate of love of his life, even if that risks the lives and safety of others. TS: Dragons on Skye Temporary Cover for TS:DoS A lot has changed in the Viridian, keeping just one thing constant, Mark loves to micromanage all the Shadows and Novas in his care. However for the two Bloodless brothers Honehe and Darmis, even being among Shadows isn’t enough, they need to find others of their kind. One a wolf, and the other a flightless winged boy who can’t figure out how to turn into a dragon, they search out their real parents on the Isle of Skye. Set far into the future they explore the mountains of Luray, Virginia, and the mysteries of old America, making them wonder what it was that stopped the humans from growing and progressing, leaving their outlying towns in quiet lawlessness beneath their proud cities. With dragons the size of the old Victorian Shadow settlement “the Viridian”, alongside futuristic supercars, this may be the wildest adventure yet! TS: Dark Ice (Writing in Progress) Temporary cover for TS:DI The black poison Darchísze that has stretched across the Shadow Realm is finally beginning to fade, and Irwin has discovered access to the old world across the northern river in the Nova Realm. Searching for a way back to the Shadows’ homeland, Irwin leads a team of Novas into the burned and lifeless terrain for any sign of life. He needs it to keep his mind off the pain of losing his son and his wife. The depression has been eating away at his mind and he needs to keep busy. He has his youngest sons with him, but will it be enough to keep his mind from fragmenting in the tortured wasteland and bland labyrinth of twisted death. Meanwhile, Darmis revels to have his family together an healing, there’s a lot of change to get used to and he couldn’t be happier, but will it be so simple when another dragon is thrown into the mix, one whose history with the other dragons might tear a rift in the Fanírs. TS: Dawn in Heaven (in outlining phase) Dragons on Skye, Dark Ice, and Dawn in Heaven will be the “Fanir Dragons Trilogy” and it will follow Honi and Darmis on their antics in discovering the truth about the Shadow Realm. Honi will take a little more serious role and the book will be set in completely High Fantasy Shadows Art Books Once I have a few Shadows books published I’d like to look in to publishing an artbook with tons of illustrations I’ve done for The Shadows. I’d like this book to briefly tell the story of the Shadows as a whole and have it take place between books 6 and 7 so that I can foreshadow the new generations. It will have excerpts, close up details, sketches, early drawings, character profiles and everything you need to know about TS. The Shadows three series of books following three sets of characters. The first series has six books. Fire’s Hope, Laevatein’s Choice, Halo’s Rag Doll, Nova’s Love, Trust’s Anticipation, and Strength’s Conflagration. The second series has seven books, Precognition, Kindred’s Lies, Supernova, Restoration, and Starchild. And the third series is a trilogy of: Dragons on Skye, Dark Ice, and Dawn in Heaven. Solo Books Stealth–Feather solo book Predecessors–William solo book Frosted Flowers–Iszeldier and Nymph solo book Unnamed Ira solo book Geode–Jason solo book Memoraria–January solo book This is the order in which I intend to publish The Shadows with several art books in between. It’s going to be a long ride but the adventure begins now!	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1151
__label__wiki	0.676029	0.676029	San Luis R7: Topalov. Wins. Again. I like it! \| 0 Comments 10/6/2005 – It may already be too late to stop Veselin Topalov. The Bulgarian beat Kasimdzhanov for his sixth win in seven games and leads by two full points at the halfway point. All four games were decisive today, including Morozevich's first win, against Anand. Svidler is in clear second after beating Polgar. Full report. new: ChessBase 15 - Mega package Find the right combination! ChessBase 15 program + new Mega Database 2020 with 8 million games and more than 80,000 master analyses. Plus ChessBase Magazine (DVD + magazine) and CB Premium membership for 1 year! ChessBase 15 - Mega package The FIDE World Chess Championship is taking place in the Hotel Potrero de los Funes Complex, in the Province of San Luis, Argentina, from September 27 to October 16, 2005. Round Seven Summary Veselin Topalov has run away with the FIDE world championship but he's not a man in a hurry. He scored his sixth win in seven games, and fifth win in a row, by grinding down defending FIDE champ Rustam Kasimdzhanov in a rook endgame. Barring a second-half collapse as spectacular as his first-half dominance, Topalov will not only be the new FIDE champion but do it while recording one of the greatest tournament results of all time. With Topalov running away with the tournament in the first half with win after win, it's nice to take a moment to look at his supporting cast, who are also playing some fine chess. All four games were decisive today, with a preference for endgames. Peter Svidler handed Judit Polgar her second consecutive loss and third in four rounds. The four-time Russian champion absorbed the typical black exchange sac on c3 and ground out the endgame. The win, combined with Anand's loss, put Svidler into clear second place at +2, still light-years behind Topalov. Russia's Alexander Morozevich pulled himself out of the cellar by beating Anand in a wild game, the Indian star's second loss in three days. Morozevich gave up a rook for black bishop on g2 (!) and later exploited his chances when Anand opened things up. The loss dropped the top seed and heavy pre-tournament favorite down to an even score, illustrating the toughness of the field Topalov is dominating. Peter Leko crawled back to an even score after his terrible start by beating Adams, who is now at -3. The Hungarian got a plus against the Petroff and converted the rook endgame. Round 7: Wednesday, October 5th Veselin Topalov 1-0 R. Kasimdzhanov Peter Leko 1-0 Michael Adams A. Morozevich 1-0 Vishy Anand Peter Svidler 1-0 Judit Polgar Games – Report The games were commented on Playchess.com by IM Andrew Martin.... Here's the schedule for the remaining rounds: 6 Oct. Round 8 Yasser Seirawan 11 Oct. Round 12 Andrew Martin 9 Oct. Round 10 Yasser Seirawan 14 Oct. Round 14 Andrew Martin 10 Oct. Round 11 Yasser Seirawan 15 Oct. Tie-break Andrew Martin Current standings at the World Championship in San Luis All games so far in PGN World Championship Diary: Round 7 By Nigel Short – on site in San Luis I should begin with a correction: I mentioned yesterday that there had been an official protest about the fact that Topalov has thus far always played on the same table. As he is number eight in the draw, there is nothing the least bit unusual about this, by the way. Apparently an official protest requires the deposit of $500, refundable in the event of winning the case. This has not been forthcoming as of yet. Therefore it would be more accurate to term the continuing protests “unofficial”. Apologies for inadvertently misleading anyone. The man with the lucky candado ("padlock", Argentine slang for Topalov's facial hairstyle). 4.00 pm: The current and possibly future World Champions are engaged in the slow maneuvering of the Anti-Marshall. Rustam Kasimdzhanov should be happy that Toppy is playing with his weaker colour White, with which he “only” scores 75% (1.5/2) as opposed to Black where has managed a distinguished 100% ( 4/4). There is not a great deal in it so far, although perhaps the position is a smidgen more comfortable for White - as is often the case in the Closed Spanish. Old versus new. Don't sit down, Kasim, it's dangerous! The dreaded Petroff has reared its ugly head again with Adams trying the same offbeat line with which he drew so comfortably against Svidler in round one. Leko was obviously well prepared for this eventuality and appears to have gained a sizable plus by very natural and forceful means. In general one must be wary of playing the same lines over and over again as it makes one a sitting target. Adams looks in bad shape here, and indeed he has been of late, and his openings have been a bit substandard for survival at this rarefied level. It's okay, nobody's watching. Morozevich-Anand is a sight to warm my heart! Yes, the Short Attack of the Caro-Kann! Vishy may be my friend, but my baby takes priority in my affections! In truth it is something of an exaggeration for me to claim paternity of this line, but I did play a number of important games in the early stage of its development. The name seems to have stuck, except in Holland where Jan Timman rather sarcastically refers to it as the Short Defence. Putting narcissism aside for one moment, Morozevich has just sacrificed the exchange for a pawn. Very interesting. Yesterday I remarked that 3+1 is usually not greater than 5, but today might be an exception. “When the facts change, I change my mind. What, sir, do you do?” as the economist John Maynard Keynes once said. Talking of exchange sacrifices: Judit has just done one against Svidler in the ever-popular Najdorf (we are in Argentina after all). In this case, the compensation is more tangible as White’s king has become exposed as a result. If the Saint Petersburger survives until the endgame he will be on top, although even that oneiric prospect will not guarantee his victory. If he fails to exchange queens then he could conceivably be gunned down in the middlegame: Judit is at her most deadly when conducting an attack. Leko looks on as Morozevich and Anand get to work. 5.30pm: Kasimdzhanov is optically doing ok-ish although his king is perhaps not as secure as it should be. Toppy has a very good nose for the initiative. The key question will be whether he can whip up an attack with the queen, rook and bishop. If not, then Black will be fine. As I speak the White queen retreats from b3, where it has sat the whole game and now threatens to enter the game with powerful effect on the other wing. The more I look at it, the less I like it for las negras. Is Toppy going to win again? Is there no kryptonite to stop him? Morozevich, about to show 3+1 > 5 against Anand. All hell is breaking loose is Morozevich-Anand. I suspect that Vishy, who has a very fine sense of judgment, descried the drift in his position and embarked upon some tactics in an effort to turn the tide. I don’t think it is working though. White’s bishop and pawns look far superior to the rook. Furthermore the Black king, which is awkwardly placed on f8, could easily be trapped in a mating net. I am beginning to suspect that today will produce another bloodbath. Meanwhile Leko is grinding away remorselessly in a double rook endgame. It looks very doubtful that Adams will survive, but one never knows: the Englishman is tough. He will pounce on a chance if one is offered. No chance offered. Svidler has obtained more than he could have hoped for: the queens have come off AND he has won a pawn to boot. It ought now to be purely a matter of technique – to use the dreadful phrase that ignores the frailties of homo sapiens – although Black’s much better pawn structure still means that there are still several obstacles to overcome. Kasim is dropping a pawn. That will not be the end of his resistance though. He retains the chances of generating some counterplay down the f-file. I have not written him off yet. 6.20pm: Adams resigns. He looks completely demoralized. Yes he was lost, but were he in a better mood he would have played three or four more moves, at no cost, and hoped for a miracle. With a minus three score he is now firmly in the cellar. It's over. Anand is in dire straits. Looks like his dream scenario would be escaping to a rook and bishop versus rook ending a piece down. If that is the best he can get ( and he is far from that nirvana at the moment) then it is grim indeed. I would say he is completely busted in fact. Morozevich, if he converts, will register his first win. Peter Svidler has returned the exchange – a good idea, I think. The knight on f4 had been extremely annoying. Now he is just a clear pawn up with a dangerous outside passer. Peter Svidler, about to move into clear second place against Polgar. 7.20pm: Anand is kicking somehow. He has set up a clever trap whereby he gives a surprise perpetual check in the most superficially attractive variation. Moroz pauses a while, sniffing the danger, and then deviates. Three moves later Anand resigns. A big upset in the context of this tournament. Kasim is fighting hard, a pawn in arrears, in a rook endgame. He has definite chances to save the game. 8.20pm: Svidler defeats Polgar, who now joins Adams in the basement, in good (enough) style to pose a semblance of a challenge to Topalov. Mind you, the Bulgarian has played in exemplary, Capablanca-esque fashion and is now close to victory. At 1.85 metres people sometimes remark about the inappropriateness of my name. However “topal”, which means “lame” in Turkish, has got to be even less applicable an appellation. 9.03pm: Toppy wins beautifully! He probably could have won in an ugly way too, but this was really elegant. Can anyone stop the runaway locomotive? We shall see, we shall see… All photos: FIDE (Casto Abundo), Word Chess Championship Press Round 1: Wednesday, September 28th 0-1 Veselin Topalov ½-½ R. Kasimdzhanov ½-½ Michael Adams Judit Polgar Round 2: Thursday, September 29th ½-½ Vishy Anand ½-½ Judit Polgar R. Kasimdzhanov ½-½ Peter Svidler ½-½ A. Morozevich Round 3: Friday, September 30th 1-0 Peter Leko Round 4: Saturday, October 1st 0-1 Peter Svidler Free day: Sunday, October 2nd Round 5: Monday, October 3rd ½-½ Peter Leko Round 6: Tuesday, October 4th Round 8: Thursday, October 6th - Peter Leko - A. Morozevich - Peter Svidler - Judit Polgar Free day: Friday, October 7th Round 9: Saturday, October 8th - Veselin Topalov - Michael Adams - R. Kasimdzhanov Round 10: Sunday, October 9th - Vishy Anand Round 11: Monday, October 10th Round 12: Tuesday, October 11th Free day: Wednesday, October 12th Round 13: Thursday, October 13th Round 14: Friday, October 14th Tie-breaks: Saturday, October 15th Official World Chess Championship web site All ChessBase World Championship reports so far << Back in the mailbag San Luis R8: Anand and Morozevich win >> Topics: FIDE World Championship San Luis Discussion and Feedback Join the public discussion or submit your feedback to the editors "Prestigious University Chess Invitational" taking place in Tianjin 11/28/2019 – Twelve prestigious universities from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan and China have sent chess squads to Tianjin. Nankai University is hosting the event as part of the celebrations of its 100-year anniversary. WGM QIYU ZHOU is in the coastal metropolis representing the University of Toronto. She sent us a pictorial report of her experience so far. \| Pictured: Representatives of each university during the opening ceremony. \| Photo: Liu Yi World Cup: Radjabov wins World Cup in blitz! 10/4/2019 – Teimour Radjabov qualified to the next Candidates Tournament by knocking out Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in the classical phase of the World Cup semi-finals, which meant he had an extra rest day heading into the final match against Ding Liren. In parallel, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave is facing Yu Yangyi in the match for third place. Live games and commentary from 10:0 UTC (12 Noon CEST / 6:00 AM EDT). \| Photo: FIDE Play the Exchange Variation against the Caro-Kann The Exchange Variation (1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3) is a simple and easy to learn answer to the Caro-Kann. By clarifying the central tension White gives himself a clear plan of attack using the half open e-file and the e5 square. This is far from easy for Black to meet as Bobby Fischer, Jan Timman, Walter Browne and other leading Grandmasters have demonstrated in their games. Black too has his resources but he needs to know what he's doing. On this DVD you will find a clear explanation of the strategy for both sides as well as answers to popular treatments such as 4...Nc6 5.c3 Qc7. Whilst the main focus is on the White side of this opening you will also find ways for Black to defend. Rules for reader comments The London System with 2.Bf4 "Simple yet aggressive!" Enjoy this new exciting DVD by Simon Williams. Let the famouns Grandmaster from England show you how to gain a very exciting yet well founded opening game with the London System (1.d4 d5 2.Bf4).	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1156
__label__cc	0.681848	0.318152	Alaska and its fur traders The Arctic / Cruise The Arctic from 19 September 2020 to 3 October 2020 Departure Port : Nome, Alaska Arrival Port : Vancouver Ref : A190920 PONANT invites you to follow the steps of trappers and of the indigenous peoples of Alaska, during a 15-day expedition voyage aboard L’Austral. From Nome to Vancouver, discover a remote territory still unknown and wild, landscape from infinite tundra to glittering lakes, wide spaces, gigantic glaciers, steep mountains and temperate rainforest. During your trip, discover the unique wildlife at some of the sites that have marked the history of Alaska. Your ship will first sail along the Bering Strait, before heading south to reach Saint Paul in the Pribilof Islands. In a Zodiac® dinghy you will then land on the lush shores of Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands, where you will have the option of participating in organised hikes. After sailing in the magnificent Icy Bay to discover a fjord surrounded by hanging glaciers and vertiginous waterfalls, succumb to the charms of Alaska’s forests and discover the Tlingit village of Kake, where you might be lucky enough to spot some black bears. Then, set off to meet the whales and other marine mammals in Alert Bay, in British Columbia, before making your way to Vancouver, your disembarkation port. We are privileged guests in these remote lands where we are at the mercy of weather, ice, tidal and current conditions. Landings on certain sites and the observation of certain wildlife cannot be guaranteed. They vary from day to day, making each PONANT cruise a unique experience. The Captain and the Expedition Leader will make every effort to ensure that your experience is as rich as possible, while complying with the safety rules and instructions imposed by the AECO. Free parka Free boot rental The supplement for single usage of a double cabin is waived, according to availability and staterooms categories. € 800 flight credit per person on select cruises. This offer is subject to availability and may be changed or withdrawn without prior notice. It cannot be backdated. Shore visits in Zodiac®inflatables with a team of experienced naturalist guides. Hiking opportunity. Visit traditional villages and encounter the indigenous peoples of the Far North: the Aleuts, Tlingits, Kwakwaka’wakws, Yupiks, and Haïdas. Landscapes: fjords, tall mountains, huge glaciers, primary forest, jagged cliffs. Wildlife: brown bears, grizzlies, Arctic terns, common seals, whales and orcas. Superior Stateroom Prestige Deck 5 Suite Ipod™ players or twin beds Shower 8m² private balcony In May 2011, l'Austral joined PONANT's fleet. This superb mega-yacht with 132 staterooms is the result of the expertise of the Italian Fincantieri shipyard and French sophistication, as interpreted by designer Jean-Philippe Nuel. L'Austral remains faithful to our philosophy - to create a unique atmosphere, a subtle blend of luxury, intimacy and well-being. A sleek silhouette softened by elegantly smooth contours and large, arched windows opening up to the sea and the light: so many features come together to give L’Austral her distinctive shape. Precious materials, discreet elegance and a perfect balance between chic and casual, combine to make you feel as if you are on your own private yacht. A design blending tradition and innovation, where a nautical mood has been subtly recreated. A welcoming atmosphere of relaxed sophistication revolves around shades of grey, taupe, white and ivory enlivened by touches of cinnamon, caramel and tan.. So many personal touches create the spirit of a “private yacht.” You will encounter unique itineraries, calls inaccessible to large ships, chic and elegant yacht-like ambiance, refined and personalized service as well as gastronomic cuisine. CHANDERNAGOR BENGALE Nome, Alaska Located along the Bering Strait at the westernmost point of Alaska, Nome offers the rustic charm of a former gold-mining town, set in the middle of magnificent wilderness. As you weave in and out of the brightly coloured houses, you will discover the pioneering legacy that still marks local traditions. Fishing, reindeer rearing, sledge-racing... People here live from their manual labour. The surrounding plains provide stunning vantage points for observing Arctic fauna. 20 September 2020 – At sea 21 September 2020 – St Matthew Island Saint Matthew island is right in the middle of the Bering Sea, between Siberia and Alaska. Classified as a National Wildlife Refuge by the United States, this island covered in wet tundra corresponds to the northern boundary of the polar bear’s range during winter. It is home to many birds, including the McKay's bunting, an endemic species whose population is estimated at 6,000 individuals. We can also find Arctic foxes there. Although populated by the Aleut during prehistoric times Saint Matthew Island is uninhabited today. 22 September 2020 – Saint Paul Island, Pribilof Islands Part of the Earth’s History was written between Alaska and Russia. We invite you to discover a unique environment that seems to stretch out to infinity. Lost in the middle of the Bering Sea, the Pribilof archipelago is made up of four volcanic islands where nature has crafted exquisitely beautiful landscapes. Here, on the islands of Saint Paul and Saint George, you will find majestic volcanoes, lava deserts and crater lakes, offering travelers a magnificent vantage point from which to observe a fauna composed almost exclusively of fur seals. The archipelago is also renowned as a paradise for birds, especially on Saint Paul, as more than 240 different species of seabirds take flight from the top of its majestic cliff. 23 September 2020 – Dutch Harbor, Unalaska During your cruise, discover an exceptional site: Unalaska Island and its port, Dutch Harbor. Located between the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea, on the Aleutian Islands, Dutch Harbor is the only deep water port in the archipelago. As for the island itself, it offers you unique landscapes: volcanic summits swept by the wind and surrounded by the sea, lush green valleys, sometimes covered with bright summer flowers, sometimes with deep winter snow… Unalaska is not only an island with astonishing nature and very varied wildlife, it is also rich in history, where ancient indigenous cultures and remains from World War II can be seen and their tales be told. 24 September 2020 – Unga Island, Alaska After a short Zodiac® journey between the rocks in the company of your naturalist-guides, you will land in a former village of which many vestiges remain: run-down wooden houses scattered around a flowery meadow, a church with crumbling walls but a roof that still stands, a cemetery… Originally called Ougnagok by the Aleuts, this small hamlet, which was home to some 100 inhabitants in the 19th century, was renamed Delarof, after Evstratii Ivanovich Delarov. While working for the Shelikhov-Golikov Company, he was the first Greek mariner to discover the Aleutian Islands. These days, this small ghost-village now overrun by willowherb is called Unga. 25 September 2020 – Chankliut Island, Alaska Off the Alaska Peninsula hides a small gem: Chankliut. From mountainous terrain to flowery moors and valleys covered in sea lyme-grass, this island, which is part of the Aleutian archipelago, offers landscapes with a unique charm. During your walk around a lake, you will cross a sumptuous meadow where beautiful aconite and willowherb vie for attention. The more courageous will venture onward to the neighbouring valley and its ancient calderas to admire the splendour of the scenery. This totally uninhabited island bears no trace of any past settlement. Small, curious heads will catch your attention, however: crested puffins and horned puffins bask on the water near spotted seals… 27 September 2020 – Tsaa Fjord, Icy Bay, Alaska Formed by the retreat of the Guyot, Yahtse and Tyndall glaciers over the past 100 years, Icy Bay is one of those timeless places where silence reigns supreme. Let yourself be enthralled by landscapes of breathtaking beauty, enhanced by magnificent views over the Saint Elias Mountains, visible in the background. The bay, several kilometres wide, is often scattered with icebergs sliding on clear and deep waters. It will let you access several sounds, among which are the Tsaa fjord, very close to the Guyot glacier. Many marine mammals and sea birds have chosen to live on this territory with very few visitors in the south of Alaska. 28 September 2020 – Sitka, Alaska Formerly a Russian colony located on Baranof island, to the west of the Alexander archipelago, Sitka is brimming with history. The historical national park of Sitka shelters totems carved out of red cedar, a tree that is omnipresent in the region. These totems are testimonials of the former presence of Tlingit Indians. This place is full of natural wonders too. You just have to look up to admire the mountain range around the port. In the distance, the snow-peaked Edgecumbe volcano stands majestic. Numerous islands scattered around Sitka stretch out before you in a vision of preserved Alaska. See available excursions 29 September 2020 – Kake, Alaska Discover the small Tlingit village of Kake, around 60 kilometres west of Petersburg. Located on Kupreanof Island, it houses a community of over 500 inhabitants. Kake is paradise for salmon, which spawn in the Gunnuk River near the village. Bald eagles often make an appearance, as do black bears, which come to enjoy the fish. Another singularity of these parts: the presence, on a hill, of a totem pole standing over 60 metres tall, considered the highest in the world. 30 September 2020 – Prince Rupert Wild and extraordinary, Prince Rupert is a dynamic town where the open spaces are “larger than nature”. Located on the remote Kaien Island, off the coast of British Columbia, this little town founded in 1910 witnessed the history of the North West Pacific with the birth of American Indian nations, such as the Haida and Gitksan. During this port of call, make a point of admiring its grandiose landscapes where more than 300 pairs of bald eagles have made a home here; its picturesque residential districts where the sea mist often lingers; and its famous Museum of Northern British Columbia, home to a large collection of ancient totems. 1 October 2020 – At sea 2 October 2020 – Alert Bay Right near the north coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, hides the small wooded island of Cormorant. Surrounded by pebble beaches, it offers wonderful opportunities for hikes and for whale watching. The surrounding waters are also home to harbour seals, orcas, Steller sea lions, dolphins, and a multitude of seabirds. When your ship calls at Alert Bay, a small sheltered fishing port located in the island’s south, set off to discover the indigenous culture and its traditions. The ‘Namgis community, which is part of the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations, lives here in harmony with the other village inhabitants. Verdant and cosmopolitan, Vancouver is one of Canada's most multi-cultural cities. Located in British Columbia on Canada's west coast, it's surrounded by mountains and outdoor activities are popular. In the city, you can immerse yourself in the Asian atmosphere of bustling Chinatown, shop for pashminas and silk saris at the Punjabi Market Indian district and explore the historic area of ﾠGastown. Vancouver Art Gallery is known for works by regional artists, while the Museum of Anthropology houses important First Nations collections. Granville Island Jetty is a fascinating revitalised industrial area that hosts galleries, restaurants and a huge produce market. See all excursions USA: Depending on your nationality, an ESTA or Visa may be required. Please contact USA consulate website for details. A copy of your visa or ESTA must be sent to PONANT at the very latest 45 days prior to your cruise date. In case the ESTA is sufficient to enter the USA, we also ask you to keep a copy of your ESTA with your passport throughout the duration of your trip. Canada: travel by sea - The eTA is not required for US, Australian and British citizens. Other nationalities: a Visa may be required, please contact Canada consulate website for details. http://www.canada.ca/en/index.html Polar Expedition Discover the unique concept of PONANT polar expedition cruises: explore the world’s extreme regions while enjoying luxurious comfort and service. Choosing a PONANT expedition cruise means choosing a state of mind: the alliance of elegance and authenticity, of exploration and comfort, of adventure and refinement… The comfort of your ship and your stateroom, personalised and attentive service, refined gastronomy: a very special atmosphere that we take great care to maintain. In the heart of the ice floes of the Arctic and the Antarctic, our luxurious services will ensure that your expedition cruise is an unforgettable experience. PONANT, polar specialists With almost 20 years of experience in the extreme regions, PONANT, the world’s number 1 polar cruise company, is a real polar specialist. PONANT will take you to the most remote regions in total safety: our Captains and crew are professionals, specially trained to sail in icy waters. Our latest-generation fleet has the most modern technology to guarantee both your safety and respect for the regions visited. The size of our ships means we can get as close as possible to areas that are difficult to reach, offering a privileged access to preserved sites. Our flexibility enables us to adapt to the surprises inherent to these expedition itineraries. After scouting missions in the field, our Expedition Leaders and their teams of naturalist guides design exceptional itineraries in the polar regions. During the cruise, they organise daily outings and shore visits in Zodiac® dinghies and hikes on land so as to get as close as possible to nature and wild fauna. In the Arctic and in Alaska, the close relationships that our teams have been able to build with the local communities will enable you to understand the life of these peoples of the Far North, and to share it for a few hours. On board, the naturalist guides will share their knowledge during various conferences on fauna, the history of the great explorations, geology and climatology… Expedition programmes include activities such as Zodiac® landings (sometimes with "wet landing"), moderate walks to more active hikes, all accompanied by your expedition team of naturalist guides. Ports of call, visited sites, and landings will depend on weather conditions, position of ice, winds and the state of the sea. These can force a change of plans at any time. The Captain and the Expedition Leader may at any time cancel or stop any activity, or even modify the itinerary. The final itinerary will be confirmed by the Captain, who will take into account the touristic quality of the sites and above all, the safety of the passengers. His decision will be based on advice from experts and authorities. Travelling to polar/isolated regions is an exhilarating experience in remote areas: please remember that you are far from modern hospitals with full medical facilities, thus evacuation is extremely expensive. Without adequate medical coverage, all expenses will have to be immediately paid with your personal funds. We urge you to subscribe to full coverage insurance, choose your insurance company very carefully, be extremely vigilant and ensure your insurance is fully comprehensive, especially if you are insured by your credit card. PONANT offers an insurance contract with extensive guarantees, please contact us for more information. A PONANT polar water-resistant parka is offered on board for all departures with the logo “Free Parka” (no children sizes, in case of consecutive cruises, only one complimentary parka). Half calf rubber boots with non-slip soles, which will allow you to go ashore in 20 cm of cold water, keeping your feet dry for walks and visits on steep paths. Boot rental will be offered onboard (for adults only) on Expedition cruises where the logo “Free Boot Rental” appears Comfortable trousers: classic Winter trousers, warm cotton tracksuit, wool leggings Waterproof and windproof over-trousers – MANDATORY Winter trousers with waterproof over trousers are the ideal combination: water-resistance and comfort of trousers are essential Pullover, sweat-shirt or fleece jacket Woollen or thermolactyl Thermal underwear A warm hat, woollen ear muffs or fleece ear muffs, fleece or woollen neck warmer (avoid scarves that do not stay in place)- MANDATORY Wool or silk glove liners, water-resistant and supple gloves Thick warm socks (ideally woollen) 28/09/2020 – Zodiac adventure & Fin Island lodge This overland must be pre-booked and prepaid at least 60 days prior to your cruise. Any reservation made after this deadline will be confirmed on board based on availability. A minimum of participants must be booked in order to operate this tour. 100% of total cost will be billed for cancellations made less than 60 days before departure. Board a high-speed Zodiac® operated by an experienced captain to explore the network of rainforest islands and diverse wildlife of Sitka. This nimble vessel provides an opportunity for exploration of shallow-water areas not accessible to larger craft, giving you a unique and up-close view of Sitka’s amazing biodiversity. At Fin Island Lodge, enjoy a typical feast of Alaska king crab, wild salmon, and prime rib. Before embarking, you will be given a waterproof gear to keep you dry during the expedition. After a brief safety speech, the expedition begins. Adjacent to Sitka lies a network of dozens of picturesque islands that provide a barrier from the swell of the open Pacific Ocean. As your captain skilfully navigates these island groups, you will see reefs and rock pinnacles that jet out of the water and provide lookout perches for bald eagles and a myriad of beautiful seabirds. A look downward will reveal rapidly growing kelp forests that disappear into the depths of the sound. In shallow water areas, inaccessible to larger craft, you may even notice sea stars, anemones, and other invertebrates. This area is teeming with wildlife, including sea otters, whales, and sea lions. Your captain is trained to approach animals in a way that will not disturb their natural behaviour, providing excellent photo and viewing opportunities. At Fin Island Lodge, you will have the opportunity to taste a true Alaska feast including Alaska king crab, wild salmon, prime rib, homemade side dishes and dessert. After the meal, enjoy a stroll on the beach, explore the beautiful grounds of the exclusive island or relax next to the cosy beach fire. When the adventure concludes, your vessel will await to provide the short cruise back to Sitka. This moderate tour includes a 2-hour wildlife cruise and a 1 ½ hour feast at the lodge. It involves 300 steps to climb from the boat to the lodge. Total walking distance is at your discretion. The gear is not insulated, so we recommend dressing in warm layers of synthetic materials or woollens, regardless of weather. Sturdy footgear is also recommended. Rain gear and life jackets for Zodiac® expedition are provided. This tour is limited to 30 participants and is conducted in English only. Guests must be in good physical condition to participate. Duration and price of excursions are given as a guide only. The order of the visits may be reversed.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1158
__label__cc	0.576354	0.423646	Georgian ex-PM may lead country’s national bank 28 December 2015 17:05 (UTC+04:00) Acting Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili can become the president of the country's national bank and replace Giorgi Kadagidze at this post, the Sputnik international news agency reported with reference to the Georgian media. Irakli Garibashvili on December 23 all of a sudden announced his resignation from the post of prime minister. The current head of the National Bank of Georgia, Kadagizde, is one of the last officials in the current government, appointed during the presidency of Mikheil Saakashvili. His term of office expires in 2016. "In informal conversations, politicians say that the candidacy of Garibashvili is actively considered for the post of president of the National Bank of Georgia, but nothing has been decided yet," the website of the Georgian radio station "Pirveli Radio" said. Earlier, the media reported that Garibashvili plans to lead the election headquarters and become the number one in the list of the coalition "Georgian Dream" in the parliamentary election in 2016, however the information wasn't confirmed. In addition, there were speculations about the fact that Garibashvili steps down as chairman of the party "Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia". Garibashvili himself, answering the reporters' questions about the plans for the future, said that at first he wants to relax. Irakli Garibashvili Former PM leaves Georgian Dream party Georgia 31 January 2016 13:29 Georgian PM resigns Georgia 23 December 2015 20:31 Georgian PM to resign - media Georgian PM welcomes Russian president’s statement Georgia, US discuss regional situation Georgia 29 October 2015 20:01 “Georgia should never again be a place of confrontation, conflicts” Nagorno-Karabakh conflict 18:46 How will new indicator on public procurement in WB Doing Business report work? Finance 18:32	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1161
__label__wiki	0.683714	0.683714	Principal Comprehensive Nuclear Materials, vol.2: Material properties. Oxide fuelds for light water reactors and.. Comprehensive Nuclear Materials, vol.2: Material properties. Oxide fuelds for light water reactors and fast neutron reactors Rudy J M Konings, Todd R Allen, Roger E Stoller, Shinsuke Yamanaka (ed.) Editorial: Elsevier Descarga (djvu, 13.64 MB) Super Light Water Reactors and Super Fast Reactors: Supercritical-Pressure Light Water Cooled Reactors Yoshiaki Oka, Seiichi Koshizuka, Yuki Ishiwatari, Akifumi Yamaji (auth.) Comprehensive Nuclear Materials, Volume 2: Material Properties / Oxide Fuels for Light Water Reactors and Fast Neutron Reactors R.J.M. Konings (editor) Comprehensive Nuclear Materials, vol.1: Basic aspects of radiation effects in solids Rudy J M Konings, Todd R Allen, Roger E Stoller, Shinsuke Yamanaka thermal1182 nucl806 oxide701 mater683 actinide606 cladding570 alloy530 alloys524 temperatures494 uranium492 burnup481 thermal conductivity446 mox431 irradiation420 sic408 melting402 thermodynamic388 plutonium382 phase diagram336 pellet335 reactors331 fuels327 lattice308 graphite286 irradiated285 pellets276 metals265 fission products256 creep247 diffusion245 carbides245 oxidation245 etal237 enthalpy217 zirconium215 thermal expansion213 chem213 measurements213 oxides207 rods206 phases205 phys197 phase diagrams196 vapor189 porosity188 oxide fuel184 Advances in Heat Transfer 18 James P. Hartnett and Thomas F. Irvine (Eds.) Power programming with Mathematica : the Kernel David B Wagner EDITOR IN CHIEF Rudy J. M. Konings European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, Karlsruhe, Germany SECTION EDITORS Todd R. Allen Department of Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA Roger E. Stoller Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA Shinsuke Yamanaka Division of Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan Elsevier Radarweg 29, PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, The Netherlands The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, UK IIS Wyman Street, Waltham, MA 02451, USA Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved The following articles are US Government works in the public domain and not subject to copyright: Radiation Effects in U02 TRISO-Coated Particle Fuel Performance Composite Fuel (cermet, cercer) Metal Fuel-Cladding Interaction No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier's Science & Technology Rights Department in Oxford, UK: phone (+44) (0) 1865 843830; fax (+44) (0) 1865 853333; email: permissions@elsevier.com. Alternatively you can submit your request online by visiting the Elsevier web site at http://elsevier.com/locate/permissions, and selecting Obtaining permission to use Elsevier material Notice No responsibility is assumed by the publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein, Because of rapid advances in the medical sciences, in particular, independent verification of diagnoses and drug dosages should be made British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Catalog Number: 2011929343 ISBN (print): 978-0-08-056027-4 For information on all Elsevier publications visit our website at books.elsevier.com Cover image courtesy of Professor David Sedmidubsky, The Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague Printed and bound in Spain 12 13 14 15 16 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Working together to grow libraries in developing countries www.elsevier.com \| www.bookaid.org \| www.sabre.org ELS ER SSS^ttoSS Sabre Foundation Editorial: Gemma Mattingley Production: Nicky Carter EDITORS BIOGRAPHIES Rudy Konings is currently head of the Materials Research Unit in the N Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU) of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. His research interests are nuclear reactor fuels and actinide materials, with particular emphasis on high temperature chemistry and thermodynamics. Before joining ITU, he worked on nuclear fuel-related issues at ECN (the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands) and NRG (Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group) in the Netherlands. Rudy is editor of Journal of Nuclear Materials and is professor at the Delft University of Technology (Netherlands), where he holds the chair of 'Chemistry of the nuclear fuel cycle.' \. Roger Stoller is currently a Distinguished Research Staff Member in the Materials Science and Technology Division of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and serves as the ORNL Program Manager for Fusion Reactor Materials for ORNL. He joined ORNL in 1984 and is actively involved in research on the effects of radiation on structural materials and fuels for V nuclear energy systems. His primary expertise is in the area of computational modeling and simulation. He has authored or coauthored more than 100 publications and reports on the effects of radiation on materials, as well as edited the proceedings of several international conferences. Todd Allen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering Physics at the University of Wisconsin - Madison since 2003. Todd's research expertise is in the area of materials-related issues in nuclear reactors, specifically radiation damage and corrosion. He is also the Scientific Director for O ^ - the Advanced Test Reactor National Scientific User Facility as well as the Director for the Center for Material Science of Nuclear Fuel at the Idaho National Laboratory, positions he holds in conjunction with his faculty position at the University of Wisconsin. v Shinsuke Yamanaka is a professor in Division of Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University since 1998. He has studied the thermophysics and thermochemistry of nuclear fuel and materials. His research for the hydrogen behavior in LWR fuel cladding is notable among his achievements and he received the Young Scientist Awards (1980) and the Best Paper Awards (2004) from Japan Atomic Energy Society. Shinsuke is the program officer of Japan Science and Technology Agency since 2005 and the visiting professor of Fnkui University since 2009, and he is also the associate dean of Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University since 2011. PREFACE There are essentially three primary energy sources for the billions of people living on the earth's surface: the sun, radioactivity, and gravitation. The sun, an enormous nuclear fusion reactor, has transmitted energy to the earth for billions of years, sustaining photosynthesis, which in turn produces wood and other combustible resources (biomass), and the fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. The sun also provides the energy that steers the climate, the atmospheric circulations, and thus 'fuelling' wind mills, and it is at the origin of photovoltaic processes used to produce electricity. Radioactive decay of primarily uranium and thorium heats the earth underneath us and is the origin of geothermal energy. Hot springs have been used as a source of energy from the early days of humanity, although it took until the twentieth century for the potential of radioactivity by fission to be discovered. Gravitation, a non-nuclear source, has been long used to generate energy, primarily in hydropower and tidal power applications. Although nuclear processes are thus omnipresent, nuclear technology is relatively young. But from the moment scientists unraveled the secrets of the atom and its nucleus during the twentieth century, aided by developments in quantum mechanics, and obtained a fundamental understanding of nuclear fission and fusion, humanity has considered these nuclear processes as sources of almost unlimited (peaceful) energy. The first fission reactor was designed and constructed by Enrico Fermi in 1942 in Chicago, the CP1, based on the fission of uranium by neutron capture. After World War II, a rapid exploration of fission technology took place in the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and after the Atoms for Peace speech by Eisenhower at the United Nations Congress in 1954, also in Europe and Japan. A variety of nuclear fission reactors were explored for electricity generation and with them the fuel cycle. Moreover, the possibility of controlled fusion reactions has gained interest as a technology for producing energy from one of the most abundant elements on earth, hydrogen. The environment to which materials in nuclear reactors are exposed is one of extremes with respect to temperature and radiation. Fuel pins for nuclear reactors operate at temperatures above 1000 °C in the center of the pellets, in fast reactor oxide fuels even above 2000 °C, whereas the effects of the radiation (neutrons, alpha particles, recoil atoms, fission fragments) continuously damage the material. The cladding of the fuel and the structural and functional materials in the fission reactor core also operate in a strong radiation field, often in a dynamic corrosive environment of the coolant at elevated temperatures. Materials in fusion reactors are exposed to the fusion plasma and the highly energetic particles escaping from it. Furthermore, in this technology, the reactor core structures operate at high temperatures. Materials science for nuclear systems has, therefore, been strongly focussed on the development of radiation tolerant materials that can operate in a wide range of temperatures and in different chemical environments such as aqueous solutions, liquid metals, molten salts, or gases. The lifetime of the plant components is critical in many respects and thus strongly affects the safety as well as the economics of the technologies. With the need for efficiency and competitiveness in modern society, there is a strong incentive to improve reactor components or to deploy advanced materials that are continuously developed for improved performance. There are many examples of excellent achievements in this respect. For example, with the increase of the burnup of the fuel for fission reactors, motivated by improved economics and a more efficient use of resources, the Zircaloy cladding (a Zr-Sn alloy) of the fuel pins showed increased susceptibility to coolant corrosion, but within a relatively short period, a different zirconium-based alloy was developed, tested, qualified, and employed, which allowed reliable operation in the high burnup range. XXI xxii Preface Nuclear technologies also produce waste. It is the moral obligation of the generations consuming the energy to implement an acceptable waste treatment and disposal strategy The inherent complication of radioactivity, the decay that can span hundreds of thousands of years, amplifies the importance of extreme time periods in the issue of corrosion and radiation stability The search for storage concepts that can guarantee the safe storage and isolation of radioactive waste is, therefore, another challenging task for materials science, requiring a close examination of natural (geological) materials and processes. The more than 50 years of research and development of fission and fusion reactors have undoubtedly demonstrated that the statement 'technologies are enabled by materials' is particularly true for nuclear technology. Although the nuclear field is typically known for its incremental progress, the challenges posed by the next generation of fission reactors (Generation IV) as well as the demonstration of fusion reactors will need breakthroughs to achieve their ambitious goals. This is being accompanied by an important change in materials science, with a shift of discovery through experiments to discovery through simulation. The progress in numerical simulation of the material evolution on a scientific and engineering scale is growing rapidly. Simulation techniques at the atomistic or meso scale (e.g., electronic structure calculations, molecular dynamics, kinetic Monte Carlo) are increasingly helping to unravel the complex processes occurring in materials under extreme conditions and to provide an insight into the causes and thus helping to design remedies. In this context, Comprehensive Nuclear Materials aims to provide fundamental information on the vast variety of materials employed in the broad field of nuclear technology. But to do justice to the comprehensiveness of the work, fundamental issues are also addressed in detail, as well as the basics of the emerging numerical simulation techniques. R.y.M. Konings European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, Karlsruhe, Germany T.R. Allen Department of Engineering Physics, Wisconsin University, Madison, WI, USA R. Stoller Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA S. Yamanaka Division of Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan FOREWORD 'Nuclear materials' denotes a field of great breadth and depth, whose topics address applications and facilities that depend upon nuclear reactions. The major topics within the field are devoted to the materials science and engineering surrounding fission and fusion reactions in energy conversion reactors. Most of the rest of the field is formed of the closely related materials science needed for the effects of energetic particles on the targets and other radiation areas of charged particle accelerators and plasma devices. A more complete but also more cumbersome descriptor thus would be 'the science and engineering of materials for fission reactors, fusion reactors, and closely related topics.' In these areas, the very existence of such technologies turns upon our capabilities to understand the physical behavior of materials. Performance of facilities and components to the demanding limits required is dictated by the capabilities of materials to withstand unique and aggressive environments. The unifying concept that runs through all aspects is the effect of radiation on materials. In this way, the main feature is somewhat analogous to the unifying concept of elevated temperature in that part of materials science and engineering termed 'high-temperature materials.' Nuclear materials came into existence in the 1950s and began to grow as an internationally recognized field of endeavor late in that decade. The beginning in this field has been attributed to presentations and discussions that occurred at the First and Second International Conferences on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, held in Geneva in 1955 and 1958. Journal of Nuclear Materials, which is the home journal for this area of materials science, was founded in 1959. The development of nuclear materials science and engineering took place in the same rapid growth time period as the parent field of materials science and engineering. And similarly to the parent field, nuclear materials draws together the formerly separate disciplines of metallurgy, solid-state physics, ceramics, and materials chemistry that were early devoted to nuclear applications. The small priesthood of first researchers in half a dozen countries has now grown to a cohort of thousands, whose home institutions are anchored in more than 40 nations. The prodigious work, 'Comprehensive Nuclear Materials] captures the essence and the extensive scope of the field. It provides authoritative chapters that review the full range of endeavor. In the present day of glance and click 'reading' of short snippets from the internet, this is an old-fashioned book in the best sense of the word, which will be available in both electronic and printed form. All of the main segments of the field are covered, as well as most of the specialized areas and subtopics. With well over 100 chapters, the reader finds thorough coverage on topics ranging from fundamentals of atom movements after displacement by energetic particles to testing and engineering analysis methods of large components. All the materials classes that have main application in nuclear technologies are visited, and the most important of them are covered in exhaustive fashion. Authors of the chapters are practitioners who are at the highest level of achievement and knowledge in their respective areas. Many of these authors not only have lived through a substantial part of the history sketched above, but they themselves are the architects. Without those represented here in the author list, the field would certainly be a weaker reflection of itself. It is no small feat that so many of my distinguished colleagues could have been persuaded to join this collective endeavor and to make the real sacrifices entailed in such time-consuming work. I congratulate the Editor, Rudy Konings, and XXIII xxiv Foreword the Associate Editors, Roger Stoller, Todd Allen, and Shinsuke Yamanaka. This book will be an important asset to young researchers entering the field as well as a valuable resource to workers engaged in the enterprise at present. Dr. Louis K. Mansur Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA Permission Acknowledgments The following material is reproduced with kind permission of Cambridge University Press Figure 15 of Oxide Dispersion Strengthened Steels Figure 15 of Minerals and Natural Analogues Table 10 of Spent Fuel as Waste Material Figure 21b of Radiation-Induced Effects on Microstructure wwwcambridge.org The following material is reproduced with kind permission of American Chemical Society Figure 2 of Molten Salt Reactor Fuel and Coolant Figure 22 of Molten Salt Reactor Fuel and Coolant Table 9 of Molten Salt Reactor Fuel and Coolant Figure 6 of Thermodynamic and Thermophysical Properties of the Actinide Nitrides wwwacs.org The following material is reproduced with kind permission of Wiley Table 3 of Properties and Characteristics of SiC and SiC/SiC Composites Table 4 of Properties and Characteristics of SiC and SiC/SiC Composites Table 5 of Properties and Characteristics of SiC and SiC/SiC Composites Figure 5 of Advanced Concepts in TRISO Fuel Figure 6 of Advanced Concepts in TRISO Fuel Figure 30 of Material Performance in Supercritical Water Figure 32 of Material Performance in Supercritical Water Figure 19 of Tritium Barriers and Tritium Diffusion in Fusion Reactors Figure 9 of Waste Containers Figure 13 of Waste Containers Figure 21 of Waste Containers Figure 11 of Carbide Fuel Figure 12 of Carbide Fuel Figure 13 of Carbide Fuel Figure 4 of Thermodynamic and Thermophysical Properties of the Actinide Nitrides Figure 2 of The U-F system Figure 18 of Fundamental Point Defect Properties in Ceramics Table 1 of Fundamental Point Defect Properties in Ceramics Figure 17 of Radiation Effects in SiC and SiC-SiC Figure 21 of Radiation Effects in SiC and SiC-SiC Figure 6 of Radiation Damage in Austenitic Steels Figure 7 of Radiation Damage in Austenitic Steels Figure 17 of Ceramic Breeder Materials Figure 33a of Carbon as a Fusion Plasma-Facing Material Figure 34 of Carbon as a Fusion Plasma-Facing Material ii Permission 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of SiC and SiC/SiC Composites Figure 11 of Properties and Characteristics of SiC and SiC/SiC Composites Figure 12 of Properties and Characteristics of SiC and SiC/SiC Composites Figure 22d of Fission Product Chemistry in Oxide Fuels Figure 3 of Behavior of LWR Fuel During Loss-of-Coolant Accidents Figure 14a of Irradiation Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking Figure 14b of Irradiation Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking Figure 14c of Irradiation Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking Figure 25a of Irradiation Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking Figure 25b of Irradiation Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking Figure 1 of Properties of Liquid Metal Coolants Figure 5b of Fast Spectrum Control Rod Materials Figure 3 of Oxide Fuel Performance Modeling and Simulations Figure 8 of Oxide Fuel Performance Modeling and Simulations Figure 10 of Oxide Fuel Performance Modeling and Simulations Figure 11 of Oxide Fuel Performance Modeling and Simulations Figure 14 of Oxide Fuel Performance Modeling and 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of Radiation Damage Using Ion Beams Figure 37 of Radiation Damage Using Ion Beams Table 3 of Radiation Damage Using Ion Beams Permission Acknowledgments iii Figure 5 of Radiation Effects in U02 Figure 9a of Ab Initio Electronic Structure Calculations for Nuclear Materials Figure 9b of Ab Initio Electronic Structure Calculations for Nuclear Materials Figure 9c of Ab Initio Electronic Structure Calculations for Nuclear Materials Figure 10a of Ab Initio Electronic Structure Calculations for Nuclear Materials Figure 23 of Thermodynamic and Thermophysical Properties of the Actinide Carbides Figure 25 of Thermodynamic and Thermophysical Properties of the Actinide Carbides Figure 26 of Thermodynamic and Thermophysical Properties of the Actinide Carbides Figure 27 of Thermodynamic and Thermophysical Properties of the Actinide Carbides Figure 28a of Thermodynamic and Thermophysical Properties of the Actinide Carbides Figure 28b of Thermodynamic and Thermophysical Properties of the Actinide Carbides Figure 2 of Physical and Mechanical Properties of Copper and Copper Alloys Figure 5 of Physical and Mechanical Properties of Copper and Copper Alloys Figure 6 of The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics Figure 10 of The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics Figure 11 of The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics Figure 12 of The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics Figure 15 of The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics Table 1 of The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics Table 6 of The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics Figure 25 of Fundamental Properties of Defects in Metals Table 1 of Fundamental Properties of Defects in Metals Table 7 of Fundamental Properties of Defects in Metals Table 8 of Fundamental Properties of Defects in Metals www.springer.com The following material is reproduced with kind permission of Taylor & Francis Figure 9 of Radiation-Induced Segregation Figure 6 of Radiation Effects in Zirconium Alloys Figure 1 of Dislocation Dynamics Figure 25 of Radiation Damage Using Ion Beams Figure 26 of Radiation Damage Using Ion Beams Figure 27 of Radiation Damage Using Ion Beams Figure 4 of Radiation-Induced Effects on Material Properties of Ceramics (Mechanical and Dimensional) Figure 7 of The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics Figure 20 of The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics Figure 18a of Primary Radiation Damage Formation Figure 18b of Primary Radiation Damage Formation Figure 18c of Primary Radiation Damage Formation Figure 18d of Primary Radiation Damage Formation Figure 18e of Primary Radiation Damage Formation Figure 18f of Primary Radiation Damage Formation Figure 1 of Radiation-Induced Effects on Microstructure Figure 27 of Radiation-Induced Effects on Microstructure Figure 5 of Performance of Aluminum in Research Reactors Figure 2 of Atomic-Level Dislocation Dynamics in Irradiated Metals Figure 3 of Atomic-Level Dislocation Dynamics in Irradiated Metals Figure 5 of Atomic-Level Dislocation Dynamics in Irradiated Metals Figure 10a of Atomic-Level Dislocation Dynamics in Irradiated Metals Figure 10b of Atomic-Level Dislocation Dynamics in Irradiated Metals Figure 10c of Atomic-Level Dislocation Dynamics in Irradiated Metals iv Permission Acknowledgments Figure lOd of Atomic-Level Dislocation Dynamics in Irradiated Metals Figure 12a of Atomic-Level Dislocation Dynamics in Irradiated Metals Figure 12b of Atomic-Level Dislocation Dynamics in Irradiated Metals Figure 12c of Atomic-Level Dislocation Dynamics in Irradiated Metals Figure 12d of Atomic-Level Dislocation Dynamics in Irradiated Metals Figure 16a of Atomic-Level Dislocation Dynamics in Irradiated Metals Figure 16b of Atomic-Level Dislocation Dynamics in Irradiated Metals Figure 16c of Atomic-Level Dislocation Dynamics in Irradiated Metals Figure 16d of Atomic-Level Dislocation Dynamics in Irradiated Metals Figure 16e of Atomic-Level Dislocation Dynamics in Irradiated Metals Figure 17a of Atomic-Level Dislocation Dynamics in Irradiated Metals Figure 17b of Atomic-Level Dislocation Dynamics in Irradiated Metals Figure 17c of Atomic-Level Dislocation Dynamics in Irradiated Metals Figure 17d of Atomic-Level Dislocation Dynamics in Irradiated Metals www.taylorandfrancisgroup.com 2.01 The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics R. J. M. Konings, O. Benes, and J.-C. Griveau European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, Karlsruhe, Germany © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 2.01.1 Introduction 2.01.2 Crystallographic Properties 2.01.2.1 Crystal Structure 2.01.2.2 Effects of Pressure 2.01.2.3 Effects of Temperature 2.01.2.4 Effects of Radiation 2.01.3 Thermodynamic Properties 2.01.3.1 Heat Capacity and Entropy of the Crystalline State 2.01.3.2 Heat Capacity of the Liquid State 2.01.3.3 Heat Capacity and Entropy of the Gaseous State 2.01.4 Thermophysical and Electronic Properties 2.01.4.1 Thermal Expansion and Density of the Crystalline State 2.01.4.2 Electrical Resistivity of the Crystalline State 2.01.4.3 Thermopower of the Crystalline State 2.01.4.4 Thermal Conductivity of the Crystalline State 2.01.4.5 Thermal Conductivity of the Liquid State 2.01.4.6 Density of the Liquid State 2.01.4.7 Viscosity 2.01.4.8 Surface Tension 2.01.5 Summary and Outlook References 1 2 2 3 4 5 7 7 10 11 12 12 12 14 15 17 18 18 18 18 19 Abbreviations dhcp fee IUPAC OECD/NEA Double hexagonal close-packed Face-centered cubic International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development/ Nuclear Energy Agency 2.01.1 Introduction The actinides are the 15 elements with atomic numbers 89-103 in the periodic system. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) has recommended that these elements are named actinoids (meaning 'like actinium'), but this has never found general acceptance. In these elements, the 5f electron sub- shell is progressively filled, leading to the generalized [Rn 7s 5fw] configuration. Unlike the lanthanides, in which the 4f electrons lie in the interior of the xenon core region and thus hardly contribute to the chemical bonds (called 'localized'), the 5f electrons show a much more diverse character, particularly in the metallic state. The 5f electrons in the elements thorium to neptunium are placed in the valence shell (often called 'itinerant' or 'delocalized') and show substantial covalent bonding, whereas the 5f electrons in the elements amer- icium to lawrencium are localized. Plutonium and americium have a transition position, showing both localized and delocalized behavior depending on temperature, pressure, and magnetic field.2 The actinides are radioactive elements, their isotopes having strongly variable half-lives. Owing to the short half-life, compared with the age of the earth, majority of the actinides have decayed and cannot be found in nature. Only the long-lived isotopes Th, 23SU, and 238U are of primordial origin, and possibly 244Pu. Also, 231Pa is found in very low concentrations in natural minerals (e.g., pitchblende ores), but it is a 1 2 The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics product of the U (4n + 3) decay chain. Most other actinides are man-made elements. They were synthesized by nuclear reactions using reactors and accelerators in the period 1940 (Np) to 1961 (Lr). The metals from Th to Cm are available in gram quantities that have allowed experimental determination of (some of) their physicochemical properties; Bk and Cf metals have been prepared in milligram quantities and Es in microgram quantities and therefore only limited investigations have been possible. The metals Fm and beyond have not been prepared in pure form. The main technological relevance of the actinides is their use as fuel for nuclear fission reactors, particularly the nuclides 233U, 235U, and 239Pu, which fission with thermal neutrons. 235U and 239Pu occur in the so-called U/Pu fuel cycle. 235U is present in 0.7% in natural uranium; Pu is formed when uranium is irradiated in a reactor as a result of neutron capture by U. U is formed by neutron capture of Th in the Th/U fuel cycle. The vast majority of nuclear power reactors use oxide fuel, but carbide and nitride as well metallic alloys fuels have been studied since the early days of reactor development. In this chapter, we discuss the physicochemical properties of the actinide metals, with emphasis on the elements Th to Cm for which experimental data on bulk samples generally exist. The trends and sys- tematics in the properties of the actinide series will be emphasized and compared with those of the 4f series. These physicochemical data are essential for understanding and describing the properties of multielement alloys (see Chapter 2.05, Phase Diagrams of Actinide Alloys) and actinide containing compounds (Chapter 2.02, Thermodynamic and Ther- mophysical Properties of the Actinide Oxides). 2.01.2 Crystallographic Properties 2.01.2.1 Crystal Structure The stable crystallographic modifications of the actinides at atmospheric pressure are listed in Table 1. Compared to the lanthanide series in which the hexagonal close-packed (hep) and the face-centered cubic (fee) structures dominate, the actinide metals show a remarkable variation in the structural Table 1 The crystal structure of the actinide metals Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es a a p a CQ. a CQ. y a CQ. y a P y 5 5' s a P y a CQ. a a a Structure Cubic Cubic Cubic Tetragonal Cubic Orthorhombic Tetragonal Cubic Orthorhombic Tetragonal Cubic Monoclinic Monoclinic Orthorhombic Cubic Tetragonal Cubic Hexagonal Cubic Cubic Hexagonal Cubic Hexagonal Hexagonal Cubic Space group F/T7 3/T? F/T7 3/T? I/T7 3/T? \4/mmm F/T7 3/T? Cmcm a \m3m Prima P42 1/7)3/77 P21/n \2/m Fddd Fm 3 at? \4/mmm 1/7)3/77 P63/mmc Fm 3 at? P63/mmc Fat? 3 at? P63/mmc P63/mmc Fat? 3 at? a(pm) 531.5 508.42 411 392.1 501.8 285.4 565.6 352.4 666.3 489.7 351.8 618.3 928.4 315.9 463.71 334 363.61 346.81 489.4 349.6 503.9 341.6 338.4 575 b(pm) 587.0 472.3 482.2 1046.3 576.8 c(pm) 323.5 495.5 1075.9 488.7 338.8 1096.3 785.9 1016.2 444 1124.1 1113.3 1106.9 1104.0 Angle(s) P = P = y = y = y = y = = 101.79° = 93.13° = 120° = 120° = 120° = 120° Vm (cm3mor1) 22.59 19.79 20.90 14.98 19.02 12.50 12.95 13.18 11.58 11.79 13.11 12.04 13.50 13.94 15.01 14.91 14.48 17.63 17.65 17.74 19.26 16.84 16.48 28.62 P (Qcm 3) 10.05 11.73 11.10 15.43 12.15 19.05 18.37 18.06 20.48 20.11 18.08 19.85 17.71 17.15 15.92 16.03 16.51 13.67 13.66 13.76 12.67 14.79 15.23 8.88 aP42/mnm, PA2/nm or P4/?2. Source: Edelstein, N. M.; Fuger, J.; Katz, J. J.; Morss, L. R. In The Chemistry of the Actinide and Transactinide Elements; Morss, L. R., Edelstein, N., Fuger, J., Katz, J. J., Eds.; Springer Verlag, 2006; Chapter 15, pp 1753-1835. The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics 3 properties at room temperature, as shown in Figure 1. Particularly, the elements Pa-Pu have unusual low symmetry (distorted) crystal structures. a-Pa is body-centered tetragonal, and oc-U and a-Np are orthorhombic but with slightly different space groups. a-Pu has a monoclinic crystal structure with 16 atoms in the unit cell at room temperature. Plutonium is unique in the periodic table of the elements with six allotropes at atmospheric pressure and one more at elevated pressure. This complexity of the structural properties of the actinides is also evident from Figure 2, which shows the variation of the molar volume of the a-phases of the actinides at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, indicating that the actinides Pa to Pu follow the trend in the (itinerant) ^/-transition metals, whereas the actinides Am to Bk follow that of the (localized) 4f metals. It is generally accepted that this complex behavior is due to the active role of the f-electron in the metallic bond and the changes in temperature and pressure by which the f-electron bonding character is affected. Experimental observations and electronic structure calculations have indeed shown that the bonding in the transition metals is dominated by ^/-electron contributions, that in the lanthanides there is a lack off-electron contribution, and that the actinides fall in between. 2.01.2.2 Effects of Pressure Pressure is expected to drive the atoms in the crystal lattice closer to each other, forcing the electrons to ^ (a) (b) (c) (d) Figure 1 The crystal structures of the actinides at room temperatures: (a) a-Th, (b) a-Pa, (c) a-U, (d) a-Np, (e) a-Pu, (f) a-Am. 40 ~ 30 "o E E o Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd La Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu 20 ^ 10 0 I I I :^:; I I I I I I I I I I I i i i i i i i -o— I I -o— I I I I -0/°V I I I Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr Figure 2 The molar volume of the actinide elements (•) compared with that of the lanthanides (o) and the 4d transition metals (□). 4 The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics participate in the binding (derealization), which particularly affects the heavy actinides with localized f-electron behavior at ambient pressure. Recent studies using diamond anvil cells coupled to synchrotron radiation have provided strong evidence for that. As discussed by Heathman et al., americium shows a remarkable decrease in volume with increasing pressure (at ambient temperature) with three transitions up to 100 GPa (Figure 3). Its structure changes from hep (Am-I) through fee (Am-II) to orthorhombic (Am-III and Am-IV), indicating the appearance of the itinerant character 5f electrons. This behavior is also observed in curium, with a puzzling supplementary magnetically stabilized Cm-III structure at 40-60 GPa.8 Uranium shows a comparatively straightforward behavior and the a-structure is stable up to 100 GPa, with a much smaller volume decrease. A similar behavior has been found for protactinium, its a-form being stable up to 80 GPa. This is clearly reflected in the isothermal bulk modulus (Table 2), which is around 100 GPa for the elements Pa to Np but around 30—40 GPa for Am and Cm. The Am-IV phase shows a large bulk modulus (more similar to that of uranium), as expected for a metal with appreciable 5f-electron character in its bonding. This is also evident from the comparison of the actinide and lanthanide metals (Figure 4). Uncertainty still exists about the bulk modulus of a-plutonium. As discussed by Ledbetter et al.,12 the published B0 values at ambient range show a large variation, as do the theoretical calculations. The most accurate results for the isothermal bulk modulus vary between 51(2) GPa13 and 43(2) GPa.14 2.01.2.3 Effects of Temperature Detailed studies show that the crystal lattice of most actinide metals expands with increasing temperature n—n 1 1 r—~r 1 1 1—n~—n r 40 50 60 70 80 90 Pressure (GPa) Figure 3 The relative volumes as a function of pressure of several actinide metals. Table 2 The isothermal bulk modulus (B0) and its pressure derivative (B0) of the actinide elements at ambient temperature -Th x-Pa -U a-Np x-Pu -Am -Cm B0(GPa) 58(1) 118(2) 104(2) 118(2) 49 29.8(2) 36.5(3) B0 4.2(3) 3.3(2) 6.2(2) 6.6(6) 12.4 3.6(2) 4.6(2) References 9 6 6 10 11 6 8 The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics 5 a o QQ 150 100 50 n La i i Ce Pr Nd i i i o>^ / v / o I I I Pm i ^o i Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu i i i i i i i i i i - - i f Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr Figure 4 The isothermal bulk modulus (B0) of the actinide elements (o) compared with that of the lanthanides (•). 1100 Figure 5 The thermal expansion of Pu. Made after Schonfeld, F. W.; Tate, R. E. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Technical Report LA-13034-MS; 1996. and evolves to a simple cubic arrangement close to their melting temperature, similar to the lanthanide elements. (For numerical data on the thermal expansion, see Section 2.01.4.1) As the atoms move away from each other, the electrons in the 5f metals tend to favor a localized state. As discussed by Vohra and Holzapfel,1 this is particularly important for Np and Pu, which are on the threshold of localization/ itinerancy. The case for plutonium is much more complex, as shown in Figure 5. The crystal lattice of plutonium expands for the a-, P-, y-, and c-phases, and the y- to 5-transition has a positive expansion. The 5- and S'-phases have negative thermal expansion and the 5- to 8'- and 8'- to c-transitions show a negative volume change, as is the case upon melting. Dynamic mean field calculations show that the monoclinic a-phase of Pu is metallic, whereas fee 8 is slightly on the localized side of the localization- delocalization transition.16 Moreover, the stability of the crystalline state of the actinide metals varies significantly. The melting temperature is high for thorium, similar to that of the transition metals in group IVB, and low for Np and Pu (Figure 6). When applying high temperature as well as high pressure to the actinides, phase changes can be suppressed, as is shown in Figure 7. For example, the triple point for the oc—13—y equilibrium in uranium is found at about 1076 K and 31.5 kbar; above this pressure, ortho- rhombic oc-U directly transforms in fee y-U. In plutonium, the y-, 8-, and S'-phases disappear at relatively low pressure and are replaced by a new phase designated £. In contrast to the other actinides, plutonium shows a negative slope for the liquidus down to the P-£-liquid triple point (773 K, 2 7 kbar) reflecting the increase in density upon melting. 2.01.2.4 Effects of Radiation The a-decay of the actinides taking place in the crystal lattice creates an alpha particle and a recoil atom. The recoil atom produced has a range of about 12 nm and causes a dense collision cascade with typically about 2300 displacements (Frenkel pairs) within a short distance, around 7.5 nm in size. The a-particle has a path of about 10 \|im, with a cascade of about 265 displacements at the end of its range.18 Although recombination will take place, point defects and eventually extended defects (dislocations, dislocation loops) will survive in the crystal lattice, resulting in changes in the properties of the materials. Computer simulations of the radiation effects in fee plutonium have shown that the defect recombination stage is much longer than that in other metals and that the vacancies do not seem to form clusters. 9 In addition to the radiation damage, helium ingrowth takes place. As discussed by Hecker and Martz, the expansion of the lattice of a-Pu is significant due to 6 The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics 2500 2000 ^ 1500 La Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr Figure 6 The melting point of the lanthanide (•) and actinide (o) metals. The estimated values are indicated by 0. 1200 1000 ^ 800 600 400 1000, 900 800 _ 700 K 600 500 400 300 10 15 20 25 30 35 P (kbar) . P/^ . a i ■ i ■ Liquid i i i i i ■ i ■ i Plutonium i i i i i J ] 1600, 1500 1400 ^ K 1300U 1200 11001 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 0 P (kbar) 10 15 20 P (kbar) 30 Figure 7 The pressure-temperature phase diagrams for U, Pu, Np, and Am. Reproduced from Lee, J. A.; Waldron, M. B. Contemp. Phys. 1972, 13, 113-133. self-irradiation, when held at cryogenic tempera- tares, saturating at about 10vol.%. In contrast, the (Ti-stabilized) P-phase shows a slight contraction and the (Al-stabilized) 5-phase a substantial contraction, the latter saturating at 15 vol.%. Of course this is also reflected in other properties such as electrical resistivity21'22 The radiation effects recover upon annealing to room temperature, a few percent of the damage remaining. Gorbunov and Seleznev observed that a-Pu containing predominantly 239Pu retains its crystal structure after prolonged storage at room temperature. A sample of predominantly shorter lived Pu (tly/2 = 87.74 years) contains both the a- and P-forms at immediate examination and additionally the y-, T]-, and c-phases after a similar storage period. Chung et al.2* showed by X-ray diffraction and dilatometry measurements on 238Pu-doped 5-phase plutonium samples that the lattice expansion by self-irradiation appears to be the primary cause for dimensional changes during The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics 7 the initial 23 years of aging. Following the initial transient, the density change is primarily caused by a constant helium ingrowth rate as a result of particle decay. The two effects were combined in an equation for the expansion AL/L with an exponential (radiation damage) and a linear (helium ingrowth) part: AL/L ^ 41 - exp(-fir)] + Ct [1] where A, B, and C are constants and t is time. The self-irradiation is one of the main causes that complicates the study of the heavy actinide metals. For example, berkelium metal (tx/2 = 314days; ~0.2% Cf growth per day) shows signs of amorphization (weak and diffuse X-ray spectra) at room temperature, which improved after annealing and thermal cycling, and the samples were found to contain two crystallo- graphic structures at room temperature, double hexagonal close-packed (dhcp) and fee, of which the former is the stable form. An extreme case is Es; its crystal structure has been resolved only by rapid electron diffraction of thin film material due to the very short half-life of the isotope used. 2.01.3 Thermodynamic Properties Many critical reviews of the thermodynamic properties of the actinide metals have been made since the 1960s. The first milestone was the review by Oetting and coworkers,27 which gave recommended values for Th to Cm. Ward etal.28 treated the same elements but also gave recommendations for Cf and Es. In addition, the room temperature thermodynamic properties for the major actinides Th and U have been reviewed by the CODATA team for key values for Thermodynamics,29 while Th, U, Np, Pu, and Am have been reviewed by the OECD/NEA team.30-33 The most recent evaluation was made by Konings and Benes, with emphasis on the high-temperature properties. There are no large differences between these studies for the major actinides and it is thus clear that the recommendations given in this chapter rely heavily on these studies (Tables 3 and 4). 2.01.3.1 Heat Capacity and Entropy of the Crystalline State The low-temperature heat capacity has been measured for the actinides Th through Am, in most cases showing anomalies. The origin of these anomalies has generally not been explained adequately but is likely related to ordering phenomena and f-electron promotion. The measurements for the major actinides Th, U, and Pu in the a-structure were made on gram-scale quantities, and the results should thus be of an acceptable accuracy. However, although the low-temperature heat capacity of plutonium was measured by a remarkably large number of authors, ~ there is considerable scatter among the results above 100 K (see Figure 8), probably due to self-heating and radiation damage. But even the results for 242Pu samples from the same batch,40'41 which are affected less due to its much longer half-life, differ considerably. The differences in the heat capacity have a pronounced effect on the standard entropy at T= 298.15 K: 56.03JK"1 mol-1,39 56.32JK"1mor1,40 54.46JK"1 mol"1,41 and 57.1 JK_1mol-1.42 Especially, the results of Lashley et at. indicate a very different shape of the heat capacity curve of a-Pu, rising much steeper up to T= 100 K and saturating at a lower value near room temperature. Although the relaxation method used in that study is less accurate (±1.5% as claimed by the authors) than the traditional adiabatic technique used in the other studies, the difference is significant. Lashley etal. attributed this to the buildup of radiation damage at the lowest temperatures, which they tried to avoid by measuring upon cooling, and below T= 30 K by intermediate annealing at room temperature. However, other authors also addressed this issue. For example, Gordon et al. performed a heating run from room temperature to T= 373 K before each low-temperature run. Moreover, no substantial difference between the results for 239Pu and 242Pu was observed in that study. The electronic Sommerfeld heat capacity coefficient (7e), a property proportional to the density of states at the Fermi level, varies strongly in the actinide series (Table 5). It increases steadily up to Pu but is very low for Am. For 5-Pu the electronic heat capacity coefficient ye is even three times higher than that of a-Pu. This corresponds well with the results of photoemission spectra48 that show a-Th has a small density of states at the Fermi level compared with that of oc-U, oc-Np, and a-Pu (Figure 9). In oc-Am, the valence band is well removed from the Fermi level. The low-temperature heat capacity of other modifications of plutonium has been measured recently. Specifically, the 5-structure stabilized by Am or Ce doping shows clearly enhanced values of the electronic heat capacity coefficient ye at very low temperature. ' The standard entropies derived from the low- temperature heat capacity data are given in Table 3, Table 3 Recommended entropy (J K 1 mol 1) and the heat capacity (J K 1 mol 1) of actinide elements in the solid and liquid phase Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Phase a P Liquid a P Liquid a P y Liquid a P y Liquid a P y 5 5' s Liquid a P y Liquid a P Liquid S° (298.15) 51.8 ±0.50 - - 51.6 ±0.80 - - 50.20 ±0.20 - - - 50.45 ±0.40 - - - 54.46 ±0.80 - - - - - - 55.4 ±2.0 - - - 70.8 ±3.0 - - CP = A±B A 23.435 15.702 46 21.6522 39.7 47.3 28.4264 47.12 61.6420 46.45 30.132 40 36 46 17.6186 27.4160 22.0233 28.4781 35.56 33.72 42.80 30.0399 8.4572 43 52 28.409 28.2 37.2 x T (K) + C x T2 (K) + D x B 8.945 x10"3 11.950 x10"3 12.426 x10"3 -6.9587 x10"3 -36.2372 x10"3 45.5523 x10-3 13.060 x10"3 22.959 x10"3 10.807 x10"3 -29.053 x10"3 33.167 x10"3 -4.142 x10"4 T3 (K) + E x T~2 (K) C 29.8744 x10"6 1.1589 x10"4 5.2026 x10"5 -7.587 x10"6 3.280 x10"6 DorE E = -1.140x104 E = -1.1888x105 E = -33.1644x106 D =-1.8961 x10"8 Temperature range (K) 298-1650 1650-2020 2020-2500 298-1443 1443-1843 1843-2500 298-941 941-1049 1049-1407 1407-2500 298-553 553-850 850-913 913-2500 298-399 399^88 488-596 596-741 741-759 759-913 913-2500 298-1042 1042-1350 1350-1449 1449-2500 298-1569 1569-1619 1619-2500 Source: Konings, R. J. M.; Benes, O. J. Phys. Chem. Ret Data 2010, 39, 043102. The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics 9 Table 4 Recommended transition temperatures (K), enthalpies (kJ mol-1), and entropies (J K~1 mol-1) of the actinide metals Th Pa II Np Pu Am Cm Transition a- p- a- CQ. a- CQ. y- a- CQ. y- a- CQ. y- 8- 8'- 6- a- P- y- a- CQ. CO. -llq. CO. -liq. CO. -y +liq. CO. -Y +liq. CO. t -y ■8 +6' ->€ -ilea- CO. -y +liq. CO. ■liq. Ttrs (K) 1650±15 2020 ±10 1443 ±50 1843 ±50 941 ±2 1049±2 1407±2 553 ±5 850 ±3 913±3 399 ±1 488 ±1 596 ±2 741 ±4 759 ±4 913±2 1042±10 1350±5 1449±5 1569 ±50 1619±50 AtrsH 3.5 ±0.1 13.8±1.3 6.6 ±2.0 12.3±2.0 2.85±0.15 4.62 ±0.50 8.47 ±1.00 4.7 ±0.5 3.0 ±0.5 3.2 ±0.5 3.706 ±0.030 0.478 ±0.020 0.713 ±0.050 0.065 ±0.020 1.711 ±0.050 2.766 ±0.1 0.34 ±0.10 3.8 ±0.4 8.0 ±2.0 4.5 ±0.5 11.7±1.0 AtrsS 2.12 6.83 4.57 6.67 3.03 4.40 6.02 8.50 3.53 3.50 9.29 0.98 1.20 0.09 2.25 3.03 0.33 2.81 5.52 0.29 7.23 Source: Konings, R. J. M.; Benes, O. J. Phys. Chem. Ret Data 2010,39,043102. 40 ~i—i—i—i—\|—i—i—i—i—\|—i—i—i—i—\|—i—i—i—r and the variation along the actinide metal series is shown in Figure 10. The entropies of the elements Th to Am are close to the lattice entropies of the corresponding lanthanides, showing the absence of magnetic contributions. The entropies of the other actinide elements must be derived from estimations, as experimental studies do not exist. To this purpose Ward et al. suggested a general formula by correlating the entropy with metallic radius (r), atomic weight (TH), and magnetic entropy (S^): SU(29SA5K) Sk(298.15K)—- n 3 , Mu -#ln—-hSn 2 Mk » [A Figure 8 The low-temperature heat capacity of Plutonium; 0,37; ©,38; e,39; V,40; A,41; m,42; o,43. where u refers to the unknown (lanthanide or actinide) element and k refers to the known element. S^ is taken equal to ^Spin = (2y+ 1), where J is the total angular momentum quantum number. The entropy of Cm thus obtained is significantly higher than that of the preceding elements, showing its magnetic character. The heat capacity of the actinide metals from room temperature up to the melting temperature has been reported for Th, U, and Pu with reasonable accuracy and for Np for the a-phase only The values for the other metals are based on estimations. For example, Konings estimated the heat capacity of americium metal from the harmonic, dilatation, electronic, and magnetic contributions, Cp = Char + Qui + Qie + Qnag? whereas the heat capacity of y-americium was obtained from the trends in the 4f and 5f series. The high-temperature heat capacity data for the actinide metals was analyzed in detail by Konings and Benes,34 who gave recommendations for the elements Ac to Fm. The results for the elements Th to Cm are summarized in Table 3. Figure 11 shows the variation of the sum of the transition entropies from the crystalline room temperature phase to the liquid phase for the lanthanide and actinide series. This value is about constant in the lanthanide series but shows large variation in the actinide series, particularly for the elements U-Np-Pu. The deviation from the baseline Table 5 The electronic ye (mJ K"2 mol"1) eD(K) References heat capacity Th 4.3(0.05) 163.3(0.7) 44 coefficient (ye) Pa 5.0(0.5) 185(5) 45 and Debye temperature (0D) of the actinide elements U 9.1a 256a 46 Np 13.7(0.7) 240(4) 41 Pu 17(1) 153(2) 42 Am 1(1) 120(20) 47 aThese values are for single crystal material, ye = 9.9 mJ K 2 mol 1 and ©D = 184 K for polycrystalline material. 10 The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics -Q Energy below Ef (eV) Figure 9 Valence-band photoemission spectra of the actinide metals. Modified from Moore, K. T.; van der Laan, G. Rev. Mod. Phys. 2009, 81, 235-298 by adding the results for a-Cm by Gouder et al.49 Note that the spectrum for a-Th is scaled up compared to the other spectra so that it is easily visualized. In reality, it is much lower in intensity due to a small f density of states at the Fermi level. correlates well with the atomic volume of the metals that is also anomalous for these elements, indicating that the itinerant behavior of the 5f electrons and the resulting lowering of the room temperature crystal symmetry require additional entropy to reach a similar disordered liquid state. 2.01.3.2 Heat Capacity of the Liquid State The heat capacity of the actinide elements in the liquid state is relatively poorly known. Experimental data exist for Th, U, and Pu, and only the values for Th and U are known with an acceptable accuracy. They were measured by drop calorimetric techniques in a reasonable wide temperature range. Semi-empirical models for liquid uranium suggest a large electronic contribution to the heat capacity of this element. The data for Pu, also obtained by calorimetry, are scattered and measured in a limited temperature range and the heat capacity value for the liquid of this element is thus uncertain. Figure 12 also shows the estimated values for Am and Cm, based on assumptions considering the electron configurations. ' 100 La Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu J I I I I I I I I I I I I I L_ Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr Figure 10 The standard entropies of lanthanide (•) and actinide (o) metals at 7~= 298.15 K; estimated values are indicated by (0). 25 o 20 L 15 co 10 <r £f 5 n La Ce i i i i Pr Nd i i i i Pm i A I Sm Eu i i \ I i Gd Tb Dy Ho i i i i ^8—s—«-<r i i i i Er i -© i Tm Yb i i i i Lu I I Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr Figure 11 The sum of the transition entropies of the lanthanide (•) and actinide (o) metals. The estimated values are indicated by 0. The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics 11 La Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu 60,—r Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr Figure 12 The heat capacity of the lanthanide (•) and actinide (o) metals in the liquid phase. Estimated values are indicated by (0). 2.01.3.3 Heat Capacity and Entropy of the Gaseous State The heat capacity and standard entropy for the ideal gas can be calculated from the atomic energy levels up to about 2000 K with reasonable accuracy using statistical thermodynamic methods from the atomic energy levels. As discussed in detail by Brewer, the electronic states of the gaseous actinide elements are complete (through experiments and estimations) to about 15000 cm- . The energies of the lowest electronic states for the elements Th to Cm are listed in Table 6. Figure 13 shows a schematic representation of the atomic spectra of the actinide elements, based on the most recent assessments.56'57 The derived room temperature values for the entropy and the high-temperature heat capacity equations are shown in Table 7 and are taken from the assessment by Konings and Benes.34 The vapor pressure has been measured for all actinide metals except Md, No, and Lr. The majority of the results deal with the elements Th-Am. Measurements have also been made for Ac but they are of a very approximate nature. The vapor pressure measurements for Es59 and Fm60 have been made on samples containing 10~5-10~7at.% of the actinides in rare earth alloys in combination with Henry's law for dilute solutions. These measurements have been carefully reviewed by Konings and Benes and the recommended enthalpies of sublimation derived from these studies are listed in Table 7. The assessed vapor pressure curves (ln(p) vs. 1/7) are shown in Figure 14, indicating that the vapor pressure of the actinide metals varies strongly within the series. It roughly increases with the atomic number but with prominent exceptions. For example, americium is much more volatile than the neighboring Pu and Cm. The enthalpies of sublimation of the actinides are plotted in Figure 15 together with the values Table 6 Spectroscopic characteristics of the ground state and the lowest lying electronic states of the actinide elements Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm State 6d27s2 6d27s2 6d27s2 6d27s2 6d27s2 5f26d7s2 5f26d7s2 5f26d7s2 5f6d27s2 5f26d7s2 5f36d7s2 5f36d7s2 5f36d7s2 5f36d7s2 5f36d7s2 5f46d7s2 5f46d7s2 5f46d7s2 5f46d7s2 5f46d7s2 5f67s2 5f67s2 5f67s2 5f67s2 5f56d7s2 5f77s2 5f66d7s2 5f66d7s2 5f76d7s 5f77s2 5f76d7s2 5f76d7s2 5f76d7s2 5f76d7s2 5f76d7s2 Spectroscopic term 3F 3p 3F3 3P2 4Pl K-11/2 4I 19/2 G5/2 4I <9/2 H7/2 5i 0 L6 5Kf 5L? 5H° 5I2 6I L11/2 6I L9/2 6I '7/2 6I L13/2 6I '9/2 7F0 7F1 7F2 7F3 ?K4 ^7/2 H3/2 H5/2 10n 6p ^7/2 9D° 9D§ 9D° 9D§ 9D° Energy level (cm1) 0 2558.06 2869.26 3687.99 3865.48 0 825.42 1618.325 2659.405 2966.53 0 620.323 3800.830 3868.486 4453.419 0 2033.94 3450.995 3502.855 6643.51 0 2203.61 4299.659 6144.515 6313.866 0 10684 12974 14000 14258 0 302.15 815.655 1764.268 3809.358 Source: Blaise, J.; Wyart, J. F. http://www.lac.u-psud.fr/Database/ Contents.html, 2009; Worden, E. F.; Blaise, J.; Fred, M.; Trautmann, N.; Wyart, J. F. In The Chemistry of the Actinide and Transactinide Elements; Morss, L. R.; Edelstein, N.; Fuger, J.; Katz, J. J., Eds.; Springer Verlag, 2006; Chapter 16, pp 1836-1892. 12 The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics 50000 40000 f^ 30000 -gy (cm = - — = I i i I 20000 10000 hi I nllil 0 Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr Figure 13 Schematic representation of the atomic spectra of the actinide elements. for lanthanide metals. The trend in the latter series shows a typical pattern, with La, Gd, and Lu forming an approximate linear baseline from which the others systematically deviate. This trend can be understood from the electronic states of the condensed and gaseous atoms, as discussed by Nugent et al.61 These authors argued that the values for La, Gd, and Lu are almost identical, due the fact that they have the same number of valence electrons in the ground states of the gaseous metal atom and the crystal. In between, the enthalpy of sublimation decreases regularly because of a corresponding increase in stability of the divalent ground states in the gaseous metal atoms. A similar explanation can be applied to the actinide series, although Th, Pa, U, Np, and Pu deviate from this trend due to unusually large cohesive energies of the crystalline metals, resulting from the large number of valence electrons in the metal. 2.01.4 Thermophysical and Electronic Properties 2.01.4.1 Thermal Expansion and Density of the Crystalline State The thermal expansion of a number of actinide metals has been studied, particularly for uranium and pluto- nium. The 1975 review by Touloukian et al.62 lists 48 studies for uranium, including single crystal and poly- crystalline materials. The data show that a-uranium has a different expansion along the three crystallo- graphic axes; the a- and r-axis expand whereas the ^-axis shrinks with increasing temperature (Figure 16). Also, a-Pa shows distinct different expansion along the crystallographic axes (Figure 16). a-Np, in contrast, expands along the three axes of the crystal. The complex thermal expansion behavior of pluto- nium has already been discussed in Section 2.01.2.4 and is shown in Figure 5. Schofeld and Tate63 reviewed the wealth of data for the various plutonium modifications and the recommended values from their work are listed in Table 9. a-Pu expands along all three axes of the crystal, and the lattice expansion continues for the P~ and y-phases, but the cell parameter of the cubic 5 and 5' modifications decreases. Americium, the last actinide for which thermal expansion data exist, shows a regular thermal expansion in both crystallographic directions.68 Table 8 summarizes the linear thermal expansion (AL/Lq) for the actinide metals. The density can be calculated from these data using the formula: P(T) M V0{\ + 3AL/L0(T)) [3] where M is the atomic mass, and V0 is the molar volume at the reference temperature (see Table 1). Note that the linear thermal expansion corresponds to the average of the thermal expansion along the three crystallographic axes. 2.01.4.2 Electrical Resistivity of the Crystalline State The electrical resistivity (p) of the elements Th to Cm has been measured in the cryogenic temperature range and the values up to 300 K are shown in Table 7 The enthalpy of formation (kJ mol 1), the absolute entropy (J K 1 mol 1), and the heat capacity (J K 1 mol 1) of lanthanide and actinide gas phases Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm AfH°(298.15) 602 ±6 - 548 ±26 - 533 ±8 - 470 ±5 - 348.9 ±3.0 - 285.5 ±3.0 - - 389±10 - S° (298.15) 190.171 ±0.050 - 198.11 ±0.10 - 199.79 ±0.10 - 197.72 ±0.10 - 177.19±0.10 - 194.66 ±0.20 - - 197.58 ±0.20 - Cp-A±Bx A 28.7108 29.8483 21.3965 25.7107 35.1688 4.9298 28.7334 68.4689 24.2954 -112.0172 20.786 19.9856 268.8101 26.1234 22.3529 T(K)±CxT2(K)±D B -33.4618 x10"3 9.3756 x10"3 8.1883 x10"3 15.7656 x10"3 -32.2466 x10"3 10.4892 x10"3 -41.2476 x10"3 -48.7544 x10"3 -37.0413 x10"3 187.5714 x10"3 - 0.0434 x10"3 -179.4359 x10"3 24.8448 x10"3 1.7417 x10"3 x T3 (K) + E x T4 (K) + F x T"2 (K) C 45.7409 x10"6 -2.1081 x10"6 1.8634 x10"6 -5.6052 x10"6 27.0474 x10"6 3.7043 x10"6 76.2347 x10"6 28.4161 x10"6 95.1224 x10"6 -86.6780 x10"6 - 1.6974 x10"6 45.9178 x10"6 -45.9572 x10"6 -0.4385 x10"6 D -14.1005 x10"9 0.2225 x10"9 -1.0847 x10"9 0.5709 x10"9 -5.3433 x10"9 -0.7598 x10"9 -45.8415 x10"9 -6.1153 x10"9 -65.8404 x10"9 18.8245 x10"9 - -1.5984 x10"9 -3.5637 x10"9 21.6951 x10"9 0.2286 x10"9 E - - - - - - 9.9079 x 4.4618 x 16.2344 -1.5431 - 4.4407 x - - - 10"12 10"13 x10"12 x10"12 10"13 F -1.4548 x105 -1.3137 x107 -9.4644 x104 -1.1144x107 -3.6652 x105 6.8108 x106 -1.1134x105 -1.6109 x107 6.7865 x104 2.7817 x107 - 2.1403 x105 -1.7767 x108 -1.7020 x104 2.6514.106 Temperature range (K) 298-1400 1400-4000 298-1800 1800-4000 298-1800 1800-4000 298-1400 1400-4000 298-1400 1400-4000 298-900 900-2400 2400-4000 298-1000 1000-4000 Source: Konings, R. J. M.; Benes, O. J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data 2010, 39, 043102. 14 The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics Figure 17, which reveals a strong variation. Th, Pa, U, Np, and Am show a regular increase from 0 K to room temperature, typical for nonmagnetic metals in which transport carriers (electrons) are scattered by pho- nons (lattice vibrations). Pu and Cm show, however, a different behavior. The electrical resistivity of a-Pu has a maximum of about 150\|iQcm at about 100 K. Boring and Smith argue that this high value is an indication of enhanced scattering of conduction electrons caused by electron correlations involving spin and charge interactions. Curium is the first actinide metal that is magnetic, a-Cm orders antiferromagne- tically below 65 K, while its high-temperature phase, P-Cm with fee structure, presents ferromagnetic order above 200 K similarly to Gd, its 4f counterpart. The change in the resistivity curve occurs around the ordering temperature, which is similar to that in magnetic rare earth metals and especially Gd. The electrical resistivity of the actinide metals above ambient temperature is well known for the major actinides. Chiotti and coworkers73 showed that this property is very sensitive to impurities in the samples, -60 0.0005 0.0006 0.0007 0.0008 0.0009 0.0010 1/7 (K-1) Figure 14 The vapor pressure of the actinide elements, calculated from assessed thermochemical data. particularly carbon. Sahu et al. reported measurements for high purity a-Th in a wide temperature range, and Arajs et al. for uranium up to 1000K, covering the a-, P, and y-phases. Sandenaw and Gibby67 reported measurements for plutonium from 27 to 800 K, covering all allotropes. A large decrease was observed for the a- to P-transition, as shown in Figure 18. Neptunium shows a similar behavior as Pu. The recommended values are summarized in Table 9. 2.01.4.3 Thermopower of the Crystalline State The thermopower (S) has been reported for the elements Th to Pu in the cryogenic range and up to 300 K.74 Figure 19 shows the values and the sign of S for the a-phase of these actinide elements. It can be observed that it varies from Th to Pu and depends strongly on temperature range. As no carrier is available at 0 K, S is reduced when approaching very low temperatures. The thermopower of U and Np at high temperature shows discontinuities at the structural phase transition (a~P and consecutive).65 The high- temperature thermopower of Pu is not well known and is very sensitive to impurities. Experimental 300 500 700 900 7(K) 300 600 900 7(K) 1200 Figure 16 The thermal expansion of U (left) and Pa (right) along the different crystallographic axes. ^T 800 La Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr Figure 15 The sublimation enthalpy at T are indicated by 0. = 298.15 K of the lanthanide (•) and actinide (o) metals. The estimated values The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics 15 Table 8 Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Linear thermal expansion (AZ_/Z_0) of the actinide metals; L0 refers to 293 K a a a P y a p a P y 5 5' s liquid a a JL/L0(T) = a + b a -2.80x1 (T3 -3.745 x10"3 -3.79x10 3 8.04x10"5 -1.49x10"3 -8.381 x10"3 -1.258x10"2 -9.291 x10"3 2.561 x10"3 3.279 x10"2 7.437 x10"2 0.1189 5.241 x10"2 2.912x10"2 -2.315x10"3 -3.262 x10"3 xT(K) + cxT2(K) + dxT3(K) b 8.190x10"6 1.555x10"5 1.264x10 5 1.729x10"5 1.775x10"5 2.848x10"5 5.282x10"5 1.266x10"5 4.249x10"5 3.469x10"3 1.208x10"6 -6.51 Ox 10"3 1.325x10"3 3.01 Ox 10"3 6.965x10"6 1.094x10"5 c 5.286 x10"9 -1.144x10"8 -8.982x10"10 4.382 x10"11 7.498 x10"8 -1.048x10"7 1.782x10"9 3.176x10"9 d -1.432x10"12 6.794x10"12 6.844x10"12 -1.239x10"12 -2.952 x10"11 1.608x10"8 5.926x10"12 References 61 61 61 61 61 68 68 62 62 62 62 62 62 62 69 53 Table 9 Electrical resistivity of the actinide metals Th U Np Pu a a a CO. y a CO. y a CO. y 5 5' s p (\|ulO cm) a -1.8305 -18.312 22.455 16.971 67.819 86 -94 110 158.09 117.18 108.87 90.22 -75.08 106.4 =a+bxT b 0.0593 0.1064 -4.5806x (K) + c x T2 (K) + d x T3 (K) + e x T4 (K) 10"2 8.6655x10"2 -3.1502x 0.415 0.7217 -0.0411 -0.0245 -0.0089 0.0072 0.2315 10"2 c d -3.3116"3 3.2797x10"4 -3.8929x10"9 -4.6720x10"5 1.8947x10"5 -1.5x10"4 -8.5x10"4 3.333x10"7 e 1.4372x10"10 Temperature range (K) 300-800 800-1300 300-941 941-1049 1049-1400 300-553 553-850 850-900 300-399 399-488 488-596 596-741 741-759 759-913 References 63 63 64 64 64 65 65 65 66 66 66 66 66 66 results indicate that the actinide metals have thermo- power values close to those of the lanthanides75 but larger than the transition metals. This essentially can be related to large band structures and a huge density of states at the Fermi level. 2.01.4.4 Thermal Conductivity of the Crystalline State The thermal conductivity of the actinide metals varies strongly within the series. This is particularly true at low temperatures for which the data for a-Th and a-Pu differ by two orders of magnitude, as shown in Figure 20. This trend is opposite to that for the electrical conductivity and is in line with the Wiedemann-Franz law that states that the ratio between thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity (o = \/p) is a constant for any temperature (h/o = LT, where L is the Lorenz number, 2.44xlO"8WQK"2). One can notice that thermal conductivity of Pu at 100 K is the lowest reported for any pure metal (3.5Wm"1K"1). Experimental data for high temperatures are known only for the major actinides Th, U, and Pu in a reasonable temperature range, whereas the measurement for Np is made close to room temperature 16 The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics 150 200 T(K) Figure 17 The low-temperature electrical resistivity of the actinide elements. Reproduced from Schenkel, R. Solid State Comm. 1977, 23, 389-392. 15 10 > w o\- a-Pu /^^^ ^^\ a_U - y^ ^—^^^^ \ a-Th""^ i ' _ ■ a-Np " i i -10 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 7(K) Figure 19 The thermopower below 300 K of the actinide elements. Reproduced from Meaden, G. T. Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. 1963, 276A, 553-570. 180 160 140 120 fioo a •# 80 60 40 20 a-Np p-Np y-Np a-U i P-u; y-u 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 (a) 7(K) 180 400 (b) 600 800 1000 1200 7(K) Figure 18 The high-temperature electrical resistivity of the actinide elements. Figure 20 The low-temperature thermal conductivity of the actinide elements. Reproduced from Lee, J. A.; Waldron, M. B. Contemp. Phys. 1972, 13, 113-133. (Figure 21). The recommended equations are given in Table 10. The values for Th, taken from the assessment by Touloukian and coworkers,76 show a slight increase with temperature. It should be noted that our graphs show a discrepancy between the low- and high-temperature data near T= 300 K, which is probably related to the purity of the samples, as it is known that the properties of thorium metal are highly sensitive to carbon impurities.73 The values for U, also from the assessment by Touloukian and coworkers,76 are based on a set of several concordant The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics 17 measurements and cover the temperature range for the a-, P-, and y-phases but do not show distinct differences. Thermal conductivity data above ambient temperature exist for all crystal phases of plutonium. The data for a-Pu from 100 to about 400 K were reported by Sandenaw and Gibney. However, the agreement with other values at ambient temperature is poor, which might be due to the differences in purity and to the accumulated radiation damage. Wittenberg and coworkers77'78 measured the thermal diffusivity (D) of the 5, 5', and c phases from which they derived the thermal conductivity, which was found to be constant in all three cases. However, the numbers in the early publication78 for the thermal diffusivity are different from those in the later publication. The values in Table 10 are taken from the latter work, which we consider to be the final results. Note that only the early values are cited in the 60 -i—i—\|—i—\|—i—\|—i—\|—i—\|—i—\|—i—\|—i—\|—i—\|—i—r 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 7(K) Figure 21 The thermal conductivity of the actinide elements. Gmelin review from 1976. As discussed by Wittenberg, the data indicate that the thermal conductivity of the y- and 5-phases are nearly the same (13 ± 1) Wm_1 K_1. These trends are in qualitative agreement with the electrical resistivity measurements, as discussed in Section 2.01.4.2. Wittenberg also noted that the large decrease in the thermal conductivity of the c-phase is not expected to be comparable with the electrical resistivity measurements, and he suggested that this value may be too low as a result of the difficulty in maintaining good thermal contact after the volume contraction during the 5- to c-phase transformation. Although the Wiedemann-Franz law states that the ratio between thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity is almost constant for metals, it was shown that the value for XjoT at T= 298 K varies regularly in the lanthanide series, as shown in Figure 22. The values for Th, U, and Np are close to the Lorenz value, and that of Pu is slightly higher. The values for Am and Cm in this figure are suggestions, 9 assuming that the thermal conductivity of Cm is close to that of Gd. 2.01.4.5 Thermal Conductivity of the Liquid State Only data available for the thermal diffusivity and conductivity of the liquid state of plutonium have been reported. Wittenberg and coworkers ' measured the thermal diffusivity (D) from which they derived the thermal conductivity, which is constant in the measured range (973 to 1073 K). As discussed above, the two publications by these authors are not consistent. In the early one, Wittenberg gave 0.017-0.021 and 0.022-0.023 cm2 s"1 for the thermal diffusivity in two experiments with different heating Table 10 Thermal conductivity (Wm 1K 1) of the actinide metals above room temperature Th U Np Pu Phase a P y S, S' s Liquid X = a + b a 48.101 19.019 4.18 2.264 15.4 3.54 6.94 0.44 16.5 xT(K) + cxT2 b 0.00336 0.03256 0.00696 0.02 0.01 0.01 (K) + 6xl3(K) c -1.8235x10-5 2.5332 x10"5 d 1.0343x10-5 T(K) 100-1000 100-100 300 100-399 399-488 488-596 596-759 759-913 913-1073 References 75 75 75 75 66 76 76 76 76 18 The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics 6 cvP £5 AA) o 4 I- X «B 3 B. o La i _i Ce I i Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd I i i i i i Jto—~~"^ ' __ ^_—#f jf i >r &-~® i i i i i i Tb I i Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu I i i i i i _ S\ —9 ^^ ^^^, ^v lt- 1 1 1 1 1 1 Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr Figure 22 The variation of XIoJ of the actinide (o) and lanthanide (•) metals. The estimated values are indicated by 0. rates, yielding to X = 5.4 Wm-1 K_1 and 6.3 Wm"1 K~l, respectively. In the later publication,77 Wittenberg reports D = 0.057-0.056 cm s~ for the temperature range 948 to 1073 K, yielding I = (17±1) Wm"1 K~\ This latter value is recommended here. 2.01.4.6 Density of the Liquid State The density of liquid uranium was measured by Grosse et al,80 Rohr and Wittenberg,81 and Shpil'rain et al. The results of the latter two studies are in very good agreement but deviate significantly from the results of Grosse et al, which has been explained by errors caused by surface tension forces in the hydrostatic weighing method used in that work. We have therefore selected the combined results from Rohr and Wittenberg and Shpil'rain et al, as recommended by the latter authors: p(kgm"3) = 20332 - 2.146T (K) [4] The density of liquid plutonium was measured by Olsen et al and Serpan and Wittenberg. The results are very close and the average of the two equations is recommended: p(kgm"3) = 18004 - 1.486T(K) [5] 2.01.4.7 Viscosity The viscosity of liquid uranium and plutonium has been measured using a direct oscillating method by researchers at the Mound Laboratory in the 1960s. These data are still the only available to date. For liquid uranium, Ofte86 reported: The viscosity of liquid plutonium was reported in several studies, and the following equation is the recommended representation of the results87: log10r\|(cP) = 672/T (K) + 0.037 [7] log10r\|(cP) = 1587.7/T(K_1) -0.3243 [6] These equations give for the viscosity at the melting point 6.5 cP for uranium and 6.0 cP for plutonium. These values are somewhat higher than the values predicted by Grosse,88 who used an empirical relationship between the activation energy for viscosity for liquid metals and their melting points, to obtain 5.9 cP for U, 4.5 cP for Pu, and 5.0 cP for Th at the melting point. 2.01.4.8 Surface Tension The surface tension of liquid uranium was measured by Cahill and Kirshenbaum89 from 1406 to 1850 K. The results can be represented by the equation: a(Nm~1) = 1.747-0.1410"3T(K) [8] This equation yields 1.55 Nm"1 at the melting point. The surface tension of plutonium was reported by Olsen et alM These authors obtained a(Nm_1) = 1.29-0.967xlO"3 T(K), yielding 0.40Nm"1 at the melting point. It has been suggested that this value is too low because of dissolved tantalum. Spriet49 reported the surface tension of liquid plutonium to be 0.55 N m_1, which is generally accepted. 2.01.5 Summary and Outlook The actinide elements pose a very interesting paradox. Uranium and especially plutonium are materials that are very difficult to handle because of their radioactive nature, but they are among the most The Actinides Elements: Properties and Characteristics 19 extensively studied elements in the periodic table. This is of course due to the importance of these two elements in nuclear technology The properties of the other actinides are relatively poorly known and are generally obtained from estimations. However, due to the changes in the electronic properties of the 5f electrons, varying from delocalized to localized, going from Th to Am, the systematics in the properties of the actinides are difficult to predict, and analogies with the 4f lanthanides are not (always) obvious. Theoretical predictions based on atomistic calculations could help to solve this, but the predictive potential of such calculations is still being explored. Clearly, more experimental studies are needed, particularly on the minor actinides. References 1. 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Van Brutzel Commissariat a I'Energie Atomique, Gif-sur-Yvette, France © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 2.02.1 Introduction 22 2.02.2 Phase Diagrams of Actinide-Oxygen Systems 23 2.02.2.1 U-0 System 23 2.02.2.2 Pu-0 System 23 2.02.2.3 Th-0 and Np-0 Systems 25 2.02.2.4 Am-0 System 26 2.02.2.5 Cm-0 System 26 2.02.2.6 Bk-0 System 27 2.02.2.7 U-Pu-0 System 27 2.02.2.7.1 U02-Pu02 27 2.02.2.7.2 U308-U02-Pu02-Pu203 27 2.02.2.8 U02-Th02 and Pu02-Th02 Systems 29 2.02.3 Crystal Structure Data and Thermal Expansion 30 2.02.3.1 Actinide Dioxides 30 2.02.3.1.1 Stoichiometric dioxides 30 2.02.3.1.2 Stoichiometric mixed dioxides 31 2.02.3.1.3 Nonstoichiometric actinide dioxides 33 2.02.3.2 Actinide Sesquioxides 34 2.02.3.3 Other Actinide Oxides 35 2.02.4 Thermodynamic Data 36 2.02.4.1 Binary Stoichiometric Compounds 36 2.02.4.1.1 Actinide dioxides 36 2.02.4.1.2 Actinide sesquioxides 38 2.02.4.1.3 Other actinide oxides with O/metal >2 39 2.02.4.2 Mixed Oxides 39 2.02.4.3 Nonstoichiometric Dioxides 40 2.02.4.3.1 Defects 40 2.02.4.3.2 Oxygen potential data 42 2.02.5 Vaporization 46 2.02.5.1 Pu-0 and U-0 47 2.02.5.2 U-Pu-0 48 2.02.5.3 U-Pu-Am-0 48 2.02.6 Transport Properties 48 2.02.6.1 Self-Diffusion 48 2.02.6.1.1 Oxygen diffusion 49 2.02.6.1.2 Cation diffusion 51 2.02.6.2 Thermal Conductivity 51 2.02.6.2.1 Actinide dioxides 51 2.02.6.2.2 Actinide sesquioxides 54 2.02.7 Thermal Creep 54 2.02.8 Conclusion 55 References 55 22 Thermodynamic and Thermophysical Properties of the Actinide Oxides Abbreviations CALPHAD CODATA DFT EMF EXAFS fee IAEA MD MOX NEA OECD XAS XPS Computer coupling of phase diagrams and thermochemistry The Committee on Data for Science and Technology Density functional theory Electromotive force Extended X-ray absorption fine structure Face-centered cubic International atomic energy agency Molecular dynamics Mixed dioxide of uranium and plutonium The Nuclear Energy Agency of the OECD The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development X-ray absorption spectroscopy X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy 2.02.1 Introduction Owing to the wide range of oxidation states +2, +3, +4, +5, and +6 that can exist for the actinides, the chemistry of the actinide oxides is complex. The main known solid phases with different stoichiometrics are shown in Table 1. Actinide oxides mainly form sesquioxides and dioxides. The +3 oxides of actinides have the general formula M203, in which 'M' (for metal) is any of the actinide elements except thorium, protactinium, uranium, and neptunium; they form hexagonal, cubic, and/or monoclinic crystals. Crystalline compounds with the +4 oxidation state exist for thorium, protactinium, uranium, neptunium, plutonium, americium, curium, berkelium, and californium. The dioxides M02 are all isostruc- tural with the fluorite face-centered cubic (fee) structure. Most of these actinide compounds can be prepared in a dry state by igniting the metal itself, or one of its other compounds, in an atmosphere of oxygen. The stability of the dioxides decreases with the atomic number Z. All dioxides are hypostoichio- metric (M02 _ x). Only uranium dioxide can become hyperstoichiometric (M02 + x). The thermodynamic properties of the dioxides vary with both temperature and departure from the stoichiometry O/M = 2. Only uranium, neptunium, and protactinium form oxide phases with oxygen/metal ratio >2. An oxidation state greater than +4 can exist in these phases. The +6 state exists for uranium and neptunium in U03 and Np03. Intermediate states are found in U4O9 and U308 arising from a mix of several oxidation states (+4, +5, +6). Detailed information on the preparation of the binary oxides of the actinide elements can be found in the review by Haire and Eyring. The absence of features at the Fermi level in the observed XPS spectra indicates that all the dioxides are semiconductors or insulators. Systematic investigations of the actinide oxides using first-principles calculations were very useful to explain the existing oxidation states of the different oxides in relation with their electronic structure. For example, Petit and coworkers3'4 clearly showed that the degree of oxidation of the actinide oxides is linked to the degree of f-electron localization. In the series from U to Cf, the nature of the f-electrons changes from delocalized in the early actinides to localized in the later actinides. Therefore, in the early actinides, the f-electrons are less bound to the actinide ions which can exist with valencies as high as +5 and +6 for uranium oxides, for example. In the series, the f-electrons become increasingly bound to the actinide ion, and for Cf only the +3 valency occurs. With the same method, Andersson et al. studied the oxidation thermodynamics of U02, Np02, and Pu02 within fluorite structures. The results show that U02 exhibits strong negative energy of oxidation, while Np02 is harder to oxidize and Table 1 Known stable phases of actinide oxides. The phases marked with are considered as metastable phases Ac Th Pa Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 Ac203 ThO* Th02 Pa02 Pa205 UO* U02 u4o9 u3o8 U03 Np02 Np205 Np03 PuO* Pu203 Pu02 Am203 Cm203 Bk203 Cf203 Am02 Cm02 Bk02 Cf02 EsO Es203 Thermodynamic and Thermophysical Properties of the Actinide Oxides 23 Pu02 has a positive or slightly negative oxidation energy. As in Petit and coworkers, ' the authors showed that the degree of oxidation is related to the position of the 5f electrons relative to the 2p band. For Pu02, the overlap of 5f and 2p states suppresses oxidation. The presence of H20 can turn oxidation of Pu02 into an exothermic process. This explains clearly why hyperstoichiometric Pu02 + x phase is observed only in the presence of H20 or hydrolysis products.6 Solid actinide monoxides 'MO' were reported to exist for Th, Pu, and U. According to the experimental characterization of plutonium oxide phases by Larson and Haschke,7 these phases are generally considered as metastable phases or as ternary phases easily stabilized by carbon or/and nitrogen. From first-principles calculations, Petit et al. confirmed that the divalent configuration M + is never favored for the actinides except maybe for EsO. On the contrary, the monoxides of actinide MO(g) are stable as vapor species that are found together with other gas species M(g), M02(g), M03(g) which fraction depends on oxygen composition and temperature when heating actinide oxides. In Sections 2.02.2 and 2.02.3, the phase diagrams of the actinide-oxygen systems, the crystal structure data, and the thermal expansion of the different oxide phases will be described. The related thermodynamic data on the compounds and the vaporization behavior of the actinide oxides will be presented in Sections 2.02.4 and 2.02.5. Finally, the transport properties (diffusion and thermal conductivity) and the thermal creep of the actinide oxides will be reviewed in Sections 2.02.6 and 2.02.7. 2.02.2 Phase Diagrams of Actinide-Oxygen Systems There is no available phase diagram for the Ac—O, Pa-O, Cf-O, and Es-0 systems. For the other systems, the phase diagrams remain very uncertain. In most of the cases, only the regions of the diagrams relevant to the binary oxides have been investigated because of the great interest in actinide oxides as nuclear fuels. As a consequence, the metal-oxide part of the actinide-oxygen systems is generally not well known except for the U-0 system, which is the most extensively investigated system. For the actinide-oxygen systems, a miscibility gap in the liquid state is generally expected at high temperature like in many metal-oxygen systems; it leads to the simultaneous formation of a metal-rich liquid in equilibrium with an oxide-rich liquid. But the extent of the miscibility gap and the solubility limit of oxygen in the liquid metals are generally not known. The existing phase diagram data on the binary U-O, Pu-O, Th-O, Np-O, Am-O, Cm-O, Bk-O, and ternary U-Pu-O, U02-Th02, and Pu02-Th02 are presented. 2.02.2.1 U-0 System The phase diagram of the uranium-oxygen system, calculated by Gueneau et al. using a CALPHAD thermochemical modeling, is given in Figure 1(a) and 1(b) from 60 to 75 at.% O. In the U-U02 region, a large miscibility gap exists in the liquid state above 2720 K. The homogeneity range of uranium dioxide extends to both hypo- and hyperstoichiometric compositions in oxygen. The minimum and maximum oxygen contents in the dioxide correspond to the compounds with the formula of respectively UOx 67 at 2720 K and U02 25 at approximately 2030 K. The phase becomes hypostoichiometric above approximately 1200 K while the dioxide incorporates additional oxygen atoms at low temperature, above 600 K. The dioxide melts con- gruently at 3120=b20K. The melting temperature decreases with departure from the stoichiometry. The experimental data on solidus/liquidus temperature for U02 + xfrom Manara et al.,11 reported in Figure 1(b), are significantly lower than those reported in Baichi et al? and will have to be taken into account in new thermodynamic assessments. In the U02-U03 region (Figure 1(b) and 1(c)), the oxides U409, U308, and U03 are formed with different crystal forms. U409 and U308 are slightly hypostoichiometric in oxygen as shown in Figure 1(c). The U307 compound is often found as an intermediate phase formed during oxidation of U02. This compound is reported in the phase diagram proposed by Higgs et al. and considered as a metastable phase by Gueneau et al8 2.02.2.2 Pu-0 System A thermodynamic model of the Pu-0 system was proposed by Kinoshita et al27 and Gueneau et al28 The calculated phase diagram by Gueneau et al28 reproduces the main features of the phase diagram proposed by Wriedt in his critical review (Figure 2). In the Pu-Pu203 region of the phase diagram, the experimental data are rare. The existence of 24 Thermodynamic and Thermophysical Properties of the Actinide Oxides (a) u (b) U Mole fraction of oxygen (x0) 0.655 0.661 0.667 0.672 0.677 0.683 0.688 0.692 0.697 0.701 0.706 1.90 1.95 2.00 2.05 2.10 2.15 2.20 2.25 2.30 2.35 2.40 (c) O/U ratio 0 Anthony efa/,13 V Roberts and Waited4 D Kotlarefa/,15 O Nakamura and Fujino16 O Bannister and Buykx17 A Saitois 0 Aronson ef a/.19 □ Schaner20 V Ishii ef a/.2i OMarkin and Bones25 D Blackburn22 O Gronvold26 O Kovba23 A Van lierdeef a/.24 The horizontal line constructions (gray) at 80 and 550 °C reflect the inability to distinguish the transformation temperatures in the adjacent two-phase fields. Figure 1 U-0 phase diagram (a) calculated using the model derived by Gueneau etal.8; (b) calculated from 60 to 75at.% O8; the green points come from the critical review by Baichi etal.9 and Labroche etal.10 and the blue points show the results of Manara etal.11; (c) calculated from O/U = 1.9 to 2.4 after Higgs etal.12 The references of the experimental data are given in Higgs etal.12 © Elsevier, reprinted with permission. a miscibility gap in the liquid state was shown by Martin and Mrazek.30 The monotectic reaction was measured at 2098 K.30 There are no data on the oxygen solubility limit in liquid plutonium. More data are available in the region between Pu203 and Pu02. The phase relations are complex below 1400 K. Pu02 - X starts to lose oxygen above approximately 900 K. A narrow miscibility gap was found to exist in the fluorite phase below approximately 900 K leading to the simultaneous presence of two fee phases with different stoichiometrics in oxygen. Two intermediate oxide phases were found to exist with the formula PuOx 61 and PuOx 52. The Pu0161 phase exhibits a composition range and is Thermodynamic and Thermophysical Properties of the Actinide Oxides 25 3000 2700 2400 2100 — 1800 K 1500 1200 H 900 600 300 Liquid (L) RuOJ L+Pu09 (e-Pu) (8-Pu) (Y-Pu) (g-Pu) Pu.O, 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 (a) Pu 0.58 0.60 0.62 0.64 0.66 0.68 (b) Figure 2 (a) Calculated Pu-0 phase diagram after Gueneau etal.28 on the basis of the critical analysis by Wriedt29; (b) calculated phase diagram with experimental data from 58 to 68at.% O as reported in Gueneau etal.28 stable between 600 and HOOK. The Pu0152 compound only exists at low temperature (T< ~700K). Above ~1400K, the dioxide Pu02_x exhibits a large homogeneity range with a minimum O/Pu ratio equal to approximately 1.6 and is in equilibrium with the sesquioxide P112O3. The liquidus tempera- tares between Pu203 and Pu02 remain uncertain and would need future determinations. The melting temperature of Pu02 is still a subject of controversy. The recommended value for the melting of Pu02 was for a long time Tm = 2674=b20K, based on measurements from Riley31 Recent measurements are available that suggest higher values. In 2008, Kato et al?2 measured the melting point of Pu02 at 2843 K that is higher by 200 K than the previous measurements. The authors used the same thermal arrest method as in previously published works but paid more attention to the sample/crucible chemical interaction by rising rhenium instead of tungsten for the container. Very recently, a reassessment of the melting temperature of Pu02 was performed by De Bruycker et al?3 rising a novel experimental approach used in Manara et al}! for U02. The new value of 3017=b28K exceeds the measurement by Kato et al. by 174 K. The noncontact method and the short duration of the experiments undertaken by De Bruycker et al.33 give confidence to their new value which has been very recently taken into account in the thermodynamic modeling of the Pn-0 system. Both studies agree on the fact that the values measured in the past were underestimated. 2.02.2.3 Th-0 and Np-0 Systems The Th-0 and Np-0 phase diagrams, according to the experimental studies by Benz and Richter and Sari are given, respectively, in Figure 3(a) and 3(b). In the Th-0 phase diagram (Figure 3(a)), only the dioxide Th02 exists. At low temperature, according to Benz, the oxygen solubility limit in solid Th is low (O/Th < 0.003). A entectic reaction occurs at 2008 =b 20 K with a liquid composition very close to pure thorium. The existence of a miscibility gap has been found to occur above 3013 =b 100 K that leads to the formation of two liquid phases with O/Th ratios equal to 0.4 and 1.5 ± 0.2, respectively. The phase boundary of Th02 _X in equilibrium with liquid thorium was measured. The lower oxygen composition for Th02 _ X at the monotectic reaction corresponds to O/Th = 1.87 ±0.04. The melting point of Th02 recommended by Konings et al. is Tm = 3651 ± 17 K. This value corresponds to the measurement by Ronchi and Hiernant, which is in good agreement with the one reported on the phase diagram proposed by Benz34 in Figure 3(a). The Np-0 phase diagram looks very similar to the Th-0 system but the experimental information is very limited. In the Np-Np02 region, a miscibility gap in the liquid system is expected but no experimental data exist on the oxygen solubility limit in liquid neptunium and on the extent of this miscibility gap. The dioxide exhibits a narrow hypostoichio- metric homogeneity range (Np02_x) for temperatures above 1300 K. The phase boundary of Np02_x in equilibrium with the liquid metal is not well known. The minimum O/Np ratio is estimated to be about 1.9 at approximately 2300 K according to Figure 3(b). The recommended melting point for Np02 is Tm = 2836 ± 50 K.36'38 Only the part richer in oxygen differs from Th-0 with the presence of the 26 Thermodynamic and Thermophysical Properties of the Actinide Oxides 4273 3273 g 2273 2027+15 K 1273, Th(liquid) / 3663 K ^5 5013+100K Th(liquid) + Th02 to 2008 +20K (3-Th + ThO? h 1643 + 30K i <•-• • • ••— a-Th + Th02 (a) 1.0 O/Th ratio 2.0 2000 h ' g 1000 —I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1— l^ + Np02 Np02_x Np02_x . rNp-^NpOg P-Np + Np02 a-Np + Np02 _l I I I I I I I L_ Np02+02 Np02+ Np205 1.0 2.0 (b) O/Np ratio Figure 3 Th-0 (a) and Np-0 (b) phase diagrams after respectively Benz34 and Richter and Sari.35 © Elsevier, reproduced with permission. Np205 oxide which decomposes at 700 K to form Np02 and gaseous oxygen. The thermodynamic properties of the Np-0 system were modeled by Kinoshita et al.39 using the CALPHAD method, but the calculated phase diagram does not reproduce correctly the available experimental data for the oxygen solubility limit in Np02 - X in equilibrium with liquid neptunium. 2.02.2.4 Am-0 System The tentative Am-0 phase diagram between Am203 and Am02 shown in Figure 4 has been proposed by Thiriet and Konings, based on an analysis of the experimental data available in the literature. 3000 2500 2000 I- I ' I ' I L k \ I \/ L A+a ^L"+"a^ y^ L [■ A+C ~-£ + C' C \ r i \ Hi J i I I ' i ' i —"" a ^ a-\| + a2 C' + a i i i i - - i 1500 1000 500 1.50 1.60 1.70 1.80 1.90 2.00 O/Am Figure 4 Am203-Am02 phase diagram from Thiriet and Konings.40 © Elsevier, reprinted with permission. No data are available in the Am-Am203 region. The Am203-Am02 region looks very similar to the Pu203-Pu02 phase diagram (Figure 2(b)). The sesquioxide Am203 exists with hexagonal (A) and cubic (C) forms. The dioxide Am02 (a) starts to lose oxygen above approximately 1200K. Am02_x has a wide composition range at high temperature with a minimum O/Am ratio equal to approximately 1.6. As in the Pu-0 system, the existence of a narrow miscibility gap in the fee phase and an intermediate oxide phase with the formula AmOx 62 (C/) were found by Sari and Zamorani.41 A thermodynamic model of the Am-0 system has been very recently derived by Gotcu-Freis etat2 using the CALPHAD method. The calculated phase diagram is quite consistent with the proposed one by Thiriet and Konings. 2.02.2.5 Cm-0 System A complete review of the Cm203-Cm02 region of the Cm-0 phase diagram was performed by Konings who proposed the revised tentative Cm203-Cm02 phase diagram in Figure 5, on the basis of the suggestion by Smith and Peterson.44 The sesquioxide exists in several forms: cubic (C-type), monoclinic (B-type), and hexagonal (A-type) and X. Intermediate phases were observed: a bec phase a, with a variable composition (O/Cm between 1.52 and 1.64), a rhombohedral phase with the formula CmOx 71 (1), and a fluorite phase CmOL83 (5). Cm02 (a) is stable up to 653 K at which temperature it Thermodynamic and Thermophysical Properties of the Actinide Oxides 27 3000 2500 2000 k 1500 1000 500 X + gas H + gas" A + gas B + gas / / / / k i a + l _l I L a + gas i+gas i + 5 S + ct j i 5 +gas 1.50 1.75 O/Cm 2.00 - - C-Bk203 Bk02_x (a)	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1163
__label__wiki	0.925568	0.925568	DataMirror Launches High Availability Suite DataMirror Corporation (Toronto, Canada), a provider of enterprise-wide data replication, replenishment and resiliency software, has announced the availability of High Availability Suite 3.5. The suite maximizes business continuity by capturing AS/400 objects and database transactions from primary systems and mirroring them in real-time to one or more recovery AS/400s, limiting the effects of outages on the business. The iCluster Administrator is used to monitor and track the state of an entire cluster from a single management workstation. The software utilizes the byte stream file recording recently introduced by IBM into the OS/400 operating system – the first and only AS/400 high availability solution to do this. Support for this recording allows High Availability Suite to manage the underlying Integrated File System (IFS) requirements of business applications and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. IFS allows users to support stream input/output and storage management similar to personal computer and UNIX operating systems, while providing structure for all information stored in the AS/400. “High Availability Suite version 3.5 is the first to offer real-time IFS mirroring,” says Cadman Chui, production and marketing manager for DataMirror’s High Availability Suite. He says that the new solution is to only send changes to a file from the primary to the secondary unit, which increases speed, and saves bandwidth. In addition to DataMirror’s XtremeCache and Match/Merge architecture, High Availability 3.5 includes a new performance enhancement called auto-tuning, which is designed to automatically optimize High Availability Suite to ensure maximum for all data and object mirroring between the primary and recovery systems. Also available are several enhancements such as external alarms and alerts based on conditional events; also featured is an enhanced and simplified user interface. “No other companies offer Match/Merge,” says Chui. He says this feature ensures that changes on the primary unit are done in the right order on the recovery side. Before Match/Merge, Chui says, the risk was that if a new file was stored, and then changed immediately, the changes could reach the recovery unit before the file itself, and thus cause problems. “DataMirror’s i-Cluster Software will inherit all the enhancements [to the High Availability Suite] as well,” says Chui. i-Cluster includes a cluster management tool to define and monitor the entire cluster from one single station. It enables companies to approach 99.999 percent business continuity by providing data resiliency and application resiliency in conjunction with the IBM ClusterProven applications standard. DataMirror Corporation software integrates data among multiple databases, including OS/400. The company, which has offices in more than 30 countries, was named the fastest growing software company in Canada and the third fastest growing Canadian company overall by 2000 Profit Magazine. Pricing on the system is custom based on the computing environment. Related Editorial: DataMirror Offers Clustering/High Availability Solution for AS/400 DataMirror Corporation (new window) High Availability Suite Overview (new window) iCluster Overview (new window)	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1164
__label__cc	0.584882	0.415118	Affect in the context of self-determination theory Protogerou, C. Hagger, M. and Protogerou, C. 2018. Affect in the context of self-determination theory. In Affective Determinants of Health Behavior, 132-157. Affective Determinants of Health Behavior 10.1093/oso/9780190499037.003.0007 © Oxford University Press 2018. All rights reserved. Self-determination theory has been applied to understand the role of affect in motivation and behavior in health contexts. According to self-determination theory, autonomous forms of motivation, reflecting self-endorsed reasons for acting and the satisfaction of psychological needs, are related to participation and persistence in health behavior. Research examining the role of affect in determining health behavior from the perspective of the theory is relatively sparse. Affect has served as both an outcome and process in applications of the theory to health behavior. Positive affect and psychological well-being have been identified as important outcomes of participating in behaviors for autonomous reasons. Affect is inextricably linked to motivational processes through eudaimonic and hedonic well-being, the passionate pursuit of activities, and the regulation of behavior through active management of aversive emotional responses. The chapter outlines how support for autonomous motivation by significant others may lead to adaptive behavioral engagement and affective responses in health behavior. Autonomous and controlled motivational regulations for multiple health-related behaviors: between- and within-participants analyses Hagger, Martin; Hardcastle, S.; Chater, A.; Mallett, C.; Pal, Sebely; Chatzisarantis, N. (2014) Self-determination theory has been applied to the prediction of a number of health-related behaviors with self-determined or autonomous forms of motivation generally more effective in predicting health behavior than ... A motivational cross-lagged approach for examining subjective age and work ability. Laguerre, Rick; Barnes-Farrell, Janet; Petery, Gigi (2019) Subjective age is the age one feels, which can often differ from one’s chronological age. Research shows that this form of age identification has cross-cultural relevance when assessing life-course development (Barak, ... Hygienic food handling behaviors: Attempting to bridge the intention-behavior gap using aspects from temporal self-regulation theory Fulham, E.; Mullan, Barbara (2011) An estimated 25% of the populations of both the United States and Australia suffer from foodborne illness every year, generally as a result of incorrect food handling practices. The aim of the current study was to determine ...	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1165
__label__wiki	0.914869	0.914869	Exploring London A blog about London and its history… This Week in London – Biggest ever Magna Carta exhibition; 200 years since Waterloo at the NPG; and, Alexander McQueen at the V&A… • The largest ever exhibition related to the Magna Carta opens at the British Library in King’s Cross tomorrow to mark the 800th anniversary of the document’s sealing. Magna Carta: Law, Liberty, Legacy features two original Magna Carta manuscripts from 1215 as well as 1215 document, the Articles of the Barons (known as ‘draft’ of the Magna Carta), the Petition of Right (1628), the English Bill of Rights (1689), and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). It will also display two of the most celebrated documents in American history – the Delaware copy of the Bill of Rights and Thomas Jefferson’s handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence (both on loan from the US National Archives) – along with UK cabinet papers from 1941 in which it was proposed an original Magna Carta manuscript from 1215 be given to the US in return for their support in World War II and artefacts including King John’s teeth, thumb bone and fragments of clothing taken from his tomb in 1797 as well as his will. The exhibition tells the story of the Magna Carta from its creation in 1215 through to its later use by people fighting for various rights and freedoms and its continuing impact on the world today. There’s also a series of interviews with politicians, historians and public figures including Burmese activist Aung San Suu Kyi, former US President Bill Clinton and William Hague. Runs until 1st September. Admission charge applies. For more – and a digitised gallery of artifacts – visit www.bl.uk/magna-carta-exhibition. PICTURE: Great Seal of King John, 1203 © Eton College Archives on display in Magna Carta: Law, Liberty, Legacy. • The first gallery exhibition devoted to the Duke of Wellington opens at the National Portrait Gallery off Trafalgar Square today. Marking the 200th anniversary year of the Battle of Waterloo, Wellington: Triumphs, Politics, and Passions explores Wellington’s political and military career as well as his personal life. Highlights include Goya’s 1812 portrait of Wellington following his entry into Madrid (later modified to recognise further battle honours and awards), and Thomas Lawrence’s famous portrait painted in 1815, the same year as the Battle of Waterloo (the painting, which normally hangs in Apsley House, was used as the basis of the design of the £5 British note from 1971 to 1991). The exhibition of 59 portraits and other works also includes rarely seen works loaned by Wellington’s family include a John Hoppner portrait of the duke as a young soldier and a daguerreotype portrait taken by Antoine Claudet for Wellington’s 75th birthday in 1844. Runs until 7th June. Admission is free. For more, see www.npg.org.uk or for more on the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, see www.waterloo200.org. • An exhibition celebrating the works of the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen opens at the V&A in South Kensington on Saturday. Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty presents his works in 10 sections which focus on everything from McQueen’s roots in London, his “skilful subversion of traditional tailoring practices”, his fascination with the animal world and his longstanding interest in Eastern cultures. At the centre of the exhibition is The Cabinet of Curiosities, a display showcasing more than 100 garments and accessories and shown with film footage from his many catwalk presentations. The exhibition runs until 2nd August. Admission charge applies but you’ll have to be quick – the exhibition has already set the record for the most ever advance sales for an exhibition at the museum. For more, see www.vam.ac.uk/savagebeauty. Send all items for inclusion to exploringlondon@gmail.com. Posted in 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, Duke of Wellington, Galleries, John, King's Cross, Medieval, Museums, News, Regency, South Kensington, Trafalgar Square, Twentieth century \| Tagged 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, 800th anniversary of the Mah, Alexander McQueen, Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, Apsley House, Articles of the Barons.English Bill of Rights, Battle of Waterloo, Bill of Rights, British Library, Declaration of Independence, Duke of Wellington, John Hoppner, King John, King John's thumb bone, King John's tooth, King's Cross, Legacy, Liberty, Magna Carta: Law, Magna Carter, National Portrait Gallery, Petition of Right, South Kensington, Thomas Lawrence, Trafalgar Square, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, V&A, Wellington: Triumphs Politics and Passions \| Leave a Comment » Follow Exploring London via email Like Exploring London About Exploring London Books about London Lost London - Button's Coffee House... Exploring London’s 100 most popular posts of all time! – Numbers 94 and 93… 10 fictional character addresses in London – 4. 186 Fleet Street... 10 iconic London film locations...1. Mary Poppins and feeding the birds at St Paul's Cathedral... 10 of London’s most curious (and historic) graves - A recap... 10 (lesser known) memorials to women 10 (lesser known) monuments featuring animals in London 10 (more) curious London memorials 10 (more) fictional character addresses in London 10 (more) historic London garden squares 10 fictional character addresses in London 10 Historic London Garden Squares 10 historic London hotels 10 Historic London Markets 10 Historic Sporting Events in London 10 iconic London film locations 10 London 'Battlefields' 10 London sites associated with Sir Winston Churchill 10 London sites to celebrate Charles Dickens 10 London subterranean sites 10 modern icons of London 10 Most Popular Posts of 2012 10 notable blue plaques of London 10 of London's greatest Victorian projects 10 of London's World War I memorials 10 of London’s most curious (and historic) graves 10 of the most memorable (and historic) views of London 10 Significant Sites in Georgian London 10 sites commemorating the Great Fire of London 10 sites from London at the time of the Magna Carta 10 sites from Mary Shelley's London 10 sites from Shakespearean London 10 sites from Victoria and Albert's London 10 sites of significance in Jane Austen's London 10 small 'secret' and historic gardens in central London 10 Thames islands 100 most popular posts countdown 1851 Great Exhibition 1951 Festival of Britain 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo 300th anniversary of Hanoverian accession 300th anniversary of the birth of Lancelot 'Capability' Brown 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death 600th anniversary of Agincourt 8 historic department stores 8 structures from the London that never was 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta 850th anniversary of the death of Thomas Becket 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings A Moment in London's History Admiral Lord Nelson Alfred the Great Areas of London Beating Retreat Canute Capability Brown Cardinal Wolsey Celebrating the Diamond Jubilee with 10 royal London locations Ceremony of the Constable's Dues David Garrick Diamond Jubilee 2012 Dick Whittington Dickens 2012 Doggett's Coat and Badge Edward I Edward II Edward III Edward IV Edward V Edwin Lutyens Ethelred Exploring London's 10th anniversary Gaius Suetonius Paulus Gordon Riots Great Fire of London Grinling Gibbons Hampton Court Palace 500th Anniversary Hans Sloane Harold II Henry VI Jacobite Rising of 1715 John Nash John Soane Joseph Bazalgette Literary heritage London 2012 Festival London's oldest LondonLife Lord Mayor's Show Lost London Magna Carta 800th anniversary Mary II Mayors of London Monuments/memorials/gateways Music heritage New Year's Day Parade Norman Conquest Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race Peasants Revolt Peter the Wild Boy Pub signs Queens of England Richard I Royal Parks St James' Palace State Opening of Parliament The Championships The Proms Thomas á Becket Thomas Coram Thomas Cubitt Thomas Wolsey Treasures of London Tudor Pull Underground's 150th William II William III William IV William Marshal William Walworth Brompton Oratory Events at city churches London City Churches St Bartholomew the Great St Brides St Martin-in-the-Fields St Stephen Walbrook Tate Modern/Tate Britain The Courtauld Gallery City of London Corporation London Blogs We Like London Historians Pepys' Diary The Great Wen Visit London Flickr pool Plaque Guide Dr Johnson's House Foundling Museum Geffrye Museum Museum of London Docklands National Maritime Museum Soane Museum Bloomsbury Blue plaques British Library British Museum Buckingham Palace Charles Dickens Chelsea City of London Covent Garden Duke of Wellington Dulwich Picture Gallery English Heritage Famous Londoners Fleet Street Great Fire of London Greenwich Guildhall Art Gallery Hampton Court Palace Houses of Parliament Hyde Park Imperial War Museum Kensington Palace Kew Gardens King Charles I King Charles II King George III King Henry VIII King James I London London Bridge London events LondonLife London photography London place names London pubs Lost London Mansion House Marylebone Mayfair Museum of London Museum of London Docklands National Gallery National Maritime Museum National Portrait Gallery Natural History Museum Piccadilly Prince Albert Prince Charles Queen Elizabeth I Queen Elizabeth II Queen Victoria River Thames Royal Academy of Arts Royal Parks Science Museum Sir Christopher Wren South Kensington Southwark St Paul's Cathedral Tate Britain Tate Modern The Thames Tower Bridge Tower of London Trafalgar Square Treasures of London V&A Victoria and Albert Museum West End Westminster Westminster Abbey Whitehall William Shakespeare World War I World War II exploringlondon on What’s in a name?…… Kathleen Buckley on What’s in a name?…… artandarchitecturema… on Treasures of London – On… Charles Knight on What’s in a name?…… Kevin Cullen on Merry Christmas to all our…	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1171
__label__wiki	0.816684	0.816684	REENTRY: COMING HOME SERVICES THAT REBUILD LIVES ADVOCACY THAT CHANGES MINDS Direct all media inquiries to Colleen Roche of LAK Public Relations, Inc., who can be reached via email or by phone at (212) 329-1413. For more information about our monthly television program, Both Sides of the Bars, click here. The Fortune Society Unveils 2019 State Legislative Agenda In the 2019 Legislative Agenda, Fortune is calling on elected officials in Albany to support programs that foster successful re-entry; protect immigrants from deportation and warrantless arrests; and close the homelessness/prison-to-shelter pipeline. JoAnne Page, President and CEO of The Fortune Society, said, “For more than five decades, The Fortune Society has worked to build a world where people with criminal justice involvement have the tools and the opportunities to thrive as positive, contributing members of society. Today, there is a palpable optimism that true and historic reform is within reach. But we cannot take anything for granted. Fortune will be a strong and ever-present force in the halls of Albany to ensure that our elected officials enact measures that result in a more humane, smarter, more efficient and fairer system of justice.” Among the key measures on Fortune’s legislative priority agenda are: Geriatric Parole (A.04319/S.02144) Fortune urges the passage of measures sponsored by Assembly Member David Weprin and Senator Brad Hoylman that would allow the Board of Parole to evaluate for possible release all incarcerated individuals over the age of 55 who have served at least 15 years in prison. From 2007 to 2016, while the overall New York State prison population declined by 17.3%, the number of people incarcerated aged 50 and over increased by 46.0 percent, many of whom suffer from debilitating and chronic illnesses. People in prison aged 50 and older are far less likely to return to prison for new crimes than their younger counterparts. For example, only 6.4% of people incarcerated in New York State released age 50 and older returned to prison for new convictions; this number was 4% for people released at the age of 65 and older. Mandatory Early Parole (A.4346/S.497) Sponsored by Assembly Member Weprin and Senator Gustavo Rivera, this bill would require the Board of Parole to release people to community supervision when their minimum period of incarceration has been served unless there is a clear and current public safety reason to keep them in prison. Community Supervision Revocation Reform Act (A. same-as number pending/S.1343a) The Fortune Society supports this bill, also known as the Less is More Act, sponsored by Sen. Brian Benjamin and Assembly Member Walter Mosley. This bill was developed by people on parole, people currently incarcerated, family members, and advocacy groups across New York. The bill would address the inordinately high rates of re-incarceration of New Yorkers on technical violations including missing an appointment with a parole officer, being late for curfew, or testing positive for alcohol. Of people on parole whom New York sent back to prison in 2016, over 6,300 or 65% were reincarcerated for technical parole violations. Specifically, the measure will provide earned time credits; bolster due process; provide speedy hearings; and restrict the use of incarceration for technical violations. Prison Minimum Wage Act (A.1275/S.11317) If passed, the Prison Minimum Wage Act sponsored by Senator Zellnor Myrie and Assembly Member N. Nick Perry will be a critical step forward by raising the hourly amount earned by incarcerated individuals who work outside the facility at nonprofit organizations. It will allow incarcerated people to network with prospective employers, explore career pathways, and feel less isolated while confined. This legislation will also give non-profits access to a much larger pool of talented people with valuable skills that encompass a wide range of expertise. One Day to Protect New Yorkers (A.4469/S.1825) Under current federal immigration law, many immigrants can be deported after a conviction simply because they face a sentence of up to a year of incarceration. Because class A misdemeanors in New York have a potential sentence of one year, even green card holders can be deported for a single misdemeanor conviction, although they might not have been sentenced to a single day in jail. Sponsored by Assembly Member Marcos Crespo and Senator Jessica Ramos, this legislation – known as One Day to Protect New Yorkers – would reduce the maximum sentence for A misdemeanor offenses by just one day – from 365 to 364 days – giving federal judges discretion in deportation cases and allowing them to assess each case on an individual basis. Reducing the maximum potential sentence by one day could potentially spare thousands of hard-working immigrants from deportation. Protect Our Courts Act (A.02176/S.00425) This groundbreaking legislation sponsored by Assembly Member Michaelle Solages and Senator Brad Hoylman would prohibit Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from making civil arrests at New York State courthouses without a judicial warrant or court order. The protection would extend beyond courthouse walls and apply to arrests of individuals going to or leaving a court as well. According to a new report from The Immigrant Defense Project, ICE courthouse arrests have increased 1,054% since 2016 (11 arrests in 2016 vs 127 arrests last year) effectively disrupting court functions, sowing fear in immigrant communities seeking justice, and undermining public safety. In fact, a report from the ACLU found that courthouse arrests were deterring immigrants from reporting crimes. Section 8 Shelter Allowances: (A.7859/S.6433) Sponsored by Assembly Member Andrew Hevesi and Senator Simcha Felder, this legislation would require that the shelter allowance for those receiving Section 8 housing assistance be equal to the local agency maximum monthly shelter allowance prescribed by regulations of the New York State Department of Social Services. This will increase the subsidy dollars available to NYCHA and other agencies and allow those agencies to provide Section 8 assistance to a greater number of low-income families in need of affordable housing. New Rent Supplements (A1620/S2375) Sponsored by Assembly Member Hevesi, this bill amends the Social Services Law to create a new statewide rent supplement for families and individuals who are eligible for public assistance benefits and who are also facing eviction, homelessness, or loss of housing due to domestic violence or hazardous living conditions. This important bill will address the pipeline of people coming into the shelter system, including those released from prison. The measure mandates that the local social services provide 85% of fair market rate for the unit size to people facing eviction and allows for a separate heating and fuel subsidy. * Denotes that this is the bill number from the 2017-18 session and has not yet been re-filed. Read more at The Fortune Society Back Our vision is to foster a world where all who are incarcerated or formerly incarcerated will thrive as positive, contributing members of society. Long Island City (Main Office) 29-76 Northern Boulevard info@fortunesociety.org SUBSCRIBE TO THE FORTUNE WEEKLY Learn how Fortune Society can help you	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1175
__label__cc	0.55542	0.44458	Investing » Investing for Beginners » Fees Associated With Variable Annuity By: Denise Sullivan Variable annuities offer steady income and tax benefits. 1. What Is the Difference Between an Annuity & a 401(k) Plan? 2. The Disadvantages of Variable Annuities 3. How to Collect on an Annuity Variable annuities provide tax-deferred earnings and a guaranteed payment stream in retirement. You must first fund the annuity with a one-time deposit or a recurring series of deposits, also known as purchase payments. Your deposits will be invested in securities such as stocks, bonds and mutual funds, which may fluctuate in value over time. Variable annuities charge several types of fees, so you should carefully analyze the terms of the contract before committing to make a deposit. Mortality and Expense Fees If you die before the annuity finishes paying out, your beneficiaries may get a death benefit. The death benefit is usually limited to the amount you paid into the annuity before your death, but this depends on the annuity company and the parameters of your particular policy. If the death benefit is included in your policy, the annuity company will charge a mortality and expense fee to cover the associated risk and administrative costs. Mortality and expense fees may also fund the commission for the salesperson who set up the annuity for you. Your annuity company may also charge a small fee for its time and expenses incurred while handling your account. The administrative fee may be a flat fee or a percentage of the annuity's value. Variable annuities may also pass on the management fees from the securities that were purchased as investments. Rider Fees Extra features on your policy typically require an additional rider fee. For variable annuities, these add-ons usually focus on guarantees to offset the risk of investment losses. For example, an additional rider may guarantee minimum payments or allow you to lock in your gains after a specified period. If the investments in your account lose value after this date, the annuity company must make up the difference. You may also be able to purchase riders for deposit bonuses or medical benefits. Surrender Charges Most annuities impose a waiting period before you may withdraw your funds. The period varies between companies, but it is usually between six and 10 years after opening the annuity. If you need to withdraw money before the waiting period expires, you must pay a surrender charge. The surrender charge typically decreases the longer you wait before taking a withdrawal. Some annuity companies also let you withdraw a small portion of the account without incurring a surrender charge. Section 1035 Exchanges A Section 1035 exchange allows you to cash out an existing variable annuity and purchase a new one without paying taxes on your gains. However, you must pay any applicable surrender charges on the existing annuity if the waiting period has not expired at the time of the exchange. You will also start another waiting period after opening your new annuity, exposing you to a second surrender charge if you need to withdraw your funds. SEC.gov: What Is a Variable Annuity? SEC.gov: Variable Annuity Charges WealthManagement: Not So Easy Riders Denise Sullivan has been writing professionally for more than five years after a long career in business. She has been published on Yahoo! Voices and other publications. Her areas of expertise are business, law, gaming, home renovations, gardening, sports and exercise. How to Liquidate an Annuity Difference Between Annuity & Mutual Funds Annuity Fee Comparisons How to Transfer a Lump Sum Annuity Payout The Tax Consequences of a Whole Life Annuity When Is Withdrawing From an Annuity Taxable Income? What Is a Single Premium Deferred Annuity With Index Option? How Can I Get my Money From my Deferred Fixed Annuity? Are Surrender Charges on a Qualified Annuity Tax-Deductible?	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1185
__label__cc	0.66438	0.33562	FacebookTwitterCustom A Gateway to Quakerism in New England Basics of Quaker Faith Fruits of Our Faith Quaker Worship Meeting for Business Simple Lunch and Potlucks Prayer Circle Avison Fund Bolivian Quaker Fund New Story Group Peace and the Planet AFSC FCNL FWCC MAAP, Inc. NEYM Other Area Meetings First Day (Sunday) School Joining Meeting Messages and Minutes FMC Community Website For Registered Users Only Fellowship Events Cambridge Interfaith Sanctuary Coalition (CISC) Home/Outreach/Sanctuary FMC participated as a member of the 11 member Cambridge Interfaith Sanctuary Coalition (CISC) for two years, from March 2017 to March 2019. About 25 of our community have been active participants in the work of the Coalition. As background, CISC was formed in early 2017 by 7 congregations in Cambridge. One, University Lutheran Church (UniLu), agreed to be a Level 1 Sanctuary, to house from 1 to 6 sanctuary seekers in space they had converted in their building. The other 6 congregations agreed to being Level 2 supporting congregations. Since then 4 more congregations have joined. The Sanctuary housing was one of 3 planned areas of effort; the other two were advocacy/ accompaniment and community education. In a very short time, May 2017, a mother and her children requested sanctuary at UniLu. Since then, the main focus of CISC has been the care and support of the Sanctuary guests, by taking shifts at UniLu, purchasing groceries, and nurturing the children. The other prongs, advocacy, accompaniment and community education, have not been as much of a focus. At our March 2019 Meeting for Business in Worship, FMC made the decision to resign formal membership. Many of us are feeling ready to spend time on accompaniment, advocacy, and community education about immigration policies. And our volunteers can continue the immigration work as we are led, doing shifts and grocery shopping for CISC through other member congregations, and advocacy and accompaniment through organizations such as Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network (BIJAN) and Massachusetts Immigration and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA). Why are Friends involved in Sanctuary? It is now five months that Quakers have been part of the Cambridge Sanctuary Interfaith Coalition (CSIC). It is now four months that a mother and her children have been housed in a nearby church because she was threatened with deportation. Myself, along with hundreds of other concerned citizens have accompanied this mother in her chosen place of refuge. So, for weeks I have reflected on, “Why join in sanctuary?” In a way, our sanctuary covenant reminds me of the prophet Micah. “What does the Lord require of you? —to love kindness, to do justice, and to walk humbly with our God.” (Micah 6:8) Where is kindness among immigrant families? I go into the top floor of the Lutheran church where we have carved out a sanctuary space and I open my heart. I enter quietly and smile when I pass the mother. The 3-year-old girl jumps into my arms. It’s hard for me to stay for four hours, cooped up like a horse in the stall. But I need to change my attitude: I come here to learn, I come to share suffering, and to show friendliness in a harsh country that divides parents from children. We find out that the mom loves the fresh kale a friend brought from their garden. How is sitting with the family also acting holy justice? The immigration laws that send undocumented people to other countries are inhumane. In sanctuary, we follow God’s justice, not humankind’s imperfect laws. It’s not a cliché to say, “I’m not free, until this mother is free,” “I’m not safe until all of us are safe.” I could simply denounce the immigration law that deports hard-working, law-abiding people. Instead, I choose to stand in the way bodily. I chose to join a movement modeling a restorative, reconciling justice. I will not just wait in patience, I will speak out and demand fair treatment for all. We will build a holy mountain, not a dividing wall. This justice helps families stay together, work productively, and go to school. How do we walk humbly in sanctuary? We are walking down a new path. We don’t have all the answers. We need to keep our words tender and our hearts open. What has been your experience in responding to what God requires of you? Please share any stories of sanctuary or of doing God’s work in the world. —In Holy Obedience, Minga Claggett-Borne Update on participating churches The Cambridge Interfaith Sanctuary Coalition currently consists of the following Sanctuary Congregation, which will provide physical sanctuary: University Lutheran Church Supporting Congregations to University Lutheran Church: Cambridge Minyan Harvard Divinity School Student Led Interfaith and Secular Coalition Harvard Epworth United Methodist Church First Church in Cambridge (UCC) Old Cambridge Baptist Church Eitz Chaim Friends Meeting at Cambridge (Quaker) First Parish in Cambridge (UU) St. James Episcopal Christ Church Episcopal Why should Friends join in with Sanctuary? I have been breaking down the doors of our country’s power structure this month. I have been shaking at the foundations of white privilege each Monday. I have joined the Cambridge Interfaith coalition to illegally offer Sanctuary to Ana, a mother from Latin America. When I volunteer with 10 other Cambridge Friends every Monday. Accompanying Ana is not strenuous. We are trained in how to act if the ‘authorities’ come to arrest Ana. There is very little worry that ICE will come knocking at the doors of the Lutheran church which houses her family. I sit in the ‘volunteer’ room and read or write or play with Ana’s 2 children. But make no mistake. Participating in Sanctuary is justice work. It is reversing the government’s inhumane splitting of families and its unjust hegemony on the US protecting its shores for white people. When I sign up to accompany this young vibrant family, I’m lending my privilege to help those without legal rights. I’m saying to the government, you cannot take an innocent person and throw her out of our country into a dangerous situation without me standing in the way. I can’t do Sanctuary alone. Neither can you. We pray together for God’s guidance. But as a Quaker team of 15 or 30 people we can offer protection to the innocent for a long time. Will you join us? Please contact me, Minga, at minga@thebornes.org, if you are interested. There is a great deal happening in the Sanctuary community, as we work within CISC and with other organizations in the struggle to defend undocumented immigrants from deportation and injustice. In May there were five trainings for volunteers, and more will be coming in the summer and fall for those interested in working with the Coalition. On June 4, 2017, at First Church Cambridge, 11 Garden Street, Dr. Michael Grodin gave a lecture on Trauma and the Migration Process. Dr. Grodin is a professor of Health Law, Ethics and Human Rights at Boston University and cofounder of the Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights. Opportunities will be forthcoming to work with Diego Low at Metrowest Worker Center/Casa del Trabajador/Casa Do Trabalhador in Framingham; details will follow when available. We are eager to share what we are learning in our Sanctuary work! Please complete the Volunteer Interest Form, which is also available in the Center, in order to be kept informed of upcoming events. If you have questions, ask Susan Davies (617-876-0862), John Bach, Lynn Lazar, or Kim West. FMC has joined the Sanctuary Coalition in Cambridge as a supporting congregation to University Lutheran in Harvard Square, which will house undocumented immigrants in danger of deportation. Much of the Coalition’s time and energy to date has been put into preparing for the physical sanctuary portion. This work continues, with some of the practical details still being worked out, and the timing of receiving guests into the space is yet to be determined. Subcommittees are working on the logistics of volunteer engagement and coordination within congregations and the Coalition; creation of a database of medical, legal, social worker and other services that could be available as needed; and trainings to be provided to volunteers. Advocacy is also very much a part of the Coalition’s purpose. The two upcoming efforts/events we would like to share are: The pending Safe Communities Act, which needs endorsement, and “spreading the word.” Support Safe Communities. The May Day strike “Day without Immigrants” being organized by Cosecha. People of faith and places of worship will lift up the struggles of undocumented immigrants, spark conversations about our role in this moment as people of faith, support immigrant organizers, and push back on the increased enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity under the new administration. The following link provides info and a sign-up form to get involved: CosechaFe. We would like those in the FMC community who would like to find out more about what volunteering would entail to reach out to Susan Davies, John Bach, Kim West and Lynn Lazar. Some of you have already done so, thank you. During the coffee hour at the rise of meeting on May 7, one of us will be at a table in the Friends Room, ready and eager to share information about this movement and to answer questions about getting involved. As a result of the recently escalated anti-immigrant rhetoric and activity in the United States, the sanctuary movement has gained new life and is growing among faith congregations all over the country. Many have memories of the Sanctuary Movement in the 1980’s, during which immigrants fleeing Central America were helped into the country. This movement differs in that it is helping those who are already here in the country but do not have documentation and are therefore under threat of deportation. Some faith congregations are offering physical housing to undocumented individuals, while others are supporting those congregations in a variety of ways. Numerous organizations are providing training and other tools to assist this effort. The Harvard Square Churches Sanctuary Coalition has been formed in Cambridge as part of this movement. Four key factors that are important in Supporting Congregations: Volunteers – If guests are housed in the physical church it could require 1 to 2 people with them in the church 24 hours a day, so volunteers would need to take shifts. If there are enough congregations in the coalition, it might mean providing volunteers for around 24 hours a day one day a week. Providing food for those given physical sanctuary – This could be a combination of supplying groceries for the guests to be able to cook for themselves and providing prepared meals. Funding that could be used to help with a variety of things including legal defense. Advocacy for those who are being threatened with deportation. Understanding that not all congregations can provide all of these, each needs to commit to what is realistic for their community. New Sanctuary Movement Legal Toolkit Sanctuary Not Deportation 2017 Sanctuary/Solidarity Congregational Toolkit Massachusetts Communities Action Network – http://www.mcan-pico.org/ Center for Human Rights – http://centerforhumanrights.org/ New Sanctuary Movement – https://www.sanctuarynotdeportation.org/ Boston New Sanctuary Movement – http://www.bostonnewsanctuary.org/ AFSC – Know Your Rights – https://www.afsc.org/category/topic/know-your-rights Sanctuary Resource On March 1, Linda Rabben, anthropologist at University of Maryland, human rights advocate, and attender of Adelphia, MD, Friends Meeting gave a talk about the history of sanctuary movements in the United States and led a lively discussion about the 1980’s sanctuary movement and the current situation. This event was sponsored by FMC’s Friends for Racial Justice committee. Dr. Rabben’s interest in sanctuary movements began when she was a consultant to the ACLU and asked how she, personally, could help. The ACLU put her in touch with a young woman who had been detained prior to deportation. In working to prevent that woman’s deportation, Dr. Rabben became convinced of the need to understand sanctuary movements more generally and the way our immigration-related legal system works in particular. Her new book, Sanctuary & Asylum: A Social and Political History, explores the long history of sanctuary and analyzes modern asylum policies, contrasting them with the role that courageous individuals and organizations have played in offering refuge to survivors of torture, persecution, and discrimination. —Barbara Scott Nelson Bolivian Quaker Education Fund Peace and the Planet (Video) © 2012– \| office@fmcquaker.org \| 5 Longfellow Park, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA \| (617) 876-6883	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1190
__label__wiki	0.571008	0.571008	Tag: ESSENTIALLY INVISIBLE TO THE EYE KAREN TWEED – Essentially Invisible To The Eye – MAY MORNING ADVENTURES MMA6327002 “A novel, an autobiography, a casserole and as close to a self portrait as I am able to create”: Karen Tweed’s own words on the cover of this remarkable solo album. Traditional tunes, original compositions and music from all over the world come together in five long sets. For the autobiography we must start with ‘Edelweiss’ and ‘Que Sera Sera’, part of ‘Karine’ – all the tracks are named after people, a homage to The Enigma Variations, perhaps – which we can imagine as part of Karen’s childhood. In fact, Karine might really be Karen and Aidan O’Rouke’s ‘Mattie And Karine’s’ from which the set takes its name might just be a happy coincidence. For the novel we must turn, perhaps, to Honoria with three French tunes, one of Karen’s own and one by Jon Swayne. As far as I know Karen hasn’t worked extensively in France so here is an element of fiction. ‘Ffion’, which comprises five original pieces, probably constitutes the self portrait and as for the casserole I’ve pushed the metaphor as far as I wish. This album is by one player and one instrument and flies by – actually drifts by would be a better description for even on the up-tempo pieces there is no sense of urgency – and is over before you realise it. If you’re not already a fan this is a record to make you rethink the piano-accordion. Artist Web Link: www.karentweed.com Posted on February 20, 2012 March 22, 2018 Author folkmasterCategories CD ReviewsTags Dai Jeffries, ESSENTIALLY INVISIBLE TO THE EYE, Karen Tweed Karen Tweed – Essentially Invisible to the Eye ESSENTIALLY INVISIBLE TO THE EYE is Karen Tweed’s latest recording and, in being entirely solo, is a departure from her extensive collaborative work which has dominated her career since the early 1990s. Born in London in 1963 to an Irish mother and English father, Karen took up the accordion at the age of eleven. Since turning professional in the late 1980s, she has appeared on over thirty albums from her early days with The Kathryn Tickell Band to being a founding member of the pioneering all female Poozies, through the Anglo-Swedish ensemble SWAP, American collaboration Undertoe with Stuart Kenney, Marko Packard and Rodney Miller, to The Two Duos Quartet with Andy Cutting, Chris Wood and Ian Carr. Karen’s duo work with Ian Carr, Andy Cutting and also Roger Wilson and John Dipper has left many an audience mesmerised at her breathtaking musicianship, while her trios with Hannah James and Becky Price in Hell Said The Duchess and with Carolyn Robson and Kevin Dempsey are more examples of her diversity and creativity. Her larger scale projects include Circa Compania, a 14-piece all-singing, all-dancing tour-de-force and The No 1 Ladies Accordion Orchestra where she has brought together accordionists from all over the UK. More recently she has been Musical Director of ‘Land of Liberty’ a community play directed by Philip Parr of Parrabola and her duo work includes singers Jackie Oates, Kevin Dempsey and Johnny Coppin. Karen’s teaming up with highly respected Finnish pianist and composer Timo Alakotila to form May Monday led to phenomenal praise and accolades for their artistic grace, beauty and breaking down of musical barriers. Her playing has been described as mercurial, soulful, effervescent and sensitive, while as a teacher, she’s proved to be an inspirational and encouraging role model, whether teaching university students performance and arrangement skills or leading accordion workshops and master classes. ESSENTIALLY INVISIBLE TO THE EYE, produced by Bruce Molsky, brings all of these influences and ideas from her career so far together and illustrates just how dynamic, sensual, joyful and inspirational she can be. Karen often cites those she has worked with as major influences and inspiration and this fine recording shows how she continues to incorporate and further develop those ideas. Following conversations with Bruce, Colum Sands and Lorraine Carpenter, Karen began to think about a solo project and their thoughts that her music could be seen as songs or stories without words rather than a collection of tunes, sparked off the seed for this CD. Bruce Molsky was the perfect choice as producer, because of his diverse and superb skills as a musician and his understanding of storytelling through traditional song. The CD has five tracks, all solo accordion but performed as a suite of Karen’s much loved collections of tunes, a blend of original and traditional and intended to be played as one, taking the listener on a lyrical journey, sometimes autobiographical, sometimes whimsical but illustrating how much the accordion has become Karen’s voice and pen and muse. ESSENTIALLY INVISIBLE TO THE EYE is possibly Karen’s most emotive work to date and will be toured in its entirety in 2012. For more information and the latest tour news, please visit: www.karentweed.com Posted on January 27, 2012 March 22, 2018 Author folkmasterCategories Press ReleasesTags Andy Cutting, Becky Price, Bruce Molsky, Carolyn Robson, Chris Wood, Circa Compania, Colum Sands, ESSENTIALLY INVISIBLE TO THE EYE, Hannah James, Ian Carr, Jackie Oates, John Dipper, Johnny Coppin, Karen Tweed, Kevin Dempsey, Lorraine Carpenter, Marko Packard, Poozies, Rodney Miller, Roger Wilson, Stuart Kenney, SWAP, The Kathryn Tickell Band, The No 1 Ladies Accordion Orchestra, The Two Duos Quartet, Timo Alakotila	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1194
__label__cc	0.743821	0.256179	Gavel slams: Airbnb not eligible for privileged tax treatment A report released on behalf of the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) calls on state and local government leaders to reject Airbnb’s future pursuit of voluntary collection agreements (VCAs) and look to the Wayfair decision as a pathway to cancel current VCA agreements and bring Airbnb up to code with current industry tax standards and regulations. AHLA released a new report on National Tax Day, conducted by former Director of the Montana Revenue Department Dan Bucks, which clearly demonstrates why the Supreme Court’s Wayfair vs. South Dakota decision last year eliminates the need for state and localities to enter into “voluntary collection agreements” (VCAs) with Airbnb and provides the legal framework and incentive to tax Airbnb like every other U.S. online business now. “Airbnb no longer qualifies—if it ever did—for privileged treatment by tax agencies as a ‘voluntary collector,’” states Bucks in the report. “This treatment gives Airbnb an unfair advantage in the marketplace by creating a tax and regulatory haven for Airbnb lodging operators. Post-Wayfair, Airbnb’s “voluntary agreements” are now a relic of a past legal premise that no longer exists.” Bucks urges government leaders to begin the process of terminating existing “voluntary” tax agreements with Airbnb in coordination with state adoption of “general marketplace provider” legislation. Bucks went on to say that disparities between the tax treatment of Airbnb and other online businesses pose a legal risk to states and localities. “Airbnb has been making back-room deals and strong-arming state and local jurisdictions into ‘voluntary’ tax deals with no transparency, oversight or auditing capability for years,” stated Chip Rogers, President and CEO at AHLA. “Airbnb, and other short term rental platforms need to abide by the same rules as all other law-abiding, tax-paying businesses in the industry.” AHLA urges state and local government leaders to terminate Airbnb’s voluntary tax deals and instead institute a tax policy that will collect taxes from Airbnb and its operators to ensure an even playing field and transparency for taxpayers. In San Francisco, home of Airbnb’s corporate headquarters, the company agreed to pay back taxes and collect city taxes from its hosts. AHLA urges other states and localities to follow suit. “Airbnb’s secret tax agreements are hurting communities across America by shortchanging their schools, infrastructure, and other public services” stated Rogers. “Airbnb’s special treatment needs to end.” The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) is the singular voice representing every segment of the hotel industry including major chains, independent hotels, management companies, REIT’s, bed and breakfasts, industry partners and more. Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: American Travel News, and, association, begin, Breaking Travel News, Business, businesses, cancel, CEO, chains, city, code, collect, collection, communities, companies, company, corporate, court, current, Dakota, day, deals, decision, department, director, end, even, existing, Feature, follow, framework, Francisco, future, general, government, haven, headquarters, home, Hospitality News, hosts, hotel, hotel industry, Hotels, in, Incentive, including, independent, independent hotels, Industry, infrastructure, Instead, Institute, IT, last, law, leaders, legal, legislation, like, local, local government, lodging, Lodging Association, major, management, marketplace, Montana, national, need, needs, New, new report, News articles, online, operators, oversight, partners, past, pay, platforms, policy, POST, president, president and CEO, privileged, provides, public, regulations, regulatory, reject, released, relic, rental, report, representing, Revenue, Risk, room, rules, s, San Francisco, schools, Secret, services, short, South, Special, standards, State, stated, states, strong, suit, Supreme, Supreme Court, tax, taxes, taxpayers, term, to, tourism, transparency, Travel & Tourism Organizations News, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, treatment, U.S, up, VCA, voice, voluntary, Wayfair, went, Why, year, years	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1197
__label__wiki	0.547106	0.547106	Check Your Eligibility in These Class-Action Settlements from Whirlpool, Wells Fargo Unwanted text messages, leaky refrigerators, fake discounts and more top the list of the latest major class-action settlements. Hyundai Sonata ‘Smart Trunk’ Carmaker Hyundai has agreed to settle allegations that the “Smart Trunk” feature in Sonata sedans are defective. Instead of opening fully after the consumer presses the key fob for three seconds, the lawsuit alleged the trunk only opened a few inches. The consumer would have to manually push open the trunk lid, negating the perk of having a “hands-free” Smart Trunk as it was advertised. The settlement affects consumers who own or lease or previously owned or leased a 2015 to 2017 Hyundai Sonata that included the Smart Trunk feature. Four different types of compensation are available, from $50 cash payments to warranty extensions. Click here for details and to file a claim by the Jan. 3, 2020 deadline. Rack Room Shoes Text Messages If you’re enrolled in the Rack Room Rewards Program or Off Broadway Reward Program through Rack Room Shoes, you could be eligible to share a portion of a $26 million settlement. A class-action lawsuit alleged Rack Room violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by sending text messages to rewards club members without their permission. If you were a member of either rewards program and received a text message on or after April 2, 2014, you could be eligible for a $10 voucher plus $5 in cash. Payment amounts may be subject to change based on the number of claims filed and the net settlement funds available after administration costs, court costs, attorneys’ fees and service awards are deducted. Click here to file a claim by the Jan. 31, 2020 deadline. Wells Fargo Robocalls, Texts Are you NOT a customer of Wells Fargo, but received automated phone calls or texts from the bank anyway? If so, you could be eligible for part of an $18 million settlement. Wells Fargo allegedly violated the TCPA by contacting people who were not bank customers regarding auto loans, credit card accounts, student loans, mortgages and overdrafts. The actual cash award each consumer receives will depend on the number of valid claims filed. Consumers qualify for the class action settlement if they were called between certain dates regarding particular Wells Fargo services. For more information and to submit a claim by the Dec. 23, 2019 deadline, click here. GNC Sale That Wasn’t GNC has agreed to pay a $6 million settlement over allegations that it tricked consumers into believing supplements were being sold at a discounted price. The settlement resolves three class-action lawsuits that claimed a promotion on GNC.com portrayed products on sale even though the products never were sold at a higher “original” price. Consumers who purchased an item on sale or through a promotion from GNC.com between Jan. 1, 2012 and Sept. 9, 2019 are eligible to receive $5 cash or a $15 voucher toward a future purchase, plus a coupon for $30 off any $100 purchase. Click here and file your claim by the Dec. 19, 2019 deadline. TD Bank Overdraft Fees A $70 million settlement will compensate TD Bank account holders who allegedly were victims of deceptive overdraft fee policies. The case claimed TD Bank optimized overdraft fees charging them in numerous circumstances, including when there was money in customers’ accounts. Potential awards vary. Click here and file a claim by the Feb. 7, 2020 deadline. Premera Blue Cross Data Breach Premera Blue Cross has agreed to a $74 million settlement after their computer systems were hacked on March 17, 2015, exposing the private information of millions of consumers. Data included “names, dates of birth, mailing addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, Social Security numbers, member identification numbers, medical claims information, financial information, and other protected health information,” according to the suit. Premera will pay $32 million to consumers who can obtain free credit monitoring services and a $50 default payment. California consumers are entitled to an additional $50. Alternatively, consumers can claim free credit monitoring and actual out-of-pocket losses of up to $10,000. Consumers also may be able to claim up to 20 hours of time spent dealing with security incident at $20 per hour. The company also agreed to spend $42 million to improve its cybersecurity. For more information click here and file a claim by March 30, 2020. Plantronics Wireless Headphones If your Plantronics BackBeat FIT wireless headphones don’t hold a charge for eight hours or aren’t water- and sweat-proof as advertised, you could be eligible for up to $100. Plantronics BackBeat FIT wireless headphones, version Genesis or 16M, that were manufactured between April 1, 2014 and Oct. 31, 2018 allegedly did not hold up to the advertising claims and fail to hold a charge because of a battery defect. In addition, the lawsuit claims that exposure to water makes the problem worse. Anyone who purchased headphones covered by the settlement starting Jan. 1, 2018 can claim an extended limited warranty. Those who purchased the headphones between April 1, 2014 and Jan. 1, 2018 can claim a $25 payment with proof of purchase. Those who purchased headphones during that time period and also made a complaint about the product can make a $50 claim (limit of two headphones per claimant). Each claim requires proof of purchase. For more information click here. Cancer Medication Price-Fixing Celgene Corporation has agreed to a $55 million class action settlement regarding allegations the pharmaceutical company conspired to keep less expensive, generic versions of cancer drugs Thalomid and Revlimid off the market. Class members include individuals, insurance providers, and other health and welfare companies who “paid for all or some of the purchase price of Thalomid or Revlimid in California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, or Tennessee any time before August 1, 2019.” For complete details and to submit a claim by the Dec. 30, 2019 deadline, click here. Leaky Whirlpool Refrigerators If you own a Whirlpool refrigerator under the brand names Whirlpool, Amana, Jenn-Air or Kitchen-Aid, you could be eligible for a portion of a $21 million lawsuit stemming from complaints that ice could build up and cause water to leak from the bottom of the refrigerators. A full list of eligible models splits the models into two groups: Group A and Group B. The groups have different eligibility requirements. Owners may be eligible for up to $150 in compensation, based on the following reimbursement rules: 100% reimbursement for parts and labor costs for qualifying repairs paid for in years one to three after purchase; 100% reimbursement for parts and 65% reimbursement of labor costs for qualifying repairs paid for in year four after purchase; 100% reimbursement for parts and 50% reimbursement of labor costs for qualifying repairs paid for in year five after purchase. The deadline to submit a claim for a freezing event that occurred prior to Sept. 5, 2019 is Jan. 22, 2020. Those with refrigerator models in Group A have until Dec. 31, 2021 to submit a claim regarding a future freezing event, while those with refrigerator models in Group B have until Dec. 31, 2026 to send in a claim for future freezing events. This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017. Tags: affiliate programs, home based business, how to make money online, legitimate ways to make money online, make money online, online business for beginners, passive income, passive income ideas, ways to make money online Previous PostLyft Is Offering Free and Discounted Rides for Unemployed Looking for Work Next PostDear Penny: A Heart Attack Put Me in Debt and Now I Can’t Get Out Here’s How to Visit Your Favorite Museum for Free on Sept. 21 79 Birthday Freebies You Can Get in 2020 14 Legitimate Ways to Get Free Money Online Right Now Free Legendary Marketer Book by David Sharpe Take Advantage of this Great Offer Case Study: How a 9th Grade Dropout Built a $3475/Day Internet Business USDA Commercial Loan: The Best Loan Program for Your Rural Business Burnaby HVAC Company for Heating Repair and AC installation Bike Commuting for Beginners: 7 Tips for a Better Ride RV Clubs: A Guide to the Best Camping Discounts Jobs With Tips: Here’s How to Find the Best Paying Ones	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1199
__label__cc	0.719318	0.280682	Opticians in Hastings Find Opticians in Hastings on the Hastings and St. Leonards Observer directory. Get reviews and contact details for each business including phone number, postcode, opening hours and photos. Savers Health & Beauty Ltd Unit Su38 Priory Shopping Centre, Queens Square, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 1TL Boots Opticians Kings Walk, Priory Meadows, Hastings, TN34 1PH Online Eye Test Booking The Spectacle Hut 1a Robertson Street, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 1HL Wilson Wilson & Hancock Opticians 12-14 Cambridge Road, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 1DJ Boots-Hastings - Queens Rd 212 Queens Road, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 1QP Boots-Hastings - Kings Walk Kings Walk, Priory Meadows, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 1PH Priory Meadow, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 1PH Vision Express Tesco Extra, Church Wood Drive, St Leonards-on-sea, East Sussex, TN38 9RB Green & Elliott Optometrists 36 Sackville Road, Bexhill-on-sea, East Sussex, TN39 3JE Barraclough & Stiles Opticians 64A High Street, Battle, TN33 0AG 28 Mount Street, Battle, East Sussex, TN33 0EG Barracloughs 64a High Street, Battle, East Sussex, TN33 0AG 17 Western Road, Bexhill-on-sea, East Sussex, TN40 1DU Barry Edwards Opticians 16 Cooden Sea Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, TN39 4SJ 23 Sedlescombe Road North, St Leonards-on-sea, East Sussex, TN37 7DA Vision Express Opticians - Bexhill 43 Devonshire Road, Bexhill, TN40 1BD Book now. Over 100 ways to test your eyes. View opening times, address and directions to our Vision Express store in Bexhill in East Sussex Click here to visit our website... Specsavers Opticians and Audiologists - Bexhill 6 Western Road, Bexhill, TN40 1DX	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1203
__label__wiki	0.977837	0.977837	Find the best flight offers from Valencia to Phuket To Thailand Valencia - Phuket Book flights from Valencia (VLC) to Phuket (HKT) to toAbu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH), United Arab EmiratesAhmedabad, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport (AMD), IndiaAl Ain, Etihad Town Office Bus Station (ZVH), United Arab EmiratesAmman, Queen Alia Airport (AMM), JordanBahrain, Bahrain Airport (BAH), BahrainBangkok, Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), ThailandBeijing, Capital Airport (PEK), ChinaBeirut, Rafic Hariri Airport (BEY), LebanonBengaluru, Kempegowda Airport (BLR), IndiaBrisbane, Brisbane Airport (BNE), AustraliaCairo, Cairo Airport (CAI), EgyptChengdu, Shuangliu Airport (CTU), ChinaChennai, Chennai Airport (MAA), IndiaColombo, Bandaranaike Airport (CMB), Sri LankaDammam, King Fahd Airport (DMM), Saudi ArabiaDubai, Etihad Bus Station (XNB), United Arab EmiratesHong Kong, Hong Kong Airport (HKG), ChinaHyderabad, Rajiv Gandhi Airport (HYD), IndiaIslamabad, New Islamabad Airport (ISB), PakistanJakarta, Soekarno Hatta Airport (CGK), IndonesiaJeddah, King Abdulaziz Airport (JED), Saudi ArabiaJohannesburg, O R Tambo Airport (JNB), South AfricaKarachi, Jinnah Airport (KHI), PakistanKathmandu, Tribhuvan Airport (KTM), NepalKhartoum, Khartoum Airport (KRT), SudanKochi, Cochin Airport (COK), IndiaKolkata, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Airport (CCU), IndiaKozhikode, Calicut Airport (CCJ), IndiaKuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur Airport (KUL), MalaysiaKuwait, Kuwait Airport (KWI), KuwaitLahore, Allama Iqbal Airport (LHE), PakistanMale, Velana Airport (MLE), MaldivesManila, Ninoy Aquino Airport (MNL), PhilippinesMedina, Madinah Prince Mohammad Airport (MED), Saudi ArabiaMelbourne, Tullamarine Airport (MEL), AustraliaMumbai, Bombay Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Airport (BOM), IndiaMuscat, Muscat Airport (MCT), OmanNagoya, Chubu Centrair Airport (NGO), JapanNairobi, Jomo Kenyatta Airport (NBO), KenyaNew Delhi, Indira Gandhi Airport (DEL), IndiaNur-Sultan, Astana Airport (TSE), KazakhstanPeshawar, Bacha Khan Airport (PEW), PakistanPhuket, Phuket Airport (HKT), ThailandRiyadh, King Khalid Airport (RUH), Saudi ArabiaSeoul, Incheon Airport (ICN), South KoreaSeychelles, Mahe Airport (SEZ), SeychellesShanghai, Pudong Airport (PVG), ChinaSingapore, Changi Airport (SIN), SingaporeSydney, Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD), AustraliaThiruvananthapuram, Trivandrum Airport (TRV), IndiaTokyo, Narita Airport (NRT), Japan toAbu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH), United Arab EmiratesAhmedabad, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport (AMD), IndiaAl Ain, Etihad Town Office Bus Station (ZVH), United Arab EmiratesAmman, Queen Alia Airport (AMM), JordanBahrain, Bahrain Airport (BAH), BahrainBangkok, Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), ThailandBeijing, Capital Airport (PEK), ChinaBeirut, Rafic Hariri Airport (BEY), LebanonBengaluru, Kempegowda Airport (BLR), IndiaBrisbane, Brisbane Airport (BNE), AustraliaCairo, Cairo Airport (CAI), EgyptChengdu, Shuangliu Airport (CTU), ChinaChennai, Chennai Airport (MAA), IndiaColombo, Bandaranaike Airport (CMB), Sri LankaDammam, King Fahd Airport (DMM), Saudi ArabiaDubai, Etihad Bus Station (XNB), United Arab EmiratesHong Kong, Hong Kong Airport (HKG), ChinaHyderabad, Rajiv Gandhi Airport (HYD), IndiaIslamabad, New Islamabad Airport (ISB), PakistanJakarta, Soekarno Hatta Airport (CGK), IndonesiaJeddah, King Abdulaziz Airport (JED), Saudi ArabiaJohannesburg, O R Tambo Airport (JNB), South AfricaKarachi, Jinnah Airport (KHI), PakistanKathmandu, Tribhuvan Airport (KTM), NepalKhartoum, Khartoum Airport (KRT), SudanKochi, Cochin Airport (COK), IndiaKolkata, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Airport (CCU), IndiaKozhikode, Calicut Airport (CCJ), IndiaKuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur Airport (KUL), MalaysiaKuwait, Kuwait Airport (KWI), KuwaitLahore, Allama Iqbal Airport (LHE), PakistanMale, Velana Airport (MLE), MaldivesManila, Ninoy Aquino Airport (MNL), PhilippinesMedina, Madinah Prince Mohammad Airport (MED), Saudi ArabiaMelbourne, Tullamarine Airport (MEL), AustraliaMumbai, Bombay Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Airport (BOM), IndiaMuscat, Muscat Airport (MCT), OmanNagoya, Chubu Centrair Airport (NGO), JapanNairobi, Jomo Kenyatta Airport (NBO), KenyaNew Delhi, Indira Gandhi Airport (DEL), IndiaNur-Sultan, Astana Airport (TSE), KazakhstanPeshawar, Bacha Khan Airport (PEW), PakistanPhuket, Phuket Airport (HKT), ThailandRiyadh, King Khalid Airport (RUH), Saudi ArabiaSeoul, Incheon Airport (ICN), South KoreaSeychelles, Mahe Airport (SEZ), SeychellesShanghai, Pudong Airport (PVG), ChinaSingapore, Changi Airport (SIN), SingaporeSydney, Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD), AustraliaThiruvananthapuram, Trivandrum Airport (TRV), IndiaTokyo, Narita Airport (NRT), Japan Weather in Phuket Valencia - Phuket flight information From Valencia To Phuket	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1207
__label__wiki	0.951598	0.951598	Learn how Netflix customers can unlock an additional 13,185 titles How To Unblock Netflix IMDb Top 250 Movies Rotten Tomatoes Top 100 Movies List of Ellis Rubin Movies and TV Shows on Netflix If it's on Netflix you'll find it with our search engine. Search below to get started. Find All Movies and TV shows on Netflix Want to find something new to watch on Netflix? Our Netflix search engine helps you get the job done with a comprehensive list of all of the movies and TV shows currently streaming on Netflix. You can search and filter by movie, TV show, actor, director and genre to find Netflix movies and TV shows to watch now. What is Netflix? Netflix specializes in producing and distributing streaming media and video-on- demand. It's the largest streaming video provider in the world and home to popular original series like House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Stranger Things and more. Netflix has a large catalogue of many thousands of TV shows and movies available in well over 100 countries around the world. What is FlixList? FlixList mission is to be the best Netflix search available. We provide comprehensive Netflix movie lists and TV shows lists as well as offering a large database that can be searched and filtered. Our Netflix search engine can be accessed via desktop and mobile so whether you're home or out and about, you always have a way to search Netflix movies and TV shows. Netflix Pricing You can get the basic version of Netflix for just $7.99 per month. This package is quite limited with only SD quality content available to one device at a time. For just $1 more per month you can access the standard package which includes streaming on two devices and HD quality content. The plans are month-to- month, meaning you can come and go as you please. Netflix Search One of the limitations with the Netflix interface is it is hard to search for content. It is not immediately obvious which titles are new and which are old and you cannot easily filter and search by genre or actor etc. Luckily, our Netflix search engine makes things much easier! Tomatometer: % - % MPAA Rating: - Academy award winners Independent Movies Viewing: 1 Titles Find every Ellis Rubin title available on Netflix. Our searchable database includes every movie or TV show featuring Ellis Rubin available on any version of Netflix from around the world! FlixList Network There's a local version of FlixList near you. Pick the flag closest to you for the fastest FlixList experience. 1h44m - - 5.0/5	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1208
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__label__cc	0.532096	0.467904	Zarqawi claimed killed in Iraq air raid Discussion in 'Speaker's Corner' started by Shackley, Jun 8, 2006. Shackley If you look at picture 8 here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/5058476.stm I think that Mr Zarqawi is rolling a 'herbal' cigarette - once again illustrating that these do not lead to a peaceful, contented approach. I wonder what music he listened to ? Perhaps even now, he is chatting happily to Jerry Garcia ? Steedie said: Further Proof That He Is Dead, For Anyone Considering It Speculation or Propoganda I wonder if he got his virgins? The answer is, of course, no. PermaBanned Not really. Anybody can take a picture of somebody alive but with their eyes closed and with blood splattered on their face. I'm not saying he IS alive, just that one picture hardly confirms that he isn't. bingham67 He had fingerprint tests dna to follow in next 48 hours but the fingerprint come back positive apparently. Anyway good glad he killed. robmiller Wow, he was like some kind of cat - I'm sure this is the tenth time he's been killed! Anyone else feel as though Zarqawi is just the product of US war propaganda that is designed to promote the image of a demonic enemy? cleanbluesky Mulder said: I prefer to stick to basic motivations with my 'feelings', rather than make complex judgements. I save that for beliefs and critical evaluations and unfortunately I require evidence for either of those, so... no. quadboi anarchist said: I'm surprised Tony Blair said he was glad that Zarqawi was dead. I thought it would be more appropriate for a prime minister to say "we'd rather he be caught and brought to justice" or something similar - whether he personally felt that or not. THINKING the exact same thing Nice to see a little honesty and spine... sniffy Sgarrista Location: East Sussex You could have a point. Any man which was proclaimed as the leader of al qaeda in Iraq by Bin Laden (granted, this could be argued) himself truely deserves to burn in hell though. I think there is little doubt he was a ruthless, influential and dangerous man in al qaeda. cleanbluesky said: You're a real pedant, aren't you? Would this have sounded better: "Anyone else made a judgment based on evidence they have read/seen/heard/come into contact with that Zarqawi is just the product of US war propaganda that is designed to promote the image of a demonic enemy?" Asus Rep Location: The Republic No doubt this will have a neutral effect overall. On the one hand it is a good scalp to have and will no doubt shake a few. On the other hand it can be used to oil the wheels of propoganda. No doubt the scant structure that Al Queda has will allow another figure head of signficant value fill the void. Remember these people are fighting a war under a different agenda to us. They fight for their religion first then the nation second. That is why we see recruitment of insurgents from other countries fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Indy11 It is always possible that Zarqawi knew his days were numbered because of the bounty and that he was working to create an organization that didn't need a head to keep functioning. There are reports that, whereas in the beginning the Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia was loaded up with recruits from outside Iraq, they are now mainly Iraqis. The supposition is that Zarqawi's lieutenants also now are Iraqis. It is possible that there will be all kinds of blood letting, including an internecine one if succession plans were not well made in anticipation of this eventuality. When Abu Nidal died, there was a lot of killing within that went on. The Americans have always reported that Al Quead has a fairly flat structure to it so even if they do not find a replacement will they be less effective ? People generally get what they deserve in life, and so did he. Guilty as charged when it comes to discourse, its a subtle yet viscious weapon... It's been espoused, but the only 'evidence' I have seen has been in the form of opinion columns on esoteric far-left websites... That isn't how most people spell 'vicious' or did you mean 'a measure of the resistance of a fluid to deform under shear stress' ? Shackley said: Yes, its a spelling mistake - have a ribbon for your hair. Von Smallhausen Location: Tyneside I don't feel that way. I feel that Zarqawi is the product of his own making. There is no denying that the man was a wild animal and a ruthless and sadistic animal [ Apologies ]. He was almost certainly involved in the beheading of foreign workers in Iraq and people like him will only ever gain my contempt and that of others, equally appalled by such inhuman brutality. Even Osama Bin Laden and his key lieutenants will be relieved almost that he has been killed as concerns were voiced that his hatred and ruthlessness were on a different level and may undermine the cause that Al Qaeda fight for. What did he do this for ? In the name of Allah ? Islam ? I suspect some of our Muslim friends on the forum here may have differences of opinion with him on that subject and his acts in the name of both God and religion will undoubtedly cause revulsion in the Muslim world. The man was a big boy and he knew the risks when he took up arms. There was never any doubt that he would attract executive interest from the CIA, MI6 and various intelligence services and SF across the Alliance and the outcome is no surprise, although very welcome to a lot of people. It is ironic that he killed far more Iraqi civilains than Allied troops. He lived by the sword and he died by the F-16. VIRII LOL. I wonder if you even understand the definition that you've pasted. Yes pasted, not posted. No inadvertent typographical error there. I do understand the concept of shear stress, but do you? Of course now if you make a spelling mistake you are fair game for significant abuse Keep posting.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1215
__label__cc	0.627646	0.372354	Pedestrian seriously injured in Bangor accident Written by Kayla Fish BANGOR – Police in Bangor say a pedestrian was seriously injured after getting hit by a car Tuesday evening. The accident happened on Summer Street around 5 p.m., just down the road from the police station, police said. Police said the vehicle was traveling south on Summer Street when the person was hit. It was not immediately clear if the pedestrian was in a crosswalk when the accident took place. “That’s one of the things that we’ll be looking into,” said Bangor Police Sgt. Wade Betters. “That’s also one of the jobs the criminal investigation division will do, and the reconstruction team will find out exactly how fast the vehicle was going and where the person was when the impact took place.” The victim was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. A portion of the road was expected to be shut down for a couple hours as authorities reconstructed the scene. The crash remains under investigation. Former Planned Parenthood director on $45M 2020 pledge: This is ‘not really about health care’ The $45 million Planned Parenthood has pledged for 2020 candidates who back their initiative would be better spent … Royal Caribbean claims grandfather knew window was open before toddler’s fatal fall This month, Royal Caribbean filed a motion with the courts in the Southern District of Florida to dismiss … The judgement of history on the Trump impeachment is going to be that a group of scoundrels in … Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Friday increased the pressure on New York’s sanctuary policies — putting out … Houston Astros players swallowed up in Twitter frenzy over separate cheating allegations The punishment the Houston Astros received in wake of the sign-stealing scandal earlier this week sent shockwaves throughout …	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1218
__label__cc	0.749984	0.250016	France & Vincent Writing Magic, Myth and Mystery About France and Vincent Albion, ancient sites, Art, Books, Don and Wen Dear Don: Devil’s Drop… October 28, 2018 November 1, 2018 Sue Vincent Sorry about the inbox…I don’t think it should be too bad this time. I didn’t think it would be a great idea to completely fill it while you’ve been unwell. Hope you are back on your feet and feeling better now. The Devil’s Rock stuff for Doomsday got a bit out of hand… I hadn’t intended writing that much, but I could see it all so clearly. As soon as I sat down at the keyboard it all started pouring out. I could feel it too. The whole journey from the zodiac stones to the Place of Dreaming. Not as bad as the Telling Stone, thank goodness… but I could almost smell the smoke and taste the fear. The Telling Stone at the circle… well, you were there. You know how badly that went… I’m still not sure how I got the car to the pub for dinner… The research for the Mercian chapters was interesting. I hardly dare mention how much was tied up with Peterborough Cathedral, Ely and then, of course, the Holy Island and Whitby connections are very prominent. Funny that I should have finally got to Lindisfarne just a few weeks ago… after so many years of trying to visit Holy Island. Now St Aidan and the island keep cropping up in the histories, and lots of strands are coming together. I should have known really. The Woden thing, now that’s interesting… reading through Bede’s Historia I bet he would turn in his venerable grave to see the conclusions I’m coming to. One of the twelve sons of the twelfth generation from Woden, was our King Penda according to some sources. Though others seem to think some were just trying to claim a divine right of kingship through that line of descent. I have a feeling your theory might hold water… Then there is the whole reasoning behind why Oswiu of Northumbria was wary of fighting him. You’ll like how he died though… I tell you, the kingdom of Mercia is taking on a whole new look… Oh, on a slightly different subject, you might also like to know that the dog is getting ideas… this hide and seek business the two of you came up with for Giant’s Dance is getting a bit out of hand. The tennis balls are now being properly hidden and I am expected to find and fetch… I’m fairly certain there is something intrinsically wrong there… You might want to have a word next time you’re down… Looking forward to reading the next instalment of Doomsday with my coffee in the morning… you’ll hear the hopeful tone there? Looking forward to the weekend too. Wen x Don and Wen are characters in the books written by Stuart France and Sue Vincent, available on Amazon in paperback and for Kindle. Tagged consciousness, landscape, Magic, mystery, Photography, Psychology, story Published by Sue Vincent Sue Vincent is a Yorkshire-born writer and one of the Directors of The Silent Eye, a modern Mystery School. She writes alone and with Stuart France, exploring ancient myths, the mysterious landscape of Albion and the inner journey of the soul. Find out more at France and Vincent. She is owned by a small dog who also blogs. Follow her at scvincent.com and on Twitter @SCVincent. Find her books on Goodreads and follow her on Amazon worldwide to find out about new releases and offers. Email: findme@scvincent.com. View all posts by Sue Vincent Previous postDays of Honey Next postDear Wen: Devil’s Drop… 6 thoughts on “Dear Don: Devil’s Drop…” Widdershins says: ‘The dog’ will take any opportunity to exercise her human. 😀 Stuart France says: ’tis true, ’tis all too true… 😉 A very surreal writing. It felt like being dropped into a one-sided conversation–out of place and time with my world’s existence. Was it a factual retelling of someone’s daily journey or a historical fiction? A revisitation of a time that never was but might have been? And how did Oswiu of Northumbria die? Must go Google that. Good luck on finding the tennis balls. I’m sorry, but I suspect you’ve been too well trained not to at this point. Also, you wouldn’t want to disappoint your dog. This is part of an ongoing exchange of ideas between ‘Don’ and ‘Wen’, characters in our books whose journey runs in close parallel to our own. As to the tennis balls… we are very well trained 😉 It is rather wonderful when it all pours out of you. Reblogged this on Stuart France. We'd love to hear from you... Cancel reply Read our latest posts: All that glisters… Sylvan Man… Rune-Stone… Shivering River… Keys to Heaven? Giants Dance: Rhyme and Reason… now Book of the Month at Strange Book Reviews Follow France & Vincent on WordPress.com Weekend Workshop April 2020 Copyright © France and Vincent Unless otherwise attributed, all images and text are the work of Stuart France and Sue Vincent. Please respect the copyright of all original material and images on this site. You are welcome to use excerpts, reblogs and links as long as clear, named credit and appropriate links back to this site are used. Written permission is required for all other reproduction. Thank you.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1222
__label__cc	0.563174	0.436826	Human Beings Weren't Designed To Have Litters I wondered why the California woman who gave birth to octuplets wants to remain anonymous. Now we know. She has six other children. The AP reports she had fertility treatment, likely thinking she'd have one more child, not eight: [The woman's mother, Angela] Suleman said her daughter had embryos implanted last year, and after finding out she was pregnant with multiple babies was given the option by doctors of selectively reducing the number of embryos. The woman declined. Props to the blessed mother for making the moral move. I have no issue with a family of 14 kids. I know several families overflowing with children who are happy, well-adjusted, intelligent, self-sufficient, and servants of God. From what the AP tells us about this family and the "big house" waiting for them, they may very well thrive. However, if they end up on the public dole, that's a problem. Whenever we hear of massive multiple births, all of the media attention is on how it's such a miracle -- which it is. But we forget what happens after the children come home from the hospital and the huge burden the parents will face in terms of time and money. Not all parents are equipped to handle it. We shouldn't have to subsidize those who can't. This is why God didn't design people to have litters. God didn't want to give us more than we can handle, as 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV) explains: "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." But we do that to ourselves with fertility drugs. I know it's a burden to be barren, but there's no getting around the risks. Key Digit Or M For Previous Menu TVSpy's ShopTalk tipped me off to this KRON-TV news report from 1981 -- long before the Internet boom -- showing the future of newspapers on computers. It's interesting viewing for people who remember the Compu$erve days. Tags: Fun Stuff, News Biz New FCC: Don't Play "Fairness" Ask a radio or TV station general manager who once dealt with the Fairness Doctrine, and you'll hear very little good about it. The title sounds noble, but it's content regulation and far from constitutional. That's why the FCC canned it in the 1980's. Some Democrats have thought about reviving it to get back at right-wing talk show hosts. Fortunately, new FCC commissioner Robert McDowell is not about to help them with their revenge fantasies. And, he warns, passing a new Fairness Doctrine could end up deregulating broadcasting even further, according to Multichannel News: "Actually, in a string of media cases stretching back over more than 20 years, various judges on the D.C. Circuit - both Democratic and Republican appointees - have suggested that it is time for the Supreme Court to rethink the concept of spectrum scarcity as a justification for limiting broadcasters' First Amendment rights. A revived Doctrine would provide a big, bright bulls-eye for those who wish to make that happen. That development would have implications far beyond the Doctrine itself. Much of our content regulation of broadcasters - including most of the FCC's existing localism rules and the regulations requiring three hours a week of children's programming - rest on the spectrum scarcity rationale. If that rationale is invalidated, serious legal challenges to all those other content rules may follow." In other words, many regulations we have now are based on an outdated concept: that we only have so many available TV channels. That's not the case anymore with the Internet and cable. McDowell says if we throw up an unconstitutional regulation, we lose others as broadcasters challenge them. I'm surprised commercial over-the-air broadcasters haven't already challenged the FCC's rule requiring them to air three hours a week of educational programming. Apparently the FCC didn't believe in PBS, Nickelodeon, Discovery, or Noggin when they made that rule. In Arizona, during football season, it means a messed-up Saturday schedule where kids programming ends up in some weird places -- like just before the early news -- because there's nowhere else to put it. "Animal Adventures" isn't a bad lead-in, but I'd prefer Russ Mitchell at the CBS News desk. Broadcasters have gone along with this rule and others to be good citizens, but it's time they stopped. Cable stations don't have to live under FCC rules, even though they're right next to the broadcast stations on the dial. How's this for a Fairness Doctrine: it is simply ridiculous for our nation's television companies to be operating under two sets of regulations, especially when many of them are outdated and unconstitutional. Kudos to our new FCC head for having a few grains of sense about this. Let's hope he harvests some more. -- Christopher at 12:17 PM No comments: Links to this post Tags: Commentary, News Biz I don't listen to Rush Limbaugh anymore. I did in college, but back then, he took more deserved swipes at left-wing excess. Now he's just become an annoyance. As many of you know, he recently said that he hopes President Obama "fails." The broader quote, in context, is a bit more subtle but still disheartening: My hope, and please understand me when I say this. I disagree fervently with the people on our side of the aisle who have caved and who say, "Well, I hope he succeeds. We've got to give him a chance." Why? They didn't give Bush a chance in 2000. Before he was inaugurated the search-and-destroy mission had begun. I'm not talking about search-and-destroy, but I've been listening to Barack Obama for a year-and-a-half. I know what his politics are. I know what his plans are, as he has stated them. I don't want them to succeed. If I wanted Obama to succeed, I'd be happy the Republicans have laid down. And I would be encouraging Republicans to lay down and support him. Look, what he's talking about is the absorption of as much of the private sector by the US government as possible, from the banking business, to the mortgage industry, the automobile business, to health care. I do not want the government in charge of all of these things. I don't want this to work. So I'm thinking of replying to the guy, "Okay, I'll send you a response, but I don't need 400 words, I need four: I hope he fails." (interruption) What are you laughing at? See, here's the point. Everybody thinks it's outrageous to say. Look, even my staff, "Oh, you can't do that." Why not? Why is it any different, what's new, what is unfair about my saying I hope liberalism fails? Liberalism is our problem. Liberalism is what's gotten us dangerously close to the precipice here. Why do I want more of it? I don't care what the Drive-By story is. I would be honored if the Drive-By Media headlined me all day long: "Limbaugh: I Hope Obama Fails." Somebody's gotta say it. True, people didn't give President Bush a chance in 2000 because they were still bitter from the hanging-chad, Supreme Court-decided election. Do you really think people would have given Al Gore a chance if the gavel had banged the other way? Hard feelings abounded all over the place. I remember when President Clinton ran into trouble in the opening months of his presidency. Legendary conservative Barry Goldwater said people ought to give him a chance. If Barry Goldwater could say that about Bill Clinton, he's probably saying it in Paradise about Barack Obama. Saying you want liberalism to fail is one thing. But saying you want a president to fail because of his alleged -- but not proven -- liberalism smacks of partisan holy war. Our country is in too big a mess to want any leader to fail. President Obama can pass his stimulus package without GOP votes. But he met with Republicans anyway. He is not going to play tough-luck politics, and yes, I know about his "we won" remark. Rush himself once said people voted the Republicans into congressional power in 1994 because the "Contract With America" gave people something to vote for. Barack Obama did that too. And like it or not, the GOP and conservatives need to figure that out before they grumble and curse themselves -- or others -- into irrelevancy. UPDATE: Rush is now pitching his version of a bi-partisan stimulus plan which includes both tax cuts and spending, just like President Obama's version, but in different proportions. Also, see Jon Swift's clever analysis of Rush's remarks. -- Christopher at 12:33 PM 2 comments: Links to this post Back To The Switch This is surprising: The House killed a bill that would have delayed the nation's switch to digital television until June. And as somebody who works in TV, I'm glad. Here's why. First, four months of delay means four more months telling people that the switch is still coming after we've built up February 17 as the big day. We've had more than a year to prepare. Actually, more than three years. Let's get it done. Second, running our analog transmitter four more months at KOLD is going to cost us thousands of dollars for electricity we don't want to spend. We need that money in this economy. Third, America's TV stations shouldn't have to pay for government -- or "gub-mint" as they say in Arizona -- inability to get enough DTV coupons out. It's clear the "gub-mint" didn't budget enough. And the "gub-mint" is the entity forcing us to make this switch in the first place. When TV transitioned to color in the 1960's, the "gub-mint" didn't set a deadline for all stations to switch. It didn't force people to buy color TV's. When the FCC added UHF frequencies to TV, it didn't force stations to move up the dial or make people buy converter boxes -- although it did force new TV's to include a UHF dial (how many of you remember old TV's with two channel knobs?) But the "gub-mint" is forcing this switch to reclaim frequencies, we're told, for new wireless services -- which can include cell phones, police radios, and broadband Internet devices. My question is why providers of those services can't work with the spectrum they already have. If they need more, why not just lop off another chunk of the UHF band? The FCC has already taken channels 70-83 away. The DTV transition already calls for taking another block. And here's the biggest problem of all. People who are buying coverter boxes and outdoor antennas to get digital TV still aren't getting all the channels! Many times, the problem isn't the signal but the antenna people are using. But we can't go back now. Thanks, "gub-mint." More answers to your DTV questions PC World's FAQ on DTV -- Christopher at 11:53 AM 1 comment: Links to this post A Memo TO: Extreme Wingnut Individuals & Groups FROM: Your Fellow Americans SUBJECT: Our President Please be advised that any anticipated legal action in regards to President Barack H. Obama's legitimacy to hold office on the grounds of a mistake in the Constitutional oath on Tuesday, January 20th is now groundless. Please note this fact in addition to previous court findings affirming Mr. Obama's citizenship. Please further note this fact in contrast to erroneous and/or unsubstantiated reports concerning his faith. We appreciate your cooperation in not wasting any more precious court time. The American People P.S. -- Feel free to use the forthcoming Presidential job creation packages to obtain a life. Tags: Commentary, Fun Stuff I'd Rather Be In Washington Inauguration Day was another one of those times when I wish I could be at the site of a history-making story instead of watching it through the fishbowl of monitors, wires and websites in the newsroom. Two million people on the Capitol Mall will tell their families and friends they were there. I watched it on television, like most Americans. I'm not ashamed to admit it was an emotional moment. President Obama's inauguration address mentions "we" a lot, as in We The People, not just We The Obama Administration. "For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate." "What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task." Limited government, hard work, personal responsibility, faith, courage. Sounds like conservative values to me. Flaming leftist, he's not. And thanks, Mr. President, for giving a nod to the sentiments of Ben Franklin... As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. ...and George Washington... The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people: “Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it).” So it's all about us. President Obama can drive this nation, but we must be the engine. People can complain about this ceremony looking like a coronation -- especially with a presidential banner hanging from the trumpets blown during the ceremony -- but it's our coronation too. We are all being inaugurated, asked to take our oaths as Americans once more and live up to the values that define who we're supposed to be, values that originally came to us from Heaven. We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. Just before our new president spoke those words, I watched as a CBS reporter interviewed a woman in the massive throng of crowds. She also quoted from Scripture, Psalm 118 to be exact: “This is the day the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” All around her, that's what people did. As Tucsonan Ed Garcia observed while standing in the crowd: Grown men crying like children, women waving Obama flags in one hand and American flags in the other and children dressed head to toe in Obama clothes. Everyone, young, old, Caucasian, Asian, Hispanic, African-American, Native-American, but all AMERICANS, standing shoulder to shoulder, braving freezing temperatures, focused on the steps of the United States Capitol. We are witnessing history. We are here. We ARE a part of history. I wish I could've been standing there too, taking that oath with my heart, if not with my hand. Tags: Commentary, Life Sentences, News Biz For Queen And Country As taken from the journal of Viscount Christopher Francis of Surrey, England on a diplomatic mission to Her Majesty's Ball, as presented by We Make History. Images used with all thanks and courtesies to Sir Michael. 17th January, The Year Of Our Lord 1709 -- I give praise to GOD for many wonderful things, among them the opportunities to dance with Her Majesty's loyal subjects and friends from afar. As such, I consulted my tailor for a suitable outfit that would capture the elegance and joy of the evening in one fitting. Verily, I say, she succeeded beyond all measure of reasonable expectation, as evidenced in the journey to the ballroom. Another carriage pulled alongside, and its passenger, a roguish sort, did notice my dressings and cocked hat. He conferred to me a low, common, and yet complimentary greeting. When I passed through the great door of the hall, the Royal Court artist did immediately take note of my peach-coloured satin jacket and breeches trimmed with lace and the festive ribbons protruding from my knees. I dare say I caused a minor stir, for not five minutes after my arrival I found myself suddenly standing before Her Majesty The Queen, in her trademark polonaise of gold and crimson, her smile as wide as the James River. "Your Majesty!" I saluted, and with great haste I swept off my three-cornered hat, fell back on one foot and bowed deeply to her, labouring to hold my balance and give proper reverence to a beloved and merry Monarch. She, as always, graciously welcomed me. To her side, a lady bustled with excitement over my choice of attire. "You look so awesome!" she said to me with giddy expectations. I did return the compliment and made affectionate note of her gown, a joyous overflowing stew of yellow and blue. "I am the court jester," she explained to me. I detected a slight jingle in her steps, so as they say, she truly had arrived with bells on. Foremost on her mind, however, beyond her admiration of style, was her insistence that I give her at least four dances. "My lady," I explained to her, "I have promised many dances to many ladies!" I say I did not bear false witness for one moment, for I have a reputation within the Kingdom of seeking out as many different ladies as possible. I consider it my mission, for Queen And Country. Yet I did not turn her down, confident that I would somehow find a way to satisfy her longings. This ball would be an intimate affair, with a small but select group of ladies and gentlemen, including a courier for Royal Court of Spain, a noblewoman of Portugal, Le Comte and La Comtesse of France, and a young masqued boy rumoured to be the Scarlet Pimpernel. I greeted His Lordship, who gave great praise to my dressings. As we conversed, one of our players observed in jest to our Master of Ceremonies, that this may be the only time he has been outdone in fashion. I blushed. Outdo His Lordship? Oh, Heavens, no! The mere thought is unfathomable! Still, the Royal Court artists and others did insist on pictures, and at my request, I posed with several ladies of the realm. Beauty, though, extends deep beyond any fabric, shall we not agree? Thus I was humbled when a newcomer to Her Majesty's Realm, a lady of integrity and purpose, consulted me for advice on the performance of courtly dances, both for herself and her three young and beautiful daughters. Eager to hone my aspirations as a dancing master, I gave them my most sincere advice to absorb themselves in the joy of each figure and to move with grace, happiness, and humility. I showed them a simple yet elegant curtsy for those times of reverence. "Uplift your partners," I said to the family. "Give your partner honour in every step." I demonstrated a graceful turn with one of the young ladies. "Look right into your partner's eyes," I said. "Enjoy the music and your company." The lady echoed my instructions. "Dignity and respect," she repeated to the young ones. His Lordship assembled us and presented Her Majesty, The Queen, after which he regaled us with a story from his recent travels to the colonies. An Indian chief, he said, had seen an omen -- a vision of a cardinal swooping down and plucking the feathers from an eagle. A curious vision, indeed. Perhaps the matter was concerning another realm, a conflict far away, or maybe some allusion to a great diversion involving a ball wrapped in leather. We had little time to ponder it as the grand promenade began. Seeing the Royal Court Jester unaccompanied when so many had escorts, my heart nudged me forward to act with kindness. We took hands and joined the stately parade. As is custom, it wound about and around, ending in a circle where His Lordship called out the various guests of the Realm. I entertained her again for the first dance, a lively circle entitled "Noel." The gentlemen and ladies skipped around in turn as a chorus, away from and back to each other, then circling some more or or turning their partners as verses. I note the gentlemen in their enthusiasm would often skip a great distance, leaving the ladies more steps than they expected to catch up with their partners, but all was well as everyone found each other in the end. The call went out for "Christ Church Bells," one of my favourites, and I spared no moments bowing to a new lady. "Do you have any objection to being head couple?" I inquired of her. She did not, as we formed a new set. Although I laboured to dissuade any unease in the lady, I must admit I missed one step as our dancing mistress explained it, leaving me standing about awkwardly and producing a moment of humourous confusion. "I am sorry," I said, noting the chuckles around me and the ladies who had missed not a step. My gracious partner faulted me not. The focus of my distraction, I should note, was a lady diagonal from me as I subtly encouraged her to look at my countenance, if not my eyes, as we turned each other around. Indeed, making eye contact is a point of joyous manner I labour for others to learn. My lessons of grace were not lost on the lady newcomer, whom I chose as my next partner. "As long as it is not confusing," she said, worried for her skill. "Do not worry," I said. "I shall make it as unconfusing as possible." To my great delight, she danced with an elegant and courtly flourish, holding my hand high in those figures where we turned each other. Even through the unfamiliar steps, she remained determined to enjoy the time on the floor and dance on, speaking to me often with inspiring words of encouragement in the proper accent of my homeland. "Dear sir, dear sir, how are you?" To be truthful, I should tell you that both of us had moments where we were found ourselves lost, either in the dance or in the figures. "Thank you, my lady," I praised with a bow upon the conclusion of the number, adding a compliment to her steadfastness and poise. For many years I have not considered myself worthy enough to dance with Her Majesty, but on this night, I summoned my courage and asked. Of course, the gracious Monarch that she is, she accepted, and together we enjoyed Sellinger's Round. I found opportunity to demonstrate my fancy steps, skipping and hopping with precision and air of a learned gentlemen. One must dance his best for the Queen! Our players and our dancing mistress proceeded through a list of old favourites: "Soldier's Joy," "The Queen's Jig," and "Jack's Maggot," where I took great delight in dancing with Le Comtesse even though we found the "hey for three" a most challenging figure. The serpentine movements sometimes bewildered us, and we would have surely tried the patience our dancing masters. So I found myself quite honoured and surprised when La Comtesse remarked that she was glad to dance "with someone who knows what he is doing!" I took advantage of a pause in the celebration for a moment of improvisation, as our players performed a slow-tempo song. Spotting our Court Jester, and knowing of her persistence if I did not engage her in another dance, I bowed to her and took her hand. We invented a minuet on the spot, although I admit I did most of the stepping while she followed along. She thanked me once more. "The Spaniard" is a lively dance that involves much skipping and hopping. So is our beloved Cookie Dance, where short sets left plenty of opportunities for the lords and ladies to leap about. But where was our jester? I spotted her to the side, unengaged and quite lonely as another dance was about to begin. With nary a thought, I dashed all the way across the hall to her. "My lady, I will not have you sitting here alone! Will you dance with me?" She accepted, of course, and we enjoyed "Haste To The Wedding," just the way a dancing master of Williamsburg taught it to me: turning right and left, circling left and right, passing my partner back to back, clapping twice, turning my partner, back-to-back with my neighbor, clapping twice, turning my neighbor and starting once more. It is inevitable that when one is consumed by pleasure, the clock should accelerate. The time for the last waltz arrived, much as many us did not wish the evening to end. "I thought it went until midnight," the Court Jester puzzled. "Unfortunately, it does not," I lamented to her, "even though I could dance all night." I invited her to share the waltz with me. Yet this time, instead of a simple two-step, I had the longing and passion to dance another improvised minuet or progression step. My gracious Jester indulged my request. "Forward," I called softly to her, stepping with a slight dip in three-quarter time, inside hands clasped and raised above us. "Around," I directed, leading her daintily in another direction so that we could resume our forward step without colliding with the other couples. Thus the arrangement continued, I leading her all the way. Occasionally we would turn to vary the figures -- "Left hand round," "Right hand round," -- before stepping onward gracefully. She was not sure at times what I had planned for her, but the Jester followed my every step, even if I played the fool. Just as I taught the others, I felt she honoured me as I honoured her, and when the waltz concluded, I fell into a low bow. "God Bless You!" I whispered to her. The warmth and beauty of the evening lingered within me long after the carriage ride home, as I lie in rest, and as I gave Praise to GOD at Church the following day. Even out of my stockings and breeches and cocked hat, I still found myself saying, "My Lady!" and bowing here and there. Dignity and respect -- and an unquenchable love for all things elegant and courtly. More of Her Majesty's celebration here. TO COME: Soldier's Joy! Pleasures Of The Dance, A Life & Timelines Special Presentation In Five Parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 Tags: Dancing Through History, Life And Timelines, We Make History From The Elegant To The Overjoyed My dearest readers, a proper 18th Century ball would be remiss without at least one opportunity to dance -- or at least observe -- a minuet. It is beauty and precision, presented in symmetrical form between two partners. The minuet takes many forms, and many days of practice to master. But I say to you, my friends, one needs only a graceful step and a sense of three-quarter time to obtain the basic feel. From there, we may sharpen the dull points. What say you, ladies and gentlemen? I say we watch this example from the New York Baroque Dance Company: And observe the first part of this demonstration, from regal parts unknown: In a proper ball, the fancy dances and all minuets will come first. Because of the limited number of people who can properly perform such art, they are limited in duration so that everyone may take the floor for the simpler set dances. In Her Majesty's realm, we wish for as many people to dance as much as possible, so you shall see no minuets here. However, do not be surprised to see your humble servant improvising a minuet with a young lady during a pause in the festivities. You will hear dancing masters emphasize poise and precision. They will remind you to point your toes or hold your hands in a courtly manner. You will practice your bows and curtsies. But dearest readers, if you learn no other lesson, learn to enjoy every moment of every dance. Immerse yourself in its pleasure and let all cares drift away from you like parchment in the wind. Smile graciously to your dancing companions. Honour them with every step. Uplift their spirits. For we are in this world far too briefly, and we must not miss those opportunities to engage in diversions which leave us feeling truly and wonderfully blessed. So come, let us be merry! The time for minuets has passed. I suggest something rousing! Madame Noire, I bow to you once again as I share another of your suggested clips to illustrate what I seek. Thank you, dearest readers. I shall see you on the ballroom floor. -- Christopher at 1:09 AM 2 comments: Links to this post Tags: Dancing Through History, Fun Stuff Dearest readers, I gather you have chosen your jabot and coat or picked the perfect polonaise. Her Majesty's Ball is just a turn of a day away -- and if you're reading this in archive, rest assured that some regal ball is never far away! I have shown you the joys of an 18th Century Ball at its height. Yet I must apologize, for I have not shown you how one begins. The first dance is always a grand march, where you and your partner -- or an unescorted partner who you have graciously asked to dance -- parade around the room. Here is an example of a proper procession, courtesy of our Library of Congress. I do admit this group dates, shall we say, a hundred years ahead of us. Yet their skill outweighs any chronological abnormalities. Anxious newcomers, fret you not. I reassure you the procession at most balls is not as complex. Come, let us move back one hundred years for a march closer to our time and pace and grace, as presented by the dancers of the 2nd Annual Jane Austen Ball in Rochester. Well done, ladies and gentlemen. Let us also tip our cocked hats to the dancing mistress at front, directing the couples. However, even with generous assistance, those unfamiliar with the march sometimes forget its patterns. Good ladies and gentlemen, in addition to your knowledge of the figures and ample supply of grace, you must possess a generous stock of good nature and humour. Our next clip shall illustrate. Shakespeare could have written many comedies of errors borne of the ballroom floor. I myself could have starred in a few. But dearest friends, 'tis better to have danced and blown it than never danced at all! And, aye, I have not finished yet. -- Christopher at 1:20 AM No comments: Links to this post Here We Go Round Powdered your wig yet? Oh, no matter. My week-long tribute to 18th Century dance in preparation for Her Majesty's Ball continues with some spin. I declare set dances most enjoyable, dearest readers, but the circles give me great pleasure as well. I do not have the opportunity to caper as many of them as I would like because they tend to be a little more challenging to learn. Like a song, they have choruses and verses, meaning one repeats the steps in the chorus but the verses change. I give you a lively dance known as "Gathering Peascods," as performed by some talented students in eight-person sets. Do note though, this dance can accommodate many more. Here is a breakdown of the steps. I learned this dance on the fly at last year's Arizona Renaissance Fair in Apache Junction with some help from a beautiful, encouraging and enthusiastic partner! Now let us watch a quadrille -- a dance for four-couple sets. It is the precursor of what we now know as square dancing, but without the caller. Notice how these dancers glide right through a number, the name of which I know not. Whatever it is, they perform it beautifully. My dearest readers, note in both these fine examples how the figures flow into one another nearly seamlessly. A main goal -- and I admit this is a continuing effort for myself -- is to make sure one uses all of the music, moving exactly to the beat and not tarrying about or hastily stepping to catch up. However, as you can see from the above dances, often the ladies and gentlemen find themselves waiting a few bars by design as their partners perform some fancy figures. So lads, what shall we do while the ladies caper? Clap for them in encouragement -- and encourage your fellow gentlemen to do the same so you do not find yourself in an isolated state of bliss. Perhaps you might add a well-timed "Huzzah!" for merry measure. Keep your clocked stockings on. More shall follow! Hole In The Wall, Warmth In My Heart Continuing our look at 18th Century dance in advance of Her Majesty's Ball, we come to a number called "Hole In The Wall." This is an easy dance to learn, but to truly enjoy it, you must savor those figures where you step to your partner in the middle of the set and join your eyes as you exchange places. The look you give to your dancing companion means everything. It should be more than a passing glance. Fill your countenance with happiness, and honour your partner with the warmth of your expression. Gaze straight into the other's eyes and let your soul shine through. This clip from Becoming Jane should illustrate the point, and again, I bow to Madame Noire for suggesting it. Ahhhhhhh... do you not want to put on your breeches, silk jacket and buckled shoes? But what if your partner is new to the joy of the dance and still needs a few pointers on the figures? Never fear, good ladies and gentlemen! In these modern days, a caller often leads you through. But even in the absence of one, a skilled dancing master can teach on the floor using a mixture of simple vocal instructions and hand gestures. Watch how a gentleman of the Covent Garden Minuet company leads a couple through "Hole In The Wall." Remember, if you can walk, you can dance! Huzzah! -- Christopher at 12:35 AM 3 comments: Links to this post Hoopskirts = Racism??? The leader of Alabama's NAACP wants the Azalea Trail Maids of Mobile to stay home from the presidential inauguration because they wear hoopskirts dating back to the Old South, which reminds him of slavery. As WSFA-TV in Montgomery reports: "These are not just regular costumes. These are the costumes that remind someone of the plantation in Gone with the Wind," Edward Vaughn said in a phone interview. So let me make sure I understand this: it is impossible to separate the respectful, beautiful, and inspirational aspects of our history from the ugly and unjust parts. Along this line of reasoning, I should never wear my 18th Century formal attire because the gentlemen of that era owned slaves, servants, and subjugated women. I also should never wear Captain Burgundy's outfit because privateers killed people and looted ships. The Puritan clothes must go too, I guess, and we all know about... ahem... them. And I haven't even mentioned my Confederate Army uniform. My re-enactor friends, the people I thank God for bringing into my life, are not unreconstructed Southerners, chauvinistic scoundrels or "Bible thumpers," for lack of a better term. We are people who love God, love our families, and love submerging ourselves in the pages of history so that the future generations may learn the kinds of things they're not getting in school. We love the fashion and manners of bygone eras. The ladies and gentlemen I know are beautiful, both inside and outside, brave, and strong. We are not a snobby bunch; indeed, we want to draw people in, sharing the love of God through living history and uplifting and inspiring as many as we can. Why do I re-enact? Because it uplifts me. Because it uplifts others. Because it brought me back to God. Somebody please tell Mr. Vaughn that. UPDATE: Mr. Vaughn has apologized, partially. Tags: Civil War, Commentary Nights Of Grace As I anticipate Her Majesty's Ball, here's the flavor of that which brings me unparalleled joy. I bow to Madame Noire for directing me towards these clips of 18th century dancing taken from movies -- albeit with a modern soundtrack. Practice your honours! -- Christopher at 1:08 AM 1 comment: Links to this post Reel To Reel DVD: The Duchess Oh, my dearest lady, what horrible burdens you suffer! How It Rates: *1/2 Starring: Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes Rated: PG-13 (and a strong one, at that) Red Flags: Several Scenes Of Sexuality (including sexual assault!), Partial Nudity I will freely admit my love of 18th Century culture, so at least you know I'm coming into this film with a bias towards the beauty of the era: its magnificent polonaise dresses, elaborate jackets, lace ruffled shirts, silk clocked stockings, glistening jewelry, powdered wigs, ponytails with ribbons and, of course, three-cornered hats. So it's all the more ironic and saddening in a time where ladies and gentlemen exchange bows and curtsies and manners are de rigeur to see aristocrats treating noble ladies as little more than devices to advance their goals. Such is the life of Georgianna Spencer, the Duchess of Devonshire (Knightley) in 1700's England. She is excited to be married off to the Duke (Fiennes) until she finds herself trapped in a loveless relationship to a philandering spouse. He cares more about his dogs and wants only two things from her: a male heir and obedience. The marriage is in trouble from the consummation forward, and it doesn't get better as she bears him three daughters -- whom she's caring for in addition to an illegitimate child from one of the Duke's flings. Her Grace is no wilting flower, though, and she quickly becomes popular in social circles. It doesn't hurt that she wears the finest of fashion and is a regular gambler. (The film doesn't mention Georgianna's gaming debts, which were quite substantial.) She also has a sharp mind for politics, which attracts the attention of the growing Whig party, angling for control of Parliament. The Duchess also finds a friend and soul mate in Lady Bess, who has left home after being beaten by her husband -- which, sadly, was legal in 1700's England if you used a small enough stick. Georgianna invites her to live with her and the Duke at their magnificent home. Given his lustful eyes, it's not a hard sell. You can guess what happens. Worse, Georgianna can't force Bess from the home, leading to a lot of awkward meals. Looking for love, our beleaguered Duchess has been eyeing and assisting Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper), a Whig politician who longs to be prime minister. She longs to be with him, but the Duke rejects her "deal" of letting them share passion in the same way the Duke has had with Bess. She can't even leave him, either, or risk never seeing her children again -- the same dilemma Lady Bess once faced. Worst of all, Georgianna's mother (Charlotte Rampling) refuses to stand up for her own daughter, concerned more about scandal and status than the happiness of her child. You wonder how she could take the side of this cad people constantly refer to as "Your Grace." The Duchess is a about a woman who has a glorious burden, doing everything that is expected of her as an aristocrat and seeking love and admiration. But the only love she's getting is from her many admirers and her children, neither of whom are aware or can do anything to help her escape the prison of her life. It is beautifully costumed and wigged. Knightly wears a hairpiece at least two feet tall in one scene, making me wonder how women of that era could hold their heads up high under such a burden, in addition to all those other burdens. The late lamented Princess Diana is a direct descendant of the Spencer family. She too had the burden of a philandering husband and the white-hot spotlight. History not only repeats, it passes down its genes. UPDATE: Please see the comments, as Lady Elizabeth provides some excellent perspective on 18th century women and marriage, and why they accepted loveless arrangements. She also linked me to a highly informative digest of 18th Century life in England from the University Of Michigan. More on Her Grace here. -- Christopher at 8:30 PM 2 comments: Links to this post Reel To Reel: Gran Torino Go ahead, make me care about your racist tush. How It Rates: ** Starring: Clint Eastwood Red Flags: Graphic Gang Language and Profanities, Strong Violence Gran Torino is not a Dirty Harry movie, yet it answers the question of what happened when Dirty Harry retired. Perhaps he became a bitter old man like Walter Kowalski, Clint Eastwood's snarling bigot carrying the baggage of his Korean War service while surrounded by Asian neighbors in a run-down Detroit neighborhood. Mr. Kowalski -- don't call him "Walt" -- has just lost his wife, leaving him with little to do except guzzle beer, mow the lawn, and wash his prized Ford Gran Torino -- yes, the same model of car from Starsky & Hutch. Walter used to build them when he worked at Ford. Now he complains about his son owning a "rice burner" and his granddaughter wanting to get her mitts on the car. Any attempts to rescue him from his lone-wolf lifestyle are dismissed with a caustically profane retort that could have come from Dirty Harry's mouth. But even Harry didn't have a mouth as dirty as Walter, who casually drops every ethnic slur I've ever heard except the n-word. Somewhere in that grizzled body, though, lies a heart. He ends up defending Thao (Bee Vang) and Sue (Ahney Her), Hmong teenagers living next store who are struggling with the neighborhood gangbangers. At first, Walter's concerned for his yardwork. But when he is invited next door during a family get-together, he finds common threads. Thao is an introverted, laconic boy who isn't manning up like his family wishes. The gangbangers entice him into stealing the old man's hot ride, but he blows it, and Thao's family forces him to work for Walter to make amends. Walter decides to mentor Thao and help him get a job. Here's where the film takes off as a gritty variant on the father-son relationship fable, as Walter's foul-mouthed life lessons take root. We watch as Thao learns to talk like a bigot to fit in with Detroit's politically incorrect white folks. It's a priceless bit of black comedy. The gangbangers don't give up easily. They keep coming back to torment both Walter and his Thao's family, leading to the inevitable showdown where the old man must also confront his past. This is Clint Eastwood's best acting and directing job since Million Dollar Baby, but beyond Dirty Harry, I remember how much I loved his performance in Unforgiven, which shares similar themes of guilt and redemption. That film won Eastwood Oscars for Best Actor and Best Picture. He has every reason to repeat here. Walter is a rotten geezer, but we root for him as we come to understand and identify with him. The film absorbs us into his perspective, and although we cringe at his racism, we find some old-school wisdom. He's out for himself, but he has a clearly defined sense of justice. In one memorable scene, Walter and his garbage mouth save Sue from some thugs who have filthy, jaw-dropping disrespect for women. People who know me know I have very low tolerance for those who show discourtesy and boorishness to the ladies. Walter Kowalski, you just went ahead and made my day. I'm not going to talk about her. I'm not going to criticize her book or trash her sit-down with Matt Laurer on NBC. I'm not going to complain about how the Peacock got bullied into it. I'm not going to talk about how she epitomizes everything that's wrong with partisan politics. It's because she, like Madonna and Rosie, knows the game. She plays it beautifully. And the rest of the media gets suckered in. She sells books. A lot of them. We complain. But we can't stop talking about her. And then she sells more books. Somewhere, there's a point. Wonder what it could be.... Our Absolutely Speculative & Facetious 2009 Predictions Because we're tired of watching bowl games, because there's little news going on this time of year besides the first-baby and first-homicide stories, because we're bored, and because everybody else is doing it, here's our no-money-back guarantee list of things that will happen in the new year... or should. * WWE Smackdown stages a show at the U.S. Senate, as Democrats try to block Roland Burris from taking a seat and Republicans fight to keep Al Franken from taking another one. Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich arrives with a folding chair. Caroline Kennedy sneaks in the back door. * Pay-per-view sales from the above fracas cover the Wall Street bailout. * President Barack Obama (enough use of this "-elect" already) releases his master plan for turning around the economy, which includes forcing Ford, GM, and Chrysler to bring back the "shag van." Banks are forced to demand the first born of each household as mortgage collateral. David Lee Roth is forced to rejoin Van Halen. * In case his recovery package fails, President Obama readies a super-secret contingency plan to declare himself eligible for the NBA draft. Yes, he can. * Both UPI and Amy Winehouse will amazingly survive another year. * Cash-strapped University of Arizona decides to sell naming rights. Effective May 1st, the campus officially becomes "Jim Click University." * The download-battered recorded music industry will demand a bailout. Congress will refuse, citing the irreversible damage imposed by Jessica Simpson and New Kids On The Block. * Former head coach Lute Olson un-retires at the end of the Wildcat basketball season, citing the need to protect Arizona hoops from being overshadowed by Mike Stoops' boys. * Wildcat football fans demand Stoops' ouster after he fails to get the team to the Rose Bowl. Dick Tomey phones in consolation: "Told ya so!" * Wall Street money managers invent a new derivative investment tied to the number of times Sen. Caroline Kennedy utters the words "you know" during a floor speech. * Al-Qaida decides it's in the wrong business to achieve goals of world domination -- opens up chain of payday loan stores. * Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will travel to Iraq with a security detail of 50 armed guards, two tanks, 10 sharpshooters, air support and Bill on a leash. * Saran Palin retires from the Alaska governor's office and opens up Saraburger fast-food restaurant chain featuring the Ultimate Mooseburger. "Tasty? You betcha!" * Former VP Dick Cheney somehow resurrects Enron. * Plans for the George W. Bush Presidential Library call for a site in Crawford, Texas next to the Beer Barn. Tags: Commentary, Fun Stuff, Lightning Round Reel To Reel: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button The curious case of deja vu. How It Rates: *1/2 Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett Red Flags: Mild Language, Two Sexually Suggestive Scenes You've already seen this movie. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button borrows from a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, but it borrows even more from Forrest Gump. Was screenwriter Eric Roth -- who penned both films -- in a nostalgic mood? I counted at least a half-dozen references to Forrest Gump, in dialogue, structure or otherwise. Both films draw generously from Southern culture. Both films feature a symbol of life's continuity and unpredictability: in Forrest, it's a feather; in Button, it's a hummingbird. Each film devotes a key scene to the title character learning to walk. Roth even recycles Forrest's most memorable line: "I need to pee." Perhaps Roth needed more material than he could find in Fitzgerald's narrative, the story of a man who ages backwards. Benjamin (Pitt) is born a shriveled infant to a mother who dies after delivery and a father who abandons him on the steps of a retirement home. A compassionate caregiver named Queenie (Taraji P. Henson) raises the man-boy to little old man until he leaves home as a tugboat crewman for Captain Mike (Jared Harris), Button's answer to Forrest's Lt. Dan. We hear Button's story as his granddaughter reads his diary to his one true love Daisy (Blanchett, playing the Jenny role from Forrest). Daisy lies dying in a New Orleans hospital as Hurricane Katrina blows in, a setting likely derived from Pitt's post-K New Orleans activism more than anything else. Benjamin watches as his friends grow older and die as he grows younger. Button may set some record for the number of funeral scenes in one picture, yet Brad Pitt's character walks past death with more of a shrug than a charming perspective like his protoge Forrest. That's the film's main problem. It does too much wandering through the life of its title character without providing a unique perspective on the human condition from a person living it in reverse. Forrest did its job brilliantly and warmly and with generous dashes of humor. Button is way too heavy and about 15 minutes too long (my Royal Father puts the figure at 30 minutes). Still, the movie still knows how to pull heartstrings, and it pulls them in the right places. Forrest did too, just a heckuva lot better. 2009 -- A New Beginning I resolve this year to do a better job getting my occasionally crabby side under control. That's tough in a newsroom under deadline pressure. I'm asking for God's guidance and help. All of you have your own resolutions (or, you resolved to stop making them). But I ask that we as a nation add a few collective promises to the list. We resolve to give the new administration a chance before dumping on it like the Los Reales landfill. * We resolve to see partisanship for the cancer that it is and prevent it from infecting any more of our government. * We resolve to stop putting our money into exotic investments we don't understand, even if they promise to make us stinking rich. * We resolve to keep our money in banks that set tougher standards for loans. * We resolve not to let our possessions run our lives. * We resolve to understand all our texting, Twitter tweets, IM's and e-mail will never replace the impact of a face-to-face conversation. * We resolve to wear, not throw, our shoes. Our Absolutely Speculative & Facetious 2009 Predic...	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1223
__label__wiki	0.744327	0.744327	BOOK REVIEW “YOU CAN CHECK OUT” by Eli Elliott Venice BeachheadMay 2, 2016Book Review0 I love, love, love this non fiction trade paperback novel, written, drawn and published by the one and only Eli Elliott, a Venice Beach local who is originally from Michigan. “You can check out” chronicles the Authors time in Venice Beach after a 5 yr. hiatus and the hijinks’ that insue as he finds himself... The Dark Side of Comedy – by Jack Neworth Venice BeachheadNovember 8, 2015Book Review0 The Dark Side of Comedy by: Jack Neworth For five decades, the world adored George Carlin as a stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and best-selling author. Carlin’s career included books, record albums, HBO specials, movies and television. But, to Kelly Carlin he was just dad. The only child of George and Brenda Carlin, Kelly, was... Women of Character, Courage and Commitment Venice BeachheadMarch 1, 2014Book Review, Krista Schwimmer, Women0 By Krista Schwimmer As part of March’s “Women’s History Month”, the National Women’s History Project (NWHP) has announced as its theme for 2014: “women of character, courage, and commitment.” There are many ways to honor such women. My favorite way is by reading their stories – through novels, biographies, poetry, and more. Having worked in... Book Review: Art Tiles of Venice Beach Venice BeachheadFebruary 1, 2014Art, Book Review0 By Eric Ahlberg You may stroll in the eternal carnival that Ocean Front Walk has become. You may sit upon one of the distinctive cement and wooden benches and not even know that your ass is probably very close to some really hot Art. In 2000 two Venice artists created these tiles to depict distinctive... Book Review: VENICE, CA: A CITY STATE OF MIND by John O’Kane Venice BeachheadSeptember 1, 2013Book Review0 By Carlye Archibeque In setting out to tell the tale of alternative past, present, and possible future of the Venice Beach community of California, author John O’Kane has set a daunting task for himself, while also creating a fascinating read for anyone interested in this city by the sea. O’Kane takes the reader on a... Book Review: The Lure of a Land by the Sea Venice BeachheadNovember 1, 2012Book Review, Greta Cobar, History0 By Greta Cobar Long-time Venice historian Delores Hanney did it again: published yet another wonderful Venice memoir, made up of over thirty “vignettes,” as she calls them. With grandiose vocabulary and in what could be called poetic prose, she tells funny and insightful stories from the times of Abbot Kinney’s arrival in Venice all the... Book Review: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in The Age of Colorblindness, by Michelle Alexander Venice BeachheadJune 1, 2012Book Review, Crime/Police, Mary Getlein, Social Justice0 Reviewed by Mary Getlein Once upon a time there was slavery in this country. Jim Crow laws were laws put in place during the reconstruction of the South, for the management and regulation of freed black slaves. Ladies, when you’re walking down a street and it’s dark, and you see a Black man following you,... Novel Explores Early Day Venice Venice BeachheadJune 1, 2012Book Review, History0 Lions & Gondolas By Laura Shepard Townsend Reviewed by Delores Hanney Venetian Laura Shepard Townsend loves Venice and it shows. Opening the stunning mystical cover of her latest book, Lions and Gondolas, is something like stepping into a time machine to be whisked away – through a potent combination of painstaking research and elegant writing –... The Coverup continues – Book Review: Watergate – A Novel Venice BeachheadApril 1, 2012Book Review, History, Jim Smith, Politics0 By Jim Smith We live in a world shaped by history. It is hard to escape our personal history – parents, aunts, uncles – and others who want to shape us in their molde. One means of escape that has likely been practiced by many readers is to run away to Venice. Here, at the... Snoopin’ Around – The Story of David Asper Johnson and The Argonaut Venice BeachheadNovember 1, 2011Book Review, Jim Smith0 Reviewed by Jim Smith Sometimes those who report the news have the biggest influence on shaping the news in the first place. Probably no one had a bigger influence on the the development of Marina del Rey than Argonaut founder and publisher Dave Johnson. David Asper Johnson and the newspaper he founded were inextricable linked...	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line1228

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