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Man dies after serious crash between lorry and van on A16
Another person was rushed to hospital
At the scene of a crash on the A16 (Image: Lincolnshire Police)
A man has died and another rushed to hospital after a serious two-vehicle crash on the A16.
Emergency services were called to the scene at 2.45pm yesterday, Friday, November 29 between the Surfleet and Sutterton roundabouts.
The crash involved a blue Scania HGV and a white Ford Transit van.
The passenger in the van, a man in his 30s from the Boston area, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police have revealed that the driver of the van, a man in his 30s, was taken to Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, with injuries which are not life-threatening or life alerting.
He has since been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
Live updates as police shut off A16 after two-car crash
Police attend as road is blocked after crash
The road was closed for several hours following the incident while police investigated.
A spokesperson for the force said: "If you have information, were in the area at the time of the collision or have dashcam footage, you can contact us in one of the following ways.
"Call 101, quoting Incident 266 of 29 November, email force.control@lincs.pnn.police.uk and put “Incident 266 of 29 November” in the Subject line or contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111."the area at the time of the collision
SkegnessTake a trip down memory lane! Here are the seaside attractions you miss the mostHow many of these can you remember
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Articles, Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
Multisensory Decision-Making in Rats and Humans
David Raposo, John P. Sheppard, Paul R. Schrater and Anne K. Churchland
Journal of Neuroscience 14 March 2012, 32 (11) 3726-3735; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4998-11.2012
David Raposo
John P. Sheppard
Paul R. Schrater
Anne K. Churchland
This article has a correction. Please see:
Erratum: Perez de Arce et al., Synaptic Clustering of PSD-95 Is Regulated by c-Abl through Tyrosine Phosphorylation - May 23, 2012
We report a novel multisensory decision task designed to encourage subjects to combine information across both time and sensory modalities. We presented subjects, humans and rats, with multisensory event streams, consisting of a series of brief auditory and/or visual events. Subjects made judgments about whether the event rate of these streams was high or low. We have three main findings. First, we report that subjects can combine multisensory information over time to improve judgments about whether a fluctuating rate is high or low. Importantly, the improvement we observed was frequently close to, or better than, the statistically optimal prediction. Second, we found that subjects showed a clear multisensory enhancement both when the inputs in each modality were redundant and when they provided independent evidence about the rate. This latter finding suggests a model where event rates are estimated separately for each modality and fused at a later stage. Finally, because a similar multisensory enhancement was observed in both humans and rats, we conclude that the ability to optimally exploit sequentially presented multisensory information is not restricted to a particular species.
A large body of work has shown that animals and humans are able to combine information across time to make decisions in some circumstances (Roitman and Shadlen, 2002; Mazurek et al., 2003; Palmer et al., 2005; Kiani et al., 2008). Specifically, combining information across time can be a good strategy for generating accurate decisions when incoming signals are noisy and unreliable (Link and Heath, 1975; Gold and Shadlen, 2007). For noisy and unreliable signals, combining evidence across sensory modalities might likewise improve decision accuracy, but little is known about whether the framework for understanding combining information over time might extend to combining information across sensory modalities.
The ability of humans to combine multisensory information to improve perceptual judgments for static information has been well established (for review, see Alais et al., 2010). Psychophysical studies have shown that multisensory enhancement requires that information from the two modalities be presented within a temporal “window” (Slutsky and Recanzone, 2001; Miller and D'Esposito, 2005). Physiological studies suggest the same: SC neurons show enhanced responses for multisensory stimuli only when those stimuli occur close together in time (Meredith et al., 1987). Such a temporally precise mechanism would serve a useful purpose for localizing or detecting objects. Therefore, temporal synchrony (or near-synchrony) provides an important cue that two sensory signals are related to the same object (Lovelace et al., 2003; Burr et al., 2009).
In other circumstances, multisensory decisions might have more lax requirements for the relative timing of events in each modality. For example, when multiple auditory and visual events arrive in a continuous stream, temporal synchrony of individual events might be difficult to assess. Auditory and visual stimuli drive neurons with different latencies (Pfingst and O'Connor, 1981; Maunsell and Gibson, 1992; Recanzone et al., 2000), making it difficult to determine which events belong together. It is not known whether information in streams of auditory and visual events can be combined to improve perceptual judgments; if they can, this could be evidence for a different mechanism of multisensory integration that has less strict temporal requirements compared with the classic, synchrony-dependent mechanisms.
To invite subjects to combine information across both time and sensory modalities for decisions, we designed an audiovisual rate discrimination decision task. In the task, subjects are presented with a series of auditory and/or visual events and report whether they perceive the event rates to be high or low. Because of differing latencies for the auditory and visual systems, our stimulus would pose a challenge to synchrony-dependent mechanisms of multisensory processing. Nevertheless, we saw a pronounced multisensory enhancement in both humans and rats. Importantly, this enhancement was present whether the event streams were identical and played synchronously or were independently generated, suggesting that the enhancement did not rely on mechanisms that require precise timing. Together, these results suggest that some mechanisms of multisensory enhancement might exploit abstract information that is accumulated over the trial duration and therefore must rely on neural circuitry that does not require precise timing of auditory and visual events.
Behavioral task.
We presented subjects with a rate discrimination decision task designed to invite subjects to combine information across time and sensory modalities. Each trial consisted of a series of auditory or visual “events” (duration: 10 ms for humans, 15 ms for rats) with background noise between events (Fig. 1a, top). Visual events were flashes of light, and auditory events were brief sounds (see below for methodological details particular to each species). The amplitude of the events was adjusted for each subject so that on the single-sensory trials performance was ∼70–80% correct and matched for audition and vision. We chose these values because previous studies have indicated that multisensory enhancement is the largest when individual stimuli are weak (Stanford et al., 2005). This appears to be particularly true for synchrony-dependent mechanisms of multisensory integration (Meredith et al., 1987).
Schematic of rate discrimination decision task and experimental setup. a, Each trial consists of a stream of events (auditory or visual) separated by long or short intervals (top). Events are presented in the presence of ongoing white noise. For easy trials, all interevent intervals are either long (left) or short (right). More difficult trials are generated by selecting interevent intervals of both values (middle). Values of interevent intervals (bottom) reflect those used for all human subjects. b, Example auditory and visual event streams for the synchronous condition. Peaks represent auditory or visual events. Red dashed lines indicate that auditory and visual events are simultaneous. c, Example auditory and visual event streams for the independent condition. d, Schematic drawing of rodent in operant conditioning apparatus. Circles are the “ports” where the animal pokes his nose to initiate stimuli or receive liquid rewards. The white rectangle is the panel of LEDs. The speaker is positioned behind the LEDs.
Trials were generated so that the instantaneous event rate fluctuated over the course of the trial. Each trial was created by sequentially selecting one of two interevent intervals: either a long duration or a short duration (Fig. 1a, bottom) until the total trial duration exceeded 1000 ms (or occasionally slightly longer/shorter durations for “catch trials”; see below). Trial difficulty was determined by the proportion of interevent intervals from each duration. As the proportion of short intervals varied from zero to one, the average rate smoothly changed from clearly low to clearly high. For example, when all of the interevent intervals were long, the average rate was clearly low (Fig. 1a, left), and similarly when all of the interevent intervals were taken from the short interval, the average rate was clearly high (Fig. 1a, right). When interevent intervals were taken more evenly from the two values, the average of the fluctuating rate was intermediate between the two (Fig. 1a, center). When the number of long intervals exceeded the number of short intervals, subjects were rewarded for making a “low rate” choice and vice versa. When the numbers of short and long intervals in a trial were equal, subjects were rewarded randomly. Note that in terms of average rate this reward scheme places the low rate–high rate category boundary closer to the lower extreme (all long durations) than to the higher extreme (all short durations) because of the differing duration of the intervals. The strategies of both human and rat subjects reflected this: typically, subjects' points of subjective equality (PSEs) were closer to the lowest rate and less than the median of the set of unique stimulus rates presented. Nevertheless, for simplicity, we plotted subjects' choices as a function of stimulus rate. Nearly equivalent results were achieved when we analyzed subjects' responses as a function of the number of short intervals in a trial rather than stimulus rate.
For single-sensory trials, event streams were presented to just the auditory or just the visual system. Visual trials were always 1000 ms long. Auditory trials were usually 1000 ms long, but we sometimes included catch trials that were 800 or 1200 ms. Catch trials were collected for four human subjects. The purpose of the catch trials was to determine whether subjects' decisions were based on just event counts or event counts relative to the total duration over which those counts occurred. Catch trials constituted a total of 2.31% of the total trials. We reasoned that using such a small percentage of the trials for variable durations would make it possible to probe subjects' strategy without encouraging them to alter it. For these trials, we rewarded subjects based on event counts rather than the rate. This should have increased the likelihood that subjects would have made their decisions based on count, if they were able to detect that stimuli were sometimes of variable duration.
For multisensory trials, both auditory and visual stimuli were present and played for 1000 ms. To distinguish possible strategies for improvement on multisensory trials, we used two conditions. First, in the synchronous condition, identically timed event streams were presented to the visual and auditory systems simultaneously (Fig. 1b). Second, in the independent condition, auditory and visual event streams were on average in support of the same decision (i.e., the proportion of interevent intervals taken from each duration was the same), but each event stream was generated independently (Fig. 1c). As a result, auditory and visual events frequently did not occur at the same time. Auditory and visual events did not occur simultaneously even for the highest stimulus strengths because we imposed a 20 ms delay between events. Although a 20 ms delay does prevent auditory and visual events from being synchronous at the highest and lowest rates, the delay may be too brief to prevent auditory and visual stimuli from being perceived as synchronous (Fujisaki and Nishida, 2005). To be sure that our conclusions about the independent condition were not affected by these “perceptually synchronous” trials at the highest and lowest rates, we analyzed the independent condition both with and without the easiest trials (see Results). The multisensory effects we observed were very similar regardless of whether or not we included the easy trials.
Because auditory and visual event streams were generated independently, trials for this condition fell into one of four categories: (1) matched trials, where auditory and visual event streams had the same number of events (example match trials are shown in Fig. 1c); (2) bonus trials, where both modalities provided evidence for the same choice, but one modality provided evidence that was one events/s stronger than the other (i.e., auditory and visual streams had proportions of short or long durations both above or below 0.5, but were not equal); (3) neutral trials, where only one modality provided evidence for a particular choice, whereas the other modality provided evidence that was so close to the PSE that it did not support one choice or the other; and (4) conflict trials, where each modality provided evidence for a different choice. Conflict trials were rare, rewarded randomly, and excluded from further analysis. Because we aimed to match the reliability of the single-cue trials, conflict trials were not expected to reveal differential weighting of sensory cues. This is unlike other multisensory paradigms (Fine and Jacobs, 1999; Hillis et al., 2004; Fetsch et al., 2009) in which the reliability of the two single sensory stimuli is explicitly varied.
Single-sensory and multisensory trials were interleaved. For all three rats and six human subjects, we collected data from the independent and synchronous conditions on separate days (see Figs. 2, 3, 4, 6). However, we included one control condition where four different human subjects were presented with interleaved blocks of the synchronous and independent conditions (see Fig. 5).
Human subjects.
We report data from 10 human volunteers (5 male, 5 female, age 22–60 years) with normal or corrected-to-normal vision and normal hearing. Two subjects were researchers connected to this study; the remaining eight subjects were naive about the experiment. Volunteers were recruited through fliers posted at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Experiments were conducted in a large sound-isolating booth (Industrial Acoustics).
Visual stimuli were displayed on a CRT monitor (Dell M991) using a refresh rate of 100 Hz. Subjects were seated comfortably in front of the monitor; the distance from their eyes to the screen was ∼51 cm. Stimulus presentation and data acquisition were controlled by the Psychophysics Toolbox (Pelli, 1997) running on Matlab (Mathworks) on a Quad Core Macintosh computer (Apple). Subjects were instructed to fixate a central black spot (0.22 × 0.24° of visual angle); eye position was not monitored because small deviations in eye position are unlikely to impact rate judgments about a large flashing stimulus. After a delay (500 ms), the stimulus presentation began.
Auditory events were pure tones (220 Hz) that were played from a single speaker attached to the left side of the monitor. Speakers were generic mini-USB speakers (4.8 × 7.2 cm; Hewlett Packard; azimuth = 22.6°) that produced 78 dB-SPL in the range of 200–240 Hz at the position of the subject (tested using a pressure-field microphone, Brüel & Kjær). Waveforms were created in software at a sampling rate of 44 kHz and delivered to speakers through a digital (TOSlink optical) audio output using the PsychPortAudio function in the Psychophysics Toolbox. The visual stimulus, a flashing square that subtended 10° × 10° of visual angle (azimuth = 17.16°), was positioned eccentrically so that its leftmost edge touched the left side of the screen. This configuration meant that auditory and visual stimuli were separated by only 3.5 cm (the width of the plastic frame of the CRT). The top of the speaker was collinear with the top of the flashing visual square. We positioned the stimuli close together because spatial proximity has been previously shown to encourage multisensory binding (Slutsky and Recanzone, 2001; Körding et al., 2007). The timing of auditory and visual events was checked regularly by using a photodiode and a microphone connected to an oscilloscope. Both auditory and visual events were played amid background white noise. For the visual stimulus, the white noise was restricted to the region of the screen where the stimulus was displayed.
Subjects reported their decisions by pressing one of two keys on a standard keyboard. They received auditory feedback about their choices: correct choices resulted in a high tone (6400 Hz) and incorrect choices resulted in a low tone (200 Hz). We provided feedback to the human subjects so that their experience with the task would be as similar as possible to the rats. Feedback for the rats was essential because the liquid rewards the rats received motivated them to do the task (see below). The two intervals used to generate the stimuli were 60 and 120 ms. Individual events were 10 ms. The resulting trials had fluctuating rates whose averages ranged from 7 to 15 Hz.
We trained subjects for 4–6 d so that they could learn the association between stimulus rate and the correct choice. We began by presenting very salient unimodal stimuli, both visual and auditory; initially, the rates used were uniformly low or uniformly high. Over the course of several days, we used a staircase procedure to gradually make the task more difficult by lowering the amplitude (contrast or volume) of the stimuli. We also began to include trials with mixtures of long and short interevent intervals so that the overall rate was harder to judge, as well as multisensory trials. Subjects typically achieved a high performance level on both unisensory and multisensory trials within 3 d. We typically used an additional 2–3 d for training during which we made slight adjustments to the auditory and visual background noise so that the two modalities were equally reliable (as measured by the subjects' thresholds on single modality trials). After this additional training, subjects' performance was typically well matched for the two modalities and also very stable from session to session. Once trained, subjects began each additional day with a 100 trial warm-up session. They then completed approximately five blocks of 160 trials on a given day.
Animal subjects.
We collected data from three adult male Long–Evans rats (250–350 g; Taconic Farms) that were trained to do freely moving two-alternative forced-choice behavior in a sound isolating booth (Industrial Acoustics). Trials were initiated when the rats poked their snouts into a centrally positioned port (Fig. 1d). Placing their snouts in this port broke an infrared beam; this event triggered onset of the visual or auditory stimulus.
Auditory events were played from a single, centrally positioned speaker and consisted of pure tones (15 kHz, rats 1 and 2) or bursts of white noise (rat 3) with sinusoidal amplitude modulation. Speakers were generic electromagnetic dynamic speakers (Harman Kardon) calibrated by using a pressure-field microphone (Brüel & Kjær) to produce 75 dB-SPL in the range of 5–40 kHz at the position of the subject. Waveforms were created in software at a sampling rate of 200 kHz and delivered to speakers through a Lynx L22 sound card (Lynx Studio Technology).
Visual stimuli were presented on a centrally positioned panel of 96 LEDs that spanned 6 cm high × 17 cm wide (118° horizontal angle × 67° vertical angle). The bottom edge of the panel was ∼4 cm above the animals' eyes. Note that because the interior of the acoustic box was dark, it was not necessary for the rats to look directly at the LED panel to see the stimulus events. The use of a large, stationary visual stimulus ensured that small head or eye movements during the stimulus presentation period did not grossly distort the incoming visual information. The LEDs were driven by output from the same sound card that we used for auditory stimuli; the sound card has two channels (typically used for a left and right speaker), which can be controlled independently. Auditory and visual stimuli were sent to different channels on the sound card so that we could use different auditory/visual stimuli for the independent condition. The timing of auditory and visual events was checked regularly by using a photodiode and a microphone connected to an oscilloscope.
Animals were required to stay in the port for 1000 ms. Mean wait times were very close to 1000 ms for all three animals (mean ± SE for all animals: rat 1, 953.8 ± 1.4 ms; rat 2, 984.0 ± 2.4 ms; rat 3, 960.1 ± 2.3 ms). Withdrawal from the center port before the end of the stimulus presentation resulted in a 2000–3000 ms “timeout” during which a new trial could not be initiated. These trials were excluded from further analysis. Animals typically displayed equal numbers of early withdrawal trials for auditory, visual, and multisensory stimuli. When animals successfully waited for the entire duration, they then had up to 2000 ms to report their decision by going to one of two eccentrically positioned reward ports, each of which was arbitrarily associated with either a high rate (right side) or a low rate (left side). The time delay between leaving the center port and arriving at the reward port varied across animals (mean ± SE for all animals: rat 1, 774.3 ± 1.6 ms; rat 2, 391.5 ± 0.8 ms; rat 3, 479.7 ± 0.9 ms). When the rats correctly went to the port corresponding to the presented rate, they received a drop of water (15–20 μl) delivered directly into the port through tubing connected to a solenoid. Open times of the solenoid were regularly calibrated to ensure that equal amounts of water were delivered to each side.
The two intervals used to generate the stimuli were slightly different for the three rats. For rat 1, intervals had durations of 30 and 70 ms. The resulting trials had fluctuating rates whose averages ranged from 12 to 22 Hz. For rat 2, intervals had durations of 17 and 67 ms. The resulting trials had fluctuating rates whose averages ranged from 12 to 32 Hz. Shorter intervals (and therefore higher rates) were used with the first two animals because we had originally feared that the lower rates used on the human task would be difficult for the rats to learn (lower rates require longer integration times because the information arrives more slowly). However, this proved to be incorrect: for rat 3, the intervals were very similar to those used in humans: intervals were 50 and 100 ms; the resulting trials had fluctuating rates whose averages ranged from 9 to 15 Hz. No major differences in multisensory enhancement were observed in the three animals. The main consequence of using different rates for each animal is that it prevented us from pooling data across animals for certain analyses (see Figs. 4d, 6b). For these analyses, we report results from each animal individually.
Animals were first trained by using auditory stimuli alone. Once they had achieved proficiency with the task, we introduced a small proportion of multisensory trials where the auditory and visual events were played synchronously. Shortly thereafter, we introduced some trials that contained only the visual stimulus. Performance on these trials was typically near chance for the first few days and improved rapidly thereafter. Once proficiency was achieved on the visual task, animals were presented with equal numbers of auditory, visual, and multisensory trials interleaved in a single block.
All experimental procedures were in accordance with the National Institutes of Health's Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and approved by the Cold Spring Harbor Animal Care and Use Committee.
We computed psychometric functions using completed trials (where the animal waited the required 1000 ms). For each actual rate, we computed the proportion of trials where subjects reported that the stimulus rate was high (see Figs. 2a,b, 4, 5b). SEs for these proportions were computed by using the binomial distribution. We then fit the choice data with a cumulative Gaussian function by using psignifit version 3 (http://psignifit.sourceforge.net/), a Matlab software package designed to implement the maximum-likelihood method of Wichmann and Hill (2001). The psychophysical threshold and PSE (also known as the bias) were taken as the SD (σ) and mean (μ), respectively, of the best-fitting cumulative Gaussian function (Fetsch et al., 2009). Errors on these parameters were generated via bootstrapping based on 1000 simulations. We express parameters from the fits as the estimate and 95% CI. Vertical error bars in Figures 2c, 4e, and 5a reflect these CIs. To make comparisons between thresholds or PSEs for different psychometric functions (single sensory versus multisensory, for example), we generated t statistics from the estimated parameters and their SEs and computed p values with the Student's t cumulative distribution function on Matlab (tcdf.m).
As in previous studies (Young et al., 1993; Jacobs, 1999; Ernst and Banks, 2002; Alais and Burr, 2004; Hillis et al., 2004), we took the thresholds computed from the single sensory trials as an estimate of each single cue's reliability. Single sensory thresholds were typically quite similar, but there was some individual variation. Next, we used these reliabilities to predict the “optimal” threshold that one would observe if the multisensory estimate were more precise because it had been generated by combining each single-sensory estimate weighted in proportion to its reliability:
Combining single-sensory estimates using this rule will generate a multisensory estimate with the lowest possible variance (Jacobs, 1999; Landy and Kojima, 2001). Therefore, this prediction provides a benchmark and makes it possible to connect this approach to previous multisensory (and within-sensory cue combination) behavior. Previous studies have reported that subjects' performance is close to the optimal prediction (Ernst and Banks, 2002; Alais and Burr, 2004; Fetsch et al., 2009). To estimate errors on the predicted thresholds, we propagated the errors associated with the single-cue thresholds. Horizontal error bars in Figures 2c, 4e, and 5a reflect 95% CIs computed from these SEs. We also used the SE when computing a statistic for the Student's t test to make comparisons between the predicted and measured multisensory thresholds.
For most analyses, psychometric functions were computed separately for each subject. For the analysis shown in Figures 4b and 5b, however, we pooled data across human subjects. This was because some bonus trials and neutral trials were sufficiently rare that psychometric functions computed for individual subjects were very noisy. The rat data for this analysis (see Fig. 4d) could not be pooled across animals, however, because different rates were used for the two animals. We therefore show data for a single rat and report the values for the other animals in the text. Note that the analysis of “neutral trials” in Figure 4b (orange trace) included those trials where the evidence from one modality was close to the experimenter-defined category boundary between high and low rates (10.5 Hz). The PSEs for the subjects in those figures were very close to this value. However, for the group of subjects in Figure 5b PSEs were slightly lower (9.5). For this reason, we defined “neutral trials” as those that were close to the subjects' PSE rather than the true category boundary. Otherwise, we might have erroneously characterized an (for example) 11 Hz stimulus as “neutral” when, for this group of subjects, an 11 Hz trial was taken as evidence for a high-rate choice. Similar effects on thresholds were obtained whether we used 9.5 or 10.5 Hz as the dividing line, but using the latter value resulted in an apparent high-frequency bias on neutral trials relative to matched trials that likely does not reflect a true change in subjects' PSE for those trials.
To identify over what time period the subjects accumulated evidence, we performed an analysis similar to the choice-triggered average (Sugrue et al., 2004; Kiani et al., 2008). We performed this analysis by using 300 ms time windows but saw similar results with larger and smaller windows. We selected trials that had an average event rate of 10 Hz (seven events in the 700 ms outside of the 300 ms window of interest) (Fig. 6a). We then computed the average rate of trials within the window of interest for trials that ended in high versus low choices. Because the stimulus rates outside of the window of interest were identical, this analysis allowed us to ask whether the stimuli inside the window of interest influenced the outcome of the trial. Because this analysis selects trials based on their average rate during a specified time period, it necessarily eliminates a large fraction of the data. An average event rate of 10 Hz was observed on ∼1800 of 7600 trials, for example. However, this analysis did not depend on a particular event rate: similar results were obtained when we used higher or lower rates. The values we chose for the final analysis were selected because they maximized the total number of included trials. To estimate the significance of this result, we performed a bootstrapping analysis: at each time point, we computed the difference in rate between trials randomly assigned to the high or low group. This procedure was repeated 1000 times. We then computed the SD of the resulting distribution and took that value as the SE on the difference between frequencies in the high and low groups. Further, to provide a comparison for the magnitude of the difference between frequencies in the high and low groups, we assigned trials randomly to these groups rather than by what the subject actually chose. We then computed the excess rate and its SE in the same manner as described above (see Fig. 6c, dashed lines). This quantity serves as a baseline to which the choice-triggered average can be compared. Because stimulus events occurred only at specified times during the trial, responses over many trials tended to have obvious fluctuations (see Fig. 6b,c). These are more evident for lower rate stimuli than for higher rate stimuli, which is why they are more apparent in Figure 6b than in Figure 6c.
We examined whether subjects could combine information about the event rate of a stimulus when the information was presented in two modalities. Combining evidence should produce lower multisensory thresholds relative to single sensory thresholds. We first describe results from the synchronous condition where the same stream of events was presented to the auditory and visual systems, and the events occurred simultaneously (Fig. 1b). Figure 2a shows results for the synchronous condition for a representative human subject: the subject's threshold was lower for multisensory trials compared with single-sensory trials (Fig. 2a, blue line is steeper than green and black lines), demonstrating that subjects made more correct choices on multisensory trials. The difference between the single-sensory and multisensory thresholds was highly significant (auditory: p = 0.0001; visual: p < 0.0003); the change in threshold was not significantly different from the optimal prediction (measured: 1.75, CI: 1.562–1.885; predicted: 1.69, CI: 1.54–1.84; p = 0.38). In contrast, the PSE for multisensory trials was similar to those seen on single-sensory trials (auditory: p = 0.06; visual: p = 0.52).
Subjects' performance is better on multisensory trials. a, Performance of a single subject plotted as the fraction of responses judged as high against the event rate. Green trace, auditory only; black trace, visual only; blue trace, multisensory. Error bars indicate SEM (binomial distribution). Smooth lines are cumulative Gaussian functions fit via maximum-likelihood estimation. n = 7680 trials. b, Same as a but for one rat (rat 3). n = 12,459 trials. c, Scatter plot comparing the observed thresholds on the multisensory condition with those predicted by the single-cue conditions for all subjects. Circles, human subjects; squares, rats. Green symbols are for the example rat and human shown in a and b. Black solid line shows x = y; points above the line show a suboptimal improvement. Error bars indicate 95% CIs. Prop, Proportion.
The example was typical: all subjects we tested showed an improvement on the multisensory condition, and this improvement was frequently close to optimal (Fig. 2c, circles are close to the x = y line, indicating optimal performance). On average, this improvement was not accompanied by a change in PSE (mean PSE difference between visual and multisensory: 0.54, CI: 0.48–1.56, p = 0.23; mean PSE difference between auditory and multisensory: 0.05, CI: −0.66–0.75, p = 0.87).
Significant multisensory enhancement was also observed in all three rats. Figure 2b shows results for a single rat. The difference in thresholds between the single sensory and the multisensory trials was highly significant (auditory: p < 10−5; visual: p < 10−5). The improvement exceeded that predicted by optimal cue combination (measured: 1.97, CI: 1.72–2.21; predicted: 2.70, CI: 2.57–2.83; p < 10−5). This improvement was also seen in the remainder of our rat cohort (Fig. 2c, squares); the improvement was significantly greater than the optimal prediction in one of the two additional animals (rat 1, p < 10−5); the improvement nearly reached significance in a third (rat 2, p = 0.06).
Multisensory enhancement on our task could be driven by decisions based on estimates of event rate of the stimulus or estimates of the number of events. Human subjects have previously been shown to be adept at estimating counts of sequentially presented events, even when they occur rapidly (Cordes et al., 2007). In principle, either strategy could give rise to uncertain estimates in the single-sensory modalities that could be improved with multisensory stimuli. To distinguish these possibilities, we included a small number of random catch trials that were either longer or shorter than the standard trial duration. Consider an example trial that has 11 events (Fig. 3a, arrow). If subjects use a counting strategy, they would make the same proportion of high choices whether the 11 events are played over 800, 1000, or 1200 ms. We did not observe these results in our data. Rather, subjects made many fewer high choices when the same number of events were played over a longer duration (Fig. 3a, blue trace) compared with a shorter duration (Fig. 3a, red trace).
Subjects make decisions according to event rates, not event counts. a, Example subject. Abscissa indicates the number of event counts. Each colored line shows the subject's performance for trials where the event count on the abscissa was presented over the duration specified by the labels. For a given event count (11 events, black arrow) the subject's choices differed depending on trial duration. n = 3656 trials b, Same data and color conventions as in a except that the abscissa indicates event rate instead of count. For a given event rate (11 events/s, black arrow), the subject's choices were very similar for all trial durations. c, d, Data for four subjects; conventions are the same as in a and b. n = 9727 trials. Prop, Proportion.
These findings argue that subjects normalize the total number of events by the duration of the trial. In fact, the example subject in Figure 3, a and b, normalized quite accurately: he made the same proportion of high choices for a given rate (Fig. 3c, arrow) whether that rate consisted of a small number of events played over a short duration (red traces) or a larger number of events played over a longer durations (green and blue traces). The tendency to make choices based on stimulus rate rather than stimulus count was evident when examined in a single subject (Fig. 3a,b) and in the population of four subjects (Fig. 3c,d). Note that our subjects exhibited such a rate strategy despite the fact that we rewarded them based on the absolute event count, not the event rate (see Materials and Methods).
The multisensory enhancement observed for our task (Fig. 2) might simply have resulted because the auditory and visual stimuli were presented amid background noise and therefore were difficult to detect. Thus, in the synchronous condition, multisensory information may have enhanced subjects' performance by increasing the effective signal-to-noise ratio for each event by providing both auditory and visual events at the same time. To evaluate this possibility, we tested subjects on a condition designed to prevent multisensory information from facilitating event detection: we achieved this by generating auditory and visual event streams independently. We term this the “independent condition.” On each trial, we used the same ratio of short to long events for the auditory and visual stimuli. First, we restricted our analysis to the case where the resulting rates were identical or nearly identical (see Materials and Methods). Importantly, the auditory and visual events did not occur at the same time and could have had different sequences of long and short intervals (Fig. 1c). Because the events frequently did not occur simultaneously, subjects had little opportunity to use the multisensory stimulus to help them detect individual events. Despite this, subjects' performance still improved on the multisensory condition compared with the single-sensory condition. This is evident in the performance of a single human and rat subject (Fig. 4a,c). For both the human and the rat, thresholds were significantly lower on multisensory trials compared with visual or auditory trials (human: auditory, p = 0.0002, visual, p < 10−5; rat: auditory, p < 10−5, visual, p < 10−5). The change in threshold was close to the optimal prediction for the human (measured threshold: 2.08, CI: 1.70–2.46; optimal: 2.39, CI: 2.60–2.17; p = 0.09) and was lower than the optimal prediction for the rat (measured threshold: 2.64, CI: 2.47–2.81; optimal: 3.26, CI: 3.10–3.38; p < 10−5). This example was typical: all subjects we tested showed an improvement on the multisensory condition, and multisensory thresholds were frequently slightly lower than the optimal prediction (Fig. 4e, many circles are below the x = y line); the improvement was significantly greater than the optimal prediction for one additional rat (rat 1, p < 10−5). On average, this improvement was not accompanied by a change in PSE, for neither the humans (mean PSE difference between visual and multisensory condition: 0.45, CI: −1.93–1.04, p = 0.47; mean PSE difference between auditory and multisensory conditions: 0.62, CI: −0.4–1.65, p = 0.18) nor the rats (mean PSE difference between visual and multisensory condition: 0.48, CI: −0.33–1.29, p = 0.13; mean PSE difference between auditory and multisensory conditions: 0.55, CI: −2.04–3.14, p = 0.46). To ensure that subjects' improvement on the independent condition was not driven by changes at the highest and lowest rates (where stimuli might be perceived as synchronous), we repeated this analysis excluding trials at those rates. The multisensory improvement was still evident for the example human and was again very close to the optimal prediction (measured threshold: 2.45, CI: 1.85–3.05; optimal: 2.79, CI: 2.40–3.18; p = 0.82). The multisensory improvement for the example rat was also present and was still better than the optimal prediction (measured threshold: 2.75, CI: 2.41–3.09; optimal: 3.53, CI: 3.19–3.88; p = 0.0008). For the collection of human subjects, we found that thresholds were lower for multisensory trials compared with visual (p = 0.039) or auditory (p = 0.003) trials. For the rats, thresholds were lower for multisensory trials compared with visual (p = 0.02) or auditory (p = 0.04) trials. Excluding trials with the highest/lowest rates did not cause significant changes in the average ratio of multisensory to single-sensory thresholds for either modality or either species (p < 0.05).
The multisensory enhancement is still present for the independent condition. a, Performance of a single subject. Conventions are the same as in Figure 2a. n = 4255 trials. b, A comparison of accuracy for matched trials (blue trace), bonus trials (cyan trace), and neutral trials (orange trace). Abscissa plots the rate of the auditory stimulus. Data are pooled across six humans. n = 1957 (matched condition), 2933 (bonus condition), and 3825 (neutral condition). c, Same as a, but for a single rat (rat 1). n = 13,116 trials. d, Same as b, but for a single rat. n = 3725 (matched condition), 244 (bonus condition), and 247 (neutral condition) e, Scatter plot for all subjects comparing the observed thresholds on the multisensory condition with the predicted thresholds. Conventions are the same as in Figure 2c. Error bars indicate 95% CIs. Prop, Proportion.
Subjects might have shown a multisensory improvement on the independent condition for two trivial reasons. First, the presence of two modalities together might have been more engaging and therefore recruited additional attentional resources compared with single-sensory trials. Second, events in the independent condition might sometimes occur close enough in time to aid in event detection. We performed two additional analyses that ruled out both of these possibilities.
First, we examined subsets of trials from the independent condition where the rates were different for the auditory and visual trials (bonus trials; see Materials and Methods). For these trials, evidence from one modality (say, vision) provided stronger evidence about the correct decisions than the other modality (say, audition). For example, the auditory stimulus might be 10 Hz, a rate that is quite close to threshold, but still in favor of a low rate choice, while the visual stimulus is 9 Hz (Fig. 4b, arrow, cyan line). We compared such trials possessing different auditory and visual rates with “matched-evidence” trials where both stimuli had the same rate (Fig. 4b, arrow, blue line). If subjects exhibit improved event detection on the multisensory condition because of near-simultaneous events, they should perform worse on the bonus evidence trials (at least for low rates), because the likelihood of events occurring at the same time is lower when there are fewer events (10 and 10 events for matched trials; 10 and 9 events for bonus trials). To the contrary, we found that performance improved on bonus evidence trials: in the example, the subject made fewer high choices on the bonus trials at low rates (Fig. 4b, arrow, cyan trace below blue trace), demonstrating improved performance. Accuracy was improved at the higher rates as well, leading to a significantly lower threshold for bonus trials (matched: threshold = 2.3, CI: 2.00–2.57; bonus: threshold = 1.3, CI: 1.12–1.38; p < 10−5). The enhanced performance seen in this subject was typical: five of six subjects showed lower thresholds for bonus evidence trials, and this reached statistical significance (p < 0.05) in three individual subjects. Data from an example rat subject supported the same conclusion (Fig. 4d): performance on bonus trials was better than performance on matched trials (matched: threshold = 2.6, CI: 2.42–2.78; bonus: threshold = 1.4, CI: 0.71–2.09; p = 0.02). Bonus trials were collected from one of the remaining two rats; for this rat also, performance on bonus trials was better than performance on matched trials (rat 2; matched: threshold = 4.4 ± 0.22; bonus: threshold = 2.6 ± 0.70; p = 0.008).
Next, we examined subsets of neutral trials for which the rate of one modality (say, vision) was so close to the PSE that it did not provide compelling evidence for one choice or the other. If multisensory trials are simply more engaging and help subjects pay attention, performance should be the same on matched trials and neutral trials. To the contrary, we found that performance was worse for neutral trials compared with matched trials: the example subject made many more errors on neutral trials and had elevated thresholds (matched: threshold = 2.3, CI: 2.00–2.57; neutral trials: threshold = 4.2, CI: 3.56–4.57; p < 10−5). The decreased performance seen on neutral trials was typical: all subjects showed higher thresholds for neutral trials, and this was statistically significant (p < 0.05) in five subjects. Data from an example rat subject support the same conclusion (Fig. 4d): performance on the neutral trials was worse than performance on matched trials (threshold = 2.6, CI: 2.42–2.78; neutral: threshold = 5.0, CI: 3.80–6.20; p < 10−5). Neutral trials were collected from one of the remaining two rats; for this rat also, performance on neutral trials was worse than performance on matched trials (matched: 4.4, CI: 4.03–4.76; neutral: threshold = 6.6, CI: 5.09–8.11; p = 0.01).
Note that our dataset included a small proportion of trials where the auditory and visual cues were in support of different decisions (conflict trials). Because we made every effort to match the reliability of the two single-sensory cues, we did not expect conflict trials to be systematically biased toward the rate of one modality over the other. Indeed, subjects' PSEs were very similar for a variety of cue conflict levels and did not vary systematically with the level of conflict (weighted linear regression: slope = 0.06, CI: −0.07–0.19).
Because we typically collected data from only the independent condition or the synchronous condition on a given day, we could not rule out the possibility that subjects developed different strategies for the two conditions. If true, then their performances should decline when the trials from the two conditions were mixed within a session. To test this, we collected data from four additional subjects on a version of the task where the synchronous and independent conditions were presented in alternating blocks of 160 trials over the course of each day. Because the condition switched so frequently within a given experimental session, subjects would have a difficult time adjusting their strategy. Therefore, a comparable improvement on the two tasks can be taken as evidence that subjects can use a similar strategy for both conditions. Indeed, we found that subjects showed a clear multisensory enhancement on both conditions, even when they were presented in alternating blocks (Fig. 5a, triangles and circles close to the x = y line). Further, this group of subjects showed the same enhancement on bonus trials as did subjects who were tested in the more traditional configuration (Fig. 5b; matched: threshold = 3.7, CI: 2.93–4.45; bonus: threshold = 1.9, CI: 1.67–2.04; p < 10−5). Individual subjects all showed reduced thresholds for the bonus condition; this difference reached significance for one individual subject. This group of subjects also showed significantly increased thresholds on neutral trials relative to matched trials (Fig. 5b) (matched evidence: threshold = 3.7, CI: 2.93–4.45; neutral: threshold = 6.4, CI: 4.91–7.89; p = 0.0008). This effect was also observed in all four individual subjects.
Human subjects' performance is better on multisensory trials even when the synchronous and independent conditions are presented in alternating blocks. a, Scatter plot for all subjects comparing the observed thresholds on the multisensory condition with the predicted thresholds. Data from the synchronous (circles) and independent (triangles) conditions are shown together. Error bars indicate 95% CIs. b, Subjects perform better on bonus trials compared with the matched trials and slightly worse on neutral trials. Conventions are the same as in Figure 4c. n = 1390 (matched condition), 2591 (bonus condition), and 2464 (neutral condition). Prop, Proportion.
Our stimulus was deliberately constructed so that the stimulus rate fluctuated over the course of the trial. We exploited these moment-to-moment fluctuations in rate to determine which time points in each trial influenced the subjects' final decisions. To explain this analysis, consider a group of trials that was selected because they had the same average rate during the first 700 ms of the trial (Fig. 6a, top). By examining the average stimulus rate in the last 300 ms of the trial and comparing it for trials that end in high versus low choices, we can determine whether rates during that late interval influenced the subjects' final choice. In the schematic example, trials preceding low choices (Fig. 6a, red traces, top) had a lower rate during the final 300 ms compared with trials preceding high choices (Fig. 6a, blue traces, top). We denote differences in rate within such windows as the “excess rate” supporting one choice over the other. The same process can be repeated for other windows within the trial (Fig. 6a, bottom). Systematically varying the temporal window makes it possible to generate a time-varying weighting function, termed the choice-triggered average, that describes the degree to which each moment in the trial influenced the final outcome of the decision and can be informative about the animal's underlying strategy. For example, if the choice-triggered average was elevated only very late in the trial, this suggests that the subjects either did not pay attention early in the trial or did not retain the information (a leaky integrator) and simply based their decision on what happened at the end of the trial. By contrast, if the choice-triggered average was elevated for the entire duration of the trial, this suggests that subjects exploited information presented at every moment. The choice-triggered average that we computed was elevated over the course of the entire trial for human subjects (Fig. 6b) and over ∼600 ms for rodents (Fig. 6c). This suggests that subjects integrate evidence over time for the majority of the trial. The integration time appears to be longer for humans compared with rats: the choice-triggered average for rats was not elevated during the first 200 or last 100 ms of the trials. On average, humans' choice-triggered averages were significantly larger for multisensory trials compared with auditory-only or visual-only trials (multisensory: 1.63 ± 0.05; visual: 1.16 ± 0.04; auditory: 1.19 ± 0.03; multisensory > auditory, p < 10−5; multisensory > visual, p < 10−5). The multisensory choice-triggered average was also elevated in the example rat (multisensory: 1.99 ± 0.08; visual: 1.05 ± 0.04; auditory: 1.29 ± 0.04; multisensory > auditory, p < 10−5; multisensory > visual, p < 10−5). Similar results were observed in the other two rats: the choice-triggered averages exhibited similar shapes and the magnitude of the multisensory trials was larger than that of the single-sensory trials (rat 2: multisensory > auditory, p < 10−5; multisensory > visual, p < 10−5; rat 3: multisensory > auditory, p < 10−5; multisensory > visual, p < 10−5).
Subjects' decisions reflect evidence accumulated over the course of the trial. a, Schematic of average stimulus frequencies for trials supporting opposing decisions. Top, Trials were selected if their average stimulus rate from 0 to 700 ms was 10 Hz (seven events over 700 ms). Trials were then grouped according to whether the subject chose low (red) or high (blue) on each trial. Average stimulus rate within the bin of interest (700–1000 ms; dashed lines) was then compared for stimuli preceding left and right choices. Bottom, Same as in top panel except that the window of interest occurred early in the trial (0–300 ms). b, Solid traces indicate difference in average event rate for trials that preceded left versus right choices for all time points in a trial. Color conventions are the same as in Figure 2, a and b. Thin lines indicate SEM computed via bootstrapping. Dashed traces indicate difference in average rate for trials assigned randomly to two groups. Data were pooled from six human subjects. Trial numbers differed slightly for each time point; ∼1800 trials were included at each point. c, Same as b but for an individual rat. Trial numbers differed slightly for each time point; ∼3200 trials were included at each point.
We report three main findings. First, we found that subjects can combine multisensory information for decisions about an abstract quantity, event rate, which arrives sequentially over time. Second, we found that subjects showed multisensory enhancement both when the sensory inputs presented to each modality were redundant and when they were generated independently. This latter finding suggests a model where event rates are estimated independently for each modality and then are fused into a single estimate at a later stage. Finally, because a similar, near-optimal multisensory enhancement was observed in humans and rats, we conclude that the neural mechanisms underlying this multisensory enhancement are very general and are not restricted to a particular species.
Our results differ from previous observations about multisensory integration in a number of ways. First, our stimulus is unique in that the relevant information, event rate, is not available all at once but must be accumulated over time. Most prior studies of multisensory integration have not explicitly varied the incoming evidence with respect to time (Ernst et al., 2000; Ernst and Banks, 2002; Alais and Burr, 2004). Some previous studies have presented time-varying rates in a multisensory context (Recanzone, 2003), but have not, to our knowledge, asked whether subjects can exploit the multisensory information to improve performance. Second, we have shown multisensory enhancement in both humans and rodents. Most of the multisensory integration studies in animals have been performed with nonhuman primates (Avillac et al., 2007; Gu et al., 2008). There have been some studies of multisensory integration in rodents (Sakata et al., 2004; Hirokawa et al., 2008), but our study goes further than those in several ways. First, previous studies did not establish animals' thresholds or PSEs. Our approach allowed us to determine the animals' psychophysical thresholds and PSEs and therefore compare changes on multisensory trials to a maximum-likelihood prediction. Further, previous studies in rodents also did not compare human data alongside the animals, making it difficult to know whether the two species use similar strategies when combining multisensory information.
Our results are perhaps consistent with a different mechanism for multisensory integration than has been thus far observed physiologically. Recordings from the SC in anesthetized animals have made it clear that temporal synchrony (or near-synchrony) of individual stimulus events is a requirement for multisensory integration (Meredith et al., 1987). Because we observed multisensory integration in the absence of temporal synchrony, the circuitry in the SC probably does not underlie the improvement we observed. Instead, our observations point to mechanisms that estimate more abstract quantities, such as the average rate over a long time interval.
Critical features of the task we used may have invited modality-independent combination of evidence. First of all, auditory and visual events probably arrived in the brain with different latencies even on the synchronous condition (Pfingst and O'Connor, 1981; Maunsell and Gibson, 1992; Recanzone et al., 2000). More importantly, the stimulus rates were sufficiently high that connecting individual auditory and visual events was likely not feasible for most subjects. Previous research has shown that when auditory and visual events are embedded in periodic pulse trains, the detection of temporal synchrony falls to chance levels at only 4 Hz (Fujisaki and Nishida, 2005). A separate study found that discrimination thresholds for time interval judgments are approximately five times longer for multisensory stimuli than for auditory of visual stimuli alone (Burr et al., 2009).Together, those studies and ours suggest that the brain faces a major challenge when trying to associate specific auditory or visual events that are arriving quickly. A reasonable solution to this problem is to generate separate estimates for each modality and then combine them at a later stage, perhaps in an area outside of the SC that receives both auditory and visual inputs, such as the parietal cortex (Reep et al., 1994; Mazzoni et al., 1996). This type of strategy may not be necessary for stimuli that lack discrete events. It remains to be seen whether other continuously varying stimuli would likewise be integrated over time at an early stage and then combined later on (Fetsch et al., 2009).
Several of our conclusions warrant caution. First, we have argued that our subjects use data presented over the entire duration of the trial. Because we presented stimuli for a fixed duration (1000 ms), however, we make this conclusion with caution. The choice-triggered average we report suggests that subjects use information over long periods of time in the trial, but a reaction time paradigm is necessary to make this conclusion with complete confidence.
Second, although we conclude that rats and humans are both quite capable of multisensory integration, there are small differences in the behavior of the two species. Specifically, humans' decisions were influenced by stimuli at all times during the trial (Fig. 6b), whereas rats' decisions were influenced mainly by the middle 650 ms (Fig. 6c). The weak influence of stimuli at the very beginning of the trial is consistent with a “leaky integrator” that accumulates evidence but leaks it away according to a time constant that is shorter than the trial. An alternative explanation is that the rats had little time to prepare for the onset of the stimulus. The stimulus began as soon as the rats initiated a nose poke into the center port. The human subjects, by contrast, began each trial with a brief fixation period before the stimulus began, providing them with some preparation time. Accordingly, humans' decisions were clearly influenced by stimuli very early on in the trial. Several explanations are consistent with the weak influence of stimuli near the end of the trial. One possibility is that the rats accumulated evidence up to a threshold level or bound that was frequently reached before the end of the trial. If this were the case, stimuli arriving after the bound was reached would not influence the animals' decisions, leading to the pattern of results that we observed. A signature of this has been previously reported in monkeys (Kiani et al., 2008). A second possibility is that stimuli late in the trial did not influence the rats' choices because the rats used the last 200 ms of the trial to prepare the full-body movement that was required to report their decisions. Human observers, by contrast, made much smaller movements to report their decisions, so they might not have needed the additional movement preparation time. Further, human subjects almost never responded before the stimulus was over. Rodents' more frequent early responses were consistent with the possibility that they used part of the stimulus presentation time to plan a movement. Note that other aspects of the choice triggered average were quite similar for the two species. For example, we observed a reliable difference in the magnitude of the choice-triggered average for single-sensory and multisensory trials. This suggests that multisensory stimuli exert more influence over the choice compared with single sensory stimuli, a conclusion that is in agreement with the overall improvements we observed on multisensory trials (Figs. 2, 4, 5).
A final caveat is the observation that our subjects, particularly the rats, frequently showed multisensory enhancements that were larger than one would expect based on maximum-likelihood combination. Individual sessions with superoptimal enhancements have been observed previously in animals (Fetsch et al., 2009, 2012), so our observations are not without precedent. Nevertheless, the tendency toward supraoptimality is more prevalent and consistent in our dataset than in previous ones. The most likely explanation is that performance on single-sensory trials provides an imperfect estimate of a modality's reliability. The apparent supraoptimal cue combination likely indicates that, at least for a few subjects, we underestimated the reliability of the single-sensory stimulus. A possible explanation is that the animals had different levels of motivation on single-sensory versus multisensory trials. One reason for this might be as follows: the rats are, in general, very sensitive to overall reward rate. For example, we have observed improved overall performance on a given modality when we decrease the proportion of easy trials for that modality. This suggests that the animals may strive for a particular reward rate and adjust their motivation levels when they exceed or fall short of that rate. Because single-sensory trials yield lower average reward rates compared with multisensory trials, animals might have decreased motivation on those trials, particularly when they are interleaved with higher-reward rate multisensory trials. Although this explanation is a speculative one, we favor it over other possibilities, such as the possibility that there is an additive noise source: high-level decision noise, for example. Additive noise would indeed cause underestimates of the subjects' reliability on the single-sensory condition; however, it has been previously demonstrated to have only a very small effect on the relationship between the measured and predicted behavior on the multisensory condition (Knill and Saunders, 2003; Hillis et al., 2004). Indeed, if high-level decision noise were present and constant across single-sensory and multisensory trials (Hillis et al. 2004), it would result in an overestimate of multisensory improvement, whereas we observed multisensory improvements greater in magnitude than predicted by the maximum-likelihood model.
To conclude, our behavioral evidence argues for the existence of neural circuits that make it possible to flexibly fuse information across time and sensory modalities. Our observations suggest that this kind of multisensory integration may use different circuitry compared with the synchrony-dependent mechanisms that have been reported previously. The existence of many mechanisms for multisensory integration likely reflects the fact that multisensory stimuli in the world probably activate neural circuits on a variety of timescales. As a result, many different mechanisms, each of them suited to the particular constraints of a class of stimuli, may operate in parallel in the brain.
This work was supported by NIH Grant EY019072 and a grant from the John Merck Fund. We thank Haley Zamer, Barry Burbach, Santiago Jaramillo, Petr Znamenskiy, and Amanda Brown for technical assistance. We would also like to thank Chris Fetsch for giving feedback on an early version of the manuscript, and Carlos Brody for useful conversations and advice about experimental design.
Correspondence should be addressed to David Raposo, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724. draposo{at}cshl.edu
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Sugrue LP,
Corrado GS,
Newsome WT
(2004) Matching behavior and the representation of value in the parietal cortex. Science 304:1782–1787.
Wichmann and Hill, 2001.↵
Wichmann FA,
Hill NJ
(2001) The psychometric function. I. Fitting, sampling, and goodness of fit. Percept Psychophys 63:1293–1313.
Young et al., 1993.↵
Young MJ,
Maloney LT
(1993) A perturbation analysis of depth perception from combinations of texture and motion cues. Vision Res 33:2685–2696.
Ed Board (PDF)
You are going to email the following Multisensory Decision-Making in Rats and Humans
David Raposo, John P. Sheppard, Paul R. Schrater, Anne K. Churchland
Journal of Neuroscience 14 March 2012, 32 (11) 3726-3735; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4998-11.2012
Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
Identification and Characterization of a Sleep-Active Cell Group in the Rostral Medullary Brainstem
Gravin Orchestrates Protein Kinase A and β2-Adrenergic Receptor Signaling Critical for Synaptic Plasticity and Memory
Generation of Intensity Selectivity by Differential Synaptic Tuning: Fast-Saturating Excitation But Slow-Saturating Inhibition
Show more Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
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JOSHUA MORRISON GROUP
Joshua occasionally leads his own group, playing the music of some of his favourite composers such as Kenny Dorham, Cedar Walton and Hank Mobley. The group consists of some of the UK's best Jazz musicians and has included saxophonists Alex Garnett, Sammy Mayne, Sam Braysher; trumpeter Steve Fishwick; pianists Gabriel Latchin, Alex Bryson; and bassists Calum Gourlay, Jeremy Brown and Dave Green.
The group has appeared at some of London's top Jazz clubs including Ronnie Scotts's and Kansas Smitty's.
Please head to the MUSIC page for some live recordings.
If you are interested in booking the band please feel free to get in touch: joshmorrisondrums@gmail.com
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Apple Watch Series 5 Watchband
Discover the entire collection of leather watchbands for the new Apple Watch Series 5. Lucrin presents an incredible choice of watch straps that you can customise as you wish, specially thanks to the large palette of colours available. The haute horology watchband in leather turns your Apple Watch into a very luxurious masterpiece. You have the choice among a fine selection consisting of vintage leather bands, double tour or even the version with hook-and-loop fasteners. Coming in 40 or 44 mm version, all our Apple Watch 5 leather watchbands are proposed in 3 sizes, all with anti-allergic lining, and you can even customise the Apple Watchband with contrasting thread colour and unique initials engraving.
Apple Watch band 40 mm in vegetable-tanned leather
Add a touch of class to your new Apple Watch 40 mm thanks to this superb watchband in vegetable tanned leather. It has a natural feel to it an...
Here is the exclusive Apple Watch band, made in vegetable-tanned or eco leather. This refined leather watchband has minimalistic stitching and...
Apple Watch Series 5 Watch Band - (44 mm)
The luxury version of the Apple Watch Series 5 watchbands, it is available in a large choice of leathers and colours. The leather Apple watchb...
Apple Watch Series 5 Elegance Watch Band - (44 mm)
Made in authentic leather in the pure Swiss tradition of luxury watchmaking, the Apple Watch Series 5 (44 mm) elegance Watch Band by Lucrin co...
This is our sporty & chic version of our leather Apple Watchbands for the 40mm Series 5. You will definitely get the feel of wearing a high-en...
Made in the the same traditional way of Swiss luxury watchmaking, the Apple Watch Series 5 elegance watch band is a thing of beauty. Besides i...
Apple Watch Series 5 Double Tour Watchband - (44 mm)
This is the Apple Watch Series 5 Double Tour Watchband made in the pure luxury watchmaking swiss tradition. Available in a sublime choice of l...
Double Tour Apple Watch Series 5 - (40 mm)
Elaborated in the same way as luxury watches straps are made, the Double Tour Apple Watch Series 5 - 40mm is the watchband to wear today. Tren...
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aim awards
AIM Awards 2016 announces shortlist
Skepta, Wolf Alice and Field Music are among the shortlisted acts for the Association of Independent Music (AIM) Awards 2016.
XL boss to receive AIM Pioneer Award
Richard Russell, founder and owner of XL Recordings, will be honoured with the Pioneer Award at the 2016 AIM Awards in September.
Róisín Murphy to receive Outstanding Contribution Award
Róisín Murphy is to receive AIM’s Outstanding Contribution to Music Award at a ceremony this September.
Voting is now open for the AIM Independent Music Awards’s Best Live Act 2016 with Roisin Murphy, Fat White Family and Enter Shikari among the nominees.
AIM Awards 2016 now open for entries
The Association of Independent Music (AIM) is now accepting entries for this year’s AIM Awards until 24 May.
AIM Awards to return in 2016
The Association of Independent Music (AIM) has announced the return of its AIM Awards for 2016 this September.
We've put together a video of some of our most magical moments of 2015. Here's to another great year in music!
Interview: Mystery Jets
We caught up with the Mystery Jets at the AIM Awards to get the lowdown on their new LP and why they’re 'hopeful' for the future of indie music…
Interview: Roots Manuva
‘Everyone was on my back - I had to do something different’ - Roots Manuva tells us how he’s flipped the switch on new LP Bleeds…
Interview: Holly Johnson
Pop star, painter, eighties icon, label boss: we caught up with the ex-Frankie Goes To Hollywood front man on the red carpet of the recent AIM Awards to hear what's been keeping him busy lately...
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Sen. Graham to do own 'deep dive' into FISA abuse
(Washington Examiner) Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham promised that he will launch his own “deep dive” inquiry into the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation after the conclusion of Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s investigation into alleged abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
“I promise your listeners, after Horowitz issues his report about the flawed FISA warrant, I’m going to deep-dive into how this stuff started,” the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman said while appearing on Sunday Morning Futures on Fox News this morning. “How could it go so far if there was no collusion?”
Special counsel Robert Mueller concluded that although the Russians did interfere in the 2016 presidential election, he could not establish any criminal collusion between the Russian government and the Trump campaign. He will be testifying in front of Congress on July 24.
The post Sen. Graham to do own 'deep dive' into FISA abuse appeared first on WND.
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The analysis will be done by matching the combined ad clicks of people who are logged into Google services with their collective purchases on credit and debit cards. Photo: Bloomberg
Google helps advertisers track spending in physical stores
3 min read . Updated: 24 May 2017, 03:40 PM IST AP
Google says a new tool will track how much money people spend in merchants' brick-and-mortar stores after clicking on their digital ads
Googledigital advertisingadvertisersonline shoppingphysical storesdigital adsonline ad networkDigital dossierscard transactions
San Francisco: Google already monitors online shopping — and now it’s keeping an eye on physical stores to try to sell more digital advertising.
The Internet company said on Tuesday that a new tool will track how much money people spend in merchants’ brick-and-mortar stores after clicking on their digital ads.
The analysis will be done by matching the combined ad clicks of people who are logged into Google services with their collective purchases on credit and debit cards. Google says it won’t be able to examine the specific items purchased or how much a specific individual spent.
But even aggregated data can sometimes be converted back to data that can identify individuals, said Larry Ponemon, chairman of the Ponemon Institute privacy research firm.
Mining credit-card data
Google says it has access to roughly 70% of US credit and debit card sales through partnerships with other companies that track that data. By matching ad clicks with this data, Google says it can automatically inform merchants when their digital ads translate into sales at a brick-and-mortar store. Previously, if people clicked on an ad without buying anything online, an advertiser might conclude that the ad was a waste of money.
If the program works, it could help persuade merchants to boost their digital marketing budgets.
The data add to the digital dossiers that Google has compiled on users of its search engine and other services, including Gmail, YouTube and Android.
Sridhar Ramaswamy, Google’s senior vice-president of ads and commerce, said the new tracking system was created in consultation with “incredibly smart people" to ensure it’s not invasive. He described the program as “secure and privacy safe."
But Ponemon said that even if Google has good intentions now, companies and governments in the future might not.
The kinds of data that Google is collecting also could become an inviting target for hackers, said Miro Copic, a marketing professor at San Diego State University.
“The privacy implications of this are pretty massive, so Google needs to tread very carefully," Copic said.
Google’s opportunity
Google already runs the world’s biggest online ad network, one that raked in $79 billion in revenue last year. That puts it in the best position to capture any additional marketing dollars spent on computers and mobile devices.
The Mountain View, California, company touted the store-sales measurement tool Tuesday in San Francisco at an annual conference it hosts for its advertisers.
This meeting was an opportunity not only for Google to flaunt its new tools, but to work on regaining ground with advertisers who have recently boycotted YouTube . Major advertisers began pulling back two months ago over concerns that Google hadn’t prevented major brand advertising from appearing alongside extremist video clips promoting hate and violence.
Google already knows what you like based on the searches you make and the videos you watch. Online ads are then targeted to those interests. From there, Google can tell when you click on an ad and if you make an online purchase based on that.
The new program takes that tracking into physical stores.
Google says its computers rely primarily on log-in information, such as email addresses, to identify the people clicking on ads. It then matches that data with other identifying information compiled by merchants and the issuers of credit and debit cards to figure out when digital ads contribute to an offline purchase.
It’s all done in a “double-blind" way, Ramaswamy said, meaning the personal information that Google has can’t be seen by merchants or its credit and debit card partners. By the same token, Google is blocked from seeing personal information held by its partners.
When it first described the tracking program to The Associated Press, Google provided an example of how it would be able to identify a specific purchase made in a physical store by a consumer who had clicked on a digital ad run by the merchant. On Tuesday, though, Google executives stressed that it won’t be able to peer that deeply into what people are buying.
Google’s tool won’t work for cash payments or the 30% of US card transactions that Google can’t currently access. And this works only for individuals who log in.
Google gives its users the option to limit the company’s tracking and control what types of ads they are shown — although in practice, relatively few users tweak such settings.
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Crackdown on pub footie
PUB landlords who screen live Premier League matches through foreign decoders could be jailed under a new crackdown.
Thousands of soccer fans across Merseyside watch illegally transmitted matches live in pubs on Saturdays.
But now licensees who continue to show the games beamed in from continental sports channels could face a #5,000 fine or up to six months in jail.
It is not known how many pubs are breaking the law but those trying to control the problem say the passion for football in Liverpool and the presence of two large premiership clubs means the city will see a substantial amount of landlords choosing to show the games.
But the pub industry in the region has claimed that some landlords may have been driven to break the law after a 22% price increase by Sky television.
The Premier League has called in the Federation Against Copyright Theft (Fact) to tackle the growing problem of unauthorised screenings of live Premiership matches on Saturday afternoon. It is illegal to show live matches between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on Saturdays.
North west regional secretary for the British Beer and Pub Association, Lee Le Clercq, said while illegal action could not be condoned, Sky were pricing small landlords out of the market.
He said: "Obviously, any illegal activity cannot be condoned by this association and its members, but what I would say is that the price hike in process by Sky TV will be very damaging as far as pubs are concerned.
"I think when you consider that pubs really were instrumental in the promotion of live football programming, Sky have stabbed them in the back with an increase of ten times inflation."
Mr Le Clercq, whose association represents 98pc of brewers and two-thirds of pubs in the North West, said: "I think when one is taxed, one looks for ways to avoid it.
"Whether it's the government or it's fees, it's only human."
Decoders imported from the continent can be purchased for around #1,500 ? around a tenth of the cost of an annual Sky subscription ? and allow access to Premiership football, usually beamed from Scandinavia or Portugal.
Live broadcasts have never been allowed in the UK on Saturday afternoons for fears it would hit the attendances of lower division clubs.
Brian Conron, director general of Fact, said that the presence of two large Premiership clubs in Liverpool made the decoders desirable.
He said: "The trend started off in cities like Liverpool, where there is obviously two big, well-supported clubs, and being able to show the games attracts customers.
"I think a number of 1,000 to 2,000 pubs nationwide is a fairly accurate reflection.
Mr Conron said the crackdown would tackle individual landlords rather than breweries. He said: "Hopefully, the brewers wouldn't get involved in this. I would assume it mainly to be single landlords.
"Obviously, they would end up in court if they don't heed any warnings and it might affect their licences.
"We are also taking legal advice to see whether action can be taken against the manufacturers of the decoders. This is an area which needs controlling."
Liverpool FCRoy Keane's brilliant 13-word verdict about Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk after Manchester United victoryVan Dijk headed Liverpool ahead before Mohamed Salah sealed all three points in stoppage time
Everton FCCarlo Ancelotti 'can raise his voice' to Everton players as half-time message revealed at West HamSeamus Coleman also explains why patience is required with 'proven winner' Ancelotti
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Natural Stone Shiva & Parvati Statue 61"
Item# 93g68
Item# 93g68 1262 Store Reviews
Purchase Natural Stone Shiva & Parvati Statue 61"
35% Off Freight Shipping! - Calculate Shipping
In Stock and Ships in 1-3 Business Days
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Email Email is required
Phone Phone is not required
This statue weighs too much to be shipped using UPS or any of our international carriers and will have to be shipped by a freight carrier. We will get you a freight shipping quote for this statue.
During the checkout process freight shipping will not be automatically added to the price. Shipping will be calculated based on the weight of the sculpture and the distance from Oceanside, CA to determine the shipping price. Shipping will then be added to the total after the order is placed and we will email you a new receipt. We get quotes manually so you, the customer, get the best and lowest priced freight quote possible when we quote the shipment to our 10 freight carriers we have relationships with.
Or you can call us directly at 1 (760) 994-4455.
Materials: A Natural Bolder of Indian Black Granite
Base Width & Depth: 40 x 18 inches
Weight: Approximately 4,400 pounds or 2,000 kgs
The bas-relief sculpture of Shiva on one side and his wife, Parvati on the other side is hand carved into a natural bolder of black granite
Shiva is on one side holding a trident with a cobra around his neck with Parvati on the opposite side holding a lotus flower
The natural stone woud blend in perfectly with any garden
The sculpture would ship directly from India to anywhere in the world. Allow 2 months for shipping
About Shiva
The bas-relief sculpture of Shiva on one side and his wife, Parvati on the other side is hand carved into a natural bolder of black granite. Shiva is standing with his right hand held up in the abhaya mudra while holding a large trident. A river of water flows out from the mouth of the goddess, Ganga on the top of his head. The other side depicts the beautiful, Parvati with womanly features and hypnotic almond shaped eyes. She holds a lotus flower in her right hand. The sculpture is very similar to bas-relief sculptures carved in ancient stone temples in India. The natural stone sculpture would be a perfect addition to a garden setting as it would fit right into the space.
About Black Granite: Indian black granite is a wonderful stone. It is capable of a variety of finishes which can give it a variety of different color possibilities. It is possible to see 4-5 different colors on a single piece depending on the degree of polish or roughness of the stone. Indian black granite is among the best granite in the world sought after by artists globally. Unlike inferior quality granite, Indian granite is extremely dense and without impurities that plague other stones. The density of granite makes a granite sculpture perfect for any garden because it can be left outside in extreme heat and extreme cold for years without care.
Shiva the Destroyer (Sanskrit: Auspicious One), or Siva, is one of the main Deities of Hinduism, worshipped as the paramount lord by the Saivite sects of India. Shiva is one of the most complex gods of India, embodying seemingly contradictory qualities. He is the destroyer and the restorer, the great ascetic and the symbol of sensuality, the benevolent herdsman of souls and the wrathful avenger.
Shiva was originally known as Rudra, a minor deity addressed only three times in the Rig Veda. He gained importance after absorbing some of the characteristics of an earlier fertility god and became Shiva, part of the trinity, or trimurti, with Vishnu and Brahma.
Shiva wears a snake coiled around his upper arms and neck symbolizing the power he has over the most deadly of creatures. Snakes are also used to symbolize the Hindu dogma of reincarnation. Their natural process of molting or shedding their skin is symbolic of the human soul's transmigration of bodies from one life to another.
Shiva's female consort and wife is Parvati; because of his generosity and reverence towards Parvati, Shiva is considered an ideal role model for a husband. The divine couple together with their sons - the six-headed Skanda and the elephant headed Ganesh - reside on Mount Kailasa in the Himalayas.
His guardian is Nandi (the white bull), whose statue can often be seen watching over the main shrine. The bull is said to embody sexual energy, fertility. Riding on its back, Shiva is in control of these impulses.
He often holds a trident, which represents the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. It is also said to represent the threefold qualities of nature: creation, preservation and destruction, although preservation is usually attributed to Vishnu.
As the destroyer, Shiva is dark and terrible, encircled with serpents and a crown of skulls.
Shiva often wears sacred Rudaksha beads, perhaps a reference to his earlier name Rudra.
The crescent moon Shiva wears on his crown, besides being a symbol of Kama the goddess of nightly love, also represents the bull, Nandi, a fertility symbol.
Shiva holds a skull that represents samsara, the cycle of life, death and rebirth. Samsara is a central belief in Hinduism. Shiva himself also represents this complete cycle because he is Mahakala, the Lord of Time, destroying and creating all things.
Shiva is represented in a variety of forms. One such form is as a lingam. The ovoid shape is a representation of the absolute perfection of Lord Shiva - if that which is beyond form had to be given form, the lingam would be the closest form to the mystical experience of the absolute perfection of Shiva. Shiva is often pictured in a pacific mood with his consort Parvati, as the cosmic dancer Nataraja, as a naked ascetic, as a mendicant beggar, as a yogi, and as the androgynous union of Shiva and Parvati in one body (Ardhanarisvara).
Another example of Shiva's apparent synthesis of male and female attributes is seen in his earrings. He wears one earring in the style of a man and the other as a female.
Shiva's third eye is a symbol of higher consciousness. It is also a weapon he uses to destroy his enemies by emitting a fire missile which has the power to incinerate the three worlds. He can also kill all the gods and other creatures during the periodic destruction of the universe. Shiva's third eye first appeared when Parvati, his wife, playfully covered his other two eyes, so Shiva opened his third eye emitting his destructive missile endangering the three worlds.
This sculpture is currently in our warehouse in India and will be shipped to our warehouse in Oceanside, CA or directly to the custom depending on the where in the US the sculpture is being delivered. Lotus Sculpture pays for the shipping and import costs to Oceanside, CA. This process takes approximately 80 days. The client then pays for shipping from Oceanside, CA or the closest port to the final destination. Shipping is calculated after the purchase. If you place your order online shipping will be $0. Shipping will then be added to the invoice after the order is placed. Shipping will be calculated based on the weight of the sculpture and the distance from Oceanside, CA. Please call 760-994-4455 or email us [email protected] for a shipping quote.
Click here to view pictures of our freight packing
This sculpture is currently in our warehouse in India and will be shipped directly to the customer. This process takes approximately 80 days. Shipping is calculated after the purchase. If you place your order online shipping will be $0. Shipping will then be added to the invoice after the order is placed. Please call 760-994-4455 or email us [email protected] for a shipping quote.
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Tell a Friend about Natural Stone Shiva & Parvati Statue 61"
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Tax Commissioner wants to turn black economy to ‘lighter shade of grey’
ATO Commissioner Chris Jordan believes the agency’s local business visits are helping to change community behaviour, while reassuring small businesses that their tax performance fares well on an international scale.
Seeking to provide some context over the ATO’s recently released tax gap findings, Commissioner Chris Jordan said that despite small business taxes paid coming in 12.5 per cent below what was owed — a higher percentage than either large corporations or individual taxpayers — the sector is doing well in terms of tax compliance.
“Internationally, we are performing really well in terms of our small business tax performance,” he said while speaking at the National Small Business Summit in Melbourne.
According to Mr Jordan, “the small business economy is paying about 95 per cent of the tax that it should” when you take out the black economy. That figure drops just below 90 per cent when black economy activity is included.
In other countries, that figure is “substantially less”, he said.
“I think that is a solid achievement... the vast majority of the small businesses there are doing their best to comply.”
However, Mr Jordan noted that with the tax gap research showing an $11.1 billion shortfall in taxes actually paid versus what was owed, “there is still work to be done”.
“We will hold to account those who do try to cheat the system so that we can continue to protect the people who are doing the right thing,” he said.
“Our role as regulators of small business is really about fairness, about protecting against inequity... and making it as easy as possible for people to comply with the regulations.”
This, he suggested, is why the government and the ATO are so aggressively targeting the black economy.
“We’re hoping to see the black economy change from black to at least a lighter shade of grey over time.”
ATO visits ‘have an impact’
Mr Jordan also spoke about the ATO’s plans to visit up to 10,000 SMEs across the country each year.
The commissioner said that media coverage of where ATO inspectors will visit next attracts considerable attention.
“People do sort of pay attention to it, it does have an impact,” he said.
“I was only talking to someone last night who was saying that the local baker that they go to has gone from a cash-only sign to EFTPOS now.”
Adam Zuchetti
Article Date: September 7, 2019
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Nationals Latest: Sabercats Seeded #8
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Despite being one of four regional champions at the 2019 NCCAA DII National Tournament, the Sabercats have been seeded #8 out of eight teams.
MBU will open play on Thursday, March 7 at 12 p.m. EST against the three-time defending national champions, the #1-seeded Randall University Saints.
The seeding for the national championship is determined primarily by a vote and conference call with the regional chairs. Secondary consideration is then given to the NCCAA Power Rating System and the results of the most recent NCCAA Top 10 rankings.
"The selection committee can make whatever decisions they want," said Coach Keith Salscheider. "And it doesn't matter where you're seeded - you've got to win three games against great competition. Randall's got a great shot at winning it all, so we just look at it as we have to play three rounds of championship games. And Randall's got the target on their back, so we're excited about who we're playing and we're looking to make some noise at the National Tournament."
The loser of the opening game will be relegated to the consolation bracket while the winner will face the winner of #4 Great Lakes Christian and #5 Arlington Baptist.
Below is the field for the 2019 National Tournament:
Team W-L Location Region Qualifying Method 2018 Finish
#1 Randall 17-13 Moore, Okla. Southwest Region Champion Champion
#2 Grace Christian 19-12 Grand Rapids, Mich. Mideast At-Large 3rd Place
#3 Johnson 16-15 Knoxville, Tenn. Mideast Region Champion 4th Place
#4 Great Lakes 19-11 Lansing, Mich. Mideast At-Large DNP
#5 Arlington Baptist 15-15 Arlington, Texas Southwest At-Large DNP
#6 Trinity Baptist 15-15 Jacksonville, Fla. South Region Champion DNP
#7 Bob Jones 9-17 Greenville, S.C. South At-Large/Tournament Host Runner-Up
#8 Maranatha 15-9 Watertown, Wis. North Region Champion 6th Place
Find details of all the games at the National Tournament at mbusabercats.com/composite.
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McDonalds.com
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Victoria joined McDonald’s in December 2013, and holds responsibility for the business strategy in the UK and Ireland, as well as for the consumer and commercial insight functions. Victoria developed and delivered the latest UK and Ireland strategy, which has led to a significant increase in customer visits, sales and improved consumer satisfaction, as well as improved brand perceptions.
The research and insights gathered by Victoria’s team have directly led to the introduction of new initiatives such as McDelivery and the mobile ordering click and collect app, as well as the introduction of Meals Under bundles to help customers find lower calorie options more easily.
With consumer behaviour and customer expectations ever-changing, Victoria leads a team committed to ensuring that McDonald’s remains a relevant restaurant brand for UK and Irish customers and communities alike. In 2017, a new customer satisfaction tool, Food for Thoughts, was introduced to help even better understand customer experience in restaurants. Victoria is also passionate about supporting and championing women within the company and has a global role on the Women’s Leadership Network.
Victoria joined from Bupa where she created and set up an insights, data and analytic hub for the UK before becoming Director of Marketing. She has a wealth of experience working with and for several successful brands, including holding a variety of roles at British Airways and Gillette, as well as consulting for Great Ormond Street Hospital and Eurostar.
Victoria’s favourite McDonald’s menu item is Chicken Selects with Smokey BBQ Dip, followed by an Apple Pie.
For all UK media enquiries and interview requests please contact us on 0203 892 1000 between 9am and 5pm.
Or email us pressoffice@uk.mcd.com
For urgent media enquiries, outside of business hours please call 0203 426 0123
If you have a customer complaint or relevant comments please contact McDonald’s Customer Service
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Position Papers from the Apple Pie and Machine Guns Institute
Position Paper #6:
Farewell to Christmas
by Stuart Winchester
There was a time when I, the founder of APMAG, was a lad, when America looked a lot more like America. It was a time when men could smoke in bars without being lectured about how they were going to give the ex-con/security guard working the door lung cancer, when a factory could release the harmless byproducts of industrial manufacture into the nearest convenient waterway and not have to hire a battalion of lawyers when some child of alcoholics was born with an extra arm forty miles downriver, and when minorities mostly kept quiet and stayed the hell out of the way. It was a purer America. A freer America. And in many ways, a better America.
Every year, at the end of that American year, we, as Americans, would celebrate a holiday called Christmas. You have probably never heard of Christmas. If you have, you probably think it’s Santa Claus’ birthday. But no, it is first and foremost a grand religious tradition, celebrating the birth of our lord and savior Jesus Christ. A day devoid of commercial influence save for the exchange of an occasional gift. A day of warmth and togetherness and cheer.
That sacred day is now nearly invisible in our culture, the victim of a brutal and ceaseless decades-long war on Christmas by the usual cadre of media, liberal elites and big-government bureaucrats to marginalize and delegitimize the grand Christian tradition that is the foundation for our nation’s social and civic compact. It is no great coincidence that Christmas has virtually disappeared at the same historical instant that this gang of cultural bullies has eviscerated our landscape with a politically correct bulldozer, demanding that we allot equal attention to all races and traditions, even those of dubious cultural influence and import, such as Buddhists, cavemen, and women.
As a result, the holiday is nearly invisible, tucked into some indistinct corner of the calendar like Flag Day or Express Your Support for Islam Day. Just take a look at this official U.S. government calendar, which glorifies a number of obscure and made-up holidays that further a far-left liberal agenda and cater to whining minority groups while completely deleting Christmas from existence:
Perhaps worse than the government’s Orwellian revision of the holiday calendar is the willingness of vast herds of citizen-lemmings to adopt this willful ignorance. It was once universal custom in America when encountering an acquaintance, store clerk, or fellow boycotter in front of an integrating university building during the holiday season, to say, “Merry Christmas.” Now, even an allusion to what was once the most sacred of days in a public expression of conviviality brings the sort of indignant reaction once reserved for those who cannot decode a simple seating chart on a public bus. We’ve re-wired our society into a reactionary gang of robots, incapable of actual thought, pre-programmed only to spew platitudes about the weather and how happy we are that our nation is being overtaken by Muslims. Just take a look at this pamphlet handed out to workers at a retail store in Missouri, giving them acceptable responses if a customer greets them with “Merry Christmas”:
Part of the reason for this mass fear and ignorance, of course, is the now nearly-complete secularization of our public schools, a transformation that has replaced all religious teachings and discourse with a dubious set of lessons based upon the sacrilege of the scientific method. The institutionalized opprobrium directed at organized religion from the supposedly respectable bricks of our public school buildings can best be summed up in the poster below of a brontosaurus stepping on Jesus, which APMAG operatives found hanging in an eighth-grade classroom in Maryland:
Each time a world-wise Fox News commentator courageously points out that our nation has devolved into a refuge for Christian-hating secularites and hyper-sensitive minorities, they are assaulted by a liberal-PC axis of hatred making fantastical claims that Christmas is still the dominant cultural event in our nation. Such nonsense can be disproven simply by comparing the two photos below, both of the same downtown area in a small Indiana village. The first picture shows the town as it appeared in 1953:
Now take a look at the same commercial strip in 2011:
No, you are not seeing things: that is a menorah planted directly in the middle of a Christmas display window in the lower-left-hand portion of this photo. An absolute outrage. A person walking down that street could not be blamed for being tossed into a spiral of confusion, in which they would not be certain exactly what time of year it was, or if they were in America at all.
With that, and with a volume of evidence that is as overwhelming as it is depressing, I surrender and, with great bitterness and sadness, bid farewell to the once grand tradition of Christmas, another casualty in the ceaseless and ruthless liberal drive to destroy everything worth having in our great nation. I hope only that a future America, not so wholly constrained by an out-of-control nanny culture, can somehow resuscitate what once was a pure and wonderful tradition.
Farewell, Christmas. You will be missed.
Apmag
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NET-WAR QUESTIONED
In recent years, the priests of the Pentagon have developed a new orthodoxy: network-centric warfare. That's the notion that every infantryman, every pilot, every drone and every general will share everything they see and hear over an Internet for combat. It's become the unquestionable centerpiece of the U.S. military's vision for its future.On the eve of Gulf War II, Defense Tech highlighted a couple of heretics, who weren't sure network-centric fighting was such a great idea. Now, Aviation Week reports, more of these thinkers are emerging.Yale professor Charles Perrow notes that sharing information at all levels could easily lead to generals micromanaging battles."It isn't difficult to envision the fog of war being replaced by the fog of systems," he writes.Defense analysts Loren Thompson, with the Lexington Institute, says both the U.S. and her adversaries will have access to Internet technology."This means enemy forces will be able to use it themselves, and they will understand how the U.S. employment of networks can be used against U.S. forces."Network-centric warfare proponents seem oblivious to the vulnerabilities they themselves might create, he adds. The Navy, for example, isn't requiring that its systems withstand an electromagnetic pulse."We are acting like the danger doesn't exist at the same time we are pursuing similar [anti-electronics] weapons," Thompson told Aviation Week.
DefenseTech
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Fox News - Military and Technology
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The 3 Best YouTube Applications For Mac OS X
Simon Slangen November 27, 2013 27-11-2013 2 minutes
YouTube is easily one of the most visited websites in the world. Recently, integration with Google Plus has frustrated many of its users. People don’t like nagging, or the new feel of the comments section. Regardless of this specific problem, it begs the question, might there be a better way to enjoy YouTube on your Mac?
We’ve scoured the web for the best desktop YouTube clients that Mac OS X has to offer. Whether you’re looking for a different interface, or don’t like to keep your browser open at all times, it’s worth taking a closer look at these applications.
1. Minitube ($9.99)
With Minitube, the YouTube experience is transformed into something akin to broadcast television. It’s a novel concept. Just type in a keyword to get started. Minitube will line up all the relevant videos and start playing them in order. Sit back and relax while watching music videos of your favourite artists, or new game trailers. Connect it to your Apple TV (or similar receiver) via AirPlay What's AirPlay, And How To Use It In Mac OS X Mountain Lion What's AirPlay, And How To Use It In Mac OS X Mountain Lion Imagine you want to play your favorite album in Spotify. Naturally, you'll be hooking your computer up to a better sound station. But what if you're lying in bed, or sitting on the couch? Ideally,... Read More and you’ve effectively turned your computer into a television set. Instead of using a keyword, Minitube also tunes in to your subscriptions, notifying you when a new video hits the web.
With Minitube, there’s no need to resort to third-party YouTube downloaders 4 Free Apps To Download YouTube Videos [Mac] 4 Free Apps To Download YouTube Videos [Mac] If you want to download YouTube videos to your PC, the options are seemingly endless. There are a huge number of options available that are simple and effective, including not only standalone software but also... Read More . In fact, you won’t have to leave the application at all. When you find something you particularly like, right-click the video or press Command+S to save the video to your computer.
For a more in-depth look at Minitube, take a look at Justin’s Minitube review MiniTube - An Entirely New Way to Watch YouTube [Mac & Linux] MiniTube - An Entirely New Way to Watch YouTube [Mac & Linux] Read More .
2. Tubbler
If you use YouTube regularly, be it for music or videos, the website will take permanent residence in your browser. Although it’s but a single tab, it’s frustrating if you have to keep your browser open for a single video, or because closing your browser will rob you of your tunes. This conundrum is very efficiently solved by Tubbler.
Tubbler can be seen as a way to detach videos from your browser. Just drag and drop the URL from your browser onto Tubbler, and the video will start playing in its own window. Drag more videos on the application window, and they’ll be queued in a playlist. It’s simple, it’s beautiful and it’s entirely free.
3. Tuba ($1.99)
If you’re all for simplicity, Tubbler will be the app for you. On the other hand, if you would like to see more features, it’s worth looking into Tuba. This application provides a finger-licking slick alternative to the user interface. It looks like you’d expect the official YouTube application to look; complete with popular video listings, playlists and subscriptions. In addition, Tuba adds a couple of cool features of its own, like “pull down to refresh” which is popping up in more and more Mac applications.
Tuba does away with Flash player and plays the videos in a native client (in other words, it’s not just a desktop-side skin for the website). This allows you to skip installing Flash, but it also saves on battery (according to Tuba, battery consumption is down 50%).
Tuba is still in active development, which means that there are going to be a few bugs. Not all resolutions may be visible. Videos that require ads will be unavailable. Some small responsiveness delays have been known to happen as well. All in all, though, for $1.99 you’re getting your money’s worth.
Have you ever tried taking YouTube to your desktop? What applications are you fond of using? Are you going to try any of those mentioned above? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below the article!
Image credit: Placeit
Explore more about: Online Video, YouTube.
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OGenius
Thanks a lot for those great apps. You should also take a look at the amazing Foxtube (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/foxtube-hd-youtube-player/id491640360?mt=8) which cuts Youtube's apps and lets you stream videos in HD.
Gee....Seems to me I used VLC to do that, played one after another? I could be wrong thought, It's been awhile sense I have used the Imac.
Simon Slangen 304 articles
I'm a writer and computer sciences student from Belgium. You can always do me a favor with a good article idea, book recommendation, or recipe idea.
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Volkswagen retiring iconic Beetle
PanARMENIAN.Net - After roughly seven decades of production and three generations of designs, Volkswagen is retiring its iconic Beetle, CNN reports.
The last bugs that VW (VLKAF) will produce are set to roll off the assembly line in Puebla, Mexico, on Wednesday, July 10. The company will celebrate the Beetle';s discontinuation with a ceremony at the factory.
VW announced in September 2018 that it would manufacture a 'Final Edition' Beetle series before ending production in 2019. It';s available in convertible or hardtop, with base prices of $23,045 for a coupe and $27,295 for a convertible.
Its legacy harkens back to the 1930s, when Ferdinand Porsche, the prolific engineer behind the famed luxury vehicle brand, decided to design a 'People';s Car' - or 'Volkswagen' in German. Porsche designed the vehicle at the behest of Adolf Hitler but the Volkswagen car didn';t enter full production until after World War II.
Its fame was solidified with Walt Disney Productions'; 1968 film 'The Love Bug,' which features an anthropomorphic Beetle named Herbie that makes a splash on the California racing circuit.
The original version of the Beetle, a rear-engine vehicle that owners often decked out in colorful paints during the flower power era of the 1960s and ';70s, ended production in Mexico in 2003. More than 21 million were produced over the car';s 65-year lifespan.
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OtherGround Forums LGBT History Now Required in Schools in 4 States
Joined: Member Since: 11/23/11
Four States Now Require Schools to Teach LGBT History
By Sarah Schwartz on August 12, 2019 2:31 PM
Starting next school year, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender history will be part of the curriculum in Illinois public schools.
Democratic Governor J. B. Pritzker signed House Bill 246 into law Aug. 9, making Illinois the fourth state to mandate teaching LGBT history, after California, New Jersey, and Colorado. The Illinois legislation takes effect in July 2020.
The law mandates that history classes in public schools "include a study of the roles and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the history of this country and this State." Any textbooks bought with state funding must cover "the roles and contributions" of LGBT people, and can't include content that is discriminatory to any particular gender or sexual orientation.
Nationwide, LGBT history often doesn't make it into the curriculum. Just under a quarter of students say that they have learned about LGBT-related topics in their classes, according to 2016 research from GLSEN, a national advocacy group for LGBTQ students.
In some states, teachers face restrictions on how they can discuss issues of gender and sexuality in the classroom. Six states have anti-LGBT curriculum laws that apply to sexual health education. Advocates say that the way these laws are written leaves room for them to be misapplied to other parts of school life, including curriculum in other classes or extracurricular activities, like a Gay-Straight Alliance.
Recently, though, some states have moved in the opposite direction. In April, Arizona repealed a law that banned teachers from delivering any instruction that "promotes a homosexual lifestyle." New Jersey and Colorado's laws, requiring schools to teach LGBT history, were both passed this year. In June, The 74 wrote that "the tide is turning" when it comes to LGBT-inclusive curriculum.
Still, these laws have seen some pushback. The mayor of Barnegat, N.J., Alfonso Cirulli, criticized the state's new legislation at a township committee meeting last week. "The government has no right to teach our kids morality," Cirulli, a former assistant principal, said, according to the local Ashbury Park Press.
Implementation Questions
While the new Illinois law mandates the teaching of LGBT-inclusive content, it doesn't specify exactly what that content should be.
In this respect, the state isn't alone. Though California passed its law mandating LGBT history in 2012, the state's education department didn't create standards for the subject until 2016. My colleague Stephen Sawchuk covered the state's slow implementation process in 2017, as history and social studies teachers were still trying to figure out how to integrate the new topics into their classes.
Similar challenges may be on the horizon for districts in the states that passed legislation this year.
New Jersey's law leaves it up to individual schools and districts to decide what to teach, and how. School boards will individually update their social studies standards in advance of the 2020-21 school year, when the law takes effect, the North Jersey Record reported.
Illinois' schools and districts will also implement the law locally, said Jackie Matthews, a spokeswoman for the Illinois State Board of Education, in an emailed statement.
"ISBE does not endorse certain textbooks or curricular programs over others," she said. "However, ISBE will work with partners to ensure that curricular and content resources are available and that public schools and districts have an opportunity to review and search curricula that best meets their needs."
In the Prairie State, LGBT rights organization Equality Illinois suggested potential topics of focus in a past statement. The group, which supported the bill, named social worker Jane Addams and civil rights activist Bayard Rustin as famous LGBT Illinoisans and noted that the nation's first gay rights organization was founded in Chicago.
https://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teaching_now/2019/08/four_states_now_require_schools_to_teach_lgbt_history.html
Res ipsa loquitar
Joined: Member Since: 7/26/12
LETS GET ANGRY!
Joined: Member Since: 1/1/01
Seems like that would be a very short class...
But seriously, who gives a fuck!? What you’re fucking, male or female, has almost zero bearing on the course of history.
I will never understand why instead of just being part of who they are, their sexuality is the defining trait of these peoples existence.
Sam Ortiz
That's fucking gay
amadeus -
With regard to civil rights, it matters. Though like you said a short excerpt.
with regard to say, a science break through...not relevant
Liyon
Some greek guys had homo sex with one another. And that concludes are discussion on gay history.
Altofsky
BushkillBlades.com, Bladesmith
Res ipsa loquitar -
All this.
Teach the applicable history of civil rights and move on.
Same with religion. Teach em what the religions are and move on.
Should be no more than a day's worth of material.
HernanCortes
Sam Ortiz -
Hah, gayyyyyy
WendyIDMT
Stop sexually indoctrinating kids.
Wayne Glamcock
(oldschool omegle post)
Dutchemperor86
This is what i hate about the lgbt movement. They keep forcing themselves down peoples throats. No need to teach kids this kind of stuff. Just the basics. That some people are attracted to people of the same gender. And that they are just a part of society. Put too much attention on it and these kids will think it's something like a handicap.
HotSteppa
What is wrong with learning about contributions of gays throughout history? Many faced horrible oppression or suffered in silence.
From musicians, actors, scientists, philosophers, sports, there have been many that contributed. I have no problem with it.
Jack Carter
100kgkilla
sewich
So are they going to reach in biology that there's no difference between makes and females and you can just pick and choose what you are?
will they heavily edit and censor out the fact that the "stonewall Inn" was not just an innocent haven for gays to "dance" ....it was a breeding ground for health code violations and STDs
TheRoguewrestler
Joined: Member Since: 10/4/18
nope nope nope!! I'll pull my kids out of a fucken school that forces that shit on kids.
HotSteppa - What is wrong with learning about contributions of gays throughout history? Many faced horrible oppression or suffered in silence.
The only difference between a homo and a hetro is their preferred sexual partners. Who the fuck cares what their contributions were? Shall we also teach the contributions of people who write left handed? Or for people with poor vision? Maybe we have a parade for people with long hair...… fucken stupid shit.
tajmills
Thank GOD I had my kids have graduated..
Beninger
We can start with current events and Islam.
kungfugrip
Are they going to have PE teacher teach gay sex Ed?
bakobell
Gay history: they suck dick and put it in each others ass.
Lesbian history: they scissor
bi history: they suck dick get fucked in the ass and occasionally wipe shit of their dick and bang women.
T history:??? It’s ma’am!
q history:? Everyone knew you were gay.
End of lesson. Enjoy lunch.
tajmills - Thank GOD I had my kids have graduated..
Exactly! Now in the real world they can avoid unpleasant facts
snookerbank
Dutchemperor86 -
2nd paragraph had me excited.
Of course you don’t. People like you want to force dick sucking on every platform whether it’s relevant or not. I thought faggots like you wanted to keep the government out of people’s bedrooms..... yet you insist on bringing people’s bedrooms to children to force a narrative.
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Home / IN THE ARTS / The Rainbow Blower
The Rainbow Blower
The fine art of blowing glass
"It was like a lightning bolt going off in my mind," explained Peter Reuthlinger, recalling how he was inspired to make his art glass hummingbird feeders.
While sitting in his back yard in California in the late 1970s, the young Bavarian, surrounded by vibrant hummingbirds, was seemingly appalled by the contrast of these lovely birds to the hideous pop bottle feeders he had hanging about. At that time it was not common to find feeders in stores.
Reuthlinger immediately enrolled in two local colleges to begin his education in the art of glass blowing. The next year he attended the renowned Pilchuck Institute of Art glass in Washington, studying under the tutelage of Dale Chihuly, widely recognized as the guru of glass blowing. Though Reuthlinger is inspired by many artists, Chihuly reigns sovereign as his primary influence.
" I am not so concerned with form as I am with color," says Reuthlinger, whose swirls of tangerines, lemons, golds, ruby red, and cobalt blue enchant each viewer of his pear-shaped glass hummingbird feeders. "I am motivated by the arrangement of color in nature." Various bits of colored glass, imported from Germany, are laid out in ordered fashion on one side of Peter's workspace. Fondly referring to himself as the Rainbow Blower, Reuthlinger can be found most of the time in his immaculate studio, blow pipe in hand, shaping orbs of unimaginable color.
Gingerly and almost whimsically he rolls the glob of newly melted clear glass across the first box of color. The process continues, carefully balancing the amount of heat with the amount of breaths employed. The fluidity of Reuthlinger's movements resemble that of a dance, with all the components of a good samba; tempo, passion and heat.
Passion for discovery ignited Reuthlinger's explorer spirit early in life. He has traveled most of the continents, sailed the South Pacific and in 1998 spent four and a half months traveling by camel with a salt caravan in the Sahara Desert.
An artisan of many disciplines, Reuthlinger started in the culinary arts with a bar called Le Bistro and a restaurant called Der Postwagen, The Mail Wagon. Though under new ownership, both can still be visited in Ingolstadt, Germany. Relocating to California in 1974, Reuthlinger started out braiding leather leashes, leading to the crafting of robust leather bags and eventually shoes. He spent 18 years traveling to art shows throughout the county to sell his wares.
Reuthlinger started a bed and breakfast in Hamilton, Montana, but now lives in St. Ignatius, where he and his wife, Carylon, have renovated the old Hillside Schoolhouse into their home and studios.
Though content to wake up under the Mission Mountains, the Reuthlingers take time each year to follow their feathered friends each winter to Mexico. "My feeders have a hard time competing with the brilliance of bougainvilleas and passion flowers ... for the moment," he says.
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HomeAlfa RomeoNewsGeneral
16 Must Have Cars on Sale at the 2012 Gooding & Co. Auction
16 Must Have Cars on Sale at the 2012 Gooding & Co. Auction product 2012-08-18 17:21:07 https://www.motor1.com/news/69612/16-must-have-cars-on-sale-at-the-2012-gooding-amp-co-auction/ Alfa Romeo BMW Bentley Ferrari Ford Lamborghini Maserati Porsche Toyota General, shelby, cobra, luxury
Aug 18, 2012 at 1:21pm
++Share
By: Thierry Godard
Gooding & Co is one of the most revered auction houses present in Monterey, and the cars they sell represent the cream of the crop in automotive design and engineering. We were like a kid in a candy shop when trying to come up with a list of best examples from this year's auction. Really, we could have picked blindly and they would all be winners. These vehicles represent some of the best and most exclusive cars in the world; making it one of the toughest lists we've ever had the pleasure of putting together. 1965 Alfa Romeo GTA 1600
Why we like it: No dream garage would be complete without an Alfa, and this is one hell of an Alfa. The meticulously maintained GTA you see here was an actual factory race car, and was entered in the 1965 Targa Florio. Its 1.5 liter makes 175 horsepower thanks to twin Weber carburetors making it one of the best sounding 4-cylinder engines this side of the Honda S2000's F20C. Estimated Price at auction: $250,000 - $300,000 Gooding & Co says:
Desirable Lightweight Competition Example
Genuine GTA with Known History
Eligible for the Most Prestigious Events Including the Tour Auto Rally
1928 Bentley 4 1/2 Litre Le Mans Sports "Bobtail"
Why we like it: The Bentley brothers were OG hoons. Before there was Carroll Shelby or Colin Chapman, the Bentley brothers were building amazing race cars that dominated the insane motoring events of the 1920's and 1930's. This particular Bentley took third at the 1929 24 Hours of Le Mans and is a pristine working classic that could be campaigned at vintage racing events the world over. Estimated price at auction: $5,500,000 - $7,500,000 Gooding & Co says:
A Two-Time Factory Le Mans Entry
3rd Overall at the 1929 24 Hours of Le Mans
The Only Remaining “Bobtail” 4 1/2 Litre
Exceptional Provenance and Limited Ownership
Recent and Exacting Preservative Restoration
Ideal International Driving and Concours Event Entrant
One of the Greatest Bentleys in Existence
1969 Bizzarrini Manta
Why we like it: The Bizzarrini Manta is a car that was way ahead of it's time. As the first project of Giorgetto Giugairo's Italdesign, it marked a dramatic departure from his previous work and remains a cornerstone of automotive design to this day. Gordon Murray's Mclaren F1 borrows the Manta's central driving position, while nearly all Bertone designs of the 1970's were influenced by its wedge shape. It may be a concept car, but it's still no nonsense with a 400-horsepower Chevrolet V8 mounted midship driving the rear wheels through a ZF 5-speed gearbox. We particularly like that the rear brakes are mounted inboard to reduce unsprung weight. Clever stuff for 1969. Estimated price at auction: $1,000,000 - $1,500,000 Gooding & Co says:
Highly Developed Bizzarrini P538 Competition Chassis
One of the Most Influential Concept Cars of the 1960s
Featured on the Cover of Road & Track Magazine
First in Class at the 2005 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
Displayed at Goodwood, Villa d’Este, Amelia Island and Concorso Italiano
Why we like it: Supercar snobs and spoiled journalists may snub their noses at the BMW M1, stating that it's not as good as it could have been, or as crazy as its peers from Italy. But it shouldn't be, it's German after all. The haterade aside, there are two cars that are still on my bedroom wall today; one is a Ferrari F40 and the other is the BMW M1. It's motor, the M88/1, was so advanced that it served as the base for M motors well into the 1990's. It's an incredibly important part of sports car history and exquisite piece of design as well. Estimated price at auction: $175,000 - $225,000 Gooding & Co says:
One of Only 456 Examples Built
Spectacular Giugiaro Design
Well-Kept, Highly Original Condition
Long-Term California Car with Approximately 30,000 Miles
An Important Piece of BMW History
1932 Daimler 40/50 Double Six Sport Saloon
Why we like it: If there was ever a car that managed to look both sinister and regal at the same time, this Daimler 40/50 Double Six Sport Saloon is it. It's almost cartoonish in its proportions with the long hood, minimal over hangs, low roofline and wheels positioned as far apart as possible. It looks like something Dick Dastardly or Rupert Murdoch would drive. Estimated price at auction: $3,000,000 - $4,000,000 Gooding & Co says:
Premiere Award Winner at the 1932 Eastbourne Concours d’Elegance
A Showcase for British Engineering and Coachwork
The Longest and Most Advanced of the 26 Double Sixes
One of the Most Beautiful Closed Cars Ever Constructed
Exceptional Attention to Detail Throughout
A One-of-a-Kind Monument to Automotive Extravagance
The Finest Car Ever Built by Daimler
1929 Duesenberg Model J Dual Cowl Phaeton "Blue J"
Why we like it: This car is unrestored. That's right, this 83-year-old Dusenberg has survived a World War, a major depression, the rise and fall of The Jersey Shore and the return of the electric car without so much as a respray or touch up. Powered by a gigantic 420 cubic inch straight-eight, it makes 265 horsepower at an impressively low 4,2000 rpm. If you're a fan of patina, this car has plenty of it, and by patina we mean graceful aging, not rust. The windows have an authentic yellow tinge that only age can bring and the gauges have worn in places you would never expect. No doubt it's lived a very pampered life, but it's a time capsule nonetheless, and something to be appreciated. Estimated price at auction: $2,000,000 - $2,750,000 Gooding & Co says:
One of The Finest Unrestored Model Js in Existence
Exceptional Character and Patina
Distinctive Styling with Singular Features and Design Elements
Unusually Genuine Model J with Original Chassis, Engine and Bodywork
Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity for Discerning Collectors
1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Coupe Aerodinamico
Why we like it: This is one of the rarer Ferrari's that we, admittedly, hadn't heard a lot about until now. But it's an interesting car based on the 400 Superamerica with a special body designed by Pinninfarina. Only 23 to 25 models were ever made between 1959 and 1962 one of which was driven daily by Enzo Ferrari himself. It may not command the price of the 250 LWB's and SWB's, but we think it's a much cooler, especially since this particular car still has it's original bespoke luggage. Estimated price at auction: $1,750,000 - $2,500,00 Gooding & Co says:
Spectacular Ferrari Show Car with One-Off Bespoke Features
Owned by the Goldschmidt Family for Over 40 Years
Matching-Numbers Example with Three Owners from New
Pictured in the Books Automobile Year and Le Ferrari di Pininfarina
Displayed at the Palm Beach Cavallino Classic and Amelia Island
1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider
Why we like it: The 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider is a very rare car. So rare, in fact, that many coupes (which are by no means cheap) lost their tops to become spider conversions. The reason is clear, the Daytona Spider is simply beautiful. Ciao bella! Estiamted price at auction: 1,300,000 - $1,500,000
Certified by Ferrari Classiche
Stunning Example of the Classic Daytona Spider
Multiple FCA Platinum Award and Concours Winner
US Spider with Factory Air-Conditioning and Becker Radio
1957 Ferrari 500 TRC
Why we like it: The embodiment of classic Italian racing and design. This particular model is one of the first of just 19 examples ever built, and had a long and sucessful career in racing in the United States. Estimated price at auction: $3,750,000 - $4,500,00 Gooding & Co says:
One of the Most Beautiful Italian Sports Cars of the 1950
Displayed at the 1980 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
Featured in Phil Hill’s Ferrari: A Champion’s View
Complete with Matching-Numbers Engine
1960 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione
Why we like it: The 250 GT SWB California Spider that appeared in Ferris Beuller's day off is the only reason I ever watched the movie. Though the SWB (short wheelbase) is prefered because of the improved handiling, we still think the LWB (long wheelbase) is the one to have. It is, after all, a grand tourer making it a hell of a ride for long distance Ferrari tours. Estimated price at auction: $7,000,000 - $9,000,00 Gooding & Co says:
One of Only Nine Alloy-Bodied LWB California Spiders
Delivered New with Competition Specifications, Disc Brakes and Covered Headlights
Exacting Restoration by Noted Ferrari Specialist David Carte
First in Class at the 1994 FCA Nationals
Sherman Wolf’s First Ferrari and a Fixture in the Collection Since 1979
Documented by Ferrari Historian Marcel Massin
1985 Ferrari 288 GTO
Why we like it: The 288 GTO was intended to be Ferrari's Group B rally car, unfortunately the FIA got scared and killed the classification before Ferrari ever had a chance to race the GTO. It's powered by an earlier version of their twin-turbo V8 making 400 horsepower on full boost. An improved version of which was later found in the F40, but the 288 GTO benefits from the beefed-up tough guy looks that the F40 just doesn't have. Estimated price at auction: $750,000 - $900,000 Gooding & Co says:
The Original Limited-Production Ferrari Supercar
The 12th of Only 272 Examples Built
Documented Two-Owner Example
Approximately 9,650 Kilometers (6,000 Miles) from New
Featured in the 1990 Road & Track Calendar
1964 Ford GT40 Prototype
Why we like it: This original Ford GT40 was part of Ford's entry in the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans. It's still powered by the amazing sounding 289 Shelby V8 making 380 horsepower. Estimated price at auction: $5,000,000 - $7,000,00 Gooding & Co. says:
The Fourth GT40 Prototype and the First to Receive a Lightweight Chassis
One of Two to Podium in the GT40’s First Completed Race, Resulting in a Third Overall at the 1965 Daytona Continental
Driven by Hill, McLaren, Bondurant, Miles, Schlesser, Ginther, Attwood, Amon and Other Works Drivers
The Second-Oldest Surviving GT40
1976 Lamborghini Countach LP400 "Periscopica
Why we like it: The Countach was the official coming out of the Italian supercar. Though the party didn't really get crazy until later versions like the L500 QV of the 80's with their huge scoops, flared fenders and ridiculous wings; they're a bit too much for us (me, in this case). Personally, the smooth lines of the original Bertone design are much, much, much better looking. Unlike later Countach's, the LP400 could actually be the topic of conversation instead of the subject of scorn. This particular car has been restored by the Lamborghini factory with help from no other than Valentino Balboni himself. Estimated price at auction: $650,000 - $750,000 Gooding & Co. says:
One of 150 Examples Produced
One-of-a-Kind Factory Livery
European-Delivery Example
1959 Lancia Flaminia Sport
Why we like it: Modern Lancia's may not exactly get your blood pumping, but from 1955 through the early 1970's Lancia, with the help of Italy's greatest designers, made some incredibly cool cars. They weren't particularly fast but they looked fantastic and made all sorts of fantastic noises. This Flaminia Sport is one of those cars. As one of 99 Zagato-bodied cars, it features the design house's signature double bubble roof, and smooth flowing bodywork, making the Flaminia a highly sought after piece of Lancia history. Estimated price at auction: $375,000 - $450,00 Gooding & Co says:
An Extremely Stylish and Sophisticated Italian Sports Car
Faithfully Restored to the Highest Concours Standard
2008 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Award Winner
Arguably the Finest Restored Example in Existence
1960 Porsche RS60
Why we like it: The Porsche 550 spyder is recognized as the beginning of Porsche's illustrious motorsports history. But Porsche has always been a company obsessed with incremental and continuous improvement of it's cars. The Porsche RS60 is the final evolution of the midengine, four-cylinder spyder formula. Weighing in at only 1,300 pounds, it was a serious weapon in the hands of legends like Stirling Moss, Graham Hill and Dan Gurney. Estimated price at auction: $2,250,000 - $3,000,00 Gooding & Co. says:
Illustrious Racing Record with 12 Class Wins in Just Four Seasons
One of Only 14 Customer RS60s Bf
Matching-Numbers, Original-Bodied Example
One of the Finest RS Spyders in Existence
1968 Toyota 2000 GT
Why we like it: The 2000 GT is the only Toyota, outside of the Lexus LF-A, that can keep company with all the other cars on this list. Easily one of the best looking cars to ever come out of Japan with a handmade all alumnium body, it features incredibly low slung and taut lines that are missing in modern cars. Only 351 were ever built, only 84 were available as left hand drive models, and only two were ever made into convertible for the James Bond movie You Only Live Twice. It's an incredibly rare and sought after piece of automotive history that will likely continue to appreciate overtime. Estimated price at auction: $400,000 - $500,000 Gooding & Co says:
The First Japanese Supercar
Less than 9,000 KM from New
A True Icon Among Japanese Automobiles
One of the Most Beautifully Executed Sports Cars of the 1960s
Of course there are many more cars up for auction that we couldn't feature. Be sure to check them out here
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Enter To Win A 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E First Edition!
2020 Ford Bronco: Everything We Know
shelby cobra luxury
Alfa Romeo BMW Bentley Ferrari Ford Lamborghini Maserati Porsche Toyota
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Post Type ratings_intel
Style Analysis - December 2010
Ratingsinteleditors
DECEMBER 2010 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE:
* Bold denotes programming change
SCHEDULING STRATEGIES:
Style stands out from other channels mainly due to the fact that their programming offers more than personality-driven shows. They offer big personalities, really good stories, and feature true experts in their fields. While 80 percent of The Style Network's schedule is made up of original shows, 20 percent consists of acquisitions. They look for high-volume, established series that already come with a built-in brand. Along with their original programs, CLEAN HOUSE, KIMORA: LIFE IN THE FAB LANE, and WHOSE WEDDING IS IT ANYWAY?, their strategy has cemented the channel's relationship with its viewers.
Not unlike sister network E!, consistent scheduling patterns are sketchy at best. They do blocks of originals stacking, but the theme is not consistent throughout the month. There is no appointment viewing, rather it is the brand that you drop in and out of, like a magazine. You know what you are going to get, you just need to decide if you feel like viewing it at the time. The one thing that it is consistent throughout all of the programming - it is all about the "style."
DECEMBER 2010 PRIMETIME RATINGS ANALYSIS:
Live Primetime Ratings Comparison / December 2010 vs. December 2009 (% Change)
Friday 8-11pm
Saturday 8-11pm
Sunday 8-11pm
MTWTFSS 8-11pm
Source: The Nielsen Company's National Television Audience Sample
Compared to a year ago December 2009, overall ratings were down. Share fell flat and delivery was down -14%. Women 18-49 their core demographics were also down. However Monday and Sunday nights continued to be the only night of the week that were up. Delivery was up +33% and +32%, respectively. Women 18-49 on these nights were also up +90% and +38% in delivery overall from one year ago. Monday night's success can be attributed to the 3rd season finale of hit reality series GIULIANA & BILL which nearly nearly quadrupled the network's primetime average.
The monthly primetime averages for ratings, share and demo delivery were pretty much on par this month compared to last month. While overall share fell flat, delivery was down a modest -1%. Original series continue to dominate the primetime line-up. Sunday nights where most cablers premiere their strongest programming has been no deterent for Style. Original series JERSEYLICIOUS, and GIULIANA & BILL dominated much of the Sunday night stack. JERSEYLICIOUS now in its second season did fall flat this month in demos overall. GIULIANA & BILL was up +37% in delivery. In fact, the 3rd season of GIULIANA & BILL also marked the series' highest rated and most watched season to-date. It was up +20% in the network's target women 18-49 demo and +9% in total viewers over the prior season. (Style press)
WHOSE WEDDING IS IT ANYWAY was not on the schedule this month nor was signature show KIMORA: LIFE IN THE FAB LANE. KIMORA comes back in January with a brand new season. CLEAN HOUSE, Style's most popular original series, and its spin-off series CLEAN HOUSE COMES CLEAN and CLEAN HOUSE: MESSIEST HOUSE continue to draw appointment-viewing ratings. Both CLEAN HOUSE and CLEAN HOUSE COMES CLEAN were down this month. THE DISH was up +2% and was peppered throughout the primetime line-up. THE MOVIES WE LOVE franchise was down significantly this month. The network strategy has not been on movies or specials, but rather stacks of original series programming these days. FASHION POLICE WEEKLY was down this month, but will get its steam going next month as all the awards show start to air. Style continues to branch out with their strategy of focusing on original programming that has really made a connection with their viewers. Overall, although ratings were lackluster, this channel has made great strides to focus on its original programming and create more consistent scheduling blocks.
CABLEU NEED TO KNOW
Style has been strutting away from runway-based, high fashion-oriented programming in favor of more inspirational content that focuses on the triumphs and trials of ordinary women. Style is placing a greater emphasis on the life changes and issues of ordinary women, which have helped the network draw record numbers of viewers. They have become much more character and story-driven.
Style is looking for show pitches and hosts. They are particularly interested in lifestyle programming, such as travel, weight loss, cooking and home. They are looking for unique and refreshing fashion and beauty shows. Much of Style's success is attributable to the network's reality-driven content. Everyday women who get makeovers, go shopping, do housecleaning and even become an undiscovered Miss America. Style is a niche network with mass appeal - 90% of shows are original that feature everyday people.
According to Style Network executive vice president Salaam Coleman Smith, "it's the reality TV phenomenon that has completely transformed the programming landscape for women. The transition of the American public becoming the star of the show has transformed the image of women in media," said Smith. "It's an exciting time because there is so much diversity with how women are portrayed whether positive, negative, outrageous, irreverent or traditional." Smith attributes its success to tapping into the true desires of what women really want to watch.
Style Analysis - November 2010
Style Analysis - February 2010
Style Analysis - July 2010
Style Analysis - March 2010
Style Analysis - May 2010
Style Analysis - September 2010
Style Analysis - June 2010
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Home Newsroom Consumer privacy, Fed Bank update on NAFCU Cyber and Payments Committee agenda
Consumer privacy, Fed Bank update on NAFCU Cyber and Payments Committee agenda
NAFCU's Cybersecurity and Payments Committee will hear from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's Tim Boike today on the Fed's efforts to make payments more secure. The committee will also discuss the latest developments in state consumer privacy legislation and the CFPB and Federal Reserve's proposed changes to remittances and same-day ACH.
Boike, vice president of industry relations at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, is set to update the committee on the Fed's work to identify and mitigate payments fraud, including its recently-launched effort related to synthetic identity payments fraud. He will also discuss the Federal Reserve's Fraud Definitions Work Group, which is developing a more consistent and holistic view of the terminology used and other ongoing efforts to reduce fraud risk and advance the safety security and resiliency of the U.S. payment system.
Also on the agenda:
State Consumer Privacy Legislation
The California Department of Justice plans to publish a proposed rule on the California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA) this fall that would establish procedures to facilitate consumers' rights under the CCPA and provide guidance to businesses on how to comply with the law. At least 10 states have introduced draft bills to impose obligations on businesses to provide consumers with more control of their personal data. NAFCU staff will discuss these state-level developments as well as the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the likelihood of federal privacy law.
CFPB Remittances
Last month, the CFPB published a request for information (RFI) to gather feedback on principle issues relating to its remittance transfer rule. Currently, credit unions and insured financial institutions are permitted to estimate certain costs or amounts that must be disclosed under the bureau's final remittance rule; however, the temporary exception that allows such estimates is set to expire on July 21, 2020. NAFCU's Regulatory Alert notes that some credit unions use the temporary exception to estimate fee and exchange rate information that cannot be known prior to sending a remittance transfer. The committee will consider credit unions' reliance on the temporary exemption to provide remittance services to members and how compliance costs scale with the volume of remittance transfers.
Enhancements to the National Settlement Service and Fedwire Fund Service
The Federal Reserve has proposed changes to its banks' payment services to facilitate the adoption of a later same-day ACH processing and settlement window. Under this proposal, daily operating hours of the National Settlement Service (NSS) would be extended by one hour to allow the private-sector ACH operator to settle its in-network transactions. The committee will discuss whether the proposed enhancements will benefit credit union members, and what credit union changes to internal processes or technologies would be needed to facilitate the reduced windows between NSS and Fedwire closings.
The committee will meet again September 3.
Macro Data Report - Retail Sales
January 15, 2020 Add to Calendar 2020-01-15 14:00:00 2020-01-15 14:00:00 Cybersecurity Threats in 2020 As credit unions mature their cybersecurity defenses and refine their detection and response programs, hackers continue to find new ways to penetrate their systems. In this webinar, we will explore the latest developments in cybersecurity attacks and how they impact a credit union’s operations and their members. We’ll also discuss the latest in ransomware, social engineering, distributed denial of service and attacker profiles and motivations. Attendees will gain an understanding of the current cybersecurity threat landscape through the analysis of case studies and examples of public disclosures. Key Takeaways Understand the latest threat developments Learn where credit unions can focus valuable risk mitigation resources Develop and refine a framework of knowledge to plan future security efforts Purchase Now$295 Members | $395 Nonmembers (Additional $50 for CD)One registration gives your entire credit union access to the on-demand recording until January 15, 2021.Already registered? Go to the Online Training Center to view live. Who Should Attend? NAFCU Certified Bank Secrecy Officers (NCBSOs) NAFCU Certified Compliance Officers (NCCOs) NAFCU Certified Risk Managers (NCRMs) Chief Executive Officers, Chief Financial Officers and Chief Operating Officers Compliance staff Risk staff IT staff BSA staff Education Credits NCCOs will receive 1.5 CEUs for participating in this webinar. NCRMs will receive 1.5 CEUs for participating in this webinar. NCBSOs will receive 1.5 CEUs for participating in this webinar. CPA credit information is below; recommended 1.5 CPE credits. CPA Certification Credit Information Reviewer: Josie Collins, Education Manager, NAFCU Learning Objectives: Understand the latest threat developments. Learn where credit unions can focus valuable risk mitigation resources. Develop and refine a framework of knowledge to plan future security efforts. Program Level: Basic Prerequisites Needed: None Advance Preparation Needed: None Delivery Method: Group Internet-Based Recommended CPE Credits: 1.5 credits Recommended Field of Study: Information Technology - Technical National Association of Federal Credit Unions (NAFCU) is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. Learn more. About Our Webinars Our webinars are streamed live from NAFCU headquarters near Washington, D.C. Your audio/video feed of the presenters includes presentation slides and downloadable handouts. You can easily submit your questions to the presenters at any time during the live broadcast, with no dialing over the phone! The audio and video stream directly through your computer. Web NAFCU digital@nafcu.org America/New_York public
Cybersecurity Threats in 2020
Credits: NCCO, NCRM, NCBSO, CPE
Examination & Enforcement
CFPB Fall 2019 Supervisory Report Focuses on Consumer Reporting
The NAFCU Journal: Stepping Into 2020 - An Inside Look at the Washington Agenda
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Worksheet: Measurement Accuracy and Precision
In this worksheet, we will practice defining measurement accuracy and precision and explaining different types of measurement errors that affect them.
The diagram shows a target board and four sets of hits on it, (A), (B), (C), and (D). The shots were all aimed at the bull’s-eye of the target.
Which set of hits is both accurate and precise?
B(D)
C(B)
D(C)
Which set of hits is neither accurate nor precise?
A(D)
C(C)
D(B)
Which set of hits is accurate but not precise?
C(D)
Which set of hits is precise but not accurate?
A(C)
C(A)
D(D)
Which of the following statements most correctly describes how zero measurement errors affect the accuracy and the precision of measurements?
AZero errors decrease measurement accuracy.
BZero errors decrease both the accuracy and the precision of measurements.
CZero errors decrease measurement precision.
DZero errors do not affect measurement accuracy or measurement precision.
Which of the following statements most correctly describes how systematic measurement errors affect the accuracy and the precision of measurements?
ASystematic errors decrease measurement precision.
BSystematic errors do not affect measurement accuracy or measurement precision.
CSystematic errors decrease both the accuracy and the precision of measurements.
DSystematic errors decrease measurement accuracy.
Which of the following statements most correctly describes how random measurement errors affect the accuracy and the precision of measurements?
ARandom errors do not affect measurement accuracy or measurement precision.
BRandom errors decrease both the accuracy and the precision of measurements.
CRandom errors decrease measurement accuracy.
DRandom errors decrease measurement precision.
Which of the following statements most correctly describes the meaning of the precision of measurements?
AThe more precise the measurement of a quantity is, the smaller the predictable change that can be made between the measured value and other measured values of the same quantity.
BThe more precise the measurement of a quantity is, the closer the measured value is to the actual value of the measured quantity.
CA precise measurement is more accurate than an accurate measurement.
DA precise measurement is made using a correct measurement method.
Which of the following statements most correctly describes the meaning of the accuracy of measurements?
AThe more accurate the measurement of a quantity is, the closer the measured value is to the actual value of the measured quantity.
BAn accurate measurement has a value that is the same value when a quantity is repeatedly measured.
CAn accurate measurement is made using a correct measurement method.
DThe more accurate the measurement of a quantity is, the smaller the predictable change that can be made between the measured value and other measured values of the same quantity.
Which of the following statements does not correctly describe the relationship between the precision of a set of measurements and the resolution of a measuring instrument that makes the measurements?
AThe precision of measurements is affected by uncontrolled experimental variables changing the values of the quantities being measured. The resolution of a measuring instrument is not affected by changes in the values of measured quantities.
BThe precision of measurements cannot be better than the resolution of the instrument that makes them.
CThe resolution of a measuring instrument can be applied to single measurements of a value, but precision can only be applied to a set of measurements.
DThe resolution of a measuring instrument cannot be better than the precision of the measurements made by that instrument.
A kettle is used to increase the temperature of 0.25 L of water by 50∘C, and the time taken for the temperature to change is measured three times. The same kettle is used to increase the temperature of 0.45 L of water by 50∘C. Again, three measurements are made. The measured results are shown in the table. Which of the two sets of results is more precise?
Volume of Water (L)
Time (s)
0.25 15.5 15.2 15.9
AThe measurements of the heating time of the 0.45 L volume of water are more precise.
BThe measurements of the heating time of both volumes of water are equally precise.
CThe measurements of the heating time of the 0.25 L volume of water are more precise.
An experiment is made to measure the acceleration due to gravity on Earth. The results of the experiment are shown in the table. At least one of the following types of errors is indicated by the results. Select the appropriate error types.
Acceleration /ms
Possible error types:
Systematic error
Random error
Zero error
Aa, b, and c
Cb and c
Da and b
Ea and c
The air temperature throughout the day is being measured outdoors in a city using an electronic thermometer. The thermometer is in the shade on a sunny day. The following measurement errors can occur.
Error 1: Sunlight is reflected off windows of nearby buildings, and some of the windows that are open in particular positions at particular times reflect sunlight onto the thermometer.
Error 2: An electrical fault causes the thermometer to record all air temperatures around it as 2∘C higher than they actually are.
Error 3: An electrical fault causes the thermometer to record all air temperatures around it as half of the value that they actually are.
Error 4: The thermometer breaks completely such that it records no data.
Which of the errors is a systematic error?
AError 3
BError 1
CError 2
DError 4
Which of the errors is a random error?
Which of the errors is a zero error?
Measurement Accuracy and Precision
Measurement Uncertainty and Resolution
Graphing Experimental Data
Experimental Measurements
Using Significant Figures
Understanding Scientific Theories
SI Unit Multiples and Submultiples
Units of Measured Quantities
Health and Safety in Experiments
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718 Arch Street • Ste. 701N • Philadelphia, PA 19106
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Help for Employers and Human Resources
In 1986, Congress enacted the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) to prevent employers from hiring illegal immigrants and to keep illegal immigrants from receiving government benefits. IRCA includes:
Requiring employers to attest to their employees’ immigration status
Making it illegal to employ unauthorized immigrants
Granting amnesty to certain seasonal agricultural immigrants
Granting amnesty to immigrants continuously residing in the United States since before January 1, 1982
Completing the I-9 and Protection against Discrimination
As a result of IRCA all employers must complete a Form 1-9 for every employee hired, regardless of citizenship. Employees must provide employers with documents to prove citizenship. Employers must review these documents for verification and the information must be recorded on the I-9. Employers must keep the I-9 forms for three years or one year after employment ends, whichever is longer. An immigration attorney in Philadelphia can help you sort through these complicated forms.
Many feared that IRCA and the I-9 requirement would lead to discrimination based on national origin and citizen status. However, the government has ensured the rights of people from all nationalities against this type of discrimination.
Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 Students
Effective April 2008, employers can offer OPT temporary work to an F-1 student that is directly related to the student’s area of study. As a part of pre-completion OPT, employers can offer full-time work when school is not in session and part-time work when it is, once a student is enrolled for a full academic year. Post-completion OPT may be offered upon completion of full-time F-1 studies.
Philadelphia Immigration Lawyers Explain your Rights
A skilled Philadelphia immigration law attorney can help you ensure that your records are accurate and complete. At Surin & Griffin, P.C., we are experienced in working with human resources departments and managers on a variety of immigrant and non-immigrant employee issues. Our immigration lawyers in Philadelphia can help you comply with all government regulations, keep you up to date on any changes and represent you in any immigration matters.
Philadelphia Immigration Law Firm advises Employers
If you are an employer with immigrant employees, you want the experience of the Philadelphia citizenship lawyers at Surin & Griffin, P.C. law firm by your side. We understand the law and we can ensure you are complying with all government regulations. We can be reached by calling 215-925-4435 or by sending us a message through our contact us page.
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Main Blog > Why There's So Much Sand in the Sahara
Why There's So Much Sand in the Sahara
Miss Cellania • Monday, October 1, 2012 at 5:00 AM
The following is an article from the book Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Plunges Into the Universe.
(Image credit: Flickr user John Spooner)
Or... who ate the cedars of Lebanon?
In the vast Sahara, seas of sand ripple for miles. They rise up in wavelike dunes that can crest at over 1,000 feet. With temperatures that have been known to reach 136°F (58°C), the desolate Sahara covers most of North Africa and over a third of the African continent. It's the world's largest desert, home to over three million square miles of dust, stone, and sand.
(Image credit: Ferdinand Reus)
In the sweltering Sahara, a cool vision of waving grass and shining lakes can seem like a mirage (or the first signs of heat exhaustion), but it's a glimpse into the Earth's astounding past. Hard to believe, but this hostile ocean of sand was once an earthly Eden. Fish swam in ancient lakes; giraffes, elephants, and gazelles roamed grassy savannahs; and hippos wallowed in ponds and mud.
And people had a great time, too. Prehistoric rock painting show ancient Saharans feasting and drinking and -it's true!- swimming. They had steady jobs, first as fishermen and hunters, later as shepherd, cattlemen, and farmers. But that was in the old days, around 5,500 years ago. But 2,000 or so years later (just a wink of the geological eye), the lakes had dried up, the vegetation and animals were gone, and farmers were forced to leave a land where nothing could grow. So what happened?
(Image credit: Flickr user Nwardez)
Over thousands of years, as rainfall lessened and temperatures rose, what little rain there was eroded the soil and dissolved it, leaving grains of silica sand. Wind slammed sand into rocks, wearing those rocks away, which created more sand. Hot days and freezing nights subjected rock outcroppings to extreme temperature changes. This daily expansion and contraction eventually shattered mineral crystals in the rocks so that the cliffs broke into boulders, boulders shattered into pebbles, and pebbles crumbled into sand.
But what caused the climate to change in the first place? Why did drought transform the Sahara from a wet wonderland to a desert badland? Explanations involve everything from the tilt of the Earth to the apetite of the humble goat.
A VENUS AND JUPITER SANDWICH
Up in space and completely unaware of giraffes, hippos, or swimming Saharans, Jupiter's gravity combined with Venus's gravity to influence the tilt of the Earth's axis. Nine thousand years ago, when the Sahara was blooming, Jupiter and Venus kept the Earth's tilt at 24.14 degrees, compared to the 23.45 degrees it is today. The perihelion (when the Earth is closest to the Sun) occurred at the end of July -now it occurs in early January. This means that a very long time ago, the Northern Hemisphere basked in much more summer sunlight, and the summers in Africa were hotter.
Hotter? So what's the problem? Well, ironically, hot summers meant water for North Africa and lots of it. When the African landmass is much hotter than the Atlantic Ocean, the temperature contrast increases the number of summer monsoons that rain on the Sahara. As the Earth incrementally wobbled into its current axis, the summers grew cooler, the African monsoons grew weaker, abd the cool, moist Sahara became hot, dry, and eventually sandy.
NUDE LANDS ARE BAD LANDS
(Image credit:Flickr user Steve Rideout)
As rainfall decreased, plants died. The death of vegetation in turn increased the drought. Plants hold moisture in the soil and summer sun evaporates the moisture into the atmosphere, where it's converted to rain. Barren land with no plants or trees holds less moisture, so the surrounding atmosphere produces less rain. Plants absorb sunlight, whereas bare land and bright sandy deserts reflect the sun's heat, which leads to fewer clouds and less rain.
The drought cycle picked up momentum until finally the desert took over fertile ground. And remember the rock paintings showing the farmers, shepherds, and cattle drivers? It may be that these folks helped the drought cycle along, turning their heavenly little Eden into the hot hell of the Sahara.
Some scientists believe that ancient man was the victim of the climate change, but others think he was responsible for it and that poor farming practices, as well as overgrazing and deforestation, contributed to drought, barren land, and the eventual creation of deserts. In fact, a famous scientific study suggests that deforestation along the southern coast of West Africa could cause a complete collapse of the Sahara's dwindling monsoon system.
BETTER GET YOUR GOAT
(Image credit: Flickr user Vladimir Ilic Uianov)
Even in ancient times the loss of forests was a problem. A famous example involved the great cedars of Labanon, which were nearly decimated not just by lumbermen but also by heards of goats that chomped on the bark and devoured young saplings. And guess what? Even today, widespread exploitation of those same cedars -goats or not- has contributed to increasing deforestation, which leads to soil erosion, which leads to sand ...and lots of it.
SAND MARCHES ON
(Image credit: Flickr user Ferdinand Reus)
Today, there's controversy over whether human activity is causing the Sahara's size to increase. Critics of the idea argue that satellite photos show the desert fluctuating in size, but not steadily growing larger. Nevertheless, people living on the edge of the great desert, in places like Niger, Chad, and Mali, complain that the Sahara has steadily encroached on their precious farmland.
THE GREENING OF THE SAHARA
(Image credit: Flicker user Steve Rideout)
What about turning back the clock? Can more rain and rivers and even lakes return to the Sahara? Can we help nature re-create an Eden in North Africa? Scientists believe that replanting trees and vegetation, as well as conserving groundwater and runoff, could reverse the desert's drought cycle. Some theorists even propose that global warming (if it increases the heat of the African land in summer) will eventually increase the amount of monsoons. With the help of humans, the desert just might bloom again, but since a reversed drought cycle could take a couple of centuries to work, don't hop your camel just yet.
The article above was reprinted with permission from Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Plunges Into the Universe.
Since 1988, the Bathroom Reader Institute had published a series of popular books containing irresistible bits of trivia and obscure yet fascinating facts.
If you like Neatorama, you'll love the Bathroom Reader Institute's books - go ahead and check 'em out!
Tags: Desert, Sahara, Climate, Bathroom Reader
The 10 Cutest Baby Animals of the Desert
The Fall of Gaddafi and The Rise of the Desert Locust
Solitary Desert Plants: How Do They Survive?
BLACKLISTED: Joseph Francis • 04Oct12 9:38pm • 0
If you took all the sand in North Africa and spread it out it would cover an area the size of the Sahara Desert.
BLACKLISTED: Michael Dougherty • 02Oct12 12:11pm • 5
The Sahara is NOT the world's largest desert as stated in this article. It is the world's largest HOT desert, but only the third largest desert, the first two being the antarctic and the arctic.
BLACKLISTED: Christophe • 01Oct12 10:29am • 0
Big parts of Sahara are under sea level. I've always wondered what would happen if you'd put a sea there...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qattara_Depression_Project
BLACKLISTED: Chris Good • 01Oct12 5:22am • 0
It's interesting that despite this article having a subtle inference to 'billions of years,' that you not only refer to this area as having been Eden, but point out that its age is in line with the Biblical account of a global catastrophe (flood) about 4400 years ago.
"Why There's So Much Sand in the Sahara"
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NSWRL NEWS
Grand final moment that "cost" Hughes a fortune
Stuart Honeysett
Sun 17 Feb 2019, 09:15 PM
It’s the Grand Final moment that Mark Hughes reckons cost him a fortune.
The year is 1997, the Grand Final between Manly Sea Eagles and Newcastle Knights is locked up at 16-all, and time is fast running out with less than a minute on the clock.
Newcastle halfback Andrew Johns scoots down the blind side before turning a ball back inside for winger Darren Albert to streak away and score and secure the club’s first premiership.
The Knights also have a new cult hero in Albert but according to former Knights centre Hughes, it could have been an entirely different outcome if Johns had only looked to his right (the following story should be taken with tongue firmly planted in cheek).
“Joey got into dummy-half and Matthew Johns was on the open side ready for the field goal and to have the last shot at it,” Hughes told nswrl.com.au after joining other True Blues for the Hogs For The Homeless tour.
“I was right on the sideline and I was yelling and calling the ball from Joey that it was on down the blind side and I really believe that my tip-off was the stepping stone for him to achieve Immortal status.
“He takes my advice and comes down the sideline but it’s like everything is in slow motion. I’m on the sideline begging for the ball and it just wouldn’t come.
“He ends up half getting tackled and he goes on the inside to Darren Albert. I’m not sure why? He was only the fastest man in Rugby League at the time and for some reason he chose him.
“What really hurt me too was I only had one man coming across being Mark ‘Spud’ Carroll and me being much more physical and stronger and tougher at the time, I would have fended him and put the ball over the line.
“Darren Albert beautifully swans around under the posts, all the team runs in, the whole Rugby League world except for Manly supporters are rejoicing but there’s one inconsolable figure and that’s me next to the corner post.
“I was devastated. I couldn’t believe that it wasn’t me. To rub salt into the wounds Darren Albert didn’t have to pay for one alcoholic beverage for the following 10 years in Newcastle. I did some simple mathematics on that and that’s cost me $120,000.
“Joey uses every chance he gets in after dinner speaking to rib me so it’s nice to get one back on him. Maybe now if people see me, it might be nice to buy me even a middy.”
Klemmer: Goals, running game and O'Brien
Inside O'Brien's Knights arrival: Solo train trip and two promises
Pearce: Coach O'Brien can break our bad habits
NRL.com predicts Round 1 Knights side
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Ed Stewart, NSWC PCD technical director and Capt. Aaron Peters, commander, NSWC PCD, give Rear Adm. Eric Ver Hage, commander, Naval Surface and Undersea Warfare Centers, a tour of hurricane damaged buildings during Ver Hage’s visit to NSWC PCD April 30, 2019.
Vice Adm. Thomas Moore, commander, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), visited Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) Jan. 7. During his visit, Moore learned about NSWC PCD's recent and upcoming work in autonomy and unmanned vehicles.
Vice Adm. Thomas Moore, commander, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), visited Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) Jan. 7. During his visit, Moore attended a luncheon with NSWC PCD Sailors.
Vice Adm. Thomas Moore, commander, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), visited Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) Jan. 7. During his visit, Moore assessed damaged facilities from Hurricane Michael, a category 5 storm that devastated the local area Oct. 10, 2018.
Rich Bodine
Jaime Raya
Joshua Slaughter, computer scientist at Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, was recently selected as Naval Sea Systems Command’s Scientist of the Year for his exceptional service.
Autonomous vehicles save time, money during dry-dock inspections
The Autonomous Dry Dock Survey robotics team pose for a group photo after a successful test. Pictured from left to right: Rommel Mandapat (NSWC PCD), Jason Price (NSWC PCD), Blake Ivy (NSWC PCD), Gustavo Miranda-Lopez (NSWC PCD), Brandon Sheffield (NSWC PCD), Jeremy Edwards, Zach Ellis, Dan Ringlein, Nicole Lachance, Marissa Foss, Nicholas Reh, Sean Buchanan and Glenn Howland.
The Autonomous Dry Dock Survey Robot, or ADDS, provides the Navy with significant cost savings, while ensuring the ability to monitor safe environments within the nation’s shipyard facilities.
NSWC PCD begins continuous 24-hour operations to recover Air Force Staff Sgt
The R/V Patriot launched November 15 in support of continuous 24-hour operations to recover U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Cole Condiff who made an “unplanned plane departure” from a C-130 over the Gulf of Mexico.
NSWC Panama City Who We Are What We Do Partnerships Resources Career Opportunities Contact Us
Home : Home : Warfare Centers : NSWC Panama City
Hurricane Season Links
NSWC PCD Division News
Notice of Intent to Grant Exclusive Patent License to Coda Octopus Group, Inc.
NSWC PCD begins continuous 24-hour operations to recover Air Force Staff Sgt.
Panama City Procurement branch overcomes hurricane challenges, supplies the warfighter
Disability Awareness Month – Allison Roberts
NSWC Panama City team renders lifesaving aid after multi-vehicle accident
NSWC Panama City inspectors attain command evaluator certification
NSWC Panama City supports Mine Countermeasure Mission Package demo aboard Vessel of Opportunity
Coastal Compass Nov-Dec 2019
NCIS Link
NSWC Panama City Division
110 Vernon Avenue
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Bike Traffic Lights Installed in Downtown Los Angeles
The new lights are part of the mayor's plan to end traffic fatalities by 2025
By Hanna Horvath • Published at 4:39 pm on June 16, 2016
KNBC-TV
The ribbon was cut Thursday to celebrate the installation of four new bicycle traffic lights in downtown Los Angeles, part of a city bike safety initiative.
The bike traffic lights are spread out from South Alameda Street to East 1st Street, and will work similarly to regular traffic lights. They are designed to keep bikes from weaving across traffic and cars from turning into bikes, said Jose Huizar, the city councilman behind the legislation.
Link: More LA Bike Projects
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"In the past, we always saw transit as how do we get people from point A to point B as quick as possible," said Huizar, "but now it's about creating safe destinations and experiences."
The City Council, Department of Transportation, and the Public Works Commission also noted some other cycling infrastructure improvements since April. Improvements included resurfaced current bike lanes across the city and added physical buffers against cars in certain areas. These projects all together cost $750,000.
These changes fall under the Vision Zero plan, a plan spearheaded by Mayor Eric Garcetti to eliminate all traffic fatalities by 2025.
"We need to start prioritizing pedestrians, bikes, and public transport just as much as cars," said Rick Coca, spokesperson for Huizar.
These policy changes come at a time when people, especially young adults, are moving away from cars and toward other forms of transportation, said attorney Josh Cohen. Cohen specializes in bike law, and deals mostly with personal injury.
Cohen said though these changes are progressive for LA, they are something that "many cities take for granted."
Just like any traffic light, all cyclists need to follow it to make intersections safe. When asked if he thought bikes would follow the light's instructions instead of simply riding off, Coca said that was besides the point.
"Whether you are in a car or bike you need to obey our traffic laws. No one get a pass when they are in a particular mode of transportation," he said.
Coca did admit that there would be a period of learning as all parties got adjusted to the new system, though he said eventually bike traffic lights would become "the new normal."
LA Department of Transportation spokesman Bruce Gillman said drivers would also not have to worry about potential added traffic with an extra traffic light. He said it helps to visualize the signal times for a traffic light as a pie.
"What we did was, we didn't cut down the pie at all, just carved a little out of what was already there, for this new light," he said.
Though attorney Cohen thinks the bicycle traffic lights are a good idea, "maybe even more effective than car traffic lights," he isn't too worried about business yet.
"Not enough has happened to decrease [number of cases]. There are still going to be accidents. I get cases from all over, and I don't think just four traffic lights downtown are going to make a huge impact," Cohen said.
For now, these four traffic lights are just the beginning of a wave of legislation to protect current riders and encourage new rides to try biking without feeling unsafe.
"We need to be innovative and creative in our approach to meet the multimodal transportation needs of the future," said Coca, "and this is the direction we are taking."
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OUT News
West Hollywood mayor cedes position amid sex harassment claims
Three current or former members of the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles have alleged Mayor John Duran made crude sexual remarks or touched them inappropriately.
March 5, 2019, 2:28 PM UTC
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Mayor John Duran announced Monday that he will resign the largely ceremonial position for health reasons amid sexual harassment allegations.
Duran said he will relinquish the title — which is rotated annually among City Council members — with two months to go but will remain on the council, the Los Angeles Times reported.
West Hollywood Mayor John J. Duran speaks at a campaign fundraiser event at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip on Sept. 26, 2011 in West Hollywood, California.Robyn Beck / AFP/Getty Images file
Duran was recently hospitalized for a week with blood clots and in a Facebook post cited health issues for his decision to pass the gavel to Mayor pro tem John D'Amico.
The Morning Rundown
Get a head start on the morning's top stories.
"I continue to work with my doctors to try and get my blood and body in the right balance. I am supposed to slow down to half speed and rest for the next 30 days," Duran said in the post, adding that he will "be back as feisty as ever very soon."
Duran's council term expires in November 2020.
The other council members cannot oust him but they were scheduled to meet Monday to consider other options, which could include formally stripping Duran of the mayor's title, censuring him and denying him expense reimbursements for city-related business, City Attorney Michael Jenkins told the Times.
Protesters have been demanding Duran's ouster in the wake of sexual harassment allegations.
NBC OUT'Arrest Ed Buck': Petition with 30,000 signatures delivered to L.A. district attorney
Three current or former members of the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles have alleged that Duran made crude sexual remarks or touched them inappropriately and three years ago the city paid $500,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by Duran's former council deputy.
Duran also has faced criticism for his past work as an attorney for Ed Buck, a prominent Democratic donor who is well-known in LGBTQ political circles. Authorities are investigating the January death of a man at Buck's West Hollywood home, which followed the death of another man there in 2017 from a drug overdose.
Buck's current attorney has said the January death also was an accidental drug overdose.
FOLLOW NBC OUT ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM
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Bruce Willis: “Die Hard 5” Has “Got to Go Worldwide”
Beth Slepp-Paz
Bruce Willis may never stop dying hard.
The actor told MTV News that he's ready to play John McClane once again in a fifth installment of the action franchise.
"I think we're going to do a 'Die Hard 5' next year," he said, adding that the new film would expand the saga's scope.
"It's got to go worldwide," Bruce said. "That would be my contribution to [the next movie]."
The star also praised the director of 2007's "Live Free or Die Hard," Len Wiseman, telling MTV, "I would hire [him] right now."
And while Bruce said he takes "a certain amount of pride" in his role in the beloved franchise, he said poking fun at it – as with his comic turn in this Friday's "Cop Out" – is even better.
"I like so much more making fun of it, taking the piss out of it and not making it a big deal," he explained. "Not making the fact that I've acted in a lot of movies a big deal. It's all illusion and it's all bulls*** and it's a great job for me to have, but everything else you can set on fire. Making people laugh is the real deal."
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Bruce Willis Gets His Star!
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MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Bruce Willis - Movies - Celebrities
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Gerald L. & Althea Truesdale Endowed Scholarship Fund
Dr. Gladys Hope Franklin White Endowed Scholarship Fund
Dorothy J. Alston Endowed Scholarship Fund
Dr. Alvin V. Blount Jr. Endowed Scholarship in Academic Affairs
Jennifer Nicole Brown Endowed Scholarship
Alice Faye Carver-Bynum Scholarship Fund
Celessie Avery Caldwell Scholarship Endowment Fund
Welbert Harrison Carter Endowed Book Scholarship Fund
Lt. Charles Darwin Dees Endowed Memorial Fund
Kristie Marie Eller Scholarship Endowment Fund
Shirley T. Frye Scholarship Endowment Fund
Hubert Lee Gooch Sr. and Willie Ada Gooch Endowed Scholarship Fund
Carla Macon Granville Engineering Scholarship Fund
Gerard E. Gray Scholarship Fund
Katherine L. Harrelson Endowed Scholarship Fund
Hornsby Howell Endowed Scholarship Fund
Doris Levone Graham Hunter Scholarship Fund
Elder George Robert Joe and Darlene East Scholarship Fund
George A. Johnson Scholarship Fund
Elmore M. Kennedy Endowed Scholarship
John Mack Endowed Scholarship Fund
Dr. Harold and Davida Martin Student Excellence Endowed Scholarship Fund
J. Howard McMasters Endowed Scholarship Fund
Dr. McArthur Newell Endowed Scholarship Fund
Fannie Thomas Parker Scholarship Fund
Dr. Sung H. Yoon Endowed Scholarship
Lee Allen Yates Endowed Scholarship Fund
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The Leon Warren Sr. Endowed Scholarship Fund
William A. Tucker Scholarship Fund
Hilda Hayes Fountain Satterfield Scholarship Fund
John Thomas Speight Endowed Scholarship Fund
Julie Antares Scott Endowed Scholarship Fund
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Mary E. Peek Endowed Scholarship Fund
William C. Parker Sr. & Vallie Simon Parker Endowed Scholarship
The Friends of the School of Education Endowed Scholarship Fund
Give to A&T
Division of University Advancement
N.C. A&T Real Estate Foundation, Inc.
Elder George Robert “Joe” East (1940-2000) was born in Clairton, Pennsylvania. He attended Clairton Public Schools and earned his GED. He also received a certificate of completion and certification as an automotive mechanic from McKeesport Vocational-Technical High School.
George received Jesus Christ as his personal savior Oct. 15, 1962, during a revival/shut-in. He studied under the leadership of the late Bishop Ithiel Clemmons, an international historian and lecturer in the Church of God in Christ Inc., and founder of the Prayer and Life Clinic. Friends and family called East “Little Joe” but he was known as “Brother Joe” in the Clairton Church where he also was dubbed “George, Tiller of the Soil” because of his gift to teach God’s word. After being called to the ministry, he was licensed as an Evangelist (Dec. 24, 1967) and ordained as an Elder in the Church of God in Christ (Aug. 25, 1971). In addition, East graduated with honors from the Harty Bible School of Pittsburgh (1967) and received a certificate of study from the Charles Harrison Mason Theological Seminary (1973) in Atlanta. While a member of Gethsemane Church of God in Christ, Elder East served as an associate minister and taught the young adult Sunday school class until 1988 when he was called to work at Wells Memorial Church of God in Christ in Greensboro, North Carolina. He served as assistant pastor under Bishop LeRoy Jackson Woolard, Jurisdictional Prelate of Greater North Carolina, and the late Bishop Ithiel Clemmons. George was a service technician for Sears and was commended for 30 years with the company. George was married to Darlene Foster East.
Darlene Foster East (1944-2009) was born in Van Meter, Pennsylvania. She had a love for education and her thirst for knowledge was seen through her many educational involvements. While in Pennsylvania, she graduated from Rostraver High School, Duffs Business Institute with honors in 1964 and Allegheny Community College with high honors in 1982 and was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She worked at Westinghouse Electric Corp., then progressed from teller at Mellon Bank to bank officer/mortgage lending field manager. She also completed several banking certifications and received recognition and bonus awards for sales and services. Upon moving to Greensboro, she became branch manager of Greensboro National Bank, customer service representative for Norrell Temporary Agency, credit analyst for American Express, SIMS operator/media assistant in Guilford County Schools and finally administrative office support for North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. After serving almost 10 years as office manager of University Relations (The Garrett House), she had plans to retire April 30. Due to her outstanding job performance and commitment, Darlene became the first recipient of the Employee of the Quarter Award in the Division of Development and University Relations. Her peers elected her to the N.C. A&T Staff Senate.
Darlene promised her husband she would complete her college education and graduated summa cum laude December 2004 from N.C A&T. She received her Bachelor of Science in journalism and mass communication, with a concentration in public relations. Her honorary awards and commendations included: Golden Key International Honor Society, Tom Joyner Scholarship, Theta Chapter of Alpha Chi National College Honor Society, Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, All American Scholar, National Dean’s List, The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, Academic Merit Department of Speech & Communication, Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, Kappa Tau Alpha and Cambridge Who’s Who. As a N.C. A&T graduate student, Darlene was an Anna Julia Cooper Scholar in Adult Education. The School of Graduates inducted her as a 4.0 Scholar for Academic Achievement.
Elder George and Darlene East Scholarship Fund Criteria
Scholarships from the Elder George and Darlene East Scholarship Endowment Fund will be awarded to deserving students as determined by the University Scholarship Committee based on the criteria cited below. In making the selection, this committee shall consider such attributes as scholarship, leadership, community service, exceptional talent and financial need. The committee shall give special selection consideration to:
• Students enrolled at N.C. A&T with a minimum GPA of 2.5
• Preference will be given to students who are physically challenged
• Candidates must write an essay of 300 words or more expressing how they overcame obstacles in life
Pledge Form for the Elder George and Darlene East Scholarship Fund
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Nintendo Switch Exclusives Were Japan's Best-Selling Games In 2018
Smash Bros. Ultimate takes out top spot
by Liam Doolan Thu 17th Jan 2019
In Nintendo's homeland, the Switch has continually reinforced its position as the top video game system on the market. Within less than two years, it's now shifted more than six million units. The recent release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has further increased sales domestically.
With sales of the system at an all-time high, it's no surprise to hear eight out of ten of the best-selling games within Japan in 2018 were Nintendo Switch titles. Here's the full list courtesy of Nintenderos:
Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!
Kirby Star Allies
Taking into account Minecraft's availability on the Switch, it means there's really only one game on this list that isn't available on the hybrid platform - Capcom's Monster Hunter World.
What do you think about Nintendo exclusives dominating the charts within Japan in 2018? Tell us below.
[via nintendosoup.com]
About Liam Doolan
When he’s not paying off a loan to Tom Nook, Liam likes to report on the latest Nintendo news and admire his library of video games. His favourite Nintendo character used to be a guitar-playing dog, but nowadays he prefers to hang out with Judd the cat.
Thu 17th Jan 2019
Perfectly balanced.
I think capcom are silly for not supporting switch more.
kopaka
Non-Nintendo companies should leave Japan looking at those results.
Lemmy_the_Koopa
@sandman89 Huh? There is nothing indicating that, all signs even point to the contrary, except for Devil May Cry 5, but there I blame the dev cycle than anything else.
Toy_Link
If there’s a third party exclusive for the Switch I’m surprised doesn’t exist yet, it’s a new (truly) exclusive Monster Hunter game.
Heavyarms55
I imagine this is why Sony isn't going to E3 this year. They have already decided the PS4 is a dead horse and are putting everything in on developing the PS5. [edit] I do not mean to deny the success of the PS4. My point is that the PS4 is past its peak and Sony not coming to E3 screams to me that even they are largely done with it. Whereas the Switch is still on the rise. How well that rise will continue will largely depend on when and what Sony does with PS5. [edit over]
At the very least, this has to sting them a bit.
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Sony. I think they make fine products for the most part. But when push comes to shove, I have almost always preferred Nintendo's hardware with Sony being my second choice. The only exception was the Xbox 360 era, where the majority of my gaming was on that machine.
Why japanese publishers came running west 😏
christ15
Glad to hear nintendo switch has many fans in japan.
Kainbrightside
@Mrtoad they're going to make one I guarantee it.
EvilLucario
Good stuff. Japanese gaming is finally fantastic again. Nintendo, Capcom (kinda, MTX in DMC5 doesn't sound good), and even Sega have been improving drastically lately.
Glad too hear this!
TheFanatic
@Heavyarms55 Yes, the PS4 is a dead horse, that’s why God of War won Game of the Year and Spider-Man has almost sold 10 million copies. Just because Nintendo is best in Japan, doesn’t mean Sony doesn’t dominate elsewhere.
@TheFanatic Both great games. But that doesn't change the fact that PS4 is fading fast. And there is nothing wrong with that. It's getting old.
@Heavyarms55 Honestly i wont be able to say that until post-E3
Janus1986
@Heavyarms55 @TheFanatic Sony did in 2018 what Nintendo did so well in 2017 - stuff the year with great exclusives and dominate media coverage and player discussions. Just as was the case with Nintendo's 2018, Sony will have a mediocre lineup of new content in 2019. You simply can't release Zeldas or God of Wars every year. Sony is well aware of that; instead of disappointing everyone at E3, they are skipping it.
Kienda
@TheFanatic @Heavyarms55 This is the problem with fanboyism. On Push Square we get Sony fanboys mocking Nintendo for not getting all 3rd party games. On NintendoLife we have Nintendo fanboys saying PS4 is a dead horse.
The reality is that Nintendo is doing very well for itself in Japan. To the point where it will dominate that region. In all other regions it is having good success but has a long way to go to catch up.
Sony on the other hand has an established base worldwide with the largest gaming community. PS Plus subscriptions dwarf Nintendo and Microsoft’s combined.
Neither of the consoles is struggling. They appeal to different markets and as someone who owns both, I am in a very good position because I can enjoy the best of both worlds.
There is no reason to take things to extremes. Just because one does well doesn’t mean the other can’t. Neither company are struggling.
I don't see any potential from my PS4 Slim, with just only 2 games left (Portal Knights and The Sims 4). 😕
(For Kingdom Hearts 2, i think i can get the PS2 version instead)
I think i will get rid my PS4 very soon... 🙄
@Kienda You seem to think I am bashing on PS4/Sony or denying their success. I am not. But I am not wrong. The PS4 is done. It's past it's prime and is on the way out. It did very very well, has a wonderful library of games and a vibrant community.
But its on the downward slope, is past its peak, and will never reach that peak again. Whereas the Switch is still on the rise. Everything peaks. The Switch is climbing still, the PS4 is past its peak. But Nintendo has a long way to go, if the Switch is gonna come close to matching the PS4's peak. And even this "fanboy" (lol, load of crap - that assertion) doubts the Switch will reach those heights. I doubt that the Switch rise will continue, at least at this rate, if Sony drops as PS5 with the same high production quality and game quality that the PS4 had at its peak.
@TheFanatic Unless I am vastly misinformed, Sony isn't coming to E3 this year. If they were, I'd have not made the comment I did.
Was I misinformed?
Splatmaster
Nintendo switch is now over 7 million sold units in Japan not 6 million.
gortsi
@Kienda good points except that about 40% of PS4 owners have a PS plus subscription as per Sony's info and half of Switch owners have Switch online so I wouldn't say they "dwarf" anything
nhSnork
@sandman89 this year already has three Resident Evils and Dragon's Dogma slated on their Switch menu, as well as the first three Ace Attorneys compiled yet again and a new Ace Attorney confirmed in the works. Hardly qualifies as "no more support" unless in the minds of the memetic anti-port club who think that their Backloggery completion lists represent the world's.
@Janus1986 In fairness, Sony has a pretty solid 2019. Ghosts of Tsushima, Death Stranding (maybe) and The Last Of Us 2. Then again, so does Nintendo
jswhitfield8
I know this doesn't contribute much, but wow. That's certainly something!
@Heavyarms55 No, you’re right. Sony is skipping E3. Regardless, it won’t be until then that the drought truly begins.
@TheFanatic Not as far away as it sounds. Trust me.
FullMetalWesker
Given the astronomical sales figures for games like Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War, and Spider-Man, I can only guess that Sony has a much larger presence outside Japan then within it, which is strange, as I always assumed only Microsoft had troubles in Japan, but I guess I was mistaken (either that, or the games in question are simply not interesting to Japanese audiences in general). I'm also a bit surprised to see Octopath isn't on the list, but I guess it just didn't do all that well there.
Still, a good showing by Nintendo, despite it's 2018 lineup not quite hitting it out of the park as much as it's 2017 one.
It only took one moth to rock the entirety of Japan.
Samashing results if you ask me!
@nhSnork I’m just talking about the first year really I know that support is here now and more to come
Problem is that third party games are hard to sell well on Switch, cause most people buy Nintendo systems to play Nintendo games. Minecraft is the only non Nintendo game on the list other than MH World. MH world sold very well on Europe and US too. PS4 continue to sell better in Europe than Switch.
electrolite77
@gortsi
We don’t know the figures for Switch Online take up. All Nintendo said was half of subscribers took the yearly option. They refuse to release subscriber numbers, from which you can draw your own conclusions.
@nhSnork
“The memetic anti-port club who think that their Backloggery completion lists represent the world's.”
I admit, I laughed
@TheFanatic I would be very surprised if more than one of those games show up in 2019. But hey, let's hope - I enjoyed Sony's lineup in 2018 a lot. If both Nintendo and Sony deliver a great year, the better for the gamers. I just can't imagine that either publisher can repeat what Nintendo had 2017.
@electrolite77 you're right, my bad. To be honest I don't see why you'd need that kind of info if you're not a shareholder or something. At the end of the day for them it's just more income for them for a service that was provided for free previously
A lot of people thought that, mainly because of the way it was reported. Someone else pointed it out to me TBH.
I think it’s one where if subscriptions had gone really well they’d be broadcasting it from the rooftops, as it they’re being a bit coy as why’re entitled to of course.
SlimFreakinFast
That's very good to hear! In my opinion, the Switch is the only console worth owning in this generation.
Here's hoping that we get a new Wario Land game sometime!
Edu23XWiiU
F*%k Sony! Nintendo's dominance is just starting!
@dimi
I'm not disagreeing in full, but I believe the true problem with this is that there are hardly any major 3rd party exclusives on switch, and the 3rd party titles that do come out are ports or delayed titles.
MisterDevil
@JR150 as all things should be
@Janus1986 Yep, Nintendo had a killer 2017. No doubt about it.
Devlind
@TheFanatic That's correct, but the japanese are extremely nationalist. They do care about their results overseas, but they care even more about their results in their home country. The PS4 might have a bigger install base overall, but the Switch is getting closer, especially in Japan. Sony doesn't want that to happen, and I'm sure they'll do whatever it takes to prevent Nintendo from taking the best selling console spot in Japan.
@gortsi even at 40% they have 33.9 million PS Plus subscribers, which is about 10 million more than Switch has consoles.
So if half of Nintendo users have it, that gives them about 11.5 million online users.
About 1/3 of the PS4 online user base. So I still think “dwarfs” is the right word.
@Kienda a) your number of Switch owners is 3 months old, b) one has been in the market for 5 years and a few months, the other for less than 2 years. Basic math should be required before commenting here, wtf
@Heavyarms55 well I wasn’t meaning to be so negative towards you. So I do apologise for that. Your subsequent comments and edits helped clarify your views.
I still think there is a lot of life left in the PS4. Maybe it has peaked, it had a drop of about 200,000 subscribers last year on PS Plus, but they have still maintained 33.9 million subscribers, and that doesn’t include non PS Plus gamers. So whilst it may have technically peaked it will still be stronger than the competition for a number of years, which makes it far from a “dead horse”.
I don’t think this year will be as strong as 2018 or even 2017 for Sony, so this really is Nintendo’s opportunity to take advantage, release some big games and catch up ground.
Like I said before, I am enjoying this from both perspectives.
@Kienda "Dead horse" was clearly a poor choice of words. I do agree that the PS4 has life left. Popular consoles linger well past their peaks. As can be seen with people still enjoying Xbox 360, PS3 and Nintendo 3DS. That said, I do firmly believe that the PS4 is well past its peak and I think that Sony agrees with that assessment. If they still intended strong support, I can't imagine why they would skip E3.
And on our side of the woods
And SONY is doing just fine also
https://www.sie.com/en/corporate/release/2019/190108.html
super-nintendo
Nintendo Does What Sega Ain't Ever Gonna Do Again...lol
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Feature: Nintendo Switch Ports We'd Love To See In 2020
We ain't beggin'
Guide Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Full Character List - Byleth Joins The Roster
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Helping, feeding and counting the homeless in Springfield
Around 10 a.m. Thursday, Kathryn Essen found an empty chair in the Shrine Mosque audiand sat down to enjoy the cookies and coffee.
Helping, feeding and counting the homeless in Springfield Around 10 a.m. Thursday, Kathryn Essen found an empty chair in the Shrine Mosque audiand sat down to enjoy the cookies and coffee. Check out this story on news-leader.com: http://sgfnow.co/2k8OF2O
Jackie Rehwald, JREHWALD@NEWS-LEADER.COM Published 4:54 p.m. CT Jan. 26, 2017 | Updated 8:44 a.m. CT Jan. 27, 2017
Photos: Homeless count 2017
Emily Bone, a volunteer with Evangel University, takes down information from Scott Smith during the homeless count at the Shrine Mosque on Thursday, January 26, 2017. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Kathryn Essen takes a drink of coffee during the homeless count at the Shrine Mosque on Thursday, January 26, 2017. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Bennie Sams, left, and Janie Wilson pick out socks and other items from a table set up by The Venues church during the homeless count at the Shrine Mosque on Thursday, January 26, 2017. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Bethany Alioto, a volunteer with Evangel University, takes down information from Kerry Moles during the homeless count at the Shrine Mosque on Thursday, January 26, 2017. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Kenneth "Wulf" Bailey talks with Colleen Neill, of United Way 211, during the homeless count at the Shrine Mosque on Thursday, January 26, 2017. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Registered nurse Katie Reynolds, center, of OCH Health System, tightens a blood pressure cuff around David Lovvorn's arm as Ruth Phelps takes down information during the homeless count at the Shrine Mosque on Thursday, January 26, 2017. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Monique, last name not given, spreads butter on her bagel during the homeless count at the Shrine Mosque on Thursday, January 26, 2017. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Brooke Parsley, of Home at Last, takes down information from homeless veteran John Lawson during the homeless count at the Shrine Mosque on Thursday, January 26, 2017. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Jon Hallgren, left, and Linda Hamer, both of Burrell Behavioral Health, help Greg Johnson pick out some personal care items during the homeless count at the Shrine Mosque on Thursday, January 26, 2017. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Jeff Brossard, of The Venues church, holds open a plastic bag for Scott Smith during the homeless count at the Shrine Mosque on Thursday, January 26, 2017. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Steve O. talks about his experiences being homeless during the homeless count at the Shrine Mosque on Thursday, January 26, 2017. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Zoe Diefenderfer, 8, arranges blankets on The Venues church table during the homeless count at the Shrine Mosque on Thursday, January 26, 2017. Zoe made a commercial on Facebook and collected more than 300 blankets to hand out to the homeless. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Tommy Yarberry talks with Lenaille Smith, left, and Tara Anderson, right, both of Tempo Wireless, while getting a cellphone during the homeless count at the Shrine Mosque on Thursday, January 26, 2017. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Rebecca Shields and Brandon Johnson play with 5-month-old Jerimiah Johnson during the homeless count at Rare Breed on Thursday, January 26, 2017. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Killian Lile talks about being homeless during the homeless count at Rare Breed on Thursday, January 26, 2017. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Maggie Nicholson has her hair done by Paige Roberson during the homeless count at Rare Breed on Thursday, January 26, 2017. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Kathryn Essen takes a drink of coffee during the homeless count at the Shrine Mosque on Thursday, January 26, 2017.(Photo: Andrew Jansen/News-Leader)Buy Photo
Around 10 a.m., Kathryn Essen made her way to an empty table and sat down to enjoy the free cookies and coffee.
On any other day, the 53-year-old homeless woman might have been panhandling or searching for a safe place to rest. But on Thursday, she and other homeless people came to the Shrine Mosque in downtown Springfield, headquarters for the annual Every One Counts homeless count.
Essen said for the past three months she has been spending nights at Safe To Sleep, an overnight shelter for single, homeless women at Pathways Methodist Church. According to Essen, Safe to Sleep has been crowded in recent weeks.
"I was homeless a couple years back and stayed at Safe to Sleep. I've never seen anything like it," she said of the number of homeless women seeking shelter.
A homeless woman named Monique sat nearby, quietly smearing cream cheese on a bagel. Monique, who declined to give her last name, said she came to the event seeking assistance with her Medicaid.
Monique, last name not given, spreads butter on her bagel during the homeless count at the Shrine Mosque on Thursday, January 26, 2017. (Photo: Andrew Jansen/News-Leader)
Monique explained that she suffered a traumatic brain injury in a motorcycle accident some time back. She said she lost her job and had been sleeping in her car until a few weeks ago, when it got very cold. Monique said she spent four days in the hospital for hypothermia. Since then, the 48-year-old has also been staying at Safe to Sleep.
Various agencies came to the Every One Counts event to distribute needed survival items and offer direct health and housing services. Shuttles ran throughout the day, busing people to and from the Shrine Mosque.
Youths and young adults were counted at The Kitchen, Inc.'s Rare Breed Youth Outreach Center. And teams of volunteers and case managers were doing street outreach, going to the libraries, to the Veterans Coming Home Center and other areas of Springfield where homeless people hang out.
About 275 people had been counted at the Shrine Mosque. The final numbers — including those counted at Rare Breed and by the street outreach teams — will be announced by Monday.
The homeless count is conducted by Community Partnership’s Ozarks Alliance to End Homelessness (OAEH). Additional partner sites and volunteers throughout Greene, Christian and Webster counties will participate to gather information and connect with those who are experiencing homelessness.
A few tables away from Monique and Essen, a man named Steve examined the new government phone he picked up at the Tempo Wireless table.
Steve, who would not give his last name, said he works the 11 p.m.-7 a.m. shift two to three nights a week at French's Food Company.
Steve O. talks about his experiences being homeless during the homeless count at the Shrine Mosque on Thursday, January 26, 2017. (Photo: Andrew Jansen/News-Leader)
"Now I'm able to call in and see if they need me," he said, patting the shiny cellphone.
Steve said he's been homeless off and on for about five years. He's stayed some at Salvation Army's Harbor House and Victory Mission's Victory Square. Currently, a "friend of a friend" is letting him sleep in their garage.
"To be honest with you, it's really hard for men. And as you can see, 90 percent in here are men," he said, motioning to the homeless people around him.
Steve said he has degenerative bone disease and memory problems due to seizures. Though he doesn't make much money, he said his job is a good fit.
"I just sit there and watch the jars go by. And if they don't have a lid, I throw it in the trash," the 59-year-old said. "I get to sit there and I don't have to remember much."
Across the auditorium, 8-year-old Zoe Diefenderfer handed out new fleece blankets. She started the day with 385 blankets.
According to her mom, Tara, Zoe set a goal of collecting 150 blankets for homeless people.
Zoe went so far as to ask Santa Claus for blankets.
Zoe Diefenderfer, 8, arranges blankets on The Venues church table during the homeless count at the Shrine Mosque on Thursday, January 26, 2017. Zoe made a commercial on Facebook and collected more than 300 blankets to hand out to the homeless. (Photo: Andrew Jansen/News-Leader)
"Santa left 50 blankets on the back porch," Tara Diefenderfer said.
But Zoe was determined to collect more, so her mother helped Zoe make a commercial and then shared it on social media.
"After a few days, the checks started coming in. Blankets started coming in," Zoe said.
When asked why she wanted to help the homeless, Zoe just shrugged and smiled.
Her mom explained.
"This is all her. This is her heart," Tara Diefenderfer said. "Someone said she has a missionary heart. I don't know where she'll go with it."
Over at Rare Breed, teens and young adults were surveyed and had access to various agencies that work with homeless and at-risk youths. There were sandwiches from Chic-fil-A, pizza from Garbo's and doughnuts from Krispy Kreme.
Killian Lile said he came to the Rare Breed event to get a free haircut. He said he first came to Rare Breed when he was homeless at age 18. Now at age 22, Lile is living with a friend.
Over the years, Rare Breed has helped Lile get access to services, clothing and food.
"I like to hang out here," he said.
Samantha Sudduth, coordinator of Emergency Shelter and Rare Breed Housing, said Rare Breed has participated in the Every One Counts survey in the past, but never an "event" with give-aways, games and housing and legal services.
"This year we decided to go big, offer these services and incentives for our kids to come so we can get an accurate count of the homeless and at-risk youth," she said.
Rebecca Shields and Brandon Johnson sat on a couch, soothing their teething five-month-old son Jeremiah. The new parents are currently living with Shields' mother.
Rebecca Shields and Brandon Johnson play with 5-month-old Jerimiah Johnson during the homeless count at Rare Breed on Thursday, January 26, 2017. (Photo: Andrew Jansen/News-Leader)
Johnson said he gets work through Penmac. Getting their own place is just two paychecks away, he said.
"It's hard, but it's going to be worth it," Shields added.
About Every One Counts
Every One Counts takes place yearly to meet mandates by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provides more than $1 million in funding and support for homeless services in the Ozarks.
Previous counts have shown an average of 750 homeless individuals at any given time in Greene County, with an average 250 of those individuals not having any source of shelter, according to a news release.
Data collected during Every One Counts also assists in the work of the Missouri Interagency Council to End Homelessness. Service providers and policymakers use the information to address homelessness-related issues on the local level.
The Every One Counts campaign is a collaborative effort of Community Partnership’s OAEH and partner agencies, including the Council of Churches, which chairs the planning committee for this event. For more information about the OAEH and a list of partner agencies, visit cpozarks.org/endhomelessness.
Read or Share this story: http://sgfnow.co/2k8OF2O
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NBC and ABC Cheer Katy Perry and Bill Clinton as Hillary’s ‘A-Team’
By Kyle Drennen | October 26, 2015 1:25 PM EDT
Following a Hillary Clinton campaign rally on Saturday that featured singer Katy Perry and former President Bill Clinton, NBC and ABC were beside themselves in gushing over the event. On Saturday’s NBC Nightly News, correspondent Kelly O’Donnell proclaimed: “Hillary Clinton's team is going all in on star power....husband Bill Clinton's first campaign stop here in Iowa....superstar hit maker [Katy Perry], whose song is Clinton’s campaign theme.... After a tough slide this summer, Clinton has hit a high note.”
At the top of Sunday’s NBC Today, co-host Jeff Rossen declared: “Hear them roar. Hillary Clinton rolls out some serious star power in Iowa, Katy Perry and her husband, the former president, hitting the campaign trail for the for the first time.” Minutes later, fellow co-host Erica Hill hailed: “Hillary Clinton bringing out her A-team Saturday in Iowa.”
Hill turned to Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd and wondered: “This was, understandably, a pretty good week by all accounts for Hillary Clinton. Is this the new campaign that we'll see, with former President Clinton there by her side?” Todd replied: “I think so. I think this campaign team thinks they have – they’re acting as if they have a little swagger now.”
ABC’s Good Morning America on Sunday provided nearly identical fawning coverage, as co-host Dan Harris led the broadcast by announcing: “Star power. Katy Perry roaring in support of Hillary Clinton at a big campaign rally, also featuring a former president....The candidate herself feeling energized in Iowa.”
Introducing the report minutes later, fellow co-host Paula Faris touted: “Hillary Clinton brought out a pair of heavy hitters, her husband and pop star Katy Perry...” Correspondent David Wright cheered: “Hillary Clinton's enjoying a bit of a star turn here in Des Moines, introduced by two rock stars as you say, Katy Perry and Bill Clinton.”
Wright noted that it was “Bill Clinton's debut on the campaign trail for his wife” as well as “Katy Perry's debut standing up for the Clinton campaign.” A soundbite ran of Perry telling Clinton supporters: “I stand and I march with Hillary. I believe in her future, her vision.”
Sounding like a fan, Wright hailed: “At the Iowa Jefferson-Jackson dinner, Hillary Clinton did roar.” A clip played of Clinton vowing: “We're going to build an America where a father can tell his daughter, ‘You can be anything you want to be, including President of the United States of America!’”
On World News Tonight that evening, Wright hyped: “In Iowa this weekend, Hillary Clinton's campaign rolled out the big guns. Katy Perry and Bill Clinton urging voters to break that glass ceiling once and for all.”
On Monday’s Good Morning America, correspondent Jon Karl told viewers: “Hillary Clinton seemed to be riding high in Iowa over the weekend with a little help from Katy Perry. And also Bill Clinton....Hillary Clinton seeming as confident as ever as she addressed the annual Jefferson-Jackson dinner, one of the biggest events of the year for Iowa Democrats. “
Wrapping up that report, Karl highlighted:
Today is Hillary Clinton's birthday. And as any politician will tell you, that means a chance to raise money. Last night, she celebrated with a star-studded fund-raiser where Tony Bennett sang happy birthday, along with Demi Lovato and John Legend. But George, what she would really like is another two weeks like she has just had.
Here are transcripts from NBC’s Today and ABC’s Good Morning America on October 25:
8:00 AM ET TEASE
JEFF ROSSEN: Hear them roar.
KATY PERRY [SINGING AT CLINTON CAMPAIGN RALLY: You're gonna hear me roar.
ROSSEN: Hillary Clinton rolls out some serious star power in Iowa, Katy Perry and her husband, the former president, hitting the campaign trail for the for the first time.
8:15 AM ET SEGMENT
ERICA HILL: On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton bringing out her A-team Saturday in Iowa. President Bill Clinton, former president, making his first appearance on the campaign trail alongside Katy Perry, whose hit song Roar just so happens to be the Clinton campaign song.
BILL CLINTON: I've never been the warm-up act for Katy Perry before.
HILL: First time for everything, right, Chuck Todd? Chuck Todd is moderator –
CHUCK TODD: I bet he enjoyed that, though.
HILL: I'm going to go out on a limb and agree there with you, Chuck. I think so. So speaking of Bill Clinton, this is really the first time that we have seen him out there with Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail. This was, understandably, a pretty good week by all accounts for Hillary Clinton. Is this the new campaign that we'll see, with former President Clinton there by her side?
TODD: I think so. I think this campaign team thinks they have – they’re acting as if they have a little swagger now. I think that they believe Bill Clinton – and they're seen this in their own polling – among Democrats, Bill Clinton is as popular as Barack Obama. And if Barack Obama’s not yet a surrogate for her, Bill Clinton is a good one. So I do think now you're seeing sort of the next phase of the campaign on that front. So I think we're going to see a lot more Bill Clinton than we did before. Look, 12 days ago, there was concerns that is she was too much a part of the past? Does she have what it takes? Well, debate, preparation, all that thing, suddenly Democratic elites, Democratic donors feel a lot better. So now the campaign feels more comfortable putting Bill Clinton out there, too.
DAN HARRIS: And star power. Katy Perry roaring in support of Hillary Clinton at a big campaign rally, also featuring a former president.
BILL CLINTON: I’ve never been the warm-up act for Katy Perry before.
HARRIS: The candidate herself feeling energized in Iowa.
PAULA FARIS: Now to 2016 and the race for the White House. Now saying it’s a big weekend for the Democrats is a bit of an understatement. Hillary Clinton brought out a pair of heavy hitters, her husband and pop star Katy Perry, before she and her main rival Bernie Sanders strutted their stuff at a very influential dinner in Des Moines. And ABC’s David Wright is there with the very latest this morning. Hi, David.
DAVID WRIGHT: Hi, Paula, Hillary Clinton's enjoying a bit of a star turn here in Des Moines, introduced by two rock stars as you say, Katy Perry and Bill Clinton. But this is not a coronation, it's clear that Bernie Sanders wants to take that crown.
Hillary Clinton brought out the big guns, including a pop star dressed like a superhero.
KATY PERRY [SINGING]: Baby you're a firework.
WRIGHT: And a former president now campaigning to be the first-ever first husband.
WRIGHT: This was Bill Clinton's debut on the campaign trail for his wife.
BILL CLINTON: I want thank all of you for showing up and for supporting her.
WRIGHT: Katy Perry's debut standing up for the Clinton campaign.
KATY PERRY: I stand and I march with Hillary. I believe in her future, her vision.
WRIGHT: And lending her voice, too.
PERRY [SINGING]: You’re gonna hear me roar.
WRIGHT: At the Iowa Jefferson-Jackson dinner, Hillary Clinton did roar.
HILLARY CLINTON: We're going to build an America where a father can tell his daughter, “You can be anything you want to be, including President of the United States of America!”
NB Daily Campaigns & Elections 2016 Presidential Liberals & Democrats ABC Good Morning America NBC Today Video Kelly O'Donnell Dan Harris David Wright Hillary Clinton Bill Clinton Katy Perry
Kyle Drennen
Kyle Drennen is the Senior News Analyst for MRC
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VIDEO HBO’s Larry David Wears MAGA Hat: 'It’s a Great People Repellent'
By Karen Townsend | January 20, 2020 12:57 AM EST
Instead of directly trolling President Trump by name, the red MAGA hat made famous by the Trump campaign was weaponized in the season premiere of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. In three scenes of the episode titled “Happy New Year” airing on January 19, a MAGA hat made an appearance and was met with scorn.
VIDEO Gay Superhero ‘Batwoman’ Comes Out as Openly Gay in ‘Historic’ Reveal
By Lindsay Kornick | January 20, 2020 12:10 AM EST
It’s 2020 and liberal television still thinks it’s a big deal to have a character be gay. It’s so important that characters outing their superhero alter egos on television is also a big deal. CW’s Batwoman goes the extra mile by “outing” Batwoman as a lesbian in the universe of the show. Apparently, that’s the latest milestone for the LGBTQ community.
VIDEO 'That's Your Baby:' Lesbian Show Surprisingly Plays Sound of Unborn Child's Heartbeat
By Elise Ehrhard | January 19, 2020 11:40 PM EST
Showtime’s The L Word: Generation Q is usually a love letter to left-wing hedonism, promoting a radical matriarchal vision of sexual revolution. (I say “matriarchal” because straight men do not exist in the show except as villains or annoyances who briefly pop in and out now and again.) That is why it was surprising to see the show spotlight the heartbeat of an unborn child in this week’s episode, “Lose it All,” on January 19.
VIDEO Robert De Niro to Cheers at SAG Awards: 'We're in Such a Dire Situation'
By Rebecca Downs | January 19, 2020 10:26 PM EST
It seemed only natural that January 19's 26th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on TNT and TBS would get political. Why is that? Well, known Trump-basher Robert De Niro was being honored with a life achievement award.
Even Leftists Can Be Right About Opinionated 'Fact Checkers'
By Tim Graham | January 19, 2020 9:01 PM EST
Conservatives are not going to agree with a lot of points in The New Republic -- and it's more liberal than it used to be in the last century. But there's some common ground when it comes to the media's "fact-checking" operations. There is a lot of opinion smeared all over the "facts."
NYTimes: Trump's ‘Conspiracy Theory’ on Pelosi, Impeachment Pure ‘Disinformation’
By Clay Waters | January 19, 2020 7:59 PM EST
The New York Times’ double standard on ideas it considers “conspiracy theories” was ably demonstrated in Sunday’s New York Times by reporters Annie Karni and Jeremy Peters: “How a Pelosi Conspiracy Theory Spread, From Twitter to Fox to Trump.” That headline hit the paper’s two main enemies: Fox News and President Trump.
Liberal Media Forced to Concede: Trump Was Right About Puerto Rico's Government
By Jorge Bonilla | January 19, 2020 3:59 PM EST
President Donald Trump’s strategic silence on Puerto Rico’s earthquakes, while greenlighting billions of dollars in aid and a new major disaster declaration for the stricken U.S. territory, is forcing the liberal media into a most uncomfortable place...acknowledging that he was right all along.
NY Times Front Page: Women, Stripped of Rights by Trump, Still Won’t Vote For Women
On the front page of Saturday’s New York Times, reporter Lisa Lerer wondered why so many women were reluctant to vote for a woman (i.e. Elizabeth Warren) to run for president in “Taking Feminism to Heart, if Not to the Caucuses – Beating Trump Matters More Than Electing a Woman, to Some.” As is often the case, unfettered abortion rights was a priority: "Ms. Schlenker has seen how the current political moment has convinced her daughter that her rights could be taken away, and that sexism remains a force in both of their lives."
VIDEO CNN Gossips About Which 2020 Dem the NYT Will Endorse for President
By Nicholas Fondacaro | January 19, 2020 3:06 PM EST
It’s one of the most blatantly biased things a media outlet can do: openly endorse a candidate running for office. But during CNN’s S.E. Cupp Unfiltered Saturday evening, Cupp and chief media correspondent Brian Stelter lauded The New York Times for making a televised spectacle out of their Democratic endorsement announcement happening soon. They would admit the Times had an editorial board that leaned far-left and would endorse “anyone but Donald Trump.”
WashPost Smears 'Civil War' on Gun March, Touts 'Hope' in Feminist Fury at 'Rapist' Trump
By Tim Graham | January 19, 2020 12:26 PM EST
One of the most dramatic contrasts in media bias is shown in coverage of protests. The Washington Post published a gushy article on the "Women's March" in D.C., but on the front page, the Post smeared the coming gun-rights protest in Richmond as an occasion to "fan the flames of a civil war."
VIDEO FREDO: Combat Vet McSally Is a ‘Punk,’ Should Lose Her Senate Race
By Nicholas Fondacaro | January 19, 2020 11:36 AM EST
As part of CNN’s day-long-pants-wetting resulting from Arizona Senator Martha McSally (R) calling out CNN correspondent Manu Raju as a “liberal hack,” CNN hosts Chris “Fredo” Cuomo (Cuomo Prime Time) and Don Lemon (CNN Tonight) railed against the Senator during the handoff between their shows on Thursday. Cuomo lashed out by describing McSally, the first female U.S. combat pilot, as a “punk” and later argued that her criticism of his colleague “should hurt her.”
VIDEO Joy Reid Brings on 'Body-Language Expert' to Say Bernie's 'Lying'
By Mark Finkelstein | January 18, 2020 11:27 PM EST
Joy Reid's "body-language expert" Janine Driver says she believes Bernie Sanders was "lying" when he denied telling Elizabeth Warren that a woman couldn't beat President Trump.
VIDEO Pelosi Gets Standing O at HBO, Tells Fanboy Bill Maher She Throws a Punch 'For the Children'
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made an appearance on the new season of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday night, and was greeted by a raucous 35-second standing ovation for impeaching Donald Trump. Maher touted the Speaker as a socialist Margaret Thatcher -- "our Iron Lady" of the Left -- and worried Pelosi wasn't appreciated enough by the extreme-left sector of the Democrats.
NY Times vs. Meghan McCain: The Liberal Media’s Problem With Conservative Women
By Jeffrey Lord | January 18, 2020 4:00 PM EST
While Elizabeth Warren routinely collects applause when citing her gender — and at this minute is using it to accuse Bernie Sanders of sexism — The New York Times stepped to the plate to assail The View’s Meghan McCain. Ms. McCain, of course, is these days famous for her co-hosting stint on the ABC show created by Barbara Walters.
VIDEO WashPost Hits Trump for Politicizing Champion LSU Visit to the White House
By Jay Maxson | January 18, 2020 3:33 PM EST
Jacob Bogage of The Washington Post rapped President Donald Trump for dragging the NCAA football National Champion Louisiana State University Tigers into the impeachment debate Friday during their visit to the White House. He also accused the president of lying about trade agreements and harped about the Commander-in-Chief feeding fast food to Clemson's 2019 football champs during their White House visit last year.
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Companies comply with food fortification
Local companies have complied with the food fortification programme introduced last year to prevent micro-nutrient deficiency disorders among consumers, a government consultant has said.
BY MTHANDAZO NYONI
In an interview with NewsDay on the side lines of a food fortification workshop held in Bulawayo on Tuesday, Health and Child Care ministry nutrition advocacy and communication consultant Dexter Chagwena said a lot of companies were now complying with the food fortification regulations.
“A lot of companies are complying with fortification legislation. For instance, we have all the
sugar manufacturing companies, mainly Hullets, Gold Star and Probands they have already complied and are fortifying,” Chagwena said.
“When it comes to oil producers, you realise that most of the oil producers are actually complying and here we are talking about industries such as Pure Oil, Olivine and also United Refineries. These are some of the companies that I would say are already complying at the moment.”
Chagwena said so far, the Grain Marketing Board, Blue Ribbon, Uni Products and Parogate had complied, while National Foods was in the process of complying.
The workshop was organised by the Ministry of Health and Child Care supported by the World Food Programme to discuss the benefits of food fortification.
Last year, government endorsed a mandatory food fortification programme in which certain vitamins and minerals should be added to maize meal, sugar, cooking oil and wheat flour, in order to minimise cases of malnutrition and mineral deficiencies.
However, Chagwena said some millers were yet to comply.
“After we started mandatory fortification last year, the millers through their association, raised challenges such as access to foreign currency and even equipment and foreign currency to purchase the fortificants,” Chagwena said.
When the mandatory food fortification programme was promulgated by Statutory Instrument 120 of 2016, which went into effect on June 1, 2017 the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) resisted the programme.
GMAZ responded to the legislation by writing to Health and Child Care minister David Parirenyatwa back in August 2017.
In the letter, millers said that there would be a need for foreign currency to import the nutrients for the programme, a move that would result in them joining the long list of forex applicants that could take 24 months.
But, Chagwena said they were working on the issue.
“We have worked with other ministries like the Finance and Economic Development ministry to try by all means to advocate for release of foreign currency or prioritising food fortification equipment and fortificants as well,” he said.
He added that millers were still having challenges with the fortification programme.
Food fortification is one of many ways to prevent and control micronutrient deficiency diseases such as goitre, anaemia, impaired vision and mental retardation.
In 2015, Zimbabwe launched the Zimbabwe National Food Fortification Strategy 2014 to 2018 to address the micronutrient deficiency burden in the country as revealed by the 2012 Zimbabwe Micronutrient Survey.
According to the survey, 19% of children aged between 6 — 59 months are vitamin A deficient, while 72% have iron deficiency, and 31% are anaemic, and nearly 1,5 million working age adults with anaemia suffer deficits in work performance.
Emiliano Sala: Body seen in wreckage in search for missing footballer
Warriors fall
Editorial: Govt shilly-shallying threatening Zimdollar sustainability
Tobacco deliveries hit 249 million kg
Kunonga returns with new offering
Masa takes new album to Botswana
Previous article Junior squash team ready for World champs
Next article Zec beefs up voters’ roll
AND SO YOU SHOULD EVEN IF YOUR BONDS ARE Z$
ONE of Malawi’s first solar projects has attracted investment volume totalling US$67 million. Related posts: MDC sets dates for congressStorm over new ...
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Scotland country
Glasgow and Surrounding Areas
Accountant jobs in Renfrewshire
Reporting Accountant
Michael Page Finance - Bishopton, Renfrewshire
A newly created position that will report into the Finance Manager. The role is a broad mix of financial and management reporting, and will be suited to a newly qualified accountant. Client Details A...
Anonymous - Renfrewshire, Glasgow and Surrounding Areas
Page Personnel are delighted to be partnered with our highly respected client in recruiting an Assistant Accountant. Client Details Our client is a market leading commercial company based in Greenock....
Associate Accountant found on Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc - Paisley, Renfrewshire
Due to our continued growth within our EMEA headquarters and our finance centre of excellence we have a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious and enthusiastic associate accountant to join our inter...
Senior Associate Accountant - part qualified
Thermo Fisher Scientific - Paisley, Renfrewshire
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) is the world leader in serving science, with revenues of more than $24 billion and approximately 70,000 employees globally. Our mission is to enable our...
Senior Management Accountant
Cvlibrary - Glasgow, Glasgow
Job purpose we place a strong emphasis on producing financial information quickly and accurately. The aim of this role is to assist the financial controller in supervising the financial reporting team...
Myjobscotland - Glasgow, Glasgow and Surrounding Areas
Job Summary Please note this post is temporary to cover maternity leave for a period of six months initially or until the current post holder returns. A great opportunity has arisen within the Finance...
£38213.41 - £43049.39 per year
Assistant Management Accountant
Page Personnel are delighted to be partnered with our client in recruiting an Assistant Management Accountant. This is an exciting role that will bridge the gap between the finance/accounts assistants...
Lusona LLP - Glasgow, Glasgow and Surrounding Areas
Lusona's client in the Southside of Glasgow is recruiting for a 20 hour per week part time Assistant Management Accountant. Duties - - Assisting with management accounts - Budgeting and ana...
Client Accountant (Property)
HRC Recruitment - Glasgow, Glasgow and Surrounding Areas
Are you experienced working in the Property sector and enjoy managing the accounts process for a portfolio of clients? We are recruiting a fantastic and rare opportunity in the market! We are looking...
Blue Arrow Glasgow - Glasgow, Glasgow and Surrounding Areas
Blue Arrow Glasgow are delighted to be assisting one of our favoured clients in their search for a Project Accountant to work on a 12 month fixed term contract based in Glasgow. The Project Accountant...
I am currently working with an inspiring 3rd sector organisation who are looking for an experienced and Qualified Project Accountant to join their finance function on a 12 month FTC! Your key...
Robert Half Finance Accounting - Glasgow, Glasgow and Surrounding Areas
Robert Half Finance and Accounting are working with a global organisation to recruit a Financial Accountant for their office based in the Central Belt of Scotland. The Business and Role Our client is...
Page Personnel are delighted to be partnered with our client in recruiting an exceptional opportunity for an Assistant Accountant. This role will have strong involvement with accounts preparations,...
Page Personnel are delighted to be partnered exclusively with our client in recruiting an Assistant Management Accountant. This is the perfect opportunity for a part-qualified professional to join a...
Lusona's client based on the east side of Glasgow is seeking a management accountant on a part-time basis. Duties Management of ledger for three Business Units Maintaining accounts Budgeting...
The Edrington Group - Glasgow, Glasgow and Surrounding Areas
Edrington has a great opportunity for a financial accountant in the Europe, middle East and Africa travel retail (EMEA TR) team, reporting directly to the head of finance & supply chain EMEA TR. Based...
Connect Appointments - Glasgow, Glasgow and Surrounding Areas
Due to continued business growth and success, Connect Appointments have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Assistant Accountant to join our team in our Head Office based in Glasgow City Centre...
Connect Appointments - Glasgow, Glasgow
Managing Accountant
Sartorius - Glasgow, Glasgow and Surrounding Areas
We have this challenging and interesting opportunity for an experienced project/ management accountant to join our international team. You will support our senior leaders in Glasgow with conducting...
Ashurst - Glasgow, Glasgow
About Ashurst: Ashurst is a leading global law firm with a history spanning almost 200 years, and clear strategy for our future growth. Our in-depth understanding of our clients and commitment to...
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Projects / Renovation De Hoorn 2
Renovation De Hoorn 2 - 16.010
Complete mission for C & S engineering.
A few years after the restoration of the Artois monument, De Hoorn decided to expand. The new building will be composed of an underground bike parking, five floors of office space, an extension of the skybox and three residential floors.
The building has two components, each of which having its own structural logic. The part with the offices consists of large span structures realized with precast hollow core slabs supported on prefabricated facade beams and columns. This creates an open plan for the architecture and services. The second part, where the skybox and the residences are located, is constructed with pre-slab floors supported by the facade and the central core, as well as a few interior load-bearing concrete walls. The 7th floor provides a transfer level for both services and the loadbearing system. Starting from that level the west side is supported on the prefabricated façade elements. On the east the loads the loads are carried down onto the central core and the existing building. To limit the extra weight on the existing building, concrete hollow-core and light finishing materials are applied. In addition, some local interventions are carried out in the existing building in order to make the enlargement possible. In the patio, between the new offices and the old Artois buildings, a green roof with external steel staircase is foreseen.
360 Architecten
De Hoorn
Leuven, Belgium
Total budget:
7.500.000 € Vat Excl.
In execution
Images credits:
Ney & Partners - 360 Architecten
© Ney & Partners - 360 Architecten
7500000 € Vat Excl.
State In execution
Home / Renovation De Hoorn 2
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Nicolas Pabion
Expressing recognition and thanksgiving, materializing human values, enhancing one’s sacrifices towards others. These emotions can’t be transcribed with matter, they are beyond what men can control and hold in their hands.
However, it remains possible to suggest them, to celebrate them, to awaken the visitors’ subconscious and to lead them to a collective consciousness, to a collective memory dedicated to the people that sacrifice themselves for others.
This reflexion justifies our intention to develop an introverted experience, detached from the artificial aspect of the site, to stay focused on the memorial’s fonction and its relation toward the visitors, namely remembering those who gave their lives.
One war, one history, one search for peace, one memory, the nobility and the fragility of these concepts has led us to generate a pure form, a single gesture, a curved line, natural and fragile, translating the values that it is transporting.
The curvy shape is an omnipresent theme in the Park. It is furthermore allowing the monument to soflty integrate into the site. It is rooted in the slope and highlighting the transition between the two morphologies of the site, as if it had always been there. It folds, unfolds, thus suggesting this notion of infinity, like a timeless devotion to the human battle for peace.
The spiral path leads through the various themes of the exhibition, intimately progressing down to reach the meditative heart of the project, enabling you to get simultaneously closer to earth and sky.
TRI ÂN MONUMENT
Architecture Competition / 2016
Jeffersontown, KY 40299, United State of America
Credits: Nicolas Pabion & Benjamin Nicaud & Axel Burkhard
pabionnicolas@gmail.com
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Articles tagged News Corporation (7)
Axel BrunsAugust 17, 2015
Will The Huffington Post’s latest international foray build an audience in Australia?
HuffPo is the latest American or British outlet to see Australia as a market for growth. Can it find a niche of its own?
Monday Q&A: Raju Narisetti on designing for mobile, the paywall fallacy, and reinventing ads
“If anybody out there thinks a paywall is going to solve our industry’s problems in itself, they’re in for a very rude surprise.” Justin Ellis
DocumentCloud removes email dump after legal threat
The site was asked to take down emails that were part of an investigation into a News Corp. subsidiary in Australia. Justin Ellis
Who owns newspaper companies? The banks, funds, and investors and their (big) slices of the industry
“Serendipity and surprise”: How will engagement work for The Daily?
The Newsonomics of Mr. Murdoch’s Daily
Don’t forget: A few news orgs would still like to make aggregation opt-in
Anderson, C.W.. "Don’t forget: A few news orgs would still like to make aggregation opt-in." Nieman Journalism Lab. Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard, 22 Mar. 2010. Web. 20 Jan. 2020.
Anderson, C. (2010, Mar. 22). Don’t forget: A few news orgs would still like to make aggregation opt-in. Nieman Journalism Lab. Retrieved January 20, 2020, from https://www.niemanlab.org/2010/03/dont-forget-a-few-news-orgs-would-still-like-to-make-aggregation-opt-in/
Anderson, C.W.. "Don’t forget: A few news orgs would still like to make aggregation opt-in." Nieman Journalism Lab. Last modified March 22, 2010. Accessed January 20, 2020. https://www.niemanlab.org/2010/03/dont-forget-a-few-news-orgs-would-still-like-to-make-aggregation-opt-in/.
| url = https://www.niemanlab.org/2010/03/dont-forget-a-few-news-orgs-would-still-like-to-make-aggregation-opt-in/
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| date = 22 March 2010
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Alliant 2 Small Business
GSA OASIS
GSA 8(a) Stars II
GSA IT Schedule 70
IRS TIPSS-IV
Additional Contract Vehicles
NikSoft offers a variety of contract vehicles available for use by government customers and strategic partners. These contracts range in size and scope offering our customers convenience, flexibility, and immediate access to a full range of services offered by NikSoft. By choosing NikSoft, you are teaming with experienced and knowledgeable experts who are committed to supporting your mission.
Contract Description: NikSoft Systems Corporation is a high performing Alliant 2 Small Business contract holder providing services to the Federal government. We work with partner companies to provide low risk solutions to Federal government agencies.
Contract Description: OASIS Small Business (SB) is a multiple award, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract that provides flexible and innovative solutions for complex professional services. The core disciplines of the contract include program management services, management consulting services, logistics services, engineering services, scientific services, and financial services.
NikSoft was awarded Pool 1 (Professional Services) and Pool 3 (Engineering)
Pools 1 (Professional Services) and 3 (Engineering)
Functional Areas: These NAICS functional areas are:
541511 — Custom Computer Programming Services
541512 — Computer Systems Design Services
541513 — Computer Facilities Management Services
541519 — Other Computer Related Services
Contract Number: GS00Q14OADS130 and GS00Q14OADS326
Period of Performance: June 20, 2014 to June 19, 2024 (including 5 year option period)
Contractor DUNS Number: 07−121−5037
Basic Contract Website: http://www.gsa.gov/portal/mediaId/192359/fileName/FINAL_OASIS_SB_CONTRACT_POOL_1.action
http://www.gsa.gov/portal/mediaId/192359/fileName/FINAL_OASIS_SB_CONTRACT_POOL_3.action
GSA OASIS Website: http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/104731
Prompt payment terms: 30 Days
Contract Ceiling
Point of Contact:
Jon Cassady
info@niksoft.com
Contract Description: GSA 8(a) STARS II, a small business set-aside GWAC, provides flexible access to customized IT solutions from a large and diverse pool of industry partners. NikSoft works within all Constitations and Functional Areas of 8(a) STARS II
A low user access fee (0.75 percent) built into contractor's ceiling prices
Constellations: CI, CII
Functional Areas: 8(a) STARS II constellations include four functional areas designated by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). These NAICS functional areas are:
Contract Number: GS-06F-0691Z
Period of Performance: Present through 30 August 2021 (including 5 year option period)
Basic Contract Website: http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/209173
GSA 8(a) STARS II Website: http://www.gsa.gov/8astars2
No Contract Ceiling
Contract Description: GSA IT Schedule 70 offers a comprehensive array of state-of-the-art IT products, services, and solutions to federal, state and local customer agencies. The efficiencies associated with purchasing information technology via the pre-existing, pre-competed GSA IT Schedule 70 save both time and money for government customers.
NikSoft offers Health IT services including but not limited to electronic health records, health information exchanges, and personal health information management under the GSA Schedule 70 Special Item Number (SIN) 132-56.
NikSoft also provides Identify and Access Management Processional Services under Special Item Number (SIN) 132-60F.
Contract Number: GS-35F-0125R
Period of Performance: Present through 17 November 2019 (including 5 year option period)
Basic Contract Website:
GSA IT 70 Website: https://www.gsaadvantage.gov/ref_text/GS35F0125R/GS35F0125R_online.htm
SeaPort-NxG
Contract Description: SeaPort-NxG is the Navy's electronic platform for acquiring support services in 22 functional areas including Engineering, Financial Management, and Program Management. The Navy Systems Commands (NAVSEA, NAVAIR, SPAWAR, NAVFAC, and NAVSUP), the Office of Naval Research, Military Sealift Command, and the United States Marine Corps compete their service requirements via SeaPort-NxG IDIQ multiple award contract. The SeaPort-NxG portal provides a standardized, efficient means of soliciting offers from amongst the diverse population of large and small businesses and their approved team members. All task orders are competitively solicited, awarded and managed using the SeaPort-NxG platform. Since nearly 85% of its contract–holders are small businesses, the SeaPort-NxG approach to acquiring services provides opportunity that fuels the Nation’s engine of job growth.
Contract Number: N00178-19-D-8187
Period of Performance: Effective date 2 January 2019 trough 1 January 2024 (Task orders placed prior to or on 1 January 2024 may have a period of performance for no longer than 5 years.)
Basic Contract Website: https://www.niksoft.com/seaport-e
SeaPort-NxG Website: http://www.seaport.navy.mil/default.aspx
For more information, please see NikSoft's SeaPort-NxG site at: SeaPort-NxG
IRS TIPSS-IV ITS, MBOSS, & Cyber Security
Contract Description: The TIPSS-4 ITS contract is a multiple award contract. It provides sources of information processing support services for the IRS, Department of the Treasury, and its Bureaus. The IRS will be the primary user of the contracts to provide the full range of information processing support services for project and program level support.
The support required encompasses a large spectrum of services from local microcomputer applications to large-scale integrated legacy systems, and newly developed systems. Services are required across virtually all software languages and hardware platforms.
The TIPSS-4 ITS contracts will provide a wide spectrum of IT related services for the IRS, Department of the Treasury, and its Bureaus. The continuing emergence and rapid adoption of new technologies by the government means that the contracting acquisition process may change and adapt as well.
NikSoft current holds all three TIPPS IV vehicles (ITS, MBOSS and Cyber Security).
Contract Number: TIRNO-11-D-00025 and TIRNO-11-D-00063
http://www.irs.gov/uac/Total-Information-Processing-Support-Services-(TIPSS-4)
Chief Administrative Office
FAA eFAST
SEC DIOMDS
Business Classifications
CAGE Code: 3RYX3
The North American Industy Classification System (NAICS) is the standard used by Federal statistical agencies in clasifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy.
The NAICS Codes under which NikSoft is registered to do business are as follows:
Custom Computer Programming Services
Computer Systems Design Services
Computer Facilities Management Services
Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
Human Resources and Executive Search Consulting Services
Process, Physical Distribution, and Logistics Consulting Services
Other Management Consulting Services
Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
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One Political PlazaSM - Home of politics
Moe's Pickles
Oct 11, 2018 13:35:43 #
pafret Loc: Northeast
Moe’s Fermented Kosher Dill Pickles
FINALLY... a real, honest-to-Hashem method for making real lower east side SALT FERMENTED KOSHER DILL PICKLES, as directed by Moe, a 90+ year old former pickle master
Mr Taster | Sep 2, 201112:02 AM
Last month a friend and I attended what turned out to be a spectacular free presentation on the history of the traditional kosher dill pickle, as they were made and sold out of barrels in the Jewish neighborhoods of the lower east side of New York City during the Jewish immigration wave of the early 20th century.
Rabbi Marcus (of www.rabbipickle.com) tells the story of how he befriended an 90+ year old former lower east side pickle maker named Moe, who wanted to pass on his traditional technique for making kosher dills to the kids of the congregation. Well as the Rabbi explains in the workshop, not only did the kids show up, but the parents did too. He soon realized that this was no longer just a kids activity, and he started to expand his presentations. (Note to mods, I am in no way associated with the Traveling Pickle Factory- I am just an enthusiastic participant).
So as the story goes, sadly Moe passed on a few years ago, but his pickle recipe lives on through Rabbi Marcus and his pickle making disciples. If he comes to your area, I can't recommend his workshop highly enough.
A brief review and photos:
http://lubavitch.com/news/article/203...
First, let's get a few things out of the way.
- Making Moe's traditional pickles is dead easy. It just takes some time.
- THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER: The salt to water brine ratio. You have to get this right, because this dictates how the pickles will ferment, and how they will taste. (Too little salt and they will not properly ferment. Too much salt and they will become inedible.) All the other ingredients (dill, spice, garlic, etc.) are to taste-- that's the artistry of the pickle. The brine is the science. If you don't get the science right, the art fails automatically.
- I like vinegar. You like vinegar. VINEGAR DOES NOT BELONG IN MOE'S TRADITIONAL KOSHER DILL METHOD! All of the sour flavor in traditional kosher dills is developed strictly by the fermentation of the cucumbers in brine. The addition of vinegar (as well as cooking pickles using canning methods) are relatively modern modifications to traditional recipes initiated by the food processing industry to extend shelf life. But hey, if you really like vinegar, go ahead and try it. But that's not how Moe did it :)
- Whether the pickles turn out to be new pickles, half sours, or full sours depends only on one factor-- time. The longer the cucumbers sit in the brine, the more sour they will become. If you leave them in the brine too long beyond full sour, they will become unappealingly soft in the middle. The window of time to eat a full sour at peak crispiness is only a couple of weeks. This is the reason it's virtually impossible to buy truly fresh traditionally made kosher dill pickles at the supermarket- even the fresh, uncooked refrigerated versions like Claussen contain vinegar and other preservative agents. (This is easily verified if you look at the ingredient label, as I did)
- Rabbi Marcus acknowledged that kirbys are of course the traditional pickling cucumber. However, he advised that as pickle novices we begin with Persian cucumbers. Unlike kirbys, Persian cucumbers give off very little water in the fermentation process and will not throw off the water to salt ratio as much as kirbys can. Once you've made a few batches with Persians with the measurements listed below (and have tasted and gotten used to the proper salt content in a brine), try it with kirbys. You'll eventually be able to judge by taste when the brine is salty enough. My first attempt at making pickles with kirbys turned out great- I added a little additional salt to compensate for the extra water the kirbys would give off.
So without further ado, gather the necessary ingredients and apparatus.
THE SCIENCE:
1 32-oz plastic deli container with lid (you'll see why plastic is important below)
16 oz spring water, room temperature
2 tbsp Diamond Kosher Salt (this brand is important-- not all kosher salt is the same shape and volume will measure out differently, and larger crystals may have a harder time dissolving. If you can't find Diamond Kosher salt, you should know that I weighed mine out at about 20g)
THE ART:
(This part is to taste, so modify Moe's recipe as you see fit)
Approx 2 tbsp pickling spice (more on this later-- not all pickling spice is the same)
If your pickling spice does not contain small whole dried red peppers, add a couple to your mix- 1 to 2 for a mild one, and several more for a less traditional spicy pickle.
2-3 medium cloves of garlic
Several Persian cucumbers (try to find ones that are not too long and will fit comfortably in the 32oz deli container. If they are too long to fit, don't worry-- cut them in half. They will pickle just as well.)
1 sprig fresh dill
1. Add water and salt to plastic deli container. Place lid on tightly and shake vigorously to dissolve salt.
2. Add pickling spice, replace lid and shake vigorously.
3. Add garlic cloves.
4. Inspect the cucumbers. Make sure that stems have been fully trimmed, as these can over ferment and cause the pickles to too easily soften.
Pack pickles vertically in the container. The idea is to pack them tightly down into the container, so that they will resist floating to the top. You want to keep them fully submerged in the brine, and they will not want to cooperate. Pickle tips that are exposed above the brine level will not ferment at the same rate as the submerged portion.
5. Lay the dill frond ON TOP of the brine! The dill is not a part of the brine and will infuse its essence as the pickles ferment. This is not to say that you should worry if it submerges on its own (it will, eventually).
6. Loosely place the lid on top-- DO NOT SEAL IT DOWN TIGHTLY. As the cucumbers ferment, they will give off gas which will cause a sealed lid to bulge and possibly pop off unexpectedly. You may wish to poke small holes in the plastic lid to help with ventilation.
7. Leave the cucumbers out on your counter top (or in a window) for one day (I left mine out for two, and it helped to speed up the fermentation though I wouldn't leave it out for much longer). The warmer temperature will help to activate the fermentation process. Remember, placing the pickles in the fridge does not stop the fermentation-- it just slows it down.
8. Place pickles in the refrigerator. You may see bits of white scum float to the top as a byproduct of fermentation. I didn't bother to skim mine as there really was very little, and the results were great. But feel free to skim yours if you like. Rabbi Marcus didn't mention anything about skimming.
And now, the results. Please note that these timetables are specific to my experience in Los Angeles summertime weather-- actual time will vary depending on your climate, room temperature and the temperature of your refrigerator.
In my experience, I have new pickles after 3 days, half sours after about a week and a half, and full sours after three weeks.
And that's Moe's method, in an admittedly overly detailed, ungainly nutshell.
One final note on pickling spice. Moe told Rabbi Marcus that no professional pickle maker makes his own pickling spice-- they all buy it in vast bulk quantities the same general suppliers. As a result, the Rabbi basically told us to go to any store and buy some. This turned out to be a little more of a problem than I anticipated. The pickling spice handed out at the workshop yielded perfect pickles. (I don't know who he purchases from.) But pickling spice mixtures are indeed different, and as I found out after buying a quantity of Penzey's pickling spice, cloves really don't belong in a kosher dill brine. (While their spices are incredibly fresh, Penzey's is a midwestern company, and as such I really shouldn't have expected them to have a proper NY kosher dill pickle blend-- theirs is more suited for a sweet bread and butter pickle.)
I'm still trying to figure out what the perfect pickling spice combination for a kosher dill is. In the blend we used at the workshop, I was able to identify crumbled bay leaves, yellow mustard seeds, whole dried red chile peppers (you get a really lovely, spicy dill if you add several of these) and dried dill seed. However, there were other spices I simply was not able to identify).
Go forth and make Moe's pickles, new disciples.
This posting is from a thread on Chowhound. There are hundreds of comments and queries and if you are interested in vegetable fermentation it is a good information source.
https://www.chowhound.com/post/finally-real-honest-hashem-method-making-real-east-side-salt-805067?commentId=10139447/..
debeda
pafret wrote:
Moe’s Fermented Kosher Dill Pickles br br FINALLY... (show quote)
Great info!! Gonna try my hand
OnePoliticalPlaza.com - Forum
Copyright 2012-2020 IDF International Technologies, Inc.
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Our work gets results.
We hold power to account - sparking criminal investigations and exposing abuses. Help us do more.
‘We need to talk’ about Sisi’s twisted take on human rights
No one is keeping the Egyptian government from “fighting terrorism.” But Sisi’s rhetoric on the “right to combat” terrorism underlies his belief of an “Egyptian exceptionalism.”
Amr Magdi
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Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El Sisi delivers a speech at the inauguration of the World Youth Forum in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, November, 2017. MENA/Xinhua News Agency/Press Association Images. All rights reserved.On November 4, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi of Egypt inaugurated the World Youth Forum, an international conference hosted in the country’s Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh.
Dozens of Egyptian and foreign officials as well as hundreds of foreign and Egyptian youth—many of whom Egypt luxuriously funded to come—attended the conference organized under the catchy phrase “We Need to Talk.”
The question is, talk about what?
Sisi’s inaugural speech left no mystery about his priorities. He immediately began with his favorite subject, terrorism, and proceeded to propose a novel legal innovation to confront it. He declared that “combating terrorism is a human right, a new right that I am adding to human rights in Egypt.”
Many Egyptians, whose voices are excluded from such conferences, say they would rather talk about the array of existing rights they cannot practice, or have found themselves thrown in prison for attempting to exercise.
These include the rights to free expression, freedom of information, freedom to peacefully assemble and protest, and the right to fair minimum wages. As Egyptian rights groups, Human Rights Watch, and others have documented these serious abuses in great detail, it’s also worthwhile to examine Sisi’s “contribution” to human rights law further.
Egypt does face real security threats. But international law already stipulates clearly, and in great detail, the rights of authorities to take “exceptional” measures in times of crises, although only for a defined period of time and without undermining certain basic rights.
It does not, however, include such thing as the right to “fight.” Rather, it talks of the right to security, and, in African human rights law, it speaks about the “right to peace.”
Egypt’s president wants to turn this state of exception into a permanent reality, and he is trying to use the threat of terrorism to gain international approval as his government demolishes the country’s independent organizations and extinguishes its citizens’ aspirations for democratic and accountable governance.
But Egypt’s western allies should long ago have been wise to the fact that the country’s autocratic leaders exploit the rhetoric of security to dismiss rights issues, not to engage with them.
No one is keeping the Egyptian government from “fighting terrorism.” So what actually underlies Sisi’s rhetoric?
Sisi and Egypt’s ruling elite seem to believe that terrorism cannot be fought without crushing rights. Their position is that opposing the government is the same thing as being “a terrorist,” and that the rule of law is just an obstacle to ensuring security.
They swing between denying that human rights abuses exist and, less often, asserting that Egypt faces “special circumstances” and that such rights must be “understood in its true context of a country in Egypt’s situation,” as Sisi once said.
In sum, Sisi believes in Egyptian exceptionalism. But not the kind of exceptionalism that manifested itself in Tahrir Square in 2011 and engendered global popular admiration for Egyptians’ largely peaceful struggle against an autocratic government. Rather, Sisi and his government contend that only autocracy and despotism can ensure Egypt’s security and stability.
So while the government was ensuring that its guests enjoyed the sunny beaches of Sharm al-Sheikh, one more Egyptian, Gamal Soroor, died in custody like dozens of others in the city of Aswan.
Soroor was not a “terrorist,” nor was he convicted of any charges. He was held arbitrarily and kept in pretrial detention, like thousands of Egypt’s political detainees, because he decided to use Egypt’s traditional “dof” drum to peacefully protest government land policies in his city.
While many of the hundreds of youth who came from all over the world to Sisi’s conference were given incentives to participate, many Egyptian youth lie in prisons in dismal conditions for daring to disagree with their government.
Egypt’s western allies, including France, the US and UK, have been buying Sisi’s false narrative almost wholesale. But they should understand that his view of security and human rights reflects the root of Egypt’s despotic establishment for the past three decades; it’s the same thinking that shaped the policies that ignited the country’s 2011 uprising.
Let’s not forget that during Egypt’s 2011 uprising, Omar Suleiman, former president Mubarak’s intelligence chief for decades, responded to a question of whether he believed in democracy with, “For sure! Everybody believes in democracy… but when?”
Between Sisi’s “combating terrorism is a human right” and Suleiman’s trope about Egyptians not being ready for democratic governance, Egypt’s allies should honor and support Egyptians, not their autocratic rulers.
They should respond by conditioning their support for Sisi’s government on tangible improvements in human rights. They need to realize that their acceptance of Sisi’s worldview—whether genuine or on realpolitik terms—invites more abuse and suffering for ordinary Egyptians in the short-term.
These are the same Egyptians who—unable to talk freely in mainstream media—bravely and audaciously leapfrogged onto the youth conference’s hashtag #WeNeedtoTalk to express their opinions and discuss government abuses.
In the long-term, Egypt’s western allies are undermining the very stability of Egypt they claim to be protecting through their misguided indulgence of Sisi’s brutal repression.
As for president Sisi, you do need to talk to ordinary Egyptians. But like all meaningful conversations, you also need to listen to those who criticize you, not just those who applaud.
Published in: نوى
أنا_سمية: التحرش في مصر، قصة لا تنتهي#
Written by: ليزا سعيد أبوزيد All articles by: ليزا سعيد أبوزيد
Written by: Maged Mandour All articles by: Maged Mandour
Human Rights Council condemns reprisals amidst unprecedented rate of cases in MENA region
Written by: Inès Osman All articles by: Inès Osman
Strikes, protests and Egyptian nights of curfew
Written by: Mona Abaza All articles by: Mona Abaza
Written by: Giuseppe Acconcia All articles by: Giuseppe Acconcia
Questions of legitimacy
Written by: Mohanad El Sangary All articles by: Mohanad El Sangary
Egypt’s activists should be celebrated, not criminalised
Written by: Sharan Srinivas All articles by: Sharan Srinivas
Written by: Lynn Boylan All articles by: Lynn Boylan
Egypt: the deep state’s war on journalism
Written by: Aya Nader All articles by: Aya Nader
Send them to Egypt
Written by: Jack Shenker All articles by: Jack Shenker
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Democracy and government
Egypt in the balance
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Home Opinions Arvind Kejriwal's Dengue comment - empty words or veiled threat?
Arvind Kejriwal’s Dengue comment – empty words or veiled threat?
RpG_89
Time and again history has shown that when the mask of fake idealism starts to fall off of Communists and Naxalites, they resort to violence and intimidation. One saw this in Bengal under the communist regime and sees this presently in Kerala. After a dismal performance in Punjab elections, seems like intimidation is the last refuge of the urban Naxalites better known as Aam Admi Party.
Plagued with a myriad of controversies, court cases and waning voter confidence – just 2 days before the MCD elections – AAP supremo and Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal said that if the public of Delhi voted BJP in the MCD elections, they themselves would be responsible for facing plethora of problems like heaps of rubbish, diseases dengue, chikungunya, etc. for the next 5 years:
BJP को वोट दिया तो अगले 5साल कूडा,मछर ऐसे ही रहेंगे।कल अगर आपके घर डेंगू हो जाए तो आप ख़ुद उसके ज़िम्मेदार होगे क्योंकि आपने BJP को वोट दिया
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 21, 2017
At a cursory glance, the tweet would appear as nothing more than Arvind Kejriwal’s usual whine against BJP and/or spreading fear against BJP. But was it just that? Was it for fear-mongering against BJP or rather a sinister design of veiled threat to the public?
The MCD has been under the BJP for a long time. While the MCD elections in 2007 and 2012 were consecutively won by the BJP, the assembly elections were won by Congress during the same period. Although these two units of governance were under the rule of rival parties, there was never a problem in governance until AAP won the NCT with a full majority in 2015.
After Arvind Kejriwal took over as Chief Minister of Delhi in February 2015, things changed. MCD Sanitation workers started protesting due to non payment of dues and pending salaries. On one hand AAP went on from giving assurance of payment to blaming Centre for cash crunch, on the other they kept on increasing their MLAs’ salaries and perks at expense of the state exchequer. Not to mention the huge advertisement expenses borne by the Delhi Government which can be considered as barely legal.
In between this the real sufferer was the real aam admi of Delhi. This went on to be a yearly routine of sanitation workers being not paid as we saw last year and as well as this year, with each year showing an alarming rise in vector-borne diseases. A report in The Economic Times in September 2016 read:
“Last year, the city saw a staggering 15,867 dengue cases — the worst in 20 years — with the disease claiming 60 lives, as per municipal reports. In 2015, August and September had seen 778 and 6,775 cases respectively while October had recorded a staggering 7,283 cases.”
Could this all have been a premeditated plan in the making to make the MCD under BJP look in poor light all this while to stage way for AAP in MCD elections 2017 as a better alternative?
Could Arvind Kejriwal’s tweet be a veiled threat that should voters vote BJP, the AAP run Delhi Government would continue their non-cooperation with the MCD workers and make the lives of Delhi voters worse?
The past occurrences do give fodder for such thought bearings. Given the words come from someone like Kejriwal and AAP who’re known for their strange, and dare I may say crazy antics, that may quite well be a possibility.
In the end we don’t know for sure until the results of the MCD elections are declared. However, this sheds light to a possibility of a future of more sinister politics at the cost of the real common people of Delhi and India.
MCD elections
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Police: Missing Washington Teen Found Safe
On Oct. 19, police announced that they found a 15-year-old girl who went missing in Port Townsend, Washington, on Oct. 16 after sending an alarming message to a friend online.
Phoebe McHenry was reported missing by her mother at 7:50 p.m. on Oct. 16 after not returning home from school. Investigators determined that she did not attend school that day, but was last seen in the area around 12:30 p.m., reports King 5 News.
The teen’s cellphone was active around 3:25 p.m. on the day she disappeared, and was since powered off. Around that same time, she reportedly sent a message to a friend on Facebook that read, “help.”
Video footage was obtained that shows a girl, who police believe to possibly be McHenry, walking inside a gas station in nearby Marysville, Washington, with two males.
On the morning of Oct. 19, Marysville Police announced that they had found McHenry and she is safe. She had reportedly traveled to Marysville on her own accord, and she is now being taken home.
Sources: Q13 Fox, King 5 News / Photo credit: Port Townsend Police via King 5 News
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Put your general knowledge and geography to the test
Following on from Google's spelling challenge game released
Author(s): Kevin Cummins
Citizenmedia2010
Multiplication Fact Song- (9 times tables trick)
Mr. R.'s song about the 9 times tables. Learn a trick in this clip to help learn them. See more of Mr. R.'s free math resources at http://mathstory.com/
January 29, 2013 — Japanese researchers, using cameras strapped to the backs of Adelie penguins in Antarctica, showed a perfect success rate at catching prey underwater. (02:02)
Division With Remainders
Students learn how to work with remainders within a
division problem when dividing three- and four-digit numbers by a
one-digit number to obtain the correct whole number solution. They also practice the correct notation for writing a remainder in the solution.
Do you want to improve your ability to subtract one number from another, especially if decimals are involved, without having to rely on a calculator? This unit will help you get to grips with subtraction and give you some practice in doing it.
You can start with some practice in subtracting small numbers in your head if you want to. Then we will show you how to subtract bigger numbers on paper. Finally we look at how to subtract decimal numbers.
You don’t need to complete the
Meet the (New) Director: Charles Poekel, "Christmas, Again"
Writer-director Charles Poekel has transformed three years of “fieldwork” peddling evergreens on the streets of New York into a sharply observed and wistfully comic portrait of urban loneliness and companionship. "Christmas, Again" screens Tuesday, March 24th and Saturday, March 28th at the New Directors/New Films. View screening schedule and purchase tickets: http://bit.ly/1C2Lttf
An Electronic Design Assistance Tool for Case Based Representation of Designs
In precedent based design, solutions to problems are developed by drawing from an understanding of landmark designs. Many of the key design operations in this mode are similar to the functionalities present in case based reasoning systems: case matching, case adapting, and case representation. It is clear that a rich case base, encoding all major product types in a design domain would be the centerpiece of such an approach. EDAT (Electronic Design Assistance Tool) is intended to assist in preced
Author(s): Akin, O., Cumming, M. , Shealey, M. and Tuncer, B.
Divisibilty Rules
Instructor uses strips of paper with numbers on a flat surface to demonstrate how to find if a number is divisible by another. Gives a few examples. For elementary and middle school students. (09:27)
YouTube - exploreTeam's Channel
Reggae rock star Rocky Dawuni pays musical tribute to Jerusalem, a holy place cherished by many. Experience Rocky's vision of peace and harmony as he walks the streets, witnessing the beautiful faces and places of this ancient yet modern city.
OSMO links tangible objects to the iPad for new learning opportunities.
OSMO is an innovative add on for the iPad that allows you to use tangible objects instead of the screen as an interface between the user and software. If you check out the video above you can see it in action to get a better idea of how it operates.
This add on allows for a range of new opportunities that can be appli
Miwa Matreyek's Glorious Visions
Using animation, projections and her own moving shadow, Miwa Matreyek performs a gorgeous, meditative piece about inner and outer discovery. Take a quiet 10 minutes and dive in. With music from Anna Oxygen, Mirah, Caroline Lufkin and Mileece. Miwa Matreyek creates performances where real shapes and virtual images trade places, amid layers of animation, video and live bodies. (11:00)
The House Finch
This video describes how to identify a House Finch as well as the
characteristics of the bird including location, behavioral habits, and diet.
Funk Tones
In this video, Berklee Online Senior Academic Advisor and Berklee alum Mark Hopkins demonstrates how to play behind the bridge for a tighter/brighter tone. Learn more about related Berklee Online online course, Rhythm and Groove Guitar: http://bit.ly/1lUrDFV
HEA300 Session#11 Fall 2014
Health in Public Education with Robin Sinks Topic: Intentional Injuries and Violence www.youtube.com/csuDHTV (Please subscribe)
5.3 Teaching and learning
Vygotsky proposed that through contact with other, more able people children appropriate new ways of thinking and doing. Indeed Vygotsky saw learning as best supported when there is a degree of inequality in skills and understanding between two people. People of different abilities working together can create what Vygotsky termed a zone of proximal development (ZPD) – the difference between what a child can do unaided, and what the same child can do with the help of more able others.
Professor Germaine Greer - An Insight - Full Interview
Warning: Explicit Content Professor Germaine Greer delivered the 2010 Winifred Mercier public lecture at Leeds Met on Tuesday March 23. Born in Melbourne and educated in Australia and at Cambridge University, Professor Greer's first book, The Female Eunuch (1969), took the world by storm and remains one of the most influential texts of the feminist movement. She has had a distinguished academic career in Britain and the USA and makes regular appearances in print and other media as a broadcast
Author(s): Germaine Greer,Leeds Metropolitan University
CINAHL Subject Heading Searching (PowerPoint)
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Photosynthesis by StudyJams
Plants create food through a process called photosynthesis. For photosynthesis to take place, plants need sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and chlorophyll. Learn more about photosynthesis with this cartoon animated video from StudyJams. A short quiz and song are also provided on this link.
1.3 Sources of characters
Click on 'Sources of characters' below and read ‘Sources of characters’. This outlines the main methods of finding and developing fictional characters.
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Telstra launches M8 IT CAN W8
Wed 23 Mar 2011, 10:00 AM
An alarming 45 per cent of Australians have admitted to texting while driving with 30 per cent of these drivers believing they are capable of doing both, according to the latest Telstra ‘Drive Safe, Phone Safe’ research.
The study found that the message is not getting through to Australian drivers and the situation is worsening with research revealing a 12 per cent increase in drivers sending text messages compared to January 2010.
The results have prompted Telstra to launch a new national driver safety education program, M8 IT CAN W8, to discourage drivers from the dangerous practice of texting behind the wheel.
Telstra Group Managing Director Kate McKenzie said the campaign’s first goal was to encourage at least 50,000 Australians to commit to break their dangerous texting and driving habits by Fatality Free Friday on May 27.
“Despite the dangers, drivers continue to put themselves, their friends, motorists and other road users at risk at an increasing rate,” Ms McKenzie said.
To encourage Aussies to spread the word that texting can wait until the driving is over, Australians can become a ‘Thumb Banned’ ambassador and order their free bands online at M8ITCANW8.com.
The research also found:
- 41 per cent of drivers believe they are too busy to pull over to send texts, while 24 per cent say they send texts when driving out of habit
- 89 per cent said they would be uncomfortable if they were a passenger in a car and the driver was texting while driving
- 91 per cent admitted they were aware it is illegal to text and drive. This has fallen from 96 per cent in January 2010
- 83 per cent said they would think twice about texting and driving if a friend or family member was involved in an accident caused by texting while driving. Females (88 per cent ) are more affected than males (77 percent)
“Collectively, we can encourage Aussies to change their behaviour, and reduce the number of accidents caused by texting when driving,” Ms McKenzie said. “The simple message to all those who are texting and driving is M8 IT CAN W8.”
As part of Telstra’s driver safety program, Australians can participate in an interactive questionnaire at M8ITCANW8.com and take part in the online skills test, ‘The Science of Why’, which demonstrates how the human brain cannot adequately perform two simultaneous tasks.
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Taking the Positives – Alternative to FFP
August 2, 2015 Premandup 182 Comments
The big clubs have a monopoly on the market.
I have written before about how the financial environment in which we operate kills ambition and empowers a small select number of teams to be
successful. When the big 4 can spend 3 or 4 times as much on squad wages as a a midtable team and have more players out on loan than a mid table team has in total it is hardly a level playing field. FFP was never designed to level the playing field it was designed to stop smaller clubs overreaching themselves. To know their place so to speak.
This piece was originally written last summer, partly in response to Greg Dykes Vision. So forgive any examples that may have changed. When this was written Chelsea had 26 players out on loan. That is 26 players they are stockpiling so that others cannot have them. If they were available on the open market then Player values would become more affordable. I’m not against the loan system, but that is ridiculous. I’m also not in favour of Salary caps or preventing very rich people spending their money in any way they see fit. So what would I suggest?
Firstly I am going to look at how the playing staff are structured at a club. The clubs have to name a 25 man playing staff for each competition, but can have other players on their books. I think that this should be tightened up. I suggest that clubs have 3 “squads”. I think that 2 “squads” Senior and academy would be ideal, but I think a third “Development” squad might be more more practical. Although in the context of this article I think practical is not necessarily an appropriate word.
The senior squad of 25 players is to include all players aged 23 and over who are on the books of that club. That includes all players whom that club have out on loan, e.g. Karl Darlow would be included as one of our 25 senior players Last Season. However, some players 23 or over may be named in the “Development” Squad. There would then be a “Development Squad” which would be a mixed age group. The problem with the B team approach is that with all the players being young there are no senior pros to help out from whom the youngsters can learn. I am therefore reluctant to say there must be so many players under 23 or no more than a few older players, I think that
is for the clubs to decide for themselves. Getting senior pro’s to accept that they are only development squad players will limit the number anyway. Eg Obertan. However, again the Squad should be limited to 25 players and that should include any players out on loan to other clubs.
I think that there are four key factors about the development squad. The first is that clubs should be obliged to promote two younger players from the development squad to the senior squad each year. Given a career expectancy of 10 years for a player then logically 20 of the 25-man senior squad would have come through the development squad. Also these 2 players cannot be transferred out of the club for at least 18 months from their promotion. This ensures they have a chance to establish themselves. The second key is that players being transferred into the
club cannot be named in the development squad. If a club brings a player in they are either senior squad players or covered by the academy system. Bringing in players to the development squad other than through the academy would stifle development of the academy system. The third key is that the Development Squad should provide flexibility.
Development squad players should be allowed to play Senior matches for a limited number of games so that they can cover for injuries etc. Also senior players should be allowed to play for the development squad for a limited number of games when returning from injury etc. Given that the squad can be 25 players and has this flexibility there will still be scope for a few players to be loaned out to other clubs for development at lower levels. The fourth key and by far the most difficult to put into place is a competitive structure for these squads to develop.
Before I outline my proposals for this I wish to address the Academy structure and there are a few other points I wish to address.
The Academy system is for players up to the age of 21 and is designed as a progression from schoolboy football into the professional game. The Academy should be the source of the development squad. The fact that clubs cannot buy players and stick them strait into the Development squad should guarantee that. The only issue with the current system that needs addressing is that their needs to be an emphasis on local talent. At the moment there is a culture at the top of buying the best youth players from all over the world and then loaning them out to clubs in
the lower leagues to develop. Whilst this is not necessarily a problem when it applies to a couple of players, it becomes a problem when it is the norm. This, however, can be addressed by the loan system and by instigating a couple of simple rules such as ensuring that players cannot be loaned out until at least 18 months (3 transfer windows) after they have been bought into the club, and that the length of loans is strictly controlled and limited.
The other points I wish to make are that this is not for everybody. Certainly it should apply to all Premier league clubs, and also for those Championship clubs who still believe that their rightful place is in the Premier league. However, for the Football league clubs it should be optional. This leads me to my proposed competitive structure for the development squads. I am assuming that there are 28 teams in this structure although there is flexibility for more. This is the 20 premier league teams the 6 being promoted or relegated and a couple more for those who wish to opt in. These would play in 4 leagues. These would be drawn world cup style each year to ensure that they do not become stale which it might do if it were regional and all the London clubs just played each other. This
would provide 12 games per season with the top 2 going into a knockout tournament for a cup. I would also suggest that as many clubs on the continent have B teams, a European competition might well be an option.
Another idea is that these development squads should be used to raise the profile of the clubs and the EPL world wide by playing in tournaments worldwide. Maybe 8 team tournaments played wherever the clubs or the EPL needs a boost. Alternatively wherever Ashley plans to open a new store. Finally I would suggest that for the 20 Premier league teams they should be obliged to play their development squads the League cup. These measures should mean that there is adequate competitive competition for developing players especially when combined with the loan system.
My thoughts on the loan system have already been touched upon. However, to expand them fully they are. Players who are 23 or over are part of the clubs own squads even if out on loan. The idea that clubs can gain a competitive advantage by loaning players from top clubs whom they could not afford to buy or pay their wages is not fair on the clubs around them. So the loaning of senior pros is obviously restricted in these proposals. Not stopped, for it is appropriate in some circumstances. However, loaned players should not be able to play in any competition that the parent club has entered. So premiership clubs who loan out players would not do so to other premiership clubs. Nor would they be able to play in the FA cup. They would be able to play in the league cup because the development squads are playing in that competition. If they are playing in Europe then they would not be able to play in the
Champions league or Europa League whichever was appropriate. That stops the “can they play against their parent club” question outright. They can’t play against their rivals either.
The purpose of the loan system is to give young players experience of playing competitive games at a level appropriate to their development. So loaning a player aged under 23 to a Football League team is still beneficial to both teams provided there are adequate constraints. The restraint of not being able to loan out a player you have just bought is one of these. Whilst there is no problems buying a player in January and loaning them back to that club for the rest of the season, they should be based at the parent club for at least 18 months to become integrated into the culture of that club. Also loans should be restricted to a maximum of half a season and the loaning club should be making a significant contribution to the wages.
There’s a lot of detail in there so to summarise. The idea is to level the playing field slightly. Rather than trying to restrict spending via salary caps for squads or individuals. The idea is to restrict the number of players at the clubs disposal. Therefore ideally there should be the first team squad and the academy. But given the number of games and competitions this isn’t practical unless we recreated the reserves/B team. However that needs to be done in a competitive way, hence the ideas above. Please remember that they are only ideas, and the chances of them being adopted are negligible.
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Chelsea (A): Pre-match thoughts, team news & predicted line ups
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182 thoughts on “Taking the Positives – Alternative to FFP”
Well I know absolutely nowt about that Najar lad from Anderlecht, but I’ve done a bit of Utube scouting there and he looks very decent. An out n out right winger perfect for what we need.
All that said, I’m certain it just a rumour and we won’t actual be in for him – but that’s what we need IMO.
Eric Sykes says:
I think we are all assuming we will be playing the Southampton that beat us 4-0 away and not the one that were very lucky to win 2-1 at SJP – remember the obvious hand ball at the end that denied us a penalty?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – I know we have to consider our opponents, but under Pardew & Carver I think we used to focus too much on them and tried to combat their strengthens instead of focusing on our own. Of course we have to be cautious of Saints & Saido Mane in particular – but I hope to see us focus more on our offensive play rather than trying to contain this season
Beardsleys Boots says:
fingers crossed Sharpy
attack attack attack
attack is where its at. (Phil Lynott)
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Boots – it’s not like we have a defence to rely on. We may as well take the ‘vindaloo’ approach …. we’re gonna score one more than you!!
trouble is we cant score for toffee either. 😕
Boots – pre season has just been a smoke screen man mate. A bit of a rope a dope type approach. Just wait til the season kicks off … God I’m nearly convincing myself here like 😆
Stuart79 says:
We have to attack. We can’t defend and we are just a **** up away from conceding which is always round the corner.
Stuart79(Quote)
Brisvegas says:
I’m starting to feel that buzz a new season brings. It’s one of my favourite times of the year, irrespective of whether I feel confident or not about Newcastle’s prospects. I love the way the drama unfolds on the first weekend, and every weekend thereafter, actually.
My hope for the season, as it is every season, is that everything will fall into place and we’ll barnstorm our way to an unlikely championship. I’d settle for a good top half finish. I expect lower.
More than anything, though, it’ll be the highs and lows that will define the season for me – the unexpected wins, the headshakingly bad defeats; the stunning results, the deflating performances; the personal triumphs, the individual nightmares. Football is the best drama on television, it beats any reality show hands down and is a natural documentary being made as you watch in real time. Wonderful entertainment.
I’m quite happy with our new signings, but would be happier if another centre back had been signed, and a couple more, actually, but let’s not be greedy.
As for starters: Probably Cisse and De Jong forward, Sissoko and Wheyayeman fetchin’ an’ carryin’, Colback and Anita further back. No doubt Taylor and Williamson will partner in defence, with Janmaat and Haidara as full backs.
I expect Mitrovic and Mbemba to start from the bench so they can get used to the crowd and get a boost from them when they make an appearance – unless we’re losing 7 nowt.
Howay the lads.
Brisvegas(Quote)
Good post Bris. I agree with every word. Looking forward to a 10am trip to the pub on Saturday for breakfast and beers with my mates and then an early riser on Sunday to watch the boys.
Brutal early schedule for us but I hope we can nick a few points to keep the mood from turning sour. I think we’ll be fine once we get past the first few matches when the new lads are bedded and Cabella, Dummett, Marv, Collo, Tiote are fit
Lionel Speed says:
Bring it on!!
An unlikely CL spot, I’ll settle for Top 8.
I “expect” nothing less!!! 😆
Lionel Speed(Quote)
🙄 Ahh look at the romantic fools…. all dressed up to the nines and nervously awaiting their dates to arrive… it’s only when the flowers start to wilt that all the bitter sweet feeling of the promises to come, disappear and the reality of cold lonely nights at home in front of the tv hits home! 😆
Football is one long honeymoon, the caress of nubile flesh, an eternal orgasm.
Premandup says:
Cold shower Bris, cold shower
Premandup(Quote)
Aussie@87…The voice of experience there 😆
Bris 😯 😆
Bloody hell, some of you have hit the crack pipe early today 😆 I can’t see anything other than a defeat for first few games, though I hope, as ever for more. Was actually feeling very upbeat when we got the 3 lads in but that burst of joy has subsided like a house with dodgy foundations with it looking ever increasingly like that’s our lot.
Cannot understand for the life of me how they can let us go into the new season with effectively the same back line. What happens if Mbemba or Colo gets injured? and don’t forget Saylor is made of glass so we CANNOT rely on him either. As for Willo, deary me, and who is going to supply Mitro man with the ammo he needs?, job half done. Let’s hope Steve is Harry Potter in disguise .
From a Football365 article pointing to 10 new players they want to watch:
“Aleksandar Mitrovic (Newcastle United)
I think that Georginio Wijnaldum (or Geordie Wine Gum, as he’s been christened) could be one of the signings of the summer, but there is a special place in all of our hearts for a striker who has a reputation for being absolutely bats**t mental.
Mitrovic has scored 36 goals in 69 league games for Anderlecht since moving from Partizan Belgrade in 2013, and scored against both Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League last season. That’s the boring bits out of the way.
In May 2014 he head-butted Club Brugge defender Bjorn Engels, after being sent off for allegedly spitting at fans who were insulting him in the reverse fixture. A year earlier he was sent off for violent conduct after striking Neftchi Baku’s goalkeeper in the Europa League. He put on weight over summer 2014 after eating too much of his mother’s cooking, and celebrates goals by flicking his tongue between his middle and index finger. You wouldn’t take him home to meet your mother, but you might do if you knew she was out.
It could go brilliantly or it could be a disaster, but it will always be worth watching. Mitrovic has spoken about following in the footsteps of Alan Shearer at St James’ Park. Combine Faustino Asprilla and Temuri Ketsbaia for more likely (and exciting) expectations.”
Sharpy@76, I read yesterday that the club had said there’s no interest in that Najar lad. Think it’s a hopeful agent trying his luck having seen the other two secure the PL dream.
Eric, yep, gonna be interesting watching Mitro man.
Need to sing
Mitro Mitro man ( to Sinita’s macho macho man tune) when ever he scores.
So the Daily Mirror are paying £250,000 to NUFC to ‘sponsor’ the academy in return for Sports Direct to increase their adverts in the paper and Mirror get exclusive access to NUFC leading figures…
it’s all about his baby Stu. The Mirror should of told him to naff off.
Richie 😆 not me, happened to a friend of mine 😎
Why Kimtoon?
I hope we keep Cabella. I think there’s something there. He just needs to toughen up and he should be better this season having had a year to adjust.
Agreed, Stu.
We signed a defender yet.
Ime starting to wonder why no PL club have signed Austin yet,yes he’s only got a year left on his contract,yes he’s 27 next month,yes there is the medical side but if his goals help to keep you in PL and 70/80 mil better off he’s worth a punt for some side imo
We really must have a poor defence. Apparently Rivière has scored in training… 😯
No one has signed Austin because QPR are looking for a pay day with the 15m fee! I’m glad teams are staying away..silly money for a player in the last year of his contact… maybe common sense is being applied for once.. some team will get him for 9 to 10m in a week or twos time!
Thirty thousand turn up to watch toon train today
Sorry 13.000 still canny like
Stuart…It’s not the defence that stops Riv scoring, it’s the fact he’s rarely hit the target that does 😉
hope ya don’t exaggerate like that with the women 😆
Aussie…I’ll believe you… 😉
Lionel@99 Why ? Well, because it’s unhealthy to just have one paper hold the monopoly on player contact and they are also paying him as well as carrying more SD adverts. How will the club ever foster a good relationship with the press as a whole, believe it or not it can help a club to have a good relationship with all the press. What about the local rags as well, the fans always had a link to the club through them in the past. No, sorry, for me it’s not right but of course others won’t be bothered by it and that’s their choice.
Ice@102, Still waiting for those signings that will excite the fans that Steve mentioned AFTER we signed the 3 lads.
The problem I have with exclusive access is that we’ll be forever wondering if it’s true what’s being written. The club will only allow what they want to come out and be reported. Surely we want to know what’s actually happening at the club, not just what the club want us to hear or think?
Anyway, Schtevie is on Radio NCL tonight so that should be an interested listen. Doubt we will get anything out of him in regards to transfers but would like to ask him if he’s happy with our defence…
KIM you and me both mate,all this talk of strikers is doing my heed in when we all know what we want
Kimtoon and Stu, they are of course all fair points, i would just be interested to see the details and how exclusive and comprehensive the Mirror’s access is. Many in house media outlets have exclusive access to players and stories etc, to get people to pay to access that info., there are still stories in the press about those clubs players and policies.
I certainly agree in getting all general stories out there through the general media, just depends how restrictive it will be for other media outlets. Old Ed has every story about NUFC there is out there, doesn’t mean they are true or valuable. If the Mirror has stories first, I would probably use their site more, good for them and good for Ashley’s SD sponsorship, but i would still expect there to be other news about NUFC around.
Lionel, it was the Mirror that said Austin was a done deal after their exclusive with Mac after his unveiling. Now were they told that off the record or what? They look a little foolish now when weeks later Steve has said on SSN that there is no contact over Austin. If they are going to be told duff info then what’s the point and if they weren’t given that info then the club should of said sooner that there’s no interest. Of course at that time season tickets were slow to be renewed so maybe that had something to do with the fact it wasn’t denied back then.
Stu what time is he on?, I will try and listen in if I can.
By the way happy birthday TOONSY have a good
I can’t even read the article at the Telegraph about this issue, it is stuck behind a paywall. The question is will Newcastle fans get exclusive access to the Mirror articles, and how do we go about proving we are fans!!??
Your example is a good one, Kimtoon, if they are going to get exclusives/ or supposed exclusives then so be it, it is just an upfront payment rather than back hander bribes. The fact is i have just added the Mirror bookmark to my index, so it is working for them, however that works for them with me just reading their articles for free. If the Mirror has said Keegan had lied and Ashlet et al hadn’t, i wouldn’t have believed it i would have cast around for other views and evidence.
The end of the day, our team is going to play football matches soon and some will be lucky enough to be there to watch them, the rest will find some media outlet to read about how we are playing and developing. If we want to find a place to read about Ashley being a nasty man i am sure we’ll find one, and then we can go to the Mirror to lift our spirits again.
It is all business. Bollocks to it, extra 250,000, take it, and then get on with the football season, 22 blokes on a football pitch, and hopefully 55,000 in the stands.
On at 5:30 Kim.
Lionel, If The Mirror are paying £250,000 it’s a fair bet they will want excellent access and better than anybody who isn’t paying for it.
I see Sunderland are about to sign Leroy Fer. Everybody is strengthening. Wonder how much we will have improved in real terms when we take everyone else’s improvements into account?
Indeed, Stu, that is why i have just added their bookmark – I’d never read the Mirror before at all. Actually makes it easier, not much news on us there, though. Maybe they were waiting to finalize that media deal before signing our last 5 players, so the Mirror can get their monies worth.
what does everyone think about the new keepers coach ? i would of liked too have seen Pavel back at the club , but this lad was here under SirBobby and at that time we had good keepers so he must know a thing or 2 About training the keepers too a good standard
Axel(Quote)
georgio says:
Kim/Stu it’s on at 6pm. 6-7pm Radio Newcastle.
georgio(Quote)
So 5.30 or 6-7pm, who’s right?#confused 😀
Axel@119, If he was good enough for Sir Bobby, I’m happy enough.
Lionel, The Mirror is my daily paper, I have found them one of the more accurate sports pages/rumours but the Austin thing they got horribly wrong.
15,000 Turn up for a training session open day 😯 can’t see many teams topping that for fanatical support
Carver was good enough for Sir Bobby too…. Together Simon Smith works with England and is top notch so he gets my vote.
Shamrock(Quote)
Sham, Don’t mention Carver, you’ll set Eric off 🙄
Total Sport is on at 5:30pm, so tune in then and you won’t miss anything!
Stu, cheers
14mil for Dzeko is good value. Roma have got themselves a good player.
“We’ve done our business.” Says Steve!
GeordieTwo says:
Excellent article Premand. I haven’t much to add to it as it is comprehensive. Corruption tends to creep in as the amount of money available increases. The Prem is now a direct threat to every other league, particularly in Europe because of the incredible TV deal. If anything, the number of English players who will be in any first 11 will continue to shrink. Eventually the current system will not be attractive to anything but the top 5 or 6 teams and it will be difficult to sell the Prem as a competitive league. But I think we’re still several years away from that. New rules need to come in to avoid corruption like what we’ve seen with FIFA.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Has anyone been to Carver’s spa yet? Have a mud pack and your toenails clipped for 250 pounds? Sounds wonderful.
Stu, was an interesting listen, he didn’t actually rule out more in though. Still, no more mention of those exciting signings he mentioned before. Colo to stay captain too, I thought that would be the case.
TOONARMYELITE says:
he dozy twonk names collo as his leader, he just lost me sticking a headless chicken in charge that aint a leader by a country mile
TOONARMYELITE(Quote)
ne wonder the press named him the wally with the brolly
He also admitted it will be very difficult to get top 8 with the squad. Fair enough I reckon. He was certainly open and honest. Fair play.
This media partner thing seems to set up animosity in the rest of the press. Luke Edwards can barely contain his contempt and The Guardian pre-season write-up had a paragraph about the restrictions (although Louise Taylor hardly needs anything to set her off).
On the other hand, don’t most of the press just copy what their competition says and call it an exclusive? In today’s world where information is disseminated so quickly the other hacks will be on it immediately. The main problem is that NUFC can control what is put out more easily when there are fewer to question what they say.
we might of signed 2 goalscorers but that aint ganna make up the difference on the goals that same old defense is ganna leak, we 2 players short of what we needed so its ganna be, the same old story as last season simple as that
If McClaren is on a Radio Newcastle phone-in what exactly are the preferred media partners getting for their money?
Don’t BBC Radio Newcastle have radio broadcast rights for NUFC games? More murky waters? But, what cannot be denied is that NUFC have pissed off some of the reporters at a few broadsheets and they will have their knives out.
media partners whats the big deal there story still hits the internet so we still get the news the same way except the club get extra dosh so weres the big deal at
whats more important to me is we aint got a defense that can stand up now that is a big deal for me
http://blog.foxsoccer.com/post/125861331942/ronaldo-tricks-people-on-street-disguised-as class lmao
TAE – I saw that Ronaldo thing on SSN site. It’s class isn’t it!. That young kid will never forget that.
Our eyes weren’t deceiving us, ESPN say Krul was one of the worst ‘keepers last year:
http://www.espnfc.co.uk/barclays-premier-league/23/blog/post/2547865/tim-howard-worst-of-premier-league-keepers-joe-hart-in-best?
The Sunderland giraffe was the best according to ESPN criteria.
Eric. That was shot stopping. Doesn’t take distribution into account.
Krul had a bad season last season (who didn’t). But he’s a better keeper than that. He’s not the best keeper in the league, but he’s certainly not the worst either.
I see all the paper talk today has been linking us with Jesse Lingard again.
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New York and Ottawa
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Northern New York Railroad
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Significant Cornwall Railway Dates
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The following is a list of important dates in railway history for Cornwall, Ontario. Enjoy!
1846 – Montreal & Kingston Railroad was created to build a line of rails from Montreal to Kingston.
1851, August 30 – the Montreal & Kingston was renamed to the Montreal & Kingston Railway and placed under the control of the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad (operating at that time from Longueuil to St-Hyacinthe).
1851, August 30 – the Canadian Main Line was incorporated to connect the eastern British Colonies together with a railway.
1852, November 10 – the Canadian Main Line was split into two companies, the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada East and the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada, the latter was to build rails from Montreal to Toronto, running approximately 3 to 5 miles north of the St. Lawrence River. The Montreal & Kingston was repealed in favour of the Grand Trunk project.
1853, July 15 – the two Grand Trunk companies merged together with the St. Lawrence & Atlantic line as well as with the companies of the Toronto & Guelph Railway, the Grand Junction Railroad and the Quebec & Richmond Railway to become the Grand Trunk Railway.
1855, November 19 – Grand Trunk opened through Cornwall from Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue to Brockville in broad gauge. A passenger train originating at Brockville to Montreal (nos. 25 and 26) became known as “the Moccasin” for the Native Americans whom used that train to sell their wares in the city. Cornwall had a station (situated on the north side of Ninth Street East where Sydney Street was extended), engine house, freight house and dining hall.
1856, October 27 – Grand Trunk completed its line between Toronto and Montreal. The first through train consisted of 3 first class and 3 second class coaches, ran from Montreal (Point St. Charles) to Toronto (Don Station) and a similar train made the journey in the opposite direction. Departure was at 07:00 from Montreal and 07:30 from Toronto. The trains passed in the vicinity of Kingston Junction where a stop of 30 minutes occurred for lunch. The journey took 14 hours.
1873, October 4 – Grand Trunk converted to standard gauged west of Montreal, which including the rails through Cornwall.
1882 – the Cornwall Junction Railway was created to build from Cornwall to Smiths Falls and then to Perth or Carleton Place.
1882, May 17 – the Ontario Pacific Railway was created to build from Cornwall to Ottawa and on to French River, with branch lines from Cornwall running to Smiths Falls and Moira.
1883, February 2 – the Eastern Ontario Railway was created to build from Cornwall to Ottawa, with branch lines from Berwick to L’Orignal and from Newington to Smiths Falls and end at Carleton Place. This line was never built but merely a competing line to the Ontario Pacific.
1883, May 25 – the Ontario Pacific charter was granted new lines. The main line was to continue from French River to Sault Ste. Marie while the one branch line would leave at Newington instead of Cornwall and continue from Smiths Falls to Almonte. A third branch was added to run off from between Renfrew and Eganville to Pembroke.
1885 – Grand Trunk built an addition to the Cornwall station building on the east side, which became offices for the Customs Officer and freight agent.
1885, November 11 – papers were filed to incorporate the Cornwall Street Railway Company. This company was to built street tram lines for horse drawn street cars as a transit service.
1886, September 2 – talk of the Cornwall Junction to link Cornwall with the Canadian Pacific at the nearest point possible instead of going to Smiths Falls began. This project was not built.
1887, June 23 – the Prescott County Railway was created to build three lines, one running between Glen Robertson to Hawkesbury with a branch to Caledonia Springs, the second from Glen Robertson to Cornwall and the third from Limoges to Rockland.
1889 – Grand Trunk double tracked their main line from Bainsville to Cornwall.
1889 – Poor’s Manual of 1889 reports that Cornwall Street Railway was operating over 3 miles of track and owned four cars and two steam motors. No reference to this has been found in local documentation except for a report by a town citizen that stated street cars for the street railway had sat in the Grand Trunk yards for years after their arrival, unused, then one day they simply vanished.
1890 – Grand Trunk double tracked their main line from Cornwall to Morrisburg.
1890, April – the Prescott County was renamed to the Central Counties Railway.
1893, May 4 – Grand Trunk renamed to Grand Trunk Railway of Canada.
1895, February 22 – W.C. Young, editor of the Cornwall Freeholder, proposed to create a railway company to build from Cornwall to South Indian (Limoges) for the purpose of racing the Ontario Pacific in which company would be built first. This proposal never was incorporated.
1896 – a 50,000 gallon water tank was erected at the Grand Trunk station grounds in Cornwall.
1896, March 25 – Cornwall Street Railway was repealed in favour of a newly incorporated company, the Cornwall Electric Street Railway, having the same purpose only using electrically powered street cars instead of horse drawn ones.
1896, June 30 – Cornwall Electric Street Railway opened with lines running on Pitt Street from 9th to Water; 2nd from Cumberland to Marlborough; Marlborough from 2nd to Water/Montreal; and Water from Pitt to Marlborough and on Montreal to St. Lawrence Park. There was also trackage from the car barns, which were on the north side of Water Street between Pitt and Sydney Streets. The company had purchased four new street cars from Peterborough and were numbered 5 through 8.
1896, October- Cornwall Electric Street Railway opened on 3rd Street West from Pitt Street to the Victoria Arena, which was between Pitt and Augustus Streets.
1896, November 26 – Cornwall Electric Street Railway opened on 2nd Street West from Pitt Street to Brookdale Avenue and entered the yard of the Toronto Paper Mill.
1897 – Cornwall Electric Street Railway purchased two new street cars from Peterborough, numbered 9 and 10.
1897, May 21 – the Ontario Pacific became The Ottawa & New York Railway and was to build from the border at Cornwall to Ottawa.
1897, July 28 – the Cornwall Bridge Company created to build the south channel bridge that will link the New York & Ottawa Railroad with the Ottawa & New York, as well as the Racquette River crossing.
1898 – Cornwall Electric Street Railway made an agreement with Grand Trunk and Ottawa & New York to operate a freight service that would take cars from their yards and bring them to the businesses in town. The company’s bonds were slowly being purchased by Sun Life Assurance Company.
1898 – Central Counties abandoned the proposed line between Glen Robertson to Cornwall.
1898, June 13 – The Ottawa & New York was purchased by the New York & Ottawa and dropped “The” from their title.
1898, July 29 – the Ottawa & New York opened from Cornwall to Ottawa having trackage rights over the Montreal & Ottawa at Hurdman to their freight yard. The Cornwall station was on the north side of 2nd Street West between Hoople Avenue and Hickory Street. Cornwall Electric Street Railway opened a section of track that looped around the Toronto Paper Mill and Smithville to the new rail yard so that they could reach the station grounds as well as had a wye on the east side of the bridge crossing that continued under it and ended along the Cornwall Canal at Frontenac Street.
1898, August 14 – Cornwall Electric Street Railway ran a special on this date, which was a Sunday, and was in breach of their charter. The company suspended services sometime after this date, leaving two street cars purchased from the Ottawa Electric Railway (Nos. 14 & 16) that had arrived by then to stay in the Ottawa & New York switch yard.
1898, September 6 – pier 2 of the South Ottawa & New York Railway Bridge collapsed bringing down the two American trusses and killing 15 workers. This is Cornwall’s worst disaster to include loss of life.
1899, April 18 – the New York & Ottawa Bridge Company created to run the bridge crossing that would link the New York & Ottawa to the Ottawa & New York.
1899, June 2 – Cornwall Electric Street Railway restarted services and picked up the street cars in the Ottawa & New York yard, which needed some maintenance before going into service due to sitting out in the open for so long. S.W. Bradley, formally of the Hull Electric Company, was appointed the superintendent. A contract to move mail from the Grand Trunk station to the post office at 2nd and Pitt Streets was agreed upon. The company also purchased their first freight motor from Baldwin-Westinghouse, numbering it 12, as well as a sweeper from the Montreal Street Railway as their no. 1.
1900 – Cornwall Electric Street Railway purchased their second motor, a wood box, from the Baldwin-Westinghouse Company, numbering it 26.
1900, April 25 – the New York & Ottawa went into receivership.
1900, October 1 – the Ottawa & New York Railway Bridges opened, connecting Ottawa & New York to New York & Ottawa. Ottawa & New York owned the north channel crossing while Cornwall Bridge Company owned the south channel one.
1900, November 1 – the New York & Ottawa Bridge Company leased the bridges from the Ottawa & New York and Cornwall Bridge Company.
1901, June 10 – Cornwall Electric Street Railway was foreclosed on.
1902 – the Ontario Electric Railway was created to build an electric railway from Cornwall to Toronto.
1902, April 18 – Cornwall Electric Street Railway was renamed Cornwall Street Railway, Light & Power Company, owned fully by Sun Life Assurance Company. Added to its charter was the power to supply electricity to the town of Cornwall.
1903 – a 49 foot, 8 inch long turntable was built in Cornwall for the Grand Trunk.
1904, December 22 – the New York & Ottawa was sold at an auction held in Utica by New York Central & Hudson River Railroad interests.
1905 – Sun Life Assurance Company purchased the Stormont Electric Light & Power Company and placed its day by day operations under the Cornwall Street Railway Board of Managers. Cornwall Street Railway purchased a sweeper from the Montreal Park & Island Railway as their no. 2.
1905 – The Toronto Railway refused to allow Ontario Electric Railway to enter Toronto on their rails, so the charter went dormant.
1905, January 19 – the New York & Ottawa Railroad was renamed to New York & Ottawa Railway.
1905, February 1 – the New York Central & Hudson River began a lease on the New York & Ottawa, along with the Ottawa & New York.
1905, June 30 – Cornwall Street Railway went on strike for a day.
1906, July 22 – Grand Trunk changed from left to right hand running on double track sections. The change involved considerable alteration in crossovers, switches and semaphore signals.
1906, December 12 – the New York Central & Hudson River began to operate the New York & Ottawa and Ottawa & New York.
1908, June 23 – the swing span of the North Ottawa & New York Railway Bridge collapsed after the Cornwall Canal experienced a break in its banks just to the west of the supporting pier.
1908, August 4 – a temporary swing span was put into operation for the Ottawa & New York to cross the Cornwall Canal.
1909 – the Ontario Electric Railway was renamed to the Eastern Ontario Electric Railway and was still to build from Cornwall to Toronto an electrically powered railway. This was never built.
1909 – The Ottawa & St. Lawrence Electric Railway was created to built from the Ontario/Quebec border along the St. Lawrence River through Cornwall, Brockville, Athens and end at Perth with a branch from Morrisburg to Ottawa.
1909, May – a new swing span was put into operation over the Cornwall Canal for the Ottawa & New York.
1910 – the Cornwall & Hawkesbury Railway was created to build from Cornwall through Martintown and Alexandria to Hawkesbury and connect to Canadian Pacific’s line running along the north shore of the Ottawa River between Calumet and Grenville.
1912, May – the Glengarry & Stormont Railway was created to link Cornwall with Canadian Pacific’s Toronto – Montreal line as well as have branches to Martintown, Williamstown and Lancaster. This was favoured over the Cornwall & Hawkesbury project.
1913, March 7 – the New York & Ottawa merged into the New York Central & Hudson River.
1913, May 6 – the Ottawa & St. Lawrence Electric absorbed the North Lanark Railway, a company that was to link the rail line between Kingston and Renfrew to Ottawa.
1913, May 8 – the Glengarry & Stormont was reincorporated to build from St-Polycarpe Junction through Williamstown to Cornwall.
1914 – the Cornwall & Hawkesbury Railway was reincorporated. It was never built.
1914, July 20 – New York Central & Hudson River was renamed to New York Central Railroad.
1914, September 30 – the Ottawa & St. Lawrence Electric began construction in Russell. Only this initial work in the town was done and the project was abandoned.
1914, December 23 – New York Central Railroad renamed to New York Central Lines.
1915 – Cornwall Street Railway retired street cars Nos. 14 and 16.
1915, May 24 – the Glengarry & Stormont was opened from Cornwall to St-Polycarpe Junction, just west of De Beaujeu in Quebec on the Canadian Pacific main line. The station in Cornwall was on the northeast corner of Pitt Street and Sixth Street East while the freight facilities were a block away, the yard housing a large freight shed on Sixth Street East at Amelia Street while the turntable, engine house, water spout and ash pit, were along Adolphus Street.
1915, June 1 – the Glengarry & Stormont was leased for 99 years to the Canadian Pacific, whom operated it as their Cornwall Subdivision.
1916 – Cornwall Street Railway rebuilt their original street cars to closed cars, renumbering them. Nos. 5 became 42; 6 to 45; 7 to 43; 8 to 46; 9 to 44; and 10 to 47.
1917, September 6 – the New York & Ottawa Bridge Company was dissolved and the Cornwall Bridge Company merged into New York Central.
1919 – Bob McCleary resigns as Cornwall station agent and is replaced with his brother-in-law Harold Bouck, whom was agent at Cornwall Junction.
1919, November 5 – Grand Trunk was foreclosed on and was slowly taken over by Canadian National Railways.
1920 – Cornwall Street Railway scrapped street cars Nos. 14 and 16.
1920, May 21 – Grand Trunk became the property of the Canadian Government.
1923 – Cornwall Street Railway extended their Montreal Road line from the turn into St. Lawrence Park to the newly opened Courtaulds Canada Limited plant.
1923, January 30 – Grand Trunk was merged into Canadian National.
1926 – Cornwall Street Railway purchased two street cars from the St. Thomas Municipal Railway, keeping the numbers of 36 and 38.
1927 – Cornwall Street Railway built a straight line along 2nd Street West from Brookdale Avenue straight to the New York Central station grounds, avoiding the loop around the paper mill. They purchased three street cars from the Toronto Transportation Commission, numbering them as 18, 20 and a second 16
1928 – Cornwall Street Railway purchased a street car from the Department of Plant & Structures in New York City, numbering it 15 and a freight motor from the Niagara St. Catharines & Toronto Railway as number 11.
1929 – Cornwall Street Railway purchased two street cars from United Railways & Electric Company in Baltimore, numbering them 17 and 19. They also purchased two from Fairchance & Smithfield Traction Company in Uniontown, PA, numbering them to 21 and 22. They scrapped nos. 42 (the trucks from this one went to line car no. 5), 43, 44 and 47.
1930 – Cornwall Street Railway purchased two street cars from Wisconsin Public Service in Green Bay, numbering them 23 and 24. They scrapped nos. 45 and 46 and sweeper no. 1. Their freight motor 12 was rebuilt as plow no. 4 while their sweeper no. 2 was renumbered to 1 after receiving a second no. 2 from the Kingston Portsmouth & Cataraqui Railway.
1930 – The Cornwall Bridge Company was created to build a bridge from Cornwall to St. Regis for vehicles, pedestrians and street cars. This was not accomplished.
1931 – Cornwall Street Railway opened their Belt Line, which started on Water Street from Pitt Street going westwards to Cumberland Street, east on 2nd Street West and then down Pitt Street.
1931, November 23 – the Cornwall-Northern New York International Bridge Company was created to handle the planking and operation of vehicles over the New York Central Bridges in Cornwall.
1932 – Cornwall Street Railway purchased a freight motor from the Niagara St. Catharines & Toronto Railway, numbering it 7 after renting out freight motor 26 to Courtaulds.
1933 – after the worst fire to hit the business district of Pitt Street, Cornwall Street Railway abandons their line along Third Street West that went into the now burned out Victoria Arena.
1934 – Cornwall Street Railway extended the Belt Line, going further up Cumberland Street to 7th Street West and then to Pitt Street. With the extension came the purchase of more street cars from Eastern Pennsylvania Railways Nos. 12 and 13 as well as a second No. 14. Also purchased was freight motor No. 8 from an unknown source and sweeper 3 from the Williamsport Railways. Tower car no. 5 was built using parts from the scrapped street car no. 42.
1934, May 17 – the New York Central Bridges opened to automobile traffic to share the bridge with trains. The Cornwall-Northern New York International Bridge Company operated the bridge and collected the tolls.
1934, June 30 – official opening ceremonies for the Cornwall bridge crossing, attended and opened by the Governor-General of Canada. The bridge system was renamed to the Roosevelt International Bridges.
1935 – Cornwall Street Railway retired freight motor no. 8. To take its place as the second no. 8, a freight motor was purchased from the Niagara St. Catharines & Toronto Railway.
1935, July 1 – New York Central Lines renamed New York Central System.
1936 – Canadian National received permission to open and operate over a spur to the Beach Furniture factory on Ninth Street.
1937 – Cornwall Street Railway purchased a street car from Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway, renumbering it to 25.
1938 – Cornwall Street Railway purchased three street cars from Jamestown Street Railway in Jamestown, NY, numbering them 26 to 28. They also constructed a line on Cumberland Street from 7th Street West to the Canadian National line at 9th Street West and followed along to connect to their system at Pitt Street.
1939 – Cornwall Street Railway purchased four street cars from Northern Texas Traction Company in Fort Worth, numbering them as 29 to 32.
1939, May 21 – King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, on their tour of Canada by train, passed through Cornwall on their eastbound trip. The royal couple stood on the observation platform of the last car to wave to all the Cornwallites as the train slowed to go through the city.
1941 – Cornwall Street Railway opened a new freight line that ran on 7th Street West from Cumberland Street to Brookdale Avenue and continued westward into the industrial sector that was in the western part of Cornwall. The line ended at the Defence Industries Limited mustard gas plant. A second line branched off this one just east of the New York Central crossing and connected to the line that entered the New York Central yard. Street cars Nos. 14, 21 and 23 were sold to Levis Tramways.
1942 – Cornwall Street Railway purchased two street cars from the Wilkes-Barre Railway, numbering them 34 and 35. Also purchased from the Windsor Essex & Lake Shore Rapid Railway were two freight motors that became nos. 9 and 10.
1943 – Cornwall Street Railway 10 was not running properly and was scrapped for parts after the purchase of a replacement 10 from the Washington & Old Dominion Railway.
1943, January – Cornwall Street Railway experienced a one day strike.
1944 – Cornwall Street Railway purchased a freight motor from the Kansas City Kaw Valley & Western Railway, numbering it 6.
1945 – Cornwall Street Railway changed their paint scheme from the olive green and cream with blue trim livery to maroon and cream with yellow trim. They also began replacing the original 56 and 60 pound rail system with 105 pound T rails. They purchased two street cars from the Indiana Service Corporation in Fort Wayne, renumbering them 33 and 37, as well as E-10 from the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway. Street car nos. 29 and 30 collided at Marlborough and 2nd Streets. Street car no. 31 was gutted by fire.
1945, October 11 – two and a half tons of used clothes that were donated to the National Clothing Collection Campaign bound for Europe had left Cornwall on the New York Central for Ottawa.
1946 – Cornwall Street Railway opened a new freight line that ran along the Canadian National line from the station grounds and crossed the Canadian Pacific line (this portion was built and owned by Canadian National), and then headed south to enter Courtaulds from the north end of their property. A passing siding was put in just north of the property for the street railway where they and Courtaulds exchanged cars. The street railway gave Courtaulds no. 7 to replace no. 26 that they kept off to a siding. No. 8 was converted into P-8 as a plow to replace plow no. 4 that was retired. A freight motor was purchased from the Aroostook Valley Railway and became the third no. 8.
1947 – Cornwall Street Railway scrapped street cars nos. 13, 16 and 20 and sweeper 1. They purchased another sweeper from the Hull Electric Company as their third no. 1. A new line was opened along the Canadian National westwards from Cumberland Street to just east of Cornwall Junction and a line from there running south to the paper mill. A junction between this line and the one to the Defence Industries Limited plant was made.
1947, June 22 – about 2,000 Cornwallites attended the Marian Congress in Ottawa, 1,350 had used the New York Central to get there and back.
1947, August – Cornwall Street Railway experienced a three day strike.
1947, September 2 – Cornwall Street Railway went on strike that lasted nearly a week. Several industries hired an industrial 0-4-0 saddle-tank steam locomotive to move cars to and from the rail yards as well as switching.
1948 – Cornwall Street Railway scrapped street cars nos. 12, 15 and 24, sweeper 2 and plow 4.
1948, April – Cornwall Street Railway purchased a freight motor from the Utah-Idaho Central Railroad, making it the second 12.
1948, April – Canadian National received permission to construct and operate a spur from the east side of their station grounds to a cement plant, which is today Lafarge Canada Inc.
1948, May 21 – Stormont Electric & Power Company merged into Cornwall Street Railway, Light & Power Company.
1948, July 8 – a Canadian Pacific engine had its throttle stuck and accidentally drove onto Cornwall Street Railway tracks and tipped over when it tried to negotiate the turn onto Pitt Street.
1949 – Canadian Pacific opened a connecting track from their line between Marlborough Street and McConnell Avenue eastward to the Cornwall Street Railway so that the company could gain access to the switch yard. The Roosevelt International Bridge Company took possession of the bridge crossing in Cornwall.
1949, June 8 – Cornwall Street Railway began using electrically powered busses (trolleys). Diesel fuelled ones would follow later.
1949, July 27 – Cornwall Street Railway operated street cars for the last time. Streetcar No. 29 was used, painted black with a midnight theme and featured superintendent W.J. Mitchell sitting on the car’s roof, dressed as Father Time. Much of the trackage on Pitt, 2nd, Marlborough, 7th, Water and Montreal were abandoned. Street cars that were scrapped were Nos. 17 to 19, 22, 25 to 28, 30, and 32 to 38. They were pushed into an empty lot off Cumberland Street and burned before they were cut up for the scrap metal. Nos. 29 and 31 were retired and stored.
1950 – Cornwall Street Railway converted the burned out street car no. 31 into the second maintenance car no. 4 and scrapped no. 11 after purchasing a replacement they numbered a second 11 from the Omaha Lincoln & Beatrice Railroad. Tower car 5 was also scrapped.
1951, July 17 – New York Central was given permission to abandon passenger service of the Ottawa Division, but was told that an alternate plan to restart the service under a six month basis was allowed if it was warranted.
1951, August 16 – New York Central suspended passenger service until the winter.
1951, November – New York Central restarted passenger service on the Ottawa Division on a six month basis.
1952 – Cornwall Street Railway converted stored street car no. 29 into a tower line car becoming the second no. 5. They sold freight motor no. 9 to A.A. Merrilees while purchasing two from the Niagara Junction Railway. One became their second 9 while the other was numbered 13 which was placed in storage for scrap use, the trucks immediately went to freight motor no. 6.
1952, April 27 – Canadian Pacific received permission to end passenger service on the Cornwall Subdivision.
1952, September 23 – Canadian Pacific ran the last passenger train on the Cornwall Subdivision.
1953 – a new exchange yard between Canadian Pacific and Cornwall Street Railway was opened along the Courtaulds line east of McConnell Avenue and south of the Canadian National line, replacing the original exchange tracks on the north side of Sixth Street East between Pitt Street and the Canadian Pacific yard.
1954, April 24 – the New York Central ran their last passenger train on the Ottawa Division.
1954, July 15 – the New York Central declared passenger service ended on the Ottawa Division.
1956 – Cornwall Street Railway purchased two freight motors from the Springfield Terminal Railway, numbered as the second 7, which was never repainted to their livery, and 14.
1956, March – Canadian National received permission to open and operate over a spur from their main line to the power dam construction site, the company served was Iroquois Constructors.
1957 – Cornwall Street Railway purchased plow/leveller no. 3152 from the Montreal Transportation Commission and scrapped E-10.
1957, February 14 – New York Central operated their last train through Cornwall.
1957. March 22 – New York Central declared the Ottawa Division from Rooseveltown to Ottawa abandoned. The St. Lawrence Seaway Authority was given the line from the border to 2nd Street West in Cornwall. The sale did not include the bridges since the Roosevelt International Bridge Company now owned them.
1957, April – Canadian National purchased the New York Central line from Ottawa to 2nd Street West in Cornwall. The station was torn down in the 1960s.
1957, May 23 – the first Canadian National train (no. 441) operated over the relocated main line between Cornwall and Cardinal. The new station, that of the post-war design with a flat roof, was at the north end of Station Road, east of Pitt Street in city’s north end.
1957, June 8 – Canadian National began to tear up the abandoned New York Central line beginning at Crysler. The rails were reused in Montreal for their new hump yard.
1957, July 20 – the last through Canadian National train operated over the original Grand Trunk line between Cornwall and Cardinal. The Cornwall Junction station/tower was dismantled soon afterwards. The trackage between the diversion at the yard near Boundary Road to the end of track just south of the Cedars Transmission Line became the Cornwall Spur.
1957, October 14 – Roosevelt International Bridge Company sold their bridges to the American and Canadian Seaway companies.
1957, December 20 – the Ottawa & New York Railway Company was dissolved.
1958 – Cornwall Street Railway scrapped P-8.
1958 – Canadian National opens a spur from their main line between Power Dam Drive and Cornwall Centre Road southwards to Ontario Hydro’s transmission station.
1958, May – the St. Lawrence Seaway Corporation began to dismantle the South Roosevelt International Bridge. A new Canada Customs building was being built on the site of the Uscan station from the New York Central. The station building was moved to a property on the west end of Cornwall Island and converted into a shed.
1958, August 9 – Canadian National operated the “Moccasin” train (nos. 25 and 26) for the last time. This regularly scheduled train had been running since the first day Grand Trunk opened through Cornwall.
1959 – Cornwall Street Railway scrapped sweeper 1 and 3 after purchasing from the Ottawa Transportation Commission sweepers B-1 and B-2.
1959 – Canadian National abandoned the spur used by Iroquois Constructors south of Blackadder Drive and opened an extension eastwards to serve Iroquois Chemicals.
1959 – Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip toured Canada by train and stopped in Cornwall for the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
1959, November – Courtaulds donated No. 7 to the Canadian Railway Museum in Delson, Quebec after it was agreed that Cornwall Street Railway 7 and 14 would be used solely at Courtaulds, whom rented them from to the street railway.
1960 – the Pitt Street overpass is opened over Canadian National’s main line.
1961 – Canadian Pacific opened a spur into Imperial Oil.
1961, January 31 – the 100,000 gallon water tower at the Canadian National station was demolished.
1962 – Cornwall Street Railway purchased two freight motors from the Lake Erie & Northern Railway as their 15 and 16. They also purchased a freight motor from the Grand River Railway, making it no. 17, and it was their last purchase. These freight motors were left in their paint scheme of Tuscan red with chevrons.
1962 – The company of Coleman & Munro tore down the Canadian National station (original 1855 Grand Trunk limestone station).
1962, July 2 – the North Roosevelt International Bridge was closed.
1962, November 30 – a Canadian Pacific tank car was found to be leaking liquid chlorine at the Canadian Pacific/Cornwall Street Railway exchange yard. The entire northeastern portion of Cornwall was evacuated, but no one lost their lives.
1965, July – the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority began to demolish the North Roosevelt International Bridge.
1965, October 31 – Canadian National began its Rapido passenger service between Montreal and Toronto.
1966 – the Brookdale Avenue overpass is opened over Canadian National’s main line.
1967, September 12 – 164 tons of caustic soda was lost from tank cars that were on a siding on 7th Street West.
1968, May – a locomotive switcher (no number) arrived at the CIL plant for inter-plant switching. It came from the CIL plant in Copper Cliff, Ontario and was #1 there.
1968, December – Canadian National began to use the Turbo passenger train between Montreal and Toronto.
1969, January 7 – The Turbo is taken out of service until problems are worked out.
1969, January 31 – Canadian Pacific abandoned the Cornwall Subdivision from the station at Pitt and Sixth Streets to just east of Sydney Street, a whole city block.
1969, February – the Canadian Pacific station was torn down to make way for a parking lot that was to be used for a new shopping plaza.
1969, October 24 – Canadian Pacific Railway purchased an interest in Cornwall Street Railway.
1970, May 1 – 25 of 104 cars derailed on the Canadian National just a half mile east of the station. Some contents had spilled.
1970, May 25 – The Turbo returns to service.
1970, June 1 – Cornwall Street Railway sold their transit service to a private contractor.
1970, October 14 – Canadian Pacific sold their interest in the Cornwall Street Railway to Canadian National.
1971 – February 1 – The Turbo is taken out of service again until problems that the train continued having were solved.
1971, April 1 – Canadian National purchased all the rail operations, equipment and land of right-of-ways of the Cornwall Street Railway for $430,000. They hastily slapped on the Canadian National logo over all Cornwall Street Railway logos on all pieces of equipment.
1971, July – Canadian National installed a spur off the Cornwall Spur to enter Cornwall Roof Truss Ltd.
1971, July – Canadian National opened over 1.44 miles of former New York Central trackage from a junction on their main line called Wesco (just west of Brookdale Avenue) to the former site of Cornwall Junction as well as a wye that went west of this relaid trackage to just east of the Pfizer Spur. Canadian National then abandoned the Cornwall Spur between the original station grounds, approximately at Amelia Street, to west of Pitt Street, about where York Street is. The trackage from York Street westward to the wye and north to Wesco was designated the Wesco Spur.
1971, July 3 – Canadian Pacific’s rail division was renamed to CP Rail.
1971, August 7 – Canadian National ended electrically powered freight operations in Cornwall, using instead modified S-4 diesel-electric switchers. The majority of rails that still existed on city streets were abandoned. The first time they switched in the Courtaulds property, it took them half a day to get through. Canadian National never returned to that industry after that.
1971, August 10 – Courtaulds began to use a 20-ton Plymouth Model ML-6 diesel mechanical locomotive. Canadian National would drop off cars at a siding on the Courtaulds line next to the Eastcourt Mall where the Courtaulds crew would bring them on to the industry’s property. Courtaulds would bring outgoing cars to the same site for Canadian National. This was the same siding that the street railway use to exchange with Courtaulds at.
1971, October 9 – Canadian National held a retirement parade for Cornwall’s electric street railway, which ran from the car barns westward on Water Street to Cumberland Street. From there the parade continued eastward along 9th Street to the former Canadian National station grounds. The rest of that day and the next, free rides were given from the grounds to the Brookdale Mall to the west and the Eastcourt Mall in the east by using No. 7 and a Canadian National commuter coach car. The railway donated No. 17 and maintenance car No. 4 to the city. Retired were nos. 4, 6 to 9, 11 to 12, 14 to 16 and 3152 while 5 and 10 were scrapped. B-1 was donated to the Canadian Science & Technology Museum.
1972 – no longer operating a street railway, the Cornwall Street Railway, Light & Power Company was renamed to Cornwall Electric, continuing to purchase electric power from outside Cornwall and supplying it to their customers. Canadian National donated former Cornwall Street Railway 11 to the Ohio Railway Museum, 12 and 3152 to the Shore Line Trolley Museum, 14 to the Illinois Railway Museum and B-2 to the Seashore Trolley Museum.
1973, June 12 – former Cornwall Street Railway freight motors nos. 6 to 9 and 15 were scrapped at St. Lawrence Iron & Metal in Quebec.
1973, June 22 – a Canadian National Turbo set broke down in Cornwall.
1973, October – former Cornwall Street Railway freight motor no. 16 was donated to the Halton County Radial Railway.
1974 – Canadian National opened a spur from their main line west of the Richmond Drive crossing northwest of Cornwall to Combustion Engineering, which was within city limits after crossing over Highway 2. The plant had a 12-Ton BCL Brookville switcher from their plant in Courtright.
1974, September – The Turbo returns to service once more.
1976 – Canadian National became CN Rail.
1976, April 25 – CN ceased direct service between Cornwall and Toronto.
1976, August – CN donated caboose #79095 to the United Counties Museum on Second Street West, which was in front of Domtar Fine Papers.
1976, October – CN restarted direct service between Cornwall and Toronto.
1977, January 12 – CN created VIA Rail Canada to operate their passenger services.
1978, April 1 – VIA became a separately owned Federal company from CN.
1980 – VIA began to use the LRC engines and passenger cars (Light, Rapid, Comfort). This train set was to replace the costly Turbo set.
1981, January 28 – CN received permission to abandon the last remaining trackage running on Cornwall streets, the Cumberland Spur which ran for 0.3 miles from the corner of Cumberland and Ninth Streets, down Cumberland and then west on Seventh Street West, ending at the No-Corrode building.
1981, August – former Cornwall Street Railway 17 was placed on display in front of the Water Purification Plant on 2nd Street West in Cornwall. Maintenance car 4 was deemed to be in too bad of a shape for restoration and was scrapped.
1982 – the McConnell Avenue overpass is opened over CN’s main line.
1982, March – CN’s Iroquois Chemicals spur abandoned. A portion from the wye connection of the Wesco Spur to about 0.5 miles westward was added to the Wesco Spur.
1982, October 31 – VIA stopped using the Turbo trains.
1982, December – Combustion Engineering took delivery of a 16-Ton BCL-TC Brookville switcher from Caloric Corp in Topton, Pennsylvania. The 12-Ton switcher was likely sent to Sherbrooke, Quebec.
1984, February – Courtaulds purchased a new switching locomotive, former CP S-2 #7096, through Merrilees. This loco was never repainted or renumbered. Courtaulds’ Plymouth was sold to Merrilees for scrap.
1986 – CN removed the rails of the Cumberland Street Spur.
1987, Feb. 14 – CP’s freight shed burned to the ground. Later that year, a smaller building, about the size of a one vehicle garage, was built on the north side of the line, on McConnell Avenue’s east side.
1987, Nov. 1 – a Cornwall Gravel dump truck, loaded with stone, ran straight into a CP train on Boundary Road, derailing the locomotive’s back end as well as four cars.
1988 – CN opened a new loading/unloading terminal on the north side of Marleau Avenue opposite of Glengarry Boulevard. It was used only for a few months before industries that used rail service had closed in the city. This property would later be used to unload covered hoppers until an accident forced the business and CN to move that operation to the former exchange yard that CN had with the street railway in the west end of the city, on the north side of Brookdale Avenue. They also abandoned the Cornwall Spur from Lafarge Cement to east of McConnell Avenue.
1988 – CIL was purchased by ICI.
1990 – CN abandoned the Wesco Spur from York Street to west of Brookdale Avenue.
1990, October – Combustion Engineering closed.
1991 – CP became CP Rail Systems.
1991 – CN became CN North America.
1991, July – ICI took delivery of a second shunting locomotive, #915 from their Sarnia plant, due to their regular shunter undergoing repairs.
1991, September 2 – Locweld Inc. purchased the Combustion Engineering property, including the 16-Ton switcher within the building.
1992 – CN stopped operating two switchers in Cornwall. Since taking over the street railway operations, CN had operated two S class locomotives in the city, one stationed in the west end next to the Wood House Museum and the second was stationed in the east on the old main line (Cornwall Spur). Since the closure of many industries in the city during the recession, CN opted to eliminate the west end switcher, having the east end one do both parts of the city.
1992 – CN’s spur into Cornwall Roof Truss Ltd was removed.
1992 – CN caboose #79095 was locked up for good after the Stormont Dundas & Glengarry Historical Society amalgamated their two museum site operations.
1993, February – Courtaulds closed and locomotive #7096 was sent to the United States. The closure abandoned the Courtaulds Line from the CP/CN exchange yard to the industry.
1994 – the former Uscan station from the New York Central collapsed in on itself due to no maintenance being performed on it.
1994 – CN reopened a spur very near to Cornwall’s eastern boundary that use to supply a heating fuel centre. The spur was extended to negotiate around several warehouses and ended at Cornwall Warehousing’s southern building.
1995 – CP renamed back to Canadian Pacific Railway.
1995, November 19 – CN became a publicly traded company on the stock market, becoming Canadian National Railway.
1995, December 25 – Canadian Pacific abandoned the Cornwall Subdivision. The last train ran last spring.
1996 – ICI sold locomotive #915 to Harmac Pacific in Harmac, BC. Canadian National abandoned the Cornwall Spur from McConnell Avenue to just east of the old diamond with Canadian Pacific.
1996, October 1 – Canadian Pacific created a subsidiary company, the St. Lawrence & Hudson Railway, to operate their Eastern Division. The Cornwall Sub, which was abandoned yet still had rails on it, was under the new company’s jurisdiction.
1997, June – ICI sold their locomotive switcher to Slater Steel in Hamilton, via a dealer named Paikin.
1998, July – after heated debates, the St. Lawrence & Hudson removed the rails of the Cornwall Subdivision.
1998, Aug. 27 – Six tank cars rolled along Canadian National’s Wesco Spur behind the Brookdale Mall, busted through the bumper and one car leaked recovered alcohol throughout the siding area. The Mall was closed, Wal-Mart’s official opening was cancelled and other business north of the accident on Brookdale Avenue were forced to close. The liquid was part of a shipment to BASF.
1999, September – Canadian National started a RoadRailer service that ran between Montreal and Toronto. A terminal in Cornwall was set up at the Marleau Avenue Yard for Supply Chain Management where trailers could be shipped out on rail.
1999, Sept. 24 – Canadian National abandoned 400 feet of their yard on the north side of the Brookdale Mall, a decision made by the company after the City of Cornwall demanded the yard be abandoned.
2000 – Canadian National abandoned one of Domtar’s spurs. This trackage was originally laid by the Cornwall Street Railway and use to run in front of the Wood House (United Counties Museum). The trackage had not seen a train operate on it since the year before when the museum building was moved.
2000, January 16 – the first “Enterprise” begins to run through Cornwall by VIA. It was the first over-night passenger train since the 1990 service cuts.
2001, December 12 – VIA ran their LRC engines for the last time and started using the Geneses locomotives.
2001, December 18 – After years of neglect, former Canadian National caboose #79095 was given to the Smiths Falls Railway Museum.
2002, December 20 – 10 cars from a Canadian National train of 126 derailed just west of Cornwall Centre Road.
2004 – Cornwall Gravel levelled off 401 where Canadian Pacific’s Cornwall Subdivision went under. There was no culvert installed to allow recreational traffic from either side of the highway to pass like what was done in Kingston to the old Kingston & Pembroke Railway line (CPR’s Kingston Sub).
2004, February 3 – Canadian National locomotive #5775 caught fire while travelling east through Cornwall. The train stopped at the Toll Gate Road crossing for firefighters to put out the blaze.
2004, March – after a strike by CN workers was ended, the company closed the RoadRailer service in Cornwall.
2005, March 29 – a Cornwall citizen managed to steal a small section of rail, tie plates, spikes and anchors on an abandoned portion of Canadian National’s Cornwall Spur (the subject part is between the old CNR/CPR diamond and McConnell Avenue). His objective was to sell the steel for cash, but was arrested by police for theft.
2005, May 17 – former Cornwall Street Railway locomotive #17 was moved from in front of the Cornwall Water Purification Plant to the southeast corner of Brookdale Avenue and Ninth Street West.
2005, September 15 – VIA ran the last “Enterprise”.
2005, October 2 – a tank car threw a wheel on Canadian National’s Kingston Subdivision west of Power Dam Drive.
2006, March 31 – Domtar officially closes. Not long afterwards, the shunting engine based in the city’s east end was reassigned, making runs into Cornwall during the weekdays instead.
2006, June 7 – Canadian National removed the Second Street West grade crossings for the east end of the closed Domtar plant. Those two spurs were a constant problem to automobile drivers and repairs in the past never would last long.
2006, June 26 – Cornwall City Council, with advisory by Heritage Cornwall, passed a by-law to place a heritage designation on Cornwall Street Railway locomotive #17. This is the first and only such designation on a piece of railway rolling stock in Ontario.
2006, July 8 – Phase 1 of the Cornwall Street Railway locomotive #17 restoration was completed (erection of the original plaque; repaint of the body in the proper CPR Tuscan Red and placement of picnic tables and garbage bins). No other work was done due to City budget restrains.
2007, October 3 – All rails within the decommissioned P-C-I plant property were removed.
2010 – Locweld Inc. closed.
2011, August – The north passing siding at Regis Yard was removed.
2013, July – Rails south of Second Street to Synagi was abandoned.
2014 – Laframboise Welding took over the Locweld building.
2016, June 3 – Rails south of Marleau Avenue to Cornwall Warehouse was abandoned.
© 2020 - Chris Granger | Web site by Bucket Hat Design
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Secure a bright future with the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) is working together with the North York Moors National Park to offer fantastic apprenticeship opportunities thanks to the National Heritage Lottery Fund.
Three Countryside Worker Apprentices will take part in ecology, maintenance and restoration projects within the North York Moors National Park and on the NYMR. In addition, the Apprentices will carry out general rights of way maintenance, work closely with the National Park Ranger Service and complete a range of training courses including lineside safety, first aid and chainsaw work. They will complete a Level 2 qualification in Environmental Conservation over two years.
Those interested in applying for the Countryside Worker Apprenticeship should contact [email protected]. The closing date for completed applications is Friday 12 July.
Chris Price, NYMR General Manager, said: “Using money raised by the National Lottery Players the NYMR can inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future”.
Debbie Trafford, Head of Recreation and Ranger Services at the North York Moors National Park Authority, said: “This is a fantastic and unique opportunity for young people to learn a wide range of skills which will help to conserve and protect the National Park and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway for the future. Apprenticeships offer a truly hands-on experience, and this would be an ideal first step for anyone interested in a career looking after the countryside. In the past, our Countryside Worker Apprentices have gone on to become tree surgeons, forestry officers and full-time Rangers, and we look forward to working with the NYMR to offer three more young people the chance to further develop their interests in the glorious North York Moors.”
Additionally, the NYMR is also recruiting for committed individuals to apply for its workplace training apprenticeships including Mechanical Engineering and Business support.
Working with NETA Training Group, the Mechanical Engineering apprentices will work on the railway’s historic engines and carriage fleet, learning unique skills as they work alongside professional engineers.
In conjunction with TYRO Training, the Business Support apprentices, will receive training in various departments including Finance, IT, Marketing, Commercial, HR and Operations areas. This will provide an invaluable insight into how a heritage railway functions, whilst providing an excellent grounding if you wish to pursue a career in a fast-paced tourist attraction.
Apprenticeships roles are limited so those interested in applying for Mechanical Engineering/Business support roles should contact [email protected]. The closing date for completed applications is Friday 12th July.
For further information on NETA Training Group visit www.neta.co.uk and TYRO Training visit www.tyrotraining.co.uk
The North York Moors National Park Authority works with a wide variety of people to care for and protect this beautiful corner of Yorkshire; balancing the needs of its people, the natural heritage, it’s historic culture and the visitors who come to enjoy the area. Visit www.northyorkmoors.org.uk
Pic: Charlotte Graham
Published: 3rd July, 2019
Updated: 4th July, 2019
YMJ News & Events
Winter Raffle Results 2019
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway Raffle draw results for Winter 2019. Check now to see if you have won!
NYMR is building bridges for the future
Work has now begun on NYMR landmark Bridge 27. These works are the first in a series of scheduled vital repairs for the world-famous visitor attraction and popular movie location, as part of its Yorkshire’s Magnificent Journey project.
Building bridges for the future
NYMR to gift ultimate Christmas experience to special little helper
We are asking people to nominate their favourite little helper who has a merry mindset and is always helpful to others.
NYMR appoints two new apprentices
Bright sparks, Finn Allen and James Woodland, have joined NYMR as mechanical engineering apprentices.
Official 2020 Photo Calendar is now available
We are pleased to announce that our Official 2020 Photo Calendar is now available to purchase.
Railway in Wartime: Friday 11th until Sunday 13th October.
Passengers of all ages will be transported back to the 1940s for a weekend filled with the camaraderie and community spirit of World War II this October.
Railway in Wartime returns to NYMR
Passengers of all ages will be transported back to the 1940s for a weekend filled with the camaraderie and community spirit of World War II, when North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) hosts its Railway in Wartime event from Friday 11th until Sunday 13th October 2019.
As the Government moves to ban coal, HRA calls for compromise
Chris Price, has joined the HRA Board. He is driven to work alongside his fellow board members and Stephen Oates, the HRA CEO, to protect heritage railways, coal and the future of steam in the UK.
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Australian open hopefuls receive medical attention due to smokey air
15 Jan, 2020 9:21am Quick Read
NZ Cricket stance to cloak racist fan defeats purpose
15 Jan, 2020 11:08am 6 minutes to read
MMA: The 'lifesaving' new device joining the fight against brain injury
City Kickboxing to embrace concussion testing technology. VIDEO / MedTree
By: Christopher Reive
Christopher Reive is a sports reporter for NZME
Eugene Bareman has seen firsthand how devastating an undetected brain injury can be.
In 2012, the City Kickboxing head coach almost turned his back on mixed martial arts after one of his fighters, Willman Rodriguez-Gomez, collapsed 32 seconds into a fight in Tahiti and was pronounced dead an hour later in hospital. It was reported the young boxer died of a ruptured artery in his brain.
"I've had a couple of fighters pass away because they were already predisposed, they already had something in their brain that wasn't obviously there, like it wasn't detectable just by looking at them," Bareman says.
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"It is not a very common occurrence in the sport but it does happen and this kind of thing hits close to home for us at this gym anyway."
Knowing the dangers of brain injuries, the New Zealand combat sports scene has been quick to embrace a new device, the Infrascanner, which can help prevent such tragedies.
Developed by the American military in a joint venture with doctors from the University of Pennsylvania and Baylor College of Medicine, the near-Infrared (NIR) technology enables clinicians to effectively and accurately detect intracranial bleeding in patients with head trauma.
The handheld, portable scanner was developed for early detection of brain bleeds, allowing for faster reactions to treating such injuries. Developed over 10 years, the device is now being used around the world by military, professional sporting teams, universities and emergency services.
City Kickboxing head trainer Eugene Bareman works with a lot of athletes, including UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. Photo / Getty
"In this gym we've been quite close to some brain trauma, so I'm very happy the technology is here in New Zealand," Bareman says.
"Like a lot of stuff to do with trauma to the body, there's a golden time where you can pick it up. As it gets further and further away, it becomes more dangerous. Immediately after a fight is the best time to get scanned and pick up any potential injury and take care of it as fast as you can. With brain trauma, obviously the longer you leave it the more chance you might be in some trouble.
"It's part and parcel with the sport, but you can't accept it. You take as many preventative measures, teach your fighters how to defend properly, take whatever you can medically. As these pieces of technology become available and affordable, we just have to use them. We have to make it affordable. We need people to help us make it affordable. If it can save lives, then we need people who have it at their disposal to make these things cheap and subsidies them, we need them to help us as much as they can.
Late in 2019, the technology was in use at the King in the Ring: Kings vs Legends kickboxing event and was last week made as a mandatory tool for all Pro-Box New Zealand boxing events, with all fighters to be screened prior to stepping into the ring.
But it's not just combat sports that can benefit from its services. More and more sports are beginning to become more vocal about concussion and brain injuries, with a number of NFL teams already implementing the technology.
The growing recognition of sports-related brain trauma creates an ideal application for Infrascanner. In contact sports like football, rugby, soccer, boxing and others, Infrascanner can provide sideline diagnostics and help aid in the decision to evacuate injured athletes to a trauma center.
Kiwi UFC star Dan Hooker, who trains under Bareman at City Kickboxing, also coaches a stable of fighters at his own gym the Combat Academy. One of those fighters, Jayleigh Shaw, fought on the Kings vs Legends card, and Hooker says having the Infrascanner readily available provided a sense of comfort as a coach knowing his athlete would be looked after as best as possible.
Dan Hooker suffered a concussion in his UFC bout against Edson Barboza in late 2018. Photo / Getty Images
"It's something that we in the combat sports arena have known about for a very long time," Hooker says. "Everyone knows that getting punched in the head is not good for your health, so you're trying to minimise that risk as much as possible in a fight and in the gym, but it's something that we've been mitigating the risks of for a very long time. It's only new to other sports now, where they're taking big knocks and CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy) and concussion wasn't as spoken about or realised as much.
"Everyone's different. Everyone's going to respond differently. Every concussion is a completely different kind of injury. You can do pre-testing, like memory testing and other tests you can do before, and then measure them after a fight just to make sure you're back to 100 per cent. Or there are tests you just do after. Immediately you get checked by a doctor or one of the medics at one of the fights, but things can take weeks or even a month to set in."
Hooker had his own issues with concussion in late 2018, and spent months on the sidelines recovering. He says during that time he came to learn that having someone with the knowledge to make sure you're getting fully tested was an important step in overcoming the injury.
"ACC can put you on to a concussion specialist and they'll come over and do the testing themselves. The government in New Zealand will take care of you, you just have to be honest about it, go to them and look for the help."
Cruise ship death: Shocking footage shows different story
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Could you be in Question Time audience at Oxford Brookes?
By Andrew Ffrench @OxMailAndyF Business reporter covering Didcot and Wallingford. Call me on 01865 425425
Question Time presenter Fiona Bruce
OXFORD Brookes University has announced that it is to host the BBC politics show Question Time on Thursday, January 9.
The current affairs programme will be broadcast from the Sir Kenneth Wheare Hall, in the Clerici Building on the University’s Headington Campus in Oxford.
The panellists taking part will be announced closer to the transmission date. Question Time panels are composed of high-profile politicians and significant figures from different sectors such as industry, media and entertainment.
Anyone who would like to join the Question Time audience in Oxford should apply by following a link on the Question Time website.
READ AGAIN: You could win £50 if you see one of these painted lorries
The episode broadcast from Oxford Brookes University will reflect on the political agenda for the New Year and the run up to the Brexit deadline on 31 January 2020. It will also mark the first programme after the general election on December 12.
Question Time, currently chaired by Fiona Bruce, has been running since 1979 and recently celebrated its 40th anniversary.
Alongside a backdrop of one of the most contentious general elections in British political history, Oxford was recently declared to be the most ‘woke’ city in the UK - featuring the largest number of residents engaging with social and environmental issues.
READ MORE: Fiona Bruce on her role as Question Time host
The Oxford English Dictionary defines ‘woke’ as being ‘alert to injustice in society’, or ‘being aware or well-informed in a political or cultural sense’.
But the term has grown in popularity in recent years and now covers sustainability and environmental awareness, as well as socio-political issues.
This background sets the scene for a very lively TV debate, which will be screened at 10.35pm on BBC1.
READ AGAIN: Latest results from court
News broadcaster and Antiques Roadshow presenter Ms Bruce took over from David Dimbleby earlier this year following his 25 years at the helm. Visit bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000d2tl
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'Build 10,800 homes and use green belt' say inspectors - Readers' reaction
'People have died waiting for mental health treatment', say union leaders
New Oxford hub for science and tech start ups announced
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About PPF
Stakeholders’ rejection of media tribunals
Front Page, Media and Governance, Media and Society
The Cabinet decision to establish Media Tribunals was reportedly prompted due to couple of Ministers’ complaints to the effect that quite a number of journalists have been continuously targeting them to tarnish their public image and of the government by implication with mala fide intentions. The knee-jerk nature of the decision of the Cabinet obviously invited the retribution of media representative organisations all hues who have vociferously rejected the Cabinet decision to set up Media Tribunals describing it as another draconian initiative of the government to further strangulate the media that is already basing for breath due to the undeclared censorship. The media organisations like All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) Council of Newspapers Editors, (CPNE), Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), and Pakistan Broadcasting Association (PBA), The Pakistan Human Rights Commission and the Opposition political leadership have also detested the contention of the government that is seemingly on the collision course to silence all sort of dissent.
The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) has reportedly summoned the meeting early next month to discuss the alarming situation to oppose the government‘s anti-media move. The forum will also launch a sustained campaign to educate the people of the pitfalls of the government’s decision on the collective lives of the people notwithstanding its ramifications on the political economy. The other media organisations are also formulating their strategies to oppose the setting up of Media Tribunals, the self-defeating move to deny the people right of information and truth. The government’s bid to create an environment of impunity where it could have the free field to play without being questioned may not see the light of the day in totality. It is indeed flawed strategy that is bound to cause opposition in every walk of national life. The mindset is dangerous and its grotesque inclination would not augur well for the country, the federation, the democracy and the constitutional rule.
Is it for the first time that media has been criticising the government and its ministers’ poor performance? It is the primary duty of the lively media to shed lights on issues those have direct bearings on the life of the people with a view to improve the governance so far as the delivery of services is concerned. The official disproportionate outrage simply reflects poorly on the government’s tolerance level sadly signifying mismatch to the requisite threshold. It is the constitutional right under Article 19 of the Constitution guaranteeing freedom of speech and freedom of press within reasonable limits defined therein, and its violation invokes the defamation law with legal consequences. The immediate need for Media Tribunals may be therefore both unwarranted for being overly falling in the realm of overlapping. The undesirable contour of initiative embodied the apprehensions of further tightening the screws around media. The government though has backtracked but its misplaced exasperation with media may not be difficult to imagine.
It may be recalled the media had indeed been harsh to the PPP and its leadership as they were subjected to the worst kind of media trial as compared to other political leadership. But the leadership faced it with fortitude and perseverance and did not contemplate of tightening the noose around the critics or media during its watch. It was more so especially after the ferocious dictatorship of General Ziaul Haq when PPP came to power through vote. The PPP leadership, dominated by the commitment of democratic ethos, considered the vibrant media as the manifestation of robust functioning democracy—the very basis of the PPP ideology. For the PPP democracy and its continuity were non-negotiable because it had nurtured the same with the blood of its founding leaders and diehard workers. The movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD) against the grotesque dictatorship of General Ziaul Haq met with success with the leading role played by the PPP along with other democratic forces.
The journalists’ critical of the incumbent government may surely become the most sought after entities of the PTI leadership tomorrow when they will be in the Opposition seeking relentlessly their unconditional forgiveness of the ill-treatment meted out to them when they were in power. Media and journalists are surely going to stay in the country but the PTI government is surely subject to change because in democracy Opposition is government in the waiting. The PTI leadership may take leaf from the narrative of functioning of democracy and conduct its politics within the framework of best democratic practices. It may tread on the trajectory of vision rather than vendetta for its political survival afterwards else be prepared to wither on the wine. It should not be in the mind of the PTI leadership of playing the first and the last game. The prognoses though of its politicking sadly are paving the way for heading to the precipice.The PTI government is well advised not to open another front against media because vibrant media is absolutely indispensible for the functioning democracy. The attempts to gag media may surely not bode well because the government survives, thrives or collapses due to the public perception in which media plays the vital role. Annoying media means rocking the boat by default. So be aware of the ‘ides of marches’. There is no dearth of reports that media is facing intrusive censorship and the media organisations have been protesting against but in vain so far. The working environment for journalists is likely to become more problematic as the mandarins have reportedly figured out a scheme of more stringent and bald measures of curtailing the freedom of press.
The news of establishing Media Tribunals was like lightning bolt for the media industry that is already facing colossal professional, financial and retrenchment problems attributed to the government’s overt and covert endeavors. The international media organisations like Journalists without Boarders have been critical of the government intervention equating with detrimental to the freedom of media and the press. The limited quantum of flow of government advertisements seems the part of the strategy to push the media down the ground to kotow the official line. The allegedly discriminatory distribution of government advertisements has endangered the very survival of the non-compliant media houses. There are reports that the private sector major organisations are also influenced not to release advertisements to those media outlets that are determined to hold the flag high of the freedom of media no matter the cost.
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto while addressing the press conference vehemently rejected the government’s endeavour of stifling the media freedom. The chairman expressed his commitment in no uncertain terms that the Party would scuttle the government shenanigans against media while expressing unequivocal solidarity with journalist community. Its status as the fourth pillar of the state, an important condition for democratic dispensation, is non-negotiable. PPP cannot afford to see the other side when freedom of media is in danger because it is the fruit of the joint struggle of the journalists with the PPP leadership and other democratic forces. The chairman was unequivocal on the freedom of media and assured the people that freedom of media and speech will not be allowed to be snatched away from the people. Silence of dissent either on gun point or through the draconian ordinances will not be allowed was the crux of the message of the chairman. All the other Opposition political parties, with the exception of allies parties of the government, have rejected the decision with the unequivocal resolve to ensure the freedom of media under all circumstances. The Opposition parties unwavering stance against the government contention is very reassuring because the government cannot juggernaut it through the legislative process because Opposition has majority in the Senate. More importantly, the civil society has rejected it as the manifestation of the narrow mindset of the incumbent government leadership that is simply incapable of appreciating the free media as the sin qua none of democracy.
The decision of the Cabinet is the classic case of leap first and think later. The government did not consider worthwhile of taking all the stakeholders on board in the first place. The shallowness of the government smacks of the headless chicken running helter-skelter without a strategy. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting could not anticipate the reaction of the media industry or its advice was not heeded to. The establishment of Media Tribunals may surely prove yet another faux pas for the government.
Tailpiece: Former president Asif Ali Zardari is in jail without even desert-cooler. It is equivalence with the drive of vilification of the people’s representatives that started with General Ayub Khan and is still continuing. Such ignominious treatment will certainly not succeed in breaking the will of the ‘Murd-i- Hur ‘but his tormentors will be exposed to the core. They are wittingly oblivious of the Maxim, ‘one is innocent until proven guilty”. Show me the Opposition leader I will show you the law. Stoicism of Judicial oversight may also be mind-numbing.
Source: The News
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Press Centre Shahrah Kamal Ataturk, Karachi 74200, Pakistan.
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Copyright © Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) - An Independent
Media Research, Documentation and Training Center
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E Class 2003
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Home » Laws » Sandy Hook Families Call For Privacy Of 12/14 Crime Scene Information
Sandy Hook Families Call For Privacy Of 12/14 Crime Scene Information
June 1, 2013 Posted by Dissent Laws, U.S., Youth & Schools
The Newtown Bee reports:
Twenty parents and spouses who lost loved ones at the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary on 12/14 gathered together at the Capitol in Hartford on Friday, May 31, to call on legislators to pass House Bill 6424, “An Act Concerning Fees for Searches of Accident and Investigative Reports of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.” They were joined by sisters, a brother, a son, a teacher, and others directly affected by what happened 5½ months ago.
Proposed by Senator John McKinney, the amendment to House Bill 6424 would:
*Prevent the release of any photos, videotapes, digital recordings or other depictions of any victim, without the permission of the victim’s immediate family. The adult victims who survived the shooting would also be able to grant permission to release the records;
*Allow any public agency to redact the identity of a minor witness to the shooting; and
*Require public agencies to transcribe 911 recordings and provide written transcripts upon request for a 50-cent-per-page fee, but not require them to provide audio recordings.
Read more on the Newtown Bee.
Although the bill may be well-intentioned, the events at Newtown are of public and national significance that go beyond curiosity and impacts policy discussions of gun control, mental health, and school security issues. As such, I think the First Amendment needs to trump to the understandable concerns of family members.
Sandy Hook families target privacy law
CT: Victim Privacy Debate Expected To Resume
Should registered gun owners be named and mapped?
Post-Newtown Privacy Legislation Panned By…
Connecticut mulls death certificate limits after Newtown
Who’s tracking your children? No Fourteenth Amendment protection against schools talking to parents about student’s sexual activity – Fifth Circuit
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Perilous Moon - Sparkling Reviews!
Amazon.co.uk ***** 24 November 2014
Review from: Perilous Moon (Hardcover)
"Wonderful story !"
"Lou"
Amazon verified
Amazon.co.uk ***** 25 October 2014
"Perilous Moon is fascinating. It operates on several levels..."
"Perilous Moon is fascinating. It operates on several levels - as the personal account of the Stuart Nimmo's father's experiences in wartime France; for its construction of the life and times of the German pilot who shot him down; and for its almost eccentric depiction of life in Occupied France, not to mention the understanding of what it was like to be a crew in Bomber Command even so late in the War. Full of evocative illustrations, it can be read at a sitting or browsed over time with equal satisfaction."
Arthur Cooper
Amazon.co.uk ***** 14 September 2013
"Great Read.,"
"It's a great war story, told from both sides of WWII, just imagine being by your self all alone in a strange country with German soldiers all around you, great photos from the British side and the German side. All in all a great WWII story."
David Leedham
Daily Record 11th November 2013
"The blunt instruments of national survival made flesh and blood."
"The youg men who flew wartime bombers didn't deal in moral choices. They were the blunt instruments of national survival made flesh and blood.
One of them was a Scot called Neil Nimmo. He bailed out of a blazing Lancaster bomber over France in 1944 and went on the run in occupied territory. His son, my good friend, Stuart Nimmo retraced his father's footsteps. What began as a family memoir is published as Perilous Moon, a facinating book that tells his father's story and that of the Luftwaffe pilot who shot him down.... Books like Nimmo's lift the veil on the untold stories of young men whose paths crossed in a violent nighttime encounter that buffeted their lives forever.
It helps us figure out not why they fought, but who they were... the real reason for Remembrance Suday.
Torcuil Crichton
Westminster Editor Daily Record
Amazon.com ***** 20th August 2013
"A thrilling, true story of escape from occupied France"
"... a gripping read from start to finish. From the moment the aircraft was hit to (the pilot's) subsequent rescue and assistance back home by the courageous French Resistance workers, the reader is taken on a thrilling and nailbiting journey."
Amy Barter
"This is a marvellous book. NOT your bog-standard war book."
"...Extensive and impressive research... It's well-written too, with great pictures, mostly of German origin. "
Adrian Stear
Spotlight ***** July issue 2013
"Reads with the intrigue and suspense of a spy thriller!" July 2013
" The book is filled with lavish detail and twists and turns that are all the more sobering because the events were true.... Stuart Nimmo’s experience as a documentary filmmaker shows in his storytelling and his inclusion of the parallel perspective of Luftwaffe pilot Helmut Bergmann, the man responsible for shooting down (RAF Lancaster) Q-Queenie. Perilous Moon is a rich and detailed history that reads with the intrigue and suspense of a spy thriller. The concurrent stories of Neil and Bergmann come to life with lavish illustrations and the inclusion of numerous personal photographs and documents…With detailed footnotes and extensive research, Perilous Moon is a must-read for any World War II history buff. "
Amber Burton
Review Product Spotlight July 2013
Amazon.com ***** June 18th 2013
"The Book To Read This Summer. "
" Perilous Moon is a page turner that hopefully will be made into a major European movie. It is the true tale of real British and French heroes from World War II. It is so compelling because it has the intimacy of a personal experience. I was glued to the book from beginning to end... It is so well written that you are left with a vast love for the ability of young people to sacrifice and put up with incredible difficulties... a visual tale that is the best British movie you have ever read. It has danger, intrigue, beautiful women, brave men and women, scary parts and in the end a great love of life. This is the one book to read this summer.
Eugene Finley
Cinematographer Bolinas, CA
"What a story his son Stuart has written."
"The detail in the book, including scores of photos and maps, is remarkable. Apart from lengthy interviews with his father, Nimmo stumbled across another rich vein of material... (previously unpublished) insights into how the Luftwaffe night-fighter ace managed to pull off such a lethal frenzy of destruction.... What a story Neil Nimmo had to tell. And what a story his son Stuart has written."
Arnie Wilson
Journalist/ Editor HUFFINGTON POST
London Publisher and Author
"This is just my sort of thing."
"Speaking personally, as a long time student of the air war, and a publisher of military history for 20 years, this is just my sort of thing."
Ian Drury
Amazon UK ***** 20 July 2013
"A very good read and a pleasure to own."
" Not the usual escape story, this is a fascinating account of an airman's journey through occupied France following the shooting down of his Lancaster by a young German air ace. What is different is that the German has been traced and his story is set side by side.... The book is remarkable for the quality, variety and originality of the many black and white photographs. A very good read and a pleasure to own."
Paul Maxlow-Tomlinson
Solicitor, previously chairman of The Ski Club of Great Britain
Professor of Practice UA
"Perspicacious journalist, assiduous historian, fine storyteller"
"Stuart Nimmo, perspicacious journalist, assiduous historian, fine storyteller, and devoted son has given us a masterwork of rare images and gripping narrative. Perilous Moon Occupied France shows us World War II from both sides. It takes us into the fighter cockpits, the trenches, and the minds of those caught up in it..."
Mort Rosenblum
Author, Professor of Practice UA, Former Editor of International Herald Tribune, AP bureau Chief France, Africa and Southern Asia
ModelArmour
"I just ended up wishing it were twice the length."
"It's definitely a story that needs to be recounted. All too often stories such as this are recounted in a dry, almost technical manner, excluding the human side of the story. Not so here. .... I just ended up wishing it were twice the length. Extremely highly recommended."
Vinnie Branigan
Reviewer: ModelArmour
Monthly Arts and Literature Review
" I wouldn't part with it for all the chocolate in Switzerland!"
"Stuart Nimmo wrote a fantastic book. What makes Perilous Moon so special, so ultimately wrenching (our author warns that “this may not make for comfortable reading at times”), is that it goes far beyond comforting narrative: this is the story of two young men, not one. With remarkable industry (and more objectivity than most sons of the so-called ‘Greatest Generation’ might be able to muster), Stuart Nimmo has researched the life of Helmut Bergmann, the Nazi ace who was only 24 when he (too was) shot down"
Steve Donoghue
Managing Editor Open Letters Monthly Arts and Literature Review
The Dispatch Columbus
"A special volume among the many about the war"
"... Putting the stories together this way makes this a special volume among the many about the war.... (Bergmann's life story) is supplemented with many photographs and with explanations about the Luftwaffe and such things as the way the Germans used electronic countermeasures. Bergmann was only 24 when he died, and the author properly assesses him as just another of Hitler's victims.”
Literary review, The Dispatch, Columbus Ohio
Militaiaman
"cleverly put together"
"... Stuart Nimmo has cleverly put together the wartime tales of two little boys who wanted to become pilots... This excellent book spends some time covering various aspects of The War, the rise of Nazism, things aeronautical and it contains a fine set of hitherto unpublished photographs - many from Bergmann's own albums..."
David Chenery
Militaiaman UK
Paris Writers News
"A remarkable work of research and of memory"
“…. a remarkable work of research and of memory by a son in an honest and beautifully illustrated attempt to understand what RAF bomber crews went through, and what it was that they were fighting: he discovers the complexities of fractured Occupied France and the deadly, but crumbling world of the Luftwaffe pilot who shot his father down. …”
Laurel Zuckerman
Paris Writers News
20th Century Aviation Magazine
"This would make an excellent movie"
" There is every reason why this would make an excellent movie ..extremely well composed narration… not only opened a new window on France for me but pulled back the shades and opened the blinds that were intentionally closed by successive political leaders for the past sixty nine years as France struggled to keep a tight lid on the truth about how divided the population had become in the fog of war during the Nazi occupation.
...I only wish I had read Perilous Moon sooner and I honestly think it has inspired me to return to Paris and the surrounding towns of France with my new insight into activities of the resistance movement as seen through the eyes of Neil Nimmo. I now feel as though I have not seen Paris at all. Buildings used as safe houses for downed airmen and Nazi meeting places were silent about their past during my visits... Neil Nimmo’s son Stuart artfully takes us through that journey of a lifetime..."
Joseph J. Gleason
20th Century Aviation Magazine
Amazon.co.uk ***** 3rd May 2013
"Well Worth The Read"
"..... Normally, I'd rush my way though a book but this one however, was opened, read and re-read much like enjoying an outstanding meal; time and appreciation. Let's have another one? "
Stuart McAlister
Specialist Aviation Cameraman
Tucson Citizen
"must reading for anyone even remotely interested in this period of history.”
“Shot down by Luftwaffe nightfighter pilot Helmut Bergmann, Nimmo parachutes into a field between Amiens and Abbeville, just as the Occupation comes to a bloody end. This book follows both Bergmann and Nimmo and is must reading for anyone even remotely interested in this period of history.”
Larry Cox
Tucson Citizen
La Maison du Livre Aviation
"Cuts through the fog that shrouded the Occupation"
“This unusual, fascinating book cuts through the fog that shrouded the Occupation, and which continued to linger for decades to come.”
La Maison du Livre Aviation
World History Shelf
“ An intriguing and fascinating addition to history and photography collections, "Perilous Moon" is not to be missed.”
Reviewer
World History Shelf
"...For me, the upbringing of Bergmann in Nazi-era Germany, Nimmo's experiences with civilians of occupied France, and the great many photographs from the author's private collection were the three most treasured parts of the book. I would recommend Perilous Moon to those who enjoy memoirs of airmen without hesitation."
C. Peter Chen
World War II Database
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Honour to George Gershwin
Concert show was provided with a piano from PETROF
Ondřej Havelka and his Melody Makers surely don’t need much introduction. They do authentic interpretation of popular music of early and top swing from the beginning of thirties to early forties. Their diverse repertoire includes attractive songs from a wide genre range, from Hollywood musicals to top swing big-band pieces. The concert show is stylized in typical contemporary manners with all the details like costumes and hairstyles of the interprets, and also the whole directing of the performance.
On 10th February, in the great hall of the City Library in Prague, they interpreted, together with piano virtuoso Karel Košárek, some of the hottest captivating pieces by American jazz genius George Gershwin, including the original version of his famous Rhapsody in Blue.
Thunderous ovations from the excited audience are really the best way to describe the atmosphere and success of this exquisite concert.
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An exhibit showcases classic album covers by a forgotten local artist
Hill District native Mozelle Thompson illustrated albums for artists from Ella to Elvis
By Nick Keppler
THE ALBUM ART OF MOZELLE THOMPSON
Fri., Nov. 7, through Sun., Nov. 30. (Opening receptions: 6-11 p.m. Fri., Nov. 7, and noon-6 p.m. Sat., Nov. 8.)
Most Wanted Fine Art
5015 Penn Ave.
or most-wantedfineart.com
Photo by Heather Mull
On the record: J. Malls poses in Jerry's Records with some of his collection of vintage album covers by Pittsburgh native Mozelle Thompson
As fixations often do for record collectors, J. Malls' obsession began with just one disc.
Sifting through the stacks at Jerry's Records in Squirrel Hill, Malls found an album of Martin Luther King speeches. Sixties-era MLK spoken-word records are common, but the art on this one stood out. It was an ink drawing of King, his mouth mid-remark, his arm outstretched. In the white space cattycorner to him, a crowd marched, as if King were conjuring them, genie-like. Also unique: The record sleeve included a brief bio of its artist, Mozelle Thompson, who was raised in Pittsburgh.
"I have an interest in local music, local artists [and] this diaspora of Pittsburgh creative people," says Malls, who is also a DJ. "I wanted to discover more about this guy."
The fruits of Malls' nearly two-year quest will be on display at Most Wanted Fine Art gallery, which in November will exhibit some of the 90 Thompson-designed album covers Malls has collected. Ranging from jazz and blues to country, classical and theatrical, the designs show stunning colors and expressive figures from a deceased, forgotten artist whose work once went up against the iconic cover of The Beatles' Revolver for a graphic-design Grammy. In unearthing Thompson's work, Malls also uncovered a story of racial strife and self-destruction.
Mozelle Thompson was born in the Hill District in 1926 to an African-American family, one of eight children. The family later moved to Garfield. As a teenager, he was taught by Jean Thuborn, the resident watercolor artist and art teacher at Peabody High School (now Barack Obama Academy). Thompson's early efforts were much heralded in the community.
Photo courtesy of Greta Griffin
Mozelle Thompson
"I remember we had a[n art] show in our garage and even the principal came," says Thompson's younger sister, Greta Griffin, currently of Wilkinsburg.
Thompson also began winning national contests for young artists. A 1944 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article, reporting on a $200 prize he'd won, claimed Thompson was "said to be one of the most promising young artists in the country." Most stories about the young Thompson quoted Thuborn. "It's was almost like she was his publicist," says Malls.
Art seemed to be Thompson's ticket to a better life. He attended the Parsons School of Design, in New York, on scholarship and studied in Paris. He returned to Pittsburgh to work as a window-display designer at the Downtown Gimbels, but soon was back in New York, working as a freelance illustrator.
From 1953 to 1969, Thompson designed book covers, children's books, posters of Broadway shows and at least 100 album covers, for discs by artists including Lightnin' Hopkins, Cab Calloway, Hank Williams, Ella Fitzgerald and Elvis Presley.
Malls sought Thompson's signature in stacks of records. (Thompson always signed his work.) Most of his work was for one of the country's largest record companies, RCA, a relationship that apparently started with his sleeve for a '53 recording of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess.
Thompson's most common medium was painting, and he often illustrated the lush fantasy worlds evoked by theater and classical pieces. His cover for a recording of Mendelssohn's compositions inspired by A Midsummer Night's Dream is a swirl of imagery, with a donkey-headed man in a forest, and fairies hidden beneath leaves and flowers. His sleeve for an Arabian Nights-themed musical shows Aladdin on his magic carpet and a fire-haired genie levitating above a story-book Middle Eastern cityscape, glittering in white, pink and gold.
Thompson also did simpler designs; his illustration for a Hank Williams compilation shows the singer hunched over his guitar, the background in blue as if to evoke his lonesome tone.
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WrestleMania 34: Rousey impresses in debut, Asuka’s streak over, Lesnar reigns
By Nick Piccone
PhillyVoice Contributor
Wrestlemania WWE
@WWEUniverse/Twitter
Ronda Rousey put on a great performance in her in-ring WWE debut at WrestleMania 34.
On Sunday night, WWE’s main roster took center stage in New Orleans’ Mercedes-Benz Superdome for the biggest event of the year, WrestleMania.
I’d be hard-pressed not to mention the previous night’s NXT TakeOver event in the Smoothie King Center right next door, which inarguably is the best NXT TakeOver event in history. The main event featuring Johnny Gargano taking on Tommaso Ciampa - a match featuring two former best friends and tag team partners that split when Ciampa attacked Gargano last year after a match - was one of the best and most emotionally draining main event I’ve ever witnessed. Pro wrestling has always been about storytelling, and that was a masterpiece. Do yourself a favor and go out of your way to catch it on the WWE Network, because that’s what pro wrestling is all about.
That’s also not to mention the Ladder Match for the inaugural NXT North American Championship defense in which Adam Cole captured the gold, Shayna Baszler defeated Ember Moon in a fantastic match and finish, Cole pulling double duty and teaming with Kyle O’Reilly to retain the NXT Tag Team Championship and win the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic (a tournament they weren’t even a part of, but I digress) that featured a heel turn by Roderick Strong, and Aleister Black defeating Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas for the NXT Championship. Every single match was fantastic in its own way and the drama was there. It’s definitely one of the finest professional wrestling events I’ve ever witnessed.
Unfortunately for WWE’s main roster, they had to follow that up with one of the better-looking WrestleMania cards on paper in recent memory. But just because it looked good on paper meant nothing, and it was up to all the main roster superstars to deliver. Let’s get to the action, where the first three matches of the night took place on the WrestleMania Kickoff:
Matt Hardy won the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal
WWE turned back the clock for this match with Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler commentating along with Byron Saxton. It was a fairly standard battle royal until Bray Wyatt made his triumphant return to help Matt Hardy eliminate both past winners Mojo Rawley and Baron Corbin. Hardy and Wyatt embraced after the match, so it seems like Wyatt is a babyface now and it’ll be interesting to see if this is a new tag team or group.
I thought Jeff Hardy would make a surprise entrance, but alas, it was not meant to be.
Cedric Alexander defeated Mustafa Ali by pinfall to win the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
This match was the culmination of a fantastic tournament that took place exclusively on 205 Live on the WWE Network over the last month-plus. Both Ali and Alexander were pumped before the bell sounded and it showed. The two didn’t disappoint.
Alexander got the win after somehow getting his leg on the rope when Ali hit the 054, a reverse 450 splash for those unfamiliar, and then hitting Ali with a series of back elbows before finally ending it with the Lumbar Check.
While I think Ali’s story leading up to this match was the best out of any of the Cruiserweights, I hope this isn’t the end of Ali in the title picture. I think he will eventually hold the Cruiserweight Championship, but both of these men deserved the stage and I hope it’s not the last we see of them competing against each other.
Naomi won the inaugural Women’s WrestleMania Battle Royal
There were 20 participants in this one, and I’m still surprised WWE decided not to go with the Bayley/Banks singles matchup here. Let’s hope they are reserving it for a possible main event spot on a future pay-per-view, because a match like that could tear the house down just like it did in at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn.
In a twist of fate, this time it was Bayley turning on Banks, eliminating her after a handshake. However, Naomi was still in the match and eliminated Bayley, becoming the first-ever Women’s WrestleMania Battle Royal winner.
Seth Rollins defeated The Miz © and Finn Bálor by pinfall in a Triple Threat Match to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship
The main card started off with a banger, and Seth Rollins’ eyes were ice cold when he walked out. Bálor entered with members of the New Orleans LGBT cheering him on as members of the Bálor Club. Meanwhile, The Miz didn’t want The Miz-tourage to accompany him to the ring. Talk about a champion doing the right thing!
Of course these three had an amazing match. The spots were crisp and everything looked good. After receiving a bulldog/Skull-Crushing Finale hybrid off the top rope, Rollins was able to capitalize on Bálor hitting the
Coup de Grâce on Miz, and would hit Bálor with the Blackout on Miz’s back and then finished it off with a Blackout to Miz to become a Grand Slam Champion.
Charlotte Flair © defeated Asuka by submission to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship
Asuka came in to this match having never been pinned or submitted in her WWE career, and I didn’t think there was a chance she would lose Sunday night.
This match had everything. High-risk action, submission maneuvers and near falls. And one huge swerve. While all undefeated streaks eventually end, I could have sworn WWE would have Asuka defeat Flair and become the first undefeated women’s champion in the company. But they swerved us all!
Flair locked the Figure Eight on Asuka and the 2018 Royal Rumble winner tapped out. Asuka tapped out. She is no longer undefeated. She is not a Women’s Champion… yet. While she eventually will become Women’s Champion on Raw or SmackDown, this became all about Flair and her run into history.
Defeating Asuka would have been a gold mine for any woman on the roster. That now belongs to Flair, who didn’t really need to rub. But WWE seems hell bent on making Flair the greatest women’s wrestler in the company’s history, and this is how they do it.
After the match, Asuka congratulated Flair for beating her. Then said she was happy about it backstage. Huh.
Jinder Mahal defeated Randy Orton © and Rusev and Bobby Roode in a Fatal Four Way Match to win the United States Championship
This match had probably the least amount of heat heading into the pay-per-view, but the star power of Orton may saved some of that lack of luster.
This was the pretty standard WWE Fatal Four Way match, with guys hitting their signature spots, but the crowd was hot for Rusev to get the win. Instead, he was the one pinned after Mahal hit him with the Khallas. Two straight matches in a row with somewhat questionable outcomes.
Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle defeated Stephanie McMahon and Triple H by submission
Since debuting at the Royal Rumble in Philly in January, Rousey has been trying to find her way in WWE both on and off television. While there was room for improvement, the only way to learn and adapt is to just get out there and do it. And that’s what Rousey did leading up to Sunday night. Despite all the criticism she’s received, even some from myself when it comes down to her mannerisms and facial expressions on television, Rousey’s outward showing of emotions by living out her dream is something special to see.
Angle and Triple H started off the match, but once Rousey got that tag while Triple H was laid outside the ring and McMahon knew what was laying ahead. Rousey was an absolute beast in the ring and even though there were some misses, she bounced back well and delivered some smooth maneuvers, like her new and improved twisting Samoan drop. Triple H eventually pulled Rousey out of the ring, prompting Rousey to challenge him one-on-one inside the ring and leveled him with a bunch of punches. It was like we were watching a mixed tag match back in the Attitude Era, but it was awesome.
After a few false finishes, Rousey finally got McMahon’s arms unlocked with her own shoulder and locked in the armbar as McMahon tapped immediately. What a great way for Rousey to make her in-ring debut, and she delivered.
This was absolutely the most entertaining match of the night.
The Bludgeon Brothers defeated The Usos © and New Day by pinfall in a Triple Threat Tag Team Match to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship
Even though it was cool to finally see the Tag Team Titles be decided on the main WrestleMania card, the match placement for this one after the Rousey/Angle match was tough for these teams. But they made the most of it and even in the “dead zone” of the event, delivered quite an entertaining match.
Luke Harper and Erick Rowan have been an impressive tag team for years in the company and were rewarded Sunday with a win over two of the best tag teams in the world. While I love the Usos and New Day, it’s time for some new blood to infiltrate the tag division. I’m interested to see how Harper and Rowan do with the titles.
The Undertaker defeated John Cena by pinfall
For most of the event, John Cena was chilling in the crowd as a fan. After the Asuka/Flair match, a referee approached Cena and told him The Undertaker was in the building. Cena came out after the SmackDown Tag Team Title match, music and all, but no Undertaker. Finally, the lights went out and when everyone was expecting the Dead Man, Elias’ famous guitar strum hit. And man, did he get booed mercilessly.
Elias walked to the ring for his own show, which was an amazing moment in itself. But once Cena laid waste to him, which we all knew was going to happen, Cena left the ring. On the ramp, he stopped, then the lights went out again. The spotlight came on with Undertaker’s boots, trench coat and hat laying in the middle of the ring, right where he left it at last year’s event in Orlando after losing to Roman Reigns.
Lightning struck his garb, the lights went out again, then the famous gong hit. The Undertaker was back.
Oh, and he squashed Cena in less than five minutes. Yep. That was a thing. All that… for that. But I’m not even mad.
Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon defeated Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn by submission
Daniel Bryan is back! He truly is something special. Owens and Zayn came from behind during their entrance to attack both Bryan and McMahon. They again powerbombed Bryan on the ring apron, which called for a stretcher job. McMahon would take on Owens and Zayn by himself for a while, but Bryan came down to save the day.
And he didn’t change a thing about his in-ring style like most of us thought he would. He did the same high-risk maneuvers, complete with the dropkick off the top rope that I’m not a huge fan of, and stayed down and held his head for a couple seconds before kipping up. He fooled us!
Bryan basically led the rest of the match and hit Zayn with his running knee and locked in the Yes Lock to win the match via submission. Great return for him to the ring.
Nia Jax defeated Alexa Bliss © by pinfall to win the Raw Women’s Championship
The storyline heading into this match was one WWE has told before - woman makes fun of another woman about her size and height and wits when they were supposed to be best friends. The premier good vs. evil type of stuff. Jax is now looked at as a beacon of light for those that relate to her in real life, which is something that can have a good effect on many people watching the programs each week on television.
In this one, which seemed less predictable than Asuka winning against Flair, which didn’t actually happen, the good overcame evil this time. Jax defeated Bliss after hitting her with a Samoan Drop off the top rope. Looking forward to her run with the title.
AJ Styles © defeated Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall to retain the WWE Championship
The rematch of Wrestle Kingdom 10 that nobody ever thought they would see in WWE took place in New Orleans Sunday night as one of the co-main events of the show. Yes, even though Nakamura won the 2018 men’s Royal Rumble match in Philly in January, he wasn’t the guy WWE pegged as going on last on this night. Instead, Lesnar and Reigns would have that honor, much to the surprise of nobody.
Because these two have wrestled before, their familiarity with each other resulted in crisp action back-and-forth. Nakamura kicked out of the Phenomenal Forearm and Styles kicked out of the Kinshasa, but the crowd didn’t really get into it. When Nakamura was going for another Kinshasa, Styles rolled him up into the Styles Clash and pinned him for the victory.
Crowd reaction for this one lacked big time, but Styles nor Nakamura really put on a dream match type of performance.
After the match was the bigger story. Nakamura presented Styles with the title while on one knee. Then he low blowed him and attacked him, finishing him off with a Kinshasa outside the ring. Heel Nakamura? WWE has my attention.
Braun Strowman and a fan named Nicholas defeated Sheamus and Cesaro to win the Raw Tag Team Championships
Well… Braun Strowman is a champion.
Strowman went all this time without naming a partner for himself in this match because he wanted to wait until he got to New Orleans to pick a random partner out of the crowd. And that he did. Strowman found a “random” fan Nicholas in the crowd to become his partner for the night.
And they won the titles. It happened. Whether this is the start of Strowman choosing random kids from the audience to be his partner or this is something more, it may be safe to say Strowman’s road to the Universal or WWE Championship.
According to PW Insider, Nicholas is the son of WWE official John Cone.
Brock Lesnar © defeated Roman Reigns by pinfall to retain the Universal Championship
While I thought WWE did a good job in building this match, it was clear from the start that the crowd in New Orleans didn’t care for it. Reigns was booed, Lesnar was booed, and there was no chance WWE could have saved this.
It’s pretty clear the fans have spoken. Reigns as champion just isn’t going to move the needle. At least not as a babyface, face of the company type. And Lesnar dominating him and winning after six F5’s proves that.
No matter what these guys tried to do, the crowd just wasn’t having it. There were reports from people in attendance that a beach ball was floating around in the crowd during this match, and there were a few audible, “Boring!” and “This is awful!” chants coming through the audio feed. It couldn’t have been worse. Even a huge gash on the head by Lesnar to Reigns couldn’t get the crowd into the match.
It was more blood than we’ve seen in a decade-plus in WWE. And even in the midst of rumors of Lesnar leaving WWE to go back to UFC, WWE decided to keep the Universal Championship on him. That is probably the most interesting thing coming out of this pay-per-view. Did Lesnar sign a new deal? Does he have one month left? Will he drop the title Monday night on Raw? There are plenty more questions now than there were 24 hours ago.
And maybe that’s exactly what WWE wanted.
Nick Piccone
Read more Wrestlemania WWE New Orleans The USOS The New Day The Miz Asuka Seth Rollins Braun Strowman CHARLOTTE FLAIR Wrestling Ronda Rousey Daniel Bryan
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PAULA + ANGIE
60th Annual GRAMMY® Awards
Ballot Considerations
Gospel Recorded Song of the Year
Vocal & Music Arranging
Producer of the Year
47th Annual Dove Awards
Ballot Consideration
Contemporary/Urban
Recorded Song of the Year
Traditional Recorded Album of the Year
Traditional Recorded Song of the Year
Prayze Factor Awards Winner
Traditional Gospel Group
of the Year (2015, 2019)
Alternative Christian Duo/Group (2018, 2019)
Producer of the Year, Angie (2019)
2018 S&M Indie Music Awards
Contemporary Group of the Year Winner
DIGITAL DOWNLOADS & CDs
"MERGED"
Merged is the brand new 2019 EP release from G2 Music featuring Paula & Angie and Remain Anchored. It contains original music as well as a mix of Contemporary Christian, Soul, and Gospel. Favorites include "Move (Keep Walking)" and "Take Me to the King (Acoustic)." Order your copy TODAY!!
$11.99 USD (includes shipping)
"WHERE DO WE GO"
Where Do We Go is the brand new 2017 studio CD release from Paula & Angie. It contains original music from Angie as well as a wonderful mix of classics from Contemporary Christian, Praise & Worship, Soul, Urban Gospel and Southern Gospel. Favorites include "Where Do We Go," "No Longer Slaves," "War," and "He Is Here." This is their best collection of music and you'll want to order your copy TODAY!!
"SOON & VERY SOON"
Soon & Very Soon is the 2016 release from Paula & Angie. It contains fresh arrangements of the classics, "Soon & Very Soon" and "God on the Mountain (Medley)." Make sure you order your copy TODAY!!
$6.00 USD (includes shipping)
"#WORSHIP"
2015-2020 by Paula + Angie Music Corp.
G2 Music Group
Paula + Angie Music
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Giving Online Learning a Try With a Crash Course in Robot Ethics
I recently took a Philosophy of Technology and Design class through FutureLearn, but did it make me a massive open online course (MOOC) convert?
By S.C. Stuart
“Artificial intelligence is increasingly used for applications, like drug discovery or the connected car, that can have a detrimental impact to human life if the incorrect decision is made. Many AI frameworks are a black box with many layers of computation getting built within as the framework learns from various data points. Detecting exactly what caused the final incorrect decision leading to a serious problem is something enterprises will start to look at in 2018. This might be a result of a serious AI blunder, which is unfortunately bound to happen eventually. Auditing and tracking every input and every score that a framework produces will help with detecting the human-written code that ultimately caused the problem.”—Nima Negahban, CTO and co-founder of Kinetica
It's 6 a.m. in Los Angeles, but I have a fresh pot of coffee beside me, and I'm ready for class to begin.
Class, in this case, is being conducted through my computer. I'm enrolled in a massive open online course (MOOC) through FutureLearn, and for the past three weeks, my Philosophy of Technology and Design class has studied the challenges (and opportunities) between humans and our emerging silicon cousins (robots, automated transportation, and other things as yet uninvented).
Our professor, Dr. Peter-Paul Verbeek, is from the University of Twente in the Netherlands, while my classmates include AI researchers, industrial engineers from Indonesia, a civil engineer from South Korea, system designer from India, quite a few educators from Western Europe, and at least nine PhDs from Denmark, Italy, UK, and the US.
We're not alone. According to stats from Class Central, at least 23 million people registered for a MOOC for the first time in 2016; overall, 58 million students at 700+ universities took 6,850 online courses worldwide last year.
A Crash Course in 'PhilTech'
In my Philosophy of Technology class, we started with a primer in—new jargon alert!—PhilTech concepts, from the "classical" approaches of Martin Heidegger and Karl Jaspers up to the current instrumentalism view, where tech is an instrument of human desires and goals, versus determinism (tech evolution changes society itself).
Then we looked at tech devices, specifically robots, as "mediating" between us and the world, particularly when used in teaching and health care as assistants. These so-called social robots are designed to recognize and interpret human behavior, then respond appropriately.
One example the professor provided was a security robot in a shopping mall that needs to know whether people are inciting a riot or merely dancing merrily in a flash mob. Most human-robot interaction designers do this by embedding socio-emotive A.I. (like Affectiva) so robots can examine facial cues. So beware if you're glowering to goth music, as robots could misinterpret your dance moves as nefarious activity.
Week three focused on ethics, morals, and behavior-influencing technology. Are there ethics in things? The short answer, our professor explained, is no. Things don't possess intent; only humans do. But, Dr. Verbeek continued, technologies can be seen as moral agents.
"Ethical actions and decisions are not taken in a vacuum, but within a context in which technologies inevitably play a role. Technologies mediate ethics, mediate morality," he said. "They inform our ethical choices, our ethical behavior and therefore, we need to deal with mediations in a responsible way, when we use design or implement technologies."
Dr. Verbeek then asked, "So, can we design moral technologies?"—a concept which, I admit, I'd never really considered.
"In the same way that automatic turnstiles are designed to prevent people from entering the metro without a ticket, technologies can be designed that stimulate environmentally friendly behavior and discourage environmentally unfriendly behaviour, such as speed limiters in automobiles or water-saving showerheads," Dr. Verbeek said
If you're curious, here's a TedX speech he gave on this:
A MOOC Convert?
So, having finished the three week MOOC, how did I fare?
It was certainly different to my student days at the University of London many (many) years ago. The MOOC had an appealingly clean UI, and it was simple to navigate through the various tasks; a progress bar let you know where you were in the allotted steps.
I enjoyed being able to watch videos, read the transcript, go to discussions to review what my fellow students thought, complete textual responses to the professor's questions (without fighting for attention in a lecture hall or sitting through a boring response from the teacher's pet), and then mark as complete—all from the comforts of my Life/Work space in Los Angeles.
I didn't pay to be "graded," though. For how I currently earn my living, I don't feel I need any more qualifications. But I'm open to the idea, and that is part of the FutureLearn business model, after all.
Of course participating in a MOOC is a great way for educational establishments to source bright international students. Professor Verbeek has open enrollment to his Master's program—Philosophy of Science Technology and Society—and, judging from the conversation in the threaded discussions after each week's assignments, at least some of my fellow students are considering it.
In an email, Dr. Verbeek said he sees the MOOC as an ideal new way to bring the latest academic insights to those outside a traditional college campus.
"For me, offering a MOOC on our current work is an important way to connect academia and society. I regard it as our social responsibility to bring philosophical insights to social contexts where they can be helpful and meaningful," he said. "It's very inspiring to me that people with so many different backgrounds participated in the MOOC. I really hope that it gave them refreshing new views and insights, and helps them to think more critically and perhaps even responsibly about technology in their daily life and work."
The best aspect, for me, was access to truly interesting thinkers—over 5,600 miles away—and taking the time to ponder subjects that intrigue me, without committing to expensive travel. Through the MOOC, I obtained a clearer understanding of the design issues inherent in human-robot interaction, and know it will inform my future reporting for PCMag on this emerging field.
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About S.C. Stuart
S. C. Stuart is an award-winning digital strategist and technology commentator for ELLE China, Esquire Latino, Singularity Hub, and PCMag, covering: artificial intelligence; augmented, virtual, and mixed reality; DARPA; NASA; US Army Cyber Command; sci-fi in Hollywood (including interviews with Spike Jonze and Ridley Scott); and robotics (real-life encounters with over 27 robots and counting). Follow S.C. on Twitter @SCStuart2020
Read the latest from S.C. Stuart
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Gartner: The Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2012
By Michael Cooney
Network World |
ORLANDO -- The technology that makes up many of the systems in the IT world today is at a critical juncture and in the next five years everything from mobile devices and applications to servers and social networking will impact IT in ways companies need to prepare for now, Gartner Vice President David Cearley says.
[GARTNER: 10 key IT trends for 2012]
For example, enterprises will need to invest capital to improve network capacity and reliability. They will also need to improve wireless governance to improve wireless manageability and service levels, Cearley told attendees of the Gartner Symposium IT/Expo this week. At the annual presentation of Gartner's popular Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends presentation, Cearley offered the following as examples of the way the tech world is changing:
• 30 billion pieces of content were added to Facebook this past month.
• Worldwide IP traffic will quadruple by 2015.
• More than 2 billion videos were watched on YouTube ... yesterday.
• The average teenager sends 4,762 text messages per month.
[ Further reading: Best NAS boxes for media streaming and backup ]
• 32 billion searches were performed last month ... on Twitter.
So what issues need to be on IT's radar screen for 2012? Here's a look at the Top 10 Tech Trends and the implications of those issues according to Gartner:
1. Media tablets and beyond: Bring-your-own-technology at work has become the norm, not the exception. With that come security and management challenges that IT needs to address. By 2015 media tablet shipments will reach around 50% of laptop shipments and Windows 8 will likely be in third place behind Android and Apple. The net result is that Microsoft's share of the client platform, be it PC, tablet or smartphone, will likely be reduced to 60% and it could fall below 50%, Cearley says. The implication for IT is that the era of PC dominance with Windows as the single platform will be replaced with a post-PC era where Windows is one of a variety of environments IT will need to support. In the smartphone arena, prices will fall to $75 for entry-level devices in 2012 with faster two- and four-core processors, and with bigger, brighter, higher-resolution screens, plus 3D, HD video and more sensors such as gyros, compasses and barometers driving greater features into high-end devices. While iOS dominates the tablet market today, Gartner says it expects iOS/Android will dominate the market with 80% of tablets shipped by 2015.
2. Mobile-centric applications and interfaces: Here touch, gesture and voice search is going to change the way mobile apps work in the future, Cearley says. By 2014, there will be more than 70 billion mobile application downloads from app stores every year. By 2014, at least half of the tools optimized for app store application development in 2010 will have been acquired or will have ceased to exist.
3. Social and contextual user experience: According to Gartner, context-aware computing uses information about an end user's or object's environment, activities connections and preferences to improve the quality of interaction with that end user or object. A contextually aware system anticipates the user's needs and proactively serves up the most appropriate and customized content, product or service. The tipping point here could be technology such as near-field communications getting into more and more devices. Some interesting facts here: By 2015, 40% of the world's smartphone users will opt in to context service providers that track their activities with Google, Microsoft, Nokia and Apple continuously tracking daily journeys and digital habits for 10% of the world population by 2015, Cearley says.
4. Application stores and marketplace: The key here is the rise of enterprise application stores that can develop specific apps for users. This will let IT manage and control certain apps. But embracing the idea of user choice might be a difficult concept for enterprise IT to embrace, Cearley says. Enterprises should use a managed diversity approach to focus app store efforts and segment apps by risk and value. Where the business value of an app is low and the potential risk, such as the loss of sensitive data, is high, apps might be blocked entirely.
5. The Internet of everything: The idea here is that we are building on pervasive computing where cameras, sensors, microphones, image recognition -- everything -- is now part of the environment. Remote sensing of everything from electricity to air conditioning use is now part of the network. In addition, increasingly intelligent devices create issues such as privacy concerns. Eventually IT will need some central unified management of all these devices, Cearley says.
6. Next-generation analytics: Most enterprises have reached the point in the improvement of performance and costs where Cearley says they can afford to perform analytics and simulation for every action taken in the business. Not only will data center systems be able to do this, but mobile devices will have access to data and enough capability to perform analytics themselves, potentially enabling use of optimization and simulation everywhere. Going forward, IT can focus on developing analytics that enable and track collaborative decision making.
7. Big data: Big data has quickly emerged as a significant challenge for IT leaders. The term only became popular in 2009. By February 2011, a Google search on "big data" yielded 2.9 million hits, and vendors now advertise their products as solutions to the big data challenge. The key thing enterprises have to realize is that they just can't store it all. There are new techniques to handle extreme data, such as Apache Hadoop, but companies will have to develop new skills to effectively use these technologies, Cearley says.
8. In-memory computing: We will see huge use of flash memory in consumer devices, entertainment devices, equipment and other embedded IT systems. In addition, flash offers a new layer of the memory hierarchy in servers and client computers that has key advantages -- space, heat, performance and ruggedness among them. Unlike RAM, the main memory in servers and PCs, flash memory is persistent even when power is removed. In that way, it looks more like disk drives where we place information that must survive power-downs and reboots, yet it has much of the speed of memory, far faster than a disk drive. As lower-cost -- and lower-quality -- flash is used in the data center, software that can optimize the use of flash and minimize the endurance cycles becomes critical. Users and IT providers should look at in-memory computing as a long-term technology trend that could have a disruptive impact comparable to that of cloud computing, Cearley says.
9. Extreme low-energy servers: What if you could turn 10 virtual machines in one box into 40 slow physical servers that are tiny and use very low amounts of energy? There is a call for this type of computing to handle big data. For example, thousands of these little processors could work on a Hadoop process, Cearley says. Gartner says that 10%-15% of enterprise workloads are good for this. Moving the application from 10 images to 40 slower, less capable machines will only deliver on that promise if the software will perform the same. Server technologies are going to change to handle big data.
10. Cloud computing: This topic went from No. 1 last year to No. 10 this year, but it's still an important trend. It will become the next-generation battleground for the likes of Google and Amazon. Going forward, enterprise IT will be concerned with developing hybrid private/public cloud apps, improving security and governance, Cearley says.
Read more about infrastructure management in Network World's Infrastructure Management section.
This story, "Gartner: The Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2012" was originally published by Network World.
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Here’s how Year One of legal cannabis in…
Here’s how Year One of legal cannabis in California played out
Many hope playing by the rules will be more profitable in 2019
CEO Ken Churchill, left, makes the first sale of the day to his friend Ryan Gil at 6 a.m. at West Coast Cannabis Club in Cathedral City, CA., Monday, January 1, 2018. Today is the first day that recreational marijuana can be sold in California. (Staff photo by Jennifer Cappuccio Maher/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
By Brooke Staggs | bstaggs@scng.com | Orange County Register
PUBLISHED: December 28, 2018 at 1:56 pm | UPDATED: December 30, 2018 at 5:34 pm
Decades from now, anyone looking back at California history will note 2018 for one major change: the year recreational cannabis became legal. The sky clearly didn’t fall.
Some hospitals reported upticks in marijuana-related visits, but reliable data on that issue is a couple years out. And other early reports suggest teen use is down, arrests are plummeting and accidental pet consumption is leveling off.
For the marijuana industry, however, the year was a rocky one, as California struggled in the early steps of legitimizing the world’s largest cannabis market. “I’ve worked in this industry for a decade, and things are now the most financially tight as they’ve ever been,” said Luke Maroney, cofounder of Lucky Box Club, a subscription service for cannabis products.
The growing pains aren’t going away overnight, though everyone in the industry is hopeful that 2019 will bring stability.
“I am optimistic about the coming year,” said Lori Ajax, chief of California’s Bureau of Cannabis Control. “Our focus will be primarily on getting more businesses licensed and increasing enforcement efforts on the illegal market.
To see how industry leaders felt about the past year, read this.
Rocky rollout
Just a few dozen California cities permitted shops when the state launched recreational cannabis sales on Jan. 1. Over the next few weeks, more jurisdictions opened their markets, including Los Angeles and San Francisco. But the pace overall has been slow. A database compiled by Southern California News Group showing only 14 percent of California’s cities and counties currently permit recreational marijuana sales.
In the first legal test of how far California cities can go in limiting residents’ rights under Proposition 64, a judge in November ruled against Fontana’s strict rules for people growing marijuana at home.
But local bans mean some Californians still have to drive 100 miles or more to buy legal cannabis, with medical patients in particular feeling left behind. The bans also have had the unintended effect of boosting the illicit side of the market, with unlicensed shops growing stronger, in part because of high taxes on regulated products.
Other problems have slowed the legal weed industry. Most legal businesses are still operating with stop-gap licenses issued under emergency regulations that have been phased in throughout the year. A ew batch of rules that took effect July 1, leading to temporary shortages at some shops. Also, the planned roll-out of a statewide tracking system has been delayed. Meanwhile, strict new testing standards have led to recalls of millions of dollars in cannabis products.
“I don’t know anybody right now who is really thriving,” said Casey O’Neill, a longtime Mendocino County cannabis farmer.
Social equity programs, aimed at leveling the playing field for people of color by easing the licensing process for people who have been harmed by former marijuana enforcement policies, also have floundered in 2018, though Oakland did open its first social equity shop in November.
Many in the industry also find themselves at odds with neighbors over odors from marijuana farms, with some non-weed businesses threatening to leave if marijuana operations move in.
Combined, the challenges limited marijuana tax revenue in 2018, with yields $100 million below what Gov. Jerry Brown budgeted for the first six months of the year.
Still, the industry is growing. Ajax points out the state issued more than 8,400 licenses to cannabis-related businesses in 2018. Tax revenues also rose in each quarter.
Regulators also incorporated feedback from the industry into final regulations, which are pending. And state officials are partnering with law enforcement to begin cracking down on illicit cannabis businesses.
Federal changes at play
As California’s legal market launched in 2018, the state also was touched by changes in federal marijuana policies.
In June, the Food and Drug Administration sanctioned the first drug made from cannabis. Epidiolex is already controlling severe seizures for California patients, including a teenage girl from Yorba Linda.
California cannabis operations businesses saw opportunity for growth in October, when Canada became the second country to open a commercial marijuana market. And, in the Nov. 6 midterm elections, Michigan voted to legalize recreational cannabis while Utah and Missouri approved medical marijuana.
The industry also celebrated news that Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was an outspoken opponent of legal marijuana, resigned the day after the election.
Then in December, President Donald Trump signed a Farm Bill that legalizes hemp. That bolstered an already-booming industry for CBD, a compound in cannabis that doesn’t make consumers high but is said to provide an array of medical benefits.
What’s coming in 2019?
Advocates hope 2019 will bring more shifts in federal policy, with Sessions out, Democrats in control of the House, and support for marijuana regulation crossing party lines.
“I believe that cannabis will become federally legal and regulated in 2019,” said Carly Bodmer with GrowFlow, which makes compliance software for the industry. “It’s a big statement, but I think this is the year.”
Either way, upheaval will continue in California.
There’s positive change coming for cannabis festivals, which struggled to find legal venues in 2018. Starting Jan. 1, cities can sanction events that permit marijuana sales and consumption just about anywhere they want.
Final state regulations will let licensed services deliver cannabis even if a given city has blocked commercial businesses. Some jurisdictions and law enforcement groups are opposing that rule, with talk of a lawsuit looming.
Cannabis collectives, long permitted under medical marijuana laws, must shut down or get licensed by Jan. 9.
New testing requirements will also kick in soon, which some fear could trigger more product shortages.
“I’d like to say I’m hopeful for 2019,” said cannabis farmer O’Neill. “But it’s pretty tough.”
Brooke Staggs
Brooke Edwards Staggs covers state and federal politics through an Orange County lens, plus the politics, business and culture of cannabis in California. Journalism has led Staggs to a manhunt in Las Vegas, a zero gravity flight over Queens and a fishing village in Ghana. The Big Bear native is addicted to education. She earned her bachelors degree in English from California Baptist University, then got her master's in education as she taught high school English in the Inland Empire. After four years in the classroom, she left in 2006 to be a student again herself, earning a masters degree in journalism from New York University while interning and freelancing for a variety of publications. She sees journalism as another form of teaching, helping readers make informed decisions and better understand the world around them. Staggs spent five years as a staff writer then city editor at the Daily Press in Victorville. She joined the Orange County Register in January 2013, covering several Orange County communities before taking on the marijuana beat in February 2016 and the politics beat in April 2019. That work has earned her first-place wins in the Best of the West, California Journalism Awards and Orange County Press Club competitions. On occasion, she also teaches community college and ghostwrites nonfiction books. Staggs loves dancing and new adventures. She hates water slides and injustice. If she doesn’t get right back to you, there’s a good chance she’s sitting with her DJ husband on a plane or train or boat destined for somewhere – anywhere – they’ve never been.
Follow Brooke Staggs @JournoBrooke
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The Short Novels of John Steinbeck
(Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
By John Steinbeck
Part of Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition
Category: Literary Fiction | Fiction Classics
Jul 08, 2009 | ISBN 9780143105770
About The Short Novels of John Steinbeck
A Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition of Steinbeck’s brilliant short novels
Collected here for the first time in a deluxe paperback volume are six of John Steinbeck’s most widely read and beloved novels. From the tale of commitment, loneliness and hope in Of Mice and Men, to the tough yet charming portrait of people on the margins of society in Cannery Row, to The Pearl’s examination of the fallacy of the American dream, Steinbeck stories of realism, that were imbued with energy and resilience.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
Also in Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition
Also by John Steinbeck
See all books by John Steinbeck
About John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck, born in Salinas, California, in 1902, grew up in a fertile agricultural valley, about 25 miles from the Pacific Coast. Both the valley and the coast would serve as settings for some of his best fiction. In 1919… More about John Steinbeck
Published by Penguin Classics
Jul 08, 2009 | 624 Pages | 5-5/8 x 8-7/16 | ISBN 9780143105770
Ebook | $7.99
Jul 08, 2009 | 624 Pages | ISBN 9781101138878
People Who Read The Short Novels of John Steinbeck Also Read
By the Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature
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Pengwin's Terms Of Service
1.Scope
1.1 PENGWIN – operated under the legal entity Social Zynapz Co., Ltd., with registered Office in 281/19-23 Level 6, Room 605, Silom Soi 1, Silom Road, Silom Sub-District, Bangrak District, Bangkok 10500, Thailand, Registration Number 0105562066814, hereinafter referred to as “PENGWIN”, offers you a social media software-plugin (hereinafter “Tool”) to i.a. book, pay, and track shipping services as simple as possible by using the functions provided in the Tool, e.g. the function to request price quotes for shipments, to receive shipping labels and/or tracking numbers in order to process your shipment and other related functions (all together “Functions”).
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The parties to the agreements for the usage of the Tool and the Transportation Services provided via the Tool are PENGWIN and you, as a sender of shipments on social media-platforms, -applications etc. With regard to the Transportation Services PENGWIN acts as an authorized dealer of the according transportation services providers, that are subcontractors of PENGWIN, i.e. a transportation contract is entered into between PENGWIN and you as the sender (“Transportation Contract”) based on the T&Cs as set out below. PENGWIN and you may also be jointly called “the Parties”.
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You shall use the Tool only for the PENGWIN related purposes set out in Section I. 1.1. You are not allowed to (a) modify, interfere with, disable any features, functionality or security controls of the Tool and its Functions; (b) defeat, avoid, bypass, remove, deactivate or otherwise circumvent any protection mechanisms of the Tool and its Functions, or (c) reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble or derive source code, underlying ideas, algorithms, structure or organizational form of the Tool and its Functions.
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PENGWIN will collect, store and process personal data provided by you in the Tool as required for the provision and invoicing of PENGWIN´s services, in accordance with applicable laws and the PENGWIN Data Privacy Policy. The PENGWIN Data Privacy Policy is available here.
8.Liability
To the extent permitted by law, in no event PENGWIN, its affiliates or agents shall be liable for any incidental, indirect, exemplary, punitive and consequential damages, lost profits, or damages resulting from lost data or business interruption or otherwise resulting from the use of or inability to use PENGWIN, whether based on warranty, contract, tort, delict, or any other legal theory, and whether or not PENGWIN is advised of the possibility of such damages.
The Tool may contain links to other independent third party websites (“Linked Sites”). These Linked Sites are not under PENGWIN’s control and PENGWIN is not responsible for and does not endorse the content of such Linked Sites, including any information or materials contained in such Linked Sites.
You hereby indemnify PENGWIN to the fullest extent from and against any and all liabilities, costs, demands, causes of action, damages and expenses arising out of or in any way related to the breach of any of the provisions of these Terms of Use by You.
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1.Transportation Contract
Parties to the Transportation Contract
PENGWIN is your contractual partner with regard to the Transportation Contract. In order to render the contractually agreed Transportation Services, PENGWIN subcontracts the transportation services provider previously selected by you within the Tool.
Conclusion of the Transportation Contract
By clicking the button “Purchase Shipment” you confirm the previously entered transport order including all specified information, e.g. sender details, recipient details, and submit a binding offer to PENGWIN. PENGWIN accepts this offer by charging you according to Section II 2 below or by sending you the tracking number and/or shipping label for your shipment, whichever comes first.
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More information on the nearest Drop-off point is provided in the Tool (esp. as a link to location finders of the according transportation services provider).
Terms and Conditions of the Transportation Contract
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3.2 Besides this, the Tool provides for the possibility to archive your shipments.
4.Track & Trace
The Tool provides for a „track and trace“-service, i.e. the relevant tracking events in connection with your shipment can be retrieved by you and/or the receiver of the shipment (via link to the according transportation service providers „track and trace-portal“ or via Application Programming Interface to such portal). Please see our Privacy Policy for further information.
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The above ToS and T&Cs shall be governed by the laws of Thailand. The place of jurisdiction for any and all disputes in relation to the rights and obligations of the Parties arising from these ToS and/or the T&Cs shall be Thailand.
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Version April 2019
Link to Privacy Policy
Link to DHL T&Cs (Thai)
Link to Prohibited Items
Shippers T&C
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Air Wisconsin flight attendants move toward strike amid unrest in wage negotiations
Air Wisconsin Airlines flight attendants have asked a federal mediator to suspend contract negotiations, clearing way to a potential strike.
Air Wisconsin flight attendants move toward strike amid unrest in wage negotiations Air Wisconsin Airlines flight attendants have asked a federal mediator to suspend contract negotiations, clearing way to a potential strike. Check out this story on postcrescent.com: https://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/2019/05/10/air-wisconsin-flight-attendants-move-toward-strike-amid-wage-dispute/1163399001/
Mica Soellner, Appleton Post-Crescent Published 11:58 a.m. CT May 10, 2019
Air Wisconsin Airlines is headquarted in Appleton and operates out of the Appleton International Airport in Greenville. (Photo: Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis, Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis)
Air Wisconsin Airlines flight attendants have asked a federal mediator to suspend contract negotiations with the company, moving closer to a potential strike.
Flight attendants have been holding protests across the country to seek higher wages. In March, attendants protested at the company's Appleton headquarters, which operates out of the Appleton International Airport in Greenville.
"It's been three years that we've been in negotiations," said Ernie Lazernick, president of the Air Wisconsin unit of AFA-CWA. "We've been on the same pay scale now for 12 years, and our new hire flight attendants can make as little as $15,000 a year."
The company's flight attendants have not had a pay increase since 2007. Unlike a standard 40 hours a week most employees work, flight attendants are paid "block time," meaning they are paid from when the airline doors close to when they open.
The company has responded with a 2 percent raise offer, which was turned down by the flight attendants.
"They keep telling us that they can't afford to pay us, yet they just hired a new president, so they've got money. They just don't want to spend it on the flight attendants," Lazernick said.
In a letter submitted to the National Mediation Board, the Association of Flight Attendants said it believes the move is necessary to move the parties into an agreement. The next step is a 30-day cooling-off period ending with a strike deadline.
RELATED: Air Wisconsin flight attendants seek higher wages in protest at Appleton International Airport facility
RELATED: Outagamie County will get $126,000 to support Air Wisconsin expansion
"It's not that we want to go on strike," Lazernick said. "We want a fair contract. We don't want to hurt our airline. We want them to wake up and take care of their employees."
Contact Mica Soellner at 920-996-7226 or msoellner@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @micasoellner.
Read or Share this story: https://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/2019/05/10/air-wisconsin-flight-attendants-move-toward-strike-amid-wage-dispute/1163399001/
Wautoma man seriously injured after single-vehicle crash near Omro
Little Chute Superintendent David Botz will retire in June after 16 years at helm
$100,000 'All or Nothing' ticket purchased in Menasha still unclaimed
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£840m Cordant becomes UK’s biggest social enterprise
Lee Mannion 12th September 2017
The Cordant Group, a recruitment and facility services business with a turnover of £840m, says it has become the UK's largest social enterprise.
Announcing the move from corporate to social enterprise, Cordant, which is the UK's second largest recruiter, released a statement which said: “The decision to become a social enterprise, taken unilaterally by Phillip Ullmann, executive chairman, and the entire board is driven by a desire to improve lives and change society, one community at a time.”
The Cordant Group employed 125,000 people with 5,000 clients last year. According to its latest annual report for the year ending December 2016, its turnover was £1.2bn with a pre-tax loss of £9m. The company's PR firm confirmed to Pioneers Post today that the current turnover is £840m.
The largest social enterprise in the latest data report from the SE100 Index, the biggest survey of the UK's social enterprise sector's turnover, profitability and employment, is the Anchor Trust with a turnover of £367m.
The Cordant Group states that in its transition to becoming a social enterprise it has already changed its articles of association to include a series of social commitments, capped annual shareholder dividends and capped all executive salaries at £400,000 (20 times that of the lowest paid workers). Beyond that, it has also developed a number of plans which reflect its social mission.
Executive chairman Phillip Ullmann (who has rebranded himself ‘chief energiser’ in the release) has expanded on how the company will become a social enterprise in a longer interview that will be published by Pioneers Post tomorrow.
In the interview, Ullmann tells Pioneers Post he has made the changes as “fundamentally, society and capitalism are not working”.
Ullman hopes to create social impact in two of the sectors in which Cordant already employs people: education and healthcare. Once shareholder requirements are satisfied, the remaining profits will be channelled into various projects to address the needs of society. These are currently in a “discussion/design phase”.
The company has been working with education guru Richard Gerver to create an interactive workshop week which it hopes will improve teacher and pupil engagement.
In healthcare, Cordant is offering to build IT platforms at zero cost that will improve the delivery and quality of care.
It intends to create a platform that the NHS can use to offer shifts directly to healthcare professionals which it hopes will save the service money by avoiding the need for recruitment agencies.
The company also hopes to find ways for employees to find work more rewarding, citing disengagement levels as high as 90% in some surveys.
Excess profits after dividends and any profit share will be reinvested for the benefit of society at large rather than for shareholders. Cordant is owned by three branches of the Ullman family.
Ullmann commented: “Our dream of building a genuine, global social enterprise that can delight people and improve the lives of thousands if not millions is now being realised.”
The changes will take place over five years and Bates Wells Braithwaite will be assessing the social impact created annually.
Cordant
Phillip Ullmann
Bates Wells
Collection: Reshaping Public Services
Time to reimagine healthcare?
"Health is wellness, not absence of illness," says Gemma Self of healthcare consultancy Reimagine Health. Self is striving to get the NHS to take a more holistic view of patient care, with intervention before people become ill.
Francesca Baker
Collection: Global Perspectives on Social Enterprise
Social enterprise and education: disrupting global curriculums
In a preview feature from the Pioneers Post Guide to Education and Training for Social Entrepreneurs, Ellie Ward reports on ways universities around the world are seeking out ways to support the social enterprise ecosystem.
Ellie Ward
Make time for real learning and development
In seeking meaningful work, top talent is more interested in working in the social impact sector than ever before. To capitalise on this, organisations must understand what such candidates value.
Gaby Fisch
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Post-Production (23)
Pixelz (38)
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Pixelz Blog
Get insight into product photography, post-production, and eCommerce product image best practices.
How Pixelz is using AI to automate retouching (or how to mask a million images in 30 seconds)
by Dave Kensell
Neural Networks are here, and they're changing product image editing forever.
AI (Artificial Intelligence) is a buzzword these days, as self-driving cars and warnings of apocalyptic super-intelligences make mainstream headlines. Whether you fear the end of humanity or are just looking forward to making small talk with a jaded robot cab driver (“Driver! Engage the ‘It sure is hot out today!’ routine.”), you can’t avoid the subject: and you shouldn’t.
You should be taking advantage of it.
AI is practically built for e-commerce image editing (thank you MIT, Google, Microsoft, and Adobe)
If you’re not already using AI to work smarter, you’re falling behind. Automation is one of the greatest efficiencies to be found in any workflow, and that’s especially true in expensive yet repetitive work like product photography and post-production.
In fact, today’s AI are nearly perfectly aligned with e-commerce image editing needs. Why?
The best minds in tech are intensely focused on AI image classification
Standard input + standard output = actionable exploits
You can use the cloud to autoscale AI
Before I awe (or bore) you, here’s some quick background on what Pixelz is already doing with AI. It’s not just theory to us, or something to look at in the future. The development of AI is driving our company—it was key to our recent round of Series A funding—and has been for a long time.
Automate Retouching
Put product image editing on autopilot with the most advanced retouching service around.
30M+ images retouched
Next morning delivery
10 free image edits
Pixelz is 20% automated (and will be 50% by 2019)
We’re deep believers in standardization, automation, and quality prioritization. Why? Because lean production has proven time and time again that it produces better quality, faster, and more efficiently in virtually every industry.
Images are edited in micro-steps by specialists and automation, with all Photoshop activity logged.
That’s why we built S.A.W.™, a Photoshop assembly line for product image editing. S.A.W.™ breaks image editing down into small steps that are completed by a blend of specialist human editors, AI, and scripts.
In fact, 20% of our image editing is automated—and that’s steadily increasing.
As our CEO, Thomas Kragelund, recently told Forbes, “We estimate 50% of our post-production will be automated by 2019, which is possible because we’ve been analyzing a massive amount of data. We’ve been tracking our Photoshop activity for years — all retouching happens in our proprietary Photoshop extension — so we’ve got data on millions of images, and that knowledge guides us. Image editing is complex, but breaking it down into hundreds of microsteps allows us to train AI precisely. The data practically makes decisions for us, and that’s extremely exciting.”
So how does it work? How can AI be integrated into post-production?
First, you need something like S.A.W.™. Because we break image editing down into component steps, we’re able to isolate individual processes and train intelligences to contained tasks. Controlling the input is critical: it limits exceptions and other “special” cases that are difficult for an AI to handle—just like humans.
A human drawn trimap assists AI masking in an assembly line workflow.
For example, in a product photo the product is usually in the center of the image, and we typically have an idea what kind of product a customer will be uploading. That makes it much easier to train an AI to draw a mask around the product. We also can use humans to identify edges before sending to the AI, and to validate results immediately after a step is completed—further training the AI.
Let’s start with a real life example.
Using AI to remove moles (It works! But nobody wants it...)
Before and after of AI mole removal.
One of our earliest functional AI was trained to remove moles during skin retouching. We used traditional algorithms to first detect skin, then another algorithm to detect “candidates” (potential moles to remove), and then used an AI to classify those candidates.
Mole candidates were determined based on color difference with the skin. Seems straightforward—and that’s why there are existing algorithms for it—but the problem we encountered was that loose hair triggered false positives. The job of the AI was to classify moles and not-moles, and to train it we fed it 65,000 images of moles and non-moles, sorted manually (fun job!).
Mole photos used to train AI.
Not-moles (hair) used to train AI.
After the moles and not-moles were properly classified, we used a standard Photoshop script to remove them.
The project worked! We successfully automated mole removal—but in the meantime, trends changed, and nowadays most of our clients prefer a natural look complete with moles. But it was mostly a research project anyway, and its success propelled us further down the AI path.
Using AI as traffic control (Toothbrushes to the left, chairs to the right!)
At Pixelz today, the bulk of our AI is focused on classifying images after upload: basically, looking at a photo and figuring out what’s in it. Much like in our “mole or not-mole” example, but with far broader parameters. Is there a model? A mannequin? Shoe? Bottle? Table? Etc.
It takes a well-trained AI to classify products in creative laydowns.
Maybe that sounds simple to you (“My two year old can tell whether there’s a person in a photo or not!”), but it’s actually one of the single biggest challenges in artificial intelligence. The human brain excels at visual and auditory input interpretation, and what children intuit without seeming effort can stump supercomputers. Almost all the latest, coolest, and most popular AI revolves around image and audio recognition.
“This is why self driving cars come loaded with many types of sensors.” src: MIT Technology Review
Self-driving cars? That’s image interpretation, and lives literally depend on it (and radar and lidar, hopefully).
Alexa? Siri? Google Home? Speech recognition.
Translating street signs with your phone and a camera app? Image classification. Spotting warning signs of cancer in x-rays? Image classification. You get the idea.
So yes, Pixelz’ AI primarily classifies images (using an architecture known as “Inception” in a “GoogLeNet” designed by—you guessed it—Google). The first time it does so is during a stage we call “image preparation.”
Image preparation is the first step all images go through, and it determines the future steps for each image. The bulk of it is categorization: as our COO Jakob Osterby says, “If you had the same input every time, it wouldn't be a problem because you know the object. But it could be a chair, it could be a toothbrush, or it could be a jacket. If it’s a jacket, there’s a big difference between leather and fur.”
Fortunately for us, we do have some expectations regarding the input because customers setup specifications for products ahead of time, but even so there’s still a lot of variance. “If there’s a prop, if there’s not a prop, that’s a huge difference in our workflow,” says Jakob. “Maybe a template doesn't have a retouching step. But if there's a prop in front of the object—could be a hanger, a fishing line, or a bag stand—we're going to remove it.”
The AI and human hybrid (Not a cyborg)
AI not only sorts images by type during image prep, it assigns complexity scores based on things like facial recognition, background contrast, points in a layer mask, and the presence of skin.
That score helps to determine costs, timelines, and which AI or specialist editor an image is routed to. “Having AI in classification, classifying something that helps another AI model algorithm perform something later on, I think that's a beautiful thing,” says Jakob.
High contrast photos are relatively easy for AI drawn masks.
Let’s look at a quick but realistic (and important!) example.
One of the things the AI detects is contrast against background. To take our earlier example, a black leather jacket will have a higher contrast against a white background than a white fur coat. The black leather jacket may be routed directly to an AI for automatic background removal, while the low contrast white-on-white image is routed to an editor to draw a trimap, then masked by an AI, then to another editor to polish off the mask.
The data we record during the white-on-white background removal is stored and used to help train the AI later, with the goal of improving its ability to remove the background on low contrast images.
Trimaps to find the way (Masking for the win)
That’s a pretty simple example, and there’s lots of software that can do a good job when images have sharp edges and high contrast (including Photoshop itself). Where it gets more difficult to draw a mask is when colors are subtle, products have lots of edges (like a mesh chair back, or jewelry chain), and when models are involved.
Human drawn trimaps assist AI drawn layer masks.
Are you ready for some shocking news? Most models have hair. Lots of it, artfully styled and dramatically tossed.
Talk to any product image retoucher, and they’ll tell you that masking around hair is one of the most time consuming parts of their job. Fine strands flying everywhere, crossing lines and adding tons of soft new points to draw around.
Solving masking is quite possibly Pixelz’ most important challenge. “As it is today, 40% of our time is spent on masking alone,” says Jakob.
“I think the big push in machine learning is going to be a hybrid model between AI and human,” Jakob continues. “For masking, the idea is that when the image comes in we have somebody—right now an editor, but we’re training an AI—draw a rough path around it. It takes two seconds in the interface, and it helps the algorithm detect the edge and distinguish between props and the actual product. Then we push it server side, AI removes the background, and it’s sent back to an editor that validates and maybe refines it. Over time, the AI should be able to do more and more.”
Seconds to draw trimaps save minutes by directing the AI when drawing layer masks.
Drawing a rough path around an image is part of generating a “trimap.” A trimap in our system breaks an image into three segments: the foreground (keep it!), background (delete it!), and the border area outlining where the mask will be drawn.
Gains, gains, and more gains (or how to mask a million images in 30 seconds)
Okay, that sounds cool. But why go to so much trouble? What kind of tangible gains can we REALLY see from AI automation?
The answers are pretty astonishing. It’s a work in progress and quantifying is a challenge for broad metrics, but for AI masking alone we’ve seen:
15x faster masking
There’s a lot of variance, since masking time is product specific. A human might take anywhere from 20 seconds to 30 minutes to mask a product, while AI ranges from near instantaneous to 1-2 minutes (or longer for both humans and AI on something like a bicycle). At present, most AI masks need additional adjusting afterward—but the human finishing off the mask has a huge head start! Which leads to...
Savings of 15% on production costs (projected for 2018)
We spent a lot on research and development, but now that AI masking is up and running we’re seeing significant ROI (remember, masking accounts for 40% of all our retouching time). As an added bonus, our editors have more time to become proficient at more advanced retouching tasks, adding more value to our clients.
Infinite scale
Our neural networks run in the cloud. Additionally, more image volume means more accurate AI because each image edited helps train it.
On that last point—and this is where you really begin to see the power of AI—we’ve made our masking AI autoscaling on Amazon servers. As Pixelz CTO Janus Matthesen puts it, “We automatically spin up new servers as we get more images and scale down again when we are done. That means we can decide how fast we want our images to move through the step by simply spinning up more servers. The AI spends about 30 seconds per image, so in theory (with enough servers), we can complete any AI Mask workload in 30 seconds.”
That's right. Whether 10 images, 10,000, or 1,000,000, they can all be masked in 30 seconds.
Goodbye, bottlenecks.
AI drawn layer masks become more refined image by image.
Not all automation is intelligent (Scripts aren’t AI!)
Let’s do a quick rewind before we dive into some of the more technical aspects.
First, start with a basic fact: not all automated processes are intelligent. To truly be intelligent, a process must be capable of learning.
For example, we have many automated processes that are not intelligent. They’re bots, scripts that work on tasks like “Apply Path,” “Apply Mask,” “Auto Preparation,” “Auto Finalize,” and “Auto Stencil.” They’re sophisticated, but limited in scope by their author’s imagination. They’re not going to get better at their tasks without human intervention: for example, when a scripter sees we need new handling for a different product type and goes in to manually modify the script.
That type of unintelligent bot is where Pixelz began automation years ago.
“The origins of it?” Jakob says. “We had a step where we only needed to import a layer to a step. We had people sitting and doing that, just pushing a button and then waiting for a script to run, ten or fifteen seconds. It was not only time consuming, but a hell of a boring job.”
AI is different. An artificial intelligence is capable of learning, primarily by guessing and learning from the results of trial and error.
More AI training leads to more accurately AI drawn masks.
How to scale with AI (Use the cloud, duh)
AI don’t become intelligent without education, and for that you need heaps and heaps of data and a lot of computing power. Just ask our CTO, Janus Matthesen. “When we train our AI models, we need to train on millions of images—a quite time consuming process,” says Janus. “To find the optimal configuration, we also need to tweak weights and hyperparameters to find the right combination. We have moved this work to the cloud, and we have been able to scale it and test multiple configurations at the same time.”
Pixelz is in the Nvidia Inception Program for AI startups.
“We used to use local servers with many GPUs, but now that Amazon has released the P2 and P3 EC2 instances, we have moved this work to the cloud,” says Janus. “Bringing down the time we use to find the right configurations and scaling our AI model training is a competitive advantage for us. We recently joined Nvidia's Inception program for AI startups, where we became aware of the Nvidia GPU Cloud which runs well on top of P3 instances.”
AI just keeps getting better and better (Capsule Networks recognize pose)
As we’ve stated before, Pixelz plans to automate 50% of post-production by the end of 2019. We could easily get there just by applying our existing AI approach to additional areas (more specific retouching jobs like the mole removal example, or auto-cropping, or selecting primary images for marketplaces, etc.), but in truth we’re anticipating more revolutionary advancements.
For example, a recent major development resulted from the publication of two October 2017 research papers. The AI we (and everyone else) are using are “Convolutional Neural Networks” (CNN). CNN are what people usually mean when they refer to “Deep Learning” or “Machine Learning.”
I don’t want to get too deep in the weeds, but simplistically, CNN do a lot of classifying and counting of objects without identifying their relationship in 3 dimensions. As a result, a major challenge for CNN is recognizing similar objects with different poses (position, size, orientation).
Styling and creative angles can lead to unexpected positions that fool traditional (CNN) neural networks.
What that means for product photography is that CNN aren’t always great at recognizing products that have been rotated, have atypical zoom, or are photographed from atypical angles. Or, more commonly, products that don’t have fixed shape—like necklaces, with their wide variety of styling, chains, and charms. We’re able to mitigate those challenges by controlling the input and training with lots and lots of images.
So it rocked the AI world when one of the godfathers of Deep Learning, Geoffrey Hinton, introduced a new type of neural network that’s being called a “Capsule Network” (CapsNet). Capsule networks work in large part by identifying pose!
Portion of the image set used by Geoffrey Hinton in Capsule Network paper ("Matrix Capsules With EM Routing").
The images they used for proof of concept were a set of toy figurines, photographed individually against a plain background from a variety of angles. Overhead, straight-on, side view, etc. Sounds a lot like product imagery, doesn’t it?
Identifying pose in itself is huge, and valuable, but a CapsNet also needs much less data for training. That’s encouraging for us, as it would allow us to adapt CapsNet AI to more areas more quickly, and hopefully an increased understanding of image content leads to even greater precision.
We’re experimenting with CapsNet right now. It may or may not pan out for us, but the constant advancement in AI technology is extraordinarily exciting to be a part of.
How to use AI in your retouching workflow (Free trial)
I hope you enjoyed learning about how Pixelz uses AI to retouch product images, and I hope you’re convinced of its value (and a little less scared of our future SkyNet overlords).
If you’re looking to incorporate AI into your own local retouching workflow, feel free to ask us questions! Comment, email, or hit us up on social media. We like to hear the challenges other people are encountering, and problem solving is fun. We’re not information hoarders.
Of course, not everyone has the time and resources to dive into AI headfirst. It probably doesn’t make sense if you’re a brand or retailer—you likely don’t have the image volume to justify a Deep Learning dev team for post-production. We do, so you can always test drive our system first.
If you want to see S.A.W.™ in action, complete with its specialist editors and artificial intelligences, try Pixelz Professional free trial and get 10 images edited for free.
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About Dave Kensell
Hi! I'm the Managing Editor and Journalist at Pixelz. That means I get to research and write helpful, interesting things about product photography, post-production, and e-commerce. Connect with me to pitch ideas!
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Breaking – 14.2
What was the saying? Three could keep a secret, if two of them were dead?
I wanted to have more faith in humanity than that. Three could keep a secret, if everyone involved had balls or tits in a vise, or if their throats were directly on the line.
Problem was, we weren’t talking about three. We weren’t even talking about a mere thirty.
Advance Guard had thirteen capes on its roster right now. Foresight had nine. The Shepherds, who’d kept to themselves and hadn’t interfered or been involved with Breakthrough or Breakthrough’s business nearly as much as the other two teams, had sixteen. The Wardens had twenty-five. Breakthrough had five to seven, depending on how Capricorn was counted and if we included Lookout.
And I wasn’t even counting the likes of Fume Hood, who had been looped in, or the Major Malfunctions, who by their own choice hadn’t.
Not everyone was in the loop. Team leaders were making tough calls and leveraging their knowledge of the people on their rosters to decide if those people needed to be lied to, left in the dark, or told.
Every decision involved its own kind of stress, and I wasn’t thinking merely of stress of the emotional kind. I was thinking of stress lines appearing across a metaphorical piece of metal. Something solid, seemingly unshakable, that was being pushed just enough that the damage was leaking in. Cracks formed, and those cracks threatened to become breaks.
The Wardens had expanded their headquarters over the last few days, and yet the number of capes that were housed within had increased by several factors. Each team had made its individual calls on who to inform and who to leave in the dark.
There were capes in attendance who were too short-tempered, unreliable, or otherwise prone to break under stress to have out in the city. There were capes who could, but who were sitting this one out, because they had other shit going on, or because the stress of it was too much. Effervescent was one, and she’d been open about the reasons why: she had a substance abuse problem and acting like she’d been pushed to her limit put her at the cusp of a slippery slope.
It showed. In expressions and in appearance, in how close capes sat to one another and how far they sat with personal space established. It showed in body language, in arms folded, in tension, and in the tone of the chatter that I could hear but couldn’t decipher, or in their intent silence.
All to keep our ruse going. We pretended to look more stressed than we were, more desperate. We pretended we were more ready to pick fights, to turn to our coping mechanisms, or show evidence that our coping mechanisms had failed.
Some capes in attendance were only barely keeping their identities secret. Two of the Shepherds were wearing clothes I wouldn’t have worn leaving the house: stretch yoga pants with patches where they were worn thin, and plaid sleep pants. Both wore their masks, but the one with the plaid sleep pants hadn’t even brushed her hair.
I saw Victor- Brockton Bay native, named for his power, not because it was an actual name. The costume had been changed so it didn’t have that bold red, black, bit-of-white color scheme, but he’d kept the name, I knew. He was talking with one of Capricorn’s old teammates from Reach, and had his girlfriend with. She seemed to be Gospel, an ex-member of one of the smaller religious teams. Rune sat at the opposite corner of that collection of Shepherds. She’d changed her name to Scribe, updated her costume by adding a brimmed hat and a crook-topped cane that she could use to write her symbols, but it was hard for me to not see her as Rune.
Two days ago, the pair of them had been outed. Victor hadn’t really been hiding it, but he’d kind of been exposed to the public years ago, and had more or less dropped off the map for two years after that, long enough for most people to forget. After they’d been revealed as ex-members of the Neo-Nazi gang back in Brockton Bay, Victor had been open about it. He’d written a letter about his past life, his attempt to use the amnesty to be better, how he had someone close to him that inspired him to be better, he’d found God, he condemned everything about who & what he’d been, blah blah blah. He’d still been a guy who had a history that was violent and stark enough to have records remaining after the end of the world, who’d done what he’d done when he was a full-fledged adult. The letter had been an apology letter without an actual apology or trace of contrition. I was kind of glad in a way that the public hadn’t really bought it, but his team was standing by him.
Rune, by contrast, hadn’t written any letter. Her silence had been damning, and I suspected that if she hadn’t already been brought here to the Bunker and firmly asked to stay here, they would have enforced it then. She was benched, and she had no friends for the time being. Nobody to talk to her.
Cracks.
Our last arrivals were trickling in. Capricorn sat on a table next to me, strapping on his armor while Sveta provided a hand as needed, to hold things in place or hold straps out ready for Byron to grab them. Ashley had set aside her coat. Rain had stepped over to a storage area to switch over to a proper costume.
I remained much as I was. No secret identity to protect, and I was comfortable as-was.
Gundeck and Solarstare entered, with Rain among the half-dozen people who were right behind them. Gundeck was a big guy, loaded down with his weapons, but even though his power left him able and ready to carry a whole arsenal with him without buckling, he moved like a burdened man.
He’d apparently promised his family he was out of the game after Gold Morning. At the same time, he was leading a double life. They’d found out in the midst of all of… this. I wasn’t sure how much was Teacher and how much was that he’d shifted his priorities to more… I didn’t want to say important things, but the ramifications of what we were doing were important.
More cracks. If not an outright break. He really didn’t look so hot, and I could only see his general body language and the twenty percent of him that his costume didn’t cover up.
Rain was in costume, with a silvery-white hood and upper body to the costume, a glowing crack running through one of the eyes of his gunmetal mask and down to the edge near the cheek. His mechanical forearms and hands, attached at the elbow, were smaller than his ordinary hands but still five fingered and dextrous, colored the same way as his mask, with finer glowing cracks running along them. The lower body of the costume didn’t hug him, but it wasn’t quite ‘pants’ either. Silvery-white panels, some devices and weapons, and decorative tinker attachments contrasted the darker material. More of the decorative attachments joined the fabric to his metal boots, and bridged the divide between the upper and lower half of the costume.
In my opinion, he’d graduated from a thrown-together costume that didn’t do anything explicitly wrong, but didn’t do anything explicitly right either, to something that looked good.
More came down from upstairs. The floor above us was still partially under construction, but they’d been hanging out. Egg, Engel and Scraping were staying here to stay safe from Teacher, and were finding friends, because Engel at the very least was the kind of person that people were drawn to.
Engel and Egg found a place in the crowd near the Shepherds. They looked our way, and Engel stared at Sveta, hard.
Sveta, for her part, kept her eyes toward the front of the room, avoiding any interaction with the glowing, sense-scrambling Engel.
The influx of people saw the crowd shift. The way the crowds were organized, each team had sort of gathered with its most familiar allies nearby. Small teams stuck to the big teams that they tended to work with, which put some of the smaller religious teams I didn’t know in the Shepherd’s orbit, Navigators and Kings of the Hill closer to Advance Guard, and Foresight had… not many. Auzure was close to them but not close enough for them to talk among themselves. We were close, and we’d exchanged hellos, so maybe Breakthrough counted. They were on the best terms with the Wardens, though, which counted for something.
With the people finding their places, Gundeck and Solarstare stepping up to the front of the room, Rain joining Breakthrough, and others finding their respective teams, some were squeezed out. Vista widened the gap to slip between people, which seemed to take some effort, and then ducked into the space between me, the wall, and a table.
“Thank you for coming in,” Cinereal addressed the room. “Tensions with one of the border worlds demands the attention of some of the Warden leadership, so I’ll be handling this meeting today. Those of you that know me know I’m strictly business. I won’t mince words, I won’t give you context that doesn’t matter, so pay attention.”
For the most part, the way the PRT, Protectorate and Wards programs had been run had been a closed-doors thing. The public didn’t tend to hear that so-and-so was a good boss or that one PRT director in one city was a stickler for routine. At best, those without boyfriends in the Wards would know that one newly appointed PRT director had a history of being a politician in a cape-heavy area, or they’d been FBI, or they’d risen up from the ranks of being a PRT squaddie or investigator. When it came to Protectorate or Wards, similar thing. Guesswork and whatever they decided to reveal.
But Cinereal stood out. Atlanta was something like one thousand three hundred miles from Brockton Bay, but we’d heard about what a hardass Cinereal was.
She faced the room without flinching, with several capes, mostly Foresight, arranged in front of her, also facing us. Crystalclear was among them, as was Effervescent.
Tattletale didn’t form the lineup, but she sat near the back, amid the Wardens, her eyes scanning the room.
“We’re close,” she said. “We want at least two more entry points, ideally three, and with some help we’re getting there. One day, maybe two, then we move. We’re handling that and we’re holding off some of the big dangers, like war and the Machine Army. Your job, each and every one of you, is to maintain and support the peace. If the best way you can do that is to stay out of everyone else’s way, then do that.”
Ashley gave me a look over her shoulder, her head tilting with the motion. It made the projection of smoke spill down from her eyes and bounce off her shoulder.
Sitting on the table, Byron tugged at his straps, fixing on the last pieces of his armor. He tugged again, then twisted around, trying to see what he was doing.
They weren’t the only signs of restlessness around the room. I suspected a lot of people here had hoped to hear something closer to a timeline of hours, not days.
“There are two ongoing wars between villain factions in two locations,” Cinereal said. “The first is between Semiramis, Little Midas, and Bluestocking, Earth N. The Wardens and Foresight have discussed it and we would like to push for a stable alliance between Bluestocking and Semiramis. For those of you who don’t know, these are behind-the-scenes operators who are stepping in to fill a void after Marquis has left for Shin and Lord of Loss was arrested. Auzure, you have a working relationship with Semiramis.”
“We do,” Lark said.
“You’re up to date on who these individual faction leaders are, and what they represent?”
“We are.”
“Talk to Semiramis, then. See what it would take, and broker a peace with Bluestocking. Offer assistance in taking down Midas.”
“We can try.”
“We need better than try. We need success. All three parties know about Teacher and we need that handled. We want Midas arrested and at least temporarily shuttled to our prison world, and we want Bluestocking and Semiramis cooperating with each other and with us.”
“We’ll manage it. Can we bring in others if we need help with the actual handling and takedown?”
“Yes. Talk to the Wardens if you need help organizing that,” Cinereal said. She got a nod from Lark and moved on, addressing the rest of us, “The second war is over the portal-wracked areas in the heart of the city. Those of you who are more used to working over there will recognize the names. Deader and Goner operate from a corner world much as we’re operating from the Bunker. Barrow is a corner world, in a manner of speaking. The Lords of the Pit have the villains of the Pitstop under their thumb. We think the best use of resources would be to put Advance Guard on this.”
“We’ve already been preparing to handle it,” was Mayday’s response. “While I have the floor, I also want to say we’re taking the last steps to fold the Kings of the Hill into Advance Guard. If you’re looking for them, it’s best to go through us.”
The fox and the hound, Foxtrot and Houndstooth, raised their hands. Dangerous mischievousness and stoic seriousness, respectively.
“Good. Consolidation helps. We are very curious and very interested as to whether any of the other corner worlds are shielded from Teacher’s eye. If possible, we’d like to talk to Barrow and to have Deader and Goner in custody for interviewing.”
“We’ll make it happen.”
“If you can’t, at least distract them.
“Shepherds, we want you at the east end of the city. Boston, periphery of New Brockton. You have the numbers and organization to do it.”
Moonsong answered, “We talked informally with Legend about it last night, I told him I had reservations, and he seemed understanding. Things feel fragile right now and if we split up too much or stop maintaining a lot of face to face contact, that leaves us weak.”
“We need all bases covered for one day. Perhaps two. There’s-”
Cinereal, in her ash-gray costume with a bird motif, feathers weaving together and criss-crossing along the length of her robe and at the edges of her mask, turned her head as some members of her frontline of thinkers broke ranks. Crystalclear had stepped away first, going to talk to Effervescent. Tattletale hopped down from her perch of a stack of chairs and joined them. Countenance, Foresight’s team leader, joined them to make it a group of four.
“Is there a problem?” Cinereal asked.
“Nothing confirmed,” Countenance said. “We’ll take some people upstairs to talk, if that’s okay?”
Cinereal nodded, gesturing for them to go.
The thinkers rounded up a few members of one of Advance Guard’s tertiary groups. People I didn’t recognize. After a short pause, they also gathered up two members of one of the Shepherd’s teams.
All were escorted upstairs.
“One or two days, Moonsong. Knock down the nails that stick up. Keep any villains from getting cocky, keep any big incidents at bay.”
Moonsong looked surprisingly stressed out by the notion of having to distribute her team across several areas of the city. I’d have to ask Byron, who was staring at Moonsong, while absently adjusting his armor.
The armor- I turned to look. The straps that he’d been tightening for the last forever dangled off the side of the table and down to the floor.
I turned to Vista, who was smiling to herself, and I elbowed her, which set her off, in a fit of soundless, supressed laughter.
Byron noticed, and then noticed the straps. He gave Vista a push on the shoulder.
“Breakthrough,” Cinereal said.
All at once, we were at attention.
“You’re missing a member,” she said.
“Lookout is part of a new team now. We support her and she acts as an adjunct teammate, but officially she’s part of a new kids-only team. They’re on a job handling a kidnapping.”
“We hoped to talk to her about security and protocols.”
“We can let her know and send her your way.”
“Good. We would like you to handle some of the rising anti-parahuman sentiment. It’s been simmering for a while now and we think it’s going to boil over.”
“Assessing our abilities and where we stand in the big picture, I’m worried we’re not the best choice for that task.”
“You may be the best we have. We would have sent Legend and some other Wardens, but current events have forced us to refocus.”
“Could I suggest that we help out the Shepherds, and the Shepherds send their best front-facing capes to handle this?”
“The Shepherds are mired in scandal that’s about to get worse. I won’t say more on that subject. We feel that if they get some concrete victories, this will help. You, meanwhile, have been involved in this exercise from the start, we want to keep you close to the bunker and available in case we need to act, and like it or not, your appearance on Hard Boil made you visible to the civilian side. Your voices explained things that they had wanted to know. You opened a dialogue, now use it.”
Her voice was hard, brooked no nonsense, and struck a tone where I felt like anything I said, one way or another, would make me look and feel like a petulant child.
“Got it,” I said.
“Good,” she said. She turned her head, then pointed across the room at Tattletale, who had apparently just come down the stairs.
“Three moles,” Tattletale said. “The others are figuring out when and for how much, but I can tell you right now that they’re new, they weren’t moles before, so they didn’t know much. He doesn’t know anything about what we’re aiming to pull, yet, or he’d be acting differently.”
“Just the three?”
“So far,” Tattletale said. She grinned, even though what she’d said was chilling, not funny. It wasn’t a Kenzie thing either. She was just way too fond of her own wit sometimes.
“If you try, you will be caught,” Cinereal addressed the assembly. “It’s not worth it.”
Tattletale went back upstairs.
Cinereal paused, her eyes searching the room, as if she could see the traitors or informants in our ranks, who might tip off Teacher and spoil everything.
We were out of the limelight, in any event. Byron was trying to fix his straps and looking a little bewildered as he tried to figure out which parts had stretched out. Vista helped by contracting it back to its normal length, moving her hand to indicate.
I bumped her elbow with mine, moving her hand closer. Byron noticed the moved hand, looked up, and moved his arm close enough that Vista could touch the straps.
She fiddled for a second, pulled the straps tight, then gave his arm a pat.
“Thanks,” he whispered.
“It was my fault anyhow,” Vista whispered, before turning her full focus to Cinereal.
Not her full focus. Her hand reached past my coat for my side, thumbnail poking through my shirt to my stomach, fingernails at my back. A claw of revenge, for forcing her hand.
Entirely undeserved. If she’d embarrassed herself because I’d pushed her, I’d feel like shit and I’d deserve the revenge claw. But she hadn’t. We needed the bright moments, against such a grim backdrop, and we couldn’t take or maintain those moments so long as we had our greater deception. A secret kept by, if I was counting right, seventy-two people in this building right now.
Cinereal continued, “Clip Kidz, we have a special errand for you, if you’re willing and if your guardians are willing to sign off. We will pay, but we need you to take on a mission that we know will fail, because it’s important that Teacher thinks we’re putting up some resistance. If you’ll stay after? Thank you. For the other smaller teams, you’ll be running errands for us or supporting the larger squads. One of those squads is us, because we anticipate an attack on the Bunker by Teacher once he realizes what we’re doing…”
She went on. It hardly mattered. To one in three of us, it felt like busywork, meant to bide time while the Wardens figured out where they could access or crack open portals to Teacher’s realm. Those in that group wanted to move now. Forget the extra portals, just send more people through the four or so that we had. They were restless. For many of them, the other shoe hadn’t dropped yet. Every hour that Teacher was left to his own devices, their secrets and relationships all hung in the balance.
To another one in three of us, I was pretty sure, it felt like a doomed proposition. That the attack on Teacher’s base would be hard, and resources we were committing or spending now would be resources we didn’t have against Teacher. Or at least, we wouldn’t have at full readiness and capacity. It was necessary to keep up the act, but ugh. That group would be the quiet ones, the ones who were chin up and shoulders square today, but who dreaded tomorrow. For many of them, secrets had already been spilled. They’d felt Teacher’s hand and the associated hopelessness.
And to the last group, one I subscribed to, both were true. It felt like the Wardens knew the attack would be devastating. It felt like they were being safe, distracting us, preoccupying us.
Not chin-up, not shoulders-square, not restless either. Just… dealing with a sinking feeling in our guts. I was certain that nine out of ten of us had come to this meeting hoping to get the order, the news that we’d be attacking in a few hours. It was too hard to believe that things would be easier or better tomorrow.
But we’d wait, we’d lie, and we’d confront the worst sides of ourselves, while trying to convince ourselves that we weren’t playing into the asshole’s plan by doing so.
The worst of ourselves. I hadn’t expected a crowd.
“What the hell do we even do about this?” Rain asked. “Christ.”
The swearing was a nice touch. In figuring out how to present the best picture for our would-be attackers, we’d started talking to each other about our tendencies and habits when stressed, reminding one another, or pointing out things we did that we weren’t even aware of. I’d told Rain he amped up the religious swears when the stress was at its highest.
We stood on a rooftop, looking down at the scene. A single street was littered with people from one intersection to the next. They weren’t shoulder to shoulder, but they were close enough that people had to weave and made it about ten steps before they had to ‘excuse me’ their way through. Most of the focus was around a single place, a bookstore, and the building interior was packed, with employees wearing store colors beneath jackets that weren’t store-branded, keeping too many people from making their way inside.
The people who weren’t indoors were watching through the store window. Though it was cold and the snow came down in thick wet bullets halfway between raindrop and snowflake, the crowd was more interested in watching than in seeking shelter. Large screens displayed the video feed from the inside.
I’d expected signs and angry cries. Instead, they were book readers. They were silent, intently focused on what was going on.
“You and Vista were getting chummy,” Rain said.
At first I thought he meant me. Then I saw him looking at Byron.
“She pranked me good. My head wasn’t anywhere near my armor, I was thinking a clasp was broken and it kept loosening.”
“She’s pretty cool,” Rain said. “Y’know?”
A little blunt there, Rain.
“She is,” Byron said. He glanced at me.
“No question. If the world had more Vistas, it’d be a better place.”
“You should talk to her more,” Rain said. “Ask her out or something.”
So damn blunt. You’re going to scare him off.
“Nah,” Byron said. “I shouldn’t. Wouldn’t be nice. I think ‘girl I’d want to spend the rest of my life with’ and I think of Moonsong. I think ‘attractive girl’ and I think of Moonsong. I think of girls I might take home for the Christmas holiday and I think of Moonsong taking off her coat in the entryway. It wouldn’t be fair to anyone, if I wasn’t totally over Moon.”
“Oh!” Sveta said. “This is a good opportunity.”
“What?” Byron asked. “For what?”
“That device Kenzie made, so whichever one of you two was stowed away could talk.”
“She’s working on the final touches, she said.”
“Nope!” Sveta said. She reached into her pocket, withdrawing a supiciously phone-like container. “Ta-da.”
“That’s your phone,” Ashley said, deadpan.
“It’s built into the phone case, but it’s not a phone. See? I turn it on, press it to Byron’s arm…”
Byron stuck his arm out.
Sveta leaned in close to the phone, tilting her head to put her ear near it. Then she switched to a deep voice, “Beep, boop, boop. Test, test, I’m Tristan, and after hearing Byron say all that, I might actually manage to throw up in this extradimensional space, it’s going to make such a mess, and I’ll never be able to clean it up.”
Byron dropped his arm, moving it away from the phone. He blurred, shifting over to Tristan.
“It works,” Tristan said, in the dullest, most unsuprised, unexcited tone he could manage. “Also, after hearing Byron get mushy over Moonsong, I might throw up. Good thing I’m not in an extradimensional space as I do it.”
“See? It’s amazing,” Sveta said. “Good work, Lookout.”
Her phone illuminated, showing a new text. A thumbs-up icon.
“In all seriousness, though, the way things are right now, don’t speak for me, don’t put words in my mouth,” Tristan said. There was a tone to how he said it that made Sveta take a step back.
“Sorry,” she said. Then, like that wasn’t enough, but she couldn’t think of what else to say, she said, “sorry.”
“Are there any boys you’re ga-ga over?” Ashley asked, sounding very much like the words ga-ga shouldn’t have ever left her lips. Her expression reflected a similar sentiment.
“What the fuck am I going to do with boys?” Tristan asked. “I can’t do anything. We can’t act, we can’t get the Wardens to take us seriously. They assigned us this garbage watch-the-people-at-a-bookstore job. Which would be bad enough, but I’ve got Sveta putting words in my mouth-”
“I said sorry.”
“And I swear I’m going to lose my mind.”
“Maybe you should switch out, cool down?” Rain asked. “It’s Byron’s turn anyway.”
“Fuck him,” Tristan said. Metal clicked against metal as he settled in, arms crossed, looking down over the roof’s edge.
Tristan was signaling – left foot planted a bit ahead of the right foot. The signal had been Rain’s idea, with either arms being folded or footing being our cue to one another that we were playing a part. That we weren’t really upset.
Still, it was spooky to go there, to see backlash and hear friendly voices sound so unfriendly.
My hands in my coat pockets, I looked down from the roof’s edge.
A narrow woman with short black hair shot through with gray was speaking, face displayed on the screens. I recognized her but couldn’t place the name. I was so bad with non-parahuman names.
“What’s her name?” I asked, to change the subject. “Woman in the window.”
“She wrote a book, didn’t she?” Rain asked.
“Yes,” Ashley said. “I read it, but I forget the name.”
“What’s the book?” I asked.
“Deconstructing power,” Ashley said. “I like deconstructing things-”
She made an intentional spark with her power, a flicker of shadow twice the size of the flame a lighter might’ve made, and loud enough I worried heads on the ground five floors below us might turn our way.
“-and I like power. It was fine. Wasn’t a very good deconstruction or look at power, I think.”
“It’s apparently made the author popular,” Byron observed.
“Other person on the screen,” Rain said. “Gary Nieves.”
“Ex-candidate for mayor,” I noted.
“He’s been a voice surrounding this general sentiment,” Rain said.
“Paying attention, huh?” I asked.
Rain nodded. He turned his head slowly, glowing eyes of his mask surveying the crowd. “I like paying attention to what ideas are taking hold and how. Makes me feel more secure, like I won’t be blindsided by that stuff again.”
Speakers planted outside the bookstore that was hosting the informal presentation, dialogue, or debate had Gary Nieves’ voice now, distinct from the woman’s.
The crowd was reacting. Little by little, step by step, they were being hyped. Finding courage.
“What’s he saying?” Byron asked.
“I don’t know, but I want to know,” I answered.
“Let me,” Sveta said. “I can go incognito.”
She pulled off her mask, then pressed it to her stomach. Skin pulled away in strips, and then fat, muscle, and other structures were their own layers. All the organs were there, but as necessary parts were pulled away, the organs went still, shriveling, moisture sucked into other surrounding spaces.
The mask was wrapped up by the strips, then drawn into her stomach. Strips then fell back into their natural order, with one or two misfires before something tidy was managed. Only a slight bump suggested the mask’s presence.
Then, more dramatically, she did the same with the remainder of her costume. The costume was salvaged from her damaged prosthetic body, forming armor that she wore with curling, wavy components to it, all painted either in a dramatic fashion with bright reds, yellows, and oranges, or in deep, cold greens and blues.
It took her some doing, to pull in the armor and wrap herself around it. There were places it protruded through the skin, but it was set deep enough inside her that that when she pulled her coat out of her bag and pulled it on over everything, her silhouette was normal.
“Pretty cool,” Byron said.
“It’s uncomfortable. I’m going to head down.”
She made her way down the side of the building, strips of her being helping her down, more appearing as she needed them to seize handholds. The rain had settled in part, but the snow still came down hard.
My phone rang. I put it on speaker.
“Woman named… Reidleigh Darleet is talking. She’s the author,” Sveta reported. “They’re talking about the amnesty. Violent capes getting a pass. The Drenched. Valkyrie. A… bunch of villain names I’m not sure I heard about.”
“Me,” Swansong said.
“Didn’t come up,” Sveta said.
“I’m offended by that,” Swansong said. “I’d be offended if I were named, but being ignored is worse.”
“I think I’m okay with you not being named,” I told her. “Earn your reputation as Swansong, don’t lean on what you did as Damsel.”
“I’m both,” she told me. “All three. Who I was, who I am, and who I want to be.”
“I guess don’t let one happen at the cost of the other two.”
“I’ll do that as soon as you take your own advice,” she told me, archly.
“Woah, hold up,” I said, my voice overlapping with Tristan’s, who’d said something similar. “Dial it down.”
Her footing was right, at least. Fuck me, though, we needed a middle ground that wasn’t her ranting at people on a train and murdering teammates with words. She was so good at wearing this latent hostility that it spooked me a bit.
“Shitty thing is,” Tristan said. “I think my parents would attend a group like this. Powers fucked all our lives up. They’re not exactly shaking the pom-poms. Especially not for me.”
“Bitch at us when you don’t have any parents, like Sveta,” Swansong said. “When you’ve killed them by your own hand, like I did, or when you’ve smeared your mom’s head across concrete, like Victoria did.”
My blood ran cold.
Ashley met my eyes, and there was nothing there. Cold, emotionless, unflinching.
“Not fair,” I said.
“Cries for fairness are the loser’s prerogative. Don’t be a loser, Antares.”
Fuck me. I’d need to have a chat with her, because that hit a little too close to uncomfortable territory, tracing a ways back to a basketball game.
Tristan spoke up, “I’m not trying to one-up anyone, I’m saying it sucks. It doesn’t have to suck the most to count.”
“If Cryptid were here, he’d have a good immature joke about sucking the most,” Rain observed. “I miss Cryptid. How fucked up is it that I miss Cryptid?”
“Very,” I said, at the same time Swansong said, “Exceedingly.”
“Alright,” Rain said, a little defeated. “He was alright company sometimes.”
“Guys,” Tristan pointed down at the street below.
On the monitor was a grainy gray image, like one from a security camera. The figure in it was unmistakably Ashley, Hollow Point era.
“Guys,” Sveta said, over the phone. “I don’t know if you see-”
“We see,” I said.
“But it’s Swansong. They didn’t mention her earlier because they’re using her as one illustration of their bigger point. Trying to get people upset. They’re talking about her place being provided for her, about support, how she abused amnesty when others didn’t get a shot…”
Swansong was shaking her head.
“We can deal with this,” I said.
Swansong’s answer to my statement was to step off the edge of the roof.
I followed her off the edge. I flew down to make up for the second or two I’d taken to process implications, then veered off as I saw her move her hands into position, one a little too close to me for comfort. I didn’t want to get clipped by a lazy blast.
She blasted once to break the momentum of her fall, twisted in the air, and blasted again to reorient. Her boot skidded on sidewalk covered in salt and gravel.
“We don’t get anything by doing this,” I said, as I put myself in her way. I was aware members of the crowd were watching. Behind me, the crowd parted, getting out of Swansong’s way, even though she’d stopped in her tracks.
Tristan was drawing out orange motes. They solidified into a pole. He slid down, controlling his descent with both feet and one hand at the pole, one hand on Rain’s shoulder. The pole broke, and when it did, Rain stopped in mid-air. With his grip on Rain’s shoulder, Tristan stopped too.
Together, they stopped once more on the way to the ground, landing heavily.
Sveta hung back, with the crowd. Probably a good thing, because she wasn’t costumed and she passed for ordinary. She could do things from that angle that the rest of us couldn’t.
“We don’t get anything by hanging back and watching,” Swansong said. “Let’s open a dialogue.”
“You need to say that last bit without flexing your hands,” I murmured. I glanced down at her feet. She was putting on a show.
I was really, really worried that the show would bleed over into reality. This really wasn’t the time to play with fire. It made things more authentic, I was sure, but it was also playing with a really fucking volatile situation.
“Maybe you need to go,” I told her, my voice low. “Let the rest of us handle it.”
“It’s about me. It’s relevant to me. My reputation. They’re saying I was subservient, lesser, groveling for handouts. I earned my money. You don’t know me, you don’t know the answers to the questions.”
“I know you might do something you regret here.”
“I don’t play second fiddle, and I don’t bow down or back down. At worst, I’m a partner.”
“Be a partner then. Listen to what your teammate is saying.”
She set her jaw, knuckles cracking as she clenched her fist.
Rain and Capricorn caught up with us.
“I’ll let you take the lead,” Swansong said.
“Thank you,” I said.
“But we have to go,” she said.
The crowd had backed away, and in doing so, they’d opened a more or less clear path to the door.
I looked at Tristan.
“Yeah,” he said. “We might as well engage them somehow.”
They’d moved on from Swansong, talking about others. We approached the door, and the voices that came from speakers while we were outside became voices from speakers inside, resonating as they bounced off of bookshelves, walls, and ceiling.
I’d dealt with too many racists back in Brockton Bay to be optimistic about dealing with bigots of another stripe. I could use the minute we had here, while they finished their segment on a villain from the west end of the city, and I could try to figure out what my arguments were.
I didn’t have any.
“For those of you who don’t have a vantage point to see,” Mrs. Darleet said, her voice smooth, one that made me think she’d practiced it over radio. “Swansong , who we were just talking about, has graced us with her presence.”
Swansong swished her dress with one hand and swept a hand in front of her as she curtsied.
“Along with three others,” Gary Nieves said. “All in costume. Naturally intimidating.”
“Naturally,” Swansong said.
“No,” I said. “That’s not our intent.”
“It’s the result, isn’t it?” Gary asked.
“It is. Unfortunately, it is,” I answered.
“If intimidating us into silence isn’t the intent, then what is?” Gary asked.
“Clarifying facts,” I told him. “Swansong wanted to clear her name, I think. I and my companions wanted information, though we kind of planned to wait until all was done.”
Although I’m worried you might have started a riot or provoked something if you’d gone on too long.
“Clear your name? You didn’t benefit from the amnesty, Swansong?”
“I did. But I was on thin ice. When I killed a killer that ice broke. I accepted my punishment.”
“You admitted to the charges and punishment, so I can skip my second question. Funny, that you admitted to murder, and yet you’re still here.”
“The prison is gone. I’m doing my part by cooperating and helping to permanently remove villains,” Swansong answered. “There’s no place to put me and they don’t consider me a priority.”
“An admitted killer isn’t a priority.”
“Seems not,” Swansong said.
“Gary,” I said. “If you want, we look into giving you an inside look at the process. Obviously we can’t let you talk about details, because the villains could use that, but you’d be free to agree, say the idea is flawed, say it’s inhumane, even-”
“Can it be inhumane if you aren’t human?” Gary Nieves asked.
“I think it can,” I said.
“I’m noticing you didn’t protest and say you were human,” Gary pointed out.
The reality was that I wasn’t sure if I really could say parahumans were human, exactly. Too many structures went out the window. Humans were social animals and parahumans were so often solitary, banding together by necessity and circumstance, but not by gravity and natural bonding, like humans seemed so able to do.
“I think my energy is better spent on other arguments,” I told him. “Whatever you want to call us, we think, we feel, we have ties to loved ones. Introduce humanity to an alien race from another planet with all of those qualities and I’d protest any cruelty or injustice turned their way.”
“She would,” Rain said. “She’s a natural hero.”
Thank you, Rain, but it’s best to stay quiet, I thought, as I met his eyes and shot him a tight smile, I willed him to absorb the intensity of the thought. If they turn on you or point fingers at you, this all gets messy.
“And I don’t think we’re that alien,” I added.
“Putting questions of cruelty and the inhumane aside, can you really say it’s fair, if Parahumans like Swansong get preferential treatment? If people are dying out in the cold while a girl who got lucky gets her choice of apartments?”
“It’s-”
“It’s a tired old falsehood,” Swansong said. “I’m no slave, I’m no servant. I’m not an animal with my apartment as my pen to keep me contained. They had questions, I was in a unique place to answer them. I died, I came back. I remembered things. When I dream, I dream of other mes. The labs were interested.”
“When the world ended, we wanted answers,” Tristan said. “She was getting paid to help provide them. Enough to pay for an apartment. She’s working for the heroes and she’s doing so with the okay of the mayor.”
“The mayor,” Gary Nieves said.
I had a bad feeling.
“Do me a favor, Vince? Open up my second set of slides. Then go to slide… sixty-eight, I think it was,” Gary told the guy who was managing the slideshow that went with the talking heads on the screens outside.
Slide sixty-eight wasn’t the mayor. It was Amy. It was Cryptid, as some polished, gaunt figure that was so tall that Amy’s head only came to his elbow. Marquis stood off to the side. Other parahumans in fine clothing and costumes were arrayed around them. A photo.
“No, wrong slide, that’s Earth Shin,” Gary said. “Go forward.”
The next slide was a digital photo of Cheit leadership, in their long suit-jackets and straight-leg slacks, walking with sandals on in weather too wet and chilly for it. The right half of the image had a zoomed-in version of one of their arms, where skin could be seen through the cuff. The man had a vein running along the back that glowed like white hot metal.
“No, that’s Earth Cheit,” Gary said. “Next.”
A candid photo. Marquis and Lord of Loss on the rooftop of the Lodge.
“That’s Earth Nun,” Gary said.
“We get your point,” Tristan said. “And that’s outdated.”
Being right doesn’t mean he’s wrong, I thought.
“Outdated? So humans are in charge now?” Gary asked.
Tristan shook his head.
“Good enough for my point that you say you’ve already grasped,” Gary said. “Next?”
The mayor, side by side with an image of Citrine from the Brockton Bay era, pre-Gold Morning.
The room filled with murmurs.
“Tell me again how the mayor signing off on your activities is okay. Tell me how we’re supposed to be okay with secret after secret, lie after lie, coverup after coverup. With people wearing masks while leading double lives. Tell me how we’re supposed to be okay with the fact that every single world we’re in regular contact with, our world included, is under the thumb of parahumans, openly, otherwise, or currently undergoing a transfer of leadership between powers.”
Amy. The thought made my thoughts skip beats, turned mental connections into dead ends.
Yeah. Fucking thanks, Cinereal.
Gary had been ready, waiting for someone to take a stand or speak up, to drop this. He’d planned to drop them as attention-grabbers late in this specific event, or he’d been holding them in reserve for when he was challenged, quietly changing minds and turning hearts away from capes in the meantime.
This was more serious than we’d been led to believe. Gary was armed with all the damning information.
“You’re right,” Rain said.
I turned his way, caught off guard. I wasn’t the only one.
“It’s not okay. This whole dynamic is- Jesus, it’s fucked.”
I was betting that ‘Jesus’ wasn’t because of my tip to him. It came from his stress, speaking in front of so many eyes.
Rain looked to me, to the others for support.
I nodded. Swansong didn’t move, holding her head high. Tristan put a hand at Rain’s shoulder.
The crowd was talking among themselves, and Gary seemed to be waiting for them to drop in volume before responding, visibly forming his response.
Rain didn’t wait. Rain went ahead, and people shut up because they wanted to hear him.
“You’re absolutely, totally right,” Rain said, visibly agitated with the public speaking, being in the limelight. “And we’re on your side in this. More of us than you’d think, we agree with what you’re saying.”
158 thoughts on “Breaking – 14.2”
Spartakos says:
The Wardens have only 25 members? That’s a lot less than I would have thought.
No mention of The Guild? Are they still a thing? I know there’s some overlap (Narwhal and D&D are Guild and Wardens, right?).
I figured 25 core members, and probably a lot more that are peripheral in one way or another.
comb_jelly says:
“The right half of the image had a zoomed-in version of one of their arms, where skin could be seen through the cuff. The man had a vein running along the back that glowed like white hot metal.”
Does Earth Cheit … have the Pastor working for them now?
(Or it could just be Cauldron vials, but that’d be a bit less interesting.)
This insufferable asshole Gary is a combination between Senator Robert Kelly and William Stryker (X-Men). If he’s given enough power, he’ll kill every single parahuman with his own hand while laughing like a maniac all this time.And of course that Rain PRETENDS to agree with him just to fool the Teacher’s spies (like how Vic and her people play their cards).
This fascist sees parahumans as non-humans in the same manner nazis see the “inferior” humans as animals. Victor and Rune are no longer nazis but heroes but their role was taken over now by Gary,
PS: I agree that Gary lost some people he cared about during that parahuman attack, but he have no right to hate all parahumans with no exception only because of few bad apples. He (and people with his mentality) sucks.
ninegardens says:
I mean…. mainly he seems concerned with the developing class structure, that is getting more and more locked in.
And Rain, who grew up in a cult where the parahumans mattered, and everyone else was “slut or soldier” has every reason to Genuinely agree with his point on this. I don’t think Rain’s faking… and I don’t think Neives is deluded to be concerned.
His speech reminds me so much of Goebbels’ speech on jews: that they’re not humans, they’re all a danger for society and naturally evil. Gary tries to convine ordinar People that Parahumans are naturally evil and dangerous because they’re not humans. He doesn’t care so much about classes like he care about convincing People to riot against all Parahumans. Either he’s a giant dick or he’s Teacher’ pawn, with his knowledge or not. Rain plays a smart game. He agrees with Gary in order to make people hate only a small part of Parahumans, not all of them, andin case if Gary is Teacher’s pawn.
Kessler says:
Except that Goebbels was making up stuff to demonize Jews, while what Gary says is actually true. Parahumans are in positions of power, which they often achieved through illegitimate means – like hiding ex-cauldron past or taking over through raw strength. They are influenced by alien beings, that are trying to cause as much conflict as possible.
Besides, humans hate unfairness. We really don’t like to be ruled by somebody without moral authority. Deus Vult, democratic mandate, force of tradition, currently parahumans don’t have something that would justify their rule, yet they are in charge. And they receive perks, wealth and privileges, that normal people don’t get.
If Gary hated only parahumans in position of power, then maybe I’d have agreed with him (even if Number Man was better than any ordinar human at saving and fixing the economy) and Citrine wants honestly to improve the city. But Gary hates all Parahumans, good or bad, seeing them less than humans. He’s clearly not right for hating an entire group of people who are not even responsible for getting powers in the first place (they never asked for powers or aliens driving them to conflict). Gary is just as unfair in his judgement as parahumans in position of power are for taking power without asking for approval.
Pizzasgood says:
Gary doesn’t see parahumans as less than human. He sees them as other-than human, and in many ways superior. Which is why they terrify him.
He’s driven by fear, not hate.
T.T.O. says:
> Parahumans are in positions of power
Well of course they are and will be. And there’s nothing anyone can (or should) do about it, except killing every parahuman right after they trigger. And even in that case, some parahumans would probably manage to hide their abilities or give enough incentive to the anti-parahuman leaders, and then they still will be in power.
> which they often achieved through illegitimate means – like hiding ex-cauldron past
Just how is this illegitimate? They wouldn’t need to hide it if there wasn’t so much anti-parahuman bigotry around.
> or taking over through raw strength
That’s bad indeed. But, you know, regular humans have been doing that throughout over all the history. And the solution for that would be not to assign blame to some specific category of humans, but to work out such a political system which would be resilient to taking over by force (something that’s not quite solved yet in the real world, without any parahumans, by the way).
> We really don’t like to be ruled by somebody without moral authority. Deus Vult, democratic mandate, force of tradition…
That amounts to saying that “moral authority” could be basically anything. By the way, Citrine didn’t just step up into the mayor’s position, she was elected. Here’s a democratic mandate.
Should Mother Mathers be allowed to run for office, without disclosing, that she is a Parahuman and what her powers do? Even parahumans without such terrible powers are a question mark, due to influence of passengers. I think Parahuman status is something voters must know to make a legitimate choice. Citrine`s democratic mandate is severely damaged by all the things she hid from people, who chose her to lead. When it inevitably goes public, I don’t think they’ll accept “If you knew, you’d never have voted for me, since you are bigots” as an explanation.
Should gay people be obligated to disclose their sexuality before running for office? I’ve heard that homosexuality is very dangerous, potentially resulting in eternal damnation (i.e. worse than Gray Boy). If a mayoral candidate thinks that it is okay to dabble in and be influenced by such dangerous evil, shouldn’t they have to warn everybody?
It is one thing to be upset that she didn’t disclose her criminal history, but being upset that she didn’t disclose her status as a cape is quite another. At least, as long as she didn’t lie outright about it (lying is bad; deflecting or refusing to answer is not). Nor would it be legitimate to be upset that she didn’t reveal her sexual orientation, gender identity, religious beliefs (or lack thereof), favorite flavor of ice cream, Myers–Briggs results, martial arts training, ancestry, blood type, BMI, exercise routine, diet, or whatever else. These are all things people might be curious about as they may affect how she runs the city, but they are not things people have any right to know. It is up to the candidate whether or not to disclose them, and it is up to the voter to decide whether to vote for people who refuse to inform them about things they consider important.
Alfaryn says:
I’ll give you an example of a real life law that works in a similar way to what Kessler is proposing. Polish lustration law. It is meant to prevent members and collaborators of various former communist security services from basically taking over the country. According to various estimates we could be talking about some hundred thousand to even over two hundred thousand people here, whose identities are as a general rule unknown to the public. Remember that a lot of work that those institutions did basically boiled down to invigilating Polish society, gathering blackmail material on everyone of any importance witin that society, and using that material, as well as many other not always legal means, to ensure that the society remained loyal not only to Polish communist government, but ultimately to government and the communist party of USSR.
The law dictates that any candidate to one of various positions of power in Poland (from the President of Poland all the way down to rectors and deens of state-owned universities) has to make a written declaration whether they knowingly and willingly worked for the communist services in question (basically a simple yes-no answer to the question defined by law). Those declarations are publicly available, and in case of elective positions – provided to voters together with a list of candidates. You can take almost any position even if you declare that you did work for those communist services, but if it is later found that you lied in your declaration (there is a separate legal procedure for that involving among others the so-called “lustration court” – basically a specialized department of the Appeal Court in Warsaw, and Supreme Court to which any appeals from the decisions of lustration court go) you may not only lose the position you wanted to get when you made your declaration, but also the right to candidate to similar positions for several years.
The law is a compromise between leaving secret members and collaborators of communist services in higher places completely out of control of public opinion, and cutting them from public life completely (again – we are talking about over a hundred thousand people, many of whom had a choice between “collaboration” – sometimes as simple as signing a declaration of loyalty and a few harmless, often fake reports, and not getting a good job, not getting promoted, not getting a flat, a car, a passport etc., not to mention the people who for example really worked on ensuring security of the state secrets from foreign spies for example). The compromise is working since 1997, with some changes made in 2007, so while it is controversial as hell (there were not that many topics in Polish post-communist era politics as hotly debated as lustration) it seems to be a solution that generally is good enough for most people in the country.
As for capes, I would say that their powers and their secrets (including, though definitely not limited to their secret personalities) make many of them potentially far more dangerous than any members or collaborators of former communist state security machines.
The least that the voters should be entitled to know is whether they are casting their votes on capes. They should probably also known what the cape in question could do (what are their powers, what history they had and if that history means they may harbor some important secrets or have connections to known criminals etc.). The law doesn’t necessarily have to require that every candidate for important position has to reveal all of those details about themselves just because they happen to be capes, but at the very least it should let people know that they may be dealing with a person who used to be (or even still is) a masked parahuman criminal, or who could have a power or knowledge which is beyond what is available to regular, unpowered people, and which could be used to manipulate public opinion (like certain master powers for example) or otherwise abuse democratic institutions to gain more power than what the voters would normally want or expect to give them if they were aware of those facts. One of the assumptions of democracy is that voters are in position to make informed decisions and can be assumed to have certain mental faculties including free will and ability to make rational decisions while doing so. Powers can mess with all of that.
Change the last sentence above to “Powers, capes privileges and the effect Shards have on their minds can mess with all of that.” The fact that parahumans enjoy certain rights, including the right to maintain secret identities in almost all situations is often even more damaging than the powers themselves. The fact that their Shards can do everything from driving them to conflict to making them as insane as for example Bonesaw was during her “best” times with Slaughterhouse Nine is also something that voters would probably want to take into account…
Note that for example there is absolutely nothing about Citrine’s power that makes her appointment as a Mayor a problem. The problems with her are that she used to be a villain (something voters would probably like to know, and would know if she was an unpowered criminal), and the fact that some of her decisions seem like they may have been precisely the right ones to draw the city into conflict with Chiet (which may end with outright war) or with Love Lost-Cradle-March trio (with Kronos Titan as a result).
Even if a cape is perfectly mentally stable and doesn’t have any undesirable tendencies, other capes are likely to attack them, and if the person being attacked happens to be the Mayor for example, the entire city may get drawn into conflict. In other words even if Citrine did nothing to provoke the conflicts I’ve mentioned above, the fact that she is a cape probably contributed to the fact that other capes decided to target her, and since she is the Mayor with assets like hero teams to protect her the attacks on her weren’t simple street level fights, but things that endanger the entire city.
In other words one more reason for the voters to know that a person they are voting for is a parahuman is that while a parahuman may use their power to protect the institution they are a part of (like the government of the city, and by extension the city itself in this example), their mere presence means that those institutions are also more likely to come under attack by other parahumans, and that may have serious negative consequences for everyone even remotely connected to those institutions (like pretty much the entire population of the city in this example).
Perhaps it is better to keep capes on the front lines, or at least in unimportant enough positions that nobody will feel like they need to threaten lives and livelihoods of millions of people to get to those capes? Sounds like a risk that voters may want to be aware of and take into consideration before deciding to make a parahuman their Mayor, don’t you think?
The secret identities thing probably isn’t actually a parahuman specific privilege. If a badass baseline had a mind to, they could make themselves a costume and go do cape stuff. Being a cape without powers is more difficult and requires being a little bit insane, but it is entirely doable.
By the way, here is an observation about the fact that a cape in high position in government can actually be a danger to the people that government is supposed to protect simply because if someone targets that cape, they are likely do a lot of damage that will affect regular people in the area.
Don’t you think that Tattletale – the de facto ruler of New Brockton is doing a better job protecting her people from situations I’ve just described than Citrine – the Mayor of the city does?
Think about it like this – when Undersiders under Tattletale’s leadership controlled Brockton Bay, and later New Brockton and a new group of villains threatened the city they did one of two things – either quickly attacked in a way that kept the fight on a small tactical scale (for example when Heartbreaker came to Brockton Bay), or retreated from the city entirely (like when the March came to New Brockton). Either way the risk to civilians was minimal.
What did Citrine do instead? She ensured that she had entire armies of heroes (Wardens, Breakthrough network etc.), and sent them to fight while she and her husband (and at least a couple of Number Boys) stayed in her ivory tower, and came out of it only after the battles were practically over. It happened during the battle for the prison, it happened during the crisis with Love Lost, Cradle and March (she said she couldn’t engage herself because she was under some other attack at the time, but I wonder how much truth was in that), looks like it may happen with Teacher (at least her “armies” are planning to take the fight to the enemy, but she knew where to find Teacher for years, knew that he would attack the city sooner or later, and still let him strike first, and he did it in a way that damaged social order within the city potentially endangering a lot of its citizens – Citrine probably should have organized the attack on Teacher’s Cauldron months ago), and I wonder if when Chiet or Machine Army attack she will also stay in the city hall (or wherever she resides during such conflicts) not do much to keep the conflict away from the city and its population.
Of course what I said above is not entirely fair. The portal currently bisecting New Brockton and Kronos Titan are both great proofs that Tattletale hasn’t always managed to keep conflicts from harming that city’s population. She also knew that Teacher had to be dealt with at some point, and where to find him, and also didn’t manage to strike at him before he made his move (or rather moves, because things like the portals explosion was undoubtedly also largely his fault).
However despite what I wrote in the last paragraph, my overall feeling is that when Tattletale feels like has any sort of control over where and when any attack on her or any cape fight in her city will happen, she does her best to keep the civilians away from the line of fire by either attacking first or retreating from the city in a way that keeps any fights on small, tactical, street-level scale, while Citrine stays put behind the lines of heroes (and even unpowered law enforcement like the Patrol Block) until she feels it is safe to come out, which means that if someone wants to get her, they will likely do a lot of damage to the city itself and its population before they will be able to confront her directly.
I hope that I misjudge Citrine here, that both she and her husband had good reasons to either not appear in places of major parahuman conflicts in or close to the city (not to mention Number Boys only two of whom really took part in the battle against Cradle, and only because Victoria essentially guilt tripped Citrine into sending them), and that they will not shy away from fighting on the front lines if it will reduce the chances of collateral damage to the city itself. So far however the way Citrine, Number Man and Number Boys seem to approach parahuman conflicts seem to indicate that they prioritize their own safety over safety of their city and its population, while the Undersiders and even the Heartboken under Tattletale do the exact opposite.
@Pizzasgood
> The secret identities thing probably isn’t actually a parahuman specific privilege.
There is a key difference between a cape and a non-cape with a secret identity. The former has a far stronger legal protection. Everyone can use an assumed name or wear a mask, but only a cape can count on their “civilian” identity not being revealed even if they use that fake name and a mask to commit a crime. If for example Citrine was an unpowered criminal wearing a costume featuring a golden mask, and was found guilty, her face and her real name would be revealed to the public. As a cape she would not only probably be released with a slap on a wrist called “first strike”, she would also likely be allowed to keep her civilian identity a secret. Of course if she committed a very serious crime, she could not get some or even all of those benefits, but an unpowered criminal by default wouldn’t get those even if they committed relatively small crimes. This means among other things that a theoretical “Citrine the unpowered, masked criminal” would be much less likely to be able to hide her criminal past while she was a candidate for the Mayor.
Of course it may be entirely possible to fake being a cape by wearing a costume and a mask and inventing a story about having a power which existence is difficult to verify (and in my opinion it actually would be interesting to see a character trying to do exactly that), but I doubt that the law would allow you to keep a secret identity as soon as it will be revealed that you are bluffing about having powers. I imagine that such lie wouldn’t last long in cape-rich environment, as some thinker like Tattletale or some tinker with a lie detector like Defiant would probably quickly figure it out, at which point you would be just one MRI scan away from your power being proven to be a fake.
As a side note impersonating a cape in a cape-rich environment is probably a very stupid idea, because as a general rule capes, while obviously won’t intentionally go for lethal takedowns in cape fights, will not hold back against unknown capes quite as much as they would against people they consider non-parahumans.
Sorry, I just realized that I probably should have written “pretending to be a cape” instead of “impersonating a cape”.
I really doubt things worked the way you describe; it makes no sense at all, and it especially wouldn’t have worked in the earlier days when they didn’t know about the corona polentia yet. It’s a lot more likely that they took a quacks-like-a-duck approach to dealing with villains. If you behaved like a cape, you got treated like a cape, and if you behaved like a baseline, you got treated like a baseline.
And contrary to what people have been saying lately, most people would greatly prefer to be treated like a baseline than a cape. The courts were stacked against capes, and no, they did not simply release people on their first and second strikes. The three strike rule was about the Birdcage — automatic life-without-parole in a prison run by supervillains. If you weren’t on your third strike and hadn’t done anything sufficiently horrible, then you still faced normal imprisonment. That’s what happened to Poison Apple, Drillbit, and (temporarily) Skitter and Assault. The idea was to give villains the opportunity to play nice and serve their time in a (relatively) humane facility and maybe even reform — the same opportunity normal criminals get. This may have only been a “slap on the wrist” to the ones who were willing to just break out and resume their villainy, but it wasn’t preferential treatment. The only preferential treatment was the occasional offer to the more sane villains of flipping sides and atoning for their sins by helping the heroes (which of course entailed a lot of restrictions and monitoring; it wasn’t really freedom, just a more comfortable — and far more dangerous — sentence).
And what basis do you have for the idea that secret identities have legal protection? I don’t recall anything like that. Pretty sure that’s just part of the unwritten rules that the law loosely accommodated, not any sort of actual legal right.
Ok, let me begin by saying that I don’t question the fact that there were cases when the courts were obviously way too harsh to capes. I wonder if Dragon celebrates the anniversary of her release from the restriction that forced her to always follow decisions of legal authorities by painting some vulgar graffiti on house of the judge who decided to send Canary to the Birdcage. He probably deserves that, and more.
On to the cases you mentioned.
Skitter is as far as I can tell by far the most complicated one. On one hand even without murders which didn’t end up on charges list for shall we say “political” reasons there was enough there to put her behind the bars for a long time. On the other hands there was probably quite literally a few dozen metric tons of people who could and would very much like to speak in her defense as character witnesses. If all of those people would be allowed to testify, and assuming that the world somehow wouldn’t end before then the final verdict would probably be something like “Well Ms. Hebert, you have been found guilty as charged on all accounts, but considering that you spent far more time behind the bars by the time we got to this point than anything we could sentence you to, we have no choice but to let you go home. Congratulations on your fortieth birthday by the way.” I think I can’t really judge if the verdict in her case was fair.
Assault’s (or rather Madcap’s, as that was his villain name) case is simpler, and I think a perfect example of a case where the court was probably way too latent. Remember that he could be changed at least with multiple counts of busting out some of the most dangerous criminals in the world from prison transports, and violently resisting arrest. I already stated some time ago that I don’t feel like I would be qualified to judge people, especially in criminal cases, but my gut feeling is that the verdict in Madcap’s case should have probably been “Fuck this deal you were trying to make with the heroes who brought you in. Fuck anyone who agreed to it and their dog. With a rap sheet like this all you are going to get from me for finally surrendering is the fact that I will send you behind the bars for five years instead of ten. And if it wasn’t obvious already, we are removing this silly mask right now and figuring out your real name, address, and social security number in case you decide to do an encore once you get out.” At that point both Madcap and the public would learn that:
– the courts treat serious crimes seriously, instead of letting the villains go with a figurative “slap on a wrist”,
– the judge used to be Tattletale’s nanny (let’s conveniently forget about the fact that Tt almost certainly wasn’t even a cape, much less one known as Tattletale, at that point),
As for Poison Apple there is probably not enough data tell if her sentence was fair. How many of her crimes were proven? How long was she sentenced for? How killing that unborn baby was classified exactly? It is obvious that it was a case of manslaughter, but “manslaughter” is a very broad legal category with a wide spectrum of possible degree of guilt, and equally wide range of possible punishments. Did the judge believe that Poison Apple felt any remorse for killing that baby? From her conversation with Victoria we know that she did not.
I’m not even going to touch Drillbit’s case here because I feel that we know even less about this one than about Poison Apple’s.
Finally, unmasking. I probably focused too much on unmasking convicted capes, because there are not that many cases where we know that a cape was actually convicted and allowed to keep a secret personality despite that (though I would argue that both Madcap and Poison Apple probably should have been publicly unmasked after they were sentenced), but why do even institutions like the police, PRT, and possibly Protectorate and other hero teams working for the government never did anything to uncover “real” civilian personality and all aliases and costumes of every parahuman criminal they caught just to put in their internal files? Sure, with certain powers around security of such personal information could be difficult to ensure sometimes, but this is just a good reason to spare no expense on capes and systems that can actually accomplish it, and perhaps making sure there is also a good system for destroying such information once the suspect in question is proven not guilty, and some time after the ones found guilty serve their sentences. It is not like similar systems don’t exist in many places in the real world anyway. But simply not gathering such personal data on people suspected or at least accused of committing a crime seems like something that is bound to do more harm than good.
We know why things were done this way on Bet. The official explanation was “We need to keep enough villains sufficiently happy with the law and alive to be able to use their help against the Endbringers.” We also know that the real reason real reason was “Same as above but also against Scion.” The problem is that those were acceptable reasons on Bet when the Endbringers were active, and Scion still alive. Continuing the same policy post-GM and post-amnesty simply does more harm than good in my opinion.
If you ask me the current standard procedure for handling a guy committing a crime in spandex bodysuit and a domino mask caught by the police (or any equivalent of it meant for dealing with capes) should be the following:
1. Bring him in to the police station, jail, interrogation room, wherever you can do the next steps of the police procedure.
2. Unmask them and take a few nice pictures of their face, do your best to learn both their real name and all aliases together with other basic information needed to positively identify them in the future.
3. Have a specialist give them a basic psychological evaluation. On our world the justification for it would be… “committing a crime in spandex bodysuit and a domino mask”, on Gimel – the fact that capes are proven to be very prone to all sorts of serious mental issues. The court may later decide (and should probably liberally use this right) to order a full evaluation.
4. Gather any evidence necessary to present the case to the court.
4a. If you want to engage in some verbal abuse, subject the guy in the spandex costume and a domino mask to a review by fashion police.
5. Present the case to the court.
And no secret identities for candidates on public positions! In interwar Poland there were plenty of politicians who practically used two “surnames” – one of them was their real birth name, the other one was the pseudonym they used in conspiration before and during WWI (remember that many of them were considered criminals, sometimes even quite justifiably, in at least some of the countries that partitioned Poland, because of what they did to ensure Polish independence – from things like organizing passive resistance of civilian population all the way to engaging in outright terrorism). Similar thing with Polish underground fighters turned politicians after WWII. I’m sure we could find tons of similar examples in other countries, and as far as I know even Joseph Stalin himself made no secret after the revolution that his birth certificate said “Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili”.
If Stalin could do it, I think we can demand unmasking and otherwise revealing all aliases and secret personalities from capes who want to take high-profile public functions along with admission that they are capes. This is too important information not to reveal it to the public, especially to voters before they cast a vote on a cape. In other words – you want to take a public position? Make key information about your identity public first.
And sure, you can make an exception for public position such in official hero teams, recognized by the law. Same reasons as for letting anti-terrorists operate in masks. Same limitation too – the identity is not revealed to the public, but is known to and kept secret by governmental bodies overseeing their work.
Since we already brought up Assault let me take this opportunity to post a few more thoughts about him, since I think he not only is an interesting character, but may soon be put in a situation rather painful to him. Sorry in advance that this will be one of those comments that move away from the main topic of the thread.
The first thing I want to do is to explore the deal he made that let him join the Protectorate without spending a lot of time in prison first. In a more traditional approach to how we understand the role of justice system, I think that the fact he got his deal was quite clearly unjust. He committed multiple very serious crimes, and got a very light sentence for them. It seems clear that in his case the PRT and the Protectorate did not want justice as much as they wanted to turn him into an asset. It seems clear that Madcap showed no signs of remorse, and on top of that the reason he joined the Protectorate was actually quite selfish – he liked Battery in an annoying sort of way. He wanted to both be with her and to mess with her head. His conditions that his new cape name would be Assault and that he would be put in a team with Battery could be considered insulting to her, and possibly even qualify as harassment. And yet… he turned out to be both a great hero, and as far as we know also a great husband! Moreover after Battery’s death he did not quit doing hero work, which suggests that he has really changed, that he has found other reasons to keep being one of the “good guys”. In fact his transformation from a villain to a hero seems like a model example of one of the things that the amnesty was supposed to achieve – convince as many of the former villains as possible to switch sides at the time that the society was simply no longer in position to catch and punish parahuman criminals anymore. You could say that he should be considered a role model for people like Fume Hood.
All of this leads to some interesting questions. Was the justice system right to give Assault his second chance? Were Assault’s initial reasons to became a Protectorate hero the “right” ones? Is there even such thing as the right reason to be a hero, or is final effect the only thing that counts?
Another thing I want to discuss is Assault’s relationship with Battery. As far as I remember he probably never knew that she was a Cauldron cape, or that she bought her powers specifically to bring him to justice. He almost certainly doesn’t know to this day that Battery owed favors to Cauldron as a part of payment for her power, and especially what her last favor was supposed to be. Moreover we know very little about how he reacted to Battery’s death. How did he grieve? Does he still do it? Why exactly did he continue being a hero after she was gone?
Finally I think that with the upcoming attack on Cauldron complex there is a good chance that the heroes will stumble upon whatever files Cauldron got on the heroes that bought their powers. Heroes like Battery and Gallant. Do such files exist? Do they contain the list of favors those capes were asked to do for Cauldron? If the heroes find such documents, should they show Battery’s file to Assault? Should they show Gallant’s file to Antares and Vista? Should the families of those dead heroes be shown those files? Maybe some of those files (for example those belonging to the capes who are already dead) should be widely distributed? Or maybe they should be destroyed?
Do you think it would be interesting to explore answers to some of the above questions in an interlude written from Assault’s point of view and set at some point in time after the upcoming attack on the Cauldron base, assuming the attack will result in the heroes obtaining Battery’s files?
Hmmm… if its that strongly reminding you of Goebbels’ speech on jews, then I can’t imagine that that’s an accident.
Sorry, my history isn’t actually strong enough to recognize the name, but I can imagine the context.
By the sounds of it, WB is trying to make the thing sound as reasonable as possible (by bringing up actual problems in wormverse), while also lacing the thing with as much dangerous stuff from the real world as can be had.
Sorry if I came off overly casual earlier.
As for being a pawn or not, based on what we’ve seen of the story so far, it sounds like Gary is Geniune… but has been actively fed information in order to make him act a certain way…. and then gone and sought out more such information.
kits says:
It’s not actually even remotely similar. Seems more like Lulu heard someone else’s research paper on the subject and needs an outlet for agression.
> Either he’s a giant dick or he’s Teacher’ pawn
Why either? I’d say both.
Grant Moxham says:
that’s assuming he actually believes any of his rhetoric- isnt he a knowing catspaw of a Thinker atm?
Last I heard, he was being fed information that he really SHOULD have realized was suspicious…. but no, he was not a knowing cats paw, he was an unknowing one who really should have been more skeptical of his sources.
Based on his interlude, I think it is a fairly safe bet that he does genuinely believe that Parahumans are a threat, and that parahuman leadership is a serious problem. There doesn’t appear to be anything in the story to suggest Gary is cynical, or power hungry.
He’s afraid, and confused, and lashing out in a dangerous way… but not a hypocrit in the sense of secretly working with parahumans, at least, last we heard.
Feliperal says:
Honestly, if you were there, as a base line human, fight to not die o hunger or cold, while the parahumans are ok, knowing that your crimes get you arrested while while parahumans are not, knowing that as far as you know, you might already be a minion or a slave to them, would you not hate them?
> knowing that your crimes get you arrested while while parahumans are not
The courts have been overloaded for quite a long time. I would guess minor crimes of baseline humans tend to be ignored altogether in such circumstances.
Do they get arrested though? The same court system that deals with parahumans also deals with other humans
Coda says:
I don’t even think Rain is pretending. Rain, I think, is has an ESPECIALLY good reason to be pissed off about parahumans being in power. He lived most of his life oppressed by a parahuman overlord, and it messed with him.
GreatWyrmGold says:
I don’t think Rain is pretending to wholly agree with Gary. I think he genuinely agrees with some of Gary’s arguments. Which makes sense; Gary’s arguments are rooted in a very real insecurity at the heart of the Megalopolis’s society. That insecurity deserves to be addressed somehow. I imagine that next chapter is going to include Rain explaining how “bitching about parahumans” isn’t part of a good solution.
The Chair-zard of Menlo Park says:
So, Othala didn’t make it through Gold Morning, apparently. Which kinda sucks.
But, on the other hand, Rain has the right idea. Instead of attacking all parahumans, he’s directing all the hate towards one parahuman to slow down the change.
Also, Dinah interlude when? Why is she creating this anti-parahuman ideal spreading? What does she get out of this? Man, you sure know how to build this intense desire to know things.
Also, Swansong takes no fucking prisoners.
Ethical says:
Pretty sure we straight up saw Othala die in Gold Morning, alongside Trickster and Lady Photon
Lena27 says:
I’m sorry, I’ve heard this idea before but I need some clarification–why do people think Dinah is the one behind the anti-parahuman sentiment??
ClaroYVolcan says:
Teacher said in scapegoat teacher that dinah was influencing them but wildbow clarified in a thread (cant find it)that she only pushed the movement foward to gain traction (don remeber fully)
Teacher said it to Black Goat. and Teacher had no real reason to lie to him.
Teacher had all the reasons to lie to anyone and everyone. And by the way, all the actual evidence we have at this point is pointing to Teacher himself being behind the anti-parahumans. Sorry, but the “theory” about Dinah is just utter BS which gets repeated over and over.
Not only that, but at least one of the things Teacher told Goat ended up not being true. Cryptid killed Goddess, presumably with Red Queen’s help. Teacher and Goat played no part in that, despite Teacher’s promise that “You’ll be my trap for her.” Teacher might claim that Cryptid would never have gotten in that position without Teacher’s machinations, but that would just be more Teacher bullshit.
“You’re absolutely, totally right,” Rain said, visibly agitated with the public speaking, being in the limelight. “And we’re on your side in this. More of us than you’d think, we agree that we should be voting for Ward.”
If you hate fascists who discriminate people based on skin color, race, religion or having superpowers, then vote here http://topwebfiction.com/vote.php?for=ward
I’ll be voting against fascist pricks today and also tomorrow with my fellow brits against fascist arseholes. Gary Nieves actaully reminds me very closely of one of one of the EU candiadates and his leaflets in the northwest.
Back on topic: Amy got mentioned again… I wonder if the arc title ‘Breaking’ is anything to do with her
Breaking: Breaking Teacher’s grip on everyone and everything
Breaking: The emotional state of the team
Breaking: Breaking the silence about Gold Morning
Breaking: Victoria’s emotional state after she’s tried for so hard
Breaking: What Victoria still wants to do to Tattletale’s face
quaggan says:
When you phrase it like this, how could I not vote…
Let’s agree on a typo thread:
“counted for somethign.”
Missing closing quotes.
“soundless, supressed laughter.”
*suppressed
“close to the bunker”
“a supiciously phone-like”
+s
“most unsuprised,”
+r
“flew down to make up for”
“crowd were watching. Behind me,”
““Swansong , who”
“Rain didn’t wait. Rain went ahead,”
Repetition.
> I saw Victor- Brockton Bay native, named for his power, not because it was an actual name.
Add space before the dash?
> he condemned everything about who & what he’d been
Technically not a typo, but maybe consider changing the ‘&’ to ‘and’.
> “Good. We would like you to handle some of the rising anti-parahuman sentiment.
There is only one space between these sentences.
> If you’ll stay after?
There are three spaces before this sentence, and only one after it.
> One of those squads is us, because we anticipate an attack on the Bunker by Teacher once he realizes what we’re doing…”
There are three spaces before this sentence.
> “Nope!” Sveta said.
There are two spaces between ‘“Nope!”’ and ‘Sveta’. I think there should only be one.
> “Sorry,” she said. Then, like that wasn’t enough, but she couldn’t think of what else to say, she said, “sorry.”
Again I’m not sure about this one, but maybe the second “sorry.” was supposed to be a separate sentence in which case it should begin with a capital ‘S’.
> The mask was wrapped up by the strips, then drawn into her stomach.
There are two spaces between ‘up’ and ‘by’.
> When I dream, I dream of other mes.
Not sure how to correct this one, but as far as I can tell ‘mes’ is wrong.
IcySpectre says:
I think it just looks weird because mes is a word that doesn’t need to exist in our world.
Juff says:
has left for > left for
in scandal > in a scandal
we look > we can look
Is Rain fast thinking? Or is something horrible happening? I mean another something horrible? Find out next time, same Ward website, same Ward update time!
David Hunt says:
“Is Rain fast thinking? Or is something horrible happening?”
How could you doubt Rain? He’s shown amazing good judgement when talking about he failings of parahumans, especially himself when talking to *checks notes* Chastity…I’ll come back in again.
The funny thing is that half of Gary’s argument (the part about the Mayor being secretly a parahuman) will be pretty weak in discussion with Breakthrough considering that by this point not only half of that team either doesn’t have secret identities, but also the team leader is a New Wave member – the team of capes which argued for more cape accountability, publicly unmasked themselves to add weight to their arguments, AND lost a family member as a result.
If Gary continues to argue along those lines, Victoria will need only to point out those facts, and she will probably quickly gain a lot of sympathy among the surrounding crowd.
And obviously when Rain tells how he or Erin and several other unwilling members of the Fallen were treated by Fallen capes, it will just gain him crowd’s sympathy and at the same time serve as proof of his honesty on the matter. Pointing out Sveta as another victim of parahumans in power and without any supervision will also gain Breakthrough some points when it comes to the “not all parahumans are happy to be ruled by capes” argument. Stories of at least some of other Breakthrough members could also probably be spinned in this direction.
I think that Gary may have made a mistake of having this discussion with Breakthrough if he wants to drive a wedge between humans and parahumans, because this team has a lot of parahumans who have been harmed by parahumans in position of power. There is a good chance that some of the less bigoted civilians will actually find reasons to actually solidarize with Breakthrough.
Is it possible, he is being manipulated to direct anger and questions at the hardest point, where Teacher’s reputation strike is most likely to fail?
Daniel Keys says:
Yeah. When Ashley descended like Lucifer, I wondered if she knew something Victoria didn’t about their mission – maybe Tattletale thought they needed a major PR screw-up in order to fool Teacher. Now I’m wondering if the hero Thinkers knew Breakthrough could defuse the situation without blowing cover.
Breakthrough may have been tasked with the job of calming anti-parahuman sentiments also because even if they screw it up, chances are they won’t reveal any really big secret that hasn’t already reached public ears. For example despite Victoria being such a cape geek, I suspect that Breakthrough may be the only major team in which nobody knows that Alexandria and Chef Director Rebecca Costa-Brown were the same person.
Of course Teacher certainly knows that fact and may be just waiting for the right moment to reveal it. That is unless he wants to sell the public a story that Cauldron were true saviors of humanity, and doesn’t want any information out there that would contradict that narrative. Note that none of the secrets leaked so far seem to have anything to do with Cauldron and its crimes.
These people have been through hell. Citrine is the mayor now, so some people will care about who she actually is. Whom Alexandria or some PRT nerd or really anyone else did or didn’t pretend to be four years ago is the last thing that anyone will care about.
The problem with Alexandria being Chief Director Rebecca Costa-Brown is that she broke her own rules that said that PRT was supposed to have no parahumans within its ranks so that organizations like the Protectorate remained under non-powered humans supervision. By being the head of one of those organizations, and one of just three most important leaders of the others, she for decades had more power than any person (parahuman or not) were ever supposed to have. It means that the entire system of checks and balances that was supposed to limit parahumans simply never worked, that it wasn’t something that collapsed only after Gold Morning.
If something like this gets out, I expect it will be very difficult to convince very many people that something far more drastic than the system used by countries like Bet’s US needs to be implemented to keep parahumans under control, or even somehow eliminate them from society simply because the society has no means of establishing such control.
Even what C.U.I. did with their capes may be seen as insufficient, because it left capes in a position where they could theoretically control the country. All that would need to happen is for the head of that state to be secretly a cape or to be under Yàngbǎn’s control, and we can’t even be completely sure if it isn’t the case. In fact I suspect that the leadership of Yàngbǎn controls the throne one way or another. It is not like the royal family can stop them from doing so, unless that family contains a cape with just the right power to ensure Yàngbǎn’s leaders loyalty and obedience.
Yeah that was definitely a problem pre-GM. Like lots of other things were problems pre-GM, nobody cares about that now.
The reason why Rebecca’s case is still relevant is that the society of the city is looking for a way to organize itself, to find a new social order that works. The anti-parahuman movement is one of many indicators that show that the people are not happy with status quo, which is still largely based on old laws and the underlying social contract carried over from Bet. The first logical step when it comes to fixing the old system seems to be to take a careful look at the past, and see what was broken then. The fact that Rebecca secretly was both a member of the Triumvirate and the Chief Director of PRT is one of the things that were very wrong with the old system.
When people will see it, I imagine that they will be very interested, especially because their Mayor turned out to secretly be a former villain. The similarity between those two cases will be seen as proof that the situation with Citrine is neither a one-time occurrence, nor something resulting from amnesty or the chaos of those last two post-GM years, but a result of a fundamental problem with the old system itself – something that could keep happening even after things calm down and people will settle in the city for good.
My hope is that the people will come to the right conclusions about what needs to be changed (and it seems obvious that some changes must be made). My worry is that with the emotions as hot as they are now the public will overreact and do something really stupid. Teacher may be right about one thing – those people may need to be saved from themselves, from making rash decisions based on their emotions (like xenophobia, which seems drive the anti-parahumans), incomplete, sewed information and understanding of key facts, and without even making an honest attempt to listen to all arguments, to understand the complexity of the situation and to calmly think things through.
Of course the problem with Teacher is that at least for now he seems to be pouring the fuel into the fire, but let’s not forget that he is also providing the public with some information which is partially true, but (which may be even more important in the long run) is making it more and more difficult for the heroes to keep all their dirty secrets instead of being much more open with the public by engaging in the sort of public debate that Breakthrough has just been drawn into. Two big unanswered questions are:
– What Teacher wants to accomplish with all of this? A massive riot potentially leading to something even worse, an open, constrictive debate, or something else entirely?
– What will actually end up happening? This is a potentially very volatile situation after all…
The best thing about it is that Rain’s tactic not only suggests that the division between people doesn’t go along human-parahuman line. It also helps sell the idea that parahumans themselves are very divided internally, which goes well with the general impression that the heroes want to convey to Teacher’s Cauldron at the moment.
Besides imagine how surprising the entire situation must be to Gary. He was prepared to confront parahumans as a human, to fight a verbal battle with clearly defined sides – us-humans and them-parahumans. He has a ton of arguments prepared to serve as his ammunition in this confrontation… And here his intended opponent doesn’t keep to the script and basically says “I’m on your side in this matter.” Considering how bigoted Gary is himself, it will probably be a while before he gathers his wits enough to regain anything close to a control over situation, if he will manage to do it at all.
Well, to take a real-world analogy – despite that jews have suffered much during WWII, anti-semitism is still widespread. That won’t really help.
This approach certainly won’t convince everyone, but I think that there is a good chance that it may be enough for most people. As for your analogy, I don’t think it is valid for two reasons.
First is that I don’t really think that modern antisemitism, as bad as it is, is nowhere near as what happened before and during WWII. You won’t find countries with democratically elected governments that pursue complete extermination of Jewish nation, while populations of those countries consist mostly of people who either willingly participate, or at least do their best to not see what is going on.
The second reason is that while a person is either born Jewish or not, everyone understands that any human has a potential to trigger. Two years ago people might have thought that only those with Corona Pollentia could, because there are probably many people who know that some people, including all known capes with normal bodies, have those organs, while relatively few people pre-GM knew that there are ways to gain powers even if you don’t have a Corona. Currently though? I bet that broken triggers drove it home that the situation is not that simple.
There is a difference between hating a group of people that you know you don’t, never have and never will belong to, and hating a group of people you (not to mention any of your friends or your loved ones) may become a part of at any moment.
And don’t get me wrong. I’m perfectly aware of the fact that there are groups of people who are willing and able to kill entire nations, ethnic groups or other groups of people selected using whatever criteria. There are plenty of examples out there – from aristocrats and land owners in Soviet Union to Tutsi in Rwanda. All I’m pointing out here is that “antisemitism” is a term that describes a very wide spectrum of beliefs and behaviors, and I think that WWII has actually done a lot to mostly remove or at least marginalize the worst forms of it, at least in countries in which population is actually aware of horrors of Holocaust, which means practically anywhere where people receive anything resembling honest, unbiased education in WWII history.
Finally, I don’t think that your analogy applies also because at least as far as we know no anti-parahuman argued for killing all capes. Everyone understands that as long as people will keep triggering there will always be capes out there, and so far probably nobody figured out how to stop triggers from happening, and if they did, they are almost certainly a cape who doesn’t share this knowledge with the public.
What the anti-parahumans seem to want is to remove the system that gives all the power to the capes, while letting them keep all their dirty secrets and have very little accountability for their actions – especially now that only the capes caught doing most serious crimes face trials, and even when they are found guilty their imprisonment is handled by other capes who probably don’t even explain, much less let the public oversee, their methods. It doesn’t help that even in opinion of Natalie – a lawyer sympathetic to heroes, those methods have no legal basis.
Another thing that many anti-parahumans may be concerned about is that the capes are known to tend to be more mentally unstable than regular humans, which aside from their powers could be an argument that they need to be more carefully monitored than regular humans (countries like C.U.I. or Russia have done exactly that, and I suspect that many people in the city may think that it was the right course of action).
Yet another thing is that, as we saw in Glow-worm, there are people who think that the capes enjoyed their special privileges compared to regular humans in return for their efforts in fighting against S-class threats, and the capes failed to keep their end of the deal by allowing Scion to kill billions of people. This is by the way why I think that the capes made a monumental mistake by not releasing a very detailed report about what Scion was, how the powers were connected to him, what has been done to defeat him, and why it was so difficult to do. The consequences of not doing so may be catastrophic for public perception of capes.
For example imagine that one day someone will for example release a statement that practically all capes were mastered by Khepri and forced to fight Scion, while omitting everything that the capes have done to defeat him before and after that (or even that there was any “after” – if someone wants to trash public image of capes, they will probably not mention that Khepri did not maintain direct control until Scion’s death, or will suggest that Canary’s song was almost as good as Khepri’s power when it comes to forcing capes to fight). Khepri will immediately became a very polarizing figure because some will argue that she is ultimately the savior of humanity, while others will point out that:
– she is potentially the most dangerous master ever,
– she released Birdcage prisoners and several other extreme (including S-class) threats (I wonder if people will blame her more for the fact that Endbringers appeared in the fringes of that fight, or for the fact that they did not confront Scion directly),
– if she acted quicker and made less mistakes she would have saved more people,
– and probably a few other things of that nature; people tend to have unrealistic expectations and demands when it comes to capes with a power as extreme as Khepri’s.
The bigger problem than Khepri’s image is that every other cape will be seen as a coward who did not want to fight Scion and was forced to do it unless they manage to prove that they did everything they could to defeat Scion without being mastered by Khepri, and without a detailed, believable account about Gold Morning and all relevant events preceding it (possibly going as far back as establishing Cauldron and all organizations controlled by it – like PRT and the Pretectorate), proving something like that may be impossible. On the other hand if people will learn about the Cauldron conspiracy, they will also not be happy for obvious reasons.
You have some valid points, but it’s debatable. While there is indeed a decline in anti-semitism, compared to the times of WWII, there is also a decline in racism, in prejudice against gay people, improvement in women’s rights, and so on. So it’s hard to say how much of this decline (when we consider anti-semitism specifically) was due to awareness of horrors of Holocaust, and how much is just a general improvement in humanity’s culture.
And regarding the possibility to become a part of the hated group – for example, you might some day find out that some of your ancestors were Jewish. Or you might fall in love with a person who is Jewish, but you won’t know it right away. The difference between Jews and non-Jews is much smaller than between regular humans and parahumans, and so is the gap separating them, but bigoted and hateful people tend not to think about such matters.
By the way, could you point me to where was it said about not needing a Corona to trigger (Cauldron vials aside)?
As for the possibility of having Jewish ancestry, I’m obviously well aware of it. I am from Poland after all, and if you choose to play loose with historical facts and call both the Kingdom of Poland before Union of Lublin and Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth after it “Poland” then you will quickly come to conclusion that Poland has for centuries been the country with the latest Jewish population in the world. Even interwar Poland had the second largest Jewish population in the world after US. For most of that time Polish Jews may have relatively rarely allowed themselves to be Polonized or start Polish-Jewish families, but it wasn’t unheard of, and because of it I strongly suspect that most modern Poles (likely including myself) had some undeniably Jewish ancestors in last half-millennium or so, no matter which commonly accepted definition of “Jewish” you choose to use.
But even the Nazis aware of that “problem”, and that it applied to, say, Germans almost as much as to Poles. This is why if I remember correctly they set limits on the number of generations that needed to pass from the last known Jewish ancestor for a person to be not considered Jewish as far as law was concerned. The entire system had obvious holes in its internal logic of course, but it is not like the same couldn’t be said about the entire Nazi ideology. It did however serve to clearly divide people into “Jews” and “non-Jews” in a way that let a person not only know, but have it officially confirmed that they are not considered Jewish, and unless some previously unknown facts about their ancestry are revealed – they never will be considered Jewish.
It is not the case with capes – theoretically anyone can become a cape at some point in their life, and there is no 100% certain method to prevent it.
As for methods of triggering without Corona Pollentia remember that broken trigger that happened during the construction workers protest. It may have been not obvious at first, but once the crowd has parted it was clear that who triggered during each subsequent “wave” depended only on two factors – whether they were a cape already (in which case they didn’t trigger), and distance from the center of the event. If only people with the Coronas could trigger during that event, then the relationship between triggers and the distance from the center would not be anywhere near that clear.
On top of it there are certain special cases. For example unless Dragon is actually a “biological computer” based on a human fetus (like the ones she created in an attempt to secure her subsystems from Dragonslayers’ attacks) then she not only doesn’t have a Corona Pollentia, but doesn’t even have a brain that the Corona could be attached to.
As a side note – I obviously simplified the Nazi “racial” classification system a lot just to focus on the problem of the situation of Jews under Nazi rule. For example at least in Germany-occupied Poland all non-Jewish people were divided into four categories, depending largely on how “German” their ancestry was, and a lot of laws did or didn’t apply to you based on which list you ended up on. You may want to look up the term Volksliste if you want to learn more.
> unless some previously unknown facts about their ancestry are revealed
My point exactly – I think it’s rarely the case when one can be 100% sure there could be no unknown facts about it. And love/friendship/any other relations are other factors which can bring someone close to the group.
> As for methods of triggering without Corona Pollentia remember that broken trigger that happened during the construction workers protest.
And one of the manifestations of a broken trigger was people’s Coronas being fixed in space. Even if we assume that the affected people developed a Corona if they didn’t have it before, there’s the issue of a broken trigger being, well, broken. It doesn’t work like it was supposed to, much like Cauldron vials; and in contrast to the vials, the person affected by a broken trigger is unlikely to have a successful cape life afterwards (or any life at all, for that matter). And normal triggers, which work as intended and give working powers, happen to people with Coronas (or rather a Corona is created beforehand, when the potential for triggering is planned). At least that’s how I understand it.
Dragon is certainly an interesting special case – as I understand, she doesn’t even have hardware which is permanently used as her brain, she can live in the cloud, create backups of herself and change bodies at will. But her nature wasn’t common knowledge even between capes until recently.
I think Citrine being elected as mayor was bad in the long run. If she was elected having disclosed, she is a parahuman, it could have worked, but with secrecy and lies, it’s damning. Sure, she has Accord’s plan for perfect city, good for administration, but how good has she been at leading and uniting people? And it’s possible Accord’s plan had flaws inserted by his passenger to produce a conflict.
At the same time someone like her was probably necessary in this position. Her situation reminds me a lot about certain Ukrainian politician who said he was about to become a Prime Minister of a kamikaze government…
Of course the question is whether Citrine is a “kamikaze” politician, who took the office because she knew that someone had to make unpopular decisions that would save the city mean political death to the Mayor, or did she intend to keep it long-term? We will probably know from her reaction as soon as people will start demanding that she steps down.
Fhyrestar says:
Pretty sure WoG says that Accord’s power doesn’t fuck with him like the master tinker shard did – Accord himself participates in enough conflict that his shard wasn’t needling him.
Rafinius says:
I found two minor contradictions while reading. They kind of messed with my immersion.
The first:
>There were capes who could, but who were sitting this one out, because they had other shit going on, or because the stress of it was too much. Effervescent was one
>Crystalclear was among them, as was Effervescent.
What is Effervescent sitting out if she’s also involved in the planning and using her Thinker powers?
The second:
>“Maybe you should switch out, cool down?” Rain asked. “It’s Byron’s turn anyway.”
>“It’s apparently made the author popular,” Byron observed.
First Tristan acts like he’ll remain in charge and Vic puts emphasis on it with her thoughts. Then Byron suddenly is back without there being any mention of a switch. And right after:
>“Woah, hold up,” I said, my voice overlapping with Tristan’s, who’d said something similar. “Dial it down.”
The bit with Effervescent isn’t an inconsistency. When Victoria said that those capes were sitting out, she meant sitting out of the deception gambit. They chose to sequester themselves in the Bunker rather than stay in the City and pretend to be coming apart at the seams. They can still help with planning and participate in the eventual raid.
Oh. That wasn’t clear to me. I thought it was the opposite. That Vic was listing people who, because they didn’t want to participate in the deception gambit, chose to stay uninformed so as to not give anything away.
But I reread the paragraph a third time and saw that this was due to my own lack of reading comprehension.
The thing with Byron and Tristan could just mean that Kenzie’s device indeed works as advertised. By the way, Sveta’s little joke when she impersonated Tristan for some reason reminded me of my old suspicion that the thing Sveta said to Brandish in chapter 12.6 the latter was so unimpressed with was “My preciousss,” or something equally silly.
Admiral Matt says:
The uncertainty of why they are saying things or making choices really works on me.
Citrine really shouldn’t have been Mayor-President. People like her or Number Man might have been the right fit for chief of staff, but offhand I honestly can’t remember actual leadership ability at any scale in either Worm or Ward. She walks in with a managerial competence +2 modifier and the Staff of Objectively Correct Plans from Years Ago for Somehow Foreseeable Post-Apocalyptic Contingencies and she’s supposed to play George Washington to a traumatized nation? A leader needs more that correctness and magic number powers. Oh and don’t have a secret past as a criminal?
Nieves is bad because he’s driven by bigotry and also a terrible person. Perhaps parahumans are lucky to have him, though, because if it wasn’t a bigot saying it, because the most damning parts of what he’s saying are all truths.
Rain is spot on, at least so far. Excellent.
Evidently she also came in with a superior campaign strategy than anyone else. I don’t know how, but she managed to get elected above everyone else by the majority human population.
Also, we haven’t seen a single bigshot human community leader other than Nieves. Maybe there is simply a lack of true leadership material. But with millions of people (or was it a couple of billions?) you would expect at least a few people who try to unite and lead large swathes of humanity in *some* direction, good or bad.
At the start of the story, it was about 50 million (equivalent to one South Korea, or two Australias, or a sixth of a USA).
A few million a week were coming through the portals as of Gary’s interlude, and there were 26 million or so still stuck on Bet at that time, so the current population might be around 80 million if they’ve all made it through and didn’t wander off to the frontiers.
So, are you saying it would be better if Citrine and Number Man would back some figurehead “leader” running for mayor, and then be his secret “advisors”?
The way I see it someone like Citrine had to be the Mayor. Too many people wouldn’t survive even the first winter if the city wasn’t run using Accord’s notes and Number Man’s power, and even among the capes it would be difficult to find someone who would trust A&NN. The problem is that on one hand the only way for Citrine to be fair to voters would be to reveal her past before the vote, but at the same time it would practically guarantee that she wouldn’t be elected.
What should happen now is that Citrine should step down as soon as it is not absolutely necessary for her to hold the position to keep the population of the city alive and not exposed to some sort of immediate danger (like war with Chiet for example). She should also explain why she took the position in the first place, and why Accord’s notes, Number Man’s power and her own training as the Ambassador (probably crucial in negotiations with outside powers) were, and probably are so important. Now that she has proven that this combination of notes, skills and powers works, she should have a decent chance to convince whoever will become the new Mayor that most of her policy should be continued and that she and Number Man should be allowed to work under supervision of the new Mayor. This way Citrine and her husband may become not “secret advisors” controlling a “figurehead” as T.T.O. put it, but publicly known and accepted government employees under real control of democratically elected official.
The best thing about it is that to convince the public that Citrine and Number Man are really under control of the new Mayor and not the other way around you would need to elect someone who is well known to distrust them. In other words someone like Gary Nieves may actually be a good candidate for the position, assuming that he can be reasonable enough to understand that parahuman involvement in the government is necessary, and unavoidable one way or another. After all what government which includes no capes could handle all problems that the city is facing and on top of it not become a puppet of some masters or strangers?
And if Nieves can’t see the necessity of working with capes, I’m sure that some other “civilian” candidate will. Perhaps one of the other former candidates for the position (other than Sierra of course because she would probably be unacceptable if people knew about her ties to the Undersiders, and if she didn’t admit those it would be no better than Citrine not revealing villainous past) or even someone like John Druck?
If no such “reasonable” candidate could be found among civilians unpowered humans who never worked with capes, then possibly we could look among the unpowered humans who were known to be able to both mistrust capes and at the same time managed to form a good working relationship with them. Emily Piggot (assuming that she is still alive and healthy enough to take the office) comes to mind though I’m not sure that she has skills and personality traits necessary to be a Mayor (it is a bit different than running a PRT department after all), or that the public would trust a former PRT Director (an organization which has a bad reputation now, and which may quickly get much worse if someone will release information about ties between PRT and the Cauldron to the public).
By the way, wouldn’t it be interesting to see Victoria and Emily compare their opinions on the topic of parahuman healing?
I can’t see Gary working with people he obviously hates so much (parahumans) and he’s not a very good leader material either. He’s pretty convincing with his speech, but a good orator doesn’t make a good leader. I also can’t see Citrine being trilling to work with the same man who destroyed her reputation and power, not even for the good of people. My best candidate is Emily Piggot. She’s a good leader and CAN work with parahumans, unlike Gary.
Gary certainly would have to re-evaluate a lot of his convictions to be able to work with parahumans, and during Citrine’s interlude he has shown that he is very unwilling to do so, but if his opinions changed enough for him to actually listen to and seriously consider rational arguments that parahumans from Citrine all the way to Victoria tried to use when talking to him, he probably could change enough to be able to work with parahumans while at the same time remain a candidate the anti-parahuman minded people could accept because of his current reputation.
He is obviously far from the best person to govern the city, but, depending on how hard-headed he really is, I could see him become one of the better ones who could actually get public support necessary to win the elections. Electing him would obviously mean giving the anti-parahuman minded people far more power than they should get, but perhaps it is necessary to not only to calm the public down, but also (and perhaps even more importantly long-term) to expose all with the model he and other anti-parahumans seem to want – one in which parahumans are mistrusted by the state by default, and are subjected to strict non-parahuman control.
Chances are that whoever comes after him will have more balanced views – ones on which you could actually build a reasonable, stable, lasting social order.
Sorry, change “expose all with the model” to “expose all problems with the model”.
By the way I think that what I wrote in that last paragraph of the above post points at what is probably the biggest long-term problem the city has. It simply lacks a good idea on how its social order should look like.
The models known from Bet obviously don’t work in a post-apocalyptic world where people are more and more aware just how far PRT manipulated the public. It will be even worse once people realize what Cauldron was and what role it played in world order. Plus after Scion’s death there is simply no good reason to continue doing things that way.
The parahuman rule is so undemocratic that even most parahumans aren’t fine with it. It would benefit only a very small elite and everyone knows it.
Taking most or all political power from capes, like the anti-parahumans seem to want to do, is not just unfair to capes – it also isn’t realistic. How would a non-parahuman government that trusts no capes defend the city against external threats like Chiet or the Machine Army? How will it handle internal parahuman crime? What will it do with potential or ongoing power-related disasters like the one with Kronos Titan? How will it defend itself from being secretly taken over by capes?
What needs to happen in my opinion is some sort of a balance between the current situation and what the anti-parahumans want. Capes need to be allowed to take at least some political power, and in case of elected positions – the voters need to see a good reason to vote for parahuman candidates. On the other hand if a parahuman wants to be elected, the voters need to know that they are voting for a parahuman, and who that parahuman is exactly. This means that probably at least the parahumans who candidate in elections will probably need to admit that they have powers and unmask themselves before they do so. At the same time there needs to be a system in place that makes it very difficult and risky for a parahuman to try to circumvent those rules.
Alternatively there could be two sets of governing bodies – one human and one parahuman – which split legislative, and likely also executive and judicial powers between themselves along clearly defined lines that are accepted by everyone. It would require writing an entirely new constitution, and the system would be alien to most people in the city at first (assuming that they come mostly from “typical” western democracies – and they probably do considering that the city seems to be almost completely American culturally, and that almost everyone speaks English there), but it isn’t something that has no working parallels in our world (for example in countries where councils of representatives of traditional tribes or religious groups share power with “regular” parliaments), so I guess that it could at least theoretically be implemented. Still I think that the solution I suggested in the previous paragraph would probably be better both because it is closer to treating everyone equally, but also because it avoids splitting society along human-parahuman line even more than it is already (and the society needs the exact opposite to happen at the moment in my opinion), and because it is far more like the population of the city is used to, and revolutionary changes like the ones that I proposed in this paragraph generally tend to meet a lot of resistance, and the city probably can’t afford it both at the moment and in the foreseeable future.
Of course there is also a third potential solution. Teacher could come out give powers to everyone who asks for free, or even just dump his stash of Cauldron vials into city’s drinking water supply or otherwise causing pretty much everyone in Gimel.US to trigger, thus effectively ending the problem of division between humans and parahumans in the city, but this is appears the worst solution for many, many reasons.
> dump his stash of Cauldron vials into city’s drinking water supply
Given what happened when someone had split a Cauldron dose, the city will be overrun by a horde of Echidnas shortly after. Well, that’s a method of ending the division between humans and parahumans, kind of…
On an entirely unrelated note, I wonder if Megan could give Teacher and Scapegoat enough boost for their powers to be able to affect everyone over an area comparable to the size of the city…
For a slightly spookier version I could wonder if Madam Mathers’ power works, or could be made to work through TV, in which case Teacher could probably need to have enough AoE to cover a square big enough to squeeze let’s say 1% of the city’s population. Something to keep in mind before you decide to watch that political debate/sports final/S-class threat announcement (possibly even provoked by Teacher) everyone around you wants to see live.
Depending on what Teacher wants to do with the city exactly, the boost to Scapegoat’s power could also be considered entirely unnecessary…
Ex-Lurker says:
I have nothing meaningful to contribute, so…
“I have nothing meaningful to contribute” came the reply from the TV. The voice sounded familiar.
Natalie stood behind the device.
She was just thinking about texting Victoria, to ask her if she had any news regarding Carol’s well-being.
That was until she saw the zombified expression on her ‘budy’s face.
“Uh, Tony, what are you watching?” she asked, which seemed to wake him from his trance.
“I… was watching Hard Boil” he said “They had Nieves arguing- or not arguing, actually with a bearded guy with black glasses and a… strange lady who kept stroking Hamza Kouri’s face”.
“And they arrived to any constructive conclusions?” Natalie asked.
“I don’t know. But it left me feeling strange… ” Tony said.
“Strange?”.
“Yeah.., like I want to dismantle the TV”.
She gave him a funny look.
He met her gaze.
“Or your cellphone. After you send that message you were… thinking?”.
This will either go terribly wrong or terribly right, and I honestly don’t know which I’d prefer more.
Let’s put our marshmallows closer to the fire and watch.
Axle says:
The first step to getting people to listen to is admit where they’re right. Good on you Rain, I’m wondering where he can take the convo from here.
In other words, people hate what they afraid of. While in the real world they hated jews/they still hate jews because they’re under impression that jews control the world, in Ward they hate parahumans because a few parahumans control the world and some of them are bad people. They’re afraid of parahumans and honestly believe Gary when he presents all parahumans, including the ones who ARE NOT in power, like monsters praying on non-parahumans (remember Kenzie? He saw her nothing but a monster despite her being the victim of her abusive and murderous parents and he didn’t believe her when she defended herself, he didn’t give her the benefit of the doubt- like he’d give to a normal human- only because she’s a parahuman). I don’t blame people, the only one I blame here is Gary, for using people’s’ fear to advance his obvious antiparahumans agenda. I hope that Rain speech will open many eyes and show people that not all parahumans are bad like Gary wants them to believe and they don’t like either bad parahumans in the position of power, just like everyone else. Let see see how good Rain will be to stop a civil war.
The irony will be if Gary’s agenda is not actually his but Teacher’s/Dinah’s agenda and he only is doing what they expect from him to do. Working for the same people he hates.
With Kenzie… He may be right for the wrong reasons. She is kind of spooky. Her sense of right and wrong are such, that she’d probably go full villain, if it means being useful and loved. Her reaction to Victoria’s faked diary was unsettling. She can be a good person, but there’s a potential for really bad things there, if she ever falls under influence of bad people. And if her talents are utilized by a tyrant, it’s instant Orwellian nightmare in one Tinker.
I feel terrible sorry for Kenzie. She’s such a good child, but totally messed up by her power and her own parents. She needs emotional support and help and being keep away from any bad influence.
>She needs emotional support and help and being keep away from any bad influence.
Kenzie: *Is currently chilling with Aisha, Aiden and the heartbroken*
Now, ironically…
Aisha and Aiden are good people, not a bad influence.
@lulu,
agree on the first two counts, but still think it is funny that “Legit supervillians” is our idea of a good influence.
The heartbroken… are a bad influence, but bad in a very different way to the issues Kenzie has, so… probably safe (or rather, as safe as can be had when both Kenzie and heartbroken are involved.
KilledTheKat says:
God the characters referring to the anti-parahuman crowd as “bigots” is so fucking irksome to me. Capes are functionally cops with more power and less accountability, and Victoria is seriously going to equate people taking issue with them to actual nazis.
Here’s hoping Rain, someone who grew up among *actual* bigots, can handle this in a way that’s less condescendingly dismissive.
Gary Nieves totally is a bigot
Pretty sure that refers to the people “taking issue” by calling non-capes “humans”. They aren’t using that term to save two letters and a hyphen.
Soadreqm says:
Capes aren’t really human, though. Not fully. They have alien parasites fused into them that grant them superhuman abilities.
I think “bigot” usually implies that the person engaging in bigotry is wrong, but Gary Nieves is absolutely correct in everything he’s saying, and completely justified in campaigning against parahumans. If anything, things might actually be worse than he thinks. The mayor is literally Cauldron.
By that logic, we already have people in the real world which are “not fully human” due to having cybernetic prostheses and implants. No “superhuman” abilities from that yet, but I’d bet it’s not for long.
And Nieves is certainly wrong (because of just assigning blame, attacking the wrong problem and generally making things worse) and totally a bigot.
I think the distinction there is that the prostheses and implants were made by human hands, to serve human ends. If some people had nonremovable cybernetic prosthetics that were designed by hostile aliens to serve their goal of literally ending the world, I think it’d be justifiable to call them nonhuman. Would you call the Borg human?
Given that humans managed to use the powers for destroying those aliens, I’d say humans turned out to be pretty good in making the powers serve human ends against the goals of aliens.
The mayor is doing anything in her power to make the life better for her people, despite her past crimes. Her husband was the one who fixed the world economy, despite his past crimes. There are a lot of hero parahumans who’re doing their best to protect normal humans, some of them even risking their lives to make sure that BIGOTS like Gary will wake up next morning. Gary is a bigot because he attacks all parahumans even if only a couple of them are actually dangerous. He’s exactly like any nazi hating on jews only because he believes that jews rule the world and are evil by their nature. Yes, there are parahumans ruling the world, some of them with malicious intents, some with good intents, but one should not hate on all parahumans only because of a couple of bad apples. Gary is right about the parahumans being in position of power but he’s so wrong about parahumans being nothing but evil monsters only because they have some alien parasites and superpowers. There are still humans with all the flaws human beings usually have.
Gary is the normal human version of Mama Mathers. Mama Mathers treats normal humans like slaves, Gary treats parahumans like monsters. Double wrong.
People who believe Gary to be a non-bigot absolute right person must be the same people who believe that hating on jews or muslims is not a real hate, because jews rule the world and muslims are terrorists.
Gary’s right, though. He’s not some conspiracy nut raving about how lizardmen control the House of Commons, he’s correctly stating that the mayor is secretly a former supervillain, and providing photographic evidence.
Criticizing an elected government official for hiding things about her past does not make you a nazi.
Okay, using an analogy: if someone would point out that the elected mayor is a Jewish ex-criminal, and therefore all Jews are criminals and must be banned from positions of power – would you also say this line of reasoning is right?
Not all hidden things about the past are equal. Being Jewish (or parahuman) is an incriminating evidence only in the eyes of bigots, and being an ex-criminal is covered by post-GM amnesty and a good track record after GM (and that’s not what Gary has an issue with, anyway).
Why Jews? Sure, Jews have been accused of conspiring to bring about the apocalypse, but unless you can provide some credible evidence that the accusations are true, I don’t see how the situation is even remotely similar.
But sure, let’s go with Jews. A mayor is revealed to be a Jew, as well as a former member of a Jewish criminal organization implicated in racketeering, multiple murders and human trafficking, but that’s all right since the Jews collectively decided to pardon themselves of past crimes after they killed Yahweh. Every other ruler of any note is also a Jew.
Unbeknownst to Gary, there was previously a Jewish conspiracy to abduct thousands of people, give them a Jew serum that turned them into Jews, and dissect the resulting Jews to study the process. The Mayor’s boyfriend and campaign manager was very high in that organization, and assisted with the human experiments. He was also friends with Jack Slash, another Jew, who personally instigated the end of the world a few years ago. The old clandestine prison facilities of the conspiracy are still in use, now held by a different Jewish conspiracy, that is fighting a shadow war with the Jew mayor. Indeed, Gary himself is nothing but a Jewish puppet, a pawn in a vast game the Jews are playing with each other. All the information he has was fed to him by Jews, to hinder their Jewish opponents.
In a situation like this, yes, I think it’s reasonable to argue that the Jews are holding too much power.
Calling your group “humans” is totally terminology you would choose in order to describe reality, and for no other reason. Seems legit.
Also, the mayor is not “literally Cauldron”. Her boyfriend worked for Cauldron, possibly because the alien that told Contessa what to do instructed her to avoid certain detailed knowledge by using him as a buffer. (I figure there was some degree of familiarity with Cauldron’s actions that would have caused her to swerve from the most direct path.) In that case, PtV would have told Contessa what to tell Number Man to make him follow the path.
Citrine has taken over the world (or at least a world), to enact the plans that Accord drafted for Cauldron to use after the inevitable end of the world. Accord, for his part, was working so closely with Cauldron that he had them on speed dial. Sure, it’s all for the “greater good”, but that’s what the old Cauldron said to justify the atrocities. That’s what Teacher’s saying to the leaders of Earth Cheit. Meet the new Cauldron, exactly the same as the old Cauldron.
> Capes are functionally cops with more power and less accountability
First of all, let’s not equate heroes with capes in general. There are rogues (by the way, I’d place Citrine and Number Man in this class, as they are neither cops nor criminals now), and there are villains – which are a good reason why society needs heroes as superpowered cops. And second – well, you know, the world ended not so long ago. Given that, it’s a miracle that there is now a huge megapolis with any kind of police and justice system at all, instead of small settlements with mostly pre-industrial technology being constantly raided by wandering bandits. Mostly thanks to capes, I guess.
Yes, people have a relative good life thanks to tinkers and thinkers, who are parahumans. They should show some gratitude instead of listening to a bastard bigot who would rather prefer to see people living in poor settlements than in the comfort of their apartments created by parahumans. Some people are never happy with anything. Give them a hand, they’ll try to take both of your hands.
Entities have picked a lot of racial supremacists to receive powers. Brockton Bay was overrun by white and asian racial power gangs. There is a reminder of that in this chapter. The amnesty has seen them absolved of their crimes, a matter of pragmatism, but I can see why it has been contentious.
It’s really difficult to have a conversation about this properly, given the setting. Perhaps this is the inherent dilemma that most super-genre writing avoids or only samples the shallow surface of (X-Men, for example, offers few strong answers for the “they’re WMD’s” argument). Because it’s a mess. This is a mess.
Bigotry isn’t defined by being wrong, at all. It often coexists with stupid and wrong claims, but that’s not what the word means.
Bigotry is associated with excessive devotion to group or faction. It is linked to intolerance, hatred, prejudice and fanaticism.
Gary Nieves is a bigot. But he’s technically correct so much of the time, it can be easy to miss. A person who wasn’t hateful could make most of these arguments. Maybe they even *should* make most of these arguments. But unfortunately we have Gary, and Gary *also* brings irrationality and hatred to the table. We don’t get to choose.
We can’t, *can’t* just wave off the bigotry here as pure equivalent to real-world bigotry. We’re reduced to the position of anti-racists back in the era of scientific racism, when public “rationalist” consensus was on the wrong side. Except even back then a lot of the racist arguments were made less effectively and more transparently off, than within the parahumans universe.
This is not much like anti-police sentiment, unless we speak of a world in which all police are of a single race, that is also the race of all leaders of organized crime, and over 90% of that ethnic group is a either one or the other.
This is not much like anti-Semitism, unless we speak of a world in which over 90% of Jewish people are literally one of the following: part of The 1%, Israeli soldiers in positions where they may potentially be called upon to shoot Palestinians, or people who specifically and actively oppose those groups on a daily basis.
This is not much like anti-immigrant hysteria, unless immigrants were always fighting each other. Unless some highly-privileged “good” immigrants were constantly fighting *almost all the others* in street battles, because almost all the immigrants outside military/law-enforcement were recidivist criminals or petty warlords.
And neither of those bad examples covers extremities like:
The literal end of the world,
Case-53s,
Alien brain parasites.
This is not a strong comparison to *anything*. But it can be compared to almost everything. And that is probably the point. Even if the author didn’t love those themes, it would break the setting not to dig into them.
Ahem. None. Not neither.
All three are bad examples.
Well, I’m sure any real-world proponents of the points of view you have listed would come up with arguments about how the group which they are hating is different from any other, and why this difference bears the most significance. But the roots of any kind of such hatred are still the same.
There was an alien invasion. Humans with aliens in their brains appeared, and the world began to fall apart as the result. Then the world ended and almost everyone died. Humans with aliens in their brains managed to stop the initial dying by killing one of the aliens. Then humans with aliens in their brains took over all the governments.
The psychological roots are exactly the same, totally. The feelings are the only feelings humans have available for the situation. Which is the value of fiction like this. We can still take things of value from this aspect of the work, even though the anti-parahuman movement here can’t really be compared equivalent real-world groups.
But a defining aspect of organized hatred and xenophobia in the real world has been an absence of reality and a reliance on fantasy. To go to Hannah Arendt, groups desire actions they can’t justify based on the consensus of what is real, so they manufacture an in-group alternate reality that *would* justify those actions. The in-group’s importance to members makes this fantasy the accepted consensus reality. This is a huge and critical part of how this stuff works, and it’s nearly always present.
Scots-Irish settlers can see a few dozen Susquehannock basket-makers as an existential threat; Germans can all agree Jews control the US and USSR; Floridians can affirm Sharia law is overtaking American cities. Clear factual error and falsifiable arguments not only aren’t an obstacle, they’re a *feature*, it helps delineate between those who “happen to agree” and those “on our team”.
This here is different in a fundamental way.
The falsehood on which xenophobia is based doesn’t have to be so glaringly obvious that it sounds like hallucinations of a drug addict. It can be subtler, like sophisms, where you achieve a wrong result through non-obvious mistakes in reasoning. And this is what I’m seeing in your reasoning above. Your statements are not strictly wrong, but they imply assigning blame for the end of the world to parahumans (which is precisely the other way around – humans weren’t completely eradicated only because of parahumans), and then goes on to “taking over all the governments” (replace parahumans with capitalists/oligarchs/whatever along these lines, and you get the real-world version of this argument. there is just no way it could be otherwise, and not because of any conspiracy or because oligarchs are a special breed of humans inherently alien and antagonistic to normal humans).
Okay, see now we’re talking! Great analogy.
Before I dig into it, you claim sophistry is enough for xenophobia. Can you offer one historical example of a xenophobic movement like that? None have come to mind for me.
I don’t know if you saw it, but I suggested something similar in another comment: Comparing anti-parahuman sentiment to hostility towards…call them “people of means.” &) In order to compare beyond the emotional or psychological aspects, we have to go beyond movements founded on real-world bigotry. For xenophobic *movements*, the context just doesn’t line up. Instead we have your “capitalists/oligarchs” example. That (in a way) is as important a comparison as all the focus on bigotry, and illuminates other aspects Gimel’s problems.
It’s a good comparison, for a number of reasons. If you throw in powerful people, *of course* the rich and powerful “control the world.” By definition that’s who controls it. It’s also good because the line is crossed between the in-group and out-group: humans randomly become parahumans; sufficiently lucky middle class STEM kids occasionally turn billionaire.
And there are claims from data and evidence, using systematic logic, that this groups’ existence is a net negative for “normal” people and the world. Yet almost no one in power anywhere wants anything to do with that sort of thinking; vaguely parallel to Gimel and its neighbors that way. An example. As we speak there are reasoned arguments being made that capitalists are the obstacle to stopping climate change. Barring total nuclear war, what is a better parallel to the Bet apocalypse than that?
And on top of everything, in our world no consensus exists that hostility toward the super rich is a form of bigotry at all.
Well, that last point is double-edged; Nieves and some large number of his supporters are clearly bigots. Which is why the sophistry comment is so on-point: Do we have *any* historical example of a large social movement full of xenophobia and bigotry, that hewed close to the facts? I’m not sure we do.
So this movement is led by a bigot and full of bigots; we can mine it for insight on bigotry and apply life experiences to the real thing. This movement is people organized in movements opposed to groups that by their nature harm society even if that is not their intent or their “fault”. I haven’t read Marx, but Wikipedia assures me *that* is almost precisely paraphrasing him.
I don’t think Wowbild is saying France Insoumise or AMLO in Mexico or Bernie Sanders are leading hateful movements of anti-people-of-means bigots. I *do* think our author is doing what he always does: writing his antagonists to have sufficient motivations. He said recently he didn’t intend the Saint-Dragon debates that happened; he just didn’t have it in him to make a character like Saint and not give him reasons that justified his actions to himself.
What he’s done here is the same thing. Rather than lazily repeat the X-Men angle, he’s made the antagonist group as complex and justified as humanly possible while also being total dicks. The only thing he could have done to make them more sympathetic is make them not be lead by Gary “You People” Nieves. Which is why Gary’s here. To make the top ~racist less pleasant, Wowbild could easily have made him selfish, or a coward, or dramatically wrong on the fundamental facts. Which is why Gary is none of those things.
It’s curious that you brought up Marx yourself, together with agreeing with my analogy. That brings us straight to the point that the communist movement, the bolshevism, can be the example you’re looking for. The wrongness of its ideas is subtle enough that they still have supporters now, even in the countries that suffered from them (first and foremost in those countries, even); but take this wrongness, add bigotry, hatred and power hunger, and the results are horrifying.
> This movement is people organized in movements opposed to groups that by their nature harm society even if that is not their intent or their “fault”.
I disagree that these groups (either capitalists or parahumans) harm society by their nature. First of all – capitalists are people who figured out how to make lots of money (for simplicity, let’s not take inherited wealth into account, as well as illicit activities). In gaming terms, they are munchkins/power gamers – they figure out what does society deem useful and reward with money, and optimize their behavior for getting the biggest rewards. By that very definition, they are *useful*. Second, they still are just people, and if tomorrow all the capitalists magically disappear, there will be new ones soon. If there’s a system in place which prevents new ones from appearing, it’s a totalitarian regime like the USSR; and then there still will be power gamers, but they will be optimizing for different criteria. Most likely, it will be loyalty to the government and to the official ideology – which doesn’t correlate with usefulness for society, in contrast to earning money on a free market.
The same line of reasoning can be applied to the Wormverse, with minor adjustments. Parahumans as a whole are beneficial to society, which is proven by humanity surviving GM and even being relatively well off afterwards, compared to what could be expected. And they tend to rise to power naturally, because they are “people of means” and, well, have better means to deal with various problems than baseline humans. It could be prevented with a system which would discriminate against parahumans, but the leaders of this new system still would have powers anyway, either because they concealed them or because they had means to acquire them after rising to power.
And finally, to address your point about capitalists being the obstacle to stopping climate change. The obstacle isn’t capitalists, but rather poor ability of humans to work together (which every reader of Worm is familiar with). And while it could be tempting to solve this problem with a totalitarian power, somewhat like Khepri’s mind control, far more often it leads to even worse disasters. Unfortunately, there’s no working solution for it yet.
I’m not entirely sure that nobody is working on a solution. Perhaps Teacher believes in Hegelian dialectic (or at least some simplistic interpretation of it), and sees the old system inherited from Bet under which the capes have all the power and no accountability as a problem (a.k.a. a thesis). To solve the problem he encourages a reaction to it (the antithesis in form of the anti-parahuman movement) in hopes of creating a tension between them that will lead to an solution (a.k.a. a synthesis). In other words perhaps Teacher supports the anti-parahuman movement not to create the world they envision, but in hopes that the movement will destroy the status quo so some new, better order can be created – an order different from both what the current ruling parahuman elites want to keep, and from what the anti-parahumans want to establish.
How would such order look like? Would it be based on some sort of compromise and/or cooperation between both sides of the tension/conflict Teacher encouraged? How much collateral damage will this conflict cause before it is over? Could this approach even succeed instead of just destroying the society it is supposed to save? I don’t know. Perhaps even Teacher doesn’t know, even assuming that this is what he is consciously trying to do. Good news is that at least in the time and place it seems that the conflict may be resolved through a public debate instead of something like a riot or an actual civil war between capes and armed anti-parahumans.
By the way it is funny how such simplistic approach drawn from Hegelianism can lead to entirely different conclusion than Marxism seems to suggest, considering how much Marx’s philosophy owes to Hegel.
Of course what I wrote above is about how I think Teacher may be trying to solve problems of Gimel.US. It is not like I believe that he is trying to stop real world’s climate change, as much as it looks like maybe we could use a help of some superpowered mastermind hiding in alternate Earth, because it doesn’t look like our current efforts in this regard are taking as anywhere close to something we could call a working solution.
I would however argue that blaming only “rich capitalists” as opposed to “poor proletariat” for the fact that nothing is being done with climate change isn’t exactly accurate for one more reason that wasn’t mentioned here – there are certain groups of workers very interested in keeping status quo.
To use Poland as an example again (yes, I know I should stop talking about my country so much, but I think it fits perfectly here), any politician trying to seriously reduce carbon dioxide emissions of the country (which are very big for a country with economy as big as it is) would be committing a political suicide not because of they would be stepping on toes of some small, rich oligarchy, but because Poland produces around 80% of its electricity by burning coal, a lot of which is mined locally. Poland has some of the largest still mined coal deposits in EU, and many coal mines still operate either at net loss or close to it simply not be economically viable. The reason why the mines are still working is that most of them are state-owned, and miners who work there are unionized. This means that even token attempts to reduce production of coal (which has to be then burned in the country, because nobody would import coal at prices Polish mines could offer) end up not only in miners protests which already paralyzed streets of Warsaw more than once, but also serious loss of voters support by whatever parties were trying to reduce coal production, because not only miners or their families oppose such changes, most people living in areas where coal is mined also do out of fear of what unemployment among miners could do to the local economy. We are probably talking about over a million votes in a country with around 30 million voters here. Those votes tend go to the parties that oppose any changes in coal mining industry, ensuring that Poland will be one of the biggest offenders when it comes to carbon dioxide emissions (not to mention other pollutants resulting from burning coal) in EU in foreseeable future, thus seriously contributing to global climate change.
One thing that I feel wasn’t spelled out clearly enough in this thread is that a lot of problems mentioned here – xenophobia, bigotry, tendency to prioritize solving the problems that affect mostly you and your people (whatever it may mean in any given context) in short term over the problems that affect everyone equally and will have consequences later – are in large part a result of a bad economic situation, or a threat that the economic situation will worsen. It is no accident that the communists came to power in Russia after years of war draining resources, that Nazis came to power in Germany during the Great Depression, that terrorist groups hold most power in poor countries, or even that the voters won’t like it when you tell them that in order to fight global warming they will need to make economic sacrifices – from becoming an unemployed miner who needs to learn a new profession, to increased prices of fuel and electricity. In such situations people will do two things – try to deal with the immediate problems affecting their group directly even if it means making the global, not so immediate problems worse, and perhaps more importantly find someone to blame and if possible make them suffer for your problems. I even suspect that some pantheons may have been invented so that people had someone to blame for natural disasters.
Same thing in the city – despite what I wrote two posts above, the fact that the parahumans have too much political power and privileges is not the fundamental problem which caused a reaction in form of the anti-parahuman movement (although it is certainly true that the capes certainly do have too much power). It is the fact that people are still living in tents more than two years after Gold Morning. They needed someone to blame, and the capes were a convenient target because they were different, easy to identify, and there are actually some real problems with them (like their tendency to commit crimes, to manipulate public opinion or the fact that capes are prone to serious mental issues and to engaging in conflicts that can be dangerous to everyone around them).
The psychological need to blame and hate someone (like the capes in this example) is so strong that it tends to override all logical arguments against it, even to the point where people start to refuse to consider that solution to their economic problems that drove them to this irrational behavior in the first place may come from the chosen target of their hatred. Remember that during Citrine’s interlude Gary simply refused to even read, much less discuss, Accord’s notes Citrine gave him. Similarly the anti-parahumans conveniently forget that not only the capes fought and died to stop the Endbringers and Scion, the city has simply no way to survive (not to mention remain independent) without capes working with, for, and probably also in the government.
T.T.O., you’re reading things into my statements that aren’t there at all. You quote only one sentence of mine, out of context that I feel made it fairly clear the sentence referred to Ward, not real life. Then you attack the sentence as failing to accurately describe real life. Well… of course!
You’ve also got the idea in your head that I’m a Marxist? Or something? And you really ran with that. Throughout you seem to be unable to differentiate between my mentioning real-world examples related to what you said, and my actual beliefs.
Quote: “I disagree that these groups (either capitalists or parahumans) harm society by their nature. First of all – capitalists are people [blah blah high school ideology].”
Politics: I did not say capitalists harm society by their nature. I said movements exist that believe that, which makes them an adequate comparison.
Bet/Gimel: Earth Bet was objectively worse than our world long before the S9000 gave Zion ideas. Eidolon alone, despite his good intentions, caused the total loss of cities and regions. Spilling David’s vial down the drain would have spared tens of millions of lives. Only the end of the world even allows this to be a discussion.
Quote: “The same line of reasoning can be applied to the Wormverse, with minor adjustments. Parahumans as a whole are beneficial to society, which is proven by humanity surviving GM and even being relatively well off afterwards, compared to what could be expected. And they tend to rise to power naturally, because they are “people of means” and, well, have better means to deal with various problems than baseline humans. It could be prevented with a system which would discriminate against parahumans, but the leaders of this new system still would have powers anyway, either because they concealed them or because they had means to acquire them after rising to power.”
Politics: Yay, none!
Bet/Gimel: So you’re one of those taking parahuman leadership of humanity as natural and inevitable. Might as well just make the best of it? I’m not there, for two reasons. Mankind is starting to get it’s hand on the wheel a bit, via science, power synergy, and the partial elimination of the conflict drive. Second, the text tells us the shards are burning out. The future of parahumans in the world is not natural or inevitable. Yet.
Quote: “And finally, to address your point about capitalists being the obstacle to stopping climate change. The obstacle isn’t capitalists, but rather poor ability of humans to work together (which every reader of Worm is familiar with). And while it could be tempting to solve this problem with a totalitarian power, somewhat like Khepri’s mind control, far more often it leads to even worse disasters.”
Politics: I made no such point. I said groups existed that were arguing that. Our topic was social movements: those rooted in glaringly wrong bigotry and those opposed to the powerful for being the powerful. To the rest, I don’t come here to argue politics, but it’s telling that I bring up explicitly democratic “people power” groups out in the world, and you respond “totalitarianism is tempting.” I mean…. LOL
Bottom line is, you brought up anti-rich “bigotry,” so I responded by referring to movements that were into that. Is it really that interesting (as you put it) that I responded to *you* saying that people hate the rich by mentioning the most famous such group in history? I feel no need to support Marx.
I do feel a compulsion to talk about Literature thoughtfully though, so I’ll do that.
I think part of the problem here is that the anti-parahumanists’ (we need a better name for them) goals aren’t clear. Are they the equivalent of “Let’s make sure we don’t run into the same traps as the Soviet Union while addressing income inequality” or “Anything short of laissez-faire is evil”? American centrists, or Ayn Rand?
I think the problem with your statement is that you assume that there is something like a single set of goals shared by all anti-parahumans. As far as we know most of them may be random people who have only one thing in common – they aren’t happy with parahumans for one reason or another.
It is obviously clear that there is some sort of organization or organizations trying to coordinate at least some of those people. Someone is arming some anti-parahumans and organizing them along military lines (though whether they operate as completely independent cells from that point on, or are coordinated by some central from that point on is not entirely clear), someone is pointing people in Dinah’s direction (though, again, as far as we can tell she doesn’t actually command them, only gives them a single advice, and possibly doesn’t even maintain any contact with them from that point on), someone gathered documents with “horror stories” about parahumans, selected Gary as a person who could use them to deal damage, found him, and reached out to him – this almost certainly required multiple people working in some sort of organized fashion, but again – we don’t know for sure if those people did anything but that one thing, and if they coordinated with anti-parahumans doing other things.
To sum it up – most anti-parahumans are probably individuals not belonging to any organizations. Some anti-parahumans most certainly form small cells. At least some cells may coordinate their actions or even be parts of a larger organization or organizations with clear command structures. I doubt however that we are dealing with some all-encompassing underground state. Not because those can’t exit (Polish Underground State from WWII is a perfect proof that it is entirely possible to coordinate actions of millions of people right under noses of occupants who try to rule along totalitarian lines, without said occupant ever realizing the scale and scope of such underground organization and its activities), but because the heroes have plenty of thinkers and tinkers who specialize in dealing with such widespread conspiracies. If some person or organization wants to promote an anti-parahuman movement, they should probably consider keeping as many anti-parahumans as independent from each other and from the promotor of the movement themselves as possible, just because of those capes specialized in dealing with large, interconnected organizations like that.
And keeping people separate means they probably don’t have a single doctrine, set of goals, or even name other than “anti-parahumans”.
Of course to further obscure the picture it is entirely possible that some originally independent anti-parahumans may form spontaneous grassroots movements, with no mastermind with any significant resources behind them, and such movements can also grow pretty big, especially in times when people have access to Internet. Internet however is not strictly required – as far as we know Polish “Solidarity” trade union started as such movement that only later created a formal internal structure, made contact and started cooperating with other anti-communist organizations both in the country and abroad.
So far however I don’t think there have been any evidence of anti-parahuman organized grassroots movements capable of doing more than a protest we saw in arc 1, or a meeting with Reidleigh Darleet, and even in those cases we don’t know just how much of what happened was a result of actions by an organization of any sort (grassroots or not).
@Admiral Matt: well, the sentence which I have quoted was in the context of Ward and your reference to Marx (I don’t remember such character in Ward yet, so I guess the reference was to the real one), so I assumed that it relates to both. And while you indeed phrased the sentence about the climate change as “there are reasoned arguments being made…”, the fact that you called these arguments reasoned hints at you considering these arguments not being completely wrong, at the very least. Sorry if I misinterpreted you, but there’s really no need to trigger at it like that. Misinterpretations happen sometimes, especially if the phrasing allows for them.
> it’s telling that I bring up explicitly democratic “people power” groups out in the world, and you respond “totalitarianism is tempting.” I mean…. LOL
Well, I’m not familiar with the exact ideology of the groups you named, so I wasn’t referring to them in my response; I was envisioning some group making an argument like “capitalists are the obstacle to stopping climate change”. In my opinion, posing the question like that is indicative of a raging populism, and a group employing such tactics is either striving to gain wide and unthinking public support in order to gain power for themselves, or is likely to equally unthinkingly employ extreme measures if they’d have a chance to, and both of these cases are a fertile ground for totalitarianism. It is entirely possible that the groups named by you made no such arguments, or made them in a much more reasonable and thoughtful fashion, in which case my reasoning presented above does not apply to them.
> Bottom line is, you brought up anti-rich “bigotry,” so I responded by referring to movements that were into that. Is it really that interesting (as you put it) that I responded to *you* saying that people hate the rich by mentioning the most famous such group in history?
It is interesting, as I put it, to see you asking for examples of bigoted and hateful movements whose ideas were not glaringly and obviously wrong at the first glance, saying that you don’t think there are any, and then referring to a movement which I consider to be such an example. If you think that the bolshevism doesn’t qualify as an example because it’s just as obviously wrong as all the other hate groups – well, I can give you that, but a lot of people think otherwise, so I guess it’s not that obvious; if you think it’s because it wasn’t bigoted and hateful – sorry, but it was.
Okay, off with politics and onwards to Bet/Gimel…
> Earth Bet was objectively worse than our world long before the S9000 gave Zion ideas. Eidolon alone, despite his good intentions, caused the total loss of cities and regions. Spilling David’s vial down the drain would have spared tens of millions of lives. Only the end of the world even allows this to be a discussion.
The end of the world not only allows this to be a discussion, it’s the whole reason behind founding Cauldron and all their course of actions. Without that, Cauldron would definitely be villains harming the society by their existence (but only Cauldron and not capes in general). Imagine a world where Scion isn’t going to end it sooner or later, and without Cauldron. No Endbringers, no millions of deaths. Richter is alive and continues his work. Sphere doesn’t become Mannequin. And so on. I think there’s a good chance that this alternate Bet would be much better off than our world.
> So you’re one of those taking parahuman leadership of humanity as natural and inevitable. Might as well just make the best of it? I’m not there, for two reasons. Mankind is starting to get it’s hand on the wheel a bit, via science, power synergy, and the partial elimination of the conflict drive. Second, the text tells us the shards are burning out. The future of parahumans in the world is not natural or inevitable. Yet.
The first point is yet debatable at this point in story, but what I like about it is that it doesn’t imply a distinction between humans and parahumans. Conversely, if humanity succeeds at it, the line between them will become more and more blurred with time and advances in science. And regarding the second point – we know that shards *can* burn out. It happened in two very specific cases: one being Eidolon, together with all his massive power sinks, and the second one being Doormaker heavily abused by Khepri. We don’t know yet how fast do shards burn out under normal circumstances. Might as well be well after the Sun burns out, for instance. Btw, another interesting example is Contessa’s shard *not* burning out, despite that her power was explicitly stated to be especially energy consuming.
Zim the Vixen says:
Oh man, getting vibes from the Goddess arc here. Every conversation will be painful to get through, huh?
Wild, tinfoil-hat speculation here:
What is the objective of the anti-parahuman movement? To either get rid of powers, or at the very least to create a society that is more equitative.
But how do they plan to achieve this? Through armed revolution? I’m sure they could kill or otherwise apprehend most the heroes and villains with enough effort, but that means opening themselves up to bigger threats.
Through politics? I mean, that might work. There are far more non-capes than capes out there, but parahumans have all the tools to sabotage a healthy political process.
By alienating parahumans? That’s bound to affect the heroes more than the villains.
So what if Garry Nieves is connected to people who are far more capable of neutralising all capes, and taking them out of the equation in some way or another. Hmmmmm!
Teacher turns out to be working for the Chinese government, which is just trying to prove it was right all along.
The 样板 is probably the best example of how a society could successfully manage super-powered PTSD victims and function more or less without power subversion of democratic and rule-of-law systems.
Too bad it had to be a cult run for the benefit of an undemocratic monarchy, I guess.
Language nerding:
I do truly enjoy that Yàngbǎn means “example; model; prototype; template.” Wowbild naming is so much fun.
Is there WoG whether it’s 樣板 or 样板? I’ve been assuming the CUI used simplified characters since it was founded so long after they started being used in the PRC. The wiki has it as 樣板, though, and I can certainly see an argument that a neo-imperial dynasty would revert to traditional characters as a symbolic break from Communism.
> Too bad it had to be a cult run for the benefit of an undemocratic monarchy, I guess.
Er… Given how it was created and maintained, it couldn’t exist otherwise. Well, with a stretch of imagination I can imagine an otherwise democratic society which allows an island of totalitarianism within itself for a minority which is deemed okay to oppress, kind of like how ancient Greeks had slaves. But I wouldn’t call such society a good example.
I totally agree. Not a good example at all.
But do you disagree some less awful version of that would be the best example offered to us by the setting?
Well, I can think of ways how could it be less awful. First of all, it shouldn’t oppress and brainwash its members, also joining and leaving the organization should be free. Then, it should allow its members to keep their individuality, not reducing them to “number XX”. Power sharing should also be not mandatory at all times but rather an option in situations when it makes tactical sense. Then, it should be subordinate to a democratically elected government. And with all of that, we kind of turn Yàngbǎn into Wardens, what’s left to improve is a matter of working out the legislation from that point on.
I could see an alternate world where China was run by good people, and still used Null as the center of a Yàngbǎn that just didn’t have the brainwashy aspects. Parahuman volunteers joined, possibly after having an offer extended to them by the government; they’d then go through basic training before getting linked into an appropriate network and starting advanced training. Kind of like how special forces operate in IRL, except with superpowers.
It wouldn’t have the same thematic purpose as the Yàngbǎn Wildbow wrote, but it could be used to similar in-universe ends.
(Disclaimer: I don’t actually know how special forces recruit people. I’m just guessing.)
> What is the objective of the anti-parahuman movement? To either get rid of powers, or at the very least to create a society that is more equitative.
But how do they plan to achieve this?
I’m pretty sure the anti-parahuman movement (Zion, we need to find a better name for it) is based on real-world alt-right groups and those who exploit them to gain political power. So I imagine the leadership has some pie-in-the-sky idea they keep promising to their followers (akin to Trump’s wall) which they have no plan for implementing.
Aname says:
That… I can definitely see that putting him on the back foot. He’s trying to frame the problem as innate to parahumans, but Rain countered by painting it as an institutional problem instead. Which has an interesting tie-in with Vicky’s comment about treating aliens as human, too.
They’re implicitly asking the mayor what his plans are to correct the power disparity, and now he’s obligated to suggest a system where parahumans and humans are equal to each other.
Rain’s got some fucking game.
Rain is on fire in this chapter! (Joke intentional)
Parahumans are DEFINITELY too powerful politically. When an accident of fate leaves you physically powerful and somehow this means that all positions of power are filled by these “super humans” and all the important decisions are made by capes, that is NOT a good thing. I sorta wish we could see some more reasonable anti-parahumans protesters, cause I can imagine a near future where humans are a subtle second class citizen, especially when you consider that trigger rates increase with each generation. I’m sorta comparing it to the westren patriarchy (not at all a perfect comparison, but whatever). Women technically have the same anount of rights, but the majority of positions of power just happen to be held by men. Nieves is an ass, but he makes a point.
I only disagree with your use of the word “subtle.” I can’t imagine it would be at all subtle.
On a lighter note, Rain and Tristan pole dancing together! Woo!
Should we be worried that Victoria recognized Amy, Marquis and Cryptid, but not Lung on the photo of the current Shin leadership? I mean he could have just changed his costume, but what if he isn’t with them anymore? Where could he go, and what sort of trouble could he cause there?
If you mean glowing-vein guy, I didn’t recognize him as Lung either. 🙂
Why are you assuming Lung was in that photo?
I don’t assume that he was there. I just suggested that if he wasn’t it could mean that he went his own way after getting to Shin, which probably fits him – he wouldn’t accept being someone’s subordinate without being mastered or something along those lines, and at the same time he probably has no chance to remove the combo of Panacea, Marquis and Cryptid from power, at least not without some sort of a fight so big that the news would probably reach Victoria within hours despite it happening a world away.
The thing is that probably nothing good will come out of Lung acting solo again either.
Of course Lung could be under influence of master effect of Teacher’s power, which is also bad, because in that case the heroes are likely run into him while storming Cauldron complex.
I’m not sure which is more unlikely, that the glowing-vein guy is Lung despite his powers not manifesting that way (at least not before more obvious manifestations would have shredded his formal wear) or that an Earth as insular as Shin would accept someone like Lung as a leader so easily.
A few more thoughts brought by last couple of chapters:
1. Did you notice how Sveta is practically the only person in Breakthrough who doesn’t really show signs of having low morale? She is joking. She is clearly enjoying everything that her new body lets her do – from physical therapy to being able to act incognito in a crowd.
Considering Sveta’s current situation she can obviously do all of it without letting Teacher’s people realize that the heroes are not as concerned and uncomfortable with the current situation as they appear to be, but at the same time I think that it is important for Breakthrough that she can do all of this. Her joy is clearly contagious, and is probably doing wonders to keep the whole team happy despite exploring some of the worst aspects of their personalities. Her behavior probably makes it much easier for everyone to remember that this is all an act, and they shouldn’t take it too seriously.
2. On the other hand I wonder if Sveta will do some basic mistake in that crowd of people. Being incognito around so many people, not drawing everyone’s attention is still probably a somewhat new for her despite the fact that she did experience some of it thanks to combination of her prosthetic body and Kenzie’s holographic tech.
It just isn’t quite the same as before, because Sveta’s holographic disguise was far from perfect. There were little things that betrayed an artificial nature of her body, like the fact that she wasn’t able to walk (much less run) around as well as most people with normal bodies, the fact that she didn’t react to touch like most people would, or the fact that Kenzie’s holographic technology couldn’t perfectly compensate for the fact that unlike human flesh Sveta’s body was hard and unyielding.
All of it meant that Sveta’s disguise wasn’t worth much when she was trying to push through a dense crowd of people for example. Now she can afford to interact much closer with strangers than she did before. The only things that betray unusual nature of her body at the moment are all of those bumps under her skin that come from the fact that her costume didn’t fit perfectly inside her.
3. I wonder if Tattletale had no problems detecting moles in the bunker, because they couldn’t do much damage there. Notice that when she misses something that should be obvious for someone with her power, like when Taylor left her last instructions before she surrendered to PRT, when Taylor asked Bonesaw and Panacea to mess with her brain, or when those mercenaries who betrayed her in arc 11.
Sure, on the day when Taylor surrendered to PRT Lisa had a serious thinker headache, but I suspect that even then, and during the other two events I listed Tattletale’s shard intentionally kept information from her to arrange a situation when because of her ignorance she failed to prevent serious harm from happening to people she cared for (and in case of the situations in Worm – losing Taylor in one way or another), which put Tattletale in a similar emotional state to the one she went through when she failed to prevent her brother’s suicide.
I wonder if it will keep happening in the future. Maybe Tattletale will be unable to prevent something serious from happening to Chicken Little again precisely because she is so emotionally invested in protecting him? Maybe the fact that Tattletale keeps emotional distance from most people actually benefits them in a way, because it makes her power more reliable when it comes to keeping them safe?
4. I wonder if Trisan intentionally let his pole break in this chapter, and what this whole situation says about both his power and his ability to trust Rain to save him from a danger, like a fall in this situation. Isn’t it also the first time when we saw that Rain’s mover power can affect other people?
3. Or maybe Tattletale’s power just isn’t that capable. I remember a fanfic I was writing where I was trying to make a running gag out of Tattletale having to remind people that she wasn’t omniscient, and when/if I rewrite that fic I’m definitely keeping that, because I’m kinda sick of Tattletale being perceived as nigh-omniscient. (And a bit irritated that Wildbow’s leaning in that direction. Seriously, how did she know whether Ratcatcher’s pet was a mouse or a rat based on the name?)
4. It’s not Rain’s power that’s affecting other people, it’s his existence that’s affecting other people. (Wildbow specifically called out that Tristan was holding on to Rain’s shoulder for that reason.)
> Or maybe Tattletale’s power just isn’t that capable.
You may be right of course. It is a firmly established fact that Tattletale’s power doesn’t always catch even seemingly simple things. However the fact that it so spectacularly failed three times already to warn Tattletale about facts that were necessary to protect Taylor and Aiden from suffering very unpleasant fates, which were from Tattletale’s perspective similar to what happened to her brother (especially in Taylor’s cases – after all Lisa lost Taylor on each of those, for a certain definition of “lost” of course, just like she lost her brother) is making me wonder. Remember that in her interlude Tattletale named her brother, Taylor and Aiden as the three people she wanted to “save”. This makes me think that her shard could pick up on the fact that Tattletale treated Taylor and Aiden just like the person whose suicide had caused her to trigger. If Lisa’s shard has indeed realized that, it may have been trying to use those two to put her in a mindset similar to her trigger. We know (from Tattletale’s explanation back in Worm no less if I remember correctly) that powers tend to do just that.
By the way, I wonder if Tattletale took a clue from what happened to Brandish during confrontation with Cradle, and actually explained limitations of her power in detail to some of her likely allies, like Breakthrough? Something tells me it did not happen.
Clearly the way things are going to play out is that Kenzie will take over the world. After all, what has been the problem all this time? Secrecy. Secret identities, secrets about Cauldron, secrets about criminal history, secrets about the nature and origin of capes, secret cults, secret personality traits, secrets about romance, secrets about diary reading, secrets about Tattletale’s clients…
So. Kenzie will destroy secrecy. Teacher gave her the idea with his little “No more passwords!” prank. Got her all excited that she wouldn’t be the only weirdo who knows all the secrets anymore, then Dragon pulled the rug out from under her by revealing that it was a huge exaggeration. But it’s the seed, the glimmer of a better future, and it is germinating within her. She will show them. She will show them all. Literally. She will usher in the Era of Public Omniscience by setting up autonomous cameras everywhere watching everything and everywhen, and showing their footage to everyone. Want to see what’s going in that bathroom stall, or in the courthouse, or inside your own skull? Kenzie’s got you covered. No longer will people be ashamed of their bodies, habits, and mistakes, because they’ll see everybody else’s bodies, habits, and mistakes, and they’ll realize they are normal. No longer will people suffer in secrecy, because there will be no more secrets. No longer will people be able to lie about past events, because anyone can simply see for themselves. The entire world will see Kenzie’s love for them, and soon so will the other worlds, and eventually other stars. The Earths will become massive spacefaring cameras, spreading Kenzie’s love and omniscience throughout the galaxy and beyond!
Chris can run, but he can’t hide.
Not a bad idea, but still lacks one key element. People will also need QA levels of multitasking ability to process all the data coming to them from those cameras at once.
It’s a shame that Contessa killed Taylor, or Kenzie might be able to work something out.
Wait, strike that, reverse it. It’s a good thing Contessa killed Taylor, or Kenzie might be abl to work something out. (Also, it’s a natural conclusion to a character whose great triumphs always required great sacrifices, but that’s beside the point.)
I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but I really like how socially-aware Victoria is. It’s not just a contrast with other Wildbow protagonists, it’s something I don’t see in many stories period.
Or the Undersiders. Even if we only count Tattletale and Lookout’s team, that’s still “at least seventy-seven,” and probably closer to a hundred if we count the Heartbroken, Tattletale’s relevant employees, and miscellaneous heroes Victoria hasn’t met.
Skin pulled away in strips, and then fat, muscle, and other structures were their own layers. All the organs were there, but as necessary parts were pulled away, the organs went still, shriveling, moisture sucked into other surrounding spaces.
Ugh, that’s creepier than any Changer or Case 53 I can think of. At least she can turn it off.
“It’s not okay. This whole dynamic is- Jesus, it’s fucked. You’re absolutely, totally right,” Rain said, visibly agitated with the public speaking, being in the limelight. “And we’re on your side in this. More of us than you’d think, we agree with what you’re saying.”
…That’s a damn good stance to take. “You’re right, there are problems. You’re just not providing us with solutions that’ll work.”
Here’s an idea about what Teacher may have on the top floor of the Cauldron complex that everyone would want if they knew it existed – an archive containing results of Cauldron’s research on powers, files of capes given powers by Cauldron (both the ones who bought those powers, and the people Cauldron experimented upon), and details of every single Cauldron plot, every conspiracy it was behind, name of every politician they ever bribed, blackmailed or otherwise influenced. I imagine that in right hands (or wrong hands, depending on the point of view) such information could be more dangerous than almost any parahuman power.
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HomeThe research journalNewsA new biochemical pathway implicated in the proliferation of cancer cells
Mouse liver cell. Ribbon endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria (blue) and ribosomes (brown) can be seen © Institut Pasteur
Mitochondria are organelles that provide most of the energy necessary for the cell. This energy is provided in “tokens” of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, a molecule that is required in most chemical reactions and that is essential for all biological processes, such as locomotion, cell division, and transfer of material across membranes. Cancer cells also require energy to proliferate, and for this they need functional mitochondria. In an article published in Cell Metabolism, scientists from Europe, Asia, North America and Oceania, coordinated by Prof. Jiri Neuzil (Czech Republic and Australia), and including Institut Pasteur, reveal an unexpected role of mitochondria in the proliferation of cancer cells. With this discovery, they also identify a novel target for anti-cancer treatments.
Mitochondrial ATP is produced by a complex machinery located in this organelle, which is in part coded [which means the genetic message is “written”] in the nucleus and in part in the mitochondrion, since this organelle carries its own genome (DNA).
Other mechanisms than this also produce ATP in human, animal, and plant cells, and in particular in cancer cells - under exclusive control of the nuclear genome - but these mechanisms are less efficient. Therefore, if mitochondria are impaired, less energy is produced and cells can undergo severe alterations, sometimes leading to death.
A biochemical pathway implied in cancer proliferation
It was previously shown that cancer cells with inactive mitochondria (because they lack mitochondrial DNA), and therefore devoid of the energy produced by these organelles, do not proliferate, and the tumour does not develop until they acquire mitochondria (with DNA) from host cells. It was therefore believed that cancer cells require active mitochondria because these organelles must produce the ATP necessary for proliferation.
However, our work reveals that mitochondrial DNA, and thereby fully functional mitochondria, are necessary for tumour cell proliferation not because they produce ATP, but because mitochondria power an independent biochemical pathway that produces pyrimidines. These molecules are essential components of nucleic acids (DNA), and also have regulatory functions in the cell.
A large number of experiments were necessary to demonstrate this important new concept: “Among others, a protocol previously developed by our team at Institut Pasteur, helped to definitely demonstrate the status of mitochondrial DNA in cancer cells at various steps of the process“ explains Miria Ricchetti, the leader of the Team Stability of Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA, at Institut Pasteur. This protocol is the subject of a patent application filed by Institut Pasteur in 2012 (WO2012123588; Method, probe and kit for DNA in situ hybridation and use thereof).
New therapeutic perspectives
There is increasing evidence that mitochondria are essential for the cell, not only for the production of ATP. Thus, this work shows that one of the numerous “extra” functions of mitochondria (and not ATP production) is essential for cancer cells proliferation. It also reveals a novel target for anti-cancer therapies that was not previously considered, i.e. blocking the pathway of pyrimidine production in mitochondria of cancer cells that is closely linked to cancer onset and progression.
Reactivation of Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase-Driven Pyrimidine Biosynthesis Restores Tumor Growth of Respiration-Deficient Cancer Cells, Cell Metabolism, November 2018.
Martina Bajzikova1,2,17 Jaromira Kovarova1,17, Ana R. Coelho1,3,17, Stepana Boukalova1,17, Sehyun Oh4,17, Katerina Rohlenova1,18, David Svec1, Sona Hubackova1, Berwini Endaya5, Kristyna Judasova1, Ayenachew Bezawork-Geleta5, Katarina Kluckova1,19, Laurent Chatre6,7, Renata Zobalova1, Anna Novakova1, Katerina Vanova1, Zuzana Ezrova1,2, Ghassan J. Maghzal8,16, Silvia Magalhaes Novais1,2, Marie Olsinova2, Linda Krobova1, Yong Jin An4, Eliska Davidova1,2, Zuzana Nahacka1, Margarita Sobol9, Teresa Cunha-Oliveira3, Cristian Sandoval-Acuna1, Hynek Strnad9, Tongchuan Zhang10, Thanh Huynh11, Teresa L. Serafim3, Pavel Hozak9, Vilma A. Sardao3, Werner J.H. Koopman12, Miria Ricchetti6,7, Paulo J. Oliveira3, Frantisek Kolar13, Mikael Kubista1, Jaroslav Truksa1, Katerina Dvorakova-Hortova1,2, Karel Pacak11, Robert Gurlich14, Roland Stocker8,16, Yaoqi Zhou10, Michael V. Berridge15, Sunghyouk Park4, Lanfeng Dong5, Jakub Rohlena1 and Jiri Neuzil1,5
1 Institute of Biotechnology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague-West, Czech Republic
2 Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
3 Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, UC-Biotech, Biocant Park, Cantanhede, Portugal
4 College of Pharmacy, Natural Product Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
5 School of Medical Science, Griffith University, Southport, Australia
6 Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
7 CNRS UMR 3738, Team Stability of Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA, Paris, France
8 Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, Australia
9 Institute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
10 Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Southport, Australia
11 Eunice Kennedy Shriver Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
12 Department of Biochemistry, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Centre, the Netherlands
13 Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
14 Third Faculty Hospital, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
15 Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, Wellington, New Zealand
16 St Vincent’s Clinical School, UNSW Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
17 These authors contributed equally
18 Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Belgium
19 Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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Wireless First Bolsters CMT Year-End Show
RF specialists Wireless First aided in the production of CMT’s recent Artists of the Year Show.
ProSoundNetwork Editorial Staff ⋅ Jan 3, 2012
Wireless First provided sound reinforcement and broadcast audio for the CMT Artists of the Year Award Show. Artists honored (pictured here with host Rob Lowe) were (back row) Jason Aldean, Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley, Dave Haywood of Lady Antebellum, and (front row) Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney and Hillary Scott Lady of Antebellum. Photo: Getty Images.
Nashville, TN (January 3, 2012)—RF specialists Wireless First aided in the production of CMT’s recent Artists of the Year Show.
Airing in mid-December, the event honored five country music artists with an evening of live music at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Rob Lowe hosted the proceedings, which included performances by the five honorees: Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley and Kenny Chesney.
As in the past, CMT hired Wireless First, a Clair Global Company to simultaneously provide live sound reinforcement and broadcast sound (the show aired in mid-December), along with RF duties. In addition to the Clair i3 line array system, which stayed out of television sightlines, Clair Global brought two new products: a custom-built portable RF microphone podium and the CF 1090 Fractal Antenna.
“It was an interesting mix of music and performances,” said Monty Curry, who served as Clair Global crew chief and production A1. “There were a lot of guest musicians and a lot of creative sets. For example, Lady Antebellum gave its backing band the night off and performed an acoustic set, just the three of them.”
In addition to Curry, Rick Schimer was on hand to mix FOH music while Jason Spence handled monitors. Josh Macinerny managed the evening’s RF signal space. Paul Cervanansky oversaw the construction and interconnection of Wireless First/Clair Global’s infrastructure in his role as chief system engineer.
“One of the main challenges at a show like this is striking a balance between the live vibe and the broadcast quality that doesn’t feel like a compromise on either end,” explained Curry. “Otherwise, everything suffers. If the people in the audience don’t get the volume they expect, they don’t react with the same excitement that they would at a normal concert. That feeds back to the performers, who sense that lack of excitement. Even though these are the most professional musicians in the industry, they’re also humans. They’re bound to put on a better show when they feel the excitement of the crowd.”
“On CMT’s Artists of the Year celebration and other high-profile awards shows, stage management and logistics is a complicated affair,” said Kevin Sanford, principal of Wireless First. “All the podium rigs that we had encountered were time-consuming to assemble, awkward to move around on stage, and of less than professional sound quality and reliability.” Clair Broadcasting’s solution was to place two Schoeps condensers at the top of the stand with their cables running internally to a base that conceals battery power and a wireless transmitter. At the CMT Artists of the Year celebration, Curry used the hypercardioid microphone when only one speaker was addressing the mic and the cardioid mic otherwise.
The RF component of the show involved some two-dozen microphone channels, including Shure, Sennheiser, and Audio-Technica live performance mics. Macinerny gave the presenters Sennheiser 5200 Series handheld and body-pack transmitters, some outfitted with Neumann KK 105 capsules. Spence delivered his mixes to the performers using a dozen stereo Sennheiser G2 Series wireless personal monitors delivered to the receivers using a pair of Clair Global’s new CF 1090 Fractal Antennas. “We started designing the CF 1090 many years ago and recently finished a year-and-a-half of prototyping and beta tests,” said Sanford. “The goal from the beginning was to design a rock-solid, reliably-consistent antenna that we could count on in high stakes situations like the CMT show. It’s gratifying to see all of that hard work pay off. The goal has definitely been achieved.”
Wireless First
www.clairglobal.com
Wireless First Takes In All-Star Game
MIPRO 7 Series Wireless Microphones Help Keep Cirque Italia Performances Vibrant
Røde Launches Wireless Go Digital Mic System
Wireless First Rocks Rockefeller Tree Lighting
Wireless First/Clair Global Provide Live abd Broadcast Audio for CMT Artists Show of the Year
Professional Wireless Systems (PWS) Provides Flawless Frequency Management at Latin Music Awards Show, Premio Lo Nuestro
Shure Previews New Wireless Products
LEWITT reveals first details of #Project1040 at the 2020 NAMM show
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The major unhealthy roles we tend to act out under stress and when angry are
(a) the blamer, critic, or hot head, (b) the withdrawn, independent, or emotionally
unreachable person, (c) the needy, "let's talk," or overly demanding partner, (d) the
incompetent, "sick," or disorganized one, and (e) the know-it-all, "I have no
problems; I'll handle yours" rescuer. Do you recognize yourself and the people you
have conflicts with? Try to avoid these roles. Start to change in small, carefully
planned ways using good assertiveness (chapter 13). Also, avoid talking to anyone
(beyond a brief factual consultation--no gossiping) about a third person who is
upsetting you; if your underlying purpose is really to recruit support for your side, it
may set up a triangle which is unhealthy. Deal directly with the person who is
bothering you; keep others out of it (unless you seek therapy). Of course, older
children or relatives can be told that you are having marital problems, if that is
needed, but don't ask them to take sides.
Psychological abuse in intimate relationships
The recent large National Violence Against Women survey (Coker, A. L., 2002, in
American Journal of Preventive Medicine; See
http://www.healthscout.com/news/1/509827/main.html) found that 29% of 6,790
females and 23% of 7,122 males had been physically, sexually or psychologically
abused by an intimate partner. Psychological abuse was more common than sexual
or physical abuse. All three forms of abuse are associated with the later development
of chronic physical and mental health problems. Good reason to take abuse
seriously. But exactly what is psychological abuse? It is hard to describe because the
same comment could be devastating to one person but might just seem funny or
insignificant to another target. How the denounced person responds is a crucial
factor. Whether or not a remark causes abuse isn’t determined by just the
criticalness of the words used by the would-be abuser, the degree of hurt or abuse is
determined by whether or not the person being addressed feels hurt, belittled, and
degraded by the comments.
How the target responds depends on the circumstances, how the critical comments
are said, the intended purpose and the personality of the abuser. and on the
resilience and psychological defenses of the target, etc., etc. To be psychologically
abusive the comments or acts have to be seen as hurtful and/or actually do harm. It
is important to have a good understanding of the intentions of the critic and the
reactions of the target to the psychological or emotional abuse.
Howard University psychologist, Linda Berg-Cross (2005), describes four types of
psychological abuse: (1) the most devastating comments are demeaning and
critical of a person’s personality, basic characteristics, and core values (“you are
really stupid” or “I don’t trust you”). These actions or intimidating remarks may be
subtle but they undermine one’s self-confidence and make one feel psychologically
weak or abnormal. (2) It can also be hurtful when an intimate partner withholds
support and praise when you most need it, e.g. after making a speech, your partner
points out a long list of mistakes you made. (3) A controlling partner sometimes
restricts who you can talk to, where you can go, what you can do, often they claim
that these restrictions are strictly for your own good. (4) Other ways a partner may
instill insecurity and self-doubts are to restrict your influence in decision-making,
to limit your access to money, to assign you jobs to do, to select your friends and
social activities, and to do anything that makes you feel inferior. These four kinds of
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Pulse.com.gh
11 things medical shows always get wrong, according to doctors
Medical TV shows often portray medicine in an unrealistic way.
Doctors on TV frequently use a defibrillator on a flatlined patient but, in reality, this never happens.
The endless paperwork and the high cost of medical care are rarely portrayed on TV.
Medical television shows are filled with drama, romance, and life-and-death situations. Though these shows can be exciting, they're often not representative of what really goes on in hospitals.
INSIDER consulted with doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals to uncover what TV shows get wrong about practicing medicine.
You wouldn't actually use a defibrillator on a patient whose heart has stopped.
BusinessInsider USA Images
It's a common scenario on medical shows: A patient flatlines and a team of doctors rushes to revive them by using jolts of electricity from defibrillator paddles. It sounds plausible, but it's actually totally inaccurate.
"The defibrillator only works on specific heart arrhythmias. Asystole (a.k.a. flatlines) is not one of them. This always makes me laugh when I watch TVor movies. You only defibrillate ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation," Dr. Snehalata Topgi of ParaDocs Worldwide told INSIDER.
A defibrillator is definitely a life-saving device for certain cardiac emergencies, but doctors wouldn't use one on a flatlining patient because there is no electrical activity in their heart to "reset" into a normal heart rhythm with the device.
In reality, CPR isn't a miracle worker.
Contrary to what you might see on TV, it's rare for a doctor to completely revive a patient with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Though CPR is still one of the best things a bystander can do if someone's heart stops beating, it's not an instant cure.
"The point of it is to keep blood flowing to the brain until blood circulation and breathing can be restored at the hospital. Many times this 'miracle worker' is a temporary fix and once the CPR stops, the patient is back on death's door," said Dr. Topgi.
The reality of CPR's effectiveness is much grimmer than what is shown on TV. Although exact statistics are varied, according to a 2016 study , The American Heart Association reports that CPR saves one life for every 30, with a 10% decrease in survival with each minute of delay.
Paperwork is a much bigger part of medical life than is shown on TV.
In real life, doctors aren't only spending their time treating patients tons of charting and paperwork also comes with the job.
"Doctors likely spend a good chunk of time not just examining patients but completing a ton of paperwork. Medical shows often depict a lot of scenes of doctors taking care of patients, but really overlook the numerous hours spent on administrative tasks," physician and health expert Dr. Nesochi Okeke-Igbokwe told INSIDER.
For example, a primary care doctor might spend a good portion of each day completing forms for patients, calling insurance companies for authorizations, or talking to pharmacies about patient prescriptions.
Diagnosing a rare problem usually takes longer than depicted on television.
Doctors on medical shows often seem to diagnose rare conditions based on just a few conversations with the patient or a simple blood test. Though common illnesses might be readily diagnosed within a few hours, it's not always that simple.
"Medical shows also tend to speed diagnoses to fit them into the confines of the TV show, often allowing rare conditions to be diagnosed with relative ease," Dr. Amesh A. Adalja of Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security told INSIDER.
In many cases, it's not likely that a single doctor or test will be able to pinpoint the problem at a glance.
Unlike on television, doctors don't spend much time at bedsides.
Medical shows often show doctors and surgeons sitting with patients at their bedsides, monitoring their vitals, and helping them walk around after treatment. In real life, however, nurses and other medical staff take care of the majority of bedside care.
"Medical shows that portray the doctor as the primary care provider at the bedside are out-of-date. Many of the tasks that doctors are shown doing in television shows such as starting IVs, giving medications, assisting in codes or other emergent situations, or getting patients out of bed and walking around are actually done by nurses or other staff members, Amy Witkoski Stimpfel , registered nurse and assistant professor at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, told INSIDER.
Medical shows don't usually capture the range of providers that are responsible for patient care, from nurse practitioners and physician assistants to respiratory therapists, pharmacists, nutritionists, and occupational and physical therapists.
Real doctors aren't constantly flirting with each other on the clock.
On some medical shows, romantic encounters in the hospital between medical staff are commonplace. But in real life, doctors aren't relentlessly flirting in operating rooms or meeting up in supply closets.
"Hospital romances do exist. However, the majority of these physician couples keep their personal relationship outside of the hospital setting and for the most part maintain high standards of professionalism while at work," explained Dr. Okeke-Igbokwe.
There is a code of professional conduct and official regulations governing staff behavior at every hospital or medical center. Most doctors adhere to and respect these rules of professional behavior.
It's not acceptable for real medical staff to hook up with patients.
Hospitals and medical centers have explicit rules governing the relationships between healthcare providers and patients. Doctors on TV might flirt with their patients, but real-life doctors almost certainly don't.
"There is just so much that can go wrong. This happens but shouldn't, especially with respect to the legal aspects. It is also very unprofessional," said Dr. Topgi.
Pursuing a romantic relationship with a patient has the potential to compromise care and lead to serious legal ramifications.
Pregnant people don't always give birth right after their water breaks.
What's known as " water breaking " is actually the tearing of the amniotic sac surrounding the baby (also called the rupture of membranes) that usually occurs prior to the onset of labor or regular uterine contractions. Though people on medical shows are often shown immediately going into full labor mere moments after their water breaks, this isn't normally the case.
"This is true sometimes. But other times, doctors have to artificially break a person's amniotic sac during labor or it happens on its own way before it should during the pre-term time period," said Dr. Topgi.
According to BabyCentre, only 60% of people start having contractions within 24 hours of their waters breaking. Most of the other 40% go into labor within 48 hours. Though it's not unheard of for people to give birth an hour or so after the amniotic sac ruptures, many births take much longer.
Bedside manner actually matters much more in real life.
On TV, doctors sometimes use a "tough love" approach to get patients to commit to treatment or even argue with patients over personal matters. In real life, this kind of behavior would be grounds for dismissal.
"The blatantly rude and non-existent bedside manner of some doctors on television dramas would definitely not fly in real life. Yelling and acting obnoxiously towards your patients would likely leave you jobless, no matter how brilliant of a clinician you may be," said Dr. Okeke-Igbokwe.
Real doctors have specialties they can't do it all.
On TV, it's not unheard of for an emergency room doctor to scrub in for surgery in order to save their ailing patient. In real life, most doctors are highly specialized and usually handle a limited range of conditions.
"Medical shows often do not respect the specific scopes of practice of different medical specialties and subspecialties. For example, you have non-surgeons performing surgery, surgeons managing conditions that cardiologist would be managing, and the like," explained Dr. Adalja.
Medical shows don't show the high cost of medical care.
It's rare that medical programs show patients filling out reams of insurance paperwork. The healthcare systems in many countries, however, can mean that patients are often saddled with massive medical bills as a result of their treatment.
"Medical costs are the number one reason for personal bankruptcy in the US. Most patients who visit a hospital or doctor's office deal with insurance and have to pay a copay. These medical shows never show this side to healthcare," Suzanne Garber , co-founder of digital hospital network Gauze, told INSIDER.
This is a real-life part of healthcare that isn't normally depicted in television shows.
Author: Sophia Mitrokostas Source: Business Insider USA
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Endowment gifts are a way to create a lasting legacy of support for Putney. It is the school’s policy to use a portion of the market value of the endowed funds to support programs designated by the donors and the Board of Trustees. The balance of the fund is reinvested with a goal of preserving and growing the value of Putney’s endowment relative to inflation.
Putney welcomes additional gifts to all existing endowment funds, as well as the creation of new named funds. The minimum amount required to establish a named endowment fund is $100,000. For more information, contact Hugh Montgomery, Director of Development at 802-387-6272.
General Endowment Funds
Class of 2006 Endowment Fund
Established in 2003 for general uses
General Endowment Fund
The Munger Endowment Fund
Established in 2008 by an estate gift from Elizabeth and Robert Munger (P’60, P’62, P’69) for general endowment
The Richard & Mathilde Sewall Memorial Endowment Fund
Established in 2003 for the general endowment
Martha Sherman Stewart Endowment Fund
Arts Funds
Dance Department Endowment Fund
Established in 1981 to endow the Dance Department
The Eliot Ferguson ’93 MIDI Lab Endowment Fund
Established in 2004 to maintain, repair, and replace equipment, as needed, to ensure that the Lab will remain a state of the art facility for developing students’ interests and skills in music composition
The William Gray Music Scholarship Fund
Established in 1994 to enable talented and committed scholarship students to continue their music instruction with the finest Windham County instructors
The Norwood and Cornelia Hinkle Scholarship Fund
Established in 1972 to provide scholarship aid each year to one or more students who possess classical instrumental ability
Miller Music Endowment Fund
Established in 1995 for general music support
Ann Robertson Yang Music Fund
Established in 1980 to support the music program at the school in general and, specifically, to enable the school engage outside musicians to come to the school to assist and enhance the school’s music program
Faculty Funds
The Barbara Barnes Faculty Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching
Established in 1989, this rotating fellowship, which will be awarded to one teacher annually, is intended to encourage those who have shown an unusual ability to inspire the love of learning and guide the maturing of young people. A one-year appointment will carry a significant financial bonus in addition to a greater opportunity for professional development projects throughout the year.
Faculty Salary Endowment
Established in 1992 to increase faculty salaries
The Carmelita Chase Hinton Endowed Chair for Environmental Studies and Sustainability
Established in 2012 to ensure that Putney will always be a school rooted in the land that it lives on, and committed to ensuring that “each generation will be better than the last.” It will also support the school in the efforts to employ a very talented and committed faculty with an endowed chair in the field of science specific to environmental studies and sustainability.
William R. Kenan, Jr. Endowment Fund
Established in 1989 to support high quality and effective teaching at The Putney School, such as the payment of appropriate salaries in provision for faculty enrichment and other benefits to teachers and those charged with the administration of the school
Religion and Philosophy Faculty Chair
Established in 1985 to fund the religion and philosophy teaching position
The John Davis Wirth ’54 Faculty Development Fund
Established in 2003 to provide opportunities not otherwise available for classroom teachers to enhance their own knowledge and skills in order to provide the most rigorous and stimulating educational experience for students at The Putney School
Financial Aid Funds
General Scholarship Fund
Established in 1985 to increase scholarship aid
George D. Aiken Windham County Scholarship Fund
Established in 1985 to provide tuition assistance to enable young people in Windham County whose families have requested financial aid to attend Putney
The Charles N. Brickley Scholarship Fund
Established in 1991 to support students who show a special interest in history and have demonstrated a dedication to its pursuit
Timothy F. Casper Memorial Scholarship Fund
Established in 1998 to assist needy students with an interest in art or music
Carmen M. Christensen Scholarship Fund
Established in 2005 to assist a worthy student whose family has demonstrated financial need according to the school’s normal policies and procedures
Class of 1951 Memorial Gift Fund
Established in 2001 for general scholarships
Class of 1952 Memorial Scholarship Fund
Established in 1999 to be used for scholarships, preferentially for descendants of the class members when and if there are candidates, and otherwise for general scholarships to the school
William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship Fund for Minority Students
Established in 1988 to provide scholarship aid for minority students
Carmelita Hinton Memorial Scholarship Fund
Established in 1983 to provide financial aid for minority and international students at The Putney School
April Zweig Howard Scholarship Fund
Established in 1994 for general scholarship aid
Robert M. Hughes Minority Scholarship Fund
Established in 1998 to support African American students with tuition and expenses
Mary Richardson Kennedy Memorial Scholarship Fund
Established in 2012 to honor the memory of Mary Richardson ’77. The Richardson Family hopes these scholarship funds will encourage others to continue in Mary’s footsteps, highlighting environmental and social concerns to change the world for good and beauty.
Morgan Scholarship Fund
Established in 2006 in honor of Brian Morgan, director of The Putney School from 1995-2007, and his wife Joyce Vining Morgan, to provide general financial aid assistance
Roger Parrott Memorial Ecology Fund
Established in 2008 in memory of Roger Parrott, who taught at Putney from 1968-1995, to enable students in financial need to participate in programs related to ecology
Polynesian Scholarship Endowment Fund
Established in 1964 to provide scholarship aid for students from Tonga
Reader’s Digest Endowed Scholarship Fund
Established in 1973 for partial scholarships for academically qualified students from middle-income families
The Elizabeth Robinson and Emily Binger Cooper Discretionary Fund
Established in 2004 to provide small disbursements to cover unexpected needs of students who are receiving financial aid
Dorothy Page Ryder Fund
Established in 1991 for any student needing financial assistance for the purchase of non-text related books
C.V. Starr Scholarship Fund
Established in 2002 to provide scholarship assistance to students the school selects on the basis of merit and need
Taconic Foundation Scholarship in Memory of Michael S. Currier ’79
Established in 2005 to support diversity at The Putney School and help make a Putney education possible for students of all backgrounds. Special consideration will be given to students of color who come from urban backgrounds, particularly New York City
The Joseph Wasserman ’49 Scholarship Fund
Established in 2005 to provide financial aid to an American student of African ancestry provided that there is such a student enrolled who demonstrates financial need
Gregory Williams Memorial Scholarship Fund
Established in 1979 to provide funds for students interested in the arts, particularly photography
International Study Funds
Established in 2000 to support international studies including the study of foreign languages, culture, and history, and may be used to support Putney students in such study abroad as well as at The Putney School
The Sell Fund for International Understanding
Established in 1992 to support The Putney School’s offerings in English as a Second Language and any other program that promotes international relations for the benefit of students at Putney
The George Shakespeare Memorial Fund
Established in 2005 to enable students in financial need to participate in one of the school trips abroad
Library Funds
Elizabeth K. Dale Book Fund
Established in 1990 to help the library purchase books dealing with New England for the use of the faculty and students
Ann Mills Memorial Fund
Established in 1992 to maintain and augment the poetry collection in The Putney School Library
Ewald Schnitzer Book Fund for Social Sciences
Established in 1994 to purchase books, periodicals, and computer software in social science disciplines for the library
David Thomas Library Fund
Established in 1998 for general support of the library, particularly the book collection
Claude Winfield ’61 Library Endowment Fund
Established in 2006 to provide books for The Putney School Library written by African American authors or about African-American history or issues
Special Purpose Funds
Berwind Family Elm Lea Farm Endowment Fund
Established in 2004 to be used solely and exclusively to support the facilities and operations of the Elm Lea Farm in perpetuity and to assure that the Elm Lea Farm will always be an integral part of the School
Elizabeth Baldwin Brett Director’s Discretionary Fund
Established in 1984 to provide ready access to a fund which may be used at the discretion of the head of school
Eve Cary ’61 Flower and Herb Garden Fund
Established in 2009 to provide funds for the continuation of The Putney School’s gardens
Diversity Fund
Established in 1991 to enhance diversity at The Putney School
Environmental Studies Program Fund
Established in 1989 to upgrade our educational experience internally and externally to provide opportunities for our students to apply their experiences in the larger environmental arena
Hutch Maynard Fund
Established in 1973 to provide for the operation of the greenhouse
Pereira Administrative Council Discretionary Fund
Established in 1975 to provide funds to be used by The Administrative Council
David Raynolds Hinton Help Fund
Established in 1983 in memory of Mrs. Hinton to function as a small, flexible endowment for small projects each year that weren’t in the budget
Liebe and Thomas Winship Fund
Established in 1984 to provide permanent funding of the English Department
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WALL REGISTRATION
Hallowell, ME 04347
info@pwpcenter.org
Plaster Conservation
On-site conditions and financial considerations will determine the methods of restoration and conservation used in a particular situation. It is felt that wall murals should not be restored to near new condition, but rather, should reflect the artist's original intent with a reversible repair regimen on the front wall surface that allows them to show their age.
It is almost unheard of to find a 200-year-old plaster wall with no cracks. For some people, the cracks are a visible sign of character on the wall but they also are telltale signs of where problems exist and can lead to serious problems if not taken care of. Plaster cracking and delamination from the wood lathe is a great clue to what has been going on with the wall substructure. Environmental stresses like new roads and highways, construction blasting, structural repairs to the building, changes in stress loads on the foundation, along with all the other climate and moisture related issues previously mentioned, contribute to plaster cracking.
There are two approaches to plaster stabilization that will be offered: the traditional time-tested methods that are still being used in European restoration work and the modern method that employs glue based adhesives that are not reversible when dry. When preparing the conservation program for your paint decorated plaster it is important to examine both with a professional to determine what is best for you.
Traditional Plaster Stabilization
According to Brian Pfeiffer, architectural historian, “The prevalence of epoxy and other modern substitute materials used in building conservation is an American enthusiasm. In Europe – especially in France, England and parts of Scandinavia – where craft traditions and training through apprenticeship have survived, modern synthetic materials have declined in popularity for historic building repair in favor of traditional materials that have withstood the test of time. The USA has been slower to move in this direction because of our national predilection for whatever presents itself as 'new and improved', our predilection to believe in the results ‘accelerated weathering tests’ for new materials, and because we have suffered the nearly complete loss of traditionally trained craftsmen in the mid-20th century. Nonetheless, there are now a small number of skilled craftsmen who can accomplish these repairs.”
Pfeiffer goes on to explain his preference for traditional methods of plaster repair techniques. “Lime is an inexpensive material that is more environmentally benign than chemical consolidates – it requires less energy input to manufacture than do modern cements, it re-absorbs carbon dioxide as it cures and at the end of its life cycle, it breaks down into a beneficial compound – calcium carbonate; it does not contain or release toxic materials. Second, lime has the desirable quality of binding to itself, so a new lime repair will bind into existing lime-based materials without the need of chemical binding agents. Although nearly indistinguishable from the original material in porosity and texture, lime repairs remain visible as can be seen in old buildings where renovations carried out two centuries ago remain visible in the visually discernable differences in material color and in the different lath on which plasters have been installed.
"Epoxy consolidation for plaster essentially impregnates the pores of the plaster interfering with porosity and glues old plaster to dry, dusty lath which does not provide as reliable a mechanical attachment as plaster keys that squeeze through the gaps in the lath to provide an even distribution of weight across the plaster. Finally, epoxy and other consolidates interfere with the vapor permeability of plaster, wood, mortar and other materials to which they are applied. By blocking the flow of water vapor, they direct it toward the nearest permeable surface increasing the concentration of moisture and the possibility of condensation in that area.”
One issue with the use of traditional methods on a wall mural is that it takes water to make the lime mixture and water will damage and dissolve the wall mural pigments, if applied from the finished surface. Repairs for painted surfaces can more safely be accomplished from the back of the wall, if access is available.
Image of Deacon Bailey House Portland, ME, with repaired crack in plaster
Modern Plaster Stabilization with Glue-Based Adhesives
The modern method of plaster stabilization involves matching known gluing techniques to surfaces, in composition and appearance, then using acrylic glues that can be manipulated to correspond to conditions such as temperature on the job site. The glue based adhesives are not reversible when dry. According to Peter Lord of Peter Lord Plaster and Paint, the necessity for reversibility on the inside or back of the wall mural is not a consideration. You need structural stability on the lathe and then reversibility on the painted surface. The success that has been achieved with this gluing procedure has been time tested for 20 years.
An example of this method comes from the Rufus Porter Museum in Bridgton, Maine.
The little house was moved in 1840 and again in 1986. Structural support (beams and floor joist weakness multiplied by fireplace removal) deterioration has caused additional cracking of the plaster. Treatment of support system was remedied and the plaster stabilization was undertaken by Peter Lord. The plaster was bulging as it was not attached to the lathe. The house had been through two moves and it is amazing that the plaster remained on the wall without any key support. Glue based adhesives need solid support behind it to work. Approaching the wall from the backside, x’s mark the spots where holes were drilled after marking points from the front where the plaster was loose.
The wall prior to the treatment.
The holes being filled with a glue that fills the void in the front of the lathe after vacuuming and taking away the crumbs from drilling.
Here we see the braces that push the plaster wall from the front towards the lathe, applying pressure and staying in position for 8-10 hours in above freezing temperatures. There is a plastic barrier in front of the wooden braces to prevent wood being glued to the wall in case any oozing of glue occurs on the plaster surface itself.
After the treatment.
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IRCAジャパンはこちら | Click here to visit IRCA Japan website
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About quality
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Deming Management for Quality (part 2): Systemology - Everything is connected
Progress indicator
In the second part of this four-part series on Deming’s System of Profound Knowledge, Alan Clark and Tony Korycki look at organisations as systems, and the importance of ‘seeing the bigger picture’ to stay relevant
“They’re all gone because they sat there and made just what they made for 30 years, and it kind of gets obsolete,” Ted O’Connor, Senior Vice President of the US corporation Mohawk Fine Papers, told reporter David J Unger from the magazine The Point. Ted was referring to paper mills, which had a choice to adapt and didn’t. It sounds like Eastman Kodak, once makers of photographic paper, which failed to produce a timely response to electronic cameras, and then internet-connected smartphones.
The much-prophesied paperless world hasn’t happened. Paper and cardboard are developing and finding new uses. Companies like Mohawk innovated or moved upmarket and survived. Customers’ needs change continually and markets are growing but also changing. Opportunities for sustainable success are still there.
This is one of many examples. Perhaps think of your own example before proceeding.
“Short-sightedness” of businesses, and even whole industries and economies, means leaders have failed to see the ‘bigger picture’. Managers at all levels need to look at the bigger picture, both inside and outside of their organisation.
In his book, The New Leadership for Women and Men, Michael Simmons says that the job of a leader and manager is “working to understand the whole situation and seeing to it that everything goes well and without limit or reservation.”
Looking ‘over the horizon’ at the bigger picture, or whole situation, to understand how it relates to you is called Systems Thinking. There are many ways to view the bigger picture. Practically, it does not matter which way you choose or where you start. Critically, you need to rise above a fixed mindset and day-to-day detail. Thoroughly consider the consequences arising from as many of the influences, relationships and interactions in and around your organisation as possible.
Organisations are relationships and interactions that produce social, economic and ecological outcomes and consequences. Some are intended and the others unintended. Some of these are desired and some undesirable. Among the most important relationships are the ones with customers, the wider marketplace and the organisation’s employees. The biggest challenge for organisations is wilful blindness to the whole system of relationships. As Dr Deming said: “It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.”
Ways forward
What helps? Over the years, two major approaches to Systems Thinking have been found useful for understanding the whole situation: Soft Systems Methodology and the Viable System Model. Both are supported by considerable information which can be found in books and online.
In addition, you may find a Model of Sustainable Organisation (MoSO) useful for taking a systemic view of your organisation, one that is focused on the customer (see below). Developed by the CQI Deming Special Interest Group (DemSIG), MoSO brings together a number of ideas and sources, although it is only one of many models providing a holistic view.
MoSO embraces many important concepts. One concept, which you may recognise from the model, is what we call ‘Two Jobs’. That means everyone in an organisation has two jobs.
Two Jobs
Job one: daily work is adding value for customers (internal and external) or supporting those who are in the value-adding flow. Job two: improvement work is continually seeking better offerings, systems and processes to deliver and support value added for customers. Opportunities arise for innovation from knowledge and understanding of the whole situation.
A video on the CQI’s DemSIG webpage (link below) explains MoSO in detail. An essential feature of MoSO is the broken line bordering each area of the model, which symbolises the porosity of these boundaries, emphasising that everything is connected. Hence, every aspect of the organisation and the world outside influences and is influenced by everything else, often in unpredictable ways. This is especially true of people.
Terry Rose, a leading member of the MoSO development team, used it with a business that had a sudden change to their environment due to a recent takeover. Working through MoSO helped the client build an understanding of their system and whole situation, changing their outlook. They personalised the model to make it their own, which is fine, as long as meanings are not changed. Instead of waiting passively, they went out to make a case for what they brought to the new environment.
Whilst many people fail to accept change is happening and respond defensively, often to their detriment, it’s possible to overcome that inertia.
In our last article (Deming Management for Quality – part 1: Knowledgology – Theory of Knowledge), we looked at WonderWidgets – a company that took its eye off the ball and were not aware that its website was not capable. The company had its heads buried in detail and didn’t have ‘live data’ that would have allowed it to regularly monitor customers’ needs and market developments. Hopefully it spotted this before it lost too many customers.
An effective quality system should have signed off the capability of the website but would have need to have been holistic.
What would conversations stimulated by working through MoSO do for your organisation?
Quality professionals are in a position to gather evidence and feedback of the whole situation from all levels of the organisation, as shown by this interpretation of David Armstrong, Expert on Business Transformation, Governance, Assurance and Improvement, analysis of their remit:
Whatever approach you take to look over the horizon and understand your whole situation or system, you need to do it. Otherwise you risk being surprised by the consequences from interactions inside and outside your organisation.
In our next article, we will explore how proper analysis of data to provide evidence of what is happening can provide a basis for effective decision making and action planning for your system.
About the authors: Alan Clark, CQP FCQI, is a Management Development Coach, Advisor and Trainer at Key Business Improvement. Tony Korycki, BA, MSc, is a Service Introduction and Process Architect at BT Global Services.
MoSO in detail
Deming Management for Quality (part 1): Knowledgology – Theory of Knowledge
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Washington Update Radio
Thought provoking. Controversial. Presidential Puppetry is sure to raise lots of eye-brows. One of those books that inspires readers to look deep beneath the surface.
John Perkins, New York Times best-selling author of "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" and other books
DOJ Scandal Voids New Orleans Police Convictions for Katrina Deaths
Comments Off on DOJ Scandal Voids New Orleans Police Convictions for Katrina Deaths
Unprecedented Department of Justice misconduct requires a new trial for five former New Orleans policemen convicted in the deadly police shootings of six Hurricane Katrina victims fleeing the city, a federal judge ruled Sept. 17.
The actions of DOJ prosecutors in posting anonymous commentaries on the case were so “highly unusual, extensive and truly bizarre” as to require a new trial, according to U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt, left, who presides in New Orleans. He wrote that he had been unable to find any other case like it in the country. The only appropriate remedy for such wrongdoing, he wrote over the objections of the DOJ, was to grant defendants a new trial.
The judge’s aggressive investigation of wrongdoing provides a rare bright spot in the astonishing array of law enforcement misconduct in the city. In this case, at least three federal prosecutors (including a new one identified this week) anonymously wrote reader comments on the NOLO.com website. The actions thereby undermined the defendants’ right to an unbiased jury, the judge ruled.
The DOJ had charged the defendant police officers with federal civil rights violations and cover-up after fatally shooting two hurricane victims and wounding four others fleeing across the Danzinger Bridge from chaotic conditions in the flooded city.
The judge’s ruling prompted the city’s major radio station, CBS affiliate WWL AM/FM, to invite my return Sept. 18 to discuss the ruling. Morning host Tommy Tucker, right, hosted the interview, available nationally via the station’s website.
Tucker noted that a WWL poll, albeit unscientific, was showing about 90 percent of those surveyed do not trust the Justice Department and Attorney Gen. Eric Holder. He asked if this was fair criticism. I said responsibility in a sense permeates the department, as evidenced by its aggressive defense of its convictions in this case using boiler plate excuses that the judge smacked down. However, President Obama would be reluctant to seek Holder’s resignation for fear of the difficulty of confirming a successor.
Further, I commented that the public has a strong interest in ensuring that rigorous investigation of blatant wrongdoing helps ensure that the DOJ operates in a fair, open and truthful manner in other cases.
Tucker and others at the station have been in the forefront of the region’s news media seeking answers for serious misconduct in the city’s police, state, and federal law enforcement personnel in multiple cases.
Shedding Light On DC Elites, Democracy Disruptors, Reformers
How To Understand Political Sex Scandal Allegations
DC Madam Attorney: Public Could Learn VIP Client Jobsites Next Week
Autocratic Turkish President Fosters Global Crises
Readers Guide To JFK Assassination: Justice Integrity Project
Presidential Puppetry
A must read for concerned citizens, Presidential Puppetry: Obama, Romney and Their Masters
For information on lectures, interviews, bulk discounts, and excerpts, contact Eagle View:
(202) 638-0070; and [email protected].
Copyright 2012 by Andrew Kreig
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Cover Design and Graphic Images by Kyle Telman
Cover Photo by Len Bracken
Joe Biden photo courtesy of West Point Public Affairs
Mitt Romney photo courtesy of jurvetson
images of Barack Obama and Paul Ryan from official public portraits
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Back to pricebailey.co.uk
Inside the Minds
Insolvency and Recovery
11 must-read books to inspire business leaders
There are thousands of interesting books available that can inspire not only your business mind-set but also your perspective on life too.
Some can help you with actionable tips, while others more at changing your attitudes. We asked the people here at Price Bailey to recommend their favourites. And here’s what they said:
‘Leading’
Alex Ferguson with Michael Moritz
For many devoted football fans of clubs other than Manchester United I can imagine that purchasing a book about Alex Ferguson might be a bit of a tall order! Simon Dewhurst from the Business team explains however that the book is universal:
“This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to push themselves to become the best leader they can possibly be. Whether leading on the sports field, in the classroom or in the office this book contains some thought provoking advice. As well as tapping into the extensive knowledge and experience of British football’s most successful manager, it also includes snippets from world renowned entrepreneur Sir Michael Moritz. It covers a range of topics such as engaging others, recognising hunger and the importance of networking which are key aspects of any professional career. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone already in a position of authority or someone with the aspiration to become a leader in their field.”
‘Chocolates on the Pillows Aren’t Enough’
Jonathan Tisch with Karl Weber
The customer experience is an essential aspect for most businesses, but for some this is really what can make them stand out from the rest. Partner at Price Bailey Stephen Ufland recommends you take a look at ‘Chocolates on the Pillows Aren’t Enough’:
“This is a great book on how to differentiate a business from the competition in terms of the experience the customer or client receives. The author presents some excellent ideas and the book makes an excellent read for anyone involved in providing a service whether in a professional services firm or business generally.”
‘Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness’
Cass R Sunstein and Richard H Thaler
For some, coming to a decision can take a while and what we might not even consider are the biases influencing us into finally making that decision. Eleanor Lothian from the Corporate team suggested this book and said:
“I found it interesting to read about the way in which small “nudges” that can be found in various aspects of our lives are designed to influence our decision-making process (often without us realising it) with the intention to work in our best interests. For instance, a simple example mentioned in the book illustrates how the physical order in which lunchtime meal options are presented to school children can encourage them to pick the healthier options, but also more complex topics such as pension schemes are also discussed.”
‘The Chimp Paradox’
Professor Steve Peters
This is an actionable read that gets you thinking about how to control your negative emotions and reactions. This is really applicable for both work and life in general. Professor Steve Peters give a great insight into how to manage your inner chimp and ultimately lead a happier, more successful and fulfilling life.
‘The Trusted Advisor’
David Maister, Charles Green and Robert Galford
Nurturing client relationships is a hard but rewarding task. But it’s that extra value that can gain further benefits in the long run. We had more than one recommendation for this from Stephen Ufland and Richard Grimster. Here’s what Stephen said:
“This is really an invaluable book based on the recommendation that a business cannot become successful until client confidence has been established. The 5 step plan suggested by the author is both practical and proven and over the years I have read it and re-read it as it has many concise stand-alone sections.”
‘Who Moved My Cheese’
Dealing with change at your workplace can be tough and we had a couple of recommendations for this renowned book to help deal with it. Here’s what Price Bailey Partner, Daren Moore had to say:
“I was told to read Who Moved My Cheese when I started on a partner development course with my previous firm. Anything that simplifies challenges in business by reference to cheese is genius!”
‘Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard’
Chip and Dan Heath
This is another book that looks at change, which Partner, Chris Godsave recommends:
“This is an excellent book on change management and all set around a really simplistic analogy. It starts by explaining that we need to understand how our minds work and why we can become resistant to change. But it soon delves into how to deal with and exceed in changes.”
‘The Hidden Persuaders’
Vance Packard
First published in 1957 this book was a bible in its time, and provides a look back into the psychology and behavioural aspects of commercial advertising, before the introduction of digital marketing and social media.
‘Margin of Safety’
Seth Klarman
There are many books on how and where to invest your money, but none quite as prolific as this one – it’s for sale at Amazon for over £1000 (although partly as it’s now out of print). Dov Owen from the Business team recommended this one saying:
“An excellent must-read for anyone who invests their money (particularly on the stock markets).”
There is a free pdf version of the book available here.
‘The Snowball: Warren Buffet and the Business of Life’
As people in business go Warren Buffet might be one of the top names on people lists. Craig Symonds from the Corporate team has read this one and says:
“This is a great book on Warren Buffet, how he started out and how he has always been driven to be worth the $60bn he is worth today. Entertaining chapters and some great insights into how to be successful.”
‘Offensive Marketing’
Warren J Keegan & Hugh Davidson
Offensive in terms of aggressive market growth rather than abusive language, this book takes a look at strategies to gain, and protect, market share, based around five key principles – Profitable, Offensive, Integrated, Strategic and Effectively Executed, otherwise known as POISE.
For more insight, events and webinars sign up to the Price Bailey mailing list…
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Poetic Prescriptions For Plaguing Problems: Biblical Remedies For When Life Bites is a work of inspirational poetry centered on the theme of Christianity and seeking God and was penned by author Katherine Norland. The collection of Bible-inspired and infused verses is split into four sections,...
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Painting with Words, Poetry for a New Era
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Painting with Words, Poetry for a New Era by Ian Prattis is a collection of poems that is split into six parts, each part having its own distinct theme. This collection of poems takes the reader through the full gamut of human emotions. The author...
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Creative works to uplift the soul
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Poetry's Soulo: Creative Works to Uplift the Soul by Latonia Sears is a generous offering to fans of poetry and readers looking for words that connect with reality. In this collection, readers encounter someone who wants to see a better world. The poem “Hooked on...
Peace in Pieces
A Memoir Told Through Poetry
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Peace in Pieces: A Memoir Told Through Poetry is a collection of free verse poetry written by Peggy Belles. Desiring to connect with others on a “heart level,” Belles writes using her experiences of life, love and pain as inspiration. The poems are divided up...
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BuyLeaseInvestSoldLeasedFind AgentsNews
COMMERCIAL NEWSLatest NewsInspiration & StyleInvestingBuying & SellingLeasingSmall Business
Tasmania in crosshairs as ‘affordable’ investments go to auction
NewsBY Jarrad Bevan | 06 DECEMBER 2019
33 Main Rd, Wivenhoe was touted as one of the “year’s most affordable commercial investment opportunities”. Picture: SUPPLIED
The United service station at Wivenhoe and a key component of Devonport’s automotive precinct will be up for grabs at an auction next week.
No.53 Don Rd, Devonport, is leased to Burson Auto Parts and represents an “outstanding entry level” investment opportunity.
It is expected to attract investor interest of about $650,000.
Commercial Insights: Subscribe to receive the latest news and updates
Burgess Rawson director Shaun Venables says the property takes advantage of its location in what has become a “destination precinct” for Devonport.
He says Don Rd at Devonport is a well-established commercial precinct home to automotive showrooms, car dealerships and auto retailers.
“This property, for that kind of money it’s a really neat and tidy asset. It presents really well,” Shaun says.
Meanwhile, 33 Main Rd, Wivenhoe, is described as “one of the year’s most affordable commercial investment opportunities”.
Burgess Rawson agent Graeme Watson says the servo is tipped to attract bids of about $500,000.
It comes with a secure, new 10-year lease with locked-in compounded rental growth of 2% per annum and two five-year options.
53 Don Rd, Devonport.
It has immediate exposure to the Bass Highway.
“The expected high yield, in the order of 10%, compares favourably with current interest rates and presents an outstanding investment opportunity, especially for first-time buyers,” Watson says.
“It is a long-established business positioned at the gateway to Burnie’s dominant industrial and commercial precinct.”
United Petroleum spent about $60,000 upgrading the facility to include high-flow diesel.
In addition, the current landlord recently spent $33,000 on a building maintenance upgrade.
Graeme said service station investments are proving popular due to long leases, key locations — generally on prime corner sites — and “certainty of rental growth”.
These North-West sites are heading to auction amid ongoing investor interest in Tasmania’s commercial property market.
There has been a string of standout results this year, including April’s collection of Tasmanian car dealerships, including one in Devonport, which were sold for a combined $30 million at auction.
“Tasmania continues to be a very good story, with investors actively seeking opportunities there,” Venables says.
These assets will be auctioned at Burgess Rawson’s final Portfolio Auction event of 2019 at Crown Casino in Melbourne on Wednesday, December 11.
This article from The Mercury originally appeared as “Two North-West Coast commercial assets heading to auction”.
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Common problems in school-aged children
December 2017 Vol 46(12) 881-960
Articles in the December issue discuss various health issues affecting school-aged children, including acne, eczema and growth disorders.
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FocusAdvances in physiology
The gut microbiome
Volume 46, No.4, 2017 Pages 206-211
Download Citations
Mayenaaz Sidhu
David van der Poorten
More than a trillion, mostly good, microbes live within our gastrointestinal tract and are responsible for vital metabolic, immune and nutritional functions. Dysbiosis, meaning a maladaptive imbalance of the microbiome, is associated with many common diseases and is a target for therapy.
Objective/s
This article provides an overview of the gut microbiome in health and disease, highlighting conditions such as Clostridium difficile infection, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, with which dysbiosis is associated. Information about treatments that affect the gut microbiome, including probiotics and faecal microbiota transplant, are discussed.
As our knowledge of the microbiome increases, we are likely to better understand the complex interactions that cause disease, and develop new and more effective treatments for many common conditions.
Trillions of bacteria, viruses, fungi, archaea and eukaryotic organisms live within the human gastrointestinal tract and make up what is collectively called the gut microbiome. These organisms represent over 50% of the cells found within the human body and weigh up to 2 kg in an average adult.1,2 The stomach and small intestine have relatively few organisms because of the acidic environment, the presence of bile and pancreatic juice, and the effects of peristalsis that limit stable colonisation. Thus, it is in the colon where the overwhelming majority (1012) of the microbiota live and interact with the human host. Our knowledge of the human gut microbiome in both health and disease has expanded rapidly in the past 10 years, driven by increased availability and reduced cost of gene sequencing.3 This has provided compelling evidence of the gut microbiome’s vital role in normal metabolism, nutrition, immune function, physiology and prevention of disease. In addition to direct actions on the gut mucosa and enteric nervous system, many chemical mediators produced by the gut microbiome enter the blood stream and communicate with distal organs such as the brain, heart and liver.4
Microbiome in health
Although there is no standard definition of a healthy gut microbiome, important characteristics are a microbiome with high levels of diversity, stability, resistance to stress-related change (antibiotics, infections, immunosuppression) and a high level of redundancy of metabolic pathways.5
The developing gut microbiome
Historically, the gut in utero was perceived as a sterile environment; however, emerging evidence suggests microbial contact begins prior to birth, from maternal microbiota.6 More extensive colonisation begins at birth and during delivery from protective vaginal microbes, such as Lactobacillus. Babies delivered via caesarian section and those not exclusively breastfed, however, may be colonised by skin and hospital-acquired bacteria, such as Staphylococcus and Acinetobacter, leading to a microbiome that is initially less diverse and less healthy.6,7 These infants seem more susceptible to developing asthma, allergic rhinitis, diabetes and coeliac disease.8 The developing gut microbiome in the first year is similar to that of the mother, but is soon influenced by a variety of factors, including diet, feeding habits and surrounding environment.9 The mature gut microbiome is established between the ages of one and three years and thereafter is relatively stable. By this time, it is primarily composed of anaerobic bacteria, with well over 50 phyla and 1000 species represented. Despite this diversity, the majority of microbes come from two bacterial phyla: Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes.10
Metabolic and signalling functions
The gut microbiome is responsible for a number of vital metabolic and signalling functions, many of which are not achievable by the human body alone. These include the synthesis of all B vitamins (B1–B12) and vitamin K,11 processing of food, digestion of otherwise indigestible complex polysaccharides (starches, cellulose and gums), synthesis of essential amino acids, biotransformation of bile to assist with glucose and cholesterol metabolism, and the production of short-chain fatty acid metabolites, such as butyrate and acetate, that act as an energy source for colonic bacteria and can exert anti‑inflammatory effects.12 Certain partially digestible foods can in turn enrich specific beneficial microbial populations, although a direct health benefit is yet to be established. Often known as prebiotics, examples of these foods include cereal grains, asparagus, leeks, artichokes, legumes, cabbage and kale.12 Gut microbiota can also communicate with the central nervous system through multiple pathways, including the vagus nerve, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, the production of neurotransmitters or their precursors, including serotonin, tryptophan, gamma-aminobutyric acid, dopamine, l-dopa and noradrenaline, and via hormones, such as cortisol, ghrelin, leptin and glucagon-like peptide -1.13
Protective immune functions
Normal gut microbiota are our first internal line of defence against pathogens and toxins, protecting the body against disease in tandem with the host immune system. One of the key functions of a healthy microbiome is to prevent colonisation of pathogens through a barrier effect. This occurs through the production of antimicrobial compounds such as bacteriocin and the outcompeting of pathogens for nutrients and attachment sites through sheer force of numbers.3 Gut bacteria are also integral to the development of the mucosal innate immune system through direct interactions with intestinal epithelial cells. Early exposure to a variety of bacteria provides a kind of training for the immune system such that normal protective responses occur to commensals and appropriate inflammatory responses occur with exposure to pathogens. Conversely, reduced microbial diversity and exposure early in life can lead to an immune system that over-reacts to antigens, predisposing to autoimmune and allergic disease.14
Microbiome and disease
Many gastrointestinal diseases have been associated with alterations in the gut microbiome, as have metabolic disorders, liver disease, certain neurological and mood disorders, arthritis and immunological conditions.15 Dysbiosis, meaning an imbalance or maladaptive state of the microbiome, is found in almost all of these conditions, although whether this is cause or effect in most cases has not been established. We review those conditions with the most evidence and discuss research into modulation of gut bacteria as therapy.
Clostridium difficile infection
Clostridium difficile is a spore-forming, Gram-positive anaerobe, producing toxins A and B; the latter is responsible for colonic inflammation and the development of pseudomembranous colitis. The incidence and severity of C. difficile infection (CDI) in Australia and worldwide is on the rise, with over 12,000 cases reported in Australian hospitals in 2012, leading to an attributable mortality of 6–7%.16 C. difficile rarely causes disease in healthy adults; rather, it requires the impairment of normal resistance mechanisms and host flora, most commonly caused by broad-spectrum antibiotics, immunosuppression or the use of proton pump inhibitors.17
The traditional treatment for CDI has been with metronidazole or vancomycin, and removal of the offending trigger antibiotic; however, this is proving increasingly ineffective with recurrence rates up to 50% and increasing incidence of fulminant disease. Following a 2013 publication from the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam,18 correcting underlying dysbiosis through faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) has been shown to be more effective and durable than antibiotic therapy for recurrent CDI. These results that have been replicated in Australia.19 The immediate impact of FMT in severe pseudomembranous colitis is illustrated in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Severe Clostridium difficile infection in a patient aged 79 years.
A. Pseudomembranous colitis; B. Five days after faecal microbiota transplant
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are chronic inflammatory conditions of unknown aetiology whose underlying pathogenesis appears to relate to multiple factors, including a genetic predisposition, environmental triggers, altered immune function and abnormal reactions to the gut microbiome. Dysbiosis is present in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), characterised by a higher ratio of pathogenic to commensal bacteria, reduced bacterial counts in areas of active inflammation, and areas of bacterial mucosal invasion, which is rarely, if ever, seen in healthy individuals.20 Modulation of gut bacteria with antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin and metronidazole is an established treatment to reduce postoperative recurrence of Crohn’s disease, while probiotics can be effective for IBD-related pouchitis following colectomy.21,22 A number of studies have looked at FMT as a treatment for IBD, but with conflicting results. A systematic review of small case series showed an overall efficacy of 36%, with Crohn’s patients more likely to respond than those with ulcerative colitis.23 An Australian randomised placebo-controlled study showed similar efficacy in ulcerative colitis (44% steroid-free remission), using an intensive protocol of FMT via colonoscopy and enemas over eight weeks.24 In two additional randomised controlled trials for ulcerative colitis, one showed no benefit over placebo,25 while in the other FMT achieved remission in 24%, compared with 5% with placebo.26
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is common disorder characterised by abdominal discomfort and altered bowel habit in the absence of an underlying organic cause. The pathophysiology of IBS remains unclear, but is likely to be multifactorial, with altered motility and food processing, visceral hypersensitivity, genetic susceptibility and alterations in the gut microbiome being important.27 Individuals with diarrhoea-predominant IBS have dysbiosis characterised by lower Clostridium thermosuccinogenes phylotype expression,28 whereas those with IBS and constipation have an increase in bacteria that produce and use lactate, leading to higher sulphide and hydrogen production.29 Furthermore, IBS occurring after gastroenteritis is well recognised (post-infectious IBS) and affected individuals have alterations in Bacteroidetes and Clostridia, compared with healthy controls.30 Altering gut bacteria with antibiotics can help, and rifaximin, the most well studied, has been shown to have a modest symptomatic benefit in diarrhoea-predominant IBS. This has led to its approval in the US, but not Australia, for this indication.31 A systematic review and a meta-analysis found that probiotics have modest beneficial effects on global IBS abdominal pain, bloating and flatulence scores, with combination regimens more effective.32 Because of heterogeneity of studies, specific beneficial strains or dosage regimens could not be isolated. A low FODMAP diet, aimed at reducing fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, has been shown to be effective for IBS but may itself restrict faecal bacterial abundance, including beneficial bacteria.33
The worldwide epidemic of obesity and associated metabolic disease has primarily been attributed to diet and lack of exercise; however, it is now clear that the gut microbiome is also implicated as both friend and foe. Gut microbiota are required for diet-induced weight gain (Figure 2A), with germ-free mice gaining minimal weight despite a high fat/sugar diet, whereas identical mice containing gut bacteria become obese.34 Dysbiosis characterised by reduction in the abundance of Bacteroidetes and an increase in Firmicutes, reversing their normal ratio, has been implicated in murine and human obesity;35 however, two recent meta-analyses of pooled human studies failed to identify these changes in bacterial phyla, with only minor reductions in microbial diversity and richness seen.36,37 Nevertheless, obese and lean metabolic phenotypes in mice can be transmitted via FMT (Figure 2B),38,39 a process more dependent on microbiota than genetics (Figure 2C), as FMT from identical twins discordant for obesity still led to transmission of the lean or obese phenotype in mice.40 Co-housing the two groups, where mice ate each other’s faeces, led to a lean phenotype, hypothesised to be due to re-invasion of specific Bacteroidetes into obese mice.40 In a recent study in patients with metabolic syndrome, FMT from a lean donor improved insulin sensitivity in just six weeks, an effect in part driven by increased butyrate-producing gut bacteria.41
Figure 2. Obesity and the microbiome
A. Germ-free mice are resistant to diet-induced obesity; B. Metabolic phenotype is transmissible via microbiota transplant with lean donors producing lean mice and obese donors producing obese mice; C. Microbiota transplant from identical twins discordant for obesity also transmit metabolic phenotype to germ-free mice, however when co-housed the lean phenotype predominates; GF, germ-free; L, lean N, normal; O, obese
In addition to the microbiota changes of obesity, alterations in gut bacteria in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steato-hepatitis (NASH) are associated with intestinal bacterial translocation, leading to increased delivery of lipopolysaccharides, free fatty acids and other toxins directly to the liver from the portal vein.42 Furthermore, patients with NASH have a greater abundance of the Escherichia family of bacteria, a group that ferments carbohydrates and produces endogenous ethanol.43 This leads to increased alcohol levels peripherally, a possible co-factor in the pathogenesis of fatty liver disease. A number of studies are underway to assess the role of probiotics, FMT or other gut-modulating procedures in patients with NAFLD.
Altering the gut-microbiome
Faecal microbiota transplant
FMT was first used in modern medicine in 1958, when four patients with pseudomembranous colitis were cured by faecal enema.44 Evidence exists for the role of FMT in recurrent CDI and there is emerging evidence for its role in IBD and metabolic disease.15 The process behind FMT is relatively simple. Donors are screened for all known bloodborne and stoolborne pathogens and must be healthy, lean and free of any diseases potentially transmissible via gut bacteria. Donated stool is blended with sterile saline/glycerol and can be given fresh or frozen. Stool frozen at –80°C is viable and effective for at least six to nine months.19 Donor stool can be delivered via naso-jejunal tube or into the caecum at colonoscopy. Overall, the procedure is safe; common adverse events include bloating, diarrhoea and low-grade fever, which tend to settle within 48 hours.15 Serious events related to the endoscopic procedure, such as bowel perforation and aspiration, are rare. The long-term effects of FMT are not known and could plausibly include induction of chronic diseases related to alterations in gut bacteria or transmission of currently unrecognised infectious agents.15 Researchers from the OpenBiome stool bank in the US, among others, have developed a faecal capsule, which may make this gut-changing therapy more accessible in the future.
Manipulating gut bacteria with antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin and metronidazole has been used to treat intestinal disorders such as Crohn’s disease for some time; however, their ability to reduce pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria, parasites and anaerobes comes at the cost of reducing bacterial diversity and resistance, and CDI.12 Recently, the minimally absorbed broad-spectrum antibiotic rifaximin has gained favour for its efficacy in hepatic encephalopathy and IBS, and low potential for developing bacterial resistance.12
Probiotics are defined by the World Health Organization as ’live bacteria or yeasts that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the consumer’. However, evidence for their efficacy is mixed. The most well-studied bacterial probiotics are those of the Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Lactococcus species, while the most commonly used yeast is Saccharomyces boulardii.12 Probiotics colonise the gut temporarily and may exert beneficial effects through enhancement of the natural intestinal barrier (both physical and mucous layer), stimulation of IgA secretion, downregulation of inflammatory cytokine production and direct antagonism of pathogens.45 On the basis of meta‑analyses of randomised controlled trials, probiotics are modestly effective for reducing global symptoms in IBS (number needed to treat [NNT] = 8),32 and in reducing antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in children aged one month to 18 years (NNT= 10)46 and adults up to age 64 (relative risk = 0.47), but not in the elderly.47 The duration of probiotic use (5–21 days) did not alter the benefit and, to varying degrees, results were strain-specific; the biggest benefit was conferred from Lactobacillus and S. boulardii.47 For other diseases, results may be preparation‑specific, with only the expensive combination probiotic VSL#3 (eight species of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus; $130) being effective for prevention and treatment of pouchitis in IBD following colectomy,22 and Lactobacillus casei and a mixed research preparation of L. acidophilus, L. delbruecki var bulgaris, Streptococcus thermphilus and B. bifidu for five days reducing symptom duration and severity in children with acute infectious diarrhoea.48 Evidence that probiotics assist in extra-intestinal disease, or to help maintain general health, remains controversial. Most commercial probiotics consist of a blend of strains with efficacy generally attributed to specific strains and their quantity. However, a recent study revealed that only 58% are correctly labelled.49 Furthermore, there are issues with maintaining the viability of probiotics during storage, and their ability to withstand acid and bile to reach the colon where colonisation can occur.50 While probiotics appear to be safe in the majority of individuals, case reports have raised the possibility of opportunistic infection due to interference with commensal microflora, particularly in critically ill adults and neonates, where bacteraemia and fungaemia have been occasionally reported after administration of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and S. boulardii.51 Large randomised trials have not confirmed an increased risk; however, a risk-benefit assessment is recommended when probiotics are used.
The gut microbiome is a complex and essential part of our bodies that provides vital support for normal metabolic function and protection against illness. Dysbiosis is associated with multiple disease states and is a target for therapy and future research.
The authors wish to thank Mr Andrew Barnes for his assistance with the artwork for Figure 2.
Mayenaaz Sidhu MBBS, Advanced Trainee Gastroenterology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW
David van der Poorten BSc (Med) MBBS (Hons) FRACP PhD, Staff Specialist Gastroenterologist Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW and Clinical Associate Professor, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW. david.vanderpoorten@sydney.edu.au
Competing interests: None
Provenance and peer review: Commissioned, externally peer reviewed.
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Scheperjans F. Gut microbiota, 1013 new pieces in the Parkinson’s disease puzzle. Curr Opin Neurol 2016;29(6):773–80.
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van Nood E, Vrieze A, Nieuwdorp M, et al. Duodenal infusion of donor feces for recurrent Clostridium difficile. N Engl J Med 2013;368(5):407–15.
Costello SP, Conlon MA, Vuaran MS, Roberts-Thomson IC, Andrews JM. Faecal microbiota transplant for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection using long-term frozen stool is effective: clinical efficacy and bacterial viability data. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2015;42(8):1011–18.
Lopez J, Grinspan A. Fecal microbiota transplantation for inflammatory bowel disease. Gastroenterol Hepatol 2016;12(6):374–79.
Rutgeerts P, Hiele M, Geboes K, et al. Controlled trial of metronidazole treatment for prevention of Crohn’s recurrence after ileal resection. Gastroenterology 1995;108(6):1617–21.
Singh S, Stroud AM, Holubar SD, Sandborn WJ, Pardi DS. Treatment and prevention of pouchitis after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for chronic ulcerative colitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015;(11):CD001176.
Colman RJ, Rubin DT. Fecal microbiota transplantation as therapy for inflammatory bowel disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Crohns Colitis 2014;8(12):1569–81.
Paramsothy S, Kamm M, van den Bogaerde J, Samuel D, Leong R. Multi-donor intense faecal microbiota transplantation is an effective treatment for resistant ulcerative colitis: A randomised placebo-controlled trial. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2016;150(4):S122–23.
Rossen NG, Fuentes S, van der Spek MJ, et al. Findings from a randomized controlled trial of fecal transplantation for patients with ulcerative colitis. Gastroenterology 2015;149(1):110–14.
Moayyedi P, Surette MG, Kim PT, et al. Fecal microbiota transplantation induces remission in patients with active ulcerative colitis in a randomized controlled trial. Gastroenterology 2015;149(1):102–06.
Camilleri M. Peripheral mechanisms in irritable bowel syndrome. N Engl J Med 2013;368(6):578–79.
Lyra A, Rinttilä T, Nikkilä J, et al. Diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome distinguishable by 16S rRNA gene phylotype quantification. World J Gastroenterol 2009;15(47):5936–45.
Chassard C, Dapoigny M, Scott KP, et al. Functional dysbiosis within the gut microbiota of patients with constipated-irritable bowel syndrome. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2012;35(7):828–38.
Jalanka-Tuovinen J, Salojärvi J, Salonen A, et al. Faecal microbiota composition and host-microbe cross-talk following gastroenteritis and in post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome. Gut 2014;63(11):1737–45.
Cremonini F, Lembo A. Rifaximin for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2012;13(3):433–40.
Ford AC, Quigley EMM, Lacy BE, et al. Efficacy of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics in irritable bowel syndrome and chronic idiopathic constipation: systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Gastroenterol 2014;109(10):1547–61–quiz1546–1562.
Tuck CJ, Muir JG, Barrett JS, Gibson PR. Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols: Role in irritable bowel syndrome. Exp Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2014;8(7):819–34.
Bäckhed F, Manchester JK, Semenkovich CF, Gordon JI. Mechanisms underlying the resistance to diet-induced obesity in germ-free mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2007;104(3):979–84.
Kallus SJ, Brandt LJ. The intestinal microbiota and obesity. J Clin Gastroenterol 2012;46(1):16–24.
Sze MA, Schloss PD. Looking for a signal in the noise: Revisiting obesity and the microbiome. MBio 2016;7(4):e01018–16.
Walters WA, Xu Z, Knight R. Meta-analyses of human gut microbes associated with obesity and IBD. FEBS Lett 2014;588(22):4223–33.
Liou AP, Paziuk M, Luevano J-M, Machineni S, Turnbaugh PJ, Kaplan LM. Conserved shifts in the gut microbiota due to gastric bypass reduce host weight and adiposity. Sci Transl Med 2013;5(178):178ra41.
Turnbaugh PJ, Bäckhed F, Fulton L, Gordon JI. Diet-induced obesity is linked to marked but reversible alterations in the mouse distal gut microbiome. Cell Host Microbe 2008;3(4):213–23.
Ridaura VK, Faith JJ, Rey FE, Cheng J, Duncan AE, Kau AL, et al. Gut microbiota from twins discordant for obesity modulate metabolism in mice. Science 2013;341(6150):1241214.
Vrieze A, van Nood E, Holleman F, Salojärvi J, Kootte RS, Bartelsman JFWM, et al. Transfer of intestinal microbiota from lean donors increases insulin sensitivity in individuals with metabolic syndrome. Gastroenterology 2012;143(4):913–17.
Wieland A, Frank DN, Harnke B, Bambha K. Systematic review: Microbial dysbiosis and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2015;42(9):1051–63.
Zhu L, Baker SS, Gill C, et al. Characterization of gut microbiomes in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients: A connection between endogenous alcohol and NASH. Hepatology 2013;57(2):601–09.
Eiseman B, Silen W, Bascom GS, Kauvar AJ. Fecal enema as an adjunct in the treatment of pseudomembranous enterocolitis. Surgery 1958;44(5):854–59.
Vanderpool C, Yan F, Polk DB. Mechanisms of probiotic action: Implications for therapeutic applications in inflammatory bowel diseases. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2008;14(11):1585–96.
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Correspondence afp@racgp.org.au
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Welcome to RadioSEGA, if you are not a member register today!
RadioSEGA Staff
About RadioSEGA
Kaito-kun
Conversation Between Kaito-kun and Dr Shaneman
Kaito-kun - 12-02-2013 18:41
I think it must've been "The Party Must Go On" from the Sengoku Basara film. He's also done the theme song to a couple of the games.
Dr Shaneman - 12-02-2013 00:49
What was T.M.'s last anime related song?
Bear in mind that it was the 90's and that at the time Gundam was still aiming at the male older kid/younger teen demographic.
And you should love every T.M.Revolution song. The man is delightful. And delicious.
That's strange considering the sex appeal that's all over anime these days too.
It is my favourite song on that list too next to the first one and HEART OF SWORD because I love every T.M. Revolution song.
I dunno, I guess some producer thought "But this is a mecha series, aimed at boys! They won't want a girl and the main character!" so the writers/directors make the lead male character look like a girl to annoy them.
Turn A also has the weirdest main Mobile Suit Design. It has a moustache.
No SEED in sight either.
Why was there such a fuss over the female singer thing?
#17 is from Saint Seiya
#18 is from Kikou Senki Doraguna (Metal Armor Dragonar) apparently. (No idea, that's just what google threw up at me. Hadn't even heard of it.)
#19 is from Mobile Suit Victory Gundam (Get it, with the song being called "STAND UP TO THE VICTORY"?)
#20 is another Gundam track, this time from Turn A Gundam: The series famous for making the lead character a trap because the producers said no to having a female lead. TAKE THAT SOCIETY!
That's all I could dig up for you.
A bit of research tells me the following:
#1 is from Gaogaiga (In case it wasn't obvious)
#3 is from an old mecha series called Aoki Ryuusei SPT Layzner (Blue Comet SPT Layzner) (Apparently)
#4 is seemingly from Nadia and the Secret of the Blue Water, an old GAINAX series
#6 is from Uchūsen Sagittarius (Spaceship Sagittarius) (Don't know much about that one)
#8 is from a Gundam OVA: Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack.
#10 is another Gundam track: from Mobile Suit Gundam X
#11 seems to be from Getter Robo
#12 is from the original Mobile Suit Gundam
#13 is from Soukou Kihei Votoms (Armored Trooper Votoms)
#14 is from Rurouni Kenshin. (And was originally performed by T.M.Revolution <33)
#15 is from Dragonball GT
#16 is from the classic Leiji Matsumoto series Galaxy Express 999
You'd know this, how many of these are Gundam themes?
http://anitra.jp/title/bitter.php
I know there's a few on here but I don't know which ones.
My only gripe with that album is that 3 of the tracks are repeats from past albums but... ah well.
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Hudson Yards unveils neighborhood’s highest residences in boutique offering starting on the 53rd floor of 35 Hudson Yards
New York, New York City Mar 04, 2019 Residential, Hospitality
The tallest residential building in the Hudson Yards neighborhood features architecture by David Childs and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; interiors by Tony Ingrao; and next-generation services provided by Equinox Hotel ® . Restaurant concepts include new eatery. Hudson Yards today unveiled the…
Hudson Yards announces the inaugural ticket release for New York’s climbable staircase, the centerpiece of The Public Square and Gardens
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Manhattan’s newest neighborhood opens to the public on Friday, March 15th. Hudson Yards today announced that tickets for New York’s climbable staircase, temporarily known as Vessel , are now officially available on the Hudson Yards website: www.hudsonyardsnewyork.com/discover/staircase . Starting…
The Shops & Restaurants at Hudson Yards to open March 15 at noon
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New York’s next great fashion and foodie destination brings more than a mile of shopping and dining experiences to Manhattan’s West Side. Grand opening weekend filled with diverse offering of experiences and special programming to welcome New Yorkers and visitors. The Shops & Restaurants at…
Hudson Yards powers new neighborhood with first-of-its-kind hiring initiative
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Public-private partnership already responsible for hundreds of job placements with hundreds more expected in the coming months Hudson Yards today announced details about the creation of the Hudson Yards Hiring Network, an innovative public-private collaboration designed to identify and recruit…
Related Companies announces strategic partnership with Greenfield Partners to acquire leading omni-channel e-commerce fulfillment provider Quiet Logistics
New York, New York City Mar 13, 2019 Our Company, Our Brands
Strategic investment recognizes rapidly expanding e-commerce needs of both digitally native and brick-and-mortar brands. Infusion of capital and owned-facilities growth plan will allow Quiet Logistics to expand its strong leadership position in the marketplace and offer clients unrivaled…
Uber Elevate announces partnership with Related Companies to develop skyports for Uber Air
New York, California, Santa Clara, New York City Jun 11, 2019 News, City Centers
Uber and Related release a skyport rendering in Santa Clara showcasing what aerial ridesharing hubs could look like in the future in the Bay Area. Today Uber Elevate announced that Related Companies will be its preferred development partner supporting its Uber Air network in the United States. As…
Related Companies and Hudson Yards partner with NYC Pride and The NAMES Project Foundation for WorldPride
New York, New York City Jun 21, 2019 News, City Centers, Retail
Hudson Yards will display panels of The AIDS Memorial Quilt as part of an initiative with NYC Pride and The NAMES Project Foundation as part of WorldPride events. The Shops and Restaurants will show their support for the community through special initiatives, events and limited edition products…
35 Hudson Yards unveils residential amenities designed by Tony Ingrao dedicated to wellness, leisure and entertainment
New York, New York City Jul 15, 2019 News, City Centers, Residential
Hudson Yards unveils 22,000 square feet of private residential amenities at 35 Hudson Yards, along with new model residences on the 55th and 65th floors. The building features architecture by David Childs and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; interiors by designer Tony Ingrao; and an array of…
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Obituary for Richard Ronald Garcia
Richard R. Garcia, age 64, passed away at the Conejos County Hospital in La Jara Colorado. Richard was a Mogote resident for many years. He passed away on the 16th of August, 2019 with his loving family at his side. What’s coincidental is he passed away on his Grandma Sofia’s birthday, as well as his Aunt Stella’s birthday. Both ladies were very dear and precious to him.
Richard was born February 20, 1955 at the Alamosa Community Hospital in Alamosa, Colorado to Orlinda and Bobby Taylor. Richard graduated from the South Conejos School District in 1972 and also attended Adams State College. On June 3, 1978, he married Lorraine Pacheco from Romeo, Colorado. They were married 41 years until death do them apart. Richard enjoyed spending time with his loving family and his grandchildren. His grandchildren were the apple of his eyes. These young ones are going to miss their Grandpa Ritchie(Pomps), as well as his family members, etc. Richard was an outdoor person who loved to go fishing, gardening, and his flower gardens. He had a love for birds, eagles, bears, and elk. He was a very good cook and was known for his champe jelly. Another rare love he had was to paint. His Grandma Sofia would say, he is the best painter in the world. She said those words with much pride.
Richard is survived by his wife, Lorraine Garcia of Mogote, two daughters Lisa Mae Garcia (Dom Khoketkham) of Alamosa, Laura Beth Garcia of Alamosa, son Matthew Richard Garcia of Antonito, his grandchildren Jordan and Jalissa Garcia of Las Mesitas, Sophia Lucero, of Sanford, and Damian Garcia of Alamosa, his parents Bobby and Orlinda Taylor of Antonito, two sisters Roberta Taylor-Hill (Ken Hill) of Alamosa, Jacqueline Taylor (Mike Farrington) of Alamosa, and one brother Adolph Taylor (Becky Romero) of Littleton. Richard is also survived by his great aunt, Stella Casias, sister- in- law Christine Martinez, brother-in-law, Willie Pacheco, and sister-in-law Angela Gonzales (Travis Gonzales) of Manassa. He is also survived by many uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, and many dear friends.
Richard was preceded in death by his grandparents, Feliz and Sofia Garcia, Pablo and Mary Pacheco(mother and father in-law), cousin Pete, Gilbert Gallegos(Uncle), great aunt Margaret Garcia, and cousins, uncles, and aunts.
A funeral mass will be held at the Saint Augustine Church in Antonito, CO at 10:00a.m. Saturday, August 24, 2019. To follow at 11a.m. will be a memorial and meal at the Donald Chavez Hall also in Antonito. Cremation was chosen and was entrusted to Rogers Family Mortuary. Interment of ashes will be done at a later date.
To leave online condolences, tributes or remarks for Richard’s family, please visit www.RogersFunerals.com
This obituary is protected by copyright by Rogers Family Mortuary in Alamosa. Proudly Serving the Communities of Alamosa, Monte Vista, Manassa as well as all the integrated and outlying communities and loving residents of the entire San Luis Valley in Southern Colorado. Rogers Family Mortuary in Alamosa is located in the state of Colorado, United States.
Rogers Family Mortuary in Alamosa
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Arlo Unveils New Security System That Integrates with Existing Cameras
January 7, 2019, 7:40pm EDT January 10, 2019, 7:53pm EDT
Following in the footsteps of other big security camera brands, Netgear-owned Arlo Technologies has unveiled an all-new security system complete with a hub, siren and multi-sensors.
The brains of the system is the Arlo SmartHub, which can also connect to Arlo’s latest Ultra security camera (as pictured below), as well as older Arlo Pro cameras. You’ll also get multi-sensors, which can be used as door/window sensors, motion sensors, water leak sensors, or a sound sensor that listens for your smoke alarm and will alert you when it goes off.
The system also includes a siren with red LED strobes. So whenever the system detects a break in, it will sound the siren and flash red, as well as let you know there has been a break in and allow you to contact the local authorities. You can also use the siren to emit specific sounds, like a TV or a dog barking.
You’ll also receive a remote to arm and disarm the system, and as previously mentioned, the hub works with Arlo Ultra and Pro cameras as well. So you’ll be able to have all your Arlo products working together in sync.
No specific price was given, but availability is set for the second half of 2019, with support for Z-Wave and ZigBee devices arriving at some point as well—for direct support of third party accessories like Philips smart lights and Yale locks.
Craig Lloyd is a gadget expert with nearly ten years of professional writing experience. His work has been published by iFixit, Lifehacker, Digital Trends, SlashGear, and GottaBeMobile. Read Full Bio »
Update Your Plex Server Or TV Artwork Won’t Work After January 31st
When I was a teenager, I loved being able to load up my iPod with a bunch of songs and listen to those songs while headed to school. However, not having the artwork for my music really annoyed me. Assuming you still run an old server version of the Plex Media Server, you’ll feel the same annoyance I did.
I Wish Someone Would Make a Legit Version of This Sketchy Battery Pack Game System
Sometimes you see an idea for sale that’s so wonderful and perfect you want to buy it instantly. At first glance, the Gaming Power Bank seems like exactly that scenario. It’s an 8,000 mAh backup battery that ALSO doubles as a portable gaming system. What’s not to love? Well, plenty. Second and third glances leave me wanting it—just made by someone reputable.
The Best Licensed Games For Console And PC
Michael Crider | October 26th
Back in the 90s and 2000s, “licensed game” was shorthand for “cheap junk made to get money from suckers,” with only a few standout exceptions like Goldeneye. But that’s changed: now there are plenty of great games built on the backs of successful movies, TV shows, and comics.
If Sony Doesn’t Need E3, Who Does?
Michael Crider | January 19th
Sony won’t be at E3, the biggest trade show in the video game industry. They didn’t show up last year either, but with the PlayStation 5 coming this holiday season, it’s hard to see the company’s absence as anything except a vote of no confidence in gaming’s biggest dog and pony show.
These AR Contacts Are as Smart as They Are Stupid
Augmented reality (AR) is full of promise. Imagine getting directions in your vision while walking, or instructions while trying to fix your sink. The problem is most AR solutions calls for bulky headsets and equally large battery packs. A company named Mojo Vision is showing smart contacts that fit right on your eye to provide AR, and they sound great. But they look terrible.
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To News overview
Home News TU Delft Solar Boat Team: world champion in Offshore Solar Boat racing!
TU Delft Solar Boat Team: world champion in Offshore Solar Boat racing!
8-7-2019 | On Saturday the 6th of July 2019, the TU Delft Solar Boat Team put down a world-class performance: They have become world champion Solar Boat racing on the open sea in the Monaco Solar & Energy Boat Challenge 2019. Ridderflex congratulates the students on this great achievement. We are extremely proud to, once again, be golden partner of the team this year.
For the first time in history, the TU Delft team participated in the offshore class. They are the first Dutch team to race on the open sea with a solar boat.
The race: Monaco – Ventimiglia (IT)
The race consisted of two etappes. The first race took place on Friday July 5 with a distance of approximately 30 km. Here the team has set a speed record of 35 km/h. After the successful completion of this long-distance race, damage was discovered on the electrical system around the solar panels. The damage was caused by internal heat and unfortunately could not be repaired for the next race. To guarantee the safety of the pilots and to prevent more damage on the boat, the decision was made to remove the solar panels from the boat.
The second etappe, the race on Saturday the 6th, was a big challenge for the team. They had to make do with the energy stored in the batteries. This resulted in lower speeds to match consumption and battery capacity. The team did everything they could and managed to win the world championship by sailing efficiently.
A new world record?
The TU Delft Solar Boat Team had two goals this year:
Become world champion in the Monaco Solar & Energy Boat Challenge Offshore Class and
Set a world record by crossing the Channel from Calais to Dover as quickly as possible with solar energy.
The first goal has been achieved. The team will focus on the second goal in the coming period. In August they will cross the Channel between Calais and Dover in the shortest possible time. With this, the team wants to show the world that you can sail through this busy sea lane on nothing but solar energy.
Ridderflex wishes the TU Delft Solar Boat Team good luck with their second challenge. We hope they will head towards a new world record!
More TU Delft Solar Boat Team
Seaworthy Solar Boat 2019 (TU Delft): an exciting challenge
24-01-2019 On the 15th of January the TU Delft Solar Boat Team had one of the biggest milestones of this year: the reveal of the new design of the Solar Boat 2019. Ridderflex is so proud to be Golden Partner of the team once more. We will help make this seaworthy Solar Boat 2019 reality!
Update Solar Boat: start production
06-02-2018 Last week the TU Delft Solar Boat Team presented the design of the Solar Boat 2018. Ridderflex – golden partner of the team – helps develop and build this boat. Now that the design of the Solar Boat 2018 is finished, the team starts with the production of the boat.
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01343-542611 info@ritsonsca.com
Forres
Business Planning and Support
HMRC delays introduction of VAT reverse charge
HMRC has announced a one-year delay to the introduction of the VAT domestic reverse charge for building and construction services.
The reverse charge represents part of a government clamp-down on VAT fraud. According to the government, large amounts of VAT are lost through 'missing trader' fraud. The charge was set to come into effect on 1 October 2019. It has now been pushed back 12 months due to fears that businesses in the construction sector are not ready.
As part of missing trader fraud, VAT is charged by a supplier, who then disappears, along with the output tax. The VAT is thus lost to HMRC. The construction industry is considered a particularly high-risk sector because of the potential to make supplies with minimal input tax but considerable output tax.
The reverse charge does not change the VAT liability: it changes the way that VAT is accounted for. In the future, the recipient of the services, rather than the supplier, will account for VAT on specified building and construction services. This is called a reverse charge. The reverse charge is a business-to-business charge, applying to VAT-registered businesses where payments are required to be reported through the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS).
HMRC says it remains 'committed to the introduction of the reverse charge', and has put a robust compliance strategy into place in order to tackle fraud in the construction sector.
© 2020 Ritsons. All rights reserved.
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Ritsons, The Tower, 103 High Street, Elgin IV30 1EB
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1433 Arden Dr Sw
Nickol Langlois
Maximum One Realty Greater Atlanta
Your info has been successfully sent to Nickol Langlois.
1433 Arden Dr Sw is a single family residence located in Marietta, GA 30008. Built in 1973, this property features 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 11,616 sq ft lot, and 2,239 sq ft of living space. The estimated market value for 1433 Arden Dr Sw is $276,000.
For the surrounding community of Marietta, GA 30008, the average sale price for similar homes to 1433 Arden Dr Sw is $251,680. The nearby schools are very good and include Dunleith Elementary School, Marietta High School and Marietta Middle School. The overall crime risk for this area is slightly high with 2 criminal and sex offenders residing within 1 mile. The natural disaster risk for this area includes very low earthquake risk, high tornado risk, and minimal flood risk.
The price that the current owner purchased the property for.
Property Details: 1433 Arden Dr Sw
Parcel Number: 17008000570
County: Cobb
Subdivision: DUNLEITH
Tract: 30904
Attic: 220 sqft
9/14/2017 Sold $240,000 $107 Public Records
12/19/2012 Sold $145,000 $65 Public Records
8/9/2010 Sold $76,500 $34 Public Records
2017 $545 (+0.68%) $22,000 $57,196 $79,196
2012 $174 $0 $0 $30,600
1419 Arden Dr Sw, Marietta, GA 30008
10Transactions found for this property view hide sample
The average sales price of homes similar to 1433 Arden Dr Sw is $251,680 ($111/sq.ft.)
71 Grampian Way # 8 $249,000 12/10/2019 $111 2,252 sq.ft. 3 Bed, 3 Bath 0.8 mi away
2031 Santenay Dr SW $275,000 11/26/2019 $124 2,216 sq.ft. 4 Bed, 3 Bath 2 mi away
2620 Windage Dr SW $221,000 10/24/2019 $93 2,376 sq.ft. 3 Bed, 2 Bath 2.4 mi away
1981 Ridgestone Run SW $235,500 10/22/2019 $99 2,380 sq.ft. 4 Bed, 3 Bath 0.4 mi away
710 Bellemeade Way SW $279,000 10/22/2019 $135 2,072 sq.ft. 4 Bed, 4 Bath 0.4 mi away
40 Creighton Ln $232,000 10/22/2019 $106 2,183 sq.ft. 3 Bed, 3 Bath 0.8 mi away
1906 Alsace Ln SW $214,329 10/21/2019 $94 2,276 sq.ft. 4 Bed, 4 Bath 1.9 mi away
2107 Taylor Meadows Way SW $260,000 10/15/2019 $112 2,324 sq.ft. 4 Bed, 3 Bath 0.6 mi away
1495 Longwood Dr SW $292,000 10/15/2019 $128 2,288 sq.ft. 3 Bed, 3 Bath 0.2 mi away
2015 Santenay Dr SW $250,000 10/08/2019 $105 2,391 sq.ft. 4 Bed, 3 Bath 1.9 mi away
1464 Chamirey Dr SW
2989 Milford Ln SW
2004 Santenay Dr SW
Situated at 1433 Arden Dr Sw, Marietta, GA 30008, this is a Single Family Residence with 4 bedrooms and 3.0 bathrooms and approximately 2,239 square feet of living space and a 11,616 square foot lot. The property was built in 1973 and is in the neighborhood of Cobb County, Georgia.
A total of 5 properties had foreclosure filings in the 30008 zip code surrounding 1433 Arden Dr Sw during the month of 12/2019, one in every 2,334 housing units. Cobb County, where 1433 Arden Dr Sw, Marietta, GA 30008 is located, documented 109 properties with foreclosure filings during the month, a foreclosure rate of one in every 2,709 housing units. Statewide in Georgia, one in every 2,417 housing units had a foreclosure filing in 12/2019, while one in every 2,541 had a foreclosure filing nationwide.
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The City Where We Once Lived
CD - unabridged
Audio (7 discs)
Product Number: BN12834
Narrator/s: Patrick Lawlor
In a near future where climate change has severely affected weather and agriculture, the North End of an unnamed city has long been abandoned in favor of the neighboring South End. Aside from the scavengers steadily stripping the empty city to its bones, only a few thousand people remain, content to live quietly among the crumbling metropolis. Many, like the narrator, are there to try to escape the demons of their past. He spends his time observing and recording the decay around him, attempting to bury memories of what he has lost. But it eventually becomes clear that things are unraveling elsewhere as well, as strangers, violent and desperate alike, begin to appear in the North End, spreading word of social and political deterioration in the South End and beyond. Faced with a growing disruption to his isolated life, the narrator discovers within himself a surprising need to resist losing the home he has created in this empty place. He and the rest of the citizens of the North End must choose whether to face outsiders as invaders or welcome them as neighbors. The City Where We Once Lived is a haunting novel of the near future that combines a prescient look at how climate change and industrial flight will shape our world with a deeply personal story of one man running from his past. With glowing prose, Eric Barnes brings into sharp focus questions of how we come to call a place home and what is our capacity for violence when that home becomes threatened
Author(s): Eric Barnes
Genre: Literary Fiction, Sci Fi
Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fiction, Sci Fi, Literary Fiction
Product Number EB00747918
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
by Derrick Barnes
Cross Channel
The Domino Men
by Jonathan Barnes
The Somnambulist
Great Sky Woman
by Steven Barnes
Shadow Valley
Heart of the World
by Linda Barnes
The Man in the Red C...
England, England
The Pedant in the Ki...
by Eric Flint
"The scene is a future time that we seem to be moving closer to every day. This audiobook looks at a time when climate change has devastated society, but mankind has managed to cling to life. Patrick Lawlor narrates the work with careful elocution, carefully describing a world frighteningly close to our own in which humankind is just steps from losing all semblance of civilization. Lawlor may speak a tad slowly at times, but his sincerity comes through. Scavengers roam the remnants of a broken city, taking what they need to keep the rest alive, while a mysterious character called The Gardener tries to bring back the green, one plant, one garden, at a time. This novel is a warning. M.S. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine"
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Ilona D.Veresk
Ilona D. Veresk is a fashion & fine art photographer who currently resides in Moscow. Born in 1993, she grew up in Izhevsk (Small city of Russia), where she finished the Art-Aesthetic lyceum. When she was 18 years old she moved to Moscow. She started her path in visual artistry from photomanipulation. However, she always wanted to get more control of the images, make them more qualitative and unique. This is the thing that pushed her to work with the photography. Some of her first photographs (dark and surreal art) were represented on debut personal exhibition in Moscow, "Victims" in November 2015. After all, she changed approach and attitude to the photography. It was the time when she started to work with high fashion projects as a photographer, producer, and art director. "I get an inspiration from nature mostly. However, if you want me to describe my style, I'd like to call this kind of mixing dreams, art, and fashion with love.
Ilona works as an art director and a producer of her own surreal fairy tales, she works by herself with light, pre- and post production. Sometimes she makes clothes and accessories for personal art projects. Currently, she involved in the commercial activity as advertising, fashion, beauty and editorial photographer. Ilona has also been fortunate enough to receive a number of sponsorships and accolades; she is supported by Broncolor and Wacom. Content collaboration with Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. Also has multiple workshops and own educational programs for Re: Store academy and Academy Of Photography in Moscow. Recently she is also writing photography and retouch themed articles for Broncolor GenNext and her personal blog.
90x60 cm |
Satin finish|Unframed
Frame upon the request
ADAGIO Series. Stifling Gardens
Satin finish. Unframed
Legendary of Berehynias. Wilting
Satin finish. Unframed.
Frame upon the request.
ADAGIO. The One
Ghostly winds
60 x 46 cm |
The Siren (II)
The Siren (I)
The Siren. Pet
Sacred Bloom. The mirror
Over the Clouds
Birth of New Era
Sacred Bloom
The Coal
Synopsis. Tears
The Coal. Web
The MIST. Alive
The MIST. Sleeping Beauty
The Mist. Wisping bones
Head in the clouds (I)
Moonlight. Daydreaming
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Rediff.com » Business » Why do fire extinguishers attract 28% GST?!
Why do fire extinguishers attract 28% GST?!
By Aakar Patel
'In a nation where safety standards are the lowest in the world, why make compliance expensive?' asks Aakar Patel.
Once again, indirect taxes were lowered on some items. This usually happens because of three reasons.
First, that certain things are politically sensitive, like khakra in Gujarat, which can attract negative headlines.
Second, because the government feels that having become more expensive, these items will decline in sales and affect the economy.
And third that it is felt that the items were wrongly classified in the first place.
All indirect taxes are bad because they tax rich and poor alike. My driver and I pay the same tax for Coca Cola. It is on the issue of direct taxes, like income tax, where the state must be effective.
The Goods and Services Tax has 7 slabs: 0%, .25%, 3%, 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%. The rate at which things are taxed is decided by the GST Council, which has representation from the Union government and the states.
Usually it is the state finance minister, but not always. Karnataka, for example, is represented by Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda.
The interesting thing to me is to see what items are at 0% and what ones at 28% and why.
Till Friday, November 10, there were 227 items in the 28% slab. This started with chewing gum and ended with vaccuum flasks and mannequins used by shops to display clothes.
After a meeting of the GST Council, there will apparently only be 50 items on the list.
How does the council decide which things we should pay most tax for? The government decides this on the basis of a subjective reasoning. It identifies things as being either 'sinful' goods or demerit goods.
Announcing a reduction in the list of these goods, Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi said that chewing gum, chocolates, shaving materials and washing powder would be among the items that would be moved from 28% to 18%. He said that in the council there was 'unanimity that only sin and demerit goods remain in the 28% category'.
The interesting question is what the Indian State and its politicians consider to be a sin or a demerit good.
Firstly, we should start by acknowledging that the concept of 'sin' as it exists in the Christian tradition does not feature in the Hindu faith.
In the Bible, 'sin' is a crime against god. For example, the Original Sin of Christianity is Adam and Eve's decision to disobey god and eat the fruit which made them sexually aware.
The sins of Christianity include sloth and lust, which are natural feelings, for which God will judge Christians. We Hindus do not have this concept.
But let us understand 'sin' from its common meaning of something that is, or is seen to be, immoral or encouraging immorality. Such as alcohol.
Alcohol is, of course, not on the GST list at all and states can tax it at the rates they choose (and some states like Gujarat do not tax it at all because officially no alcohol is sold in Gujarat to ordinary people. Unofficially it is a different story).
The strange thing is, that it can be cheaper because of that fact.
One could have a meal and a drink at restaurant in Mumbai and pay 18% for the food, but only 10% (the Value Added Tax) on the alcohol. One should not complain much about this, but it is a pointer to an imperfect system.
The issue of the demerit good is more complex. This is a product or service whose consumption is considered socially undesirable. Of course, alcohol is part of this, but so is tobacco and, especially in recent times, junk food.
This is why we should take a look at the list of sinful and demerit goods.
It includes paints (to colour your homes and offices), but also paints for artists and shoe polish (a product bought and used by some of the poorest street workers). Why punish such people? It is difficult to imagine on what basis these are either sinful or demerit.
And then fireworks, which are in any case expensive and out of the reach of the poor, are on the list, but also fire extinguishers. This I found to be astonishing. In a nation where safety standards are the lowest in the world, why make compliance expensive?
Yachts and personal aircraft are taxed at the same rate, 28%, as motorcyles and cars. I can imagine cars being seen in a poor nation as a luxury. But motorcycles? What aspect of owning a two wheeler is sinful or demerit?
Tyres also attract the same high tax, meaning that for the individual replacing his SUV's tyre pays the same rate of tax as the cyclist.
Air conditioners, fridges, washing machines and water heaters have all come in this category also. Again, it can be argued that in a country like ours these are luxuries. But the larger issue to me seems to me that there is no application of mind.
Pan masala is at 28%, but paan, meaning the betel leaf, is at 0%. Surely both encourage the same habit, so it is unclear why one is a demerit good.
I would encourage readers to have a full look at the slabs (available online on government Web sites like cbec.gov.in) to decide for themselves if the GST tax brackets are logical.
The point is not to blame this government. All state governments including the opposition run ones are a part of the GST council.
The point is whether the citizen is taken casually when the matter of 'sin' and 'demerit' is defined by people without any debate.
I should finish by saying that for the money made by columnists and independent journalists, there is no GST.
Aakar Patel is Executive Director, Amnesty International India. The views expressed here are his own.
You can read Aakar's earlier columns here.
Related News: Aakar Patel, Dominic, GST, Gujarat
Sitharaman kicks off Budget process with halwa ritual
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More GST cuts at next meeting
India Business News | Indian Stock Market News | Bollywood Movies | Indian Cricket News | India News
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Shi Yan
Rediff.com » News » Shi Yan
News for Shi Yan
Indian Navy forces Chinese naval ship to retreat from Andaman
IMAGE: Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Karambir Singh, at a press conference in New Delhi, on Tuesday. Photograph: Subhav Shukla/PTI Photo Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh on Tuesday said a......
Why India must be wary of the Chinese dragon
There are signs of China's external behaviour becoming more aggressive in the coming years.If that happens, strategic implications for neighbours having territorial disputes with China can become......
'Indian Hall' to come up in China's temple
An 'Indian Hall' inside the 1,900-year-old White Horse Temple in Luoyang, China's first Buddhist temple, is expected to be completed in April. The structure, modelled on the lines of the great......
Scandals rock China's national games
Charges of match fixing and skewed judges have trumped sporting achievements at China's tenth National Games, an event seen as a dry run to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.Scandal is not new to the......
India second in Asian women's boxing
North Korea retained the Asian women's boxing title, claiming six gold medals as hosts India finished second with a five-gold haul in the second Asian Women's Boxing championships in Hisar on......
Videos for Shi Yan
Web results for Shi Yan
Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh on Tuesday said a Chinese naval ship was driven away from India's Exclusive Economic Zone in the Andaman sea... ...
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/indian-navy-forces-chinese-naval-ship-to-retreat-from-andaman/articleshow/72352285.cms
Navy Chief
Admiral Karambir Singh today said the Indian Navy drove away a Chinese vessel Shi Yan 1 as it was operating in the Indian waters without... ...
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/chinese-vessel-operating-in-india-without-permission-told-to-leave-navy-chief-admiral-karambir-singh-2142670
Shaolin Temple Kung fu India Martial...
www.shaolinsindia.com SHIFU P...
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Rediff.com » News » Shirley
News for Shirley
The lost and now 'found' Saraswati river
This Haryana village believes it has 'found' the Saraswati river of the Vedas.Manavi Kapur reports.Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com "You are only just finding out. Our ancestors have known......
Hawkers' eviction uncovers a piece of Mumbai history
Unaware of the historical marker outside Bandra railway station, hawkers used it to display their wares, reports Anil Singh. Just like a British-era milestone was discovered earlier this year when......
The California lawyer who delivered Sikh prayer at GOP convention
In a first for the Republican Party, a Sikh-American woman opened the second day of the national convention in Cleveland with the 'ardaas' -- a Sikh prayer. Harmeet Dhillon, vice chairwoman......
IS video claims beheading of another American journalist
A chilling video of beheading of another American journalist, Steven Sotloff, was on Tuesday posted on social media by Syria and Iraq-based terrorist group, Islamic State. American officials said......
Tragic suicide of Indian American vet stuns community
The death of Dr Shirley Sara Koshi, who started a veterinary clinic in Riverdale, Bronx, New York, last July, has shocked the community. In a front-page article February 26, The New York Daily News......
How Jack Ma grew from 'shrimp' to whale
Often described as the Rockefeller of his age, the 51-year-old Jack Ma, who started life as an English teacher, is courted by business tycoons, political leaders and Hollywood stars. This is not......
Dalal Street veteran Parag Parikh killed in US car accident
Parikh was in Omaha for Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway meet Dalal Street veteran and one of the foremost behavioural investment gurus in the country, Parag Parikh has died in an......
All about Jack Cohen's RETAIL blues
Tesco's founder thought his employees were robbing him. Going by the service standards in a South London outlet, he was way off the mark, writes Sunanda K Datta-RayWith Tesco all set to take......
Meat from cloned animals? Sure!
Shirley Trimmer knows her hamburgers. She prepares them with a handful of bread cubes, a little egg, chopped onions, and just the right sprinkling of salt and pepper. Last Friday, on Jan. 5,......
Ranbir-Alia, Sara-Varun: Who are you rooting for?
2020 will see new jodis on screen. While Ranbir Kapoor will romance girlfriend Alia Bhatt, Ananya Panday will be seen alongside Ishaan Khatter in her third film. Which jodi are *you* rooting for?......
Hindi Movies to watch out for in 2020
As much as Rs 4,300 crore (rs 43 billion) was generated by 2019 movie releases. But 2020 is all set to be bigger and better! Joginder Tuteja brings us the big releases coming up this year. ......
Abhimanyu Dassani is Nikamma
After starring in the festival favourite Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, Abhimanyu Dasani will be seen next in Sabbir Khan's Nikamma along with singer Shirley Setia. Sabbir has directed action films......
Lessons from Bollywood: How to be the BEST sister
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What It's Really Like To Raise Twins
The experts on what George and Amal have to look forward to.
George and Amal Clooney just welcomed their twins—Ella and Alexander—into the world yesterday, but the Clooneys aren’t the only celebrities raising a set. Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie, Sarah Jessica Parker, Neil Patrick Harris and Celine Dion all have twins, while Beyonce is about to give birth to her pair any minute. In fact, the occurrence of twin births in the United States rose 76% from 1980 to 2009, according to the CDC.
But what’s it actually like? Should parents expect double trouble, or is it a more-the-merrier situation? We talked to several experts to find out what the Clooneys—and anyone about to give birth to twins—can expect.
You Can Only Control the Things Within Your Control
“Having twins is not twice as hard—it’s exponentially more difficult,” says Natalie Diaz, author of What To Do When You’re Having Two and CEO of Twiniversity, a global support network for parents of twins.
Diaz would know. She gave birth to fraternal twins after five years of fertility struggles. But when she looked for advice on how to raise them, everything she found online was medically heavy and negatively slanted towards the whole “double-trouble thing,” she says. After struggling to find good advice, she created her “own little twin universe” at Twiniversity, where she taps doctors and child experts for advice to share with other parents of multiples.
Her main tip if you just found out if you’re having twins? Remind yourself that you can only control the things within your control—and don’t freak out just yet. Here’s what you can do: since twins are often born early, you’ll want to make sure your nursery is ready for your babies by the time you’re 32 weeks pregnant. Beyond that, there’s only so much you can control when you’re expecting.
Most importantly, remember to take extra good care of yourself while pregnant. Be sure to drink your water. Remember to rest. Listen to your body. It may sound like basic advice, but with twin pregnancies there are many more risks, Diaz says. Since bed rest is common for women pregnant with twins after 30 weeks—or 7.5 months—be prepared to go on maternity leave earlier than you’d think, just in case.
Prepare For Less Sleep, More Stress
While this is also true for parents expecting just one baby, “two is always more taxing than one,” says Michele Borba, an educational psychologist and author of UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World. “The most important thing is recognizing that the fatigue factor will be an issue—especially for mom.”
Yes, You’ll Have To Buy Two of Everything
This part is very real. While parents of singles can buy one crib and then save it for their next if they plan on having a second, parents of multiples have to buy two of everything because they’ll need it at the same exact time. However, this isn’t all bad. When your kids grow up, it’ll actually come in handy. Did one twin forget their math book at school? No problem—just share the other twin’s book.
#Repost @egt239 ・・・ My view from 35,000 feet. No glam. No filter. No worries. #motherlove @jlo
A post shared by Jennifer Lopez (@jlo) on Oct 12, 2016 at 8:39am PDT
You Might Want to Consider Hiring A Nanny
“Having a nanny is always a personal decision,” Borba says. Just because there’s two babies instead of one doesn’t mean you have to hire a professional to help raise them. But if you and your partner both intend on working full time and you don’t have family nearby you can rely on for childcare, you’ll probably want to consider hiring a nanny, Diaz says, since you’re “basically raising a nursery school.”
Also, keep in mind that daycare might not be the best option for twins. In some cases, a nanny will charge the same rate for two babies, while most daycares will charge more for two. It’s also easier to control the environment at home. “If baby A gets sick on Monday, baby B will get sick on Tuesday without a doubt,” Diaz says.
According to E! News, the Clooneys aren’t hiring a live-in or full-time nanny, but rather will have a night nurse who will help at the beginning with the babies' sleep schedule. While most babies won’t get on a sleep schedule until they’re about 10 weeks old, hiring a night nurse can help get twins on a feeding schedule from the start.
If you do end up hiring any form of childcare to help out, be sure to use them as a tool, not a crutch, since they’re there to navigate for you, not be the parent for you, Diaz says. And with any hired childcare, it’s important for the parents to “be in control,” Borba says, so that the nanny can be more effective in understanding their parenting strategies and philosophy.
Twins Will Be In Sync With Each Other
While the only thing in common between fraternal twins is their birthday, you should expect all twins to have an intense bond as children. In fact, Borba says you should be prepared for them to be “emotionally in sync,” which means that when one cries, the other probably will, too. But it works the same way when they’re happy or tired as well. “You’ll see the other pick up on the same behavior,” Borba says. “It’s the wonder of twins.”
Expect Them To Acknowledge Each Other’s Shortcomings
Since they only know life with someone else, “they have this uncanny sense of empathy you could never teach a human,” Diaz says.
While there are some twins that have their own language with each other—called “twinspeak”—most twins don’t. But since children develop at different rates, one twin might start speaking first. In that case, it’s likely that one twin will be able to translate the other’s needs before they can speak properly. Is one shorter? The taller one will always be there to get things out of reach for the other.
Yes, You Can Tell Them Which One Is Older
While many parents of twins wait to tell them who is older in order to prevent competition between them, Diaz says it doesn’t really matter if your twins know which one came out a minute or two earlier. In fact, her twins find it “supremely comical,” since her daughter—who is much smaller than her twin brother—is the older twin, and nobody can guess correctly.
Expect Them To Gang Up On You
“They totally gang up on me all the time,” Diaz says. “They also gang up on their teachers and their fellow students—they’re their own little pack.” While this may present some tricky disciplinary situations when they’re older, expect twins to always put each other first before their other family members and friends.
“If the boat was sinking they’d save each other before me and I’m fine with that,” Diaz says about her twins. “They are each other’s constants. I never realized anyone could have a relationship that strong.”
Schedule One-On-One Time With Each Twin
It’s important for any child with siblings to feel special and important, and parents of twins might have to work a little bit harder to make their kids feel like individuals. If you only spend time with your twins together, you might not find out what their own special strengths are. Does one excel at painting? Does one love trains? Diaz recommends finding out each of your children’s strengths and plan date nights around that.
Remember To Put Your Partner First
It’s no surprise that parents of twins have a higher rate of divorce than the national average. “Everything’s hitting at once,” Diaz says. Whether it’s emotional stress or financial stress, expect double what parents of singles have to deal with. So while most parents are told to put their kids first, Diaz actually recommends putting your partner first, since one of the most important things to show your kids is what a good relationship looks like. When they grow up, they won’t remember what brand of stroller they had as a baby, but they will remember how their parents treated each other.
“Twins wreck your house and body,” Diaz says. “The calm in the eye of the storm should be your partner.” She also recommends having any hard conversations with your partner—whether it’s about your sex life, where you want to live eventually, or where you will celebrate the holidays—before the twins are born. “You won’t have any in depth conversations for the first year,” Diaz says.
Strangers Will Have Zero Filter Around Your Twins
Having twins means strangers will approach you way more often than if you just had one cute baby—and they’ll have no filter. Diaz says the questions (“Are you breastfeeding? Did you have IVF? Are they identical?" etc.) were relentless when she was out with her twins when they were babies. “If I had a nickel every time someone asked me if they were identical, I could have retired by the time they’re two,” Diaz says.
Yes, You Can Breastfeed Twins At The Same Time
Tandem breastfeeding is not only possible, but ideal. However, it’s not something you should start out with, since you’ll want to get to know your babies’ eating habits individually at first. It’s also critical to alternate babies and boobs, Diaz says. Since your body has a supply and demand system, you’ll want to switch it up so that one baby doesn’t get more milk than the other all the time. It’s also possible that your boobs could change size if you don’t mix it up now and then (yes, really).
Your Work-Life Balance Will Change
Even high-profile lawyers like Amal Clooney will change their schedules after giving birth to twins. Clooney, for example, will return to her job as a human rights lawyer after six months of maternity leave, but with an altered schedule where she’ll spend a lot of time working from her home office, E! News reports.
“It takes creativity, because twins do take more time,” Borba says. “But the creative parent who loves her children—and enjoys the career—can always find a way."
But Diaz says, “People should not expect to jump right in. They underestimate what it’s like to go back to work.”
While it is tough to navigate, having a plan in order before the twins arrive can help. Diaz recommends considering an extended maternity leave and hiring a nanny to start before your maternity leave ends so your family can adjust to the new schedule.
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The Palace Is Implementing Social Media Rules
Story from Entertainment
The Palace Finally Spoke Out About The Online Abuse Against Meghan Markle & Kate Middleton
Kathryn Lindsay
Photo: UK Press Pool/UK Press/Getty Images.
The British monarchy had to implement a 21st century solution to a very antiquated problem. CNN reports that the royal family has released a set of social media guidelines in response to the frequent online abuse targeted at Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex.
"We ask that anyone engaging with our social media channels shows courtesy, kindness, and respect for all other members of our social media communities," the statement, posted on the royal family's website, reads.
These guidelines include the barring of "discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age" and mandates that comments cannot "contain spam, be defamatory of any person, deceive others, be obscene, offensive, threatening, abusive, hateful, inflammatory or promote sexually explicit material or violence."
Basically, the Queen is going to start blocking any haters that come for her family (okay, maybe the Queen's assistant/corgi).
While the statement doesn't specifically call out the abuse lobbied against the duchesses, the palace reportedly reached out to social media firms back in January for support combatting this specific issue, directly asking both Twitter and Instagram for help.
In addition to this abuse, Markle and Middleton have also been the subject of vicious rumours, with a prevailing narrative being that the sisters-in-law are constantly feuding. That, plus other rumours that Markle is "difficult" to work with, have basically made the internet a war zone when it comes to royal goings-on. Luckily, the duchesses are likely too busy with their travels and other royal duties to comb through Instagram comments, but now at least fans won't bear witness to the abuse either.
Meghan Markle Kate Middleton Bullying Social Media Rule
written by Kathryn Lindsay
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House Of Harlow Now Makes Clothing & It’s Super Chill
Story from Designers
Erin Fitzpatrick
All of your House of Harlow necklaces, sunglasses, and bags are about to get a bunch of new closet buddies. Nicole Richie's Laurel Canyon-cool line has expanded from accessories to clothing — and not a minute too soon, with festival season days away. “It’s been so gratifying to see the fan base that has grown for our accessories over the years, so I’m thrilled to provide our loyal customers with fashion to complete their look," Richie said in a statement.
From sleek, structured pieces to breezy clothes with the line's signature boho flair, the new collection truly has something for everyone. Click through to peek some of our favorite looks. We'll take one of each, please.
House Of Harlow 1960 - Clothing, Nicole Richie, Boho
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(REUTERS/Jim Bourg)
Erasing Melania's past: Her website gets scrubbed amid reports she lied about college degree
The GOP nominee's third wife falsely claimed time and again that she graduated from University in Slovenia
Brendan Gauthier
July 28, 2016 7:27PM (UTC)
MelaniaTrump.com — which before featured a biography of GOP nominee Donald Trump's third wife, Melania — now redirects to Trump.com, the real estate mogul's business website.
Melania's missing website are thought to be tied to allegations that she fudged her education in her original bio to say that she'd gotten a degree in architecture from University of Ljubljana, in her native Slovenia. In reality, however, she "became ― and remained ― a college dropout" after her freshman year, according to Slovenian journalists Bojan Pozar and Igor Omerza, who wrote an unauthorized biography, "Melania Trump — The Inside Story: From a Slovenian Communist Village to the White House."
Meanwhile, the official program at the Republican National Convention last week said Melania "obtain[ed] a degree in design and architecture at University in Slovenia." Before it was scrubbed from the Internet, her website said the same.
In her profile of Melania for GQ, Julia Ioffe noted, "Melania decamped to Milan after her first year of college, effectively dropping out."
Huffington Post has archived screenshots of older versions of Melania's website claiming she has a college degree.
Brendan Gauthier is a freelance writer.
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Elections 2016 Melania Trump
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The maritime industry includes all enterprises engaged in the business of designing, constructing, manufacturing, acquiring, operating, supplying, repairing and/or maintaining ships, or component parts thereof: of managing and/or operating shipping lines, stevedoring , customs brokerage services, shipyards, dry docks, marine railways, marine repair shops, shipping and freight forwarding services and similar enterprises.
The following information is aimed particularly at individuals interested in a Career at Sea and more particularly as part of the Merchant Navy serving onboard merchant vessels, such as Container ships or Tankers.
If you are interested in a career as a seafarer on a ship, which is commonly referred to as the Merchant Navy, a number of requirements have to be met before you can start your career. There are also a number of disciplines or departments on every ship , the most significant ones being Navigation and Engineering and you need to decide which you prefer before you start. There are also different levels of employment within each department the most significant being the role of Officers (who mainly manage and are the decision makers) and Ratings (who are semi skilled and whose work is more labour intensive)
Seafaring is a demanding occupation that, like many careers , has advantages and disadvantages and you must be sure that these are acceptable to you otherwise you will not find the career fulfilling.
Here are some that you should consider;
Long leave (can be as much as 183 days per year worked)
Travel the world (Ships trading routes are global)
Internationally Recognised Qualification (global employment market)
Ample work and promotional prospects (Global shortages in many ranks)
A career at sea is a tough career but it also holds many positive experiences, it does however require certain characteristics such as;
Willingness to obey orders
Strong sense of responsibility
Integrity and initiative
Reliability – able to work without supervision
Ability to work in a group / team
Ability to interact with others (different cultures)
Ability to work long hours
Ability to work under pressure
Good leadership capabilities
The following are the most common career paths followed:
Navigating Officer (that leads to the Rank of Captain of the ship, commonly known as the Master)
Deck Rating
Engineer Officer (that leads to the Rank of Chief Engineer of the ship)
There is a specific course of study and career path for each of these which have been set by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) whose regulations have been set out in the Standards for Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW). All countries that adopt these regulations, like South Africa, can recognise and accept qualifications of seafarers from these countries which makes this career a global one.
IMO also requires that seafarers do a number of safety related training and courses before they can work on a ship, which includes the following;
First Aid at Sea Certificate (FAAS)
Marine Fire Fighting Certificate
Basic Security Awareness Certificate
Personal Safety and Social Responsibility Certificate (PSSR)
Personal Survival Techniques (PST)
Medical Clearance Certificate – obtained from a SAMSA approved medical practitioner
Letter of Employment from Shipping Company
Apply to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) for a Seaman’s Book
CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER SERVICE PERSONNEL
In order to work on a cruise ship, be it in passenger hospitality and entertainment, health and wellness or security applicants need to be over 21 years of age, the relevant qualifications and at least 1 year’s working experience in their chosen discipline.
Do I have to complete Grade 12?
Yes, if you want to enter at Officer candidate level.
If I do not have matric can I still get a job ‘at sea’?
Yes, but it will be at Ratings level.
Which Matric subjects do I have to take so that I can enroll at a maritime college?
Maths and physical science.
What can I do to get a head start in my career at sea?
It is never too early to prepare and plan for your career. School learners can apply to maritime schools which offer the usual school subjects but also include one or two marine related subjects such as Nautical Studies or Maritime Economics. This will help you to understand the industry better and therefore to make a more informed decision on the career.
It is also good to always know what is next for example: What are the steps to qualify as an Officer?
I have a physical disability or medical condition. Can I pursue a career at sea?
Some medical conditions and physical disabilities are not permitted at sea. Suggest that you contact your nearest SAMSA office to find out whether your particular disability or medical condition is acceptable for a career at sea.
Where can I apply for maritime studies?
If you are still in school and below grade 10 it is advised to enroll at a maritime school where marine related subjects are offered. Although this is not essential it provides you with a better understanding of the industry and your decision to study maritime subjects will be made with a better knowledge of what to expect.
After school you should apply to a maritime college.
What does OOW mean?
OOW is the abbreviation for Officer of the Watch and is the first level of qualification obtained for Navigation or Engineer officers. To obtain this qualification requires one year of maritime studies at the National Diploma Level, at least twelve months sea service on ships as a trainee (referred to as a Deck or Engine Cadet) and the above mentioned safety courses. Engineer Cadets are required to under go practical workshops training as well, the timeframes of which are dependent upon individual competencies and ranges from 7 to 9 months.
How long is does it take to obtain an OOW qualification?
The National Diploma Level Studies (S1 & S2 theory studies) take two semesters, but part of this study path is to obtain mandatory sea time (12 – 24 months dependent upon individual competence and completion of an onboard Training Record Book) with relevant experience in order to apply for the final oral examination with the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA). The entire process, if a berth is immediately obtained upon completion of theory studies, can take up to three years for a Navigating Cadet and 4 years for an engineer Cadet.
What other careers at sea are there besides following Officer of the Watch National Diploma Level studies?
Fishing Industry, “Super” Yacht Industry, Coastguard, Port Operators / Tug Masters etc.
What are the requirements for Navigation Officer?
Matric with 60% pass mark achieved for maths & physical science
S1 & S2 in maritime National Diploma Level Studies
Medically fit for seagoing duties and pass SAMSA eyesight test
What are the requirements for Engineer officer?
S1 & S2 in maritime National Dimploma Level Studies – Marine Engineering
College Graduates
Matric with 60% pass mark achieved for maths & physical science S1 & S2 in maritime National Dimploma Level Studies – Marine Engineering Medically fit for seagoing duties and pass SAMSA eyesight test
You need to obtain a berth with a shipping company either directly through the shipping company or through a sponsored training programme.
Are there any programmes in place to assist me in achieving my Officer of the Watch Qualification?
Yes. Some companies have their own ‘in service’ training programmes and there are a few bursary and training programmes available such as the National Cadet Training Programme headed by the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) which SAMTRA manages on their behalf.
How can I enroll at SAMTRA for the National Cadet Training Programme?
You may send your CV and results to date to recruitment@samtra.co.za
Is this opportunity open to foreigners?
The National Cadet Training Programme is a South African Government initiative open to South African Citizens only.
How does SAMTRA service the maritime industry?
SAMTRA offers management of cadet & rating training on behalf of shipping companies and offers various mandatory maritime short courses and other training and custom solutions to the industry.
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Toll-Free : 18001027581
Why I Chose Seamedu
Placement Partners
Life @ Seamedu
Why Seamedu
Industry Mentors
Learning Partners
Specialized media school in India
The media industry is replete with opportunities for qualified professionals who have the right skillset. At Seamedu School of Pro-Expressionism, we foster a culture of learning and incubation that enables talented young students to explore their creative and technical facets. With strong industry connections, a stellar placement record, and relentless focus on ‘learning by doing’, the media institution delivers holistic training and provides students with the right environment to thrive. Seamedu is the institute of choice for those who dare to dream big!
They say a college is only as good as its faculty and leadership group. We take this very seriously here at Seamedu and it is no surprise that our team combines the forces of diverse professionals to deliver value. From experienced faculty members and industry veterans, to capable administrators and decision makers, the Seamedu team works together to achieve a common objective – providing our students the best possible environment to learn and grow.
Some of the biggest and most prominent names from the industry are frequent visitors to Seamedu’s campuses. Given their vast experience and exploits in the media and entertainment sphere, they come over to deliver lectures, conduct workshops and interact with our students to enrich their learning experience. The institute’s longstanding association with these personalities and figures reflects our goodwill in the industry.
In association with international standards, technology collaborators, software partners and the premier universities in India, Seamedu has set new benchmarks in the media education arena. Apart from being a Unity, Ableton and Apple Authorized Training Center, the institute’s students also benefit from its partnerships with companies like Avid, Canon and Toolbox Studio.
With an aim to produce world-class talent in the world of media and entertainment, Seamedu School of Pro-Expressionism’s philosophy revolves around collaboration, growth, positivity, teamwork and unwavering integrity. The organization is focused towards offering globally-relevant education that is holistic, innovative and experiential in nature.
Work with us! Check out the vacancies at one of the premier media education institutes in the country. Seamedu is a great avenue for media faculties, administrators and support staff to chart their respective career graphs. Explore career growth opportunities, expand your professional network and thrive in a vibrant workspace that is abuzz with activity.
VFX and Animation
Game Art and Design
Degree in Film Making (Pune)
Degree in Film Making (Bengaluru)
Degree in Film Making (Chandigarh)
Diploma in Film Making (Pune | Mumbai)
Short Film Making (Pune)
Film is a powerful storytelling medium; but it can only work if we have equally powerful storytellers. We push aspiring film makers to first understand the norms of making motion pictures, and then break them and create new rules. Our film making programs are designed to deliver the perfect balance of theoretical and practical training. Explore the degree/diploma courses, curriculum, eligibility, career opportunities and more.
Degree in Photography (Pune)
Degree in Photography (Bengaluru)
Degree in Photography (Chandigarh)
Diploma in Photography (Pune | Mumbai)
Capturing elements of the world via a camera lens is a nuanced art. At Seamedu, we offer comprehensive courses that help aspiring photographers to turn their passion into a picture-perfect career. Led by industry experts, our photography degree/diploma programs are crafted to enable amateur shutterbugs to dive into the expansive world of photography. Browse through our course curriculum, prerequisites, career opportunities and more.
Degree in Visual Effects and Animation for Film and T.V. (Pune)
Degree in Visual Effects & Animation (Bengaluru)
Diploma in Visual Effects and 3D Animation (Pune)
The world of visuals has evolved and it is almost impossible to imagine television, film and digital content without animation and visual effects. For those who have an inherent creative streak and wish to enter this magical universe of VFX and animation, our degree/diploma courses are the perfect springboards. Take a look at the full-fledged programs Seamedu offers in the fields of visual effects and animation.
Degree in Game Development (Pune)
Degree in Game Development (Bengaluru)
Degree in Game Development (Chandigarh)
Diploma in Game Development (Pune)
With a plethora of game development and design studios setting base in India, the country is a hot destination for creative game designers, developers, engineers and programmers. Seamedu offers comprehensive degree/diploma/certification programs in game design and development with innovation at its core. Industry-standard software, lots of practical projects and game meets – this program is a perfect blend of digital technology, science and logic.
Degree in Game Art and Design (Pune)
Degree in Game Art & Design (Bengaluru)
Diploma in Game Art (Pune)
Level up with Seamedu’s specialized game art and design courses! Study the nitty-gritty of game design, visual art, 3D modeling, animation, concept development, and more at Seamedu School of Pro-Expressionism – where craft meets technology. Bring game design ideas to life and build your own games from scratch with our degree/diploma programs.
Degree in Sound and Music Technology (Pune)
Degree in Sound Engineering (Bengaluru)
Degree in Sound Engineering (Chandigarh)
Diploma in Sound Engineering (Pune | Mumbai)
Get all the arsenal you need in order to master the art and science of sound engineering with Seamedu’s degree/diploma courses. Study audio engineering concepts and music technology in great detail, practice your skills on cutting-edge DAWs and collaborate with likeminded people from the industry. Our degree also includes Apple certification for Logic Pro X and Avid certification for Pro Tools 100. Explore our sound engineering programs now!
Degree in Broadcast Journalism (Pune)
India needs better journalists! Explore a plethora of rewarding career opportunities in the world of journalism and mass communication with a comprehensive degree in broadcast journalism. Our program is designed to cater to the rapidly-evolving broadcast media while upholding journalistic values and the code of ethics. We are playing our part in producing world-class broadcast journalists – come, explore our degree course.
Logic Pro X – Music Production Course
Ableton Live – Music Production Course
Produce your own music, program tracks that sound great, use the latest workstations, learn to operate industry-standard software, record, arrange, edit and mix like a pro, and discover endless possibilities with Seamedu’s music production courses. Explore our Apple and Avid certifications now!
Short Term Certificate Courses
Our range of short-term certificate courses are specially designed to cater to the needs of individuals who simply need a refresher or wish to quickly level up with a crash program. Learn the latest concepts, trends, software and techniques with Seamedu’s brief certification programs. Explore the available courses, duration, dates and more.
NRI/PIO/OCI Students
Seamedu School of Pro-Expressionism has an illustrious legacy of turning potential into performance and training young creative minds into tomorrow’s visionaries. Students and aspirants from all corners of India come together at Seamedu’s campuses to learn the ropes of the media industry. As a media institution, we thrive on variety and diversity in terms of welcoming students from India’s different states. Take a look at the courses we offer across our four campuses and how you can apply for them.
Seamedu is widely known as a melting pot of cultures, sensibilities and artistic inclinations. From Europe and Africa, to the Middle East and South East Asia, students from all around the globe flock together at Seamedu to get formal training in various media subsets. Join our community of media students, industry experts, collaborators and friends that will last a lifetime! Find out more about the eligibility, visa application process, accommodation, etc. for international students.
A large number of students who are Overseas Citizens of India, Persons of Indian Origin and Non-Resident Indians prefer Seamedu School of Pro-Expressionism for their media education. With world-class facilities, a robust infrastructure and experienced faculty members, the institution’s campuses are based in four of India’s most promising cities. Explore the courses we offer, admission process and how you can apply for a student visa.
Apply Online – 2020
Admissions open! We are accepting applications for the next academic season. Get started with your application process for the course of your choice by creating a login ID and password.
Seamedu School of Pro-Expressionism’s newest campus is based in the city of Chandigarh. Up north, we are the premier institute for higher education in disciplines such as film making, photography, sound engineering and game development. Our campus is equipped with everything a student might need in order to get theoretical as well as practical training in the field of their choice. Explore our Chandigarh campus and find out what it is like to live in this beautiful city.
The capital of Karnataka is home to Seamedu School of Pro-Expressionism’s campus down south. Equipped with state-of-the-art gear, world-class studios and everything else that a media student would need, our Bengaluru campus is a great place for youngsters to learn the nuances of their subject of choice. The city is known for its scenic landscapes, industrial setup and pleasing climate. Learn more.
Tranquil, pleasant and welcoming, Pune has been a second home of sorts for students for a long time. The fact that the media capital of Mumbai is just a couple of hours away makes it the ideal destination for students who wish to enter this thriving industry. Explore the courses we offer at our Pune campus and learn why the city is a premier choice for students from across the country and the world.
Busy, fast and incessantly buzzing, Mumbai is the home of India’s media and entertainment industry. The city of dreams presents countless education as well as career avenues for media aspirants in fields like sound engineering, film making and photography. Check out the courses we offer at our Mumbai campus and why life in this metro is incomparable to anything else.
Seamedu is a full-fledged media school that was founded in 2008 to produce world-class talent in the Media & Entertainment (M & E) fields of Digital Filmmaking, Photography, Animation, Game Design, Game Development, Visual Effects, Sound Design, Music Production, Broadcast Media, and Broadcast Journalism. We have state-of-the-art campuses in Pune, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Chandigarh.
At Seamedu, our focus is to bridge the gap between the industry and academia by offering industry-relevant courses in all major specializations. All our degree and diploma programs are meticulously planned with strategic involvement from industry personalities, artists and technicians at every stage of the program, and are delivered by professionals with vast experience in their respective fields. Seamedu is supported by Toolbox Studio, our sister concern that specializes in visual media production, including Animation and Visual Effects; and Rolocule Games, a young game development company that serves as our knowledge partner.
Dear Friend!
Seamedu was formed with the key objective to produce world-class talent in Media & Entertainment (M&E) fields of Digital Filmmaking, Animation, Game Design, Visual Effects, SoundDesign, Broadcast Media, and Broadcast Journalism. All the programs offered at Seamedu are fully aligned with our mission to provide – holistic, experiential and globally relevant learning. The faculty is less as a person of authority who leads and controls but rather works as a friend, a mentor, a facilitator, or an experienced companion. At the end of the training at Seamedu, you would be fully equipped to enter the professional world of Media & Entertainment and make a successful career! Looking forward to you becoming part of the Seamedu family and seeing you at our campus soon!
Shiva P Gupta
MD & CEO
BOARD OF STUDIES
Management Postgraduate from IIM Ahmedabad B Tech from IIT, Delhi
Rajat has worked in the consumer, media, entertainment and telecom spaces in India
Anchor, Output editor and News Editor
Rajat has worked in the consumer, media, entertainment and telecom spaces in India, both at young stage companies and MNCs. His key areas of expertise are understanding consumers across various spaces, building and working with teams and growing businesses that revolve around brands. He is currently on the Board (with Executive/Board/Management responsibility) of Companies e g Mobile2Win, West Wing Studio, Virtuoso Consulting, etc. as well on the Board in Advisory Roles of few companies e g Whistling Woods, MyIndiEye Mobile Travel etc). Rajat has extensive experience in media & entertainment field - was Global SVP/MD of Walt Disney India and successfully launched the leading kids TV network as well as laid the foundation of building the ``Disney`` brand in India; prior to that, he built out Sony MAX, the leading cricket and movies TV network, etc. He also has passion for Education and is connected with ISB, Whistling Woods, etc. He is a Management Postgraduate from IIM, Ahmedabad and a B Tech from IIT, Delhi.
Prof. Samar Nakhate
Filmmaker, an alumnus, Ex-Dean (Television Division) and lecturer at - FTII
Was awarded the Fullbright Scholarship (1985-86) for Advanced training in Video
Was awarded the Fullbright Scholarship (1985-86) for Advanced training in Video Programming & Production, Boston university, USA. He has deep interest in the visual arts and the philosophy of science & cultures. He is passionately involved in nurturing and creating new young professionals for film, television and theatre. He has designed syllabus and academic content for various film and television courses including Direction, Production, Scriptwriting and Film Appreciation for FTII, Pune as well as Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, kolkata. He is also a member of the Selection Committee, Pune International Film Festival. Closely associated with contemporary theatre. He has been a founder-member of the Pune based theatre-group 'Theatre Academy' and has directed several one-act as well as Full-length plays.
Founder, CEO and programming fanatic (Rolocule Games).
Prior to Rolocule, Rohit was a part of ``THE SIMS 3`` engineering team at Electronic Arts
Prior to Rolocule, Rohit was a part of ``THE SIMS 3`` engineering team at Electronic Arts (EA) headquarters in Redwood City, California. He has also held positions at Infosys Technologies, where he was also awarded Best Software Engineer award in 2006. He seems to be obsessed with computer games, superman and tea, and intends to spend rest of his life entertaining people. He is not evil but turns to Lex Luthor for good business tips. Rohit holds Master of Science (MS) in Computer Science from Columbia University, New York and BE in Computer Engineering from Pune Institute of Computer Technology (University of Pune).
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Asian Studies Seminar (1) Apply Asian Studies Seminar filter
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Southeast Asia Seminar
Postgraduate Research Colloquium
Alicia Izharuddin (SOAS): Islamic modernity, Indonesia, gender and sexuality, Alexander Wain (Oxford): Chinese Muslims, conversion to Islam, Courtney Wittekind (Oxford, St Antony’s): Migration, displacement, return/repatriation in Southeastern Burma, Jun Zubillaga-Pow (King’s College London): Malay lesbians, Singapore history, neoliberal politics
9 December 2014 - 8:15am
Deakin Room, Founder’s Building, St Antony’s College
Please join us for a look at the exciting range of current research on Southeast Asia being conducted by post-graduate students in the UK. Each presenter will give a brief introduction to his or her... Read more
Chinese Reform in Light of James Meade's Liberal Socialism
Zhiyuan Cui (Tsinghua University)
Southeast Asia Events in Oxford
Victim Participation at the Extrordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
Rudina Jasini (Centre for Criminology)
Manor Road Building, Semianr Room D
Transition to Democracy Roundtable
Myat Ko Ko (Yangon School of Political Science)
The Queen's College
Pakistan's Metamorphosis to Modernity
Ayesha Siddiqa (Charles Wallace Trust Fellow)
Fellows' Dining Room, Hilda Besse Building, St. Antony's College
The Evolutions of Sukuk in Malaysia: Imitation of the Conventional Capital Market or Innovation of Islamic Financial Practices?
Lena Rethel (Associate Professor, University of Warwick), Kerstin Steiner (Senior Lecturer, Monash University)
26 November 2014 - 2:00pm to 4:00pm
At a time when conventional, interest-based financial system continues to suffer from the fallout from the global financial crisis of 2008-9, Islamic finance is a rapidly expanding segment of... Read more
The Relationship between Islam, Law and the State in Malaysia
Kirsten Steiner
26 November 2014 - 12:30pm to 2:00pm
Seminar Room B, Manor Road Building
Lessons from Petroleum Subsidies and Natural Gas Usage in Indonesia
Siew Hua Seah (University of London and Oxford Institute for Energy Studies Armaco Scholar)
26 November 2014 - 11:30am to 1:00pm
Oxford Institute for Energy Studies Office, 57 Woodstock Road
Taiwan Studies Seminar Series
"Conceeding to Thrive: Taiwan's Path to Democracy and Lessons for China"
Professor Joseph Wong (University of Toronto)
Nissan Lecture Theatre, St Antony's College
Authoritarian ruling parties are expected to resist democratization, often times at all costs. And yet some of the strongest authoritarian parties in the world have not resisted democratization, but... Read more
Conceding to Thrive: Taiwan's Path to Democracy and Lessons for China
Abstract: Authoritarian ruling parties are expected to resist democratization, often times at all costs. And yet some of the strongest authoritarian parties in the world have not resisted... Read more
Networks of Faith and Action: Making Sense of Frontier Deobandiyyat
Jan-Peter Hartung (SOAS)
-CANCELLED-
"'Bitter Love' between Taiwan and Japan? How Native Taiwanese Elders Percieve China and Japan in the Early Twentieth Century"
Feng-yi Chu
This presentation addresses a wistful, nostalgia-like sentiment towards Japan that seems to exist in contemporary Taiwanese society, particularly amongst some native Taiwanese elders who experienced... Read more
"Bitter Love" between Taiwan and Japan? How Native Taiwanese Elders Perceive China and Japan in the Early Twentieth Century
Feng-yi Chu (Oxford)
Abstract: This presentation addresses a wistful, nostalgia-like sentiment towards Japan that seems to exist in contemporary Taiwanese society, particularly amongst some native Taiwanese elders who... Read more
'Such a war has never been before': Colonial India and the First World War, 1914-1918
Vedica Kant (Author)
Taiwanese Film Night: "Cape No. 7"
“People just can't get enough of Cape No. 7. The highest grossing local film in Taiwan's history, Cape No. 7 is now a cultural phenomenon, and only has Titanic's record left to conquer at the... Read more
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Salmon Arm Silverbacks
101 things to do in the Shuswap
Vacation Shuswap
SilverStar employees and Australians Darren Cook and Rhi Hutcheson organized a fundraiser barbecue in support of the bushfire battling efforts on Jan. 8, 2020. (Brendan Shykora - Vernon Morning Star) SilverStar employees and Australians Darren Cook and Rhi Hutcheson organized a fundraiser barbecue in support of the bushfire battling efforts on Jan. 8, 2020. (Brendan Shykora - Vernon Morning Star)
WATCH: SilverStar fundraiser raises $38K for Australia
‘It’s been pretty devastating all across the country and there’s no end in sight’
Caitlin Clow
SilverStar Mountain Resort’s Australian Wildfire Sausage Sizzle and Raffle fundraiser garnered more than $38,000 to support Australia in their efforts to battle the worst fire season on record.
“It’s been pretty devastating all across the country and there’s no end in sight,” SilverStar staff and Australian Darren Cook said.
Cook, alongside girlfriend Rhi Hutcheson, said they felt helpless being so far from home while Australia is facing a crisis and they wanted to give back in anyway they could.
“We are just stoked,” the organizers said. “We are overwhelmed. It’s been amazing.”
“The local community’s generosity has blown us away,” they said. “We hope it helps out back home.”
SilverStar leaped at the opportunity to help. Not only did the resort help spread the word about the Sausage Sizzle and raffle, but the new owners, POWDR, and its previous owners, the Canns, have agreed to to match the funds raised Wednesday — tripling the total from $12,800 to more than $38,000.
The staff at Town Hall promised to dedicate their tips for the week to the cause and will continue to donate a percentage for the duration of the season.
The lineup is long for the BBQ raffle in support of Australia bushfire efforts here @silverstarmtnresort #australiabushfires #vernonbc
A post shared by Vernon Morning Star (@vernonmorningstar) on Jan 8, 2020 at 2:57pm PST
“There is a strong Australian representation up here at SilverStar,” Hutcheson said. “We have about 187 staff here that are from Australia and everybody has some sort of connection to the bushfires.”
This is Hutcheson and Cook’s first winter season in Canada and they are blown away by the reception — in fact, they said they’ve lost count of the donations they’ve already received.
“We were originally planing something quite small and it escalated into quite a large event,” Cook said.
Although neither of the event’s organizers have been directly affected by the bushfires back home, they are still at a loss for words.
“Thousands of houses have been lost, volunteer firefighters have died this fire season and the loss of wildlife is a big thing we’re upset about,” Cook said. “The latest we’ve heard is an estimated 800 million animals perished in the fires so far and it’s only the start of January which is the start of fire season.”
Cook said fire seasons in Australia can last into March or April.
The fires have already wiped out 30 per cent of the koala population and are expected to worsen as temperatures rise.
After extensive research and deliberation, the Volunteer Team who organized this initiative have decided to donate the funds to the Community Enterprise Foundation: National Bushfire Disaster Appeal as they are able to distribute funds to affected areas nationwide and WIRES (NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service Inc.) due to the devastation to many native Australian animals.
READ MORE: VIDEO: How to help the animals affected by Australia’s wildfires
READ MORE: SilverStar supports ‘family’ battling Australian wildfires
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