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__label__wiki	0.756818	0.756818	Team France deliver dramatic Mixed Relay gold on final day of Tokyo Test Event By Doug Gray on 18/08/19 at 2:01 am It was a fitting end to four days of unforgettable action at the Tokyo Test Event on Sunday with Team France – anchored by Dorian Coninx – surging to gold after the 2019 WTS Bermuda champion edged a photo finish with Great Britain’s Alex Yee, Team USA coming home for the bronze. Tokyo 2020 will be the first opportunity the triathletes have ever had to compete for a Mixed Relay Olympic gold medal, and on the evidence of this race, it could be one of the most dramatic events of the entire Games. “It was a big responsibility and a big stress,” admitted Coninx. “I tried my best to save the most energy as I can and it worked so it’s unbelievable. I knew he was maybe the hardest guy to beat today and I was so focussed about overtaking him before the dive so I could drop him in the water but I crashed in.” It was Great Britain’s Jessica Learmonth who took the race by the scruff of the neck from the starting horn, stretching out a decent advantage along with USA’s first confirmed Tokyo 2020 Olympian Summer Rappaport over the 300m swim, the likes of Maya Kingma (NED) and Brazil’s Vittoria Lopes following them out of the water some 15 seconds back. The pair were maintaining their lead after lap one of the bike, Team France, Germany and New Zealand in pursuit, when Learmonth made her move, and by the time she came out of T2 her lead was 20 seconds on the American, 30 on Cassandre Beaugrand and Laura Lindemann. Gordon Benson took up leg two and was able to maintain the lead over the swim, while behind him Henri Schoeman was doing his best to make up the gap for Team South Africa, Tyler Reid also flying for New Zealand. Back onto the bike course, Benson looked to be tiring as Gianluca Pozzatti had the lead down to 6 seconds, only for Benson to rally once again on lap two of the run and extend the lead to 11 seconds. Kenji Nener had the Japanese crowd going wild as he put in a brilliant bike, while Pierre le Corre (FRA) and Seth Rider (USA) were now 15 seconds back, South Africa within 30 seconds of the lead. Alice Betto took up the cause for Italy and was working well with USA’s Tamara Gorman on the bike to put some time into Georgia Taylor Brown’s lead, their efforts on the third leg quickly bringing the race up to a simmer. Betto faded but, now alongside Gorman, Leonie Periault was having an incredible leg for France and it was her breathing down Taylor Brown’s neck by the final handover. If the podium looked set to be composed of a combination of USA, France and GB at that stage, by the time Ben Kanute, Dorian Coninx and Alex Yee came out of the water and settled into the bike it was almost inevitable despite the best efforts of Australia’s Ryan Fisher and Italy’s Alessandro Fabian. Kanute would try and pull away on several occasions and it was taking everything Yee had to keep with him and Coninx. Stay with them he did, though, and the Brit had the lead out of T2, albeit with his rivals right on his shoulder. The three then became two after one lap with Kanute unable to match the incredible pace being set and there was nothing to choose between that pair as the blue carpet came back into sight for the final time. Once onto the finish chute, however, it was Coninx who was able to pull away and, though Yee bravely fought back to force the photo finish, it was the World Champion French team who were once again able to celebrate as the result was confirmed. “It was a great race, a great fight. I gave it everything I had and today it wasn’t enough but I am proud of myself for giving it all I had. The guys put me in a fantastic position and I can’t thank them enough”, said GB’s Alex Yee afterwards. “I love this course,” said USA’s Summer Rappaport. “I am excited to come back next year and it was great to check out the relay course with these guys, I’m really proud of our podium performance. This bodes well for the US team, we have so many strong athletes that can perform and it was great that we could go out there and earn the bronze today.” For the Mixed Relay results, click here 4xMixed Relay There are no results for this program Find more details about this event - 2019 ITU World Triathlon Mixed Relay Series Tokyo 17/08/19 - Paratriathlon World Cup takes over day 3 of Tokyo Test Event 16/08/19 - Tyler Mislawchuk powers to glory at Tokyo Test Event 15/08/19 - Comeback gold for Duffy as several athletes book Tokyo 2020 Olympic places 14/08/19 - Sunday’s Mixed Relay set to give taster of Olympic debut olympics \| mixed relay \| test event \| tokyo 2020	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line899
__label__cc	0.632006	0.367994	Tokyo Sumida 2 star Hotels Tokyo Sumida Hotels Cheap Flights to Tokyo Popular 2 star Hotels in Tokyo Sumida Hotel Livemax Asakusa Sky Front Ueno/Asakusa/Ryougoku 4.5/5Excellent11 Reviews Located in Asakusa, Hotel Livemax Asakusa Skyfront is a perfect starting point from which to explore Tokyo. The hotel has everything you need for a comfortable stay. Free Wi-Fi in all rooms, laundromat, luggage storage, Wi-Fi in public areas, elevator are on the list of things guests can enjoy. Each guestroom is elegantly furnished and equipped with handy amenities. The hotel offers various recreational opportunities. Convenience and comfort makes Hotel Livemax Asakusa Skyfront the perfect choice for your stay in Tokyo. Super Hotel Tokyo Kinshicho Ekimae Tokyo Station/Nihonbashi/Akihabara/Kinshicho 4.7/5Outstanding7 Reviews Super Hotel Tokyo Kinshicho-Ekimae is conveniently located in the popular Akihabara area. Both business travelers and tourists can enjoy the hotel's facilities and services. Take advantage of the hotel's free Wi-Fi in all rooms, daily housekeeping, laundromat, Wi-Fi in public areas, laundry service. Television LCD/plasma screen, air purifier, carpeting, clothes rack, linens can be found in selected guestrooms. The hotel offers various recreational opportunities. No matter what your reasons are for visiting Tokyo, Super Hotel Tokyo Kinshicho-Ekimae will make you feel instantly at home. Petit Grande Nuage 4.6/5Outstanding14 Reviews Featuring free WiFi, Petit Grande Nuage is situated in Tokyo, 400 metres from Tokyo Sky Tree Tower. Sensoji Temple is 1.2 km from the property. All units are air conditioned and include a seating area. A flat-screen TV and DVD player are available in some units. All units feature a kitchen fitted with a microwave and fridge. Every unit is equipped with a private bathroom with bathrobes. Towels and bed linen are available. Petit Grande Nuage also includes a hot tub. Edo Tokyo Museum is 2.3 km from Petit Grande Nuage, while Marunouchi Building is 6 km away. The nearest airport is Tokyo Haneda International Airport, 18 km from Petit Grande Nuage. Petit Grande Homes Hotel located at Oshiage station (about 5 minutes walk from station). There are 3 types of room in the building. Each room facilities. -PRIVATE kitchen. -PRIVATE bathroom with amenities. -Washing machine. Area and access. -GOOD neighborhood -EASY access with Tobu skytree line, Tokyo Metro Hanzomon line and Toei Asakusa line which is directly to Narita&Haneda airport. -Tobu bus directly to Tokyo Disney Resort. Plat Hostel Keikyu Asakusa Karin 5.0/5Perfect1 Reviews Opened in 2019, the Plat Hostel Keikyu Asakusa Karin offers travelers a pleasant stay in Tokyo, whether for business or leisure purposes. Traveling to the hotel is easy with Asakusa Station located approximately 700m away and Haneda Airport roughly 24km away. The closest major public transportation, Honjo-Azumabashi Metro Station, is only 700m away. Famous local attractions Azumabashi, Studio Nanairo Asakusa and Tokyo Water Bus, can all be reached with a short walk. In their spare time, guests can explore the hotel's surroundings. La Krasse Sumida 4.3/5Excellent1 Reviews Live at the La Krasse Sumida. Try to travel to live even if you only have one night. You should be able to find new discoveries and yourself that you have never noticed before. And even if you finish your journey and return home, I want you to live as if you continue your journey. Travel will shine your life. La Krasse Sumida is a living space for such a living trip. Hotel Metropolitan Edmont Tokyo Suidobashi/Ochanomizu Located in the heart of Tokyo just a 5-minute walk from the East Exit of JR Iidabashi Subway Station, Hotel Metropolitan Edmont Tokyo offers comfortable rooms with a flat-screen TV and free WiFi. The hotel boasts 6 dining options and massages. Guests stay at either the Main Building or East Wing Building.Nearby Iidabashi Station has 5 subway/train lines and offers direct access to the Shinjuku and Otemachi areas as well as the Kokugikan Sumo Stadium at Ryogoku. A free shuttle to Tokyo Disney Resort is available upon an advance request (subject to availability).Guest rooms at the Tokyo Metropolitan Edmont are decorated with wood highlights, giving a warm feel to the room. They are air-conditioned and fitted with a fridge and an electric kettle.The hotel features a convenience store and a 24-hour front desk with luggage storage and currency exchange. Hotel Keihan Tsukiji Ginza Grande Ginza/Tsukiji/Shinbashi Hotel Keihan Tsukiji Ginza Grande is set in Tokyo, within a 9-minute walk of Kachidoki Bridge and a 20-minute walk of Marunouchi Building. 2.6 km from Japan Imperial Palace, the property is also 2.8 km away from National Diet Building. The property features a restaurant.The units in the hotel are equipped with a flat-screen TV. Guest rooms will provide guests with a fridge.A buffet breakfast is available each morning at Hotel Keihan Tsukiji Ginza Grande.Staff at the 24-hour front desk can provide tips on the area.Tokyo Tower is 2.9 km from the accommodation. The nearest airport is Tokyo Haneda International Airport, 13 km from Hotel Keihan Tsukiji Ginza Grande. Shinjuku Granbell Hotel Shinjuku/Nakano Shinjuku Granbell Hotel is conveniently located within walking distance from both Higashi-Shinjuku and Shinjuku-Sanchome Station. From the hotel, visitors can easily reach other areas in Tokyo as well as Yokohama. When heading out from the hotel, popular attractions, such as the Meiji Shrine, Tokyo Tower, and Yoyogi Park can be easily reached. Guests also have easy access to Kabuki-cho, one of Tokyo’s most popular entertainment districts. Guest rooms are stylish and modern. Equipped with amenities such as flat screen televisions, iPod docking stations, and refrigerators, guests are sure to feel right at home during their stay. Electric kettles and telephones are also provided. The comfortable beds in each room ensure guests sleep well each night. Bathrooms are pristine and include toiletries, bathtubs, and hairdryers. Several restaurants are located within the hotel. Guests can dine at restaurant G, an elegantly designed venue with night views of the city. Casual French and Italian food is served. Drinks can be enjoyed on the rooftop bar which is adorned with greenery. Light bites to eat can be enjoyed at live café G, which offers life music in addition to a spacious garden terrace. Room service can also be ordered at designated times. A money exchange machine, as well as vending and ice machines can be found on the first floor. Irons, humidifiers, and air purifiers can be rented from the front desk, which provides service 24-hours a day. See all Tokyo Sumida 2 star Hotels >> Tokyo 2 star hotels recommend Tokyo 2 star Hotel Guide Tokyo is the capital of Japan and the largest city in the world. It is often the first stop for tourists who visit Japan. It is divided into Tokyo Metropolis, Greater Tokyo Area and surrounding areas. The Tokyo Metropolis area mainly contains the 23 districts in the center of Tokyo and are home to historical and traditional sightseeing spots. The JR Yamanote Line runs through the heart of the city, making it a useful method of transportation for visitors. The Greater Tokyo Area includes the Tokyo Metropolis area and the surrounding Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama prefectures. It mainly covers the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka on the outskirts of Tokyo, Yokohama in Kanagawa prefecture, Enoshima and Hakone in Kamakura, Disney Resort in Chiba, and other popular tourist attractions. The surrounding areas of Tokyo mainly include famous attractions such as Mount Fuji, Izu Atami, Karuizawa, and Nikko. Within Tokyo, usually 3-5 attractions can be visited per day. Tourists who have extra time and are looking for a unique experience can consider staying in a hot spring hotel in Tokyo too. Additionally, there is a one-day ticket available for sightseeing in Tokyo which is perfect for tourists who plan to visit a lot of different attractions. Within the city, there are two landmark buildings – the Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree. From the top of the observatory overlooking the buildings of Tokyo, visitors can catch a glimpse of the skyline of the world's largest city, including the colorful streets under the twilight and the flashing billboards as well as the distant Mount Fuji. Tokyo is a famous shopping capital, and located in Ginza and Omotesando are the world's top shopping malls filled with designer brands. Shinjuku is a gathering place for major department stores in Japan, and Harajuku and Shibuya are the birthplaces of Asia's trend culture and are districts frequented by young people. Another extremely popular attraction in Tokyo is Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple in Asakusa, an area that still retains the style of the Edo period. In addition, the Tokyo Imperial Palace and Meiji Shrine are the essence of traditional Japanese culture in the city of Tokyo. It is a must for anyone who travels to Tokyo. Japanese anime is world-famous and Akihabara and Ikebukuro are the center of the two-dimensional world. For this reason, they simply cannot be missed by any anime fans who’d like to catch a glimpse of the latest releases. Cherry blossoms, known as sakura, are an important part of Japanese culture, and in the spring, locals and tourists gather together to enjoy the falling petals. There are more than a dozen spots to view the cherry blossoms in Tokyo, among which are parks such as Ueno Park and Shinjuku Gyo-en. At Ueno Park, locals can be seen sitting under the cherry blossom trees at night. There are many Michelin restaurants in Japan, most of which are located in the Tokyo Metropolis area (including a number of Michelin 3-star restaurants). Also, a variety of world-class dessert shops are located here, so you’re sure to find something to suit your palate. If you like seafood, don’t forget to check out the Tsukiji Market. There are also many travel hot spots in Tokyo’s surrounding area. Disneyland, located in Chiba prefecture, is Asia's top amusement park. The city of Mitaka is where the animation master Hayao Miyazaki’s Ghibli Museum stands. The Shōnan Coast from Tokyo to Kamakura is the original scene of Slam Dunk, which is full of memories for the 80’s generation. Kamakura is the base of Japan’s historical Shogunate and home to many historic sites and temples. Yokohama is one of the country’s foreign ports, making its scenery unique. In Hakone, you can not only enjoy the beautiful scenery of Mount Fuji, but it is also home to a world-famous hot spring resort. When the weather is good, you can see the beauty of Mount Fuji from Owakudani and Ashinoko Lakes as well. The Atami area is home to hot springs and can be reached quickly from Tokyo. In Atami, there are far less tourists when compared to Hakone, ensuring you’ll be able to relax in peace. Mount Fuji is the most well-known scenic spot in Japan. Fuji-Q Highland, built on the hillside, is an amusement park that’s popular with young people. Nikko is one of Japan's world heritage sites and home to the luxurious Tōshō-gū and Tokugawa Ieyasu's Mausoleum, as well as the Nikkō Edo Village theme park that recreates the Meiji Era style. The nearby Kinugawa Onsen is also well-known. Tokyo is a diversified metropolis and hotels in Tokyo are also abundant. If your budget allows, there’s always the option in staying in a hotel with a high star rating, but affordable business hotels are also worth considering. The Shinjuku and Ikebukuro areas in the city center have many transportation lines and large stations, making them often the first choice for tourists. If you like shopping, Shibuya and Ginza are good choices as well. With limited budget, there are also low-cost homestays in Ueno, Ikebukuro or suburbs. Youth hostels in Tokyo are not only inexpensive, but also provide solo travelers with a chance to make friends. Shinjuku's bustling business district is suitable for shopaholics and those interested in the local nightlife. The nearby Shinjuku Gyo-en is a good place for enjoying the beautiful scenery and Shinjuku station is one of the main transportation hubs in the city. The location is extremely convenient, but hotel prices are more expensive than other areas. TaitoChuoMinatoShinjukuChiyodaToshimaMore More Tokyo Hotels Seaview (32) Ikebukuro/Itabashi/Nerima Kantō region Senso-ji The Imperial Palace Kaminarimon Gate Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden JR Nippori Station JR Shinjuku Station JR Tokyo Station JR Hamamatsucho Station JR Shinagawa Station JR Shin-Okubo Station JR Shimbashi Station JR Harajuku Station JR Kanda Station JR Ueno Station JR Hatchobori Station JR Shin-Koiwa Station JR Osaki Station JR Ikebukuro Station JR Akihabara Station Gracery JAL City Tokyu Dormy Inn Mystays Swissôtel Tokyo hotel information & deal: Check out room rates, photos, a map and reviews of hotels in Tokyo and find the best deals on Tokyo hotels. Trip.com offers big savings on online reservations for Tokyo accommodation. Book Tokyo vacation packages and Tokyo tours with huge discounts on Trip.com! Singapore Airlines \| Virgin Australia \| Yamagata to Tokyo \| Islamabad to Kabul \| Melbourne to Changsha \| Perth to Busselton \| Iwakuni to Tokyo \| Zhangjiajie to Hong Kong \| Islamabad to Tokyo \| Bali to Lombok \| Shanghai to Tokyo \| Manila to Tacloban \| Guam to Tokyo \| Istanbul to Tokyo \| Seoul to Tokyo \| Melbourne to Tokyo \| Shanghai to Guangzhou \| Osaka to Tokyo \| Flights to Tokyo \| Flights to Sydney	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line909
__label__cc	0.66334	0.33666	The UKPSA has sanctioned a Classification System for Action Air Shooters. This has been in force for other shooting disciplines, and the fact that Action Air is now recognised is a great step forward for this fast-growing discipline. Below is an extract from the UKPSA announcement, and the classification system is starting April 2018. The only caveat is that you must be a member of the UKPSA – which I personally would recommend as this gives excellent benefits such as public liability insurance, competition licensing and access to advice and help on all things relating to practical shooting. This new system gives added benefits even if you don’t want to shoot in Level 2 or 3 Competitions. FROM THE UKPSA What is Classification For some time, the IPSC has run a classification scheme known as the IPSC Classification System (ICS) for full bore handgun. The primary reason for its’ development being the demand of members for a national and international ranking system that provides a vehicle for true peer to peer recognition and comparison –which often proves to be a great motivator to train harder and improve! The ICS operates by competitors submitting their results from either Classifier Matches (Level 3) or shooting Classifier Stages published on the IPSC website either in isolation or during an unsanctioned match. A competitor can achieve initial classification with 4 scores. Following this, the classification is based on the average of the best 4 scores of the most recent 8 classification records submitted. In order to maintain their Classification, competitors must keep current IPSC membership and submit scores for a minimum of two Classification Stages or one Classifier Match each calendar year. Within the UKPSA, we have traditionally awarded competitors a classification at the end of a shooting year based upon their performance at Sanctioned Matches (Level 2 and Level 3). This is a tried and trusted system however, it only recognises competitors who have competed at classifying matches and overlooks many members of the Association who do not compete at that level. Purpose of the UKPSA Action Air Classification System (UAACS) Recognising the positive effect such a system could have on clubs, the purpose of the UAACS is to provide a similar vehicle to the ICS and allow dynamic peer to peer comparison of UKPSA members actively involved in Action Air shooting. It does not replace the existing system –it simply runs in parallel. UAACS Eligibility and Scheme Operation To receive a UAACS Grading, you must be a current member of the UKPSA. Scores from UAACS Classifier Stages should be submitted to the UKPSA Action Air Sec who will operate the scheme on behalf of the RD. Only the stages contained within the Course of Fire (CoF) Handbook are approved. They are drawn directly from the ICS and adapted for Action Air by substituting full size IPSC targets and Poppers for the approved Action Air targets and reducing the engagement distances by 1/3rd. Therefore, Power Factor notwithstanding – the stages are identical to those of the ICS. As and when the ICS Classifier Stages are updated; this CoF handbook will be amended to reflect those changes UKPSA Action Air Classification System Determining Classifications Policy The UAACS is a dynamic system, like the ICS, meaning competitor classifications will move up or down based not only on their own performance, but also on the performance of other competitors. Classifications are calculated by Division and competitors are free to submit scores for each Division in which they wish to be classified. A competitor will receive an initial classification once they have submitted 4 classifier scores based upon the average of those 4 scores. Thereafter, their classification will be based on the average of the best 4 from the 8 most recent classifier scores submitted. In order to maintain their classification, competitors must remain current members of the UKPSA and submit scores for a minimum of 4 classifier stages per calendar year (Jan-Dec). Scores may be submitted at any time however, stages may not be repeated more frequently than once every 6 months, i.e. if a competitor submits a score for Stage 01 in Jan, the earliest they could submit another score for the same stage would be Aug of that year. Competitors may be removed from the UAACS at the end of the second consecutive year where insufficient scores are submitted to maintain a classification. Calculation of Classification An example is shown below of how classifications are determined: As with the scoring at a match, a competitor’s performance will always be compared against the High HF for that stage. As and when a new High HF is posted for a given stage, all classifications based upon that stage will be affected. As the UAACS develops and more competitors record their scores, the classifications attained will better reflect a competitor’s performance against their peers. The Table below shows the scoring bands necessary to achieve the various levels of classification. Class Breaks Grand Master 95% – 100% Master 85% – 94.999% A 75% to 84.999% B 60% to 74.999% C 40% to 59.999% D 39.999% and Below	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line915
__label__wiki	0.89427	0.89427	3/11 Article Index Course Readers APJ Subscription Drive November-December 2019 We thank the generosity of our authors, readers and subscribers for fulfilling our 2019 fundraising goal of $12,000. This will allow us to continue to provide APJ free to our 19,000 regular readers and thousands of others around the world who access the journal through reprints and other sources. But yes, if you still wish to support our work, you can go to our homepage http://apjjf.org/Subscribe and subscribe to our semi-monthly Newsletter and contribute (tax free) to APJ via Paypal or credit card. Enter your email address and an amount and click on Paypal. You can then pay by credit card or paypal. Songs of War and Peace: Music and Memory in Okinawa　戦争と平和の歌−−沖縄の音楽と記憶 James E. Roberson Volume 8 \| Issue 31 \| Number 3 Article ID 3394 Songs of War and Peace: Music and Memory in Okinawa I—Sengo Zero-Nen The year 2010 marks the 65th year since the 1945 Battle of Okinawa between American and Japanese armed forces, the 50th year since the signing of the Japan-US Security Treaty in 1960, and the 38th year since Okinawa was officially returned from American to Japanese control in 1972. In May of 2010, after juggling ill-conceived and unpopular alternative proposals for the relocation of the American military’s Futenma Airbase in Okinawa, the short-lived Democratic Party’s Hatoyama Government capitulated to American demands for the continuation of the original relocation plans, agreed upon in 1996 with the then ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which call for the construction of a heliport at Camp Schwab, in Henoko, also in Okinawa. Despite this latest Japan-US agreement, or rather because of it, the controversial and much contested issue of Futenma Airbase’s return-as-relocation (see Inoue 2007) remains unresolved, especially for Okinawans. The Futenma Airbase was built during the Battle of Okinawa on farmland, originally used for growing sugarcane and yams, which was appropriated from local villagers by the American military. It is thus one reminder that, as perhaps with all wars, the Battle of Okinawa has in many ways even now not yet ended, has not yet been brought to closure. Instead, as Okinawan writer Medoruma Shun (2005) has recently written, the war is still too much an everyday presence in Okinawa to talk of it as having passed, as being singularly in the past. The Battle of Okinawa is instead still a physical presence in the land, embodied in aging survivors and their descendants and, as Chris Nelson’s (2008) work on “Dancing with the Dead” also shows, the war and memories of it are archived, articulated and recalled in Okinawan cultural discourse, practice and performance. Memories of the Battle of Okinawa—as Medoruma, Nelson and others suggest, and as I argue here—are thus complexly interwoven with the past, the present and the future. They are a vital force, in the sense of being both living and important, because of the continuing everyday presences of the war in Okinawa, among Okinawans, who also long for peace. These memories and their multiple inscriptions and engravings in Okinawan places, bodies and minds can act, as Yelvington (2002) has elsewhere and somewhat differently argued, as powerful resources in recollecting a past, in giving cohesion to or in re-membering present collective identities, and in authenticating both claims to that past and legitimating current actions, claims and contestations. Thus, for example, when the Japanese Ministry of Education attempted in 2007 to modify history textbooks to downplay the involvement of the Japanese army in Okinawan civilians’ forced suicides during the Battle of Okinawa, an estimated 110,000 people gathered in Ginowan to protest this rewriting of still vital memories. This essay surveys the cultural politics of memory and music in Okinawa by situating some of the songs that mark Okinawans’ journeys through the landscapes and imaginaries of war and peace. An abridged and revised version of my paper “Memory and Music in Okinawa: The Cultural Politics of War and Peace” (Roberson 2009), it also draws from related work (Roberson 2007, 2010a, 2010b). The songs I describe here are primarily though not exclusively from the folk or new-folk (min’yō or shin-min’yō; also shima-uta) and “Uchinā Pop” (see Roberson 2003) genres. Though for certain songs I also draw attention to particular musical elements, my primary focus is on song lyrics.1 I first describe songs that give voice to Okinawans’ experiences of assimilation and mobilization in the period prior to the 1945 Battle of Okinawa. I then describe songs which recount the world of war experienced at home by Okinawans, and which sing of the sorrows of war and of the treasure of life. I next describe songs from the long postwar period that sing of dreams for peace and that protest the continuing presence of American military bases and armed forces. As recorded and recalled, these Okinawan songs comprise critical, contested, and at times contradictory sites of historical memory and of continuing social dialogue. The complexities of contemporary memory work in Okinawa involve both individual and collective identities constructed within historical contexts framed and fragmented by contending local, national, and international forces and influences, including those of (neo)colonialism and imperialism. Here, memories become “perilous” in the double sense described by Fujitani, White, and Yoneyama as “memories in need of recuperation and as memories that continue to generate a sense of danger” (2001:3). The perilousness of memory in Okinawa is related to processes of remembering and forgetting a war in which nearly one third of the population on the main island perished but in which Okinawans themselves were complexly participant, to continuing conditions of militarization by both American and Japanese forces, and to strongly held yet fragile and contextually imagined dreams of peace. My goal here, then, is to consider how songs in Okinawa may be heard to constitute complex sites of cultural memory and resistance. I contend that regardless, or because, of their minority voice, these songs need to be carefully listened to, especially by people from American and Japanese centers of economic and political power and imperialism. II—Becoming Japanese In 1879, the Meiji Government of Japan unilaterally dissolved the Ryūkyūan Kingdom and established the Prefecture of Okinawa (see Kerr 1958). Invoking a modernist rhetoric of progressive “civilization,” Japan subsequently embarked on the political-economic and cultural assimilation of Okinawa, employing a “totalizing vision of ‘Japaneseness’” in the processes of making Ryūkyūans into proper Japanese imperial subjects (Morris-Suzuki 1998:26-8; Christy 1997:141-169). This assimilationist dynamic involved a dialectic in which Japan was held up as the progressive model of civilized modernity to overcome Okinawan backwardness. Japanese historian Tomiyama Ichirō’s (1995) important work on war memory in Okinawa emphasizes the everyday aspects of assimilation and the consequences of these for Okinawans. While language was in many ways the most important and debated issue in Okinawan cultural assimilation, other cultural and religious practices (including Okinawan folk music) were also targeted as backward and in need of reform. Such assimilation also included the extension of the Japanese military draft to Okinawa, which was welcomed by members of the Okinawan elite as a sign of Okinawa’s equal inclusion in the Japanese state (Ota 1996:56-7). The everyday and ideological dilemmas and dynamics of Okinawa’s modernist/imperialist assimilation are reflected and commented on in a number of prewar Okinawan folk songs. One such song is Hadashi Kinrei no Uta (literally, Barefoot Prohibition Song), recorded in 1941, that sings of the prohibition on walking barefoot promulgated in early 1941 as part of the Movement for the Improvement of Manners and Customs (Fūzoku Kairyō Undō). While ironically also referring to Okinawa as “Shūrei no Kuni” (Land of Propriety) and “Bunka Okinawa” (Cultural Okinawa), Hadashi Kinrei warns about possible fines and other embarrassing consequences if found barefoot in Naha. In part it also reflects the (self-) disciplining of, if not the attempt to eliminate, such everyday aspects of Okinawan “backwardness.” (see Arakawa 1982:7; Nakahodo 1988:166). Hadashi Kinrei may be heard both to reflect and to resist prewar assimilationist processes and practices. Okinawan writer and social critic Arakawa Akira contends that, sung in Okinawan dialect and to sanshin2 accompaniment, Hadashi Kinrei uses music and the nuances of local language to indirectly invert the pro-Japanese denotations of the lyrics. Such contradictions and inversions suggest the folk manipulation of music in expressing ambivalence toward assimilationist programs, making music a subtle if contradictory weapon of the weak (see Arakawa 1982:8; Tomiyama 1998). Tsuyoi Nipponjin (Strong Japanese), also recorded in 1941, more clearly shows the strength of Japanese control and influence as the embodiment of desirable modernity and the (self-) inclusion of Okinawa(ns) in Japanese imperialism. Extending to seven verses, Tsuyoi Nipponjin sings, in Japanese but to sanshin accompaniment, of Japan as the land of the emperor and gods, where strong and brave men are fighting a sacred war (seisen), and where the women are also strong, holy mothers (seibo) and angels caring for and supporting their men. The last verse is especially dense in the work it performs as a lyrical site involved in the making of imperial subjects:3 Tsuyoi Nipponjin Men going forthrightly to the sacred war wives on the home front taking up hoes Advance the building of Greater East Asia with the latent power of 3000 years Be Proud, Be Proud! Prospering for a Thousand Generations For Eight Thousand Generations, Long Live the Japanese Empire! Showing the attraction and allegiance of Okinawans as members of the Japanese nation-state, in what may be simultaneously heard as a song of professed patriotism and of propaganda, Tsuyoi Nipponjin remains a site of memory marking Okinawan complicity in Japan’s militarist imperialism. As Michael Molasky points out, “Okinawans were not mere victims of Japanese colonialism and imperialism, for many also aspired to be recognized as fully fledged Japanese citizens and to partake of the fruits of Japanese power and prosperity” (Molasky 1999:14). Open recognition and critique of such complicity remains a contentious issue in postwar Okinawa, as is reflected in the work of Medoruma Shun, who is critical of Okinawan cultural amnesia regarding prewar and wartime complicity in Japanese militarism and imperialism (Molasky 2003:184; Medoruma 2005). Such controversies involving Okinawans and the Japanese government also surround attempts to revise or remove displays at Okinawa’s New Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum critical of the militarist expansionism that preceded the 1945 Battle of Okinawa (see Ishihara, et al. 2002; Figal 1997:745-78; Yonetani 2000:145-68). A number of other Okinawan folk songs similarly bearing the deep colorings of the wartime system that appeared between 1939 and 1941, with titles such as: Wakare no Sakazuki (Wine Cup of Parting), Jūgo no Mamori (Home Front Defense; literally, Defense Behind the Guns), Jūgo no Tsuma (Wife Behind the Guns/Wife on the Home Front), Senshō Bushi (War Victory Song), Nikudan (Human Bomb), and Mamore Nan’yō (Defend the Southern Isles!). The gendered division of imperial subjecthood (Angst 2001:92-3) and of Okinawan complicity in the Japanese imperialist project is given clear refrain in many such songs. While “for the sake of the country” Okinawan men went to the front lines, Okinawan women struggled “behind the guns” to take care of family, farm and village. One of the earliest and the most re-recorded of such songs is Fukuhara Chōki’s 1933 Gunjin Bushi (Soldier’s Song; see Arakawa 1982:6; Takaesu 1982:150-1). The first two verses are: Gunjin Bushi4 Since I met and wed you, but few months have passed, Now we must part, since it’s for the sake of the country Do your utmost, my beloved wife My husband, you are a soldier, so why do you cry? I pray that you will return smiling, For the sake of the country, perform your public duty5 At the time of Gunjin Bushi’s composition and recording, Fukuhara lived in Osaka’s large Okinawan community.6 Fukuhara was subject to investigation for Gunjin Bushi, since the Japanese authorities apparently felt it inappropriate to use the honorable Japanese Imperial soldier’s appellation “gunjin” in the title of a popular Ryūkyūan song. According to one story line, Fukuhara renamed the song “Shussei Heishi o Okuru Uta” (Song to Send off a Soldier Going to the Front) or, combined with “Kumamoto Bushi” as “Nyūei Defune no Minato” (Harbor of a Boat Leaving for the Barracks), though he did not otherwise change the music or lyrics (see Nakahodo 1988:152-5; Uehara 1982:207; Kamiya 1998:111). While marking Okinawan complicity in Japanese imperialism, the conflicted nature of Okinawan incorporation into the Japanese imperialist project may also be heard in many of these songs. Musical elements such as the use of local dialect, the Ryūkyūan musical scale and instruments, most notably the sanshin, mark the celebration of Okinawan cultural distinctiveness amid on-going pressures to become good imperial subjects. Thus, that Tsuyoi Nipponjin is accompanied by music employing the Ryūkyūan scale may at once be heard to lend local support to the nationalism of the mostly Japanese language lyrics, and by, inserting Okinawan musical difference, qualify the full imperialistic thrust of the song (Arakawa 1982:5). Similarly, that the wartime cooperation voiced in Wakare no Sakazuki is shaded by a characteristic sadness in the sanshin-based music, may be heard to render problematic any simple reading of Okinawan wartime complicity (Arakawa 1982:5-6; Nakahodo 1988:154-5). Thus, while the Okinawan elite may have welcomed the Japanese state’s extension of the draft to Okinawa, the subtexts of many prewar Okinawan may be heard to reflect commoner Okinawans’ ambivalence about being so mobilized.7 This local Okinawan ambivalence toward incorporation into Japan’s imperial project—compounded by later reflections on the horrific outcomes of such mobilization—may in part account for the re-recording of songs such as Gunjin Bushi. What is signaled by the musical incongruity here is perhaps also similar to that in the recent performance piece based on this period of memory/history by Fujiki Hayato, wherein “Okinawan culture—the same culture that somehow articulated with Japanese militarism—also empowers the recognition of the peril of becoming Japanese” (Nelson 2003:219). However, it must also be remembered that the Okinawan past as embodied action was constructed under historical conditions of unequal power relations. In his liner notes to the 2002 CD re-release of Kinjō Minoru’s immediate important post (1972) reversion LP, Jidai (which included versions of several prewar songs), Okinawan writer, media personality and music expert Uehara Naohiko is thus critical of the militarist, imperialist context in which the songs first appeared and suggests that many songs may now be listened to as anti-war songs. These songs thus not only narrated experience to contemporary audiences but remain as (re-) recorded and archived sites of memories of Okinawans’ unequal encounters with assimilation policies, cultural reform movements, and military cooperation, service and sacrifice. They reveal the conflicted position of Okinawans and necessitate readings that recognize both Okinawans’ complicit participation in and implicit resistance to Japanese imperialism. Furthermore, the critical or rehabilitating commentary of postwar writers such as Arakawa and Nakahodo must be seen as part of ongoing contemporary internal debates about Okinawa’s “difficult past” (Wagner-Pacifici and Schwartz 1991:376-420) of participation in Japanese assimilationist, militarist, and imperialist projects. There are important historical and political reasons for the contemporary forgetting of many such songs beyond a mere denial of complicity in Japan’s imperialist aggression. That is, the cultural amnesia evident here must in part be understood in relationship with an eclipsing focus on the suffering of Okinawans at home. And, such contemporary cultural amnesia regarding assimilationist, militarist, and imperialist complicity must be understood within the context of the continuing American military presence in Okinawa, and of related appeals for their removal and for the realization of local prayers for peace. III—Ikusa-yu The husbands, lovers, and sons departing for war in the songs described above were going elsewhere, “a thousand ri away” according to the lyrics of Kuni nu Hana. These songs are mournful but often lack the grounded specificity of place, while death is primarily portrayed only as a possibility facing the soldiers being sent off and requiring that the surviving women carry bravely on. With the 1945 Battle of Okinawa, however, death became an immediate and enduring reality for ordinary Okinawans. The “typhoon of steel” produced by fighting between American and Japanese forces began when American troops landed on the outlying Kerama Islands in late March and on the main island of Okinawa on April 1 of 1945, and then lasted through June 23, when organized Japanese resistance ended, and continuing until early September, when the Japanese military formally surrendered. Some 150,000 Okinawans died, approximately one-fourth of the prefecture’s total and one-third of the main island’s prewar population. Commonly given numbers for Okinawan deaths include some 38,754 common citizens and another 55, 246 civilian combat participants. A further 28,228 deaths occurred among soldiers of Okinawan origin and Okinawan army employees, including student, nurse, and civilian defense corps members who did not necessarily differ greatly from ordinary citizens (see Okinawa Prefecture 1991; Ota 2000). Okinawan deaths during the Battle of Okinawa embodied most devastatingly the disjunctures between Okinawan desires and everyday actions to become modern imperial subjects versus Japanese discrimination against and disregard for Okinawan culture and lives (Tomiyama 1995; Medoruma 2005; Oshiro 2002:21-2; Ishihara 2001). The horrifying realities of the Battle of Okinawa are remembered and reflected upon in a number of postwar sanshin-based folk songs that narrate Okinawans’ direct experiences of wartime suffering, (being) sacrifice(d), and survival. Kanpō nu Kuē Nukusā, for example, graphically describes surviving Okinawans as the leftovers of the American warships’ cannons. Describing also the postwar hardships of impoverished Okinawans and their joys at seeing their children born and grow, Kanpō nu Kuē Nukusā ends:8 Kanpō nu Kuē Nukusā That war which devoured my parents Those cannons that devoured my homeland Even if I’m reborn, I won’t be able to forget. Just who was it that started these things? My resentment and regret are endless. Let us tell to all generations, That you and I, and I and you are all But the leftovers of the warships’ cannons. Another of these songs is Himeyuri no Uta, originally popular in 1967 (Takaesu 1982:158), which portrays the fate of the Himeyuri Student Nurse Corps, composed of 219 female higher school students who were drafted into service as nurses. Most died during the battle. The lyrics to the first two and the last verses (of ten total) are:9 Himeyuri no Uta It is widely known, the story Of Okinawa’s Himeyuri Unit Of Girl Students who were sacrificed The two lines of loyalty and piety They held in their breasts Harder than iron, Japan’s yamato-damashi At last, honorable deaths, the Himeyuri girls Together in their graves, are they crying? Sad and lonely crying, summer cicada (for a live recording by Kenbō with Bōchirāzu, set to photographic montage, follow this link) Linda Angst notes that for most Japanese and Okinawans the Himeyuri girls are the “primary (and conflicted) symbol of dual Okinawan wartime patriotism and victimhood” (2001:33; see also Angst 1997). The Japanese language lyrics of Himeyuri no Uta may be heard to simultaneously invoke and invert gendered and national symbols such as cherry blossoms. Thus, like cinematic and other narratives regarding the Himeyuri students,10 the political implications and meanings of Himeyuri no Uta are open to variously positioned nostalgic and critical readings and acts of remembering. Okinawan folk-music researcher Nakasone Kōichi critically writes that the use of militarist-era words such as “yamato damashi” (Japanese soul) and “gyokusai” (honorable death—literally, shattered or crushed jewel) beatify patriotic death. On the other hand, Uehara Naohiko argues that Himeyuri no Uta should now be heard as a protest song that retrospectively, reflexively questions the meanings of “(for the sake of the) nation” and “honorable deaths” (Nakasone 1999:238; Uehara 1986:127-8). Such protesting political inversions—and the transformative potentialities enabled thereby—are given further expression and force by the musical elements of the song, as to a certain extent was seen earlier in regard to Hadashi Kinrei no Uta. Thus, Himeyuri no Uta is sung to plaintive sanshin accompaniment and uses the melody of Haisen Kazoe-Uta (War Defeat Counting Song), a song composed in the aftermath of the war that recounts the sorrows and losses of war and the futility of the battle, criticizes Japanese military strategy, and calls on listeners to rebuild postwar Okinawa (Nakasone 1997:115-16). To different musical accompaniment, I have also seen Okinawan singer-songwriter and folk guitarist Sadoyama Yutaka perform Himeyuri no Uta at an event in Tokyo marking Okinawa’s “Irei no Hi” memorial day for victims of the Battle of Okinawa, very clearly evoking the protest potentials of the song. Thus, while I believe it would be a mistake to ignore the cultural-political significance of lyrics, sometimes read against the grain, it also is true that the performative dimensions and contexts of songs may carry or constitute, sometimes alternative, forms of significance. Another song that acts as a critical site of memory of the Battle of Okinawa is Tsukayama Hiroyoshi’s Nuchi du Takara (Life is a Treasure). Sung in Okinawan dialect, this didactic anti-war song calls, as does Kanpō nu Kuē Nukusā, for its listeners to keep memories of the war alive, forever. The first two verses are:11 Nuchi du Takara Forget, I can’t forget, the sorrows of the warring world Every time I remember, my hair stands on end Truly, we must tell of the war Truly, life is a treasure To survive the war, we hid in caves But the caves also became hells, the houses of devils By invoking the phrase “nuchi du takara,” Tsukayama embeds his song in complex webs of cultural, historical and political reference. Thus, for example, anti-base activist Ahagon Shōkō’s similarly titled book opens with the famous Ryūka (short Ryūkyūan poem) attributed to King Shō Tai at the time of his forced abdication in 1879: “The Era of War has ended// An era of peace has come// Do not grieve and moan, Life is a Treasure” (Ahagon 1992:2; my translation). Okinawan writer Shima Tsuyoshi (1997) has more broadly suggested that the Battle of Okinawa has two faces, represented among other things by the main public and the lesser known war sites and memorials. Shima sees the phrases “honorable death” (gyokusai) written on war site epitaphs and “life is a treasure” (nuchi du takara) spoken by Okinawans as representing opposing sets of values: gyokusai expressing those of the imperialist military, and nuchi du takara expressing those of common Okinawans in their will to live (1997:235-47).12 Songs such as Himeyuri no Uta and Nuchi du Takara, Kanpō nu Kuē Nukusā and others give voice to “gyokusai” but especially convey “nuchi du takara” orientations. These and other songs that recount local experiences related to the Battle of Okinawa act as sites of memory available for re-excavation and embedded within other discourses and debates. By focusing on Okinawan suffering these songs perhaps risk joining the “national victimology” that Fujitani, White, and Yoneyama note as the product of “dominant modes of remembering” in postwar Japan (2001:7; see also Orr 2001). As such, they threaten to sing the forgetting of Okinawan complicity and responsibility in a complex contrapuntal similar to that which Gerald Figal (1997) discusses in relation to the commemoration of the war dead at the Cornerstone of Peace in the southern Mabuni area. On the other hand, by singing of Okinawan sacrifice and suffering, these songs simultaneously act as critiques of Japanese militarism, contributing to the broader “oppositional memory work”(Fujitani, White and Yoneyama 2001:13) going on in Okinawa. As such, these songs allow for interpretations of their significance as musically composed sites of memory that critically invoke Okinawan suffering as the result of Japanese and American militarized violence and of Okinawan complicity born of misguided assimilationist loyalties. The protagonist of Kanpō nu Kuē Nukusā thus asks in critical, challenging fashion: “Just who was it that started these things?” It is the nature of the Battle of Okinawa as a “difficult past” (Wagner-Pacifici and Schwartz 1991)—together with the intervention of peace activists and the existence of counter-narratives, including those in song—that helps preclude facile revisions to history and social memory in Okinawa. Survivors of the Battle of Okinawa, including many civilians, were initially placed by the American military into internment camps throughout Okinawa (Molasky 1999:17). Two well-known songs recall life in these camps, PW Mujō (also, PW Bushi) and Yaka Bushi (Bise 1998:184). The lyrics of both songs largely overlap and were written in the POW camp at Yaka. Both melancholic songs sing of sadness deepened by the harrowing experiences of war, by thoughts of homes and villages destroyed by fighting, by worries about the safety of relatives, and by personal troubles. The lyrics to the first verse of Yaka Bushi are:13 Yaka Bushi Beloved Okinawa, turned into a battlefield Turned into a battlefield All of the people, with flowing tears With flowing tears The final verse of PW Mujō laments: PW Mujō If only there had not been this thing, war This pitiful figure, I [we] would not have become How pitiful is a PW As Molasky similarly points out regarding other Okinawan narratives of the war and American occupation, PW Mujō and Yaka Bushi mark the internment camp experience not only as the end of the war but as the beginning of the postwar era of the American Occupation (Molasky 1999:17). PW Mujō and Yaka Bushi are still recorded and performed. Kina Shoukichi included Yaka Bushi on his 1998 CD Akainko, while Koja Misako recorded PW Mujō on her anti-war 2005 CD Kuroi Ame.14 Kinjō Minoru, meanwhile, has performed in military olive green, playing PW Bushi on a kankara sanshin modeled on the rustic instruments originally made in the camps from empty food ration cans and other discarded American military materials (Bise 1998:184). For a recent video recording of PW Mujō by young performer Uema Ayano, follow this link. IV—Miruku-yu That the end of the world of war (ikusa-yu) would lead to a world of peace (miruku-yu) has been a long held hope among many Okinawans. In this section, I describe songs that over the past half-century plus have narrated Okinawan dreams of peace. Here the political contexts within and at times against which the songs are sung become critical in understanding the changes, continuities and complexities of such dreams. A—Nuchi nu Sūji While songs like Yaka Bushi describe the end of the war from the position of someone having experienced the battle in Okinawa, there are a number of songs which describe the (desire to) return to Okinawa among people who were elsewhere at the war’s end. The theme of separation that runs throughout many wartime songs becomes an inverse longing to return in Fukuhara Chōki’s famous early postwar song Natsukashiki Kōkyō (or, Natsukashiki Furusato; Nostalgic Homeland). Written and first performed by Fukuhara in Osaka in 1947, the first and last verses are:15 Natsukashiki Kōkyō The Okinawa I see in dreams, is its original shape But the Okinawa I hear of in rumor, has changed completely Oh, I want to go! Back to the island of my birth When will it be that freely, with all my family We will be able to live together smiling? Oh, let us go! Back to Okinawa! Though also reflecting general nostalgic desires and imaginaries among the Okinawan diaspora (see Roberson 2010b), which in part account for its frequent re-recording, Natsukashiki Kōkyō more directly portrays early postwar Okinawan concerns for loved ones and dreams for peace given particularly sharp resonance by the then recent Battle of Okinawa. While Natsukashiki Kōkyō describes a yet unrealized desire to return to Okinawa and find family members safe and Okinawa at peace, Noborikawa Seijin’s Sengo no Nageki (Postwar Lament) portrays the sadness of someone who has in fact returned to Okinawa from Japan (Yamato) to find that Okinawa has been transformed by the war and that his family are not there. Such is the teaching and fate of war, he laments, and protests.16 In addition to such mournful laments, however, there are other songs that participate in what Chris Nelson refers to as the “politics of hope” found in the performances of Onaha Buten and Teruya Rinsuke and more recently of Fujiki Hayato. Onaha and Teruya visited the interment camps and villages of central Okinawa in the immediate postwar period and through comedic performances that included music encouraged war weary Okinawans to celebrate and enjoy life (Nelson 2003, 2008). Of similar sentiment is Hiyamikachi Bushi, a song from the early 1950s. Now commonly played up-tempo, this song calls on Okinawans to stand up and be proud, even if they fall seven times and more (Nakasone 1997:162-3.).17 For a version of Hiyamikachi Bushi performed by Noborikawa Seijin, follow this link. Kadekaru Rinshō’s early 1960s Jidai no Nagare and Teruya Rinken’s 1993 Yu-Yu-Yu may also be heard as satirically comical (Jidai no Nagare) or energetically optimistic (Yu-Yu-Yu) calls to celebrate life, despite difficulties faced and changes in the world. The recent Uchinā Pop song Obā Jiman no Bakudan Nabe (Grandma’s Favorite Bombshell Cooking Pot), by the group Begin, may also be heard as a playful invocation of the same spirit.18 Optimistic, and often comical songs of the “nuchi nu sūji” celebration of life give voice in a different key to the “nuchi du takara” value orientation introduced above. Such celebrations of life, furthermore, invoke celebrations of peace. As Teruya Rinken (Rinsuke’s son) has said: “We sing about how wonderful it is being alive here and now. It’s the celebration of life like this which negates war and other acts that involve violence and killing” (Barrell and Tanaka 1997:114). B—Heiwa no Negai In the long postwar period, the theme of peace has been taken up in a continuing series of songs. Peace appears to have become a more explicitly expressed theme from about the mid 1960s. This, of course, was the time of the Vietnam War, when Okinawa was still under US Occupation and used for American military operations in Southeast Asia. This is also, however, a time during which Okinawans protested more vocally about their desire to return to Japan and its “Peace Constitution.” Songs mapping Okinawan calls for reversion include Akogare no Uta (Song of Yearning), which sang of the desire to return to Japan and the Japanese era (yu), and Okinawa o Kaese (Return Okinawa; written in the 1950s) which became, as it remains, a movement and protest song (see Arakawa 1982:10; for more on Okinawa o Kaese, see Roberson 2003). Other songs combined dreams of peace with the desire to return to Japan, portrayed in political rhetoric and in song lyrics as Okinawa’s ancestral homeland (sokoku; on Okinawa protest movements, see Tanji 2006; Taira 1997). Heiwa no Kane (Bell of Peace), popular in 1966, and Heiwa no Negai (Prayer for Peace) are two such songs (Takaesu 1982:158). The latter, re-recorded in 1997 by Tamaki Kazumi, combines a call like that in Nuchi du Takara not to forget the sorrows of war with appeals for return to Japan and for a peaceful Okinawa. The first and last verses are:19 Heiwa no Negai This island Okinawa, always nothing but war When will the time finally come that we can live in peace? Ah, let us together, for this island Okinawa Pray for Peace, for this Okinawa Our thoughts one, beloved Yamato The happiness when finally we return20 For a performance of Heiwa no Negai by Suzy (Sūjī [-gwa], a performer based in the Yokohama-Kawasaki area, that was intended as part of an online sanshin lesson but interestingly uses a type of kankara sanshin, follow this link. A song such as this indexes complex ironies of history. Okinawans, discriminated against and strategically sacrificed in war by the Japanese, seek to return to Japanese control and benefit from its postwar Peace Constitution, which was a product of the American occupation of Japan. The formal occupation of Japan, but not the withdrawal of US forces, had ended in 1952 with Japanese agreement to continuing American occupation of Okinawa. These ironies must be understood strategically and logistically, within the context of Okinawan attempts to free themselves from American military domination and racism. The prayer for peace is thus less ironic than multi-vocal, simultaneously recalling the experiences of Okinawans during the Battle of Okinawa and restating Okinawan desires for a peaceful home free of the American military. However, despite Okinawans’ “prayers for peace,” close to 40 years after reversion, nearly 75 percent of the U.S. military bases and 60 percent of U.S. military personnel in Japan remain concentrated in Okinawa. Symbolic here is the yet unrealized 1996 agreement to “return” Futenma Air Base, mentioned at the beginning of this essay, which has met with continuing protest because of plans to relocate the base within Okinawa Prefecture near the town of Henoko (see Inoue 2007). Furthermore, between reversion to Japan in 1972 and the end of 2003, there were some 5,269 reported crimes committed by US military and their dependents in Okinawa. These included 977 cases of aggravated assault and 540 violent crimes, the latter of which between 1972 and 1995 included 12 murders as well as 111 reported cases of violence (including rape) against women and girls (see Okinawa Prefecture Military Base Affairs Division 2004; Arasaki 1996:204). There continue to be off-base automobile accidents, cases of environmental pollution, forest fires, stray bullets and other accidents and incidents related to the American military bases. In August 2004, for example, a large CH-53D transport helicopter crashed onto the campus of Okinawa International University, leading some 30,000 Okinawans to gather in September 2004 to protest (Asahi Shinbun 2004a; Asahi Shinbun 2004b). Singer Koja Misako, a former member of the Uchinā Pop group, the Nenes, released a mini-CD in 2005 called Kuroi Ame (Black Rain), which includes PW Mujō and several versions of the title track, Kuroi Ame. This song was originally composed by Sahara Kazuya, Koja’s partner and producer, after joining a “Peace Festival” organized in Baghdad in 1990 by wrestler-politician Antonio Inoki (Yoshizawa 2004). The black rain in the song thus originally referred most directly to the missiles and bombs dropped during the first Gulf War, but also offers ready allusion to the black rain that fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bombings of those cities. Koja’s recordings and performances of Kuroi Ame, however, index as well the “typhoon of steel” that fell on Okinawa during WWII and the continuing crashes of American military aircraft. The association of Kuroi Ame with the Battle of Okinawa is lyrically accomplished by the insertion after the second verse of an interlude in which Koja sings the final verse of PW Mujō coupled with a Ryūka (8-8-8-6 syllable poem) of her own composition. The lyrics to the first verse and interlude of Koja’s recording of Kuroi Ame are: Black Rain21 Rain keeps falling Rain pours down The sky is dark Who knows where this rain is coming from Hooy, hooy, hooy, hoo If there was but not this war This sad figure I/we would not have become By but the two characters of “war” [sensō, 戦争] Life is taken Those surviving left to cry Are the children The intertwining of a more universally composed anti-war message with Okinawan particularities is further enhanced when Koja has introduced or interlaced live performances with personal comments referring to the crash of an American transport helicopter into the campus of Okinawa International University in August 2004, to her own childhood memories of witnessing the crash of an American B52 bomber, and to memories of her father, who died while working on the U.S. Airbase at Kadena. Koja’s narration, acting as prelude and spoken interlude accompanying a live performance of Kuroi Ame recorded on this CD, is roughly as follows: Prelude: The song I’m about to sing is called Kuroi Ame. From the first time I sang on stage until here today, how many years have passed? I first sang on stage when I was about five years old and this year I’ll be fifty-one, so I’ve been singing for forty-plus years. In that lifetime of singing, I’ve had lots of varied experiences. Today, during this short time, there are lots of things that I can’t fully describe. In the town where I live, Kadena, there is a large American military air base, called the largest in East Asia. Inside that military base there are many people working, and outside, we are living. American jets that had taken off have on a number of occasions crashed. Among those times when planes have crashed, the most terrifying was when I was a young elementary school student, when a B52 with black wings crashed. At that time, I remember thinking, even though I had not experienced war, ah, Kadena has been hit. That frightening memory is, after all, impossible to forget no matter how many years pass. This year, it makes 60 years that, throughout, we’ve been told of how Okinawa suffered as the site of the sole land battle [on Japanese home soil]. It might appear as though it is now [a time of] peace, but in Okinawan, [the war] hasn’t ended. Inside the heart of Okinawa, paradise has yet to arrive. With my prayers embraced in this song, Kuroi Ame. My father worked inside of Kadena airbase. While on his way to work [one day], my father was run over by a military truck and died instantly. At that time, my mother was 28, my father was 30, I was four. My mother and I have both lived as best we could. But, my mother passed away at 67. Now, I have a child and grandchild, and when I have the strength to look back and think about the past, my father[‘s death] is so mournfully regretful. I think, if there hadn’t been the war and Okinawa was as it had been in the past, my father would surely even now have happily been taking loving care of me. My most loved, most loved father’s memory only have I held in my heart and lived. Therefore, children like me will only have sad memories, so after all having one’s parents healthy and happy is best. Koja’s narrative here is many layered and multivocal, interweaving personal and Okinawan cultural memory; intertwining past, present and future in criticism of war; and appealing for peace both in Okinawa, where the war has not ended even after 60 years, and more universally. There are a number of other recently produced songs that similarly recall Okinawan experiences of war and repeat Okinawan desires for a peaceful existence at home and elsewhere, thereby also reminding us of the on-going local importance of such memories and of struggles to achieve a less militarized and more peaceful present and future. In 2000, Daiku Tetsuhiro recorded Okinawa Kagayake (Shining Okinawa; for more, see Roberson 2009) that sings of a future, shining Okinawa, that has been able to put its past sorrows to sleep and that will heal hearts and teach the world about peace. As the liner notes to this CD point out, Okinawa Kagayake must be understood within, and as a positively phrased and future-oriented statement of resistance against a political context in which the real, foreseeable future of Okinawa as a “discarded stone” (sute-ishi) burdened with the continuing presence of American military bases appears likely to remain unchanged. Although rarely overtly political the Nenes’ 1997 CD, Akemodoro Unai included a number of songs with peace as their theme. Among these were Heiwa no Ryūka (Ryūka of Peace; for a video, look here) and Nasake Shirazuya (Heartless Bastards).22 The immediate context for these songs includes the 1995 rape of a twelve-year old Okinawan girl by three US servicemen and the renewed struggle in the 1990s to regain control of land occupied by U.S. military bases (see Angst 2003; Inoue 2007). Sung in Japanese and set to a deceptively, ironically, light electric guitar pop tune, Nasake Shirazuya calls on its listeners to live with mutually held compassion and excoriates Japanese politicians and America for forgetting the past so easily and for being so uncaring about the lives of Okinawans, even fifty years after the end of World War II. The refrain, repeated at the end, is: “50 years, 50 years// All you who forget so quick and easy// You heartless bastards you.” Like Kuroi Ame making reference to rain is Sora ga Shiranai Ame ga Futteita (A Rain the Sky Knew Not Fell) included on a 2004 CD by Kamiya Chihiro.23 And, in 2001 the punk-rock band Mongol 800 recorded Song for You on their two million plus selling CD Message. Sung in English, Song for You pleads for listeners not to repeat past mistakes and asks “how many boys [will] be killed by fuckin’ wars.” It concludes with a positive vision not unlike that in Okinawa Kagayake of Okinawa/the world as “Forever green. Forever blue/Never end LOVE and PEACE and SONG.”24 The desires for peace sung of in these songs imagine Okinawa as a place where there are no military bases and no crimes or accidents associated with them and their soldiers. Such desires make meaningful otherwise self-exoticizing, neo-romanticist recollections of a halcyon Ryūkyūan past as well as dreams of a future Okinawa, which, sung of in universalistic terms, simultaneously allow for the creation of a space where it is possible to imagine peace in, of, and for Okinawa—and through Okinawa, the world. The particular, obdurate histories and memories of war and military occupation in Okinawa are thus related to future imaginings of a dreamlike, peaceful Okinawa. As such, while the shining Okinawa that Daiku sings of may risk the construction of an Okinawa blind to its past, it must simultaneously be heard as constituting a poetic site of resistance to experiences of war and the continuing American military presence. That such songs continue to be composed reflects (upon) the ongoing presence of the war in Okinawa—in both individual and cultural memory, in physical marks left upon the land, and in the continuing presence of the American military.25 Like other earlier songs, they not only call for peace as a longed for future possibility or critically recollect past experiences of war, but thereby also indict present conditions in Okinawa, whether indirectly, as in Kuroi Ame or Okinawa Kagayake, or more forcefully as in Nasake Shirazuya or Song for You. These songs thus act as sites of cultural resistance and by their continued creation, recording and performance insert into the public sphere—both Okinawan and Japanese—Okinawan memories of war and dreams of peace, significant because of the everyday traces and presences of war, even after more than 60 years. As such, these songs require that we listen to them seriously.26 V—This Ain’t no Sideshow Representing a larger corpus of songs in various musical genres, the songs introduced here constitute a continuing feature of the Okinawan musical landscape. Viewed from the present, they may appear to compose a discordant set. Yet, as mnemonic sites and practices, the creation and lyrical content of these songs reflect, resist and require an understanding of ongoing historical processes, contexts and events in Okinawa that compose fields of experience and identity characterized by unequal power relations. Early songs reflect the dynamics and contradictions of assimilationist pressures and desires that led Okinawans to participate, with whatever sadness on parting, in Japan’s wars and empire building. Later songs give witness to personal and cultural ambivalences and to the profound injuries suffered by Okinawans during the Battle of Okinawa. As a result of their experiences in war, Okinawans have since that time sung of peace, first in terms of a desired return to an originary peaceful homeland, then imagined in reference to reversion from American military control to the promise offered by Japan’s “Peace Constitution.” More recent songs offer visions of a peaceful Okinawa shining for all to gather warmth from or sharply criticize the powerful conjunction of self-serving Japanese and American geo-politics in maintaining conditions in Okinawa that make such desired peace a dream too long delayed by the everyday realities of continuing militarization. Though as suggested by Kinjō Minoru’s LP/CD Jidai never complete, the postwar amnesia constituted through the elision of wartime songs that index assimilationist Okinawan complicity, like other forms of personal and cultural forgetting, is troubling. However, it must also be understood in relation to the eclipsing, defining trauma of the Battle of Okinawa and the continuing presence (with Japanese state support) of American military forces. While some might suggest that early wartime Okinawan songs that bear the lyrical markings of Japanese assimilationist and militarist control are largely and rightly forgotten (see Arakawa 1982: 7), this simultaneously reminds us that if social memories are “contextual, partial, and subject to self-interested manipulation and obfuscation” (Kenny 1999:425), they are also persistent and resistant to efforts at revision (Climo and Cattell 2002:5). There are, as Appadurai points out, limits to the debatability of the past, and this is as true of Okinawan complicity as it is of the more pernicious attempts of the state to revise if not falsify historical representations of the war (Appadurai 1981; see also Figal 1997; Ishihara, et al. 2002; Yonetani 2000). Furthermore, as Schwartz has pointed out in regard to contested American commemoration of the Vietnam War, “To remember is to place a part of the past in the service of conceptions and needs of the present.” (Schwartz 1982:374). In Okinawa, memories of the war given voice in song, like other practices and structures for meaning making and in other contestations over commemoration, are part of ongoing struggles in which Okinawan identities are constructed in inter-relationship with Japanese and American influences and forces. However, the needs of the present in Okinawa are here also importantly composed with reference to visions of the future. Memories of the war, including the dangers of memory undone, are thus linked both to present cultural and political identity construction in Okinawa and to interrelated dreams of a future, peaceful Okinawa free of wars and weapons. Thus, while also speaking to historical complexities and contradictions, these Okinawan songs of war and peace are important because—as George Lipsitz writes more broadly of the messages and products of popular culture in the introductory chapter to Time Passages, entitled “Popular Culture: This Ain’t No Sideshow”—“[a]t their best…they retain memories of the past and contain hopes for the future that rebuke the injustices and inequities of the present” (1990:20). James E. Roberson is Professor of Anthropology, Tokyo Jogakkan College. He is the author of Japanese Working Class Lives: An Ethnographic Study of Factory Workers and (with Nobue Suzuki) of Men and Masculinities in Contemporary Japan: Dislocating the Salaryman Doxa. He wrote this article for The Asia-Pacific Journal. Recommended citation: James E. Roberson, "Songs of War and Peace: Music and Memory in Okinawa," The Asia-Pacific Journal, 31-3-10, August 2, 2010. Articles on related themes from The Asia-Pacific Journal: Ahagon Shoko and C. Doughlas Lummis, "I Lost My Only Son in the War: Prelude to the Okinawan Anti-Base Movement." Miyume Tanji, "Community Resistance and Sustainability in an Okinawan Village" C. Douglas Lummis, "The US-Japan Status of Forces Agreement and Okinawan Anger" Miyagi Yasuhiro,"Okinawa - Rising Magma" 1 Takahashi Miki (2010) has recently criticized Nakahodo Masanori, Kumada Susumu and me (Roberson 2003) for such focus. I make no apologies. I conversely suggest that a-theoretical and a-political detailing of musical minutiae, however fascinating for fans and fetishists (including lay and academic “Okinawa freaks”), risks obscuring if not obfuscating the broader cultural-political significance of musical production and practice, especially in complexly contexted, marginalized and contested places such as Okinawa. 2 The key Ryūkyūan instrument, the sanshin is a three-stringed instrument derived from the Chinese sanxian and is a predecessor of the Japanese shamisen, see Kaneshiro (1997). 3 All translations into English are my own. Original lyrics from Kinjō Minoru, Jidai; Kinjō Minoru: Senji-Sensō o Utau, BCY 20NCD-1002, 2002 (1981). 4 Translation based on Nakahodo 1988:152. Lyrics and music by Fukuhara Chōki. My thanks to Fukuhara Ongaku Jimusho for permission to include this translation. 5 See: Chanpurū Shinguruzu Volume 2: (Sensō to Imin)—Heiwa no Negai, Toshiba EMI, TOCT 9552, 1996. 6 By 1940 some 42,252 Okinawans were resident in Osaka, another 11,426 in neighboring Hyogo Prefecture. See Tomiyama (1990:254). 7 Such reluctance was also reflected in Okinawan migration abroad as a strategy not only to improve their economic conditions but to avoid the military draft (Matsumura 2002:136; on songs of Okinawan migration, see Roberson 2010b). 8 Written by Higa Tsunetoshi and originally recorded in the mid 1970s. Translation based on Matsumura (2002:162-6; see also “Okinawa o Dō Oshieru Ka” Henshūiinkai 2006:86-7; Deigo Musume, Ketteiban: Deigo Musume Tokushū, Marufuku Records, ACD-3004, 1995. 9 Lyrics by Komune Saburō. Translation based on Radio Okinawa (1994:82). 10 There have been at least five major Japanese motion pictures about the Himeyuri students, starting with Imai Tadashi’s 1953 Himeyuri no Tō (see: Nakae and Nakae 2000:154-75). Angst’s critique resonates with those of others: see Fujiwara (2001), Shima (1997). 11 Lyrics and music by Tsukayama Hiroyoshi. Tsukayama Hiroyoshi, Nuchi Du Takara—Yomitansan Basha Muchā, Marufuku Records, CCF 83, 1995. My thanks to Bise Katsu of Campus Records for permission to include this translation. 12 For more on sites of war memorialization, see Figal (2003). 13 This translation based on Yamazato Yuki Natsukashiki Kōkyō, Nafin VICG-6009, 1998. 14 Kina Shoukichi & Champloose, Akainko, Nippon Columbia, COCA-15326, 1998; Koja Misako, Kuroi Ame, Disc Milk DM006, 2005. 15 Lyrics and music by Fukuhara Chōki. This translation based on Yamazato Yuki Natsukashiki Kōkyō. My thanks to Fukuhara Ongaku Jimusho for permission to include this translation. 16 Noborikawa Seijin, Howling Wolf, Omagatoki, OMCA-9001, 1998. For the story behind this song, see Noborikawa (2002:194-7). 17 Versions may be found on Kina Shoukichi and Champloose, In Love, Toshiba EMI TOCT-6688, 1992, and Noborikawa Seijin, Spiritual Unity, Respect Record RES-45, 2001. 18 For more on Yu-Yu-Yu see Roberson (2003:192-227). Begin, Begin no Shima-uta: Omototakeo 2, Teichiku Entertainment TECN-20798, 2002. Thanks to Shirota Chika for reminding me of this song. 19 Tamaki Kazumi, Tinin, Akabana, APCD 1003, 1997. Lyrics by Heija Nami, music by Fukuhara Tsuneo. My thanks to Fukuhara Ongaku Jimusho for permission to include this translation. 20 The original reads, “Yagati uhizamutu muduru urisa,” implying the return of a child to the safety of a parent’s care. 21 Translation of main verses by Kurota Nagisa, included in liner notes to Koja Misako, Kuroi Ame, Disk Milk DM006, 2005. Translation of interlude by the author. 22 Nenes, Akemodoro Unai, Antinos Records, ARCJ 69, 1997. The liner notes to the western release of this CD weakly translate this as “You are Inhumane.” I prefer the more direct “Heartless Bastards,” though here “bastards” is conversely perhaps too strong for the Japanese “shirazuya.” 23 Kamiya Chihiro, Tinjāra, Campus, MYCD 35013, 2004. 24 Mongol 800, Message, Highwave, HICC-1201, 2001. 25 Medoruma (2005) thus questions the correctness of talking about the “postwar” period in Okinawa. 26 An anonymous reviewer of a prior version of this paper (Roberson 2009) objects that the songs discussed in this paper must be seen as commodities produced by a massive music industry, and that their potential as vehicles of resistance is thus reduced to being “facile deployments of cultural memory.” The reviewer is also “tired of every gesture being valorized in cultural studies analyses as a form of resistance.” I understand the need to be cautious about the culture industry and reading everything as resistance. However, I also believe that it is dangerous to deny a priori the critical political significance of popular cultural production, particularly that by people who have been or are subjects of colonialism and imperialism. This is especially true in the case of Okinawa, where such resistance has been given voice for over 60 years in music and in other forms of cultural and political protest—including ongoing anti-war and anti-base movements and sentiments that in 2010 continue to intervene into US-Japan-Okinawan relationships and exercises of power. Ahagon, Shōkō (1992) Nuchi Koso Takara: Okinawa Hansen no Kokoro (Life is a Treasure: The Heart of Anti-War Okinawa). Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten. Angst, Linda (1997) “Gendered Nationalism: The Himeyuri Story and Okinawan Identity in Postwar Japan.” PoLAR 20(1):100-13. ---- (2001) In a Dark Time: Community, Memory, and the Making of Ethnic Selves in Okinawan Women’s Narratives. 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Bise, Katsu (1998) “Sengo Okinawa Ongakushi: 1945-1998” (Postwar Okinawan Music History: 1945-1998), in Uchinā no Uta: Meikyoku 101sen & CD Gaido, ed.Fujita Tadashi. Tokyo: Ongakunotomosha. Christy, Alan S. (1997) “The Making of Imperial Subjects,” in Formations of Colonial Modernity in East Asia, ed. Tani E. Barlow. Durham and London: Duke University Press. Climo, Jacob J. and Maria G. Cattell (2002) “Introduction: Meaning in Social Memory and History: Anthropological Perspectives,” in Social Memory and History: Anthropological Perspectives, ed. Jacob J. Climo and Maria G. Cattell. Walnut Creek: Altamira Press. Figal, Gerald (1997) “Historical Sense and Commemorative Sensibility at Okinawa’s Cornerstone of Peace.” positions 5(3):745-78. ---- (2003) “Waging Peace on Okinawa,” in Islands of Discontent: Okinawan Responses to Japanese and American Power, ed. Laura Hein and Mark Selden. Lanham and Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. Fujitani, Takashi, Geoffrey M. 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__label__wiki	0.964996	0.964996	twitterfacebookenvelopecomments How a fluke win diminished the political clout of Hispanic voters in this Texas congressional district By Alexa Ura and Chris Essig April 16, 2018 It all started with a wave. The 2010 elections — the first midterms during the Obama presidency — were cause for celebration for Texas Republicans. They picked up almost two dozen seats in the state Legislature and ousted a 27-year incumbent Corpus Christi Democrat in a South Texas congressional district he had represented since its creation in 1982. The timing of that fluke win in the 27th Congressional District was just right for Republicans. State lawmakers would soon embark on redrawing Texas’ political maps following the once-a-decade census. Now, Republicans could reconfigure CD-27 to protect their new incumbent, Blake Farenthold. To accomplish that, Republicans redrew the district in 2011 in a way that left behind Democratic-leaning areas in the district and picked up swaths of the state they could rely on to vote Republican the following year. But those efforts curtailed CD-27’s Hispanic majority, which had long supported Solomon Ortiz. The decision-making behind the redrawing of CD-27 would ultimately usher in a seven-year-long legal fight over the rights of Hispanics living along the state’s coastal bend — the next chapter of which takes place this month at the U.S. Supreme Court. General election results, winning candidate → Area shown ↑ on maps Scroll to see more maps → The shades of blue and red show how strongly CD-27 voting districts went Democratic or Republican. Voting districts from the U.S. Census. District shapes and election results from the Texas Legislative Council. View the analysis we ran to get this data. The 2011 changes to the congressional district anchored in Nueces County were drastic. Unlike other districts where lawmakers carefully traveled block by block to pull in the voters they wanted, CD-27 was practically flipped on its head. This is an occasional series about how Texas leaders choose their voters — using gerrymandering and voter ID laws — as courts repeatedly scold them for disproportionately burdening voters of color. More in this series With a majority Hispanic population, the district had long been configured to stretch down the coastal bend into the Rio Grande Valley and was considered an opportunity district where Hispanic voters would be empowered to elect their preferred candidates. It was also reliably blue — election after election, voters backed Ortiz. And while Farenthold squeaked by with a 2010 election win, it was unlikely that the Hispanic voters who made up the majority of CD-27’s electorate would support the Republican incumbent in the next election — a presidential year — when turnout would be higher. In an effort to draw a district that would be friendlier to Farenthold, map drawers pulled more than 100,000 Hispanics of voting age out of the district and kept Nueces County in CD-27 because that’s where Farenthold lived. That reconfiguration resulted in a district that starts in Nueces County, runs north along the coastal bend and reaches into Central Texas. It’s a district, map drawers concluded, that would keep Farenthold in office. But it would also run afoul of the federal Voting Rights Act. As part of a legal challenge to several congressional and legislative districts, a three-judge federal panel ruled last year that Republicans violated federal protections against discrimination for voters of color by diminishing the political clout of Hispanics in Nueces County. The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. Become one. Cataloging their actions as discriminatory, the judges found that Republican lawmakers intentionally deprived Hispanic voters of their opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice in CD-27. Republican lawmakers placed Nueces County Hispanics into a district “dominated” by white voters “not because they wanted these Hispanic voters to have influence in CD-27” but because those voters wouldn’t support the Republican incumbent, who is white, the judges wrote. Ultimately, more than 200,000 Hispanics in Nueces County were “stranded” in CD-27, which picked up several central Texas counties. Overlay on maps represent census tracts, which are from the U.S. Census. Voting-age population data from the Texas Legislative Council. The new political map left Nueces County as the only county in CD-27 with a majority Hispanic electorate, but that majority was essentially drowned out in the overall district, where the share of Hispanics who were of voting age dropped to 45 percent. Because voting blocs are often aligned along racial groups that prefer different candidates, it would be virtually impossible for Hispanic voters to overcome the white voting bloc in electing the district’s representative. In flagging CD-27 as discriminatory, the judges pointed to testimony that showed map drawers knew this wasn’t necessary. Map drawers acknowledged that they could have included part of Nueces County — and most of its Hispanic population — in a neighboring district that was majority Hispanic in a way that still would have protected Farenthold and kept his home in the district. But they put aside alternative maps that did just that and instead made the “political decision” to put all of Nueces County into the new CD-27 with its majority-white electorate, the judges found. Key to this calculation was the need to include seven Hispanic opportunity districts in the area known as the south and west Texas “envelope” to comply with the Voting Rights Act. For decades, Nueces County had been included in the envelope, which was made up of districts where Hispanics made up a majority of eligible voters. It ran from Nueces County to El Paso, up to Central Texas and back to Nueces. But the latest iteration of the state’s congressional map nixed the county from that configuration. Nueces County’s eviction is perhaps best highlighted by the boundaries of the neighboring 34th Congressional District, which was carefully drawn to bypass Nueces County and pick up residents from less-populated counties farther north to meet population requirements. According to the judges, the voting rights violations rooted in Nueces County stretched far northwest into Travis County — home to Austin — where lawmakers pulled Hispanic voters into another neighboring district, the 35th Congressional District, that they labeled as a Hispanic opportunity district. After the 2010 census, Texas Republicans were forced to grapple with the reality that Hispanics — who tend to vote for Democrats — were behind most of the state’s explosive population growth, and map drawers at the time acknowledged needing to add one Hispanic opportunity district. Now that CD-27 was no longer a Hispanic opportunity district, they turned to CD-35 as a key piece to their redistricting strategy. But CD-35 proved to be a “facade” opportunity district that reduced Hispanic voting power statewide, according to the federal judges. Opportunity districts are meant to be drawn in places that are home to racially polarized voting, where whites vote as a bloc against candidates preferred by voters of color. That electoral dynamic does not exist in Travis County, so Hispanics there weren’t entitled to reside in an opportunity district under the Voting Rights Act, the judges found. Hispanics in Nueces County, on the other hand, were entitled to that right, but in the end, their rights were “essentially traded” away. Want to learn more about Congressional District 35? As part of our Lock The Vote series, we examined another key piece of Republicans’ 2011 redistricting strategy, which courts said discriminated against minorities: the curiously-shaped 35th Congressional District. The state has since appealed the lower court’s ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is set to hear arguments in the case on April 24. The Supreme Court’s decision on whether lawmakers discriminated against Hispanics in drawing up the two districts is expected this summer. If the high court sides with the lower panel’s decision, it could find that, for a majority of this decade’s elections, Hispanic voters in CD-27 were intentionally placed in a district in which they had less power to elect their representative. By then, the state will be just months away from Election Day, which will officially mark the fourth congressional election conducted under that map. This story is available for republication. Please email Natalie Choate or Ayan Mittra if you’re interested. © 2018 The Texas Tribune Who Funds Us?	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line929
__label__wiki	0.796771	0.796771	Democrats On Impeachment: Then Vs. Now For the last several weeks, talks of impeaching President Donald Trump have dominated political conversations. Although the House of Representatives has yet to hold a formal vote on beginning an impeachment inquiry, national Democrats are ringing the bell as they attempt to rally voters to their cause. Despite questionable evidence, Democrats are eager to make the point that these proceedings are not politically motivated. However, when impeachment proceedings against then-President Bill Clinton were underway in 1998, Democrats defended the President against Republican charges on the grounds that their impeachment push was politically motivated. To highlight the change in rhetoric, AR/Intel has pulled together congressional footage of leading Democrats talking about impeachment in 1998, and their response to the issue now. In 1998, then-Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) blasted Republican impeachment proceedings as a ploy “to overturn the will of the people.” He warned that the effort was a “partisan attack,” suggesting that Republicans were pressing the issue “over resentments at losing the prior election.” Fast forward to 2019, and now Biden has come out in full support of impeaching a president of the opposing party. Apparently abandoning warnings against a partisan process, earlier this month Biden railed against President Trump, saying “He is shooting holes in our Constitution, and we cannot allow him to get away with it.” As a member of the House of Representatives, in 1998 then-Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) took a different approach to the impeachment proceedings than Biden. Rather than framing the impeachment vote as a partisan attack, Sanders criticized the chamber for diverting time and resources away from real issues to instead “discuss where Bill Clinton touched Monica Lewinsky.” Sanders said a vote to impeach would “paralyze our government,” as a Senate trial would “go on month after month after month.” With a trade deal still to be ratified, health care legislation still pending, and a budget that still needs to be passed, Sanders apparently no longer believes impeachment proceedings will hold up legislative business. At the third primary debate last week, Sanders called for a “speedy and expeditious impeachment process” and for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to “allow a free and fair trial in the Senate.” The promise of an “expeditious” process is beginning to look like a pipedream, however, as Democrats are privately saying the process could stretch into the holiday season and possibly beyond. Having been just elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998, one of then-Rep. Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) last actions as a member of the House of Representatives was a vote on impeaching President Clinton. In a December 1998 speech on the House floor, Schumer criticized both Republicans and Democrats for repeatedly using impeachment as a tool “to win the political battles and ideological differences we cannot settle at the ballot box.” With the vote looming, Schumer said Congress had “lowered the bar on impeachment” and warned that in the future, it would “be used as a routine tool to fight political battles.” Concluding with a statement that carries even more significance today, Schumer said, “My fear is that when a Republican wins the White House, Democrats will demand payback.” Payback, indeed. Thus far, Schumer has been reluctant to call for the full impeachment of President Trump. However he has been fully supportive of an impeachment inquiry. During a recent speech for the Human Rights Campaign, Schumer enthusiastically announced to applause that he “fully support[s]” House Speaker Pelosi’s decision to open an impeachment inquiry. Speaking about impeachment on the House floor in 1998, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (R-CA) blasted Republicans for their impeachment investigation of Clinton, saying it had “seriously violated” American principles of “privacy, fairness, [and] checks and balances.” “We are here today,” Pelosi continued, “because the Republicans in the House are paralyzed with hatred of President Clinton, and until the Republicans free themselves of this hatred, our country will suffer.” In late-September, Pelosi announced that the House of Representatives would launch a formal impeachment inquiry into President Trump. Despite previously criticizing Republicans for failing to adhere to Congressional checks and balances, last week Pelosi made the decision to hold off on a full House vote authorizing the inquiry. Filed Under: Data Center, Featured, Features, In The News	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line930
__label__cc	0.660451	0.339549	Policy Brief: Multiannual plan for Baltic Sea fisheries A multi-species management for the Baltic Sea fisheries is an important step in the right direction. However, the proposed plan does not fully comply with the ecosystem approach as stipulated in the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). http://balticeye.org/en/fisheries/policy-brief-multiannual-plan-for-baltic-sea-fisheries/ Policy Brief: Multiannual plan for Baltic Sea fisheries A multi-species management for the Baltic Sea fisheries is an important step in the right direction. However, the proposed plan does not fully comply with the ecosystem approach as stipulated in the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). name@email.com Recommendation of '[CAPTION]' on balticeye.org I recommend you read the page [SHARE_URL] on balticeye.org No clear objective The multi-species management objective of reaching maximum sustainable yield, msy, for the three species, as stated in the plan, is inadequate. A functional multi-species management also requires decisions about what should be prioritized; msy for all species together, or on a species-specific level? And msy in weight (biomass) or in value? Since the various species interact to such a great extent catches cannot be sustainably maximized for all species simultaneously. The absence of a specified objective for management is especially unfortunate for the Baltic Sea, which is a species-poor sea where the interaction among the few species is crucial for the entire ecosystem. Cod in focus The multi-annual plan must take much greater account of the different ecological roles and functions of species covered by the plan. The recovery of the cod stocks is a top priority. F-values should be set for cod stocks first, and then for the other species. The fact that cod play a key role in the Baltic Sea ecosystem is confirmed by historical data, particularly regarding the eastern cod stock where strong variations in population size has resulted in clear regime shifts and ecological cascade-effects across the Baltic Sea ecosystem. Adapt to environmental variations A multi-annual plan for the Baltic Sea must take greater account of environmental factors. The current proposal lacks a mechanism for responding to large and sudden changes in ecosystem conditions. The extremely slow water exchange in combination with perennial human impact in the form of eutrophication and overfishing makes the Baltic Sea extra sensitive. Salinity, temperature and oxygen availability has great impact on the stocks’ productivity. History also shows that large variations occur naturally in the Baltic Sea, and that they are often more powerful compared to many other marine environments. The process of setting quotas must keep abreast of large variations in recruitment and growth, as well as safeguard long-term preservation of stocks and ecosystem functions. Levels above Bmsy The strong linkages among cod, herring and sprat make it impossible to achieve Bmsy for all stocks at the same time - unless they are managed at levels above Bmsy. Levels of Bmsy should also be listed in Article 5 of the plan, in accordance with the msy objectives for stock biomasses stated in the cfp. Good scientific basis The eastern cod stock largely consist of small and lean individuals, and there is currently an extraordinary uncertainty regarding the status and development of the stock. As a result, the proposal to increase F from 0.3 to 0.41-0.51 rests on very uncertain scientific basis. The coming spring ices is expected to present updated estimates of Fmsy ranges for the Eastern Baltic cod and efforts to finalize the plan should await the coming and revised scientific advice. No references to stock age and size distributions In agreement with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, msfd, natural size- and age distributions of commercial fish stocks are important indicators to achieve good ecological status of the marine environment. Unfortunately these aspects are missing in the current proposal. This is particulary worrying given the current poor conditions of the eastern cod and most sprat and herring stocks. Flatfish considerations The proposal recognizes the potential problems with by-catches of flatfish, particulary in Baltic cod fisheries. This initiative should be supported throughout the decision-making process, to ensure a good status of the Baltic flatfish stocks. Adaptive plan The multiannual plan needs to be more adaptive to ecosystem changes and have a clear methodology on how the revised scientific recommendations will be handled. The methodology should be in accordance with the agreement of The Inter-Institutional Task Force on multiannual plan (2014), which advocates »a review of exploitation and conservation reference parameters on the basis of periodic benchmarking exercise by ices» (Annex 2, paragraph 9). Article 9 in the plan should clarify that Fmsy ranges and targets for biomass levels can be adjusted, due to changes in the ecosystem and/or revised scientific advice from ices. It should also be clarified how these adjustments are to be decided at regional level through the Commission’s “delegated acts”, in accordance with the cfp regionalization principle. The Commission’s role to evaluate regional management decisions and ensure their compliance with current EU regulations and law should also be stated in the plan. Specify the MSY objectives of the plan. Prioritize the recovery of the cod stocks. Set F values for cod first, and secondly for stocks of other species. Take greater account of variations in ecosystem functions and environmental factors. Include ICES upcoming estimates of Fmsy for the Baltic cod stocks in the final decision. Develop a clear management methodology for adopting revised scientific advice on e.g. Fmsy ranges and targets for stock biomass levels. Admit adjustments of the Fmsy ranges and target biomass levels based on changes in the ecosystem and/or revised scientific advice. Include size- and age distribution in the conservation reference points for the stock concerned. Establish the guiding principle that quotas should never exceed median/mean estimates of Fmsy. Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre has submitted comments on the Rural Ministry referral: Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Regulation establishing a multiannual plan for stocks of cod, herring / Baltic herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea and the fisheries exploiting those stocks, amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2187/2005 and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1098/2007 From the Baltic Sea Centre and Baltic Eye, Maciej Tomczak, Gustaf Almqvist and Tina Elfwing contributed. Additional contribution came from Olle Hjerne at the Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences. This Baltic Eye policy brief is based on the submitted comments to the Swedish Rural Ministry. Maciej Tomczak Fisheries and marine ecologist maciej.tomczak@su.se Pdf and swedish version Pdf: Multiannual plan for Baltic Sea fisheries Swedish version: Flerårsplan för fisket i Östersjön	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line938
__label__wiki	0.693277	0.693277	30 Facts That Will Change the Way You Use Social Media This just in: Facebook can see you when you're sleeping. By Ashley Moor June 21, 2018 By Ashley Moor According to a survey by Social Media Today, it's estimated that the average person spends around 2 hours a day browsing social media platforms alone. Boiled down, this means that we're each spending around 40 minutes on YouTube, 35 minutes on Facebook, 25 minutes on Snapchat, 15 minutes on Instagram, and one minute on Twitter every day. (Okay, Twitter is admittedly not much of a time-sink.) Put another way: over the course of a lifetime, expect to spend a total of five years and four months browsing social media. So yeah. You use social media quite a lot. But more startling than these figures is that overarching fact that you could—and indeed should—be utilizing these daily two hours differently: more effectively, efficiently, and safely, in other words. For instance, if you want to maximize likes, there's a specific time of day to log on. Or, if you want to minimize privacy breaches, there's a secret button you likely haven't hit. Herein, we've rounded up the 30 most astounding, shocking facts that will totally change the way you use social media—forever. And for more ways technology has put you under a spell, check out these 20 Ways Social Media Stresses Us Out. Facebook sees you when you're sleeping… …and knows when you're awake. Web developer Soren Louv-Jansen created a system that literally mapped out his friends sleeping patterns by checking the first and last times they used the Facebook Messenger app. Though this may not be especially useful if you're not a big-time Facebook user, it's still a bit creepy for those of us who are. And for more crazy facts about Facebook, check out these 15 Things You Don't Know about Facebook. Facebook pays hackers. Though Facebook may not be great at keeping your data private, as we're all well aware by now, they at least want to keep the site secure and free from threatening hackers. To better arm themselves against these threats, Facebook continues to invite anyone to hack into their site. And if the hacker is successful at pointing out a major issue, they'll be rewarded for their efforts—via a cool $500 in cash. And for more tips to improve your social media strategies, check out these 20 Social Media Mistakes You're Making. Social media improves romantic relationships. As it turns out, your social media habits aren't disrupting your relationship—they're actually impacting your romance in a positive way, according to a Neoteric UK survey. An astounding 74 percent of couples say that the Internet and social media have impacted their relationship in a positive way. We're guessing the invention of #WCW helped move this trend along. Kids accept random WhatsApp requests. According to cyber safety non-profit Online Sense, 65 percent of children have accepted Whatsapp requests or other messages from people that they don't know personally—or at all. If you have a kid on the app, be mindful. And some even meet IRL. Online Sense also notes (quite chillingly) that 23 percent of children agree to meet someone face to face that they met online. Social media makes teens sad. According to psychologist Katie Hurley, this past decade witnessed a tremendous spike in major depressive episodes among adolescents and young adults—jumping from 8.7 percent in 2005 to 11.3 percent in 2014—and many are blaming this phenomenon on the emergence of social media. According to a report published by the Royal Society for Public Health in the UK, it was found that while YouTube had the most positive impact, every other social media platform had a decidedly negative one. If you want retweets, log on during dinner. If you're looking to increase your engagement, multiple studies have suggested that your evening commute may be the best time push content on Twitter. According to these studies, the best time to retweet on Twitter falls somewhere 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on most weeknights. (Additionally, the best day to receive the most Twitter engagement is Wednesday.) For Facebook likes, wait until the weekend. If you're one of the millions of users attempting to push your content daily, it may be a good idea to wait until the weekend to promote the bulk of it, according to a review of social media engagement studies. More specifically, aim to publish content between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., as those tend to be the peak hours for engagement on Saturday and Sunday. Moms love brands. Similar to moms IRL, moms on Facebook are incredibly supportive—especially when it comes to showing love for their favorite brands and companies. According to a survey published by Burst Media, around 56 percent of social-media-using mothers go out of their way to follow their favorite brands on Facebook. A large amount of Facebook accounts aren't actually that active. In 2015, Facebook had 1.59 billion users with only 1.23 billion of them active on at least a monthly basis, according to Venture Beat. Democrats are more active on Twitter. Though it is often incredibly easy to tell a person's political affiliations by giving their Twitter page a quick once-over, this startling statistic published in the journal PLoS ONE points out that Democrats are actually likely to follow more accounts than Republicans. Specifically, a Democrat will follow an average of 78 accounts, while their Republican counterparts will only follow, on average, 52 accounts. Snapchat's users are predominantly female. Female-targeting brands, heads up: according to the chief executive of Snapchat, an incredible 70 percent of its users are female—meaning that you might want to hop on the Snapchat bandwagon before it's too late. And for more on this popular app, learn the 15 Things You Don't Know about Snapchat. Pinterest users spend like crazy. When the e-commerce platform Shopify analyzed data from 25,000 online stores, they found that Pinterest users spend two times more money per purchase (or $8) than those who shopped on Facebook or Twitter. And honestly might be shopaholics. According to Pinterest, 93 percent of their users have shopped online within the last six months. So, if you're looking for a way to make some extra money, it might be a good idea to start posting your own creations on Pinterest. Baby Boomers are swarming to Twitter. According to social media guru Belle Beth Cooper, Twitter users between the ages of 55 and 64 have grown a whopping 79 percent since 2012. So, if you're looking to promote content on Twitter, it may be important to keep these Baby Boomers in mind. YouTube is becoming more popular than cable. Long-gone are the days of dish and satellite—well, at least according to any 18-to-34-year-old, says social media expert Jeff Bullas. Instead of setting up their satellite dish, this incredibly important age group opts for simple YouTube videos to quench their thirst for popular culture. LinkedIn might be a sleeper hit. Though LinkedIn may not be the most popular social media platform, it is the most powerful networking tool for professionals. The power of LinkedIn can be summed up in one simple statistic, as discovered by social media guru Belle Beth Cooper: every second of every day, two new members join LinkedIn—and bring new worlds of possibility with them. Or not… Still, even though new members are joining LinkedIn at an impressive rate, users are spending more time participating on Facebook and Twitter, according to Bullas. The bottom line: LinkedIn is great for making important business connections, but not for any form of steady communication. To chat freely and quickly with your mentors or peers, stick to Facebook or Twitter. Some Facebook users don't actually care about the whole privacy thing. According to a survey by Velocity Digital, approximately 25 percent of Facebook users don't even bother to check their privacy settings on the site. This number is incredibly startling, considering the sheer amount of recent heat Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg has been under for the company's multiple data breaches. Sometimes, the least prolific users are the most active. It's time to show some kindness to those Twitter users who may not be racking up their follower count—especially since, generally speaking, these are the followers who reportedly make the most Twitter mentions. In fact, a whopping 91 percent of mentions on Twitter are made by users with less than 500 followers. Twitter has six separate communities. Not all Twitter accounts communicate in the same way—in fact, there are six distinct and totally separate communities within the platform, says Scott Ayres, co-author of Facebook All-in-One For Dummies. These separate communication categories are as follows: Polarized Crowds, or people who talk about controversial topics like politics; Tight Crowds, or users who are focused on certain topics—like hobbies; Brand Clusters, or the group who generally discusses everything under the sun; Community Clusters, or those of us who tend to only post about current events; Broadcast Networks, or users who post frequently about celebrities; and Support Networks, or companies and services with customer support. For engagement, stick to words. While this may be a surprising tidbit, most social media users are more likely to engage with content that is completely original—and written, according to a survey by Social Media Examiner. That's right: Most followers are likely to bypass original visual content. Twitter was almost called "Friendstalker." Among the many names Twitter founder Noah Glass considered before settling upon its current one, the most alarming—yet profoundly accurate—contender was… Friendstalker. Companies don't actually listen to you on social media. One of the amazing benefits of Facebook is that you can almost always rely on your favorite companies and brands to actively maintain their page—informing their customers of upcoming events, new products, etc. And, though this communication is nice, it seems to only be a one-way street for most companies. According to SocialBakers, only 30 percent of companies actually respond to questions and inquiries from customers on Facebook—which is a shocking statistic when you realize that a company's sole purpose for maintaining a Facebook page is to openly interact with their customers. So, the next time you'd like to reach out to a brand or company, it may be best to do so through a phone hotline—sigh. Pinterest pins are worth money. Though it may take some practiced patience, every original pin you post on Pinterest is worth an average of 78 cents, according to social media marketing and analytics firm Piqora. The patience part comes into play with the fact that about half of Pinterest sales don't occur until two and a half months after the item was originally pinned—and that's only if your item has been repinned at least 10 times. If your item has had no such luck, then you'll be waiting at least one more month for a sale. However, according to Piqora, once you begin to regularly post original pins, you'll see increased traffic to your site, and, therefore, more Pinterest users buying your products. Most users aren't patient. According to Sprout Social, while the average social media user expects a brand response within 4 hours, most companies don't typically respond until 10 hours after the question or comment was posted—if at all. Our advice: stop watching their clock for a Twitter response—it will eventually come…in ten hours or so. Facebook is the most addictive platform. Out of every social media platform, Facebook has easily become the most addictive, with 23 percent of its users checking their app five or more times a day, according to Tom Webster and his team. According to a Vice article, this is no accident—as the "like" button has negatively affected users by "hijacking the social reward systems of a user's brain." Since its creation, Facebook has been consistently guilty of messing with our emotions—in just a few clicks of the mouse. Terrorists use social media as a recruitment tactic. According to author David Patrikarakos, the terrorist organization ISIS has garnered such a diverse following through a series of skillful propaganda pushes via social media. In fact, after Uzbek immigrant Sayfullo Saipov plowed into eight people with his truck in Manhattan last year, a whopping 90 of these propaganda videos were found on his phone. Since this turn to social media for ISIS recruitment, the United States hasn't been able to successfully wage a war against the social media platforms that sometimes unknowingly display this content. And for more digital wisdom, check out these 20 Amazing Facts You Never Knew About Your Smartphone. Your privacy settings have a non-ideal default. Though there are now multiple ways to protect to protect your personal information, social networks like Facebook and Twitter are guilty of leaving their default setting as the opt-out option—meaning that if you've never checked your privacy settings, it's likely that you and your data have no privacy at all, according to author Dale Smith. There's a best day for every category on Pinterest. Whether you're looking for brand new items to pin, or you're ready to post a few original ones, it pays off to know which categories soar on each day of the week. For a list of the top subjects by day on Pinterest, head over to Buffer Social. And for more ways to spend your free time without a smartphone, check out these 20 Genius Ways to Kill Time without a Smartphone. To discover more amazing secrets about living your best life, click here to sign up for our FREE daily newsletter! The "American Bro" Is an International Embarrassment What the insidious rise of online frat culture means for the modern man. Why Men Are Terrible Risk Takers “Watch this!,” he says. And then does something really, really dumb. 10 Famous Men Who Wear the Same Outfit Every Day Is it a uniform? Or is it laziness? 10 Things You Didn't Know about Justin Trudeau Athlete, nerd, hopeless romantic, thespian. Yes, there’s a lot more to Canada’s Prime Minister than just politics. Where Did the Name "March Madness" Come From? The real story behind the NCAA basketball tournament's bankable nickname. Christie Brinkley's Triumphant Return to the Beach And, yes, it’s something to behold. Jon Hamm: The Best Life Interview Jon Hamm, star of TV's Mad Men, reveals the secrets of manliness in a postmodern world. Driving Tips Smart Men Know Ten easy ways to be the safest driver on the road. 15 Personalized Rings That Make Perfect Gifts There's no time like the present to put a ring on it. Which Is Cheaper: Disneyland or Disney World We ran the numbers, and the results will surprise you. 17 Signs You're a Narcissist and Don't Know It Is it always about you? Here's how you can tell. It's time to nix these phrases now. 13 Signs You're Taking Your Spouse for Granted These marriage misfires can breed resentment. 15 Gorgeous Rugs You Can Buy at Target You don't have to break the bank to upgrade your home. © 2020 Galvanized Media. All Rights Reserved. Bestlifeonline.com is part of the Meredith Health Group Live smarter, look better, and live your life to the absolute fullest. Get Our Newsletter Every Day! Enter your email address to get the best tips and advice.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line945
__label__cc	0.658828	0.341172	At long last, TriMet says a new Gideon Street-Brooklyn bridge is coming Posted by Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor) on June 29th, 2017 at 1:56 pm Yellow line shows the location of the old Gideon-Brooklyn footbridge. A crucial neighborhood connection, it was torn down by TriMet in 2013 and never replaced. At long last TriMet says they’ll replace the old footbridge that used to cross over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks between Southeast Gideon and Brooklyn/16th streets. The rickety old bridge was demolished in 2013 as part of the construction of the Orange Line MAX. It was supposed to be replaced by a new bridge, but TriMet never built it. At the time, TriMet said they cut the replacement bridge out of the project in order to meet a federally mandated 10 percent reduction in the Orange Line project budget. Even though the project came in under budget, TriMet sent remaining funds back to the federal government. Neighborhood and transportation activists were furious. The bridge is a crucial connection between a new MAX station and jobs to the south of the railroad line and neighborhoods to the north. With a connection lacking, many people make the risky decision of crossing over the tracks on foot — and even walking through train cars during long stoppages at the nearby Brooklyn yard. A 2015 story in the Willamette Week quoted a Hosford-Abernethy Neighborhood District (HAND) Association member saying, “The freight train cuts off our whole neighborhood from the MAX station. People are going to be running across [the rail yard] to avoid missing their light-rail trains.” Here’s more background from HAND neighborhood activist and Bike Loud PDX leader Jessica Engelman. She shared the good news on the Bike Loud PDX email list last week: “The Gideon Bridge was a project added to the Orange Line MAX project at the request of area residents and the neighborhood association to replace the ped bridge over the freight tracks at SE 16th that had to be removed for Orange Line construction. It would provide ped/bike access from the north side of the freight/light rail tracks, where more residences and businesses are located, to the south, where the MAX Station and access to Tilikum Crossing are located. It was considered a crucial project because due to the proximity to Brooklyn Rail Yard, long, slow freight trains that block all north-south access are a frequent occurrence at this location.” Even when the old bridge was still open, people with bicycles opted to carry bikes across the tracks to save time and effort. Hopefully the new bridge will have a ramp and/or a reliable elevator. (Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland) Despite the lost funding opportunity through the Orange Line project; neighborhood activists and Metro Councilor Bob Stacey kept the dream alive by getting a new bridge into the Central City 2035 Plan and the Portland Transportation System Plan. We followed up with TriMet Communications Manager Roberta Altstadt yesterday to confirm the news. She said the agency has secured approval from the Federal Transit Administration to design and construct a new Gideon bridge using Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project funds. No details about the project are available yet; but City of Portland documents show the estimated cost to be $10 million. The Lafayette Street Bridge, which TriMet built as part of the Orange Line MAX project, sits about one-third of a mile south of Gideon/Brooklyn. As we reported in 2015 that bridge cost about $4 million and includes an elevator for bicycle and mobility device users. Altstadt says design of the new bridge and a public process will begin this fall (in partnership with PBOT). The new bridge is expected to be completed by mid-2019. gideon overcrossing, orange line, TriMet TriMet, PBOT say no further federal study needed on Gideon Overcrossing project December 21, 2018 TriMet has begun construction of new carfree Gideon Overcrossing May 22, 2019 The Long Road Back April 6, 2017 Woman killed in Beaverton bike lane last week lost her brother to Portland hit-and-run last year December 7, 2017 MaxD June 29, 2017 at 2:15 pm No elevator and no stairs, please! J.E. June 29, 2017 at 3:06 pm Space is constrained in the area; ramps may be impossible without some massive property acquisition. However considering they haven’t even decided at what intersection to put the bridge, a lot of design questions are still completely undecided. David Hampsten June 29, 2017 at 6:07 pm The corkscrew design on North Concord over Going is a possible alternative – not great, but better than a long flight of stairs. Charley June 29, 2017 at 10:10 pm YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!!! kathryn June 30, 2017 at 1:24 pm not ADA compliant Hello, Kitty June 30, 2017 at 1:29 pm I calculated the diameter of an ADA compliant corkscrew design, and it was something on the order of 100 ft. I don’t think that’s going to work. paikiala July 5, 2017 at 12:47 pm How about depressing the tracks 10 feet and adding a bridge 10 feet above the current grade? $10M might do it. Hello, Kitty July 5, 2017 at 4:03 pm I think you’re too close to 12th and to the yards. And I think the time when that would have been possible had passed… The Orange Line is where you’d need to build the temporary tracks while you dug your trench. Too bad they couldn’t have built the station over both sets of tracks (MAX & UP), like they do in some European towns, with indoor shops lining the bikeway/walkway. 9watts June 29, 2017 at 2:57 pm Or better yet – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuppertal_Suspension_Railway That thing is a beast. Fun as a novelty, but loud and creaky. Racer X June 30, 2017 at 8:07 pm Yes please – but TRIMET is only in the business of moving buses or trains…all too often it seems… adventure! June 29, 2017 at 2:32 pm I’m glad to see this happening! But Jonathan, I’m a bit…perplexed that you referred to the old bridge as “rickety”. It was a concrete and steel bridge. Nothing exciting, but still pretty solid. Maybe you’re confusing it with the old wooden Lafayette Bridge, the one that did end up getting replaced? Now, that one was rickety! Every time I crossed it, I hoped that “The Big One” wasn’t going to happen then! You also had to hope that no one else went up there with you. I’m not sure it would have supported two people. Bald One June 29, 2017 at 3:51 pm Great news! I used to be one of those people who carried their bike across the tracks there at Brooklyn st – back when we used the Ross Island bridge to bike commute across the river. It would be really awesome if the new bridge could be ridden without dismounting and got you over all sets of tracks in one passing. The new Lafayette bridge has unreliable elevators and unusable stair wheel-gutters. Next on the bike/ped infra wish-list: A pedestrian bridge crossing over same tracks at SE Harold St, to connect Reed Neighborhood and West Moreland. David Burns June 29, 2017 at 5:37 pm Does anyone know what makes the stair wheel gutters unuseable? I tried a couple of times, and said, “no.” to them in for the future, but it wasn’t clear to me why this was unwieldy. Part of it (for me) is the angle you have to hold your bike at as you try to haul it up that huge flight of stairs. I’ve used them other places and they were fine, so this is definitely an implementation problem. William Henderson June 29, 2017 at 8:10 pm Agreed! This is one of the worst biking and walking connectivity gaps in Portland. This project is on the TSP and I’ve been working with local advocates to get this project prioritized funded using System Development Charges. You can read more about it here: http://reedway.org rick June 29, 2017 at 9:26 pm It can be a lot of fumes to breathe, but I love the views from the Ross Island Bridge when riding a bike. Mike Sanders June 30, 2017 at 9:03 am That would’ve connected to the still unbuilt Harold St. Station. Tri-Met put off its construction to an unknown future date, claiming that there wasn’t enough development there to warrant its existence. Having it there on opening day supposedly would have meant a one minute delay, which they said would make the Orange Line less attractive to potential commuters. Reed College wanted it there, too, to provide direct access to/from their campus. (Now you must transfer to bus 19 at Bybee to make the connection.) The Harold St. stop would have replaced a set of McLoughlin Blvd. bus stops that were closed when MAX came in. Tri-Met’s reasoning for not putting a station and ped/bike overpass there remains bewildering to say the least. Sigma June 30, 2017 at 9:11 am Regarding that unknown future date: they are never building it. Look at the track alignment where the station would be. Never building what? The Reedway bridge ? Great work by Jessica and Bob to get this done! Truly impressive advocacy. If they install an elevator, it needs to be more reliable than their typical models. The duration of the outage at Lafayette should give us great pause about using that design again. Yes. The elevators are: 1. Require electricity. 2. Require regular skilled maintenance. 3. Are subject to crowding. 4. Are unreliable unless 1. and 2. are met 100% of the time. 5. An ongoing cost, because of 1. and 2. 6. Expensive to construct in the first place. Forget the elevators!!! They are a waste of tax payer dollars, a real boondoggle. Chris I June 30, 2017 at 7:40 am 7. Smell like pee Bald One July 5, 2017 at 4:23 pm super hot inside on a sunny day (add 20 degrees). Carter Kennedy June 29, 2017 at 7:17 pm I crossed the old bridge many times and it wasn’t rickety. It was solid concrete. Wow! This was by NorPac, the lumber yard wholesale company! This is so cool that they will build this! Less delays for people on wheelchairs, walking, skateboarding, etc ! Kittens June 29, 2017 at 10:26 pm Wow. $10m for a bridge? Not saying it is not important, but at what point do we start asking questions? I think the construction industry is getting a little too hot in the Portland market. Plus, 10m spent here could be used much more constructively elsewhere. rick June 30, 2017 at 6:54 am Yes. There have been making trains / people crashes lately around the metro area, though. have been crashes* Dan June 30, 2017 at 3:04 pm $10m is the full cost of the bridge. This includes engineering, permitting, RoW acquisition, and construction. Construction costs would probably be close to the $3.9m construction cost of the Lafayette bridge (assuming a similar design is used). Such welcome news! When the barriers are down for freight trains at SE 12th & Clinton, accessing the MAX station there is impossible. This will provide a much needed way across the tracks. Anyone know what’s stopping the bridge being located at SE Taggart instead? That makes SO much more sense, as it’s closer to SE Clinton and closer to SE 12th, which is the whole reason the bridge needs to be built, when they see blocked. Maybe people would seen the bridge when they are walking on Powell and would feel more inclined to use that well-lit bridge compared to using the dark tunnel on Powell. Not sure. Hello, Kitty June 30, 2017 at 10:49 am I think there is some desire to align the bridge with 13th, which has a traffic signal for crossing Powell. Personally, I think this is where it should go, with a long ramp leading directly from the station up to the bridge so you can get over it from the station without too much extra walking. GlowBoy June 30, 2017 at 7:16 am I was really disappointed when TriMet yanked the Gideon bridge from the design. That’s a pretty long way around over to much of the Clinton neighborhood. I understand the desire for a ramp, but please don’t let that exclude stairs from the design. As a former Brooklyn resident, I used to have to walk the corkscrew bridge over Powell at 9th (just a few blocks from the location in question) on a daily basis to catch the bus. I finally calculated that having to walk around those long ramps was costing me several extra blocks of walking – and several extra minutes versus stairs. Ramps are fine for wheels, not so great for feet. A ramp over the yard at Gideon would have to be even longer than the 9th/Powell ones, due to the extra clearance required by trains. MaxD June 30, 2017 at 9:42 am A standards block is 200′, several blocks would be in the neighbrorhood of 600-800′. Are you telling me that the ramps were at least 600′ long! I see this an equity issue. Universal Design or Universal Access strives to provide a solution that works for everyone. Elevators have way too many limitations and too many reliability and safety issues. I would hope that TriMet would start by creating a bridge with universal access. Then, if a stair can be tacked on to the side, I agree that is a good option to include. What I find unacceptable is starting with a design based on stairs, then tacking on an elevator or stairs. At least a couple blocks (one on each side), yes. Go look at them! Envision them straightened out. They’re at least a block long per side. I can understand wanting to save money on elevators, but that doesn’t mean a ramp-only design. Pedestrians are already forced to go out of our way needlessly on a constant basis because of car-head road designs. Not having stairs amounts to prioritizing wheels above feet, which is unacceptable. MaxD June 30, 2017 at 10:32 am This is not about saving money, it is about creating a design that prioritizes access for everyone. The primary route should work for everyone including older people, people with strollers, people using mobility devices and people using bikes. Stairs may work well for you, but they are not a universal solution. A ramp may cause a bit of delay for you, but they allow everyone to safely cross using a reliable, well-lit, not-enclosed route with relegating some people to a “back-door” solution like an elevator or a ramp placed off to the side. I don’t have a problem including stairs or an elevator, but they should be considered add-alternates (nice things to include if they can be afforded and worked into the design). The primary design should start with a solution that works for everyone. Any reason we never seem to do tunnels in this country? Seems to me that there would be a lot of reasons to favor a tunnel over a bridge (height, grade, cost, complexity being just a few). Now someone is probably going to say – oh but they’re dark and unsafe. Well I don’t know, they seem to work pretty well in other countries in small towns and big cities. Seems like any solutions will involve tradeoffs and I’m just surprised this is never mentioned. GlowBoy June 30, 2017 at 7:37 pm “Any reason we never seem to do tunnels in this country?” Dementor attacks. MaxD June 30, 2017 at 12:20 pm I think I made it perfectly clear I’m not asking for a ramp to NOT be included. Of course the disabled should have a non-stair option. But for most people who walk without reduced mobility, stairs are much faster. Obviously ADA access is not optional, but neither are stairs. Think about the Hollywood MAX station. When you walk in and out of the north side, do you ever take the ramp? Of course not. You use the stairs, because it takes a fraction of the time. S June 30, 2017 at 7:20 am I commute from the Brooklyn neighborhood to NE – this would really help for those times when a freight train stops for 15 minutes or so blocking the crossings at SE 8th/11th/12th (like one did earlier this week). Doug Klotz June 30, 2017 at 9:08 am A combination of ramp and stairs, like the Failing Street crossing in N. Portland over I-5, seems the best alternative. In this case, on the south side it seems easy to do the ramps, since it can run along parallel to Gideon toward the north. The trick is to get ramps on the northeast side of the tracks, where there’s limited room. Perhaps take away the parking lanes on SE 16th for 100′ north of Brooklyn, start the ramp there, and then put several zig-zags in the Brooklyn ROW west of 16th (in that triangle of land just south of the warehouse), to ramp up to the 22′ height above the rails necessary for the rail crossing. I haven’t worked it out, but this would have to meet ADA standards if the ramp were the sole alternative to stairs. It would also be nice to have more generous turns than at the Hollywood transit center, and maybe more generous than at Failing St. I can make the turns at Failing, but my wife can’t and I doubt that longer bikes could either. How about an MK Escher corkscrew ramp, square in design, that ramps up 15 degrees with an ADA flat spot every 15 feet, but that rises to where it starts by the time it ends every 4th right turn? People wanting to head west can use one side, those going east the other side. Jeff Owen June 30, 2017 at 10:18 am One clarification to note: TriMet did not exactly send “remaining funds back to the federal government” – With FTA grants, TriMet doesn’t receive all the funds at once. The money comes to TriMet from the federal government over a period of years. So there is no large pot of money that comes in and you send back if you are under budget. And they only provide the funding for parts of the project they have said TriMet can build. jeff June 30, 2017 at 1:13 pm will be a nice 2nd alternative to move east when the UP trains park across 12th during rush hour. Matthew in Portsmouth June 30, 2017 at 1:37 pm A new bridge is two years away? I’m sorry but if they used a factory fabricated design that could be hoisted in place by a mobile crane, this could be done much sooner. It’s a railroad yard we’re talking about here, any standard galvanized steel design is going improve the esthetics. Why do we constantly have to have a multi-year design and bid process for a job that could be done in months? It’s not in the rail yard, but rather immediately adjacent to the Clinton Street station. The span will not be the most expensive part, the supports and the ramps will cost as much or more, and they will have to custom in such a constrained, urban environment. In fact, even the span will need to be a pretty precise length to fit everything in, a prefab bridge may not be flexible enough. Matthew in Portsmouth July 3, 2017 at 9:49 am Factory fabricated and pre-fab are not necessarily the same thing. A bridge company can survey the site and modify an existing design to fit the site. I’ve seen galvanized steel overpasses built using upright steel supports etc. The major item that can’t be fabricated offsite are the concrete footings to hold the upright columns. I just don’t see the necessity to form a committee to design a horse that ends up as a camel. John Liu June 30, 2017 at 3:15 pm This discussion is confusing. Can we clarify exactly where the new bridge will be? The photo shows a yellow line connecting Gideon and Brooklyn, but the text seems to say the bridge will be at the Clinton/12th Street MAX station that is 3-4 blocks away. The location is not finalized, but it will likely cross the tracks at 13th. It is close to, but not immediately adjacent to, the Clinton St. Station. Alex Reedin June 30, 2017 at 4:07 pm Anyone know if a bridge over the tracks from Division to Tilikum Way for buses, bikes, and pedestrians got into the TSP? The fact that that wonderful new bridge over the Willamette isn’t used by more transit lines is a crying shame. A non-twisty-ramped bridge across the tracks, combined with parking removal for a few blocks on Division and 12th to make way for protected bike lanes (potentially bidirectional), would in my mind be the only thing that would completely resolve the bike portion of the conflicts in the environs of the Clinton St. station. Then the fastest and most convenient way from Clinton to the environs of the Tilikum Bridge would be to go right on 12th, left on Clinton, and over this new bridge, with just two lights and no train conflicts to deal with. Plus, just as importantly, riders of the 4 and ideally the 10 could bypass traffic on the Hawthorne and sail straight into downtown. Correction: the fastest way from clinton to the environs of the Tilikum Bridge would be to go right on 12th, left on Division, and over this new bridge over the train tracks, with just two lights and no train conflicts to deal with. Mark smith June 30, 2017 at 9:33 pm If this design for cars, no expense would be spared. Ramps just make sense, along with an elevator and stairs. Alex Reedin July 1, 2017 at 6:51 am Yup. There are two expensively grade-separated crossings for motor vehicles in this general area (Powell and McLoughlin), both of which include bike/ped facilities but neither of which is used much by people walking and biking because the facilities are: Unpleasant Dangerous-feeling John Liu June 30, 2017 at 11:06 pm Ramps might be 300 to 500 feet long. The city owns Gideon Street which is dead end and, I’d think, doesn’t get much traffic. Maybe the south ramp can go there. On the north, maybe remove parking on a block of Clinton or 12th to allow a ramp. John Liu July 1, 2017 at 11:03 am Sorry, posted before I finished my thought. My point is, yes ramps take up a large amount of footprint and there may not be enough room on the Trimet property around the station. But there is a lot of room available on the city streets around the station, and some of those streets carry very little traffic. Perhaps footprint for the ramps can be found by using a narrow strip of those streets. Elevators require maintenance, break down, and are slow. Where possible, ramps are preferable. Terry D-M July 1, 2017 at 9:50 pm This is great news. As the vice Chair of Se Uplift I communicated repeatedly HAND’s request for this replacement. It is on our list of highest regional safety priorities…… particularly with Tri-Met pushing the federal government to release these funds. I will admit, we nagged them…..and I will fight like a bandit to get it ramped. Mark smith July 2, 2017 at 12:19 pm Ok, I know Trimet is struggling to find qualified designers to figure out a bridge without elevators. Here ya go. Free of charge. https://imgur.com/gallery/fv9hq « Job: Full Time Painter – Argonaut Cycles Weekend Event Guide: MTB race, mobile dance party, ‘Beyond Portlandia’ & more »	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line948
__label__wiki	0.510771	0.510771	Search For Answers Seven Essential Ingredients for Change Management xxvi) Innovation Not understanding the dilemma that faces most organisations, ie their current internal structures, competencies, cultures, etc do not foster innovation. Furthermore, future successes based on innovation are frequently seen as threats to the organisation's current priorities, practices, successes, etc. . Not realizing that management needs to relinquish authority and give employees more autonomy to boost innovation and success, even during crises. It is claimed (A D Amar et al, 2009) that, to encourage innovation organisations need to abandon the traditional structure in which decisions-making is reserved for senior management. Many CEOs assume that leadership is about delegating tasks and monitoring results. It is more than this. It is about imbuing the entire workforce with a sense of responsibility for the business. This encourages individuals to be self-motivated. Knowledge Base Index Home \| Knowledge Base \| Centre of Excellence \| About Us \| Login Bill Synnot is one of Australia's leading specialists in organisational change management, executive coaching, facilitation, team development, creative thinking and organisational reviews. He has 30+ years experience in management and consulting, both in Australia and internationally, in the public, private, co-operative, professional, educational and not-for-profit sectors. In addition to acting as a consultant/trainer, Bill's experience comes from his senior management positions as a change catalyst. His approach is very practical and is based on hands-on experience. Bill Synnot and Associates 10th Floor, 12 Creek Street Brisbane, Queensland 4000 International: +61 418 196 707 designed by: bluetinweb © 2008 - 2020 Bill Synnot and Associates Registered - All Rights Reserved. Contact Us \| Webmaster \| Site Map Privacy Policy \| Terms and Conditions \| Disclaimer We use cookies to provide you with a better service. By continuing to use our site, you are agreeing to the use of cookies as set in our policy. I understand	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line950
__label__cc	0.743643	0.256357	The iPhone XS Camera in Low Light (compared to an iPhone 8 Plus) Matt Birchler \| 24 Sep 2018 \| 5 min read It’s camera comparison time again, people! If you know anything about me, you know I love doing these, and spent a good portion of lat 2017 comparing the iPhone 8 Plus and Pixel 2 cameras in a whole host of blind comparisons. This year the Pixel 2 is gone, and I now have an iPhone XS that I’ll be comparing to the iPhone 8 Plus for a little while1. Why the iPhone 8 Plus? Well, that’s the best camera in any iPhone up until the XS this year. I know, the iPhone X had a stabilized second lens, and was therefore technically a smidge better, but I don’t have that phone and therefore will try to not do any comparisons where that technical detail will make a difference. The settings for both cameras was set almost exactly the same: 12MP and Live Photos on for stills, and 4k 30fps for video. For each shot, I simply framed the shot and snapped the picture, so I left it up to the camera software to figure out what the best things were to expose and focus on. The one difference is that I somehow accidentally turned off Smart HDR on the iPhone XS, which conceivably could have lead to even better photos. Oops! This is a fun test because it has each camera at its worst and sees which one can salvage something more usable. If you want me to test something specific between these two cameras again, let me know on Twitter. https://youtu.be/jrDfGt8by5U This video was shot an hour after sunset in basically no light. These are terrible conditions for video, so neither looks amazing, but I think the jump in quality from the 8 Plus to the XS is rather dramatic. The XS gets far more details out of the darker areas than the 8 Plus. That first shot, in particular is hugely different. From here on out, all photos will be the XS shot first, then the 8 Plus. The iPhone XS does a much better job of not blowing out the highlights here. Zooming in, we see even more details in the XS shot, as well as a notable color difference in the blue lights. And another angle: Similar story here, as the XS salvages the highlights better (again, remember that Smart HDR was off during these shots). When it comes to the shadows, it’s a toss up to me. The first image looks much better on the XS, but the shadows at the bottom of the second shot look better on the 8 Plus. I also think the colors in the flags pops a bit more on the 8 Plus photo, while the XS is a little more subdued. House from across the street This one is a huge win for the XS again. Highlights continue to be a big win and the shadows are way better as well. The iPhone 8 Plus’s shot looks like a smeared mess while the XS looks rough, but much less aggressively smudged in a vain attempt to clean things up. I took a few of these and they all told basically the same story: they’re terrible. This is a situation where you absolutely would want to use the flash because this is straight up garbage town. I would never share either of these outside of a blog post like this, but if I had to choose the 8 Plus has a little more light on my face, so I’ll go with that. Oh, and if you think “this is as good as a phone can do these days,” I’ll reference you to this selfie I took with the Pixel 2 last year around this time. Same conditions and a way better shot. Even barring for there being a light closer in that one (these were a year apart, after all) I would expect better from the iPhone XS. As kind of expected by now, the XS wins in terms of handling the bright light, and it also maintains better details in the background. The XS is noisier in the shadows, but I’ll take that over the smug party on the 8 Plus. Zooming in to full size shows this off pretty well. Again, not brilliant on either front, but better on the XS. Telephoto to the moon This test might be a little unfair since this shot is indeed using the telephoto lens, but I rested the phone on a bench to take this shot to try and eliminate any unnecessary wobble. The difference is frankly startling. The iPhone 8 Plus creates what can only be called an Impressionistic work, with swirls and smudges dominating the shot. The XS has some noise, but at least you can make out exactly what is actually happening here. And finally, because I actually wanted to test camera wobble, I took this one while jogging. I held them as steady as I could, but I was moving along at a pretty good clip. Take a look at the light trails in the iPhone 8 Plus shot and compare them to the basically stationary lights in the XS one. The difference is dramatic, and while each photo is bad, the XS salvages more here. Until T-Mobile insists I return it to them. ↩ Tags: camera iphone The Mac's Draw is More Than Automation (podcast #129) Shortcuts is a major step forward in automation for iOS. But there… A Few iPhone XS Camera Observations One of the most impressive elements of the iPhone XS is the…	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line951
__label__cc	0.727801	0.272199	ICE Partners With Blockstream to Launch Cryptocurrency Data Feed Tracking Tool by Gabriel Machado Home Finance Exploring & Tracking The operators of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), has decided to start a partnership with Blockstream in order to launch a new product for crypto investors. This new product will be called Cryptocurrency Data Feed and will be used by ICE Data Services. According to the original announcement made by the company, ICE’s product will enable the traders to see real-time and historical data for over 60 major cryptcurrencies which are faring well in the market now. Blockstream, which will also use the product, has named it Crypto Feed V3 and it has affirmed that the service now checks over 400 cryptos trading pairs across more than 30 different venues. The idea is that crypto investors from all over the world will be able to monitor the data from the markets in a very comprehensive way, which could make trading cryptos easier. Our enhanced crypto data feed now offers greater transparency: streaming real-time data for 400+ fiat and crypto currency pairs + new venues & full Level 2 data. @Blockstreamhttps://t.co/4hNVe3WElw pic.twitter.com/AmJdWP1L36 — ICE Data Services (@ICEDataServices) January 24, 2019 Cryptocurrency Data Feed would include the markets with information like price discovery, an overview of the market and in-depth information about anything that could interest the investors. With this kind of insight, the investors could use the information in clever ways to bet on the best markets at the time. Intercontinental Exchange has also used the Secure Financial Transaction Infrastructure to the program, which is set to eliminate the downtime and to notificate the users whenever they need it. About the Intercontinental Exchange The company was founded in the United States in 2000 and it operates a total of 23 exchanges all over the world, including the most known one, the New York Stock Exchange. This makes ICE of the most important financial companies in the world and a very big player. In fact, the company is set to launch Bakkt, a crypto exchange, soon, and will enter the crypto market to explore this niche too. Bakkt was announced in August 2018 and it set to become one of the most relevant exchanges in the crypto market. However, the launch of the platform was delayed because of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which asked for more time in order to approve the initiative. Bakkt is currently hiring qualified personnel in order to fill in a number of positions in the company. Directors and developers are currently being needed. Previous ReviewMonero Core Developer Thinks Crypto Space Will Be Significantly Impacted by Regulatory Arbitrage Next ReviewJake Chervinsky Makes an Update of the Ripple and XRP Case Litigation Gabriel Machadohttps://bitcoinexchangeguide.com/ Brazilian journalist who is interested in the future of the financial world. Has a special interest in the blockchain technology and the global financial markets. Covers economic and technology news with a focus on the fintech industry and has been writing about the cryptocurrency market since the start of 2017. One of Australia’s financial watchdog agencies, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), could soon regulate stablecoin projects such as the controversial Facebook’s led Libra... NewsBTC Reports South Park Episode Featured BitMEX Bitcoin Margin Trading but was Fan-Made Meme Bitmex Bitcoin Exchange Guide News Team - August 27, 2018 0 South Park Episode Features Bitcoin Margin Trading on BitMEX It looks like BitMEX is on the news again and once more because of issues. Now,... Pornhub Finds A Viable Solution To Bypass The Indian ISP Block As Crypto Payments Remain A Focus Cryptocurrency News James W - November 8, 2018 0 Pornhub, an adult content site, has now found a viable solution to circumvent the Indian ISP block. Rather than just using the traditional ‘.com’... Litecoin's Charlie Lee Praises Stellar Price Boost, Then Bashes Its Inflated Market Cap Stellar (XLM) Bitcoin Exchange Guide News Team - July 22, 2018 0 Litecoin’s Founder “Compliments” Stellar (XLM) Charlie Lee, Litecoin’s creator, has lately been in the media for his controversial occasional statement on Twitter. Today has been... Crypto Investing Insider – Legit Cryptocurrency Training Program? Advice & Advise Bitcoin Exchange Guide News Team - December 19, 2017 0 Trading on and investing in the cryptocurrency market is one of the most efficient methods of generating profit available. The highly complex nature of...	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line954
__label__wiki	0.872745	0.872745	Are mangroves in the tropical Atlantic ripe for invasion? Exotic mangrove trees in the forests of South Florida >Results Stand structure at The Kampong Two individuals of B. gymnorrhiza, originally collected from Dago Bay, Sangihe Island, Sulawesi, Indonesia (ca. 3.38°N, 125.55°E), were planted on the edge of a 100 m long dredged canal at The Kampong in 1940 (Fairchild 1945, p 94; Sweeney 1967). These prized plants were nurtured by gardening staff. A survey in 1971 showed that one of the original trees was still alive, and six saplings were growing near the original plantings (Gillis 1971). During surveys conducted in August 2008 we identified 86 individuals of B. gymnorrhiza growing along the canal at The Kampong where the original individuals were planted in 1940 (Fig. 1c). Assuming that we identified all of the individuals in the population, the three estimates of population size from 1940, 1971 and 2008 fit to an exponential population growth model (Nt = Noert) yield a population growth rate (r) of 5.6% year-1 (R2 = 0.98). Fig. 1 Study site locations. a Distribution of mangrove forests in southeastern North America and the Caribbean showing location of study area. b Location of study sites in reference to downtown Miami. c Mangrove forests at The Kampong, with distribution of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza indicated with black outlining. d Mangrove forests of Matheson Hammock Park, surrounding Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, with distribution of Lumnitzera racemosa indicated with black outlining [larger image] We counted 40 B. gymnorrhiza trees and saplings at The Kampong, of which 37 were in the core plot (Fig. 2). Two B. gymnorrhiza trees were growing at the mouth of the canal where it meets Biscayne Bay, some 65 m from the core plot and another tree was at the head of the canal, 40 mdistant (Fig. 1c). There were 45 B. gymnorrhiza seedlings in the plot. The plot also contained 6 A. germinans, 27 Laguncularia racemosa and 115 R. mangle trees and saplings (Fig. 2). The majority of the B. gymnorrhiza adults and saplings were concentrated near the canal. B. gymnorrhiza seedlings, however, have spread well away from this core. Laguncularia racemosa was concentrated near the upland border of the plot whereas R. mangle was found throughout (Fig. 2). The few A. germinans were concentrated in the center of the plot along a small path that meanders through it. Fig. 2 (above) Location of all trees and saplings (i.e., stems over 1.5 m tall) of native mangroves and the introduced species Bruguiera gymnorrhiza in the 441 m2 permanent plot at The Kampong (see Fig. 1c for location). The dashed line indicates the boundaries of the plot [larger image] Fig. 3 (above) Size-frequency distribution of all mangrove seedlings, saplings and trees in the permanent plot at The Kampong. Seedlings were defined as individuals with heights < 1.5 m. Note the numerical dominance of the smallest size classes [larger image] Fig. 4 (above) Mangrove seedling density in the Kampong plot. Bar heights are the mean densities in the six seedling subplots. Error bars represent ±1 SE. There were no differences in seedling density among species (F3, 20 = 2.09, P < 0.10) [larger image] Fig. 5 (above) Size frequency distribution of saplings and trees (i.e., stems > 1.5 m in height) for stands of Lumnitzera racemosa and native mangroves at FTBG and Matheson Hammock Park. See Fig. 1d for location [larger image] Seedlings and saplings of B. gymnorrhiza and three of the native species (R. mangle, A. germinans and L. racemosa) were very abundant, with densities of 3,184 ha-1 for B. gymnorrhiza and > 5,000 ha-1 for each of the native species (Fig. 3). B. gymnorrhiza saplings ( 2.5 cm dbh) were more numerous than saplings of the native species in our permanent plot (Fig. 3) whereas R. mangle had the highest density in the next four larger size classes. The largest B. gymnorrhiza stem we measured was 15.1 cm dbh. The two largest stems in the plot were A. germinans, each of which was > 25.0 cm dbh (Fig. 3). Mangrove seedling densities were highly variable (Fig. 4) ranging between 0 and 9 m-2. There were no significant differences among species in density (F3, 20 = 2.09, P = 0.10). Lowest seedling densities were recorded under the B. gymnorrhiza clump and only B. gymnorrhiza seedlings were found there. We observed prolific flowering of B. gymnorrhiza, but no fruit set or new seedlings, over the period May- October 2008. On our first surveys in May 2008, there were many B. gymnorrhiza seedlings, some with as few as two pairs of leaves above still-visible hypocotyls, evidence of seedling establishment from the previous year's reproduction, as well as numerous individuals with developing, unopened flowers. Seedlings as short as 1 m were observed with flower buds. By June 16, most of the trees in the population displayed crimson, open flowers; those flowers were concentrated on the portions of the trees receiving direct sunlight. On August 1, 2008, we carefully examined a subset of 44 individual saplings and trees for signs of flowering; 14 of the 44 examined individuals, as small as 1.4 m tall, were in flower, but we did not observe fruit or developing propagules. Flowering continued to be concentrated on trees and parts of trees exposed to direct sunlight. R. mangle individuals growing amongst the B. gymnorrhiza supported numerous 10 cm long propagules. By the time of our last survey on October 16, 2008, there were no more B. gymnorrhiza in flower, and we saw no evidence that there had been any fruit set during the entire reproductive season. Mangroves at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (FTBG) is located near the coastline of Biscayne Bay (Fig. 1d) and the garden includes both intertidal wetland and upland plant communities. Records indicate that 129 individual members of 14 non-native species considered as true mangroves (sensu Tomlinson 1986) have been planted at FTBG since the garden opened to the public in 1938 (Table 1). Two of these taxa were only identified to the level of genus. Garden records indicate that during the last complete survey of mangrove collections in 1998, six of the original 14 taxa were still alive (Table 1). By 2008, surveys by the authors and FTBG staff revealed that five of the fourteen non-native mangrove taxa survived (Table 1). The B. gymnorrhiza individual died in the 1998-2008 interim, as evidenced by a single standing dead specimen. Of the five non-native mangrove species that remain in the collections of FTBG, two apparently have not reproduced: Dolichandrone spathacea and Nypa fruticans. One adult specimen of R. stylosa had a dbh of 5.6 cm and had flower buds and immature fruit on the tree, while a specimen ~ 4 m from the flowering tree had a dbh of 5.1 cm and was not bearing fruit or flowers. We found no evidence of seedling or sapling R. stylosa near the two adult trees, and on a subsequent visit determined that no fruit had been produced by the one tree in flower. We found numerous seedlings under a Heritiera littoralis during our survey, but we did not observe seedlings of that species dispersing away from the adult, as the seedlings seemed to be kept in check by mowing of the lawn surrounding the parent tree. In contrast to the other introduced species, Lumnitzera racemosa had reproduced repeatedly since introduction at FTBG. A total of fourteen Lumnitzera racemosa were planted in three different locations in FTBG's lowlands in the late 1960s to early 1970s. By 2009, at least one of the original plants still remained. At each of the three planting locations, Lumnitzera racemosa naturalized and began expanding its range and was found in densities far greater than the native mangrove species (Fig. 5). The densities of Lumnitzera racemosa saplings and trees we found were extremely high for mangrove stands, with 24,735 ha-1. However, the weighted (by density) average stem diameter was quite small, only 1.63 cm. A few larger individuals (10-20 cm dbh) were encountered but not within our plots. These stems were located along an interior pond at FTBG and were eradicated before we could quantify densities. The size frequency distributions clearly show Lumnitzera racemosa dominating the mangrove forests at this location (Fig. 1d). Assuming exponential growth of this population, we conservatively estimate the population growth rate (r) to be between 17 and 23% year-1. The population was in flower and fruit during our first survey in November 2008, and the preponderance of seedlings and saplings (Fig. 5) in the population suggest copious reproduction. The total geographic extent of the invasion from the original locations now reaches beyond FTBG's borders into a neighboring county park. We estimate that within a span of 38- 43 years, the population expanded to dominate about 60,500 m2 of mangrove forest. Molecular genetics of B. gymnorrhiza population at The Kampong We genotyped 33 individuals from the Kampong population for ten microsatellite loci. Three loci were monomorphic. The remaining loci were polymorphic, six with two alleles per locus, and one with three alleles (Table 2). Observed heterozygosity for the polymorphic loci ranged from 0.000 to 0.455. Three of the seven polymorphic loci exhibited significant departure from the Hardy-Weinberg expectation. In each case the departure involved significant heterozygote deficiency (Table 2). No pairs of loci showed evidence of significant linkage disequilibrium at the level of P < 0.01. These are characteristics of a genetically depauperate population. Table 1 Mangrove species recorded as being planted at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden No. planted Year(s) planted No. alive in 2009 Avicennia marina 27 1966, 1969, 1986 None Avicennia officinalis 6 1969, 1973 None Bruguiera gymnorrhiza 14 1952, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1971 None Bruguiera hainesii 3 1972, 1973 None Bruguiera spp. 3 1969, 1973 None Ceriops spp. 4 1969, 1970 None Dolichandrone spathacea 7 1945, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1968 1 Heritiera littoralis 4 1962, 1977, 1996, 2005 2 (+ Dozens of progeny) Kandelia candel 8 1964 None Lumnitzera racemosa 14 1966, 1969, 1971 1 (+ Tens of thousands of progeny) Nypa fruticans 21 1947, 1962, 1967, 1974, 1984, 1986, 1989, 2003, 2004 9 Rhizophora mucronata 16 1966, 1969, 1983, 1984, 1985 None Rhizophora stylosa 1 Year unknown 2 Xylocarpus granatum 1 1961 None Names in bold were found alive in 1998 by FTBG staff. Results of recent surveys by the authors and FTBG staff are in the righthand column Table 2 Comparison of the characteristics of ten microsatellite markers of an introduced population sampled at The Kampong and a series of native-range populations of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza from Iriomote Island, Japan (Islam et al. 2006) No. of alleles Brgy04* 2 3 0.030 0.330 0.030 0.497 Brgy05** 2 2 0.000 0.223 0.059 0.255 Brgy13 3 5 0.455 0.214 0.482 0.254 Brgy18, * 2 4 0.000 0.104 0.367 0.220 The Kampong sample was 33 individuals, while the Iriomote sample was nine populations of 24 individuals, for a total of 216 individuals. Locus names are as in Islam et al. (2006) For the following three columns, Number of alleles, observed heterozygosity (HO) and expected heterozygosity (HE), the values for the Kampong (K) are on the left, and Iriomote (I) on the right. Loci where the observed heterozygosities in the Kampong are lower than in the native-range population are shown in bold face * Significant deviation from the HWE in at least one of the native range populations at P<0.01 ** Significant deviation from the HWE in the Kampong population at P<0.001 < Methods \| Discussion >	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line957
__label__wiki	0.554891	0.554891	<a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/6844228"><strong>A Machine for Mutants</strong></a> (55392 words) by <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentFontySeven"><strong>AgentFontySeven</strong></a><br />Chapters: 16/16<br />Fandom: <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/tags/Teenage%20Mutant%20Ninja%20Turtles%20(TV%202012)">Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)</a>, <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/tags/Amnesia:%20A%20Machine%20for%20Pigs">Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs</a><br />Rating: Mature<br />Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death<br />Characters: Michelangelo (TMNT), Donatello (TMNT), Raphael (TMNT), Leonardo (TMNT), Hamato Yoshi \| Splinter, Rocksteady (TMNT), Bebop (TMNT), April O'Neil, Casey Jones, The Kraang, Leatherhead (TMNT)<br />Additional Tags: Horror, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Crossover, Alternate Universe, Time Travel, Suspense, Alternate Universe - 19th Century, Alternate Universe - British, Divergent Timelines, Suicide<br />Summary: <p>An experiment gone awry has snatched Mikey away into an alternate dimension, replacing him with the Michelangelo that had resided in that other world. The Turtles must now help this oddly intelligent version of their baby brother get back to his world in order to get their own Mikey back, but can they really trust him? Meanwhile, Mikey is left to navigate the dark world of his 19th Century counterpart, tasked to unravel the secrets of these other Turtles' gargantuan machines. However, some mysteries are best left unsolved; some things better left unseen. Can Mikey find a way home, and can he do so with his sanity intact?</p><p>Important note: You do not need to know anything about Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs or the Amnesia universe in general to enjoy this story. It is predominantly TMNT focused, and all elements inspired by Amnesia are explained within the context of the story.</p> Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012) Michelangelo (TMNT) Donatello (TMNT) Raphael (TMNT) Leonardo (TMNT) Hamato Yoshi \| Splinter Rocksteady (TMNT) Bebop (TMNT) The Kraang Leatherhead (TMNT) Crossovers & Fandom Fusions Alternate Universe - 19th Century Alternate Universe - British Divergent Timelines A Machine for Mutants AgentFontySeven An experiment gone awry has snatched Mikey away into an alternate dimension, replacing him with the Michelangelo that had resided in that other world. The Turtles must now help this oddly intelligent version of their baby brother get back to his world in order to get their own Mikey back, but can they really trust him? Meanwhile, Mikey is left to navigate the dark world of his 19th Century counterpart, tasked to unravel the secrets of these other Turtles' gargantuan machines. However, some mysteries are best left unsolved; some things better left unseen. Can Mikey find a way home, and can he do so with his sanity intact? Important note: You do not need to know anything about Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs or the Amnesia universe in general to enjoy this story. It is predominantly TMNT focused, and all elements inspired by Amnesia are explained within the context of the story. I had originally begun posting this story on another AO3 account some time ago, however I haven't used that account in ages and don't really feel like dredging it up again to post the rest of this story there. Because of this, you will find this story here elsewhere on this site, though not in the completed form you will find here. I hope you'll excuse me for technically reposting. I may eventually go back to that account and delete this story from it. In the mean time, please enjoy. Chapter 1: A Lesson in History Splinter strode smoothly across the mats of the training room, pacing slowly back and forth in front of his sons. The four turtles knelt before their master, all eyes trained on the giant rat, awaiting his instruction. "Your ninja skills help you to survive in the heat of battle, but brute force is not the only tool at your disposal when combating the evils of this world. Knowledge is key in any struggle." Donatello couldn't help but straighten his posture at that, a proud grin spreading across his face. "Naturally." Splinter's eyes shifted over to the tallest of his students and, before they young terrapin could react, his tail whipped out with blinding speed and struck Donatello across the face. Donnie let out a yelp, tumbling backwards several feet from the force of the blow. "Do not gloat, Donatello." Splinter scolded calmly as Donatello scuttled back to his place in line with his brothers, rubbing his cheek as he mumbled a dejected "Yes, Master..." "I do not refer only to such things as math and science, but also to more abstruse, more involved subjects such as philosophy and history. To know what the evil men of the past have done will help you to prevent the same from occurring again, and understanding the reasons, the motivation behind such things will give insight into how to stop them." "What does it matter why they do what they do? All we gotta do is take 'em down!" Raphael interjected, which immediately earned him a stinging blow from Master Splinter, though for him the blow was aimed right on the scar on his shoulder. The ninja master merely continued casually on as the young turtle was left holding his shoulder, cursing lightly under his breath. "That is what you will be learning here today. Sometimes the best of intentions can be warped into hideous deeds. The evil rarely think of themselves as such." Splinter stopped abruptly once he reached the last of his students in the lineup. He glanced down at the youngest of his four sons, his bushy white eyebrows furrowing in clear annoyance. Michelangelo sat there like the others, but he had his head tilted back, his eyes shut and his mouth gaped open. The other three turtles shifted slightly away from their little brother as he snored away, already seeing an anticipatory twitch in their master's tail. Sure enough, Mikey caught that tail across the face just a moment later, sending him flying to the back of the dojo. Mikey slammed shell-first against the far wall before slumping haphazardly upside-down on the floor. Despite the energetic wake-up call, the freckled young terrapin merely gave a groggy yawn. "H-huh? Whuz goin' on?" Michelangelo mumbled, rubbing at his eyes. Splinter let out a sigh, raising a hand to rub at his temple. "I can see I am merely barking into the wind. We are done… For now. We will continue this another time." With that, they were dismissed. The four young teens filed out into the main living area, leaving their master to have a well-needed moment of peace. As they headed out, Raphael made a point to shove his trouble-making baby brother as he passed by. "Way to go, Mikey! Ya pissed Sensei off!" the red-masked turtle growled, earning a mildly indignant grunt from the younger of the two. "I warned you not to stay up all night playing video games again." Leonardo chimed in. He wasn't normally one to agree with Raphael, especially since he usually resorted to bullying to get his point across, but he did have a legitimate point this time. Mikey merely continued along, eventually vaulting over the back of the couch and flopping down against the cushions. "But I was so close to the end, dude! I couldn't just stop there!" Mikey mumbled groggily, his voice muffled slightly by the arm of the couch that he'd buried his face against. Donatello merely rolled his eyes at his brother's excuses. "Whatever. Either way, we've got the rest of the evening to ourselves. Anyone up for some pizza gyoza?" "Hell yeah!" Raphael replied, his mood brightening instantly at the mention of their favorite food. "Sounds great." Leo added, an eager smile appearing on his face. There was a moment of silence. Wait, that didn't seem right... Something was missing here. It didn't take them long to figure out what it was. The three turtles looked over the edge of the couch. Sure enough, there was Michelangelo, snoring away and dead to the world. "Wow, he must really be tired if 'pizza gyoza' doesn't wake him up." Donatello commented softly, absolutely stunned that Mikey's insatiable hunger hadn't overridden his instinct to sleep. "Forget him. Let's just go without him. Maybe that way we'll actually be able to eat our own damn meals without him stealing off our plates." Raphael said, not bothering to keep his voice down as he started for the door. Donnie sighed and looked to Leonardo for further input. Leo took another quick glance down at their baby brother before shrugging his shoulders. "We'll, uhh… We'll just bring him a doggie bag." he decided, giving the lanky turtle a mildly apologetic half-smile. Donnie gave a small nod of agreement before the two headed off to catch up with Raph. The three had stayed out for a few hours before they finally made their way back to the lair. Stuffed full of pizza-flavored dumplings, they shuffled sluggishly into the living room. "Man, that was good! So nice ta actually enjoy my whole meal for once!" Raphael announced rather loudly, clearly trying to make a point. Leonardo rolled his eyes. "Don't be an ass, Raph..." "Hey, Mikey! We brought ya home some food!" Donatello announced, striding over towards the couch where they'd left their youngest brother. He leaned over the back of the couch, intending to wave the paper bag containing his dinner over the younger turtle's head, when... "Mikey..?" He was gone. That was strange... As tired as Michelangelo was, Donnie didn't think he'd be up for another few hours. His confusion hadn't gone unnoticed. Leo came over to see what was the matter. "Where'd he get off to? I figured he'd still be asleep." the eldest brother commented, barely noticing Raphael pass behind him. Donnie gave a shrug of his shoulders. "I dunno..." "He ain't in his room." Raph called out from across the Lair, poking his head out of Mikey's bedroom. Donnie furrowed his brow, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Then, a feeling crept up in the back of his mind. It was that same feeling he got when a certain someone was messing with something he wasn't supposed to. Donatello immediately marched off towards his lab. Oh, if that little twerp was messing with his experiments again... He stepped through the threshold, and instantly spotted the green, lightly freckled back of a short mutant turtle's head. Donnie didn't spare a moment to see what he was up to. "Mikey! What are you doing in here?! How many times have I told you not to play in my lab?!" he barked out, storming up to his little brother. Mikey and science just didn't mix. It was a disaster in the making. Just look at Ice Cream Kitty. Mikey, somewhat unsure, it seemed, that he was the one being addressed, turned to face his older brother. Donnie stopped dead in his tracks. He'd been so ready to jump down Mikey's throat about touching his things that he hadn't noticed how strangely the younger turtle was dressed. That he was dressed at all was strange enough, but the fine, neat suit he wore wasn't something Donnie would have figured someone like Michelangelo even knew how to put on properly. Yet there he was, not a wrinkle in his trousers, not a scuff on his shoes, an orange cravat tucked neatly under the collar of a tan silk vest, a brown coat hanging down to his knees and, stranger still, a pair of circular spectacles where his mask ought to have been. A pair of very familiar baby-blue eyes blinked back at Donatello in mild confusion. "Beg pardon? Your lab?" he repeated, his voice laced with a rather charming British accent. Donnie could do nothing but stare, eyes wide and mouth hanging agape in astonishment as Michelangelo proceeded to let out a hearty chuckle. He stepped forward, reaching up to pat the stunned turtle on the cheek as one would do when patronizing a child. "Oh, how precious! Really! You, with a laboratory!" Mikey stated, as though the very concept was an audacious joke. Donatello shook his head, trying to shake himself out of his daze. "Uhhh… Mikey..? Are you alright? What the hell are you wearing?" he asked as the shorter turtle made his way back over to the main worktable. "Quite alright, dear brother! Though I could use a spot of tea. Earl grey, one sugar, and don't forget the milk." Mikey replied casually, never looking up from the small leather-bound book he was flipping through. Donnie opened his mouth to reply before closing it again, seemingly unsure of how to reply. Then he simply held up the paper bag he'd been carrying. "We… brought you pizza gyoza..?" he offered hesitantly, unsure of anything at the moment. Mikey glanced back at him, that look of confusion on his face once more. "The devil are 'pizza gyoza'?" "Guys! Mikey's acting weird!" Donnie shouted as he sprinted back out into the living room. The other two, having heard him shouting at Mikey for being in his lab, had taken to watching TV. Raphael, currently sinking into his beanbag chair and flipping lazily through channels, merely rolled his eyes. "And that's different from usual how?" "No, I mean weird for Mikey! He's dressed in these strange old clothes, he's talking with a British accent, and he asked me for tea!" Well, he didn't really ask, more so just told him to do it, but that was neither here nor there. Still, it was enough to make Leo tear his eyes away from the screen. "But he hates tea…" "He's just messin' with ya. Prolly pissed we went out to eat without him." Raph assured, still more concerned with the television than the situation at hand. Donnie stared at him for a moment before holding up the untouched bag of leftovers. "He doesn't want his pizza gyoza!" That single statement seemed to stop the rotation of the very planet in shock. Leonardo sat frozen, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. The remote had fallen out of Raphael's hand and clattered to the ground. Then, after a long moment frozen in time, the two leaped abruptly from their seats and sprinted into Donnie's lab. They stood in the doorway for what seemed like hours, merely staring at the strange turtle standing before them. He couldn't be Michelangelo. He simply couldn't! Mikey would never dream of turning down pizza anything, let alone pizza gyoza! Michelangelo, on the other hand, looked quite bored, and not at all happy with being made a spectacle of. He took a cloth from the breast pocket of his vest and proceeded to clean his glasses as he spoke. "I've been meaning to ask… Why are the lot of you nude? Really, to think my own brothers would be seen in such an unbecoming state… You'll damage my reputation, behaving like such uncultured swine." That, for whatever reason, seemed to strike a nerve with Raphael, not that that was at all difficult to do. The red-masked turtle charged forward with a growl, taking hold of Michelangelo's collar and lifting him up off his feet threateningly. "What'd you call me, ya poncy bastard?!" he snarled out. Much to his surprise, he didn't get much in the way of a reaction from his younger brother. Mikey merely arched a brow, staring somewhat boredly down at his hot-tempered sibling. "I'll ask you to kindly release my coat. I do so detest physical contact." he asked rather calmly. The lack of a reaction served only to anger Raph further. "No! Yer gonna tell me what the hell yer up to right now or I'm gonna give ya the biggest shell wedgie ya've ever had!" he demanded, balling up his fist at his side. That finally got him a reaction, but not one he'd been expecting. Mikey's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, his bored stare turning icy cold in an instant. "I'll only ask once more… Remove your hand or I shall remove it for you… At the wrist." Raphael felt a chill go up the back of his shell. Mikey had never looked at him that way. Hell, Mikey had never looked at anyone that way before. For just a split second, it felt like he was staring into the eyes of Shredder himself. Coming from his little brother, it terrified him more than anything. Raph lowered Mikey back down to the ground and backed away a few steps, still a bit in shock. Donatello watched the odd exchange with interest, stroking his chin in thought. "Guys, call me crazy, but… I'm starting to think this isn't our Michelangelo." The four took a well-needed moment to stop and try to figure out what was going on, eventually settling out in the living room. Michelangelo sat on the couch, one leg hooked neatly over the other as he sipped at his tea. "As absurd as it is to say, what Donatello surmised earlier is correct. I may look familiar, but I'm afraid I am not the Michelangelo you know. I come from a different reality, an alternate dimension if you prefer. And from the looks of things thus far, one quite different from your own…" "Yeah, that's for sure…" Raphael mumbled under his breath, visibly keeping his distance from this strange alternate version of his brother. "But how did you end up here? And where's our brother?" Leonardo asked. Michelangelo set down his cup of tea and picked up the leather-bound book he'd been flipping through earlier, opening it by pure memory to the page he wanted. "An experiment of mine gone afoul, I must admit. I fancy myself quite the inventor, you see, and my most recent project mingles with the realm of inter-dimensional travel. We experienced an unexpected surge in power during my latest test, and thus I was transported here. As for the Michelangelo of this world, well… They say the universe has its ways of dealing with such temporal paradoxes." Both Leo and Raph could only stare cluelessly at the explanation, clearly not understanding a word of what he'd just said. Donatello, however, had no such troubles. "I see… When you transferred to this dimension via your machine, it created a paradox by there being two of the same person in one dimension. To prevent the possibility of them meeting each other, the universe had to get rid of our Mikey before it could let this one cross over to our world." "Get rid of him? What does that mean? Where is he?" Leo asked as he rose up to his feet, clearly expecting the worst. "Okay, are we seriously just going to ignore the fact that it was Mikey who just said all that sciencey mumbo-jumbo?!" Raph shouted, though the others seemed to be doing their best to ignore him for now. Donnie considered Leo's question for a moment before providing his theory. "Logically, one would assume… he's wherever this Mikey belongs." Chapter 2: London, 1899 The first thing Michelangelo could remember upon waking was the hiss of steam in the background. His head was killing him, he couldn't think straight. He tried to open his eyes, but everything was a blur. He could just make out some machinery, a blinking red light. After a moment, another light came moving towards him. A flashlight? He couldn't quite tell. The light was set aside when it reached him, and a silhouette faded into view above him. A voice spoke to him. It was muffled, but he could just barely understand what it said. "Blast… Then I was too late… Worry not, dear brother. I will make this right yet…" The voice sounded familiar, though the accent made it hard to pick up on who it was right away. Mikey let out a groan as he felt his body being pulled up, feeling consciousness start to slip away from him once more. "D... Donnie..?" he mumbled out before everything sunk back into blackness. When Michelangelo awoke next, he found himself lying in a huge four-poster bed. He sat up slowly, his head still pounding. He had to wait for the room to stop spinning before he attempted to climb out of the bed. "Oww!" he yelped, rubbing the top of his head. What the hell had he hit? He squinted his eyes, trying to see through the darkness. Metal bars? What the hell was this, some kind of cage? Who would cage a bed? Mikey eventually found the door which, luckily for him, was unlocked. He tumbled out of bed and looked around. The room was ornately decorated with Victorian furniture and expensive-looking oil paintings. Everything looked like it had come right out of Sherlock Holmes. Well, everything but that creepy pig mask sitting on the dresser. Mikey made his way out into the hall, which was dimly lit by some very old electrical fixtures mounted on the walls. At least this place had power. Here he was worried he'd be stuck with candles or oil lamps or some shit like that. This place looked old enough for that. The hall he was walking down seemed to go on forever. This mansion was huge, unlike anything he'd ever seen before. One thing was for sure; he wasn't in New York anymore. "Donnie? Hey, D! Are ya in here?!" Mikey shouted, his voice echoing down the deserted corridors. He got no reply. At least, not at first. Suddenly, the whole house began to shake violently, so much so that Mikey struggled to keep his footing. Dust rained down from the rafters, the entire building creaking and moaning from the strain. Then, as suddenly as it had began, it was over. Mikey stood perfectly still for a long while, as if afraid it'd start up again. Once it seemed safe, he let out a sigh of relief. "Dude... Earthquakes are way more intense in real life than on TV..." he mumbled to himself. Well, that had cemented the fact that this wasn't New York, at least. Donatello had previously assured him that earthquakes, especially ones powerful enough to be felt, were extremely unlikely in New England. Donnie probably thought he hadn't been listening, but he paid attention more than his brothers often gave him credit for. Crisis averted, he continued through the deserted building, eventually making his way downstairs. He passed through what looked to be a banquet hall with long tables that would seat more people than he'd ever met before in his life. There was a grand piano in the corner, on top of which lay another one of those fancy, colorful pig masks. It seemed like it was staring right at him. Right into him. Michelangelo shuddered. "O-okay, piggie, yer seriously creepin' a bit, bruh..." he whispered meekly, going over and turning the mask away. It was still creepy, but at least it wasn't looking at him anymore. He continued through more rooms that were clearly meant for entertaining, one with a bar and pool tables, a few old gramophones lining the walls, another piano. He soon came to a door that looked to lead to a more private section of the mansion. Out of habit, he glanced over his shoulders before opening the door and going in. This time he found himself in a study. There was a fine wooden desk sitting by the far wall, bookshelves filled with dusty old books and files, and on the wall next to the desk hung several hunting rifles. Of particular interest was the painting hanging behind the desk of a man and his wife, a small baby held close in the woman's arms. The man was well-dressed in a suit and top hat, and the woman wore a Victorian noblewoman's fine lace gown. Mikey had never seen this particular painting before, but somehow it felt so familiar to him, like he'd known it all his life. It wasn't until he'd gotten a closer look that he realized what it was. Their faces... He knew them. He could never forget them. They looked exactly like the ones in the picture his Master kept in the dojo, the one possession Splinter had managed to keep since his home in Japan was burned to the ground. The likenesses were uncanny. The man in the painting was none other than Hamato Yoshi, the woman Tang Shen. That could only mean the baby was their daughter, Miwa. Karai. "Woah... Dude, what the hell is goin' on here..?" he breathed out, feeling chills go up his shell. Had someone painted this as a joke or something? Who would even know about his master's true identity? Who would bother with such an elaborate rouse? Surely not Shredder... Mikey turned to look for some answers in the desk next to him. This room in particular looked more untouched than the others, a layer of fine dust covering everything. He opened the drawer to look for hints, any kind of clue as to who really owned this place. Inside he found only a piece of paper that looked to be ripped out of a journal or something. He read it, or attempted to. The handwriting was neat and rather beautiful, but he struggled with some of the words and concepts. 'November 7th, 1898 The bank is refusing credit, the ignorant swine. I sit alone at night and weep, once the children and servants are safely asleep, when they cannot hear me. My darling, how I need you now. They say I have squandered my fortune, that my investment in these latest machines has ruined the family name. What? That I was to remain a local butcher? What are these two arms compared to the multitude that can be applied, without pay, without tire, by adapting the mechanisms we find in the looms and the mills. But, if the bank has its way, it will all come to nothing. If they come for the house I swear I will kill them, I will kill them all. I will take my rifle... my rifle...' Mikey wasn't sure what to think. Could Hamato Yoshi, could Splinter really have written this? It didn't sound like his master at all... And was that date accurate? 1898? That was well over a hundred years ago! Just what the hell was going on?! As if in answer to his question, the mansion shook once more. Mikey grabbed onto the nearest solid object to keep from falling as he waited it out. Eventually, it stopped. "Oh, man... I must be in California or sumthin'..." he commented, shaking his head to throw off the fresh layer of dust. Suddenly, whatever he was using as a brace gave way under his weight, causing him to land face first on the floor. He looked up to see what it was, worried he'd broken something. What he saw was one of the hunting rifles hanging halfway off the wall in such a position that it really should have fallen to the ground with him. Next to the rifles, a section of the wall had opened up. "Dude! Secret passages! Sweeeet!" he said as he hopped back up to his feet. He entered the passage without hesitation. This space was much different from the rest of the house. No ornate decorations, just bare wood and rafters, concrete below his feet. A short ways in, he passed what looked like a window out into the hall. Except... Hadn't he just been down that hall? He didn't remember seeing any windows... And why did it look like there were faint images imprinted in the glass? Then it hit him. This wasn't a window at all, it was the back of one of the oil paintings in the hall! So, someone liked spying on people behind the walls, eh? That wasn't creepy at all. He was about to continue down the passage when he caught some light moving out of the corner of his eye. He looked back to the painting just in time to see someone walk by in the hall outside. Someone very familiar. "Donnie!" Michelangelo shouted, pressing his face against the glass back of the painting. It was indeed his brother, there was no mistaking that, but... What the hell was he wearing? It looked like some old grey suit tailored specially for him, a loose purple bow tied around his collar. He carried what looked like a lantern of sorts, lighting his way through the dim hallways. He didn't seem to notice the younger turtle there behind the walls. Mikey sprinted through the passage as Donatello rounded a corner and left his sight. He had to find a way out of there. He had to talk to Donnie. If anyone would know what was going on, it would be him. Eventually, he reached a dead end. He slammed a fist against the wooden wall, cursing under his breath. "Dammit! C'mon, open up!" But this was one time percussive maintenance wasn't going to work. He had to find an intelligent solution to this. Yeah, good luck there. But wait... He'd played video games like this before, hadn't he? Surely there was a switch around here that would open up an exit. Sure enough, he managed to find a lever nearby, which opened the passage out into the hall. Mikey sprinted out, trying to catch up with his brother. He couldn't have gone that far, could he? He soon found the hall he'd seen Donnie turn down, and was instantly greeted by the light of a lantern being shined in his face. He shielded his eyes, having gotten so used to the darkness of the mansion that he was nearly blinded when he rounded the corner. "Yo, D, turn down the light, bro!" he whined as he made his way forward. As he approached, however, he realized that there wasn't anyone holding the lantern. It had been placed on the ground, the owner nowhere to be seen. He picked up the lantern and used it to look around. Nothing. Donatello had vanished without a trace. Then, there was a loud ringing just behind him. Mikey let out a yelp, nearly jumping out of his shell at the sudden noise. He looked over to see what it was and saw... What the hell was that? Was that supposed to be a telephone? It was like some weird wooden box mounted on the wall with a small speaker mounted in it, an old microphone-looking object resting on the small shelf attached at the bottom. It continued to ring at him, the sound of brass alarm bells echoing down the hall. With some hesitation, unsure how to work the thing, he reached over and flipped a switch. A green light came on. Did it work? He leaned forward and attempted to speak into the microphone. "Uhhh... Hello..?" 'Good, you are awake. I haven't much time to explain...' came the voice over the speaker. For a moment, Mikey couldn't believe his ears. This voice, speaking low and quick, also had a British accent, but he knew it well. "Raph! Dude, is that really you? Where are ya? An' why the hell are ya talkin' like that? Have you an' Leo been watchin' Doctor Who again?" he asked quickly, not giving the person on the other end of the line time to answer between questions. 'All will be made clear in time, but you must first return to the factory. The Machine is fouled, it is breached, it is flooded. I cannot return you to your world until it is repaired. The task is a simple one, but I need you here to reactivate it.' That whole bit had Michelangelo's head spinning. Wait, what factory? What machine? And what did he mean 'his world'? Where the hell was he if he wasn't already in his world?! "Ummm... Dude, what?" 'Cut through the chapel to avoid being seen. Below the altar. The passage will take you here, but make haste. We haven't the time to dally.' "W-wait! Raph! What chapel?! Where do I go?!" Mikey asked hurriedly, trying to catch Raphael before- Yeah, he wasn't sure why he didn't expect that to happen. It was Raphael, after all. He let out a sigh and clicked the phone's switch off. No sooner had he touched the switch than the house began to shake violently once more, more so than it had earlier. He was sent tumbling to the floor, the lantern flying out of his hand and flickering along with the rest of the hall lights. Once the shaking stopped this time, however, the lights didn't come on again. "O-okay, chapel it is!" he laughed nervously, scrambling to his feet and snatching up the lantern from the floor. He made his way quickly through the mansion, wanting to get the hell out of there before the whole thing came crashing down on his head. Eventually, after opening just about every door in the massive house, he found one that led outside. It was a frigid night, pitch black and cold as ice. Mikey's breath came out as puffs of fog, goosebumps covering his bare skin in an instant. Okay, this was one time he really wished he wore clothes... He didn't have time to worry about that, though. From the way Raph had been talking, the chapel couldn't be far away. He had to find it and get inside before he froze to death. It must have been late, because the streets seemed as deserted as the mansion had been. Everything was pitch black. There were street lamps, rather large, ornate ones, but they were all out. Was the power out for the whole city? He made his way out through the mansion gate, staring up at the buildings lining the cobblestone road. They looked as old as the mansion, some much older, it seemed. He'd never seen a town like this, at least not in real life. He was used to skyscrapers, apartments, office buildings, subway trains... He wasn't even sure there was a place like this in America, let alone New York. He didn't have to go far before he spotted what he was looking for. A steeple appeared through the fog, a golden cross sitting atop it. That had to be it! He didn't bother with the gate. Knowing his luck, it was probably locked. Plus there was some rust-bucket of an old truck parked in the way. He jumped over the gate, and... fell flat on his face in the dirt of the courtyard. "Oww..." he mumbled against the ground. Well, that was graceful. He was glad no one was around to see that. Where did he land, though? It smelled worse than the sewer. He lifted himself up to his hands and knees and- "H-holy shit!" he screamed, scrambling out of the ditch he'd fallen into. He looked back down, back at the two lifeless brown eyes staring up at him from under a filthy linen headwrap. The creature in the grave was hideously deformed, like someone had made some attempt to twist the poor wretch's form into something else. It was a mutant, it had to be, but... He'd never seen one quite like this. He craned his neck to get a better look at its face without tumbling into the open grave. He spotted a somewhat familiar-looking snout, a pair of short, dull tusks sticking out from its lower jaw. It was a pig. "Duuude... And I thought Bebop was ugly..." he whispered to himself in awe. Well, whatever this thing was, he didn't want to be around it much longer. Michelangelo grabbed his lantern and made his way up to the church entrance. With a bit of effort, he pushed the heavy wooden doors open and slipped inside. The church seemed massive on the inside, with high vaulted ceilings and tall pillars holding the roof up. It was just as dark in there as it was outside, and ten times as creepy. He just had to find the altar, right? Raph said something about a secret passage underneath. He made his way down the center aisle between the pews, up towards the pulpit. He stepped up, and immediately froze. The solid stone altar sat before him in the middle of a large circular alcove, its edges still trimmed with holly from Christmas service. The holly had been stained, however. Drenched, really. In blood. He didn't need to wonder where the blood had come from. Pinned to the large cross on the altar, its belly slit open and its innards spilling out, was a pig. It wasn't a mutant, not like the one outside in the open grave. It was a normal pig. Of course, that didn't make it any less disturbing. "Uhhh... 'Kay... I, uhhh... I think I'm done playing this game!" he squeaked out, stumbling backwards a few steps. Raphael really could have done well to at least warn him about this! Oh, there was some seriously bad mojo going on here. But... He had to get through, didn't he? Raph was waiting for him. He was going to explain everything, to help fix everything. Something he'd expect more from Donatello, but he'd take anything he could get at this point. With considerable hesitation, not wanting to touch the pig's spilled intestines, he braced his hands against the edge of the altar and pushed. He pushed with all his might, but it wouldn't budge. He put his shoulder into it, he even tried to kick the damn thing, but it was hopeless. He slumped down against the stone, taking a moment to catch his breath. "Aw, man... This is impossible... What the fuck am I supposed ta do?!" he growled in utter frustration, slamming a fist against the ground. A few seconds later, the tile he'd hit sunk into the floor by about an inch. He glanced down at it, confused. Then, he felt the stone move behind him. He jumped up to his feet and watched as the altar slid back to the wall, the sound of huge gears meshing and turning under the floor and behind the walls. The floor split open, and stone steps descended into the darkness. "Huh. It worked this time." he commented to himself, grabbing his lantern once more and darting down the stairs. He didn't think whatever was down there could be any worse than what he'd just left upstairs. He was starting to get really sick of being wrong all the time. This 'secret passage' of Raphael's was a dingy, filthy cellar, large cages lining the walls and stacked up to the low ceiling. Some of them were covered with canvas. He could swear he could hear moaning from some. "Okay, no... Nope. Nuh uh. Not doin' this. I'm out, dude. I'll find some other way to the factory." he whimpered out before turning around to dart up the stairs. He never got the chance. The stone slabs that made up the stairs moved quickly back up against the floor of the church, the way back sealed by over two feet of solid marble. No way back now. "Aww, c'mon, dude! Ya gotta be kidding me!" he groaned out, immediately starting to look for a switch or something that would bring the stairs back, something that would open everything back up. He'd been searching for several minutes when he heard something just behind him. It sounded like something scoffing at him, snorting almost. "Dude, don't rush me, bruh. I'm tryin' ta find the damn switch..." he grumbled, brushing whoever it was away. It took him a moment before he realized the obvious problem. Slowly, Michelangelo peeked back over his shoulder, shining his lantern up at the mysterious person. Towering over him, brown eyes staring down at him, muscles rippling under deformed flesh, stood the mutant from earlier, the Manpig lying in the grave. But that couldn't be possible... That thing was dead! As if angered by the very thought, the Manpig let out a loud, screeching roar, raising a club-like hoof above it's head, preparing to bring it down on the little turtle's skull. Michelangelo's eyes widened. Yes, he was quite sure at this point that he did not like this route to the factory. Chapter 3: Power Trip Donatello and Michelangelo had been holed up in the lab for hours, chattering away and exchanging theories. Donnie was currently standing over his microscope, peering into the eyepiece with captivated interest. Clamped in place where a specimen slide would normally be was a small blue stone, which shimmered with unseen facets and glowed with a mysterious energy. It's geometry seemed impossible, the surface was both rough as sandpaper and smooth as glass all at the same time. The longer one stared at it, the harder it became to discern exactly what it really looked liked. "Fascinating... This is absolutely astounding!" he thought aloud, his excitement showing clearly in his voice. He then removed the stone from the microscope, grabbing something that looked like a metal food thermometer connected to a computer cord, touching the metal tip lightly against the strange crystal's surface. The moment he did, all manner of readings began streaming across his monitor screen. This only seemed to widen the grin on Donatello's face. "I've never seen anything like this! The energy this thing is putting out is absolutely unheard of for something so small! And you say you used this to power your machines?" "The core of it, yes." Michelangelo began, taking the tiny pearl-sized stone and replacing it in it's setting at the end of his tie tack. The stone sat almost unnoticeable at the center of his orange cravat. For something so powerful to look so innocuous when worn like that... It almost seemed a waste. "This is but a small shard of the Orb at the heart of my machine. It is an amazingly powerful relic. Without it, my experiments would have been impossible to complete. One cannot travel between dimensions on pure steam power alone, I assure you." "Are you two egg-heads still geeking out in here? It's been hours." The two glanced over towards the entrance of the lab, where Raphael stood leaning against the archway with his arms folded across his chest. They'd both been so busy that neither seemed to have noticed him watching them. Donatello merely rolled his eyes at his brother's comment. "Well, excuse us 'eggheads' for boring you. We happen to be working out a plan for getting Mikey back home!" "Kindly refrain from calling me that. I don't much care for suck nicknames…" Michelangelo interjected, earning a suspicious glare from the red-masked turtle. Before he could retort with another snide remark, Leonardo came in to check up on their progress. "So? Did you come up with anything? Can we switch them back?" "Yeah, in theory. Mikey… I mean, Michelangelo and I should be able to rebuild the unit that slipped him through the dimensional barrier into our world. The only problem is we don't have the power to run it." Donatello replied, unrolling the large piece of paper he'd copied Michelangelo's plans onto. It was the only page in that leather journal of his that the shorter turtle had allowed him to look at. An old habit, he'd claimed, not wanting rival inventors to steal his designs. Donnie had understood the sentiment and respected his wishes, sticking solely to the blueprint of his dimensional teleportation unit. "So, what? Double-A batteries ain't gonna cut it?" Raph commented, earning a sharp glare from the bespectacled terrapin. "The Orb is not a product of this dimension, nor even mine for that matter. It is a pure, crystalline energy unlike anything humans are capable of creating." he snapped back matter-of-factly. "Wait… a crystal power source? Do you think one of the Kraang power crystals would work?" Leonardo offered. Donnie's face lit up at that. "Leo, you're a genius! If we can get a big enough power crystal, it should be able to work!" Donnie cheered, feeling like their plan actually had a chance to work. After staring at the lot of them for a moment, Michelangelo stepped forward with a question. "Pardon my ignorance, chaps, but… 'Kraang'? What the devil are you on about?" "The Kraang are a species of highly evolved aliens from Dimension X. Much of their technology is powered by crystalline power sources similar to your Orb. In fact, and this is just a speculation, but it's entirely possible the Orb could be of Kraang origin as well." Donatello explained. Michelangelo hummed thoughtfully at that, the gears clearly turning in his head, calculating. "I see… Another extra-dimensional power crystal… Yes, that should suffice, so long as it can be tuned to match the harmonics of the Orb. That should create the link to my dimension and allow me to switch back to the proper world, bringing your brother home as well, rather than some other Michelangelo from a different, random dimension." "Well, there's only one way to find out." Donatello replied. Raphael grinned, unsheathing his sais and spinning them around this fingers. "Yes! Finally, some action! Let's go bust some brains!" he cheered. His brothers both let out a cheer of agreement. Their other-dimensional visitor, however... "Oh dear… You intend to take it by means of violence? What barbarous methods you have…" Michelangelo scoffed, cringing at the very thought of getting his hands dirty. The other three could only stare at him. "You don't mean..." Leonardo trailed off, awestruck. "Yer kiddin' me… Ya don't even know how to fight?" Raphael finished for his older brother. "Heavens no! I'm a scientist, not some uncivilized brute! If that's the way you lot do things, then feel free to go without me. I shall remain here and begin work on the device." he replied, straightening the collar of his coat as he returned to Donatello's worktable, taking up the plans for his device and looking them over once more. Leonardo, a bit unsure, looked back at the other two for input. They only offered him a shrug of their shoulders. Leo sighed and looked back at Michelangelo, who was somehow more alien to him now than he had seemed just a moment ago. "Alright, if you say so…" The three of them left their guest to his work, going off to take care of some business as only they could. They emerged like shadows from the sewers, flying unseen up the nearest fire escape like specters in the night, and proceeded along rooftops towards their intended target. The Kraang invasion may have been pushed back, but they knew all too well that their enemy was still present and active in the city. More importantly, they knew where some of their remaining operational outposts were located. With any luck, in one of them they would find a crystal large enough to match the power of that miraculous little stone that powered the original machine. Raphael brought up the rear of the group, unconsciously following his brothers while he let half his mind wander. They'd invaded Kraang bases before, but somehow this time felt different. It felt wrong. It felt like they were directing their energy towards the wrong target. It felt like they'd left the Devil himself in their home. Raphael stopped abruptly, the others following suit once they noticed he'd stopped. "I don't like leavin' that guy alone in the lair…" Raph announced before the others had a chance to ask what was the matter. Leonardo furrowed his brow in confusion. "Why not? It's just Mikey." he assured. Raphael shook his head in reply. "No, he ain't! He's like some bizarro backwards version of Mikey! I don't trust him!" "Riiight. Just because he happens to be extremely intelligent, you suddenly don't trust him. I see how it is." Donatello replied, clearly not liking the implications of such a statement. Raphael gave a frustrated growl. "It ain't that, dammit! He just… gives me a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, y'know?" he explained, looking down at his feet. How could he make the others understand if they didn't feel it themselves? This was wrong. All of it was wrong. He just couldn't put his finger on why. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, his gaze meeting a pair of light blue eyes. Leonardo gave him a reassuring smile. "It's probably just because you aren't used to seeing Mikey like that. Either way, it should be good incentive for us to hurry up and get that power crystal." Leo assured. Raphael wanted to believe him, he truly did, but... He only had to remember that icy glare Michelangelo had given him, the all-too-serious threat to cut off his hands, and he felt that sense of dread rising up in him once more. He closed his eyes, shuddering. He soon felt something press against his forehead. He didn't have to open his eyes to know what it was, and it calmed him all the same. He heard his older brother whispering to him a mere inch from his face. "We'll have our baby brother back soon. Our real baby brother. I promise..." Raphael let out a sigh, trying to let all of the tension, all of the negative thoughts, all of the fear go. It would all be okay. They just had to get this power crystal and everything would fall back into place. Same as it ever was... right? "You'd better be right, bro..." he whispered back. He could practically feel the smile on Leo's face before he backed off. Raph opened his eyes in time to see Leo and Donnie continue off across the rooftops. He let out one last sigh before following after them. They arrived soon enough. It was a previously scouted weapons cache tucked away in some abandoned buildings out in the Bronx. The Kraang were still recovering from their thwarted invasion of New York, but that didn't mean they were short-handed when it came to security. No, this outpost out of all of them would be heavily defended, given the volatile contents. Not the easiest place to break into, but it was the only one that would have what they needed. The three moved quickly and silently. The Kraang were nothing if not logical, almost robotic in their every activity. It made them somewhat easy to predict. A few minutes of observation revealed their patrol pattern. They slipped past and from there made their way into the vents. Their base layout was more or less logical as well. Their most guarded materials would be kept in the lowest level underground. That's where they needed to head. "Woah, hold up a sec', guys." Leo ordered as they came to a halt in front of what could only be the heavy door of a vault. Mounted into the wall next to the door was one of the few things about the Kraang that didn't seem to use an ounce of logic; their technology. Donnie let out a groan. "Uuugh, I hate Kraang computers... They make no sense at all!" he grumbled, reluctantly stepping forward to try to figure out the access panel. It was more complicated than their usual ones, this one seeming like the equivalent of one of their full computers. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish Mikey was here. He's practically a savant when it comes to Kraang tech..." "Well... WWMD?" Donnie turned to look at Raph, utterly confused. "Y'know... 'What Would Mikey Do'? He's the freak genius with this crap. Just do what he'd do." Donnie sighed. Just do what Mikey does? Yeah, that was easier said than done. He wasn't insane enough for this. The longer he stared at the console, the less it made sense. It was like trying to visually examine Michelangelo's Orb shard... But that was it, wasn't it? Don't think, don't study. Just do. Mikey, their Mikey, lived by intuition alone. He just had to let go of his scientist's urge to over-analyze everything and just go with his gut. It felt rather ridiculous, hitting random points on the console pad, simply letting his hands go wherever they wanted. This continued for quite a bit longer than he felt it should, but he didn't stop. Suddenly, he simply lifted his hands off the keypad. He didn't know what told him it was enough, but he just... knew. There was a long moment where nothing happened. Then another. And another. Finally, Leonardo opened his mouth to ask if he'd done it right, when... "Hah! Got it!" Donnie cheered as the massive door split open, the two halves sliding apart and disappearing into the walls. The three rushed in. Oh, they had the right room alright. The walls were lined with weapons; blasters and transport platforms, heavily armored robot suits and hover units, and, most importantly... Power crystals. They were kept suspended in a massive containment unit, hundreds of them ranging in size from those that would fit in the palm of your hand to ones that easily towered over the average human. "Alright, Don. Ball's in your court." Leo said, stepping aside to let their resident expert have a look. Donatello opened up the containment unit and climbed in, pulling out a portable version of the energy sampler he had back at his lab. He tested several crystals, but none seemed to have the power they needed. He moved to the truly humongous ones, and few of them even approached the level of energy that Michelangelo's tiny shard could put out. Finally, he found one that was perfect. "Got it! It's this one!" Donnie announced from deep inside the large container. Raph and Leo climbed in and stared in awe at the crystal Donnie had chosen. It was easily a foot taller than the lanky turtle, and had to weigh at least twice as much. "You gotta be kiddin' me! It's huge! Does it really have to be that one?!" Raph shouted. How in the hell were they supposed to sneak something like that out?! Leo shook his head in disbelief. "Can't we use a bunch of smaller crystals together instead of one big one?" "Nope. It has to be one solid piece. Trying to harmonize the frequencies of more than one of these things is near-impossible. The shards of the Orb are quantum linked with the core back in Michelangelo's world. We have to trick it into thinking that this is one of those shards or we won't be able to dial into the right universe." "Okay, okay, 'science', I get it... But how the hell are we going to get it out of here?" Raph asked. It was a rather good question, one Donatello had been trying to figure out himself. He glanced to Leo, as if asking for ideas. Leo nodded over towards one of the hover transports by the vault wall. Ahh, of course. How else would the Kraang move the crystals themselves? "Hey, Raph. You were a Kraang once." Donnie began with a smirk. Raphael gave a shudder. "Ughh, don't remind me..." "Do you happen to remember how to drive Kraang vehicles?" Slowly, a smirk spread across his face. Oh, of course he did. That just left one question... "But... How are we supposed to sneak it past the Kraang? They're gonna notice, and that hover thing isn't exactly a Bugatti." Leo pointed out. Donnie merely smiled. "Simple. We give them something bigger to worry about." "Like what?" In answer to Raphael's question, Donatello held up a second, much smaller crystal. "You didn't think we were gonna leave these Dalek wannabes with this much firepower, did you?" he replied with a smirk. Raphael couldn't hide the excitement on his face. Oh yeah! Time to blow some brains in tin cans sky high! "Donnie, have I ever told you you're a fuckin' genius? 'Cause yer a fuckin' genius!" Casey Jones was currently lounging on the couch in the Turtle's underground lair, his feet propped up against the edge of the coffee table as he flipped through the channels on the television. Or tried to, at least. It was rather hard when April kept pacing back and forth in front of him. Eventually he gave up, tossing the remote aside. "C'mon, Red. Relax. These are the Turtles we're talkin' 'bout. Whatever's goin' on, you know they got it taken care of. Why stress out over it?" "'Why stress out over it?'" April repeated, stopping her pacing to glare at Casey. "Did you not see Mikey when we got here?! Didn't you hear him?! That wasn't Mikey! Something's seriously wrong here!" "Yeah, well... maybe it's all one big joke?" Casey offered with a shrug of his shoulders. April shook her head. "Mikey doesn't joke like that... It's not his style. Casey, I just... What if the other three are like that, too? I don't think I can handle four of my friends turning into pompous douche-bags..." Suddenly, there was a loud metallic bang outside in one of the tunnels leading to the lair, followed by some shouting. "Dammit, Raph! Are you trying to blow us all up?!" "Gimmie a break, would ya? This thing's supposed ta be steered with tentacles! I think I did a pretty damn good job getting this far without crashing, don't you?!" "Enough. Let's just get this thing inside." April gave a mild sigh of relief. Well, they sounded normal at least. That didn't mean there was a lack of questions she had for them, mind you. Just reassurance that she might actually get some answers. The questions just kept piling up as the three turtles made their way inside. They were covered in soot and dust, the tail ends of their masks singed as though they'd just been in some sort of explosion. On top of that, they were carrying the single largest Kraang power crystal she'd ever seen in her life. "Guys! What the hell is going on?!" Yeah, that summed it up pretty well. Leonardo gave the others a nod of his head and, very carefully, they set the heavy crystal on the ground. Donnie straightened up, turning to flash April a nervous grin. "I, uhh... I take it you've 'met' Michelangelo?" "You're damn right I did! What the hell happened to him? He's a complete dick!" "I dunno, he coulda been ruder 'bout it." Casey commented from the couch, earning him another icy glare from April. "You're not helping!" "Oh dear... What'd he do?" Donnie sighed. A common question when referring to Mikey, though this time seemed quite different from the norm. At that point Casey rose up from his spot on the couch. He cleared his throat, straightened his back and held the collar of a non-existent coat, his nose turned up as though it was below him to look the lot of them in the eye. Oh, this would be a good show... "'My dear girl, what are you wearing? It's quite improper for a lady to dress like a man, and wearing a young boy's trousers at that! Showing your legs like that, your face painted up like a cheap harlot... I shudder to think why my dear brothers would allow such an unsavory character into their home!'" The Turtles stared at Casey as he gave them his best British accent, clearly mocking one of Michelangelo's little outbursts when they'd first met him. April gave a light huff, folding her arms across her chest. "I'm not even wearing that much make-up!" "Actually, in the Victorian era, natural beauty was prized over wearing make-up. In fact, the only women who really wore make-up at all back then were either actresses or whor-..." Donnie halted his explanation when he caught the look April was giving him. He bit his lip, wanting to pull his head down into his shell and hide. "I-I mean... Y-you look very lovely, as always!" "So, where is the li'l Scrooge? We damn near got our tails toasted getting this crystal for his stupid machine." Raph interjected before Donnie could dig himself deeper into a hole. Casey prepared his impression once more. "'What utter filth! Really, that my own brothers would willingly reside in a sewer of all places! I shan't stay here a moment longer!'" "Wait, he left?!" Leonardo asked. Oh no... This was bad. Somewhere out there in the vastness of modern New York City was a mutant turtle from an era that still thought skyscrapers were the objects of engineers' fantasies. Hell, their state alone was larger than Michelangelo's entire home country. He'd surely be lost in an instant. "Please tell me he mentioned where he was going..." It actually took longer to hunt Michelangelo down than it had taken them to infiltrate the Kraang outpost. He'd somehow made his way all the way down near the docks across town. The three found him in an old abandoned warehouse that looked like it was once used to build small boats. He'd already made himself quite at home, having set up some dusty old tables in the middle of the workshop floor, his impromptu lab already coming together with some old equipment he'd scrounged up. "Uhh... Michelangelo?" Donnie called out as the three of them made their way inside. The bespectacled turtle looked up from some large pile of old boat engine parts, looking not surprised at all to see his brothers. "Ah, there you lot are! I've been wondering when you'd show up. Had some difficulties with your extraterrestrial friends, I take it?" "Hey, it woulda helped if ya'd told someone where ya were goin'! Ya can't just take off like that!" Raphael growled defensively. "Michelangelo, I'm not sure what it's like for you in London, but it's very dangerous for us to be seen by normal humans. We've got a lot of enemies in this city." Leo added, trying to defuse the argument between the two before it began. "Oh, I assure you, I am quite experienced in keeping my identity hidden from the human populace. I can't just lurk in the shadows like you lot, by the by. I happen to run a business. I have a certain reputation to uphold, appearances I can't avoid making. I know how to hide my true identity from a person whilst simultaneously engaging in conversation with them. Trust me, you needn't waste time worrying about me. Now that that's out of the way, please, tell me you've been successful in finding the power source I need." "Yeah, we got it, but it's back at the Lair. We can go get it for you now if you want." Leo offered, sparking a small chorus of groans from the other two. Michelangelo gave a pleased smile. "Oh yes, please do! I'm eager to get started as soon as possible." With that, the other three took off somewhat reluctantly to go retrieve the power crystal once more. Once they were gone, Michelangelo returned to where he was working before he'd been interrupted. He took a quick glance over his shoulder, making sure his 'brothers' were truly gone before pulling out a small glass canister from under his coat, clearly something he'd 'borrowed' from Donatello's lab before he left. He examined the glowing green liquid inside, a small smirk spreading across his lips. Yes, he would get to work right away... Chapter 4: Here, Piggy Piggy Michelangelo dove away just as the hulking mutant pig brought its hoof crashing down, cracking the cement where the young turtle stood just a moment ago. It let out another loud, screeching roar, slamming a shoulder into one of the cages lining the walls before giving chase after it's quarry. Mikey scrambled through the dark, musty basement, dodging the flying cages by mere inches. "Woah, woah! Chillax, piggie dude! I ain't tryin' ta start a fight with ya!" Mikey shouted, ducking to dodge another swinging blow aimed to take off his head. Whatever this thing was, it was clearly in no mood to talk. He hated resorting to hurting someone, especially since this pig didn't seem smart enough not to think he was a threat, but he couldn't simply dodge forever. Mikey hooked his lantern to his belt, freeing up both hands to unsheathe his nunchaku. He waited for the Manpig to lash out at him once more, leaping above the blow as it crashed into concrete below. He vaulted over the hulking beast's shoulder, hooking the chain of one of his nunchaku around its thick neck. He braced both feet against its back, pulling back on both ends of his weapon. The Manpig let out a horrid squeal, lowering down on all fours and bucking wildly, slamming itself into walls and cages and anything else it could find. It wasn't long before Michelangelo found himself flying across the room, slamming shell-first into a cage so hard it left a large turtle shell shaped indentation in the bars. Mikey let out a pained groan as he picked himself up off the floor. He looked up towards the pig just in time to watch it bite clean through the handle of his nunchaku, wooden splinters raining down from it's powerful jaws. "Oh shit..." he breathed out, his eyes wide. Well, so much for not wanting to hurt the thing. It was starting to look like that wasn't possible, not with his weapons, at least. He would kill for Leo's katana right about now. The beast lowered down once more, giving another roar before charging at the young terrapin. Mikey let out a yelp, diving away as the pig crashed headlong into the cage behind him. He took the opportunity to run while the creature was dazed, shutting off his lantern as he slipped behind one of the covered cages. It was clear he couldn't fight this thing, not alone. He needed to get out of there and find Raphael. Easier said than done. He could hear the Manpig just feet away, snuffling around the cages, trying to sniff the turtle out. Mikey practically held his breath as the beast closed in, sniffing around the other side of the cage he was hiding behind, afraid the slightest noise would alert it to his position. Finally, the snuffling faded, the Manpig's heavy footsteps wandering off to some other part of the basement. Mikey waited until it was quite a ways away before letting out his held breath. The creature was too far away to hear him, but the same couldn't be said of someone else. "H-hello?! Please, God, let me out of here!" a man's voice shouted from behind him, causing Mikey to jump in surprise. It took him a moment, but he eventually figured out where the voice was coming from; it was the cage. The man was hidden from view by the heavy canvas covering the cage, but he could both hear and feel as the man rattled the cage bars, shouting, desperate to get out. "Dude! N-no! Shhh! Seriously, it'll-" But it was far too late. It had already heard. He could hear the Manpig barreling through the basement towards him. Mikey took off running through the maze of cages, willing himself not to look back even as the caged man's voice stopped crying out abruptly, smothered out by the sound of twisting metal and a sickening, meaty splatter. Still, the pig continued after him unimpeded, as if it hadn't noticed at all what it had just crushed in its wild hunt. Mikey still had no idea where he was going, but he was desperate to get out of that cellar. He vaulted over cages and tipped over barrels in his effort to slow his pursuer, but it didn't seem to do much. Finally, just as he was running out of places to run to, he spotted something. It was just a split second, just out of the corner of his eye, but it was the most welcome sight he'd ever seen. The young turtle sprinted towards what looked like a solid wall, grabbing hold of something metal protruding out ever so slightly. A solid grip on the handle, he pushed with all his might until the false wall swung open, a rush of cool, fresh air hitting his face as he fell forward onto the concrete floor of what looked like a large loading dock. He quickly scrambled to his feet, pushing the secret door back into place. He barely heard the click of the latch locking back into place before the Manpig slammed itself into the other side of the wall. The building rattled under the force, dust and chunks of brick raining down over Michelangelo's head. Everything calmed down once the creature gave up. Mikey slumped down against the wall, taking a moment to catch his breath. What the hell was going on here?! What was that thing? Was it the same one he'd seen in the grave, or were there more of them? Just more questions to ask Raphael. He picked himself up, stumbling lightly from the aching in his legs, and made his way out into the streets once again. It didn't take long to get to the factory from there, that much was true. He'd spotted the tall smokestacks the instant he stepped out of the loading bay. As he approached, he could see a large sign above the entrance of what looked like the main building. "'Hamato Co. Meat Processing Factory'... Woah, way bizarre, dude." he commented aloud, staring up almost in awe at the size of this place. Did all of it really belong to Master Splinter? He just couldn't picture him as some big business man, especially when the business he ran was something like this. Not wanting to waste any time, Michelangelo made his way inside. It looked like some sort of reception area, with a couple of desks on either side of the entrance way. The lamps on the desks were turned on, but their light didn't reach very far. He took his lantern from his belt, switching it on to have a better look around. Despite the lights and even some of the ceiling fans being on, it didn't look like this office had ever been used. It was almost like it was all a front, the facade of a normal business hiding something much bigger underneath. Just what was Hamato Yoshi doing with all this? "Ah, there you are. Not the most punctual man in the world, are you?" Mikey turned when he heard his brother's voice behind him, a huge smile on his face. British accent or not, it was good to finally hear a friendly, familiar voice in this crazy place. "Yo, Raph! Ya coulda given me better directions, br-" Mikey paused when he saw his brother. He almost didn't recognize him. He wore a black suit that was covered in spots by what looked like coal dust, a gray silk vest underneath, and a red puff tie tucked into the collar. He wore a dusty black bowler on his head and an expression on his face that Mikey hadn't seen since Raphael had accidentally swapped minds with a Kraang. "Dude... Weird threads, bro..." Mikey commented, a bit unsure now. Raphael's dull expression hardly twitched at that. "You're certainly one to talk, wandering around in the nude in the dead of winter." he replied almost boredly, not agitated at all by Mikey's comments. The shorter turtle furrowed his brow slightly. He was late, he was making smart-ass comments, yet there wasn't an ounce of anger in Raph's voice. He'd usually be smacked upside the head by now. But no, instead Raphael merely cleared his throat and started off towards the door at the back of the room, looking hardly bothered by anything at all. Hardly entertained either, for that matter. "Come. We've much to do and so little time to do it." Raphael stated, leading the way through the door as if expecting the other to follow behind. Mikey did, jogging a bit to catch up. Once through the door, they found themselves walking on a grated platform, surrounded on all sides by gigantic machines of brass and iron. Mikey couldn't help but stop and stare for a long moment. He'd never seen machinery like this in his life, even in his modern age. It was all so new, so enchanting, yet... Something about it all seemed so very dark. "Hurry along, then. You may gawk later after we repair The Machine." Raphael called out, continuing on ahead of him and starting down a set of stairs. Mikey ran after him. "So, uhh... What's wrong with your machine? Why's it broken? Did I do that?" he asked, so used to being blamed for everything. "No, it's nothing you've done. We've been plagued by a saboteur for months now. We haven't found who it is, but the depth of their meddling suggests it to be an inside job. They've caused extensive damage during our last test, causing the great engines to stall, the lower chambers to flood, and you to be transported here from your world." Raphael explained as they made their way down to a lower level. This floor smelled heavily of soot and coal, and Mikey could see several large coal furnaces from where he was standing. None of them were on currently. Raphael directed him to load coal into one of the open furnaces as he attended to the one on the opposite wall. Mikey grabbed a shovel and started loading it in. "So, if we fix this... whatever it is... Then you can send me back to where I belong? What all do we gotta do?" he asked as Raphael came over, stoking the furnace once Mikey had shoveled enough coal in. "That is correct. Luckily the saboteur's efforts seem to have been rather rushed, as he's taken to simply switching off all he could get his hands on. We need to get these fires going and start the pistons, then it's down to the reservoirs to restart the bilge pumps and flush out the rotten water. After that, it's simply a matter of restarting the system." he continued as the two of them moved their work to the next set of furnaces. "Uhhhh... Dude, I'm not sure what the 'me' from this world is like, but I ain't exactly that good with machines..." "Are you not? How strange. The Michelangelo I know is an absolutely brilliant chap. He and Father designed everything you see here, built an empire of a business, and my brother continued to run everything even after Father fell ill. We'd never have gotten this far if not for him. Fear not, I can take care of the technical aspects of the repair in his stead. You merely do as I ask and everything should be fine." Mikey couldn't help but stare on in awe as Raphael spoke of his other self. He sounded so... so cool! For once, Mikey wasn't assumed to be a clutz or an idiot, but a brilliant guy that everyone loved! Maybe this world wasn't so bad after all! "Wait... 'Father'? Ya mean Spli- I mean... Hamato Yoshi? Is he sick?" "It's 'Yoshi Hamato', but yes. Father had been ill for some time, some malady he'd picked up whilst in Mexico years ago. He's never quite recovered, and I'm afraid his condition has taken a turn for the worse as of late." "Can I see him?" Raphael stopped his work when Mikey asked that, taking a long moment to silently consider, as if debating whether he should allow him to meet their master. "I... I'm not sure we have time for that. Father is in a rather frail state, and we need to transfer you back before the saboteur has a chance to undo our efforts once again." Mikey didn't try to press the issue further, feeling like he was starting to overstep his bounds. They completed their work there with little conversation until finally all of the furnaces were lit. Mikey wiped the sweat and soot from his forehead as Raphael stepped up to the control unit. He began throwing levers forward, the giant pistons behind the glass in the center of the room groaning to life in front of them. Mikey smiled lightly. One step down, two to go. And nothing had gone wrong yet! This universe really did run a lot smoother than his! As if to prove him wrong, a loud, screeching roar echoed through the dimly lit chamber. Both turtles froze dead where they stood, each recognizing that eerie call. Slowly, Raphael turned back to look at Mikey. "Turn off your lantern..." he whispered low, his green eyes staring right past the younger turtle. This was quite possibly the first time he'd seen this Raphael show a modicum of emotion, his eyes wide and alert, fear leaking through his calm facade. "I said turn off the bloody lantern..!" Raphael repeated harshly, ducking low and slipping away slowly. Mikey finally snapped out of his daze, switching off his lantern and ducking low. Just in time, it seemed. Mere moments after the light was shut off, the Manpig came snuffling around the corner. Michelangelo felt his heart jump up into his throat. Oh God, it was back! How did it get out of the church? It was trapped down there! He looked to Raphael for answers, who nodded towards the back of the room. He followed silently, taking care not to knock into anything that would alert the creature to their position. He could hear the creature slowly shuffling its way towards them, but it didn't seem to know they were there. Yet. Once to the rear of the room, Mikey saw what it was Raphael had been after. There was another staircase leading downward, deeper into the vast machine. It was the closest escape route away from the beast, and it likely led to where they needed to be next anyway. Raph had mentioned that the lower chambers were flooded, after all. They proceeded with extreme caution down the stairs, taking each step as gingerly as possible. It was times like these that made Mikey glad he was a ninja. It truly felt as though they would have their necks snapped clean off their body if they made even the tiniest noise. Once at the bottom of the stairs, they let out a collective sigh of relief at having made it down there safely. "Man, what was that thing? It almost killed me back at the church, and now it's here!" he asked, keeping his voice low in case the Manpig could hear them down there. Raphael seemed to hesitate a moment before answering, or perhaps he was merely trying to catch his breath. "It's... It was an accidental exposure of Compound X... One of our workers hadn't disposed of it as we'd instructed and some unfortunates came into contact with it. It was an unstable formula, imperfect. It's driven the poor wretches quite mad, I'm afraid..." "The hell's 'Compound X'?" "A chemical Father developed. It's what he used to turn myself and my brothers into sentient beings." "You mean Mutagen?! Dude! That stuff is gnarly!" "Precisely. Which is why we have strict guidelines on the disposal of imperfect compounds. But, of course, one can't seem to trust anyone with an important task in this day and age..." Mikey opened his mouth to reply, but stopped suddenly, his eyes going wide. "Wait... you said 'wretches' a minute ago... Y'mean... Is there more than one of those things..?" There was a crash further into the room, the sound of something metallic and very heavy clattering to the ground. The two turtles ducked behind the nearest object, what looked to be an old conveyor belt for transporting coal from one area to another. They peeked over the belt to see a second Manpig trot by, stopping suddenly to look around, its snout raised to sniff at the air. Then, it raised its head and let out a loud squealing sound. It was echoed a moment later by the creature still on the upper level. They were communicating. Mikey cursed internally. Damn, those things were smarter than he thought. It wasn't long before they heard heavy hoof-beats coming down the stairs. They knew they were there. With any luck, they wouldn't know exactly where. Soon enough, they had two Manpigs combing the room for them, snuffling about and knocking over objects as they went. Mikey looked to Raphael, hoping he had another escape route. Luckily, he did. In the near darkness, he could just barely make out the other turtle pointing to the far corner of the room. Mikey squinted his eyes, trying to peer through the pitch-black to whatever it was he was trying to show him. From there it looked like a chute of some sort, possibly even another conveyor leading downwards. Ever downwards. Mikey nodded and the two began to make their separate routes over to their escape. Here was another maze of a room, with conveyor systems and other big blocks of machinery keeping them from making an easy path. The Manpigs, persistent as ever, weren't making it any easier. They moved freely through the room, jumping over machinery and conveyor belts, knocking over anything the two could be hiding under. Michelangelo had nearly been caught twice, going round a corner only to find one of the creatures directly in front of him. He managed to pull back around before being spotted, but it was still way too close a call. After the second near-miss, he took a second to sit behind one of the other conveyor belts, waiting for the danger to pass. He chanced a quick peek over at the coal chute, spotting a small figure wearing a hat as it stealthily climbed down into it. Good. Raphael made it. That only left him. There was a loud bang behind Mikey just before he could set off once more, the machinery behind his shell rattling and buckling under a great weight. He looked up, heart pounding away in his chest. Standing atop the conveyor belt just above him was one of the Manpigs, its ears swiveling around as it listened for movement, it's beady little eyes scanning the room. The thing was so close Mikey could have counted the coarse bristles on its chin, and he could smell a stench like a filthy barn coming off it. He clamped his jaw shut and remained perfectly still, not wanting to make a sound. It would leave. Surely it would. It wouldn't look down. If it hadn't looked down already, it wouldn't look down at all. He just had to not give it a reason to look down. At first, it looked as though it had worked. The Manpig turned to continue further down the line, snuffling and sniffing as it went. Mikey was tempted to let out a sigh of relief, but unfortunately for him these creatures weren't the most careful things in the world. As the pig turned, its hoof knocked down some coal dust from the conveyor. The young terrapin couldn't cover his mouth and nose in time. He felt the dust sting his nostrils, his throat, his eyes began to water. He couldn't hold it in for long, but he had to. The beasts were too close. They'd find him for sure. The pigs hadn't wandered too far before he reached his breaking point. "AAACHOOO!" Both Manpigs immediately let out a squealing roar, the thunder of hooves closing in on their prey's position. Michelangelo had no other choice now. He made a break for it, sprinting towards the coal chute as fast as his legs would carry him, vaulting over anything in his way that was short enough and weaving around objects that were too tall. His vision was beginning to blur, tears streaming down his cheeks from the coal dust still stuck in his eyes, but he couldn't stop now. He could feel them nipping right at his heels, their hot, stinking breath beating down on the back of his neck. He couldn't see through the tears, having to shut his eyes tight, they stung so much. He had to navigate by memory, by instinct. He weaved around a large metallic object, hearing a satisfying thud of a thick skull colliding with it mere seconds behind him. There was still at least one of them after him, though. The chute should be around here. It had to be. He came to a metal railing, which he nearly clothes-lined himself on. He ducked under the rail a split second before hearing something coming crashing down against it where he'd been standing just a moment ago. He felt a void in the floor in front of him. He didn't know if this was where he was supposed to be, but it was his only chance at this point. He jumped. Chapter 5: A Feast of Nightmares Raphael felt utterly uncomfortable. The clothes he wore were tight around his shoulders, his neck, his... well, everything, really. He wasn't made to wear human clothing, and certainly not the prim and proper suit he currently found himself wearing. Even more ill-fitting was the mask he wore. It wasn't his usual strip of red fabric, but what felt like a full-faced porcelain mask. He raised a hand to feel at it. He felt two little protruding ears on top, a sort of muzzle in front of his mouth, and a very distinctly shaped snout. Was he wearing a pig mask? He heard a door opening behind him. The sound seemed to make something click in his mind. This wasn't the sewer, this wasn't the Lair. He was in a house of some sort, ornately decorated with paintings and Victorian furniture. Was this Michelangelo's world? Was this his home in London? Wait, how had he gotten there? Had there been another accident? Did he get switched just as his brother had? Finally, he turned around, curious who he'd find there. It was a young boy by the looks of him, hardly older than ten. He was dressed in what almost looked like a boarding school uniform, wearing a blue blazer and shorts with socks up to the knees. He wore a ceramic pig mask over his face, decorated with swirling colors, mostly blues, like old tribal paint. His true identity was betrayed slightly by the way his clothes fit him, the bulging at his back hinting at the hard shell hiding underneath. "Leo? Hey, is that you?" he asked, a bit unsure. Wasn't Leonardo the oldest of the four of them? Why did he look so small? Once he was addressed, the boy turned and calmly walked off down the hall. Raph immediately followed after him. Out in the hall, he spotted Leonardo making his way out to what looked like an indoor balcony. Raphael stopped in his tracks, recognizing the back of a very familiar brown coat. Michelangelo, the other Michelangelo, stood there at the balcony, looking over the room below. Leonardo tugged at the edge of the taller turtle's coat, who leaned down so the boy could whisper something in his ear. The elder brother nodded, and the younger dismissed himself down the stairs. Raphael shuddered at the sight of him, sickened at the thought of being trapped in his world. Still, this seemed to be the only opportunity he had to get some real answers out of the pompous asshole. He stepped forward, intending to give the other turtle one hell of an interrogation now that his brothers weren't there to stop him. "No one misses the poor..." Raph stopped just before crossing the threshold out onto the balcony. Was... Was he talking to him? Michelangelo never turned back to look him in the eye as he spoke, continuing to stare out over the floor below. "Round up some orphans and the world thanks you for it. Disappear a whore and a gentleman applauds you. Cull a beggar and a lady walks safely again." Raphael furrowed his brow. The way Michelangelo was speaking now... It seemed different, like he was finally being honest, finally speaking what he truly felt. Perhaps the interrogation wasn't necessary? He continued forward, standing next to the bespectacled terrapin. Rather than his glasses, however, he seemed to be wearing the same kind of pig mask as Leonardo had on, only his was decorated in predominantly orange swirls. Raph looked out over the room below. It was a banquet hall, lit by the warm light of a thousand candles from ornate chandeliers and other fixtures about the room. The table below was long enough to seat fifty people, and it looked as though there were at least that many down there. There were ladies dressed in elaborate gowns of fine lace and intricate embroidery, men in expensive looking suits, their beards and mustaches perfectly groomed for the occasion. It seemed all of London's upper class had turned out for a feast. "I hate them..." Michelangelo continued, "I hate them more than any of the others. This privilege, this pretension. These so called leaders, these pillars of society, these rich and fanciful. They wear their filth on the inside, but they are no less dirty." Well, Raphael never thought he'd agree with something this bastard said, but here he was, nodding his head. He'd often had the very same thought, though not in so many words, of the rich and spoiled of New York, the Wall Street millionaires, the stuffed suits who looked down their noses at anyone who made less than a six-figure salary. Yet... If he hated them so much, why invite them all to a party like this? Michelangelo answered his question without being asked, pushing away from the banister and starting down the stairs. "I have plans for them all. We will feed them... and then we will feed from them." Raph's eyes widened behind his mask. "Wait, what? The hell's that supposed to mean?" he asked, jogging to catch up with the other turtle. As they reached the bottom of the staircase, he spotted where Leonardo had run off to. The boy was standing next to another well-dressed turtle off in the corner of the banquet hall, this one a bit taller and lankier than Michelangelo. He wore a pig mask as well, swirled in purple. It could be no one else but Donatello. He watched for a moment as Donatello spoke with a woman who was clearly one of the estate's servants, supposedly discussing the wine she was bringing out to serve the guests. The older of the two turtles reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a small vial of some strange, glowing liquid. Donatello had already began emptying the vial into one of the wine bottles before he realized what it was. Raphael's heart caught in his throat. It was Mutagen. Raph sprinted to catch up with Michelangelo as he rounded the table, circling the guests like a shark waiting to strike. Was this the 'plan' he spoke of? Was he planning on mutating the guests here? Why? And into what? Michelangelo continued on once he saw that Raphael had caught up, his tone a bit cheerier than it had been a moment ago. "No machine blades for fatty bishop and gluttony heiress. Prime cuts all for the sorting bins, and the very best, as always, back in the dumbwaiter to the kitchens above, to be stewed and plumped and gravied and breadcrumbed and returned to the table for the next night's feast. And not every night, you see, although we have begun to increase the frequency of the final act. Unlike the poor, the rich will be missed, given time. But we continue to spoil and ready them, and our fine foods are now exported to mansions and lodges across London." Michelangelo paused his boasting to let out a light, amused chuckle. "And it has been noted in The Times of late, how rather overweight the great and the good are becoming, with their diets of fine wine and rich meat." And indeed it seemed as though that was the case. These people gathered here all seemed rather plump, and they heartily accepted the wine as the servants came around to pour it for them. They all laughed and talked and gossiped among each other, not one of them suspecting the strange chemical that had been slipped into their drink. Another servant rolled out a cart with a large serving platter on top. It was covered with a polished silver lid, but whatever was underneath smelled absolutely amazing. "Indeed, in Punch just last week, a cartoon showed Viscount Selwyn as a stuffed pig, laid upon a platter for his peers to dine upon. A vicious and cowardly slander, no doubt..." Michelangelo paused once more, glancing across the table to a man that stood on the other side. Raphael looked over, freezing dead when he made eye contact. The man was tall, wore a suit like all the others, though his had a long burgundy coat. He was the only human there who wore a pig mask like the Turtles. His was a swirl of many colors, though it was distinct in that it had a very familiar flower crest painted on the forehead; it was the symbol of the Hamato Clan. Two golden brown eyes stared into him from behind that mask, a stare that pierced right though him. It couldn't be... The grin on Michelangelo's face practically burned through his mask as he leaned close to Raphael's ear, using the other turtle's stunned silence to finish his earlier thought. "But he tasted delicious." Raphael's attention was ripped away from the man the instant he heard that, turning to look Michelangelo in the eyes. The look he got back spoke volumes. He wasn't joking. He couldn't believe it... This Viscount Selwyn he'd spoken of... They'd eaten him?! He looked to the serving platter, suddenly dreading what was giving off that appetizing aroma. The smell that made his mouth water just moments ago now turned his stomach. One of the servants came forward to grab the handle of the lid, lifting it off. Raphael's heart stopped at what he saw. Lying on the platter, skin roasted, an apple jammed in his mouth, was Mikey. His Mikey, mask and all. Cooked. Dead. "NOOO!" Raphael sat bolt upright in his bed. His eyes darted around the room, his heart pounded in his chest. His stomach felt like it wanted to turn itself inside out. He struggled to catch his breath. A dream... Was that all just a dream? It felt so real... It felt so... It smelled so... He leaned over the edge of his bed just in time to avoid puking all over it. Raphael still felt sick to his stomach when he went out to the warehouse on the docks to find his brothers. He knew they'd be there. That's where they'd been all week, out there helping Michelangelo with his device. Today was no different. When he slipped past the boarded up door he spotted Donatello and Michelangelo in the center of the workshop floor, each working on a different component of the massive contraption they'd built up from salvaged parts. There were pipes and dials and wires and valves and, in the middle of it all, was that massive power crystal they'd stolen from the Kraang. "Adjust the lower resonator, if you would. Increase the frequency by .002 Hz." Michelangelo called out, his eyes glued to one of the dials near what looked like a control panel. Donatello gave a small noise of confirmation, grabbing a screwdriver and making the necessary adjustment. Raphael cringed. As Donatello made the adjustment to the device it let out a barely-audible sound, one that seemed to crawl right into Raph's brain and gnaw at his frontal lobes. It took him a moment to register what the sound actually was. It sounded like whispers, ethereal voices speaking, calling out from just beyond his range of hearing. He had to strain his ears to hear what they were saying, and immediately regretted it. 'More pig... More pig... More pig...' Raphael had to choke back his gag reflex, something about that eerie whispering bringing back his nightmare. He instinctively backed up a few paces even as Michelangelo let out a cheer. "Yes! That's it! It's perfect!" "You're kidding! It actually worked?" Donatello asked, a huge grin plastered on his face as he crawled out from under the massive crystal. Raphael nearly jumped out of his shell when Leonardo suddenly approached him from behind like that. He spun around reflexively, causing his brother to back away confused. "Woah! Jeez, Raph, calm down. It's just me. Is something wrong?" Leo asked, giving his brother a somewhat suspicious look. Raphael struggled to calm himself down, glancing uneasily over his shoulder at the large crystal. He could still barely hear the whispers, even through Donnie and Michelangelo's celebratory cheers. "Yeah... Yeah, somethin's very wrong... I gotta talk ta you and Donnie right now. Alone." Moments later, the three of them were gathered outside in one of the side alleys near Michelangelo's warehouse. Donatello seemed rather annoyed to be pulled away from his work when they were so close to completion. "Alright, what's so important that you had to drag us out here?" Donnie grumbled, folding his arms across his chest impatiently. "Okay, look, I know this is gonna sound crazy, but... I had this dream..." "You called us out here for a damned dream?!" Don hissed, though Leo held up a hand to stop him from exploding. "Just hear him out... Go on, Raph." Raphael took a deep breath, trying to keep his cool as he recalled his nightmare. "I was in this weird house, and I was kinda dressed like Michelangelo, in a suit and everything, but I was wearing this weird pig mask. You guys were there, only Leo was real little, and you guys were in masks too. There was like a party or something with a ton of rich fuckers, and Donnie was putting Mutagen or something in their wine, and Michelangelo was sittin' there talking' like they were fattening them all up to fuckin' eat them! Splinter was there, too! Only he wasn't Splinter, he was still human, and-" "Oh, let me guess; Bebop was there doing the hula." Donatello interjected, rolling his eyes at the tale his brother was weaving. Leo shuddered at that. "There's an image I didn't need..." "Guys, I'm serious! They had Mikey on a platter! Our Mikey! Dead! They fucking cooked him alive!" That seemed to catch their attention. The two turtles glanced at each other, as if wondering if there was something more to all this. Donnie shook his head. "Okay, so... Let's pretend for a minute that we've just spent the past week helping a crazy, mad scientist cannibal build a teleportation device... What exactly do you want us to do about it? The device will be ready to go later tonight. Once it's finished, he goes home, we get our brother back, and life is kosher again. Why worry about it now?" "Look, Don, I know you're glad to have someone around whose brain runs on your level for once, but you gotta believe me when I say there's something seriously wrong with that guy!" "Raph, just calm down..." Leo urged softly. "I know you feel strongly about this, but we've gotta have more to go on than some nightmare and a gut feeling. We've gotta have some solid proof on this or we could be jeopardizing our brother's only way home. Do you have anything? Anything at all we can go on other than your word?" Raphael opened his mouth to reply, but truth was he had nothing. He rubbed at the back of his neck, fidgeting in place. There had to be something. There had to be. This was the only chance he had to show his brothers that he wasn't crazy, that this other Michelangelo was truly dangerous. Then, it hit him. "His journal... There's gotta be something in his journal. Don, he only let you see that one page. What's he hiding in the rest of it?" "Other inventions. Stuff he doesn't want to get out. He just doesn't want his ideas being stolen." Donatello answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "Wake the fuck up, Don! His technology is over a hundred years out of date and he's from another fucking dimension! You're not exactly stealing any patents from the guy!" Donatello was a bit taken aback by that. He looked to Leo, unsure how he was supposed to respond to that. Leo let out a heavy sigh. "Alright... Alright, you have a point. His journal might be worth a look." "Yeah, but how do we get to it? Michelangelo keeps it in his lab, but he hasn't left all week." Donnie pointed out. Raph merely shrugged his shoulders. Leo, however, smirked lightly. "I believe I may have a plan..." It certainly took some doing, but Donatello and Leonardo eventually managed to drag Michelangelo away from his lab. They had to default to offering the turtle food; a celebratory meal out, they'd claimed. They took him to the only place in the city they knew that happily welcomed their kind. "Good evening, Murakami-san!" Donnie and Leo announced as they made their way into the little noodle shop. The old chef behind the counter smiled when he heard the pair of familiar voices. "Ah, good evening, boys! Just the three of you tonight?" Mr. Murakami asked cheerfully, already turning to his stove and getting to work on the Turtles' usual order. The three took a seat at the bar, Michelangelo hesitating a bit in the face of an unfamiliar human. He seemed a bit confused, having been told the old man was blind. Leo couldn't help but smirk lightly at that, always amused when someone new encountered Mr. Murakami's keen sense of perception. "That's right. Raphael isn't feeling well tonight, so it's just us." "Ahh, I see. I'll send you home with some soup if you think that will help." "That'd be great, thanks. I'm sure he'll appreciate it." "And what about your friend here? Will he be having pizza gyoza as well?" Leo and Don both gave Michelangelo a sideways glance. Donnie cleared his throat. "Oh, right, uhh... Murakami-san, this is our, umm... Our cousin! Yeah! He's visiting from London. His name is... Uhh..." "Mandus!" Michelangelo jumped in, sensing Donatello struggling to come up with a good cover story. "Oswald Mandus. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Murakami." "Ah, a visitor from the United Kingdom! I did not know you boys had family in Europe. A pleasure to meet you, Mandus-san." Leo and Don both let out a sigh of relief. It sounded like he bought the story, at least. Leo leaned over to whisper in Michelangelo's ear. "'Oswald Mandus'? How the hell do you come up with a name like that?" "It's an alias I've used for ages. Worry not about it's origin, all that matters is that I'll readily answer to it." The two stopped their whispering when Murakami came up to the counter with their food. Both Leonardo and Donatello both got pizza gyoza, as per usual. Michelangelo, however, was brought something entirely different. Murakami gave the British turtle a warm smile. "I hear curry is very popular in England. Also, Earl Grey tea. Milk and one sugar, correct?" Michelangelo blinked up at the chef, a look of astonishment on his face. "Why yes, that's exactly it. My dear man, however did you know?" Murakami's reply was a light chuckle as he touched a finger to his nose. Raphael paced back and forth in the living room of the Lair, growing more and more uneasy with each pass across the floor. Finally, he heard movement at the door. He looked up in time to catch the plastic container that was thrown at him. "If Murakami-san asks, the soup really helped with your stomach bug and you're very grateful." Leo announced as he made his way inside. Raph furrowed his brow. "Wait, you actually made it out to Murakami's? I heard you guys come back after five minutes so I bailed!" Donatello stopped halfway down the steps, giving Raphael a confused look. "What are you talking about? We stayed out for damn near an hour! We only just left the noodle shop! Michelangelo's probably just now getting back to the warehouse!" "But I heard you guys coming back in! I barely found that damn journal before I had to take off!" "Wait..." Leo interrupted, "You mean you didn't even look at it?!" Raphael pulled out his phone, tossing it to Donnie. "I managed to flip through it and take a few pictures, but that's all I got..." Donatello looked through the pictures on his brother's phone. A lot of them were too blurry to make anything useful out, but some of them looked vaguely readable. Almost... "These are awful..." "Yeah, well... Sorry. I fucked up, okay?" Leonardo shook his head. Something didn't add up. "But if it wasn't us, who else would be poking around the warehouse at this time of night?" Before anyone could speculate, there was a crash near the entrance to the lair. They all looked up in time to see Michelangelo sprinting in, coming to a crashing halt against the back of the couch, struggling for a moment to catch his breath. "S-stolen!" Michelangelo rasped out. Leo and Don both looked back at Raph. He held his hands up, silently mouthing the words 'I didn't do it'. Donnie rolled his eyes. Oh, if he managed to lose that damn journal on his way out... "What's been stolen?" Leo asked, trying to sound as oblivious as possible. It took a moment for the other turtle to catch his breath enough to answer with more than one word. "The device! Someone has stolen it!" Chapter 6: Something in the Water Mikey drew in a sharp gasp when he felt the cool water hit his eyes, trying to keep them open even through the intense burning and stinging. Everything was still a huge mass of vague, blurry shapes, but it was starting to clear up. "There. That's all I have, I'm afraid. How are you feeling?" Mikey blinked a few times until he could make out Raphael's form in front of him, the other turtle corking a small metal flask before he replaced it back in his coat. "Ughh... Still stings like hell, but... I think I'm good." he groaned out, rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand. He froze. Something was missing. He looked around frantically as his vision cleared. Oh, he couldn't have lost it... He'd lost a lot of important things in his life, but he absolutely could not lose that! "By chance, are you looking for this?" Mikey looked up at Raphael, spotting what he'd held out for him. It was a thin, ragged strip of orange fabric, still stained with black patches of soot from his earlier excursion. "My mask!" he cheered happily, snatching the strip of cloth back from the other turtle. "Oh man, my master woulda killed me if I lost this..." "That filthy cloth is important to you? Well, I wouldn't put it on before you've washed it properly. You'll just get soot in your eyes again." he stated as boredly as ever, reaching down to pick up the lantern off the floor. Mikey glanced down at the mask laying across his hands. He really didn't want to get that coal crap in his eyes again, but he didn't want it going missing in this maze of a machine. He wrapped the fabric around his neck, tying it in place before following after Raphael. The two of them found themselves walking down a long, dark shaft, both trying their best not to kick up too much soot as they walked along the coal chute. The Manpigs hadn't followed them, or rather, it seemed they couldn't, the entrance to the shaft being far too narrow for their bulky bodies. Soon enough, the two of them came upon one of a few access platforms for the area, climbing up a steel ladder to escape the confines of the dark, cramped tunnel. Raphael pushed past a few shipping crates until he came to a small door in the middle of the wall. The thing was tiny, only a few feet tall and hardly that much across. He slid open the door, revealing a cramped little space barely as deep as it was tall. "Right then, in you go." Raphael ordered casually. "What? Dude, that thing's tiny!" "True, which is why you'll have to go first. The dumbwaiter's the only way down to the tunnels from here, now that we've been chased through like rats. Trust me, it's not the route I'd prefer either, but we haven't the time to sneak past those brutes up there and go the proper way. I'll lower you down, then follow right behind. It'll only be a few moments." Mikey glanced between Raphael and the dumbwaiter a few times, letting out a light groan of protest. After quickly realizing that his whining could no more affect this Raphael than his own, he reluctantly climbed in. After he'd practically curled up in a ball to fit into the tiny space, Raphael placed the lantern at the young turtle's feet before sliding the door shut. The ride down was nerve-wracking. He could see nothing but the sheet metal that made up the small lift, and he could hear it groaning and creaking around him as it was slowly lowered ever downward. He found himself holding his breath every time he heard a particularly loud creak, afraid the whole thing would give way under his weight if he so much as sneezed. Finally, after what felt like ages, the lift stopped. Mikey slid the door open and tumbled out, eager to get out of that rickety contraption. As soon as his weight left the dumbwaiter the door fell closed and it began its journey back up to retrieve Raphael. With no one there to accompany him but the light of his lantern, Mikey proceeded through this new chamber with caution. It looked much cleaner than the other areas, almost obsessively so. Everything was spotless, from the great circular hatches that sealed off the room, to the catwalks winding above, to the odd contraption mounted in the center of the room. Actually, that contraption looked rather interesting, whatever it was. It looked like a small circular table with a class dome mounted in the top, three tubes sticking out of the edges at even intervals. At the end of each tube, there were mounting points for cylindrical shaped objects. In one of the mounts, there was a glass canister. An eerily familiar glass canister. This had to be where they made their Mutagen, their Compound X. His interest in the large centrifuge suitably deterred by the chemicals it surely contained, Mikey moved on to other things. The next section over could be nothing but a laboratory. There was what looked like a dentist's chair in the center of the room, thick leather straps hanging from the arm and foot rests. Mikey shuddered at the sight, turning away from the chair to avoid his mind dwelling too long on what could have been strapped in there. It was probably just to restrain the Manpigs while they tried to figure out how to turn them back into humans. Yes, surely that was it. His lantern light soon found the surface of the laboratory table, piquing Mikey's interest all over again. There were beakers with odd chemicals lined up in neat rows, cabinets mounted on the wall with all manner of equipment housed in them, and it was all perfectly, obsessively organized. All in all, it was a set-up that would have made Donnie drool. There were a few oddities, of course. The scale model of an Aztec pyramid seemed rather out of place, as did the... "Woah!" Mikey exclaimed, leaning down to get a better look at the item he'd just found. It was a glass box, just a foot in length, width, and height, but it's what it contained that interested the young turtle. Two eyeballs stared back at him from behind the glass, a human brain floating behind it in the glowing green liquid of the container. Mikey knew those eyes. "Pulverizer! Dude! Or, wait... Would it just be Timothy here? Whatever. Dude, what are ya doin' down here? And why are ya in such a small box?" Mikey rambled energetically, picking the box up. Timothy merely blinked back at the turtle, having been reduced to just a brain and eyes. That didn't seem to bother Michelangelo. In fact, he could hardly contain his excitement at his discovery. Then, it hit him. This was the perfect opportunity for a new nickname! "Oooh! I'm gonna call you 'Tiny Box Tim'! Get it?! 'Cause, your name is Tim, and you're in an itty bitty box! You're comin' with me, Tiny Box Tim! We're gonna go on tons of adventures and have so much fun and-" "Put. That. Down." Mikey froze in place when he heard the very slow, yet oddly demanding order. He glanced back over his shoulder, spotting a less-than-amused Raphael standing there behind him. He gave a nervous laugh, gingerly setting the glass box back on the table. "Bro, you've got a killer Professor Snape impression." he commented, earning him little more than an arched brow from the other turtle. Raphael didn't bother asking, merely walking past Mikey to the metal bar door behind him. He retrieved a ring of keys from his belt and had the heavy padlock removed in seconds. "Let's go. And please, for the love of Christ, don't touch anything else." Raphael ordered before leading the way through. Mikey glanced back at Timothy. "Don't worry, Tiny Box Tim! I'll come back for ya!" he whispered before following Raphael out. The two turtles descended down further into the machine, down staircases and ladders and even through a few large pipes. Soon enough, they came to the tunnels. Raphael leapt down a few feet from the last intact rung of a broken ladder, landing with a thud on the wet, sludgy brick floor. He grimaced in disgust, covering his mouth and nose with a handkerchief as he rose up to his feet. "Uggh... Dear God, the stench... This fecal matter is the true product of the age..." Raphael grumbled out. Michelangelo hopped down seconds later, raising his lantern to look around. What he saw was quite possibly the most comforting sight he'd seen since coming to this world. The hot, dank air, the sludge caked to wet brick walls, a river of foul, cloudy water. He drew in a deep breath, taking in that odor that would have nauseated any normal person. Yep, it was a sewer all right. "Awright! Home sweet home, baby! We're on Mikey's turf now!" the ninja cheered happily, earning him absolutely horrified look from Raphael. "Y-you... You can't be serious! You mean you and your family live in a bloody sewer?!" "Dude, there's not really that much blood in our sewer. It's mostly water and crap. Besides, ain't your place ta judge, bro. You guys got all this freaky steampunky machine stuff goin' on with all the creepy pig monsters, and we got our sewer... Okay, yeah, and we got, like, one creepy pig monster, but that dude's a skinny guy that couldn't throw a punch to save his life. He's got a bitchin' mohawk, though." Raphael could only stare at Michelangelo as he gave his rambling, nonsensical retort, utterly bewildered and slightly concerned for his companion's sanity. "Right... My mistake..." he replied very slowly, taking a step away from the other turtle as if trying to step outside of Mikey's aura of insanity. Mikey didn't seem to pick up on Raphael's discomfort, merely shrugging his shoulders and following along once they started on their way once more. As they traveled along it became more and more apparent just how much damage the saboteur had done by stalling the engines and shutting down the pumps. The rotten water had risen above several lower catwalks, flooded a few tunnels, and seemed to have punched a sizable hole in a brick wall that had divided one chamber from another. Raphael was having one hell of a time trying to navigate his way towards the bilge pumps. It seemed every time they took a turn they came upon a flooded path or an emergency gate closed tight to prevent the water from advancing. It was during their fifth turnaround back to the main chamber that Mikey caught something out of the corner of his eye. "Uhhh, Raph? Do you know if those pig things can breathe underwater?" he asked, staring down at the vast pool of murky liquid. "No, I can't imagine they'd fare terribly well in water for too long. Whatever gave you that idea?" "I dunno, I just... I coulda sworn I saw something moving down there..." he mumbled, focusing intently on the water to see if he could catch it again. Raphael merely rolled his eyes. "I'm quite certain you're seeing things. Come along. I think perhaps we need to open a few of these gates if we intend to continue on." he replied, turning down one of the tunnels they hadn't yet explored. Mikey sighed, but left the water's edge and jogged to catch up with the other turtle. "Hey, Raph... I been meanin' ta ask... I know ya said Master Spli- I mean... your dad is sick an' all, but I saw a painting back at your place of him with a woman and a baby. Where are they?" "Ah, you saw that, did you?" Raphael began, never stopping in his advancement down the tunnel as he began to explain. "The woman would be Father's late wife, Tang Shen. She became ill after giving birth to their daughter and sadly passed away just a few weeks later. Father was rather distraught at the thought of losing her. He actually had that painting commissioned at quite a hefty price so he could have at least one picture of his family together before she died." "Oh... Dude, that sucks..." Mikey replied, feeling a bit bad for asking. Well, that explained why she looked so pale in the painting, at least. "So, uhh... What about Miwa? I mean... That was her name, right? The little girl?" "Yes, that's correct. Do you know her in your world?" "Uhh... Yeah, I guess you could say that. Don't you?" "I'm afraid not. We never got the chance to meet her. There was an accident, you see. A little over a year ago. It was when Father took his trip out to Mexico. They were exploring one of the recently uncovered Aztec pyramids when it happened. They were returning from the summit when the poor dear tripped and cracked her skull on the steps of the temple. She would have been seven this year." Michelangelo wasn't sure what to say to that. He couldn't help but feel bad for this world's Hamato Yoshi. It sounded like he'd been through quite a lot. It was no wonder now that he'd poured himself into making these great machines. He likely needed something to distract himself from his losses. "Wait a minute..." Mikey started out of the blue. "Miwa only died a year ago. How could ya not meet her? You guys are, like... My age, ain't ya?" "Yes, I suppose we are... But we were only changed into these humanoid forms after Father returned from Mexico. We were actually Tang Shen's pets for years before that. She'd apparently cared for us very much when she was alive, and Father couldn't bear to get rid of us after she died. After Miwa passed away I suppose he was rather afraid of the idea of being alone, so he formulated what you call Mutagen and changed us into what we are today. We four became his new family." This was all so hard for Michelangelo to wrap his head around. There was so much in this world that felt vaguely familiar to him, yet everything was so different from what he knew was right. Karai would have still been a little girl right now. Splinter wasn't Splinter. The Turtles had only been mutants for a year, yet Raphael and even his own alternate self sounded as brilliant as his Donatello was. Just what kind of freaky, backwards world had he been transported to?! "Michelangelo, pay attention, would you?" Mikey snapped out of his daze just in time to avoid walking headlong into a brass pipe. He hadn't even noticed Raphael had stopped. The other turtle was currently standing on the other side of the pipe, hands on a large valve wheel. "Could you lend me a hand? It's rusted shut." Mikey nodded, stepping forward and taking hold of the wheel. The two tugged together with all their strength until the valve finally gave up the fight. They could hear a rush of water in a nearby tunnel, a clear sign that they'd managed to open one of the emergency gates properly. They backtracked down the tunnel to the main chamber once more. The water level had gone down by several feet, leaving a few more paths safe to cross. They headed for one of the lower ones, Raphael clearly making an effort not to think of what was left caked onto the wet bricks beneath his feet. A sudden splash in the water made Mikey practically jump out of his shell, pressing back against the wall to get as far away from the water as he could, which sadly wasn't far. "See?! I told ya somethin' was down there!" he shouted, pointing towards the water. Raphael couldn't deny him this time, and it didn't look like he was prepared to. They both stared wide-eyed at the water as a V-shaped wake cut across the pool. Something broke the surface briefly, letting off what looked to be blue sparks of electricity. That definitely wasn't a Manpig. Mikey looked to Raphael for answers, but only received a look of utter terror and a single word. "Run!" he shouted, taking off down the path at full sprint. Mikey didn't have to be told twice in a place like this. He took off after Raphael, glancing back once over his shoulder. The wake was following them, the creature below swimming quickly after them. The ninja gave a nervous whine, running a little faster to catch up with the other turtle. "Dude, what is that thing?!" "It's... Well, there's really no good way to put this; it's a test subject." "'Test subject?' You mean you guys made that thing?!" "Yes, but I assure you, it wasn't meant to turn out like this! We only wanted to test the stability of our inter-dimensional gate, but something malfunctioned. That creature is stuck between the barriers of two worlds, and it's constantly being ripped back and forth between dimensions at rapid speeds. I'm afraid the process has driven it quite mad!" The two slipped through a narrow gate, likely the one they'd opened earlier, and passed across to the other side of a brick dam. The creature slammed into it with enough force to rattle the entire tunnel, knocking a few bricks out already. Another run up from the aquatic beast produced a large crack in the wall. A third was all it took to collapse the entire dam. Mikey let out squeak, picking up his pace as much as his legs could bear. "So you kept it down here in the sewer?!" "Of course not! We had it contained near the core, around the coolant systems. The cold temperatures help stabilize it's condition, but the saboteur must have let it loose!" Mikey couldn't help but look down at the water as Raphael spoke. The wake had returned, and not only was it still chasing them, it was starting to swim ahead of them. The two scrambled to a stop when the creature suddenly leapt from the water and onto the path in front of them. It's hulking body seemed to flicker in and out of existence like the reception on an old TV, there one instant and gone the next, only to flicker back a split second later. The same sparks from earlier arced wildly around it's body, it's veins glowing an eerie blue even through it's thick, dark scales. The creature rose up on it's hind legs, towering over the two turtles easily at ten feet tall. It's long, thick tail slammed into the wall, cracking several bricks with ease. It stared down at the two with glowing blue eyes, letting out a low reptilian hiss. Michelangelo stared up at the creature with wide eyes. His hands shook at his sides, his heart felt like it was going to drop clean out of his body, his knees felt as though they wanted to give out underneath him, but the worst feeling of all was knowing that it wasn't fear that stirred this reaction in him. No, it was a far worse pain than dread could cause him. He opened his mouth and, after a long moment, willed his vocal cords to function just enough to utter a single word. "Leatherhead!" Chapter 7: Mad Science "What do you mean 'stolen?!'" Donnie shouted, his jaw hanging agape in horror. "What part of 'stolen' do you not understand?!" Michelangelo more or less shrieked, quite beside himself at this point. "It's gone, nary a bolt left of it! Someone must have taken it while we were out! Oh, I knew I shouldn't have left the workshop! I don't know why I ever let you convince me to come along on your gallivanting!" Of course Donatello couldn't help but give Raphael a look of mild suspicion at that. After all, he was the one that didn't trust this version of their little brother, and the only one they knew for sure had been in the warehouse when they were gone. Raphael caught that look in his brother's eye soon enough. "It wasn't me! I don't even wanna get near the thing, let alone take it from this whackjob!" he retorted defensively. Leonardo merely shook his head at the exchange. "Wait... That machine of yours has to weigh the same as a subway car. It took three of us just to pick up the crystal, and with all that extra equipment of yours around it, I highly doubt someone just waltzed in and grabbed the thing on a whim." "Yeah, Leo's right." Donnie agreed. "It must be someone who has an interest in that sort of thing or they'd have thought it was just a pile of derelict machine parts. Scrappers would have only picked out the pieces they wanted and left the rest. Michelangelo, did you happen to see anyone hanging around the warehouse when we weren't there? Anyone at all?" "None that I'd seen with my own eyes. I must admit to having felt like I was being watched, but I'd simply disregarded it as my own paranoia." "Shit, that's not much to go on..." Leo cursed under his breath. "Could the Kraang have tracked the crystal at all?" "No, the first thing we did was shield it from giving off any sort of radiation specifically so the Kraang couldn't find it. That doesn't necessarily rule them out, but the only way they'd have found it would be if they happened to stumble upon it by accident." "Or maybe they were tipped off..." Both Leo and Donnie looked back at Raphael, who was currently glaring past them at the bespectacled turtle they'd been trying to help. Donnie let out an aggravated growl. "Would you drop it already?!" the taller turtle whispered harshly, leaning in close so their guest couldn't overhear. "I know you've got issues with this guy, but just listen to yourself! Why in the hell would he have his own invention stolen? That's his only way back to his world!" "Yeah, well maybe he doesn't want to go back. Didja ever think of that, Don? I'm findin' it real hard ta believe a guy like that would just pop over to another fuckin' dimension by accident! He's up ta sumthin', an' whatever it is, it ain't good!" Donatello was about to unleash a retort when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back just as Leonardo put himself between the two quarreling brothers. "None of this changes the mission. We need to get Mikey back, right? The only way we're going to do that is if we find the stolen device. The sooner we do that, the sooner we can get this Michelangelo out of here and get our brother back." "Yeah, but... How do ya know that machine of his even does what he says it does? He could be lying..." Raphael replied. Donnie gave a slight huff. "I helped him build it. I've checked and double checked the math myself. It'll do what we built it for. The only danger that thing could possibly pose to anyone is if it fell on them... And there's the .00000003 percent chance of creating a space-time rift between the two dimensions, but that's a virtually non-existent outcome. Besides, the thing would have to be about as big as Manhattan to pose any real danger of irreparable damage to the fabric of reality." Both Leo and Raph could only stare at their brother for a long moment. "Y'know, Don... Sometimes I actually understand yer techno babble... an' then I really wish I didn't." Donatello merely rolled his eyes at Raph's comment. Leonardo gave a nod of decision. "Alright, it's settled then. Michelangelo, come with us. We're going to look for-" Leo stopped mid-sentence as he turned to face their brother's British counterpart. He was gone, and in his place stood Casey Jones, just staring at the lot of them and munching on chips straight out of a large Doritos bag. "Ya lookin' fer Mister Tea an' Crumpets? Yeah, dude took off. Said somethin' 'bout lookin' for a machine. You guys were just sittin' here whisperin' ta each other, so I figured ya didn't care if he left." Casey explained, his mouth still full of snack food. Leo wilted visibly at that. "You've got to be kidding me... He just took off again?! We can't just let him run around New York randomly searching for that machine of his! He'll get caught by the Kraang, or even the Foot! We gotta go after him!" Donatello let out a sigh as Leonardo ran out the door towards where they'd parked the Shellraizer. "Alright, but I'm running scans for both him and the device once we get rolling." he announced before going to follow their leader out the door. He was stopped yet again by a hand on his shoulder, this time it was Raph. "Look... I know ya don't wanna believe me, but... While we're out there lookin' for the psychotic Brit, could ya at least humor me an' take a good look at those pictures I took?" Donatello stared down at his brother for a moment, taking note of the genuinely sincere look in those bright green eyes of his. He then gave a sigh of defeat. "Alright, I'll take a look... But that's not a promise that I'll find anything." he replied, earning a smile from the shorter turtle. "I wouldn't ask any more'n that from ya, bro." It wasn't long before the three turtles were at their stations on the Shellraizer and on the road. Raphael took care of the driving, Leonardo kept an eye on the scanners, leaving Donatello to comb through the pictures on Raph's T-phone. They'd been out searching for a mere ten minutes when Donnie let out a cheer. "Finally! I've got something!" "The device? Or is it that psycho bastard?" Raph asked from the driver's seat. Donnie merely scoffed and rolled his eyes. "No, dumbass... It's those pictures you took of Michelangelo's notebook. I finally found a page I can actually read." "What does it say? Anything interesting?" Leo chimed in, genuinely curious at this point. "You bet your shell it's interesting. It mainly talks about a substance he refers to only as 'Vitae' which he extracts from the blood of dead pigs-" "Dude, seriously?! He's playin' around with pigs' blood now?! C'mon, that's gotta set off some red flags, even for you!" Raphael interrupted, finally feeling his 'I told you so' moment coming on. "It would... Except in his world the Hamato family just so happens to run a meat processing factory, which you'd know if you would just talk to the guy! They butcher hundreds of pigs a day, and that tends to produce a fair amount of blood. What, are we going to condemn him for recycling and re-purposing now?" "What's 'Vitae' then? What does he use it for?" Leo interjected, trying once again to defuse the coming fight before it began. Donnie just shrugged. "Besides the fact that it literally translates to 'Life' from Latin? No idea. He doesn't have the exact chemical make-up of it written down here. It does list it's uses, though... The raw material itself is used to regenerate the Orb after they break shards off to power independent machines, and it's also one of the main ingredients in something he calls 'Compound X', which looks like... Holy-! By Darwin's beard, you can't be serious!" "What? What is it?!" Raph asked, fighting the temptation to take his eyes off the road and look back at his brother. Donatello was silent for a long while, his mouth hanging open in awe as he quickly re-read what he'd just discovered. "Compound X! It's... It's Mutagen! I don't believe it! They've actually found a way to synthesize Mutagen without using any materials from Dimension X! Do you have any idea what this means?!" "That the dude's a psycho like I've been tellin' ya all along?" "No! With a stable Mutagen formula we can synthesize it here and have all of the materials we need to make retro-Mutagen! We can return Master Splinter to normal, and Karai and Timothy and all the other mutants! This could be the key to undoing the damage the Kraang have done to New York once and for all!" "That's great! Would you be able to do it in your lab?" Leo asked, the biggest smile he'd ever had now plastered on his face. With this they'd be able to keep their promise to their Master. All that was left after that was taking out Shredder. "Yeah, the only thing I wouldn't know how to get my hands on would be this Vitae stuff. I might be able to pick it out of pigs' blood by process of elimination, but that would require, y'know... pigs' blood." Donnie replied, a somewhat uncertain look on his face. "We can always ask Mr. Murakawa. I think he gets his pork straight from a local butcher." Leo offered. "Except what if it's not pigs he uses?" Raph retorted, prompting a groan from Donnie. "Raph, for the last time; Michelangelo isn't some evil psychopath!" Michelangelo, meanwhile, was halfway across town, far from the warehouse district that he'd been calling home for the past week. The bespectacled terrapin crept along the wall of a shadowy alleyway, trying to stay out of sight of any passersby. He came to the edge and looked out into the street, ducking back when a car drove by. This world really was strange... Automobiles were a luxury in his world, but here it seemed everyone had them. Tearing his mind away from the myriad of observations he could make on the condition of the human race more than a century after his time, Michelangelo focused on the task at hand. He had something very important to find, after all. Hiding in the shadows, he rested his hand against the tiny crystalline shard pinned to his cravat, closing his eyes. "I know you're hiding here... But you can't hide from Father's eyes..." he whispered to himself. The Orb shard gave off an eerie glow, and suddenly Michelangelo knew exactly where he needed to go. He wasn't far now. He dashed across the street when all was clear, and it was just a few more blocks of careful maneuvering before he found what he was looking for. He came upon a newly constructed office building taller than any structure he'd ever seen in his life. His dear Father had often told him of how the Americans boasted that they would build their cities to the very edge of the sky. It seemed they'd finally managed to do just that. Michelangelo didn't bother with stealth as he entered the building through the front door. The lobby was huge, but sparsely decorated and mostly a sterile white. Despite the late hour, a receptionist sat at the desk at the end of the huge lobby. He made his way casually up to her, and she started on what was most assuredly a well-rehearsed spiel. "I am sorry, sir, but the office is closed. Please come back during normal business ho-" the receptionist froze when she looked up, coming face to face with the strange young mutant turtle dressed in an old English-style suit. Rather than scream in terror and run away or call security, the woman stared blankly at the creature, quickly rising to her feet. "That which is known as 'the Turtles' have infiltrated the place that is the Kraang b-" Before the suddenly rather robotic-sounding woman could finish her overly-redundant sentence, Michelangelo had vaulted over the desk and placed a kick squarely in her ribs. He was on her the moment she hit the floor, slamming a knee into her throat to silence any further commentary. "You're quite astute, Madame. Alas, I'm afraid I'm not quite like the turtles you've dealt with in the past..." he began, removing the Orb shard from it's setting on his cravat. ".. and I'm afraid you're no 'Madame.'" Michelangelo thrust the Orb shard into the woman's abdomen, earning him the most ungodly, inhuman screech anyone had ever heard. Arcs of blue electricity danced over the frame below him, it's camouflage soon flickering away to reveal the cold metallic form it truly was underneath. It flailed wildly, the Kraang still screeching as the Orb shard seemed to burn a hole right into it's soft pink forehead. After a moment, it fell silent and still. Never faltering at what he'd just done, Michelangelo retrieved his Orb shard from where it had embedded itself in the dead Kraang's flesh and replaced it in it's setting. He then checked the drawers of the desk. Ah, yes. These creatures were just as predictable as Donatello had led him to believe. He pulled out the Kraang's energy rifle, turning it over in his hands as he inspected it, trying to deduce how it worked. He slid back the covering of a chamber in the side of the rifle, revealing the glowing pink crystal that powered the weapon. A wicked smile crept across Michelangelo's face. Yes, this would do nicely indeed. The Kraang were rushing all over the building now. Their scout at the door had reported an intruder - one of the Turtles - then gone offline. A security detail had been sent down, but all they'd found in the lobby was the body of the scout, it's rifle missing. It was dead. That was unusual. The Turtles never killed, not on purpose. Not so brutally. Something was very wrong. A group of about five Kraang passed through one of the upper halls when a vent cover suddenly popped out of the wall, clattering to the ground in front of them. There was a brief chirr of droid chatter as the patrol raised their guns, preparing to mow down the intruder the second he showed himself. Even so, they hardly had time to react as a Kraang rifle emerged from the vent and proceeded to spray the entire hallway with hot blue plasma. The Kraang weren't sure what to think. That was their rifle, but theirs didn't fire anything like that. Anywhere the plasma touched it burned through instantaneously; the walls, the dense alloys of mech suits, Kraang flesh. The attack lasted seconds, yet by the time the intruder emerged there remained only a single Kraang left alive, and even this one was suitably disarmed and reduced to a single functioning arm. Michelangelo couldn't help but smirk as he stalked up to the injured alien, rifle in hand. Hunting, as it turned out, was quite exhilarating. He could see why his Father had taken up such a hobby. The Kraang stared up at him as he approached, making no attempt to crawl away. "The location of the one known as the intruder has been located in the location of-" "Silence!" Michelangelo barked out, aiming the energy rifle down at the Kraang's squishy, helpless head. Surprisingly, it shut up. The turtle smirked. If it was one thing he liked in a hostage, it was obedience. "Thank you. Now then, I do believe we've gotten off to a rather awful start. I've no idea what quarrel you have with the turtles of this world, but I can assure you; I am not your enemy. Why should we fight when there is so very much we can offer each other?" "Kraang does not need anything that that which is known as the Turtles could possibly offer to Kraang." the alien replied as monotone as ever, though the look in the little pink creature's now opened eyes betrayed it's fear. Michelangelo merely chuckled. "Oh, but that's where you're wrong, my little friend..." he began, opening the power chamber of his rifle to reveal not the usual pink crystal, but a tiny blue shard of a stone. "You've already witnessed what this single shard can do, and it is a mere fraction of the power I could offer you if it were whole again. If you and your kind help me achieve my goals, I can give you access to a near-infinite supply of crystals just like this. You can conquer the universe or whatever it is you things do, that is of no concern to me." He received no verbal reply, but the look in the Kraang's eyes - the greed, the hunger for power - spoke volumes. "Ah, I see I have suitably whetted your appetite. Well then, right down to business. At this juncture, I think it would be most appropriate if you were to... How does that saying go again? Ah! Yes, of course... 'Take me to your leader.'" Chapter 8: Mercy Mikey was frozen, staring in wide-eyed horror at what had become of his friend. Leatherhead lowered down to all fours, letting out another threatening crocodilian hiss. The giant gator then began stalking towards the two turtles, muscles rippling under dark scales even as his form flickered in and out of reality. Raphael shuffled back hesitantly, unsure at first if running was the wisest option. All he knew was standing there and waiting to be eaten wasn't the way to go about it. He reached forward, grabbing hold of the other turtle's shoulder. "What are you doing?! Run, you fool!" he shouted before taking off down the path they'd just come from. This was apparently all the movement Leatherhead needed to see to entice him. The gator charged forward, his powerful jaws open wide to snap at whatever he could get his teeth on. Michelangelo snapped out of his daze at the last minute. With Leatherhead barreling towards him, razor teeth just inches from his flesh, he did the only thing he could think of to escape; he dove into the water. Desperate as the option was, it gave him only a brief reprieve from the chase. He could hear the distinct sound of something heavy diving into the water behind him. Mikey suddenly realized just how poor a choice he'd made. He was being chased by a crazed mutant gator, one of the most deadly creatures in the water. He'd just leapt right into its home turf. Mikey swam as fast as he could, but he knew he could never swim fast enough. He could already feel the bow waves at his feet as the gator rocketed towards him. This was it. He had no other choice. Mikey grabbed hold of his remaining nunchaku, swinging the weapon as hard as he possibly could as he spun around in the water to face his foe. He managed to strike just in time to hit Leatherhead right across the snout. The gator faltered, dazed for a moment by the blow, just long enough for Mikey to reach the other side of the filthy river of sewage and climb out. His escape was short-lived once again. It seemed as soon as he'd reached the relative safety of the brick path, Leatherhead had regained his senses and was after him once again. The gator shot out of the water and slammed a hand into the turtle's chest, pinning him violently against the wall. Mikey let out a scream of pain as putrid gray smoke rose up from around Leatherhead's hand, the touch of his flesh literally burning right into his plastron. Michelangelo struggled instinctively, and managed to slip away during one of the moments when the monstrous gator involuntarily flickered between dimensions. Mikey clutched at his chest where Leatherhead's hand print was now permanently embedded, the smell of burnt bone filling his nostrils as he fought to catch his breath. He couldn't continue like this forever, not if Leatherhead's mere touch could burn right through him. The gator was now stalking towards him once more, preparing another charge. Mikey backed away slowly, not wanting to enrage the large reptile any more than he already was. "L-Leatherhead... C-c'mon, buddy... W-we're friends..." Mikey pleaded desperately, genuinely on the verge of tears. He couldn't stand to see Leatherhead like this, and the fact that his own alternate self had done this to him only made it more painful to see. Another low hiss was his only reply, two glowing blue eyes staring him down, that powerful tail flicking back and forth behind the scaled beast. "Michelangelo!" The call came ringing through the tunnels, echoing off the brick walls. It was Raphael. "Lead it through one of the gates! The ones we'd opened earlier! Do it now!" Mikey only had a second to look around to see what Raphael was referring to. The gate they'd passed through was on the other side of the water, but there was another one on his side, just a few yards behind him. He made a break for it, turning and sprinting for the opening. Leatherhead charged the instant he saw movement, following right on the turtle's heels. Mikey didn't dare look back. He just ran as fast as his body would let him. Suddenly, there was a loud metallic crash followed closely by a roar of pain. Mikey stopped, turning around to see what it was. Leatherhead had just gotten his head through the gate when it had slammed down on the back of his neck. The gator thrashed about wildly, trying with all of his strength to free himself from the heavy slab of steel. It was no use. The gate wouldn't budge, not in the direction the beast wanted, at least. Each time Leatherhead's body flickered out of reality the gate lowered a few inches more, embedding itself deep into the gator's flesh once he flickered back. He let out a loud roar, thrashing more desperately as the gate sunk deeper and deeper into his neck, glowing blue blood pouring out onto the sludge-covered bricks below, flowing into the murky river running through the tunnels. "Stop it! Stop it, you're killing him!" Mikey shrieked, unable to watch the gruesome spectacle any longer. His voice carried through the tunnels as well as Raphael's had, and soon the gate rose up to the ceiling once more. It was too late. Leatherhead lay motionless under the gate, his head nearly severed completely from his body. Michelangelo dropped to his knees, hot tears streaming down his cheeks as he stared down at the dead body of his friend. He was motionless for a long while, silent, not knowing what to do, not knowing what to think. Even in the hot, humid air of the tunnels he felt suddenly cold, like all the happiness had been drained from his body, like he'd just done something absolutely unspeakable. Soon enough, Mikey heard the sound of footsteps approaching from behind. "Well then, there's that brute taken care of. Let's be off, shall we?" Raphael commented as casually as ever. Mikey felt his fists ball at his sides. In an instant the ninja was on his feet. He grabbed hold of the collar of the other turtle's coal-stained coat, slamming him against the brick walls as hard as he could. "You son of a bitch! He was my friend!" Michelangelo roared out, his voice shaking with pure rage. Raphael actually flinched at that, almost seeming to duck away from the furious turtle as much as he could. "It was trying to kill us! What else would you have me do?! That beast couldn't be reasoned with!" "Only because of what you did to him! The Leatherhead I know wouldn't have hurt anyone on purpose! He was smart, and the best friend I ever had... And you killed him!" Raphael stared into Mikey's eyes, almost fearfully so. He never thought this version of his brother, so aloof and goofy, would be capable of such fury. Clearly he'd crossed a line here. "L-look... I am sorry. I truly am..." Raphael started calmly, trying to defuse the ticking time bomb that Michelangelo was currently. "But you have to understand, there wasn't anything else that could be done. Sometimes the only thing you can do for a creature like that is show mercy and put it out of it's misery." Mikey's fists tightened around the fabric of the other turtle's coat. He wanted to hit him, he wanted to pummel the crap out of him and toss him into the sewage. Anyone who could have done something so heartless and cruel to another living being deserved that much and worse... But he needed Raphael. Mikey didn't know the first thing about this machine, and there were still repairs to be made before he could be sent back to his world. Like it or not, without this callous version of his own brother, he would be hopelessly lost in this labyrinth of a machine for the rest of his life. After a long moment, Michelangelo finally released him. Raphael released the breath he'd been holding, taking a moment to fix his coat. The ninja glared at him in silence, holding back his anger as the other turtle simply climbed over Leatherhead's body to get back on the proper path. Mikey opted to go a slightly more respectful route, instead climbing over the rubble of the broken wall the gator had smashed through earlier. He ignored the pain in his chest as best he could as he hopped down to the path below. He took one last glance back at his friend's corpse. He wished he could do more, at least give the old gator a proper burial, but there wasn't any time. He continued on after Raphael, following a bit more reluctantly than he had previously. The remainder of their trek was made in silence. The two of them navigated the sewer tunnels until they came upon an access hatch. Raphael led the way, climbing up yet another steel ladder to reach the heavy submarine-style door. He wrenched the wheel loose, opening the lock and pushing the heavy slab of steel up so they could pass through. This next area looked to be the central chamber for the tunnels. Steel catwalks criss-crossed across the giant room, winding between gargantuan pieces of machinery that descended all the way down into the sewage below. These had to be the bilge pumps. Raphael set straight to work, running about the place to see what the saboteur had done to disable the great pumps. He would occasionally ask for Mikey's help with something, but was met each time with silence and a sharp glare. He got his help, but nothing more. Even with the reluctant assistance, it wasn't long before the pumps roared to life. The putrid water lowered quickly, clearing the way below for them to move forward. "That's it. Everything's in proper working order now. We just have to restart the engines and we'll have you back home in no time at all." Raphael announced with a fair degree of accomplishment in his voice. He got a less-than-enthused grunt in reply, Mikey merely glaring off to the side, refusing to look at him. Raphael let out a sigh, but continued down the path. He knew enough not to fight that particular losing battle any longer. The path to the engine room was thankfully shorter than the one they'd taken to get to the sewers, since they'd finally reached a part of the facility that was meant for regular travel. Michelangelo trailed behind as they navigated the dark corridors leading to the engine, glaring at the back of Raphael's dusty bowler the entire way. If the Turtles of this world had willingly used Leatherhead in their experiments, what else had they done? He couldn't help but think back to the Manpigs, who'd chased them as ferociously as the gator had. Were they really just that mindlessly violent, or had they been hunting the two of them specifically? Did they perhaps recognize their faces? Could they have wanted revenge on the ones who'd turned them into such grotesque creatures? Mikey's fists balled up at his sides once more as he glared daggers at his terrapin escort. Was he lying about the Manpigs' mutation being accidental? If so, what else was he lying about? Could he trust him at all anymore, even to send him home again? Suddenly, Raphael came to a stop in front of what looked like a large circular cage. He pulled back the sliding bar door, opening up a lift platform large enough for two, maybe three people to occupy at once. Raphael entered first, standing by a small lever in the lift wall as he waited for the other turtle to join him. Michelangelo stared at the platform for a long moment, giving a reluctant groan. He remembered what elevators in this world were like, and based on previous experiences he already knew he was not a fan. Slowly, and with considerable hesitation, he inched his way onto the platform, keeping a tight hold of the bars surrounding him just in case the floor decided to drop out from under them. Once Mikey was aboard, Raphael threw the switch and the lift began its decent downward. For a long while all Mikey could see was the sheet metal covering the walls of the elevator shaft, same as before. This lift seemed quite a bit sturdier than the dumbwaiter from before, but that offered little comfort. He clung to the bars the whole way down. Then, rather abruptly, the view outside the lift changed. They suddenly found themselves in a huge chamber that had to be as wide as several city blocks, pipes and catwalks winding across like floating highways. The vastness of the chamber almost seemed small when compared to the gigantic machine fixed in the center. It had to have been ten stories tall at least, with pipes that descended infinitely downward from its lowest sections. There wasn't a single word that could quite describe it, with copper and steel winding about it like mechanical veins, vents and panels giving the thing an almost organic texture from afar. It was like it was a living, breathing creature. Mikey stared up at it in awe, having never seen anything like it, even forgetting to cling to the bars of the lift as it came to a stop at the base of the great engine. The door opened and Raphael stepped out of the lift, the sound of his boots against the metal catwalks ringing throughout the vast chamber. Mikey jogged a bit to catch up with him, though he still kept the other turtle at arms length. As they made their way towards the Goliath of metal rising above them, several spotlights around the chamber clicked on. The light did little across such a huge space, but it did offer a slightly better look of the surroundings. He could see every last bolt, every last rivet and weld seam on the surface of the towering engine. Michelangelo suddenly felt rather cold, shuddering at the sight of this titan of copper and steam. 'My son...' Mikey went from feeling cold to frozen solid in an instant. That voice... He couldn't tell if it was a distant whisper echoing through the chamber or if it was a voice in his head. Either way, he knew to whom it belonged. "M-Master Splinter..?" he asked softly, turning to look behind him. He was greeted by nothing but the dimly lit catwalk behind him. He looked around at the other catwalks, but no one was there. Was he really just imagining it? "Michelangelo, please hurry up. I need you with me to activate the engines." Raphael called out from one of the catwalks just above him. Mikey let out a sigh, taking one last look around before hurrying up the staircase. Raphael lead the way to the control room, which was located about halfway up the far cavern wall. It was small compared to the vast machine it looked over, only big enough for about five or six people to stand in without feeling cramped. There was a large control board at the front of the room, next to which was a large hexagonal window. "This will only take a moment." Raphael began, stepping forward once they were inside and grabbing hold of one of the large levers mounted in the floor just in front of the window. The British turtle pulled the lever back. There was a loud clank sound. Mikey looked around to see large blast doors slowly sliding into place to seal the two entrance-ways. The young ninja swallowed hard, suddenly feeling trapped in this small space. But he didn't have to worry, right? He was about to go home, wasn't he? Raphael hit a few buttons on the control panel, threw a few switches, and soon enough a circular panel slid open in the center of the board, revealing a dark hole just a few inches across. "I'm going to have to ask you to place your hand in here." he stated, earning an expected look of utter confusion from the other turtle. He sighed, placing his own hand inside to demonstrate that it was safe. A moment later, a red light came on above the opening, letting off an unhappy buzz. He removed his hand, the buzzer silencing once more. "My brother - your alternate - was a rather paranoid man. He trusted no one, not even us at times. He designed and built everything you see here, and took great pride in it all. As such, he made it so his hand alone acted as the key to start the great engines." "So that's why ya need me?" Mikey asked, staring down at his hand. Would it really work? Sure, he and his alternate were technically the same person, but they'd lived vastly different lives. His alternate was a scientist, his hands used to working with machines and laboratory equipment. Mikey was a ninja, his hands honed for combat and scarred by battle. Was he even close enough to his other self for his hand to work if this world's Raphael couldn't activate the machine? Michelangelo stepped forward, slowly sticking his hand down into the opening in the control panel. It felt like slipping his hand into a metallic glove tailored specifically for him. He could feel tiny little pistons pressing against his palm, measuring every inch of his hand against a pattern ingrained into the machine's very being. After a long, tense moment, the light on the panel lit up once more. This time, it was green. "H-hey, it worked!" Mikey cheered as the rest of the control panel came to life, green lights across the board signaling that everything was in order and ready to go. Raphael let a triumphant smile spread across his lips, stepping forward to make the necessary adjustments to the control panel. Mikey pulled his hand out of the panel once he was given the okay, and soon took to staring out the large window overlooking the engine. He could hear massive gears begin to churn and mesh behind the walls, feel the rumbling all around him as steam rushed throughout the intricate, winding system of copper pipes. If this machine really was alive, then they'd just restarted its heart. Then, he heard it. That voice from before. It echoed throughout his head, ringing in his heart and shaking him to the very core. A voice he dared not believe was real, but couldn't deny any longer. 'I live! I breathe again! I rise... I will rise to bleach the sky and still the water! I will spin the world wheel and set the future upon the path to redemption!' Mikey's breath caught in his throat, his eyes wide as he realized what that voice was. It was the Machine itself, speaking directly into his very soul. He felt cold, his stomach turning inside him. The voice this monstrosity of steel used... It was the voice of Hamato Yoshi. "N-no..." he choked out, taking a shaky step back from the window as he covered his ears with his hands. The Machine continued in his head as if to prove its will could not be ignored. 'My time is come! More pig! More pig!' Before Mikey could do anything more, he suddenly felt an arm wrap around his neck, his attacker's other hand forcing a cloth over his mouth and nose. He held his breath reflexively, just as his Master had taught him, but not in time to avoid getting a strong whiff of something that smelled vaguely of bleach. He'd trained with the stuff before. It was chloroform. "I thank you for your assistance, but I'm afraid your services are no longer required. In fact, you've become something of a liability, and we simply can't have that." came Raphael's voice in his ear. Mikey struggled as much as he could, but he was already getting sluggish, his mind growing cloudy and his vision fading. He'd breathed in too much of the chloroform in the cloth. He couldn't remain conscious for more than a few seconds longer. "No hard feelings, dear 'brother'... It's just good business." Chapter 9: Betrayal Winston Churchill is famously quoted as saying 'Dogs look up to man. Cats look down to man. Pigs look us straight in the eye and see an equal.' Pigs are quite a bit more resourceful than the average human gives them credit for. They can be more intelligent than some primates and their sense of smell exceeds even that of a bloodhound. Some countries have taken advantage of this combination of skills, training pigs to sniff out gourmet truffles and even hidden drugs for the police. One particular pig had recently trained himself to hunt down his favorite variety of plaything. Anton Zeck sniffed at the cold city air, searching for the tell-tale scent of ozone that would lead him to the location of some piece of electronic equipment he could 'permanently borrow' from its current owner. His vision was a mass of vague, colorful shapes, his visor displaying his surroundings in the infrared spectrum, mapping the heat signatures of everything around him. Even with all this, he found nothing that piqued his interest. "Tsk, maaan... 'Dis place already been picked clean...Ain't shit worth my time ta steal here." the lanky warthog complained, kicking an empty soup can down the length of the dark, dirty alleyway. He heard a gruff grunt behind him, heavy footsteps lagging just behind his own. "Could have told you that, урод..." grumbled a deep, very Russian male voice behind him. Ivan Steranko trailed behind his comrade, keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings. The rhino's ears swiveled about, scanning for any sound that might reveal a would-be attacker hiding in the shadows. He carried an old Kalashnikov at his side, which was more than he'd normally bother with. Something was wrong in this city, more so than normal, but he couldn't quite place what it was. He'd learned long ago not to ignore his soldier's instincts when they alerted him to unseen dangers. "Why we waste time looking for more machine? You have big one to play with." Ivan grumbled out, clearly irritated with his companion's little pet project that he'd been working on for the past week. "You beg me to bring for you. Why you not use?" "I can't just flip the thing on! I gotta examine it more!" Anton retorted, visibly less concerned with their surroundings than his militant friend. "That things one funky piece o' gadgetry! S'a work o' art, ya dig? A guy like you aught'a appreciate that. Like... If I stole ya one o' them scrolls they found in Pompeii, ya wouldn't just unroll the damn thing, would ya? It'd crumble! Ya'd lose everythin'! This machine's like that. Ya gotta take yer time with it, figure out what makes it tick b'fore ya go flippin' switches. S'pose it turns out ta be some bad-ass bomb? Boom, baby! Blow our happy asses sky high 'fore we know what happened!" Ivan replied with little more than a grunt of acknowledgment, having stopped paying attention to the lanky pig's rambling little more than halfway through. For someone whose job relied so much on stealth, that man sure didn't know when to shut up. "So why we look for more?" "I wanna see if that's the only one. It don't look like somethin' meant ta work by itself. Looks more like a piece of a bigger system. If I find more pieces, I might be able to figure 'dis one out." Suddenly, Ivan heard something beyond his companion's incessant chattering. He stopped, readying the rifle at his hip. The rhinoceros' mismatched eyes scanned the darkness of the alley, ears swiveling as he listened for movement. Anton, aloof as he was, managed to pull himself out of his own little world long enough to take notice of his friend's odd behavior and stopped. "Yo, Ivan! Wazzup? You alright back the- H-hey!" he exclaimed, turning around to find himself suddenly staring down the barrel of an AK-47. He immediately held up his hands in surrender, backing away a few steps. "Wh-whoah, hold up, G! Wuzzit sumthin' I said?! We already had this discussion, man! If I fuck up an' accidentally say sumthin' bad in Russian, I totally mean sumthin' else in English!" "Cвинья..." Ivan replied, his voice low as though trying not to startle the prey he was hunting. The warthog gave an irritated huff, his ears flattening as he let his arms fall back down to his sides. He didn't know too much Russian, but that was one word he was starting to pick up on. "Hey! What'd I tell ya 'bout usin' the 'P' word 'round me? That counts in any language, mu'fucker!" Anton retorted, hands balling at his sides as though he was planning to start a fight with the muscular brute. Not that he could really do anything, still staring down the business end of a rifle and all. Even so, he didn't like being casually referred to as 'pig' like that. Ivan knew that by now. Suddenly, Ivan barked out what could only have been an order, judging from the tone. Anton froze instinctively, not understanding at first. He got a fairly good idea what he had been told to do when he felt something hard and heavy slam into his back. Ah, yes. 'Duck'. Of course. The warthog was sent flying across the alley, slamming against the brick wall that was Ivan Steranko's torso. The impact was enough to send the rhino's rifle flying from his hand, but he managed to remain standing even as Anton collapsed at his feet. "Dawg... Seriously... English!" the scrawny thief gasped out as he tried to reclaim the wind that had been knocked out of him. "Will work on. Later." the rhino replied shortly, readying his fists as he continued to stare down the spot where Anton had just been standing. Confused by this, the warthog looked over at where his friend was staring, finally understanding what he'd been aiming at this whole time. The creature stood easily as tall as Ivan himself, with muscles that rivaled that of the bulky rhinoceros. It stared at them from under a raggedy hood of bandages with beady little brown eyes, bestial ears twitching at any sound that echoed down the alleyway. Its pig-like snout twitched as it sniffed the air, trying to figure out what these two strange mutant creatures were in front of it. Anton scrambled up to his feet, quickly hiding behind the cover that Ivan's form offered. "Is relative of yours?" Ivan asked with a slight smirk on his face. Anton gave an indignant snort at that. "That ain't funny!" The exchange between the two seemed to be all it took to set off the Manpig's hair-trigger temper. It let out a loud, screeching roar before dropping to all fours and charging at the two mutants. "Hey, fuck you! My mother's a saint!" Anton managed to retort at the pig creature just before being tossed to the side like a ragdoll by his partner. An instant later, Ivan had the beast locked in a grapple. The rhino's heels dug into the concrete as the Manpig pushed him back several feet, its brute strength threatening to overcome even that of the old KGB Officer. Ivan ducked down to put his scarred horn at the beast's throat, pushing with all his might to gain the upper hand. Ivan caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. Knowing instantly what was going on, he relinquished his advantage to the beast for a split second, just long enough to ready a fist. He drove a sledgehammer-like uppercut squarely into the Manpig's gut, earning a loud squeal of pain. He broke away from the creature as it stumbled backwards in pain. It only made it back a few feet before it found its hooves stuck to the cement below. Anton let out an amused laugh from his perch on a nearby dumpster, contact juggling a few of his glue grenades in one hand. "Hate ta do 'dis ta a fellow swine, but hey; dat's how it be, Cuz'." the warthog commented with a shrug of his shoulders just as Ivan retrieved his rifle. Within seconds, the rhino had placed five closely-grouped shots into the Manpig's skull. The creature fell backward, collapsing dead onto the concrete. "Man, didja hafta kill it?" Anton asked as he hopped down from on top of the dumpster. Ivan made his way over to the creature's body, using the barrel of his rifle to turn the Manpig's head and get a better look at the thing. "Did not look like talking type." Ivan replied, not sounding even the least bit winded from his little tussle with the beast. Their break seemed short-lived, however. Both their ears perked at a strange yet familiar sound coming from above. They looked up, just catching sight of a Kraang as it flew by in one of their smaller hover units. "Kraang? What they doing here?" Ivan thought aloud, still not trusting the little brain-like aliens. Anton was just as curious as his companion, quickly sweeping through all known Kraang radio frequencies with his visor. It didn't take long to get a hit. 'Kraang has located the escaped subject. Kraang will proceed to retrieve the escaped subject and return it to the area designated as the 'pig line.'' "Woah... Looks like dis fella's one o' the Kraang's freaky experiments. Musta got loose or sumthin'." Anton explained once he got the gist of the transmission. Ivan quickly rose to his feet. "Do not think Kraang would be happy to know we kill it." "Man, ya took the words right outta my mouth. Time ta book it!" the warthog agreed, more than happy to run away from an unfavorable situation. The instant he turned to run, however, a glowing pink portal opened up just in front of his snout. He glanced over his shoulder in time to see the Kraang now barreling down the alleyway, heading right for him. It was aiming to push him into the portal. "W-woah, wait a minute! Ya got da wrong pi-" But his protest was cut off as the alien tackled him through the portal. "Anton!" Ivan called out, sprinting back towards the portal as his friend disappeared through it. He was just a second too late, the portal closing as he came within inches of it. The rhino was left alone, just the body of the dead Manpig there to keep him company. Ivan barked out a string of profanities in Russian, slamming a fist against the building next to him so hard it threatened to collapse the entire wall. The Kraang had interfered with his plans before, but this was something he simply could not stand for. Raphael had taken to pacing back and forth in front of the entrance to the Lair. To say he was agitated would be quite the understatement. The three of them had spent the past week combing the entire city for Michelangelo's stolen device, but they found no trace of it. The shielding they'd installed to keep the Kraang from locating the power crystal had worked, perhaps too well. Their enemies couldn't track it, but neither could they. Finally, after what felt like ages, Leonardo made his way back into the Lair. "Any luck?" Donatello asked. Leo shook his head. "Nah, couldn't find anything. It's like it just vanished into thin air. I don't get it... We've looked everywhere. We should have found something by now..." "Ya know where we haven't looked?" Raphael started, earning an exasperated sigh from Donnie. "Not this again... Raph, you really gotta let it go, alright? I've told you a million times; Michelangelo didn't steal his own device. It makes no sense! Why would he?" "To keep us on a wild goose chase while he does whatever the hell he wants!" "And what, pray tell, would he want to do that he'd need us distracted for?!" Raphael was a bit caught off guard by the question, hesitating for a moment. He knew he was making some bold claims, that he had no proof to back him up, that he was going purely on gut feeling alone, but he couldn't just stand by and do nothing about it. "I... I don't know..." he admitted, "I just know something's really wrong with that guy. Look, let's go check his workshop. All of us. It's the only place in the city we haven't looked." Leo and Donnie looked to each other, as though trying to decide whether they should indulge their brother in his crazy accusations for the second time. After a moment, Leo nodded. "Alright, we'll check it out... but only because we have no other leads. Maybe we'll find something there that will lead us to whoever's behind this." With that decided, the three of them left the Lair, making their way down to the warehouse where Michelangelo had established his workshop. The three young ninjas converged on the warehouse in silence, not wanting to alert their 'guest' to their presence. This was one investigation where stealth would be crucial. Michelangelo, paranoid as he was, hated even them snooping around his workshop when he wasn't there to supervise their every movement. They would jeopardize the Brit's trust if they were caught here like this. Donnie slipped on his infrared goggles, scanning the building for heat signatures. He gave Leo a signal that meant all was clear. The ninja leader nodded, and the three proceeded inside. Much to their surprise, the workshop looked virtually untouched since they'd last been in there, with the exception of the missing equipment, of course. A fine layer of dust now covered Michelangelo's laboratory equipment, having sat unused for more than a week. There wasn't a trace of the device left, just as their guest had claimed, no hints to be had of whoever may have taken it. It seemed they'd been the victim of quite the skilled thief. "See, Raph? Nothing. This was a waste of time." Donnie grumbled, fully prepared to just leave the warehouse as it was. Raphael gave an indignant huff, turning towards the worktable. "Oh yeah? S'pose ya wouldn't be interested in this, then?" he asked, holding up an old leather journal. Donnie couldn't hide the spark of intrigue in his eyes. He'd wanted to look through that journal since the first moment he'd laid eyes on it. Now might be his only chance. Raphael tossed the book over to his brother, who immediately began flipping through it with captivated interest. As Donatello flipped through the journal, something small and metallic clattered to the ground from between the pages. Leonardo bent down to pick it up, turning it over in his palm curiously. Donnie's attention was torn from his investigation of Michelangelo's journal as he looked over to see what he'd stumbled upon. The two of them looked like they'd swallowed their tongues when they realized what it was their guest had hidden from them. "Sweet mother of mutation... Th-that's... That's a Kraang portal generator..." Donatello stammered out in awe. Leonardo could only stare at the device in stunned silence, practically not believing what he was holding. Raphael, however... "Oh, what was that? D'ya hear that ringing sound, Don?" Raph asked rather sarcastically, holding a hand to his ear as though trying to hear better. "Someone better go pick up that phone, because I fucking called it!" "That's enough, Raph!" Leo scolded, though he couldn't deny it any longer; Raph had been right all along. But... Working with the Kraang? He couldn't see how that was even possible for someone who looked identical to one of their most hated enemies. The ninja leader looked up to his brother, eyes pleading for some sort of reasonable explanation for all this. Donatello could offer nothing, his mouth still hanging open in complete disbelief. "I... I don't understand..." Donnie began softly, taking the small alien device from his brother. "Why..? H-how..?" "Hey, ya want answers?" Raphael asked, snatching the little silver disk from his stunned sibling. "Ask the fucker himself." With that, Raph hit a switch on the disk and tossed it over his shoulder. The disk split into three sections and flew apart before ever hitting the floor, a glowing pink portal spreading between them. The other two turtles stared into the portal with understandable hesitation. If Michelangelo truly was working with the Kraang, if he'd really gone into Dimension X, there was no telling what they'd find waiting for them beyond that gate... Three young mutants dashed out into what looked like a massive hub of countless portals, weapons at the ready as they entered what was surely to be a hostile environment. Surprisingly, there wasn't a single enemy to be had, the huge circular room deserted of Kraang. The three relaxed a bit, lowering their weapons for the moment. Donatello sniffed lightly at the air. "Huh... That's strange... This building's equipped with a life support system that simulates the atmosphere of Earth. Why would the Kraang bother doing that?" "Who cares? At least we ain't gotta wear these damn things anymore." Raph retorted, pulling the straw-like air filter out of the corner of his mouth and tossing his rebreather unit on the ground. Donnie opened his mouth to point out that he might need the device later, but Leonardo had already done the same with his before the protest could be made. Don let out a sigh of defeat, removing his and placing it in a pouch on his belt. The three turtles split up to look around the massive room, taking particular interest in the countless portal gates lining the wall. It didn't take long for them to find more oddities with this particular Kraang base. "Hey, Don?" Leo began, brows furrowing as he stared at the silvery metallic plate mounted above one of the portals. "Why would the Kraang label these portals in English?" "That ain't all..." Raph chimed in, walking along the line of portals across the room. "Paris, Sydney, Moscow, Beijing... These are all Earth cities!" "Los Angeles, Berlin, Tokyo, Rome..." Donnie continued, "These aren't just any Earth cities... They're all huge Earth cities, capitols and major hubs of civilization. But... Why? Why would the Kraang want permanent portals to all these cities? They barely had enough resources to control New York before..." "Uhh... Guys?" Donatello and Raphael looked up when they heard their eldest brother call for their attention. Leonardo had found his way to the control center for the portals, which was situated at the far wall rather than the center where it would normally be. The control station wasn't the most interesting discovery to be had, oddly enough. Behind the large control bank was a huge window, giving whoever was there at the controls a wide view of the world outside. The other two turtles rushed over to see outside, their jaws dropping at the sight that greeted them. Silver towers of otherworldly metals rose up for what seemed like miles, pipes and cables strung between them like massive, intricate spider webs. A great many Kraang could be seen flying around out there, but most were far too high up towards the top of the towers to take notice of their intruders. All of this spread out farther than their eyes could see, fading into obscurity past their range of vision. "It's like we're in an entire Kraang city..." Leo breathed out in awe, having never seen a Kraang construct this massive. "So, what's this, then? Their Grand Central Station?" Raph commented, turning to Donatello for answers. The taller turtle was currently flipping feverishly through Michelangelo's journal, a look of apprehension in his eyes as though he were hoping beyond hope that his immediate theory was incorrect. The sudden wilt of his shoulders as he stopped at a certain page signaled that he'd have no such luck. "This isn't anything the Kraang designed... This is a recreation of Michelangelo's machine!" Don announced, turning the journal around so the others could see. The pages depicted intricate sketches of what had to be gargantuan pieces of machinery. Even Leo and Raph could see the resemblance to these giant alien towers. Their guest had a certain style about his inventions that was very distinctly his own. "Wh-what does that mean? What's this machine supposed to do?" Leo asked, now extremely worried. If it was something that the Kraang would put so much effort into building, it couldn't have been anything good. Donatello continued to read hastily through Michelangelo's notes. "From what he's got written here, this machine seems to be a huge system of components with three main purposes. The first is used to butcher pigs and extract the Vitae from their blood, the second uses that Vitae to reconstruct the Orb after pieces are broken off. The third function uses the broken-off shards in devices like the one I'd helped Michelangelo build last week, only... It looks like this machine has hundreds of them, all mounted at the tops of these tower structures." "So, remind me again what ya said the other day? How big would that bastard's machine hafta be ta be dangerous?" Raph asked, folding his arms and narrowing his eyes at his brothers. Donatello let out a sigh. "Okay, fine! You were right, Raph. Ya happy?! I was wrong and you were right!" Donnie barked out defensively. "But none of that matters now! What matters is the Kraang now have a device that can punch a city-sized hole in the barrier between dimensions!" "Could they be planning another invasion?" Leo asked, but Donnie immediately shook his head. "This machine can't function as a teleporter independently." he assured, "It acts more like a bridge between dimensions, connecting with an identical machine in the other dimension to create the link. But to even do that, this machine's array of Orb-powered units must be located in the equivalent geographic location as the one it's meant to connect to. If the array is off by even a fraction of an inch, the dangers of it opening an unstable rift and destroying both dimensions is... Gaah, I can't do math like this in my head right now! This was all in the realm of theoretical physics until a moment ago!" "Woah, wait a minute... So this thing's supposed to open some kinda 'space bridge' to that creepy bastard's world? Why in the hell would the Kraang wanna do that? What's there that they can't get here?" Raph asked, finally climbing down off of his 'I told you so' pedestal to figure out what was going on here. Leonardo furrowed his brows in thought. "It's the Orb, isn't it?" Leo asked, watching Donnie put his goggles on once more to get a better look at what the Kraang were working on atop the towers. "They want the core of the Orb from Michelangelo's world. That's the only thing they have that we don't. You said it yourself; even that tiny shard of it was extremely powerful. They might want the rest of it." "That's the only thing I can think of. Michelangelo can regrow more shards with the one he has, but he can never get close to the kind of power the core must have. But they can't get to it from here. This machine has to be moved into place first." he explained as he took off his goggles, making his way quickly for what looked like the exit of the portal hub. The other two followed close behind. "We don't have a lot of time. The Kraang are up there working on a portal generator big enough to teleport this whole machine to the undergrounds of London." "And here I'd left my Oyster card at home." Raphael joked with a light smirk. "How can we stop it?" Leo asked, trying to get right to the point. They'd stood around talking for too long already. It was time to actually do something about it. "If we can get to the central control room I should be able to reroute the power and overload the entire sys-..." Donatello's reply was cut short as they passed through the door that led out of the portal room, his mouth hanging open in silent awe at what lie beyond it. The area the three now found themselves in could only be described as a prison. Holding cells lined the walls of a passage as wide as a major highway and running on into infinity. The cells stacked ever upwards, reaching at least fifteen stories high. They could hear bestial noises echoing throughout the massive ward, mixed with the occasional human-sounding voice calling out from somewhere in that alien prison. There had to be thousands of them. This was going to take a bit longer than they'd expected. Chapter 10: The Saboteur Michelangelo awoke to the smell of filthy animal bedding and blood, his mind still in a fog from the chloroform used on him earlier. He let out a groan of discomfort as he picked himself up from the cold, filthy brick floor, a few strands of straw sticking to his face even as he shook his head. He looked around to see where he'd been taken. He was in what almost looked like a dungeon cell, the floor lined with dirty old straw that smelled like an old barn house. There was hardly any light coming in from the small barred window mounted in the heavy cell door, just enough that he could make out the large cage at the back of the cell not unlike the ones he'd seen in the cellar of the church. It was clear he wasn't this cell's first occupant. It reeked of Manpig, though there was no sign of one of those beasts sharing the cramped prison with him currently. Mikey sat against the back wall, wedging himself between the cage and the corner of the cell, hugging his knees close to his chest. He couldn't believe he'd been tricked like that... Raphael had used him this whole time, he'd pretended to help him when all he wanted was to restart that hellish machine for his own purposes. He could still hear the echoes of Hamato Yoshi's voice in his head, the chilling sound of the Machine calling for 'more pig'. Just the thought of it sent a chill up the back of his shell. He felt so stupid... So useless... He should have seen it sooner, should have known this world's Turtles couldn't be trusted the moment he'd seen what they'd done to Leatherhead. Now it was too late. Leatherhead was dead, and he was trapped in this dungeon. Of course, even if he could get out, what could he do about it? The Machine was operational once again thanks to him, free to carry out whatever twisted purposes it was built to fulfill. How could he stop it when he didn't know the first thing about it? If only he were smarter, he could do it. If only he had Donnie there with him... Suddenly, a bright light flashed into the cell from the opening in the door. Mikey had to shield his eyes with his hand to keep from being blinded, though he did try to peek past to see who was there. He could only make out a vague silhouette of a figure, the light from a lantern obscuring anything else beyond it. There was a loud mechanical clank, followed by the groan of steel on steel. The lantern light went away, and the sound of footfalls echoed down the corridor as they traveled away. Mikey, finally able to see again, looked up to find the cell door had been unlocked, now sitting open several inches. The young ninja knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth in a place like this. He jumped up to his feet, dashing out of the cell before the footsteps could fade away completely. Mikey now found himself standing in a narrow brick corridor, heavy metal doors just like the one he'd just passed through lining the walls. It was like some sort of old prison block, though he doubted that it had ever housed any true criminals. The small lights mounted near the cell doors offered little light, but there was just enough that he could still see where he was going... And just little enough that he could still see his mysterious emancipator's lantern light in the darkness ahead. Mikey sprinted after the mysterious figure, eager to find out just who else could have found their way this deep into the Machine. Raphael wouldn't have gone to all the trouble to knock him unconscious and toss him into a holding cell only to just let him free like this, but who else knew he was down there? A loud, screeching roar ripped Mikey from his thoughts as he passed through a spot where the winding corridors of the prison intersected. The young turtle gasped, instinctively diving away as a Manpig came charging at him from the right. He snapped his eyes shut, fully expecting the hammer-blow of the beast's hoof to come crashing down on his head at any moment. It never came. Mikey looked up just in time to watch the Manpig as it was swept off its feet, crashing onto its back with a loud thud. It took a moment for him to register what had happened to it, but he saw as the poor brute got up and hobbled back to its cage at the far end of the dead-end corridor; there was a thick chain around its neck, anchoring it securely to this cramped little area. It had been jerked back by the neck when it had run out of slack in the chain. The ninja got up to his feet once more, watching for a moment as the Manpig curled up in the filthy straw that made up its bed, trembling and covering its head as though it were expecting to be punished for its behavior. Mikey couldn't help but feel sorry for the creature. It wasn't its fault. None of this was. It was just like Leatherhead; a victim of his alternate's twisted experiments. He had to remind himself that these Manpigs were once human beings. They had nothing to do with all this before they'd been mutated. Not wanting the trail he was following to grow cold, Mikey had to leave the poor beast and hurry down the corridor once more. This mysterious fellow didn't seem too concerned with being followed, leaving doors open behind him as he proceeded forward through the labyrinthine bowels of the Machine. His chase led him over metal catwalks and brick paths, past more holding cells and soon through massive blocks of machinery once more. It wasn't until he found himself winding through a jungle of massive brass pipes that he encountered his first real obstacle. There was a loud bang up ahead, followed by a roar of steam. The already considerably uncomfortable level of humidity in the area more than doubled in that instant, his path filling with a hot haze. He soon came upon the cause of this: a pipe that had been ripped out of place and was now billowing steam into the area. He could hear more bangs up ahead, followed by more steam. Whoever he was following seemed to be breaking anything they could possibly get their hands on. Suddenly, Mikey realized who he'd been following, who had freed him. It had to be the saboteur. "Hey! Wait up! I wanna talk to ya!" Mikey called out through the vast steam room, vaulting over intact pipes and blocks of machinery as he pursued whoever it was that had been trying to destroy this mass of rotten architecture this whole time. His calls seemed to have been heard, as soon enough he was blinded by the light of a lantern once more. The figure set the lantern down on the ground, finally allowing the ninja to see who it was. Mikey couldn't help but draw in a sharp gasp of surprise as he found himself staring up into a pair of very familiar hazel eyes. "D-Donnie..?" he stammered out, now utterly confused. It was Donatello all right. There was no mistaking the lanky turtle even in that soot-stained gray suit. The purple bow around his neck was hanging loose, his entire appearance quite a bit more disheveled than the last time he'd seen him, likely from crawling around in the Machine. But why? Why would he willingly try to destroy the Machine he'd helped create? "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Donatello whispered out, a look of deep sadness on his face, guilt weighing heavily on the lanky turtle. "I wish I could say I'd never meant for any of this to happen, but... I am just as guilty as the others. Perhaps more so, as I'd done nothing to stop it before now..." Michelangelo stared at Donatello for a long while, still not understanding. Raphael seemed so heartless, so callous, so unrepentant for what he and his brothers had done, so why, of all of them, would Donatello be the only one that seemed to have a conscience? He could tell the guilt in his eyes was genuine, he could tell it was hurting him inside. Now he was starting to get what Donatello had promised to put right when he'd first arrived. "I tried... By God, did I try... I'd stalled the pumps, broken everything I could, but..." he paused, letting out a shaky sigh and looking away, as if too ashamed to make eye-contact. "I couldn't... I stood before it, stared into its eyes, into its very soul, but... I simply couldn't bring myself to do it... I could no more destroy this Machine than a boy could kill his own father, and for that... I am damned for cowardice..." Donatello turned away from Mikey, attempting to continue down through the steam room, but the ninja dashed forward to cut him off. "It's not over yet!" Mikey insisted as he blocked the other turtle's path. "You may not be able to kill this thing, but I ain't got a damn problem with takin' it out myself. Just show me where to go, tell me what to do. I'll make sure this thing can't fuck with anyone else ever again." Donatello couldn't help but stare down at the shorter turtle for a long moment, not believing what he was hearing. There was a small spark of hope in his eyes, though. "Y-you... You would take this burden upon yourself? But... I could never ask something like that of you... This isn't your battle. You've nothing to do with all this." "Yeah, well I do now." Donatello stared down at Mikey for a long moment, looking him over as if wondering if he was physically up to the task. After a while, he let out a soft sigh. "Very well... Follow me." Donatello replied after a moment, picking up his lantern and starting off down one of the catwalks that winded through the steam pipes. Michelangelo found himself once again following behind a strange, alternate version of one of his own brothers. Of course, the thought did cross his mind that this could be another trick, but why? Raphael had him locked up where he couldn't cause any trouble, he'd gotten what he wanted. What could he or the Machine possibly gain by letting him out once more? "To rid the world of this hellish Machine once and for all, you must destroy the Orb." Donatello began to explain as he led the way through the pipes. "'Orb'? What's that?" Mikey asked as he ducked under a low pipe, finding it slightly difficult to keep up with the other turtle, who likely had a much better idea of the obstacles in their path than he did. "It's a stone, a jewel of exceptional power. Father had found it in an Aztec temple in Mexico. He told us how he could hear it singing to his soul the instant he touched it, how it whispered the secrets of the future to him in his dreams. It told him how to make a substance capable of morphing life itself to his whims and, ultimately, how to create us. But... There is a cost for such knowledge. The Orb leeched Father's very life-force from his body, leaving him sick and frail. Eventually, Father could not survive without the Orb keeping him alive, so he let it have him... Body and soul..." "Wait... Ya mean he's dead?!" Mikey asked, shocked to hear that. Raphael had said Hamato Yoshi was merely sick, not dead! "Yes... and no. His body is technically alive, but it's often hard to tell if there's anything left of his mind beyond what the Orb has claimed for itself, and his body... Well, he'd become so frail that Michelangelo had to use part of the Machine itself as a life-support system for him. He's still in here, at the core. No... perhaps it's more accurate to say that he is the core. He is the Machine." Mikey stopped dead in his tracks when he heard that. No, it couldn't be... He'd hoped the Machine was merely using his Master's voice to taunt him, but... Could it really be possible that Hamato Yoshi himself was the dark mind controlling this vast contraption? And what about the Orb? If that's what was keeping Hamato alive, if that's what he had to destroy to end all this... Did that mean he had to kill an alternate version of his own Sensei to carry out this deed? He wasn't sure he could do that. He'd never killed anything, he'd never even thought of killing anyone, even after Raphael carelessly did away with Leatherhead. "I-is... Is there any other way? I mean... Without havin' ta kill anyone?" he asked hesitantly, jogging to catch up with the other turtle. "Do you have a father, sir?" Donatello asked without ever looking back. Mikey blinked in confusion at the question. "Uhh... Yeah. My Sensei, Splinter..." "I see... And what if your Sensei had become a faint wisp of his former self? If his mind had been consumed by a force beyond your comprehension? I can only vaguely remember what Father was like before finding that damnable Orb, having viewed him through the eyes of a simple pet turtle, but... I know, were he in his right mind, he would not wish to live like this. This is not murder, Michelangelo. This is mercy." Mikey felt himself grow numb at that last word. Mercy. Yes, the same sort of 'mercy' Raphael had shown Leatherhead. But he wasn't anything like that heartless bastard! He couldn't do something like that, especially to an alternate of his own father! Donatello stopped suddenly, almost causing his follower to run right into his back. Mikey watched as the light from the lantern was aimed upward, shining on a vent just above their heads. "I'm afraid you'll have to find your own way to the core from here." "Wh-what?! You're not comin' with me?" "I... I can't..." Donatello began, hanging his head in shame. "I'd be a liability if I accompanied you. The blue water of the Orb runs through my veins. I could be influenced by its power if I dared step foot in front of it once more, especially after all I've done to defy it..." "B-but... I have no idea where I'm going! I'll be lost for years in here!" "You... You've heard it, haven't you? The Machine's voice like a specter whispering in your ear?" he asked, receiving a nod from Mikey. "Then you have all you need to find him. Follow his voice, chase the icy chill it leaves in your heart. It will lead you to him, to his blackened temple." Mikey looked up at the vent, letting out a reluctant groan. So he was supposed to navigate this wretched place all by himself? But... What other choice did he have? Donatello handed him the lantern, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Michelangelo took a deep breath, steeling himself for the journey ahead. He clipped the lantern to his belt before climbing the ladder up to the vent. Donatello stared up at the vent for a long while, until long after the light from the lantern had faded down the pipes. He let out a heavy sigh, turning away to navigate back through the dark corridors of the steam room. "Good luck, brother... And may God forgive me for what I've left you to face." Michelangelo found himself crawling along what felt like miles of cramped, dusty ventilation pipes, searching out the heart of the very monster he was currently wandering through. He'd never felt more alone in his life than he did now. He needed his Master's guidance, he needed his brothers there to help him stay strong. There was Donatello, but... He wasn't sure what to think about him just yet, not after all he'd seen here. It wasn't long before the pipes started growing cold. Mikey could feel the cool breeze on his cheeks coming from up ahead, his breath coming out in puffs of fog. He recalled what Donatello had said earlier about following the icy chill in his heart... Well, if this wasn't cold enough, he didn't know what was. He soon came upon the source of the chill; a large fan pulling in cold air from another section of the Machine. He braced himself against the walls of the pipe, using both of his feet to kick the fan out, letting it clatter to the ground below. The young ninja dropped down to the floor, covering the light of his lantern out of habit as he quickly dashed to the nearest available cover. He hid behind a large tank of frigid liquid, straining his ears to listen for even the slightest hint of movement. He knew the dangers of this place by now. He wasn't about to make the same careless mistakes he'd made before. It was time to start acting like a real ninja. Mikey peeked out around the coolant tank after hearing nothing in the immediate area. He could see nothing. He chanced a look with his lantern, casting the light down the narrow corridor between tanks. There was neither hide nor hair of any of those Manpigs around, just endless rows of coolant tanks. He wasn't about to sit there and wait around for them to find him there. He wanted to get to the heart of this mechanical monstrosity and get this whole ordeal behind him as soon as possible. He dashed through the coolant tanks, navigated through to further sections of this frigid area. The world outside the coolant room was just as dark and lonely as the rest of the Machine, albeit a bit cleaner. Steel catwalks gave way to stone flag floors, the large, cumbersome machinery replaced by more precise equipment kept safely behind sealed glass. He was getting closer. He had to be. Suddenly, there was a loud sound like a clash of thunder. Mikey skidded to a halt, darting back behind the wall of glass-encased devices. He peeked out tentatively, trying to stay behind cover as he tried to see what had made that deafening sound. He spied what looked to be a room within the room, separated from the rest by huge glass walls. Beyond the glass were many large drum-shaped objects mounted into the floor. They were huge power transformers, elegant bolts of electricity arcing between them every now and then. Mikey snuck forward, circling around the glass room until he came upon a gap in the wall. He entered the vast electrical array with uncharacteristic caution, taking care not to get too close to the transformers. The last thing he wanted after all this effort was to be killed by electrocution in here. Another sharp crack of thunder nearly made the young ninja jump right out of his shell. He turned around just in time to see the remnant of a particularly large arc of electricity jump between the transformers. He let out a shaky breath. If he'd been just a bit slower, he'd be fried right now. He didn't want to take that chance again. He took off through the array as fast as he dared, weaving through the rows of transformers in his search for the exit out to the next corridor. Yet another crack of thunder sounded behind him, closer this time. He didn't dare look back at it. Small explosions then began to follow after him, darkness approaching hot on his heels as the light bulbs above gradually began blowing out from the sudden surge of power in the system. Mikey cursed under his breath. Did the Machine know he was there? Did it know what he was trying to do? Was this its way of trying to stop him? There was another crack of thunder, this time right in front of him. He skidded to a stop once more, diving to the ground and shielding his eyes against the blinding light that the arc of electricity produced. When the chaos died down, Michelangelo found himself plunged into utter darkness. No, not quite complete darkness... Mikey's eyes widened when they adjusted enough to make out the figure now standing in front of him, his blood running ice cold as though he'd just seen a ghost. Blue veins glowed under the skin of a dark silhouette, two big blue eyes staring down at him from just a few feet away. The deep burn mark in his plastron ached when he realized where he'd seen something like this before. "L-Leatherhead..." he breathed out, but it wasn't him. It couldn't be. He'd watched him die with his own eyes. No, this figure was quite a bit smaller than Leatherhead, smaller even than Michelangelo. Curiosity got the better of him, and he slowly turned his lantern on and pointed it at the figure before him. He regretted it instantly. Standing before him at a mere four feet tall, staring down at him through a pair of very familiar blue eyes was a young mutant turtle, tattered remains of a royal blue blazer hanging off his blackened form. He recognized the turtle's face at once, though it had been many years since he'd seen him so young. It was the only one of his brothers he hadn't seen in this world yet. It was Leonardo. Chapter 11: A Machine for Pigs Anton Zeck was crouched in the corner of a Kraang prison cell, working quickly at the delicate wires behind the wall panel he'd managed to remove a while ago. His purple mane hung down in his face, having fallen out of it's usual mohawk several days ago. The circuits embedded in his skin hardly gave off any light at all, the charge in his body having gotten down to dangerously low levels. He'd shut down the computer in his visor to conserve power, the screen little more than a sheet of dark glass covering his eyes. In all his years as a thief, he'd never been in a more dire situation than he was now. "C'mon, baby... Give Papa a current he can work with..." Anton grumbled to himself, touching one of the leads embedded in his fingertips to the naked end of one wire. There was a loud pop and a flash of electric discharge at the point of contact. "Fuck!" he yelped, pulling his hand away and shaking it as smoke rose from the lead. He cursed to himself until the pain died down, trying his best to keep his voice low. After a minute of reciting every curse word he'd learned from Steranko, the warthog looked down at his hands. His palms were singed by electrical burns, all of the leads in his hands burnt out, overloaded by the strange energy the Kraang used to power their technology. He let out a sigh, wilting against the wall as all hope drained from his lanky body. "That's it... I'm gunna die in here..." he mumbled hopelessly to himself. He'd given up trying to hack his way out of the cell by the end of his first day locked up in there, his primary concern shifting to finding some way to recharge his batteries. He'd never gotten this low on power, not since his mutation. With his tech suit now fused into his very flesh, he was afraid to think what would happen if he completely ran out of juice. He couldn't help but think it may try to leech whatever little electricity his body naturally produced. If that happened... Well, he was headed for one hell of a burnout. There was a sudden clank at the cell door, causing Anton to jump in surprise. The door opened and two Kraang-droids walked in, approaching the mutant warthog with raised blasters. He let out a yelp, scrambling away from them until he hit the back wall of his cell. The Kraang snatched him up by the arms, dragging him out despite his protests. "Wh-woah, hold up, G! I-I wuzzn't doin' nothin, I swear!" he squealed out fearfully, thrashing as much as his weary body would let him. The Kraang ignored him for the most part, forcing the mutant down to his knees once they were out in the wide, endless corridor of the cell block. His head was forced by one of the Kraang to stare down at the polished metal floor, and he could hear nothing but the cacophony of bestial noises from the occupants of the other cells. "Silence!" The noises from the other cells ceased instantly as the sudden order rang out down the massive cell block. There was silence. A deafening silence. It was so quiet that Anton could practically hear the sound of his own blood pulsing through his veins. Then, something else mercifully broke through. Footsteps echoed through the hall, growing ever closer to the captive thief. He could feel his heart pounding harder and harder in his chest the closer the footsteps got. He almost preferred the silence. Suddenly, they stopped. Anton could just see the toes of a pair of leather military-style boots. "This is the subject you retrieved?" the commanding voice from just a moment ago asked of the Kraang. Anton's ears twitched lightly, listening to get an idea of who this man was. He sounded like he was in his twenties, he had a British accent, and spoke with an air of superiority and sophistication. He couldn't tell much else, not without more data. He was both curious and dreading finding out more about this mystery Englishman, having no idea who other than Shredder himself could strike such fear into beast and Kraang alike. A hand reached down and took a firm hold of Anton's jaw, turning the warthog's face up to get a better look at him. He couldn't help but draw in a sharp gasp, his eyes widening behind his visor as he stared up into a pair of piercing, icy-blue eyes. The man who stared back at him was no man at all. He was a turtle. But... he couldn't be one of the Turtles. He was far too old, quite clearly an adult, the only remnants of his childhood being the faded freckles on his cheeks. He wore what looked like a white dress shirt tucked into brown trousers and a tan silk vest, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He didn't look that strong, but something told Anton that this mutant could eviscerate him in an instant if he so wished. "You utter fools!" the turtle hissed, practically shoving the warthog's head away as though he were the most disgusting piece of trash he'd ever laid eyes on. "How could anyone think this scrawny wretch is one of my creations?! It hardly has any more Vitae in its blood than a normal human! This creature is useless to me!" "What should Kraang do with-" "I don't give a damn what you do with it!" the turtle interrupted, clearly not in any mood for the alien's redundant chatter. "Throw it in the incinerators, boil it, have it for supper, I don't care! Just get it out of my sight and leave me be!" "Wait, what?! H-hold up a minute, dawg!" Anton objected, but his words fell upon deaf ears. The turtle had already given the two Kraang a dismissive wave of his hand before heading back the way he came. The warthog looked to the little pink alien tucked away in the belly of one of the droids holding him by the arm. The Kraang opened its beady little yellow eyes to look at him with what he could only guess was delight as it licked its ragged lips. "H-help! Heeeelp!" he called out desperately, despite knowing there was no one in that entire dimension that could save him. "They're gonna eat me!" Meanwhile, three very different turtles were making their way through the cell block as quickly and stealthily as they could. Donatello led the way, still pouring over Michelangelo's notes as he attempted to navigate a route to the core of this monstrosity of a machine. They tried not to think of what occupied the cells they rushed past. Human, Manpig, some stage in between... They sadly had no time to free them. Not when the Apocalypse potentially loomed over their heads. "Guys, stop!" Leonardo called out suddenly, bringing the whole group to a halt. "What is it? Kraang?" Raph asked, his sais in hand, already looking for a fight. Leo shook his head. "No, listen... Can you hear that?" The other two strained their ears to hear what Leo was talking about, finding it difficult to hear anything beyond the roar of hundreds of mutants barking out from their cages. Once they heard it, however, they were surprised they'd missed it at all. "Hey, c'mon, man! I can't go out like dis, yo! Mama Zeck didn't raise no entree!" The voice echoed from one of the lower levels, prompting the three young ninjas to lean over the railing and look down at the catwalks below. They immediately caught sight of two Kraang as they escorted a very loud, very skinny pig mutant to God knows where. "Woah, wait a minute... Is that Bebop?!" Donnie asked, his mouth hanging open slightly. It was Bebop, alright. There was no mistaking that obnoxious, flashy warthog. Clearly he wasn't there by his own choice. His hands were bound behind his back, and the Kraang walking behind him was ushering him forward with its blaster aimed at the small of his back. "What the hell would the Kraang want with him? Ain't they got an alliance with the Foot Clan?" "Alliances change, Raph. Yesterday's allies are today's enemies." Leo replied, though he was just as baffled as his brothers. What could Michelangelo have possibly offered the aliens to tempt them into directly opposing Shredder of all people? "Well, whatever... Don't make no difference to me if those guys wanna fuck each other up for us. We got bigger fish to fry right now." Raphael said as he left the railing of the catwalk to continue on their previous path. Donatello followed after him, but as for Leonardo... "No, not yet..." The other two looked back at their eldest brother, who was still staring at Bebop down below. "We're going to rescue him." "What?! Leo, have you lost yer damn mind?! Bebop's one of Shredder's goons! What do we care if he's stuck in here with the Kraang?" "I hate to say it, but Raph's right. This has nothing to do with us." Donnie added. Leo merely shook his head. "We can't leave him here. Don, he's a pig. You've read Michelangelo's notes, you know what they'll do to him. They'll butcher him alive. If we leave him here, his death is on our heads. I'm not prepared to live with that. Are you?" The other two glanced at each other. Finally, Raph let out a sigh. "Alright, let's do it..." "H-hey, can't we talk 'bout dis, G?! I-I mean, y'all don't wanna eat me! I'm all skin an' bones!" Anton continued on, trying desperately to convince the two Kraang to let him go in any way he could. His reply was a jab in the back by the alien's blaster, making the warthog stumble forward. "Yo, watch it!" he barked out, turning to glare at the damnable alien. Curiously, the Kraang seemed to be frozen in place, staring at him with its usual blank expression. Then, the Kraang-droid's torso split in half, its upper body collapsing to the ground as gravity finally got a good hold of it. Anton let out a yelp of surprise, stumbling backwards until he felt his back touch against something metallic. He glanced over his shoulder only to lock eyes with the other Kraang-droid that had been escorting him. Just an instant after he looked, two shuriken whistled past his ears close enough to graze his short brown fur, embedding themselves deep into the robot's skull. "Wuzza matter, Porky? Left yer big dumb bodyguard at another gig?" Anton looked back towards where the bifurcated Kraang-droid had stood a moment ago, now finding three very familiar green faces staring back at him. There stood Donatello, Leonardo, and Raphael, weapons still at the ready as they stood over their vanquished foe. His whole body went cold in an instant, the memory of a pair of piercing, ice-blue eyes coming back to him. "Wh-wh-woah, hold up! I-I wuzzn't tryin' ta start no shit wit' dat freaky cousin of yers or whatever the hell he is, I-I swear!" the warthog stammered out, stumbling backwards until he tripped over the other fallen Kraang-droid behind him. Even with his hands bound behind his back, the thief still tried to scramble away from the three ninjas. The Turtles looked at each other in confusion. "'Cousin?'" Leonardo asked, arching a brow. "Tha British dude! Look, I dunno what da hell kinda fucked up shit y'all are runnin' here, but I don't want none of it! Seriously, man, just show me tha door an' I promise I ain't gonna tell a soul!" "British guy, huh? Sounds like Michelangelo ta me." Raphael said as he folded his arms across his chest, shooting his brothers another 'I told you so' look. The other two merely rolled their eyes at him, but Bebop's jaw practically dropped to the floor. "Michelangelo?! You gotta be shittin' me! Ain't no way dat guy's yer kid brother! He's damn near as scary as fucking Shredder! Besides, dude's way too old!" "I know, right!? That's what I've been sayin' this whole time!" Raph commented, earning him a light jab in the side from Leo. "Wait... Too old? What do you mean?" "I mean dat guy's gotta be in his twenties at least. He's one of you, ain't he? Don't ya even know what he looks like?" Leo could only stare in disbelief at what Bebop was telling them. This couldn't be right... They'd seen Michelangelo only a week ago and he looked just as young as their real baby brother. How could he even remotely pass for an adult? He glanced to Donatello, looking once more for an answer from him. By the looks of it, he may just get that answer this time. "This isn't good..." Donnie began less than encouragingly. "We're in Dimension X, remember? Time runs way faster here than in our world. A day back on Earth could be months here, perhaps even a year or more. If he's been here since after the last time we saw him, he would've had as much as six or seven years to build whatever he wanted... and with Kraang tech." "And that's how he managed to build all this in just a week..." Leo added, starting to understand why Michelangelo had gone out of his way to ally himself with the Kraang. "Woah, hold up a sec..." Bebop chimed in suddenly, "Y'all are talkin' like ya wanna take dis fucker out. You guys ain't wit' dis boss turtle guy?" "Hell no! We ain't got nothin' ta do with him! We came in here ta beat that bastard to a bloody pulp!" Raphael replied, hands tightening around the hilts of his sais. "Yeah, and if we don't hurry you'll never get the chance before he fires this thing up." Don interjected, "We've wasted too much time here. We've got to go." Leo nodded, sheathing his katana before turning away from the warthog, intending to continue on their way. "Wait!" Bebop called out, scrambling ungracefully to his feet. "Y'all can't just leave me here! You know what dey gonna do ta me like dis?! I ain't got no power left, yo! I can't even fight back no more!" The three stopped, looking back at the lanky mutant. He was right. They could tell just by looking at him that he was in no condition to fight his own way out of there. Raphael let out a light growl, marching up to Bebop and grabbing him by the collar of his vest. "Alright, Geordi La Pork, let's get a few things straight! If ya can't keep up, yer on yer own! Ya act up at all, I got a sai with yer name on it! Ya got all that?" "Y-yeah, we straight, Dawg! We straight!" he replied, nodding furiously. Raph then slipped an arm around the warthog's slender frame, breaking Bebop's wrist bindings with his sai. "Good! Now hurry up!" Raphael added as he turned back towards his brothers. Leo arched a brow as his hot-headed brother marched past, jogging a bit to catch up with him. "That's not like you to show mercy to one of Shredder's guys like that. I'm impressed." Leo complimented, keeping his voice low enough so Bebop couldn't hear them. "Yeah, well... Maybe I just don't want someone's death on my hands, even if it is that stupid pig." The next few hours drove the four mutants deeper and deeper into the endless labyrinth of the machine. They'd finally made it out of the cell blocks and into the interior mechanisms, moving at a surprisingly decent pace despite their new tag-along. Bebop wasn't as nimble as he normally would have been, but he was holding his own quite well, even alerting the Turtles to oncoming Kraang patrols before they'd noticed them. Leo supposed that was just the natural intuition that had served to make the warthog a world-class master thief. The patrols were getting thicker the deeper in they went, the machinery around them more vast and complicated. They had to backtrack several times to avoid getting caught by passing Kraang-droids, making their journey that much more impossible to navigate. Soon, they were starting to revisit familiar sections of the maze-like machine. "Uhh... Don? We already been here." Raphael commented, having noticed a particular array of electrical transformers on the wall that was unmistakable for the area. Donatello was flipping furiously through Michelangelo's journal, seeming rather desperate to find another possible route to take. "It's not that easy, okay? This machine is very similar to the drawings he has here, but there's been so many changes to accommodate Kraang tech that the layout's been totally switched around." Leonardo made his way over to where Donnie stood, standing on his toes to peek at the pages of the journal. "Where are we trying to get to exactly?" "Here." Don replied, pointing to what looked like a small sketch of a stepped pyramid. "It's the core of the machine, where the main controls are. If there's any chance of shutting this thing down, the way to do it will be there." Raphael had come over by now, pulling Don's arms down so he could see. "What about this thing?" he asked, pointing to what looked like a conveyor system. "It looks like it leads right to it." Donatello frantically shushed Raphael, glancing tentatively over his shoulder. Bebop had taken the momentary pause in their searching to rest against the wall. Good. He wasn't paying attention. "Dammit, I've been trying to avoid that route all day since he came along!" Donnie hissed in a low tone, trying not to be heard. "Why the hell would ya do that? It's like a straight shot!" "Yeah, but... C'mon! Can't you read?" Raph glanced down at where Don pointed. 'Pigline'. He cringed lightly. Yeah, that wouldn't go over well. "We don't have any other choice right now." Leo replied, glancing back at Bebop. "We're taking it. You two just make sure he doesn't freak out and give away our position..." The new route to the Pigline was mercifully free of security patrols, leaving the way more or less clear for them to move forward. Donatello had put away Michelangelo's journal for now, not needing any more direction now that they were so close to their goal. It was just a straight shot from here on. Bebop followed behind the group, though with a bit more hesitation than earlier. They'd told him where they were headed. There was no way to avoid it anymore. It wasn't long before a chorus of animal noises began filling the corridors once more, growing louder and louder the closer they got. It wasn't until they passed through a rather large sealed hatch that the sound became a deafening roar. The four then found themselves standing on a platform overlooking a massive line of machines. There were several hundred Manpigs down there, all being funneled into one end of the line by several armed Kraang-droids. They couldn't see what happened to the creatures after they were pushed into the machine, but the river of blood running through the troughs underneath made them somewhat glad that the gruesome act was hidden behind the glossy steel. "O-oh man... D-dat's sick, yo..." Bebop breathed out, staring down at the spectacle with a look of utter horror on his face. Don gave the warthog an uneasy look before letting out a sigh. "The only way through is that corridor down there running alongside the line, but..." "We'd never make it through all that. Not without the Kraang alerting Michelangelo." Leo added. "Sounds like we need a distraction." Raph chimed in, at which point all three of them turned to look at Bebop. The warthog's ears twitched lightly at that, his attention momentarily pulled away from the spectacle below. He glanced between the three turtles before letting out an indignant snort. "Aw, heeeell to the no! Ya'll ain't 'bout ta use dis pig as no live bait!" "It can't be helped, Bebop." Leonardo began, earning another grumble from their reluctant ally at the use of that nickname. "None of us can do it without Michelangelo figuring out what we're up to. As far as the Kraang know, you're just another pig mutant. Even if they report you to him, he'll just think it was one of his Manpigs on the loose. He won't be expecting an attack." "Yeah, great plan an' all, but ya forgot one li'l thing; I still ain't got no power! Tha fuck am I supposed ta do? Dress in drag an' do the hula?" Bebop retorted, earning a reflexive shudder of disgust from Raph as he accidentally pictured such a thing. Donnie rolled his eyes a bit before digging in his bag. "Here, take this." the lanky turtle said, pulling out a small electronic device. "I use it to charge up the T-phones. It probably won't give you much power, but it should be enough to get the job done." Despite being so desperate for power that he'd have fought a nun for a pair of double-A batteries, Bebop hesitated to accept this gift. He took one last glance down at the scene below, watched as the Kraang led his fellow pig mutants from countless steel cages, prodding them towards the machine to be slaughtered alive. He heaved out a sigh before snatching the power pack from Donatello. "Ah, fuck it… We gonna die in here anyway." he grumbled out, hooking the device into a port on his belt. In an instant, Bebop's systems charged back up to normal, the circuits in his skin gaving off their faint purple glow once more. "But don't think I'm doin' dis fer you freaks. Ain't nobody treats a pig like dis an' gets away wit' it on my watch!" "Yeah, great. Just do yerself a favor fer once in yer life; keep yer damn mouth shut down there!" Raph commented as Bebop activated his cloaking field, rendering the warthog completely invisible to the naked eye. The turtles could hear a scoff where the thief had stood just a moment ago. "Hey man, I might be a show-off, but I ain't suicidal. I know when ta shut my trap." Bebop replied. And that was the last they'd heard from him. After a moment of hearing and seeing nothing, Donatello pulled his goggles down over his eyes and switched them to infrared mode. He leaned over the edge of the railing, searching down below for where the mutant thief may have gone. Much to his surprise, he was indeed down below, sneaking silently up towards the cages that housed Michelangelo's Manpigs. "Huh, he's actually doing it. I was half expecting him to run away on us." Donnie commented in a pleasantly surprised tone. Raph and Leo both looked down over the railing despite being unable to see what their brother could see. "He might be one of Shredder's minions, but that doesn't mean he can't feel sympathy, Don." Leo replied, a pleased smile on his face. The three watched the scene below, trying to catch sight of anything the invisible thief could be doing. After a moment, Donnie directed their attention to the locks on the cage doors. One by one the locks fell away, picked in seconds by invisible expert hands. It didn't take long for them to figure out Bebop's plan. Suddenly, the mutant warthog uncloaked, now standing atop one of the cages. He let out a loud, screeching, inhuman squeal, a bellow that echoed throughout the chamber to every last one of the cages he'd unlocked. Mere moments later, the chamber erupted into a blitz of chaos, Manpigs charging out of their cages in one gargantuan stampede, rushing forward and tearing through any Kraang-droid they could get their hooves on. The Kraang were overtaken almost immediately, unable to handle the sudden onslaught from the beasts. "Well, that's one hell of a distraction if I ever saw one." Raph commented with a nod of approval at the utter entropy down below. "Let's not let it go to waste. Move out!" Leo ordered, leaping down off the platform they'd been hiding on to run along top the machinery of the Pigline. Don and Raph followed close behind, eager to get this gruesome ordeal over with once and for all. The three turtles soon found themselves in silence once more as they navigated the dark corridor leading to the heart of the machine, the only sound there to accompany them being the rush of liquid emanating from below the grates under their feet. It was completely deserted of Kraang, no patrols, no security. Likely Michelangelo hadn't expected any interlopers to get this far. Soon enough, the tunnel gave way to open air, a truly massive structure rising out of the center of the complex city of machinery. It looked like a pyramid, an Aztec-style temple made of alien metals looming over their heads. This was it. They'd reached the core. "Alright guys, this is it." Leonardo began, his voice low. "We've made it this far without alerting Michelangelo, but we can't afford to let him know we're here just yet. Stealth is our top priority. We take him by surprise, take him down, and figure out how to stop this thi-" "Hear me, brothers!" The three froze in place when the eerie echoes of a British man's voice rang out more in their heads than anything. Raphael shot Leo a rather sarcastic look. "So much for taking him by surprise..." "Fuck..." Leo hissed out, not really one to curse. He then began darting up the steps of the pyramid, drawing his katana as he rushed ever upwards to salvage what little of his plan as he could. The other two followed suit, but the eerie voice continued to ring out in their ears as they made their way towards it. "My gears are adjust, my steam is built! Soon I will split the egg, the atom, my soul, and there will be a very great burning that we might make the world clean! Do you hear me, Donatello? Be proud, for this is your doing! Until you told me of this wondrous dimension, I thought my great works would come to naught! But you are naive, my dear brother! You claim to be a man of science, you claim to know machines, but you know nothing if even this much eludes you; This world is a machine! A Machine for Pigs! Fit only for the slaughtering of pigs! Whores, beggars, orphans, filthy degenerates! Pigs all! But I will purify the streets, cleanse this planet, set the great industry free! I will clean this world, make it pure!" The three turtles reached the top of the pyramid long after the taunting speech had ended, all slightly winded after the long, uphill sprint. They all held their weapons at the ready as they reached the summit, though all couldn't help but falter and stare in utter amazement at what they saw. They seemed to be standing in a temple to machinery, the controls to the machine fixed atop a grand altar of steel and wires. Pipes rose up above the altar, fanning out like the rays of the sun. The altar itself wasn't what had dumbfounded the turtles, however. It was the man standing before it. He stood taller even than Donatello, tall enough to look Master Splinter dead in the eye. Piercing blue eyes stared them down from behind a pair of round spectacles, staring right through them into their souls and making their blood run cold. They barely recognized a single feature on the adult turtle's body, he'd changed so much, yet… It was unmistakable. They'd found Michelangelo. Chapter 12: We Are the Pig "L-Leo..." Michelangelo breathed out, taking a hesitant step back from the shorter turtle. He couldn't believe his eyes. No… No, this couldn't be right! The dark, almost pitch-black scales, the glowing blue lightning-bolt veins, those eyes… Leonardo had become the same as Leatherhead. But that couldn't be! Leatherhead was only like that because of his alternate's experiments! Surely this world's Turtles were not so cruel that they'd experiment on their own brother's body to accomplish their goals! The young turtle took a step towards him, tiny bolts of electricity arcing between his body and the power transformers as he stalked forward. Mikey shuffled backwards to keep out of arm's reach of the boy, knowing full well what potent dangers that tiny body contained. His hand drifted instinctively to the deep burn in his plastron, the now permanent imprint of Leatherhead's hand on his chest. He couldn't afford to be cornered like that again. "L-Leo… C-c'mon, li'l dude… I-it's me..." he pleaded softly, raising his shaking hands in defense as he continued to keep some distance between himself and this younger version of his eldest brother. Leonardo didn't seem to hear him. Either that or he was ignoring him. Suddenly, there was a loud clash of thunder as Leonardo disappeared in a bolt of electricity. Michelangelo let out a yelp of surprise before looking around frantically for the boy. He was gone, vanished without a trace. Mikey shined his lantern light around the room, trying to find the boy hiding somewhere in the room, possibly behind the power transformers. Nothing. Another thunderclap was his only warning before what felt like a white-hot cattle brand press against the back of his arm. Mikey let out a scream of pain, diving forward instinctively to get away. He spun around on the ground just in time to catch Leonardo staring blankly down at him before disappearing in another violent arc. Mikey's breaths came out in panicked gasps as he looked around for the young mutant once more. At first it took him a moment just to realize what the hell was going on, but soon he managed to clear his mind enough to remember Leatherhead. He remembered how the gator's body flickered in and out of reality, how the process of being torn back and forth between dimensions had driven him completely mad. The same thing must be happening to Leonardo, though it seemed like the boy had actually learned to control his dimensional jumps. Michelangelo wasn't about to stick around long enough to figure out just how well he controlled it, however. The ninja scrambled up to his feet and took off out of the room as fast as his legs would carry him. He didn't want a repeat performance of Leatherhead. He didn't even want to think of that possibility. Not with Leo. Not his own brother. As he ran, he could hear the claps of thunder following behind, chasing him through the Machine. What's worse, they were getting closer. He ran faster still, weaving in and out of rooms and corridors before he could register what was in them. The thunder followed still, growing closer and closer until it was right on his heels. Then, when Mikey was sure the little fiend was close enough to grab him, they stopped. Michelangelo wasn't about to give Leonardo time to catch up, though. He ran on, trying to put as much distance between himself and the mutant boy as he possibly could. He ran until the muscles in his legs burned so badly that his knees nearly gave out on him once or twice. Finally, he allowed himself to slow down, to come to a stop and catch his breath. His lungs burned from the frigid air of this place, his entire body trembled from the stress he'd been under, both mental and physical. Even as he panted and gasped for air, he strained his ears to listen for the tell-tale thunderclap that would signal Leonardo's continuing pursuit. He heard nothing, not so much as a distant footstep. Rather than be relieved by this, it only served to panic him further. He didn't know how much longer he could take this. Heart-pounding as they were, at least the sudden crashes of thunder gave him an idea how close that tiny little predator was. The silence was more unnerving than anything. Still, it seemed he'd lost Leonardo long enough to catch his breath for the moment. He took the opportunity to look around this new area, to see where he'd been driven to in his fevered panic. The dim light of his lantern revealed many humongous vats of a strange blue liquid, one of which lay open in front of him. He cast his lantern upwards, catching sight of a brass sign; Warning! Compound X, Highly Corrosive, Highly Flammable, Highly Toxic. 'Compound X'… That was this world's Mutagen, wasn't it? But it was so different from the chemical he knew… Perhaps that was why the Turtles it created were so very different from the ones of his universe. A twisted chemical to produce twisted minds. The thought had occurred to him to burn it. Burn every last drop and this wretched Machine along with it… Mikey was ripped from his thoughts when a sudden bolt of lightning struck just before his face, a blackened fiend leaping out of the nothingness at him. The ninja hardly had any time to react before he was tackled to the ground, the younger turtle's hands wrapped tightly around his throat. Mikey choked out a loud scream of pain, already feeling Leonardo's hands burn through the cloth of his mask tied around his neck and into his very flesh. "You… did… this..." came the wispy, ethereal voice of the boy as he continued to choke the life out of the larger turtle pinned below him, seemingly unphased by Michelangelo's desperate thrashing in an attempt to free himself. "This… is all… your… fault..." Mikey continued to cry out in agony, trying in vain to toss the otherworldly turtle off of him. He could feel those hands burning deeper into his skin, threatening to breach vital arteries. He couldn't last much longer. He was going to die if this kept up. His next move arose more out of instinct than anything. He curled up, placing his feet squarely at Leonardo's plastron before kicking away with all his remaining strength. Mercifully, Mikey felt Leonardo's hands wrench away from his throat, he felt the weight of the boy lifted off his form. His hands immediately clasped around his horribly burnt neck, shaking against the tattered remnants of his mask that had been melted to his very skin. He had little time to recover before he heard a loud, ungodly screech accompanied by a splash of liquid. His eyes widened when he realized what he'd just done. He jumped up to his feet, ignoring the painful protests of his body as he darted over to the railing that overlooked the open vat of that godless Compound X. Sure enough, there he found Leonardo, swimming desperately to keep to the surface of the strange viscous liquid. Mikey could already see thin streams of glowing blue blood floating away from the child's body under the surface, a pale blue smoke rising up where his skin broke the surface. A noxious stench filled Michelangelo's nostrils, a stench made fouler still by the knowledge that it was his brother's rapidly corroding body that now filled his lungs. "Leo!" Michelangelo called out in horror, reaching out in a desperate attempt to grab hold of the boy's hand. He didn't care that it would burn him. He didn't care if he were pulled down with him. He just had to do something. He couldn't just sit there and watch his brother die! But he was too late. Leonardo's screams died down into a cold silence once more, smothered away as his lungs filled with Compound X. Mikey's body was frozen in place, his eyes wide as he watched what remained of the young turtle's body sink slowly downward in the tank until it faded away into darkness. Michelangelo sunk down to his knees, eyes still staring down into that tank. He could already feel the hot streams of tears burning lines down his cold cheeks. He couldn't believe what he'd just done. He'd killed someone. He'd sacrificed his own brother's life to save his own. "L-Leo… I… I'm sorry… I didn't mean… I-it was an accident..." he whispered out weakly. Of course, there was nothing he could say, nothing he could do to justify his actions in his own mind. Accident or not, he'd taken a life. He was a murderer, no better than his sick-minded alternate who called this rotten world home. "Fret not, dear 'brother'..." came an uncomfortably familiar voice from just over Mikey's shoulder. "Could you not see? Leonardo was suffering. He was in pain. There was no way anyone could have saved him. You did the right thing. You showed him the mercy that he truly deserved." Mercy. That one word made Mikey's breath catch in his throat. "Y-you… You call this mercy…?" he wheezed out, still too much in shock at what he'd just witnessed to move. There was a cold, chilling chuckle from behind him. "In this festering world, so tainted by humanity's lust and greed, surrounded by the detritus of this so-called progress? Yes. Yes, the most merciful thing one can do for the masses is to rid them of their painful, stupid, pointless lives. Of course, if this concept still eludes you..." there was a pause, in which the faint sound of a rifle slide clicking into place could be heard. "Then I shall demonstrate for you personally." He didn't know where he'd mustered the strength or the will, but Michelangelo dove away just in time to avoid having a rifle bullet lodged in the back of his skull. He looked back at his attacker, his gaze locked with a pair of acid-green eyes. "Then you're no different from them..." Raphael commented with a light sigh as he operated the slide on his hunting rifle once more, releasing the spent casing and loading a second bullet. "Such selfishness, such stubbornness in the face of impending death! You call me the monster, yet you'd do anything to assure your own continued survival, even murder your own brother!" Mikey drew in a sharp gasp as the barrel of a gun was aimed at him once more. He scrambled to his feet, vaulting over the nearby railing and dodging another bullet by mere inches. He landed less-than-gracefully down below, between the large vats of Compound X. He hadn't the energy left to run, so he hid as best he could, back behind one of the containers for that foul blue water. He heard as Raphael jumped down after him, his footsteps echoing throughout the area as he stalked through looking for his prey. It was all Michelangelo could do to keep quiet. His heart was pounding in his chest, his breaths coming in quick gasps. He covered his mouth with his hand to keep from being heard, straining his ears over the sound of his own heartbeat trying to hear Raphael's footsteps. He could hear them echoing all over the room, unable to pinpoint where they were coming from. Suddenly, they stopped. He began to panic slightly. Had he been seen? The answer came more bluntly than he'd hoped. A shot rang out among the chemical vats. Mikey immediately let out a loud scream, his left arm erupting into a pain the likes of which he'd never before experienced. He stumbled forward onto the ground, grasping at his injury as if trying to keep his blood from draining away on him. It didn't take long for him to realize that he couldn't move his hand anymore. In fact, he couldn't feel anything below his now-mangled elbow. The only thing he could feel in that moment of shock was the blood that flowed out from between his fingers, dripping down and beginning to pool on the stone floor beneath him. He hadn't the time to wallow in his pain, or to discover the true extent of his injury. He heard Raphael approaching once more, the sound of his boots stepping through spilled Compound X as it poured from the fresh bullet hole in a nearby vat, the sound of that slide operating once more, another bullet being loaded. It was by virtue of pure adrenaline that Mikey found the strength to take off running once again, weaving throughout the chemical vats as the sick shadow of his brother chased him down. He ran as far as he could, until he'd left that room entirely and found another. This new area was a return to the machinery that had surrounded him during this whole ordeal, the sound of giant gears meshing underneath his feet making it hard to hear the approaching danger. He looked around for a place to hide, but there was nothing. The only possible cover was a collection of chemical barrels stacked up against the wall, likely containing more Compound X. A glance over the railing at the back of the room served to show him the grievous error he'd made in coming that way. Down below was a huge system of truly titanic gears. Jumping down there would mean instant death for him. He was trapped. Cornered like a damned rat. "Michelangelo..." Mikey spun around at the sound of his name, coming face to face with the gun-wielding Raphael once again. He had no cover. He had no real way to defend himself, not against a gun like that. His left arm hung limp at his side, useless and continuously dripping vital lifeblood. No wonder he'd been found so easily. He'd left him a trail. "Put aside your misguided crusade and let us save them." Raphael urged, thankfully not shooting him the instant he'd caught up with him. Perhaps he hesitated due to Mikey's resemblance to his own brother? If it were true, his eyes didn't betray such a sentiment. He held that same expressionless facade, his rifle still held at the ready. "You may hate me, Michelangelo, but our dear Father has seen the future, your twentieth century, and let me tell you this: a far greater slaughter awaits us there. We seek to save the world by blood now before millions fall beneath history, pushed under by blade, bullet, and gas." "So you wanna kill everyone to save them the pain of dying?! Are you guys crazy?! That makes no sense!" "It makes perfect sense!" Raphael barked back in reply, showing a rare outburst of emotion in his face. Anger. It gave him an uncomfortable resemblance to Mikey's real brother. "So long as humans exist on this world there will always be senseless death! War, torture, genocide! And all for nothing! Even we four were fated to die in their pointless battles, lungs full of mud and shrapnel on the banks of the Somme! Even then we will have changed nothing!" "B-but you can't blame all humans for something a few idiots do! What about the good ones?! Won't you even try to save them?!" Mikey pleaded, his good arm moving cautiously to his hip. Perhaps if he kept him talking a while longer, got him distracted… "Show me these 'good!' I do not see them! Every last human on this planet thinks only of themselves! They are all selfish, greedy swine who do not deserve the empires of fat and waste they have built for themselves! They are ruiners, beyond redemption! They are a plague to be washed clean! They are rotten flesh to be carved from the body of this world, no matter how large a scar it may leave!" "And you call me a murderer..." Michelangelo growled out, his hand tightening around the grip of his kusarigama, still waiting for the right moment. "Murderer… yes, I will gladly accept that mantle if only for the short time I am to remain alive." Raphael replied, returning to his earlier calm. Mikey furrowed his brow at that. What did he mean by that? Raphael picked up on the injured turtle's confusion, letting out a bitter, wry chuckle. "Did you think we would be so selfish as to live on even after our work is done? We were created for a purpose; to act as redeemers for this world. Once all of humanity is washed clean of this world, so too shall we. Unlike you, I do not fear death. Unlike you, I do not fruitlessly try to delay the inevitable." Raphael's finger tensed on the trigger of his rifle, preparing to deliver the final, killing shot. "Die like the filthy pigs you idolize." This was the moment. The only moment he had left. Before Raphael could pull the trigger, Mikey tossed the end of his kusarigama as quickly as he could. The long chain wrapped around the hunting rifle several times, the kama blade locking the tight grip he now had. He then pulled as hard as his weary body would let him, as hard as he could with only one arm. It worked. The rifle was suddenly pulled towards him, past him, and sent careening over the rail to the gigantic gears below. Unfortunately, it didn't come alone. Mikey let out a yelp as it felt like his shoulder was being jerked from it's socket, the chain of his weapon going abruptly taught as a large weight tugged on the end of it. He slid across the stone until he was pressed against the railing, having to brace his legs against it to keep from going over himself. He glanced down, utterly confused at what had happened. A rifle shouldn't have weighed this much. A cold chill washed over his body once he realized what that weight was. Dangling over the gears, his arm caught by the chain around his rifle, was Raphael. No… No, he couldn't do this again! Leatherhead and Leonardo were bad enough. He didn't need a third death on his head, even if Raphael had just tried to kill him. Raphael merely stared down at the grinding machinery, that same blank expression on his face as ever. "Raph! Climb up! Hurry!" he called out desperately, steeling his grip on his end of his kusarigama. He couldn't let go. He simply refused to. He wasn't going to let it happen. Not again. Not to another one of his brothers. Raphael looked up at him, his expression impossible to read. After a long moment, he took hold of the chain with his free hand, bracing his feet against the wall and pulling himself up just enough to loosen the grip it had on his arm. His hunting rifle fell from his hand, almost instantly reduced to splinters as the gnashing steel teeth below ground it up without faltering. "C'mon, I can't hold it much longer! Please! Ya gotta hurry!" Mikey pleaded, feeling his muscles in his arm begin to weaken. Raphael took one last look down at the gears before looking back up at the injured turtle above. Then, a smile spread across his lips. "We are the pig, brother. We are all the pig." Michelangelo's eyes widened at that. What the hell was he talking about? He'd just spent how long preaching about how humans were nothing more than pigs, only good for the slaughter, yet… "N-no… No, don't do it! Please, don't! Raphael!" Mikey begged, his eyes filling once more with desperate tears. But it was too late. Raphael let go. Chapter 13: The Unlikeliest of Heroes Anton ran as fast as he could through the polished metal halls of the Kraang machine. Donatello had been right. That power pack he'd given him didn't last long at all. A shame, really. He'd have wanted nothing more than to be invisible right now. The roaring thunder of heavy hoofbeats stampeded after him, dull brown eyes fixed on him from under a hood of filthy bandages. After the Manpigs had dispatched the Kraang on the Pigline, they'd immediately taken to… other interests. Unfortunately for Anton, his act of freeing them had caught this one's eye. "H-hey, c'mon now! I ain't dat kinda pig!" he squealed in breathless dismay, but he knew his words were wasted on this mindless mutant. The Manpig was relentless in its chase and he had no idea how much longer he could hold out running. Fate seemed to decide that the chase was over. Anton's steps faltered, he tripped over himself and was sent tumbling to the floor. He tried to scramble away, but the beast was already standing over him, towering over him. He stared up at it in horror, his throat letting out a pathetic squeal of protest as it reached a hoof out to pin him to the ground. He snapped his eyes shut, as though it would all not come to pass if he refused to watch it himself. The next thing he knew, there was a shower of hot ooze raining down over his face, the metallic taste of blood slipping into his mouth. He opened one eye, chancing a peek up at the Manpig. Its head was gone, its neck a mangled, bleeding stump. Its lifeless body was kicked from on top of him, its form replaced in his field of vision by that of the most welcomed sight he'd ever seen. Ivan Steranko stood over Anton now, a shotgun in one hand, while the other extended to lift the warthog up by the collar of his vest. The thief stood there for a long moment, mouth hanging agape as he stared up at his partner in crime in utter disbelief, not even seeming to notice the Manpig blood that was still coating his coarse brown fur. "I-Ivan! How tha hell did ya get in here?! How'd ya find me?" "Went back to place we steal machine from. Found portal to here." He explained in his usual short, broken English, retrieving something from one of his pockets and tossing it to the other. Anton caught it, immediately recognizing it. It was one of his battery packs, a proper one. He clipped it to his belt, plugged it in, and breathed a sigh of relief as the circuits in his skin glowed at their full intensity once more. Then, before he could say another word, he felt a rifle being shoved into his hands. He looked up at the rhinoceros, one ear quirked in confusion. "We find man who built this place, who built other machine. You know where is?" "Y-yeah… I mean, I think so… B-but why you wanna find dat freak? Can't we just get outta here tha way ya came?" "Нет. Escape not enough. Must destroy this place. Now." Anton found himself staring up at Ivan once more, a nervous lump gathering in his throat. He'd never seen the old Russian quite this serious about anything, and he was a pretty serious guy to begin with. He couldn't help but wonder what the other knew that he, or perhaps even the Turtles, did not. He swallowed the lump in his throat, nodding his head solemnly. Why did it feel as though they were going to war? The three turtles could do nothing but stare for the longest time. The turtle that now stood before them, tall, thin, his icy blue eyes boring straight through them from behind those round glasses… This couldn't be Mighelangelo! Yet, it could be no one else. He stood before the intricate altar of controls and dials, the very heartbeat of the machine at his fingertips, yet his back was to it. His full attention was turned to the three invaders of his sacred temple. Slowly, a wicked smile spread across his lips, his arms spreading wide as though to welcome them. "You've come at last, my dearest brothers." He said in a voice deeper than any of them could imagine coming out of their baby brother's mouth. Then again, this was not their brother, and he was easily seven years their elder at this point. Leonardo glared at Michelangelo, his hands tightening almost painfully around the hilts of his katana. "You deceived us… You played us all for fools and used us to get what you wanted! After all this, how can you dare call yourself our brother?!" he hissed out, his anger seething and threatening to boil over even his high threshold of control. Michelangelo merely let out a chuckle. "Oh, but what marvelous fools you have been. I must thank you, really. Without you lot, it would have taken decades to establish suitable control over your city's resources to have my machine built, yet here we are, what… perhaps a week in Earth time? Honestly, I could never have dreamed of such good fortune as running into these Kraang, and all thanks to you." Raphael let out a vicious growl, but Leo held out his katana to stop him from charging thoughtlessly forward. This Michelangelo may not have looked like much of a fighter, but he had no idea what sort of traps he had waiting for them out towards the altar of controls. He had clearly been waiting for them, and he seemed so confident… "Look, Michelangelo, I'm not sure what the Kraang could have offered you, but it's not worth it! If you let them get the Orb, they'll have enough energy to take over both our world and yours!" Donatello interjected, hoping perhaps reason would sway the elder turtle. His reply was a sharp, mocking scoff. "Oh, my poor, naïve Donatello… Who do you think is in control here? I'm using the Kraang just as I used you lot. They won't even get to lay eyes on the core of the Orb, let alone take it from me. They are fools, just like the rest. Yet more pigs for the bleeding." "How can you be so sure of absolute control?" Leonardo challenged. "The Kraang outnumber you more than a million to one. What's to stop them from betraying you the instant you set up your portal to your dimension?" Michelangelo let out a chuckle, shaking his head. "They, like you, understand nothing of what my machines are meant to do. Once my great works are complete, there will be nothing either you or the Kraang can do to stave off the inevitable." "Then we'll just have to stop you before you can activate this machine of yours." Leo replied defiantly. Another chuckle, another shake of the head, and Michelangelo's gaze turned icy once more. "My dear boy, that plan of yours to stop me would imply that my works haven't already begun…" he retorted, a pleased smile settling itself across his lips. In answer to the three younger turtle's shocked and confused expressions, he merely pointed upward. They looked up, and Donatello gasped at what he saw. In the open air above the pyramid-like temple, a huge pink portal larger than anything he'd ever seen spread over the entire sky. What was worse, it was slowly creeping down towards them. The very tops of the machine's countless metallic spires were already slowly passing through into what, on the other side, must be the underground tunnels of London. "They're already starting to send the machine to Earth! Leo, we can't let him activate this thing once they've sent it through completely!" "How long do we have? What can we do to stop it?" Leonardo asked, trying to remain calm even as he continued to stare down the fiend responsible for this whole mess. Michelangelo seemed content to let them plot and scheme, a confident smile still plastered across his face. It was clear that he didn't have a modicum of faith in their ability to stop him. Leo, his heart sinking a bit, was starting to feel the same way. "At the rate that thing is coming down? Five minutes. Maybe ten if this machine goes down farther than I think it might. That'd be cutting it pretty close, though." Donatello replied, doing a bit of quick math in his head. "As for how to stop it… I'd have to get at those controls and see what I can do." Leonardo nodded, his mind set in his new plan. "Raph and I will take care of him. You head for those controls and get this thing shut down." Not half an instant after Leo had said that, Raphael ducked under his katana blade and charged straight towards the adult turtle before them, his sais ready to bury themselves into that bastard's flesh. Leonardo didn't attempt to stop his brother, instead charging more or less at his heels. Michelangelo didn't seem the least bit perturbed by the sudden attack. In fact, it almost seemed as though his smile grew that much more smug. Raphael reached him first. With a roar of pure rage, he pulled back his weapon and drove it forcefully right at the taller turtle's heart. He stumbled forward a few steps when he hit nothing but open air. "Wh-what the…" Raph breathed out in confusion, staring blankly at the spot where he was sure Michelangelo had stood just a moment before. He took a quick look around, finally locking eyes with that icy cold stare just a few feet to his left. His eyes widened. He hadn't seen him move. He was there one moment, and had just disappeared the next. The only person he'd ever seen – or rather, not seen – move so swiftly was his Master Splinter. But this Michelangelo was no ninja! How could he possibly move so fast?! "How very amusing… You lot always boasted of your superior strength and speed over myself and others who do not practice the martial arts. I wonder… Is this truly the full extent of what you can do? I must say, I find myself sorely disappointed…" he taunted calmly, almost boredly, not the least bit ruffled or out of breath. Raphael growled, taking another swing at the pompous bastard. He didn't dodge this time. Instead, the red-masked turtle found his wrist caught in the other's surprisingly strong grasp, his sai held mere inches away from its intended target. The smile was suddenly gone from the man's face. "Now, now, dear Raphael… Have we not already discussed my distaste for physical contact? Need I remind you what I threatened to do the last time you laid your filthy hands on my coat?" he whispered deathly quiet, his voice taking on a chill that was only surpassed by his frigid stare. The grip on Raphael's wrist tightened suddenly. Raph let out a sharp cry of pain, feeling the bones of his wrist threaten to shatter under the unexpected strength of Michelangelo's single-handed grasp. Just as he feared the otherworldly fiend would truly make good on his promise to rip his hand from his arm, Raphael felt himself being released just as suddenly as he had been grabbed, a katana blade slashing downward an instant later where the other's arm would have been. Leonardo quickly slid in between the two, his swords crossed defensively in front of himself, intending to keep Michelangelo at bay while Raphael recovered. "Are you alright?" he whispered back at his brother, never taking his eyes off the menace before him. Raphael gave a small, pained grunt. "I'll live, but… Shit, Leo, sumthin' ain't right here! Not even our Mikey should be this strong!" he whispered harshly in reply, still rubbing at his aching wrist. Leo merely gave a small nod before chancing a glance over at Donatello. The lanky turtle was still standing at the top of the pyramid steps, watching the altercation with open-mouthed awe. Leo let out a small growl. "Donnie!" he shouted, which was all it took to snap his brother out of his daze. Donatello sprinted for the controls now that the other two had gotten Michelangelo away from them, immediately setting to work trying to find a way to disable the machine in some way. Michelangelo didn't seem bothered in the least to have the younger turtle fiddling at the control panel. He was as calm as ever, his hands folded neatly behind his back, that look of sick amusement returning to his face. It was Leonardo's turn to go on the offensive now. He lunged forward, making calculated slashes aimed to rip through his opponent's chest. Each slash missed hitting the mark by a mere inch, Michelangelo effortlessly back-stepping just in time to miss getting hit. His frustration growing, Leonardo made one last lunge forward, aiming this time to bring both katana slashing downward on the madman's head. Leonardo's blades slashed through empty air, embedding themselves deep into the steel plating of the floor. He immediately tried to lift them up for another attack, but found that they wouldn't budge. He glanced down to see why they had become stuck, his breath catching in his throat. His swords were pinned down by one of Raphael's sais. How had he not noticed Michelangelo take it? Had it happened when he tried to break his brother's wrist? A brown leather boot stamped down hard on his hands. Leonardo winced, but refused to let go of his weapons. Instead, he looked up at the man in defiance, but the expression melted away instantly. Michelangelo, towering above him like a conquering titan, his normally crisp white shirt hanging loose and in tatters, was glaring down at him with a look of utter disgust. It wasn't that look alone that had sent chills up the young ninja's shell, however. There was a large chunk of the adult turtle's plastron missing, a section several inches wide directly over his heart. Directly in the center of that spot, embedded into his very flesh, sat the tiny shard of the Orb Michelangelo had always kept with him, glowing blue veins spreading out from it in all directions until they disappeared under the bone plating covering his bare chest. "Wh-what have you done..?" Leo gasped out, his eyes wide in horror. Was that the source of Michelangelo's sudden devilish strength? Was that why he'd been so confident, even when confronted with the three of them? He never dreamed, as mad as this darker version of his brother had proven himself to be, that he'd be deranged enough to fuse a piece of the Orb with his own body for power. "What have I done?" Michelangelo repeated coldly, his blue eyes narrowing behind his spectacles. "I have done what is necessary." He then retrieved a small vial of glowing blue liquid from a pouch on his belt, uncorked it, and, before Leonardo could wrench his hands free from the crushing force of his boot, splashed the contents across the young mutant's face. A wretched scream ripped from Leonardo's throat, his hands finally pulling free to frantically wipe at his burning eyes, a putrid blue smoke rising from wherever the liquid had touched. Michelangelo bent down in front of where Leonardo was curled up in pain and clawing futilely at his eyes, casually pulling the stolen sai from its hold on the ninja's katana. Let the boy have his little toys. A blind swordsman may as well be unarmed, so far as he was concerned. Besides, this little weapon would prove still useful to him. He turned, thrusting out his arm in time to parry Raphael's wild attack, the metal of both sais ringing as they connected violently with one another. "You son of a bitch!" Raphael shrieked, his green eyes ablaze with anger. He slashed wildly, but hit nothing but open air just as he had the first time. He didn't let confusion delay a follow-up strike this time. He whirled around, making a wide arc with his sai to catch anyone and anything within arm's reach of him. Just as his mad slash completed its arc, Michelangelo was before him once more. He didn't have time to react before he felt a hard hand at his throat. He was shoved backward until his shell slammed against the wall of the control room. The last thing Raph could remember seeing clearly was the glint of metal as his own sai was raised to eye-level, before being thrust mercilessly towards his skull. Donatello had to force the screams of his brothers out of his mind as he worked feverishly at the control panel. It tore at his heart to hear them crying out like that, but he couldn't afford to look away for even an instant if he hoped to find some way of permanently disabling this machine before it was too late. Michelangelo's journal offered no help, and it had been tossed aside. He didn't know why he'd thought the damn thing would be useful in the first place. There was no way, mad as he was, that Michelangelo would be stupid enough to write down his invention's Achilles Heel. He had to somehow find it for himself. He wasn't at the controls but for a few minutes when he suddenly felt himself being wrenched away from them and tossed across the temple floor. He skidded to a stop just before he would have been made to tumble down the steps of the pyramid structure. He attempted to lift himself up, but a boot came down hard on the center of his chest, pinning him to the ground and thoroughly knocking the wind out of him. "Poor, naïve Donatello…" came the patronizing voice from directly above him. "Can't you see that it's over? All of this effort you three have gone to, all of this pain, and for what? Some misguided notion that you're saving the world?" Donatello gave a pained grunt as he grasped Michelangelo's ankle with both hands, trying in vain to lift the crushing appendage off of him. He took a quick glance upward, towards the ever descending portal. It would be on them any second now. "Th-there's still time…" he choked out, but any further protest was ground out by the adult turtle's crushing heel. "Don't be foolish. How can you stop something when you have no idea what it is you are trying to stop? Of course, I couldn't expect you to understand by just telling you. You'll see soon enough." And so he would. Donatello snapped his eyes shut as the portal passed down over the two of them. He expected to feel the cold, dank air of long-unused tunnels buried deep under the English capital. What he felt instead was a bellowing wind. He opened his eyes, his breath drawing in sharply once he realized where they had been transported. They weren't underground, and they weren't in London. The temple seemed to be sitting atop a tall building, the city skyline interspersed with the occasional alien spire of the machine as far as the eye could see. What was worse, he knew this city. It was his city. They were still in New York. "N-no!" Donatello wheezed out desperately. "Y-you've got the wrong coordinates! If you activate that machine here, it'll rip a hole as wide as the Atlantic Ocean in the barrier between dimensions! Both our worlds will be destroyed in an instant!" "Precisely." Donatello looked sharply up at Michelangelo at that. Had he heard that correctly? Was this what he'd been planning all along? He just couldn't believe his ears… "B-but… But why?" the question came out as a soft, disbelieving whisper. Michelangelo seemed to glare more sharply down at him, as though offended at his insolence. "You simple fool… You think I'm just some sadistic megalomaniac, don't you? Can't you see that all I've worked for, all my family has worked for, is the same thing as you?! We have toiled away all this time to save humanity!" "You're going to destroy humanity!" "And in so doing, we save them from themselves!" Michelangelo barked back without a moment's hesitation. "I come from the year 1899. As we speak, in my world, the clock is slowly counting down the seconds to the new year, to the new century. Have you even the slightest idea what horrors await us there?! Have you no clue what these filthy apes do to one another in the name of war?! Mustard gas covering the plains of France and Germany, huge death camps all across Europe, London, my city, bombed mercilessly by the Germans! The genocides in Cambodia! The religious wars! The threat of total nuclear annihilation by the world's biggest superpowers! All of this and more awaits my world in the coming twentieth century! My Father has seen it all! I have seen it all! And if you dare defy even a small scrap of what I tell you now, I challenge you to look at your own world's history as proof! "All I want… All any of us want… Is peace…" Michelangelo continued, his tone suddenly losing its hostility, his eyes softening from their hard glare. "No more fighting… no more killing… We want to make the world perfect, to make it clean, make it free of all this pointless pain…" "But you can't have happiness without pain." Donnie interjected, feeling as though he may have found an opening in the weary inventor's rock-hard façade. "My Master Splinter once told me 'The beauty we perceive is equal in proportion to the ugliness we have experienced.' I never really understood it, but I think I do now. We can't have happiness without hardship, because without hardship, we have nothing to compare happiness to. The harder our lives, the easier it is for us to be happy with simple things. Don't you think that's worth all the pain?" There was a long moment in which neither of them seemed to breathe. Michelangelo merely stared down at Donatello, his blue eyes seeming to look through him rather than at him. Then, after what seemed like forever, he looked down, his hand moving under his torn shirt. Donnie would have allowed himself a small sigh of relief, thinking perhaps he'd actually talked the other down, but the answer to his question was still forthcoming. Michelangelo pulled something from inside his belt, and soon Donatello found himself staring down the barrel of a small revolver. "No. No, I don't think it is." Donatello gasped, snapping his eyes shut as Michelangelo's finger squeezed the trigger. He heard the shot ring out, echoing through the city, but felt… nothing? Was this what death was like? He cracked open one eye, finding himself still lying on his back atop the pyramid structure. No, he certainly didn't feel dead, but he was so sure he'd heard a gunshot. He looked up at his would-be killer, hoping for some answers. Michelangelo's eyes were unfocused, glazed over. Slowly, his handgun falling to the ground with a clatter, he rose a shaky hand up towards his chest. A thin stream of glowing blue liquid leaked slowly from the corner of his mouth. It took him a moment, but Donnie finally spotted the Orb shard – or rather, where the Orb shard should have been embedded in his chest. What remained in its place was a small, oozing hole. The shot that had rung out a moment ago hadn't come from Michelangelo, it had been directed at him. Slowly, with what seemed to be the last of his rapidly waning strength, Michelangelo willed himself to glance back over his shoulder at whoever it had been who dared to shoot him. "Y-you… F-filthy… S-swine…" he choked out before, at last, collapsing to the ground in a lifeless heap. Once free, Donatello leapt to his feet, searching out whoever it was that had saved him. He caught the flash of a rifle barrel as it was lowered, still smoking, to aim at the fallen madman's body, the shooter's form shimmering lightly for a moment as it flickered into visibility. Donatello stood there, frozen, not believing his eyes. His rescuer gave an indignant snort at the lifeless turtle. "Dat's fer all'a dem pigs, mu'fucker!" Bebop shouted triumphantly. Chapter 14: Father Michelangelo was exhausted in every sense of the word. His body threatened to collapse under its own weight with every labored step he took. He winced every now and then, any time his mangled arm moved too much. He'd managed to find a scrap of cloth with which to bind his wound, but such slap-shod first aid had only served to stop him from bleeding to death for the time being. He still couldn't feel or move anything below his left elbow. Worse than his weary, battered body, his mind had taken a great toll. Thoughts struggled to surface themselves through the sludge of shock and despair, and when they finally did they were so painful that he immediately buried them once more. Leatherhead, beheaded. Leonardo, drowned in what had amounted to acid. Raphael, crushed to death by gnashing, heavy gears. How much more of this hell could he endure? Then, as if testing to see just how much farther his poor mind could go before shattering completely, he remembered what he was supposed to do, what Donatello had told him he must do to destroy the Machine. There was still one death more yet to face. Michelangelo shook his head, as if the action would physically wrench the idea out of his brain. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't bring himself to kill, not on purpose. He blamed himself for the others' deaths, that much was true, but they were all accidents. To actually have an active, purposeful hand in murder? He didn't care what the reason was, he just couldn't do something like that. He didn't have it in him. The single word bit at his memory. No… No, not even for that reason. He didn't subscribe to this world's twisted concept of 'mercy.' He refused to. Still, despite his vehement refusal to do the only thing left to be done that had any hope of saving the world, his legs still carried him on, trudging endlessly, mindlessly through the deepest bowels of the Machine. He had no way to know exactly where he was going, but he somehow knew he would end up standing before… Him. He found himself wading through a river of blood, treading the foul, thick substance up to his knees. He didn't seem to notice, or if he did, he didn't care anymore. He couldn't tell which was more disturbing. Of course, what proof did he have that any of this was real at all? It could all be an illusion, a sick fever dream. For all he knew, he was still safe and sound in his bed back home in New York. He would toss and turn until he finally woke up and, after about five minutes or so, he'll have forgotten most of what he saw here. He'll be fine. His brothers would be fine. Everything would be fine. But not even he could convince himself of such a wild fantasy. What he had seen here surpassed any nightmare his formerly-innocent mind could possibly conceive of. What he had seen here was simply too gruesome, too horrible, too unspeakable to have been a mere nightmare. There was no waking up from this. The river of blood had turned into a lake. A vast cavern spread out before him, the light of his lantern unable to pierce far enough through the darkness to see just how big it really was. The only thing he could see from his current position was a platform out in what he supposed to be the middle of the lake, a single cage-like lift resting on the surface, beckoning him forth. The blood came up to his chest now. Michelangelo still had the presence of mind to hold his arms above the surface, not wanting to risk severe infection to his wound or risk shorting out his lantern. That he would surely die down here was bad enough. He didn't need the added misery of being in excruciating pain or in complete darkness as he waited for the end. He could see objects floating on the surface of the lake, bloated and stained a rusty red. They were bodies, but he couldn't tell if they had been human or Manpig. Did it really matter which at this point? No, he decided it didn't. The Hamatos of this world hadn't seemed to make a distinction between the two, at least. Both were filthy wretches to them, ripe for the bleeding. He reached the lift, absently pulling the lever once he was inside. He didn't cling to the bars this time as it descended. What did he care if it fell now? It would just bring a quick end to it all. He would almost welcome that at the moment. He stared blankly forward as the sheet metal surrounding the lift cage slowly slipped by, not bothering to wonder how much farther he would have to descend. He didn't care anymore. Damn it all, he didn't care about anything anymore. He just wanted it all to end. It didn't matter how. Sheet metal gave way to an open chamber once more. This cavern seemed so large that, had he not known better, he'd have thought he was outside in the chilly midnight air again. Out there, rising through the mists, towering above everything as he came to a rest at the lift's final destination, was a massive stone pyramid of Aztec design. Michelangelo's blood ran cold as he stared up at it. This was it. He was up there. He just knew he was. Terror gripped coldly at his heart. He wanted to run. He wanted nothing more than to run away as fast as he could, any way he could. He simply had to get out of there, no matter the cost. His body didn't seem to agree. Even as everything in his heart, mind, and soul were screaming at him to get away from this cursed place, his legs carried him steadily forward. It was as though he no longer had control of his body. Or, perhaps he was just so far gone into insanity that he reveled in his own fear. Was either option any more ridiculous than the other? Then, Mikey remembered what Donatello had told him when he wondered how he'd know where to go, how he simply needed to follow the chill in his heart, the fear in his soul, and that he would be led in the proper direction. Was this what he'd meant? His feet led themselves to the massive stone steps leading up the side of the black temple. This was it. There was no way he could turn back now. As if to confirm the chilling thought, an all too familiar voice rang out from inside his own head as he made the slow climb to the summit, a voice devoid of form yet imposing itself over every other thought in his mind. The voice of the Machine. The voice of Hamato Yoshi. 'I have stood knee deep in mud and bone and filled my lungs with mustard gas. I have seen four brothers fall. I have lain with holy wars and copulated with the autumnal fallout. I have dug trenches for the refugees; I have murdered dissidents where the ground never thaws and starved the masses into faith. A child's shadow burnt into the brickwork. A house of skulls in the jungle.' 'The innocent… the innocent, Michelangelo, trod and bled and gassed and starved and beaten and murdered and enslaved! This is our coming century! They will eat them, my son… They will make pigs of you all! And they will bury their snouts into your ribs and they will eat your hearts!' Michelangelo now stood atop the temple, frozen, his eyes wide at what he saw there waiting for him. It was hard to see much of anything in the near darkness, but a dim blue glow imposed itself upon him, making it impossible to look at anything else. Sitting there on a throne of stone and steel, wires and pipes spreading outward from his withered body in all directions, lifeless black eyes staring blankly forward, was the one man most responsible for setting in motion the horrible events Michelangelo had experienced in this single night of terror. It was the core, Hamato Yoshi himself. More accurately, it was what remained of Hamato Yoshi. The man was little more than a corpse. His skin had shriveled and turned gray, tightening over what almost seemed to be bare bone. His hair, what little hadn't fallen out, had turned a ghostly white. His chest seemed to have caved in and, right in the middle of the ghastly depression, sat a glowing blue stone carved to be the exact size and shape of a human heart. It almost seemed to be pulsing, beating as a real heart would. It must have been the Orb. Mikey's eyes couldn't help but fix themselves on what lay across the man's lap. It was a tiny form, the skeleton of a young child. A young girl. She was still dressed in a fine yellow dress, her silky black hair clinging to her tiny shattered skull. Yoshi's gaunt hand was cradled under her head, as though he'd still been in the process of stroking her hair when rigor mortis had finally taken hold of him. Miwa. 'My son… Have you come here to kill me?' Michelangelo flinched slightly as the Machine spoke to his mind once more. He swallowed hard, trying to clear the lump that had gathered in his throat. Why did it have to use that voice? 'You don't understand. No one does. All of this, all I have done, all of the so-called atrocities you have seen here… I did it all for you, my son. For you, and for your brothers. For your sister. For my Miwa.' Mikey tried to look away, feeling the tears start to well up at the corners of his eyes. It wasn't Splinter. It wasn't his Sensei. He couldn't let himself be tricked into thinking that this creature, this corpse, this faint wisp of a man was in any way his beloved master. Yet… He couldn't ignore the sincerity in that all too familiar voice, especially when it spoke of Miwa. His eyes were pulled back to the man seemingly against his will, his gaze drifting down to the girl's skeleton in his arms. Could it be that Hamato Yoshi had slipped so far out of his right mind that he still believed that his beloved daughter was still alive and well, even as he cradled her long-dead remains close to his chest? A pang of pity struck Mikey suddenly, his heart clenching in his chest as he couldn't help but think 'Poor Sensei…' No. No, he couldn't let himself slip into thinking that way, even by accident. This wasn't his Sensei. This was a machine. He forced himself to stare at the Orb in the man's sunken-in chest, watching as it pulsed, beating out a deceptive rhythm. That was it. That was the only thing that was truly in control here. That's what was talking to him now, what had stolen Hamato Yoshi's voice, his mind, his life, and had turned his grief into these twisted machinations. So long as that cursed Orb existed, Yoshi's very soul would be forever trapped in that withered corpse, still under the delusion that what he had set into motion had truly been for the benefit of his children. "Mercy…" Michelangelo heard himself breathe out in a barely audible whisper. It was the first time since he'd arrived in this hellish world that he'd been able to hear the word without cringing. He was starting to understand what Donatello had meant earlier. 'No… No, wait… What are you doing?' the Machine asked, a note of concern, possibly even desperation entering its pseudo-voice. The lantern had fallen out of Michelangelo's hand and clattered to the ground, its light flickering out. Slowly, he began stalking towards Yoshi's body, guided only by the pale blue glow of the Orb. He bent down, grabbing a loose length of heavy brass pipe that had been carelessly left lying around. He kept his eyes forward, staring at the Orb, an icy chill invading them for the first time in his life. 'No, please, I am begging you… I made you. I am your Creator, your Father! You cannot destroy me!' Even as the Machine gave this final plea, Michelangelo raised the pipe over his head. "You're not my father." Chapter 15: Same as it Never Was Leonardo gave a pained grunt as he slowly lifted himself up onto his hands and knees. He'd been drifting in and out of consciousness for a while, but it felt like he was starting to level out a bit. His face burned like nothing he'd ever felt before, but he was starting to get used to the pain. He tried to open his eyes. He gave a sharp cry of agony when his eyelids parted just slightly, causing him to immediately snap them shut again, cursing wildly under his breath as he did so. He didn't know which panicked him more; the sheer pain, or the fact that, for the split second that his eyes had been open, he'd seen nothing but blackness. "L-Leo..? H-hey, Leo, over here!" Leonardo could hear Raphael call to him, but he wasn't sure what direction his voice had come from. The fact that his brother was alive at all was a huge relief in itself. "R-Raph… Raph, I can't see anything. Where are you? Are you okay?" "I'm right in front of ya, just a few yards away. Just follow my voice. I… I can't move. That bastard pinned me to the wall… I-I need help getting free." Leo did as he was told, slowly crawling forward on his hands and knees. He didn't feel steady enough to try walking blind just yet. It wasn't long until he felt the edge of the wall. Carefully, he felt his way up to his feet, finding Raphael seconds later. "Where are you pinned?" "My head, left side." "Wh-what?! How?!" Raphael didn't seem too eager to give him an answer, so he let his hands wander up to where he guessed his brother's head to be. He hit the hilt of Raph's sai with the back of his hand, felt the hot stream of blood running down his brother's cheek. He gasped, almost pulling his hand back in horror. "Oh my God, Raph!" "I-it's okay, he just got my eye with one of the side prongs. It ain't as bad as it… uhh… seems." Raphael replied hastily, catching himself on that last bit. He then let out a wry chuckle. "S-seriously, if the guy was lookin' ta kill me, he's got lousy aim. What's an eye or two compared to gettin' away alive?" Raph winced a bit at that last, likely because he forgot what Leo had suffered just moments before. As bad off as he was, his older brother had it twice as bad. Leonardo merely sighed, shaking his head. It didn't matter now. What was done was done. He grabbed hold of the hilt of the sai currently pinning his brother to the wall, yanking back on it as hard as he could. "Argh! Dammit, it won't budge!" "Out of way, черепаха!" Leo gave a rather undignified yelp when he suddenly found himself being tossed to the side. Raphael wasn't much more dignified, a sudden wave of panic overcoming him as Rocksteady came into view. The rhino braced one arm hard against the pinned turtle's chest, the other reaching up to grasp his sai. He had it out in one clean jerk of his powerful arm, and Raphael immediately collapsed to the ground with a shout, his hands shooting up to cover his now-empty eye socket. He managed to look up just in time to see the Russian mutant toss his bloodied weapon to the ground with a metallic clatter, just barely catching the glint of the diamond set in Rocksteady's prosthetic right eye as he turned away. Could that be the reason he'd helped? Could someone like that actually sympathize with another? Raph scrambled over to where Leo had been tossed, bracing his shoulder under his brother's arm and helping him to his feet. He seemed confused. "R-Raph? Was that Rocksteady? Did he hurt you?" "No… He helped me…" Raphael replied softly, still quite stunned at the whole situation. Leonardo was understandably flabbergasted as well. "He what?!" The two of them eventually made their way over to where Donatello was knelt over the body of the mad Michelangelo. He looked up at his two older brothers, giving them a sad, weary smile. Raphael furrowed his brows at him, giving the corpse a suspicious sideways glance. "So, is that it? Is it over?" he asked hesitantly. Donatello nodded his head slowly. "Yeah, it's all over… The shards of the Orb lost power a few minutes ago. This machine won't be opening any holes between dimensions ever again…" he replied with a sigh. "Why do you sound disappointed by that, Don?" Leo asked, not liking the tone his brother was taking. Donatello gave a feeble whine, as though wanting anything but to have to explain it. "Because the Orb pieces didn't lose power when Michelangelo's shard was shot to bits, it happened almost ten minutes later. The only thing that I can think of that would do that is… I-is if someone in the other world destroyed the core of the Orb…" "B-but that's great! That means no one will be able to do something like this again! Do you think it was Mikey – our Mikey – who di-" Leonardo stopped dead mid-sentence. He was starting to realize why that was such a bad thing. He shuddered, his body suddenly going cold and numb at the thought. Donatello heaved another sigh before explaining aloud what it was that Leo had already figured out. "Without the Orb, we have no way of getting our Mikey back here to our world… He's trapped back there… Forever…" There was a long, mournful silence. The three of them seemed to be frozen there, the impact of loss solidifying their blood and turning their hearts to ice. It was more than a minute later when Raphael broke the tableau with a vengeful growl. "Hell no! I ain't givin' up just like that! We've come too far just ta end up with nothing now! There's gotta be some way ta get him back!" "I-I'm sorry, Raph… I want him back just as bad as you do, but I'm not a miracle worker… I mean, there's a slim chance I'd be able to do something if we still had that first device that Michelangelo and I built together, but—" "Then we'll find it!" Raphael interjected forcefully. Donatello seemed to lose his patience at this, standing up to his full height to meet his brother's gaze. "How?! The three of us spent over a week looking for it before and we found nothing! Now that the two of you are out of commission, how in the name of Mutation am I supposed to find it all by myself?! And even if I did find it – which I won't – I'd then have to drag this bastard's sorry carcass off to wherever the hell it is to make sure we can get our Mikey back!" He finished his argument with an energetic gesture to the body of the slain turtle beside him. Or rather, where the body should have been. Both Donnie and Raph drew in a shocked gasp, leaving poor blind Leonardo to wonder what had happened that he couldn't see. "Wh-what's going on? What's wrong? Did something happen?" Leo asked, turning his head from side to side as though the motion would magically enable him to see his surroundings again. Donatello was starting to wonder if there wasn't something wrong with his eyes as well. There was no other way he could think to explain why a body should suddenly go missing. "I-I don't understand! He was right here! He wasn't dead just yet, but there was no way he'd be able to move on his own! He was shot clean through the chest! How can he be gone?!" he rambled on frantically, clutching at his head with both hands. Oh, this was the last thing they needed right now! Without Michelangelo's body to make the transfer, there was no way they could bring Mikey home even if they found the smaller machine! "Either we got a zombie on our hands, or someone's jumping the gun on the whole grave robbing thing. Look!" Raphael gestured towards the steps leading down from the pyramid summit, catching a flash of purple, brown and green just before it disappeared into thin air. A small trail of blue blood – no longer glowing since the Orb's destruction – trailed after their mysterious body snatcher. "Rocksteady and Bebop?! What the hell would they want with Michelangelo? He won't survive more than a few minutes more." "Maybe they're going to try to bring him to Shredder as a trophy. Look, does it really matter? Ya gotta go get that bastard back or we'll never get Mikey home!" Raphael barked out impatiently, looking as though he had half a mind to go after them himself. He was in no shape to do so, and having to support Leonardo's battered body reminded him that he wasn't up to it either. That left it all up to Don, and the lanky turtle knew it. He heaved another sigh. This day couldn't possibly get any worse, could it? Donatello sprinted across rooftops as fast as his legs would carry him. His eyes darted from one fleeting glimpse of movement to another, from one speck of blue blood to the next. He couldn't let himself lose the trail. If he did… He shook his head. He didn't even want to think of the possibility of never seeing his baby brother again. The mad chase eventually led down to street level. Donnie jumped down after the invisible pig mutant and immediately found himself lost in a sea of abandoned warehouses. He caught no more telling glimpses out of the corner of his eye, and the trail of blood had dwindled to nothing. He cursed under his breath. "Dammit! I'm so close! Where could they have gone?" he grumbled, his shoulders wilting a bit as hopelessness began to set in. Still, hopeless though it may seem, he couldn't just give up. Leo wouldn't have given up if he were here. If Donatello had been the type to believe in a higher power, he'd probably have taken what happened next to be a miracle. Since he wasn't such a type, he merely thanked the laws of probability that he'd happened down just the right alleyway, and just in time to catch a flash of pink light as it flickered against a far wall. He fixed the spot in his gaze and sprinted forward, turning only when he had reached the spot where he'd seen the light flash a moment ago. He had to stare for a long moment before he could let himself believe what he was seeing. Once he finally did believe it, his jaw practically hit the floor. Sitting just inside the open loading dock of one of the warehouses, the old hodge-podge of metals still ticking as it cooled, the large power crystal's pink glow still fading down, was the stolen transporter. Bebop stood at the controls, a familiar leather journal tucked under his arm. Rocksteady was there as well, turning to face the lanky turtle, a small heap of green and red cradled in his massive arms. "Mikey!" Donnie shouted reflexively. It was him. It really was his little brother, curled up against Rocksteady's chest, covered in what looked like blood, his left arm dangling at a painfully unnatural angle. It was Michelangelo. Their Michelangelo. They finally had him back. He was in pretty bad shape, though. Donatello could tell that much from just a cursory glance. He was unconscious, very pale, he looked to be barely breathing, and… Well, the blood and the arm were really hard to ignore. He had to get him back to the Lair. There was no way of telling what else might be wrong with him, or what had been done to him in the blue-blooded Michelangelo's home world. His urgency rising with the uncertainty of his brother's condition, Donatello quickly drew his bo staff from his back. He would fight these two knuckleheads to the death if he had to, but he wasn't leaving here without his brother! Bebop let out one of his squealy little laughs, shaking his head at the absurdity of it all. "Aw snap, cuz! You think you gonna take us both out with dat li'l twig? It ain't gonna do down like dat, dawg. See, we got yer bro here, an' we sure as hell ain't gonna just hand him back ta you turtle freaks. I'm thinkin' he'll look better mounted on Shredder's wall once we finish the sucker off. Hell, he's half dead already, so that ain't gonna be no trouble, is it Ivan?" Donatello's grip on his bo staff tightened as the warthog let out another annoying laugh. However, Rocksteady didn't join him in his jocularity for once. The rhino's steely gaze fixed on the lone turtle before him as he slowly made his way forward. Donnie took a step back, but stared up at the other mutant in utter confusion as he approached. Bebop's laughter slowly died down when he noticed what was happening. "H-hey, yo, Steranko! The hell are ya doin, man?!" Rocksteady didn't seem to pay attention to his partner's shouting even as he came to a stop right in front of one of their sworn enemies. The lanky turtle could do nothing but stare up at the towering hulk, unsure what to expect now. If this was an attack, it was a cleverly disguised one. Suddenly, his bo staff clattered to the ground, and he felt Mikey's weight drop into his arms. He stared down at his unconscious brother in utter bewilderment for a moment before directing the look up to Rocksteady. "You and brothers save Comrade Bebop from Kraang. Life for life. We are being even now, Да?" the old Russian explained in a low tone, leaning down so that the young turtle could hear him while his fuming partner could not. Donatello merely nodded his head slowly, his mouth hanging open in complete disbelief of what had just transpired. Rocksteady gave a gruff sound of approval before straightening himself once more and turning back to Bebop, acting as though the turtles were never there. "Comrade Zeck, we are being finished here. Let us go to the home." "What?! Just like dat?! Hold up G, are we not gonna talk about what the fuck all dat was about?! We had dat li'l twerp, man! Shredder woulda rewarded us for bringin' him in! How you gonna just give him back?! I swear, you been actin' screwy ever since we came across dat weird pig mutant in the street! You better not be gettin' all soft on me, big guy!" "Shutting the mouth, Anton! Or I will pop head like blueberry!" And Donatello stood there, watching the two bicker as they wandered off into the night. Master Splinter sat under his tree in the dojo, legs folded under him, eyes closed. He drew in a deep, slow breath, held it, and let it out just as slowly. It was a very peaceful afternoon. Relaxing, but not necessarily comforting. One of his ears twitched ever so slightly. "Come, my son." He heard a flinch by the door, a hesitating step, before the quiet footsteps of one of his students could be heard shuffling across the floor mats. He'd always been able to tell just which one of his sons approached from the way their footsteps sounded, but they had become even more unique since that terrible incident a month ago. Leonardo was far more hesitant, shuffling slowly to feel his way. Raphael had trouble judging distance now, and that was reflected in his second-guessing steps. Michelangelo's were... Well, he hadn't had much opportunity to observe the poor boy walking, his injuries keeping him confined to his room for the time being. Donatello's were the only ones that hadn't changed. He was the only one who had escaped serious physical harm. Emphasis in 'physical.' "Something is troubling you, Donatello. Do you wish to talk about it?" he asked, not bothering to open his eyes to confirm if he'd guessed correctly. He never got these things wrong, after all. Sure enough, it was Donatello's heavy sigh that answered him. "I don't know, Sensei, I… I guess I just never got the chance to stop and collect my thoughts until now. Everything just happened so fast…" "And have you gathered your thoughts now?" "Well… I-it's still a lot to take in, but… I think I have. There's just a couple of things I don't understand." "Such as?" "Such as… Such as how I could have been such a fool…" Splinter finally opened his eyes, looking down at the young turtle knelt before him. Donatello's eyes were glued to the floor, a pained, regretful look in them. Rather than offering a word of comfort just yet, the ninja master merely prodded the boy to explain further with a quick "Go on." "I never should have trusted that other Michelangelo. That creepy imposter. He was a monster right from the beginning, and I played right into his hands… It's partially my fault that Raph and Leo got hurt." "Yet, had you not cooperated with this 'imposter' Michelangelo up to the point that you did, you'd have never had the device that brought the true Michelangelo back to us." Donatello gave his master a quick glance before casting his eyes downward once more, his expression somehow more miserable than it had been before. "But does the 'true' Michelangelo even exist anymore?" Splinter's ears flattened back against his head at that, his eyes mirroring some of his son's sorrow. It was true, they had their Michelangelo back, but not as he was. He'd changed somehow. He remembered all too well having to hold the boy down when he first regained consciousness after being brought back to the Lair. Michelangelo had gone into utter hysterics upon seeing his master, screaming about how he'd done something unforgivable and how he didn't mean it, how he never wanted to, how he had no choice but to do it. He then shouted the word 'mercy' over and over, more in proclamation than in pleading. Donatello had to sedate him to keep him from thrashing wildly as he treated his wounds. Even Splinter hadn't dared ask Mikey what had happened to him in the other world. It was clear the boy's mind was still far too fragile to recall anything about it without shattering into a million pieces. The only hints came when he slept, when he was inevitably plagued by nightmares. Splinter spent many of the first few nights by the boy's bed to comfort him, occasionally catching little bits of mumbled sleep talk. 'A child's shadow,' 'A house of skulls,' 'They will eat them,' 'Bury their snouts into your ribs,' 'Not murder. Mercy,' and, of course, 'Pig, pig, pig.' He had no idea what any of it meant, but it sent chills up his spine every time he heard something like that come out of his poor sleeping son's mouth. "You… did all you could have done." He reassured hesitantly. Donnie shook his head. "No, I could have done more. I could have listened to Raph when he first said he didn't trust the guy. I could have kept him at arm's length, maybe even stolen a look at his journal sooner and built the transporter on my own. How is it that Raph could see through him so clearly, but Leo and I couldn't?" "Raphael has always let his emotions guide him rather than logic. It is what makes him so hot-headed, but it also helps him to view the world through his heart rather than his eyes." Donatello seemed to hesitate before responding to that. "How can one's heart look at a brother and bear to suspect him of such horrible things?" Splinter didn't answer. He couldn't. It was a question he'd been struggling with himself for sixteen years. His hands clenched slightly where they rested on his knees. Oroku Saki… Luckily, it seemed as though Donatello had been unwilling to dwell on the subject either. He took a deep, calming breath, letting it out before moving on to his next concern. "There's something else that's been bothering me. I just can't figure out why Rocksteady did what he did. I understand Bebop's role in it all. He was just working with us to escape the Kraang, and he shot the other Michelangelo in a moment of revenge. But Rocksteady… Why would he help us? Why would he go through all the trouble to carefully study the situation, steal the journal and Michelangelo's body, and get Mikey back just to hand him over with nothing to gain in return? Surely not just because we helped his friend that one time." Splinter couldn't help but smile slightly at that. "You will find that, though they are our enemies, even Shredder's men can have a sense of morals. They do not often align with our own, but it is possible that some of them believe in true honor, even if their master does not." Donatello nodded dubiously at that, not entirely sure if he believed it. He then stood up, giving his master a quick bow. "Thank you, Sensei. I've got to go check on the guys now…" "You are welcome, Donatello. Take good care of your brothers. They need you now more than ever." Donatello made his way out of the dojo, unsure if he felt any better than before his talk with Splinter. He looked around the main chamber of the Lair, spotting Raphael and Leonardo on the couch. Raph was currently busying himself with changing the bandages covering Leo's eyes. Donnie smiled slightly. He was rather proud of Raphael. Despite his injury, he was going out of his way to try and help his other two injured brothers. He'd only lost one eye, so he could still see well enough to change his own dressings by himself. He seemed to be okay with it for the most part, having sewn shut the left eye of his mask and wearing it even over the bandages that covered half his face. It was as though he was letting them know that he was still ready for anything, even if he hadn't fully recovered yet. Donatello couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Leonardo. He hadn't been as lucky as Raphael – if losing an eye could be considered lucky. Even if his wounds healed unexpectedly well, there was almost no chance Leo would ever be able to see again. He'd be blind for the rest of his life. Donnie had no idea if he'd be able to fight like that, but he was sure that if there was a way to do it, Leo would find it and excel at it. Despite everything, their strong-willed leader had never lost his determination. As he passed through the living room, Donatello grabbed the case of bandages off the couch and headed across to Mikey's room. He cracked the door open slowly, peeking in as though afraid he'd be attacked if he entered too abruptly. He caught sight of a mass of thick green scales covering his brother's bed. The mass seemed to twist around, a single slitted eye focusing on the sudden intruder, a crocodilian hiss reverberating through the room. Donnie merely smiled. "It's okay, Leatherhead. It's just me. I've got to change Mikey's bandages right now. Could you step outside for a moment?" Leatherhead seemed to hesitate a long moment, but he eventually uncurled himself from his protective embrace around Michelangelo and slithered out of the room. Donnie always felt guilty about having to make him leave like that. He'd been staying with Mikey ever since he'd heard about what had happened, even sleeping with him. Don was grateful to the old gator for that. It was getting to where only Leatherhead could manage to calm their baby brother down after one of his nightmares. He didn't seem to completely trust anyone else just yet. Mikey was sitting at the edge of his bed, one of his comic books lying open in his lap. It was clear that Leatherhead had been trying to get him to read it with him, to possibly cheer him up a bit. Donnie could tell that his brother hadn't really been paying attention. He'd been staring right through the book, his mind wandering God only knows where. Donnie cleared his throat a bit, wanting to gently get Mikey's attention. "Mikey? How ya holding up, buddy?" he asked, trying his best to put on a convincing smile as he knelt down in front of the younger turtle. Mikey looked up at him slowly, returning the smile. It was even more blatantly hollow than the one he'd received. Donnie tried not to let it show how much that bothered him. "I'm doin' okay." He lied. Donnie knew it was a lie. There was no way Michelangelo was even close to okay if he couldn't manage even the ghost of a genuine smile. Donatello tried to put it out of his mind, getting to work right away, carefully cutting away the gauze wrapped around the younger turtle's neck. There was a wide band of raw, still healing scar tissue at his throat, a wound made slightly larger than it had originally been since Donnie had to somehow separate the remains of Mikey's mask from where it had melted and fused with his burnt flesh. Splinter had already made him a new mask, but they hadn't seen him wearing it yet. He wrapped the wound in fresh gauze and moved down to the large patch of it covering much of Mikey's chest. Again, Donnie couldn't help but feel sorry for Leatherhead. The gator had felt guilty when he'd seen that wound on his little friend's chest, clearly recognizing the burnt void in his plastron as being the exact size and shape of his own hand. Michelangelo had calmed a bit by then, and merely assured him that it wasn't his fault, that it hadn't been the real Leatherhead that had done this to him. Donnie supposed that was the main reason why the gator refused to leave his side even now. He was more protective of him than ever before. The lanky turtle made a mental note to find some suitable material with which to properly fill in the hole in his brother's plastron plating. He couldn't leave him exposed like that if he was ever going to fight again. Perhaps simple stainless steel would do? He'd hate to put Mikey through another surgery, but it had to be done eventually. Donatello cringed inwardly when he moved on to the last bit he had left to re-bandage; his arm. It was the hardest wound to look at, but the only one that he could tell exactly how he'd gotten without having to ask. He'd been shot, and with some sort of hunting rifle by the looks of it. The only thing he couldn't tell was by whom. The bullet had completely shattered his elbow, and it had been impossible to tell fragments of bone from fragments of shrapnel. Donnie had no hope of piecing the gruesome mess back together. So, after many heated arguments with the others about what was the right thing to do, he found he had no choice but to amputate it. Michelangelo's left arm now ended just above where his elbow had been. "Hey, I've been thinking…" Donnie began, trying his best to sound cheerful even as he worked on re-wrapping Mikey's stump of an arm. "If I can get my hands on a Kraang-droid, I can probably take its arm and make it into a new one for you. What do you think? Having a robot arm sounds pretty cool, huh?" Had Mikey still been himself, Donnie would have expected his bright blue eyes to light up at that, for him to go on rambling about how he wanted all kinds of ridiculous gadgets on the arm, like lasers and rockets and other such nonsense. He would have welcomed something like that, for once in his life. Instead, the younger turtle merely shook his head. "Nah, that's alright, Don. I know ya got more important stuff to work on. You don't gotta waste your time on something stupid like that for me." He replied softly, looking up at his brother with blank eyes and an empty smile. Donatello let out a heavy sigh. One night… It had been just one night for Michelangelo over there in that other world – that much they managed to get out of him – yet just that one night had done so much damage. He had returned broken, body and mind. Donnie didn't say another word as he finished up. He knew it would have done no good. He picked up his box of medical supplies and was nearly out the door when he heard Mikey call after him suddenly. "W-wait! I…" he paused, perhaps second guessing himself if he should speak. He eventually finished his thought in little more than a feeble whisper. "I don't… I-I don't wanna be alone…" Donatello turned back to look at him, preparing to assure him that he'd send Leatherhead right in after him, but he stopped just as he opened his mouth. Mikey was looking at him, but this time there was something in those eyes of his. It was pure panic. "D-don't leave me again, Don…" Donatello, feeling as though someone were trying to wrench his heart out of his chest, immediately closed the door and made his way over to the bed again. He sat down next to the shorter turtle, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and hugging his brother close. "We won't leave you alone ever again… I promise…" Michelangelo's eyes stared past his broken spectacles and into the endless dark above. He didn't have the presence of mind to note that he was home, that he was back in his world. That he had failed. His body felt cold. So very cold. He could feel nothing else anymore, not even pain, not even the hole in his chest where he'd been shot, where his shard of the Orb had been fused into his very being. The Orb… 'My… Son…' His lungs seemed to fill with breath once more at that call from the ethereal voice, life returning to his icy eyes. One word burned white-hot in his mind; Father. His Father was calling to him. Slowly, forcing his dying body to move by sheer force of will, he turned himself onto his side and looked up. He could see the body of Hamato Yoshi still sitting in the stone throne they had lain him in all those months ago, his chest sunken in, the depression dark and empty. On the temple floor at the withered corpse's feet, there lay the broken fragments of a glowing blue stone. His eyes widened in horror. The Orb had been shattered. His Father, his Creator, his Creation, his Machine, had been killed. With the last of his strength, Michelangelo reached out a hand towards the shards, their glow growing ever fainter by the second. He let his hand come down to rest atop the ruined otherworldly artifact, slowly pulling the pieces close against his chest as he let out one last shaking breath. He lay there, and watched the God he had created die. At the end when they were cold as the stone they had hewn his body from, when the lights were nearly all extinguished, they heard in the silent distance, the Manpigs singing to one another. Then, as the last lights were gone, and they lay together in the deep, they drifted away, and all was silent. Such a silence, Michelangelo had never known. And as the dust settled on his open eyes and they lay together embraced forever, he heard miles above them, the sounds of the city turning over in its sleep. A church bell ringing out. And in that moment, the new century was born. Donatello sat behind the dark wooden desk in his Father's study, his hazel eyes staring mournfully down at the silver pocket watch lying open in his palm. The glowing blue stone that had been set in the center of the Hamato Clan crest carved on the inside of the watch casing had shattered, its light fading away in mere seconds. The hands of the watch face, now rendered forever immobile, had frozen themselves at a minute before midnight. Slowly, he closed his eyes, drew in a deep breath, and let it out in a heavy sigh. Hamato Yoshi, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo… They were all dead. He had been the only member of the Hamato Clan to live to see the dawn of the new century they had all dreaded. A knock at the door pulled the turtle from his reverie. He snapped the ruined watch shut and replaced it into the breast pocket of his dusty gray coat. "Come in." he called out, making no effort to put a tone of command in his voice, nor to mask the remnants of sorrow left behind by his earlier thoughts. Two members of the servant staff filed in – the only two that remained un-mutated. The first was a young man who, years ago, had been a street urchin. He stood before Donatello now with an air of obedience one couldn't expect from a common street urchin, his black hair combed neatly back, hardly a wrinkle in his butler's uniform. The second was a young woman of clearly Irish descent, her fiery red hair pulled up into a neat bun, her hands clasped gracefully against her stainless white apron, her long yellow skirt rustling lightly about her ankles as she came to a stop before the new head of the Hamato Clan. Donatello smiled lightly at the two, letting a bit of affection for them shine through in his eyes. Even after everything that had happened, everything that they'd done, these two alone remained unflinchingly loyal to their family. He would make sure that loyalty would be rewarded. "Mr. Jones, have you completed the tasks I have set for you?" he asked without a trace of superiority in his voice. The man, Mr. Jones, nodded in the affirmative, reporting in with just a hint of a Scottish accent seeping through into his voice. "Aye, sir. We've spread the barrels of Compound X throughout the ground floor of the estate, and through the tunnels leading down below. We've also just finished emptying the vault of its contents and loaded it into the car waiting outside, as you've requested." Donatello gave a satisfied nod of his head in reply. "Very good. Now, I have one last task for the two of you, and I need you to listen to my instructions very carefully." He began, rising from his seat and making his way around to the front of his desk. He took a moment to look the both of them over one last time, as if taking the moment to enjoy their company one last time before they parted ways forever. The two stared back, attentive, but slightly confused as to what was happening. "I want the both of you to take that car you loaded up and drive it as fast as you can to the docks. Once there, you will board a ship headed for New York. Worry not about the tickets, they've already been booked for you. Once you are in the United States, I want you to stay there. You must never come back to Europe, especially within the next fifty years. Don't even let your descendants come back here if you can avoid it. Furthermore, I want you to forget all that has happened here. Never breathe a word of it to anyone. As far as the world is concerned, the Hamato Clan never existed." The two servants listened, exchanging unbelieving glances between each other, as though unsure they were hearing the master right. "And what are we to do with the money from the vault?" the woman asked finally, if a bit hesitantly. Donatello gave her a warm smile. "Why, Miss O'Neil, you are to keep it, of course. It is yours to do with as you please once you are in America." He replied matter-of-factly, letting himself be amused at their shocked reactions. "Sir, we cannot accept such a thing! The entire Hamato fortune—" "Is now yours, Mr. Jones. And Miss O'Neil as well." Donatello finished for him in a tone a bit more forceful than before, raising a peremptory hand to put an end to any further protests. "You two have always been kind to my brothers and I, despite our strange appearance, and I've no other way to express how grateful I am to you for that. I am the sole beneficiary of this estate and its wealth, and it is therefore my right to do with it as I please. My greatest wish at this moment is for the two of you to be safe and comfortable. The twentieth century will not be kind to us here in England, or even the rest of Europe. I don't wish you to experience such… unkindness." "But… Surely you'll come with us, Master Donatello." Miss O'Neil said softly after a long moment of consideration. Donatello sighed, then shook his head. "I'm afraid I cannot. I've one last order of business to attend to here, and it is something I must do alone. Now then, we've spent too long here already. Time is short and the two of you have a boat to catch. I thank you again for your service, and I wish you the best of luck in America. Goodbye, my friends…" Donatello watched from one of the upstairs windows as a single car rumbled its way down the quiet city streets. He waited until they were long out of sight before letting himself breathe a sigh of relief. They'd obeyed his orders after all. That was good. That meant he could proceed to his business without guilt. He wandered slowly down to the ground floor of the mansion, a bottle of his Father's aged whiskey in hand. Just as he had ordered, every last barrel of Compound X had been brought up and now lined the exquisite halls of the Hamato estate. He wandered through each hall, occasionally tipping over a barrel and, quite on purpose, letting the noxious chemical spill and pool over the floor. He continued like this until the entire ground floor was soaked in the corroding liquid, highly flammable vapors rising up and filling the rest of the mansion. He went outside to the front courtyard, where the brilliant pale light of the full moon shone down on the cobble walkways and the perfectly tended garden. Barrels had been brought out here as well, and he quickly set to work tipping them over. He continued until he was standing in a huge puddle of it about half an inch deep, and ensuring it led back to the mansion proper. Thin wisps of pale blue smoke rose from around his boots where he stood as the pooled Compound X began eating away at their rubber soles, but he paid it no mind. He wouldn't be standing there long enough for it to matter. He took one last look around him, at his home, at all his Father had worked to create. He gave one last mournful sigh, bowing his head. Then, his voice beginning to waiver a bit, he began to sing. "Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and days of auld lang syne? For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne. We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet, for days of auld lang syne…" He then uncorked the bottle of whiskey and took as long of a drink from it as he could stand, ignoring how it burned at his throat. He then held the bottle high, dumping the remainder of it on his head. He discarded the bottle carelessly at his side with a sharp clash of shattering glass, reaching into the breast pocket of his coat to retrieve a book of matches. He stared at them for a long moment, hesitating, considering. Then, a sardonic smile spread across Donatello's lips. Was he afraid of death? No, that wasn't it at all. He'd known since he'd been reborn into this mutated body that he would die this night, though perhaps not in this way. Was he right in so doing? A question for the philosophers to ponder, he decided. There wasn't much sense in turning back now. Besides, he had this one last job to do, and he owed it to the world to rid it of the scourge that still lurked inside his tainted blue heart. He struck a match, let it fall to his feet, and set ablaze the last remnants of Hamato Yoshi's twisted legacy once and for all. gea006, PineapplesForWeeks, tropicalanee, forstnermunch, AwkwardDragon, Readybeck, Lapinporokoira, truthlessFaith, and CharRos8 as well as 12 guests left kudos on this work! (collapse)	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line958
__label__wiki	0.50445	0.50445	Nipissing University, 2 results 2 The Nipissing Drug Store, 1 results 1 Nipissing University. Schulich School of Education, 1 results 1 Surtees, Bob, 1 results 1 Sobisch, Father Ted, 1 results 1 North Bay & District Historical Society, 1 results 1 Roseborough, Myrtle, 1 results 1 Mauro, Isabel, 1 results 1 Pennock, George, 1 results 1 Lemieux, Fabian, 1 results 1 North Bay Teachers' College, 7 results 7 Northeastern University, 4 results 4 Northeastern University Committee, 4 results 4 Canadore College, 3 results 3 Nipissing University. Board of Governors, 1 results 1 North Bay College, 1 results 1 Ontario Northland Railway, 1 results 1 Harris Learning Library, 1 results 1 Algonquin Composite School, 1 results 1 Organizations, 12 results 12 Religions, 7 results 7 Arts and culture, 3 results 3 Environment, 2 results 2 Sports, recreation, and leisure, 2 results 2 Science and technology, 1 results 1 Only top-level descriptions North Bay Myrtle Roseborough fonds CA ON00408 F002 Fonds documents Roseborough's time as a student at North Bay Normal School. It consists of one album of photographs. Roseborough, Myrtle Stan Pasko fonds Fonds contains materials relating to Pasko's time as a student at North Bay Teachers' College in 1955-1956. Pasko, Stan Lady Patricia Ladies Orange Benevolent Association No. 256 fonds Fonds reflects the administration of Lady Patricia Ladies Orange Benevolent Association No. 256, particularly its membership, finances, and meetings. Records are arranged into two series: Dues books and membership rolls, and Minute books. The fonds also contains 2 photographs and a treasurer book that are not part of any series. Lady Patricia Ladies Orange Benevolent Association No. 256 School of Environmental Studies and Biotechnology (Canadore College) fonds Fonds illustrates the environmental monitoring and evaluation work of students in the Environmental Biology/Protection Technologist program. Fonds consists of one series containing research projects and reports. Canadore College. School of Environmental Studies and Biotechnology Ernie Follis fonds Fonds reflects Ernie Follis' work as a member of the Northeastern University Committee and its Executive Council. Fonds contains one file. Follis, Ernie Elizabeth Thorn fonds Fonds reflects Thorn's work as a Professor of Education at Nipissing University. Arranged into two series, the fonds contains publications that Thorn authored, co-authored, or contributed to; videocassettes of her lectures and awards ceremonies; and children's books that she collected. Nipissing University publications and ephemera collection Collection contains publications and ephemera published by or relating to Nipissing University, its administrative and academic departments, and related organizations. Publications include: academic calendars, yearbooks, reports, magazines, newsletters, student guides and handbooks, and faculty profiles. Ephemera include: convocation and awards ceremony programs, promotional brochures, and pamphlets. Collection contains 12 series. Isabel Mauro fonds Fonds relates to Mauro's year as a student at North Bay Normal School in 1940-1941. The fonds consists of a scrapbook and a file of drawings that she created as part of her coursework. Mauro, Isabel Fabian Lemieux fonds Fonds documents Lemieux's year as a student at North Bay Teachers' College. It consists of a photograph album, negatives, and prints. Lemieux, Fabian King George Loyal Orange Lodge No. 2189 fonds Fonds reflects the administration of King George Loyal Orange Lodge No. 2189, particularly its membership and finances. Fonds consists of one dues book and membership roll. King George Loyal Orange Lodge No. 2189 Board of Governors (Canadore College) fonds Fonds documents the functions and activities of the Board of Governors, including its standing and special committees. Fonds contains one series containing meeting minutes. Canadore College. Board of Governors Student Athletic Assembly (Canadore College) fonds Fonds reflects the Student Athletic Assembly's organization and governance of intramural student athletics at Canadore College, as well as its participation in the Ontario College Athletic Association and its organization of sporting events including Sportsarama and Snofest. Canadore College. Student Athletic Assembly Institute of Community Studies and Oral History fonds Fonds consists of local history materials about North Bay and the Near North area that were collected or created by the Institute for Community Studies and Oral History (ICSOH) including: oral history recordings, student projects, archival records, publications, and ephemera. The fonds also documents some of the ICSOH's activities as a research institute including outreach, the organization of conferences and other events, and its administration. Fonds is arranged into four sub-series: Events and outreach, minutes, oral and community history research collection, and student projects. Nipissing University. Institute for Community Studies and Oral History Eva Wardlaw fonds Fonds reflects Eva Wardlaw's family history, including her immigration from Greece, as well as her education and career as a school principal and alderman in North Bay. Wardlaw, Eva Jack de la Vergne collection Collection consists of one mining company stock certificate. de la Vergne, Jack Tom Cummings fonds Fonds consists of photographs of Tom Cumming's artwork and other material relating to his artistic career. Cummings, Tom Al Carfagnini fonds Fonds documents Al Carfagnini's work as Chair of Nipissing University's 25th Anniversary Committee, which was responsible for the planning of anniversary celebrations that were held in 1992. Carfagnini, Al Anthony Blackbourn fonds Fonds reflects Anthony Blackbourn's work as President of Nipissing University and as a Professor of Geography, including his involvement with the Nipissing Research Institute Advisory Board. Blackbourn, Anthony Schulich School of Education (Nipissing University) fonds Fonds mainly documents the enrollment of students by the Schulich School of Education and its predecessors. Fonds consists of two series: Enrollment and Photographs. Nipissing University. Schulich School of Education Canadore College publications and ephemera collection Collection contains publications, ephemera, and audiovisual records created by Canadore College, its administrative and academic departments, and related organizations. Collection is arranged into eight series: Academic calendars; Ephemera; Newsletters, newspapers, and magazines; Photographs; Posters; Reports and plans; Video recordings; Yearbooks. Canadore College memorabilia collection Collection consists of memorabilia created by Canadore College for commemoration and advertisement purposes. Junior Red Cross (North Bay Teachers' College) fonds Fonds documents the North Bay Teachers' College branch's involvement in a Junior Red Cross program in which branches around the world created and exchanged portfolios (scrapbooks) in order to foster international understanding. Each scrapbook contains information about the branch that created it, its home country, city, and institution. The scrapbooks include photographs, drawings, paintings, handicraft samples, newspaper clippings, essays, and descriptions. Junior Red Cross (North Bay Teachers' College) Bill Allen fonds Fonds consists of a burgundy men's cardigan worn by Bill Allen during his year as a student at the North Bay Teachers' College, and an email about the cardigan. Allen, Bill Board of Governors (Nipissing University) fonds Fonds documents the functions and activities of the Board of Governors, including its standing and special committees, and the Board's predecessor, the Executive Council of Northeastern University. Fonds is arranged into series based on committee or documentary type. A number of files and items are not part of any series. Fonds predominantly contains minutes, agendas, correspondence, memoranda, reports, budgets, speeches, membership lists, and financial statements. Nipissing University. Board of Governors Loyal Orange Lodge No. 1682 (Four Mile Lake) fonds Fonds reflects the administration of Loyal Orange Lodge No. 2189, particularly its finances and membership. Fonds consists of one cash book. Loyal Orange Lodge No. 1682 (Four Mile Lake) Herb Brown fonds Fonds reflects Herb Brown's work as a member of the Executive Councils of the Northeastern University Committee and Northeastern University, and as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Governors of Nipissing College. Fonds contains one file. Brown, Herb Maitland Goldwin Gould fonds Fonds reflects Gould's bird watching activities in the North Bay area over the course of nearly forty years. The fonds consists of records documenting his daily birding observations from 1941 to 1979, with some interruptions in 1954-1957. Records include monthly reports of sightings, annual statistics, bird and mammal species occurrence records, and lists of species sighted. The majority of Gould's observations were made in "a rectangle which extends roughly thirty miles east and west and twelve miles north and south of North Bay." Some of his usual observation places within this area included his home on McIntyre Street, Peninsula Road on Trout Lake, the shore of Lake Nipissing west of the Government Wharf, and Eloy's Farm. He also frequently carried out observations while on walks, drives, and boat rides in and around North Bay. Gould, Maitland Goldwin Father Ted Sobisch fonds Fonds reflects Ted Sobisch's work with the Executive Council of the Northeastern University Committee (1960), the Executive Council of Northeastern University (1960-1966), Nipissing College's Board of Governors (1967-1975), and the Nipissing College Advisory Committee (1967-1970). Additionally, the fonds documents Sobisch's research and writing of an unpublished book titled <i>A University is Born : The History of Northeastern University College,</i> and it also reflects the work of Herb Brown as a member of the Northeastern University Committee, Executive Council of Northeastern University, and Nipissing College's Board of Governors. Fonds is arranged into five series based the committee or project they relate to, or based on provenance in the case of Herb Brown's records. Sobisch, Father Ted Cambrian College (North Bay Campus) fonds Fonds contains photographs, news clippings, publications, and ephemera created or received by Cambrian College's North Bay Campus during the five years of its existence. Fonds is arranged into two series. Cambrian College. North Bay Campus Laurier Avenue United Church fonds Fonds reflects the Laurier Avenue United Church's commemoration of its history and anniversaries, as well as the management of its finances and facilities. Laurier Avenue United Church John Rawn collection Collection contains 16 yearbooks of the Algonquin Composite School/North Bay Collegiate Institute and Vocational School titled "The Northland Echo." The collection contains yearbooks from 1930-1931, 1938, and 1952-1965. Rawn, John Peter Houston collection 1975-[201-] Collection consists of one LP and one photograph. Houston, Peter Rudy Mauro fonds Collection consists of four journal articles by Rudy Mauro about the making of the 1942 film "Captains of the Clouds," which was filmed in North Bay and other locations in Northern Ontario. Mauro, Rudy University Technology Services (Nipissing University) fonds Fonds consists of video recordings that were created and/or distributed by University Technology Services and its predecessors. Nipissing University. University Technology Services George Zytaruk fonds Fonds reflects Zytaruk's career as the Principal/President of Nipissing College and as a Professor of English Literature. Records span his entire academic career from the mid 1960s to the 1990s, and are arranged into six series. Records include: minutes, agendas, and reports of the academic senates of Nipissing College and Laurentian University; minutes, correspondence, and reports of the Board of Governors of Nipissing College; correspondence and programs relating to events and conferences which Zytaruk organized or attended; academic journals containing articles he authored; speeches he gave as Principal/President; and correspondence, budgets, minutes, and reports related to college/university administration. Zytaruk, George North Bay Teachers' College fonds Fonds consists of records generated by North Bay Teachers' College while carrying out activities relating to the provision of post-secondary teacher education in North Bay. The fonds documents activities such as administration (including human resources and property management), admissions, and grading of students. The fonds also documents student life through yearbooks, event programs, and student magazines, as well as class reunions of college alumni. Most of the records were created or accumulated during the years of the college's existence (1909-1973), although some records (such as the alumni class reunion booklets) appear to have been added at a later date because they relate to the the college. The fonds is arranged into six series according to documentary form or activity. Several files and items are not part of any series, as they do not relate to a common activity or share a documentary form. Records are mostly textual and principle documentary forms include registers of admissions and grades, yearbooks, academic calendars, and alumni class reunion booklets. North Bay Teachers' College George Pennock fonds Fonds relates to Pennock's time as a student at North Bay Normal School. It consists of one file of drawings. Pennock, George North Bay Community Concert Association fonds Fonds reflects the North Bay Community Concert Association's organization and sponsorship of musical concert series in North Bay, and also contains records pertaining to the Association's governance and administration. Records span the entirety of the Association's existence from 1943 to 1984, and slightly beyond it. Records are arranged into three series based on function or documentary type. Textual records in the fonds consist of annual reports, by-laws, membership lists, concert programs, promotional material, correspondence (primarily with booking agencies, grants agencies, and local community groups), meeting minutes, scrapbooks, and newspaper clippings about concerts and events. The fonds also contains promotional photographs and other publicity material regarding concert performers, which was provided by the booking agency. North Bay Community Concert Association Loyal Orange Lodge No. 876 (North Bay) fonds Fonds reflects the administration of Loyal Orange Lodge No. 876, particularly its membership, finances, and meetings. Records are arranged into two series, one containing dues books and membership rolls, the other containing minute books. The fonds also contains records that are not part of any series, including the Lodge's warrant, lists of past masters, and Orange Order-related prints. Loyal Orange Lodge No. 876 (North Bay) King Hiram Royal Black Preceptory No. 762 fonds Fonds reflects the administration of King Hiram Royal Black Preceptory No. 762, particularly its meetings, membership, and finances. Records are arranged into three series: Attendance books; Finances and membership; and Minute books. The fonds also contains records that are not part of any series, including two photographs, lists of preceptors, and annual returns. King Hiram Royal Black Preceptory No. 762 J. W. Trusler fonds Fonds reflects J.W. Trusler's work as Chairman of the Executive Council of the Northeastern University Committee (1959-1960) and as Chairman of the Executive Council of Northeastern University (1960-1967), specifically documenting his leadership in the campaign to establish a university in North Bay that eventually led to the founding of Nipissing College. To a lesser extent, the fonds also documents Trusler's work from 1967 to 1971 as Chairman of Nipissing College's Board of Governors. Fonds contains one series and consists mostly of correspondence, minutes, agendas, memoranda, reports, programs, media clippings, speeches, and presentations. Trusler, J. W. Bob Surtees fonds Fonds documents Surtees' work as a Professor of History at Nipissing University. Fonds contains one series documenting Surtees' research for his book "The Northern Connection: Ontario Northland Since 1902," a history of the Ontario Northland Railway/Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway. Other records in the fonds reflect Surtees' academic activities and research interests, including First Nations and northern Ontario history. Surtees, Bob North Bay & District Historical Society fonds Fonds documents the meetings of the North Bay & District Historical Society and contains one minute book. North Bay & District Historical Society The Nipissing Drug Store fonds Fonds documents the Nipissing Drug Store's filling of pharmaceutical prescriptions for customers. Fonds consists of prescription ledgers and one framed analytical chemistry certificate. The Nipissing Drug Store Brian Nettlefold fonds Fonds documents Brian Nettlefold's work as the Executive Director of Library Services at Nipissing University, particularly his involvement with Nipissing University's Academic Senate and executive academic staff unit, as well as the Learning Library Campaign and the planning of the Harris Learning Library. Fonds contains three series: Academic Senate; executive administration; Harris Learning Library planning. Nettlefold, Brian The Sisters of the Precious Blood fonds Fonds consists of a booklet created by the Sisters of the Precious Blood about the history of their monastery in North Bay. The Sisters of the Precious Blood Nipissing University memorabilia and clothing collection [1968?]-2011 Collection consists of memorabilia and clothing created by Nipissing University for commemoration and advertisement purposes. Collection consists of two series: Clothing (containing sports jackets, jerseys, and commemorative shirts) and Memorabilia (containing souvenir button pins, mugs, lapel pins, and other objects). Nipissing University Student Union fonds Fonds contains three photographs of the executive of the Nipissing University Student Union. Nipissing University Student Union	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line959
__label__cc	0.69797	0.30203	Why industry leaders should leverage blockchain to bring energy forward A growing number of industries are beginning to embrace disruptive technologies like blockchain and cryptocurrency. Energy companies that commit to this change will benefit from a enhanced efficiency and transparency. Sean Caputo In our current climate, blockchain goes hand in hand with disruptive tech companies and solutions like cryptocurrency. However, we’re seeing a number of other industries — specifically those that are slow to evolve — integrate this technology into their operations. Leading energy traders and banks recently launched a new digital platform in which blockchain facilitates crude oil trading, with more energy-specific use cases possibly on the horizon. While technological advances in this sector aren’t rare, the industry’s largest players typically anchor their operations in older technology. In most cases, platforms and processes are tailored to the needs of energy companies. Large organizations like ExxonMobil, for instance, run independently with little desire to share and work together — a hindrance that makes something like implementing an industrywide blockchain hard to envision. Hurdles aside, energy companies that commit to blockchain will see efficiency and transparency added to every layer of their operations. An untapped source In many ways, the blockchain isn’t an entirely new development; it’s a digital update of the paper-based contracts that market makers and participants have always used. Invoices, inspection certificates, and other financial documents still circulate the globe via fax, post, or email, but blockchain can expedite these processes. Unlike other jointly administered technologies, public and permissionless blockchain ledgers don’t require real collaboration from participants. Instead, the cross-functional effort and mutual trust these networks need to function correctly come from a system utilizing game theory and rewards. Broadly speaking, digital-based solutions like blockchain aren’t new to the energy sector. Technology already has made energy systems safer, more efficient, and more sustainable while also forcing executives to make tough decisions about security and operations. Most C-suite leaders don’t have the time or resources to properly understand this new technology or the business purposes it serves. Some prefer to ignore the hype until it has materialized into real innovation, and others are too rigid to change at all. SEE ALSO Japanese and SoKor investors’ comeback drives Bitcoin, crypto market upward Blockchain’s emergence will soon be impossible to ignore, though. Its ability to enhance real-time interactions between multiple entities will improve areas such as document organization, pricing mechanisms, and maintenance expenses — all of which should reduce customer costs and enhance the industry’s public profile. Blockchain isn’t an entirely new concept but an update of paper-based contracts. (Photo by By Alexander Yakimov via Shutterstock) A better use of energy Energy supply chains are slow and expensive to operate and maintain. Blockchain lifts the veil of secrecy from these operations, giving consumers end-to-end insight into the origins and cost of their energy supply while incentivizing suppliers to pursue efficiencies. Additionally, blockchain can set up local energy marketplaces or distributed energy platforms to drive self-production and self-consumption, which could affect revenues. For future-focused energy industry leaders, experimenting with blockchain can yield competitive advantages. Here are three such benefits: 1. The creation of new markets Using blockchain, you can create a market for resources and incentivize sharing among multiple users. For example, infrastructure and storage for electric vehicle charging could be bought, shared, and sold without traditional market barriers such as transaction fees and commissions. Energy leaders should consider creating SaaS platforms that can consolidate markets and build a community around energy or emerging technology. This would be one way to demonstrate innovation to consumers and collect feedback. 2. The optimization of maintenance A blockchain-powered SaaS platform could clear up any maintenance confusion for energy supply chains. Specifically, it’s a solution that can help energy providers form a clearer picture of the costs associated with ownership and make maintenance more efficient. The data contained on the blockchain could allow anyone to compare costs across a range of energy providers. This would not only benefit consumers, but it might also incentivize improved business performance. SEE ALSO Nevada opens its own educational cannabis museum to the public 3. The improvement of billing With smart contracts and smart metering, companies can automate billing for consumers and distributed generators. This could enable energy micropayments as well as prepaid and pay-per-use energy solutions that would benefit energy companies and their customers. Furthermore, energy companies could help their customers by creating a consumer-based ecosystem that pulls energy data into a repository. Companies could then use that data to educate customers on their utility use and demonstrate how their habits translate into energy costs and carbon footprint. The promise of blockchain technology has yet to fully be realized in any industry, as most viable business use cases are still in testing. With that said, energy executives who begin to explore implementations for the technology now could find themselves leading the transformation of an entire industry — and changing the world in the process. (Featured image by Tavarius via Shutterstock) Related Topics:Blockchaindigital-based solutionsenergyenergy companiesenergy supply chainfeatured Sean Caputo is the co-founder and chief strategy officer at Augusta HiTech, a consulting firm that works with social-impact focused partners on improving their product development, software, and technological services. Caputo believes that “urgency goes in waves,” a motto that informs his passion for providing socially responsible clients with real-time, on-the-go customer insight resources to implement into their overall strategies and have a more lasting impact. Prior to Augusta, Caputo was the founder and chairman of the board at Smart Engagement Inc. He currently serves in the same capacity at 420 Blockchain Inc., is an entrepreneur-in-residence at Vonzo Partners Venture Capital, and is an advisor at SmartChain Media. He resides in Boca Raton, Florida. Biotech2 hours ago Weekly update on the agricultural markets	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line964
__label__cc	0.658908	0.341092	+ See larger image Endgate Island by Flo Fitzpatrick An invitation to design a mystery theater in a haunted castle on remote Louisiana island sends Teddie Grant searching for buried truths while becoming embroiled in an unexpected romance. When Teddie Grant decides to accept her best friend's invitation to move to Endgate Island and work as the set designer for an interactive mystery theater, she can't wait to shed her past and start fresh. Not long after arriving, she meets Eric Desmarais, a prominent Broadway director, and the chemistry between them is sudden and more familiar than logical explanations can provide. With a history of pirate settlers, slave traders, and violence, Endgate Island is not what it appears. In the midst of life-altering secrets, storms, and a vicious property battle, Teddie and Eric work to uncover the mystery that seems to push them together at every turn. But well-kept secrets are made to stand the test of time, and there are those who work hard and ruthlessly to keep the truth buried. Yet, these lovers cling to what they have found in each other, and they have no intention of letting go. Other buying options	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line965
__label__wiki	0.58947	0.58947	LCM Video Diary Wrap Up SS17 For the SS17 chapter of London Collections: Men we decided to up our game a little, and invited Fenn O'Meally to present video diaries throughout the four days of menswear fashion, boys on catwalks and all the inbetween. It was four inspiring and adrenaline fueled days, revealing what everyone will be wearing next summer. Fenn spoke to designers to get an insight into their new collections, challenged some familiar names about the secrets of fashion, and of course caught up with the boys that rule the catwalk. What do you think of a boy in short-shorts? “Comfortable” one boy replied, his heading nodding firmly with intent as he reminisced his leggy ramble down Topman’s runway five minutes prior to our chat. True, short-shorts present an opportunity of freedom, liberation and a certain sense of audacious comfort, but his positive outlook on showing a little more leg speaks for more than simply a pair of Topman’s most recent rendition of pastel micro-shorts. His view speaks for masculinity itself - or at least masculinity’s evermore growing comfortable association with fashion. When London Collections first took off in 2011 it bore a sense of exclusivity. Like short-shorts for Topman’s models, it was only really accessible to and understood by industry insiders. Five years later and nine seasons down, London Collections: Men has truly become one of the boys, and everybody wants a piece of it’s evermore contagious energy. This season we captured that energy on film, the BBG way. Why? Well for one, we wanted you to see the faces and personalities behind some of the greatest names in Menswear. Number two; to show our readers what lies beyond the faces of the runway in an attempt to continue killing the myth that models are simply pretty veneers. And, number three? Well, to put it bluntly, we were quite tempted by the prospect of catching up with the likes of Dermot O’Leary, Dougie Poynter, Darren Kennedy and Jim Chapman. So enjoy our LCM video wrap up, including golden nuggets like; "I just think about life and how I could die". And if we're all good and eat our vegetables, we may be able to convince Fenn to come back for more BBG Video Diaries in the future. Presented by Fenn O'Meally. Filmed by Mima Bartholomew and Donya Maguire.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line967
__label__wiki	0.619961	0.619961	New approach for Ballarat's Smart Living Centre Late last night, BREAZE members should have received an email from the Board about the following press statement. If you didn't receive the email, then it means that the email address we have for you is probably out of date. If you could provide us with your current address by emailing , then we can update our records. In the future, if you want to know about sustainable living in Ballarat, then visit the Smart Living Market at Windmill Drive, Lake Wendouree on the second or fourth Saturday each month and look for the BREAZE stand because the Smart Living Centre in Lydiard St will be closing on the 1st of November. Ballarat's Smart Living Centre in Lydiard Street was funded by the Victorian Government's Sustainability Fund for three years and during those years it provided information to people wanting answers to a wide range of sustainable living questions. Twelve months ago, after the funding expired, the not-for-profit volunteer organisation BREAZE (Ballarat Renewable Energy and Zero Emissions) offered to continue to run the Smart Living Centre with volunteers, largely its own funds and support from the City of Ballarat but now the time has come to close the Centre and share the sustainability message in a different way. Even though BREAZE has run the Centre mostly with volunteers, and was generously supported by the City of Ballarat, there were still expenses that needed to be met, that BREAZE cannot fund in the future. For the last year, BREAZE has looked for alternative funding options to cover the operating shortfall but nothing has emerged so sadly the time has come to close. Even with volunteers and rent assistance the cost to run the Centre is approximately $26,000 per year. BREAZE remains committed to providing access to key information previously available at the Centre but now available through its fortnightly presence at the Smart Living Market and through maintenance of its website. Spokesperson for the BREAZE Smart Living Centre, Mr Ian Rossiter said, 'BREAZE would like to take this opportunity to thank all the wonderful volunteers who kept the Centre open five days each week, for six hours each day, for well over three years. Without those volunteers, the sustainability message in Ballarat would not be as strong as it is'. For more information, contact Mr Ian Rossiter, Farmers Market Smart Living News	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line971
__label__wiki	0.504408	0.504408	Bridges from Bamako life in a budding West African metropolis BfB in the media ← Bamako’s lone pollster strikes again Quiet, too quiet → Fighting for the republic, with beats and rhymes Posted on June 5, 2012 by brucewhitehouse Malian society has seen unprecedented levels of tension since Mali’s northern rebellion, military coup d’état and subsequent political turmoil came to a head a few months ago. Young Malians, and young Bamakois in particular, have felt increasingly victimized by the selfishness of their elders, and in their desperation they have been easily manipulated by the same unscrupulous politicians who got Mali into such a mess to begin with. Young people in Mali — la jeunesse, as they are glossed in French — constitute the country’s single largest demographic group: half the country’s population is age 15 or younger. Yet they have also been the biggest losers in Mali’s backward slide: dysfunctional schools, no jobs, no hope, and no way to make themselves heard in a society that too often privileges seniority over everything else. One of the few expressive outlets available to young urban Malians in recent years has been rap. And unlike its counterpart in the U.S., rap in Mali has remained relentlessly engaged with difficult social and political questions. Never has this been more true than in the months following the coup. Mali’s de facto partition has given rise to what may be the first made-in-Mali benefit recording, a track by rappers Amkoullel and Mylmo entitled “S.O.S.” The video, featuring French subtitles, is below; the single is available on Amazon. Proceeds are supposed to fund humanitarian aid for northern Mali. Particularly noteworthy has been the role of a collective of rappers and activists that formed immediately after the coup. Calling themselves “Les Sofas de la République” (sofas being a Mandé name for the warriors in the army of anti-colonial resistance leader Samory Touré), these young men took time to think through their country’s crisis and their own responsibility in it. “After 20 years of democracy we were back to square one in a country without a state, without laws, without anything,” group spokesman Mohamed “Ras” Bathily lamented to me. As he expressed it, If we elected an inept government, it’s because in the run-up to elections we weren’t interested in the credibility of the men for whom we were going to vote. Nobody was interested in their social platform, in their morality, we just wanted the cash and the t-shirts they were giving away. Even though they took advantage of our ignorance, our poverty and our vulnerability to offer us trifles, we never had this civic reflex to vote for a platform, not for a man. It was this error we made, the result of which was the election of an incompetent government, the loss of two-thirds of our territory, chaotic governance in every domain, no economy, no jobs, no health care, you see, nothing was working! So we said, “This must never happen again.” And this self-critique, this recognition of our own responsibility must lead to an active civic awareness. Just ten days after the coup, Les Sofas de la République released a rap song and video entitled “Ca Suffit!” [“That’s Enough!”], with lyrics in Bamanan calling to account the nation’s corrupt leaders, demagogues and profiteering soldiers. It was an immediate sensation, and within 48 hours Les Sofas had over 5000 Facebook friends. With the media attention generated by its new visibility, the group began calling press conferences and issuing statements attempting to re-frame political discourse in Bamako. After the junta suspended Mali’s 1992 constitution, Les Sofas advocated a return to constitutional rule. Bathily and another prominent Sofas member, rapper Master Soumy, both have masters degrees in law, and during the debate over what would follow the 40-day “interim period” when no elections could be properly held, they called out Mali’s political establishment for what they considered its self-interested reading of the constitution. But it’s rap, not law, that has remained the core of Les Sofas’ approach. The group has two audiences: young people, who listen to hip-hop, and political authorities, who can be influenced indirectly by mobilizing the youth. Bathily characterized hip-hop to me as “the best way to reach the youth, who don’t read anymore, who don’t watch the TV news anymore, who aren’t cultivated but who cling to music.” This is why hip-hop is the vehicle through which Les Sofas convey their political message. The impact of the “Ca Suffit!” song and video, according to Bathily, derived first from the melody, and then after two or three listens the message would get through, and a lot of people joined the cause. As Bob Marley said, before telling the youth what to do, speak to them in language they understand. Then you can tell them what you want to tell them. When you offer candy to a child he’ll come! Offer him some chocolate, he’ll come! And once he comes, you can tell him what you want him to do. But if you start out saying ‘Do this’ without offering anything, he’ll go to whoever’s offering some candy. Les Sofas’ second track, released last week, is “Aw ya to an ka lafia”, meaning “Leave us in peace.” It is a direct response to the May 21 attack on President Dioncounda Traoré, denouncing the politicians who continue to squabble over power in Bamako instead of addressing Mali’s partition and the humanitarian crisis in the country’s north. [The recording below is audio only.] Learning about Les Sofas and their mission, I’ve found it striking that this ad hoc collective of rappers, radio hosts and activists actually embodies “civil society” much more than Bamako’s plethora of local NGOs and civic associations, most of which have been thoroughly co-opted by the political elite. (This critique applies broadly across Africa, where the “civil society” paradigm has become almost meaningless.) Using consciousness-raising and mass mobilization, Les Sofas seek to uphold republican institutions and give voice to Mali’s disenfranchised young people. “From now on we will watch to ensure that Mali will not be the victim of ideological aggression to manipulate the people, that it won’t be the victim of territorial aggression, that rebels will never again come attack Mali and occupy it, that Mali will never again be the victim of institutional aggression by the coup d’état that happened on March 22nd,” Bathily told me. “If these things have happened it’s because we failed in our civic duty. Aware of our mistake, of our irresponsibility, we’ve assumed our civic duty to defend the republic and watch over it.” As the group expands and its membership grows, it could constitute a force to be reckoned with, perhaps even a model for grassroots activism and genuine democracy. And what helps drive its growth is the medium of hip-hop. All of which makes me nostalgic for the days when hip-hop in America meant something more than unabashed sexism and conspicuous consumption. Update, June 9, 17:00 GMT: An article published in the Malian press this weekend reports that the ORTM is “censoring” activist artists by refusing to air their latest videos (Les Sofas’ “Aw ya to an ka lafia” and the Amkoullel-Mylmo collaboration “S.O.S”). Apparently authorities are concerned that such messages could disturb public order. One wonders why they didn’t consider that before broadcasting the press conference announcing COPAM’s “national convention” three weeks ago…. See also an online interview with rapper Amkoullel about his single “S.O.S.” Update, September 14, 12:00 GMT: Les Sofas have launched a new campaign, according to an article from Bamako’s Le Republicain newspaper, aimed at voter education among young Malians. Update, December 1: Rapper Master Soumy, a founding member of Les Sofas, has released a single (maybe from a forthcoming album) entitled “Anw bee de no don,” which means “We’re all at fault.” You can read an article from a weekly Bamako arts magazine or listen to the audio online. This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged bamako, mali, music, politics. Bookmark the permalink. 11 Responses to Fighting for the republic, with beats and rhymes Stephen Wooten says: keen insights in the world of urban expressive culture. thanks! ptinti says: Great stuff, Bruce. Do you have any idea to what, if any, extent Les Sofas are inspired by the “Y’En A Marre” movement in Senegal? Y’En Marre’s success came in large part from its ability to occupy a political space that more conventional “Civil Society Organizations” never really inhabited in Senegal (paging Doctor’s Chabal and Daloz). I am glad you highlighted this same potential in Les Sofas. It’s been hard to guage Les Sofas’ influence from the US. There were a few articles in the Malian press when the group first emerged, but almost no mention since. Some of my Malian friends have heard of them, but few had much to say regarding their support/influence. I get the impression they are a fledgling movement and in no rush to join the political fray in any “traditional” sense. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. brucewhitehouse says: I don’t know what if any debt Les Sofas owes to “Y’En a Marre.” I should point out that hip-hop activism has been present in Dakar for a while; there’s an excellent documentary, made in 2007 around the previous election, called “Democracy in Dakar” that highlights the role of rappers in mobilizing the youth. In terms of “joining the political fray,” I think Les Sofas have done that from the outset: they have taken clear positions (e.g. on return to constitutional rule, on the 40-day interim period) that have gone against prevailing sentiment, they have held plenty of press conferences and they have gotten a good amount of local media attention. My impression is that they’re fully engaged in the political process here, though not as a political party per se. Bruce, love your blog, best commentary on the Mali crisis going. Keep it up! apostrophekola says: Bruce, thanks for this … there is indeed an element of semblance with Y’en A Marre in Senegal (http://africasacountry.com/2012/04/02/the-new-type-of-senegalese/). I wonder if the different groups know about each other. Here is a link to a continental Map (http://www.okayafrica.com/2012/05/11/unwrapping-african-revolution/) I am creating for Rap Group(s) like Les Sofas in hopes of shining more light on their civic participation on the continent. mkevane says: The Girifna movement in northern Sudan is a similar, though now far more developed, youth movement engaged in resistance to established party politics, http://www.girifna.com/ See here for amusing video with English subtitles: And here for their most well known confrontational video Pingback: Africa Blog Roundup: Health in Ethiopia, Mali’s MNLA, the Sudans, and More \| Sahel Blog Pingback: Fortnightly(ish) Review: Hip-hop in Mali, Nepal, Springsteen and Uzbek Elite Pop « World Politics Blues mylivingroomfurnitures says: I would explain that stylish-hop activism remains found in Dakar for a while there is a great documentary, created in 2007 across the previous election, referred to as “Democracy in Dakar” that highlights the purpose of emcees in mobilizing the youth. That is a good film, I use it in a few of my classes. My subjective impression (not knowing much about the Senegalese case) is that the Bamako rap scene is rather far behind its Dakar counterpart in terms of political engagement, but lately it has been catching up. Pingback: Is Mali heading back to the abyss? \| Bridges from Bamako Leave a Reply to mylivingroomfurnitures Cancel reply Mali’s existential threat: Jihadism, or the French? The manyamagan Twilight of the griot A lesson in sociability Three predictions about Mali’s 2018 presidential election	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line973
__label__cc	0.693507	0.306493	The latest from the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) publications Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers Geo: Geography and Environment The Geographical Journal RGS-IBG Book Series RGS-IBG Publications Hub Approaches to Russia’s North Pole Ambitions Benjamin Sacks January 23, 2012 February 5, 2012 The Geographical Journal The Soviet Nuclear Icebreaker 'Arktika' was the first surface vessel to reach the North Pole (1977). © Wikimedia Commons. Benjamin Sacks The open sea may be international waters under maritime law, but large swaths of the world’s oceans fall under the influence of major powers. The United States and Japan dominate Pacific affairs, thanks to their control over various island groups and the importance they attach to the Pacific economy. Similar situations exist for the United Kingdom in the South Atlantic and France in the western Indian Ocean. Several states contest the strategically important South China Sea. The Arctic Ocean has long been Russia’s backyard, home to historically prominent naval and merchant shipping lanes, vital fishing grounds, and home to some of its surviving indigenous peoples. In 2007, however, Russia’s influence in the Arctic became a controversial issue when two submarines, Mir-1 and Mir-2 planted a Russian flag on the seabed below the North Pole. The Guardian reported that Moscow’s act ‘prompted ridicule and skepticism among other contenders…with Canada comparing it to a 15th century land grab’. The flag-planting was largely ceremonial, but it did indicate Russia’s ambitions to tap into the region’s vast suspected oil and rare earth minerals reserves. Fortunately, Arctic tensions between local states have not escalated since the 2007 episode. But Russia’s behavior did pique the interests of a number of think-tanks and policy institutes, both intrigued and concerned about what Russian actions could mean for the future of international maritime law, as well as US-Russian and European-Russian relations. In ‘Polar Partners or Poles Apart?’, Leonhardt A S van Efferink (Royal Holloway, University of London) discussed the position of two important American institutes: the Brookings Institution and the Heritage Foundation. The article, published in the March 2012 issue of The Geographical Journal, compared the two institutes’ visions. While not choosing one side or the other, van Efferink suggested that the divergent futures could lead to either an ‘inclusionary’ or ‘exclusionary’ region (7). The Brookings Institution, he argued, sought to remove the Cold War ethos from the Arctic control issue. While acknowledging the US Geological Survey’s 2008 estimate that the Arctic held roughly thirteen per cent of the planet’s undiscovered oil and thirty per cent of undiscovered natural gas (tremendously high figures, if true), the report stressed that collaboration, neutrality, and mutual good faith should be paramount for all parties involved (5-6). The Heritage Foundation’s standpoint follows a so-called ‘neo-Realist’ perspective, unsurprising given its conservative roots. Their report holds that the United States should take action in the Arctic to limit Russia’s growing influence in the region and quell any designs for Russian Arctic oil production (7-8). Whichever course the Arctic issue eventually follows, it will be vital to international interests, not just the Arctic’s neighbours, that it be dealt with in a cautious, responsible, and ultimately beneficial manner. Tom Parfitt, ‘Russia Plants Flag on North Pole Seabed‘, The Guardian, 2 August 2007. Leonhardt A S van Efferink, ‘Commentary: Polar Partners or Poles Apart? On the Discourses of Two US Think Tanks on Russia’s Presences in the “High North“, The Geographical Journal 178.1 (Mar., 2012): 3-8. Arctic Ocean, Arktika, Biogeography, cold war, Development, Environment and Society, European-Russian Relations, Global Issues, Japan, Leonhardt A S van Efferink, Mir-1, Mir-2, North Pole, Political Geography, Russia, The Brookings Institution, The Heritage Foundation, United States, US-Russian Relations Previous Urban plans lost but not forgotten in a time of financial crisis Next Area Content Alert: Volume 44, Issue 1 (March 2012) Published by Benjamin Sacks View all posts by Benjamin Sacks Leave a Reply or Comment Cancel reply To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Privacy notice and cookies	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line974
__label__wiki	0.998709	0.998709	Tag Archives: Privacy Unit California Attorney General Forms New Privacy Unit With A-Team Prosecutors California’s to p attorney, Kamala Harris, announced the launch of the Department of Justice’s Privacy Enforcement and Protection Unit, being formed to guard the privacy of Californians by prosecuting violators of state and federal laws. The press release says “The Privacy Unit will police the privacy practices of individuals and organizations to hold accountable those who misuse technology to invade the privacy of others.” The new department, with six veteran prosecutors, will wield broad enforcement powers over cyber privacy, health privacy, financial privacy, identity theft, government records and data breaches. It will operate within the eCrime Unit that Harris created in 2011. Written on July 26, 2012 at 12:58 am Posted in Childrens Privacy / COPPA, Cloud Computing, Consumer Privacy & Marketing, Data Security & Breaches, Health Privacy / HIPAA, Mobile Privacy, News & Events, Social Media Tags: California, California Attorney General, Department of Justice, eCrime Unit, Kamala Harris, Privacy Enforcement and Protection Unit, Privacy Unit Alex Alexander is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and corporate attorney licensed in California. Alex focuses his practice on Internet, technology, and media-related transactions and advice, with concentrations in the areas of data privacy & security, mergers & acquisitions, and intellectual property matters. Childrens Privacy / COPPA Consumer Privacy & Marketing Data Security & Breaches FTC Enforcement Actions Health Privacy / HIPAA International / European Union Privacy Privacy Basics Privacy Litigation Privacy Regulation & Legislation ABA Privacy & Information Security Committee Citizen Media Law Center Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) Federal Trade Commission (FTC) International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) Privacy.org UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line981
__label__wiki	0.661916	0.661916	Tag: WoW Classic Tag Archives: WoW Classic NEW HQ: BLIZZARD ANNOUNCES GNOMECAN IN WORLD OF WARCRAFT In anticipation of the launch of the new World Of Warcraft path, Blizzard has released a new HQ on its official website to complement the MMO. Being a prelude to the launch of path 8.2, the story turns to Gnomecan. This is an island that players can access after the update. Containing gnomes and modified mechanical beings, the new Blizzard HQ has a steampunk tone. Something sinister stirs beneath the waves — Rise of Azshara arrives June 25! pic.twitter.com/PDT1YXWAEH — World of Warcraft (@Warcraft) June 18, 2019 THE NEW HQ PREMISE In addition to the download link, the developer of World of Warcraft released the synopsis of Gnomecan: “No one is immune to death, no one except the people of Gnomecan. Years of obsessive research, he embarked on what could be his last adventure: a daring ploy to find Gnomecan and unlock the secrets of immortality before the end arrives. “ As mentioned above on the premise, Gnomecan will be approached as a mere legend by all. However, an explorer decides to break such paradigms, unravelling the island and its secrets. OTHER PATH LOCATIONS 8.2 World of Warcraft’s Path 8.2: Battle of Azeroth will arrive this Tuesday, June 25th. In addition to Gnomecan, other locations will be added to the MMO along with a new Azerbaijani system, raids, and a remarkable increase in the number of missions. Developed by Blizzard, World of Warcraft: Battle of Azeroth has been available for Mac and PC since 2004. Path 8.2 will not be the only release for the MMORPG this year. On August 27 players will have access to the Classic version of the game, taking back the nostalgia and the best features of its first version. Defend the horde or alliance without lag and disconnects leading to your defeat! Blizzard GNOMECAN NEW HQ World of Warcraft WOW WoW Classic WORLD OF WARCRAFT CLASSIC: TEST PERIOD BEGINS TOMORROW! World Of Warcraft Classic testing period starts this Wednesday, the 19th. Earlier this week, Blizzard released on their social media the test period. Players from the Americas and Oceania continents will have access to the test. All races and classes will be available, and it will be possible to participate in both PvP battles and global activities. However, the maximum character level will be limited to 15. To participate in the stress test, you must have an active World of Warcraft account. For players who have not yet had the opportunity to test the classic version of the MMORPG, the download is available on Tuesday, June 18. As for the stress test, this will be conducted by Blizzard until June 21. Returning raids, quests and characterizations of the first game, World Of Warcraft Classic will be released exclusively for PC, on August 27. TEST PERIOD World of Warcraft Classic WoW Classic BLIZZARD ANNOUNCES WORLD OF WARCRAFT CLASSIC RELEASE DATE! Celebrating the 15th anniversary of World of Warcraft, Blizzard announced to MMO fans the release date of the Classic version. The first version of the MMO, released in 2004, will bring gamers the nostalgia of playing in this universe for the first time. The drums of war thunder once again. World of Warcraft Classic goes live worldwide August 27! ⚔️ https://t.co/Gyrz4hQqcn pic.twitter.com/WxuOZZhNak — World of Warcraft (@Warcraft) May 14, 2019 Scheduled for August 26, World of Warcraft subscribers will be able to play this historical version for free. WoW Classic will resume raids, quests and characterizations of the first game, delivering a version that differs sharply from the current MMO, but involves the player in an experience of delving into unique details that were present only fifteen years ago. Defend the horde or alliance without lag and disconnects leading to your defeat! Test NoPing for 7 days for free and reduce your ping. Blizzard World of Warcraft WoW Classic	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line982
__label__cc	0.723613	0.276387	Kat Meads Contributor Update, Kat Meads: New Book August 2, 2018 July 31, 2018 Superstition Review We are happy to announce that past contributor Kat Meads from Issue 2 has recently released a new novel called “Miss Jane: The Lost Years.” Congratulations Kat! Click on the link below to check out Kirkus Reviews book review on Kat’s new novel: A “sharp and pointed tale … incredibly relevant to today’s reckoning with powerful men’s sexual abuse of the women around them.”-Kirkus Reviews – Miss Jane: The Lost Years Contributor Updates "Miss Jane: The Lost Years", issue 2, Kat Meads, Kirkus Reviews, New Novel Leave a comment Guest Post, Kat Meads: Houses, House Trailers and Memory November 3, 2016 November 21, 2016 Kat Meads Although I repeatedly forget names and faces, I remember in crazed detail the interiors of houses I entered before losing my baby teeth. The slant of light, natural or artificial. The furniture. The furniture arrangements. Whether or not one couch cushion (more compressed than the others) showed evidence of a favored seat. Lamp globes and ashtrays, chipped or whole. Framed or unframed wall prints. Scatter rugs perfectly or imperfectly aligned with doorsills. Floorboard patinas. Even now, I’m a more reliable reporter of, say, the direction a chair faced in a room than the conversation that took place in and around that chair. Given all that, I probably shouldn’t be surprised that what I remember most about my novels after they’re done are my characters’ homes or temporary lodgings—what’s in them as well as what’s not. Kitty Duncan’s breadcrumb-y bedroom in The Invented Life of Kitty Duncan, for instance. Thomas Senestre’s light-starved apartment in Senestre on Vacation, for another. But there’s been a bit of an expansion in my “dwellings fixation” with regard to my most recent novel, In This Season of Rage and Melancholy Such Irrevocable Acts as These. This go-around I seem to have fixated on three: 1) The dilapidated “Cracker” house of Mickey Waterman’s childhood that he visits daily for incentive. 2) The Scaff farmhouse that George Scaff loves and his wife, Leeta, loathes. 3) The trailer in the middle of a cornfield that Beth Anderson initially associates with the joys of motherhood but that becomes, after her miscarriage, a reminder of failure and the setting for visits from an accusatory, tuxedo-wearing god. In proofing the novel for publication, I returned to the manuscript some months after my last revision. Theoretically (at least), the break might have changed my perspective, diminished the importance of those two houses and house trailer. Didn’t happen. Instead those dwellings took on even more importance, so dominating the text they almost, almost assumed the status of characters. Or so it seemed to me. My interpretation only? Would any other reader feel the same? I do know that I was never unaware of those three residences and the interlock of their compass points during the writing. Even when Mickey and George and Leeta and Beth were physically elsewhere—playing softball in another county, drag racing, earning a living at their various job sites—the contents and spatial set-ups of their lairs felt omnipresent to me, narratively insistent. I also dreamed incessantly about those spaces—my nighttime working out, I suppose, of what should/shouldn’t happen in or around those homes to satisfy plot. The book is finished, out in the world, published in August by Oklahoma’s Mongrel Empire Press. And yet I still dream about Mickey’s “Cracker” house, the Scaff farmhouse and Beth’s cornfield trailer. Will I always? Very likely. Guest Posts Houses, Houses House Trailers and Memory, In This Season of Rage and Melancholy Such Irrevocable Acts as These, Kat Meads, Memory, setting Leave a comment Kat Meads’ New Novel is Now Out August 22, 2016 August 24, 2016 Superstition Review Kat Meads’ new novel, In This Season of Rage and Melancholy Such Irrevocable Acts as These is now available from Mongrel Empire Press. Built on the premise that the ugly can break one’s heart more profoundly than the pretty, In This Season of Rage and Melancholy Such Irrevocable Acts as These portrays the changing South of the 1970s in a narrative that encompasses deceit, revenge, Pentecostal religion, coastal development and the disappearance of family farms. Kat Meads is the author of 16 books and chapbooks of prose and poetry, including: 2:12 a.m. – Essays; Not Waving; For You, Madam Lenin; Little Pockets of Alarm; The Invented Life of Kitty Duncan; Sleep; and a mystery novel written under the pseudonym Z.K. Burrus. She has received a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, a California Artist Fellowship, two Silicon Valley artist grants and artist residencies at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Yaddo, Millay Colony, Dorland, and the Montalvo Center for the Arts. Her short plays have been produced in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and elsewhere. She is a three-time ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year finalist, and four of her essays have been selected as Notables in Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Best American Essays series. Her novel For You, Madam Lenin received an IPPY (Independent Publisher Award) Silver Medal and was shortlisted for the Montaigne Medal for thought-provoking literature. Her essay collection 2:12 a.m. received an IPPY Gold Medal. A native of North Carolina, she currently lives in California and teaches in Oklahoma City University’s low-residency MFA program. In This Season of Rage and Melancholy Such Irrevocable Acts as These can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Changing Hands, or your local, independent bookstore. Contributor Updates In This Season of Rage and Melancholy Such Irrevocable Acts as These, Kat Meads, Mongrel Empire Press Leave a comment Announcing: Kat Meads September 7, 2011 April 21, 2013 Superstition Review In 2008, in Issue 2, Superstition Review published Kat Meads’ essay “Relativism: The Size of the Tsar in Vegas.” We were honored for her contribution, and we are now very happy to share the news of her recently released novel. Announcing: when the dust finally settles by Kat Meads A novel about land, loyalty and racial politics in the 1968 South Ravenna Press, September 2011 http://www.katmeads.com Advance Praise for when the dust finally settles: When anyone asks if Southern Literature has a future in our internet, iPhone, jet-lagged, speed-of-light world, I point them to Kat Meads. Her fiction is Southern through and through even as it embraces the dilemmas and contradictions of 21st century life. Simply put, you must read Kat Meads. —Jason Sanford, Founding Editor, storySouth Kat Meads’ writing is keen and precise; her stories, populous and lively. In when the dust finally settles, she employs a staccato, rhythmic prose in the service of a narrative both beautifully imagined and wildly exotic. when the dust finally settles will keep you up nights reading its propulsive story, but will also reward the reader who loves finely crafted sentences and pitch-perfect dialogue. —Corey Mesler, author of Following Richard Brautigan In The Invented Life of Kitty Duncan, Kat Meads created a 1950’s-era Scarlett O’Hara in eastern North Carolina. Now, in when the dust finally settles, she speaks through Faulknerian voices as white and black members of her small eastern North Carolina community desegregate the schools in the 1960’s. Meads’ Clarence Carter, speaking from the dead, provides a surprisingly upbeat (and humorous) perspective on the events unfolding in the community he has not yet quite left. The other voices, young and old, share Clarence’s openness to change—a refreshingly different Southern story. —Dr. Margaret D. Bauer, Rives Chair of Southern Literature, East Carolina University; Editor, North Carolina Literary Review The Reading Period at Superstition Review has opened. Please send us your submissions of art, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction between now and October 31st. Contributor Updates, News Author, essay, issue 2, Kat Meads, News, NonFiction, North Carolina Literary Review, novel, politics, prose, releases, Southern Literature, storySouth 8 Comments	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line986
__label__wiki	0.724985	0.724985	New American Library, 1942 - Aeronautics - 128 pages In this gripping novel, Saint-Exupery tells about the brave men who piloted night mail planes from Patagonia, Chile, and Paraguay to Argentina in the early days of commercial aviation. Preface by Andre Gide. Translated by Stuart Gilbert. Sometimes, after a hundred miles of steppes as desolate as the sea, he encountered a lonely farm-house that seemed to be sailing backwards from him in a great prairie sea, with its freight of human lives; and he caluted with his wings But Fabien has met it on his path, when, coming from a thousand miles away, he feels the heavy ground-swell raise his panting plane and let it sink, when he has crossed a dozen storms like lands at war, between them neutral tracts of ... chapter twenty Commodoro Rivadavia Could Hear Nothing Now — Commodoro Rivadavia could hear nothing now, but twenty seconds later, six hundred miles away, Bahia Blanca picked up a second message. "Coming down. Entering the ... Foreword by André Gide Suggestions for Further Reading xv THUS THE THREE PLANES OF THE AIR Antoine de Saint-Exup©♭ry already answer arms asked beneath Buenos Aires carried chapter clear clerk clouds coming dark death deep duty engine enter Europe mail eyes Fabien face feeling felt fingers flying follow force give grew hands happiness hard head hear heart heavy hold hope hour human hundred inspector It's knew lamp land leave lips lives longer looked lost man's matter meaning miles mind minutes moon mused never Night Flight once orders passed Patagonia peace Pellerin perhaps pilot pity plane radio reports returned Riviere Robineau rose round seconds secret seemed shadow ship shoulders silence slowly smile snow soon sounds speaking stars storm sure tell thing thought thousand touch towns turned twenty voice wait walk watched weather wife wind wireless operator Antoine de Saint-Exupery, 1900 - 1944 Antoine de Saint-Exupery was born in Lyon, France on June 29, 1900. Saint-Exupery was educated in Jesuit schools. He later attended a Catholic boarding school in Switzerland before entering the Ecole de Beaux-Arts as an architecture student. de Saint-Exupery began his military service in 1921 and was sent to Strasbourgh to be trained as a pilot. He received his pilot's license in 1922 and, after a few dead end jobs as a bookkeeper and an automobile salesman, he began flying mail for a commercial airline company. His route over North Africa was the basis for his first novel, Southern Mail, in 1929. His second novel, Night Flight, became an international bestseller and was made into a film in 1933. By that time, de Saint-Exupery was married to Consuelo Gomez Castillo and was working as a test pilot for Air France. He was also working as a foreign correspondent covering May Day events in Moscow and writing a series on the Spanish Civil War. His book, Wind, Sand and Stars won the French Academy's 1939 Grand Prix du Roman and the National Book Award in the United States. He came to the United States after France fell in World War II, but rejoined the French Air Force in North Africa in 1943. That same year he published The Little Prince, a children's story of such universal appeal that it has been translated into close to fifty languages. Antoine de Saint-Exupery took off on a flight over Southern France on July 31, 1944 and was never seen again. In 1998, a fisherman found a bracelet with his name and his wife's name engraved on it, 150 kilometers west of Marseilles. Title Night Flight Volume 574 of A Signet classic Author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Publisher New American Library, 1942 Digitized 22 Nov 2006	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line994
__label__cc	0.696699	0.303301	2600:1f00::/24 Parent Prefix: 2600:1f00::/24 No BGP announcements found AMZ-EC2 Amazon Web Services, Inc., 98108-1226, Related BGP Prefixes 2600:1fa0:e088::/46 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1fa0:8064::/46 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1f01:4844::/47 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1f15::/36 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1f15:c00::/38 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1fa0:c0c8::/46 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1fa0:e02c::/46 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1fa0:40cc::/46 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1f14:1000::/37 AMAZON-PDX-V6 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1fa0:2048::/46 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS8987 2600:1fa0:60c4::/46 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1fa0:c044::/46 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1f1f::/37 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1f01:48d2::/47 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1f12:c00::/38 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS8987 2600:1fa0:80e4::/46 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1f11:c00::/38 AMAZON-YUL-V6 Amazon Data Services Canada AS16509 2600:1fa0:80ec::/46 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1f14::/37 AMAZON-PDX-V6 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1f1c::/36 AMAZON-SFO-V6 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1fa0:406c::/46 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1f1c:c00::/38 AMAZON-SFO-V6 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1fa0:c0cc::/46 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1f12:800::/38 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS8987 2600:1fa0:40a0::/46 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1f11:800::/38 AMAZON-YUL-V6 Amazon Data Services Canada AS16509 2600:1f1e:800::/38 AMAZON-GRU-V6 Amazon Data Services Brazil AS16509 2600:1fa0:e0c4::/46 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1f11::/38 AMAZON-YUL-V6 Amazon Data Services Canada AS16509 2600:1f14:800::/37 AMAZON-PDX-V6 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1f16:400::/38 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1f1e::/38 AMAZON-GRU-V6 Amazon Data Services Brazil AS16509 2600:1f01:48c0::/47 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1f01:48a0::/47 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1f1e:c00::/38 AMAZON-GRU-V6 Amazon Data Services Brazil AS16509 2600:1f01:48e0::/47 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1fa0:20c0::/46 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS8987 2600:1fa0:c04c::/46 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1fa0:208c::/46 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS8987 2600:1f12::/38 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS8987 2600:1f1f:800::/37 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1f01:48b0::/47 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1f1c:400::/38 AMAZON-SFO-V6 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1fa0:e0cc::/46 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1fa0:40ac::/46 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS16509 2600:1fa0:20cc::/46 AMZ-EC2 Amazon.com, Inc. AS8987 NetRange: 2600:1F00:: - 2600:1FFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF CIDR: 2600:1F00::/24 NetName: AMZ-EC2 NetHandle: NET6-2600-1F00-1 Parent: NET6-2600 (NET6-2600-1) NetType: Direct Allocation Organization: Amazon.com, Inc. (AMAZO-4) Ref: https://rdap.arin.net/registry/ip/2600:1F00:: OrgName: Amazon.com, Inc. OrgId: AMAZO-4 Address: Amazon Web Services, Inc. Address: P.O. Box 81226 City: Seattle StateProv: WA PostalCode: 98108-1226 Comment: For details of this service please see Comment: http://ec2.amazonaws.com/ Ref: https://rdap.arin.net/registry/entity/AMAZO-4 OrgAbuseHandle: AEA8-ARIN OrgAbuseName: Amazon EC2 Abuse OrgAbuseRef: https://rdap.arin.net/registry/entity/AEA8-ARIN OrgNOCHandle: AANO1-ARIN OrgNOCName: Amazon AWS Network Operations OrgNOCRef: https://rdap.arin.net/registry/entity/AANO1-ARIN OrgTechHandle: ANO24-ARIN OrgTechName: Amazon EC2 Network Operations OrgTechRef: https://rdap.arin.net/registry/entity/ANO24-ARIN	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1000
__label__wiki	0.634588	0.634588	The iPhone X alone made three times more money than every Android manufacturer put together Chris Mills @chrisfmills So much hype surrounded Apple in the run-up to the iPhone X launch that we’ve had a tough time working out whether the phone was a flop or not. At this point, it seems clear that Apple didn’t sell nearly as many iPhone X models as it hoped, and the company had to cut production orders after the first three months of sales came in under expectations. But at the same time, there’s a big difference between “didn’t meet expectations” and “total flop.” According to a new report from analysis firm Counterpoint, the iPhone X alone accounted for 35% of total smartphone industry profits in Q4 2017, with Apple capturing a total of 86% of the industry profit. With just 14% of the profit left over for the Android manufacturers (no, Windows Phone and Blackberry certainly aren’t making any money), that means that the iPhone X alone made a little more than three times as much money as the total profits from Samsung, LG, HTC, Sony, OnePlus, Huawei, and Xiaomi combined. This isn’t a new story. Only premium flagship smartphones tend to make much profit, and Apple and Samsung have held a stranglehold over the premium smartphone market for years. Although Android manufacturers dramatically outsell Apple in terms of the number of devices moved, only Apple has worked out a formula to consistently generate significant profits from its devices. Image Source: Counterpoint “Global handset profits declined 1% YoY, but Apple grew 1% YoY even with the iPhone X being available for only two months in Q4 2017,” Counterpoint’s Karn Chauhan said. “The iPhone X alone generated 21% of total industry revenue and 35% of total industry profits during the quarter and its share is likely to grow as it advances further into its life cycle. Additionally, the longer shelf life of all iPhones ensured that Apple still has eight out of top ten smartphones, including its three-year-old models, generating the most profits compared to current competing smartphones from other OEMs.” The other big takeaway from Counterpoint’s research is the growth in profitability of the Chinese manufacturers. “Chinese OEMs cumulative profits crossed 1.3 USD billion during Q4 2017,” Counterpoint Associate Director Tarun Pathak said. “This was driven by the increased mix of mid to high end smartphones. Infact, the average selling price (ASP) of their flagship devices also increased YoY. Key Chinese players like Huawei, OPPO and Vivo are now looking to scale up the price band, by leveraging their inhouse manufacturing capabilities and bringing innovation to their devices.” That’s going to be of particular concern to Samsung. Consensus among analysts is that the demand for smartphones has peaked, and a lack of innovation is leading to longer refresh rates on devices. The pie isn’t getting bigger any more, and Samsung is contesting with more and more firms for a small slice of it. Image Source: Zach Epstein, BGR Tags: Galaxy Note 8, iphone x The massive US ban on ZTE will hurt Android the most Two major unannounced Nintendo Switch titles for 2020 may have leaked By Jacob Siegal 21 hours ago Free food: Here are all the restaurants where you can get free stuff for your birthday By Zach Epstein 2 days ago Anonymous Academy member reveals the dumb reason for Adam Sandler’s Oscar snub	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1001
__label__cc	0.66205	0.33795	← A Georgia fan’s existential dilemma “Not a close-knit team.” → Bad cases make bad law. I’m beginning to wonder if one day we’re going to look back on this year’s BCS title game, aka The Rematch, as sort of college football’s Bush v. Gore equivalent. Check out this comment from Andy Staples: This season’s Alabama-LSU national title game was the tipping point for the anti-playoff crowd. Several leagues were already leaning in the direction of a four-team playoff — strategically called a “plus-one” so dim bulbs won’t realize it’s actually a playoff — but when voters passed over Oklahoma State for an all-SEC rematch, the momentum finally swung in the direction of a bracketed tournament, even if it is a small one… [Emphasis added.] If there is some form of SEC backlash involved in the playoff movement – and I’m not saying Staples is wrong to suggest there is – boy, are some people going to be disappointed when the SEC puts three schools in a plus-one tourney. (Unless, of course, they limit the number of schools one conference can place in a plus-one, which would speak volumes about Andy’s point.) Then there’s this from playoff proponent Matt Hinton. … For the sake of argument, let’s say Alabama beats LSU in another generally competitive game, by a margin of anywhere from one point to two touchdowns. In that case, the Crimson Tide will finish the year 12-1 with two or three wins over teams ranked in the final polls (give or take Penn State). LSU will finish 13-1 with four or five wins over teams ranked in the final polls (give or take West Virginia). They’d be be 1-1 against one another, with LSU’s win coming at Alabama. LSU will still be the SEC champion. Under the circumstances, that’s a formula for a split championship, at worst. (The Coaches’ Poll is contractually obligated to vote the winner of the BCS title game No. 1; as LSU fans are well aware, the Associated Press poll is not.) That wouldn’t be the case if the rematch came as a result of the Tigers and Tide eliminating the competition head-to-head, on the field, leaving no questions and no alternatives. If there happens to be a rematch at the end of a playoff, it’s between two teams who have decisively earned it in a way that Alabama, in the current system, has not. [Emphasis added.] Don’t you just love that? It’s not the rematch that’s bad; it’s the system which delivered it that’s bad. Nifty bit of circular reasoning there. Of course the real problem this season isn’t that there’s a rematch in the title game. As Matt backhandedly acknowledges, the real problem is that there’s a debate over which team is the second best. … That’s not to suggest that Oklahoma State or anyone else has earned a stronger claim on a second chance, either. But as long as that opportunity exists for some teams at the expense of others, the current system belongs in the scrapheap. And because we can’t decide that issue (and because, let’s not forget, the schools want that TV/BCS money), the solution is to make the clear number one team in the country play more games so that we can all feel better about which school is the runner-up. We’re supposed to take an illogical situation and make it even more illogical. You can see the slippery slope coming a mile away once this rationale is sanctioned, can’t you? This time it’s about #2 vs. #3. With the plus-one, the next debate will come when the argument is over which team is the nation’s fourth-best and the pressure will return to expand again to solve that debate (even if, say, it comes in a season à la 2005, when there was a clear consensus on the top two teams in the country). In other words, a playoff won’t solve this particular concern any better than what we’ve got now. My point here isn’t to argue against a plus-one format (even though I expect most to question me on that). I’m okay with one that’s constructed with an eye towards being resistant to further expansion. There’s a convincing case to be made that there should be a better way to deal with the way the 2003 and 2004 seasons played out. But those were situations where the debate centered on more than two teams with a legitimate claim to being considered the best going into the postseason. Now we’re being urged to replace that standard with one that merely asks which teams deserve to show up in a postseason tourney, and that’s a very different animal. Which means that if this season truly and finally provides the impetus for a D-1 playoff, either the movers and shakers embrace a new, flawed metric for inclusion, or (what I suspect) give it to us with a nudge and a wink that while it’s about what happened in 2011, the facts are unique and they promise with all their hearts that it will never, ever be a factor again. We can believe them, right? Hey, if you can’t trust the folks who were pushing to expand the basketball tourney to 96 schools until they couldn’t find a broadcast partner willing to pay for the privilege, whom can you trust? Filed under BCS/Playoffs Tagged as Plus-one 126 responses to “Bad cases make bad law.” If we are now pushing to go from a two-team playoff to a four-team playoff without changing how the entrants are determined, then what is to stop an 8, 16, 20-team playoff in the next decade? Btw, I’ve been pushing for a “conference champs only” rule for the two-team playoff since 2001. We assume that you took off from that position in the 2007 season. Exactly. The larger the field, the more teams get left out too. A couple of teams can argue for the two spot, but there are probably eight teams tht would get left out of a sixteen team bracket. Few will admit that college comes closest to getting it right. I disagree with this sentiment. “Oh, we shouldn’t have a playoff, because while we’ll definitely get teams #1 – #10, people might be unhappy with our selection of teams #11-#16. And because of that, we shouldn’t have a playoff.” The reason few will admit that college comes closest to getting it right is because they don’t. That would be like me saying, “Hey, few will admit it that Hitler came closest to getting it right.” So I’m a Jew hater if I’m against a playoff? Well damn, I guess I want a playoff. You win. Great point. I never thought about it that way till now, but wow. What an eye opener. Thanks. Yes, if you don’t want playoffs, you hate Jews. Serious as a heart attack Honey Do!! Didn’t understand that ‘Jibberish’; talk English, man; and btw, give us a playoff with 8 teams, and pick from the 12 top teams from AP & CP; no computers.. Weak. I think Adolf would have been a wishbone man, but aside from that what’s the use of bringing all that up on a college football blog? To point out the absurdity of the statement in reference by making a similar, but exaggerated claim, to bring attention to and further elaborate my point. I didn’t find it that exactly. But you brought the Hitler stuff into the football blogosphere, not this Dawg. You right, Lone. Indian Rights much better topic. Sorry. “Signed, Tonto”. The whole point is there is rarely a season where more than 3-4 teams deserve a chance at the National Title after the regular season has been played. Teams 5-?? don’t need to be involved. Ever. Thanks – that a better way of putting my comment above. really? Hitler? 3 posts into a discussion? You must not be old enough to buy beer. That’s my opinion on the issue and ought to be Topic #1 — a prerequisite for a national champ should be a regional championship. Sort of a football pyramid, of sorts. I read this blog a lot and generally agree with what you have to say, but your anti-playoff stance is becoming increasingly dated. Hinton, who I read and respect, makes great points and I imagine 90% of the people out there would agree with him. Alabama did not win their league, Alabama had a less impressive resume of wins than OSU, Alabama already lost to LSU at home, and the only thing Alabama had in favor over OSU was their loss was more respectable, but its hard to consider that when their loss is to the very team we’re deciding who Alabama or OSU would play. The people freaking out about having a 4 or 8 team playoff turning into a NCAA style tournament come off to me as the same people who were scared to give women the right to vote, because whats next, the blacks?! (this is made in jest, but the point remains is you come off as outdated and paranoid). As Hinton points out had Alabama gone through a playoff and ended up matched with LSU, it is what it is, but that would have left other teams (such as OSU) with good claims to that coveted #2 spot the opportunity to play for it. I’ve increasingly lost interest in the bowls as 8-4 teams, with coaching staffs having been fired, go through the motions. I’d rather see playoff football. I’d rather see playoff football. I can respect that. But it means the rest of your comment is irrelevant. – I like your blog (how is this irrelevant?) – I think your anti-playoff stance is outdated (how is this irrelevant?) – Alabama does not deserve to be in national title game, though should be in a playoff with OSU (this relates directly to what I said) – Not wanting a playoff because you’re afraid of playoff creep is paranoia (this is relevant) I’m not sure what is not relevant. You state a personal preference for playoff football. That’s cool. It’s also purely subjective. So turning around and telling me that my fear of playoff expansion is mere paranoia is an opinion on your part, not a factual subject for debate. It’s pretty much the same for the rest of your commentary. For example, I don’t have an anti-playoff stance, but if I did, it’s outdated only in the sense that you prefer something else. After all, there is no playoff now (unless you consider the BCS title game a one-game playoff). Though I’ll admit your blog praise isn’t irrelevant. 😉 No, I love your blog. #1 Fan. I just wish you fell in line with my opinion on this issues. Jordan – you’re simply blinded by preference. Every argument you make can probably be similarly turned around on you. For example, team A is 13-6, team B is 18-1 and they are 1-1 against each other. Team A is the champion. This is obviously absurd if the question is “Who had the better season”. But in a playoff, Team A is the champ. End of story. And like the Senator says, that’s cool if you prefer that. But to sit here an call people who prefer the current format over a larger playoff out of date is pretty lame. Simply say “I’m a bracket buy” and you’ll find a lot more respect. Logically, both sides of the argument are reasonably compelling. I personally find the 2 team playoff more compelling simply because it places so much importance on almost every game in the regular season, which I personally favor. Those two last second pass plays broke Wisconsin’s heart this year. And the fans will still talk about it 20 years from now. I like that. This is an odd year where we really don’t need a playoff because LSU is the best team. A playoff wouldn’t change that if LSU and Bama met in the finals. One bit. Of course, playoffs seem to have a lot of odd years lately in the NFL with the wild cards winning it all. Might explain why I skip most of the regular season in the NFL and watch the playoffs. I believe anything more than a 4 team playoff would severely dampen regular season importance of almost every game. I’ll never know for sure since I haven’t figured out the whole alternate universe thing yet, but looking at almost every other sport, it’s hard for me to argue otherwise. Again, note I simply state personal preference. That’s good. So was Jordan. His comments were to the point and no more inflammatory than the Senator’s. For all the reasons you seem to think a playoff has so many holes, I can rip off a littany of reasons why the present BCS system is straight BS, embraced by those who simply want to play a game of who can outbitch the other. When you lay all the pros and cons end to end, a playoff seems more reasonable than preferential treatment to decide the top two teams to play for a championship out of 120 teams (which is absurd). If we can all get over ourselves, we should proceed as fans who give a shit, to embark on playoff planning. Fans… playoff planning… wait, what? You’re not seriously suggesting that we have any input in the process, are you? That would be crazy talk. Mr. Sanchez If it’s just a “+1” or 4 team playoff, it definitely expands. And it also will assuredly not allow 3 SEC teams out of the 4. It may not even allow 2 and be restricted to just conference champs. At most, I’d see it requiring 3 conference champs with 1 “at large” selection, but no more than 1. So much for “settling it on the field”, then. Right – and which conference championship will Notre Dame win? But how can you be national champ if you’re not a conference champ? That’s settled on the field, right? Although from past back and forth, I’m thinking you and I are both pretty much lock step in thoughts on this stuff. By that rationale, Notre Dame could never be a national champ. Like they were ever gonna be anyway. Switch on your sarcasm meter… Fair enough, although they’d try and throw their weight around in the process, and maybe make themselves guaranteed as the at large when they win 10 games. Because you know, there is so much interest nationally in the Notre Dame brand. I got them “Lockstep Blues”. {(one word. ;-)} Yeah, you haven’t stalked me enough lately. Goodness are we cross again? Are things slow over there at the shock blog? Nothing to poor mouth about?? Too much time on your hands? Reaching out? Let me lift up up your spirits. There … now we can be friends again. AthensHomerDawg; That really U doing that picking? If so stop fussing bout futball & go out pickin.. Come on & lets get something going rather than what we’ve got, it does not work neither, i cannot decipher just what would be best, but i think most everyone on these “BlogSpots” will agree with me that we need some kind of change; And who said he was going to “Bring About Change”; though it was ‘NOT’ in the realm of ‘Football’; it was about “Government”. And not seen any better; only worse!!.. There i’ve got onto another irrelevant subject.. BTW– Answer– Husan Obama.. And of course that “at large” team would be Notre Dame eight years out of ten. I could absolutely agree with up to an 8 team playoff. I think that is a bit much because I can’t think of anytime in the history of CFB that 8 teams have “deserved” to be in consideration. My concern is that 8 will become 12 or 16 because playoff addicts are just like alcoholics. Their motto is MORE IS BETTER. It never stops. MLB going down that path now. It is a mere matter of time before the NCAA Basketball Tourney goes to 90 plus teams. The NHL and NBA are a joke…the regular season is nothing more than extended Spring Training for both. If we take the step on the playoff, I would want the absolute strictest rules in place to prevent this type of mindless expansion. I don’t think a concern that an 8 team playoff would turn into a 12 or 16 playoff is adequate reason for adopting a better (in many people’s opinion) system. Sure, it could happen, and if it does, its because the market (the people) demanding it. Would we not be stoked at playing Michigan State right now for the right to move onto the next round of the playoffs? I would love that. I would be there. As of now, while I want UGA to win, I’m apathetic to the game. Its just a bowl game, a glorified scrimmage. And lets not compare NCAA Basketball to NCAA Football. NCAA basketball has 350+ teams, football has what, 120? Also, NCAA basketball also does not have a lot of disparity. A school like Butler or Gonzaga can compete with schools like Duke or Kentucky, unlike football where there are maybe 2-10 teams that could win the national title each year. Also, the ADs and conferences have a lot of say in what goes on in college football it appears, whereas the NCAA controls college basketball. It appears the ADs and conference officials all have the same fears as you Bob (and the Senator) and they would most likely check your fears with those rules and regulations to prevent mindless expansion. But I reiterate, to not move towards a better system that would allow the best 4-8 teams to play for the national title on the field, simply because you’re afraid of what might happen is unjustifiable. Progress can’t be stopped because of fear. As a card-carrying member of the anti-playoff crowd, I’m willing to listen to the other side. But I will tune out any argument made by someone who is apathetic about a UGA football game. That proves a fundamental difference in the way we view college football, and it’s a gap that won’t be bridged by any postseason system. So how should I feel? You’re telling me you wouldn’t have more invested in a game in which if we win we would move onto the next round to play another game for the opportunity to play for the national title? I’m sorry, but as you said, if you prefer a post season scrimmage than you’re right, there is a fundamental difference in the way we view college football. I see no reason to set up college football in a way that attempts to crown a national champion. That’s what the NFL is for. Same reason I don’t get worked up when Walton High doesn’t get to play Mater Dei for a national championship. That’s the fundamental difference. And the only good one I’ve seen in this now-volatile discussion. Jordan has good points and is not trying to be overwhelming in his preferential statement. Others come from an opposite standpoint. We all should be able to subscribe one way or the other and reason past unsubstantiated points. It’s all good. When we have to examine our reasoning, most often we learn. Careful Brad In an 8 team playoff UGA-Michigan State would still be a “glorified scrimmage” because we would not be in the top 8. Do you really think that the number 8 team in the country, Kansas State, has a legitimate claim to the national championship? If not then including them in a playoff makes it just as much of an exhibition as a bowl game. Careful Brad, I understand, I’m just trying to address a UGA crowd by using relevant examples. Unfortunately, we wouldn’t be in the playoffs this year. And Brad, that’s the great thing about a playoff. If Kansas State made the playoffs they don’t need a “claim” to the national championship. They just have to play well and win their games and they’ll be given the national championship. No one needs to make “claims”, they just need to get into the playoffs (by whatever measures are set in place) and then win. And no, including them in the playoffs is not as much an exhibition as a bowl game. The MSU / UGA game is a post season exhibition game. The Kansas State versus whomever game is a playoff game in which the winner would go on to play another team for the right to play in the national title. So Kansas State beats LSU and now Kansas State has the opportunity to move on and LSU stays home? After the season that both of those teams have had I don’t see how that seems logical. LSU beat Oregon, Bama, WVU at Morgantown, UGA, and Arkansas while K-State lost a game 56-17. If you think that makes sense then I hope you have no complaints about our home schedule next year. If I’m an AD I am not putting a team on my OOC schedule that does not start with either Eastern, Western, Northern, or Southern, it does me no good. I can beat cupcakes and get at least a number 8 seed, then I’m in! I appreciate your response. Yes, if Kansas State beats LSU, they deserve to move on. How could they not? Kansas State is a good team and having beat LSU in a game clearly, and irrefutably, they deserve to move on. I have no complaints about our schedule this year. I would like to see a marquee out of conference game, but we can’t help what Georgia Tech has become ;-). If you’re an AD you can schedule how you’d like out of conference, but you’d still (most likely) have to win your conference and in Georgia’s case beat teams like South Carolina, Florida, Auburn, etc. If UGA finished #8 I’m sure they would’ve deserved it, regardless of who they played. Thanks for the civil debate Jordan. I don’t think either one of us will change the other’s opinion but it’s good to hear some different opinions. The college football regular season is the best and most important of any sport and a playoff would cheapen that. The great thing about college football is you have to be good throughout a four month regular season, not a three week tournament in the post season. +1, +1 There is the truth. A playoff of too many teams will definitely dilute the CFB season. CBB used to be great. And it still is…in March for 16 days. From December to early March it is a snorefest of utterly unimportant games. #1 plays #2 and no one pays any attention at all. Believe me, it did not used to be that way before every team with a pulse made the tourney. Be very careful for what we wish for. The CFB season is by far the best regular season going. The ending is like a whimper some times, but we have 3 plus months of great drama in MOST years. There is absolutely none of that in basketball. +2 – see Bob’s reply above as well. Jordan wants killer post season matchups that he believes will “irrefutably” crown a champion. I still think the Patriots were better than the Giants in 07, but I guess that’s just me. The rest of us like the fact Vandy can ruin someone’s season. It’s really that simple. Jordan’s case is better than the BCS, no matter the word differences. A playoff champions the best team at that end of the season. Isn’t that what we are discussing? If LSU loses it before the season is over, then they no longer are the best team. Pretty simple with a playoff. When we were relegated to playing Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl instead of playing for the NC at that time, can you honestly not feel we were the best in the country at that time? And wouldn’t you have given anything for the chance for that team to prove it? The BCS rooked us and as long as snarky insinuations by ESPN are taken into consideration, the BCS will remain an indeterminate method of crowning a “NC”. I personally don’t like my alma mater playing in that shitty pool. A playoff deprives the sobs of exercising decisions and provides them with only a minimum amount of power over our great University. I’m probably being pedantic, but this: “No one needs to make “claims”, they just need to get into the playoffs (by whatever measures are set in place) and then win.” Could be describing the BCS. Minus the ‘s’ at the end of playoffs, it’s the entirety of the argument for the creation of the BCS championship game in the first place 13 years ago. You’re just arguing that it should be 4 teams, or 6 or 8 instead of 2. Count me in the camp that doesn’t want that, and that would be fine with scrapping the whole thing. Make the SEC championship and a trip to New Orleans the ultimate goal of Georgia and every team in the SEC. The game I grew up watching and came to love can’t support a huge playoff. DarrrenRovelll So if Butler had won the national title in basketball the last two seasons then they would not have had a legitimate claim to the NCAA title? They were not seeded in the top 8 in either tournament. Are you really making a basketball-football comparison as if it is apples to apples? Are you advocating a 65 team football playoff? Are you going to put the Horizon League champion in your playoff? No but your argument is flawed. Are you saying that no team below the 8th seed has any hope of beating a team ranked 8 or higher? You nailed it Jordan. The anti’s arguments are not just dated and tiring, they are flawed with the “you can’t do what is right to fix it because we would then screw it up”, as if that has ever been a reason for man not striving to make things better. We would never have had cars or planes because someone might use them unsafely. A plus one is a half-assed solution that says we know we don’t have enough entrants with two teams yet doesn’t allow just one more round, to insure the major conferences have representation. It is destined to fail because a plus one would cry out for immediate expansion because it doesn’t solve the problem of legitimate inclusion. 8 teams would do that for all but the weird. The Senator summarily dismisses Hinton’s point about the rematch, but Hinton’s comments are irrefutable. If Bama could earn their way back to a rematch, more power to them, but to just be awarded another shot is pitiful. We have 120 teams scattered through all geographies, most all of which have not interacted,so it is pretty myopic to think the best way to determine the top team in 2011 is to replay a game we have already seen. Even worse, should Alabama win, they would still have a lesser pedigree than the vanquished LSU. How hollow will that title, or ring, be? I doubt it would bother the Tide fans at all, but who else would recognize them? They are the butt of many jokes about this already. But this isn’t about the lack of cred of Tide fans, this is about how CFB has gone a century without finding an adequate way to have one team earn it’s way to a title bigger than a regional one. No sport, at any level, does that. But if we are going to ignore that need/desire for a true champion, let’s win it on the field and stop pretending we have a true method of identifying a champ. Let’s just stop at conference titles, they are the highest earned achievements in CFB. As silly as I think that is, I could support that ahead of the disastrous system we currently have in post season play. Has America gone completely to preferring handouts to actually earning something? Mac, needless to say I think your argument is overwrought, but one thing in particular stands out: … it is pretty myopic to think the best way to determine the top team in 2011 is to replay a game we have already seen. Even worse, should Alabama win, they would still have a lesser pedigree than the vanquished LSU. How hollow will that title, or ring, be? Isn’t that an argument that we don’t need a playoff at all? As I have said many times before, I would rather have no claims of having a champion than this phony process we now have. I am cool with everyone having their conference champion and nothing beyond…certainly nothing as contrived as what we have now. It is the falseness of it that bothers me most. How so? In what way does his quote argue that we don’t need a playoff? He clearly states: “If Bama could earn their way back to a rematch, more power to them, but to just be awarded another shot is pitiful. We have 120 teams scattered through all geographies, most all of which have not interacted…” At this point the anti-playoff crowd is like the old man resistant to change, not because of actual, sound reasoning, but because he’s afraid of change itself. I know you’re an educated man Senator, but I can’t help but feel you’re anti-playoff stance is simply a rabble-rousing maneuver to draw page views. Fess up. If LSU is the best team, regardless, what’s the point of a playoff? Also, I’ve got better things to do than write merely to draw page views. That’s Mark Bradley territory, thanks. Dawgaholic In reality, this is a year where LSU deserves the pre-1995 system. The best system for college football is a variable system that is flexible according to the state of things after the regular season. For this year, the pre-bowl alliance system would work as we have one clear top team. For years like 2005, 2006, or 2010, the current regular season plus BCS model is great. For years like 2003, 2004, or 2007, a 4, 6, or 8 team playoff may be needed – though I’ve never seen a season where 8 teams had a legitimate argument that they were number one. Any playoff should be limited to teams that have a legitimate argument that they are number one. If it’s just one team, nothing is needed. If five teams, then the 4 and 5 play and the winner advances to a 4 team playoff. To determine what is needed, you would need a set metric that qualified all teams within a certain point ranking or score of the number one ranked team. Ideally, this system would contain record, strength of schedule, and a component that gave additional credit to schools from conferences that had won recent national championships. Although this would only result in at most 3 additional games, I doubt such a system would ever be accepted due to the uncertainty at the end of each year- despite the fact it may be the best way to determine a true national champion and still keep emphasis on the regular season. Dawgaholic; I think you may B forgetting about the inclement weather we have at ‘Bowl Playing Time’. If all wining teams playing in Bowls could play in Domed Stadiums, then that would be grand; but reckon that could B the case? Hardly.. Note that the title is ambiguous as to what the subject matter of the post might be, thus negating any chance of increased page views from people who might be “roused” enough to click through to it simply because they disagree with it. WVMtnDawg I think its supports the argument that there are too many FBS programs out there. 120 is too many, we should have less, and let conference champs settle it on the field against each other. It really is that simple WV, If we can just get those mid-majors to step back. That was close to what the BCS founders tried to do but they left the door ajar. The 4 Super Conferences could accomplish this in the next few years but it would be cleaner if there were different divisions established for the have and have-nots. “No sport, at any level, does that.” Not true. High school football. I understand that the money and the stadiums and the TV contracts of CFB resemble the NFL, and that’s great, because it puts UGA on my TV every Saturday. I just don’t want it to copy the NFL on the field, because I find the NFL very boring. Don’t think Mac’s argument is “overwrought” at all. That would make yours “overbought”, Senator. The words “National Champion” should be dissected. Some of us put different meanings to the words than do others. Yeah, I see exactly what you mean. It may be a leap (but not overwrought) to compare Bammers with the entitlement mentality spreading from the Leftist movement, but the whining and begging for another shot is annoying for similar reasons. Of course, there are those who don’t see a problem with either. And , as sharp as your vision is with all matters football, I really don’t think you “see exactly” much at all when it comes to what is going on outside the game. JMO. From Jordan: Yeah – not overwrought at all…totally logical – after all this isn’t an opinion it is FACT that a playoff will be better for every single person! I’m a Saints fan, and I hate that the Saints are probably going to have to play the Falcon’s in the first round of the playoffs, for the 3rd time in 8 games. Talk about watering dwon the regular season.The worst the Saints can be this season against the Falcons is 2-1, but if that’s the case, the Falcon’s will have had a better playoff run than the Saints. Nobody has ever complained about the fact that teams that already played in the regular season play again in various playoff formats until the BCS did it. See the Senator’s circular reasoning in the post. That’s just a bit over the top. Where do you get off attaching some nasty label on someone who doesn’t agree with you and then ask for a pardon for rude statements because it was supposedly done “Tongue in Cheek”. “One day climate change skeptics will be seen in the same negative light as racists, or so says former Vice President Al Gore. Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/08/28/gore-global-warming-skeptics-are-this-generations-racists/#ixzz1i2oK49tk Now this from the guy who invented the internet and you both concern me. I may be outdated but I do enjoy the long standing traditions of college football. The bowls are one of those traditions and I would like to think the athletes enjoyed playing in them as much as I enjoy watching them. It was something we always looked forward to and they do too! “The BCS was not designed to award the national title to the most deserving team; it was designed to make money for the top-20 or so programs in Division 1. Football programs need cost certainty; the business model of D1 athletics depends on it. The “revenue” sports (men’s football and basketball) generate millions of dollars in profits that are re-invested into “non-revenue” (Olympic and women’s) sports, as well as various facilities to enhance/solidify recruiting. Why exactly are poor inner city kids sacrificing their bodies to subsidize suburban kids playing country club sports in college anyway? ** So it doesn’t matter that a playoff system will bring in more money to college athletics. That’s money the NCAA would get its hands on; money that would be spread much more equally around the 100+ Division 1 programs. The big-time programs would rather have bigger cuts of a smaller pie than smaller cuts of a larger one. That’s the fundamental problem with playoff proponents’ – they think they are talking to a business when they are actually negotiating with a monopoly. And like all monopolies, the six BCS conferences aren’t looking to give up their power. The way the system is set up now, if you go undefeated in a BCS conference, you will play for a national title. Except in a rare occasion like 2004, when USC, Auburn and OU all finished undefeated.” Now unless you are a racist, sexist, Nazi homophobe wife beater…. I’m sure we can agree. (Just kidding..it’s all good!)….right? or “overwrought”. I am all for a plus one as long as the College Administrators fix it as a long term contract to stem the voracious appetite that exists for playoff addicts. And make it a requirement that you must win your conference. We know Alabama is inferior to LSU. I would like to KNOW that Oklahoma State was. And yeah, I am hoping against hope that LSU beats the ever living hell out of Bama just so I can see Herby tell us how this was the right match up. That alone would be worth it. I like the cut of your jib, Bob … and in a football way. ‘Special interests’ have that certain special habit of nibbling at the edges of issues and exploiting the idea of a utopian solution to common inconvenience. Once the lid is off the ‘playoffs bottle’ the result will be a stampede for profit. And, I think, the inherent unpredictability of semi-amateur football will be gone down the drain. As opposed to the current state of football where conferences and broadcasting companies ink billion dollar deals and we have 30+ bowls simply because they rake in profit. Yea, playoffs are really going to ruin college football and cause a stampede for profit. To be a playoff opponent simply because the bowls have existed and that’s “how we’ve always done it” is absurd. Doing something wrong, even if you’ve been doing it wrong all along, is still wrong. Well, that’s just like your opinion, Man…If and when there is a movement toward a playoff it will only be about one thing —- DOLLARS (or yuan)! Profit is what has proliferated these Belk/Meineke/San Diego Credit Union(?) Bowls and should sponsors be presented with a business plan that increases revenues faster they’ll jump on it like Chuck Berry on a honky girl. I think you may be confusing what is best for a marketplace of jackal advertisers vs. the maintenance of the most meaningful regular season on the American sports landscape. I’m not confusing anything. A playoff might be best for the marketplace, but that’s irrelevant, its whats best for college football. The regular season would still be meaningful and please spare me that line when Alabama, who did not win the SEC and lost to LSU at home during the regular season, was selected to rematch LSU for the title game. Again, I don’t understand why the regular season would all the sudden lose its meaning. Look at this year. In an 8 team playoff, there would only be 8 coveted spots. A single loss could knock you out of the running, just like now. The regular season would maintain its importance. The whole “the regular season would lose its importance” argument is old and holds no water. I don’t like the prospect that Bama gets another crack at LSU, but sell those goods to the voters. Those Harris Poll grandpas and the Coaches Poll sycophants are the responsible agents for elevating Alabama above OSU. Strength of schedule, in some form agreeable to every conference, must be sprinkled into this BCS formula or else all manner of subjective bias can creep in. We think it’s hard deciding who the second best team in America is, wait til we have to decide who the 8th or 16th best is. But they rake in the profit because the large BCS schools also control the power too. If they opt for a football in the FBS division, we will see a major shakeup in the NCAA. There will be a big fight and it will be bloody. Non-BCS schools have reasonable representation and revenue sharing from the basketball and they will demand the same from a football playoff. This probably why the BCS conferences floating the “plus one” are calling it such. Labeling it a playoff will open the Pandora’s box with the potential to completely destroy the NCAA as it is currently structured. Ty Webb By your reasoning, we KNOW UGA is inferior to South Carolina. Why did UGA make the SECCG? Because of how the rest of the season played out for those two teams and others. Same reason Bama was able to slide into the NCG. If Bama beats LSU an LSU is voted #1 in the AP, will they claim a national championship? Anybody remember 2003? That would be fun to follow on the LSU boards! Yeah, I just thought about that. I would really enjoy hearing them debate themselves. I might just start cataloging some of their arguments from 2003 for fun. Having seen both Bama and Okie State play several times this season, I can tell you I don’t need to watch LSU play Okie State to KNOW LSU is better. I don’t even need to spend the night at a mid priced motel to know it. If you don’t KNOW LSU is better, well…maybe you should find some other sport to be interested in. Scorpio, I think I have been around long enough to know something about this sport. Do you really know that LSU is better? For fact? I think they are better. Hell, I THINK Alabama is better that OSU. But I do not know that they are not better than Alabama. Don’t need to see that show again. And no matter how smart you think you are, you don’t know either. Did you assume Utah was better than Alabama? Oh, I thought so. 😉 Bob; I think we “ALL” should wait until 1/09/12 to see who wins “THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES”; Alabama OR LSU ? If Bama comes up and wins!! Well stranger things have happened. Wasn’t it not 2 many years ago when LSU was undefeated and came time to play (was it Kentucky, or someone else) whomever? And that whomever beat them handidly. I say “Don’t count your ‘Chicks’ B4 they hatch”. If LSU goes into that game “OverConfident”; well don’t B suprised if BAMA pulls out a win; I Said; “Stranger Things Have Happened”.. The only reason I’d like to see Okie State play LSU is to watch LSU destroy them. Alabama is the only team that has a chance (and a good chance) to beat LSU if they’re both on their games. Ok State, not so much. As long as the number of SEC teams are not limited in a playoff system and just based it on rankings of some sort. I still can see the SEC dominating and other conferences unhappy. You can already see the dilemma coming for UGA next year (yes, that’s premature I know but we do have a very easy SOS, i’ve heard…) Undefeated UGA wins East Undefeated LSU wins West, beating one-loss Alabama (or vice versa) West winner beats East winner in SECGC. Two 1-loss SEC teams remain, both losing only to #1 ranked LSU. who goes to the BCS CG? The divisional winner? But we just demonstrated that isn’t a criteria this year. Is it the one with the higher ranking? that will likely be the one that lost earlier in the year. I think this year’s rematch sets bad precedent, and sort of upturns previous precedent from 2007 when some Eastern division team didn’t deserve to go to the Championship because they didn’t win thier division. I forget who that was… Did I actually see a slippery slope argument?! When I was in school it was not against the conduct code to punch someone for making a slippery slope argument in crim pro. The bcs is designed to get the two best/most deserving teams in. You can’t make the argument that Osu is better or more deserving than Alabama. Moreover, you can’t justify LSU having go win 2 games to claim the national title when they shouldn’t have to play one. This is ahead in which the old system of choosing a national champ before the bowls makes the most sense. Instead, you have a system where the most accomplished regular season team has to beat a team it beat on the raid to claim a trophy. Rather than acknowledge the stupidity of that process most want to aggravate it by making LSU beat two undeserving opponents. I just can’t make any sense out of that. so much of this season’s anti-BCS argument seems to be summed up in the following sentence: “We dont like seeing LSU play Alabama again.” Well, I dont like it either, but anyone who thinks these arent the two best teams this year just hasnt been paying attention. If your point is “Alabama shouldnt be in this game because they already had their shot at home and lost,” I can’t argue against that; however, the BCS rules dont prohibit it. Does anyone really think OK St’s O would do much against the Bama D? Does anyone think a mediocre OK St D would do much to slow down Bama’s O? Substitute Stanford or Oregon for OK St, same conclusion. I can see the argument that a second place team in its division shouldnt play for the title. Fair enough. But if your goal is to put the two best teams in the title game, this year is your dream game. Makes no sense to me to make LSU play MORE games to get to the title game. If the BCS title game is to determine which is the best team in the country, everything such as conference titles, affiliations, schedules, who Corso is in love with, who Herbstreet is trying to screw, great traditions, and so on and so on need to be put aside. Let a computer program decide who’s stongest. If it’s two teams from the same conference who have already played….so be it. BUT if it’s about making every region and conference feel needed and building the biggest national audience, figure out a playoff system. Pandora can help arrange it. It will give a lot of people the warm fuzzies to think that their team is “going to the big dance”, or is “on the bubble” (just to use the more boring sports’ tourny lingo). Just think of the possibilities. If you think the a-holes at espn (just for instance, not to be picking on that wonderful cast) are sickining in their partiality now…just wait until you have a playoff system. Game day will have to start at midnight on Thursdays just so they can get their politicing in…. Keeping it like it is sucks.The subjective, human element has to be removed and this is the time in history where, thanks to technology (computers) it can actually be done. Just don’t let GT write the program. But even if we finally got it all perfect….with computers or playoffs or whatever, one bad call by a biased referee could sink the whole thing….again. And it WOULD happen…again. Or someone would sue that the computer program wasn’t written perfectly and some quirk left their team out. Oh, well. It never hurts to try. Bottom line here…this year the two best teams are playing for it.Next year maybe not…one of them might get stuck playing Hawaii becase Corso says so. What if you had three polls at the end. If they disagreed, any of the teams could challenge one of the others to a playoff game. They would have to be willing to put up one million dollars and forfeit it and every cent they made on the extra game to charity if they lost. They’d have to be pretty confident, as would the opposing team to accept the challenge. You think OSU would do this against LSU? KSt against Bama? Yes…I’m crazy. Just fun. I think you would have the same problems with a play off system that you do now. Somebody’ s going to be left out and will start whining about the unfairness of it all. What if 4 of the top ranked 8 teams are from the SEC? You would again hear how the system is rigged to favor the SEC from all those other conferences that don’t know how to play defence. Yeah, but the differences in selecting the 16th team (I just used that number because it will piss someone off) are so close that you may settle for a raffle system. Now there we go! Select the top 8-12 teams and throw 8-16 in a pile to raffle off the next placements. These would be called The Future Incoming National Games Raffle and by acronym would be known as the FING Raffle, shortened by some to FING R. By having this Fing Raffle, we can stipulate we are giving the BCS the FING R. I’ll have to check with corporate to determine the use of the FING R logo since that conflicts with the next model name for Fing Scooters. surely! Dear 4 Team Playoff Advocates, Please explain how the argument of Bama vs. OSU is not the same, if perhaps not even more intense, between #4 Stanford and #5 Oregon? Oregon beat Stanford, Oregon is the Pac (whatever) Champion. Oregon lost to LSU. Stanford has arguable a weaker schedule. Stanford beat USC in triple OT, Oregon lost to USC by 3. And if you want conference champs only, Bama’s out and Whisky is in (as well as Oregon, so you’ve got #5 and #8 in the playoffs, while #’s 2, 4 , 6, and 7 are out)? I’m not sure what that would be, but it’s not “progress”. It’s a clarion call for 8-16 teams in a playoff! Outstanding, AusDawg. It’s called the pros. They play on Sunday. Check it out sometime. Every year, without fail, a four team playoff is messier than the two team BCS. Every year. The argument I get is that people won’t care about who is 4 or 5 as long as they ‘know’ that the best teams are in the playoff. But you won’t know that. Look at this year. No one is arguing that LSU shouldn’t be in there. And no one is arguing that Bama or OSU are better than LSU. The quest is whether or not Bama is better than OSU. Move it back, is Stanford Better than Oregon? Move it back, is Kansas State better than South Carolina? Is Michigan State better than UGA? I guess we’ll find that one out, but I assure you if we just got the spot and they were left out (they’re currently 17th in the BCS to our 16th) they’d be screaming mad. I doubt anyone will be able to give a serious answer to this. Any takers? dawg39 The lone voice in the wilderness. I am against the BCS as it now stands. I am against any team playing in more than 2 bowl games. I like the bowl system in place now EXCEPT: I am a proponent of a PLUS ONE (4 TEAM PLAYOFF). That would settle the National Championship issue for me every year. all great points made by the senator…. I find the most irritating element whenever someone attempts to examine the DI FBS “Champion” is that they do so in a vacuum, completely isolated from causation and rationale. We have a current system in place for post-season play that by-and-large is irrespective of the polls (save the BCS bowls) and is settled by conference ranking. We have large scale exhibition games geared at pitting equal conference opponents against each other. If we introduce a “+1” system of a 4-team playoff scenario, it would be honest for us also to actually address how the rest of the bowls will be impacted. No, it won’t be “just an extra game”. It will essentially become two post-season seasons; the “haves” and the “have nots”. I think what gets lost in all of this is what bowl games represent to college football. These really aren’t “just games”, they are winter vacations for both the schools and fan bases that travel. Its a big deal and an event (even when teams lose the bowl game). The perspective of the spectator that actually takes part and attends the game is missing from this discussion. The “playoffs or bust” is mainly coming from people who are just casually watching on the tube. What is ‘broken’ in the current bowl series? Is it JUST determining the National Champion? If thats all it is…then I suppose we have to ask if something could help weight these teams to create a consensus of a team’s ability. We already have it – its the BCS score combing several polls and computer formulas. The “National Champion” isn’t endorsed by the NCAA (it is completely a concoction of the ‘BCS’ collective), so whatever we’re attempting to do here is simply for TV and sponsor revenue. It would be nice the next time some sportswriter brings up this argument, that he does his homework and actually illustrates what would happen from all perspectives. Is the current bowl system profitable for the bowl, for the hosting city, do the teams actually profit, what impact does being a bowl winner (no matter how trivial the bowl) have on a program – instead of just how making a change to satiate ESPN ratings? Hilarious to see all the “regular season is so sacred” crowd defend a system that completely ignores the November 5 game between LSU and Alabama. No requirement to earn it, let’s just hand them a do-over. I understand that some prefer no playoff at all, but at least be consistent. If you aren’t gagging about this, then you weren’t sincere about the sanctity of the regular season. This is the worst of all scenarios. It knocks out the “regular season” argument in a way a playoff never could. And I am a “regular season is sacred” guy who supports a limited playoff because it would enhance the regular season. This again? It doesn’t ignore the November 5 game. LSU is 1 and Alabama 2 because of that game. The nice thing about the system is that it also factors in the other 11 weeks of the season in arriving at the matchup. In those other 11 weeks Alabama didn’t play a game closer than 16 points. They were also the only team to stay within 13 of LSU. I don’t like the rematch, and I’ve always thought they should have a conference championship requirement for participation (with exemptions for independents). However, Alabama has no embarrassing losses and pretty clearly looks like the second best, if not the best, team in the country by any metric you want to use. Beyond my other argument, even if I concede that in this one particular instance the regular season is somewhat diminished by this rematch, why in God’s name would I want to switch to a system that would ensure multiple instances of regular season matchups between top teams being only determiners of seeding? Bogus. If LSU beat Bama 27-3 on Nov 5, I guarantee you OSU is in the title game. Bama rightly gets credit for playing LSU very close. The regular season matters. Patrick..very important point. The closeness of that game begs for the rematch. Also, I came away thinking that Alabama was a little better overall. That may no longer be the case with Jefferson playing QB. He certainly gave the LSU offense a spark when he entered that game. Guys, having a playoff whether it is 2,4 8, 16, or 32 teams does not guarantee you will identify the best team…ever. Each match-up is unique and results are for that day only. We can all make extrapolations based on interwoven five-off game results, but you never really know who is the best…that will always be argumentative. Only the intensity of the argument will vary. You can have a NC though, if you have a representative playoff. If anyone using the “regular season” stuff isn’t disgusted by what the rematch says about the importance of the regular season results Biggus, I don’t guess we are discussing the same thing. It couldn’t be a more direct assault the foundation of the regular season’s significance. And a playoff is not an even more fierce assault on the regular season? Seriously, if LSU having to play Bama is a travesty, what is LSU having to play Stanford and then Bama, or K State, Stanford, then Bama? You can’t make an argument that the BCS harms the regular season’s sanctity and argue for a playoff at the same time. Dude – rematches happen ALL the time in the pros. Giants/Pats anyone? Yes – smaller population granted. We’ve had 2 (that I can remember) maybe 3 rematches in the BCS history. Guarantee playoffs it happens as well. This is a tired argument. A playoff won’t prevent rematches. A 2 team playoff (which the BCS really is when you get down to it) won’t as well. Your first paragraph, with the exception of the last sentence, is the most coherent thing you’ve written on this post. You “can” have a NC either way. But it means different things to different people. But the regular season will get diminished the larger the playoff gets. Go look at revenue distribution of most (if not all) playoff sports and then look at what we have. Not too difficult to figure that one out, but it’s not something the playoff advocates tend to address. Dave, first of all I am not a “dude”, nor have I ever been referred to as one unless I traveled from the East to the Old West in another life. Just cannot recall that far back. Secondly, if you honestly don’t see how a playoff of 8 teams from a group of 120 differs with what the NFL does (or the NBA, NHL, NCAA Basketball, etc) there is simply no way to have a conversation with you on this subject. You seriously don’t think they are relevant do you? I have always said I opposed the 12, 16, 32, or more playoff proposals for many reasons. And, a well designed playoff of 8 would most definitely enhance the regular reason by making each game precious and a step to something very significant, something earned, something never accomplished before (beyond the Conference title, of course, which is actually earned.) If Oklahoma State had lost twice in the regular season, would you still exclude ‘Bama from the title game? Yes, if presented with the current “vote them in” option, I would have taken the next best team from a different region of the country….Stanford probably. Let’s face it, Bama is really only in because of a small plane crash involving OSU coaches. Stanford didn’t win their Conference, or even Division, either. You’d have to take Oregon, right? Wait… they already lost to LSU too. Oregon 53, Stanford 30. ‘Course, that would be a rematch, too. 😉 That is why I wouldn’t take Oregon. Keep in mind, I am not in favor of a 2, or 4 team playoff…was just answering what I thought would be the best choice if OSU were not available with the resume they have.. I would choose to not pretend that would be a NC at all until we really have a playoff. While respecting all opinions on a college fotball playoff, have to say we begin to take on fake expertise when we argue points we have conjured up from media info. It just creeps into all our arguments. It all begs for a study of playoffs that are already set in college football transposing over to study such a large number of interests that reside in college ball. I confess that most of my interest in a playoff comes from negative aspects of the BCS and all the self-serving interests from afar who try to and sometimes impact my alma mater negatively and in a poor spirit of competition. And sometimes what I write as attempted humor somehow begins to look more and more plausible. It’s time to up the FING R plan for the BCS.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1012
__label__cc	0.59253	0.40747	← The mascot formerly known as Russ “So who’s playing where?” → Random observations from last night’s SEC opener Is this the quintessential Vanderbilt moment, or what? Of course, let’s keep that in perspective: even if the official had flagged Carolina on the play, it still meant Vanderbilt had to cover about half the field in about 100 seconds. That was anything but a given for a team that amassed less than 300 total yards on the night. Still, it helps make for a nice, warm moral victory. On to a few specifics: The game was closer than I thought it would be, for two reasons, both of which should be troubling to South Carolina. First, the injury to Connor Shaw. It’s funny – all those years we watched Stephen Garcia run recklessly and never get hurt and Shaw, a gamer who runs with a much more organized purpose than Garcia ever did, gets banged up. The Gamecock offense, which wasn’t exactly lighting things up before Shaw was hurt, completely shut down in his absence. And it’s not like Shaw won’t be facing a few formidable front sevens in October. It’s a little scary to consider how much is going to be left of him after the Florida game. The second reason, the shocker of the night, was how much South Carolina missed Alshon Jeffery. Especially the threat of Alshon Jeffery. The ‘Cocks gained a whopping 67 yards through the air. Their leading receiver was Marcus Lattimore. Shaw couldn’t throw anything longer than an intermediate-level pass with any authority, even before his injury. (There was only one completion of as much as 20 yards and that was to the tight end.) Lattimore wasn’t 100 percent, but he was still the best player on the field. The Vanderbilt defense keyed on him, which allowed Shaw to rack up almost 100 yards rushing, but still, when it came down to crunch time, Lattimore showed he had it in him to take over a game. He’s got some rust to shake off, but he’ll get better. He’ll have to. For all the smart-assery we’ve heard from the OBC about the schedule, I bet he’s not too unhappy right now about Georgia not being his week two opponent. The South Carolina secondary is definitely the weak link on the defense. And there are some passing attacks that are going to take advantage of that. The “SEC – Year of the Quarterback” meme took a hit last night. I’ve already mentioned Shaw’s deficiencies. Rodgers looked like the same erratic passer he was last year. He did have that nice 78-yard hookup with Jordan Matthews, but he had more than his fair share of head scratchers. I really, really like Vanderbilt’s coaches. Despite being obviously overmatched on both lines, they did everything they could to scratch, claw and compensate for that. The Vandy defense, in particular, looks like it’s going to be a pain in the ass to deal with. And I thought Lorenzo Ward did a competent job masking the weakness of his secondary. Take away that one busted play in coverage that allowed Vandy’s touchdown of the night and there wasn’t a whole bunch else. He’ll do all right this year. It sure looks a lot easier to kick off for a touchback. Who thought a Spurrier-coached team would be so boring? For Vanderbilt, it’s going to be a year when everyone talks about grit, determination and being well-coached. Not so much about winning, though. For all their toughness, the Commodores held a 13-10 second half lead against a team with a one-armed quarterback… and lost. There’s still too much of a talent gap in Nashville. Vandy isn’t going to upset a better team without help on the turnover front, and even then, as last night showed, that’s not always going to happen. South Carolina is a deeper team than it’s ever been and that helped last night. But you have to wonder how far the Gamecocks can go with that passing attack, even if Shaw stays healthy going forward. You also have to wonder if South Carolina’s front seven can do enough to compensate for the back four against a team with a more consistent passing game than Vanderbilt’s. The OBC would seem to have his work cut out for him. Filed under 'Cock Envy, James Franklin Is Ready To Rumble 129 responses to “Random observations from last night’s SEC opener” DugLite (formerly The other other Doug) You know Connor Shaw has to be hurting this morning. I bet he didn’t sleep well last night. Looked to me like a separated shoulder. That Vanderbilt defender hit his knee in just the right spot to separate it. No malice was intended and then that tackle where Connor was upended and he landed flat on his back. You could see the shoulder moving as it is not intended. Gonna be a long year for the cock lovers. Reverend Whitewall I texted my buddies the same thing in the 4th qtr, I said “Shaw is playing on adrenaline (and probably cortisone) right now, but that shoulder is gonna hurt like a sonofabitch in the morning”. I’m sure he’ll be back by their Missouri game, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he misses the next couple of weeks or so. And ECU is not a bad team by any means. The Cocks could have a tussle on their hands in next weeks’ game. My thoughts: Lattimore in a knee brace was down to humans status. Shaw is one tough cookie. Vandy got slightly jobbed on the non PI call, but the better team won. USC looked eminently beatable. gastr1 As you can see clearly in the replay, the referee was right there and looking right at it. Had as clear a view as they ever get, I’d bet, and called nothing. It’s the kind of thing that makes you wonder. Gravidy It’s the kind of thing we see go against Georgia at least a half dozen times a year. pantslesspatdye I think he was making up for the missed call against Vandy in the 1st quarter. I’m not excusing it, but it happens. Which call do you mean? I don’t recall anything as obvious. The Vandy defender never made a play on the ball, just barrelled into a leaping receiver on a catchable ball. It was probably about a 20 yardish pass that obviously would have kept their drive alive. Perhaps not as obvious as an elbow claw, but obvious nonetheless. I used to wonder , but I don’t so much anymore. I am lining up more solidly behind The Mayor in his assertion that there is a narrative that is pushed by the SEC home office to favor given teams in certain situations throughout the season. It hurts to watch football games with that in mind, but I cannot logically make sense of so many blatantly missed rulings. And who wants to bet this is the crew the Dawgs draw against USCe? This must be the cream, right, they having worked the opening night game. dboy Yea, im not a conspiracy theorist, but it is more than a trend that the favored, top 10 SEC team get the critical call against a lower ranked opponent. Especially toward the end of the season and the favored team is poised for a BCS berth. It has happened over and over x 5 years or so…back to the florida Corch / Tebow days. The Florida Arkansas game and UT/Bama games in 2008/2009 were particularly bad, ref-wise. Especially that Arky game. Just Chuck (the other one) The alternative hypothesis is that SEC officials are mostly incompetent. I’m not ruling that out. NateG It was amusing to watch Jesse Palmer talk about how Georgia was so lucky with it’s schedule. Then, by the end of the game when it was obvious Carolina was in no way ready to face a team like the Dawgs appear to be, South Carolina was the lucky one. Just goes to show what a crock of shit this schedule whining is. That, and it made me wish Jesse Palmer had joined Craig James in running for some sort of political office…. That was a bad no call by the ref, to be sure. Vandy was scrappy. They will beat somebody. I just hope it is not us. The game was decided by 2 calls. The first was in the first half where Clowney was clearly in the neutral zone, a Vandy lineman jumped and a 48 yard Vandy field goal got taken off the board because of a bogus procedure call on Vandy. One of the TV announcers even said it at the time. The penalty took Vandy out of field goal range. Those 3 points changed the way the end of game scenario played out completely (all Vandy would have needed to win would have been a FG). The other is the call you referenced above. There was clear pass interference on that play as repeatedly shown by multiple replays. If the Vandy receiver catches that pass Vandy has a first down at about the Cock’s 35 with a minute to play. This type of outcome determining call or no-call by SEC refs has happened with such frequency that one cannot believe it is an accident–and the calls always go in favor of the team that is considered “better.” There is something crooked going on here. The fact that it happens so frequently and that the SEC office never seems to do anything about getting rid of the offending refs screams that the SEC front office is in on it. The SEC is fixing games and the SEC honchos are doing. Slive–it’s all about the $$ with him and anything to get the top-rated teams in the SEC into the highest paying bowls is what he is all about. This crooked refs thing started about the time Slive showed up as Commish. Not a coincidence, IMHO. PI isn’t a spot foul in college. Vandy would have had it barely in USCe’s territory. Thanks, HD. You are right. The Dores only would have gotten a first down at about the Cocks’ 40. But the bad call came on 4th down and effectively ended the game. Same effect. And it wasn’t an accident. Jerry Rogers What does it matter. PI should have been called and it does not matter where the ball would have been placed. This discussion about if it would have helped Vandy or not is silly. And it was so obvious and the ref., if that is what he is, was looking right at ti. I didn’t see the game, but this “Clowney was clearly in the neutral zone, a Vandy lineman jumped and a 48 yard Vandy field goal got taken off the board because of a bogus procedure call on Vandy” –if described accurately– would have been a correctly-called penalty on Vandy, yes? Can’t the defense can be in the neutral zone prior to the snap of the ball as long as they don’t touch anyone? And the OL cannot move in any case until the ball is snapped, so the penalty would have been on Clowney only if the center snapped the ball when Clowney was in the NZ. If an OL moves after getting set it’s always on the OL unless someone is touched or the defender crosses the line of scrimmage, thus going past the NZ. ugadawg9288 In cases like last night, no. According to the NCAA rule book, Section 18 Article 2 (Offside) If a player is in or beyond the neutral zone when the ball is snapped OR (as what happened last night) he “threaten’s an offensive lineman, causing an immediate reaction, before the ball is snapped.” Clowney jumped into the NZ, causing a reaction from the Left Guard of Vandy, and, of course, the zebras penalize Vandy for it. But the attendant argument made by the TV crew was that Clowney lunged but stayed out of the NZ, legally enticing the VU lineman to jump. From the replay angle it was hard to be totally sure if he trespassed into the NZ, but I believe he did. (Of course, the SEC has a ref right on the line of scrimmage — and he would be objective. Right? Right??!!!!) As the rule reads, if a defensive player jumps and causes a reaction from an offensive lineman, it’s offside. (S 18, A 2-D in the 2012 NCAAF rule book) Regardless of the neutral zone? I went back and watched it and it did appear that it should have been on SC, as the Mayor said…I think they still would have had to kick the FG over, though. Thanks for the clarification! Not being snarky–Does the rulebook really actually have a misplaced apostrophe like that in “threaten’s”? woops, no, that was just my bad And can somebody please how Jesse Palmer how to properly tie a necktie? What a goober. Maybe that’s what is done by our Neighbors to the North. You mightnot think he is a goober if you got a look at the broad who tied it hurriedly. Palmer is Canadian. They can’t even get bacon right much less a necktie. I thought both teams looked average at best. Franklin’s play calling was just crazy at times and probably cost him the game. The worst thing I saw was another horrible, inexuseable blown call by an SEC ref. He was right there.The whole world saw it and so did he. So you’ve gotta ask , “Why?…why wouldn’t he call such a blatant pass interference?”. I don’t care who won, and even though Vandy would still have to go a long way, they deserved the chance. Once again, we see an SEC ref’s ineptness or crookedness (if the shoe fits, wear it) very possibly determine the outcome of a game. I don’t want to lose like that (again) and I don’t want to win like that. Also, the player with the worst shoulder pain may be Vandy’s right defensive end…His arm was almost pulled off several times during pass rushes. I think it was called once. Bottom line….I hate the SEC refs. I don’t trust them one bit. My pic in the pool took a hit on the point spread. I’m 0-1 +1 Ug. See my post above. These refereeing decisions can truly turn a man away from actual gambling. It is entirely possible that two totally objective decisions changed the outcome last evening. The disallowed first half FG; the non-PI call. Those get called correctly and I believe Vandy wins. Their kicker seems very accurate, he just does not have a 55-yard leg. These ref decisions could turn a man away from watching football. That no-call on PI offended my sense of fair play and ruined the whole dadgum game for me. I cannot imagine the ref did not see it. We need replay and challenges, one of the few things we should borrow from the NFL. Replay on referee decisions in the SEC may make for 4-hour games! I spaced that we have replay but no Ahelp for no calls I am going to effijng vthursday thise phokne. How did South Carolina go from having a bunch of 6’5″ wide receivers to having nobody taller than 5’9″? They might be able to squeak out wins over teams like Vandy with that offense (at least until Shaw goes out for the year), but I’m not even sure they’ll beat Florida if that’s as good as their passing game is going to be. Of course, it’s the first game, so it may not be completely representative of their potential. That was an interesting stat. I sae that and wondered… Is Willie Martinez their receivers coach? hayduke That 5’9″ stat is crazy. I don’t know how you possibly think you can win in the SEC with 5″9″ and under WRs. You would think an offensive genius like Spurrier would realize this. Seriously, if I’m recruiting WRs for an SEC team, height is a major considerations. DBs are getting bigger, and most college quarterbacks simply have not developed enough to consistently hit those smaller targets. Good analysis, Senator. The Gamecock front 7 certainly is going to be stout, but Vandy gashed them at times. Clowney just appears to be a man among boys. I hope Gates is ready for him. I’m not sure the Cocks can beat any team with a pulse on offense if they play like that the rest of the year. Yeah, Clowney is a big, fast dude, but he sure seemed to disappear from time to time, against an offensive line that would be small in some Georgia high schools. Irwin R Fletcher He looked gassed most of the game…and when he would get gassed, he would compensate by attacking too hard from the snap and would take himself out of the play through simple misdirection. Vandy has some coaches….but Rogers is limited. He isn’t his brother, as much as ESPN who will probably have Vandy on TV 5-7 games this year want him to be. There is a reason he is 24 and hasn’t started a full season in D1 yet. He’s got talent, but isn’t an elite QB. (or at least hasn’t proven it). Not to mention their receivers are pretty raw, too. Marcus Lattimore is a man. I kept thinking after they had bottled him up most of the 2nd half that he would break a big run if they kept going to him…sure enough. He had 4 plays of over 8 yards in the 4Q including runs of 11 and 23 yards. Carolina had the ball 10:18 in the 4Q….Lattimore is the ulimate 4Q weapon in a close game. I think a lot of Lattimore’s late runs has to do with Vandy’s depth and USCe being a… sigh… legitimate SEC program. It’s like how you see all those almost-upsets scroll across the ESPN ticker. The fbs teams might have the ability to give them a game for a half or 3 quarters, but superior athletes playing 60 minutes will always be in a position to win in the 4th quarter. “superior athletes playing 60 minutes will always be in a position to win in the 4th quarter.” -True, See the SEC championship game LSU vs UGA. This is why we need a full compliment of scholarship players. We will beat 95% of teams due to our first string talent level… but when we play LSU / Alabama, we will be at a disadvantage. They have stellar depth and our player wear down playing nearly every snap while they are constantly subbing. This is especially important on defense. We wilted numerous times late in games last year. Most notably LSU and secondarily vs Mich St. The fact all those defensive players forgo the NFL and returned to UGA gives us some hope, not only from the skill and experience that they bring, but it dramatically increases our depth at those positions. It is Vandy of lore (at least in their good years). Play right with the power teams for 3 quarters but lose by either an agonizing mistake or seeming official incompetence. I would like a Chris Brown style breakdown of the zone read play against the 3/4. With what I saw from Shaw and the small receivers, we should take our chances in man coverage and load up to stop that play. Things I noticed of note: – As predicted.. Clowney was gassed. He played limited snaps last year and now that he is playing the whole time.. he is struggling in the 4th quarter. We’ll have to see how that plays itself out over the next few weeks. – It was noted Shaw’s arm strength is weak.. I think it was most evident in that first TD attempt.. his WR had the break and was wide open.. Shaw threw it a bit late, but with any zip on it it’s a TD.. instead it should of been a pick but was batted away easily. – Branden Smith will be extremely valuable in our game.. for once he will be the same size as the WR he’s lined up against. The Adorables sacked uSC 3 times and forced two turnovers. Then outgained South Carolina 276-272 in total offense. I thought the stats were fairly even. Vandy left 10 points on the field. Getting inside the Cock-a-doodle-doos 5 and not scoring which Latty promptly took advantage of. The penalty which nullified the long fg. Looked to me that uSC was in the neutral zone. I thought there was some suspect calls including that pass interference no call. The OBC probably didn’t sleep much last night and Shaw is still in the whirlpool. +1. See my post above AHD. They’re in trouble. Their O-line was getting whipped by a smallish defensive line, and that’s probably the easiest DL they’ll face in SEC play. Shaw looks incredibly pedestrian without Jeffrey. That secondary has big holes. October is going to be rough for the Fightin’ Poultry. Even if their line gets better they still have very little at the skill positions outside of Lattimore. Shaw sucks. I love the irony of Spurrier having a running QB who can barely throw. He hasn’t been able to get any kind of decent QB to Columbia…you know that frustrates the hell out of him, and I love anything that sticks in Stevie’s craw. I said somewhere in a prior comment thread that S.Car. is this year’s iteration of Ole Miss 2009. It’ll be Spurrier’s best 7-5 team EVRZ!!!! This, I suspect, is why Spurrier trolled all summer about their schedule. They’re just not a good football team. I see losses against ARK, LSU, UGA, UF and Clemson. We’ll beat them by two touchdowns. If we hold onto the ball, and establish a running game early, it’ll get ugly for them fast. Clowney was gassed in the FIRST half. He is in for a long season. rocksalt +1, Pollack (DGD!) and Palmer were talking up Clowney, and I believe he had a TFL and a sack. But, he sure wasn’t the all-universe terror that we were expecting. Vandy’s left tackle was listed as a “playmaker” during the broadcast, so maybe he’s a grown man (how many times did Pollack say that during the broadcast?), but he was standing up Clowney a LOT. That, the QB, the O-line, and the smurf receivers…number 9 ranking may be a stretch. The Cocks will always get a 5-spot bump in rankings as a direct result of having Spurrier. He is just a character, and subliminally AP voters judge that he is good for an extra win somewhere along the line. Not to play Devil’s Advocate here, but please remember that teams generally improve between the first games and the second. Also, Vandy is not a door mat these days (please remember our game against them last year for referrence). So, USCe had a scrappy opener and looked rusty and flawed. And then they do what they normally do…….lean on Latty and their D. Did we really think their formula would be any different this year? to me, the only shocking part was how their front 4 didn’t seem to get great pressure. They had their LBs up at the line on almost every play. I believe this is why the secondary got exposed. It felt a little like a Free Willie D. I generally agree with this assessment. I think SC was playing it close to the vest, and when Shaw got hurt, then they really packed it in. Lattimore is still the man. I wasn’t that impressed with Clowny. He’s good, but I didn’t see “great” out there last night. And SEC officials can really stink it up. That non-call at the end of the game was terrible, though I still think SC wins even if the call is made. We’ll get a full game from SC, though we can definitely win. I still think we’ll whip Vandy by 2 TDs at least. I don’t think USC was playing it ‘that’ close to vest.. maybe early.. but they quickly realized they could lose that game. I don’t think they were playing that close to vest either. I truly believe their offense is zone reads and Latty, all day long. Shaw gives them the threat of keepers on that play, as well as some option. Outside of that, I don’t see them airing it out. My point was, they will improve on this. I don’t think Shaw will suddenly become a more proficient passer, but they will clean up their offense and work on the D. They will give us fits, like they do every year. Vandy though……..I think Grantham smells blood in the water. I’d watch myself if I was them. They were scrappy, but man…….that offense stalled like my old Chevy Celebrity. And that D-Line of theirs got pushed around a good bit. But do they still win if the score is 17-16 as it perhaps ought to have been? Spears, the VU placekicker, was dead straight last night and only missed the 3rd qtr. attempt because it was 52 yards out. My, my. A lot of brazen optimism today. Aren’t we the ones that generally start the season notoriously slow? Let’s see how Missouri goes before we get too excited. … and Craig James is gone from the Thursday night crew. You missed the best part. SECDAWG Hey Mr. Franklin, you’re still Vandy, no respect losers. Irishdawg I think SC could be better than what we saw last night, as they tend to look sloppy in the first game. Having said that, if Lattimore can’t go all season, THEY ARE SCREWED. And the kid is just coming off major surgery, Spurrier is not going to be able to work him to death like he wants. Agree with you about Lattimore. Without him, that offense is inept at best and downright horrendous at worst. They have literally nothing outside of him. And another thought: it’s going to be a miracle if Shaw can make it through this season in one piece playing like that. Kid is tough and I respect his desire to win, but he was getting his ass whipped last night. No way he can keep that up. Agree… and those cortisone shots will be less effective. I’m suprised that the cock trolls are absent this morning. I thought they’d be out early, crowing about being in first place. Come on out, you awesome roosters! Crow about it! Give ’em time. Natty Lite meth induced semi-coma’s are hard to overcome first thing in the morning. FisheriesDawg Has South Carolina’s Thursday night opener ever been remotely indicative of the quality of their team? I’ll wait to see a few more games before I decide whether or not they’re gonna be a cakewalk in October. It may still work out in our favor that we’re playing them late rather than early. In that they usually aren’t very good, and they usually don’t look very good in the opener, yes, it’s pretty indicative. The mascot formerly known as Russ says that based upon what he saw of last night’s game, SEC officiating promises to be just as, if not even more, shitty than it was last season. With the way OBC was bent over with hands on knees at the end of the game, Russ wonders why OBC was trying to lick his balls but guesses it could be because of South Carolina’s super-tough schedule. But the thing that really irritates Russ is that the Cocks couldn’t even cover the spread in the Jon Fabris Invitational. That’s a good UGA IX! Keep your chin up — you just received a promotion. And OBC should be licking the balls of that side judge. Dat judge would bite chOU! D.N. Nation Did Spurrier just forget to recruit WRs? I wouldn’t take any of those guys over King/Bennett/Mitchell/Brown. Smity The VANDY moment was throwing the INT on the 3 yard line for about an 80 yard return. That’s Vandy football right there. Billy Mumphrey Where are all the Cock fans that have been over here clucking for the last few weeks? Maybe we shoud help them out. Sun do shine Cocka-Doodle-Doos! +1 … that’ll put the Cock in your Walk. Let’s play that the Sunday after the Dawgs storm through Columbia. “Pride comes before the fall” and all that, but I like The Grantham matched against the offensive personnel I saw last night. 1. The non-INT call serves Vandy right after their go-after-the-kneecap shots from last year. 2. Getting over a severe knee injury usually takes two full years. RB’s can go after one year or a few months of rehab, but aside from a rare occasion, it’s a two year recovery. Think Lumpkin. 3. SC’s front 7 is good and will get better, but the secondary will be exposed by the better passing games. 4. I thought Vandy’s D played well, particularly their smallish Dline. 5. A shoulder contusion is no small injury. That will linger for a long time. After watching that game, I’m honestly not sure that South Carolina will give us a much harder time than Vandy. Yep. Agree. More worried about Vandy than SC right now. Of course, that could change after a few more games, but the SC offense, outside of Lattimore, is pathetic. It’s early yet but same ol same ol from the refs, a? Clowney was very unimpressive to me but, again, it’s early yet.. Anybody hear Palmer say Shaw remind him of Elway trying to get into the endzone in the SB? Elway- really?!? John Elway?!? Yeah, that’s what I thought about as Shaw dove at the goal line. That Palmer guy is good. And I had no idea Shaw’s arm was that unimpressive. I mean, it’s still early but how ya gonna get that better? The game went pretty much as I expected, close with Vandy finding a way to lose. That turnover at the goal line just ripped their guts out and they aren’t good enough to have a 10-14 point swing go against them. Give Vandy credit for scrapping, blast any Vandy friends you have for not showing up, and put aside any thoughts of SC doing the improbable and winning the East. SC has a very good defensive front, a good RB, and nothing else of note. I think they have 4-5 losses this year and their brief run at being relevant may be over. Clemson will over shadow them in recruiting the state of SC and they don’t have much to offer out of state prospects, particularly as their over the hill coach nears the end. He could barely get across the field at the end of the game. Until SC fans starting acting like Bammer fans, I had nothing against their program. Now I will enjoy watching them sink back to their traditional level of a struggling team hoping to make secondary bowls every few years to avoid Birmingham/Shreveport/Nashville. Couldn’t happen to a nicer group. Agreed entirely. Establish the run, protect the ball, and we win going away. +1. If the Cocks go about 7-5 this season and Lattimore leaves for the NFL it wouldn’t surprise me at all if SOS retired. I don’t believe that he would want to be mired in mediocrity for the rest of his life. chuckling Dawgwood One thing I got out of the game is that Vandy can HIT! They worked over Shaw when he was in there. But the Lattimore hit over the middle, and the hit on the TE were awesome. So, good defenses vs. bad offenses is what I saw last night. On the Lattimore hit I swear that the ball never hit the ground before the Vandy defender picked it up. Maybe Vandy dropped it subsequently, but Vandy scooped it up as Lattimore was bobbling it over his shoulder on the ground. Personally, I thought Lattimore caught it, turned and then got hit, dropping the ball. Which should have been a fumble, not an incomplete pass. …and I also didn’t like to see a flag thrown on Hal #23 for the hit on SC’s tight end. You can argue it both ways, but for me that was a guy trying to prevent a long pass completion and not a malicious cheap shot. Those 15 yards helped in forging the 17-13 SC lead. It’s called separating the man from the ball. Although unintentional, it was close enough to the new rules for them to use as an excuse to flag it. If ‘Tree had been the hitter, they would have had to get us back into the stands after that call. If Tree had been the hitter I don’t believe the TE end would have hopped right back up. He would have been helped up….. and led to the sideline with one or two teammates for him to lean on. Gonna be some slobber knockin’ in Chickumbia by a solid Georgia D. I thought so, too. Amazing how all these bad calls go one way, isn’t it? Dawgwood, you finally said what objective observers saw. Many are blaming the whole thing on a down SC offense. Vandy’s hits had as much to do with it as anything. We agree. Vandy’s D is not to be taken lightly. I was definately cheering against Spurrier, but did anyone else notice the Vandy D-Line was lined up off-sides most of the evening? Missed that, but their Ends were not getting many breaks on “holding” calls. I noticed the time between some of the snaps, especially when Vandy was on a late first half drive. At least one of them was very short. The SEC just needs to abolish it’s Ref pool and pay other conferences to send their refs. I mean it. They SUCK and I believe some of them are blatantly dishonest. Ug, things are the way they are for a reason. Think about it. How long would bad calls like this be going on if Slive and the rest of the SEC brass were not allowing it? If you were in charge of a multi-million dollar business with national TV exposure and week after week one of the core elements of your business was being shown on national TV to make incredible mistakes with millions of people watching, how long would you allow that to continue? The bad calls happen, I would argue, BECAUSE of Slive, et al. Minnesota Dawg The non-PI penalty aside, I thought that Vandy kind of lost the game in the 3rd and then early 4th qtr. They had all the momentum after halftime, crowd was in the game, the defense was stonewalling the backup QB (and then tentative Shaw), they were playing on SCU’s side of the field, and all they could put up was a lousy field goal during this entire stretch. When there is blood in the water, you’ve got to attack; make hay while the sun is shining….you know what I mean. Seems like Vandy was content with keeping it a close game until late, and then taking their chances. This is a typical underdog mentality (that Georgia is frequently guilty of as well)–assuming that something good will happen at the end. As long as Lattimore is playing for the Cocks, I wouldn’t want to be in a one-possession game in the 4th quarter against SCU. He has frequently shown an ability to take over a game in these late stages–melting precious clock along the way, I pretty much figured they’d lose when they attempted the 51-yard field on 4th and 3 from the South Carolina 34. If you’re Vandy, up by 3, I feel like you have to go for it there. Or at least punt -that is a semi-aggressive move there, too. I told my wife at that moment that with depth on their side there was no way SC would not score another TD, that stupid FG reminded me of the kind of tepid 4Q response that CMR is sometimes guilty of. How true (unfortunately). He’s rarely been the underdog in thsoe situations, and early in his career he could count on his defense to shut the door most of the time. In my mind, there were 3 bad non-calls that went USCe’s way and took points off the board for Vandy. 1. The first quarter interception by Shaq Wilson on the (horrible) screen pass. Shaq literally pushed Stacy out of the way to get the interception. 2. The false start that should have been an offside call on Clowney. He clearly jumped into the NZ causing a Vandy player to react. 3. The non-call PI at the end of the game. Yes, USC was the better team, but sometimes the better team doesn’t win and I would like to see what would have happened with competent refs. But I think we probably did see SC at their worst, and Vandy at their best. SC is probably not as bad as they looked, but worse than their fans hoped for …. Vandy is probably not as good as they looked, but about what their fans hoped for. .ugadawg9288 is right, the turn around inside the SC 5 was a bush-league call. It was a typical Vandy implosion. First games can be wierd. But I do think SS should throw the refs a thank-you party. Vandy is pretty good on defense, not so much on offense although Zac Stacy is a legit SEC back. They aren’t going to be the doormat that we are all used to. Connor Shaw has a noodle arm. That out cut in the endzone which should have been a TD took FOREVER to get there. Reminded me of the out route that Joe TIII threw against Vandy that went back for a pick-6. Now that his throwing shoulder is all jacked up he is going to have even less velocity on his throws. The defensive plan for SC should be stack the box to stop the zone read and make him beat you throwing the ball. SEC officials are horrendous! How do you miss such a blatant PI that happens right in front of you? You don’t. You just decide you can’t hurt the team you want to win and pretend you didn’t see it. If he says “I didn’t see it”, then it’s time for him to get the hell out of his striped uniform..If he says, “I saw it but I didn’t think it was bad enough to call”, he needs to get the hell out of his striped uniform. If he says, “I’ll be honest…I cheated”, then he needs to trade his striped uniform for another striped uniform. Why? Because peoples careers, players attitudes, season records, who goes to what bowl ($$$$$$), who becomes a champion, the perception of a program (Vandy always sucks), and the reputation and public perception of the SEC is at stake. Me thinks I do NOT protest too loudly. It’s gotten way too old. An official should never, never, never determine the winner of a game. The players and coaches should. Too often we’ve seen that taken away. Amen, brother. Preach on! Wow! again, Ug. Methinks you don’t protest too loudly. They didn’t miss it… they just didn’t call it. What do you (anyone) think will be the reprocussions (if any) of that blown pi call last night? Has Franklin spoken out at all? Has he any recourse? Do you imagine the SEC is groaning over a problem that everyone knows about that rears it’s ugly head during crunch time in the very first game of the year? I can accept an occasional blown call, but in the SEC, it’s epidemic and has been for years…Franklin can be a fireplug…I wonder if he’ll take it sitting down or raise mortal hell. Remember…if they can screw Vandy, they can also screw Georgia (BIG scoop there, huh?). I guess I’m ranting because I really, really was optimistic it was fixed. The SEC will suspend the guy for a game or two and move right ahead. One miss-call I can understand, but it appears often in SEC games that there is a snowball effect where the bulk of bad decisions doom a certain team. Of course, I may be overly sensitive to one side or the other. I don’t exactly know. Nope. No suspension. Nada. Won’t happen. My thoughts on Vandy: Rodgers is an athletic QB, but under pressure makes major mistakes on a routine basis. If SC’s D had been anything other than pedistrian, they would have had half a dozen INTs. I thought their coaches did a decent job of hiding their teams flaws( for the most part). Thoughts on SC: Force Shaw to stay in the pocket and their is no way you can loose. One of the weakest looking arms I’ve seen in a while, no zip whatsoever. D line looks good, but get past that and the rest of the D appears below average at best. Too bad both of those d-bags couldn’t lose by a blown call. Sigh. This aligns with my thinking. Although, I found myself cheering against SC more than against Carlton. The type of Conner shoulder contusion often leads to loss of strength. We should definitely see this for that ref: http://blog.al.com/solomon/2009/10/sec_referee_marc_curles_part_o.html Some refs got fired over the off-season. Anybody know who? When you think about the first throw Connor made…how weak it was, you have to wonder if his shoulder wasn’t already injured and last night was just a re-injury. Could Spurrier have possibly kept a QB summer injury a secret? I’ll give Shaw this…he’s a tough cookie. But I just can’t imagine Spurrier recruiting a kid without a zippy arm. Wonder. I saw a knee get Shaw between the lower part of the shoulder blade and the spine, right into the muscle. Some tissue had to separate and will prolong his healing, but a shot before games will keep him in there until it heals completely. SC’s D secondary was unimpressive and it showed early in the 2nd qtr. Clowney is smooth and impressive. You have to treat him almost like Jarvis until halftime. William (8:43 post), agree about teams improving as the season progresses. Lost in our pool , but won in two others. I thought the point spread was dead on, so I hedged. Got 7 points for one, but only 1 for the other. That ought to tell you how torn I was while deciding. Wore the colors in my visit to the optometrist this morning (red and black shirt, white hat with University of Georgia written across the front). He remarked that his son had graduated from Tech and I said, “Oh, you mean ‘the North Avenue Trade School’, don’t you?”. He smiled and remarked he had seen that on one of his son’s shirts. The optometrist went to Purdue at the same time I was getting my Masters at UGA and we had a pleasant football conversation that mentioned another school, ND, quite a lot. You young punks wouldn’t understand. How much is UGA having to pay Buffalo to come to Georgia, I heard FSU is only paying Murry State $425 G’s. Will Trane Watched part of the game and the Outlaw Josey Wells. Maybe South Carolina is overrated and Vandy is underrated. Hard for peple to understand that the scholarship limits can impact teams. Thought both teams played poorly, bad game plans, and poor play calls. Not a good opening game for the SEC. Speaking of the good, the bad and the ugly, did you catch The Outlaw Jersey Whale the other night? I did and thought he would be a good offensive line coach if someone can capture him when he beaches himself http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2012/08/28/the-outlaw-jersey-whale/ TDawg The USC Dline looked gassed early…size and depth definitely SAVED them! Pingback: Random observations from last night’s SEC opener \| JockSpin.com Sports News and Opinion Aggregator and Publisher	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1013
__label__cc	0.684756	0.315244	Penguin: Viking Spring 2019 9780525560906 Paperback / softback, Trade, , $24 CAD 9781984842466 Downloadable audio file 9780525560890 Electronic book text, EPUB Distributor: Random House, Inc. Availability: On Sale Date: Mar 12, 2019 Carton Quantity: 12 $36.00 CAD Seasonal: Penguin: Viking Spring 2019 Penguin: Adult Hardcover & Trade Paperback Spring 2019 A Human's Guide to Machine Intelligence How Algorithms Are Shaping Our Lives and How We Can Stay in Control By (author): Kartik Hosanagar 9780525560883 Hardcover English General Trade BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Industries / Computers & Information Technology Mar 12, 2019 Active 6.26 x 9.29 x 0.95 in 272 pages 6 GRAPHS Viking A Wharton professor and tech entrepreneur examines how algorithms and artificial intelligence are starting to run every aspect of our lives, and how we can shape the way they impact us Through the technology embedded in almost every major tech platform and every web-enabled device, algorithms and the artificial intelligence that underlies them make a staggering number of everyday decisions for us, from what products we buy, to where we decide to eat, to how we consume our news, to whom we date, and how we find a job. We’ve even delegated life-and-death decisions to algorithms—decisions once made by doctors, pilots, and judges. In his new book, Kartik Hosanagar surveys the brave new world of algorithmic decision-making and reveals the potentially dangerous biases they can give rise to as they increasingly run our lives. He makes the compelling case that we need to arm ourselves with a better, deeper, more nuanced understanding of the phenomenon of algorithmic thinking. And he gives us a route in, pointing out that algorithms often think a lot like their creators—that is, like you and me. Hosanagar draws on his experiences designing algorithms professionally—as well as on history, computer science, and psychology—to explore how algorithms work and why they occasionally go rogue, what drives our trust in them, and the many ramifications of algorithmic decision-making. He examines episodes like Microsoft’s chatbot Tay, which was designed to converse on social media like a teenage girl, but instead turned sexist and racist; the fatal accidents of self-driving cars; and even our own common, and often frustrating, experiences on services like Netflix and Amazon. A Human’s Guide to Machine Intelligence is an entertaining and provocative look at one of the most important developments of our time and a practical user’s guide to this first wave of practical artificial intelligence. EXPERT IN THE FIELD: Hosanagar is one of the world’s leading experts in the world of algorithms and has founded or cofounded multiple businesses predicated on the technology. His command of the different ways to use algorithms make him uniquely suited to write this book and he has been recognized as one of the world’s top 40 business professors under 40. AUTHOR PLATFORM: Hosanagar is a co-host of the popular radio show The Digital Hour on Sirius XM and will appeal to key audiences like technologists and those concerned with privacy issues, as well as professional developers, executives, consultants, and policy makers. RELEVANCE OF SUBJECT: Algorithms and the way humans interact with technology will only grow as a subject of interest in the future. The breadth and depth of knowledge Hosanagar brings to this book will make it a standard resource for how to think about the future of decision making technology. Kartik Hosanagar is the John C. Hower Professor of Technology and Digital Business and a professor of marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. The co-founder of four different ventures, he was recognized in 2011 by Poets & Quants as one of the “Top 40 Business Professors Under 40.” His writing has appeared in Wired, Forbes, and the Harvard Business Review, and his past consulting and executive education clients include Google, American Express, Citigroup and SunTrust Bank. Hosanagar earned his PhD in Management Science and Information Systems from Carnegie Mellon University. Author Residence: Philadelphia, PA Author Hometown: Bangalore, India Marketing: Social media and online promotion Academic Marketing and Library Promotions Hosanagar.com / Twitter Publicity: Print and online reviews and features National radio interviews Author Website: Hosanagar.com Author Social Media: Twitter: @KHosanagar; LinkedIn.com/Kartik-Hosanagar-22272115 “[Hosanagar’s] ’predictability-resilience paradox’ is conveyed convincingly. He excels in arguing for an algorithmic bill of rights, one based on the original ideal of self-regulation by government and by individuals…Algorthimic decision making and its influence in our lives requires our attention and study.” “Especially relevant to current political hot topics, Hosanagar’s outstanding introduction to algorithms will appeal to and inform readers interested in learning more about the systems that determine what they’re exposed to online.” —Booklist.com “Hosanagar deserves credit for valiantly attempting, throughout this thoughtful treatise, to widen understanding of a technology central to modern society.” “The most useful part of the book is Hosanagar’s ’algorithmic bill of rights,’ which would give consumers insight into the AI that surrounds them, if not some measure of control.” “As we negotiate the uneasy interactions between man and the intelligent machine, Kartik Hosanagar’s important and very timely book, helps us to understand a world increasingly dominated by often opaque algorithms that take more and more decisions in our lives. His proposal for an Algorithmic Bill of Rights needs to be acted on at the earliest!” —Nandan Nilekani, Co-founder and Chairman of Infosys “AI is finally here, from guiding us home on Waze, to helping us choose a restaurant, a book or a job. I believe this will launch a Renaissance of human creativity as mundane tasks become handled by AI. Kartik Hosanagar’s excellent book identifies the growing pains we may experience along the way to this new human advancement.” —Tim Draper, founding partner of venture capital firm DFJ “Algorithms and artificial intelligence are overturning the rules of society, but their true impact is still in its infancy. Hosanagar’s book is the best guide yet to understanding these digital forces reshaping our lives. Rigorous yet readable, filled with insight and perspective from one of our smartest thinkers about technology.” —Arun Sundararajan, NYU professor and author of The Sharing Economy	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1014
__label__cc	0.547867	0.452133	BJ Bourg Mystery Writer, Father, Husband In Honor of April Fools Day April 2, 2015 Flash FictionBJ Bourg In honor of April Fools Day, here’s a flash fiction piece I wrote years ago that originally appeared in the April 2006 issue of Writer’s Post Journal: HAPPY FIRST by BJ Bourg Jenny LeBlanc squatted to kiss Gracie’s forehead. “Be good for Granny tonight. I’ll be back in twelve hours.” Gracie scrunched her nose. “Mommy, how many days is that?” Jenny laughed and ruffled her four-year-old daughter’s hair. “It’s like watching Blue’s Clues twenty-four times.” “That’s too long! I don’t want you to be a cop no more.” Jenny pulled Gracie close and squeezed her tight. “This is the last time, Pumpkin Seed. I promise.” Jenny stood, hitched the gun belt up on her waist, and walked out the door. Her polyester pants whistled as she walked to the patrol cruiser. She smiled. That was a sound she wouldn’t miss. Jenny arrived at the squad room early, as she had every day for seven years. Officers Jim Reginald and Bill Ridley were seated at the conference table. “What are you two doing here so early?” Bill pulled a white cake box from under the table. “You think we’d let you leave without a party?” Jenny’s eyes moistened. “I’m going to miss you guys.” “Once you settle into your eight to five,” Jim said, “you’ll forget all about us.” It was ten after midnight and Jenny had to use the bathroom. Another thing I won’t miss. She grabbed her police radio. “118, Dispatch, I’ll be out at Country Saver for a minute.” “10-4, 118. Give me a call when you get inside.” Jenny walked in and nodded to the clerk. “Can I use your phone?” The clerk dialed the number and handed Jenny the phone. The dispatcher answered in a frantic voice. “What’s going on?” Jenny asked. “It’s Bill and Jim. They went out at a shots fired complaint on West 118th Street thirty minutes ago. They’re not answering their radio!” “Do you have a call back number for the complainant?” “There’s no answer. Oh, God, I’m so scared—” Jenny dropped the phone and bolted out the door. She flipped on her top lights and siren and raced down Highway One. A truck loomed ahead. She swerved to pass it. At that moment, her radio crackled. She glanced down for a split second. When she looked up, headlights blinded her. She screamed and jerked the steering wheel to the left. Tires screeched. Metal crunched. Jenny lurched forward and the airbag abruptly smashed her face. She felt the back of the squad car rise and flip end over end. Glass shattered. Her body was smashed and bent as metal wrapped violently around her… When the car came to rest, Jenny lay motionless. She tried to move, but couldn’t. Why can’t I feel pain? The police radio crackled. “Dispatch, 118,” called the dispatcher, “you can cancel that previous call.” Jenny blinked. Everything was black. She swallowed hard and choked on the blood that pooled in her throat. “Dispatch, 118…happy first of April.” Jenny gasped. Her mind drifted to Gracie—waiting at home. Her body convulsed as her heart slowed to a stop. “Dispatch, 118, do you copy?” Those were the last words Officer Jenny LeBlanc heard. BJ Bourg is the author of JAMES 516 (Amber Quill Press, 2014), THE SEVENTH TAKING (Amber Quill Press, 2015), and HOLLOW CRIB (Five Star-Gale-Cengage, 2016). © 2015 BJ Bourg Join BJ’s mailing list to get the latest on upcoming releases, appearances, and more. New Release Alert: BUT NOT FORLORN (Clint Wolf Mysteries – Book #7) New Release Alert, Upcoming Sale! NEW RELEASE ALERT!!! What an October! BLOOD RISE (Book 6: London Carter Mysteries) out now!	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1019
__label__cc	0.623822	0.376178	Chromium Vulnerability Rewards Program: larger rewards! was created to help reward the contributions of security researchers who invest their time and effort in helping us make Chromium more secure. We’ve been very pleased with the response: Google’s various vulnerability reward programs have kept our users protected and netted more than $1 million dollars of total rewards for security researchers. Recently, we’ve seen a significant drop-off in externally reported Chromium security issues. This signals to us that bugs are becoming harder to find, as the efforts of the wider community have made Chromium significantly stronger. Therefore, we’re making the following changes to the reward structure: Adding a bonus of $1,000 or more on top of the base reward for “particularly exploitable” issues. The onus is on the reporter to provide a quick demonstration as part of the repro. For example, for a DOM-based use-after-free, one might use JavaScript to allocate a specific object type in the “freed” slot, resulting in a vtable dereference of 0x41414141. Adding a bonus of $1,000 or more on top of the base reward for bugs in stable areas of the code base—see below for an example. By “stable”, we mean that the defect rate appears to be low and we think it’s harder to find a security bug in the area. Adding a bonus of $1,000 or more on top of the base reward for serious bugs which impact a significantly wider range of products than just Chromium. For example, certain open source parsing libraries—see below for an example. The rewards panel has always reserved the right to reward at our discretion. At times, rewards have reached the $10,000 level for particularly significant contributions. An extraordinary contribution could be a sustained level of bug finding, or even one individual impressive report. Examples of individual items that might impress the panel include: Nvidia / ATI / Intel GPU driver vulnerabilities. High or critical severity vulnerabilities in the respective Windows drivers, demonstrated and triggered from a web page. Submissions on Chrome OS would also be interesting. Chrome OS typically runs on a device with an Intel GPU. Local privilege escalation exploits in Chrome OS via the Linux kernel. Chrome OS has a stripped-down kernel, so a working exploit against it would certainly be worth examining. We reserve the right to reward more generously if the exploit works inside our “setuid sandbox” and / or our fast-evolving “seccomp BPF sandbox”. Serious vulnerabilities in IJG libjpeg. For well over a decade, there hasn’t been a serious vulnerability against IJG libjpeg. Can one be found? 64-bit exploits. Any working code execution exploit on a 64-bit Chrome release. Sandbox escape not required. Renderer to browser exploit. Any working browser code execution exploit, starting from the assumed precondition of full code execution inside a normal web renderer or PPAPI process. Aside from the new bonuses, it’s worth recapping some details of the existing reward structure that aren’t as widely known: Our reward program covers vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash as well as other well-known software such as the Linux kernel, various open-source libraries and daemons, X windows, etc. Our base reward is $2,000 for well-reported UXSS bugs, covering both the Chromium browser and also Adobe Flash. (With the new reward bonus for exploitability, UXSS rewards will likely become $4,000.) Our reward program already includes a bonus of $500 to $1,000 when the reporter becomes a more involved Chromium community member and provides a peer-reviewed patch. We have always considered rewards for regressions affecting our Beta or Dev channel releases. It’s a big success to fix security regressions before they ship to the Stable channel. To illustrate how the new reward bonuses will work, we’re retroactively applying the bonuses to some older, memorable bugs: $1,000 to Atte Kettunen of OUSPG for bug 104529 (new total: $2,000). We believe that our PDF component is one of the more secure (C++) implementations of PDF, hence the $1,000 top-up. $3,000 to Jüri Aedla for bug 107128 (new total: $4,000). There is a $1,000 bonus because this bug affects many projects via core libxml parsing, and we added a $2,000 bonus for exploitability: this is a heap-based buffer overflow involving user-controlled data with a user-controlled length. We’re more excited than ever to work with the community and reward their efforts. Posted by Chris Evans, Software Engineer The Chromium Vulnerability Rewards Program was created to help reward the contributions of security researchers who invest their time and effort in helping us make Chromium more secure. We’ve been very pleased with the response: Google’s various vulnerability reward programs have kept our users protected and netted more than $1 million dollars of total rewards for security researchers. Recently, we’ve seen a significant drop-off in externally reported Chromium security issues. This signals to us that bugs are becoming harder to find, as the efforts of the wider community have made Chromium significantly stronger. Labels: security	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1025
__label__cc	0.567174	0.432826	← “The Org Shows Its True Colors Once Again”: Staff Ticket Scandal Burning Man TV is Live → Sheriff Spat Escalates: “Misinformation” The Federal tensions with the Bureau of Indian Affairs have been causing headaches for Burners, but there could be even more to come. It looks like nothing is being done to appease the Pershing County community. Quite the opposite, with Burning Man’s official statement accusing Sheriff Jerry Allen of disseminating misinformation: in other words, lying. A pissed off Sheriff is just one more problem for the lawyers, from the point of view of the Org; cops wanting to make more money off of Burning Man is a very real problem for Burners. Be careful out there: don’t give them any excuse to stop and search you. Black Rock City – 100,000 or 50,000 Pershing County Requests 50,000 person limit at Burning Man Sheriff Asks Org to Pony Up for More Officers BURNILEAKS: Sexual Assaults, Missing Kids and Violent Crime Re-blogged from the Lovelock Review Miner – emphasis and commentary ours Burning Man disputes county comments Debra Reid, News4Nevada Tuesday, August 21, 2018 8:46 AM In a rare public statement, a Burning Man spokesman questioned the accuracy of comments submitted to the BLM by Pershing County District Attorney Bryce Shields. The BLM accepted public comment as it evaluates the next ten-year Special Recreation Permit for the festival. Roger Vind read a statement to county leaders during public comment. He asserted the county’s comments to the BLM are “inaccurate” due to “misinformation” provided by Sheriff Jerry Allen. “It is unfortunate that misinformation propagated by the Sheriff has made its way into the County’s public comment,” Vind said. “We believe it is time for the Sheriff to be held accountable for his misstatements and mischaracterizations of our event.” In his comments to the BLM, Shields suggested that Black Rock Rangers may have “filtered” crime reports by participants and that the BRR manual encouraged such behavior. As a result, crime reports could be less than the actual crimes committed at past Burning Man events. “Anecdotal information from state and federal law enforcement officers suggests that the BRR encourages event participants to avoid reporting incidents to law enforcement in favor of resolving matters “in house” with the BRR’s assistance,” Shields said in comments to the BLM. “Such stories from law enforcement seem to be credible because the 2018 Black Rock Ranger (BRR) Manual contains instructions to BRRs to ‘filter’ what is reported to law enforcement.” In his statement, Vind called it “absurd” to accuse Burning Man of stopping crime reports to law enforcement officers and that Black Rock Rangers have never been instructed to do so. “Our Black Rock Rangers in no way ‘filter’ information to law enforcement. In fact, there are 57 instances pertaining to law enforcement in the 2018 Black Rock Ranger Manual and the word ‘filter’ or any other reference to keeping information from law enforcement just does not exist.” Vind also contradicted the implication by Shields that crimes at past events, including sexual assault, had been underreported to county law enforcement officers at Burning Man. “This serious allegation is not only untrue but is contradicted by Sheriff Allen himself.” Vind included an email from Allen regarding the need for a better definition of sexual assault. “I do appreciate the lengths that BRC, with your assistance, has gone through to assist us in our endeavor to provide the best public safety we can,” Allen said in the email. “I also appreciate that you are instructing your Rangers to not inquire about penetration, or start an investigation, but rather to allow for the free flow of information from the potential victim.” Allen later said the email text was accurate but that it was “grossly taken out of context.” “That was a discussion about Burning Man’s internal policies which the Sheriff’s Office does not make,” he said. “I think their policies and some of their definitions are far out of line with Nevada Revised Statutes but I can’t make them change their internal policies.” Allen said that, in his experience, “there have been things that have gone unreported.” “Some of it may not be on Burning Man,” he explained. “Some of it may the culture that they are working within, some it may be training or some of it may be lack of training. I think that, to a certain extent, there are things that are unreported or underreported. But, I also think there are things that are over-reported or wrongly or out of the wrong context.” Citing crime statistics, Vind challenged Allen’s allegations of “high levels of crime at the event.” “It is just not true and our statistics bear it out,” he said. “Utilizing the verified data we have from PSCO and the BLM from 2010 through 2016, the event population grew 58 percent. However, person-on-person crime only increased by two — from 10 to 12 and drug citations increased only 34 percent which is well below the population increase.” Vind added there were 12 person-on-person crimes at the 2017 event, the same number as in 2016. He criticized Allen for not completing his After Action Report until a year after the event. “We would have had 2017 data had Sheriff Allen followed through in a timely manner with his After Action Report for the 2017 event. Unfortunately, he delivered it at the late day of July 9, 2018,” Vind said in his statement. [this is pretty rich given that BMorg’s own 2017 Annual Report was released in July 2018, and it appears the 2017 Afterburn Report came out at the same time]. Burning Man has a 100+ person year round workforce and a $50 million budget, much more than PCSO – Ed.] Vind responded to Shield’s concerns over weapons at the event. In one case, law enforcement discovered an assault weapon, a handgun and a large amount of ammunition at Burning Man. “With respect to the District Attorney’s comments about our Gate screening process: In a state where ‘everybody has a gun’ (as we were told by local law enforcement), there have been only a handful of firearms at the event over the past decade,” Vind said in the statement. Allen and other county officials have said Burning Man, where nudity and illegal drugs are common, is no place for children. Vind countered the criticism with is own. “Sheriff Allen repeatedly advocates the event be 21 and over despite our having demonstrated the event is tremendously safe for children,” he said. “We believe parents should be the judge of what’s best for their children, not the Sheriff. The Sheriff is entitled to his opinions. However, anecdotes are not date and repeating untruths does not make them true.” [Last year children got to watch a man killing himself by jumping in a fire. It is not “tremendously safe for children”, it is a place where by attending you voluntarily accept the risk of serious injury or even death. How could anyone say that is “tremendously safe”? The Sheriff says “drugs are common at Burning Man”, BMorg says (basically) “the only drugs were the people who got citations, as the population grows less people are doing drugs”. Repeating untruths does not make them true…YMMV – Ed.] Vind also said Shields suggestion to cap Burning Man attendance at a maximum of 50,000 participates “does little to address the issues we face now and in the future of the event.” Allen believes the proposed 50,000 person cap is still too much for the county and the region. It has become increasingly difficult to recruit officers from other agencies to patrol Burning Man. “I think even at 50,000 persons, it’s too much for this county to sustain in the long haul unless some things are vastly reworked within the settlement agreement,” he said. “Unless things improve for Pershing County and Pershing County law enforcement, 10,000 people would be the max that we could sustain over a long period of time. I think 100,000 people is beyond what Nevada could handle, not just northern Nevada.” Burning Man critic Dave Skelton agrees the festival is already too big for Pershing County and, at 100,000 people, it could be too big for the BLM. “We’re at the point where I don’t think it can get any bigger than what it is and I don’t think its sustainable now,” he said. “The BLM has indicated over the last two years, they have as many people out there as they can get their hands on. There are other things that happen this month.” By burnersxxx • Posted in News • Tagged 2018, civic responsibility, cops, pcso, pershing county 2 comments on “Sheriff Spat Escalates: “Misinformation”” I was with a huge group of people sitting around waiting for the drone show to start. Everybody was peacefully and patiently waiting for the show to start and oh boy here come 6 LAW ENFORCEMENT personnel walking around in pairs looking around for people rolling joints. Trying so hard to find a “crime”. We absolutely do not need more cops inside Burning Man. The LAW ENFORCEMENT should just liaison with our rangers if they insist on more ENFORCEMENT Burner Commentator Burners.me has a lot of energy to dig into Burning Man topics. We look forward to your FOIA BIA requests and reports of the 2018 Pershing/Nixon arrest and citation facts. Thanks!	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1027
__label__wiki	0.78198	0.78198	L’Algérie Recrute une Centaine de Mauriciens sur Contrat La chaîne hôtelière Golden Tulip d’Algérie, qui est en pleine expansion, recrute actuellement une centaine de Mauriciens. France Sends Troops to Guard Air Algerie Wreckage French troops are headed to a remote area in Mali to secure the site of Thursday's Air Algerie jet crash, the third major international aviation disaster in a week. Air Algerie Plane Carrying 116 People from Burkina Faso Missing An Air Algerie flight en route from Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso to Algiers is missing with 110 passengers on board, almost half of them French citizens, officials said on Thursday. Air Algeria-Operated Plane Disappears en Route to Algiers An Air Algeria-operated MD83 carrying 116 passengers and crew disappeared en route from Burkina Faso in Africa to Algiers, the aircraft’s owner said. Picture of the Day: The Hoggar Mountains of Algeria The Hoggar Mountains, also known as the Ahaggar, are a highland region in central Sahara, or southern Algeria, along the Tropic of Cancer. They are located about 1,500 km (900 mi) south of the capital, Algiers and just west of Tamanghasset.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1028
__label__cc	0.652795	0.347205	Why Buzz Kill? Mosquito Misting In2Care Mosquito Traps Wasp & Bee Removal Tick & Flea Exterminator Roach Exterminator General Pest Services Mid-Cities Pest Control Tips Buzz Kill Pest Control knows that ants can be a nuisance to your home, yard or business year round. There are many kinds of ants that can invade your residence or business. Identifying the type of ant is very important in the ant control treatment that is provided for you. Some people may have an allergic reaction to fire ant bites that may lead to severe health problems. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, life-threatening allergic reactions to insect venom occur in 0.4 percent to 0.8 percent of children and 3 percent of adults. Before recommending an ant control extermination plan, Buzz Kill Pest Control performs a thorough inspection of your home or business to identify what kind of ant is causing your problem. Carpenter Ants, Camponotus sp. (Mayr) Often a common sight around Texas homes throughout the year. There are 25 species of Camponotus in the United States and most are native species. Although their natural nesting sites are in trees, Carpenter Ants can also invade and live indoors. Description and Habits: Adults vary in length (polymorphic): Minor worker: 1/4 inch; Major worker: 1/2 inch; Winged Reproductives: up to 7/16 inch; Functional wingless queen: 9/16 inch Coloration varies from solid dull black or yellowish-red to a combination of black and dull red or reddish-orange Have only one segment or node between their thorax and abdomen Have a circle of hairs at the tip of their abdomen Have evenly rounded thorax when viewed from the side Generally nest outdoors- indoor nests my be satellite colonies Carpenter Ants are highly adaptable and capable of establishing nests in diverse environments. They most commonly occur in wooded areas preferring to nest in a moist, humid environment. They nest in live or dead trees and stumps, dead tree limbs, buried wood, in firewood, fence posts, landscape timbers, tree holes, hollow wooden doors, ceiling beams, under roofing boards and attic insulation, voids above windows and porches, under rocks, logs and other objects on the ground. In structures, timbers damaged by water leaks attract these ants, and they select damp, soft, decaying areas for nesting sites. These ants prefer to nest in wood, but are capable of nesting in preformed cavities, or natural cavities, termite galleries, or even in exposed sites in boxes, cabinets or attics. Carpenter Ants do not eat wood, but remove quantities of it to enlarge the nest for a growing colony. This activity may cause structural damage. When searching for food, Carpenter Ants feed mainly on honeydew produced by homopterous insects (aphids, mealy bugs, and scales) that feed on sap from plant tissues. Little Black Ants, Monomorium minimum (Buckley) Little is known of the life history of this ant. Body 1/16 inch in length (monomorphic) Antennae have 12 segments with a 3-segmented club Workers prey on insects and feed on honeydew produced by plant sucking insects such as aphids Little Black Ant colonies are moderately sized to large, containing up to 2,000 workers and many queens. Colonies consist almost exclusively of workers and brood (eggs, larvae, and pupae) during most of the year, but winged males and females are produced during the summer. Nuptial flights have not been observed but probably occur. It is presumed that most nests are established by one or two queens. In the laboratory, queens may live approximately one year; workers may live about four months. Red Imported Fire Ants, Solenopsis geminata Fire Ants build mounds of soft soil. When disturbed, they emerge aggressively and sting. The sting usually leaves a white pustule on the skin. Vary in size (1/16 to almost 1/4 inch long), with the largest workers 2 or 3 times larger than the smallest Single queen (monogyne form): only one queen per colony or mound; slightly larger workers; members of colonies are territorial; mound densities usually 2,080 mounds per acre; fewer ants per acre Multiple queen (polygyne form): dozens of queens per colony; smaller average worker ants; colonies are interconnected; mound densities 100 to 1,000+ per acre; more ants per acre Solenopsis geminata is the most common native Fire Ant species encountered. To the unaided eye, they are almost identical to Red Imported Fire ants. However, S. geminata will have a few larger workers with large, square-shaped heads. These ants specialize in collecting and milling seeds. Pharaoh Ants, Monomorium pharaonis (Linnaeus) Pharaoh Ants have a stinger, but it is not always visible. They do not sting humans. More commonly know as the “Sugar Ant” Body length 1/12 to 1/16 inch long (monomorphic) Body coloration varies from golden yellow to reddish-brown Have 12-segmented antennae that ends with a 3-segmented club Feeds on sweets (jelly, sugar, honey, etc.), cakes and breads, and greasy or fatty foods Pharaoh ants form large colonies consisting of many nests, which colony members move freely between, without any antagonism. Colonies vary greatly in size. Some colonies may have only a single queen with a few hundred workers, whereas other colonies may have hundreds of queens with several thousand workers. Queens may live for a year and lay up to 35 eggs per day. Workers develop from egg to adult in 36 days. Winged males and females require about 44 days to develop. The life span of workers is about 70 days. -Information provided by Texas A&M University, Department of Entomology, Center for Urban & Structural Entomology Buzz Kill Pest Control is the premier family owned-and-operated pest control company that serves the entire Dallas Fort Worth area. We are a Texas State insured and licensed exterminator for your protection. Address: 8200 Northeast Pkwy, Suite 102 Address: 209 West 2nd Street, Suite #274 Address: 4347 W. Northwest Hwy, Site 120-151 Buzz Kill Pest Control © 2020. All rights reserved. Search Engine Optimization by Dallas SEO Dogs \| Web Design by Big D Creative	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1031
__label__wiki	0.848036	0.848036	← Home \| Yoon Je-moon (윤제문)'s News, Updates Tazza: One Eyed Jack DVD (TW - English Subtitled) Drug King DVD 2-disc (En Sub) High Society - Movie DVD (En Sub) One Day DVD Normal Version (En Sub) Management company (Where to write) Namoo Actors (나무엑터스) [Photos] New Stills Added for the Upcoming Korean Movie "Beasts Clawing at Straws" New stills added for the upcoming Korean movie "Beasts Clawing at Straws",...More Today's Photo: January 14, 2020 [4] Jung Woo-sung, Youn Yuh-jung, Shin Hyun-bin, Jung Ga-ram and director Kim Yong-hoon- pose at a press junket for their new film "Beasts Clawing at Straws" in Seoul on Monday,...More [Video + Photos] Teaser, New Poster and Still Added for the Upcoming Korean Movie "Beasts Clawing at Straws" Teaser, new poster and still added for the upcoming Korean movie "Beasts Clawing at Straws",...More [Photo] New Youn Yuh-jung Still Added for the Upcoming Korean Movie "Beasts Clawing at Straws" New Youn Yuh-jung still added for the upcoming Korean movie "Beasts Clawing at Straws",...More [Photos + Video] New Stills and Video Added for the Upcoming Korean Movie "Beasts Clawing at Straws" New stills and video added for the upcoming Korean movie "Beasts Clawing at Straws",...More [HanCinema's News] Jung Woo-sung Takes on Slovenly Appearance for "Beasts Clawing at Straws" Following an award-winning performance as a defense attorney in "Innocent Witness" earlier this year, Jung Woo-sung is set to become known for a very different kind of role in 2020 in "Beasts Clawing at Straws", where he will play a slovenly lowlife obsessed as the other characters are with a bag full of money,...More [HanCinema's News] Jeon Do-yeon and Jung Woo-sung Talk About "Beasts Clawing at Straws" "Beasts Clawing at Straws" won't come out until February of next year. But the project has already neen raising interest. In an already highly varied career, Jeon Do-yeon now adds another unusual role in the form of Yeon-hee, a sinister lowlife who competes with other lowlifes in the film to try and grab a hold of a bag of money,...More [Photos + Video] Character Stills and Slideshow Added for the Upcoming Korean Movie "Beasts Clawing at Straws" Jeon Do-yeon Character stills and slideshow added for the upcoming Korean movie "Beasts Clawing at Straws",...More [Video + Photo] English Subtitled Preview and New Still Released for the Korean Movie "Fukuoka" English subtitled preview and new still released for the Korean movie "Fukuoka",...More [Photos] New Woo Hyun Stills Added for the Korean Movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" New Woo Hyun stills added for the Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack",...More [HanCinema's Film Review] "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" Il-chool (played by Park Jung-min) is a young man who's obsessed with the game of poker. For good reason- he's pretty good at it and makes decent money there. At the very least, he can hustle a small table of other players. In the most striking scene of "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" we see Il-chool in a crowded study hall struggling to concentrate on the extremely boring lecture to help him ace an equally boring test because the poker chips of fantasy are just too alluring,...More [Photos] New Stills Added for the Korean Movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" New stills added for the Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack",...More [Photos] New Behind-the-scenes Stills Added for the Korean Movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" New behind-the-scenes stills added for the Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack",...More [Photos] New Lee Kwang-soo and Lim Ji-yeon Stills Added for the Korean Movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" New Lee Kwang-soo and Lim Ji-yeon stills added for the Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack",...More [Photos] New Park Jung-min Stills Added for the Korean Movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" New Park Jung-min stills added for the Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack",...More [Photos] New Behind-the-scenes Stills Added for the Upcoming Korean Movie "Tazza: One-Eyed Jacks" New behind-the-scenes stills added for the upcoming Korean movie "Tazza: One-Eyed Jacks",...More Korean Movies Opening Today 2019/09/11 in Korea Korean movies opening today 2019/09/11 in Korea: "Tazza: One Eyed Jack", "Cheer Up, Mr. Lee", "The Bad Guys: Reign of Chaos" and "Banzi's Secret Diary - Theatrical Version",...More [Photos] New Behind-the-scenes Stills Added for the Upcoming Korean Movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" New behind-the-scenes stills added for the upcoming Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack",...More [Photos] New Ryoo Seung-bum Stills Added for the Upcoming Korean Movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" New Ryoo Seung-bum stills added for the upcoming Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack",...More [Just out on DVD] Korean Movie "High Society - Movie" Korean movie "High Society - Movie" is available to order on DVD with English subtitles from YESASIA,...More [Photo] New Still Added for the Upcoming Korean Movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" Ryoo Seung-bum and Park Jung-min New still added for the upcoming Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack",...More Cha Seung-won, Ma Dong-seok and Park Jung-min, "BIG3" Films Coming Out This Chuseok The biggest issue in theaters this September is the 'Chuseok special'. Three Korean films with top actors are going into competition at the same time. "Cheer Up, Mr. Lee", "The Bad Guys: Reign of Chaos" and "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" open on the 11th of September with Cha Seung-won, Ma Dong-seok, Park Jung-min and Ryoo Seung-bum in the lead. The factor lies in the extent of "Exit - Movie", "The Battle: Roar to Victory" and "Metamorphosis", which are still going strong in theaters today,...More Today's Photo: August 29, 2019 [4] Actress Lim Ji-yeon poses at a preview for her new film in Seoul on Wednesday,...More [Upcoming DVD Release] Korean Movie "High Society - Movie" Korean movie "High Society - Movie" is available to preorder on DVD with English subtitles from YESASIA,...More [Video] New trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" New trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack",...More [HanCinema's News] Crowded Field for Film Ahead of Chuseok Weekend Three major films will compete for Chuseok weekend [Korean Thanksgiving] this year with another to follow in the next week. While Chuseok has always been a big time for movies, this aggressive marketing push by major studios follows a surprisingly disappointing 2018 Chuseok season, where only "The Great Battle" put out a respectable performance with five hundred thousand admissions,...More [Photos] Character Posters Added for the Upcoming Korean Movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" Character posters added for the upcoming Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack",...More [Photos] New Stills Added for the Upcoming Korean Movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" Lee Kwang-soo New stills added for the upcoming Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack",...More [HanCinema's News] Anticipation High for September Films With the four major summer releases now out and only one of them even hinting at hitting the fabled ten million mark, speculation is already rampant as to which of the September releases have the best chance of turning into a sleeper hit. Much as with the summer films, there's a surprisingly great deal of genre variety,...More [Video] New Behind-the-scenes Video Added for the Upcoming Korean Movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" New behind-the-scenes video added for the upcoming Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack",...More New stills added for the upcoming Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack",...More [Photo] New Poster Added for the Upcoming Korean Movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" New poster added for the upcoming Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack",...More [HanCinema's News] Lim Ji-yeon Shines Bright at "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" Press Conference On August 8th Lim Ji-yeon and other stars attended the press conference for the upcoming film "Tazza: One Eyed Jack". South Korean media was on hand to cover the event, including one telling shot where leading man Lee Kwang-soo is whispering something into his old schoolfriend's ear while she muffles her own laughter,...More [HanCinema's News] Lim Ji-yeon Talks About Doing "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" With Old School Chum Park Jung-min On August 8th Lim Ji-yeon made some comments at a press conference for "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" about working with Park Jung-min. The issue came up because they both attended the same school (The Korean National University of the Arts) at the same time,...More [Video + Photos] Main Trailer and Press Conference Images Added for the Upcoming Korean Movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" Main trailer and press conference images added for the upcoming Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack",...More [Photo] New Choi Yu-hwa still added for the upcoming Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" New Choi Yu-hwa still added for the upcoming Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack",...More [Photo] New Ryoo Seung-bum Still Added for the Upcoming Korean Movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" New Ryoo Seung-bum still added for the upcoming Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack",...More [Photos] New Park Jung-min Stills Added for the Upcoming Korean Movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" New Park Jung-min stills added for the upcoming Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack",...More [Photo] Poster Released for the Upcoming Korean Movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" Poster released for the upcoming Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack",...More [Video + Photos] Teaser and First Stills Added for the Upcoming Korean Movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" Teaser and first stills added for the upcoming Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack",...More [Photos] "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" Drops Wrap-up Stills and Cast Updates Wrapped-up stills added and cast updated for the upcoming Korean movie "Tazza: One Eyed Jack",...More [New Movie] "Fukuoka" Added the upcoming Korean movie "Fukuoka"'s page to HanCinema database,...More [Photos] New Park Hae-il and Soo Ae Stills Added for "High Society - Movie" Soo Ae New stills added for the Korean movie "High Society - Movie",...More [Photos] Soo Ae Defines Elegance in Newest Stills for "High Society - Movie" New Soo Ae stills added for the Korean movie "High Society - Movie",...More [Photos] "High Society - Movie" Releases Stills of Supporting Cast Lee Jin-wook New supporting cast stills added for the Korean movie "High Society - Movie",...More [HanCinema's Film Review] "High Society - Movie" Tae-joon (played by Park Hae-il) is a well-liked college professor who does mild advocacy for labor-related causes. His wife Soo-yeon (played by Soo Ae) deals in art. They have a boring but functional marriage. That's not an intentional construction. "High Society - Movie" takes outrageous setpieces like one man setting himself on fire, another man dressing up like a Mexican wrestler to beat up on snitches, and an extended racist sex scene featuring excessive lube then somehow manages to make all that seem incredibly dull,...More Korean movies opening today 2018/08/29 in Korea "High Society - Movie" and "The True Colour of Men",...More [Photos] Mini Showcase Stills Showoff Cast and Crew of "High Society - Movie" Park Sung-hoon, Kim Seung-hoon, Han Joo-young, Kim Gyu-sun, Ra Mi-ran, Soo Ae, Park Hae-il and director Daniel H. Byun Mini showcase for the upcoming Korean movie "High Society - Movie",...More [Video] Steamy New Trailer Released for Soo Ae and Park Hae-il's "High Society - Movie" New steamy trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "High Society - Movie",...More [Photos] Character Posters Added for the Upcoming Korean Movie "High Society - Movie" Character posters added for the upcoming Korean movie "High Society - Movie",...More [Photos] New Behind-the-scenes Images Released for "High Society - Movie" New behind-the-scenes images for the upcoming Korean movie "High Society - Movie",...More [Video] New Trailer Released for the Upcoming Korean Movie "High Society - Movie" New trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "High Society - Movie",...More [Photos] Charismatic Park Hae-il Stills Shared for Korean Movie "High Society - Movie" New Park Hae-il stills added for the upcoming Korean movie "High Society - Movie",...More [Photos] Smart, New Soo Ae Stills Dropped for Korean Movie "High Society - Movie" New Soo Ae stills added for the upcoming Korean movie "High Society - Movie",...More [Video + Photos] Meet the Characters of "High Society - Movie" in the Latest Trailer and Stills Park Hae-il and Soo Ae Character trailer and new stills released for the upcoming Korean movie "High Society - Movie",...More [Video] Park Hae-il and Soo Ae Are Charming and Hard-working Behind-the-scenes of "High Society - Movie" New behind-the-scenes video added for the upcoming Korean movie "High Society - Movie",...More [Photo] New Park Hae-il Still Added for the Upcoming Korean Movie "High Society - Movie" New Park Hae-il still added for the upcoming Korean movie "High Society - Movie",...More [Video] Main Trailer Released for the Upcoming Korean Movie "High Society - Movie" Main trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "High Society - Movie",...More [Photo] Sexy Main Poster Released for Korean Movie "High Society - Movie" Main poster released for the upcoming Korean movie "High Society - Movie",...More [Photos] New Soo Ae Stills Added for the Upcoming Korean Movie "High Society - Movie" [Photos] First Slick Park Hae-il Stills Released for Korean Movie "High Society - Movie" First Park Hae-il stills added for the upcoming Korean movie "High Society - Movie",...More [Video] Teaser Released for the Upcoming Korean Movie "High Society - Movie" Teaser released for the upcoming Korean movie "High Society - Movie",...More [Photo] Teaser Poster Released for the Upcoming Korean Movie "High Society - Movie" Teaser poster released for the upcoming Korean movie "High Society - Movie",...More [Guest Film Review] "Daddy You, Daughter Me" Body swap comedies have been one of the most familiar themes in international cinema. Kim Heyong-hyeop makes his own effort in the subcategory, and manages to distinguish his work due to a number of elements, and particularly by presenting it as a tribute to father-daughter relationships. Let us take things from the beginning though,...More Hwang Suk-jung Denies Membership to Organization Steeped in Scandal Actress Hwang Suk-jung dismissed the rumors circulating that she was a part of the Yeonheedan, which is steeped in controversy regarding sex scandals,...More Heo Joon-suk to star in "Rampant" Actor Heo Joon-suk is starring in Kim Seong-hoon-III's latest movie, "Rampant". "Rampant" is an action blockbuster of Lee Cheong who stops a zombie attack and saves the Joseon starring Hyun Bin and Jang Dong-gun. The movie is directed by Kim Seong-hoon-III from "Confidential Assignment",...More Ra Mi-ran and Yoon Je-moon join "High Society - Movie" Actors Ra Mi-ran and Yoon Je-moon are to join "High Society - Movie" directed by Daniel H. Byun,...More Heo Joon-suk to star in "While You Were Sleeping - 2017" Actor Heo Joon-suk is joining the cast of "While You Were Sleeping - 2017" in the role of Dong-gyoon,...More [HanCinema's Film Review] "The Show Must Go On" + DVD Giveaway In-goo (played by Song Kang-ho) is a slob of a middle-aged man who works late. This has created a lot of tension at home. In-goo's wife Mi-ryeong (played by Park Ji-young) wants In-goo to knock this off for his own health. In-goo's daughter Hee-soon (played by Kim So-eun) wants him to quit because it's humiliating to be the daughter of a gangster. Ah yes. And that's where the central irony of "The Show Must Go on" comes in. While In-goo may be a professional criminal, he is not what anyone would call cool,...More [HanCinema's Film Review] "Okja" There's two wildly different stories at play in "Okja". The first story, the American one, deals with the cartoonish world of corporate agribusiness. The plot in that story is minimal- it's mainly just an excuse for loud imagery and louder performances. The second plot, the Korean one, is quite a bit more down to earth. It's the story of Mi-ja (played by Ahn Seo-hyun) and her pet super-pig Okja,...More [HanCinema's Film Review] "Daddy You, Daughter Me" Sang-tae (played by Yoon Je-moon) and Do-yeon (played by Jung So-min) are daddy and daughter, respectively. Oh sure, it was fun back in the old days, when Do-yeon loved her daddy ever so much and wanted to marry him. But now Do-yeon is a teenager with her own problems and they never even have time to so much as talk to each other. Circumstance soon forces them to communicate, though, as they must spend a week in each other's bodies, avoiding detection by Sang-tae's co-workers and Do-yeon's classmates,...More [Photos] Updated cast and added new on-the-set images for the Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me" Updated cast and added new on-the-set images for the Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me",...More [HanCinema's Box Office Review] 2017.04.21 - 2017.04.23 "The Fate of the Furious" retains pole position... The eighth instalment in the "Fast and the Furious" series of action films, "The Fate of the Furious", claimed pole position during its second weekend out, moving its bottom line to over $18.9 million (2.5 million admissions). From 1,282 screens (down from 1,468), F. Gary Gray's high-octane action outing captured 57.29% of the sales (678,179 admissions; worldwide, "F8" has now grossed more than $772.4 million,...More [Photos] Added new stills for the Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me" Added new stills for the Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me",...More "The Fate of the Furious" overtakes "Beauty and the Beast" for pole position... Bill Condon's "Beauty and the Beast" was unable to secure a fifth-straight run at the top because of the arrival of a high-octane action film from director F. Gary Gray. "The Fate of the Furious" (also known as Fast & Furious 8), the eighth film in the franchise, arrived last Wednesday and scooped up the lion's share of the stubs (63.82%); from 1,467 screens around the country, "The Fate of the Furious" claimed 1.05 million admissions ($10.5 million). The film, which cost $250 million to produce, boasts an ensemble cast including Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, and others. Worldwide, the 'F8' has already grossed over half a billion dollars,...More Daddy You, Daughter Me (2017) "Daddy You, Daughter Me" Genres: Comedy Running Time: 115 min. Directed by: Kim Hyeong-hyeop Starring: Jung So-min, Yoon Je-moon,...More Bong Joon-ho's "Okja" enters 70th Cannes International Film Festival Director Bong Joon-ho's Netflix Original movie "Okja" is entering the 70th Cannes International Film Festival. "Okja" is competing with other films for Palme d'Or,...More Korean movie opening today 2017/04/12 in Korea: "Daddy You, Daughter Me",...More [Photos] VIP premiere for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me" Director Kim Hyeong-hyeop, Yoon Je-moon, Jung So-min, Lee Il-hwa, Lee Mi-do, Kang Ki-young, Heo Gayoon, Min Dohee and Lee You-jin VIP premiere for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me",...More Updated cast for the upcoming Korean movie "Drug King" Updated cast for the upcoming Korean movie "Drug King",...More [Photos] Added new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me" Added new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me",...More [Photo] Added new posters and new G.O still for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me" Added new posters and new G.O still for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me",...More [Photos] Added new Park Myung-soo's cameo stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me" Added new Park Myung-soo's cameo stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me",...More [Photos + Video] Added new stills and video for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me" Added new stills and video for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me",...More [Photos + Video] Added new stills and character trailer for the upcoming Korean movie Added new stills and character trailer for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me",...More [Photos] Production showcase for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me" Yoon Je-moon and Jung So-min Production showcase for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me",...More Heo Gayoon, Jung So-min and Min Dohee Added new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me",...More [Photo] Added main poster for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me" Added main poster for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me",...More [Video] Trailer released for the Korean movie 'Daddy You, Daughter Me' Trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me",...More [Photo] Added new Yoon Je-moon still for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me" Added new Yoon Je-moon still for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me",...More [Photos] Added new Jung So-min stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me" Added new Jung So-min stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me",...More [Photos] Added character posters for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me" Added character posters for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me",...More [Photo] Added first still for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me" Added first still for the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me",...More [HanCinema's Film Review] "Missing You - 2016" Gi-beom (played by Kim Sung-oh) is an alleged serial killer who receives the relatively light sentence of fifteen years on account of the fact that there's only proof he committed one murder, off the word of an apparently anonymous informant. The first step to tolerating "Missing You - 2016" is to not get hung up on legal technicalities. This is the kind of movie where a random unremarkable thug is apparently immune to prosecution since he's never been caught committing murder on videotape, all other evidence being either magically nonexistent or inadmissable,...More Yoon Je-moon sentenced to 8 months in prison and 2 years probation for drinking and driving, the third misconduct will lead straight to jail Actor Yoon Je-moon, who was caught drunk driving, was sentenced to jail time and probation. According to the court, the actor was sentenced to 8 months behind bars and 2 years on probation,...More [Guest Film Review] "Cruel Winter Blues" "Cruel Winter Blues" starts as another crime film revolving around revenge, but as the story progresses, it becomes something very different,...More Korean drama of the week "At The End Of The World" Korean drama of the week "At The End Of The World" (2013) Directed by Ahn Pan-seok Written by Park Hye-ryeon-I Network : jTBC With Yoon Je-moon, Jang Kyung-ah, Jang Hyun-sung, Kim Chang-wan, Kim Yong-min, Park Hyuk-kwon,... 12 episodes - Sat 21:55 Synopsis While an unknown mysterious disease spreads, "At The End Of The World" is about the agony of a doctor and those around him,...More [HanCinema's Film Review] "The Great Actor" Seong-pil (played by Oh Dal-soo) is an actor that once worked with men who ended up becoming major players in the film industry. Unfortunately Seong-pil, lacking as he is in either charisma or talent, is stuck doing stage plays. And I'm not referring to the high-brow stage stuff. Seong-pil plays a dog in shows that are obviously aimed at children, and frequently fail to maintain a decent interest level even in that audience,...More Kang Hye-jung to make screen comeback in 'My Wife' co-starring Park Shin-yang Kang Hye-jung is making her screen comeback through film director Song Hae-seong's new movie. "My Wife" directed by Song Hae-seong, previously well-known for 'Failan' and 'Our Happy Time'. The movie depicts the desperate fight of a husband who tries to save his wife kidnapped during travelling in South Asia,...More The Great Actor (2016) "The Great Actor" Genres: Comedy and Drama Running Time: 108 min. Directed by: Seok Min-woo Starring: Oh Dal-soo, Yoon Je-moon, Lee Kyung-young,...More Korean movies opening today 2016/03/30 in Korea: "The Great Actor" and "Eclipse",...More "Batman v Superman" overruns "Zootopia"... DC's much-anticipated superhero brawl, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice", has made millions over the past few days as filmgoers and comic book fans around the world flocked to their closest theatres to catch these two iconic titans clash. In Korea, the film was released on Thursday and was given an incredible 1,696 screens, from which it attracted 1.1 million admissions to capture 68% of the box office pie. Worldwide, "Batman v Superman" has already grossed over $424 million,...More [Interview] "Missing You - 2016" Shim Eun-kyung's sincere concerns about acting Actress Shim Eun-kyung seemed nervous and uncomfortable about something throughout the whole interview. She lacked confidence in her voice and she hung head several times. She was not the actress we know from "Sunny - 2010" or "Miss Granny". We had to push back our questions every time she hung her head. We felt pity for the girl sitting in front of us who kept reflecting on herself when she should be promoting her upcoming movie "Missing You - 2016". We listened to what the actress had to say. We met Shim Eun-kyung recently in Seoul. The writing, "You killed my dad didn't you?" on the poster of the movie "Missing You - 2016" hints what the movie is about. "Missing You - 2016" starring Shim Eun-kyung, Kim Sung-oh and Yoon Je-moon depicts a girl who waits 15 years for her father's killer to get out of prison and a detective named Dae-yeong (Yoon Je-moon) who looks after her. They go after the killer Ki-bum (Kim Sung-oh),...More [Photos] Updated cast and added nes stills for the Korean movie "Missing You - 2016" Updated cast and added nes stills for the Korean movie "Missing You - 2016",...More "Zootopia" gets more screens and scores... "Zootopia" was released in Korea mid-February and for the first three weeks it sat in third place; after its America release, however, the film shot to number one. This past weekend "Zootopia" (also known as "Zootropolis") banked another 358 thousand admissions ($2.5 million) to bring its total tally in Korea now to 2.8 million ($18.7 million; 30%). Worldwide, Byron Howard and Rich Moore's "Zootopia" has grossed over $591 million,...More Disney's "Zootopia" claws its way to the top... Walt Disney's "Zootopia" arrived in Korea mid-February and for the first three weeks it has steadily occupied third place. Films like "A Violent Prosector", "Deadpool", and "Spirits' Homecoming" have managed to outperform Disney's latest, the company's 55th animated feature, but the film found new impetus in the wake of its American release (March 4) and has now climbed to the top of Korea's box office during its fourth week out,...More Missing You (2015) "Missing You - 2016" Genres: Thriller Running Time: 108 min. Directed by: Mo Hong-jin Starring: Shim Eun-kyung, Yoon Je-moon, Kim Sung-oh,...More Korean movies opening today 2016/03/10 in Korea: "Missing You - 2016", "After Love", "Hiya" and "My Friend's Older Sister",...More [Video] Special trailer, on-the-set and Korean celebrities messages videos released for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016" Special trailer and Korean celebrities messages video released for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016",...More [Photos] Added new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016" Kim Sung-oh and Shim Eun-kyung Added new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016",...More [HanCinema's Film Review] "Love Exposure" + DVD Giveaway Jeong-wan (played by Lee Mi-yeon) is a freelance photographer currently having a love affair with married doctor Yeong-hoo (played by Kim Joon-sung). Jeong-wan's best friend Hee-soo (played by Lee Tae-ran) is herself married to Hyeong-sik (played by Yoon Je-moon). One might think that as a married woman Hee-soo would disapprove of Jeong-wan's behavior. To the contrary- Jeong-wan and Hee-soo are women of the modern age, who are so relaxed about frank sexual discussion they even watch pornography together,...More [Video + Photos] Added new posters, character trailer and interview video for the Korean movie 'The Great Actor' Added new posters, character trailer and interview video for the upcoming Korean movie "The Great Actor",...More [Photos] Korean movie "Missing You - 2016" cast and Korean celebrities attending the VIP premiere Shim Eun-kyung, Yoon Je-moon, Kim Sung-oh, Oh Tae-kyung, Ahn Jae-hong, Ji Dae-han, Kim Seo-ra, Kim Hong-pa and director Mo Hong-jin are posing for photo time at the Lotte Cinema VIP Premiere of the movie "Missing You - 2016",...More [Photos] Added new Jung Hae-kyun and Kim Won-hae stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016" Added new Jung Hae-kyun and Kim Won-hae stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016",...More [Photos Added new still for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016" Added new still for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016",...More [Video + Photos] Added new main trailer, poster and press photos for the Korean movie 'The Great Actor' Added new images and videos for the upcoming Korean movie "The Great Actor",...More [Photos + Video] Added characters posters and video for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016" Added characters posters and video for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016",...More [Photos] Kim Sung-oh lost 16Kg in 4 weeks for the movie Missing You - 2016" Added new Kim Sung-oh still for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016",...More [Video] Moving thriller webtoon video released for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016" Moving thriller webtoon video released for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016",...More [Photos] Added new Shim Eun-kyung still for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016" Added new Shim Eun-kyung still for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016",...More [Photos] Added new Yoon Je-moon and Ahn Jae-hong stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016" Added new Yoon Je-moon and Ahn Jae-hong stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016",...More [Video + Photos] Added new teaser trailer and stills for the Korean movie 'The Great Actor' Added new teaser trailer and stills for the upcoming Korean movie "The Great Actor",...More [Photos] Showcase for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016" Kim Sung-oh, Shim Eun-kyung, Yoon Je-moon and director Mo Hong-jin Showcase for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016",...More [Video] Trailer and poster released for the Korean movie 'Missing You - 2016' Trailer and poster released for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016",...More "Missing You - 2016" Sim Eun-jyeong, Yoon Je-moon, Kim Sung-oh Tracking thriller "Missing You - 2016" has cast the irreplaceable Shim Eun-kyung, Yoon Je-moon and Kim Sung-oh. The movie "Missing You - 2016" is a 7-day thriller of a girl and a detective who waited 15 years for the killer who killed her father. The day the killer is back out into the world, a murder similar to his pattern occurs,...More [Photos] Added new Ahn Jae-hong stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016" Added new Ahn Jae-hong stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016",...More [Photos] Added new stills and updated cast for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016" Added new stills and updated cast for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016",...More [Video + Photo] Added poster, motion poster and updated cast for the upcoming Korean movie "The Great Actor" Added poster, motion poster and updated cast for the upcoming Korean movie "The Great Actor",...More [Video] Trailer released for the Korean movie 'Missing You - 2016' Trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "Missing You - 2016",...More 'Infinite Challenge' Park Myung-soo to appear in movie 'Daddy You, Daughter Me' Comedian Park Myung-soo will appear in movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me". According to an insider in broadcasting industry, Park Myung-soo will make a surprise appearance in "Daddy You, Daughter Me". His appearance in movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me" starring Yoon Je-moon and Jung So-min is a part of the special episode by the MBC's variety show, 'Infinite Challenge',...More Korean drama of the week "Three Days" Korean drama of the week "Three Days" (2014) Directed by Sin Kyeong-soo, Hong Chang-wook Written by Kim Eun-hee-I Network : SBS With Park Yoo-chun, Son Hyun-joo, Park Ha-sun, So Yi-hyun, Yoon Je-moon, Choi Won-young,... 16 episodes - Wed, Thu 22:00 Synopsis Three shots are fired and the president of South Korea suddenly goes missing from his vacation villa. Three Days is a condensed-time thriller that follows the struggles of elite Blue House bodyguard Han Tae-kyeong (Park Yoo-chun) to find and protect the president. With the aid of local police officer Yoon Bo-won (Park Ha-sun) and fellow Blue House guards, will Han Tae-kyeong be able to save the president before it's too late?,...More Lee Mi-do and Kang Ki-young in "Daddy You, Daughter Me" Actress Lee Mi-do and actor Kang Ki-young are starring in the movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me". The two will be co-starring with Yoon Je-moon, Jung So-min, Shin Goo, Lee Il-hwa and more,...More Upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me" Added the upcoming Korean movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me"'s page to HanCinema database,...More Yoon Je-moon and Jung So-min to star in movie 'Daddy You, Daughter Me' as father and daughter Multiple sources in movie industry on October 23rd told TV Report, "Yoon Je-moon and Jung So-min will co-star in movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me" (working title, directed by Kim Hyeong-hyeop and produced by KimCJ Films) as father and daughter. Movie "Daddy You, Daughter Me" will depict a special story about a father and daughter in a lot of troubles. Father and daughter will recover love and trust for each other by looking into each other's personal life as well as inner thoughts,...More Jung Man-sik to star in "Asura: The City of Madness" Actor Jung Man-sik is starring in the action movie "Asura: The City of Madness". He landed himself in the role of Do Chang-hak also known as Snake Eyes, the leader of an investigative team,...More New movie "Asura: The City of Madness", starring Jung Woo-sung, Hwang Jung-min, Ju Ji-hoon and Kwak Do-won Actors Jung Woo-sung, Hwang Jung-min, Ju Ji-hoon, Kwak Do-won and others are starring in "Asura: The City of Madness". Criminal action movie "Asura: The City of Madness" is now counting down to the first day of filming with the cast of Jung Woo-sung, Hwang Jung-min, Ju Ji-hoon, Kwak Do-won, Jung Man-sik, Yoon Ji-hye, Kim Hae-gon, Kim Won-hae, Oh Yeon-ah, Yoon Je-moon and others,...More [Spoiler] 'Last' Mantis steps up to begin a full-on fight "Last" Lee Beom-soo's right-hand man Kim Hyeong-gyoo-I finally stepped up to begin a full-on fight. On August 21st, the production team of JTBC Friday & Saturday drama, "Last" has unveiled a preview trailer featuring Kwak Heung-sam (Lee Beom-soo)'s right-hand man, Mantis actor Kim Hyeong-gyoo-I,...More "Last" Yoon Je-moon's charisma Actor Yoon Jae-moon surprised Lee Beom-soo and Park Won-sang with his charisma. Yoon Je-moon plays Jak-du, number 3 of a gang organization in the JTBC drama "Last". He helped the boss Gwak Heung-sam (Lee Beom-soo) and number 2 Ryu Jong-gu (Park Won-sang) establish the gang,...More [HanCinema's Drama Preview] "Last" After romantic melodrama 'My Love Eun-dong', jTBC has something quite different coming up. "Last" is not looking like the kind of show which drama audiences are used to, but its cast, approach and the fact that it is based on a popular webtoon might deliver something substantial or at least entertaining. On the other hand, it might be shallow and messy, but one can hope,...More Ryu Hyun-kyung, "A multi actress? It's a blessing to be used for a role" Ryu Hyun-kyung is known as an actress who does her job well. She's starred in various works without a break and has built on her career. She doesn't disappoint in the movie "Three Summer Nights" that's coming this 16th. She swears like no other and appears in most of the movie bound up. At the end of the movie, she hangs from a wire,...More Korean movies opening today 2015/07/15 in Korea: "Three Summer Nights",...More [Video] Added new character posters and music video for the Korean movie 'Three Summer Nights' Added new character posters and music video for the upcoming Korean movie "Three Summer Nights",...More [Video] Characters trailer released for the Korean movie 'Three Summer Nights' Characters trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "Three Summer Nights",...More [Photos] Added new posters for the Korean movie 'Three Summer Nights' Added new posters for the upcoming Korean movie "Three Summer Nights",...More [Video] Official trailer released for the Korean movie 'Three Summer Nights' Official trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "Three Summer Nights",...More [Photos] Added 2 new posters for the Korean movie 'Three Summer Nights' Added 2 new posters for the upcoming Korean movie "Three Summer Nights",...More [Video] Trailer released for the Korean movie 'Three Summer Nights' Trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "Three Summer Nights",...More [Photos] Added new stills and release date for the Korean movie 'Three Summer Nights' Added new stills and release date for the upcoming Korean movie "Three Summer Nights",...More Shim Eun-kyung's first thriller "Missing You - 2016" "Missing You - 2016" starring Shim Eun-kyung and Kim Sung-oh is now in the final stages of preparation. According to distributor NEW, the movie took 3 months to film until the 29th,...More "My Dictator" comes in second at the box office Movie "My Dictator" came in 2nd place at the box office. According to the Korean Film Council, "My Dictator" was released on the 30th and raked in 307,009 audiences on its opening day,...More Korean movies opening today 2014/10/30 in Korea: "My Dictator", "Tuning Fork", "Romance in Seoul", "Fantasy" and "The Follower, Ok Han-heum",...More [HanCinema's Film News] New Korean Films Inbound... K-Films Coming Soon: ★★★★★ "My Dictator": A small-time stage actor is asked to play Kim Il-seong right before Park Chung-hee's presidential summit. (10/30) ★★★★★ "Turning Fork": A 'comfort woman' who spent 65 years in a foreign country dreams of returning to Korea. (10/30) ★★★★ "Romance in Seoul": A young man realises he misses his roommate even though they were never in a romantic relationship. (10/30) ★★★★ "The Follower, Ok Han-heum": A documentary about the secularisation of the Korean church and how to reconnect with the Gospel of Jesus Christ in modern times. (10/30),...More [Photos] Added new posters, stills and video for the Korean movie 'My Dictator' Added new posters, stills and video for the upcoming Korean movie "My Dictator",...More [Video] Official trailer released for the Korean movie 'My Dictator' Official trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "My Dictator",...More [Photos] Added new poster and stills for the Korean movie 'My Dictator' Added new poster and stills for the upcoming Korean movie "My Dictator",...More [Photos] Added new poster and first stills for the Korean movie 'Three Summer Nights' Added new poster and first stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Three Summer Nights",...More [Video] Trailer released for the Korean movie 'My Dictator' Trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "My Dictator",...More Upcoming Korean movie "Three Summer Nights" Added the upcoming Korean movie "Three Summer Nights"'s page to HanCinema database,...More Ryu Hyun-kyung to star in "Three Summer Nights" with Kim Dong-wook Actress Ryu Hyun-kyung is coming back as the perfect woman in the movie "Three Summer Nights". Ryu Hyun-kyung plays the role of Ji-yeong. She's the daughter of a family of doctors, lawyers and prosecutors and is the youngest lawyer with the perfect spectrum. She's also looking forward to marriage with Myeong-seok (Kim Dong-wook) who's been studying for 8 years,...More [Spoiler] Added episode 16 captures for the Korean drama 'Three Days' Added episode 16 captures for the Korean drama "Three Days",...More [HanCinema's Drama Review] "Three Days" Episode 16 Final In the end, it's all about the explosions. We don't actually get to see the explosions, though. Mostly it's just people talking about the explosions, or the threat of explosions, or the general mechanics of explosions, but the point is, this episode is about all the stuff related to explosions that isn't particularly interesting. I suppose that's not terribly surprising- locked into the villainous storyline and motivation of "Three Days", of course we'd get another case of talk rather than action. This is a problem when the talk is eyerollingly dumb. I praised the first episode of this drama for having an obviously cynical take toward surveillance culture and the echelons of power in modern society,...More [HanCinema's Drama Review] "Three Days" Episode 15 I haven't exactly had high expectations regarding the villains' plans lately, but I was expecting the assassination attempt to be a tad more elaborate than just a bunch of guys firing assault from moving vehicles into the general direction of the place where everybody thinks the President is. That's just sloppy- so much so that it almost makes me yearn for the evil plans that involve murder with a bright flashing trail of evidence. But then, I don't have to yearn for it when such plots appear in this episode too. The bad guys are still getting access to wherever they need to go by donning police uniforms,...More The assassination attempt ends pretty much the way every other assassination attempt has ended in this drama to date. There's a fakeout, an explanation of elaborate motives and scheming, and then we're right back to the same old situation. The secret service is stuck in a passive holding pattern while Do-jin's corporation is able to act with infinite recklessness to achieve whatever they want to do. Remarkably this still manages to happen even though Do-jin is arrested. Yes, Do-jin comes up with yet another assassination plan, that is only mildly inhibited by the guy's being in jail,...More Well, scratch that about Do-jin being a nutcase that's about to ruin everything for everybody. As far as I can tell the legal structure of the universe in "Three Days" is of complete benefit to the man. Do-jin is totally untouchable regardless of how much obscenely incriminating evidence the good guys are able to find. Even an on-the-spot assassination attempt isn't enough to at least bring the guy in for questioning. That's not even the worst of it, actually. Apparently even a bunch of goons captured in the process of committing a crime red-handed isn't enough to put any sort of suspicion on the Jaeshin corporation,...More So apparently Do-jin is just straight up a completely crazy person. I had thought this drama was being a bit over the top with the whole evil corporate action stuff but other corporate types involved in the evil scheme actually manage to call Do-jin out for going too far. On some level the problems with Do-jin's plans really shouldn't be that hard to explain. If the police have found the bombs, it stands to reason they have evidence which will probably wreck the whole false flag operation part of the death and destruction. Without that, there's not really much point to the bombs in the first place from a corporate perspective. It's actually a fairly interesting metaphor. Old school political types just shoot the breeze with crazy ideas that might equal financial and electoral success,...More Nobody can trust anyone in this drama. Normally that would be good for a narrative about about political machinations and dark backroom deals, but unfortunately the narrative behind "Three Days" is just black and white enough that these plot points come off as belaboured. Do we really have to go through Tae-kyeong being paranoid about who to trust again. That gimmick is getting really old, mainly because he's always getting talked out of it so easily. In a lot of ways the bad guys were actually doing Tae-kyeong a favor when they tried to bump off Cha-yeong,...More [Spoiler] "Three Days", devilish Choi Won-young was made by Son Hyun-joo It was Lee Dong-hwi (Son Hyun-joo) who made Kim Do-jin (Choi Won-young). On the eleventh episode of the SBS drama "Three Days", Lee Dong-hwi told Sin Gyu-jin (Yoon Je-moon) about when he first met Kim Do-jin,...More "Three Days" vs. "Golden Cross" Now that KBS 2TV drama "Inspiring Generation" is over, where is the rating going to lean towards? "Three Days" or the new "Golden Cross"? The key point is which one of them will take the throne? "Three Days" was a strong competitor of "Inspiring Generation" and seeks the crown. The previous episode was intense, as Lee Dong-hwi (Son Hyun-joo) is put into action himself and opened up the curtains to the second round,...More [Spoiler] Added episode 9 captures for the Korean drama 'Three Days' Added episode 9 captures for the Korean drama "Three Days",...More The conclusion at corporate headquarters is about everything that can be reasonably expected. It says quite a bit about the way characters in this drama plan events that defeat keeps popping up in moments of practically absolute strength. "Three Days" takes place in a world where bravado and confidence are not great advantages. Anytime somebody takes a moment to be smug the weaker party is able to take advantage of that foolishness to shift the dynamics again. The drama is able to do a decent job the closer it hews to standard action tropes,...More [Spoiler] "Three Days" Son Hyun-joo makes Choi Won-young a deal Son Hyun-joo made a deal with Choi Won-young. On the tenth episode of the SBS drama "Three Days", thanks to his double-spy Lee Cha-yeong (So Yi-hyun), president Lee Dong-hwi (Son Hyun-joo) managed to get back the copy of the secret files that were in the Blue House assistant director Sin Gyoo-jin's (Yoon Je-moon) hands. He was going to find the prosecutors with the USB which had the secret files in it. There was one day left to voting day,...More [HanCinema's Drama Review] "Three Days" Episode 9 I suppose there's one concession I have to make to this drama- if security professionals in this universe were actually any good at preventing rogue agents from attacking secure installations and doing whatever they wanted, really, where would the tension come from? Yes, the particular plot device used to that end in this episode is a bit groanworthy. And it's especially annoying that most of the background is too dark for us to see what's happening. But it moves the plot forward. Unfortunately for the most part the storyline is just standing still,...More Sol Kyung-gu and Park Hae-il in "My Dictator" Actor Sol Kyung-gu and Park Hae-il started shooting the movie "My Dictator" as father and son. "My Dictator" is based in the year 1970 when the first North and South summit took place and a stand-in was used to pretend to me Kim Il-sung,...More We finally get some nice, clear character ambivalence from Tae-kyeong. He's a man that's honest about his limitations. Not in a refreshing way. It's a bit unnerving just how little confidence Tae-kyeong inspires in any scene that doesn't directly involve crazy action stuff. He has to be one of the more wishy-washy action heroes I can recall ever seeing on-screen. It's certainly different from the genre standard- but I'm not sure whether it actually works. "Three Days" itself seems to admit this, as the episode abruptly changes gears from Tae-kyeong's inner conflict to more explanation about the specifics of the conspiracy,...More Once again we find Tae-kyeong not being the most cooperative lead character. This kind of action thriller typically requires a main character who's willing to break the rules, but when we see Tae-kyeong fighting people on his own side just as much as the actual villains, it's difficult to ignore the thematic significance. Even if it's in flashback the guy really seems determined to win every possible encounter, regardless of whether or not it will actually help his long term goals. Let's take, for example, the confrontation at the suite,...More [Spoiler] "Three Days" Son Hyun-joo in danger from Choi Won-young's plot President Lee Dong-hwi (Son Hyun-joo) was in danger of impeachment because of Kang Do-jin's (Choi Won-young) plot. Kim Do-jin disclosed the manipulated truth about the Yang Jin-ri case in '98 and how the nation's trust for Lee Dong-hwi had declined. Kim Do-jin also succeeded in cornering Lee Dong-hwi by leaking out the evidence,...More Tae-kyeong really needs to take some responsibility in terms of his image problem. Even though he's been cleared of wrongdoing and is ostensibly working with the good guys again, the man continues to respond to every minor crisis by punching everyone nearby. I mean, geez, Cha-yeong is clearly trying to give him the benefit of the doubt here but there's only so much she can do when the guy's so determined to alienate himself from everyone for no apparent reason. The storyline moves forward as the bad guys move to the next step of their plan- kill everyone who might know something about the big mysterious secret,...More Most of this episode is dedicated to flashback, and to fairly good effect. We find out pretty clearly and unambiguously what the conspiracy is and why they're trying to kill the president. The revelations are fairly disappointing ones actually, but it fits well with the overall tone of the episode. Tae-kyeong is horribly disillusioned by the discoveries, yet he insists on sticking close to the action anyway because he's a secret service agent and darn it he's gotta protect the president. The sense of urgency feels awfully out of place for the fifth episode,...More Most of the opening portion is just a huge orgy of action. Tae-kyeong is on a train and, as expected, this about the worst possible place to try and hide from a search by local authorities. So the situation very quickly degenerates into an outrageous fistfight. If the secret service agents had any doubts as to whether Tae-kyeong had seriously gone wrong, those are pretty much dispelled by the man's actions here. Word of advice- if your plan is to beat up everyone in the nearby vicinity until or unless they force you to stop, prefacing this rampage with "I'm sorry" really isn't good enough,...More ...And it turns out that Tae-kyeong is, beyond all reasonable doubt, a wizard. I really can't come up with any other explanation for his accomplishments this episode. At one point he actually manages to knock someone out with the Vulcan nerve pinch. At least I'm assuming that's what he did- we don't see it very clearly but I can't imagine how else he could have forced this person into unconsciousness. For pity's sake, "Three Days", at least hand him some chloroform or something. There's also the extended car chase, which has an ending I still can't figure out. So the bad guy is driving this giant semi, and all he has to do to kill our heroes is score a direct hit and knock them over,...More It would seem that I was mistaken on the action front. Initially the attack is a big deal, but for the most part this episode is just an anatomy of the attack, which was so sudden there's not even much to see. The focus here is mainly on Tae-kyoung, who is being treated suspiciously for...some reason I'm not sure what exactly. Maybe I've seen too many of these cat-and-mouse mysteries, but everything about this episode was so painfully predictable I was just impatiently tapping my fingers thinking "get on with it already!" So, Tae-kyoung is wrongly accused, and now must work on his own to protect the president. That's motivation,...More The immediate striking aspect of "Three Days" is how scary it is. Just to be clear, the first episode doesn't actually give a very good idea of who the bad guys are and what they're trying to do. Rather, the fear factor here comes from the Korean secret service of all people. Their elaborate surveillance scheme, the sniper on the rooftop, the excessive security detail, all demonstrate a frightening degree of control. Director Sin Kyeong-soo takes a bunch of people that are supposed to be at least kind of heroic and makes them look like the agents of a dystopia,...More Korean drama starting today 2014/03/05 in Korea "Three Days",...More [HanCinema's Drama Preview] "Three Days" Dramas taking a turn for the bleak is certainly not a shift a lot of fans appreciate, but since the domestic audiences seem to like their darker stories, this is something we will have to get used to for this spring season. The good thing about it though, is that rather than going for makjang, we are seeing a rise in suspense thrillers with highly cinematic qualities. And this is a good thing for an industry mainly about cheap and quick entertainment. "Three Days" is one of these new series going for a more serious approach,...More The drama world of women vs. men It's going to get interesting next week. The actresses will be in the Monday to Tuesday dramas and the actors on Wednesday and Thursdays. Ha Ji-won vs. Han Ji-hye vs. Lee Bo-young,...More So Yi-hyun shows off body with see-through The press conference of the new SBS drama "Three Days" was held on the 26th at the Imperial Palace Hotel. So Yi-hyun appeared in a white dress with a see-through skirt,...More Son Hyun-joo compliments Park Yoo-chun Actor Son Hyun-joo spoke highly of Park Yoo-chun who is starring in the same drama. They appeared at the press conference of the new SBS drama "Three Days" on the 26th and spoke about how much fun it was working with each other,...More "Three Days" Son Hyun-joo and Park Yoo-chun in stills Son Hyun-joo and Park Yoo-chun from "Three Days" have been revealed through still cuts. Son Hyun-joo and Park Yoo-chun appears as the president and bodyguard who tries to save the president from danger. Son Hyun-joo is the kind of president who treats his bodyguards like one of the nation's people he must respect and Park Yoo-chun is the kind of security that would put out his life for the president,...More [Video] Second teaser released for the Korean drama 'Three Days' Second teaser released for the upcoming Korean drama "Three Days",...More [Photos] Added character posters for the upcoming Korean drama "Three Days" Added character posters for the upcomin,...More [Photos] Added new images for the Korean drama 'Three Days' Added new images for the upcoming Korean drama "Three Days",...More [Video] Teaser released for the Korean drama 'Three Days' Teaser released for the upcoming Korean drama "Three Days",...More [HanCinema's Column] Unconventional Korean Dramas Being a movie fan making a jump to dramas can be a daunting experience. The two are very different in many ways. From budget to tropes, from acting to directing, they are worlds apart. While there are genres even Korean films do not often touch, Korean drama is much more limited in its diversity. Sageuk, melodrama, dailies, romantic comedies, the types and formats of series are limited,...More [Photos] Added new fan-made poster for the Korean drama 'Three Days' Added new fan-made poster for the upcoming Korean drama "Three Days",...More Today's Photo: January 11, 2014 : Namoo Actors 10th Anniversary Celebrity couple Kim Hyo-jin (left) and Yoo Ji-tae pose at an event for the entertainment agency "Namoo Actors" in Seoul on Friday,...More Choi Won-young to star in "Three Days" Actor Choi Won-young is going to be busy acting for a while as he settled for the new SBS drama "Three Days". Choi Won-young is putting on the part of a plutocrat who pressures the president (Son Hyun-joo) and intensifies the drama,...More Updated cast for the Korean drama 'Three Days' Updated cast for the upcoming Korean drama "Three Days",...More [HanCinema's Drama Review] "At The End Of The World" Virus epidemics are far from becoming a genre in Korean cinema. Given the lack of variety in genre found in Korean drama, they are even more of a rarity in television. However, 2013 brought us not one, but two series with that same premise. OCN's "The Virus" went for the channel's usual sleek and investigation-oriented approach. "At The End Of The World" is a production aired on jTBC, written by Park Hye-ryeon-I and directed by Ahn Pan-seok ('White Tower', 'A Wife's Credentials'). Having produced some high quality series such as 'Padam Padam... The Sound of His and Her Heartbeats' and 'Heartless City', it is clear the channel is going for a cinematic, detailed and polished approach for dramas,...More Choi Seung-hyun's various expressions 15 different expressions of Choi Seung-hyun have been revealed. Choi's dynamic expressions from the movie "Commitment" is what everyone's talking about,...More Korean movies opening today 2013/11/06 in Korea; "Commitment", "Red Family",...More [HanCinema's Film Review] "Commitment" There's a swift brutality to the action scenes in "Commitment" that really demands attention. When young North Korean spy Myeong-hoon (played coldly by Choi Seung-hyun) decides he needs to torture and probably kill someone, he wastes no time with trickery and gets right down to the fundamentals. The resulting beatdowns are intense and hard-hitting, really evoking the sense that we're in the same room as people who are fighting to the death. This contrasts nicely with Myeong-hoon's life as a high school student,...More [Photos] Added new Han Ye-ri stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Commitment" Added new Han Ye-ri stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Commitment",...More Added Yoon Je-moon and Jo Sung-ha's character posters for the upcoming Korean movie "Commitment" Added Yoon Je-moon and Jo Sung-ha's character posters for the upcoming Korean movie "Commitment",...More Added character posters and new still for the upcoming Korean movie "Commitment" Added character posters and new still for the upcoming Korean movie "Commitment",...More Korean drama of the week "Deep-rooted Tree" Korean drama of the week "Deep-rooted Tree" (2011) Directed by Jang Tae-yoo Written by Kim Yeong-hyeon, Park Sang-yeon Network : SBS With Han Suk-kyu, Jang Hyuk, Shin Se-kyung, Yoon Je-moon, Cho Jin-woong, Park Hyuk-kwon,... 24 episodes - Wed, Thu 21:55 Synopsis A high-budget historical thriller with an unusual concept, "Deep-rooted Tree" stars Jang Hyuk as a brilliant Joseon-era investigator. Kang Chae-yoon is an ordinary guard in the imperial palace during the reign of King Sejong. The King has a vision to create a written language for Korea, and has worked with scholars to create the first Korean alphabet,...More Added main poster, new trailer and video for the upcoming Korean movie "Commitment" Added main poster, new trailer and video for the upcoming Korean movie "Commitment",...More [Video] Trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "Commitment" Trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "Commitment",...More Added new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Commitment" Added new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Commitment",...More Added posters and still for the upcoming Korean movie "Commitment" Added posters and still for the upcoming Korean movie "Commitment",...More [Video] Trailer released for the Korean movie 'Commitment' Park Doo-shik under the same roof as Jo Min-ki Rookie actor Park Doo-shik who is popular from the movie "Fist of Legend" joined The Som Entertainment. Park Soo-sik debuted in the movie "Fist of Legend" as the younger version of crazy dog, Sin Jae-seok (Yoon Je-moon),...More Added new still for the upcoming Korean movie "Commitment" Added new still for the upcoming Korean movie "Commitment",...More "Iron Man 3" once again defended its place at the top of the Korean box office, but this time there were a few new entries to help spread the wealth around. Marvel's metal magician added 1,039,876 (58.22%) admissions to its reign, moving it onto a total ticket count of 7.5M and to second in the list of Korea's highest grossing films of the year. Song Hae-seong sixth feature "Boomerang Family" and the new DreamWorks animation "The Croods" were among the some of more successful new releases that hit Korean cinemas this past weekend,...More [HanCinema's Film Review] "Boomerang Family" When director In-Mo (played by Park Hae-il) finds himself at the end of his professional rope, he reluctantly finds himself beckoned toward home. There he awkwardly accepts the kindness of his ever-patient mother (played by Youn Yuh-jung). His older brother Han-Mo (played by Yoon Je-moon) and younger sister Mi-Yeon (played by Jin Ji-hee) have barely grown up themselves, even though all of them are now well into middle age. At its best, "Boomerang Family" depicts the rather sad realization that family dynamics never really change. Han-Mo would seem like an ill-suited older brother, given that he lives at home and has a big, lazy pot belly, but he still bullies his younger brother around and acts as if he's responsible for his siblings' well-being,...More "Boomerang Family" is second place on first day out on the Box Office The movie "Boomerang Family" started off at second place. According to the Korean Films Commission on the 10th, 67,089 audiences gathered in 531 theaters to watch "Boomerang Family" which was released on the 9th and rode up to second place. The accumulated number is 74,419,...More Korean movies opening today 2013/05/09 in Korea; "Boomerang Family", "Hard to Say",...More Added new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Aging Family" Added new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Aging Family",...More "Aging Family" Ye Ji-won "Aging Family" a movie about break ups and resolution has a good set of leading acts. In this competition called 'life', three brothers and sisters fail and return to live with their mother. The casts are Park Hae-il, Yoon Je-moon, Gong Hyo-jin, Youn Yuh-jung and Jin Ji-hee,...More Added new stills for the Korean movie "Fist of Legend" Added new stills for the Korean movie "Fist of Legend",...More Added new images for the Korean movie "Fist of Legend" Added new images for the Korean movie "Fist of Legend",...More "Fist of Legend",...More [Video] Official Trailer released for the Korean movie 'Aging Family' Official Trailer released for the upco,...More Added new images for the upcoming Korean movie "Aging Family" Added new images for the upcoming Korean movie "Aging Family",...More Added new poster for the upcoming Korean movie "Fist of Legend" Added new poster for the upcoming Korean movie "Fist of Legend",...More Meet Legendary Korean Director Kang Woo-Seok in Los Angeles Kang Woo-seok will be in Los Angeles for a special presentation of his highly anticipated upcoming release "Fist of Legend". This film will be the first Korean film to have a same weekend theatrical release in Korea and N. America! Director Kang is in Los Angeles for just 2 days, before rushing back just in time to see the film open in Seoul on April 10! "Fist of Legend" will open in 20 cities across N. America on April 12. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: Dir. Kang will be participating in 2 special screening events both taking place at CGV Cinemas during his short Los Angeles visit,...More [Spoiler] Added episodes 2 and 3 captures for the Korean drama 'At The End Of The World' Added episodes 2 and 3 captures for the Korean drama "At The End Of The World",...More Added new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Fist of Legend" Added new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Fist of Legend",...More Added new still for the upcoming Korean movie "Fist of Legend" Added new still for the upcoming Korean movie "Fist of Legend",...More [Photos] "Fist of Legend" VIP premiere Hwang Jung-min, Yu Jun-sang, Lee Yo-won, Yoon Je-moon and Jung Woong-in "Fist of Legend" VIP premiere,...More [Video] Trailer released for the Korean movie 'Aging Family' Trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "Aging Family",...More Added new images for the upcoming Korean movie "Fist of Legend" Added new images for the upcoming Korean movie "Fist of Legend",...More [Spoiler] Added episode 1 captures for the Korean drama 'At The End Of The World' Added episode 1 captures for the Korean drama "At The End Of The World",...More Park Hae-il and Gong Hyo-jin's "Aging Family" Park Hae-il and Gong Hyo-jin's movie "Aging Family" is to be released in May. "Aging Family" is about immature family of sisters and brothers aged 44, 40 and 35 all living under the same roof with their mother,...More Korean drama starting today 2013/03/16 in Korea "At The End Of The World",...More Added new poster and stills for the Korean movie 'Fist of Legend' Added new poster and stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Fist of Legend",...More Today's Photo: March 9, 2013 [2] Actress Lee Yo-won poses at a press event for her new film "Fist of Legend" in Seoul on Friday,...More [Video] Trailer released for the Korean movie 'Fist of Legend' Trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "Fist of Legend",...More [Spoiler] Added new stills for the Korean movie 'Fist of Legend' [Spoiler] Added new images for the Korean movie 'Fist of Legend' Added character posters for the upcoming Korean movie "Fist of Legend" Added character posters for the upcoming Korean movie "Fist of Legend",...More Added poster and stills for the upcoming Korean drama "At The End Of The World" Added poster and stills for the upcoming Korean drama "At The End Of The World",...More [Video] Trailer released for the upcoming Korean drama "At The End Of The World" Trailer released for the upcoming Korean drama "At The End Of The World",...More Teaser Trailer released for the upcoming Korean drama "At The End Of The World" Teaser Trailer released for the upcoming Korean drama "At The End Of The World",...More Yoon Je-moon and Jang Kyung-ah reunite Upcoming jTBC weekend drama "At The End Of The World" Yoon Je-moon and Jang Kyung-ah from "Deep-rooted Tree" are coming together again,...More Added teaser poster for the upcoming Korean movie "Fist of Legend" Added teaser poster for the upcoming Korean movie "Fist of Legend",...More Upcoming Korean movie "Aging Family" Added the upcoming Korean movie "Aging Family"'s page to HanCinema database,...More [Video] Trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "Fist of Legend" Upcoming Korean drama "At The End Of The World" Added the upcoming Korean drama "At The End Of The World"'s page to HanCinema database,...More Yoon Je-moon cast for the leading role of "At The End of The World" Actor Yoon Je-moon has been confirmed to star in the jTBC drama "At The End Of The World". Based on a novel by Bae Yeong-ik, "At The End Of The World" is produced by producer Ahn Pan-seok from "A Wife's Credentials",...More THN's Korean Cinema Style Week 5: Kim Jee-woon - The Good The Bad The Weird With Gangnam Style destroying the charts the world over, we will soon see a second wave of the Korean invasion taking place. Three of South Koreas most commercially successful and critically acclaimed directors have their English language debuts set for next year. Kim Jee-woon ("THE LAST STAND"), Park Chan-wook ("STOKER"), and Bong Joon-ho ("Snowpiercer") have already proved themselves in their homeland, and here at THN we are taking a look back over their past efforts. Starting with the films of Kim Jee-woon, join us each week over the course of the next few months as we explore The Land Of The Morning Calm. "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" Director: Kim Jee-woon Year: 2008 Cast: Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, Jung Woo-sung, Yoon Je-moon, Ryu Seung-soo, Song Young-chang, Son Byung-ho, Oh Dal-soo Plot: Three men; a bounty hunter, a mercenary, and an opportunist, fight over a map they believe will lead them to treasure. However, they may also have some personal issues to resolve along the way,...More Choi Kyu-hwan in Chinese movie as North Korean spy Actor Choi Kyu-hwan starred in a movie as the elder brother of Changmin. Choi Kyu-hwan was in the movie "Run With The Gold" which was released in Japan on the 3rd. This movie is directed by Izutsu Kazuyuki famous for the movie "Head First" and written by best selling writer Takamura Karou. It deals with six men and their efforts to steal gold in Osaka,...More Upcoming Korean movie "Fist of Legend" Added the upcoming Korean movie "Fist of Legend"'s page to HanCinema database,...More Yu Jun-sang gets out of the hospital Actor Yu Jun-sang who was injured during a movie is currently in treatment. He was admitted and discharged from the hospital a couple days ago and is now going through rehabilitation,...More Updated cast for the upcoming Korean drama "IRIS 2" Updated cast for the upcoming Korean drama "IRIS 2",...More Song Seung-heon and Yoon Je-moon to come together in "The Messenger" Actors Song Seung-heon and Yoon Je-moon are starring in a movie together. According to the movie industry on the 18th, Song and Yoon and considering the terms of "The Messenger". This movie is directed by Kwon Jong-gwan,...More Upcoming Korean movie "The Graduate" Added the upcoming Korean movie "The Graduate"'s page to HanCinema database,...More Drama of the week "The King 2 Hearts" Drama of the week "The King 2 Hearts" (2012) Directed by Lee Jae-gyoo Written by Hong Jin-ah Network : MBC With Ha Ji-won, Lee Seung-gi, Jo Jung-suk, Lee Yoon-ji, Yoon Je-moon, Lee Soon-jae,... 20 episodes - Wed, Thu 21:55 Synopsis South Korea's spoiled prince encounters North Korea's greatest female soldier!,...More TOP's "The Graduate" starts filming after director change Big Bang's TOP (Choi Seung-hyun) movie called "The Graduate" will start filming under Park Hong-soo. Park Eun-kyeong, CEO of the production company The Lamp, told My Daily, "Park Hong-soo is going to start filming next week",...More Yoon Je-moon, Song Hae-seong "Aging Family" Yoon Je-moon is starring in "Aging Family" according to a spokesperson on the 5th. No details have been revealed yet but the crank in should be in the start of October,...More [HanCinema's Film Review] Korean Weekend Box Office 2012.07.13 ~ 2012.07.15 HanCinema's Korean Box Office Review (2012.07.13~ 2012.07.15) This past weekend saw "Deranged" enjoy a second week at the top, with "Spiderman" still right behind it in second. Park Jeong-woo's disaster film was the only film to breach the million admissions mark, claiming 1,151,314 (43.60%) admissions and moving its total up to 3,229,597. The weekend top ten contains only two other Korean entries, Kim Dong-bin "Two Moons" and Koo Ja-hong "Dangerously Excited" both made their entry into the chart but only managed a little over 330,000 between them,...More Korean movies opening today 2012/07/12 in Korea "Two Moons", "Dangerously Excited", "Venus in Furs", "Bloody Fight in Iron-Rock Valley" and "Sex, Lies and Videotape",...More [Video] Added new images and video for the upcoming Korean movie "Dangerously Excited" Added new images and video for the upcoming Korean movie "Dangerously Excited",...More [Video] Added new images and video for the upcoming Korean movie "Dangerously Excited",...More 30s trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "Dangerously Excited" 30s trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "Dangerously Excited",...More Added new poster for the upcoming Korean movie "Dangerously Excited" Added new poster for the upcoming Korean movie "Dangerously Excited",...More [Spoiler] Added final episode 20 captures for the Korean drama 'The King 2 Hearts' Added final episode 20 captures for the Korean drama "The King 2 Hearts",...More [Spoiler] Added episode 19 captures for the Korean drama 'The King 2 Hearts' Added episode 19 captures for the Korean drama "The King 2 Hearts",...More Lee Seung-gi is an actor Lee Seung-gi is currently being favored by many for his excellent performance in the MBC drama "The King 2 Hearts" as the King Lee Jae-ha. Lee Seung-gi's character is one who had no interest whatsoever in his country until his brother Lee Jae-kang (Lee Sung-min) dies and Lee Jae-ha becomes king. He changes a 180 degrees,...More [Spoiler] "The King 2 Hearts" Jo Jung-suk gets killed by Yoo Je-moon Eun Si-kyeong (Jo Jung-suk) died from a bullet shot by Kim Bong-goo (Yoon Je-moon). On the nineteenth episode of the MBC drama "The King 2 Hearts" on the 23rd of May, Eun Si-kyeong died while carrying out a mission to get rid of Kim Bong-goo, from a sudden gunshot,...More [Spoiler] "The King 2 Hearts" Jo Jung-suk as Yoon Je-moon's bait Jo Jung-suk went to Yoon Je-moon himself. On the seventeenth episode of the MBC drama "The King 2 Hearts" on the 16th of May showed Eun Si-kyeong (Jo Jung-suk) volunteering as Kim Bong-goo's (Yoon Je-moon) bait,...More [Spoiler] "The King 2 Hearts" Ha Ji-won and Lee Seung-gi get engaged Ha Ji-won and Lee Seung-gi got engaged. Kim Hang-ah (Ha Ji-won) and Lee Jae-ha (Lee Seung-gi) got engaged in the fifteenth episode of the drama "The King 2 Hearts",...More Hwang Jung-min, Yu Jun-sang, Yoon Je-moon and Kang Woo-seok in "Fist of Legend" Actors Hwang Jung-min, Yu Jun-sang and Yoon Je-moon have met at last with director Kang Woo-seok. They have al been confirmed to star in the movie "Fist of Legend",...More "The King 2 Hearts" Lee Yoon-ji on the throne The preview of Lee Yoon-ji in the throne has been an issue. MBC drama "The King 2 Hearts" showed a preview of Lee Yoon-ji on the throne through media. She is currenty starring in the drama as South Korean princess Lee Jae-sin,...More Hwang Jung-min, Yoon Je-moon and Park Won-sang in Kang Woo-seok's "Fist of Legend" Hwang Jung-min, Yoon Je-moon and Park Won-sang have been cast for Kang Woo-seok's new movie "Fist of Legend". Cinema Service explained, "Hwang Jung-min, Yoon Je-moon and Park Won-sang have confirmed to star in the movie "The Legendary First"". Crank in should start in July after clarifying all contracts by the end of this month,...More [Spoiler] Added episode 9 captures for the Korean drama 'The King 2 Hearts' Added episode 9 captures for the Korean drama "The King 2 Hearts",...More [Spoiler] "The King 2 Hearts" Ha Ji-won suspected for murdering king Ha Ji-won was pointed out as a suspect that killed Lee Sung-min. On the ninth episode of the MBC drama "The King 2 Hearts" on the 18th of April, evidence of the North's doing was found on site where the King Lee Jae-kang (Lee Sung-min) was killed,...More [Spoiler] Added episodes 7 and 8 captures for the Korean drama 'The King 2 Hearts' Added episodes 7 and 8 captures for the Korean drama "The King 2 Hearts",...More Added posters and new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Dangerously Excited" Added posters and new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Dangerously Excited",...More Trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "Dangerously Excited" Trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "Dangerously Excited",...More [Spoiler] "The King 2 Hearts" Ha Ji-won and Lee Seung-gi saves the North and South concept Actress Ha Ji-won and Lee Seung-ki put life and tention into the sensitive matter of North and South. On the episode of MBC TV drama "The King 2 Hearts" aired on the 21st, South Korean prince Lee Jae-ha (Lee Seung-gi) who had a Worldwide Officer Contest coming up and North Korea female sergeant Kim Hang-ah (Ha Ji-won) met in a atmosphere of tension,...More Korean dramas starting today 2012/03/21 in Korea Korean dramas starting today 2012/03/21 in Korea "The King 2 Hearts", "The Rooftop Prince" and "The Equator Man",...More Will "The King 2 Hearts" Ha Ji-won and Lee seung-gi be undefeated? Will Ha Ji-won and Lee Seung-gi laugh together with the drama "The King 2 Hearts"? The two have taken on the roles of North Korean female Special Force sergeant Kim Hang-ah and supercilious South Korean Prince Lee Jae-ha. Under the setting of a constitutional monarchy, the love between a North Korean sergeant and a South Korean Prince is another interest to the movie besides the fact that the two big hit makers have come together,...More Upcoming Korean movie "Dangerously Excited" Added the upcoming Korean movie "Dangerously Excited"'s page to HanCinema database,...More [Spoiler] "The Sun and The Moon" happy ening according to original script "The Sun and the Moon" ended just like the original novel. On the twentieth episode of the MBC drama "The Sun and the Moon" aired on the 15th, Yang-myeong (Jung Il-woo), the Queen (Kim Min-seo) and Jang Nok-yeong (Jeon Mi-sun) died,...More Lee Seung-gi and Ha Ji-won with guns Actress Ha Ji-won and actor Lee Seung-gi managed to pull off the gun training scene for the new MBC drama "The King 2 Hearts". This scene will be spread over 3 episodes in the drama "The King 2 Hearts",...More "The King 2 Hearts" reveals main poster MBC drama "The King 2 Hearts" revealed its main poster and is preparing for the first broadcast. "The King 2 Hearts" is about the love between a North Korean female sergeant Kim Hang-ah (Ha Ji-won) and South Korean Prince Lee Jae-ha (Lee Seung-ki) under the setting of a constitutional monarchy. In the poster, the two are mystically affectionare and loving towards each other. Ha Ji-won even lost weight for this drama.,...More Added teaser, poster making of and new stills for the upcoming Korean drama "The King 2 Hearts" Added teaser, poster making of and new stills for the upcoming Korean drama "The King 2 Hearts",...More Added new stills and updated cast for the upcoming Korean drama "The King 2 Hearts" Added new stills and updated cast for the upcoming Korean drama "The King 2 Hearts",...More Han Hye-jin expresses 'fire' with her whole body Han Hye-jin expressed 'fire' with her entire body. She was doing a quiz game with Yoon Je-moon on the SBS TV program "Healing Camp" on February 27th,...More Added on the set videos for the upcoming Korean drama "The King 2 Hearts" Added on the set videos for the upcoming Korean drama "The King 2 Hearts",...More Ha Ji-won and Lee Seung-gi's "The King 2 Hearts" has its first script reading Ha Ji-won, Lee Seung-gi, Yoon Je-moon, Lee Yoon-ji, Jo Jung-suk and other actors and actresses had their first script reading session for "The King 2 Hearts". Ha Ji-won, Lee Seung-gi, Yoon Je-moon, Lee Yoon-ji, Jo Jung-suk and others met at MBC's Ilsan Dream Center on the 26th last month for the script reading of "The King 2 Hearts". The reading went on for four hours but none of the actors or actresses seemed tired and they all participated with enthusiasm,...More 2011 SBS Drama Awards : Winners List 2011 SBS Drama Awards : Winners List :,...More [Photos] 2011 SBS Drama Awards [Photos] 2011 SBS Drama Awards, Lee Min-ho,...More "Deep-rooted Tree" reveals the brain structure of Sejong, Moo-hyool, Jeong Ki-joon and So-i The brain structures of Sejong (Han Suk-kyu), Moo-hyool (Cho Jin-woong), Jeong Ki-joon (Yoon Je-moon) and So-i (Shin Se-kyung) from the drama "Deep-rooted Tree" were revealed. The Hoonminjeongeum took up the biggest portion in Sejong's brain structure. Then came Milbon and 'bloody hell', push and pull with Moo-hyool, meat and So-i,...More [Spoiler] Added last episode 24 captures and updated cast for the Korean drama 'Deep-rooted Tree' Added last episode 24 captures and updated cast for the Korean drama "Deep-rooted Tree",...More [Spoiler] "Deep-rooted Tree" final episode, everyone dies Although Sejong (Han Suk-kyu) succeeded in proclaiming the Hangeul, everyone he loved came to a tragic end. On the final episode of SBS "Deep-rooted Tree", Milbon Jeong Gi-joon's (Yoon Je-moon) plan to create a mass assassination failed. Sejong issued the Hunminjeongeum in the most surprising way,...More [Spoiler] "Deep-rooted Tree" remains in first place until the end SBS drama "Deep-rooted Tree" successfully ended with the leading place of dramas at the same time. According to AGB Nielsen Media Research on the 23rd, "Deep-rooted Tree" on the 22nd rated,...More [Spoiler] "Deep-rooted Tree" Kim Kyung-jin cries in sorrow Kim Kyung-jin's wailing act played an indispensable role well. On the December 15th episode of SBS "Deep-rooted Tree", Kim Kyung-jin appeared as a beggar and suffered some injustices because of Sejong Lee Do (Han Suk-kyu) creating Hangeul,...More "Deep-rooted Tree" stays in first place SBS drama "Deep-rooted Tree" maintained in the 20%. According to AGB Nielsen Media Research on the 1st, "Deep-rooted Tree" on the 30th rated 21.0%.,...More [Spoiler] "Deep-rooted Tree" Yoon Je-moon shocked at the principles of Hangeul Jeong Ki-joon (Yoon Je-moon) was in shock after discovering the deep principles of the Hangeul. On the 16th episode of SBS drama "Deep-rooted Tree" Jeong Ki-joon was in awe at the Hanguel but at the same time keeping it in check.,...More "Deep-rooted Tree" scores 20.5% SBS drama "Deep-rooted Tree" recorded its best viewer percentage so far and remained in the lead. According to AGB Nielsen Media Research on November 18th, the fourteenth episode of "Deep-rooted Tree" from November 17th caught 20.5% of viewers,...More [Spoiler] "Deep-rooted Tree" An autopsy to cure Shin Se-kyung's aphasia Sejong (Han Suk-kyu) ordered an autopsy by the Garions (Jeong Ki-joon/Yoon Je-moon). On the eleventh episode of SBS drama "Deep-rooted Tree" on November 9th, the Garions cut open a body's throat and mouth just as Sejong ordered,...More [Spoiler] "Deep-rooted Tree" Garion is Jeong Ki-joon Garion (Yoon Je-moon) turned out to be Jeong Ki-joon. On the 10th episode of SBS drama "Deep-rooted Tree" Lee Sin-jeok (Ahn Suk-hwan) went to find Garion and asked him if he wasn't the original handy man,...More [Spoiler] "Deep-rooted Tree" breaks through 20% SBS drama "Deep-rooted Tree" finally broke through 20% in viewer percentage. According to AGB Nielsen Media Research on November 3rd, the tenth episode of SBS's "Deep-rooted Tree" made it over 20.2%,...More [Spoiler] "Deep-rooted Tree" has a mystery character, Yoon Je-moon Yoon Je-moon's sorrow touched viewers hearts. On the ninth episode of SBS drama "Deep-rooted Tree" on November 2nd, a Jiphyeonjeon scholar was threatened by a warrior. The sword he used was the same that was used in a slaughter house,...More Yeonghwa: Korean Film Today@MoMA Yeonghwa: Korean Film Today will start on Sept. 22 and last through Oct. 2. This year, we are pleased to welcome back Yim Soon-rye, South Korea's most highly regarded female filmmaker, to The Korea Society for the Opening Night's screening of "Rolling Home with a Bull" (2010), which follows a young man's forlorn life as a failed poet and unemployed bachelor who winds up taking an unexpected journey throughout the country with his father's cvherished bull and making a series of peculiar run-ins. This year's Yeonghwa series will also have a special focus on director Jeon Kyu-hwan, whose Town Trilogy films--"Mozart Town" (2008), "Animal Town" (2009) and "Dance Town" (2010)-examines various human lives that exist in Seoul's urban landscape, including those of an African laborer, a Russian exchange student, a reformed pedophile, a North Korean defector, and a dejected print-shop owner. Jeon's Town Trilogy critiques the "town" of Seoul from a sociological auteur's perspective,...More Added first stills for the upcoming Korean drama "Deep-rooted Tree" Added first stills for the upcoming Korean drama "Deep-rooted Tree",...More Music video 'Crazy Boy' by Okay Girls released for the Korean movie "Quick" Music video 'Crazy Boy' by Okay Girls released for the Korean movie "Quick",...More Added new stills and video for the Korean movie "Quick" Added new stills and video for the Korean movie "Quick",...More Korean movies opening today 2011/07/20 in Korea "The Front Line" and "Quick",...More Added new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Quick" Added new stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Quick",...More 2nd trailer and new poster revealed for the upcoming Korean movie "Quick" 2nd trailer and new poster revealed for the upcoming Korean movie "Quick",...More Poster and 45s trailer revealed for the upcoming Korean movie "Quick" Poster and 45s trailer revealed for the upcoming Korean movie "Quick",...More Teaser and stills revesled for the upcoming Korean movie "Quick" Teaser and stills revesled for the upcoming Korean movie "Quick",...More [Spoiler] "Royal" and "Midas" reported illegality of plutocrats Monday and Tuesday dramas, Wednesday and Thursday dramas SBS "Midas" and MBC "Royal Family" revealed how plutocrats break the law and commit illegalities. In last week's episode of "Midas", Injin Capital Chairman Yoo Seong-joon (Yoon Je-moon) needed a big amount of funds to restore his company. So he created a paper company to pretend to loan some money to, in order to use the company funds. This is considered malpractice.,...More SBS "Midas" does its best with 15.3%... competes with "The Duo" SBS drama "Midas" rose slightly in rate, making it the best so far. According to AGB Nielsen Media Research, SBS "Midas" on the 12th rated 15.3% on national average. This is 0.6% more than the 14.7% on the 11th.,...More Yoon Je-moon, no guarantee lead role for low budget movie, "Dangerous Thrill" Actor Yoon Je-moon expressed his intention to star in a movie for no guarantee. SBS drama "Midas"s abrupt charisma Yoon Je-moon has confirmed to be in the low budget movie "Dangerous Thrill" (productions Mapo Films, directed by Koo Ja-hong).,...More English subtitled trailer released for the Korean movie "Battlefield Heroes" English subtitled trailer released for the Korean movie "Battlefield Heroes",...More Updated cast for the Korean movie "Battlefield Heroes" Updated cast for the Korean movie "Battlefield Heroes",...More Korean movies released today in Korea Korean movies released today in Korea "Battlefield Heroes", "Detective K" and short movie "Night Fishing",...More Added new pictures and videos for the upcoming Korean movie "Battlefield Heroes" Added new pictures and videos for the upcoming Korean movie "Battlefield Heroes",...More Trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "Battlefield Heroes" Trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "Battlefield Heroes",...More Poster released for the upcoming Korean movie "Battlefield Heroes" Poster released for the upcoming Korean movie "Battlefield Heroes",...More Teaser and stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Battlefield Heroes" Teaser and stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Battlefield Heroes",...More 'Chaw' Explores Omnivore's Nightmare The homicidal hog movie "Chaw" is one of those films that takes a seed of truth and grows it into Jack's beanstalk. This tall tale of horror and,...More "Chaw" to be Unleashed July 16 Known for its innovative and daring use of genre combinations, Korean cinema breaks new ground yet again with "Chaw", a black comedy thriller abo,...More Bong Joon-ho's Latest Challenge in 'Mother - 2009' By Kyu Hyun Kim Kim Hye-ja marvels in an overwhelming thriller Small country town, Korea. Do-joon (,...More The Korean Gangland Is 'a Dirty Carnival' Yoo Ha's searing crime melodrama deserves kudos Kyu Hy,...More It's Song Kang-ho's 'Show' All the Way 'The Show Must Go on' a vehicle for Korean star's amazing talent Kyu Hyun Kim (qhyunkim) Kang In-gu (,...More ← Home \| Yoon Je-moon (윤제문)	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1033
__label__cc	0.679562	0.320438	How the Trade War Affects Chip Demand: Notes From Microchip's Earnings Call Billy Duberstein, The Motley Fool Motley Fool May 14, 2019 As an alternative to third-party research, certain large semiconductor companies can also provide important sources of information on the broader technology industry. That's especially important now that tensions between the U.S. and China have escalated. President Trump tweeted last Sunday that tariffs would be going up on $200 billion of Chinese goods, with the potential for another $325 billion "shortly." The tweet caused a tech sell-off last week as investors became far more uncertain about global growth. Two such companies are Texas Instruments (NASDAQ: TXN) and Microchip Technology (NASDAQ: MCHP), which have large, broad-based products and customer bases across the globe. In a somewhat fortunate instance of timing, Microchip Technology came out with its quarterly earnings release and analyst call just a couple days after the tariff-hike announcement. Here's what Microchip management had to say about the trade war escalation and how it could affect demand. A map of the globe lit up by lights around major cities as if seen from space at night. Sanghi is confident in his predictions First, Sanghi is fairly confident in his take on industry demand, pointing to predictions made last summer as evidence. Microchip was one of the first companies to predict an industry slowdown, resulting from the heightened trade tensions that began around one year ago. Sanghi said, "The guidance we provided for the September quarter of last year, which reflected our caution on business conditions, turned out in retrospect to be spot on and was a harbinger for broader industry weakness through the last several quarters." But he's uncertain now Sanghi also stuck to his guns in saying that the quarter ending in March was the bottom of the cycle. However, before semiconductor investors go out and celebrate, he also didn't say exactly how the recovery would take shape. "We said that last quarter we did not know the shape of the recovery, whether it is V, U or L shaped, and it would depend somewhat on the outcome of the trade talks. Towards that end, we did not get a settlement on the trade front." Many chip stocks have exhibited a strong recovery since the beginning of the year on hopes for a demand recovery. However, as Sanghi says, the timing and magnitude of the recovery are still highly uncertain, and the recent deterioration in trade talks is likely to make the shape of that recovery a bit flatter. Why trade war uncertainty weighs on semiconductors so much One might wonder why it is that trade war uncertainty -- even perhaps more than a definitive, negative outcome -- affects semiconductor demand so much. In the conference call, Sanghi gave a comprehensive answer: The world economy largely runs on people building to forecast. Every manufacturer builds a large amount of their products on forecast from electronic stores to grocery stores to furniture stores. You go to a store, a grocery store is full of grocery. And you put it in the bags and you go home. If the manufacturers did not put the grocery store inventory, you would go there and just place your order and come back in two days to pick it up. So in an uncertain environment, when our customers are not able to figure out the demand for their products because they do not know whether they will be able to pass a 25% tariff to their end customers in their environment, they stop building to a forecast and they largely want to build to hard orders where they can negotiate the price increase. ... So in that environment, the ecosystem squeezes down the inventory, from end customer inventory to loading docks to intermediate hubs to stores to everywhere else. And that creates a negative impact on our ability to supply chips, which then eventually go into parts. And you have seen that phenomena experienced by every other semiconductor manufacturer. Sanghi went on to say that even if there is a breakdown in the trade deal or a less-than-ideal trade deal, where some tariffs remain, that would probably be even better for chip demand than not knowing what the rules are. As long as there's a finality on the settlement where the people know what the rules are, then the manufacturers can adjust to those rules and can negotiate with their customers to pass the additional cost, whether it's 5%, 10% duty cost. As long as there's a finality I think will be positive for the business. ... But even if it is not the ultimate best but there's some sort of finality, I think that would be better than the uncertainty we're dealing with. Things were looking better pretweet On the positive side, it looked as if things were getting better for Microchip's business -- at least prior to the trade war escalation. Microchip noted that April's bookings were stronger than January's, so the current quarter was tracking ahead of last quarter, giving credence to the assertion that the quarter ending in March was the bottom. Sanghi noted that Chinese stimulus measures during the first quarter had improved activity in that important market. Yet Microchip also guided to flat sequential revenues for the current quarter but with a wide range of plus or minus 5%. Sanghi explained that Microchip's guidance was affected by Trump's tweet, which had occurred just three days prior. Piper Jaffray analyst Harsh Kumar asked whether Microchip would have given much better guidance had it reported earnings in the prior week, before the president's tweet. Sanghi responded, "Yes, that's a fair assumption." More From The Motley Fool 10 Best Stocks to Buy Today The $16,728 Social Security Bonus You Cannot Afford to Miss 20 of the Top Stocks to Buy (Including the Two Every Investor Should Own) 5 Recession-Proof Stocks How to Beat the Market Billy Duberstein owns shares of Microchip Technology and Texas Instruments. His clients may own shares of the companies mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Texas Instruments. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. The Latest: Trump speech seen as message to US voter Quebec premier cautious about response to Bombardier difficulties Spin Master shares fall as it cuts sales guidance on logistics, soft market Russian Finance Chief Demoted Amid Kremlin Spending Push Avoid This Controversial Canadian Stock	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1034
__label__cc	0.594748	0.405252	Millennial Travel Canada Edition (EN) Host Agencies & Consortia Vacation Packagers Last updated: 02:10 PM ET, Mon September 09 2019 Hammock Cove: A Heavenly Corner Of Antigua Opens Soon Hotel & Resort Elite Island Resorts Jim Byers September 09, 2019 The new Hammock Cove Resort and Spa is slated to open Dec. 1, 2019 with 42 free-standing villas. A new hotel in the Caribbean is about to make a very big splash. Hammock Cove Resort and Spa is set to open Dec. 1, 2019 on the quiet, beautiful east coast of Antigua. The Club Barbados: A Perfect Winter Holiday Spot Hotel & Resort Hammock Cove Antigua Promising an Amazing Culinary... Hotel & Resort Hammock Cove Resort Poised to Elevate Antigua's... Hotel & Resort Antigua is a Diving and Snorkelling Paradise Hotel & Resort Fabulous Food Offerings At Elite Island Resorts Hotel & Resort The property will be Antigua’s newest five-star, adults-only, all-inclusive property, said Elite Island Resorts Chief Operating Officer and Chief Marketing Officer Larry Basham. Speaking with TravelPulse Canada by phone, Basham said the resort is perfect for agents whose clients want the next big thing in the Caribbean. Reservations are now being taken. “I think it’s perfect for clients who’ve been to the same top places over and over and who are looking for something new and fresh,” Basham said. “This is something that’s new and very high-end, and that’s a good story for agents. “If travel advisors have clients looking for the newest, most romantic five-star resort in the Caribbean, Hammock Cove will be an outstanding choice. It’s a new adventure to be had.” Hammock Cove Resort and Spa is scheduled to open Dec. 1, 2019 on the east coast of Antigua. The resort will feature 42 free-standing villas with 1,080 square feet of elbow room. “These will all be beautifully appointed, with very high-end, spa-style bathrooms and outstanding design,” Basham said. “The bathrooms have dual, his and her shower heads and speakers with LED lights.” Each villa will have a large, wrap-around deck and a private infinity-edge pool, plus views of some of the prettiest water in the Caribbean, so guests might never want to leave. There’s also 24-hour room service, a king bed, modern Caribbean decor and a customizable wine and liquor bar, so you can stock your favourite white or red wine or that special brand of Scotch or Rum you can’t live without. “Every detail has been carefully planned, and every need and desire anticipated,” officials said. “Luxury amenities such as our world-class spa and salon and wellness activities will leave you relaxed and rejuvenated. Romantic water view dining, private beach terraces and boardwalks, resort activities, and a wide range of island tours, excursions, and cultural events will have you falling in love with one of the Caribbean’s most indulgent and experiential travel destinations.” A Hammock Cove Resort and Spa bedroom in Antigua. The resort is slated to open Dec. 1, 2019. Basham said villas also will be stocked with books from the New York Times bestseller list, so you don’t have to weigh your suitcase down with reading material. “This will be a great place for folks who really want to escape and chill out for a week,” Basham said. “You can spend the whole week just relaxing in your room.” Of course, you might want to leave and explore a little. Guests can order room service any time they like, but the resort also will have a tiered swimming pool, wellness classes, a pickleball court and a lovely white sand beach with a boardwalk. Basham said The Lighthouse restaurant at the resort will be the ultimate for gourmet diners. “Our culinary director and executive chef is Marco Festini Cromer. He’s from Italy and has worked at some of the top hotels and restaurants in Europe, including Michelin starred restaurants. I’ve done tastings with him and they’re pretty spectacular. Some nights we’ll even have seven-course meals.” Hammock Cove Resort and Spa, Antigua The resort also will have a secondary dining spot called Irina’s Bistro, with lighter, more casual fare, plus regional and craft beers. Hammock Cove is adjacent to Devil’s Bridge National Park, a famous spot with a natural rock arch and blowholes that spray water high into the air. “We have a unique location on a protected bay,” Basham said. “The water is unbelievable; really rich blue and turquoise. It’s almost electric. And it’s great for swimming or snorkelling, or for kayaking or a stand-up paddleboard. It’s so calm and so pretty.” Hammock Cove is only 20 minutes from the Antigua airport, and guest don’t have to take any tortuous, winding, mountain roads to reach the resort, he said. “It’s a pristine part of the island; so beautiful. And it’s a great place to hang out.” It will be the fifth Elite Island Resorts property on Antigua, joining St. James’ Club and Villas, Galley Bay Resort and Spa, The Verandah Resort and Spa and Pineapple Beach Club. Elite Island Resorts also operates top-notch properties on Saint Lucia, Barbados, The Grenadines and in Panama. For more information on Elite Island Resorts, Antigua, Caribbean For more Hotel & Resort News More by Jim Byers MSC Cruises Charts Course for the Future Countdown Begins for Silver Origin From Silversea Blue Monday Buster Sale From Sunwing: Just the Cure for Winter Open For Business: Grand Bavaro Princess Live with Sunwing Dominican Republic on the Rebound: Hyatt Ziva and Zilara Plus More gallery icon Stars Shine at Playa Spotlight Awards Fairmont Mayakoba Luxury All-Inclusive Offerings For A Winter Escape John Kirk: Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana Dominican Republic Your Destination for an Authentic Caribbean Adventure Elite Island Resorts New Suite Möet at Grand Fiesta Americana Puerto Vallarta La Coleccion Resorts Blog Running Events in Jamaica Visit Jamaica Blog It’s Your Turn for a Vacation Sandos Hotels & Resorts Blog 10 Tips for Cruising Solo Cruise Line & Cruise Ship Record Number of Cruise Ships to Debut in 2020 Cruise Line & Cruise Ship Virtuoso Reveals Top Cruise Trends for 2020 Cruise Line & Cruise Ship	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1035
__label__cc	0.691489	0.308511	Physical Education Senior Individualized Projects The Impact for Women of Kalamazoo College Athletics: Good for the Athletes, Good for the College Searchable PDF / Kalamazoo College Only (1.824Mb) Barker-King, Amelia With increasing opportunities in athletics for women at Kalamazoo College (K), a need exists to examine the impact of athletics on females who participate. By surveying alumnae athletes from Kalamazoo College (K), this study hoped to investigate the self-perceived benefits of sports for females who have participated since the enactment of Title IX. The majority of responses received indicated a positive experience in Kalamazoo College athletics, with several benefits gained. According to the responses, athletics helped the majority of respondents to better enjoy the college experience, to develop meaningful relationships with other athletes, to adjust to college life, and to access resources. However, only a minority of respondents reported that K athletics helped them to maintain connections with the college. Many of the responses to this survey agree with past research on general populations of collegiate athletes; however, the specific answers of K female athletes also generated their own unique patterns. Athletes who graduated before 1993 showed some statistically significant differences for many of the categories compared to athletes who graduated in 1993 and after. In several areas, K athletics provides many positive influences for females, yet other aspects exist where improvement needs to occur to effectively help female athletes. Physical Education Senior Individualized Projects [216] Kalamazoo College Cheerleaders, 1960 Maxwell, Robert (Kalamazoo College, 1960-09-21) Kalamazoo College cheerleading squad. Left to right: Bonnie Bradford, Jeannie Lawrence, Diana Smith, Makrouhi Oxian, Janet Grimm. The photograph was taken for the "Kalamazoo Gazette" newspaper by Robert Maxwell on September ... Kalamazoo College Anderson Athletic Center Gymnasium Kalamazoo Gazette (Kalamazoo College, 1981-03) Athletics coaches Tish Loveless and Ray Steffen inside the Anderson Athletic Center gymnasium, which was then under construction. This photograph was taken in March of 1981 by an unidentified Kalamazoo Gazette photographer. Kalamazoo College Men's Baseball Team, ca. 1896 Unknown (Kalamazoo College, 1896) Portrait of the Kalamazoo College men's baseball team. All players are unidentified. The photograph is labeled 1896, but the "Cathode" yearbook for 1896 depicts a slightly different group of players. The photographer is unknown.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1036
__label__wiki	0.839514	0.839514	Bay Ridge history lives on Fourth Avenue By Denise Romano • April 19, 2012 @ 4:00 pm Members of the Fourth Avenue Task Force and Community Board 10 participate in a historic walk Fourth Avenue Task Force historic walk The Fourth Avenue Task Force and Community Board 10 teamed up to give a historic walking tour of Brooklyns Park Avenue on April 14. Susan Pulaski, Bay Ridge historian and Community Board 10 member, tied the past to the present as she talked about the history of Bay Ridge and what improvements could be made to bring back its glory days. Pulaski noted New York City courted Brooklyn, before it became a borough in 1898. This was the gem, this was the sophistication of the city, she explained to about a dozen Ridgeites, including Councilmember Vincent Gentile. Brooklyn had the cultural concepts that we all wanted. Fourth Avenue is the main drag that it is now, Pulaski said, because of Senator Henry Cruse Murphy, who lived at 67th Street and Third Avenue, and after whom Senator Street is named. He wanted to get to his estate quickly and had pull, so they paved and grated Fourth Avenue from Atlantic Avenue to his area on 67th Street so he could get there quickly, Pulaski explained. Thats why Fourth Avenue is so wide. Bay Ridges Gilded Age lasted from the 1880s to World War I, Pulaski said, with fashionable and famous resorts and hotels going along Fourth Avenue, between 97th Street and Shore Road. You know how people get mad about all these hotels opening? asked Carlo Scissura, the borough presidents senior advisor, who was on the tour. They forget that Brooklyn was a resort town 100 years ago. When the subway was built in 1912, it was a bit of a controversy. People thought that this was out in the sticks, Pulaski said. They didnt understand why people needed to go all the way down to 86th Street. The tour ended with some discussion of how the avenue could be improved today. The block between 84th and 85th Streets could use more trees, and planters are needed in front of the Seven Eleven, as well as in front of the new elementary school on 89th Street, tour-goers suggested. Community Board 10 member Jean Ryan, who uses a motorized wheelchair, talked about the need for more curb cuts. Not all the corners here have curb cuts and those that do, they dont come up all the way, she said, noting that there are no cuts near St. Anselms and the 77th Street train station. I like Fourth Avenue because there are not a lot of people, but its so bumpy. carlo scissura Community Board 10 fourth avenue task force Jean Ryan st. anselm's susan pulaski Vincent Gentile Generally Speaking: Bay Ridge resident named Brooklyn surrogate, Memorial Day Parade-ers honored Captain America celebrates 75th birthday with statue in Prospect Park Brooklyn ReporterNewsletter	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1044
__label__wiki	0.672496	0.672496	BruceBarry.net ← The Hypocritical Stylings of Justice Scalia As Goes Mississippi So Goes Tennessee? → SCOTUS on Voting Rights: Dueling Metaphors Posted: June 25, 2013 \| Author: BB \| Filed under: Law \|Leave a comment The U.S. Supreme Court rendered today its highly awaited ruling on the Voting Rights Act, finding 5-4 that the Act’s preclearance mechanism is in theory acceptable but in practice unconstitutional. In an opinion (pdf) penned by Chief Justice Roberts, the five conservatives on the Court reasoned that the preclearance provision is “irrational” because it relies on a “formula based on 40-year-old facts having no logical relation to the present day.” In dissent, the Court’s liberal justices respond that there is plenty of connection between the Act’s history and the present: “second-generation barriers to minority voting rights have emerged” in the jurisdictions covered by the Act, replacing those original barriers (like poll taxes and literacy tests) that justified preclearance in the first place. This, Justice Ginsburg’s dissent argues, amounts to “powerful evidence” that preclearance “remains vital to protect minority voting rights.” This is all important stuff, sure, but my favorite aspects of the decision and the dissent are the dueling metaphors contained within. Who has the better one? You make the call. First a bit of background: When Congress last reauthorized the Voting Rights Act in 2006, it kept in place without modification the existing formula for determining which states and jurisdictions remain subject to the requirement that changes in voting procedures must be precleared by the Justice Department or a federal court. It is Congress’ failure to update the coverage formula that leaves the Court “no choice but to declare section 4(b) unconstitutional,” Roberts wrote. With a better, presumably less irrational formula, preclearance is still acceptable. The Court could have invalidated the entire concept of preclearance, as the Alabama county that brought the lawsuit asked, but only Clarence Thomas was willing to go that far. So preclearance survives conceptually, but is essentially moot unless and until Congress can legislate a more up-to-date formula for deciding which states and counties are affected. That might seem doable given that when Congress reauthorized the Act in 2006 it did so with huge majorities in both parties. But in today’s increasingly polarized legislative environment, getting a new voting rights preclearance formula through Congress seems (metaphor alert) like an uphill battle to say the least. Now on to the Supreme metaphors! Let the battle commence. First up is the majority opinion, tackling a claim by the dissent that Alabama’s Shelby County, which brought the suit, lacks standing to challenge the Act because Shelby itself is a place where voting discrimination has been documented. Roberts swings the metaphorical bat: That is like saying that a driver pulled over pursuant to a policy of stopping all redheads cannot complain about that policy, if it turns out his license has expired. Now to the dissent, attacking the majority for underplaying what it calls “volumes of evidence” supporting Congress’ determination in 2006 that backsliding was a realistic prospect. You’re up, Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet. I like Roberts’ simile because it succinctly and colorfully captures the argument he is trying to make, although it is technically flawed by irrelevancy. There is no conceptual link between hair color and license validity, whereas in the voting rights case, we are talking about related things: Shelby County’s empirical record of voting discrimination (the expired license) and the county’s objection to voting discrimination rules in force (the stop-all-redhead policy). Even so, a nice one; I give Roberts a B+. Ginsburg’s umbrella simile is clumsier because it doesn’t capture the essence of her argument as neatly, and actually distorts its target — the other side’s claim. For its many flaws (and there are many), the majority opinion does not deny that preclearance has worked and can continue to work. The Court’s ruling doesn’t throw away the umbrella, though it does declare use of the umbrella off limits until its design is improved. Also a good one, but Ginsburg only rates a B. On the merits I find the dissent more compelling, although only slightly so. The majority opinion’s logic is stronger in many respects, but its legal foundation is suspect. But logic and legalities — those are just sideshows. The metaphors are the main event — and on that stage … a narrow win for Roberts and the conservatives! A version of this post appears on the Nashville Scene‘s Pith in the Wind blog. Professor at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., civil libertarian, deipnosophist, nonrecovering chocoholic, avid indoorsman. @brucebarry on the Twitter… Does Dr. Manny spend his day trying to conjure up the tweet will make him appear as witless as possible? 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(However if you offered me $360k, we might have to talk.) 😉 #Nashvi… 1 month ago Follow @brucebarry Academe Civil Liberties Corporations Disgust Economics Education Employment Ethics Free Speech Healthcare Law Media Miscellany Mooseblogging Mysteries Pedagogy Policy Politics Religion Science Sports Copyright © 2019 Bruce Barry.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1045
__label__cc	0.597196	0.402804	Why is Buddhism not Nihilism? I'm familiar with the concept of the middle way and how Buddhism is neither Eternalism nor Nihilism. Not being Eternalism seems straightforward to me - all things are impermanent. However Buddhism not being Nihilism takes a bit more thought, for me anyway. So can anyone state for us why Buddhism is not Nihilism? When we start to get into concepts like voidness and emptiness it can start to seem like it is edging towards it. When I practice it seems like anything but Nihilism. However I think I would struggle to write down why that is. Just to clarify the question could we take the existential view of nihilism so quoting from wiki life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value. philosophy middle-way nihilism Ooker Crab BucketCrab Bucket This is Nagarjuna's rejection of both and their conjunction and disjunction, right? I don't get it either. I plan to ask how the logic works someday. – MatthewMartin Jul 23 '14 at 1:56 'People who think that things are real are as stupid as a cow; People who think things are not real are even more stupid.' - Saraha – Rabbit Aug 11 '14 at 8:35 @Crab Bucket - Bhuddism is Nihilism with an exit door. – user635 Aug 17 '14 at 15:07 I have struggled with this often. There is so much discussion about impermanence and everything lacking a substantial core that it's very easy to think of it as nihilism. But that is not the entire doctrine. There IS something. It is the unconditioned, Nibbana. What does exist cannot be spoken about in logical words (what we can most easily understand), but what does not exist (Impermanence and the Five aggregates) can. This results in the Impermanent side of Buddhism being discussed far more than the permanent side, giving the incorrect feeling of Nihilism. – Parag May 26 '15 at 13:42 I think the confusion comes from the fact that Nihilism in philosophy has two meanings. The most used in philosofic discussion is defined as: the rejection of all religious and moral principles, often in the belief that life is meaningless. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nihilism Within this framework nothing has meaning, no wortwhile goals or useful morals exists. Friedrich Nietzsche is probably the most famous philosopher accusing Buddhism as being Nihilistic. On its face Buddhism shares some of the ideas with this philosophy in the sense that mundane things are in an eternal sense not valuable, but it differs in the way that it has a form of morality and sees spirtual goals as wortwhile. Both Friedrich Nietzsche and Schopenhauer knew about Buddhism and wrote about it, and have arguably been influenced by it, but ultimately rejected it in favour of their own rather pessimistic worldview. The Eternalism vs Nihilism stance tends to be more of a discussion whether the soul is eternal, and whether things exist in an ultimate sense. In the same way konrad01 is describing Buddhism holds the middle between the two, seeing objects as real but dependently originated, not self and unsatisfactory. Seeing mundane life as meaningless but reconizing spiritual goals as meaningfull. Nietzsche on Buddhism: http://books.google.nl/books?id=wZt7AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA66&lpg=PA66&dq=nietzsche+movie+on+buddhism&source=bl&ots=6tb66KX1m8&sig=8JTpz5pXw2eHnBKLtircejx38lE&hl=nl&sa=X&ei=6nYUVMfhE8iPOLWxgJgD&ved=0CE8Q6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=nietzsche%20movie%20on%20buddhism&f=false http://marmysz.wordpress.com/2013/05/27/nietzsche-and-buddhist-philosophy/ Schopenhauer on Buddhism: http://what-buddha-said.net/library/Wheels/wh_144_146.pdf DirkMDirkM The nihilist conception is that the flow of life is the sum of conditional phenomenons. This leads to no God, no purposes, no liberty, etc. Nihilism does not, however, recede as Buddhism does; but only moves forward. In that sense, Nietzsche is a real Nihilist; but he has not truly grasped the receding process of Buddhism. – user635 Aug 14 '14 at 11:56 The Tumblr link is rotten unfortunately. – sampathsris Sep 13 '14 at 2:43 Thanks for pointing that out, removed it and replaced it with another one, not exactly the same, but having roughly the same information. – DirkM Sep 13 '14 at 16:58 Buddhism is not Nihilism because it does not reject values, morals, and religious truth. Buddhism is not Annihilationism because it establish idea of karma (i.e. inheritance of actions). Actions are not destroyed at death and inherited in next birth. Thus, it is useful to do wholesome deeds and practice Teaching. catpnosiscatpnosis I believe it all comes down to the way one sees reality. One could argue that as everything has been changing since the beginninless time, everything is "Eternal", it is just changing shapes. I believe the point regarding the middle way is how things exist: Eternalism suggests things exist as they are. The chair is a chair, it has a "chair-nature", it goes against the dependent origination. Also the name 'chair' is just a convention, nothing more. Nihilism as we know it is a recent phenomena. The name has a Latin origin, so in the time of the Buddha Nihilism didn't exist like today. It was more related to ascetic practices of thinking that the world is a illusion and nothing exists at all. So the Buddha was trying to explain that things DO exist, but not as we think. There IS a chair, but it does not own a chair-nature. It is something transitory, impermanent with a dependent origination that we perceive with the eye-consciousness konrad01konrad01 Is this against the "Yogacara" teaching that everything is a product of mind? Isn't a chair not a product of the mind and unreal? – Gokul NC Feb 10 '16 at 16:41 @GokulNC I believe so. Most of the later schools ran afoul of the Buddha's teachings in some way or other. – Tharpa Jan 6 '18 at 3:01 (Since the question seems to be referring to Annihilationism and not Nihilism, I suggested an edit to it. I'm responding with this change in mind.) Plainly, Annihilationism assumes a self that is destroyed after death. Buddhism doesn't assume a self. For references, see DN 1, Brahmajāla-sutta, especially the Annihilationism section and the ending section. Unrul3rUnrul3r I've heard this translated as nihilism such as here awakeningtoreality.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/… so I would prefer the question to stay as it is. If the problem is in translation then great - then that is the answer – Crab Bucket Jul 22 '14 at 7:05 Briefly, it is not the translation, it's the meaning. Both words have the same root 'nothing' (nihil) so they are roughly equated (Annihilationism has the prefix ad-) but their meaning in English is different. See Nihilism & Annihilationism for the difference. Bear in mind, they can co-exist, but they are not the same. For example, 'if their is nothing after death (annihilationism) then my actions are meaningless and purposeless (nihilism)'. – Unrul3r Jul 22 '14 at 10:16 The Pāḷi word is Ucchedavāda and it's meaning, as you can verify in the discourse I mentioned above, is the same as Annihilationism. That's why I suggested the change in the question. – Unrul3r Jul 22 '14 at 10:17 I'm with @Unrul3r on both terminology and the answer. – Andrei Volkov♦ Jul 23 '14 at 18:24 Nihilism is even worse than eternalism. Because eternalists can still do good deeds and reach heavens. Nihilists are said to be destined for hells. There's also a version of nihilism which is said to be even worse than the Ananthariya Karmas(matricide, patricide etc.). It is called Niyatha Micca Ditti. It is said that they won't be able to escape even when the world ends. They will be born in a hell called the Lokantarika Naraka, which is located at the center of where 3 universes meet. Key beliefs of the person with Niyatha Micca Ditti are, No benefit in offering alms No purpose in caring for parents There is no merit or demerit in deeds There aren't any ascetics who preach the Dhamma with direct knowledge There is no rebirth. No spontaneous becoming i.e. becoming of gods, brahmas and hungry ghosts etc. Sankha KulathantilleSankha Kulathantille Lokantharika Naraka sounds extremely like the hell in Abrahamic religions. Do you have canonical proof that there is a description of Lokantharika Naraka in Thripitaka? To be honest this sounds like a fairy tail invented in post Buddhist era. – sampathsris Sep 13 '14 at 0:28 @Krumia, here's a reference:metta.lk/pali-utils/Pali-Proper-Names/lokantaraniraya.htm if you don't have faith, anything you can't see can sound like a fairytale, including regular hells and heavens – Sankha Kulathantille Sep 13 '14 at 2:37 Your definition of nihilism seems to me to ignore the four noble truths: that suffering (dukkha) exists, and, can cease. You define nihilism as "life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value", however isn't "cessation of dukkha" (i.e. third noble truth) the 'purpose' of Buddhism (see also 'sentient beings')? Nothing Exists Yamaoka Tesshu, as a young student of Zen, visited one master after another. He called upon Dokuon of Shokoku. Desiring to show his attainment, he said: "The mind, Buddha, and sentient beings, after all, do not exist. The true nature of phenomena is emptiness. There is no realization, no delusion, no sage, no mediocrity. There is no giving and nothing to be received." Dokuon, who was smoking quietly, said nothing. Suddenly he whacked Yamaoka with his bamboo pipe. This made the youth quite angry. "If nothing exists," inquired Dokuon, "where did this anger come from?" ChrisW♦ChrisW But being (possibly) "the 'purpose' of Buddhism" - in which relation does such an idea stand to some "purpose of life" (from the "definition" of nihilism)? – Gottfried Helms Mar 3 '15 at 14:18 The only definition of nihilism I know is the one in the OP. I assumed that "what is the purpose of life?" means something like, "why is my purpose in life, why do I do things, what is my intention?", and that Buddhism's answer to that question is, "our purpose, our intention, our actions are directed towards reducing suffering." In particular I think that's the purpose of Buddhism's teaching about emptiness: it's a teaching whose purpose is cessation of dukkha. – ChrisW♦ Mar 3 '15 at 14:33 Well, while I can share that, it seems to me, the asker asks in the spirit of "what is the purpose of life" (referring to the wiki-quotation) - not of cessation of dukkha etc, which are only circumstances of the "life" or even better: remedies for someone who recognizes the life as dukkha-bound. I think, there is an widespread attitude of thinking, which poses itself "outside" the life and asks then: "what is the purpose of that funny thing there what I'm looking at: 'life' "? – Gottfried Helms Mar 3 '15 at 15:09 widespread attitude of thinking, which poses itself "outside" the life That reminds me of what this essay describes as, "the language of thought that seeks objectivity". Still I don't think that Siddhārtha Gautama was "outside the life". – ChrisW♦ Mar 3 '15 at 21:06 A late response... "Still I don' think that Siddhartha Gautama was 'outside the life'" Yes, that's why in a plenty of discussions (... phew, sigh...) I always liked to take the stance of the Buddha and not that of the discutant with the (...)widespread attitude(...) – Gottfried Helms Jan 3 '16 at 22:57 Because it does not deny or reject conventional reality, and conventional experience. Buddhism reaches emptiness via the dependent origination of apparent objects. It does not negate the conventional existence of them, just examines their absolute or final nature. Because of this acceptance of conventional reality and truth, Buddhism examines causality, morality, and consequence, specifically in the light of human suffering and liberation. This is far from nihilism, which is essentially the view that there is no consequence. Joshp.23Joshp.23 Because it offers an escape and the path leading to the escape from the impermanent, the substance less and the sorrowful. Nihilism offers no such escape. Kaveenga WijayasekaraKaveenga Wijayasekara Buddhism is not nihilism because the Buddha clearly posits the Deathless as the goal of nirvana. Buddhism contains optimism and pessimistic view points on life. On the positive side, there is the celebration of merit (virtue, alms giving, helping one another etc). There are the four sublime states of lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity. But it is a religion which points out that there is a field of unhappiness as well as a field of merit/happiness. This field of unhappiness contains painful human circumstances/woe and the woe of beings in hungry ghost realms, animal realm and ultimately hells. But salvation is Nirvana which is (the realisation) of emptiness but which is said to be a completely blissful state of being. So the goal of Buddhism isn't nihilistic. There is something "in" the aim. It is the promise of a pleasurable/transcendant state of being as a reward for good actions of body speech and mind and following the 8-fold path. But the religion could be construed as nihilistic in the sense that Buddha didn't directly, as far as I am aware, offer an explanation of why we suffer or why the law of karma exists. He merely states that that is how life is, in Samsara, the wheel of life and death/ cycle of becoming. RozRoz So can anyone state for us why Buddhism is not Nihilism? One can argue that from the Ego's point of view Buddhism is nihillisim .Because practicing Buddhism fully, inevitably leads to the destruction of the ego.Buddhism helps shatter the ego's solidity.So quite understandably the ego freaks out at some stage of the practice. Fortunately,we're not the ego.Buddhism is not nihilistic because we're not the five aggregates which we continuously mistaken ourselves to be. AkashaAkasha FWIW, the only thing the Buddha said about ego (atta) is that it doesn't exist. The view that it has a point of view came later, and is falling into the Wrong View of a self, atta. – Tharpa Jan 6 '18 at 3:05 Buddhism is perhaps not a philosophy that can be easily compared with nihilism. Buddhism (and I can only speak of Zen) is a way of being that essentially problematises the inherent dialectic of thought and the governance of reason. Nihilism represents an extreme doctrine within the philosophic tradition wherein one's subjective/analytic sense of emptiness becomes axiomatic of synthetic/objective emptiness. The Buddhism I admire would smile at the childish certainty of such notions. Put another way, the false notion of a separate 'I' - a core idiom of Western thought - is the root of nihilism. Indeed, nihilism may represent the analytic fruit of this ontology. Buddhism names the Way wherein self, as something separate, is dissolved. In such a state of being - so full in its emptiness - nihilism has no meaning. OroonokoOroonoko This answer has potential but is incomprehensible to someone not familiar with academic jargon. Can this answer be made more accessible? – Anthony Mar 3 '15 at 15:04 Thank you for your comments Anthony. I have attempted to rephrase my thoughts on the question. – Oroonoko Mar 4 '15 at 1:22 IMO adding a paragraph that's slightly easier to read doesn't make the answer more accessible to a general audience. Still, maybe someone more intelligent than myself will find this answer helpful in its current form :-) – Anthony Mar 4 '15 at 2:33 Hmm, just in case I came across as rude, what I mean is that your answer may have value in its uniqueness, and that it doesn't have to satisfy everybody. – Anthony Mar 4 '15 at 2:35 Buddhism is not easy to understand or articulate, because it is not accessible via the intellect. Language can point the way, but it is only at the collapse of analytic meaning that satori awakens. I suppose the very context of this discussion to some extent alienates one from this understanding. – Oroonoko Mar 4 '15 at 3:50 In Nihilism, as noted, there is a sense of self which is 'lost' upon death, and is absorbed into a vacuum, as it were. In buddhism there is no inherently-independent existence of a self, so upon death nothing is lost and nothing is gained. This in fact reflects physical reality much more than nihilism does, regardless whether you consider it from an agnostic or buddhist perspective. However the philosophical implications of this are, 'you' don't lose anything. Ergo, a nihilist is someone who is attached to there being a sense of relative meaning in life, because they still believe in an inherently-existing self. Whereas a buddhist is someone who strives to be free of the false view of an inherently-existing sense of self, and hence avoids the depression, negative attachment to life, and ultimately, despair, that the nihilism view ultimately entails. If you take the buddhist view, the sense of 'self' ultimately becomes dispersed, and even in early stages, 'wider'. metamorphosismetamorphosis Dhamma is not a philosophy, it's a path of practice to go beyond and to see what is reality for one self. What happens is one does not use it simply like this is good described in Iti 49 (Note: this answer has not been given with the agreement to be means of trade or the purpose of trade and keep people trapped and bound. How you handle it lies in your sphere, but does not excuse the deed here either.) Samana JohannSamana Johann Sometimes there are translation issues. When people say that Buddhism is not nihilistic, they are not exactly talking about the definition you gave. One can say that the Buddha never said anything about nihilism (according to the definition you gave) one way or the other. The Buddha avoided the three wrong views, eternalism, hedonism and what is usually translated as nihilism, the view that "nothing is". TharpaTharpa Strictly speaking, the experience of emptiness (sunyata) provides experiential insight about one’s basic relationship with the universe, with others, and with oneself. It is an experience that establishes beyond any doubt that we give meaning, purpose, and value to life and to experience. It is somewhat like making a distinction between sensation and perception: Sensation is the given and the real, while perception is what we add to or understand about that sensation. Perception, understanding, value, and motivation, of course, are real but in a “relative” way. The experience of sunyata provides a valuable perspective on what is true or wise, because it teaches us to be more careful about what we add to experience. We become more careful by acquiring a deeper understanding of what is “relatively” true. Relative truth is based upon evidence. In other words, truth is objective and not arbitrary. It is on this point that Buddhism and nihilism takes opposite positions on the nature of existence. Ronald CowenRonald Cowen Loosely, They say the Buddha was asked: - What is the happiness there where there are no sensations? - Just that is the happiness there. The answer to OP question is in the definitions there, it is the core of the teaching on mechanics of reality. The sole postulation of existence of that something supposedly makes the teaching definitely not nihilistic unless there would be contradictions in that doctrine, there are no such contradictions. Surely someone couldve formed a more or less coherent argument if there were. As simply as i can: All or Everything that is, gains footing in the Deathless. In a fashion of unbinding, All that has a cause or supportive condition can cease, whilst that in which it used to gain footing, in that sense unafflicted. The Deathless as i wrote it is to be understood as a Name for and a quality of that something apart from Everything/All. It is the ultimate Reality. The way to make sense of how can something be said to be apart from everything, is to realize that ultimately everything can hardly be said to exist in first place. It is similar to saying that hearing gains footing in the brain and brain gets footing in the Mind, which is of course no less confusing for we usually assume that mind gains footing in the brain. Experiencing is definitely there and we can study that, that is a good start. sigh...sigh... If it is nihilism then it isn't IMVHO degenerate passive nihilism of so called "western buddhism" (schopenhauer - i think). We should be wary of saying that death is opposed to life Nietzsche said... Whether we see death as a rebirth or not, that does IMHO mean that release from suffering (even if we say that all life is suffering) is not opposed to life and not opposed to living. sorta_buddhistsorta_buddhist In buddhism the self as in nirvana consciousness exists independent of the local brain. So if you swat a fly say that fly as a form dies but its consciousness exists still as you the swatter of the fly. Because the fly and swatter of the fly share the same empty consciousness. "...So if you swat a fly say that fly as a form dies but its consciousness exists..." - This view sounds like it belongs to the belief in Eternalism (sassataditthi) which is not part of the Buddha's teaching. You also mention "empty consciousness" which brings to mind the doctrine of Emptiness (sunyata) from Mahayana Buddhism. Is this what you are talking about? Please add clarification. Thank you. – Lanka♦ Apr 24 '16 at 23:12 'Eternalism' does not mean 'permanence' & 'nihilism' does not mean impermanence. Instead, both Eternalism & Nihilism are forms of 'self-view'. 'Eternalism' is the belief "I" will exist after death. 'Nihilism' is the belief "I" will cease at death. This link called 'Held by Views' may help: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/iti/iti.2.042-049x.irel.html#iti-049 You may also read the Brahmajāla Sutta (if you enjoy reading), which defines these words clearly. @atman Please see When shouldn't I comment? – ChrisW♦ Dec 20 '16 at 20:11 Discovering nirvana does not erase the self because nirvana is the self. Discovering nirvana is the seeing beyond local identity to the non-local source. So local and non-local become indistinguishably the field and its knower. Crab Bucket The phrase "nirvana is the self" seems to me an unusual choice of words. Do you say that based on scripture (i.e. can you reference where you learned that), or is that based on your personal experience? – ChrisW♦ Apr 24 '16 at 12:31 If nirvana was self then there would be no suffering. You wouldn’t even need to meditate or do good deeds – TheDBSGuy Nov 3 '18 at 10:44 If you hold the view that the Buddha taught there is no eternal soul, then Buddhism is basically nihilism. If there is no transcendent self outside the scope of samsara, there is no rebirth, no enlightenment and no liberation from samsara because there is nothing that is being reborn, enlightened or liberated, just a phantom and an illusion. Fortunately this is absolutely something the Buddha DID NOT TEACH: “Whatever form, feelings, perceptions, experiences, or consciousness there is (the five aggregates), these he sees to be without permanence, as suffering, as ill, as a plague, a boil, a sting, a pain, an affliction, as foreign, as otherness, as empty (suññato), as Selfless (anattato). So he turns his mind/will/spirit (citta, Non-aggregate) away from these; therein he gathers his citta (nous/spirit/mind) within the realm of Immortality (amataya dhatuya). This is tranquility; this is that which is the most excellent!” [MN 1.436] ChrisW♦ atmanatman Please use > to format block quotes. Details of how to do all types of formatting are here: buddhism.stackexchange.com/editing-help#simple-blockquotes But quoting (and a blank line for paragraphs) are IMO the most necessary types of formatting. – ChrisW♦ Dec 20 '16 at 16:20 suttacentral.net/en/mn64/26.197-26.267 translates this passage as, "He turns his mind away from those states and directs it towards the deathless element thus". According to this topic, "deathless" is a synonym of nibbana. – ChrisW♦ Dec 20 '16 at 16:30 "He turns his mind away from those states and directs it towards the deathless element thus" In other words, mind ("citta") transcends the 5 aggregates – atman Dec 20 '16 at 21:59 Are you a Hindu? Buddha said that all things are impermanent. If there is a soul then where is it when we need it. Why can’t we say “let my soul be thus, let my soul be not thus? Nirvana is not “Citta”. Nirvana is the ending or cessation of all phenomena. – TheDBSGuy Nov 3 '18 at 10:48 Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged philosophy middle-way nihilism or ask your own question. What does deathless mean? Is it possible to become a buddhist without a formal teacher? Is it possible to use meditation to gain Self control? Can someone address this critique? What kind of influence did Cārvāka had on Buddha's philosophy What could go wrong if one misconstrue Buddhism with nihilism? Buddhism and the middle path Thing-hood in Buddhism and meaningfulness How to not slip into Nihilism from Vipassana? Buddhism is not fatalism? How and when does one not invest in others in Buddhism? If Buddhism is about moderation, then why is it that you can attain nirvana only after renouncing worldly possessions? Demotivation and Nihilism Is Buddhism Nihilistic?	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1049
__label__cc	0.721998	0.278002	FAQs About Highly-Fatal Canine Distemper in Bulldogs Canine distemper in Bulldogs turns more severe, as these brachycephalic dogs – with the short-broad skulls that make breathing a difficult process – are prone to respiratory distress. With no direct cure, it is hard to alleviate this deadly, systemic, and contagious viral disease and about 80% of puppies and 50% of adult dogs who contract this disease die. With preventive measures in place, you can safeguard your Bulldog from this fatal disease. What is Canine Distemper in Bulldogs? The contagious, viral disease is caused by the canine distemper virus, which belongs to the same family of virus (paramyxoviridae) that leads to measles in humans and Newcastle disease in birds. Canine distemper can kill dogs of all ages, but unvaccinated puppies face the most serious threat. It results in severe gastrointestinal and respiratory infections that lead to secondary bacterial infections and spreads to the spinal cord and brain. What are the Signs and Symptoms of Canine Distemper in Bulldogs? The incubation period for canine distemper is usually 1 to 2 weeks after a Bulldog gets infected. Symptoms start to show 2 to 5 weeks after the incubation. When the virus enters your Bulldog through his nose or mouth, it travels to the lymph nodes in the lungs before getting into the bloodstream. Once the nodes are overpowered, it invades other organs and body systems. Mucosal Phase The mucosal stage is an early phase of canine distemper. During this phase, the virus starts attacking your Bulldog’s respiratory tract, causing yellow to green eye and nasal discharge. This symptom is very common and often mistaken as a simple respiratory infection. Your Bulldog may also experience fever sporadically. The virus then invades the gastrointestinal tract, causing your Bulldog to lose his appetite and suffer from diarrhea. The following symptoms are visible in this phase. Yellowish to green eye and nasal discharge Labored breathing The mucosal phase usually lasts for a week. The said symptoms may go away and the disease may enter a “latent” stage again. Neurological Phase After the mucosal phase, the disease progresses to the neurological phase, in which the virus enters the central nervous system. Because the virus attacks the nerves, your Bulldog may experience severe neurological symptoms including the following. Head Bobbing Twitching of the limbs “Chewing Gum” seizure Blood in stool Hyperkeratosis (thickening) of the foot pads or nose Your Bulldog’s footpads may also start to become hard. As the disease progresses, the infected Bulldog experiences paralysis that progresses from the rear limbs to the head. Death may also occur. Why Do Bulldogs Experience Worse Symptoms of Canine Distemper? Bulldogs have soft elongated palates and short noses. The structure of their skulls makes them predisposed to breathing problems. When a Bulldog catches the canine distemper virus, he may die within hours due to secondary respiratory issues. How Can Your Bulldog Catch the Virus? The canine distemper virus is airborne and transmitted by a disease-positive dog through sneezing, coughing, or sharing of food bowls. Dogs can also contract this disease when they come in contact with infected urine and feces. Even by merely being in the same room with a distemper-positive dog increases the risk. How is Canine Distemper Diagnosed? Some symptoms of canine distemper are similar to that of other diseases. Your vet may check physical signs to rule out any other disease first. He may perform additional tests to confirm the diagnosis. Some of the advanced tests that can detect canine distemper are the Rapid Test Kit and the ELISA test. What is the Best Way To Prevent Canine Distemper in Bulldogs? Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent canine distemper in Bulldogs. The CDV vaccine is considered a core vaccine and is a part of the 5-in-1 (DHLPP) combination vaccine that protects your Bulldog from canine distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parainfluenza, and parvovirus. The combination vaccine is usually given 3 to 4 times with two weeks intervals between each shot when your pet is a puppy. Booster shots are also recommended every 1 to 3 years depending on the prevalence of CDV and other diseases in your area. But even with complete and updated vaccinations, there is still a very little chance for your Bulldog to catch the disease. That is why keeping your Bulldog’s immune system in good condition is important. Avoid taking your Bulldog out if there are cases of the disease reported in your area. Is There a Cure for Canine Distemper? There is no specific drug that can cure canine distemper. It has a high mortality rate, especially among unvaccinated puppies. Veterinarians treat this disease by dealing with secondary infections and strengthening the immune system of a dog. Supplements and medications given to help treat this disease include the following. Antibiotics – To deal with GI and respiratory infections Anticonvulsants – To manage seizures and involuntary movements Probiotics – To replenish good bacteria in the gut Vitamin B complex – To help repair the damage CDV causes to the central nervous system Vitamin C or other immune system boosters – To stimulate the body to kill the virus Years of research about canine distemper also led to the discovery and formulation of the different treatment options, such as Canglob D, a manufactured Immunoglobulin Newcastle disease virus serum Manufactured immunoglobulins can help kill the virus in your pet. Canglob D and Polyglob are specifically created to strengthen the immune system and fight canine distemper virus. However, they are only effective when given during the early phase. The use of Newcastle Disease Virus to treat Canine Distemper has always been controversial. Although there are many accounts of successful treatment, many veterinarians expressed their objection to this method because there is no legitimate study to back it up. How is the Recovery From Canine Distemper? If your Bulldog survives canine distemper, he must be kept away from other dogs for about 2 to 4 weeks because he may still be shedding the virus. Dogs who reached the neurological phase may retain the involuntary movements, such as twitching and head bobbing for the rest of their lives. These dogs are prescribed Vitamin B complex supplements as long as they live. Canine Parvovirus in Bulldogs: 10 Must-Know Things Heat Stroke in Bulldogs Types of Mange in Dogs: Treatment and Essential Oil for Mange in Dogs Bloating in Bulldogs: A Guide for Prevention, Treatment Neutering Dogs: Planning to Have Your Bulldog Neutered? Hypothyroidism in Bulldogs Taking Care of Bulldog Wrinkles Tags:Bulldog Canine Distemper, Bulldogs, Canine Distemper, CDV, Virus	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1051
__label__cc	0.590001	0.409999	How drones can save the public sector £1bn Our Flying High programme is a collaborative engagement between city leaders, regulators, public services, businesses and industry exploring the future of drones in cities. Download the new Flying High Report in collaboration with PwC We worked with five city-regions across the UK (Bradford, London, Preston, Southampton and the West Midland) to develop visions for the future of drones and found that cities are most receptive to the use of drones when used for publicly beneficial services like the transport of medical products, supporting emergency services and supporting infrastructure development and maintenance. We asked PWC to assess the potential economic benefits of drones delivering public sector services like these in urban areas across the UK. For example, the transport of urgent medical products by drone (like pathology samples, blood and equipment) could save time and money, improve efficiency, provide quicker results, improve health outcomes and reduce traffic on congested roads. Their analysis estimates that over the next 15 years the use of drones to support delivery of public services in urban areas in the UK could lead to £1.1billion in cost savings and £6.9 billion increase in GDP. Of the UK’s largest cities, London, Birmingham and Leeds would have cost savings of £115m (Birmingham), £53m (London) and £53m ( Leeds) over the next 15 years. If Flying High can integrate technology, regulation, city leadership, public services and public engagement, it will help position the UK as a global leader in developing urban drone services and will unlock the significant economic opportunity for our future. Holly Jamieson is Head of Future Cities (interim) for Nesta Challenges Future Scoping Can tech help you achieve your financial goals in 2020? Mapping the UK drone industry Is ours a finite world? Antibiotic diagnostics: Report shows downward trend in innovation Innovation in Affordable Credit: finalists announced Nesta Challenges on Kizzi’s Friday Gamechangers Podcast Why the UK should empower cities to shape urban air mobility Designing the cities of the future How purpose-led business is redefining ways of working How the Legal Access Challenge is designing legal services for all Why we should care about drones in our cities Nesta’s UK drone industry research reveals huge potential market opportunity	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1059
__label__wiki	0.676868	0.676868	Home News and Update Year 2010 Cellphone Towers Do Not Cause Cancer In Babies Cellphone Towers Do Not Cause Cancer In Babies A study says living near a phone tower does not increase the risk of a pregnant woman’s baby developing cancer The largest study of its kind said pregnant women who live near a phone towers do not run a higher risk of having a child who develops cancer in infancy. The study is published on Wednesday by the British Medical Journal, which says parentsto–be should be reassured. The investigation looked at 1,397 children across Britain who developed cancer by the age of five between 1999 and 2001. The tots were each matched against four healthy counterparts by sex and date of birth, who were selected from Britain’s national birth register. The researchers then obtained data on all 76,890 mobile phone relay towers in Britain from 1996 to 2001. Using the child’s household address, they calculated the level of electromagnetic radiation to which the home’s occupants would have been exposed from the phone towers. Children with cancer were no likelier to have a birth address near a radio antenna than those who were healthy, they found. "People are worried that living near a mobile phone mast might affect their children’s health," said Paul Elliott, a professor at Imperial College London who led the study. "We looked at this question with respect to risk of cancers in young children. We found no pattern to suggest that the children of mums living near a base station during pregnancy had a greater risk of developing cancer than those who lived elsewhere." The researchers said their work cast the widest data net so far in exploring the feared link between early childhood cancer and phone towers. The authors cautioned that they were unable to get information about individual exposure among mothers–to–be to a mobile phone handset. Electromagnetic radiation from a handset during conversation is many times higher than that from a phone mast. And they added the predictable caveat that their focus was only on early childhood cancers, not on cancers that develop in later in life. Oxford University specialist John Bithell said doctors should tell patients not to worry about living close to phone towers. "Moving away from a tower, with all its stresses and costs, cannot be justified on health grounds in the light of current evidence," Bithell said. AFP	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1062
__label__wiki	0.969806	0.969806	CAPCO INSTITUTE JOURNAL OF FINANCIAL TRANSFORMATION - EDITORIAL BOARD & Capco Institute Journal of Financial Transformation: Editorial Board & Submission Guidelines CAPCO INSTITUTE JOURNAL OF FINANCIAL TRANSFORMATION - EDITORIAL BOARD & SUBMISSION GUIDELINES SHAHIN SHOJAI, Global Head, Capco Institute MICHAEL ETHELSTON, Partner, Capco MICHAEL PUGLIESE, Partner, Capco BODO SCHAEFER, Partner, Capco FRANKLIN ALLEN, Professor of Finance and Economics and Executive Director of the Brevan Howard Centre, Imperial College London and Nippon Life Professor Emeritus of Finance, University of Pennsylvania PHILIPPE D’ARVISENET, Adviser and former Group Chief Economist, BNP Paribas RUDI BOGNI, former Chief Executive Officer, UBS Private Banking BRUNO BONATI, Chairman of the Non-Executive Board, Zuger Kantonalbank DAN BREZNITZ, Munk Chair of Innovation Studies, University of Toronto URS BIRCHLER, Professor Emeritus of Banking, University of Zurich GÉRY DAENINCK, former CEO, Robeco JEAN DERMINE, Professor of Banking and Finance, INSEAD DOUGLAS W. DIAMOND, Merton H. Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance, University of Chicago ELROY DIMSON, Emeritus Professor of Finance, London Business School NICHOLAS ECONOMIDES, Professor of Economics, New York University MICHAEL ENTHOVEN, Chairman, NL Financial Investments JOSÉ LUIS ESCRIVÁ, President of the Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility (AIReF), Spain GEORGE FEIGER, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean, Aston Business School GREGORIO DE FELICE, Head of Research and Chief Economist, Intesa Sanpaolo ALLEN FERRELL, Greenfield Professor of Securities Law, Harvard Law School PETER GOMBER, Full Professor, Chair of e-Finance, Goethe University Frankfurt WILFRIED HAUCK, Managing Director, Statera Financial Management GmbH PIERRE HILLION, The de Picciotto Professor of Alternative Investments, INSEAD ANDREI A. KIRILENKO, Director of the Centre for Global Finance and Technology, Imperial College Business School MITCHEL LENSON, Non-Executive Director, Nationwide Building Society DAVID T. LLEWELLYN, Emeritus Professor of Money and Banking, Loughborough University DONALD A. MARCHAND, Professor Emeritus of Strategy and Information Management, IMD COLIN MAYER, Peter Moores Professor of Management Studies, Oxford University PIERPAOLO MONTANA, Chief Risk Officer, Mediobanca ROY C. SMITH, Emeritus Professor of Management Practice, New York University JOHN TAYSOM, Visiting Professor of Computer Science, UCL D. SYKES WILFORD, W. Frank Hipp Distinguished Chair in Business, The Citadel 1. The Journal of Financial Transformation only publishes articles that editors solicit directly. There is no fee to publish, but we do not accept submissions that have not been solicited. 2. Articles must have a practical focus. Theoretical articles will not be published. Practicality of the article will be reviewed and assessed by experts in the field. 3. Authors should state clearly any conflicts of interest. These will also be checked by experts in the field and the Editor. 4. Articles will be checked for plagiarism, though the responsibility remains entirely with the authors. 5. Our Journal shares best thinking, not owns it. Authors retain copyright of their articles. 6. The Journal is published twice a year, in April and November.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1065
__label__wiki	0.539691	0.539691	Contact Welsh Athletics Welsh team Burgos selection up for grabs at Cardiff By Rob Sage Welsh Athletics will use the Cardiff Cross Challenge to make it’s selections for Cross de Atapuerca, Burgos – 11th November 2018. The Cross de Atapuerca International is classified as an International Overseas Fixture. Up to four senior men and up to four senior women will be selected based on performance at the Cardiff XC event, taking place on the 13th October 2018. Automatic selection will be awarded to the top Welsh finisher in both the Senior men’s and women’s race, and the top two Welsh U20 finishers in the men’s and women’s U20 races. Full selection policy available from Welsh Athletics. The Cross de Ataperca attracts high class international fields each year. British Cross Challenge Series ©2020 Copyright. Cardiff X Challenge. Web Design by: CELF Creative	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1068
__label__wiki	0.789051	0.789051	Archive \| Lady Calyptra RSS feed for this section Anime: The who, the what, and the where (and other nitty-gritty’s) It’s out there and it’s coming to get you. So, sometime in the past 10 years or so, you must have noticed this craze going about infecting young and old people alike, called “Pokemon”, which seems to consist of absurd fantastic creatures, a parallel reality and the ability to capture said creatures and battle with them. (If you really still don’t know what I’m talking about, you’ve been living under a rock). Ever scratched your head and wondered just what it is and why people are crazy about it? Some if not all of those questions, can be answered if you delve into the world of anime. Out of pets to collect? Start collecting these. Anime, is essentially defined as animation created specifically in Japan. Ask a fan and they’ll tell you there is a world of difference between the animation that pours out of Japan and that which is made in the rest of the world. So much so, that anime is now more than just a term to define a certain kind of animation. It is now a phenomemon, a movement, a cross culture ideology that has managed to cut across barriers of race and language to bring together followers from across the world. Cult much? Hell yes. Though the origins of anime lie buried somewhere in the 1910’s , anime as we see it now didn’t hit the globe till the late 60’s. Osamu Tezuka, popularly known today as “The God of Manga”, adapted western techniques of animation and applied them to his own project, “Astro boy”, which took the world by storm and is still much loved today. Pokemon, Shin Chan, Sailor Moon and Gundam have become some of the biggest symbols of anime culture. What came first, The transformers or Gundam? Anime in itself can be made from scratch or adapted from manga. Most anime is adapted from manga series, allowing a larger audience access to work that may only have been available in Japanese in the manga form. One of the biggest debates among fans of Japanese animation is that of the superiority of one form over the other. Manga fans claim that the anime destroys the authenticity of the storyline to make it more appealing to a mass audience, while anime fans argue that anime is easier to watch for those who don’t have the patience (and of course money!) to acquire and read manga. Of all the features that draw the line between animation and Japanese animation, distinct characteristics include hair in the most impossible shades, disproportional bodies, eyes that would make your own bulge, out of the world scenario’s and a dollop of fantasy the size of the sun. So, if cute little girls with squeaky voices who save the world isn’t your cup of tea, you can always turn to anime with a slice-of-life scenario, or even some apocalyptic set-up, where contrary to expectations, the world DOES come to an end. Eyeboggling! The image courtesy Akito Maru: http://akitomaru.deviantart.com/art/Anime-and-Manga-Eyestyles-65459083 Does anime have any after effects? Of course it does. In some cases symptoms of excitemet, exhilaration and ultimately addiction may be seen in some of the test subjects exposed to anime. Others may be found instantly allergic and essentially form a part of the anti band wagon. Though admittedly, the former outnumbers the latter by figures you couldn’t calculate if you were anything less than Einstein. Cosplay, figurines, and special edition collector’s items form the main chunk of anime spin off merchandise. Anime conventions worldwide becoming the gathering place for fans who want to invest in the same, alongside showing off one’s cosplaying skills. So now you know what anime is. Just to summarise, in case it still went over everyone’s head: Pokemon and Shin Chan are anime Power Rangers is not an anime Anything made outside Japan is NOT anime Anime does not always make sense Green/Red/orange/Purple haired people are normal in anime Greeting other people in Japanese is not completely out of the place among anime fans. And most importantly, The phenomenon is here to stay, so go with the flow, or get swept away! And in case you were wondering – this is just the beginning of La Mangafique! Pop by every Thursday for your weekly dose of anime news, reviews and madness! Ja ne! Calyptra Oujo Sama Categories Anime, Anime/Manga, Animeholic, comic addicts, Lady Calyptra, manga, Mangwa, thursday	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1069
__label__wiki	0.902724	0.902724	CatholicSaints.Info notes about your extended family in heaven Calendar of Scottish Saints – Saint Adamnan, Abbot A.D. 704. He was of Irish race, and belonged to the same family as Saint Columba. In his 55th year he was elected Abbot of Iona. He is said to have been instrumental in obtaining the passing of “The Law of the Innocents” in the Irish National Assembly of Tara. This statute exempted the Irish women from serving on the battle field, which before that time they had been bound to do. In 701 Saint Adamnan was sent on an embassy to his former pupil, Aldfrid, King of Northumbria, to seek reparation for injuries committed by that King’s subjects in the Province of Meath. It was during this visit to England that he conformed to the Roman usage with regard to the time for keeping Easter, and he was afterwards successful in introducing the true practice into the Irish Church. His efforts in this respect were not successful with his monks at Iona; though his earnest exhortations, and the unfailing charity which he exhibited towards those who differed from him, must have helped to dispose them to conform to the rest of the Church, which they did about twenty years after his death. Saint Adamnan is most renowned for his life of Saint Columba, which has been called by a competent judge “the most complete piece of such biography that all Europe can boast of, not only at so early a period, but throughout the whole Middle Ages.” He is also the author of a treatise on the Holy Land, valuable as being one of the earliest produced in Europe. Though the saint died at Iona, his relics were carried to Ireland; but they must have been restored to Iona, as they were venerated there in 1520. He was one of the most popular of the Scottish saints, and many churches were named after him. The chief of these were at Aboyne and Forvie (parish of Slains) in Aberdeenshire; Abriachan in Inverness-shire; Forglen or Teunan Kirk in Banffshire; Tannadice in Forfarshire; Kileunan (parish of Kilkerran) in Kintyre; Kinneff in Kincardineshire; the Island of Sanda; Dull, Grandtully and Blair Athole in Perthshire—the latter place was once known as Kilmaveonaig, from the quaint little chapel and burying ground of the saint. There were chapels in his honour at Campsie in Stirlingshire and Dalmeny in Linlithgow. At Aboyne are “Skeulan Tree” and “Skeulan Well,” at Tannadice “St. Arnold’s Seat,” at Campsie “St. Adamnan’s Acre,” at Kinneff “St. Arnty’s Cell.” At Dull a fair was formerly held on his feast-day (old style); it was called Feille Eonan. Another fair at Blair Athole was known as Feill Espic Eoin (“Bishop Eunan’s Fair” though Saint Adamnan was an abbot only); it has been abolished in modern times. His well is still to be seen in the Manse garden there, and down the glen a fissure in the rock is called “St. Ennan’s Footmark.” There was a “St. Adamnan’s Croft” in Glenurquhart (Inverness-shire), but the site is no longer known. Ardeonaig, near Loch Tay; Ben Eunaich, Dalmally; and Damsey (Adamnan’s Isle) in Orkney, take their names from this saint. At Firth-on-the-Spey, near Kingussie, is a very ancient bronze bell, long kept on a window-sill of the old church, and tradition relates that when moved from thence it produced a sound similar to the words, “Tom Eunan, Tom Eunan,” until it was restored to its original resting-place in the church, which stands on the hill bearing that name. The tradition points to the dedication of the church to this saint. Few names have passed through such various transformations in the course of ages as that of Adamnan. It is met under the forms of Aunan, Arnty, Eunan, Ounan, Teunan (Saint-Eunan), Skeulan, Eonan, Ewen and even Arnold. Saint Adamnan’s feast was restored by Pope Leo XIII in 1898. Father Michael Barrett, OSB. “Saint Adamnan, Abbot”. The Calendar of Scottish Saints, 1919. CatholicSaints.Info. 8 December 2019. Web. 21 January 2020. <> • Today's Calendar • Contact Me • What's New • Laudate - for iOS • Laudate - for Android • Paper.Li • RSS Readers • BitChute • Aquinas and More • Donations • Patreon • Beatified by... • Canonized by... • Popes of the Church • Martyr Groups • Saints who were... • Alphabetical • Confirmation Names • Congregations • E-Books • Emblems of the Faith • Entries on the Mass • Papal Documents • Patronage Groups • Patronage Topics	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1072
__label__wiki	0.960407	0.960407	BETONLINE.AG ODDS Cavs Nation Forgiveness? How Ohioans Have Responded To LeBron’s Return Tomer Azarly Angelo Merendino/Getty Images Just over four years ago, LeBron James made a decision that would affect not only himself and his new team, but also the entire NBA. “The Decision” to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers, a city just an hour north of his hometown of Akron, for the Miami Heat brought a lot of love and a lot of hate towards LeBron. Miami rejoiced at James’ decision to join Chris Bosh and Heat favorite Dwyane Wade on the mission to win championships. Talent poured into Miami, as everyone wanted to play with the newfound “Big 3” in James, Wade, and Bosh. But that was just the Miami side of things. The city of Cleveland felt betrayed that their hero would leave them after promising them a championship. After all, Cleveland hadn’t won a championship in over 40 years at that point, and those words from James kept their hopes alive. After deciding to leave, everyone in Cleveland was furious as people started writing hateful posts about LeBron, fans infamously burned James’ jerseys, and the realization that James was actually gone kicked in when the “We Are All Witnesses” poster was taken down. Immediately following his decision, owner Dan Gilbert wrote an angry letter talking about LeBron’s decision in an attempt to keep the Cavaliers fans hopes up. Those efforts would be in vain as the Cavaliers entered one of their toughest stretches yet. Amy Sancetta/Associated Press The year following LeBron’s decision to bolt for Miami, the Cavaliers put up an awful 19-63 record in 2010-2011. James was booed intensely in his first game back to Cleveland, but that only fueled him as he led his team to a blowout victory. The 2nd year without James was just a little better as the Cavs comprised a record of 21-45 (lockout season) with their Rookie of the Year from Duke, Kyrie Irving. Irving showed promise and became a playmaker that brought Cleveland into talks about possible playoff birth in a few years. Meanwhile LeBron was winning his first ring as a member of the Heat. The 2012-2013 was worse than the previous season percentage-wise for the Cavaliers as they ended with a record of 24-58. On the other hand James won his 2nd NBA championship with Miami, taking down San Antonio in a historic series that went to Game 7. Cleveland fans once again watched the King hold up a championship trophy for Miami. Despite James’ success with the Heat, Cleveland noticeably started to let go of any grudges they had on James as he was winning championships. They understood it was the best thing for his career. The 2013-2014 season had an improvement of 9 games as the Cavaliers were within reach of a playoff spot, but fell too far behind to catch up towards the end of the season. Cleveland fans this time watched as LeBron failed to lead his Heat to a 3rd straight title as Miami lost to San Antonio. The Miami loss further fueled the speculation about LeBron’s future. {adinserter 2} It is now the summer of 2014 and after making it to the NBA Finals 4 straight times, winning 2 championships during the 2nd and 3rd years, LeBron James is once again the most coveted free agent in the NBA. Every team in the league is making their pitch to the King, regardless of their chances of actually landing him. Of course, in the months and days leading up to free agency, there were really only 2 teams in contention for James. The first would be the Miami Heat where his continued success and improvement of his overall game made Miami the favorites. The second would be the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he would return home and try to win a ring for the city as he promised years ago. LeBron did not make his decision right away, instead he opted to take his time and let his heart decide. He went on vacation; talked with family, friends, and former teammates. The longer he took to make his decision, the more people started thinking that James was considering going back home. Eventually, even sports writers and analysts were starting to believe he was going home. And then his decision was made. Just like that, with an open letter published on Sports Illustrated titled “I’m Coming Home,” all was forgiven and forgotten four years ago. James spoke from the heart about his difficult decision to leave, how he always thought about home, about his looking forward to playing with his new teammates, and about how he has to be as a leader for all the kids in Cleveland. Cavs fans celebrated the return of their home-state hero by throwing parties, wearing James’ jerseys (some were partially burned), and crowding streets to show ESPN how much they were excited about the return of the King. After four grueling seasons, the Cavaliers once again had a chance to be on top of the East with a chance at a ring. LeBron will be able to coach and mentor the younger players to bring out the best of their abilities. The opportunities that lie ahead with LeBron James as leader will make all that has been said and done in the past, forgiven. JUST IN: Top 10 Big 3’s Of All Time Related TopicsLeBron JamesOhioReturn Cavs Trade Target: Dewayne Dedmon Cavs’ Tristan Thompson ejected after Odell Beckham Jr. inspired butt slap VIDEO: Cavs’ Tristan Thompson gets ejected after slapping Jae Crowder’s butt Video: Kevin Porter Jr. leaves game vs. Timberwolves after injuring knee Video: Cavs’ Larry Nance Jr. yells ‘ball don’t lie’ on missed free throws following his flagrant foul Video: Cavs’ Channing Frye, Kevin Love help 10-year-old battling Cancer dunk the ball Copyright © Cavs Nation. Partner of iOne Digital / Cassius Network.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1073
__label__cc	0.642094	0.357906	Cranbrook and District Restorative Justice Society All About CDRJS Benefits of Restorative Justice Message from the Program Coordinator - AGM 2018 Articles and Policy Strategic Planning 2017-2018 Membership and Training EK Humanity Network These are some of the common questions asked about Restorative Justice. If you have additional questions, please use the form to the right on this page or contact Doug McPhee directly. If the questions are of a general nature and help support the understanding of Restorative Justice, the question and related information will be gladly added to the list below, with our thanks. Peace or Punishment? Many Canadians feel that the justice system that has been in place for decades is not always the best practice to deal with some criminal acts. The justice system protects human rights, dignity and demographic values. Restorative justice offers the same protection, but includes everyone affected by a crime, costs less, reduces delays and resolves the problem when the offender owns up to the crime. In the formal justice system, there may be long delays after harm has been done before a judgment is given. The main goal of the formal system is to decide whether the accused is innocent or guilty. Those who suffer harm may not get a chance to speak except when the trial is over. They can’t talk about what would make them feel better. An alternative system of justice is needed to respond to those needs. The philosophy of restorative justice is based on community healing. In other words, the community decides what is best for itself in terms of resolving certain criminal matters. The focus in restorative justice is on offender accountability, problem solving, and creating an equal voice for offenders and victims. The best results occur when the victim, offender, and the community jointly resolve the affects of an offenders’ behaviour. There are many options within restorative justice. The RCMP is championing one specific process: Community Justice Forums (CJF). What is Community Accountability? Through an yearly agreement with the Ministry of Justice in British Columbia, CDRJS receives referrals from police, crown, First Nations bands, schools and others. A restorative process involving victims, offenders and the community is facilitated by trained volunteers. The process aims to holds low-risk youth and adult offenders accountable for their actions in a meaningful way. It gives victims a voice, repairs the harm caused and helps to address route causes related to the offence. What is Restorative Justice? Victim Services and Crime Prevention of the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General is committed to a restorative justice approach that considers the involvement of victims, offenders and communities in achieving justice and addressing the harm caused by crime. Crime Prevention Information Series: Restorative Justice Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General Restorative Justice (RJ) seeks to create just outcomes by repairing the harm caused by crime and violence. Typically this happens through facilitating a process that addresses victims’ needs and holds offenders meaningfully accountable for their actions. In this approach, crime is understood not only as breaking the law, but as a violation of people and relationships and a disruption of the peace in a community. In a restorative justice process, offenders must first accept responsibility for their role in an offense and the harm they have caused. Victims must also voluntarily choose to participate. Communities or community members are often actively involved in the process as interested stakeholders, supporters, or facilitators. In B.C., restorative justice is most commonly used for less serious offenses such as mischief, assault, and theft. However, a restorative justice process can potentially be used for any crime in which harm has occurred. This can happen where the offender is showing an adequate degree of responsibility and willingness to make amends, and where the victim would like an opportunity to be heard, to have questions answered, or to seek restitution. All cases must be individually addressed for appropriateness. When an act of crime or violence has been committed, those involved may feel varying degrees of confusion, remorse, loss, fear, anxiety, and/or guilt. The criminal justice system may not be able to help alleviate these challenges. In some cases, people may be interested in learning more about additional options available to them, including a restorative justice process. Acronyms? CAP and CJF are often used interchangeably when discussing restorative justice practices or forums. Community Accountability Program or CAP refers to the contract that Cranbrook and District Restorative Justice Society holds with the Ministry of Justice to delivery restorative justice practices in British Columbia. There are a number of training facilities and opportunities in British Columbia and Canada geared to providing background in mediation and restorative justice practices. Starting in 1997, however, the RCMP adapted a scripted process, following a very successful program developed in New Zealand. The RCMP training process and certification is termed, Community Justice Forum or CJF. All of the facilitators at Cranbrook and District Restorative Justice Society (CDRJS) have been trained using the approved RCMP CJF program. In addition, there are trainers with CDRJS certified to provide the CJF training to new facilitators. Some of the facilitators with CDRJS has obtained additional training in Mediation and Peace-Making to support more complex cases. What Happens in a Forum? A CJF or forum, is a safe, controlled environment in which an offender, victim and their families or supporters are brought together under the guidance of a trained facilitator. Together they discuss the offence, how they have all been affected, and jointly develop a plan to correct what has occurred. Offenders must accept responsibility for their own actions. They are confronted with how their behavior affected the victim personally – and they hear it directly from their victim. The conversations are often difficult and emotional, so a neutral, impartial and well-trained facilitator is present to guide the conversation. Each participant is encouraged to speak openly, honestly and fully. Together they create a plan that will satisfy the needs of everyone. Sometimes it is enough for the offender to apologize and return what was taken or fix what was broken. Other agreements may include community service work, counseling, or addictions treatment for the offender. Who can access Restorative Justice? The following conditions must be met before an offender can be considered for the process: The offender must take responsibility for his or her actions and be willing to participate voluntarily. Victim involvement is essential to the process. Criminal cases are referred to the process by the RCMP or Crown. The Program Coordinator and the referring program or agency must feel that the case is suitable. What types of cases are referred to Restorative Justice? The criteria for eligible cases : Be volunteer based. Offenders and Victims are reminded that a referral may be referred back to the RCMP and, if they deem appropriate, referred to a tradional court process. Adhere to the Ministry’s Framework for Restorative Justice. Demonstrate community and criminal justice support, including victims organizations. Accept referrals that normally fall within referrals for restorative justice and for which the facilitators have the experience and training to adequately and professionaly address. Conduct criminal record checks on all facilitators. Maintain strict confidentiality of the victim and offender Is Restorative Justice Effective? The Effects of Restorative Justice Programming: A Review of the Empirical In general, empirical research into restorative justice is arguably still in its infancy. Numerous questions remain unanswered. There are several issues, however, that do appear to be resolved. Victims who experience a restorative justice program express high levels of satisfaction with the process and the outcomes. Victims also believe that the process is fair. There are strong indications that victims are much less satisfied within the traditional court system. In addition, victims’ satisfaction level appears to be related to the fulfillment of restitution agreements. Offenders also express high levels of satisfaction with restorative justice programming and perceive the process to be fair. In addition, research suggests that offenders processed by the traditional system are less satisfied. There is evidence, though, that the severity of the restitution agreement is closely related to an offenders’ satisfaction level. The harsher the restitution, the more likely an offender will express dissatisfaction with the program. Most restorative justice program participants have a high level of success in negotiating restitution agreements. There is also an indication that a high proportion of offenders referred to restorative justice programs follow through on their agreements and are more likely to comply than are offenders with court-ordered restitution. What is the Referral Process used by CDRJS? The request for service from CDRJS falls under THREE main themes: Restorative Justice Facilitation CDRJS has a contract with the Ministry of Justice to provide restorative justice facilitation in British Columbia. The current majority of the referrals come from either the RCMP or Crown. In either case, contact is made with the CDRJS Program Contractor and the file is reviewed by both parties. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is an agreement that expresses the common will between two or more parties. Although not as binding as a contract it describes a working relationship, an intended line of action. CDRJS has signed a MOU with School District 5 (Southeast Kootenay). The agreement allows the school district to refer incidents that they feel require a restorative process. The process for referral, as identified in the MOU, is for schools to contact Jason Tichauer, Director of Instruction. Restorative Approaches to Conflict Conflict is not restricted to the RCMP and schools. If an incident does not potentially involve a criminal offence, but may require a restorative approach to assist in resolving the difficulty, an application for support can be made by contacting the CDRJS Office 250-489-8999. All services provided by CDRJS are free of charge with exception of travel expenses outside of Cranbrook for CJF Training. Restorative Justice Education and Training Restorative Justice Inservice CDRJS welcomes any and all opportunities to speak to groups about the positive nature and influence of restorative justice. If as a group you are interesting in a presentation, please feel free to contact the CDRJS Office 250-489-8999. Question not answered? Please tell us your feedback. Link caption Thanks for the Support: Community Partners, Provincial Ministries and Support for CDRJS CanadaHelps Cranbrook and District Restorative Justice Society is a Not-for-Profit organization which relies on grants and donations in order to support the our valuable contribution to the district. Your donations will enable CDRJS to train facilitators, offer public education and awareness, operate the office and support the community by providing restorative justice as an alternative to traditional court processes. Mailing and Physical Address 125 10th Ave S PO BOX 533 Stn. Main Cranbrook, BC V1C 4J1 Phone• Email Other: (250) 489-9622 Email: doug.mcphee@me.com Other times when required The organizational and administrative services for the East Kootenay Humanity Network and the Hate and Race Based Incident Response is provided by Cranbrook and District Restorative Justice Society.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1076
__label__cc	0.731627	0.268373	Casual Debris Casual Debris has evolved a little from its inception. Currently, we are interested in anthologies, literary and genre, as well as television. We also like to review lesser known novels and stories, and toss in a few asides, now and again. Thank you for stopping by. Lawrence Block, The Sins of the Fathers (1976) Block, Lawrence, The Sins of the Fathers, 1976 The Sins of the Fathers at Goodreads The Sins of the Fathers at IBList For this week's Friday's Forgotten Books, please visit In Reference to Murder. An integral element in the private investigator novel is the urban world in which he exists. With Matthew Scudder the reader is immediately immersed in the gritty urban landscape, one shaped not only by the violent and chaotic society that upholds it, but by Scudder's own broken perception of the world around him. Whether New York or the outlying farmlands, wherever Scudder chooses to live that world, through his eyes, would become broken and damned. Like many readers I was quickly immersed in the dark and gritty world of Matthew Scudder, excited that there are many more to follow. Before even half-way through Lawrence Block's first Scudder novel I was convinced I'd finally come across a character I wanted very much to pursue. Having now completed The Sins of the Fathers, I know I will read In the Midst of Death soon. The novel contains two story-lines; the murder investigation of prostitute Wendy Hanniford and her roommate Richard Vanderpoel, and the daily existence of former cop Matthew Scudder. Most interesting was Scudder's world, his attitude toward the complex urban society he lives in, from its horrid crimes, corrupt police and the regular people who attempt to eke out an existence amid the chaos. I certainly enjoyed the mystery and the straightforward interrogative and investigative approach, yet the circumstances around the crime were enhanced by the world in which it occurred. Figuring out what really happened is not difficult, yet the reasons behind the crimes and the punitive act of revelation overshadows the reveal. It is not a who-dun-it, but focuses more on the tragic aspects of the crime, to the point that for once in such a novel I was extremely sympathetic toward the victims and understood the tragedies of the death not simply because death in the form of murder is tragic. Though published in 1976, the novel is set in 1973: Wendy Hanniford signed a lease in 1970, which according to Scudder was three years ago. (p. 40) I'm not sure of the relevance of 1973, of setting it in the near past upon publication, as it seems to be a minor detail in the book. What is important is that the story is set in the 1970s, and not for any social reference. For one thing, the murder of Hanniford would today be solved quickly due to DNA testing. For another, there are small incidents that are dated, though these have no impact on today's reader. First there is a visit to the bank. "It was my first visit since the first of the year, so they entered some interest in my passbook. A computer figured it all out in the wink of an eye." This is no longer impressive. The only thing that hasn't improved about baking since 1973 or 1976 is the amount of interest rewarded for allowing them to invest your money. DNA testing and outdated bank computing is irrelevant since the poignancy of the novel is Scudder's world, the gritty, corrupt and utterly unsympathetic New York. Yet in this damaged world, our broken hero manages to exude sympathy, both while delivering sensitive information and while delivering painful punishment. Among the straongest scenes in the novel is when a young, inexperienced thief tries to mug Scudder, and though it has nothing to do with the novel's mystery plot, it has everything to do with Scudder and with Lawrence Block's New York. A terrific read. Posted by Casual Debris at 10:41 PM No comments: Casual Labels: Block Lawrence, Sins of the Fathers The Jane Urquhart, The Underpainter (1997) Urquhart, Jane, The Underpainter, Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1997 The Underpainter at Goodreads The Underpainter at IBList Like many a modern painting, The Underpainter grew on me steadily. At first I was a little disinterested, dulled by the cold, distant narrator, Austin Fraser. Though I did like the few early scenes featuring Fraser's friend George and some other supporting characters, it wasn't until after a hundred pages, when Augusta was telling her wintry tale of youth, play and the cold winter farm, that I became wrapped up in a cloak of interest. Urquhart's excellent prose helped, but I was more fascinated by the ideas behind the tale, and by the fact that we were in the head of an easily dis-likable character. The Underpainter is Urquhart's fifth novel, book-ended between her two most successful works: Away (1993) and The Stone Carvers (2001). Though I haven't read any of her other books, I understand there was concern in her tackling a male first person narrator, and an American; the work might as well have been written by an American male. Contrasting elements co-exist in Austin Fraser's art and life. Fraser believes that every aspect of his life must exist for and contribute to his art, and at the same time, thanks to the influence of the charming Rockwell Kent, he believes that every aspect of one's self must be invested in life, and the results should then be captured in art. Fraser is unable to invest in life as he is a reclusive, self-interested person, and hence what he captures in his art is controlled, whether a scene or a landscape, lacking spontaneity and "life." Moreover, the technique of underpaiting is his final attempt to mask that interpreted reality from the world. Not only is Fraser shut out from the world and people, his art is just as distanced. Fraser is comfortable in an ordered landscape. He attempts to control the world and the people around him, possibly to create a scene in life that he can then transpose onto canvas. Like his paintings, hints of good peak out from the layers of selfishness. His love for his friend George is genuine; he is merely unable to understand the man, just as he is unable to understand any of the players in his life, which make it impossible for him control his environment, and hence impossible to control his art. Fraser is summed up by Augusta, a former war-time nurse and the most interesting character in the book: ""Though so much of everything," she said, "is unexpected, Isn't it? Accidental--even if it's hard to believe that. Still, it's almost impossible to believe the opposite--that everything is planned." (p. 290) Moreover, he is a reflection of the man-shaped peninsula, The Sleeping Giant that bookends the novel: "Behind her the stone man slept on, unmoved by her journey, his body hard and rigid and unchanging. // Heart of granite. Bed of ice." (p. 333) Just as Fraser is in essence the embodiment of his underpainting technique, his friend George is the embodiment of the ceramic he paints: fragile, easily shattered. Unlike Fraser's underpainting, George's depictions are sensitive and up front, though he is a complex man with many hard-kept secrets. What is most interesting to consider in Urquhart's narrative technique is Fraser's purpose in setting down his story. It is difficult to accept that this narrative is a recollection of Fraser's, a memoir of his life, as he lacks the sentimental nature and the sensitivity to construct such an emotionally wrought narrative. Instinctively we approach the text with the belief that Fraser is less than a trustworthy narrator, and yet he is honest with his own deficiencies, and we accept that he presents his story without, in a sense, underpainting it. Perhaps there are hidden elements in his bringing an old acquaintance back to Ontario, but this is speculation. All this leads me to wonder if he is not a better writer than he is an artist, and maybe he should have replaced his brushes for the inkwell he receives from George early on. Whatever Fraser's true calling, Urquhart masters the craft of writing in this somewhat conceptual novel, difficult to render and well accomplished. Posted by Casual Debris at 9:08 AM No comments: Casual Labels: Underpainter The, Urquhart Jane Stephen King, Insomnia (1994) Signet, 1995 King, Stephen, Insomnia, NY: Viking, 15 September 1994 ___________, Insomnia, NY: Signet, September 1995 (my copy) Insomnia at Goodreads Insomnia at ISFdb Insomnia at IBList For more Friday's Forgotten Books, please visit Patti Abbott's blog. Preparing for a trip to India, one offering plenty of reading time due to extended commutes, I was searching for a lengthy yet quick read, something I don't need to think about and simply doze through. During my last trip to India I was pleasantly accompanied by Peter Straub's 1982 novel Floating Dragon, and decided that this time around I would carry something similar. I hemmed and hawed over stuff I had in a box of horror novels, and considered Straub's Mr. X (1999), Robert McCammon's Stinger (1988) and a couple of others I can't now recall. Settling on Insomnia was due partly on the fact that I hadn't read a King novel in a long time, and partly on the fact that my edition, found in a book sale reject pile, is completely battered, and I knew whatever I lugged around with me would receive a bit of a beating. Mr. X, also found in a reject pile, is quite pristine, and I am anal about my books. Even the cheapo paperbacks. Insomnia is a lesser-known, little read and mostly neglected Stephen King novel. And for good reason. The novel is a plodding, generally uninteresting and often silly, over-sentimental fantasy. I often like a slow, plodding tale, but this one is padded with details that do little to serve the whole of the novel and nothing to build suspense. Hodder & Stoughton, 1995 We are served up tension with the idea that our senior citizen heroes, Ralph Roberts and Lois Chasse, must save the world (or at least the Derry Civic Centre) within a matter of hours! (This urgency after a few hundred pages.) Pressed for time, at their wits' end, our swift heroes decide quickly to take a lovely meandering stroll through Derry toward their destination while thoughts are leisurely focused on their new abilities, like floating and becoming semi-visible, and their local haunts, like the neighbouring park where old friends play chess and argue about social matters which are related in so much detail that we forget what our purpose is and all tension is sucked dry. (Yes, our elderly heroes develop powers as a trade-off to their sleeplessness. I won't discuss plot points so if you wish to for more story-line info, please see the myriad reviews on Goodreads.) Characters abound by the thousands, and many are needless, barely mentioned, while some are arbitrarily done away with. One seemingly major character (I will avoid a direct spoiler here) is done away almost as an aside fairly early on, in such a way that I'm left with the impression the author just didn't know what to do with him and couldn't be bothered to re-write the first few hundred pages. Maybe he was also too bored with the work to invest in a re-read. (King has, since the book's publication, claimed not to have plotted the novel, and has also stated that a novel that is not properly plotted ends up lacking. Insomnia is in need not only of proper plotting, but some severe editing.) The lengthy conversations between characters and the genuinely uninteresting reflections of protagonist Ralph Roberts are among the easily expendable portions, and a pared down version of Insomnia might actually have been an above average read. There are some interesting elements that could have contributed to a half-decent novel, such as the idea that the elaborate emphasis on abortion is merely a ploy for something entirely different, and though his prose falters with alarming frequency, King manages nonetheless to create a mostly vivid geography. Speaking of abortion, the subject is approached via many points of view, and in no way objectively. It is clear who the bad guys are on the abortion issue (though personally I have no qualms for this and I doubt King cares if he's potentially alienating any anti-abortionists). He does attempt late in the novel to present us with a semi-sympathetic anti-abortionist in the form of a diner waitress, in another needless scene. It is, however, too little and too late to generate any equality among the figures on either side of the debate. Besides, she quickly falters to become a less than likable caricature. If anything, however, King is genuinely sympathetic with the plight of battered women, and I think it is important for that reality to be presented in mainstream fiction. Hodder, 2008 There is a cautionary lesson less than subtly embedded into King's arguments on spousal abuse and its consequences. Throughout the novel women ill-treated by men have an instinctive trust of other women and an instinctive distrust of all men. Our male hero Roberts reflects on this several times, again slowing the work, and is disapproving of this trust/mistrust issue. Roberts comes across here as naive, since of course battered women would instinctively mistrust all men they do not know, just as a battered animal would mistrust all humans as a result of being battered by one, just as all men would instinctively distrust women (or relationships with women) if in any severely way wronged by one. Any major traumatic event leads to fear, regardless of gender, race or one's role in the animal kingdom. Despite this logic King pursues his argument, and the women's shelter is infiltrated by a women as a result of the natural trust they share with all women. This character is mentioned shortly before the infiltration scene as a danger to Roberts, and then brings about the downfall of the shelter; she is clearly mentioned only to bring about this scene and only to bring about the argument that battered women should not have instinctive responses to strangers as a result of their gender. Perhaps that is so, but King is being punitive, less interested in exploring the nature of the mistrust, that the base human survival instinct is to protect oneself in areas where one has experienced danger, particularly when that danger is life-threatening. Tossed into this mish-mash of a novel are some glaring errors. In 1992 Ed Deepnau is thirty-two years old while his wife Helen is thirty (p. 169), yet they kept all the vinyl records they purchased back in the 1960s (p. 84). What a thing for toddlers to do with their allowance. Later, Roberts receives a visual of May Locher's death, and there is a "companion" stabbed to death beside the old lady's death. What of this? Are we deliberately being misled to believe the culprits are cold-blooded killers by the visual aid of a bloodied corpse, a corpse that does not actually exist? Or is this part of King's lack of plotting, and he forgot about this moment entirely as he continued winging the novel on a whim. Shame on you Mr. King! Luitingh-Sijthoff, 1994 Insomnia does appear to serve a minor purpose: to thread the ties of King's fictional universe. References to both the Dark Tower series and his far better lengthy novel It are splattered throughout. I haven't read any of the Dark Tower books but I get the gist of some of what it going on. On the other hand I have read and enjoyed It. I do not believe Insomnia is in any way improved by these references, nor do I believe these references improve the other works. It has been argued that some of King's obviously weaker works are artificially inseminated with references to his superior works, and I would not be surprised to learn that this is the case, at least with Insomnia . I haven't read enough of his novels to have a full understanding of his mythos, and (because life is short) I have stuck to those works that have received general praise, such as It, Misery, 'Salem's Lot, The Stand and The Shining. Reading Insomnia was a fluke travel decision, as was the unbearably awful Dean R. Koontz novel, Twilight Eyes. For covers, that first Viking edition at the bottom is mirrored by two opposing coloured prints. I'm not sure if the two flip-coloured prints were released simultaneously, the way those for Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell were ten years later in 2004. I also don't see a significance to the two versions the way I assume there is one for the black and white of Clarke's work. I do like the first paperback edition, that of Signet (1995) at the top; with more detail and colour, this one evokes more mystery. There have been many covers and reprints, a surprising amount (but I guess it is Stephen King), and many of them quite good. The ghostly and full of implication Hodder & Stoughton pillow corpse and the simplistic death referential Hodder reprint from 2008 are both vastly different and quite good, though the second having a different significance to one who has read it, and is hence exclusive of the non-reader. But I'm partial to the cartoonish Dutch version on the left, from Luitingh-Sijthoff, translated by Eny van Gelder (1994). Viking, 1994 (?) Viking, 1994 Posted by Casual Debris at 12:17 AM No comments: Casual Labels: Insomnia, King Stephen As of 24 December 2015 Casual Dedris Presents: An Alfred Hitchcock Anthology Bibliography casual [dot] debris [at] gmail [dot] com The Internet Speculative Fiction Database Casual Labels "Strange Prey" (1) "The Word Processor of the Gods" (1) 4400 the (14) Aldiss Brian W (1) Alfred Hitchcock Anthologies (3) Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine (4) anthologies TV (26) Arkin Alan (1) Arthur Robert (1) aside (9) Asimov Isaac (1) Auctioneer The (1) Bad Seed the (1) Ball John (1) Banks Russell (1) Bar the Doors (1) Barker Clive (1) Behind the Scarlet Door (1) Berkeley Anthony (1) Bete Noire (3) Big Fish (1) Black Book of Horror (1) Blackburn John (1) Blackstone Chronicles the (6) Bloch Robert (2) Block Lawrence (1) Blood and Water (1) Bogner Norman (1) Books of Blood (1) Bottoms The (1) Bradbury Ray (1) Breakhart Pass (1) Briefly (3) Buchan John (1) Butcher's Boy the (1) Caedmon's Song (1) Cameron Lou (1) Carroll Jerry Jay (1) Castle of Otranto the (1) Casual Shorts (13) Caves of Steel the (1) Chambers James (1) Chesbro George C (2) Children of the Night (1) Clavell James (1) Clegg Douglas (1) Cold Day in Paradise A (1) Collector the (1) Come Seven Come Death (1) Conjure Wife (1) Coover Robert (1) Corn Maiden and Other Nightmares The (1) Cowan Andrew (1) Coyne John (1) Crichton Michael (2) Crow Lake (1) Crying Just Like Anybody (1) Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time the (1) Dark Moon Digest (3) Dead City (1) Decapitated Chicken and Other Stories (1) Devil in a Blue Dress (1) deWitt Patrick (1) Doctor Faustus (1) Donoghue Emma (1) Doyle Sir Arthur Conan (1) Dunbar Robert (1) Empty Hours the (1) Erasers the (1) Eri Vincent (1) Fiction Desk the (11) Finney Jack (1) Floating Dragon (1) For All Eternity (1) Foster Alan Dean (1) Fowles John (1) Friday's Forgotten Books (9) Ghost Quartet the (1) Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (2) Girl on the Train the (1) Glimmer Train (1) Greeberg Marting H (1) Guilty Thing Surprised a (1) Haddon Mark (1) Haining Peter (1) Hamilton Edmond (1) Hamilton Steve (1) Hardy William (1) Harper's Island (11) Harvest Home (1) Hawkins Paula (1) Heart-Shaped Box (1) Herbert James (1) Heroux Jason (1) Hill Joe (1) Hoch Edward D (1) Hornby Nick (1) Horror on the Asteroid (1) Hound of the Baskervilles The (1) In the Heat of the Night (1) In the Shadow of the Gargoyle (1) Inhuman Beings (1) James MR (2) Jupiter Moon (1) Keefauver John (2) Kiesbye Stefan (1) King Stephen (2) Knowles John (1) Koontz Dean R (1) Koontz Dean R. 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__label__cc	0.599066	0.400934	Items tagged with: Chevrolet Corvair Hemmings Find of the Day – 1964 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Four-speed 1964 Chevrolet Corvair Monza for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller’s description: Our beautiful black Corvair is equipped with a manual transmission mated to a twin carburated 95 horse... Open Diff: The list 2001 Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Photo courtesy Chevrolet. Those of us in the car hobby may not agree on everything, but one thing typically binds us together: “the list.” We all have “the list,” one tha... An affordable classic: Chevrolet’s second-generation Corvair 1966 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa convertible. Photo by Jeff Koch. Chevrolet’s redesigned-for-1965 Corvair debuted to high praise from the automotive press, with Car and Driver’s David E. Davis, Jr. decla... Springfest: The annual four-club Corvair gathering in Helen, Georgia About 100 Corvairs take part in Springfest every year, from mild to wild and everything in between. Photography by author. For 35 years Corvair owners in the Southeast have been getting together in t... Half a century later, the fate of the last Corvair ever built remains unknown Joe Strayhorn in Corvair #6000. Photo courtesy Dave Newell. In the months leading up to the final day of production for the Chevrolet Corvair, General Motors fielded calls from dealers, executives, a... Unrestored one-owner 1967 Chevrolet Corvair Monza for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller’s description: This Corvair Monza Coupe was purchased in 1967 from O’Toole Chevrolet in Eugene, Oregon. The... Hemmings Find of the Day – 1966 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa coupe From the seller’s description: 1966 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa Coupe , An absolutely beautiful Corsa Coupe painted in the 1966 only GM color of Aztec Bronze with matching Bronze interior. (140 HP, 4 Car... Hemmings Find of the Day – 1965 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa La Carrera Panamericana veteran 1965 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller’s description: Only Corvair to start or complete Carrera Panamerican Road Race in Mexico! Color:... New Illinois museum honors the Chevrolet Corvair A turbocharged 1962 Corvair Monza Spyder heads a line of performance Corvairs. Photos courtesy Corvair Museum. Beloved by its fans, but criticized–perhaps unreasonably–by its detractors, the Chevrole... The $5,000 Challenge, shiny new year edition The dawn of a new year generally brings with it a sense of hope and optimism, particularly when one is past the age where January 1 is spent nursing a hangover. With the winter solstice behind us, th... The Corvair sport coupe that never was – the 1968 Molzon Corvair 1968 Molzon Corvair. Photos courtesy Bonhams Auctions. In 1963, GM designer William “Bill” Molzon set out to build a car of his own, with some rather ambitious goals: It would accelerate faster than ... Thrice deferred, Bill Cushenberry’s Silhouette II Space Coupe heads toward completion more than 50 years later Images courtesy Barry Gremillion. Stolen, abandoned, slated for the scrap heap: Certainly not the fate Bill Cushenberry imagined for what was to be his crowning achievement, the Silhouette II Space C... The $5,000 Challenge, some assembly required edition Assuming they have sufficient funds, anyone can buy a car. Cash is paid out in exchange for keys and a title, and for many, such a transaction is satisfying enough. For others, however, a car isn’t t... Open Diff: What car are you constantly defending? First, second, and third-generation Mazda Miatas. Photo courtesy Mazda USA. It happened again today. After two days of harping by a reader on the Mazda Miata’s “blandness,” I felt compelled to chime ... Hemmings Find of the Day – trio of 1965+ Chevrolet Corvair convertibles A common complaint of those looking to get into the collector car hobby is the high cost of entry. 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Four-Links – first Porsche, first Sebring, first street sweepers, last Studebakers Other vehicles designed and built by Ferdinand Porsche going back to the turn of the century have adopted the Porsche name in the years since, but the first to actually wear the Porsche name, accordi... 1966 Chevrolet Corvair homecoming: The story continues August 2, 2015, offloading the car from the transporter. Photos courtesy Don Homuth. Editor’s note: Last August, we brought you the story of Hemmings Daily regular, concours judge and former North Da... Five reasons why I want these five 1960s GM compacts 1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire. Photo courtesy GM Media archives. It’s February, and it’s minus 2-degrees outside with twice-frozen crunchy snow blanketing everything. My ears are ringing, my head is conges... Hemmings Find of the Day – 1963 Chevrolet Corvair 95 The good: This 1963 Corvair 95 panel van for sale on Hemmings.com has a good mechanical foundation and everything appears present and accounted for. The not so good: It’s rough, with plenty of rust t...	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1088
__label__wiki	0.73419	0.73419	Dubai: Logan Hannah poised for Formula 4 debut later this month at Yas Marina Circuit Posted by CircuitProDigital \| Oct 17, 2017 \| Abu Dhabi, Breaking News, Formula 4 UAE, Logan Hannah Race Blog \| Dubai Oct 17th – Sixteen-year-old Logan Hannah is set to make her debut in an F4UAE Tatuus race car after confirming her first official test day Yas Marina Circuit later this month. Hannah will debut with the SILBERPFEIL Energy Dubai team on October 27, which is the first official day of pre-season testing for the six-round 2017/18 F4UAE Championship powered by Abarth. Having spent the summer months in the UK, the Dubai resident has been honing her race craft in a Ginetta Juniors testing and simulator program with Richardson Racing, Formula 4 simulator training at Arden Motorsport in Banbury with the YRDA (Young Racing Driver Academy), plus extensive karting racing in Scotland and at the UAE’s Dubai Kartdrome. One week prior to her first test, Hannah is set to travel back to Arden for a full day of F4 simulator training, specifically on the Yas Marina Circuit configuration. This will assist in increasing the teenager’s familiarity and expectations of the circuit before sitting in the SILBERPFEUIL Tatuus race car for the first time on track. “To be given the opportunity to test a Formula 4 car in the UAE is such a huge honour,” said Hannah. “Driving at Yas Marina Circuit, where I have been watching my dad race Radicals since I was 10 years old, is also something I had always wished for. So a big thanks to Kevin Day for giving me the opportunity to go out and show what I can do with the SILBERPFEIL Energy Dubai team. “As a race driver I’ve always wanted to be recognised for my abilities and not by any boundaries that may define me, and without my family’s support and encouragement I wouldn’t be here. They’ve given up so much for me to be where I am now,” concluded Hannah. With hopes to have a career in open-wheelers in the USA or Europe, Hannah will use the F4UAE test to help make her official transition from karting to single seater racing while setting realistic expectations on growing accustomed to both the car’s handling plus the unique track conditions in the Middle East. The 16-year-old will also look at other potential testing options in December at the Dubai Autodrome, which would complete the racer’s experience on both F4UAE championship circuits. Team owner of the SILBERPFEIL Energy Dubai team, Kevin Day, welcomed Hannah back to the team in which she first began as a karter. “It’s great for us to have Logan join us for the official test as she started her karting career with us a few years ago,” said Day. “We have always monitored her progress after she has raced across the UK and the UAE in karting and Ginetta Juniors. For her to come back to us for her first single seater test is an honour.” The F4UAE Championship kicks off at the Home of F4UAE, Yas Marina Circuit, for the official pre-season test on October 27-28, before the first round of the Championship begins in anger as a support category to the Gulf 12 Hours on December 13-16 at the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 circuit. PreviousBSB: Shakey Byrne defends Championship title with his sixth win as Haslam crashes out with brake failure NextEvents: Riyadh becomes first Middle East city to host Race of Champions Bonne Chance Monsieur 😊👍	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1091
__label__cc	0.717805	0.282195	Tag: justice What kind of future city are we building today? CMM, Cape Town / Oct 27, 2019 Oct 24, 2019 / Ordinary Days of the Spirit, Sunday Letter Thursday, 31 October is World Cities Day. By 2050, cities will be the ‘natural habitat’ for most of humanity, so how we build sustainable and inclusive places is important. In SA, and particularly Cape Town, we have a dual challenge: not only do we need to plan innovatively for a better life for future generations of city-dwellers, we also need to redress the legacy of Apartheid cemented into our urban fabric. Affordable housing in well-located areas is regarded as one of the keys to begin to undo this problem. However, cries for affordable housing close to the city is often met with the excuse that “there is no available land”. Yet on a little reflection it is easy to see that this is not true… A report from the civil society organisation Ndifuna Ukwazi “City Leases” shows the lack of change is not for a lack of available land but rather that there is no political will to allocate public land for public good: “We see golf courses on some of the best public land serving a few residents; parking lots that sit empty for sixteen hours of the day; bowling greens used once a week; and empty uncared for sports fields. The City of Cape Town continues to lease well-located public land for next to nothing to private companies and associations. How is this use of land more important than a home? How is it prioritised over the rights of thousands of residents living in backyards and informal settlements? How can it stand in the way of bringing working-class people back into the areas from which they were violently evicted? And yet, hundreds of leases of public land are renewed every year. These skewed priorities are being implemented, without thought, by city administrators and politicians.” Golf courses must be the worst utilisation of inner-city land. Large, environmentally costly spaces reserved for use by a privileged few. Similarly, inner city parking not only prioritises space for cars over people, but future generations will be aghast that we persisted for so long to let a major contributor to emissions dictate the shape of our city. Even more distressing is the Philippi Horticultural Area, which provides up to 30% of Capetonians’ fresh vegetable and fruit, as well as livelihoods for many, is under threat to be rezoned for “development”. This is currently being challenged in the High Court. Faced with the choice between recreation for a few vs. water and housing; carbon-dioxide-spewing cars vs. space for people; “development” vs. food and jobs, what would Jesus want? As the prophets said: “They say that what is right is wrong and what is wrong is right; that black is white and white is black; bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.” Isaiah 5:20. To mark World Cities Day, and in recognition for the struggle for housing, land and environmental justice in our country, we hoist another Yellow Banner on the CMM Steeple on Thursday at 13h00. See you then, Apartheid,environment,healing,justice,Land Manifest Christ in our living CMM, Cape Town / Jun 16, 2019 Jun 14, 2019 / Ordinary Days of the Spirit, Sunday Letter In Bristol in the United Kingdom is the oldest Methodist chapel, built in 1739 by John Wesley. It is called the New Room. The Chapel is still in use but is now part of the Museum at the New Room depicting the development of Methodism and the story of the Wesleys. The displays highlight the spiritual work as well as the social issues. In the museum is a list of “Principles for the 18th century” by John Wesley. The museum added the line: A Political Manifesto for Today? The Principles seem to be a hope-list for the many hope-less, covering a broad catchall of human misery and failure of so many others over centuries, before and after Wesley. It did not only focus on the immediate needs but includes a broader world view. It is as relevant today, nearly 300 years later, as then, but more urgently so. Our land and people still weep for lost generations, lost opportunity and lost hope. Education, employment, modern slavery, intolerance, abuse, violence, inequality still destroy life, liberty, living and love. More recently we have become more and more aware of our abuse of our planet and the effects of human induced climate interference. We have also not yet freed ourselves from abusing those made in the image of God, especially women and children. By what principles are we living, if we profess Christ, how do we seek to manifest Christ in our living? What will be said of us in 300 years, or 30? Moral issues are also raising new frontiers of contention. Politicians, businessmen and other leaders, even in the religious sector, can be blatantly dishonest, lie and cheat and continue in their positions with wheels of intervention turning slowly or not at all. Civil protest and taking a stand continues to be necessary instruments for change. Often, with profound personal consequences. Martin Prozesky, a local professor, researcher and writer, wrote an article in the City Press titled: The Innocent Until Proven Guilty Fallacy. He writes: “there is a dangerous error about people who are suspected on good grounds of wrongdoing, but who have never been charged or found guilty in a court of law. The error is to claim that one is in fact innocent until proven guilty so that a person can legitimately occupy public office just like anybody with an impeccable legal and moral record. That is not what the law says. Our constitution in section 35, (3) (h) of the Bill of Rights says that every accused person has the right “to be presumed innocent” until proven guilty by a court of law. That is absolutely not the same as actually being innocent … the person is for the time being neither innocent, nor guilty, but in a position between them as if innocent, until law or disciplinary procedures have taken their course. Such a person therefore is actually under a cloud ethically.” As we view our principles, what are we justifying as a community, or as an individual in relation to our inaction, our prejudice, our bias, and our forgetfulness of Christ in our living and Christ in our lives? As we consciously try to become more Christ-like in our world, John Wesley challenges us to: Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, as long as ever you can. equality,Jesus,justice,life,politics Truth and grace lead to resurrection CMM, Cape Town / May 12, 2019 May 10, 2019 / Easter, Sunday Letter Two weeks ago 2x Olympic Champion Caster Semenya lost her appeal against the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Accordingly if Semenya is to compete in distances from 400m to a mile she will be forced to reduce her natural levels of testosterone. History will show this to be a terrible act of discrimination. As some have said, this decision is the “Sara Baartman” moment of the 21st century. Thankfully organisations like the World Medical Association have come out against the judgment and warn that any doctor who complies with the (IAAF) regulations, in relation to any athlete, will be breaking their oath to “do no harm”. Hopefully it does not take long for sanity to prevail so that people like Semenya can be free to do what they love – run fast. In these days of Easter I was struck by a resurrection story that is connected to Caster Semenya. A story not dissimilar to the resurrection of Saul that we reflected on last Sunday: Remember Saul’s breath? He had a murderous breath towards those who were different to him. He wanted to correct, change and control other people who were worshipping and praying in different ways to himself. For Saul, difference was to be “regulated” rather than “celebrated”. His Damascus road resurrection took a while because it not only involved hearing heavenly truth but also personally meeting the people he believed should be corrected, changed and controlled. Deeper truth and grace-full relationship finally unlocked Saul from his tomb of deathly prejudice. The two ingredients of grace and truth continue to resurrect people. Take for example of the resurrection of Madeleine Pape from Australia who competed against Semenya at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin. Pape said: “I was sore about losing to Caster Semenya … her performance [was] unfair”. Four years later she was doing her PhD in Sociology and began to learn the “heavenly” truth about women with naturally high testosterone. This deeper truth brought her to question her previously held convictions. Then, “critically, during this time I also befriended some women with high testosterone. [The question arose for me] “Was I willing to recognise my friends as women outside of sport yet deny them the right to compete alongside me on the track?”, reasoned Pape. Now she declares what is unfair is not Semenya’s performance but the way she is being treated. Truth (PhD) and Grace-full relationship (Friends) have resurrected Pape from her deathly othering of Semenya. Now as we work and pray for the resurrection of the (IAAF) what about the church? The (IAAF) is an organisation that prevents Semenya to do what she loves – namely run. The Church is an organisation that prevents Semenya to love who she loves – namely Violet Raseboya – Semenya’s wife. Surely the Church is in far greater need to be resurrected? Picture: OkMzanzi \| EPA/John G. Mabanglo Caster Semenya,discrimination,justice,prejudice To love. To be loved. CMM, Cape Town / Apr 7, 2019 Apr 4, 2019 / Fifth Sunday in Lent, Sunday Letter On the 8th May 2019 we will be casting our vote in the 6th national general elections. We tend to think that this is the most important part of our democratic process, as if it begins and ends with this one day. As democracies mature however, there is a reduction in voter turnout. There are many reasons for this behaviour: apathy, disenfranchisement, discontent, maladministration, electoral fraud and the plethora of mind blowing choices of political parties that confront the voter on the election ballot. We will have a choice of 48 national parties on 8 May! All these factors contribute to feelings of disconnection and disengagement. It reinforces continued racist behaviours and intensifies polarisation. Political differences are seen as negative and destructive and not affirmative and constructive. There is increasing anger about unrealistic election promises from politicians. We are confronted with populist electioneering. The current rhetoric largely focuses on blaming, blatant xenophobia, hate speech and othering those who we assume will be making different choices to ‘us’. Let us draw upon the wisdom of Arundhati Roy who reminds us “To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you.” So, where is love during the elections? How do we make a place for love in the elections? How do we let love into the election season? How can we think about and be present to the welfare of our entire democracy and not let it be reduced to election day? It is very difficult to choose between parties we don’t think consider the needs of all the people in this country or care about the most pressing concerns facing us: poverty alleviation, economic transformation, jobs, education, safety and security for all people, climate change, sanitation, water, electricity, healthcare, and land reform to name a few. We need to complexify our thinking about the election and not simplify it. When we simplify issues we make our ‘created’ borders even smaller, more rigid, more inflexible and this is at a great cost to the spirit of democracy. We should remain vigilant, nourish and protect all our institutions of democracy every day and not just on election day or during election season. Corruption and maladministration steal from our poorest and most vulnerable citizens. We need to continue to fight unjust laws and hold all politicians, state officials and ourselves to account. We need to work hard to understand how the legacies of coloniality and apartheid contribute and shape our deeply unequal society. Love is connection, it requires deep engagement, and a willingness to sit with unease and uncertainty. We need to act in the spirit of compassion as people who have a deep desire to change South Africa and the world. We need to engage in activities that break down walls and allow justice to come. We should be engaging in opportunities to connect with passion, positivity, and with life affirming actions, on election day and the many days before and the many days after. We do this so that love, courageous, pain shifting, all-encompassing love, can be revealed in our journeys with each other… With love, Rose-Anne and Brandan Elections,justice,love,politics Mercy knows your name CMM, Cape Town / Jan 27, 2019 Jan 25, 2019 / Covenant Sunday, Sunday Letter Grace and mercy to you Look what arrived in my junk-email box on Thursday morning: I am Mrs. Mercy John from United Kingdom, a 60 years old dying woman who was diagnosed for cancer about 4 years ago. I have decided to donate to you for charitable goals. Please get back to me if you are interested in carrying out this task, so that I can give you more details and arrange the release of the funds to you. Hoping to hearing from you soon. Mrs. Mercy John” Normally I would send such an email straight to trash, but the sender’s name paused my deleting finger mid-air – as mercy does. And I am glad it did because it gave me an opportunity to read the email in full. I can see why it ended up in my junk mail. It is obviously spam and it is obviously a scam of sorts, but on a fuller reading it does contain great grace. And isn’t it just like grace to attach itself to junk and thereby transforming it into a jewel? So here are The Seven Steps from Junk to Jewel: Although the email is sent to me it is safe to assume that it was sent to many others. The Phisher of people does not discriminate. In other words, the grace and truth, which it bears is for all and not simply for me. What I am saying is – this is your mail too, yes, Mercy knows your address! Mercy knows your name. Notice the mail addresses us by our correct name by using our original Baptismal name, spoken from the heavens. We are indeed Beloved. This is 100% accurate. Read again – slowly – the first five words of greeting: “I am Mrs. Mercy John”. As Moses can confirm God’s name is beautifully fixed in the present: “I AM”. “I AM who I AM”. Mrs. Mercy is probably the most accurate description of I AM. ‘God is Mercy’ is a three-word summary of everything Jesus came to teach us about I AM. John? Yes, we still don’t know who exactly John the letter writer is – but John did pen the most succinct character sketch of I AM ever written. Just read: 1 John 4:7-21. Mercy resides in the United Kingdom. Obviously. I mean where else? A Kingdom that is united where there is “no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised; slave or free; but Christ is all and in all.” Colossians 3:11. As Jesus prayed, “That they may be one as we are one”. Mercy has never been shy to ask for help. In fact, Mercy’s most frequent request is for partners to partner with her in healing this broken world. Mercy promises to bless us, to donate to us, to give to us. If this is not grace I don’t know what is, but please notice to what end: “for charitable goals”. Yes, not for our own private benefit but for the common good. Mercy invites us to be a conduit of love and justice. The next line jarred a bit. I was not expecting Mercy to say: “if you are interested in carrying out this task”. How did gift turn into a task between sentences? Yet on reflection, a truer word has not been spoken, for grace is gift that instantly turns into task the moment it is received… and task in turn releases and realises the grace. Like forgiveness: We are forgiven (gift) as we forgive (task). So Mercy hopes to hear from us. Isn’t that the truth!? justice,mercy SACC finds the utterances by the EFF leader regrettable CMM, Cape Town / Dec 2, 2018 Nov 30, 2018 / Advent, Sunday Letter Media Release \| Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana \| 22 November 2018 The South African Council of Churches (SACC) finds regret-table the unfortunate utterances by the EFF leader, Mr Julius Malema, where he referred to Minister Pravin Gordhan as “a dog”. We take nothing away from Mr Malema or any other person’s freedom of speech. But we find it unacceptable that an elected public official can call a person, whether government minister or not, a dog; especially given the connotation of such an expression in African culture. Moreover, such name-calling by a popular political leader could easily incite followers to violent acts. It engenders an attitude in society that says other people do not matter. That is not Ubuntu. This kind of talk, accompanied by sabre-rattling and talk of war and possible bloodshed, on the eve of electioneering, is deeply concerning. We also take issue with Mr Malema’s trashing of the Zondo Commission of Inquiry as a Mickey Mouse show. This is a Commission that was the recommendation of the Public Protector in the 2016 ground-breaking State of Capture report; and the whole country welcomed it and eagerly awaited its creation. We do not understand how it now becomes a Mickey Mouse show and a waste of money. We urge all South Africans to support the Zondo Commission and not have witnesses attacked and intimidated, as that will have the effect of burying the serious wrongdoings that might have been revealed in order to have recommendations for solutions that help cleanse our governmental environment. We have seen Mr Malema and his party standing steadfastly against corruption, and demanding appropriate action. We cannot believe that he and his party no longer want to see corrupt practices exposed in a judicial inquiry such as the Zondo Commission. We believe that it is in the interests of the country and all citizens that all is exposed in order to begin the healing of our State institutions; and the Ubuntu ethos and values cultivated. Archbishop Tutu said of Ubuntu: “It speaks of the very essence of being human… It is to say, my humanity is caught up, is inextricably bound up, in yours… A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed, or treated as if they were less than who they are.” This is what we seek to cultivate as a South African character of life, inside politics, the State (Batho Pele) and in society as a whole. This is the nature of the South Africa we pray for as the South African churches. — End — Issued by the office of the General Secretary of the SA Council of Churches, Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana. Womb-Justice CMM, Cape Town / Sep 2, 2018 Aug 31, 2018 / Ordinary Days of the Spirit, Sunday Letter Imagine all of us here today were not quite born yet. Imagine we were still all hanging out in an extra large womb. Imagine we didn’t know who we would be once we were born. We could be any nationality, culture, religion, sexual orientation, gender, colour, age. We could be rich or desperately poor. We could be employed or jobless, with a home or homeless. We could be healthy or sickly. We could be blind or deaf or neither. Now imagine having an opportunity to write the laws for the society that we are about to be born into – but remember – we don’t know who we will be when we take our first breath. What values will you write into law for your future society? The philosopher, John Rawls answered this question by suggesting that we would always want to secure the best possible situation for those who are in the worst possible position – just in case that person happens to be us. I agree with him. Every time I ask groups of people what they would do – the answer is unanimous: “We want equality. We want justice. We don’t want any super rich and desperately poor. No one must be homeless, etc.” I have yet to meet anyone willing to take the risk of being born into a society of great inequality. No one wants to play “birthing-roulette”. When there is the slightest possibility of us ourselves being at the bottom of society we become very clear on what a just and good society looks like. We become convicted that it is wrong to have a society of rich and poor and we write laws to prevent this. The challenge is for us to honour the just life we so clearly could see while in the womb. Perhaps this is what Jesus meant by calling us to be “born again” and again and again. Live out of the knowledge of the womb! Jesus also told us that he knows who he will by outside the womb. He tells us he will be the poorest of the poor when he says: “What you do to the least of these you do to me” so another motivating factor for his followers is to write laws that not only protect us if we happen to be at the bottom but to protect Jesus who is already at the bottom. Scripture is full of laws for society to practice to honour this innate sense of Womb-Justice. Here are a few verses from Leviticus 19: The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 9 When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God. 13 You shall not defraud your neighbour; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a labourer until morning. 14 You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling-block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. 15 You shall not render an unjust judgement; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbour. 16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbour: I am the Lord. 33 When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. 34 The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. 35 You shall not cheat in measuring length, weight, or quantity. 36 You shall have honest balances, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. 37 You shall keep all my statutes and all my ordinances, and observe them: I am the Lord. For Womb-Justice, equality,fairness,justice Live while you are alive CMM, Cape Town / Aug 19, 2018 Aug 17, 2018 / Ordinary Days of the Spirit, Sunday Letter Arundhati Roy – author of the highly acclaimed “The God of Small Things” is in South Africa. She is here to promote her latest novel “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness”. Yet, Roy would probably say that she is here for something far more significant than book promotion. She is not moved by prize or price or praise. Perhaps this is why she is such a compelling writer. She has higher interests and deeper values. “If you ask me what is at the core of what I write, it isn’t about ‘rights’, it’s about justice. Justice is a grand, beautiful, revolutionary idea.” Roy lives for justice. In this she imitates God’s own heart. To do justice is to name and expose and mock and defy all the reasons given by society to justify unfairness and to unpick them thread-by-thread wherever they are woven together to entrench inequality in the systems of society. Above all, Roy calls out any and all who try and legislate love into colour or caste or any other constructed category. As her caste crossing characters silently grieve: “But what was there to say? Only that there were tears. Only that Quietness and Emptiness fitted together like stacked spoons. Only that there was a snuffling in the hollows at the base of a lovely throat. Only that a hard honey-colored shoulder had a semicircle of teeth marks on it. Only that they held each other close, long after it was over. Only that what they shared that night was not happiness, but hideous grief. Only that once again they broke the Love Laws. That lay down who should be loved. And how. And how much.” Roy knows that the easiest way to prevent someone from doing justice is to make them a beneficiary of the status quo. Roy understands that fame can tame the pen: “Years of imprisoning and beheading writers never succeeded in shutting them out. However, placing them in the heart of a market and rewarding them with a lot of commercial success, has.” For this reason Jesus pointed out we cannot serve both God and mammon – “we either love the one and hate the other”. Knowing we can chose death, God invites us to choose life. It is a choice, not a certainty. Jesus expressed his life’s purpose as bringing “life in all its fullness”, and Roy in her own poetically urgent way encourages us to make this same choice: “The only dream worth having is to dream that you will live while you are alive, and die only when you are dead. To love, to be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and vulgar disparity of the life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never to forget.” I share these thoughts as a comforting reminder that there are many who know the heart of God and who embody the teachings of Jesus without using the label Christian. Jesus never said “They will know you are my disciples by what you call yourself”. He said: “They will know you are my disciples by your love.” Grace, Alan Arundhati Roy,justice Christ Reigns CMM, Cape Town / Nov 26, 2017 Nov 24, 2017 / Christ the King Sunday, Sunday Letter Today is the “Reign of Christ” Sunday marking the end of the Christian year. Today liturgically / symbolically invites us to trust that after all is said and done Christ will reign on high. Put differently, it means that everything Jesus believed in and gave his life for will win in the end: love will face down fear, truth will win the race against the lies and justice will satisfy the hungry. Mercy will be without measure and the gentle will finally inherit the earth. We have seen evidence of this in the past couple of days. Oppressors fall (and fall asleep!) while the God who neither sleeps nor slumbers fans the flames of freedom within the human hearts of the dispossessed. And the Spirit hovers over our imaginations with new visions of what justice and peace really look like. What was whispered is now declared from the rooftops. That which was feared is now laughed at. What was covered up is exposed. This is true in neighbouring Zimbabwe as it will be true once more in our own land. The final score will be in Jesus’ favour. Knowing the end score before the end of the game en-courage-s us to be bold and faithful, especially when all the evidence suggests that a loss is inevitable. Knowing justice and truth and freedom will win encourages us to follow the light while it is still dark and speak-up while many still whisper in fear. The end in Jesus’ favour demands we stay in the game and not forsake the field where justice and mercy are being contested. None of us know when the final whistle will blow just as a few weeks ago no one on the planet could foresee the resignation of Robert Mugabe this past week… and besides it is not for us to know dates and times of end whistles. We must not be naïve though. This game is not a friendly. The fight is fierce. The stakes are high. There have been casualties and sadly there will be more. Listen to how Prof. Njabulo Ndebele – an academic and chairperson of the Nelson Mandela Foundation – describes the desperate state of South Africa today: “The government that was elected to act according to, support and promote law, order and constitutional rule, has abdicated that responsibility. It has itself become a thief that steals… Under this government, syndicated thieving has become the very purpose of government, because government has become an instrument that protects itself from the consequences of its own transgressions.” It is against this tragic truth that we dare to proclaim Christ Reigns. justice,violence,women and children abuse CMM, Cape Town / Nov 5, 2017 Nov 3, 2017 / All Saints Day, Ordinary Days of the Spirit, Sunday Letter One of the psalms set for today is Psalm 107. It is a “redemption song” that recounts the myriads of occasions of the Lord’s steadfast love delivering a despairing people. A people lost, wandering aimlessly in desert wastes. A people hungry and thirsty, about to faint with fatigue. A people sitting in darkness, unable to see and stand. A people locked in leg irons, prisoner to the past in the present. A people broken and bent by hard labour. A people sick and dying of disease. A people tossed about on stormy seas drenched in fear. But then, interspersed between the trauma and tragedy the psalmist sings: “They then cried to the Lord in their trouble, and the Lord saved them from their distress. Let them thank the Lord for the Lord’s steadfast love and wonderful works to humankind.” This redemption song was sung to en-courage all the despairing to doggedly resist their despair. To ‘vasbyt’ and keep the faith, the hope and the love when doubt, despair and fear monopolised the evidence on hand. Singing of redemption past was more than a mere act of memory. It was a protest. It was to re-member it to the now. To sing of redemption past was to subversively plant redemption into the soil of the present that would break open a new future. Redemption may sound like a religious word to our modern-day ears but long ago it meant being set free for the sake of the just-ordering of society where everyone had enough and none was superior or inferior to the other. As we witness “things fall apart …” in our present days, one redemption song we must not tire to sing into the present is that of our Constitution. Yes, our Constitution is a redemption song. The preamble of which encapsulates so succinctly and contextually the gospel’s call for redemption: the just and merciful ordering of society. It was written in the wake of what many called a miracle. A miracle because many thought it was impossible. As it was written before the cement of what was possible and impossible could set, it calls us to imagine again what some have stopped believing is possible in SA today: a truly just land and healed people. God’s steadfast love has not given up on us. Our past tells us the impossible is possible…again…and again. We must keep singing our redemption song: We, the people of South Africa, Recognise the injustices of our past; Honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land; Respect those who have worked to build and develop our country; and Believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity. We therefore, through our freely elected representatives, adopt this Constitution as the supreme law of the Republic so as to Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights; Lay the foundations for a democratic and open society in which government is based on the will of the people and every citizen is equally protected by law; Improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person; and Build a united and democratic South Africa able to take its rightful place as a sovereign state in the family of nations. May God protect our people. Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika. Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso. God seën Suid-Afrika. God bless South Africa. Mudzimu fhatutshedza Afurika. Hosi katekisa Afrika. courage,healing,justice,politics,redemption Until further notice, Services and Sunday School will take place at 10:00 on Sundays at Observatory Methodist Church cnr. Milton & Wesley Streets Observatory. Giving online made easy! Click on the Support Us tab above for more ways to support our ministry. Thank you. cnr. Longmarket & Burg Streets, Contact us via: Email: welcome@cmm.org.za Telephone: +27 (0)21 422 2744/5 Lectionary Readings Isaiah 9:1-4; Psalm 27:1, 4-9; 1 Corinthians 1:10-18; Micah 6:1-8; Psalm 15; Matthew 5:1-12 OR Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 84 OR Psalm 24:7-10; Hebrews 2:14-18; Anti-Bias / Diversity Training Learning to do difference differently. Discovering our prejudices and finding ways to address them. Presenter: Rev. Alan Storey Contact Adrienne at welcome@cmm.org.za or on 021 422 2744/5 to discuss hosting a 3-day retreat in your community. Manna and Mercy Manna and Mercy with Alan Storey For too long the Bible has been used as an instrument for human domination and death. Let’s change that by exploring the Bible from Genesis to Revelation in a radically different way! To arrange a retreat for your community or for additional information, please contact: Adrienne at 021 422 2744/5 \| mannaandmercy.capetown@gmail.com Sunday Sermons on SoundCloud Sunday Sermons are available as podcasts on SoundCloud - simply click on the picture. No SoundCload account? Below is the link to the facebook page. Sunday Sermons on Facebook Sermons can also be found on CMM's facebook page - simply click on the picture above to go to the page. The Table of Light	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1104
__label__cc	0.611059	0.388941	Coffin Bell a journal of dark literature Volume 3, Issue No. 1 Volume 2 Issue No. 4 Coffin Bell SHOP Searching for the Big “O” Joseph A. Domino The court psychologist argued in my favor. I’m a smart kid. Very high verbal scores, the judge said but we have a chronic delinquency problem here, not to mention an underachiever, except in matters of vandalism, petty theft, truancy, although the last was hardly illegal. The psychologist, a Mrs. Mafino, reminded the court that school attendance had not been enforced for years. At least not since the School Purge Act of ’32. School was no longer compulsory. Although if you were under age (17), out of school and in trouble, it meant a ticket to the Reservation. A city of barracks in the middle of the wind-blown desert in what used to be northern Arizona. Fenced-in, guarded. Menial tasks to get by. Just enough food and clothing. They had some old movies, for entertainment at night. Then there were the digital wall screens. Thousands of channels. Live sex from Amsterdam. That’s what I was watching at home when all this started, when the cops came. The police are here. My boner deflated like a hot air balloon. I popped some kid in the nose at the basketball courts. Busted it up pretty good. Blood all over. The witnesses, friends of the kid, set the cops on me like hounds on a fox. Why’d I hit him? He called Oscar a faggot. My parents sat there in the courtroom, staring at nothing, certainly not at me. First Oscar, my big brother (15 at the time) gets sent to the compound (the Reservation, the psychologist corrected). The dimwit, rolling in fat, is standing outside a fucking convenience store eating an ice cream pop, chocolate all over his face, when a gang of younger kids comes running out with cartons of cigarettes. When they hear sirens, they hand the stash to Oscar who stands there, dumb as a tree. The testimony hung on the storeowner who admitted that Oscar bought the ice cream and went out before these kids grabbed the loot. But, then the shit-for-brains says he ‘surmises’ that Oscar must have been in on it. As a decoy or something. When I told the Mafino lady this, she shook her head, telling me that it was unfortunate lawyers were not used in these juvenile cases any more. The judge simply decided. Off to the Reservation. Which was popular with folks, especially in the big cities. Safer streets, less crime. You didn’t leave the Reservation until you were mature, rehabilitated. But you know what? I knew lots of kids got sent there, and not one ever came back, least not here. Problem with Oscar was that he was never right in the head to begin with. After the first arrest, he was put on probation, and he kind of flipped out, gradually after that. Oscar went to school though, which helped his status. But then they’d find him in alleyways with his pants down, talking to himself. Once at school he tossed his desk upside down, making these wailing sounds like a wounded animal. He’d do that at home and Pops would club him on the side of his head with his fist. Mom and Pops were kind of glad to see him go. His last offense was dropping his pants again in an alleyway, where some little girls were playing. Of course, he was not a bad kid. He needed medical help, but seeing a shrink was out of the question since psychiatry was no longer covered by any health plan. Guess they figured one out of every two people would be in therapy or on psychotropic drugs. Interesting. Fifty percent. Heads or Tails. Either me or you. One of us must be crazy. At least that’s what the statistics said. Mom jumped up as they were leading me out. “Will, you find Oscar! Watch out for him,” she shouted, kind of shrilly, almost hysterical. Pops just looked out the window. He had pretty much checked out on the family responsibility thing. The train passed through deserted towns, now that we were west of Texas. Soon, the towns became ugly, stench-filled garbage heaps, overstuffed landfills, rigs and construction vehicles so rusted, we could barely tell what they had been. Smelly, like the sulfur in chemistry class. The whole southwest was pretty much uninhabitable since terrorists set off some nukes in L.A. When the radiation dropped to acceptable levels, they decided to use northern Arizona as one big relocation camp. At least they weren’t taking us to California. Some said the radiation there was still so bad that if you spent a year there, your dick would fall off. There had been a lot of quakes, too. We were basically comfortable, had enough to eat. The cars were clean, if run down. I scoped the aisles and noticed mostly guys. Maybe two or three girls, who looked too tough and hardened to mess with. Someone sitting behind me mentioned a history class which briefly discussed some big war around the middle of last century where some old Nazi storm troopers carted off millions of people to be exterminated in open rail cars through freezing weather to places called death camps. I remember that, the teacher talking about revisionist theories claiming it never happened or that it had been greatly exaggerated. It made me wonder if that’s how people thought of the relocation camps. It would be like we never existed. Sometimes it was like Oscar never existed, so I could understand how people might feel that way. I’m no genius, but it was pretty clear we were all being sent here because society saw us as problems, which couldn’t be fixed. Out of sight, out of mind, like Dad used to say. Dad used to beat Oscar when he was younger. I was little, but I remember. Oscar’s cornered look of fear, his confused expression. It was hard to read Oscar then, but it seemed when Dad beat him, his eyes turned inward, as he wondered just what he had done to fuck up. The train began to slow and we could see a perimeter ahead with towers and barbed wires and spotlights, but no guards. About that time, our designated honcho entered the car and without waiting for anyone’s attention, like he was thinking about something else, said, “The rules are pretty simple–“ “SUCK MY DICK!” yelled some pimply kid, who seemed to have a sizable ripe boil on his cheek. “YEAH, JERK ME OFF,” added another. The honcho showed no emotion, his mind definitely elsewhere. A former inmate? Maybe some screw-up artist, who had pulled duty here because he wasn’t good for anything else. He just let out a deep breath, like bored, and walked over to Pimples, quick on his feet, and grabbed his hair. He yanked his head down sideways, so his face hit the metal bar on the seat in front of him. The boil on his cheek exploded and there was dead silence, just the sound of the slowing wheels on the rails, the car swaying just slightly. Except one of the girls began a high-pitched cackling laugh. The honcho ignored it. No one could take their eyes off the pus and blood, pooling and dripping from the metal bar. Pimples didn’t cry out, but sort of huddled back in his seat, shaking, sniffling, but not touching his cheek. “Any questions before I continue?” said the honcho. I don’t know why, but I raised my hand. He just stared at me. “My brother was taken here. About a year or so ago. I was hoping to look for him. His name is–“ “Sure,” said the honcho, “you look for him.” I couldn’t tell if he was being straight or taunting me. “Now, as I was saying, the rules are simple. You get a warm room and bed. You work a full day. Nothing too awful. Just need to stay busy. What you do in your off time is your business. We provide no entertainment except the canteen. Movies, video games. You will meet others who smuggle all kinds of shit in. Work your own deals and don’t get caught. You do as you like as long as it’s not destructive, harmful to others, or involves breaking out.” I was curious about punishments, but he said nothing and I figured I had exhausted my question quota for the month. Not that I intended to break any rules, although as all of us knew, things don’t often work out as planned. The train pulled into a station where a bunch of older guys, like the honcho, were standing around, checking flapping pages on clipboards like manifests of a cattle shipment. That’s when I got a closer look. The prefab-housing reminded me of portable units they used to throw together to ease school overcrowding. I guess being here is another way of accomplishing that. So many rows of barracks, all painted tan and brown. Some scrub grass growing between them, but mostly sand, which the wind would occasionally whip around. In the distance I saw fields, inmates working at who knows what kind of crops in this climate, mechanically striking the ground with hoes. Other groups of workers putting up more pre-fab housing. The honcho was pointing at a mess hall and the canteen, the latter available from 7-9 p.m. I noticed as I looked around that no one was idle; everyone had some task or at least movement to perform. Those in between assigned tasks stepped lively or shifted their feet, like, if you stopped, a honcho would come down on you, like the one on the train. Honchos started calling out last names. My bunk was in barrack number 9. I approached it, half-expecting to see Oscar and his big sloppy grin. A routine settled in pretty quickly. I didn’t notice many inmates having conversations, something that seemed to me a loss of hope. After a day of dusty tasks, including digging small irrigation ditches, leveling off hard packed earth with a spade and hoe and, for some reason, planting string beans, a ‘hearty’ meal followed. This consisted of mystery meatloaf and boiled potatoes. At seven sharp everyone swarmed to the canteen. I thought there might be a few donated books around but saw none and wondered it were a good idea to ask for any. It was during the first mass gathering I began to slowly scan for signs of Oscar. Of course some talked in low tones, short grunting sentences, but groups rarely congregated long. I took long hard looks and, just as my gaze settled on a pair of girls, maybe my age, watching a lezbo pornscreen, I felt a heavy hand clasp me on the shoulder. Oscar? I turned and looked up at a hulking oaf, maybe 17 or 18, well over 200 pounds, with flaming red hair and a whitish scar running down the left side of his pink face. As if this wasn’t enough of a gross out, his breath smelled like the putrid meatloaf. In fact I could see pieces of it between his teeth. He wore black jeans and a t-shirt. “Whatcha lookin’ at dick-wad?” It didn’t seem smart to tell him the real reason, as if might endanger my chances of finding Oscar. “I’m new here. Jus’ lookin’ around.” “Yeah,” he said, sounding like he didn’t believe me or didn’t care. “Well, I belong to the clan that makes the real rules around here.” “And what clan is that?” I made it a point to look him right in eye and show no fear, hoping a challenging tone would surprise him and throw him off guard. Not exactly. “I belong to the Nukers. We get stuff for people. Soap, beer, smokes, socks, tins with cakes in them, all from the outside. We run the deals through some of the honchos. We exchange scrip, swap duty, pull extra duty. Enough scrip or enough to trade we can get you laid. Or,” he paused looking me up and down, “we can take someone like you in an alley after hours, gag you and let you take it up the ass.” I knew how this should be handled. Blow it right back at him. If he was the head Nuke, I’d kick him in the balls. Rule: always take down the main honcho first. I somehow figured he wasn’t with that low, sloping forehead and general dumb looks. “You try that and I’ll cut it off.” He could have crushed me into desert sand right there, but after initial confusion, he sneered, “you just might do okay here. Name’s Landrew.” A grudging compliment? I could barely hold in my urine from running down my leg. Each barrack housed approximately two dozen beds. Lights out at ten. The single bed smelled of mold and had creaky mattress springs. I listened to the wind as I calculated that the entire compound was made of smaller groups, which did not interact. Not having seen Oscar, I had to assume he was assigned elsewhere. Landrew later informed me that the Nukes got special treatment and generally had the run of the entire Reservation. I got still and listened some more. People whispering. Beds creaking, the errant fart. Distant whimpering, crying, weeping into pillows. Muted moans of those pleasuring themselves, often in pairs. One night, someone crept close to me. “I’ll give you some scrip if you’ll—“ “Get the fuck away from me,” I shouted a little too loudly. A dim light came on at the front of the barracks. The honcho had detected the illicit proposal and swooped in, grabbing the offender by the hair dragging him back to his bed, but not before striking him across the back of his thighs with a nightstick. Poor kid screamed bloody murder. I fully expected similar punishment, but the honcho completely ignored me. The honcho was suddenly gone and all lights extinguished, now so quiet, you couldn’t hear anyone breathing. Feeling mischievous, I let out an extended explosive fart, daring anyone to comment, laugh, or snicker. No one did except Landrew the following morning. “You should have taken the scrip.” “I don’t do stuff like that with guys.” Landrew smiled and put his hand on my shoulder, more friendly this time. “No problem. You want girls? We can arrange that, but you have to have something to trade.” “And how does that work?” “You can be a runner, goods and scrip across the compound. Just don’t get caught. The Honchos will fuck you up first, then the Nukes. You screw up and you wind up like that dick-wad that crawled over to your bed.” “Okay, there’s just one thing I want.” Landrew smiled again. “No, I mean besides getting out of here. My brother Oscar was sent here a couple years back, and I’m trying to find him.” “I know everybody here practically and I don’t remember no Oscar. Listen, you come to tonight’s Nuke meeting. Number 10 barracks in the back, 8:00, when it’s dark.” A little before eight I made my way from the canteen across a small courtyard to Barracks #10, but came in through a back door. Of course, it was permissible to stay in the barracks before lights-out, but most preferred what little entertainment they could get elsewhere, as long as there was no outside loitering. Landrew grabbed me by the collar as soon as I cracked the door open. I felt other hands grab me and someone threw a hood over me and I was scared. And what was the point anyway? Either they’d let me become a Nuke or not. They hustled me into what felt like some back storage room and then I was thrown to my knees and the hood removed. There were dark hulking shapes crowded around the walls of the small enclosure. The room was dimly lit. I couldn’t make out any faces until some one nudged my elbow. Damn, if it wasn’t the honcho from the train. Social caste didn’t apply in this arrangement. It was free trade system across barriers of authority. He smiled not unkindly and then spoke. “I can tell you’re a smart kid. I’ll look out for you. Just follow the Nukes and we can all come out of this a little better.” “Okay,” I croaked. I was still on my knees. “Time to meet the head Nuke.” The shadows parted way to admit a figure of average height but of considerable girth. He bore a ridiculous turban-like headdress and had draped himself with some kind of gaudy afghan, like some old grandmother’s dusty rug, a coronation dress, that dragged the floor in his wake. He stood there, holding a large jar of peanut butter in the crook of his arm as if it were a king’s scepter, the head Nuke. My eyes adjusted to the dimness. Finally I looked up at him as he stood there, impassive. And there was the unwashed, hound dog face, pronounced jowls, pursed lips, mouth hanging open, even the halting gait. A glimmer of recognition in those unfocused eyes passed and then nothing. After a fleeting moment of hope, I realized that Oscar could never be the same again. Cut off from the only world he knew, he adopted a new persona, one, which excluded the past, incorporating a new identity of inscrutable substance, its mystery somehow holding the inmates spellbound. The moment I had to reconnect with my brother passed, with the suddenness of the sand kicking up outside in a mournful wind, ever present, but detached from and uncaring of living things. Joseph A. Domino was a college instructor (composition and literature) from 2007 to 2017 before retiring. Prior to that he spent 30 years in the technical publications field. During that period, he has produced three full-length novels: A Reign of Peace, Downtime, and Principalities of Darkness, all available at Amazon, as well as a novella and dozens of short stories, articles, book reviews, and blogs, which have appeared in a variety of print and online publications. Read more about his work here.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1107
__label__cc	0.646146	0.353854	SportsEngine Community College Recruiting is a Two-Way Street By Chris Stack, CoachUp Nation, 12/26/19, 1:30PM CST Don’t be a spectator in your recruiting process! Get off the sidelines and engage in your future. Be proactive! Attend Showcases, tournaments, and camps. Contact College Coaches. Visit colleges. There are many kids who dream of playing college sports around the country. Those same kids have visions of that big-time signing day with the fan fare and press. Those events are very real. But for most high school student-athletes, the decision and opportunity to play in college is a daunting and confusing task. Here's the Truth Recruiting is just as much the responsibility of the student-athlete as it is on the athletic program. Coaches cannot possibly identify every athlete no matter how many events they attend, no matter how many camps they attend, and no matter how many programs they sign up for to guarantee recruitment. READ MORE AT COACHUP NATION Tag(s): Recruiting ©2020 SportsEngine, Inc. This website is powered by the SportsEngine platform, but is owned by and subject to the The Home of Youth Sports \| The Latest News & Information for Parents, Coaches, Sport Admins and Athletes privacy policy.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1112
__label__wiki	0.658931	0.658931	> Sun. May 24, 2015 Session Hall Map Announcement from the exhibitors Symbol S (Solid Earth Sciences) » S-TT Technology & Techniques [S-TT53] Seismometry and monitoring system Sun. May 24, 2015 4:15 PM - 6:00 PM 202 (2F) Convener:Hiromitsu Nakamura(National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention), Chair:Takeshi Kimura(National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention), Hidetoshi Matsuoka(Seismology and Volcanology Department, Japan Meteorological Agency) [STT53-05] Development of a laser strain gradiometer: reduction in thermal noise Takehiro DEGUCHI1, Akito ARAYA1 (1.Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo) Keywords:strain meter, laser interferometer We are developing an instrument to detect slow earthquakes with duration of 200 seconds to 1 day, which are not observed yet. Obstacles for detection include not only an instrumental noise but also background motion. By comparing strain measured at Inuyama Observatory in Aichi prefecture and Kamioka Observatory in Gifu prefecture, and comparing the data of seismometer and that of strainmeter, background motion is estimated to have large sources whose spatial scale is more than hundreds of kilometers. On the other hand, the focal area of a slow earthquake and the distance between hypocenter and an observatory will be several kilometers to tens of kilometers. For these reasons, intensifying small scale phenomena will make detecting slow earthquakes possible. The instrument will directly measure the second derivative of displacement of the ground. We name it a strain gradiometer. Since spatial derivative intensifies small scale phenomenon, this strain gradiometer will make it possible to detect slow earthquakes. This instrument includes a symmetric laser interferometer. The advantages of using a symmetric laser interferometer are that it directly measures the gradient of strain of the ground, and that it reduces common-mode noise such as the instability of the laser frequency. The noises of a symmetric interferometer were measured in laboratory. The interferometer was set in a vacuum chamber and adjusted to have its optical path difference below 0.5mm. Noises were caused by thermal expansion or contraction of the optical board and the optical devices. Then the spectrum of thermal fluctuation of the air in an observatory was estimated. Quartz-tube strainmeter in Inuyama observatory was used as a thermometer, assuming that its extension or contraction was caused by variation in temperature. The value of 4.5 x 10-4[K2/Hz] at f=3.2 x 10-5[Hz] was obtained. Since the value also included the extension of the ground and the noises of sensors, actual temperature fluctuation should be smaller. To detect slow earthquakes with duration of 10,000 seconds (fc=3.2 x 10-5[Hz]) at the distance of 50km, the noise level of 1.4 x 10-25 [/m2Hz] must be achieved. From these figures, temperature fluctuation of an optical board and optical devices must be suppressed to 1/90 of the temperature fluctuation in an observatory. This can be achieved by thermal coupling of a vacuum chamber with the ground, and thermal insulator which covers the chamber. Our previous study assumed that high vacuum, radiation shields, and a ceramic column will reduce heat transfer from the vacuum chamber to the optical board. However, these were not needed, and there was difficulty in preparing an optical board with large heat capacity. In addition to thermal noises, laser intensity fluctuation, current noise of trimmer resistors, thermal coefficient of them, ADC noise, and axis deviation of laser beam noise were important factors. Except ADC noise, these noises were reduced by introducing a photosensor that monitored the laser intensity, replacing trimmer resister with fixed resistors, using lens that concentrated a beam to photosensors. As a future plan, we will measure how much the heat transfer from the air to vacuum chamber can be reduced both in the laboratory and in Nokogiriyama Observatory. In Nokogiriyama Observatory, we will also conduct an experiment that what type of noise will arise when the interferometer is set as a strain gradiometer. Then we will construct a strain gradiometer which is 15m long, measuring the noises caused by local inhomogeneity.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1115
__label__cc	0.621518	0.378482	Sakai Board: Communications Sakai Board -- Communications Board Minutes 2006 Mar 30 Created by Mary Miles, last modified on Dec 19, 2008 Sakai Foundation Board of Directors Conference Call This document contains minutes from the conference call of the Sakai Foundation Board of Directors held on March 30, 2006. Corrections, suggestions should be sent to Joseph Hardin and Mary Miles. These minute capture both the discussion and formal resolutions of the board. Simply because something was discussed does not mean that it is the agreed-upon position of the board. When the board makes a formal resolution to approve an item, it will be noted as such in the minutes. If there is no such notation, readers should assume that the minutes are simply the notes of the board discussions. Board members present: Joseph Hardin, Ian Dolphin, Chris Coppola, Jutta Treviranus, Mara Hancock, Vivie Sinou, Mary Miles (staff) Topic: Community Source Updates Chris reported that the Kuali project is going to be releasing the preview on the Kuali.org website for folks to experiment with and actually get to see the software. Chris will have someone send a note to Margaret and Susan for inclusion in the newsletter and on the website. Chris also reported that OSP is in the last stretch for the newest release. They are running approximately two weeks behind, having intended to release in March. The current target is April 15. Joseph asked if he is running Sakai 2.1.1, can he drop in OSP or does he have to back out Sakai. Chris responded that you have to be running Sakai 2.2 and can then drop in OSP tools. There is a good process for doing that. Some of it is currently documented but it will be fully documented at the time of release. Vivie reported that Melete for Sakai 2.1.2 will be a little behind as well. Future Melete development is extensive, and therefore it will not make the May 2 code freeze. JForum for Sakai 2.1.2 is packaged and ready to go. Foothill is waiting on Sakai 2.1.2 to release it. Chris continued that OSP will be doing minor enhancements and releases at that point, which won't harm the compatibility but won't have all of the features in place. Joseph added that from this point forward compatibility will be a major issue. Vivie stated that they upgrade their production regularly because they need the latest code for Samigo. Joseph replied that UM will have it in their pilot and will run it over the summer with the intention of releasing in the fall. Vivie continued that there are lots of requests from the community for Oracle support for JForum but they do not have the resources to address this need. There are others in the community, such as rSmart and UC-B who are interested in taking on the Oracle work. Topic: Fellows Program Ian reported that the information on the Fellows Program has been posted. Closing dates for comments is tomorrow. So far, there are no major issues and people seem pretty happy with it. Ian stated that Lois really wants the call for nominations and call for committee participation to go tomorrow. Joseph suggested that the call for committee participation take place first, followed by the call for nominations. Ian agreed, noting that committee people need to be aware that they can't really be fellows. That must be stated very clearly. You can't be nominated and be on the committee. The goal is to have the first 5 chosen by Vancouver. Topic: Executive Director Posting On Lois' behalf, Mary reminded everyone to cross-post to every list they had available. Joseph noted that if we only have 5 candidates (plus Chuck) and they are mediocre, a face-to-face meeting may not be needed. The Board agreed. Topic: Conference Updates Mary provided an update on the recent visit to the Vancouver Sheraton. Joseph added that he will meet with Wende within the next week to determine whether all of the gaps are filled. We need to make sure that all areas are covered. For people who come up with strong submissions in the next couple of weeks, we will accept them; we just won't encourage people to be late. Mitchell Baker has agreed to be a keynote speaker. Steven Downs, a potential additional speaker, has agreed to contact Wende or Joseph this week. John Seeley Brown suggested Brian Cantwell Smith as an alternative and he will be contacted by Jutta. The board authorized Joseph to announce the MOU with Wende within the next week. The Board agreed that Wende is an energetic person who will be great at this. Joseph also noted that we now have a full-time person here at the UM to work on ePortfolio on campus (Melissa). Please help her out every chance you get. She's very excited about this and is in touch with Wende. Topic: Other Updates Jutta announced that UToronto is doing the pre-conference workshop for Merlot at the end of April. A draft workshop description has been put together. At the moment they have enough help, but may be soliciting additional help if needed. Jutta continued that there is lot of concerns re Gonzalo's position in terms of how to recognize the work of other people who have also done work on UI, and the method of making clear the scope and delineation of work being done. If you have concerns, please contact Jutta directly. Joseph encouraged Jutta to contact people on the tools team (Ben, Daphne, Mark, others) in order to help smooth the way and clarify what the intent is and the whole process. On a lighter note, Joseph announced that 7-8 people are planning to charter a sailboat in Vancouver for 4 days prior to the conference. If you know of anyone who is interested, have them contact Joseph directly. With no other business before the Board, the call ended at 2:06 p.m. Mary Miles {"serverDuration": 81, "requestCorrelationId": "c7bd0423c61271df"}	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1116
__label__wiki	0.932543	0.932543	J.R. Reed Derek Stingley Terrace Marshall Justin Jefferson Tyler Simmons Jake Fromm Matt Landers George Pickens Travon Walker Kirby Smart D'Andre Swift Walter Grant Dominick Blaylock Tyrique Stevenson Clyde Edwards-Helaire Joe Burrow Andre Tory Carter Quay Walker Sports Athlete injuries Athlete health SEC Football Championship Game FBS College Football Playoff College sports Football Heisman Trophy College football Heisman coronation? Burrow leads LSU past Georgia 37-10 By PAUL NEWBERRY - Dec. 07, 2019 09:51 PM EST Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm (11) works against LSU during the first half of the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis) ATLANTA (AP) — Joe Burrow collected a shiny award as the game's MVP. LSU's fans had another trophy on their minds. "Heisman! Heisman! Heisman!" they chanted. The coronation is likely complete. Burrow turned in another dazzling performance on the big stage, leading No. 1 LSU to a spot in the College Football Playoff with a 37-10 rout of No. 4 Georgia in the Southeastern Conference championship game Saturday. “Joe is the heartbeat of this team,” running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire said. The Tigers, going for their first national title since 2007 season, will either return to Atlanta or head west to suburban Phoenix for a semifinal game on Dec. 28. They surely made a persuasive case to be the top overall seed when the four-team field. and pairings are announced Sunday. Burrow was all over the stat sheet for LSU (13-0, No. 2 CFP). He threw for 349 yards and four touchdowns. He was the Tigers' second-leading rusher with 41 yards on 11 carries, often leaving the Bulldogs grasping at air as he twirled this way and that. He even caught a pass on a ball that was batted down at the line and wound up his arms, taking off for a 16-yard gain. '"He's a great athlete, man," Georgia safety J.R. Reed said. “We had a lot of plays out there we were supposed to make, and he'd just squeeze out of it." The Heisman-worthy moment came late in the third quarter. With Georgia (11-2, No 4 CFP) bringing the heat, Burrow spun to his left to get away from lineman Travon Walker, whirled back to his right to send Walker sprawling to the turf, then delivered a pass on the run while sprinting toward the LSU sideline with another defender in hot pursuit. Justin Jefferson hauled in the throw just beyond midfield and took off down to the Bulldogs 9 for a 71-yard play. Three plays later, Burrow delivered his third TD pass of the game, hooking up with Terrace Marshall Jr., on a 4-yard touchdown pass that essentially finished off the Bulldogs. “It was all improvised,” Burrow said. “Justin ran a 6-yard hitch route and saw me scrambling and took off deep. We got a great feel for each other. I knew exactly where he was going to be when I got out of there.” Burrow wasn't done. Derek Stingley's second pick of Jake Fromm turned the ball back over to the prolific LSU offense at the 13, and Burrow wasted no time finding Jefferson for an 8-yard TD in the waning seconds of the third quarter to send many in the predominantly Georgia crowd heading for the exits. LSU left no doubt it is the king of the mighty SEC, completing its run through a gauntlet of the league's top teams. The Tigers had already knocked off Alabama, Florida and Auburn. Now, they can add the Bulldogs to the list, ensuring the SEC will only get one team in the national playoff. LSU came into the game as the second-highest scoring team in the country behind Ohio State. They figured to have a tougher time against Georgia's stellar defense, ranked No. 2 in points allowed. but Burrow kept the Bulldogs on their heels the entire game. It was by far the most points Georgia has given up their season. Until Saturday, they held every opponent under 20 except South Carolina, which stunned the Bulldogs in double overtime nearly two months ago. There was no such drama in this one. Just total domination by the Tigers. It was a painful loss — literally — for the Bulldogs, who were making their third straight appearance in the SEC title game. Two players were carted off the field with apparently major injuries. Another player wobbled off with a concussion after being leveled on a kickoff. Fromm twisted an ankle and had to go to the medical tent to get taped up, though he missed only one play. Not that it mattered. Fromm, who guided Georgia to the cusp of the national title two years ago as a freshman, was 20 of 42 for 225 yards with those two interceptions. He didn't get much help from his teammates: Tyler Simmons dropped a deep ball on the very first possession, and Matt Landers couldn't hang on to a throw in the end zone. Georgia finally reached the end zone with just under 12 minutes remaining on Fromm's 2-yard TD pass to George Pickens. “That is a really good football team,” coach Kirby Smart said. “We were going to have to make explosive plays. We were unable to do that.” Georgia's sideline looked like a M(asterisk)A(asterisk)S(asterisk)H unit. Receiver Dominick Blaylock crumpled to the turf after going up for a catch in the first quarter. He was carted to the locker room with a left knee injury. Outside linebacker Walter Grant suffered a concussion in the third quarter from a special teams hit. LSU’s Tory Carter was ejected for targeting. Backup middle linebacker Quay Walker (right shoulder) and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (apparent leg injury) also left the field with injuries. Star running back D'Andre Swift clearly wasn't at full strength, either, after going out of the regular-season finale against Georgia Tech with should injury. He had just two carries for 13 yards. LSU: The Tigers could certainly take pride in putting up 481 yards on a defense of Georgia's caliber, but the most encouraging aspect of this game was another strong performance from LSU's defense. Maligned much of the season, they followed up a 50-7 rout of Texas A&M in the regular-season finale with another championship-worthy showing against the Bulldogs, who were held to 286 yards. Georgia: Fromm came into the season projected as a high NFL draft pick who would likely go pro after his junior season. Now, it's not a reach to say he might be better off returning for his senior season to try to boost his stock. He has now failed to complete even half his passes in five straight games. LSU: Makes its first appearance in the College Football Playoff, which began in 2014. The Tigers last played for a national title during the 2011 season, when they won 13 straight games before a dismal 21-0 loss to Alabama in the BCS championship game. Georgia: Appears likely to make its second straight appearance in the Sugar Bowl against Baylor, loser of the Big 12 championship game. Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 His work can be found at https://apnews.com	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1119
__label__cc	0.681889	0.318111	Ultraverse Revisited: Rune Month Coupons and Covers Combined Posted on July 23, 2018 by Walt The 11 Ultraverse books in October 1993 were all part of a "Rune Month" promotion. Buy all 11 titles, collect the coupon each contained, and mail away for a standalone Rune #0 comic (and a bonus The Solution #0 as well). Each of the 11 titles were presented as "flip books," that is–you had the main cover, but if you turned the book over–"flipped" it–you had a different cover, with the pages printed such that when you’d read from this side, everything was properly oriented as if it was a different issue…but it was still the same physical product. If you own two copies of these issues, you could file them separately as if they were two different comics. BUT, you did NOT NEED to buy two separate products to get "both covers," unlike stuff in 2018! The first and final chapters of the Rune stuff had their own "standalone" covers…the main difference being the text on each. THE STONES ARE CAST… followed by …AND DEATH WALKS THE EARTH. The other 9 covers could "combine" to form a singular poster-sized image. These connecting covers presumably made it cheaper–commission one image, use it across 9 covers–PLUS it serves as a definite "bonus" for bothering to collect all the issues. I present the image here with the gutters, to show the individual covers… …and here with the gutter removed to show the singular intended image. The coupon for ordering Rune #0 / The Solution #0 was presented as a 4-page insert in the middle of each comic. The pages are shown below: …and the back, with the coupon itself. On these, you could make a photocopy of the coupon, rather than having to pull the insert or cut anything out of the comic itself. With the coupons, shipping/handling was "only" $5…for TWO comics! Sure, this was 1993, but especially in 2018, that does NOT seem bad at all! For the Rune issue at least, it was also non-essential and truly "bonus," as the content itself, the 33 pages of story, were serialized across the month’s 11 issues in 3-page chunks. Bothering to order Rune # 0 itself was simply like ordering a "collected edition" that compiled the 11 segments into a single issue that could be read alone rather than digging 11 other comics back out to re-read or such. Of course, The Solution #0 is a different matter…but I guess in this regard, that is the true bonus. Collect the coupons for Rune, but since you already read Rune #0 in 3-page chunks if you wanted to, the second #0 issue would be all new content rather than "just" "reprinting" something already read. As I recall, the actual package that came included a standalone poster of the 9-part Rune image/#0 cover, and possibly a couple other things. When I presumably cover the issue as its own standalone piece whenever I get to the January 1994 Ultraverse issues, I’ll most likely mention (if not show) what I have filed with my original copy. Filed under: 2018 Non-Review Posts, 2018 posts, Malibu Comics, Rune Month (Event), The '90s Revisited, Ultraverse, Ultraverse Revisited \| Tagged: Barry Windsor-Smith, coupons, covers, malibu, Malibu Comics, Rune, Rune 0, Rune Mail Away, Rune Month, Solution #0, Ultraverse \| Leave a comment » Ultraverse Revisited: The Solution #2 Writer: James Hudnall Penciller: Darick Robertson Inker: Mike Miller Letterer: Tim Eldred Color Designer: Tim Divar Interior Color: Violent Hues Editor: Hank Kanalz Published by: Malibu Comics Rex Mundi realizes he and his people are being magically spied on…by The Solution! The scene then moves to the Shinjuku district in Tokyo…where we see The Solution in action! They’ve got a plan, and everyone seems to be in place as things unfold. Dropkick and Tech communicate, while Shadowmage sits by to use her powers in a room next to the group’s target, who is dealt with by Lela Cho–Tech–herself. As Tech begins to realize something’s wrong, Shadowmage confirms that someone’s there, and both Outrage and Dropkick are forced into immediate action away from the building. Shadowmage fights an opponent named Book, while Dropkick deals with a red-clad woman with swords…who seems to recognize his fighting style. Outrage’s opponent seems to be of his own alien race (I guess Outrage is another alien…I did not remember that!), and he’s got some sort of bounty on his head. While Tech gets her client out of the building and we see them trying to escape this ambush, the unfolding battles of the other three unfold as well. In the end, their client is killed, so while The Solution survives, their case is a bust. This issue is largely a huge fight scene. The previous issue really being the first time I’d ever read an issue of this series (despite owning issues and being aware of the team–mainly from getting Rune #0 and it coming with The Solution #0 as well) I’m still figuring out the characters. And of course, that’s not helped by the way I’m undertaking this reading project–trying to read ALL titles in release-month order, rather than zeroing in on just one series at a time. So this issue served to really “show off” a lot more with the team. We already know Shadowmage can use magic, but we see more of that here. Lela Cho has a certain skill set, which is also shown off. We see Dropkick in action, and some hints at him being more than he appears. And we see Outrage similarly, as he faces someone that knows more about him than we do, which leaves another question in the air, further details to be sussed out presumably in subsequent issues. Visually, I thoroughly enjoyed this issue. The detail’s great, the layouts are dynamic, the characters seem consistent and it’s easy enough to follow the general action of it all. Seeing that it’s Darick Robertson art, though, I suppose I should not be surprise, enjoying his work on the likes of Transmetropolitan. I can’t quite figure out a better phrasing, but I felt like the main characters especially were “full” while “sleek” in the way they’re depicted in this issue. Ultimately, the issue in general is nice to look at, as it also totally carries a ’90s vibe. Story-wise, there’s not a lot: the characters fight, their client is killed, everyone goes home. That’s the broad strokes view. The details are where the depth is, and I’m definitely interested in learning more about these characters. Maybe I’m the odd guy out, but I’m pretty sure I’d totally enjoy several issues of the characters simply interacting with each other and learning of them that way, without even needing a lot of action. Rune [K]: The Fury – Part Two Plotted by: Barry Windsor-Smith & Chris Ulm Drawn & Colored by: Barry Windsor-Smith Scripted by: Chris Ulm Inked by: John Floyd Computer Color by: Albert Calleros Lettered by: Patrick Owsley Text Pages Designed by: Jim Chadwick Edited by: Steve Gerber Wayyyy back (it seems) with the start of the Rune stuff (Sludge #1), the cover showed the open mouth with fangs, and the words “The Stones are Cast…” Here in the final issue, we again have that cover image (the 9 issues between being the “poster image” pieces) but with the text “…And Death Walks the Earth.” A fitting sort of symmetry. “The stones are cast and death walks the Earth.” That’s Rune. This final chapter of the Rune #0 issue, we see a kid named Erik talking with his Dad…as they discuss nightmares, monsters, and keeping things at bay; an incident with Erik forgetting to take his pills, and this hint at there being something more to the kid. Their conversation is largely narration boxes overlaid on scenes of destruction, as Rune gets through the last barriers between himself and Erik, leaving us with Rune perched in a tree outside Erik’s house, apparently preparing to attack. The art continues to be consistent with prior chapters, as the creative team did not change…this is “merely” three more pages of the same issue, so no surprise there. After all these previous “chapters,” we finally see Rune where he wants to be, after bitter disappointment and destructive confrontations…poised to take in some incredible power that might restore or maintain his wasting body. As prologue, as setup, as a #0 issue, it provides an introduction to the character, and leads into what I recall of the Rune #1 issue, such that one certainly can better appreciate things with the main series having read this first, and yet, this isn’t absolutely required reading for that. I enjoyed this issue. It’s been nearly 25 years since my initial $2.50 was spent on it (that’s less than one penny per month from then til now, I think!) so while I’d be less than thrilled with an issue that’s basically a massive fight scene for a full/premium price in 2018, I’m ok with this 1993 issue being this way…all the more for so enjoying the art. Yet again, the Rune chapter is an identifying mark on the issue, dating it at a glance to one of the October 1993 issues; and as with others, it is not singularly a selling point in my eyes, as far as this issue in isolation. It’s certainly a selling point for getting all 11 serialized chapters of Rune #0, or the coupons for the mail-away, and such. But along with most of the “early Ultraverse” issues, I routinely see the issues in bargain bins, so don’t consider them to be worth one paying more than $1 for as of 2018; but that’s also easy enough for me to say, owning all the single issues myself already, and not being on the hunt for them. I would definitely recommend pairing this issue with the first issue to have SOME context of stuff…and though I didn’t do it myself, I think this issue probably reads a lot better in context of being read immediately after the first issue, rather than with 17+ other issues read in-between. Filed under: 2018 posts, 2018 Reviews, Malibu Comics, Rune Month (Event), Solution, The '90s Revisited, Ultraverse, Ultraverse Revisited \| Tagged: 1990s, Albert Calleros, Barry Windsor-Smith, Chris Ulm, comic books, Comic Reviews, comics, Darick Robertson, Hank Kanalz, James Hudnall, Jim Chadwick, John Floyd, malibu, Malibu Comics, Mike Miller, Patrick Owsley, Rune, Rune Month, Showdown, Solution, Steve Gerber, The '90s Revisited, The Solution, Tim Divar, Tim Eldred, Ultraverse, Violent Hues \| Leave a comment » Ultraverse Revisited: Mantra #4 Bride of Boneyard Creator/Writer: Mike W. Barr Penciller: Rob Phipps Inkers: Al Vey & Barb Kaalberg Color Design: Moose Baumann Editor: Chris Ulm Lukasz has only just begun to figure out what this new body can do, but has already been captured and after being knocked out, wakes to find that Boneyard’s got designs on wedded bliss! We open on Boneyard standing over Mantra, ranting about how insignificant this woman is, as if it’s so ludicrous that this final warrior might be the last hope of Archimage. As Mantra, Lukasz fights back, and manages to escape the imminent wedding between Boneyard and Eden Blake’s body, which he presently inhabits. He finds and interacts briefly with Archimage, and is unable to get the old wizard free. Barely escaping, he seeks help in a nearby village, only to be betrayed by newfound allies. Warstrike manages to show up, and is convinced to assist an assault on Boneyard’s keep. Ultimately, he and Lukasz are forced to retreat so that they might fight another day. Despite the betrayal, Lukasz–as Mantra–does manage to make some new allies in Boneyard’s realm…a factor sure to come into play later. This may have been the first issue of Mantra that I ever read, due to getting it during Rune Month, and while not gratuitous, the cover certainly would have had my attention–between Mantra herself, the weird cyborg Boneyard, and the bright colors. At minimum, this would be the second issue I ever read of the title, and whatever order I read the issues in, I had missed issues 2 and 3, so had only the first issue and then this to go on. The story takes us into an interesting realm–somewhat fantasy-ish (think Game of Thrones)–not quite Earth, but not entirely alien. We continue to see Lukasz finding the power of Eden Blake’s body, as well as a growing perspective on how men–and he himself–have treated women over time, particularly with bodies such as this. We get some face time with Archimage to propel things onward–contact, yet it’s not quite time for THE rescue: the story is still unfolding! Warstrike continues to be an interesting ally…perhaps moreso because I know that he gets his own series in the not-too-distant-future relative to this issue. Visually, this is a solid issue; I like the characters’ depictions, and the flow of the art in conveying the story. It definitely has its differences from the title’s premiere…but hangs onto a good bit of the visual style and familiarity, such that I don’t know that I’d REALLY notice any particular difference if I was simply reading without paying attention to the credits! Rune [J]: The Fury – Part One As (Agent?) Jaffrey follows up on Stone’s death, he, too, is attacked by Rune. Rune is fiercely seeking a particular boy…who we meet as the segment closes–interrupted on a phone call with his girlfriend by his father needing to talk to him about something. This is the "penultimate" chapter of Rune #0–We’ve followed Rune through time, seeing him in his powerful younger days, how he came to be the wretched creature he is, and along his quest for restorative power. That he’s seeking Erik suggests more for Erik to come…though this chapter does not let us know exactly what role he’ll play overall. Yet (as always) again, the art is good, and it’s consistent with the earlier chapters, this being simply the next three pages of (still) the same issue, essentially. Once more, the Rune chapter sorta works by itself but there’s no real room for "context" on the pages themselves. In a way we get more information from the "previously" text presented ahead of the chapter than from the pages…something I’ll be interesting to evaluate in a later re-read of this story in a single go. While it adds value to the issue, it is not in itself a sufficient selling point to seek out this issue. On the other hand…the Mantra issue itself is another strong chapter, continuing to build on characters and continuity, as we see more of several characters and their interactions, as well as Boneyard having realized who and what Mantra is, and checking in on Archimage, and generally leaving a bit of wonder in the "will he or won’t he" (Archimage) be rescued this issue. But it’s not to be, as there’s more story to be had by his not yet being rescued than a quick 4th-issue-rescue. Whether it’s the general story, or the art, or the concept, or something else, or some combination…I continue to find this to be a series I’m highly eager to get back through, that almost leaves me regretting trying to cycle through all the titles by month rather than doing a single-title read-through of Mantra. This adds to the reaffirmation of the title as one of my favorites of the Ultraverse, whatever other titles I discover that I enjoy and "should have" read as a kid. By itself, this issue is definitely worth a quarter to a dollar or so…definitely a "bargain bin issue," not likely worth more than $1 or so unless you’re plugging a run in your collection. Still, it’s a good issue, I myself enjoyed it, and I look forward to the next issue, as well as a number of other issues yet to come! Filed under: 2018 posts, 2018 Reviews, Malibu Comics, Mantra, The '90s Revisited, Ultraverse, Ultraverse Revisited \| Tagged: 1990s, Al Vey, Albert Calleros, Archimage, Barb Kaalberg, Barry Windsor-Smith, Boneyard, Bride of Boneyard, Chris Ulm, comic books, Comic Reviews, comics, Jim Chadwick, John Floyd, Lukasz, malibu, Malibu Comics, Mantra, mike w. barr, Moose Baumann, Patrick Owsley, Rob Phipps, Rune, Rune Month, Steve Gerber, The '90s Revisited, Tim Eldred, Ultraverse \| 2 Comments » Ultraverse Revisited: Firearm #2 Posted on July 2, 2018 by Walt American Pastimes Part Two Writer: James Robinson Penciller: Cully Hamner Inker: John Lowe Interior Colorists: Foodhammer It seems like such a long time since I covered the first issue of this series, and here I’m only at the second! The cover’s a bit generic–I truly don’t think I’ve really paid it much attention over the years. I’d had the issue originally solely for the RUNE coupon, and just recognize the overall image with the trade dress as the second issue of Firearm. Looking at it more closely this time and actually "taking it in," it’s Firearm fighting a couple of armored suits, aiming one’s weapon to blast another upward where the title falls. It’s also interesting to me the "design" stuff I’m seeing, that have always been there, but with a class I’ve been taking, there’s a lot that I’m really "seeing" for the first time or at least in a new light! And I’ve always liked and easily recognized the way the Ultraverse titles’ trade dress started with the inner border, the ULTRAVERSE logo across the top with the actual title logo under, and the upper left corner logo and issue info/price. Getting into the issue itself, we find Alec Swan waking up, feeling the results of the previous issue/recent events. He follows up on some information, and is led to Hardcase…who he finds in the midst of a fight with some thugs in high-end power/exo-armor suits. He gets involved ostensibly only because Hardcase may have information he needs. Among other things, part of Swan’s contribution is grabbing one and aiming its blaster at another…different angle, but showing that the cover actually depicts something from within the issue itself! (A true rarity as of 2018). After the fight, he and Hardcase talk–and neither likes the other, but at least they don’t–themselves–fight. While Hardcase doesn’t consciously have any recollection of the guy Swan’s trying to find information on, he does say something that gives him a lead. As he parts ways from Hardcase to follow up, he’s attacked by another ultra…and saved by still another…which is something he’s getting really tired of. The story itself is good, and follows well on the first issue. This also reads relatively decently on its own–it’s been weeks since I read #1 and I didn’t remember much concrete detail from it, but didn’t have much problem getting into this issue. We see Swan continuing to work the case he took on in the first issue, and the continuing repercussions from stuff begun in the first issue. We see a bit more of him at work, and in action, solidifying the "codename" Firearm, as well as the fact that he hates that name. Though it’s in no way advertised as such and there’s no cover indication, we see him interact with Hardcase. It’s not an "event" or "crossover," it’s just a natural thing of Swan living in a world of ultras, which includes Hardcase. Though we still don’t have resolution, we can surmise that Swan’s getting closer to his goal, with continued attacks, and now being saved by an ultra…hints that something bigger is going on that he hadn’t bargained for, but now finds himself immersed in. I think my main problem with the story/writing is that though Hardcase mostly looked like Hardcase and is supposed to BE Hardcase…his appearance here made him feel like just some impersonal plot device, with a different sort of "voice" and lacking the sort of "heart" from his own title or the crossover with his title and the Strangers in the September issues. Visually, this wasn’t a bad issue on the Firearm end…but I really strongly noticed some weirdness in the visual interpretation of Hardcase. The face especially just looked weird, with odd lines around the mouth and generally carrying the basic core visuals, but looking more like "a version of" Hardcase rather than a singular THE Hardcase. Otherwise, the art’s good and no real complaints from me…it fits this title and the main character and carries the story. Rune [I]: The Hunted As Rune gets closer to a goal–a power source his stones have foretold, we find someone investigating another death from the vampiric creature. This investigator apparently is an ultra, able to sense things…though he’s not quite finely-tuned enough in use of his power to realize that his sensing Rune was because the creature was right there. As Rune attacks, the folks on the other end of the agents connection are helpless to do anything. We’ve continued to see a bit more of a development in the Rune story, from just brief glimpses at the creature in different time periods, to seeing him attacking various ultras for power, as well as discovering Aladdin and moving in on this secretive agency. Including this chapter, we’re at 27 pages now–the full Rune #0 is a 33-page thing, making it about the equivalent of a 2018 Marvel Annual with 32-ish pages. Except here it’s serialized on the backs of each of the 11 October 1993 Ultraverse titles. Something to this chapter has a bit of a different look than earlier chapters seemed to–probably the darker, rain-soaked setting of the chapter. We do have a panel with one of the more horrific glimpses of Rune…clearly an image out of a nightmare. Same creative team as all the other chapters, so despite the darker tone visually, this is still quite consistent with previous chapters! This is not a standalone issue of Firearm…though it works well despite not having a recap page and I didn’t remember much in the way of specifics from the previous issue by the time I read this, with going through around 16 other issues between. The Rune chapter is somewhat on its own, yet builds on earlier chapters. As with the other issues from October 1993, there’s nothing really to make this an issue to single out in isolation. Especially as only a second issue, if you’re going to get this, I highly recommend ALSO getting the first issue, and probably also the third. Firearm #2 is a solid Ultraverse issue, moving Alec Swan’s story forward, showing us that he really is in the same universe as the other Ultras thanks to the Hardcase appearance, yet still manages to stick to itself, not really drawing on nor impacting other titles. This is certainly worth 25-50 cents as a purchase in isolation or otherwise, and like other "early" Ultraverse comics, I wouldn’t suggest spending more than $1-$2 on it unless it’s an elusive issue to fill a specific gap. It’s good quality, just not something that should command any significant pricing. Filed under: 2018 posts, 2018 Reviews, Firearm, Malibu Comics, The '90s Revisited, Ultraverse, Ultraverse Revisited \| Tagged: 1990s, Albert Calleros, Alec Swan, American Pastimes, Barry Windsor-Smith, Chris Ulm, comic books, Comic Reviews, comics, Cully Hamner, Firearm, Foodhammer, Hank Kanalz, James Robinson, Jim Chadwick, John Floyd, John Lowe, malibu, Malibu Comics, Moose Baumann, Patrick Owsley, Rune, Rune Month, Steve Gerber, The '90s Revisited, Tim Eldred, Ultraverse \| Leave a comment » Ultraverse Revisited: Exiles #3 A Glimmer and Gone… Writer: Steve Gerber Penciller: R.R. Phipps Inker: Scott Reed Letters: Patrick Owsley Colorist: Robert Alvord With no preamble, we start the issue with a giant, humanoid mastodon hitting the ground, apparently from 30+ stories up. Right behind is Tinsel, using her power to slow her fall…though she realizes it looks like an attack, and tries to tell Tim (Mastodon) just that. Ghoul tries to rescue her, though that’s just another moment amidst everything else. Bloodbath is in the mix, as well as the creature that initially grabbed Tim. This time, it’s Tinsel and Ghoul that are grabbed. Mastodon also gets away…and the team follows him, as Tinsel and Ghoul can take care of themselves–they hope. In a (closed) mall, the team and Mastodon face off, with much destruction. Back at the Exiles’ HQ, Amber Hunt frets over whether or not they’ll be back in time for her to take the treatment for her instance of the Theta Virus. Kort has Ghoul thrown in the trash, and “gives” Tinsel to Bloodbath. Tim eventually reverts back to himself from the mutated/Ultra form…and Bloodbath prepares to rape Tinsel. She’s able to take his sight…but as she escapes, he gets to one of his guns and starts firing away at her! Her shoulder’s grazed as she makes her way away… …as she’s shot through the leg, abdomen, chest, shoulders, AND head. Bloodbath races off seeking help, and a poor-condition Ghoul finds his teammate’s body. There was an ad already that referenced this issue, spoiling the fact that Tinsel DIES. I think the ad would have been better suited for after the issue, but then, it WAS the early 1990s, and deaths WERE a “thing,” where if some character (sometimes seemed virtually ANY character at all) died, suddenly that was a “key” issue. I didn’t specifically remember where the previous issue left off, so dropping straight into the action worked, but wasn’t ideal for this particular reading. But then, we don’t have to worry about any “wasted space” playing catch-up, and since this was published before the “recap page,” it would’ve needed space for exposition. The story is definitely advanced, with the Exiles team fumbling badly and pretty much failing to properly take down their opponent. They’re caught unprepared, and that costs them. Though by no means graphic or gratuitous, the page with Bloodbath and Tinsel was particularly disturbing, and I’d totally forgot about the aforementioned ad–I was rooting for her escape, and glad to see her get the start. That made it all the more discouraging to see her taken out, and so violently! Visually, everything looked as I’d expect, all the characters are quite familiar, even where I don’t remember names. As a third issue, it’s still early enough that for a team book, and from the ’90s with all of its tropes, I’m not surprised names haven’t stuck for me yet. Of course, in general it takes me a few issues to really get a hold on full group/cast names for something I’m not overly familiar with. Rune [H]: Aladdin’s Lamp Where the Rune stuff seemed choppy at first, jumping to vastly different time periods, here we continue in a linear sequence from the previous segment–again. This chapter, we find Rune in the desert, contemplating and then eating a skull with a bit of radiation from a bomb. He goes into a coma-like condition, and then finds some sort of coin or embossed logo of a lamp–Aladdin! He then takes off toward Scottsdale! As usual, we have consistent art, and it’s clear everything that’s happening with the chapter. On the story side, we do have another shift in narration/point of view, as we’re getting a running observation from someone watching Rune and reporting on what he’s doing. This certainly gives an interesting view, as no one knows what to make of him–who OR what he IS, and before they can even do anything, he’s off again. The narration reminded me a bit from the Death of Superman–where someone’s communicating remotely that Doomsday was just there and headed for Metropolis…too late for anyone to prevent the situation or even really do anything about it. Exiles #3 is another issue that doesn’t really stand alone…I see no reason to seek it out in isolation from any other issues, unless it’s simply a lone missing issue being sought out to go with others in the series. The Rune chapter sort of/kind of stands alone…for the narrator, it’s the first the creature’s been seen/observed, so if you’ve read none of the other chapters, you’re on equal footing, reading this. It’s interesting in its way to see a team of superheroes bungle stuff so badly–and have an immediate “cost” to the situation in losing two of their own, as well as the shock of seeing someone escaping and then cut down so completely. (And by ‘interesting’ that’s not to say I’m glad to see any of it!) I vaguely remember at least reading ABOUT Tinsel’s death…but that was just as some random character I wasn’t familiar with, from a title I wasn’t really following. This time, reading the issue in its entirety (if I’d read it before, I don’t remember detail, and may have only skimmed it looking for something about Ghoul) Tinsel’s death carries a lot more weight, and I’m eager to get to the next issue and seeing (now with context of these first three issues) the other characters’ reactions to things. You could do a lot worse than this issue for 25 to 50 cents, but outside of getting several issues together, I would continue to counsel not going much above $1 or so to acquire this. Along with the first couple issues and the next issue, I remember there being some interesting stuff that’s leading into the first Ultraverse “event,” and it has me looking forward to getting there! Filed under: 2018 posts, 2018 Reviews, Exiles, Malibu Comics, Rune Month (Event), The '90s Revisited, Ultraverse, Ultraverse Revisited \| Tagged: 1990s, A Glimmer and Gone, Albert Calleros, Barry Windsor-Smith, Chris Ulm, comic books, Comic Reviews, comics, Exiles, Jim Chadwick, John Floyd, malibu, Malibu Comics, Patrick Owsley, R.R. Phipps, Robert Alvord, Rune, Rune Month, Scott Reed, Steve Gerber, The '90s Revisited, Ultraverse \| 2 Comments » Ultraverse Revisited: Strangers #5 Dynamic Tension! Author: Steve Englehart Pencil Art: Rick Hoberg Letterer: Dave Lanphear Ink Art: Tim Burgard Color Design: Rick Schmitz Color Team: Foodhammer! A fifth issue doesn’t seem like it’s that far into a series…but in the "meta" sense of this being 25 years old and well over two decades between the END of this series and the present…the series didn’t quite make it 25 issues. But even at 25 issues…this would put us 1/5 through the series now! That’s both discouraging in that the series had such a brief run, but encouraging to notice we’re getting into the meat of the thing, past the most initial of setup and foundation-laying. We saw the origin–the lightning bolt/Jumpstart that hit the cable car. We saw the characters come together, and saw them investigate Yrial and wind up with her the "final member" of the team; saw the team take on TNTNT, their first actual "supervillains" ("ultra-villains"), as well as meet up with Hardcase and have that adventure. Now in this issue, we see the team–after "most of the series" so far–spit up to go back to their own individual lives. Bob Hardin (Atom Bob) visits with his parents and sees the crowd camped out at their house for a glimpse of him. Leon Balford (Zip-Zap) returns to his street and puts a bully in his place. Hugh Fox (Grenade) and Candy (Electrocute) view his house–overrun with media folks and such, and head off, discussing their status quo, having a "moment." Elena La Brava (Lady Killer) works the phones on coverage of the team. Yrial takes to a rooftop, frustrated firstly with being "forced" to join the team, and secondly with having no place of her own to go when the team split to go their own ways…but soon spots trouble and prepares to page the rest of the team to regroup. Finally, David Castiglione (Spectral) visits someone in the hospital, and after catching up a bit, he tries to use his healing power. If he could heal a broken arm, surely he could heal this! The scene shifts and we find the rest of the team back together and wondering where Spectral is. They decide to proceed without him, and find Deathwish…who is not at all like the frail old man he "grew from." The Strangers launch into battle, but none of them can take the villain. Eventually Spectral shows up in his green-flame form and lays into the villain…emerging victorious. As things wind down, the team reflects on his action–they’d focused on trying to deny Deathwish any further power, while Spectral gave him more than he could handle. Realizing David’s effectiveness was part anger and venting, they probe a bit and discover that he was unable to heal his partner. They hadn’t realized he was gay, but the fact of it is simply matter of fact and casual…no more a focus than Hugh being attracted to Candy. I really enjoy issues like this. Maybe it’s that I’ve been reading comics for nearly three decades, but seeing superheroes in action is such a "given" and seeing much of what they do out of costume or out of action is a relative rarity…so seeing a bit of focus on each of the characters reminds us that they’re individuals, gives us a fresh glimpse into their private lives and background, and generally fleshes them out and builds the individuals in a way that doesn’t work easily when they’re all together and being juggled in an action sequence. I often lament the drawn-out/padded-out nature of modern comics written for the 6-issue trade…and even though we’d had very brief foreshadowing bits in earlier issues for Deathwish, essentially he just shows up in this issue, is fought, and defeated–all in one issue. And that’s in addition to getting scenes of each of the individuals on their own…once again packing into one issue what could easily be drawn out to at least 5 or 6 issues in the present (if not 7 or 8 to give each Stranger a solo issue…and even as a single issue, a modern take would have at least 8-9 covers for this issue to give each character a cover, plus the cover we have, plus maybe a glow-in-the-dark Spectral cover on top of that). Visually this is another strong issue, with all the characters seeming perfectly familiar, and quite consistent with the earlier issues…same artist, same quality and all that. The only thing that really stood out to me was the page split with the Strangers seeing Deathwish the first time…there seems to be a lot of different coloring effects going on with lighting and such that actually prompted me to go back to the credits to see if someone else had contributed a page. It has an almost painted sort of look to it, different from the usual colors of the rest of the issue. Rune [G]: The Hunger I’m sort of surprised–we have our third in-sequence chapter without a great leap in time. This picks up the day after the bitterly disappointing discovery that even Edwin’s power wasn’t enough to permanently restore Rune to his former glory. This chapter picks up the next day and we see that Rune has killed a drunken homeless person…but the alcohol in the guy’s blood is poisoning Rune himself. As a storm rolls in, Rune flies into the sky to be struck by lightning–or perhaps calling the lightning to him–to purge his body of the poison, though it can’t purge the cancer that eats away at him. This being another 3-page segment of a single issue-length story, the art is consistent as expected with previous chapters, as it’s the same creative team as those earlier chapters. There’s not a lot of room for development or continuing story, but this shows us that while Rune might have trouble taking down anyone more powerful than a powerless human, he can still survive (and even thrive from) a lightning strike! His magical/sorcerous power is still there, even if he lacks the physical might he once had. And this does show his growing desperation, which likely makes him all the more dangerous! As with the other Rune Month issues, this is one that is easily identified as a Rune Month (October 1993) issue, but the Rune chapter alone does not give cause to seek it out as a single issue. However, for the Strangers portion…this SOMEWHAT stands alone. It doesn’t in itself give much exposition or backstory, but if one is loosely familiar with the characters, this would not be a horrible issue to get on its own. The cover is at once a bit bland to me, yet over-promises on Deathwish and his power. Sure, the character was a bit imposing and wielding a very dangerous power…but he was hardly holding sway over an entire city, nor much mystery to the team as to his identity. This cover would seem more fitting to me as the cover to a collected volume of a several-issue story against Deathwish or of multiple encounters with the character. The blurb "Vs. Deathwish" seems tacked on and somehow just LOOKS "’90s-ish" and seems far too symmetric…so basically showing off then-new-ish stuff done with digital elements for the cover. This is well worth getting from a bargain bin, though as many times as I’ve seen this and other early Ultraverse issues in 25-cent and 50-cent bins, I suggest as with those not to go much over $1 for this issue if you seek it out. Filed under: 2018 posts, 2018 Reviews, Malibu Comics, Rune Month (Event), Strangers, The '90s Revisited, Ultraverse, Ultraverse Revisited \| Tagged: 1990s, Albert Calleros, Barry Windsor-Smith, Chris Ulm, comic books, Comic Reviews, comics, Dave Lanphear, Deathwish, Dynamic Tension, Foodhammer, Jim Chadwick, John Floyd, malibu, Malibu Comics, Patrick Owsley, Rick Hoberg, Rick Schmitz, Rune, Rune Month, Steve Englehart, Steve Gerber, Strangers, The '90s Revisited, Tim Burgard, Ultraverse \| 1 Comment » Ultraverse Revisited: Prototype #3 Writers: Tom Mason & Len Strazewski Artists: David Ammerman & James Pascoe Colorist: Rob Alvord Something in seeing this cover surprised me that it’s "only" #3. This also seems ripe to be the right-half of a 2-part image, with whoever is blasting Prototype on the other side…but alas, this is a Rune Month issue with a flip cover (no wraparound). On the plus side, I’m not aware of any VARIANT covers, so this is simply THE cover for #3! We open on Jimmy (Prototype) and his handler stuck on a plane–their flight’s been delayed. As they wait, terrorists calling themselves Terrordyne, Inc. attack another plane with a baseball team on board. Jimmy’s excited at the prospect of some action; meanwhile, we get a scene with someone in shadows on the phone turning down an offer, before leaping into some sort of action, gun blazing. As another subplot, we get a page with a lab and a revelation that Glare’s body (the Ultra that apparently died at Prototype’s hands in #1) shows he’s got wetware implants, and the body will be shipped off to Aladdin for analysis. As Jimmy suits up, and reveals that he’s disabled a shutdown failsafe in his armor, we cut to Bob Campbell explaining what happened to lead him showing up at his ex’s place in such horrid condition; as she patches him up, he reminisces about their past, providing us plenty of exposition. From there we get to the "meat" of the story as Prototype stops the terrorists, only to then face their leader: someone with flame powers calling himself Heater. The Prototype armor shorts out–Jimmy suspects it might be from his tinkering–but he gets the auxiliary power going in time to survive. His handler is tossed out of the plane (when did it take off?), so Jimmy opts to save him, figuring he can catch the villain after…but by the time the get back to the ground, Heater’s vanished. In frustration, he blasts the corporate jet out of the sky (the pilot had already been killed). This, as well as the earlier scuffle and the Prime incident (see Prime #4) has Leland–Ultratech’s president–more than fed up with the young "hero." As he asks for interviews to begin on a replacement, we cut to someone called Wrath being brought in on a plan of industrial espionage and heading out after Prototype. Starting with the end of the issue…we have a page marked as "25" but it has no captioning, dialogue, etc…and with plenty of open space at the top and bottom, looks like a cover image thrown into an issue. If it wasn’t numbered to appear to be a story page, it’d look like basically an ad for the next issue or such! I continue to feel (mostly pleasantly) like there’s almost too much going on in a given Ultraverse comic…they’re much denser than modern 2018 comics, with a lot more story and development packed into a single issue! I’m definitely enjoying that we’re getting a story of not only the new/current Prototype, Jimmy Ruiz, but also the original–Bob Campbell. And rather than only piecing something together issues later in denouement at the end of a multi-issue arc, we get cut scenes to other characters and stuff going on simultaneous with the main story…stuff going on that we as readers get to actually see developing instead of being told (after the fact) did happen, later. Jimmy’s a hothead, and that comes off with his impetuousness at the start of the issue–eager for battle, even though it means there are people getting hurt. Still, he wants to be the hero he’s playing–for real, not just looking good for cameras. I know Wrath as an Ultraverse title, though that title’s logo is not this initial WRATH logo on the final page with the character Wrath. I don’t think I realized that he came out of Prototype, but definitely like that the title apparently was a spinoff (though I’ll get to that in awhile when I get to the 1994 books!). The art is solid and gets things across as any art should do. The only point I found myself not entirely clear what had happened was when Prototype blasts Heater…there’s an impact, but also an exclamation balloon of "YARGH!" nowhere hear Heater’s mouth, actually looking like he might’ve taken the worst of the blast below the belt…or that something was positioned in the wrong part of the panel…presumably definitely something with the infamous computer design stuff Malibu had going on. Otherwise, the issue looks good–especially Prototype. I still really dig the look, even if it is very ’90s! Rune [F]: The Nectar of Life Picking up shortly after the previous chapter (in Freex #4), where we were left to assume Rune killed Edwin, here we get visual confirmation that he definitely did–with exposed rib bones and reddish coloring to suggest the gore. Edwin–briefly–was the most powerful being on the planet, according to "previously" text, but Rune killed him…and now imbued with his power, has filled out, transforming back to a younger, vital self. Moments later, though, his body reverts back to the frail, sickly creature he’s become, and he realizes that even this was not enough. I thought Rune was a vampire…if not 100% typical, then at least using his fangs to leech life/bio-energy from his victims. Not physically consuming the bodies! A cannibalistic vampire, I guess? Whatever the case, the visuals add to the bloody violence of the thing, which seems fitting given Barry Windsor-Smith‘s other works (first in my mind being Conan and Weapon X). This chapter works pretty well in directly following the previous, yet a bit of time has passed. That makes for something choppy going page to page, but for being a new piece of the story in a separate publication than the previous piece, it’s little worse than any other "returning from a cliffhanger but some time has passed" instance. Though the cover seemed somewhat incomplete or generic-ish, I liked this issue. There’s a lot of story between the covers, and while there are only 25 story pages (as with the other titles, the cover proclaims the issue a 40 page special), this is still a very full issue with development and forward movement on multiple plot threads. The Rune chapter is again not something to singularly "sell" the issue, but doesn’t detract. The segment moves that narrative forward, and I find myself looking toward getting more info about what Rune is, how he gets power from beings he consumes (does he absolutely have to consume their flesh or is that a ‘pleasure,’ for example?) and so on. I haven’t read the title in nearly two decades, so it’s like getting Rune fresh, and I don’t recall many particular details. Yet again, this issue isn’t something I’d recommend seeking out as a single issue in isolation…you’re better off with the #1 for that. But this is definitely worth picking up as part of a run, and in that context certainly worth 25 to 50 cents. Though its original cover price is $2.50, and this IS an "early Ultraverse" issue, I frequently see these in bargain bins, so it should be able to be found for $1 or less, and I wouldn’t go much above the $1 unless you’re ‘desperate’ for the issue in some form. Filed under: 2018 posts, 2018 Reviews, Malibu Comics, Prototype, Rune Month (Event), The '90s Revisited, Ultraverse, Ultraverse Revisited \| Tagged: 1990s, Albert Calleros, Barry Windsor-Smith, Chris Ulm, comic books, Comic Reviews, comics, Dave Lanphear, David Ammerman, Hero and the Terror, James Pascoe, Jim Chadwick, Jimmy Ruiz, John Floyd, Len Strazewski, malibu, Malibu Comics, Patrick Owsley, Prototype, Rob Alvord, Rune, Rune Month, Steve Gerber, The '90s Revisited, Tom Mason, Ultraverse, Wrath \| 1 Comment »	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1122
__label__wiki	0.741082	0.741082	B17CYG: Australia’s golden day An amazing night of track and field has capped off Australia’s golden day at the Bahamas 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games, with athletes claiming two gold, two silver and two bronze medals. The day got off to fine start when Australia’s Rugby 7s team swept past Canada to claim gold with a 31-5 win. It was then on to Thomas Robinson Stadium where 16-year old Sydneysider Alexander Kolesnikoff produced a mighty 19.76 metre round five throw to snatch victory from New Zealand’s Nicholas Palmer. The gold rush continued when Bendere Oboya edged out teammate Ella Connolly to claim gold in the women’s 400m, setting a new personal best time of 52.69. Connolly also set a new benchmark with her 52.72. Long jumper Ben Schmidtchen posted two new personal bests and looked the winner when he posted a jump of 7.64 metres, but was relegated to silver in the dying rounds by Antigua and Barbuda’s Sheldon Noble. Four Australian’s – Keely Small, Carley Thomas, Jordan Doris and Jackson Sharp – qualified for the finals in the 800m events, to be run tomorrow evening, while Tiana Death and Lateisha Willis qualified for the finals of the 100m hurdles. Sebastian Moir won a berth in the 400m hurdles final. Riley Day, Ella Connolly and Yandin Ngeng won through to the semi’s in the 200m. In the pool, Sophie Caldwell recorded a second personal best for the day in the 400m freestyle to claim a bronze medal. Brittany Castelluzzo and Charlie Cox both finished the night with personal bests in the 100m butterfly, finishing fifth. Four of Australia’s boxers have advanced into the medal bouts, as Tiki Fraser claimed bronze in the 75kg women’s division. Earlier in the day, Australia’s women’s beach volleyball team progressed through to the gold medal match against New Zealand, while their male counterparts will play off for bronze. B17CYG: Aussies roll through undefeated to take Gold to assist bushfire recovery Commonwealth Games Australia has pledged $25,000 to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal, along with a commitment to join national sporting partners in a program of activities to assist with the recovery in affected areas. Vale Alex Fulcher MBE OAM It is with sadness we advise of the passing of Commonwealth Games NSW President Alex Fulcher. Hockeyroo Amy Lawton named Emerging Athlete of the Year Rising hockey star Amy Lawton has capped off a remarkable 12 months by winning the Emerging Athlete of the Year Award at the AIS Sport Performance Awards (#ASPAs) in Sydney.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1124
__label__cc	0.593677	0.406323	636 Articles0 Comments Joe Biden Just Made a Huge Mistake That Will Cost Him the Presidency Joe Biden wants nothing more than to be President of the United States. But his ridiculous decisions and statements continue to get in the way of that dream. And he just made a huge mistake that will cost him the… Top General Gave Trump a Report About Iran That Put His Jaw on the Ground Iran tried to test Donald Trump. The terrorist-supporting government in Iran pushed the envelope and the President struck back. And now a top General gave Donald Trump this report about Iran that left his jaw on the ground. When Trump… Pelosi Hit Mike Pence With This Slap in the Face That Left Pence Red With Rage House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is really pushing the envelope. Between impeachment and Iran escalating its war with the United States, Pelosi is under pressure to navigate the Democrats through two political minefields that could blow up in the party’s face.… CNN Just Made the One Confession That Is the Final Nail in the Network’s Coffin Fake news CNN is at the head of the parade of anti-Trump media outlets. CNN executives thought they could get away with filling the air waves and social media with lies, smears and conspiracy theories about the President in order… Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Stunning 2020 Announcement Left Democrats Scrambling Democrats are panicking about their field of candidates for 2020. No one is really pulling away from the pack and the nomination may go all the way to the convention. And now Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s stunning 2020 announcement left Democrats scrambling.… CNN Said Something About Tucker Carlson That Took Everyone by Surprise CNN hosts and Tucker Carlson are sworn enemies. The network constantly attacks Carlson’s Fox News show because it’s so effective. But CNN said something about Tucker Carlson that took everyone by surprise. CNN host Brian Stelter hates Tucker Carlson. He’s… A Top Senator Hit Nancy Pelosi With a Criminal Accusation That Sent Her Reeling Nancy Pelosi has one piece of insanity that is destroying the Democratic Party. She’s created a monster problem that’s getting worse by the day. A top Senator hit Nancy Pelosi with a criminal accusation that sent her reeling. Nancy Pelosi… Iran Fired Off One Ultimatum to Trump That Could Be Their Last Mistake Ever Iran’s been fighting a war against the United States for over 40 years. But this time the rogue government in Tehran went too far. And now Iran fired off one ultimatum to Trump that could be their last mistake ever.… Nancy Pelosi Insulted Dead Veterans With This Jaw-Dropping Attack House Speaker Nancy Pelosi instantly regretted a key mistake that threatens to redefine the 2020 election. Pelosi let her hatred for Donald Trump overwhelm all common sense. And Nancy Pelosi just insulted dead veterans with this jaw-dropping attack. House Speaker… Joe Biden Was Caught by Fox News in One Video That Just Changed Everything Former Vice President Joe Biden can’t get out of his own way on the campaign trail. But now the Biden campaign is facing its greatest crisis. And Joe Biden was caught by Fox News in one video that just changed…	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1128
__label__cc	0.5971	0.4029	Business Dialogue Video Editions Country in Focus Sector in Focus About CorD Magazine CorD Magazine AllAfterWorkFaces & Places New Year’s reception by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic BSBA End of Year Reception Swedish Embassy Marks Saint Lucy’s Day AHK Christmas Party AllVideo EditionsVideo Events Embassy of Ukraine in Serbia marked National Day Independence Day of Finland 2019 IWC Charity Bazaar OSCE Mission to Serbia Presents 2019 Person of the Year Award National Day of United Arab Emirates The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Serbia celebrated country’s National Day, the 48th anniversary of the establishment of the Union. H.E. Dr Mubarak Saeed Ahmed Al Dhaheri, the ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Serbia, addressed the guests and said that he is honoured that cooperation between the Emirates and Serbia has continued to strengthen and improve during 2019. Mubarak Saeed Al Dhaheri United Arab Emirates Embassy Previous article Nokia Loses Market Value of €6.6bn Next articleNational Day of Romania Marked Ana Novcic Strengthening bilateral relations between Serbia and United States High Expectations of Serbia National Day of Ukraine Independence Day of Finland January 2020, Issue No. 183 CorD 20 December 2019 Comment By Zoran Panović The Macron Paradox Comment 20 December 2019 Deep Purple performed in Belgrade again this December, and it was an occasion to recall how much more relaxed the atmosphere in Serbia had been when this band last performed in Belgrade, in March 2014, and when the top stars among the audience were then Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić, dressed in a tight, black, leather jacket, and First Lady Dragica, also dressed in rocker’s apparel Garry Jacobs, President and CEO of the World Academy of Art & Science, Chairman of the Board & CEO of the World University Consortium Stop Imitating And Start Innovating Interviews 20 December 2019 Serbia, which has a very strong tradition in science and technology and a population with a proven capacity to excel in advanced fields of... H.E. Gilles Arnout Beschoor Plug, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Serbia Every effort is necessary to ensure elections where parties feel they can participate on an equal footing and all voters can cast their vote... Mihailo Jovanović, (Associate Professor, PhD), Director of the Office for Information Technology and E-Government Intensive Development of eGovernment Systems and Services This year was marked by the continuation of intensive work on the development of information systems and e-administration services Thanks to the great support of... Revolution or Routine: What is your opinion on the waning 2019 and the coming 2020? How to Recognise, Curb and Turn Around Bad Infinity? Focus 20 December 2019 During the times in which we live, it is sometimes difficult to read whether we’ve just witnessed something that will later prove to be the embryonic start of a major change – in the fight against climate change, in the launching of economic wars, or in an attempt to establish political dialogue and set boundaries between the honourable and the dishonourable – or we routinely bowed our heads. Here’s what our interlocutors think about that Adir El Al, CEO AFI Europe Serbia Stability Will Bring Prosperity Business Dialogue 20 December 2019 After 16 years of activity in Serbia, I can say that - as AFI Europe - we are now leading the real estate market in many aspects. Not just as one of the biggest real estate developers in the country, but also as one trying to find the right path, pioneering and paving the way for many other developers and investors in the real estate segment, says Mr. Adir El Al, CEO of AFI Europe Serbia Aleksandar Jakovljević, Managing Director of Philip Morris For South-East Europe Dedicated to Change IQOS is currently used by around 12 million consumers in the world, eight million of whom have completely left their cigarettes and made this less harmful choice Mladen Ćirić, Sales Manager, Tonković Winery Our Wines are Even Served In The Vatican Established in 2006, Tonković Winery cultivates the Kadarka, an old autochthonous variety, on all 10 hectares of its vineyards. Tonković makes as many as... What EU “Geopolitical” Power Will Cost Feature 20 December 2019 Ursula Von der Leyen, the new president of the European Commission, has promised to position the European Union as a geopolitical power that is capable of holding its own against the United States and a rising China. But the EU may come to regret any attempt to parlay its economic strength into geopolitical clout. Fresh-Faced Billionaire at 22 Entrepreneurship 20 December 2019 Kylie Jenner is an American model, reality television star and cosmetics entrepreneur who has a net worth of a billion dollars. In any given year, Kylie earns around $40 million from her various endeavours. The vast majority of her net worth comes from her cosmetics company, Kylie Cosmetics. Kylie sold a 51% stake in her company to Coty Inc. in November 2019 for $600 million, with the company valued as a whole at $1.2 billion Dr Miroslav Perišić, Historian, Director Of The Archives Of Serbia Archives are a Barrier Against the Falsifying of History Profile 20 December 2019 History is dangerous if not understood. The historian needs always to remind of this experience when, due to some contemporary crisis, there is increased interest in the past and simplified interpretations and light conclusions emerge in public in waves Stefan Milenković, violinist, musical pedagogue The Artist Always Has a Choice Culture Interviews 20 December 2019 As a child, he was celebrated by the country that was called Yugoslavia. In fact, he was a child prodigy who played the violin... Tradition of Venetian Carnival Masks Art 20 December 2019 Every year, from February to March, Carnival in Venice is held. Hundreds of thousands visit Venice during Carnival, to admire the incredible Venetian costumes and masks that can be seen walking around in Venice Fashion 20 December 2019 Many believe that the apres-ski culture originates from Norway in the mid-1800s, where grog or aquavit was consumed among friends at skiers’ homes. Today,... December 2019, Issue No. 182 CorD 1 December 2019 Published since 2003 by Get stories delivered to your inbox Subscribe to our monthy newsletter © Copyright © CorD Magazine 2003-2020. All rights reserved. U.S. Independence Day Marked	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1131
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NASDAQ: CSII +0.28 ( 0.52% ) (Minimum 20 minutes delay) We are devoted to developing innovative solutions for treating peripheral and coronary artery disease, to help physicians conquer calcium, one of the largest challenges when treating PAD and CAD and help patients get back to what matters. Find out more about CSI, our company history, our solutions and the ways you can join in our efforts. The ability to serve the cardiovascular market with state-of-the-art medical technology begins with leaders. Learn more about what it's like to work at CSI, view open positions and apply. View our media kit and press releases, including financial announcements and clinical research results. Review our governance documents, principles of corporate governance and code of ethics and business conduct. Read about our company policies, monitoring, public disclosures and other details. Complex High-Risk PCI: Left Main and LAD INDICATION & IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Indication: The DIAMONDBACK 360® Coronary Orbital Atherectomy Systems (OAS) are percutaneous orbital atherectomy systems indicated to facilitate stent delivery in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who are acceptable candidates for PTCA or stenting due to de novo, severely calcified coronary artery lesions. Contraindications: The OAS is contraindicated when the VIPERWIRE guide wire cannot pass across the coronary lesion or the target lesion is within a bypass graft or stent. The OAS is contraindicated when the patient is not an appropriate candidate for bypass surgery, angioplasty, or atherectomy therapy, or has angiographic evidence of thrombus, or has only one open vessel, or has angiographic evidence of significant dissection at the treatment site and for women who are pregnant or children. Warnings/Precautions: Performing treatment in excessively tortuous vessels or bifurcations may result in vessel damage; The OAS was only evaluated in severely calcified lesions, A temporary pacing lead may be necessary when treating lesions in the right coronary and circumflex arteries; On-site surgical back-up should be included as a clinical consideration; Use in patients with an ejection fraction (EF) of less than 25% has not been evaluated. See the Instructions for Use before performing DIAMONDBACK 360 coronary orbital atherectomy procedures for detailed information regarding the procedure, indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions, and potential adverse events. For further information call CSI at 1-877-274-0901 and/or consult CSI’s website at www.csi360.com . Caution: Federal law (USA) restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician. Physician(s) Michael Kim, MD & Atul Kukar, DO 76-year-old male with hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia and mild dementia. The patient was seen 2 months previous for a non-STEMI, which was managed medically given his mild memory loss. After experiencing shortness of breath, he came back to receive a percutaneous intervention to treat his symptoms. Treatment Summary Successful PCI was achieved using Orbital Atherectomy to modify the severely calcified lesions to allow for successful facilitation of multiple stents. High-risk PCI can be safely performed with appropriate hemodynamic support and Orbital Atherectomy to help optimize stent expansion and PCI outcomes. Orbital Atherectomy allowed the physician the ability to treat multiple vessel sizes with a single crown. Results may vary. Other Case Studies Severely Calcified Right Coronary Artery Multi-Vessel Disease: LAD and Ramus Unprotected Left Main Complex PCI: Right Coronary Artery CSI Headquarters 1225 Old Highway 8 NW 1.877.CSI.0360 Indications Statements, Important Safety and Risk Information ©2017 – Present, Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. For more information about product availability globally, please click below. OrbusNeich Medical Co. Ltd.: →APAC (Asia-Pacific) →EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) In July 2018, Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. (CSI®) announced that OrbusNeich Medical Co. Ltd. signed an exclusive distribution agreement to sell its coronary and peripheral Orbital Atherectomy Systems outside the United States and Japan. Medikit Co., Ltd: →Japan In November 2016, Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. (CSI®) announced that Medikit, Co., Ltd. signed an exclusive distribution agreement to sell its coronary and peripheral Orbital Atherectomy Systems in Japan. Smart Solutions that advance treatment for complex patients At CSI, weare a culture of innovation. We observe carefully, listen closely and collaborate extensively, seeking opportunities to help interventionalists do their jobs more easily and more effectively – all with the goal of improving patient care. CLICK HERE to Learn More About CSI's Innovations	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1135
__label__cc	0.61683	0.38317	Clearview Group IT Risk Advisory & Security Technology & Cybersecurity Clearview Search Implicit Bias By: Kim Theobald, Director of Human Resources Kim Theobald Director of HR Consulting More From Kim Is Your Company FMLA-Ready? Modernizing Performance Management Attracting and Retaining Top Talent: What Millennials Value in the Workplace Why Employee Development is Necessary The Maryland Healthy Working Families Act More in HR Consulting Services Clearview Group Named One of The Baltimore Sun’s 2019 Top Workplaces Craig Kile Joins Clearview Group as Director of Human Resources Wellness Programs Pose Compliance Challenges for Employers Holiday Headaches: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Holiday Party Planning Social Media Pitfalls You have likely heard about the Starbucks bias training that recently took place in stores across the country. The company felt it was necessary to implement this training for employees after a recent incident at a Starbucks location where two men were wrongfully criminalized. This initial training is just the first step in a long-term plan that Starbucks is unfolding to combat discrimination. The training focused on “implicit bias,” which is defined as our unconscious beliefs or attitudes towards individuals based on their social class, race, gender, or other personal attributes. This bias affects our understanding, actions, and decisions, both at work and in our lives in general. Helping employees become aware of implicit bias can be beneficial to all companies in their internal and external relationships. Whether we recognize it or not, some sort of implicit bias exists within all of us as human beings. We can start to heighten our awareness by better understanding the types of implicit bias that exist. Affinity bias – This occurs when we are drawn to others who we feel are like us or share similar interests. Confirmation bias – We tend to see things in ways that confirm our existing beliefs. Perception bias – When our views of others are a reflection of how we perceive reality. Looking at each type of bias in terms of the work environment, you can see how it may influence decision making. Bias can play a role in decisions including hiring, promotions, compensation, and more. When an environment exists where certain people are favored over others, there is a negative impact on employee productivity and engagement. Therefore, it is important for companies to train individuals on implicit bias. Initial training should bring awareness and understanding to the existence of implicit bias. Once employees understand and can recognize it, they’ll be able to start a dialogue. Having a dialogue about issues like this can be an important part of developing a culture where employees feel comfortable expressing themselves on issues of bias and more. Research suggests that bias can be overridden with deliberate effort. These efforts could include reframing conversations, collaborative programs, and focus on skill-based training. Companies can also implement programs to increase diversity and promote inclusiveness. For more information on this and other HR-related topics, please contact Clearview’s Human Resources Consulting team at hr@cviewllc.com, or call 410-415-9700. Read more on: HR Consulting Services This site uses cookies to optimize your experience and deliver the most appropriate content. Click here to learn more. © 2020 Clearview Group Subscribe for the latest news:	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1139
__label__wiki	0.724349	0.724349	Journalismism Phil Jackson's Favorite Stooge Tries To Sell A Kristaps Porzingis Trade Filed to:journalismism Photo credit: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Knicks fans reached a new level of panic last night when Phil Jackson, currently inhabited by an ancient Sumerian god hell-bent on destroying basketball in New York City, gave an interview in which he assured everyone that, yes, he is seriously considering trading Kristaps Porzingis, a 21-year-old, 7-foot-3 star-in-the-making who isn’t even halfway through his rookie deal. If Jackson’s own words weren’t enough of a omen, this week also brought us a second sign of The Coming of The Traveler: a Charley Rosen column. Rosen, who has been Jackson’s friend and confidant for 40 years now, currently writes about basketball for FanRag Sports. His real function, though, is to be Jackson’s mouthpiece, and to produce team-friendly coverage whenever Jackson needs it. So, Rosen is here to make the case for trading Porzingis. Phil Jackson's Pal Tries To Sell Knicks Fans On The Future ESPN reported earlier today that the Knicks and team president Phil Jackson re-upped for another… (Technically, the column lays out the reasons for and against trading Porzingis, but the “against” section consists of a cough and a shrug.) Rosen starts out by trying to poke holes in Porzingis’s game by bringing up a few hilariously inconsequential shortcomings that would maybe be a problem if it were 1993: Just as Phil Jackson feared right after Porzingis was drafted, players that tall and that lanky are extremely susceptible to injuries. Indeed, he has missed 26 games in his first two seasons, the most potentially serious being an Achilles tendon strain last season. He routinely gets bullied at every turning. Despite his size, KP is relatively ineffective when playing the low post. He’s apt to get faked off his feet by smaller players in the paint. Whatever you say, man. Things get really good when Rosen tries to argue that Porzingis is some kind of malcontent who is going to leave the team eventually anyway, so why not trade him? Porzingis did skip his exit interview, a fact that would maybe make this line of thinking make sense if he was going into the last year of his contract, but the Knicks have him under control for at least the next three seasons. Porzingis is entering the third year of his rookie deal and will make just $4.5 million this season. He’s under contract for the 2018-19 season and has a team option for the 2019-20 season. After that, he becomes a restricted free agent, meaning the Knicks can match any offer he gets from another team. And yet, Rosen finds a way to write this, apparently with a straight face: So, given the likelihood that the Knicks will not be the kind of winners that the brothers Porzingis require during the next two seasons, the chances are that New York would lose him in 2019-20. Why not trade him now while he’s healthy and has optimum appeal? Charley Rosen has successfully reimagined a generational talent on a bargain deal whom the Knicks will have every opportunity to keep until 2024 as a toxic expiring asset that needs to be unloaded immediately. I’m genuinely impressed. [FanRag Sports] The Knicks' "Plan" Still Sounds Dumb As All Hell Put Phil Jackson In Jail And Then Put The Jail In Space	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1140
__label__cc	0.701071	0.298929	Defomicron Software, Hardware, Silverware WWDC selling out in 120 seconds isn’t cool. John Siracusa advocates for a lottery system next year: An actual lottery, pre-announced, with no time pressure for entry, would be more equitable than what happened yesterday. That’s what I recommend for next year. I don’t think a lottery is a good idea. Probably the biggest draw of WWDC is the community of developers who attend. With a lottery, the community is torn. Groups going together get split up at random. To that end, I doubt Apple could institute a fair lottery. Do you really think Apple would deny a ticket to someone like John Gruber1? A lottery would be fixed, it’s almost guaranteed. There’s some people who Apple wants at WWDC. Where do they draw the line? It’s far too fuzzy. Here’s my suggestion: split WWDC into two events. One for iOS, one for OS X. Hold one in spring and one in summer. Keep the events small and exclusive. Going forward, they should announce and sell tickets exactly as they did this year (that is: announce it about a month ahead of time, then start ticket sales the following morning). How, then, should we keep tickets from selling out in two minutes? Easy. Jack up the price. It’s an idea everyone seems to be avoiding in their suggestions to Apple today, but it’s also the most obvious choice. It’s basic supply-and-demand economics. If the number of people willing and able to buy tickets exceeds the number of tickets available, the price has to go up. Who, by the way, is not to my knowledge developing for iOS or OS X. ↩︎ Friday, 26 April 2013 — By Austin	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1144
__label__cc	0.60691	0.39309	Is Shit for Trump great satire or is it just shit? Published 11/02/2016 by Benjamin Hiorns Like him or loath him, Donald Trump is big news right now. With his extremist right wing views and terrifyingly persuasive rhetoric, the man has carved a path through the American presidential circus with a fire and fury that have even made us Brits sit up and take notice. After all, this is a man who could end up being the most powerful human being on the planet, and that alone is a frightening prospect indeed. Hence why so many have attempted to deflect their terror with humour. Whilst the fart jokes are both abundant and obvious of course (his name is literally a fart), one site has taken matters a step further by utilising a source of physical comedy as old as time itself. Poo. “Trump is a leader who not only understands the value of pieces of shit, but who also has the force to push these same values forward in Washington” Pieces of Shit for Trump is less a website and more of an anti-campaign, which revolved around turning literal pieces of crap into supposed Donald Trump supporters. The site runners roped in barretSF to help them take a grassroots approach to helping these Trump 'fans' spread the love for the Republican presidential candidate during the primaries. @Shitfortrump, is an Instagram-based marketing campaign that plants campaign flags in piles of shit around various US cities and encourages voters to get their hands dirty as well. On the Shit for Trump website, fans can download tiny Trump campaign posters, affix a common household toothpick, and transform any piece of crap into a billboard that supports the controversial candidate, who intends to “Make America great again” by building a Canadian border and banning Muslims. Can't you just taste the sarcasm? Shit for Trump The site rather glibly declares: “From his political views to his personal beliefs, Donald Trump is a leader who not only understands the value of pieces of shit everywhere but who also has the force to push these same values forward in Washington. A candidate who is truly for us because HE IS US.” Phil Fattore, a Copywriter at barrettSF, adds: “We were concerned that Trump's bedrock support base (piles of excrement) wasn't getting the voice it deserved in this race. We've heard from bigots, delusional gun advocates, and xenophobes, but what about the umbrella group under which they all fall? Not a word, until today.” “We were concerned that Trump's bedrock support base (piles of excrement) wasn't getting the voice it deserved in this race” The agency hopes the effort becomes a nationwide movement, and it certainly stands a good chance, with many homegrown 'creations' already uploaded to the site. The account went live earlier this week, just in time for the New Hampshire primary, and whilst UK residents are not exactly encouraged to get involved, there's nothing stopping you from planting your own flag. Just be sure to wear gloves and wash your hands afterwards. Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and struggling musician from Kidderminster in the UK. He really enjoyed writing this article, because he might have just turned 30, but he's still a man-child underneath. Benjamin Hiorns Barrett SF barret sf barretsf pieces of shit for trump More Economy Chervelle Fryer tackles ocean waste with the 'Ocean Plastic Book.' Chervelle Fryer has illustrated the world's first children's book produced completely from recycled ocean plastic. A kid's book against ocean waste, made from ocean waste. More than 8 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans every year. By 2050... Posted by: Jelly London Talent Insights Report Q4 \| 2017: The UK Digital and Creative Sector The digital and creative sector contributed £84 billion in 2016 to the UK economy and accounts for 1 in 11 jobs. However, the digital and creative sector is extremely broad and the distinction between ‘digital’ and... Posted by: Gemini People Amazon doubling down on London investment despite Brexit Amazon is planting deep roots in London soil, with the online retail behemoth recently announcing plans to double its recruitment for research and development roles within the capital as it renews its focus on video and streaming services. The move...	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1149
__label__cc	0.66739	0.33261	Week 6 DraftKings NFL Picks And Analysis Week 5 was good by the performances. Unfortunately, there were five players who scored over 40 points and many were rostered in DFS lineups. That meant our score of 182 in one 50/50 was good enough to cash, but the other, 162, did not. If you’re keeping track, that means we’ve cashed in 6 of 8 lineups this season. Auden Tate’s dropped touchdown in the first quarter on a simple slant route was the difference for the second lineup not cashing. I had originally planned for three defenses last week, which was why the Colts were listed but the Eagles were actually the team I wrote about in the paragraph. The Colts were supposed to be a low-priced tournament play but I fudged the formatting and it wiped the Colts’ writeup after I noticed it was the night game (I only do the main slate). Regardless, all three defenses last week were great and I’ll happily take credit for picking the Colts against the Chiefs last week since it turned out to be such an insanely hopeful choice. We took a risk last week with the Bengals Falcons stacks and it worked to an extent. But as I stated last week, the Falcons stack was probably a safer play and the Bengals were the value, discount play. I’ll prioritize both the same way this week. This week, we are focusing on the Cardinals stack (value lineup), the Texans stack (safe lineup) and the Vikings (high variance Lineup). You’ll want to mix and match some other players in there, but these are the base lineups for the week. The High Variance lineup may be most suitable for those of you doing tournaments. Week 6 Preview Week 6 isn’t going to be the slam dunk at the defense position this week as we had 50 combined points between our two top defenses a week ago (Patriots & Eagles, with Colts #3). Fortunately for us, there’s plenty of good choices at receiver and quarterback this week. It’s a deep pool for value at both with running back being more of a question mark at the top. Colin's Picks For Week 6 of 2019 NFL Season QB Deshaun Watson (DK-$6,700) Kyler Murray (DK-$6,500) Kirk Cousins (DK-$5,200) RB Alvin Kamara (DK-$8,000) Nick Chubb (DK-$7,300) Tevin Coleman (DK-$4,400) WR Adam Thielen (DK-$6,700) Larry Fitzgerald (DK-$6,100) Dede Westbrook (DK-$5,100) TE Austin Hooper (DK-$5,000) Will Dissly (DK-$4,900) George Kittle (DK-$5,200) Defense Titans D (DK-$2,900) Jets D (DK-$1,500) 49ers D (DK-$2,700) Flex Tyler Boyd (DK-$6,300) Chase Edmonds (DK-$4,600) Matt Breida (DK-$5,100) Deshaun Watson (DK-$6,700) I’m still deciding if I’m going to run my first lineup through Watson or Murray but for now, let’s roll with Watson. It’ll likely be a game-time decision for me, but the Oddsmakers are putting Watson’s line above Murray for just a $200 bump. It’s at 300 yards passing, 40 rushing yards, and 2.75 touchdowns. Now, I could very well be wrong here, but I’ve got two reasons why I think this may be an advantage to Murray. For one, the Chiefs have a weak rush defense, so we’re going to see a good bit of Carlos Hyde, unless it starts getting into a negative game script for the Texans. On Murray’s end, Trey Edmonds is looking like the probable starter and the Falcons are actually pretty good against the run. The Falcons are going to keep pace in this game and they can’t exactly run the ball well, so there should be a lot more stoppages of the clock. Then again, you can make the case the Chiefs game will also be a shootout, especially with a game line of 55.5 total points. Whether you choose Murray or Watson, they should both be very solid. Kyler Murray (DK-$6,500) This matchup against the Falcons should be the meatiest (is that a word?) matchup for Kyler Murray all season. He’s the centerpiece of my safe lineup this week and should be stacked with Larry Fitzgerald, especially with Christian Kirk listed as questionable. Oddsmakers have set Murray’s line at two touchdowns and 280 yards passing. He’s also pegged for 35 yards rushing. The rushing floor here helps, but the big factor here for me is the Falcons poor overall defense. They are dead last in the adjusted sack rate and just extremely bad in pass defense. If they try to pressure Kyler, he will take off, but one important thing to consider is that not pressuring Kyler is worse when you look back on how accurate he was at Oklahoma behind a good offensive line. Kyler should feast in this game. Kirk Cousins (DK-$5,200) Last week was a realization for the Giants, an epiphany of sorts for the run-happy Vikings staff. Coming into last week, the Vikings did all they could to keep Kirk Cousins from jeopardizing their chances of winning. However, last week was a sigh of relief for those who started him against a poor Giants defense as the Vikings attacked the Giants at their point of weakness, their pass defense. This week is even more of an obvious tip-off for the Vikings game plan because the Eagles have one of the league’s elite rush defenses but also one of the league’s worst pass defenses. His line this week is only 1.75 TDs and 250 yards passing. I think this game should be somewhat of a shootout. If Cousins gets time in the pocket to attack this secondary, it should be a big day for Cousins and all who start him. Alvin Kamara (DK-$8,000) Kamara picked up a slight ankle injury and was limited in practice, but if he gets a full practice in Friday, fear not. The Jaguars have been terrible at stopping running backs this season, so you can expect them to lean on him heavily in a game in which Michael Thomas will be drawing coverage from the recently cleared Jalen Ramsey. Kamara’s line is around 125 total yards and his receptions line is 6.5, so it’s a very high floor/high ceiling week. Nick Chubb (DK-$7,300) Chubb is getting the green light here for a few reasons. For one, the Seahawks pass rush is awful, so if they commit to stopping Baker, which they’ll have to do at some point relatively early, the lanes and space should open up for Nick Chubb. It’s only going to take a small gap or a missed tackle in space for a guy like Chubb to turn a routine big gain into a long touchdown run or catch. Chubb’s line is 3.5 receptions and 120 total yards. Expect big things for the second-year man out of Georgia. Tevin Coleman (DK-$4,400) Don’t be fooled by Matt Breida last week. He’s an incredible running back and on par with Coleman in the talent department. Both appear to be on par in the opportunities department as well, with the slight edge going to Coleman for his history as a primary pass catcher in Atlanta under Kyle Shanahan. Coleman’s ceiling will never really be that high, due to the three-headed rushing attack going on in San Francisco, but his floor should be decent behind that run blocking. I get Juszczyk is out, but even so, the Rams defense is poor against the run and the 49ers love to pound it. Coleman’s line is 65 rushing yards and he has no receiving line, so for the price, he’s carrying immense value this week. Adam Thielen (DK-$6,700) At first, I thought this price was a mistake. Thielen’s line for the week is 85 yards. For this price on DraftKings, that’s a steal. Stack him with Cousins in a tournament lineup or just slot him in one of the other 50/50s because he could have a monster day. As long as Cousins gets time, they’re going to be attacking this bottom tier secondary as much as they possibly can this week. Expect a high floor and a high ceiling for Thielen this week. Larry Fitzgerald (DK-$6,100) Fitz is finally making the column. After all these years, if someone told me I’d be writing about Larry Fitzgerald and recommending him in DFS in 2019, I’d tell them they’re insane. Well, Larry has a date with a very vulnerable secondary who just got absolutely worked against the Texans. Larry’s line is YTBD because of the status of David Johnson but fear not. Kyler Murray will be facing the league’s worst pass rush as well. This is my lock pick of the week and I’m confident Larry turns back the clock and turns heads on Sunday in what will surely be a throwback performance for the 36-year-old. Dede Westbrook (DK-$5,100) I’m going to give a shout out to NFL.com’s Michael Florio on this one. Florio’s slot report revealed how Dede Westbrook will be facing the second-worst team at defending the slot, the Saints. Westbrook has also been targeted more than any other receiver in that offense this season, including DJ Chark of course. Westbrook’s line is 6 receptions and 55 yards, but I anticipate he’s going to have a much bigger week this week, especially since he’s really come on as of late, so the connection between the two is blossoming. Austin Hooper (DK-$5,000) Austin Hooper has surprised us all this year. He’s been a much more frequent target of Matt Ryan than anyone predicted this season, and this should be another really big week for him as he goes up against the league’s worst team at defending the tight end position. For such a low price and a moderately high line of 65 yards, Hooper should produce well for the price this week. Will Dissly (DK-$4,900) Will Dissly is a little lower this week on the expected yardage set by oddsmakers (60 yards). Don’t let it deter you from the promising matchup he has. The Cleveland Browns haven’t exactly faced a murderers row of tight ends this season and in their last game when they finally ran into a good one in George Kittle — Kittle burned them with 88 total yards and a touchdown. Dissly has been very involved this season and has touchdowns in a majority of games he’s played since joining the team. He’s a red-zone option and a damn good one, especially considering how the Browns are ranked 7th against opposing wide receivers. George Kittle (DK-$5,200) I leave Kittle out last week because of Monday night and my firm rules on Sunday games-only and he goes out and gets a touchdown and 88 total yards. I list this man every week because he’s the best all-around tight end in football. He’s insanely difficult to cover, he blocks better than any tight end in football, and he’s a playmaker when the ball is in his hands. Kittle has an 80-yard line this week so I’ll be flexing him in a lineup and hoping the low pricetag pays off. He’s the best value play at the position this week at only $5,200. Pay and play this man in what should be a very offensive-leaning game. Titans D (DK-$2,900) This is the only defense I feel completely safe about this week. They’re facing Joe Flacco. It’s a low total points line. I don’t feel very good about any defenses this week outside of maybe Baltimore, so scoop them up if you can afford them and cross your fingers they can put some heat on Joe Flacco. Jets D (DK-$1,500) This defense is purely for roster filling purposes. I don’t have some advanced data to show you that’s going to give you a surprisingly good pick here. We are choosing them strictly on budget, but it doesn’t mean they’ll be awful. They are at home, so that’s one positive, right? They’re also playing the Cowboys, who have been turning the ball over a lot lately. Their run defense is pretty solid and they do have Jamaal Adams in the secondary, last I checked. If the Jets are doing their due diligence for this game, they’ll recognize just how bad the Cowboys have been in pass protection this season. If they can pressure Dak, we could see the Cowboys’ troubles continuing this week. 49ers D (DK-$2,700) Don’t freak out. This one is kind of questionable but hey, I did pick the Eagles last week AND the Colts against the Chiefs, technically. Hear me out, the 49ers have likely the second smartest coach in the NFL. Kyle Shanahan has been a guy I’ve been beating the drum for since he was in DC on the Redskins staff. This guy unlocked the 2016 Falcons and worked magic his first season in San Francisco, where he was presented with a garbage defense, rotated a plethora of quarterbacks most people had never heard of, and made them look pretty good in the process. This season, the 49ers are 3rd in Adjusted Sack Rate (ASR) and boast a top 10 rush defense to go with it. The Rams have struggled at times in pass protection and might possibly be without Todd Gurley Sunday. It’s got all the ingredients for a 49ers victory. Don’t be scared, their floor is higher than you may think. Tyler Boyd (DK-$6,300) Boyd may actually be the best value receiver this week. Oddsmakers have him around 84 receiving yards, so the $6,300 tag is very close to Thielen’s projected total, but he’s $400 cheaper. Boyd will face the NFL’s fifth-worst team at defending the slot, so there should be plenty for Boyd to do this week while working out of the slot. Chase Edmonds (DK-$4,600) Chase Edmonds should be in one of your lineups if David Johnson isn’t cleared in time for the game. He’s got a lot of juice and is a very talented back. He’s not the receiver DJ is, but if David Johnson is out, Edmonds will be getting a lions share of rushes and receptions in the game. If you can afford him over Tevin Coleman, I’d probably go with Edmonds because of the insanely easy matchup he has with the Falcons. Matt Breida (DK-$5,100) Breida is the current leader in Yards Per Carry (YPC) in the NFL after five weeks (minimum 30 carries). It should come as no surprise that even after the loss of the best fullback in the league to an MCL sprain, Kyle Juszczyk, Breida is still a dynamic and explosive running back who is facing the 20th ranked rush defense in the NFL, the LA Rams. Breida has now clocked the fastest land speed mark for a ball carrier in each of the past two seasons. He will get a steady supply of touches in this game, so expect him to make the most of his non-Bell cow touches. Oddsmakers have set his line at 60 yards rushing, but you’re paying for the ceiling here. He’s not a slam dunk, but if you’re playing a tournament-style DFS contest, he’s a great option, simply for his breakaway ability.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1162
__label__wiki	0.624288	0.624288	Windows, Doors & Conservatories Personal Accountants Commercial Lawyers Conference & Event Organisers Car Dealers (New & Used) Car Repairs & Motor Service Taxi Companies Gyms, Personal Trainers & Fitness Classes Embassies & consulates in Alberta Consulate of Republic of Suriname in Kelowna Here are some ads you might be interested in from Embassies & consulates in Canada Embassy of Italy in Canada Embassies & Consulates in Ottawa General Consulate of Chile in Toronto Embassies & Consulates in Toronto Consulate of the Togolese Republic in Toronto British High Commission in Canada High Commission for the Republic of Zambia in Canada High Commission for the United Republic of Tanzania in… High Commission for the Countries of the Organization of… Samoa High Commission Embassies & Consulates in Canada High Commission for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in… Want to see more? Go to Embassies & consulates in Canada	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1174
__label__cc	0.576425	0.423575	Defence Intelligence College Nigeria 09 291 6702 Information Department Chronicle of CMD Courses for 2019 Rotunda Bar Class Rooms Commissioning of Rotunda Bar COURSE PAPERS ADIOC DIOC BIOC Defence Intelligence College Nigeria > Uncategorized THE COMBINED GRADUATION CEREMONY OF DEFENCE INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS COURSE 13/14, INTERMEDIATE FRENCH OFFICERS COURSE 02/14 AND DOCUMENT SECURITY COURSE 07/14 On February 19, 2017 By admin In Uncategorized 0 Comment The Defence Intelligence College ended the 2014 Academic Calendar with the Combined Graduation Ceremony of the Defence Intelligence Officers Course 13/14, Intermediate French Officers Course 02/14 and Document Security Course 07/14 at the SY Audu Hall of the College on 12 December 2014. The Defence Intelligence Officers Course is a 24 weeks course designed to… WELCOME TO DEFENCE INTELLIGENCE COLLEGE The Defence Intelligence College (DIC) was established in 2001 as the training arm of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA). At inception, the School was located at a temporary site within the Headquarters of the DIA in Bonny Camp, Lagos. The school relocated to its present location in Karu, Abuja in Oct 05. The School has… THE COMBINED GRADUATION CEREMONY OF THE DEFENCE INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS’ COURSE 14/15 AND THE JUNIOR DEFENCE INTELLIGENCE BASIC COURSE 11/15 The Combined Graduation Ceremony of the Defence Intelligence Officers’ Course 14/15 and the Junior Defence Intelligence Basic Course 11/15 was held on 29 September 2015 at the SY Audu Hall of the College after 12 weeks of intensive training. The 2 courses assembled on 6 July 2015 with 22 students in the Defence Intelligence Officers’… 2 DAYS WORKSHOP ON RESEARCH METHODOLOGY As part of efforts to improve on human capacity building in the College, the Commandant Defence Intelligence College, Commodore DH Moses organized a 2-day Workshop on Research Methodology for the staff. The 2 days workshop was aimed at further exposing the staff of the College to the requirements and requisite skills on Research Methodology. This… DEFENCE ADVISERS/ATTACHES ANNUAL REFRESHER TRAINING 2015 HELD AT DEFENCE INTELLIGENCE COLLEGE KARU ABUJA FROM 11 – 13 NOVEMBER 2015 The 2015 Annual Defence Advisers/Attaches (DAs) Refresher Course Training took place at Defence Intelligence College (DIC) Karu, Abuja from 11 – 13 Nov 15. Twenty-five DAs comprising 14 from NA, 6 from NN and 5 from NAF participated in the program. The objective of the program was to re-enlighten the DAs on contemporary issues impacting… COMBINED GRADUATION CEREMONY OF THE INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS OFFICERS’ COURSE 2/16 AND THE PSYCOLOGICAL OPERATIONS COURSE 7/16 The Defence Intelligence College Karu Abuja held a combined graduation for the Intelligence Analysis Officers’ Course 2/2016 and the Psychological Operations Course 7/2016 on 17 June 2016 at the SY Audu Hall of the College. This important occasion was graced by the Acting Chief of Defence Intelligence Major General SJ Davies and other dignitaries from… VISIT OF THE MALIAN DEPUTY CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF TO THE DEFENCE INTELLIGENCE COLLEGE The Malian Deputy Chief of General Staff Brigadier General Didier and his delegation came on a 3 days working visit to Nigeria from 27-29 June 2016. During the visit, the guest and his delegation visited the Defence Intelligence College on 29 June 2016 and was accompanied by the Acting Chief of Defence Intelligence Major General… COMMISSIONING OF A 36-ROOM STUDENT HOSTEL AT THE DEFENCE INTELLIGENCE COLLEGE. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General AG Olonisakin commissioned a 36 room student hostel at the Defence Intelligence College on Jul 16. The edifice was an addition to the existing 52 rooms’ hostel accommodation in the College. The CDS was accompanied by the Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), Air Vice Marshal MS Usman and… MAIDEN OFFICIAL VISIT OF THE CHIEF OF DEFENCE INTELLIGENCE TO THE DEFENCE INTELLIGENCE COLLEGE. The Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI) Air Vice Marshal MS Usman paid a courtesy visit to the Defence Intelligence College Karu Abuja on 1 August 2016. The visit was his first official call to the College since he assumed office in July 2016. It was aimed at appraising the College’s activities in areas of capacity… CHANGE OF COMMAND AT THE DEFENCE INTELLIGENCE COLLEGE The former Commandant Cdre DH Moses handed over command to the newly appointed Commandant Cdre EO Jaiyeola on 05 September 2016 Nigerian Navy Nigerian Airforce National Defence College Defence Intelligence Agency Nigerian National Assembly Guardian Newspaper Karu, Abuja Email: info@dicnigeria.com © Copyright 2013 - 2017. All Rights Reserved. \| Powered by APPMARKET	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1179
__label__cc	0.514124	0.485876	Bodies in Motion: A Bioarchaeological Analysis of Migration and Identity in Bronze Age Cyprus Anna Jean Osterholtz, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow Debra Martin Alan Simmons Third Committee Member Liam Frink Fourth Committee Member Fifth Committee Member Kathryn Korgan The analysis of human remains from the Bronze Age on Cyprus offers insights into underlying issues of social change and identity formation. Data collected from human remains from six sites throughout the southern half of Cyprus dating to the PreBA through the ProBA (2400--1100 BC) provide insight into social cohesion and group identity during this time of constant social change. Human remains were used to provide demographic data (such as number of individuals interred together, age at death and sex), health profiles (such as incidence of childhood stress, pathologies, and trauma), and robusiticty. Specifically, these data were gathered to provide an additional line of evidence regarding social identity on Cyprus during the Bronze Age and to address the issues of identity formation and change through time. Biocultural bioarchaeology is poised to address such issues through the combined examination of skeletal data in conjunction with archaeological data (such as tomb type, location, settlement pattern, subsistence pattern). In using a biocultural model, bioarchaeological data can help to examine social interaction and cultural buffering mechanisms. An additional goal of this research was the examination of bioarchaeological data to provide an additional line of evidence for issues of migration versus colonization and integration of external peoples at two pivotal times in the Bronze Age (the PreBA 1 and the ProBA 1 periods). These two time periods have been seen as moments in time where population influx occurred, usually explained by colonization or migration. This work supports the migration and hybridization model by showing a consistent lack of indicators expected to be present during times of social upheaval. Bioarchaeology; Bronze Age; Cyprus; Forensic archaeology; Group identity Archaeological Anthropology \| Biological and Physical Anthropology Osterholtz, Anna Jean, "Bodies in Motion: A Bioarchaeological Analysis of Migration and Identity in Bronze Age Cyprus" (2015). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 2406. Archaeological Anthropology Commons, Biological and Physical Anthropology Commons	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1185
__label__cc	0.717178	0.282822	Signs of Christmas One can always sense the approach of Christmas: Winter’s bite is in the air; crèches spring up, where permitted; uncles and aunts lay in supplies, most importantly food for the holiday; Dylan Thomas’ “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” is re-read, again; ACLU lawyers busy themselves preparing suits to prevent Baptist churches from ringing bells in Connecticut, soon to be followed by a suit requiring Catholic churches to remove crosses from steeples lest the sight send village atheists into psychological tailspins; books written by atheists decrying the asininity of the Christian faith are reviewed positively, without a hint of irony, in the Hartford Courant; and somewhere in this land of milk and honey, reporters or commentators once again threaten to start their own religion, unmindful of Voltaire’s advise to a student who asked him how best to go about such a business. Voltaire said: First you make a nuisance of yourself and get yourself arrested. Then you submit to crucifixion on a cross and die a painful death. And -- here comes the really hard part -- you lie in a tomb for a few days and, finally, raise yourself from the dead. To bring in the season this year, faith being too important a matter to be left to the ACLU and atheists alone, my wife, her guide dog Jake and I went to Saint Joseph’s Cathedral in Hartford to hear a performance of J.S. Bach’s “The Magnificat,” first performed at Vespers on Christmas Day 1723, at the Church of St Nicholas, Lepizig. “The Magnificat,” also called the canticle of Mary, is found in that section of the Christian bible where Mary the mother of Jesus, hearing that her sister Elizabeth is with child, pays her a visit. As soon as Elizabeth catches sight of her sister, the baby in her womb leaps for very joy. Now, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb is John the Baptist, who from this moment on never stopped leaping for very joy in the presence of God, and this leaping for joy is very much a part of Bach’s angelic music. To Elizabeth’s joyful greeting – “Blessed are you among women” -- her sister responds in what has come to be called the Canticle of Mary, a part of the Church’s prayer in the Divine Office or the Liturgy of the Hours: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden, for behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm: He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree. He has filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He has sent empty away.” In the Magnificat, Bach has set these words to music. Not for nothing is Mary regarded in some Christian churches as its first and best – meaning most faithful – theologian. She is the first disciple. Discipleship, as in the word “discipline,” involves a striving and an acceptance of salvational truth. The performance was well attended. Jake, too, was there among the trumpets, timpani, flutes, oboes, strings and continuo, his snout pointed in the direction of the copper colored drums, watchful by my wife’s side, catching a sly wink from one of the musicians and waiting under the high vaulted ceiling for what he knew not, blissful to be with us wherever we were. Then the singers filed in, filling the transept of the church, and the music began, and Mary’s prayerful words of assurance and longing rose like incense up the vaulted height and filled the twilight nuzzling the ceiling with Bach’s baroque five part chorus. After Bach, who is not prepared to embrace the joy at the very center of Christmas has no love of music, no love of God, no love of Love. To those who love music and God and Love – be joyful in this time of blessed expectations; for in the fullness of time, a savior sleeps in his mother’s arms. But soon it will be done to him according to his word: “And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men to myself.” That is the eternal message of The Magnificat. Labels: Bach, Elizebeth, Jake, John the Baptist, Mary, Thomas, Voltaire Happy Old Year Dodd’s Anti-War Views Mature A Matter Of Justice What Chris Dodd And The Go Along To Get Along Medi... What Now in Iraq? Dodd's Conditional "Support" Dodd, Ambassador At Large No More 9/11 Stem Cell cannibals The Terms of Surrender Rennie's Trojan Horse Is Dodd Credible? Dodd Runs Bolton Out Of Dodge Peas In A Pod: Spitzer and Blumenthal The Grand Ball The Last Moderate Republican Standing	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1188
__label__cc	0.642357	0.357643	Myrtleford Alpine Lawarla & Nara Girl Guides The Girl Guides core program is designed to develop leadership skills and opportunities for girls and young women aged 5 to 17 years. Challenges and meaningful community service stimulates self-discovery and allows girls to develop their skills and self-confidence. As a volunteer organisation they are reliant on their members and supporters to provide their time and expertise to deliver the Australian Guide Program. Volunteers are crucial at providing girls with a vast array of opportunities and Girl Guides Victoria are constantly looking to provide opportunities that make volunteering more inviting and support their volunteers in other aspects of their lives. Volunteering with Girl Guides provides women with an opportunity to give back and share their wealth of experience to girls who will be tomorrow’s leaders. Follow Myrtleford Alpine Lawarla & Nara Girl Guides on social media Like them on Facebook Follow them on Twitter Watch them on YouTube WomenYouth VISIT THEIR WEBSITE EMAIL THEM Lewis Avenue Sandra Sully Supports DoSomethingNearYou "I like how DoSomethingNearYou encourages us to think about the ways that we can give back," says Sandra Sully. Click here to find out what Sandra has to say about helping out in your local community. Worried about the bushfires? Here’s how you can help. Everyone in this country has been touched by fire in some way. During this national emergency, how are you going to give back?	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1192
__label__wiki	0.501743	0.501743	Boneyard Banter Login Basketball Board Golden Tankard About BYB Bonesville ECUPirates.com Pirate Club Reflector Sports Wash. Daily Sports News & Observer AAC Sports Banter Message Board Pour Won Joined: 5/17/18 Posts: 5379 We had the right guy for ECU, buttt.... (In response to this post by Kolchak) Posted: 10/11/2018 at 5:10PM Past recruiting problems -- captain crunch 10/11/2018 3:47PM Write it down. At the end of the day.... -- Kolchak 10/12/2018 2:49PM Well, we have been aware that when the -- captain crunch 10/12/2018 5:01PM A third year coach owns it all lock stock and barrel. No more excuses.. -- ultraviolet 10/11/2018 8:21PM Give it up man! -- chesapeakepirate 10/11/2018 5:59PM Its not blame is just the state we are in because -- captain crunch 10/11/2018 7:22PM It has been said before and bears repeating -- chesapeakepirate 10/11/2018 7:26PM Only 19/39 Skip signees from 2008 & 2009 on Ruff's 3rd Yr (2012) roster & -- Elizabeth City Pirate 10/11/2018 4:42PM Maybe it’s an ECU issue as much as coaching although coach can help/hurt -- highseas 10/11/2018 8:27PM Right on, same can be said of SLs last couple of classes -- PortCityPirate 10/11/2018 5:16PM Here is a Mo development issue -- ecupiratz 10/11/2018 4:20PM Dang, neither had started before. Mo may suck but these qb’s had no -- highseas 10/11/2018 8:31PM I would not go by rankings from 247..... -- Kolchak 10/11/2018 4:31PM We have had two qb`s transfer and do great at other schools. Coincidence??? -- cocacolapirate05 10/11/2018 4:43PM And 3 more that transferred down and/or vanished -- PortCityPirate 10/11/2018 5:15PM Groundhog Day...again. It’s all Ruff’s fault we lost 6-49 and to A&T -- I_believe 10/11/2018 4:10PM Now go do the same for Ruff when Skip left, then look around for similar -- piratesoul 10/11/2018 4:04PM Stop. Just stop -- ecu91 10/11/2018 3:59PM Youre so right. Its pathetic -- captain crunch 10/11/2018 4:06PM “Yeah man we’re the only smart people in the room!! Yeah man!!” -- I_believe 10/11/2018 4:22PM And, we listen to Alex Jones!!! -- Pour Won 10/11/2018 4:58PM Well I certainly hope you fellows know that is not my style at all -- pir8mon 10/11/2018 4:20PM I hear ya but have we confirmed he said that it that context? -- captain crunch 10/11/2018 7:25PM I think that is the reason most don't expect us to be great yet -- pir8 sl 10/11/2018 3:57PM Sounds like a used-car salesman. -- Pour Won 10/11/2018 5:00PM Fair points -- captain crunch 10/11/2018 4:07PM I am more concerned about the lack of improvement from many of his recruits -- pir8mon 10/11/2018 3:56PM #PHD4ECU -- turbopir8 10/11/2018 4:49PM You nailed it.... -- Kolchak 10/11/2018 4:20PM We had the right guy for ECU, buttt.... -- Pour Won 10/11/2018 5:10PM ... he tweeted GREEN :-) -- PortCityPirate 10/11/2018 5:19PM We are 2-3. If at years end we are on the wrong track i would totally suppo -- captain crunch 10/11/2018 4:04PM Serious question, Greg. No criticism intended. -- piratejag 10/11/2018 4:18PM Better question would be how many years before he stops .... -- Kolchak 10/11/2018 4:34PM Greg and I disagree on that. But... -- piratejag 10/11/2018 7:50PM I can promise you if we dont go to bowl next year im done -- captain crunch 10/11/2018 7:32PM If that turns out to be the case, we will have wasted 4 years.... -- Kolchak 10/11/2018 10:19PM I was so impressed when JC fired Ruff -- captain crunch 10/11/2018 10:54PM Well, that's why JC is not here any more. There are about 3 people in ... -- Kolchak 10/12/2018 2:48PM There were a lot of job openings already when they fired Ruff. -- pir8mon 10/11/2018 11:22PM That sums it up. -- Kolchak 10/12/2018 2:43PM That’s where I am . Plug pulling ..... -- pir8mon 10/11/2018 9:00PM Some young defensive players are indeed helping and getting better... -- pir8mon 10/11/2018 4:17PM IMO Too many walk on Scholarships. it feels like recruiting has improved.. -- Nooga 10/11/2018 3:55PM Support BYB: Shop at Amazon! © BoneyardBanter.com BoneyardBanter.com is an independent publication that is in no way affiliated with or sponsored by East Carolina or the East Carolina Athletic Department. The opinions of the author(s) on this site are independent and no way reflect the opinions of the East Carolina administrators, coaches, staff, or athletes. This site is best viewed using Mozilla Firefox, MS Internet Explorer, or Google Chrome at a video resolution of 1024x768 or higher. For more details, including a list of BoneyardBanter.com staff, see our About page. All original material and images are copyrighted by BoneyardBanter.com and may not be reused or reprinted without permission.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1200
__label__wiki	0.894507	0.894507	The Simpsons, post-apocalypse, inspires latest You Are Here production In a future with no electricity, humans gather to retell their favourite Simpsons’ episode to survive Liane Faulder When director Andrew Ritchie of You Are Here Theatre decides to mount a play, he asks himself two questions. Why this play, and why now? So know that when Mr. Burns: a post-electric play, debuts at the Westbury Theatre (10330 84 Ave.) later this month, it’s no random act. Given that visions of the apocalypse are generated almost daily (had you heard Vancouver will be underwater by 2050?) Mr. Burns is not only timely, it’s a musical. “The play is about how important storytelling is to humans,” says Ritchie, 31, interviewed as part of the Journal’s ongoing series about small, independent theatre companies in Edmonton. “The play asks how The Simpsons would survive in a post-apocalyptic, purely aural culture.” The Edmonton-born Ritchie launched You Are Here in 2016 with a focus on the production of contemporary Canadian plays with a political edge. But the company is also a vehicle for Ritchie to direct and produce shows he cares about. Mr. Burns, for instance, was written by American playwright Anne Washburn. But Ritchie has always been enamoured of The Simpsons, in part because he was forbidden to watch the iconic American TV series as a child. “It was taboo, so I immediately put it on a pedestal,” he says. A University of Alberta graduate with a Masters of Fine Arts from York University’s theatre program in Toronto, Ritchie is now the director of the theatre school at the Globe Theatre in Regina. He’s back in Edmonton for a month to direct Mr. Burns — part of the Fringe Theatre Spotlight series. The Journal talked with Ritchie about Hamlet, finding your voice, and why wanting what you can’t have is a very good thing. Q: You’ve been living and working in Regina for the last 18 months, and for a few years before that you were in Toronto. Why bring this show to Edmonton instead of mounting it elsewhere? A: I love this community, and it’s my home, although none of my family lives here anymore. In the five years I’ve been living away from Edmonton, I’ve returned every year to produce a show. Toronto is so much fun, but it’s harder to have an impact with theatre there. In Regina, you can see the micro-effects of the work in your neighbourhood, but Edmonton is a great, in-between place. It has a big regional player like the Citadel, and also a collection of small to medium-size and community theatres, and all the festivals. It feels like there is a real trajectory in this city and that the ecology here has a positive momentum, despite negative news from the provincial government regarding arts funding. There are so many reasons to be here. Q: You were a quiet kid before you were exposed to improv as a drama student at Archbishop Macdonald high school. How did that change you? A: I was very shy until I discovered I was funny. Improv brought me out of my shell and gave me my voice. My parents came to see me in the musical Grease at the school — I played Kenickie, the one who gets Rizzo pregnant — and they were shocked. Who is this kid? My mother still talks about it. Q: You Are Here sounds a lot like another local company, Thou Art Here. Is there any connection? A: Yes, it’s an off-shoot, a sister company. I co-founded Thou Art Here in 2011 with Neil Kuefler so I could direct and act in Shakespeare plays that are site-specific. (Last year, Thou Art Here produced Shakespeare’s Will, by Vern Theissen, at a local cemetery.) We also do the puppet shows at the Freewill Shakespeare Festival in Edmonton. Q: What do you hope the audience takes away from Mr. Burns? A: I want them to think about what will be remembered from this time, even if there is no apocalypse. How will our society be remembered? I want them to ask the question, in their own minds, ‘what will my family or friends remember about me? And what are the ramifications of the choices we all make?’ Q: This is a big show, with dance and music and 10 cast members. How did it come together? A: It’s a co-production with Blarney Productions, and we got a $25,000 grant from the Edmonton Arts Council. It’s happening through the Canadian Actors Equity artists’ collective agreement, which means the cast and crew are guaranteed a wage that’s less than the union rate and they also get a split of the house. People are donating a lot of their time for this show. Mr. Burns, a post-electric play, runs from Nov. 26 to Dec. 7. For tickets, visit fringetheatre.ca or call 780-409-1910. lfaulder@postmedia.com Workshop West Playwrights' Theatre appoints new artistic producer Six at the Citadel: Creators of mega-hit musical Six tell all... Top Arts Videos Watch: The CHROMAYEG takes over Kingsway Mall Watch: 15 giant portraits of Women Who Roar Watch: Kaleido festival ready to take over Alberta Avenue Watch: Terry Wickham — the friendly face behind the music on the hill Don't Miss Arts Blues traveller Harry Manx brings hybrid musical comforts to fans after 50 years in music Review: Violinist Alice Lee joins ESO to fend off cold during Sunday Showcase Youth-inspired Indigenous retelling of Macbeth to tour Treaty 6 nations before heading to Stratford Festival Boys are back in town: Big Wreck, Headstones, Moist and Tea Party at ECC July ... Lost in the Badlands: Netflix sci-fi series makes good use of unearthly elements near Drumheller Latest Festivals Edmontonians invited to enjoy Shakespeare, off-season, in new winter festival Year in Review: Fish Griwkowsky's top photos of 2019 Reflecting on River City: Edmonton's cultural highlights varied during vibrant 2019	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1206
__label__wiki	0.950868	0.950868	Jobs In Kent Jobs In Essex Jobs In Surrey Jobs In Sussex Jobs In Hampshire Are you recruiting? Todays Jobs Saved Jobs - Apply Now Jobseeker Sign In\| Register Jobseeker Sign In Email Address: Password (case-sensitive) Start applying for vacancies today. Today's Jobs Jobseeker Hub Start Recruiting Distance (miles): Contract: Industries: Please select Motor Trades Marketing Accountancy Over £10k Over £15k Over £20k Over £25k Over £30k Over £35k Over £40k Over £50k Over £75k Over £100k Over £50 Over £75 Over £100 Over £125 Over £150 Over £200 Over £250 Over £300 Over £400 Over £500 Over £5 Over £10 Over £15 Over £20 Over £25 Over £30 Over £35 Over £40 Over £45 Over £50 Did you know you can apply to multiple jobs in one go from your favourites section? Already have an account? Log in below to apply with your CV already attached! Don't have an account? Register with us and build a basket of your favourite jobs to apply to. It only takes seconds to register! Motor Tradesx Marketingx Accountancyx up to £500x >> clear all recent searches Care & Social Care Manual Labour Purchasing & Procurement From: Over £10k Over £15k Over £20k Over £25k Over £30k Over £35k Over £40k Over £50k Over £75k Over £100k Up to: Up to £10k Up to £15k Up to £20k Up to £25k Up to £30k Up to £35k Up to £40k Up to £50k Up to £75k Up to £100k From: Over £75 Over £100 Over £125 Over £150 Over £200 Over £250 Over £300 Over £400 Over £500 Up to: Up to £75 Up to £100 Up to £125 Up to £150 Up to £200 Up to £250 Up to £300 Up to £400 Up to £500 From: Over £5 Over £10 Over £15 Over £20 Over £25 Over £30 Over £35 Over £40 Over £45 Over £50 Up to: Up to £5 Up to £10 Up to £15 Up to £20 Up to £25 Up to £30 Up to £35 Up to £40 Up to £45 Up to £50 Any Perm Temp Contract Any Full-Time Part-Time Any Direct Employer Agency 10 results per page 20 results per page 30 results per page 50 results per page There is more than one location for your term: Please choose your location from below Get new jobs for this search 'Accountancy, Marketing and Motor Trades jobs in Kent' by email. Ooops! No jobs were found that match your search. Try adapting your search for a more broad search or try browsing: Motor Trades jobs in Kent Marketing jobs in Kent Accountancy jobs in Kent Some location for specific towns or villages are approximately located on the map. JobsInKent.com © 1999-2020 JIK Software Ltd Follow @jobsinkentcom	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1211
__label__cc	0.513547	0.486453	ProPublica: They Loan You Money. Then They Get A Warrant For Your Arrest. By Cooked Crack, December 5, 2019 in The Tailgate Cooked Crack Cecila Avila was finishing a work shift at a Walmart. David Gordon was at church. Darrell Reese was watching his granddaughter at home. Jessica Albritton had pulled into the parking lot at her job, where she packed and shipped bike parts. All four were arrested by an armed constable, handcuffed and booked into jail. They spent anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days behind bars before being released after paying a few hundred dollars in bail or promising to appear in court. None of the four, who live in northern Utah and were detained last year, had committed a crime. They had each borrowed money at high interest rates from a local lender called Loans for Less and were sued for owing sums that ranged from $800 to $3,600. When they missed a court date, the company obtained a warrant for their arrest. Avila was handcuffed and marched down the main aisle in the Walmart in front of customers and co-workers. “It was the most embarrassing thing,” said Avila, 30, who has worked at the store for eight years. At the time of the arrest, Loans for Less had applied to garnish her wages. “It just didn’t make any sense to me,” she said. “Why am I being arrested for it?” It’s against the law to jail someone because of an unpaid debt. Congress banned debtors prisons in 1833. Yet, across the country, debtors are routinely threatened with arrest and sometimes jailed, and the practices are particularly aggressive in Utah. (ProPublica recently chronicled how medical debt collectors are wielding similar powers in Kansas.) Most people scramble to meet bail to avoid being incarcerated. Others, like Avila, Gordon and Albritton, are booked into jail and held until they pay. They often borrow from friends, family, bail bonds companies and even take on new payday loans. “Bail” has a different meaning in Utah than it does in other states — one that tilts the power even more in the direction of lenders and other creditors. In 2014, state legislators passed a law that made it possible for creditors to get access to bail money posted in civil cases. Prior to that, bail money would return to the defendant. Now, it is routinely transferred to high-interest lenders. The law has transformed the state’s power to incarcerate into a powerful tool to guarantee that loan companies get paid. As Peterson put it, “They’re handcuffing and incarcerating people in order to get money out of them and apply it towards insanely high interest rate loans.” https://www.propublica.org/article/they-loan-you-money-then-they-get-a-warrant-for-your-arrest?utm_content=buffer3df53&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=ProPublica+Main+ Contwarian Would they have been arrested if they did not skip the court date? you ignore a judge at your own risk. kfrankie Subpoenas are a similar type of tool which can subject you to a body attached for failure to appear. Chachie The Franchise Player 37 minutes ago, twa said: But not Congress, apparently. 9 minutes ago, Chachie said: Congress got no stones, a pissed judge gots plenty of help Especially when it's a pissed judge and a corporation, vs a poor person. PleaseBlitz The Pro Bowlers 1 hour ago, twa said: No, just probably lose their job for missing a shift. This country is a thieves paradise. ~Bang Edited December 5, 2019 by Bang TryTheBeal! Red state paradise. 2 hours ago, PleaseBlitz said: That would be bad since they need to pay the loan and fine.....maybe court costs as well We should just let em off they could hire a good lawyer to represent them right???....can I get a amen from the vulture seats? Edited December 5, 2019 by twa bearrock But it's odd that a judge would issue a capias instead of entering a default judgment in a run of the mill civil case. I don't think I've heard of such instances in Virginia other than family law cases. skinsmarydu It's one of those stupid things like jailing someone who is in arrears with child support. A JAILED PERSON CANNOT PAY ANYTHING TO ANYONE!...will lose their job, probably their home/apartment, get their vehicle repossessed, and lose any decent credit rating they might have had. How does that help ANYTHING? CousinsCowgirl84 20 hours ago, twa said: Yea, but the person taking a payday loan like this isn’t a financially stable person who can afford to miss work for a court date.... Llevron They get away with it because people who find themselves to be so high up that this cant effect them see this as some kind of game. TWA is a good example of what I mean. He strikes me as the type of cat that would cry foul if he or his family were ever in these kinds of situations. But because to him it seems impossible for it to happen to him, its a joke. I dont know how to characterize it better than that. redskinss In torn on this. On the one hand, I despise payday loans and predatory lending. I think its despicable to loan money to people who cant afford it at astronomical rates knowing full well your intention is to essentially make them indentured servants to the interest. On the other hand I also know there are people who take advantage of lenders knowing that there are laws that protect them from being deadbeats and never intending to pay back what they borrowed. This is why the lending industry should be the most strictly regulated industry in the world. 1 hour ago, Llevron said: TWA is a good example of what I mean. He strikes me I'm a working man	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1212
__label__wiki	0.535091	0.535091	Legal and ethical aspects Parallel session 2 - track 2.2 (chair: Achim Osswald) › 15:15 - 15:45 (30min) › Room 1 "Espace étudiants" sciencesconf.org:etd2016:93431 Plagiarism Detection of Doctoral Theses: Current Indian Practices & Functionalities Surendra Kale 1, @ 1 : Librarian J. D. Patil Sangludkar Mahavidyalaya, Daryapur (Amravati) - Website Akot Road, Daryapur Amravati (Maharashtra) - India UGC (India, 2013) was reported that there are 20275 doctoral degree awarded during this year but integrated hard statistics regarding doctoral research output in India in a single document so far is not been available but on the basis of extrapolation of available statistics, it is estimated that there is around 50 to 60 thousands doctoral theses are produced in India annually. Further the figure is much higher if M.Phil and other postgraduate dissertations are considered. Due to traditional practices, localization and absent of national policies in past for accepted theses and dissertations remains an un-tapped and under-utilized asset, leading to unnecessary duplication and repetition that, in effect, is the antitheses of research and wastage of human resources the quality is sacrificed. In India due to evolution of advanced technologies and subsequent its uses the practice of electronic publishing took place and plagiarism became most important issue directly related to quality of research work that most students and faculty have. However, the risks of exposure of plagiarism is much larger in a scenario where theses are available in electronic format publicly given the fact that most scholars and researchers still work in fields where a fairly small group of workers have detailed knowledge of their work. Moreover, the technology that has made ETD possible also provides mechanism to detect plagiarized passages in electronic documents. Several software packages have now been developed that detect plagiarism. The software examines document files submitted for detection of plagiarism. It extracts the text portions from these documents and looks through them for matching words in phrases of a specified minimum length. When it finds matching files that share enough words in a number of phrases, a report are generated which contain the document text with the matching phrases underlined. Widespread use of such packages would increase risks of detection. (UGC, 2005). This study has been surveyed of 249 MOU based universities from shodhganga repository homepage and set hypothesis whether all universities that are made MOU with INFLIBNET centre are scanned ETD files to detect plagiarism prior to upload the theses the repository or not. The primary result is positive encouraged that they are gradually changing their local statute and making plagiarism certificate mandatory to the scholars. Now India has national policy for the promotion of ETDs, in this context Government of India has issued regulation in 2009 under which regularizes different issues related to research degree awarded by universities and institutions. Said regulation also mandate is mandate to deposit to shodhganga repository within period of 30 days from its submission. A Part of this INFLIBNET (Inter University Centre UGC) has signed Memorandum of Association to 249 universities in India those are listed under section 2(f) & 12 (B) of University Grants Commission Act, 1956 are providing anti plagiarism software free of cost that the plagiarism check to doctoral theses becomes mandatory . S.T. Kale has been working as Librarian at J.D. Patil Sangludkar Mahavidyalaya Daryapur District Amravati (Maharashtra, India) is member of Networked Digital Library of Theses & Dissertations (NDLTD). He did Master's degree in Commerce and Master in Library and Information Science from SGB Amravati University Amravati (Maharashtra), Post Graduate Diploma in Library Automation and Networking (PGDLAN) from University of Hyderabad and Post Graduate Diploma in Digital Library and Information Management (PGDLIM) from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Mumbai. He has 19 years of experience in librarianship in electronic information environment and contributed many publications in journals as well as in seminars and conferences in India as well as abroad. He is the life member of Indian Association of Special Libraries and Information Centre (IASLIC) Kolkata (India) presently work on Institutional repository, digital libraries, D-Space, SOUL 2.0 and Koha Subject : : Communication Topics : Legal and ethical aspects Keywords : ETDs ; Plagiarism: Doctoral Theses: ; Universities ; India Plagia_Abst.docx Kale.png S.T. Kale Plagi.papr_1_.pdf	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1218
__label__cc	0.511791	0.488209	🇳🇱 Nederlands PoliticsUncategorizedWest Bauman: History repeats itself. We are coming back to the small, tribal states. By EditorSunday 14 January 2018 One Comment Helena Celestino: How do you explain the Brexit vote? What must Europe must to avoid losing more members states? Zygmunt Bauman: Starting from the second sub-question: let’s hope that the mess that the Brexit adventure has cast and will be casting further on the (no longer…)United Kingdom may (just may) prove to be the best imaginable sobering concoction for those intoxicated enough to support the tribal “Euro-skeptics” in other member states of the EU. But now to your first and fundamental question: for the millions of Britons left behind or fearing to be left at any moment without warning; for the victims of deregulated labour markets and financial forces, which have been let off the leash; of the reckless rising of inequality; of the fast shrinking of the ranks of the beneficiaries of the Ronald Reagan/Margaret Thatcher inheritance and equally fast multiplication of the mass of their losers; of the on-going descent of the once self-confident middle-classes into the condition of a frightened, disabled and unsure of itself “precariat” – the British referendum was the rare, well-nigh unique chance to unload their long accumulated, blistering/festering anger against the establishment as a whole: the system notorious for failing to deliver on its promises. In normal parliamentary elections, such a chance is severely constrained: rejecting one party, one part of the establishment, only to willy-nilly admit other to the same establishment who eager to manage it but who are willing to do very little to change it. In the British referendum, however, all major parties of the establishment were on one side: the voters could manifest their indignation, disgust, resentment with and refusal to trust the whole establishment in one go: to the “order (or rather disorder) of things” as such. The big question is, however, whether taking that chance will deliver the anti-establishment protesters more than just the satisfaction of a one-off release of their wrath. What oppressed and haunted the “leave” voters were – grossly misleadingly – diverted by the referendum’s organizers and focused on the European Union: the institution that with all its failings and misdemeanors served as a protective shield against the genuine culprits of all those woes and stresses that made the protesters frightened and angry; a shield admittedly far from foolproof, but managing at least to mitigate the damage that otherwise those genuine culprits would perpetrate. Those real culprits are financial, investment and trading powers (alongside criminality, terrorism, arms trade, drug trafficking) already globalized, extraterritorial and so emancipated from political control still in the hands of formally “sovereign” but territorially confined. All or most of the injustices and wrongdoings that made the protesters protest can be traced back to the confrontation between the powers free from effective political control and politics suffering the constant deficit of power. The decision made in the referendum can not do much else than exacerbate that conflict, thereby facilitating the job of the uncontrolled powers while further diminishing the politics’ capability of controlling them. A spike of hate’s crimes, financial crash, crises inside Conservative and Labor Party. Does it look like the government lost? We are but at the very beginning of the (as Americans would say) a “new ball game” which none of the voluntary or involuntary players knows how to play, having no inkling of its rules (if there are any – particularly such rules that bind). What can be said at the moment with any degree of conviction is that all forces of the British establishment shot themselves in their feet and are emerging from the foolishly set test sorely discredited. Many “Leave” voters are already realizing their mistake and regret what they have done. Up to 4 million British signed the petition asking for a second referendum. I can’t predict whether a second referendum will take place, but I can vouch that many figures in the political elite who heedlessly (for the inner-party reasons) called the nation to the polls on one matter disguised as another have had (alas, belatedly) second thoughts. Will nationalism and borders come back and last for a period of time in Europe? How do you feel about this new order? “If states ever become large neighbourhoods, it is likely that neighbourhoods will become little states. Their members will organize to defend their local politics and culture against strangers. Historically, neighbourhoods have turned into closed and parochial communities … whenever the state was open” – so Michael Walzer retrospectively concluded over thirty years ago from the accumulated experience of the past, presaging its repetition in the imminent future. [1] That future, having turned into the present, confirmed his expectation and thus reasserted his diagnosis. Courtesy of globalization and of the ensuing separation and divorce of power and politics, states are indeed turning presently into not much more than larger neighbourhoods confined to the inside of in only vaguely delineated, porous and ineffectually fortified borders – whereas the neighbourhoods of yore, once anticipated to accompany the rest of pouvoirs intermédiaries in their travel into the dustbin of history, struggle to take on the role of “little states” – making the most of what has been left of quasi-local politics and of the state’s once jealously guarded unshared and inalienable monopolist prerogative of setting apart “us” from “them” (and of course vice versa). “Forward” to the “little states” boils down to “back to the tribes”… On a territory populated by tribes, conflicting sides shun and doggedly desist persuading, proselytising, converting each other; the inferiority of a member – any member – of alien tribe is and must need be and remain predestined – eternal and incurable – liability, or at least seen and treated as such. Inferiority of the other tribe must be its ineffaceable and irreparable condition and its indelible stigma beyond repair – bound to resist all and any attempt at rehabilitation. Once the division between “us” and “them” has been performed according to such rules, the purpose of any encounter between the antagonists is no longer its mitigation, but a gaining/creating of yet more proof that mitigation is contrary to reason and out of the question. To let the sleeping dog lie and avert misfortune, members of different tribes lock in a superiority/inferiority loop don’t talk to, but past each other. Is the post 1945 order imposed on the world by the US and their allies unraveling? The post-1945 “order” has been irretrievably unraveled with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Since then, the US tried repeatedly to replace it with a new order of pax americana. It failed abominably. At the moment, we all live on a multi-centered globe with no forces in sight that are alone or together capable or earnestly trying to “order” it. As Ulrich Beck, one of greatest thinkers of the past century prominent for his unique insight into the shape of things to come put it, we are already cast in a cosmopolitan condition but thus far we have not yet started to develop a cosmopolitan awareness (not to mention, as I would add, the institutions adequate to dealing with that cosmopolitan condition). Europe failed to make policies to receive refugees and this was one of the reasons why UK voted to leave and also due to Mrs Merkel’s and Mr Hollande’s political difficulties. What could be done to balance the moral obligations and political reasons? In the little book “Strangers at our door”, published a few weeks ago by the Polity Books, I’ve written of “universal and extemporal problems with “strangers in our midst” – appearing at all times and haunting all sectors of the population with more or less similar intensity and in more or less similar measure. Densely populated urban areas inevitably generate the contradictory impulses of “mixophilia” (attraction to variegated, heteronymous surroundings auguring unknown and unexplored experiences and for that reason promising pleasures of adventure and discovery), and “mixophobia” (fear of the unmanageable volume of the unknown, untameable, off-putting and uncontrollable). The first propulsion is the city life’s main attraction, the second being, on the contrary, its most awesome bane; especially in the eyes of the less fortunate and resourceful, who – unlike the rich and privileged who are capable of buying themselves into the “gated communities” to insulate themselve from the discomforting, perplexing, and time and again terrifying turmoil and brouhaha of crowded city streets – lack the capacity to cut themselves off from the numberless traps and ambushes that are scattered all over the heterogeneous, and all too often unfriendly, distrustful and hostile urban environment, to whose hidden dangers they are doomed to remain exposed to for life. As Alberto Nardelli informs in The Guardian, “Nearly 40% of Europeans cite immigration as the issue of most concern facing the EU – more than any other issue. Only a year ago, less than 25% of people said the same. One in two of the British public mention immigration as among the most important issues facing the country”. It is human, all too human, habit to blame and punish the messengers for the hateful contents of the message they carry from those baffling, inscrutable, frightening and rightly resented global forces which we (for a sound reason) suspect to bear responsibility for the agonizing and humiliating sense of existential uncertainty, which wrecks and grinds down our confidence as well as plays havoc with our ambitions, dreams and life plans. And while we can do next to nothing to bridle the elusive and faraway forces of globalization, we can at least divert the anger they caused us and which they go on causing, and unload our anger, vicariously, on their close to hand and within reach products. This won’t, of course, reach anywhere near the roots of the problems, but might relieve at least for some time the humiliation of our haplessness and our incapacity to resist the disabling precariousness of our own place in the world. That twisted logic, the mindset it generates and the emotions it lets lose, provide highly fertile and nourishing meadows tempting many a political vote-gatherer to graze on. This is a chance, which a growing number of politicians would loathe to miss. Capitalizing on the anxiety caused by the influx of strangers, who are feared to push further down the wages and the salaries already refusing to grow and to lengthen yet more the already abominably long queues of people lining up (to no effect) for the stubbornly scarce jobs, is a temptation to which very few politicians already in office or aspiring to an office would be able to resist. [1] Spheres of Justice: A Defence of Pluralism and Equality, Basic Books 1983, p.38. is a Polish sociolgist, philosopher, professor of humanities and one of the creators of the concept of postmodernism. Source: political critique This interview was originally published in the Brazilian weekly newspapers „Valor”. Previous PostKnowledge & Education: The Spirit of Hannah Arendt (Documentary Film) Next PostBurning summers after the spring 🇳🇱 NederlandsMiddle EastPoliticsWorld Volkswoede in Iran EditorTuesday 7 January 2020 Middle EastPoliticsTolerance A Critique of the Eurocentric Vision of the Middle East EditorMonday 25 November 2019 Food for thoughtPoliticsWorld The Twenty-First Century Left will be Anti-Capitalist EditorTuesday 5 November 2019 History repeats itself – memory of a bird (and a thousand words) says: Monday 12 February 2018 at 5:19 pm […] Zigmunt Bauman, interviewed by Helena Celestino. “Bauman: History repeats itself. We are coming back to the small, tribal states.” In Eutopia Institute: http://eutopiainstitute.org/2018/01/bauman-history-repeats-itself-we-are-coming-back-to-the-smal… […] © 2020 Eutopia. Over Eutopia	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1220
__label__cc	0.607191	0.392809	The Arthritis Foundation’s original Jingle Bell Run is a fun way to get decked out and be festive, while racing to raise funds and awareness to cure America’s #1 cause of disability. Washington Park (Cross-Streets: Franklin St. & Mississippi St.) 701 South Franklin Street 7:30 a.m. - Registration, Expo Area & VIP Areas Open 9:00 a.m. - Opening Remarks & Kids Fun Run 9:30 a.m. - Race Begins (5k Timed, 5k Untimed, 1 mile) 10:00 a.m. - Race Winners Announced 10:30 a.m. - Top Teams & Costume Contest Winners Announced 12:00 p.m. - Event Ends Packet Pick-up Come by the Boulder Running Company’s Cherry Creek location to pick up your t-shirts & bibs before race day! When: Friday, December 6 from 2:00 - 7:00 p.m. Where: 2500 E 1st Avenue, Denver, CO 80206 Parking: Complimentary parking up to 1 hour right next to the store. Perks: Boulder Running Company is offering a 15% discount on in store merchandise* to shoppers who come by! Jingle Bell Run Pricing 5k - Includes shirt, timing chip and jingle bells. $35 / thru August 31 / Price increases Sept. 1 $40 / Sept. 1 - Oct. 31 / Price increases Nov. 1 $45 / Nov. 1 - Dec. 5 at 12:00 a.m. (online registration closes) $50 / Dec. 8 (day of event) 5k Untimed - Includes shirt and jingle bells. 1 mile - Includes shirt and jingle bells. Kids Run - Snowman Scramble (12 & Under) - Includes shirt and jingle bells. $15 / thru Oct. 31 / Price increases Nov. 1 Jingle in Your Jammies - Can’t attend the event, but still want to be part of the fun? Choose this option to receive a shirt and fundraise for a cure! $30 / thru Dec. 8 (day of event) For more help or information about the 2019 Jingle Bell Run - Denver, CO contact Kelly-Ann Korosi at [email protected] or call 720-758-9618.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1221
__label__wiki	0.766408	0.766408	Sam enlists everyone’s help in trying to track down Dean, who can literally be anywhere. Meanwhile, Castiel may be in over his head after meeting up with an unreliable source. After .. show full overview Sam enlists everyone’s help in trying to track down Dean, who can literally be anywhere. Meanwhile, Castiel may be in over his head after meeting up with an unreliable source. After being drained of his grace, Jack is adjusting to life as a human, learning new skills and figuring out how he fits in to this world of hunters. Sam finds a clue to Dean’s whereabouts, so he, Mary and Bobby set out to investigate. Castiel imparts some sage advice on Jack, who, still desperate to belong, seeks out a familial connection. Still trying to solve the mystery of what happened to Dean, Sam enlists the help of Sheriff Jody Mills who may unknowingly already be on the case. Castiel continues to be a father figure .. show full overview Still trying to solve the mystery of what happened to Dean, Sam enlists the help of Sheriff Jody Mills who may unknowingly already be on the case. Castiel continues to be a father figure to Jack, who surprises even himself, when a life is on the line. Dean continues to struggle. Meanwhile, Sam must think fast when action figures come to life, and our heroes find themselves living in a real-life horror movie. Nightmare Logic After a hunt gone wrong leaves Maggie’s whereabouts unknown, Sam, Dean, Mary and Bobby race to find her, but what they find are their own worst nightmares. Sam and Charlie team up to get to the bottom of a string of random disappearances. Meanwhile, Jack believes that he has found a case and convinces Dean to partner-up with him on the hunt. Unhuman Nature Sam and Castiel track down a Shaman, who may be able to help a friend. Nick continues to spiral down a dark path as he looks for answers surrounding the deaths of his wife and son. Jack turns to Dean for help enjoying the human experience. When Sam and Dean join forces with an unexpected ally, the outcome will alter the course of two lives. Meanwhile, Heaven faces an attack from a dark force, driving Castiel to make an enormous sacrifice to make things right. The Spear Sam and Dean enlist the help of their pal Garth to gain inside information on what Michael may be planning. The brothers split up to each go after weapons that can aid in their fight .. show full overview Sam and Dean enlist the help of their pal Garth to gain inside information on what Michael may be planning. The brothers split up to each go after weapons that can aid in their fight against the Archangel, but this may be a fight our heroes cannot win. Michael has re-taken control of Dean as his army of monsters continues to move in on our heroes. Sam devises a plan to try and reach Dean and stop Michael before anyone else has to die. Dean spends some bonding time with Mary and Donna. Nick finally finds the answer he has been searching for. Sam is left to make an unimaginable choice. Prophet and Loss Sam and Dean must figure out how to stop the bloodshed when Donatello, who, in his current condition, is inadvertently scrambling the order of future prophets. Nick comes face to face with his past. Sam and Dean look to occult lore for a solution to their latest problem, but instead of a resolution, they find much more than either of them had anticipated. Sam and Dean enlist the help of Rowena to track down a demi-god who feasts on human flesh; the challenge of keeping Michael at bay is proving to be more difficult than originally anticipated. Sam and Castiel follow a case to a picturesque little town in Arkansas, only to find out nothing is as idyllic as it appears to be. Dean and Jack take a road trip to visit an old friend. Don't Go in the Woods Sam and Dean are baffled when they come up against a monster they have never heard of before; Jack does his best to impress a new group of friends. Sam and Dean race to help a friend in need. Meanwhile, Mary is concerned for Jack’s wellbeing, and Castiel enlists help from Jo/Anael to track down a miracle. Sam and Dean continue to worry about the condition of Jack's soul. Sam, Dean and Castiel investigate a string of suspicious deaths that have a biblical element to them. 14x20 Final da temporada Sam, Dean and Castiel are thrown into an epic battle. Meanwhile, Jack becomes disenchanted with all the lies, and an old friend from the past shows up. Diablero (26 seguidores) SAS: Who Dares Wins (36 seguidores) AJ and the Queen (51 seguidores) Sex Education (1721 seguidores)	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1225
__label__wiki	0.670316	0.670316	EPS News News For Electronics Purchasing And The Supply Chain Business-Finance Component Sourcing Buying Strategies Tag Archives: MACOM Entries tagged with "MACOM" MACOM, STMicro Partner on GaN on Silicon Wafers MACOM Technology Solutions announced an agreement to develop GaN on Silicon wafers to be manufactured by ST for MACOM’s use across an array of RF applications. MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MTSI) (“MACOM”), a leading supplier of high-performance RF, microwave, millimeterwave and lightwave semiconductor products, and STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving… February 7, 2018 Leave a commentNews WireBy News Desk Richardson RFPD Intros New MACOM Darlington Amplifier Richardson RFPD, Inc. announced today the availability and full design support capabilities for a broadband Darlington amplifier from MACOM Technology Solutions Inc. The MAAM-011206 is a versatile, DC–15 GHz Darlington amplifier, with 13.5 dB typical gain and +18 dBm of output power. The input and output are fully matched to 50 Ω. Third order linearity (OIP3) is… October 3, 2017 Leave a commentNews WireBy News Desk MACOM to Acquire AppliedMicro MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MTSI) (“MACOM”), a leading supplier of high-performance analog RF, microwave, millimeterwave and photonic semiconductor products, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Applied Micro Circuits Corporation (NASDAQ:AMCC) (“AppliedMicro”), a global leader in Connectivity and Computing solutions for next-generation cloud infrastructure and Data Centers, for approximately… November 21, 2016 Leave a commentNews WireBy News Desk Richardson RFPD Expands M/A-COM Into Europe Richardson RFPD, Inc. announced today that its distribution of a large portfolio of serial digital interface (SDI) video and optoelectronics products from M/A-COM Technology Solutions has expanded into Europe. MACOM’s high-performance analog portfolio grew significantly as a result of the company’s 2013 acquisition of Mindspeed Technologies. The product range features SDI video and optoelectronics products,… May 10, 2016 Leave a commentNews Ticker, News WireBy News Desk MACOM Sues Infineon over GAN Tech Rights Lowell, Mass. – MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MTSI) (MACOM), a leading supplier of high-performance analog RF, microwave, millimeterwave and photonic semiconductor products, today announced that it has initiated legal action against Infineon Technologies and International Rectifier (acquired by Infineon in 2015), to defend its rights to use the pioneering and patented gallium nitride on… April 29, 2016 Leave a commentNews Ticker, News WireBy News Desk Richardson RFPD Adds MACOM Products Geneva, Ill. – Richardson RFPD, Inc. announced today the availability and full design support capabilities for a selection of SDI video and optoelectronics products from M/A-COM Technology Solutions. MACOM’s SDI video products span a complete signal chain for an SDI link, including multi-rate equalizer and cable driver solutions for emerging ultra-high-definition (UHD) TV standards and legacy 3G, HD… MACOM Buys Aeroflex’s Diode Business Lowell, Mass.– M/A-COM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MTSI) (MACOM), a leading supplier of high-performance analog RF, microwave, millimeterwave and photonic semiconductor products, today announced that it has acquired 100% of Aeroflex’s diode business for $38 million in cash. The business had approximately $37 million in revenue for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014.… December 29, 2015 1 CommentNews Ticker, News WireBy News Desk MACOM to Buy FiBest Lowell, Mass.– M/A-COM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MTSI) (MACOM), a leading supplier of high-performance analog RF, microwave, millimeterwave and photonic semiconductor products, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire FiBest Limited (FiBest), a Japan-based merchant market component supplier of optical sub assemblies, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $60… November 18, 2015 Leave a commentNews Ticker, News WireBy News Desk Richardson RFPD Adds New MACOM Power Amplifier Geneva, Ill. – Richardson RFPD, Inc. announced today the availability and full design support capabilities for a new 2W power amplifier from M/A-COM Technology Solutions. The MAAP-011145 is assembled in a 7 mm surface mount, lead-free cavity package with a temperature compensated integrated power detector operating from 17.65 to 19.75 GHz. The circuit provides 25 dB small signal… August 13, 2015 Leave a commentNews Ticker, News WireBy News Desk Richardson RFPD Adds MACOM GaAs Power Amplifier Geneva, Ill. – Richardson RFPD, Inc. announced today the availability and full design support capabilities for a new GaAs power amplifier from M/A-COM Technology Solutions. The MAAP-011022 high power balanced amplifier operates from 2.7 to 3.0 GHz, provides 7W of pulsed power, and is designed to operate at an 8% duty cycle. The new amplifier provides rugged performance… May 4, 2015 News Ticker, News WireBy News Desk Copyright © 2019 by AspenCore, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Web Design by WR	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1226
__label__cc	0.738061	0.261939	Public versus Private Sector Wage Gap in Egypt: Evidence from Quantile Regression on Panel Data Aysit Tansel, Halil İbrahim Keskin and Zeynel Abidin Özdemir This paper considers the public and private sector wage earners in Egypt and examines their wage distribution during 1998-2012 using Egyptian Labor Market Panel Survey. We estimate the public private sector wage gap with Mincer wage equations both at the mean and at different quantiles of the wage distribution. In this process we take into account observable and unobservable characteristics of the individuals using the panel feature of the data with a fixed effects model. We address sector of employment selection issue for both males and females. We find that there is very little evidence of sample selection in our data. Therefore, we present both the selection corrected results and the results with no selection correction. We find a persistent public sector wage penalty for males and public sector wage premium for females in the face of extensive sensitivity checks. They are larger when unobserved heterogeneity is taken into account for males but insignificant for females. They are similar across the quantiles for males but, smaller at the top than at the bottom of the conditional wage distribution for females. We further examine the public sector wage gap over time and in different sub-groups according to age and education. The public sector wage penalty for males has decreased recently over time and is larger for the better educated and younger. We also find substantial regional differences in public sector wage gap for males. Exchange Rate Regimes as Thresholds: The Main Determinants of Capital Inflows in Emerging Market Economies Fatma Taşdemir and Erdal Özmen This study investigates whether the impacts of the main common push (global financial conditions, GFC) and country-specific pull (growth) factors on capital inflows are invariant to the prevailing exchange rate regimes (ERRs) in emerging market economies. Our results suggest that endogenously estimated ERR thresholds do matter especially for the impact of GFC. The impact of GFC is substantially high under more flexible ERRs for all capital inflow types except FDI. FDI inflows are basically determined by the pull factor across all ERRs. Portfolio inflows are mainly determined by GFC. The sensitivity of aggregate and other investment inflows to the pull factor seems to be much higher under more rigid ERRs. Our results are broadly in line with the literature suggesting that credible managed ERRs encourage capital inflows by allowing countries to import monetary policy credibility of the center country and to provide exchange rate guarantee. A Tale of Three Crises in Turkey: 1994, 2001 and 2008-09 Hasan Cömert and Erinç Yeldan Developing countries have encountered many economic crises since the 1980s, due mainly to structural problems related to their integration into the global economy. The Turkish economy is by no means an exception, and suffered significantly from the crises of 1994, 2001 and 2008-09. This paper investigates the tales of these three crises to shed light on the propagation mechanisms of crises and their implications for developing countries, given the Turkish experience. Our study is aiming at complementing existing studies by giving a very broad comparative picture of the main macroeconomic trends before and after the crises at the expense of ignoring many important details explained in other studies. This comparison can be also useful for understanding possible (and under current conditions highly unavoidable) implications of current developments in Turkish economy. Although there are many differences in the emergence of recent crises in Turkey, significant similarities can be found between the 1994 and 2001 crises. The crisis of 2008-09 can be considered exceptional in many aspects. The first two episodes were deemed to be mostly finance-led and finance-driven, with repercussions on the real sectors thereafter; but the 2008-09 crisis was a fully-fledged real sector crisis from the beginning, amid a direct collapse in employment and real economic productivity. Puzzling out the Feldstein-Horioka Paradox for Turkey by a Time-Varying Parameter Approach Dilem Yıldırım and Onur Koska This study would like to contribute to the existing literature on the Feldstein-Horioka paradox by focusing on Turkey for the period 1960-2014 and by scrutinizing the correlation between domestic savings and investments within a time-varying parameter approach (which is warranted especially for emerging countries due to their political and economic instability and due to the frequency of policy changes). Our time-varying parameter approach is able to capture the impact of various economic and political interruptions on the correlation between domestic savings and investments, especially the military coups in the early 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and the economic and financial crises in the mid-1990s, in the late 1990s, and in the early 2000s, as well as the financial crises affecting various countries in the globe in the late 1990s and 2000s. Our empirical analysis suggests a high correlation between domestic savings and investments in the 1960s, which was decreasing (increasing) during the 1970s (1980s), and which was decreasing since the 1990s. Furthermore, in the post-2002 era, with a further decline in the correlation coefficient, the saving-investment nexus has turned out to be statistically insignificant. Gross Capital Inflows and Outflows: Twins or Distant Cousins? Erdal Özmen and Fatma Taşdemir We investigate the long-run relations and equilibrium correction mechanisms between gross capital inflows, outflows and global financial conditions for advanced and emerging market economies. According to our results, the findings of the recent empirical literature, suggesting that twin behaviour of capital inflows and outflows resulting from domestic and foreign investors to behave as distant cousins tend to be the case for the long-run. The short-run relations, however, often appear to be consistent with the conventional theory suggesting that the behaviours of residents and non-residents do not systematically diverge from each other. Consistent with the flight to safety concerns, capital outflows from EME and capital inflows to AE tend to increase in the long-run in response to worsening global financial conditions. We find that, these results essentially hold also for the main components of capital flows. On Barriers to Technology Adoption, Appropriate Technology and Deep Integration (with implications for the European Union) Jean Mercenier and Ebru Voyvoda Based on two strands of research, namely 'barriers to technology adoption' and 'appropriate technology', we propose a formal reappraisal of 'deep integration', a broad concept often used in trade policy discussions. We then evaluate the 2004-7 EU enlargement wave utilizing this operational reappraisal. More specifically, we first estimate, using 2007 data, total labor productivity (TLP) in the 27 EU member states, and show that in all but a few sectors, new member states clearly stand below the lower envelope technology frontier of the older members in their use of skilled and unskilled labor. We interpret this as being the result of past barriers to technology adoption that are likely to be removed by the integration process into the EU, with these new counties' TLP shifting to the incumbent members' lower envelope. We then explore the potential effects on all 27 EU member states of this 'deep integration' experiment using a calibrated intertemporal multisectoral general equilibrium model. Our main finding is that, for most parameter configurations, workers' welfare in incumbent member countries is not negatively impacted despite the rather drastic improvement in competitiveness experienced by new members. Bargaining in Legislatures over Private and Public Goods with Endogeneous Recognition Hakan Genç and Serkan Küçükşenel This paper studies a sequential model of multilateral bargaining with a majority rule in which legislators can make decisions over both private and public good dimensions with endogenous recognition process. Legislators expend resources to be the proposer and make proposals about the allocation of private and public goods. We show that legislators can exert effort to be the proposer and make proposals in both dimensions depending on legislative preferences. Effort choices in equilibrium mainly depend on preferences over both distributional and ideological dimensions, as well as the patience level of legislators and the size of the legislature. We also show that in a diverse legislature, it may be possible to have distributive policies when the majority has collective desires or vice-versa. Smooth Breaks and Nonlinear Mean Reversion in Real Interest Parity: Evidence from East Asian Countries Abdullah Gülcü and Dilem Yıldırım This study aims to explore the empirical validity of the real interest rate parity (RIP)hypothesis for East Asian countries using Japan as the base country. To this end, we employ the recently proposed unit root tests of Christopoulos and Leon-Ledesma (2010) that account for both multiple smooth structural breaks of unknown form and nonlinear mean reversion in the series. Our empirical results uncover overwhelming evidences in favor of the RIP hypothesis for the whole countries in our sample. More specifically, through a Fourier approximation, it is observed that all real interest rate differentials display a mean reverting behavior around an infrequently smooth-breaking mean, with the breaks being in accordance with the financial reforms and economic crises witnessed by the countries. Moreover, the degree of mean reversion appears to vary nonlinearly with the size of real interest rate appreciations and depreciations. Women’s education, employment status and the choice of birth control method: An investigation for the case of Turkey Deniz Karaoğlan and Dürdane Şirin Saraçoğlu In this study we investigate whether women’s education, labor market status and their status within thehousehold have any impact on their choice of a birth control method in Turkey. We use the 2013 round of Demographic Health Survey (DHS) dataset which includes information about women’s education levels and occupation types as well as other socioeconomic status indicators. The DHS also reports whether women use relatively more effective modern (i.e. IUD, pill, etc.) or traditional (i.e. withdrawal) methods. In the empirical analysis, we apply multivariate logistic estimation techniques and control for women’s other indicators of socioeconomic status such as age, ethnicity, and wealth. We find that woman’s education level and urban residence are the leading determinants that explain the choice of modern contraceptive methods. We also observe that women who are unemployed, inactive or unpaid family workers are less likely to use modern contraceptive methods compared to wage-earner women. Other-Regarding Preferences in Organizational Hierarchies Kemal Saygılı and Serkan Küçükşenel In this paper, we provide new theoretical insights about the role of collusion in organizational hierarchies by combining the standard principal-supervisor-agent frameworkwith a theory of social preferences. Extending Tirole’s (1986) model of hierarchy with the inclusion of Fehr and Schmidt’s (1999) distributional other-regarding preferences approach, the links between inequity aversion, collusive behavior throughout the levels of a hierarchy and the changes in optimal contracts are studied. It turns out that other-regarding preferences do change the collusive behavior among parties depending on the nature of both the agent’s and the supervisor’s other-regarding preferences. Most prominent impact is on the optimal effort levels. When the agent is inequity averse principal can exploit this fact to make agent exert higher effort level than she would otherwise. In order to satisfy the participation constraint of the supervisor, the effort level induced for the agent becomes lower when the supervisor is status seeker, and it is higher when the supervisor is inequity averse. Gains from Multinational Competition for Cross-Border Firm Acquisition Onur Koska This study shows that when there is multinational competition for foreign acquisition, the strategic use of a consumer welfare argument in regulating foreign marketentry leads to a preemptive foreign acquisition. Even under fierce competition, foreign acquisition will emerge as part of a non-cooperative equilibrium (although multinationals would have gained more had they been able to credibly commit to a cooperative equilibrium of independent foreign sales, either via greenfield investment or trade under complete liberalization) which increases local welfare by more than both the case without foreign market entry and the case with foreign market entry via independent foreign sales.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1227
__label__cc	0.645215	0.354785	Jacobi modular group (part 2) Jacobi modular forms: 30 ans après 4.8 (14 calificaciones) \| 2.6K estudiantes inscritos This is a master course given in Moscow at the Laboratory of Algebraic Geometry of the National Research University Higher School of Economics by Valery Gritsenko, a professor of University Lille 1, France. Jacobi forms are holomorphic functions in two complex variables. They are modular in one variable and abelian (or double periodic) in another variable. The theory of Jacobi modular forms became an independent research subject after the famous book of Martin Eichler and Don Zagier “Jacobi modular forms” (Progress in Mathematics, vol. 55, 1985) which was cited more than a thousand times in research papers. This is due to many applications of Jacobi forms in arithmetic, topology, algebraic and differential geometry, mathematical and theoretical physics, in the theory of Lie algebras, etc. The list of mentioned subjects shows that my course might be useful for master and Ph.D. students working in different directions. Motivated undergraduate students can also study this subject. To follow the course one has to know only elementary basic facts from the theory of modular forms (for example, the paragraphs 1-4 of the chapter VII of Serre’s “A Course in Arithmetic” are enough). The main hero of the course is the Jacobi theta-series. Using it we will construct a lot of concrete examples of Jacobi forms in one or many abelian variables, in particular, Jacobi forms for root systems. For some of you, who will be successful with the theoretical exercises of the course, I am ready to formulate research problems for Master or Ph.D. thesis. (Ph.D. support might be available at CEMPI in Lille or at the Faculty of Mathematics of National Research University Higher School of Economics in Moscow) Do you have technical problems? Write to us: coursera@hse.ru Jacobi modular forms: the first definition This module is devoted to the first definition of Jacobi forms. In this module we also define Jacobi modular group. Also there is a peer review in the end of this module. Definition of Jacobi forms12:22 Definition of Jacobi forms (part 2)13:04 Basic properties of Jacobi forms12:54 Jacobi modular group11:56 Symplectic group11:30 Jacobi modular group (part 2)13:32 Valery Gritsenko [MUSIC] Now I give the definition of Jacobi modular group. The Jacobi modular group, Is the following subgroup gamma J. Of the Siegel modular group. The last line, Contains three 0 and 1. The second column contains three 0 and 1. And we have some element in all other places. Please check the gamma J is a subgroup Sp2(Z). This is so-called parabolic set group of the Siegel modular group fixing one vector. What structure has this group? First of all, we can construct the following embedding of the usual modular group, gamma J. A, b, c, d in this square bracket means the following simplistic metrics. We have a, b, c, d in these quantity, quantity of the group, a, b, c, d and 0, in all other places. This is some gamma J, because, Sl2(Z), Is Sp1(Z) which certainly is a group of Sp2(Z). If I take an arbitrary, now, an arbitrary element a, b, c, d. Take an arbitrary element in gamma J, then certainly, you see that this matrix and Sl2(Z) for the same reason. And now, if we multiply M, By a, b, c, d to the power of -1, We get the following, Matrix. In gamma J. Please check, then this element is defined by q. This follows from the definition of gamma J, gamma J is of Sp2(Z). And all matrices of this form, Are elements of the Heisenberg group, this is the seconds group of gamma J, which would I would like to define now. The Heisenberg group, H(Z) gamma J. By definition, H(Z) contains all unimportant elements, Of the Jacobi group. Pq and r, r and Z. The last calculation, Shows, That gamma J is the product of Sl2(Z) and the Heisenberg. Because any element we can represent as a product of two elements. For this, you have to find four elements in Sl2. For elements a, b, c, d, in the Sl2 part of the Jacobi group. The rest is the Heisenberg part. And now without any details, I can give you the second definition of Jacobi forms. A Jacobi form, Is a function in two variables, tau and Z. The Siegel upper half-plane H2 contains all symmetric complex matrices tau, Z, Z, omega. Such that imaginary part of Z is positive. But this is equivalent to the fact that imaginary part of tau and the imaginary part of omega are positive, so we'll have the diagonal limits are in the half plane. And the major new part of this latest expositive gives us the following quality in major part of tau times imaginary part of minus imaginary part Z to the square is strictly positive. Therefore, for any tau and Z in the direct product of H1xC, there is a [INAUDIBLE] in H1 such that, tau, Z, Z, omega is an element of the Siegel upper half-plane. And now if phi is a Jacobi form of weight k and index m, I can define the function phi tilde M at Z, which is by definition is equal phi(tau Z) times e to the power of 2 pi i m omega, where M is the index. And then you can believe me, we can see this equation in the lecture. Then the modular equation, And the elliptic equation in the definition of Jacobi form, Are equivalent. So the only modular equation, Jacobi modular equation for the Jacobi modular group gamma J. More exactly, phi(tau, Z) satisfy, The two equations, the modular equation and the elliptical equation if and only if, This modifies function phi M tilde, which is now the function in the Siegel upper half-plane satisfy only one functional equation. Phi M tilde / K operating g is equal to phi tilde M for any g in the Jacobi modular group. What's slash operator here, this is /K operating, For the Siegel modular group Sp2, there. So you see then two rather complicated modular. And the modular in the elliptic equation, I would like to emphasize that the both equation are rather complicated. We have rather non-trivial automorphic factors in there. The equivalent to the only, very clear modular equation for the subgroup of the Siegel modular group. In the next lecture, we can see that the second definition of Jacobi forms in some detail. [MUSIC]	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1228
__label__cc	0.704215	0.295785	Syrupy sweets – Constantinople syrupy… Dairy – Constantinople creams Halva – Turkish delight. Pastries – Cakes. Traditional syrupy sweets Constantinople syrupy sweets Brief Chronological Review The establishment of coffee pastry shops Chatzis is signaled back to 1908, when Suleiman Souleimanovits established in Venizelou str. his small dairy, right opposite to the position of his current business store, which has been attributed with longevity.The store sells creamery products, some inchoate sugar sweets, sweets dressed with syrup, “halva” and beverages such as milk and buttermilk which are included at the breakfast menu along with butter and honey – as well as the famous so called Boza, with its special sour-sweet taste.This is the first beverage that makes its appearance in the Balkans, which is made from millet, corn, yeast and sugar.Under these circumstances, and while the reputation of the store spreads by word of mouth, the workshop of Suleiman will remain in this position until 1917, as in August of the same year it will be destroyed along with thousands of other houses and shops due to the incident of the “big fire” in Thessaloniki. So, before the year ends the store moves to 50 Venizelos street. Opening of the first Chatzis store in Venizelos street, right opposite to its current position. 1917___________________ Transfer of the famous traditional pastry shop to its current position, in Venizelos str. 1969____________________ Place of production and preparation is transferred from Venizelos str. shop to the area of Hippocration hospital of Thessaloniki. At the same time, there are the first moves of product distributions by car. Opening of the second traditional pastry shop Chatzis in the east of Thessaloniki, in Themistokli Sofouli str. Transfer of the production unit in private pastry workshops in the area of Thermi. Opening of the third traditional pastry shop Chatzis in Kamara, in 119 Egnatia str. Opening of the fourth traditional pastry shop Chatzis at Neous Epivates’ coast. Renovation of the historic shop of Chatzis in Venizelos str. 2011 _____________________ Company is reorganized. By this way the company becomes able to handle and withstand the Greek economic crisis. Establishment of the 100% subsidiary “Chatzis Emporiki SA” in order to develop and wholesaler networks Franchise. Cooperation with the company “Glikeia estiasi SA” Opening of a new traditional pastry shop Chatzis, by the franchise method, in 27 25th March str. at Nea Smirni, Athens. References to Pastry shops Chatzi Chatzis pastry shop, made a big contribution by helping 3 people – Marco from Italy, Ray from Australia and Sharon from Kenya – through NGO. For change program and Global Citizen of AIESEC organization. These three people were able to come to our city, interact with other people and help us with their experience and actions. Through my internship I’m trying to build a relationship between the ΝGO and local society in order to make aware citizens about the aims of the NGO and its activities. I am satisfied about my work because the NGO gave me the opportunity to implement my ideas which helped to make it work more sustainably. Of course, it was the easy adaption to the town and the helpful environment of both AIESEC and workplace that motivated to do my best. Firstly, I want to thank AIESEC in UoM for the whole part of my stay here, in Thessaloniki. When I came here everything was well organised and I really did’t find any difficulty to adapt to my new environment. My internship had to do with teaching in greek schools. Also, an open day has been planned and it required my marketing skills in order to promote the event efficiently. So I’m giving all my passion for this! I am currently trying to maintain the website and a social media page for an NGO. With all materials are entirely in Greek, it did take extra effort I believe that the language barrier does affect my capability to achieve higher goals but I have contributed a lot through raising awareness towards the NGO. I have created an open page on Facebook and shared it to friends and partners. Even though not all of those who stumble across the page are actively involved with the aims of the NGO, raising awareness is nonetheless an important aspect that helps an NGO achieve their goals. http://www.letsgo-mag.com/story/gulf-of-the-gods/1035/1/ «Wary that he has overloaded me with history, Constandinos diverts us to one of the best patisseries in town, Hatzis, where he orders a plate of honey-soaked baklava for me to try. This town is crazy about sweets, and its trademark bougatsa (a custard-filled doughnut) and toureki (fluffy bread coated in chocolate) draw sweet-tooth from all over Greece» http://www.in2life.gr/delight/bonviveur/articles/250944/article.aspx?m=25 “Sweets filled with syrup by Chatzis If your appetite … runs eastwards then hustle to Chatzis for sweets dressed with syrup, traditional Constantinopolitan sweets and eastern creams, and “halva”. Lovely “kourkoumpinia”, “touloumpa” with buffalo cream and “hanoum mpourek” are some of the highlights at Chatzis shops –even though they are a bit expensive, they are worthwhile- delivery is also available for the best service of the people in Thessaloniki.”We sponsor “Arsis” (Social Support of youth) Cooperation with “MYcity way” [print_gllr id=1181] www.chatzis.gr copyright 2013. All rights reserved Design - Development Action computers	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1229
__label__wiki	0.962808	0.962808	Wreckage of Kenya Airways flight 507 found in jungle; All 114 on board killed 18 January 2017: Nigerian jet attacks refugee camp, killing dozens 9 March 2015: Nigeria allies join fight against Boko Haram 17 August 2014: Chadian soldiers rescue Nigerian Boko Haram hostages 10 August 2014: Nigerian military launch counter-attack as Boko Haram insurgency believed to spread to Cameroon 11 May 2011: Former F.A. chairman alleges FIFA 2018 World Cup vote was riddled with bribes, corruption Location of Cameroon The latest information on the Kenya Airways information website states, "Kenya Airways regrets to confirm that its Flight KQ 507 from Douala to Nairobi has been located on a mangrove swamp, 20 km southeast of Douala, on the planned flight path." The website also indicates that search and rescue operations have been initiated. There are no survivors. Plane 5Y-KYA photographed in 2006. Credit: Terry Wade Flight KQ 507 had 8 crew members, 106 passengers and a flight engineer on board, and was traveling from Abidjan to Nairobi. It made a stopover in Douala, Cameroon where more passengers got on the plane before it continued on its flight. The plane sent a distress signal at 2:00 a.m., just after it took off from Cameroon, but it is not known what triggered the distress signal. The plane was supposed to land at 6:15 a.m. local time, but never arrived. It left Abidjan at 11:05 p.m. local time in Nairobi. "All I can say for now is that the wreckage of the plane has been located in the small village of Mbanga Pongo, in the Douala III subdivision. Access to the area is very difficult. We are beginning a new painful phase. Our task will be more difficult now, the task of recovering the corpses," said Hamidou Yaya Marafa, Cameroon's Minister of State for Territorial Administration, during a press conference. So far only small portions of the plane have been found, as much of the plane is reported to be underwater. "The plane fell head first. Its nose was buried in the mangrove swamp," said chief of meteorology for the Douala airport, Thomas Sobakam. Reports say that many of the remains of the individuals on board the plane are dismembered and when rescuers attempt to recover the remains, they fall apart in their hands. "It's devastating. I found one or two whole bodies at the start, but since then everything is in pieces. People were afraid of the bodies at the start, so I had to pick them up with my own hands, and they came apart in my fingers," said Captain of Cameroon's fire department, Francis Ekosso. There were passengers from 26 different countries on the plane, not including the 9 crew members from Kenya (see list below). Kenya Airways has released the names of all passengers on board Flight KQ 507 (see external links below). The area where the plane went down is reported to be thick with forest, and difficult to reach. Local Fisherman are said to have lead rescuers to the crash site after they heard a "boom" and saw "disturbances in the water." "We are told the aircraft was covered by a canopy of trees, and that was the delay in sighting the crash site. The mangrove area is a very tricky area, access is very difficult. I think they will use trekking and boats," added Marafa. Earlier the chief meteorologist for the airport in Douala, Cameroon, Thomas Sobakam said that "signs" of Flight KQ 507 were located, but also said that what was located was not wreckage. Sabakam also said that the reports that wreckage had been found were "premature." The cause of the crash is under investigation, but officials say the plane took off in bad weather and are looking into whether engine failure played a role or not. At least one black box from the plane has been found, but its not known if it was the flight data recorder or the cockpit voice recorder. The next scheduled press briefing will be on Monday, May 7 at 10:00 a.m. local time. Nationalities of those on board Countries highlighted represent the nations whose citizens were aboard Kenya Airways Flight 507 when it crashed. Image: Robert. Updated by: Jason Safoutin and Marek Lugowski. 37: Cameroonians 15: Indians 9: Kenyan crew members 7: South Africans 6: Nigerians; Ivorians 5: British, Chinese 3: Nigerians 2: Central African Republic; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Equatorial Guinea; 1: Burkina Faso; Comoros; Congo-Brazzaville; Egyptian; Ghanaian; Malian; Mauritius; Mauritanian; Senegalese; South Korean; Swede; Swiss; Tanzanian; Togolese; American International passenger information centre An international passenger information centre has been opened by Kenya Airways in South Africa where all questions can be addressed. The public inquiry number is +27 11 2071100 Local passenger information centre A local passenger information centre in Kenya has been opened by Kenya Airways at the Intercontinental Hotel where all questions can be addressed. The public inquiry numbers are +254-20-3200353, +254-20-3200354, and +254-20-3274349. "Kenya Airways jet with at least 114 on board crashes" — Wikinews, May 6, 2007 Kenya Airways Flight 507 Heidi Vogt. "Engine Failure Studied in Cameroon Crash" — Guardian Unlimited, May 7, 2007 Finbarr O'Reilly. "'The bodies came apart in my fingers'" — Independent Online, May 7, 2007 "No survivors of Kenya jet crash: Official" — NDTV, May 7, 2007 Neo Semono. "Kenya air crash: They saw 'a disturbance of the sea'" — Mail & Guardian Online, May 6, 2007 "No word of survivors from Kenya plane" — Brisbane Times, May 7, 2007 Emmanuel Tumanjong. "Wreckage of Missing Kenya Jetliner Found" — Guardian Unlimited, May 7, 2007 Press Release: "Kenya Airways Flight KQ 507" — Kenya Airways, May 6, 2007 "Plane crash Britons named" — icWales.com, May 6, 2007 "FACTBOX-Nationalities of those on crashed Kenya plane" — Reuters, May 6, 2007 "Kenya: Official - Only Signs of Missing Plane Found" — AllAfrica.com, May 6, 2007 "Signs of Jet Downed in Cameroon Found" — Forbes, May 6, 2007 Emmanual Tumanjong. "Signs found of jet downed in Africa" — MLive.com, May 6, 2007 "Signs Found of Jet Downed in Africa" — Guardian Unlimited, May 6, 2007 Full list of Passenger Names on Flight KQ 507 Retrieved from "https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Wreckage_of_Kenya_Airways_flight_507_found_in_jungle;_All_114_on_board_killed&oldid=3134070"	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1231
__label__cc	0.715432	0.284568	Who is voting to close all these questions? I just went though the closure review queue, consisting of a couple dozen questions with close votes. At least 75 percent of these questions were not even remotely closeable according to the guidelines we are supposed to be using. How in the world are 146234, 146638, 146500, 146576, and 146597 "off-topic"? (Most of the close votes use the "generally available reference" copout, yet these questions are mostly grammar questions that cannot be easily answered using dictionaries, thesauruses, text corpora, or widely available language references or style guides.) How are 146538 and 146612 "primarily opinion-based"? This is insanity. Some of these will eventually be closed, which is unfortunate and should be reversed, but at least in those cases the users who voted to close will become known and can be held accountable. In a way, though, I'm more irritated about the ones that won't: frivolous close votes clog up the queue and make me waste my time wading through them. Without necessarily asking for names, I'd really like to know whether these close votes are getting anything approaching a broad consensus, or if there's just a handful of overzealous users running around voting to close any question that looks at them the wrong way. discussion close-reasons question-closure phenryphenry How in the world are 146234, 146638, 146500, 146576, and 146597 "off-topic"? -- without that sentence, this Q. would have been close voted, at least by me, for being no more than a peeve. Now you have one lead to understand why some Qs. deserve to be close voted. I had to say this as I do close vote some Qs: "Where's the homework?". If OP expects anything beyond what is GR, that needs to be clearly explained, and that makes for different kind of Q altogether. That's just one point. – Kris Jan 18 '14 at 14:13 146638 is very GR. It is about whether a singular subject should be used with ‘is’ or ‘are’. That can be found in any English grammar. The answer to 146576 can be found in any good dictionary (‘neither of’ + plural, or ‘neither’ + singular). The rest I would agree are not off-topic. – Janus Bahs Jacquet Jan 18 '14 at 17:57 What does GR mean? – Martin F Jan 18 '14 at 23:06 I guess GR = general reference. – Martin F Jan 19 '14 at 4:54 Yep. GR = General Reference. Which means "This question is too basic; it can be definitively and permanently answered by a single link to a standard internet reference source designed specifically to find that type of information." – Chris Jan 19 '14 at 4:55 This site has an opportunity to become a valuable General Reference site. That is, it arguably should contain high-quality definitive basic questions and definitive answers. Then any further such questions can be marked as duplicates of the definitive one. Then, this site will be a more attractive and popular go-to site for language questions, rather than being just a niche "elitist" site. – Craig McQueen Jan 22 '14 at 3:34 I'll give you specific statistics about the five questions you link, but there's no easy way that I can think of to get at data in general: 0 users voted to close 5 questions 1 user voted to close 2 questions 7 users voted to close 1 question That at least seems suggestive that there is no secret cabal going about casting close votes. Most of the close votes use the "generally available reference" copout, yet these questions are mostly grammar questions that cannot be easily answered using dictionaries, thesauruses, text corpora, or widely available language references or style guides.) Unfortunately, yes. Please vote to re-open any such questions if/when they get closed. I'm afraid this has been a problem for some time, and short of abolishing that close reason altogether, there does not seem to be an effective solution. I think the problem can be solved, and have just made a proposal to that effect: meta.english.stackexchange.com/questions/4463/… – phenry Jan 17 '14 at 20:51 Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged discussion close-reasons question-closure . Google is not General Reference Overeager moderation? Proposal for narrowing the scope of the “reference” close vote Inappropriate “general reference” and “proofreading” close votes About Reference Questions Is reopening of one's own closed question a misuse of moderator privileges? Proposal: Require a whitelisted URL to close as General Reference Shall we make a list of Low-Quality-Questions regularly on Meta? Gosh! 82 Close Vote Reviews in one day Can moderators redirect links from badly chosen duplicates to actual duplicates? Can moderators change a close reason from 'Please show your research…' to 'Duplicate of…'? Why are etymology questions that show research getting/staying closed?	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1235
__label__wiki	0.823345	0.823345	From Independence of Québec Nationalism is often stigmatized and misunderstood, especially when it comes to minority nationalism. Some people misguidedly associate all expressions of nationalism to national-socialism, tribalism, and racism. On the contrary, the origins of modern nationalism in the 18th century point us to the humanist ideals of equality of men, freedom for all peoples, and peaceful relations among free States. Quebec nationalism emerged within the context of the American, French and Latin American revolutions, periods of history during which most European colonies in America gained their independence. Unlike the Thirteen British Colonies which fought to maintain the liberties they already enjoyed vis-a-vis England, Quebec, in 1775, was a conquered country. The people of Quebec had no liberties to preserve: they were all to be gained or regained. From this important period of time in human history, we have inherited a patriotism enlightened by the highest moral values and ethical principles. In the context of a colonization by a foreign power, the nationalism of a conquered/colonized people can be and has often been supported by a progressive and popular liberation movement, inspired by the greatest and most universal ideals. Think of Daniel O'Connell in Ireland, Mahatma Gandhi in India or Louis-Joseph Papineau here in Québec. In the context of a territorial expansion or consolidation, the nationalism of a strong people can become and has too often been akin to imperialism, inspired by sentiments that shame all of humanity. Think of British and French imperialism and colonialism. Quebec independentists see a very clear distinction between nationalism, today a universal phenomenon, and the exploitation of a people's patriotic sentiment by political rulers who wish to keep themselves in power or gain more of it. Between the self-hatred of the colonized and the chauvinism and hatred of others of the colonizer, there is a balance: self-respect. Self-respect leads to self-confidence and openness to others. When a conquered nation seeks its independence, it is trying to attain this balance. Nationalism, when combined with despotic or oligarchic rule can be and has too often been disastrous for human beings, there is no denying this. That is why Québec nationalists, from the most conservative to the most progressive, have overwhelmingly rejected, and continue to reject, the use of violence as a means of attaining our national independence. Our most determined political adversaries cannot claim the same. 2 Québec nationalism 3 Canadian nationalism History: Nationalism by Adam Metcalf, Oswego City School District's Regents Exam Prep Center History: Imperialism Thomas Caswell, Oswego City School District's Regents Exam Prep Center Nationalism, Internet Modern History Sourcebook The Nationalism Project, by Eric G.E. Zuelow and others Croatian Nationalism, by Ante Cuvalo, Croatian Studies.org (Excellent intro) Nationalism, in Google Directory Nationalism, through Google Scholar Québec nationalism Bibliography of Quebec nationalism in Wikipedia Québec Nationalism and Canadian Federalism, by Michel Seymour, January 2001 On Redefining the Nation, by Michel Seymour (PDF) Québec and Canada at the Crossroads: A Nation within a Nation, by Michel Seymour (PDF) Nation-States, National Minorities and The Draft Treaty, by Michel Seymour (PDF) History of Quebec nationalism by Claude Bélanger Quebec: a modern, pluralist, distinct society by Will Kymlicka The Evolving Parameters of Quebec Nationalism, François Rocher, 2002 (PDF) Is Quebec Nationalism Just? - Perspectives from Anglophone Canada, Joseph H. Carens, 1995 Quebec Nationalism, through Google Scholar French-Canadian Nationalism, through Google Scholar Canadian nationalism The avent of Canadian nationalism was delayed by various factors, one of them being the implantation of the stronger ideology of British Imperialism among the ruling class. Although the Westminster Statute gave the Dominion of Canada its independence in 1931, it is only after World War II that British Canadians began to identify as Canadians first and foremost. British Imperialism in Wikipedia United Empire Loyalists in Wikipedia Dominion Nationalism See also Indirect Rule Bibliography of Canadian nationalism I am English Canadian, by Charles Blattberg in Tolerance.ca Canadian Nationalism & anti-Americanism, United North America.org (1) Pierre Elliot Trudeau & the demise of liberal Canadian nationalism by Keith Jones, World Socialist Web Site The three nations of Canada may tear it apart, articles by students of the Carleton University School of Journalism Canadian Nationalism in a Nutshell, by Roland Barphe English Canadian Nationalism in a Nutshell, John FitzGerald Our Two Founding Lies, John FitzGerald Vimy battle marks birth of Canadian nationalism, Mary Nersessian, CTV.ca News English-Canadian Nationalism in Decline, by Sylvia Bashevkin Imagining Canadian nationalism, by Harsha Walia Pierre Elliott Trudeau: 1919-2000, by Ray Conlogue, October 10, 2000 Canadian Nationalism, through Google Scholar English-Canadian Nationalism, through Google Scholar British-Canadian Nationalism, through Google Scholar (1) Major propaganda piece, but still a good read. It would not be so bad if the author was not so ignorant of Quebec nationalism and indifferent to the human rights of Native Americans. No good answer could ever come out of a discussion where the majority of the interested parties were not invited. Read books on nationalism Retrieved from "https://english.republiquelibre.org/index.php?title=Nationalism&oldid=9351" About Independence of Québec	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1236
__label__wiki	0.770763	0.770763	Roswell Graves ID# &nbsp409, (1837-1883) 2nd great-grandfather of Faye Louise Doyle Descendants of Samson Striker Ancestors of Rev. Roswell Graves Rev. Roswell Graves Roswell Graves was born on 4 March 1837 in Jamestown, Mercer County, Pennsylvania.1,2 He was the son of Roswell Graves and Mary Ann Betts.1,2,3 He lived in Marcellon, Columbia County, Wisconsin, in 1857.4 He married Eugenia C Clapp, daughter of Hiram Clapp and Rhoda Striker, on 18 August 1857 in Wyocena, Columbia County, Wisconsin.4 He was ordained a Methodist minister in September 1859 in Green Lake Prairie, Wisconsin. He later joined the Congregationalists and ministered throughout Northern California establishing many churches in the area.5,3,6 He lived in Iowa before April 1863.7,3 He lived in Dixon, Solano County, California, in 1865.8 He was a Congregational minister in 1867.3 He lived in Walnut Grove, Sacramento County, California, in 1867.9 He lived in Antioch, Contra Costa County, California, in 1868.8,10 He lived in Redding, Shasta County, California.10,8 He lived in Shasta City, Shasta County, California.8 He lived in Battle Creek, Tehama County, California, in 1872.8,11 He bought a parcel of land (Township 001N, Range 003E, Section 10) in Contra Costa County California using a Military Scrip Warrant Patent on 5 January 1872.12 He lived in Weaverville, Trinity County, California, in 1874.8,11 He lived in Little Shasta, Siskiyou County, California, in 1878.10,11,8 He lived in Susanville, Lassen County, California, in 1881.8,13,11 He lived in Alturas, Modoc County, California, in 1883.8,11 He died on 9 November 1883 of a malignant tumor in San Francisco, San Francisco County, California, at age 46.2,14 He was buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery, San Francisco, California. His remains were later moved to Sebastopol Cemetery, Sebastopol, Sonoma County, CaliforniaG. "The church at Little Shasta seems to be his last as his health began to fail according to letters written by my grandfather Oldham to Ella" 15 "Grandfather Graves left Iowa in April 1863 for California in a covered wagon with a young wife and 3 small children. Ella was 5, Eddie (3) and Lillian about 1 year old. I understand they were sent out by the Methodist church as missionaries to N California. There were few churches and Grandfather Graves was expected to start as many as he could. He later changed to the Congregational church because he thought they adhered more closely to the Bible teachings. "I believe he started no less than 5 churches. Perhaps one of the hardest places to work was Alturas in the far northeastern part of the state. It was considered a rough pioneer town and few concerned themselves with religion. The Catholics had tried to start a chuch and had even put in a foundation for a church. After a few years they gave up and left town. Grandfather came into the community and within a year had a nice congregation of 100 and the new church building all completed. "Aunt May all but worshipped her father and has spoken many times of his beautiful baritone singing voice and his wonderful ability as a speaker."7 Rev. Roswell Graves crossed the plains to California by wagon train in 1864 with his wife and oldest three children. At that time he was a minister of the Methodist Protestant Church. He was asked to fill a temporary vacancy at the Congregational Church in Antioch, Contra Costa County, Calif. and decided that the views of that denomination were more compatable with his. However, Congregational ministers had to have gone to divinity school, and Rev. Graves had been ordained by a "laying on of hands." He was hired by the Board of Home Missions to serve as a missionary, to establish new Congregational churches in newly settled parts of California which would then be staffed by a permanent minister. Rev. Graves attempted to establish churches in what is now Brentwood, Contra Costa County; Battle Creek, Tehama County; Weaverville, Trinity County; Etna, Siskiyou County; Redding, Shasta County; Little Shasta, Siskiyou County; Susanville, Lassen County; and finally Alturas, Modoc County. Rev. Graves performed the first wedding that ever took place in Redding in 1873. The church he built at Little Shasta, near Montague, Calif., still stands and a memorial to him is on the pulpit. This church sits on a treeless plain with a dramatic view of Mount Shasta to the south behind it. It is only used for special events today. His youngest daughter [May] recalled that he was of slender build, with hazel eyes and brown hair (going bald). His last words were "Let me pass over." 16 A biography of Roswell Graves, written by his daughter May Sealock is here. 1850 Green, Mercer County, Pennsylvania Roswell Graves17 1860 Scott, Crawford County, Wisconsin Roswell Graves18 1870 Contra Costa County, California Roswell Graves19 1880 Table Rock Twp, Siskiyou County, California Roswell Graves20 Children of Roswell Graves and Eugenia C Clapp Ella Florence Graves+21 (1858-1938) Edward Hiram Graves10 (1860-1936) Lillian Augusta Graves+10 (1862-1942) Roswell Herbert Graves+10,5 (1865-1945) Alice Mary Graves+22,9,1 (1867-1948) Agnes Helen Graves+10 (1868-1930) May Bertha Graves+2,10,23 (1872-1963) [S15] Graves, Bertha May Graves Sealock's Bible (n.p.: n.pub., unknown publish date); unknown present owner, Photocopy in Faye West's file: DOC 027. [S25] Lineage application of Bertha May Graves Sealock, #443473, DAR. [S137] National Council of the Congregational Churches of the United States, Congregational Year Book 1884 (Boston: Congregational Publishing Society, 1884). [S138] Marriage certificate of Roswell Graves & Eujane Clapp, privately held by Faye West, Edmonton, Alberta. [S45] Barbara Hill, "Rev Graves Family," e-mail message from e-mail address (Berkeley, California) to Faye West, 9 Mar 2002. [S1157] The San Francisco Bulletin, 1 Mar 1873 and 18 Mar 1876, on website GenealogyBank, online (https://www.genealogybank.com). [S141] Letter from Geri Nesmith (California) to Faye West, 17 May 1978; privately held by Faye West (Edmonton, Alberta). File: Graves, correspondence. [S139] Records of Native Daughters of Golden West, Book 65, page 76, privately held by Faye West, Edmonton, Alberta. [S122] Alice Broder, Death Certificate 2410(?) (24 Feb 1948), Washington Bureau of Vital Statistics, Olympia, Thurston County, Washington. [S10] David Taft, Pedigree Resource File Disc 15., CD-ROM (Salt Lake City, UT: LDS Family History Library), Graves family. [S142] American Missionary Association, Annual Report (n.p.: American Missionary Association, annually 1868-1887). File: Graves, Roswell. [S266] Roswell Graves California Land Records; Military Scrip Warrant Patent; Document # 5789, Serial # CACAAA 036699; California Bureau of Land Management, Sacramento, Sacramento County, California. [S143] Letter from L S Smith (Alturas, CA) to Mrs John Broder, 19 Jan 1917; privately held by Faye West (Edmonton, Alberta). File: Broder, John. [S265] Home Missionary Column: Another Gone to Rest, The Pacific, San Francisco, CA, 14 Nov 1883, 4. [S221] Letter from Geri Nesmith (California) to Faye West, 19 Jun 1978; privately held by Faye West (Edmonton, Alberta). File: Graves, correspondence. [S542] Barbara Hill, database report, 10 Jul 2003, Berkeley, California. FTM report "Descendants of Elias CLAPP." [S154] Roswell Graves, 1850 Census (Pennsylvania), http://www.ancestry.ca, Ancestry. [S447] 1860 Federal Census (Wisconsin), HeritageQuest, http://heritagequestonline.com [S446] Roswell Graves, 14 July 1870 U.S. Census, Contra Costa, California, HeritageQuest, http://heritagequestonline.com [S445] Roswell Graves, 14 Jun 1880 U.S. Census, Table Rock, Siskiyou, California, HeritageQuest, http://heritagequestonline.com [S146] Florence Eleanor Oldham, Delayed Birth Certificate (2 Feb 1944), California Vital Records, Department of Public Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Sacramento, Sacramento County, California. [S121] Alice Broder, Funeral Card, 24 Feb 1948, file: Broder, John, privately held by Faye West, Edmonton, Alberta. [S911] Ancestry.com, online database, "California Death Index 1940-1997" (www.ancestry.ca : accessed 2010 - 2012).	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1237
__label__wiki	0.977907	0.977907	Dan Dando 10-12-0-0 (KO 4) Bouts 22 Rounds 238 Residence Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, United Kingdom Birth place Hirwaun, Wales, United Kingdom Boxer Division bantamweight Dan Dando Career Record 22 0/0 31-23-12 Harry Brown 0/0 L (PTS 15) 24 Dec 1932 Merthyr, Wales, United Kingdom 21 0/0 42-61-18 Tiger Bert Ison 0/0 W (PTS 15) 03 Dec 1932 Labour Stadium, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, United Kingdom 20 0/0 41-59-18 Tiger Bert Ison 0/0 W (KO 4) 12 Nov 1932 Labour Stadium, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, United Kingdom 19 0/0 34-13-5 Cuthbert Taylor 0/0 L (PTS 15) 23 May 1931 Working Men's Club, Llanelli, Wales, United Kingdom 18 0/0 31-12-5 Cuthbert Taylor 0/0 L (PTS 15) 21 Mar 1931 Snow's Pavilion, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, United Kingdom 17 0/0 84-23-19 Terence Tancy Morgan 0/0 L (PTS 15) 16 Mar 1931 Palais de Danse, Pontypridd, Wales, United Kingdom 16 0/0 33-29-3 Arley Hollingsworth 0/0 W (PTS 15) 08 Mar 1931 Palais de Danse, West Bromwich, West Midlands, United Kingdom 15 0/0 26-4-8 Tommy Lye 0/0 L (PTS 3) 02 Apr 1930 Holborn Stadium Club, Holborn, London, United Kingdom 14 118/54 18-5-2 Cuthbert Taylor 118/54 L (PTS 15) 23 Nov 1929 Snow's Pavilion, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, United Kingdom BBBofC Welsh Area bantamweight title 13 0/0 11-2-2 Cuthbert Taylor 0/0 L (PTS 15) 29 Jul 1929 Palais de Danse, Pontypridd, Wales, United Kingdom 12 0/0 31-12-18 Jimmy Thornton 0/0 W (PTS 8) 03 Jun 1929 National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London, United Kingdom 11 0/0 44-14-12 Billy Cain 0/0 W (RTD 12) 29 Apr 1929 National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London, United Kingdom 10 0/0 13-6-5 Con Lewis 0/0 L (DQ 4) 21 Apr 1929 Premierland, Whitechapel, London, United Kingdom 9 0/0 12-3-2 Georges Gourdy 0/0 L (PTS 12) 25 Feb 1929 National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London, United Kingdom 8 0/0 36-25-13 Minty Rose 0/0 W (PTS 15) 02 Feb 1929 Snow's Pavilion, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, United Kingdom vacant BBBofC Welsh Area bantamweight title 7 0/0 22-21-7 Lew Pinkus 0/0 W (DQ 6) 24 Jan 1929 Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom 6 0/0 5-9-1 Jack Bates 0/0 L (PTS 15) 18 Nov 1927 Drill Hall, Mountain Ash, Wales, United Kingdom 5 0/0 4-4-0 Tosh Powell 0/0 L (PTS 15) 26 Feb 1927 Snow's Pavilion, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, United Kingdom 4 0/0 2-0-0 Alf Kid Pattenden 0/0 L (PTS 10) 22 Aug 1926 Premierland, Whitechapel, London, United Kingdom 3 0/0 24-22-8 Bert Gallard 0/0 W (PTS 10) 10 Aug 1926 2 0/0 debut Tom Huxley 0/0 W (TKO 1) 07 Aug 1924 Premierland, Whitechapel, London, United Kingdom 1 0/0 4-7-2 Mickey Russell 0/0 W (TKO 3) 30 Oct 1923 Public A.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1247
__label__cc	0.661183	0.338817	How many six digit numbers can be formed out of 4, 5......9 no digits being repeated? How many numbers of six digits can be formed from the digits 0,1,3,5,7 and 9 when no digit is repeated? How many of them are divisible by 10? How many 3-digit numbers can be formed by using the digits 1 to 9 if no digit is repeated? 200+ Views \| 40 Likes 1 ?? 9 ?? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ???? ????? 3 ????? ????????? ?? ???? ??? ??? ???? ?? ??? ?? ??????? ???? ??? ??? Using the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 how many 4 digit even numbers can be made, no digit being repeated? How many numbers each lying between 100 and 1000 can be formed with the digits 2,3,4,0,8,9, no digit being repeated? ??? 1,2,3,4,6,7 ?? ???????? ???? ?? ????? 3 ????? ?? ???????? ???? ?? ???? ??? ??? ??? ?? ??? ??????? ???? ??? ??? How many numbers of four digits greater than `2300` can be formed with the digits `0, 1, 2, 3, 4,5 and 6;` no digit being repeated in any number? What is factorial Zero Factorial examples (a)Compute (i) `(20!)/(18!)` (ii) `(10!)/(6!.4!)` (b)find n if `(n+2)! =2550*n!` fundamental principle of multiplication fundamental principle of addition Difference and application of fundamental principals There are 3 condidates for a Classical; 5 for a Mathematical and 4 for a Natural science scholarship.(i)In how many ways can these scholarship be awarded ? (ii) In how many ways one of these scholarships be awarded? What is permutation ? Notation + theorem :- Let r and n be the positive integers such that `1lerlen`. Then no. of all permutations of n distinct things taken r at a time is given by `(n)(n-1)(n-2).....(n-(r-1))` Prove that `P(n,r)=nP_r=(n!)/((n-r)!` The no. of all permutation of n distinct things taken all at a time is `n!`	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1252
__label__cc	0.58856	0.41144	Weekend Roundup: Five Minutes of Heaven and JJ Abram’s Star Trek On May 23, 2011 July 25, 2016 By ruthIn Flix Reviews, Weekend Roundup I hope y’all had a lovely and storm-free (weather or otherwise) weekend. Boy, the weather’s been strange this weekend, it couldn’t decide whether it wants to be rainy or sunny, so it alternated back and forth practically every half an hour! There’s even some strong storms hitting our neck of the woods, even a tornado touched down last night about 20 miles north of my house! I think some people in North Minneapolis are still without power now, man it certainly makes me feel blessed to wake up with a roof over my head. Hemsworth as George Kirk Well, we had planned to see Thor again on Saturday with some friends but didn’t end up going. We did see a Chris Hemsworth movie though, JJ Abram’s Star Trek, well he’s got a much smaller part in it as Capt. Kirk’s heroic dad. Apparently the latest Pirates of the Carribean movie ruled box office again. I actually had the [dis]pleasure of seeing the last installment before this one, can’t remember what it’s called, it was playing on TV when we were at our friend’s house. It is mind-boggling to me how this movie could be such a smashing success. There’s sooo much going on but yet there is very little story, let alone character development. Things seem to be happening at random for no apparent reason and by the end of it, we all just looked at each other and said, ‘just what in the world was all of that all about?’ It was utter rubbish I’d say, Johnny Depp was the only saving grace as Jack Sparrow, but still not enough to make it bearable. Anyway, now on to the two real good movies I did see this weekend: When I saw this description on Netflix, I was immediately intrigued to add it to my queue: A powerful meditation on guilt, forgiveness and reconciliation, this potent drama stars Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt as two men on opposite sides of Northern Ireland’s political struggle: one a killer, the other the brother of the man he killed. In crafting his keenly sensitive film, director Oliver Hirschbiegel eschews the predictable to deliver a work of tremendous insight and emotional complexity. It’s a relatively short film, clocking in at 89 minutes, but man does it pack an emotional punch! The film starts out in flashback mode of the two main characters in a small town in Ireland at the height of the region’s civil war. They’re at the opposite end of the spectrum and one fateful night, their path is about to cross in the most tragic ways. It’s an amazingly effective set up to the scenario we see decades later, the day when the two now grown-up men are about to face one another. Both Neeson and Nesbitt are fantastic in this character-driven drama. Neeson as Alistair (speaking in his native Irish brogue) is a picture of inner turmoil – he may seem calm and composed but inside he’s a wreck, forever tormented by the sin he committed decades earlier. Nesbitt’s Joe Griffin is the same way, as his mother somehow blamed him for his brother’s death, he carried that insurmountable guilt with him all his life. There are so much emotions going on in the scenes leading up to their meeting, but amazingly, despite the nail-biting intensity, there are still elements of humor infused in them. There are so many mixed emotions you don’t know whether to laugh or cry at times, but throughout you really feel the anguish of both of them. I really appreciate the poignant message against violence and terrorism. Alistair confesses repeatedly during his counseling sessions that it’s not only the victim who suffer greatly from the ordeal, but the perpetrator is also forever scarred by it and the psychological toll can be unbearable. And revenge isn’t the answer either… “My five minutes of heaven, how can that not be good for me?!” Griffin screamed, rationalizing his vengeful plan. But the filmmaker wants us to think that only through letting go, and perhaps even forgiveness, that one can achieve inner peace. The crew of SS Enterprise When I saw this at the theater, I remember how much I really enjoyed it. I’m not a Trekkie mind you, so I don’t know all the details about any of the characters other than knowing the names of the actors who played Capt. Kirk and Spock in the original TV series. So it’s a good thing this JJ Abrams’ feature film is an origins story, going back to the history of the USS Enterprise’s crews and how they got there. The original and the new Spock And what an entertaining journey it is! Much like X-Men: First Class where there are many characters involved but the main story really boils down to Professor X and Magneto, the story here is centers on the relationship between Kirk and Spock. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are both perfectly cast as the eventual BFF. Pine has the wit, swagger and rebellious streak as the inherently smug but lovable Kirk, whilst Quinto is appropriately calm and unruffled as the ultra-intelligent half Vulcan/half human who feels trapped between the two worlds. The exchange between the two characters are the highlights of the movie, including the Leonard Nimoy as the elder Spock. (Thanks to Gowiththeflow blog for the two Spocks photo) But just like any massive ship, it can only function properly when all the crews does its job well. Abrams runs a tight ship with this movie, the ensemble cast work nicely together and make for an exceptional team. My favorite New Zealander Karl Urban is awesome as the amusingly grumpy Dr. McCoy, his screen presence is undeniable, more than capable for more leading man roles. I like Zoe Saldana as Uhura as well, she’s definitely got the ‘it’ factor and has the sex appeal without looking like a bimbo. Oh, and Bruce Greenwood as the wise Capt. Pike is wonderful as well, he is a great character actor whose presence is always welcomed in any movie. Eric Bana is unrecognizable as the villain, playing a Romulan creature with a personal vendetta against the Vulcans and humans. He was decent, but he doesn’t seem menacing enough. Simon Pegg also does a memorable turn as Scotty, he might have overdone his Scottish accent a bit but still his bit parts are a hoot. This movie is massively entertaining from start to finish, just don’t think too much about the plot. It’s technically impressive as well, no wonder it nabbed four Oscar nominations including sound editing and visual effects (it deservedly won an Oscar for Best Makeup). I’d think this movie would satisfy any Trekkie out there. Even I get a bit giddy when Spock did the Vulcan salute and said, ‘Live long and prosper.’ So what movies did you watch this weekend? If you’ve seen either one of these, I’d love to hear your thoughts as well. Chris Hemsworth Star Trek George KirkChris Pine Capt KirkFive Minutes of Heaven reviewLiam Neeson James NesbittmoviesPIrates of the Carribean wins box officereviewsStar Trek JJ Abramsweekend roundupZachary Quinto Spock Tree of Life won the Palme d’Or! Congrats to 2011 Cannes Film Festival Winners! Happy Birthday Cillian Murphy! 35 reasons I’m a fan of the Irish actor 38 thoughts on “Weekend Roundup: Five Minutes of Heaven and JJ Abram’s Star Trek” Hooray 4/5 for Star Trek! I really did like it! and just heard about some of the details for the 2nd one. Rumor now has it that Romulans will be making quite the stir and that drafts appear to be complete! Can’t wait! Oh, there’s a sequel in the works? I didn’t know that. I don’t mind seeing it, but too bad Eric Bana’s dead so he won’t be back, ahah. But hey, there’s still Karl Urban 😀 Haven’t seen Five Minutes of Heaven, but did see Star Trek. I’m not exactly a Trekkie, however I absolutely loved this movie. Would give it 4/5 too – great acting and great fun. I watched the cult comedy An American Werewolf in London over the weekend, absolutely hilarious:) Hi Olive! I think as you’re from Ireland, ‘Five Minutes’ might resonate a great deal with you. It really is a well-thought-out film and incredibly well-acted as well. Oh I haven’t seen that werewolf one, I should check it out. It’s hilarious? I didn’t know it was supposed to be a comedy. I loved the new Star Trek, was never a fan of the series or the earlier films but loved this modern revamp. Was actually an interesting and half believable interpretation. 5 mins of Heaven sounds good, having lived in Belfast all my life it would be interesting to see and outsider’s interpretation of the troubles. There are so many stories like this to do with the troubles, it is difficult to imagine how this could tell us something different. Me neither Ronan, I never care for the TV show at all and was a bit reluctant to see this movie. But the great reviews got me curious and fortunately it lived up to the hype. I think you’d really appreciate ‘Five Minutes’ as you know more about the history of that conflict than I do. I think the message can be applied universally to all types of violence and terrorism… it really digs deep into the impact of such act would have to all parties involved. It’s probably not the most original interpretation of it, but I like how personal it feels as you truly feel for the characters. Star Trek was entertaining albeit a bit silly. Yea, Eric Bana is completely unrecognizable! Love when the red shirt dies like a fool and no one even blinks during the jump sequence. I need to see that again 🙂 Well I think the silly-ness is intentional, kind of like Branagh w/ Thor… Abrams really embraced the inherent cheesy-nature of the story. Eric Bana still looks gorgeous even w/ all that tattoos on his face… though his deep voice reminds me a bit of Bale’s Batman, ahah. Ted S. I just watched Inglorious Basterds over the weekend, probably my 100th time watching it, I love that film. I Can’t wait to see Tarantino’s take on a western film, well his version of a western anyway. I got a look at the script, lots of N word and quite bloody and I can’t wait to see. Ha ha. I never heard of Five Minutes to Heaven, might give it a rent. As for the new Star Trek, I really enjoyed it. I’m not a Trekkie but I was afraid Abrams might screw up another franchise like he did with M: I-3. Wow! Love that movie but oddly, only saw it once (in theater). Must make time for it one of these days! The Basterds…one of my very favorite flix EVER 🙂 have seen it nowhere near 100 times tho…probably 2 or 3. LOL, yeah I think I’ve seen most of QT’s films at least 100 times or more. I know I lost count on how many times I’ve watched Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill 1-2 and Reservoir Dogs. Also, I’ve seen some of the films he wrote or co-wrote, True Romance and Crimson Tide, many times. I only saw Death Proof and Jackie Brown once, they’re good but not great. You can call me one of the royal QT fans. i’ve most of them only once, they are pretty violent for me. i know that sounds odd, seeing how much i like IB. Jackie Brown is another of my faves LOL i do think he is an awesome talent so on that much i am fairly certain we agree. Hey Ted, perhaps you should do a Top 10 Favorite QT movies then… how ’bout that? 🙂 But I’m w/ Paula… they’re all too violent for my taste. I still haven’t got around to seeing Kill Bill II but if it’s more violent than the first one I don’t think I can stomach it. Yeah I can write up my favorite QT films, he’s officially directed 9 films so far. I’ll just his films 1 through 9. Oh you should check out Kill Bill 2, it’s way less violent than the first film. In fact, there’s only one truly violent scene in the whole film. It’s actually my favorite of the two films but it’s meant to be one film from the beginning but they decided to cut it half to make more money. dirtywithclass I liked Kill Bill 2 over the first also. I just felt the second had a bit more character development than the first. Isn’t it a near consensus that Kill Bill 2 is superior to the first one? Well I always thought that way 🙂 True true, I’m still waiting for the release of the Whole Bloody Affair version, QT promised it would come out on BD/DVD soon but that was back in 2007. I wonder how the film will turn out once we see it as one film. I don’t mind seeing ‘Basterds’ again, which is surprising coming from me. It’s worth seeing just to see Christoph and Fassbender 😀 Oy I don’t think I’m interesting to see QT’s very bloody Western… I think IB is the maximum amount of violence I can handle as I was so tense watching that I had to take several breaks throughout! Y’know, I didn’t think M:I-3 was that terrible. Wasn’t that the one w/ Philip Seymour Hoffman? It’s a heck of a lot better than Knight & Day! Yeah Christoph and Fassbender were great in Inglorious Basterds. In the original script, it was even more violent than the film and you find out what happened to Brad Pitt’s neck. If you remember, he has that huge scar on his neck but we never found out why. I don’t know if Tarantino shot the sequence and cut it or if he decided to not shoot it all. Well you probably know that he’s pursuing Will Smith for his new western and Christoph will also be in the film too. I can’t wait to see it, hopefully it will come out next year. M: I-3 wasn’t awful but I just didn’t like JJ take on it. Yeah that was the one with Hoffman as the villain. Also, the film didn’t have any plot at all, Hoffman kidnapped his protege, he rescued her, she died; Cruise kidnapped Hoffman; Hoffman escaped and kidnapped Cruise’s wife and so on. It just annoyed the heck out of me. Ted, if you do not mind sharing, I’d love to know what was up with Aldo’s neck. Both my hubby and I wondered about it. if secrecy is a concern, feel free to DM. Hey Paula, I don’t mind at all. In the script, there’s a flashback scene showing what happened to Aldo’s neck. When he was younger, he was lynched by the KKK, remember in the film he said he had some Native American’s blood in him? I don’t remember much but I think that’s the reason the KKK wanted to kill him and I couldn’t remember how he escaped either. But it explains why he hated the Nazis so much and why he mark the ones who he didn’t kill with a swastika on their foreheads. If you want to read the script, I’m sure you can find it online somewhere. QT also cut out scenes with Maggie Chung in it, she played the theater owner. Thanks Ted. That makes sense. I will look for the script, it didn’t occur to me to look. i think of scripts as being secret & mysterious for some reason. Jack Deth Haven’t been a fan of ‘Star Trek’ much beyond the original, Cold War tinged series. What followed was a bit too PC, toned down and touchy-feely for my tastes. ‘Five Minutes Of Heaven’ sounds eerily like an update on a little known, 1984 British import titled ‘Cal’. Well steeped in the UK/Ireland ‘Troubles’. ‘Cal’ faithfully follows Bernard MacLaverty’s novel of the same name. With John Lynch as a young man on the fringe of the IRA. Who falls in love with Helen Mirren as Marcella, the recent widow of a British soldier ambushed by Cal or one of his friends. Still waiting patiently for a US DVD of Gerald Seymour’s ‘Harry’s Game’. Hi Jack, I suppose if you like the original you’d have a different expectation for this new one, so I don’t blame you for not liking it. Oh, that premise of ‘Cal’ sounds good, w/ Helen Mirren no less. Not familiar w/ John Lynch though. Is Harry’s Game the one w/ Michael Caine? Or am I confusing that w/ something else? Hi, rtm: You’re thinking of ‘Harry Brown’ with Michael Caine. Kind of like a British version of Clint Eastwood’s ‘Gran Torino’. Where Caine plays a retired serviceman who is tired of the crime and vandalism in his neighborhood and decides to take matter into his own hands. ‘Harry’s Game’ was a BBC mini-series based on Gerald Seymour’s adaptation of his own novel. The IRA has a new, unknown assassin, so the Ministry of Defense recruits an infantry officer (Harry) to go to Ireland. Find the assassin and kill him. The mini-series starred Ray Lonnen (‘The Sandbaggers) and was very good at pointing out the pratfalls and foibles of internal and external politics on both sides of the North Sea. If Helen Mirren interests you, give ‘The Long Good Friday’ a close look. Ms. Mirren plays the wife of up and coming East End gangster, Bob Hoskins experiencing a very bad Easter weekend. Hi Jack, sorry for the late response, yeah I guess I’m confusing it w/ Harry Brown, he…he.. the name is so similar. Harry’s Game sounds intriguing, I might give that a watch one of these days. I generally like BBC stuff. I’m not generally into gangster stuff, but if it’s really good and not overly violent, I’ll check it out. i did like this Star Trek better than any of the others. it is rare that a reboot of a property with such a dedicated fanbase makes (most of) them happy and appeals to the casual viewer. (I am the latter.) I thought the cast had a lot of chemistry which was a big part of the film’s success, both as a film and as a part of the overall Star Trek work. Yeah, I was surprised as well as I went in not knowing what to expect and a bit worried I’d be totally lost in all the Star Trek jargon, etc. Fortunately it was very accessible and I found myself being really entertained by it. Yes, the cast’s chemistry is great and I think that’s a big factor why it was fun. I love the scenes w/ Kirk and McCoy when the doctor tried to sneak him in. Karl Urban should do more comedy… he’s one of my faves right now, right up there w/ Fassy. I think they’re both talented but I’m still hoping Urban will get offered great roles like Fassy does right now. “Can i get a towel please?” 😉 I’ve liked Urban since LOTR days. i think he was really good as the hit man in the 2nd Bourne picture. Not sure why he doesn’t get the same kinds of roles as Fass. Ha..ha.. yeah Pegg’s so funny here. Karl is one of my fave actors from down under… sooo charismatic and obviously VERY easy on the eyes 😀 I hope he will get his breakthrough role soon and be offered stuff left and right like Fassy! Easily my favorite Star Trek flick of the bunch. Waiting for the sequel to come out. So I take it you’re a Trekkie, Fitz? Good review, Ruth. It’s always interesting to hear a non-Trekkie’s take on these movies. I loved it, too. It was pretty brave to essentially wipe out everything that has happened in Star Trek since it started by changing events before the first episode. Thanks Richard. Yeah, I guess it’s quite a gamble for Abrams to do so but it clearly worked out for him. Of course you can’t please everyone and some Trekkies are probably think it’s sacrilege, but for people like me, it sure was entertaining. Pingback: Five Minutes Heaven Haha, I am a bit of a trekkie, and I loved the new Trek film. Eagerly anticipating the follow up! January 28, 2012 at 21:34 Reply Pingback: Somehow JJ Abrams & co. made me interested in the Star Trek universe Leave a Reply to rtm Cancel reply	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1270
__label__wiki	0.553367	0.553367	income+ Digi, partners to launch Malaysia’s 1st 5G virtual tourism experience Posted by Bernama \| 6 days ago \| Featured, Mainstream KUALA LUMPUR: Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd has partnered with Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) and Panorama Langkawi to initiate Malaysia’s first real-time virtual tourism experience, powered by 5G, at the Langkawi International Airport (LGK). A cable car gondola and a virtual reality (VR) experiential zone set up at the LGK would allow visitors to enjoy a 360-degree view of Gunung Machinchang, live-streamed from 20km away via a camera mounted at the Langkawi SkyCab middle station, where the world’s steepest cable car ride takes one 708 metres above sea level. In a statement today, Digi said the 5G virtual tourism experience, which is open to the public until March this year, is projected to provide a new immersive and integrated travel experience for tourists and further the tourism industry in the nation. This showcase is part of Digi’s use case in the 5G Demonstration Projects (5GDP), undertaken by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to facilitate, develop and foster 5G use cases in a live but controlled environment. Digi chief executive officer Albern Murty said that the Langkawi 5G virtual tourism pilot is in line with Digi’s collaborative approach in building a 5G ecosystem alongside partners, as well as corresponds with Visit Malaysia 2020 (VM2020). MAHB acting group chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Shukrie Mohd Salleh said the airport operator aims to enhance the airport experience by providing guests with a virtual experience of local tourist attractions at the airport itself, as part of its Experience Malaysia initiative that it has embarked in support of the VM2020 campaign. He added further that last year, LGK received the “Highly Commended” recognition in the ‘Under 4 million passengers’ category at the prestigious Routes Asia 2019 Marketing Awards. The award was a testament to the airport operator’s efforts in strengthening LGK’s marketability and presence on the tourism map, as well as act as a larger catalyst to the island’s economic development. Meanwhile, Panorama Langkawi acting chief operating officer Ir Abu Hashim Abdul Rahman said the Langkawi SkyCab is an iconic landmark of the island, located within the Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark “We believe that 5G has the potential to deliver new and engaging digital activities that can improve tourist experiences and enhance the appeal of Langkawi and Malaysia in the eyes of foreign tourists.” Abu Hashim said. Digi’s 5G live site at the airport is one of the first two on the island, with the second located at the Langkawi Hospital. The 5G mobile base station located near the LGK terminal operates on a spectrum of 3.4-3.5GHz (C-band) of 100MHz bandwidth with a speed of 1.2Gbps. Digi is also continuously facilitating 5G use case tests at its 5G OpenLab space in Cyberjaya, which serves as an incubator space for businesses, academics and developers. – Jan 15, 2020, Bernama PreviousUS, China set to sign massive purchases deal, easing trade war NextMixed bag of results expected for 4QFY19 corporate earnings Government still discussing excise duty for locally-assembled vehicles – Lim Bursa eyes FSBM as a PN17 candidate The Man from MPOA AirAsia launches its latest offering, Bundle Deals MIDF Research positive on aviation sector US may grow more quickly this year than projections: Mnuchin Palm oil prices to climb 17.9% in 2020 on tight supplies, biodiesel programmes: poll Global FDI dips, hit by Hong Kong divestment, Brexit: UN BOJ keeps policy steady, nudges up economic growth forecasts Daily Top news By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to receive news, offers, and information from Focus Malaysia. Click here to visit our Privacy Policy. Easy unsubscribe links are provided in every email. Business & Beyond	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1274
__label__cc	0.687758	0.312242	For your convenience, the most commonly asked questions for FODMAP Free for Foodies are answered right here. Not finding what you want? Reach out directly through the Contact Us page. Q: Are you an MD, RD or a Clinical Nutritionist? A: No. I’m a food enthusiast who has lived with gastrointestinal, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and other issues for over 20 years. I progressively became severely intolerant of all elements of FODMAP and found it difficult to find suitable foods. I began submersing myself in related research and experimenting with low-FODMAP ingredients in my cooking. This site is intended to share my experience, discoveries, resources and recipes. You can check out My Story and Disclaimer & Disclosure pages. Q: What made you decide to become so intensely involved in FODMAP and passionate about cooking in this appoach? A: To be frank, I became increasingly frustrated with the dozens of doctors and specialists I had encountered over the 20 years during which I struggled with GI issues. I felt over-tested and over-medicated with no improvement. Four years ago, my conditions became drastically severe and I began having other symptoms related to inflammation and auto-immune issues. Even the FOMAP specialist I was seeing, who was an RD gave me some terrible advice. But more than that, I felt she was callous and insensitive to my plight. Having said that, I don’t expect anyone else to care or pay attention to one’s body as much as the individual. So I started immersing myself in FODMAP studies, which was then, still in the early stages. Q: I noticed you don’t have a lot of meat dishes here. Why is that? A: I actually do not eat red meat and my diet consists predominantly of seafood. Since I’ve personally cooked and experimented with these dishes, my recipes naturally reflect what I eat. Because the FODMAP approach is rather limiting, I brought chicken and turkey back into my diet a few years ago and you’ll see recipes for those. Quite a few of them can actually be prepared with ground beef or lamb, like the Turkey Chili and Bolognese Sauce. Q: Are the recipes healthy? A: I generally eat a very healthy and nutritious diet, so the recipes included here reflect that. Low FODMAP foods actually restrict many nutritious items particularly in the vegetable and legume area, so I make an effort to ensure I maintain a well-balanced diet that is tasty and wholesome. Q: Are the ethnic dishes authentic? A: I can’t say they are authentic, in that they may not include the traditional ingredients. The recipes have been specifically modified to be FODMAP-friendly, so by virtue, they may not meet the traditional taste standards of of that cuisine. The intent is to allow low-FODMAP followers to satisfy their craving for certain dishes they are otherwise unable to eat, without the consequences. And hopefully they will find it tasty all the same! Q: Why does your FODMAP-Approved list contain items others state as unsuitable? A: Many of the lists I see on the Internet are outdated. I source my info from Monash University, the authority on FODMAPs and the first to provide evidence that a low-FODMAP diet would relieve IBS symptoms. They are continuing to research and analyze foods and updating the database. You can find more info on my Resources page. Q: Every once in a while, I see your recipes call for items that I’m surprised belong there. For instance, I checked the label for Worcestershire sauce which includes garlic. Can you explain? A: While not every IBS-suffer is intolerant of every FODMAP carbohydrate, I happen to hit the jackpot and suffer with all five. So I’m a stickler about addressing all of them in my recipes. However, certain condiments are used so sparingly that they shouldn’t cause issues. For instance, 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce in a dish that is spread over six servings will have virtually no impact. Also, something like Miso is fermented which reduces the FODMAP content and 2 tablespoons of paste per serving has been classed as low FODMAP. Q: I used the recipe last week and notice it’s now a little different on the site. Did you make changes? A: I am constantly striving to create the best-tasting, healthiest recipes possible within the low FODMAP guidelines, and sometimes that requires tweaking or fine-tuning. I frequently make the dishes on this site and if I discover they can be improved, or I can make the directions clearer for my readers, I’ll make edits to the posts. For instance, initially I called for 2/3 cup water for FODMAP Free for Foodies Chocolate Chia Protein Bars, to make it easier to stir and handle, and to adequately “cook” the quinoa flakes. However, in a different batch, I noticed that reducing the water to 1/2 cup made the texture crispier, while still achieving what I intended. So I updated the recipe. Q: Why is there a picture of a cat on the Testimonial page? A: Haha, I know it seems a bit random but I love animals and Luna is a very important part of my family. She is a Blue Mitted Solid Ragdoll and very sweet, floppy, affectionate and puppy-like. She even has her own fan base here. Making News Friends in Zambia	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1275
__label__wiki	0.708177	0.708177	by Courtney Summers Her mother wakes her up before her alarm with a tender squeeze of the arm and a kiss on the forehead. Norah registers the shift in light beneath her eyelids but keeps them tightly closed. Everything feels too good to move: the pillow soft beneath her head, the sheets curled around her body, keeping her warm. Norah would stay in bed forever if she could, but her mother hums softly until Norah stretches languidly and flutters her eyes open. The two share a look, then trade smiles. Most of the time Norah’s mother looks at her daughter like she’s a stranger, often lamenting the loss of her “little princess,” but here, cocooned in her blankets and made very small, Norah can almost recall that version of herself and the tidy obedience of her girlhood. It’s a tender moment, in any case, the kind she can feel her mother tucking into her heart for safekeeping. Norah unlocks her own and does the same. “Good morning, my sweet girl,” her mother says. She slips out of Norah’s bedroom. Norah lies there a moment before pushing the covers aside and getting out of bed. Her alarm sounds. She turns it off. Norah is excited about the day before her. She contemplates it, sat in front of her bowl of cereal while her mother argues with her father on the phone. She shoves a spoonful into her mouth and relishes the crunch before it turns mush enough to swallow. “Gary—Gary, if you don’t fucking stop—” Her mother glances in her direction and then slips out of the room. She doesn’t like Norah seeing or hearing how much they hate each other. Norah wishes she could tell her mother it doesn’t matter anyway—that it’s less something you see or hear and more something you feel. On the walk to school, she ducks behind the bushes in front of Mr. Johnson’s house. He’s ninety, confined to his bed, so it’s safe enough for her to do what she does next: she peels off the spandex shorts under her red plaid kilt, then rolls the kilt at the waist until it’s quite a few inches shorter, so far up her thighs it near reveals the fancy panties she bought at the mall over the weekend. She and her best friend, Beth, marched into Victoria’s Secret together and combed the racks, their hearts beating wildly like they were committing some kind of crime—but like Beth said at the time, Everyone’s got a right to a nice pair of underwear. Norah settled on a pink bikini cut that had lace all on the front, smooth and silky on the back. Later that night, she paraded in front of the mirror on her closet door, and that was all she was wearing, and when she assessed herself, her thoughts landed on the word sexy. It felt, to her, so far removed from her mother’s princess, it made her shiver. Norah loves that shiver, a tether to a world she often feels herself floating above, pushed in any direction the wind blows. She unbuttons the first two buttons of her blouse. She doesn’t know how long she’ll make it before the uniform infraction registers with one of her teachers. If she gets past homeroom, her first class of the day is English with Mr. Arbor, and he takes a particular delight in all the skin the freshman girls aren’t supposed to be showing. Second period is with Mrs. Brown, who doesn’t give a damn about anything because she’s retiring at the end of the year. After lunch, third period with Ms. Randolph will be her last and biggest hurdle, depending on how bad of a mood Randolph’s in. If Norah skirts past Randolph, Norah wins the day. At the very least, she likes to make it to lunch. Norah doesn’t know when the uniform game started, but she knows girls at St. Christopher’s were playing it long before she first stepped foot in its hallowed halls. And Norah knows the reason why she likes to play: she loves standing victorious at the end of the day because it’s a beautiful act of defiance, owning her body. She gets that shiver. There’s nothing worse than being one of the girls floating into the cafeteria wearing their kilts at knee-length with their blouses buttoned to their necks just because the school told them they had to. She shoves her shorts into her book bag and steps out from behind Johnson’s bushes. Last month she made the mistake of picking the bushes in front of Brendan Nichols’s house to change behind. The old gossip was looking through his window and had her dad on the phone about it before she even got off his lawn. Her father picked her up from school that day and yelled at her about it without actually yelling. He called her slutty, called the girls who dressed like her sluts, asked her if that was who she really was and who she really wanted to be. Norah said, No, of course not, because it wasn’t like he wanted to hear the truth. She’s glad she only has to see her dad on weekends. “Hey, Norah.” She’s halfway to school when Lark Casey pulls up in his (older brother’s old) Prius. His arm is out the window, and he moves slowly along the curb, keeping pace with her. Norah likes Lark a lot, even though there’s nothing truly special about him besides his face—or maybe because of that. Norah’s mother warns her not to be shallow, that there’s more to life than looks, but her mother married her father for his personality, and Norah knows how that turned out. Lark is bland, even-tempered, and beautiful, sporting a six-foot, two-inch frame, deep brown eyes, and pillowy lips. Lark makes her blush. “Hey,” she says, biting back a smile. He makes her feel giddy too. She’ll be doing nothing and then suddenly his face will flash into her head and she’ll find herself giggling. She feels supremely happy and supremely silly in those moments. “You want a ride?” he asks. She shrugs. “It’s not that far.” “Get in the car, Norah.” They’re a couple, but they’re mostly pretending otherwise, and it’s mostly because Lark is a senior and Norah is a freshman and she doesn’t feel like explaining that one to her parents, even though they were friends with Lark’s mom and dad before the divorce. Everyone thinks Lark is looking out for Norah in the way big brothers do, and that repulses her. She never wants to think about Lark that way. It’s kind of funny how much it would piss her folks off, because it was their divorce that got Norah and Lark together. He pulled the car over to tell her how sorry he was about it. He’s one of the few people who knows about her father’s affairs. He offered her a ride the rest of the way to school, and then another the day after that, and another … She rounds his car and gets in the passenger side. He doesn’t look at her, but he smiles at the horizon, pleased she’s there in the car with him, and that makes her heart sing. It goes a long way, feeling even a little wanted, and Lark wants her more than a little. “Hey, beautiful,” he says. Kissing is for behind closed doors, curtained windows. Hand-holding might do, but the ride to school isn’t all that long, and what’s the point in wasting time? He turns to her and waits until she nods, and then he reaches over and puts his hand on her thigh. She shivers at its warmth, its weight, shivers even more as it moves farther up. He teases her, tickling her a little. She giggles, leaning her head against the headrest and delighting when his fingers reach the unfamiliar. He turns to her and says, eyes wide and surprised, “What is that?” She shrieks. He pushes her kilt back, one eye always on the road, and says, “What are those?” and she yanks her skirt right back down, laughing so hard now she can barely breathe. When she finally collects herself, she turns her head to him, and his face is red. “You like it?” she asks. “Yeah,” he says and then, after a moment, nods vigorously. “Yeah, I do.” He reaches over and lifts her skirt up again, feels the lace front of her underwear, and she loves the feel of him feeling it, and they’ve just about reached the school when he says, “God, you know what you do to me?” “No,” she says like she always does, because this is the game they like to play, and she watches him fidgeting with anticipation as she guides her hand to his crotch. “Hey, Norah, nice underwear.” She panics briefly before realizing Dan Sanchez is just fucking with her, and once she does and her heart settles, she thinks a little smugly, I know. She got through homeroom without reprimand owing to the fact that Ms. Larson had her eyes fixed on her computer screen. She was looking up when the boys came in, though, and she never said anything. The boys are walking uniform infractions, their shirts perpetually untucked and unbuttoned, ties loose around their necks. They always get away with it, and it’s not fair, but whatever. She meets Beth at her locker. Beth is pulling at her ass like there’s something wedged up in there, and her greeting confirms it: “Why did I buy a thong?” “I told you,” Norah says. “My mom always says you can’t feel these things, and it’s … not … fucking …” She sighs, dropping her hand to her sides. “Anyway, it’s not true.” “Why are you talking to your mom about thongs?” Beth rubs her ass-hand in Norah’s face, and Norah shrieks and ducks, and they make their way down the hall to English. They pass Marianne Marsters along the way, hovering at her locker, looking twitchy. Marianne, the perennial good girl, is wearing the uniform like all the girls are meant to wear the uniform: kilt to her knees, shirt buttoned to her chin. She’s opted to layer with the cardigan today, and it’s buttoned all the way up too. “How much would you pay me,” Beth asks as they reach the door, “to bend over in front of Arbor?” Norah rolls her eyes. Beth won’t do it, but she needs to be told, and so Norah says with a hint of a plea, “Beth, don’t.” They step into the classroom, and Beth doesn’t, but Arbor is at his desk, intensely focused on their entrance. Until Arbor, Norah had never been ogled by an older man. Or maybe that’s not true. She never noticed it, though, because until Arbor, she’d never experienced something so blatant and so lascivious (she learned that word in Arbor’s class). He eats you with his eyes, Beth said thoughtfully one day, and that was exactly it. They step into class and are devoured. Some days Arbor makes Norah feel like she’s just shy of ruling the world, but most days he makes her feel like this is all she can ever hope to expect from it. That made her want to dress to code just to escape it until she made a promise to herself: she couldn’t under any circumstance let the old man win. So what she does now is pause at his desk and wait until he looks her right in the eyes before moving on. I see you, she thinks, and it means something. It has to. Two minutes after the bell sounds, Marianne runs into the room, breathless. Mr. Arbor has nothing for her except lunchtime detention. Norah makes it to lunch. She and Beth high-five and enter the cafeteria, scoping out the miserable faces of girls who didn’t get so lucky. The two of them line up for food—Cokes, mac and cheese, and fries, a total carb overload—and sit in the corner of the room. They won’t be alone long; Jeremy Holden will meet up with them with his shadow, Clark Anderson, and then things will get loud because Jeremy is loud. For now, though, they enjoy the relative quiet. Beth stabs the macaroni with her fork and shoves it in her mouth. Norah grabs a fry and dips it into the molten cheese. It tastes so processed, so chemically engineered, it’s delicious, and Norah knows that when she’s her mother’s age, she’ll be forever chasing this taste of her youth so she can feel something akin to a hug from her past. Shortly after, Jeremy bounds onto the scene with his usual zeal, Clark shuffling behind him. Before Jeremy can even sit, Beth is digging her money clip out of her boot and handing a bill to him. Jeremy glances cautiously around before digging into his pocket and sliding a dime bag of weed her way. Beth palms it, tucks it neatly away, and then it’s like the whole thing never happened, but Norah is acutely aware that it happened. Beth wants them to smoke together, says it’s great, and Norah is as intrigued as she is scared, or maybe a little more scared than she is intrigued because stuff with Beth has a habit of sometimes going off without a hitch but more often than not getting out of hand. Like last month, over the weekend, Beth’s parents were out of town. Norah and Beth sneaked into her father’s liquor cabinet and drank. Norah got fuzzy-headed and sleepy, dozed on the couch all night, and Beth got so wasted she passed out on her back on the floor, ended up throwing up in her sleep—and didn’t die. Norah didn’t realize it was a possibility, that you shouldn’t let drunk people sleep on their backs, until the two of them woke up the next morning and Beth stared at her foul, sick-covered shirt and said, somewhat amazed, “You didn’t even roll me over?” Jeremy plunks down next to Norah and reaches across her mac and cheese for a handful of her fries, stuffing them into his mouth. That’s how he is with her, and it drives her crazy, but she doesn’t say anything because the last girl who told Jeremy Holden to go fuck himself ended up with her picture, street address, and phone number plastered online in some ugly places, and her life got pretty ugly as a result. No one said outright that it was Jeremy, but there was a way he held himself afterward that made it obvious it was him. Norah doesn’t know why Jeremy is so into her now. His interest has revealed itself within the last month, first in the form of staring at her when he thought he was being subtle about it, then in the form of his overbearing closeness. He didn’t used to come to their lunch table all the time, and even now that he does, he doesn’t really talk to her, doesn’t try to hold a conversation to figure out what they might have in common. (Norah already knows: nothing.) He wants her, though, and he’s made it clear. It makes her sick. Jeremy would probably back off if he had any clue about Lark, but no one does. No one ever will. Norah gazes wistfully around the room. Seniors have a different lunch time—Lark is enjoying a free period now. “How you doin’, Norah?” Jeremy asks. Norah shrugs and fills her mouth with fries because she doesn’t feel like talking. Jeremy nods to Clark, sitting across the table from them. “Clark shot a cat last weekend.” “Shut the fuck up,” Clark says immediately, his ears reddening. “What the fuck are you talking about?” Beth asks. “Clark shot a cat last weekend.” Jeremy leans forward. “We took his BB gun into the woods, just aiming it at anything, right, and Clark pulls the trigger, and we hear this scream, like this ridiculous fucking yowl, and this cat just—” “I’m trying to eat my lunch here,” Beth interrupts. Norah has already lost her appetite. She brings a hand to her mouth, picturing the whole thing a little too completely. “Did it die?” Jeremy laughs. “It was just a BB gun.” “Did it die?” “No, it didn’t fuckin’ die,” Clark says. Norah thinks of the poor cat in pain—her mind, for some reason, makes it a tabby—not understanding why it’s in pain, and Clark and Jeremy laughing at it. From that point on, the cat would never trust another human being. It upsets her enough that she can’t keep it off her face. Clark reaches over to punch Jeremy in the arm and says, “I told you not to tell—” But his arm jostles Norah’s Coke, and what happens next is the sweet, syrupy drink ends up all over her shirt, her lap, and her thighs. She shrieks and pushes away from the table. A few heads swivel in her direction, trying to pinpoint the commotion. “Aw, shit, aw, Jesus, Norah, I’m sorry,” Clark says frantically, stumbling over the words, at the same time Jeremy asks, “Can I have the rest of your fries?” “I don’t care,” Norah says, and Jeremy pulls her tray toward him, not just the fries but the macaroni too. She glances at Beth. “I gotta clean up. I’ll be right back.” “You fucking losers,” Beth says to the guys. In the bathroom Norah wets a paper towel and sops it all over herself, trying to get as much of the sticky sugar out as she can. When she’s done at the sink, she awkwardly positions herself under the hand dryer and presses the button over and over again until she’s dry. On her way back to the cafeteria, she passes a group of senior boys, Lark among them. They’re loud, louder than you’re supposed to be, and so beautiful and alive. His eyes meet hers and he grins, makes a point of stopping right there in the hall and asking if she needs a ride home from school. He loves this, the innocent pretense of them. He gets off on it, she thinks. She does a little too because the moment is entirely in her hands, the yes or no of it, keeping up the ruse or giving them away. She has no intention of giving them away, of course, but that she could, right now, makes her shiver. She says, “Yeah. Please.” “Great,” Lark says, totally cool about it, nothing on his face suggesting where her hands were this morning. As the boys move down the hall to wherever it is they’re heading, she hears one of his friends say in a mocking falsetto, “Yeah, please,” like the whole moment belonged to Lark, somehow, and Lark smacks him on the back of his head and says, “Fuck off, she’s like a little sister to me,” and some of the thrill dies. Norah checks her watch. Not a lot of time to get back to her mac and cheese, provided there’s any left (she doubts it), but she hustles. She’s just about past Mr. Arbor’s door, which is along the way, when she hears a whimper, a kittenish kind of mewl, and then his voice, indistinct. She pauses, feeling her shoulders tense, but she doesn’t know exactly why. “Marianne,” Norah hears Mr. Arbor say. Norah moves forward on her tiptoes and peers around the doorframe. Marianne’s cardigan is on the floor next to her chair. Marianne herself is sitting at a desk, Arbor behind her, leaned over her, one arm on her shoulder, the other planted on the desk’s surface. His head is bowed, his mouth close to her ear, and he’s whispering something into it. Why is he so close? Why does he need to be whispering anything in her ear? Norah’s stomach turns, but Mr. Arbor acts like he’s exactly where he’s meant to be, like this is just what teachers do. There’s nothing guarded about him, no tension in his stance, and if he were doing something wrong, wouldn’t he act like it? Wouldn’t he keep one eye constantly trained on the door for someone like Norah so he wouldn’t get caught? Norah studies Marianne. She looks so rigid and uncomfortable, but Marianne always looks that way; everyplace she is seems to be a place she wants to get away from. Norah waits for something dramatic enough to occur to direct her next course of action, but it doesn’t happen. She decides to leave things as she found them, but when she finally moves away from the door, she hears it again, that soft whimper, and realizes she can’t. She raps her knuckles against the doorframe. Marianne’s eyes dart wildly around before spotting Norah. Arbor takes it all in stride, gently moving himself away from Marianne and asking Norah what she needs. “Mrs. Allen asked me to get you,” Norah lies. “She’s in the teachers’ lounge.” Arbor clears his throat, glances at the clock on the wall, and regards Marianne for a long minute before saying, “All right. Thank you, Norah. Marianne, you may go.” He leaves the room, Marianne following him to the door. He heads one way and she goes the other, Norah caught between them. “Marianne,” Norah calls after her retreating figure. She realizes Marianne left her cardigan in the classroom, on the floor. “Hey, Marianne.” She watches Marianne float away. When Norah gets back to the cafeteria, Beth and Jeremy are gone. Clark is still there. “Where’d they go?” Norah asks. “They went to smoke.” “The weed?” Clark stares at her. “Duh.” Great. Norah and Beth have math together, and she’s going to be stressing the whole time that Randolph’s going to realize Beth is high. If Randolph does, it’s going to be World War III. Randolph loves an excuse to scream. Norah’s stomach grumbles, and it’s just as she thought: Jeremy polished off her entire lunch for her. She stares at Clark, and she’s surprised to see that his eyes are a little watery, like he might be on the verge of crying. He sniffles. “Nothing.” He’s quiet for a long moment, then finally manages, “I feel really bad about the cat.” She doesn’t want to get upset about the cat again. She tries to push it out of her mind, but all she can think about is the crack of the BB gun giving way to a soft mewl of pain … “It was an asshole thing to do,” Norah replies. “I didn’t see it!” Clark exhales sharply. “I just fired this shot, and it like … ran out of the bushes. And Jeremy’s a fucking psychopath, you know? He wouldn’t let it alone.” Norah studies Clark. He keeps his gaze fixed on something beyond her, or maybe something she can’t see. “Clark?” she finally asks, uneasy. “Did the cat die?” He doesn’t answer. He stares at his hands and says, miserably, “Jeremy’s gonna ask you to fall formal, and I’d say yes if I were you.” All thoughts of Jeremy disappear for worry about Beth, who even if she didn’t totally reek of pot and weren’t totally red-eyed is so clearly, painfully high. As they step inside Randolph’s classroom, Norah turns herself into a human shield, blocking Beth from view. “I’m so mad at you right now,” Norah tells Beth, who rolls her eyes. “You’re not the one who’s going to get into trouble, so calm your tits.” They sit at their usual table, which isn’t as far back as Norah would like it to be today. The bell has rung when Randolph unpleasantly surprises everyone with a pop quiz. Beth murmurs, “Oh shit, I can’t even think straight,” and Norah tells her it serves her right. After everyone’s done groaning, Ms. Randolph orders Norah to distribute the quizzes. Norah takes the stack and begins handing them out. She’s just passing one to Beth when the papers slip from her hands, spilling across the floor. Randolph makes an audibly annoyed sound. Norah bends hastily to pick them up, and Beth explodes into giggles, and then Randolph yells, “Are you kidding me right now?” and Norah thinks, Oh fuck—Beth. “Norah, front of the room. Now.” What? Norah’s heart pounds as she scrambles to pick up the remaining papers, but her hands are suddenly too sweaty to grip them. “Leave them,” Randolph says sharply. Norah makes her way to the front of the room. “Norah, according to the dress code, where should your kilt fall?” “To the knees,” Norah says. She feels the eyes of her classmates on her, feels their embarrassment over her embarrassment—at least the ones who aren’t hungry for it. She raises her chin slightly. The small pushback doesn’t escape Randolph’s notice; hardly anything does. “Is your kilt the appropriate length?” “No, ma’am.” “Fix it.” Norah gets to the excruciating task of rolling down her kilt in front of her classmates. She tugs until it falls, tickling just above her kneecaps, and it suddenly hits her: when she dropped all the papers and bent over—her new pink underwear. “Your shirt. Fix it.” She’s above her body now. She watches her fingers fumble with the buttons of her shirt, their clumsiness extending the whole ordeal of this sick reverse striptease. From this distance she sees that it’s not just that she’s in front of her class, humiliated; it’s that her classmates are part of the show whether they want to be or not, whether she wants them to be or not. When Norah is done, Randolph tells her that if she comes to class like that again, she’ll be written up. You get three write-ups on the uniform, you get suspended. She makes Norah finish handing the quizzes out. Norah does, her eyes filled with unshed tears, as her classmates look on. Her clothes feel heavy. Her skin feels too tight. Every person she hands a quiz to looks at her, but not in the way she gave them permission to. “At least you weren’t wearing the thong,” Beth says when Norah sits back down beside her. Norah forces a smile, but when Beth’s looking elsewhere, she swipes her hand across her eyes. She imagines herself in front of Johnson’s house hours ago and the promising shiver that started her day. It feels so far from her now. “Does Mr. Arbor mess around with students?” It’s not the greeting Lark expects. They’re in his car outside the school, everyone milling around the building, making that slow trek home. Marianne has caught Norah’s eye. She’s standing under the maple right by the front door, waiting for her father to pick her up, and she still doesn’t have her cardigan. Her head is ducked, and she’s not looking at anyone, and no one ever seems to look at her. Norah thinks about that plaintive cry she heard coming from inside Arbor’s classroom just before she reached the door and just after she moved away from it. What has to happen to a girl to make a sound like that come out of her? “What?” he asks as he pulls onto the road. “I don’t know. Marianne Marsters got detention at lunch,” she says. “With Arbor. I walked past them, and it was … weird.” “Weird how?” She describes the scene, the way Arbor stood over Marianne, the untowardness of it, even though technically she guesses nothing really happened. Lark pulls away from the school, and he tells her she can’t just get a teacher in trouble for standing too close to one of his students. Norah says she wasn’t going to, she just wants to know if Mr. Arbor is … bad. “Bad?” Lark snorts. “He’s just a harmless fuck, Norah, that’s all. If you don’t want him to be a creep, don’t put yourself on his radar.” “You know what it means. You don’t have to hike your kilt up to your—” He stops himself, but it’s already too late. “You know what you girls do. You just don’t have to do it.” “But I want to do it,” Norah says, her face flushing with anger. Lark stares at her, and she stares back at him. “Well, then, you know what’s gonna happen,” he finally says. “What’s going to happen?” she asks. Lark shifts, and he opens and closes his mouth several times. He doesn’t know what to say, and she wonders what kind of answers might be flitting through his head and if she’d still like him if he said them out loud. What happens, Lark? she wonders. You end up in the passenger seat of a car with a senior? She persists: “How did Marianne put herself on Arbor’s radar?” Because even Lark knows Marianne buttons her shirt up to her chin and wears her kilt down to her ankles. He doesn’t respond. Norah watches the town drift by her window. “Jeremy Holden is going to ask me to fall formal,” she says after a minute. “Kid’s a psycho.” Lark sounds relieved at the change in subject. “I know. That’s why I don’t want to go with him.” She revises the statement: “I’m not going to go with him.” Fuck Jeremy. “You think that’s a good idea?” She turns to him. He’s serious. “What the hell, Lark?” “Look, I don’t like it any more than you do, but that kid’s a fucking freak. Even the seniors don’t mess with him. He’s not a good one to make an enemy of.” He glances at her. “You really should be looking out for yourself.” “By going to fall formal with him?” He doesn’t answer. He hasn’t answered her at all. Norah leans back in the seat, frowning. She doesn’t like the way he’s made her feel here in his car. She wants the magic of the morning, to have a choice laid in front of her, to be in control of that choice, to choose. So she sighs softly and stretches a little, her chest pressing against the seatbelt. She opens her legs wide. Lark notices, fidgets. Smiles. He says, almost too softly for her to hear, “Norah.” “What?” she asks innocently. “We’re just about to your place.” “So pull over.” A few minutes later they’re on the side of the road and Lark is moaning, and he’s saying it again, the thing he said that morning: “God, do you know what you do to me …” Yes, Norah thinks. What I do to you. Norah gets Marianne’s number from Beth. They partnered for a science project once. Norah’s thumbs hover over the screen of her phone. Do you want to talk? She contemplates it awhile, and then she hits send. She figures if Marianne doesn’t answer her, she’ll make a point of talking to her in the morning, and whatever happens next happens next. Norah is exhausted—the push and pull of the last eleven hours has worn her down, as it so often does. Her head is full of things she doesn’t want to think about, but she feels everything building for want of an outlet. She stretches out on the couch in her pajamas and turns the TV on. She gets past the parental lock on the porn stations and starts flipping through them before finally settling on an X-rated movie that looks like it’s at least pretending to have a plot. On-screen, two naked, writhing bodies are pressed up against each other. Norah takes note, there on the couch, of the way the woman tops and how simple it all seems. Norah soothes herself with the uncomplicated nature of the woman’s wanting, taking, having, and being, but then she thinks about the camera trained on the actress’s body and the director orchestrating the shot, and it doesn’t seem so simple anymore. She thinks about being with Lark in the car and whether he believes he’s the one directing them both. She thinks about her father and Ms. Randolph and how twisted with shame it makes her to wear her body to their specifications and how that doesn’t even matter anyway because you can do everything how you’ve been told and still end up in Arbor’s classroom with him whispering things in your ears, crying like a wounded cat might cry. She thinks about herself in her bedroom after she came home from the mall. She pulled the underwear from the Victoria’s Secret bag and held it in her hands, running her fingers over the delicate lace. When she put it on and looked at herself in the mirror, the first word that came to mind was sexy, and it felt powerful. A moment between her and her body that she’d given to herself. Maybe it’s too much to ask, but she always wants it to feel that way … and is it really too much to ask? Her phone chimes. A text from Marianne. She exhales. “Norah!” Norah startles at the sharp, devastated sound of her mother’s voice. Her mother stands behind the couch, her eyes on the television, her mouth hanging open, her face fully scandalized. The couple on TV moans loudly in response. Norah’s mother rips the remote from her daughter’s hands. She turns the television off and stares at Norah like she’s a stranger. “You’re too young to be watching that,” she says. Courtney Summers lives and writes in Canada. She is the author of several critically acclaimed novels for young adults, including Cracked Up to Be, Some Girls Are, Fall for Anything, This is Not a Test, and All the Rage. Her most recent work, Sadie, released in September 2018, is a New York Times bestseller, Odyssey Award winner, and Edgar Award nominee. It also received six starred reviews and appeared on more than 30 Best of 2018 lists. Courtney is currently working on her next novel. You can follow her on Twitter (@courtney_s) or Instagram (summerscourtney) and learn more at courtneysummers.ca.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1278
__label__wiki	0.726291	0.726291	U.S. Markets close in 1 hr 55 mins AARP Applauds U.S. House Vote On Bipartisan Bill To Fight Age Bias Senate Consideration of POWADA Is Urged WASHINGTON, Jan. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AARP praised the U.S. House of Representatives' vote today approving bipartisan legislation to combat age discrimination — the "Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act" (POWADA) — as the most important action yet in the long drive toward bill passage. AARP national logo. (PRNewsfoto/AARP) "The House has sent a clear message that age discrimination must be treated as seriously as other forms of workplace discrimination," said Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer. "Today's vote is especially heartening for older workers, who make vital contributions to society and to their work places, and whose numbers are growing. The law must be strengthened because age discrimination is widespread, yet too often it goes unreported and unaddressed. AARP urges the Senate to take up and pass these important protections." POWADA was first introduced, with AARP backing, after an adverse 2009 Supreme Court decision (Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc.) that made it much more difficult for older workers to prove claims of illegal bias based on age. The legislation would restore longstanding protections under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), which covers workers aged 40 and over. AARP praised the bipartisan leadership of the House sponsors of POWADA (H.R. 1230), Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI). The House votes follow Education and Labor Committee action last spring, which included supportive testimony by AARP. In the Senate, the bipartisan companion legislation (S.485) is sponsored by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Bob Casey (D-PA). The House action comes as older workers play an increasingly important role in the workforce. Estimates are that by 2024, 41 million people ages 55 and older will be in the labor force, nearly an eight percent increase from the current number. In addition, next year the oldest millennials will start turning 40 and then will be covered by the ADEA. The percentage of those 65 and older in the workforce has been increasing incrementally for more than three decades, with more than one in five in that cohort currently working or seeking work. At the same time, the 2018 AARP "Value of Experience" study showed that age discrimination remains alive and well. The survey found that 61 percent of older workers said they had either faced or observed age bias. The 61 percent figure is consistent with past surveys on the question. AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aarp-applauds-us-house-vote-on-bipartisan-bill-to-fight-age-bias-300987886.html SOURCE AARP Trump impeachment news – live: Democrats taunt president with his own words as historic Senate trial begins Trump impeachment news – live: Historic Senate trial begins as president rages at Davos AOC Claims Democrats Are ‘Center-Conservative’ Party, Says Progressive Members Are Trying to Change That Trump impeachment news – live: President begins global summit by raging about Senate trial, as Schiff warns proposed rules will lead to rigged result Bloomberg’s ad spending increasing TV cost for others: RPT Warren vows to probe Trump administration on corruption if elected Bernie Sanders hits back at Hillary Clinton: 'On a good day, my wife likes me' Why luxury watch makers like Bremont are having their moment CPI higher than expected in November, increasing 0.3% RPTS: Boeing seeks $10B loans Allegations bite into business of 'Africa's richest woman' NBC’s ‘Peacock’ platform offers ad-free, $4.99 option Gary Player on the future of Pro Golf Plus.Ai completes first ever autonomous truck haul New survey highlights wealth gap across the world Trump weighs travel ban expansion in coming days NYSE President on 2020 IPO outlook Hong Kong markets slide on heels of continued protests Greta Thunberg on climate crisis: our house is on fire Lucky's Market reportedly closing the majority of its stores including 20 Florida locations How To Invest $100,000 (and Turn It Into $1 Million) MARKETS: Nasdaq is 1% down, but don't panic; trading Shopify (SHOP)	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1282
__label__wiki	0.899458	0.899458	Using Instagram to Grow Your Audience with Chris Browning of Popcorn Finance CategoriesHow To / Money & Media Podcast You’re officially a content creator. So what’s the one thing that content creators need even more than inspiration (or caffeine!)? An audience, of course. Have you ever thought about using Instagram to grow your audience? Instagram is actually the perfect platform to send more eyes to your work, whether it’s a blog, another channel, or even a podcast. How can we be so sure? Chris Browning of Popcorn Finance says so! We sat down to chat with Browning to find out exactly how he works Instagram magic to grow his podcast. That’s right. He’s using a visual platform to grow an audience for another platform that’s almost entirely focused on audio. His tips on using Instagram to grow your audience will work for any content creator. Get your content seen by taking advantage of Instagram business account features and learning how to make Instagram Stories work for you. Browning also dishes on all sorts of ways to get past the on-camera jitters. He’s got at least one take you’ve never heard before. Guaranteed. Why Use Instagram to Grow Your Audience? There are plenty of social media platforms out there. Why did Browning choose Instagram? He says it make the most sense to use Instagram because it’s the platform he enjoys the most. Jokingly, he says Twitter is just too many words after a long day at work. Realistically, though, Browning is onto something. More and more people are turning to Instagram for its combination of words, images, and video. It’s the perfect way to share information and to be entertained. Visit his account to see him in action. Make Your Content Pop on Instagram Browning says that he knows he made the right choice for his platform because it helps him engage with people. While it was hard to blend podcasting and Instagram at first, he says he’s found a good system. After some trial and error, he’s learned to create and repurpose content in a style tailored to Instagram. He starts his explanation with a don’t. You can’t just slap an audio WAV on Instagram and call it a day. Instead, you want to devise a way to capture the audience’s eye, not their ear. This is especially important when you consider the fact that so many people use Instagram without sound. Knowing these things, Browning says he has to get more creative. One technique that Browning uses is to add text to video on Instagram. He says that the moving text stops people in their scroll. Even if they don’t watch the entire video or click over to his website right away, it’s interesting and unusual enough that people will come back to it later on when they have headphones and more time. Check out more tips from Pete McPherson on how to capture your audience’s attention. Using Instagram for Cross Promotion Every podcast episode of Popcorn Finance is highly cross promoted on Instagram. To do this, Browning uses a combination of tactics. This content creation strategies include using Audio clips, and Video with text His strategy for using images on Instagram is based on building relationships. He says that audiences want to know who the podcast guests are. Sharing images allows them to put a face to the voice. He also pulls audio clips straight from the podcast episode. The clips are little slivers of conversation that stand out to him. They might be funny, entertaining, or memorable in some other way. Finally, he uses those video clips with text to really grab his audience’s attention. By creating a combination of content on Instagram, he’s able to boost podcast engagement for each new episode. Know Your Audience with an Instagram Business Account The Popcorn Finance podcast episodes drop on Mondays, and Browning starts cross-promoting them on Instagram that same time. He’s not too worried about a specific content calendar in terms of days. Instead, he says it’s all about timing. The first thing he suggests anyone do is to convert their Instagram account to a business account. That way, you can see the days of the week and the times of the week that your audience is on. He says that the days don’t change much for his audience. But he did notice a huge difference in terms of time of day. His particular audience isn’t very active in the morning. Instead, he sees engagement tick upward throughout the day, with his audience being most active after 6PM PT. He releases his content accordingly. Anyone looking to use Instagram to cross-promote needs to remember that. Cross promotion is only truly successful if your audience is there, so find out when they are most active and engaged. Check out these tips for using social media to grow your audience. How to Connect With Your Audience Using Instagram Stories Browning is also working to create exclusive content on Instagram Stories. To do this, he’s created what he calls the “Popcorn Minute.” Popcorn Minute is a quick video for the week that he films right in his car. He uses it to preview the week ahead and make real connections with his audience by sharing little bits of his life. He also previews what’s going on with the Popcorn Finance podcast that week. These videos are recorded directly on his phone. Then, he shares them on Instagram Stories and also on his traditional feed. The Benefits of Instagram Stories He’s also realizing that he gets a lot more engagement in Stories than on the posts in his traditional Instagram feed. This isn’t entirely surprising to Browning, though. He says one of the best ways to determine how you should use Instagram for your brand is to think about how you enjoy using the platform as an audience member. Look at your own habits when you use the platform. Where do you spend your time? There’s a good chance that other audience members in your niche do the same. Knowing your audience and studying your niche is an important step in using Instagram to grow your audience. Browning acknowledges that he’s not always comfortable on camera. He shares the traditional advice of pushing past it and making more content to get comfortable. But then he points out something different. He says that it’s really essential to remember that you don’t matter; your audience does. It might feel awkward to you to sit in your car and film, but your audience isn’t noticing your car. Instead, they see this video as an opportunity to have a face-to-face conversation. They’re focused on your message and your meaning. By turning your focus to your audience and creating something that they will value, Browning believes people can feel more confident with these videos. He also jokes that there’s something else beautiful about Instagram Stories: They’re gone in 24 hours. If you really hate your content, it’s not forever. You can always try again. Find more tips on boosting your comfort on-screen from Bobbi Rebell of Financial Grownup. Using Instagram Stories Highlights to Share Your Best Work Instagram Stories aren’t forever. Right? Let’s say you do create something that you actually love and you think your audience will really value. Archive it! There’s a lot of work that goes into creating Instagram content for it to be gone almost instantly. That’s why Browning is working on making the most of his Instagram Stories Highlights. He’s setting up his account in a way that’s purposeful. His audience can easily tell the theme of the content by the cover image and the name. Popcorn Stories has its own category. He also has other categories where he adds content that he thinks people will really relate to. He says the best way to determine what you should archive and how to organize it all is to think about a common thread. If you have stories that are cohesive and have value, save it as a complete memory. You can keep building this and your audience can return to it over time. Another way to build up Instagram Story Highlights is to use them as an ongoing list. Browning started keeping track of everything he’s reading as a personal endeavor. What surprised him, though, was how much interaction and engagement he gets from audiences. People will reach out to ask him what he’s reading next and seem to really appreciate him using the feature to chronicle past reads. Browning points out that this would work well for any number of things. From recipes to movies and anything in between, it’s a great way to create an ongoing list that can serve as a conversation starter with audiences. The Best Apps to Create Instagram Content While Browning makes it seem easy, sharing audio on a visual platform requires careful planning. Having access to the right tools can make your job a lot easier. Browning says that he uses a handful of apps to help with all of his content creation. Audiogram allows him to take a chunk of audio and turn it into video. It actually transcribes the audio for you. Of course, he says there’s some cleanup involved. But it’s not too labor intensive since the video length is capped at a minute. Browning also appreciates that the app lets users add text and change the placement of it. Pixelmator is another tool Browning uses. He says it’s a cheap version of Photoshop. It allows people to control and manipulate images without quite the same level of commitment as Photoshop. The app allows people to lighten and darken images. There is a single-tap color correction feature. Plus, there are even templates to help you get started. Clips is the app that Browning uses to create his Popcorn Minute video. He shoots the video using his iPhone. He knew he wanted to be able to splice together segments and infuse still images, and he found all of those options in Clips. This app is actually a default on the iPhone. Not only does it allow him to splice and organize his video and still image content, but he can add audio to it as well. Fair use background music comes free with the app. There’s a bonus heaping of technology magic, too. The app adjusts the volume of the background music to accommodate audio on the video clips as well. These tools aren’t silver screen quality, and they don’t have to be. One thing that Browning stresses over and over again is that these videos are an opportunity to connect for audiences. Using Instagram to grow your audience means finding ways to connect with the authentically. The Instagram videos are meant to be entertaining and informative. They’re also fairly casual in order to seem like a real conversation. Check out how Joseph Hogue of Let’s Talk Money keeps video conversational. How to Choose Effective Hashtags for Instagram If you’re using Instagram to grow your audience, you probably have questions about hashtags. After all, no two pieces of hashtag advice seem to be the same. Browning admits that he’s still working on perfecting his hashtag game, but he does have a plan. First of all, he says that you want to make sure that you’re not too repetitive. By repeating the same hashtags for each post, the hashtags simply aren’t as effective. Instead, you want to focus on what’s unique about that post. Of course, brands will want to use one or two consistent hashtags. For Browning, that means using #PopcornFinance. He also uses #debtfreecommunity pretty frequently, and his reasoning is simple: he enjoys interacting with that community. Another tip that Browning shares is to pick hashtags that are in the medium popularity range. It’s unlikely that your content will float to the top of the most popular hashtags. The hashtags are simply oversaturated, so it’s hard to stand out. Instead, by choosing hashtags in the 10-30K range, your content is more likely to be seen. Once Browning knows which hashtags fit his post, he records them in Notes on his phone. That way, he can cycle through different groupings of hashtags without having to come up with new ones on the spot each time. Final Thoughts on Using Instagram to Grow Your Audience As you evolve and hone your message, you need your audience to grow with you. These tips from Chris Browning at Popcorn Finance will allow you to unlock the power of Instagram to send more views to your work and build a bigger fan-base for your brand. Have you considered using Instagram or Instagram Stories to make stronger connections with your audience? To hear the full interview with Chris Browning, tune into the latest episode of the Money & Media podcast. Subscribe through Apple Podcasts and new episodes will show up every month. Never subscribed to a podcast before? Here’s Apple’s easy tutorial. Would you rather listen on your smartphone? Try Stitcher, the iPP app for Android, the iPhone podcast app, or even Spotify. We’re available on each of these platforms. Joe Saul-Sehy is the co-host of the Stacking Benjamins personal finance podcast and operates the Stacking Benjamins blog. Bethany Bayless is a public speaker and emcee who co-hosts the podcast The Money Millhouse. Join Us for #FinCon19 Want to meet with other YouTubers and video makers? Join us for FinCon19 September 4-7 in Washington D.C. Register for your pass today!	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1284
__label__wiki	0.898641	0.898641	American journal of human genetics German Sport University Cologne Centre for Human Integrative Physiology in Space (ZiP) Centre for Preventive Doping Research (ZePräDo) German Research Centre of Elite Sport (momentum) Institue for Workplace Health Promotion (BGF) Institute for Movement Therapy and Movement-Oriented Prevention and Rehabilitation Professur für Präventionsforschung mit dem Schwerpunkt betriebliche Gesundheitsförderung Section Neurology, Psychosomatic Medicine, Psychiatry Section Science of Movement-Oriented Prevention and Rehabilitation Institute for Quality Assurance in Prevention and Rehabilitation (IQPR) Institute of Biochemistry Institute of Biomechanics and Orthopaedics Institute of Cardiology and Sports Medicine Section Molecular and Cellular Sport Medicine Section Preventive and Rehabilitative Sport Medicine Institute of Communication and Media Research Institute of Dance and Movement Culture Institute of European Sport Development and Leisure Studies Institute of Exercise Training and Sport Informatics Cognition- and Sports Games Research Sport Informatics and Sports Games Research Training Science Institute of Movement and Neurosciences Institut für Bewegungs- und Sportgerontologie Institute of Outdoor Sports and Environment Science Institute of Pedagogy and Philosophy Section Pedagogy Section Philosophy Institute of Professional Sport Education and Sport Qualifications Abteilung Didaktik und Methodik der Sportarten Abteilung für Trainingspädagogik und Martial Research Section Health & Social Psychology Section Performance Psychology Institut für Soziologie und Genderforschung Institute of Sport Didactics and Physical Education Abteilung Schulsport und Schulentwicklung Abteilung Sportdidaktik Institute of Sport Economics and Sport Management Section Sport Business Administration Section Sport Management Institute of Sport History Institute of Sport Law Manfred Donike Institute Olympic Studies Centre (OSC) Research Institute for Inclusion through Physical Activity and Sport (FiBS gGmbH) Non-textual form Contribution to conference Memorandum/exposition Patent Working paper Book/Report Other contribution Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding Contribution to journal Contribution to memorandum/exposition German English French Spanish Arabic Other Portuguese Russian Kazakh Tswana Spanish (Ecuador) Spanish (Mexico) Spanish (Colombia) Spanish (Chile) German (Austria) English (New Zealand) Spanish (Peru) Choose year 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1966 1954 to Choose year 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1966 1954 Research Education Transfer Has DOI Does not have DOI Craniosynostosis and multiple skeletal anomalies in humans and zebrafish result from a defect in the localized degradation of retinoic acid Laue, K., Pogoda, H-M., Daniel, P. B., van Haeringen, A., Alanay, Y., von Ameln, S., Rachwalski, M., Morgan, T., Gray, M. J., Breuning, M. H., Sawyer, G. M., Sutherland-Smith, A. J., Nikkels, P. G., Kubisch, C., Bloch, W., Wollnik, B., Hammerschmidt, M. & Robertson, S. P., 11.11.2011, In : American journal of human genetics. 89, 5, p. 595-606 12 p. Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal articles › Research	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0045.json.gz/line1287

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