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Russia's Military Just Carried Out a Massive Test Airstrike in West
Damien Sharkov
Newsweek• July 7, 2017
Russia’s westernmost forces finished a 5,000-strong drill quite literally with a bang. The drill ended with a massive practice airstrike using four different kinds of warplanes in a joint assault, state news agency Itar-Tass reported Thursday, citing Russia’s Western Military District.
The exact number of jets was not given though Su-27, Su-30SM, Su-35 and the MiG-31 units all took part, assisted by Krasukha electronic warfare units. The drill involved jamming enemy detection capabilities, thereby blindsiding the hypothetical designated opponent in the drill.
Three different air forces scramble to tail flock of Russian warplanes above the Baltic Sea
Trending: With Ivanka Trump Joining Her Father In Europe, Here's What the Other Trump Children Have Been Doing
The practice airstrike was a response to a hypothetical attack, the statement by the military district stated. A total of 2,000 units of military kit were involved in the wider exercise in an unspecified location on Russia’s northwestern flank, which ended Thursday.
Russia’s armed forces in the northwest have pursued a visible reinforcement and uptick in activity in recent years as ties with its Western neighbors have deteriorated. Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 prompted a tide of solidarity from Western powers, particularly in Russia's neighboring Baltics, which were once part of the Soviet Union.
A recent poll found more people in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia fear the likelihood of war than the prospect of extremist attacks of the sort that have struck western capitals. There is strong support among the Baltics for NATO reinforcement measures and the idea of wider western military alliances, such as a European Union army.
Don't miss: Will the Muslim Ban Decision Curtail Our Civil Rights?
Russia’s upcoming drill with ally Belarus in the region is currently regarded as a climax in the anxiety Baltic countries have experienced, with increased intercepts of Russian warplanes near their airspace, and Russian naval drills nearby this summer.
Lithuania has accused Russia of “simulating” an attack on NATO with its Zapad drill and has cast doubt over whether the drill will be as transparent as international agreements require. Russia has denied it would attack a NATO ally, though trust between Russia and the West is at a low point and has been further eroded by the Kremlin’s inconsistent interpretation of events in Ukraine.
More from Newsweek
Trump in Poland: U.S. to Sell Warsaw Arms to Stop 'Hot War' With Russia
Russia is the Chief Suspect in U.S. Nuclear Power Plants Hack
New Russian Warship Fires Artillery and Rockets in Final Tests Before Joining Pacific Fleet
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Language & Writing
Baby (0 to 18 months)
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On Maldives
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Love by Stendhal
MVR 280
Would you like to know when new stock arrives?:
Drawing on history, literature, and his own experience of unrequited passion, Love is a thinly disguised picture of the author’s innermost feelings.
Stendahl’s obsession with Mathilde Viscontini Dembowski is at the heart of this book. For her part, she neither returned his love nor understood him. In an attempt to expain his feelings to her—and to exorcise his love—he dissects his passion.
Bringing together the conflicting sides of his nature, the deeply emotional and the coolly analytical, Stendhal constructed a work that is both acutely personal and universally applicable.
Published in 1975.
Fifty Shades Trilogy by E L James (Boxed Set)
This boxed set includes the following novels:
FIFTY SHADES OF GREY: When college student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly Ana realizes she wants this man, and Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.
FIFTY SHADES DARKER: Daunted by Christian’s dark secrets and singular tastes, Ana has broken off their relationship to start a new career. But desire for Christian still dominates her every waking thought. They rekindle their affair, and while Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Ana is forced to make the most important decision of her life.
FIFTY SHADES FREED: Now, Ana and Christian have it all and a world of possibilities for their future. But Ana knows that loving her Fifty Shades will not be easy, and that being together will pose challenges that neither of them would anticipate. Just when it seems that their strength together will eclipse any obstacle, misfortune, malice, and fate conspire to turn Ana’s deepest fears into reality.
Jonathan Unleashed by Meg Rosoff
Jonathan Trefoil's boss is unhinged, his relationship baffling and his apartment just the wrong side of legal. His girlfriend wants to marry someone just like him -- only richer and more organised with a different sense of humour.
On the plus side, his two flatmates are determined to fix his life -- or possibly to destroy it altogether. It's difficult to be certain because, being dogs, they only speak dog.
Poor Jonathan. He doesn't remember life being this confusing back in the good old days before everyone expected him to act like a person, but one thing he knows for sure: If he can make it in New York City, he can make it anywhere.
But can he get out of advertising, meet the girl of his dreams and figure out the gender of his secret crush? Given how it's going so far, probably not.
Published on 11 February 2016.
Random Acts of Heroic Love by Danny Scheinmann
1992: Traveling through South America with his girlfriend, Leo wakes up in a hospital to find his girlfriend is dead. He blames himself for the tragedy and is sucked into a spiral of despair. But a surprising secret leads Leo to discover something that will change his life forever.
1917: Moritz is a POW fugitve, with seven thousand kilometers of the Russian steppes separating him from his first love, whose memory has kept him alive through carnage and captivity. The war may be over, but he now faces a perilous journey and the insecurity of whether his love is still waiting.
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Norway love
A country of northern Europe in the western part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Norway was ruled by numerous petty kingdoms from the ninth century, and raiding parties reached Normandy, Iceland, Greenland, islands off Scotland and Ireland, and the coast of the New World. Norway was finally unified in the 12th century. After 1397 it was controlled at various times by Denmark and Sweden. Independence was achieved in 1905. Oslo is the capital and the largest city.
proper noun One of the Scandinavian countries. Official name: Kingdom of Norway (Kongeriket Norge in Bokmål and Kongeriket Noreg in New Norwegian).
noun a constitutional monarchy in northern Europe on the western side of the Scandinavian Peninsula; achieved independence from Sweden in 1905
Old English Norweg, Norþweg, from Old Norse Norvegr ("north way") from norðr ("north") + vegr ("way"), contrasted with suthrvegar ("south way"), i.e. Germany, and austrvegr ("east way"), the Baltic lands. Norwegian (1607) is from Medieval Latin Norvegia, with the -w- from Norway.
OSLO, NORWAY (The Borowitz Report) - Responding to criticism about his receiving this year's Nobel Peace Prize, President Barack Obama today sent an unmanned predator drone to Norway to pick up the prize for him.
Andy Borowitz: Obama Sends Predator Drone to Pick Up Nobel Peace Prize
Norway: H.H. Boyesen, _The H.story of Norway_ (1886), a brief popular account in "Story of the Nations" Series.
A Political and Social History of Modern Europe V.1.
NORWAY BEATS KOE Norway skip Torger Nergard stunned Canada's Kevin Koe 9-8 in the final round-robin draw to take the overal lead Thursday at the 2010 Capital One men's world curling championship in Cortina d'Ampezzo,
WN.com - Articles related to Atienza: LGU's should help sports Raptors add to Nets woes-->
NORWAY - Roy G. Gedat, a longtime resident of Norway, announced his bid to be elected
Sun Journal top news
NORWAY - A four-hour mediation session failed to resolve a dispute between Opera House owner Barry Mazzaglia and the town over what Norway should pay him for the property.
NORWAY - Some domestic flights in northern Norway.
NORWAY - Pat Shearman of Norway has announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the June primary for Oxford County East register of deeds.
NORWAY - A six-year-old boy in Norway wanted to trade in his name, Christer, for Sonic X, so he wrote a letter to his country's king to ask for permission.
KXAN TV
NORWAY - The next Norway open-mic night will be held Friday, March 27, at the First Universalist Church, 479 Main St. Sign-up for singers, poets, comedians and dancers will begin at 6: 30 p.m., with the open mic at around 7 o'clock.
Sunjournal - Connecting you with your Community
scandinavian country
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book-length
carpolishingbuy
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opensso
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Western Voices World News » News » April 2013 » ‘False-Flag’ Meme Goes Mainstream on Boston Marathon Bombings
‘False-Flag’ Meme Goes Mainstream on Boston Marathon Bombings
Posted by: Frank Roman on: 04/17/2013 07:41 PM [ Print | 0 comment(s) ]
Yes, there is historical precedent for viewing the Boston bombing as a false-flag event.Therefore, who benefits?
On September 11th, 2001, the US media began chanting “Bin Laden” in unison almost from the moment the attack was reported. The possibility that US government insiders had orchestrated the attack - in order to blame Muslims, launch wars on Muslim countries, and seize near-absolute power - was never mentioned.
Bin Laden's repeated statements that he deplored the 9/11 attacks, considered them un-Islamic, and suspected that American supporters of Israel were behind them failed to penetrate the corporate media bubble. When the FBI definitively stated that Bin Laden was “not wanted” for 9/11 because there was “no hard evidence” of his involvement, the media blacked out the story.
But after the Boston bombings of April 16th, 2013, even the corporate monopoly media could no longer ignore the possibility of a false-flag attack. Yahoo News asked “Who's behind the Boston Marathon bombings?” and offered 4 theories: (1) Islamic jihadists, (2) Right-wing militia types, (3) the government, and (4) a criminally-insane lone wolf.
Numbers (1), (2), and (4), of course, are the usual suspects. But including (3) “the government” on the suspects list is unprecedented for a mainstream news story reporting on a domestic terror incident.
The false-flag meme's growing prominence was underlined at Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick's press conference after the bombings. The first question for Governor Patrick came from Infowars correspondent Dan Bidondi, who asked whether the bombings were “a false-flag staged event..to take away our civil liberties.” Patrick, of course, answered “no.”
Even the Atlantic Monthly, a neocon-lite magazine associated with names like Goldberg and Hitchens, felt compelled to publish a story headlined: “What Is a 'False Flag' Attack, and What Does Boston Have to Do with This?” Amazingly, the Atlantic article stated that yes, there is historical precedent for viewing the Boston bombing as a false-flag event. The author, Philip Bump, even admitted: “If the Boston attack had been a 'false flag' attack, Gov. Patrick would have responded 'no' anyway.”
What has changed since 2001 to bring the false-flag meme into the limelight?
Short answer: The 9/11 truth movement. During the past decade, millions of activists have been working to awaken the American and global publics to the evidence that 9/11 was an American Reichstag Fire. Polls show that 36% of Americans - roughly 100 million people - think it likely that 9/11 was an inside job. Many of these truth-seekers are highly-accomplished scientists, engineers, military and intelligence officers, and other experts. You can meet some of them at PatriotsQuestion911.com and AE911Truth.org.
Since the corporate mainstream media and the foundation-funded pseudo-alternative media have refused to report the facts about 9/11, roughly 100 million Americans consider the media moguls pathological liars. Even among the almost 200 million Americans who are not up-front 9/11 skeptics, the vague sense that something is wrong, and that the media and the politicians are lying, is widespread. A recent Pew Research poll, for example, showed that Americans' trust in government has fallen to an all-time low: Fewer than one-third of Americans trust the government, while more than two-thirds do not.
As the people lose faith in their government, and the corporate media crumbles into bankruptcy, a vibrant new independent media has sprung up on the internet. The Alex Jones media empire, which pushes the false-flag meme about as hard as it can be pushed, now reaches an estimated five to ten million people. Jeff Rense, Mike Adams, Mike Rivero, Veterans Today, American Free Press, and the foreign-run English language outlets Press TV and Russia Today also reach large and influential audiences with honest reporting about false-flag events.
Today, it isn't just a few marginalized radical intellectuals who think “false-flag” when they hear about an alleged domestic terror incident. Millions of people are sharing their suspicions about the Boston bombings on Facebook, Twitter, the blogosphere, and internet media in general.
Are they right?
Though it is too early to know for sure, the Boston bombings featured the most important telltale sign of a false-flag op: A terror drill running simultaneously, mirroring the actual attack. As Webster Tarpley has explained in his book 9/11 Synthetic Terror: Made in USA, false-flag attacks such as 9/11 and 7/7 are designed as drills that suddenly “go live.” This allows insiders to plot and execute the attacks under cover of the drills, with the “Team B” bad guys actually carrying out the attacks they were supposedly going to feign.
September 11th, 2001 had been previously designated as by far the biggest special operations day in US history, with a total of 46 pre-planned drills and exercises, including live-fly planes-into-buildings exercises, providing cover for the insider attacks. (Google “Tarpley 46 drills of 9/11” for details.)
July 7th, 2005 also featured terror drills that went live. Peter Power, the UK's biggest terror consultant, admitted on live television that all of the actual bombs that devastated London that day exploded at the exact times and places envisioned in the drills.
Were the Boston bombings a drill that went live?
Mobile, Alabama TV station Local TV 15 reported:
University of Mobile’s Cross Country Coach, who was near the finish line of the Boston Marathon when a series of explosions went off, said he thought it was odd there were bomb sniffing dogs at the start and finish lines.
“They kept making announcements on the loud speaker that it was just a drill and there was nothing to worry about,” Coach Ali Stevenson told Local 15. “It seemed like there was some sort of threat, but they kept telling us it was just a drill.”
At 12:53 pm local time, the Boston Globe newspaper tweeted: “Officials: There will be a controlled explosion opposite the library within one minute as part of bomb squad activities.”
Then almost two hours later, at 2:50 p.m., bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring more than 100 others.
Just a coincidence? Maybe. But since all of the biggest “terror attacks” in recent US history, including the two World Trade Center bombings and the Oklahoma City bombing, have been inside jobs, and since most of the “terror plots” discovered in the US since 9/11 have been created by the FBI, we have every right to be suspicious.
Terror bombings have only one beneficiary: Governments, and the wealthy families that own them.
As Vincent Vinciguerra, one of the perpetrators of the Operation Gladio terror attacks, explained: “You had to attack civilians, the people, women, children, innocent people, unknown people far removed from any political game. The reason was quite simple: to force . . . the public to turn to the state to ask for greater security.”
Whatever the truth about the Boston bombings, it seems that the false-flag meme is infiltrating mainstream discourse. And it isn't going to go away . . . at least not until 9/11 and other false-flag crimes are solved, and effective measures instituted to protect the public against the scourge of false-flag terror.
KB/HMV
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Online Education Guide takes your privacy seriously. This privacy policy describes what personal information we collect and how we use it.
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Land of the Gods
<< View more honeymoons
Editor Hannah Faulder experiences Cretan hospitality at the luxurious Blue Palace Resort & Spa.
A land of mythical gods, sapphire waters and world-famous hospitality, there's little more you can ask for in a honeymoon than what Crete offers. If you like your beach holiday to have built-in history, then the largest of the Greek islands is for you.
When staying at Blue Palace Resort & Spa, you're walking in the same footsteps as Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Tyra Banks, to name but a few. America's Next Top Model was even filmed here, but don't let that fool you. This isn't showy or in your face. The resort offers a kind of luxury that's deeper than that, where sights, smells, tastes and sounds all leave you with a connection to the place. After all, isn't that what you want from a honeymoon? The promise to leave you with memories you can draw upon for years to come.
FEELING RIGHT AT HOME
The main talking point of the hotel is the panoramic view of Spinalonga Island and the glittering blue of the Aegean Sea – a location that captured the imaginations of the parents of Sbokos Hotel Group co-CEO Agapi Sbokou. Agapi explained over dinner how her father purchased the land after he and his wife met and fell in love there while exploring the wild landscape and swimming in the still, clear waters. Twenty years later, Agapi and her sister built the resort, inspired by the surroundings and with a commitment to blending seamlessly into their beloved landscape.
Jaw-dropping views and the imposing lobby, designed in the style of a Venetian shipyard, are the first things to grab your attention. I was given a refreshing take on a mojito, featuring locally sourced herbs, as I took in the hotel's contemporary-cool touches, which chime perfectly with traditional features such as wooden shutters, pebble mosaics and clay-tile roofs.
A golf buggy waited outside to whisk me down the steep hillside to my home away from home. Once inside, I was blown away by the achingly stylish bedroom, with its calming, neutral palette and contemporary four-poster bed. The sumptuous living area led on to the second (yes, second!) bathroom before I finally encountered the pièce de résistance: a huge terrace with a private heated pool and the most awe-inspiring vistas across the bay. It was so beautiful that it almost appeared not to be real – more like something from a postcard.
After jumping in the glass funicular and wandering around the resort, what becomes apparent is a sense of complete serenity. The soaring azure skies and the rough terrain are reflected in the rich colours of the buildings and the huge infinity pool that stretches out to the sea beyond. Children are welcome here – alongside the hotel's rich and famous guests, who fly in by helicopter – although the vibe is so relaxed you wouldn't even notice you had company.
FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD If I said one word more than any other on this trip, it was “Yamas!” – the Greek equivalent of “cheers.” The fact it was said so much encapsulates the inherent hospitality and generosity of the Cretan people. As did my first meal at the resort, down at the bohemian Isola Beach Club. After munching my way through a decadent spread of breads, cheeses and fresh salads to the point of not being able to move, the waiter then surprised me by bringing out the main course – oops!
The Blue Door is a restored fisherman's hut turned beachside taverna. When you're sitting next to celebrity Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge while he tucks into traditional Greek fare, you know you're in a good place! The head waiter here makes you feel like you're eating in his home – he's attentive yet relaxed, like an old pal. Time has no meaning here as you relax and graze your way through fresh meze, the catch of the day and fiery raki. This aniseed-flavoured tipple is around 40 per cent ABV, so a little snooze in the sunshine will certainly be in order after lunch.
In the evening, it's time to dine in style. The terrace at Flame is a sociable space, designed for people who are spending time together while enjoying sumptuous steak. Fellow veggies, fear not! The Cretan people will never let you go hungry, and the chef whipped up an incredible risotto at a moment's notice.
Fancy something a little different? Then head to Asia East Blue. From Japanese teppanyaki to Thai flavours and beyond, dishes here are created, as with the rest of the resort, with local ingredients at their heart.
If you're still feeling hungry the next morning, I cannot recommend ordering breakfast to your room enough. Sweet Greek pastries and plump fresh fruit don't taste better than when they're accompanied by the view from your private terrace.
STEPPING OUT The hotel is a 10-minute walk to Plaka, a classic Cretan village, which is home to quaint white-washed shops, bars and tavernas – the ideal spot for an afternoon stroll. But this is your honeymoon, so why not take advantage of the personal concierge, who'll plan something truly memorable? There's no set activity menu here; staff are on hand to create a bespoke experience for you and your loved one.
First on the agenda has to be the island of Spinalonga. A Greek national monument, this small rock has been in many hands over the years and was most recently a leper colony up until 1957. The buildings are starting to crumble and be taken back by nature, but our seventy-something-year-old tour guide in her sunny yellow outfit and straw hat breathed life into the place and what it meant to the inhabitants. Victoria Hislop's book The Island is set here and is a must-read on your trip. Bustling with visitors by day, in the evening, you see an atmospheric spot lit up against the night sky.
From Spinalonga, we were picked up by the hotel's traditional caique fishing boat and were hosted by “The Georges” – two members of staff, both named George, who were both equally in love with their native Cretan food and drink. Not just colleagues, the two were best friends who travelled together, honing their skills and building on their foodie knowledge to bring guests the best experiences back at the Blue Palace. They told us that Cretan wine has had a renaissance over the past two years, as locals have started to cultivate heritage grapes to preserve and create delicious world-class wines. What better way is there to sample these than on board a boat while it gently traverses the shimmering sapphire sea in the Gulf of Elounda?
The resort has another trick up its sleeve with the seriously impressive Elounda Spa and Thalassotherapy. With more than 20 treatment rooms, seawater pools, saunas, Jacuzzis, Turkish-style hammams and couples' suites that are ideal for honeymooners, this beachside haven of tranquility is the ultimate in indulgence. My Swedish massage was out of this world. Divine-smelling almond oil with lemon, basil and mint left my skin silky smooth, while my therapist cut out all of the usual faff and tailored the experience to exactly what my body needed. I left Blue Palace with a heavy heart and a full tummy, feeling utterly spoiled and totally inspired by this diamond in the Greek crown.
BOOK IT NOW For more information and to book your stay, visit www.bluepalace.gr or email reservations@bluepalace.gr
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YWCA Life Membership Award Nomination
YWCA Australia invites members to nominate individuals for Life Membership.
YWCA Australia’s Life Membership Award is an acknowledgement and recognition of a member’s outstanding and distinctive contribution to our work in advancing gender equality. Life Membership recognises members whose contribution to the YWCA has had significant impact on the organisation and the community.
Meaning and Significance
The Award is for life.
Status recognises a select group of YWCA Members (limited numbers awarded per year).
A YWCA Life Member pin is awarded and a formal letter of congratulations from the President.
Life Members are exempt from paying any associated membership fees.
Demonstrated Selection Criteria
Life Member nominees must be proposed by a YWCA Australia Ordinary Member.
A nominated Life Member should be able to demonstrate at least some of the below:
Sustained services to the YWCA above and beyond the normal commitment expected of a member/employee/contractor.
Ongoing and consistent demonstration and support of the mission and values of YWCA.
Sustained commitment and service to gender quality including leadership and active contribution in the area.
Support of young women’s leadership.
Membership of the YWCA.
Nomination of candidates for Life Member
YWCA Australia Members are encouraged to nominate potential Life Members based on the selection criteria. Nominations will be submitted to the Company Secretary and considered by a Life Member Selection Group (Selection Group) comprising two members of the Nominations Committee and two volunteer Life Members. The Selection Group will recommend Life Members to the Board for approval. The President of the YWCA will award a maximum of two Life Memberships at the AGM each year.
Invitations for volunteers to join the Selection Group have gone out. More information can be found here.
YWCA reserves the right to revoke the granting of Life Membership in extreme circumstances should the actions and behaviours of the relevant individual be deemed to be detrimental to the YWCA and/or inconsistent with its mission and/or its values.
In the event of a proposed revocation of life membership, the Board will undertake an independent investigation and any decision must be unanimous.
If you have any questions about the Life Membership process, please get in touch at [email protected].
June 2019: Nominations open
30 August 2019: Nominations close
1 August – 23 August 2019: Current Life Members invited to volunteer for the Selection Group. Invitations to volunteer for the Selection Group will be sent out in late July.
2 September – 20 September 2019: Nominations provided to the Selection Group for consideration.
Week commencing 23 September 2019: Selection Group meet (via phone or online) to agree recommendations to be put to the Board.
October 2019: Board consider recommendations.
November 2019: YWCA notifies new Life Members before AGM with formal notification at AGM.
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Xconomy National
Q2 Review: Top San Francisco Stories from April, May, and June
miRagen Restructures to Focus on Fibrosis, Inks $20M Stock Deal
ALS Fund Talks Investments and Strategy as it Kicks Off $100M Campaign
Managing Director, D.E. Shaw and Co., L.P.
Gerry Hays
Serial Entrepreneur and Investor
Bill Mortimore
CEO of Foundry
Bill Davenhall
Senior health advisor for Esri
How to Build a Billion-Dollar Company (And Keep An Academic Day Job), According to David Walt
Luke Timmerman
Anyone compiling a list of the most successful life sciences entrepreneurs of the past decade would have to consider a soft-spoken academic named David Walt. He’s the chemistry professor at Medford, MA-based Tufts University who co-founded Illumina in 1998.
San Diego-based Illumina (NASDAQ: ILMN) found its niche in the past decade by boosting the efficiency of fiber-optic sensors to do high-speed analysis of genes, and the subtle ways they can get turned on or off. It’s one of the bigger success stories in San Diego’s biotech cluster, having grown to 1,600 employees and a stock market valuation of more than $4 billion.
I spoke with Walt last week when he was in Seattle to give a keynote presentation at a bioengineering entrepreneurship symposium organized by professor Buddy Ratner at the University of Washington. During his talk, Walt offered some valuable lessons learned from his Illumina experience to young scientists thinking about the entrepreneurial leap.
Walt, 56, urged the young scientists to align themselves with seasoned venture capitalists, who can introduce them to people with the best business skills to implement a new idea. His big break came one day when he gave a talk about his research at The Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, and venture capitalist Larry Bock was in the audience. Bock followed up with him to learn more, and ended up providing seed capital to Illumina, along with Arch Venture Partners and Venrock Associates.
“A lot of this has to do with human relationships, and the serendipity of who you bump into,” Walt said.
While Walt encouraged scientists to think about entrepreneurship, he warned them they have to be willing to accept the realities of business. “Decisions get made at a company for business. The goal is to make money, not to support your lab,” he said.
And, while starting a company that ultimately succeeds can pay off for years’ worth of royalty streams and the coolest new “widgets” to keep an academic lab doing groundbreaking science, there isn’t much glory in it, he said.
“Don’t do it for your ego,” Walt said. “If you’re successful, you will not be recognized. The only people who will know who you are on the board of directors and senior management. You need to prepare for that.”
I followed up with Walt after his talk to ask about some things he didn’t cover, including the race to make gene sequencing better, faster, and cheaper—and his thoughts on his latest idea for a company that he hopes will make it big, Cambridge, MA-based Quanterix.
Here are edited highlights from the exclusive interview:
Xconomy: There’s been a lot of talk lately about bringing down the cost of sequencing entire human genomes to $5,000. Is that really possible or realistic?
David Walt: Absolutely. I think the $5,000 genome is going to be here within a couple years. Right now, Illumina has announced it can do consumer sequencing for $40,000. The expectation is that there will be a decrease in the price in the next few years. That’s for raw sequence. People are still going to have to access bioinformatics to be able to interpret the genome. But for raw sequence, the scientific community is probably not going to be that far off from the $1,000 genome in three or four years.
X: Is there some peril in this race when people are trying to bring the cost down this quickly? Are we going to get a lot of errors, bad sequences from this?
DW: No. There’s a lot happening … Next Page »
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3 responses to “How to Build a Billion-Dollar Company (And Keep An Academic Day Job), According to David Walt”
Skeptic Prof says:
Yikes, it worries me that the realistic pay off for high throughput science is being put on a “decades to hundreds” of years sort of timeline…”translational” approaches are starting to look a lot like “basic science”. I hope we don’t spend all of our money shoveling data into databases with a “someday” payoff…when smaller scale, hypothesis driven research often offers payoffs in short order. In less than a quarter century we have gone from Notch and Wingless in Drosophila to Notch and Wnt in cancer biology…real knowledge with genes whose deeply explored functions are giving real insight…what value exactly is the diabetes map…in a word where Rosetta is sold for parts after Merck says “meh”. Just a little cheerleading for critical outcomes analysis folks…just cause NIH spends money doesn’t mean good science is done.
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Charles Freeman - about as clear an example of the Old American Establishment, the people who run everything, according to Noam, as there is - was dangerous to Anti-Assimilation-Land as the Jews feared him as a truth-teller, and their wicked scheming requires lies. In particular, they were terrified that his tough insistence on reality would block their concerted and continuing efforts to tell lies about Iran, lies which will be required to explain to the American people why they are paying five times more a gallon for gas after the Israeli attack on Iran. Since for the first time there was a tiny amount of mainstream American Establishment intellectual support for Freeman, his proposed appointment also became a test of whether the American politicians up to and including Obama still wear the full Jew S & M bondage gear (they do, now with bells on!).
Meanwhile, the legions of decent and moral people are still finding ways to work around the incredibly Jew-corrupted media and politicians. The existing Jew-corruption levels are so high that decent and moral people can no longer expect that the system can be fixed; it has to be surmounted. It is impossible not to see the specific issue of Jew-corruption as the essential problem. An issue is arising: it it now time for the legion of decent and moral people to fully boycott Jewish-owned (as opposed to Zionist-supporting) businesses? What do we have to do to stop these people before they destroy everything?
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ZANG TUUM TUUM DISCOGRAPHY “…to denounce systems of rule and life…”
zttaat.com
Welcome to “Zang Tuum Tumb and all that”.
Research, locate and deep dive.
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Without whom.
(last updated 25 November 2019)
(DISCLAIMER)
‘Zang Tuum Tumb and all that’ is in no way connected to ZTT Records. You can find the official site at www.ztt.com.
Because of the nature and subject matter of this site, it is mainly composed of copyrighted material. If the respective copyright owners have any problem with it being used here, get in contact and it will be removed if necessary.
Formats: First things first EP stuff
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The aim of this discography is to include all releases from the ZTT label including non-official, promo and withdrawn items.
If an artist has moved from ZTT to another label, these recordings may be included. For example, Seal’s releases on Warner Bros. and Art of Noise’s China releases. If a group has split into other groups or a solo career on other labels these may be included.
If an artist appears on ZTT for a short period then generally only these releases are included. For example Kirsty MacColl’s album and related singles.
Other related items may be included that have a strong ZTT link. This covers recordings involving significant members of the ZTT team. Trevor Horn’s productions for example.
Release dates are entered to the nearest known date. Dates marked with an asterisk are estimated dates. Various subsequent formats are grouped with the first release date.
Efforts are made to provide accurate information. At times errors or omissions may inadvertently be made. If you can provide additional information or corrections feel free to get in contact.
On the 19th of January at some other point in time, the following happened. Were you there? Did you see? Did it change your life?
Buggles was featured in the Record Mirror article “The plastic age” in 1980.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood was featured in the Smash Hits article “Personal file: Holly (Frankie Goes To Hollywood)”, and the Smash Hits article “Start” in 1984.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood was featured in the Record Mirror article “Chartfile”, the No.1 article “Look what they started!”, the No.1 article “One to 1”, and the No.1 article “Whispers” in 1985.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood played the NEC, Birmingham, UK in 1987.
Claudia Brücken was featured in the Record Mirror article “Kiss like ether” in 1991.
808 State released Gorgeous in 1993.
Act released Laughter, tears and rage in 2004.
Art of Noise released Reconstructed… for your listening pleasure in 2004.
Propaganda released A secret wish in 2004.
Claudia Brücken was featured in the Belfast Telegraph article “Propaganda's A Secret Wish: 'It's like a time capsule in space, music doesn't die if it still resonates'” in 2018.
See more events »
“living to make history”
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Boeing's New 747-8 Continues a Jumbo Tradition
Author: Jason PaurJason Paur
The efficient new wing and engines on the 747-8
EVERETT, Washington – Boeing spent more than five years and billions of dollars developing its new 747-8, but in the end the decision on whether to send the company's biggest aircraft ever down the runway and into the air for the first time rested with the man in the cockpit.
The flight window for the 747-8's maiden flight opened at 10 a.m. Monday, but Mother Nature had other plans. Paine Field was socked in by low clouds, and the clock was ticking. Mark Feuerstein, Boeing's chief test pilot for the 747 program – the man who has spent years preparing for the day – had to decide whether to proceed.
"If I went too early, I'd be a former Boeing pilot" he said. "If I went too late, I'd be a former Boeing pilot."
The clouds parted and the sun broke through shortly before noon, and Feuerstein made the call.
It was time to fly.
Feuerstein wasn't the only one relieved. Monday's inaugural flight followed years of delays for both the 787 Dreamliner and 747-8 programs. And the delays weren't cheap. Boeing took a $1 billion dollar charge on the 747-8 program last fall after continued setbacks and a weakened market, and it concedes the 747-8 isn't profitable yet, even though there are dozens of orders on the books.
The plane might not be profitable now, but it is important. Boeing ushered in the jumbo-jet era with the first 747 exactly 41 years ago today. It was the biggest commercial plane in the skies, and it carried the title for more than 35 years. But then Airbus came along with the A380 and dethroned the king. Airbus is tempting the airline industry with a huge plane that offers low per-passenger costs because of the large number of people it can carry. Boeing is countering by offering two planes – the 747-8 and the 787 Dreamliner – that it says offer superior fuel economy and greater flexibility for the airlines to fly more routes.
Aerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia says it is important for Boeing to maintain a foothold in the big-airplane market. The 747-8 gives airlines another option when shopping for supersized planes, and that keeps the pressure on Airbus while the European company tries to recover the cost of developing and building the A380.
"It plays a strategic role," Aboulafia said. "It's not the quarterback, it's a defensive player."
Unlike the A380, which only carries passengers – albeit a lot of them – the 747-8 continues the model's long history as a successful cargo carrier. In fact, the plane that made Monday's flight – airframe RC501 – is configured as a freighter, and Boeing has 76 orders for the cargo plane. The 747-8 Intercontinental, the passenger version, is expected to fly next year.
Boeing expects the economic recovery will mean an increased demand for both air freight and airline passengers. The company hopes the increased demand will lead to more orders for the 747-8 and says it should be producing two per month by 2013.
Protective oil burns off during engine start on the 747-8
But that's down the line. Boeing still has to finish testing the plane and get it certified by the Federal Aviation Administration. Monday's flight test was the first of many slated for the next six to eight months, first in Washington state and then in California. And on Monday, everybody at Boeing was all smiles.
Feuerstein and co-pilot Tom Imrich started the massive GEnx engines yesterday morning with burst of smoke – nothing to be alarmed by, it was merely the protective film of oil burning off – and taxied into position for takeoff. As an anxious crowd of media, employees and aviation fans waited, the vintage T-33 chase planes flew overhead in formation, indicating RC501 was about to start the takeoff roll.
Moments later, with a T-33 at each wing, the 747-8 began moving down runway 34L with 266,000 pounds of thrust accelerating the plane to its 152-knot rotation speed. Feuerstein pulled the yoke gently, the nose gear rose off the pavement, and Boeing's biggest bird was airborne.
Feuerstein said the aircraft flew beautifully and was immediately familiar. This is important for Boeing because one of the selling points of the airplane is that it will be an easy transition for pilots who already fly 747s. The easy pilot training means reduced costs for the 747-8 customers.
"As soon as we rotated the airplane I knew we had a 747" Feuerstein said. "Any 747 crew in the world could have flown the flight that Tom and I just did."
The 747-8 looks almost identical to the existing 747-400. But behind the trademark hump, the stretched fuselage now measures more than 250 feet. Its 224-foot, 7-inch wingspan can carry more than 550,000 pounds of cargo at speeds of more than 560 miles per hour. Fully loaded it tips the scales at 975,000 pounds.
All the new girth will be carried by a completely new wing and engines. Many of the internal systems are all new as well, including the flight-control computer. Working together, the new technology means the 747-8 carries more passengers or cargo, a farther distance, for less money. That's a trifecta in the aviation world.
The plan on Monday was for a four-hour flight, but the flight went so well according to Feuerstein, the 747-8 was airborne for only 3 hours and 39 minutes. That leaves just over 1,600 hours of testing to go. And despite the late start, Feuerstein and Imrich completed all the test points they'd planned.
"We were able to accomplish everything on the flight plan, every single test condition," Feuerstein said.
And they even had time for a little sightseeing before touching down at Paine Field at 4:18 p.m. local time.
"Towards the end we did the obligatory photo around Mt. Rainier, things were going so well," Feuerstein said.
Noise reduction design on the GEnx engines
One of the first things people on the ground noticed about the plane – besides the massive size – is how quiet it is at takeoff. The four engines let out more of a whoosh than a roar, and even as the plane climbed into the sky it didn't interrupt conversations held just a few hundred feet away. General Electric designed the engines, similar to those found on the 787, to dramatically reduce the noise at airports, adopting such tricks as giving the engine cowling a unique serrated pattern.
The noise reduction is one reason Cargolux signed up for 13 747-8s. Spokesman Patrick Jeanne said the company runs a fleet of 747-400s out of Luxembourg and the new model has a "noise footprint" one-third smaller than the planes they're using now. That's a big deal.
"It's very important to make as little noise as possible."
Jeanne says the reduced noise is helpful in maintaining community relations, but the jumbo jet's bigger size and reduced fuel consumption also are important. Boeing says the 747-8 will have 16 percent more cargo capacity, 17 percent lower fuel costs and 16 percent lower operating costs than the 747-400. And because it's 18 feet longer than the older model, it can carry four additional pallets.
"For us, this is vital just to make sure we can keep growing and remain competitive in the market," Jeanne said as the new freighter prepared for takeoff.
Monday's flight came one day shy of the 41st anniversary of first flight of the iconic 747. Joe Sutter was the chief engineer on the original program and is known as the "Father of the 747." He was at Paine Field to watch the first flight. It was an amazing sight, and Sutter said it would have been impossible to predict in 1969 that four decades later an innovative new model of the original jumbo jet would be making its first flight. But he's proud of the work his team did designing the basic architecture for such an enduring design.
"Twenty years from now you'll be standing here in a cold February watching the next version of the 747," Sutter said after the flight. "It can still absorb more technology and as the market changes, it can change."
Photos: Jason Paur/Wired.com
Test pilot Mark Feuerstein (left) talks with the Joe Sutter, the chief engineer on the first 747 and the man widely considered the "'Father of the 747."
#Air Travel
#Aviation
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The Hard-Luck Texas Town That Bet on Bitcoin—and Lost
Mark Dent
China's Bitmain said it would build the world's largest bitcoin mine in Rockdale, Texas. Then the price of bitcoin plunged, taking with it the town's hopes for a revival.
Judge Steve Young on his ranch in Milam County, Texas. The power lines feed the former Alcoa plant that was supposed to become a bitcoin mine.Photograph: Jesse Rieser
In 1952, The Saturday Evening Post christened Rockdale, Texas, “The Town Where It Rains Money.” An estimated 100 million tons of lignite coal lay buried a few miles south of the city limits, and Alcoa had just swooped in to build a $100 million smelter that would use the cheap energy source to produce aluminum for fighter planes, skyscrapers, automobiles, and more. “At the mere mention of somebody blowing into town with $100,000,000 to spend, many citizens were seized by attacks of vertigo,” wrote local author George Sessions-Perry. “Others merely went off and lay down in an effort to regain their composure. Then things began to happen.”
Seemingly overnight, Rockdale’s population doubled to 5,000. A photo accompanying the Post story shows resident millionaire H. H. “Pete” Coffield and the mayor hosting a party for new Alcoa employees on a patio surrounded by a lush garden. The women wear cocktail dresses, and the men wear ties. “What makes us feel best of all,” Sessions-Perry continued, “is that we’re making a sizable pile of something that the nation needs.”
More recently, though, prosperity has eluded Rockdale. The Alcoa smelter was shuttered in 2008, and an adjoining coal-fired power plant closed last year. More than 1,000 jobs vanished, sending Rockdale and surrounding Milam County, population 25,000, into a nosedive.
Then, last summer, a ray of hope pierced the gloom. Bitmain, a Chinese company that makes specialized computers for “mining” cryptocurrency, said it would invest $500 million in what was to be the world’s largest bitcoin-mining facility at the closed Alcoa smelter, which, crucially, was still connected to massive electrical lines. The large buildings where aluminum was made, called potrooms, would be filled with shipping containers stocked with 325,000 mining machines. Most important for Milam County, Bitmain promised to create between 400 and 600 jobs. New industry would replace the old.
In August, James Kyle, Bitmain’s vice president of North American business development, appeared in front of county officials considering a tax abatement. Seeking to make Bitmain feel at home, Steve Young invited Kyle to his 1,300-acre ranch that night. “We’ll feed you and water you,” he promised. Young, 67, had won the Republican primary for county judge-executive and was weeks away from an election that, in a red county, was considered a formality.
Young picked up brisket from Thorndale Meat Market, a barbecue joint lauded by Texas Monthly, and stocked his stainless steel refrigerator with Shiner beer. Some 40 guests, including Kyle, the sheriff, and the district attorney milled about on a long patio overlooking a pasture where cattle gnawed on Bermuda grass. Towering silver transmission lines cut across the property, connecting to the former Alcoa site and future Bitmain home. Observing the scene, Kara Clore, the executive director of Rockdale’s Municipal Development District, thought of the Saturday Evening Post article. “I was like, ‘This looks exactly like that picture,’” Clore says. “Just like 50 years later or 60 years later.”
As Kyle sipped Shiner, Young remembers him talking about how Bitmain’s facility could someday feature more than mining. Kyle said Bitmain may later invest in the development of artificial intelligence for self-driving cars.
“They had a lot of great ideas,” says Young, a tall, sturdy man who often sports a cowboy hat over his curly white hair. “And I think, ‘Shit, if they do half of what they’re talking about, it will put Milam County on the cutting edge of technology.’”
Instead, Milam County and other communities have learned a real-life lesson about the elusive promise of virtual currency.
Lynn Young (left) and Judge Steve Young (right) at their home on Young’s family ranch in Milam County, Texas.Jesse Rieser
Power Draw
Bitcoin mining conjures the image of a college sophomore pecking at a laptop while taking rips from a bong. But that hasn’t been the case for a while. At least not for anyone who wants to make a profit.
Successful crypto miners use custom machines that solve the puzzles required to build a blockchain and unlock the limited supply of bitcoins that become available roughly every 10 minutes. The more mining machines you have, the better the odds of winning. (Operators sometimes combine into profit-sharing collectives known as pools.)
The process consumes enormous amounts of energy, and cheap electricity is a must. One of the most popular machines, Bitmain’s AntMiner S15, draws about 1,600 watts of power. That’s about equal to the energy consumption of a microwave oven. But mining machines aren’t used on occasion. To optimize the chance of earning coins, the top mining operators run hundreds or thousands of miners 24/7. Imagine your electricity bill if you were constantly zapping instant oatmeal in hundreds of microwaves all day, every day. In Rockdale, Bitmain’s planned facility was supposed to consume 500 megawatts, enough to power more than 400,000 average US homes.
Rockdale was hardly the only, or first, place that caught the bitcoin bug, as its value soared 20-fold in 2017, to $20,000 that December. Central Washington, with its cheap hydropower, was a natural draw; by 2018, there were more than 50 mining operations in the region. Dennis Bolz, a commissioner for the Chelan County Public Utility District, recalls a Japanese businessman flying in on a private jet and announcing he wanted energy on the spot. “It was like a gold rush,” Bolz says.
Upstate New York, also home to cheap hydropower, was another landing spot. In March 2018, the city council in Plattsburgh, New York, enacted the first crypto-mining moratorium in the US after heavy electricity use by miners caused residents’ rates to skyrocket. Several communities in Washington followed Plattsburgh’s lead. In Lake Placid, New York, before crypto-mining had even taken hold, local officials called for a moratorium in May 2018. Speaking to the Lake Placid village board, one resident said of bitcoin miners, according to the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, “I don’t mean to sound sharp, but I think they would come here and rape our electric department.”
Opponents of crypto-mining questioned whether communities received enough benefits for the electricity that was devoured. Anyone who understood mining realized the potential for employment was minimal. The machines run on their own and require minimal support. But as bitcoin’s value rose along with concerns about energy consumption, companies started promising massive investments and job creation.
In Massena, New York, Blockchain Industries proposed a $600 million facility that would create 500 jobs—if it could get subsidized hydropower. The plan was scuttled in March 2018 when the New York Power Authority, concerned about whether mining operations would create enough jobs, imposed its own moratorium on bitcoin miners. A consultant for Blockchain Industries warned that the decision would cost Massena and New York. “Technical trends are bypassing us,” she said.
“Texas is about the weirdest place … I’ve heard for bitcoin mining.”
David Yermack, New York University
Another mining facility did open in Massena last year. Coinmint started operating at an old Alcoa smelter, promising 150 jobs in the first 18 months, according to a Coinmint statement.
Bitmain had a similar idea for its North American expansion. Based in Beijing and founded in 2013 by Jihan Wu and Micree Zhan, Bitmain was the crypto industry’s blue chip company. Last September, it filed for an initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. In the filing, Bitmain reported $953 million in adjusted profit in 2017—and roughly the same amount in the first half of 2018.
The company’s revenues had soared during the gold rush, increasing from $275 million in the first half of 2017 to $2.2 billion in the last half. Those machines humming in central Washington and New York? The majority were made by Bitmain. It was estimated to supply about 75 percent of mining hardware worldwide in 2017 and hosts two of the largest bitcoin pools. Bitmain also mines on its own and hosts others companies’ mining hardware. As of June 2018, according to its IPO filing, Bitmain had 11 mining centers, all in China, with room for 200,000 computers.
Flush with rapidly growing profits and faced with increasing hostility from the Chinese government, Bitmain sought to extend its mining operations to North America last year. It followed others to central Washington, cutting the ribbon on a $20 million facility in Walla Walla in November. It also looked toward Texas.
That wasn’t a logical choice. Texas is hot and humid, which is not ideal for mining, because the computers require cooling; energy prices are about average for the US. David Yermack, an NYU finance and business professor who has studied cryptocurrency, says that other than Venezuela, where Nicolas Maduro virtually gives away electricity, “Texas is about the weirdest place … I’ve heard for bitcoin mining.”
The closure of Alcoa's facility and the adjacent power plant, operated by Luminant, weren’t the only hits Milam County had taken in the past few years. Two hospitals closed, eliminating another 200 jobs and making the county a health care desert. In January 2010, following Alcoa's departure and amid the Great Recession, unemployment in the county hit 12.5 percent. Former laborers left families behind to work in the West Texas oil fields. The sidewalks and parking spots on Rockdale’s Main Street are typically empty, as are many storefronts. A sign in front of the Rockdale General Store promises “C eep Feed,” spoiling the intended bird pun of “cheep feed.”
A quarter-mile east of downtown, the Rainbow Courts Motel, a smattering of cottages set among towering pecan and oak trees, has operated continuously since 1918. In the last years of Alcoa, owners Joan and Dan Ratliff hosted prominent international guests—China’s minister of coal once stayed with an entourage. But weekday business travelers disappeared with Alcoa and Luminant. The Ratliffs now rely on weekenders who come for weddings, reunions, and barbecue. They’re managing to hold on, but another hotel in town recently filed for bankruptcy protection.
Joan and Dan Ratliff, owners of Rainbow Courts Motel in Rockdale, Texas, hoped for more business from the bitcoin mine.Jesse Rieser
Local officials tried several strategies to combat the slump. In 2017 they formed a county-wide economic development group. When Amazon announced plans in September 2017 to build a second headquarters, Drayton McLane, the billionaire former Houston Astros owner and a Milam County native, recommended the county make a bid by dangling the 33,000 acres at the old Alcoa site. The county’s proposal, dubbed Blue Sky, highlighted the Alcoa property, Texas’ business-friendly atmosphere, and the proximity to research universities. The bid didn’t make the final cut. But Milam County’s long-shot attempt landed in The Wall Street Journal.
About the same time, Rockdale High School won a state football championship, its first since 1976, rallying from a 21-0 deficit in the title game. Building permits increased in 2017 and 2018 as sprawl from Austin marched east. Sales tax and property tax revenues rose in 2018. At the heart of the increased optimism was reuse of the Alcoa property.
The route to Alcoa passes from Rockdale’s picturesque rolling hills and wildflowers to a far grimmer site. I went on a gloomy April morning after a rainstorm. Near the entrance to the facility, five or six black vultures brunched on roadkill. A dozen more perched on the side of the road. Behind a steel fence, a mountain of aluminum debris sat near the potrooms.
Land near the former Alcoa smelter in Rockdale, Texas.Jesse Rieser
But the site couldn’t have looked more promising for Bitmain, which had noticed Milam County in part because of the Amazon bid. The smelter featured more than a dozen potrooms, each a few hundred yards long. Clore first learned in February 2018 that someone was interested in the property. “For a while we didn’t know what kind of company it was,” she says. “In economic development you work in code names.”
Bitmain went by “Dory Creek,” apparently chosen to align Bitmain’s AntMiner machines with the Dorylus, a large breed of African ant. Dory Creek notified Clore it was working on a project that would create 400 to 600 jobs. When she inferred that Dory Creek was involved with crypto-mining, based on its electricity needs, Clore talked to officials in other communities with mining operations. They told her mining sites typically employed fewer than 15 people, nothing near 400. But Clore wasn’t deterred, even after Bitmain revealed itself in the summer of 2018. She sought and received assurances about job creation, because of the size of the facility: “They’re like, ‘No, this is going to be the largest data center in the world.’”
Kara Clore photographed at her office of Rockdale Municipal Develpment Distctict in Rockdale, Texas.Jesse Rieser
The operation would accommodate an estimated 325,000 mining computers, dwarfing Bitmain’s other facilities combined. According to former Bitmain employees and Milam County officials, the company was negotiating to pay 3 to 4 cents a kilowatt-hour for electricity, about half the average for an industrial client in the area and among the lowest in the country. It seemed like the county’s rebuilding efforts were paying off.
Mike Brown, the longtime editor of the Rockdale Reporter, broke news of the plan on July 19. “Strike up the band and have it play ‘Happy Days Are Here Again,’” he wrote. Charles Miles, a rare Rockdale millennial and owner of Miles Styles barber shop, thought some of his many friends who had left for better job opportunities would have a reason to move home. Clore started fielding phone calls from tech entrepreneurs. Bitmain pledged to work with vocational programs and retraining schools for tech jobs. It hired Perry & Perry, a local construction firm, and scheduled a fall job fair to find employees for a planned 2019 opening.
At the Rainbow Courts Motel, the Ratliffs saw business pick up from Bitmain employees and out-of-town contractors. They hoped for a return to the Alcoa days. “We were really hoping the business travel would ramp up because of it,” Joan Ratliff says.
New construction in Rockdale, Texas.Jesse Rieser
Jesse Rieser
On August 13, the Milam County Commissioner’s Court approved a 10-year tax abatement for Bitmain, under which the company would get an 80 percent property tax discount for the first five years. With the abatement, Milam County still would have collected an average of $700,000 in taxes per year for 10 years from the plant—a boon for a county that takes in about $12 million annually. The abatement agreement promised “no less than 350” jobs, with 140 scheduled to come in 2019.
Young says Bitmain had also considered the sites of former Alcoa smelters in Tennessee and New York but received a chilly response. “So when we heard they were looking at us, we embraced that,” he says. “We let them know the first chance meeting them, ‘We want you here.’”
Young had been a lawyer in Houston for many years before retiring to Milam County to serve as a public official. He lists his phone number on his Facebook page, Moving Milam Forward. He campaigned on a message about building a future and putting Milam County’s lost decade in the past. Things were getting better: the swagger of the Amazon bid, the state championship, higher property values, now Bitmain. The company seemed to embrace Rockdale, too. Kyle and site operations manager Todd Dougherty attended Lions Club and Rotary meetings.
Price Plunge
Even as Rockdale welcomed Bitmain, the foundation of the mining operation was eroding. Bitcoin’s value steadily declined throughout 2018. In the fall, the drop accelerated; from November 12 to December 16, the value of a bitcoin fell roughly by half, to $3,195, from $6,327, making it hard for even professional miners with cheap electricity to earn a profit. An estimated 600,000 mining machines worldwide were unplugged. The hash rate, which is the total computing power used on the blockchain, declined by 13 percent. Bitmain, with its revenue tied to mining activities, lost $500 million in the third quarter, according to CoinDesk.
Progress slowed at the Rockdale site, where a few hundred mining computers had been installed. Dozens of new employees were supposed to be hired each month at the end of 2018 as the facility ramped up, but a hiring freeze around November kept the staff at 14. Clore says Bitmain kept delaying the job fair. Upgrading the substations and renovating the potrooms proved trickier and more expensive than projected. Previously, when Bitmain’s North American employees looked to China for funding, they joked that all they had to do was send an email. Now, requests went unfulfilled.
In early January, Young heard that Bitmain would close the mining facility before it had ever gone online. He tried contacting Kyle. But when Young reached the VP—who had dined on barbecue at his ranch months earlier—he found that Kyle didn’t know anything either: He had already been laid off. “I didn’t know who to talk to,” Young says. “I had no clue what was going on.”
Former employees estimate that 80 percent of Bitmain’s 3,000 workers lost their jobs in December and January, including about 200 of 250 people who worked in North America. Nine of the 14 employees in Rockdale were let go. This spring, Bitmain’s IPO filing lapsed on the Hong Kong exchange. Rumors of impending bankruptcy swirled in the crypto community on Twitter and Reddit.
"This town, this community, this county really needed something uplifting.”
Joan Ratliff, motel owner
The company would not confirm the number of jobs lost. Spokesperson Nishant Sharma referred to a Bitmain statement published in March that said the company had “adjusted our personnel” at the end of 2018. “It was a difficult but necessary decision as we continue to build a long-term, sustainable and scalable business,” the statement said.
In early 2019, Young says, three Bitmain executives, including two from China, visited Texas. Instead of one of the largest bitcoin mining facilities in the world, they offered a nebulous new plan: Bitmain now expects to start mining operations later this month with what Rockdale officials believe will be 20 to 40 workers.
Kelly Ballew, who grew up in Milam County, has been working at the site as a facilities manager, but Bitmain declined WIRED’s request for a tour. Sharma also declined to discuss specific plans for the site, including the number of jobs or capacity of the facility. “Like many companies, changes need to be made in order to be successful,” Sharma says via email. “Downsizing of the facility was necessary to keep up with the changing market demand.”
The tax abatement was never finalized. Clore told Bitmain executives they no longer qualified, because it was based on the job projections.
At the Rainbow Courts Motel, the Ratliffs realized something had changed when Bitmain employees stopped booking rooms without explanation in late December. The Ratliffs are no longer counting on an infusion of weekday business travelers. “It was disappointing and upsetting,” Joan Ratliff says, “because this town, this community, this county really needed something uplifting.”
Views of downtown Rockdale, with its numerous vacant storefronts.
Crypto Winter
Crypto winter struck elsewhere too, sabotaging many of the economic promises made during the gold rush. In November, central Washington–based mining company Giga Watt filed for bankruptcy, ending its multimillion-dollar plans to host miners. Giga Watt’s staff had already been cut to 13, from 70.
Coinmint began operating its facility at the former Alcoa plant in Massena last May. According to Prieur Leary, Coinmint’s chief technology officer, the company has 80-plus employees at the site. The facility was supposed to create 150 jobs by the end of this year. Leary says Coinmint has 40,000 mining machines operating and is installing 29,000 more.
In recent months, the value of bitcoin has risen again, to more than $12,000. The hashrate rose 10 percent the first week of May, signifying a pickup in mining. But municipal leaders—burned by unfulfilled promises—aren’t counting on a surge in jobs. “I don't see how that is possible given the very low labor-to-capital ratio and the highly mobile capital upon which their industry is built,” says Plattsburgh mayor Colin Read via email. His town lifted its moratorium but has seen scant interest from miners.
In central Washington, Malachi Salcido, owner of the crytpo-mining firm Salcido Enterprises, estimates there are now about five big mining operations in the region, down from 50 to 60 at the height of the boom. He says the company’s low labor cost has helped it survive. “Other companies that operated in the region and tried to get to scale had 70 to 80 employees,” he says. “We were 50 percent larger and doing the same thing with 12.” Salcido has lived in the region most of his life and says the bitcoin rush has had little enduring impact. “Think about a parade that goes through town,” he says. “It makes a lot of noise and catches a lot of people's opinion and then leaves. There’s no durable lasting change.”
Aside from bitcoin mining, central Washington has numerous data centers, fruit orchards, and wineries. Milam County is still searching for its break, but folks don't seem bitter about the experience. Clore keeps in touch with some of the Bitmain workers who had been planning the site. “I was truly sad for them when they got laid off,” she says.
Young recently announced that a development group was marketing three tracts of land in the northern part of the county for solar farms that could generate about 600 megawatts of electricity. The total investment on the project is expected to be about $500 million. In May he convened an economic summit featuring McLane, a state representative, and an official from the governor’s office.
They discussed how to attract new businesses. “Whether you’re selling feed for cattle or mining cryptocurrency, if the market goes sour you’re just up the creek,” he says. “Going forward with this county, we can’t tie ourselves to one group. We cannot be a one-company town kind of deal, and that’s what happened here.”
In April, Young also took a phone call from a Canadian number. The caller said he represented a European company that wanted to inquire about a move to central Texas. The business? Crypto-mining.
The second coming of the robot pet
The infrastructure mess causing countless web outages
The cypherpunks tapping bitcoin via ham radio
Disney's new Lion King is the VR-fueled future of cinema
YouTube's “shitty robot” queen made a Tesla pickup truck
Hacking the Trezor Bitcoin Vault
Topicsbitcoincryptocurrencymining
The Blockchain Explained
The blockchain. Everyone's talking about it. But what is it, how does it work, and what's it for?
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Students help track Ebola in Liberia
You heard about the quarantine. Here’s what you missed.
By Jenny Blair | Jan/Feb 2015
Courtesy Ryan Boyko ’18PhD
Public health student Ryan Boyko ’18PhD—shown here on a 2012 trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo—was hospitalized, then quarantined, after returning from Ebola-stricken Liberia last fall. He and a colleague were there to help track the disease. View full image
You may have seen the headlines about Ryan Boyko ’18PhD, a Yale School of Public Health student who was admitted to Yale–New Haven Hospital in October over fears that he had contracted Ebola in Liberia. But less widely publicized is the work Boyko and his fellow student Laura Skrip ’19PhD were doing in Liberia.
The United States was in a near panic about Ebola when the two returned from Liberia on October 11, and when Boyko felt ill not long afterward, his hospitalization set off a media frenzy. Although he twice tested negative for the disease, state authorities forced both students into a 21-day quarantine.
They had been in Liberia to help track the epidemic. When a Liberian health official had asked Yale epidemiology professor Alison Galvani for help collecting and analyzing data, Galvani asked the students to go. Boyko has a background in computer science and has done research in Africa, and Skrip, who studies mathematical modeling, had been exposed to medical anthropology in Southeast Asia during college and grown interested in global health. The students are affiliated with the public health school’s Center for Infectious Disease Modeling and Analysis, which Galvani directs.
A few days after the students flew to Monrovia, they realized a mobile app could help medical personnel deal with the epidemic. An epidemiologist and former Monrovian, Mosoka Fallah, had divided the capital into geographic sectors and set up a system for volunteers—“tracers”—to go into the sectors early each morning. The tracers were asking, house by house, who was sick, who was back from treatment, who had been orphaned, and so on. They scribbled their notes on paper and texted the information to Fallah. An app would make everyone’s job easier.
To build it, Skrip enlisted her uncle, Thomas Snyder, an IT professional who’d previously developed an app for malaria surveillance in Uganda; and Snyder’s mentor Thomas Murray. Over several weeks of collaboration, the four of them refined the app, which allows tracers to collect standardized data and upload it instantly. Fallah and medical students in the city survey the data as it arrives and, as needed, send for an ambulance, decontaminators, or a body-removal team. Some of the data appear on a public website, too. Boyko hopes that, by providing a direct link between community need and government response, the app will help build Liberians’ trust in their leaders.
For their parts, Boyko and his colleague were “admonished to play it extraordinarily safe.” Staying in a hotel near the US embassy with other international aid workers, they were chauffeured daily to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare building. On the way, Skrip says, they listened to call-in radio shows in which Liberians discussed the epidemic; their driver also updated them on the “talk of the town.”
At the ministry, they ate protein bars for lunch rather than venturing out. They slathered on Purell and avoided human contact. Boyko says that in Monrovia, most people continued to go about their business—but they were terrified, avoiding contact and washing up at stations outside each building. The city he saw was “a disaster zone, but where all the buildings are still standing.”
Boyko plans to keep working on the Liberian app. He’s considering joining the CDC or Partners in Health in the future; he’d like to focus on putting existing solutions to work. “With the things we already know, and the tools we already have,” he says, “we could be saving so many more lives, so many more healthy life-years, than we are.”
Vol LXXVIII, No 3
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Easier said than done: Gender equality and women empowerment
This testimonial by Mariola Acosta is part of YPARD's showcase on young people and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls surely requires a certain level of investment and specific policy interventions that directly tackle the root causes of gender inequality. However, these investments and interventions will likely be fruitless if they don´t come alongside a willingness for change and a deep change of mindset from researchers, practitioners, policy makers and the general public.
Before my Master’s studies I had never given much thought to the consequences of gender in climate change adaptation and in agricultural development more generally. I had what one could call an ‘engineer mindset’ in which increasing productivity was the starting and ending goal of agricultural development efforts. I seldom thought about the relevance of considering who was producing that food, and more importantly, who was benefiting from this production. During my Master’s I came across several journal articles that addressed precisely these issues. The topic, back then completely foreign and new to me, sparked my interest. I suddenly realized the deep consequences of the socially ascribed gender roles, and understood that if we are to fully develop, all agricultural engineers should be thinking of these issues when designing technologies and development projects. Since then, I have had the privilege to work on gender issues in climate change and agricultural development in Colombia, Sri Lanka and East Africa.
Over the years, I have come to realize that gender is quite a controversial and a politicized concept. It is something that many policy-makers and practitioners make reference to and claim to always consider but it is, more often than not, touched upon in a very superficial way. If their programs or workshops include a certain number of women, organizers will frequently say “We are gender sensitive”. While including a quota system can be a useful way of getting women´s voices heard, it has proven insufficient to achieving gender equality in all aspects of society. For example, if we apply quota system for women but workshop participants still hold the believe that women can never have equal rights to men, then that quota system will likely not bring any systemic change.
It is precisely for this reason that I consider it paramount to examine how policy-makers and practitioners themselves understand issues of gender. Equally important is to see why, after many years of including gender issues in agricultural policies around the globe, key gender inequalities still persist. For example, in one study we recently conducted, we realized that while Ugandan agricultural and climate change policies have integrated gender issues quite well, when you examine the activities that are actually conducted at district level, there is a big mismatch. In the Ugandan districts that we analyzed, much of the gender budgets were spent on celebrating ‘International Women´s day’. This is a clear example of how the on-the-ground gender activities implemented by government and district officers do not align at all with the gender challenges that the policies had identified. To me, it comes back to the need of understanding better what these district officers understand by ‘doing gender’, what issues they prioritize, and why. It is only when we understand how other people perceive gender issues that we can really start identifying entry points for change.
What is the role of youth in achieving SDG5?
I have the strong belief that achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls can only be achieved through a profound change in mindset in society and through strong, enforced legislation that protects the rights and priorities of people of all genders. Sure enough, mindset change does not happen in one day, but it is time to stop turning a blind eye to inequalities and to stop engaging with gender issues in a very superficial way.
The role of young people in helping shift these perceptions is paramount. We can no longer employ tradition and culture as excuses for allowing basic inequalities between genders to occur and to keep perpetuating themselves. We need to acknowledge and cherish culture, but also acknowledge that culture is not a static entity and that it can, and must, evolve towards a more equal society.
Photo credit: 1 Mariola, 2 Elisabeth van de Grift
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Youth success stories
5 years of YPARD: a life-changing journey
"Being a YPARD representative gave me so many empowering opportunities, but also a chance to empower others" Testimonial by Ivana Radic Jean highlighting her experience and journey in working with youth in agriculture within the YPARD Serbia community since February 2013.
YPARDian bags home the 2017 SFIAR Master Thesis award!
In 2017, YPARD member, Sebastian Mengel, was the recipient of the Master Thesis award for his collaborative research with YPARD, HAFL and CGIAR CRP drylands program on agricultural livelihoods of rural youth in the drylands of Midelt, Morocco.
Good-bye from YPARD Nepal: Creating a space for young leaders
This testimonial by Dinesh Panday highlights his experience in working with youth in agriculture within the YPARD Nepal community since 2012. He is currently a doctoral graduate research assistant (2016-2019) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the former YPARD Nepal country representative.
A season of innovation
The climate-smart irrigation system was designed with the aim of addressing these challenges; by collecting rainwater, transferring it below the soil surface and using it during the time of low rainfall thus making water available and accessible for perennial plants all year round.
Climate resilient agriculture and producer-consumer justice through ICT
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 was created to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts to ensure climate resilient agriculture and ICT based business promotional interventions from producer to consumer level. Youth, therefore, can play a supporting role to increase awareness and promote the agenda of SDG for agricultural sustainability to make sure others are aware of it.
From nowhere to somewhere; YPARD made a way
Marc Ghislain tells about all the changing scenes in his life as a young professional in agriculture: the anxiety in choosing a profession in agriculture and how his engagement with YPARD helped him find his feet in the agricultural sector.
A non-traditional career path
I strongly support and believe in an inclusive and equitable quality education together with lifelong learning opportunities for all. It is very important that we start to facilitate more flexible career paths in science if we want to encourage diversity and creativity. Being a lifelong learner is a value of sustainable self-development. It opens the door to life-changing, rewarding, fulfilling and continuous growth.
The role of young people in helping shift gender perceptions is paramount. We can no longer employ tradition and culture as excuses for allowing basic inequalities between genders to occur and to keep perpetuating themselves. We need to acknowledge and cherish culture, but also acknowledge that culture is not a static entity and that it can, and must, evolve towards a more equal society.
Believe in sustainability, food security, fight for the hungry: My Credo
In an era where population, technologies and modernization are fast growing, meeting up with the basic food needs of the population worldwide is one of the greatest challenges nations and international institutions are witnessing. Marc Ghislain shares his views on how the young people can be part of the solution and more importantly in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal number two.
La lutte contre la pauvreté : motivation, passion, profession et engagement!
Aimé Kazika describes his engagement with other young people to raise awareness so that they become more involved in the agricultural sector within the African and Congolese context.
Asad Ali palijo
Okorie Matthew
Pasca Mapoma
Cornelius Olanrewaju Adeyi
Aminu Aliyu
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Fireflies is a voice AI platform that unlocks knowledge from meetings and voice conversations. Employees at top companies use Fireflies to record, transcribe, and collaborate across all their calls.
Learn how Fireflies uses ZEIT Now to power their beautiful website.
INCEPTION AND TODAY
The Fireflies Story
During their days at MIT and UPenn, Fireflies founders Sam Udotong and Krish Ramineni were passionate about tapping into frontier tech, and worked together on several projects involving machine learning and deep learning challenges.
During his time at Microsoft, Krish worked on major initiatives around analyzing and classifying customer feedback, which shed light on the power of qualitative, unstructured data.
Sam and Krish first set out to build a conversational AI engine that can understand intent and automate tasks. They spent a lot of time applying NLP and deep learning models to emails, live chat, and support tickets.
What they soon realized was that there was an even more critical data source that was being completely overlooked.
With rapid advancements in automatic speech recognition (ASR) and decreasing costs of GPUS, the timing was right for Fireflies. Accessibility is a core part of Fireflies, and today it integrates with every major web-conferencing platform, such as Google Meet, Zoom, and GoToMeeting. Unlocking voice conversations starts with going to the source of that data.
Fireflies HQ
Staff Loctations
ZEIT Now
Deployed with
Abstracting all the complexity
One command to do it all
As the CTO of a startup, Sam wanted to focus on core business problems — training the ASR system for different domains, a delightful user experience, and robust integrations to communication platforms and systems of records like Salesforce, Hubspot, and Slack.
Sam didn't want to get into the trap of setting up his own infrastructure from scratch, especially early on. With some research, he stumbled upon ZEIT Now and tried it out. Now CLI made Sam immediately productive and enabled him to get his product live without any infrastructure setup.
As the Fireflies engineering team grew, they continued to adopt other collaboration aspects of the ZEIT Now platform, such as the GitHub integration.
Today, when Fireflies is a product trusted by big names in the industry, its engineers rely on ZEIT Now to deploy marketing pages, the primary app dashboard, and even many of the core microservices that power their voice recording and transcribing features. The team loves that the entire infrastructure aspect of the company is abstracted out for them, and is accessible through simple CLI commands.
Top-Notch Performance, Globally
As a real-time platform processing millions of events, Fireflies needs to ensure they are always on-point with regards to performance and reliability. With zero configuration thanks to ZEIT Now Smart CDN, Fireflies is able to offer customers blazing fast performance always, regardless of where they are.
Buying a domain, setting up DNS records and SSL, making sure CDN is up to par — websites can be a lot of work. I love it that with ZEIT Now, all of that is taken care of by a single command.
It doesn't get better.
Sam Udotong, CTO of Fireflies.ai
With a single platform for automatically configured, HTTPS-enabled custom domain names, free built-in CDN, and push to deploy capability, Sam was able to launch Fireflies with no server configuration required.
No More Server Provisioning
Unlimited Deployments Previews in Seconds
As a rapidly growing startup, the Fireflies engineering team is constantly introducing new features, fixing bugs, and iterating on their platform. At any given point in time, the team has multiple ongoing PRs on their GitHub with work in progress.
Thanks to the Now for GitHub integration, they simply need to push their code to automatically deploy — no special CI setup needed. Creating a new PR gives them a unique, memorable URL pertaining to the branch, that they can share with the rest of the team for review.
This enables the Fireflies team to move fast with confidence.
Accelerating the
State of Communication
The way we work and the tools we use to collaborate is changing. What’s not changing is the need for conversations. Whether it’s sales calls, candidate interviews, or internal comms; whether it’s in the meeting room, over the web, or via a phone call — there is a treasure trove of data in meetings and voice conversations.
Krish Ramineni
CEO of Fireflies
The opportunity to bring the voice of the organization in one central place was never done before and we immediately found a lot of support from our existing users. Our mission is to structure all the meetings that happen across the workplace and turn conversations into knowledge.
— Krish Ramineni, CEO of Fireflies
What will you transform?
Sign up for ZEIT Now
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Archive for the ‘ronald reagan’ Category
Déjà or not? Netanyahu in DC
[by Charles Cameron — this is all way off to the side of my pay-grade — can I say that? ]
A DoubleQuote: upper panel, Jeffrey Goldberg in The Atlantic; lower panel, Adam Silverman at Sic Semper Tyrannis:
Silverman then quotes President Reagan, from his memoir, An American Life, p 415:
I don’t like having representatives of a foreign country – any foreign country – trying to interfere in what I regarded as our domestic political process and the setting of our foreign policy.
A Partial Accounting of the Damage Netanyahu Is Doing to Israel, upper panel
This Has Sort of Happened Before: Mr. Netanyahu’s Meshugana Mystery Tour, lower panel
Posted in America, Charles Cameron, Doublequotes, iran, Israel, obama, ronald reagan, saudi arabia, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
An Unknown Future and a Doubtful Present: Writing the Victory Plan of 1941 — a review-lite and a few questions
[by J. Scott Shipman]
An Unknown Future and a Doubtful Present: Writing the Victory Plan of 1941, by Charles E. Kirkpatrick
Mr. Kirkpatrick’s little book provides an excellent primer to the formulation of the United States’ WWII strategy and a refreshing insight into the education of an master strategist, the focus of this post. At 138 pages (plus bibliography/index), Kirkpatrick provides an overview of the enormous contribution of Major Albert C. Wedemeyer, then attached to the War Plans Division, the Army chief of staff’s strategic planners. In the spring of 1941, General George C. Marshall wanted a “more clear-cut strategic estimate of our situation”. Wedemeyer placed his work in the context of four questions:
1. What is the national objective of the United States?
2. What military strategy will be devised to accommodate the national objective?
3. What military forces must be raised in order to execute that military strategy?
4. How will those forces be constituted, equipped, and trained?
Wedemeyer understood that number 4 was not possible without a clear understanding of 1 through 3. Number 1 did not exist (probably still does not), so Wedemeyer made his best guess. Wedemeyer placed his task in context and produced a plan in the prescribed 90 days (!).
No Ordinary Major
Wedemeyer was no ordinary major. He was a voracious reader and student of history; familiar with Clauzewitz, von der Glotz, Fuller and Sun Tzu. He was fortunate to have a mentor (who happened also to become his father-in-law), MG Stanley Embick. Embick encouraged Wedemeyer to “organize discussion groups of officers during the years on Corregidor. Professional reading served as the context for such social gatherings of Wedemeyer’s peers intelligent and articulate men who met periodically to discuss current events, the books they had been reading, and professional interests.”
Wedemeyer was an honor graduate of the Command and General Staff College, and his performance earned him the opportunity to attended the Kriegsakademie, the German staff college. However, coupled with impressive academic preparations, Kirkpatrick writes that Wedemeyer’s curiosity exposed him to a “kaleidoscope” of ideas and methods. Kirkpatrick summed-up Wedemeyer: “Competence as a planner thus emerged as much from conscientious professional study as from formal military education…” Going on to say:
In common with many of his peers, much of Wedemeyer’s professional and intellectual education was less the product of military schooling than of personal initiative and experience in the interwar Army.
Wedemeyer’s intellectual development was purposeful and paid off. In Wedemeyer’s deep study of his profession he used the prescribed paths, but also explored on his own. How common is that today? What is the real intellectual foundation supporting our professional warriors? Is it the minimum one will glean from the service schools, or we encouraging our people to go a step further. In an earlier post I wondered aloud, and echoed a remark posed by Jon Sumida with respect to Alfred Thayer Mahan:
“It remains to be seen whether readers exist with the mind and will to accept his guidance on what necessarily is an arduous intellectual and moral voyage into the realm of war and politics.” (emphasis added)
Against this backdrop, Tom Ricks in an interview at the Washington Post said:
The U.S. Army is a great institution. The rebuilding of the U.S. Army after the Vietnam War was an epic struggle and was enormously successful. Today we have great frontline soldiers. They are well equipped, they are well trained and they are in cohesive units.
The problem is at the very top. This magnificent rebuilding of the U.S. military after Vietnam really did recreate the force, but they kept the old head. The one thing they didn’t really change after Vietnam was how they shaped their generals. What we got was a generation of officers who thought tactically and not strategically. It’s the difference between being trained and being educated. You train people for known attacks. You educate people for the unknown, the complex, the ambiguous, the difficult situation. (emphasis added)
No intention of singling out the Army, I would cast the net of this question to include the other services, and ask whether we have Major Wedemeyer Majors/Lieutenant Commanders in the pipeline. If we do, are we nurturing and encouraging them? How many of our professional warriors study independently, and like Wedemeyer host/encourage frequent independent fellowship/discussions around books and ideas independent of the academy? As I mentioned in an earlier post, there is no app for intellectual development. We should at least expose our officers to the Wedemeyer method, if you will, and go deeper than service schools, blogs, and the constant chatter in our information laden world. Colleagues gathering to discuss and debate; educating and enlightening each other.
On strategy, Kirkpatrick quotes Wedemeyer:
…strategy, properly conceived, thus seemed to me to require transcendence of the narrowly military perspectives that the term traditionally implied. Strategy required systematic consideration and use of all the so-called instruments of policy–political, economic, psychological, et cetera, as well as military–in pursuing national objectives. Indeed, the nonmilitary factors deserved unequivocal priority over the military, the latter to be employed only as a last resort.
Wedemeyer’s net was wide and comprehensive and worthy of emulation. While his accomplishment(s) are impressive, so was his preparation.
Wedemeyer went on to a successful Army career, retiring as a 4-star. In 1985, he was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Reagan. (See the New York Times obituary.)
This is an important and accessible introduction to the nuts-and-bolts of strategic planning and has my strongest recommendation.
A free electronic copy can be found here (pdf).
Posted in 20th century, Adaptability, change, Clausewitzian, defense, history, J. Scott Shipman, military history, military professionalism, ronald reagan, strategist, strategy, Strategy and War, Tactics, Uncategorized, veterans, warriors, wwii | 32 Comments »
“Trust, but verify” and Pakistan: III
Sunday, May 8th, 2011
[ by Charles Cameron — third of three parts ]
David Ronfeldt said something in a recent comment here on strategy that to my mind maps very nicely — like one of those zooms in films from a very long view of a New York cityscape right in through the window of a brownstone onto a particular book on a certain someone’s bedside table or desk – onto this week’s questions about Pakistan:
as others have noted better than i, strategic relationships may involve competition in one area, collaboration in another, and a potential for serious conflict in yet another.
That seems to be pretty much the attitude of the ISI retiree Michael Wahid Hanna described on the Afpak channel two days ago:
“As for duplicity, I would say that diplomacy is not single tracked. We all follow many different tracks; sometimes, apparently, working against each other,” a retired senior official from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI) told me and my colleagues during a private gathering in Islamabad in July 2010 that was organized as part of The Century Foundation’s International Task Force on Afghanistan. “Double games or triple games are part of the big game.”
Time magazine gives the argument from both the “they must have known” and “honest, we didn’t” sides:
The most damaging accusation against the Pakistani military, of course, is that it must have known bin Laden’s was hiding in the small garrison town where army personnel at frequent checkpoints demand identification. “They knew. They knew he was there,” wrote Dawn columnist Cyril Almeida, echoing the suspicion of many Pakistanis. Kayani had driven past bin-Laden’s bolt-hole literally a week earlier, on his way to tell a gathering at the military academy that the “Pakistan army is fully aware of internal and external threats.”
Kayani was adamant that the Pakistanis had no idea that bin-Laden was hiding in Abottabad. “We had no clear, actionable information on Osama bin-Laden,” he told the journalists. “If we had it, we would have acted ourselves. No one would have questioned our performance for ten years. It would have raised our international prestige.”
That’s fair and balanced with, if you’ll excuse the pun, a great deal hanging in the balance…
Pat Lang at Sic Semper Tyrannis, accordingly, tries to weight the the US and Pakistan in terms of their respective affordances to each other…
Let’s see… What does Pakistan do for the US? … Pakistan’s military keeps it’s existing and future nuclear capability out of the larger world game. As has been discussed at SST many times, Pakistan either has or will soon have the real world CAPABILITY of ranging Israel’s target set. They have around 100 fully engineered and manufactured deliverable nuclear weapons. They have aircraft and missiles (Shahiin 2 improved) that would do the job. The missile launchers are fully mobile. The US has zero control over this nuclear strike force. Logically, the willingness of the Pakistan military to keep this “piece” off the chess board is a major boon to the US. We do not want to see that willingness change to something else.
On the other hand … The Pakistani security services support many of our worst opponents in Afghanistan. This is so well documented that I won’t bother to do so again.
Are you dizzy yet?
Lawrence Wright at the New Yorker – he wrote The Looming Tower, simply *the* book about AQ’s road to 9-11 – drops one of those tidbits that just might be the exact detail we need to pursue, in one of those long shot zooms in through the window I was talking about. He tells us:
Within the I.S.I., there is a secret organization known as the S Wing, which is largely composed of supposedly retired military and I.S.I. officers. “It doesn’t exist on paper,” a source close to the I.S.I. told me. The S Wing handles relations with radical elements. “If something happens, then they have deniability,” the source explained. If any group within the Pakistani military helped hide bin Laden, it was likely S Wing.
Are we getting closer to that starkly phrased remark of Zen’s that I quoted at the outset of this three post series, “Osama bin Laden was caught and killed in an ISI safe house in Abbottabad” ?
I trust Lawrence Wright quite a bit — but I would like to verify…
Posted in al qaida, bin laden, Charles Cameron, complexity, david ronfeldt, diplomacy, intelligence, pakistan, risk, ronald reagan, sic semper tyrannis, Uncategorized | 5 Comments »
“Trust, but verify” and Pakistan: I
[ by Charles Cameron ]
Ronald Reagan said “Trust, but verify.” Gorbachev said, “You repeat that at every meeting.” Reagan said, “I like it.”
Zen claimed a couple days ago that “Osama bin Laden was caught and killed in an ISI safe house in Abbottabad” — while over at ChicagoBoyz, Trent Telenko asserted:
We already knew Pakistan is what we feared a nuclear-armed Iran would be — a nuclear-armed, terrorist supporting, state. Just ask India about Mumbai and the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Now we know that Pakistan is attacking us too. Al Qaeda is the operational arm of Pakistani intelligence (ISI) attacking us just as Lashkar-e-Taiba is its operational arm attacking India.
Those are “strong” versions of claims that have been made in “weaker” forms for some time now.
Thus the NY Times refers to “the belief among administration officials that some elements of the ISI may have ties to Bin Laden and the Afghan Taliban” while according to the BBC, Adm. Mike Mullen recently claimed the ISI had a “long-standing relationship” with the Haqqani network. A Guardian report used the phrase “rogue elements” in discussing recently wikileaked documents from Guantanamo:
The documents show the varying interpretations by American officials of the apparent evidence of ISI involvement with insurgents in Afghanistan. There are repeated “analyst’s notes” in parentheses. Several in earlier documents stress that it is “rogue elements” of the ISI who actively support insurgents in Afghanistan.
So: is it “some elements of the ISI”—or “rogue elements of the ISI” — or simply “the ISI”?
The Pakistani Inter-Service Intelligence Directorate was included in the “list of terrorist and terrorist support entities identified as associate forces” in one of the leaked documents, the “JTF-GTMO Matrix of Threat Indicators for Enemy Combatants” with the notation:
This list is not all inclusive but provides the primary organizations encountered in the reporting from and about JTF-GTMO detainees. Through associations with these groups and organizations, a detainee may have provided support to al-Qaida or the Taliban, or engaged in hostilities against US or Coalition forces.
“Association with Pakistan ISID, especially in the late 1990s up to 2003” was listed in the same document as among the “the primary indicators for assessing a detainee’s membership or affiliation with the Taliban or ACM elements other than al-Qaida.”
BTW, what happened to the ISI in 2003?
And what of Pakistan itself? is it just the ISI that’s problematic, or the entire state of Pakistan? Time magazine reports:
CIA ruled out participating with its nominal South Asian ally early on because “it was decided that any effort to work with the Pakistanis could jeopardize the mission. They might alert the targets,” Panetta says.
Indeed, the problem may not be that there are rogue elements in ISI, nor that the ISI is a rogue element in Pakistan, but that Pakistan itself may be a rogue state, and a nuclear one at that.
How simple it is to write such a sentence – and how subtle the task of understanding – not leaping to conclusions but penetratingly understanding – just what the real situation is.
As Zen says in the same post:
It is long past time for a deep, strategic, rethink of what ends America wants to accomplish in Central Asia and some hardheaded realism about who our friends really are.
Intelligence needs to be intelligent, and to be seen to be intelligent. Whether we trust or mistrust — we need to verify.
[ first of three, at least ]
Posted in al qaida, analytic, bin laden, Charles Cameron, chicago boyz, complexity, foreign policy, national security, pakistan, propaganda, psychology, public diplomacy, ronald reagan, Uncategorized, uncertainty | 2 Comments »
Reagan Roundtable: The Art of the Deal
Ronald Reagan’s monicker as President was always “the Great Communicator“, for his command of message and the medium of television, though Reagan had a considerable ability to read a live audience as well. Everyone acknowledged Reagan’s rhetorical wizardry, even his Democratic critics, who took some comfort in imagining that Reagan was “only a B movie actor” reading his lines. A nickname that would have pointed to one of his greatest political skills would have been “the Great Negotiator” because Reagan’s talent for winning favorable outcomes, legislatively and diplomatically, is rivaled among presidents only by FDR and LBJ. Yet few pundits give Reagan that credit of being a master of the art of the deal.
Reagan’s strategic insight has been alluded to previously in this roundtable and the ability to look at a big picture and construct a strategy for acheiving favorable ends, using acceptable and effective ways that are within your means is the cornerstone of being a good negotiator. Reagan’s career as an actor is frequently cited but it is forgotten that if they gave out Oscars for running the Screen Actor’s Guild, Reagan would have cleaned up at the academy awards. He was a tough union boss and Reagan’s deft handling of contract negotiations with the studios, winning substantial concessions for actors in a politically charged, anti-Hollywood atmosphere, led to his being elected president of SAG seven times:
“At the request of the SAG National Board, Reagan returned to the SAG presidency in 1959 in order to head 1960
theatrical negotiations that ultimately resulted in the first pension and health plan for SAG members, not to mention residuals on filmsshot January 31, 1960, and after (once they were replayed on television).”
Not having anticipated the advent of television, having little bargaining leverage and facing punitive tax rates, many early film actors lived hand to mouth in their old age while the studios raked in a fortune selling their performances to TV networks. Most had been paid a pittance and the lucky few who had made real money had found Uncle Sam claimed up to 90 % of their paycheck. Reagan never forgot that bitter experience and made decreasing marginal income tax rates a key objective in his economic program, which he managed to get through a Democratic-controlled House of Representatives under the Speakership of Tip O’Neill. How? He negotiated for it and afterward, liberal Democrat Tip O’Neill paid conservative Republican Reagan the ultimate compliment that a political opponent can bestow:
How am I doing? I’m getting the whale shit kicked out of me!
As the former Speaker explained in his memoirs, belying his image as a genial and somewhat lazy figurehead, Reagan was a shrewd but relentless bargainer. “You fellas tell me who I need to call and I’ll make the calls” Reagan told his staff. Reagan called. He worked the phones like the winner of a national sales award. Congressmen, Senators, their supporters and newspaper editors back home, he charmed the wives of members of Congress, asked after their children and hand wrote them personal letters of thanks and gave them photo ops at the White House. He shared the spotlight and made compromises with Democrats like Bill Bradley and Dan Rostenkowski who were willing to advance Reagan’s strategic goals. Walking in to the conference room to talk with the Democratic leadership, Reagan would frequently begin discussions having dozens of their Democratic members in his pocket and an equal number wavering. Reagan would at the last minute, take half a loaf in legislation if it moved the ball down the field. Then in the next negotiation, he’d return for the other half and often as not, get some of that too.
The Soviet politburo fared no better with arms control with Reagan than did the leaders of the Democratic party on tax cuts and tax reform. That Reagan was disinclined to make the sort of breezy, one-sided, concessions that had been the hallmark of Kissinger’s approach to SALT was made dramatically clear by Reagan’s appointment of Paul Nitze, the father of NSC-68 and co-founder of Team B, as his adviser on arms control and chief negotiator foe the INF treaty talks. Reagan’s propensity to treat the Soviets in his public speeches as if their Communist ideology were illegitimate and dangerous gave the Soviet leaders fits.
Longtime Soviet ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Dobrynin remained a dedicated Communist apparatchik and a skillful advocate of the Soviet position even after the demise of the USSR, but his comments about Reagan in his memoir In Confidence, while laden with frustration and incomprehension, are not the picture often seen of Reagan in the MSM:
Brezhnev and his colleagus found themselves dealing with something truly new, a deeply disturbing figure who tenaciously advanced a course that profoundly offended and alarmed them.
To me, the directness and insouciance of his remarks confirms once again my belief that personal conviction underwrote Reagan’s approach to the Soviets and everything associated with us, and not just some political pose.
It was evident from Shultz’s Behavior during our White House conversation and long afterward that Reagan was the real boss, and that the secretary of state carried out his instructions. Shultz hardly intervened in the conversation and ostensibly agreed with Reagan throughout. I even had the impression, perhaps an erroneous one, that the secretary of state was somewhat afraid of the president.
As Dobrynin’s memois meander slowly, as diplomatic tomes are wont to do, the Soviets ultimately, by stubborn, painful inches born of endless meetings, bent to many of Reagan’s positions, orginally regarded by them as absolutely intolerable: the zero option, exit visas for Pentacostal dissidents, SDI research and most dramatic of all, consenting to the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, occurring the year Reagan left office.
Ronald Reagan, not Mikhail Gorbachev, understood the art of the deal.
Posted in chicago boyz, Reagan Roundtable, ronald reagan, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
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Rove ignores subpoena, refuses to testify
Associate Press | July 10, 2008
By Ben Evans
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former White House adviser Karl Rove defied a congressional subpoena and refused to testify Thursday about allegations of political pressure at the Justice Department, including whether he influenced the prosecution of a former Democratic governor of Alabama.
Rep. Linda Sanchez, chairman of a House subcommittee, ruled with backing from fellow Democrats on the panel that Rove was breaking the law by refusing to cooperate — perhaps the first step toward holding him in contempt of Congress.
Lawmakers subpoenaed Rove in May in an effort to force him to talk about whether he played a role in prosecutors' decisions to pursue cases against Democrats, such as former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, or in firing federal prosecutors considered disloyal to the Bush administration.
Rove had been scheduled to appear at the House Judiciary subcommittee hearing Thursday morning. A placard with his name sat in front of an empty chair at the witness table, with a handful of protesters behind it calling for Rove to be arrested.
A decision on whether to pursue contempt charges now goes to the full Judiciary Committee and ultimately to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
House Republicans called Thursday's proceedings a political stunt and said if Democrats truly wanted information they would take Rove up on an offer he made to discuss the matter informally.
The House already has voted to hold two of President Bush's confidants in contempt for failing to cooperate with its inquiry into whether the administration fired nine federal prosecutors in 2006 for political reasons.
The case, involving White House chief of staff Josh Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers, is in federal court and may not be resolved before Bush's term ends in January.
The White House has cited executive privilege, arguing that internal administration communications are confidential and that Congress cannot compel officials to testify.
Rove says he is bound to follow the White House's guidance, although he has offered to answer questions specifically on the Siegelman case — but only with no transcript taken and not under oath.
Democrats have rejected the offer because the testimony would not be sworn and, they say, could create a confusing record.
Rove has insisted publicly that he never tried to influence Justice Department decisions and was not even aware of the Siegelman prosecution until it landed in the news.
Siegelman — an unusually successful Democrat in a heavily Republican state — was charged with accepting and concealing a contribution to his campaign to start a state education lottery, in exchange for appointing a hospital executive to a regulatory board.
He was sentenced last year to more than seven years in prison but was released in March when a federal appeals court ruled Siegelman had raised "substantial questions of fact and law" in his appeal.
Siegelman and others have alleged the prosecution was pushed by GOP operatives — including Rove, a longtime Texas strategist who was heavily involved in Alabama politics before working at the White House. A former Republican campaign volunteer from Alabama told congressional attorneys last year that she overheard conversations suggesting that Rove pressed Justice officials in Washington to prosecute Siegelman.
The career prosecutors who handled Siegelman's case have insisted that Rove had nothing to do with it, emphasizing that the former governor was convicted by a jury.
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SUN 19 - 1 - 2020
Source: The Daily Star
Bookstore owner priest forgives arsonists in Tripoli
By Rayane Abou Jaoude, Antoine Amrieh
BEIRUT/TRIPOLI, Lebanon: A Greek Orthodox priest whose library was torched in Tripoli over the weekend said he had forgiven the arsonists, though many described the incident as an attempt to incite strife in the troubled city.
“I am looking for them [the attackers] to tell them that I love them,” Father Ibrahim Sarouj told The Daily Star Sunday.
Though the perpetrators torched his age-old Al-Saeh Library, which was home to approximately 80,000 books, Sarouj explained that it was his “role” to love the attackers, whoever they may be.
“Of course I forgive them,” he said.
Civil Defense teams struggled to put out the flames that had engulfed the bookstore owned by the priest in the city’s old Serail neighborhood, turning one of Lebanon’s most renowned libraries into mere ashen rubble.
Unknown assailants had torched Al-Saeh, known as the Traveler’s Library, destroying “two thirds of some 80,000 books and manuscripts housed there,” AFP reported.
The attack came after rumors circulated that Sarouj wrote an article published on the Internet insulting Islam and the Prophet Mohammad.
Sarouj told The Daily Star that the reports, including one rumor that anti-Islamic materials were being stored in the library, were all “lies,” and that their instigators were just keen to “inciting strife” in Tripoli.
An emotional Sarouj explained to The Daily Star that he had always maintained a close relationship with the Muslim community.
“How is it possible that Muslims accuse me of this?” he asked.
The Lebanese police launched an investigation into the incident.
Civil society groups and activists gathered at the site of the age-old library in Tripoli over the weekend in solidarity with Sarouj, condemning the attack and collecting money for the renovations needed to rebuild the library.
The nonprofit organization Logos also launched a campaign Sunday aimed at replacing the books that perished in the fire. The president of the organization Samira Saridar said that she had received a number of calls from individuals eager to help.
The torching also sparked anger on social media, with numerous individuals condemning the attack on sites such as Facebook and Twitter over the weekend.
Sarouj not only expressed his admiration for the support he had received but also called it “the greatest victory.”
A lover of books from a very young age, the 72-year-old priest voiced an eagerness to rebuild the partly destroyed bookstore, but said he was not interested in pursuing the attackers.
“That is for the security forces,” he said. “The government brings them to justice, not me. I am only here to love them. I am here to carry them on my shoulders.”
Tripoli figures scrambled to contain the situation in the aftermath of the torching, as Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani said Sunday the attack was “barbaric” and did not reflect the morals of Islam, adding that it represented “a criminal attempt to drag Christians toward strife with Muslims in Lebanon.”
Future Movement MP Khaled Daher also denounced the attack, saying that it was a “desperate attempt by interior and exterior intelligence services to tarnish the image” of Lebanon’s second city.
Sarouj opened the library in 1972 and moved it to its current location 10 years later. He has faced several eviction attempts by developers. Sarouj in 2012 had said he rejected a demand made by the property owner to leave.
Future MP Mohammad Qabbani said that the fire was “a clear declaration that we have entered into the actual beginning of sectarian strife, and that we have not seriously worked to stop it, and it will burn Lebanon, God forbid, more than it has before.”
Former Tripoli MP Misbah al-Ahdab said the attack was part of a series of incidents aimed at demonstrating how Tripoli was “governed by takfirism and terrorism,” by striking any symbols of coexistence.
Internal Security Forces Brig. Imad Ayyoubi denied at a news conference Saturday the allegations made against Sarouj.
Salafist Sheikh Salem al-Rafei was in attendance and defended the Greek Orthodox priest, asking security forces to prosecute the strategists of the attack rather than its executors.
Tripoli MP Robert Fadel condemned the attack and said the authorities knew who the perpetrator was.
“The security agencies know the perpetrator and should arrest him ... there will be no political cover for anyone,” Fadel told reporters present at the conference.
Ashraf Rifi, former head of the Internal Security Forces who hails from Tripoli, defended Sarouj and said a foreigner unrelated to the Greek Orthodox priest had written the offensive article.
Former PM Fouad Siniora also condemned the attack, saying that the perpetrators only served Lebanon’s enemies.
“Whoever did this is doing a favor for the enemies of Lebanon and of coexistence ... with the aim of damaging Tripoli’s image and depicting it as a city of extremism,” Siniora said in a statement.
Political figures were forced out of a protest organized by civil society groups to support Sarouj. Lebanese Forces MP Antoine Zahra and Akkar MP Khodr Habib marched along with civil society members during the protest when they were abruptly asked to leave.
Civil society members in turn said they did not want to politicize the incident with their presence.
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Lebanon: Last-minute snags delay government formation
Journalists protest police brutality
Lebanon: Amal, FPM deal major blow to Diab efforts
Lebanon: Diab struggles to overcome obstacles
Nasrallah: American troops will return home ‘in coffins’
Missed signs foretelling Lebanon crisis
Lebanon deserves international support
Independence of Lebanese judiciary
A revolution for the soul of Lebanon
Economic woes of Lebanon: The root causes
Copyright 2020 . All rights reserved
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Original URL: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/opinion/article/0,1299,DRMN_38_1500986,00.html
Speakout: Bilingual ed hasn't kept its promise
By Ken Noonan
Rocky Mountain News, October 25, 2002
Why not bilingual education?
For a little more than 30 years in the United States, bilingual education has been an official strategy for teaching students whose native language is not English. In most of the country, the majority of students in bilingual programs are Hispanics who are first taught to speak, read and write in Spanish, and are gradually moved into English a few years later.
But there are flaws in the rationale for using this method of instruction, which has consumed billions of taxpayer's dollars over the decades.
First, bilingual instruction is not bilingual at all. For Hispanics, Spanish is used for instruction almost exclusively until about the third grade, with varying degrees of increased English use from fourth to about sixth grade, sometimes beyond.
"Bilingual" is a misnomer; the reality is that during the critical first years of school, instruction is mostly in one language - Spanish.
A second flaw stems from the theory that teaching students to read and write in their home language first will make them stronger speakers and readers of English. We do know that children who come to our schools literate in their home language make the transfer to English fairly well.
But most of our Hispanic immigrants are not literate in Spanish when they arrive. Spending up to six years teaching them Spanish does not make them stronger speakers and readers of English, but instead creates a deficit in their development
of the English language.
By the time these students reach grades six through eight, they are already up to seven years behind their English classmates in mastering English.
Under the traditional "bilingual" model, these students are just beginning to develop their English skills at this most critical period in school when they are rotating among many teachers and getting increasingly difficult reading and writing
assignments that they must complete in English.
The gap only widens as these students move into high school.
That's the essence of the second flaw in most bilingual programs. Using the first three to six years of a child's 13 years in school to teach them to speak, read and write Spanish puts them at least that far behind their English-speaking classmates.
These students cannot cram 13 years of English skills development, plus subject matter, into seven or eight years. If they could, there would be just as many Spanish-speaking students in high school honors and advanced placement classes
as there are English speakers.
To the contrary, the number of students who have come through bilingual education and who are enrolled in these challenging courses is appallingly small. In fact, after 30 years of bilingual education, Hispanics have the highest dropout rate in the nation and their graduation rate is dismal. Few are admitted to four-year universities on merit and fewer still earn a university diploma.
Some say that students are learning core subject matters in their bilingual classes, but learning subject matter in Spanish doesn't cut it. What is essential for the academic success of immigrant students is development of literacy skills in English
from day one in school.
These students need and deserve the full 13 years of English language development received by their English-speaking classmates.
And therein lies the most serious flaw of bilingual education. These students need to develop their English skills first, when children learn easily and quickly, not last. Our students, all of them, must first become proficient in English. Only after that
should we engage in the development of literacy in our immigrant children's home languages.
The promise of bilingual education, made more than 30 years ago, has not been kept. We must move away from the unsuccessful bilingual programs of the past to a method of immersing these children in English, all day, every day.
Where English immersion is used, students are effectively reading grade-level literature in English by second grade. Our immigrant students deserve this kind of success.
Sometimes we have to put aside even of our most cherished beliefs. Bilingual education must be replaced with programs like English immersion, which will help our immigrant children succeed in school and in life. It is time.
Ken Noonan, superintendent of the 22,000-student Oceanside Unified School District in California, is a former bilingual teacher. Oceanside schools ended bilingual education in favor of English immersion more than four years ago. Cindy Sabato Public Information Officer Oceanside Unified School District 2111 Mission Avenue Oceanside, CA 92054
760-757-2560, ext. 210; fax: 760-433-3191
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Adstock 2012, plus Adstock fundraiser gig in the sticks, June 15th!
Adstock, for those who have missed it, is an annual, free all-day outdoor festival of music in downtown Maple Ridge; it happens this year on July 8th, and it's looking like a really vibrant year. Long-lived local ska favourites Los Furios headline, but there are a bunch of awesome bands - including the flamin' instrumental hoedown music of Cornshed, whom I caught awhile back at the Hammond United Church Hall at the first of two Adstock fundraisers. They're quite amazing and the band I'm most excited to see again - they play with all the fury of hardcore, but their music is a countrified Celtic-by-way-of-the-Maritimes variety of instrumental folk, with a mandolin and fiddle as lead instruments (it says something that the fiddle player reminded me of Wretched Erin). Mike Usinger has written praisingly about Anchoress and the Jen Huangs, here and here, two bands that I've yet to really do justice to, but am looking forward to seeing live. Even bands representing genres that I'm not so interested in, like North Hill (who have t-shirts that look like hardware store surplus and musically answer the question "What would Lynyrd Skynyrd sound like if they came from rural BC?"), are incredibly talented and tight - classic rockers will love them. All told, it's a pretty cool free day of music, and much more musically varied this year than the usual exclusively punk/ ska/ metal lineups I'd associated with the event in the past; if you like live music of any sort, it's actually worth getting on a bus and coming to visit me in the sticks for this one.
And while it's less likely to inspire a commute, there's also a fundraising gig for the event on June 15th at Hammond United Church Hall - one of the strangest places I've yet to see a gig, out in the biker bar/ pulp mill backwoods of Pitt Meadows. I've seen the Rebel Spell and a bunch of other great bands there (Todd Serious quipped something like "one look at the place and you can tell nothing fun was ever supposed to happen here" - while I'm sure the church is appropriately churchlike, the hall itself where the gig takes place looks like a gymnasium in a rather bleak and under-decorated elementary school. It's actually rather surprising that it doesn't smell like sweatsocks). This gig marks the reunion of the Secondrate Rejects, featuring members of the Bonedaddies, who will also be playing Adstock.
Got no more to say on this at the moment, but here are some photos from the first Adstock fundraiser in April.
(above and below: Cornshed)
Above and below: North Hill
Above: Damn the Eyes, I think! (Not appearing at Adstock, but an awesome Maple Ridge metal band whom I wrote about here).
Above and below: the Jen Huangs
See y'all at Adstock!
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Home General Convicted murderer arraigned for attack on court reporter
Convicted murderer arraigned for attack on court reporter
BELIZE CITY, Fri. June 23, 2017–Four months after he attacked freelance court reporter Anita Nembhard-Flowers, convicted murderer Byron James was brought to court to answer to a charge of harm. James, 31, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith and pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The allegation against James is that on Thursday, February 16, 2017, the same day he was convicted of the murder of Frank Vasquez, as he was being led away along with other prisoners he rushed over and attacked Nembhard-Flowers, who was photographing the prisoners. James hit her in the face, causing a wound to her nose.
Nembhard-Flowers was treated at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where Doctor Aline Gonzalez classified her injury as harm.
Nembhard-Flowers filed a report at the police station and requested court action. After waiting four months for the police to charge James, she sought the assistance of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The question of bail for James did not arise today because he is a convicted murderer who is awaiting sentencing for the murder of Frank Vasquez, who was shot multiple times on May 5, 2012, as he walked out of his yard on Neal Pen Road, Belize City.
Vasquez succumbed to his injuries on May 9 while undergoing treatment at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.
One year after James’ murder trial concluded before Supreme Court Justice John “Troadio” Gonzalez, the judge handed down his guilty of murder verdict.
James is scheduled to return to court for the harm charge on July 11.
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Aero-Medical Services
A NEW concept for Repatriation providing a more responsive solution to Assistance Problems
Contents Click on underlined items below for more information
EMAS the Company
EMAS the Background
EMAS Scope and Objectives
EMAS Partnerships
EMAS Network
Contacting EMAS
East Midlands Aero-Medical Services (EMAS) LTD
EMAS is a consortium of individual established UK NAPAS Companies, with the appropriate expertise. Who have formed a specific Company to deal with all the physical, medical and escorting aspects, of world-wide Aero-Medical repatriation of the sick and injured, for and on behalf of all UK and European based (English Speaking) Assistance Companies
EMAS Forte'
Problem solving through pre-planning, management of the physical repatriation, coupled with mitigation or elimination of associated problems
EMAS Provides
One Stop Call, for Air and Land Transport, in the UK and Eire. With the sole aim, of providing Quality of Service, and value for money, for all clients.
EMAS have surveyed the persistent problems encountered during the past two years, and have prepared a business system to eliminate or to at least mitigate those problems.
Many forward thinking Assistance Companies has in the past, had to rely on other established medical escorting providers? Many of whom have become entrenched in some considerable archaic protocols, and have charged in accordance, to achieve nothing more than a quick profit, in many cases without any prior consideration to the overall costs being paid for, by the individual or insurers concerned.
EMAS fully realise that they are entering into an already established market, but EMAS is equipped for radical change, in order to solve the many prevalent and persistent physical problems that today's Assistance Companies are encountering on a day by day basis. Our intent is to provide and establish EMAS as 'The Central Controlled, Multi resourced, future leader in Aero-Medical Repatriation"
Scope and Objective
EMAS is a consortium Company established by experienced existing providers, who have come together in order to provide the required logistic resources and expertise, for providing a National and International, cost effective reasonable quality level of service, for the physical Aero-Medical repatriation elements.
EMAS objectives are to provide an alternative provision source for Air Ambulance Operations and Areo-Medical Escorting for patients through:
A consortium of Established Services, with the ability to provide the logistic resources
Aero-Medical Trained staff, including CAA Guidance, with National external accreditation through the Oxford, Cambridge, and Royal School of Arts (OCR).
Provision of three grades of Doctors and Nurses to suit the patient's condition, giving Assistance Company Chief Medical Officers a wider choice of escort abilities.
Equipment base's located to service the UK mainland main points of departure, with levels suitable to equip up to four Air Ambulances and numerous scheduled transfers.
Central Co-ordination and cost estimating centre, via one telephone call, followed by a full confirmation and journey plan.
Simple Single case fee, which includes all administration costs, and reasonable escort recovery costs from UK arrival locations.
Seven types of Private Air Ambulance, all charged at actual cost 0% commission added.
Flying points from Cambridge, London Luton, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin.
Providing Future Links worldwide with other established Air Ambulance Services.
EMAS through its approved established network of providers Aim and intent is:
"To provide overall reasonable final costs, the aim is to work in partnership with existing and new assistance companies, in order to reduce the existing overall costs for such services, with a priority to maintain or to improve the quality of service at lower costs."
EMAS is itself a Partnership of existing suppliers, who have been selected for their individual expertise, dedicated support to principles, and ability to work in Partnership with other outside Organisations.
EMAS provides specialised services to established markets, and all are adapted to working in close partnership with many existing providers of Assistance Services.
EMAS approach is that of specialisation and the recognition that overall Assistance is in itself a specialised function, which relies largely on the specialised expertise of Individual suppliers.
EMAS Specialisation is in providing a dedicated Aero-Medical Escorting Ambulance Service "The Care and treatment, prior to, and during the course of transportation by Air and Land Ambulances."
EMAS is an extension to the NAPAS Operation, dedicated to Air Ambulance Transportation, established to work in Partnership with NAPAS Services, and with Assistance Companies, in order to establish a recognisable quality standard of service, dedicated to the mutual patients needs.
EMAS Private Air Ambulance contracted suppliers have likewise been selected for their individual expertise, and ability to work in partnership with others.
EMAS have developed improved systems, in order to provide better services.
EMAS main operational bases are maintained at Peterborough - Nottingham - and Peebles. Staff can be dispatched day and night.
EMAS private Air Ambulance's are based at strategic points throughout the British Isles mainland: Cambridge - London Luton - Bristol - Manchester - Oxford - London City - Edinburgh and Dublin.
EMAS aircraft range includes Aircraft for shorter distances as well as for longer distances and include: Cessna 421 - Beechcraft Kingair - Lear 35 - Citation - and BAE 125 other aircraft can be brokered to suit needs and distance.
EMAS equipment includes Defibrillators, monitors, portable suction, nebulisor's, syringe pumps, pulse oximetrey, resuscitators, ventilators, in-flight portable oxygen, suitable equipped in-flight medical bags and resuscitation kits, drugs, and giving sets as required, Vacuum mattresses, Spenco's, Scoop Stretchers, Long Boards, traction splinting and many other Ambulance Aids.
EMAS have access to over 50 Specialised Doctors and over 100 State Registered Nurses, as well as In-flight Paramedics and Technicians. All have worldwide Public and Professional indemnity.
EMAS calls are handled and co-ordinated by experienced Ambulance Consultants, backed up with experienced Doctors and Nurses, for intricate Medical decisions.
From the UK FREE-PHONE 08000 - 929 - 112
From other places +0044 - (0) 1733 - 80407(Fax -Link)
E-mail emas@ambulanceservices.co.uk
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TERM LIMITATIONS
I've changed the name of my movie blog and my AUM theory for a couple of reasons.
One is that I've become aware that there's actually another "AUM Theory" out there, some psychological dingus called "Anxiety/Uncertainty Management." I'm sure there would never be a literal conflict between them and me in the best/worst of worlds, but I just don't want the duplication, even if I never publish my theory anywhere else.
Two is that about a year after I formulated the basic parameters of my theory, I found myself displeased with the term "atypical" that I explained in TALES OF THE ATYPICAL, UNCANNY AND MARVELOUS. I specified that the concept of "the atypical" could well apply to the type of narrative disequilibrium that pertained within what might loosely be called a "realistic" or "naturalistic" discourse, for which my first-chosen example was the novel THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL. I felt the need for a particular term to denote what Tzvetan Todorov called "the real" in his book THE FANTASTIC, but one which would not privilege consensual accounts of "the real" as did Todorov's book.
Recently, however, I tried to see if the term "atypical" applied very well to elements of stories aside from the movement of disequlibrium that Frank Cioffi called "the anomaly." "Uncanny" and "marvelous" (which I swiped from Todorov, though I know he took the first one from Freud and think it likely he picked up the latter from other fantasy-critics) worked fine. But "atypical" didn't work across the board. When I look back at one of my few reviews of an "atypical" film like HAWK OF THE WILDERNESS, I don't think "atypical" aptly describes what narrative forces make the film closer in spirit to realistic fiction than its "uncanny" near-cousin, TARZAN OF THE APES.
I'm not going back to change the text of old essays here or on THE ARCHETYPAL ARCHIVE, though I will change the labels for "the atypical" to "the naturalistic."
From now on, my specialized use of "naturalistic" will connote those things that are, as the earlier essay says, "not fantastic" in any way. Moreover, since some of my cited definitions of fantasy stress how the natural order is broken or compromised within fictions of the uncanny or marvelous, it seems appropriate to have one category that remains "naturalistic" in all respects.
Labels: THE NUM FORMULA
WALLER NOISE
A week or so ago I first read of DC Comics' "Amanda Waller Weight Loss Program" on THE BEAT. I was initially torqued.
However, then I saw that Tom Spurgeon was against it, so I was tempted to be in favor of the de-fattinization.
I can't quite go that far, unfortunately. However, I will say that my reasons for being against the transformation are different from his (and, of course, better).
Tom said:
...there’s an interesting phenomenon in funnybooks in that the latest version of the character matters more than the majority of their appearances — so while super-hot Amanda Waller doesn’t mean all those issues of Suicide Squad burst into flame, the way fans and company create meaning out of these non-realities this is the version that in many ways matters. It’s not as easy for comics fans, for whatever reason, to go back to a previous iteration of a character the way it was for say, James Bond fans underwhelmed by Pierce Brosnan to fire up the Sean Connery flicks. Not sure why that is, especially since in comics those old books are probably way cheaper.
I find it "interesting" that he manages to spend less time focusing on the identity politics involved in DC's decision and more time sniping at the conservatism of mainstream fans : "this is the version that in many ways matters." I find it fascinating that Spurgeon emphasizes their conservatism rather than their moral dudgeon. He does admit that some alt-comics fans didn't like it when Maggie Chascarillo gained weight, for what that's worth.
However, I don't agree with his conclusion: "People are fucked up." If anything mainstream fans are more justified in wanting images of hottitude in their entertainment than alt-readers of LOVE AND ROCKETS, in that the genre of adventure comics is centered around the idea of enjoying mass quantities of sex and violence.
To that end, standard images of hottitude are entirely justified to pursue that kind of narrative, as I addressed more fully in my essay THAT OBSCURE OBJECTIVIZATION.
Thus it's not wrong to de-fattinize Amanda Waller because it encroaches upon false ideas of diversity in an escapist genre.
It's wrong simply because Amanda was so much more awesome as a fattie.
Labels: feminism, suicide squad
KIRBY KONCLUSIONS
As I've been writing a lot about Jack Kirby's work in both CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN and FANTASTIC FOUR of late, it seemed appropriate to wrap up with a general overview. Here's how I rate what I deem four loosely-designated "periods" of Kirby work in terms of aesthetic successfulness.
(1) Kirby's collaborations at Marvel, mostly with Stan Lee.
(2) The "Fourth World" books, which remain in a class by themselves due to the ambitiousness of Kirby's theme and content.
(3) The Simon-Kirby years, roughly from 1939 or 1940 to 1955.
(4) Pretty much everything after the "Fourth World."
(5) Kirby in the late 1950s, excluding his Marvel work.
At the end of CONSUMMATELY CHALLENGED I reflected:
None of the Kirby CHALLENGERS stories, whatever their behind-the-scenes origins, ever score very high on the mythicity scale. That's why it's equally puzzling that he should have experienced such a comparative creative ferment for the early Marvel stories. But that's another essay.
There's no way that this essay can prove that Kirby experienced a "comparative creative ferment" at Marvel, in comparison to his level of activity at DC and other companies in the late 1950s, which, as readers will note, I find to be Kirby at his creative low point. All one can do is to draw comparisons at the comparative levels of complexity in Kirby works produced within a few years of each other, as I did in CHALLENGE OF THE SUPER FOURSOMES PART 3. At the end of that essay I asserted the possibility that on some level Stan Lee had "challenged" Kirby, perhaps not so much in terms of providing Kirby with raw ideas (of which the artist never seemed to run short) but in terms of shaping them for maximum dramatic impact. In dramatic terms Kirby's Marvel work bears more resemblance to his collaborations with Joe Simon, particularly in the 1940s more than the downsliding 1950s, than it does to most of the work he'd been producing in the 1950s.
And although I give the "Fourth World" books a high rating, I think it significant that these were the books Kirby produced immediately after his last collaborations with Stan Lee (disincluding their one reunion later); the books in which Kirby may've been riffing on ideas and techniques he'd developed with Lee and, at the same time, trying to distance himself from Lee's ideas and techniques to prove himself to assembled fandom.
Even while keeping in mind that my ratings are in no way universally representative-- though I think there are many fans who would feel roughly the same way-- I think the general high opinion of the Marvel work says something interesting about the nature of creativity.
In my essay on Jerry Siegel, OCD ON A HOTPLATE, I wrote:
Interestingly, of all the Siegel stories I've read, the ones with the greatest mythicity are the ones he did for the 1960s SUPERMAN titles under legendary tough-editor Mort Weisinger. A story like "Superman's Return to Krypton" shows a far greater organization of story elements-- including symbolism-- than anything Siegel had done in earlier eras. Yet it doesn't seem that this was Siegel's normal mode of operation, for after he severed relations with DC in the mid-60s, his scripts became pretty wild-and-woolly once more, as one can observe from his output at the Archie imprint Mighty Comics.
This apparent process, by which Siegel wrote with greater restraint under the strong editorship of Mort Weisinger, yet went back to a "wild-and-woolly" mode of scripting, seems no less applicable to the development of Kirby after he determined that he would no longer work with other writers.
What I suspect happened both times is that Kirby and Siegel-- both of whom had been in the comics-business many years-- benefitted from strong editors Mort Weisinger and Stan Lee in a *creative* sense, in spite of all indications that both editors probably abused their authority to differing extents. This is not a logical development, but I believe there's some truth, even if it's only that Kirby and Siegel did some of their best work for exigent business-reasons; because they knew they'd lose valuable time and money if they didn't do their best each time out, or at least what those editors deemed to be their best.
One might imagine Lee and Weisinger functioning in the two creators' heads as little representations of the "ego," attempting to dominate and control the "id" of wild creativity that stemmed from Kirby and Siegel respectively.
Can I prove that Jack Kirby designed more organized, aesthetically-pleasing scenarios for THOR and FANTASTIC FOUR than he did in THE ETERNALS because in the former he had a little "Stan Lee" in his head? Of course not; no more than I can prove my above ratings to be objective truth.
But for me personally, it goes a long way for explaining how Kirby went from his DC work to his Marvel work with a "zero to sixty" rapidity.
Labels: jack kirby
QUICK BAT-HISTORY POST
I started commenting on a CBR forum about the alleged near-cancellation of the Batman comic book in the early 1960s, and it turned into a mini-essay on Bat-history. Hence, with some adjustments, I'm printing it here too.
There's a big problem with a lot of the out-of-context quotes we as fans encounter. I can believe someone may've told Bob Kane that DC was considering cancelling Batman, but was it someone making an accurate appraisal? Since we don't know who it was, maybe it was some DC employee trying to bring Bob Kane down a peg ("Hah, you think you're all that but your character's sales are in the toilet").
This page from the COMICS CHRONICLES demonstrates the fact that the sales weren't all that bad, and even if they were, it seems unlikely that even in '62 DC would have dumped a character with any potential for licensing. Note on the same site that WONDER WOMAN's sales are lower than either Bat-book. These days it's axiomatic that WW has often been kept around for her merchandising potential-- and Batman, unlike WW, had had two serials spun off from his comic (though I don't know how much merchandise either character generated in 1962).
I find it probable that though sales of the Bat-books weren't that good, DC editors probably focused first on discussions as to how to make them better, before anyone seriously considered dumping the titles. Such cancellation *might* have allowed Bob Kane to take the property elsewhere, depending on the terms of his contract at the time.
I don't remember if Julie Schwartz ever said that he actively campaigned for the Batman assignment or not, but I can imagine him going after it, maybe not so much because he liked the character (JS often exhibited veiled contempt for comics-characters in later years) but simply to solidify his position in the company. Previous editor Jack Schiff probably didn't care one way or another about editing Batman, though he's been quoted as claiming that the aliens and such were forced on him and that he would rather have done more Earth-style villains. Interestingly, Schwartz, who was more of a SF-guy personally than Schiff, is the one who ends up doing what Schiff wanted to do; getting rid of (most) of the aliens and concentrating on villains, often reviving characters from earlier times as Schiff had (Schiff did new versions of Mad Hatter and Clayface; Schwartz updated the Scarecrow and the Riddler).
Labels: batman, jack schiff, julie schwartz
AN ODD JOHN
In MADNESS TO OUR METHODS I addressed some of the questions about the applicability of different types of criticism to different types of works, even by the same author. Since the essay was inspired by critical debtate over the proper way to approach Chester Brown's graphic novel PAYING FOR IT, I showed how Brown himself had produced works that had strongest affiliations to three critical persuasions-- YUMMY FUR to archetypal criticism, THE PLAYBOY to aesthetic criticism, and LOUIS RIEL to ethical criticism. At the time I wrote the essay, I hadn't read PAYING FOR IT, whose descriptive subtitle, for anyone who's not heard, proclaims the work "a comic-strip memoir about being a john."
Now that I've read PFI, this essay will follow up some of the ideas expressed there. I wrote:
If as I suggest Spurgeon's review is in essence an aesthetic one, then one may conveniently label the type of criticism Heer and Berlatsky stump for to be "ethical criticism." Based on descriptions of PAYING's subject matter, and on my acquaintance with earlier Brown work, I can see some validity in either approach. However, given that the work's content is both biographical and hortatory, in all likelihood the third-named critical orientation, that of "archetypal criticism," would probably be a bad way to analyze PAYING in that such narratives tend to put forth a very low level of symbolic discourse.
That said, if PAYING is indeed amenable to both ethical and aesthetic criticism, not all such works, even by Chester Brown, are so well-balanced.
Back then I was giving PFI the benefit of the doubt in saying that it might be equally amenable to both forms of criticism, though given that it was one of Brown's autobiographical efforts, I doubted that the archetypal form would be espeically applicable. Now that I've read it, I think the aesthetic approach advocated by Tom Spurgeon has nearly no application whatever. I've certainly seen examples of Chester Brown work which possess the quality Spurgeon calls "quiet insistence." But I don't see any of that in PFI. It's possible that Spurgeon sees something there that I don't. It's also possible that he's allowing for some "carry-over" from other Brown works to affect his judgment. Neither verdict matters all that much, to be sure.
My reason for not seeing this "quiet insistence" is chiefly due to Brown's choice of format, in which all or most panels in PFI are about 1 1/2 inches by 1 inch. I found this to be an effective size for communicating the discursive ideas of his topic but not for communicating anything pertaining to mood or tonality. I've only read one Brown interview given to MOTHER JONES on the subject of PFI, which doesn't comment on his format-choice. However, the interviewer does ask:
MJ: Why did you choose to depict the sex instead of fading to black or doing one of any other artistic sleights of hand?
And Brown responds:
CB: I suppose I could have. There were a couple of instances where what I'm thinking during sex was relevant, so I might as well show myself having sex. I could have gone from a shot of the bed to just showing the ceiling and my thought bubble. Or maybe just show the feet. It just seemed, sex was taking place—why drag the camera someplace else in the room?
The thought struck me that in a sense, by choosing such tiny panels for PFI, Brown had not so much dragged the camera to another part of the room as he had changed the lens-size. I can't be sure until I come across Brown commenting on the matter, but the tiny size strikes me as an ideal way to literally "reduce" the subject matter so that it becomes ipso facto less prurient in presentation. (Brown does comment that while it wasn't odd for him to draw himself having sexual encounters, he does get some interesting reactions showing the pages blown-up for slideshow displays.)
Now, while I think PFI proves fruitless to analyze from both archetypal and aesthetic approaches, the ethical approach is a different animal. As far as I can tell, most of the critical reactions to PFI do take the ethical approach, frequently slamming Brown's ideas as unworkable and the like. Brown has anticipated all or most of these reactions, for the appendices to his memoir assails most if not all of the familiar arguments against the decrimininalization of prostitution. For the record, Brown, a libertarian, is also against the legalization of prositution, arguing that this would simply create a "black market" for sex workers, which would in turn maintain the associations between prostitution and criminality.
I'm not going to debate any of Brown's theories of decriminalized prostitution here. As a critic I defend Brown's intellectual discourse on the same terms that I defend Dave Sim's. Whether or not an artist succeeds in proposing an ethical schema that has real application to society or not-- a goal which more noted authors, such as Ezra Pound, failed to do-- the work may remain significant purely in terms of the technique the artist uses to make his salient points. As a pluralist I can condemn any number of ethical opinions on an individual basis, while maintaining the POV that even bad ethics can make for great storytelling.
I wouldn't precisely call PFI "great," even within the confines of autobiographical comic books. But even recognizing some of the default errors of libertarianism, it's still a work that demands one's full attention in debating/refuting it.
ADDENDA: I will note in passing that according to Brown's memoirs his encounters with prostitutes in Canada were amazingly restraind and-- to resort to that old Canadian stereotype-- unfailingly *polite.*
And on the purely practical side of things, that's probably why, even if decriminalized prostitution *could* work in Canada, it would probably never work that well in the United States of America-- for one simple reason:
Americans are thoroughly addicted to the art of screwing each other over for a buck.
Labels: chester brown, prostitution
CONSUMMATELY CHALLENGED
In CHALLENGE OF THE SUPER FOURSOMES PART 3 I said:
There is one mythopoeic element that may have some significance in the story as a whole—an element I’ll treat in a separate essay—but within the origin-sequence, it carries no plurisignative value.
The page, from SHOWCASE #6 (1957), shows that element:
One might be forgiven for thinking that the element I reference is the lead splash-panel, in which the four uniformed heroes are seen against a backdrop of flames and a devilish-looking figure-- who, incidentally, bears no strong resemblance to anyone in the story.
But no, the element to which I refer is the puzzling way that collaborators Jack Kirby and Dave Wood chose to characterize the "Heroes" radio program on which the future Challengers plan to guest. At a time when female adventurers were rare birds in American media, the radio program chooses to focus not on one, but *four* nameless women who, the announcer claims, "have earned the right to the title 'hero!'" The women are not named and never appear in the Kirby CHALLENGERS again. So why four women, rather than, say, a big-game hunter along the lines of Clyde Beatty?
It's at this point I return to my earlier-expressed notion, in CONSUMMATING PASSIONS, of an "inconsummate symbolic discourse." This is functionally the same as my notion of "presentational incoherence" as expressed in GESTURE AND GESTALT PART 3, but the former term skirts around the necessity of going into Langer's complex definitions of the "presentational" and the "discursive" to explain the terminology.
To this sort of peculiar creative quirk, the default response of the Bloody Comic Book Elitists is usually that if something in the story isn't well done, it can't be important. Obviously I don't agree, and do agree with Suzanne Langer that such works can possess "diffuse meaning" at the very least. Four unnamed heroic females are used to introduce four starring heroic males. If the story as a whole had something to do with the roles of masculinity and femininity, the unnamed females might at least function as a counterpoint to whatever discursive point the author sought to make.
But though one could view the book-length story of SHOWCASE #6 as something of a weighing of the nature of masculinity, the only other appearances of femininity are also inconsummate.
The story in brief: some time after the Challengers have become established as a four-man team of daredevils, they receive an offer to do a job for one million dollars: "a job for men who fear neither devil nor death." This is interesting wording given the devilish figure in the splash panel, though it too doesn't lead to any plurisignative pay-off.
The Challengers fly to Canada to meet their new employer, a mystic named Morelian. Morelian wants the four men to be his "guinea pigs" by opening the four chambers of a giant box "constructed in an age long forgotten." Twice Morelian references the most dominant feminine myth-reference, "Pandora's Box." Sure enough, each time the heroes open one of the first three chambers of the box, that chamber releases some incredible menace. Whereas Pandora's Box famously releases various incarnate evils to plague mankind evermore, the sorcerer's box is a grab-bag that releases entities with no obvious connection. One is a remote-controlled machine. Another seems to be a living entity, called a "freezing sun." And the last (actually first in presentation) is a big egg which hatches a titanic Greek-looking stone warrior. This menace, unlike the others, actually gets a second mythological reference, as an inscription on the box calls the egg a "dragon seed," prompting Red Ryan to remember the legend of Cadmus, "the guy who planed a field of seeds and grew a crop of fighting men." The bulk of the story deals with the heroes finding ways to quell each menace, though the defeat of the giant warrior is the most like a cop-out: after the Challengers see him survive an atomic explosion, they figure out that he's just a mental projection, and they "think" him out of existence.
When the three menaces have all been neutralized, the Challengers get back to the box, only to find that Morelian has opened the box's fourth and last chamber. Morelian wanted the heroes to deal with the creatures so that by process of elimination he would find the treasure in the last chamber: a ring whose inscription seems to promise immortality. The Challengers, despite having gone into the deal with their eyes open, scorn Morelian's "selfish reason" for exploring the box, but Morelian simply shrugs and leaves in his private plane. The plane summarily crashes, destroying the box in its fall, and Morelian dies, leading the heroes to deduce that he misread the inscription: that it was the box containing the ring that promised immortality, not the ring itself. The Challengers then depart with the observation that "we're still living on borrowed time-- which is more than you can say about Morelian!"
Many later CHALLENGERS stories, by Kirby and others, follow this basic pattern: the heroes find some strange artifact which unleashes various fantastic menaces that they the heroes must then fight or corral. But this version of Pandora's Box doesn't attain any great mythicity simply by referring to the Greek myth, or even by invoking a few other images with feminine subtext (both the egg that hatches the giant warrior and the mythic "dragon seeds" to which it's compared). Therefore, because it seems that Kirby was playing around with mythic elements but not really bringing them into any sort of narrative control, the feminine elements-- the four women, the egg (which also appears on the book's cover) and the two Greek myths-- are of an inconsummate nature. One can imagine an interesting narrative that used them all with greater intensity, but "Secrets" is not such a story.
Similarly, the "villain" of the story, whose name so obviously references "Merlin," is a rather half-assed version of the Faustian over-reacher. I noted earlier that the story does touch upon the nature of masculinity, and it does, in the sense of evoking pleasure in the heroic acts of the Challengers. But the story doesn't work well as far as positing Morelian as the obverse of the heroes, simply because he pays them to do a dangerous job. Is Morelian in some sense "anti-masculine" for having done so? This is a possibility, but Kirby's story (and Dave Wood's dialogue) offer little to explain why the heroes suddenly take a dislike to Morelian at the end. An extrinsic reason, not actually alluded to in the text, might be that Morelian's quest to escape death is morally dubious; that opening the box to gain immortality is tantamount to making a deal with the devil. In Morelian, Kirby presents an inconsummate symbol of Faustian ambition, which is puzzling since it was the sort of story he'd done well in earlier venues, as in his collaborations with Joe Simon for features like SANDMAN and CAPTAIN AMERICA.
Labels: challengers of the unknown, jack kirby, null-myths, susanne langer
CHALLENGE OF THE SUPER FOURSOMES PART 3
I’ve stated in Part 1 of this essay-series that I concede the *possibility* that the FANTASTIC FOUR may have come about, as fervent Kirby-supporters claim, as having been mostly conceived by Jack Kirby, aside from perhaps the addition of a new Human Torch to the mix (as Kirby would have been unlikely to have revived that particular character). However, I’ve been comparing the type of narratives found in the Lee-Kirby FANTASTIC FOUR against the prior Kirby work most often compared with the FF: the CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN, originated by Kirby and writer Dave Wood. Based on those comparisons, I think it’s more likely that Stan Lee gave Kirby much more substantial storytelling input than had Dave Wood. I don’t credit Lee’s courtroom claim to have originated nearly everything in the Lee-Kirby collaboration. But I also don’t believe a similar claim from Kirby, nor do I favor the opinions of fans who believe Stan’s greatest contribution was stepping back to let Kirby “do his thing.”
The twelve Kirby issues of COTU are perhaps close to equaling the first 12 issues of FANTASTIC FOUR in respect to the kinetic qualities of both: both are high-energy juvenile adventures with a lot of sensational action. Yet in my Jungian-influenced literary system I recognize three other aspects of literature beyond the kinetic: the thematic (dealing with discursive concepts), the dramatic (dealing with character interactions), and the mythopoeic (dealing with symbolic complexity). And in all of these, COTU is as night to the FF’s bright sunshiny day.
It is, again, possible that *if* Jack Kirby solely originated FANTASTIC FOUR in 1961, he simply experienced a quantum leap in creativity as he went from COTU and SKY MASTERS to FANTASTIC FOUR, INCREDIBLE HULK, et al. After all, many authors vacillate, for any number of reasons, in terms of their quality over the course of years. However, during the years between 1957 and 1961, during which Jack Kirby began getting most of his work from Stan Lee’s company, he collaborated most often with Lee, either directly or with the additional collaboration of Larry Lieber as dialogue-writer to the Lee-Kirby plots. I think it’s likely that as the two collaborators learned one another’s skills, they played off one another in creative ways that were not possible with earlier collaborators like Dave Wood, leading to a gestalt of complementary creativity.
We have few relics of the Lee-Kirby collaborative process, and fans tend to interpret what we have according to their respective prejudices. Therefore, critics can only compare the narrative themselves. And since FANTASTIC FOUR is most often compared to the CHALLENGERS because the two features have roughly similar origins, a comparison of those origin-sequences is necessary.
The COTU origin is two-and-a-half pages, not counting an unrelated first-page splash-panel. It begins as an announcer for a radio program called “Heroes” tells his listeners that next week the program will feature four men “famous in their own fields.” These four all have their own adventurous specialties: Ace Morgan is a pilot, Prof Haley a diver, Red Ryan a mountain-climber, and Rocky Davis a wrestler. At the same time the announcer is speaking, Ace Morgan is flying the other three to wherever the radio program is scheduled for broadcast (even though it’s not to take place until “next week.”) A storm hits the plane, and when Ace tries to steer the plane out of the storm, the plane’s controls jam. The plane crashes but all four men survive, though it seems like a miracle to them given the plane’s devastation. They decide that they are now living on “borrowed time” and that their destiny is to form a team of daredevils willing to “challenge the unknown.”
The FF origin is five pages, beginning as scientist Reed Richards, his fiancée Sue and her brother Johnny seek to persuade Ben Grimm to pilot a ship, constructed by Reed, into outer space. Ben objects that the cosmic rays surrounding Earth “might kill us all out in space.” Sue accuses Ben of cowardice, and he angrily takes her implicit dare. Later the foursome (none of whom seem to need astronaut training) blast off in Reed’s ship. Just as Ben predicts, cosmic rays strike the ship, affecting all those aboard and causing the ship to crash. The four would-be astronauts survive, but Ben becomes irate with Reed once they see that Sue has gained the power of invisibility. As Ben tries to attack Reed (his words suggesting a hidden desire for Reed’s girlfriend), both exhibit super-powers as they fight, as does Johnny. Reed persuades his companions to use their powers for the good of humanity as the Fantastic Four.
Since the purpose of both stories is to assemble a heroic team, neither can be judged on pure verisimilitude, on whether the characters are likely to become altruistic teams in response to their traumas. But in the case of COTU, everything in the brief origin is purely functional. The motive for bringing the heroes together is a mundane radio program, and there are no significant aspects to the plane the heroes fly in or the storm that causes them to crash. Even the metaphor of “borrowed time” isn’t particularly compelling. There are no discursive elements introduced, and the characters are too similar to generate any interpersonal drama. There is one mythopoeic element that may have some significance in the story as a whole—an element I’ll treat in a separate essay—but within the origin-sequence, it carries no plurisignative value.
In the FF origin-sequence, however, Lee and Kirby provide what I’ve called a “super-functional” narrative. Through the central character of Reed Richards, the creators channel the early sixties’ fascination with the wonder of space-flight in all its thematic, dramatic, and mythopoeic aspects. Richards is given just one dominant character-aspect—a devotion to exploring the frontier of space that borders on the fanatical (“We had to be first!” he cries as the ship leaves Earth). In most SF-movies of the time this would make Reed the over-reacher doomed to suffer the consequences of risk-taking. Here, Ben Grimm, who in an archaic Greek drama would be the warning-voice of the chorus, is the one to suffer the doom of the over-reacher, becoming a monster outside humanity. The bare suggestion of his concealed feelings for Sue would have rich implications for later stories, especially once the team developed into more of a quarreling family than a businesslike team. The seeds of all the thematic, dramatic and mythopoeic elements of the ensuing series are found in this five-page sequence, and even though Lee and Kirby often rewrote specifics of the origin, the FF origin-sequence established a super-functional mythos for the feature’s characters, whereas the origin of the Challengers is merely a set-up that has little if any future impact on stories.
There is no knowing which if any specific ideas Stan Lee contributed to the collaboration. But at the very least I think that Lee did more than simply “let Kirby loose.” I believe that on some level Lee “challenged the unknown” limits of what comic-book superheroes could do, and by example encouraged Kirby to do the same. And therefore, no matter how much work Stan Lee did in the collaboration, the work they produced was more than Jack Kirby ever could have done, unaided.
Labels: challengers of the unknown, fantastic four, jack kirby, stan lee
CHALLENGE OF THE SUPER FOURSOMES PT. 2
In PART 1 of CHALLENGE I said:
The Kirby COTU stories-- some or all of which may've started from full scripts by other writers, though Mark Evanier asserts that Kirby usually rewrote any scripts he was given-- resemble the kind of stuff Kirby did in his mid-to-late 1970s Marvel works. The narratives usually begin with the Challengers being summoned to investigate or eludicate some mystery, usually one with strong SF-aspects, and thereafter the heroes fights aliens or robots or whatever in fast-action stories with no great emotional resonance.
Expanding on this somewhat:
Starting in 1957, Jack Kirby worked on the feature CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN over the course of four appearances in SHOWCASE (issues #6, 7, 11, and 12) and eight issues of the heroes' own feature. In all of these issues the Challengers shared no space with any co-features, though on occasion a given issue might have two short COTU stories rather than a full-length tale. In the recent b&w reprint of the early issues credit for writing issues is given either to Dave Wood or to Kirby himself, though there's no preface to explain by what process DC Comics allocated these credits.
COTU can be fairly regarded as Kirby's first solid-selling series following the end of his business partnership with Joe Simon in 1955. But as I noted above, most of the COTU stories are pretty formulaic despite the Kirby touch. In the shorter stories, Kirby's works seems constrained by what may have been attempts to fit a conservative DC "house style" (which Gil Kane asserted to be most influenced by the example of comic-strip artist Dan Barry). The full-length stories-- in particular a wild time-travel story in COTU #4-- often show Kirby returning to a style of "epic" storytelling that recalls his most successful Golden Age work. However, the plotting of these stories lacks the relatively-strong characterization seen in the Golden Age work Kirby produced in partnership with Simon. The four heroes-- Ace, Prof, Rocky, and Red-- are largely interchangeable aside from their particular talents (diving, piloting, etc.) Often the plots, while reasonably efficient for this type of helter-skelter adventure, have a "fly-by-the-seat-of-one's-pants" quality; one that reminds me of the pace Kirby employed on most if not all of his solo works of the 1970s and thereafter. The dialogue is never as eccentric as one finds in the 1970s solo works, but one presumes that credited co-writers like Wood were responsible in some instances, while in others Kirby himself kept to the then-current writing-standards of his employers.
To be sure, about a year after the debut of COTU Kirby collaborated with both Dave Wood and his brother Dick on the comic strip SKY MASTERS, which prefigures a return to more nuanced characterizations than one sees in COTU; again, more in tune with the Simon/Kirby level of storytelling. The SKY MASTERS strips I've seen have a rather Caniff-like quality in respect to characterization; nevertheless, the short-lived strip (58-61) is at best an interesting experiment.
One of the oddest aspects of the COTU is that while Kirby was working on the title, the characterization of the main heroes had none of the individual development of even some of the one-shot characters Kirby portrayed in his anthology monster-stories in the adjoining years, for such "Marvel" magazines as TALES OF SUSPENSE and TALES TO ASTONISH. However, almost immediately after Kirby left COTU, two stories by one DC writer, France Herron, suddenly played around with the notion that two of the Challengers, Rocky and Red, quarreled a lot. The two stories-- "The Cave-Man Beast" and "Creatures of the Forbidden World"-- aren't especially well characterized beyond this schtick, probably borrowed from a similar one in the DOC SAVAGE pulps. But it's interesting that as soon as Kirby left the title, someone started a "meme" which Kirby and Lee would realize more fully in FANTASTIC FOUR's constant quarrels between the Torch and the Thing.
Labels: challengers of the unknown, fantastic four, jack kirby
QUICK TAKE ON MICKEY MARX
I posted this today on THE EDUCATED IMAGINATION:
I have a simple motto as regards all political systems:
"Any political system will work if its people do."
By which I mean not every single person in a society but those responsible for shaping it.
I disagree with Marx's claim that capitalism is inherently flawed. Like any system it works well as long as it gets proper maintenance. Our financial troubles result from an oligarchy within capitalism, not capitalism itself. The oligarchy has campaigned for the last thirty years to remove all regulatory controls in the short-sighted belief that they could keep all their capital to themselves because they were "job creators," i.e. the new aristocracy.
Did they plunder the middle class? Yes, without a doubt. But in a capitalistic democracy it was at least theoretically possible that the oligarchy could have been defeated. That they were not speaks to the lack of will on the part of that perhaps overly-comfortable middle class (to which, sadly, I'm no exception).
I understand why Northrop Frye would recognize Marx's sterling ability to see new mythic shapes in socioeconomic developments, but I would think he'd be put off by Marx's extreme utilitarianism.
Labels: karl marx, political myths, politics
CONSUMMATING PASSIONS
"[Music] is a limited idiom, like an artificial language, only even less successful; for music at its highest, though clearly a symbolic form, is an unconsummated symbol. Articulation is its life, but not assertion; expressiveness, not expression. The actual function of meaning, which calls for permanent contents, is not fulfilled; for the assignment of one rather than another possible meaning to each form is never explicitly made."-- Susanne Langer, PHILOSOPHY IN A NEW KEY, p. 240.
Definition of CONSUMMATE
1: complete in every detail : perfect
2: extremely skilled and accomplished
3: of the highest degree
-- Merriam Webster online.
In order to talk further about the question I've raised re: the nature of Jack Kirby's creativity, I find myself drawn back to Langer's use of this term, "unconsummated symbol," in order to suss out some of the different levels of expressive power found in his work.
My first approach with the brilliant philosopher Langer is, unfortunately, to correct her terminology. On a minor note first, I would not call music itself a "symbolic form." The philospher most associated with that term, under whom Langer studied in the 1930s, was Ernst Cassirer, and he tended to use the term "form" only for those large-scale phenomena of human culture that could not profitably reduce into one another, such as Art, Science, and Philosophy. "Music," being a subdivision of Art, would be better considered as a "symbolic discourse."
Langer is entirely correct, however, that pure music, unalloyed with lyrics or other forms of artistic expression, has no "permanent contents," and that it expresses emotion but cannot assert thought as such, even to the extent that a wordless comics sequence may. Yet her use of the term "unconsummated" is badly chosen because it suggests transience, as if music had not yet reached its consummation (devoutly to be wished, surely!) but that it might do so at some future date.
There is no official dictionary term for a state in which it is impossible for a person or thing to become "complete in every detail." However, I experimented with the neologism "inconsummatable," and found that a few Internet sites had also used it to mean pretty much what I meant. Thus it is proper to say that music is an "inconsummatable symbolic discourse," in that, *if* one accepts that Art should be capable of both articulation and assertion, expressiveness and expression, then music can never be "complete" in the sense that other art-forms can. This takes absolutely nothing away from music, for it's a judgment that can only be made within the cited definition of art's completeness. Viewing art as having this dual capacity for assertion and expressiveness makes for a convenient heuristic tool in terms of judging other forms of symbolic discourse which *do* have the capacity for consummation on both levels.
Now, dictionaries do recognize that the opposite of the adjectival "consummate" is "inconsummate," which means precisely the same as "unconsummated." Both mean that a given object has not reached a state of completeness.
In earlier essays I've spoken in symbolic discourse in terms of *mythicity,* through which concept it's possible to detect differing degrees of symbolic complexity within a range of literary works. This remains the cornerstone of my theory, but Langer's terms are useful for determining the processes behind the articulation of complexity. In this essay I formulated the term "null-myth" for a given element in a narrative that did not happen to be complex in a particular iteration, with the explicit statement that no such element was beyond a high-mythic transformation elsewhere. In yet another essay I conjoined my Frye-influenced theories of symbolic complexity with those of Philip Wheelwright, who employed the terms *plurisignative* and *monosignative* for differing levels of symbolic expression.
In a future essay I plan to develop distinctions between a *consummate* symbolic discourse and an *inconsummate* one, probably with reference to the work of Jack Kirby.
Labels: cassirer, jack kirby, music, mythicity, susanne langer, symbols
DISTANCED RELATIONS
"So they had bargained, he and Sabul, bargained like profiteers. It had not been a battle, but a sale. You give me this and I'll give you that. Refuse me and I'll refuse you. Sold? Sold! Shevek's career, like the existence of his society,depended on the continuance of a fundamental, unadmitted profit contract. Not a relationship of mutual aid and solidarity, but an exploitative relationship; not organic, but mechanical. Can true function arise from basic dysfunction?"-- the character of Shevek in Ursula K. LeGuin's THE DISPOSSESSED.
I've not quite finished my rereading of the LeGuin book, in which the author posits two cultures that substantially reproduce the ideological oppositions of capitalism (represented by the planet "Urras") and socialism (embodied by "Anarres.") The latter planet is the homeworld to Shevek, and in the quote above he meditates on the incongruity that on his world, despite its ideals of "mutual aid and solidarity," the "exploitative relationships" characteristic of capitalism pervade his society in camoflagued form, as per the one he shares with his academic superior Sabul. Later, when Shevek journeys to Urras, he's often surprised as how well the society functions despite the "basic dysfunction" of its capitalistic orientation. LeGuin carefully structures her two worlds so that no thinking critic could accuse her of simply finding one system superior to the other; rather, it's evident that each society has its weaknesses, and that those weaknesses are an expression of the weakness in human nature rather than in the systems as such.
Nevertheless, the answer to Shevek's puzzled question-- particularly with regard to the subject of the Stan Lee/Jack Kirby collaboration of the 1960s-- would seem to be "yes," with very few qualifiers. Over and over Lee's editorial control over Jack Kirby's art and story has been critiqued as inequitable, unfair, injurious to the superior artistic talents of Kirby, etc.
And yet, out of this dysfunctional relationship, we have "true function" in the form of a host of comic-book features that even most bloody comic book elitists validate. There are a number of Kirby fans who believe that his non-collaborative work exceeds any work he did with Stan Lee or anyone else. Such is their privilege, but I've rarely seen a critical defense that went beyond the Kantian level of "the agreeable" (i.e., I like this and no one can tell me differently).
As I noted in INVADERS FROM MARX PT. 2, Marguerite Van Cook quoted Louis Althusser:
Ideologies are perceived-accepted–suffered cultural objects, which work fundamentally on men through a process they do not understand. What men express in their ideologies is not their true relation to their conditions of existence, but how they react to their conditions of existence; which presupposes a real relationship and an imaginary relationship.
Van Cook follows Althusser's Marxmallow logic by asserting again and again that in producing professional comic books for their audience, Lee and Kirby did not have a "true relation to their conditions of existence." Rather, they merely "reacted" to the ideological underpinnings of their society.
The first objection to Van Cook's restatement of Althusser is that while Althusser may or may not have given an example of an author with such a "true relation" somewhere in his writings, Van Cook merely accepts his statement as a given and does not choose to present her take on such a "true relation." But without such a positive counter-example, Van Cook's negative analyses of Lee and Kirby are utterly meaningless.
How might Van Cook had chosen an example of a "true relation?" Given the rigidity of Marxmallow dialectic, the only possible "true relation" to an artist's "conditions of existence" will inevitably reflect Marxmallow views of truth. Thus an artist who references, or seems to reference, such concepts as "commodification"-- Daniel Clowes, perhaps-- would be assumed to have such a "true relation" while Lee and Kirby were mere cogs in the ideological machine.
Even with a positive counter-example, however, Lee and Kirby make poor examples of the monolith-like nature of American mass culture, with which Van Cook implicitly agrees as she quotes Terry Eagleton on the subject:
‘Mass’ culture is not the inevitable product of ‘industrial’ society, but the offspring of a particular form of industrialism which organizes production for profit rather than for use, which concerns itself with what will sell rather than with what is valuable.
In PART 2 I pointed out that Lee and Kirby were responsible for originating one of the first black featured heroes in a commercial American comic book. I do not know if either Eagleton, Althusser or Van Cook would find this a "valuable" contribution to society. However, even if they all considered American pop cultrue to be insignificant by virtue of its inadherence to Marxist truth, I should imagine that the debut of a character such as Gabriel Jones would have to be considered marginally more progressive than the many times both Lee and Kirby attacked Communist societies as "evil" in the early 1960s.
One might agree that anti-Communist rhetoric, especially as simplistic as it appeared in such Lee-Kirby comic books as FANTASTIC FOUR #13, may have been put there to sell the books:
And yet-- was it "true" or not, that in some Communist countries, citizens were "enslaved" by their leaders? As in LeGuin's novel, the real sins of capitalism don't negate the real sins of socialism; both spring from human weakness. Moreover, can one be certain that Lee and Kirby merely "reacted" in making this negative characterization of 1960s Communism? That neither man ever read anything about real abuses in real places, and that therefore they characterized Commies as the enemy just to make a buck?
Conversely, there is one thing about the "progressive" introduction of a black character like Lee & Kirby's Gabe Jones that is manifestly "untrue:" American troops in World War II were segregated. Thus Lee and Kirby distorted real history for the purpose of making a progressive point: that loyal black Americans *should* have been able to serve their country without having to observe the "color line." And yet, this willful distortion might have backfired on the company's ability to "make a buck" had there been some conservative backlash against the Gabe Jones character.
I've pursued this line of reasoning purely to expose the superficiality of Van Cook's adherence to Marxist views of monolithic mass culture. I don't want to give the impression that I personally would define any narrative work as having a "true relation" to an author's "conditions of existence" purely in terms of whether or not it contains progressive concepts, or even a mix of progressive and conservative concepts. Literary truth cannot be defined by politics, for no form of literature, no matter how "high" or "low," is ever purely about politics. All art, as Suzanne Langer observed, is inherently "gestural:" it reminds us of things in our real lives but is quite obviously not "real life," even in the most "kitchen-sink" types of art.
LeGuin's hero Shevek has to grant the capitalist devil his due by admitting that "mechanical"
contracts may lead to "true function" as readily as do "organic ones." However, in art the oppositions of "organic" and "mechanical" become much more multifaceted than they can ever be in sociopolitical discourse. The fact that Marxists remain so unaware of the plurisignative nature of literature remains one of the great marvels of the last century, given that said Marxists are so sedulous about ferreting out Other People's Myths.
Labels: capitalism, jack kirby, socialism, stan lee, ursula leguin
A PAGE RIGHT OUT OF PREHISTORY
At the end of INVADERS FROM MARX PT. 2 I said:
Next essay: why the bourgeoise productions of Lee and Kirby do indeed contain "a true relation to the conditions of their existence," albeit not one of which Althusser would approve.
The more I thought about this, the more daunting the project seemed. How could one hope to make clear to any Marxist the terms of my argument, when so many Marxists lack any broad historical perspective with regard to the many-faceted nature of human language and literature? After all, to this day Roland Barthes is still a name to conjure with, with barely anyone pointing out that l'empereur is missing his vetements:
"...myth is a peculiar system, in that it is constructed from a semiological chain which existed before it: it is a second-order semiological system. That which is a sign (namely the associative total of a concept and an image) in the first system, becomes a mere signifier in the second. We must here recall that the materials of mythical speech (the language itself, photography, painting, posters, rituals, objects, etc.), however different at the start, are reduced to a pure signifying function as soon as they are caught by myth. Myth sees in them only the same raw material; their unity is that they all come down to the status of a mere language."-- Barthes, "Myth Today."
Marguerite Van Cook's essay, which prompted the INVADERS series from me, never mentions Barthes, but whether she's read him or not her own Marxist argument reproduces the same hegemonic argument with respect to how the "signifying" diction of Stan Lee establishes authority over the "raw material" of Jack Kirby's art. These are Barthes' terms, not Van Cook's, but a similarity of theme can be observed in Van Cook's essay:
Implicitly, art is produced in a strangely abased position in the social hierarchy of production. Art appears to be the tool of the intuitive, untamed mind, while writing evidences intellectual precision and authority.
Later in INVADERS PT. 3 I pointed out that if Stan Lee had "abased" the "intuitive" and "untamed" mind of Jack Kirby with his "elevated diction," then it was an abasement to which Kirby also submitted himself, by conferring "elevated diction" upon characters like Orion and Darkseid.
There are, it happens, various correctives to this Marxist overemphasis on hegemonic oppression in the world of literary narrative. One is Philip Wheelwright, who points out that language is not merely one unitary phenomenon, and that it can be productively separated into two broad "complementary uses:"
"...to designate clearly for the sake of efficient and widespread comunication, and to express with humanly significant fullness."-- Wheelwright, THE BURNING FOUNTAIN.
Where Barthes imagines a conflict between denotation and connotation (though he manages to bollix up his concept of denotation). Wheelwright sees the two "strategeies" of language as not only complementary, but necessarily intertwined throughout history. "Steno-language" (the language of plain sense) is, he tells us, the "negative limit" of language in its more expansive form, "expressive" or "poeto-language."
Ernst Cassirer, in books like his MYTHICAL THOUGHT, goes so far as to figure his version of "expressive language" as the means by which early man formulated his first abstract thoughts, in the forms of myth, folklore and religion. Of course, it should be said that even early man surely had his own version of "steno-language," in which one caveperson might tell another, "Go fetch me that rock," or "Watch out for that woolly mammoth." It's a leap of poor logic to imagine that one came before the other, and Cassirer does not, unlike Barthes, make the mistake of asserting one linguistic form's primacy over the other.
Through what remnants we have of early literature we can see the two strategies being carried out, even in the earliest civilizations. Take as example the myth sometimes called "Gilgamesh, Enkidu and the Netherworld." This is a great example of mythic discourse at its most expressive in that, even putting aside specific terms for which we moderns don't know the meanings, the story's logic is entirely governed by such mysterious cosmic presences as Inanna, the huluppu-tree, the Anzu-bird, and of course Gilgamesh and Enkidu themselves. In contrast, although the better-known EPIC OF GILGAMESH is replete with such presences, they have been made somewhat less mysterious in that the epic places greater realistic emphasis on understanding why Gilgamesh takes this or that action. Though the Gilgamesh Epic is certainly not an example of Wheelwright's "steno-language," one may imagine its composer-- almost certainly some anonymous court poet working with raw mythic materials as did the better-known Homer-- using the type of "plain sense" reasoning found in steno-language to figure out, for example,why Gilgamesh might decide to reject Ishtar's offer of love, which would then lead dramatically to the death of Enkidu.
The contrast between these two mythic stories is but one of many I might use to portrary the interweavings of Wheelwright's two linguistic strategies, one which, I must repeat, depends more upon the nature of what is being communicated than on some imagined hegemonic incursion of a "signifier" over a "sign," or a wordy editor over an "intuitive" artist.
With this linguistic schema as a propositional aesthetic foundation, my next essay on this subject should at last address the matter of how the works of Lee and Kirby could indeed have a "true relation to the conditions of their existence," whether that relation is anything a Marxist could relate to or not.
Labels: anthropology, cassirer, karl marx, philip wheelwright, roland barthes
CHALLENGE OF THE SUPER FOURSOMES
Recently I had the chance to read DC's SHOWCASE reprints of the earliest issues of CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN, which includes all of the issues on which Jack Kirby worked. COTU, as the heroic team's name is often abbreviated, is often considered by many Kirby fans to be evidence that Jack Kirby probably brought some work very like the Challengers to Marvel in the early 60s, and that this was eventually altered to become the company's flagship superhero title, 1961's THE FANTASTIC FOUR.
The proposition is certainly a fair one. All artists tend to recycle work that either interests them or their audience (in terms of selling well), so it's logical to assume that one heroic team might beget another.
In addition, for many fans the most salient similarity between the two hero-teams is that they bond after a crash landing. In the origin of the Challengers from 1957's SHOWCASE #6, the four heroes are unrelated adventure-seekers who happen to share a plane on the way to a mutual rendezvous. When all four men survive their plane's crash, they decide that they now live on "borrowed time" and to band together in order to perform feats of derring-do.
As most fans know, this has some resemblance to the origin of the Fantastic Four as told in the premiere issue of their magazine (though details were often changed in later retellings). The most salient difference is that all four of the heroes in FF #1 know one another quite well when they agree to Reed Richards' idea that they should steal the rocket he worked on from the government and use it to fly to the moon. In addition, whereas the crash in SHOWCASE #6 happens by sheer chance, the cause of the FF's rocket-crash stems from a peril that Reed and his allies foresee: a barrier of cosmic radiation on the outskirts of Earth's atmosphere. All four would-be astronauts find themselves transformed into cosmically-powered beings, with the result that, even though one of them has become a rock-skinned monster as a result, all four agree to start using their powers to defend the world from evil.
I can well believe that Jack Kirby might have used COTU as a base idea from which to propose some concept that became the Fantastic Four. Perhaps he did this on his own, perhaps it came together in response to the now-legendary order from Marvel publisher Martin Goodman, in which he allegedly commanded Stan Lee to come up with a book like DC's JUSTICE LEAGUE. Other fans have noted the fact that Marvel had no individual superhero features in 1961, so that at that time a duplication of DC's JUSTICE LEAGUE scheme could not have worked. Logically, an original hero-team along the lines of COTU-- and its two or three DC-imitators, like SEA DEVILS and CAVE CARSON-- probably seemed the ideal solution to the problem.
However, there's one big problem with seeing the FANTASTIC FOUR as entirely the spawn of Kirby's CHALLENGERS work: in terms of mythicity, of symbolic resonance, COTU is like an artist's sketch of a fully formed idea, while even in the early, somewhat crude FANTASTIC FOUR stories, the idea has been developed.
In contrast, even the weakest of the early FANTASTIC FOUR stories show a concern for dramatic storytelling, in which the individual characters have distinct personalities and relationships with one another. Because of such distinctions, the first ten FF stories sustain a mythology of characters, each with his or her archetypal nature: even a pallid villain like the Miracle Man from FF #3 carries some of the resonance of the Faustian deceiver. In contrast, one Kirby robot or alien is pretty much like every other Kirby robot or alien in COTU.
I can't say with certainty that Stan Lee made all the difference. It's certainly possible that Kirby simply had a creative breakthrough with FANTASTIC FOUR like nothing since his 1940s work, and that Stan simply abetted that breakthrough.
But something about that partnership changed the stakes for comic books from then on. I hope in future essays to say something more about it.
Labels: challengers of the unknown, fantastic four, jack kirby, mythicity, stan lee
MYTHIC MONDAY'S MOVING DAY
In JUST THE FIRST MYTHIC MONDAY I announced my "1001 myths" project, which I hoped to do on a weekly basis.
I've decided to cut back from weekly installments to "whenever I feel so moved."
One reason is that in addition to other projects I don't choose to mention here, I'm submitting weekly essays to the SEQUART site, and that cuts into my time for this project. Two essays are online at the time of this posting:
"The Future of a Re-Fusion": this essay endeavors to place the current division between "mainstream" and "artcomics" in historical context.
"The Linking Myth:" this one concerns the dominant meanings of "myth" in contemporary fan-culture and chooses the best meaning as most relevant to the criticism of fiction/literature.
I still like the idea of doing 1001 myth-adventures, of course, but I must admit that if my 26 alphabetically-chosen entries don't convince a given reader of the viability of archetypal criticism, then 975 more won't move said reader any closer to conversion.
Though I'm not precisely wrapping up the project now, a quick look back seems justified. One thing is certain: that I will never again do this in alphabetical arrangement. Some letters, like "S," offer an embarassment of riches ranging from SUPERMAN and THE SPIRIT to STINZ and SIN CITY. Others, like "K" and "V," are pain-in-the-ass letters; letters few people in comics-publishing liked, to judge from the dearth of such books listed in Overstreet.
I specified that I'd try to meliorate an inevitable emphasis on superhero myths by providing at least one "non-superhero" myth for each super-myth. However, if I examine my selections according to how they fall into Northrop Frye's four literary mythoi, there's still a related but not identical emphasis:
ADVENTURE-- ACTION COMICS, DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, ELFQUEST, FANTASTIC FOUR, GREEN LANTERN, INCREDIBLE HULK, KAMANDI, LADY SNOWBLOOD, NEW MUTANTS, PLASTIC MAN, QUESTION, RED SONJA, SPIRIT, VOID INDIGO, WONDER WOMAN, XENOZOIC TALES, ZATANNA
DRAMA-- JAR OF FOOLS
IRONY-- CEREBUS, HEAVY METAL, MAD, YUMMY FUR
COMEDY-- BLONDIE, ONE POUND GOSPEL, TALES FROM THE CRYPT, URUSEI YATSURA
Some judgment calls here: ELFQUEST is a work I'd term an "adventure-drama" in that its dramatic elements are very strong even though I feel that the mythos of adventure dominates, in contrast to, say, a related work of otherworldly fantasy like C.S. Lewis' NARNIA series. Most EC horror stories I would regard as essentially dramatic, so that had I made a different selection, there would be one more entry in the "drama" category. As it happened, I chose "Lower Berth," in which the love story between two corpses is clearly a comic jape, but not one with the ironic tone of Kurtzman's Walt Disney satire from the same general EC milieu.
Will I ever search out more examples of plurisignative comic-book drama to keep JAR OF FOOLS from getting lonely? Will I ever explain my arcane reference to a possible incest-motif in Lee and Ditko's AMAZING SPIDER-MAN?
Once again-- stay following.
Labels: 1001 myths
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WG.9: Working Group on International Cooperation in Nuclear Physics (ICNP)
The working group was formed by resolution of the Cape Town, SA 2005 General Assembly.
The Mandate of the group is:
To provide a description of the landscape of key issues in Nuclear Physics research for the next 10 to 20 years
To produce (maintain) a compendium of facilities existing or under development worldwide
To establish a mapping of these facilities onto the scientific questions identified above
To identify missing components that would have to be developed to provide an optimized, comprehensive network of international facilities
To explore mechanisms and opportunities for enhancing international collaboration in nuclear science
To identify R/D projects that could benefit from international joint effort
To serve as a source of expert advice for governmental or inter- governmental organisations in connection with efforts to coordinate and promote nuclear science at the international level
To serve as a forum for the discussion of future directions of nuclear science in the broadest sense
To document the cross-disciplinary impact of Nuclear Physics and of nuclear facilities and to identify mechanisms for expanding (fostering) cross-disciplinary research.
The Executive of the Working Group consists of a Chairperson and a Secretary. Among its members will be the Chairs of various long range planning committees, i.e., the Chair of the US Nuclear Science Advisory Committee (NSAC) or his/her designate, the Chair of the Nuclear Physics European Collaboration Committee (NuPECC) or his/her designate, the Chair of the Japanese Nuclear Physics Committee, and further representatives of nuclear physics research establishments worldwide. The Chair and Vice-Chair of C12, the IUPAP Commission on Nuclear Physics, will be ex-officio members of the Working Group.
http://www.triumf.info/hosted/iupap/icnp/index.html
Reports to General Assemblies: 2011
Reports to the IUPAP Council and Commission Chairs: 2010
Membership (2012-2014)
Robert E. Tribble (Texas A&M, USA) Chair
Anthony W. Thomas (University of Adelaide, Australia) Past-Chair
Willem T.H. van Oers (TRIUMF/University of Manitoba, Canada) Secretary
Hideto En’yo (Director RIKEN, Japan)
Donald F. Geesaman (ANL, USA) Chair NSAC
C. Konrad Gelbke (Director NSCL, USA)
Dominique Gillemaud-Mueller (Deputy Director IN2P3/CNRS, France)
Alinka Lepine-Szily (Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil) CoChair ALAFNA
Nigel Lockyer (Director TRIUMF, Canada)
Victor A. Matveev (Director JINR-Dubna, Russia)
Dong-Pil Min (Ambassador for Science, Korea)
Hugh Montgomery (Director Jefferson Laboratory, USA)
Berndt Müller (Associate Director BNL, USA)
Guenther Rosner (GSI, Germany) Past-Chair NuPECC
Amit Roy (Director Nuclear Science Center, Delhi, India)
Naohito Saito (Deputy-Director J-PARC, Japan)
Hideyuki Sakai (RIKEN, Japan) Chair IUPAP C12
Susan Seestrom (Associate Director LANL, USA) Past-Chair NSAC
Horst Stoecker (Director GSI, Germany)
Zeblon Vilakazi (Director i’Themba Laboratories, Zuid-Afrika)
Yanlin Ye (Beijing University, China) Chair ANPhA
Wenlong Zhan (Vice-President Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China)
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All Arena News, All The Time
AFL Officially Cease Operations
Commissioner Boe Discusses Latest as Fate Of Arena Football League Remains Uncertain
BREAKING: League announces plan to shut down operations
About Arena Insider
2019 AFL Schedule
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Business Finished; Empire Dispatch Soul in ArenaBowl 32
Boe and Jaws Both Bullish on Arena League’s Future at Presser
Reigning MVP QB Randy Hippeard Signs With Brigade
Baltimore Brigade Editor's Pick Press Release
Mar 21, 2018 Apr 11, 2018
Baltimore Brigade Press Release
The Baltimore Brigade announced today the signing of quarterback Randy Hippeard, the Arena Football League’s 2017 Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year.
“This is a landmark day for the Baltimore Brigade,” Brigade Head Coach Omarr Smith said. “Adding the reigning MVP to our team is an instant upgrade. Randy exhibits great leadership on and off the field and his competitive spirit will be infectious to all of his teammates. We are thrilled to have Randy as the face of the Baltimore Brigade.”
In 2017, Hippeard led the AFL in passing yards (3,506), completions (328), attempts (494), fewest interceptions thrown (8) and ranked second in passing touchdowns (80).
A five-year AFL veteran, Hippeard played three seasons with the Tampa Bay Storm (2013, 2014, 2017) and two seasons with the Orlando Predators (2015, 2016), accumulating 15,185 passing yards and 323 passing touchdowns.
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to play for the Baltimore Brigade and be a part of the Monumental Sports & Entertainment family,” Hippeard said. “I was born and raised just down the road in Alexandria, Virginia, so it means that much more to be able to do it all close to home. I’ve very excited for what we can accomplish.”
“We are fortunate to have a player with Randy’s credentials become part of our team,” Baltimore Brigade Managing Partner Roger Mody said. “He was the AFL’s MVP last year and a proven winner whose leadership will help the Baltimore Brigade compete every night as we bring an exciting team to Charm City.”
Originally from Stafford, Va., Hippeard attended and played at the University of Virginia-Wise from 2005-08 and was named Mid-South Conference Player of the Year as a senior. Before joining the Storm in 2013, Hippeard spent time with the Winterthur Warriors (Switzerland), Columbus Lions (PIFL) and the Knoxville Nighthawks (PIFL).
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Focus & Interests
Blog@Yantrajaal
Bio : Profile
Beautiful and unusual gift from PMI West Bengal
Yesterday, I had the good fortune to have been invited to speak at the PMI Regional conference where instead of the regular, and pointless, bouquet of flowers that is traditionally given to the keynote speaker, I was presented with the following certificate
what this means is that PMI has paid Sankalptaru.org some money to plant 10 trees on my behalf and "my tree" is visible in at the URL indicated by the QRcode.
Thank you PMI for this unusual gift
Posted by Prithwis at 7:10 am 0 comments
DB2 to Lotus : Accessing Mainframe Data from PC in the pre-Windows age
Spark with Python in Jupyter Notebook on Amazon EMR Cluster
In the previous post, we saw how to run a Spark - Python program in a Jupyter Notebook on a standalone EC2 instance on Amazon AWS, but the real interesting part would be to run the same program on genuine Spark Cluster consisting of one master and multiple slave machines.
The process is explained pretty well in Tom Zeng's blog post and we follow the same strategy here.
1. Install AWS Command Line services by following these instructions.
2. Configure the AWS CLI with your AWS credentials using these instructions.
in particular, the following is necessary
$ aws configure
AWS Access Key ID [None]: AKIAIOSFODNN7EXAMPLE
AWS Secret Access Key [None]: wJalrXUtnFEMI/K7MDENG/bPxRfiCYEXAMPLEKEY
Default region name [None]: us-east-1
Default output format [None]: ENTER
you will have to use your own AWS Access Key ID and AWS Secret Access Key of course!
3. Execute the following command :
aws emr create-cluster --release-label emr-5.2.0 \
--name 'Praxis - emr-5.2.0 sparklyr + jupyter cli example' \
--applications Name=Hadoop Name=Spark Name=Tez Name=Ganglia Name=Presto \
--ec2-attributes KeyName=pmapril2017,InstanceProfile=EMR_EC2_DefaultRole \
--service-role EMR_DefaultRole \
--instance-groups \
InstanceGroupType=MASTER,InstanceCount=1,InstanceType=c3.4xlarge \
InstanceGroupType=CORE,InstanceCount=2,InstanceType=c3.4xlarge \
--region us-east-1 \
--log-uri s3://yj01/emr-logs/ \
--bootstrap-actions \
Name='Install Jupyter notebook',Path="s3://aws-bigdata-blog/artifacts/aws-blog-emr-jupyter/install-jupyter-emr5.sh",Args=[--r,--julia,--toree,--torch,--ruby,--ds-packages,--ml-packages,--python-packages,'ggplot nilearn',--port,8880,--password,praxis,--jupyterhub,--jupyterhub-port,8001,--cached-install,--copy-samples]
note the options have been modified a little
a) number of machines is 1+2
b) the S3 bucket used is yj01 in s3://yj01/emr-logs/
c) the password is set as "praxis"
d) the directive to store notebooks on S3 has been removed as this is causing problems. Now the notebooks will be stored in the home directory of the user=hadoop on the master node
this command returns ( or something similar)
"ClusterId": "j-2LW0S8SAX5OC4"
4. Log in to the AWS console and go to the EMR section.
The cluster will show up as starting
and will then move into Bootstrapping mode
and after about 22 minutes will move into Waiting mode. If that happens earlier then there could have been an error in the bootstrap process. Otherwise you will see this
5. Login to Jupyter hub
Note the URL of the Master Public DNS : ec2-54-82-207-124.compute-1.amazonaws.com
and point your browser to : http://ec2-54-82-207-124.compute-1.amazonaws.com:8001
Login with user = hadoop and password = praxis ( supplied in the command) and you will get the familiar Notebook interface
There will be samples directory containing sample programs covering a wide range of technologies and data science applications. Extremely useful to cut-and-paste from!
Create a work directory and upload the Wordcount and the Hobbit.txt file, used in the original Spark+Python blog post
Notice the changes necessary for cluster operations
Cells 1 -3 reflect the fact that we are now using a cluster, not a local machine
Cells 4, 12 show that the program is NOT accessing the local file storage on the Master Node but the HDFS file system on the cluster
To explore the HDFS file system, go back to this screen
and then press "View All" ... Click on the HDFS link and take your browser to
http://ec2-54-82-207-124.compute-1.amazonaws.com:50070
and you can browse to the hadoop user home HDFS directory where the "hobbit.txt" file was stored and where the "hobbit-out" directory has been created by the Spark program. In fact, all HDFS operations can be carried out from the Notebook cells like this
!hdfs dfs -put hobbit.txt /user/hadoop/
!hdfs dfs -get /user/hadoop/hobbit-out/part* .
!hdfs dfs -ls hobbit-out/
!hdfs dfs -rm hobbit-out/*
!hdfs dfs -rmr hobbit-out
!hdfs dfs -rm hobbit.txt
You can also see the various Hadoop resources -- including the two active nodes through this interface
After Jupyterhub is started, the notebooks can be accessed by going directly to port 8880 and using the password=praxis
Finally it is time to
6. Terminate the cluster!
Go to the cluster console, choose the active cluster and press the terminate button. If termination protection is in place, you would need to turn it off.
1. The same task can be done through the EMR console, without having to use the AWS CLI command line because most of the parameters used in this command can be passed through the console GUI. For example, look at this page.
2. Because of the error with the S3 we are storing our programs and data in the master node where it gets deleted when the cluster is terminated. Ideally this should be placed in an s3 bucket using this option --s3fs
3. The default security group created by the create-cluster command does not allow SSH into port 22. However if this is added, then standard SSH commands can be used to access and transfer files into the master
4. Tom Zeng's post says that SSH tunnelling is required. However I did not need to use process nor follow any of the complex FoxyProxy business to access. Not sure why. Simple access to port 8001 and 8880 worked fine -- Mystery?
Posted by Prithwis at 4:01 pm 0 comments
Labels: EC2, EMR, python, spark
Spark with Python in Jupyter Notebook on a single Amazon EC2 instance
In an earlier post I have explained how to run Python+Spark program with Jupyter on local machine and in a subsequent post, I will explain how the same can be done an AWS EMR cluster of multiple machines.
In this post, I explain how this can be done on a single EC2 machine instance running Ubuntu on Amazon AWS.
The strategy described in this blog post is based on strategies described in posts written by Jose Marcial Portilla and Chris Albon. We assume that you have a basic familiarity with AWS services like EC2 machines, S3 data storage and concept of keypairs and an account with Amazon AWS. You may use your Amazon eCommerce account but you may also create one on the AWS login page. This tutorial is based on Ubuntu and assumes that you have a basic familiarity with the SSH command and other general Linux file operation commands.
1. Login to AWS
Go to the AWS console ,login with userID and password, then go to the page with EC2 services. Unless you have used AWS before, you should have 0 Instances, 0 keypairs, 0 security groups.
2. Create (or Launch) an EC2 instance and use default options except for
a. Choose Ubuntu Server 16.04 LTS
b. Instance type t2.small
c. Configure a security group - unless you already have a security group, create a new one. Call it pyspju00. Make sure that it has at least these three rules.
d. Review and Launch the instance. At this point you will be asked to use and existing keypair or create a new one. If you create a new one, then you can will have to download a .pem file into your local machine and use this for all subsequent operations.
Go back to the EC2 instance console and you should see your instance running :
Press the button marked Connect and you will get the instructions on how to connect to the instance using SSH.
3. Connect to your instance
Open a terminal on Ubuntu, move to the directory where the pem file is stored and connect with
ssh -i "xxxxxxx.pem" ubuntu@ec2-54-89-196-90.compute-1.amazonaws.com
you will have a different URL for your instance
From now on you will be issuing commands to the remote EC2 machine
4. Install Python / Anaconda software on remote machine
sudo apt-get install default-jre
wget https://repo.continuum.io/archive/Anaconda3-4.3.1-Linux-x86_64.sh
get the exact URL of the Anaconda download by visiting the download site and copying the download URL
bash Anaconda3-4.3.1-Linux-x86_64.sh
Accept all the default options except on this one, say YES here
Do you wish the installer to prepend the Anaconda3 install location
to PATH in your /home/ubuntu/.bashrc ? [yes|no]
[no] >>> yes
logout of the remote machine and login back again with
5. Install Jupyter Notebook on remote machine
a. Create certificates in directory called certs
mkdir certs
cd certs
sudo openssl req -x509 -nodes -days 365 -newkey rsa:1024 -keyout pmcert.pem -out pmcert.pem
this creates a certificates file pmcert.pem ( not to be confused with the .pem file downloaded on your machine) and stores it on the remote machine
b. Jupyter configuration file
go back to home directory and execute
jupyter notebook --generate-config
now move to the .jupyter directory and edit the config file
vi jupyter_notebook_config.py
if you are not familiar with the editor, either learn how to use it or use anything else that you may be familiar with
notice that everything is commented out and rather than un-commenting specific lines, just add the following lines at the top of the file
#--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
c = get_config()
# Notebook config this is where you saved your pem cert
c.NotebookApp.certfile = u'/home/ubuntu/certs/pmcert.pem'
# Run on all IP addresses of your instance
c.NotebookApp.ip = '*'
# Don't open browser by default
c.NotebookApp.open_browser = False
# Fix port to 8888
c.NotebookApp.port = 8892
c. Start Jupyter without browser and on port 8892
move to new working directory
mkdir myWork
cd myWork
you will get >
Copy/paste this URL into your browser when you connect for the first time, to login with a token:
https://localhost:8892/?token=70b8623ec5ecf7d7d2f8b38b45112a92ec036ad3f5ed8a1d
but instead of going to local host, we will go to the EC2 machine URL in a separate browser window
https://ec2-54-89-196-90.compute-1.amazonaws.com:8892
this will throw errors about security but ignore the same and keep going until you reach this screen
in the password area, enter the value of the token that you have got in the previous step and you will see your familiar notebook screen
6. Installation of Spark
Go back to the home directory and download URL of the latest version of spark from this page.
wget http://d3kbcqa49mib13.cloudfront.net/spark-2.1.0-bin-hadoop2.7.tgz
tar -xvf spark-2.1.0-bin-hadoop2.7.tgz
mv spark-2.1.0-bin-hadoop2.7 spark210
edit the file .profile and add the following lines at the bottom
export SPARK_HOME=/home/ubuntu/spark210
export PATH=$SPARK_HOME/bin:$PATH
export PYTHONPATH=$SPARK_HOME/python/:$PYTHONPATH
export PYTHONPATH=$SPARK_HOME/python/lib/py4j-0.10.4-src.zip:$PYTHONPATH
export SPARK_LOCAL_IP=LOCALHOST
make sure that you have the correct version of py4j-n-nn-n-src by looking into the directory where it is stored
logout from the remote machine and then login back again
7. Running Spark 2.1 with Python
[The following step may not be necessary if your versions of Spark and Python are compatible. Please see the April 13 update on this blog for an explanation of this]
conda create -n py35 python=3.5 anaconda
logout / login (SSH) back
source activate py35
now run pyspark and note that pyspark is working with Python 3.5.2 so we are all set to start Jupyter again
note the new token=12e55cacf8cdcad2f8c77f7959047034b698f4b8f67b679a that you get
The Jupyter Notebook should now be clearly visible again at
Now we upload the notebook containing the WordCount program and the hobbit.txt input file, from the previous blog post.
That we can execute
This completes the exercise, but before you go, do remember to shut down the notebook, logout of the remote machine and most important terminate the instance
8. Terminate the instance
Go to the EC2 Instance console and Terminate the instance. If you do not do this, you will continue to be billed!
Posted by Prithwis at 11:18 am 0 comments
Labels: EC2, python, spark, ubuntu
Raja Shashanka and the Calendar in Bengal
The origin of the Bengali calendar
On Saturday, 15th April 2017 Common Era, Bengalis in India, especially in West Bengal, Assam and Tripura, will celebrate the 1st Baisakh, or “Poila Boisakh”, 1424 Bengal Era (BE) -- the start of the Bengali New Year. Most of us are aware that the globally used Common Era, or Christian Era, starts with the birth of Jesus Christ in 1 CE, but what exactly is commemorated by the start of the Bengal Era? What happened in 1 BE?
There are two points of view.
Raja Shashanka is the first universally accepted ruler of a major part of the land mass that is associated with Bengal -- West Bengal & East Bengal / Bangladesh -- today. His capital was at Gaud (current Murshidabad) and he was a contemporary of Raja Harshavardhana of Kannauj (near Lucknow) in the West and of Raja Bhaskar Varman of Kamarupa (Assam) in the East. These three persons were the three principal rulers of North India. While exact dates are not available, it is strongly believed that Raja Shashanka ruled in Bengal between 590 CE and 625 CE. If we can assume that Raja Shashanka ascended the throne on 594 CE and Bengal celebrates the same as the start of the Bengali Era, then in 2017 CE, the Bengali Era year should be 1 + (2017 - 594) = 1424 BE which is exactly what it is on 2017 “Poila Baisakh”. Hence the Bengal Era begins with the ascendance of Raja Shashanka to the throne of Gauda-Bengal.
Long after Raja Shashanka and the Hindu rulers of Bengal were dead and gone, Bengal came under Islamic rule when Bakhtiar Khilji evicted Lakshman Sen in 1206 CE. Subsequently Bengal became a province under the Mughal (Mongol) empire that followed the Islamic Hijri calendar. But the Hijri calendar was an administrative nightmare in an agricultural economy and Akbar was the first to understand this.
Agricultural revenue is tied to the harvest and it is most easily collected at the end of the harvest season when the farmer has money in his purse. Seasons in turn are tied to the position of the sun as defined by solar months that commence with the entry of the sun into the signs of the zodiac. So there is a one-to-one fixed connection between a solar month, the position of the sun and the seasons. For example, the spring or vernal equinox happens on 21 March of the Gregorian Calendar or on 1st Chaitra of the Saka Calendar, the official Government of India calendar, because both of these are solar calendars.
The Islamic Hijri calendar is based on lunar months where the start of each year varies widely across seasons -- in some years, the year starts in summer, in other years during the monsoon or in winter. So tax collection based on the Islamic year was a nightmare because the tax collector might arrive when the seeds had just been sown and the farmer would not have the money to pay his taxes. This would lead to endless arguments.
Akbar realised that the Hindu calendars, that were based on the solar months, were more useful for tax-collection purposes, because the year started on a fixed seasonal date. So he adopted the solar calendar, according to which the year of his coronation in 1556 CE was 1 + (1556 - 594) = 963 BE according to the Bengali Era. Coincidentally -- and this was a huge coincidence -- 1556 CE was also 963 in the Islamic Calendar. So in order to not lose face by having to replace the unstable Islamic lunar calendar with the stable Hindu solar calendar, he adopted the Bengali solar calendar in 1556 CE, the year of his coronation but instead of defining it as Bengal Era year 1 BE, he declared it Bengal Year 963 BE, so as to maintain the illusion that he was continuing with the Islamic calendar. But going forward, the administrative year was aligned to the traditional Bengali solar year so that seasons will begin on fixed dates.
So, the first, simple, explanation for the Bengali Era is that it starts with the ascendancy of Raja Shashanka to the throne of Gaud in 594 CE with the first year being defined as 1 BE. The alternate explanation is that it starts with the coronation of Akbar in Delhi in 1556 CE but with the first year being numbered 963 BE to maintain an artificial equivalence with 963 Islamic Era year that was prevailing at that time.
Now it is up to the reader to decide whether he or she wants to start Bengali Era with the coronation of Raja Shashanka at Gaud, in 594 CE or Akbar at Delhi in 1556 CE.
Actually Akbar would have got away with this sleight of hand of passing off the Bengali Era as being an extension of the Islamic Era but for the start date. Akbar had his coronation on 14th Feb 1556 CE and if the Bengali Era was based on this event then the first day would have been 14th Feb. But all Bengalis celebrate the new year, 1st Baisakh, currently 14th April, when the Sun enters the constellation of Aries or Mesha. This clearly shows that the Bengali Era is actually rooted in the Hindu tradition of Solar years dating back to Raja Shashanka and antiquity.
But how do we know which point in the sky is the start of Aries? Where does the zodiac start?
The two zodiacs : Tropical and Sidereal
In Bengal, we have 1st Baisakh usually coinciding with 15th April, when the Sun enters the constellation of Mesha (Aries). The Government of India approved Indian National Calendar that is based on the Saka Era defines the start of the year as 21st March which is 1st Chaitra, when the Sun enters the constellation of Meen (Pisces). Now this leads to a strange inconsistency. If the Sun enters Mesha (Aries) on 15 April as per the Bengali calendar, then it must enter Meena (Pisces) on 15/16th March, but as per the Saka calendar, it enters Meena (Pisces) on 21st March. Why this gap?
To explain this anomaly, we need to know that there are TWO zodiacs, the tropical (ayana) zodiac and the sidereal (nirayana) zodiac and the implications of this is explored in the rest of this post. [ Warning : Rest of the post has a little mathematics, that you may like read only if you are not scared about the devil in the detail ]
Consider a spherical coordinate system, that is embedded on the Earth and rotates along with it every day. In this spherical coordinate system, every heavenly body, is defined by three numbers -- the azimuthal angle, that shows the position along the equatorial circle or on a longitude, the declination angle, that shows the position above or below the equatorial plane, and a distance from the centre of the Earth. In our assumption, all heavenly bodies are at the same uniform distance and fixed on “the sphere of heavens” and so the distance from the centre is immaterial. The only real variables are the azimuthal and the declination angles and they specify position of every heavenly body.
There are two classes of heavenly bodies -- the “fixed” stars and the “wanderers” or “planets”. The “fixed” stars do not change their position in our spherical coordinate system, but the “planets”, that also include the Sun, the Moon, move around among the “fixed” stars as their azimuth and declination angles change with the passage of time.
For the purpose of the solar calendar, we will only consider the movement of the Sun as it travels around the Earth. Do note that there is nothing mathematically wrong in considering the Sun to be travelling round the Earth, as frames of reference can be changed without affecting the description of the physical reality. As the Sun moves round the Earth, its azimuth angle, or longitude, changes from 0 through 359 then back to 0 in one year and in the same time its declination angle changes from -23 to +23 as seasons change from winter through spring, summer, autumn and back to winter. The declination being 0 at the two equinoxes, when day and night is of equal length. So the Sun moves in a band around the Earth and this band is divided into twelve sectors of 30 degrees each. Each of these twelve sectors are occupied by, or related to, one of the 12 constellations consisting of the “fixed” stars arranged in certain imaginary patterns -- Aries, Taurus, Gemini and so on.
A circle has neither a beginning nor an end and so while the Sun takes a year to complete this circle, there is no unambiguous way to define where exactly the circle -- and hence, by extension, the year -- starts. However, this starting point can be defined in two ways leading to the existence of two zodiacs - the tropical and the sidereal.
In the tropical zodiac, the point on the circle when the Sun is at the vernal equinox, and its declination is 0, is defined as the starting point of the year and the azimuth angle is defined as 0. This means that the tropical year starts at the vernal equinox and this is traditionally associated with the entry of the Sun into the sign of tropical Aries -- that is Aries as shown in the tropical zodiac.
In the sidereal zodiac, the point on the circle that is diametrically opposite to the “fixed” star Spica -- also known as Chitra in India -- is considered to be the starting point of the year, where the azimuthal angle is defined as 0. This means that the sidereal year starts when the Sun is opposite Spica and this is traditionally associated with the entry of the Sun into the sign of the sidereal Aries -- that is Aries as shown in the sidereal zodiac ( we will refer to this as sidereal Mesha, to avoid confusion with the tropical Aries, even though Aries and Mesha refer to the same physical constellation)
So now we have two circles, or two zodiacs, with two starting points and these two starting points are approximately 23 degrees separated from each other! This gap is known as ayanamsa and it keeps changing, increasing, with each passing year.
Open Link in New Tab to see the full diagram
The sidereal year, the time taken by the Sun to move to start from the “fixed” star Spica and return to it is 365.25636 days or rotations of the Earth. The tropical year, the time taken by the Sun to move from its position in one vernal equinox to its position in the subsequent vernal equinox is 365.242189 days or about 20 mins 24 sec less. The difference is because the axis of the Earth is not invariant and “wobbles” slowly. This means that the tropical year is shorter than the sidereal year by about 20 mins 24 secs
At some point in the past, in 285 AD, the position of the Sun at the vernal equinox was directly opposite the “fixed” star Spica. This means the the entry point of the tropical Aries was coincident on the entry point of the sidereal Mesha. In that year, the tropical and sidereal zodiacs were identical. But since the tropical year was shorter than the sidereal year, the next tropical year started 20 min 24 sec earlier than the next sidereal year. With each passing year, the tropical year commenced and additional 20 min 24 sec earlier until the cumulative gap between the respective starts of the tropical year and the sidereal year stands at almost 24 days in 2017 today.
But since all official solar calendars, including the Gregorian calendar used in the West and the Saka calendar officially used by the Government of India, are tied to the tropical calendar, the vernal equinox is fixed compulsorily on 21st March / 1st (tropical) Chaitra, when the Sun enter the tropical Aries. But the Bengali calendar, that starts on 1st (sidereal) Baisakh, when the Sun enters the sidereal Mesha begins on 15th April of the Gregorian calendar or 24 days later. The existence of two zodiacs, the tropical and the sidereal is the reason for the gap of 5 days that was the starting point for this discussion.
In 285 AD, when the tropical and sidereal zodiacs were coincident, the vernal equinox, the entry of Sun into tropical Aries and its entry into sidereal Mesha -- all three events -- would all have happened on 21st March which would also have coincided with 1st (sidereal) Baisakh.
If we keep the date of the vernal equinox compulsorily fixed at 21st March, then with the passage of time, the start of the sidereal year will occur at a later date every year. Conversely, if the start of the sidereal year is considered to be fixed by the arrival of the Sun opposite Spica, and its entry into sidereal Mesha, then the vernal equinox will be 20 mins 24 secs “earlier” each year, when the Sun has not yet reached sidereal Mesha, but is still in sidereal Meena. From this sidereal perspective, the vernal equinox that signals the start of the tropical year with the entry of the Sun into tropical Aries, has now pushed “back” from sidereal Mesha and into sidereal Meena ( or Pisces). Hence, as per western astrological practices, this is the Age of Pisces and after some more time we will move even further backward into the Age of Aquarius.
In Hindu astrology, the analysis of the horoscope is based on the positions of the planets in the sidereal zodiac. However all astronomical calculations that are used to generate the ephemeris, the azimuthal or longitudinal positions of planets, are based on the tropical zodiac. Since the sidereal zodiac is about 23 degrees ahead of the tropical zodiac at the moment, all planetary longitudes need to be reduced by this amount -- known as the Ayanamsa amount -- before being shown on the horoscope. Western astrologers on the other hand work with the tropical and do not need this correction.
Finally, the identification of 285 AD as the year when the vernal equinox coincided with Spica and the tropical and sidereal zodiacs were identical has been challenged. While this date and the ayanamsa of 23 degrees has been defined by N C Lahiri, other astrologers claim that according to Surya Siddhanta,, the definitive classical text on astronomy, the year of coincidence should be 499 AD and the ayanamsa should be reduced accordingly. This is a big debate with no clear resolution in sight.
Appendix : Makar Sankranti
Happy Makar Sankranti - Today is 15th Jan 2019 and 30th Pous, 1425 in the Bengali Calendar. It is the last day of the Pous month and in the evening the Sun will enter sidereal Makar rashi (Capricorn). Sankranti is the last day of the month and so we celebrate Makar Sankranti in Bengal today. Many other Indic communities all over India who live by the Sanatana Dharma will also celebrate Pongal, Bihu and Lohri.
In the tropical year, the seasons are tied to the equinoxes and solstices, as determined by the declination of the Sun over the horizon. In the sidereal year, the months are determined by the azimuthal movement of the Sun into the constellations of the Zodiac. All our normal calendars, Gregorian or Hindu, are based on the tropical year. The tropical and sidereal system were in coincidence in 285AD but have been diverging ever since because the tropical year is shorter than the sidereal year by about 20 mins. Hence the start of the Bengali sidereal year ( and other Hindu calendars) that is defined by the movement of Sun into sidereal Mesha rashi (Aries) has moved from the Spring Equinox (March 21) to Poila Baisakh or 1st Boisakh on 15 April. A gap of about 21 days.
But just as the start of the calendar has moved by 21 days from the Spring Equinox to the actual movement of Sun into Mesha rashi (Aries), so is the case of Makar Sankranti. It has moved by the same 21 days from the Winter Solstice ( December 21) to its present date 15 Jan, when the Sun moves in sideral Makar rashi. So if you were to go back to 285AD when our Hindu calendars were created by astronomers like Aryabhatta, the Makar Sankranti (sidereal year) would coincide with the Winter Solstice. (tropical year)
Hence Makar Sankranti is actually a celebration of the Winter Solstice when the days start becoming longer again. It is of course tied to the harvest as well.
The Entangled Future of Man & Machine
First we had computers, then we had the world wide web and now we are talking about IOT, the Internet of Things. Computers are now pervasive and have occupied every nook and corner of life. Artificial intelligence seems to be growing bigger, faster and smarter everyday. Science fiction writers have often spoken of machines taking over the world but is that pure fantasy or is it a matter of time before this fiction becomes synonymous with fact? In this article, we will explore the genesis of artificial intelligence, examine how fast these are mutating and morphing into more advanced levels and finally speculate on what this means in terms of employment and other key indices of human society. But first, let us see ..
How machines learn
When I was a member of the faculty at IIT Kharagpur, one of my senior colleagues had told me that we should not to teach students but instead, help them learn. Can this idea to extended to machines?
Any spreadsheet user would know how to have a computer add two numbers. Why just add? You could do many other tasks like finding percentage or net present value as well. Obviously someone has written a computer program that does all this! Those who know computer programming would also know that writing the code to add two numbers is quite easy. Depending on the level at which you would like to describe the process, the program can be written in a high level language like Python or Java, with just one line of code. But if one uses a low level language like Assembler or binary code then he will need a large number of rather arcane instructions written as a series of 1s and 0s [http://bit.ly/add2numbers]. Irrespective of the programming language used, a program that performs any task on a computer, from adding numbers to showing a YouTube movie, is a series of explicit instructions given by a human programmer. Irrespective of the complexity of the task, it is always a human who teaches a computer how to perform it. This is one of the fundamental tenets of computer programming … or was, until the emergence of machine learning. Instead of teaching a computer, can we make it learn on its own?
There are many facts that a child is taught in school -- like how to add two numbers or when Raja Harshvardhan ruled in Kannauj. But there is much more that he learns on his own -- like recognising his mother or realising that toffees are good to eat but stones are not. How people learn, for example, to recognise a friend in crowd or choose the best move in a game of chess, is something that has baffled computer scientists for a long time. That is why even though we have had computer programs doing incredibly difficult things -- like landing a spacecraft on Mars -- they have had immense difficulty in performing apparently simple tasks like crossing a busy city road. This has now triggered a new line of thought that, instead of teaching computers how to perform, we need to equip computers with the ability to learn how to perform!
While a lot of human learning involves memorising facts, the really complex or intelligent skills that people acquire are based on a series of trials and errors that they make as soon as they become aware of their environment. Whether babies or laboratory rats, intelligence is acquired by performing a task and determining whether the outcome was good or bad -- was there a reward or a punishment?. This conscious feedback loop spread over days or even years gives man the ability to do intelligent tasks like recognising a friend in a crowd even if he has grown a beard or lost his hair. After despairing for years about what kind of instructions that must be given to a computer to do similar tasks, scientists have looked into the human brain -- the biological marvel that sits inside the cranium -- for ideas and have finally hit upon a way to address these challenges.
The animal brain is an electrochemical device that consists of, literally, trillions of cells called neurons that can sense, generate and transmit electrical signals. Each neuron can be visualised as a little blob with a number of wires sticking out of it. Most of these wires, called dendrites, can sense an electrical symbol, while one, called the axon, can generate an electrical signal depending on the signals that it has received on its dendrites. The signal generated on the axon of one neuron feeds into the dendrites of other neighbouring or distant neurons, creating a complex electrical circuit that is constantly sending electrical charges rushing around the brain. Neurologists have a rough idea of what kind of electrical activity is associated with the corresponding human behaviour and it is believed that memory is a created or defined by the way these trillions of neurons are connected to and influence each other.
Computer scientists have merged these two mechanisms -- the reward-and-punishment mechanism from behavioural science and the input-output electrical mechanism from neurology -- to create a software program that mimics the behaviour of biological neurons. Such a software program is called an artificial neural network (ANN), and is the basis for almost all intelligent software including AlphaGo -- that can beat humans in board games, Watson -- that can diagnose clinical diseases, or the Google Self Driving car -- that has travelled thousands of miles with an accident rate that is far less than that of humans.
While we already know that a computer can be taught to add two numbers, let us now see how it can taught to learn to add on its own! To build a general purpose ANN one starts by simulating nodes, or artificial neurons, each with its own set of inputs and an output. Each input is associated with a parameter, or number, called weight and each output depends on the inputs and another parameter called bias. Output from each node is sent to other nodes to mimic electrical signals on the biological neural network. The number of nodes along with the numerical values of the respective parameters define the ANN. When the ANN receives an input it generates an output that depends on the specific values of weight and bias parameters. If the values are chosen at random, the output is wrong but with the right values, the network will generate the correct answer. Learning consists in determining the right values. The beauty of this approach is that almost all problems can be addressed with this structure -- only the number of nodes, weights and biases need to change.
To teach a computer to learn how to add we provide it with training data, consisting of thousands of addition problems along with their correct answer! Initially, the ANN has random values of parameters and as it checks with the given correct answer and determines the error, it keeps changing the parameter values until, after thousands of attempts, the error becomes very small. Thus the machine discovers, or arrives at, the correct parameter and can be said to have learnt addition. Now it can solve new addition problems correctly even though no human programmer gave it explicit instructions to add or even the right parameter values. The programmer’s skill lies in specifying how the parameters should be changed so that the error is minimised with the least number of trials. What is amazing is that a similar way of changing parameters can help the machine solve many other very different problems.
This is meta learning. The machine has learnt to learn and can now address many other hard problems like handwriting recognition, face recognition, detecting criminal behaviour like financial fraud and computer hacking, playing chess and other board games, medical diagnosis, weather forecasting, road navigation and even reading human thoughts! In all such cases, the program has to cycle through thousands of pre-solved problems until it discovers the values of the parameter that makes it generate correct answers. Sometimes this training process is evident -- as when you give it a large number of problems and their correct answers -- but sometimes the training is implicit.
When you “tag” a picture of your friend in Facebook, you are inadvertently giving Facebook a correct answer to a face recognition problem that helps train its software. Similarly, when you click on link in Google search, you identifying the most relevant answer and so Google is learning about your personal preferences so as to answer your next query better! In general, any action that you take on Facebook, a like, an emoticon, a phrase that you type as a post or a comment, is being used by the ANN to learn more about you so that it can predict your next behaviour -- which could be anything from accepting friend requests to clicking on ads!
Computers have been used for a long time to perform mathematical, process automation and other well structured tasks. But despite great increases in the speed and memory, tasks that are ambiguous or unstructured were never addressed adequately. Many people claimed that intelligence -- something evident in children or even animals -- is something that mere machines can never acquire. ANNs, that can learn, can be trained, has now helped us solve unstructured problems that were once considered intractable.
But unlike humans, machines can learn very fast -- working out 100,000 addition problems is almost impossible for a man but is trivial for a machine. So is the case with reading through all the articles in Wikipedia. If learning is the key to intelligence, as is commonly understood here, and if machines can learn much faster than humans, then does it mean that machines will become more intelligent than humans?
Tipping into the Singularity
In his 2000 bestseller, Malcolm Gladwell, defined the Tipping Point, as "the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point”, at which a small change, a sudden trigger, can suddenly usher in a huge change in the larger society. The phrase tipping point originates in the study of epidemics, and refers to the moment when a virus reaches a certain critical mass and then suddenly begins to spread at an accelerated rate. While Gladwell restricts himself to the analysis of social trends like crime and fashion, Ray Kurzweil, in a series of books on the technological singularity, predicts that human society as a whole is just about ready to transform itself in a way that is perhaps inconceivable today.
The trigger in this case is artificial intelligence or its alter ego, machine learning. The hypothesis is that society will pass through this technical singularity when non-biological intelligence transcends biological intelligence and changes the way not just how we live and locomote, but the way we think and what we believe. But is this hypothesis sustainable? Or is this another big hype -- that has been with us since the dawn of the science fiction era?
Ten years ago, Deep Blue, IBM’s chess playing computer had created history by beating the world champion, Gary Kasparov in 1996. Last year, AlphaGo, a computer based on an artificial neural network (ANN) , built by DeepMind, a Google company, that had “learnt” to play GO a game that is considered to be far more difficult for computers, had beaten Lee Sedol, one of the highest ranked professional players in the world. In the first week of January 2017, AlphaGo, playing anonymously under the handle of “Master” ran through China’s online GO playing websites and beat almost every top ranked player with contemptuous ease. Playing with inhuman speed, it eventually ended its unbroken 60-0 winning streak by beating Ke Jei, the reigning world champion. More than the defeat itself, its style, the strategies that it evolved on its own, are so different from that used by humans that the world champions were awestruck. After losing to Master, Ke, the current world champion admitted on social media : “After humanity spent thousands of years improving our tactics, computers tell us that humans are completely wrong, (and) I would go as far as to say that not a single human has touched the edge of truth of Go.” Playing in a manner completely different from humans, it bewildered opponents with apparently foolish moves that placed pieces at outrageously unconventional positions so that one player, Gu Li noted that “I can’t help ask, one day many years later, when you find your previous awareness, cognition and choices were all wrong, will you keep going along the wrong path or reject yourself.”
The key elements of the computer program were not written by humans but were discovered by the program itself as it learnt to play Go by observing millions online games, as explained earlier.
Very similar is the case of Interlingua, a new language that has evolved, or emerged out of Google’s automatic language translation software. After being trained to translate say, French to English and then English to Hindi, the software has learned how to translate from French to Hindi even though it was never “trained” to do so. This new language, or new way to represent ideas, has emerged not from the mind of programmers but from the neural network architecture that drives the software. This is an emergent phenomenon, similar to the appearance of language in a primordial human society.
Since its uncertain beginning in the 1960’s artificial intelligence technology took nearly 40 years to reach the level of maturity to beat a human chess champion, but the next big leap, when it learnt to play Go took only 10 years. This is the law of accelerating returns -- where key jumps in human or biological ability happen at increasingly shorter intervals, or where the gap between between innovations shorten exponentially as shown by Ray Kurzweil :
[ Graph #1 source Wikimedia Commons Ray Kurzweil]
This graph shows the time gap between key events in the history of human social evolution plotted against the time frame of history and it shows a nice linear slope because this is log-log graph where we have taken the logarithm of the X and Y values in the plot. Similar graphs drawn with key events identified by others show a very similar downward trend. [ for example this ]
However, if we convert the historical time frame to a linear scale, then drop in the time between two successive key events is clearly precipitous and this is what leads us to the concept of technological singularity.
Those who are familiar with Moore’s Law would know that the density of transistors on computer chips has been doubling every two years -- with a corresponding fall in prices and increase in computation power. This exponential pace of technology has been the driver behind the inexorable and astonishing growth of computers. While Moore’s law operates on computer chips and has been valid for the past 50 years, these charts show that human innovation has been accelerating exponentially across an even bigger time scale. Each human invention, like the ability to walk upright, usage of tools, language, agriculture, writing, printing, industrial machinery, electricity, computers, internet -- have actually reduced the time necessary to reach the next key invention. For example, years of calculations done by Kepler to track the movements of planets can now be done by school student on his desktop and with Google search, it is far easier, for someone to tap into the knowledge of others and create a new piece of technology than what it would have taken 100 years ago.
In another view of this same chart, we should see an exponential -- almost magical -- growth in the human ability to address problems that were thought impossible. After millions of years of being bound to the ground, man learnt to fly and then in 60 years he was on the moon and is today planning to go to Mars. So is the case with industrial machinery, telecommunications, healthcare and a host of allied fields. We are at, or very close to, an inflexion point -- a tipping point -- that will put us on a trajectory that leads to what seem to be a world of magic that may include immortality, omniscience or anything that does not violate the fundamental laws of physics!
A key characteristic of the tipping point would be the blurring of the borders between the biological and the non-biological world. Just as the industrial revolution merged the ability of man and machinery to create the superhuman capability to manage enormous quantities of materials and energy with, for example, cranes, excavators, rocket engines -- so does the digital revolution merge the ability of humans and computers to create a similar superhuman capability that manages equally enormous quantities of information. Continuing with this analogy we see that just as industrial machines today are far more muscular than humans in their ability to lift loads or travel faster and farther, so would the next generation of intelligent machines, powered by artificial super intelligence, would far outstrip the mental ability of humans -- as demonstrated by AlphaGo.
This then is the singularity, that point in time in human history that human society will soon pass through, after which the intelligence of machines will surpass that of humans. This superior intelligence, coupled with the ability to handle gigantic quantities of information at superhuman speed will lead to a cascading impact on the emergence of new ideas that “will abruptly trigger runaway technological growth, resulting in unfathomable changes to human civilization.”
This explosion of intelligence, this chain reaction where each level of intelligence gives rise to an even higher level of intelligence, exhibited either by machines or in a hybrid cyborg of man and machine, at faster and faster speeds or at shorter and shorter intervals was first postulated by John Von Neumann, a pioneer of, among things, the digital computer. Von Neumann had coined the term singularity but never lived to see technology reach anywhere near the level that matched his postulates. Subsequently, IJ Good, Vernor Vinge and eventually Ray Kurzweil have elaborated the concept. However equally well known people like Paul Allen, who co-founded Microsoft and Gordon Moore, whose Moore’s Law is a classic example of this exponential progress, have raised doubts about the plausibility of this concept. But with the rapid growth of artificial intelligence as evident in the spectacular success of AlphaGo, it seems that the singularity is indeed near and despite a wide range of predicted dates, the median value of its estimated arrival is the year 2040.
Once we pass through the singularity, how will the world look after 2040? Would this non-biological intelligence help create new, biological, non-biological or hybrid “life-forms”? Would these life-forms spread out across the solar system and the galaxy? But before we look at such big question, let us explore something that is of immediate concern -- the job market.
The Future of Employment
When computers were first introduced in India, there was a lot of concern that this would lead to widespread unemployment. In West Bengal, and elsewhere, Communist labour “leaders” led huge agitations against this new technology with the slogan : automation must be stopped with rivers of blood, and employees of banks and commercial establishments went on strikes to prevent the installation of computers. But in reality the introduction of computers did not lead to any major disaster. The number of jobs lost to computers and automation was more than offset by the number of new jobs created not only in the IT industry, but also in many new age businesses that were based on computer technology. The number of people needed to use computers or write programs for computers was more than the number of people who became redundant. So while certain individuals were retired or laid off, the overall number of people who were gainfully employed increased and the economy responded with buoyant optimism.
That was then, what will it be now? Will the new technology based on powerful instances of artificial intelligence create more jobs than it destroys? Can our earlier experience with an earlier generation of technology be extrapolated in time, through the technological singularity where machines become more intelligent than men? Unfortunately, the answer to both questions seems to be “No”.
While robots are not yet in widespread use in India, we can look at what is happening in other countries that are ahead of us in this path. Between 2000 and 2010, 5.6 million jobs were lost in the US and Canada. Of this only 15% were lost to overseas competitors -- mainly China, while the other 85% were due to, what is euphemistically referred to as, “productivity growth”. This means that humans were replaced by machines or robots. However this decline in employment did not result in lower production. On the contrary, in the last 20 years, the value added by US factories has, after adjusting for inflation, grown by nearly 40% to reach a record US$ 2.4 trillion. On the street, McDonalds’ introduction of self-service kiosks in response to popular pressure for $15/hour wage is a vivid example.This is job-less growth, where the economy expands but without a corresponding increase in employment and is perhaps one reason why lots of middle-class Americans who have been rendered unemployed and unemployable in the rust belt states have aggressively turned against the establishment and voted for Donald Trump.
Many Trump supporters believe that foreign countries are stealing their jobs but the situation is not greatly different there either. The BBC has reported that Foxconn, the Chinese company that manufactures products on contract from Apple and Samsung, has recently replaced 60,000 workers with robots and many other companies in the Kunshan region, where Foxconn factories are located, are likely to follow suit. Since 2013, companies in China have purchased more industrial robots than in any other country, as thousands of companies are turning to automation in a robot-driven automation drive that has been backed by the Chinese government in a desperate bid to remain competitive in manufacturing. Can the “Make-in-India” movement avoid this? Unlikely, because no army can stop an idea whose time has come!
The services industry, that is of more immediate concern to India is no better off. Thanks to better voice and natural language recognition techniques, call center operators -- the backbone of India’s BPO / ITES success story -- can be replaced by artificial intelligence driven bots that can do a far better job in patiently listening to customer problems and offering solutions. In fact, a whole range of service jobs are now at risk and these include but are not limited to cooks and chefs, medical doctors, surgeons, pharmacists and pathology laboratory staff, security guards, retail salespersons, receptionists, bar-tenders, farmers, truck, bus and taxi drivers and even those who perform unstructured tasks like journalists, accountants and insurance claims adjusters. This may sound too futuristic and science-fictionesque but as we have seen earlier, the fierce of acceleration of change makes it impossible to wish away these dire, Cassandra-like predictions on the future of employment. Amazon Go, a new kind of store that has no human employees is an example of what a typical retail store could be like in the future. It’s Just-Walk-Out technology, allows a customer to walk in, pick up products from the shelves, look at it, return it if necessary, then simply walk out without any formal check out procedure and yet be billed for it automatically on his credit card. This is not magic, this is not the future. This is here and now. Such a store is actually operating in Seattle on a trial basis for Amazon employees and it is simply a matter of time before it becomes a mainstream technology, just like Google’s technology for driverless cars is proliferating across the US and Europe and is about to be tested even by Tata Elxsi in Bengaluru.
When bank workers were replaced by banking software there was a big need for computer programmers to build and maintain banking software. When retail stores were replaced by e-commerce sites they needed people to build and maintain e-commerce software and also an army of delivery boys to cater to an expanding clientele in the previously unreachable mofussil areas. But when jobs are lost to robots and artificial intelligence systems, the number of jobs created is only a fraction of those lost. Unlike computer software, industrial robots are not built by humans but by other robots that are designed and programmed by a couple of very smart humans. So a large number of low end jobs are replaced by a few, high end, specialist jobs. This makes eminent economic sense for both the users and manufacturers of robots but leaves the newly unemployed worker distressed and angry.
While robots can always build robots, it was thought that at least the programming of such automated systems would be done by a few highly skilled humans -- but even such relief may be short lived. In January 2017, the MIT Technology Review has reported that Google is building systems that not only demonstrate AI in, say driving cars, but -- like a snake, recursively, swallowing its tail -- actually builds the the next-generation systems that demonstrate more AI. This is the eureka moment, comparable to the event of the DNA molecule being able to replicate itself and thus define the emergence of physical life. As AI systems build more advanced AI systems, they can take on a life, a non-biological life, of their own. So the need for human beings becomes even more insignificant and inconsequential in the economic systems of tomorrow’s world.
But then what do we do with humans who are no more necessary for the economy to generate goods and services? for whom would the “economy” generate goods and services? and who will pay for these goods and services? These are difficult questions that will crop up as humanity moves into an uncharted territory of the post-singularity era. An obvious way to contain the rising tide of resentment against unemployment would be to have strong social security systems like Uniform Basic Income (UBI) or even NREGA that will push money into people’s pockets without them having to do any work -- because there really is no useful work left that they could do.
Does this mean that people will simply stay at home and play cards? Or will they get drunk and create mischief? An idle mind could be the devil’s workshop. What kind of sociological and psychological problems will this lead us towards? Once again we have questions but hardly have any definitive answers. In the utopian scenario, we envisage that man will increasingly be involved in cerebral, cultural and entertainment activities -- art, music, literature, physical sports, cinema, virtual and augmented reality games, sex -- while machines, robots and AI systems will do the “dirty” job of keeping the economy running so that it generates a distributable surplus. The other, dystopian scenario would be a descent into anarchy as the gap between the unemployable poor and the talented rich becomes bigger and more bitter. We are looking at gated communities, or huge walled towns, well endowed with sustainable sources of food and energy, managed efficiently with high technology and defended with highly effective robotic systems against an angry, anarchic and violent outer world ruled by rogues and brigands.
These two extremes that we can atavistically think of are reminiscent of the middle ages -- the first, benevolent scenario resembles a society of serfs and noblemen while the second, malevolent scenario reminds us of medieval cities being islands of civilisation and governance in an otherwise anarchic and lawless countryside. But perhaps with the emergence and eventual predominance of artificial intelligence and non-biological “life” forms, our existing models of social behaviour will cease to be reliable predictors of hybrid, human-machine civilisation that we cannot envisage at the moment but are about to bequeath to ourselves anyway.
The accelerating pace of technology cries “Havok” and has let slip the dogs of rapid and irreversible change. The genie is out of the bottle and new “life” forms, with a different type of intelligence, is about to be released first into the economy, then into society and finally into the planet as a whole. Would this wipe out humans? Or would man evolve and adapt itself to co-exist with this new “species”? Would he retain his position as the master at the top of the global ecosystem? Or would this position be taken over by a machine or a hybrid cyborg that combines the best -- or worst -- of both man and machines? The answer lies in the womb of futurity.
This article originally appeared in Swarajya, the magazine that reads India right
Labels: machine learning, robots, swarajya
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The Podcast of Oa: A Green Lantern Podcast
The official podcast of The Blog of Oa, a Green Lantern fan website. The show will cover news and reviews of Green Lantern as the characters appear in all forms of media. The show's website is www.blogofoa.com
Episode 122 - Rebel Run
Co-hosts Myron Rumsey and Phil Bova are back to talk about more Green Lantern comics in the Podcast of Oa Episode 122. The pair talk about the latest issues of the Green Lantern comics, first with Aaron Gillespie's debut in Green Lanterns #48 and then with the latest chapter in Robert Venditti's "Darkstars Rising" arc in Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #46. There's also some listener feedback and Phil and Myron talk about a new show segment that will debut in their next episode.
The Podcast of Oa is the official podcast of The Blog of Oa and a proud member of the Comics Podcast Network. Share your comments and questions by calling the show’s voicemail line at 406-PODOFOA (406-763-6362) while Skype users can leave a voicemail on the show's account, blogofoa. Send your emails to mrumsey@blogofoa.com. You can also find the Blog and Podcast of Oa on Facebook and Google+.
The Podcast of Oa is sponsored by Heroes Your Mom Threw Out Comic Shop. Green Lantern and other related characters are the copyrighted property of DC Comics Inc. and are used without permission. The Blog of Oa and The Podcast of Oa are fan productions and do not claim any ownership over the Green Lantern or any other copyrighted properties.
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00:03:28 News and notes
00:18:48 Green Lanterns #48
00:27:45 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #46 00:41:59 Listener Feedback
00:49:05 Closing
Direct download: Episode_122_-_Rebel_Run.mp3
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Tue, 5 June 2018
Episode 121 - There's a New Kid in Town
The Podcast of Oa enters a new era as co-host Myron Rumsey is joined by his new co-host, Phil Bova. Phil introduces himself before the duo dive into Green Lantern news, including Myron's encounter with a DC pro who confirmed that Grant Morrison is writing a new Green Lantern series for DC Comics. The two talk about the interesting discovery in Doomsday Clock #5 and the ramifications it could have for the Green Lantern universe.
Phil and Myron dive into the "Ghosts of the Past" arc, writer Tim Seeley's swan song on the Green Lanterns title. The two also discuss their contrasting opinions to the Green Lanterns Annual and then ask listeners for their ideas about new segments on the show.
Show Links: Blog of Oa YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/Blogofoa) The Podcast of Oa Soundcloud Page (https://soundcloud.com/podcastofoa) The Podcast of Oa on Google Play Music (https://goo.gl/KAfEBA) The Podcast of Oa on Tunein (http://tunein.com/radio/The-Podcast-of-Oa-p881651/) The Podcast of Oa on Iheartradio (http://www.iheart.com/show/263-The-Podcast-of-Oa-A-Green/) The Podcast of Oa on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/0H0zOqRShuSujQmRjtG7aM)
00:14:01 Green Lanterns #44-47
00:24:40 Green Lanterns Annual #1
00:34:52 New segment ideas
Direct download: Episode_121_-_Theres_a_New_Kid_in_Town.mp3
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| August 18, 2012, 11:19 pm
Broncos’ David Bruton proving his worth on special teams
By Lindsay Jones
SPORTS AUTHORITY FIELD AT MILE HIGH — In three years in the NFL, David Bruton has never gotten a hand on a punt.
Saturday night in the Broncos’ preseason game against Seattle, the Broncos’ special teams ace nearly blocked two. He also had two tackles on special teams, including a solo open-field stop after the Broncos’ first punt.
“It definitely adds to momentum and to my resume. I’m trying to show that I’m valuable to the Broncos,” Bruton said.
Categories: Game Days, Special Teams
Seattle Seahawks pound Broncos run defense in Denver
By Jeff Legwold
The Broncos can put run defense on their things-to-do list this week, at least that’s how coach John Fox saw it.
“I thought we were a little shoddy,” Fox said. “We came in the game a little light on defense as well and that kind of showed as the game progressed, but I think it’s fairly evident we have a lot of work to do in that area.”
In a 30-10 win over the Broncos in Sports Authority Field at Mile High, the Seahawks rushed for 228 yards on 44 defense-bruising carries. It is an alarming number for the Broncos, whose defensive depth was tested after an injury-filled week.
Andre Caldwell says ribs aren’t broken
SPORTS AUTHORITY FIELD AT MILE HIGH — It was a scary moment for Broncos wide receiver Andre Caldwell when he went down after taking a hard shot to the midsection from a Seattle defender.
Caldwell ripped his helmet off as he writhed around in pain in the grass before he walked gingerly off the field with the help of Broncos trainers.
Caldwell was still moving slowly in the locker room post-game, but said X-Rays showed no broken ribs.
The Broncos need Caldwell to stay healthy. Though he worked primarily with the second-team offense Saturday night, Caldwell was the team’s first kickoff returner, and broke for a 34-yard return in the first half.
Categories: Game Days, Injuries, Wide Receiver
Four more Broncos injured against Seahawks
The Broncos’ depth at linebacker may be a concern in the coming weeks with Mike Mohamed and Nate Irving having been two of the four players who left Saturday night’s preseason game against the Seahawks.
Mohamed suffered a hamstring injury while Irving has injured ribs. The Broncos came into the game a little light at linebacker with Danny Trevathan (ankle) and Keith Brooking (hamstring) held out of the game.
Linebacker D.J. Williams also did not play. He was in uniform, but didn’t have shoulder pads or a helmet. He has had limited work in camp and played in either of the Broncos two preseason games because he faces a six-game suspension to open the regular season for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
Wide receiver Andre Caldwell (ribs) and cornerback Joshua Moore (hamstring) also left Saturday’s game and will be evaluated more Sunday.
Categories: Injuries
Terrell “Charlie Brown” Owens for Seahawks vs. Broncos
The Broncos’ No. 2 defense was lucky on its first play. Seattle QB Matt Flynn threw a perfect 46-yard post pass on the first play against the Denver D’s No. 2 defense — and former star receiver Terrell Owens flat dropped it.
On the plus side for T.O., he showed he still has what it takes to badly beat second-year cornerback Chris Harris. But he didn’t so much drop the pass as Owens let the pass fall between his hands.
Comments Off on Terrell “Charlie Brown” Owens for Seahawks vs. Broncos
Here’s how the Broncos fared with their 5 goals vs. Seattle
How the Broncos fared on five goals suggested by NFL reporter Mike Klis in their preseason game vs. the Seattle Seahawks…
1. Peyton Manning-led touchdown
Check. Manning and RB Willis McGahee led an 11-play, 80-yard, no-huddle drive at end of first quarter. Manning was 4-of-4 for 48 yards on drive. McGahee rushed three times for 27 yards, then three more times for the final 3 yards.
2. Figure out how to replace Chris Kuper
Grade Peyton Manning’s second preseason performance for Broncos
[media-credit name=”Jack Dempsey, The Associated Press” align=”alignright” width=”270″] [/media-credit]
Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning shakes hands with Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
Peyton Manning’s home preseason debut is done.
Here are the down and dirty numbers: 16-of-23, 177 yards, two interceptions, zero touchdowns. He was not sacked. He had at least two passes dropped, including a sure touchdown by tight end Jacob Tamme in the end zone.
Here’s what I liked:
** The two-minute drill until the drive stalled following that (questionable) personal foul on center JD Walton. Manning masterfully worked the clock and completed passes to Demaryius Thomas, Lance Ball, Eric Decker and Brandon Stokley to move into the red zone.
** Balance on the touchdown drive: 7 runs and 4 passes (all complete) on the starters’ lone touchdown drive.
** Manning got his jersey dirty and he survived. He was tackled just after throwing a pass away late in the second quarter. He popped right up and completed a pass to Stokley on the next play.
Here’s what I didn’t like:
Categories: Game Days
Top NFL jersey sales — Broncos’ Peyton Manning vs. Jets’ Tim Tebow
[media-credit name=”Jack Dempsey, The Associated Press” align=”alignnone” width=”495″] [/media-credit]
Peyton Manning.
Peyton Manning’s No. 18 Broncos jersey has been the top seller among NFL players since the day he signed with the team. In the latest update released by NFLShop.com., 49ers middle linebacker Patrick Willis is the top seller among defensive players and the Giants’ Victor Cruz is the top-selling receiver.
Can somebody explain why Seattle’s Marshawn Lynch has the top-selling jersey among running backs? Arian Foster, Maurice Jones-Drew and Adrian Peterson didn’t even crack the top 25.
Von Miller did but barely. The Broncos linebacker slipped from No. 22 as of June 30 to No. 25 through July 31.
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John Fox and staff expected to coach in Pro Bowl
John Fox, Pro Bowl
Broncos coach John Fox. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)
As if losing to the Indianapolis Colts wasn’t bad enough. Now for the second time in three years, John Fox and his Broncos coaching staff are expected to coach a team in the Pro Bowl that will be held Jan. 25 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
The league still has to formally extend the invitation, but Fox and his staff are expected to receive the honor because the Broncos, as a No. 2 seed, were the highest-seed to lose in the second-round of the AFC playoffs.
Fox and his coaches might as well coach in the Pro Bowl — the Broncos had a league-most 9 players named to the Pro Bowl. Lot of good that did them Sunday against the Colts.
Jason Garrett and his Dallas Cowboys’ staff are expected to coach the other Pro Bowl team. The Cowboys, with a No. 3 seed, were the highest NFC seed to lose in the division round.
Jack Del Rio to again interview with Raiders on Tuesday
Colts vs. Broncos: Highs, lows from Denver’s divisional playoff loss
Sorry, he can’t coach after he gets fired!
Comment by The_KIMN_Chicken — January 12, 2015 @ 8:13 am
I wish that was true. That creates a problem though. If Elway waits till after the Pro-Bowl Kubiak might be unavailable. He’s the only person I would fire Fox for. All the other coaches available are coming off the Recently Fired list. I would have liked to see Fox fired this morning. But again, who do you target to replace him with. JDR and Gase need to go too.
Comment by Dale — January 12, 2015 @ 10:13 am
What happened to your avatar?
Would it be too akward to have an unemployed coach and staff lead one of the Pro Bowl teams…or is that just wishfull thinking?
Comment by jkboldt — January 12, 2015 @ 9:00 am
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Comedy Sojourn - Violent Pastry, Boring Atheists, Lots of Interruptions
Peaches helped the kids make a 'smash cake' and Cami explains the purpose of such a thing. Luke may win an award so he gets a cake too. Family makes cake whether you deserve it or not. Everyone makes an effort to surprise Daddy when he comes home. It's surprising. It makes Daddy happen when everyone thinks about him. Even if they're not thinking about the fact that he doesn't like cake. I reveal my favorite childhood gift for my parents. We reminisce about Andrew's sculptured gift for Amanda. We will interview Andrew in a future podcast so he can talk about his tiny birds and mud projects.
THEN - BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND - PETER HECK RETURNS TO THE PODCAST!
For some reason, Peter Heck is popular. He's also late to this podcast! I arrange to converse at a local restaurant where the music is too loud and we get interrupted by Pete's minister. I help identify a Peanut's character. We change tables at Pete's request. After assuring me of his status as a 'big deal', he unsuccessfully attempts to get a waitress to bring him a tea. Do you know who America's largest President was? You will after this! We philosophy about the way people slip their workout into conversation. Neither of us work out but that doesn't stop us from judging those who do. Crossfit. You know?
Why is Peter so entertaining? Why? It makes no sense! So instead of fighting it, we go with it. We discuss people who are difficult to interview. I have to explain the difference between Jerry Lewis and Jerry Lee Lewis because Peter is kinda dim. We talk about how movies aren't bad just because they're black and white. We ignore a local city councilman because Pete is prideful. Then we start talking about why bad things happen to good people. This is a subject that garnered much criticism from (bad) people. Who deserves to burn in hell, me or Pete? It's a tie except for tea gift cards.
Is it pretentious to call a blog, "blog space"? I say no. Pete says yes. Then we read some criticism from a Canadian atheist (who also deserves to burn in hell). Football is an analogy for real life. Bill Belichick melts Pete's heart with one mispronunciation. Which Superbowl ad was best? And did you notice that Lady Gaga and flying drones are a great halftime show? We discuss Epicurus' question about God's existence. We talk about the atheist response to the existence of evil. I can't lie...it's pretty dull. Scratch that. It's VEEEEEEERRRRRRY dull. You should fast forward through it. Summary: If you can't express yourself succinctly, you probably don't know what you're talking about. If you really want to serve God, don't do whatever Pete is doing.
Christians are fraidy-cats sometimes. We judge people because we're qualified. We have some advice for people who want to avoid being killed. Peter is narrow minded about being open minded. Perhaps, someday, in the distant future, we can have conversations without the goal of 'destroying people'.
Daylight savings time makes it hard to raise children.
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The Day I Have to Hunt for Material Is The Day...Ah, Forget It, It'll Never Happen.
It's true... writing this blog is so easy, it's a wonder I'm not getting a salary. Isn't that how it works? The less hard you work, the more someone's likely paying you to do it? Well, even so, I'm open-minded enough to admit there are jobs out there still even cushier (certainly better paying) than writing this blog. One that comes immediately to mind is "Romanian Copyright Auditor."
Yep, this fell into my lap like most of it does. The good news is: copyright infringement in Romania is apparently widespread enough to finally attract the attention of high-ranking politicians. The bad news is, they're joining in on it!
For your viewing pleasure: presidential candidate Eduard Manole's campaign poster. Note the clever hammer logo at the bottom.
This logo is all over his website as well. Too bad it was all over Pink Floyd's rock album "The Wall" in 1979, and even moreso in the 1982 movie adaptation.
Manole's 2009 campaign, as best as I could translate, included a desire to "undo 20 years of damage." I suppose only here would plagiarism not fall into that category.
In truth, plagiarism and politics are apparently not such strange bedfellows. Globally prominent figures from Vladimir Putin to Joe Biden have these proud credentials under their belts. My favorite, which I distinctly remember seeing on the news years ago but can't find reference to at the moment, was a US candidate whose speech was lifted directly from the script of the 1993 film "Dave." But this is my point. It was in the news. Just as Putin and Biden and all the others were in the news. Their flimflams got the exposure and resulting derision they deserved. But in my too-long-to-be-called-anything-other-than-adopted homeland, it seems the hammers (of justice; smooth metaphor insert, eh?) will not soon batter down any doors.
Inflicted by Volguus at roughly 8:51 PM
No Omment...
He Who Lives By the Pixel...
Asshole Parker of the Day
Must...Still...Not...Make...Comment!
The Day I Have to Hunt for Material Is The Day...A...
Take Your Karma Where You Can Get It
Totally Obvious Statistics, Gotta Love 'Em!
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A Few Good Reasons To Confront Digital Advertising’s Essential Truths
By Julia Amorim, CEO | This article was originally published on AdExchanger 07.21.17.
In the famous scene from the 1992 movie “A Few Good Men,” Jack Nicholson’s character asks Tom Cruise if he wants answers, to which Cruise’s character roars, “I want the truth!”
“You can’t handle the truth!” Nicholson barks back.
That scene illustrates how some truths are so complex, some decisions so difficult, that people might be inclined to keep them secret or act in ways that aren’t in their own best interests. It’s sort of like what’s happening in digital advertising right now.
For example, the truth is that there are some bad actors who have taken advantage of marketers by manipulating fees and rebates, as the ANA’s study of media transparency in the US has revealed.
Some marketers have “handled” that truth by being justifiably outraged – but also by taking a potentially superficial approach to mitigating future risks. This includes distancing themselves from longtime agency partners, cutting back on their overall spending or choosing to work with vendors who are in a race to the bottom with pricing.
A return to the black-box days where third parties kept all the details about spending to themselves is obviously not the answer, but neither is penny-pinching to such an extent that marketers risk losing consumers’ attention, falling behind competitors or worse. Offline activations are expensive too, but the industry has learned how to manage costs effectively while making great use of the media available.
Like it or not, those marketers may not know the full truth, or perhaps they don’t want to, because it may seem like too much to handle.
Inconvenient (But Important) Truths
Here’s one truth that’s easy to accept: The audience has moved online. They’re not just browsing, either. The internet is where more consumers are going to buy things. And thanks to the rise of smartphones, people are consuming digital media on the go more than ever. If you want to be effective as a marketer, you must be here.
On the other hand, marketers shouldn’t show up online if they’re not prepared to make an impact. Sure, they can work with someone who only charges 5%, but they shouldn’t expect the same results they’d get by working with someone who charges more but also takes the time to understand their business and goals and coordinate a creative, comprehensive campaign.
The truth? Digital advertising is a service business, and good service – regardless of the medium – is always worth the investment.
Yes, marketers deserve greater transparency in where the money goes, but they also owe it to themselves to learn more about the layers involved in making a digital campaign successful. As much as it stings to be duped by hidden costs, the costs that contribute to real value remain. Just because it’s online doesn’t mean it’s near free to pursue.
The truth? Digital may seem intangible, but it requires a lot of activity that happens behind the scenes that are similar to what marketers have always known in television and print.
As the dust around fees and transparency begins to settle, there’s a real opportunity to take a fresh start with digital advertising, based on the metrics that truly matter, where spending on expertise allows brands to take full advantage of the technologies and tools available to them. It’s not about “spinning the numbers” to make them look better.
Reputable firms have no interest in “alternative facts.” The point is to avoid the fragmented planning process that’s starting to mess campaigns up today and to admit that this isn’t a competitive landscape that can be avoided. Just look at the amazing growth of a digital-first organizations like Amazon, which now owns a third of the ecommerce market but is predicted to grow to 50% by 2021.
The truth? Digital is not a set of tactics, like something you use to advertise a one-off promotion. It’s a foundational component of a holistic marketing strategy, where much of your brand’s message will be seen, heard and felt.
It’s funny how two of the oldest clichés in the book are “Knowledge is power” and “The truth hurts.” When reality seems overwhelming it’s only natural to look for short cuts and simple solutions to our problems. That rarely works out well in the long run, though.
The truth? You don’t have to handle it alone.
Three Coachable Moments That Reinforce The Power of Creativity In Advertising
Every Marketer Must Answer Vital Questions About the IAB’s Latest Ad Portfolio
Getting to the how and why of data
Why Marketers Need An In-House Programmatic Roadmap
What it takes to select and integrate new marketing technology
Best practices for designing data-driven creative
What Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) updates means for marketers
Categories Select Category Ad Tech Case Studies Creative HTML5 Marketing Media Miscellaneous Programmatic Uncategorized
21% shoppers bought a product directly through social media channels last year, rising from 13% to 21%… https://t.co/jJVUPACEd6
What's next for adtech once the third-party cookie disappears? https://t.co/XZ1qFfJvFb #adtech #data #privacy
Helpful tips to analyze your holiday performance on Google Ads https://t.co/KuSdbr2Aqd #searchads #advertising https://t.co/bKlWB8cAAt
BETTER DIGITAL RESULTS™
Copyright © 2003-2019 MediaNet® All rights reserved.
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Explore Space Together
Mothers in the Sky
Cassiopeia and Andromeda — Two constellations (areas of the night sky) named after mothers from classical mythology. You can name a star in either constellation!
Naming stars for our mothers is popular today. In fact, many objects in the night sky have been named after mothers for thousands of years. And now mothers fly among the stars as astronauts!
The Name A Star Live constellations Andromeda and Cassiopeia are named after two beautiful mothers from classical mythology. Cassiopeia, the Queen of the Ethiopians and the mother of Andromeda, was a prideful woman who boasted that she was more beautiful than the female attendants to Poseidon, the god of the sea. For this transgression Poseidon punished Cassiopeia by sending a sea monster to attack Cassiopeia’s country and to kill Andromeda. But Andromeda was saved and would later have seven children of her own. Now both mothers travel together in the heavens above as the constellations we know them by today.
Many of the planet Jupiter’s 79 moons are named for goddesses, demi-goddesses and other mythological figures who had various entanglements with the Greek God Zeus – known in Roman mythology as Jupiter. Here is a list of just some of Jupiter’s mistresses (after whom moons of Jupiter are named) and their offspring:
• Io bore Jupiter a son named Epaphos;
• Callisto bore Jupiter a son named Arkas;
• Elara was the mother of Tityus, a giant;
• Himalia, a nymph, bore three sons named Spartaeus, Cronius, and Cytus;
• Leda was the mother of Castor and Pollux, after whom the two brightest stars of the constellation Gemini (“the twins”) are named.
Jupiter and its four largest moons (clockwise from lower-left): Callisto, Europa, Io and Ganymede
But there were other females in Zeus’ life who were not mistresses. Jupiter’s wife was Juno. Given her husband’s not-so-faithful behavior, she quite understandably didn’t trust her hubby: The two just didn’t get along! So modern astronomers have basically given her a divorce: Rather than orbit Jupiter as many of his paramours do, Juno orbits the Sun as one of the larger asteroids in our solar system. Finally, one of the planet Jupiter’s closest moons is named Amalthea, a goat who was the nurse to Zeus when he was a child. When Zeus was grown, he used her hide as his thunder shield and she was placed in the sky as the (now defunct) constellation Capra.
NASA mission patch for space shuttle mission STS-51-A on which astronaut Anna Lee Fisher became the first mother to fly in space.
If you’re looking for something a little more down to Earth, the first actual, human mother to fly in space was Anna Lee Fisher. She is a decorated astronaut who flew on space shuttle mission STS-51-A in 1984. A chemist and physician by training, her honors include: NASA Space Flight Medal; Lloyd’s of London Silver Medal for Meritorious Salvage Operations; Mother of the Year Award, 1984; UCLA Professional Achievement Award; UCLA Medical Professional Achievement Award; and NASA Exceptional Service Medal, 1999. Balancing her professional and personal lives, she took a leave of absence from NASA from 1989 to 1995 to raise her family, and then returned to her post in 1996 as Chief of the Space Station Branch.
Other women who have been both mothers and astronauts include Karen L. Nyberg, Dorothy M. Metcalf-Lindenburger, Nicole Passonno Stott and Ellen S. Baker.
We owe so much to our mothers!
There are, of course, so many more mothers to celebrate and remember on Mother’s Day. We’d be delighted to hear your Mother’s Day story from this or any year. Your mother may not be an astronaut – and thankfully she was not a companion of Zeus! But like the ancient Greeks and Romans you can place her among the stars by naming a star for her. We’ll launch her star name into space on our next mission — you can even buy a mission patch for her!
Author Name A Star Live's AstronomerPosted on April 3, 2019 April 15, 2019 Categories Astronomy, Space HistoryTags Anna Lee Fisher, Cassiopeia, constellation, Earth, Greek God Zeus, moon, Mother's Day, width
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Feines
Robert Maschke Architects
little_BIG house
17. de gener 2017
Robert Maschke, FAIA
Robert Maschke, FAIA; Marc Manack, AIA; Matt Lindsay, Associate AIA
I.A. Lewin, P.E. and Associates
Lighting/Interior Designer
Schirmer Construction Company
Bamboo Surfaces
Plyboo
Toilets and Sinks
Brad Feinknopf
Folded metal roofs and black stucco walls unite the two parts of the little_BIG house, which is located on a narrow lot in Cleveland's Little Italy neighborhood. Robert Maschke Architects' design responds to the client's wish for a house and studio and for the flexibility to split the property into separate homes in the future. An enclosed outdoor space is formed by the two volumes. The architects answered a few questions about the project.
The little_BIG house is located in Cleveland, Ohio’s historic Little Italy neighborhood, known for its rich culture and artisanal background. The husband and wife client, both industrial designers, commissioned the project to create a studio for their work and a home to raise a growing family. The site, one of the few available buildable lots in the area, was a challenge as it had an imposing and collapsing retaining wall to the rear, a condemnable house, and a public utility pole situated in the middle of the property.
The residence is located on a dense and constrained urban street away from the idyllic neighborhood center. The site is narrow and bound by three “shot gun” homes to the north, a retaining wall to the east, and a multi story condominium to the south. A former open framed steel warehouse, now used as a covered surface parking structure, is to the west, obstructing views from the site. The imposition of these structures help to inform the design approach.
The architecture emerges from the reconciliation of inherent contradictions embedded within the site and program. The client desired an urban presence, while also creating private exterior space secluded from the surrounding context. The couple asked for flexibility to "split" the property into independent homes in the future. In response to these constraints, the massing of the house became parsed into two distinct volumes, pushed to the extreme boundaries of the site, connected by a covered bridge. This organization creates a communal courtyard from the residual space between the volumes. A monumental stair connects the various programmatic elements. The stairwell folds upon itself overlapping and separating, creating a visual connection between levels. The movement of the stair is evident on the metal surface of the exterior envelope, a folded logic that unites the parts into a cohesive whole.
How does the design respond to the unique qualities of the site?
The site is narrow and deep with imposing structures on both sides. The view is fairly unremarkable, forcing the solution to impose an internal view within the project.
How did the project change between the initial design stage and the completion of the building?
Apart from a few minor modifications to enhance the project, the design stayed true to the original concept.
Was the project influenced by any trends in energy-conservation, construction, or design?
The project was not influenced by any trends but took advantage of contemporary construction techniques, materials, and a sophisticated HVAC Systems. The project is a continuation of the dialogue in our studio on a daily basis.
What products or materials have contributed to the success of the completed building?
The material palette is simple and elegant. The exterior facade is black stucco concrete in concert with a color-matched metal folding wall and roof. Patterned Cor-ten panels provide privacy from the street and the adjacent properties through their use as entry gate and perimeter fencing. The interior is composed of hard troweled concrete floors with white walls, floor to ceiling book matched and sequenced marble slabs in the bathrooms, and richly colored bamboo for the architectural millwork and stairs. Additionally, the monumental stairwell is veiled in white perforated steel panels. This textured strategy is implemented on select glazing units through etching. These patterns were developed through a series of photo manipulations of light passing through a bamboo forest. A transposition inspired by the materiality of the millwork and stairs.
Elevation and Section
Més feines
Projecte destacat
The 7th Room
© Johan Jansson
Altres articles d'aquesta categoria
hace 5 dies
hace 1 setmana
hace 2 setmanas
Empremta
Plataformes nacionals
Segueix World-Architects
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Smith, Laurie
Coach Expects Great Things from Women's Track and Field in 1987
Coach John Cantalupi had high expectations for the 1987 women's outdoor track season and their performance in the MAC championships, according to an article in the Dickinsonian. He is quoted as saying that the team had "been third the past two seasons, and I think that this could be the year that we come through with a top finish." His expectations for the women's team were more optimistic than those professed by the men's coach, Jere Harbold.
All terms: 1980-1989, Baldwin, Susan, Barlett, Stephanie, Bricker, Churck, Brislin, Patty, Cantalupi, John, Cantalupi, John (Coach), Coaches, Dickinsonian, Fancher, Carolyn, Fountain, Melinda, Gaffney, Patricia, Harbold, Jere C., Harden, Amy, James, Dierdre, Litchfield, Nancy, Mandala, Suzi, Mid-Atlantic Conference, Morris, Julia, Moser, Larry, Ocker, Richard, Olcott, Cyndi Lyn, Ruedin, Nancy, Shotwell, Denise, Smith, Laurie, Thompson, Sarah, Thornsley, Scott, Tribus, Laura, Turner, Helen, Wolkomir, Michelle, Women's Track and Field
Women's Track and Field 1986
The Women's Track and Field team had a record of six wins and two losses in 1986. Under Coaches John Cantalupi, Larry Moser, Dick Ocker, Scott Thornsley, and Dave Bengston, the team won first place in a Division III competition at Moravian. Linda Reinman was the 1986 MVP, and the coach's awards went to Cyndi Lyn Olcott, Susan Baldwin, and Michelle Wolkomir. Linda Reinman continued her successful Track and Field career as a Division III National Qualifier alongside Susan Baldwin.
All terms: 1980-1989, Alper, Patty, Baldwin, Susan, Bengtson, Dave, Beyer, Karen, Beyer, Lynn, Brislin, Patty, Cantalupi, John, Cantalupi, John (Coach), Coaches, Division III National Qualifier, Fancher, Carolyn, Fountain, Melinda, Greene, Wendy, Harden, Amy, Kulp, Jennifer C., Mid-Atlantic Conference, Migut, Maureen, Morani, Tina, Morris, Julia, Moser, Larry, Ocker, Richard, Olcott, Cyndi Lyn, Reinman, Linda M., Riehl, Anna, Rubin, Jenny, Ruedin, Nancy, Shotwell, Denise, Smith, Laurie, Thornsley, Scott, Tratnik, Melanie, Wolkomir, Michelle, Women's Track and Field
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Route 29 in Centreville Reduced to Two Lanes Dec. 13-16
Demolition of the I-66 bridges over Route 29 North in Centreville will require reducing Route 29 under I-66 to a single lane in each direction starting at 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, through 5 a.m. Monday, Dec. 16. Two-way traffic will run on Route 29 South during this period.
Drivers using ramps to and from I-66 will not be allowed to make left turns during this time. Detours will be posted. Drivers should expect delays if traveling in this area.
Closures are needed for bridge demolition activities over the roadway. Work will be on-going throughout the weekend during both daytime and nighttime hours.
From 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, through 5 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 16:
Route 29 North and South at I-66
Route 29 will be reduced to two lanes, one in each direction.
The two open travel lanes will use the southbound lanes of Route 29 under I-66.
Ramp from I-66 West to Route 29
No left turn to Route 29 North.
Drivers will be directed to turn right onto Route 29 South, stay to the left, and make a U-turn at O’Day Drive onto Route 29 North.
Ramp from I-66 East to Route 29
No left turn to Route 29 South.
Drivers will be directed to turn right on Route 29 North, stay to the left and continue to the intersection of Trinity Parkway/Machen Road. At the traffic signal, drivers will use the left-most of the two left-turn lanes to make a U-turn onto Route 29 South.
Ramp from Route 29 North to I-66 East
The ramp from Route 29 North to I-66 East will be closed.
Drivers will continue farther north to the intersection of Trinity Parkway/Machen Road. At the traffic signal, drivers will use the left-most of the two left-turn lanes to make a U-turn onto Route 29 South, then stay to the right and follow signs to I-66 East.
As an alternate route, drivers can continue farther north to Route 28 North, stay to the right, and follow signs to I-66 East.
Turn lane from Route 29 South to I-66 West
The left turn lanes from Route 29 South to I-66 West will be closed.
Drivers will continue farther south, stay to the left and make a U-turn at O’Day Drive onto Route 29 North.
Similar weekend lane closures for bridge demolition over Route 29 are planned for Jan. 3-6. The portions of the bridges not directly over Route 29 will be demolished during daytime hours on weekdays, and will not impact traffic on Route 29.
The I-66 bridges over Route 29 are being reconstructed as part of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project. The bridges are being lengthened, widened, and raised to accommodate the new Express Lanes and provide room for future mass transit along I-66 and future widening of Route 29. This work is being done in phases in order to maintain traffic on I-66 throughout demolition and reconstruction.
All work is weather dependent and will be rescheduled if inclement conditions occur.
On Twitter, follow VDOT Northern Virginia at @VaDOTNOVA
Traffic Pattern Changes Starting on I-66/Route 29 Interchange
Ramp From Route 29 North To I-66 East In Centreville To Close Temporarily
Toll Lane Construction on I-66 Calls for Engineering and Patience
WFCCA Concerned About Walney, Braddock, Rt. 28
Centreville/Chantilly: Moving Forward with Local Road Projects
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CINDYBIN'S VIDEO PICKS OF THE WEEK: VINTAGE YARDLEY AND LOVE COSMETICS
Oh how I wanted that London look.
Yardley’s Heartbreaker eye compact: “It may be little, but it makes big eyes.” And unfortunately, it fetches a big price, too!
Yes, this vintage makeup sold for over $257 in a recent eBay auction. From the late 60’s, the little compact is “no bigger than your thumb”, and features a mirror, an “eyelighter” to highlight eyes, English eyeliner and eye shadow. With its cute mod, striped packaging, bidders flocked for a chance to own this old store stock.
“My buyers are people who were teens in the late 60’s” said eBay seller Bewitched1981. “People want to have things they had when they were young. It represents a milestone in their lives. Most had to earn money babysitting to purchase these items because parents just didn’t give them money. Many tell me of their memories these pieces represent. I’m just glad I have it to put up for auction.”
Yardley “Slicker” lip polishes and “Glimmerick” eye paint can go for high auction prices as well. After seeing a video for Glimmerick, YouTube viewer anthinmoonme commented that she wished Yardley would come out with this makeup again.
“It had such a nice effect,” she said. “I wore the sky blue with pink as a highlighter. I thought I was soooo cool! I remember the Slicker Dolly’s lipsticks, too. I loved the Yardley commercials. I always wanted to grow up to be mod and English!”
The world’s oldest cosmetics company, Yardley is indeed English and perhaps best known for its lavender scents. It was established in 1770 and was a major producer of soap and perfumery. It moved to London’s Bond Street in 1910, received its first Royal Warrant in 1921 and today holds two Royal Warrants, supplying soaps to the Queen and the Queen Mother. Formerly geared to mature women, in the 60’s Yardley marketed their makeup to teens, cashing in on the British swinging London craze. With colorful packaging and fun, mod advertisements, it was a hit!
“The British invasion indeed,” said Suzinne Barrett, another YouTube viewer. “I remember just lusting after Yardley cosmetics and their wonderful packaging in my local Macy’s in the Bronx. I also have a strong memory of Yardley’s ‘Pot o’ Gloss.’ I had a bunch of those pots. And I liked Yardley’s Cellophanes makeup. It had wonderful and colorful packaging.”
About 14 or 15 years old before she started wearing much makeup, Suzinne also was a fan of Love cosmetics and their signature lemon scent. Their ads featured a famous Donovan tune playing in the background.
“Talk about the indelible memory the music gives us. I just recently listened to Donovan’s ‘Wear Your Love Like Heaven’ and instantly remembered the Love’s lemon commercial. I was obsessed with Love Cosmetics and also Yardley,” Suzinne wrote on the message board for a Love’s commercial.
Love cosmetics were introduced by Menley and James Laboratories in 1969 and under the direction of Mary Wells, their bath products and makeup, with their psychedelic packaging, were marketed to the young trendsetters throughout the 70s. Ali McGraw, a photographer’s assistant at the time, represented the brand. Products included the popular Eau de Love fragrance, fresh lemon cleanser, lipsticks called “lovesticks”, eyeliners called “loveshines”, powder and mascara.
YouTuber Bluenazz (his real name is Craig), was brought to the Love’s commercial by the music, too.
“Wear Your Love Like Heaven is a favorite song of mine,” said Craig. “But I also remember the commercial and the mysterious blonde girl. I was an impressionable teenager when the commercial was out and it really caught my attention. I didn’t use Love or Yardley cosmetics. I’m a guy but I was definitely an Anglophile. I’m 60 but sometimes still feel like a teenager.”
“Another fab vintage English brand was Mary Quant,” adds Suzinne. “I purchased her cologne, Havoc, with the complimentary nail polish for my girlfriend for Christmas in the late 70’s. It had very cool packaging as well. I didn’t hold onto anything and I have no particular opinion about today’s makeup. It’s a lot more pricey and a lot less fun.”
Yes, these days Yardley is back to its more conservative image, selling fragrance and bath and body products. You can still find their soap here in America, and I bought a tube of lavender hand cream online. But as far as their groovy cosmetics, they are a thing of the past.
I honestly don’t recall if I had any Yardley cosmetics in my youth or not. I still have a half-used bottle of Love Baby Soft pink cologne from the mid 70’s. And I have a vivid memory of meticulously applying frosty white lipstick of some kind while in junior high, which would have been in the late 60’s and early 70’s, right around the time of those commercials. Was it an actual Yardley “Slicker”? I’ll never know. I was a bit too young to fully participate in the late 60’s mod scene. But on the other end of the spectrum, there are people like Selena, a YouTube viewer who is only 16 and was not even alive back then.
“I just have an interest in makeup, so vintage makeup really caught my eye,” she said. “If Yardley brought back some of their products, I would definitely buy.”
Kathy Bencsik echoes her feelings.
“Oh I loved the packaging!” she wrote on the Heartbreaker video. “Someone bring it back!”
Oh well, so much for the London look. I guess I’ll have to settle for my usual frumpy look. Not that I would actually use any of this vintage makeup if I found it, since it’s probably too old to be safe. But it sure is fun to view the pictures and videos of these vintage cosmetics, and watch the auctions, even if I can’t afford them. And Yardley, if you’re reading this: bring them back!
To see commercials and pictures of this makeup and more, visit the links below:
Yardley Heartbreaker and Glimmerick ads
Love Cosmetics Wear Your Love Like Heaven Ad for cover makeup
Love Cosmetics Wear Your Love Like Heaven Ad (with the mysterious blonde girl)
Slicker Dolly’s lipstick commercial
Pot o’ Gloss commercial
Retro Kimmer blog about Yardley and Love cosmetics with great photos
Pinterest site with cool pictures of vintage makeup and beauty items
Sorry I haven't updated in a while--I have been sick and busy, and also the past two days I've been on a mission to clean out the closet!!!
I have alot of blog ideas floating around in my head, and even some rough drafts in the works. All kinds of fun, entertaining, educational, inspirational and sometimes controversial posts are planned! So stay tuned!
CINDYBIN'S VIDEO PICKS OF THE WEEK: VINTAGE YARDLE...
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About Oak Grove
Community Weather Shelter
Oak Grove R-VI Schools, Performing Arts Center -- Community Weather Shelter
The Oak Grove R-VI School District operates the Oak Grove High School Performing Arts Center as a severe weather shelter for their students and staff during school hours and events. During times when the school district is not in session, the shelter may be opened by volunteers from Oak Grove-Sni Valley Emergency Management. Opening of the shelter will be announced on Nixle messaging system. The shelter status message can also be checked at Nixle.com at the "Enter your zip code to see what is happening where you live." If neither of these systems is available to you, you may call 816-834-1625 to check the status of the shelter and whether it is safe enough for you to travel there. Please do not wait until a "Storm Warning" has been issued to consider going to the shelter. Time is of the essence. The same sources will be used to communicate when the shelter is closed. The shelter is located at the southwest corner of the Oak Grove High School, 605 SE 12th Street. Enter the south door facing the sports stadium parking lot.
Severe Weather Warning Systems
Family Preparedness Plan
Emergency Snow Routes
Hazardous Materials Emergencies
NotifyMe®
1300 S Broadway Street
Oak Grove, MO 64075
Nixle- community text notifications
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18:8 This made Saul very angry. The statement displeased him and he thought, 1 “They have attributed to David tens of thousands, but to me they have attributed only thousands. What does he lack, except the kingdom?” 18:9 So Saul was keeping an eye on David from that day onward.
18:10 The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul and he prophesied within his house. Now David was playing the lyre 2 that day. There was a spear in Saul’s hand, 18:11 and Saul threw the spear, thinking, “I’ll nail David to the wall!” But David escaped from him on two different occasions.
18:12 So Saul feared David, because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. 18:13 Saul removed David 3 from his presence and made him a commanding officer. 4 David led the army out to battle and back. 5 18:14 Now David achieved success in all he did, 6 for the Lord was with him. 18:15 When Saul saw how very successful he was, he was afraid of him. 18:16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he was the one leading them out to battle and back.
18:17 7 Then Saul said to David, “Here’s my oldest daughter, Merab. I want to give her to you in marriage. Only be a brave warrior 8 for me and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul thought, “There’s no need for me to raise my hand against him. Let it be the hand of the Philistines!”
18:18 David said to Saul, “Who am I? Who are my relatives or the clan of my father 9 in Israel that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” 18:19 When the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she instead was given in marriage to Adriel, who was from Meholah.
18:20 Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. When they told Saul about this, it 10 pleased him. 18:21 Saul said, “I will give her to him so that she may become a snare to him and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Today is the second time for you to become my son-in-law.” 11
18:22 Then Saul instructed his servants, “Tell David secretly, ‘The king is pleased with you, and all his servants like you. So now become the king’s son-in-law.” 18:23 So Saul’s servants spoke these words privately 12 to David. David replied, “Is becoming the king’s son-in-law something insignificant to you? I’m just a poor and lightly-esteemed man!”
18:24 When Saul’s servants reported what David had said, 18:25 Saul replied, “Here is what you should say to David: ‘There is nothing that the king wants as a price for the bride except a hundred Philistine foreskins, so that he can be avenged of his 13 enemies.’” (Now Saul was thinking that he could kill David by the hand of the Philistines.)
18:26 So his servants told David these things and David agreed 14 to become the king’s son-in-law. Now the specified time had not yet expired 15 18:27 when David, along with his men, went out 16 and struck down two hundred Philistine men. David brought their foreskins and presented all of them to the king so he could become the king’s son-in-law. Saul then gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.
18:28 When Saul realized 17 that the Lord was with David and that his 18 daughter Michal loved David, 19 18:29 Saul became even more afraid of him. 20 Saul continued to be at odds with David from then on. 21
1 tn Heb “said.” So also in vv. 11, 17.
2 tn The Hebrew text adds here “with his hand.”
3 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4 tn Heb “an officer of a thousand.”
5 tn Heb “and he went out and came in before the people.” See v. 16.
6 tn Heb “in all his ways.”
7 tc Much of the ms evidence for the LXX lacks vv. 17-19.
8 tn Heb “son of valor.”
9 tn Heb “Who are my relatives, the clan of my father?” The term חַי (khay), traditionally understood as “my life,” is here a rare word meaning “family, kinfolk” (see HALOT 309 s.v. III חַי). The phrase “clan of my father” may be a scribal gloss explaining the referent of this rare word.
10 tn Heb “the matter.”
11 tc The final sentence of v. 21 is absent in most LXX mss.
12 tn Heb “in the ears of.”
13 tn Heb “the king’s.”
14 tn Heb “and it was acceptable in the eyes of David.”
15 tn Heb “the days were not fulfilled.”
16 tn Heb “arose and went.”
17 tn Heb “saw and knew.”
18 tn Heb “Saul’s.” In the translation the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun for stylistic reasons.
19 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
20 tn Heb “of David.” In the translation the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun for stylistic reasons.
tn Heb “all the days.”
TIP #01: Welcome to the NEXT Bible Web Interface and Study System!! [ALL]
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Implementation Documents
HKTDC Belt and Road Portal
Ecuador: Market Profile
Picture: Ecuador factsheet
Graph: Ecuador real GDP and inflation
Graph: Ecuador GDP by sector (2018)
Graph: Ecuador unemployment rate
Graph: Ecuador current account balance
Graph: Ecuador merchandise trade
Graph: Ecuador major export commodities (2018)
Graph: Ecuador major export markets (2018)
Graph: Ecuador major import commodities (2018)
Graph: Ecuador major import markets (2018)
Graph: Ecuador trade in services
Graph: Ecuador FDI stock
Graph: Ecuador FDI flow
Graph: Ecuador short term political risk index
Graph: Ecuador long term political risk index
Graph: Ecuador short term economic risk index
Graph: Ecuador long term economic risk index
Graph: Ecuador vs global and regional averages
Graph: Major export commodities to Ecuador (2018)
Graph: Major import commodities from Ecuador (2018)
Graph: Merchandise exports to Ecuador
Graph: Merchandise imports from Ecuador
Note: Unclassified products are not included in the chart as they account for less than 1% of exports
Note: Outward FDI data is not longer available from UNCTAD
Ecuador is highly dependent on its hydrocarbon resources, which generally account for more than half of the country's export earnings. In March 2000, Congress approved a series of structural reforms that provided for the adoption of the United States dollar as legal currency. Dollarisation stabilised the economy and positive growth occurred in the following years mainly because of high oil prices and increased non-traditional exports. Thanks to the boom in oil prices between 2007 and 2014, Ecuador experienced a period of growth and poverty reduction, however lower-for-longer oil prices in the quarters ahead do not bode well for the country’s under-diversified economy. In 2019, the IMF granted Ecuador a USD4.2 billion loan to aid further economic restructuring efforts under the 'Ley Fomento Productivo' – the current economic plan under President Lenín Moreno.
Sources: World Bank, Fitch Solutions, IMF
2. Major Economic/Political Events and Upcoming Elections
President Rafael Correa abolished term limits for the office of the presidency.
Ecuador is located on a volcanic zone within the Pacific Ring of Fire, resulting in permanent threat of eruption and earthquake. In April 2016, the country was hit with a 7.8-magnitude earthquake, resulting in the death of 400 people and the loss of an estimated USD3 billion.
The candidate nominated by Correa's Alianza País party, Lenín Moreno, was elected as president.
President Moreno held a national referendum on six issues, including a decision to overturn the abolition of term limits for the president. The public provided overwhelming support for all of the issues on the referendum, resulting in (among others) the reinstatement of term limits for the office of the president.
The IMF announced a USD4.2 billion loan for Ecuador, releasing USD652 million upon the announcement. The funds have been earmarked for support of the Ecuadorean government’s economic policies out to 2021.
The Ecuadorian government restored fuel subsidies in a deal with indigenous leaders.
Sources: BBC Country Profile – Timeline, Fitch Solutions
3. Major Economic Indicators
f = forecast
Sources: IMF, World Bank, Fitch Solutions
Date last reviewed: November 11, 2019
4. External Trade
4.1 Merchandise Trade
Source: WTO
Sources: Trade Map, Fitch Solutions
4.2 Trade in Services
5. Trade Policies
Ecuador has been a World Trade Organization (WTO) member since January 21, 1996.
Despite the sharp fall in their prices, mineral products – and oil in particular – are Ecuador's main export goods. In 2018, they accounted for some 41.8% of total goods exports, a 5.1% increase since 2017. Although food and agricultural products represent 50.5% of all goods exports from Ecuador, the sector is much more diversified. Bananas and crustaceans – mainly shrimp – are the two biggest agricultural and food exports in Ecuador, followed by cocoa and cocoa products, and meat and seafood.
Although Ecuador is a major oil producer, it lacks the refining capacity to meet domestic demand for refined products and imports oil derivatives: chemical, industrial and fuel products accounted for 33.2% of total imports in 2018. Mineral products – such as refined fuel – represented 19.7% of all imports in the same time period. Machinery and complex manufactured products made up the second-largest category of goods imported by Ecuador in 2018, accounting for an estimated 32.4% of all goods entering the country.
Ecuador's constitution outlines that the state has sole control of 'strategic' sectors, including: energy in all its forms, telecommunications, non-renewable natural resources, transport and refining of hydrocarbons, biodiversity and genetic heritage, the radio spectrum and water.
Ecuador participates in multilateral trading systems, where economic interaction between entities are fair and inclusive. Ecuador's stance on multilateral trade is that any outcomes from engagement with international or regional trade should prioritise development and to take into account flexibilities for developing least developed countries.
Ecuador is a member of the Andean Community (CAN) and the Latin American Integration Association (LAIA).
Ecuador has yet to submit the ratified Agreement on Trade Facilitation – agreed upon at the 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference among WTO member states. The agreement contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit. It also sets out measures for effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues; it further contains provisions for technical assistance and capacity building in this area. The WTO notes, however, that Ecuador has taken proactive steps towards facilitating cross-border trade, such as introducing an electronic customs system, ECUAPASS and the Ecuadorian Single Window (VUE) in 2018.
Ecuador is not a party to the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement and does not participate as an observer in the Committee on Government Procurement.
As of 2019, Ecuador has banned the export of aluminium and copper wastes and scraps.
The government has banned the import of air conditioning equipment (as of 2013) and the import of incandescent light bulbs (as of 2010).
Since Ecuador is a member of the CAN, goods to be imported are classified under the Common Nomenclature of the Andean Countries participating in the Cartagena’s Agreement (NANDINA) Pact, which is based on the Customs Cooperation Council Nomenclature (also known as the Brussels tariff nomenclature). Most consumer goods imports pay 25%, while intermediate goods are usually imported at a 10% or 15% rate. Raw materials and capital goods generally pay 0% to 5%. Ecuador has negotiated exceptions under the Andean common tariff that allow lower duties on certain capital goods and industrial inputs. There is duty-free import of agricultural goods and equipment.
In addition to import duties, all imports are subject to 12% VAT and other minor taxes that do not exceed 1%. Charges are based on the cost, insurance and freight (CIF) value of the merchandise.
All Ecuadorian imports and exports are subject to inspection by authorised international verification companies operating in the country (there are some imports exempt from verification). Goods are appraised for value, quantity, quality, and weight at the port of origin.
A Special consumption tax (Impuesto a los Consumos Especiales or ICE) is imposed on domestic and imported goods that are explicitly listed in the law, including sugared, non-alcoholic and carbonated drinks. This tax is levied at a progressive rate from 5% to 35% on certain automobiles and 15% on airplanes, helicopters, and boats. The taxable basis on cigarettes and alcoholic beverages is obtained by the number of produced or imported cigarettes or degrees of alcohol, respectively.
Since 2017, a commercial agreement between the European Union (EU) and Ecuador in place, which provides relief on duties upon the importation of certain goods.
Sources: WTO – Trade Policy Review, Fitch Solutions
6. Trade Agreement
6.1 Multinational Trade Agreements
The CAN: The community – which came into existence in 1969 – comprises Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia. CAN is a Free Trade Area (FTA) with the goal of eventually becoming a customs union. At present, however, trade between members remains unencumbered by tariffs and other formal measures of trade protection. CAN also provides its members with improved bargaining power, given the collective nature of the organisation. The community also promotes the free movement of people, with residents from member states not requiring a visa. 12.4% of all imports originate in fellow CAN members, with 11.5% of all Ecuadorean exports destined for Peru, Colombia and Bolivia.
EU-CAN: In January 2017, CAN ratified a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and Economic Integration Agreement with the EU. The agreement eliminates tariffs for all industrial and fisheries products, increases market access for agricultural products, improves access to public procurement and services and further reduces technical barriers to trade. The agreement allows Ecuador to benefit from improved access for its main exports to the EU, such as fish and fish products, cut flowers, coffee, cocoa, fruits and nuts. Bananas also benefit from a preferential rate, but a stabilisation mechanism is in place that allows the Commission to examine and consider the suspension of preferences if an annual threshold is reached, as is currently the case for trade deals with Colombia, Peru and Central America. The FTA also includes commitments to effectively implement international conventions on labour rights and environmental protection, which are monitored with the systematic involvement of civil society. The EU accounts for 14.0% of all Ecuadorean trade.
Southern Common Market-CAN (Mercosur-CAN): As a member of the CAN, Ecuador is party to commercial agreements with Mercosur (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay). Mercosur member states present greater economic opportunities for firms in Ecuador and the Agreement brings about greater economic integration. This supports the FTA of the Americas - an agreement that reduces the trade barriers among all countries in Latin America.
Ecuador-Chile: The Economic Complementation Agreement Chile - Ecuador was signed under the 1980 Montevideo Treaty, which created the Latin American Integration Association. The treaty created an economic space that allows for the free movement of goods, services and factors of production and strengthens political dialogue and cooperation. The agreed-upon rules cover matters such as the tariff reduction programme, unfair trade practices, safeguards, technical standards, scientific and technological cooperation, sanitary and phytosanitary standards, maritime and air transport, dispute resolution, automotive and government procurement, among others. Trade with Chile accounts for 4.5% of all trade.
Ecuador-Mexico: Mexico is Ecuador's sixth largest import partner. As of 2018, Ecuador received 3.5% of all its imports from Mexico, of which vehicles and vehicle parts made up the highest percentage.
Ecuador-Guatemala: Guatemala is Ecuador's 38th largest import partner. As of 2018, Ecuador received 0.2% of all its imports from Guatemala, of which residues and waste from food industries and prepared animal fodder made up the highest percentage.
Ecuador-El Salvador: The bilateral Partial Scope Agreement came into force in November 2017 and covers trade in goods. El Salvador is Ecuador's 28th largest export partner, and as of 2018, Ecuador exported 0.4% of its total exports to El Salvador. The majority of these exports were mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation.
Sources: WTO Regional Trade Agreements database, Fitch Solutions
7. Investment Policy
7.1 Foreign Direct Investment
Note: Outward FDI data is no longer available from UNCTAD
Sources: UNCTAD
7.2 Foreign Direct Investment Policy
Invest Ecuador is the Ecuadorian platform for investment projects throughout the country and all strategic sectors.
Ecuador's Constitution stipulates that the State reserves the right to administer, regulate, monitor and manage strategic sectors – namely: energy in all its forms, telecommunications, non-renewable natural resources, transport and refining of hydrocarbons, biodiversity and genetic heritage, the radio spectrum and water. In these sectors, foreign investment cannot constitute the majority of ownership and must be made in addition to national investment (investment by government, usually in the form of a partnership).
In 2019, Ecuador made registering property easier by reducing the time required to transfer property and by increasing the transparency of the land administration system.
No local or provincial government taxes on income are imposed on companies.
Beyond the list of strategic sectors, there are no restrictions on foreign investment and foreign investors must undergo the same procedures and obtain the same authorisations as Ecuadoreans.
Ecuador grants general tax incentives for investments in any part of the country. The country also grants sectoral incentives for:
New businesses which are set up in priority sectors
Investments in 'depressed areas'
Public projects implemented by public-private partnerships (implemented in 2015)
The government also applies an incentives regime for Special Economic Development Zones (ZEDEs), which are customs destinations in delimited zones in the national territory. Goods produced in the ZEDEs should, inter alia, contribute to diversifying the domestic supply for export, and be specifically export-oriented. However, they may be authorized for sale on the domestic market in limited percentages, depending on the product.
In order to improve the country's attractiveness for FDI, the government passed the Productive Promotion and Attraction of Foreign Investment Law in August 2018. The law introduces a number of tax incentives for both new and existing businesses. The relevant tax incentives require that:
The productive investment must be understood as being irrespective to the type of property
The investment aids in the expansion of productive capacity
The investment promotes the generation of new sources of employment in the national economy
The benefits outlined by the law consist of a 12-year income tax and provide exoneration for any new productive investments realised in the following sectors:
Agriculture; the production of fresh, frozen and industrialised foods
Forest and agroforestry chain and its processed products
Petrochemistry and oleochemistry
Tourism, cinematography and audio-visuals
Renewable energies, including bioenergy or energy from biomass
Logistics services for foreign trade
Applied biotechnology and software
Exportation of services
Development and software services, production and development of technological hardware, digital infrastructure, computer security, products and digital content, and online services
Energy efficiency services companies
Sustainable construction materials and technology industries
The industrial, agroindustrial and agro-social sector
Investments made under the Productive Promotion and Attraction of Foreign Investment Law which fall outside of Quito or Guayaquil are subject to reduced exemption periods of 8 years.
Investments made under the Productive Promotion and Attraction of Foreign Investment Law which fall within ZEDEs are subject to an increased exemption period of 15 years.
New investments in the following industries are entitled to the exemption of income tax for 15 years:
Casting and refining of copper and/or aluminium
Steel foundry for the production of flat steel
Refining of hydrocarbons
Cellulose industry
Construction and repair of naval vessels
Under President Rafael Correa, Ecuador’s National Assembly decided to terminate all of its BITs with Argentina, Bolivia, Canada, Mainland China, Chile, Italy, the Netherlands, Peru, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the US and Venezuela. An ad-hoc body – the Investment Treaties Audit Commission – had come to the conclusion that the various bilateral treaties which Ecuador had entered into had 'not brought benefits to the country', but had brought risks and costs instead. Under Correa's successor, Lenín Moreno, the government of Ecuador is seeking to renegotiate and resurrect a number of these agreements. At present, Ecuador is only party to three active bilateral investment treaties, with: Italy, Spain and the Netherlands.
The tax base for the foreign assets tax is the average monthly balance of cash deposits held in foreign entities by private entities registered in the stock market and regulated by the Superintendent of Banks and Companies. The monthly tax rate is 0.25% (0.35% for assets held in tax haven jurisdictions).
Remittance tax of 5% is imposed on the transfer of money abroad in cash or through pay checks, transfers, or courier of any nature carried out with or without the mediation of the Ecuadorian financial system, including transfer from foreign bank accounts. Dividends are exempt from this tax, under certain considerations.
Although it is not considered a tax, companies are obligated to pay 15% of their pre-tax earnings to their employees. This payment is considered a deductible expense for corporate income tax (CIT) computation purposes.
Sources: WTO – Trade Policy Review, the International Trade Administration, US Department of Commerce
7.3 Free Trade Zones and Investment Incentives
Free Trade Zone/Incentive Programme Main Incentives Available
Free Trade Zones (FTZs) – ZEDEs/FTZs: Esmeraldas Duty Free Zone, Cuenca Duty Free Zone, Ecuador Duty Free Zone, El Oro Duty Free Zone, Guayas Duty Free Zone, Manabí Duty Free Zone, Manta Duty Free Zone, Quito Duty Free Zone
- Imports and exports for businesses located within the FTZ are exempt from taxes.
- No corporate profit tax is applicable in these zones.
- Businesses are also exempt from value-added tax and provincial/municipal taxes.
- Various businesses can be located within an FTZ, including industrial, commercial and travel companies.
- ZEDEs are exempt from the currency outflow tax.
- Streamlined bureaucratic procedures.
- Exemption from the payment of all taxes related to the use of patents and trademarks.
- Free exchange in all transactions made within the FTZ.
- Free repatriation of capital earned and exemption from the payment of the transference of technologies.
- The USD is used as local currency.
Tax credit on remittances 5% remittance tax paid on imports of raw materials and goods (as delineated by the Tax Policy Board) and which are used in productive activities, can be used as a tax credit for CIT.
Pro-environment deductions Deductions on CIT can be applicable to investments in environmental-friendly assets.
Employee hiring incentives (handicapped and new employees) - Handicapped and new employees may provide a business with a tax deduction (on CIT) ranging between 100% and 150% of the employee's remuneration.
- New employees must be employed by the company for at least six months.
- The deduction granted by the employment of handicapped employees only applies to those hired above and beyond the quota of handicapped employees within Ecuador.
Source: Fitch Solutions
8. Taxation – 2019
Value Added Tax: 12%
Corporate Income Tax: 25%
Sources: Servicio de Rentas Internas, Ministerio de Finanzas
8.1 Important Updates to Taxation Information
In December 2017, the Ecuadorian government enacted the Law for the Reactivation of the Economy. The main corporate tax measures derived from this Law, effective for 2018, include: An increase in the CIT rate from 22% to 25%, and from 25% to 28% for companies with foreign shareholders located in jurisdictions qualified as tax havens. There are also exemptions and benefits for small business and companies qualified as usual exporters. In addition there are limitations to the deduction of expenses related to accruals of employer's pension and eviction plans.
In August 2018, the Ecuadorian government enacted the Law for the Incentive of Production, Attraction of Investments, Generation of Employment and Fiscal Stability. The main corporate tax measures and reforms are:
An amnesty programme on interests and fines before Tax and Social Security Authorities, among other regulatory entities, available until December 28, 2018.
Exemptions of CIT and remittance tax for new investments.
Regulations for the determination of the CIT rate applicable from 2019.
Withholding exemption on dividend distribution.
Reforms on capital gains tax, value-added tax (VAT), and remittance tax, among others.
8.2 Business Taxes
Type of Tax Tax Rate and Base
CIT Ranges between 22% to 28% rate. The general CIT rate is 25%; however, a 28% rate should apply if non-resident shareholders are located in a tax haven jurisdiction and additionally there is an Ecuadorian individual shareholder in the ownership structure. Such increase is also applicable when the company's ownership structure is not duly disclosed before the Ecuadorian tax authorities.
Branch Tax - 22%-28% on distributed or undistributed profits
- 12%-18% on reinvested profits
Capital Gains Tax 25% (capital gains are treated as ordinary income)
Withholding Taxes The following withholding tax rates apply (residents/non-residents)
Dividend Income: 0%/0-35%
Interest: 2%/0-25%
Royalties: 8%/8%
Interest rates for locally-based companies: 0-2%
Levied at the rates of either 12% or 0% on the transfer of goods, import of goods, and the rendering of services, as well as on services rendered within the country or imported. Royalties and intangible property, imported or locally paid, are also levied with a 12% VAT.
Social Security Contributions Employers and employees pay contributions to the Social Security at the rates of 12.15% and 9.45%, respectively, on the minimum monthly taxable wages as established for the different contributing categories. These categories are revised annually.
Date last reviewed: November 6, 2019
9. Foreign Worker Requirements
9.1 Localisation Requirements
In theory, with the introduction of the Human Mobility Law, the quota restricting the number of foreign workers has been removed. However, the Ministry of Labour sets a cap of 20% with regard to foreign employees. As such, at least 80% of a workforce must be sourced locally and be comprised of Ecuadorian nationals.
The law requires at least one medical examination prior to employment and one when the employment relationship is over. Based on certain regulatory requirements, and depending on the type of job, medical examinations will be required from time to time. The law states that when an employer from either the public or private sector has more than 25 employees, at least 4% of the workforce must be disabled people or individuals who take care of disabled persons.
9.2 Visa/Travel Restrictions
All foreigners intending to work in Ecuador must obtain either a temporary or permanent residence visa. A work visa is not needed for a residency visa. A Permanent Residence Visas may be applied for after holding the temporary residency visa for 21 months. The holder of a temporary residency visa may not travel abroad for more than 180 days across two years, 90 consecutive days, or 90 days in one calendar year. Permanent residency visas have gradually lower travel restrictions applied to them. An applicant may register with the Ecuadorean Institute for Social Security (the IESS) after obtaining a residency visa (temporary or permanent) or opt for private health insurance. A number of visas (applicable in addition to the residency visa) may apply to foreigners wishing to work in the country. A general work visa may be obtained either prior or after entering the country on a residency visa and require the contract of employment to be registered with the Ministry of Labour, as well as providing certification from the company in question indicating a lack of debts owed to the IESS, the SRI (Internal Revenue Service), or the superintendence of Companies.
Sources: Ecuador Ministry of Labour, Fitch Solutions
10. Risks
10.1 Sovereign Credit Ratings
Rating (Outlook) Rating Date
B3 (Negative)
Standard & Poor's B- (Stable)
B- (Stable) 21/08/2019
Sources: Moody's, Standard & Poor's, Fitch Ratings
10.2 Competitiveness and Efficiency Indicators
Ease of Doing Business Index
Ease of Paying Taxes Index
Logistics Performance Index
62/160 N/A N/A
114/180 N/A N/A
IMD World Competitiveness N/A N/A N/A
Sources: World Bank, IMD, Transparency International
10.3 Fitch Solutions Risk Indices
Economic Risk Index Rank N/A 67/202 82/201
Short-Term Economic Risk Score
Long-Term Economic Risk Score 57.7 59.0 55.5
Political Risk Index Rank N/A 159/202 159/201
Short-Term Political Risk Score
Long-Term Political Risk Score 50.1 49.1 49.1
Operational Risk Index Rank N/A 118/201 117/201
Operational Risk Score 47.9 45.6 46.2
10.4 Fitch Solutions Risk Summary
ECONOMIC RISK
Ecuador is substantially dependent on its petroleum resources, which have accounted for more than half of the country's export earnings and around 25% of the public sector revenues in recent years. Ecuador has been experiencing fluctuating growth over the last few years, however the economy is seen returning to growth in 2020 as the government will ease up on its fiscal-tightening measures. Moreover, improved business sentiment should help fixed investment begin to recover, while a pick-up in credit growth should buttress private consumption. The reforms should help deliver a fiscal surplus next year, while gradually restoring foreign reserves amid lower borrowing costs. Structurally lower oil prices and an already dire fiscal situation will force public spending cuts, presenting headwinds to growth and undermining public support for President Lenin Moreno; although, IMF support will soften the blow. While President Lenín Moreno has begun to transition to a more business-friendly policy agenda, political constraints will inhibit his ability to make legislative progress. Additionally, it will take some time to ensure investors and improve sentiment.
Ecuador boasts a large labour force and a growing pool of educated workers, providing significant recruitment opportunities for low-skilled, labour-intensive industries. Reforms have improved access to schools and the quality of education, as well as cut unemployment and underemployment. Liberalisation of the country's immigration regulations present upside risk for employers as their ability to hire foreign workers improves. Proposed labour code reforms will potentially provide a more flexible and cost-effective labour force. Meanwhile, the government reinstated fuel subsidies on October 13 and on October 18 it proposed tax reforms in a bid to shore up public finances and restore political stability. Ecuadorian roads and ports are considered regional outperformers in terms of their connectivity and quality. The country is also making use of the 'public private partnership' project financing model to construct new roads, rail and ports.
Data last reviewed: November 29, 2019
10.5 Fitch Solutions Political and Economic Risk Indices
100 = Lowest risk; 0 = Highest risk
Source: Fitch Solutions Political and Economic Risk Indices
10.6 Fitch Solutions Operational Risk Index
Operational Risk Labour Market Risk Trade and Investment Risk Logistics Risk Crime and Security Risk
Ecuador score 46.2
Central and South America Average 46.0 49.5 45.2 46.2 43.0
Central and South America Position (out of 20) 10
Latin America Average 48.4 50.7 48.9 44.6 49.3
Latin America Position (out of 42) 30 12
Global Average 49.7 50.3 49.8
Global Position (out of 201) 117 79
Source: Fitch Solutions Operational Risk Index
Operational Risk Index
Labour Market Risk Index
Trade and Investment Risk Index Logistics Risk Index Crime and Security Risk Index
Chile 64.8 63.8 68.6 62.9 63.8
Costa Rica 56.3 53.6
Panama 55.4 47.6 56.4 67.0 50.6
Uruguay 54.4 51.1
Mexico 52.9 60.0 58.2 57.3 35.9
Colombia 51.2
Argentina 49.0 52.8 42.4 50.4 50.4
Peru 48.1 57.8 51.5 42.7 40.5
Ecuador 46.2
El Salvador 42.6
Suriname 42.3 50.1 35.6 41.0
Belize 42.1 51.9 38.1 40.7 37.8
Paraguay 40.8 42.6 44.0 39.0 37.6
Guatemala 40.7 43.8 44.7 40.9 33.5
Honduras 39.8 39.8 46.9 39.9 32.7
Nicaragua 39.7 41.6 39.1 36.9
Bolivia 37.4 42.1 28.7 38.1 40.6
Venezuela 29.0 47.7
Regional Averages 46.0 49.5 45.2 46.2 43.0
Emerging Markets Averages 46.9 48.5 47.4 45.8 45.9
Global Markets Averages 49.7 50.3 49.8
11. Hong Kong Connection
11.1 Hong Kong’s Trade with Ecuador
Note: Graph shows the main Hong Kong imports from/exports to Ecuador (by consignment)
Exchange Rate HK$/US$, average
Sources: Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department, Fitch Solutions
Growth rate (%)
Number of Ecuador residents visiting Hong Kong 5,276
Number of Latin American residents visiting Hong Kong 190,316 -2.8
Source: Hong Kong Tourism Board
11.2 Commercial Presence in Hong Kong
Number of Ecuadorean companies in Hong Kong N/A
- Regional headquarters
- Regional offices
- Local offices
11.3 Visa Requirements for Hong Kong Residents
HKSAR passport holders traveling for business or tourism do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days in any 12-month period. One can request an extension through provincial migration offices. A stay of longer than 90 days will require a visa before arrival.
Source: Immigration Department
Bangladesh: Market Profile
Algeria: Market Profile
Ukraine: Market Profile
Sudan: Market Profile
Free online search for telecommunication service providers on hktdc.com.
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Steve Haskin's Derby Dozen
Derby Dozen - April 11, 2017 - Presented by Shadwell Farm
11 April, 2017 8:50 AM
Always Dreaming Todd Pletcher
Bodemeister—Above Perfection, by In Excess
There is very little separating him and Irish War Cry in natural ability and running style, and both should have no problem with the 1 1/4 miles. The Florida Derby now appears to be the best of the preps, mainly because he easily handled the No. 3 ranked horse Gunnevera and was actually increasing his lead at the wire, while getting stronger the farther he went. Also, there is no telling how good this colt could be, having won three straight races and dominating his opponents in each one. He certainly has all the tools – sprint and tactical speed, class, professionalism, consistency, instant acceleration, tremendous balance and action, long graceful strides, and is extremely light on his feet. Like Irish War Cry, he has a commanding presence about him, and it should be interesting to see how tactics develop with these two exceptional colts in the Kentucky Derby. I believe they key to his success was Pletcher running him in that allowance race instead of throwing him in against graded stakes winners in the Fountain of Youth Stakes the same day. This was an excellent confidence builder and gave him a much-needed mile and an eighth race under him. It also allowed John Velazquez to experiment a little by turning him off and on at will and seeing what kind of gears he has, and then letting him gallop out a full mile and a quarter in about 2:07. So he was able to slow a proven fast horse down to a crawl, then use his turn of foot in the stretch, and finally put a lot of bottom in him. All of that will pay dividends on the first Saturday in May. As mentioned earlier, it wasn’t the margin of the Florida Derby that was impressive or even the time, as much as it was watching him run through the wire, as they say, getting stronger at the end.
Irish War Cry Graham Motion
Curlin—Irish Sovereign, by Polish Numbers
Never before on the Derby trail have I seen a colt turn in two such powerful performances with such a dismal effort in between. That will forever remain a mystery, but the important thing is that he is back, and he did it the right way, rating beautifully in fourth and pouncing on Battalion Runner and running him into the ground. He is almost on even terms with Always Dreaming, but if you want to look for one thing separating them it is his :39 final three-eighths in the Wood. But to be fair, it was a slow track, and he did get a 101 Beyer figure, his second one of the year. He broke sharply from the far outside post in the Wood Memorial, and was four-wide going into the first turn. Unlike his second and fourth starts, he was able to relax and wait for the command by his rider. This was more like the Irish War Cry we saw in his sensational maiden victory at Laurel, which was the last time he rated kindly off the lead. He was content to sit patiently behind Battalion Runner down the backstretch, and when Rajiv Maragh asked him at the three-eighths pole, he shifted into drive and quickly headed Battalion Runner by the five-sixteenths pole. A confident Maragh looked back under his right arm at the head of the stretch, shook the reins at him, and he began to draw clear inside the eighth pole, increasing his lead with every stride. At the finish, he was striding out beautifully, looking much like he did in the Holy Bull Stakes and making the Fountain of Youth seem like nothing more than a bad dream. A baffled Graham Motion has had plenty of time to try to solve the puzzle and he did come up with a change of equipment, putting a figure-8 bridle on the colt for more control. For those interested, a figure-8 bridle is what John Nerud put on Dr. Fager during his 4-year-old campaign that helped turn him from a great horse into a legend. In his first start with the new bridle, the good doctor rated beautifully in the Suburban Handicap under 132 pounds, defeating arch rival Damascus and equaling the track record. So, for Motion, perhaps this was the move that unleashed a giant.
Gunnevera Antonio Sano
Dialed In—Unbridled Rage, by Unbridled
He has been getting mixed reviews since his well-beaten third in the Florida Derby. Was he struggling to make up ground on Always Dreaming or was he running strongly enough to snatch third when he looked to be out of contention for a placing? The truth is, everything was against him that day, and there is no reason to believe he won’t bounce back with the five weeks off and, with a more contentious pace in the Kentucky Derby, once again show that rapid-fire turn of foot we saw in the Delta Jackpot and Fountain of Youth Stakes. As mentioned last week, he did come home his final five-eighths in a sensational :58 4/5, which shows you how near impossible it was for him to win. He did not go into the Florida Derby at his best, having apparently lost some weight after two big efforts at Gulfstream and having raced steadily since last June, with only a brief respite between 2 and 3. If you just watch him in the Florida Derby and not use Always Dreaming as a barometer, he is running strongly with good extension to his stride and did very well just to run down Impressive Edge and Three Rules for third, while missing second by 1 1/2 lengths. With him, it all depends on how he thrives over the next few weeks and how he trains at Churchill Downs. Yes, he will need a contentious pace in the Derby, but so does every come from behind horse, just as the speed horses need a slow pace. If it’s meant to be it will be, and he will be flying in the stretch, at a much better price than one would have thought a couple of weeks ago.
McCraken Ian Wilkes
Ghostzapper—Ivory Empress, by by Seeking the Gold
Let’s start by asking this question: who would you pick as the big potential overlay in the Kentucky Derby? My answer right now would be McCraken, who has now gone from favorite to being a pretty enticing price, and his defeat in the Blue Grass Stakes to me was a near perfect setup effort for the Derby, which has major bounce back written all over it. Although I have him ranked No. 4, watch out for my selection/wagering column on May 5 after seeing how trains at Churchill Downs. Yes, one would have hoped he’d be closing faster in the Blue Grass against a maiden, having missed the Tampa Bay Derby, he needed a race like this more than an easy victory. This was a disastrous trip from the start and I can’t emphasize more how much he got out of it. First off, he broke outward, bumping with J Boys Echo, and being as fresh as he was, he was way too aggressive going into the first turn, dragging Brian Hernandez up into third between horses, and still was too keen entering the backstretch. Sitting in an uncustomary spot right behind the two leaders, he had Hernandez pulling back on the reins. Then Practical Joke on his outside made a bold early move and he began to lose his position, as J Boys Echo moved up alongside him on the inside. He now had only one horse, Tapwrit, beat, and when Tapwrit moved up on his outside, he once again was stuck between horses. When Tapwrit started to make his move, Hernandez finally pulled the trigger and McCraken put it in another gear, as he has in all in his races, and closed in on the leaders, pulling to within a half-length of Practical Joke and 1 1/2 lengths of the leading Irap. Turning for home, his hind end bounced off Practical Joke’s hind end twice. Hernandez threw a couple of crosses, hit him twice left-handed, and then hand-rode him to the wire. He had little left in the final furlong and ran evenly the rest of the way, apparently a tired horse running on a slow tiring racetrack that several horses, including Tapwrit, seemingly didn’t handle. To me, this race will give him a ton of bottom, and it exposed him to much-needed adversity for the first time. Finally, before winning the Kentucky Derby for Wilkes’ old boss Carl Nafzger, Unbridled finished third in the Blue Grass Stakes, beaten the same 3 3/4 lengths. Like Unbridled, expect to see a different horse in the Derby.
Girvin Joe Sharp
Tale of Ekati—Catch the Moon, by Malibu Moon
A lot is being made of his 91 Beyer speed figure and that he wasn’t that impressive beating a recent maiden winner with only two career starts by 1 1/4 lengths, but there is so much more to this horse than speed figures and how far he wins by. The bottom line is he knows how to win and does what he has to. I’ve been saying all along he is one of the most determined young horses I’ve seen in a long time, and he wins despite overcoming some minor flaws, such as his inconsistency with lead changes. But again, it doesn’t matter. He has run only four times in his career and learns a little more each time. Yes, he jumped back to his left lead in the final sixteenth of the Louisiana Derby, but the Fair Grounds stretch can seem endless, especially to a young inexperienced horse, and his lead changes, which, by the way, don’t seem to affect his performance, will improve with experience. He does have to overcome history, having only the four career starts, but he has come such a long way in a short time, and he seems to have crammed a great deal into those four starts. What is important is that he’s the only 3-year-old to have won back-to-back graded stakes, he always has himself in a good position, and uses his long strides to suit his grinding style of running. He runs down the stretch with his ears pinned, and as mentioned before, he keeps them pinned even after the race is over and does not take kindly to horses trying to pass him past the wire. He is in great hands with Joe Sharp, and literally with assistant Rosie Napravnik, who works him. Granted, he hasn’t been facing the best 3-year-olds and needs to step it up against tougher competition, but no one at Fair Grounds has been able to stop him yet.
Classic Empire Mark Casse
Pioneerof the Nile—Sambuca Classica, by Cat Thief
As he makes his way back up toward the top where he began, I keep thinking of the old Abbott and Costello routine, “Slowly I turned ... step by step ... inch by inch ...” For the closing act of his wild and wacky Derby journey, all he needs now is a big effort in the Arkansas Derby to continue his step by step, inch by inch turnaround. The way he has been training and behaving since arriving at Winding Oaks Farm, all we can do is hope it continues through Saturday and then the following three weeks leading up to the Derby, culminating with an uneventful experience in the Derby Day preliminaries. With Gunnevera, McCraken, Gormley, and Practical Joke all representing last year’s 2-year-old crop in fine fashion the past two weeks, it would be a crowning touch for the champ to finish off the prep season with a big effort at Oaklawn Park. As frustrating as he has been all year, you can’t say he hasn’t kept things interesting. From a physical standpoint, he is in the same boat as McCraken in some ways, having missed a race and being forced to bounce back from minor issues and needing to get a lot out of his final prep. You have to admit, it would be great if last year’s 2-year-old champion and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner returned to his winning form and put some normalcy back into the 3-year-old picture.
Practical Joke Chad Brown
Into Mischief—Halo Humor, by Distorted Humor
Good news and bad news. The good news is that he showed in the Blue Grass Stakes he can get a mile and an eighth without losing ground in the final furlong. The bad news is that he had the entire length of the stretch to get by a maiden coming home in :13 and wasn’t able to do it. But, remember, he, too had only one start and could simply have been a bit short. In the past, I have seen a number of Derby winners run an almost identical race as Practical Joke in his final Derby prep, such as Super Saver, beaten a neck by a 17-1 shot in the Arkansas Derby; Grindstone, beaten a neck by an 11-1 shot in the Arkansas Derby; Funny Cide, beaten a half-length in the Wood Memorial; Silver Charm, beaten a head in the Santa Anita Derby; Street Sense, beaten a nose in the Blue Grass Stakes; Lil E. Tee, beaten a neck in the Arkansas Derby. Although he didn’t win the Derby, Sham ran the exact same race in the Wood Memorial, failing to get past Angle Light before turning in arguably the greatest second-place finish in Derby history. In addition, Monarchos, Real Quiet, and Go For Gin all finished second in their final Derby prep, simply getting outrun. But, again, skeptics will point out this was against a maiden, and there is no escaping that, although he was a maiden with some pretty good stakes credentials, including a second in a grade I stakes against Mastery. It is possible that Practical Joke is distance limited, but it must be said, he looked magnificent before the race, an imposing, well-muscled colt. He broke sharply from the outside post and rushed up three across the track into the first turn, and surprisingly made a bold early move down the backstretch. To his credit, he was able to settle again, two lengths behind the leaders before closing in to challenge Irap at the top of the stretch and was under steady left-handed whipping down the stretch. After the way he won the Hopeful and Champagne I thought for sure he would wear down Irap, but he just couldn’t get by him. Whatever you think of him he definitely should get a lot out of this race and will be a presence in the Derby. Whether it’s enough to win is another matter.
Gormley John Shirreffs
Malibu Moon—Race to Urga, by Bernstein
So, just where does California stand on this year’s Derby trail? On one hand you have the Santa Anita Derby winner run 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.16 and come home his last three-eighths in a sluggish :40 2/5, earning a meager 88 Beyer. But on the other hand you have a California-based maiden who was beaten handily by the Santa Anita Derby third-place finisher win the Blue Grass Stakes. The in and out trend of Gormley’s career continued right on schedule Saturday. He wins the grade I FrontRunner Stakes last fall by three lengths, then gets beats more than 16 lengths in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, then wins the Sham Stakes in a gutsy effort, then gets beat almost 10 lengths in the San Felipe Stakes, then wins the Santa Anita Derby. So, who is Gormley and can he break this pattern by running another bang-up race in the Kentucky Derby? I don’t even pretend to be able to grasp the significance of the extremely slow final time and closing fractions of the Santa Anita Derby, except to say it does send up warning flares regarding the crop of Southern California 3-year-olds. But they did send two maidens back east to run monster races in graded stakes, so who knows? We do know what Gormley is capable on his best day, turning in one of the fastest Thoro-Graph numbers of the year in the Sham Stakes, and you have to be encouraged the way he rated more than 5 lengths off a pretty hot opening three-quarters. But that’s when the race fell apart, as the field spread out across the track after turning into the stretch and staggered home, with the first 5 horses finishing within two lengths of each other. And his stablemate, Royal Mo, who defeated Irap by 3 1/2 lengths in the Robert Lewis Stakes, also ran big, racing three abreast in :22 3/5, :46 2/5, and 1:10 4/5 and getting beat only one length, so Shirreffs could send a pair to Louisville, if Royal Mo has enough points.
Malagacy Todd Pletcher
Shackleford—Classiest Gem, by Dehere
He tuned up for the Arkansas Derby with a 5-furlong breeze in 1:01 2/5. He pretty much faces the same kind of task as did his stablemate One Liner before he exited the Derby trail, relying mainly on his overall talent and brilliance. With One Liner out, he has a huge shot to win the Arkansas Derby. But I must remind everyone of Pletcher’s comments after his second start, stating he most likely is best around one turn, having run two spectacular races to begin his career going 5 1/2 and 6 1/2 furlongs. Many fast sprinters will be able to stretch out to two turns in their first attempt, but it catches up with them after that. Whether he falls into that category I have no way of knowing, because of the way he settled so nicely off the pace-setting Uncontested in the Rebel. I can see Malagacy charging to the lead and setting the pace or taking back if someone is intent on going. A victory doesn’t mean it will move him forward as a potential Kentucky Derby winner. It’s all about having the experience and toughness to handle a 20-horse field going a mile and a quarter, and he still has those questions to answer.
Royal Mo John Shirreffs
Uncle Mo—Royal Irish Lass, by Saint Ballado
If you like Gormley even a little you have to like his stablemate as well. Royal Mo is the one who ran a sneaky good race in the Santa Anita Derby, breaking from the 13 post and being rushed up into contention, battling three wide through quick fractions and remaining three abreast the whole way. Despite the fast pace, he held on tenaciously to finish third, beaten one length. He is a big, handsome, muscular colt who is a strong galloper and should appreciate the extra quarter mile at Churchill Downs, where he can use those big strides at one long steady pace. And he should only keep getting better with racing. Hey, he did beat Irap easily in the Robert Lewis Stakes, which didn’t mean much before, but does now. He is another who had to rebound off a clunker, finishing up the track in the Rebel Stakes, as did American Anthem. Yes, I know the Santa Anita Derby was agonizingly slow, and no one is saying he is going to win the Derby, but at No. 10, he could certainly make his presence felt, and no one is better than John Shirreffs at getting a horse to peak for a particular race. Everyone said Giacomo was way too slow to win the Derby and beat the likes of Bellamy Road, Afleet Alex, Bandini, Flower Alley and the others with their gaudy Beyer numbers, but Shirreffs didn’t focus on winning any of the preps as long as he had him peaking on the first Saturday in May. The question is, can Uncle Mo have back-to-back Derby winners? This colt is a complete outcross in his first five generations, with a good deal of European blood in his tail-female family.
Hence Steve Asmussen
Street Boss—Floating Island, by A.P. Indy
These last two spots are so up for grabs, with Tapwrit, Battalion Runner, Cloud Computing, Battle of Midway, and J Boys Echo still viable Derby horses. But Irap’s shocking victory in the Blue Grass Stakes certainly boosted the reputation of Hence, who defeated Irap by 8 1/2 lengths in the Sunland Derby. I became a big fan of Hence’s watching his astounding maiden victory, in which he put on a remarkable display of athleticism and balance to avoid crashing into the rail, and still came back to win. I also was impressed with the way he rebounded off his Southwest Stakes defeat to win the Sunland Derby so impressively. And he did it the right way, coming from far back and blowing his field away to win by nearly 4 lengths in a very solid 1:48 flat, defeating the undefeated local hero Conquest Mo Money, as well as the aforementioned Irap. Granted, this was far from a talented and accomplished field, but I can’t help but remember what Firing Line did in the Kentucky Derby after trouncing his foes at Sunland. And Mine That Bird didn’t do too shabbily at Churchill Downs. A Derby winner can come from anywhere these days and we really don’t know just how good this colt is or is getting.
Irap Doug O’Neill
Tiznow—Silken Cat, by Storm Cat
It was easy to see that one coming. Yeah, sure. That certainly threw a major monkey wrench into an already befuddling Derby picture. But give credit where it is due, and Irap ran his eyeballs out and refused to be passed. After all, maiden or not, he did run second to Mastery and Royal Mo in graded stakes. Several weeks ago, I wrote about the two most shocking Derby winners, Mine That Bird and Canonero, both of whom came to Kentucky from high altitude cities – Sunland Park and Caracas, Venezuela. Racing at Sunland Park’s 3,800-foot altitude one time may or may not be beneficial, but in Irap’s case, he raced there twice, and who knows if two races at that altitude can, even in a small way, affect a horse’s performance coming down to a 400-foot altitude. It is quite possible I am reaching for the proverbial straws to come up with an explanation why Irap ran so well, and even if true, it wouldn’t really carry over to the Derby in four more weeks. The bottom line is it’s horse racing and longshots win every day, and he has fared well against top quality horses and apparently has overcome some foot issues with the help of his blacksmith. Whatever the reason, it is time re-evaluate some of these horses and try to unlock the mystery of the 2017 Kentucky Derby.
KNOCKING ON THE DOOR
And so, the Kentucky Derby, at this point, boils down to the oddest geographic showdown in racing history – Brooklyn vs. New Jersey vs. Venezuela. And you can add Kansas, Texas, and a touch of Spain, Dubai and Ireland. Just to clear that up, Always Dreaming’s ownership is made up mainly of lifelong friends from Brooklyn; Irish War Cry was bred in New Jersey and owned by the daughter of the late owner of Monmouth Park; Gunnevera’s connections are from Venezuela, with one of the owners being from Spain; McCracken was named after a town in Kansas; Girvin was named after a town in Pecos County, Texas, and Thunder Snow, if he comes, is owned by Godolphin and was bred in Ireland.
It’s hard to believe all the major preps are over with the exception of the Arkansas Derby, and we have only three Derby Dozens remaining after this one. Following the Arkansas Derby and all 12 placings are pretty much set, barring anything unforeseen, the comments will be mainly work updates and any enlightening, slightly wacky, and historical tidbits I can come up with. I will also focus on possible strategy in the Derby and which horses could have great setups and which may be compromised. I also will look for fresh pedigree notes that could prove informative in regard to horses getting the mile and a quarter.
There currently are three horses in the Arkansas Derby listed in the Top 12, so there are still likely changes in store. Also, Godolphin is still weighing THUNDER SNOW’S options (he is a group 1 winner in Europe and is a candidate for dirt and grass classic races), so I’m just waiting for an official comment regarding his status and schedule before adding him to the Top 12. I’m projecting at least one of the three Arkansas Derby starters currently in the Top 12 to be dropped, but there is always a chance that either PETROV or UNTRAPPED or the improving SILVER DUST could find his way on with a big performance. And you can’t forget the surprising Rebel Stakes runner-up SONNETEER. So there are still lots of possibilities for more juggling.
Also expected to be in the Arkansas Derby field are the Sunland Derby runnerup CONQUEST MO MONEY, as well as LOOKIN AT LEE and ROCKIN RUDY.
To show just how crazy a year this has been, the only two Santa Anita shippers to make an impact on the Derby picture – Blue Grass winner Irap and Rebel runner-up Sonneteer – were both maidens.
As for this past weekend, it was not what you would call a brilliant exhibition of speed, with the three stakes producing final three-eighths in :38, :39, and :40 2/5, with Irap actually coming home the fastest of the three. And who could have predicted that none of the three stakes would break 1:50? But to be fair, none of the tracks were fast by any means. Still, the last time the Santa Anita Derby was run as slow as 1:51 was 60 years ago. But take heart, Swaps won the race in 1:50.
As for those who ran over the weekend and either dropped out of the top 12 or are newcomers on the bubble, I can see TAPWRIT bouncing back with a good race, but there is no Derby winner I can remember who came off a defeat by that many lengths and that far back in the field. It simply looked to me that he was struggling with the track. The question is, how far can he bounce back from it? J BOYS ECHO also may not have handled it, but these are not excuses you can make for a horse one race before the Kentucky Derby. I always say, a horse racing on Aqueduct’s inner track still has to prove himself at a bigger venue and against better quality horses.
In New York, BATTALION RUNNER ran well to finish second, but with only four career starts and being basically a speed horse, I don’t know if he’s ready for a grueling mile and a quarter in a 20-horse field as much as he would be dynamite in the Preakness. The big difference between the son of Unbridled’s Song and Always Dreaming is that Pletcher, as mentioned, gave Always Dreaming an easy allowance race before moving him up against graded stakes horses, while he gave Battalion Runner a long layoff between races, despite having only three lifetime starts, and he just seemed to come up a tad short. He no doubt will head to Louisville, losing little luster in the Wood, considering who beat him and how much he likely will improve off this race. But he, Always Dreaming and Malagacy all have excellent tactical speed and like to run the same kind of race. It was between him and Royal Mo who to add at the last minute to replace One Liner, and he could still show up in the Top 12 at some point.
CLOUD COMPUTING, who it seems most everyone was picking, was coming into the Wood off only two lifetime starts and he simply did not get the kind of trip his connections were hoping for. He broke a step slowly and quickly dropped back to last, going four-wide on the first turn, while racing seventh in the eight-horse field. Down the backstretch, Irad Ortiz made an early move for some reason, and the colt then had to put in a steady run for six furlongs. He tried to close in but just couldn’t sustain such a long run and was put to an early left hand whip at the five-sixteenths pole, and had little punch left in the stretch. With only three lifetime starts, it might be asking a lot of this colt to put him in the Derby, especially when his connections have Practical Joke, while Cloud Computing could be live in the Preakness.
I don’t even know to begin to describe the Santa Anita Derby, with a cavalry charge crawling home. The first three – Gormley, BATTLE OF MIDWAY, and Royal Mo -- all ran well over a track that still had quite a bit of moisture in it, with the last two hanging in gamely after battling through fast early fractions. And if the Bob Baffert-trained REACH THE WORLD didn’t have to steady early and then get hung seven-wide turning for home he might have been able to sneak his way into the Kentucky Derby, but with only 10 points for finishing fourth, beaten only 1 1/2 lengths, it could prove best in the long run and make the big long-striding colt a dangerous opponent for the Belmont Stakes. The 3-1 favorite ILIAD didn’t run badly, but never really threatened and ran an even race to finish a close fifth. It was kind of surprising to see Battle of Midway on the lead and setting such fast fractions, although he did set blazing fractions in his career ebut sprinting.
Checking on some Arkansas Derby works, Petrov, breezed a half in :50, Untrapped went his half in :51, and stablemate Lookin At Lee also went his half in :51.
Looking at the points standing, Sonneteer (20 points), Petrov (13 points), and Looking At Lee (12 points) all need at least a third-place finish to have as shot of getting in the field, and that certainly doesn’t guarantee a place, with the 20th horse in the standings, Untrapped, having 34 points, and Classic Empire, Royal Mo, and Local Hero all with 30 points. So expect a huge scramble after the Arkansas Derby.
Filed under: kentucky derby, derby dozen, triple crown, Royal Mo, Hence, Irap
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New ‘Alien’ Movie Confirmed with Director Neill Blomkamp.
20th Century Fox has closed a deal with director Neill Blomkamp to develop a new "Alien" movie, sources confirm.
The untitled sci-fi project is separate from “Prometheus 2,” which Fox is still making with Ridley Scott.
Blomkamp, who directed "District 9" and the upcoming Sony feature "Chappie," had been teasing the project in recent months but said the extra-terrestrial reboot was likely abandoned. It was supposed to star "Alien" veteran Sigourney Weaver.
But on Wednesday Blomkamp confirmed the tentpole was back on track at Fox.
"So I think this is officially my next film," he confirmed on Instagram.
It’s unclear whether Weaver is still attached to the movie.
According to insiders, the new "Alien" takes place years after the “Prometheus” sequel. Scott is producing both films through his production company Scott Free.
Source: Press Release
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Obas 1200AD-Date
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History and culture of the Itsekiri people
The story of a kingdom whose birth was divinely orchestrated by the unseen hand of fate.
Itsekiri people are more dignified in behavioral conduct and traditional coordination. Itsekiri people are characterized not only by class and uniqueness but also with different kinds of peculiarity.
Let us in solemn adoration, concern ourselves for a while with the history and culture of a people so elevated and graceful.
History of Itsekiri People
Once upon a time in the fifteenth century, there lived a hot blooded and self-willed young man known as Prince Iginuwa(Ginuwa), he was the eldest son of Oba Olua- the fourteenth Oba of Bini (Benin) kingdom. Prince Iginuwa who was well loved by his father the king but disliked by the chiefs was impatient of the taboos and traditional conventions of the times.
And not willing to wait for his time as an Oba to come before doing away with those which he considered as wrong, he paraded gangs of fellow hot heads and began a frequent terrorization of the chiefs and their supporters.
As a result of this, the provoked chiefs who already harboured a dislike for him converged secretly and the meeting was presided by the chief minister (Iyase). A consensus would be reached; the young Prince Iginuwa and his associates would be terminated.
Traditionally, it is the custom of the Bini kingdom for the son who was chosen Edaiken (crowned prince) to live outside the capital among the hereditary chiefs to whose ranks he belonged. This was the reason that made it possible for the young Prince to carry out his crusade without the curtailment of his father- Oba Olua. And likewise, the decision of the chiefs.
However, upon hearing the secret conclusion of what was likely to happen to his son, Oba Olua consulted his chief priest ( Ogiefa ) as to what must be done to save the life of his boy. "An innovative way of smuggling the prince out of the kingdom as soon as possible," was the counsel the priest gave the king after consulting the oracle.
And without further hesitation, Oba Olua ordered an ‘ark of iroko wood’ to be hastily constructed. An ark big enough to convey not only the prince but also the eldest sons of the seventy chiefs of Bini.
With this intention, a meeting of the central council was summoned when the ark was completed. Oba Olua informed the chiefs that he was sending his son Prince Iginuwa to perform desirable rites to the river goddess- Olokun. And to accompany him, he demanded from them their first sons.
The king has spoken, and from the council, no objection was made.
So, it happened that when the appointed day came, except for the Oba, the chief priest, and the palace attendant who birthed the escape plan, every other person including the chiefs didn't know that Prince Iginuwa and his entourage- their sons were embarking on a voyage they would never again return.
And, In their ignorance, they joined the Oba in wishing the prince safety and good luck on his journey in Edo language by saying "OKHIENWERE O..."
Thereupon, the ark was carried by slaves through the dense forest which spans across the present route of Sapele for days. And upon arrival at the banks of river Ethiope, the iroko ark was lowered; there prince Iginuwa came out, adorned himself with the regalia of kingship, and assumed the role of one.
The rugged Prince has made himself a king without a kingdom.
However, after a long wait, the Bini chiefs got to realize that they've been deluded by their king. And their next line of action was to dispatch soldiers to bring Prince Iginuwa and their sons back to the Kingdom. Somehow information would reach the prince that an onslaught for him was on; upon hearing this he ordered a quick evacuation as he instructed them to board the ark.
And from Ugharegin where it is believed the Prince and his retinue had first settled, they sailed to Efurokpe. But not being satisfied with the safety of the new place of settlement, the prince king launched another voyage.
But, this time, the voyage would be long; tedious, and difficult.
History has refused to tell us, precisely, how long it took the prince and his royal entourage to sail through the high waves of the Forcados River. And we in return are in no position to question why. However, it came to be that their sail led them to the small settlement of Amatu, where they squatted for a prolonged while.
It is said that Amatu was a place of beauty and wonder. Its glittering white sand was bed to crocodiles and alligators. The sun beam was soothing to the skin, and the air a pleasure to exhale. But these sojourners were not tourists.
Food to them was far more important than the splendor of Nature. Amatu with all its wonders was unproductive.
There were, however, more fertile headlands inhabited by the Ijohs (Ijaws). Oruselemo was one of them. The accommodating spirits of the Ijohs birthed a cordial relationship with the royal entourage. And with time, Oruselemo did not only become their home, Prince Iginuwa also married an Ijoh woman named Derumo.
Incidentally, after several years at Oruselemo, a dispute arose between the migrants and the Ijaws of Gulani (Ogulagha) on the account of the woman Derumo. The hot-tempered prince had killed her. No doubt that cordiality would be replaced with coldness, as variance would have taken the place of togetherness. It is as a result of this that the prince king in his wisdom thought it more reasonable to move again.
Hence, another voyage was embarked as the ark was launched. They sailed passed the present site of Forcados and Burutu, as the Ark steered north into the Warri River. It is said that the days of this particular quest were not only filled with strain and misery, depression and gloominess also thought it fit to take comfort in their souls.
Yet, after days of hardship, Prince Iginuwa and his entourage finally landed at a virgin land that would be later known as Ijala. And as at now, he had become the father of two fine boys. Prince Ijijen (Ijiyem) and Prince Irame.
They would raise a mini town and settle here.
But, not long have they dwelt before news of their whereabouts reached Bini; and as expected, an Army was sent to bring back the running prince.
It should be emphasized here that this was the era when men were more spiritually inclined; and due to this, messages will always find ways to deliver themselves.
The information had come to them at Ijala, and without hesitation, the mobile kingdom started making preparations for another evacuation. But then exertion has made weary the soul of their commander. King Iginuwa would not make it out of Ijala. He joined his ancestors amidst the preparations. And there, he was buried.
It is for this reason that Ijala had become the only burial place of Olus (Itsekiri kings) since 1500 AD till date. Certainly, there was no time for exaggerated mourning. Danger was fast approaching. Primogeniture would help pave the way for Prince Ijijen to take up the royal command. And without objection, the honour of a king was duly accorded him.Thus, the planned movement from Ijala was, therefore, executed by Prince Ijijen with the aid of an Idibie (medicine man or a diviner) who threw a magical spear (Egan or Etsoro) that was believed to have landed at a location called Okotomu, now Ode-itsekiri (Big Warri).
The tracing of that spear by Prince Ijijen and his people, with the help of the Idibie piloting, finally brought them to the spear’s location.Historically, the Itsekiris are painted as a collection of people with diverse origin. A people with a complex mixture, different ethnicities, and many races.
According to Jackson Omasanjuwa Ireyefoju and Florence Ejuogharanmakelesan Ireyefoju in their seminal work "Ife Oracle in Itsekiri Social System of Nigeria," Itsekiri people came from Egypt after the battle of Actium in 31 B.C. The Mahim arrived and settled in the present Warri Kingdom in about 28 B.C in Gborodo, Ureju and Ode Itsekiri.
The leaders of the teams were Iset, Iweret and Ipi. This part of Itsekiri history is one that cannot be dropped with ease as there are more similarity in Itsekiri language and custom with those of the ancient Egyptians than any other civilization in the world.
Tribes of Itsekiri People
The people, Iset, Ipi Seikiri and Iweret came with some religions. Most of the gods were of the water. In a book titled "HISTORY OF THE ITSEKIRI" written by a renowned Itsekiri historian, William A. Moore, gave more revelations. He wrote, "Prior to the advent of the Benin Prince Iginuwa, the territory now known as the Kingdom of ITSEKIRI or IWERE, was inhabited by three tribes, namely, Ijaws, Sobos(Urhobos) and the Mahims."
Also, according to another school of thought, during the time when the struggle for kingdom carving was at its peak, various communities in the Yoruba kingdom were engaged in inter-communal war. As a result of this, streams of migration flowed in from Ijebu-Ode, Akure, and Owo.
They found their way into the kingdom, which then was not a kingdom, to settle in various parts; including Ureji and Ugborodo. This should explain the mystic affinity between the Itsekiri language and Ijebu. It is also said that groups from Igala in Nupe country, came in through the creek.
It was during the days this exodus, that one Fifan Wandobo and his brother- Itsekiri migrated along others from Kerenmu to Ijalosan. They would later move from Ijalosan to Okoyitemi (Okolomu). Itsekiri was the one who led that migration.
He was thus head of the settlement when Prince Ijijen's led ark arrived. Several of Itsekiri’s compatriots fled at the sight of the iroko ark, but Itsekiri with the other inhabitants of Okorotom quarter remained. They submitted to the superiority of royalty, and dwelt with Prince Ijijen as his subjects.
This was the beginning of a kingdom whose birth was divinely orchestrated by the unseen hand of fate.
Present day Itsekiri
Undoubtedly, the rich traditional and cultural heritage of the Itsekiris is as a result of an evolution brought about by a hybrid of cultures. The Itsekiri people practice a gerontocratic system of governance where elders are chosen as leaders. The priests are also highly revered. They still confer with their deities through the Ife oracle. Still, they believe in an overall God known as ‘Oritse’
Itsekiri People's dressing
Traditionally, Itsekiri men wear long-sleeved shirts with George wrapper and coral beads. The women, wear George wrapper, and depending on the occasion, either have the wrapper tied on their chest or it is worn with a blouse.
Marriage among Itsekiri People
In the days of old, marriage took place through the family arrangement. The groom never met with the bride before the wedding day. (But then, change they say is constant) The bride is dressed in George and elaborate ornaments of coral beads, gold, and silver. The men are dressed in an attire called ‘Kimeje’
Additionally, their women are known as good cooks and stories have it that they cook so well that a man can hardly resist. And the soups peculiar to the Itsekiris include Banga Soup, made from oil palm, and Owo soup both eaten with starch.
List of Olus from Iginuwa’s days till date
Ginuwa I (1480- 16th century)
Ogbowuru I (16th century)
Irame I (16th century)
Ojoluwa I (16th century)
Esigie I (16th century)
Atorongboye I A.K.A. Sabastian (1570- 1620 AD
Atuwatse I A.K.A Oyeomasan Don Domingos (1625-1643)
Oyenakpara I A.K.A Obanighenren Don Antonio Domingo (1643-1653)
Omoluyere I (17th century)
Abejoye I A.K.A matias (17th century)
Akenjoye I A.K.A Ludivico Domingo (1675-1709)
Omagboye I (18th century)
Akengboye I A.K.A Agostino Sabastiao Octobia (1730-1732)
Atogbuwa I A.K.A Manuel Octobia (1734-1760)
Erejuwa I A.K.A Sabastian Manuel Octobia (1760-1795)
Akengbuwa I A.K.A eyeolusan Joao (1808- 14 June 1848)
Ginuwa II A.K.A Emiko Ikengbuwa (7 February 1936- 8 January 1949)
Erejuwa II A.K.A Wilson Ayoronmitsi Gbesimi Emiko (24 March 1951 – 17 December 1986)
Atuwatse II A.K.A Godwin Toritseju Emiko (2 May 1987- 5 September 2015)
Ikenwoli I A. K. A Godfery ikenwoli Emiko (12 December 2015- till date)
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Column Archives
Geert Wilders Speaks
Written by: Diana West
Sunday, September 21, 2008 4:49 PM
I know, I know--it's the economy, stupid. But I can't take my eyes off the grisly, tragic trainwreck no one wants to notice going on in Europe. Here, thanks again to Gates of Vienna--which has been surpassing all blog expectations in bringing news that goes unreported in the media from Europe this week--is the parliamentary address of Geert Wilders that the Dutch government media pulled the plug on.
Speech by Geert Wilders during the Parliamentary session
Translated by VH
Madam President, today we discuss the budget, the budget for 2009, a humbug budget from the worst government ever. But today we also discuss the current state of our country. And whoever takes a close look at that has no reason to be cheerful. What I blame this government the most of is the damage it causes to our society. The Netherlands is no longer the Netherlands we have grown up in. There is also no longer one Netherlands. There are two Netherlands. The Empire of Balkenende [Prime Minister] is a Kingdom of Two Netherlands.
On the one hand our elite, with its so-called ideals. Those from the multicultural society, the mega high taxes, of the frenzied climate hysteria, of the unstoppable Islamization of Brussels’ superstate and the senseless development aid, the piles of money into the bottomless pit called The Antilles [Dutch islands in the Caribbean].
This elite finds everything very well — as long as the subsidy flow continues towards the VPRO [leftist TV broadcaster], Milieudefensie [Environmentalists] and the arts chiefs. They are the followers of Geert Mak [the Dutch Michael Moore], Doekle the dhimmi [Doekle Terpstra, former Christian Democrat, now Unilever officer and a fanatic anti-Wilders opponent], Eveline Herfkens [Socialist employed by the World Bank and the UN, involved in a major fraud] and Al Gore. It is the leftist canal-zone [the expensive property at the Canals in Amsterdam where most leftist celebrities live] and their sticky friends.
But all these so-called ideals of the political elite are minority projects. There is almost no one who still believes in it, except for an ever-smaller gang of leftists hanging on the taxpayers-drip and with permanent jobs for themselves at a subsidy nipple, the government, or a lobby club. Professional Muslims, professional climate fundamentalists, professional chairmen, professional lobbyists.
One of those is Bert Bakker. We still remember him — until recent a parliamentarian for D66 [set up in 1966 to achieve more democracy, but now a leftist appeasers party]. And what tough politically-correct talk he uttered. The PVV party, he said, are all racists, all thugs. He had this written up in the newspaper. But alas — thanks to the action of the Turkish Ministry of Religious Affairs, ms. Koser Kaya took Bert Bakkers’ seat here [after the last elections].
And now Bert tries to scrape some money together as a lobbyist for an aircraft manufacturer. And thus he also visited the PVV. A little bit of licking, a little driveling. Well, we have told Bert Bakker that he can take a hike. Lobbying is ok, but not with us. And then suddenly Bert turned like a leaf on a tree and look what I now found in the post: a real apology. Geert, sorry, you are suddenly not racists anymore.
Look, that is the way of our elite. In public they express politically-correct tough talk. And as soon as they have a little job they send little apology letters. Some people have ideals and are steadfast. Others have a spine full of whipped cream. Bert Bakker is a symbol for the elite. Rather a fat bank account than principles.
But alas, Madam President, there is also another Netherlands. My Netherlands.
The other Netherlands consists of people who have to pay the bills. Literally and metaphorically. They are robbed and threatened. Who sigh under the load of the street terrorists, under high taxes and the desire for a socialist Netherlands. They are the people who do not get anything for nothing. They are the people who have built up our country. They are the people who have never believed in the leftist project of the multi-nonsense or climate rubbish or our donations to the cocktail-mafia on the Antilles.
They are the people who are rarely heard here in the Lower House in The Hague. They are dismissed as trailer park trash and xenophobes, as little provincials.
This government puts down this double Netherlands. This government chooses consistently for the Netherlands of the elite and not for the Netherlands of the ordinary people who have to pay the bill.
Who is wondering why it is that Dutch people are increasingly cynical about politics should look at these two Netherlands. They must wonder how we can achieve ONE Netherlands.
Nowhere the differences between what the Dutch find and what the elites find is sharper than in the case of mass immigration. Nearly sixty percent of the Dutch people see Islam as the biggest threat to our identity and also nearly sixty percent finds mass immigration to be the biggest mistake since the war. But here in the parliament hardly six percent believe the same thing.
This multicultural society is an expensive business. Thanks to a study by the CPB [Government research bureau] from a few years ago, we know that an average non-western immigrant family will cost Dutch taxpayers 230,000 euros. That is more than one hundred billion euros in total. President, one hundred billion! That’s how much we lost to their multicultural project. One hundred billion euros.
Just think of what we could have done with that money. We would have been able to arrange a private room for all the elderly in nursing homes many years ago, each with a private nurse. We would have, so to speak, been able to stop working from our fiftieth birthday. Or give everybody a sailboat for a present. We would have been able to buy another country, just for fun. We could have been swimming in money. Instead, we follow the leftist dream to bring half the Islamic world into the Netherlands. The larger the voting flock for the Leftists Church, the better. I sometimes think that on the plane coming here they are already taught: “you vote for Wouter Bos [Socialist Minister of Finance], he will give you benefits.”
But who pays the bill? Who pays that one hundred billion? Those are the people who have built up Netherlands, the people who work hard, the people who are duly saving and pay taxes. The ordinary Dutchman who gets nothing for nothing. Henk and Ingrid pay for Mohammed and Fatima.
Those one hundred billion euros do not even include the exorbitant Vogelaar neighborhoods [immigrant neighborhoods that will be renovated, an idea of ex-Communist, ex-Unilever official, and now Socialist Minister of Housing], plus the exorbitant cost of additional crime. Nearly one third of all crime is committed by non-Western immigrants. When it comes to robbery with violence our non-western immigrants are scoring even more than sixty percent. Why do I never hear the Prime Minister mention this?
What The Netherlands needs is stricter penalties: minimum sentences. If you give judges their way, they will follow the D66-election program and give them lines for rape and an alternative sanction for a double murder. The Cabinet refuses to do something, therefore, the PVV will propose a bill for minimum sentences. Crime must be addressed and sanctioned much harder. No more “All You Need is Love,” but much more “Jailhouse Rock.”
Madam President, we are losing our country. We are losing our Netherlands. We are losing it to mass immigration. We are losing it to the inflow which is no longer in control. We are losing it to a culture of backwardness and violence. We are losing it to the Moroccan thugs who go though live scoffing and spitting and beating up innocent people. They make the schoolyards and streets unsafe. They stick up their middle finger to funeral processions, threaten and abuse ambulance staff and beat up gay people and hiss ‘whore’ to women. They happily accept our benefits, our homes, our doctors. But not our standards and values.
Madam President, the elite calls these Moroccans, who botch up everything, in a very romantic way “New Netherlanders”. I prefer to call them “colonists”. Muslim colonists. Because they have not come here to integrate, but to take over the lot, to make us submit.
While Germany expels honor-killers, while France refuses the French nationality for those who wear a burqa, this Cabinet only cheers the colonization and Islamization of the Netherlands.
Balkenende IV is not willing to face the problems; he looks the other way and signs the cultural capitulation. On the border of two worlds this government chooses backwardness, this government chooses for the colonists and not for our beloved Netherlands.
You would think that Christians would be an ally in the fight for the preservation of our culture. That they would fight against Islam because they know what the fate of a dhimmi is. Secretary of State Huizinga [Christian Union] can imagine that the Suikerfeest [end of Ramadan, Eid al Fitr] will become a national holiday. Just think of this: a Christian State Secretary of the Christian Union party [ChristenUnie].
That State Secretary is not heard when believers in Gouda at the end of the church service are spit on and besieged by Moroccans. Gouda is Islamizing rapidly.
Crime is exploding, the atmosphere is getting more grim. Moroccans appear five times as often in police statistics as native Dutch do. A Moroccan told a journalist, I quote: “Within ten years we are the boss here. And then we immediately throw that **** Queen of yours out.” End quote. This kind of appalling talk we must never accept.
As always, the Dutch government beats a retreat. Since last Saturday there no more buses driving through parts of the district Oosterwei [Gouda], better known as Little Morocco. Bus drivers are spit on, threatened and robbed.
A bus driver from Gouda wrote me last week: “Mr. Wilders, Moroccans terrorize us. Yesterday, in his first run, a colleague was robbed by a Moroccan with a knife put on his throat while this Moroccan’s friends were sitting outside in a car waiting. They left as cheerfully as if they had been to the cash dispenser of a bank.”
Why is no action taken against this? Where are the police? Where is the PvdA [Socialist party] Mayor of Gouda? Why could he only reply with an additional grant for a Moroccan community center? Where is the Minister of the Internal Affairs, where is the Minister of Justice, where is the Minister of Integration? Why all these cowardly administrators looking the other way? Why do they let the Dutch down? Because it’s not only in Gouda and Amsterdam; in the entire Netherlands street terrorism in increasing. It has been a long time since there were no incidents. It is an Islamic intifada.
Madam President, I have two concrete proposals. Because it can not go on like this any longer.
My first proposal is about policing. The police of Gouda are no longer able to deal with the street terrorists. The colonizers just torch the police cars. Police Officers are told: “we know where your children’s school is”. Madam President, it is now no longer possible that we enable the deployment more than a thousand soldiers to Afghanistan to make it a safer place while the Netherlands itself becomes increasingly insecure. Therefore, bring the soldiers back to the Netherlands and let our boys sweep the area clean here. The safety of the Dutch citizen is priority number one. Oosterwei, Gouda, our cities and our villages are more important than Uruzgan.
My second proposal is to finally get tough on those Moroccan thugs. Enough is enough. Enough terror, enough contempt, enough violence. Out with all those street terrorists… Out with all those molesters guilty of honor killings. Out with all those torturers who circumcise little girls. Out with all those foreigners who misbehave.
I hope the government responds positively to both proposals.
The damage of the multicultural society amounts, as I said earlier, at least one hundred billion euros. Could it be worse? Yes, it may be worse. The Netherlands has since 1960 also thrown more than one hundred billion euros into the bottomless pit called development aid. President, what all that we could have done with all that money the past forty years? Well, I would say: investing in the Netherlands! To begin with health care.
There are far too few people with health care. Secretary of State Bussemaker [Socialist party] knows that. But meanwhile she is waving away all wrongdoing in our nursing homes and homes for the elderly. The 88-year old Mrs. Willemse has been sitting in a dilapidated wheelchair, the wheels tilted, a ramshackle wooden frame and a plate as backrest. She got bedsores sitting in it. And the very elderly gentleman Steller has been waiting more than two years for the care he needs. Mrs. Emons died not in her bed but in the in the cold storage of the morgue due to haste.
Incidents? Unfortunately they are not incidents. Already for a very long time they aren’t. In many of our nursing homes, poverty rules.
This Cabinet leaves our elderly, our disabled and seriously ill as hard as a stone in the lurch. Elderly people just have to wait and see whether they will be reanimated.
[There follows a chapter on care for the elderly, budget change and lower taxes]
President, the PVV stands for a better Netherlands. A Netherlands that is defending our hard-won freedoms. That resists to the ideologies that are not ours and never should become ours.
President, there is some hope in the distance. Not in The Hague. Not in this building. But in the streets, neighborhoods, villages and cities of the Netherlands. There grows the cry for change.
That is what the Party for Freedom stands up for. Denounced in this building, scoffed at by the state broadcasters, spit on by the leftist subsidy slurpers, discredited by the fat and crammed-full left-liberal canal-zone [Amsterdam] elite. But supported by the other Netherlands, that of the ordinary people. The people who do not get everything for nothing. People who desire nothing more than the preservation of their free Netherlands, security, a reasonable salary and a better future for their children. People who have no voice other than the Party for Freedom.
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In early May, Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted 35% of the 690 rockets and mortar shells launched by Hamas from the Gaza Strip. The system was able to prioritize threats in real-time so effectively that only three civilians lost their lives.
The Iron Dome uses a “system of systems” approach, which Col. Natan Barak of the Israel Defense Force helped develop. In 2003 he retired to commercialize the approach to managing real-time threats for industry use.
Manufacturers may not face such literal life-and-death decisions as Israel does on a constant basis, but they similarly rely on thousands of sensors and devices to make tough choices in an instant. We emailed Barak to fnd exactly how this technology helps shield the industry from the daily barrage of problems.
NED: Can you describe how you helped develop the algorithms now used for Iron Dome in the early 2000s and what the inspiration was?
Natan Barak: During my military service, I led the development of a generic platform that offered visibility across the full operations of battle ships, submarines, combat planes, helicopters, naval commando, and other supporting systems. This platform integrated and shared data into a holistic, real-time view for decision makers, offering maximal fexibility and logic that adjusts itself to the conditions in real time. The Iron Dome Command and Control system has similar, yet much more complex tasks —it needs to take into account various and ever-changing threats, multiple data sources in real time, the location of our forces and planes, weather, and other conditions of the terrain, all in real time to deliver immediate decisions and results.
Beyond that, the ability of the platform to handle distributed and adaptive image building algorithms, along with real-time interaction plans, are what makes this robust, successful solution of Iron Dome, which we developed together with Rafael.
NED: How did you turn that into mPrest?
NB: The idea behind the mPrest platform is built on the same foundation as the Iron Dome command and control system. We wanted to create a platform that could seamlessly integrate with existing systems, gather extensive, relevant data from these systems, and use AI-driven analytics to make decisions in real time. We call it a “System of Systems,” or orchestration and optimization platform. We provide end-to-end optimization, instead of only a limited, local solution.
Most, if not all, enterprises have multiple siloed systems that do not communicate with each other. mPrest empowers its customers to leverage and optimize by connecting all systems and resources. We believe that if you are not integrated, you
IL I A Y E FI M OV I CH / STR IN G E R/ G E TTY
For the full article, visit: NewEquipment.com/
Rocket-Plan-mPrest
The tech behind Israel’s Missile Defense System is ready to defend smart factories and cities
are not optimized. Our ability to identify patterns and anomalies enables us to offer enterprises optimization similar to what we created in the defense domain.
In our projects with Netafm, for example, the capability of our “System of Systems” is demonstrated perfectly. Netafm has integrated sensors on their irrigation pipes and now has the ability to analyze the data gathered from the pipes, transforming them into a big-data company rather than an irrigation company.
Our platform gathers data from multiple sources, including soil quality, irrigation status, nutrients, weather forecast, etc., and makes ongoing decisions and recommendations for farmers based on pre-defned rules and defnitions, such as when to water the feld and when it is time to harvest.
NED: So what is being tracked and intercepted in the factory?
NB: There are processes that are not yet fully optimized in any enterprise and production environment, but new IIo T connectivity and monitoring capabilities are being leveraged to offer increased effciency, reduce energy costs, and enable predictive maintenance to avoid malfunction and breakage.
Essentially, we receive all inputs, make a decision of whether or not an object represents a danger, select the best interception scenario, and then manage its execution. In most cases, there are multiple enemy rockets launched. Combining all relevant systems, analyzing the data, and making a decision in real time becomes a big data analytics algorithm.
Another way of describing our system is as a real time, distributed asset management and analytics platform. Once described in these terms, the connection to industrial applications, and specifcally to energy management applications, becomes quite evident.
Over recent years, due to decentralization and de-carbon-
ization, there is an exponential growth in distributed clean
energy resources (photo voltaic cells, batteries, electric vehi-
cles, etc.). Current systems are not designed to cope with the
amount of resources, with energy fow being multi-directional,
or with the negative effect on system quality, in parallel to
the good they bring. In other words, energy utilities require a
new product, which is capable of aggregating data from all
the various sources, forecasting needs (supply and demand)
and managing these distributed assets in real time.
NED: Do you have any specifc examples of the system preventing catastrophic failure, and conversely, in day-to-day operation, how much power is being saved (or not wasted)?
NB: mPrest’s Asset Health Management and specifcally our Transformer Health Management are operational systems, monitoring power transformers 24/7. As such, the very fact that power transformers are being managed via our application is reducing critical failure rate signifcantly for companies like New York Power Authority (NYPA). Our project with NYPA also won EPRI’s Technology Transfer Award. Of course, many other transmission utilities have power transformer failures. Implementing mPrest’s product would bring such critical failures to a halt and save tens of millions of dollars per year per such utility.
A critical failure of a power transformer entails many cost considerations, including a new power transformer, which typically takes between 12 and 24 months to replace. During that period, there is a need to source energy from alternate sources. As this is an unplanned energy procurement, costs are signifcantly higher than normal energy procurement. This can drive a typical total cost of a power transformer to be anywhere between $10 million to $15 million.
In addition to the above, such a critical failure can result in deaths, service level interruptions, and negative publicity, which utilities would want to avoid.
Israel’s Iron Dome air-defense system launches rockets to intercept an incoming attack. The algorithm behind it can help optimize the IIo T.
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Callboardclose
Licensing the Band's Visit
The question you're answering.
Submitted by doadahogoh on Thu, 10/10/2019 - 16:58
By doadahogoh
Login to flag as inappropriate
I'm a member of a college theater group, and I'm looking towards staging The Band's Visit in April 2021. Would it be available for licensing by September 2020? Thanks!
Submitted by maryh on Fri, 10/11/2019 - 10:20
Hi! At the moment, we do not know what the release date is for this show. To stay up-to-date, go to the show page and click "Follow" here: https://www.mtishows.com/the-bands-visit
Disney's Frozen JR.
Disney’s worldwide phenomenon is taking Broadway Junior by (snow)storm!
Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins JR.
Your favorite practically perfect nanny takes center stage in this Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious adventure based on the award-winning Broadway musical and classic Walt Disney film.
Disney's Aladdin JR.
Discover "A Whole New World" with this magically updated version of the Academy Award-winning Disney classic!
Disney's The Lion King JR.
Introduce theatre to your classroom today! Explore, Create and Share the arts with this easy-to-use, multi-media program.
Annie JR.
The irrepressible comic strip heroine takes center stage in one of the world's best-loved, award-winning musicals.
Shrek The Musical JR.
Everyone's favorite ogre is back in this hilarious stage spectacle, based on the Oscar-winning smash hit film and outrageous Broadway musical.
Seussical JR.
"Oh, the thinks you can think" when Dr. Seuss' best-loved characters collide and cavort in an unforgettable musical caper!
Into the Woods JR.
A new take on Stephen Sondheim’s and James Lapine’s groundbreaking musical fairytale about wishes and the choices we make.
Disney's Beauty and the Beast JR.
The Award-winning animated film and stage play comes to life in this romantic and beloved take on the classic fairytale.
Disney's The Little Mermaid JR.
From classic literature to the Academy Award-winning film and Broadway musical, Ariel’s undersea journey is a beautiful love story for the ages.
Over 60 million people worldwide have fallen in love with the characters, the story and the music that make Mamma Mia! the ultimate feel-good show!
Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical
The story of an extraordinary girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.
Stop the presses! This Disney film turned Tony-winning Broadway hit inspires everyone to fight for what's right and seize the day.
The Brothers Grimm hit the stage with an epic fairytale about wishes, family and the choices we make.
Disney's Beauty and the Beast
"Be Our Guest!" The Academy Award-winning film comes to life in this romantic and beloved take on the classic fairytale.
Feed the need for musical hilarity with this delicious sci-fi smash about a man-eating plant.
Les Misérables School Edition
Winner of over 100 international awards and seen by over 70 million, this musical phenomenon is an epic tale of passion and redemption in the throes of revolution.
Harvard's beloved blonde takes the stage by pink storm in this fun, upbeat story of self-discovery.
Seussical
Everyone's favorite ogre is back in the hilarious stage spectacle based on the Oscar-winning, smash hit film.
MTI Acquires Worldwide Licensing Rights to She Persisted, The Musical
MTI welcomes the new musical about some of America's most fearless women!
Freddie G Fellow
Freddie G Focus: Lāna'i Academy of Performing Arts
The Freddie G Fellowship made a huge difference for the Lāna'i Academy of Performing Arts
JTF 2020!
Make way for JTF 2020!
We are counting down the days until the 2020 Junior Theater Festival!
Read Disney's Moana JR. For Free Ahead of January 23rd General Release!
Read the pre-perusal for Disney's Moana JR. ahead of it's January 23rd general release!
2019 Year in Review: How Do You Measure a Year?
Celebrating an incredible year of musical theater at MTI.
@mtishows
Wildfish Theatre (Houston TX) brought the house down with "Oh Bless the Lord, My Soul" from #GodspellJR at… t.co/WVFbM3enMv
Let's hear it for the #JTF Tech Olympics! @JTFestival t.co/3gzSrl0AEp
@wcsMCMSai BRAVO
RT @wcsMCMSai: Mill Creek Musical Theatre wins Outstanding Performance at The Junior Theatre Festival in Atlanta, Ga. They will be… t.co/blNKto6tdX
RT @rrokicks: This little girl said this today & I... I mean 😭. “In real life when there are shadows you have to turn away so the… t.co/fKbPlXvwQ9
Wow Miss Erin Keeny is epic@as The Witch! Thanks for the incredible photo @jenheimphoto #regram *** Shot Into the Woods for Central High School tonight! Kids did fantastic, set looks stunning, and costumes are perfection!! #ihsmtahopeful #theaterphotography #livetheatre #stagephotography Miss Erin Keeny as The Witch #intothewoods #mtishows
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49th Shelf Browse by Category New Books Book Lists Blog
Search Books… Books Reading Lists Authors Publishers Blog
Find your next great Canadian read
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edition:eBook
also available: Hardcover
publisher: Dundurn
imprint: Thomas Allen Publishers
Flight of the Patriot
Escape from Revolutionary Iran
by Yadollah Sharifirad
personal memoirs, iran
This is a gripping, page-turning memoir of a US-trained Iranian fighter pilot who flew in the Shah of Iran’s and the Ayatollah Khomeini’s air force.
Sharifirad was shot down in the Iraqi-Iranian war in the early 1990s. Saved by a group of local Kurds, he returned to Iran where he became a national hero. A movie, called Eagles, based on his rescue, was made in Iran in 1984. Sharifirad’s story was also published in Iran in a book called Crash on the Fortieth Mission. Shortly after his return to Iran, the Ayatollah sent him to Pakistan as military attaché. When he returned toTeheran, he was accused of being a CIA spy and was imprisoned, interrogated, and tortured. Sharifirad served a prison term and upon his release, despite constant surveillance, managed to smuggle his family out of the country. Eventually, he too managed a harrowing escape from Iran via Turkey to Canada, where he now lives with his family in Vancouver.
The book also provides an absorbing historical and cultural backdrop to Iran.
Yadollah Sharifirad
Yadi Sharifirad was a Colonel and Squadron Commander fighter pilot in the Iranian Air Force in the 1970s and early 1980s. After being imprisoned and tortured, he eventually escaped Iran with his family and now lives in Vancouver.
Author profile page >
I strongly recommend this book to those who want to learn more about Iran.
— Globe and Mail
...an extraordinary story...Sharifirad's description of his year in prison is harrowing. His raw, moment-to-moment style brings readers right into the room as he is interrogated, tortured, and left to rot...
— Courier, Vancouver
...Sharifirad has written a very personal account of life under a totalitarian regime. Translating his experiences to millions of Chinese, North Koreans, Cubans, Syrians and Thais can help those who live in freedom to appreciate it more fully.
— Winnipeg Free Press
Buy this book at:
Buy the e-book:
Sign Up or Sign In to add your review or comment.
Reading Lists Featuring “Flight of the Patriot”
Canadian Books About Iran
By [Kerry Clare]
Browse Book Lists
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Copyright © 2020 49th Shelf. All Rights Reserved. 49th Shelf is produced by the Association of Canadian Publishers in association with the Canadian Publishers’ Council, and with financial support from the Department of Canadian Heritage and Ontario Creates.
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Thomas Green1
M, #16460, b. circa April 1756, d. April 1819
Birth* circa April 1756� Thomas Green was born circa April 1756.2�
Marriage Bann 2 April 1780� Marriage banns for Thomas Green and Ann Birchall were published on 2 April 1780 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .3�
Marriage Bann 16 April 1780� Marriage banns for Thomas Green and Ann Birchall were published on 16 April 1780 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .3�
Marriage* 16 May 1780� Thomas Green married Ann Birchall on 16 May 1780 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .3�
Death* April 1819� Thomas Green died in April 1819 at Croft, Lancashire, England, .2�
Burial* 25 April 1819� He was buried on 25 April 1819 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .2�
Ann Birchall b. c Apr 1756, d. Jun 1823
Betty Green4 b. 3 Apr 1781
Catharine Green5 b. 18 Apr 1783
Richard Green6 b. 9 Nov 1785
George Green+7 b. 13 Apr 1788
Jonathan Green+1 b. 23 Aug 1790
Betty Green8 b. 6 Feb 1793, d. Nov 1819
Phillip Green9 b. 5 Jun 1795, d. Apr 1796
[S277] Baptisms, BVRI, GREEN, Jonathan Christening
Birth Date: 23 Aug 1790
Christening Date: 17 Sep 1790 Recorded in: Winwick, Lancashire, England
Father: Thos. GREEN
Source: FHL Film 1655876 Dates: 1777 - 1798.
[S1088] Website Lancashire OPC (http://www.lan-opc.org.uk) "Burial: 25 Apr 1819 St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England
Thomas Green -
Abode: Croft
Buried by: Gs. Chippindall, Curate
Register: Burials 1813 - 1837, Page 131, Entry 1044
Source: LDS Film 1885711."
[S1088] Website Lancashire OPC (http://www.lan-opc.org.uk) "Marriage: 16 May 1780 St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England
Thomas Green - (X), this Parish
Ann Birchall - (X), this Parish
Witness: Robert Cross; Peter Smith
Banns Read: 2 Apr 1780, 2nd: 9 Apr 1780, 3rd: 16 Apr 1780
Married by Banns by: B Banner Curate
Register: Marriages 1766 - 1812, Page 262, Entry 2579
[S277] Baptisms, BVRI, GREEN, Betty Christening
Birth Date: 3 Apr 1781
Christening Date: 22 Apr 1781 Recorded in: Winwick, Lancashire, England
[S277] Baptisms, BVRI, GREEN, Catharine Christening
Birth Date: 18 Apr 1783
Christening Date: 2 May 1783 Recorded in: Winwick, Lancashire, England
[S277] Baptisms, BVRI, GREEN, Richard Christening
Birth Date: 9 Nov 1785
Christening Date: 2 Dec 1785 Recorded in: Winwick, Lancashire, England
Father: Thomas GREEN
[S277] Baptisms, BVRI, GREEN, George Christening
Birth Date: 6 Feb 1793
Christening Date: 1 Mar 1793 Recorded in: Winwick, Lancashire, England
[S277] Baptisms, BVRI, GREEN, Phillip Christening
Birth Date: 5 Jun 1795
Christening Date: 17 Jul 1795 Recorded in: Winwick, Lancashire, England
Betty Green1
F, #16461, b. 3 April 1781
Father Thomas Green1 b. c Apr 1756, d. Apr 1819
Mother Ann Birchall2 b. c Apr 1756, d. Jun 1823
Birth* 3 April 1781� Betty Green was born on 3 April 1781 at Croft, Lancashire, England, .1�
Baptism 22 April 1781� She was baptised on 22 April 1781 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .1�
Catharine Green1
F, #16462, b. 18 April 1783
Birth* 18 April 1783� Catharine Green was born on 18 April 1783 at Croft, Lancashire, England, .1�
Baptism 2 May 1783� She was baptised on 2 May 1783 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .1�
Richard Green1
M, #16463, b. 9 November 1785
Birth* 9 November 1785� Richard Green was born on 9 November 1785 at Croft, Lancashire, England, .1�
Baptism 2 December 1785� He was baptised on 2 December 1785 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .1�
George Green1
M, #16464, b. 13 April 1788
Birth* 13 April 1788� George Green was born on 13 April 1788 at Croft, Lancashire, England, .1,3�
Baptism 2 May 1788� He was baptised on 2 May 1788 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .1�
Marriage* 1 March 1813� He married Ann Mains on 1 March 1813 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .3,4�
Census 1841* 6 June 1841� He was listed as head of household in the 1841 census at Mill Houses, Croft, Lancashire, England, .5�
Occupation 7 June 1841� George Green was a silk weaver on 7 June 1841.5�
Occupation 21 June 1841� He was a weaver on 21 June 1841.6�
Occupation* 30 March 1851� He was a silk weaver on 30 March 1851.3�
Census 1851* 30 March 1851� He was listed as head of household in the 1851 census at Barracks Cottages, Croft, Lancashire, England, .3�
Ann Mains b. bt 31 Mar 1791 - 30 Mar 1792
Catherine Green3,7 b. 4 Jul 1813
Thomas Green8 b. 4 Dec 1815
John Green9 b. 5 Nov 1818
Elizabeth Green10 b. 9 Jun 1822
James Green11 b. 6 Nov 1825
Anne Green12 b. 10 Mar 1826
Mary Green13 b. 10 Mar 1826
James Green14 b. 13 Jun 1831
Charlotte Green6 b. 15 Jun 1841
[S40] UK National Census for 1851 for UK, "HO 107/2202 f195 p20 55."
[S116] BMD Transcript, St Oswald (Winwick), 1813-1841 "1813 Mar 1 George Green & Ann x Mains w= Thomas Higginson, TW."
[S76] UK National Census for 1841 for UK, "HO 107/524/15 f10a 13."
[S1088] Website Lancashire OPC (http://www.lan-opc.org.uk) "Baptism: 21 Jun 1841 Christ Church, Croft, Lancashire, England
Charlotte Green - Daur of George Green
Born: 15 Jun 1841
Occupation: Weaver
Notes: [No Mothers Name] At Winwick Recd 2 Sep 1841
Baptised by: Thos P Kirkman Curate
Register: Baptisms 1833 - 1905, Page 27, Entry 216
Birth Date: 4 Jul 1813
Christening Date: 1 Aug 1813 Recorded in: Winwick, Lancashire, England
Father: George GREEN
Mother: Ann
[S277] Baptisms, BVRI, GREEN, Thomas Christening
Birth Date: 4 Dec 1815
Christening Date: 7 Jan 1816 Recorded in: Winwick, Lancashire, England
[S277] Baptisms, BVRI, GREEN, John Christening
[S277] Baptisms, BVRI, GREEN, Elizabeth Christening
[S277] Baptisms, BVRI, GREEN, James Christening
Christening Date: 25 Nov 1825 Recorded in: Winwick, Lancashire, England
[S277] Baptisms, BVRI, GREEN, Anne Christening
Birth Date: 10 Mar 1826
Mother: Anne
[S277] Baptisms, BVRI, GREEN, Mary Christening
Birth Date: 13 Jun 1831
Christening Date: 16 Oct 1831 Recorded in: Winwick, Lancashire, England
F, #16465, b. 6 February 1793, d. November 1819
Birth* 6 February 1793� Betty Green was born on 6 February 1793 at Croft, Lancashire, England, .1�
Baptism 1 March 1793� She was baptised on 1 March 1793 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .1�
Death* November 1819� She died in November 1819 at age 26.2�
Burial* 8 November 1819� She was buried on 8 November 1819 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .2�
[S1088] Website Lancashire OPC (http://www.lan-opc.org.uk) "Burial: 8 Nov 1819 St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England
Betty Green - Daughter of Thomas Green & Ann
Phillip Green1
M, #16466, b. 5 June 1795, d. April 1796
Birth* 5 June 1795� Phillip Green was born on 5 June 1795 at Croft, Lancashire, England, .1�
Baptism 17 July 1795� He was baptised on 17 July 1795 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .1�
Death* April 1796� He died in April 1796 at Croft, Lancashire, England, .3�
Phillip Green - son of Thomas Green
Register: Burials 1777 - 1806, Page 107, Entry 12
Ralph Darbyshire1
Sarah Darbyshire+1 b. bt 8 Apr 1830 - 7 Apr 1831
[S277] Baptisms, BVRI, GREEN, Samuel Age: FULL Marriage
Wife: Sarah DARBYSHIRE Age: FULL
Marriage Date: 4 Dec 1851 Recorded in: Winwick, Lancashire, England
Husband's Father: Jonathan GREEN
Wife's Father: Ralph DARBYSHIRE
Source: FHL Film Dates: 1841 - 1906.
Elizabeth (?)1
F, #16468, b. between 31 March 1787 and 30 March 1788
Birth* between 31 March 1787 and 30 March 1788� Elizabeth (?) was born between 31 March 1787 and 30 March 1788 at Warrington, Lancashire, England, .2�
Marriage* � She married Richard Green.�
Married Name � Her married name was Green.�
Census 1851* 30 March 1851� She was listed as the wife of Richard Green in the 1851 census at Heath Lane, Croft, Lancashire, England, .2,3�
Richard Green b. bt 31 Mar 1788 - 30 Mar 1789
Martha Green4 b. 11 Sep 1814
Mary Green5 b. 19 Apr 1816
Elizabeth Green6 b. 4 Apr 1818
Alice Green7 b. 13 Feb 1820
Joseph Green+8 b. 13 Jun 1822, d. 15 Feb 1883
Charlotte Green9 b. 5 May 1824
Richard Green10 b. 28 Aug 1826
Ellen Green11 b. 26 Jul 1828
Isaac Green+1 b. 22 Jul 1830, d. b 19 Feb 1886
[S277] Baptisms, BVRI, GREEN, Isaac Christening
Birth Date: 22 Jul 1830
Father: Richard GREEN
Mother: Elizabeth
[S40] UK National Census for 1851 for UK, "HO 107/2202 f216a p17 63."
[S277] Baptisms, BVRI, GREEN, Martha Christening
Birth Date: 11 Sep 1814
Christening Date: 31 May 1816 Recorded in: Winwick, Lancashire, England
[S277] Baptisms, BVRI, GREEN, Alice Christening
Christening Date: 17 Mar 1820 Recorded in: Winwick, Lancashire, England
[S277] Baptisms, BVRI, GREEN, Joseph Christening
[S277] Baptisms, BVRI, GREEN, Charlotte Christening
Birth Date: 5 May 1824
Christening Date: 18 Jun 1824 Recorded in: Winwick, Lancashire, England
Christening Date: 8 Oct 1826 Recorded in: Winwick, Lancashire, England
[S277] Baptisms, BVRI, GREEN, Ellen Christening
Christening Date: 31 Aug 1828 Recorded in: Winwick, Lancashire, England
Martha Green1
F, #16469, b. 11 September 1814
Father Richard Green1 b. bt 31 Mar 1788 - 30 Mar 1789
Mother Elizabeth (?)1 b. bt 31 Mar 1787 - 30 Mar 1788
Birth* 11 September 1814� Martha Green was born on 11 September 1814.1�
Baptism 21 October 1814� She was baptised on 21 October 1814 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .1�
Mary Green1
Birth* 19 April 1816� Mary Green was born on 19 April 1816.1�
Baptism 31 May 1816� She was baptised on 31 May 1816 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .1�
Elizabeth Green1
Birth* 4 April 1818� Elizabeth Green was born on 4 April 1818.1�
Alice Green1
F, #16472, b. 13 February 1820
Birth* 13 February 1820� Alice Green was born on 13 February 1820.1�
Baptism 17 March 1820� She was baptised on 17 March 1820 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .1�
Joseph Green1
Birth* 13 June 1822� Joseph Green was born on 13 June 1822 at Houghton, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .1,2�
Marriage* � He married Mary (?)2�
Occupation 30 March 1851� Joseph Green was a handloom weaver (silk) on 30 March 1851.3�
Census 1851* 30 March 1851� He was listed as head of household in the 1851 census at Heath Lane, Croft, Lancashire, England, .3�
Occupation 3 March 1861� He was a weaver on 3 March 1861.4�
Occupation* 7 April 1861� He was a game keeper on 7 April 1861.2�
Census 1861* 7 April 1861� He was listed as head of household in the 1861 census at Heath Lane, Croft, Lancashire, England, .2�
Occupation 1 June 1862� He was a labourer on 1 June 1862.5�
Death* 15 February 1883� He died on 15 February 1883 at Croft, Lancashire, England, , at age 60.6�
Burial* 19 February 1883� He was buried on 19 February 1883 at Christ Church, Croft, Lancashire, England, .6�
Mary (?) b. bt 8 Apr 1823 - 7 Apr 1824
Lucy Green2 b. bt 8 Apr 1846 - 1 Sep 1846, d. 1 Sep 1883
Louisa Green3 b. bt 31 Mar 1849 - 30 Mar 1850
Lewis Green7,4 b. 16 Jan 1857
Henry Green8,5 b. 21 Mar 1862
[S47] UK National Census for 1861 for UK, "RG9/2789 f32a p10 54."
[S1088] Website Lancashire OPC (http://www.lan-opc.org.uk) "Baptism: 1 Mar 1857 Christ Church, Croft, Lancashire, England
Lewis Green - Son of Joseph Green & Mary
Born: 16 Jan 1857
Notes: [Rector Wrote Last After Birth Date]
Baptised by: Thos P Kirkman Rector
[S1088] Website Lancashire OPC (http://www.lan-opc.org.uk) "Baptism: 1 Jun 1862 Christ Church, Croft, Lancashire, England
Henry Green - Son of Joseph Green & Mary
Born: 21 Mar 1862
Occupation: Labourer
[S34] J R Bulmer BA ed. Christ Church MI "p27."
[S277] Baptisms, BVRI, GREEN, Lewis Christening
Christening Date: 1 Mar 1857 Recorded in: Southworth with Croft, Lancashire, England
Collection: BTs
Father: Joseph GREEN
Mother: Mary
[S277] Baptisms, BVRI, GREEN, Henry Christening
Christening Date: 1 Jun 1862 Recorded in: Southworth with Croft, Lancashire, England
Charlotte Green1
F, #16474, b. 5 May 1824
Birth* 5 May 1824� Charlotte Green was born on 5 May 1824 at Myddleton, Lancashire, England, .1,2�
Baptism 18 June 1824� She was baptised on 18 June 1824 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .1�
(Daughter) Census 1851 30 March 1851� She was listed as the daughter of Richard Green in the 1851 census at Heath Lane, Croft, Lancashire, England, .2,3�
Occupation* 30 March 1851� Charlotte Green was a silk winder on 30 March 1851.2�
M, #16475, b. 28 August 1826
Birth* 28 August 1826� Richard Green was born on 28 August 1826.1�
Baptism 8 October 1826� He was baptised on 8 October 1826 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .1�
Ellen Green1
F, #16476, b. 26 July 1828
Birth* 26 July 1828� Ellen Green was born on 26 July 1828 at Croft, Lancashire, England, .1,2�
Baptism 31 August 1828� She was baptised on 31 August 1828 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .1�
Occupation* 30 March 1851� Ellen Green was a handloom weaver (silk) on 30 March 1851.3�
Hannah Ikin1
F, #16477, b. between 8 April 1850 and 7 April 1851
Birth* between 8 April 1850 and 7 April 1851� Hannah Ikin was born between 8 April 1850 and 7 April 1851 at Warrington, Lancashire, England, .1�
Census 1861* 7 April 1861� She was listed as the wife of Samuel Green in the 1861 census at Fowley Common, Culcheth, Lancashire, England, .1�
Occupation* 7 April 1861� Hannah Ikin was a nurse on 7 April 1861.1�
[S47] UK National Census for 1861 for UK, "RG9/2801 f111a p20 118."
James Green1
M, #16478, b. between 31 March 1841 and 30 March 1842
Father Alice Green2
Birth* between 31 March 1841 and 30 March 1842� James Green was born between 31 March 1841 and 30 March 1842 at Croft, Lancashire, England, .1�
Baptism 21 November 1841� He was baptised on 21 November 1841 at Christ Church, Croft, Lancashire, England, .2�
(Grandson) Census 1851 30 March 1851� He was listed as the grandson of Richard Green in the 1851 census at Heath Lane, Croft, Lancashire, England, .3,1�
Occupation* 30 March 1851� James Green was a sunday scholar on 30 March 1851.1�
[S1088] Website Lancashire OPC (http://www.lan-opc.org.uk) "Baptism: 21 Nov 1841 Christ Church, Croft, Lancashire, England
James Green - Son of Alice Green
Notes: Bastd
John Spibey1
Birth* between 31 March 1825 and 30 March 1826� John Spibey was born between 31 March 1825 and 30 March 1826 at Aston, Cheshire, England, .1�
(Lodger) Census 1851 30 March 1851� He was listed as a lodger in the household of Richard Green in the 1851 census at Heath Lane, Croft, Lancashire, England, .2,1�
Occupation* 30 March 1851� John Spibey was a tyle maker on 30 March 1851.1�
John Swindell1
Occupation* � John Swindell was a grocer.1�
Ann Swindells+1 b. bt 8 Apr 1821 - 30 Mar 1822
[S796] E-mails from Enid Hill to Alan Bennett, July 2006 "unknown cd."
Ann Mains1,2
Birth* between 31 March 1791 and 30 March 1792� Ann Mains was born between 31 March 1791 and 30 March 1792 at Croft, Lancashire, England, .1�
Marriage* 1 March 1813� She married George Green, son of Thomas Green and Ann Birchall, on 1 March 1813 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .1,2�
Married Name 1 March 1813� As of 1 March 1813,her married name was Green.1,2�
Census 1841* 6 June 1841� She was listed as a member of the household of George Green in the 1841 census at Mill Houses, Croft, Lancashire, England, .3�
Census 1851* 30 March 1851� She was listed as the wife of George Green in the 1851 census at Barracks Cottages, Croft, Lancashire, England, .1�
George Green b. 13 Apr 1788
Elizabeth Green7 b. 9 Jun 1822
James Green8 b. 6 Nov 1825
Anne Green9 b. 10 Mar 1826
Charlotte Green b. 15 Jun 1841
Catherine Green1
F, #16482, b. 4 July 1813
Father George Green1,2 b. 13 Apr 1788
Mother Ann Mains1,2 b. bt 31 Mar 1791 - 30 Mar 1792
Birth* 4 July 1813� Catherine Green was born on 4 July 1813 at Croft, Lancashire, England, .1,2�
Baptism 1 August 1813� She was baptised on 1 August 1813 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .2�
(Member Of Household) Census 1841 6 June 1841� She was listed as a member of the household of George Green in the 1841 census at Mill Houses, Croft, Lancashire, England, .3�
(Daughter) Census 1851 30 March 1851� She was listed as the daughter of George Green in the 1851 census at Barracks Cottages, Croft, Lancashire, England, .1�
Occupation* 30 March 1851� Catherine Green was a silk weaver on 30 March 1851.1�
M, #16483, b. 4 December 1815
Father George Green1 b. 13 Apr 1788
Mother Ann Mains1 b. bt 31 Mar 1791 - 30 Mar 1792
Birth* 4 December 1815� Thomas Green was born on 4 December 1815.1�
Baptism 7 January 1816� He was baptised on 7 January 1816 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .1�
Birth* 5 November 1818� John Green was born on 5 November 1818.1�
(Member Of Household) Census 1841 6 June 1841� He was listed as a member of the household of George Green in the 1841 census at Mill Houses, Croft, Lancashire, England, .2�
F, #16485, b. 9 June 1822
Birth* 9 June 1822� Elizabeth Green was born on 9 June 1822.1�
Baptism 28 July 1822� She was baptised on 28 July 1822 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .1�
Birth* 6 November 1825� James Green was born on 6 November 1825.1�
Baptism 25 November 1825� He was baptised on 25 November 1825 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .1�
Anne Green1
F, #16487, b. 10 March 1826
Birth* 10 March 1826� Anne Green was born on 10 March 1826.1�
Birth* 10 March 1826� Mary Green was born on 10 March 1826.1�
M, #16489, b. 13 June 1831
Birth* 13 June 1831� James Green was born on 13 June 1831.1�
Baptism 16 October 1831� He was baptised on 16 October 1831 at St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England, .1�
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Jamal Islam
Born February 24, 1939
Birthplace Bangladesh
Zodiac sign Pisces
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Theoretical physics professor at the University of Chittagong who won the Bangladesh Academy of Science Gold Award in 1985. In his long career he authored, coauthored, or edited more than 50 scientific articles and books.
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He was a winner of the Ekushey Padak Award in 2001.
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Born on February 24
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More February 24 Birthdays More Pisces Born In Bangladesh
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← Law #1
Doing the Impossible →
D&D Stats in Simple Language
I’ve heard a lot of interpretations of ability scores. The most common of these is “Charisma correlates strongly to good looks”, which is incorrect and tends to irritate players of low-Charisma characters, but anytime there’s something the stats don’t cover explicitly (like weight and build), we try to draw conclusions about them based on the hard numbers we have. The problem is that this still leave a lot to interpretation. What’s the actual strength difference between a person who can lift 80 pounds and a person who can lift 100 pounds? How tough is a bard with Constitution of 14, really? What does it mean for my character when I roll poorly and have to drive the 3-Charisma barbarian?
I put together this list a few years ago to try to put this in simple language. Below are some quick descriptions of every stat, from 1 (a modifier of -5, or as low as a character can get without being undead or a construct) to 25 (a modifier of +7, or as high as a PHB character can get without magic):
1 (–5): Morbidly weak, has significant trouble lifting own limbs
2-3 (–4): Needs help to stand, can be knocked over by strong breezes
4-5 (–3): Knocked off balance by swinging something dense
6-7 (–2): Difficulty pushing an object of their weight
8-9 (–1): Has trouble even lifting heavy objects
10-11 (0): Can literally pull their own weight
12-13 (1): Carries heavy objects for short distances
14-15 (2): Visibly toned, throws small objects for long distances
16-17 (3): Carries heavy objects with one arm
18-19 (4): Can break objects like wood with bare hands
20-21 (5): Able to out-wrestle a work animal or catch a falling person
22-23 (6): Can pull very heavy objects at appreciable speeds
24-25 (7): Pinnacle of brawn, able to out-lift several people
1 (–5): Barely mobile, probably significantly paralyzed
2-3 (–4): Incapable of moving without noticeable effort or pain
4-5 (–3): Visible paralysis or physical difficulty
6-7 (–2): Significant klutz or very slow to react
8-9 (–1): Somewhat slow, occasionally trips over own feet
10-11 (0): Capable of usually catching a small tossed object
12-13 (1): Able to often hit large targets
14-15 (2): Can catch or dodge a medium-speed surprise projectile
16-17 (3): Able to often hit small targets
18-19 (4): Light on feet, able to often hit small moving targets
20-21 (5): Graceful, able to flow from one action into another easily
22-23 (6): Very graceful, capable of dodging a number of thrown objects
24-25 (7): Moves like water, reacting to all situations with almost no effort
1 (–5): Minimal immune system, body reacts violently to anything foreign
2-3 (–4): Frail, suffers frequent broken bones
4-5 (–3): Bruises very easily, knocked out by a light punch
6-7 (–2): Unusually prone to disease and infection
8-9 (–1): Easily winded, incapable of a full day’s hard labor
10-11 (0): Occasionally contracts mild sicknesses
12-13 (1): Can take a few hits before being knocked unconscious
14-15 (2): Able to labor for twelve hours most days
16-17 (3): Easily shrugs off most illnesses
18-19 (4): Able to stay awake for days on end
20-21 (5): Very difficult to wear down, almost never feels fatigue
22-23 (6): Never gets sick, even to the most virulent diseases
24-25 (7): Tireless paragon of physical endurance
1 (–5): Animalistic, no longer capable of logic or reason
2-3 (–4): Barely able to function, very limited speech and knowledge
4-5 (–3): Often resorts to charades to express thoughts
6-7 (–2): Often misuses and mispronounces words
8-9 (–1): Has trouble following trains of thought, forgets most unimportant things
10-11 (0): Knows what they need to know to get by
12-13 (1): Knows a bit more than is necessary, fairly logical
14-15 (2): Able to do math or solve logic puzzles mentally with reasonable accuracy
16-17 (3): Fairly intelligent, able to understand new tasks quickly
18-19 (4): Very intelligent, may invent new processes or uses for knowledge
20-21 (5): Highly knowledgeable, probably the smartest person many people know
22-23 (6): Able to make Holmesian leaps of logic
24-25 (7): Famous as a sage and genius
1 (–5): Seemingly incapable of thought, barely aware
2-3 (–4): Rarely notices important or prominent items, people, or occurrences
4-5 (–3): Seemingly incapable of forethought
6-7 (–2): Often fails to exert common sense
8-9 (–1): Forgets or opts not to consider options before taking action
10-11 (0): Makes reasoned decisions most of the time
12-13 (1): Able to tell when a person is upset
14-15 (2): Can get hunches about a situation that doesn’t feel right
16-17 (3): Reads people and situations fairly well
18-19 (4): Often used as a source of wisdom or decider of actions
20-21 (5): Reads people and situations very well, almost unconsciously
22-23 (6): Can tell minute differences among many situations
24-25 (7): Nearly prescient, able to reason far beyond logic
1 (–5): Barely conscious, incredibly tactless and non-empathetic
2-3 (–4): Minimal independent thought, relies heavily on others to think instead
4-5 (–3): Has trouble thinking of others as people
6-7 (–2): Terribly reticent, uninteresting, or rude
8-9 (–1): Something of a bore or makes people mildly uncomfortable
10-11 (0): Capable of polite conversation
12-13 (1): Mildly interesting, knows what to say to the right people
14-15 (2): Interesting, knows what to say to most people
16-17 (3): Popular, receives greetings and conversations on the street
18-19 (4): Immediately likeable by many people, subject of favorable talk
20-21 (5): Life of the party, able to keep people entertained for hours
22-23 (6): Immediately likeable by almost everybody
24-25 (7): Renowned for wit, personality, and/or looks
This really isn’t valid for 4th-Edition though. For one thing, the minimum you can get is 4th is a score of 3, and the minimum the system wants you to have is 8 since it discouraging rolling for stats at all. On top of that, the maximum is 30, and I’m not entirely sure where you can go from the capstones above. Stats also (always) scale with level and there are no magical ways to modify them, so it feel more like the ability scores are shoved to the back end of the character sheet, used in other calculations but meaningless for an actual description of a character.
Edit: Given the popularity of this post, it’s been retroactively extended with additional analysis in two parts:
What Measure is an 18?
The Definition of Charisma
This entry was posted in DMing, Gaming Systems and tagged D&D 3.5E, D&D 3E, Pathfinder. Bookmark the permalink.
74 Responses to D&D Stats in Simple Language
Not sure how often you check these, but just wanted to thank you for this list. I’ve been looking for something like this since I started playing P&P games.
Is this just your personal interpretation and/or elaboration of descriptions provided in PHBs? Or adapted from another work?
MssngrDeath says:
I made it up, using brain thinking. I don’t expect that it’s a perfect definitive list, and I know a few players and DMs who would rather think of low-Charisma characters as simply ugly but otherwise entirely playable.
Dimir says:
Most of the time Charisma is how good with people someone is. considering revising the lower levels of this to reflect inaptitude of basic sociatal standards, such as “Please” and “Thank you,” however, this guide is highly accurate on all other accounts.
I think that was implied in “able to hold a polite conversation.” as being the threshold of what you are talking about with “please and thank you.”
Stormbow says:
This is actually not a good representation as it doesn’t take into account what previous editions of D&D have told us, what Dragon magazine has explained, and is very much this author’s personal opinion on the subject without admitting to such.
The author gives almost all baseball players an 18-19 DEX. That alone should be a huge red flag to anyone that knows anything at all about baseball…
You may be interested in the follow-up “In Defense of D&D Stats in Simple Language: What Measure is an 18?”, where I explicitly say that this is not relevant to other versions of D&D and explain why. There’s a link to it at the end of this post.
I think it’s wisest to not get into a discussion on the canonicity of Dragon magazine.
Assuming we have the same definitions of “often”, “small”, and “moving”, I’m not surprised that professional baseball players have high stats. Their job is to be at peak physical ability specifically in the context of hitting and throwing small, fast-moving objects. An ordinary person who has no training, experience, or equipment would need a Dex of 18 or 19 to compete with them. Ability scores are not the only thing that goes into a character.
yeson says:
they practice daily to do that, it’s their job.
A prof. bonus of 2-3 makes up for the possible gap, but he’s right, they are peak physical.
Jerry Allen says:
The lack of “success” in hitting in Major League Baseball is more due to good pitching rather than poor hitting. Not only that, but hitting the ball isn’t that difficult, it’s htting it well enough to get on base that is.
I thought it would be funny to put my group’s stats in. This is how the people of Faerun see them;
Derrik – Derrik is a slightly shorter than most dwarf with wavy black hair, pale skin, and brown eyes. He’s a bit on the skinny side, and could manage to put on a couple pounds. However, what weight Derrik has, is tied into his muscles, as he is visibly toned. He would be a bit most of a lady-killer if he wasn’t quite so clumsy, and was better with polite conversation (And the need to constantly be nude). He tends to have an average amount of common sense, though he can read people and situations better than most.
Aemon – Aemon is a normal human. He’s fairly average, though with a set of love handles. His stunning blue-green eyes, and warm brown hair makes up for this. His stunning smile tends to pull people into conversations with him, and makes women give him a second look. Occasionally, he makes a good decision… not where women are involved, though! He seems to turn into putty around them! Which is kind of surprising, because he’s a decently well-read guy. I saw him in a bar fight once, and he was barely holding his own… until he tripped on his shoelace.
Lara – Lara is a very pretty red-headed pixie. For being so tiny and frail, I was surprised how fast she was when someone threw a rock at her! She was panting pretty hard after that short zip, but she didn’t seem very angry. She realized that it was just a few kids playing and they didn’t mean to hurt her. So she just gave them a lecture on how to be more aware of their surroundings next time.
Xzilliana – For being a half-orc, her gray skin, black hair, and light blue eyes make her quite stunning. People seem willing to talk to her when they won’t talk to other orcs. She seems like a salt of the earth kind of girl, and likes to talk about simpler things. She was just getting over a cold when I met her, so I was surprised when she was able to catch a runaway pig with just one arm!
If these are true… I, and many people I know, have a stat buy in the 75-100 range. If this is the classification you use for stats, your world is very heavily skewed towards power. We definitely use the much older and much less “power creeped” stat explanations of third edition and earlier.
No..yours is skewed..I have been using the 1-3 edition for over 20 years and these descriptions are correct, you aren’t supposed to even have a stat over 20 when creating a new Chr.also depending on the race, you shouldn’t even have a stat above 10. Only with experience can you get to 100 unless you are cheating or creating new chrs at a much higher level.
Ash (I know you are unlikely to read this as it’s been a couple years, but anywho…) If you played 1-3rd editions, then you would know that (especially in 1st and 2nd) *any* stat at 19 or higher was completely superhuman. Individuals with INT:18, for example, were among the smartest people in the world; those with 19 or 20 were understood to have cognitive processes beyond human ability. The OP’s examples in his lists skew too high (going up to 25, as if 25 even in 3.0/3.5 were stats that any conventional human(oid) would ever have sans magic or being a non-standard race — like the PC-stat’d centaurs, who could start with STR:26-28 if they rolled well) relative to a number of values. He has it right in a number of examples, but the scaling goes off-mark in several places (particularly, for example, his descriptor of “fairly intelligent” for INT:16-17 — that stat range allows a person to easily apply-and-be-accepted to MENSA, as well as have a genius level IQ well above the real-world 142-148, per some examples cited in Dragon over the years). You might want to re-check *your* take on things relative to the discussion…
Uh, you realize the GODS don’t go above 25? by second edition standards this one heavily underrestimates what stats mean.
20 would be a good indicator of super genius, 25 would mean something like “one of the smartest people that will ever live in this or any other universe”
Nope: the “stat buy” reference was in terms of overall point costs for the stats, not the ratings themselves. (They weren’t citing a *score* of 75-100, but rather a *point buy* range/cost of that, which is entirely possible as it would cost over 100 pts in the buy systems to have 18s in all stats, let alone have deity level stats up to 25, or 30 in 5e… or 40/50+ in 3.0/3.5…)
Point of order: gods in 3E bottomed out at 26 for all stats. The only exception I recall is Garl Glittergold, who had a Strength of 24 but gnomes have a Strength penalty so I’m not surprised.
JudgeX says:
Great list… coming from an older D&D tradition, I tend to think of scores greater than 18 as where they start becoming super human… but still, a very great list that jives quite well with post 2nd edition rules :).
Goglutin says:
I do not agree with this description.
Of course this depend of the edition but still… humans stats should range from to 3 to 20 for starting characters (depending editions). But they are HEROES. A normal human is between 8 to 12 for most of his stats. 5 (or less) is for a deficient and 17 (or more) for a prodigy.
I see it so that a base of 9-11 is average for a human but it goes exponential whether you go up or down… 16 STRENGTH is like my brother who is able to lift 100 pounds of a bench 10 times without being too much tired (he’s not a super human but he’s trained and, you’d be better avoid a punch from him) while having 4 charisma is having literally no manners enough so that everyone avoids you (burping and farting loudly in public as an example)!
Yes..but consider cross race or combined race which when creating gives an natural + to initial stat rolls.
Scarsh says:
I like this description. I’m still a bit of a n00b at D&D, and have never DM’ed before, (in fact, I’m pretty sure I suck at D&D lingo), but I’m trying to make my own campaign, and this is going to help a lot, especially since I’m adding my own new race, the Shadelings, and have only 1st edition reference guides, like Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual 2 and Faerie Mound of Dragonkind. The way Shadelings are initially, they would be like this, from an outside perspective –
I was sitting in the local tavern one evening, writing my weekly report for the construction of a new house and I saw a small hooded figure sitting at a table in the corner, eating alone. I shrugged her off as a simple Halfling, or maybe a Dwarf. I returned to my task, and after a fair while, reached for my coin purse to pay for my meal, and noticed it was missing. I looked around the room to see who would have taken it. I noticed the hooded person grinning, still in the corner, and she held up my money and waved it lightly. I walked over to her and told her angrily that theft would not be tolerated, and she replied with “I don’t care. Go bother someone else, and avoid this particular Shadeling from now on. Oh, and watch your back,”. She then proceeded to kick my leg. Then, as angry as I was, I swung my fist at her, but she seemed to disappear, in nothing more than a blur. I heard the sound of leather being cut, and my trousers fell to the ground, my belt cut. I turned around and saw her running through the door.
This is nice, and it was obviously a lot of work, but hate to say I think you are underestimating the stats.
Mind you that I’m primarily familiar with D&D 1st edition, AD&D, and passingly only with third edition. That said, a bit of historical reference can be a benefit. D&D (original) limited every stat to a range of 3-18 (human). AD&D introduced stats from 19 – 25, but only for supernatural beings and giants.
In the original AD&D monster manual, a vampire was listed as having a strength of 18/97. That puts things in perspective. Per the D&D and AD&D manuals, a strength of 17 and above had a chance to bend steel bars (such as in a jail cell). Stats of 19 and above were reserved fro supernatural beings (gods, demigods, devils, demons and deities) or for giants (a hill giant was a 19 strength). Stats above 18 could be applied to player characters (or NPCs) only via magic items.
With that information, you can estimate that a stat score of 18 would be at the extraordinary end of human ability. Stephen Hawking and Einstein would each have a 17 or 18 intelligence. Circus performers such as those that did the high wire acts and flying acts, as well as professional athletes (basketball, baseball, hockey, shooting sports) would have dexterity in the 15 – 18 range, with most falling at 15 – 17. Gandhi would probably have a 16 or 17 charisma (not 18, because his looks at least could have been improved and you have to leave room for that). Gandhi would probably come in at 17 or 18 for wisdom. The guys that compete pulling trucks, or doing olympic level weightlifting, would be in the 17 – 18 range for strength.
Using that rational, an example of people with over 18 for stats would have to be pulled from fiction. Wolverine (from the X men) would have a constitution around 23 – 24 (heals from almost any injury instantly, but still ages). Superman would probably have a 24 or 25 strength. The Flash a dexterity of 24 – or 25. Sheldon, from TVs “Big Bang Theory”, would be an example of someone with a 18 – 19 intelligence and a wisdom in the range of 4 – 6.
Blash says:
This is much better
Pretty much on-point, Jeff. (I’d disagree with only a couple cross-examples for, say, 3.0/3.5 scaling — wherein Superman would have a STR:125, per the translation rules from the DC Writers Bible to DnD 3.0 — but that’s being nit-picky. Overall, his STR:25 in the 2.0 setting would be understood to mean that he could move vast castles/nearby mountain ridges, etc….)
Using your descriptors I have determined what my character scores would be if I were a DnD character.
Wis: 17
Which is surprising and amusing because I tend to play Fighters.
Xavier Spade says:
If you were beginning your adventure at first or second level, I’d recommend multi-classing Druid/Sorcerer.
The Cleric’s heavy armor proficiency couldn’t be put to use with your strength (no offense intended).
I regret that multi-classing causes one to miss the high-level spells; but think of all that volume and variety you’d have to cast from without having to seek out libraries and universities.
A cleric that eschews armor would also work, but I really like the synergy vibe coming off the Druid/Sorcerer.
All in great fun.
Here’s to never being too old for D & D.
I like what you’ve done.
My only observation/Criticism would be that you are underselling high stats.
An 18 strength, for example, is the pinnacle of human achievement, a paragon of muscle and power. This would be more like an Olympic power lifter, not someone who can break objects like wood with their bare hands. This holds true all the way up to 3.5, but I never played 4th ed. so I don’t know how stats compare in that edition.
thevultureGM says:
I really like the descriptions as a primer, a starting point for what the numbers mean in real life terms. My only question is this: isn’t Charisma also a measure of the characters force of will? A person with a low charisma score should be more meek and easily pushed around in interpersonal interactions, even when the player doesn’t have their character act that way. I won’t force my players to play a certain way, but NPC’s respect or contempt is based upon how they carry themselves.
WarlockMasterDM says:
Based on this my stats would be as follows: Strength – 12, Dexterity – 18, Constitution – 12, Intelligence – 17, Wisdom – 19, & Charisma – 6. Sorta ironic that my favorite class in D&D 3.5 & 5th edition would be my worst stat in real life but that’s why we play the game is to play something that we normally couldn’t do in real life.
Just wish there was an updated chart for D&D 5th edition.
Thank you so much for posting this for People to look at.
It’s so true about the top 3 attributes decreasing with age, while (hopefully for anyone willing to learn) the bottom 3 attributes increase.
In real life my attributes used to would have made for an awesome heavily-armored FIGHTER, with LOTS of skill points… or an extremely strong WIZARD, with lots of hit-points…
Now, I’m putting all my levels into wizard for sure, and am starting to get more in touch with nature.
Crim Crysari says:
I slightly disagree with the low Intelligence options, One of my players rolled a 5 on his Cleric and decided to dictate that onto his Intelligence. However, since he also had 16 Charisma we decided that he was quite eloquent and well spoken. To roleplay his incredibly low Intellect he instead acted and sounded quite smart, however the things he were saying were some of the most baffling thoughts possible. Mainly correlating the religious explanations to most subjects, especially spells. Him and our Wizard ended up having some of the most hilarious conversations as he mocked and insulted the 18 Intelligence Wizard for his “stupid” explanations and nonsensical “science”.
Examples – Wizard “Water is nothing more than tiny air joined together” Cleric “You must be a complete moron, Water is made from God’s crying in the sky because of heathens such as yourself spouting nonsense.”
booj says:
Int 5 Char 16; not very bright in a charming way
“Usually wrong, but can convince most people otherwise.”
That’s kind of the confluence of low Int and/or Wis and high Cha. I hadn’t thought about doing a chart showing how stats interact with each other, and now it’s all I can think about.
Alexis The Dragon says:
Think some of these are kind of dumb.
For strength each level should be one step higher, like 1 needs help standing and so on.
Also I don’t think really low attributes should mean you can’t do certain things, just you are really incompetent in them
Dexterity saying u have pain when u move is low constitution really, not dexterity, you should said something like they have extremely bad centre of balance.
and 25 is described by the rules as Dragon/Godly Avatar strength, by that level of strength you can knock down pure metal doors, HARD, right off their hinges and a like 10 feet back.
It depends on your edition. Please see the links at the end of the article for an explanation of why a 25 is sometimes “godly”, sometimes “a thing every fighter should be expected to have, and not enough to break any iron door even on a natural 20”, and everything in between.
Tolemac says:
MssngrDeath, you wrote, “The most common of these is “Charisma correlates strongly to good looks”, which is incorrect and tends to irritate players of low-Charisma characters, …”
I agree completely and this is why the original rules had Comeliness along with Charisma.
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Karasu Kuro says:
I am trying to come up with a simpler RPG system, drawing from many sources of inspiration, and found myself trying to comprise a list exactly like this. I was wondering, if you do not mind terribly, if I may use this list almost verbatim? I have no problem giving credit.
Go right ahead.
cbo says:
I have the same request as Karasu Kuro before me. I’m working on a utility for an upcoming campaign we’ll be starting sometime in the spring and would like to include a variation of your above ideas. Do you have any terms or conditions for usage?
Thanks for the blog. Good luck on NaNo!
Knock yourself out. I’d like a link back to here, but I’m not enforcing it (re: d20pfsrd.com).
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Beauxbella says:
Not so cool with the idea that autistic people are not charismatic or the implecation that if you aren’t charming you’re autistic. It’s quite harmful and ignorant and probably hurts a lot of people who come here with the hopes of gaining more insight into character creation… Not cool my friend…
I interpret Charisma to include reading social cues, effectively communicating, and empathizing with others. This may only further betray my ignorance, but I understand autism to be a disorder characterized explicitly by having difficulty with these things. Wouldn’t it then follow that there could be an association between low Charisma and autistic behavior?
Of course, it’s not as simple as all that; there’s no Charisma score below which a character is definitely autistic, there’s no personality or action that dictates a certain Charisma score, and autism as a concept is so broad and misunderstood that just having a solid definition of “autism-like behavior” is difficult if not impossible for the layman. But as far as ten-word descriptions of ability scores written with the intention of getting players to think more about the traits and in-world abilities of their characters go, I think it’s better to broach the topic and consider it than labor under the incomplete idea that an especially low Charisma score’s only effect is to make you especially bad at Charisma checks.
I know this is an old thread, but I just wanted to comment as a person who has dealt with being ON the autism spectrum, I agree with MssngrDeath. I am all for being supportive of people on the spectrum, for example, by not using “autism” to mean stupidity or using “autism” as an insult. That said, autism has a particular meaning, and my understanding of that meaning is match with the one expressed by MssngrDeath. It definitely adds great challenges to dealing with people.
Do you have a version of this for 5e?
The simplest way to make one for 5E is to remove your two least-favorite tiers from each ability score, shifting the 24-25 values down to 20. The harder way is to add seven tiers but compress them so each pertains to one ability score value instead of two. That is, Str 14 is “Visibly toned” and Str 15 is “Carries heavy objects with one arm” even though they have the same modifier. It’s possible, I just haven’t done it.
Would love to see your implementation of the second way. In 5E there are some requirements specifically for odd (not even) stats like 13/15 for normally wearing heavy armor, so I believe they should be differentiated despite having the same modifier as one point lower values.
Of course, I can try to do it myself, but I’m not feeling experienced enough and thus won’t be able to recommend it to others, especially to less experienced players.
P.S.: thank you for your work, I found lots of interesting and helpful articles here!
Aaron Reamer says:
I honestly don’t think there is an accurate way to convert the ability scores into plain language simply because no matter how they’ve been defined they don’t entirely make sense. I know editions have added descriptions of how much you can lift with strength, what checks they can pass, etc… but let’s take a different approach.
Let’s take a look through the approach that we base everything around the d20. I know the rules do say that any raw comparison of an ability score doesn’t need to be tested with a roll but let’s take a look at how much these ability scores contribute when two people are put up against the same DC with an ability score.
Each result on a die has a 5% chance of being rolled. From this we can devise that every +1 modifier increases the chance of success by 5% (assuming the challenges are doable). This means that the person with 20 (5) has only a 25% greater chance of succeeding on any strength challenge than the average person. So that person who has 20 strength is only 25% better than the average person while also 50% better than someone who is morbidly weak (Note: the advantage system from 4e & 5e can have this type of effect on it’s own under certain circumstances).
This is fine for play and doesn’t break suspension of disbelief since those percentages are a lot on the small scale and since some things are impossible according to the dice but this still makes your descriptions not to match cleanly.
The reality is that ability scores are just a game thing and can’t have literal representations but have an abstract representation of how much they contribute to your tasks.
I think this is an excellent guide If you are trying to figure out how to role play your character, But obviously ability scores don’t translate perfectly to real life,
Example: I personally am able to hit small targets with consistency, and no, I do not have much training, indicating my dexterity should be 16, but I also trip over my own feet, indicating it should be a 9. In short, I have excellent fine motor control over my hands, I can hit targets, pick locks, solder fine components, but I probably can’t dodge or evade anything, I trip over my own feet, and I knock things down.
Reality is inconsistent, unlike D&D, and most of this is pointless to argue over.
Side note: I do think you underestimated the high stats a little.
I absolutely love this. I came across it from https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/comments/81cras/dd_ability_score_ranges_described/?st=JEG9PF0A&sh=dbde1713 which made some tweaks. Just thought I’d let you know that I used your content to make this:
https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/SJnTZ9auf
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I really appreciate this list. The autistic slur really hurts, but the list is nice.
I don’t know whether or not you are on the autism spectrum yourself, and I do not know if this helps or hurts things to say, but I, myself, am on the autism spectrum, and I agree with what the author said about this in a reply to Beauxbella back in November.
It does frustrate me when people use the term “autistic” as an insult or as a synonym for “stupid”, but I did not interpret it as such in this case. To me, it seems more like recognizing what it means to be severely challenged in dealing with other people.
At any rate, I appreciate the list, too. Best wishes! :)
I am working on a board game and while I doubt this will ever be published, I love your Stat Descriptions and wanted to know if I could use them or use it as a base and make changes here and there. Credit will be given if I ever finish this up.
Sure, go nuts.
I think you might have wisdom mixed with intelligence, i’m not sure though; One of them should be perception or something because wisdom and intelligence are pretty much the same thing to me.
JD, think of it this way. Intellegence is knowledge, Wisdom is understanding. Intellegence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it into a fruit salad.
Brett Skillen says:
This is very helpful in understanding how the numbers correlate to real life. My friends and I are going to be playing an altered version of D&D 5e where our characters are based off of us but all the Skills, Abilities, and Attributes are what we have in real life. the motto of this game for us is “If I can, my character can!”
Laura Cushing says:
1 (–5): Barely conscious, probably acts heavily autistic (charisma)
Really? As a person with autism, I would like to point out that even non verbal autistics (considered “low functioning” by many) are capable of complex conscious thought, and aren’t barely conscious at all
Ember says:
I’d just like to point out that “acting” and “being” are not necessarily the same thing. The idea is that someone with low Charisma would be externally and socially nearly identical to someone with low-functioning autism.
I’d argue enough people have flagged this particular comparison up to make its inclusion significantly problematic.
Autism is the catch-all term for a wide spectrum of neurological differences, some but by no means all of which revolve around social function. Non-verbal people with ASD aren’t AND don’t appear as ‘barely conscious’. There can be significant social impairment and lack of awareness of situations but it’s neither universal (even across non-verbality) nor is it enough to render an autistic human being below the level of an animal in D&D 3.5 stat comparison. The tag is assumptive and inaccurate, has offended a few different people, and should be revoked.
Everything in this list is assumptive (What is a “strong” breeze? What is a “noticeable” effort? What is a “light” punch? What is “limited” speech?). Almost nothing here is discrete, solid, and factual. That’s the point. Different characters treat the same ability scores different ways. These are baselines for players who have stats and want some idea of how a character might act, not medical analyses.
But I can’t deny that several people have a problem with it based on more thorough research than mine. My understanding of autism is not what it was when I wrote this in 2004, and while I stand by this definition for the layman’s definition of autistic behavior, that definition isn’t the catch-all I thought it was.
Do you have a recommendation? I’m looking for something that means “an inability to understand unspoken or understood information that can manifest as significant social impairment and lack of awareness of social situations”, but in a single word, and I worry “non-empathic” would be construed as simply “heartless”.
Tactless?
That doesn’t have the same “non-empathetic” connotation, but it’s not bad. I’ll change it now and keep an ear out in case the perfect word is floating somewhere just beyond my ken.
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From earliest editions the base understanding was that an “average” person would have scores of 10 or 11 (which also matches what 3d6 would get you), with the PC adventurers typically being notable for being exceptional in some scores.
The descriptions above for the 10–11 ability scores are close to the mark, but possibly a bit under. Nudge them down one step (i.e. make the 10–11 description now be for 8–9) and it’ll feel more right. IMHO.
That said, I’m not fond of a detailed “ladder” of descriptions, it all sounds too bland and predictable. I don’t recall where, but there’s a blog post which proposed a different framing: the middle scores were “average”, and for low scores you’d get to pick one or more “disadvantages” from a list, depending on how low the score was. For example, for every point below an intelligence of (say) 8 you pick one of “Bad with names”, “Numbers above 10 are incomprehensible”, “Can only add by counting”, “Words of two sounds only”, “Wildly inaccurate estimations” (and so on.. there was about 10 or so to pick from). Wisdom disadvantages included things like “Doesn’t learn from mistakes”, “Bad sense of direction”, “Out of sight = out of mind”; and Constitution had “Can only stomach bland food” and “Constantly wheezing”.
It was a fun way of adding variety for bad stats, with additional RP opportunities.
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LostArt says:
I found the table presented rather interesting and helpful. I also found all of the rules lawyering, contention about what version said what and when to be rather typical of what this venerable RPG has come to. It amazes me that one of the first things (and no, I do not mean first in a literal ‘this was the first thing said in print’) expressed by the late Gary Gygax within the bindings of the DMG that everything listed, was effectively a guideline to help make things easier to create. But that in the end, it was your world, to build as you wish, in whatever way you saw fit to do so. As far as he was concerned, you could burn the book or you could behold it as a bible, and fostered neither idea as proper. Nonetheless he and his companions spend countless hours building reasonable boundaries for one to work within.
When these things come up, I just want to say, as I always have “Run your campaign or adventure as you see fit. I’ll run mine the way I see fit.” I have never seen these books, in any of the various editions, as de facto “rules”. If you want to see a set of true rules, take a glance at the comprehensive rules for Magic the Gathering.
I do see them as a best practices concept though. It’s like an example given about players being, say a troll. It isn’t recommended, mainly due to, as explained, the idea of what the hell would a troll due in a group? You would need to skew the entire party to try and accommodate that concept. But at no point does it claim this is “against the rules”. Yet, I do know of a few people who did play in one-off adventures way back in the early days of Gen-Con as non conventional characters like trolls, giants and such.
I’ve been in campaigns where characters have hit point values in the hundreds, stats above 19, use of crazy artifact level weapons and spells that would warp pretty much any regular campaign setting. Why it worked is because that DM decided to build his world in a way that these things made sense. Was he breaking the rules? If you think there are rules, then…maybe.
I’ve been an observer of, and been involved in, numerous ‘but this and but that’ fights over supposed rules and how this can be and that cannot be because it was or wasn’t spoon-fed out into print as such. It’s lame, ineffectual and against the very concept that bore out the first fledgling ideas of Dungeons & Dragons.
I guess my point is that the OP’s take on a table that could help someone understand what a stat may mean is not something meant to be considered the be-all-end-all of information. With that, I am very perplexed that it devolved in to some kind of adolescent pissing match.
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Ryuh Dragoon says:
I am very happy to have finally found the origin of the table of interpretation of stats, which I see happening for years.
Since the time that I see them pass in the form of image, it is really pleasure to see the original article, with in addition the corrective and adjustment that there has been since all this time.
I greatly congratulate the author for his work, which crossed the border (little salute of France) and has become a reference aid in my parts of DnD for almost 7 years.
We have been using your work in my playing circle for so long, without knowing its origin, that it is now time to give back to Caesar what is Caesar.
A big thank you to you for your work that has helped us so much.
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'Islamophobia'-Example of Irresponsible Behavior:re-visited
GS Don Morris
One year since I last wrote about this topic, we see the persistence in our enemy. This strategy, ongoing and continued publication of a concept, even though non existant, overtime will become believed by the majority of people.
A headline from a year ago: Eurasia Islamic Council: Islamophobia is "one of the greatest obstacles to world peace"
“The meeting was attended by over 100 scholars from 42 countries. Participants at the event said Islamophobia was one of the greatest obstacles to world peace, adding that acts of terrorism and violence should be condemned regardless of who commits them or why. A joint declaration released after the meeting called on countries and their leaders to provide better educational opportunities for their citizens. According to the statement, steps that have been taken in the field of education worldwide are promising, but must be encouraged further.”6
Today we have the following headline and story-once again demonstrating the persistence of those who want to silence critics of Islam. Create a term that demonizes others, use it often and persist in its use-soon it will become as though it were true.
UN Human Rights Council condemns "Islamophobia"-no surprise!
Oddly enough, the Council said not a word about non-Muslims denied religious freedom in Saudi Arabia. "UN rights body passes Islamophobia resolution," from Middle East Online, March 25 (thanks to Twostellas):
GENEVA - The UN Human Rights Council on Thursday passed a resolution condemning Islamaphobic behaviour, including Switzerland's minaret building ban, despite some states' major reservations. The resolution "strongly condemns... the ban on the construction of minarets of mosques and other recent discriminatory measures."
The process of turning a myth into reality is quite an interesting behavioral phenomenon. This occurs when one group of people wants to challenge, infuriate, demand, dictate, and control the ideas and beliefs of another group of people. The motivation is direct and to the point. The outcome is usually for political and/or social engineering reasons to determine for others how they should act, speak, and behave. One of the best examples of this is the application of the term 'Islamophobia' directed to those of us who challenge or question practices of Islam within the Western culture. Islamic organizations regularly accuse non-Muslims of 'Islamophobia' - a fear and disdain for everything Islamic. As recently as May 17 this accusation bubbled up again as foreign ministers from the Organization of the Islamic Conference called Islamophobia "the worst form of terrorism." Ministers from multiple countries attending the conference 'warned'- according to the Arab News - that this form of discrimination would cause millions of Muslims in Western countries, "many of whom were already underprivileged," to be "further alienated."1 How does something like this come to be?
Let us examine Islamophobia from a different perspective. Allow me to submit that a formula or a blueprint exists for those people who want to marginalize and/or invalidate someone or something. It consists of the following steps - not necessarily exactly in the order presented:
• Create a new term that describes a new behavioral phenomenon
• Within the term use descriptors that sound plausible yet are also familiar to the general population
• Ensure that identifiable behaviors are described and shroud them in a negative bent
• Enroll experts in supporting this phenomena such as university academics, psychologists, human peace activists, human watch groups, and governmental agencies along with the popular media
• Develop strategies to identify individuals who display this 'terrible human behavior' and condemn them for displaying it
• As often as is possible, in public settings , use the term as a means to alienate people from one another-begin a 'name-calling' campaign
• Use this phenomena to discredit anyone who may challenge your point of view-never respond directly to the charge, rather, reverse the situation and 'attack' the individual taking issue with your point of view
• Move to make this display of behavior illegal ; pass local/regional and national legislation that criminalizes the behavior
• Threaten legal action and/or actually take such action even though you know you do not have a case; it puts your antagonist on the defensive- right where you plan to keep him/her
This is a reasonable list of descriptors involved in the process. When one applies the preceding criteria steps to the development and implementation of Islamophobia you find it to accurately describes what has occurred particularly in the West during the last 5-10 years. Values Contrary (VC) Islamists and their non-Islamic supporters have used this to deflect criticism, deny facts, to divert attention, to defame, invalidate, and condemn anyone who challenges the practice of VC Islam.2
In order for Islamophobia to be effective the society upon which it has been thrust must operate within a 'makes me - believe' communication construct3. Without this operational construct in play, Islamophobia would have no impact upon the general population. It is because we actually believe that we can make someone feel or think something and/or that someone or something can do the same to us, the 'communication table' has been set. Afraid that one might OFFEND another person or cause someone to feel insulted or uneasy, we refrain from speaking/arguing or even questioning our antagonists. The West enemies know this and use it as a weapon against us.
We have become afraid to speak up and to challenge VC Islam and their followers. In the process we are afraid to stand for our own values, grounded within another set of beliefs. We do not defend our way of life; we acquiesce to a behavioral set that we do not belief in nor do we want to have as the basis for our social milieu. Said another way, We stand down on our long held values and meekly go forward into the future.
Allow me to provide some examples of the preceding process. Aside from the previously mentioned May 17 activity, In America, perhaps the most conspicuous organization to persistently accuse opponents of Islamophobia is the Council of American Islamic Relations. CAIR has taken up the legal case of the "Flying Imams," the six individuals who were pulled from a US Airways flight in Minneapolis this past November after engaging in suspicious behavior before takeoff. Not long ago, CAIR filed a "John Doe" lawsuit that would have made passengers liable for 'malicious' complaints about suspicious Muslim passengers. In an interview at the time, CAIR spokesman Nihad Awad accused Rep. Peter King (R., N.Y.) of being an 'extremist' who 'encourages Islamophobia' for pointing out what most people would think is obvious, that such a lawsuit would have a chilling effect on passengers who witnessed alarming activity and wished to report it4.
An Islamist group named Hizb ut-Tahrir seeks to bring the world under Islamic law and advocates suicide attacks against Israelis. Facing proscription in Great Britain, it opened a clandestine front operation at British universities called "Stop Islamophobia," as reported by the Sunday Times and presented by Daniel Pipes5.
Accusations of Islamophobia, Mr. Malik adds, are intended "to silence critics of Islam, or even Muslims fighting for reform of their communities." Another British Muslim, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, discerns an even more ambitious goal: "all too often Islamophobia is used to blackmail society."5
In Great Britain this term is used as a weapon. Hizb ut-Tahrir's manipulation of "Stop Islamophobia" betrays the fraudulence of this word. As the Sunday Times article explains, "Ostensibly the campaign's goal is to fight anti-Muslim prejudice in the wake of the London bombings," but it quotes
Anthony Glees of London's Brunel University to the effect that the real agenda is to spread anti-Semitic, anti-Hindu, anti-Sikh, anti-homosexual, and anti-female attitudes, as well as to foment resentment of Western influence.5
For many people immediate credibility exists if the United Nations supports a position, term, or behavioral action. Within this international organization the term has achieved a degree of linguistic and political acceptance, to the point that the Secretary-General of the United Nations presided over a December, 2004 conference titled "Confronting Islamophobia" and in May a Council of Europe summit condemned "Islamophobia."
There are literally thousands of examples available to demonstrate the points I have presented. Does this mean that Islamophbia exists? I offer to you now that it does not-it is not real. You cannot see, touch, breathe or hold onto it. Any thinking, caring person knows that this is simply a humankind term used to describe a behavioral phenomenon that only exists because we allow it to exist. The degree to which we submit to its implementation will adversely impact the values of Western civilization and allow the emergence of a fifth column within our society whose ultimate intention is to replace our way of life with one our enemies cherish.
I leave you with the following: “It's a long-standing rule of apologetics and dissimulation: Keep it general, and the uninitiated will project what they want to hear onto the generalities, thus guarding against uncomfortably specific questions…Of course, it's always entirely up to the West to stop Islamophobia. Muslim countries couldn't possibly consider a few simple steps of their own.”7
1.Tawfik Hamid, How to End 'Islamophobia', posted Opinion Journal from the WSJ May 25, 2007
2.GS Don Morris, Political Correctness-It is Killing Us, May, 2007, writingtw.blogspot.com
3.GS Don Morris, Political Correctness-It is Killing Us-Part One, April, 2007, writingtw.blogspot.com
4.Tawfik Hamid, ibid
5.Daniel Pipes, Islamophobia, NY Sun, October 25, 2005
6. Today's Zaman, “Islamophobia denounced at Eurasia Islamic Council meeting," May 16, 2009
7. Jihad Watch, Islamophobia …”,May 16,2009
Posted by GS Don Morris, Ph.D./Chana Givon at 12:12 PM
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Report: Dalit Christian Federation
Saffron Scheme to Snatch Away Legitimately Granted Church Land
St. Jepamale Mary Church is located in Harobele village in Kanakapura taluk in Ramnagara district and it is at a distance of about 60 kms from Bangalore right on the border with Tamil Nadu. On 27 Dec 2019, the members of local units of Sangh Parivar outfits like RSS and Bajrang Dal protested outside this Church and at the site of granted land objecting to the grant of 10 acres of land by the previous Congress government, particularly at the initiative of local Congress MLA DK Shiv Kumar. They demanded that the land be taken back by the BJP government of Yediyurappa. DK Shiv Kumar however claims that though the land was sanctioned by the earlier HD Kumaraswamy government, it was not granted free. It was sold at the rate the government sells the pasture land and he personally paid for that from his own pocket as a donation to the local Christian community. The land is on a small hillock. The local Christian community is also constructing a 101-feet statue of Jesus Christ on that land and the Hindu Right outfits are incensed at such a tall and majestic monument of Jesus coming up in that area.
This is shrine has a unique significance as there is an annual replica of worship similar to Dolarosa route of Jerusalem where Jesus was made to carry the cross through 14 halts before being finally getting crucified. For this special occasion, thousands of people come from distant places in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
The BJP leaders are raising objection now belatedly to communalise the issue and they descend to such a low level that they allege that Shiv Kumar was doing this to please Sonia Gandhi, a Christian.
Since this issue is emerging as a hotspot of communal tension, a team comprising Fr. Manohar Chandra Prasad, CSI and Mr Alfonsa Kennedy RC Church visited the spot-on 28 December 2019 along with a local resident, talked to locals, both Hindus and Christians and, on that basis, have come up with this report.
The history of this Shrine for which the land was granted goes back to more than 150 years. It was visited by Fr Ginnami, a French Jesuit missionary in 16th century. Further, this land was developed by the Harobele St. Jepamale Mary church for the past 150 years. The Dolarosa (of Jerusalem in Holy land) way of the holy cross or the 14 wayside stations of Good Friday prayers were being held here for the past 150 years with jathra in the form of a mela.
The Church authorities wanted to develop this land further and made request to Mr. D K Shivakuar MLA Kanakapura and Mr D K Suresh MP Bangalore north. The land was sanctioned to the trust and the development work is going for the huge Jesus Statue of 114 feet, which can be viewed from within the borders of Tamil Nadu.
On 26th Dec 2019, prayers were conducted by local fathers and sisters on this spot. Next day, on 27th Dec 2019, the RSS outfits created a ruckus here and disturbed the peace of the worshipers, among whom were both Hindus and Muslims.
On 28 December, the fact-finding team’s press conference was attended by huge number of people from all faiths and they too disapproved the communal act.
The members of the fact-finding team said that the local Christian community members informed them that the government should arrange security for them and also for the shrine and clarify that the land was allotted in a fair manner and reassure them that the land would not be taken back.
Signed: [Rev. Dr. D. Manohar Chandra Prasad.]
Other team members: Mr Kennedy & Mr Rayappa
Dalit Christian Federation
Rev. Dr. D. Manohar Chandra Prasad, Convenor Mr Basavaraj Kavital, Co-ordinator
831, Rachana, SRS Double Road, Peenya, Bangalore 560058.
E Mail: dalprasad@yahoo.co.uk
Ph 9448488350
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Top of The Rock opens a progressive new chapter in the narrative of New York’s preeminent urban living room, Rockefeller Center. This ground-to-sky visitor experience spans three lower levels, three upper levels and 55,000 square feet within the iconic 30 Rockefeller Plaza, originally designed by Raymond Hood in 1933. A designated historic Landmark since 1985, the 70-story building is home to GE offices, NBC studios, and the Rainbow Room restaurant as well as an underground retail Concourse with public transit connections.
The new triple-height ticketing atrium with public street entrance and elliptical stair was inspired by the expressive grandeur of Rockefeller Center’s original 1930s lobbies. Carved from non-historic office and retail space, it is punctuated by Joie, a hovering crystal light sculpture designed by Gabellini Sheppard Associates. The chandelier tapers downward as an inverted, diaphanous Art Deco skyscraper. Overlapping, backlit walls of architectural plaster curl around the stair in an upward helical spiral. Subtly gradating in color from black at the base to pale gray at the top landing, terrazzo stair treads add to the sweeping sense of ascension. A gradual lightening of wall paint from bottom to top further heightens this subliminal movement. On the Mezzanine Level, a new exhibition and theater space engages visitors before they board high-speed “sky shuttle” elevators. These glass-ceilinged capsules reveal the original 800-foot elevator shaft, which is dramatically lit with sapphire-blue runway lights.
The daylight-infused 67th Floor Grand Viewing Room was reclaimed from utility spaces packed with obsolete mechanical and broadcasting equipment. Surrounding the elevator core, another site-specific art piece designed by the firm—Radiance: Swarovski Crystal Geode Wall—revives the Art Deco era’s flamboyant experimentation with surface geometry and industrial arts. Conceived as an elongated Fresnel lighthouse lens, Radiance pays homage to Rockefeller Center’s renowned artisanic tradition of sculptures, murals, and architecture. Natural light plays upon the 600 prismatic facets while embedded fiber-optics glow from within. To produce the wall’s multi-layered, etched surfaces, traditional art glass fabrication techniques were used alongside new technologies for cutting, mapping, and layering glass and crystal. At the eastern end of the 67th Floor lies the Weather Room, a triple-height space proportioned as a chapel. Perimeter walls of limestone and architectural plaster reference the exterior limestone facade. Three colors of honed terrazzo radiate from the center to the perimeter.
A new, open-air escalator atrium links the 67th Floor interior to the 69th Floor Grand Viewing Terrace encircling the north, west, and south sides of the building. Outside on the restored and renovated observation decks, clear optical glass panels function as subtly as rimless eyeglasses, preserving the building’s original appearance while providing the purest possible viewing experience. The laminated, double-layered glass panels—capable of withstanding hurricane-force winds—allow viewers to appreciate the original architectural details of cast aluminum and limestone. Uncannily serene and intimate, 850-foot-high high plateau of the 70th floor evokes the upper decks of a 1930s ocean-liner floating high above the metropolitan sea.
Top of The Rock, New York City
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Book Spotlight: Unexpectedly Yours by Michelle Roth #SirenBookstrand #EroticRomance
Unexpectedly Yours by Michelle Roth
Michelle Roth is a novelist from Los Angeles, California. When she’s not disappearing into foreign lands, or making two perfect strangers that she invented fall in love, she’s probably curled up somewhere with a glass of wine and a good book.
In her spare time she is typically hanging out with her awesome boyfriend and their two equally awesome cats. She likes taking road trips to nowhere in particular, cooking elaborate meals then making other people do the dishes, and being nerdy on the internet. Visit her blog at www.michelleroth.net for information on her latest releases, exclusive excerpts, and more.
http://michelleroth.net/
Elle Thomas has had a crush on Jim Conroy for months now. Among their small circle of friends, they're the only two single people left. It makes sense that he might gravitate toward her at social events, and maybe even flirt a little bit, right? Elle can't help but want more, though.
Jim may be going insane. He's been chasing Elle for months. He's flirted with her, asked her out, and done everything else he could think of to get her attention short of skywriting his feelings. When Elle finally agrees to go out with him, things quickly heat up between them.
What starts out as a single spark of attraction between them quickly burns out of control. As they settle into the beginnings of a relationship, one moment will change their lives forever. Is their relationship strong enough to survive when reality sets in?
http://www.bookstrand.com/unexpectedly-yours
The next hour flew by as she worked on the clam chowder. Setting down the spoon, she moved back to the tomato soup. Judging it cool enough to put into the refrigerator, she grabbed the handles of the stock pot and started to pour it into a storage container.
Jim breezed through the door as she was finishing. Like always, she totally lost her concentration when he walked into the room. Soup sloshed over the side of the container. She cursed roundly, as the soup scalded her hand.
Turning to the sink, she turned the water on and rinsed the soup off of her hand. Jim hurried over and said, “Shit. I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” she said, “I’m just a klutz. It’s not your fault.”
Jim looked at her and said, “That looks really red.”
Elle waved her hand and said, “Not too bad. The soup wasn’t that hot.”
He reached out and put his hand on her wrist, gently steering her hand back to the sink. Turning the water on cool, he moved it back under the stream.
They stood there for a few moments, his hand circling her wrist as she let the water run over it.
Reaching out with her other hand she turned the water off and said, “It’s fine now. I promise.”
“You’re sure?” he asked, concerned.
Rolling her eyes now, she said, “Yes. I’m sure. I’m totally fine. I burn myself quite frequently. It’s part of the job.”
He eyed the red blotch on her hand and frowned again, unconvinced.
“Would it make you feel better if I put something cold on it?” she asked.
“If it’s not a lot less red after we eat, then yes,” he said.
“We?” she asked.
“Yeah, we. I’ve tried to get you to go out with me a couple of times now. I figure this is the only way you’ll let me buy you dinner,” he said with a grin.
She smiled now. He was such a flirt.
“You know. If you keep asking, one of these days I’m going to think you’re serious, Jim,” she said, moving toward the food he’d set on the counter. Then she asked, “Which one of these is mine?” as she rifled through the brown paper bag.
When she looked up, he was staring at her like he was trying to solve a puzzle. He finally asked, “What makes you think I’m not serious? I’ve been flirting with you for months.”
Elle blinked, confused for a minute, and said, “Honestly, I thought it was a proximity thing. When everyone gets together, we’re the only two single people. I didn’t realize you were serious.”
“I see that,” he said. “Proximity? You don’t give yourself a lot of credit, Elle.”
Reaching for one of the containers, he opened it then passed it over to her.
Picking up her fork, she shrugged at him and said, “I’m just a realist.”
He gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head, then said, “Elle,” and sighed.
They moved into the office and sat on the couch. Digging into their food, they were both silent for a few minutes.
Finally, Jim asked, “What did you mean, you’re a realist?”
Elle snorted and said, “Come on. You know you’re ridiculously hot. I just didn’t think you’d be interested.”
Jim grinned and said, “Thanks, but why wouldn’t I be interested in you?”
“You could be dating willowy models. I’m not saying I’m ugly, but I’m pretty average. Not willowy in the slightest,” Elle said, shrugging.
“The willowy model types you think I should be dating don’t have much substance in my experience. They’re usually looking for a leg up in the entertainment industry or they’re after my money. I prefer my women…real. You’re very much my type,” he said, looking her directly in the eye now.
Flushing, Elle smiled and said, “Good to know.”
They ate in silence for a few minutes as Elle thought over everything he said. Popping open the can of Diet Coke he’d brought with him, she took a swig and said, “This has certainly been an enlightening meal but I have to get back to work now.”
“So you’re going to put me out of my misery and let me take you on an actual date, right?” he asked.
Nodding slowly, she said, “That would be nice.”
He asked, “What are you doing Friday?”
Elle winced and said, “I’m working late. Evening event.”
“Saturday?”
Considering, she said, “I should be free after 5:00 p.m. What did you have in mind?”
“Let me think about that,” he said, pulling out his cell phone. “What’s your number? I’ll call you once I figure it out.”
Elle rattled off her cell phone number. He dialed. A moment later, her phone rang in her apron pocket.
“Now you’ve got mine,” he said. “Lemme see your hand.”
He reached out and took her wrist, inspecting the part of her hand that she’d burnt. Sighing, he said, “It looks better. Sorry about that.”
“Again,” she said, “totally not your fault. It will be perfectly fine tomorrow. What do I owe you for dinner?”
He shook his head and said, “I’ve got dinner. It was well worth the cost of your lemon chicken to finally clear the air between us.”
“Thank you for dinner then,” she said, smiling.
“Don’t work too late, Elle. Be careful please,” he said, gesturing to her hand.
Elle grinned and said, “Only an hour or so left. I’ll be careful.”
“Night,” he said as he walked toward the kitchen door.
She gave him a little wave and said, “Night.”
Standing up now, he moved toward her. He’d been watching her mess with the hem of her dress since she’d arrived. He’d been getting small, tantalizing glimpses of her smooth thighs for the better part of an hour now. She was driving him crazy and seemed to have no idea.
She got off the couch now, smiling, and said, “I had almost given up on dinner.”
He pulled her into his arms and asked, “Would you mind putting off dinner a few minutes? I’ve got something I need to take care of.”
Looking at him curiously now, she said, “Oh?”
He nodded and the leaned down to take her mouth with his. Nibbling her bottom lip gently, he mumbled, “Super important.”
When she sighed against his lips, he deepened the kiss. As tongue swept into her mouth to tangle with hers, he stroked his hand down her back to press her even closer to him. His hands moved down to settle on the curves of her ass. He immediately heard a low moan in the back of her throat and felt himself harden.
Breaking his mouth away from hers, he trailed his lips down the side of her throat, pressing soft, biting kisses against her neck. When he gently sucked on the patch of flesh where her neck and shoulder met, he felt her shudder slightly against him. She pressed closer and rolled her hips against him.
Groaning, he pulled his mouth away from her shoulder and said, “Every time you messed with the hem of your dress, it gave me this overwhelming desire to bury my face between your thighs. Would you mind?”
He felt her sharp intake of breath, then a moment later she laughed and said, “Literally anytime you want to, I can make myself available for that.”
With a groan, he captured her mouth with his again. The kiss grew wild, quickly. Her hands slid around his waist and up his back. She pulled him until he was flush against her. The only thing that separated them was clothing and he had every intention of correcting that particular issue very soon.
He moved them slowly back toward his desk and sat her on the edge, pushing the skirt of her dress up. Standing between her thighs now, he pulled back from the kiss. Pressing his lips to her throat again, he began swirling his tongue against her skin.
He cupped one breast in his palm and felt her nipple pebble under his touch as he moved his fingers against it. He continued to massage her breast gently with his palm until he heard her breathing increase slightly. He moved his hand lower to the damp heat between her thighs and discovered that the filmy lace was soaked.
On a groan, he sank to his knees. Helping her shift, he pulled the panties down her legs and slid them over the heels she wore. He stared at her now and felt another wave of lust hit him. He could see the evidence of her arousal against the now bare lips of her pussy.
He used his thumb and forefinger to spread her open and leaned forward. Running his tongue in a circular motion around her swollen clitoris, he heard her sharp intake of breath. When he slid two fingers into her tight channel, she gave a moan.
Pumping them into her with a steady rhythm, he shifted his mouth slightly, making direct contact with her clit for the first time. He felt her flutter around his fingers as she cried out. Working his fingers against her, he rubbed the flat of his tongue in time with the press of his hand.
She was whimpering with each stroke of his tongue and he could feel her tightening and fluttering around his fingers.
Labels: contemporary, erotic, HEA, Michelle Roth, Romance, Siren Classic, SirenBookstrand, Unexpectedly Yours
Book Blast: Designated Bottoms #MM #Anthology #PridePromotions #Giveaway
Book Name: Designated Bottoms
Authors: Katey Hawthorne, Kiernan Kelly, Sean Michael, Julia Talbot, BA Tortuga, KC Wells, Shannon West
Available at: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76&products_id=4234
Author Bios:
BA Tortuga: Texan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy's Girl, BA Tortuga spends her days with her basset hounds, getting tattooed, texting her sisters, and eating Mexican food. When she's not doing that, she's writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting and surfing porn sites in the name of research. BA's personal saviors include her wife, Julia Talbot, her best friend, Sean Michael, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Really good coffee.
Having written everything from fist-fighting rednecks to hard-core cowboys to werewolves, BA does her damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which was raised in Northeast Texas, but has responded to the call of the high desert mountains. With books ranging from hard-hitting GLBT romance, to fiery menages, to the most traditional of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon- holed by anyone but the voices in her head. Find her at www.batortuga.com
Katey Hawthorne is an avid reader and writer of superpowered romance, even though the only degree she holds is in the history of art. (Or, possibly, because the only degree she holds is in the history of art.) Originally from the Appalachian foothills of West Virginia, she currently lives in Ohio. In her spare time she enjoys comic books, B-movies, loud music, Epiphones, and Bushmills. Find Katey at http://www.kateyhawthorne.com/
Julia Talbot lives in the great Southwest, where there is hot and cold running rodeo, cowboys, and everything from meat and potatoes to the best Tex-Mex.
A full time author, Julia has been published by Torquere Press, Ellora's Cave, and Changeling Press. She believes that everyone deserves a happy ending, so she writes about love without limits, where boys love boys, girls love girls, and boys and girls get together to get wild, especially when her crazy paranormal characters are involved. Find Julia at @juliatalbot on Twitter, or at www.juliatalbot.com
Sean Michael: Often referred to as "Space Cowboy" and "Gangsta of Love" while still striving for the moniker of "Maurice," Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and persuing the kama sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to "Chicago."
A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.
Barring any of that? He'll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.
Sean's available for interviews, by the way. He can always be talked into, well talking about himself. Find Sean at www.seanmichaelwrites.com
Shannon West: Shannon West currently lives in the South with her husband and family. A lover and avid reader of M/M romances, she began writing them a few years ago and now has over forty short stories, novellas,and novels to her credit. Her series about wolf shifters, the Dark Hollows Series and the sci fi series, Love Slaves of the Alphas, produced sixteen bestsellers with four of them going to number one on the third party sites. She was a finalist in the Rainbow awards for 2013, a nominee for best sci fi series in the Love Romances Café and very honored to be named an All Romance ebooks top ten author for 2013. She writes BDSM and some ménage as well. She loves men and everything about them, and believes that love is love, no matter the gender. She mostly spends her days at the keyboard, trying to elude housework, which stalks her relentlessly.
Links: www.shannonwestbooks.com
Twitter: @shannonwest8
Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.com/Shannon-West/e/B006M4L976/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1378053402&%20amp;sr=8-2-ent
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shannon.west.399
Kiernan Kelly: Kiernan Kelly lives in the wilds of the alligator-infested U.S. Southeast, slathered in SPF 45, drinking colorful tropical, hi-octane concoctions served by thong-clad cabana boys.
All right, the truth is that she spends her time locked in the dark recesses of her office, writing gay erotic romance while chained to a temperamental laptop, drinking coffee, and dreaming of thong-clad cabana boys.
To date, Kiernan has over a dozen novels in print and ebook, and a plethora of short stories in both formats.
www.KiernanKelly.com
KiernanKelly@KiernanKelly.com
https://www.facebook.com/kiernan.kelly
KC Wells: Born and raised in the north-west of England, K.C.Wells always loved writing. Words were important. Full stop. However, when childhood gave way to adulthood, the writing ceased, as life got in the way.
K.C. discovered erotic fiction in 2009, where the purchase of a ménage storyline led to the startling discovery that reading about men in love was damn hot. In 2012, arriving at a really low point in life led to the desperate need to do something creative. An even bigger discovery waited in the wings – writing about men in love was even hotter...
K.C. now writes full-time and is loving every minute of her new career.
The laptop still has no idea of what hit it... it only knows that it wants a rest, please. And it now has to get used to the idea that where K.C goes, it goes.
K.C. can be reached via email (k.c.wells@btinternet.com), on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/KCWellsWorld) or through comments at the K.C. Wells website www.kcwellsworld.com
K.C. loves to hear from readers.
So, what happens when you get a bunch of m/m writers together on a panel at a steamy little convention called Authors After Dark in Savannah?
In this case, we all sat around with the readers who came to our panel and chattered and laughed like idiots, and we talked about what we liked to read and write. There was a lot of smutty puns, and it was all fun and games until someone uttered the fateful phrase, “Right, and every story has to have a designated bottom.”
The writer and editor in me both went, “ooooh”. And I said, “Hey, does anyone want in on an anthology for next year with this theme?”
Enough of the writers at that panel, and a few who weren’t, said yes, and Designated Bottoms was born. When I sent out the call, this is what I said.
You’ve heard about Designated Drivers? Well, what about a Designated Bottom? The theme is open to all m/m stories where one man is a designated bottom boy, Whether self-imposed or by the Dom/lover/alpha of the pack or simply (either true or not) by society. Feel free to play with burly bottoms who surprise the deceptively sweet top, or with the too-smart kid who's the pushy bottom to end all bottoms. BDSM is fine, but not mandatory. A bottom may simply like to catch instead of pitch.
The stories I received delighted me. From a first-time cowboy and his new lover to a hardass Sergeant falling for a determined young soldier, from a hot gamer geek who doesn’t date to a sweet young thing on his first visit to a BDSM club, there’s something for everyone. There are princes and paupers, werekitties and strippers, and skinny twink-looking tops and big, gentle bottoms. They all left me fanning my hot cheeks and smiling at how the end result was two men in love, no matter how they got there.
The authors in Designated Bottoms have all reminded me why I fell in love with m/m as a genre damned near fifteen years ago, and of why I’m still writing, and publishing those stories today.
We’d like to dedicate this book to all the readers at Authors After Dark who thought this collection was a great idea, and to all the readers who keep us going every day by reading our books and letting us know they like them! I hope y’all love these stories as much as I do!
Twitter: @torquere
Cover Artist: Anne Squires
Publisher: Torquere Press Inc
Some men are bottoms by birth, others by choice. Whatever the reason, a designated bottom is someone who’s happy to surrender, to submit, or just catch instead of pitch!
In Czech Me Out, by BA Tortuga, Korde discovers what it’s like to fall for someone when food truck owner Josh takes on the cowboy virgin. Katey Hawthorne’s gamer grad student Paul doesn’t date. He keeps things strictly physical. So why is Sammy so important to him in The Mistell? Kitty shifter and stripper Aleks doesn’t mix business with pleasure, but he thinks Rafe might just be the master for him in Julia Talbot’s Faster Bobcat.
Sean Michael’s Peter isn’t sure about the club his friend takes him to, especially when Doms start hitting on him. Experienced Dom Rupert is happy to help, explaining about that Little Square of Cloth. In Sgt. Hardass, by Shannon West, recent ex-Army man Jake meets up with a man he has history with, and Chad isn’t sure he can explain himself and defuse Jake’s anger. In the Prince of Paupers by Kiernan Kelly, Prince Liam and longtime friend Deacon have to go back to Deacon’s Appalachian home, much to the prince’s dismay. And in Switching It Up by KC Wells, Jay knows he looks like a twink, but only hunky Dean understands that looks can be seriously deceptive.
From Czech Me Out by BA Tortuga
Josh had texted the fine cowboy as early as he felt comfortable doing it. He’d waited until nine. He figured it was gratifying that he got an immediate response.
“Noon?” he’d sent, and when he got an affirmative, he’d send his address. Then he set about making lunch.
He could tear that sweet body up, turn the Marlboro Man inside out and make Korde like it. He would soften the guy up with a few barbecue-filled potato skins... Barbecue, the redneck aphrodisiac.
Josh grinned. He’d swayed more than one hot little cowboy with his special sauce and some crispy potatoes. Of course, he’d never asked one to come to his house before, and certainly hadn’t gotten so interested so damned fast.
He’d never changed his sheets and made sure he was stocked with lube and rubbers, either. Not on a not-even-a-first-date. Lord. He was hopeful today, for sure.
Hopeful, horny and... oh, man, he needed an ‘h’ word...
The doorbell rang, saving him from having to be too creative. He told his cock to stay down for a bit and went to answer.
Frack and Frick were yapping their damn fool heads off, wagging and bouncing. Silly mutts. “Y’all get down.”
Josh opened the door a few inches. “You’re not afraid of dogs are you?”
“Not even a bit.” Korde leaned down and gave scritches, easy as pie.
Those two beagle-shepherd monstrosities went nuts, yodeling and wagging and begging.
Tour Dates: 7/30/14
Tour Stops: Parker Williams, Cate Ashwood, MM Good Book Reviews, Decadent Delights, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Prism Book Alliance, Regular Guys, Hot Romance, Full Moon Dreaming, The Hat Party, Fallen Angel Reviews, Amanda C. Stone, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Love Bytes, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Havan Fellows, Jade Crystal, Wicked Wolves and Dreaming Dragons, Iyana Jenna, Boy Meets Boy Reviews
Posted by Gale Stanley at 12:02 AM 1 comment:
Labels: BA Tortuga, Book Blast, Designated Bottoms, Julia Talbot, Katey Hawthorne, KC Wells, Kiernan Kelly, MM, Pride Promotions, Rafflecopter Giveaway, Sean Michael, Shannon West, Torquere Press Inc
Book Spotlight: Keeping Sarah by Julie Shelton #Sirenbookstrand #BDSM #Interview #Excerpts
I want to extend a big welcome to author Julie Shelton, who's here as part of her blog tour for her new erotic romance novel. Keeping Sarah is now available for pre-order at www.bookstrand.com/keeping-sarah
Even better—Order now and get a 15% Pre-order DISCOUNT!
I know you can't wait to read the excerpts but first I'm going to pour the margaritas and ask Julie a few questions.
Hi Julie! Can you tell us a little about your new book that’s coming out on August 7th?
Hi Everyone! Keeping Sarah is my third contemporary BDSM ménage romance for Siren Publishers. It is the third and final installment in the series which began with Loving Sarah, published in 2012, and its sequel, Owning Sarah, published last September. By the time I finished writing Loving Sarah, it was clear to me that I had enough material for more than one book, hence the sequel, Owning Sarah. Both are MFM ménages. But even though Owning Sarah ended with Sarah, Jesse and Adam’s wedding and their happy ending, I couldn’t stop thinking about the three characters. I couldn’t help but feel that Jesse and Adam needed to explore the feelings they were developing for each other as well as for their beloved wife, Sarah. So, Keeping Sarah was born. But this is Jesse Colter and Adam Sinclair and nothing comes easy for them. So, in addition to telling Jesse and Adam’s evolving love story, Keeping Sarah is also a harrowing thrill ride of deadly car chases, Albanian blood feuds, a sex slave auction, murder, betrayal, and gut-wrenching intrigue.
Please tell us how the idea came to you for Jesse Colter, your main hero. Be sure to include all the fun details.
It started with his name. Jesse Colter. It was the perfect name for a Dominant, alpha hero. I spent months thinking about him and coming up with a compelling back-story for him.
Abandoned by his Native American mother, neglected and abused by his alcoholic bully of a father, Jesse is embittered, angry and going nowhere fast. At age nineteen, he takes a summer job as part-time gardener at the Marshall estate and meets thirteen-year-old Sarah Marshall. To a hardened biker and sexual Dominant, Sarah Marshall is like some fey, magical creature from another world, and he is enchanted by her. For the first time in his life, Jesse has someone who thinks he’s wonderful. Someone who listens to him and values his opinion. Someone who makes him laugh and who cares for him. Sarah Marshall quickly becomes someone precious to him. Someone to treasure and protect. Someone to love. At first he loves her as an adult loves a child.
But as Sarah grows into a beautiful, voluptuous young woman who makes no effort to hide her growing love for him, Jesse is terrified that his carnal feelings for her and his Dominant nature will end up destroying the one thing he treasures most—Sarah Marshall. So he leaves their small town of Marshall’s Creek and joins the Navy, becoming a SEAL. Eight years of grueling training and dangerous missions give him a sense of identity and self-worth. He realizes that he is a man of honor and integrity and is finally able to admit to himself that he needs Sarah in order to make him complete. Determined to do whatever it takes to win her trust and her love, he returns to Marshall’s Creek. That’s where their love story begins in Loving Sarah. It continues in Owning Sarah, and finishes with a bang in Keeping Sarah.
What influenced you to send your first book to a publisher? How long did it take?
I spent four years writing, editing, polishing, re-writing Loving Sarah. It was a never-ending cycle. Then I lost it. Completely wiped it out of my computer. I was devastated. The thought of having to recreate an entire 400-page novel from scratch was so daunting, I fell into a deep depression. Then around four months after I lost it, I had to print something and that’s when I discovered that the entire novel, minus the last 15 pages, was still in the print queue.
I was elated! And I knew that I had to send it off to a publisher immediately, before my ignorance of computers caused something else to happen to it.
Siren was the first publisher I submitted it to, mainly because they published a lot of my favorite authors. Around three weeks after I sent it to them, they emailed me and asked me to make a few changes. I figured this was a pretty good sign, thinking if they weren’t interested in it at all, they wouldn’t have bothered to ask for the changes. They offered to publish it less than two weeks after I submitted the revised manuscript.
Could you tell us a couple of favorite authors who inspired you to write?
Sure. LoraLeighMayaBanksCheriseSinclairSophieOakLisaMarieRiceLaurenDaneJoeyWHillLeahBrookeEdenBradleyKristenAshleyLexiBlakeShaylaBlackFionaArcherLyndaAicher—and that’s just her first name! My earliest influences, years and years ago, back in the dark ages, were Mary Stewart’s romantic suspense novels and Phyllis Whitney’s gothic novels.
Is music a factor for you while you are writing? Do certain songs put you in the right frame of mind to write certain stories?
When I put music on, it’s to listen to it, so I usually find it distracting when I’m writing because I want to sing or hum along with it. It’s hard to write when you’re bopping around in your chair, singing at the top of your lungs, lol
If you could collaborate with one author who would it be?
Good grief, there’s no way I could pick just one! Go to the list above, close your eyes and point. I’ll go with her.
What is the strangest source of writing inspiration you’ve ever had?
Years ago I was watching the movie, Becket (with Richard Burton and Peter o’Toole). In one scene there was a minor female character dressed in a blue gown. I was finishing my BA in French at the time and doing extensive research on life in a thirteenth-century French castle.
Well, the minute I saw that gown, an entire romance novel sprang into my mind. I couldn’t write it down fast enough. And since I was taking all my research notes on 3 x 5 index cards, that’s what I wrote the novel on. I wound up with two shoeboxes full of index cards, one with all my research notes, the second with my novel. Last year I transcribed the entire book onto my computer and that became Dark Warrior, my third book for Siren, published in January of this year.
Oh, I am so glad you asked that! I am nearly half-way through with Passion’s Dream, the first book in my new Passion Lake series. It’s a series of books about a bunch of Jesse and Adam’s former SEAL buddies, all characters in the three Sarah books, who buy a bankrupt town around thirty miles down the road from Marshall’s Creek and turn it into a profitable tourist attraction.
Passion’s Dream is about Clay “Raven” Nighthorse, who is hired to protect Leah Stanhope, a woman with whom he had a brief encounter three years ago on a California beach. When their location is compromised, he brings her to his ranch in Passion Lake, where he has plenty of friends who are willing to help keep her safe while he devotes himself to proving that he wants and needs her in his life. Permanently.
Look for Passion’s Dream, Passion’s Fury, and Passion’s Hope, the first three exciting books in the Passion Lake series, at the beginning of 2015.
Below is a brief excerpt from Passion’s Dream.
Unperturbed by her anger, he reached out and placed his fingertips against her cheek.
She jerked her head away, but otherwise couldn’t move. It was as if she’d been turned to stone. “Don’t touch me!” She’d meant it to be an icy command, but instead it came out a choked, frightened whisper.
Ignoring her, he sent his fingers on a journey along the line of her jaw, down the slender column of her neck. He paused at the base of her neck, holding the tip of his index finger over the pulse hammering there, betraying her agitation. The journey continued down over her collar bones, across the creamy, sloping mound of her breast to the edge of her bikini top. When she made no move to stop him, he hooked his forefinger into the stretchy material. When she still didn’t move, he allowed his fingernail to scrape against her tender flesh as he traced the outline of the fabric down to its lowest point—the point where it stretched across the shadowed valley between her breasts.
“Don’t—”It was a choked whisper. She closed her eyes, but she made no attempt to remove his hand. She was trembling, every clamoring nerve aware of his nearness, the potent sexuality of his hard, male body so close to hers. ‘I-I’m engaged to be married.”
“Ah, yes.” His lips twisted. “The ever-devoted fiance. Tell me, Leah,” he tugged her toward him, the weight of his hand pulling the stretchy, jersey top downward and outward, threatening to release the rounded fullness of her breasts. “Tell me about him. What’s it like making love to an old man?”
She should have pushed him away. She should have stepped back—anything to put distance between them. Instead, she stared up at him helplessly, trapped as much by the confusion leaping within her as she was by the sensual spell he seemed to be weaving around her like a web.
Resting his left elbow on the underwater shelf, he lifted his other hand to shape the back of her head, his long fingers threading through the damp silk of her hair. “Does his touch arouse you?” Slowly, sensuously, he pulled her toward him, closing the distance between them, until his firm, mobile mouth was less than an inch from her own, his breath warm against her lips. “Set you on fire?” The hard contours of his body brushed tantalizingly against the softly rounded curves of her own as the cool water undulated against them. “Does he kiss you like this?” Clay persisted, dropping a warm, feather-light kiss near one corner of her trembling mouth, “like a father? Or perhaps like an uncle or older brother, like this,” he pressed his lips first to her cheek, then, tilting her head down, her forehead. “Or does he kiss you like a lover? Like this”—and his mouth closed over hers in a dark, golden storm, his lips expertly parting hers to admit the probing sweetness of his tongue.
Leah stiffened and tried to pull away, but it was too late. The flame ignited by his touch was all-consuming. Without volition, her arms went around his neck, her legs circled his waist, ankles locking behind him. The sheer size of the erection pressing against her sex made her gasp. Her belly plummeted, sending moisture gushing out of her pussy onto the thin strip of fabric that was her bikini bottom. She’d never been so aroused in her life. Her traitorous body arched toward his, her hips grinding her sex against his cock. She moaned into his mouth as his arms went tightly around her back, crushing her soft breasts to his hard chest. Locked together, they sank beneath the surface of the water. Instead of panicking and struggling to break free, Leah wound her arms tightly around his neck and held on, trusting in his care of her.
Without breaking the kiss, Clay pushed off the deep end of the pool with a powerful thrust of his muscular legs, gliding swiftly through the water to the center of the pool, where he could stand up. They broke the surface still locked together, their mouths tearing apart only long enough to drag air into their oxygen-starved lungs before crushing back together, tongues dueling passionately.
Leah loosened her hold on his neck, running her hands wonderingly over his shoulders and back, savoring the power of the muscles flexing beneath his satin-smooth skin, delighting in the heat of his body beneath the cool slickness of the pool water. In spite of the pervading smell of chlorine, she could still smell his clean, masculine scent. Losing all reason, she broke off the kiss to bury her face in the side of his neck, where it curved into his shoulder, inhaling that scent deep into her lungs. Daringly, she put out her tongue and took a tiny lick of his warm, moist skin. God, he tasted so good! He felt so good! She couldn’t stifle the groan that ripped from her throat. Her hands curved around to the back of his head, her fingers gripping the thick, wet mass of his hair, holding his head still. She drew a shuddering breath, trying desperately to get herself under control. This is a mistake! This is a colossal mistake!
KEEPING SARAH BLURB
Honeymooning in England, Jesse Colter, Adam Sinclair and their beloved wife, Sarah, are heading for their friend Thorne Cahill’s BDSM club for dinner when another car deliberately tries to run them off the road. Thanks to their own driver’s skills, the other car is destroyed, the two unknown occupants killed.
Through Thorne, they discover that they’re the targets of a “blood feud”, instigated by Konstandin Sokolov, son of Viktor Sokolov, the Albanian mobster who had unwisely kidnapped Sarah a few months back, and paid for it with his life. They also discover that Thorne’s guests, ruthless human traffickers, have gathered at the club for a slave auction being held the following night. Konstandin Sokolov happens to be one of the buyers.
Fraught with treachery, betrayal, and deadly danger, Keeping Sarah keeps the reader on a knife’s edge of tension, while simultaneously exploring the deepening emotional and physical commitment between Jesse and Adam. They already trust each other with their lives. Now they must learn how to trust each other with their love.
KEEPING SARAH ADULT EXCERPT
Then Jesse turned to Sarah. Bending down, he put his hands beneath her arms and lifted her up off the floor. Turning her in his arms, he unhooked the garters, then unlaced the corset, letting it fall to the silk carpet. As soon as the beautiful, but restrictive garment fell away from her, Sarah took the first deep breath she’d had in hours. “Step out of your shoes, baby,” he crooned, rolling down her stockings and removing them one foot at a time. “Now bend over and grab your ankles. I owe you a spanking.”
With a whimper, she assumed the undignified position, her second of the night, wrapping her fingers around her ankles while he got on his knees behind her to remove the vibrators from her pussy and ass. Dropping the toys on top of the crumpled corset, he palmed her ass cheeks, his flexing fingers making deep indentations in her sweet flesh. “Spread your legs, baby, or you’re gonna fall over.” A smile curved his lips upward as she slid her feet outward. God, I love this ass! He slapped her sharply, the sound and her subsequent cry loud in the quiet room. “Count,” was all he said, transfixed by the erotic sight of his handprint blooming on her skin, first white, then red.
“Y-yes, Master. O-one.”
“How many have you earned tonight, slave?”
“Ten, Master.” Her voice was barely audible, muffled by her position.
“There will be no warm-up, so I’ll make them quick. Count them all.” In rapid succession, he delivered ten blistering swats to her backside and by the time she counted the last one, her ass was fiery red and she was sobbing in pain.
Crap, that hurt! And yet, it felt so good. So damn good. The heat from her ass seemed to be having an effect on her clit, as if the two were connected by wires pulsing and crackling with electricity. Her sobs turned into moans as he stroked and kneaded the heat more deeply into her flesh, sending it straight to her pussy until her clit felt like it was on fire.
Still gripping her ass cheeks, he lowered his head, slanting it sideways to flick the tip of his tongue across her throbbing little nub. She jerked and cried out as pleasure consumed her. Then he straightened, pulling her up after him, and steered her toward the bed. If Adam was in sub-space, then Sarah was right there with him, lost and drifting and needing Jesse’s loving care. It was now his duty and responsibility to love them and keep them safe and give them the pleasure they had both earned and richly deserved.
“Climb up, baby,” he said, assisting her up onto the bed. “On your hands and knees above Adam, pussy over his face, head over his cock.” As he was talking, he, too, was getting on the bed, crawling across its enormous expanse toward Adam’s feet. “Legs apart,” he ordered and Adam slid his feet across the silky sheets. “Prepare Sarah.”
At the quiet command, Sarah’s core convulsed again, sending out another gush of fresh cream. God, she was so ready to come! She had been so highly aroused for so long, now that it was finally going to happen, it was all she could focus on. Without warning, Adam reached up and stroked his fingers through her slit, from front to back before thrusting two fingers deep inside her sheath hovering so tantalizingly above his head. He pressed his thumb against her puckered anal opening, pushing insistently, until the muscle relaxed and sucked it in. Sarah stopped breathing. With wicked skill, he thrust in and out of both her anus and vagina, pinching the membrane between his thumb and fingers as he stroked, quickly re-stoking the fires of need in her sex, burning just beneath the surface. A thin, high wail escaped her lips as pleasure devoured her.
“Christ, Jess,” Adam muttered over the wet, sucking noises his fingers were making as he pumped them in and out of Sarah’s sheath, “you should see what I’m seeing. Our little slave has the most succulent pussy in the world. And it’s dripping all over the place.”
“Sarah,” Jesse ordered, “Take Adam into your mouth.”
EDITOR’S COMMENTS ON KEEPING SARAH
“I heartily enjoyed this book. It’s truly an erotic BDSM ménage epic, and it’s extremely well written. The locations are sweeping and exotic, the food is lusciously described, the sex scenes are plentiful and romantic and delightfully perverse. Pacing is breezy throughout, even though this is a fairly long novel, and the suspense plot keeps the reader wanting more. It’s excellent that the menage relationship features a lot of hot M/M scenes between Jesse and Adam, not to mention the pegging by Sarah. I can’t compliment Keeping Sarah highly enough.
Special mention should be made of the Sybian competition and slave auction scenes. These were both highly unique, beautifully written, disturbing, and felt like Sadean ceremonies. The Sybian competition had an exuberance and weirdness about it that was both comical and surreal. It showed great imagination. The slave auction was nightmarish—imagining this secret organization existing was very frightening. The poetic details were what really made it—the fact that the boy being auctioned was chubby and albino, the disturbing concept of “pony girls,” and the appearance of the sinister Mistress Diabolica. I loved it.” J
BUY LINK FOR KEEPING SARAH
www.bookstrand.com/keeping-sarah
CHARACTER INTERVIEW WITH JESSE COLTER
1. Tell us a little about yourself. How did you come to your author’s attention? Occupation?
My name is Jesse Colter. I’m 32, a former SEAL, now Chief of Police of Marshall’s Creek, Virginia, the small, sleepy town I grew up in. My childhood basically sucked—my father was a drunk and a bully who used me for his punchin’ bag—until I was fourteen and bigger than he was, so he pretty much steered clear of me after that. I never knew my Native American mother. She disappeared before I was outta diapers. My father always claimed she ran away with another man, but I’ve always suspected he killed her one night in a drunken rage and disposed of her body. I came to my author’s attention the day I rescued her heroine, Sarah Marshall, from fallin’ out of a tree. Actually, that’s not quite true. I came to her attention long before that. She just had to think about me for a while and get to know me before she decided to let it be me who rescued Sarah. She wanted us to have a happy ending, even though she kept us apart for eight years before givin’ it to us. (Lol)
2. What or who is the greatest love of your life? Why? What drew you to them?
Sarah Marshall is the only woman I have ever loved, the only woman I ever will love. I met her the summer she was 13. I was workin’ as an assistant gardener at Marshall’s Hill, the ante-bellum estate where she grew up. I heard this blood-curdlin’ shriek and when I ran to find out where it was comin’ from, there she was, danglin’ upside down from a broken tree limb 30 feet above the ground. Scared the livin’ sh-daylights outta me! I was nineteen and full of my own teen-age crap, but Sarah, oh, my God…[shakes his head]…she just fascinated me. She was this amazin’ combination of child and adult.
She grew up rich, but her childhood sucked as much as mine did, except she wasn’t beaten. Just ignored. Her father was a judge, a self-important, self-righteous little prick who had no time for his only child, so she was pretty much raised by tutors and nannies. She was the first person who treated me like I really mattered, you know? The first person who ever really listened to me. She actually valued my opinion! She bullied me into readin’ all her favorite books just so she could have someone to discuss them with. She turned me into an avid reader, for which I’ll always be grateful.
When I hired on the next summer, she had entered puberty and had filled out. Boy, had she filled out! God, she was so gorgeous and I knew I was in trouble. When I was at work, I couldn’t stop lookin’ at her and when I was anywhere else, I couldn’t stop thinkin’ about her. But I was bad news. Six years older than her, a biker, and a Dom. And even though I suspected she was a natural submissive, she was still just a kid, and I knew if I claimed her, I would ruin her life. After all, she was rich, the daughter of a judge, the descendant of English aristocrats, while I was the bastard son of a Native American prostitute and the town drunk. At that point, my life was a steamin’ pile of crap. What kind of a future could I possibly give her?
I didn’t show up the next summer, but still saw her every night in my dreams. I tried to stay away from her, but kept seein’ her around town, even rescued her from gettin’ into a truck and goin’ off with three guys who were even worse than me. Boy, were they pissed! Then, three years later, my cousin overheard a couple of those guys laughin’ and gigglin’ about raidin’ Sarah’s eighteenth birthday party and havin’ some “fun.” The minute he told me I hopped on my bike and rode out to her place to try and stop ’em. I managed to keep the one guy from rapin’ Sarah, but I had wanted her so badly for so long that when she threw herself at me and begged me to make love to her…I very nearly did. I left town that night. Just sneaked out without sayin’ good-bye to the only person who’d ever really mattered to me. I hitched a ride to Norfolk where I found myself the next mornin’ standin’ in a seedy, rundown strip mall, starin’ at the Navy recruitment office. I enlisted that day. I’ll never regret joinin’ the Navy, but I will regret to my dyin’ day the decision to leave Sarah the way I did, with no word of explanation, no good-bye, no word at all for eight long years. It was a crappy thing to do because it wound up nearly destroyin’ both of us. Believe me, I will spend the rest of my life makin’ it up to her. Because now that I have her, I can’t imagine ever livin’ without her.
3. What’s your greatest fear?
My greatest fear is losin’ Sarah. I already lost her once, that night I left town. It took me eight year to admit how much I needed her, and how wrong I’d been to leave her. I nearly lost her again when I introduced her to my best friend, Adam Sinclair, and we told her we wanted to share her in a D/s menage relationship. Adam was already in love with her just from hearin’ me talk about her while we were servin’ with the SEALs over in Afghanistan. But I needn’t have worried. As soon as they met each other, the attraction was instantaneous. It was like…completin’ the circle. Then I almost lost her when her ex-fiance tried to kidnap her in order to get hold of her money.
Fortunately we got to her in time. But the absolute worst was a few months ago, when that SOB who’d nearly raped her got out of prison. He kidnapped her and sold her to Viktor Sokolov, an international slave trafficker. They nearly got away with it, too. Adam and I were terrified we wouldn’t get to her in time to stop Sokolov from flyin’ her out of the country and beyond our reach. In our latest adventure, Keeping Sarah, we are surrounded by danger.
4. What’s your motto in life?
No secrets. There must be open, honest communication at all times about everything. It’s the only way a D/s relationship, especially a menage, can survive and flourish.
5. How do the other characters in your book view you?
My best friend and brother-in-arms, Adam, knows me as a dom, a fellow SEAL, and a man of principle and integrity. We love and admire each other as friends, brothers, and finally, in Keeping Sarah, as lovers. It’s a development I’m not sure I’m ready for, even though I know the feelin’s between us have been developin’ for a long time. But Adam can be very persuasive, and knows exactly which buttons to push, although he and Sarah practically have to stage an intervention to get me over the final hurdle. Sarah, the love of my life, sees me as macho, bossy, domineering, chauvinistic, over-bearing, and annoying. Oops, I forgot sexy (lol). She also sees me as one of the two men who love her to the bottom of our souls and who would give our lives to protect her from harm. The bad guys view me as their worst nightmare.
6. What is it about you that is going to draw us readers in?
I’m sexy as hell (lol). No, really. I am. I love fiercely and forever, and will fight to the death to protect those I cherish. I don’t suffer fools lightly and I abhor bullies and abusers of women—any women. Women are to be loved, revered, protected and treasured. With a few spankings, a little harmless torture and lots of orgasms thrown in just to spice things up a bit. I am, after all, a Dom. [Grins]
7. What was your happiest moment?
The first time I had Sarah tied to my bed and she looked up at me, beggin’ me to let her come…I knew I had found my joy. I knew I would spend the rest of my life wantin’ to make her scream with pleasure.
8. What trait in others do you find most deplorable?
Dishonesty and lack of respect.
9. What is your favorite time of day?
First thing in the mornin’, when Adam and I wake up with Sarah between us all soft and warm and smellin’ delicious. We wake her by makin’ slow, sweet love to her, startin’ her day with the gift of pleasure, lettin’ her know just how much we adore her.
Thank you, Jesse Colter, for stopping by and talking to us. We are looking forward to reading more about you, Adam, and Sarah in Julie Shelton’s Loving Sarah, Owning Sarah and now in the erotic thrill ride that is Keeping Sarah.
COVER BLURB FOR LOVING SARAH
Eight years ago Jesse Colter fled his small town, leaving behind eighteen-year-old Sarah Marshall, broken-hearted and devastated. Now a retired Navy SEAL, he’s back and he wants only one thing—Sarah Marshall—preferably bound, naked, and on her knees before him.
She has never forgotten Jesse. He’s been the object of all her sexual fantasies since she was fifteen, as well as the star of nightly dreams that have become increasingly erotic over the years. So when he suddenly reappears in her life, she is torn. Can she trust him not to hurt her, or will he once again break her heart? Warily, she agrees to let him introduce her to his world—the world of bondage, Domination, and erotic slavery. When he also introduces her to his best friend, Adam Sinclair, Sarah faces a daunting future of sexual submission to two powerful alpha males.
But Sarah faces an even bigger challenge. Someone is stalking her. Is it the old enemy who’s just been released from prison? Or is it someone else from her past who is determined to destroy any chance she has at happiness? Can Adam’s and Jesse’s love protect her? Or will her world explode in a cataclysm of betrayal and violence that will destroy them all?
LOVING SARAH -- ADULT EXCERPT
“Greedy little sub,” Adam chuckled. He manipulated her slick, swollen pussy lips, sliding them back and forth until one of the frozen red grapes popped from its dewy prison. It sat, glistening lewdly, nestled between her sopping wet lips like some obscene sex organ. “Do not come,” he instructed quietly, working his tongue beneath the grape and sliding it all the way up her slit. He flicked it rapidly across her frazzled clit before pulling the small fruit into his mouth and chewing noisily.
She was gasping like a beached fish, desperately trying to hold off her climax.
“Do not come,” he repeated, squeezing another grape free and looking at it for a long moment before taking it into his mouth. “God, you taste delicious,” he murmured, sliding his tongue back and forth along the length of her slit, just barely touching that nerve-ridden nubbin of flesh that was the center of both her pleasure and her torment. “Like sunshine and flowers and sweet, sweet cream.”
She lay there, shuddering and twitching as he tunneled his tongue into the depths of her cunt, releasing two more grapes and sending her body spiraling up, up, up toward the orgasm that hovered so tantalizingly out of reach. The orgasm she so desperately craved, yet knew she must not have. The one she fought with every trembling muscle in her body.
Adam pushed her right up to the edge. Then stopped.
He straightened, watching her entire body shudder helplessly as yet another orgasm retreated. He reveled in the power her submission gave him. Power to control, to direct, to manipulate. Power to render her helpless against her body’s own dark needs even as he drove her to the ultimate in sexual pleasure. “You do not have permission to come,” he reminded her as, one by one, he pulled more round red globes into his mouth. He released her pussy lips and stood up to allow Jesse to take his place.
A sob heaved from her lungs as she frantically fought her body’s brutal need to climax.
Jesse spread her labia apart with his thumbs, revealing her entire slit from her clenching ass hole at the bottom to the portal of her vagina and her clit at the very top. Her flesh was pink and swollen and dripping with the cream of her arousal. By now the remaining grapes were held firmly in place within her vaginal walls. Jesse rubbed his nose along her cleft, lapping his tongue at her dripping entrance, making her shudder and squirm. Placing his palm over her mound, he pressed down. “Push,” he said and a grape popped out onto his tongue.
He bit into the crisp flesh and was rewarded with a burst of tart sweetness that blended with Sarah’s own unique flavor, making it the most delicious treat he’d ever eaten. He ate all the remaining grapes, taking his time to dig each one out, finger-fucking her, building her arousal to a fever pitch. By the time he finished the last one, she was moaning and writhing and burning with the need to come. “Please, Jesse,” she begged, her voice hoarse with passion. “Please….”
“Please what?” he asked perversely, grinning as he slowly circled his finger around her clit, manipulating the surrounding flesh without actually touching the pearl itself, keeping her teetering on the edge, frantic and desperate.
It was pure torture and she gritted her teeth and stiffened her muscles in a losing effort to keep her climax at bay. She knew she wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer. “Please let me come,” she begged.
“I don’t know.” Jesse tilted his head, appearing to consider. As he did so, he began tapping his thumb repeatedly against her clit, increasing her suffering a hundred-fold.
Oh. My. God! The breath shuddered from her lungs. Her muscles clenched so tight she feared she‘d never get them to relax again. She squirmed as her need to climax threatened to swallow her alive.
“Whaddya think, Adam? Has she earned the right to come?”
Sarah’s beseeching gaze flew to her other tormenter, who gave her a sly smile as he reached for her clamped breasts. “Yeah. She’s been a pretty good girl.”
“Then come for us, Sarah,” Jesse toggled her clit, Adam released the clips on her nipples, and she let out a shriek as her orgasm hit her with the force of an avalanche, blasting through her, leveling everything in its path. Her back arched into a rigid bow as pleasure clenched her muscles so tight, she thought she heard bones snapping. And while she was still screaming and jerking about wildly, Jesse stood and unzipped his jeans, freeing his iron-hard cock. Grabbing her hips, he thrust into her, stroking savagely in and out until she came again, her muscles clamping around him so tightly his eyes crossed.
And again she came, with tremors so violent they rivaled a magnitude 10 earthquake, even as Jesse spilled his seed deep inside her. He pulled out and Adam took his place until he, too, climaxed, emptying himself inside her still-convulsing cunt. He remained deeply buried, rocking his hips hard against her, letting the long, liquid pulls of her inner muscles milk every last drop of come from his pumping cock. There was so much it splatted onto the floor in thick, milky blobs. Finally, with a hoarse cry, he pulled out, staggering backwards to collapse into the chair behind him, his hand still stroking his dwindling cock, wet and slick with the combination of all their juices.
Sarah flopped back on the table, jerking like a spastic marionette, totally spent, wondering desperately where all the oxygen had gone.
She was dimly aware of Jesse scooping her up off the table and flopping into the nearest chair with her straddling his lap, holding her close, crooning softly in her ear. His voice came at her from a great distance, gradually fading until there was nothing but silence. She had passed out.
BUY LINKS FOR LOVING SARAH
Amazon: http://amzn.to/18BMwQe
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1bv0Pmt
Siren-Bookstrand: http://bit.ly/IOPGpE
Kobobooks: http://bit.ly/19Pmv0z
GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/1g4GSYk
Owning Sarah, back cover blurb
It’s been a month since Sarah Marshall was kidnapped and held at knife-point by her ex-fiance. But Jesse Colter and Adam Sinclair, her two loving Doms, know that there is an even deadlier threat still out there—Ryder Malone.
He blames both Sarah and Jesse for sending him to prison eight years ago for attempted rape, and he’s determined to make them pay. So, he begins a systematic campaign of terror and intimidation against them. But the danger he poses doesn’t end there.
Set against the deepening love and commitment between Sarah, Jesse, and Adam, Owning Sarah is more than just a sexy, sensual, BDSM love story. It is a harrowing race against time for Jesse, Adam, and a team of former SEALs to stop one of the biggest arms-for-drugs deals in U.S. history. And to rescue Sarah before Malone sells her to a human trafficker and she’s lost to her men forever.
OWNING SARAH - ADULT EXCERPT ONE
“There’s my good girl.” His face softened. “Look, sugar, I agree that this is your domain, where you’re in charge. I get it. What you don’t get is that you are only in charge if I’m not in here with you. Because then it becomes my domain, and I’m in charge, because no matter where we are, if we’re together, I am in charge of you. Are we clear?” When she didn’t answer, his eyes darkened.
Pinioned by no more than his black gaze and the hand tightening around her neck, she might just as well have been tightly restrained. She couldn’t move. Not even when he took the final step that closed the distance between them, commandeering her personal space, dark intent in his eyes and raw hunger in every savage line of his face. She held her breath. Her nipples hardened and her stomach plummeted. “Jesse…”
One black eyebrow shot up. “Are we clear, baby?”
She gulped, struggling to maintain her swiftly-vanishing equilibrium. “Y-yes, Jesse.”
“Good. Glad that’s settled. Now, I believe I gave you a direct order, Sarah. But since you seem to be incapable of following it, I’ll help.”
She watched, aghast, as he shoved her chair out of the way with his foot, sending it scooting across the marble floor. With both hands, he unbuttoned her teal silk blouse, jerked the tails out of the waistband of her skirt and removed it, tossing it casually onto the seat of her chair. Reaching behind her, he deftly unclasped her ecru lace bra and pulled it off, revealing her creamy breasts to his hot, hard gaze. Folding the scrap of lace carefully, he stuffed it into the flapped pocket on the left leg of his cargoes. “Offer your breasts to me, Sunny.”
She gulped. Sunny. The name he and Adam had given her—the slave name he and Adam had given her. The name that let her know that a scene had officially started and she was their property until they saw fit to release her. Swallowing again, she curved her hands beneath her voluptuous breasts, lifting them up as if sacrificing them to a pagan god.
Every cell in his body burst into vibrant, throbbing life. He tried to swallow, but all the moisture in his mouth had evaporated and he couldn’t get his tongue to work. Christ! She wrecked him! She simply wrecked him! He still couldn’t believe he finally had her after needing her for so long. Eight years! Eight fuckin’ years!
“Jesus, sugar, your breasts are so gorgeous.” It was a hoarse whisper, barely audible above the blood pounding in his ears. His head descended. He closed his lips around one berry-like nipple and began suckling hard, flicking his tongue across the tight little nub like a scourge, sending ribbons of pleasure lashing against her clit.
Whimpering, she dropped her head back and arched forward, undulating her hips as she sought more of his exquisite torture.
Roughly replacing her hands with his, he plumped the soft pillows of her breasts as his mouth ravaged her nipples, going back and forth from one to the other, licking, sucking, taking sharp little nips that made her squeal, before soothing her with his tongue.
Spiraling higher and higher toward release, she could feel her juices running freely down the insides of her thighs. God, she was close…So close…
Grabbing her shoulders, he turned her, and bent her forward, smashing her wet breasts against the cluttered, glass-covered desktop. Jeez, that’s cold. She sucked in a gasp as he roughly hiked her skirt up around her waist. Cool air brushed across the exposed skin of her buttocks. “Hands over your head, baby, grab the front edge of the desk and spread your legs.”
“Jesse, please,” she gasped, shoulders straining against his superior strength as he man-handled her into the position he wanted. “Judge Walters’s clerk is on his way over here. He’ll be here any minute!”
“Then I suggest you get a move on, little sub.”
“Jesse, please…” She continued to resist, even as tremors of need pulsed through her until she was shaking all over. Part of her, the prim and proper, sexually repressed part, the part she’d named Angel, told her to defy him, since he was clearly out of line by coming into her office like this, expecting her to just drop everything and have wild, desktop sex. The other part of her, the inner, wanton, hedonistic imp she’d named Dolores, knew defiance was pointless. Knew she’d already lost this particular battle. Just do it, goaded Dolores’s shrill little voice in her head. Let him bend you over the desk. Let him force you to have sex—yeah, like he’d have to force you. After all, Dolores clapped her hands gleefully, seeing she had Sarah’s rapt attention, what’s the worst thing that can happen? The hottest man on the face of the planet will fuck you to the best orgasm of your life, that’s what! Really not seein’ the problem here, sweetcakes!
Unfortunately this was the part that always got her into trouble. Because ever since Jesse and Adam had come into her life, this was the part she always listened to. “What if someone just walks right in? They’ll see…”
“Time’s a-wastin’, Sarah.” Without waiting for her reply, he grabbed the elastic waistband of her teal silk and ecru lace panties and yanked them down until they caught halfway down her thighs, stretched to their limit. “Close your legs.” Barely giving her enough time to slide her feet together, he lifted one booted foot, placed it between her legs atop the bunched fabric and shoved the panties down to the floor. “Step out.”
Kicking the scrap of brightly colored silk out of the way with the toe of his boot, he unzipped his jeans, freeing the iron rod of his cock. With a low groan, he rocked his hips forward, humping his hot, damp cock into the crease of her ass. “Christ, sugar, you feel so fuckin’ good! I’ve been dreamin’ about this all damn day.”
BUY LINKS FOR OWNING SARAH
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1jLSwdJ
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/18AOP2T
Siren-Bookstrand: http://bit.ly/1g4JPbr
Kobobooks: http://bit.ly/1dYj0Ec
Julie has always loved stories, both reading and writing them, ever since she was old enough to hold a book in her hands. One of her favorite childhood activities was smuggling books under the covers to read by flashlight after she was supposed to be asleep.
A career as a children’s librarian eventually led to her dream career as a freelance storyteller and puppeteer, a business she operated successfully for twenty-five years. During that time she created and wrote all the original material for Kidstuff, a monthly language arts newsletter full of poems, songs, puppet and flannel-board stories, finger plays, and other resource material for early childhood educators. For that endeavor she won the prestigious EDPRESS Award for the best educational newsletter of 1982. Her 288-page book, Puppets, Poems and Songs was a major resource. She has also written other resource materials for librarians and preschool and early elementary teachers.
Julie lives in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. Now widowed and retired, she once again has time to devote to her two favorite things—reading and writing—especially her new love, erotic romances with strong heroines, hunky alpha-male heroes, and lots of smokin’ hot sex.
Amazon author page: http://amzn.to/IEAADL
Website: http://bit.ly/Nn2gPE
Facebook author page: http://on.fb.me/19nGsh2
LinkedIn Profile: http://linkd.in/1gYBG9p
Posted by Gale Stanley at 11:46 PM 1 comment:
Labels: BDSM, Julie Shelton, Keeping Sarah, SirenBookstrand
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Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs Informs of Provocation Failure
Prensa Latina News Agency
The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stressed the failure of the anti-Cuban provocation enacted by right-wing organizations in the region
According to a statement issued yesterday, international media reported in recent weeks the intention by Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, to travel to Havana to receive an award invented by an illegal anti-Cuban group to the extreme rightwing Foundation for Pan-American Democracy.
That plan consisted in setting up in Havana an open and serious provocation against the Cuban government to generate internal instability and damage the international image of the country, while affecting the good progress of Cuba’s diplomatic relations with other states, the statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.
According to the text, Almagro himself and some other right-wing members of the so-called Democratic Initiative of Spain and the Americas (IDEA), who has also aggressively acted in recent years against Venezuela and other countries with progressive and left wing governments in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Other organizations with huge anti-Cuban credentials, such as the Democracy and Community Center, the Center for Studies and Management for the Development of Latin America (CADAL) and the Inter American Institute for Democracy, by CIA terrorist and agent, Carlos Alberto Montaner, also participated in this action.
After knowing these plans and enforcing the laws that maintain the nation’s sovereignty, the Cuban government denied the entry into the national territory of foreign citizens related to the described events, the statement said.
In consonance with the principles governing the diplomatic relations among states, Cuban authorities contacted the governments of the countries from which those persons traveled and informed, tried to dissuade and prevent the completion of those actions.
Airlines also canceled passenger reservations when they learned that they would not be welcome, as the regulations of international civil aviation establish, the text said.
The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed not to be surprised for the openly anti-Cuban actions and statements made by Almagro and the OAS, because in a very short time leading that organization, he has stood out for generating an ambitious agenda of attacks against the progressive governments of Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador.
Tags: CIA CUBAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS LUIS ALMAGRO OAS
Cuba Statement Rejects US Slander to Justify Blockade
Cuba Rejects OAS Resolution Against Venezuela
Venezuela Blames Opposition for Protest Deaths
William J Read
25 February, 2017 at 4:04
It is good to see that Cuba has rejected the interference by Luis Almagro of the OAS in its internal affairs. Almagro has allied the OAS with anti-Cuban organisations, and will receive a robust response from Cuba if he attempts any further provocations.
By Prensa Latina News Agency
All Posts (2355)
Cuba President Highlights Upcoming Election Process
Puerto Rican Quake Victims Still Waiting for US Help
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Phone : 03155462505-6
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Iran Lakes
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Daryook Dam Lake (Iran tourism)
Date : 1395/12/01 Writer : مدیرسایت View : 2103
Daryook Dam Lake, Tonekabon
This lake (reservoir) has an area of about one hectare and is situated opposite the Vali Abad valley of Hezar Cham and in the skirts of the Dal Kamar Mountains. It is a sweet water lake with a depth of about 5 m. It is surrounded with pastures and meadows, thus providing a habitat for endemic birds and wildlife. It is coupled with natural beauty, and a wonderful landscape, in addition to being an area for therapeutic and research activities.
daryook dam lake iran tourism
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Dasht-e Kavir (Iran tourism)
It is about 800 km (500 mi) and 320 km (200 mi) with a total surface area of about 77,600 km2 (30,000 sq mi), making it the Earth's 23rd largest desert.
Maranjab Desert (Iran tourism)
Maranjab one of the most beautiful desert areas of Iran. Long sandy hills and forests of the area worst beautiful arch. Salt Lake Aran Island Bidgol wandering around the area are spectacular.
Shoorabil Lake (Iran tourism)
With an area of 120 hectares, this salt-water lake is located south of the Ardabil city and constitutes an important recreational site for the inhabitants of Ardabil with several facilities.
Neor Lake (Iran tourism)
This lake is located 48 km. southeast of the city of Ardabil, in an altitude of 2,700 m. above sea level. With an area of more than 220 hectares, it is composed of a smaller and a larger basin, which gets connected in rainy seasons forming a single lake.
Tashak and Bakhtegan Lake (Iran tourism)
These lakes are situated northwest of Nayreez. The mountainous area among them, along with various islands, specially in Tasht Lake (Pelicans and Nargess islands) have created a precious natural aggregate.
Parishan (Famoor) Lake (Iran tourism)
This lake is formed 3 km. away from Ayaz Abad Village and at a distance of 12 km to the southeast of Kazeroon. It is protected by Department of The Environment.
Hozeh Soltan Lake (Iran tourism)
The said lake covers an area of approximately 2,400 sq.km. and is located to the east of the township of Qom.
Salt Lake (Iran tourism)
The said lake is in actual fact a part of the salt desert of Iran and is located to the east of Qom. It is a section of an ancient lake, currently dried up and rich in mineral sedimentation due to gradual evaporation.
Maharloo Lake (Iran tourism)
This lake with an area of 600 sq.km. is located 27 km. southeast of Shiraz. The lake water is used for extraction of normal salt.
Kaftar Lake (Shadkam Lake (Iran tourism)
With an area of about 48 sq. km., it is located at southeast of Eqleed. This lake is considered as a valuable habitat for migratory birds with a beautiful and memorable landscape.
Arjan Lake and Wetland (Iran tourism)
Covering about 2000 hectares in area, it is located 60 km south of Shiraz at the vicinity to Shiraz - Bushehr Road.
Estakhr-e-Posht Lake (Iran tourism)
This lake covers an area of about 6 hectares and is situated in the Estakhr-e-Posht village in the valley of Zarom river.
This lake (reservoir) has an area of about one hectare and is situated opposite the Vali Abad valley of Hezar Cham and in the skirts of the Dal Kamar Mountains.
Latiyan Dam Lake (Iran tourism)
This lake is located 25 km north-east of Tehran and covers an area of 330 hectares on Jajrood River. Around this lake is a vast recreational site.
Amir Kabir Dam Lake (Iran tourism)
This lake expands over 4000 hectares and is located in the Varian Gorge at a 23 km distance on Karaj - Chaloos Road.
Malek Library and Museum (Iran tourism)
This museum covers an area of 1000 sq. m. and comprises of halls, library, micro-films room, a reading room and computer services center.
National Arts Museum (Iran tourism)
The facade of museum is adorned with tile works. It has a large wooden door with a network of glass panes. The wooden and carved planets as well as the velvet curtains are all the works of the artists employed by the museum.
Reza Abbasi Museum (Iran tourism)
This museum has been named after the famous artist (painter) and calligrapher of the Safavid era and consists of two halls: Pre-Islamic Hall: The remnants of this hall are relative to two reputed cycles of pre-historic and historical periods.
Sabz (Shahvand Palace) Museum (Iran tourism)
This palace was constructed by Reza Khan in 1927 to the north west of Darband on the hillock of Sa’d Abad. This palace has a mirror pavilion, an entertainment area, a dinning room, bed room and an office room.
Iran Carpet Museum (Iran tourism)
This beautifully architectured structure, with the carpet shaped facade is located north west of Laleh Park. The display area covers 3,400 sq. m.
Unit 7,Building bahman,Street 22bahman,Kashan,Iran
Phone: 03155462505-6
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Arian Commerce Department to collect information in the field of ancient monuments, places of interest, the best hotels and restaurants all Iranian cities has a complete database of tourism in Iran provide for your loved ones.
Hence you can select the desired city people to all the places of interest and the best hotels and restaurants know and have good memories of your trip.
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Chroniclers
Las Vegas Charley (short story)
Laughter and False Teeth (play)
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Lasting Beauty: Miss Jamison and the Student Muralists (exhibition)
Name:Lasting Beauty: Miss Jamison and the Student Muralists; FirstDate:2004-09-23; FinalDate:; Location:; Organization:Japanese American National Museum; Curator:; Producer:; KeyStaff:; Website:;
RG Media Type
Lasting Beauty: Miss Jamison and the Student Muralists
University of Arkansas, Little Rock; Japanese American National Museum
Grades 3-5; Grades 6-8; Grades 9-12; Adult
Expression through art
Art; History
Free Web Version
Has Teaching Aids?
McGhee, Arkansas
Rohwer [9]
RGMediaType:exhibitions; Title:Lasting Beauty: Miss Jamison and the Student Muralists; Creators:University of Arkansas, Little Rock; Japanese American National Museum; InterestLevel:Grades 3-5; Grades 6-8; Grades 9-12; Adult; ReadingLevel:; GuidedReadingLevel:; Lexile:; Theme:Expression through art; Genre:Art; History; PoV:; RelatedEvents:; Availability:Limited availability; FreeWebVersion:No; PrimarySecondary:; HasTeachingAids:No; Warnings:; DenshoTopic:; Geography:McGhee, Arkansas; Chronology:1942-1946; Facility:Rohwer [9];
Exhibition featuring murals painted by Japanese American students at Rohwer High School under the direction of art teacher Mabel Rose Jamison Vogel. Lasting Beauty was one of eight exhibitions mounted in and around Little Rock, Arkansas, as part of the Life Interrupted project in 2004. It was later shown at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles in 2005.
Mabel Rose Jamison Vogel (1906–94) was an artist and art teacher for most of her life. Arriving at Rohwer in January 1943, she arrived to find her classroom devoid of desks, chairs, and art supplies. She nonetheless immersed herself in her work and became a favorite among inmate students. When the inmate Public Works Division requested murals for the new Rohwer auditorium, "Miss Jamison" (she married G.I. Herbert Vogel while she was at Rohwer) set her students up for the task. They decided to tell the story of their forced removal and incarceration through the mural project, with the students painting eight 4 x 16 foot murals on beaver board with tempera paint. The eight included "December 7th" by Mac Kinoshita, "Evacuation" by Teruyo Kishi, "Assembly Centers" by Mary Ihara, "To Rohwer" by Nobi Tanimoto, "The New Home" by Kik Toyofuku, "Community Life" by Michi Tanaka, "Center Occupations" by Motohiko Hori, and "Relocation" by Arthur Okusu. These were displayed in the auditorium, with four each on the east and west walls. But when the camp closed, the murals along with most of the rest of the camp were lost to history. Vogel remained at Rohwer until it closed. She continued to work as an art teacher for many years afterwards in New York and Cleveland.
In the 1980s, as interest in the Japanese American incarceration grew in the context of the Redress Movement, Vogel donated parts of her collection from Rohwer to the Smithsonian Institution and the Japanese American National Museum (JANM). Among the material donated to JANM were mock ups of the murals, painted by the student artists on fabric. After mounting the America's Concentration Camps exhibition in 1994, JANM received a grant from the Arkansas-based Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation for restoration work on the mural paintings. The same foundation later served as the primary funder of the Life Interrupted Project, which included a conference, website, documentary film, and eight exhibitions in 2004.
Lasting Beauty featured three of the mural painting—the pieces by Michi Tanaka, Mas Kinoshita, and Nobie Tanimoto—displayed for the first time. These paintings were augmented by other pieces, including other works by Kinoshita, a Henry Sugimoto painting, and various wood carvings. The title of the exhibition comes from a line from Vogel's journal.[1] Opening at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock Fine Arts Building, Gallery I on September 23, 2004, it ran through October 15. Lasting Beauty later was displayed at JANM from February 6 to July 24, 2005.
Vogel willed the remainder of her Rohwer collection to her close friend Rosalie Santine Gould, who subsequently donated her materials to the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies. Material from the Mabel Rose Jamison Vogel/Rosalie Santine Gould Collection served as the basis for the 2011 exhibition, The Art of Living: Japanese American Creative Experience at Rohwer.
Life Interrupted: The Japanese American Experience in World War II Arkansas. http://www.janm.org/events/2004/lifeinterrupted/exhibitions/.
Lasting Beauty: Miss Jamison and the Student Muralists. Past Exhibitions, Japanese American National Museum. http://www.janm.org/exhibits/lasting/.
"Returning Beauty: Student Murals Back in Arkansas." Arkansas Times, Oct. 7, 2004, http://www.arktimes.com/arkansas/returning-beauty/Content?oid=949442.
Ziegler, Jan Fielder. "Listening to 'Miss Jamison': Lessons from the Schoolhouse at a Japanese Internment Camp, Rohwer Relocation Center." Arkansas Review: A Journal of Delta Studies 33.2 (Aug. 2002): 137–46.
---. "Mabel Rose Jamison (Jamie) Vogel (1906–1994)." The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=31.
---. The Schooling of Japanese American Children at Relocation Centers during World War II: Miss Mabel Jamison and Her Teaching of Art at Rohwer, Arkansas. Studies in American History Vol. 57. Lewiston, New York: The Edwin Mellen Press, 2005.
↑ She wrote, "A good painting is a thing of lasting beauty. Long after the poster paint has peeled off the beaver boards, these murals, painted by these eight high school students will be remembered. For the story and history of the evacuation are not likely to be forgotten soon." Cited in Jan Fielder Ziegler, "Listening to 'Miss Jamison': Lessons from the Schoolhouse at a Japanese Internment Camp, Rohwer Relocation Center," Arkansas Review: A Journal of Delta Studies 33.2 (Aug. 2002), 143.
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What's CBCK
Catholic Church In Korea
CBCK News
CBCK Newsletter
Bishop Peter LEE Ki-heon, D.D.
Views 22981 Votes 0 2009.08.27 10:51:57
http://english.cbck.or.kr/1619
Peter Lee, D.D., Bishop of Uijeongbu
Name: Peter LEE Ki-heon
Status: Bishop of Uijeongbu
Place of birth: Pyong-yang
Address: 1, Yongsan-dong 3-ga, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 140-600
Feb. 1966 Graduated from Gyeongdong High School in Seoul
Feb. 1973 Graduated from Catholic University in Seoul (Major Seminary)
Dec. 8, 1975 Ordained to the Priesthood
Dec. 1975 Parochial Vicar of Cheonho-dong Parish of Seoul
Jun. 1976 Parochial Vicar of Sangbong-dong Parish of Seoul
Jan. 1977 Parochial Vicar of Myeong-dong Cathedral of Seoul
Aug. 1978 - Aug. 1982 Military Chaplain
Sep. 1982 Pastor of Jamwon-dong Parish of Seoul
Sep. 1987 Pastor of Seokgwan-dong Parish of Seoul
May 1990 Pastor of the Korean residents in Tokyo, Japan
Sep. 1995 Director of Department for Education of Seoul Archdiocese
Sep. 1998 Chancellor of Seoul Archdiocese
Oct. 29, 1999 Elected as Bishop of Military Ordinariate
Dec. 14, 1999 Consecrated as Bishop
Dec. 15, 1999 Took Possession of the See of Military Ordinariate
Mar. 30, 2000 - Oct. 2005 President of the Committee for Family Pastoral Ministry (Served concurrently as the Bishop in chargeof Healthcare)
Mar. 30, 2000 - Oct.15,2009 Member of the Episcopal Commission for Mission and Pastoral Care
Mar. 25, 2003 - Oct. 2005 Bishop in charge of Headquarters of the Life 31 Movement of the CBCK
May 19, 2003 - 2004 Bishop in charge of the FABC 8th Plenary Assembly
Oct. 2005 - Oct. 13, 2010 President of the Committee for Culture of the CBCK
Oct. 13, 2009 - present Chairman of the Episcopal Commission for Mission& Pastoral Care of the CBCK
Feb. 26, 2010 Transferred to Bishop of Uijeongbu
Feb. 26, 2010 - present Member of the Special Episcopal Commission for the Reconciliation of the Korean People of the CBCK
Feb. 26, 2010 - present Member of the Special Episcopal Commission to Promote Beatification and Canonization
Mar.10,2010 - Mar.14,2012 President of the Committee for Youth of the CBCK
Apr.17,2010 - Jul.16,2010 Apostolic Administrator of the Military Ordinariate in Korea
May. 4, 2010 Took possession of the See of Uijeongbu
Oct. 14, 2010 – present Moderator of the Korean – Japanese Bishops’ Exchange Meeting
Oct. 12, 2011 – present Auditor of the Catholic Conference of Korea
Mar. 14, 2012 – present President of the CBCK Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People
http://english.cbck.or.kr/1619/06c/trackback
Bishop Gabriel CHANG Bong-hun, D.D.
Archbishop John CHOI Young-soo, D.D.
Bishop Matthias Ri Iong-hoon, S.T.D., D.D.
Bishop Bartholomew Kim, D.D.
Bishop John Chrysostom Kwon Hyeok-ju, D.D.
Bishop Felix Ridel, M.E.P., D.D.
Bishop Francis Xavier AHN Myong-ok, D.D.
Bishop Daniel Tji, J.C.D., D.D.
St. Bishop Simeon Berneux, M.E.P., D.D.
Bishop Francis Hong, D.D.
Archbishop Harold Henry, S.S.C., L.L.D..,D.D.
Bishop Ignatius pak, Ph.D., D.D.
Bishop Michael Pak Jeong-il, D.D.
Bishop Joseph Lee Han-taek, S.J., D.D.
Write... List
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103 Korean Martyr Saints
CBCK Information
Episcopal Commissions
General Secretariate
Catholic Conference of Korea
Relation with the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life
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Galaxy S11 Series to Be Equipped with Superhigh Quality Cameras and Batteries with Large Capacities
Level of interests towards Samsung Electronics’ flagship smartphone ‘Galaxy S11’ that will be released in 2020 has heightened. Various predictions mixed with expectations are coming out like water confined by a dam.
There is even a rendering image that reminds one of actual Galaxy S11 has come to the surface. Although the image is based on predictions, it is likely that the image reflects significant portions of actual Galaxy S11.
Galaxy S series that are integrated with Samsung Electronics’ cutting-edge technologies present reference points for many different areas such as smartphone camera and display, mobile AP (Application Processor), and design. Based on information that has been leaked and made public so far, the Electronic Times looked at how Galaxy S11 would look like.
◊Galaxy S11 series to be divided into three models
It is heard that Samsung Electronics is developing three different models for Galaxy S11 series. Just like Galaxy S10 series, it is likely that these three models will be named Galaxy S11e, Galaxy S11, and Galaxy S11 Plus.
There is a high chance that Samsung Electronics will apply 6.3-inch, 6.7-inch, and 6.9-inch curved edge displays to all three models. It is expected that there will be differences in RAM, storage, and camera performance.
On the front, cameras will be placed in the upper middle part of Galaxy S11 series based on the Infinity-O Display just like Galaxy Note 10 series. However, it is expected that the size of hole punch camera will become much smaller.
Samsung Electronics showed little bit of small camera hole and bezel-less display through a teaser image of its new 2020 Galaxy A model that will be made public on the 12th in Vietnam. Because Samsung Electronics is using the Galaxy A series as a platform to introduce its innovative technologies, there is a high chance that the platform will be applied to Galaxy S11 series as well.
There is also a possibility that Galaxy S11 series will support a horizontal scanning frequency of 90Hz or 120Hz for the first time. Higher horizontal scanning frequency will lead to increased number of images that are processed per second and smooth movements or smooth scroll of a screen. Previous Galaxy S series support a horizontal scanning frequency of 60Hz.
◊100MP and 5x optical zoom camera
Improved camera performance is the one element that is drawing the most expectations. According to the smartphone parts industry, Galaxy S11 series are expected to be equipped with cameras that sport a superhigh quality image sensor with more than 100MP and support 5x optical zoom.
Triple-cameras will be placed on the back of Galaxy S11e and they will be made up of 12MP sensor with a wide-angle lens, 64MP sensor with a 2x telephoto lens, and 12MP sensor with a ultrawide angle lens.
Some within the industry are mentioning about quad-camera or even penta-camera that is made up of five modules for Galaxy S11 and S11 Plus. It is heard that there is a good chance that Samsung Electronics will mix camera with a wide-angle lens, camera with a telephoto lens, and a camera with a ultrawide angle lens with ToF (Time of Flight) module that is able to support take 3D pictures or apply superhigh quality camera with 108MP or camera with a 5x telephoto lens.
108MP image sensor developed by Samsung Electronics has the highest number of pixels out of currently commercialized smartphone cameras. Samsung Electronics supplied 108MP image sensors to Xiaomi for its CC9 Pro and is currently going through a mass-production stage.
However, it is heard that there is a two to three seconds delay with processing of an image whenever CC9 Pro is taking a picture with 100MP. The size and the thickness of the camera module are also much bigger than that of current camera modules. Production costs of the components are also expensive. Considering the commercial value and the degree of technological completion of the 108MP image sensor, there is a good chance that Samsung Electronics will only apply the sensor to Galaxy S11 Pro or postpone applying the sensor to the next Galaxy series.
“Samsung Electronics will apply camera with a 108MP sensor to its Galaxy S11 Plus model.” said a Chinese IT Twitterian called Ice Universe. “This image sensor will have a higher optimization level than the one that was supplied to Xiaomi.”
Samsung Electronics’ new 5x optical zoom camera is also drawing attention. Current smartphone cameras with a telephoto lens can have up to 2x optical zoom due to the structure of telephoto lens. However, 5x optical zoom camera developed by Samsung Electro-Mechanics is based on a new module that utilizes the structure of periscope. Based on this technology, it will be possible for the new camera to provide new functions such as ‘space zoom’.
◊Rear cameras to be based on induction cooking hob design
Design of the rear camera modules of the Galaxy S11 series is also drawing same level of interests as camera performance. It has almost become a done deal that an induction cooking hob design will be applied to the Galaxy S11 series just like Apple’s iPhone 11 series.
Because rear cameras are expected to be arranged in a ‘L’ shape, it is expected that they will take the design of induction cooking hob similar to that of iPhone 11 series.
Apple has applied a design to iPhone 11 Pro so that triple-cameras in the rear protrude like a square. Although the design initially had drawn laughter as it looked outdated, consumers have eventually accepted the design without any complaint.
It is predicted that the rear cameras of Galaxy S11 series will take on the design of induction cooking hob as there are more rear cameras for the Galaxy S11 series than the previous series. Induction cooking hob design has also been considered due to the size of new camera modules.
There is a rendering image of Galaxy S11 Plus, which can be applied with penta-cameras on its rear, showing five lenses within an induction module placed as the side of a dice showing five dots.
◊Galaxy S11 Plus to be equipped with 5,000mAh battery
Galaxy S11 Plus will be equipped with 5,000mAh battery, which will be the biggest battery capacity in Samsung Electronics’ flagship smartphone history. Galaxy S11e and Galaxy S11 are likely to have 4,000mAh battery and 4,500mAh battery respectively.
Samsung Electronics has equipped Galaxy S10 Plus and Galaxy Note 10 Plus with 4,100mAh battery and 4,300mAh battery respectively. Considering various factors such as 5G network and scanning rate that require large power, it is likely that Samsung Electronics will gradually increase battery capacity of its future smartphones.
“Even if battery capacity is increased, it does not mean that the battery will last longer after it is fully charged.” said PhoneArena. “Power will be consumed even quicker if the Galaxy S11 series are released with large screen and an ability to support 5G network.”
Since Samsung Electronics was involved an issue with Galaxy Note 7, it has been somewhat conservative with increasing battery capacity for a while. However, it seems that it has regained confidence by drastically tightening battery-related safety measures and testing batteries with larger capacities with inexpensive models first.
Samsung Electronics has applied 5,000mAh battery to Galaxy M20 that was released this year in India. Afterwards, it increased battery capacity even more by applying 6,000mAh battery to Galaxy M30s that was manufactured through an ODM (Original Design Manufacturer).
◊Exynos 990 and Snapdragon 865
It is expected that Samsung Electronics will apply both Exynos and Snapdragon, which are application processors (AP), to the Galaxy S11 series just like the previous years.
Samsung Electronics introduced Exynos 990 AP at Samsung Tech Day 2019 that was held in Silicon Valley in October. This new AP, which is designed through 7nm EUV process, minimizes power consumption and supports high-performance operations. It supports AI-based operations as it is equipped with dual-core Gen 2 NPU (Neural Processing Unit).
“Exynos 990 and Exynos modem 5123 are innovative products that are optimized for AI and 5G era.” said President Kang In-yeop of Samsung Electronics System LSI Business Department with emphasis.
Qualcomm also introduced Snapdragon 865 AP that will be applied to the Galaxy S11 series recently at Qualcomm Snapdragon Tech Summit 2019. This AP is also based on 7nm process and its CPU performance and power efficiency are improved by 25% compared to the previous model.
It is expected that the Galaxy S11 series released in South Korea and Europe will be equipped with Exynos 990 while the Galaxy S11 series released in the U.S. and China will be equipped with Snapdragon 865.
Staff Reporter Park, Jungeun | jepark@etnews.com
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All Discussion
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A review on - Equal Remuneration Act, 1976
A review on – Equal Remuneration Act, 1976
June 17, 2014 Shushant mallik Industrial Laws, Law 6550 Views
Its not only the question to management, ethically also its hard to endeavor that appointment to a job is based on the discrimination on sex categories. Not even that nowdays the work portfolio is also prepared on the same basis. And the same case is with the remuneration selection and distribution.
What actually I have seen in the corporate sectors is that for a particular job where its not necessary to appoint a man or woman for that profession, then also those corporate offices does the same. Well I can show explore with an example : If there is a vacancy for a Chartered Accountant then the first priority is given to male persons and the question doesn’t arise.. why? As it obvious that they think that work of a chartered sometimes take a late night work to do, so the female chartered will held a lots of huddle to do the same. So, I am mentioning the discrimination between them. What i have read in the “Equal remuneration Act, 1976” is that after the appointment also if the employer makes difference on sex category on the basis of Work division, remuneration, opportunity and the participation in the new opportunities then the employer shall have to face a several penalty.
So the essence from the said Act can be viewed as below:
Object and Scope
The equal Remuneration Act, 1976 provides for payment of equal remuneration to men and women workers for same work or work of similar nature without any discrimination and also prevents discrimination against women employees while making recruitment for the same work or work of similar nature, or in any condition of service subsequent to recruitment. The provisions of the Act have been extended to all categories of employment. The Act extends to whole of India.
Act to have overriding effect
Section 3 of the Act provides that the provisions of the Act shall have effect notwithstanding anything inconsistent therewith contained in any other law or in the terms of any award, agreement or contract of service, whether made before or after the commencement of the Act, or in any instrument having effect under any law for the time being in force.
Duty of employer to pay equal remuneration to men and women workers for same work or work of a similar nature.
Section 4 of the Act provides that no employer shall pay to any worker, employed by him in an establishment or employment, remuneration, whether payable in cash or in kind, at rates less favourable than those at which remuneration is paid by him to the workers of the opposite sex in such establishment or employment for performing the same work or work of a similar nature and employer shall not reduce the rate of remuneration of any worker.
It may be noted that as per section 2 (g) “remuneration” means the basic wage or salary, and any additional emoluments whatsoever payable, either in cash or in kind, to a person employed in respect of employment or work done in such employment, if the terms of the contract of employment, express or implied, were fulfilled and section 2 (h) defines “same work or work of a similar nature” means work in respect of which the skill, effort and responsibility required are the same, when performed under similar working conditions, by a man or a woman and the differences, if any, between the skill, effort and responsibility required of a man and those required of woman are not practical important in relation to the terms and conditions of employment.
Discrimination not to be made while recruiting men and women
As per section 5 while making recruitment for the same work or work of a similar nature or in any condition of service subsequent to recruitment such as promotions, training or transfer, shall not make any discrimination against women except where the employment of women the employment of women in such work is prohibited or restricted by or under any law for the time being in force.
However, above mentioned section shall not affect any priority or reservation for scheduled castes or scheduled tribes, ex-servicemen, retrenched employees or any other class or category of persons in the matter of recruitment to the posts in an establishment or employment.
Authorities for hearing and deciding claims and complaints
Section 7 of the Act empower the appropriate Government appoint such officers, not below the rank of a Labour Officer, as it thinks fit to be the authorities for the purpose of hearing and deciding complaints with regard to the contravention of any provision of the Act; claims arising out of non-payment of wages at equal rates to men and women workers for the same work or work of a similar nature; and define the local limits within which each such authority shall exercise its jurisdiction.
Maintenance of Registers
As per Section 8, it is the duty of every employer, to maintain registers and other documents in relation in relation to the workers employment by him in the prescribed manner.
If any employer: (i) makes any recruitment in contravention of the provisions of this Act; or (ii) makes any payment of remuneration at unequal rates to men and women workers for the same work or work of a similar nature; or (iii) makes any discrimination between men and women workers in contravention of the provisions of this Act; or (iv) omits or fails to carry out any direction made by the appropriate Government, then he/she shall be punishable with fine or with imprisonment or with both.
1. Study Material of “Industiral & Labour Law” Executive Program.
Shushant mallik ( Chartered Accountant & Cost Accountant )
Shushant is a Chartered Accountant and a Cost Accountant. He has secured All India Rank-34 in CMA Final Exams. He is a Financial Controller at Mount Meru Soyco Limited, Rwanda. He is a administrator of this site . In his spare time he hang out with his friends and discuss about the current issues in market. You can find his latest blog posts at www.enrollmyexperience.com and at his facebook profile. View all posts by Shushant mallik
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Tuesday, October 31, 2017 0
There’s a Petition to Bar Casey Affleck from the Oscars – Boston magazine
Boston magazineA director in New York has now introduced a petition to stop Casey Affleck from participating in the 2018 Academy Awards because of the sexual harassment allegations against him. Affleck won a Best Actor Oscar for Manchester by the Sea at the Academy …There’s a Petition to Ban Casey Affleck From the 2018 OscarsThe […]
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The Envelopes, Please: Nominate for CIO Academy Awards – Techwire.net
Techwire.netNominations have opened for the California CIO Academy Awards Program. The awards, presented by Public CIO magazine, will recognize individuals in California government organizations for their outstanding contributions, best practices and works of … …read more Source:: Academy Awards News By Google News
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Was Kevin Spacey talking about HIMSELF when he accepted an Oscar for playing a creepy old man in American … – Daily Mail
Daily MailA playwright has suggested Kevin Spacey was referring to his own ‘misconduct’ during his acceptance speech at the 2000 Oscars for his role in American Beauty. Spacey won Best Actor at the Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles for his portrayal of …International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences withdraws award for Kevin SpaceyXinhuaLondon’s […]
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Pakistan’s Academy Award-winner breaks silence on her controversial ‘harassment tweet’ – gulfnews.com
gulfnews.comShe termed the incident ‘harassment’, saying that she will take action against it. Her remarks resulted in the doctor being fired reportedly and huge backlash for Chinoy. Now, the Academy Award-winner has spoken up about the matter with a statement … and more …read more Source:: Academy Awards News By Google News
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Smithsonian Announced Its 2017 Ingenuity Award Winners – TIME
TIMEAva DuVernay, who became the first female African-American director to have a film nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards with 2014’s Selma, will be honored for her achievements in the visual arts category. Singer-songwriter John Legend, who … …read more Source:: Academy Awards News By Google News
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International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences withdraws award for Kevin Spacey – Xinhua
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In A Period Of Declining Viewership, ABC Bumps Up Ad Costs For 2018 Oscars – Forbes
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Kevin Spacey: International TV Academy Withdraws His Emmy Founders Award Amid Allegations – Deadline
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The Higher
U.S. Release Date: February 6, 2007
E.U. Release Date: December 12, 2006
Label: Epitaph
Recording Year: 2007
UPC/EAN Code: 45778685561
©2007 Epitaph
℗2007 Epitaph
Pace Yourself
1 Weapons Wired Lyrics/Info 4:06
2 Movement Lyrics/Info 4:04
3 In The Set Lyrics/Info 4:01
4 Pace Yourself Lyrics/Info 8:28
About Pace Yourself by The Higher
Produced by Mike Green (The Matches, Paramore) and counting the titles "Weapons Wired", "Movement", "In The Set", and "Pace Yourself" (the latter remixed by Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump), Pace Yourself will see subsequent release through all digital outlets on January 12, 2007. The EP comes in advance of the group's debut Epitaph full length On Fire, which is slated for release on February 20th, 2007.
Released: 6/23/2009
THE HIGHER POST NEW SINGLE "IT'S ONLY NATURAL"
THE HIGHER HIT THE ROAD IN SUPPORT OF NEW ALBUM
The Higher - It's Only Natural
If Justin Timberlake were a band, he'd be The Higher.
However, just because The Higher can bust out pop tunes, it doesn't mean ...
The Higher - Insurance
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During his keynote address at the Develop Conference, Kojima said, "So far, when I've been making games, I've had to give up on something or at least compromise on something in order to get things done".
As you may recall, Hideo Kojima surprised everyone in the Sony conference at E3 2016, announcing Death Stranding and appearing on the stage, where he announced that the game will arrive exclusively on PlayStation 4 console, and PC. While secrecy is part of Kojima's modus operandi for his new game, the legendary game developer recently gave a bit more of an insight into how the development of Death Stranding has differed from previous experiences, and his hopes for the title. "It should be my best work so far, I'm very confident working with [Mark]".
Kojima was reportedly forced to make a ton of compromises during the development of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, however, the game was still pretty well-received by the critics.
"As for Konami? I thought people might link it but there's no connection in there."
"Every game brings me closer and closer to making what I imagine", Kojima told Cerny. Kojima has reportedly traveled all over the world to find the right game engine to use, though it remains to be seen which one he'll decide to go with.
The Metal Gear Solid series is one of the biggest, most successful, most influential gaming franchises of all time- but it owes its entire existence to the original PlayStation, as it turns out.
When it comes to video games, few names are as recognizable as Hideo Kojima. Even now we have little to no information as to what it exactly is.
The first Metal Gear Solid game on the PS1 was a real technical marvel because of cinematic it was, and the usage of the 3D models (though dated, by today's standards) really helped players develop a sense of immersion while going through the game. Leaks have been generally expected occurrences during the weeks leading up to the event, and this has happened with Kojima's other projects.
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Gymnast Gabby Douglas honored with a new Barbie 'Shero' doll
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Ginsburg's public Trump critique raises ethical quandaries
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Revision as of 00:10, 9 September 2019 (edit)
72.76.38.41 (Talk)
(corrected a typo)
Revision as of 00:24, 9 September 2019 (edit) (undo)
68.37.43.131 (Talk)
(→M: See also redundancy. See also "crap for brains".)
'''maskurus''' ''(n.)'': Strong Bad's mask. Used in [[Cartoon Characters]].
'''maxymoron''' ''(n.)'': A portmanteau of the words "maximum" and "oxymoron". The opposite of an oxymoron, it is a phrase using multiple terms with the same meaning as if there is a distinction. Used by Strong Bad to refer to the inside joke "[[#J|jumbo/LARGE]]" in [[road trip]].
'''maxymoron''' ''(n.)'': A portmanteau of the words "maximum" and "oxymoron". The opposite of an oxymoron, it is a phrase using multiple terms with the same meaning as if there is a distinction. Used by Strong Bad to refer to the inside joke "[[#J|jumbo/LARGE]]" in [[road trip]]. See also [[redundancy]].
'''meeple''' ''(n.)'': A wooden approximation of a human character in a tabletop game (defined by Strong Sad in [[Meeple Grove]]). Used consistently to refer to the wooden game pieces in [[Trogdor!! The Board Game]].
This article is about the terms regarding the Homestar Runner body of work. For the terms regarding the wiki, see HRWiki:Glossary.
Everything from ab-abber to zawesome
The Homestar Runner body of work uses many confusing terms that someone new to the series might not understand. Here is a compilation of such words to be used as a reference. Most of these are not real words and exist only in the Homestar Runner universe.
20X6 (n.): Pronounced twenty-exty-six, this is possibly the eventual future of Free Country, USA. It's the time period that Stinkoman and company live in. 20X6 is also The Brothers Chaps' way of parodying the Megaman series, which takes place during the year 20XX, as well as anime in general.
404'd!! (v.): A message that pops up when one types a homestarrunner.com address that doesn't exist into one's browser. See -'d.
5-point taow (n.): A five-pointed star. Named after the "taow" sound effect used by Strong Bad when drawing each point. Used in Cartoon Characters.
ab-abber (prop. n.): A product invented by Strong Bad which lets you create abs like the professionals in "minutes — nay, seconds!". Consists of one permanent marker (permanent marker not included).
Adobe Flash (prop. n.): The software formerly known as "Macromedia Flash" that the The Brothers Chaps use to make the Homestar Runner cartoons.
all up ons (adj. phrase): Into, interested in, or attracted to. Example, "The ladies are 'all up ons.'"
anonny (n.): "Anonymous Contributor." Example: "Hey, Anonny! Why don't ya, um, write a poem or something and not attribute it to yourself!" First used in rock opera. See also: HRWiki:Glossary.
ARROWED! (v.): Causing injury, usually to any member of the Teen Girl Squad, in which Arrow'd Guy spits arrows out of his mouth at The Ugly One. It also happens to Trogdor in the TROGDOR! game. You also get ARROWED in Peasant's Quest if you walk in front of the archer in the hidden glen, and the Kerrek gets ARROWED when you shoot him. (See also: SWORDED!)
awexome (adj.): Similar to awesome, but even more so. See Awexome Cross.
BALEETED! (v.): Another way to say "deleted". From 50 emails, in which Homestar has trouble recollecting the word "deleted".
Bennedetto, Frank (prop. n.): The Presto Air Popper (popcorn popper) that serves in the Homestarmy.
boat take (n.): As seen in the email environment, Strong Bad includes this term in his list of ways to say "butt" that is "Okay for Mom". He repeats it throughout the email.
boodroscotch (n.) : A sweet, boodro-based sauce that that doubles as a kudrow-based adhesive. See dictionary.
brain for brains: See also "crap for brains".
breadallelogram (n.): A "breadallelogram of pizza" is a pizza shaped like a parallelogram. Used in Teen Girl Squad Issue 8.
breadpazoid (n.): A "breadpazoid of pizza" is a pizza shaped like a trapezoid. Used in Teen Girl Squad Issue 8.
breadtangle (n.): A "breadtangle of pizza" is a pizza shaped like a rectangle. Used in Teen Girl Squad Issue 8.
Brothers Strong (prop. n.): Brothers Strong Bad, Strong Mad and Strong Sad, collectively.
brhombus (n.): A "brhombus of pizza" is a pizza shaped like a rhombus. Used in Teen Girl Squad Issue 8.
bub (n.): A circle shape, which can be used excessively to draw a grape bunch. Used in Cornucopia.
bulgeuals (n.): A curvy line used in a drawing indicating something bulging. Used in Muscleman.
burninate (v.): To burn up with fire, as by Trogdor in the TROGDOR! video game and elsewhere.
burnination (n.): Utter burned ruin; the aftermath when Trogdor breathes fire at (burninates) something. This expression is first seen in the Strong Bad Email interview.
buzzer (n.): The propeller on Homestar's beanie cap.
bwathom (n.): First used in isp; re-used in environment as a way to say "butt" that is "Okay for Mom".
cabbage meat (n.): The Cheat's brain, according to Strong Bad. Used in Skills of an Artist LIVE!!.
carp for brains (n.): A variant of crap for brains. "Now spell: Carp for Brains." See also "brain for brains".
CGNU (prop. n.): Crazy Go Nuts University. A school that Strong Bad created. Visually pronounced "see gee in you".
challenge (n.): A favorite word (and pastime) of Stinkoman.
cheatcakes (n.): Small cakes made of steam and sugar by The Cheat as a substitute for Grumblecakes in the Strong Bad Email stupid stuff.
The Chekt (prop. n.): An animal invented by Strong Bad. Strong Bad's poopaw supposedly has a recipe for "Chicken-fried the CHEKT". In reality, Strong Bad has a secret family recipe for cooking The Cheat. See secret recipes.
chest-chin (n.): The Cheat's body, beneath his mouth. Used in Skills of an Artist LIVE!!.
chonk (v.): A synonym for "hate" that Marzipan uses in Homestar Ruiner.
chubby crescent moon (n.): The shape of a crescent moon with rounded edges, resembling a bean. Used in Large Bean.
cinnamon swirl (n.): The shape of The Cheat's chin dimple. Used in Skills of an Artist LIVE!!.
close-'em-up (n.): A line that closes an open shape in a drawing. Used in Posh Toilet Paper and Strong Sad's Severed Soolnds.
Coach Zed (prop. n.): The Canadian pronunciation of Coach Z as seen in do over.
combolations (n.): Senor Cardgage's way of saying "Congratulations". See flashback (Easter egg) and japanese cartoon.
congraturation (n.): A misspelling of "Congratulations" that is shown in a video game when the end boss has been beaten, or a food looking similar to a muffin. See Videro Games.
crabadonk (interjection): Some sort of expression used by Bubs in reply to comments about the material of Le Restige and comments about how much sense he makes. See the chair.
crap (interjection): Strong Bad's favorite exclamation. Other forms of the word include "Crap for Brains", "Crap for Crap", etc. See also "Holy Crap".
crap for brains (n.): A favorite insult of Strong Bad's. A combination of the crap and X for brains running gags. See also "carp for brains".
crossbeam (n.): A horizontal line going across something. Used in Cartoon Characters.
cross em up (n.): A horizontal line. Used in Cartoon Characters.
curve-'em-up (n.): A curvy line. Used in Posh Toilet Paper.
-'D!; -ED! (suffix): Popular ending to attacks, etc. See ARROWED!, CHILDREN'D!, MSG'D!, CEREBELLUM'D!, LATE 360 SHOVE-IT TO BONELESS'D!, TWO'D!, FLOOR TOMMED!, STEP-MOMMED!, POM-POMMED?, TWELVE-SIDED DIE'D!, SWORDED!, etc.
Dag, yo (interjection): The equivalent of saying "Dang, man" or something close to that. Used in comic/Teen Girl Squad Issue 1 by What's Her Face.
Decemberween (prop. n.): A holiday celebrated like Christmas. Gifts are exchanged and it is on the 25th of December. In Homestar Presents: Presents Bubs sells Homestar last-minute discount gifts.
DELETED!!! (adj.): Strong Bad's preferred method of dealing with emails unworthy of his attention, or ones he wishes to make examples of.
DELORTED!!! (adj.): Coach Z's Pronunciation of 'DELETED!!!'. Seen in replacement. Screen turns dark gold, as opposed to the usual blue.
Dennis (prop. n.): In Thy Dungeonman, "Dennis" is first an "obvious exit" from the initial room, in addition to North and South. If you choose it, the game shifts to talking about Dennis as a character in a "sporty frock coat and a long jimberjam."
Denny's Menu (n.): This is the title of the Strong Bad Email menu page, where Strong Bad (occasionally accompanied by another character) does his scroll button songs. The title is a play on the kind of restaurant menu you would find at Denny's.
doodle memory (n.): First coined in the email highschool, this is known as Strong Bad's poor, unphotographic memory. Oftentimes, the content of any of Strong Bad's reminiscences is considered debatable because of this (see History according to Strong Bad).
doppy (adj.): According to TV Time Magazine, Homestar and Company eat pie and get doppy. The term is never fully explained, although it may be a misspelling of "dopey". Also, it is unclear whether "getting doppy" is a result of eating pie or a separate activity. See TV Time Toons Menu.
downtown (n.): A vertical line going down. Used in Cartoon Characters and Classic Stand-up Arcade Game.
dribble-drabble (v.) : To make frozen cheescake appear delicious by scribbling raspberry sauce over it. See dictionary.
dumb animal characters (n.): The term used as an inside joke by The Brothers Chaps in various interviews, etc., to describe the main characters.
Dumples (prop. n.): The name of Crazy Go Nuts University's sports teams. The CGNU mascot is The Jolly Dumple.
Easter egg (n.): A hidden feature in a website (they also appear elsewhere, such as DVDs and games). Authors put them in as inside jokes, or to reward especially dedicated visitors/viewers/players (or just the ones with the most spare time). Most Strong Bad Emails have at least one Easter egg, as do other parts of the site.
engsmsplode (v.): A variant of "explode", used in fan club. Example: "Suddenly, an eight-foot sub sandwich constrictor eng...sm...sploded out of nowhere!"
entrangled (adj.): Strong Bad's word for being hypnotized/entranced. A combination of entranced/entangled. Seen in what I want.
fangoriously (adv.): A way to describe being devoured and subsequently digested, often by a gelatinous monster or by something with fangs, first seen in kids' book.
Fhqwhgads (prop. n.): A shortened version of the name of the fan who sent the email i love you. It was later used in the #1 summer jam Everybody to the Limit.
fishtail-fishmouth (n.): A curvy upward arrow, which can be used for the bottom of an untucked shirt. Used in Large Bean.
fleshtangle (n.): Strong Bad's mouth. Used in record book (DVD commentary), pop-up, and @StrongBadActual.
Fluffy Puff Marshmallows (prop. n.): A popular brand of marshmallow in the Homestar Runner universe.
Free Country, USA (prop. n.): The town in which the Homestar Runner universe is centered.
gelatinous (adj.): Having a jelly-like consistency. Kids will learn this word when reading Strong Bad's children's book, along with "fangoriously" and "linebacker".
GEWD (adj.): Exceptionally good. Was spelled out by Strong Bad to describe Suudsu in bedtime story.
good prize (n.): An award for high-quality work. See Pumpkin Carve-nival.
grodalated (adj.): Grungy; dirty. First used to describe The Denzel in bedtime story.
Graw Mad (prop. n.): A nickname for Strong Mad. Used by Strong Bad in the facts and various toons onward.
Gron Sad (prop n.): A nickname for Strong Sad. Used by Strong Bad in car.
grood (adj.): A term meaning both great and good. Used by Cheerleader in Teen Girl Squad Issue 4.
Grumblecakes (n.): A snack food made from steam and sugar, desired by Strong Bad and Homestar in stupid stuff. In an Easter egg from that email, an advertisement for The Cheatcakes claims, "Only liars and thieves eat Grumblecakes, and those people go to prison."
gutterances (n.) : Low growly noises made to express utter disdain at another person's very existence. A portmanteau of guttural and utterances. See dictionary.
H*R, also HSR (abbrev; n.): Homestar Runner, often used to refer to the body of work as well.
holy crap (interjection): A common term used by Strong Bad. It is usually said when Strong Bad is angry, annoyed, upset, or surprised.
Homestar Runner universe (n.): The fictional realm in which Homestar Runner and the rest of the characters live.
Da Huuuuuudge (prop. n.): A yellow translucent blob-like creature that Strong Bad imagined for himself to be in animal. See "Made-Up Strong Bad Animals."
hwimswelf (n.) : The Cheat's carpet & couch and satin sheets ruining owndangself. See dictionary.
jibblies (n.): A condition that is fairly equivalent to "the creeps" (e.g. the thought of getting a root canal gives me the creeps; that moldy hamster gives me the jibblies). That horrible painting in Strong Mad's closet also gives characters the jibblies after saying "Come on in here!" in a creepy voice, which was seen in bottom 10, and Jibblies 2.
jillion (n.): A very large imaginary number.
jimmies (n.): What The Ugly One received on the surface of her yogurt from TCYBCBY. They consist of small particles of chocolate or flavored candy sprinkled on ice cream as a topping. A more common name for them is "sprinkles".
jorb (n.): How Coach Z used to pronounce job. Other versions include adding syllables to the same word, drawing it out. See A Jorb Well Done.
juice drop (n.): A dot. Used in Cartoon Characters.
jumbo/LARGE (adj.): A maxymoron used to describe the size of something.
Jorjyfruits, Jerjyfrorts, Georgie Frorgie, George Foreman: (n.) Coach Z's attempts to pronounce "Jujyfruits" in The House That Gave Sucky Treats.
keep on tranglin' (idiom): See "tranglin'".
Kerrek (prop. n.): A big smelly troll that likes to pound things, such as peasants. See Peasant's Quest.
LTWFTW (abbrev.): Long Time Watcher, First Time Writer. Said of a fan in stunt double.
mans (n.): The term used to denote how many lives/chances you have remaining in games where such is applicable.
mash (v.): To press a button, as in "mash go" or "mash play".
maskurus (n.): Strong Bad's mask. Used in Cartoon Characters.
maxymoron (n.): A portmanteau of the words "maximum" and "oxymoron". The opposite of an oxymoron, it is a phrase using multiple terms with the same meaning as if there is a distinction. Used by Strong Bad to refer to the inside joke "jumbo/LARGE" in road trip. See also redundancy.
meeple (n.): A wooden approximation of a human character in a tabletop game (defined by Strong Sad in Meeple Grove). Used consistently to refer to the wooden game pieces in Trogdor!! The Board Game.
melonade (n.): A drink that Homestar consumes in large quantities. Presumably made from melons.
meh (interjection): An expression commonly used by The Cheat.
nature's wave (n.): A wave-like shape. Used in Eagle and Skills of an Artist LIVE!!.
northwise meep (n.): A triangle with no bottom. Used in Posh Toilet Paper.
nudule (noun): Presumably a variant of nodule, found on Space Whales. Said by Strong Bad in from work.
ooh lips (n.): A mouth in an "ooh" shape. Used several times in @StrongBadActual, originating in Cannonmouth.
overling (noun): A person of a higher rank than oneself. Superior to an underling. Used in the chair.
PBTC (abbrev; n.; adj.): Powered by The Cheat.
peasant (n.): In order to be classified as a peasant in Peasant's Quest, you must stink like a peasant, dress like a peasant (that is, wear a robe), and be on fire like a peasant.
pedula onglamata (n.): Part of the brain, similar to the synaptic part. Used in End Boss.
pfargtl (n.) (puh-FARG-tuhl): A word created by Coach Z in Sbemail 169 Deleted Scene. It is supposedly the name of his favorite animal that he had as a pet when he was younger. It is also used as a swear by Homestar.
piemonade (n.): A beverage that appears to be lemonade with a slice of pie in it. Around the office, it's known as p-nade. Seen in other days.
pizzang (n.): Presumably a short vertical line used in a drawing indicating an edge or the side of an object. Used in Sammich.
pokemout (n.): A line poking out of a shape. Used in Cartoon Characters.
poopaw (n.): Some sort of relative of Strong Bad's. No one is quite sure what a poopaw is. Referred to in secret recipes, he is the keeper of the secret recipe for "Chicken-fried the CHEKT".
preeeeow (interjection; n.): An onomatopoeia used to describe The Paper's sound effect.
preschool L (n.): A backwards letter L. Used in Cartoon Characters.
pretendicitis (n.): A disease involving the made up organ "pretendix". Its symptoms include high fevers, uncontrollable shaking, and inability to understand language. From Strong Badia the Free.
pretendix (n.): A organ made up by Strong Sad in Strong Badia the Free, probably similar to the appendix.
pretendous (adj.): "Outrageous". Possibly formed by a blend of "pretend" and "tremendous" or a mispronunciation of the word "pretentious". Used thus far in regard to things like money and bills. Used in extra plug and Fan Costume Commentary.
prinicpal (n.): A misspelling of principal. Strong Bad's job at both Crazy Go Nuts University and at Teen Girl Squad's school.
probalo (n.): "Problem". Usually used by Senor Cardgage in the phrase "no probalo", which is a mangling of "no problemo", which itself is pseudo-Spanish for "no problem". See Senor Mortgage.
prooty (adj.): A mispronunciation of "pretty". EX: "You're looking prooty hot." See Female Lappy 486.
reaper's scythe (n.): The shape of The Cheat's pointy face. Used in Posh Toilet Paper.
receding ploomp (n.): Curvy lines, decreasing in size, used to create a cone shape. Used in Cornucopia.
Red Steckled Elbermung (prop. n.): A creature that Strong Bad imagined for himself to be in animal. See Made-Up Strong Bad Animals.
rimulet (n.): Presumably a curvy line indicating the different layers in a roll of paper. Used in Posh Toilet Paper.
roundello (n.): A circle. Used in Cartoon Characters and Classic Stand-up Arcade Game.
sammich (n.): Sandwich. Said in Weclome Back, The Baloneyman, and Sammich.
sawesome (adj.) : Not unlike having the qualities of an awesome sauce. See dictionary.
SBLOUNSKCHED! (prop. n.; v.): (from email candy product), a candy bar consisting of such products as marshmallow vapor, rich creamy pepperoni, and tiny bowls of crispy-puffed-rice cereal. Its name is described as 50% Strong Bad, 50% tooth rot, and 50% ta-dah! (adding up to 150%). This is a parody of extreme marketing, which makes nauseatingly gratuitous use of exclamation points and dangerous-sounding names.
scritch-a-scratch fill-in (n.): A drawing method of filling in a shape in which someone scribbles back-and-forth. Used in Cartoon Characters.
Sibbie (prop. n.): Someone who asked Strong Bad to write a song about him/her after he made one about fhqwhgads. Strong Bad refused, but somehow he made two songs: "Song About Sibbie" and "I Freakin' Hate Sibbie". See sibbie.
side-take (n.): A line used in a drawing indicating the side of an object. Used in Posh Toilet Paper and Strong Sad's Severed Soolnds.
skillet-nap (n.): A state of unconsciousness following a hit to the face with a skillet. Homestar seems to enjoy them, as seen in Bug In Mouth Disease.
slitted rellipse (n.): A squished oval-like shape, with two corners on the edges. Used in Tennis Shorts.
smirky-smile (n.): A smiling shape, sometimes used for a tennis shorts pocket. Used in Tennis Shorts.
smunderling (n.): A smelly underling.
someteen (adj.): An unspecified number; used by Strong Bad in Teen Girl Squad Issue 10 and strong badathlon.
soolnds (n.): The term Strong Sad coined for his distinct feet, and also what he wants others to call them (instead of "elephant feet"), as seen in his blog.
SOOO GOOD! (interjection): Usually at the beginning of an issue of Teen Girl Squad, the girls will allude to looking "Sooooooooo Good!" Also said when Strong Mad was eating pasta salad from his underdrawer drawer.
slanterior cainal veinal (n.): The muscle vein on the right side of a person's arm. See also ulterior cainal veinal. Used in Muscleman.
smarty juice drop (n.): A dot. Used in Cartoon Characters.
sparky-lark (n.): A spark. Used in Cannonmouth.
squanch (v.): Squish. Used in Posh Toilet Paper.
squishtangle (n.): The shape of a slice of bread. Used in Sammich.
Sterrance (prop. n.): A creature that Strong Bad imagined for himself to be in animal.
stnank (n.): A made-up animal seen in the Sketchbook for December 2, 2004. Also, the equivalent of a Strong Bad induced mistake, as seen in email do over.
stounch (n.): The area between the bathroom and the laundry room. Invented on the spot by Strong Bad in Fan Costumes 2017.
stummy (n.): What Stinkoman calls his stomach, as seen in Stinkoman 20X6.
suudsu (n.): (From email bedtime story), a beverage consisting of skim milk and gummy bears which Strong Bad deems "pure genius". Along with a "grodalated" security "item" and a manic lullaby, it aids in helping The Cheat fall asleep. Its name is written like a mock-Romanji spelling of an English-to-Japanese loanword (this one being suds), common for modern products.
SWORDED! (v.): This is what happens to Trogdor in the Trogdor game when he touches a knight.
synaptic part (n.): Part of the brain, similar to the pedula onglamata. Used in End Boss.
tangle (n.): A rectangle. Usually used as a suffix, such as the words "fleshtangle", "breadtangle", and "squishtangle". First used as a whole word in Sammich.
TGS (abbrev; n.): Teen Girl Squad.
thang ding (n.): Spoonerism of "dang thing". Used by Strong Bad in too cool.
tranglin' (intr. v.): To carry on in a stable yet easygoing manner; (idiom) "keep on tranglin" (like "keep on trucking"). Used by Strong Bad in lunch special.
Transitive Butt Property (n.): A mathematic property devised by Strong Bad. It states that the "stupidity" of somebody's butt is greater than or equal to the "stupidity" of that person's head. See butt IQ.
twees (abbrev; n.): "Buttweesimo" (meaning simply "butt"), used in lady fan and Homestar Ruiner.
ulterior cainal veinal (n.): The muscle vein on the left side of a person's arm. See also slanterior cainal veinal. Used in Muscleman.
underling (n.): A person of lower rank than oneself. Inferior to an overling. Used in the chair and underlings.
underjohn (n.): The abs at the bottom. Used in Muscleman and @StrongBadActual.
videro (n.): a misspelling of "video" that appears in Strong Bad is in Jail Cartoon, in the bonus Strong Bad Email Videro Games, in Coach Z's 110%, and in Fish Eye Lens. In addition, the first frame of the song Experimental Film is labeled "viderostart" internally. Bubs and Homestar Runner sometimes say "videro game" in the game 8-Bit Is Enough. Additionally, it has been in use by the Chaps since before they launched Homestar Runner ([1]).
whatsit (n.): Whatever it is that The Poopsmith shovels.
whoozit (n.): Euphemism for puke, upchuck. Used in Dangeresque Roomisode 1: Behind the Dangerdesque.
wing-a-ling (adj.): Having wings. Routinely used by Strong Bad in place of winged. See dragon, pop-up.
witches' brew (n.): Something Homestar Runner likes to say. Seen as an object in Halloween Fairstival.
wight (adj): Homestar Runner's mispronunciation of the word "right".
wood-daver (n.): An arts and crafts activity, invented by Strong Sad in caffeine, involving pine cones and peanut butter.
wrestleman (n.): A term sometimes used to describe Strong Bad.
w00t (interjection): Pronounced like it looks, it is an exclamation of joy. This is used sometimes in Teen Girl Squad.
X (Also known as Xty, X-T, XT, Exty, X0) (n.): Used in year names referring to Stinkoman, such as 20X6. It is read as a number would be read. In the Tens place, it is said "Exty" (like Twenty). If it were in the Ones place, it would simply be said "Ex". Also heard in the Strong Bad Email time capsule, and other places around the site.
Zawesome (adj) : see crap-for-brains. See dictionary.
Retrieved from "http://hrwiki.org/wiki/Glossary"
Categories: Special Pages | Word running gags | Lists
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Previous Format: Oldies “Z93” WFLZ
New Format: CHR “93.3 The Power Pig”
Date & Time Of Change: September 25, 1989 at 8:15am
Aircheck And Summary Contributed By Brian Holmes’ ThePowerPig.com:
Fifteen years ago, in September 1989, Jacor Broadcasting and a very talented group of individuals took a huge chance. The chance was taking a 100,000 watt flame throwing FM into a direct format competition against the powerhouse ratings winner, the then legendary Q105 (WRBQ FM & AM), owned then by Edens Broadcasting. It would give Tampa Bay a REAL Top 40 station playing all the hits, fun to listen to, always leaving you wanting more or wondering what they would say or do next. This compared to Q105’s more adult top 40 lean, known by most as having D.J.’s who talked way too much and for playing tons of commercials, even playing oldies from the 60’sand 70’s in it’s version of “Top 40”.
Q105 had been on top for years in Tampa Bay, earning it’s “legendary” badge with the Q Morning Zoo’s Cleveland Wheeler (and Scott Shannon in the early days), Bobby Rich, Mason Dixon and Brian Christopher running the show, and making the station worth nearly $80 million.
But in 1989, the Q had kinda become “fat and happy” so to speak, taking it’s HUGE success for granted and plagued with internal egos and power struggles. Those on the Q105 staff who were smart enough to see this had slowly left the station:
Jack Harris left the #1 QZoo for mornings at oldies Z93, Jon “Rock N Roll” Anthony left his HIGHLY rated #1 night show at Q105 also for oldies Z93 to do the night shift, several members of promotions and sales also left Q105 for then oldies Z93. Plus, for the first time ever, the big QZoo was showing audience loss to then rock station 95YNF morning guys “Ron&Ron”, known as on air bad boys & rebels.
Enter into the picture, WFLZ (Z93) parent company Jacor Broadcasting’s COO Randy Michaels, a known bad boy in the industry himself. He decided that Q105 was ripe for a challenger, but winning wouldn’t be easy. Using the tremendous talent already on board his oldies station (and of course, a lot being former Q employees), Randy decided to go for it. With the motto being simply “Take Q105 down at ALL costs” , a week long on air tease of holding the Top40 format for “ransom” began. This began the intense “mind-games” of the battle, something Q105 didn’t fall victim to right away, but proved to be a key factor in it’s demise. Randy and the Z93 staff demanded $1 million (and up to $4 million) through that week from Q105 if they wanted to keep the monopoly hold on the top 40 format in Tampa. Q105 didn’t budge, ignoring the demands and now parodies of the Q jocks airing on Z93. They also had to ignore the daily newspaper and TV news coverage the ransom request was receiving.
Not one to be ignored, Randy Michaels gave the go ahead for the change. On September 25th, 1989 at approximately 8:15am EST, Jack Harris & Dr. Don Carpenter called Q105’s owner, Gary Edens, at a private hotel room on the other coast (5:15am Gary’s time) waking him up to offer him one last chance to pay the now $4 million ransom to keep Z93 from switching to Top 40. Live on 93.3 then, Mr. Edens response was simply: “Come on guys, lookin forward to it, let’s go!”
Mr. Edens had said the magic words that launched “Power 93 – The Power Pig”, which knocked Q105 out of the #1 ratings slot in just… 71 days. The Power Pig quickly earned it’s own ‘legendary” badge, breaking all rules on air and off the air. The Pig’s quick “worst to first” success was due a lot to just simply playing the CURRENT HITS, something the Q wasn’t doing with it’s 20-25 song play list at the time. But some of the stories you’ll read here explain how The Power Pig used simple “mind-games” or “mind-tactics” to keep Q105’s eyes and main focus OFF the ball, and on everything BUT the real battle itself. It was the icing on the Power Pig’s cake of success. And also the success of WFLZ’s switch to the Top 40 format.
More info at WFLZ.com.
WFLZ-Top40FormatRansom-PartOne(1989) by The Power Pig on Mixcloud
WFLZ-Top40FormatRansom-PartTwo(1989) by The Power Pig on Mixcloud
WFLZ-Top40FormatRansom-PartThree(1989) by The Power Pig on Mixcloud
WFLZ-Top40FormatRansom-PartFour(1989) by The Power Pig on Mixcloud
93.3 Tampa CHR Oldies Power 93 Tampa The Power Pig WFLZ Z93
1/18/2017: KVIL Relaunches As Amp 103.7
1/18/1989: 102.1 WIOQ flips from Oldies to Rhythmic CHR "Q102"
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Publications of Henning Makholm
2005-09-28 Front page > publications
Polymorphic types for mobility calculi
The topic and main product of this research is the retargetable type system Poly* for mobility calculi. Retargetability means that the type system works for a wide range of concrete calculi; given the reduction rules for a particular calculi, a type system for it is automatically produced.
An implementation of type inference for Poly* is available here.
J. B. Wells Instant Polymorphic Type Systems for Mobile Process Calculi: Just Add Reduction Rules and Close
In Schmuel Sagiv (ed.), Programming Languages and Systems (14th European Symposium on Programming, ESOP 2005, April 4-8, 2005, Edinburgh, Scotland), volume 3444 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pages 389-407. Springer-Verlag. Final version as PDF. Presentation slides as PDF.
Long version: Technical Report HW-MACS-TR-0022, Heriot-Watt University, School of Mathematical & Computing Sciences, November 2004. Download page.
This is the most up-to-date technical report describing Poly*.
Torben Amtoft & J. B. Wells PolyA: True Type Polymorphism for Mobile Ambients
In Exploring New Frontiers of Theoretical Informatics 3rd IFIP International Conference on Theoretical Computer Science, TCS 2004, August 24-26 2004, Toulouse, France), pages 591-504. Kluwer Academic Publishers. PDF.
A conference paper describing PolyA, the predecessor of Poly*. PolyA worked for Mobile Ambients only.
Long version: Technical Report HW-MACS-TR-0015, Heriot-Watt University, School of Mathematical & Computing Sciences, February 2004. Download page.
The appendices of this report contain proofs that are more detailed than what we have written down explicitly for Poly* so far.
J. B. Wells Type Inference for PolyA
Technical Report HW-MACS-TR-0013, Heriot-Watt University, School of Mathematical & Computing Sciences, January 2004. Download page.
Our first shot at doing type inference for PolyA/Poly*. This is somewhat obsolete by now, but still a bit more detailed regarding some internal issues than the Poly* technical report.
Type systems for mixin modules and record concatenation
J. B. Wells Type Inference, Principal Typings, and Let-Polymorphism for First-Class Mixin Modules
To appear at ICFP 2005. Final version as PDF. Talk slides as PDF.
Region inference and region type systems
Fritz Henglein & Henning Niss Effect Types and Region-Based Memory Management
Invited survey chapter. In B.C. Pierce (ed.), Advanced Topics in Types And Programming Languages, pages 87-136. MIT Press, 2005. ISBN 0-262-16228-8.
Ph.D. thesis A language-independent framework for region inference
Thesis submitted to the University of Copenhagen in August 2003; defended in November 2003. PDF.
Fritz Henglein & Henning Niss A direct approach to control-flow sensitive region-based memory management
In Principles and Practice of Declarative Programming (3rd International ACM SIGPLAN Conference, PPDP '01, 5-7 September 2001, Firenze, Italy), pages 175-186. ACM Press. Gzipped PostScript.
The accompanying implementation can be downloaded.
Region-based memory management and logic programming
Kostis Sagonas On Enabling the WAM with Region Support
In P.J. Stuckey (ed.), Logic Programming (18th International Conference, ICLP '02, July 29-August 1 2002, Copenhagen, Denmark), volume 2401 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pages 163-178. Springer-Verlag. Gzipped PostScript.
A region-based memory manager for Prolog
In A. Hosking (ed.), International Symposium on Memory Management (ISMM '00, 15-16 October 2000, Minneapolis, MN, USA), special issue of ACM SIGPLAN Notices, 36(3):25-34. ACM Press. Gzipped PostScript.
Presents selected aspects of the M.Sc. thesis below. A preliminary version appeared at the CL2000 workshop on Memory Management in Logic Programming Implementations.
M.Sc. thesis Region-Based Memory Management in Prolog
Thesis defended at the University of Copenhagen in March 2000. Gzipped PostScript.
Jones-optimal partial evaluation
Walid Taha & John Hughes Tag elimination and Jones-optimality.
In O. Danvy and A. Filinski (ed.), Programs as Data Objects (Second Symposium, PADO-II, 21-23 May 2001, Aarhus, Denmark), volume 2053 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pages 257-275. Springer-Verlag. Dvi.
On Jones-optimal specialization for strongly typed languages
In W. Taha (ed.), Semantics, Applications and Implementation of Program Generation (International Workshop, SAIG '00, 20 September 2000, Montréal, Canada), volume 1924 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pages 129-148. Springer-Verlag. Gzipped PostScript
This is the Jones-optimality paper I'm most proud of myself. It presents a prototype specializer MiXIMUM which can do optimal specialization for a strongly-typed toy language. The prototype can be downloaded here.
Walid Taha Tag elimination; or, Type specialization is a type-indexed effect.
In Subtyping & Dependent Types in Programming, (APPSEM Workshop, DTP'00, 7 July 2000, Ponte de Lima, Portugal), INRIA technical report. PostScript.
MiXIMUM - a simpler and more liberal type specializer
Technical report. Gzipped PostScript
This is a rather sketchy report which goes into greater details about how MiXIMUM works, but not quite up-to-date with the actual implementation.
Other work related to partial evaluation
Specializing C - an introduction to the principles behind C-Mix
Student project. Gzipped PostScript.
This project introduces the "hand-written cogen" approach to partial evaluation and the binding-time analysis in C-Mix.
Arne J. Glenstrup & Jens Peter Secher C-MIX: Specialization of C Programs.
In J. Hatcliff et al. (eds.), Partial Evaluation (DIKU International Summer School, 29 June-10 July 1998, Copenhagen, Denmark), volume 1706 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pages 108-154. Springer-Verlag.
henning@makholm.net Front page > publications
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GRS Alert: A new type of synthetic spinel appears at the Bangkok show
In May 2015, the author (AP) was made aware that a company in Thailand (Tairus Co. LTD, Bangkok) had commissioned to a laboratory in Russia the production of new types of synthetic spinel of “lavender” colors by the method of crystal pulling from flux. This technique is the same used at the Institute of Monocrystals in Novosibirsk. The author (AP) had previously inspected this institute in Siberia. From this visit, AP made an educational video about the methods used in Novosibirsk and 2 still snapshots are shown in this report Fig. 318a-b. Spinel produced by pulling from a Flux is also known as Czochralski method and this method can be modified to produce stochiometric spinel (Grabmaier et al., 1968 and Wyon et al., 1986).
The new synthetic spinels are produced by a private laboratory outside the Russian capital Moscow and not in Siberia. The producers confirmed, however, that a similar setup is being used. GRS was informed that a series of these spinels had been certified as “natural spinels” by a recognized gemological laboratory. Some copies of gemological reports were produced to underline this point. We did not have the possibility to verify this claim but alerted the concerned laboratory that remains anonymous here.
This early indication of possible misidentifications in the trade convinced us that the material may create some danger to the gem industry and that an alert to the industry is required.
Fig. 318a-b: Flux synthetic production facility in Novosibirsk at the Institute of Monocrystals. Fig. 318b View through the observation window to a solid material pulled from a flux. Photos taken in 1994 by AP.
Fig. 319: Tube inclusion in synthetic spinel of purple color. The tube shows a screw-like mark at the surface indicating that the spinel was produced by turning from a flux.
Material, color varieties and inclusion features
During a visit to the Tairus office in Bangkok, a new production was lying on the table due to increased demand after a test run in the market (Fig. 320). A series of different products labeled with numbers were in the process of being cut and divided into different color varieties. Approximately 11 color types with all shade varieties ranging between pinkish-red and blue are being produced. The different tones include very classic vibrant pinkish-red color, imitating the most expensive spinel varieties in the world, with all transitions to an almost pure “neon” blue (cobalt-spinel). Pastel violet and pastel purple or “lavender” colors (Fig. 322a-d) as well as color-changing violet spinels with color-change to pink when viewed in incandescent light (Fig. 323) are also available. Whereas the pinkish-red and blue synthetic spinel produced by flux are already known in the market since almost 2 decades, the “lavender” colors and color-changing varieties are a new addition for spinels produced by flux method. Such colors have so far only been produced by flame fusion. GRS acquired cut-offs of the different products, including samples containing inclusions that were rejected as well as one larger piece of rough (see Fig. 321a-b).
Fig. 320: Spinels commercially produced by the pulled method from flux. Note the approximate 5cm diameter of the cylinders and the different color varieties. The rough is about 250ct in size. Photo by AP at Tairus, Bangkok.
Fig. 321a-b: Details of the striae on the rough of synthetic spinel indicates that the spinels were pulled in the process when they were synthesized from a flux. Rings perpendicular to it also indicate that they were rotated.
Fig.321b
Four pieces were cut at the GRS research cutting facility in Bangkok to almost completely inclusion free samples, perfectly imitating natural spinel from Vietnam (Fig. 322a-d). Some of the rejected pieces contained interesting overgrowths at the surface (Fig. 339-340) and inclusion features (Fig. 327-328). These inclusion features included occasionally myriads of pinpoint-bubbles (Fig. 327), clusters of opaque cubic solids (Fig. 340a) as well as rounded transparent crystals (Fig. 335-337). Large curved tubes were seen in the rough materials but may not be found in cut stones (Fig. 328b-c).
One of these tubes resembled a screw (Fig. 319) and can be taken as indicator that this spinel was indeed produced by rotation in a flux. The pulling mechanism is corroborated by the striae found on the surface of the rough cylinder-shaped spinels, in direction of the long axis of the cylinder (Fig. 321a-b).
Fig. 322a-d: Spinels produced by flux (pulled method) of different colors, including pinkish-red, lavender, color-changing and violetish-blue color varieties. Synthetic spinels cut by GRS from the rough, over 1ct each in size.
Fig. 323: Color-changing synthetic spinels produced by flux (pulled method), with color-change from violet (in daylight) to purplish-pink (in incandescent light). Approximately 1ct, cut by GRS from the rough.
Fig. 324: Microphotograph of a synthetic spinel cylinder showing diffuse color-zoning of pink and violetish bands.
Fig. 325: Two synthetic spinels as seen trough a polariscope with crossed polarizers. Left a Verneuil synthetic spinel and on the right the new type of synthetic spinel produced from flux. Note only the Verneuil spinel shows cross-hatched anomalous interference patterns.
Color zoning and UV-fluorescence
With fiber optic illumination, diffuse cloudy color zoning was visible in some samples (Fig. 324). All samples showed a strong red UV fluorescence at shortwave (254nm) and longwave (366nm) UV excitation. Corresponding color varieties of natural spinel from Vietnam, Burma and Tanzania did not show this fluorescence under UV light. This is a good screening test for natural parcels of fancy colored spinels.
Standard gemological tests
The new synthetic spinels have RI’s ranging from 1.714 – 1.715. These are typical RI’s for natural or synthetic flux spinels but different than RI’s found in Verneuil spinel (RI 1.725-1.730). Also the density is within the range of natural and flux spinel (? = 3.5). No anomaly in birefringence was observed (see comparison to Verneuil spinel Fig. 325). These synthetic spinels under crossed polarizing filters, they remained dark (isotropic). The absence of anomalous birefringence is often considered a critical test to distinguish natural spinel from their synthetic counterparts produced by the Verneuil process. It has to be remembered though that synthetic spinels produced by flux methods are indistinguishable by only using the polariscope as testing tool (lit. 3 & lit. 4).
Fig.328a
Fig. 328a-c: These types of irregular tubes with 2-phase inclusions (solid and gas phases) are occasionally found in these pulled synthetic spinels. They may only be found in rejected rough materials and it may well be that they are not present in the faceted stones that appear on the market.
Advanced investigations
In order to characterize this material with advanced methods, we have studied the samples by ED-XRF (Fischerscope XUV773, with vacuum, quantitative) and LIBS-analysis (Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy at 30 mJ frequency, 266nm Nd:YAG laser (Continuum, USA) with a pulse width of 6 ns, coupled to an in-house built ICCD/Echelle spectrometer with a working range of 190-900nm, qualitative) for chemical composition, by SEM-EDX (FEI XL30 Sirion FEG, EDAX) for inclusion analysis, by photoluminescence (custom-built, PL405nm and PL535nm, using a Avantes quadruple-channel Czerny-Turner spectrometer) and by UV-VIS-NIR spectroscopy (custom-built, UV-VIS-NIR using a Avantes quadruple-channel Czerny-Turner spectrometer and two broadband light sources) for the analysis of the color origin.
Absorption spectroscopy
The UV-VIS results revealed classic spectra of Cr- and Co-bearing spinels (Fig. 329) lacking Fe concentrations.
Fig. 329: UV-VIS-NIR absorption spectra recorded at liquid nitrogen temperature (LNT) for the respective groups: Russian synthetic spinel (pulled from flux) of different colors (pastel pink, purple, violet and blue) from Russia. Important features are highlighted. The ordinate shows the absorbance in arbitrary units. Note the typical absorption characteristics of Co in spinel structure in the range 550nm to 650nm, superimposed to those of Cr. Increase in Co concentration for pink to blue colors. Measured with GRS UV-VIS-NIR analysis system using Avantes AvaSpec with a quadruple-channel Czerny-Turner spectrometer.
ED-XRF analysis confirmed that the chemical composition contains typical stoichiometric Mg and Al concentrations found in natural and synthetic flux spinel (Tab. 9). The Co concentrations of these synthetic spinels are in the same order of magnitude as other natural spinels of same color but higher in Cr and lower in Fe and Zn.
Surface spot analyses by ED-XRF focusing on opaque particles revealed the presence of platinum (Pt), iridium (Ir) and bismuth (Bi) (Fig. 330-331). The analyses by SEM-EDX confirmed the presence of Ir particles and in addition xenomorphic Mg-Al-Si-solids that were detected on the surface of the spinels. During LIBS-analyses we focused on the presence of Li and Be concentrations in these new spinels. Natural and synthetic spinels have similar concentrations of Li. Be is detected in all the natural spinels tested. None of the synthetic spinels tested showed any detectable quantities of Be, except on the unpolished rim of the boule.
The blackish solid clusters seen in the microscope could be identified as predominantly Ir particles, which are coming from the crucible (Lit.1). Only one Pt particle could be detected (by ED-XRF spot analysis) whereas all the other particles were identified during SEM-EDX as Ir particles (size see Fig. 339-340). The presence of Si in the chemical analyses (Tab. 9) can be explained by the presence of silicate particles that were found during SEM-EDX analyses (Fig. 338) and are not part of the chemical composition of these synthetic spinels. Bi concentrations are localized by ED-XRF in the area of the filled tubes and are most likely part of the flux used. Ir and Pt may be part of the crucible or corrosive products of other parts used in the production process. The role of Si in the process and the nature of these Si-bearing solids are not yet understood. The light element test by LIBS for distinction of natural and synthetic spinels (e.g. presence of Be in natural spinels only versus no Be in synthetic spinels except on unpolished surfaces of the outer rim of the boule), can also be applied to identify this new synthetic type of spinel (Lit. 1).
Tab.9: ED-XRF analyses of selected synthetic and natural spinels of corresponding colors. Note the presence of higher Cr and absence of Fe in the synthetic spinels. Natural spinels are characterized by higher Fe, Zn, V, Ti and Ga concentrations. Si concentrations in synthetic spinels are due to inclusions (see text).
Fig. 330: ED-XRF analyses of an area in the synthetic spinel with presence of tubes revealed concentrations of Bi (Pt and Ir is due to black particles present as overgrowth on the surface and as inclusions). A microphotograph of the tubes is shown.
Fig. 331: ED-XRF analyses of the surface of the new synthetic spinel in an area of 2 different type of opaque particles (inserted picture in reflected light). The analyses revealed Pt and Ir concentrations.
Photoluminescence
During PL analysis we found that the new material produced prominent emission spectra when analyzed with 2 different lasers at room temperature as well as at low temperature using liquid nitrogen (Fig. 332). The peaks around 680 to 730 nm are due to the Cr concentrations in these synthetic spinels and the position of Cr in the crystallographic lattice. These spectra have not been observed in other synthetic spinels produced by flux or Verneuil and are also different than those found in heated spinels (Fig. 303-304) and all other natural spinels tested so far in this book. However, they are similar to the PL of cobalt diffused natural spinels that we reported earlier (Fig. 310).
Interpretation Photoluminescence
The PL-results seem to indicate that this new type of synthetic spinel is produced by a new process so far unknown to the gemological world. They have characteristics of “normal spinel” with some slight Mg-Al disorder. Mg-Al ordering is strongly influenced by the rate of quenching (Widmer et al. 2014). Therefore, a multi-step process in the production of these new spinels (pulled from flux and tempered) can also not be excluded.
Fig. 332 PL: spectra (excitation 405nm) of synthetic spinel recorded at liquid nitrogen temperature (LNT) for the respective groups: Synthetic spinel (pulled from flux) of different colors from Russia. The ordinate shows the intensity (counts) in arbitrary units. Note the PL lines and their position are found in either normal or inverse spinel. The synthetic spinel is interpreted as normal spinel with slight Mg-Al disorder. Measured with GRS’ photoluminescence analysis system using Avantes AvaSpec with a quadruple-channel Czerny-Turner spectrometer.
Fig. 333 PL spectra (excitation 532nm) of synthetic spinel recorded at liquid nitrogen temperature (LNT) for the respective groups (see Fig. 333)
Fig. 334a-b: SEM-BSE image of synthetic spinel with a rough surface and surrounding overgrowing particles. Note that the series of small Ir particles are found as clusters as well as in a circle bordering an isolated round spinel area. SEM-EDX spectrum of Ir particles measured at 20kV acceleration voltage is inserted (Fig. 334b).
Fig. 335: Pear-shaped round inclusion in synthetic spinel was identified as spinel.
Fig. 336: Round spinel inclusion inside the synthetic spinel reaches the surface of the rough and is bordered by a rim consisting of Ir (see Fig. 334b).
Fig. 331: A bicolored area of the rough reveals an isolated round spinel material that it is not an inclusion of a different material. It may be misinterpreted as an inclusion supporting natural origin of the synthetic material.
Fig. 338a-c SEM-SE image of the surface of the synthetic rough material allowed to analyse overgrowing substances. It is seen that the surface contains swirled solid substances filling cavities of the rough surface. EDX spectra of the material confirms that the particles are composed of Mg-silicates and Mg-Al-silicates (see inserted spectra).
A new synthetic spinel appeared on the market that is produced by the crystal pulling method from flux. Standard gemological tests are not conclusive (RI in the range of natural counterparts). A first indication for synthetic origin is the intense red UV fluorescence that is stronger than in the color varieties of natural counterparts. This is due to the high Cr concentrations in this synthetic cobalt-spinel and the absence of Fe concentrations. Typical inclusions are often absent in these new spinels. If they are present, they include opaque clusters of solids (Ir particles from the crucible), curved tubes filled with flux (containing Bi) as well as myriad pinpoints. A diffuse color zoning may be observed as well. The new synthetic materials can be distinguished by ED-XRF analyses by their absence or lower concentrations of Zn, Fe and Ga. Higher Si concentrations are due to Mg-Al-Si solid inclusions. Bi concentrations are located in areas with Flux inclusions; Ir and Pt is due to opaque inclusions. PL analyses identifies these spinels as “normal” with slight Mg, Al disorder. The light element test is of limited use due to Lithium concentrations in the stone and Beryllium concentrations on the surface. These new synthetic spinels may appear in the market as imitations mixed into lots of lavender to pastel blue spinel originating from Vietnam or other origins.
Fig. 339a-f: image of the surface of the new synthetic spinel produced by flux (pulled method). Numerous particles composed of Ir were identified in the shape of triangles (Fig. 339c) or hexagons (Fig. 339a and e). The particles may also form clusters (Fig. 339b) and can be misinterpreted as opaque inclusions suggesting natural origin. All particles were identified by SEM-EDX as Ir alloy.
Fig. 340a: Microphotograph of clusters of solid black inclusions occasionally present in the new synthetic spinels. Attention: May be misinterpreted as a natural phenomenon.
Fig. 340b SEM-BSE image details of particles found on the surface of the new synthetic spinels. They are composed of Ir. A round inclusion turned out to be of Ir particle as well (see inserted SEM-EDX spectrum).
D’Ippolito, V., Andreozzi, G.B., Halenius, U., Skogby, H., Lamenter, K., and Günther, D. (2015) Color mechanisms in spinels: cobalt and iron interplay for the blue color. Phys. Chem. Minerals, 42, 431-439.
Grabmaier J.G., Watson B.C. (1968), Czochralski Growth of Magnesium-Aluminum Spinel, J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 51(6), p. 355-356.
Muhlmeister, S., Koivula, J. I., Kammerling, R. C., Smith, C. P., Fritsch, E., and Shigley, J. E. (1993) Flux-grown synthetic red and blue spinels from Russia. Gems & Gemology vol.29 n.2, 81-98.
Pragati Verma (WINTER 2014), Unusual Short-Wave UV Reaction in Synthetic Blue Spinel GEMS & GEMOLOGY VOL. 50, NO. 4, 312
Wyon C., Aubert J.J., Auzel F. (1986), Czochralski growth and optical properties of magnesium-aluminium spinel doped with nickel, J. Crystal Growth; 79(1-3-79), p.710-713.
Widmer R., Malsy A.K., Armbruster T. (2015) Effects of heat treatment on red gemstone spinel: single-crystal X-ray, Raman, and photoluminescence study. Phys. Chem. Minerals 42, p.251-260
Alerts, News, Spinel
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https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Protesters-block-commuters-demand-seat-at-the-13219312.php#photo-16146689
Hundreds of activists snarled commute-heavy traffic, picketed or simply sat in yoga poses outside the Parc 55 hotel in San Francisco’s clogged downtown Market Street area Monday morning, the first weekday leg of what promises to be a rocky series of protests against this week’s Global Climate Action Summit.
Monday’s main goal was to deliver an open letter to Gov. Jerry Brown’s Climate and Forest Task Force, demanding that local and indigenous protest representatives be given a seat at the table. They were partially successful: About 10 of them were allowed inside the hotel, where the task force was meeting, to read the missive out loud.
“I think the tone was still somber” after the letter was delivered, said Cindy Wiesner, national coordinator for the Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, one of the organizations participating in the demonstrations. “The goal was to actually talk to Jerry Brown directly and, of course, that did not happen.”
The rally came two days after thousands of people marched through San Francisco to demand action on “climate, jobs and justice,” and three days before a scheduled march and “mass action” near Jessie Square between Market and Mission streets, near the Global Climate Action Summit at Moscone Center, as well as other actions throughout the week.
Sol2Sol
Little Village Environmental Justice Organization
Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO,) also known as La Organización de Justicia Ambiental de La Villita, is a collective of community members based in...
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Companies & Investments
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The Five P's
Jere is an active investor in early stage companies. He invests in companies where he can actively assist the founders in building world class successful businesses. Focused in the Boston and New York regions, Jere looks for companies led by rock-star CEO's and management teams. Jere invests in both the consumer facing and business facing sectors, including Internet, Big Data, mobile, SAAS marketing tools, ecommerce, AdTech, marketplaces, and other enabling technologies.
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Home American Jewish News WATCH: Political Figures From Around The World Offer Warm Wishes for a...
WATCH: Political Figures From Around The World Offer Warm Wishes for a Happy Hanukkah
House speaker Paul Ryan lights the menorah
U.S. President Donald Trump, his daughter Ivanka Trump and other political leaders from around the world, bid all who observe Hanukkah a happy holiday.
“Wishing all of those celebrating #Hanukkah around the world a happy and healthy eight nights in the company of those they love,” the president tweeted Tuesday, along with the image of a lit menorah.
Wishing all of those celebrating #Hanukkah around the world a happy and healthy eight nights in the company of those they love. https://t.co/A5W0PDWBxp pic.twitter.com/D9MVVPq39x
The Twitter message followed a statement the president released earlier in the day.
“Hanukkah is a time for Jewish families around the world to come together around the lighting of the menorah and celebrate the miracles of the past and promises of the future. Melania and I wish all of our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrating this meaningful holiday a happy and healthy eight nights in the company of those they love,” Donald Trump said in a statement released by the White House.
“On this holiday, we are proud to stand with the Jewish people who shine as a light to all nations. We also stand with the people of Israel, the Jewish State, which has itself a miraculous history of overcoming the tallest of odds. We hope that those observing the holiday here, in Israel, and around the world have a wonderful holiday.”
Happy Chanukah! #1stNight #HappyChanukah pic.twitter.com/QF07wPA84B
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) December 12, 2017
Ivanka Trump posted on Twitter a photo of her family, including husband Jared Kushner — who serves as senior adviser to the president — and their three children: Theodore, Arabella and Joseph. The family is smiling and standing around a menorah. Ivanka Trump, who was raised Christian, converted to Judaism in 2009 when she married Kushner.
“Happy Chanukah! #1stNight,” she captioned the family snapshot.
British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday said that the holiday of Hanukkah calls on all people “to defend the values and way of life that we share.”
“I want to send my very best wishes to everyone celebrating Hanukkah in our Jewish communities here in the UK and all around the world,” she said in a statement.
PM: I want to send my very best wishes to everyone celebrating #Chanukah in our Jewish communities here in the UK and all around the world. #ChanukahSameach pic.twitter.com/1NMjnRWhJ0
— UK Prime Minister (@Number10gov) December 12, 2017
“Hanukkah recalls a time, over two millennia ago, when the Jewish people successfully resisted a vile attempt to wipe out their religion and culture. It marks the triumph of freedom over hatred. And it calls on us all – whatever our religion or background – to defend the values and way of life that we share.”
“So as the Menorah candles are lit, let us renew that pledge today. Let us celebrate that in Britain you can practice your faith free from question or fear. Let us take pride in the extraordinary contribution made by members of the Jewish Community in all areas of national life.”
“Let us redouble our efforts to fight anti-Semitism in all its forms – including unequivocally condemning those who abhorrently use criticism of the Israeli government to question the right of Israel to exist.
The Downing Street Chanukiah (Menorah) has been lit to celebrate the first night of #Chanukah. Read the PM’s Chanukah message here: https://t.co/prZHRD6REC pic.twitter.com/iIXyxChpAf
“And let us draw hope from the message of Hanukkah, confident in our values and determined to defeat hatred and extremism wherever it is found – today and for every generation to come,” she concluded.
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) issued the following statement after marking the start of Hanukkah:
“The story of Hanukkah is one of miracles, resilience, and faith. It teaches us that, even in the darkest of times, we must always seek the light in ourselves and our neighbors. May this Hanukkah bring health and happiness to all those who celebrate.”
The story of Hanukkah is one of miracles, resilience, and faith. It teaches us that, even in the darkest of times, we must always seek the light in ourselves and our neighbors. May this Hanukkah bring health and happiness to all those who celebrate. https://t.co/MhMBT9vm2Y pic.twitter.com/BDaRs70A4t
— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) December 12, 2017
Speaker Ryan commemorated the first night of Hanukkah with a menorah lighting at the U.S. Capitol.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday wished the Jewish people a happy Hanukkah.
To Jews in Canada and around the world lighting the first candle tonight – Happy Hanukkah! https://t.co/1j3XO7Zv2k pic.twitter.com/X5I2pWHrIL
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) December 12, 2017
“At sunset today, Jewish communities in Canada and around the world will welcome the beginning of Hanukkah – one of the oldest traditions in the world,” said Trudeau.
“For eight nights, families and loved ones will celebrate the Festival of Lights by lighting the candles of the menorah, one by one. Together, they will pray, sing, enjoy food, and share stories of hope.”
“Hanukkah is a time to honor the profound strength of the Jewish people, and their triumph over immense adversity. Each Hanukkah candle reminds us that love conquers hatred, that light drowns out darkness, and that even our smallest actions have the power to make a difference in the world,” said the Canadian Prime Minister.
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Tag: Carbon News
Renwick on NZ’s 11% cut: follow us down the path to catastrophe
This guest post is by Carbon News editor Adelia Hallett, published with permission.
New Zealand will face droughts, floods, fires, social upheaval and catastrophic global economic damage if the world follows the country’s lead on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, says one of our leading climate experts. Dr James Renwick – Professor of Physical Geography at Victoria University, an International Panel on Climate Change lead author, and formerly a principal scientist at the National Institute on Water and Atmosphere – says that cutting emissions at the rate that New Zealand proposes would lead to at least 3 degrees of warming by the end of the century.
That’s warmer than at any time in the history of human agriculture and settlement, which started around 10,000 years ago.
The Government announced on Tuesday that New Zealand would go to international climate change negotiations in Paris later this year with a post-2020 emissions reduction target (known as an Intended Nationally Determined Commitment, or INDC) of 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. That’s the same as 11.2 per cent below 1990 levels. New Zealand also has a target of halving emissions on 1990 levels by 2050.
Continue reading “Renwick on NZ’s 11% cut: follow us down the path to catastrophe”
Author GarethPosted on July 9, 2015 July 11, 2015 Categories Carbon News, Climate politics, Climate science, environment and ecologyTags Carbon News, Jim Renwick, NZ, targets, Tim Groser8 Comments on Renwick on NZ’s 118 cut: follow us down the path to catastrophe
Carbon News 15/12/14: smoke and mirrors
English goes silent on carbon deficit costs
The Government is refusing to discuss what impact a 2030 carbon deficit will have on the economy – despite warnings from Treasury. Finance Minister Bill English has confirmed to Carbon News that Treasury is predicting carbon prices of between $10 and $165 a tonne between 2021 and 2030, but he has not answered questions on what that will cost New Zealand.
Climate expert: It’s all smoke and mirrors, Mr Groser
New Zealand is using smoke and mirrors to meet its 2020 emissions reduction target, when it could get there by using clean heating and transport technologies, says one of our leading scientists. Climate Change Minister Tim Groser told Radio New Zealand National this morning that while New Zealand faced some big hurdles in cutting emissions, the country was on target to meet its pledge to cut emissions to 5 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020.
Climate talks off on the rocky road to Paris
A deal struck in Lima between 196 nations today leaves open the possibility of saving the planet from dangerous overheating. But its critics say the prospects of success are now slim.
Fossil fuel probe under way as NZ goes exploring
New Zealand is expanding oil and gas exploration at the same time as Britain probes the likely cost of stranded fossil-fuel assets. Continue reading “Carbon News 15/12/14: smoke and mirrors”
Author GarethPosted on December 16, 2014 Categories Carbon News, Climate business, Climate politics, Climate science, environment and ecologyTags Carbon News, open thread16 Comments on Carbon News 15/12/14: smoke and mirrors
Carbon News 8/12/14: NZ’s multi-billion carbon blowout
We’re facing a $3b carbon crisis … and it could be worse
New Zealand has a $3 billion carbon headache looming – and Treasury says that’s the conservative estimate. Carbon emissions in the period 2021 to 2030 could cost the country as much as $52 billion. Official briefings to the incoming Government acknowledge that the costs of meeting emissions reductions targets after 2020 were likely to rise significantly because “our emissions are forecast to increase and carbon prices are likely to be higher”.
The country needs a carbon budget, says pressure group
A climate change lobby group is calling for a national carbon budget and legally binding emissions reduction targets. The Sustainability Council’s paper comes as it releases figures showing New Zealand is facing a carbon liability of between $3 billion and $52 billion by 2030. Drawing on Government documents and its own work, the research and advocacy trust paints a picture of a country running a creative carbon accounting process, in which carbon liabilities have been shunted off to a time when carbon prices are predicted to be much higher.
Groser has a cunning plan (but he won’t say what it is)
Climate Change Minister Tim Groser says New Zealand will “push the envelope” on post-2020 emissions reductions. But he still won’t say what that means. New Zealand has to announce its 2021-2030 emissions reduction target before the negotiations for a new international climate treaty in Paris late next year. Groser, who is now in Lima for UN climate talks, told TV’s The Nation at the weekend that the target didn’t have to be settled until the middle of next year.
Ocean heat drives surge to global warming record
It’s official, even though it won’t be conclusive for a few months yet: if present trends continue, 2014 will be one of the hottest years on record − and quite possibly the hottest of them all. Continue reading “Carbon News 8/12/14: NZ’s multi-billion carbon blowout”
Author GarethPosted on December 9, 2014 December 9, 2014 Categories Carbon News, Climate business, Climate politics, Climate science, environment and ecology, Open threadTags Carbon News, COP20, emission units, Tim GroserLeave a comment on Carbon News 8/12/14: NZ’s multi-billion carbon blowout
Carbon News 1/12/14: Future of work in NZ in clean tech, says Labour
Labour vows to watch work and the new economy
The Labour Party’s Future of Work Commission will include analysis of the impacts on work of climate change and the low-carbon economy. The commission was announced by Labour leader Andrew Little at a business briefing in Auckland this morning. It will be led by finance spokesman Grant Robertson, who told Carbon News that clean-tech opportunities are at the forefront of the party’s thinking.
Govt hopes Kyoto credits will cover emissions blow-out
The Government will use international Kyoto credits received in what’s known as the KP1 true-up to cover its emissions blow-out. But it doesn’t yet know how much of a help they will be.
Memo farmers: Learn to manage your methanotrophs
Farmers could cut their future exposure to carbon prices by looking after the methanotrophs in their soils, a soil scientist says.
Lima climate talks ‘stepping stone’ for universal treaty
A new round of talks in Lima is an opportunity to raise immediate awareness on climate change and lay the foundation for a new universal agreement to be adopted in 2015, says a top UN official. Continue reading “Carbon News 1/12/14: Future of work in NZ in clean tech, says Labour”
Author GarethPosted on December 1, 2014 December 3, 2014 Categories Carbon News, Climate business, Climate politics, Climate science, environment and ecology, Open threadTags Carbon News, open thread17 Comments on Carbon News 1/12/14: Future of work in NZ in clean tech, says Labour
Carbon News 24/11/14: penny-pinching on climate funding
Govt slammed for weak climate fund contribution
The Government is under fire for the size of its contribution to a global fund to help developing countries to combat climate change. New Zealand last week agreed to donate $3 million to the Green Climate Fund. That’s half the amount pledged by Luxembourg and the Czech Republic, and 3 per cent of what’s been promised by South Korea, the Netherlands, Finland and Denmark.
Climate change a little too far down Labour’s list
By CN editor Adelia Hallett: New Labour Party leader Andrew Little appears to rank climate change only slightly more importantly than does Prime Minister John Key. Little, elected as leader last week, announced his shadow cabinet today. The climate change and environment portfolios have gone to relatively low-profile MP Megan Woods, who is ranked 13th in the line-up, and outside the front bench.
New shadow minister eyes climate change priorities
Labour’s new climate change and environment spokesperson says there’s never been a time when she didn’t believe in climate change.
Yealands wins sustainability award
Yealands Family Wines took the top prize in this year’s Sustainable Business Network Awards. Continue reading “Carbon News 24/11/14: penny-pinching on climate funding”
Author GarethPosted on November 24, 2014 November 26, 2014 Categories Carbon News, Climate business, Climate politics, Climate science, environment and ecologyTags Carbon News, climate fund, Labour2 Comments on Carbon News 24/11/14: penny-pinching on climate funding
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Labette Bank Athlete of the Month: Nena Taylor
Nena Taylor of Parsons is having a big year and went over 1,000 points. (photo: Sean Frye)
Parsons senior Nena Taylor has lit up the scoreboard in 2018-2019 for the Parsons Vikings, scoring over 30 points nine teams this season. Parsons has played in 16 games. For her efforts she has earned Labette Bank Athlete of the Month out of the Southeast Kansas Area.
Taylor, who is being recruited as high as the Division I level, is averaging around 27 points and 10 rebounds per game this season for the Vikings. She also has her team with a 12-4 record and only one loss in 2019 part of the season. She also went over 1,000 points a few weeks back and led Parsons to their first ever Southeast Lancer Classic Tournament Title. Taylor also had 34 points on Tuesday in the win over Coffeyville and 25 last Friday. 1,000 points are common for a good high school player, however Taylor missed an entire season, so it's that much more of an impressive feat.
Taylor also has a 4.05 weighted GPA and has been very active in Girl Scouts. She is seeing looks from all levels of colleges in basketball. Last season Taylor averaged 21.1 poings per game and 10.5 rebounds per game.
Head coach Mike Krull, in his fourth year with the program, has done an oustanding job with this team that is known for Taylors offense and team defense. The Vikings only allow 37 points per contest. Parsons would be the six seed on the 18-team sub-state bracket on the East 4A if the season would end today. They will be back in action on Friday against Independence, a team they lost to back on December 18th.
Labette Bank Athlete of the Month Nomination Criteria
-Athlete or Team (girl(s)or boy(s)) must play in the CNC, Pioneer, SEK, or TRL Leagues in Kansas.
-Selection will be based on the play of that athlete over the period of that month. All stats and info must be provided.
-All nominations are accepted with selection process being handled and finalized only by @sportsinkansas. Coaches are encouraged to nominate their own athletes or athletes from opposing schools.
-Nominations MUST be emailed. Please email Chet Kuplen, CEO/Founder of Sports in Kansas, at sportsinkansas@gmail.com during the last seven days of the month to nominate your athlete!
-Labette Bank is a proud supporter of local athletics in the Southeast Kansas area.. Visit them online here
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Home Resources Archive by category "Advocacy & Education"
Category: Advocacy & Education
Political and social advocacy groups for LGBT individuals
#IllGoWithYou : An Ally Project
Website: #IllGoWithYou : An Ally Project #IllGoWithYou allies go into bathrooms and other spaces with transgender people who may be afraid or concerned about their safety. An #IllGoWithYou ally offers support, buffering, and nonviolent assistance when asked. Read the guide on how to navigate gendered spaces with a trans friend…
ITN-SM September 24, 2015 September 24, 2015 Advocacy & Education, Ally Resources #IllGoWithYou, Allies, Bathroom Discrimination, Gendered Spaces
Being the T in the LGBT Family Comes With A Price
Two moving posts from Hoosier Chris Garrison on Indy Pride, visibility in the trans community, and the emotional price we pay for being openly ourselves. June 2016: Being the T in the LGBT Family Comes With A Price A lot has happened in the past week. I’ve had incredible highs;…
ITN-SM June 15, 2016 June 15, 2016 Trans Hoosiers Stories Chris Garrison, personal stories, transgender Hoosiers
Brothers United Community Center – Indianapolis
Brothers United is a community based organization providing HIV/STD awareness, education and prevention. The mission of Brothers United is to enhance the health and wellness of our community, which includes those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and the people who live and work in our neighborhoods. Brothers United provides…
ITN-SM March 18, 2015 February 8, 2016 Advocacy & Education, HIV and STD prevention, Support Groups Community Center, HIV/STD prevention, People of Color, Trans Support Groups
Freedom Indiana – Political Advocacy
Freedom Indiana believes our state should promote religious liberty in a way that respects all Hoosiers. Freedom from discrimination is a core American and Hoosier value. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act would bring potentially harmful and unintended consequences to those who call our state home, and we must not pass…
ITN-SM March 14, 2015 March 14, 2015 Advocacy & Education lobbying, political advocacy
GEKCO – Gender Expansive Kids – Central Indiana
Website: INgekco.com Email: gekcomama@gmail.com What: GEKCO is a confidential support group for gender expansive children ages 12 and under and their families. Why: Social, educational and informational opportunities for transgender and gender fluid kids and their families. Community resources exist for older trans youth and adults so we provide a…
ITN-SM July 13, 2016 July 13, 2016 Advocacy & Education, Youth Support Parents, transgender children
Indiana ACLU
The American Civil Liberties Union is our nation’s guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country. The ACLU of Indiana, headquartered in Indianapolis, is a…
ITN March 9, 2015 March 24, 2015 Advocacy & Education advocacy, Ally, bisexual, gay, gender non-binary, gender non-conforming, gender variant, Legal, lesbian, MTF, questioning, trans, transgender, youth
Indiana Pride of Color
Indiana Pride of Color’s mission is to celebrate the diversity within the LBGT community through a series of events that educate, embrace, and empower the Black LGBT experience. Skating Nights, 90’s Parties, talent auditions and other social events throughout the year build up to IPOC’s annual Celebration in the Park…
ITN-SM March 19, 2015 March 19, 2015 Advocacy & Education, Support Groups Indiana Pride of Color, LGBT, People of Color, Pride Events, Social Events
Indiana Transgender Rights Advocacy Alliance (INTRAA)
INTRAA is a group of committed people working to change the world for transgender and gender variant people in Indiana – a statewide organization fighting for YOUR RIGHT TO BE who you are. We believe all people have the right to freedom of gender identity and expression and work through…
ITN-SM March 18, 2015 March 18, 2015 Advocacy & Education INTRAA, political advocacy
Indy Pride: History Night – Being Transgender in Indiana
On Wednesday June 10th, Indy Pride presented “Living History: Living Proof. Living Truth. (Being Transgender in Indiana)” for the first-ever Circle City IN Pride History Night. Focusing on the transgender community, History Night at Indy Reads Books featured conversations and readings from C. Michael Woodward, prominent lecturer and author; Marissa…
ITN-SM June 24, 2015 February 3, 2016 Indiana News, Trans Hoosiers Stories Indy Pride, Indy Reads Books, Jacqueline Patterson, Marissa Miller, Michael Woodward, Pride Events, Trans 101, Trans Hoosiers, Trans Pride, Trans Stories
Interfaith Coalition on Non-Discrimination (ICON)
2950 E. 55th Place Indianapolis, Indiana 46220 317-772-0236 Website: Interfaith Coalition on Non-Discrimination (ICON) ICON is an organization of people of faith who are concerned about the consequences of intolerance against sexual and gender minorities. Particularly, we are concerned about religious intolerance and lack of acceptance of God’s diversity. Our…
ITN-SM March 26, 2015 March 26, 2015 Advocacy & Education, Open & Affirming Faith Communities affirming faith communities, faith communities, ICON, religion, Spirituality
Founded in 1973, Lambda Legal is the oldest and largest national legal organization whose mission is to achieve full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work. As a nonprofit organization, we do not charge…
ITN February 27, 2015 September 9, 2015 Advocacy & Education, Legal Advocates advocacy, civil rights laws, Lambda Legal, lawyers, legal help, legal issues, trans, transgender
Lo speaks on how federal recognitions of trans students rights
Source: WTHR.com – Obama administration orders directive to schools on transgender bathroom use; Indiana schools respond (Source includes video interview) WASHINGTON – Local school districts are responding to a federal recommendation that all students be allowed to use the restroom of the gender they most identify with. The recommendation comes…
ITN-SM May 19, 2016 May 19, 2016 Indiana News, Trans Hoosiers Stories restrooms, Students, Trans Hoosiers, Trans Stories, transgender Hoosiers
The National Center for Transgender Equality is the nation’s leading social justice advocacy organization winning life-saving change for transgender people. NCTE was founded in 2003 by transgender activists who recognized the urgent need for policy change to advance transgender equality. With a committed board of directors, a volunteer staff of…
ITN February 27, 2015 February 27, 2015 Advocacy & Education advocacy, bisexual, gay, gender non-binary, gender non-conforming, gender variant, lesbian, MTF, questioning, trans, transgender, youth
Northeast Indiana Diversity Library – Fort Wayne
Northeast Indiana Diversity Library (NIDL) Website located in the basement of the Helmke Library on the campus of IPFW 2101 E. Coliseum Blvd. Fort Wayne, IN 46805 NIDL’s Summer hours shift from May 8th until August due to IPFW’s Helmke Library’s summer hours. There will be only NIDL’s daytime hours…
ITN May 27, 2015 May 28, 2015 Advocacy & Education, support Fort Wayne, Gender Identity, gender variant, Open & Affirming Faith Communities, support group, support groups, support services, trans, transgender
Parents of Trans Hoosiers Speak: Robin’s Story
Danville, Indiana Back in June, my 20 year old son told me he was transgender. She has started hormone therapy with her goal being to eventually have reassignment surgery. Personally I never gave much thought about restrooms. If you had to go you went. Until my child broke the news.…
ITN-SM February 3, 2016 February 3, 2016 Indiana News, Trans Hoosiers Stories Parents, Robin's story, Trans Hoosiers, Trans Stories
PFLAG of Fort Wayne
PFLAG of Fort Wayne 3925 Shoreline Blvd. New Haven, IN 46774-2752 Roger – (260) 749-4987 pflagfortwayne@gmail.com FAcebook: https://www.facebook.com/pflag.fortwayne Meets regularly at Plymouth Congregational Church, 501 W. Berry Street in Fort Wayne. We are working with others to provide a growing support group for parents with transgender children (generally to age…
ITN-SM May 8, 2015 December 4, 2017 Advocacy & Education, Ally Resources Allies, Fort Wayne, PFLAG
Sage USA – Resources for LGBT Elders
Website: http://www.sageusa.org/ Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) is the country’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in New York City, SAGE is a national organization that offers supportive services and consumer…
ITN-SM May 27, 2015 May 27, 2015 Advocacy & Education, Legal Info, support advocacy, Elders, New York City, online resources, retirement, Senior care
Silvia Rivera Law Project
The Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP) works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine their gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination, or violence. SRLP is a collective organization founded on the understanding that gender self-determination is inextricably intertwined with racial,…
ITN February 27, 2015 February 27, 2015 Advocacy & Education, Legal Info advocacy, bisexual, gay, gender non-binary, gender non-conforming, gender variant, Legal, lesbian, MTF, questioning, trans, transgender, youth
South Bend transgender woman shares her journey
Meghan Buell is the director of Michiana GLBT Resource Center and has helped Indiana Transgender Network put together provider resources from South Bend. Last night she spoke to local news about her journey. How did we miss that Meghan made The Trans 100? Congratulations, Meghan! Via ABC57 News: Local transgender…
ITN-SM April 25, 2015 February 3, 2016 Indiana News, Trans Hoosiers Stories Indiana news, Meghan Buell, Michiana, Michiana GLBT Resource Center, Northern Indiana, South Bend, Trans Hoosiers, Trans Stories
Spencer Pride, Inc.
Spencer Pride, Inc. P.O. Box 585 Spencer, IN 47460 Tel: (812) 821-3073 Email: Info@SpencerPride.org Website: Spencer Pride, Inc. Spencer Pride, Inc. is focused on creating events which educate the public about rural lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, & intersex (LGBTQI) people & issues in order to make our community a…
ITN-SM March 13, 2016 March 13, 2016 Advocacy & Education, Ally Resources Bloomington, pride celebrations, Pride Organizations, Spencer, White River Valley
The Indy Rainbow Chamber of Commerce – Indianapolis
The Indy Rainbow Chamber of Commerce promotes businesses owned or operated by members of the local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities or their allies. They hope to create a cultural environment in Indianapolis that represents the diversity of the Indianapolis community, and to be a partner for the city…
ITN-SM March 30, 2015 March 30, 2015 Advocacy & Education Businesses, Chamber of Commerce, Indianapolis, Visitor Information
The LGBTQ Center – Michiana, South Bend
The LGBTQ Center promotes equality, builds community, and increases understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) experiences. We meet these crucial needs through educational resources, support groups, social events, and enriching programming. The LGBTQ Center 1522 Mishawaka Ave South Bend, IN 46615 (574) 234-1411 info@michianaglbtcenter.org Website: http://www.thelgbtqcenter.org map…
ITN-SM March 23, 2015 November 20, 2017 Advocacy & Education, Support Groups, Youth Support Buchanan, Elkhart, GLBT, La Porte, LGBTQ Center, Meeting Center, Meghan Buell, Michiana, Mishawaka, Niles, South Bend, support groups
Trans Advocacy Network
The Trans Advocacy Network (TAN) is an alliance of transgender organizations that work at the state and local level, coming together to build a stronger trans movement by facilitating the sharing of resources, best practices, and organizing strategies. Website
ITN February 27, 2015 February 27, 2015 Advocacy & Education advocacy, gender non-binary, gender non-conforming, gender variant, MTF, questioning, trans, transgender
Trans Hoosier Stories: Jacqueline Patterson, Korvin Bothwell, Drake Eilert
From the Indy Star: Transgender Hoosiers transition to new lives Coming out as transgender can alienate a person from family and friends. Studies show that about 20 percent of transgender people have been discriminated against when searching for a place to live. About 11 percent have been evicted because of…
ITN-SM September 16, 2015 February 3, 2016 Indiana News, Trans Hoosiers Stories Drake Eilert, Jacqueline Patterson, Korvin Bothwell, Trans Hoosiers, Trans Stories
Trans Hoosier Stories: Reaction to SB344 Dying
The Indiana State Senate killed a bill Tuesday that would have granted civil rights protections to lesbian, gay and bisexual Hoosiers before it could even come up for a vote. The bill did not include any protections for transgender Hoosiers. Korvin Bothwell and Melissa Eberle Bickel speak about what that…
ITN-SM February 3, 2016 February 3, 2016 Trans Hoosiers Stories Korvin Bothwell, Local News, Melissa Eberle Bickel, SB344, Trans Hoosiers, Trans Stories, Trans Youth, video, WTHR-13
Trans Hoosiers discuss civil rights in Indiana
To address coming legislation about LGBT civil rights, several trans Hoosiers have come forward to tell their personal stories and share why having full civil rights protections for transgender people is essential in Indiana. Kimberly Acoff Kimberly Acoff has lived in Fort Wayne since her family moved there when she…
ITN-SM January 7, 2016 February 3, 2016 Indiana News, Trans Hoosiers Stories Cameron St. Andrew, civil rights, Gina Eilers, Kimberly Acoff, Kit Malone, LGBT civil rights protections, SB100, SB35, Trans Hoosiers, video
Trans Hoosiers Speak: Cole
During the 2016 Indiana General Assembly, many in the State House said they did not have any transgender people in their districts. 500 East Productions is working on a series of videos introducing transgender people who live in Indiana.
ITN-SM February 23, 2016 February 23, 2016 Trans Hoosiers Stories Trans Hoosiers, Trans Stories, transgender Hoosiers
Trans Hoosiers Speak: Gina Eilers
Gina Eilers has been blogging about her transition for well over a year at “Eilers Pizza” and making video entries about her life and experiences on youTube as well. This winter, Gina reached out to Indianapolis Monthly to discuss the issues going on in the Indiana State Legislature, and they…
ITN-SM March 13, 2016 March 13, 2016 Trans Hoosiers Stories advocacy, Gina Eilers, Trans Hoosiers, Trans Stories, transgender Hoosiers
Trans Hoosiers Speak: Letter from Chris to the State Legislature
Chris shares her thoughts about living in Indiana and the recent legislation on her blog: Transgender Hoosiers Are Not Second Class: An Open Letter to the Indiana Legislature To Mike Pence and the Indiana Legislature: I am a transgender Hoosier, and I am afraid. I am writing to you for…
ITN-SM February 5, 2016 February 5, 2016 Indiana News, Trans Hoosiers Stories Chris, Letters, Trans Hoosiers, Trans Stories
Trans Youth Family Allies
TYFA empowers children and families by partnering with educators, service providers and communities, to develop supportive environments in which gender may be expressed and respected. Website
ITN February 27, 2015 March 4, 2015 Advocacy & Education, Ally Resources advocacy, Ally, gender non-binary, gender non-conforming, gender variant, MTF, Parents, questioning, trans, transgender, youth
Transgender American Veteran’s Association (TAVA)
Transgender American Veterans Association goals include: Treatment of veterans who suffer from Gender Identity Disorder (GID) with the dignity promised those who have served our country. Provision of authorized medical and mental health services to veterans without regard to their history of GID. Provision of GID-related medical and mental health…
ITN February 27, 2015 March 4, 2015 Advocacy & Education, Resources advocacy, gender non-binary, gender non-conforming, gender variant, MTF, questioning, support services, trans, transgender, Veterans
Transgender Fort Wayne
Founded in 2011, the primary mission of Transgender Fort Wayne is to provide advocacy, support and education while serving to create coalitions in northeast Indiana (the Fort Wayne metro area) to unify and empower transgender and gender non-conformist communities. The group maintains a mailing list for members to share information…
ITN May 27, 2015 May 28, 2015 Advocacy & Education, Ally Resources, support, Support Groups advocacy, Fort Wayne, Gender Identity, gender non-binary, gender non-conforming, gender variant, questioning, support group, support groups, support services, trans, transgender, Yahoo Mailing List
Transgender Hoosiers speak: Jayne’s Story
We’re going to be featuring more stories and letters from transgender Hoosiers talking about their experiences with discrimination, their fears about living in a less-than-accepting state, and what they would like their legislators to understand about transgender people. Here is Jayne’s story: Dear Legislators, I write today as more than…
ITN-SM January 31, 2016 February 3, 2016 Indiana News, Trans Hoosiers Stories Equal Rights Protections, Jayne, Legislator's Letters, SB344, Senate Bill 344, Trans Hoosiers, Trans Stories
Transgender Indiana Legislative Meet and Greets w Freedom Indiana
Freedom Indiana is reaching out to the transgender community and seek your participation in the Legislative Meet and Greet sessions they are planning throughout the state. Sponsored by Freedom Indiana Training Session on speaking about Transgender Issues Legislative Meet and Greet Sessions – North, South & Central Indiana First Central…
ITN-SM October 7, 2015 October 7, 2015 Advocacy & Education, Indiana News Freedom Indiana, Indiana Civil Rights law, LGBT Civil Rights law, Transgender Meet & Greets
Transgender Law Center works to change law, policy, and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression. Website
ITN February 27, 2015 September 9, 2015 Advocacy & Education, Legal Advocates advocacy, gender non-binary, gender non-conforming, gender variant, Legal, MTF, questioning, trans, transgender, youth
Trees, Inc.
Trees, Inc. (Transgender Resource, Education and Enrichment Services). info@webetrees.org 219-331-4665 Website A new nonprofit focusing on trans education and resource building in small cities and towns. Their reach is all of the midwest. Vision Statement: By improving transgender educational resources in underserved communities we strive to enrich the lives within…
ITN-SM April 21, 2015 April 21, 2015 Advocacy & Education Midwest resources, Trees
WFYI / Protection of Indiana’s Intersex/Transgender Children
WFYI News: No Limits / Protection of Indiana’s Intersex/Transgender Children Melissa Eberle Bickel, mother of a transgender child, speaks with WFYI News about her child and protections for trans and intersex children, along with Representative Ed. Clere (R)
ITN-SM February 12, 2016 July 13, 2016 Indiana News, Trans Hoosiers Stories civil rights protections, Trans Stories, transgender children, WFYI News Radio
White River Valley PFLAG – Bloomington, Spencer
White River Valley PFLAG P.O. Box 585 Spencer, IN 47460 E-mail: Info@WhiteRiverValleyPFLAG.org Telephone: 812-829-7896 (Cathy) Website: White River Valley PFLAG We, the parents, families, and friends of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons, celebrate diversity and envision a society that embraces everyone, regardless of sexual orientations and gender identities. Only…
ITN-SM March 13, 2016 March 13, 2016 Advocacy & Education, Ally Resources advocacy, Allies, Bloomington, PFLAG, Spencer, support groups, White River Valley
@IndianaTransNet on Twitter
Kris Wise MSW, LCSW – Fort Wayne
Eskenazi Weekly Support Group – Indianapolis
Alex Geiger MD, MPH – Primary Care – Indianapolis
Steady MD Online Primary Care for the LGBTQ Community
I think I might be trans. Now what?
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Sample Referral Letters for Hormone Therapy and Gender-Confirming Surgeries
YouTube Transition Videos: trans female transitions
Celebrate diversity.
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Nvidia Corp. has recently decided to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into the technologies or systems used in the healthcare industry. The basic reason behind introducing a new distributed learning technique is to help train the machine learning models to secure patient privacy. The industries like health care need technologies like AI to tackle the data breach issues that are amplifying. The biggest challenge is that the data vital to train the models are usually private, which means no detail can be shared with the technology partners. The organization has made it clear that its latest Clara Federated Learning technique is the solution to all the problems. The technique ensures that the patent data are safe and sound at the hands of the healthcare providers’ systems 24×7.
Clara FL is a reference application for distributed AI training that is made for Nvidia’s recently launched EGX intelligent edge computing application. The systems are found to be capable of locally carrying out deep learning training at the network edge which is a reservoir for data. There is no need for making any positional changes as well. Clara FL can handle multiple systems present at different locations to form more precise, global models. The technique is already being used by many healthcare providers like UCLA Health, the American College of Radiology, and King’s College London. The “NVIDIA Clara AI-Assisted Annotation” software development kit is integrated with Fovia, 3D slicer, Philips Intellispace Discovery, and MITK. The idea of using transfer learning methods and pre-trained programs is considered to help radiologists during complex 3D studies and labeling. The newer version named Clara AGX has been introduced to understand the integration of AI inference and 3D visualization with medical devices.
Likewise, artificial intelligence is found to be monstrous as it is being used to spy or gain control over certain systems for all wrong reasons. In China, AI and facial recognition technologies are being embraced to help gain access to personal data and also to aid the government to tighten its hold over the freedom of speech and information search option. A team from Stanford in 2017 had developed an algorithm that was trained to identify a person whether gay or not through just a photograph. Thus, AI seems to be being used for persecution.
Ashley Walker Author
SR. EDITOR AND WRITER At Industry News Daily
Ashley was a part of a very reputed editorial publication prior to joining the Industry News Daily publication. Her 4 Years of experience in the field of writing health articles is no surprise as the perfection in lexis is seen the articles. After the keenness in reading books related to medicinal aspects like Unani, Vedas, and more did she realize the inclination towards this sector and is thus still glued on to it.
ashley.w@industrynewsdaily.us
Published in Health and Top Stories
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Home Industries Manufacturing & Industry
German car makers push Indonesia
by Arno Maierbrugger - Feb 28, 2013
Mercedes M-Class production in Indonesia
Volkswagen, Europe’s largest car maker, will beef up its business in Indonesia with a new factory in West Java ready to operate in mid-2013, according to VW’s Indonesian partner Garuda Mataram.
The German car maker is reportedly investing $140 million into the plant which is supposed to produce transporters and multivans.
VW has been present in Indonesia as a partner of Garuda Mataram for several years which has been assembling Audi models for the local market. With the new factory, VW’s production capacity will rise to 5,000 units from 1,000 units per year until 2015.
The local vehicle assembly operations are being set up as a first step towards the long-term development of ASEAN markets as part of its 2018 growth strategy, VW said.
The plans envisage expanding market share in the ASEAN region beyond Indonesia and establishing VW throughout the region. It is intended to broaden the product offering to include further vehicles from the VW, Skoda, Audi and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brands.
The automotive sector has increasingly moved on the radar of German companies that are looking for investments in Indonesia, Jan Rönnfeld, Managing Director of the German-Indonesian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, told Inside Investor at the Economist Indonesia Summit 2013 in Jakarta on February 28.
Daimler AG of Germany has also chosen Indonesia – together with Thailand – as the first assembly locations in ASEAN for the SUV model series M and GL-Class.
Mercedes-Benz sees strong growth potential in Indonesia, according to the president and CEO director of Mercedes-Benz Indonesia, Claus Weidner.
“Our decision indicates that the investment climate in Indonesia is conducive to the growth of our business,” Weidner said.
[caption id="attachment_7316" align="alignleft" width="300"] Mercedes M-Class production in Indonesia[/caption] Volkswagen, Europe's largest car maker, will beef up its business in Indonesia with a new factory in West Java ready to operate in mid-2013, according to VW's Indonesian partner Garuda Mataram. The German car maker is reportedly investing $140 million into the plant which is supposed to produce transporters and multivans. VW has been present in Indonesia as a partner of Garuda Mataram for several years which has been assembling Audi models for the local market. With the new factory, VW's production capacity will rise to 5,000 units from 1,000 units...
Claus Weidner
director of Mercedes-Benz Indonesia
Economy of Germany
Garuda Mataram
German-Indonesian Chamber
Indonesia Daimler AG
Jan Rönnfeld
Vice President: Indonesia will move on
Gita: We want people to make money here
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Category: Sunnah Actions in Prayer
Making du’aa’ after the obligatory prayers is bid’ah
After fard salat (i.e. after saying salam), some people make Dua while others say only Tasbih Fatmi. Some people are adament that making Dua after salat is Bidat. This is causing some restraint in the cummunity speacially those who follow Imam Abu Hanifa or Shafai.
Can we make dua'a after salat.
Can we make dua'a with the imama after salat alltogether.
What is meant by dhikr and du‘aa’ at the end of the prayer?
Imam and congregation offering du‘aa’ together following Jumu‘ah prayer
It says in Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah:
Making du’aa’ after the obligatory prayers is not Sunnah if it is done by raising the hands, whether that is done by the imam alone or a member of the congregation alone, or it is done by them both together. Rather that is bid’ah, because it was not narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or any of his companions (may Allaah be pleased with them) did that. With regard to making du’aa’ without doing that (raising the hands etc.), there is nothing wrong with it, because there are some ahaadeeth concerning that.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 7/103
The Committee was asked about raising the hands for du’aa’ after the five daily prayers – is it proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) raised his hands or not? If it is not proven, is it permissible to raise the hands after the five daily prayers or not?
They replied: It is not proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) raised his hands in du’aa’ after the obligatory prayers as far as we know, so raising them after the salaam of an obligatory prayer is contrary to the Sunnah.
Fataawa al-Lajnah, 7/104
The Committee also stated that saying du’aa’ out loud after the five daily prayers or regular Sunnah prayers, or reciting du’aa’ in unison as a regular practice is a reprehensible innovation (bid’ah), because it was not proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or his companions (may Allaah be pleased with them) did anything like that. Whoever makes du’aa’ after the obligatory or regular Sunnah prayers in unison is going against the way of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, and for those people to accuse those who disagree with them of being kaafirs and not belonging to Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, is misguidance, ignorance and a distortion of the facts.
Fataawa Islamiyyah, 1/319
The proper way to make du’aa’ during prayer
Dhikr recited in unison following the prayers
Should a person who is praying alone recite Qur’aan out loud?
Ruling on making du’aa’ in languages other than Arabic in the prayer
Sujood Ul-Sahw if in doubt while praying
What is the punishment for one who drinks alcohol, and are his prayer and fasting valid?
Reading Qur’aan during menses
How to pray istikhaarah
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Model Cancellation Notice
New Build Residential Property
Personal Dispute Resolution
Contested wills and probate
Commercial Property Disputes
Professional Negligence & Dispute Resolution
Leeds (Central)
Leeds (North)
Steven Newdall
E. snewdall@levisolicitors.co.uk
How Steven can help you
Steven has a well established reputation for his no nonsense, pragmatic approach when protecting and advancing the interests of his clients.
At Levi Solicitors LLP, we are keen that you deal directly with the person responsible for your case so please call Steven direct for a FREE initial discussion.
Steven Newdall qualified as a solicitor in 1992, and since 2004 has combined his duties as Managing Partner of Levi Solicitors LLP with his role as head of the professional negligence team. He splits his time between the Leeds and London offices.
Over 25 years of litigation and professional negligence expertise
Steven is a vastly experienced commercial dispute resolution solicitor who is recognised as one of the leading professional negligence lawyers in the country. He is a member of the Professional Negligence Lawyers Association and is proud to be the north of England representative for the PNLA.
His expertise and success within the field of professional negligence cover claims against all manner of professionals. These range from solicitors and insolvency practitioners, to construction professionals and surveyors.
Steven also has extensive experience of insurance indemnity policy coverage and policy application issues, particularly in respect of solicitors’ indemnity insurance policies.
Outside of professional negligence claims, Steven deals with complex commercial issues including partnership and shareholder disputes and construction disputes.
Steven has regularly litigated in both the High Court and Court of Appeal during his career with notable cases being:
Leslie v Farrar Construction Limited [2016] EWCA Civ 1041
Halliwells LLP v NES Solicitors & Quinn Insurance [2011] EWHC 947 (QB)
Axa Insurance Ltd v Akther & Darby Solicitors [2009] EWCA Civ 1166
| Steven's clients' testimonials speak for themselves
"I dealt with Steven Newdall in a professional negligence claim and I have to say his legal judgment and skill throughout the process was simply brilliant. In addition to that, having matters explained to me in layman's terms, and being kept fully informed throughout kept me at ease and took the stress of dealing with this away from me. I would highly recommend Steven."
Mr W, Leeds
Ian Land
This firm is regulated by The Solicitors Regulation Authority. SRA 440411. A list of members is available at the registered office. Levi Solicitors LLP is a limited liability partnership. Registered No. OC316402. The term ‘partner’ if used, denotes a member of Levi Solicitors LLP or an employee or consultant of Levi LLP with equivalent standing and qualifications.
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The Eye Of Loni's Storm
How now spirit, wither wander you?
Read/Watched
Me, Myself and Why?
I don't know exactly how I feel about Me, Myself and Why? It was an interesting book, full of bizarre and unique characters. I really couldn't put it down. It was unlike any book I think I've ever read before. The main character was all over the place in a "multiple personality disorder" kind of way, but that is sort of the plot of the book. Really though, everyone was weird. Not just the people at BOFFO (the super secret division of the FBI that employs crazy people), but the supposedly normal people in Cadence's life.
I picked up me myself and why along time ago because it's written by MaryJanice Davidson. I love Davidson's Undead books and have been reading them for years, though I've fallen behind. So, when I see something else written by her, I snap it up. I've been slowly picking up the Cadence Jones series and now that I have all the books, I thought I aught to read them. I wasn't disappointed either. Me Myself and Why? was definitely the style I've come to recognize from Davidson, without making Cadence sound like Betsy. Cadence, Shiro and Adrienne are distinct and I think that must have taken some work.
I'm not totally happy with the ending. While the story concludes, it has definitely left threads hanging. While the end wasn't a cliffhanger, it left too much open, unlike other series books I've read from Davidson. Usually I get more satisfying endings. That definitely hasn't put me off the books though, especially when they're so easily accessible.
You know when you're reading something with a mystery, and you're trying to figure out who the bad guy is? Well I kind of figured it out and I kind of didn't. I don't want to give away the ending, because I think it was a unique way to call attention back to the main character, without it being obvious until it was revealed, because then it was kind of obvious. So, that final part of the mystery I really liked, I called it, but I didn't. With those kinds of twists, I'm looking forward to reading more about Cadence Jones.
at 16:24:00 No comments: Links to this post
Labels: Chick Lit, MaryJanice Davidson, Mystery, Women
Easy come, easy go....
Amanda Waller is terrible, amazingly terrible. Seriously, who's the real bad guy? I know some of her comic history, so only some of it was surprising, but when she comes face to face with the team? What?! She's certainly someone who blurs the line, maybe erases the line.
I really liked how we knew the Suicide Squad were bad guys, but the movie created sympathy for them. Except for Diablo, I felt sympathy for him from the start. Diablo wasn't a saint by any means, but he knew what he was capable of and he wanted to stay in control.
While it's a bit brutal and totally wrong, I like that the movie shows Joker and Harley Quinn's relationship from the beginning. He made himself the perfect girlfriend. Did Dr. Quinzel get a little too close to the Joker, yes, but, well, he certainly took control of her and pushed her over the edge. Yet Harley isn't just Joker's girlfriend. She has friends and is loyal to them.
I enjoyed Deadshot's story too. They definitely wanted you to know what he was, but he also had someone he cared for. (I wasn't 100% sold on his shopping outfit though.) I think a lot of these "bad guys" had someone they cared for, a lover, children, a brother, so those people were used to "humanize" them. But these were also not nice people.
Also, I kind of loved Flagg.
I appreciate that they didn't reveal the big bad in the trailers, we didn't even see a full image of the evil (unless I missed it), which I thought was a mistake they made with Dawn of Justice. The audience needs surprises. That being said, the plot was a little....thin. I understand that they wanted the thing they were fighting to be "evil" instead of just "bad", because otherwise, why would these guy care? But, I don't know... The plot did afford back story and bonding between the characters. So, you know, it was okay. In the end, I enjoyed the movie and was happy we went to see it.
at 13:52:00 4 comments: Links to this post
Labels: Fantasy, Margo Robbie, Super Heroes, Urban Fantasy, Will Smith
Books From Before Blogging
I haven't done a Top Ten Tuesday in a really long time. This week's topic grabbed me though. This week, the bloggers from The Broke and the Bookish wanted to know the top Ten Books That Have Been On Your Shelf (Or TBR) From Before You Started Blogging That You STILL Haven't Read Yet. Since I recently started looking back at my blogging past, having passed my 10th blogging anniversary, I started to wonder, what books have been sitting on my shelf, unread, for over 10 years? My posts on Suicide Squad and The Humans are going to have to wait, because I need to know this now.
1. Appointment with Death, by Agatha Christie - I own 4 of Christie's books, why did I stop reading at 3?
2. It, by Stephen King - What is wrong with me? King is one of my favourite authors and I've read loads of his other books, but not It?
3. The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton - I picked it up on the cheap after having reading Ethan Frome and it's just sat on my shelf.
4. Fury, by Salman Rushdie - Again, I got it on sale, after having read Haroun and the Sea of Stories, and it has just sat there.
5. Jacob's Room, by Virginia Woolf - I took a class on Woolf, but Jacob's Room was not one of the books we read. I bought it anyway.
6. Almost all of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles - My Hubby and I were both reading these books. I was also reading Rice's Mayfair Witches books. Somehow I have never made it past Tale of the Body Thief. I will soon though (maybe).
7. A Perfect Pledge, by Rabindranath Maharaj - I read Maharaj's short story collection The Book of Ifs and Buts and loved it, so I picked up this novel... and it's followed me for years.
8. War and Peace, by Leo Tolsoy (can we include Crime and Punishment & Ulysses here?) - They're long and scary. Based on length alone, I'm more likely to read Crime and Punishment than the other two.
9. The Tiger Claw, by Shauna Singh Baldwin - I don't know why. It just hasn't been read yet.
10. From Ink Lake, edited by Michael Ondaatje - It's a collection of Canadian short stories. Seems like my kind of thing, but nope. It's sat on my shelf as long as the rest of them.
I thought there would be more, but last year I started making an effort to read the books that I've had for a long time. That's part of the reason I got around to reading Tale of the Body Theif. Seeing this list has reminded me how much I wanted to read each of these books when I bought them. Hopefully, I get to at least one of them soon.
Labels: Agatha Christie, Anne Rice, Edith Wharton, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, James Joyce, Leo Tolstoy, Michael Ondaatje, Rabindranath Maharaj, Salman Rusdie, Shauna Singh Baldwin, Stephen King, Top Ten, Virginia Woolf
I loved it. I really did. I loved grown up Harry, Ron and Hermione. I loved grown up Draco. I love the moment of envy and connection he has with Ginny. I loved their children. Albus and Scorpius are unique and different from their fathers. Yet, Albus is more like Harry than he realizes. I loved Rose and wish we had more of her. I enjoyed the whole story. How the characters changed, then changed again. I loved the glimpse of darkness. The Augery. I loved the Harry Potter series and The Cursed Child is a great addition.
Now I'm eager to see it. I hope the production travels. I hope Harry Potter and The Cursed Child comes to Toronto and I get to see it. I'm sure the tickets will be insanely expensive, but I already talked to Hubby, who is also a huge fan, and we'll just splurge. Yes, we're already planning and the play has only been open in another country for just a few weeks.
Yes, this is very much a play. There are definitely some descriptive, beautifully written stage directions, which lend themselves to the telling of the story, but The Cursed Child is a published script, and those are stage directions, not an artfully crafted descriptive paragraph. I've talked to people who have had a hard time with reading plays in the last, not just Shakespeare, but anything non-novel. I've never had a problem with that. Though I would agree seeing a play is better than reading one. I felt that way after reading Death of a Salesman and Cyrano de Bergerac. But really, this is Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling. If you want to know what happened to Harry, Hermione, Ron and many of the rest, this story is a must-read.
I could gush, I could write all kinds of spoiler-y things, but I won't. I'll just say that this story is amazing.
Labels: Contemporary Fantasy, Fantasy, J.K. Rowling, Theatre
Blast from the Past #1 - A Series of Unfortunate Events
About 10 years ago...I posted this.
I finished the last five books of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. I took these books (among others) on my honeymoon. Why? I don't know. Not typical honeymoon reading material. Certainly different than the books I read on my recent vacation. I said it was the "perfect poolside read" and maybe they can be, if what you want is fun, exciting and easy. They're books for children, so I probably didn't have to do a lot of thinking while reading them.
The post looks weird. I chose Courier for the font, for whatever reason... I think because Lemony Snicket writes letters on old typewriters. There are also no pictures and no links. Now, there's always at least one picture, no matter the post. I also include links to the books, authors, series information and anything else I think else related to the post. Not back then. It's also kind of spoilery, so don't read it if you haven't read the books. Apparently I didn't know about Spoiler Warnings back then.
10 years later, I still think they're great books. I'll probably start reading them with my daughter in about a year, maybe sooner. They have a darkness to them, but they're cheeky and they are about the children solving these problems. I'm looking forward to re-reading them with her.
So this is my first "Throwback Thursday" sort of post. I think I'll keep doing it, though it's throwing me to see how "uncomplicated" this post was. I wonder what next week will bring.
Labels: Children's Books, Contemporary Fantasy, Fantasy, Lemony Snicket, TBT
Vacation - The Books
One of the best parts of a vacation is the extra reading time. However, I didn't read the books I thought I was going to. I downloaded some YA, some sci-fi, some fantasy to my Kindle and iBook apps. I brought along Tigana, a book I won from Goodreads, which I thought would be perfect for my very long car rides, but nope.
You can read a bit about my trip in yesterday's post, but this one I thought I'd focus on all the books. I had started The Wicked Will Rise right before we left, so it was the first book I read on this trip. Afterward, something about the car, the busy-ness, the heat, I ended up reading a few short romance novels. I don't read a lot of romance in general, but I have read some. Many stories I read have a "romantic element", but they're not usually the focus.
When it was time for me to pick something new, there was one story that jumped out at me. I had downloaded it a very long time ago and thought the plot sounded interesting. It also described itself as a romantic comedy and when I finished The Wicked Will Rise, I thought it would be fun. Then one thing led to another and suddenly I had a whole digital stack of romantic reading material. They were all good, but the ones I liked the most had a good story, and an interesting character or two trying to find herself or himself. There were family issues and/or career issues often weighing on their decisions. They, of course, find that one person who can help them balance their life or whatever. Some of the books were steamier than others. Nothing was too outlandish, I don't think. I thought I'd post a few thoughts about each "vacation book", since they were all read in a two week span. So, here they are, in the order I read them.
The Wicked Will Rise, by Danielle Paige
The end was a bit like, Bam! I don't know what's going to happen next. Amy Gumm is not the girl from Kansas anymore. She's a badass witch. She's a Wicked Witch. She is very special. The Order of the Wicked see it, Glinda sees it. They all want her and I wonder what she'll choose.
I was a little disappointed in Pete's behaviour. I had figured out the dual-identity thing in Dorothy Must Die, but I was a little surprised at how easily he could be dismissed. So, I understand the choice he made, sort of. It was still a glaring mistake.
I really liked that we got to revisit the Queendom of the Wingless Ones. The queen herself, there's so much more to her than we first realize. I really liked Bright and Polly. I liked that not too many new characters were introduced. We got to know the people we had already met better, and we got to know Oz better as Amy made her journey, searching for Nox and the remnants of the Order.
I'm really not sure what's going to happen next, but I'm excited to find out.
Let's Be Just Friends, by Camilla Isley
Let's Be Just Friends was cute, though the title trips me up every time I try to type it or say it. It's about a male/female friendship. They're best friends. Should they be more than friends? The story is short, but a lot happens. Over a year goes by and the relationship between the friends, Rose and Tyler changes. Friends, more than friends, less than friends? There's a lot of twists, other love interests, poor decision making. Rose and Tyler are at Harvard Law, so young, but not too young. It was enjoyable.
Knowing Me Knowing You, by Mandy Baggot
Have you ever watched The Wedding Date? Well, this is kind of like that. I really thought the story was interesting, the game show was a unique tool that moved the plot along. Kate was neurotic, but cute. Joel was amazing and more than what he seemed. I hated the Ex and the Lady Dragon. They were just terribly perfect antagonists. I think there could have been more sexual tension, though I did like that Kate was a grown up, who understood that her child had to come first. I also liked that Joel was multi-dimensional, not just eye candy.
Seized by Love, by Melissa Foster
Seized by Love had a unique and modern story. I liked that Lizzie and Blue had gotten to know each other over the course of the year. I thought Lizzie's secret was not something Blue, or anyone, would have ever expected. Her relationship with Blue, was tense, then not, then angry, then tense again. I also really appreciated that Lizzie was her own person. She had a family, a business, and responsibilities. Those things remained a priority throughout; she wasn't going to change for Blue, she wanted him to understand. I don't know what it was exactly, the heat, the story, the independent character, but after reading Seized by Love, I really wanted to read more stories by Melissa Foster.
Offside, by Juliana Stone
She's a hockey player! The main character, Billie-Jo Barker, one third of the Barker Triplets, was an Olympic, professional, hockey player. She comes home due to injury and isn't sure what to do with her life. She desperately misses hockey though, and when she joins the local team, the men don't like it. Like several of the romance stories I've read recently, it's a small town. So there are rumours, fights, innuendo and her car gets very damaged.
Not that Billie is completely innocent. She might have more hockey skill than all the men in the town, but she isn't perfect. A long time ago, back when she was known as just a jock, before going off to the Olympics, something happened. I kind of saw it coming as Stone skirted around it, but it was still a doozy. I really liked, for some weird reason, that Logan had this secret that he had to tell Billie, but hers destroyed it. I really enjoyed this story and I might read the rest of the Barker Triplets stories.
Sisters in Love, by Melissa Foster
I hesitated about this one, but because Melissa Foster wrote it and it was free on Kindle, I downloaded it. I wasn't sure I liked the idea of a therapist falling for her patient, no matter how hot he is or how much she thinks she can fixed him. In the end, I enjoyed the story. Their relationship started outside of therapy. When things start to get heated, I think Danica reacted appropriately. I think Blake could have controlled himself a little more, but that was part of his problem.
What I really liked was how Danica's life wasn't just work or this new romance, but she had a life, interests. She was a Big Sister and I liked how she was concerned about this girl. This second storyline was full, not just filler. The relationship between Danica and Michelle was important to how she grew as a character. Danica is flawed, she is self-conscious and hides behind her professional exterior. It isn't just a man that has her accepting herself, but other aspects of her life too. I think that's why I kept coming back to Foster, her characters are looking for more than love.
Taken by Love, by Melissa Foster
This is my favourite book by Foster so far. I loved Dr. Daisy Honey. The name is hilarious and it plays a part of the story. I liked Daisy's parents and her best friend. I thought the decision she had to make was interesting. I liked that Luke was not the reason she made that final choice. I liked that she got to resolve her troubled past with the small town girls who were mean to her. There were so many issues touched on, bullying, health care, alcoholism, domestic abuse. It was a full story, with a fairly decent variety of situations the doctor had to deal with.
I also liked that Luke wasn't a bad boy that Daisy had to "tame". He was settled. He had been building his ranch and business. He was at a place in his life where he wanted to find that special someone. He didn't decide to suddenly stop his serial dating or scratch some kind of itch. He got reacquainted with Daisy and he wanted to get to know her. While it was definitely a steam story, it was grown up, not just "adult". I mean, the whole thing with the drunk man in the tub was just great (though terrible). Also, I hope her best friend gets his own story.
Speaking of future stories, most of these ebooks have a little sneak peak of the next novel in the series. The one after this, Fated for Love with Luke's brother Wes, sounds fun. The main character is a librarian! Callie just seems super sweet and I'd like to see them interact outside of the library.
Night of Cake and Puppets, by Laini Taylor
For the last of my road trip stories, I read Laini Taylor's novella that is a companion piece to her Daughter of Smoke and Bone series. Why did I change gears for the final leg of the the trip home? I think part of it was that I couldn't download Fated for Love on the road. The other was that I really wanted to read the story. I recently got the final book in the series, Dreams of Gods and Monsters and I want to read it. Before I can read it, I had to read this.
I'm glad I did. It's a cute side story, featuring Karou's best friend, Zuzana, and the boy she's pursuing. I like the perspective of a regular person trying to go one about their life, while their best friend is involved in supernatural pursuits. I also enjoyed Mik's perspective and his surprise at the end. He's such a sweet guy. I hope he does okay in the final novel.
Night of Cake and Puppets didn't expand a lot on what we already knew about Karou and the world of this series. It was a good stand alone story, you definitely don't have to have read the series to appreciate the magic that happens between Zuzana and Mik. I think it was a good way to end the trip as we cruised home, a feel-good kind of fantasy story.
That's it. Certainly enough. It was a great trip, filled with a lot of good reading.
Labels: Camilla Isley, Contemporary Fantasy, Danielle Paige, Fantasy, Juliana Stone, Mandy Baggot, Melissa Foster, Reading, real life, Romance, Young Adult
Vacation - The Trip
My son didn't want to be left behind looking for turtles.
My family and I have just gotten back from a trip to the American South. We were there primarily visiting my husband's family. It's been nine years since we made this trip; post-marriage, but pre-children. Driving 14 hours to his uncle's house is a lot different with two little ones than it is when you're young and childless. I could talk about the long drive and the visits and the swims, but one of things that has really stuck in my mind is all the differences between here (Canada) and there. I didn't expect there to be a lot. I watch American television and movies. I have American friends and family. It's not as though I had never been there, but it had been a while. My Hubby and I made a few comments regarding the differences, and I think this is the first time I really noticed them and took note. I thought I would share some of the differences I found.
Family swim time.
Tires - Hubby told me something I didn't know as I took the wheel for the first time in the States. The "tire regulations" were different. Apparently, you can dig deeper treads into tires, once they start to flatten, so he wanted me to be careful while driving next to big trucks.. While I didn't see any tire blowouts myself, I saw bits, pieces, chunks and almost entire tires lying at the side of the interstates. Sometimes not just on the shoulders, but in the middle of lanes. It was a little freaky.
Wobbly Tires on Trucks - Which was something else freaky. Nothing like driving behind that transport truck and the tires just don't look stable.
Speed Limits - 70 mph is unusual for me. Our major highways have a maximum speed of 100 km/h, approximately 62 mph. 70 mph converts to about 112 km/h. So, driving 70 felt like speeding, but fine. However, there were SO MANY people driving faster than 70. I was on parts of the interstate where 70 was basically slow.
Cars At The Side Of The Road - Why? Why are people pulling over at the side of the highway? A lot. There were just so many. The exits, whether for gas stations or Rest Areas, weren't far. You couldn't make it a couple more miles? Stopping where people are zooming by at 80+ mph just seemed extremely unsafe.
Tim Hortons - I know it's a very Canadian thing to notice, but I missed Tim Hortons. There were some near the border, when we crossed into Buffalo. On the way back in Ohio, we could tell we were getting closer because there was Tim's, and we had to stop at one.
Starbucks - Does not have lactose free milk, at least not in the ones that we stopped at. After 2, we stopped trying. It's not for me, but for Hubby. I felt bad going to Starbucks when he couldn't get what he wanted. Soy milk just doesn't taste the same.
Our favourite pool.
Wine in Walmart - We picked up some wine in Walmart. It was where we were suggested to go. Which is great, I think. We can get wine in our grocery stores here, and recently beer, but not Walmart. Walmart seems super convenient.
The Heat - I know people complain about Canadian winters, but how about Southern summers. Too hot to be outside? There are ceiling fans on porches! Every other person has to have a pool. I sweat without moving, in areas where I don't usually sweat. I felt like I was on fire, like I might actually get a sunburn (I had one once.) Also, the air conditioning is always cranked. Yes, I would not be able to survive down south without the AC, but I'm also Canadian; if I want to put a sweater on, maybe it's too cold inside. I think it might just be where you grow up too. I'm used to our winters; everyone down there is probably used to their summers.
Olympic Coverage - This is probably one of the things I missed the most. What I didn't know is that Olympic events aren't always aired live in the States. A neighbour of Hubby's uncle explained that because a network laid down a whole lot of money, they make these stories about the athlete, then air them with the competition. What? I have 4 to 6 stations airing the games as they happen. One major network and then the rest are the sports channels. Sometimes a station will stop Olympic coverage to air the Blue Jays game or another sporting event, then go back to the Olympics. Was it just the station that was chosen (not by me)? Are there stations in the US that air all of the Olympics? Please let me know if I'm wrong. Though, I did have to experience the opening ceremonies in the US. I missed CBC when that happened.
I found the TARDIS!!
I have to say though, everyone was nice to me. I was a little nervous, being non-white, going to the American South with their current political climate. I don't talk politics here very often, if at all. But I have to say that to one of his aunts, my husband pointed out that if a certain candidate won their up-coming election, I might not be allowed to visit again for a while. I don't know if that made a difference to her or to his uncle, but he wanted to show them real life versus abstract consequences. Besides that one short conversation, it never came up. Everyone we interacted with was kind. I didn't feel terribly out of place and I was treated like everyone else. I don't know if that's because we were staying in nice areas, as both families we stayed with are well-off. We went to science centres, indoor play parks, and shopping malls and I didn't have any problems. I hope that I'm able to go back soon and continue to always have positive experiences.
I am glad to be home though. I missed this country. Though the trip was a lot of fun and I hope we can do it again sometime, but I'm happy to be back in Canada.
Labels: America, American South, Canada, real life
Wow, just wow. I loved Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses, much more than I expected to. I've read Throne of Glass and the prequel novellas to that series, so I expected that I would enjoy A Court of Thorns and Roses, but it really was amazing. I don't know if I would classify it as "Young Adult" though. It was racy, full of sexual tension, beyond romantic and also very violent, full of killers and victims. I appreciate in what I've read of the series, that Maas has said it's for an "older" Young Adult crowd. This is not a teen or "high school" romance. Feyre, the main character, is 19, technically an adult, and the youngest of her sisters, though young enough to attract the "older" teen readers. The fairies are old, centuries old, but for the last few decades, they've been fighting a "blight" in their land. There are no young, rebellious teen fairies, fighting to win Feyre. Tamlin is a Lord, trying to protect his people.
I read in an interview with Maas that A Court of Thorns and Roses started out as a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, but turned into something different, though she paid tribute to the source material. After reading the book, the beginning is definitely reminiscent of Beauty and The Beast, but it grows into so much more. (Also, there's a girl with a bow, hunting to feed her family, so where have I heard that before?) Apart from its origins, A Court of Thorns and Roses has a life of its own. It is Feyre's tale, starting with life as provider for her broken family, then life as resident of the Spring Court, then so much more. About halfway through the book, I started thinking about the plot, in that there wasn't really one. I mean, stuff happened, after Tamlin brought Feyre to his estate, plus the cause of him bringing her, but they were little things, a bad fairy here, a party there, but no big battles. Feyre watched the life of the fairies around her unfold, move on from day to day. The first half, maybe even two-thirds of her book, is about her and her relationships with the people around her and how she evolves. The writing was so amazing though, I didn't notice that all that was happening was painting and parties, romantic longing and tension. Feyre was an amazing protagonist, carrying the story through her feelings and how she saw the world.
Tamlin was an interesting Beast, of course more than he appeared at first. I think that's just how it is with Maas' stories. He was rough, but gentle, forced, but easy. He was caring, considerate, restricted, but want to be free. I loved his connection with Feyre, but also with the others around him, Lucien and Alis. He cared about his people, and even fairies of other lands.
I just want Lucien to be happy. His story is so tragic. Not just before he becomes part of the Spring Court, but during and after. He suffers for his love and for his friendships. I also really want Nesta to be happy. I hope she is around in future stories. I think she deserves her own prince, someone who can help her move past the hurt in her heart. Rhysand is so complex and deep. I'm excited to learn more about him too. I know the next story takes place in his Court, so I'm eager to see how his relationship with Feyre and with the other fairies change.
As I was looking into this book, I came across a blog post by Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner, which I think perfectly sums up why you should read this novel...and she made it a list, which is awesome. If you need more reasons to read A Court of Thorns and Roses, go check it out.
A Court of Throns and Roses gave me a serious book hangover. I'm excited to see how Feyre handles herself in A Court of Mist and Fury. I expect the story to be complicated and full of twists and turns. It also seems as though this will be another long-running series from Maas. Eight books are listed, with two already here, that means there are six more to come. I imagine that I'll be excited about each one.
Labels: Fairies, Fantasy, New Adult, Sarah J. Maas, Young Adult
Writing and reading wherever I go. Staff blogger with the WCYR (Writer’s Community of York Region) - www.wcyork.ca. I'm not the girl I used to be. I've become an adult without realizing it. I still have my youthful fancy, but I'm much more responsible. It's scary. I'm a wife and mother. I am still a writer and reader. So many books to read, so many stories to tell.
I can barely breathe for how much I loved The Book of Life . I'm suffering from a major book hangover and it is all Diana Bishop and ...
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I just realized that it's been weeks since I posted anything. What?! Life has just been busy, I guess. I mentioned on my other blog...
50 Classic Club Questions
More surveys! I like them. I can't help it. 50 Classic Club Questions took me over a month to do though. Not a lot of one word a...
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All original written material and images located within loniseye.blogspot.com, including its pages, posts, and comment boxes, are copyright of the website author, Loni Cameron. Permission to use, reprint, or publish any material, including articles, blog posts, or book reviews from the The Eye Of Loni’s Storm website, whether in print or online, must be granted by the author in writing.
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MacInnes Stretchers
Supporting The Rescuers
The spark of genius
The Birth of MK7
The difficult years
The Task Ahead
The origin of MacInnes Stretchers
Hamish MacInnes is known as the “Father of Scottish Mountain Rescue” is recognised as having developed modern mountain rescue into its present form. Hamish founded the Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team back in 1961. In 1965 he started the Search and Rescue Dog Association (SARDA ).
He and Eric Langmuir worked together to start the Scottish Avalanche Information Service. Hamish also wrote the International Mountain Rescue Handbook, first published in 1974 and this book is still regarded as the standard reference work on Mountain Rescue techniques.
Acutely aware of the difficulties the rescue teams faced when trying to save the lives of those in trouble on the mountain, Hamish determined to improve the design of the equipment they had available. This quest has become his all consuming passion.
The original, one piece stretchers were heavy and bulky. Carrying them up the mountain required two members of the rescue team to work together.
During the early 1960’s Hamish designed his first folding stretcher. While an improvement, this folded stretcher was still too heavy and bulky for one man to carry. Even when split into a two part stretcher, the weight of a half stretcher and all the associated equipment was near the limit of what one man could carry while expected to climb fast. The great benefit of splitting the stretcher was that the two men could climb faster if they could do so independently.
The ongoing search for improvements has taken Hamish’s original stretcher through many design iterations. The current aluminum Mk6 model weighs 25 Kg when loaded with the equipment required by the rescue team. The success of the MacInnes Mk6 has taken it to all parts of the world.
MacInnes Stretchers on BBC Scotland
Resin is getting better
MK 8 – Progress
Future Fibres Available at a Cost
Extensive Field Testing
About MacInnes Stretchers
Located in the beautiful city of Inverness, Scotland we produce the lightest and toughest stretchers for mountain rescue, armed forces and emergency services alike. Voted best stretcher by Armed Forces in 2015.
The BBC has run a short story about our MacInnes…
After a very long search, I have found a source…
17 Birchwood Road, Inverness, IV2 5DW, Scotland, United Kingdom
Phone:+44 (0)1463 795501
E-mail:info@macinnes-stretchers.co.uk
Website:http://macinnes-stretchers.co.uk
© 2016 - MacInnes Stretchers. All Rights Reserved
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Aamodt, Ina Thon
Oslo Univ Hosp Ulleval, Norway; Univ Oslo, Norway.
Lycholip, Edita
Vilnius Univ, Lithuania.
Celutkiene, Jelena
Strömberg, Anna
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för omvårdnad. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Region Östergötland, Hjärt- och Medicincentrum, Kardiologiska kliniken US.
Atar, Dan
Oslo Univ Hosp, Norway; Univ Oslo, Norway.
Falk, Ragnhild Sorum
Oslo Univ Hosp, Norway.
von Lueder, Thomas
Helleso, Ragnhild
Univ Oslo, Norway.
Jaarsma, Tiny
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för samhälls- och välfärdsstudier, Avdelningen för omvårdnad. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten.
Lie, Irene
Oslo Univ Hosp Ulleval, Norway.
Health Care Professionals Perceptions of Home Telemonitoring in Heart Failure Care: Cross-Sectional Survey2019Ingår i: Journal of Medical Internet Research, ISSN 1438-8871, E-ISSN 1438-8871, Vol. 21, nr 2, artikel-id e10362 Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background: Noninvasive telemonitoring (TM) can be used in heart failure (HF) patients to perform early detection of decompensation at home, prevent unnecessary health care utilization, and decrease health care costs. However, the evidence is not sufficient to be part of HF guidelines for follow-up care, and we have no knowledge of how TM is used in the Nordic Baltic region. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe health care professionals (HCPs) perception of and presumed experience with noninvasive TM in daily HF patient care, perspectives of the relevance of and reasons for applying noninvasive TM, and barriers to the use of noninvasive TM. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed between September and December 2016 in Norway and Lithuania with physicians and nurses treating HF patients at either a hospital ward or an outpatient clinic. A total of 784 questionnaires were sent nationwide by postal mail to 107 hospitals. The questionnaire consisted of 43 items with close- and open-ended questions. In Norway, the response rate was 68.7% (226/329), with 57 of 60 hospitals participating, whereas the response rate was 68.1% (310/455) in Lithuania, with 41 of 47 hospitals participating. Responses to the closed questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the open-ended questions were analyzed using summative content analysis. Results: This study showed that noninvasive TM is not part of the current daily clinical practice in Norway or Lithuania. A minority of HCPs responded to be familiar with noninvasive TM in HF care in Norway (48/226, 21.2%) and Lithuania (64/310, 20.6%). Approximately half of the HCPs in both countries perceived noninvasive TM to be relevant in follow-up of HF patients in Norway (131/226, 58.0%) and Lithuania (172/310, 55.5%). For physicians in both countries and nurses in Norway, the 3 most mentioned reasons for introducing noninvasive TM were to improve self-care, to reduce hospitalizations, and to provide high-quality care, whereas the Lithuanian nurses described ability to treat more patients and to reduce their workload as reasons for introducing noninvasive TM. The main barriers to implement noninvasive TM were lack of funding from health care authorities or the Territorial Patient Fund. Moreover, HCPs perceive that HF patients themselves could represent barriers because of their physical or mental condition in addition to a lack of internet access. Conclusions: HCPs in Norway and Lithuania are currently nonusers of TM in daily HF care. However, they perceive a future with TM to improve the quality of care for HF patients. Financial barriers and HF patients condition may have an impact on the use of TM, whereas sufficient funding from health care authorities and improved knowledge may encourage the more widespread use of TM in the Nordic Baltic region and beyond.
Aaseth, Jan
Innlandet Hospital Trust, Norway; Hedmark University of Appl Science, Norway.
Alexander, Jan
Norwegian Institute Public Heatlh, Norway; Norwegian University of Life Science NMBU, Norway.
Bjorklund, Geir
Council Nutr and Environm Med, Norway.
Hestad, Knut
Dusek, Petr
Charles University of Prague, Czech Republic; Charles University of Prague, Czech Republic; Gen University Hospital Prague, Czech Republic.
Roos, Per M.
Karolinska Institute, Sweden; St Goran Hospital, Sweden.
Alehagen, Urban
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för kardiovaskulär medicin. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Region Östergötland, Hjärt- och Medicincentrum, Kardiologiska kliniken US.
Treatment strategies in Alzheimers disease: a review with focus on selenium supplementation2016Ingår i: Biometals, ISSN 0966-0844, E-ISSN 1572-8773, Vol. 29, nr 5, s. 827-839Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Alzheimers disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder presenting one of the biggest healthcare challenges in developed countries. No effective treatment exists. In recent years the main focus of AD research has been on the amyloid hypothesis, which postulates that extracellular precipitates of beta amyloid (A beta) derived from amyloid precursor protein (APP) are responsible for the cognitive impairment seen in AD. Treatment strategies have been to reduce A beta production through inhibition of enzymes responsible for its formation, or to promote resolution of existing cerebral A beta plaques. However, these approaches have failed to demonstrate significant cognitive improvements. Intracellular rather than extracellular events may be fundamental in AD pathogenesis. Selenate is a potent inhibitor of tau hyperphosphorylation, a critical step in the formation of neurofibrillary tangles. Some selenium (Se) compounds e.g. selenoprotein P also appear to protect APP against excessive copper and iron deposition. Selenoproteins show anti-inflammatory properties, and protect microtubules in the neuronal cytoskeleton. Optimal function of these selenoenzymes requires higher Se intake than what is common in Europe and also higher intake than traditionally recommended. Supplementary treatment with N-acetylcysteine increases levels of the antioxidative cofactor glutathione and can mediate adjuvant protection. The present review discusses the role of Se in AD treatment and suggests strategies for AD prevention by optimizing selenium intake, in accordance with the metal dysregulation hypothesis. This includes in particular secondary prevention by selenium supplementation to elderly with mild cognitive impairment.
Adlam, David
Univ Leicester, England; Glenfield Hosp, England.
Alfonso, Fernando
Hosp Univ La Princess, Spain.
Maas, Angela
Radboud Univ Nijmegen, Netherlands.
Vrints, Christiaan
Univ Antwerp, Belgium.
Writing commitee, (Medarbetare/bidragsgivare)
European Society of Cardiology, acute cardiovascular care association, SCAD study group: a position paper on spontaneous coronary artery dissection ESC-ACCA Position Paper on spontaneous coronary artery dissection2018Ingår i: European Heart Journal, ISSN 0195-668X, E-ISSN 1522-9645, Vol. 39, nr 36, s. 3353-+Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Ahmad, Tariq
Yale Univ, CT USA; Yale Univ, CT USA.
Lund, Lars H.
Karolinska Inst, Sweden; Karolinska Univ Hosp, Sweden.
Rao, Pooja
Qure Ai, India.
Ghosh, Rohit
Warier, Prashant
Vaccaro, Benjamin
Dahlström, Ulf
OConnor, Christopher M.
Duke Univ, NC USA.
Felker, G. Michael
Desai, Nihar R.
Machine Learning Methods Improve Prognostication, Identify Clinically Distinct Phenotypes, and Detect Heterogeneity in Response to Therapy in a Large Cohort of Heart Failure Patients2018Ingår i: Journal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease, ISSN 2047-9980, E-ISSN 2047-9980, Vol. 7, nr 8, artikel-id e008081 Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background-Whereas heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome, conventional approaches to its management have treated it as a singular disease, leading to inadequate patient care and inefficient clinical trials. We hypothesized that applying advanced analytics to a large cohort of HF patients would improve prognostication of outcomes, identify distinct patient phenotypes, and detect heterogeneity in treatment response. Methods and Results-The Swedish Heart Failure Registry is a nationwide registry collecting detailed demographic, clinical, laboratory, and medication data and linked to databases with outcome information. We applied random forest modeling to identify predictors of 1-year survival. Cluster analysis was performed and validated using serial bootstrapping. Association between clusters and survival was assessed with Cox proportional hazards modeling and interaction testing was performed to assess for heterogeneity in response to HF pharmacotherapy across propensity-matched clusters. Our study included 44 886 HF patients enrolled in the Swedish Heart Failure Registry between 2000 and 2012. Random forest modeling demonstrated excellent calibration and discrimination for survival (C-statistic=0.83) whereas left ventricular ejection fraction did not (C-statistic=0.52): there were no meaningful differences per strata of left ventricular ejection fraction (1-year survival: 80%, 81%, 83%, and 84%). Cluster analysis using the 8 highest predictive variables identified 4 clinically relevant subgroups of HF with marked differences in 1-year survival. There were significant interactions between propensity-matched clusters (across age, sex, and left ventricular ejection fraction and the following medications: diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, )i-blockers, and nitrates, Pamp;lt;0.001, all). Conclusions-Machine learning algorithms accurately predicted outcomes in a large data set of HF patients. Cluster analysis identified 4 distinct phenotypes that differed significantly in outcomes and in response to therapeutics. Use of these novel analytic approaches has the potential to enhance effectiveness of current therapies and transform future HF clinical trials.
Ahn, Henrik Casimir
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för kardiovaskulär medicin. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Region Östergötland, Hjärt- och Medicincentrum, Thorax-kärlkliniken i Östergötland.
Baranowski, Jacek
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för kardiovaskulär medicin. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Region Östergötland, Hjärt- och Medicincentrum, Fysiologiska kliniken US.
Dahlin, Lars-Göran
Nielsen, Niels Erik
Transvenous Implantation of a Stent Valve in Patients With Degenerated Mitral Prostheses and Native Mitral Stenosis2016Ingår i: Annals of Thoracic Surgery, ISSN 0003-4975, E-ISSN 1552-6259, Vol. 101, nr 6, s. 2279-2284Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to report the use of a transvenous transseptal approach using a stent valve in patients with degenerated biological mitral valve prostheses, regurgitation after mitral repair, and native mitral stenosis.
METHODS: Ten patients (median age, 74 years; range, 20-89 years; 5 men and 5 women) with degenerated mitral bioprosthetic valves (n = 7), failed mitral repair (n = 1), or calcified native stenotic valves (n = 2) underwent transvenous implantation of a stent valve.
RESULTS: The procedure was initially successful in all patients. Predilation was performed for balloon sizing only in the 2 patients with native mitral stenosis. The stent valve was deployed during 1 period of rapid pacing. A guidewire, as a loop from the right femoral vein and through the left ventricular apex, facilitated a good angle and secure positioning of the stent valve. An ultrasonographically guided puncture of the apex was carried out in 6 patients, and in the other 4 we performed a minithoracotomy before apical puncture. All valves were implanted in a good position with improved function and without significant paravalvular leakage (PVL). There were no periprocedural deaths. The 30-day survival was 80% (8 of 10 patients), and 60% (6 of 10) of patients were still alive a median time of 290 days after the procedure.
CONCLUSIONS: Transvenous transseptal implantation of a stent valve was performed in 10 patients with mitral valve disease, with good early functional results. These high-risk patients must be carefully selected by a multidisciplinary team because the procedure carries a high mortality.
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för kardiovaskulär medicin. Linköpings universitet, Hälsouniversitetet. Region Östergötland, Hjärt- och Medicincentrum, Kardiologiska kliniken US.
Can predilatation in transcatheter aortic valve implantation be omitted? - a prospective randomized study2016Ingår i: Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery, ISSN 1749-8090, E-ISSN 1749-8090, Vol. 11, nr 124 Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background: The use of a balloon expandable stent valve includes balloon predilatation of the aortic stenosis before valve deployment. The aim of the study was to see whether or not balloon predilatation is necessary in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVI). Methods: Sixty consecutive TAVI patients were randomized to the standard procedure or to a protocol where balloon predilatation was omitted. Results: There were no significant differences between the groups regarding early hemodynamic results or complication rates. Conclusions: TAVI can be performed safely without balloon predilatation and with the same early results as achieved with the standard procedure including balloon predilatation. The reduction in the number of pacing periods required may be beneficial for the patient.
Aidemark, Jan
Linnaeus University, Sweden.
Askenas, Linda
Martensson, Jan
Jonköping University, Sweden.
Challenges for Heart Failure Patients Self-Care Systems Analysis of Patients Needs2014Ingår i: CENTERIS 2014 - CONFERENCE ON ENTERPRISE INFORMATION SYSTEMS / PROJMAN 2014 - INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PROJECT MANAGEMENT / HCIST 2014 - INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGIES, Elsevier, 2014, Vol. 16, s. 1256-1264Konferensbidrag (Refereegranskat)
Self-care is important for heart failure patients. However, what are the views of patients on their situation when it comes to realizing self-care? The aim of the paper is to investigate the self-care needs of HF patients, by understanding the issues they embrace in their self-care processes. In this paper we make a review of 17 interviews and make a classification of what the needs are for possible information technology support systems. Based on the analysis of these interviews, we identify the diversity of needs in support of activities related to different background conditions and the dynamics of change of learning and changes in the heart failure condition. The contribution of the paper is a framework for understanding the diversity of needs and the specific situations of this group of patients.
Nygardh, Anette
User involvement in the co-design of self-care support systems for heart failure patients2015Ingår i: CONFERENCE ON ENTERPRISE INFORMATION SYSTEMS/INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PROJECT MANAGEMENT/CONFERENCE ON HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGIES, CENTERIS/PROJMAN / HCIST 2015, ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV , 2015, Vol. 64, s. 118-124Konferensbidrag (Refereegranskat)
In this paper the nature of user involvement in a co-design process will be explored. The outlines of a research project aiming at developing support systems for self-care inpatients suffering from chronic heart failure will be presented. The project is planned to perform a co-design effort where users (patients and healthcare professionals) will be given the opportunity to influence the development of support systems. We will discuss a number of possibilities and challenges that lie in the design of this kind of project and also some findings from its early stages. This report presents the experiences of users input, which are discussed in the context of previous research on benefits of user contributions in systems development. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Alabas, Oras A.
University of Leeds, England.
Gale, Chris P.
University of Leeds, England; York Teaching Hospital NHS Fdn Trust, England.
Hall, Marlous
Rutherford, Mark J.
University of Leicester, England.
Szummer, Karolina
Department Med, Sweden.
Sederholm Lawesson, Sofia
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för kardiovaskulär medicin. Region Östergötland, Hjärt- och Medicincentrum, Kardiologiska kliniken US. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten.
Alfredsson, Joakim
Lindahl, Bertil
Uppsala University, Sweden; Uppsala University, Sweden.
Jernberg, Tomas
Karolinska Institute, Sweden.
Sex Differences in Treatments, Relative Survival, and Excess Mortality Following Acute Myocardial Infarction: National Cohort Study Using the SWEDEHEART Registry2017Ingår i: Journal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease, ISSN 2047-9980, E-ISSN 2047-9980, Vol. 6, nr 12, artikel-id e007123 Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background-This study assessed sex differences in treatments, all-cause mortality, relative survival, and excess mortality following acute myocardial infarction. Methods and Results-A population-based cohort of all hospitals providing acute myocardial infarction care in Sweden (SWEDEHEART [Swedish Web System for Enhancement and Development of Evidence-Based Care in Heart Disease Evaluated According to Recommended Therapies]) from 2003 to 2013 was included in the analysis. Excess mortality rate ratios (EMRRs), adjusted for clinical characteristics and guideline-indicated treatments after matching by age, sex, and year to background mortality data, were estimated. Although there were no sex differences in all-cause mortality adjusted for age, year of hospitalization, and comorbidities for ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-STEMI at 1 year (mortality rate ratio: 1.01 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.96-1.05] and 0.97 [95% CI, 0.95-.99], respectively) and 5 years (mortality rate ratio: 1.03 [95% CI, 0.99-1.07] and 0.97 [95% CI, 0.95-.99], respectively), excess mortality was higher among women compared with men for STEMI and non-STEMI at 1 year (EMRR: 1.89 [95% CI, 1.66-2.16] and 1.20 [95% CI, 1.16-1.24], respectively) and 5 years (EMRR: 1.60 [95% CI, 1.48-1.72] and 1.26 [95% CI, 1.21-1.32], respectively). After further adjustment for the use of guideline-indicated treatments, excess mortality among women with non-STEMI was not significant at 1 year (EMRR: 1.01 [95% CI, 0.97-1.04]) and slightly higher at 5 years (EMRR: 1.07 [95% CI, 1.02-1.12]). For STEMI, adjustment for treatments attenuated the excess mortality for women at 1 year (EMRR: 1.43 [95% CI, 1.26-1.62]) and 5 years (EMRR: 1.31 [95% CI, 1.19-1.43]). Conclusions-Women with acute myocardial infarction did not have statistically different all-cause mortality, but had higher excess mortality compared with men that was attenuated after adjustment for the use of guideline-indicated treatments. This suggests that improved adherence to guideline recommendations for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction may reduce premature cardiovascular death among women.
Innlandet Hosp Trust, Norway; Inland Norway Univ Appl Sci, Norway.
Norwegian Inst Publ Hlth, Norway.
Johansson, Peter
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för samhälls- och välfärdsstudier, Avdelningen för omvårdnad. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Region Östergötland, Närsjukvården i östra Östergötland, Medicinkliniken ViN. Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för kardiovaskulär medicin.
Still reduced cardiovascular mortality 12 years after supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 for four years: A validation of previous 10-year follow-up results of a prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial in elderly2018Ingår i: PLoS ONE, ISSN 1932-6203, E-ISSN 1932-6203, Vol. 13, nr 4, artikel-id e0193120 Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background Selenium and coenzyme Q10 are both necessary for optimal cell function in the body. The intake of selenium is low in Europe, and the endogenous production of coenzyme Q10 decreases as age increases. Therefore, an intervention trial using selenium and coenzyme Q10 for four years as a dietary supplement was performed. The main publication reported reduced cardiovascular mortality as a result of the intervention. In the present sub-study the objective was to determine whether reduced cardiovascular (CV) mortality persisted after 12 years, in the supplemented population or in subgroups with diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease or reduced functional capacity due to impaired cardiac function. Methods From a rural municipality in Sweden, four hundred forty-three healthy elderly individuals were included. All cardiovascular mortality was registered, and no participant was lost to the follow-up. Based on death certificates and autopsy results, mortality was registered. Findings After 12 years a significantly reduced CV mortality could be seen in those supplemented with selenium and coenzyme Q10, with a CV mortality of 28.1% in the active treatment group, and 38.7% in the placebo group. A multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated a reduced CV mortality risk in the active treatment group (HR: 0.59; 95% CI 0.42-0.81; P = 0.001). In those with ischemic heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and impaired functional capacity we demonstrated a significantly reduced CV mortality risk. Conclusions This is a 12-year follow-up of a group of healthy elderly participants that were supplemented with selenium and coenzyme Q10 for four years. Even after twelve years we observed a significantly reduced risk for CV mortality in this group, as well as in subgroups of patients with diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease or impaired functional capacity. The results thus validate the results obtained in the 10-year evaluation. The protective action was not confined to the intervention period, but persisted during the follow-up period. The mechanisms behind this effect remain to be fully elucidated, although various effects on cardiac function, oxidative stress, fibrosis and inflammation have previously been identified. Since this was a small study, the observations should be regarded as hypothesis-generating.
Innlandet Hosp, Norway; Hedmark Univ Coll, Norway.
Svensson, Erland
Swedish Def Res Agcy, Linkoping, Sweden.
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för samhälls- och välfärdsstudier, Avdelningen för omvårdnad. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Region Östergötland, Närsjukvården i östra Östergötland, Medicinkliniken ViN.
Uppsala Univ, Sweden.
Less fibrosis in elderly subjects supplemented with selenium and coenzyme Q10A mechanism behind reduced cardiovascular mortality?2018Ingår i: Biofactors, ISSN 0951-6433, E-ISSN 1872-8081, Vol. 44, nr 2, s. 137-147Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background: In an intervention study where 221 healthy elderly persons received selenium and coenzyme Q10 as a dietary supplement, and 222 received placebo for 4 years we observed improved cardiac function and reduced cardiovascular mortality. As fibrosis is central in the aging process, we investigated the effect of the intervention on biomarkers of fibrogenic activity in a subanalysis of this intervention study. Material and Methods: In the present subanalysis 122 actively treated individuals and 101 controls, the effect of the treatment on eight biomarkers of fibrogenic activity were assessed. These biomarkers were: Cathepsin S, Endostatin, Galectin 3, Growth Differentiation Factor-15 (GDF-15), Matrix Metalloproteinases 1 and 9, Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP 1) and Suppression of Tumorigenicity 2 (ST-2). Blood concentrations of these biomarkers after 6 and 42 months were analyzed by the use of T-tests, repeated measures of variance, and factor analyses. Results: Compared with placebo, in those receiving supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10, all biomarkers except ST2 showed significant decreased concentrations in blood. The changes in concentrations, that is, effects sizes as given by partial eta(2) caused by the intervention were considered small to medium. Conclusion: The significantly decreased biomarker concentrations in those on active treatment with selenium and coenzyme Q10 compared with those on placebo after 36 months of intervention presumably reflect less fibrogenic activity as a result of the intervention. These observations might indicate that reduced fibrosis precedes the reported improvement in cardiac function, thereby explaining some of the positive clinical effects caused by the intervention. (c) 2017 BioFactors, 44(2):137-147, 2018
Research Department, Innlandet Hospital Trust and Hedmark University College, Norway.
Region Östergötland, Hjärt- och Medicincentrum, Kardiologiska kliniken US. Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för kardiovaskulär medicin. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten.
Less increase of copeptin and MR-proADM due to intervention with selenium and coenzyme Q10 combined: Results from a 4-year prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial among elderly Swedish citizens.2015Ingår i: Biofactors, ISSN 0951-6433, E-ISSN 1872-8081, Vol. 41, nr 6, s. 443-452Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Intervention with selenium and coenzyme Q10 have recently been found to reduce mortality and increase cardiac function. The mechanisms behind these effects are unclear. As selenium and coenzyme Q10 is involved in the anti-oxidative defence, the present study aimed to evaluate effects of selenium and coenzyme Q10 on copeptin and adrenomedullin as oxidative stress biomarkers. Therefore 437 elderly individuals were included and given intervention for 4 years. Clinical examination and blood samples were undertaken at start and after 18 and 48 months. Evaluations of copeptin and MR-proADM changes were performed using repeated measures of variance. Cardiovascular mortality was evaluated using a 10-year-period of follow-up, and presented in Kaplan-Meier plots. A significant increase in copeptin level could be seen in the placebo group during the intervention period (from 9.4 pmol/L to 15.3 pmol/L), compared to the active treatment group. The difference between the groups was confirmed in the repeated measurement of variance analyses (P = 0.031) with less copeptin increase in the active treatment group. Furthermore, active treatment appeared to protect against cardiovascular death both in those with high and with low copeptin levels at inclusion. Less increase of MR-proADM could also be seen during the intervention in the active treatment group compared to controls (P=0.026). Both in those having an MR-proADM level above or below median level, significantly less cardiovascular mortality could be seen in the active treatment group (P=0.0001, and P=0.04 respectively). In conclusion supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 during four years resulted in less concentration of both copeptin and MR-proADM. A cardioprotective effect of the supplementation was registered, irrespective of the initial levels of these biomarkers, and this protection was recognized also after 10 years of observation. © 2015 BioFactors, 41(6):443-452, 2015.
Innlandet Hospital Trust, Norway; Hedmark University of Coll, Norway.
Reduced Cardiovascular Mortality 10 Years after Supplementation with Selenium and Coenzyme Q10 for Four Years: Follow-Up Results of a Prospective Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial in Elderly Citizens2015Ingår i: PLoS ONE, ISSN 1932-6203, E-ISSN 1932-6203, Vol. 10, nr 12, s. e0141641- Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background Selenium and coenzyme Q10 are important antioxidants in the body. As the intake of selenium is low in Europe, and the endogenous production of coenzyme Q10 decreases as age increases, an intervention trial using selenium and coenzyme Q10 for four years was performed. As previously reported, the intervention was accompanied by reduced cardiovascular mortality. The objective of the present study was to analyze cardiovascular mortality for up to 10 years after intervention, to evaluate if mortality differed in subgroups differentiated by gender, diabetes, ischemic heart disease (IHD), and functional class. Methods Four-hundred forty-three healthy elderly individuals were included from a rural municipality in Sweden. All cardiovascular mortality was registered, and no participant was lost to the follow-up. Based on death certificates and autopsy results mortality was registered. Findings Significantly reduced cardiovascular mortality could be seen in those on selenium and coenzyme Q10 intervention. A multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated a reduced cardiovascular mortality risk in the active treatment group (HR: 0.51; 95% CI 0.36-0.74; P = 0.0003). The reduced mortality could be seen to persist during the 10-year period. Subgroup analysis showed positive effects in both genders. An equally positive risk reduction could be seen in those with ischemic heart disease (HR: 0.51; 95% CI 0.27-0.97; P = 0.04), but also in the different functional classes. Conclusions In a 10-year follow-up of a group of healthy elderly participants given four years of intervention with selenium and coenzyme Q10, significantly reduced cardiovascular mortality was observed. The protective action was not confined to the intervention period, but persisted during the follow-up period. The mechanism explaining the persistency remains to be elucidated. Since this was a small study, the observations should be regarded as hypothesis-generating.
Region Östergötland, Hjärt- och Medicincentrum, Kardiologiska kliniken US. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för kardiovaskulär medicin.
Supplementation with Selenium and Coenzyme Q10 Reduces Cardiovascular Mortality in Elderly with Low Selenium Status. A Secondary Analysis of a Randomised Clinical Trial2016Ingår i: PLoS ONE, ISSN 1932-6203, E-ISSN 1932-6203, Vol. 11, nr 7, artikel-id e0157541 Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background Selenium is needed by all living cells in order to ensure the optimal function of several enzyme systems. However, the selenium content in the soil in Europe is generally low. Previous reports indicate that a dietary supplement of selenium could reduce cardiovascular disease but mainly in populations in low selenium areas. The objective of this secondary analysis of a previous randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial from our group was to determine whether the effects on cardiovascular mortality of supplementation with a fixed dose of selenium and coenzyme Q10 combined during a four-year intervention were dependent on the basal level of selenium. Methods In 668 healthy elderly individuals from a municipality in Sweden, serum selenium concentration was measured. Of these, 219 individuals received daily supplementation with selenium (200 mu g Se as selenized yeast) and coenzyme Q10 (200 mg) combined for four years. The remaining participants (n = 449) received either placebo (n = 222) or no treatment (n = 227). All cardiovascular mortality was registered. No participant was lost during a median follow-up of 5.2 years. Based on death certificates and autopsy results, all mortality was registered. Findings The mean serum selenium concentration among participants at baseline was low, 67.1 mu g/L. Based on the distribution of selenium concentration at baseline, the supplemented group was divided into three groups; amp;lt;65 mu g/L, 65-85 mu g/L, and amp;gt;85 mu g/L (45 and 90 percentiles) and the remaining participants were distributed accordingly. Among the non-treated participants, lower cardiovascular mortality was found in the high selenium group as compared with the low selenium group (13.0% vs. 24.1%; P = 0.04). In the group with the lowest selenium basal concentration, those receiving placebo or no supplementation had a mortality of 24.1%, while mortality was 12.1% in the group receiving the active substance, which was an absolute risk reduction of 12%. In the middle selenium concentration group a mortality of 14.0% in the non-treated group, and 6.0% in the actively treated group could be demonstrated; thus, there was an absolute risk reduction of 8.0%. In the group with a serum concentration of amp;gt;85 mu g/L, a cardiovascular mortality of 17.5% in the non-treated group, and 13.0% in the actively treated group was observed. No significant risk reduction by supplementation could thus be found in this group. Conclusions In this evaluation of healthy elderly Swedish municipality members, two important results could be reported. Firstly, a low mean serum selenium concentration, 67 mu g/L, was found among the participants, and the cardiovascular mortality was higher in the subgroup with the lower selenium concentrations amp;lt; 65 mu g/L in comparison with those having a selenium concentration amp;gt; 85 mu g/L. Secondly, supplementation was cardio-protective in those with a low selenium concentration, amp;lt;= 85 at inclusion. In those with serum seleniumamp;gt; 85 mu g/L and no apparent deficiency, there was no effect of supplementation. This is a small study, but it presents interesting data, and more research on the impact of lower selenium intake than recommended is therefore warranted.
Decrease in inflammatory biomarker concentration by intervention with selenium and coenzyme Q10: a subanalysis of osteopontin, osteoprotergerin, TNFr1, TNFr2 and TWEAK2019Ingår i: Journal of Inflammation, ISSN 1476-9255, E-ISSN 1476-9255, Vol. 16, artikel-id 5 Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background: Inflammation is central to the pathogenesis of many diseases. Supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 has been shown to reduce cardiovascular mortality, and increase cardiac function in elderly persons with a low intake of selenium. There are indications that one of the mechanisms of this positive effect is a decrease in inflammation. Methods: Osteopontin, osteoprotegerin, sTNF receptor 1, sTNF receptor 2 and the tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis called TWEAK, were determined in plasma after 6 months and 42months in 219 community-living elderly persons, of whom 119 received supplements of selenium (200g/day) and coenzyme Q10 (200mg/day), and 101 received a placebo. Repeated measures of variance were used to evaluate the levels, and the results were validated through ANCOVA analyses with adjustments for important covariates. Results: Significantly lower concentrations of four of the five biomarkers for inflammation were observed as a result of the intervention with the supplements. Only TWEAK did not show significant differences. Conclusion: In this sub-analysis of the intervention with selenium and coenzyme Q10 or placebo in an elderly community-living population, biomarkers for inflammation were evaluated. A significantly lower concentration in four of the five biomarkers tested could be demonstrated as a result of the supplementation, indicating a robust effect on the inflammatory system. The decrease in inflammation could be one of the mechanisms behind the positive clinical results on reduced cardiovascular morbidity and mortality reported earlier as a result of the intervention. The study is small and should be regarded as hypothesis-generating, but nonetheless adds important data about mechanisms presently known to increase the risk of clinical effects such as reduced cardiovascular mortality, increased cardiac function and better health-related quality of life scoring, as previously demonstrated in the active treatment group.
Benson, Lina
Edner, Magnus
Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden; Karolinska Institute, Sweden.
Association Between Use of Statins and Mortality in Patients With Heart Failure and Ejection Fraction of greater than= 50%2015Ingår i: Circulation Heart Failure, ISSN 1941-3289, E-ISSN 1941-3297, Vol. 8, nr 5, s. 862-870Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background The pathophysiology of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction is poorly understood, but may involve a systemic proinflammatory state. Therefore, statins might improve outcomes in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction defined as 50%. Methods and Results Of 46 959 unique patients in the prospective Swedish Heart Failure Registry, 9140 patients had heart failure and ejection fraction 50% (age 7711 years, 54.0% women), and of these, 3427 (37.5%) were treated with statins. Propensity scores for statin treatment were derived from 40 baseline variables. The association between statin use and primary (all-cause mortality) and secondary (separately, cardiovascular mortality, and combined all-cause mortality or cardiovascular hospitalization) end points was assessed with Cox regressions in a population matched 1:1 based on age and propensity score. In the matched population, 1-year survival was 85.1% for statin-treated versus 80.9% for untreated patients (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.72-0.89; Pless than0.001). Statins were also associated with reduced cardiovascular death (hazard ratio, 0.86; 95% confidence interval, 0.75-0.98; P=0.026) and composite all-cause mortality or cardiovascular hospitalization (hazard ratio, 0.89; 95% confidence interval, 0.82-0.96; P=0.003). Conclusions In heart failure with ejection fraction 50%, the use of statins was associated with improved outcomes. The mechanisms should be evaluated and the effects tested in a randomized trial.
Karolinska Institute, Sweden; Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden.
Association Between Use of Statins and Outcomes in Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction Prospective Propensity Score Matched Cohort Study of 21 864 Patients in the Swedish Heart Failure Registry2015Ingår i: Circulation Heart Failure, ISSN 1941-3289, E-ISSN 1941-3297, Vol. 8, nr 2, s. 252-260Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background-In heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction, randomized trials of statins did not demonstrate improved outcomes. However, randomized trials may not always be generalizable. The aim was to determine whether statins are associated with improved outcomes in an unselected nationwide population of patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction overall and in relation to ischemic heart disease (IHD). Methods and Results-In the Swedish Heart Failure Registry, 21 864 patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (age +/- SD, 72+/-12 years; 29% women), of whom 10 345 (47%) were treated with statins, were studied. Propensity scores for statin use were derived from 42 baseline variables. The associations between statin use and outcomes were assessed with Cox regressions in a population matched 1: 1 based on propensity score and age and in the overall population with adjustment for propensity score and age. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality; secondary outcomes were cardiovascular mortality; HF hospitalization; and combined all-cause mortality or cardiovascular hospitalization. Survival at 1 year in the matched population was 83% for statin-treated versus 79% for untreated patients (hazard ratio, 0.81; 95% confidence interval, 0.76-0.86; Pless than0.001). In the unmatched population, 1-year survival was 85% for statin-treated versus 79% for untreated patients, hazard ratio after adjustment for propensity score and age was 0.84 (95% confidence interval, 0.80-0.89; Pless than0.001). No examined baseline variables interacted with statin use except for IHD (P=0.001), with a hazard ratio of 0.76 (95% confidence interval, 0.70-0.82, Pless than0.001) with IHD and 0.95 (95% confidence interval, 0.85-1.07; P=0.430 without IHD. Statin use was also associated with reduced risk for all 3 secondary outcomes. Conclusions-In an unselected nationwide population of patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction, statins were associated with improved outcomes, specifically in the presence of IHD. This contrasts with previous randomized controlled trials. Additional randomized controlled trials with more generalized inclusion or focused on IHD may be warranted.
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för samhälls- och välfärdsstudier, Avdelningen för omvårdnad. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Region Östergötland, Hjärt- och Medicincentrum, Kardiologiska kliniken US. Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för kardiovaskulär medicin.
Brismar, Kerstin
Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden.
Increase in insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 after supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10. A prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial among elderly Swedish citizens2017Ingår i: PLoS ONE, ISSN 1932-6203, E-ISSN 1932-6203, Vol. 12, nr 6, artikel-id e0178614 Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background Insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1) has a multitude of effects besides cell growth and metabolism. Reports also indicate anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects. The concentrations of IGF-1 decrease with age and during inflammation. As selenium and coenzyme Q10 are involved in both the antioxidative defense and the inflammatory response, the present study aimed to examine the effects of supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 on concentrations of IGF-1 and its binding protein IGFBP-1 in a population showing reduced cardiovascular mortality following such supplementation. Methods 215 elderly individuals were included and given the intervention for four years. A clinical examination was performed and blood samples were taken at the start and after 48 months. Evaluations of IGF-1, the age adjusted IGF-1 SD score and IGFBP-1 were performed using group mean values, and repeated measures of variance. Findings After supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10, applying group mean evaluations, significantly higher IGF-1 and IGF-1 SD scores could be seen in the active treatment group, whereas a decrease in concentration could be seen of the same biomarkers in the placebo group. Applying the repeated measures of variance evaluations, the same significant increase in concentrations of IGF-1 (F = 68; P amp;gt; 0.0001), IGF-1 SD score (F = 29; P amp;lt; 0.0001) and of IGFBP-1 (F = 6.88; P = 0.009) could be seen, indicating the effect of selenium and coenzyme Q10 also on the expression of IGF-1 as one of the mechanistic effects of the intervention. Conclusion Supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 over four years resulted in increased levels of IGF-1 and the postprandial IGFBP-1, and an increase in the age-corrected IGF-1 SD score, compared with placebo. The effects could be part of the mechanistic explanation behind the surprisingly positive clinical effects on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality reported earlier. However, as the effects of IGF-1 are complex, more research on the result of intervention with selenium and coenzyme Q10 is needed.
Innlandet Hosp Trust, Norway.
Surowiec, Izabella
AcureOmics AB, Sweden.
Lundstedt-Enkel, Katrin
Lundstedt, Torbjorn
Significant Changes in Metabolic Profiles after Intervention with Selenium and Coenzyme Q10 in an Elderly Population2019Ingår i: BIOMOLECULES, ISSN 2218-273X, Vol. 9, nr 10, artikel-id 553Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Selenium and coenzyme Q10 (SeQ10) are important for normal cellular function. Low selenium intake leads to increased cardiovascular mortality. Intervention with these substances with healthy elderly persons over a period of four years in a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled prospective study showed reduced cardiovascular mortality, increased cardiac function, and a lower level of NT-proBNP. Therefore, we wanted to evaluate changes in biochemical pathways as a result of the intervention with SeQ10 using metabolic profiling. From a population of 443 healthy elderly individuals that were given 200 µg selenium and 200 mg coenzyme Q10, or placebo daily for four years, we selected nine males on active intervention and nine males on placebo for metabolic profiling in the main study. To confirm the results, two validation studies (study 1 n = 60 males, study 2 n = 37 males) were conducted. Principal component analyses were used on clinical and demographic data to select representative sets of samples for analysis and to divide the samples into batches for analysis. Gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry-based metabolomics was applied. The metabolite data were evaluated using univariate and multivariate approaches, mainly T-tests and orthogonal projections to latent structures (OPLS) analyses. Out of 95 identified metabolites, 19 were significantly decreased due to the intervention after 18 months of intervention. Significant changes could be seen in the pentose phosphate, the mevalonate, the beta-oxidation and the xanthine oxidase pathways. The intervention also resulted in changes in the urea cycle, and increases in the levels of the precursors to neurotransmitters of the brain. This adds information to previous published results reporting decreased oxidative stress and inflammation. This is the first-time metabolic profiling has been applied to elucidate the mechanisms behind an intervention with SeQ10. The study is small and should be regarded as hypothesis-generating; however, the results are interesting and, therefore, further research in the area is needed.
Wågsäter, Dick
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för läkemedelsforskning. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten.
Significant changes in circulating microRNA by dietary supplementation of selenium and coenzyme Q10 in healthy elderly males. A subgroup analysis of a prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial among elderly Swedish citizens2017Ingår i: PLoS ONE, ISSN 1932-6203, E-ISSN 1932-6203, Vol. 12, nr 4, artikel-id e0174880 Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background Selenium and coenzyme Q10 is essential for important cellular functions. A low selenium intake is reported from many European countries, and the endogenous coenzyme Q10 production is decreasing in the body with increasing age. Supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 in elderly have shown reduced cardiovascular mortality and reduced levels of markers of inflammation. However, microRNA analyses could give important information on the mechanisms behind the clinical effects of supplementation. Methods Out of the 443 healthy elderly participants that were given supplementation with 200 mu g Se/ day as organic selenium yeast tablets, and 200 mg/day of coenzyme Q10 capsules, or placebo for 4 years, 25 participants from each group were randomized and evaluated regarding levels of microRNA. Isolation of RNA from plasma samples and quantitative PCR analysis were performed. Volcano- and principal component analyses (PCA)-plots were used to illustrate the differences in microRNA expression between the intervention, and the placebo groups. Serum selenium concentrations were measured before intervention. Findings On average 145 different microRNAs out of 172 were detected per sample. In the PCA plots two clusters could be identified indicating significant difference in microRNA expression between the two groups. The pre-treatment expression of the microRNAs did not differ between active treatment and the placebo groups. When comparing the post- treatment microRNAs in the active and the placebo groups, 70 microRNAs exhibited significant differences in expression, also after adjustment for multiple measurements. For the 20 microRNAs with the greatest difference in expression the difference was up to more than 4 fold and with a P-value that were less than 4.4e(-8). Conclusions Significant differences were found in expression of more than 100 different microRNAs with up to 4 fold differences as a result of the intervention of selenium and coenzyme Q10 combined. The changes in microRNA could be a part of mechanisms underlying the clinical effects earlier reported that reduced cardiovascular mortality, gave better cardiac function, and showed less signs of inflammation and oxdative stress following the intervention. However, more research is needed to understand biological mechanisms of the protective effects of selenium and Q10 supplementation.
Björnstedt, Mikael
Division of Pathology F42, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.
Rosén, Anders
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för klinisk och experimentell medicin, Avdelningen för cellbiologi. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten.
Post, Claes
Relatively high mortality risk in elderly Swedish subjects with low selenium status2016Ingår i: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, ISSN 0954-3007, E-ISSN 1476-5640, Vol. 70, nr 1, s. 91-96Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background/Objectives:
The daily dietary intake of selenium (Se), an essential trace element, is still low in Sweden in spite of decades of nutritional information campaigns and the effect of this on the public health is presently not well known. The objective of this study was to determine the serum Se levels in an elderly Swedish population and to analyze whether a low Se status had any influence on mortality.
Subjects/Methods:
Six-hundred sixty-eight (n=668) elderly participants were invited from a municipality and evaluated in an observational study. Individuals were followed for 6.8 years and Se levels were re-evaluated in 98 individuals after 48 months. Clinical examination of all individuals included functional classification, echocardiography, electrocardiogram and serum Se measurement. All mortality was registered and endpoints of mortality were assessed by Kaplan–Meier plots, and Cox proportional hazard ratios adjusted for potential confounding factors were calculated.
The mean serum Se level of the study population (n=668) was 67.1 μg/l, corresponding to relatively low Se intake. After adjustment for male gender, smoking, ischemic heart disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and impaired heart function, persons with serum Se in the lowest quartile had 43% (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02–2.00) and 56% (95% CI: 1.03–2.36) increased risk for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, respectively. The result was not driven by inflammatory effects on Se concentration in serum.
The mean serum Se concentration in an elderly Swedish population was 67.1 μg/l, which is below the physiological saturation level for several selenoprotein enzymes. This result may suggest the value of modest Se supplementation in order to improve the health of the Swedish population.
Lindahl, Tomas
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för klinisk och experimentell medicin, Avdelningen för mikrobiologi och molekylär medicin. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Region Östergötland, Diagnostikcentrum, Klinisk kemi.
Swedish Def Research Agency, Sweden.
Levels of sP-selectin and hs-CRP Decrease with Dietary Intervention with Selenium and Coenzyme Q10 Combined: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial2015Ingår i: PLoS ONE, ISSN 1932-6203, E-ISSN 1932-6203, Vol. 10, nr 9, s. e0137680- Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background/Objectives Inflammation and oxidative stress are central in many disease states. The major anti-oxidative enzymes contain selenium. The selenium intake in Europe is low, and supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q(10) , important anti-oxidants, was evaluated in a previous study. The aim of this study was to evaluate response on the inflammatory biomarkers C-reactive protein, and sP-selectin, and their possible impact on cardiovascular mortality. Subjects/Methods 437 elderly individuals were included in the study. Clinical examination, echocardiography, electrocardiography and blood samples were drawn. The intervention time was 48 months, and median follow-up was 5.2 years. The effects on inflammation/atherosclerosis were evaluated through analyses of CRP and sP-selectin. Evaluations of the effect of the intervention was performed using repeated measures of variance. All mortality was registered, and endpoints of mortality were assessed by Kaplan-Meier plots. Results The placebo group showed a CRP level of 4.8 ng/mL at the start, and 5.1 ng/mL at the study end. The active supplementation group showed a CRP level of 4.1 ng/mL at the start, and 2.1 ng/mL at the study end. SP-selectin exhibited a level of 56.6mg/mL at the start in the placebo group and 72.3 mg/mL at the study end, and in the active group the corresponding figures were 55.9 mg/mL and 58.0 mg/mL. A significantly smaller increase was demonstrated through repeated measurements of the two biomarkers in those on active supplementation. Active supplementation showed an effect on the CRP and sP-selectin levels, irrespective of the biomarker levels. Reduced cardiovascular mortality was demonstrated in both those with high and low levels of CRP and sP-selectin in the active supplementation group. Conclusion CRP and sP-selectin showed significant changes reflecting effects on inflammation and atherosclerosis in those given selenium and coenzyme Q(10) combined. A reduced cardiovascular mortality could be demonstrated in the active group, irrespective of biomarker level. This result should be regarded as hypothesis-generating, and it is hoped it will stimulate more research in the area.
Slind Olsen, Renate
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för läkemedelsforskning. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. County Hospital Ryhov, Sweden.
Länne, Toste
Matussek, Andreas
County Hospital Ryhov, Sweden.
PDGF-D gene polymorphism is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality in elderly men2016Ingår i: BMC Medical Genetics, ISSN 1471-2350, E-ISSN 1471-2350, Vol. 17, nr 62 Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background: Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) D has been reported to be active in fibroblasts, and in areas of myocardial infarction. In this longitudinal study we evaluated the association between PDGF-D polymorphism and cardiovascular mortality, and attempted to discover whether specific genotype differences regarding risk could be observed, and if gender differences could be seen. Methods: Four hundred seventy-six elderly community participants were included in this study. All participants underwent a clinical examination, echocardiography, and blood sampling including PDGF-D single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analyses of the rs974819 A/A, G/A and G/G SNP. The follow-up time was 6.7 years. Results: No specific genotype of rs974819 demonstrated increased cardiovascular mortality in the total population, however, the male group with genotypes A/A and G/A demonstrated an increased risk that persisted in a multivariate evaluation where adjustments were made for well-known cardiovascular risk factors (2.7 fold compared with the G/G genotype). No corresponding finding was observed in the female group. Conclusion: We report here for the first time that the genotypes G/A or A/A of the SNP rs974819 near PDGF-D exhibited a 2.7 fold increased cardiovascular mortality risk in males. Corresponding increased risk could not be observed in either the total population and thus not in the female group. However, the sample size is was small and the results should be regarded as hypothesis-generating, and thus more research in the field is recommended.
Vorkapic, Emina
Ljungberg, Liza
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för kardiovaskulär medicin. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten.
Gender difference in adiponectin associated with cardiovascular mortality2015Ingår i: BMC Medical Genetics, ISSN 1471-2350, E-ISSN 1471-2350, Vol. 16, nr 9 Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background: It is important to identify cardiovascular diseases in patients at high risk. To include genetics into routine cardiological patients has therefore been discussed recently. We wanted to evaluate the association between high-molecular weight adiponectin and cardiovascular risk, and secondly in the same population evaluate if specific genotype differences regarding risk could be observed, and thirdly if gender differences could be seen. Method: Four hundred seventy-six elderly participants recruited from a rural community were included. All participants underwent a clinical examination, echocardiography, and blood sampling and the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs266729) of adiponectin was analysed. Follow-up time was 6.7 years. Results: Those with high serum concentration of adiponectin had a more 2 fold increased cardiovascular risk, and it might be that females exhibits even higher risk where a more than 5 fold increased risk could be seen. The result could be demonstrated even in a multivariate model adjusting for well-known clinical risk factors. However, as the sample size was small the gender differences should be interpreted with caution. In the genotype evaluation the C/C carriers of the female group had a more than 9-fold increased risk of cardiovascular mortality, however the confidence interval was wide. Such genotype difference could not be found in the male group. Conclusion: High level of adiponectin was associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Also a gender difference in the genotype evaluation could be seen where the C/C carriers obtained higher risk in the female group but not in the male group. Thus, in order to identify patients at risk early, genetic analyses may add to the armamentarium used in the clinical routine. However, information should be regarded as hypothesis generating as the sample size was small and should stimulate further research in individualized cardiovascular prevention and treatment.
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för läkemedelsforskning. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Uppsala Univ, Sweden.
Gender difference and genetic variance in lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 is associated with mortality2019Ingår i: BIOMEDICAL REPORTS, ISSN 2049-9434, Vol. 11, nr 1Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Cardiovascular diseases are an important health resource problem and studies have shown a genetic association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and cardiovascular diseases. According to the literature, lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) is associated with coronary artery disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate a possible association between different genotypes of LRP1 and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality from a gender perspective. In the present study, 489 elderly community-living people were invited to participate. Clinical examination, echocardiography and blood sampling including SNP analyses of LRP1 (rs1466535) were performed, including the T/T, C/T and C/C genotypes, and the participants were followed for 6.7 years. During the follow-up period, 116 (24%) all-cause and 75 (15%) cardiovascular deaths were registered. In the female population, the LRP1 of the T/T or C/T genotype exhibited a 5.6-fold increased risk of cardiovascular mortality and a 2.8-fold increased risk of all-cause mortality compared with the C/C genotype. No such genotype differences could be seen in the male population. Gender differences could be seen regarding the risk of mortality in the different genotypes. Females with the LRP1 T/T or C/T genotypes exhibited a significantly increased risk of both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality compared with the C/C genotypes. Therefore, more individualized cardiovascular prevention and treatment should be prioritized. However, since this was a small study, the observations should only be regarded as hypothesis-generating.
Region Östergötland, Hjärt- och Medicincentrum, Kardiologiska kliniken US. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för kardiovaskulär medicin. Duke University, NC 27710 USA.
Alexander, Karen P.
Duke University, NC 27710 USA.
Multiple Chronic Conditions in Older Adults with Acute Coronary Syndromes2016Ingår i: Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, ISSN 0749-0690, E-ISSN 1879-8853, Vol. 32, nr 2, s. 291-+Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Older adults presenting with acute coronary syndromes (ACSs) often have multiple chronic conditions (MCCs). In addition to traditional cardiovascular (CV) risk factors (ie, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes), common CV comorbidities include heart failure, stroke, and atrial fibrillation, whereas prevalent non-CV comorbidities include chronic kidney disease, anemia, depression, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The presence of MCCs affects the presentation (eg, increased frequency of type 2 myocardial infarctions [MIs]), clinical course, and prognosis of ACS in older adults. In general, higher comorbidity burden increases mortality following MI, reduces utilization of ACS treatments, and increases the importance of developing individualized treatment plans.
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för kardiovaskulär medicin. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Region Östergötland, Hjärt- och Medicincentrum, Kardiologiska kliniken US. Duke Univ, NC USA.
Green, Jennifer B.
Stevens, Susanna R.
Reed, Shelby D.
Armstrong, Paul W.
Univ Alberta, Canada.
Bethel, M. Angelyn
Univ Oxford, England.
Engel, Samuel S.
Merck and Co Inc, NJ USA.
McGuire, Darren K.
Univ Texas Southwestern Med Ctr Dallas, TX 75390 USA.
Van de Werf, Frans
Univ Leuven, Belgium.
Hramiak, Irene
Univ Western Ontario, Canada.
White, Harvey D.
Auckland City Hosp, New Zealand.
Peterson, Eric D.
Holman, Rury R.
Sex differences in management and outcomes of patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease: A report from TECOS2018Ingår i: Diabetes, obesity and metabolism, ISSN 1462-8902, E-ISSN 1463-1326, Vol. 20, nr 10, s. 2379-2388Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Aim: To examine sex differences in baseline characteristics and outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic vascular disease. Materials and methods: Cox models were used to analyse the association between sex and outcomes in the Trial Evaluating Cardiovascular Outcomes with Sitagliptin (TECOS), a randomized, placebo-controlled trial assessing the impact of sitagliptin on cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic vascular disease. Results: A total of 4297 women and 10 374 men were followed for a median of 3.0 years. Women were slightly older and more often had cerebrovascular disease and peripheral arterial disease but less often coronary heart disease than men. At baseline, women were less likely to use aspirin or statins. The primary composite outcome of CV death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or hospitalization for unstable angina occurred in 418 women (9.7%) and 1272 men (12.3%; 3.48 vs 4.38 events/100 participant-years, crude hazard ratio [HR] 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.71-0.89, adjusted HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.55-0.74; P amp;lt; .0001). Women also had a significantly lower risk of secondary CV outcomes and all-cause death. Conclusions: In this large prospective study of people with type 2 diabetes and CV disease, women had different CV disease burden, worse CV risk factor profiles, and less use of indicated medications than men. Despite this, women had significantly lower risk of CV events, suggesting that the cardioprotective effects of female sex extend to populations with type 2 diabetes.
Lindahl, Tomas L
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för klinisk och experimentell medicin, Avdelningen för mikrobiologi och molekylär medicin. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Östergötlands Läns Landsting, Diagnostikcentrum, Klinisk kemi.
Gustafsson, Kerstin M
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för klinisk och experimentell medicin, Avdelningen för mikrobiologi och molekylär medicin. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten.
Janzon, Magnus
Jonasson, Lena
Logander, Elisabeth
Region Östergötland, Hjärt- och Medicincentrum, Kardiologiska kliniken US. Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten.
Nilsson, Lennart
Swahn, Eva
Large early variation of residual platelet reactivity in Acute Coronary Syndrome patients treated with clopidogrel: Results from Assessing Platelet Activity in Coronary Heart Disease (APACHE).2015Ingår i: Thrombosis Research, ISSN 0049-3848, E-ISSN 1879-2472, Vol. 136, nr 2, s. 335-340Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
INTRODUCTION: There is a large inter-individual variation in response to clopidogrel treatment and previous studies have indicated higher risk of thrombotic events in patients with high residual platelet reactivity (HRPR), but the optimal time-point for testing is not established. The aim of this study was to investigate the optimal time-point for aggregometry testing and the risk of major adverse cardiac events associated with HRPR.
METHOD AND RESULTS: We included 125 patients with ACS (73 with STEMI, and 71 received abciximab). The prevalence of HRPR varied substantially over time. The rate of HRPR in patients treated and not treated with abciximab were 43% vs 67% (p=0.01) before, 2% vs 23% (p=0.001) 6-8h after, 8% vs 9% (p=0.749) 3days after, and 23% vs 12% (p=0.138) 7-9 days after loading dose of clopidogrel. We found HRPR in 18% of the patients but only four ischemic events during 6months follow-up, with no significant difference between HRPR patients compared to the rest of the population. There were 3 TIMI major bleedings, all of which occurred in the low residual platelet reactivity (LRPR) group.
CONCLUSION: There is a large variation in platelet reactivity over time, also depending on adjunctive therapy, which has a large impact on optimal time-point for assessment. We found HRPR in almost 1 in 5 patients, but very few MACE, and not significantly higher in HRPR patients. In a contemporary ACS population, with low risk for stent thrombosis, the predictive value of HRPR for ischemic events will probably be low.
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för kardiovaskulär medicin. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Region Östergötland, Hjärt- och Medicincentrum, Kardiologiska kliniken US. Duke Clin Research Institute, NC USA.
Neely, Benjamin
Duke Clin Research Institute, NC USA.
Neely, Megan L.
Bhatt, Deepak L.
Brigham and Womens Hospital, MA 02115 USA; Harvard Medical Sch, MA USA.
Goodman, Shaun G.
St Michaels Hospital, Canada; University of Alberta, Canada; University of Alberta, Canada.
Tricoci, Pierluigi
Duke Clin Research Institute, NC USA; Duke University, NC 27706 USA.
Mahaffey, Kenneth W.
Stanford University, CA 94305 USA.
Cornel, Jan H.
Medical Centre Alkmaar, Netherlands.
Auckland City Hospital, New Zealand.
Fox, Keith A. A.
University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Prabhakaran, Dorairaj
Centre Chron Disease Control and Public Health Fdn India, India.
Winters, Kenneth J.
Eli Lilly and Co, IN 46285 USA.
University of Alberta, Canada; University of Alberta, Canada.
Magnus Ohman, E.
Roe, Matthew T.
Predicting the risk of bleeding during dual antiplatelet therapy after acute coronary syndromes2017Ingår i: Heart, ISSN 1355-6037, E-ISSN 1468-201X, Vol. 103, nr 15, s. 1168-1176Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Objectives Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin + a P2Y12 inhibitor is recommended for at least 12 months for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), with shorter durations considered for patients with increased bleeding risk. However, there are no decision support tools available to predict an individual patients bleeding risk during DAPT treatment in the post-ACS setting. Methods To develop a longitudinal bleeding risk prediction model, we analysed 9240 patients with unstable angina/non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) from the Targeted Platelet Inhibition to Clarify the Optimal Strategy to Medically Manage Acute Coronary Syndromes (TRILOGY ACS) trial, who were managed without revascularisation and treated with DAPT for a median of 14.8 months. Results We identified 10 significant baseline predictors of non-coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)-related Global Use of Strategies to Open Occluded Arteries (GUSTO) severe/life-threatening/moderate bleeding: age, sex, weight, NSTEMI (vs unstable angina), angiography performed before randomisation, prior peptic ulcer disease, creatinine, systolic blood pressure, haemoglobin and treatment with beta-blocker. The five significant baseline predictors of Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) major or minor bleeding included age, sex, angiography performed before randomisation, creatinine and haemoglobin. The models showed good predictive accuracy with Therneaus C-indices: 0.78 (SE=0.024) for the GUSTO model and 0.67 (SE=0.023) for the TIMI model. Internal validation with bootstrapping gave similar C-indices of 0.77 and 0.65, respectively. External validation demonstrated an attenuated C-index for the GUSTO model (0.69) but not the TIMI model (0.68). Conclusions Longitudinal bleeding risks during treatment with DAPT in patients with ACS can be reliably predicted using selected baseline characteristics. The TRILOGY ACS bleeding models can inform riskbenefit considerations regarding the duration of DAPT following ACS.
Roe, Matthew T
Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC.
Balancing the risks and benefits of long-term antiplatelet therapies for cardiovascular disease: clinical, research, and regulatory implications.2015Ingår i: Journal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease, ISSN 2047-9980, E-ISSN 2047-9980, Vol. 4, nr 3, artikel-id e001897 Artikel i tidskrift (Övrigt vetenskapligt)
Duke University of School Med, NC USA.
Risks and Benefits of Triple Oral Anti-Thrombotic Therapies After Acute Coronary Syndromes and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention2015Ingår i: Drug Safety, ISSN 0114-5916, E-ISSN 1179-1942, Vol. 38, nr 5, s. 481-491Artikel, forskningsöversikt (Refereegranskat)
The key pathophysiological process underlying symptomatic coronary artery disease, including acute coronary syndromes (ACS), is usually a rupture or an erosion of an atherosclerotic plaque, followed by platelet activation and subsequent thrombus formation. Early clinical trials showed benefit with long-term aspirin treatment, and later-based on large clinical trials-dual anti-platelet therapy (DAPT), initially with clopidogrel, and more recently with prasugrel or ticagrelor, has become the established treatment in the post-ACS setting and after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Treatment with DAPT is recommended for both ST-elevation myocardial infarction and non-ST-elevation ACS, as well as after PCI with stenting, in American and European clinical guidelines. Notwithstanding the benefits observed with DAPT, including third-generation P2Y(12) receptor inhibitors plus aspirin, ACS patients remain at high risk for a recurrent cardiovascular event, suggesting that other treatment strategies, including the addition of a third oral anti-platelet agent or a novel oral anticoagulant (NOAC) to standard DAPT regimens, may provide additional benefit for post-ACS patients and for patients undergoing PCI. Adding a third anti-thrombotic agent to DAPT after an ACS event or a PCI procedure has been shown to have modest benefit in terms of ischemic event reduction, but has consistently been associated with increased bleeding complications. Therefore, the quest to optimize anti-thrombotic therapies post-ACS and post-PCI continues unabated but is tempered by the historical experiences to date that indicate that careful patient and dose selection will be critical features of future randomized trials.
Region Östergötland, Hjärt- och Medicincentrum, Kardiologiska kliniken US. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för kardiovaskulär medicin. Duke Clin Research Institute, NC 27705 USA.
Stebbins, Amanda
Duke Clin Research Institute, NC 27705 USA.
Brennan, J. Matthew
Duke University, NC USA.
Matsouaka, Roland
Afilalo, Jonathan
McGill University, Canada.
Duke Clin Research Institute, NC 27705 USA; Duke University, NC USA.
Vemulapalli, Sreekanth
Rumsfeld, John S.
University of Colorado, CO USA.
Shahian, David
Massachusetts Gen Hospital, MA 02114 USA.
Mack, Michael J.
Baylor Scott and White Heatlh, TX USA.
Gait Speed Predicts 30-Day Mortality After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Results From the Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry2016Ingår i: Circulation, ISSN 0009-7322, E-ISSN 1524-4539, Vol. 133, nr 14, s. 1351-1359Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background Surgical risk scores do not include frailty assessments (eg, gait speed), which are of particular importance for patients with severe aortic stenosis considering transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Methods and Results We assessed the association of 5-m gait speed with outcomes in a cohort of 8039 patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement (November 2011-June 2014) and were included in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry. We evaluated the association between continuous and categorical gait speed and 30-day all-cause mortality before and after adjustment for Society of Thoracic Surgeons-predicted risk of mortality score and key variables. Secondary outcomes included in-hospital mortality, bleeding, acute kidney injury, and stroke. The overall median gait speed was 0.63 m/s (25th-75th percentile, 0.47-0.79 m/s), with the slowest walkers (<0.5 m/s) constituting 28%, slow walkers (0.5-0.83 m/s) making up 48%, and normal walkers (>0.83 m/s) constituting 24% of the population. Thirty-day all-cause mortality rates were 8.4%, 6.6%, and 5.4% for the slowest, slow, and normal walkers, respectively (P<0.001). Each 0.2-m/s decrease in gait speed corresponded to an 11% increase in 30-day mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 1.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.22). The slowest walkers had 35% higher 30-day mortality than normal walkers (adjusted odds ratio, 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.80), significantly longer hospital stays, and a lower probability of being discharged to home. Conclusions Gait speed is independently associated with 30-day mortality after transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Identification of frail patients with the slowest gait speeds facilitates preprocedural evaluation and anticipation of a higher level of postprocedural care. Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01737528.
Gustafsson, Kerstin
Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Region Östergötland, Hjärt- och Medicincentrum, Kardiologiska kliniken US. Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för kardiovaskulär medicin.
Individual long-term variation of platelet reactivity in patients with dual antiplatelet therapy after myocardial infarction.2019Ingår i: Platelets, ISSN 0953-7104, E-ISSN 1369-1635, Vol. 30, nr 5, s. 572-578Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
There is a large inter-individual variation in response to clopidogrel treatment, and previous studies have indicated higher risk of thrombotic events in those with high residual platelet reactivity (HPR). Less is known about individual variation over time. The aim of this prospective cohort study was to investigate intra-individual variation in platelet reactivity. Platelet aggregation in whole blood was assessed in 77 patients, at 3 days, 8 days and 6 months after admission for acute myocardial infarction and loading dose of clopidogrel. All patients were treated with aspirin and clopidogrel through 6-month follow-up. We found a significant increase in median ADP-stimulated aggregation from third to eighth day (195 vs. 250 AU*min, p-value = 0.001) but not from day 8 to 6 months (250 vs. 223 AU*min, p-value = 0.666). There was no significant change in the overall rate of HPR (15.6% vs 20.8%, p-value 0.503) or low platelet reactivity (LPR) (37.7% vs 33.8%, p-value = 0.609) from day 8 to 6-month follow-up. In contrast, more than one in four changed HPR status, 15.6% from non-HPR to HPR and 10.4% HPR to non-HPR. A shift in LPR status appeared even more frequent, occurring in about one of three patients. In spite of similar median aggregation and rate of HPR during 6-month follow-up, about one in four of the patients changed HPR status and one in three changed LPR status. This may be important information for a concept of risk stratification based on a single aggregation value early after an acute coronary syndromes.
Alhede, Christina
Herlev Gentofte University Hospital, Denmark.
Johannessen, Arne
Dixen, Ulrik
Hvidovre University Hospital, Denmark.
Jensen, Jan S.
Raatikainen, Pekka
Helsinki University Hospital, Finland.
Hindricks, Gerhard
Leipzig University Hospital, Germany.
Walfridsson, Håkan
Kongstad, Ole
Lund University Hospital, Sweden.
Pehrson, Steen
Rigshosp, Denmark.
Englund, Anders
Örebro University Hospital, Sweden.
Hartikainen, Juha
Kupio University Hospital, Finland.
Hansen, Peter S.
Varde Heart Centre, Denmark.
Nielsen, Jens C.
Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.
Jons, Christian
Higher burden of supraventricular ectopic complexes early after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation is associated with increased risk of recurrent atrial fibrillation2018Ingår i: Europace, ISSN 1099-5129, E-ISSN 1532-2092, Vol. 20, nr 1, s. 50-57Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Aims Early identification of patients who could benefit from early re-intervention after catheter ablation is highly warranted. Our aim was to investigate the association between post-procedural burden of supraventricular ectopic complexes (SVEC) and the risk of long-term atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence. Methods and results A total of 125 patients undergoing catheter ablation for AF were included. Patients underwent 7-day Holter recordings immediately post-procedural. The number of SVEC in post-procedural Holter recordings was categorized into quartiles: 0-72, 73-212, 213-782 and amp;gt;= 783 SVEC/day. Long-term AF recurrence was defined as a combined endpoint of AF amp;gt;= 1 min during follow-up Holter recordings, cardioversion or hospitalization for AF after a 3-month blanking period and within 24 months of follow-up. High post-procedural supraventricular ectopy burden was associated with an increased risk of long-term AF recurrence in a dose-dependent manner (amp;gt;= 783 SVEC: HR 4.6 [1.9-11.5], P amp;lt; 0.001) irrespective of AF recurrence during the blanking period or other risk factors. In patients with early AF recurrence amp;lt; 90 days after catheter ablation ectopy burden was also highly predictive of long-term AF recurrence (SVEC amp;gt;= 213: HR 3.0 [1.3-6.7], P = 0.007). Correspondingly, patients with early AF recurrence but low ectopy burden remained at low risk of long-term AF recurrence after the blanking period. Conclusion Our results indicate that post-procedural ectopy burden is highly associated with long-term AF recurrence and could be a potent risk marker for selection of patients for early re-ablation. Development of future ablation risk stratification and strategies should include focus on post-procedural ectopy burden.
Lauridsen, Trine K.
Antiarrhythmic medication is superior to catheter ablation in suppressing supraventricular ectopic complexes in patients with atrial fibrillation2017Ingår i: International Journal of Cardiology, ISSN 0167-5273, E-ISSN 1874-1754, Vol. 244, s. 186-191Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background: Supraventricular ectopic complexes (SVEC) originating in the pulmonary veins are known triggers of atrial fibrillation (AF) which led to the development of pulmonary vein isolation for AF. However, the long-term prevalence of SVEC after catheter ablation (CA) as compared to antiarrhythmic medication (AAD) is unknown. Our aims were to compare the prevalence of SVEC after AAD and CA and to estimate the association between baseline SVEC burden and AF burden during 24 months of follow-up. Methods: Patients with paroxysmal AF (N = 260) enrolled in the MANTRA PAF trial were treated with AAD (N = 132) or CA (N = 128). At baseline and 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months follow-up patients underwent 7-day Holter monitoring to assess SVEC and AF burden. We compared SVEC burden between treatments with Wilcoxon sum rank test. Results: Patients treated with AAD had significantly lower daily SVEC burden during follow-up as compared to CA (AAD: 19 [6-58] versus CA: 39 [14-125], p = 0.003). SVEC burden increased post-procedurally followed by a decrease after CA whereas after AAD SVEC burden decreased and stabilized after 3 months of follow-up. Patients with low SVEC burden had low AF burden after both treatments albeit this was more pronounced after CA at 24 months of follow-up. Conclusion: AAD was superior to CA in suppressing SVEC burden after treatment of paroxysmal AF. After CA SVEC burden increased immediately post-procedural followed by a decrease whereas after AAD an early decrease was observed. Lower SVEC burden was highly associated with lower AF burden during follow-up especially after CA. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Kongstadf, Ole
The impact of supraventricular ectopic complexes in different age groups and risk of recurrent atrial fibrillation after antiarrhythmic medication or catheter ablation2018Ingår i: International Journal of Cardiology, ISSN 0167-5273, E-ISSN 1874-1754, Vol. 250, s. 122-127Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Introduction: Supraventricular ectopic complexes (SVEC) are known risk factors of recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the impact of SVEC in different age groups is unknown. We aimed to investigate the risk of AF recurrence with higher SVEC burden in patients +/- 57 years, respectively, after treatment with antiarrhythmic medication (AAD) or catheter ablation (CA). Methods: In total, 260 patients with LVEF amp;gt;40% and age amp;lt;= 70 years were randomized to AAD (N = 132) or CA (N = 128) as first-line treatment for paroxysmal AF. All patients underwent 7-day Holter monitoring at baseline, and after 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months and were categorized according to median age +/- 57 years. We used multi-variate Cox regression analyses and we defined high SVEC burden at 3 months of follow-up as the upper 75th percentile amp;gt;195 SVEC/day. AF recurrence was defined as AF amp;gt;= 1 min, AF-related cardioversion or hospitalization. Results: Age amp;gt;57 years were significantly associated with higher AF recurrence rate after CA (58% vs 36%, p = 0.02). After CA, we observed a higher SVEC burden during follow-up in patients amp;gt;57 years which was not observed in the younger age group treatedwith CA (p = 0.006). High SVEC burden at 3 months after CA was associated with AF recurrence in older patients but not in younger patients (amp;gt;57 years: HR 3.4 [1.4-7.9], p = 0.005). We did not find any age-related differences after AAD. Conclusion: We found that younger and older patients respond differently to CA and that SVEC burden was only associated with AF recurrence in older patients. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Allemann, Hanna
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för omvårdnad. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten.
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för omvårdnad. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Region Östergötland, Hjärt- och Medicincentrum, Kardiologiska kliniken US. Sue and Bill Gross School of Nursing, University of California Irvine, USA.
Thylén, Ingela
Perceived Social Support in Persons With Heart Failure Living With an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator: A Cross-sectional Explorative Study2018Ingår i: Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, ISSN 0889-4655, E-ISSN 1550-5049, Vol. 33, nr 6, s. E1-E8Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
BACKGROUND: The links between chronic illness, psychological well-being, and social support have previously been established. Social isolation and loneliness have shown an increased mortality risk for those with heart failure (HF). Increasingly more people with HF are living with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), but only a few small-scale studies have focused on social support in this population.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore factors related to perceived social support in a large cohort of individuals with HF living with an ICD.
METHODS: All eligible adult ICD recipients in the Swedish ICD registry were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study. For this analysis, those with HF and complete data on perceived social support were included (N = 1550; age, 67.3 (SD, 9.8) years; 19.5% female).
RESULTS: Most reported a high level of social support, but 18% did not. In logistic regression, living alone was the greatest predictor of low/medium support. Lower social support for those living alone was associated with poorer perceived health status, having symptoms of depression, and experiencing low perceived control. For those living with someone, lower support was associated with female gender, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and less control. Heart failure status and perceived symptom severity were not related to the outcome.
CONCLUSION: One in five participants reported low/medium social support. Our study underlines the complex relationships between perceived social support, psychological well-being and perceived control over the heart condition. Multiple aspects need to be taken into account when developing interventions to provide psychosocial support and optimize outcomes in this patient group.
Ågren, Susanna
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för omvårdnad. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Region Östergötland, Hjärt- och Medicincentrum, Thorax-kärlkliniken i Östergötland.
Liljeroos, Maria
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för omvårdnad. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Uppsala Univ, Sweden.
Perceptions of Information and Communication Technology as Support for Family Members of Persons With Heart Failure: Qualitative Study2019Ingår i: Journal of Medical Internet Research, ISSN 1438-8871, E-ISSN 1438-8871, Vol. 21, nr 7, artikel-id e13521 Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background: Heart failure (HF) affects not only the person diagnosed with the syndrome but also family members, who often have the role of informal carers. The needs of these carers are not always met, and information and communications technology (ICT) could have the potential to support them in their everyday life. However, knowledge is lacking about how family members perceive ICT and see opportunities for this technology to support them. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of ICT solutions as supportive aids among family members of persons with HF. Methods: A qualitative design was applied. A total of 8 focus groups, comprising 23 family members of persons affected by HF, were conducted between March 2015 and January 2017. Participants were recruited from 1 hospital in Sweden. A purposeful sampling strategy was used to find family members of persons with symptomatic HF from diverse backgrounds. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: The analysis revealed 4 categories and 9 subcategories. The first category, about how ICT could provide relevant support, included descriptions of how ICT could be used for communication with health care personnel, for information and communication retrieval, plus opportunities to interact with persons in similar life situations and to share support with peers and extended family. The second category, about how ICT could provide access, entailed how ICT could offer solutions not bound by time or place and how it could be both timely and adaptable to different life situations. ICT could also provide an arena for family members to which they might not otherwise have had access. The third category concerned how ICT could be too impersonal and how it could entail limited personal interaction and individualization, which could lead to concerns about usability. It was emphasized that ICT could not replace physical meetings. The fourth category considered how ICT could be out of scope, reflecting the fact that some family members were generally uninterested in ICT and had difficulties envisioning how it could be used for support. It was also discussed as more of a solution for the future. Conclusions: Family members described multiple uses for ICT and agreed that ICT could provide access to relevant sources of information from which family members could potentially exchange support. ICT was also considered to have its limitations and was out of scope for some but with expected use in the future. Even though some family members seemed hesitant about ICT solutions in general, this might not mean they are unreceptive to suggestions about their usage in, for example, health care. Thus, a variety of factors should be considered to facilitate future implementations of ICT tools in clinical practice.
Andell, Pontus
Lund Univ, Sweden.
Berntorp, Karolina
Christiansen, Evald H.
Aarhus Univ Hosp, Denmark.
Gudmundsdottir, Ingibjorg J.
Univ Hosp Iceland, Iceland.
Sandhall, Lennart
Helsingborg Hosp, Sweden.
Venetsanos, Dimitrios
Erlinge, David
Frobert, Ole
Orebro Univ, Sweden.
Koul, Sasha
Reitan, Christian
Gotberg, Matthias
Reclassification of Treatment Strategy With Instantaneous Wave-Free Ratio and Fractional Flow Reserve A Substudy From the iFR-SWEDEHEART Trial2018Ingår i: JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions, ISSN 1936-8798, E-ISSN 1876-7605, Vol. 11, nr 20, s. 2084-2094Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
OBJECTIVES The authors sought to compare reclassification of treatment strategy following instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) and fractional flow reserve (FFR). BACKGROUND iFR was noninferior to FFR in 2 large randomized controlled trials in guiding coronary revascularization. Reclassification of treatment strategy by FFR is well-studied, but similar reports on iFR are lacking. METHODS The iFR-SWEDEHEART (Instantaneous Wave-Free Ratio Versus Fractional Flow Reserve in Patients With Stable Angina Pectoris or Acute Coronary Syndrome Trial) study randomized 2,037 participants with stable angina or acute coronary syndrome to treatment guided by iFR or FFR. Interventionalists entered the preferred treatment (optimal medical therapy [OMT], percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI], or coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG]) on the basis of coronary angiograms, and the final treatment decision was mandated by the iFR/FFR measurements. RESULTS In the iFR/FFR (n = 1,009/n = 1,004) populations, angiogram-based treatment approaches were similar (p = 0.50) with respect to OMT (38%/35%), PCI of 1 (37%/39%), 2 (15%/16%), and 3 vessels (2%/2%) and CABG (8%/8%). iFR and FFR reclassified 40% and 41% of patients, respectively (p = 0.78). The majority of reclassifications were conversion of PCI to OMT in both the iFR/FFR groups (31.4%/29.0%). Reclassification increased with increasing number of lesions evaluated (odds ratio per evaluated lesion for FFR: 1.46 [95% confidence interval: 1.22 to 1.76] vs. iFR 1.37 [95% confidence interval: 1.18 to 1.59]). Reclassification rates for patients with 1, 2, and 3 assessed vessels were 36%, 52%, and 53% (p amp;lt; 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Reclassification of treatment strategy of intermediate lesions was common and occurred in 40% of patients with iFR or FFR. The most frequent reclassification was conversion from PCI to OMT regardless of physiology modality. Irrespective of the physiological index reclassification of angiogram-based treatment strategy increased with the number of lesions evaluated. (c) 2018 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation.
Andersson, Per
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för samhällsmedicin. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Region Östergötland, Primärvårdscentrum, Vårdcentralen Ljungsbro.
Karlsson, Jan-Erik
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för kardiovaskulär medicin. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Dept Internal Med, Sweden.
Nilsson, Staffan
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för samhällsmedicin. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Region Östergötland, Primärvårdscentrum, Vårdcentralen Vikbolandet.
Characteristics of patients with acute myocardial infarction contacting primary healthcare before hospitalisation: a cross-sectional study2018Ingår i: BMC Family Practice, ISSN 1471-2296, E-ISSN 1471-2296, Vol. 19, artikel-id 167 Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background: The characteristics of patients with on-going myocardial infarction (MI) contacting the primary healthcare (PHC) centre before hospitalisation are not well known. Prompt diagnosis is crucial in patients with MI, but many patients delay seeking medical care. The aims of this study was to 1) describe background characteristics, symptoms, actions and delay times in patients contacting the PHC before hospitalisation when falling ill with an acute MI, 2) compare those patients with acute MI patients not contacting the PHC, and 3) explore factors associated with a PHC contact in acute MI patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional multicentre study, enrolling consecutive patients with MI within 24 hours of admission to hospital from Nov 2012 until Feb 2014. Results: A total of 688 patients with MI, 519 men and 169 women, were included; the mean age was 66 +/- 11 years. One in five people contacted PHC instead of the recommended emergency medical services (EMS), and 94% of these patients experienced cardinal symptoms of an acute MI; i.e., chest pain, and/or radiating pain in the arms, and/or cold sweat. Median delay time from symptom-onset-to-decision-to-seek-care was 2:15 hours in PHC patients and 0:40 hours in non-PHC patients (pamp;lt;0.01). The probability of utilising the PHC before hospitalisation was associated with fluctuating symptoms (OR 1.74), pain intensity (OR 0.90) symptoms during off-hours (OR 0.42), study hospital (OR 3.49 and 2.52, respectively, for two of the county hospitals) and a final STEMI diagnosis (OR 0.58). Conclusions: Ambulance services are still underutilized in acute MI patients. A substantial part of the patients contacts their primary healthcare centre before they are diagnosed with MI, although experiencing cardinal symptoms such as chest pain. There is need for better knowledge in the population about symptoms of MI and adequate pathways to qualified care. Knowledge and awareness amongst primary healthcare professionals on the occurrence of MI patients is imperative.
Andreae, Christina
Arestedt, Kristofer
Linnaeus Univ, Sweden; Res Sect, Sweden.
Evangelista, Lorraine
Univ Calif Irvine, CA USA.
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för omvårdnad. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Region Östergötland, Hjärt- och Medicincentrum, Kardiologiska kliniken US. Univ Calif Irvine, CA USA.
The relationship between physical activity and appetite in patients with heart failure: A prospective observational study2019Ingår i: European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, ISSN 1474-5151, E-ISSN 1873-1953, Vol. 18, nr 5, s. 410-417Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Introduction: Physical activity and appetite are important components for maintaining health. Yet, the association between physical activity and appetite in heart failure (HF) populations is not completely understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between physical activity, functional capacity, and appetite in patients with HF. Methods: This was a prospective observational study. In total, 186 patients diagnosed with HF, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II-IV (mean age 70.7, 30% female), were included. Physical activity was measured using a multi-sensor actigraph for seven days and with a self-reported numeric rating scale. Physical capacity was measured by the six-minute walk test. Appetite was measured using the Council on Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire. Data were collected at inclusion and after 18 months. A series of linear regression analyses, adjusted for age, NYHA class, and B-type natriuretic peptide were conducted. Results: At baseline, higher levels of physical activity and functional capacity were significantly associated with a higher level of appetite in the unadjusted models. In the adjusted models, number of steps (p = 0.019) and the six-minute walk test (p = 0.007) remained significant. At the 18-month follow-up, all physical activity variables and functional capacity were significantly associated with appetite in the unadjusted regression models. In the adjusted models, number of steps (p = 0.001) and metabolic equivalent daily averages (p = 0.040) remained significant. Conclusion: A higher level of physical activity measured by number of steps/day was associated with better self-reported appetite, both at baseline and the 18-month follow-up. Further research is needed to establish causality and explore the intertwined relationship between activity and appetite in patients with HF.
Franzén Årestedt, Kristofer
Sweden Lorraine Evangelista, RN, Prof, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
The associations between physical activity and appetite in patients with heart failure – a prospective observational study2018Konferensbidrag (Refereegranskat)
Introduction: Physical activity and appetite both play a crucial role for health outcomes and quality of life in patients with heart failure. Nevertheless, both of these key functions are frequently decreased in patients with heart failure. Whilst most attention focuses independently on the physical activity levels, the associations with appetite has been insufficiently investigated. The aim was therefore to explore the associations between physical activity and appetite in community dwelling heart failure patients.
Methods: This prospective observational study consisted of 186 patients with symptomatic heart failure of whom 56 (30%) were women and 130 (70%) were men. Mean age was 70.7 (SD=11 years), the majority had NYHA-class II, 114 (63%). Objective and subjective methods were used to measure physical activity include a wearable actigraph (SenceWear) for 4 days and six minutes’ walk test. The actigraph calculate total energy expenditure, active energy expenditure, number of steps and METs daily average index. Patients also stated their physical activity level on a numeric rating scale. A self-reported questionnaire, the Council on Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire was used to assess appetite. Simple linear regression was conducted to explore the associations between physical activity and appetite at baseline and at 18-month follow-up.
Results: In general, the levels of physical activity in this sample was low and appetite was poor. There was a significant association between objective physical activity measures and appetite at baseline ranging between (p=<0.001-0.041). The number of steps and walking distance had the strongest association, each explaining 6% and 7% of the total variance in appetite. At the 18-month follow-up, all objective and subjective physical activity measures were associated with appetite (p=0.001-0.035) with the number of steps being most strongly associated (p=<0.001) explaining 14% of the total variation in appetite.
Conclusions: Patients with heart failure who are more physically active experiences better appetite. These findings underscore the importance of placing greater attention on both physical activity and appetite in clinical practice as these factors has implications for patient’s health outcomes. Further longitudinally oriented studies are needed to determine whether there is a causal relationship between physical activity and appetite in heart failure populations.
Keywords: Appetite, Heart Failure, Physical activity
The associations between physical activity and appetite in patients with heart failure – a prospective observational study
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för omvårdnad. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Centre for Clinical Research Sörmland, Uppsala University, Eskilstuna, Sweden.
Chung, Misook L
College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA.
Hjelm, Carina
Årestedt, Kristofer
Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Kalmar County Hospital, Kalmar Sweden.
Depressive Symptoms Moderate the Association Between Appetite and Health Status in Patients With Heart Failure2018Ingår i: Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, ISSN 0889-4655, E-ISSN 1550-5049, Vol. 33, nr 2, s. E15-E20Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
BACKGROUND: Decreased appetite and depressive symptoms are clinical problems in patients with heart failure. Both may result in impaired health status.
OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to investigate the association between appetite and health status in patients with heart failure and to explore whether depressive symptoms moderate this association.
METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, patients with heart failure (n = 186; mean age, 71 years), New York Heart Association class II to IV, participated. Data on appetite (Council of Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire), depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), and health status (EQ-5D 3-level scale [EQ-5D-3L] descriptive system, EQ-5D-3L index, and EQ Visual Analog Scale) were collected by self-rating questionnaires. Pearson correlation was used to investigate the association between appetite and health status. Multiple regression was performed to examine whether depressive symptoms moderate the association between appetite and health status.
RESULTS: There was a significant association between appetite and health status for EQ-5D-3L descriptive system, mobility (P < .001), pain/discomfort (P < .001), and anxiety/depression (P < .001). This association was also shown in EQ-5D-3L index (P < .001) and EQ Visual Analog Scale (P < .001). Simple slope analysis showed that the association between appetite and health status was only significant for patients without depressive symptoms (B = 0.32, t = 4.66, P < .001).
CONCLUSIONS: Higher level of appetite was associated with better health status. In moderation analysis, the association was presented for patients without depressive symptoms. Decreased appetite is an important sign of poor health status. To improve health status, health professionals should have greater attention on appetite, as well on signs of depressive symptoms.
Chung, Misook
College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
Lennie, Terry
Depressive symptoms as a moderator and mediator of the relationship between physical activity, appetite and perceived health among patients with heart failure2015Konferensbidrag (Övrigt vetenskapligt)
Purpose: Depressive symptoms have been shown to directly influence perceived health among persons with heart failure (HF). Decreased physical activity and appetite may also be predictive of poor perceived health.The purposes of this study were to determine whether appetite and physical activity predicted perceived health, and to determine whether depressive symptoms mediated or moderated their relationship with perceived health.
Methods: A total of 184 patients with mild to severe HF were included. Appetite, depressive symptoms and perceived health were measured by self-report questionnaires (Council on Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire and EuroQol 5D index). Physical activity was measured by SenceWearTM for 6 days. A separate series of multiple linear regression analyses were run to determine whether depressive symptoms mediated or moderated the relationship between physical activity and perceived health, and between appetite and perceived health.
Results: Higher physical activity predicted better perceived health (ß=0.202, p=.006) but the strength of the association decreased (ß=0.13, p=.048) when depressive symptoms were included in the model. There was a significant mediation effect for depressive symptoms on perceived health (sobel=2.03, p=.041) (Fig 1). Appetite was a significant predictor of perceived health. Examination of this association among those with and without depressive symptoms, however showed positive association between appetite and perceived health remained only for patients without depressive symptoms demonstrating a moderating effect (p<.001) (Fig 2).
Conclusion: Identifying and treating depression simultaneously while addressing appetite and physical activity may be key to improving perceived health among persons with HF.
Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för omvårdnad. Uppsala University, Sweden.
Sawatzky, Richard
Trinity Western University, Canada; Centre Health Evaluat and Outcome Science, Canada.
Correction: Psychometric Evaluation of Two Appetite Questionnaires in Patients With Heart Failure (vol 21, pg 954, 2015)2016Ingår i: Journal of Cardiac Failure, ISSN 1071-9164, E-ISSN 1532-8414, Vol. 22, nr 3, s. 245-245Artikel i tidskrift (Övrigt vetenskapligt)
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Uppsala University, Sweden.
Trinity Western University, Canada; Providence Health Care Research Institute, Canada.
Psychometric Evaluation of Two Appetite Questionnaires in Patients With Heart Failure2015Ingår i: Journal of Cardiac Failure, ISSN 1071-9164, E-ISSN 1532-8414, Vol. 21, nr 12, s. 954-958Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Background: Decreased appetite in heart failure (HF) may lead to undemutrition which could negatively influence prognosis. Appetite is a complex clinical issue that is often best measured with the use of self-report instruments. However, there is a lack of self-rated appetite instruments. The Council on Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire (CNAQ) and the Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ) are validated instruments developed primarily for elderly people. Yet, the psychometric properties have not been evaluated in HF populations. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of CNAQ and SNAQ in patients with HE Methods and Results: A total of 186 outpatients with reduced ejection fraction and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classifications II-IV were included (median age 72 y; 70% men). Data were collected with the use of a questionnaire that included the CNAQ and SNAQ. The psychometric evaluation included data quality, factor structure, construct validity, known-group validity, and internal consistency. Unidimensionality was supported by means of parallel analysis and confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs). The CFA results indicated sufficient model fit. Both construct validity and known-group validity were supported. Internal consistency reliability was acceptable, with ordinal coefficient alpha estimates of 0.82 for CNAQ and 0.77 for SNAQ. Conclusions: CNAQ and SNAQ demonstrated sound psychometric properties and can be used to measure appetite in patients with HF.
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för omvårdnad. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten. Linnaeus University, Sweden.
Prevalence and associated factors for decreased appetite among patients with stable heart failure2016Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Nursing, ISSN 0962-1067, E-ISSN 1365-2702, Vol. 25, nr 11-12, s. 1703-1712Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
Aims and objectivesTo explore the prevalence of decreased appetite and factors associated with appetite among patients with stable heart failure. BackgroundDecreased appetite is an important factor for the development of undernutrition among patients with heart failure, but there are knowledge gaps about prevalence and the factors related to appetite in this patient group. DesignObservational, cross-sectional study. MethodsA total of 186 patients with mild to severe heart failure were consecutively recruited from three heart failure outpatient clinics. Data were obtained from medical records (heart failure diagnosis, comorbidity and medical treatment) and self-rated questionnaires (demographics, appetite, self-perceived health, symptoms of depression and sleep). Blood samples were taken to determine myocardial stress and nutrition status. Heart failure symptoms and cognitive function were assessed by clinical examinations. The Council on Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire was used to assess self-reported appetite. Bivariate correlations and multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to explore factors associated with appetite. ResultsSeventy-one patients (38%) experienced a loss of appetite with a significant risk of developing weight loss. The final multiple regression model showed that age, symptoms of depression, insomnia, cognitive function and pharmacological treatment were associated with appetite, explaining 27% of the total variance. ConclusionIn this cross-sectional study, a large share of patients with heart failure was affected by decreased appetite, associated with demographic, psychosocial and medical factors. Relevance to clinical practiceLoss of appetite is a prevalent problem among patients with heart failure that may lead to undernutrition. Health care professionals should routinely assess appetite and discuss patients experiences of appetite, nutrition intake and body weight and give appropriate nutritional advice with respect to individual needs.
Evangelista, Lorraine L
Sue and Bill Gross School of Nursing, University of California, Irvine, CA,.
Physical activity and appetite in patients with stable heart failure – A cross sectional study2017Konferensbidrag (Refereegranskat)
Sue and Bill Gross School of Nursing, University of California, Irvine, CA.
Sedentary lifestyle is associated with poor appetite in patients with heart failure.2017Konferensbidrag (Refereegranskat)
Aronsson, Mattias
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för hälso- och sjukvårdsanalys. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten.
Östergötlands Läns Landsting, Hjärt- och Medicincentrum, Kardiologiska kliniken US. Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för kardiovaskulär medicin. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten.
Walfridsson, Ulla
Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för omvårdnad. Region Östergötland, Hjärt- och Medicincentrum, Kardiologiska kliniken US. Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för medicin och hälsa, Avdelningen för kardiovaskulär medicin. Linköpings universitet, Medicinska fakulteten.
Nielsen, Jens Cosedis
Hansen, Peter Steen
Gentofte University Hospital, Denmark.
Tampere University Hospital, Finland.
Rigshospitalet, Denmark.
University Hospital, Örebro, Sweden.
Kuopio University Hospital, Finland.
Mortensen, Leif Spange
Danish Information Technology Centre for Education and Research, Aarhus, Denmark.
Levin, Lars-Åke
The cost-effectiveness of radiofrequency catheter ablation as first-line treatment for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: results from a MANTRA-PAF substudy.2015Ingår i: Europace, ISSN 1099-5129, E-ISSN 1532-2092, Vol. 17, nr 1, s. 48-55Artikel i tidskrift (Refereegranskat)
AIM: The aim of this prospective substudy was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of treating paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) with radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) compared with antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) as first-line treatment.
METHODS AND RESULTS: A decision-analytic Markov model, based on MANTRA-PAF (Medical Antiarrhythmic Treatment or Radiofrequency Ablation in Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation) study data, was developed to study long-term effects and costs of RFA compared with AADs as first-line treatment. Positive clinical effects were found in the overall population, a gain of an average 0.06 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) to an incremental cost of €3033, resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of €50 570/QALY. However, the result of the subgroup analyses showed that RFA was less costly and more effective in younger patients. This implied an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of €3434/QALY in ≤50-year-old patients respectively €108 937/QALY in >50-year-old patients.
CONCLUSION: Radiofrequency catheter ablation as first-line treatment is a cost-effective strategy for younger patients with paroxysmal AF. However, the cost-effectiveness of using RFA as first-line therapy in older patients is uncertain, and in most of these AADs should be attempted before RFA (MANTRA-PAF ClinicalTrials.gov number; NCT00133211).
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INNOVATION BRENDAN
INNOVATION BRENDAN WALKER ROLLERCOASTER DESIGNER Did you know there’s a thrillseeking gene?” asks Brendan Walker. People with a certain dopamine receptor are more likely to be thrill-seekers, he explains. “I had my DNA tested a while ago and I have it. Which wasn’t very surprising.” Walker, a self-titled ‘thrill engineer’, has helped create some of the UK’s best-known rollercoasters and theme park rides, such as Wicker Man and Thirteen at Alton Towers. His Aerial design practice specialises in “tailored emotional experiences” and enables Walker to pursue his passion: exploring the phenomenon of the thrill. “It’s deeply subjective, of course, but a thrill combines both pleasure – associated with dopamine – and arousal – associated with adrenaline. To elicit that, you need a rapid and large increase in the two together,” Walker says. “Fear can make the journey even more dramatic.” For a rollercoaster, the emotional experience starts as soon as you know it exists – an advert on TV, perhaps. The whole journey plays a part, from buying the tickets to lining up. “The moment the harness clicks into place, when you know there’s no going back – that’s actually the biggest thrill,” says Walker. He knows this because he has monitored and analysed the emotions and physiological changes of thousands of theme park-goers in a bid to quantify thrill. The Englishman has even refined it into his own formula, the Walker Thrill Factor. He uses this to measure and rate a thrilling experience by tracking a person’s reactions, including heart rate and facial expressions. “That’s my geeky, scientific side,” he chuckles from behind his trademark large glasses in his East London studio. Walker studied engineering and worked for several years at British Aerospace, before deciding that aircraft production timelines were too long for his taste. He quit and went to art college, before studying industrial design. “I really loved experimenting. I started out making mechanical sculptures in my workshop. It was fascinating to see how audiences reacted, observing their emotions. I began to explore the underlying psychology, and this eventually wound up as a series of public installations at London’s Science Museum, which gave birth to my work as a thrill engineer.” When consulting for theme parks, Walker uses his research to help ride-makers plan factors like speed, g-force and changes in acceleration or ‘jerk’. He calculates how far a ride needs to drop vertically, in the dark, to create the sensation of thrill – 0.7 seconds, or 2.4 metres. A ride shouldn’t be one pure adrenaline rush, though, he says. “A rollercoaster is like film or music. When should you change the pace, lighten the mood? Alfred Hitchcock was a master at it: giving the viewer a short cathartic release before taking them somewhere darker.” His latest project combines virtual reality with an old-fashioned playground swing. Walker says he can make people believe they are bouncing above rooftops or undulating like a jellyfish. “I’m developing ways to harness the physical forces riders feel, by making them believe they are coming from very different places. Virtual reality is allowing me to be really innovative – and this may be the future for thrill rides beyond rollercoasters.” 60 THE JAGUAR
“ A ROLLERCOASTER IS LIKE FILM OR MUSIC – WHEN SHOULD YOU CHANGE THE PACE, LIGHTEN THE MOOD?” THE JAGUAR 61
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Cauliflower Festival is Sept. 22!
The Fifteenth Annual Margaretville Cauliflower Festival will be held rain or shine Saturday, Sept. 22 from 10 to 4 in the Village Park, Margaretville.
This free festival, sponsored by the Central Catskills Chamber of Commerce, is focused on the agricultural heritage of the region, once known for its outstanding cauliflower. The festival is a Catskill Mountain Scenic Byway annual event and is presided over by Callie, the Cauliflower Spirit.
The tractor parade will roll out of the Margaretville Central School parking lot at 11:30 a.m., headed for the festival grounds. Tractor owners who would like to participate are asked to call Lauren Davis, 586-4661 or Sally Fairbairn, 586-2813 to register and meet at the school at 11.
Local restaurants and organizations, like the Masons who will serve up barbecue chicken and the Fleischmanns-Pine Hill Rotary Club with their ice cream stand, will sell a variety of treats, with lots of dishes featuring cauliflower.
On overflowing Pure Catskills tent will tempt festival goers with seasonal produce and local products, including fresh cauliflower, offered by area farmers and makers.
Blues musician Mike Herman and folk singer Jason Starr, perennial crowd favorites, will perform alternate sets on the hour from Noon until 3:30 p.m.
Children will enjoy games like a cauliflower bean bag toss, crafts assisted by MCS art students, a petting zoo and pony rides and other fun activities.
Participants in the second annual Catskill Conquest, vintage cars traveling part of the rouet of the 1903 Endurance Run along the Byway, will stop at the festival to show off their vehicles.
The history of the cauliflower growing industry in the region will be featured in the History Tent. A scavenger hunt will occupy the kids while grownups peruse a new exhibit by the Historical Society of the Town of Middletown, “Guns and Butter,” on the impact of World War I on local farms and foodways.
The artisan’s tent will feature pottery, jewelry, sewn goods, knit items, hand-made dolls, wood bowls, art prints and cards, outdoor driftwood furniture and more. More than 60 vendors will be on hand, including non-profit organizations and agencies like Soil & Water Conservation District whose staff will use a stream table to demonstrate how water, and human intervention, help shape the land.
The festival is supported by Adams Fairacre Farms, WIOX Community Radio; HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley; Directive, Inc.; the Watershed Agricultural Council and Pure Catskills.
For regular updates on the festival, visit facebook.com/margaretvillecauliflowerfestival.
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July 2001 Photo Gallery
Holmes Lake, Lincoln, NE, July 19, 2001. Miami weather in Nebraska.
Hazy skies and dewpoints well into the 70's tell us summer is here.
Photo © 2001, Gary Andrews.
Holmes Lake, Lincoln, NE, July 19, 2001. Photo © 2001, Gary Andrews.
Holmes Lake, Lincoln, NE, Driftwood, July 19, 2001. Photo © 2001, Gary Andrews.
July 4, 2001 in a residential neighborhood in south Lincoln. Prior to the
fireworks show at Holmes Lake, residents light up the evening sky with fireworks.
July 4, 2001 over Holmes Lake in Lincoln. Photo © 2001, Gary Andrews.
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Moscow's Basmanny court on Monday sentenced to five years in prison director of the Rosinkor company Dmitry Velichko
Moscow's Basmanny court on Monday sentenced to five years in prison director of the Rosinkor company Dmitry Velichko, accused of stealing 278 million roubles from federal coffers and tax evasion. Investigators said "together with a number of executives of the Yukos company, he stole 278 million roubles from the federal budget by fraud in 2001-2002." According to the indictment, this money was stolen under the scheme of returning allegedly excessive tax money
Russia's Central Bank announced Friday that the country's narrowly defined money supply was 2,157 billion rubles
A Swiss tourist attempting a solo ski to the North Pole has got trapped on ice in the Russian Arctic
The deputy foreign ministers of the five countries surrounding the Caspian Sea will meet in Moscow next week
The following rates of exchange of foreign currencies to the ruble of the Russian Federation
The fire that broke out in an office compound in Tverskaya Street in downtown Moscow has been put out
Supply of the first batches of the bird flu vaccine to Russia’s Southern federal district has been launched on Friday
A fire in the south Siberian town of Barnaul left two men dead
About 5,000 barrels of crude oil spilled from a burst pipeline in a central Russian republic Wednesday
High winds in the North Caucasus republic of Ingushetia have left some 20,000 people in the capital and nearby districts without electricity
A mass vaccination of household poultry was launched in Russia’s southern republic of Dagestan on Thursday
The Russian government approved at its meeting on Thursday a range of measures to develop agricultural engineering
Around 62 percent of Russians consider the inflation growth in the country in January-February as very high
A Russian defense producer is starting supplies of multiple-launch rocket systems for three Indian regiments
About 10,000 birds have died in the last 24 hours at a poultry farm in southern Russia
The international airport Sheremetyevo in the Russian capital has launched a major reconstruction of its airfield complex
Measles may soon become the third infectious disease, after smallpox and poliomyelitis, to be fully eliminated in Russia
A fire in a basement of Moscow State University's chemistry faculty has been extinguished
Bird flu has been diagnosed at a poultry factory in Stavropol Territory in southern Russia
More than 35,000 people are still without electricity three days after a storm in the southern Russian region of Kalmykia
Feb March 2006 Apr
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Pop singer Timberlake under investigation for Tennessee ballot selfie
Rory Carroll, Reuters
Posted at Oct 26 2016 09:19 AM
Cast member Justin Timberlake poses at the premiere of ''Trolls'' in Los Angeles, California U.S., Monday. Mario Anzuoni, Reuters
Pop star Justin Timberlake may have run afoul of Tennessee election law when he posted a photo of himself in a polling station on social media, authorities said on Tuesday, the latest controversy over so-called ballot selfies.
Timberlake, 35, posted the photo on Monday and said in the caption that he had traveled from Los Angeles to his hometown of Memphis to take part in early voting ahead of the Nov. 8 election.
"Get out and VOTE! #exerciseyourrighttovote," Timberlake said in part of the photo's caption, which was posted on Instagram, a social media site where he has over 37 million followers.
The problem for Timberlake is that Tennessee law prohibits voters from recording or taking photographs or videos while inside a polling station.
The Shelby County, Tennessee district attorney's office on Tuesday said it was aware of a possible violation of state election law and was reviewing the matter.
A person convicted of the violation can be sentenced to up to 30 days in jail and fined $50, the office said.
A representative for Timberlake did not respond to requests for comment.
The proliferation of cellphone cameras and social media has created conflicts in states that have laws against the taking of photos inside polling booths and sharing photos of marked ballots.
The laws, which in some cases predate the social media age, are intended to prevent voter intimidation and any slowing of the voting process.
On Monday, a federal court sided with a Michigan man who said the law there that bans voters from taking pictures of their marked ballots and sharing them on social media violated his constitutional right to free speech. In response, the court halted enforcement of the law.
In Colorado, two voters filed a federal lawsuit on Monday seeking to overturn a state law there that criminalized the showing of a completed ballot to others, arguing that the ban was unconstitutional.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in San Francisco, additional reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy in Los Angeles, editing by G Crosse)
Justin Timberlake, ballot selfie, United States, US elections, US presidential race
Read More: Justin Timberlake ballot selfie United States US elections US presidential race
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Home Latest News Creation of Chief of Defence Staff A Message to Pak, China
Creation of Chief of Defence Staff A Message to Pak, China
Raj Shankar
The creation of CDS announced by PM during his I-Day speech is the need of the hour.
One of the key announcements made in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day this year was the announcement on the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff or CDS. This, he said, is to provide “effective leadership at the top level” to the three wings of the armed forces, and to help improve coordination among them.
The move is significant as it is a message to the neighbours, especially Pakistan, Kashmir and terrorists who are trying to disrupt peace and economy of India.
The announcement on CDS should be read with what Modi said on terrorism in his I-Day speech — that the world should unite against countries which aid terror.
This is because under jihadist leader Abubakr al-Baghdadi, the IS has regrouped to carry out more terror activities outside of West Asia than inside it for the first time. All this calls for strengthening of the defence machinery.
The CDS will bring better cohesion between the three armed forces at times of external attack or internal strife. Moreover, the Defence Minister and Prime Minister need to talk only to one main person on defence issues.
The CDS is vital to the creation of “theatre commands”, integrating tri-service assets and personnel like in the US military. India has 17 Service commands at different locations and duplicating assets.
In 2016, China integrated its military and other police and paramilitaries into five theatres from the earlier seven area commands, each with its own inclusive headquarters, one of which has responsibility for the Indian border. In contrast, India’s border with China is split between the Eastern, Western, and Northern Commands. All this will get integrated with the CDS.
In most democracies, the CDS is seen as someone who is neutral and above inter-Service rivalries. The CDS allows military chiefs to focus on immediate operational preoccupations rather than individual chiefs trying to coordinate activities. The role of the CDS becomes very critical in times of conflict and he is the peg around which all the three forces would revolve.
Most countries with advanced militaries have such a post. But the role and powers need not be the same. For example, the United States Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee is extremely powerful and has a clear and well-defined mandate and sharply delineated powers.
In Pakistan, the Army chief is so powerful that he is the defacto CDS.
The absence of a CDS in India was most glaring during the Kargil war. It is a known fact that coordination among the three Services was poor in the initial weeks of the Kargil conflict.
Subsequently, the Kargil Review Committee (KRC) was set up after the Kargil conflict. This committee pointed out that India is the only major democracy where the Armed Forces Headquarters is outside the apex governmental structure.
In fact, the idea of a CDS almost got established in 2000 at KRC. This committee had called for a reorganisation of the “entire gamut of national security management and apex decision-making and structure and interface between the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces Headquarters”.
The Group of Ministers Task Force that studied the KRC Report and recommendations, proposed to the Cabinet Committee on Security that a CDS, who would be five-star officer, be created.
Further to this, the government created the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) in late 2002, which was to eventually serve as the CDS’s Secretariat. But like many good moves, this secretariat has remained yet another nebulous department within the military establishment for 17 years!
This is primarily because there was no consensus among the Services. Moreover, a CDS with direct access to the Prime Minister and Defence Minister was the last thing that the bureaucrats in the MoD wanted. The babus did not want to relinquish the MoD’s power over the three Services.
All this will change now under Modi who exercises strict control over bureaucrats. Under Modi, the CDS will be a supreme military office mandated to oversee and coordinate the working of the three Services. He will offer seamless tri-service views and single-point advice to the Prime Minister and Defence Minister on long-term defence planning and management, including manpower, equipment and strategy, and above all, “jointsmanship” in operations.
Though the CDS is a new concept in India, New Delhi had a very feeble equivalent known as the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC). But unlike the proposed CDS, the CoSC is a toothless office, given the manner in which it is structured. The senior-most among the three Service Chiefs is appointed to head the CoSC, an office that lapses with the incumbent’s retirement. This means there is no continuity.
Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, Chairman ,COSC
In fact, way back in 2015, the then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had described the CoSC arrangement as “unsatisfactory”, and its Chairman as a “figurehead”.
The CoSC system is a leftover from the colonial era, with only minor changes being carried out over the years. Modi now plans to do away with another colonial legacy.
The appointment of a CDS was long overdue, but under previous regimes, there was no clear blueprint for the office to ensure its effectiveness. India’s past political establishment was largely ignorant of, or at best indifferent towards, security matters, and hence incapable of ensuring that a CDS works. But with Modi at the helm, a CDS may come into force with clear mandate and powers.
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Shankar Raj is a senior journalist with more than 30 years experience, mostly with The Indian Express and The New Indian Express. He was the Editor for Karnataka and Kerala editions of The New Indian Express, and former Managing Editor of the Nyusu Digital Media P Ltd. Bengaluru.
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Nick Alexander Woodie Collection
1948 Ford Super Deluxe Station Wagon
Chassis no. 899A2251597
Model 89A. 100 bhp, 239.4 cu. in. Flathead V8 engine, three-speed manual transmission with Columbia overdrive, solid front axle and live rear axle with transverse semi-elliptic leaf springs, four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 114"
The short 1948 model year brought few changes to the Ford line. Aside from the new design steering wheel-ignition lock, the most obvious distinction came in colors. Although most 1947 colors were carried over, several new hues were added, among them Blue Gray Metallic, Strata Blue and Shoal Green Gray. The Blue Gray Metallic was available on Ford only, while the other two were designated for both Ford and Mercury.
Shoal Green Gray is one of the subtle colors for which Ford was well known. Like 1941’s Lockhaven Green, it has undertones of a lighter color, and compliments the light and dark wood of the station wagon body very well. Equally attractive with blackwall or whitewall tires, it looks green in some lights, gray in others.
Nick acquired this low mileage beautifully maintained wagon with 41,000 miles and restored it as necessary. It basks in its Shoal Green Gray finish. The paint exhibits a good shine, and the frame wood is Birch.. In the Ford forests Birch trees were outnumbered by the maple trees by about four-to-one, so birch bodies are seen less often. This body is one of the finest examples of birch with exotic grain patterns including Tiger Stripes and a wide variation in color, expertly varnished to show its finest qualities. As proof of its high level of maintenance, the roof retains its original black artificial leather covering. The brightwork is excellent, the original script glass showing some patina on the vent windows. The original running boards look as new, but the stone guards are original and have a few very minor blemishes.
The brown leather seats are new, the front furnished with lap belts for two, and the floor has new black rubber mats, front and rear. The dashboard has very good original maple woodgrain, with excellent plastic, and the steering wheel and instruments appear to have been restored. Additionally, this woodie is equipped with a deluxe heater and clock.
Nick Alexander restores the cars optioned the way he receives them, adding only a Columbia rear axle if available new on that model. Many of his cars lack a radio, heater or both. He also prefers blackwall tires. While waiting for one of his cars to be judged at a meet, he overheard some passers-by: “Look at that. Such a nice car and the owner can’t even afford whitewalls or a radio.” But, unbeknownst to these observers, the adherence to originality and purity is precisely Mr. Alexander’s aim.
This car’s 59AB engine is clean and correctly painted in Ford blue, but is not over-restored. The chassis and underbody are painted black, clean but not detailed. 6.50-16 Goodyear blackwalls were installed in 2005 and the spare is mounted on the tailgate under a metal cover.
Purchased from a Pennsylvania owner in February 2005, this car was given a Dearborn Award by the Early Ford V8 Club later that year at Keystone, Colorado, judged at 978 points. Currently showing slightly more than 42,000 miles, it runs and drives well. The Columbia rear axle makes freeway driving easy. It is registered with California year-of-manufacture plates 50V193, which go with the car.
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Please contact our exclusive automotive transportation partner, Reliable Carriers, for a shipping quote or any other information on the transport of this vehicle.
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Trace: • demons
Equality and Themes
Earth and Aether
Gaians
The Meetings
The Slough Institute
The Hidden Order of Sa'aris
The Bodyguards of Gaia
The Iron Filings
The White Quill
The Hallowed Chamber
Intro to the wiki
Example Turnsheet
Demons and Society
Known Demons
Lesser Demons
Seir
Valefar
Kimaris
Designation: UNKNOWN-616
“There is a danger in thinking that Demons are easier to understand than angels. At first glance, this may seem true. They have emotions, much as we do, while Angels just seem to follow an alien set of laws. However, these laws are what make Angels safer and more predictable. You never know what a Demon will do next, and with the kind of power these things are capable of throwing around, that's never a good thing.”
Extract from summoning safety briefing, delivered to new members at the Slough Institute of Magical Sciences.
Demons are one part of the race of Celestials which inhabit the realm known as Aether, and appear to be a counterpart race to the Angels, to whom they appear to be opposed in all matters. As with the Angels, they have been featured in human folklore and legends for further back than records go. While humanity does not know much about demons as a whole, the mythology surrounding them paints some as cunning and deceptive, with others being brash and unruly. In either case, they are rarely predictable.
Appearance wise, demons vary greatly. While most are capable of taking humanoid forms, they may just as readily appear as something utterly monstrous or alien. While most have preferred forms they use, they seem to have a great deal of freedom in the shapes they can take.
As with all Celestials, Demons possess magic far greater than any human could hope to attain on their own. Most demons are capable of possessing humans and animals, taking temporary control and acting through them. More cooperative Demons have been known to offer their services or teaching to those with something to offer, but the general consensus is that such deals are rarely worth it in the long run, and should be entered into only with extreme caution and as a last resort.
What little experienced witches have gleaned from the few Demons willing to talk with them gives little to no indication that Demons have any form of societal structure. In fact, they have been known to hold established societal rules and traditions in contempt. While some have spoken of personal ties to others, either as companions, superiors or underlings, these ties seem to be formed on the whims of the Demons involved, rather than any established order.
Two things the Demons do tend to respect are usefulness and strength. Not just strength of body, but of will and character. They don't seem to care for concepts such as good and evil, but in simply being true to one's own nature. They have been known to at least temporarily ally with humans whom they either respect or have something to gain from, but will just as readily exploit any perceived weakness.
These traits have led to somewhat conflicted views on the nature of Demons, from free spirits who cast off the chains of oppression, to self-absorbed, anarchistic monsters who want nothing more than to see life as we know it burn. What we do know for certain is that they have an almost universal antipathy towards Angels, and put a great deal of stock in magical knowledge. Beyond that, their motivations are largely unknown.
Summoning Demons requires some form of sacrifice, with different sacrifices calling on different Demons. Summoning without knowing which Demon your sacrifice will likely attract is possible, but can lead to uncertain results, which is inadvisable, to say the least. What follows is a list of well-known demons, what is known about them, and, in the cases where it is known, recommended offerings to summon them.
[OC: If your character knows a summoning ritual, they can attempt to summon demons for which they know what kind of offering would be suitable. The likelihood of succeeding increases with the suitability of the offering, but success is rarely certain.]
“Throw more imps at it, they said. That will fix the problem, they said. There's no way this could get worse.”
“What did you just call me?”
“…Except that.”
Not an individual Demon, but rather a class of them, and the lowest class at that. Lesser Demons are fairly unintelligent, in most regards, but can be surprisingly cunning. They are also physically stronger than humans and most know at least a degree of Celestial magic. They make good temporary workers, but individual pride tends to stop large groups from working together without something higher up the food chain to keep them in line.
While potentially very useful, the random nature of summoning Lesser Demons can lead to mistakes if not careful. Some have been known to refer to Lesser Demons by the derogatory term “Imp.” These people are no longer with us.
Sacrifice Required: Witches rarely record the sacrifices for individual Imps, but low quality, easy to obtain sacrifices usually results in the summoning of Lesser Demons. Usually.
Of the higher tier demons, Seir is one of the safer Demons to summon. Even tempered and usually appearing in the form of a human with eagle's wings, Seir is often mistaken for an angel by those not in the know. Seir's known abilities tend to revolve around athletics and exploration.
Sacrifice Required: Seir responds best to sacrifices associated with exceptional feats of exploration or non-violent physical accomplishments.
This demon is one to watch, and also completely forbidden to summon. Shax specialises in thievery and deception. They often take the form of various animals, but they are far from the only demon to do so, making identifying Shax extremely difficult. Any further information is restricted.
Sacrifice Required: [You do not have permission to view this information.]
A mid-tier demon with big ambitions. Valefar seems to enjoy cultivating relationships with humans, responding well to summons and occasionally offering, um, interesting deals to those who gain favour. Valefar typically integrates leonine or equine characteristics into their appearance, together with a putrefaction motif that some summoners find rather distracting.
Sacrifice required: Anything strongly associated with power. Dangerous things. Inadvisable electrical arrays.
Why there would be need for demonic administrator warriors, nobody knows, but Kimaris is one of the best. While some have made use of the Demon's skills in administration, Kimaris is included here less for their potential usefulness, and more for the curiosity of their existence. What possible need could Demons have for cultivating this particular combination of skills?
Sacrifice Required: Money. The more obscure, rare and ancient, the better. Kimaris has occasionally responded well to certain books and scrolls, but this method is very hit and miss, and has been known to cause offence.
Muriel was cornered in a hardware shop in Norwich with their allies the Norwich University Light Entertainment Society. The fight which ensued levelled three buildings and destroyed an angel.
Muriel likes drama, spectacle and heightened emotion.
Nobody knows who or what this thing is, but it’s known as the bane of summoners everywhere. This is one of the single most summoned demons on record, always accidentally. If a summoning goes wrong, there’s a not insignificant chance that this is what’s coming through. A combination of survivors’ accounts and video recordings paint a grizzly picture of a many-limbed, hulking figure with no interest in humans beyond slaughter.
Things you should know if you encounter this Demon:
It is stronger than you, and any magic you may bring to bear against it.
It does not like whatever offering you happened to use in the summoning.
It is mad at you, and it does not want to talk.
Sacrifice Required: Nobody knows. This thing has responded to all manner of summons and offerings, but has never been known to respond positively to them. Nobody ever deliberately summons this one. Why would you want to?
Praise be…
A name most are familiar with, at least in passing, Lucifer is spoke of in reverence by a number of Demons. Sometimes called “The First Demon,” Whether or not Lucifer actually is a Demon, an Angel something else entirely, or even exists at all, is currently unknown.
demons.txt · Last modified: 2016/10/04 21:09 by gm_chris
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Why Nobel Algarve
Lagoa Campus
Lagos Campus
Almancil Campus
National Section
Academic results 2018-19
World Topics
Lagoa Short Film Festival
Eco – Schools
Student Websites 17/18
Boarding Philosophy
Nursing Office
Learning Resources & Support
Fees Information – Tuition and Boarding
Admissions Phone: +351 282 342 547
We are aware that boarding is a new experience for many of our students.
Our dedicated boarding staff team strives to make Nobel International School Algarve a “home away from home”, both for new students and those familiar with boarding.
We provide constant supervision to ensure our boarders’ safety. From Monday to Friday our boarding staff are on campus from 15:00 to 09:00, and they are present 24 hours a day during weekends and bank holidays. Experienced in pastoral care, these boarding staff make sure that all resident students have time and space to do their homework and that they receive assistance if needed. Our boarding staff strive to:
set an example of civility, tolerance and responsibility
show equal respect and attention to everyone under all circumstances
respect the boarders’ right to privacy, for example knocking before entering rooms
encourage all boarders to participate in boarding activities
be committed to the boarding house values and standards
ensure a warm, home-like environment and positive atmosphere at all times
Additional Academic Support
Our residential and non-residential boarding tutors all have degrees in pedagogy and years of professional experience. They are on campus during all non-school hours, understand each student’s individual needs, and provide both guidance and a listening ear. They supervise homework, monitor free time and ensure that our boarders have plenty of opportunities for recreation.
Family Visits and Contact
We recommend that parents of boarders only visit during school holidays to avoid disrupting school life. There is regular communication between the school and parents in the form of short monthly reports. In the case of illness, inappropriate behaviour or other unforeseen incidents, parents will be informed immediately.
Living with other students, your peers, or from different year groups, can be challenging and requires patience, consideration, and diplomacy. All boarders are encouraged to speak up about inappropriate behaviour before it becomes harmful. When such cases are brought to the attention of a boarder or a staff member:
Students involved in an incident are brought together to discuss the issue with the Head of School, tutors and witnesses. Most first cases will be dealt with in a non-disciplinary manner, but more serious ones may incur sanctions.
All the concerned are expected to write a report of the incident.
If the bully continues and the victim continues to feel hurt, a formal disciplinary procedure will be applied.
Parents are kept fully informed throughout the process.
The issue of bullying within the boarding house is reviewed regularly at staff meetings. A Boarding Council of three elected boarding students is established to educate students to be responsible for themselves and for their fellows. The Council provides general orientation about many aspects of daily living and working together including: conduct, dress code, cell phones, IT-issues, laundry and hygiene, and other issues as needed.
Homesickness is normal and is often triggered once the initial excitement has waned and the first challenges are faced. Signs of homesickness include excessive phone calls or emails, requests to go home, refusal to take part in organised activities, isolation and obvious signs of unhappiness.
As parents, it is important to realise that this is a natural part of an adjustment process. Most students go through a period of homesickness during the early stages of boarding. Establishing new confidantes at the new school takes time, but homesickness is usually temporary.
To help your child overcome homesickness:
Recognise the symptoms early and be prepared to talk and, more importantly, listen to your child.
Establish a regular telephone “check-in” time to help your child build a sense of normality and security away from home.
Encourage your student to get involved. Ask about your child’s extra-curricular activities, clubs and sports.
Stay in touch with our Head of Boarding as well as your child’s tutors and teachers.
Together we will monitor progress carefully. Handled sensitively and positively, most cases of homesickness pass within a few weeks.
We highly recommend you inform boarding staff know about any special circumstances that might affect a student’s life at school, however trivial they may seem. It is important that our staff are aware of any problems that have arisen at school or at home so that these may be dealt with sensitively and swiftly, and appropriate support can be provided.
University Matriculation List
Nobel International School Algarve
Barros Brancos, EN125
8401-901 Lagoa - Portugal
job@nobelalgarve.com
admissions@nobelalgarve.com
NACE Schools Group owns and operates more than 50 schools in nine different countries. We strive to push the boundaries of academic experience and continuously improve standards, offering our students a well-rounded, innovative education to prepare them for an increasingly globalised world.
www.naceschools.com
© 2020 Nobel International School Algarve | Developed by: tcn
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Submit A Dream
O Boss Man
Bob Murray
North of Eden Press is thrilled to announce the release of Bob Murray and Jeremiah McLane’s CD, O Boss Man. This collaboration between these two amazing musicians and songwriters—and heartful dreamers on the journey—is sure to move and inspire us all.
Contributers to the CD include Susannah Blachly and Colin McAffrey.
"Watching Jer work his magic, the gift of his unbridled creativity, his love for what we are doing, the arrangements, the instrument choices, the layers that have added depth and beauty. Our recording of O Bossman now sounds like a billowing anthem, gathering steam, not to mention instruments (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, drums, bass, accordion, Jer's harmony vocals on the chorus) as it rolls toward a big, bold ending. Needless to say, when I wrote this song, I never imagined it with a full band and three-part harmony, that's for sure."
"Susannah Blachly added more harmony vocals on that song and others. Colin McCaffrey did great work too. It warms my heart deeply to know that we all worked together in this way, bringing the gifts that He has given to each of us, creating something beautiful together to take out into the world."
- Bob Murray
Bob Murray grew up in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and is a former professional hockey player, author and musician with two solo albums in distribution--Alligator Tears and Lifelines —both recorded live at the North of Eden Retreat Center in Lowell, Vermont. A third album is now available, this one a studio collaboration with keyboard and accordion master, Jeremiah McLane, entitled O Boss Man.
802.229.8268 | 802.477.3811 | christalancaster@me.com | @northofedendreamwork
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Cardless Atm Banks
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Bank of America and Chase are following suit, with the former offering cardless. The user opens the app, chooses an account for the withdrawal and then taps the cardless ATM icon on the screen. M-Pesa Withdrawal Service Enjoy the convenience of withdrawing money directly from M-Pesa via any Co-op Bank ATM. are eligible to request for a cardless withdrawal transactions except for Paycard. Punch the Enter key on the machine and select. There are also other methods being piloted by other banks for executing cardless ATM transactions—for example, sending a QR code to the mobile device that is then read by the machine to complete. The cardless ATM is available in an app and it's linked to your bank account. (NYSE: WFC) in March 2017. -The beneficiary can now go to any cardless ATM of the same bank and use the option to withdraw cash without a card. Steps on how Fidelity bank customer can make a Cardless transaction using ATM machine: This article will be giving out insight on how one can easily make a cardless transaction with ATM Machine through a Fidelity Bank customer. Cardless Cash ATM access allows you to conveniently withdraw money from your eligible City National personal checking account, without your physical City National Check Card, using the City National Mobile app at a Cardless Cash-enabled City National Bank ATM. This time last year, cardless ATMs were offered mainly by the big banks, and then only at some of their ATMs. In India ICICI bank has this facility. A number of banks have been developing cardless ATM for years, and some — like BMO Harris — have been doing actual field-testing of new machines. Here's how it works: Tap the + icon in the HomeStreet Bank mobile app. CASH DEPOSIT MACHINES. Cardless ATMs allow customers to access most features of Bank of America's ATMs. PIN, followed by the amount you want to recover for confirmation. Cardless ATMs let you access cash from your bank account on a smartphone without actually having a debit or ATM card on you, allowing you to travel light. Mobile banking has expanded its reach. Except for this I have experienced many other issues with the bank as well. Bank with Chime and get unlimited cash withdrawals at over 38,000 fee-free MoneyPass® ATMs, plus over 30,000 cash back locations. Standard Bank cardless ATM withdrawal. Taking out cash from the ATM just got a lot easier and faster, thanks to Chase Bank. Understanding Cardless ATM Technology The exact technology varies, but most machines rely on native smartphone apps that are tied directly to the issuing bank. And while swiping an A. Once a transfer is done, the Recipient will receive a secure code via SMS to perform the cardless withdrawal at any Maybank ATM Machines in Malaysia without requiring an ATM Card. It could save the bank some cash of its own in the long run. The Cardless ATM withdrawal in Nigeria, introduced sometime in April 2014 by Interswitch has been adopted by some Nigeria banks. Card-free access is the next phase in enhancing your City National Mobile app experience. Tap Scan in the HomeStreet Bank mobile app and point the. Cardless ATMs let you access cash from your bank account on a smartphone without actually having a debit or ATM card on you, allowing you to travel light. Our Cardless Cash feature makes it easy to get cash from the ATM 1 using the City National Mobile app. They banks include Guarantee Trust Bank, United Bank for Africa, First Bank, Zenith Bank and Stanbic Bank. 2 Cardless Cash allows you to use your smartphone and a secure QR code to quickly withdraw cash at City National Bank ATMs. If you’re an M&T checking or savings account customer, you can use your M&T Debit Card or M&T ATM card to withdraw cash at any of our more than 1600 locations. NAB personal banking financial solutions include internet banking, accounts, insurance, credit cards, home loans and personal loans. Over the past year, Bank of America, Chase. And while swiping an A. The cardless ATM allows you to withdraw cash using your phone. The cardless ATM is available in an app and it's linked to your bank account. The payee would need to enter his/ her mobile number, 4-digit and 6-digit verification codes and the total amount on ATM to get the transaction amount in cash. Often times, we forget to carry our. After 50 years using clunky ATMs, many banks are eyeing costly “cardless” upgrades to the old models that perform more functions by remote control using a mobile phone, and consumer reaction to them could be a bellwether for adoption of other mobile payment technologies. Wells Fargo recently enabled cardless use of its 13,000 ATMs across the U. -The beneficiary can now go to any cardless ATM of the same bank and use the option to withdraw cash without a card. SBI will enable all its 60,000 ATMs in the next six months for this service, which. You can just go to an ATM without your debit card and withdraw cash easily. - This payout option is only for a recipient who has a Thai national ID card (Thai citizen). Use the ATM Locator to find the nearest rediATM. That's one way to not have to worry about ATM skimming or covering the number pad for fear of skimmers or prying eyes. George, BankSA, Bank of Melbourne and Westpac accounts and Mobile Banking apps. Bank of America plans to have all of its ATMs equipped for cardless access by the end of 2017 Chase tested a pilot version of cardless access last year. Later this year, the bank will expand cardless ATM access with "tap and pay" technology for NFC-enabled smartphones. Michelle Moore, head of digital banking for Bank of America, demonstrates a new feature allowing customers to conduct ATM transactions with a smartphone instead of a plastic card. com Bank of America debuts new mobile tools focused on personalization — Bank of America — "Customers can now start an ATM withdrawal directly from their mobile banking app. Cardless withdrawal from other Banks using GTBank generated code earlier, you will have to follow the below procedures. And you'll want to remember where the new eATMs are located, as the bank charges a steep $2. Cardless Cash limit of 3 Cardless transactions per day, subject to daily withdrawal limit of $500 and weekly withdrawal limit of $1,000. The payee would need to enter his/ her mobile number, 4-digit and 6-digit verification codes and the total amount on ATM to get the transaction amount in cash. "Sampath Cardless Cash" is a cutting edge facility which allows account holders of Sampath Bank to withdraw cash without using their debit cards. You can withdraw money from BOB ATM without atm card now. This is how you'll use your phone at the ATM. The cardless cash withdrawal works by initiating a transaction using BoB’s. You probably may have heard how a guy named Azeez Morofu, was manhandled by a mob at Ibadan and handed over to the police at Iyaganku Police Station. some banks offering cardless ATM withdrawals will have the app display a QR code that needs to be read by a scanner on the ATM). It could save the bank some cash of its own in the long run. Use your smartphone to withdraw cash, make deposits, check balances and more at our Cardless ATM. ATM Access is a registered ISO for Citizens Bank, N. Customers can set the amount of cash they want to withdraw before they approach an ATM, then press a single button. While banks like JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America have made similar upgrades to some machines, Wells Fargo is the first big bank to adopt the. With Cardless Cash, you can simply generate a 6-digit cash code in our Mobile Banking App and use it to withdraw cash at any BankSA, St. rediATM App. Moore gave the. At the ATM, the customer presses the button for cardless cash, and the ATM displays a QR code. Banks in India like Indus Ind Bank and Axis Bank are also providing cardless ATM withdrawal facilities through leading telecom operators and mobile payment service providers. Cardless Cash allows you to withdraw cash from the ATM using your smartphone. The payee would need to enter his/ her mobile number, 4-digit and 6-digit verification codes and the total amount on ATM to get the transaction amount in cash. Apparently ICICI bank allows you to withdraw cash from over 10000 ATM in India without using a ATM Card. It will then dispense the cash and issue you a receipt. There's a lot of momentum surrounding cardless-ATMs. Read next: MONEY's Best Banks in America. Anyone can withdraw cash from this ATM without needing to have their ATM or Debit card and PIN number. On the HomeStreet Bank ATM screen, select Cardless Cash to view the QR code. It also enables smartphone users to send money to a family or a friend, which the latter can withdraw from any specified ATM without the use of any debit or credit card. By Tina Orem | July 19, 2018 at 11:00 AM The Mortality of Bank Branches. 0 implementation. Often times, we forget to carry our. Wells Fargo recently enabled cardless use of its 13,000 ATMs across the U. This Savings Account is meant for children below the age of 17. Instruction for Cash Pickup. The Diamond Cardless withdrawal can only be made if you register for this service. -The beneficiary can now go to any cardless ATM of the same bank and use the option to withdraw cash without a card. And you can change the language from English to Chinese, Arabic, Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean or Greek. Cardless ATM Withdrawal: How Does Cardless ATM Withdrawal Work In Nigeria. There are plenty of NAB ATMs all over Australia - so withdrawing cash or checking your balance is easy and convenient. First it was Tap & Pay and now it’s Cardless Cash. Rebecca Jarvis joins us with the details. Use your smartphone to withdraw cash, make deposits, check balances and more at our Cardless ATM. Cardless cash withdrawal will be available from one lakh bank ATMs by the end of the current year for remittances initiated by customers of these banks, according to report. Bank of India back in the year 2014 has introduced card less service which allowed users to take out money from ATM without even having a bank account. Get Started Now: Download the Johnson Bank Mobile Banking app directly to your iPhone, or Android phone from the stores below:. Buzzback, Cross Border ATM Usage Exploratory for Mastercard, 2016 55% of respondents said that if a prospective bank offers Cardless ATM features, this has a moderate to major impact on the decision about which bank to choose, when considering changing banks or. As her bank does not offer cardless cash transactions from ATMs, she was faced with two options whilst waiting for a new card to arrive - both of which were somewhat frustrating: to keep sending. So, far more than half of Charlotte, N. Globally, it’s found successes in Australia with CommBank and WestPac, ICICI Bank in India, PKO Bank Polski in Poland, Baninter and Caixa Bank in Spain, the UK’s NatWest, and Turkey’s Akbank. The payee can withdraw cash from Cardless Cash Withdrawal* enabled ICICI Bank ATMs across India without the need of any ATM/ Debit Card. YONO SBI— India’s first integrated Omni-channel banking & lifestyle platform– launched ‘YONO Cash’ for cardless withdrawal of cash at over 16,500 SBI ATMs. The payee can withdraw cash from Cardless Cash Withdrawal* enabled ICICI Bank ATMs across India without the need of any ATM/ Debit Card. How Cardless ATMs Affect Withdrawals As part of the effort to get customers excited about cardless ATMs, some of the big banks are changing their withdrawal policies. Cardless ATMs allow customers to access most features of Bank of America's ATMs. So, okay, let us know what's going on. In this photo provided by JN Bank, Member Service Officer Lamona Lindo (left) helps JN member Damian McAnuff deposit cash into a cardless ATM. Bank of Baroda has updated it’s mobile banking BOB MConnect Plus version with new features. Chase Expands Cardless Access to 15,000 ATMs Nationwide Customers can now use their mobile wallets to get cash on the go NEW YORK, NY Aug 01, 2018 Chase today announced that customers can now get cash through their phone's mobile wallet at nearly all of its 16,000 ATMs nationwide, as well as access to all ATM vestibules outside of the branch. How to make cardless withdrawals on a Diamond Bank ATM with Magic Cash. Review ATM. Click "Cardless withdrawal" options on the "Banking" module If you want to withdraw from a GTBank's ATM machine close to you, click " Cash out (GTBank ATMs)" option If you want to withdraw from any Other bank ATM, click " Cash out (All ATMs & POS)" option Complete the form displayed Click "Continue". Sending the codes to a different recipient: The eGiveCash cash out option is now only available as a "Send to self" option. Cardless ATMs - The Evolution of Cash Access A few of the largest financial institutions in the U. D-Cardless gives the privilege of sending money instantly to any beneficiary in Qatar swiftly and easily. Cardless ATM is now using various financial institutions to take users cash without any form of physical cards but only using their mobile phone. Once you have successfully loaded your card into your mobile wallet, you no longer need to have your physical card to make transactions at Chase ATMs. If you're an Apple Pay user with access to the cardless ATMs Bank of America installed earlier this year, you might be able to withdraw cash from the machines using your phone. There are lots of benefits to having a Cooperate Account in Nigeria. Now, this is not some regular hype, it is the hype of a customer who is totally satisfied with the Bank’s modus operandi. Cardless Cash limit of 3 cardless transactions per day, subject to daily withdrawal limit of $500 and weekly withdrawal limit of $1,000. The Cardless ATM withdrawal in Nigeria, introduced sometime in April 2014 by Interswitch has been adopted by some Nigeria banks. Tap Scan in the HomeStreet Bank mobile app and point the. The cardless ATM allows you to withdraw cash using your phone. Wells Fargo set up 13,000. Cardless ATM’s promise to dramatically reduce the incidence of skimming related fraud. If you are in need of physical cash or when a family member or a close friend of yours sends money through mCash, now you can easily withdraw these funds through the nearest Commercial Bank Cardless ATM. The cardless ATM is available in an app and it's linked to your bank account. Check details Description: If you wish to make cardless cash withdrawal then these three banks offer this service. The cardless services which FNB claim to have at ATMs don't work. Hold your mobile device over the contactless symbol on the ATM; answer the on-screen questions and enter your ATM/debit card PIN to complete your withdrawal. Request for Cardless Cash Withdrawal at icici bank net banking site. Find a Fifth Third Bank branch or ATM. Test the relevant app and check what security measures are in place to ensure that no one else can use the app to gain access to your account. (WBRC) - New technology makes it easier to get your money. With most Bank of Ireland ATMs you can: Check your account Balance Change your PIN/ PIN unlock To find an ATM near you click here Smart phone users can also Search for nearby ATMs and branches with the Bank of Ireland Mobile app. ” Select “Get Code” and the app will send you one that will be active for 30 minutes. My advice? Join Capitec. They are given a six-digit code to enter into an ATM to release the cash. Payment data is never stored on your phone and there is no personal data swiped during the transaction. The Cardless ATM withdrawal in Nigeria, introduced sometime in April 2014 by Interswitch has been adopted by some Nigeria banks. Withdraw mCash 24 hours x 7 days a week from Selected Commercial bank ATM Machines Learn more about cardless ATMs. Chase's cardless ATM withdrawal has been met with some controversy. Wells Fargo customers may now use any one of the bank's 13,000 ATMs with only a mobile phone. Banks desire to create better customer experiences by increasing convenience, and one such opportunity is the cardless ATM experience, where customers are able to withdraw money from an ATM using a mobile app to initiate the transaction. Smart ATM offers Cardless Cash Withdrawal to Avoid Card Skimmers March 16, 2015 Swati Khandelwal Banks have tried every effort, from providing Magnetic Stripes based Credit and Debit Cards to Chip-and-Pin Cards , in order to secure its users from credit card cloning and card Skimmers. Wells Fargo debuted app-based authentication at all its 13,000 ATMs in 2017. It will then dispense the cash and issue you a receipt. Access Bank have introduced a a type of Savings Account for the children. Member FDIC. Cardless ATM powered by Mastercard ® Allows consumers to digitally find the nearest ATMs, your bank’s and others, and easily set up the withdrawal within their banking app before completing the withdrawal at any enabled ATM. Clients can use the "cardless withdrawal" feature for P10,000 per transaction for up to P30,000 daily. Buzzback, Cross Border ATM Usage Exploratory for Mastercard, 2016 55% of respondents said that if a prospective bank offers Cardless ATM features, this has a moderate to major impact on the decision about which bank to choose, when considering changing banks or. Customers can use. How easy is it to use the app?. You may not need to use it, but if you do, you know where to find it. The recipient can withdraw the amount from designated ATMs of the. With this facility, customers can initiate the cash withdrawal. How to withdraw eZ Cash through Commercial Bank ATMs 1. What are the eligible accounts for cardless withdrawal? All carded accounts such as Metrobank Debit, Prepaid etc. Twenty banks across the country, mostly regional and community banks, also have gone mobile, although the ATMs still accept traditional debit cards, said Doug Brown, senior vice president and general manager of mobile at FIS, the Florida. Metrobank Cardless Withdrawal allows you to withdraw cash from any Metrobank or PSBank ATM without using your Metrobank ATM Card. Common questions about cardless ATMs How do banks ensure cardless cash transactions are secure? You want to ensure that your money is protected. Your bank customers can now generate a cash payment to other individuals (the payee) when the payee uses one of your P2P-supported ATMs. Welcome to Bank of America's financial center location finder. The Cardless Withdrawal Service enables Maybank2u users to initiate a fund transfer to any Malaysian mobile number. Do you know you can withdraw money from Standard bank without your card? You also don't have to be a holder of a Standand Bank card or any other bank for you to withdraw Standard Bank money. With most Bank of Ireland ATMs you can: Check your account Balance Change your PIN/ PIN unlock To find an ATM near you click here Smart phone users can also Search for nearby ATMs and branches with the Bank of Ireland Mobile app. CO-OP Launches Cardless Cash Access in ATMs Credit unions can add the feature to their own mobile banking apps. According to the ICICI bank's official website, "cardless cash withdrawal is a service which helps you to transfer cash to a beneficiary who does not have any bank account. And when comparing the cost of a cardless cash withdrawal to a traditional carded cash withdrawal at an ATM FNB is the only bank where the fees are the same, R1. Using your bank’s own ATMs is the only way to ensure you won’t incur extra ATM charges. Set up is easy - just add your Bank of America debit card to your digital wallet. This service will use. Get location hours, directions, customer service numbers, and available banking services including surcharge-free ATMs. nbsp; Personal Banking All India :. Assuming the code. The Cardless Withdrawal Service enables Maybank2u users to initiate a fund transfer to any Malaysian mobile number. Buzzback, Cross Border ATM Usage Exploratory for Mastercard, 2016 55% of respondents said that if a prospective bank offers Cardless ATM features, this has a moderate to major impact on the decision about which bank to choose, when considering changing banks or. Paycode is a 10-14 digit code which can be used to get money from the ATM, Paypoint Agent Location or used for payments on the POS at Merchant locations. The feature increases convenience and takes the debit card out of the mix, offering added security with no chance of card skimming. Use your MoneyPass ATM card at any of the ATMs listed on this site without paying a surcharge. (NASDAQ: FITB) is the latest bank to launch cardless ATM services. They banks include Guarantee Trust Bank, United Bank for Africa, First Bank, Zenith Bank and Stanbic Bank. (FIS) announced Thursday. US banks like Chase, Wells Fargo and Bank of America are rolling out cardless payments that let you tap your phone to do your. Cash on mobile feature is great feature. Banks headquartered in the UK, Turkey, Spain, Poland, India, and Australia have all pushed their own cardless ATM networks with high levels of success. Once you have successfully loaded your card into your mobile wallet, you no longer need to have your physical card to make transactions at Chase ATMs. With the growing prevalence of “skimmers” — devices that can intercept personal details while running your card through an ATM — a cardless system defeats such scams. HDFC Bank is not liable for any non-delivery or shortfall or deficiency or unsatisfactory service/product provided by any participating parties/sponsors. Bank of America has advanced its mobile app to include cardless ATM withdrawals and set the stage for its customers to make more payments through wearable devices. "We are proud to be the first bank on the continent to offer cardless ATM transactions. – Security Bank and ExpressPay recently signed an agreement for bills payment collection and cardless ATM withdrawal. eGiveCash is a simple and secure way to send money online. Bank of America two years ago let Apple Pay users withdraw cash from ATMs, and last year added more cardless features for mobile app users. Hence, in order to capitalize on this trend, banks are rolling out the cardless ATM technology. Deposit and credit products offered by Wells Fargo Bank, N. Cardless Cash ATM access allows you to conveniently withdraw money from your eligible City National personal checking account, without your physical City National Check Card, using the City National Mobile app at a Cardless Cash-enabled City National Bank ATM. Cardless Cash is a feature of the RepublicMobile App and RepublicOnline (personal) which allows users to access up to TT$500 daily at any Republic Bank Blue Machine without the use of a card. Wells Fargo isn’t the only bank experimenting with cardless ATMs — both Bank of America and JPMorgan are as well — but such a move would make it the first to convert its entire fleet. consumer bank to take the plastic card out of the ATM transaction. (NYSE: WFC) in March 2017. There are also other methods being piloted by other banks for executing cardless ATM transactions—for example, sending a QR code to the mobile device that is then read by the machine to complete. Check details Description: If you wish to make cardless cash withdrawal then these three banks offer this service. Malicious hackers stealing cash from cardless ATM using a new form of SMS phishing attack that force let user give away their bank account credentials into the phished website. Search for nearby ATMs on your bank's website or app, and you'll probably find that most of them offer cardless cash withdrawal. First it was Tap & Pay and now it’s Cardless Cash. "SunTrust Advisors" may be officers and/or associated persons of the following affiliates of SunTrust Banks, Inc. To find the nearest Bank of America locations, please use our ATM and Financial. - This payout option is only for a recipient who has a Thai national ID card (Thai citizen). It also enables smartphone users to send money to a family or a friend, which the latter can withdraw from any specified ATM without the use of. Card-skimming remains a huge problem at ATMs and by completely eliminating the need for bank cards, the issue of skimming is also effectively eradicated. Salem Five Bancorp launched cardless ATMs this month at its 30 ATM machines, primarily on the North Shore. All Cardless Cash limits apply across St. Later this year, the bank will expand cardless ATM access with "tap and pay" technology for NFC-enabled smartphones. NAB personal banking financial solutions include internet banking, accounts, insurance, credit cards, home loans and personal loans. This service allows you to send money conveniently using only the phone number of the receipient (no bank account info needed) and also lets withdraw money from your Standard Bank account (from any Standard Bank ATM) without using your ATM card (serves well if you do not have it handy) - follow the tutorial here. The bank’s CEO, Pema N Nadik, launched cardless cash withdrawal at its corporate office in Olakha yesterday. And this time Indian banks have made best use of the technology to offer Cash Withdrawal Without A Card at ATMs. Tap 'Cardless Cash'. And you’re done! It’s that simple. With MasterCard Cash Pick-Up, banks can enable their ATMs to deliver cash easily and securely to any authenticated consumer — banked or. Cardless Cash limit of 3 cardless transactions per day, subject to daily withdrawal limit of $500 and weekly withdrawal limit of $1,000. Our Cardless Cash feature makes it easy to get cash from the ATM 1 using the City National Mobile app. Cardless ATM Withdrawal: How Does Cardless ATM Withdrawal Work In Nigeria. There are only a handful of other banks in the U. Buffett: Wells Fargo is 'a great bank that made a terrible mistake' You'll soon be able to take cash out of a Wells Fargo ATM without using a card. Go to the nearest First Bank Cardless enabled ATM; Enter you personal PIN and select Cardless Withdrawal; Enter your 4-digit One time PIN and paycode; Next, enter the amount and your phone number; Wait a few minutes for your account to be verified after which your cash will be dispensed; Receive your cash. You’ll find M&T Bank ATMs in convenient locations throughout New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Check details Description: If you wish to make cardless cash withdrawal then these three banks offer this service. On Wednesday, the bank announced a slew of new features in an effort to enhance the banking experience of its 23 million mobile app users. Use your smartphone to withdraw cash, make deposits, check balances and more at our Cardless ATM. With most Bank of Ireland ATMs you can: Check your account Balance Change your PIN/ PIN unlock To find an ATM near you click here Smart phone users can also Search for nearby ATMs and branches with the Bank of Ireland Mobile app. Cash on mobile feature is great feature. Get location hours, directions, customer service numbers, and available banking services including surcharge-free ATMs. On the HomeStreet Bank ATM screen, select Cardless Cash to view the QR code. Once a transfer is done, the Recipient will receive a secure code via SMS to perform the cardless withdrawal at any Maybank ATM Machines in Malaysia without requiring an ATM Card. DCB Bank has launched Bangalore’s first Aadhaar & Fingerprint (Biometric) based ATM machine in Bangalore. Cardless Withdrawal. Cardless ATM, like Zelle and mobile alerts, is among the Bank’s newest innovations to improve security and the customer experience. You can use this machine to instantly credit your account without visiting the branch. Remember, you don’t need any card or bank account to receive your money fast. 0 implementation. some banks offering cardless ATM withdrawals will have the app display a QR code that needs to be read by a scanner on the ATM). Read next: MONEY's Best Banks in America. Fifth Third latest bank to enable cardless ATM access. In a bid to offer our customers added convenience in accessing their money, we have introduced a useful new feature on our ATMs. The new feature is accessed through the bank's mobile app. banks that offer. Wait for the ATM to finish processing the transaction. Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC, Members SIPC, separate registered broker-dealers and non-bank affiliates of Wells Fargo & Company. Banks using the technology estimate that it can reduce the time of a transaction from 30-40 seconds to around ten seconds. "Sampath Cardless Cash" is a cutting edge facility which allows account holders of Sampath Bank to withdraw cash without using their debit cards. It will then dispense the cash and issue you a receipt. In this article, you will learn how to do cardless ATM Withdrawal in Nigeria for all major banks - Access, GTBank, First, UBA, Wema Bank and more. banks started testing cardless ATMs in 2017. Get location hours, directions, customer service numbers, and available banking services including surcharge-free ATMs. Last year, Fifth. The First Bank ATM Cardless Withdrawal Code makes it POSSIBLE for you to withdraw money from the ATM without having to use your debit card. eGiveCash is a simple and secure way to send money online. Tap the Cardless Cash button in the HomeStreet Bank mobile app and select the amount. Transaction is processed through existing NFS network. In light of this, it would be cheaper to make use of your free ATM withdrawals each month before using cardless cash withdrawals. Cash on mobile feature is great feature. Cardless Cash limit of 3 cardless transactions per day, subject to daily withdrawal limit of $500 and weekly withdrawal limit of $1,000. With our large network of ATMs we make sure an ICICI Bank ATM is always near you. Bank of America says you pull up your e-wallet on your phone and the machine scans your phone. Other US banks such as Bank of America Corp and JPMorgan Chase &Co are among other lenders to announce similar digital upgrades to their ATM infrastructure, but Wells Fargo has become the first US bank to implement card-less machines across its entire network. com, the bank has enabled the functionality on its entire fleet of 2,500 ATMs across a 10-state region. Bank of India back in the year 2014 has introduced card less service which allowed users to take out money from ATM without even having a bank account. Withdrawals are limited to a total of $500 per day Withdrawals are limited to a total of $500 per day The CommBank app is free to download however your mobile network provider charges you for accessing data on your phone. Many mobile phone users are increasingly realizing that the instrument in their hands can do much more than just connecting them to their family and friends. Except for this I have experienced many other issues with the bank as well. Whether you need a bank account, a loan or credit card, savings and investment accounts, or financing for your business, Nedbank has a solution for you. Twenty banks across the country, mostly regional and community banks, also have gone mobile, although the ATMs still accept traditional debit cards, said Doug Brown, senior vice president and general manager of mobile at FIS, the Florida. the departmental ATM “watch list” of problem ATMs. Use at Chase ATMs where you see the Contactless Symbol. First Bank Cardless Withdrawal – How To Get Money Without ATM Card by VARDIEN(m): 1:45pm Withdrawing from Other Bank’s ATM Locate any bank’s ATM – other than a GTBank’s. Wait for the ATM to finish processing the transaction. And while swiping an A. How to withdraw eZ Cash through Commercial Bank ATMs 1. Cardless ATMs also offer protection against stolen wallets. Fifth Third is one of only a handful of U. And this time Indian banks have made best use of the technology to offer Cash Withdrawal Without A Card at ATMs. And while swiping an ATM card may not exactly seem onerous, bankers think going. In addition, this is in sync with the industry-wide focus on right sizing branch networks and. George, BankSA and Bank of Melbourne accounts and Mobile Banking apps. , a registered broker-dealer, which is a member of FINRA Link opens a new window and SIPC Link opens. Chase has rolled out cardless ATM transactions to nearly every machine in its network. net, you will find steps on how to do First bank cardless withdrawal should you forget or aren’t in possession of your ATM card or debit card. And you're done! It's that simple. Opens modal dialog. Mastercard Cardless ATM Quantitative Research in 12 countries, Oct 2017 3. This is how you'll use your phone at the ATM. I have done this on a few occasions and a pin is never sent or received. Enter your debit card PIN on the ATM and start your transaction. Use your smartphone to withdraw cash, make deposits, check balances and more at our Cardless ATM. SBI will enable all its 60,000 ATMs in the next six months for this service, which. Betty Riess, a press representative for BofA, confirmed that the company is presently developing “a new cardless ATM solution,” which is expected to be available in selected ATMs in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Charlotte, New York and Boston by the end of this month. For Cardless ATM Withdrawals, you will receive 2 separate SMS’s after selecting the Security Bank Cardless disbursement method which will provide you with: A 16 digit code – which will be the 16 digit “EGIVECASH” number Assigned PIN code – 4 digit PIN. The bank contacted the FBI after losing $68,000 from 17 ATMs in Illinois, Michigan and Ohio in less than two weeks through cardless ATM, an application that allows customers to withdraw money from. The cardless ATM option maybe the. Recently, ICICI bank has launched a new service, where one can withdraw cash at ATM's without a card. Mortgage credit and collateral are subject to approval and additional terms and conditions apply. You can withdraw money from BOB ATM without atm card now. Mobile banking has expanded its reach. This feature is a safe and. ATM operator Cardtronics plc, which owns or operates more than 233,000 ATMs globally, is adding FIS Cardless Cash access to its U. Chase, one of the major banks in the United States, today announced that customers can now use Apple Pay and other mobile wallet services at nearly all of the company's 16,000 ATMs, which have been upgraded with card-free access.
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Editorial Contribution
Keeping a keen eye if Nito can walk the walk. We have some stuff sent that will test resolve.
OP ED: Steven- JB re-posted an article last week where the newly elected President went out of his way to state to the world that Panama in open for business. Meaning “clean” business and not “dirty” business. I personally feel that Panama is the World Lightweight Champion in under the …
"JB"
Swedish girl compelled to promote climate measures is chastised by my President. #asshole
OP ED: James “JB” Bryson- I find it so crazy that “any” leader, can find “any” issue with what this young lady has done to promote conversation over climate change. When most “tweens” are wondering what is happening with the Jonas Brothers or the newest PlayStation game, this one is …
Art Basel occupied our entire weekend in Miami.
OP ED: James “JB” Bryson- if your an “arty” try to make this event next year. Once your past the traffic, it was a good time. https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/article47447980.html Art — and by association, big money — takes center stage in Miami-Dade this week with the start of Miami Art Week, and …
Back here in US, DEMS still headstrong for impeachment.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/05/politics/trump-impeachment-message/index.html Washington (CNN)House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Democrats are injecting an urgent new argument into their already fast-moving impeachment drive: President Donald Trump poses such a flagrant threat to American governance and democracy that there is no time to waste.”If we allow a President to be above the law, we do so surely at …
This is like Christmas morning for PNO. I saw this coming.
OP ED: James “JB” Bryson– If the tone of PNO seems giddy with all this Varela stuff coming to light, it is only natural. I mean please see that I have absolutely expected this same skullduggery, backstabbery, and fully predictable Panama government to play out this way. So just so …
Varela claims Martinelli behind leaks……….NO SHIT you filthy Judas!! Opus Dei mistress having MFer.
OP ED: Sorry people, but did Varela state from Shanghai, that he feels Martinelli is behind his leaked communications???? Did he hire Scooby Doo and Shaggy to handle the case? My reaction is one of “No Shit”. The guy benefits from serving as VP. Fractures the party. Immediately turns of …
Evo goes to the old playbook. Seen before.
OP ED: Nothing new here. Seen before all over the world. The Shah of Iran, Marcos, Duvalier, Mubarak, all to name a few. Some would say here in PANAMA also. Plunder your fill for the country and constituents you represent, and then golden parachute your way in the world. Maybe …
Add Chile to the list of Political Unrest.
JB: With my eyes on Morales, Ortega, Maduro, and recently Argentina, I completely missed the shit show going on in Chile. If it was not for all the backdoor dealings and payoffs. Panama would be a beacon compared to these circus shows. https://www.prensa.com/mundo/Presidente-chileno-Sebastian-Pinera-dimitira_0_5435456404.html Chilean President Sebastián Piñera said he will …
“Batshit” crazy Morales invites International community to audit elections.
https://www.laestrella.com.pa/internacional/america/191026/evo-eeuu-votos-invita-brasil The president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, invited on Saturday the foreign ministers of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and the United States to visit the country to do an audit of the votes in the general elections and said that if the fraud is verified, he will summon a Second round. …
New Argentina Prez already spatting with Brazil before assuming office.
https://www.prensa.com/mundo/Presidente-Argentina-liberacion-Lula-Brasil_0_5429457003.html Alberto Fernández is at the gates of his first diplomatic dispute even before assuming office as Argentine president. info Macri Coalition retained the mayor’s office of Buenos Aires Peronist Alberto Fernández wins the election of Argentina An hour after his electoral victory, he called for the release of Brazilian …
Ministry of Culture seeks to restore National Fortress Landmark.
https://www.prensa.com/sociedad/Ministerio-Cultura-Castillo-San-Lorenzo_0_5412208757.html The Ministry of Culture uploaded to the Panama Buy portal a public event for the restoration of the Castillo San Lorenzo del Chagres, in the province of Colón, will be restored. This colonial fortress is part of the Monumental Complex of Portobelo and San Lorenzo, and since 2012 it …
Colombia experiencing it’s own “Punctures” type case, as popular ex President faces court.
OP ED: James “JB” Bryson– As the novela that was the Martinelli trial has come to closure here in Panama, it is interesting to see that Columbia is now going through the a similar issue. One of the more popular leaders is now experiencing a judicial procedure that can certainly …
Israel seeks to view Panama as global trade partner.
https://www.laestrella.com.pa/economia/191006/hub-israel-panama-regional-considera Panama has enormous potential to be a hub or production center so that Israeli companies can from here do business with Central America, the Caribbean and all of Latin America, said Israel’s ambassador to this country, Reda Mansour. The diplomat said that they are waiting, by the National Assembly, …
Reputation of Panama takes a hit with new NETFLIX film.
OP ED: “JB”– A new movie that centers around “The Panama Papers” will be a PR challenge for the new Cortizo administration, as they look to recede from the sordid reputation that Panama has garnered for many years. I recall in previous movies, such as Ted Demme’s “BLOW” with Johnny …
Horrible story in Colombia, as young and aspiring politician is murdered.
OP ED: Makes me sick to my stomach. “JB” https://www.prensa.com/mundo/Asesinan-candidata-alcaldia-personas-Colombia_0_5387461213.html A candidate for the elections to be held in October in Colombia was killed along with five people in a “massacre” perpetrated in a municipality in the southwest of the country on Sunday night, authorities said Monday. The armored vehicle …
SEPT.5th starts Icarus Film Festival in Panama.
http://laestrella.com.pa/vida-cultura/cine/festival-cine-icaro-panama-presentara-diez-peliculas-nacionales/24136090 From September 5, Panama will receive the 12th version of the Icarus Film Festival, with the aim of achieving recognition of Central American audiovisual expressions, within which Panamanians are an important part. “We are making cinematographic works that represent us as societies that have their own cultural identity and …
Related topic: Brazil claims France is hollow in claims to care about Amazon.
https://www.prensa.com/mundo/Bolsonaro-Macron-disfraza-intenciones-Amazonia_0_5382211732.html The Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro , said Monday, August 26 that his French pair, Emmanuel Macron , “disguises his intentions” behind his calls to “save” the Amazon , an issue that has caused an escalation of tensions between several days ago Both countries. info G7 will unlock emergency aid …
http://laestrella.com.pa/venezuela/salario-venezolano-llega-punto-bajo-historia/24135210 To date, the price of the dollar is 14,483.54 bolivars – official value set by the Central Bank of Venezuela – a figure that has multiplied unstoppably since the beginning of the current year Venezuela’s minimum monthly salary has reached its lowest point in the country’s history, on Tuesday …
The National Assembly got who they wanted, now let’s see how he does.
https://www.prensa.com/politica/Gerardo-Solis-electo-contralor-Republica_0_5372462726.html The lawyer Gerardo Solís , former electoral attorney and former magistrate of the Electoral Tribunal (TE) , was elected with 68 votes in favor and 2 abstentions by the plenary of the National Assembly , the afternoon of this August 13, as the Comptroller of the Republic, in replacement …
US backed Guaido in favor of Trump blockade.
http://laestrella.com.pa/internacional/america/guaido-dice-bloqueo-eeuu-busca-proteger-venezolanos/24133252 The head of the Venezuelan Parliament, Juan Guaidó, recognized as the interim president of the country by more than 50 nations, said that the total blockade of Venezuelan state assets in US territory announced by the Donald Trump Administration “seeks to protect Venezuelans.” “This action seeks to protect Venezuelans,” …
Kinda a big deal. 32 year old Cold War Nuclear pact ENDS between US and Russia.
https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=search&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=es&sp=nmt4&u=https://www.prensa.com/mundo/Unidos-Rusia-tratado-desarme-INF_0_5364213527.html&xid=17259,15700023,15700186,15700190,15700256,15700259,15700262,15700265&usg=ALkJrhimgEcFv4aVhm2IhjeRMk9ElGiMZA The United States and Russia ended the INF nuclear disarmament treaty on Friday, signed at the end of the Cold War, in a decision that rekindles the fear of an arms race between world powers. The 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Weapons (INF) treaty limited the use of intermediate-range missiles (500 …
Advantages to Venezuelans (US backed Guaido), contrast with those of Mexicans. Right or wrong?
The TPS is a migration program created in 1990 through which the United States grants extraordinary permits to citizens of affected countries. “Live without distress”…… http://laestrella.com.pa/venezuela/venezolanos-agradecen-aprobacion-medida-para-vivir-angustias-eeuu/24131617 Venezuelan exile organizations in Miami thanked Friday for approval in the US House of Representatives.of a bill that, if it receives a green light …
Eyes on Puerto Rico. US protectorate amidst major turmoil.
http://laestrella.com.pa/internacional/america/puerto-rico-vive-momento-cumbre-renuncia-gobernador-fuerza-popular/24131480 The institutional life of Puerto Rico is going through a milestone summit on Wednesday the resignation of Governor Ricardo Rosselló after two and a half years in power, after the scandal unleashed by his participation and that of some of his advisors in a chat private in which political …
El Nuevo Patron.
OP ED: PNO READER CONTRIBUTION A pocos dias del tan esperado cambio de Gobierno el En el Pais se respira un aire de esperanza ya que han sido 5 largos años de Persecucion Politica y Incapacidad. Tradicionalmente El Presidente de Panama tiene alguna persona o grupo economico que lo maneja …
Bullshit photo op, as UN Human Rights wing meets with Maduro.
http://laestrella.com.pa/tag/internacional/4 On Friday, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro received the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, at the presidential palace in Miraflores on the occasion of his visit in the context of the crisis in the South American country. The meeting, which takes place in private, is Bachelet’s last …
Royalty on the way. King of Spain confirmed for Cortizo inauguration.
La Estrella: The King of Spain will travel at the end of next week to Panama to attend the inauguration of the new president of the country, Laurentino Cortizo, and participate in the commemorative events of the V Centenary of the founding of the city of Panama. As reported Friday …
Mother’s of unjustly imprisoned in Nicaragua are the voices for their freedom.
https://www.prensa.com/mundo/Madres-recibieron-amnistia-liberacion-Nicaragua_0_5331216859.html Mothers of more than 80 detainees who were not covered by an amnesty in Nicaragua protested on Wednesday to demand the release of their children, while continuing the official siege against the opposition. Opposition single demands freedom of ‘all’ political prisoners Government declares that it has complied with the …
Guaido (not Varela chum Maduro) to represent Venezuela at inauguration.
During the inauguration of the elected president of Panama, Laurentino Cortizo Cohen , the president in charge of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó , will be represented by Ambassador Fabiola Zavarce . The agenda for the change of presidential mandate is specified This was announced on Wednesday, June 19, by Miguel Lecaro, …
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From Prince Vault
(Redirected from User:Chak)
As of today, 6,345 pages about Prince & related artists
A-Z Song List
Chart History
The Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson is not affiliated, associated or connected with PrinceVault.com nor has it endorsed or sponsored PrinceVault.com. Further, the Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson has not licensed any of its intellectual property to the owners of PrinceVault.com.
While we appreciate the public expressions of gratitude PrinceVault receives, we want to be very clear that we in no way provide information to, or condone the use of our information for purposes that violate the rights and interests of Prince's family/estate in particular and all those in general who have similar interests. In particular we wish to condemn the use of our information, which has been painstakingly researched for the sole purpose of providing a definitive source of accurate information for fans and scholars alike, by those who engage in piracy and bootleg sales of Prince's music. We strongly urge our visitors to not buy bootlegs and support Prince's wishes and those of his estate.
It is now January 19, 2020 (UTC) – Refresh this page
1982 – Turn It Up (Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA)
1982 – Wild And Loose (The Time) (Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA)
1985 – Birmingham, AL, USA: Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Coliseum
1991 – Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho (a.k.a Estádio do Maracanã) (Rock in Rio II)
1997 – Birmingham, AL, USA: 5 Points Music Hall (a.m.)
1997 – Atlanta, GA, USA: Atlanta Live
2013 – Minneapolis, MN, USA: Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant (Dj set w/ live vocals)
2015 – Marz music video is premiered on YouTube.
2011 – New York, NY, USA: The Darby (a.m.) guesting w/ Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings (a.m.)
Associated Artists
1985 – Sheila E. performs in Birmingham, AL, USA: Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Coliseum, supporting Prince
1952 – Eric Leeds was born in Milwaukee, WI, USA
18 January ◄ 19 January ► 20 JanuaryPrince history calendar
From our newest additions:
... that Sign O' The Times was the most added single in both Billboard "Radio Most Added" sections of Hot Black and Hot 100 Singles Actions charts on 7 March 1987?
... that Pain is Prince's reworking of a song called Joy And Pain, written by D. Channsin Berry?
... that 94 East's One Man Jam had already been released in 1979 as Fast Freddie the Roller Disco King?
... that Clouds, U Know and Funknroll had charted in French SNEP Single Top 100 chart?
... that the "Instrumental" track released on NPG Music Club Edition #6 was essentially an instrumental re-recording of The Holy River?
... that Purple Rain Home Video remained 12 consecutive weeks at position 1 in Billboard Top Videocassette sales chart?
... that Sharon McCormack designed the hologram for the Diamonds And Pearls album cover?
See our archive: Did You Know?
Feature Release
Studio remaster / reissue
5 CDs + 1 DVD / 10 LP + 1 DVD
Label(s):
Warner Records / NPG Records
Description: 1999 Deluxe is the deluxe remaster box set of Prince's fifth album 1999, including a disc of b-sides/edits/remixes, two discs of previously-unreleased vault tracks, audio of a full 1999 Tour concert and a DVD of another show from the same tour.
> > > Read More
The Beautiful Ones book
Released: 29 October 2019
Spiegel & Grau
Description: The Beautiful Ones is Prince's unfinished memoir with co-author Dan Piepenbring. The full manuscript that Prince originally wrote is supplemented with dozens of pages with unseen pictures and handwritten song lyrics from Prince's own archive. The book appeared translated in six languages, including German, French, Spanish, Italian and Dutch.
Read more about Prince records here
The Greatest Romance Ever Sold, is released in the USA as the lead single of the Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic album. > > > Read More
Prince's eponymous second album Prince, was released in the USA on 19 October 1979. > > > Read More
Prince's 23rd studio album Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic was released in the USA on 11 November 1999 . > > > Read More
Prince's 16th album The Black Album, was released in the USA on 22 November 1994. > > > Read More
Next celebrations
14 September 2018 ★ 30 September 2018
7 June 1958 - 21 April 2016
"Just meet us at the Go-tel, Room 602"
From: Wild And Loose
Recorded: 19 January 1982
Released on: The Time: What Time Is It?
Read about Prince's career here
Feature Book
Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions 1983 and 1984
Duane Tudahl
We highly recommend and endorse the Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions 1983 and 1984 (Expanded Edition, paperback) book, by Duane Tudahl.
This is an updated edition of the fantastic book that provides incredible detail about Prince's studio sessions in 1983 and 1984. This 2018 paperback edition has 30 pages more information with newly uncovered dates and new interviews with people that reached out to Duane after the first edition of the book was published. Over 20 years of research by Duane Tudahl has provided a look behind the curtain, revealing the sheer brilliance of Prince's work in the studio. Duane Tudahl, like some PrinceVault staff members has been associated with Uptown Magazine and the bulk of the details on studio sessions and dates on PrinceVault is based his research, along with other Uptown Magazine writers. This book is the next level of that research. For nearly every song between 1983 and 1984, Duane Tudahl has uncovered more detailed information and presents it in a fresh and exciting narrative that takes the reader into the studio with Prince, revealing the creative process.
We are very pleased that Duane Tudahl has once more graciously allowed us to update pages on PrinceVault with the new information from the updated book. We would like to strongly encourage you to use this link to purchase the updated edition of the book. Princevault.com provides the specifications, the book provides the story that is Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions.
jooZt Mattheij – PrinceVault editor
> > > [More]
Although technically an odd-one-out section on PrinceVault, we have recently updated the list of all 'non-affiliated' books on Prince with over 40 new books that came out since 2016. > > > Read More
We've recently updated and elaborated on biography pages for Rosie Gaines and others, check it out. > > > Read More
Interviews is a comprehensive list of all interviews Prince gave throughout his career. > > > Read More
Award Shows Attended
Awards Attended is a list of all awards shows Prince attended, and was part of the ceremony, listed in chronological order > > > Read More
Rescheduled or Canceled Concerts
Rescheduled or Canceled Concerts is a non-exhaustive list including all known rescheduled and canceled concerts in Prince's concert history > > > Read More
Prince: All Charts
All Charts is a survey of Prince singles and albums that have charted in a selection of countries around the world > > > Read More
See our archive: Resources
Retrieved from "http://princevault.com/index.php?title=Main_Page&oldid=212054"
Content is available under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported unless otherwise noted.
About Prince Vault
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Antimonopoly service appeals judgment in dispute with leading drug producers
17:11 09/11/2011 The court will hear on November 10 a cassation appeal filed by the antimonopoly service against a court ruling excluding the Swiss-based F. HOFFMANN-La Roche Ltd. healthcare company and its Russian general distributor Roche-Moscow from the list of monopolies.
Multimillion lawsuit against Ford subsidiary to be heard on December 6
16:26 09/11/2011 A commercial court postponed until December 6 the case of $16.2 million in tax arrears at the Ford Motor Company.
Supreme Commercial Court proposes independent investigating magistrates in Russia
15:54 09/11/2011 The chairman of the Supreme Commercial Court has proposed establishing an independent institution of investigating magistrates to help curb corporate raids.
Court shortens list of documents Norilsk Nickel to submit to Rusal
15:00 09/11/2011 An appeals court has partially held for an appeal filed by MMC Norilsk Nickel and shortened the list of documents that the company must submit to its minority shareholder Rusal
State investment bank wins $33.7 mln award from compressor plant
14:22 09/11/2011 A commercial court sided with a foreign economic bank in its lawsuit to recover $33.7 million from a compressor plant.
Avianova bankruptcy application registered by court
14:17 09/11/2011 The Moscow Commercial Court has registered a bankruptcy application against the Avianova airline.
Court dismisses Penny Lane's defamation lawsuit against major developer
14:07 09/11/2011 The court has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by the Penny Lane real estate holding against Eurasia Logistics and its subsidiary Eurasia M4ю
Court confirms recovery of $26.2 mln from grid company in favor of Rusal
13:14 09/11/2011 A commercial court validated a court decision to recover from Interregional Distribution Grid Company of Siberia $26.2 million in unjust enrichment in favor of RUSAL Krasnoyarsk Aluminum Smelter.
State Property Mangement Agency files lawsuit for major seaport sale break up
12:47 09/11/2011 A court will hear on December 14 a $9.8 million lawsuit filed by the State Property Management Agency against Seltekhstroy for frustrating an auction for the sale of a major seaport in Russia's Far East.
Directors' guild appeals judgment over $25 mln suit against Moscow government
12:31 09/11/2011 A court will hear on November 30 the appeal of the Film Directors' Guild against a dismissal of its $25.14 million lawsuit against the Moscow government.
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Twilight Fanfiction Bella Meets The Cullens Again
"And where do you fit into that scheme?" He glared. New People (twilight/TVD) Fanfiction. Edward Cullen. ' That was the only word that ran through my mind now. You've probably heard of Renesmee Carlie Cullen. Twilight might be the best saga of vampire romance in recent history, but let's be real, it's full of inconsistencies. Bella and Edward meet again at age eighteen and their attraction to one another is undeniable. The film was directed by Yulin Kuang. After Damon turns Bella one year later, the whole gang comes to forks. But this time, she gets up, and meets the man that will change her life. But immediately, she’s haunted by three men she swears are vampires. Edward's Volvo, and Alice's Porsche were the only Cullen owned vehicles left in the lot. Please try again later. Anonymous asked: 1+10 for Edward Cullen. News pointed out that Mackenzie Foy, who played Renesmee Cullen in the two Breaking Dawn movies, looks a lot different than she did in the 2011 and 2012 films. Bella Swan / Cullen [] [Voice-over] Childhood is not from birth to a certain age. Or as the dictionary says about non canon "A word used by those who write fanfiction. We also happen to be Writers but are not displaing are links as we are in the middle of major exams - :( - and are not planning to update our stories any time soon but once exams are over. ' I chocked on that last thought, at the truth rearing its ugly head before me. not the usual pairings - just so we are clear this means stories that do not have as lead pairings such Edward/Bella, Rosalie/Emmett or Alice/Jasper. Bella Swan moves to Forks and encounters Edward Cullen, a gorgeous boy with a secret. Bella is coming out of a horrible relationship and needs a break. You Know the story Edward leaves and Bella gets turned into a vampire. Most of the Cullens are super-welcoming to Bella, especially Alice. In Twilight, Bella moves to her father's home in Forks, Washington, meets the mysterious Cullen family, and falls in love with Edward Cullen. By telling Charlie about the world having supernatural forces and that Bella has changed (without specifying anything), he does a huge favor for Bella, the Cullens and himself. What will the Cullens do when one of their own turns against them for the new, mysterious Swan girl?. And at a certain age the child is grown and puts away childish things. She is actually Isabella Turner, younger sister of Cole Belthazar Turner, now attending Forks High School she meets the Cullen's who think she is human, a clumsy, shy and naive human girl. She had been on the run for four months straight,she ended up stopping in Huston, Texas. However, because they. But when Avalyna is over Emmet sees something in her. Then she meets a cool, hot guy who turns out to be a good vampire, and he can do really cool things, like run fast and stop cars with his hands, but he's still sweet and wonderful. "Oh, I'm with the vampires, of course. Please try again later. Or as the dictionary says about non canon "A word used by those who write fanfiction. Summit Entertainment In "Fifty Shades," Christian Grey is a mysterious, jaw-droppingly handsome CEO. Forbiden Fruit: The Tempation Of Edward Cullen — note the spelling mistakes in the title — is a Twilight fanfic written by one 'BeckyMac666', who is widely believed to be Tara in disguise. Bella becomes a fighter and joins the volturi but not as any guard member, Bella becomes Aro volturi's personal guard #aro #bella #cullen #twilight #volturi. It offers a different explanation for what was so special about Bella Swan, why Edward vigilantly enforced those physical boundaries, why there's tension between the Cullens and the wolves, and why Edward behaved the way. Their families are sworn enemies, fighting for territory over their rival drug trafficking businesses. The Twilight series is primarily narrated from Bella's point of view. Edward left Bella and she was heart broken she moved to mystic falls to be with her cousins and friends and they helped her back to be the girl she was what happens when she meets her true mates there and what happens when Edward comes back. I nodded, relaxing my tense muscles. Edward is harboring nightmares caused by a horrific past. It doesn’t matter if it’s the customers she pours a cup of coffee for, or the man who just drop money on a New York sidewalk. Since his starring role as Edward Cullen, his resume has grown. Esme Cullen (Twilight) Esme first appears in Twilight when Edward takes Bella Swan to meet his family at their home outside of Forks. Stories that have Bella Swan and Peter "Whitlock" as the main characters. (BANNER BY Cullen's Conquest) After working on a horror film with hotshot director, Edward Cullen, Bella has finally had her big break through as an actress in Hollywood. It was painful, it hurt more than anything I had ever experienced. knowing she is not human they raise her and one day she meets Edwards blood singer and it all goes down hill from there, but she meets a wolf in the woods while protecting Bella. With Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Sarah Clarke. Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies. Either just Alice goes down to meet her in Washington or Alice and Carlisle do. twilight and vampire diaries crossover Fanfiction. Home Bella MacLeod Wizardtho > Spudzmom Atonement SparklingFae Skydancinghobbit TwilightAddict71484. The story of Twilight begins with a Isabella "Bella" Swan moving to live with her father Charlie Swan, the Chief of Police, in Forks, Washington. The film was directed by Yulin Kuang. Alec Came First BiteMyTongue Bella Alec What would’ve happened if Bella were to meet Alec Volturi when she goes to Volturi, and what will come from them meeting? Eternal Nightmare cullen’s pet Bella Alec Aro laughed again and his smile returned although it was more menacing than inviting. The Return Of Bella Fanfiction. Summary: Why does Rosalie hate Jacob so much? Watching him and Bella at the Cullens’ graduation party, Rosalie is forced to confront her past dealings with the Quileute tribe back in the 1930s, and the time she spent with Jacob’s great-grandfather, Ephraim Black. So we meet again by Cassandra Raie Edward left in New Moon but never returned. I mean yes Twilight was terrible but there's no denying that the whole moody, angst-ridden, supernaturally-charged, melodramatic YA romance-drama period of the early to mid 00s was a fucking look. Renesmee had a brief phonecall with Edward and Bella during chapter 3 mentioning that she wanted to come visit them, both Edward and Bella told her to stay away as there was a war brewing and they didnt want her involved in it. Dec 23, 2012- ALL COMPLETED works of Twilight Fan Fiction that include cannon couples (Edward & Bella focused) across all types of genres. When she meets the Cullen family, they graciously offer her shelter and help. Fanfic Friday: Master of the Universe Even though I have an Olympics post pending Fanfic Fridays come first. I nodded, relaxing my tense muscles. But navigating high-school and the supernatural world simultaneously proves more difficult than Bella had thought it would and she soon has to make some tough decisions about the way she intends to live out the. What if Bella didn't turn into a mute emotionless wreck when Edward left, what is Bella decided to make a new life and go to Italy. So we meet again by Cassandra Raie Edward left in New Moon but never returned. In an attempt to start a new life for herself, she moves to Forks, Washington to live with her father. With Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Gil Birmingham. New People (twilight/TVD) Fanfiction. cliff jumping, motorcycling, wanting to stand in the middle of the. Bella is a vampire and living a guy. With Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Sarah Clarke. Before Twilight, Robert Pattinson was known as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Edward and Jacob work together to plan a way to hide Bella's scent during the fight. At his side was Esme, I assumed, the only one of the family I'd never seen before. Bella is coming out of a horrible relationship and needs a break. 474; Epilogue: An Occasion "Do you want me to bolt the doors so you can massacre the unsuspecting townsfolk?" I whispered conspiratorially. He is featured in the books Twilight , New Moon , Eclipse and Breaking Dawn , and their corresponding film adaptations , and the as yet unfinished novel Midnight Sun —a re-telling of the events of Twilight from Edward's perspective. The angel shouldn't weep, it was wrong. In Twilight, a young human 17-year-old Bella moves to her father's home in Forks, Washington, meets the mysterious Cullen family, and falls in love with a young vampire 17-year-old Edward Cullen. She had the same pale, beautiful features as the rest of them. (BANNER BY Cullen's Conquest) After working on a horror film with hotshot director, Edward Cullen, Bella has finally had her big break through as an actress in Hollywood. Bella is the wife of Edward Cullen and the mother of Renesmee Cullen, as well as the daughter of Charlie and Renée Swan (after Bella became a vampire as well as persue her parents into getting back together and remarry again) and the ex-step-daughter of Phil Dwyer and the daughter-in-law of Edward and Elizabeth Masen. Bella Swan's older sister comes back to Forks after graduating a year before Bella comes back. Home Bella MacLeod Wizardtho > Spudzmom Atonement SparklingFae Skydancinghobbit TwilightAddict71484. Okay, since most of the recommended fics here are Bella/Edward I'll add some sapphic recomendations. I gasped, whilst he thrusted again. [Voice-over] About three things I was absolutely positive: first, Edward was a vampire. ' I chocked on that last thought, at the truth rearing its ugly head before me. Jasper was immediately hesitant about Edward pursuing a relationship with Bella. However, because they. Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) doesn't expect much when she moves to the small town of Forks, Washington, until she meets the mysterious and handsome Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson)- a boy who's hiding a dark secret: he's a vampire. Twilight Fanfiction Non Canon, AU, e. Page Numbers: 312-333 (Hardcover) Date of Chapter: March 13, 2005. This series, authored by Stephenie Meyer, examines the life of a teen girl, Bella Swan, after she meets Edward Cullen and his unusual family. They are both gifted vampires and members of the Olympic coven. What if Bella didn't turn into a mute emotionless wreck when Edward left, what is Bella decided to make a new life and go to Italy. Again! Twilight, Valentine's Day. Bella comes up with her plan, tells Charlie she's leaving and she, Alice and Jasper leave for Phoenix. ♥ஜ♥Twilight: The Cullens ~ We Are One♥ஜ♥ - Duration: twilight - first meet bella and cullens. Bella is coming out of a horrible relationship and needs a break. Alec Came First BiteMyTongue Bella Alec What would've happened if Bella were to meet Alec Volturi when she goes to Volturi, and what will come from them meeting? Eternal Nightmare cullen's pet Bella Alec Aro laughed again and his smile returned although it was more menacing than inviting. Bella is shy and becomes his moving partner after Edward’s old partner who I think is Mike has to set down due to health. So is fan fiction something to be feared? And where did it all begin?. After Damon turns Bella one year later, the whole gang comes to forks. YOU ARE READING. Follow my story as they sit down to read. You Know the story Edward leaves and Bella gets turned into a vampire. By Robsten_fanatic. But this time, she gets up, and meets the man that will change her life. Upstairs, Bella finds the Cullens preparing a meal for her, although Bella has already eaten as she knows the Cullens don't eat and didn't expect to be fed. Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) doesn't expect much when she moves to the small town of Forks, Washington, until she meets the mysterious and handsome Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson)- a boy who's hiding a dark secret: he's a vampire. Edward Cullen. Born on December 24, 2007, Neroza Esme Carlisle Esabella Aylena Lily Jamie Rosalie Alice Isabella Renesmee Carmen Kate Irina Tanya Violetta Sarah Black Mason Swan Hale McCarty Whitlock Cullen (name later shortened to Neroza Esme Cullen) is the resident vampire/shape-shifter hybrid member of the Volturi and Olympic Coven. Newborn Bella hates the monster she has become. Edward invites Bella to his house so he could meet all the cullens, when Bella meet all the cullens they were nice to her, but Rosalie did not put a happy fa. For a critic, the Twilight phenomenon is a little like The Da Vinci Code crossed with James Cameron’s Titanic. Anabella along with Bella will meet the Cullens, but the fate of the younger twin was less clear according to Alice, one of her mates. I am search for a twilight fanfiction where Bella and Edward work for a moving company owned by Emmett. Which finds our Edward and Bella hiking the Apalchia trail. Anyway, if anyone knows what fic Im talking about please help me! I wanna read it again!. ♥ஜ♥Twilight: The Cullens ~ We Are One♥ஜ♥ - Duration: twilight - first meet bella and cullens. Blair Swan (A Twilight Love Story) Blair Swan never had a bad life. Then she meets a cool, hot guy who turns out to be a good vampire, and he can do really cool things, like run fast and stop cars with his hands, but he's still sweet and wonderful. When she meets the Cullen family, they graciously offer her shelter and help. It doesn’t matter if it’s the customers she pours a cup of coffee for, or the man who just drop money on a New York sidewalk. Bella Swan paired with Alec Volturi. Alec Came First BiteMyTongue Bella Alec What would've happened if Bella were to meet Alec Volturi when she goes to Volturi, and what will come from them meeting? Eternal Nightmare cullen's pet Bella Alec Aro laughed again and his smile returned although it was more menacing than inviting. Synopsis: Alice and Jasper meet for the first time…or so it would seem. With Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Gil Birmingham. Bella? Marie? Chapter 1: Edward Meets Marie, a twilight fanfic - FanFiction. twilight - first meet bella and cullens. Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies. Isabella Marie "Bella" Swan (later Bella Cullen) is the fictional protagonist of the Twilight series, written by Stephenie Meyer. Twilight Summary. Dec 23, 2012- ALL COMPLETED works of Twilight Fan Fiction that include cannon couples (Edward & Bella focused) across all types of genres. that deserves a hug and my respect and much more! i shall do a lot to make people read thy fanfic you have wrote and put… Read More. Twilight Fanfiction Posts on Fanpop. During the Cullen's baseball game, they meet Laurent and his companions. " Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, p. [Voice-over] About three things I was absolutely positive: first, Edward was a vampire. Comfortably Numb by mathisson (@CPoponea) ~ Pulled/Published. Their views om marriage differ and she teases him about the divorce rate. A New Life Carlisle nodded toward me. Alec Came First BiteMyTongue Bella Alec What would’ve happened if Bella were to meet Alec Volturi when she goes to Volturi, and what will come from them meeting? Eternal Nightmare cullen’s pet Bella Alec Aro laughed again and his smile returned although it was more menacing than inviting. Vote For Your Top Ten Completed Fics ~ September 2019 Nominated fics have been COMPLETED between 1st and 30th September 2019 and are CURRENTLY AVAILABLE in the public domain, by open searching through fic sites, blogs, etc. Upstairs, Bella finds the Cullens preparing a meal for her, although Bella has already eaten as she knows the Cullens don't eat and didn't expect to be fed. Twilight (stylized as twilight) is a 2005 young adult vampire-romance novel by author Stephenie Meyer. Net Learning to trust again is difficult after you've been betrayed. "Oh, I'm with the vampires, of course. They are looking toward the future, which included a new path for the Cullen Consortium and impending parenthood. But when Avalyna is over Emmet sees something in her. Like the Cullens, the Denali coven enjoyed a diet of solely animal blood. Bella and Edward fall in love after they meet at her high school while she is still a human. This series, authored by Stephenie Meyer, examines the life of a teen girl, Bella Swan, after she meets Edward Cullen and his unusual family. Edward is harboring nightmares caused by a horrific past. After the Cullens left Forks a lot happened and when Bella runs into a certain blonde Cullen again it it gives them both a chance to make the scars fade. Fanfiction Edward left Bella and she was heart broken she moved to mystic falls to be with her cousins and friends and they helped her back to be the girl she was what happens when she meets her true mates there and what happens when Edward comes back meeting the cullens again. This is an AU of the Twilight Saga using an entirely different plot as to how, why, and when Edward and Bella fell in love. Hi I'm looking for a story all human I can't remember the title or author, Edward and Bella was Highschool sweethearts and break up but then meet again when she returns home. Twilight (stylized as twilight) is a 2005 young adult vampire-romance novel by author Stephenie Meyer. Bella Swan / Cullen [] [Voice-over] Childhood is not from birth to a certain age. There she meets the Cullens, a family of vampires. In Twilight, Bella moves to her father's home in Forks, Washington, meets the mysterious Cullen family, and falls in love with Edward Cullen. That's how the story goes, Bella. She is dying in the place of someone she loves, and the narrator does not regret any of the choices that brought her to this point. Summary: Bella moves to Forks after a troubled past, plagued by nightmares, and meets Edward Cullen, who has the same problem. Edward is married to Tanya, and she cheats as he works driving a moving truck. Renesmee meets Charlie for the first time when he comes to see Bella, and they both grow incredibly fond of each other. Twilight fanfiction writer (I'm not online much this summer - please be patient with slow replies) Over here still loving Twilight canon! I write fanfiction as Jessica314 on fanfiction. After crashing her car in the middle of no where,Bella is left on the ground alone, once again, in the rain, crying after another painful and crushing blow to her life. However, she soon discovers that the family is a coven of vampires. Twilight > Xander - Centered • Cuautla • FR15 • Chapters [5] • Words [16,335] • Recs [3] • Reviews [29] • Hits [14,159] • Published [3 Aug 16] • Updated [12 Aug 16. What will happen when Jasper gives Bella a stark choice and will they discover how much they mean to each other?. Synopsis: Alice and Jasper meet for the first time…or so it would seem. She is no longer the weak Bella,When the Cullen family meets her again!p. This series, authored by Stephenie Meyer, examines the life of a teen girl, Bella Swan, after she meets Edward Cullen and his unusual family. When Bella comes back in town, Maddie is excited to get to know her big sister—but she's shocked to find Bella wants nothing to do with her, or Charlie, or Forks itself. Watch the video above and tell me what you think in the comments. Twilight, True Blood, and Southern Vampire Mysteries Crossovers Fanfiction Stories that pair Bella Swan with either Eric Northman or Godric or place all three together as mates. The young woman will meet various vampires, getting trapped with eight of them. Bella is a singer and sings Japanese or Korean songs he goes back to her penthouse and the lights go off and she gets kidnapped. Anabella along with Bella will meet the Cullens, but the fate of the younger twin was less clear according to Alice, one of her mates. But this time, she gets up, and meets the man that will change her life. Edward "The Boss" Cullen and his wife, Bella, survived hell and back. Bella and Edward fall in love after they meet at her high school while she is still a human. "And where do you fit into that scheme?" He glared. Twilight is a book series with vampires and werewolves. 4 She Actually Dresses Up To Meet The Cullens The books are wildly descriptive when it comes to everyone's appearance, something that fans truly love about them. Little did they know she comes across TVD gang. Bella's Olympic dreams are crushed by injury. That was 3 years ago and now she's ready to make Edward Cullen fall in love with her and make this the best summer of her life. Bella Swan accepts a job as a nanny for single father, Dr. Not even 2 seconds after Bella knocked, the door swung open to reveal who i assumed to be Edwards parents. But this time, she gets up, and meets the man that will change her life. See more ideas about Abstract, Fanfiction net and Fanfiction stories. Edward takes Bella to his house for the first time, also introducing her to his whole family. Another ending. Before Twilight, Robert Pattinson was known as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and Bella (Kristen Stewart) in the "Twilight" series. "Oh, I'm with the vampires, of course. Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction. Bella get your eyes off of mr. This is her story. Upstairs, Bella finds the Cullens preparing a meal for her, although Bella has already eaten as she knows the Cullens don't eat and didn't expect to be fed. Bella Swan paired with Alec Volturi. twilight - first meet bella and cullens - school scene with subtitle - Duration: 2:58. knowing she is not human they raise her and one day she meets Edwards blood singer and it all goes down hill from there, but she meets a wolf in the woods while protecting Bella. "Wheres Emmett?" I asked Edward. Breathing Again by hazeleyes71790 aka heylittlelovely Breathless: A Twilight Fanfic by afraidtochange Bridge Over Troubled Water by IwantaWerewolfForMyself Bring Me To Life by Lindseyfair Bring the Handcuffs or Frisky Frisking Edward by 4theluvofmary aka creampuffsteph Bring You Back by Adair7 Bringing Bella Home by counselor. Twilight Fanfiction 2019 and Edward mistakens her as a whore and they make love Bella gets away and then they meet again in a lake. ) is a fictional character in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. Four from the past and one of the future. not the usual pairings - just so we are clear this means stories that do not have as lead pairings such Edward/Bella, Rosalie/Emmett or Alice/Jasper. She is the central character in the Twilight saga and took the name Cullen when she married Edward Cullen. Being a Cullen is great except. Twilight - Rated: M - English - Angst/Hurt/Comfort. Repeating over and over again like one of those annoying broken records. Feb 1, 2019- Summary: Newly traded and alone in an unfamiliar city, hockey player Edward Masen meets Bella Swan who happens to be his good friend's beaut. Renesmee had a brief phonecall with Edward and Bella during chapter 3 mentioning that she wanted to come visit them, both Edward and Bella told her to stay away as there was a war brewing and they didnt want her involved in it. , the little sister of Edward Cullen, the sister-in-law of Bella Swan, the biological aunt to Renesmee Cullen, the adoptive daughter to Carlisle and Esme Cullen, the adoptive sister of Emmett and Alice Cullen and Rosalie and Jasper Hale and the mate of Randy. In the irony of ironies, his mate is a black southern woman who is wary of him. This is an AU of the Twilight Saga using an entirely different plot as to how, why, and when Edward and Bella fell in love. knowing she is not human they raise her and one day she meets Edwards blood singer and it all goes down hill from there, but she meets a wolf in the woods while protecting Bella. After Damon turns Bella one year later, the whole gang comes to forks. Rated M BxA. "he left early for some reason, Don't know why" Edward said, hopping into his Volvo, Bella not far behind him. You Know the story Edward leaves and Bella gets turned into a vampire. The next video from The Storytellers — New Voices of The Twilight Saga short films is titled, We've Met Before. twilight - first meet bella and cullens - school scene with subtitle - Duration: 2:58. This is her story. Her first day in her new high school, Bella meets a number of friendly boys and girls—and the Cullens, a family of adopted teenagers, all of them intensely beautiful young people. That's right ladies! It's a collection of all of our must read Twilight FanFiction in one place! Please contact one of us if there is something new that you want added. Breathing Again by hazeleyes71790 aka heylittlelovely Breathless: A Twilight Fanfic by afraidtochange Bridge Over Troubled Water by IwantaWerewolfForMyself Bring Me To Life by Lindseyfair Bring the Handcuffs or Frisky Frisking Edward by 4theluvofmary aka creampuffsteph Bring You Back by Adair7 Bringing Bella Home by counselor. ' I chocked on that last thought, at the truth rearing its ugly head before me. Twilight fanfic OC Emmet Alec Avalyna Barnett is a new baby girl in Forks, Washington. Summary When Bella Swan wakes alone with a thirst for blood, she doesn't know what she has become. You Know the story Edward leaves and Bella gets turned into a vampire. After Damon turns Bella one year later, the whole gang comes to forks. What will the Cullens do when one of their own turns against them for the new, mysterious Swan girl?. Bella is shy and becomes his moving partner after Edward’s old partner who I think is Mike has to set down due to health. Then she meets a cool, hot guy who turns out to be a good vampire, and he can do really cool things, like run fast and stop cars with his hands, but he's still sweet and wonderful. Edward Bella Edward Cullen Fanfiction Stories Bella Swan Fan Fiction Confessions Summary Twilight Fanfiction Summary: Bella Swan accepts a job as a nanny for single father, Dr. I walked toward them, searching the lot over again. Jake and the wolves show up and make an alliance with the Cullens. So, I can't bring my self to regret the decisions to leave home. Published on Nov 18, 2018. 487 "Twilight, again. I nodded once, noting for him to continue. Based on the song by Taylor Swift 'Love Story'. In the movies, Alice is portrayed by Ashley Greene and. Nomadic Betrayal by MajorWhitlocklvr89. She has The normal, teenage life. Jasper was immediately hesitant about Edward pursuing a relationship with Bella. When Bella gets home, she does some internet research and things start falling into place. Aug 13, 2012 · Ewan Morrison: EL James's Fifty Shades of Grey originated as a piece of fanfic based on the Twilight series. Edward left her behind, never to "exist" again in her world, and Bella thought she would be stuck in an eternal twilight. Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) doesn't expect much when she moves to the small town of Forks, Washington, until she meets the mysterious and handsome Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson)- a boy who's hiding a dark secret: he's a vampire. Well in my story Bella gets turmed and she is one of the most powerful vampires in the world. Please try again later. After the Cullens left Forks a lot happened and when Bella runs into a certain blonde Cullen again it it gives them both a chance to make the scars fade. In the area she lives, no girl is allowed to join a gang let alone be the leader of one. ♥ஜ♥Twilight: The Cullens ~ We Are One♥ஜ♥ - Duration: twilight - first meet bella and cullens. Ive had this fic stuck in my head for a while and I cant seem to remember the name! Bella travels back in time and meets caveman edward, they fall in love a form a family. The next video from The Storytellers — New Voices of The Twilight Saga short films is titled, We’ve Met Before. We're enormously grateful for the journey and we have many fond memories that we can cherish together. Bella and Edward fall in love after they meet at her high school while she is still a human. Ive had this fic stuck in my head for a while and I cant seem to remember the name! Bella travels back in time and meets caveman edward, they fall in love a form a family. A young girl approaches danger unknowingly, wide-eyed and innocent and curious, and gets herself into some very sticky situations. Synopsis: Alice and Jasper meet for the first time…or so it would seem. Plot summary. Rated M BxA Twilight – Rated: M – …. Twilight: The Graphic Novel is a 2 part comic book miniseries by Young Kim, an adaptation of the first thirteen chapters of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Again! Twilight, Valentine's Day. The Twilight Universe exists in a series of romance/fantasy Young Adult books, and a series of movies. Twilight Appeal: The cult of Edward Cullen and vampire love in Stephenie Meyer’s novels and the new film (2008) SDG. Being a Cullen is great except. *Disclaimer: I only own my original characters like Ariana Swan and Lian Cullen and some of the plot if I add anything that was never in Twilight. When Bella and Edward first meet in Twilight, Edward realizes that he is unable to read Bella's thoughts, which he finds frustrating for reasons he did not know at the time. Dec 23, 2012- ALL COMPLETED works of Twilight Fan Fiction that include cannon couples (Edward & Bella focused) across all types of genres. just thinkin about a crimson-eyed edythe cullen in a satin evening gown in a dark alley in 1929 chicago, standing terrible and beautiful over some vile man she has brought to his knees while he clings to her dress and begs for mercy before she murmurs his crimes into his ear and lowers her lips to his neck to tear out his throat. Upstairs, Bella finds the Cullens preparing a meal for her, although Bella has already eaten as she knows the Cullens don't eat and didn't expect to be fed. Esme helped plan Edward and Bella's wedding and even readied a small cottage on the Cullen property for them to use as their home separate from the rest of the family. bella's swan was left in the woods by Edward Cullen, she had been abandoned by the wolf pack and her own father started to ignore her. Bella/Jasper *Revised!* *New Chapter up!*. Anabella along with Bella will meet the Cullens, but the fate of the younger twin was less clear according to Alice, one of her mates. Another ending. Summary: Bella Swan enjoys helping people. Bella and Edward meet again at age eighteen and their attraction to one another is undeniable. Mary Alice Brandon Cullen and Jasper Whitlock Hale are one of the secondary couples in the Twilight Saga. oh my god! this was such a great fanfic i told many of my friends to read it and now they love the twilight fanfics along with twilight itself! you have great taste as well. She is no longer the weak Bella,When the Cullen family meets her again!p. Well in my story Bella gets turmed and she is one of the most powerful vampires in the world. " Finally Edward offers a compromise where he will change her when they're married. She was given away when she was just a few days old because she was all human. Either Xander is the first to meet the twilight vamp or Buffy is. Renesmee had a brief phonecall with Edward and Bella during chapter 3 mentioning that she wanted to come visit them, both Edward and Bella told her to stay away as there was a war brewing and they didnt want her involved in it. not the usual pairings - just so we are clear this means stories that do not have as lead pairings such Edward/Bella, Rosalie/Emmett or Alice/Jasper. 50 yrs later vamp Bella sees stunned Cullens, read my fanfic? - Read the results on this poll and other Twilight Series polls. Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) doesn't expect much when she moves to the small town of Forks, Washington, until she meets the mysterious and handsome Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson)- a boy who's hiding a dark secret: he's a vampire. I wonder if. This is from the extended cut so there is a cute scene between Esmee & Carlisle in it. Jake and the wolves show up and make an alliance with the Cullens. And now, as tales of Edward, Bella and Jacob come to a close in the upcoming release of Breaking Dawn Part 2, we look back at the amazing true history of The Twilight Saga. We're enormously grateful for the journey and we have many fond memories that we can cherish together. Another ending. Directed by Bill Condon. cullen and pay attention to my lesson bella: *turns around. Breathing Again by hazeleyes71790 aka heylittlelovely Breathless: A Twilight Fanfic by afraidtochange Bridge Over Troubled Water by IwantaWerewolfForMyself Bring Me To Life by Lindseyfair Bring the Handcuffs or Frisky Frisking Edward by 4theluvofmary aka creampuffsteph Bring You Back by Adair7 Bringing Bella Home by counselor. She is endangered after falling in love with Edward Cullen, a vampire. Ewan Morrison: EL James's Fifty Shades of Grey originated as a piece of fanfic based on the Twilight series. Published on Jul 29, 2011 twilight - first meet bella and cullens - school scene edward bella emmet rosalie alice jasper cullen , high quality video and sounds and subtitle. When her mom announces that she’s once again pregnant, Blair decides its time to move in with her Uncle Charlie Swan, and cousin, Bella Swan. Ive had this fic stuck in my head for a while and I cant seem to remember the name! Bella travels back in time and meets caveman edward, they fall in love a form a family. " Bella's breath caught as the beautiful person kissed her full on the lips, quicker than a blink, and softer than a whisper. Most of the Cullens are super-welcoming to Bella, especially Alice. But who in the world keeps leaving her roses in the most impossible places? BellaEdward Fluffic! Series. One day while hunting Alice has a vision about a child in the woods alone and near death. Nomadic Betrayal by MajorWhitlocklvr89. In Twilight, a young human 17-year-old Bella moves to her father's home in Forks, Washington, meets the mysterious Cullen family, and falls in love with a young vampire 17-year-old Edward Cullen. She and Carlisle are both warm and friendly towards Bella, and Esme welcomes her with open arms, acting as though she were already part of the family. YOU ARE READING. Which finds our Edward and Bella hiking the Apalchia trail. Bella and Edward get invited to a party and Edward ask Bella not to go. I've read hundreds (maybe even thousands) of Twilight fanfics and these are some of my favorites that have made me cry, swoon, hot, laugh, "ahhh" and ultimately moved me to recommend. They were both unbelievably beautiful, with pale skin and kind faces. However, she soon discovers that the family is a coven of vampires. Page Numbers: 312-333 (Hardcover) Date of Chapter: March 13, 2005. Edward left Bella and she was heart broken she moved to mystic falls to be with her cousins and friends and they helped her back to be the girl she was what happens when she meets her true mates there and what happens when Edward comes back. You Know the story Edward leaves and Bella gets turned into a vampire. The begin to bond in the night hours, helping each other stay awake. After Damon turns Bella one year later, the whole gang comes to forks.
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Enters the Metaverse
Bill Rabinovitch was working on the discovery of quasars, when he decided to leave science to pursue his dream of becoming an artist. This eventually led him to create digital art. Quat Gallery offered to exhibit his digital work in the Metaverse, and provide him with a virtual studio in which to work. Rabinovitch takes the form of an avatar in order to enter the Metaverse and consider their offer.
Rabinovitch arrives at the loft building in Quat.
He checks out his studio.
He decides he likes the size of the space, and the huge picture window's panoramic view of the Quat River.
The sliding blue glass doors lead to the gallery lounge, which is well stocked with free drinks - another plus.
Rabinovitch soon sets to painting,
and quickly fills his loft with work.
He checks out his exhibition space in the gallery, "I can run one of my videos on this media screen, but which one?"
"Should I run my award winning video 'Picasso and the Weeping Women'?"
"Or my video of Ushio Shinohara's painting battle with Hyoga Katsuma, or my paint battle with Schnabel?"
"Or the reel of selected segments from 10 years of my cable TV show where I interviewed art stars, such as Damien Hirst, Roy Lichtenstein, and James Rosenquist, and which was featured in a retrospective of my work in the MoMA Cineprobe series?"
"Or maybe the trailer from my feature video, 'Pollock Squared' which starred Barnaby Ruhe, Dennis Oppenheim and Arthur Danto playing Jackson?"
"The trailer is short, so better suited to a gallery setting like this, where people don't sit to watch a feature."
He tries different arrangements in his gallery,
and soon mounts his first virtual show.
Merlin, the gallery director, stops by to view Rabinovitch's progress.
"Great work Bill; I love the way you've mounted this show!" exclaims Merlin.
Rabinovitch replies, "I'm happy with the way this is working out, so I've decided to accept Quat Gallery's offer."
"Great! Now that you've decided to join us, we'll have to find you a suitable place to live in the Metaverse."
"Oh, I just need a room in the corner of the loft for my bed and clothing, nothing fancy," Bill protests.
"I'm used to living in my studio space in real life. I like being able to roll out of bed and just get straight to work."
"I understand completely. Let's go up to the lounge and have a drink to celebrate your joining the gallery."
"Have a glass of champaign, Bill. and let's chat about the art world for a bit, ok?" Merlin offers.
"Sure, sounds good to me," Bill responds.
Merlin begins, "I appreciate that you want to live simply, and devote yourself to making art."
"I admire that dedication, and it's one reason I invited you to join the gallery."
"However, you have to realize the art world today is very different than the art world of Pollock and Picasso which you admire."
"In those days the art world was all about exciting new art movements like Cubism and Abstract Expressionism."
"Today the art world is unfortunately all about obscene wealth. "
"Only billionaires can afford to be players in today's art market, and only artists who fit into their world can succeed."
"An artist who isn't living a fabulous lifestyle won't be taken seriously."
Rabinovitch responds, "But what matters to me is my art, not impressing billionaires."
"I know that Bill, but look at today's art world:"
"A Wall Street player decided to become an artist by hiring artisans to create copies of kitsch objects."
"He was able to get other Wall Street types to pay hundreds of thousands for his kitsch, was hailed as a genius, and just had a retrospective at the Whitney Museum."
"The critic, Jerry Saltz, reviewed the show and wrote, his 'art now seems to celebrate the ugliest parts of culture. The rich and greedy buy it because it lauds them for their greediness, their wealth, power, terrible taste, and bad values,'"
Merlin recites from memory
"That's exactly what I want to oppose with my work! I certainly don't want to become a part of that corrupt art world."
"I can see this is going to be difficult. O.K., for now you can live in your studio as you wish," Merlin concedes.
"It's up to me as your dealer to make this work. You have a birthday coming up in a few days, and now I know what I'm going to give you as a present."
"It will be a surprise."
True to his word, Merlin has a room build in the corner of Rabinovitch's loft, to Bill's specifications.
Bill moves in his modest possessions, his wardrobe of faded jeans and T-shirts, his Picasso posters, and a prized photo.
"A great colorful moment for me was 2002 when I was videoing the opening of Apple's then Flagship store in SOHO. I asked Steve Jobs if he would do a cameo as Jackson Pollock, in my Pollocksquared Indie. I'm glad I got that on tape, or people might not believe me. I thought to ask him because of his statements about Mavericks."
"Jobs had said, 'Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.'"
Bill then gets back to work painting. "I wonder what Merlin has in mind giving me for my birthday?" Bill ponders.
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An Examination of the Factor structure of the Effortless Meditation scale and its benefits on Wellbeing
Sadhna Dadhore, G. Paran Gowda
sadhnadadhore112@gmail.com
Address: Sadhna Dadhore, G. Paran Gowda
University of Patanjali, Haridwar, Uttarakhand
Dhyana or effortless mediation (EM) is one of the eight limbs of yoga. The effortless meditation techniques have been applied in the field of health as wellness centres. The objective of this paper is to develop the factor structure and find the reliability and validity an instrument to measure the students’ health and wellbeing based on the effortless meditation. We used SPSS and AMOS version 25 to present the analysis of the items in the instrument using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Samples of 604 students aged 11-18 years were selected from 20 secondary schools in Bhopal region, India. The effortless meditation items scale had initial 30 items, with a five point rating scale questionnaire that assessed health and wellbeing. The final tool containing 13 items scale had standardized regression coefficients (0.89). Internal consistency represented by Cronbach’s alpha of 0.98 was in the acceptable range. Three different fitness indices comprising Absolute, Incremental and Parsimonious fits were also analysed and found to be acceptable within the limits. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a one-dimensional factor structure of the Effortless meditation scale (EMS). The extracted EM scale is found to be a valid and reliable measure for health and wellbeing of one self and society. There is a scope for further research work in the other main domains of yoga concept.
Effortless meditation; Health and wellbeing; Psychometric properties; Instrumental study.
Sadhna Dadhore, G. Paran Gowda. An Examination of the Factor structure of the Effortless Meditation scale and its benefits on Wellbeing. Res. J. Humanities and Social Sciences. 2019; 10(2): 441-448.
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