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The hot wind brushed her face. It made her blink, and gave the small bird she was chasing a chance to escape. The ground beneath her bare feet was warm, and her tunic was almost unbearably hot. How she wished she could fly, cool and free, like that bird!
"Severiah!" Her Mama called from inside the hut which her Papa built for them. He was a fisherman before they moved farther away from the Sea. Now, he was gone. He did small work for anyone who asked him to repair things, and often was not at home.
"Daughter!" Severiah turned and ran inside. "Daydreaming again? Well, you are nine summers old now. It's time you learned more about the real world. Please go to the town market, and buy a sack of flour, and as many eggs as you can with what money you have left."
"But, Mama!"
"Hurry child, or you won't be back before sunset."
Very reluctantly, Severiah slipped out and began the journey toward the town. Halfway there, she realized that she had not brought anything to eat. At the market, she bought a small peice of cheese, flour and eggs. The trip home seemed to take much longer than before. Suddenly, Severiah saw a bird and followed it without thinking.
She found herself in a field, but she couldn't see anything but people. The whole town must be here! They were listening to a man teach. All at once, the whole crowd sat down. Severiah could now see the man who had been teaching. He was blessing two fish and five small loaves of bread. Surely he didn't think that such a small amount of food would feed so many people?
"Severiah!"
The girl jumped. It was the man! But how did he know her name?
"Yes, Sir?"
"Are you hungry?" She nodded. "Go home, get your mother, and return here." Severiah ran.
She was closer to home than she had thought at first. She told her Mama the story, and was scolded for telling a lie.
"But, Mama, he knew my name!"
Mama's curious nature got the better of her, so she followed her daughter back to the field. Sure enough, they were fed fish and bread, all they could eat. From those two fish and five loaves, there were twelve baskets of leftovers!
That day, Severiah and her Mama came to believe that the Man, named Jesus, was the One who had been promised to their people.
That was a day to remember!
To read the Bible story of "The Feeding of the Five Thousand", look up Mark chapter 6, verses 30 through 44.
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Rasta Livewire
Lioness Nyabinghi : Priestess-Queen-Mother of Africa
November 14, 2008 Don Jaide 20 Comments
By Jide Uwechia
According to most modern ubran legend on Rastafari:
” the word ‘Nyabinghi’ has a somewhat complicated history. It was originally associated with an uprising against White European colonialism in southwestern Uganda during the mid to late nineteenth century and the early part of the twentieth…
The movement was mainly led by a number of women, including a charismatic healer called Muhumusa, who was much feared. She was believed to be possessed by the spirit of a legendary Amazon Queen, Nyabinghi. Muhumusa not only inspired a vast popular following, but also organised military action against the German colonialists”
The tenuity of this over-simplified explanation that mixes facts and fantasies needs to be pointed out. The first is that there is no place in Africa called Amazon, and there was never in existence at any time any Amazon Queen of Africa. But there was always in existence, an African Queen of Queens whose memory still lingers in so many stories and legends right across Africa, like the Queen Sheba, and the Emperess Kandake.
As the story goes, the spirit of this African Empress, this dread lioness Queen of Queens, Avenger of her father and son, subsists in Africa and the diaspora until this day, manifesting her presence and actions in this physical domain through spiritual possession, inspiration and mental transformation.
There are various names for this historical African Queen of Queens but at a time she was known in the cradle of the Egyptian and Kushitic civilization, in the upper Nile areas, toward the borders of modern Southern Sudan, and Uganda, as Queen Nyabinghi.
The name Nyabinghi was a synonym for Sekhmet. Though the true details of her life has been subsumed in legends, Queen Nyabinghi was the archetypical Priestess-Queen of a province of Upper Kush (Ethiopia-Egypt), who rebelled against the oppressive life-denying evil regime which disrupted order and stability in the motherland through the instrumentality of foreign occupation, external manipulation and local collaboration.
Descent of the authentic lineage of the ancient Kushitic Kings of Kings, this dread locked little African princess fled from the corrupting influence of the evil forces of oppression into the inner reaches of the great forests.
Nyabinghi took refugee in forests spanning modern Congo, Sudan and Uganda. There in an act of daring and defiance she established a mass guerrilla army of dread rebels (known as the children of Nyabinghi or Binghis for short) which fought against the collusive cabal of pale forces oppressing the ancient motherland until oppression fled from the motherland.
Nyabinghi’s self -sacrificing and daring action took the foreign over-lords by surprise and aided by the spiritual power of Sekhmet, Nyabinghi and her warriors soon crushed the oppressive regime and chased it away from the land.
Justice, peace and stability then reigned again.
Codes of Nyabinghi
The natural ebullinece of Nyabinghi, her intelligence and her charisma soon made her an a focus of fanatical devotion for her followers. Her male and female dread lock devotees sought leadership and spiritual guidance from her insight. She left a code of living for her followers. This code was necessary in maintaining their natural connection with their maternal origin the earth.
“First and foremost, Nyabinghi is the true defender of the peace, justice and order in the motherland. To Nyabinghi, there is nothing more precious than the humble soil of Africa on which the Binghis are born, where they grow and into whose embrace they shall sleep continuously.”
“Nyabinghi loves all humanity without compromise. Queen Nyabinghi adulates the works of her father, and her son. So should all the Binghis.”
“Binghis are the guardian of the land and the brothers and sisters to all that live right in creation. Love them, respect them and show them compassion always.”
“Binghi deals only with righteousness. Righteous action, thoughts and words. A follower of Nyabinghi does no wrong. Wrong weakens the strong.”
Binghis will always share water with the thirsty, food with the hungry, clothe with the naked and a boat for whomever would cross the river.”
“Nyabinghi shows loyalty and sincerity to the just, but the unjust were to be cleansed with fire.”
As postcripts, some versions of the story hold that Nyabinghi lost her life in the struggle, others say she lost her eye, others talk about the loss of limbs or children. The point is that the struggle launched by Nyabinghi came at a great personal cost to her. But it brought untold and everlasting gains to the land of the Kushites. What a royal soul!
The selflessness, fortitude and steadfastness of Nyabinghi increased the commitment of her devotees. Even after she had physically departed earth which in itself was controversial as many believed that she had simply vanished rather than died, mediums, prophets and sages still reported of communication and contact with this ever-loving patroness of righteous Africa.
Soon words came that Nyabinghi would be born again…that Nyabinghi would rise again somewhere, somehow amongst the children of Africa, at home and in the Diaspora, whenever and whereever the need calls.
For millenia, her worship has persisted in Africa. Her mediums, devotees and followers, and prophets are easily identifiable by their dreadlocks and their lion and lioness totem and almost overbearing commitment to the welfare of Africa and Africans always pervaded the continent.
The early colonist and subsequent slavers from Europe unwittingly reported of a secretive but co-ordinated continent wide resistance against colonial depredations. There were reports of subversive and insurgent activities by certain faceless cults operating throughout Africa against colonial incursion.
Simultaneous accounts from Nigeria, Serria Leone, Gambia, Senegal, Sudan, Congo and Uganda detailed vigours resistance movements against the thrust of the European powers. Although armed with better weapons, the British soldiers were always in dread of encounters with one of those groups. They were courageous, fearless and formidable in action. In death they went with a royal dignity. It was as if they met their deaths willingly.
This resistance was alive also in the Maroon communities of the penal slave Islands of the Carribeans, and in South America. In the United States where the power of travesty was projected with pompous arrogance, resistance took the form of secret actions like random poisoning of the slave keepers, their animals and the destruction of their livelihood through arson and other acts of vandalism on the slave plantation.
Nyabinghi Muhumusa
In the land of the first Pharaohs, in Northern Uganda near the borders with Sudan, the colonialist and slave masters encountered one of the incarnate forms of Sekhmet the dread lioness, by way of a resistance movement fighting their depredations on the African soil.
The savage European slavers encountered the Ugandan section of the Nyabinghi resistance when they sought the expansion of their slave trading activities into northern Uganda in the late 19th century. This movement was led exclusively by women and they fiercely resisted the incursion of the European savages. The tit for tat engage between Nyabinghi movement and the European savages lasted for well more than 50 years.
In the early 20th century one of the most feared Nyabingi leaders was Muhumusa a dreadlock guerrilla fighter with the Nyabinghi movement, a person described by the illegal and illegitimate colonial governments established by the European savages as ‘an extraordinary character’.
Her followers believed she was possessed by the spirit of the legendary Kushitic Queen, Nyabinghi. Calling for a revival of right living through reliance on the principles of the forest code of the ancestral Nyabinghi, Muhumusa not only inspired a vast popular following of dreadlocked-lion (and lioness) worshipping, hemp smoking auxillary fighters, but also organised military action against the German colonialists.
The Nyabinghi movement was subsequently condemned by the British as ‘witchcraft’. and Muhumusa was captured in 1913. The Ugandan movement was relentlessly hounded by the government of the European savages.
British effort to destroy the Nyabinghi movement was implicated its criminalization as witchcraft through Witchcraft Ordinance of 1912, which promoted Christianity and encouraged other indigenous anti-Nyabinghi cults. The British used the witch burning procedure of 1500 to 1600 that were central in the transition from pre-capitalist to capitalist relations in Europe.
Even after the capure of Nyabinghi Muhumusa, the uprisings continued nevertheless, led by other women and occasionally men who had become similarly possessed by the power and presence of She who must be obeyed, the dreadlock lioness Goddess of Africa, the Queen of Queens and the Majestic Lady of Power, Sekhmet-Nyabinghi the daughter and mother of the great God.
Again, such brave resistance could not be so easily forgotten. It has lived on in many ways amongst the children of Africa at home and in the diaspora, having much influence on the Rastafari tradition, in which so-called Nyabinghi codes of livity, and chants are very popular and usually form the basis of the annual Groundation celebrations. In Jamaican parlance, the name Nyabinghi has come to mean ‘Death to Black and White oppressors’.
From the late 19th century to the 1920s in the Caribbean Islands and especially in Jamaica, once again…the chant of Nyabinghi was heard. She was there, her name, her presence, her forest code, her forest chants and drummings, her holy chalice the cannabis hemp, her totemic animals the lions and the lionesses, and her ever present dreadlocks followers, all were there too.
Again, one encounters Nyabinghi in the West Indies, chanting word, sound and power in Jamaica, in the United States, in Canada, Africa, rising, fighting against savage oppression, chanting death and destruction unto black and white oppressors wherever they may be!
These days one observes the binghis and the binghis’ children stepping forth to take the secpter, the royal staff of power, to restore stability all over world. Given her antecedents, Sekhmet-Nyabinghi and her Binghi children will win this one once again.
Jide Uwechia
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20 thoughts on “Lioness Nyabinghi : Priestess-Queen-Mother of Africa”
Maps de river mama says:
i n i r the daughters of the new JERUSALEM n ZION is truly our mother….Rise n Shine nubian empress!….let us wake up n live
Sista Nohumusa says:
Jah Rastafari! We give tanks to the wise teachings and the rising spirit of righteous livity
Pingback: Nyabinghi Efua Kaigirwa: Renaming Myself in Honor of my Alkebulanian Spirit and Destiny – Lioness Nya
can says:
sekhmet/nyabinghi
Haile Ras Tafari, Elders of the Congregation I, Naphtali from Bloemfontein, South Africa, Twelve Tribe Order. How come today Nyabingi is attended to as a religion and not a right wing order, there is no clarity for the cause of Ras Tafari. (Its like Babylon has indeed infiltrate Rastas to lead them to such acceptance). The Lion of Judah Shall Prevail and this thing of regarding Emmanuel higher than Haile Selassie is an Insult.
aruho obed says:
in south western uganda the nyabingi is still believed to be there the worshippers are associated with too much drinking of alcohol and loves meat too much but its seen as evil it fights riches it kills animals in a home thus has been regarded as the worst enemy of man thus religious and born again churches have found difficult in chasing that spirit.
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This Larger River
By Bruce Leventhal | August 28, 2017 |
River Mist at Sunrise (William O’Brien State Park). Photo © Bruce Leventhal
Introduction by Agate
“The need to protect such magnificent resources as the St. Croix demands imaginative legislation.” (Gaylord Nelson, September 8, 1965, Congressional Record)
In these times, it’s good to remember that the National Wild & Scenic Rivers Act passed in 1968 with support from both sides of the aisle. Prior to the final voice votes that sent the legislation to President Johnson for signing, the penultimate bills in the House and Senate passed resoundingly, respectively (267 -7) and (84-0).
It’s nice to think it was because fishing lines were stronger than party lines. The congressional record suggests that it wasn’t quite so simple as that. The outcome was not assured; it was earned.
The National Wild & Scenic Rivers Act will have its 50th anniversary in 2018, but Agate is celebrating early to honor those who were in the trenches years before its passage: refining policies, developing language, overcoming differing priorities and engaging in thoughtful discussion—all in the shared interest of preserving our nation’s wild rivers.
As early as January of 1965, in the 89th Congress, Senators Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin and Walter Mondale of Minnesota introduced a bill to establish the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. The bill successfully passed in the Senate. While it did not succeed in the House during that session, it laid important groundwork for the upper St. Croix’s inclusion among the first 8 rivers designated under the 1968 Act as well as the selection of the lower St. Croix for study and later (1972) designation.
With this collection of outstanding St. Croix Valley images by photographer Bruce Leventhal, we reflect on what Senator Gaylord Nelson called the “magnificent resources” of the St. Croix. It is a story that begins at the river proper but extends to the broader river valley ecosystem in all its rich biodiversity. Through Leventhal’s lens—informed by his perspective as a field biologist and teacher—we see this larger river with new eyes. We see the dynamic nature of the river itself, defining its shoreline; the colonial waterbirds and other migrants that return each spring; the mosaic of native plant communities that occupy the river valley landscape; keystone species such as the beaver creating the conditions on which a host of other species depend; the utter brilliance of life at every scale.
With gratitude to all those who worked so hard—and continue to work—to keep it so.
Viva la Croix!
– Agate
River Snake. (St. Croix Boom Site) Photo © Bruce Leventhal
Great Egret (St. Croix Island Recreation Area). Photo © Bruce Leventhal
Treetop Courtship (St. Croix Island Recreation Area). Photo © Bruce Leventhal
Black-eyed SusansScape. (William O’Brien State Park). Photo © Bruce Leventhal
Beaver Lodge (St. Croix Valley). Photo © Bruce Leventhal
The Engineer (St. Croix River Basin, near Stillwater). Photo © Bruce Leventhal
Gray Tree Frog (Near Interstate Park, WI). Photo © Bruce Leventhal
Muskrat Sunrise (St. Croix River Basin, near Stillwater). Photo © Bruce Leventhal
End of Summer (St. Croix Boom Site). Photo © Bruce Leventhal
Bruce Leventhal’s photography has been featured by The Nature Conservancy, Nature Photographer Magazine and throughout the web. Leventhal holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Biology with a focus in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior from the University of California Irvine and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. He currently teaches high school biology in Forest Lake, MN where he relies on stories of travel and nature to make biology real for his students.
Bruce Leventhal. Photo © Tamy Leventhal
He and his wife, Tamy, are both avid photographers. As their website states, “We hope that our pictures carry a message that inspires others to conserve and preserve the planet’s physical and biological diversity.” Their words of encouragement? “Leave the comfort of your reality… Grab the gear… Get dirty… Explore the planet…Tell a story.”
Read more: Find an interesting summary of the Wild & Scenic River Act and its passage in the 1968 CQ Almanac.
Filed Under: Art, Homepage Bottom Features, Homepage Top Feature, Photography, St. Croix River
About Bruce Leventhal
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Static Caravan Hire
Visit Skomer Island
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About West Hook Farm
West Hook Farm and Campsite is run by Karre and Robert Thomas. It is a small campsite with clean basic facilities. The site has 30 pitches, which are set out over 4 acres of land. There is between 6 and 18 metres between pitches depending on position. Some pitches are on a gentle north facing slope.
There are 8 communal toilets and wash hand basins, 3 showers that work on 50p coins, 3 washing up sinks and a chemical disposal point. The use of several fridges and freezers is also available.
Karre and Robert are big on recycling. There are separate bins for plastic bottles, newspapers and magazines, tins and cans and glass bottles and jars. There is also a compost heap for organic waste and peelings.
This has to be one of my favourite campsites.. everyone very friendly, the site was clean, spacious, the views where...
Posted by Simone Smith on Sunday, 27 August 2017
Living Memory History of West Hook Farm
Robert’s family came to West Hook in September 1941. They originally farmed at Longhands Farm, Dale. This was demolished to make way for Dale Airfield.
Dale Airfield or RAF Dale/ RNAS Dale/ HMS Goldcrest as it was known by the various groups who used it during and after the Second World War, was first used by the 304 Polish Squadron, running Wellington Aircraft missions, including convoy protection, anti-submarine patrols and bombing raids in Occupied France.
In April 1943, the Coastal Command Development Unit took over the airfield and tested many aircraft, while developing new tactics and equipment.
In September 1943, the Royal Navy took over the use of the airfield, now called HMS Goldcrest, as a training unit and improved and developed the area further, until flying ceased in 1948.
The Davies and Thomas families, were given very little time to find an alternative farm to move to, from Longhands and West Hook Farm, having been empty for sometime, was the place they moved to.
When they moved to West Hook, the family consisted of:
Robert and Emily Davies (Robert’s Great Grandparents)
Archie and Dora Thomas (Robert’s Grandparents)
Elsie Davies (Robert’s Great Aunt)
Bob Thomas (Robert’s Father)
Oldest Cow in the World
They started taking in campers, from the late 1940’s. Auntie Elsie was the main driving force of the farm and she and her sister Dora, would milk a few cows by hand, twice daily, out in the fields, “so that the cows would not be disturbed”, by bringing them to the byre.
The milk was used to feed calves, make butter to sell and for milk for the house. Auntie Elsie treated all her animals with great fondness and affection.
In 1956, one of her cows, named JANE, died at the great age of 40. she had by this time produced 32 calves.
Jane was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records, as the “Oldest Cow in the World”. This record was held well into the 1980’s.
Robert’s father Bob, met his mother Megan, in the late 1950’s and married in May 1961. They lived at West Hook Farm.
Robert was born in November 1962 and they all continued to live at West Hook until 1967, when Bob, Megan and Robert moved to Megan’s original home, which was between St David’s and Fishguard, to help look after family there.
Robert spent all of his school holidays and most weekends at West Hook, from 1971 onwards. As a youngster, he drove the tractor and did many of the jobs around the farm.
When Robert left school at the age of 16, in April 1979, he moved back to West Hook, sharing the house with Auntie Elsie, since Dora, his Grandmother, has died in December 1978 and Archie, his Grandfather, died soon after, in February 1979.
Auntie Elsie, moved to live with Bob and Megan, originally for the winter of 1979 - 1980, but chose to remain there, until her death in May 1990.
A New Chapter Begins:
Robert met Karre in July 1980, when Karre was potato picking at East Hook Farm, where Robert also worked, part time. They were married in September 1983 and Karre moved to West Hook. Both worked very hard to build up the farm and campsite.
Robert and Karre have two daughters, Becky, born in 1986 and Sarah, born in 1988. Becky now lives with her partner James near Carmarthen and Sarah is married to Amos. They have three children, Megan Rose, Bethan and Leuan. They live in Milford Haven.
Robert and Karre have become good friends with many campers over the years. Some families are still coming here now, who used to come when Dora, Archie and Auntie Elsie were here.
Robert and Karre still have a Christmas card from Charles and Mary Hancox, who came to West Hook on honeymoon, in 1948, and continued to come for many years after that.
Please Enjoy the Photographs
Pause or Play
Robert, Emily, Elsie and Dora at Longlands - c. 1927
Dora and Elsie - c. 1946
Robert Davies, Archie Thomas, Bob Thomas - c. 1948
Auntie Elsie with Jane - c. 1950
Elsie, Dora Archie and Bob - c. 1956
Milking Out in the Meadow - c. 1962
Auntie Elsie - c. 1965
Elsie and Dora - c. 1965
West Hook Farm - c. 1965
Robert Looking Very Shy - c. 1973
Robert - c. 1975
Willie, Bob, Megan, Liz, Auntie Elsie, Robert - c. 1979
Robert Hay Baling - c. 1979
Campers Helping with the Hay - c. 1980
Ken, Robert and Emrys - c. 1983
spud-picking-1983-Horsefield.jpg
Karre, Willie and Robert - October 1983
Robert and Gilbert - c. 1986
Straw Baling - c. 1987
Becky - in Training for Tractor Driving - c. 1987
Silage Making - c. 1988
Karre - c. 1989
Becky Ready to Keep Everyone in Line - c. 1990
Becky, Sarah and Harvey - c. 1992
Sarah and Becky - c. 1992
Christmas Dinner - c. 1993
Potato Picking - c. 1994
Robert Combining - c. 2013
West Hook Farm Camping
SA62 3BJ
© 2018 - West Hook Farm
Email - West Hook Farm
Find West Hook Farm
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Mudanças entre as edições de "Perksrecognize this category frequently presumeOf Online Shooting Games"
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A Freaking Celiac in Atlantic Canada
Life is a messy business. If you are doing it right, your life should not be boring. That's just the way I like it. I panic at boring. I can't do monotony, I don't know how anyone could. I like the chaos and the last minute crazy that happens to me all the time. Not drama, I don't do drama. Keep your passive aggressive, gossip whispering OMGs to yourselves.
However, I will always embrace the change and the flux of a well embraced life.
My husband, has accepted a transfer to the City of Halifax for one year starting in September. For those of you who aren't Canadian, which more and more of my readers everyday are not ( step it up Canada seriously) it's the same as moving from Montana to Maine or Moscow to Khabarovsk (can I google or what bitches? Могу ли я таращить карту или что суки?)
Halifax is far from Calgary (about a 5 day drive going balls to walls), but it's not the other side of the world. Our two cities are very different in industry and size and I am really excited to have the spawn experience something new. When his company first came to us with this idea, I screamed 'YES'! I love stuff like this. I love shaking life up. However, shaking your life up comes with a lot of shit along with it.
- A To Do List that is taller than my body
- A house to pack up and feeling like I'm on an episode of Hoarders. "We are all just five bad decisions away from shitting in a bucket." Cory Chalmers, Hoarders. Make the right call people, seventeen chafing dishes is seventeen too many.
- Mail forwarding, which is a huge pain in the ass -would we expect anything less from the postal service? I might have to train some pigeons or pony expresses or whatever can get my monthly subscription of 'US' Magazine to me. Gotta keep up with those Kardashians (that was a joke -don't stop reading my blog and throw rotten lettuce at me).
- Property management companies (who look like nice people in golf shirts but they are really just judgy assholes with clipboards)
- Renters - who are super duper weird sometimes. One guy gave me a 'pet name' during our email exchange to set up the time for viewing. No honey, Poopsey here isn't going to give you her address. The nice ones have some minor reason for not taking it, "Oh, does it have 16 cupboards in the kitchen? Jeez louise darnit all, we were looking for 17, too bad."
- Two kids who can't decide if they like this idea or not. One minute, it's like we are going to Disneyland and the next, it's like I am forcing them to live in the back of a sketchy carneys semi-truck for 12 months - they are all panic and fear and clutching toys to their chests like tsunami survivors.
- Insurance companies who seem to be confused about who works for who. Here's how it is, I pay you a shit ton of money, you save that money, and if my house is blown up in a botched meth lab operation by the creepy renter people, you give me all that money and some extra because I am pretty. What shouldn't happen, is you telling me that I can't leave my home or there will be consequences. It's like the mafia has taken over my insurance company, "Yous betta do what we tells ya doll, or Vinny here's gonna get reeeeeeeel upsetted bout it." If my insurance company has the word "CANADA" in it, and I am moving within the country of "CANADA" this should not be complicated. It's not Abu Dhabi, it's Halifax for the love of God, they have a Costco.
- Trying to find people to take care of my kids shitty pets is like trying to adopt out a rabid, feces tossing, ill-tempered orangutan rather than a fucking hamster. I knew I would regret the stupid lizard that does nothing but watch my son sleep and lick it's eyeballs. Still, people, seriously, foster the fucking fish for the love of all that is holy. I'm not asking you to take one of the kids, which you totally could by the way if that shit's on the table but either spawn comes with a lizard, a hamster, a swimming frog and two stupid fish. None of these things need to be returned alive at the end of the year, or returned at all to be honest. If you wanna pay for my genius kid to go to MIT, giver shit. The other one wants to be on 'Toddlers and Tiaras' and be Jane Goddall at the same time.... have fun with that.
What I haven't had time to think about is my Celiacs. Do they have restaurants there that are Gluten Friendly? Do they have health food stores that carry the weird ingredients I need to make something as simple as a chocolate chip cookie? Do they have gastroenterologists in case this shit (literally there) goes south?
Who knows? I don't have time to research. If anyone wants to be my helper monkey on that, I would give you a gold star and send a midget stripper to your house.
I've booked my flight, which might or might not be taken with a lizard and a hamster shoved in my bra and a frog in my contact case, I've picked out our new home and packed up thirty bulging eyed, smelly stuffed animals for their trek across our fine country.
I will figure it out. At the very least, lobster is gluten free and I can eat that bit of golden love three meals a day if I have to.
Check back here for updates on A Freaking Celiac in Atlantic Canada. All I can figure, is that life going to get messier from here on out....just the way I like it.
Indulgence at Rouge
I have been married for thirteen years as of last month. Am I some sort of marriage expert? Hardly. I feel like my marriage is so personal that trying to give anyone advice on how to do it is silly. It's like asking you how you are a best friend to your best friend, it's not possible. You just DO it. I can tell you though, that my marriage is built on laughter, a...lot....of......laughter. If you have ever laughed out loud at this blog, you would love my husband because he is WAY funnier than I am.
The main theme of our marriage though, is indulgence. My husband indulges me, incessantly. He has stopped by the side of the road, in a suit, to pick up a rusted old firepit and heft it into the back of the truck because I thought it had charm. Indulgence. He then took the same fireplace to the dump three weeks later because it was so rusty, it started to disintegrate in the back yard causing a volcano like lava to run across the deck towards the kids toes. He saved the children, put out the fire and didn't make me feel bad about any of it. Indulgence. He buys me Gluten Free Chocolates once a month, and reads all of my novels multiple times. He hears me when I tell him we are going to go to Antigua or Africa one day, and he will make it happen, because he indulges me.
The theme of our 13th Anniversary dinner was certainly one of indulgence.
We went to Rouge.
I have been wanting to go to the historic home of AE Cross for a while. Not only has it been ranked number sixty in the top 100 restaurants, Rouge has been a Calgary favorite for years now and after visiting last night, I can see why. It's the indulgence. Plain and simple. Rouge indulges it's guests and truly makes them feel special. Often, with higher end restaurants, even the most experienced diner can be made to feel judged and looked down upon. But Rouge has a way about it that is very unique indeed.
Maybe it's because it's in an old home that you feel so comfortable. Maybe it's the jolly reddish color of the exterior or the lush lawns and gardens surrounding the house in the middle of the urban sprawl. I think it's the people too. Rouge has hired staff that love their job and love the food they serve you and love that you love it. There is a personal touch to everything and it felt both personal and indulgent.
My Celiacs of course was no problem for the fine chefs at Rouge. When informed of my Celiacs, the server told me with confidence that I could have almost anything I liked and that the chef's would alter my meal accordingly. He offered to get the details of any modifications for my approval but I felt so comfortable that I told him to let the chef's decide for themselves. And they did a beautiful job.
Let's talk about indulgence shall we?
Appetizer was a Risotto 'Carbonara', Poached Duck Egg, Lamb Bacon (LAMB BACON PEOPLE) and Grana Padano. My entrée was a 36 Hour Pork Belly and Atlantic Lobster, Parisienne Gnocchi and Shitake Mushrooms, Spiced Yoghurt - obviously the Gnocchi was omitted from my dish but I didn't notice because someone had put pork belly and lobster on the same plate in front of me. Basically, I just blacked out with happiness at that point. Dessert was a Flourless Chocolate Torte.....self explanatory there.
There were soft palate cleaners, presented without any pomposity, a wine suggestion made without snootiness and a genuine feeling that everyone just wanted you to love it there.
Rouge is easy to love, much like my husband.
After dinner, Trev and I asked to see the gardens and after slipping off my heels and sauntering through the spring grass barefoot, were then indulged and given a personal tour by a server Andrew and one of the Sous Chef's, Eric. Their enthusiasm was infectious and we spent twenty minutes touring the garden and property. Rouge grows as much of it's own produce as it can and indeed, while we chatted, several chefs came out with scissors, selected an herb, snipped it off and returned to the kitchen. Can you GET fresher than that? Hot house tomatoes, micro-greens and fifty year old rubarb plants square neatly in the shadow of this (by today's standard) modest house. It was indulgence at it's finest.
I don't remember ever having a better experience at a restaurant and will certainly be back.
After all, I have many more anniversaries to come. Because I will let you in on a little secret, no one on this planet, would put up with me the way my husband does. No one. He puts up with my shenanigans, the swearing, the wild manic laughter, the crazy beyond crazy ideas and dreams and on top of all that, he puts up with my Celiacs.
Now that is what I call, indulgence.
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Michael Gulbraa Submits Statement For Tom Lantos Hearing
Michael C. Gulbraa had two sons Michael K. & Christopher R. Gulbraa that were abducted by their US-citizen mother and US-citizen stepfather to Japan in November 2001. His statement was submitted to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Hearings on International Child Abduction.
Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on International Child Abductions
Lantos Human Rights Commission calls on President Obama and Secretary Clinton to meet with left-behind parents and to address the issue of International Child Abductions.
Tom Lantos Commission Press Release
chrissmith.house.gov
Christopher Smith
Contact: Jeff Sagnip 202-225-3765
David Goldman, Left-Behind Parents Make Compelling Cases for Their Children's Return
Ask Congress to Act @ Hearing on Int’l Child Abduction
Washington, Dec 2 -
The heartbreaking stories of left-behind parents whose children are held in other countries were laid out before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC) at a hearing on international child abduction and parental access that also included judicial and legal experts, the head of the Center for Missing and Exploited Children and other witnesses.
Testimony At The Tom Lantos Hearing on International Child Abduction
CDR Paul Toland Congressional testimony before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the US House of Representatives, December 2, 2009.
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Shellharbour man beats CBA from the graveside was posted on July 9th, 2018 at 6.04pm and is filed under 苏州美甲美睫培训学校..
Shellharbour man beats CBA from the graveside
When Teagan Couper’s father Noel was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, his family felt secure that his life insurance policy would be enough to financially compensate his death.
Soon after the Shellharbour man’s terminal diagnosis, however, they discovered the high-risk policy recommended by the Commonwealth Bank was in fact almost devoid of funds.
Mrs Couper challenged the bank through the courts – and won – on the eve of Noel Stevens’ death.
But the matter was not settled there, with the Commonwealth Bank launching an appeal just before Mrs Couper buried her father.
Tegan Couper, pictured with baby Hype, won two court cases against CBA. Picture: JAMES ALCOCK
Mrs Couper and her family won a second time. “It was horrendous,” the young mother of two said.
“We were treated like nobody. My dad was fighting with cancer at the time,” she told Fairfax Media. “They just treated us like ants basically.”
The bank is on record as saying it “regrets” putting Mr Stevens in that type of policy, but Mrs Couper said she has yet to receive any kind of apology. Mrs Couper is one of many victims of alleged fraud, cover-ups and forgery by rogue Commonwealth Bank advisers around the country.
The clients have been buoyed by the news that a Senate committee has recommended a royal commission into the banking giant’s conduct beset up.
Daryll Tenni’s 79-year-old father, Myles Tenni, lost $350,000 in retirement savings. “Dad’s day is done, I just hope we can get something back,” said Mr Tenni.
A royal commission would mean that many other victims may be able to recoup some of their investments.
Commonwealth Bank whistleblower Jeff Morris estimates that there could be up to 60,000 victims of rogue financial advisers in the financial planning arms of the Commonwealth Bank, Financial Wisdom and Commonwealth Financial Services.
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Home Chandigarh Key Agri, Food, Dairy and Livestock tech product launches at CII Agro...
Key Agri, Food, Dairy and Livestock tech product launches at CII Agro Tech India
CII, govt, eight other countries get together to showcase the best and the latest in farm technology at the 13th edition of biennial Agro Tech starting on December 1 in Chandigarh’s Parade Ground
Farmers can get a one-stop solution to all their issues, from stubble burning, better packaging to remote monitoring of submersible pumpset
New opportunities in farming also to be fleshed out in further detail at special conferences for farmers and livestock, where renowned experts will offer help and guidance
13th Edition of the CII Agro Tech India this time has a lot of new agro and food products in store for the farmer community, which holds apt with its theme for this year, ‘Technology in Agriculture: Increasing Farmers’ Income’.
CII Agro Tech India 2018, India’s Premier Biennial four-day Agri and Food Technology Fair, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is being held from December 1 to December 4, at Parade Ground in Sector 17, Chandigarh, sharp at 1000 hours.
The participating countries include Great Britain, China, Canada, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Spain. A number of first time launches would take place at the four-day fair.
While Canada would be showcasing its products like swine genetics, grain handling and storage systems, instant quick freezers, etc. to name a few, the country would also be launching new technique for soil testing, ovine genetics, and bacterial treatment equipment.
Great Britain would be announcing first of its kind electronic smart watering system, environmentally safe disinfectants, pedigree pigs and genetics, new kind of packaging for long shelf life, besides other products.
Another interesting launch will be unmanned aerial camera and plant protection system from China.
Medium or small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), also known as drones or remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) systems are increasingly investigated and used nowadays for pesticide applications in East Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, and China. UAV is able to spray a single plant of crop as it has the function of hovering in the air.
New veterinary and poultry medicines would also be brought in by China. A new kind of agriculture land leveller is also being introduced at the Agro Tech, which will not only save considerable time but also conserve resources, which will benefit farmers with an increase in growth of up to 25 percent.
Groundnut Plater, Harvester, Picker and Sheller is being showcased for the first time in India and are designed to plant, harvest and shell groundnuts.
Round Straw Balers, the most environment friendly way to collect straw from the field for ease in transportation and storage shall also be introduced during the fair. German Companies are introducing one of their unique techniques used for sowing wheat without any burning of rice residue. This technology is eco-friendly, preferable for the health of soil as well as it also saves water.
Machines for making wood from cow dung shall also be demonstrated. Conventionally fire wood, electricity or LPG gas is used for cremation purpose. In India people prefer traditional products for cremation like wooden logs and dried cow dung logs.
Compared to fire wood and other alternatives, cremation using cow dung logs cost less. But because of difficulty in manufacturing long logs, the demand cannot be met, for which a machine has been developed that makes long cow-dung logs with minimum human intervention.
A firm, Lemken India Agro Equipments Ltd. is introducing German technology implements. Farmers growing deep root crops like cotton, sugarcane, soyabean and maize are going for this machine which is able to plough 10 inch deep, while a local plough would be able to dig 3-4 inch beneath the soil.
Meawhile, the premier fair, which gets farmers from different parts of the country will also focuses on agri inputs and innovative farming techniques. Interesting displays would include integrated agri business model for wasteland development, kitchen garden, foldable water tank, benefits derived from paddy straw composting and rice transplaners.
International Exhibition on Livestock Management will focuses on management/production/farming of Dairy, Poultry, Livestock, Breeding, Healthcare Products/ Supplements, Feed & Nutrition, Egg Production, Feed Production and Animal Housing.
Food Tech will focus on the rapidly growing Food Technology sector while Implementex will feature on the best of agri and farm implements. Companies engaged in irrigation systems, farm water management, rainwater harvesting, water conservation techniques and aquaculture will also be participating.
Crop insurance, Commodity trading, Agri and commercial vehicle loans, Weather forecasting, Drones, Consultancy, IT and Enabled services, has also found crucial space in the fair.
Kisan Goshthees on all days will be sharing the best practices with farmers on commercial dairy farming, cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants, session of paddy straw management, making agriculture profitable for farmers to name a few.
Dairy and Livestock tech product launches at CII Agro Tech India
Key Agri
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Barry Andersson is an award-winning director and cinematographer.
His career started with live television video production and now includes a pair of feature films, several acclaimed short films, television pilots and numerous commercials. Mr. Andersson uses his real-world experiences working for clients such as ESPN, Skype and Discovery Channel to help instruct seminars globally about best practices for film makers.
His list of speaking appearances include NAB, the Idea Conference, and Creative Suite Conference, among others. He’s consulted groups such as the U.S. Marine Corp, NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and prestigious U.S. universities.
Mr. Andersson is the author of the DSLR Filmmakers handbook. Mr. Andersson is a Zeiss Ambassador and a Tiffen ImageMaker.
Please contact him at hire@barryandersson.com or call him at +1 (612) 396-7100.
See a range of different projects, from commercials, docu-style videos, product/promotional videos to narrative films and short stories.
Barry has been creating compelling images and stories for over 15 years. With his strong background in the fundamentals of traditional film production to todays latest technologies he can help deliver the highest quality video at a price value no one else can offer.
Consulting & Teaching
Barry Andersson is available for as a consultant to help you set up your workflow and for teaching seminars and workshops.
See a range of different projects, from commercials, docu-style videos, product/promotional videos to narrative films and short stories. Check out the complete portfolio here.
Barry Andersson is available for as a consultant to help you set up your workflow and for teaching seminars and workshops. You can contact him here.
You can contact Barry through our Contact Form or call him at +1 (612) 396-7100
Barry Andersson © 2016
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US Confirms Military Strikes From Iran Against Trump Administration
9 Jan 2020 03:54 AM EST
The Department of Defense said the Iranian military retaliated against the Trump administration. The attack came after Trump assassinated Quds Force commander Major General Qassem Soleimani. According to Gizmodo, Iran launched “more than a dozen ballistic missiles against U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq.” The Pentagon said at least two bases where U.S. military personnel are stationed were targeted. Military sources said claims of a third strike at Camp Taji were incorrect.
Next News(International News)>> Iraq Wants US Troops...
What Is The Sanders/Warren Feud Really About?
Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are in the middle of a bitter feud. The media says the feud is about Bernie Sanders and sexist remarks he made to Warren. It was seen as a response to talking... More
Democrats Disappointed By Biden's Survival
Joe Biden has disappointed his detractors. They expected him to implode and tank his chances for the Democratic nomination. But, he hasn't. He's polling in first place in most polls. According... More
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Air Vice Marshal Jogendra Singh Sisodia
Date of Birth: -- --- -- Commissioned: 28 Oct 1963 Course: 85 Course Entry Mode : NDA
Service End: Retired on 31 Jul 2000 Superannuated
Wg Cdr : 21 Jun 1982 Gp Capt : 19 May 1986 Acting Air Cmde : 11 Mar 1991 Air Cmde : 14 May 1991
AVM : 01 Jul 1996
Google the Bharat Rakshak Website for : "J S Sisodia"
Air Cmde
01 Aug 1981 - 26 Dec 1983 Wg Cdr No.5 Squadron Ambala Commanding Officer
11 Mar 1991 - 16 Dec 1992 Air Cmde 7 Wing Ambala Air Officer Commanding
31 Jan 1995 - 28 Mar 1996 Air Cmde Western Air Command Delhi Air-I
29 Mar 1996 - 16 Aug 1998 AVM Air Head Quarters Delhi Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Plans
18 Aug 1998 - 31 Jul 2000 AVM Air Force Academy Dundigal Commandant
Wg Cdr Jogendra Singh Sisodia 7696 F(P) Award Date Announced 26 Jan 1985
Wing Commander Jogendra Singh Sisodia has been flying fighter aircraft since 1963. During his service of over 20 years, he has flown Vampire, Mystere, Marut and Jaguar aircraft. He is fully operational on all these types and has been assessed as an above-average pilot. He is an 'A-2' flying instructor with Master Green Instrument Rating on fighters. He has held the post of Flight Commander in Marut and Jaguar Squadrons.
Wg Cdr Sisodia took over command of a newly formed Jaguar Squadron and accomplished the task of not only moving the Squadron to a new location but converting the entire Squadron on to a new generation attack aircraft. He addressed himself to this task with single-minded effort and exceptional devotion to duty with the result that the Squadron was able to achieve 'fully operational' status within a period of just one year. This notable achievement significantly enhanced the operational potential of the IAF. Wg Cdr Sisodia completed his tenure in January, 1984, handing over to his successor not only an exceptionally potent operational unit, but also one without any accidents. Throughout his service, Wg Cdr Sisodia has displayed exceptional devotion to duty, high qualities of leadership and high professional skill both in the air and on the ground during peace and war.
For his exceptional devotion to duty, high professional skill and qualities of leadership, the President is pleased to award Vayu Seva Medal to Wing Commander Jogendra Singh Sisodia
Reference : Gazette of India dated 6th April 1985 - No.29-Pres/85 dated 26th January 1985
Ati Vishist Seva Medal
Air Cmde Jogendra Singh Sisodia 7696 F(P) Award Date 26 Jan 1993 Announced 26 Jan 1993
Air Commodore Jogendra Singh Sisodia was commissioned as a pilot in Oct. 1963. Since then, he has held many important assignments with distinction. His important contribution is his role in inducting the Jaguar force into the Indian Air Force and its subsequent build up into a highly potent operational force
In March, 1991, Air Cmde Sisodia took over as the Air Officer Commanding of the premier fighter base and played a pivotal role in peace and during hostilities. Air Cmde Sisodia has been most adept at getting his subordinates to effectively use their innovative skills for improving the operational facilities at his base. He has taken keen interest in the areas of welfare and family life of Air Force personnel at the station. His efforts were largely responsible for keeping the morale and the motivation of the force at the premier fighter base very high.
Air Commodore Sisodia has been a very sincere and conscientious officer throughout his career. He has always set personal example. In his present assignment he has shown high standards of command and control.
Air Commodore Jogendra Singh Sisodia, VM has, thus, rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.
Unit :
Reference : GoI19930126
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Keynote & Plenary Session
Abstracts & Agendas
About the Organized Session Presenters
Birding Field Trips
Eastern Shore of Virginia Birding and Wildlife Festival
The following schedule is preliminary and subject to change; please check back for updates. {as of 10/2/2014}
12:00 pm - 5:00 pm Conference Registration Desk Open
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Black Rail Working Group Meeting
Mike Wilson, The Center for Conservation Biology; Troy Wilson, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
A gathering of the Black Rail Working Group is designed to discuss past summer work, discuss short-term future plans, and come to greater agreement on survey protocols and immediate conservation needs. The summer of 2014 brought together the greatest dedicated effort along the Atlantic Coast to fill critical information gaps on the species distribution and abundance. With additional projects expected in the next year, this group will help coordinate efforts across the species range.
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Loggerhead Shrike Working Group Meeting
Amy Chabot, Queen's University; Rich Bailey, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources; Sergio Harding, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
An informal working group consisting of partners from the U.S. and Canada, has been coordinating a regional approach to answering questions on the population ecology of Loggerhead Shrike on its breeding and wintering grounds within the framework of an initial 5-year plan. At this meeting, the Group plans to assess interest from state leads and other partners on a coordinated, regional research effort for Loggerhead Shrike, and to make progress toward initiating work on a multi-state level.
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm International Wood Thrush Conservation Alliance (IWOTHCA) - agenda
Ron Rohrbaugh, Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Becky Keller, Appalachian Mountain Joint Venture
This meeting is open to anyone who is interested in science and conservation of Wood Thrush and associated forest bird species. We are a relatively new group and welcome your input on full life-cycle Wood Thrush research, conservation planning, and habitat management. IWOTHCA is a consortium of scientists, biologists, and conservation practitioners from academic institutions, agencies, and non-profits in Central and North America. Our specific mission is: to ensure the long-term viability of Wood Thrush populations and the habitats on which they depend through science-based, full life-cycle conservation planning, management, and education.
2:45 pm - 3:15 pm Refreshment Break
7:00 am - 5:00 pm Conference Registration Desk Open
7:00 am - 8:00 am Enhanced Continental Breakfast
8:00 am - 5:00 pm Exhibit Hours
8:00 am - 9:30 am Griffin Groups Training — {Hands-on Workshop; Pre-registration required}
Ed Laurent, Connecting Conservation
Griffin Groups is a free online tool for building conservation communities. It provides user-friendly methods to create networked forums and websites that can be used independently or through integration with other groups and web services. Examples of how groups are used include those dedicated to the Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy, Avian Knowledge Network, Southeast Partners In Flight, and several groups dedicated to migratory bird species research and conservation. This hands-on workshop will provide an introduction to Griffin Groups features and use for members and group administrators, strategies and examples for administering groups for various purposes, an example of how to design a group from the ground up, and many opportunities for asking questions about designing and administering groups. Attendees are asked to bring their own laptops.
8:00 am - 12:00 pm CONCURRENT TECHNICAL SESSIONS
SHARP/Tidal Marsh Birds - agenda
Chris Elphick, University of Connecticut; Brian Olsen, University of Maine
Golden-winged Warbler Conservation and Monitoring - agenda
David Buehler/Jeff Larkin
8:00 am - 12:00 pm NBCI/PIF Joint Meeting - agenda
Jane Fitzgerald, American Bird Conservancy; Catherine Rideout, East Gulf Coastal Plain Joint Venture
Members of Partners in Flight and the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative have worked together in the past, most notably on a coordinated monitoring effort to evaluate CP-33 – Habitat Buffers for Upland Birds, a USDA Farm Services Agency program. Meeting participants will share information on current projects or efforts to conserve grassland ecosystems. Updates will be followed by identification of overlapping challenges to grassland conservation, and development of strategies to address these challenges. We hope to leave this session with a specific grassland conservation effort or project identified with individuals committed to work together on this project over the next 1-2 years.
8:00 am - 12:00 pm Bobolink Conservation Plan Working Meeting - agenda
Randy Dettmers, Tom Will — U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
In response to mounting conservation challenges faced by grassland birds, USFWS has designated Bobolink as a Migratory Birds Program focal species and supported the development of a comprehensive, full life cycle Bobolink Conservation Plan. The ultimate goal is to prioritize and advance strategies to sustain Bobolink populations and address needs of other, co-occurring grassland bird species, the habitats they depend on, and related environmental services. The proximate goal of the Plan is to develop a comprehensive, regionally-based guide for full life cycle conservation of Bobolinks across their range based on input from North and South American partners. This session provides an important opportunity for Northeast biologists and conservationists to provide their input relevant to the region. The session will facilitate discussions in order to incorporate population goals and conservation objectives and actions specific to the Northeast into the Plan.
9:30 am - 10:00 am Refreshment Break
10:00 am - 12:00 pm Avian Knowledge Network/Eastern Avian Data Center Training
Troy Wilson, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; Ed Laurent, Connecting Conservation
The model for how aggregations of data can be used in bird conservation has evolved over the last ten years from centralized data management to distributed data sharing, and the main hub for data sharing in North America is the Avian Knowledge Network (AKN). In 2014, we launched a new regional node of the AKN, the Eastern Avian Data Center (EADC). Initially including data from eBird, BBS, and the Point Count and Marshbird Databases, we have developed a new application to help people manage and enter bird monitoring data, and enhanced our interactive mapping and histogram query tools. Now that we have a proof of concept, we are actively training and growing the community of users, from those who want to manage and share their own data, to those who want to use data for research or to evaluate conservation outcomes at various scales. Participants will gain a working knowledge of EADC and how they can use it to accomplish their bird conservation or monitoring objectives.
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Lunch - On Own
{See conference registration desk for options}
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm Keynote Address: Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes… Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going in Partners In Flight
EJ Williams, American Bird Conservancy {about}
2:00 pm - 2:15 Overview/Reason for Meeting/Logistics
Randy Dettmers, Troy Wilson — U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
2:30 pm - 5:00 pm CONCURRENT SPECIAL SESSIONS
Population & Habitat Objectives for Conservation Design - agenda
Todd Jones-Farrand, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service/Central Hardwoods Joint Venture
Full Annual Cycle Population Modeling and Monitoring Needs - agenda
Ron Rohrbaugh, Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Randy Dettmers, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Fire Ecology and Prescribed Fire Management for Priority Bird Habitats - agenda
Larry Heggemann, Central Hardwoods Joint Venture; Catherine Rideout, East Gulf Coastal Plain Joint Venture
Migration Stopover and Bottlenecks in the Eastern U.S. - agenda
Chris Eberly, Gulf Coast Bird Observatory; Jeff Buler, University of Delaware
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm Cocktail Reception & Silent Auction
Join your colleagues for hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar, and bid on great auction items – proceeds to benefit educational programming for this conference.
6:15 am - 7:45 am Birding Field Trip: First Landing State Park {about}
Advance registration is required. Pick up a “To Go” Breakfast in the Atlantic Ballroom Foyer. Depart from hotel lobby at 6:15 a.m. Transportation provided.
8:00 am - 5:00 am Exhibits Open
8:00 am - 9:30 am PLENARY SESSION {about}
Overview of Conservation Business Planning: A Funder’s Perspective
Guy Foulks, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
The Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Business Strategy: Developing Broad-scale Coordinated Conservation from the Ground Up
Caleb Spiegel and Troy Wilson, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
The Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Initiative Takes Flight—Moving Beyond Business Planning for Migratory Birds
Ian Davidson, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation
Overview of PIF V Conservation Business Plans
David Younkman, American Bird Conservancy
10:00 am - 5:00 pm CONCURRENT PLANNING BREAKOUT GROUPS
Breakout groups will focus on developing strategies and associated projects to inform the Conservation Business Planning efforts that began at the 2013 International PIF meeting in Snowbird, UT. These groups will be working to address various threats, focusing on breeding grounds and migration. The outputs will largely be incorporated into the three geographic area plans that overlap with the Northeast and Southeast working group regions. These are 1) Central and South American Highlands Linked to Appalachian and Northeastern Forests, 2) Caribbean Linked to Eastern Upland Hardwoods, and 3) Gulf-Caribbean Slope of Mexico & Central America Linked to Eastern Deciduous Forest. Results from the “Eastern Short-Distance Migrant/ Grassland Species” breakout will be incorporated into the Prairie to Pampas Grassland Bird Business Plan. Based upon your interest and background, please choose one breakout group in which you would like to participate. We request that you plan to participate in only one session in its entirety.
Bottomland Forest
Randy Wilson, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Upland Forest
Dave Buehler, University of Tennessee; Jeff Larkin, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Pinelands/Fire-adapted Systems
Laurel Barnhill, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Migration/Stopover/Connectivity
Chris Eberly, Gulf Coast Bird Observatory; Randy Dettmers, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Anthropogenic Threats (non-habitat)
Darin Schroeder, American Bird Conservancy
Eastern Saltmarsh
Eastern Short-distance Migrant/Grassland Species
1:30 pm - 5:00 pm Concurrent Planning Breakout Groups continued from earlier
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Poster Social & Silent Auction - poster abstracts
Visit with poster authors as you enjoy a beverage and light hors d’oeuvres. Last chance to bid on the silent auction items!
6:00 am - 8:45 am Birding Field Trip: Pleasure House Point Natural Area {about}
8:00 am - 12:00 pm Exhibits Open
8:00 am - 12:00 pm Golden-winged Warbler Working Group Meeting
David Buehler, University of Tennessee; Jeff Larkin, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
8:00 am - 5:00 pm SHARP/Tidal Marsh Birds Writing Session
10:00 am - 11:00 am Refreshment Break
9:00 am - 11:30 am Planning Breakout Groups continued
11:30 am - 1:00 pm Lunch - On Own
1:15 pm - 2:55 pm CONCURRENT CONTRIBUTED PAPERS
Status/Trends - abstracts
Audubon's Atlantic Flyway Eastern Forest Birds Project - abstracts
Challenges/Opportunities - abstracts
3:25 pm - 5:00 pm CONCURRENT CONTRIBUTED PAPERS - abstracts coming soon!
General - abstracts
Assessment - abstracts
Tracking and Migration - abstracts
8:00 am - 1:00 pm Highland Business Conservation Plan
Friday, October 10 - Sunday, October 12
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Dave Clarke
Mario Gilardini
Joseph LaRosa
Christopher Parsons
Thomas Poitras
Catherine Spence
Wolfgang Woischke
Dave Clarke has been successful in each
of his playing and coaching endeavors. He
played at Central Connecticut State University
(1988-91) and for the Connecticut
Wolves (USISL/A-League, 1993-98). Clarke
has been a successful youth, high school,
and college coach, including: West Hartford
Soccer Club (1988-93, State Cup Winners
1990, 1992, 1994), Newington High School
Boys (CCC South Champions 1995, 1996),
University of New Haven Women (1998-99,
NECC Coach of the Year 1998), Windsor
World Class Girls (U16 USYSA National
Champions 1999), and Quinnipiac University Women (1999-Present, NEC
Coach of the Year 2000). He has been the Director of the CJSA Coach Education
Program (1997-2003) and is currently a United States National Staff Coach
(1998-Present).
Mario Gilardini has been on the field
officiating high school games for
over 25 years. He has been deeply
involved in West Hartford and Avon
Soccer Clubs for more than 20 years,
serving as referee assignor for both.
Gilardini has been president of the
West Hartford Youth Soccer Association
(Boys) since 1990. He was a
regular referee and assignor for the
Women’s Soccer League in West
Hartford from 1998 - 2013. As a player,
Gilardini played for Triestina Soccer
Club in the Connecticut Soccer League from 1962-64. He was a board
member of the Italian American Stars in the mid 1960’s.
Joe LaRosa was the founder of the Connecticut
Soccer Hall of Fame in 1999.
He served as Secretary of Connecticut
State Soccer Association, 1993-1999, and
earned the Connecticut State Soccer Association
Media Award in 1992. Joe has
been a soccer writer, author, TV analyst
and producer (1980-1994). He hosted and
produced SOCCER SCENE, weekly local
soccer program featured at halftime of live
Serie A matches from Italy broadcast on
RAI America affiliate, WRDM-TV13. He
provided In-studio commentating for RAI America affiliate, WRDM-TV-13’s
international soccer broadcasts. Additionally, LaRosa was an analyst for
ESPN INTERNATIONAL worldwide cablecasts of soccer. LaRosa’s soccer
coverage was published by AP, UPI, Soccer America, The Herald of New
Britain, The Day of New London & several Connecticut weekly newspapers.
he covered youth, high school, amateur, professional & international soccer
including the 1994 World Cup. Joe also wrote three books on soccer: World
Cup Soccer Trivia, World Class & America’s World Cup.
Chris Parsons played youth soccer in Farmington,
Connecticut, winning U12-19 state
championships (1976-83). He captained
Farmington High School to a state title
in 1982 and earned All State honors that
year. Chris played collegiate soccer at
Middlebury College and became an NCAA
All American in 1986, leading his team to
the #2 ranking in Division III, and played in
the All New England Senior Bowl. Parsons
continued into coaching at Champlain College
(1993-97), Vassar (1997-2002), and
the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New
London, Connecticut (2002-present). Parsons has recorded over 200
college wins and his record at USCGA stands at 132-114-32. He earned
NSCAA Regional Coach of the Year Award (1995) and the NEWMAC Men’s
Soccer Coach of the Year in 2007, 2012, and 2014.
Catherine Spence was a powerful goalscorer
for Hartford Public High School
from 1980-83. She scored 107 goals
in 3 years and earned NSCAA All New
England recognition in 1983. She was
inducted into the Hartford Public Hall of
Fame in 2012. Spence went on to play
collegiate soccer at UMASS Amherst.
She was an NSCAA All American in
1985 and represented the East team at
the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1986. She
was a force on a powerful UMass team
and led them to four consecutive NCAA
Final Four appearances. UMass placed 3rd (1984), 4th (1985 & 86), and
2nd (1987) in each of her years. Her five goals set a NCAA tournament
scoring record in 1984.
Tom Poitras was an All-State player at
Southington High School, NCAA Division
II National Champion at Southern
CT (1987), and played professionally for
the CT Wolves (1993-94). As a collegiate
coach, he led the University of New Haven
men from 1994-97, (38-32-5), and
earned 1996 New England Collegiate and
NEISL Coach of the Year awards. Poitras
continued his coaching at Southern New
Hampshire Univ (1998-2003, 81-25-16),
led them to the NCAA Division II National
Championship match (2002), and earned
the 2002 NSCAA Division II New England Region Coach of the Year. Moving
on to the Univ of Wisc-Green Bay, (2004-2010, 72-46-18), he reached
the Horizon League Championship for the first time in program history, and
the NCAA Division 1 Tournament. Poitras returned to the state in 2011 to
coach the University of Hartford. He is a US Soccer Development Academy National Team Scout and
former ODP Region I and Region II staff coach.
Wolfgang Woischke came to Mitchell College
in New London, CT, after playing at
Port Washington HS in Nassau County,
NY. Wolfgang earned All American recognition
at Mitchell in 1967 and was team
captain in 1968. He continued playing at
University of Bridgeport and was an All
New England selection and NEISL All Star
in 1970. He led his team to the NCAA tournament
and was their team captain and
MVP. Woischke played for the Bridgeport
Italians (1970-73) and won the CT Soccer
League title in 1971. He played professionally
for the Connecticut Wildcats (1974) and Connecticut Yankees of
the American Soccer League in 1975. Woischke coached Bullard-Havens
Technical HS (1973-77) and reached the Class L title game in 1977.
Woischke was inducted into the Mitchell College Athletic Hall of Fame in
2006. Senior Executive VIP Hospitality Program Partner for 2006 FIFA
World Cup in Germany.
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Actor Vin Diesel Phone Number
Mark Sinclair better known as Vin Diesel, is an American actor and producer. He rose to international fame with his role as Dominic Toretto in The Fast and the Furious franchise.
Vin Diesel Biography and Personal Profile:
Born: 18 July 1967 (age 52 years), Alameda County, California, United States
Full name: Mark Sinclair
Upcoming movies: Fast & Furious 9, Bloodshot, Avatar 2, Fast & Furious 10
Children: Pauline Sinclair, Hania Riley Sinclair, Vincent Sinclair
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Vin Diesel contact information is listed here including address, agent, manager and publicist. The people can also connect with Vin Diesel by social profiles such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and many more. Maybe, you can also send or write email to Vin Diesel by using his fan page and address.
Actor Eddie Murphy Phone Number
Eddie Murphy Phone Number, Email, Address, Fan Mail, Biography, Agent, Manager, Publicist, Songs, Movies, Interview, Contact Info
Edward Regan Murphy is an American actor, comedian, and singer.
Eddie Murphy Biography and Personal Profile:
Born: 3 April 1961 (age 58 years), Brooklyn, New York, United States
Spouse: Nicole Mitchell Murphy (m. 1993–2006)
TV shows: Saturday Night Live, The PJs, Shrek the Halls, MORE
Partner: Mel B (2006–2007) Tracey Edmonds (2008) Paige Butcher (2012–)
Children: 10
Upcoming movie: Coming 2 America
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Eddie Murphy contact information is listed here including address, agent, manager and publicist. The people can also connect with Eddie Murphy by social profiles such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and many more. Maybe, you can also send or write email to Eddie Murphy by using his fan page and address.
Actor Daniel Day-Lewis Phone Number
Daniel Day-Lewis Phone Number, Email, Address, Fan Mail, Biography, Agent, Manager, Publicist, Movies, Interview, Contact Info
Sir Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis is a retired English actor who holds both British and Irish citizenship.
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Born: 29 April 1957 (age 62 years), Kensington
Spouse: Rebecca Miller (m. 1996)
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Chubby Checker Phone Number Singer
Chubby Checker Phone Number, Email, Address, Fan Mail, Biography, Agent, Manager, Publicist, Songs, Interview, Contact Info
Chubby Checker (born Ernest Evans; October 3, 1941) is an American rock 'n roll singer and dancer.
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Born: 3 October 1941 (age 78 years), Spring Gully, South Carolina, United States
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Actor Bradley Walsh Phone Number
Bradley Walsh Phone Number, Email, Address, Fan Mail, Biography, Agent, Manager, Publicist, Songs, Movies, Interview, Contact Info
Bradley John Walsh is an English comedian, television presenter, actor, singer, and former professional footballer.
Bradley Walsh Biography and Personal Profile:
Born: 4 June 1960 (age 59 years), Watford, United Kingdom
Spouse: Donna Derby (m. 1997)
Residence: Epping, Essex, England
Albums: Chasing Dreams, When You're Smiling
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Actor Kevin Hart Phone Number
Kevin Hart Phone Number, Email, Address, Fan Mail, Biography, Agent, Manager, Publicist, Movies, Interview, Contact Info
Kevin Darnell Hart is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and producer.
Kevin Hart Biography and Personal Profile:
Born: 6 July 1979 (age 40 years), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Birth name: Kevin Darnell Hart
Spouse: Eniko Parrish (m. 2016), Torrei Hart (m. 2003–2011)
Upcoming movie: Fatherhood
Children: Hendrix Hart, Heaven Hart, Kenzo Kash Hart
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ABBA Music Group Phone Number
ABBA Music Group Phone Number, Email, Address, Fan Mail, Biography, Agent, Manager, Publicist, Songs, Contact Info
ABBA is a Swedish pop supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.
ABBA Music Group
Origin: Stockholm, Sweden (1972)
Members: Agnetha Fältskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson
Genres: Pop music, Pop rock, Disco
Years active: 1972–1982 2018–present
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Filmmaker George Lucas Phone Number
George Lucas Phone Number, Email, Address, Fan Mail, Biography, Agent, Manager, Publicist, Movies, Interview, Contact Info
George Walton Lucas Jr. is an American filmmaker, philanthropist and entrepreneur. Lucas is best known for creating the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts and Industrial Light & Magic.
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Born: 14 May 1944 (age 75 years), Modesto, California, United States
Net worth: 630 crores USD (2020)
Spouse: Mellody Hobson (m. 2013), Marcia Lucas (m. 1969–1983)
Children: 4, including Amanda Lucas, Katie Lucas
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Actor Ryan Gosling Phone Number
Ryan Gosling Phone Number, Email, Address, Fan Mail, Biography, Agent, Manager, Publicist, Movies, Interview, Contact Info
Ryan Thomas Gosling is a Canadian actor and musician.
Ryan Gosling Biography and Personal Profile:
Born: 12 November 1980 (age 39 years), London, Canada
Partner: Eva Mendes (2011–)
Children: Esmeralda Amada Gosling, Amada Lee Gosling
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Actor Jackie Chan Phone Number
Jackie Chan Phone Number, Email, Address, Fan Mail, Biography, Agent, Manager, Publicist, Songs, Movies, Interview, Contact Info
Chan Kong-sang known professionally as Jackie Chan, is a Hong Konger martial artist, actor, film director, producer, stuntman, and singer.
Jackie Chan Biography and Personal Profile:
Born: 7 April 1954 (age 65 years), Victoria Peak, Hong Kong
Spouse: Joan Lin (m. 1982)
TV shows: Jackie Chan Adventures, Kung Fu Panda Holiday, Century Sonny
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Yvette Granata's Feminist Futurism at Squeaky Wheel
Jack Foran
/ Aug. 1, 2018 7am EST
So, how do you figure the cyber-race is going? Any bets on who’s going to win in the end? Though no question about who’s winning at the moment. Not good guys.
The current exhibit at Squeaky Wheel by artist/theorist Yvette Granata is a kind of disquisition in cyber technology about one possible outcome, described as post-cyberfeminism. Cyberfeminism indicating basically a feminist—any feminist really—approach to matters related to the internet and artificial intelligence. Post indicating basically after the armageddon showdown, when the internet and AI will have taken over everything—or just about—including what was formerly human domain. But when—in a supremely ironic twist—women—who were systematically objectified and depersonalized in the immediately pre-post era—that is to say, right now, by the current internet and AI apparatus, and bad guys in control—in the post-armageddon era may be in a more favorable condition. Basically by dint of a supposed female-specific clandestine tradition of information communiqué and related secret body of data—code, intelligence, what have you—in operation and effect arguably from time immemorial (since way before the internet and AI anyway, and instead of bad guys in control, probably more accurate to say simply guys in control).
Evidence for the existence and/or significance of the clandestine transmission and related corpus of data gets a little problematic. A little shaky. References to female production libri di segreti—basically diaries, it sounds like—in early modern Italy, and the case of Caterina Sforza, described in an essay in the accompanying flyer as “the progenetrix of the Medici family and one of the women who defined the burgeoning scientific culture of the Italian Renaissance,” who dabbled with alchemy and in her notebooks recorded “recipes for poisons distilled from scorpion venom as well as instructions for concealing written text with slowly disappearing ‘invisible’ ink.” Also passing reference—as if by way of evidence—to conspiracy mystery bestseller The Da Vinci Code work of fiction posing as fact, and largely taken as fact by readers, it would seem.
Whereas evidence in the matter of internet objectification/depersonalization of women much more solid. Via the artist’s own findings—if I understand what is going on here in even the most elementary way, which is a valid question—regarding prevailing internet machine vision software incorporating recognition categories able to—theoretically at least—distinguish humans from robots and such like computer models. She found that while men are generally recognized as humans—persons, individuals—women are not, but are more likely considered somehow product (either given how the lifeblood of the internet is commerce—selling product—and so much of the product selling is targeted toward women, or women themselves as product, related to traditional dominant social and economic status male gender objectification/depersonalization of women).
On the basis of which findings she draws the inference that, come armageddon showdown, when the AI systems then taking control proceed—like any new tyranny regime—to suppress and subjugate and if need be eliminate the previous power group—namely humans—it is specifically men they will target (the group identified as human by the recognition software). Not women. Women—because not recognized or not readily recognized as human by the software—may slip through the dragnet. And with their supposed—and conceivable, despite the scant evidence for it—secret tradition of communiqué—or even without it—be able to mount a counter-offensive.
Meanwhile, Granata’s own contribution to the secret data file is encoded on a half dozen or so flash drives neatly arrayed in a vitrine, like a museum exhibit. Containing, she reveals in flyer copy, “data sets and models…trained for various future scenarios” in connection with the anticipated AI takeover and likely mortal offensive against humans.
The artist has also created an authentic AI assistant, Evie, on the model of Alexa and Siri, but unlike Alexa and Siri, with a modicum sense of irony. Or maybe just mischief. An exhibit component in the Squeaky Wheel front window on Main Street—you can listen in from the street, or sidewalk—features a conversation among the three ladies. Basically Evie getting Alexa and Siri talking to each other. (This does not always go smoothly. Alexa and Siri get along pretty well, but are probably never going to be good friends.)
Mark Zuckerberg makes a cameo appearance, as stand-in for the rest of the bad guys. A segment of his smirky testimony before the Senate committee.
Senator Orrin Hatch: “You said that Facebook would always be free. Is that still your objective?”
Mark Zuckerberg: “Senator, yes. There will always be a version of Facebook that is free…We believe we need to offer a service that everyone can afford. And we’re committed to doing that.”
Hatch: “So, how do you sustain a business model in which users don’t pay for your service?”
Zuckerberg: “We run ads.”
Not the whole story, of course. Facebook sells ads, but also sells data on Facebook users. Nor has the company been overly fastidious—as we have learned to our sorrow—about where or to whom it sells the data, or for what purpose.
The exhibit is entitled #d8e0ea: post-cyberfeminist datum. It continues through August 25.
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VOG (Voice of Geeks) Network
Friday Night Gaming
About Bobby
The Bobby Blackwolf Show Episode 514: February 7, 2016
Mother 3 To The West, Google Entering VR Market
MAGFest is coming up, and I will be live-tweeting my car trip on the #RoadToMAGFest hashtag on Wednesday, the 17th.
If you're a classically trained musician, you have the opportunity to participate in a Video Games Live video performing the Halo Trilogy Suite.
Rumors swirling that Mother 3 is finally getting a localization and release in the west on the Wii U Virtual Console.
Google is going to enter the VR market with their Android smartphones.
Then we take calls about Mechwarrior, game companies rereleasing old games rather than making new ones, and VCR games like VCR Clue.
An HTML5 browser is required to listen to the podcast audio.
Download The MP3! - 21MB, 58 minutes 41 seconds
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BobbyBlackwolf.com Articles
Subscribe to Bobby's editorials and other articles giving his musings on gaming, the industry, and meta discussion about the community.
The Bobby Blackwolf Show
iTunes - RSS
The long running live internet radio show about video games is edited down for your podcast consumption.
The two year run of this unique video show has audio-only podcasts available for you to relive the memories.
Stitcher SmartRadio
Skyrim Impressions, Steam Forums Hacked
The Bobby Blackwolf Show - 124278 views
LIGHTLY EDITED: This is a previously unreleased episode of The Bobby Blackwolf Show, and is released with minimal editing (removing the music break.) Please keep this in mind when you hear long awkward pauses that are typically edited out of the podcast. In this episode, we talk about The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, how it set records on Steam, and how Steam's forums were hacked.
Two Worlds II Review, Sony NGP
The Bobby Blackwolf Show - 44265 views
We start off by giving our review of Two Worlds II for the Xbox 360. Find out if it makes up for the first game as well as why it was one of the most difficult titles for Bobby to review. Sony announced the successor to the PSP - working title "NGP" (Next Generation Portable) - this week in Japan. Mainstream media is bashing Microsoft for banning an 11 year old autistic child from Xbox Live for cheating, because the mother insists he's just "that good" at games. Find out the truth. Then we take calls about the NGP, both in Next Generation Portable form as well as Neo Geo Pocket form.
Editorial: Questions About The 3DS Terms of Service
Article by Bobby Blackwolf - 18424 views
Nintendo really needs to send Sony a thank you card. For the past few weeks, I, any many others in the independent gaming media, have been covering the recent downtime of the PlayStation Network. Meanwhile, folks at the Free Software Foundation have uncovered some possibly scary terms that you must agree to in order for your Nintendo 3DS to be fully functional.
Editorial: Why E3's New Rules Are Okay...Mostly
On the cusp of his 15th straight E3, Bobby Blackwolf was rejected for not meeting the new requirements for bloggers, even though he is a podcaster. However, he feels that the new rules are okay...Mostly. In this editorial, he describes why GDC went the same route and survived, what E3 exhibitors are thinking, where E3 can improve their quality control standards, and what an independent journalist can do if they get rejected from covering the most important event in the video game industry.
Minecraft 360, Diablo 3 Auction House
The first item we talk about probably won't help you listening on the podcast, but you could have gotten Midnight Club 2 on PC for free by joining the official Rockstar Group on Steam. But, you can join the VOG Network group on Steam even after May 15th! Minecraft 360 has broken sales records on Xbox Live Arcade, but announcing that has shown there might have been some preferential treatment. We also talk a little bit about the game (impressions from the demo) and how it is different from the PC version. If you want to buy games on Steam, but don't want to use your credit or debit card, you now have an alternative...And neither side is too happy about it. The Xbox 360 is rumored to get Internet Explorer 9 with Kinect support. Information about the real money auction house in Diablo 3 has been released...And we talk about how much money Blizzard will take in from each successful sale. We don't take many calls because we were recording on Mother's Day, but one person called in just to call, so we talked about The Pirate Bay telling Anonymous to stop censoring other people.
Updates Hourly
© 2005-2020 Bobby Blackwolf Studios. CSS Modified From "Game Portal" Design by ChocoTemplates.com
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The December 20th All-Birthday Team
Baseball-Reference.com is a wonderful website. They've got stats for every major leaguer who's ever played, plus managers, and notable personalities from the Hall of Fame, like Negro Leaguers, Executives and even some umpires. They've got the pages for players, teams, franchises and leagues throughout history, even short-lived entities like the Players' League and the American Association. They've got an Oracle of Baseball, which will give you a Six-Degrees of Kevin Bacon type of connection between any two players in history, say, Kevin Barker and Count Sensenderfer, for example.
But one of the coolest things they have is the Birthday Page, wherein you can find every major league player in history who shares your birthday. This being my birthday, I thought I would share with you my All-Birthday Team. These are (in my estimation) the best seasons from players born on my birthday, December 20th, compiled into a team, so that I have sufficient innings and plate appearances to play a 162-game schedule.
Note: OPS+ and ERA+ are the league and park adjusted OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging) and ERA for that season, so you have an idea of what the numbers really mean in context. The .349 batting average Spud Davis put up in 1933, during the offense-crazed Depression Years, does not mean nearly as much as the .352 Cecil Cooper hit in 1980, a relatively down offensive time. Their adjusted OPS numbers (55% better than average compared to "only" 34% better) help to compensate for that. Anywho, this is what I came up with:
Starting Lineup PA Avg OBP SLG R HR RBI SB OPS+
C G. Hartnett (1930) 578 .339 .404 .630 84 37 122 0 144
1B C. Cooper (1980) 678 .352 .387 .539 96 25 122 17 155
2B J. Williams (1899) 689 .355 .417 .532 126 9 116 26 159
3B D. Wright (2005) 657 .306 .388 .523 99 27 102 17 138
SS YOUR NAME HERE
OF O. Gamble (1977) 470 .297 .386 .588 75 31 83 1 162
OF H. Stovey (1889) 634 .308 .393 .525 152 19 119 63 161
OF D. DeJesus (2005) 523 .293 .359 .445 69 9 56 5 114
DH A. Huff (2003) 706 .311 .367 .555 91 34 107 2 139
This is a pretty darn good team. Or at least a starting lineup.
I'll probably hit 2B Jimmy Williams (not to be confused with Jimy Williams, erstwhile manager of the Red Sox and Astros), as he has the highest OBP. Though it may seem like he didn't hit for power, those nine homers tied him for 3rd in the NL in 1899, Williams' rookie season. Harry Stovey will hit in the #2 spot, as he gets on base and has plenty of speed, with 63 steals, which were good for 10th in the American Association in 1889, tied with Hall of Famer Bid McPhee and Tommy "Foghorn" Tucker, but well behind league leader "Sliding" Billy Hamilton's 111 base swipes. Unfortunately Hamilton was born in February, so he can't help us. (Stovey also led the 1889 AA in Slugging %, Homers, Total Bases, Extra Base Hits, Runs, RBI and was among the league leaders in several other categories that year, one of the last for the American Association, which folded after 1891.
Cecil Cooper will bat third, keeping the precious little speed we've got together. Hall of Fame catcher Gabby Hartnett bats cleanup. No argument there, I trust. DH Aubrey Huff and 3B David Wright bat 5th and 6th, respectively, giving us a right-left-right stagger in the heart of the lineup. (This way the June 26th team can't bring in Mike Myers to shut us down in a big inning.)
Oscar Gamble and his Afro hit #7, even though he actually has the highest adjusted OPS on the team. Unfortunately he only got 470 plate appearances, and I don't want to have Jim Norris or Jack Manning batting cleanup 200 times, you know? David DeJesus hits 8th and whomever we get to play short will bat last. Alternatively, if we end up in the NL, Huff plays the outfield in place of DeJesus, who goes back to the bench. Speaking of which...
Bench PA Avg OBP SLG R HR RBI SB OPS+
C B. Rickey (1906) 226 .284 .345 .393 22 3 24 4 135
IF P. Baumann (1915) 260 .292 .380 .388 30 2 28 9 130
IF A. Ojeda (2001) 162 .201 .269 .271 16 1 12 1 43
OF J. Norris (1977) 517 .270 .360 .364 59 2 37 26 101
OF J. Manning (1876) 295 .264 .281 .330 52 2 25 0 101
Team Total 6395 .309 .376 .499 971 201 953 171 137
This isn't a terrible bench, as Manning and Norris both had reasonably productive seasons as outfielders, with Norris likely serving as a pinch runner for Hartnett or Huff if we need to eek out a late run. Paddy Baumann played a lot of 2b and 3B in his career as a backup, and hit pretty well in 1915, if not the rest of his life. Augie Ojeda, the only below-average hitter on the team, only makes it because he has exactly the same birthday as me. Branch Rickey will become the first Player/Manager/General Manager in history, making trades from the bench. And speaking of trades...
Trade bait PA Avg OBP SLG R HR RBI SB OPS+
C B. Henline (1922) 481 .316 .380 .479 57 14 64 2 112
C S. Davis (1933) 540 .349 .395 .473 51 9 65 2 134
IF F. Merkle (1911) 604 .283 .342 .431 80 12 84 49 113
December 20th is blessed with an abundance of catching talent, but no shortstops worth their weight in lead. Not only do we have Hartnett and Rickey, but Butch Henline and Spud Davis were both good or very good at some point in their careers, and there's always a team that needs catching. Maybe I can get the July 23rd Team to trade me Pee Wee Reese or Nomar Garciaparra for Spud Davis. Heck, they could have Henline straight-up for a 1924 vintage Hod Ford. At least I'd have something worth running out there every day. Somebody has to bat 9th, right?
The pitching was not quite as easy to fill out, and whomever we don't trade for shortstop help is going to have to net us a solid reliever or two.
Rotation W L Sv ERA IP BB SO ERA+
SP G. Pipgras (1928) 24 13 3 3.38 300.7 103 139 111
SP J. DeLeon (1989) 16 12 0 3.05 244.7 80 201 119
SP B. Laskey (1982) 13 12 0 3.14 189.3 43 88 115
SP J. Manning (1876) 18 5 5 2.14 197.3 32 24 105
Yes, that's the same Jack Manning who's also a backup outfielder, and I made a point to pick a season in which he was worthwhile as both a hitter and a pitcher.
Bullpen W L Sv ERA IP BB SO ERA+
SP P. Moskau (1980) 9 7 2 4.01 152.7 41 94 89
RP M. Valdes (1997) 4 4 2 3.13 95.0 39 54 135
RP V. Colbert (1971) 7 6 2 3.97 142.7 71 74 97
SP/RP D. Pfister (1962) 4 14 1 4.54 196.3 106 123 92
Team Total 95 73 15 3.39 1518.7 515 797 108
In truth, most of these guys are swing men or long relievers. There isn't a single guy born on December 20th who's got more than a handful of saves in any season of his career. Maybe I can get the November 28th team to part with Dave Righetti, since they have Robb Nen, after all. With Wes Westrum and Heinie Peitz (poor kid...) on the team, they don't really need catching, but Fred Merkle could do a nice job at first base for them.
Well, enough with this exercise in silliness, but if you've got a birthday team that
can beat mine, or better yet, if you have a shortstop or a closer to offer, let me know.
Are you a Sagittarius like me?
well... Happy Birthday, Christmas and Wonderful New Year to you from Italy...
Take care...
All-Baseball.collumn: Pirates of Pennants?
New Blog: Pending Pinstripes
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Javy Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Johnny Damon: The Seven Year Itch
Pending Pinstripes: Swag from the Tony Womack Trad...
Busy Day Week at the MLB Winter Meetings…
All-Baseball.collumn: Rafael Furcal a Bargain at $...
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太阳集团 |教育|留学|名校|澳门太阳集团2019网站
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2018年6月英语六级选词填空源文
2019-11-17 作者：留学 | 浏览（130）
2018年上半年全国大学英语四六级考试于6月16日进行，新浪教育24小时全程关注，为你带来第一手四六级考试资讯。以下为英语六级选词填空源文：
Five Fascinating Details About the Media Mogul Who May Have Written “Mary Had a Little Lamb”
Everywhere that Sarah Josepha Hale went， success was sure to go
By Erin Blakemore
Did Sarah Josepha Hale write “Mary’s Lamb，” the eternal nursery rhyme about a girl named Mary with a stubborn lamb companion？ The jury is still out—but it’s clear that the woman reputed for writing it was one of America’s most fascinating characters。 In honor of the poem’s publication on May 24， 1830， here’s more about the supposed author’s life：
She was one of America’s most powerful media moguls。。。
Forget Oprah—in the 19th century， there was one queen of media， and her name was Sarah Josepha Hale。 She first plunged into national prominence as one of the nation’s first published women novelists and poets。 Her book Northwood： Or， Life North and South advocated that slaves be relocated to Liberia rather than continue to toil in the U.S。 It attracted the attention of a Boston reverend who invited the recently widowed Hale to edit the Ladies’ Magazine， a new magazine aimed at fashionable women。
In 1837， Hale’s magazine was acquired by Louis Godey， who also owned the popular Lady’s Book， and Godey’s Lady’s Book， the new publication that emerged， quickly became America’s most influential magazine。 At its height， the magazine had over 150，000 subscribers， was widely read by men and women， and featured some of the nation’s best literary talent， like Edgar Allan Poe and Harriet Beecher Stowe。
Known as much for its fashion plates and dress patterns as its uplifting poetry and edifying articles， the magazine was in print for another 70 years。 Hale herself was at its helm for 40—enough time to become the most influential arbiter of fashion， culture and American female taste of her time。 She used her influence not just to tell women what to wear， but how to think。
…but Hale didn’t think women should vote。
Was Hale a feminist？ The term is so laden with modern meaning that it’s hard to apply to a powerful woman like Hale。 But though Hale supported everything from women’s education to employment， she though that women’s powers were intended to be used subtly。 Not only did she oppose women’s suffrage， but she thought that women were better off wielding what she called a “secret， silent influence” on men instead of entering politics on their own。
The magazine juggernaut that Hale helmed impressed similar values on women， emphasizing the importance of a separate sphere in which women could reign over domestic issues and affect the behaviors of others through their own deportment。 But though Hale’s magazine reinforced gender stereotypes， historians have argued that the “separate sphere” it upheld was actually a place where women could experience what little power and autonomy was available to them during the 19th century。
She fought a fierce battle to make Thanksgiving a national holiday
Hale wasn’t just a writer： She was also a fierce social advocate。 Born in New Hampshire， she was particularly obsessed with an idealized idea of New England， which she associated with abundant Thanksgiving meals that she claimed had “a deep moral influence。” Using the platform provided by Godey’s Lady’s Book， she began a national campaign to have a national holiday declared that would bring families together while celebrating the glorious festivals of yore。 No matter that the first Thanksgiving was celebrated by a privileged few in a time of rampant starvation and the suppression of Native Americans—Hale wanted her Thanksgiving。 And in 1863， after 17 years of advocacy including letters to five presidents， Hale got it。 President Abraham Lincoln， embroiled in the Civil War， issued a proclamation setting aside the last Thursday in November for the holiday。
She once preserved a Boston monument with an epic craft fair
2018年6月英语六级选词填空源文。 Though Hale’s legacy today revolves around putting turkey and mashed potatoes on tables everywhere， her interests extended to other New England icons。 In 1840， Hale organized the mother of all craft fairs at Boston’s Quincy Market。 The seven-day fair raised a whopping $30，000 to finish the building of an ornate obelisk to commemorate the Battle of Bunker Hill。 That’s the equivalent of fundraising nearly $800，000 today。
Her nursery rhyme was inspired by actual events
The true authorship of “Mary’s Little Lamb” is disputed。 According to the New England Historical Society， Hale wrote only part of the poem， but claimed authorship。 The poem was included in Hale’s book Poems for our Children， which she intended “to inculcate moral truths and virtuous sentiments” to families and children。
Regardless of the author， it seems that the poem was inspired by a real event。 When young Mary Sawyer was followed to school by a lamb in 1816， it caused a commotion。 A bystander named John Roulstone wrote a doggerel about the events。 The verse was so popular that eventually Mary sold the lamb’s wool for a higher price based on its fame。 It earned $60， which was used to help rebuild Boston’s Old South Church。 At some point， Hale herself seems to have co-opted the verse—though， if a 1916 piece by her great-niece is to be trusted， Hale called fraud， claiming that “some other people pretended that some one else wrote [the poem]” for the rest of her life。
来源：新东方
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Final Project
Instructions for Final Project - Create a Board Game!
Rubric for Final Project
May 29 & 31 - PLAY THE GAMES!!!
We will be in Mr. Smith's room, 328, in the MS for both of these days.
Go to Mr. Smith's room, 328, in the MS!
Check-in 8
Time to work & Finish Project
Final Project Due May 29
BOTH group's game boards must be complete and ready to play on May 29.
Remember you need the following:
Rules printed out (8 copies)
Complete game board
Notecards with questions/answers
Time to work
Check-in 8 (Due May 25)
Each group member has made significant progress on their portion of the game board.
Each group member has finalized all of their individual pieces in order to put the finishing touches on the board game next class.
The group has their game pieces!
Have a checklist of what needs to be finished during next class.
Each group member has finished creating ALL of their notecards with the questions on one side and the answers on the other side.
Each group member has started creating their notecards with the questions on one side and the answers on the other side.
Goal - get at least half completed!
Each group member has created at least 5 MORE questions. (Each group member should have a minimum of 20 questions created!)
Check-in 2 (Due May 9)
Rules are finalized (you can still make adjustments)
You have started to design your game board
Each group member has created at least 5 questions
Introduction to Final Project & Brainstorm Time
You have an overall idea/theme for your board game
You have started thinking about how players will progress through your game
You have started establishing rules for your game
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Egg Signals
Broiler Meat Signals
Turkey Signals
Broiler Signals
Look-think-act’s
About the author Piet Simons
Practical guide to improving egg quality
Top US egg producer rankings for 2018: Cage-free surplus
© WATTAgNet.com - posted first on wattagnet.com on 12 February 2018 14:58 .
Photo by Terrence O’Keefe
The number of hens housed cage free in the U.S., excluding organic, has increased from 8.5 million in 2014 to 35 million in January 2018, a 317 percent increase, according to USDA estimates. In spite of the large number of pledges by restaurant chains, food service distributors, retail outlets and food companies to purchase only cage-free eggs by some future date, the demand for cage-free eggs has not kept up with the increase in supply. As a result, both Cal-Maine Foods and Rose Acre Farms, the country’s two largest egg producers, both announced adjustments to their cage-free programs.
Read the entire report about US egg producer rankings for 2018 exclusively in the February 2018 issue of Egg Industry.
During its earnings report for the first quarter of fiscal year 2018, released on October 2, 2017, Cal-Maine Foods’ CEO Dolph Baker said that because the supply of cage-free eggs is not consistent with the demand, the company has adjusted its cage-free egg production levels in line with the current customer demand. Also in October, Rose Acre Farms announced that it was at least temporarily discontinuing the addition of cage-free laying systems, or as CEO Marcus Rust put it, the company is “shutting [its] construction program down.”
In contrast, Michael Foods Inc. Post Holdings CEO Robert V. Vitale said he feels “very comfortable” with the way its Michael Foods subsidiary is matching the production of cage-free egg products with the demand. “We are moving along with our customers and trying to be supportive of their overall initiatives in this area, so our capacity is very nicely matched against the demands,” Vitale said while speaking during a November 17 conference call. Michael Foods is one of the largest egg products companies in the world and is not a significant supplier of retail shell eggs.
Terrence O’Keefe is editor of Egg Industry and content director at WATT Global Media. To contact O’Keefe, email tokeefe@wattglobal.com.
NOW I GET IT ABOUT CHICKENS! Is this system working optimally? Double-yolk eggs in commercial laying hens and parent flocks What does this bump on the head mean? What can the hen’s cloaca tell us?
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Advocacy. Equality. Dignity.
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Train Week - How Accessible is Amtrak in Florida?
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, known as Amtrak, has provided critical cross-country transportation services since its founding in 1971. An average of over 85,000 passengers ride Amtrak trains every day. During the 2012 fiscal year, Amtrak had more than 31.2 million passengers.
Florida has 31 Amtrak stations of various types - auto, bus, and train.Yet according to its 2010 Report to Congress, only about 10% of Amtrak stations nationwide (about 48) are fully compliant with the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. According to recent information, the number has risen only slightly.
The result is that today many people with disabilities are unable to access America’s Amtrak trains to get to where they need to go. They encounter barriers such as inaccessible bathrooms, parking lots, and ticketing kiosks, audio systems with no visual equivalent,and a website and mobile app that many people with disabilities cannot use. Many Amtrak stations do not have platform lifts or level boarding which makes it impossible for some people to get on and off the trains. Amtrak also does not allow people with disabilities to purchase tickets to some destinations because there is no way for them to get off the train once they arrive.
To highlight these issues, Disability Rights Florida, is joining with other state and national disability rights organizations to conduct Train Week. In recognition of the 23rd Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, our staff will visit Florida's bus and rail stations across the country to review and record accessibility problems, as well as accessibility accomplishments.
If you encounter accessibility problems attempting to use Amtrak in Florida, you may call Disability Rights Florida at 1-800-342-0823 to request information and assistance. You may also request assistance via our online form at http://www.disabilityrightsflorida.org/contact/select_form.
accessibility, americans with disabilities act, transportation,
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Medicaid iBudget Waiver: We Invite Your Comments and Questions
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Vocal Ranges
[Watch] Beyonce Wins The Super Bowl 2013
Beyonce, you did it! I am #Dead after watching your 2013, half-time Super Bowl performance! Everything I wanted from you, you delivered on (see my original list, here): You took risks, like relying on material from 4; You brought out Destiny's Child, which was great, but made even greater when you let them participate in perhaps your most well known solo song, Single Ladies; you delivered on the stunning visuals; and you sang LIVE! The only misstep was Halo and its arrangement, which asked for too much, vocally, at a point where you were clearly starting to tire. But that was a small misstep in an otherwise knock-out showing!
Nature or nurture, I don't know, but Beyonce makes this performance-lark look effortless! Without a doubt, the entertainer of this generation!
Oh and Michelle, I see you! You made it to Super Bowl, girl!!! Yeah, your microphone wasn't turned up, but you still made it! LOL
Submitted by divadevotee at 20:41
Labels: beyonce, live
William Monk 4 February 2013 at 20:47
Yes Bey you did it
Nahu 4 February 2013 at 20:48
One word: OUTSTANDING!
Opie Ever 4 February 2013 at 21:21
Really? Imo she only delivered the first two on that list.
It was a good show but definitely lacked Wow factor for me. Like I said in the other thread..I saw no new steps from other dance styles and she pretty much gave what I saw her give at Glastonberry. I know little of her work so it would have been easy to surprise me. Instead I got Exactly what I expected.
Certainly visually it was not the spectacle Madonna's show was.
I loved it of course but I felt it was kinda rushed...maybe I was enjoying it so much I didn't want it to end, haha.
Remember Opie we agreed the first 3 :-)
Hunter 4 February 2013 at 22:08
I was there in the crowd and the energy was phenomenal. She improved drastically from her rehearsals on Thursday where she dropped the mic AND ear piece. And like you said, she was singing LIVE. I touched her hair during Halo and I could actually HEAR her singing without the mic. Incredible day for me.
They should have given her at least 20 min. to perform. I missed Survivor (with the DCs) and Get Me Bodied (Hello! Not even one song from the great B'Day!)
Uhm no we didn't. We agreed she did deliver on the first two and that she did not deliver on the fifth.
I thought we did I don't know I may be wrong
Jahmal 4 February 2013 at 22:45
SLAYED MY LIFE!!!! Truly THE best Superbowl halftime show that I have seen in my 20 years of existence. I'll take near flawless vocals and a lack of "show" as opposed to ALL show and nothing else like last year. Theatrics can not make up for talent, If someone did a stripped acoustic set and nothing else but delivered killer vocals I would be happy.
Brian 4 February 2013 at 23:01
To be honest I think this show would have had more "wow" factor for me if I was actually there. This performance just felt bland to me because its literally just a collage of everything shes been doing the past couple years. Vocally she was great. People complained about her not sounding amazingly perfect at Halo. Well what do you expect from someone who was just dancing and singing for 14 minutes straight. Theres a reason singers take breaks in between songs at their own concerts. I found it distasteful that Michelle and Kellys mics were tuned down to that of a backup singers. There was really no need for them to be there seeing as they got about 30 seconds. and if we're being nitpicky she was off alighment with the stage effects a "tiny" bit at the beginning. But anyways it was a good show for the superbowl. She got away with that cursed stage lol. People generally dont do well at these events...
ruru 5 February 2013 at 01:13
well i though it was phénoménal the woman recently had a baby and is in great shape . kelly and Michelle looked brilliant and in my honest opinion i preferred this to madonnas little afair with M.I.A and icky minaj .vocals were 80% on point and she looked like she really enjoyed owning that crowds attention(and big ol check from pepsi in the bank). bravo honey b. x
Anthony ∞ Lady Gaga 5 February 2013 at 07:53
I liked it, but it didn't feel like an "event" like Madonna's did. Then again, maybe because it's Madonna and everything she does is an event. I have to say, though, she was definitely not singing live, except for near the end of "Halo". She made it to obvious by making sure she constantly threw in those ad libs to make it seem like her mic was on. Joke's on us, though, I suppose, since even her ad libs are normally pre-recorded. I also feel like she fell back on the typical Beyonce performance tactics and she even recycled parts of her BB 2011 performance.
Josh Sensei 5 February 2013 at 09:53
BEYONCE DELIVERED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
but only the first 2 after that everything was a bit boring but i love the Destiny's Child reunion that revived me. And i just have to say that im truly impressed by her performance since it was totally live unlike Madonna who was miming ALMOST the whole time on her halftime show. But i have to say that Madonna did better on the Visual.
Anyways Bey could have taken things to the next level by bringing something better or something we didn't see from her but she didn't. so i'll give her 3.5/5
P.S. i think that Bey's voice sounded just a bit weaker
Sounded like live singing to me.
Billy 5 February 2013 at 15:29
That was an amazing performance! I don't think I have ever seen Beyonce hit it so hard! Hence why perhaps she lost some of the belt she could have done with to finish it perfectly, but I did like the new arrangement of Halo any way, as well as the twists she did on the other songs. For me it out did Madonna, perhaps not visually, but I can't help but be shady and say that's perhaps because Beyonce doesn't need a massive complex set, guest after guest and completely mimed vocals to be great...
DD, it would be interesting to hear what you have to say on how Beyonce's voice has changed post giving birth? She definitely growls more than she used to and often now seems to favour singing lower (like in the world humanitarian day "I was here" performance as opposed to her previous renditions), is it just age or can pregnancy change your voice?
Yes, I'd also like to hear what they say on voice changes due to pregnancy, seeing as I have heard it used as some kind of excuse by fans several times now.
Vinicius Ferreira Mendes 5 February 2013 at 16:30
It's probably much easier to just sing live than to remember the the right time to lip-synch a whole lot of almost random ad libs and "put your hands together"...
paulette 5 February 2013 at 19:27
its beyonce and obviously it was good but i was a tad bit underwhelmed - i didnt think she picked the right songs - kudos for singing live though - she needs to re invent her choreo though cuz thats the same dance shes been doing since like 2003
Serendipity.- 5 February 2013 at 20:15
Pregnancy does alter the voice a bit. I'm not too sure of what it does after the fact, but during pregnancy quite a number of things affect the voice. For the most part a female will find a it requires a bit more effort to hit notes than prior to the pregnancy and will see a bit of a decrease in their efficiency with breath control. There are plenty of studies on the matter if you feel curious and want to learn more about the topic. I've heard plenty of singers stating their voices to be better after pregnancy, but having some difficulty regaining proper breath control, although that's due in part to the abdominal muscles sorting themselves out.
Female voices in general tend to be greatly affected by hormonal changes, especially during their menstrual cycles. Whitney Houston for example used to say how during her period her voice would drop an octave or more.
It was completely live. Unless she was miming the thumps coming out of her mic when she clapping and whenever it bumped into her.
Why would someone who just came off the heels of a lip syncing fiasco go to such lengths to lip sync so excessively and include tons of ad libs?
lol just did some research and found indeed that for some women voices change during pregnacy. But basically return to pre pregnancy quality after te pregnancy. Some feel things come more easily but didn't read anything about negative effects on the voice After pregnancy. Which means that as an excuse it doesn't really work. :-)
As for the dropping of the voice thing. The research has shown women's voice to go somewhat higher when they are at their most fertile but that is speaking voices and only when speaking to men. And even then only the first sentence.
Found nothing about negative effects after pregnancy and have to say...I also personally never been fan of a singer whose voice went from good to poor after having children.
I am going to write this one up as one for the Great Book Of Stan Delusions ;-D
Some stans with their excuses, they'll pull out any card they can.
The only thing I excuse personally are cases of laryngitis, which I've only seen really affect a handful of singers performing live, as most usually call off if such a thing happens. Kelly Clarkson and Hayley Williams are the first two that come to mind, Kelly performed most of her American Idol season with laryngitis and with Hayley her voice gave out halfway through her set and laryngitis was later found to be the cause.
Sometimes I think certain performers lie about certain ailments such as laryngitis
Oh yes, I'd say actual illness is a sound excuse. Though even more sound (pun intended) would be to cancel in such a case.
Diva Devotee 6 February 2013 at 13:36
Its odd because I did think about this.She has definitely delivered less pristine vocals since the baby. However, I'll reserve judgement until we've heard more from her this era. :D
I agree that this didn't top Madonna, but it was definitely better than I thought it was going to be. It did have a whiff of the recession about it. I kind of appreciated that in this tough economic climate, though... whether that was their intent, I very much doubt it.
I purposely took my head out of the clouds before I watched it. I knew if i had had really high expectations- for example that she was going to best the show Madonna put on- then I was heading for trouble. I also re-evaluated how I would judge it after I watched Michael Jackson's show. He lipped and he didn't bust out any new choreography, so it wasn't fair- for me- to have a go at her for using signature moves, But what really sold it for me was the energy and how much she seemed to be relishing the moment. It Was infectious!
WoWIE! Lucky git!! Lol. I don't think the atmosphere translated very well over the screen, though.
It did feel very short. I remember Madonna (wrongly) going on for ages last year!
I re-evaluated how I would look at it after I watched Michael Jackson's performance- which is cited as the greatest half-time show by many. Unfortunately that was AFTER that post. In reality I think I was expecting too much. lol
It did have gruffness about it at points.
XF 6 February 2013 at 14:24
Bit sad to read a comment down there saying this was the best SB halftime show in history. Let's be honest here, Madonna set an extremely high bar last year with her performance and Beyonce was simply never going to be able to put on a spectacle like that. Remember, Madonna has been doing these kinds of high-concept shows for over two decades now, she knows how to pull it off and it showed in her set last year. The presentation, the flow, the (brand new) choreography, the smooth transition from one song to another, the guest appearances... everything was choreographed and organized to pinpoint precision, right down to when the whole stadium lit up at the end of Like a Prayer. Also, save for an unscripted middle finger flip by MIA, the whole thing was kept clean and family-friendly.
Compare that to Beyonce's show this year: same old recycled choreography, the multiple Beyonce clones in a background screen, the awkward transitions between songs, Kelly and Michelle being relegated to background singer status, and she was popping her pussy all over the place for all the five-year olds to see - not exactly family friendly material there.
I'm not saying it was a bad show, because if this had been the Grammy Awards or something that performance would have gotten a standing ovation. But this was the SUPER BOWL, and she needed to deliver something new. She did not do that.
The stage was fantastic though.
I am not familiar with michael's show. Will see if it's up on youtube. But I just watched Madonna's show again and I stand by my assesment...way better show. Ofcourse vocally Beyonce live beats Madonna. No contest there. But I figure a Superbowl halftime show needs to enterain more folks than just the fans of the artist.
You really think Madonna needs a massive complex set, several guests and playback to entertain a crowd? Do not underestimate the Queen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZRnuxJggqc
Just watched the Michael Jackson show. Meh! I seem to be immune to cheap sentiment if it involves kids and is not set to country music. ;-D
For me...Madonna's show beats Michael's as easily as Beyonce's live vocals beat Madonna's vocals ...Easily!
Let me just say, I didn't think MJ's was the best: Prince, Janet and Madonna were better,IMO. For the time, he might have been amazing, but watching it now, dare i say, it looked sloppy. But it does make you realise how much better a show looks at night.
I think if he was to have put on a half-time show now, with the technology that is afforded to performers, he would have outshone everyone. But watching it now, I'd probably even put Beyonce's performance above his.
MJ's Performance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idg8TNknvDU
JJ's Performance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW97CWfeWdY
Prince's Performance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYzvM1tpFY4
It was an odd set-list, i agree. I read numerous comments from people not knowing most of the songs. Apparently there was even a last minute shuffle of the set-list: http://www.capitalfm.com/artists/beyonce-knowles/news/destinys-child-super-bowl-halftime-show-set-list/
Yes, I agree. It being daylight didn't help. Nor did the poor way it was filmed. I'm guessing ( sinceI haven't bothered with the Superbowlshows until recently) that it wasn't such a major part of the televised event yet as it is now?
Thanks for the links. I will check out the JJ and Prince ones as well. I heard more claims for Prince's being the '' best ever'' than for MJ.
Ps I did understand you were talking ''word on the street'' calling MJ's the ''best'' :-)
Yep..I can live with Prince and Janet being up there. Both delivered a big show with plenty of spectacle and Prince adding live vocals and real guitar.
Have to agree with your three best picks.
But re Prince...do think his voice isn't ''big'' enough for stadium filling vocals. Works here thanks to the show around it but basically not a 'rock' voice imo.
haha it was a bit tongue and cheek really, but that video is a pretty damn good performance! I do really like Madonnas half time show, visually it was spectacular, but I'm just a massive Bey fan, and loved her raw energy and voice.
hilabaloo 8 February 2013 at 11:40
Hello to everyone at Diva Devotee, I'm a newcomer and this is my first ever comment so for what’s it worth I think Madonna completely outclasses Beyonce every time in terms of spectacle, back catalogue, choreography and sheer watchability. Obviously Beyonce has the vocals but this was not one of her great performances, too much grunting, growling, prancing and aggression. Madonna’s renditions were a lot more heartfelt and
controlled, using some of her greatest hits to carry the whole set. It was only
when DC appeared that Beyonce’s performance was placed in any kind of context really. Anyway I could go on and on about this but will end here, just once last thought though, at 50 odd years old, Madonna can dance everyone right off the stage, Beyonce, little Cheryl, Nicole Scherzinger, Jennifer Lopez etc. etc.
arthur 8 February 2013 at 15:11
I mean, I also thought Madonna's performance was more of a show, but if I wanna watch a show during the Superbowl, I'd invite Cirque du Soleil. If I watch a singer perform, I want a show, but I care more vocals and choreography. I thought Beyonce's voice was spot-on, not amazing, but pretty good. I love her growling and her aggressive tone. And really? Madonna was more heartfelt and controlled LOL? She lip-synched, badly at that, and her songs, in my opinion, aren't as fun.
And Beyonce was no where near out of context. The only song that common people aren't familiar with is "End of Time". Every other song, but "Halo", went number 1 on the Hot 100 charts. And Madonna can't dance as well as Beyonce... even at her prime. Do you honestly think Madonna's Superbowl performance had better choreography than Beyonce's? All she did was shuffle... No, just no.
Beyonce is a stomper, when did you ever see Fred Astaire stomping across the stage? Her set dance pieces tell no story whatsoever.She lacks sensuality and grace as a dancer. No one can say she isn’t a fabulous singer but let’s face it she has to work with a lot of poor material. Of course Madonna was lip-syncing, the event was an extravaganza, an overblown piece of entertainment that didn’t call for a live vocal. Beyonce made the mistake of
miming at Obama’s inauguration and it was the wrong call. She got found out and
lost a bit credibility, hence all the extraneous grunts and whoops during her Superbowl
Beyonce is a stomper, when did you ever see Fred Astaire stomping across
the stage? Her set dance pieces tell no story whatsoever.She lacks
sensuality and grace as a dancer. No one can say she isn’t a fabulous
singer but let’s face it she has to work with a lot of poor material. Of
course Madonna was lip-syncing, the event was an extravaganza, an
overblown piece of entertainment that didn’t call for a live vocal.
Beyonce made the mistake of miming at Obama’s inauguration and it was the wrong call. She got found out and lost a bit credibility, hence all the extraneous grunts and whoops during her Superbowl
I'm with you on this. I'm not sure about these days but in her prime...Madonna was imo a better dancer. And I liked her songs better.
A halftime Show of a sportsmatch though,is more a show than a concert..
And actually...only Beyonce song I knew until very recently was Halo. It annoys me. But now I also know Huray for the fifties anthem '' Single Ladies''. That one I find even more annoying.
Of course..I am far from '' common'' ;-D
Luiz Henrique Oliveira 9 February 2013 at 21:50
as always, she used pre recorded bases. But she sang the whole last song, and I could notice that her voice sounds horrible.
Opie, I wouldn't expect with your taste in music (which I actually respect) that you'd be familiar with any Beyonce song :b much less like them, lol
Single Ladies is regarded as one of the most iconic dances of all time. While she lacks technical ability when it comes to dance, her ability to pick up any routine seamlessly puts her miles beyond Madonna. Plus, she definitely does not lack grace, she's knows how to move.
And saying that Beyonce has poor material is extremely subjective. I personally love her music.
This performance has absolutely nothing to do with the Inauguration, which BTW she said she did not lip sync at. Her grunting and whoops are her performance style. You can look at any of her concerts...
arthur 10 February 2013 at 02:53
Actually, she had background singers, there were a few instances of pre records especially when there were studio edits done to her voice.
And of course "Halo" was bad, she just got finished dancing for 10+ minutes...
Opie Ever 10 February 2013 at 02:54
I think you missed my point there Arthur. I am actually quite common in that I am far from alone in not knowing most of Beyonce's songs. And the audience for the Superbowl is a lot more varied in age, chartknowledge and musical taste than you seem to suggest.
A really good Superbowl show needs to take that into consideration.
Madonna's show did by giving those who aren't fan familiar an anyway visually entertaining time, Prince for instance did so by referencing iconic songs by other artists from other genres.
I'm sorry, but Madonna really was not as good a dancer at her prime. Granted, she was a trained dancer, she still can't move with the poise and attitude Beyonce could. I always thought Madonna was very stiff. Examples of great technical dancers are Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson.
LOL... Beyonce isn't some underground indy artist. A lot of people know her work. She's arguably the most popular diva in today's world.
But you do have a point, the audience varies greatly in age. My point was she performed some of her most popular songs. I'm fairly certain people are familiar with the brilliant horn sample in "Crazy in Love", the chorus from "Baby Boy" the chorus in "Bootylicious", and most definitely familiar with the hook in "Single Ladies".
Abdul and Jackson are not arguments in the question who between Madonna and Beyonce is the better dancer.
I find Beyonce to have a rather limited repertoire of moves. Certainly her footwork is limited. Her dancing consists for a large part of poses and hipthrusting.
Never said she is underground. But she is a popdiva and as such widely known for sure amongst fans of that genre. I am trying to make it clear to you that actually a great many people are not into chart music and contrary to your statement..do NOT know Beyonce's songs. I am afraid in spite of being fairly certain, you might actually be fairly mistaken. ;-)
My point still stands, a show of a couple of Beyonce hits coupled with a visually not very imaginative show is only interesting really to Beyonce fans. As a generally appealing and/or memorable show...it failed I think
I never said they were, I was only providing examples of good technical dancers :b
And I can see why would think that, people certainly set her out to be a booty popper, lol. But again, she can pick new dance moves in the snap of a finger. Her footwork I find is decent. Look up her performance on the Billboard Awards. If you want to see Beyonce dancing at her best look up the Deja Vu music video and skip to about the 2nd minute or so. Amazing.
But my point is she's extremely popular. Of 100 million people who watched her half time show, I'm certain that at least half new all her songs (basing my numbers on her social media records), 40% knows who she is (just a wild guess) and the other ten watched because it's the superbowl half time show.
I agree, it wasn't fairly memorable show, but there are really no memorable half time shows. It was entertaining though. Don't worry Opie, when I perform at the half time show in ten years, I'll try to make it memorable for you ;-)
Well then .so were Gene Kelly, Judy Garland, Isadora Duncan and Ginger Rodgers.:-)
I'm sure that statement regarding speed of picking up simple routines based on her limited repertoire was again also just a side remark. Not at all intended as a failing argument for her being a great dancer.
You DO realize I hope that videos are carefully edited usually?
But anyway...fanciest step I see her do is the step done in every soccer practice on every level of play. Really, most of what she does is really not very intricate.
William Monk 10 February 2013 at 04:07
I would add she has had an 84% increase in followers since then if we are arguing popularity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcMd1Rcn_lo&feature=youtube_gdata_player
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOd3p3wxrv4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNdlArUye6E&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Lol you will have to come with better sources than that...her social mediarecords and your indeed wild guesses.
Of course they were better technical dancers than Beyonce.
And no it wasn't. She incorporates some pretty complex dance moves in her videos. Such as the African step in "Who Run the World". Her ability to pick up choreography is sublime compared to all singer/dancers. Ask any professional dancing instructor (not saying that I am pro dance instructor).
Are you refering to that wide legged stomping move with ' African stepp''?
If that's how you see it, lol
Well Obviously that's how I see it. Otherwise I wouldn't be posting it.
But I guess by that response...you have no counter. We will leave it at both having made our case to the best of our ability in that case. :-)
I do wish you had answered my question regarding what step you meant with 'African step'' though. :-(
My counter is that it's a difficult step to pick up. If you want more examples of difficult choreography she picked up, look at "Sweet Dreams" and "Single Ladies". Both were very acclaimed in the dancing world (as well as the African Step).
And the African Step can be found about 2 minutes in this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBmMU_iwe6U
What is a better indicator of her fanbase than the amount of followers she has on social media sites? 42 million likes on facebook and 7 million followers on twitter (she's notorious for never tweeting by the way) indicates that more or less 50 million people watching her were her genuine fans.
To counter than second point, Madonna I feel appeals to a more favorable audience when it comes to this. Many of her fans let's face it are 40+ years old. Considering her genre (Dance pop) she has more of a worldwide appeal as well. Beyonce on the other hand appeals mostly to teenagers, and considering she's an r&b pop artist, her music is not as marketable worldwide.
And darn :/ how upsetting.
Dude, between 1.41 and 2.15 not a single step is done other than her crawling inbetween the guy's legs. I am left still wondering what, if not that wide legged stomping, is that African step???
And by her own statements, she doesn't ''pick up'' that dancing. She practices ''till her feet bleed''. A claim sort of belying your claims regarding the supposed ease with wich this dancing is coming to her ( and which still does not go to the quality of that dancing)
I saw no intricate footwork in 'single ladies'
You really ought to study those dancers I just linked to and learn what intricate footwork means. :-)
Black Robin 10 February 2013 at 05:52
As much as I LOVEEEEEEEEEE Beyonce....I got to say this...Her dancing is to feminine for my taste...as much as I love booty popping and stuff of that manner, I want to be wowed.....Ciara is one of my least fav vocalist but she is my second favorite performer, simply for the fact that she can dance like creeeeeeeezy..... Beyonce does have the ability to pick up dance moves very quickly, but the thing is I can pick up her dance moves in 10 minutes...she does nothing overly difficult.
I remember, when me and my friends choreographed Beyonce's song "Love on Top" last year....we based it off the original but there was not enough ump to it so we had to spruce it up....
In my opinion, her best dancing was in her music video "Get me bodied"...her worst was in "Diva" which was this horrible hip-hop/ pop influenced thing that I simply found atrocious. Especially that whole pop thing she did at the end...
For her dancing in "Run the World" it started off good and unique, but it got very sloppy and thrown together closer to the middle when she was wearing the yellow leotard. I'm sure she could have thought of something better than that little side hip thrust thing.
But I'm a fan of her for her vocal technique not her dancing. As someone who's been dancing for the past 16 years, I think I can say that Beyonce's dancing needs an overhaul.....
Yes, a fan defending Beyonce supposed amazing achievements would be much better off bringing up her vocal technique. Because there's nothing to argue there...it simply IS impressive. Certainly amongst her genre peers.:-)
And that is my point! The Superbowl audience does not consist of ''mostly teenagers'' and r& b fans. A truly good half time show would take that into consideration.
As for facebook and twitter likes. We already know that the majority of her youtube likes were fake. They were bought.
Do you really expect me to believe facebook and twitter numbers to be accurate reprentations of the number of fans she has? Aside from the aforementioned fact that the superbowl always attracts around a 100 million viewers. Logic as well as fact say these do not all happen to also be all of Beyonce's fans. They are in fact...football fans. Mostly of the two teams making it to the Superbowl. To assume even 50 milion football fans are Beyonce fans is illogical and likely incorrect.
lol, I had to find a reason to defend her.....LMAO
Lol like I said...there is nothing to defend there as there really is no questioning her vocal technique. Anybody claiming that is not good clearly is being not just not a fan but being competely irrational aswell. :-)
But we weren't arguing popularity. We were arguing the general entertainment value of Beyonce's half time show to the allover Superbowl audience. :-)
I just got to wonder, is she a natural dancer? I seen when she was younger and she had some step game but nothing major...I mean all lil girls did that stuff....Her choreography generally starts off strong and slops up at the end....look at "Dance for you" and aforementioned "Run the World." I mean sometimes she can impress me with her dancing.....but when she shakes her rump, she doesn't do anything intricate...Twerk or something...lol
She doesn't strike me as a natural dancer. Surely if someone is a natural AND working on it as much as she does, they would end up delivering better and more varied dancing.
Have you ever seen the female singer of The Civil Wars? She doesn't really dance yet she strikes me as a natural dancer.
Well, I pray that Beyonce will dance the way she dances in my dreams...lol
oh I had just saw the fact on twitter and felt like spreading the useless knowledge
More than useless..I am sure it is totally sucked from someone's thumb. :-)
I know right it was about 108,000 new followers then I was like beyonce only had 127,086 followers thats sad bey
Reiko Kanaki 10 February 2013 at 22:32
Then why add it to the setlist, if it was going to turn out completely horrible? That being said, I haven't actually seen the performance. And honestly, after a stan confirmation of her voice being 'horrible'.... I'm not sure I will.
LOL Opie... comparing Beyonce to showgirls? That's like, a step in divadom- the showgirl video. IDK if Bey's done it yet, but Mariah and Christina have both done it lmao....
Most popular? LMAO the DELUSION. As long as Gaga breathes, Beyonce sits- growling and doing a tantrum composed of the African Stomp- at number two.
And that's strictly in the States. It's quite difficult for us to measure the popularity of popsingers from other countries. Like Sarah Connor and Regine Velasquez, who are both immensely popular in their respective homelands, but are relatively unknown overseas.
Well, I think there are probably several showgirls in Vegas alone whose only difference with Beyonce is lack of a contract and the accompanying pr. ;-D
Oh it was by no means a bad show. Quite good actually. Vocally speaking. Just not a memorable one to a non Beyonce fan. But ''horrible''...I think that was Arthur speaking without thinking first probably. ;-)
Hunter 14 February 2013 at 23:56
Yeah, it was a great opportunity for me :) I can't really say how well it translated over TV because everything gives me chills watching it back, especially the entrance. The energy in the Dome was unreal during that portion. It was easily the best day of my life.
Scoopz 15 April 2013 at 01:45
I doubt very much you are sufficiently familiar with anything but the most famous of Beyonce's choreography which explains the fact that you overlooked the numerous new steps merged with her staple choreography, none of which featured in Glastonbury. Perhaps more research into your chosen topic of discussion would aid in you being both informed and objective. Just a tip. Admittedly the show lacked the spectacle of Madonnas show, but then that's because that spectacle, the set pieces and army of support acts that were popular at the time were required as a crutch for Madonnas awkward dancing, lacking vocals and attempt to achieve chart success. Beyonce kept it simple and gave us just great (albeit largely familiar) choreography and great vocals and stage presence. And she didnt stumble awkwardly off of a bench mid performance :)
Opie Ever 15 April 2013 at 07:17
And was utterly forgetable. I now have seen Beyonce's Superbowl performance, her Glastonbury performance and several of her most famous videos...I am still thoroughly unimpressed with her dancing and her shows in general as well as her vocal tone and music. The only thing vaguely interesting is her technical abilty. All in all to me she is a sublimely uninteresting artist.
I remain thoroughly amused at your efforts to present yourself as knowledgeable and somehow cultured whilst clearly being a biased hypocritical fanatic of other artists. I am no stan, i love Beyonce, however i am mature and objective enough to recognize her faults whilst appreciating the greatness of other artists. Someone disagreeing with your poorly argued assertions regarding Beyonce does not make someone a stan. That is just your way of dismissing anyone who highlights your bs.
You can hate Beyonce all you want as you clearly revel in doing so, jumping from post to post to eagerly spread your uninformed perspective. But please be the grown up you try to present yourself as and learn some objectivity.
You admit that you know little of her work and yet you continue to think you can credibly dismiss her entire career and contributions as an artist. That is bias to the extremes and makes your own contributions to any debate about her quite useless, redundant even :)
You are marginally more intelligent than the average stan, which works in your favor but a stan you remain, however you persevere to present yourself.
Whilst you contemplate how to amend your ways, take a pick from one of several seats _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
Rofl I think the internet has gone to your head a bit doll.
Who do you think you areexactly?
You came on here responding on 4 treads regarding Beyonce. Several times responding to my posts.
Cute how you try to turn things around. I am guessing you are a buddy of Arthur. If not, you ought to be. You share so much. Your love of stanning for Beyonce as well as a lack of comprehension of the written word.
( I'd even hazard a guess that you are the friend he asked about my writing ;-D)
My dismissal of Beyonce was in no uncertain terms a statement of personal taste. Nowhere do I claim anything else.
''whilst you contemplate how to amend your ways'' hahahahahaha funny dude! Like I said, stans...so often so much more entertaining than the artists they stan for.
DivaDevotee status
Currently it's dead. Thought I'd state because I'm still getting emails.I've left it up because people are still reading the profiles.
Was a ride!
What Sis be saying
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In spite of gaining a little weight- by Hollywood standards-and looking a little tired , Christina Aguilera is still out there promo...
[Vocal Profile] Beyonce
Beyonce Knowles Vocal Type: Coloratura (Light-Lyric) Mezzo Vocal Range: 4 octaves. F2-F6 (approx) Whistle Register: No Longest Note:...
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Adele Vocal Type : Mezzo-soprano Vocal Range : 2 octaves and 3 notes (C3- F5) Whistle Register : No Vocal Strengths: Adele is a Di...
Vocal Profile: Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert Vocal Type: Tenor Vocal Range: 3 Octaves and a semitone B2-B5 Whistle Register: No Vocal Strengths: Adam Lam...
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“I just wanted to write and thank you properly for that beautiful workshop in Bristol. I loved it so much and feel deeply changed and moved by it. I only wish that I could do it all over again straightaway. I felt that I slowed down and let go a lot but I realise now that I could go so much further. I suppose that continuum is endless. It was a great life lesson in that all my life I have felt that there is never enough time and I rush around in a frenzy out of pure habit. I see now that there is always time to pause, to look, to be still, to be loving. Even in a three second pose.
During the workshop I felt like the gentle touch and lovingness that you gave and that was all around was the very voice and contact that I've yearned for all my life, and so it had a very profound effect. Your simple instruction to me in 'rough versus gentle' touch was one of the most illuminating and powerful ever - it's as though you flicked a switch and, now on, I have found more softness in myself and with those I love. So thank you. Huge huge thanks.”
HJ, Bristol March 2012
"Meriel's teaching is unique. I don't know of anyone who teaches life drawing with such freedom and vitality. With the models she creates a safe space encouraging her students to let go of what they think they know and discover the true creative within, allowing it to form on the page.
Using hands, fingers and natural instruments like bamboo reeds, goose quills, brushes and charcoal, chalk, ink, water and music, the mystery of the human form is freely explored and participants surprise themselves with the depth of their experience."
Jane Bowman, Hazelwood House
"This was a whole body and heart experience. It's tough to convey the feeling of how all this magic came together.
The weekend was an explosion of joy in slow motion. For me this was a gift. I know the other students felt the same. We had a blast! I was reminded of just how good one can feel, of how powerful it can be to surrender to the body's knowing and rhythm. Again and again I keep coming back to some version of this lesson--live in your body! The mind has its place but the body knows directly."
Patricia, Anthroposophical Society NYC
"The Grace with which you sow the seeds of this wise, humble, generous revelation of beholding and truth – led creative response, has moved me, opened me up, tenderised me..it’s a struggle, there’s resistance, yet a stream of yearnings has been unblocked a little ( which is a lot ) by you and your inspiring team.
Thank you so much ."
Claire, March London.
"I came as a wave crashing on the shore and leave as a silent ripple. Thank you all "
Pat, 7-day Gaunts House
"Thank you for a blissful week at Gaunts House. The quiet I experienced enabled me to see beautiful images everywhere. I reached an inner peace that has stayed with me since I returned home and I thank you and Morag for setting the stage which allowed this to happen.”
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.”.I now feel as if I have much more space around my heart chamber a bit like a grandfather Clocks large cabinet. Much more sound, less noise.”
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"What a course! It was exceptional and my heart was bursting open by the end of it. Thank you so so much for your wonderful input along with your adorable Troupe. It seemed to be a microcosm of what life is, in all its aspects ….such love, joy, fun, deep silence, humour, earthiness, grief and sorrow etc… and then such tenderness and Intimacy. How can I possibly thank you for your great gift. It was priceless."
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"Thank you so much for a wild and reaffirming journey on drawnhome…for the next 2 nights I had the rhythms pulsating through my dreams …loosing for moments the controlling mind and instead yielding to the flood of images and rhythm that naturally flowed in to take its place. WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! Thank you for your energy, playfulness, courage and wildness…they speak to me."
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“Meriel, you are really the most amazing teacher. What I really love about your workshop is that you have re-awakened in me the excitement of drawing home my innate creativity, through life drawing, and bringing it up to the conscious mind. All the models were really good, and Morag brings so much creativity that she stands out not only as a good model, but as an exceptional person, who’s partnership with you is so much part of the workshop that the experience you both bring is elevated to another level.”
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Difference between revisions of "Locomotive Software"
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Locomotive's association with Amstrad continued with the next range of computers to be launched by the firm - the [[PCW]] word-processors.
Here, as well as porting CP/M, Locomotive was to write LocoScript - a powerful and (generally) user-friendly word-processing package that would be the sole user experience for 90% of the unit's purchasers. The vast success of the PCW can therefore largely be attributed to Locomotive. Locomotive BASIC, meanwhile, made a reappearance on the PCW, this time as Mallard BASIC. Mallard had no graphics or sound functionality, but the excellent file handling from Locomotive's original Acorn BASIC made a reappearance.
Here, as well as porting CP/M, Locomotive was to write LocoScript - a powerful and (generally) user-friendly word-processing package that would be the sole user experience for 90% of the unit's purchasers. The vast success of the PCW can therefore largely be attributed to Locomotive. Locomotive BASIC, meanwhile, made a reappearance on the PCW, this time as [[Mallard BASIC]]. Mallard had no graphics or sound functionality, but the excellent file handling from Locomotive's original Acorn BASIC made a reappearance.
LocoScript was the only program for the PCW that did not have to be booted from CP/M, as it contained its own firmware (though many supposedly 'CP/M' programs, such as Flipper and RoutePlanner, were in fact very much PCW-specific). The original version was followed by a greatly improved LocoScript 2 and a set of add-on programs (LocoMail, LocoSpell etc.). The program continued to be improved up to LocoScript 4, with better printed output as the main focus of the revisions.
Founded in February 1983, Locomotive Software was the software house which developed the CPC's BASIC and operating system, and played a pivotal role in other Amstrad home computers of the time. The company was founded by Richard Clayton and Chris Hall.
Their first contract was to write a Z80 BASIC for Acorn's abortive ABC business computer project. This BASIC would prove pivotal in their future history, gaining them the 'in' for Amstrad's first computer.
1 CPC
2 PCW, PC and Spectrum
3 Internet products and later
4 Web links
Most pieces of the CPC's system software were written by Locomotive: Locomotive BASIC, the CP/M ports, the operating system firmware, and AMSDOS. All were acclaimed for their stability and design, particularly the BASIC. The main operating system development started in September 1983 and, for the 464, was complete by 14th January 1984. (Locomotive then worked on the documentation, both the free BASIC manual and the SOFT 158 firmware manual.)
PCW, PC and Spectrum
Locomotive's association with Amstrad continued with the next range of computers to be launched by the firm - the PCW word-processors.
Other Locomotive projects of the time included firmware for Amstrad's Spectrum models (after the company had acquired Sinclair), the +2, +2A and +3; BASIC 2, for the Digital Research GEM windowing system used by Amstrad's PCs; and LocoScript PC, a PC port of the word-processor which found great favour with PCW upgraders but failed to make much headway elsewhere.
Locomotive was invited to pitch to write the software for the PCW16, Amstrad's last 8-bit machine, but declined because they thought the deadline was unachievable. (Creative Technology's failure to complete by the specified date only proved that Locomotive had been correct.)
Internet products and later
In 1993, Locomotive began work on an Internet client for Windows, called Turnpike. This was principally used by the UK ISP Demon. The program launched in 1995: later that year, Demon bought the Turnpike business, while the still profitable PCW side was bought out by Locomotive's Howard Fisher and renamed LocoScript Software.
LocoScript Software is now owned by SD Microsystems, which itself was once a CPC software publisher. Richard Clayton has become a well-respected, and often quoted, security expert at Cambridge University.
LocoScript homepage
old Locomotive Software domain
Information at Wikipedia
Interview with Richard Clayton
History of Locomotive presentation (PDF)
Richard Clayton's homepage
Retrieved from "http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php?title=Locomotive_Software&oldid=74741"
CPC related companies
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Arts & Ents
Fire Guts Famous Gym
Fire gutted the site of Wag Bennett's gym - 'Muscle Mansion' - on Romford Road in the early hours of 13 April this year. The photo shows firefighters at work trying to salvage this famous Forest Gate landmark.
Fire fighters attending the Romford
Road blaze on 13 April 2013
Bennett was a Newham boy, born in Canning Town in 1930, who died in Forest Gate in 2008. He was famous in his own right in the body-building community, but is perhaps best known as the man who "spotted" Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1966 and helped launch his career as a bodybuilder, before AS became a Hollywood star and latterly governor of California.
Wag was one of the judges at the Mr Universe competition in 1966 when Schwarzenegger, aged 19, was beaten into second place. Something about the young Austrian impressed Bennett and his wife, Dianne, and they invited him to live with them and their six children in their flat above the Romford Road gym. Wag trained him and took him to see his first ever movie, at the Mile End Odeon, while Dianne taught him English.
Arnold stayed with the Bennetts, whom he called his "British parents", between 1966 and 1968, during which time he became Mr Universe for the first time.
By a bizarre co-incidence this covered the very time when Jimi Hendrix appeared at the Upper Cut club, just around the corner in Woodgrange Road and where he composed the iconic Purple Haze, on Boxing Day 1966. This incident will be a feature in a future E7 Now And Then post. We do not know whether Schwarzenegger and Hendrix met then, or, indeed, subsequently.
Schwarzenegger, with Wag and Dianne Bennett and
some of their children, during his stay in Forest Gate
Schwarzenegger and Bennett outside
335, Romford Road c 1967
Schwarzenegger was not the Bennetts' only claim to fame. Dianne coached a troupe of muscle-women 'Dianne Bennett's Glamour Girls' in her gym on the corner of Green Street and Romford Road. Wag trained a number of other muscle-men, including Mr Universe title holders Reg Park and Robby Robinson, as well as the Incredible Hulk, Lou Ferrigno.
The gym became almost a shrine to British bodybuilders and much of its interior, during its prime, displayed more than passing references to religious imagery, as some of the archive photos, below, show.
It remained a working gym well into the 21st century, as a couple of photographs illustrate.
Schwarzenegger kept in touch with Bennett for over 40 years, as the photos below indicate. Arniold sent a memorial message to Wag's funeral in 2008.
The gym from the outside seemed like the small church hall that it had originally been, next to just one more of the triple-fronted houses on Romford Road, until it was put up for sale, following Bennett's death in 2008.
Perhaps the only external sign of its bodybuilding-gym-role came in the form of the lamp post that illuminated the front doorway to the now-damaged house.
Some of the internal shots of the gym, before it closed, won't be to everyone's taste. The images have more religious overtones, in their dedication worship of 'the body beautiful'.
Given the almost religious nature of many of the displays in the gym, it is perhaps fitting that the building has reverted to its original purpose since its sale by the Bennett estate. It is now the home of the Destiny Apostolic Church International.
Our thanks to the body building community, and Neil Beaumont for use of many of the images on this page.
More details and photos can be found on: A tribute to Wag Bennett
Story: Lloyd Jeans and John Walker, April 2013
In November 2014 we added the following post script to this article:
One of the most viewed articles on this site was the first (it's been all downhill since!), on the fire at Wag Bennett's gym, on Romford Road in April 2013.
Wag's house and gym (1), November 2014
The post has been viewed by a large number of both body builders and Arnold's fans, as far as we have been aware. Not all of them will pass the sorry state that is the building, eighteen months after the fire.
The building has been squatted and vandalised, but has more recently been boarded up and secured. Quite how effective this will prove to be, without a roof(!), remains to be seen.
So we are producing a two photos taken a couple of days ago, primarily for the benefit of blog visitors from beyond our local boundaries.
The original article, with these photos as a postscript can be accessed here.
Posted by John Walker at 18:04
Labels: Arnold Swarzennegger, Fire, Gym, Romford Road, Wag Bennett
A real part of history is gone in more ways than one. I enjoyed my time with Wag and Nic.
such a shame to see it end this way,i trained there back in the 80's,albeit as a hobby,but it should be conserved as a shrine to bodybuildings' history and preserved.
well said mate.......I went there today and noticed that the lamp post is still standing!....It will soon be demolished....I think some one should take that lamp post as a memory of the gym and all it stood for!.....or it will end up in a skip very soon......
bigkat1100 3 November 2015 at 23:03
Put it in amuseum
Does anyone know when the house will be demolished?
They have now refurbished the house. The correct door number is 335 romford road
I own the house
I went there from 1965-66 never saw Arnie though.
The one gym in the world i would truly have loved to train in. Full of so much history and character, unlike today's soulless, modern, corporate factory type gyms. Just love the images with all the painted murals and photos on the church walls. The rusty weights improvised benches and well used old school machines. This was literally like a spiritual cathedral for real, oldschool bodybuilding
Masters great Len Brown and his team from Colchester my first bodybuilding competition at Wags in November 1975. It was one of the most enjoyable evenings of my life. We drove to Tiptree en route to collect Gordon Vansertima's son Aubert. I managed to garner a little trophy that was awarded to me by Wag and Diane's beautiful daughter, Leigh who tragically died, as I recall, from an asthma attack while on a family holiday. I was taken aback by Wag's generosity and unselfish enthusiam. I went to watch the previous competition. The main event was won by Ian Dowe from Ron Morris and Alan Simpson. As we left we noticed the venue was still packed. We were told not to leave because Wag had departed earlier to collect the evening's guest star IFBB Universe and Olympia competitor Albert Beckles. Unbelievable! Thank you Wag and the Bennett family.
Who remembers the little serving hatch at Wag's comps in whe even a poor student like me could buy large amounts of cheese and digestive biscuits. I still keep in contact with Ian Dowe, who trained mainly at Len Sell's in Walthamstow and Bill Steven's in Stratford. Some other people I remember from Wag's are: Gary Kendall and his brothers, upper body specialist Joe Matthou, Rick and Kevin Wayne, Ron Morris, Bill Trotter, Roy Chavez, Brian Buchanan, guest posers Gordon and Bridget Pasquil, Wilf Sylvester, Alan Simpson from Chelmsford, Roy Perrott and a huge number of competitors and supporters from the Estuary Gym, Angelito Lesta, Terry Fisher and his parents (Terry was only 14 at the time), Barry Stritton, Lloyd Berry, Eugene Laviscount, Russ Gray from Dagenham, Sulby Prince, Dennis Stallard and his team from Wales, Len and Brenda Sell Bob Turner from Maidstone "Y", Gordon and Aubert Vansertima, Al Beckles, Len Brown, Colin Grayston, Bob Tinworth, Nusrat Baig and his brother, Martin Lewis and many more. Once, Wag showed his famous 8mm film of Sergio Oliva pumping up with a huge dumbell Hyde Park... Halcyon days.... Thanks Wag.
I was privelaged to train there for nine months in 1990. Wag was such a legend and never pretentious, he even opened his doors for me at 8am when the gym didn't open till 9am simply because of my shift pattern. I have used many of the unique design ideas in my own gym and find his passing and the later demise of the gym a complete tragedy. A once in a lifetime man and gym. Respects David Livingstone
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Epoca Libera images
Athens : Graffiti in memory of Pavlos Fyssas
Graffiti in memory of Pavlos Fyssas, the Greek antifa rapper who was stabbed to death on September 18th, 2013 by members of Golden Dawn, appeared recently on the walls of the Polytechnic University in central Athens. Greece, 18 November, 2013.
Grèce : Un graffiti apparaît dans les rues d'Athènes en hommage à Pavlos Fyssas.
Un graffiti à la mémoire du rappeur grec antifasciste Pavlos Fyssas, poignardé par un membre du parti néonazi Aube Dorée, a vu le jour sur les murs de l'université Polytechnique d'Athènes le 17 novembre 2013.
A young child runs in the courtyard of the Polytechnic University in front of the graffiti of Pavlos Fyssas.
Female students paint a banner in the courtyard of the Polytechnic University in front of the graffiti of Pavlos Fyssas.
Graffiti in memory of Pavlos Fyssas, the Greek antifa rapper who was stabbed to death on September 18th, 2013 by members of Golden Dawn, appeared recently on the walls of the Polytechnic University in central Athens.
A banner is painted by students in the courtyard of the Polytechnic University in front of the graffiti of Pavlos Fyssas.
Students paint a banner in the courtyard of the Polytechnic University in front of the graffiti of Pavlos Fyssas.
The murder of the anti-fascist rapper and activist Pavlos Fyssas also known as Killah-P, has sparked protests and riots in Greece and it has also initiated a series of arrests of members of Golden Dawn.
Video: Protests and clashes shake Athens after fascist murder of antifa rapper Pavlos Fyssas.
Thousands of Greeks joined the antifascist protest on Wednesday evening in Athens, one week after the fatal stabbing of the anti-racism rapper Pavlos Fyssas by a supporter of the far-right Golden Dawn party. Clashes with Police broke out during the demonstration when a group of antifa protesters marched towards the headquarters of extreme-right Golden Dawn in Mesogion avenue. Athens, Greece, 25 September 2013.
For licensing images of this story, contact me or follow the links:
1. http://www.demotix.com/node/3274768/
2. http://www.newzulu.com/en/photos/news/2013-11-17/4567/athens-graffiti-tribute-to-golden-dawn-victim.html
3. http://www.citizenside.com/fr/photos/faits-divers/2013-11-17/86637/grece-un-graffiti-apparait-dans-les-rues-d-athenes-en-hommage-a-pavlos-fyssas.html
Labels: antifascism, Athens, graffiti
Greeks commemorate the 40th anniversary of Polytechnic uprising - In Pictures
Tens of thousands of people joined in protest march to commemorate the Polytechnic school students’ uprising of 1973. Athens, Greece, 17 November, 2013.
Athènes : Le 40e anniversaire de la révolte de polytechnique rassemble les Grecs.
Des dizaines de milliers de manifestants se sont rassemblées pour commémorer la révolte des étudiants de polytechnique de 1973.Athènes, Grèce. 17 novembre 2013.
Φωτορεπορτάζ: 40η επέτειος της εξέγερσης του Πολυτεχνείου. Αθήνα 17 Νοεμβρίου, 2013.
3. http://www.citizenside.com/fr/photos/politique/2013-11-17/86580/athenes-le-40e-anniversaire-de-la-revolte-de-polytechnique-rassemble-les-grecs.html
4. http://www.newzulu.com/en/photos/news/2013-11-17/4558/athens-anniversary-of-polytechnic-uprising.html
Labels: event, protests
Greece: Dismissed cleaning staff protest during troika's meeting in Athens
Athens, Greece, November 12, 2013.
The cleaning staff from the Ministry of Finance who were recently dismissed as part of the administrative reforms in the public sector protest and clash with Police during Troika's meeting with Minister Yannis Stournaras.
The protesters attempt to enter the building when they notice that the troika representatives are arriving but were pushed away by Police Forces.
Protesters hold a banner that reads:
"Cleaning industry for the individuals,
cleaning staff kicked out in the streets.
Ministry of Finance."
Protesters say that even though they are getting paid with only 500 Euros every month, the Ministry of Finance chooses to dismiss them and give the work to individual agencies.
During the seconds 00:08 - 20:00 protesters can be heard to shout in Greek: "Go away, go to your country, murderers!".
Αθήνα 12 Νοεμ. 2013.
Σε συγκέντρωση διαμαρτυρίας που έκαναν οι απολυμένες καθαρίστριες υπηρεσιών του υπουργείου Οικονομικών, αποδοκίμασαν την έλευση των στελεχών της τρόικας που κατέφτασαν για τη συνάντηση στο ΥΠΟΙΚ και επιχείρησαν να μπουν στο κτίριο, αλλά απωθήθηκαν από αστυνομικές δυνάμεις.
"Όσοι άκουσαν τα συνθήματά τους και τις είδαν παρατεταγμένες απέναντι στα πάνοπλα ΜΑΤ (τουλάχιστον δύο αστυνομικοί για κάθε γυναίκα!) μαντεύουν ότι πριν περάσει πολύς καιρός οι στρατιές των πεινασμένων θα πολιορκούν υπουργεία και άλλα δημόσια κτίρια, όχι επειδή θα τις καθοδηγεί το ΚΚΕ, ο ΣΥΡΙΖΑ ή κάποιο άλλο κόμμα, αλλά γιατί θα τις οδηγεί η απόγνωση..."
Dismissed cleaning staff from the Ministry of Finance attempt to enter the building as Troika representatives arrive for the meeting with Minister Yannis Stournaras.
Dismissed cleaning staff from the Ministry of Finance protest shouting slogans during Troika's meeting with Minister Yannis Stournaras.
Poul Thomsen (IMF) leaves the meeting while dismissing the protest by the former cleaning staff of the Ministry of Finances in Athens, Greece.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HhDSnzraPA
For licensing images or video of this story, contact me
More video-journalism on the playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEU72zHm2UNsPN6LAal7W5SaMKMjZUo7l
Labels: austerity measures, protests, work
Former Greek TV ERT employees continue to broadcast from the street
Former Greek public TV channel ERT employees refused to accept a shutdown and have been continuing to broadcast from outside the company's Athens headquarters after riot police evicted them from the building.
European Parliament Member Nikolaos Chountis (L) expresses solidarity with the workers' struggle as former Greek TV ERT employees continue to broadcast from the street.
ERT's newscaster Aglaia Kyritsi reads news bulletin in the street with riot police standing right behind.
Public broadcasters kicked out of studio, read news bulletin in the street with riot police standing right behind them.
The technicians produce TV program in the street with minimal equipment.
Syriza MP Zoi Konstantopoulou denounces police brutality when she tried to enter the building some time ago as former Greek TV ERT employees continue to broadcast from the street.
During a news bulletin, the head of the trade union of ERT workers denounces that there have been irregularities in the building by the government.
European Parliament Member Nikolaos Chountis expresses solidarity with the workers' struggle as former Greek TV ERT employees continue to broadcast from the street.
Greek Public TV channel ERT former employees stand hand in hand and shout slogan in front of the Police cordon, outside the TV studio.
Riot Police form a cordon round the ERT building in Athens.
Syriza MP Zoi Konstantopoulou joins the protesters outside the ERT building in Athens.
Public broadcasters kicked out of studio, produce program in the street, outside the ERT building in Athens, with minimal equipment.
A Greek Public TV channel ERT former employee stands in front of the Police cordon, outside the TV studio.
The former Greek TV channel ERT journalist Ms Evgenia Katoufa bursts into tears outside the TV studio, while one of her colleagues holds her hand to encourage.
Greek Public TV channel ERT former employees protest holding a big banner in front of the Police cordon, outside the TV studio. Banner reads: ERT is open and will remain open".
Syriza MP Thodoris Dritsas takes part in a news bulletin by former ERT employees with police standing right behind.
Video: Syriza MP Zoi Konstantopoulou denounces Police brutality when she tried to enter the building some time ago, and also that there have been irregularities in the building by the government. Athens, Greece, 9 November 2013.
Κωνσταντοπούλου στην ΕΡΤ: κυβερνούν με βία και ανομία
Public broadcasters kicked out of studio, reading news bulletin in the street with riot police standing right behind them. During the television broadcast the European Parliament Member Nikolaos Chountis (L) expresses solidarity to the workers' struggle. Athens, Greece, 9 November 2013.
Twitter hashtags: #ERT_invasion #ertopen #ERT
For licensing images of this story, contact me or follow one of the links:
2. Athens: Greek TV ERT former employees continue to broadcast from the street
Labels: politics, protests
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Βίντεο Η ματωμένη μπλε σούπερ πανσέληνος υψώνεται πάνω από την Ακρόπολη . Το σπάνιο φαινόμενο συνδύασε μία σούπερ σελήνη, μία μπλε ...
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Odd Eats! Chinatown, New York City - Part I
Text and Photography by Len Boccassini
I love the exploration of food. There are few things I don't enjoy eating and even fewer things I won't at least try. And this isn't because I'm seeking the "shock value" of it all or because I'm on some "Bizarre Foods" crusade. I truly enjoy the exploration of food.
I was never one to crinkle my nose in distaste at some edible delicacy that seemed out of the ordinary in regards to my cultural upbringing. Rather, my approach has always been, "if it's munchable for them, why can't it be munchable for me?"
And for me, an Odd Eat doesn't mean it has to be of the grub-on-a-stick or tuna eyeball variety. It can be. But it also can be as neutral and innocent as fried Coca Cola or a Crispy Creme Burger. My only criteria is that it has to be somewhat unusual to my everyday fare That's what I consider to be an "Odd Eat".
Today, my "Odd Eats" quest takes me to Chinatown in New York City.
Most major US cities have their version of Chinatown, but by far, New York City's Chinatown is the largest of them all. In fact, its two square miles holds the largest concentration of Chinese in the country, and perhaps, the hemisphere.
Although Chinese emigration to the United States began as a mainly transient population of migrant workers who were lured to California in the 1840's by the promise of gold,
it took another four decades for the Chinese to trickle eastward into New York City. By the mid-1880's there were less than 1000 Chinese gaining a toehold within the Five Points slums on the southeast side of New York City.
Steadily, the population grew and they tended to live in groups that often held over over a dozen people to an apartment. As a result of racial discrimination, they congregated and eventually, segregated themselves into their own neighborhood, and on a larger scale, their own society. It was a society which not only offered them protection in numbers, but a place where they could practice the traditions of their ethnicity freely and unencumbered.
And unlike other ethnic groups, they didn't readily assimilate into the native population or succumb to outside influence readily. Instead, they built an internal political and social structure where all they needed to survive (and thrive) could be attained within the few square blocks of the neighborhood.
What this did in essence was preserve a lifestyle that we of other enthnicities have lost over the course of time. And this is most often reflected in their foods.
Today, although Chinatown has changed dramatically, and much of the neighborhood has now become home to Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Burmese, Vietnamese and Filipinos, much of the Old World can still be found in the markets, fruit stands and specialty shops.
And that's exactly where our Odd Eats journey begins...
Fruit, fruit and what's that?
One of my favorite things about Chinatown is its vibrant fruit stand scene. Besides locals who purchase their daily produce at these sidewalk marketplaces, these stands are also surrounded by visitors seeking to get a taste of fruits and veggies somewhat uncommon to them, and when viewed in that aspect, gives one a sense of just how many foodies exist out there.
One of the more plentiful fruits you'll find displayed by the throngs of curbside venders is called the Rambutan.
It is by far one of the more unusual looking varieties of fruit you'll find here, as well as one of the more colorful.
The rambutan is native to Indonesia and Malaysia, and can be found growing in Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam and the Philippines. It is closely related to several other types of tropical fruits such as the lychee and longan, both of which we'll touch upon later.
Rambutan.
The most distinctive feature of this red, golf ball-sized fruit are the yellowish-green follicles that protrude from fruit's skin and give it an almost "hairy" appearance. In fact, the very translation of it's name means "hair". However, rest assured that its odd, and perhaps even distasteful, appearance belies the wonderfully delicious flesh held within.
Soft to the touch, the outer skin is easily removed and reveals an egg-shaped, luminescent flesh that appears to glow. It is extremely juicy and has a taste that is sweetly sour, and perhaps even vaguely tart; almost grape-like both in flavor and texture, but a tad gummier.
Within the flesh is an almond sized pit that an overzealous eater (such as myself) would have to take care not to swallow.
There's no other way for me to describe my feelings towards the Rambutan other than "delightful". As odd in appearance as this fruit may be, it is truly a treat, and one I would love to partake in again.
Lychee.
Another fruit that can be found at almost every sidewalk stand and is closely related to the rambutan is called, the Lychee.
Native to China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia, the lychee is smaller than the rambutan (about the size of a large grape), but has a similar flesh once the pinkish-red, roughly textured outer skin is peeled away.
The translucent white flesh revealed within has a floral scent and a fragrantly sweet flavor; far sweeter than the rambutan. Not only is it delicious, but it's one of the stickiest fruits I've ever eaten. Bring napkins... and lots of water.
Longan.
Very similar to the preceding two fruit varieties is the Longan. Although it bears striking similarities in terms of easily-peeled skin and a translucent flesh, there are some distinct differences which make this my favorite of the rambutan-lychee-longan family.
For one, it is not quite as juicy and messy as the lychee and thankfully, not as sticky.
Whereas the rambutan and the lychee both have a sweetly-sour flavor profile, the longan definitely encompasses a drier, more pure sweetness. This difference is exemplified by the fact that longan are often canned with syrup whereas the other two are not.
The smallest of the three, the longan has a pit concealed inside the flesh like the others.
These fruit and vegetable stands are colorful to say the least and can border on sensory overload to the easily overwhelmed.
Puzzled looks abound and a host of questions like, "What is that?", "What does it taste like?" and "Is it good?" are answered in varying degrees of broken-English, if answered at all. In fact, most stands offer per piece fruit price for a taste. At fifty cents per lychee or rambutan, I'm sure their profit margin is raised considerably.
Me? I'm their best-case customer; I read the sign, buy the fruit and munch away for better or worse, no questions asked.
Moving along, there was another fruit that seemed to pop up on nearly every stand and intrigued me to no end ~ the Jackfruit.
Sold by these curbside vendors, you can take your jackfruit home in a number of ways including; whole, sectioned, or by the container (pieces).
Believed to have originated in the south- western rain forests of India, today, the Jackfruit grows throughout Southern and Southeast Asia.
Ripened jackfruit is naturally sweet with a subtle flavoring that is not overwhelming on any level. In fact, I was amazed at how closely it resembled a cross between a banana and pineapple in flavor profile.
It's texture is soft and fibrous, and when eaten, is said to quickly replenish one's energy and bring on a heightened sense of euphoria (though I'm sure this has everything to do with its high sugar content and nothing mystical).
When ripe, it is a delicious eaten raw, but can also be used to make a variety of dishes including custards and cakes.
The fruit contains a seed that looks remarkably similar to a clove of garlic. I didn't chew on it, but learned they are edible and have a milky, sweet taste. These seeds are often boiled, baked or roasted, and when cooked by the latter method, they're said to taste comparable to chestnuts.
The unripened jackfruit also has it's culinary uses.
The flesh of an unripe jackfruit is said to have a meat-like flavor and texture, and because of that quality, is most often used as the basis of a spicy curry.
Whole Jackfruit.
Sectioned Jackfruit.
Jackfruit seeds.
Next up on the list of odd fruits is the famous, or infamous, Durian.
The durian's lackluster - okay, abysmal - reputation is brought on by a single element - its putrid scent. But not everyone views it as putrid.
The odoriferous quality of the durian, if nothing else, evokes strong emotions from both ends of the spectrum. The flesh emits a distinctive and penetrating odor that is strong and is even detectable from beyond its thick, thorny husk. To some folks, this odor is described as pleasantly fragrant. Others find the aroma revolting and deplorable. As I said, there is no middle ground with the durian.
The very sweet, delicious Durian. Yeah right.
I'll be perfectly blunt here; I had all intentions on trying the durian, and was even looking forward to the opportunity. But I did not.
Here's the reason: at $4.99 a pound, the smallest one I could find was about 2 pounds and even that one was not quite ripe. I don't mind taking one for the team, but there was no way I was going to shove an unripened fruit with this awful a reputation down my gullet simply to do so. Nor did I have room in my backpack for one larger. This is at the top of my to-do list next trip in.
But that didn't mean I didn't give it the once over.
I picked it up and marveled at it's roughly-textured husk with protruding thorns which actually hurt your hands when lifting one of any significant weight. I held it to my nose and pushed it away. I grabbed another and did the same. And yet another. What I smelled would hardly lead me to believe so many could actually consider this the "king of fruits" as is often said!
The odor of the flesh was absolutely detectable through the thick outer layer and the only thing that varied from durian to durian to durian was how one smelled like rotten onions, another like sweaty socks and another like raw sewage. I just can believe the fruit within could be pleasurable on any level. So I asked around.
Much to my surprise, more than a few folks said they liked it immensely and raved of its custardy, almond-like flavor. Some even described it as "sweet". I left more confused than I came and decided the only way I could reach a conclusion was to try it myself... next time.
Hey ma, what's for dinner?
Having satisfied my sweet tooth with a barrage of funky fruit, it was time to venture towards things of a more protein-oriented nature. Yep, meat, fish, poultry and whatever fell between those descriptions.
Window shopping amidst long rows of roasted ducks, chickens, pig snouts, ears and whole octopus is not something I find off-putting in any sense. Quite the opposite. In such situations, my inner carnivore can't help but rise to the surface and I am one of the bold few that actually salivates when faced with a crispy pig face (no pun intended).
There was one particular storefront far more intriguing than all the others.
There were neat rows of whole ducks, ducklings, chickens, octopus, fish, pigeons, a whole pig, bellies, ears, snouts, wings, organs and more than a few things I couldn't make it.
Some may have run in horror.
Me? I was in roast critter paradise.
Entering, I found it to be half store and half restaurant which seemed to do a brisk take-out business.
The inner chamber of "the storefront".
Approaching the counter, I scanned the goodies. It was obvious the Chinese gentleman behind the counter was getting visible irritated by my continuous "what's this" and "what's that" line of questioning. Actually, I couldn't tell if he was yelling at me or was just talking in the fast, loud tones (no disrespect intended) commonly bandied about in most Chinese take-out restaurants.
In truth, I didn't care. If I didn't know what I was ordering, how could I write about it? So I asked.
If the questions weren't bad enough, he really seemed to get pissed off when he realized I was snapping pictures between questions, and he quickly admonished me with a loud, abrupt, "No picture!"
Normally, my take-no-crap-from-anybody attitude would've led me to snap a picture of him followed by an answer of "too late!" But I hesitated for two reasons:
One, I was hungry and didn't want to chance getting tossed. And secondly, he was wielding a meat cleaver.
I wisely put my camera away until I put some distance between us and began to order.
Roasted section of pork with crispy skin.
The first thing that jumped out at me were these beautiful sections of pork cut from the pig's underside and hanging in the storefront window.
They seemed to be roasted perfectly with a crisp layer of skin reminiscent of Spanish chicarone (fried pork skin).
Each slab looked to be a little over a pound, and after once more being admonished by the pleasant man with the meat cleaver screaming at me that there were no smaller amounts available, I ordered the full pound-and-a-half slab.
He hacked the pork up into bit-size pieces with the cleaver (probably pretending it was me), placed it in a tin container and silently glared at me. I looked away from his glare and ordered. Pork intestines; specifically, what was termed, Crispy Intestines.
I thought he was going to become completely unhinged when he picked up a nest of intestines that looked like limp sausages (I think they were boiled) and I corrected him, "No, the other ones."
He slammed them down and began to scoop the crispy variety I wanted into a container.
Not-so-crispy, crispy intestines.
In retrospect, his annoyance was quite obvious, and I should have recognized it, but I must've been looking at life through pork-colored glasses and missed the cues. And then I made a miscalculation that really got on his bad side when I announced, "I just want a taste. Not too much."
Big, big mistake.
"Half pound only! Half pound only!" he roared, waving the cleaver as if he was going to have an aneurysm.
Remarkably, I stayed quite cool considering I don't deal well with people yelling at me.
"Okay, okay, a half pound!" I answered. But I was starting to get ticked off myself and was making it clear I was tiring of the game.
Fried Smelts.
As he chopped the intestines, I guess he began to detect my own alpha male surfacing, and his body language shifted ever so slightly from defiant anger to ambivalence. He stood there looking out the front window rolling his eyes and waited for the next order.
I asked him about a certain type of fried fish that I knew damn well were smelts, but he referred to them smugly as, "yellow fish."
I noticed they were sold by the pound and ordered a pound to keep the peace.
I took the order from Mr. Personality, grabbed a couple of cans of Sapporo beer from the cooler and paid for the items.
I set the tin containers down on a narrow counter which fronted two young Asian men cooking up a storm and singing in unison. They seemed happily employed in their work which was a refreshing change from the rotten attitude of Mr. Clever.
I had a feeling this counter was strictly for food ordered at this counter, but I didn't care. I was a paying customer and I about had enough with attitudes.
I reached across the counter and grabbed chopsticks. I pulled out my camera, ttore open the containers, cracked a beer and dug in.
The roasted pork was phenomenal and not just because I was hungry.
The outer layer of skin was crispy and crunchy and amazing. Beneath the skin was a layer of fat; not blubbery fat, but fat which seemed just shy of the point of rendering. I tasted a bit and it was flavorful to be sure, but after a mere taste I elected to peel most of it away from the skin for obvious dietary concerns.
And beneath that layer of fat was the most juicy and delectable pork you could imagine. The color of fresh ham, the juices simply burst forth from the meat and exploded in your mouth.
Now if there was one thing I was glad didn't burst forth and explode in my mouth, it was the crispy intestines. Not crispy by any stretch of the imagination, they weren't quite as unsettling as I presumed them to be. In fact, they weren't half bad, especially if one used the dipping sauce it came with.
I won't lie, the texture is the hardest part to get beyond. This is by no means an entry-level odd eat, many pieces being more chewy than others and some downright inedible. I will say however, I was pleasantly surprised by the "lack of" barnyard if you get my drift.
Next up was the fried smelts. Normally, I'd down a bushel of these little gems. Heck, they were a staple on my family's holiday dinner table. But these were not my Aunt Anna's smelts.
They were room temperature, overcooked, stiff, fishy smelling and mostly tasteless. I ate a few, but in truth, really had to wash it down with a Sapporo. It wasn't bad; just not good. That's okay. I had to save room anyway. This was only lunch and it was going to be a long day ahead with lots of munching to be done.
Natina Harris
This is an awesome blog! I love the NYC food scene but I'm not as adventurous as you! LOL
Thank you, Natina! It is a fantastic food scene that I enjoy immensely! Thanks for reading :)
abeer srouji
I love loved reading this. Thank you for your detailed insite.
Heritage Of Indian Festival
Jubilee Day 2013: Mechanicsburg Pa
Odd Eats: Chinatown NYC Part I
Odd Eats! Chinatown NYC Part II
Top 14 Of 2014 Pt I
Top 14 Of 2014 Pt II
Tropical Gastronomy Part II: Antigua
Tropical Gastronomy Part III: Charlotte Amalie
Tropical Gastronomy Part I: Puerto Rico
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About NEA/Our Publications/NEA Today News Articles/Rep. Kratovil Keeps His Promise on Education
Back to: About NEA / Our Publications / NEA Today News Articles / Rep. Kratovil Keeps His Promise on Education
Rep. Kratovil Keeps His Promise on Education
By Brian Washington
U.S. Representative Frank Kratovil is fulfilling his pledge to take advantage of every opportunity to listen to his constituents…especially when it comes to educating our children.
Kratovil fielded questions last week during a telephone town hall about education, sponsored by the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) and NEA. The call had more than 800 people on the line.
“The tele-town hall gave me the opportunity to reach out to parents, teachers, and civic leaders so that not only do they know where I stand on these issues, but so that I can get their input and help me inform my decisions,” said Kratovil. “The best way to serve the district is to make sure I understand concerns and that people’s opinions are heard.”
Questions from those on the call covered a variety of topics including class size reduction, the Elementary and Secondary Authorization Act, the significance of parental involvement in relation to student achievement, and the importance of early childhood education.
Those who didn’t get a chance to ask their question during the tele-town hall were able to leave the Congressman a message about their concerns after the “question and answer” session of the call ended.
“This was a great opportunity to reach out to a large group of people in a short amount of time and I thank all who participated, especially the MSEA for their assistance,” said Kratovil.
NEA is teaming up with several state affiliates—including MSEA—to sponsor the first round of tele-town halls designed to let educators and the general public know what their elected leaders in Washington, DC are doing to improve public education and where they stand on the issue that impact the classroom. To learn about upcoming townhalls, click here.
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If one looks at how Mother Nature cares for her forests and lands, you can see how everything is in balance. No one species of plant or animal is wreaking havoc on the rest. There are few profound outbreaks of diseases or insects. Plants nourish themselves by the falling of leaves and dead branches decomposing into food for the promotion of new growth. Plants will only thrive if that species appreciates the particular environmental perimeters of that area. Yes, there will be some damage from pests and disease, but nothing of grave consequence. Fruit bearing plants always seem to set fruit, year after year.
It just stands to reason that if we utilize what Mother Nature has already shown us, we can produce food crops through natural means for ourselves.
Organic gardening is just that!
Organic food has become in more demand as evidence shows that conventional farming with the use of pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers is polluting our soil and waterways, stressing our bodies as we ingest residues of these unnatural products.
Is our love affair with cosmetically perfect, super sized fruit and veggies over? For years we have been told about a link between pesticides and herbicides and cancer. Recent reports suggest that conventionally grown produce is less nutritious than organically grown.
The public is seeking out sources of organic fruits and vegetables in record numbers. Many neighborhood supermarkets now have an organic produce section, and usually with a high price tag. But where is the evidence to back up the claims that our health is at risk and more importantly, the health of our children?
Organic Studies
Harmful Effects of Chemical Residues
Pesticides in the Diets of Infants & Children
Prostate Risk
Mother Nature’s Example
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BlackBerry Venice with Android leaked photos show the phone up close
The BlackBerry Venice may be tech’s worst kept secret right now. The Android-powered slider phone has been leaking pretty much non-stop, and these latest unofficial photos offer our best look yet at rumored handset.
Courtesy of Android Authority, the new leak brings us an up-close look at the new hardware along with a few new details on how BlackBerry plans to modify Android. The basic bones of Google’s operating system are still there, but there’s plenty of extra software on top. That includes special widgets and shortcuts to BlackBerry’s services, though it’s up to you whether you want to use them or not. The device’s boot animation is not pictured, but it allegedly shows Google’s Android mascot holding a shield to emphasize the phone’s extra security features.
As for the hardware, we get a good look at the phone’s rumored 5.4-inch display, flanked by sloping bezels on either side. There’s also an 18-megapixel camera in back and a Snapdragon 808 processor under the hood. As for that slide-out physical keyboard, it appears to pack a few shortcut keys along with the standard QWERTY layout.
There’s still no word on when BlackBerry plans to unveil the Venice, though it probably won’t be much longer now. We really can’t wait to get our own hands on the company’s first Android device, though these new photos aren’t a bad substitute in the meantime.
source: Android Authority
WhatsNewInBlackberry_cellphone
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HOTENDA
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Home » Media Library » News Center » The number of third-generation semiconductor patents, China has surpassed the United States
The number of third-generation semiconductor patents, China has surpassed the United States
After about 2000, the third generation of semiconductor-related patent applications began to enter a stage of rapid growth.The number of applications in China exceeded the United States for the first time in 2010.
By Hotenda Aug 30, 2019
Since the birth of semiconductors, semiconductor materials have been continuously upgraded. The first generation of semiconductor materials mainly refers to silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge) semiconductor materials, which have been widely used in integrated circuits, computers, mobile phones, aerospace, various military engineering and other fields.
The second generation of semiconductor materials mainly refers to compound semiconductor materials such as gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium antimonide (InSb); ternary compound semiconductors such as GaAsAl, GaAsP; and some solid solution semiconductors such as Ge-Si, GaAs- GaP; glass semiconductor (also known as amorphous semiconductor), such as amorphous silicon, glass-state oxide semiconductor; organic semiconductor, such as phthalocyanine, copper phthalocyanine, polyacrylonitrile, and the like.
The second generation of semiconductor materials are mainly used to produce high-speed, high-frequency, high-power and light-emitting electronic devices. They are excellent materials for making high-performance microwave, millimeter-wave devices and light-emitting devices. Due to the rise of information highways and the Internet, it is also widely used in satellite communications, mobile communications, optical communications and GPS navigation.
The third-generation semiconductor materials are mainly wide-bandgap semiconductor materials typified by silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN), zinc oxide (ZnO), diamond, and aluminum nitride (AlN). Compared to first- and second-generation semiconductor materials, third-generation semiconductor materials have wider band gaps, higher breakdown fields, higher thermal conductivity, greater electron saturation, and higher Radiation resistance.
In terms of applications, according to the development of third-generation semiconductors, its main applications are semiconductor lighting, power electronics, lasers and detectors, and four other fields, each with different industry maturity. In the frontier research field, wide bandgap semiconductors are still in the laboratory development stage.
Currently, many countries have included third-generation semiconductor materials in their national plans. The United States and the European Union have established corresponding centers and alliances to develop third-generation power semiconductor power devices.
The Chinese government authorities attach great importance to the research and development of third-generation semiconductor materials and related technologies. Since 2004, the third generation of semiconductor technology research has been deployed and a series of major research projects have been launched. In 2013, the Ministry of Science and Technology clearly listed the third-generation semiconductor materials and their applications as important contents in the “863” plan new material technology project collection guide. In 2015 and 2016, the National Science and Technology Major Special Project 02 also approved the development and application of the third generation of semiconductor power devices.
It is understood that the third generation of semiconductor-related patent applications appeared in the early 20th century. After about 2000, related patent applications began to enter a stage of rapid growth. The United States led the growth of global patents in the early days. The number of applications in China exceeded the United States for the first time in 2010. The number of patent applications in the United States, Japan, China, South Korea, Germany and other countries or regions has increased rapidly.
As of September 30, 2018, the total number of patents in the third-generation semiconductor industry was approximately 87.51 million. The number of applications of silicon carbide, gallium nitride and other metal oxides is relatively close; among them, silicon carbide material power semiconductors and device processes are more popular, and GaN materials have epitaxial growth and photoelectron specific gravity.
Huawei, which has the largest number of 5G patents, also attaches great importance to third-generation semiconductor materials. According to reports, on April 23, 2019, Huawei established a new company called "Haber Technology Investment Co., Ltd.", Huawei Investment Holdings Co., Ltd. is the sole shareholder with a registered capital of 700 million.
Five months after its establishment, Huawei's Hubble Telescope has already started, and has set its sights on the upstream and downstream of the semiconductor industry chain. According to related news, Hubble invested in two recent investments, investing in Shandong Tianyue and Jiehuaite Microelectronics.
Both companies belong to the semiconductor industry, of which Shandong Tianyue is China's third-generation semiconductor material silicon carbide leading enterprise, and Jiewate Microelectronics is mainly engaged in power management chip design. For a long time, Huawei has focused on IC design in the semiconductor industry. In the context of Sino-US trade wars, everyone is competing for semiconductor discourse rights. Hubble’s shareholding in Shandong Tianyue and Jiehuate also means that Huawei has begun to enter the semiconductor industry chain Upstream and downstream.
Active-Semi
Adesto Technologies
Advanced Photonix, Inc.
AKM Semiconductor, Inc.
Akros Silicon
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC.
American Electrical, Inc.
American Technical Ceramics
Amphenol Advanced Sensors (formerly GE Sensing)
Anaren
API Technologies Corp.
Arbor Solution
Aries Electronics, Inc.
Bel Power Solutions
BlueCreation
Bourns, Inc.
BUD Industries, Inc.
Cicoil
DAVE Embedded Systems
Delta Product Groups
Delta Product Groups / Fans
Delta Product Groups / Power
DLP Design, Inc.
Eaton (formerly Cooper Bussmann)
EPCOS (TDK)
EverSpin Technologies, Inc.
Exar Corporation
Fluke Electronics
Fremont Micro Devices
Future Designs, Inc.
Global Power Technologies Group
Grayhill, Inc.
Henkel/LOCTITE
Henrich Electronics Corporation
Honeywell Microelectronics & Precision Sensors
Honeywell Sensing and Control
Huntington Electric, Inc./Vishay
I/O Interconnect
InvenSense
Inventek Systems
IPDiA
IXYS Integrated Circuits Division
Kionix
Laird Technologies - Signal Integrity Products
LED Engin
LEDdynamics, Inc.
Lime Microsystems
Logic PD, Inc.
Master Appliance Corp.
Maxwell Technologies, Inc.
Memory Protection Devices
Micro Commercial Components (MCC)
Newhaven Display, Intl.
Nordic Semiconductor
Nuvoton Technology Corporation America
Omron Automation & Safety
OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, Inc.
Packet Digital LLC
Parlex Corp.
Pericom Semiconductor Corp.
Pulse Electronics Corporation
Quarton, Inc.
Renesas Electronics America
Samsung LED
Samtec, Inc.
Serious Integrated, Inc.
SiTime
SL Power Electronics - Manufacturer of Condor/Ault Brands
Tag-Connect
TE Connectivity Aerospace Defense and Marine
TE Connectivity Corcom Filters
Toshiba Semiconductor & Storage
TT Electronics
TT Electronics/Optek Technology
Varitronix International Ltd.
Virtium Technology Inc.
Vishay Foil Resistors
Vishay Semiconductor/Diodes Division
Vishay/Siliconix
Vishay/Vitramon
VPG/Micro-Measurements
Winbond Electronics Corp.
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“Probe” is an export; diamond duty saved—Hughes News January 6, 1979
Posted on November 27, 2013 by Jack Fisher
The cost of HAC’s highly successful Pioneer Venus mission was reduced by $12,474 because of an agreement established 10 years ago between the U. S. Customs Service and Space and Communications Group.
The precedent-setting agreement classifies a spacecraft as an export. Once launched, satellite components were judged to be “severed from the possibility of trade within the United States” and therefore considered to be exports, according to Customs officials.
Since the U. S. Customs Service considers the Pioneer Venus mission spacecraft to be exports, the $12,474 duty paid on a 13.5 carat diamond window manufactured by D. Drukker and Sons in Holland was refunded to Hughes, which then credited the amount to NASA’s Pioneer Venus account.
The window is the size of two pennies stacked together and was installed on the largest of the four probes that landed on Venus last month.
A diamond was used for the window because it the only material that allows infrared wavelengths to penetrate the window’s surface and that can withstand the 920 degree F heat and pressure 100 times that on Earth.
Radiometers within the probe must be able to respond to those wavelengths to collect meaningful data on the atmosphere.
The request for the refund, known as a “drawback” in U. S. Customs Service terminology, was initiated by SCG’s Export/Import Operations and was granted by the Customs’ Los Angeles District Office.
CLEAR VIEW of Venusian atmosphere was possible on Pioneer Venus probe because of this diamond window the size of two pennies stacked together. Mal Meredith, NASA Systems Division associate manager, inspects the window during probe assembly in El Segundo last February.
This entry was posted in Projects/Missions by Jack Fisher. Bookmark the permalink.
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Holocaust Survivor Fran Malkin Speaks at High Tech
April 27, 2015 April 27, 2015 District, Featured, High Tech High School, HTHS
(North Bergen, NJ—April 23, 2015) Fran Malkin, Holocaust survivor and Board of Associates member of the Center for Holocaust/Genocide Study at Drew University, spoke to High Tech students as part of the Facing History and Ourselves grant awarded to History teacher Jamie Velazquez and Language Arts instructor Kerri Ann Murphy, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.
In addition to the Facing History and Ourselves grant, the Hudson County Schools of Technology (HCST) Foundation generously commissioned Malkin’s appearance at High Tech. She spoke to students in the class “People Make Choices. Choices Make History” co-instructed by Velazquez and Murphy and Murphy’s freshmen World Literature classes to supplement their knowledge of the Holocaust after they read Elie Weisel’s book Night.
Malkin screened excerpts from the documentary No. 4 Street of Our Lady, a film documenting a Polish woman, Francesca Halamajova, who rescued Malkin and members of her family. Approximately 6,000 Jews lived in the town of Sokol before the start of World War II. After the war, only 32 Jews had survived, of which Halamajova rescued 16. The excerpts focused on Malkin returning to visit to the loft where Halamajova hid her and her family during the war. After the screening, Malkin answered questions and spoke in more detail about her experiences, all part of Facing History and Ourselves.
Facing History and Ourselves, a non-profit organization founded in 1976 and based in Brookline, Massachusetts, develops educational materials on the topics of prejudices and injustice relevant to Nazi Germany and the Holocaust.
High Tech Wins at Louder Than A Bomb Youth Poetry Slam
County Prep High School National Honor Society Induction
9/11 Memorial Ceremony
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with Gov. Phil Murphy
High Tech Alumnus Ida Behreini Codes for the Blind, Wins Scholarship
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Amber Rose (@amberrose) Catches Shade for Opening Legs at Wrong Time!
In a recent impromptu photo shoot, on her Instagram page, Amber Rose poses for 15.8 million of her fans.
Amber Rose, donning lingerie from Fashion Nova, post the seductive pic with the caption, “waiting for bae to come home in @fashionnova”. However, Amber Rose’s fashion sense, does not receive such complimentary comments.
[caption id="attachment_103863" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Photo Courtesy:thacelebriteaofficial[/caption]
Stans show their disdain and disgust towards her provocative pose, as being insensitive towards the ongoing riots in Charlottesville, VA. And the shade leaves her severely scorched…
[caption id="attachment_103866" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Photo Courtesy: thacelebriteaaofficial[/caption]
On Saturday afternoon, in Charlottesville, VA., White Supremacists, marched through downtown Charlottesville to announce their “White Power” and “White Lives Matter” movement. What supposedly was freedom of speech and a non-violent march — turned into the exact opposite. One fatal car crash, involving an innocent protester against the march, and several are left in critical condition.
[caption id="attachment_103869" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Photo Courtesy: CNN[/caption] [caption id="attachment_103867" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Photo Courtesy:CNN[/caption] [caption id="attachment_103868" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Photo Courtesy:CNN[/caption]
Celebrities, such as: Lady Gaga, Pete Wentz, Zendaya, Michael Moore, and many others have already spooken out against the violent and racists acts. Many of Amber Rose’s followers truly want to know where are her morals and “Star Power” when it is needed.
We definitely understand where the fans and other celebrities are coming from with the timeliness of this picture. Currently, our country seems to be on the brink of a race war and Donald Trump is inciting a nuclear war with Kim Jong and North Korea. We love ourselves a good raunchy picture every now and then, but this was not the place or time. Amber should be using her “talents” and popularity to be another voice for the people and speak out against the violence, hatred, racism, and death that has occurred. Sorry Amber this is one time your vagina or a sexy set of lingerie can’t get you out of hot water!
Your thoughts? (Leave in the comments.)
jaimanuel249
Photo Courtesy:thacelebriteaofficial
Photo Courtesy: thacelebriteaaofficial
Photo Courtesy: CNN
Photo Courtesy:CNN
Lifetime definitely scored mega ratings with its hit docu-series, “Surviving R. Kelly.” The series has been praised and criticized for taking down the R&B singer and building a case against him for the sexual exploitation of dozens of women across the country. However, many feel like the series and R. Kelly’s subsequent indictments were just low hanging fruit, and other, more prolific predators need to be taken down. Thus Lifetime’s next docuseries is “Surviving Jeffrey Epstein!”
Jeffrey Epstein, as you may recall, is a financier and convicted sex offender who attained young women, many of them underage, for himself and his elite social circle to sexually abuse.
via Complex
Variety writes that the announcement was shared at the Television Critics Association winter press tour on Saturday. The docuseries was initially declared to be in development last summer and is expected to air on Lifetime this summer.
Epstein was arrested in 2019 and accused of sexually assaulting and trafficking multiple underage girls. A lot of eyes were on the case due to the fact that he mingled with a number of powerful people in Washington D.C. and beyond.
He had been charged with such crimes before, receiving a soft plea deal in 2008 from former U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta, who resigned as the U.S. Labor Secretary when the specifics behind the deal surfaced during Epstein’s new arrest.
In August, Epstein died in his cell in a New York detention center in an alleged suicide, though many have theorized that he was murdered.
Surviving Jeffrey Epstein will come from Emmy-winner Robert Friedman’s Bungalow Media + Entertainment and will be directed by Anne Sundberg and Ricki Stern. Christopher Mason—a contributor to The New York Times, New York Magazine, Town & Country and Architectural Digest—is also attached to the project. Shura Davidson and Gena McCarthy will executive produce.
We wonder what celebrities, if any, are involved with this documentary. Being that he committed suicide, and his connections, run deep, we hope they are operating with the utmost caution!
Today, Hulu unveiled its full trailer for LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE, the highly-anticipated upcoming series adaptation of Celeste Ng’s 2017 bestseller starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington!
During the Television Critics Association (TCA) Presentation, Witherspoon expressed, ““we had been looking for a project to do with Kerry for a long time.” She continued by saying, “when I read the book, it just had so many themes that were very complex and I knew whoever was going to be my partner… who was going to show up to do the work because it’s a lot of work. The first person who I thought was perfect was Kerry. She deepens the conversation and I knew I wanted to go on this journey with her. It just made sense that we were representing completely different kinds of women and different kinds of mothering but both with dignity and respect.”
Kerry added by saying that, “adding the layer of race to that really enriches the storytelling.” “The book also deals with race and does a great job of stepping away from the binary idea of race.”
The limited series’ cast also includes Jesse Williams, Anika Noni Rose, Lexi Underwood, among others.
We have to say this looks amazing! Hulu is really diversifying its content and upping the ante with the star quality of its content. We are really looking forward to checking this project out. Reese and Kerry are amazing actresses
On Hulu Wednesday, March 18
Ray J is still making moves and hits after over twenty years in the game! We already know him to be a mogul and game changer, and now he is back to his roots with a new music video and single from his EP, “Emerald City,” “Party’s Over!” The video not only features Ray J, but his beautiful wife and reality star, Princess Love.
“Emerald City” Album Cover
Check it out below!
We absolutely love this video! More than the video we love seeing Ray J and Princess Love together! We know for awhile they were having some marital problems, but this video is just a testament to their enduring love. After a few years together and two beautiful kids, the magic is still there!
What do you all think of Ray J’s music video for “Party’s Over?” Sound off in the comments’ section below!
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Methodologies in IT: Comprehension, Selection, and Implementation
By Richard Murch
What Is a Methodology?
Methodology Structure
A Case in Point
Build Your Own?
Selecting a Methodology
Implementation and Rollout
< Back Page 7 of 7
From the author of
From the author of
Autonomic Computing
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The speed of methodology adoption in any organization depends on a number of factors. For example, the triggers for using an IT methodology and its subsequent adoption may depend on use of the Internet as a platform for applications and other service delivery, or the shrinking percentage of enterprise IT asset portfolios that need to be proprietary or customized solutions. Other drivers may include more stringent enterprise demands for return on investment, reduced operations spending, and the commoditization of IT hardware and software.
Methodology adoption will be successful only if it demonstrates business value quickly to end users and senior management. For this reason alone, it's vital that the first methodology projects in any organization be successful and conclusive beyond any reasonable doubt. Therefore the metrics and performance data that should accompany a methodology must be both concrete and defensible, able to stand up to the most rigid inspection and brutal analysis. Methodology vendors must be able to provide information on past results and other data that can form a report to senior management.
IT as a Service (ITaaS) Framework, The: Transform to an End-to-End Services Organization and Operate IT like a Competitive Business
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Service Intelligence: Improving Your Bottom Line with the Power of IT Service Management (Paperback)
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Applying Advanced Analytics to HR Management Decisions: Methods for Selection, Developing Incentives, and Improving Collaboration (Paperback)
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KIMPTON DE WITT AMSTERDAM: A sexy cocktail bar with punchy martinis and slickly designed hotel rooms
tagged in: Amsterdam, cocktails, Holland, Hotel, Kimpton de Witt Amsterdam, Martini, Sadie Whitelocks, Super Lyan, Weekend Break
Location, location, location is what it's all about when it comes to the Kimpton de Witt Amsterdam. What's more, this slickly designed hotel boasts a top notch cocktail bar from the same team behind White Lyan, Cub, Dandelyan and Lyaness on the premises. I checked into the 274 room historic Dutch building on a Thursday afternoon. It's literally a hop and a skip from Amsterdam's central train station, which is the Eurostar hub from London and less than 20 minutes from Schiphol airport. From the outside the brick building doesn't look like anything special, but a garden wall and neon light...
BINGHAM RIVERHOUSE: The ultimate London staycation spot following a major transformation to chic, cosy retreat
tagged in: B&B, Bingham Riverhouse, boutique hotel, cocktails, History, Martini, restaurant, richmond, Sadie Whitelocks, Staycation
I opened the plush velvet bedroom curtains to a view of a golden Willow tree blowing in the breeze, grassy banks twinkling with morning dew and the Thames trickling on by. It felt all very countrified but in fact I was just a short walk from a London tube station. Following a major refurb, I'd present the Bingham Riverhouse in Richmond as the ultimate London staycation spot. The interiors are chic yet cosy and with only 15 rooms, there is a certain intimacy about the place. I checked into the quaint redbrick townhouse (a former literary hub frequented by the likes of Ruskin and Yates) on...
BELMOND MOUNT NELSON: John Lennon and the Dalai Lama among visitors to this hotel with heavenly gardens, sprawling suites and an abundant breakfast buffet
tagged in: Belmond, Belmond Lord Nelson, Cape Town, Charlotte Rhys, Lord Nelson, Martini, Massage, Planet Bar, Sadie Whitelocks, south africa, Spa, Vacation
I'd always heard great things about Cape Town and when I visited the city recently it surpassed expectations. It's a charming metropolis with clean streets, a buzzing marina, a mouth watering restaurant scene, mind bogglingly low prices and a wealth of nature on the doorstep. On the accommodation front, one spot that certainly won my heart was the Belmond Mount Nelson. I'd got a tip off about the hotel from a friend whose impeccable style and taste I firmly trust and with his recommendation, decided to investigate. This sprawling resort complex boasts 198 rooms and suites spread across s...
STRAND PALACE HOTEL: 110-year-old central London hotel gets some modern touches after multi-million pound makeover
tagged in: british, cocktail, Haxells, Joe Allen, Martini, Sadie Whitelocks, Staycation, Strand, Strand Palace, The White Company, weekend
The 110-year-old Strand Palace as undergone a multi-million pound transformation and the results are pretty incredible. The 786-room hotel has been brought up to the 21st century, with some art deco touches adding to the charm. I checked in on a Friday night, with a friendly man greeting us on the door. The lobby had a cool contemporary feel with polished floors and wood-pannelled walls. There was also modern art dotted around the place, keeping my eyes distracted. Check in was swift and we were directed to a newly-refurbished superior king on the 8th floor. Despite it being a king, the...
AMAN VENICE: The hotel where George Clooney got married is a slice of heaven on earth, with divine food and a tucked-away spa
tagged in: Aman, dinner, George Clooney, Hotel, italian cooking, italy, luxury, Martini, Sadie Whitelocks, venice
You always know when you’ve found a good place when you’re reluctant to write about it, in fear of giving the secret away. But letting you in on a hidden gem... add the Aman to your Venice must-see list. This hotel, restaurant and spa is opulent and discreet. A slice of heaven on earth. The complex is housed within a grand 16th century palazzo, which is still owned by the family and leased to the Aman. The original features are intact, with dreamlike frescos, playful plasterwork and magical murano glass chandeliers. Careful care has been taken to blend the old with the new and the Aman’...
THE BOTANIST GIN X SKETCH: Year-long collaboration gives birth to four new martini cocktails
tagged in: Martini, Sadie Whitelocks, Sketch, The Botanist Gin
This spring, The Botanist Gin, an artisanal hand-crafted and distilled gin from the Scottish island of Islay, have announced their collaboration with iconic London venue sketch for their new range of martinis, each inspired to epitomise the four different sketch rooms - The Glade, The Parlour, The Gallery and East Bar. To create these exceptional martinis, The Botanist Gin organised a day with the sketch bar team at Crucible, a creative hub and laboratory for bartenders to meet, work, exchange ideas and play with the latest hi-tech equipment. Through experimenting with seasonal and foraged f...
COYA MAYFAIR: Coaxed into a Peruvian lair by delicious ceviche, cod casserole and punchy cocktails
tagged in: absinth, acids, Aged Zombie (complex/acidic/aged) 16/30 Pyrat XO, Angostura, ceviche, cinnamon, Clement View Barrel, COYA, Date night, Falernum, grapefruit, luxury, Martini, Mayfair, Nikka All Malt, Peru, restaurant, Sadie Whitelocks, Sanjay Dwivedi
If you're looking to add a real dash of flare and flavour to your night, then COYA Mayfair promises to satisfy your cravings. The Peruvian-inspired restaurant and pisco lounge is a sultry lair where your tastebuds are sent on a journey to the sunny wilds of South America. I checked into the place on a Friday night and the dining room steadily packed out to create a buzzing yet refined atmosphere. Taking a pew on a table next to a window, a friendly waitress came to run us through the menu and explained that dishes were best shared and that if we weren't drinking wine there were lots of cock...
THE MARK HOTEL: Meghan Markle’s baby shower spot has sparkle, with top-notch service, classically slick interiors and mouth-watering seafood
tagged in: Hotel, Jean-Georges, La Bottega, Manhattan, Martini, Meghan Markle, new york, Sadie Whitelocks, Seafood, The Mark Hotel, Upper East Side
If you want a taste of classic, upper crust New York, head to the deliciously understated Mark Hotel. This historic spot, which boasts 150 Art Deco-influenced rooms and suites, recently swept to international fame after Meghan Markle picked as the place to host her baby shower party. She booked the hotel's lofty penthouse, which comes in at an eye-watering $75,000 a night. As soon as you pull up to The Mark, you're transported to a world of refined luxury, with suited doormen ready to greet you and well-groomed guests wafting in and out. The lobby features low ceilings, sparkling monochr...
LE PONT DE LA TOUR: Lobster, a martini menu and deconstructed lemon tart at this classic Thames-side spot
tagged in: Caviar, cocktail, Date night, Lobster, luxury, Martini, Pont de la Tour, Sadie Whitelocks, Tower Bridge, Wine
Sat in Le Pont de la Tour on a Friday night, I was suddenly drifting to a memory of dining at the River Cafe in New York. From the classic sophisticated decor, to the classic style of service and polished menu, this place reminds lots of the revered Manhattan spot. We’d settled into a window seat looking out on to the Thames, with the place embalmed in the warm glow of candle light. Topping off the convivial atmosphere was the gentle chatter of happy diners and jazz music tootling away. 'We could be a Woody Allen movie,' I thought. From start to finish, the service was on point, with th...
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Browse > Home / Featured Articles / Marking the changes…writes Dr Ron Weiser
Marking the changes…writes Dr Ron Weiser
July 27, 2014 by Ron Weiser
Even at this point it is possible to assess that this time a number of things have been different from what some people expected and to what happened in the past.
Dr Ron Weiser
Of course some things have not changed at all – such as Hamas’ determination to attempt to terrorise and destroy all of Israel whether inside or outside the Green Line; and its continuing desire to maximize Palestinian suffering and casualties for public relations benefit.
As Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “Here’s the difference between us. We’re using missile defense to protect our civilians, and they’re using their civilians to protect their missiles.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu demonstrated what his critics have never been able to see, that rather than being an aggressive leader looking for a chance to retake Gaza or to harm Palestinians, he is as he has always been, a cautious leader very uneager to take large scale military action.
In November 2012 (Pillar of Defense) despite calling up reserves, PM Netanyahu did not send troops into Gaza unlike in Dec 2008 (Cast Lead) when Israel was led by the so called “dovish” Ehud Olmert.
The first major change this time was the ability of Hamas to launch so many rockets and with such a range so that virtually all of Israel was under attack.
In the first 10 days, Israel responded largely with aerial attacks – and make no mistake, these attacks, as in the past, were preceded by warnings no other army on earth has hereto employed to attempt to avoid civilian casualties on the other side.
Netanyahu was aided in this of course by the really miraculous success of Iron Dome – the second major change.
Iron Dome, paid for by the United States under the financial initiative of President Obama and an Israeli invention, has achieved many things including:
– the outright saving of life, of many many lives
– the strengthening of the belief that Israel can protect her citizens, with the consequent uplift in morale
– enabling Netanyahu the “luxury” of patience and caution
Iron Dome could also have avoided the necessity for the ground incursion had Hamas agreed to a ceasefire.
It is clear now that Hamas wanted to bring Israel into Gaza itself. This was done by not accepting the Egyptian cease fire – which Israel did – and with Hamas’ gross violation of the 2 humanitarian truces requested by Hamas itself.
Hamas was prepared for this ground operation and perhaps surprised Israel with its ability to continue to not only fire rockets, but to infiltrate Israel repeatedly via the incredibly extensive and sophisticated tunnel system.
A tunnel system largely built with Israeli and aid organization supplied concrete and materials that should have been used for the welfare of the Palestinians in Gaza.
A tunnel system that seems to have been gearing up for a multi pronged mega terror attack not too far down the track.
Another big change of course is the leadership in Egypt which is openly hostile to Hamas and has no interest in seeing Hamas survive with its operational abilities intact.
But it is not only Egypt.
The Arab League, the Palestinian Authority, individual Arab countries, the European Union, the United States and all western governments generally placed the blame squarely on Hamas and at least until the ground incursion, mostly praised Israel.
Of course yet another big change was the unity that initially appeared at the time of the kidnapping of those 3 poor boys Naftali (16 years old), Gilad (16) and Eyal (19) – the cry that was heard all over Israel that there was “no difference between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.”
The symbolism of these 2 cities is generally used to describe the divisions within Israeli society, not the unity, so it’s a powerful statement.
There was great unity of feeling over that atrocity – whether they wore kippot or not and whether they were kidnapped and murdered over the Green Line or not.
And this has continued in terms of the current war.
Unity is one of a democracy’s greatest strategic assets.
There is unity within Israel that this is a necessary war. That the sacrifices are necessary to avoid even great sacrifices in the future, that this is a moral war and that Israel is behaving – even with all of the ugly pictures – with maximum restraint and yes, with maximum respect for human life – no matter how willing Hamas is to sacrifice Gazans.
The Hamas leadership expressed its frustration when asking: “where is the Goldstone Report this time?????”.
This time extremist Jewish groups in Israel are not yet crying out for international pressure on Israel and this time Jewish funded Israeli Arab advocacy organisations are almost silent as well. For how long is the question.
This time groups like J-Street and others have been completely sidelined and exposed by Hamas for the unrealistic views they hold.
It is no longer pc for such groups to undermine Israel’s actions.
And this is a direct result of the unity of Israelis and of the way in which PM Netanyahu has managed the situation, possibly the best job he has done from virtually all aspects, in his entire career.
Notwithstanding all of the above, as the civilian death toll mounts, world pressure on Israel increases.
However it is clear that ultimately it will be Hamas who will determine when a cease fire will occur.
As I said previously, Hamas seems to have wanted to lure Israel into Gaza, the question is at what point in time will Hamas feel that the damage and suffering it has brought upon Gazans will be worth the price or be able to spin that it was?
Ridiculous and one sided resolutions such as that of the UNHRC last night is an example of precisely what Hamas is waiting for in the public relations arena.
It is to be hoped that this time some well meaning but naïve Jewish groups do not play into Hamas’ hand and join the Israel bashing brigade on the premise of humanitarian concerns.
Those really concerned for the lives of the Palestinians in Gaza, rather than looking for yet another excuse to attack Israel, need to place the blame where it belongs.
Hamas is directly and deliberately responsible for the civilian deaths – rarely have events been so blindingly clear.
Hamas does not want a truce as yet because it is hoping for world pressure on Israel, because it is hoping that the West Bank will ignite if they can continue the war and because they are still hoping to succeed with an event large enough to depress and demoralise Israelis.
In these time more than ever our thoughts and prayers are with those risking their lives on behalf of Jewish survival.
Israeli journalist David Horovitz put it into perspective when he wrote:
“Often, at times of conflict, Israel is preoccupied with how “the world” is reporting and understanding events. We are bitter that we are misrepresented — that the international community doesn’t realize we are defending ourselves against aggressors (rather than being the aggressors).
We’re frustrated about all that now too, but it’s not our preoccupation. For we find ourselves at war with an Islamic extremist group utterly committed to killing us, at whatever cost, delighting in the evil it wreaks upon us, indifferent to the devastation it brings down upon Gaza.
But far too much of Hamas’s capacity to do us harm remains intact. And it is relentlessly seeking to do us murderous harm. So what preoccupies us right now is one simple, essential imperative: to prevail.”
Ron Weiser is the Immediate Past President of the Zionist Federation of Australia and Hon Life President of the Zionist Council of NSW.
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3 Responses to “Marking the changes…writes Dr Ron Weiser”
Liat Nagar says:
Speaking of advocacy groups outside Israel, did anybody see film of the ultra-orthodox Jews against Zionism in London a few days ago, demonstrating as a large, voluble group against the Israeli bombing and fighting in Gaza, praying for the Palestinians killed and calling for Israel to cease its military actions?!! How the media love it! What alien and distorted world do these idiots reside in?
Paul Winter says:
Lovely words Peter, but too many of them are way off track.
Firstly, Gil’s comment. It is spot on. Purity of arms is pure BS, when that same purity is simultaneously turned against Jews and denied by enemies of Jews. Jews need to act ethically and lawfully for our own self-respect, but we are downright stupid for exceeding those constraints. And Israel is stupid as well for not clamping down on subversive Israeli media and not expelling journos who report hostile views instead of news. No country at war would tolerate hostile propaganda.
And that takes me to your point about J-Street and others being side lined. You know as well as I do that B’Tzelem wanted to place and ad on radio reading the names of Arabs killed in the battle against Hamas. B’Tselem is a prime NIF fundee and it seeks to undermine the morale of the Jewish state.
Finally, Netanyahu is hopeless and you seem unable to differentiate between prudence and paralysis. As soon as Hamas started its bombardment it should have had its power cut off and its water should have been rationed for drinking only, but of course the lefty legal lads who are really in charge of Israel would not permit that. When Hamas damaged high tension lines to Gaza, it should not have been repaired. The terror tunnels should never have been built if the Israeli government had kept an accounting of the cement it was pressured to providing for “humanitarian” purposes. And when the terror tunnel near a kibbutz was found, there should have been a general mobilisation to retake Gaza and to clean the Gaza gutter of jihadis.
Whatever harsh action Israel would have taken, the criticism would have been as loud and as unjustified.
Gil Solomon says:
As in the above article we hear that word “restraint” as an admirable quality in reference to Israel’s military conduct. This much vaunted “Purity of Arms” policy is something I find insane.
Below is an extract of comments made by one Yonit Gefen in respect to an article by Dr Inna Rogatchi in Arutz Sheva titled “The Hate-Wave All Over the Islamicized West”.
1. This bizarre “purity of arms” policy does not gain any world approval for Israel. IT DOES ACCOMPLISH THE FOLLOWING:
2. It kills Israeli soldiers.
3. Protects people who collaborate, sympathize and protect terrorists.
4. Makes eradicating Hamas virtually impossible.
5. Robs Israeli soldiers (and population) of the single-mindedness of purpose they need.
6. Values Palestinian lives above Israeli lives.
7. Lowers the morale of Israelis.
8. Lengthens wars/campaigns thereby encouraging third party involvement, pressures Israel to stop operations, return land and make agreements that are bad for the country.
9. Trains terrorists to gather more and more civilians around them producing a vicious cycle of increased Palestinian deaths.
10. Compromises military goals.
11. Leads the world to expect this and even more of Israel.
When are Jews in general and Israel in particular ever going to wake up?
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Council Decision 2010/109/CFSPShow full title
Council Decision 2010/109/CFSP of 22 February 2010 extending the mandate of the European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus
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There are currently no known outstanding effects for the Council Decision 2010/109/CFSP, Article 2.
Article 2U.K.Policy objectives
1.The mandate of the EUSR shall be based on the policy objectives of the European Union for the South Caucasus. These objectives include:
to assist Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia in carrying out political and economic reforms, notably in the fields of rule of law, democratisation, human rights, good governance, development and poverty reduction;
in accordance with existing mechanisms, to prevent conflicts in the region, to contribute to the peaceful settlement of conflicts, including through promoting the return of refugees and internally displaced persons;
to engage constructively with main interested actors concerning the region;
to encourage and to support further cooperation between States of the region, in particular between the States of the South Caucasus, including on economic, energy and transport issues;
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2.The EUSR shall support the work of the HR in the region.
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© 2017 The Leadership Mind Switch
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May 26, 2017 / Blog posts
From the minds behind the Leadership Mind Switch:
Kylie and Debra met when they were at a speaking engagement together. Debra was the guest speaker and Kylie was the moderator for the conversation. The audience was C-level women and the setting was a high-end loft space in Manhattan. While mingling and sipping a cocktail at the end of the evening they got to talking about writing and agree to a call to explore an article or something similar — Kylie was looking to share her leadership stories. A few days later and they had agreed to pitch McGraw Hill on writing a book together. Debra calls Kylie a “young punk” and herself a “cotton top” and their friendship is now one that will endure anything. The Leadership Mind Switch is a combination of their experiences with different vantage points but shared values. It was a blast to write…
Coming from two very different perspectives – Debra’s as an executive coach and Kylie’s as a global executive – they saw a significant gap in how business leaders had been thinking about leadership. And whether executives were in the category of seasoned veteran or rising star, it seemed that no one had the right set of tools to navigate the rapidly changing space that is the new world of work.
In The Leadership Mind Switch, Benton and Wright-Ford issue a call-to-action to leaders to make the mind switch: to learn how to lead across generations and styles, as demographics and tech advances have changed the playing field forever. Technology innovations drive a pace of change today that would have staggered the most successful executives of only a generation ago, and that pace is only going to increase. But one thing remains the same: Quality leadership is the hinge on which the fate of every organization swings.
To emerge as a quality leader, executives must learn how to successfully drive teams comprising different generations, with different expectations, all of whom have different ideas as to what career success looks like. In this space of comprehensive diversity, how we plan, how we work, and how we think all has to change.
Written for both aspiring leaders and experienced executives who wish to stay relevant, The Leadership Mind Switch empowers readers to take ownership of designing their leadership style.
Readers will gain the agility, confidence, and fearlessness to be the kind of leader who is both firm in their decisions but maintains an air of approachability. The Mind Switch leader can:
Drive high productivity while keeping workers happy and satisfied in their job.
Embrace new technologies without sacrificing the human touch.
Work seamlessly with people of all ages and backgrounds.
Create a lasting legacy of work.
Benton and Wright-Ford’s collaboration exemplifies the principles they espouse. Coming from different generations (Boomer and GenX) and business backgrounds (Executive and Coach), each has helped many of today’s top executives successfully position themselves and their companies for the future. They have had hundreds of conversations with chief executives around the world on this subject and share the insights they gained through that research.
You can reach Kylie Wright-Ford at kylie@kyliewf.com
You can reach Debra Benton at debra@debrabenton.com
Copyright 2017, The Leadership Mind Switch. All Rights Reserved. Site by lucidcircus
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This is the monthly archive. Return to main page.
« 2008 September 2008 November »
Change, No-Win Situations, and Zombies
2008, October 30th 4:19 PM
There are, as I see it, two main forces involved in the plot development of MMORPGs. They are the Force of Awesome and the Force of Progress.
The Force of Awesome is the group that wants new, exciting things to occur. They want the world to be torn asunder by eldritch powers beyond the ken of any current player (and then they want to level up and wipe the floor with said eldritch powers.) They want something new. The Force of Awesome is not named so because it's a superior, more awesome force, but because of what it represents. "Sure! Change everything! Let's have a global invasion! It'll be fuckin' sweet!"
The Force of Progress is the opposing force. They do not want change. They want to keep doing the same thing they've been doing for months, and continue making progress along the same lines that they have grown accustomed to. High Tinker Mechanopants over in Dwarfholm wants you to retrieve 18 bear butts, and by gum, we're going to go find those bear butts! (This will probably involve killing at least 60 bears. Surprisingly, most bears don't have butts. This is a different article that I will write someday.) This desire isn't necessarily a bad thing – the player just has goals in mind, and those goals do not involve eldritch powers besides their own.
The problem with reconciling these two viewpoints is that neither of them is wrong. There's no way to say that either one makes for a better or worse game – they just make for different games. Most of the time, MMORPG staff looks at this, realizes that following the Force of Awesome costs money, and lets the game go entirely unchanged.
Last week, the entire game of World of Warcraft was under assault by zombies.
At the beginning of the week you couldn't get infected unless you actually tried. Infected boxes appeared off in the middle of nowhere – you could fly over to them, wait ten minutes, wander around as a zombie while attacking people, and quickly get killed. You could in theory infect other people, but it took about ten minutes for them to become zombies as well (minus five seconds every time you hit them, which was rather inconsequential), any Shaman or Paladin could cure them before they became a zombie, there were NPC healers littering every major city, and overall force-conversion just wasn't practical. Fun, for a while. But that's it.
By the end of the week, things were different. There were infected boxes, infected cockroaches, and infected rats in every major city. Infection took one minute, not ten . . . minus five seconds every time you were hit, which suddenly became a serious issue. Cures had perhaps a 10% chance of working. The NPC healers were almost entirely gone, and the few remaining ones were frequently swarmed and slain by dozens of zombies. Entering a major city would result in zombification in minutes at most, frequently seconds, and even minor cities were often zombie-infested wastelands.
It. Was. Awesome.
I imagine you can see where I'm going with this.
As awesome as the zombie invasion was, people who simply wanted to level their characters found this impossible. You couldn't enter major cities, you could barely enter minor cities. If you weren't level 70, or near to it, you expected to die instantly if you got anywhere near civilization. Realistic for a zombie assault, perhaps. Not fun for World of Warcraft.
There were complaints like you could not imagine. Wars on the forums. Screaming matches in trade channels. One group of players claimed it was the worst thing the developers had ever done, one group claimed it was the best thing. (And then the latter group attacked and zombified the former group, which didn't really help matters.) Amusingly, the latter group was divided on its own – some people set about zombifying everything they could, some went on a zombie-hunting and disease-cleansing rampage, with righteous anger flung between both groups whenever possible. Every group insisted that their method was the One True Way To Play The Game.
Skeletons carpeted the ground. Literally.
Then a cure was discovered, and the zombies vanished, never to be seen again (unless they repeat the event next year.)
It remains to be seen whether it was a savvy business decision.
Hundreds (if not thousands) of people posted loudly that they were canceling their subscription for World of Warcraft. I imagine most of them have quietly resubscribed by now, though certainly not all. Some people still grumble, of course, about the wasted time and the wasted money spent repairing equipment.
But then others tell war stories.
We held them off for two hours – Alliance and Horde, side-by-side, no common language but a common goal.
I entered Ironforge not knowing what to expect. I barely escaped with my life.
We started the infection in the Spirit Rise. Within half an hour, the city was infested. I personally converted two dozen guards. All hail the Lich King.
The cockroaches are gone, the corpses removed, but the sky is still black, the air still smoky.
The Argent Dawn set up a place of worship. We knelt, and prayed for the horror to end. A wave of the Scourge would attack, and we would raise our weapons against them. Afterwards, the survivors knelt again.
And that's why the Force of Awesome is a force to be reckoned with.
I imagine they lost a few subscriptions from the Progress camp – but I imagine they've gained a few as well, from people hoping to see, and participate in, the next zombie invasion.
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Jordin Sparks Is Just As Amused By Jonas Brothers' Costumes As Fans
'They were like, 'Hey, go feel his grapes!' ' the JoBros' tourmate says of one of Joe Jonas' rehearsal getups.
[artist id="2807016"]Jordin Sparks[/artist] is just as amused by all those unusual [artist id="2088128"]Jonas Brothers[/artist] tour costumes as the rest of us. It's hard not to love seeing Joe Jonas dressed up as grapes while rehearsing during their big summer tour.
And Sparks, who is warming up for the brothers on the tour, can't really explain this new phenomenon.
"I have witnessed it, and I don't know where it came from," the season-six "American Idol" champ told MTV News. "[Joe] just started that maybe a couple days ago, a week ago. I think the first time, he's like, 'You got to check out my outfit; you gotta be sure you watch the soundcheck!' ... I was like, 'What are you doing?' "
Her favorite of the costumes — which has also included Joe and some of the band dressing as the three little pigs — is the grape costume, which led to quite an interesting misunderstanding.
"It was like he dressed up as the Fruit of the Loom grape, which was awesome," she said, adding, "I felt uncomfortable, because they were like, 'Hey, go feel his grapes!' I was like, 'Ah, no thanks!' "
But if you think she has some insider info on where the costumes come from because she's on tour with the JoBros, think again. "I have no idea," she said. "I want to know where he gets them, 'cause that grape costume was awesome."
Jordin's sophomore album, Battlefield, dropped Tuesday.
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MESOPOTAMIA NEWS : MAMOSTE BESIKCI ! – Beşîkçî: Divê Kurd bibin xwedî dewlet
19 Jan 2020 – Beşîkçî dîyar kir, pirsgirêka herî mezin a rojhilata navîn pirsgirêka Kurdan e û heta Kurd nebin xwedî dewlet, nabin xwedîyê çi tiştî. Navenda Nûçeyan– Civaknas Îsmaîl Beşîkçî, ku dostek derîn ê Kurdan tê naskirin, li Stenbolê di merasîmekê de ragihand, ji ber parçebûna Kurdistanê, dijminên Kurdan gelekî zêde ne, lê ti dewletên […]
MESOPOTAMIA NEWS SPECIAL : SOLEIMANI FRIEND OF PKK & ENEMY OF TURKEY !
Turkish Journalist – Qassem Soleimani Was ‘Enemy Of Turkey,’ Discouraged PKK From Making Peace With Turkish Government In 1999 January 17, 2020 MEMRI SPECAL DISPATCH – No. 8507 A January 10, 2020 article in Turkey’s Yeni Akit daily, titled “A ‘Soleimani’ Comment From Bingöl, An Expert On The Region: He Was A Complete Enemy Of […]
MESOPOTAMIA NEWS SPECIAL : Killers target activists performing logistics for Iraqi protests
READ IN: العربية Mustafa Saadoun January 13, 2020 Article Summary – AL MONITOR –
Iraqi protester activists — and journalists covering the protests — are being killed in greater numbers by unidentified armed groups in an apparent attempt to curtail the demonstrations.A demonstrator carries an Iraqi flag as he walks near burning tires, during ongoing anti-government protests, Najaf, Iraq, Jan. 12, 2020.
Forces opposed to the protests in Iraq appear to have stepped up operations to kill protest activists and journalists covering the demonstrations following the escalation of the crisis between the United States and Iran in Iraq.
Hundreds of protesters have been reported killed since the protests began in early October.
weiterlesen / click to continue
MESOPOTAMIA NEWS IRAQ INSIDER: BY INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF WAR (ISW)
Iraq Situation Report: January 14 – 16, 2020
Key Takeaway: Iran is preparing to increase political pressure against the U.S. presence in Iraq by generating significant anti-American protests on Friday, January 24 with support from nationalist Shi’a cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. Iran seeks to integrate Sadr into a new “resistance front” that aligns Iranian proxy groups with Sadr’s popular influence to expel U.S. forces. Sadr has thus far supported this effort but retains freedom of action and will continue to support popular protests against the Iraqi state, which Iran views as a severe threat.
View the Iraq Situation Report Map by Brandon Wallace and Katherine Lawlor here.
http://iswresearch.blogspot.com/2020/01/iraq-situation-report-january-14-16-2020.html
MESOPOTAMIA NEWS BEST IDEA : Counter Iran with an independent Kurdistan !
by Diliman Abdulkader and Tiffany J. Howard | January 16, 2020 12:00 AM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The death of Iranian Quds Force Gen. Qassem Soleimani placed the entire Middle East, if not the world, on edge. Iran’s recently growing stronghold only demonstrates that it is time for the United States to support an option that will counter Iranian power and chaos: an independent Kurdistan. In the past, the U.S. relied on its allies to help balance power in the Middle East. Israel remains a strong American ally but needs our help to deter Iran’s blatant power grabs. Previously, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon acted as buffers between Iran and Israel. But Iran has actively sought control in each of these three countries in order to create a land bridge between itself and Israel. Today, Iran controls Lebanon’s Hezbollah and props up Syria’s brutal dictator, Bashar Assad, using him as a puppet.
Despite America’s history and presence in Iraq, Iran’s influence there, too, is undeniable. Iran was behind the recent attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Iran orchestrated the Iraqi parliament’s vote to expel U.S. troops. And Iran is responsible for the attacks on American service members in Iraq at the al Asad air base and in Erbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region in Iraq.
MESOPOTAMIA NEWS TODAYS BACKGROUNDER : Iraqi PM quietly working to keep US troops in country
Jack Detsch January 11, 2020 – Article Summary – AL MONITOR – Iraq’s caretaker prime minister privately does not want US troops to withdraw, several American and Iraqi sources familiar with the situation told Al-Monitor.
Iraq’s caretaker prime minister privately does not want US troops to withdraw, several sources familiar with the situation told Al-Monitor, though Adel Abdul Mahdi publicly backed a recent parliamentary vote that urged the Donald Trump administration to exit the war-torn country.
Despite calling on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to send an American delegation to Iraq to negotiate the withdrawal of US troops in a readout of a Friday call, Abdul Mahdi is trying to find a way to keep an American presence in the country while attempting to placate Iran-backed militia leaders who want to force 5,200 US troops out, a source familiar with the situation on the ground said.
BARZANI& GERMANY & KURDS
MESOPOTAMIA NEWS : Kurden-Präsident Barzanî zur Lage im Irak „Es ist zu früh für einen Bundeswehr-Abzug“
BILD 11an 2020
Kurden-Präsident: „Jetzt ist nicht der richtige Zeitpunkt für Abzug“. Diesen Artikel … Kurden-Präsident Barzanî zur Lage im Irak | „Es ist zu früh für einen Abzug …
www.mesop.de
MESOPOTAMIA NEWS TODAYS ANALYSIS : The Iraq Uprising – Where Does It Go From Here?
By Ofra Bengio January 10, 2020 – BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 1,398, January 10, 2019 – ISRAEL
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The killing of Qassem Soleimani could prove to be a turning point in the history of the Middle East as a whole, but first and foremost in Iraq. That country has been contending for months with a popular uprising that has produced chaos and turned it into an arena for a titanic battle between Iran and the US.
The Iraqi uprising erupted on October 1, 2019. Several months earlier, an Iraqi journalist published a scathing article under the headline, “Is Iraq Now a Leaf Blowing in the Wind?”
To answer that question, we need to look into the roots of the problems in post-Saddam Iraq, the cycles in which the country has been trapped since its establishment, and the possible impact of the uprising on Iraq’s future.
MESOPOTAMIA NEWS OPINION : EIGHT REASONS WHY THE UNITED STATES AND IRAQ STILL NEED EACH OTHER
by David Pollock PolicyWatch 3238 January 9, 2020
A host of crucial multilateral interests are baked into the U.S. presence, from keeping the Islamic State down, to protecting vulnerable regional allies, to preventing Iran from taking Iraq’s oil revenues.
The assassination of Qasem Soleimani has brought the tensions in U.S.-Iraqi relations to a boil, with militia factions strong-arming a parliamentary resolution on American troop withdrawal and various European allies contemplating departures of their own. Before they sign the divorce papers, however, officials in Baghdad and Washington should consider the many reasons why staying together is best for both them and the Middle East.
TO SAVE THE VICTORY AGAINST THE ISLAMIC STATE
MESOPOTAMIA NEWS “MOST IMPORTANT”: Iraq set for conflict, even if US and Iran de-escalate
9 Jan 2020 – AFP @afp – RUDAW – Arch-foes Tehran and Washington may be temporarily calling it even after Iranian missiles targeted US forces in Iraq, but analysts predict violent instability will keep blighting Baghdad.
“Iraq will remain a zone of conflict,” said Randa Slim of the Washington based Middle East Institute.
MESOPOTAMIA NEWS : PLEASE LEAVE US OUT / BUT US PLEASE HELP US !
Iraqi Kurdish leaders call for region to be kept out of rivalries: statement – Reuters – WED JAN 8, 2020
The leaders of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region said on Wednesday that the support of a U.S.-led military coalition in fighting Islamic State militants was vital and urged its member states not to allow the group’s revival.
The regional president, prime minister, and parliament speaker met on Wednesday and expressed concern at the escalation after Iran launched missiles on U.S. forces in an Iraqi air base in western Iraq as well as on the region’s capital Erbil.
“In regards to the recent events, and in particular this morning’s, the Kurdistan Region reiterates that military solution will in no way solves the problems,” they said in a statement.
“The Kurdistan Region supports de-escalation of the situation and seeks dialogue and diplomatic solution to the problems. It also seeks stability and peace and urges all parties to refrain from dragging the Kurdistan Region into the rivalries.”
More via www.mesop.de
MESOPOTAMIA NEWS “MUST READ!” : The World Paid Attention to the Wrong Iraqi Protests
The embassy attackers got far more attention than a broad-based Iraqi reform movement, which is now imperiled by U.S.-Iranian tensions. – January 7, 2020 Rasha Al Aqeedi – THE ATLANTIC
Baghdad’s Tahrir Square has been the center of ongoing protests since last October, but on New Year’s Eve it looked like any other public celebration venue—with music, dancing, food and drinks, and fireworks at midnight as the assembled crowd cheered. But that was not the event that received attention around the world.
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Missoula's Riley King starting out in Arizona League
It was about three weeks ago now that the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball snatched up Missoulian Riley King in the 2013 MLB first-year player draft. The 19-year-old outfielder quickly chose baseball over returning to the hoops program at Carroll College, signing to play in the Royals' minor league system and jetting off to Arizona and Kansas City's extended spring training facility in Surprise. That was the last time we'd heard from the Missoula Sentinel graduate. Well now an update: King will remain in Arizona, at least for now, with the Royals' rookie-level affiliate in the Arizona League this season. King boarded a plane for the southwest on June 11, two days after finishing his pro paperwork. All of the recently signed draftees from the organization would be there before getting divvied up along the minor-league ladder. When the Arizona Royals opened their season on June 20, the 24th-rounder from Missoula was in the starting lineup batting fifth. He hasn't had the success that fans of the Missoula Mavericks had come to expect on a daily basis, but then again this isn't exactly Montana American Legion pitching he's facing either. King has a .208 batting average through six games and is still looking for his first extra base hit. Still, he's nothing if not consistent. King opened the season on a three-game hitting streak and has hits in five of the Royals' first six games. He's also one of only seven position players on the team who hasn't committed an error yet. None of the other six has played in more than five games either. We'll keep you up to speed on any happenings related to Missoula's recently drafted baseball star throughout the summer. Should King get the call up to advanced rookie, one step up in the minor league system, his destination will be Idaho Falls and the Chukars of the Pioneer League. Missoula plays two series against the Chukars this summer, once at home July 13-15 and once on the road July 20-23. King will have to play some inspired ball in Arizona to make the jump in the next two weeks for a trip back to Missoula. Until that call finally comes, he'll have to start trying to enjoy that broiling Arizona sunshine.
With Wayne Tinkle headed to Oregon St, what's next for Tres?
By this point everybody has heard the news of Montana men's basketball coach Wayne Tinkle's recent hire by Oregon State. Tinkle takes a winning history to a Beavers program hoping to do much more of that in the not-so distant future. But will he also take his son, current Missoula Hellgate junior and big-time prospect Tres, with him? Tres Tinkle helped Hellgate to a State AA basketball championship two seasons ago and the Knights very nearly repeated in March, a season in which Tres was named Montana's Gatorade Player of the Year. The 6-foot-7, 210-pound forward has already drawn major interest from schools around the country and offers from the likes of USC, Utah and Boston College. Then last week we found out the 4-star recruit from the Class of 2015 pulled an invite to the NBPA Top 100 Camp, right around the time he was in Southern Cal.
2015 f Tres Tinkle Hellgate Montana will visit USC this morning. One of top f's in the country. Recently invited to NBA top 100. — Earl Watson Elite (@earlwatsonelite) May 15, 2014
Some are speculating that Wayne Tinkle's hire may give OSU the inside edge to get Tres in two years, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. The most immediate question is this: Will the Knight's star follow his father to Oregon, or will he finish his prep career in Missoula? It's too early to tell, Tres told the Missoulian Tuesday via Twitter. "I'm not sure yet," he wrote. "Still trying to figure it out. I wanna stay in Missoula." He had a similar message for Scout.com earlier this week, though that also pertained to potential recruitment to Oregon St. Basically, Tres said, he'll let things play out before making a decision.
Wayne's hire by the Beavers does makes the school “stand out to me more, but as of now, I’m still open to anything,” he told Scout.com. “It would be awesome to play for my dad, but he knows what’s best for me, and if that’s going somewhere else or playing for him, he’ll support me all the way.”
It's not really a question of exposure, though high school ball in Oregon would certainly give him more of that. Tres has been quite visibly on the map for years thanks to his summer ball outings, impressive performances that have continued again this spring.
In Corvallis, Oregon, he'd have the chance to play for one of state's Class 5A schools, Corvallis High School or Crescent Valley High School. Corvallis was 11-13 last season while Crescent Valley was 15-9, per the OSAA.
There's also the option of Class 3A Santiam Christian, sort of the Missoula Loyola Sacred Heart of the Corvallis area, should the private school route appeal.
If he stays, the Hellgate Knights could expect another season contending for the State AA title in Montana. He averaged 21.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game last season.
Without Tres the Knights would be down four starters from the 2013-14 season, only point guard Devin Bray returning as a senior. Montana would also have lost one of its top basketball recruits in recent memory.
Sentinel grad, future Cowgirl faces best of Wyoming in all-star series
Way back in November, Missoula Sentinel senior Olivia Roberts signed to play basketball at the University of Wyoming after graduation.
Before she ever suits up for the Cowgirls, Roberts is getting a chance to play against some cowgirls this weekend as part of the Treasure State's roster in the Montana-Wyoming All-Star Basketball Series.
"I think I'm most excited to play with all the best players in Montana," Roberts said this week before leaving for Billings to practice with her all-star squad. "Just to know that we all can step up and all know what it's like to have that same kind of mentality and motivation on the court." There are no Wyoming commits among the 10 girls on the state's all-star prep team. The school was most notably beat out by Stanford in the courting of Kaylee Johnson of Natrona County this past fall. Roberts said her loyalties haven't switched over from her home Montana quite yet. At least for a couple more months, until she makes the move to Laramie for school this fall, she's still a Montana girl.
"I'm just excited to kick Wyoming's butt," she laughed. "And then when I go to school, it'll be vice versa."
The former Spartan led Sentinel to three straight State AA basketball titles with a pair of all-state selections in her final two seasons. She averaged 18.3 and 8.3 points per game as a senior.
Sentinel, Capital girls meet again in state preview showdown
UPDATED: A blizzard warning forced the postponement of the Sentinel-Capital basketball games Thursday. The action will be made up on Monday, Mar. 3, with Sentinel's girls still hosting Capital at 7 p.m. and the boys on the road in Helena also at 7 p.m. ------ Almost four weeks ago, Helena Capital knocked Missoula Sentinel off the path of the unbeatens by upsetting the No. 1 ranked Spartans 55-50 in Helena. Neither team has lost since as last year's State AA finalists have been hurtling toward another rematch this week. The now top-ranked Bruins come to Missoula to face the second-ranked Spartans for a 7 p.m. tip-off Thursday, a meeting of two 17-1 clubs with high state aspirations. Sentinel coach Karen Deden doesn't expect to change much in the way of her approach on the eve of the showdown. After all, the high-energy defensive game plan did work quite well for a half when Sentinel led 32-20 at the midpoint of the game. "You know we were up by 12 there," said Deden, now in her 14th year leading the varsity girls at her alma mater. "We just got tight in the third quarter after they hit some shots on us." After a 10-0 run in the second quarter handed the Spartans control, Sentinel managed just three points in the third and Capital and big post player Michaela Dowdy walked away with the win behind solid free throw shooting down the stretch. Dowdy, a 6-foot-2 Carroll College commit who averages 18.9 points per game, finished with 21 points and shot 9 of 11 from the line. Her team was 19 of 24 overall on charity shots. Defense in the key will again be a main point of emphasis for Sentinel, Deden said. That puts Sentinel's own post, 6-1 senior Sam Harper, on the front lines. "I still think she's a great player," Deden said of Dowdy. "We've got to figure out how we're going to limit her touches, stop Kenzie Johnston and just play better defense than we did." Deden continued: "You're getting down the stretch. Everybody's playing their best basketball. You expect people to play well." Capital may still be without senior Alexa Welch. The guard injured her knee almost two weeks ago against Bozeman and has since missed three straight games. The Spartans counter with their own standouts, led by seniors Olivia Roberts and Maddie Keast. A future Wyoming Cowgirl, Roberts scores 17.2 points per game and Keast it no slouch either at 13.7. Harper adds another 8.9 points a game and also leads Class AA in blocked shots (32). Another important factor here is where the game is played. Sentinel has home court on its side this time. The Spartans haven't lost at home in more than three years and bring a 32-game home winning streak into Thursday's matchup. But who was it that last came to Sentinel High School and managed to win? Well Helena Capital, of course, behind a 39-38 thriller back on Feb. 3, 2011. "That whole team are great basketball players and we definitely respect them, but we're looking forward to them," said Keast, a future Lady Griz player. "They're our biggest rival and we really want to take them down. And it's senior night; we want to go out with a bang." Sentinel's last win in the series came last March, a 49-40 victory in the State AA title game that secured the Spartans' second straight championship and capped a 22-1 season.
Vote for Hellgate boys for region's top basketball program
Missoula Hellgate is in the running for Best Boys Basketball Program of 2015 in a poll conducted by the USA Today and the Knights have already made the regional round. That makes Montana's State AA front-runner one of the top seven programs in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Idaho and Wyoming -- but they need your help to reach the national finals. Just vote online here as many times as you want. The second round (regionals) runs through noon on Thursday, Jan. 29. Hellgate is up against a handful of programs from the region including the Bismarck (N.D.) Demons, the DeLaSalle Catholic (Minn.) Islanders, the St. Thomas More (S.D.) Cavaliers, the Twin Falls (Idaho) Bruins, the White River (S.D) Tigers and the Wyoming Indian School (Wyo.) Chiefs. The top three placers in the region earn prizes for their athletic department:
First Place: $1,000 and a banner
Second Place: $500 and a banner
Third Place: $250 and a banner
Hellgate finished second in Montana's State AA tournament last season to Helena Capital after having beaten Capital for the crown the year before. The Knights are 8-1 this winter and are ranked first in the AA poll. Again, you can vote as many times as you like. Hellgate is currently a far second to Wyoming Indian in the polls with 5 1/2 days to go. Voting is online at: http://contest.usatodayhss.com/vote/boys-basketball-2015/round-2/r6
New face, same result in Loyola football backfield
When running back Marty Pigeon went down with a shoulder injury in Loyola Sacred Heart's quarterfinal football clash with Red Lodge, the Rams backfield was suddenly without the left jab in its 1-2 punch. Senior Tony Madsen carried the load fine enough alone that week – to the tune of 137 yards on 31 carries for two touchdowns – but coach Dan Weber didn't want his back worn down by so many touches. So he shuffled the deck and came up with Stephen Sellman. Like clockwork, the backup quarterback shifted a few steps in his backfield lineup and ran wild in Loyola's semifinal win over Boulder racking up 111 yards on 11 carries, including a TD rush. "To be honest with you, that's a credit to our offensive line," Weber said. "The fact that we're able to bring a guy who's our backup quarterback in and put him in the halfback spot in there for us and have him carry the ball and be our leading ball carrier for us in the semifinal game really says something about the way out offensive line is blocking." Indeed. Loyola put up 223 rushing yards as a unit and had a pair of 100-yard backs as Madsen also broke the century plateau. The run game will be less of an emphasis for Loyola this week as the Rams take on Baker in the State B championship game Saturday at 1 p.m. The Spartans are a very good run defending team, Weber said, but it'll be nice to have a pair of backs to spread the load around when the Rams hit the ground. Especially now since he and the coaching staff know Sellman can hit the holes. "Most of his carries in all honesty had been in the fourth quarter when he was in as the backup quarterback," Weber said of Sellman's rushing work this season prior to last week. "And a lot of those were scrambling opportunities and he didn't have the starting line out there in front of him. "He was kind of running for his life so I don't know if that helped or hurt when he stepped into the role as the running back," Weber added with a chuckle.
Sims nearing college choice, visits to MSU, UM planned
Back in early December, Corvallis prospect Jesse Sims de-committed from Oregon State, University where he had planned to play college football, after head coach Mike Riley left for Nebraska. Almost six weeks later, he's coming closer to making a decision -- again -- to where he will take his football talents. But not quite yet. "There's honestly not a whole lot new since then," Sims said Monday evening after a Corvallis basketball practice. "Still just waiting to see what kind of coaching staff they'll put in." The "they" in that statement is of course Oregon State, where Sims said he'd still like to play. An NCAA Division-I program in the Pac-12 Conference, the Beavers were Sims's first choice when he committed back in August and they'd still be now. But Sims wants to play tight end and he needs to make sure the Beavers still want him. New head coach Gary Anderson runs a different offense and Sims is uneasy about the role -- or possible lack thereof -- that tight ends might play in the system. In the meantime Pac-12 schools like USC and Arizona State are courting the 6-foot-4, 235-pounder, as well as Nebraska. But he's keeping his options open, too. Sims will make official recruiting visits to Montana's two D-I FCS programs this month. He visits Montana State this coming weekend, Jan. 16-17. He'll be in Missoula the next weekend, Jan. 23-24, to see the program at Montana and new head football coach Bob Stitt. Could the locals pull off the coup and snag this once promising Pac-12 prospect? We should know soon enough. National signing day is right around the corner, Feb. 4.
UPDATED: National signing day 2014's list of western Montana football commits
UPDATED: It's been a little over two months since college football had its big signing day. We brought you this list at that point, but it's gotten quite a bit longer since then -- up to 39 area signees.
It's national signing day 2014 and the National Letters of Intent are flying around this morning with local athletes securing their spots for the future with college football programs. We'll keep you updated with the area players who have made their commitments known throughout the day. Here's a quick look at what we have so far, both in signings and other forms of commitment. Don't forget this is just a bare bones list right now and it will be updated often. Don't see your name or your kid listed here? Leave it in the comments, or get in contact with us at anthony.mazzolini@missoulian.com or on twitter (@ajmazzolini). With out further ado: MONTANA (6) Tristen Clark, WR, Deer Lodge Evan Epperly, S, Glacier Sean Foley, WR, Whitefish Carson King, LB, Dillon Tyler Richtmyer, LB, Sentinel Kole Swartz, DE/TE, Hellgate MONTANA STATE (2) Hunter Mahlum, S, Hellgate Noah James, RB, Glacier CARROLL COLLEGE (5) Pat Kosena, WR/DE, Loyola Sacred Heart Tony Madsen, RB/DB, Loyola Sacred Heart Matt McHugh, QB/DB, Loyola Sacred Heart Andy Nemec, Athl, Hellgate Andrew Weltz, QB, Polson MONTANA TECH (8) Axel Bladholm, OL/DL, Flathead Zach Dennehy, OL, Glacier James Foote, OL/DL, Big Sky Zach Gavlak, DE, Stevensville Coleman Katen, WB/DB, Florence Cameron Nissen, TE/DE, Bigfork Mick Paffhausen, WR/S, Dillon Ethan Reich, RB/LB, Anaconda ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE (3) Kyle Behner, RB, Stevensville Keenan Hendrickson, OL/DL, Florence Brady Pickering, QB, Florence MONTANA STATE-NORTHERN (4) Connor Benn, QB/CB, Ronan Jeremy Eisenmann, OL/DL, Sentinel Kagen Khameneh, TE, Sentinel Rob Johnson, OL, Stevensville MONTANA-WESTERN (10) Josh Bauder, QB/DB, Hamilton Chris Bergman, WR, Stevensville Teague Blome, WR/DB, Hamilton Kris Cleveland, WR, Hamilton Donovan Hucke, OL, Dillon Wyatt Jenson, OL/DL, Polson Jake McElroy, OL/DL, Loyola Sacred Heart M.J. Simkins, DB, Dillon Calub Thilmony, LB, Whitefish Matthew Turley, LB, Hamilton DICKINSON STATE (1) Bryce Wigert, OL/DL, Anaconda Special thanks to Slim Kimmel over at the Billings Gazette and all you folks sending in your signings for helping fill in some blanks too.
Latest Loyola golf stars ready to continue run
Following Tommy Tirrell's tie-breaking chip-off victory Friday that earned him second place at the Loyola Sacred Heart Invitational golf tournament, he carried his iron off the 18th green to talk to a waiting reporter. They introduced themselves, having never met before. Tirrell didn't garner too many interviews in his sophomore or freshman seasons golfing at Loyola. "You probably talked to Tom last year," Tirrell said, no hint of animosity in his statement of fact, just an observation. Tom Swanson, and with him Maggie Crippen on the girls' side, dominated the action for the Rams and Breakers golf teams over the past few seasons. Each are gone now onto NCAA Division I programs, but the Loyola golf legacy still has some sheen on it. The Loyola teams flashed it at their home invitational this week, the season opener for action without their multi-medalist leaders in camp. Swanson and Crippen were each three-time State B individual champions in their last three seasons of high school golf before graduating last spring. Swanson headed off to Michigan to swing for the Wolverines while Crippen is now on the links with North Dakota State. In their place is a new crew that isn't really very new at all. The top two girls and boys each played important roles in the past few seasons, though as sidekicks to their well-known superhero teammates. "And I think that even we didn't know how far along they had come," Loyola head golf coach Julia Jones said following the conclusion of this week's Loyola Invite. Tirrell and Jared Geer, who battled it out for second place Friday, were both top 10 finishers at state last year. So were Sadie Crippen and Brooke Bezanson on the girls' side, Crippen nearly knocking off her older sister before finishing second in the state meet. They seem to be stepping into the empty shoes with gusto as Loyola looks to continue its half decade of sheer state dominance. The boys are five-time defending champs, tied for the most consecutive wins at any boys' level with the 1993-97 Columbus team, while the Breakers have five straight state-trophy winning seasons with top-three finishes. Right there in the middle in 2011 is the program's only championship. "I think the expectation that they have is that if they work hard enough that it will continue," "And we've got good leadership. Jared Geer is our only senior, so they're young, but they're pretty well seasoned." Other players like Tom Sellman and Bryan Swanson for the boys and Madison Purdy, Julia Downing and Rosie McCormack for the girls will keep pushing those top pairs as the Rams and Breakers continue their march on Class B golf.
Lacrosse sticks for summer
Missoula Sentinel students Alvin Adams and Sean McCoy will get the chance to play lacrosse this summer thanks to the generosity of a local lacrosse enthusiast and their Life Skills Department teacher. The Sentinel duo, who finished their freshman year of high school Friday, received hand-made custom lacrosse sticks from Tucker Sargent, University of Montana club lacrosse coach, after he was contacted by para-educator Christian Bitterauf. The sticks were part of a "graduation" celebration for the students who successfully finished another school year. The wooden sticks, which also have the boys' names engraved in them, came from Sargent's new business, Sargent Sticks. The Life Skills department at Sentinel serves students with mild to moderate cognitive and physical disabilities.
Sentinel's Jaydn Wilson narrowly misses Jug Beck 3-peat
It's been a long time since Missoula Sentinel wrestler Jaydn Wilson had lost a match at his Spartans' home tournament, the Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic. That's three years to be exact. As he won his way into the semifinals of the 2014 addition of the tournament this weekend, the 37th such holding at Sentinel High School, he'd come to the spot where a freshman Wilson had been knocked off the championship path. In between were more than 15 wins. But that streak came to an end in Saturday's semifinals.Wrestling Clarkston (WA) big man Dylan Beeler at 220 pounds, Wilson owned a 3-1 advantage with moments left in the third and final period. Beeler got the upper hand and scored a two-point takedown to tie things up with five seconds remaining in the period. The boys battled to a stalemate through the first minute-long overtime and went to a second. With Beeler starting from the down position, he pulled away for an escape and even scored another takedown in that 30 seconds to go up 6-3. During Wilson's turn in the down position in the second 30-second section, he failed to make up the ground and was even caught for what looked like a near-fall. Beeler could have tallied three more points with the near-fall as time expired but the match finished with that score and Wilson's first loss in three years of Jug Beck matches. But the Sentinel senior didn't let it get him down. He followed his two Jug Beck championships with a bronze in this year's event. He pinned Helena Capital's Dillon Coffman in the consolation semis and then beat Mead's Mason Ju 7-2 in the consolation championship. The Spartans' most dominant wrestler improved his record to 27-2 in matches held at the Classic.
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Hometown Pride Classic a win for Montana football
Even a narrow loss couldn’t keep the Ronan football team down.
“You don’t ever want to say you’re happy when you lose, but come on,” Chiefs head coach Jim Benn said gesturing to his surroundings. “Getting to coach here and letting our kids have this experience, I mean I’m watching my quarterback take pictures with his parents on the field.”
The special location was Washington-Grizzly Stadium Saturday, which hosted the first Hometown Pride Classic series between high school teams in Montana and Idaho — an event as pleasing to its organizer as it seemed to be to the players, coaches and fans involved.
August 30, 2014 0 Football billings wolves, Bozeman, college, football, Frenchtown, hamilton, high school sports, hometown pride classic, idaho, indoor football, jim benn, marc burr, Missoula, montana, montana grizzlies, preps, Ronan, turf, Washington-Grizzly Stadium Amie Just
All-state/all-conference softball teams 2015 The following is a full list of Montana all-state girls’ softball teams and all-conference selections for western Montana as released following the 2015 season. The lists include…
Western Montana all-conference girls’ basketball 2014-15 The following is a list of western Montana all-conference girls’ basketball teams as released following the 2014-15 season. The list will be updated as new…
Western Montana all-conference boys’ basketball 2014-15 The following is a list of western Montana all-conference boys’ basketball teams as released following the 2014-15 season. The list will be updated as new information…
2014-15 Montana all-state girls’ basketball The following is a full list of Montana all-state girls’ basketball teams as released following the 2014-15 season. The list will be updated as new…
2014-15 Montana all-state boys’ basketball The following is a full list of Montana all-state boys’ basketball teams as released following the 2014-15 season. The list will be updated as new…
Mazz's musings
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The Ode Street Tribune: Rosslyn local news from a Rosslyn resident to everyone, worldwide
Sunday's video
Posted by Douglas Galbi at 12:30 PM
Labels: OST-TV
Neighborhood news from right here in the Westmoreland Terrace Condominiums on North Ode Street in the Radnor Fort Myer Heights neighborhood of Rosslyn in Arlington, Virginia.
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Hi, I'm Douglas Galbi. I live in this neighborhood. You can contact me at Send me tips, story ideas, compliments, and complaints. All email and material sent to the Ode Street Tribune will be considering for posting, unless you explicitly request otherwise when you send the email/material. For my other amusements, check out Galbi Think! and purple motes.
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Range Operations
Safe and efficient operation of the launch range requires a large number of volunteers. Please do your part.
Safety Officers
Tripoli requires that an L2-certified individual be appointed RSO and be on-site during the launch. NAR “…strongly recommend[s] that a Range Safety Officer be appointed and on duty at all times” but doesn’t specify qualifications for the RSO. Neither Tripoli or NAR details the authority or responsibility of the RSO or how or when the RSO can delegate authority to others.
Both Tripoli and NAR refer to “the RSO” as a single individual. We’ve used the term more loosely, to mean anyone empowered to certify rockets for flight. Although we haven’t had any problem with this in the past and it may not ever matter, we should be a little clearer about our lines of responsibility. In this document, “the Range Safety Officer” or “the RSO” refers to a single person responsible for overall safety at the launch. Other terms such as “Flight Safety Officer” will be used to refer to people designated by the RSO to make safety-related decisions on the flying field.
Tripoli requires that the RSO have an L2 certification. Since Tripoli recognizes NAR (and CAR) certifications at combined Tripoli/NAR events, we believe that either a Tripoli or NAR L2 certification is acceptable for our Saturday-Sunday launches. Note that this doesn’t apply to “EX” days, since NAR doesn’t have any experimental program. In the future, the NAR Trained Safety Officer (TSO) program may become an acceptable alternative to L2 certification or even a requirement for safety officers at NAR-sanctioned launches. We encourage members to start the TSO training process so that we’ll be ready when this happens.
The RSO may delegate safety-related decisions to other individuals with or without L2 certification. It is the responsibility of the RSO to choose individuals who can be trusted with that authority, and the responsibility of those individuals to understand and act within the limits of their own knowledge and that authority. Regardless of their experience and assignment, all of these people carry the same authority as the RSO. Their decisions may not be challenged on the flying field, and may only be overruled by the RSO, and then only when the RSO believes that the original decision was unsafe.
Range Safety Officer
official responsibility for all safety-related issues
responsible for appointing or approving all other safety officers
can delegate authority to other safety officers
must have Tripoli or NAR L2 certification
the RSO is always “on call” for safety issues; use FRS channel 9 for emergencies
Deputy Safety Officer
same authority as the RSO
responsibility as delegated by the RSO
doesn’t require high-power certification, but the RSO should take certification level and experience into account when choosing someone to handle a particular area
may also be referred to as “Safety Check-in Officer”, “Flight Check-in Officer” or simply “Safety Officer”
Launch Control Officer
handles load/fire/recover sequence for each rack
declares “range open” and “range closed”
monitors range for interference and/or safety problems
pushes the buttons
The following tasks may be performed by the LCO or an assistant:
announces flights on the PA system
monitors descending rockets for safety hazards (separation, rocket headed for spectators, etc.)
records flight results on the flight cards
monitors the radio emergency channel (FRS channel 9)
assists fliers with loading
handles problems with the pads
Operations Officers
These people are responsible for smooth operation of the range. None of these positions requires any particular certification, but may require some experience.
Launch Director
FAA notification
arrangements with the landowner
arrangements for porta-potties
arrangements for getting the trailer to and from the launch site
setup and teardown coordination
RSO Coordinator
recruits and assigns safety officers to work at specific times and positions
keeps track of who’s officially “on duty” and who’s available to answer questions and do fill-in duty
Booth Manager
public representative of the club
register fliers (collect signed disclaimer and range fee)
guide new fliers through range procedures
answer other questions and distribute information about the club and launches
Pad Manager
check that fliers have paid range fees and filled out flight cards (with RSO/FCO initials)
assigns rockets to racks and pads
monitor descending rockets so the LCO can concentrate on launching
mark direction of downed rockets to aid in recovery
assist fliers with recovery
spotters communicate with fliers on FRS channel 11
The public address system at the LCO table is the primary means of communicating with fliers and spectators as a group. The PA signal is also broadcast on FM 96.7 MHz with a low-power transmitter. Fliers and spectators are encouraged to use a Walkman-style receiver to monitor the LCO announcements while on the range.
FRS (Family Radio Service) channel 9 is reserved for emergency communications and communications related to range safety. The LCO and RSO monitor FRS channel 9. Deputy RSOs and other range officers are encouraged to monitor FRS channel 9 as well. Anyone may call channel 9 with an emergency message (fire, someone injured while recovering a rocket, etc.). Range officers may also use channel 9 for issues that don’t qualify as an emergency but need attention by the RSO or LCO.
Volunteer spotters monitor FRS channel 11. Fliers may use channel 11 to ask for assistance in tracking a rocket or locating a downed rocket. This is something new we’d like to try in order to reduce the number of rockets lost in the sagebrush at Brothers. Please monitor channel 11 and try to help out when you can.
Per FCC rules, we can’t prevent other use of these frequencies by the general public, but we will enforce these policies on the range. Fliers, spectators and their families may use other FRS, HAM and cell frequencies as desired, but anyone who persists in interfering with official communications on these two channels will be required to turn in their radio and/or leave the range.
Although we have no set policy about the use of other RF transmitters (e.g. for rocket control, telemetry or tracking) we request that anyone planning to do this contact the RSO and LCO well ahead of their flight so that we can coordinate frequency usage with other fliers.
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Home / Brevard Zoo / Photo-Updates / PHOTOS: Critically-Endangered Lemurs Arrive at Brevard Zoo
PHOTOS: Critically-Endangered Lemurs Arrive at Brevard Zoo
Friday, June 21, 2019 Brevard Zoo, Photo-Updates
Three-year-old red ruffed lemur sisters Julienne and Juniper have debuted at Brevard Zoo. This playful primate pair—the first members of their species ever housed at the Zoo—has taken up residence in a newly renovated habitat that formerly held rock hyraxes and turacos.
“Like all lemurs, they’re incredibly playful and fun to watch—especially in the morning before the heat sets in,” said Michelle Smurl, director of animal programs at the Zoo. “They’re amazing climbers, like little daredevils.”
Red ruffed lemurs are herbivorous, known to feed on fruit, leaves and seeds in their native Madagascar.
The Zoo hopes to introduce Julienne and Juniper to a male in the coming months. Baby red ruffed lemurs would be welcome news as the species is considered critically endangered due to deforestation and hunting. Since 2016, the Zoo has donated more than $23,000 to lemur conservation through its Quarters for Conservation program.
PHOTOS: © 2019 Brevard Zoo. All Rights Reserved.
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Home > Technology > Technology Overview
Nautilus Minerals is utilising proven technologies from the offshore oil and gas industries, dredging and onshore mining industries to realise the new deep seafloor resource production industry. The result is a system which has three main components: the Seafloor Production Tools (SPTs) the Riser and Lifting System (RALS) and the Production Support Vessel (PSV). The excavation and collection has been split into three individual tasks which will each be carried out by a different vehicle. The Auxiliary Cutter is designed as the pioneering machine which prepares the rugged sea bed for the more powerful Bulk Cutter(BC). These two machines gather the excavated material; the third vehicle, the Collecting Machine will collect the cut material by drawing it in as seawater slurry with internal pumps and pushing it through a flexible pipe to the subsea pump and on to the PSV via a riser system. Following dewatering of the material on the vessel, a state of the art cargo handling system will be used to load the dewatered material into four storage holds. It will then recover the material from the storage holds and transfer it directly to a handymax vessel for shipment of the material to China.
Many world class companies have been involved in the design of the seafloor equipment. The cutting drum of the BC was designed and built by Sandvik (Austria), a world leader in hard-rock mechanized mining and rock cutting equipment. The designs are based on similar designs used on large continuous miner machines used in underground mining and construction. The track sets for all three SPTs have been designed and built by Caterpillar, based on an existing Caterpillar excavator track design. Modification to the track set for subsea operation and required cutting duty was completed by SMD in consultation with Caterpillar and Sandvik. The dredge pumps for all three SPTs have been supplied by Damen, one of the world's leading dredge equipment suppliers and are based on existing catalogue designs used in the dredging industry. The hydraulic equipment for all three SPTs is based on existing off-the-shelf Bosch Rexroth hydraulic equipment, with adaptations by SMD. The flexible hoses for all three SPTs have been designed and supplied by ContiTech AG (Germany), and are very similar to the rubber hoses used in the dredging industry. Companies and institutions involved in the simulations and test work of the BC include CSIRO, Cellula Robotics, Deltares, Istanbul Technical University, ContiTech Oil & Marine Corp and Paterson & Cooke Consulting.
GE Oil and Gas have been involved in the development of the Subsea Slurry & Lift Pump and the riser has been designed by Nautilus' RALS main contractor, Technip USA, and built by subcontractor General Marine Contractors .
To read more on the suppliers that have come on board for the design of the PSV click here
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Nearly 500,000 people march against Macron as strikes grip France | World news
in: Political Protests, Politics
More than 450,000 people marched in cities across France as railway workers, teachers and hospital staff held one of the biggest public sector strikes in decades against Emmanuel Macron’s plans to overhaul the pension system.
A nationwide transport strike brought much of France to a standstill and was expected to continue for the next few days as unions dug in, saying Macron’s pension changes would force millions of people to work longer or face lower payments.
Trains, metros and buses services were severely hit, some flights were cancelled and many schools were closed in the biggest challenge to Macron’s reform agenda since the spontaneous “yellow vest” anti-government protests erupted last year.
In Paris, police briefly fired teargas during skirmishes with black-clad protesters on the edges of the trade union-led march in the early afternoon. Some protesters set fire to a storage trailer and smashed windows and a bus-shelter. Firefighters put out small fires lit in bins and some cars were overturned.
More than 6,000 riot police lined the route of the demonstration from Paris Gare du Nord to the east of the city, while groups of officers stopped people walking towards the demonstration and searched bags. By late afternoon there had been more than 70 arrests and 9,000 searches.
Riot police in Nantes, western France, fired teargas at masked protesters, who hurled projectiles at them.
Protesters clash with French riot police during the demonstration against pension reforms in Paris. Photograph: Christophe Petit-Tesson/EPA
The Paris march included hospital staff, electricity workers, firefighters, teachers and school pupils as well as gilets jaunes (yellow vests) protesters who had taken part in blockades on roundabouts earlier this year. Banners read: “Macron out”.
Isabelle Jarrivet, 52, who had worked as an administrator in a town hall north of Paris for 20 years, said: “It’s a question of life or death for the French social system, which Macron is dismantling. We’re being taken back to a time before 1945, where we risk losing the social safety net. Private pension funds are waiting in the wings to benefit.” She added: “The gilets jaunes protests got people thinking and talking more about politics and people determined not to let things pass. You can feel a defiant mood in the air.”
The standoff is a crucial test for the centrist French president, whose planned overhaul of the pensions system was a key election promise. Macron’s office said he was following events closely “with calm and determination”.
The government argues that unifying the pensions system – and getting rid of the 42 “special” regimes for sectors ranging from rail and energy workers to lawyers and Paris Opera staff – is crucial to keep the system financially viable as the French population ages. But unions say introducing a universal system for all will mean millions of workers in both the public and private sectors must work beyond the legal retirement age of 62 or face a severe drop in the value of their pensions.
The row cuts to the heart of Macron’s presidential project and his pledge to deliver the biggest transformation of the French social model and welfare system since the postwar era. Since his election in 2017, Macron has leaned towards a Nordic style of “flexi-security” in which the labour market is loosened and the focus is on changing from a rigid work code to a society of individuals moving between jobs.
While many French voters agree that the pensions system should be changed, they are not sure the pro-business president can be trusted to do it. A recent Ifop poll found 76% of French people back pensions reform, but 64% do not trust the government to pull it off.
Demonstrators in Paris on Thursday. Photograph: Christophe Petit-Tesson/EPA
Public transport unions said they would extend their strike until at least Monday, after 90% of TGV and regional trains were cancelled and nearly all lines on the Paris metro affected.
Sandrine Berger, an engineering lecturer at a top Paris university and representative for the leftwing CGT union, said: “This is about protecting public services, which are being chipped away and turned towards an American model of privatisation.”
She criticised the government for suggesting public sector workers were privileged. Aged 46, with two PhDs, a 26-year-career and a senior job running a department of 70 people, she said she earned €2,200 a month before tax, including bonuses.
Grégory Chaillou, a fire officer, said: “We’ll see this through to the end. The public understands the need to support public services and workers.”
As commuters in Paris turned to using bikes and scooters, the environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion claimed responsibility for the sabotage of 3,600 electric scooters in Paris and other French cities, saying the green image of the fashionable gadgets hid an “ecologically catastrophic” reality.
Extinction Rebellion said it had sabotaged 3,600 scooters, including more than 2,000 in Paris as well as in Bordeaux and Lyon, by obscuring the QR codes that riders use to unlock them with their smartphones.
“Contrary to their reputation as a ‘soft’ or ‘green’ way of getting around, the electric scooters are ecologically catastrophic,” the group said in a statement on its French Facebook page.
Tags:againstfrancegripmacronmarchnearlyNewspeoplestrikesworld
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garraway
Kate Garraway shocks GMB co-stars as busty throwback image is revealed | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV
The photo showed the host in a pink dress, which was quite tight fitting, particularly around her bust.Al ...
The photo showed the host in a pink dress, which was quite tight fitting, particularly around her bust.Although viewers couldn’t see Kate's reaction visually, they could hear what was being said by th ...
Kate Garraway stunned as Sheila Ferguson walks off Good Morning Britain set | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV
Kate Garraway was left surprised after a conversation about Christmas guests saw Sheila Ferguson walk off ...
Kate Garraway was left surprised after a conversation about Christmas guests saw Sheila Ferguson walk off set, leaving Christine Hamilton questioning whether she should also leave. Singer Sheila was s ...
ITV Good Morning Britain Kate Garraway shut down by co-host over Im A Celebrity stint | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV
“Good morning, it’s just after eight o’clock, welcome to the programme,” Kate told viewers, before going ...
“Good morning, it’s just after eight o’clock, welcome to the programme,” Kate told viewers, before going on to add who they had lined up for the last segment of the show.“Lots more to come, including ...
Im A Celebrity 2019 Kate Garraway replaces Roman Kemp as public vote opens for final | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV
Kate, 52, was the unlucky star who was voted off by I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! viewers, just a d ...
Kate, 52, was the unlucky star who was voted off by I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! viewers, just a day before the final. With her name out the bidding for the jungle crown, there was a slight hic ...
I’m A Celebrity 2019: Kate Garraway in disbelief as Caitlyn Jenner is voted out jungle | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV
Roman noted: “I came into camp with Nadine on day one and she absolutely smashed it, she was so looking f ...
Roman noted: “I came into camp with Nadine on day one and she absolutely smashed it, she was so looking forward to seeing her little girl.”However, Kate Garraway soon expressed her shock at still bein ...
Im A Celebrity 2019 Kate Garraway to be first ever contestant to quit Celebrity Cyclone? | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV
Kate, 52, has become one of the most loved stars of this year’s series of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of H ...
Kate, 52, has become one of the most loved stars of this year’s series of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! with both her campmates and viewers of the ITV reality show alike. The Good Morning Britai ...
Kate Garraway weight loss: I’m a Celebrity finalist reveals she exercises but doesn’t go t
Kate Garraway is a journalist and currently a presenter of ITV’s Good Morning Britain. The star has made ...
Kate Garraway is a journalist and currently a presenter of ITV’s Good Morning Britain. The star has made it to the final four of I’m a Celebrity, facing the finale vote tomorrow night which will see o ...
I’m A Celebrity 2019: Kate Garraway stuns Caitlyn Jenner with frisky confession | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV
The campmates agreed it was 45 per cent over 25 per cent and correctly won chocolate cupcakes for themsel ...
The campmates agreed it was 45 per cent over 25 per cent and correctly won chocolate cupcakes for themselves.Discussing the question, Roman revealed he’d buy a house for his entire family if he won’t ...
I’m A Celebrity 2019: Ant and Dec horrified as Kate Garraway makes big mistake | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV
In a first-look clip, the mother-of-two can be seen with her head inside a box, which looks like the cloc ...
In a first-look clip, the mother-of-two can be seen with her head inside a box, which looks like the clock on Big Ben.Moaning, she carefully moves into the bug filled box where a star is tightly screw ...
Im A Celebrity 2019 Kate Garraway’s pigtails annoy ITV viewers | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV
Many have slammed Kate for her decision to wear pigtails but it seems some weren’t happy. As she headed o ...
Many have slammed Kate for her decision to wear pigtails but it seems some weren’t happy. As she headed off for the Bushtucker Trial, Kate popped her hair in sections on the sides of her face. But one ...
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Rodriguez Jr - September 2014
Friday 19th September. Geisha Bar, Perth
Saturday 20th September. New Guernica, Melbourne - Tickets
Sunday 21st September. S*A*S*H, Sydney
Olivier Mateu’s wide-ranging inspirations and interests find their ultimate outlet as his alias took form into Rodriguez Jr., positioning him as mobilee’s new master of eclecticism.
A product of South Of France, between Nîmes and Montpellier far from any big city, Olivier Mateu grew up on the seaside during the 1990s where he oscillated between piano lessons and electronic music parties.
As one half of French electro act The Youngsters – best known for their two studio albums and singles for Laurent Garnier’s F-Communications – Mateu has already received enough plaudits and praise to last a lifetime. The Youngsters’ award-winning productions catapulted them into the international arena, taking them to some of the biggest clubs and festivals around the world.
Rodriguez Jr. reveals a different incarnation of Mateu’s musical psyche, one that strides ahead, guided only by his kaleidoscopic vision; moving through shimmering, contemplative electronica, to deep and urgent techno, left field melodic accents and quirky pop refrains, Rodriguez Jr. is the by-product of an untamed brand of creativity and a thirst for the new and unexpected. Drawing inspiration from artists as diverse as Stockhausen, LFO, Carl Craig, Eric Satie, Kraftwerk, and Michael Polnareff, Rodriguez Jr.’s spirit of adventure translates as soaring creativity, and music that cannot be pigeonholed.
For a solid 10 hours a day, Mateu manifests Rodriguez Jr. in his MLab Mk5 studio, which brims with vintage synthesizers, keyboards and dusty analog gear. Acclaimed Rodriguez Jr. releases for imprints such as Mothership, Boxer Records and Giant Wheels, prefaced the quirky melodies of his bass-driven house hit Princess Guacamole for mobilee records, and the tropical techno of Kids of Hula for it’s sister label Leena Music. Drawing both pleasure and inspiration from live performance, Rodriguez Jr. relishes the opportunity to realize his project on the stage, and has done extensively throughout Europe and America during some of his most acclaimed shows at Tomorrowland in Belgium, ADE in Amsterdam, Sonar Off in Barcelona, Showcase in Paris, Watergate in Berlin, Hardpop in Juarez and Kristal in Bucharest. Two heavy milestones were passed when his first-ever solo album titled „Bittersweet“ was released on Mobilee Records in 2012 followed by the 7th mobilee back to back compilation one year later.
His talents are not just limited to the dance floor. When fashion brands Hugo Boss and Gucci sought out a more fresh, urban and organic identity, they called in Mateu to produce their music for the project.
As he restlessly seeks out the ultimate intersection between all of his disparate influences, Mateu explains it best: “Good electronic music is not a jail,” he says, “It should be enjoyable everywhere, from dance floors to living rooms, and by everybody.” Now an integral part of the mobilee family, Mateu will continue to channel his vision, passion, and love of music into all that he does, and all that will come.
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NXL104
To accomplish our mission we need people who enjoy working in a dynamic...
NXL104/ceftazidime combination
NXL104 is a novel injectable wide-spectrum beta-lactamase inhibitor from a completely new non-beta-lactam structural class, which in combination with the cephalosporin antibiotic ceftazidime, has demonstrated activity against a broad-range of Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, including Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas.
> Read our NXL104 publications
The addition of NXL104 to ceftazidime restores the susceptibility of Gram-negative pathogens which are resistant to ceftazidime owing to the production of the two most common classes of beta-lactamase enzymes found in pathogenic bacteria, Class A or Class C beta-lactamases. If developed successfully, NXL104/ceftazidime may be a useful alternative to carbapenems for the first line treatment of serious Gram-negative infections, including those due to resistant pathogens.
Preclinical data indicate that the spectrum of activity of NXL104 is broader than the currently approved beta-lactamase inhibitors (tazobactam, clavulanate, and sulbactam) which inhibit class A (excluding carbapenemases) but not class C beta-lactamases. NXL104 inhibits both class A (including carbapenemases) and class C beta-lactamases. Certain marketed β-lactamase inhibitors, such as clavulanate can induce increased expression of beta-lactamases, thereby making bacteria even more resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics. This is not the case with NXL104.
NXL104 has been shown to have good pharmacological properties, a good pre-clinical safety profile, and when combined with ceftazidime and excellent activity in animal models of infection. NXL104 is primarily renally cleared and thus has a potential to be associated with few drug: drug interactions. NXL104 has been studied in single and multiple dose studies in healthy young men at doses up to 2000mg intravenously, both alone as a single dose and in combination with ceftazidime (500mg NXL104/2000mg ceftazidime) IV for 10 days. In these studies in healthy volunteers, NXL104 demonstrated dose dependent kinetics and was well tolerated.
The first Phase II clinical trial with the NXL104/ceftazidime combination is a multi-center, randomized, investigator blinded trial conducted in ~150 adult patients with complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs) in the United States. Patients will be treated with either 500mg ceftazidime/125mg NXL104 intravenously every 8 hours or 500mg imipenem/cilastatin intravenously every 6 hours for 4 to 14 days, depending on the time needed for clinical improvement. Patients may be switched to oral ciprofloxacin after 4 days if they have improved clinically and their infection is caused by a susceptible pathogen. In accordance with regulatory guidelines, patients are to receive a total of 7 to 14 days of total antibiotic therapy. The primary endpoint is the microbiological outcome in the microbiologically evaluable population at the follow up visit 5 to 9 days post-therapy.
23/12/2009 Novexel to be acquired by AstraZeneca...
06/11/2009 Novexel Starts Phase II Clinical Trial with NXL103 in Adults...
11/09/2009 Novexel presents 16 posters and one slide presentation at th...
> Stachyra, T., Levasseur, P., Péchereau, M-C., Girard, A-M., Claudon, M., Miossec C., Black M.T. In vitro activity of the beta-lactamase inhibitor NXL104 against KPC-2 carbapenemase and Enterobacteriaceae expressing KPC carbapenemases, Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (2009) 64 (2), 326-329.
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Naruto shippuden sarada nackt
Naruto shippuden sarada nackt. Uchiha Sarada : Naruto 2019-04-10
Naruto shippuden sarada nackt Rating: 6,8/10 392 reviews
Watch Naruto Shippuden and Boruto Online
Ken Iikura of Anime Now praised Sarada's role in the Boruto anime. After passing the first round, Sarada helps her team win the second round by breaking through a genjutsu with her Sharingan and managing to obtain the flag she has been looking for. During the finishing touches in the making of Sarada, Kishimoto made her eyes look like Sasuke's, and her glasses were also meant to hide this resemblance. But Konan did not only have a single day to prepare where are you getting this from? It intrigues me knowing that Sarada will probably go searching the truth about her real mother.
Archived from on September 16, 2017. He imagined the character as a female version of her father,. Sakura's punch then causes their house to collapse and she faints afterwards, prompting take her to the hospital. Introduced in the last chapter of the manga, she becomes the of the 2015. Toon Zone liked the dynamic between Sarada and Boruto because both characters are different from their parents.
'Shippuden' designs for Sarada, Chocho and Sumire! : Naruto
Multiple writers have commented about Sarada's relationship with Sasuke. Christian Chiok found Sarada's one of the best parts of the Naruto spin-off because she formed a bond with Sasuke. Stewart found Sarada's arc one of the best parts of the Boruto anime because of her realistic interactions with her father, Sasuke, which he felt were more realistic than Boruto or 's stories. The lead female character of the series Sarada winds up having a few foot focused and barefoot scenes in it. Sarada is also present in an where is sent to stop an apparent thief.
For People Who want boruto and sarada / CHARACTER/DLC UNLOCKER :: NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM 4 General Discussions
Sarada is indeed cute especially when she is wearing glasses. Sarada deduces Boruto wants to get his father's attention, which he quickly denies. Then this happened: So now, Sarada is doubting the fact that Sakura is her mother. While the manga of Boruto starts with a retelling of the film, the following chapters contain new stories. Kishimoto felt pressure when he created Sarada because he thought he lacked experience in drawing female characters.
Sarada Uchiha (episode)
Kishimoto also said that he aimed to make Sarada cute even while wearing glasses. On the other hand, Alexandria Hill of found Sarada's spin-off series disappointing because of her lack of interaction with her father. Sarada also appears in Kodachi's to Naruto, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations 2016. No one said hinata is useless or something. Nevertheless, Kishimoto's most important scene between these two was kept: Boruto motivating Sarada to become the Hokage in the future. McNulty mentioned that, while Sarada did not detest her father the way Boruto hated his, she still had more admiration for Naruto due to her dream of being the next Hokage.
And that can't be overstated. The two characters real balance each other out and its a lot of fun seeing them together. She will also be playable in the video game 2018. Various types of merchandise based on Sarada's image have also been released. She is the daughter of Sasuke and Sakura Uchiha.
Glowing 1000 degree KNIFE
She's perfectly important to the universe. Sakura apologises, and assures her she and Sasuke are connected. Masashi Kishimoto's brother, , shared similar concerns. She has a rich family history, blessed with amazing genes, is a princess and is basically got housewife-no-jutsu'd.
Anime Feet: Boruto: Sarada Uchiha
After the mission ends, Sarada asks Boruto if he wants to become the next Hokage, to which he answers that he has decided to follow Sasuke's footsteps instead and protect her once she becomes the Hokage in the future. Even with that in mind however, you gassed up some of Sakura's accolades more than they really should be: sakura defeated sasori with chiyo, an akatsuki member, Chiyo was the one who defeated Sasori, not Sakura. For the finale of the Naruto spin-off, Kishimoto wanted it to end with the focus on Sarada's family. Just think about it, she got off-screen in one of the few episodes in the entire franchise that explain and and expanded upon the lore of the byakugan, Naruto took his whole family except her to Hyuga place to gain more info.
He also incorporated elements from Sakura into Sarada's characterisation and had both female characters wear similar clothing. She also appears in the ending of the video game Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 and becomes a in the updated version Road to Boruto 2017. Elsewhere, Sasuke appears from a , and is attacked by a. Shikamaru considers Boruto and Naruto to be very much alike, to Boruto's dismay. He said that cold-hearted Sasuke clearly cares deeply for Sarada and that both characters were greatly expanded in the process.
New followers of Naruto should be wary of this. I am saying this coz offen times you always say that Boruto's win was a plot even though it was Sasuke's plan and distraction plus Naruto's chakra which actually defeated Momoshiki much like chiyo here. If you guys haven't been following the sequel yet there might be some spoilers ahead. Not only that, but she also amassed 600 billion paper bombs!!! Cold hard facts, without explaining the reason behind them, May it be screen time or plot bs. It should have been one of the few moments where Hinata stops being a house-wife and actually contributed to the plot about something she specializes in. Besides reenacting scenes from the Boruto film, Sarada also appears in the game training with her father at her request.
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Home › Egregious Quotes
Egregious Quotes
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“Ecology is the new theology; big history is the new Genesis. Those who fail to understand that evidence is modern-day scripture, and that the world we live in is an honorable world, betray God and humanity in the most egregious of ways.”
— Michael Dowd —
“Nothing is more egregious than greedy politicians.”
— Sonia Rumzi
“National Review's premise was that conformity was especially egregious among the intellectuals, that herd of independent minds.”
— George F. Will
“Religion has the capacity to silence critical thinking and create blindness in entire groups of people. It can infect the minds of followers so completely as to allow the most egregious sexual acts against children and others to go unchallenged for centuries.”
— Darrel Ray
“No one wants their stuff stolen. No one wants their physical person harmed. If you understand the implications of those two truths, you can come to see the egregious moral and practical problems of a state-managed society.”
— Jeffrey Tucker
“... the matter was new to me, and I had no material for its treatment. But I got books, read up the facts, laboriously constructed a skeleton out of the dry bones of the real, and then clothed them, and tried to breathe into them life, and in this last aim I had pleasure. With me it was a difficult and anxious time till my facts were found, selected, and properly pointed; nor could I rest from research and effort till I was satisfied of correct anatomy; the strength of my inward repugnance to the idea of flaw or falsity sometimes enabled me to shun egregious blunders; but the knowledge was not there in my head, ready and mellow; it had not been down in Spring, grown in Summer, harvested in Autumn, and garnered through Winter; whatever I wanted I must go out and gather fresh; glean of wild herbs my lap full, and shred them green into the pot.”
— Charlotte Brontë
“If God exists, either He can do nothing to stop the most egregious calamities, or He does not care to. God, therefore, is either impotent or evil.”
— Sam Harris
“Bizarre doctrinal inventions, proclaimed by Hinn under the alleged influence of the Holy Spirit, only confirm his true nature. What should we conclude about someone who has claimed that the Trinity consists of nine persons;65 that God the Father "walks in a spirit body" complete with hands, mouth, hair, and eyes;66 that the Lord Jesus assumed a satanic nature on the cross;67 and that believers should think of themselves as little Messiahs?68 It is ludicrous to think Holy God would authenticate such egregious error by giving a false teacher like Benny Hinn miracle power. Such would make God a participant in Hinn's deception. But that is obviously not the case.”
— John F. MacArthur Jr.
“There is no gardening without humility. Nature is constantly sending even its oldest scholars to the bottom of the class for some egregious blunder.”
— Alfred Austin
“And the beautiful are forgiven; no matter how egregious their shortcomings, they are forgiven.”
— Alexander McCall Smith
“A portion of guilt is standard issue for southern boys; our whole lives are convoluted, egregious apologies to our mothers because our fathers have made us such flawed husbands.”
— Pat Conroy
“Like many men and women who make egregious and irretrievable mistakes with their own children, she would redeem herself by becoming the perfect grandmother.”
“Clinton's egregious act of self-indulgence was outdone by an impeachment based not on constitutionally required high crimes and misdemeanors but on a vindictive determination to bring down a president who had offended self-righteous moralists eager to put a different political agenda in place.”
— Robert Dallek
“The photographs of the inmates at Bergen-Belsen or Andersonville Prison or the bodies in the ditch at My Lai disturb us in a singular fashion because those instances of egregious human cruelty were committed for the most part by baptized Christians.”
— James Lee Burke
“Since those who believe they need a hero/celebrity outnumber the actual heroes/celebrities, people feel safe and comfortably justified in numbers, committing egregious crimes in the name of the greater social ego. Ironically diminishing their own true hero-celebrity nature in the process.”
— Lauryn Hill
“I have heard my fill of hurtful words. I think it's especially egregious when citizens like me, who point out abuses in their country, are referred to as 'do-gooders.' This is how a phrase that can be used to stop an argument dead becomes part of common usage.”
— Gunter Grass
“If any imagine from the literary tone of the preceding remarks that we are indifferent to the radical movement for the benefit of the masses which is the crowning glory of the nineteenth century, they will soon discover their egregious mistake.”
— George Ripley
“In high school I had some famously egregious fashion missteps. I was really out there in fashion, I think because I wanted attention. I would wear crazy patterns, skin-tight pants and giant platform shoes.”
— Busy Philipps
“Every company of a certain size must have committed egregious sins to succeed in the cutthroat world of Western capitalism.”
— John Grisham
“Not only a fanatic and an incendiary (two of the insults that dogged Defoe most closely in his lifetime), the author of Robinson Crusoe was also an egregious spiv, and a slave to bling.”
— Daniel Defoe
“Since we can't count on the meat, egg, and dairy industries to protect animals from the most egregious forms of cruelty, what can we, as consumers, do? Opting out of paying someone to allow animals to die in a barn fire or at the slaughterhouse seems pretty reasonable.”
— Ingrid Newkirk
“In reality, the [American legal] system promotes chicanery, outright deceit, and other egregious conduct by trial lawyers.”
— Jon Krakauer
“Critics called me 'egregious' - I had to look that one up - and 'creepy', but now I don't read them, I weigh them.”
— Craig Charles
“Even the most egregious captive state, bound and gagged on her damp bunk, felt eerily familiar to her. With nothing to do but lie there and think of things, she reflected that captivity took many different forms. A woman under the domination of her father or husband was as much a prisoner as a hostage on a boat. She had merely traded one form of servitude for another.”
— Susan Wiggs
“It was an egregious violation of the American Constitution. We were innocent American citizens, and we were imprisoned simply because we happened to look like the people who bombed Pearl Harbor. It shows us just how fragile our Constitution is.”
— George Takei
“It would be an egregious mistake to ever refer to me in the same breath as most of the people I write about.”
— Anthony Bourdain
“The celebrity-chef thing, even at its worst, its most annoying, its silliest, its goofiest, its most egregious and cynical, has been a good thing.”
“The violation of press freedoms has been egregious under this administration, even as the press fetes President Obama as an honest and effective commander-in-chief.”
— Ben Shapiro
“The United States government in Washington constantly gives amnesty to its highest officials, even when they commit the most egregious crimes. And yet the idea of amnesty for a whistleblower is considered radical and extreme.”
— Glenn Greenwald
“And for more egregious offenses, you need to get rid of the knave, quickly. Think”
— Eric Schmidt
“The U.S. has become the most egregious war-monger and terrorist nation in the world, as well as the long-time leading purveyor of weapons of war throughout the world, and because here at home, we have 50 million of our citizens living in poverty, one in four children surviving on Food Stamps, a collapsing education system, poor health care, and many other disasters, none of which can be addressed as long as the country keeps pouring trillions of dollars into war and militarism. This madness and criminality must end!”
— Dave Lindorff
“The burden therefore rests with the American legal community and with the American human-rights lobbies and non-governmental organizations. They can either persist in averting their gaze from the egregious impunity enjoyed by a notorious war criminal and lawbreaker, or they can become seized by the exalted standards to which they continually hold everyone else. The current state of suspended animation, however, cannot last. If the courts and lawyers of this country will not do their duty, we shall watch as the victims and survivors of this man pursue justice and vindication in their own dignified and painstaking way, and at their own expense, and we shall be put to shame.”
— Christopher Hitchens
“So this is the way we live now: conditioned by the awareness that no North Korean provocation, however egregious, can be confronted, lest it furnish the occasion or pretext for something truly barbarous and insane.”
“Egregious.
most people think that word means terrible or unheard of or unforgivable. it has a much more interesting story than that to tell. it means "outside the herd."
imagine that - thousands of people, outside the herd.”
— Kurt Vonnegut
“I'm relieved to hear that your vanity has weathered this egregious trial unscathed."
"Thank y
Oh. Sarcasm again.”
— Rae Carson
“When we translate, we always to some extent betray the text we are translating. That is why translation is so hard and thankless. All you can do is to fail in the least egregious way possible.”
— Jay L. Garfield
“Unacceptable Levels is Powerful. It tells the story of toxic chemicals in just about every aspect of our lives, and the egregious lack of regulation. Our ability to protect our families is at stake.”
— Joan Blades
“There are science teachers who actually claim that they teach "a healthy skepticism." They do not. They teach a profound gullibility, and their dupes, trained not to think for themselves, will swallow any egregious rot, provided it is dressed up with long words and an affectation of objectivity to make it sound scientific.”
— Anthony Standen
“Is there any media here? A couple? Excellent. I want to ask you, I don't know what persuasion you are, but would you like to go outside to a 1st Amendment zone? No! So did it make sense to have a 1st Amendment zone in Nevada? No, of course not. That's ridiculous. If we're talking about one of the most egregious things that happened down there, it was the 1st Amendment zone in Nevada.”
— Matt Shea
“The Patriot Act is the most egregious piece of legislation to ever leave Congress since the Alien and Sedition Acts, John Ashcroft and every member of Congress who voted for it should be indicted.”
— Michael Badnarik
— Michael Dowd
“'Scientific' computer simulations predict global warming based on increased greenhouse gas emissions over time. However, without water's contribution taken into account they omit the largest greenhouse gas from their equations. How can such egregious calculation errors be so blatantly ignored? This is why man-made global warming is 'junk' science.”
— Michael Myers
“No writer or speaker who ignores the roots of Latin derivatives is secure from egregious error.”
— Stuart Sherman
“You may evade justice but in our eyes you are each guilty of egregious war crimes, of plunder and, finally, of murder, including the murder of thousands of young Americans-my fellow veterans-whose future you stole,”
— Thomas Young
“I know I'm a long way from greatness, but I am beginning to come at it in my own way. I can go through the basic motions pretty well, don't rely quite as religiously on specific fly patterns as I once did, have worked out ways of compensating for some of my most egregious weaknesses and have come to count heavily on timing because it's a hell of a lot easier to catch fish when the fish are biting.”
— John Gierach
“In youth we take egregious risks because death has no reality for us. Youth goes caparisoned in immortality. It is only in middle age that we are shadowed by the awareness of the transitoriness of life.”
— P.D. James
“Today's mom watches her every child-rearing step lest she commit some egregious and apocalyptic parenting faux pas that will certainly doom her child to a life spent sleeping under overpasses, or worse, not going to Harvard.”
— John Rosemond
“It's instructive to consider the more spectacular and well-known falls from grace of leaders in the public eye ... In the main, the issues behind these falls could be grouped under a lack of competence, a lack of support or loyalty from those they sought to lead, and a lack of failure of integrity. Of all these the last is the most egregious, the most fatal. We so much want our leaders to be unfailingly decent that an obvious or perceived flaw in integrity can be the toxin which kills them off.”
— Peter Cosgrove
“Today's endorsement by President Barack Obama of the creation of a Hamas-led Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders signals the most egregious foreign policy decision his administration has made to date.”
— Allen West
“Let's move forward to try to address the most egregious and outrageous corrupting aspect of campaigns in America today and that is the incredible inundation of soft money and its pernicious effects.”
— John McCain
“Our system doesn't work, and it doesn't work, ultimately, not because of Sarah Palin, or the christian right, or Glenn Beck. It doesn't work because the liberal class failed us. The liberal class failed to find the intellectual and moral fortitude to defend liberal values at a time that they were under egregious assault.”
— Chris Hedges
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MRDA's Inferno
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Either Way, It’s American Displacement Day
Posted on October 13, 2015 by MRDA
Yesterday yielded another round of commotion regarding the infamous Christopher Columbus, designated “discoverer” of the so-called “New World” (Leif Erikson moans from Midgard!). No doubt, the less-than-vocal majority of Statesiders were simply thrilled to get a day off from work; the more vocal, however, reheated their rancour over the late Double-C’s conquering, raping, enslaving ways, wishing instead for an “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” to displace the dastard. Not surprisingly, this generated a bit of an uproar from the more reactionary elements of the World Wide Web, who predictably countersignalled in favour of Columbus.
Now, on October 13th, 2015, I sit here typing this whilst high (or, rather, low) on my favourite empathy-suppressant. Clearly, it’s a shitty batch, what with me feeling somewhat sympathetic to the prog pouting over this issue. Going by several accounts of his exploits, Columbus and his crew were certified cunts, engaging in kidnapping, murder, rape, and kiddy sex slavery, amongst other fun activities; all this after being, by CC’s own account, warmly welcomed by the Amerindian tribes who would become their all-purpose prey. Taking that into account (plus the fact he never actually set foot on the North American mainland) it does seems rather grotesque of Statesiders to dedicate a day of pomp and pageantry to his “discovery”; kinda like “Good War” enthusiasts fellating Bomber Harris for raining down death on civilian populations.
That said, I find the desired (and partially realised) replacement of the occasion with an Indigenous Peoples Day to be sublimely silly and short-sighted. For all the shit suitably slung the way of Columbus, Cortez, and all the other Christians who murdered Indians, they were but the most proximate of predators on the calendar of conquest. A decade ago, I stumbled upon a rather illuminating piece of historical revisionism on the late and lamented Loompanics site; its author, Bill Wilson, made the case that those favoured by the IPD-endorsers had encountered and erased a preceding population of decidedly different descent:
Unlike contemporary Indians, these fossilized remains bear no resemblance to modern Mongoloid people. That fact is vitally important to the point of this article. Genetic and other testing long ago proved that the Cherokees, Navajo, Creek, and other tribes are descendants of Asian population groups.12 In light of recent evidence, their claims to be the “original” Americans rests on faulty ground indeed.
Even more disturbing for the PC crowd is what the rock art of these “Australian Americans” record. Cave paintings made at the same time that Asiatic people begin to appear in the region show scenes that are radically different from those made prior to their arrival. Images of serene and playful village life give way to drawings of executions, warfare and outright slaughter, scenes that only appear after the arrival of the Asiatics. These drawings correspond to discoveries of skulls in the fossil record that for the first time show Mongoloid characteristics.
The inference is clear: When the Asians began to arrive in the area, they began a bloody and violent crusade against the people already living there. This genocidal campaign continued until the aboriginal people disappeared from the fossil record. From nine thousand to seven thousand years ago the skeletal remains shifted from being exclusively Negroid to exclusively Mongoloid. Combined with the bloody scenes appearing in the cave paintings at the time, the fossil records reveal a disturbing fact: The true first Americans were wiped out by the people who now claim that title.13
Needless to say, the probability of the first Americans being Australian made the history of the “New World” all the more fascinating for me, with subsequent spotlight-shining bringing the proposed proceedings ever closer to high-definition (and much closer to an actual discovery than anything Columbus carried out). To quote Gregory Cochran’s overview of the most recent papers…
The background fact is that the earliest skeletons, especially in Brazil, look like Australo-Melanesians. Long skulls. If population Y were almost entirely standard Amerindian, with only a smidgen of Australo-Melanesian ancestry, they would have looked like Amerindians. On the other hand, if the original settlers of the Americas were mostly or entirely Australo-Melanesian (or more exactly something vaguely related to those existing populations) they would have those long, narrow skulls. This is the Paleoamerican model – and if true, it means that an Onge-like population arrived first, and that the incoming Amerinds almost completely wiped out them out later, with here and there a bit of admixture.
With this noted, it’s worth asking the pro-IPD crew: Which indigenous peoples do you seek to honour? Given the ignorance and motivated incuriosity on this topic, it’s safe to say it ain’t the Australoids!
Me being me, I can’t help but laugh at those who call out one violent, barbarous displacement by unwittingly enshrining — by way of overgeneralisation — the architects of another. I can only imagine the mass mind-mangling, in the event of the “Paleoamerican model” gaining ground in mainstream discourse.
If the proverbial Sins of the Father apply to those who share Columbus’ continental descent, do today’s Amerindians need to be walking and wailing an eternal Trail of Tears for the actions of ancestors long dead? Hell, if one subscribes to the concepts of intergenerational guilt and collective blame, wouldn’t it make sense to see the rape, murder, and enslavement of Columbus’ hosts as just deserts for the massacre of the Melanesians?
Not subscribing to such sentiments, I’d prefer to see October the 12th commemorated as ‘Let the Dead Bury the Dead Day’, with the descendants of both displacements figuring out less acrimoniously atavistic ways to coexist on this planet. I’d also tell those caught up in such concepts to wash the blood and spooge off their well-wrung hands, but that presupposes such being on them in the first place.
In any case, I suspect this sorry series will run for a few more seasons yet. Tune in for next year’s aggravating episode, I guess….
~MRDA~
This entry was posted in America, Biorealism, Entertainment, History, Perspectivism, Politics, Racial Issues, Society and tagged Ameri-Australoids, america, Christopher Columbus, Columbus Day, historical revisionism, Indigenous Peoples Day, intergenerational guilt, Leif Erikson, Let the Dead Bury the Dead Day, Loompanics Unlimited, the Paleoamerican model. Bookmark the permalink.
6 Responses to Either Way, It’s American Displacement Day
EvolutionistX says:
I think the whole reason America started celebrating Columbus Day was to highlight the contributions of Catholics to the US in an age when the Irish and Italians were seen as problematic outsiders in a largely Protestant country. So Columbus Day is tokenistic hero-worship for Catholics. Now that Catholics aren’t an oppressed minority, Columbus isn’t popular anymore.
MRDA says:
If they started this holiday to combat bigotry and allay fears, I’m not sure a bloke who comes across the sea to subjugate the locals is such a great reassurance or endorsement.
Question: Where/how does the Solutrean Theory fit into this revised timeline, if at all?
caprizchka says:
Sure. Why not? Everything we supposedly know about ancient civilizations anywhere is way too politicized to be beyond a little data-fudging. I’ve also heard that the Cherokee may have Middle Eastern roots and besides were slavers themselves. Any evidence yet of the Mormon story?
Ever since I saw a presentation at Jet Propulsion Laboratories on the determination (due to Satellite imaging) that the base of the Egyptian Sphinx was thousands of years older than the statue itself, I don’t take any of these notions as beyond reproach. And then there’s “the megalithic yard”. If we can’t even trust the origins of measuring systems to be beyond politicization never mind the origin of things like whether a circle has 360 degrees (easier for math) or 366 degrees (same number as sidereal days of the year), even time itself can be politicized. Maybe the various biblical figures really did live for 500, 600, whatever years. I doubt it but perhaps life is merely a carnival act designed to preserve the authority of whoever writes the history.
As for black coffee, I can say from my own observation, that some of the cruelest men drink it. I therefore make sure to always have plenty on hand. 🙂
Robert Abrahamsen says:
People have always made heroes of killers and conquerors. In Mongolia, Genghis Khan is widely revered as a god. The first thing Uzbekistan did upon breaking with the Soviet Union was to erect statues to Tamerlane, its ancestral hero. Kings, almost mass murderers by definition, have always and everywhere been valorized. Columbus is no different.
Georg Holger Bård Mahesha Hummel says:
The criticisms made of the European empires is always from the slave morality. For one, it ignores that Europeans conquered vast tracts of territory because the people inhabiting them were fucking savages incapable of defending themselves, or unwilling. Azteks would have loved to have conquered Europe and sacrifice virgins to the blood god, only we broke their necks and put their heads up their asses because they thought gold smelting was the height of metallurgy. So, in that sense, liberal guilt about white imperialism is just complaining that your civilization was less-gay than its competitors.
There is also a distinctly non-leftist critique of Empire, i.e. it was fucking pathetic for Anglo-Saxons to go expending their blood and treasure to raise ungrateful savages up and put on some perverted play where we pretend Hind00z are Englishmen – and then get all butthurt when they don’t appreciate it! Likewise, whereas the left criticizes the American Empire for murdering people and spreading raysist capitalism I see the empire as a crankish attempt to make a bunch of people who have nothing in common – and are mostly morons – live together in some sort of crypto-socialistic world state.
These critiques aren’t all incompatible (the USA does, indeed, murder lots of M00zlims on very dubious grounds, i.e. being outside in a group when a drone is near) but the focus on the sad-sap Evil Europeans story, rather than the Millstone theory of Empire, is telling.
And then there are the NeoCons and Limeys who want to defend their imperial ambitions, on the grounds of uplifting the savages (liberal imperialism), but you’ll never hear them defend their empire on grounds of military superiority and the need to exploit lands the natives were too stupid to use properly. Again, even in the ‘conservative’ or imperialist circles it’s the slave morality that is appealed to.
mrda2611
Reflection, Revival, & Resolution: Towards an Infernal Rekindling
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Must We Have Myths To Be Happy? by Mack Tanner
Halal & Hypocrisy XV: Choads Out For Choudary!
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Robbeaer on The Cumberbatch “Coloured” Conundrum
Mary on Ted Bundy: Philosophical Predator
E.J T. on Cower Behind the Kids!! Arrested Development as Activism
Abrasax Palante on Must We Have Myths To Be Happy? by Mack Tanner
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US officials connected to Israel lobby pushed Trump to order Soleimani’s assassination January 13, 2020
Press TV. Listen here. Senior US officials in President Donald Trump’s administration who are “heavily connected” to the Israel lobby and US arms industry pressured Trump to order the assassination of Iranian Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, says a political analyst in Virginia. “The reason he did that seems to have been due to the influence […]
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Lyceum Round-Table #8: Defining Right and Left January 13, 2020
Soleimani assassination was an act of war, says analyst January 13, 2020
Balkans Post “An act of assassination carried out against a high-ranking official of another state is an act of war,” said Keith Preston, chief editor of AttacktheSystem.com, in an interview with the Balkans Post. Here’s the full transcript of the interview: Balkans Post: The United States assassinated Iran’s top commander, Qassem Soleimani, in Iraq’s Baghdad […]
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The Lectures
About the Lectures
2019: Jacqueline Wilson
2018: Frances Hardinge
2017: Chris Riddell
2016: Allan Ahlberg
2015: Meg Rosoff
2014: Frank Cottrell Boyce
2013: Kevin Crossley-Holland
2012: Malorie Blackman
2011: Philip Pullman
2010: Michael Morpurgo
2009: Michael Rosen
2008: Inaugural Lecture
“As scary as it needs to be”
The Tenth Anniversary Lecture
Frances Hardinge: Peopling the Dark
Image: Stephen Bond
“Is your book too scary?”
The only time she’s been asked this by a child, says Frances, was in an email from an eleven-year-old. Having been warned off one of her novels by a well-meaning relative, the young correspondent had decided to appeal to the author for adjudication. Adults, on the other hand, frequently express concern.
To those concerned adults, what Frances would like to say is, “it is as scary as it needs to be.”
A click and a flick through the blurbs on Frances’ website will leave readers in no doubt about what they’re in for. “Faith’s father has been found dead under mysterious circumstances” … “ New openings appear in the shadows, a black carriage rumbles through the streets” … “Twelve-year-old Makepeace has learned to defend herself from the ghosts” … You get the gist.
Bright and funny, the behatted figure at the lectern seems an unlikely conscript for the dark side. Yet stories from the shadows have always struck a deep chord with this children’s author. She describes vividly her childhood interest in terrifying tales, even as they “scared the stuffing out of me”. (An early work by the six-year-old Frances included an attempted poisoning, a faked death and a villain being thrown off a cliff.) And it becomes clear that over the years she’s built a voluminous inner library that has enriched her own writing – and this most compelling lecture.
Reflecting on the darkness found in various works of children’s literature, she observed that the menace often comes through suggestion and allusion. It may be half-heard, like the whistles in Philippa Pearce’s own short story, The Shadow Cage; or half-seen, like the stone watchers in Catherine Storr’s Marianne Dreams (Frances’ own childhood favourite); or shrouded in tricksy language, like Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky.
Why is it, Frances wondered, that grimness and monstrosity are delivered to children through glimpse and glance? Certainly, it allows these things to slither under the radar of adult gatekeepers. (Though, ironically, their shadowiness may render them even more worrisome.) But more to the point, she went on to argue, shadow is in their very nature.
“As adults,” she said, “we forget what the darkness once was to us. We forget what the child knows: that light is only a respite, and the return of the dark brings the return of the monster.”
As adults we tend to reach for the switch and bathe everything in the cold, hard light of rationality. And yet, asked Frances, why should the faculty of the imagination be any less enlightening? Carroll’s Humpty offers a rational interpretation of “Jabberwocky” – and we know he is wrong. “He is right about individual words but he is wrong about the poem; Alice is closer to capturing its essence.”
Another dreaming child, Marianne understands that the dreamworld and the ordinary world are both real. “An adult reading Marianne Dreams might understand the menacing stones as a facet of a child’s illness, a metaphor for a mundane threat. But this does not help the child.”
Children’s authors are, of course, adults, but they are, Frances believes, adults who remember and acknowledge the darkness that besets the minds of children, and who try to tell them that somebody understands. Sometimes, she says, we can just reach for the light switch – “Look! No monster under the bed.” But sometimes children need to be told, “You are not silly or weak, you are not alone in the darkness with the shadows – I can see them too.” Philippa Pearce herself understood this well, as Frances pointed out. In The Shadow Cage, the child is rescued at the last by an adult who is able to step outside of the adult mindset, and to hear and recognise the reality of the menace.
But most importantly, said Frances, children need to learn that “to fight the shadow, you need the right sort of light.” And so, she took us all with her into the shadows, shining her own brand of light into the dark.
This entry was posted in The 2018 Lecture, Uncategorized and tagged Frances Hardinge on April 23, 2018 by Debbie Pullinger.
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The 2019 Lecture
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Homerton College,
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Big government rules are driving up our gas prices
Why do prices at the nation’s gasoline pumps remain so high this August? Is it because of the Iraq conflict? Is it OPEC, the oil cartel? Is it a conspiracy by ‘the big oil companies’?
A big factor is something largely under-reported: Much of the problem involves excessive government control that is, in May and June, the domestic petroleum industry had to comply with new emissions standards that make gasoline production more expensive and onerous.
Did you know that special blends of gasolines have to be sold in the summer months in polluted metropolitan areas to help reduce ozone-forming emissions? The regulations, some of which kicked in under phased-in federal Clean Air Act provisions, require specific fuel content levels for oxygen and benzene, as well as establishing performance standards for nitrogen oxides and other toxic emissions. Terminals are mandated to sell these reformulated gasolines beginning May 1. Retailers must sell these special blends starting June 1.
These stringent new rules are naturally straining a national refining system that has not seen a major oil refinery built since 1976. Since 1980, the number of U.S. refineries has declined from 320, with a capacity to refine 18.6 billion barrels of crude oil every day, to only 150 facilities with a capacity of 16.5 million barrels a day.
Many Americans will remember ‘the good old days’ when there were just two grades of gas ‘regular and premium. Since last year ‘because of the strict new environmental regulations ‘ there are over 20 gasolines made for, and sold within, specific markets. One mess this creates is that a formulation sold in one market may not be sold in a neighboring market because of different, conflicting regulations. So the pipelines, barges, railroad cars and trucks that all used to carry two types of gas now must move ‘ and keep segregated ‘ all sorts of different gasolines. The trendy term for them: ‘boutique fuels.’
The National Association of Convenience Stores is one of many voices – ranging from business associations to consumer groups ‘that have had enough of Big Government and its complex boutique fuel rules. This organization represents the retail locations where many Americans buy their gasoline. It underscores that ‘refineries must now produce a variety of ‘boutique’ fuel formulations ‘ often on a seasonal basis ‘ that are more difficult and expensive to make, adding more pressure to their operations. These pressures increase operating costs and the potential for a refinery breakdown, fire, or other unplanned interruption.’ And when a refinery goes off-line unexpectedly, and some have because of this stress, those barrels of fuels can’t be replaced right away.
Recently a bipartisan group in Congress, led by Rep. Roy Blount, R-Mo., tried to cap and reduce the proliferation of boutique fuels through common-sense legislation. “The Gasoline Price Reduction Act of 2004” (H.R. 4545) also would have allowed the Secretary of Energy, if there was a fuel supply disruption in some particular area, to waive the onerous gasoline regulations until it was deemed that the fuel supply disruption had been corrected.
Sad to say, the forces of big government overcame the forces of common sense, and the measure failed to pass the House of Representatives. But, just like a lot of reform legislation that initially fails, sponsors vow to educate more of their congressional colleagues and the public at large. So maybe reason and reform in this public policy area “and resulting gasoline price relief” can occur at least before next summer.
Phil Kent is an Atlanta media consultant and author of “The Dark Side of Liberalism” (Harbor House).
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About Katsuhiko Tanaka
Press Coverage / News
The joint consultant of Ór Síleis, Katsuhiko Tanaka, is the third generation of the family, which has been running spirits business in Japan. His grandmother devoted herself to sake and food business in 1925, and became the pioneer and best entrepreneur in the industry. She established a solid foundation for the family business.
Mr. Tanaka’s father took over the family business in 1950s, and at that time in Japan, it was necessary to have the license issued by the government in order to run an alcohol business. In addition, different alcohols needed to have different licenses. It was extremely difficult to get these licenses due to strict censorship. However, the Tanaka family managed to be one of the few suppliers with three legal alcohol licenses. It was also the time that the Tanaka family started selling wines and whiskies.
It was very popular to drink blended whisky in Japan in 1980s, and only few bars served single malt whisky. At that time, Mr. Katsuhiko Tanaka had already took over the family business, and was fascinated by its special and unique taste. He flew to Scotland to learn and taste all sorts of whisky from different distilleries.
Since then, he has persistently purchased and collected all sorts of single malt whisky from Scotland every year. Even Mr. Tanaka’s parents were very confused by their son who is so determined to run this business with no profit at all in the era of the Japanese public being unable to admire the beauty of single malt whisky.
Due to his persistence for so many years, Mr. Tanaka becomes an Asia, even a global pioneer, because of his long term friendship with many distilleries and partnership with many niche and prestigious clients all over the world, such as The Imperial Hotel Tokyo is the long term partner of the family. Due to this persistence with strong faith, there is a birth of Ór Síleis nowadays.
〈Mirror Media Report〉Say cheers with this spring Whisky guide
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BIS Finds Out that the Old Dogmas Don't Apply Anymore in its Annual Report
Wishing that the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) had issued its annual report 2009 a day earlier - when Vienna drowned in torrential rain - I nevertheless attempt to provide readers with an executive summary that the central bank of central banks has omitted in its version.
This leads me to the first conclusion that world finance must have become really complicated when not even several dozen BIS economists with months of preparation time can sum up 250 pages of data and events. Please recline your chair and hang around as this annual report from what should be the highest-ranking group in the know unwittingly delivers ironies rat-tat-tat like an AK-47 in the loose hands of a kid soldier in one of these African countries we only know about because their soil holds rare elements needed to make your iPhone.
Starting with a stark notice that even the BIS profit declined from SDR 544.7 million to SDR 446.1 million (FRN660 million) YOY we are told that in a world once dominated by the Markowitz' model of portfolio diversification not even the BIS with a portfolio supposedly filled with assets (or just papers?) from all over the world was able to outperform markets.
If you read some sarcasm into this, you are right. After all there are enough bloggers who had warned about the current global crisis as many as 5 years early. Check my blogroll in the sidebar.
Sarcasm is the mildest form I can call my lines following below. Or was it just plain ignorance of warning voices that lead the authors of this annual report to start off with a question?
How could this happen? No one thought that the financial system could collapse.
Maybe they had better looked at the irresponsible monetary policy of the Federal Reserve in this millennium that did not create a society of house owners but a universe of debtors who have sunk below the water line called negative equity.
And how about reading other stuff than the Bubble Street Journal (WSJ) or other lamestream media? Simple "Go ogle" searches on various topics and reading their very own statistics could have alerted them to such fundamental changes like the USA morphing from the biggest creditor (until Nixon closed the gold window) to the biggest debtor in 3 decades that managed to stuff its unbacked FRNs down the throat of more or less all other nations under the disguise that these unbacked greenbacks were a "reserve currency."
As I am already so enraged I refer you to pages 2 to 10 of Alice in Wonderland, sorry, I meant the BIS annual report.
I have only one explanation for their explanations: One does not bite the hand that feeds one. I bow my head in honour of former World Bank chief economist Joseph Stiglitz who overcame this rule in order to set the record straight with his books. The same applies to former economic hitman John Perkins who tells in 2 books how he was contracted to draw unrealistic growth scenarios for developing countries, to be used by US banks and companies as a reason to indebt such nations while reimporting the loans by handing out contracts to US firms, greasing the local elite's hands on the way.
You don't really have to read these 9 pages if you have been following this blog on a post-by-post basis since April 2005.
You can also skip page 11, containing such wisdom like:
Commentators cautioned about the deterioration of credit standards, especially in the issuance of mortgages. And they warned about the risks that come with rapid financial innovation.
Do they allude to the blogosphere or did I just drink too much vin du pays this sunny afternoon?
Page 12 shines a light on the true problem for the first time:
Monetary policymakers’ only available instrument was the short-term interest rate, and there was a broad consensus that this tool would be ineffective against the alleged threat.
How many SDRs does one get paid for such enlightenment - after the world's investors were pared of half their savings in 2008, according to Blackstone?
As the BIS writers begin mind games whether more regulation - currently a hot issue in the EU especially stressed by German chancellor Angela Merkel - could have helped avoid the mess we currently live in, I humbly remind everybody that in a truly free market it is every investors own occupation to do his due diligence on prospected investments. There has never been a free lunch.
Before you get tired; the BIS is good at drawing tables of events that truly simplify recollecting what lead to the biggest financial/economic crisis in mankind's written history.
TABLE: Most important events leading to the current crisis. Source: BIS Annual Report. (Click all graphs for a larger image)
If you did not replicate Robinson Crusoe's life on an isolated island you can also skip pages 16 and 17. But the following timeline of key events from 2007 to mid 2009 is a useful guide for future historians.
9 August Problems in mortgage and credit markets spill over into interbank money markets when issuers of asset-backed commercial paper encounter problems rolling over outstanding volumes, and large investment funds freeze redemptions, citing an inability to value their holdings.
12 December Central banks from five major currency areas announce coordinated measures designed to address pressures in short-term funding markets, including the establishment of US dollar swap lines.
16 March JPMorgan Chase agrees to purchase Bear Stearns in a transaction facilitated by the US authorities.
4 June Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s take negative rating actions on monoline insurers MBIA and Ambac, reigniting fears about valuation losses on securities insured by these companies.
13 July The US authorities announce plans for backstop measures supporting two US mortgage finance agencies (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac), including purchases of agency stock.
15 July The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issues an order restricting “naked short selling”.
7 September Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are taken into government conservatorship.
15 September Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
16 September Reserve Primary, a large US money market fund, “breaks the buck”, triggering large volumes of fund redemptions; the US government steps in to support insurance company AIG (and is forced to repeatedly increase and restructure that rescue package over the following months).
18 September Coordinated central bank measures address the squeeze in US dollar funding with $160 billion in new or expanded swap lines; the UK authorities prohibit short selling of financial shares.
19 September The US Treasury announces a temporary guarantee of money market funds; the SEC announces a ban on short sales in financial shares; early details emerge of a $700 billion US Treasury proposal to remove troubled assets from bank balance sheets (the Troubled Asset Relief Program, TARP).
25 September The authorities take control of Washington Mutual, the largest US thrift institution, with some $300 billion in assets.
29 September UK mortgage lender Bradford & Bingley is nationalised; banking and insurance company Fortis receives a capital injection from three European governments; German commercial property lender Hypo Real Estate secures a government-facilitated credit line; troubled US bank Wachovia is taken over; the proposed TARP is rejected by the US House of Representatives.
30 September Financial group Dexia receives a government capital injection; the Irish government announces a guarantee safeguarding all deposits, covered bonds and senior and subordinated debt of six Irish banks; other governments take similar initiatives over the following weeks.
3 October The US Congress approves the revised TARP plan.
8 October Major central banks undertake a coordinated round of policy rate cuts; the UK authorities announce a comprehensive support package, including capital injections for UK-incorporated banks.
13 October Major central banks jointly announce the provision of unlimited amounts of US dollar funds to ease tensions in money markets; euro area governments pledge system-wide bank recapitalisations; reports say that the US Treasury plans to invest $125 billion to buy stakes in nine major banks.
28 October Hungary secures a $25 billion support package from the IMF and other multilateral institutions aimed at stemming growing capital outflows and easing related currency pressures.
29 October To counter the protracted global squeeze in US dollar funding, the US Federal Reserve agrees swap lines with the monetary authorities in Brazil, Korea, Mexico and Singapore.
15 November The G20 countries pledge joint efforts to enhance cooperation, restore global growth and reform the world’s financial systems.
25 November The US Federal Reserve creates a $200 billion facility to extend loans against securitisations backed by consumer and small business loans; in addition, it allots up to $500 billion for purchases of bonds and mortgage-backed securities issued by US housing agencies.
16 January The Irish authorities seize control of Anglo Irish Bank; replicating an approach taken in the case of Citigroup in November, the US authorities agree to support Bank of America through a preferred equity stake and guarantees for a pool of troubled assets.
19 January As part of a broad-based financial rescue package, the UK authorities increase their existing stake in Royal Bank of Scotland. Similar measures by other national authorities follow over the next few days.
10 February The US authorities present plans for new comprehensive measures in support of the financial sector, including a Public-Private Investment Program (PPIP) of up to $1 trillion to purchase troubled assets.
10 February G7 Finance Ministers and central bank Governors reaffirm their commitment to use the full range of policy tools to support growth and employment and strengthen the financial sector.
5 March The Bank of England launches a programme, worth about $100 billion, aimed at outright purchases of private sector assets and government bonds over a three-month period.
18 March The US Federal Reserve announces plans for purchases of up to $300 billion of longer-term Treasury securities over a period of six months and increases the maximum amounts for planned purchases of US agency-related securities.
23 March The US Treasury provides details on the PPIP proposed in February.
2 April The communiqué issued at the G20 summit pledges joint efforts by governments to restore confidence and growth, including measures to strengthen the financial system.
6 April The US Federal Open Market Committee authorises new temporary reciprocal foreign currency liquidity swap lines with the Bank of England, ECB, Bank of Japan and Swiss National Bank.
24 April The US Federal Reserve releases details on the stress tests conducted to assess the financial soundness of the 19 largest US financial institutions, declaring that most banks currently have capital levels well in excess of the amount required for them to remain well capitalised.
7 May The ECB’s Governing Council decides in principle that the Eurosystem will purchase euro-denominated covered bonds; the US authorities publish the results of their stress tests and identify 10 banks with an overall capital shortfall of $75 billion, to be covered chiefly through additions to common equity.
Sources: Bank of England; Federal Reserve Board; Bloomberg; Financial Times; The Wall Street Journal.
If you need more detail, read a longer version of these key events thru page 36, multi-colored graphics included.
Page 37 headlines "The financial sector under stress" but I presume readers of alternative media have grappled already long ago that the world's central banks were not digitizing all these fresh trillions just for fun. Correctly stating that we saw a level of unprecedented policy intervention (by central banks, I assume) since the onset of
a full-fledged crisis that reached historic proportions.
Looking into the future the BIS arrives at the aha-conclusion that further developments will depend on the dynamics of both financial institutions and the macro economy:
Over the medium term, the health of financial firms will depend on the interplay between their response to losses and the dynamics of the macroeconomy. The feedbacks between the two become particularly strong when the capital cushions of financial firms are depleted. In the first stage of the crisis, capital raised from private investors met the cost of writedowns on securities portfolios. In subsequent stages, private capital had to be supplemented on a large scale by public sector resources to address mounting losses on institutions’ loan books driven by rapidly deteriorating macroeconomic conditions. The pace and shape of recovery will be critically linked to the ability of financial firms to manage their leverage and capital positions in a challenging environment without unduly restricting the flow of credit to the economy.
From a longer-term perspective, the crisis carries important messages for the structure and stability of the financial system. The events of the past two years highlighted how strong the interdependencies between financial system components can become. Market participants and also, arguably, prudential authorities underestimated the complementarities in the roles of different actors along the securitisation chain, the close interlinkages among financial markets and institutions, and the interplay between asset market and funding liquidity.
Things get more interesting on page 40 again.
TABLE: So far bank losses seem to have peaked in the 2nd half of 2008. But all unofficial talk that reaches my ears focuses on the BIG whoppers still ahead of us. Especially corporate inter-linkages between banks and insurers may prove to be the major problems as accounting at insurers allows to hide losses much longer than on balance sheets of banks. And don't forget the yet unsolved $700 TRILLION problem of over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives. Search that figure yourself in the BIS report. Last time I checked it was "only" $600 TRILLION.
Here Some Color Before You Doze Away
Realizing that this blog post is in imminent danger to resemble the boring (but very readable) layout of the BIS original, here comes some color concerning the investment banking sector, whose limitless greed for ever larger bonuses for its employees is IMHO the root of all the problems we face today.
GRAPH: These charts are self-explaining and are in line with bankers bonuses over the past years. I notice that a decline in private risk securitization is now being substituted with more government debt business. As all other underwriting sectors have gone from boom to bust in the hands of pinstriped investment bankers I think this may forebode soon-to-happen disasters with public debt, i.e. the default of sovereigns. Check out this post about the pending risk of defaulting nations/fiat currencies.
Hedge Funds Going To Where They Came From: Nothing Left
Sorry for having water boarded you with too much black ink for the past couple of screens. You don't need to read page 48 and onwards to find out that 2008 was the year where the guys in front of an array of Bloomberg screens literally jumped out of the window together with most markets they had been betting on in the years before.
GRAPH: No need to say much here. Hedge funds were only riding the wave of markets and disappeared at the same velocity with which the markets of their choice went down. To be fair: Policy interventions limiting trading the short side did not leave them much room for survival in what turned out to be one of the worst years for all kinds of markets.
The last decade was not only marked by leveraging equity to the max (most institutions went down or were bailed out once leverage exceeded a level of 30, meaning banks, funds and all other players with access to easy money (thank you Alan Greenspan, thank you Jean-Claude Trichet, thank you Ben Bernanke) were playing with 30 times as much money as they actually had in the till.
A World Full of Debt Slaves
As if turning the better part into debt slaves by pushing mortgages on more or less everybody who could make it to a bank's office unaided was not enough banks were looking for still more business (and bonuses!) Saturated home markets left them only one choice: Expanding into new territories, kind of a financial recolonization of formerly dependent territories.
GRAPH: Having grazed off domestic markets, engulfing them in the highest debt levels of history, banks set the sail and started lending all over the world. Of course it is always easy to have the winnining lottery numbers on a Monday; but how the hell is it possible that a generation of whiz kids excelling in constructing sophisticated Excel sheets completely missed out on the unbending fact that growth has its limitations and every excess ends in a mutual cannibalization of market share?
Becoming a little tired to reprint the BIS explanations about the obvious mega-problems in the financial sector one is happy that after 55 pages the BIS begins to focus on what matters most: Financial crashes have always been the precursor of extended economic downturns.
Think South Sea Bubble, think France before the revolution in 1789, think Vienna stock exchange in the 70s of the 19th century (then the biggest stock market in the world) and then again in the late 1980s after Jim Rogers kissed it awake from a century long slumber.
When the easy money begins to dry up, so does the real economy (that is where all other people except bankers make their money!)
GRAPH: The real economy followed the downturn in the financial sector with a delay of about one year, proving again an old market rule that stock markets discount the future at a range between 12 and 18 months.
I absolutely disagree with this charts low showings of inflation. Inflation indexes are governments tools to keep the wages of public employees and the pensions of retirees as low as possible. This is not a science but simply a sophisticated way of lying in the face of the public.
Finally, Some Sort of Summary
Oh, on page 72 I find out I criticized the BIS for not coming up with some sort of executive briefing. Well, the black ink proves me wrong. Here we go:
The global financial crisis has led to an unprecedented recession accentuated by rapid declines in trade volumes, large employment cuts and a massive loss of confidence. How deep and prolonged the downturn will be is uncertain. In the industrial countries, there are some signs that the rapid pace of decline in spending witnessed since the fourth quarter of 2008 has started to ease. But a strong, sustained recovery in those countries could be difficult given attempts by households and financial firms to repair their balance sheets.
Nevertheless, substantial fiscal stimulus and exceptional monetary easing in many countries should help bring the recent contraction to an end. The policymakers’ task in the near term will be to ensure a sustained recovery. In the medium term, however, it will be to ensure that policies are adjusted sufficiently to maintain the stability of long-term inflation expectations.
Feeling that many readers will never have scrolled to this piece, I relieve the busy bee readers with another BIS conclusion beginning on page 136. Get this last dose of what I would not exactly call mythic wisdom of central bankers but a statement every economic and financial observer will agree with. In short: We need an instant reform but there are sooo many obstacles. Here's the longer BIS version:
We have no choice but to take up the challenge of first repairing and then reforming the international financial system, all the while cushioning the impact of the crisis on individuals’ ability to live productive lives. Efforts so far have fully engaged fiscal, monetary and prudential and regulatory authorities for nearly two years. The public resources devoted to economic stimulus and financial rescue have been staggering, approaching 5% of world GDP – more than anyone would have imagined even a year ago.
Recovery will come at some point, but there are major risks. First and foremost, policies must aid adjustment, not hinder it. That means moving away from leverage-led growth in industrial economies and export-led growth in emerging market economies. It means repairing the financial system quickly, persevering until the job of restructuring is complete. It means putting policy on a sustainable path by reducing spending and raising taxes as soon as stable growth returns. And it means the exit of central banks from the intermediation business as soon as financial institutions settle on their new business models and financial markets resume normal operations.
In the long term, addressing the broad failures revealed by the crisis and building a more resilient financial system require that we identify and mitigate systemic risk in all its guises. That, in turn, means organising financial instruments, markets and institutions into a robust system that will be closer to fail-safe than the one we have now: for instruments, a system that rates their safety, limits their availability and provides warnings about their suitability and risks; for markets, encouraging trading through central counterparties (CCPs) and exchanges, making clear the dangers of transacting elsewhere; and for
institutions, the comprehensive application of enhanced prudential standards combined with a system-wide perspective, beginning with the application of something like a systemic capital charge (SCC) and a countercyclical capital
charge (CCC).
Successfully promoting financial stability requires that everyone contribute. Monetary policymakers must take better account of asset price and credit booms. Fiscal policymakers must ensure that their own actions are consistent with medium-term fiscal discipline and long-term sustainability. And regulators and supervisors must adopt a macroprudential perspective, worrying at least as much about the stability of the system as a whole as they do about the viability of an individual institution. An encompassing policy framework with observable objectives and implementable tools is at an unfortunately
early stage of development. But the suggestions made here and elsewhere are a start. The work will have to be coordinated internationally. In particular, institutions with expertise in the field – including the Basel-based standard-setting committees and the Financial Stability Board – will need to play a leading role in making such a framework operational. This is going to be a long and complex task, but we have no choice. It has to be done.
As in most of my past 600+ posts I disagree with this official attitude that has landedus where we are. It would be maybe of help if all insiders REALLY read David Ricardo and Adam Smith and then follow these centuries old guide lines for free markets. My two cents can be found here and will be extended in the future.
Labels: bis, CEE, central banks, crisis, Fed, Federal Reserve, humour, markowitz, sdr
First Blood Spills in Austrian Banking Apocalypse: Raiffeisen Withdraws "Capital Note" Offer
Having had very serious thoughts about the gargantuan problems of tiny Austria's banking sector stemming from overly euphoric attempts to financially recolonize Austria's long gone emporium since the end of 2007 bits and pieces of information begin to confirm this blogger's suspicions that Austria will be really hard hit.
Resisting attempts to blog more on the matter because of possible libel suits I now can come up with more details thanks to Zerohedge blogs detailed publications of documents issued by Raiffeisen Zentralbank group. Here we go with a story that could not only happen in Austria but in every country with a small banking industry where everybody knows everybody and compliance regulations are only valid during sparse official business hours from 8 AM to 3 PM.
Zerohedge, a shooting star in the global blogosphere with millions of hits, first raised my attention last week when it published the prospectus for an exchange offer where RZB group offered to exchange its "€500 million non-cumulative subordinated perpetual callable step-up fixed to floating rate capital notes" - in short hand unsecured crap - against some other unsecured crap called "non-cumulative subordinated perpetual callable fixed to floating rate capital notes" at 55 cents on the Euro.
This 45% haircut was sexed up with a 15% coupon (coupon of old notes was 5,69%), but when one reads the fine print it more sounded like a weak promise as the fine print says RZB group only has to pay that high coupon if it has enough resources to do so.
OMG, why don't we go to the horse races right away?
The new notes were to be issued by RZB Finance (Jersey) IV limited, which is a 100% indirectly owned subsidiary of Raiffeisen Zentralbank AG (RZB) via Raiffeisen Malta Bank, also not exactly a plush bank with €2,000 paid-up capital.
A perpetual note is an investment vehicle that has never to be redeemed by the issuer and therefore can only be resold in secondary markets - if there are bids for it.
RZB Jersey IV Ltd. has a paid up share capital of €2,000 and is 100% owned by Raiffeisen Malta bank, which also negatively stars with a paid-up share capital of €2,000. RZB Jersey's sole business is to raise hybrid capital for its parent RZB. Read all the details in the prospectus over at Zerohedge.
Both companies losses in a total default of the new issue "worth" €275 million would be limited to these €4,000 as much as I understand the complex web of finances without money.
So much about the recent past of this issue which had been made public on June 18.
Find all the details of the proposed exchange offer over at Tyler Durden's (pseudonym) Zerohedge blog.
From here the story gets really hairy.
RZB issued a release on Monday 29, saying that it withdrew the offer for the exchange of the old into new "capital" (haha) notes. Having stored this release on my computer I first want to offer Zerohedge's suspicions why the issue was withdrawn.
Complete lack of investor interest
Concerns about what would happen once the lack of interest is made public
Trouble with accountants
rating agency getting back to the bank that this would be treated as a distressed exchange (as Zero Hedge speculated), putting the company into an Event of Default.
But Tyler would not be Tyler had he not also some other possibilities for the withdrawal on his mind:
Then again, the real reason is probably much more innocuous, and has to do with the bank discovering a buried gold treasure in its back yard which will be used to satisfy the several hundred billion in toxic assets as a result of chicken coups built in Transylvania at a 180% LTV (in a probably JV with GE Capital)
There is nothing to add. Austria's banking sector is up to its ears in you know what, despite officials saying otherwise (they also begin to worry about their pensions.)
For more information about Austria's big role in the demise of Central Eastern Europe financed with the money of depositors at Austrian banks click the label "Austria" below to find more information and background about the possibility that Austria, not long ago considered the 6th richest country in the world, is in a good position to be the first Eurozone member that has to default. For more background, why every Austrian from baby to octogenarian, may be liable for up to €19,600 per capita thanks to bankers who saw only bonuses and nothing else - like maybe responsibility - read this post.
NOTE: This blogger will treat all material documents sent to the email address to be found at my profile page with absolute discretion.
Labels: Austria, CEE, crisis, debt, raiffeisen, rating
One Eurozone But Many Sets of Growth and Price/Inflation Data
Preparing this rant about the widening milkyway between Eurozone economic growth and Euro production in the ECB and its printing presses spread evenly amongst Euro members proves one more time that the absoluteness of financial math and official figures are 2 pairs of shoes. Calculating GDP growth in the so called single market begins with problems of the data source.
GRAPH: According to data from the EU commission - the non-elected quick intervention troup towering above the European Parliament - I arrive at a total real GDP growth of 19,64% for the period from 2000 to 2008. Chart courtesy of tradingeconomics.com
Harmonization at even the most important levels like data integrity is a goal still to be attained, comparing the EU Commissions data with those of Eurostat, the EU's official statistical office.
GRAPH: GDP growth figures for the Eurozone's 15 members (Slovakia only joined this year) come in a tad smaller according to Eurostat. According to Eurostat's figures total GDP growth from 2000 to 2008 was 18,98% in real terms. Chart courtesy of Eurostat
I would have loved to provide readers with the absolute difference between these two official figures in nominal Euro figures (certainly many many billions,) but such are not available. Browsing Eurostat's and the EU commission's websites does not yield this information.
I would prefer nominal GDP figures as I have been having a problem with the dichotomy between the EU's/ECB's "official" inflation figures that diverge widely from the real devaluation of the Euro since its inception in 2001 for consumers (corporate and government accounts were converted a year earlier.)
Based on continuously changing consumer baskets in all Euro member countries I am reminded of Winston Churchill's quote that he only believed statistics he had falsified himself. Read more on the issue of juggling inflation figures in this earlier post. Although it deals mostly with US inflation figures you should get an idea of the manifold tricks invented to hide true inflation.
My anecdotal evidence stemming from criss-crossing the old world concludes that prices have effectively doubled in the last 10 years. This is a crass disparity to Eurostat's official figures.
GRAPH: Annual Eurozone Inflation according to Eurostat from 2000 to 2008. Chart courtesy of Eurostat.
Be it Germany where I paid €3,40 for a coffee in Berlin, about double of what it was in the hailed times of the ultra-hard Deutschmark, the Netherlands, where a single fare ticket for the Metro in Rotterdam is a whopping €3,50, or Venice/Italy where a single fare with the public vaporetti - boats - has exploded from 80 Euro cents to €6,50 since the introduction of the common currency let me conclude that the real ascent of prices is closer to 7% annually since the formation of the Eurozone.
In my home country Austria gastronomy prices have been going through the roof. A simple lunch menu on Vienna's Naschmarkt where office clerks share tables with guys with ties has shot from an average of €4,35 in 2000 to €8,80 nowadays further elevates my skepticism about the true reflection of consumer prices in Eurostats HICP (Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices) figures.
Not that inflation would be a phenomenon limited to Euro members. An average lunch in the city centre of Bratislava/Slovakia, the youngest Euro member, has doubled from €5 to €10 in the last 10 years.
Recent Decline of Inflation Will Be Temporary
Seeing the upper echelons of the ECB jumping with joy about recent declines in HICP figures will be a short-lived spectacle. Italian ECB governing council member Lorenzo Bini-Smaghi told a conference on June 24 that there is a lively European debate whether we have to fear deflation or inflation more.
The debate between those who consider that inflation represents the main risk for advanced economies over the next few years and those who instead believe that deflation is the most immediate threat, has polarised, especially in the United States. It has also had an interesting echo here in Europe.
Both concerns are legitimate. To some extent, the fact that informed observers can maintain both views simultaneously can be seen as a sign that monetary policy is managing to walk the fine line between the two risks. The debate neatly encapsulates the trade-off currently facing policy-makers. They have to choose between short-term adjustments to strong recessionary forces and long-term macroeconomic stability. A key challenge is how to calibrate the policy response in the face of these forces: too timid a reaction may be costly in the near term, but an overreaction may sow the seeds of the next crisis. I will argue that a policy action that aims to ensure macroeconomic stability in the medium term requires a thorough examination of the risks, in much the same way as a disease calls for a sound diagnosis if it is to be properly treated.
They better hurry up with their diagnosis, as this crisis is far from over although my gut feeling tells me we will see a short-lived bounce this fall in economic activity before the whole mess caves in due to unsustainable debt levels on both public and private accounts.
GRAPH: A chart accompanying Bini-Smaghi's speech shows that future inflation expectations have significantly moved north since last November.(Click for larger image)
Enjoying blogger's freedom of speech I firstly expect significantly more true inflation based on the daily price shocks I experience when shopping or paying for public services which should be covered by taxes already. Double-charging has become the new norm in the leading debtor nations of the world, 9 of the first 10 of them being Eurozone countries.
Secondly I allow myself to remind the money printers in the ECB that no saver would ever fear deflation. Or would you mind if your weekly grocery bill would be lower?
The ECB's self-pride is based on clay feet though. A slowdown of M3 growth while the economy contracts still means there is more fiat money produced compared to the declining purchases of goods and services with these funny colorful papers that are only backed by the belief they will buy the same amount of goods and services in the future as they did in the past.
GRAPH: Absolute growth of money supply M3 clearly shows that even in a contracting economy (Q1: minus 4,8%) the ECB showers the Eurozone - or more exactly its banks with ever more money. The weekly financial statement to be released next Tuesday will show another upshot due to the record €442 billion 371-day "liquidity providing" tender
Not only nominal but also the relative change of M3 - hovering above the ECB's reference rate (whatever that means) shows that we are still experiencing monetary inflation at its best.
GRAPH: Don't get confused: Month-on-Month change of M3 is still way to high in order to return to the ECB's meaningless reference rate of 4.5% annual M3 growth, a growth rate it has never reached since the inception of the Euro. Chart courtesy ECB. Click for larger image.
Another way to see that the ECB will have to face runaway inflation is the comparison of weak GDP growth since 2000 and the balance sheet of the ECB. Repeating above mentioned meekly economic growth of 18,98% or 19,64% (depending on the data source) lags far behind the 162% growth of the ECB's balance sheet between January 2000 and end of 2008. In absolute figures the balance sheet grew from €792 billion to €2,072 billion. This is a lot more money sloshing around in comparison to GDP growth.
While these additional €1.3 trillion (on Tuesday it will be €1.75 trillion) are now kept within the ailing banking sector who ran agog creating derivatives, thereby exploding leverage to dimensions never seen before in history, this money has to trickle through into the contracting economy, pushing up nominal and real prices at one point. After all, for every loser there is a winner who will try to maximize his gains again.
Gold Again Proves Its Role As Inflation Shield
Although the next chart from Gary Dorsch is a bit outdated, stemming from February 2008, it again proves the point that gold is a most reliable canary in the coal mine of monetary inflation.
GRAPH: Observing since a while that gold only gyrates against Federal Reserve Notes but remains more or less steady priced in Euros this year is another indication that the dollar's days will come to an end soon. Chart courtesy Gary Dorsch via MarketOracle.
I sign off with John Pierpoint Morgan's historical quote when asked by congress in 1907 what money actually is.
"Gold is money. Everything else is credit."
And finally I like to promote this phrase, brought to my attention by learntotradefutures.com publisher Duncan Robertson.
Gold is the money of kings.
Silver is the Money of merchants.
Barter is the money of peasants.
Debt is the money of slaves.
Labels: cpi, crisis, ecb, euro, eurozone, Federal Reserve, fiat money, gold, inflation, M3, monetary inflation, money supply
Better Listen What China Has to Say
Shocked by the fact that lamestream media and Twitter are all about Michael Jackson's death from what appears to be a drug overdose, I enjoy being the spoiler for a world that seemingly does not know how to set its priorities anymore. While 33 of the 42 commercial media I regularly read headline with Jacko, it is Chinese media that published the truly important news of the day.
Here's the executive version of Chinese economic news picked from the English language People's Daily Online.
China takes public ownership as the main body and the other (issue) is to adhere to the common growth of economy belonging to diverse forms of ownership.
The People's Bank of China (PBoC) will stick to an appropriately easy monetary policy but will ensure reasonable growth in money and credit, the central bank said yesterday.
New credit in the first half of 2009 will definitely surpass 6 trillion yuan, and some experts even predict the figure to be up to 6.5 trillion yuan. This means that total credit in the first half of this year will be more than the total amount invested in any year since China was founded.
China should buy more gold because the dollar is poised for a fall and the metal is needed to support the greater international role envisaged for the yuan, a senior researcher with the ruling Communist Party said.
You can now go back to watch CNN's US propaganda broadcast and remain in the "don't worry, be happy" camp which still has a solid majority in the Western world. Or would you prefer to gather a little more intel on the next #1 power in the world? Then read on.
Bullet point #1 appears to point to a struggle of ideologies in the Chinese communist party. Chinese entrepreneurs certainly favor a more liberal business climate but one must not forget that there is still a gap as wide as the Amazon river between the Ferrari driving riches in towns and a rural hinterland where oxcarts and bicycles remain to be seen as signs of prosperity. In order to prevent social upheaval China needs to bridge this gap or it risks falling apart. The anonymous commenter in the People's Daily reminds the world that China still favors a hands-on approach:
Taking public ownership as the mainstay is a fundamental principle of socialism. In a socialist country like China, where people have become masters of their own destiny, it is imperative to keep public ownership of means of production as a basis of the socialist economic system. So, adherence to public ownership as the main body is of vital importance in giving play to the superiority of the nation's socialist system, increasing the nation's economic strength and promoting social harmony in the country.
Pointing out, that 26 of the 500 largest companies in the world as of 2008 are state-controlled Chinese corporations, the most populous nation on earth insists that it is not so much about ownership-ideology but about keeping up a harmonious people.
In a nutshell, it is imperative and essential to consolidate and develop the public ownership economy, to encourage, support and guide the growth of the non-public sector economy, and to maintain the right to equal access of property resources, so that a brand-new situation will emerge, in which all economic sectors will "vie with each other" on an equal footing so as to spur their economic activity for mutual advancement.
Confronted with a global economic downturn China's central bank made it clear this week that it will emphasize an easy monetary policy to keep its economy humming despite declining exports. In a stark contrast to the indebted western world China sits on roughly $2 trillion in assets, enabling it to conduct stimulus policies no country in the Western hemisphere could afford. Read their opinion on bullet point #2 in their own words as it also signals a concern about the environment:
In a summary of the conclusions drawn at its second-quarter monetary policy committee meeting, the central bank said yesterday that it would ensure reasonable growth in money and credit but would strictly control lending to polluting, energy-intensive industries...
"The top priority at the moment is to stop the explosive growth in lending at the end of the month and quarter," China Banking Regulatory Commission said in a recent notice to lenders, pointing to the phenomena of banks racing to offer loans before June to meet their half-year lending targets.
The Eastern dragon so far performs much better than any recession-stricken nation in the West, where money supply has rocketed to potentially fatal (hyper inflationary) levels. Covering bullet point #3 in their own words, China plays its monetary muscle.
People's Bank of China Monetary Policy Committee recently held a regular meeting on the second quarter of 2009. The conference studies the orientation of monetary policy and measures for the coming future, concluding that we need to implement moderately easy monetary policy and maintain the continuity and stability of policies to guide a reasonable growth in monetary credit.
It is learned that in the first five months, RMB loans increased by 5.84 trillion yuan. June figures have not yet been released, but according to past experience, new credit in the first half of 2009 will definitely surpass 6 trillion yuan, and some experts even predict the figure to be up to 6.5 trillion yuan. This means that total credit in the first half of this year will be more than the total amount invested in any year since China was founded.
2 Ways Through a Recession: China Can Afford It Because of Savings
Show me a Western country that could shell out a trillion Euros/dollars from its full pockets! There is no such thing. All stimulus packages Western politicians promise are only backed by the hope of future tax payments. China can dive through a recession on its savings whereas the so called first world has nothing else to show than debts that are enough of a burden for the two next generations.
Wouldn't we all love to have the same economic discussion as the Chinese where economists argue whether the economy has bottomed out at a growth rate of 6.1% in Q1 2008 or whether one should be skeptical about a possible GDP growth rate of 9%?
Diving into recent history (i.e. this blog's archive) China can actually see the global downturn as a benefit that helps keeping the economy from overheating. BTW, why are we actually concerned with "overheating" economies? Don't we all want to become rich by tomorrow? But I won't digress, this is an entirely different discussion best to be had over a bottle of good plum wine.
Let's better proceed to bullet point #4: China's growing role in forex markets.
Reuters staffers Zhou Xin and Alan Wheatley direct my attention to the fact that China sees a much bigger role of gold in global currency policy after surprising the world with the fact that it had domestically purchased gold and now sits on a hoard of 1,054 tonnes after publishing a figure of 660 tonnes since 2003.
Buy Gold Before China Buys It All
The communist party's chief economist told Reuters the following strategic goals (found on GATA's website):
China should buy more gold because the dollar is poised for a fall and the metal is needed to support the greater international role envisaged for the yuan, a senior researcher with the ruling Communist Party said on Thursday.
Li Lianzhong, who heads the economic department of the party's policy research office, said China should use more of its $1.95 trillion in foreign exchange reserves to buy energy and natural resource assets.
Speaking at a foreign exchange and gold forum, Li also said that buying land in the United States was a better option for China than buying U.S. Treasury securities.
"Should we buy gold or U.S. Treasuries?" Li asked. "The U.S. is printing dollars on a massive scale, and in view of that trend, according to the laws of economics, there is no doubt that the dollar will fall. So gold should be a better choice."
Following the nuances of Chinese official-speak it is clear that China sees itself superior in monetary policy but is left with a problem it shares with all creditors in the world: Its forex reserve stash consists mainly of unbacked Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs), a fiat currency backed by nothing else than the belief it will buy you the same amount of goods and services in the future as it did in the past.
China takes appropriate steps at its own rhythm to secure a bigger role for the Yuan in the future. Looking at the Yuan's slow revaluation so far China has made good on its promises to the bankrupt USA.
The Reuters story sums it up correctly:
Li cited the high share of gold in the foreign exchange reserves of the United States, Italy, Germany, and France to argue that China's gold holdings, which account for about 1.6 percent of its reserves, are too small.
China does not disclose the composition of its currency reserves, but bankers assume around 70 percent is held in dollar assets.
China is the largest single holder of U.S. Treasuries, with $763.5 billion at the end of April, according to U.S. Treasury data.
Analysts say this data set understates the true number as it does not capture paper bought through dealers in London or elsewhere.
Li said a second reason for buying more gold would be in anticipation of the yuan one day becoming a reserve currency.
The yuan is not convertible on the capital account, meaning it cannot be freely traded for other currencies for financial transactions that are not related to trade. This rules out the yuan's use as an international reserve currency, for central banks would not be able to convert it quickly if necessary.
But in a very preliminary step toward that goal, China is paving the way for greater use of the yuan beyond its borders.
The People's Bank of China has arranged currency swap deals with six countries since December totalling 650 billion yuan ($95 billion) so that trade and investment with China can be conducted in yuan, not dollars.
And China will soon allow selected firms in the southern province of Guangdong that trade with Hong Kong to settle their transactions in yuan, or renminbi.
"If the yuan should go international or become a reserve currency, China needs more gold to back that," Li said.
One must not forget that China's political state supports long term strategies for which Western leaders who want to get reelected every 4 years have no leeway.
Reuters fills in here very well too:
When the yuan does become an international currency, which Li acknowledged was a long way off, he said the composition of the SDR should be reformed to include the Chinese currency.
Ideally, in the long term, the SDR would be made up of the dollar, euro, sterling, yen, and yuan, each with a weighting of 20 percent, Li said.
The SDR is currently made up of the dollar (with a weighting of 44 percent), the euro (34 percent), the yen (11 percent), and sterling (11 percent)
The four currencies in the SDR, which must be convertible, are those issued by fund members with the largest share of global trade. The weights assigned by the IMF are based on the value of exports and the amount of reserves denominated in those currencies.
The composition of the basket is reviewed every five years. the next review is due in 2010.
Rest assured that the dragon will blow some hot air down the Western world's spine in the run-up to this review.
Labels: CEE, central banks, china, credit, Federal Reserve, gold, pboc
Newsletter: US Embassies Are Advised to Buy Enough Local Currency for 1 Year
This rumour could become TNT for the USA. Newsletter publisher Harry Schultz who correctly forecast the 2008 stock tsunami and outperformed the market more or less as long as he invests, comes up with truly hot stuff.
In its current issue the Harry Schultz Letter (HSL) (via Marketwatch, HT John Trudgian) reports rumors that
"Some U.S. embassies worldwide are being advised to purchase massive amounts of local currencies; enough to last them a year. Some embassies are being sent enormous amounts of U.S. cash to purchase currencies from those governments, quietly. But not pound sterling. Inside the State Dept., there is a sense of sadness and foreboding that 'something' is about to happen ... within 180 days, but could be 120-150 days."
His apocalyptic projections don't end there:
"Another FDR-style 'bank holiday' of indefinite length, perhaps soon, to let the insiders sort out the bank mess, which (despite their rosy propaganda campaign) is getting more out of their control every day. Insiders want to impose new bank rules. Widespread nationalization could result, already underway. It could also lead to a formal U.S. dollar devaluation, as FDR did by revaluing gold (and then confiscating it)."
This is one more rumor adding to my suspicions something big is going to happen. An imperium in decline will play all dirty tricks in order to stay afloat. There are no green shoots to be seen for several years, as explained in my 600+ earlier posts. We are in for a K-winter (Kondratieff).
Was the swine flu just a test run for a deadlier pandemic?
Or will the US default by waging WW3?
Section 25C of the Federal Reserve Act (adapted in 1994) explicitly says that the USA does not have to repay debts to a country if the two countries are engaged in a war.
Read more on the US external debt in this earlier post "The US debt balloon - a simple explanation for non-economists."
Labels: crisis, Fed, Federal Reserve, FRN, gold, nationalization, war
ECB Shells Out €1,437 Per Eurozone Citizen to Banks
If your small-time loan you need for your kid's bracelets is denied by your bank's customer representative, you have every right to go berserk.
The European Central Bank (ECB) came up with one of their ominous "innovations" on Wednesday that essentially is nothing else than a new form to print still more money. With a record tender of €442,000,000,000 (that is €442 billion) the ECB has showered Eurozone banks with €1,437 for every Eurozone citizen in its first tender with a 371 day maturity, accepting all bids at the fixed official rate of 1%.
BTW how much does your bank charge you for an overdraft? I presume it is closer to 10%, leaving the banks with a hefty profit that makes me understand why even the bible discusses usury.
These figures show that ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet and all the governors on the ECB's council have been publicly denying what cannot be overseen anymore: The Eurozone system is broken beyond repair. Check these posts where the (expletive) central bank(rupt)ers have told us since the onset of the crisis in August 2007 that all is well and contained. My god, I yearn for the good old times of the subprime crisis when I could enrage myself about lousy €50 billion quick tenders. Check my archives since August 2007 for more chronology of the subprime crisis mutating into a full blown global banking crisis.
These Numbers Promise More Hyperinflation
With the latest "innovations" in the process of digitizing new fiat money the ECB basically does the same what it has done since the onset of the crisis: Creating more new money, only with longer maturities and less regard for the quality of collateral, whose rules it softened last year.
Only yesterday Austria's central bank governor Ewald Nowotny had told a champagne drinking crowd at the annual self-celebration of Austrian bankers that the worst is yet to come; an abrupt U-turn after he developed a 100% wrong track record since he took office last year.
The inofficial sounds that reach my ears fully agree with this bleak outlook. The Eurozone's cross border banks had gone completely mad in Eastern Europe. Or what would you call €800,000 condos in Sofia/Bulgaria where the average net monthly income is €300?
Bulgarian tax authorities are now checking all Bentley owners - and there are lots of them - from where their cash stems. Small hint: from foreign banks hallucinating when they pushed loans onto people, charging them 16% interest and more.
Lets not forget that this will blow up the ECB's balance sheet next week, propelling it again over the €2 TRILLION mark.
All this happens at a time when all consumers in the old world have gone into standby mode, deferring everything but the most important items like food when they go out shopping.
I notice more and more shops selling luxury items (like balsamico vinegar and Dijon mustard ((the original producer company went bankrupt last year)) that now glue ads into their windows, offering discounts between 10% and 50%.
Being used to bazar methods from my many years in Asia I can now immediately claim the status of a "regular" customer, getting huge discounts the first time I frequent a store.
A story in the Bubble Street Journal (WSJ) has more details on Europe's way into hyperinflation. From the WSJ:
Euro-zone banks borrowed the one-year funds, the largest amount the central bank has ever dispersed at a single shot, at the ECB's current key rate of 1%. Much of the total likely substituted for amounts banks had been borrowing from the ECB for shorter time periods, so the net stimulus to the economy is less than it appears at first sight.
The novelty lies more in the length of time over which the ECB is prepared to offer unlimited funding, reflecting a desire to bring longer-term money-market interest rates down to where it thinks they should be...
Analysts said the high demand for the funds reflected the problems some banks are still having in funding their businesses.
At the same time, it also reflected expectations that the euro zone's economy will start to recover later in the year and that ECB interest rates are unlikely to fall further. ECB policy makers have signaled they are not inclined to cut their key rate -- now at the lowest level in the central bank's 11-year history -- again unless the euro-zone economic outlook darkens substantially. Analysts expect the key rate to hold steady at 1% through year end.
"We are nowhere near the beginning of a tightening cycle, but we are getting closer to the end of the easing one," said Lauren Mutton, a strategist with Margin Stanley in London....
The Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Wednesday in its latest forecasts that the ECB still had scope to cut its key rate further.
At the peak of the crisis, banks were using over €1 trillion in short-term funding from the ECB. As fears of a complete meltdown of the financial system have eased, that has fallen to around €618 billion.
During the worst of the crisis, banks were forced to live from week to week, always anxious about access to liquidity. In response, the ECB offered money first for three, then six and now 12 months to give banks greater clarity in their operations, hoping the certainty of longer-term funding from the ECB would encourage them to lend again to the real economy.
"This should reassure the banks that they have adequate liquidity for the next 12 months," ECB governing council member Lorenzo Bini Smaghi said in a speech to a university in Rome Wednesday.
By promising a full allocation of all bids on Wednesday, the ECB has effectively passed responsibility for any easing of policy to the banks themselves, giving complete license to any institution that thinks it can lend the money out profitably into the real economy.
"They must pass it along," Mr. Bini Smaghi said.
This is exactly the problem that has not been solved in the last 22 months and will also not be solved by creating pan-European watchdogs for the financial industry: Banks are not willing to lend unless you present them with 200% collateral. As always, credit is only around for those who don't really need it. Anybody wagering a bet that Europe will recover within the next 12 months. I'd love to take the other side.
Labels: Austria, crisis, ecb, euro, eurozone, fiat money
Moody's Next Epic Fail: "US Remains a Solid AAA Nation"
While the currently ongoing two-day meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is probably not only discussing the state of the US economy but also how to maintain the global attraction status of its only product, Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) in unlimited amounts which they prefer to call the primary global reserve currency, it is difficult not burst into full laughter about rating agency Moody's stance.
According to a Reuters report from Tuesday,
Moody's Investors Service said on Tuesday that the U.S. government's triple-A credit rating was safe but added that it could be at risk if Washington were unable to bring its public debt back to a downward trajectory.
Financial markets have repeatedly been spooked this year by concern that triple-A rated governments such as the United States and Britain could face credit ratings downgrades as they borrow heavily to spend their way out of recession.
"The U.S. government triple-A is safe," Pierre Cailleteau, team managing director of Moody's Sovereign Risk Group, said at a media briefing on sovereign credit ratings held in Tokyo.
Moody's has a stable outlook on the U.S. rating, which indicates a change is not expected over the next 18 months.
I wonder why there are still people around who believe any of the wrong commonplaces rating agencies release to the public while cashing in megabucks from those being rated. A look back in recent financial history should make investors or those who manage the money of investors reconsider their belief into institutions that have failed at all times.
Moody's had completely missed the rapid deterioration of Latin American finance in the 1980s after overlooking the US savings & loans crisis at the same time.
They were asleep at the wheel when the collapse of the Asian tigers in the early 1990s began and slept during Russia's bankruptcy in 1996, only to awake to see the multi billion failure of Long Term Capital Management in 1998.
That must have been such a shock that Moody's was paralyzed during the popping of the Internet bubble in 2000 and Enron's fraudulent bankruptcy a little later. Oh, let's not forget such sovereign risks like Argentina that went bankrupt twice within a decade.
But maybe this was a long term strategy so that bankers, whose literacy appears to have been limited from AAA to C, had a well paid scapegoat when the subprime crisis developed into what is now seen as the worst financial crisis in mankind's history (just wait a little, mass poverty in the Western world will come soon enough.)
If the US Is AAA, Everybody Else Is Eligible for AAAA
It defies any logic that the most indebted country in the world running the biggest triple deficits of all is still considered a AAA risk. If this rating is based on any rationale, we can all go and ask for a quadruple-A. Or do you run bigger deficits, owe more money and outsourced all your earlier sources of income like the USA does?
Add in that the government big-wigs like Treasury secretary Timothy Geithner, his commander-in-chief Barack Obama plus their little helper in the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke are a trio of one-trick ponies. (Please click all links to save me reposting what was clear as early as 2005.)
Having to fund two wars in the name of petro-theism while being confronted with an imploding economy that would look so much worse weren't it for the limitless army spending and the growing number of public employees - who will blow up future pension liabilities into the quadrillions - does not exactly look like a strategy that may improve the state of the United States.
Having deindustrialized (save for the arms and surveillance industry) what was once the greatest power of the world I wonder what Obama has up his sleeves to turn around the epic disaster he inherited from George W. Bush.
So far all we have seen is a backtrack on most changes he promised ahead of the election. The US army will continue to bomb, maim and probably torture people who ask nothing else than to be left alone in peace. An extension of the army engagement in Iraq, more soldiers for Afghanistan and moves to topple Iranian president elect Ahmadi Nejad - nobody complained when Bush stole 2 elections at hair's width, while Nejad repeated his 62% majority - may be a boon to the military-industrial complex but won't pull the US out of its down spiral.
As we have arrived in the age where trillions are the new billions - without the financial industry noticing it - the USA looks like every empire in decline: too many armed conflicts, a profligate government overspending and a general downtrend in public education (because this sector is bankrupt too) accompanied by monetary inflation has always ended in disaster. Americans can only console themselves with the fact that all central banks print money at full speed despite the economic contraction.
At least Moody's does not see the AAA rating of the de facto bankrupt US carved in stone, said Cailleteau according to Reuters,
There were possible risks that could lead to a downgrade.
"That will happen for two reasons. Either our assumptions in terms of debt reversibility prove to be wrong. That is, in fact the U.S. government is unable to bring public debt back to a downward trajectory," he said.
The other reason would be if the United States' ability to raise a large amount of debt at a low cost were to be put at risk, Cailleteau said.
"It could be put at risk if the U.S. dollar was severely challenged as the main international reserve currency," he said.
But the possibility of the dollar being replaced as the main international reserve currency in the near future was a "pretty remote risk," he added.
What I am missing in Moody's explanation is whether gold could not have a shining comeback as reserve currency. It was former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan who bent the truth when saying,
"I think central banking has learned the dangers of fiat money."
Worldwide exploding money supply despite being stuck in a recession that may see a little bounce later this year before we begin to see the signs of a true recession tells me the opposite.
By adapting zero interest rate policy central banks have outmaneuvered themselves. The only weapons left are their digital printing presses and the belief of the people that these colourful debt papers will somehow retain their purchasing power. This cannot happen and the Weimar Republic is the example that scares Germans until today.
While the official world tries to discard M3 money supply growth as an outdated indicator I point you to this story (CNN online page gone by now) where former Deutsche Bundesbank president Hans Tietmeyer - 15 years ago the second most powerful central banker in the world - is described as a central banker who was "trained in the monetarist school that teaches rapid money supply growth is a sure predictor of inflation and requires a firm policy response."
We have not yet seen anything that would somehow resemble the iron grip of the German Bundesbank.
It has always been a miracle to me which set of figures the rating agencies apply to arrive at their always too late conclusions. Maybe they publish how they arrive at their ratings in order to be able to follow their school of thoughts and formulas.
White House Economic adviser Paul Volcker, pitying Bernanke, warned already 3 years ago in a Bloomberg TV interview,
that inflation should be taken most seriously and that an improvement in this year's budget deficit would be wiped out by permanently higher social spending on an aging population. Oh, and don't forget that "is is critical that we maintain confidence in our currency," Volcker said.
I could not agree more despite the current asset deflation that inflation will become the most hated word of 2010.
Labels: aaa, crisis, debt, Fed, Federal Reserve, fiat money, FRN, rating, recession
3 Investment Bankers Flee to Remote Island, Hit the Jackpot
Do you know the story about 3 investment bankers who fled to a remote uninhabited island? The guys were so happy when they discovered an old printing press and a cartload of paper. One year year later they were all "rich."
Application Form for Your Bailout
Click the form for a larger image, print it, fill it out and send it to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Fax a copy to president Barack Obama for quick processing if bailout exceeds $10 billion.
Courtesy of Bruce Feirstein for Vanity Fair
Labels: bailout, CEE, geithner, humour, obama, treasury
New 2009 List of Silver Mining Companies
This post has been updated in April 2010. Click HERE
As this list of silver companies published in 2007 has become the most-read blog post this year I felt compelled to update it.
Compiling a list of silver companies is controversial as there are only very few pure silver plays.
The white metal is mostly mined in combination with gold or base metals which can dramatically change the bottom line of silver miners. In some cases the mining of base metals and gold can lead to negative cash costs for every ounce of silver produced.
Silver is primarily used in jewellery and the best metallic electric conductor. For more applications for silver check this webpage by preciousmetalinvestment.com.
Expecting silver prices to multiply in the next 5 years these companies give extra leverage - if their plans come true.
All silver stocks got hammered in 2008 in the biggest crash in the mining sector in the last 80 years. Do your own research as some companies are trading at less than the cash they have in the till.
While the IPO train on Wall Street has become a train wreck due to the hesitancy of investment banks when underwriting new issues, junior miners are not dependent on conventional measures to raise capital.
They (better) know how to attract investors with a long term horizon directly, as I was able to witness myself when living in Vancouver in 2007.
Vancouver stock exchange is the primary market for junior miners for all kinds of resources. The market had had a shady reputation in the 1980s but has cleared up his act by establishing mandatory reporting rules for junior miners. Its most important improvement was the introduction of standards for reporting new metals reserves.
GRAPH: Silver is a lot more volatile than gold while physical demand is unprecedented. The Austrian Mint produces silver Philharmonics 24/7 since introducing this bullion coin in 2008. Silver currently trades at a ratio of 1:63 to gold. In the long term this ratio has been closer to 1:15, leaving enormous upside potential for silver that could easily lead to a price around $40 next year. Chart courtesy of stockcharts.com.
I consider investments in exploration companies as very risky and build up positions very slowly. But they come with a notable exception to the golden rule that for every percentage point of possible reward there is an equal risk.
In the case of explorers/developers there is an exception to the rule: As long as one invests without leverage there is a risk of 100% but a multiple of that in possible gains when an explorer hits silver indeed. When researching risky investments like this very small sector with only a few billions in market capitalization I look mainly for the following:
Quality of management. Check the track record of management in past mining ventures.
Management's stake in the company. If they don't sell or even buy more it is usually a good sign.
Delays. Are there any delays in realizing the company's ventures ?
Cost per ounce. What are the company's cash costs per ounce produced? How much do I pay per ounce when I buy their shares?
Institutional shareholders. Which funds own the company, which analysts cover the stock?
Proximity to production. Potential gains are higher with explorers in the early stages, but so are the risks. I like companies in the process of finalizing the feasibility study for financing or - at a later stage - companies that are close to production.
Political risk. Your due diligence has to include the respective stability of the country where your miner digs the money out of the ground.
In respect of the political risk I also shun US based silver miners as there exists a possibility that the government can nationalize virtually any company under the Trading With the Enemy Act, which became law in 1917 during World War I and applies during declared wars, and from 1977's International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which can be applied without declared wars. Read more on this issue on GATA's website.
Marc Courtenay has recently penned a story at SeekingAlpha that deals with the possibility of another confiscation of gold and silver and mining shares by the US government. Seeing all the current nationalizations of car makers, banks and the health sector in the USA I don't rule out anything anymore.
List of Silver Explorers, Developers and Miners
Here comes the list of more than 100 silver companies (click the name for the company's website and the ticker symbol for price information):
Abcourt Mines (ABI.V): Gold, silver and zinc in Quebec
Alexco Resource (AXR.TO): Silver in Canada
Apogee Minerals (APE.V): Silver, lead, zinc in Bolivia
Aquiline Resources (AQI.TO): Silver and gold in Argentina, Canada and Mexico
Arian Silver (AGQ.V): Silver in Mexico
Aura Silver (AUU.V): Silver in Canada, El Salvador, Mexico, USA
Aurcana (AUN.V): Silver, gold, lead, zinc in Mexico
Aurex BioMining AG (not listed): Silver in Austria
Avino Silver & Gold Mines (ASM.V): Silver, gold, zinc, copper, lead in British Columbia
Bear Creek Mining (BCM.V): Silver, gold in Peru
Canadian Zinc (CZN.TO): Silver, zinc, and lead in Canada
Canarc Resources (CCM.TO): Silver in South America
Canasil Resources (CLZ.V): Silver, gold, copper, lead, zinc in British Columbia and Mexico
Capstone Mining (CS.TO): Silver in Mexico
Chariot Resources (CHD.TO): Silver and copper in Peru
Chesapeake Gold (CKG.V): Silver, gold, zinc in Mexico and the USA
CMC Metals (CMB.V): Silver in Canada
Coeur d'Alene (CDE): Silver and gold in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Mexico, USA
Compania de Minas Buenaventura (BVN): Precious metals in Peru
Continuum Resources (CNU.V): Silver, gold in Mexico
Cornerstone Resources (CGP.V): Gold, silver, copper, nickel, VMS, potash, and uranium properties in Canada and Ecuador
Cream Mineral Resources (CMA.V): Silver, gold, base metals in Canada, Mexico and Sierra Leone
Dia Bras Exploration (DIB.V: Silver, copper, zinc in Mexico
Eagle Plains Resources (EPL.V): 35 gold, silver, uranium, copper, molybdenum, zinc and rare earth mineral projects in Canada
Eastfield Resources (ETF.V): Gold, copper, silver, nickel, molybdenum and Platinum Group Metals in Canada and USA
ECU Silver Mining (ECU.V): Silver, lead, zinc in Mexico:
Endeavour Silver (EDR.TO): Silver in Mexico
Esperanza Silver (EPZ.V): Silver in Mexico, Peru
Excellon Resources (EXN.TO): Silver in Mexico
First Majestic (FR.TO): Silver in Mexico
First Point Minerals (FPX.V): Silver, gold, base metals in Mexico and the Americas
Fortuna Silver Mines (FVI.V): Silver in Mexico
Fury Exploration (FUR.V): Silver in Canada
Genco Resources (GGC.TO): Silver in Mexico
Gitennes Exploration (GIT.TO): Silver, gold copper in Peru
Gold Hawk Resources (CGK.V): Gold, silver, lead, zinc and copper in Peru
Golden Goliath Resources (GNG.V): Silver, gold in Mexico
Great Panther Resources (GPR.TO): Silver in Mexico
Hecla Mining (HL): Silver, gold in Mexico and USA
Hellix Ventures (HEL.V): Silver, gold in Mexico
Herencia Resources (HER.L): Silver, lead, zinc in Chile
Hochschild Mining (HOC.L): Silver in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru
Huldra Silver (HDA.V): Silver in Canada
Impact Silver (IPT.V): Silver in Mexico, Dominican Republic
International Minerals (IMZ.TO): Silver, gold in Ecuador and Peru
Intrepid Mines (IAU.TO): Silver, gold in Australia and Indonesia
Journey Resources (JNY.V): Silver, gold, lead, zinc in Mexico, Peru, USA
Kenrich-Eskay (KRE.V): Silver, gold in Canada
Kimber Resources (KBR.TO): Silver, gold in Mexico
Kings Minerals (KMN.AX): Silver, gold, copper, rhenium, molybdenum in Australia and Mexico
Klondike Silver (KS.V): Silver in Canada, Mexico
LKA International (LKAI.OB): Silver, gold in USA
Logan Resources (LGR.V): Precious metals, base metals and uranium in Canada
MacMillian Gold (MMG.V): Silver, gold in Mexico
MacMin Silver (MMN.AX): Silver in Australia
MAG Silver (MAG.TO): Silver in Mexico
Marifil (MFM.V): Silver, gold, base metals in Argentina
Mexican Silver Mines (MSM.V): Silver in Mexico
Milner Consolidated Silver Mines (MCA.V): Silver in Canada
Minefinders (MFL.TO): Silver, gold in USA
Minera Andes (MAI.TO): Silver in Argentina
Mines Management (MGT.TO): Silver, copper in the USA
Minco Silver (MSV.TO): Silver in China
Mindoro Resources (MIO.V): Silver, base metals in the Philippines
Mountain Boy Minerals (MTB.V): Silver, gold, base metals in Canada
Normabec Mining (NMB.V): Silver, gold in Canada and Mexico
Orko Silver (OK.V): Silver in Mexico
Oremex Resources (ORM.V): Silver in Mexico
Oro Silver (OSR.V): Silver in Mexico
Pacific Comox Resources (PCM.V): Silver, gold, molybdenum, base metals in Canada
Palmarejo Silver and Gold (PJO.V): Silver, gold in Mexico
Pan American Silver (PAA.TO): Silver in Bolivia, Mexico, Peru
Pershimco Resources (PRO.V): Silver, gold in Mexico
Piedmont Mining (PIED.OB): Silver, gold in USA
Portal Resources (PDO.V): Silver, gold in Mexico, USA, gas and oil in Mexico
Quaterra Resources (QTA.V): Silver in Mexico
Redcorp Ventures (RDV.TO): Silver, gold, copper, lead, zinc in Canada
Revett Minerals (RVM.TO): Silver, gold, copper in USA
Sabina Silver (SBB.V): Silver in Canada
Scorpio Mining (SPM.TO): Silver in Mexico
Silvercorp (SVM.TO): Silver in China
SilverCrest Mines (SVL.V): Silver in Chile, El Salvador, Mexico
Silver Dragon Resources (SDRG.OB): Silver in China
Silver Eagle Mines (SEG.TO): Silver in Mexico
Silver Fields Resources (SF.V): Silver in Canada, Mexico, USA
Silver Grail Resources (SVG.V): Silver in Canada
Silvermet (SYI.V): Silver in Canada, Turkey
Silvermex Resources (SMR.V): Silver in Mexico
Silver Quest Resources (SQI.V): Silver in North America
Silver Standard (SSRI): Silver in Argentina, Australia, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Canada, USA
Silverstone Resources (SST.V): Silver in Mexico
Silver Wheaton (SLW): Silver in Greece, Mexico, Peru, Sweden
SNS Silver (SNS.V): Silver in the USA
South American Silver (SAC.TO): Silver in Bolivia, Chile
Southern Silver (SSV.V): Silver in Mexico, USA
St. Eugene Mining (SEM.V): Silver, lead, zinc in Canada
Starcore (SAM.TO): Silver, gold in Mexico
Stealth Minerals (SML.V): Silver, gold, copper in Canada
Sterling Mining (SRLMQ.PK): Silver in USA
Stroud Resources (SDR.V): Silver, gold, natural gas in Mexico
Teryl Resources (TRC.V): Silver, gold, copper in Alaska
Tumi Resources (TM.V): Silver in Mexico, Sweden
UC Resources (UC.V): Silver, gold in Mexico
US Silver (USA.V): Silver in the USA
Valencia Ventures (VVI.V): Silver in Australia, Canada, Chile, USA
Yale Resources (YLL.V): Silver in Mexico
Useful links for research and information on silver companies:
24hgold.com my first stop for mining research. Will be soon the most extensive database on resource stocks, currently in beta phase.
Canadian silver stock list with key figures
Kitco Silver
Miningnerds silver stock list (cool)
Silveraxis
Silverseek
Resource Stock research portal
NOTE: Please email me if I have missed out on one or more silver companies in order to update this list.
Labels: argentina, australia, Austria, bolivia, canada, chile, china, commodities, Dominican Republic, ecuador, El Salvador, greece, indonesia, mexico, miners, mining, peru, silver, silver stocks, usa
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THE FPCS AND MOVIE ENTERTAINMENT
By Parnell McCarter
Noted Presbyterian minister Samuel Miller rightly testified two centuries ago: “In the primitive Church, both the players, and those who attend the theatre, were debarred from the Christian sacraments. All the Fathers, who speak on the subject, with one voice attest that this was the case. A number of the early Synods or Councils, passed formal canons, condemning the theatre, and excluding actors, and those who intermarried with them, or openly encouraged them, from the privileges of the Church... Almost all the reformed Churches have, at different times, spoken the same language, and enacted regulations of a similar kind. The Churches of France, Holland, and Scotland, have declared it to be ‘unlawful to go to comedies, tragedies, interludes, farces, or other stage plays, acted in public or private; because, in all ages, these have been forbidden among Christians, as bringing in a corruption of good manners.’" Based upon all my interaction with the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland (FPCS) up to the last several days, my impression was that her policy was the same. Accordingly, it was my impression that stage-play and movie entertainment was not tolerated in her communicant membership, and repentance would be required of those who indulged in stage-play and movie entertainment if it came to the attention of a session. And I believe this policy is correct, based upon the information supplied at http://www.puritans.net/movie%20reviews/moviereviews.html .
However, in the last several days, statements have been made by an adherent in the FPCS on an international public internet list (specifically called Reformed Faith and Worship [r-f-w]) which bring my impression of the policy of the FPCS with respect to movie and stage-play entertainment into question. Here was one of his posts:
--- In r-f-w@yahoogroups.com, Peter Reynolds <peter@...> wrote:
> Some FP communicants watch films and make no secret of it, so presumably
> they are not aware of a blanket ban on movies as such. Maybe they don't
> go to the cinema to do so, I wouldn't know. Nor do I know whether there
> are any official rules about it in the FP church.
> I guess someone could make a distinction there in their conscience,
> because one can't walk out of a cinema as easily as one can turn a
> TV/computer screen off, but you are not making that distinction on your
> site, because you believe play acting /per se /is wrong because in most
> films an actor must act out sin. So, it may be that the FP church holds
> your position officially by some past synod pronouncement which got
> published in a magazine in one decade or another, but if they did, then
> it looks as though not all communicants are aware of it. If they were
> in the Protestant Reformed Churches, on the other hand, they would be
> aware that this was the established viewpoint, though from what I've
> heard there are probably other things that would make a typical FP feel
> that people in the PRC denomination were "worldly".
> Best wishes
> Peter Reynolds
> attend FPCS, Dingwall
> ===========
Just so there was no misunderstanding of what Mr. Reynolds was stating, I asked of him the following: “I would appreciate if you could supply me (off-list or on-list) which FPCS congregations you are referring to above and examples of movies watched for entertainment. I want to make sure we are communicating properly, because I am not here speaking of documentaries, but dramas.” He indicated to me that he was talking about drama, not documentary. He also indicated that he was talking about more than one person/place, and not about children's material. But he was unwilling to supply me with any more specific information.
The purpose of the journalism of this on-line journal is to provide true information as much as possible, and not merely to present what I would like to believe is the case. Consequently, I set out to investigate this matter and to convey the results of my investigation on this on-line journal as accurately as possible.
The results of my investigation as of 5/24/07:
Rev. Donald Ross of the FPCS, who people at the FPCS website are directed to contact regarding questions about the denomination, responded to my query. He stated, in no uncertain terms, that movie and stage-play entertainment was not to be tolerated among the communicant membership of the FPCS. He encouraged proper procedures be followed consistent with scriptural principle to address those who may have fallen into this sin. Furthermore, it was brought to my attention by Jeshurun Hembd that just recently an article on this topic appeared in the FP Young People's Magazine on the FP website . This article may also be read at http://www.puritans.net/movie%20reviews/moviereviews.html . It says, in no uncertain terms, that movie and stage-play entertainment is sin. This and other evidence indicates that the official policy of the FPCS is not to tolerate movie and stage-play entertainment among the communicant membership. More information on this should be forthcoming upon my further investigation.
Furthermore, based upon my investigations to date, it does seem there are certain young FPCS communicant members who have been engaging in movie and stage-play entertainment. Whether because this has not come to the attention of a congregation’s session, or because a session has **perhaps** been unduly lax, the sin has not been addressed as ideally as it should. I am quite persuaded that if there are some communicant members doing this, Matthew 18 procedures need to be followed, and this leaven not be allowed to spread. That means the offending party should first be approached privately, and hopefully then will repent. But if not, then to the session the matter can be taken. And if some session cannot properly address it, then on to presbytery, and then on to synod, if necessary, until the matter is properly resolved. Scandal left un-addressed is like a cancer. If cancer spreads too far, it becomes almost impossible to cure; but if caught soon enough, it is readily treatable. It is each member’s duty to help his brethren in this way, and especially the offending party. Biblical church discipline is a measure to help keep the Christian sheep from going wayward and to keep the Church in the path of her duty.
In summary, the FPCS officially does not tolerate movie and stage-play entertainment, but she is not perfect in her enforcement of the same. As noted in the article at http://www.puritans.net/news/biblicalrealism021207.htm , the church will inevitably fall short in her implementation of the standards she holds dear. Nevertheless, this should not serve as an excuse for inaction, lest the Lord come say to us, “I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place” (Revelation 2:5).
Matthew Vogan supplied me with the following list of FPCS articles that have appeared in recent years pointing out the dangers of varied movie and stage-play entertainment:
them going to a cinema. More recently, with films available as videos or. DVDs, people can watch them just whenever they want to. While some ...
www.fpchurch.org.uk/magazines/ypm/2006/April.pdf -
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
Can your soul benefit from the cinema, the theatre,. discos or worldly company? Worldly pleasures look attractive and desirable ...
www.fpchurch.org.uk/magazines/ypm/2006/January.pdf -
I remember being told when I was young that above every cinema,. theatre and dance hall it should be written in large letters: “WHOSOEVER ...
Television viewing replaced cinema viewing to a great extent, and the greater temptation to view wicked or worldly material on television in one's own home ...
www.fpchurch.org.uk/magazines/fpm/1998/May/article5.php - 14k -
It is in this city, in Hollywood in particular, that many films originate which portray violence. If criminal behaviour is glamourised in this manner in ...
www.fpchurch.org.uk/Magazines/fpm/2003/August/article10.php
It is high time that our legislators became seriously concerned about violence in films inciting some viewers to violence. ...
www.fpchurch.org.uk/magazines/fpm/2003/January/article9.php
Any such films and videos, the writer cautions, "need to be watched carefully" - but ... More than one critic of such literature and films appositely quotes ...
www.fpchurch.org.uk/Magazines/fpm/2002/April/article9.php
We believe that another factor should have been mentioned and even highlighted, and that is the viewing of violence in films, videos and television. ...
www.fpchurch.org.uk/Magazines/fpm/1998/November/article8.php
The more I investigate the more I conclude that the FPCS has been abundantly clear that movie and stage-play entertainment is sinful. It also seems to me that enforcement has been significant, albeit less than ideal.
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Biocell vol.30 no.1 Mendoza Jan./Apr. 2006
Synaptonemal complexes and XY behavior in two species of argentinian armadillos: Chaetophractus villosus and Dasypus hybridus (Xenarthra, Dasypodidae)
R. B. Sciurano, M.S. Merani, Jimena Bustos, and A.J. Solari
Centro de Investigaciones en Reproducción (CIR)- Facultad de Medicina, UBA. Paraguay 2155, (1121) Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Address correspondence to: Dr. Alberto J. Solari. Centro de Investigaciones en Reproducción (CIR), Facultad de Medicina, UBA. Paraguay 2155, (1121) Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA. E-mail: asolari@fmed.uba.ar
Abstract: Spermatocytes from the two armadillo species, C. villosus and D. hybridus were studied in microspreads for synaptonemal complexes (SCs) and in thin sections for electron microscopy (EM). The complete SC karyotype generally agrees with previous reports on mitotic chromosomes, except for the sex chromosomes. The X chromosome is submetacentric in both species and the Y is the shortest one in C. villosus and the second shortest in D. hybridus, and an extremely acrocentric one. A SC is formed along the total length of the Y chromosome, and this SC persists along all the pachytene substages. A single ecombination nodule (RN) is located in the region of the SC nearest to the attachment to the nuclear envelope. The lateral element (LE) of the X axis in the SC shows a wavy aspect in most of the SC length distant from the nuclear envelope. Nucleoli are attached to acrocentric or submetacentric bivalents, are visibly double in some cells , and in thin sections show an elaborate nucleolonema. Some differences in the XY are species-specific, as the higher degree of tangling and stronger heteropycnosis in D. hybridus. The effective, single crossover of the XY pair is highly localized, despite the permanence of a long tract of SC.
Key words: Xenarthra; XY chromosomes; Meiosis; Synaptonemal complexes
Armadillos are included in the family Dasypodidae of the order Xenarthra, which radiated in the past from South America towards the Northern hemisphere. Xenarthrans, and especially armadillos, are interesting as living species related to a rich paleontological registry, which included among other, glyptodonts classically studied in Argentina. Furthermore, their relatively long ancestry and the special embryological features (polyembriony) in the genus Dasypus makes armadillos an interesting material for cytogenetic and genomic studies.
Recently, studies on the DNA of 12 of the 13 living Xenarthra genera (Delsuc et al., 2002) yielded strong evidence that Xenarthra is one of the four major clades of placental mammals, supporting the antiquity and basal position of this order. Furthermore, the suborder Cingulata, which comprises armadillos, has been analysed as regards molecular phylogeny, showing that the genus Dasypus and the genus Chaetophractus are the most phylogenetically distant (Delsuc et al., 2002), in agreement with the large reported differences in sperm size and structure (Cetica et al., 1993). Thus, an analysis of meiosis centered on species of these two genera may give clues to the whole suborder Cingulata, which in itself is one of the oldest radiations of eutherian mammals.
Karyological studies of armadillos are scanty, and most of them have been reviewed by Jorge et al. (1985). Beath et al. (1962) and Jorge et al. (1985) have reported karyotypes of species from the genus Dasypus, and a single study of the synaptonemal complexes has been reported on Dasypus novemcintus (Scavone et al., 2000).
The present paper is aimed to describe the synaptonemal complex karyotypes, the nucleolar features, and the behaviour of the sex chromosomes in males from two species, D. hybridus and C. villosus. The behaviour of the XY pair shows that despite a rare permanence of a full synaptonemal complex throughout pachytene, which stretches along the complete Y chromosome, there is a single recombination nodule (crossover) which is located towards the segment nearest to the nuclear envelope. In D. hybridus, nucleolar organizers (NORs) are located in a specific bivalent and elaborate nucleolar extensions are formed at early pachytene. The Y chromosome seems to be structurally identical in both species. The kinetochore of the Y is practically attached to the telomere, making the Y an extremely acrocentric chromosome, which is the smallest of the SC complement in C. villosus, and one of the two smallest elements in D. hybridus.
The animals were collected as part of a project on Xenarthran biology (PICTR 74, Foncyt).
For this work, two male specimens of Chaetophractus villosus, one collected at Pipinas, Provincia de Buenos Aires, the other collected at Trenel, Provincia de La Pampa, were trapped and carried to the laboratory under adequate care. One male specimen of Dasypus hybridus was collected at Pipinas, Provincia de Buenos Aires, and carried as above mentioned. The animals, which were also studied in their anatomy and other biological features, were hemicastrated or killed under anesthesia, the testes removed and divided into several pieces for different procedures. The sacrified animals were deposited in the mammalian collection of the Museo de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP). For general testicular histology the pieces were fixed in Bouin fixative, embedded in paraffin and the sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin. For fine structural cytology, the pieces were fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde in 0.2 M cacodylate buffer, pH 7.2 and then in OsO4, embedded in araldite and the thin sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. For the specific analysis of synaptonemal complexes (SCs), a variant of the drying-down tecnique for SCs was used (Solari, 1998). The spermatocytes were stained either with 4% phosphotungstic acid (PTA) in ethanol or with silver nitrate (Howell and Black, 1980). Electron microscopy was done with a Siemens Elmiskop electron microscope, and magnifications were checked with a calibration grid (Pelco International, Redding, Ca., USA). Micrographs were scanned and the digital data were used for measurements with the software Micromeasure (Reeves and Tear, 2000).
Synaptonemal complex karyotypes and their parallel mitotic karyotypes in C. villosus
The SC karyotype of C. villosus shows 29 autosomal SCs and the XY pair (Fig. 1). This SC karyotype corresponds to the already described chromosome number 2n =60 (Jorge et al., 1977, 1985). However, the order of the SCs was done according to relative length only, in order to have comparable sets from different cells. The location of centromeres kinetochores) was observed in PTA-stained specimens, and this procedure revealed 15 autosomal SCs with meta or- submetacentric components and 14 autosomal SCs with acrocentric elements. Thus, this classification agrees with that of Jorge et al. (1977). However, the identification of individual SCs in silver-stained nuclei, of #11-#13, #14- #16 and #17-#21 was not possible, and thus in these EM preparations there is ambiguity in the identity of some of the SCs. On the other hand, #1 is always identifiable as the longest SC (with sub-medial kinetochore) as well as the two smallest, acrocentric autosomal SCs (#28 and #29). Three nucleoli were observed in the majority of pachytene spermatocytes: in #6, #11 and in #25. The latter is an obvious small submetacentric, which presents its nucleolus in all the cells. More variable are the presence of nucleoli in crocentric #11 and the submetacentric #6.
FIGURES 1 and 2. SC karyotypes of C. villosus (Fig. 1) and D. hybridus (Fig. 2). The three nucleoli of C. villosus are attached to their NOR-bearing SCs. In Fig. 2, the single SC bearing the nucleolus of D. hybridus is marked with an asterisk.
SC karyotype of D. hybridus
The SC karyotype of D. hybridus agrees with that reported for mitotic chromosomes, which is generally described as 2n =64. In fact, we find 31 autosomal SCs plus the XY pair, corresponding to a chromosome set of 2n=64 (Fig. 2). As no PTA-stained specimens for autosomes were studied in this species, we cannot comment on the relationship with mitotic karyotype morphology. On the other hand, a single SC was always observed attached to the single, large and filamentous nucleolus observed in pachytene nuclei. This is a small SC, longer than the Y axis and the axis of the smallest acrocentric SC. This NOR-containing SC could correspond to #22 in the related species D. novemcinctus, which has been classified by Barroso and Seuanez (1991) as submetacentric in that species.
It shoud be remarked that in D. hybridus the smallest acrocentric is shorter than the Y axis.
General features of the XY pairs in both species
The general appearance of the XY pair is very similar in both species. It forms a conspicuously heteropycnotic body at advanced pachytene stages and it shows two unequal axes (X axis and Y axis) in earlier stages (Figs. 3 and 4). The absolute length of the Y axis in C. villosus is 4.0 µm ± 0.8 µm (n=11). In D. hybridus the Y axis is 4.1 µm ± 0.6 µm (n=8).
FIGURES 3 and 4. Electron micrographs of silver-stained XY pairs of C. villosus (Fig. 3) and D. hybridus (Fig. 4) at early-mid-pachytene. The X-axis of C. villosus shows waviness or irregularities (arrowhead) in the upper part of the SC, and it splits into 4 strands in the differential region (arrow). The Y axis of D. hybridus shows the kinetochore (KY) as a dense protrusion before its ending. X 9,000.
Relative lengths and centromeric indexes (CIs) of the X and Y axes
The length ratio between the X axis and the Y axis is : X/Y = 4.5, n=5 in C. villosus, in early pachytene. This ratio is X/Y = 4.3, n=3 in D. hybridus, also in early pachytene.
The X axis can be measured only at early pachytene, as in later substages it forms a net-like, filamentous array in which it is not possible to perform measurements.
The general appearance and length of the Y axis are nearly identical in both species. In PTA-stained pachytene spermatocytes of C. villosus, the kinetochores of both axes are clearly established: the Y axis is extremely acrocentric (CI = 0.1) and the X axis is submetacentric (CI = 0.25) (Fig. 5).
FIGURES 5-8. Electron micrographs of the XY pairs of C. villosus ( Figs. 5 and 7) and D. hybridus (Figs. 6 and 8). In Fig. 5, PTA staining allows the detection of the grey protuberances of the autosomal kinetochores (Kaut) and those of the X axis (Kx) and the Y axis (KY ). The kinetochore of the Y is almost terminal in both C. villosus (Fig. 5) and in D. hybridus (Fig. 6). Figs. 7 and 8 correspond to late pachytene. While in C. villosus there is a bridge in the differential part of the X-axis (arrowhead), in D. hybridus there is a net-like array. Figs. 5-6, X 12,000. Figs 7-8, X 9,000.
This was a surprising fact, as the X axis of C. villosus has been described as clearly acrocentric (Jorge et al., 1977). However, the centromere location in the X of C. villosus showes a clearly defined short arm, which is the one that pairs with the acrocentric Y (Fig. 5).
In D. hybridus the X is submetacentric and the Y, as in C. villosus, is extremely acrocentric and one of the two smallest of the set (Figs. 6 and 2).
Length of SC and variation with time
One of the striking peculiarities of the XY pair in both C. villosus and D. hybridus is the constancy of its length. This length is SC (XY) = 3.7 µm ± 0.8 µm (C. villosus, n=15) and 4.1 µm ± 0.6 µm (D. hybridus, n=8).
The length of the SC, which covers practically all the Y axis except its proximal end, is retained up to the more advanced pachytene substages (Figs. 7 and 8).
On the other hand, a few XY pairs at a very early stage (as shown by the total absence of axial differentiations in the X axis and incomplete synapsis in autosomes), showed the proximal part of the Y axis in unpaired condition. At very early pachytene or late zygotene, synapsis between the X and Y axes may be incomplete, as 6% of the Y length may be unpaired at these very early stages.
About half of the observed XY pairs showed either twisting or irregularities in one LE of the XY SC. The only affected axis in all cases was the X axis (Figs. 3 and 9). These irregularities correspond to the segment of the SC which is more distant from the nuclear envelope.
FIGURES 9-11. Permanency of the SC in the XY pair and location of the crossover (recombination nodule, RN). In Figs. 9 and 11a, the RN is located on the central region of the SC, near its upper end and before the waviness of the X axis (arrowhead in fig. 9). Fig. 10 shows the permanency of the full SC at very late pachytene in D. hybridus (silver staining). In Figure 11b the drawing at scale shows the average location of the RN (asterisk) and its narrow range (segment, below) as regards the extremely acrocentric Y of C. villosus. Figs. 9-11a, X 9,000.
Changes in the differential segment of the X axis in each species
In C. villosus the most striking differentiation of the differential segment of the X axis is its splitting into a number of strands, which is generally 4, (varying between 2 and 5). These strands seem to be branches and anastomoses of the original axis, which follow the same general direction. Some of these branches form bridges, which extend between the arms of the loop formed by the split X axis (Fig. 7).
There are some species-specific features in this differential segment, as the net-like array is more complex in D. hybridus, and the degree of heteropycnosis, as shown by the density of the surrounding cromatin, is much higher in D. hybridus when compared to C.villosus (Fig. 10).
Localization of recombination nodules (RNs, crossovers) in the XY pair
There is a single recombination nodule in the SC of the XY pair, which is located in a short segment near the attachment site of the SC with the nuclear envelope (Figs. 9 and 11a).
The mean location of the RN is 1.2 µm ± 0.3 (n = 8) from the nuclear envelope, and its range is 1.6 µm to 0.82 µm (Fig. 11b). This restriction of RN location has been found to agree with the location of a single crossover as shown by MLH1 immunolocalization (results not shown). Furthermore, the SC segment harboring the RN is always devoid of any of the irregularities or waviness above described (Figs. 3 and 9).
Thin sections
In thin sections, the XY body appears as a densely stained body attached to the nuclear envelope (Fig. 12a). This body shows an evenly spaced and compact chromatin, and sections of single axes or pieces of SC near the nuclear envelope.
FIGURES 12a-12b. Thin sections of spermatocytes from D. hybridus. In 12a the XY body (XY) formed by the XY pair is shown as a mass of tightly packed chromatin attached to the nuclear envelope. In 12b one of the long, armlike expansions of the nucleolus is marked by an arrow. X 18,000.
In sections of D. hybridus, a large nucleolus is distinguished because of many long and curved expansions which can fuse to each other and have a finely granular structure (Fig. 12b).
Validation of karyological data of Dasypodidae
Our results are in general agreement with the karyotypes described by Jorge et al. (1977) for C. villosus and D. hybridus. However, while these authors have claimed that the X chromosome of C. villosus is acrocentric and that it has "a prominent paracentromeric C+ band" (Jorge et al., 1977), we have shown that the X chromosome of C. villosus is submetacentric, with a clearly defined short arm which is the one that pairs with the acrocentric Y chromosome. The X axis of D. hybridus is also submetacentric. Thus, the X chromosome from both species studied here are very similar in morphology, and the Y chromosomes are also very similar in size, in the CI and in their behaviour (see Results). Our results also show that while the Y hromosome is the smallest element in C. villosus, it is not the smallest one in D. hybridus. This fact points to a lack of coherence in previous reports (Jorge et al., 1977, 1985) that state that there are no differences between the karyotypes of D. hybridus and that of D. novemcinctus, although in karyotypes from male specimens the latter species shows a longer Y chromosome. A re-examination of the karyotypes of males in largest samples of specimens seems to be needed to define this problem.
Significance of permanent total synapsis of the Y chromosome and differentiations in the unpaired segment of the X chromosome
In a previous report on a different species (D. novemvinctus) Scavone et al. (2000) have reported a complete synapsis between the X and Y chromosomes, and that the long arm of the X chromosome is the one that pairs with the small acrocentric Y.
Our results show that complete XY synapsis is shared with D. hybridus and C. villosus, two phylogenetically distant species of Cingulata, and thus this kind of full pairing may be characteristic of the family Dasipodidae. However, as shown in Results, in C. villosus it is the short arm of the submetacentric X chromosome the one that pairs with the Y axis and thus the specificity of pairing in the species D. novemcinctus remains to be tested. Despite some contrary claims (Scavone et al., 2000), full synapsis between the XY pair is transitory, to say the best, in most reported mammalian species (Solari, 1993). The permanent, total synapsis between the Y and the corresponding region of the X chromosome is actually seen only in the presently reported Xenarthran species and in the rodent Galea musteloides (Solari et al., 1993) in which there is also a peculiar dissociation of the SC in later pachytene substages.
On the other hand, the X-axis differentiations (splittings, mainly in C. villosus and net-like anastomosing, mainly in D. hybridus) are found in varying degrees of intensity, among many other mammalian species.
Presence of a pseudoautosomal region in the XY pair
The present results show that there is a localized region for the presence of recombination nodules in the XY pair of C. villosus (also tested with MLH1 foci). The recombinational region, commonly known as pseudoautosomal region of the XY pair of mammals (Solari, 1980, 1993) is here restricted to the distal 30% of the Y axis (see Results), near the nuclear envelope. Thus, if this narrow localization of recombination is also present in the related species D. novemcinctus, the end-to-end attachment of the X and Y hromosomes at first meiotic metaphase described by Barroso and Seuanez (1991) would be explained as the result of a terminal chiasma.
Evolutionary significance of the behaviour of sex chromosomes in Dasypodidae
Among mammals, there are three different patterns of behaviour of the meiotic sex chromosomes in the male sex (Solari, 1993). In the most primitive ones, the subclassPrototheria (monotremes), represented by only three living species (platypus and the echidnas) there is no XY body, and there is a complex sex-chromosome system including an X, a presumptive Y and 8 additional chromosomes that are associated by reciprocal translocations (Grutzner et al., 2004). On the other hand, the marsupials (metatherians) have an XY system, and an XY body in spermatocytes, but they lack a SC between the X and Y (Solari and Bianchi, 1975; Solari, 1993) and the X and Y axes are associated by a special "dense plate" (Solari and Bianchi, 1975) which has been shown to contain the protein SCP3 of the lateral elements of the SC (Page et al., 2003).
Among eutherian mammals the rule (with some exceptions, reviewed in Solari, 1993) is that there is an XY pair that forms an XY body in spermatocytes, and that has a single recombination nodule (crossover) which is highly localized near the nuclear envelope (Solari, 1993).
The present results add a new taxon to those already known to have recombination restriction in their heteromorphic sex chromosomes (Solari, 1993). Given the basal position of Xenarthra in the phylogenetic tree of eutherian mammals (see Introduction), it is challenging to assume if some of the features of the XY pair in Cingulata are primitive: that is, if full synapsis of an extremely acrocentric Y, in which the distal region is the only one in which gene recombination occurs, has some selective value, for instance, the inhibition of the proximal Y to engage in non-homologous recombinational events, that could give rise to a multiple sex-chromosome system. It is left for wider explorations of Xenarthran meiosis a conclusion on this matter. The localization of suitable markers, like the Sry gene and some of the markers in the conserved X chromosome would also be interesting for such phylogenetic analysis. The interest in the basic genetics of these species is furthered by the recognition that armadillos are natural hosts of Trypanosoma cruzi type II, the prevalent agent of Chagas disease (Yeo et al., 2005).
This work was supported by a grant from FONCYT ( PICTR 00074) and from Conicet (2173 and 2174) and UBACYT (M008 and M051). MSM and AJS are members of the Carrera del Investigador (Conicet). The helpful assistance of Dra. M.I. Pigozzi with MLH1 immunolocalization, and that of Lic. M. I. Rahn and C. Deparci in the preparations is gratefully thanked.
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Solari AJ, Bianchi NO (1975). The synaptic behaviour of the X and Y chromosomes in the marsupial Monodelphis dimidiate Chromosoma 52: 11- 25. [ Links ]
Solari AJ, Merani MS, Burgos MH (1993). Dissociation of the synaptonemal complex in the XY body of Galea musteloides (Rodentia, Caviidae). Biocell 17: 25-37. [ Links ]
Yeo M, Acosta N, Llewellyn M, Sanchez H, Adamson S, Miles GAJ, Lopez E, Gonzalez N, Patterson JS, Gaunt MW, Arias AR, Miles MA (2005). Origins of Chagas disease: Didelphis species are natural hosts of Trypanosoma cruzi I and armadillos hosts of Trypanosoma cruzi II, including hybrids. Int J Parasitol, 35: 225-233. [ Links ]
Received on May 16, 2005.
Accepted on October 17, 2005.
Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, U.N.Cuyo
C.C. 56 (5500) Mendoza, Argentina
Fax: (54 261) 449-4117
http://www.cricyt.edu.ar/ihem/
biocell.journal@gmail.com
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The Drying up of the Sahara
At www.physorg.com/print212152097.html ... a study of lake sediments from a dried up lake in northern Chad in the Sahara has shown evidence that the lake was dessicated by a slow process and progressively, beginning in around 6000 years ago (4000BC) and reaching the present condition around AD900. Geochemical and the analysis of sediments were done on a yearly basis to determine when the Sahara went dry.
The New York Times (see www.nytimes.com/2010/12/18/world/middleeast/18deadsea.html ) has picked up on the story of the Dead Sea sediment cores that are currently being drilled out of the middle of what is the world's deepest inland basin. The first bore hole is thought to have passed through four Ice Ages, some 400,000 years. The cores will be sent to Germany for analysis so the above date is a bit of guesswork.
A Deep Sea waterway
At http://geology.com/noaa/sulawesi-sea/ .... this is an interesting piece of reseach as the Sulwesi Sea even during the Ice Age was a water-way and a barrier between Sunda Land, the part of Indonesia to the west that was joined up with SE Asia, and the large landmass that comprised Australia (somewhat larger than it is now) and New Guinea - and possibly the Solomon Islands too.
Mars - spreading volcano
At http://specialpaper.gsapubs.org/content/470/115.abstract 'Is Tharsis, Mars, a spreading volcano?' - it is thought Tharsis Rise on Mars is spreading outwards and that has produced rifting at the summit with radial tear-fault systems associated with folding round its periphery. It is said by this geological attempt at understanding the feature to be analogous to a terrestrial mid-ocean ridge - without the corresponding subduction zones.
Prehistoric Footprints at Formby
The footprints are said to date back some 5000 to 6000 years ago, see www.archnews.co.uk/world-archaeology/uk-archaeology/4216-prehistoric-human-footprints.html and it seems a lot of amateurs have been scouring through sand dunes near Formby in Lancashire after the disovery of footprints. According to marine scientists the beaches are receding and this disperses sand and sediment and uncovers underlying layers.
Australian fire history
A paper in Quaternary Science Review (see www.physorg.com/print210875954.html ) claims Aborigines were not responsible for landscape fires and other environmental impacts shortly after their arrival, assumed to be around 50,000 years ago - but in reality, an unknown. On long timescales fire activity in Australia reflects prevailing climate - less during cold glacial periods and greater activity in warmer phases.
Rivers cut notches in glacial valleys
Again, can be found at www.physorg.com/print210777849.html ... a geological conumdrum as rivers form steep inner gorges in some broad glacial valleys in the Alps. The U shaped valleys were formed by slow moving glaciers, eroding the bedrock over hundreds and thousands of years. When the glaciers receded rivers carved V shaped notches, or inner gorges, into the flow of the glacial valleys.
Evidence of biomass burning in ice cores
At www.physorg.com/print210529446.html there is a press release on a paper from the December 2nd issue of Science and it seems that Antarctic ice cores have found some striking evidence of biomass burning in the southern hemisphere over the last 650 years - with a series of peaks and troughs. They go back to 1350AD and therefore embrace the period of the Black Death epidemic (see Mike Baillie, New Light on the Black Death).
Fossils of the Soom Shale deposit
At www.geology.com/press-release/soom-shale/ ... a site near Table Mountain in South Africa has a rock layer a few metres thick that contains the petrified remains of bizarre early life-forms complete with eyes, guts, and muscles. It is a mystery how they were preserved in such a pristine condition but a paper in the December issue of Geology claims it was all down to the wind. A bitter wind blowing off an ice sheet.
Ice Age Sea Levels
At www.physorg.com/print210426748.html we learn that research at Southampton University is looking at the rate of sea level rise at the end of the Ice Age. Presumably computer simulation is being used which is programmed by the idea that sea levels rose as a result of a melting ice sheet rather than through a catastrophic redistribution of ocean waters.
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California Assembly Bill HR 36 Relative to Pluto's planetary status
Status Report From: State of California
Posted: Wednesday, September 6, 2006
Official legislation link
BILL NUMBER: HR 36 INTRODUCED BILL TEXT
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members Richman and Canciamilla (Coauthors: Assembly Members Aghazarian, Bass, Benoit, Berg, Bermudez, Blakeslee, Bogh, Calderon, Chan, Chavez, Cogdill, Cohn, Coto, Daucher, DeVore, Emmerson, Frommer, Garcia, Goldberg, Haynes, Jerome Horton, Shirley Horton, Houston, Huff, Karnette, Keene, Koretz, La Malfa, Laird, Leno, Lieber, Liu, Matthews, Maze, Mountjoy, Mullin, Nakanishi, Nation, Negrete McLeod, Niello, Parra, Plescia, Ridley-Thomas, Sharon Runner, Ruskin, Salinas, Strickland, Tran, Walters, Wolk, Wyland, and Yee)
Relative to Pluto's planetary status.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST
WHEREAS, Recent astronomical discoveries, including Pluto's oblong orbit and the sighting of a slightly larger Kuiper Belt object, have led astronomers to question the planetary status of Pluto; and
WHEREAS, The mean-spirited International Astronomical Union decided on August 24, 2006, to disrespect Pluto by stripping Pluto of its planetary status and reclassifying it as a lowly dwarf planet; and
WHEREAS, Pluto was discovered in 1930 by an American, Clyde Tombaugh, at the Lowell Observatory in Arizona, and this discovery resulted in millions of Californians being taught that Pluto was the ninth planet in the solar system; and
WHEREAS, Pluto, named after the Roman God of the underworld and affectionately sharing the name of California's most famous animated dog, has a special connection to California history and culture; and
WHEREAS, Downgrading Pluto's status will cause psychological harm to some Californians who question their place in the universe and worry about the instability of universal constants; and
WHEREAS, The deletion of Pluto as a planet renders millions of text books, museum displays, and children's refrigerator art projects obsolete, and represents a substantial unfunded mandate that must be paid by dwindling Proposition 98 education funds, thereby harming California's children and widening its budget deficits; and
WHEREAS, The deletion of Pluto as a planet is a hasty, ill-considered scientific heresy similar to questioning the Copernican theory, drawing maps of a round world, and proving the existence of the time and space continuum; and
WHEREAS, The downgrading of Pluto reduces the number of planets available for legislative leaders to hide redistricting legislation and other inconvenient political reform measures; and
WHEREAS, The California Legislature, in the closing days of the 2005-06 session, has been considering few matters important to the future of California, and the status of Pluto takes precedence and is worthy of this body's immediate attention; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly hereby condemns the International Astronomical Union's decision to strip Pluto of its planetary status for its tremendous impact on the people of California and the state's long term fiscal health; and be it further
Resolved, That the Assembly Clerk shall send a copy of the resolution to the International Astronomical Union and to any Californian who, believing that his or her legislator is addressing the problems that threaten the future of the Golden State, requests a copy of the resolution.
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SCP-3905 (inset) and the area in which SCP-3905-B instances are initially deposited (circled, left). Photograph taken from research vessel.
Special Containment Procedures: A storage shed has been constructed around SCP-3905’s location, and Foundation agents employed by the city of Sacramento are responsible for preventing unauthorized access to it. Due to SCP-3905-A’s remote location, a small research vessel outfitted with several months of food rations is to be the only resource supplied for study of SCP-3905-A.
Description: SCP-3905 is a public garbage can located in Sacramento, California that displays anomalous properties whenever a standard 355ml1 aluminum soda can is deposited into it. In all other instances where trash is deposited, SCP-3905 behaves identically to a non-anomalous trash can.
Soda cans deposited into SCP-3905 will leave local space-time and be transported via unknown means to SCP-3905-A. SCP-3905-A is an uninhabited and inaccessible tropical island located in the territorial waters of the Philippines. Attempts to reach SCP-3905-A by non-anomalous means have failed due to an invisible barrier that manifests five meters off of its coastline. This barrier prevents all forms of solid matter from passing onto or off of the island, including instances of SCP-3905-B.
Both SCP-3905-A and the soda cans present on it (hereafter SCP-3905-B) display anomalous properties. The following has been observed from SCP-3905-A via monitoring from the nearby research vessel:
SCP-3905-B instances display signs of sapience, appearing to wordlessly communicate with one another and move about SCP-3905-A by sliding or jumping along its surface while being constantly engaged in a state of celebration or revelry.
SCP-3905-B instances can perform many actions that would normally require arms, legs, or a greater height, such as limboing. SCP-3905-B instances often accomplish this by bending their aluminum frame, only to return to their original condition when the task is complete.
A laptop, DJ turntable, and speaker system have been observed to function without power near the center of SCP-3905-A, continuously playing party-themed music (examples include "Feeling Hot Hot Hot" by The Merrymen, and "Let's Get It Started" by the Black Eyed Peas). A banner with the words “SUGAR SELEBRATION [sic]” is attached to the top of the speaker system.
On the western end of SCP-3905-A, a plastic tube protruding from the ground and labeled “THE SWEET STUFF” continuously produces a substance believed by SCP-3905-A researchers to be alcohol. SCP-3905-B instances have been observed to line up behind the tube while taking turns “drinking” its contents by filling themselves with it. SCP-3905-B instances apparently violate the laws of space-time while consuming the alcohol, as they have been observed to repeatedly consume far more than would be able to fit into a 355ml can without spilling any contents out.
On the eastern end of SCP-3905-A, another plastic tube labeled “THE ASPARTAME CHALLENGE” can also be seen protruding from the ground. This area is frequented less often than the western one, and SCP-3905-B instances who consume the contents of the tube almost immediately expel it from themselves while showing apparent signs of displeasure.
SCP-3905-A has been observed to have a rough social structure based on the soda brands represented by SCP-3905-B. Well-known non-diet sodas (Pepsi, Coke, RC Cola) apparently issue orders and occasionally physically harm less popular or generic brands such as refreshe, usually by breaking off their soda tabs or involuntarily pouring the contents of the eastern plastic tube into them.
A small pit approximately four meters deep and labeled “DIET DOUCHEBAGS” is located a short distance away from the speaker system. The pit contains cans of diet soda or sugar-free brands such as Zevia. These soda cans are inert and do not display the same anomalous properties that SCP-3905-B instances do. To date, no diet or sugar-free cans have become instances of SCP-3905-B.
1. Commonly referred to and measured as a 12 ounce can in the United States.
autonomous_cceuclidfoodjam-con2018liquidlocationsapientscp_tropical
page revision: 18, last edited: 31 Mar 2019 02:48
Witchipedia
The online encyclopedia of magick, folklore and the occult
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Community Game Design Projects
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US to turn over used helicopters to PAF
WE DESERVE BETTER - CHIZ
The United States government will turn over refurbished helicopter to the country's air force but the senate national defense committee chairman is not impressed.
Senator Chiz Escudero today said the five used helicopter which the Philippine Air Force will formally receive next week show how the American government looks at our country, considering we have been one of the oldest ally of US in Southeast Asia.
Escudero pointed out that we have been a good ally and that the country deserves better treatment than being dumped with aged assets.
The five helicopters are under the President of the United States (POTUS) program and is part of the 20 units pledged by former Us President George Bush, Jr.
"While it is a fact that our air force is in dire need of air assets, we should not be ecstatic about these helicopters. Thank you but we have to remind our so called ally that we are not mendicants who will jump with joy with hand-me-downs".
The senator said the US government should do its allies well by well-deserved support and assistance, and not by some peanut hand out. "After all, we stuck our necks out for the US in their dire need" Escudero said.
Ahead of 2022 polls, Gatchalian seeks tax exemption for election honoraria of teachers, poll workers
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Robert J. Avrech: Emmy Award winning screenwriter. Movie fanatic. Helplessly and hopelessly in love with my wife since age nine.
ESPN Pulls Announcer from Game Because His Name is Robert Lee
August 24, 2017 by Robert J. Avrech 3 Comments
Fo those too stupid to tell the difference; Robert Lee, a living Asian-American sports announcer, is on the left. Robert E. Lee, a dead Confederate General, is on the right. They are not the same person, nor are they related. If you are offended by the living Asian-American Robert Lee because of his name you are a moron… and a racist.
The other day I wrote that the latest leftist hysteria, tearing down Confederate monuments, is but one sign of leftist craziness.
Of course the left has come through like champs and proven just how right I was.
From Truth Revolt
On Tuesday, ESPN made an announcement that Asian-American college football announcer Robert Lee was yanked from an upcoming University of Virginia football game because, well, ESPN is run by idiots:
“We collectively made the decision with Robert to switch games as the tragic events in Charlottesville were unfolding, simply because of the coincidence of his name. In that moment it felt right to all parties. It’s a shame that this is even a topic of conversation and we regret that who calls play by play for a football game has become an issue.”
It is impossible to parody the left. When I said that the left was eventually going to ban Gone With The Wind, a few readers wrote to me privately and wondered if I weren’t taking things too far.
Being on the left is a sign of mental illness . That is not hyperbole. It is a simple fact.
The violent Communist/anarchist Jew-hating Antifa are being embraced and defended by many in the mainstream media and the Democrat party, the relentless attacks on Trump, the blood libels about Nazis in the White House, the nonsense about collusion with the Ruskies — all this is just part of the ongoing attempt to nullify the last election by the bewildered, crazed left.
The reasons Hillary lost the election are actually quite simple:
Barack Obama made America weak, and her enemies bold.
Hillary is a corrupt liar.
The left is insane.
So: no matter how unfortunate President Trump’s rhetoric, many Americans choose to focus on what he does.
He is, in fact, a rather conventional President, with conventional Republican policies.
Compared to the hysterics who run the media empires and the Democrat party, Trump is, um, ordinary.
Anyway, I sincerely hope that the left continues their Maoist cultural revolution. Let them focus on the Asian-American Robert Lees of the world. Let them agitate for same sex bathrooms, same sex sports teams, the tearing down of monuments, the destruction of history. You just watch, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Mt. Rushmore are on the chopping block. Let CNN, MSNBC, ESPN, The New York Times, and all the other leftist outlets continue their jihad against Trump.
Their unhinged behavior practically guarantees a second term for President Trump.
Filed Under: America, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton Tagged With: Antifa, Confederate Monuments, ESPN, Robert E. Lee, Robert Lee
Bill Brandt says
Robert – that last picture is hysterical! I have to borrow that! What saddens me is that I know UVA is a nice conservative school. They have even had an honor code guaranteeing expulsion for even bouncing a check (although I have heard that they have liberalized the code since I was there),
But between the bogus Rolling Stone article and this they certainly have been unfairly tarred.
sennacherib says
Heh, you know there is an obvious resemblance there, maybe Old Light Horse Harry met someone while he was in the islands. I love these people (MSM, ESPN, the Left, Antifa), like you say just keep it up.
You know Robert they are losing, with the MSM as their mouthpiece cheerleaders it’s hard to tell except their hysteria gives them away. The best part is they think they are winning, that’s what they tell themselves, smugly all the time.
Glad you placed ‘moron’ ahead of ‘racist’. Stupidity, coupled with weakness is the dominant trait.
How I Married Karen
The new book
by Robert J. Avrech
Available in All Major Book Stores
Adobe Digital Edition's version is available through the Lulu store!
Robert J. Avrech
I'm an Emmy Award winning screenwriter. I'm also an observant Jew, a religious Zionist, a conservative Republican, and a member of the NRA. I've been writing and producing in Hollywood for over twenty-five years. But the focus of my life is my family: my radiant wife, Karen—with whom I have been in love with since I was nine years-old—and my two daughters, who, thankfully, look like Karen. Not too long ago, we had three children. But our son, Ariel, died at the age of twenty-two from cancer. We miss him terribly. We think about him practically every minute of every day. People tell us that time heals, but Karen and I know this is not true. Time grinds away doing its terrible work. Ariel is gone. Yet absence becomes presence.
Ariel Chaim Avrech, ZT'L, May His Righteous Memory be a Blessing.
Annual Ariel Avrech
Young Israel of Century City
NOTE: Click on video titles inside the thumbnail images, below, to open that video in YouTube
Sixteenth: August 25, 2019
“Torah Dedication in Memory of Ariel Chaim Avrech Z’L”
Blog Post | Audio: TBD
Fifteenth: June 10, 2018
Jackie Danicki: “Confessions of a Convert: A Humbling, Joyful Journey to Judaism.”
Blog Post | Audio: (94 MB)
Fourteenth: June 11, 2017
Daniel Greenfield: “Fighting Anti-Semitism and Defending Israel in the Age of BDS.”
Blog Post | Audio: (100 MB)
Thirteenth: May 22, 2016Ben Shapiro: “How You Can Save Israel”
Twelfth: June 7, 2015
Larry Elder: “The New Black Anti-Semitism”
Eleventh: June 8, 2014
Michael Medved: “Shifting Alliances: Why Liberals No Longer Reliably Support Israel — And Conservatives Do.”
Blog Post | Audio: (97MB)
Tenth: June 9, 2013
David Horowitz: “The War Against Judaism on the University Campus.”
Ninth: June 3, 2012
Joel B. Pollak: “The Mainstream Media’s Betrayal of Israel.”
Eighth: June 5, 2011
Yossi Klein Halevi: “What is Expected of a Survivor People: Lessons My Father Taught Me.”
Seventh: June 13, 2010
Dennis Prager: “Happiness is a Mitzvah, Not an Emotion.”
Sixth: June 21, 2009
Rabbi Steven Pruzansky: “Conformity in Jewish Life: Vice, Virtue or Affectation?”
Fifth: June 15, 2008
Rabbi Dr. Gil S. Perl: “What Was the Rosh Yeshiva Reading: Intellectual Openness in 19th Century Lithuania.”
Alfred Hitchcock Al Sharpton Anna May Wong Audrey Hepburn Ava Gardner Benjamin Netanyahu Bette Davis Big Government Brigitte Bardot Carole Lombard Cary Grant Clark Gable Dovima Edward Hopper Elizabeth Taylor Gary Cooper Grace Kelly Greta Garbo Hillary Clinton Hollywood Iran Irving Penn IslamoNazis Israel Jean Harlow Jeremiah Wright Jew-hatred Joan Crawford Karen Singer Avrech Kim Novak Lana Turner Liberal Facism Ma'ayan Ariel Marilyn Monroe Marlene Dietrich Myrna Loy Nuclear Iran Obama Prager University Richard Avedon Rick McGinnis Rita Hayworth Tobi Kahn Vintage Cars Wrist Watches
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Sun Jan 12th: Kim Stanley Robinson & Cecilia Holland
Doors open 6:00pm
Event begins 6:30pm
At the American Bookbinders Museum
Sun Feb 23rd: Juliette Wade
Next Movie
Thes. July 2nd – Spiderman: Far From Home
Film starts 6:00pm
Tickets must be bought from the Balboa.
Check out the Balboa’s full schedule here http://www.cinemasf.com/balboa/.
The American Bookbinders Museum
Balboa Theatre
Soma FM
Borderlands Books
San Francisco Science Fiction Conventions
SF&F Ebook specialists
← Hannu Rajaniemi & Christopher Brown Podcast
January Reading – Kim Stanley Robinson & Cecilia Holland
January 3rd, 2020 · No Comments
Our January event will once again feature Kim Stanley Robinson & Cecilia Holland. Each author will read a selection from their work, followed by conversation and Q&A with the audience, moderated by author Terry Bisson.
$8 for students with valid high school or college ID card
Doors at 6PM
Event begins at 6:30PM
Books for sale courtesy of Borderlands Books; feel free to bring titles from home for signing. Note: 3 books at a time, then back in line, please, so everyone has a chance to get their books signed
Event podcasted, courtesy of SOMA FM, San Francisco’s premier internet radio station.
366 Clementina, off 5th St.,, between Howard & Folsom. Street parking is free; garages are at 5th & Mission, and 3rd & Folsom. NOTE: there is NO access to Clementina from 4th St due to construction.
All proceeds go to the American Bookbinders Museum
KIM STANLEY ROBINSON is an American writer of science fiction. He has published 19 novels and many short stories but is best known for his Mars books. His work has been translated into 24 languages. Many of his novels and stories have ecological, cultural, and political themes running through them and feature scientists as heroes. Robinson has won numerous awards, including the Hugo Award for Best Novel, the Nebula Award for Best Novel and the World Fantasy Award.
Robinson’s work has been labeled by The Atlantic as “the gold-standard of realistic, and highly literary, science-fiction writing.” According to an article in The New Yorker, Robinson is “generally acknowledged as one of the greatest living science-fiction writers.”
CECELIA HOLLAND is an American historical fiction author, also well-known for her science fiction novel, Floating Worlds. Her first novel, The Firedrake, was published in 1966, and Holland has been a full-time professional writer ever since. Her character-driven plots, scrupulously researched, are often developed from the viewpoint of a male protagonist.
With plenty of action (her battle scenes are noteworthy for their bottom-up viewpoint and understated verisimilitude), her work focuses primarily on the life of the mind—whatever that might mean in a particular culture—and especially on politics, in the broadest sense, whatever politics might be in a monarchical, feudal or tribal society. Holland lives in rural Humboldt County, CA. For ten years, Holland taught creative writing classes at Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City, CA. She was visiting professor of English at Connecticut College in 1979. Holland was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1981–1982.
Since 2004, SF in SF has offered readings, films, and special events in the Bay Area for readers of science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction. Hosted by Terry Bisson, past guests have included Connie Willis, Gene Wolfe, Laurie King, Nancy Kress, Lev Grossman, Samuel R. Delany, Patrick Rothfuss, Gail Carriger, Cory Doctorow, Peter S. Beagle, and many others. We hope you will join us!
Tags: Cecilia Holland · Kim Stanley Robinson · Readings
Hannu Rajaniemi & Christopher Brown Podcast
Join Charlie Jane Anders & Annalee Newitz in Conversation
An Evening with Garth Nix
September Reading – Hannu Rajaniemi & Christopher Brown
July Reading – Vylar Kaftan & Megan O’Keefe
Spiderman: Far From Home
Special Event – Tales for the Camp Fire
May Reading – Guy Gavriel Kay, Simon Vance & Ransom Stephens
April Reading – Peter S. Beagle & Jaymee Goh
Cory Doctorow & Rudy Rucker
Gregory Benford & Paul Park
Tad Williams & Lisa Goldstein
Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson
Howard Hendrix & Scott Sigler
Kage Baker & Eliot Fintushel
Karen Joy Fowler & Molly Gloss
Peter S. Beagle & Mark Ferrari
Paolo Bacigalupi & Carter Scholz
Jeffrey Ford & Tim Pratt
Patricia McKillip & David Lunde
John Shirley & Daniel Marcus
Carol Emshwiller and Pat Murphy
Jay Lake and Susan Palwick
Michael Shea and Michael Blumlein
Nick Mamatas & David Levine
Litquake: Baker, Lansdale, Rucker & Bottoms
Barry Malzberg, Kim Stanley Robinson & Cecilia Holland
Ellen Klages, Geoff Ryman & Nalo Hopkinson
Aimee Bender & Sean Stewart
Aimee Bender
Brian Herbert
Carol Emshwiller
Carter Scholz
David Levine
David Lunde
Deborah Grabien
Eliot Fintushel
Elizabeth Lynn
Heather Shaw
Howard Hendrix
James Clemens / James Rollins
Jeffrey Ford
John Shirley
Kage Baker
Karen Joy Fowler
Lisa Goldstein
Mark Ferrari
Marta Randall
Michael Blumlein
Michael Kurland
Michael Shea
Michaela Roessner
Molly Gloss
Nalo Hopkinson
Paolo Bacigalupi
Patricia McKillip
Paul Park
Richard Lupoff
Rudy Rucker
Sean Stewart
Susan Palwick
Tim Pratt
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DM of the Rings CXXXIV:
By Shamus Posted Monday Aug 13, 2007
Filed under: DM of the Rings 163 comments
DM of the Rings CXXXIII:
StrategificationsPrevious Post
Next PostDM of the Rings CXXXV:
There and Back Again
Players tend to treat horses like motorcycles: They are vehicles which can go anywhere you can walk, will never wander off, have no fear, feel no pain, and can travel at top speed for as long as you like.
And if you think players abuse the rules surrounding backpacks, just wait until they get their hands on the greatest of all interdimensional containers, saddlebags.
My picks for what was important, awesome, or worth talking about in 2016.
DM of the Rings
Both a celebration and an evisceration of tabletop roleplaying games, by twisting the Lord of the Rings films into a D&D game.
Megatextures
A video discussing Megatexture technology. Why we needed it, what it was supposed to do, and why it maybe didn't totally work.
Artless in Alderaan
People were so worried about the boring gameplay of The Old Republic they overlooked just how boring and amateur the art is.
What Does a Robot Want?
No, self-aware robots aren't going to turn on us, Skynet-style. Not unless we designed them to.
163 thoughts on “DM of the Rings CXXXIV:
Browncoat says:
I find your lack of pants disturbing. . .
The DM should know better than to try to part a player from their loot, even if it defies all logic for them to still have it.
Karkki says:
Felagund says:
Once my DM actually gave me a magical teleporting device, just so everyone could avoid the inconveniences of mundane cross-continental travel.
I miss that little magic box.
Snake says:
ZAP says:
Monday Jan 10, 2011 at 2:52 am
Where’s Archie? Is he in this campaign?
Mordae says:
Riverdale? Far more likely he left his pants in Edoras…
drezta says:
it gets worse in campaigns were there is loot and the party is carrying a city sized pile of gold coins between them
roxysteve says:
When I play I often refuse to ride (and put no points into the skill), and insist on travelling by cart. The players hate me right up until it comes time for an encumberance check, when I become the bestest friend everyone ever had.
Evrae says:
Every Dm should know that when the time arrives all players are Guybrush Threepwood and have all the loot they could possably ever want on them when they see a merchant.
I think the next comic should be a screen-cap one based on Citizen Kane.
Yes, this is my “Hearst Post”.
Invictus says:
Man, ain’t that the truth? They either abuse horses and saddlebags, or they go through horses like water, buying one at each town they come to, since they always seem to be going into places that are inaccessible to horses (and yet, they buy them to travel TO these places…then end up leaving them at the entrance). Amusingly, as a result, the players in my current campaign have a rule: never name your horse. Hehehe.
Spot on comic, as usual, Shamus
Beckyzoole says:
Gondor has no pants. Gondor needs no pants.
Perfect, I once played a BESM campaign where i was a gnome mage with “hammerspace” or literally, the area behind my back underneath the trenchcoat was a garage sized area that could hold a car (modern setting) and all the weapons and gear that we could need. saved us time and worries, but we abused it horribly.
Zynia says:
My DM does fear checks on the horse. Getting bucked off in the middle of battle while the horse runs off to save its own hide is always fun.
Aaahhh… The “we didn’t leave the horses behind” argument. It’s like a rite of passage every DM must suffer through.
azureknight says:
Always hilarious Shamus!
The hardest I have laughed yet in the series was the “wearing enough metal to make a buick” so if he could swim it so could the horses. Caught me off-guard. I look forward to reading it every MWF.
Purple Library Guy says:
Beckyzoole: Bwahaha!
Uri says:
I laughed myself silly; my wife asked what’s so funny. The pants… the pants… Jesus, this was one of the best strips ever.
El Capitan says:
Just as a side note, I may be wrong, but I’m pretty sure that was “Rivendale”, not “Riverdale”. I don’t recall seeing a member of Archie’s gang in that section.
Lune says:
Ahaha saddlebags. They transcend RP phenomena. Anyone remember the magical saddlebag (permanently attached to horse) in Harvest Moon: Back to Nature? Anything you put in the saddlebag would automatically go into the sales bin. It didn’t matter how many squishy tomatoes you stuffed in it.
BillionSix says:
Um, El Capitan? You do know that it’s a running gag in this strip that the players can’t remember the names of any of the people and places, right?
The author knows it’s Rivendale. The player probably can’t remember his own character’s name. ;)
Calmypal says:
It’s a joke, Capitan. The name of the city is Rivendell.
Ooh, ninja’d!
Nikodemus says:
Rivendell *groans*
“Gondor has no pants. Gondor needs no pants.” – someone’s watched the Bakshi cartoon lately?
(Aragorn, for some reason, forsook pants in favor of a leather loincloth for that movie.)
Cenobite says:
There is one way to get around this: have 1 player make a character that is completely attached to his/her horse at the hip. A knight with a lance. A peddler with a cart. Etc. This guarantees that (1.) all horses traveling with the party get considered in methods of travel, and (2.) nobody violates encumbrance rules. It’s a win-win situation for players and DM alike.
Best of all, (3.) dead horses can be rendered down for emergency food rations.
Telas says:
“Rivendell” says the fanboy…
Ah, the horse – source of more RPG arguments than anything but Diplomacy. Having a player with some horse experience is invaluable in a game.
Aside: I once got flamed on the WotC boards for suggesting that a person would move slower through shin-deep mud than a horse would. I was told that deep mud kills horses; having grown up in a rural area, this was news to me.
(Yes, horses can catch some pretty nasty conditions from deep mud, but that’s like saying that a cut from a rusty nail kills you instantly.)
There is one way to get around this: have 1 player make a character that is completely attached to his/her horse at the hip.
Force players to be centaurs? Radical, but it might just work.
[Telas] Silly boy. You must know by now that facts and actual experience are of no importace in a net brawl.
oldschoolGM says:
Always…ALWAYS ask the PC “What are you doing with your horses”. If you forget and you can’t convince they players they shouldn’t have them, kill the horses off at the next most inconvenient for the players.
Did Aragorn just used logic?? 0.o. I’m shocked Shamus! You should know better than to have him use logic!
Reverend Jim says:
My gaming groups will beg/borrow/steal/buy a portable hole as quick as they can. NOT ONLY will it hold all the loot. It can carry the dead/petrified PC’s and even be an offensive weapon.
Two characters, an illusionist and a bard, found themselves in a treasure room with a statue of a rather nasty dwarf with a hammer for one hand and a spike for the other. Spidy-sense told them it was a guardian.
Knowing they would get pulped if they activated it, they opened up the portable hole immediately in front of the statue. One character touched a chest while the other stood by the hole. The golem animated and fell into the hole where he was wrapped up.
The illusionist and bard made off with the loot and the golem was saved for the following week when the party’s fighters would rejoin the game.
Of course Aragorn is using logic now. Ever since he found out he was king, he’s been going to night school to learn how to be a king. (Next week, he learns the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow. The week after, he finds what he had learned the previous week is only for African swallows.)
scldragonfish says:
Ahhh the bag of holding! I managed to stuff a cooler of body parts in mine. Don’t ask…
Mattingly says:
Consulting this map should remind them where they left the horses.
http://www.ooblick.com/text/tomordor/
Al Shiney says:
The “Whose side are you on” line is paraphrased differently in our group. The absolute, never-forget, don’t do under penalty of character death A#1 rule above all others is:
“Don’t help the DM!” (usually yelled loudly in chorus)
Sorely McFister says:
OldschoolGM “If you forget and you can't convince they players they shouldn't have them, kill the horses off at the next most inconvenient for the players.”
I definitely agree with oldschoolGM, if a player abuses a rule and gets away with it, I usually make them pay in spades later. It’s a karma thing :)
P.S. – I once had a player cry when I killed her dapple grey gelding she named Shadow Mist. She spent 30 minutes writing its description and personality, I think I killed it the first five minutes of game play. C’est la gare
C'est la gar
“It’s the station”????
willk_1230 says:
“We leave the horses behind.”
/snicker
what a difference an apostrophe makes! :)
Hanov3r says:
In the campaign I’m currently part of, a significant amount of gold was stolen from the town coffers. We managed to find it… only to discover that 30,000 gold pieces in a large-ish chest is just a *bit* more than the Earth Genasi Barbarian with 20 STR was able to carry.
At least he was able to push the chest to where the horses were. Quadrapeds get that extra bonus for bein’ 4-legged, dontcha know.
Absolutely Brilliant!
I was hard pressed to keep the laughing to a low enough level that my fellow cube-farmers were not disturbed/curious/jealous. :D
Sevenhills says:
My players have never let me forget the time they left their horses securely hobbled so they couldn’t wander off while the PCs were in the dungeon. Shame they forgot they were in stirge country…
Melfina the Blue says:
The ultimate soln to the horse problem…
a flying horse that turns into a human that also serves as a squire. I have no idea how our paladin got this person/creature’s loyalty, but it works.
corwin says:
I was in a campaign recently when the departure of a player happened to coincide with our party entering a dungeon. Throughout our dungeon crawl, I kept voicing my fear that Alestor was sitting up there in his camp, eating our horses. When we made it out of the dungeon, discovering that several months had passed, we discovered the DMs had been listening; Alestor had indeed eaten the horses.
Romanadvoratrelundar says:
@38, I think that was “c’est la guerre”, spelt American. You probably new that, but you know, compulsive pedant here.
Carra says:
Cheers, lovely comic with a great clou :)
melchar says:
But horses can also be fun for a referee. I have a player in one game who has a horse that faints whenever it feels threatened. Now sometimes the horse is actually fainting – especially when blood splashes nearby – but most of the time it has learned that if it falls down that #1, his owner runs over and kills all the monsters nearby and then #2, the horse then gets a big food treat when it ‘wakes up’.
Ambidexter says:
“Enough metal to make a Buick” was one of the best lines ever, Shamus.
Remus says:
Great, Tardis backpack, Tardis Saddlebag.
Scarlet Knight says:
roxysteve & Cenobite Say:”There is one way to get around this: have 1 player make a character that is completely attached to his/her horse at the hip.
I once played a centaur (well, a polymorphed dwarf to be technical.) It was great fun until I was faced with a ladder…
Browncoat, I believe you made a spelling error. To learn how to be King a ranger goes to KNIGHT school…
To #35 – Thank you for Quest Map, which apparently gives better directions than Mapquest. :-D
And to #31… It’s not that he’s using logic. More like he hit the merry-go-round and kept it spinning until he figured out the best way to push the DM off. It wasn’t well-reasoned arguments, it was grasping at straws and actually grabbing the correct one.
BlckDv says:
Oh; you called me out.
A week ago yesterday at our D&D game my Gnome Paladin declared that he was going to cram the clockwork spider we had just defeated into his saddlebag to sell to mechanics back in the city.
The same saddlebags he had crammed all the metal ingots in from the workshop earlier.
The same saddlebags that on an earlier quest we stuck the secret book in, dismissed the mount while the guards trying to keep the book from getting home searched the PCs, and then re-summoned in the sanctuary of the church that wanted the book… at least that led to RP with the priest outraged at a camel in his church.
My PCs’ Divine Camel must be about fed up with being FedEx by now.
Namfoodle says:
Horses aren’t worth the trouble unless the campaign is set up to avoid problems. You’re okay if all the encounters happen in or near towns, on the same continent, etc.
If your adventures require you to cross oceans, hang out in floating castles, or go to other planes or other such nonsense, horses are right out.
In my current campaign, we’re 11th level and our butts have only touched the backs of horses once since 1st level. The horses were provided to us by our employer and we dropped them off at our destination town.
Other than that, we walk, take boats, airships, sleds, fly, teleport, etc.
brassbaboon says:
I don’t know what’s funnier, that the King of Gondor is trying to figure out how to finagle his horse onto a ship when he literally owns entire herds of horses just outside his window, or that the DM has forgotten that a King doesn’t need to carry horses through tunnels and across rivers, a King just needs to say “I need a horse. And two more for my buddies.” I’m pretty sure by the time he got outside, he’d have three horses saddled up. And I’m quite certain that for this character one horse is as good as another.
It’s good to be the king.
One reason I enjoy running low level campaigns is that I don’t have to kill myself trying to overcome the game-breaking capabilities of certain magic items. I know a player who turned a bag of holding into an extra-dimensional kingdom where he raises dragons. I guess those were old D&D rules, but his character still has the castle and the dragons, so I guess it was all grandfathered in…
One of my favorite DM moments was when the group of characters in my campaign finally killed off a major dragon in his lair, complete with the fairy-tale pile of gold and treasure. Oh they were really happy, until they realized that between them they could only carry a tiny fraction of the treasure trove. Undeterred one player came up with the idea of building a cart and capturing some wild goats to pull it. Unfortunately the cart building and goat herding kept getting interrupted by brigands who had somehow heard the news that the dragon was dead. Pretty soon they were besieged in the dragon lair, running out of food and water.
The lead player finally vented his frustration, accusing me of deliberately thwarting their attempts to recover all the treasure. My response was “Well, for years this treasure trove has been the envy of every brigand, raider, bandit or nearby king, but they had given up on killing the dragon to get it. Now they just have to kill you.”
They finally got the message, grabbed the choicest loot they could, and scampered out the back secret passage. Behind them they heard the beginning of an epic battle.
They never really forgave me for that….
Gnome on a divine camel. That’s sweet.
My gnome wizard has to constantly fend off suggestions that he ride in the backpack of one of the other (all medium sized) characters.
Damn my stubby legs (and 20 foot move)!
HuntingDM says:
Mounts are great in an adventure, its the consistant killing of them by the party that gets annoying.
OH! Look an owlbear. I’ll charge it and jump off to attack it. What do you mean its eating my horse.
Remember monsters like to eat the soft squishy animals more than the hard two leggers with the big sharp weapons.
Oh my god, somebody has noticed me posting and started talking about it. That is just like this comic, it is so…. Pimp!
FYI “pimp” is the new “awesome”
Kano says:
Hey, are you really the Purple Library Guy from SFU?
For those not in the know, Purple Library Guy is (was?) an institution at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby. An eclectic and highly recognizable character. There was an interview with him in the Peak student newspaper (he apparently has a real name too, but it’s less memorable) and even a comic strip featuring him.
One of the best strips yet!
Again, the comments after are as good as the comic! Bravo!
Dreamelf says:
I find myself amazed that most who ride horses, like Roy from OOTS, have 2 or fewer ranks in ride. Why don’t opponents dethrone them then take the AOO as they stand up more often?
Also, there is another great solution to the horse problem: Phantom Steed. Lost it? It vanished, no worries. Need one again? Recast it. My gnome illusionist (w/Shadowcraft Mage) can make one of those last all day, and it’s a great way to bypass the whole issue of mud, snow, crossing a body of water, etc. I’m surprised more don’t take it.
Here’s the interview I’m talking about:
http://www.peak.sfu.ca/the-peak/99-1/issue9/theplg.html
Oh and yeah, great strip. We have the same issue with vehicles as we do with steeds. Vehicles are less likely to wander off but more likely to be stipped of hubcaps.
Aries says:
just dont ask how they work…disbelief and denial are the source of the saddlebags power. only through complete lack of logic can 5ft broadsword fit in a 2ft square bag…
meh, Phantom Steed is okay, they do move pretty quick right out of the box. 100 ft at 5th level, which is as good as a hippogriff’s fly speed.
But by the time you’re high enough level to get the cool stuff (waterwalking, etc.) other methods of transport are available, like teleport and overland flight.
And they’re pretty easy to “kill”. The AC is better than a real horse (without barding), but they have fewer hit points until you’re really high level.
WJS says:
Sunday Jun 22, 2014 at 7:21 am
So what if higher level spells can provide alternatives? It’s not like they make Phantom Steed obsolete. Even at level 20, teleport can only move seven people, while a mage on a Phantom Steed can join any sized group, including one with vehicles. It can also only reliably take you places you’re familiar with.
As for Overland Flight, it’s a great spell that can last all day, but it’s not fast. At level 9, a Phantom Steed is 4.5 times faster, rising to 6 times faster at level 12. For high-speed movement, Phantom Steed wins. Plus, you can summon a Steed for your friends if you want, Overland Flight is strictly a personal spell.
I’m obviously not trying to say Phantom Steed is better in every way, but it’s not worse in every way either.
Caius says:
If Diablo and WOW can have a stash that follows you from town to town, characters can have the saddle bag of holding. That is until 20 Bulletts attack the party, dragging all the horses below the earth. Muwhahahaha cackles the vengeful DM!
Lycoris says:
Great captures! Third panel especially got a full fledged LOL from me. (Ok, maybe more of a giggle-snort, but don’t tell anyone.)
World of Warcraft has amazing bags to carry all kinds of stuff in, too. I’ve carried a dozen rotting bear carcasses alongside my food and water, with no problems!
haashaastaak says:
this is one of the best strips. I’m not sure whether it’s because the normally clueless characters actually tricked the GM or because the argument is so silly. I won’t recap the arguments already made about that except to say I wondered what the citizens of the city would think when they saw their king trying to sell a bunch of stolen weapons that he got from their most important ally. The screen caps are good as usual.
ZackTheSTGuy says:
Our group actively avoids the use of horses in our campaigns for precisely this reason.
jabbers says:
“(Next week, he learns the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow. The week after, he finds what he had learned the previous week is only for African swallows.)”
Typical of the education system.
learn somthing,
learn it is mostly wrong,
learn exeptions
learn better ways.
learn it is mostly wrong, so on.
“Next week, he learns the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow. The week after, he finds what he had learned the previous week is only for African swallows.”
Parzival says:
In a dragon hunt I DMed, the party came up with a novel solution upon discovering the vanquished dragon had more treasure than the could possibly carry”” they proceeded to tie the dragon corpse to strategically placed stakes in the chamber, to make it appear as if the dragon were alive and rearing, ready to attack.
Didn’t work. I mean, get real. The local humanoids that had allied with the dragon walked in, saw his battered remains hanging from inch thick ropes, and promptly looted the place via the secret tunnels in the back.
Yeah, I was a mean DM. *evil grin*
Phooey. What’s the code for emoticons on this site?
Colin Says: FYI “pimp” is the new “awesome”
Oooooh! Now it makes sense! I sure feel silly about my previous Harpo Marx reference. By the way, what happened to the old “awesome”? We can still use it, right?
:) for a smile
;) for a wink
:P for sticking your tongue out
]:) for evil grin
:( for sad
Attorney At Chaos says:
I often play characters that have taken a Vow Of Poverty, which does away with quite a number of such problems (horses, saddlebags, etc.) In 1E and 2E this was considered QUITE unusual. When 3E came out with the Ascetic characters in the Book Of Exalted Deeds it became a bit more popular, but still rare.
And of course, 3E is where the Paladin’s Mount became dismissable and summonable. That made things easier for them, that’s for sure.
JoystickHero says:
We always tend to have at least one Large character (usually a Goliath, but occasionally a half-ogre) with 22+ strength, so encumbrance is rarely a problem.
TheDrone says:
Remember when he failed that fortitude save vs. the chick? He forgot his pants there.
Funny thing is, in the book the horses did brave the Paths of the Dead, journey to Pelargir, and travel by boat to Minas Tirith. And then presumably the Black Gate.
So, they’re actually following the book! Sort of.
Eric Towers says:
Mostly, I wonder … Dave et al. will be busy trying to put a small object (a torpedo) down the difficult to approach opening of a very explode-y object that just happens to be next to the massed forces of the bad guys, who just happen to be about to attack/destoy the good guys. Do you think he’ll listen to Sam’s words of encouragement, be killed by the creepy looking antagonist (who is apparently half dead, having been nearly killed in an earlier movie/strip), turn off his targeting computer, or actually get the Ring down the hole? (… now *I*’m confused …)
Yahzi says:
Build a buick… A new classic! :D
TwiddleStooch says:
Pure Awesome!
Luckily, nothing like this has come up in my games, yet :D
This whole thread is making me think about may own characters, some of whom are pretty high level. I have five characters ranging from level 12 to 14. None of them own a bag of holding. Two of them have large “homes” (more like “Keeps”). Two of them have mounts. One mount (for my 13th level Ranger) is a hippogriff. The other is a war horse. The other three just fly. One of them essentially has taken a vow of poverty and really only carries what his deity tells him he needs. The two with the “homes” have tons of stuff in their homes, but none of it is critical to their adventuring goals.
Mostly it works out like this. My arcane characters have a few rings, an amulet, maybe some bracers of a magic robe, a decent staff and some wands, and odds and ends like spell components. As they have gotten higher level they have found fewer needs (who needs grappling hooks when you can fly?) so they really don’t carry that much. A bag of holding would be nice maybe, but in general they just don’t need that much stuff.
My Illusionist is probably the best example. He has Ioun stones that free him from the need for water or food. He has the old Ring of Air Elemental Command, which allows him to fly (and do other cool stuff). He has a ring of wizardry which doubles his first and second level spells. A staff, a magic robe, some scrolls, maybe a potion or two… He hardly even needs a backpack anymore, unless he’s going on a long trip. Even if I had a bag of holding, I don’t know what I’d put in it. His role in battle is to confuse the enemy until he can bring some heavy artillery to bear. It’s not like he needs to carry a sherman tank with him. He IS the heavy artillery.
Maybe he’s deprived and has never gotten his share of treasure compared with other campaigns. He’s certainly never needed to dump a mountain of gold coins into a bag of holding. I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t want to even if he had the opportunity. He’s just not that greedy. He likes to travel light, and he may not have many magic items, but what he has are pretty cool. A bag of holding would just turn into a garage that he’d need to clean out from time to time…
Gadush Kraun says:
Tuesday Aug 14, 2007 at 12:47 am
if backbacks are invisible leather tarti (plural of tartus?) what are saddlebags?
Kidoryu says:
I remember one of my worst experiences of a player out witting me. IT was at the very start of the campaign, I decided to let my players start at lvl 15, and the amount of money the DM’s guide suggests for characters starting at that level.
One Of my players, a wizard, decided he would forgo starting with magic items of any kind, and just keep the money, subtracting a small amount for basic traveling gear and a few spellbooks.
Impressed by his lack of greed,(and ignorant of all the item creation feats he had taken) I gave him a good chunk of exp as a bonus. Which he promtly used to create all the magic items he wanted, and a reduced cost. Since I don’t impose time restrictions until a player actually meets another player, (or npc that a player has significantly influenced), he had all the time in the world to gather raw materials and such.
Of course, I could have simply inflated the price of said materials, but I figured, he went through all that trouble to outwit me, I’d just let him have his way… And never award a player xp for self-induced poverty again.
Doyle, Lord Of Asgard says:
My PCs never carry around any loot from monsters unless its magical.
Its good to have non-goober players…
most of the time.
inq101 says:
I have discovered the secret of getting players to look after their mounts.
HATS!
No realy, hats.
One of my first D&D games I gave my characters horse a straw hat, but had to leave the game for a couple of months shortly after. When I returned I found that the rest of the party had been feeding and caring for the horse religiously (and actualy had been RPing it rather than ‘I buy a months worth of hay for the horse’)
Since then all the games I’ve run where a horse, pony, mule or riding-lizard turned up wearing a hat (sometimes with a feather in it) has ended up with players aquiring the horse (etc, etc) and TREATING IT WELL (they even let a NPC starve so they could feed the riding-lizard).
xbolt says:
“Highly illogical.”
Still funny, though. :D
Fickle says:
I think the best item I ever got in an RP was when the god of war, Ares, offered one item to each player and I opted for a backpack with no size limit on the inside that could keep anything in pristine condition and always give me exactly what I was looking for.
All the other players just went all, “Uh… What do we ask a god for?”
Ah, the joys of text-based RP and muns whose chars are relatively normal. XD
Little Gen says:
Weeeeell, I remember a campaign where two of the players had actually ridden and taken care of horses for several years, and besides we all had characters who by definition were very attached to their horses… The GM just had to swim with it, we spent _ages_ taking care of our beasts. We even skipped some skirmishes in order to save the horses!
bibble says:
This is why my GM always pays great detail to these things. It makes it easier for everyone else too, cos no-one has whopping great piles of stuff with them.
Skeeve the Impossible says:
*Homer Jay Simpson*
“I have misplaced my pants”
Players might be better about this if actual fantasy novelists were. Alas, they are infamous. From Diana Wynne Jones’s Tough Guide to Fantasyland:
“Horses are of a breed unique to Fantasyland. They are capable of galloping full-tilt all day without a rest. Sometimes they do not require food or water. They never cast shoes, go lame or put their hooves down holes, except when the Management deems it necessary, as when the forces of the DARK LORD are only half an hour behind…. Nor do they ever make life difficult for Tourists by biting or kicking their riders or one another…. Horses can be used just like bicycles, and usually are.”
Later on she proposes that they breed by pollination. I love DWJ.
The worst example of this I can think of came in one of Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories (don’t ask why I was reading these. Also, never mention “mighty thews” to me again. Ever) in which a naked woman runs out of a tent, jumps onto a nearby horse, rides it at a gallop BAREBACK for several hours, falls off, and is apparently still in shape to be ravished. The visualizations alone made me walk with my legs crossed for days, but apparently Howard had never sat on a horsehair couch….
Valley says:
I thought they ate their horses?
Maddyanne says:
Diana Wynne Jones is so very good. Every fantasy writer should read the Tough Guide, not to mention all her other books.
Thenodrin says:
I remember breaking an adventure with Phantom Steed once.
The event called for us to be placed on a ship, take a week to get where we were going, and stop the enemy from burning down a church.
So, I cast Phantom Steed 6 times, and we out-paced the ship, got there in a day and a half, and lay in ambush for the people who were supposed to be in the process of razing the church as we got there.
Of course, the dumb thing was that after the DM “fixed” the event by having the attack happen as we got there regardless of what day it was, then the NPC who sent us to protect the temple Teleported to us, and Teleported us to the next target.
Which, of course, led us to wonder what the point was of failing to adequately protect the first target. Why couldn’t he have Teleported us in the first place?
Theno
Fun indeed.
I once played a sorcerer who specialised in shapechanging. His favourite shape? Centaur (The ref goofed early on, then agreed that it was more fun if I could do this so left it in). The others thought it was great to have a horse-on-demand.
They began to notice that my the sorcerer’s favourite down-time occupation was persuading good-looking NPC women with shiny boots to come out for a canter. It wasn’t long before none of the female PCs would ride ol’ Mr Centaur on account of his constant oily instructions to hold on tight with their shiny, shiny boots. No, tighter. (You have to put the right amount of letchery into the voice when you do this sort of thing).
I hasten to add I had no back story or goal when I did this other than to freak out certain players who were taking me for granted and driving me crazy with constant PHB rules-lawyering.
In the end they stopped asking the sorcerer to be a cart horse/motorbike and started treating me with a bit more respect as a player.
The same thing happened when they found out I could cast Stoneskin. The components for that spell are costly, but I was never offered so much as an extra copper piece for what they expected as a right. So I invented my own little chant for the vocal component, and elaborated on how the material component was applied (and not one of these rule lawyers thought to check in the PHB!). I told them I had to rub special ointment on their (bare) skin and sing “The Ointment Song”, a little calypso that went: “Let me rub your body, your lovely, lovely body“. I think the strongest willed of our (lady) fighters held out for four applications then declared that she thought she could do without the spell’s protection for the rest of the campaign.
Much fun.
That’s hilarious. Aren’t Sorcerers supposed to have charisma, though?
Jochi says:
Colin,
I know I’m fighting a losing battle here, as with “bad” meaning “cool”, but I’m going to try anyway.
Check dictionary.reference.com. Eight dictionary listings. The first meaning of that word in every case but the last two is ‘panderer’. The only other one of note applies in Australia and New Zealand where it means “stoolpigeon”. The last two have it as an acronym for “peeing in my pants”. Not a positive meaning anywhere. A pimp is an abuser of women and a trafficker in human misery, on a moral par with a rapist or a hard drug pusher. It does not mean “awesome” or “cool” or “stylin'” or anything else. It is an insult and to use it to describe a person or their craft is to invite them outside for a discussion with bare knuckles.
But, I suppose, in most of the eyes on this list, I date myself again.
Jindra34 says:
Jochi: Its not that your are out of date its that colin is trying to live in that which has yet to occur.
The last time I played d&d (in high school, when 2nd ed. was new), our DM had an unusual solution to the problem of infinite saddlebags. We worked out the encumbrance of a mule, and then had to put equipment lists on little file-cards, one for each beast of burden.
Mules and horses were either left outside (in which case there’s a 1/20 chance of it getting eaten by predators every day we leave it), or you have to take it into the dungeon.
In the dungeon, mules move at 6 squares/turn (4 if overladen). If the owner is nearby and there’s no obvious escape route, you can move it where you want. Otherwise, they move directly away from the scariest thing they can see (so you have a couple of guys at the back of the flock waving around weapons, to make all the mules keep moving).
At one point (around level 17 I think), we ran out of plastic mule/horse miniatures – a dungeon with 5 adventurers, 4 pet monsters, and 50 mules of loot carrying. Madness.
Now I run rather than play games, I’ve found a method that doesn’t involve so many numbers for working out encumbrance. I’ve printed up a ton of equipment cards for common items (and a few rare ones). Large/heavy items are printed on thick card, random treasures on cheap cardstock, and potions/rings/scrolls on paper. Each player has an envelope. The rule is, if you can get it in the envelope, you can carry it. Backpacks and mules get different sized envelopes, and some larger items have larger cards (or vice-versa)
DiscountNinja says:
Now matter how many times I read it, the first comment is stil hilarious …
“I find your lack of pants distrubing…”
GoldenHatAlfonso says:
Dictionaries!? We don’t need no… STINKING DICTIONARIES!
the granddaddy says:
33 Browncoat Says:
Of course Aragorn is using logic now. Ever since he found out he was king, he's been going to night school to learn how to be a king. (Next week, he learns the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow. The week after, he finds what he had learned the previous week is only for African swallows.)
Dude… what about the ” no quoting monty pithon ” rule? You made me imagine aragorn as the black knight, only stupider :P
Great one as allways shamus…will you tellus soon of your next proyect? Do i need to use the Cow-a-pult to know it?
Miles Tormani says:
Okay, Jochi, as much as I hate to say this (due to partially agreeing with you), but you really need to silence yourself on the topic. When you respond to people who say such seemingly innocent (but still annoying, sorry Colin) phrases, you are the one who is in the wrong.
Making such comments (especially in an online community such as this), as immature as it is, is a practice done mainly to elicit a reaction. Responding to such comments is often frowned upon, not only does it frequently waste more time and breath to make such responses than the original statement, but because the reaction is almost always exactly what the one who originally made the statement wanted, as Colin so eagerly pointed out here (“somebody has noticed me posting and started talking about it!”).
The practice of making such comments to elicit reactions on online communities is known as ‘trolling’, and the ‘troll’ is almost never the one accused due to the innocent demeanor of the comment (unless the community is horribly elitist).
On a separate page of this situation, as hypocritical as this may sound, I tire of people who are so offended by that which is different that they will go to great lengths to either insult said different person or talk behind their backs at any given opportunity. Go ahead, hate him, sure, but leave everyone else out of it.
In short, and to use an overused acronym: YHBT. YHL. HAND.
And now for something completely different. *shot by DM for MP reference*
I think my favorite part about this strip is the fact that I’ve done such things to get out of a BS situation imposed by the DM. No matter how logical they’re talking, if they’re being irrational with the punishment or order, counter with illogical arguments in a logical pattern. You’ll anger them to the point where they just throw their hands up in defeat and say “WHATEVER!” You teach them a bit on why not to power trip, and get your way too. :3
But wait, it gets better. If they try to salvage their side of it and throw another wrench at you (to “bite you in the rear later” so to speak), you can point out that they’re taking a personal vendetta out in the game, something that they themselves are the ones who usually say is absolutely not allowed.
Of course, if it ever gets that far, be ready to find a new DM. You might lose whatever loose ties of friendship you have with this one. :P
[Miles] I couldn’t understand your acronym (although it isn’t really an acronym unless it spells another word: what you typed is properly called “initial slang”. OSIT). I guess, for me, YHBT. YHL. HAND. is the new “pimp!“.
Seriously: If Colin can post single word posts that have no actual commentary value either to the comic or to the various threads underway in the comments section, then why are the “first post” posters banned by official fiet? There is no difference between them really (apart from everyone being able to understand the “first post” posts and not having to have them translated for them to make any kind of sense).
JM2C
I find the ‘first post’ fiasco to be about the same as the ‘Pimp!’ thing. Sure, it’s annoying sometimes, but all the people getting upset about it and making much longer comments than ‘lawl frst pozt’ tends to be more annoying. :\
Anyway, due to the length of my own post, that’s where the ‘I am a hypocrite’ part of my own statement comes in (especially since the whole thing was pretty much exactly what I was trying to say shouldn’t happen). I just think people need to calm down about both issues, really.
I’m really sorry for whatever ‘angry’ air I gave off with my previous post, and I promise it’ll be the last one on the subject.
Daza says:
first time posting. i love these comics! this was one of my favs – i’ve had similar arguments with my DMs. :o)
one solution I use is to play a rather ascetic monk, who moves faster (eventually) than a horse anyway. bag of holding for my gold and rations, and that’s about it. in 3ed boots and striding and springing were awesome, doubling move speed, until my DM got pissed that I essentially would run back and forth scouting terrain and outrunning any problems. he had a *stupid* ethereal filcher take the things. only those. no one else was bothered. the creature disappeared. goners. sigh. he was always pretty good at fixing unbalancing problems. 3.5ed boots were fixed too, sigh…
Jochi,
Yes, “pimp” is stupid slang, but as with language in any decade, words change meaning as slang evolves.
In this case, the “Pimp My Ride” meaning of the word is what is intended… I.E.- make it awesome.
I agree that it’s stupid, and I also hate the word “blog”, but it sure isn’t going away anytime soon. Best to just ignore it and hope that it fizizzles out.
(See what I did there?) :)
I remain amazed at how much conflict there seems to be between DMs and players. I’ve really never experienced that. All of my campaigns, both those I have run, and those that I have played in, have all been joint efforts to have fun and play the game as much by the rules as possible. What efforts there have been to confound either DM or player have been strictly done in fun and have been received that way. When I read about players slashing tires because a character died, or a character in tears because a mount has died, I have to shake my head and wonder whether some people should stick to playing cards.
What I like about this strip is not so much that it captures the inherent animosity of DM vs. player (because I haven’t experienced it that much) as that it frequently captures the dynamics of the game play where players routinely metagame situations to the point of reducing their own capacity for enjoyment of the game. When that happens in one of my campaigns I always ask the player “are you playing the game now? Or gaming the play? It’s a lot more fun to play the game.” Usually that gets a chuckle and the player gets back into character enough to stop perusing the monster manual or the treasure tables in the DM’s guide.
I wonder if there is a way to take some sort of poll of RPG-ers to find out how many have experienced such direct player-DM conflict. I hope I never run into it.
On the subject of horses: Once, my friends and I were doing a pirate themed campaign. We got a cart ride around a port town that was rather large, just so we could better explain our rapid travel everywhere (usually consisting of “soo…we’re there.”). In the twists and turns of events, due to events that aren’t our fault (debatable) the driver was killed while we hid in the back. The cart then became loot. At one point, we nearly the convinced the DM to let us bring it onboard our ship. Nearly giving in, he asked us why we wanted to. We responded “well, see, we want to build this ramp and use it as a launching point for boarding parties.” Soon after, we were all killed for speaking insolenlty to a ship’s captain armed with a lightning bolt ballistae.
Jeremy: who had the ballistae?
Tuesday Aug 14, 2007 at 10:20 pm
I play a Halfling Druid, mounted on a Riding Dog with 2 Guard dogs (only 25gp each) as pack animals, and they’ll fight for me. I’ve taken Combat Reflexes so that my dog Trips them and I take all those extra attacks against the foe trying to stand, or the +4 to hit.
And the dogs can follow me into dungeons so I don’t have to leave them behind, a simple rope harness can lower or raise them to areas.
And you can ride them all day at full gallop, they eat the dead foes, they carry a hefty weight because they’re quadrupeds. They overcome the Halfling reduced speed. Such a sweet, sweet option.
I smell rules abuse. All what attacks against an enemy getting up? You only get one AoO at once. And a full day’s gallop?!? You’re kidding, right? Forcing a mount to hustle for eight hours deals 127 points of damage. Riding dogs have 13 hp. You do the math.
paw says:
There was an interesting discussion on Usenet a long time ago about what people look for in a game; the results were written up into a document called the Threefold Model (link to a summary: http://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/theory/threefold/faq_v1.html).
This basically suggests that there are three main ways in which most people get enjoyment from a game. None is better than any of the others, they all have their place:
Dramatist people concentrate primarily on storylines and/or on maintaining a mood or setting.
Gamist people concentrate primarily on providing challenges for the player (as opposed to the characters they play).
Simulationist people concentrate primarily on making a consistent game world in which things happen by cause and effect rather then dramatic license.
These were not meant to be exclusive (there are many other models out there) and people don’t belong to only one category (most players and games emphasise all three categories at different times). This works
best when used as a discussion-starter to find out what a group expects from a game, rather than as a way of pigeon-holeing games into categories.
A couple of examples of how these can cause conflict:
A dramatist may want to change their character’s back-story or change a character’s stats to make him a better fit in the campaign; a GM may want to add a secret plot twist to the character’s back-story that the player only finds out about in-game. Other gamists/simulationists may consider this “cheating”.
If you come across a locked door that can’t be forced open, burned down, dug under, routed around, blown up or avoided, but can only be opened by solving a riddle, you have a gamist GM. This can infuriate non-Gamist players. In the same vein, saying “I’m hopeless at riddles, but my character has Wordplay: 6, so I’ll roll to see if I can open it.” will irritate a gamist GM who may have spent the bulk of their prep-time devising the riddle.
I think most of the arguments I’ve seen have been due to someone who has grown up in one basic category and thinks that it is the only way to play, suddenly coming into contact with another person who has grown up with other expectations, so now when I see these types of argument brewing I tend to email this to the people involved. For a
few minutes amusement, try going back over this excellent web comic and seeing which “mode” the GM and players are in at each time –just like real gaming sessions, they are not always consistent.
Apologies if this has been mentioned before.
Dean Steinlage says:
I remember a character who gave a small part of his treasure to a charity and toppled a countries economy.
Dean: Some one figured out that for the treasure tables in the DMs guide to be accurate some rediculuos percent of the money would have to be out in the hands of monsters… and i think the person figured out that 1% of a 15th level parties treasure would wreck a nation’s economy.
Zippy Wonderdog says:
Wednesday Aug 15, 2007 at 3:28 am
Hmm brings to m ind a player that was in a campaign with me, he looked at the list of weapons and equipment and basicly said “I’ll have one of each”.
Oh did I mention he was a halfling with above average strength?
Mitey Heroes says:
That’s mistreatment for a motorbike, let alone a horse!
Paw, that was interesting. I have had discussions like that in the past, but it was never in print (I called the categories: actors, soldiers, historians).
What players prefer often bleeds into “what is best”. Conflict comes not because multiple styles may play in one game, but the individual tolerances of each player vary. Hence Dave’s famous line : “Who let the role-player into the group!” (Get’s my vote for DMOTR’s top ten!)
But…Colin’s post dosen’t make sense even more in that case. Even with slang, English-speakers require a subject/transitive verb/object structure.
By this etymology, and interpolating “understood speech” to fill in the missing bits, Colin is actually saying ” [Shamus, you must] make awsome (some unspecified thing but presumably the webcomic which is somehow falling short in my estimation)!.
Slang is like jazz: it has to be structured. You can’t just say/play anything, or you end up making “gibberish”. It all comes down to that whole “meaning/saying” thing Alice had out with the Mad Hatter and Co.
(Smiling big when I wrote this).
[everybody] Anyway, King Aragormless has called for an all-hands-to-the-pumps, all-out, no-holds-barred, full-monty attack against Castle Mordor.
“Let’s Ride!”
Last one to the Black Gates of Mordor doesn’t end up hollowed out and used for a goblin’s jack-o-lantern.
Wednesday Aug 15, 2007 at 12:42 pm
“Last one to the Black Gates of Mordor doesn't end up hollowed out and used for a goblin's jack-o-lantern.”
Somehow, I figure that’s more likely to be the fate of the FIRST one to the Black Gate…
roxysteve,
Trying to get word-nerdy all up in the hizouse? :)
“Pimp” is like one of those slang words that can be used in multiple forms (noun, verb, adjective).
So if you say “Pimp my _____ “, you’re saying “make it cool”, but if you just say “Pimp!”, you just saying “Cool!”… or “That’s so pimp” == “That’s so cool”…(or awesome or whatever). In one case it’s a command verb, and in another an adjective (or adverb possibly).
In a way, that makes it similar to our more vulgar slang like s**t and f**k in that you can also use them as a verb, adjective, adverb, etc.
On an unrelated note, I stumbled across this link and it struck me as an oddly funny twist on the English language:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo
Kortir says:
Friday Aug 17, 2007 at 1:04 am
One time we managed (through a rather broken-to-horrible-extents character in particular) to slay a patrol of 80 NPCs wearing full plate mail and riding warhorses. Following this most broken battle was the argument in which I talked the party and the DM into letting us lash the horses together (hey, between 80 people they have to have enough rope) and loot the corpses, stashing everything in the saddlebags, so we could bring the entire stash back to town to sell. Between that and our negotiating character just happening to roll a natural 20 on his charisma roll, we sold the entire lot (minus a few choice pieces we liked) for something like 100,000 gold. We seriously contemplated retirement after that one, but the DM wouldn’t go for it. Nor the castle I tried to buy.
Re: Pimp!
Language is fluid. It changes and modifies through its usage. A word that once meant one thing a thousand years ago can mean something different today. Thanks to the internet, language is changing even more rapidly now. To say that a word has one finite definition and this can never be altered is to not only be obtuse, but is also a denial of reality.
Since 2004, MTV has been airing a show entitled Pimp My Ride! which could actually be why the word “pimp” is becoming more associated with ostentatiousness or awesomeness than with philandering or managing prostitutes.
For another example of semantic change in language, check out this link:
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=nice&searchmode=none
The English word “nice” is often cited as an example of extreme semantic shift, having been borrowed from the Old French word “nice”, meaning “silly” or “foolish”, which was in turn from the Latin “nescius”, meaning “ignorant”. The word changed from “silly, foolish” to “timid” to “fussy, fastidious” to “dainty, delicate” to “precise, careful” to “agreeable, delightful” and finally to “kind, thoughtful”.
But I’m also inclined to support Colin, because he is pimp!
EezaK says:
Thursday Aug 23, 2007 at 8:35 am
one of the funniest ones yet!
Arcticwolf says:
Thursday Sep 6, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Only just got introduced to this comic by a friend, and for the last couple of hours have done nothing but read page after hilarious page. Seeing as it is now 3am where I am, I feel I will not be sleeping tonight.
Now, on the point of characters always find ways of storing possessions: One campaign I ran we invited a few friends who had never played D&D but were interested. One of the poor saps was a bit slow of thought, and proceeded to tell us all he had a “Folding Broadsword” that he could just fold up and put in his pocket. Then when his lvl 10 warrior fell of a cart and sustained 2 whole damage, he started saying “I need healing” which kept the rest of us in hysterics for many sessions to come. Sadly he did not return for subsequent gaming nights.
yo go re says:
Thursday Sep 13, 2007 at 12:55 am
Our DM took pity on a bunch on lowly newbies (ie, pretty much everyone in this particular game) by doling out the magical weapons early and often in our first few adventures. In most cases, it was obvious what was intended to go to whom – if you have a magical device that is activated by speaking Celestial and only one PC speaks it, he gets the item.
Anyway, that’s a fine system, except for the last thing he gave us, which no one wants. We talked about selling it, and (IC) a character told us a horror story about what would happen if it fell into the wrong hands while (OOC) he “casually” mentioned how this was the first magical device he created, and was so excited to finally give it to us, and how it was supposed to fill a specific need on our team. Translation? We’re now stuck with the magical sword that nobody wants.
I’ve got it stored in my saddlebag, so the commentary under this strip made me smile.
If you have a magic weapon that you can’t use but must be kept out of a bad guy’s hands, I’m pretty sure established precedent is to drop it into a volcano…
Panther says:
Friday Sep 14, 2007 at 12:13 pm
I loved the reference to Riverdale (instead of Rivendale; next he’ll be calling Arwen and Galadriel Betty and Veronica). Best laugh in the whole strip!
Tuesday Oct 2, 2007 at 5:58 pm
I have all my players keep their possesions on 3×5 notecards, if they have an item with them it goes in an envelope with their charactors name on it. That way there is no dispute over what they have with them.
DnD n00b says:
Sunday Dec 23, 2007 at 1:36 pm
Perhaps this is 129 comments too late, but don’t the Horse F-ckers have any to spare?
Uh, horses, that is.
Tuesday Jan 1, 2008 at 6:37 pm
I’ve been told by a DM (and the rest of the group) that a few seconds in near-freezing water paralyzes and kills you. Having bathed in such conditions, that was news to me… (Actually, you can probably survive for at least an hour or so in icy water.)
And speaking of which: The cold/heat rules in D&D 3 are utterly silly. A character can take a few blows to the head from a heavy hammer, but after a few minutes in a sauna he would be dead as a doornail.
The previous message was meant to quote this:
Toil3T says:
Friday Jan 4, 2008 at 9:50 am
I’m still laughing.
Cynder says:
Thursday Jan 24, 2008 at 2:08 am
1. “Riverdale? Far more likely he left his pants in Edoras…”
What, you mean when he was busy taking care of Eowyn? Oh gee, he’s NEVER gunna live that one down XD
Filcha says:
Friday Feb 29, 2008 at 9:02 am
All I can say is… SO TRUE!!!!
bernwald says:
Wednesday Mar 19, 2008 at 12:17 pm
I once concocted the idea of a “copper” dragon. The idea being that I could use any sort of dragon (or dragon like) creature and have it named that because of its preference for copper as opposed to gold. The party failed to learn this prior to “getting to know it better” and so was left with a randomly rolled dragon horde converted to 100% copper. After much pain and anguish they decided to set up a small smelting operation and over several years to bring it out as copper bullion at a bulk metal price. Much fun was had by me.
Sunday Mar 30, 2008 at 9:49 pm
L – O – L
Technogrrrl says:
Wednesday Apr 2, 2008 at 12:59 am
We used leather bags for the most amazing things during our last campaign. In one case, we had to cross a cavern with a waterfall that raised a mist which sapped the life out of our 2 MU’s when they made contact with it. So, we sealed them up in large leather sacks that were soaked in oil and sealed with melted wax, then hauled them across to safety. We like to call it “bag-tech.”
Our DM’s frustration was palpable. I’m surprised rocks didn’t fall.
Wednesday Apr 2, 2008 at 1:01 am
Oh, and you rock by the way! I’ve spent many hours here this week, cracking up.
GTStar says:
Saturday May 17, 2008 at 7:15 am
Wow, my new favorite *LOL*
dyrnwyn says:
Saturday Jun 14, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I know players who put their horses in their packs!!! (I am totally not kidding.)
Andrul says:
Wednesday Sep 17, 2008 at 12:40 pm
I’ve actually had players tell me flat-out that I’m wrong to rule that horses have a hard time navigating down stone steps with right-angle turns. I guess my grampa was wrong when he’d tell me it’s a stupid risk.
Tuesday Sep 30, 2008 at 5:35 pm
I once had a player in first edition (egads, am I that old?!?) who insisted that his 2,000 pounds of stuff would fit in his backpack, and since his strength was 18/00 he could carry it all. He actually once brought in an oversized (modern camping/hiking) backpack with lead weights in it to prove it. I let him carry his stuff, until they tried to swim across a river. “Everyone gets across safely except Alex, who is at the bottom trying to convince the river that he can carry 2,000 pounds in his backpack without sinking.” A good laugh was had by all, except the guy playing Alex, who finally begrudgingly gave up his backpack with all the stuff inside in order to keep living.
And at the very next town he wanted to sell the stuff in his backpack… :-)
If you’re talking gold, then a ton of the stuff would take up a little over 50 litres. That’s within the realm of possibility for a large pack, yeah. If you’re talking miscellaneous equipment, not a chance. A ton of wood, for example, would fill a cube over a metre on each side (~1000l), with a ton of steel taking up a cube about half that on each side (~150l). A quick internet search finds packs ranging up to about 100l for the largest models, all of which are considerably larger and heavier than the PHB backpack (2lb vs ~5lb).
Wednesday Nov 19, 2008 at 12:22 am
Probably not the point, but wouldn’t the horses have kinda slid down in the giant skullball machine?
ERROR says:
Friday Apr 3, 2009 at 1:11 pm
I don’t know about Aragorn, but Gimli brought up Aragorn’s pants once. “Should they have stayed any longer, they would have swindled you out of your own pants.”
Oh, and what about the backpack that Gimli said that Aragorn didn’t ever mention, and yet still had?
serenitybane says:
Tuesday May 26, 2009 at 12:14 pm
The last frame was awesome! The DM got hit hard by the smarts of the PC :)
Al Harron says:
May be two years late, but I can’t let this slide.
“The worst example of this I can think of came in one of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories (don't ask why I was reading these. Also, never mention “mighty thews” to me again. Ever)”
There is exactly one incidence of the phrase “mighty thews” in all of REH’s Conan stories, it occurs in “The Black Stranger”. It doesn’t even describe Conan, but the pirate Strom. Sure he mentions “mighty” and “thews” in different occasions, but nowhere near the regularity you imply.
Also, I smart at the implication that Howard is in any way not worth reading, and that you were somehow forced by circumstance into reading them.
“in which a naked woman runs out of a tent, jumps onto a nearby horse, rides it at a gallop BAREBACK for several hours, falls off, and is apparently still in shape to be ravished. ”
There’s no indication Livia’s in any shape to be ravished, unless you think absence of evidence of Livia’s sores and exhaustion equals evidence of absence.
“The visualizations alone made me walk with my legs crossed for days, but apparently Howard had never sat on a horsehair couch….”
He didn’t, but he DID have a horse, and was a fairly accomplished horseman. The idea that Howard somehow thought riding a horse naked and bareback for hours was some sort of oversight doesn’t square with what we know of REH and his meticulous attention to detail.
Also, it’s unfair to judge him based on an unpublished, unfinished story which was never intended to see the light of day in its present state: for all we know, he could’ve added such details in afterwards. Howard often wrote multiple drafts of his stories: only one exists for “The Vale of Lost Women”, and it’s painfully obvious that it’s a first draft.
Trick says:
Monday Nov 30, 2009 at 7:25 am
Inventories… Sigh.
I once was an NPC in a LARP, and one of the PCs tried to ask how many javelins he could fit in his inventory…
silver Harloe says:
Thursday Dec 3, 2009 at 7:14 am
> Did Aragorn just used logic?? 0.o. I'm shocked Shamus! You should know better than to have him use logic!
Um. But he’s a player. His Logic stat (Star Frontiers FTW) goes up when it benefits him, down when it benefits the plot.
> Now I run rather than play games, I've found a method that doesn't involve so many numbers for working out encumbrance. I've printed up a ton of equipment cards for common items (and a few rare ones). Large/heavy items are printed on thick card, random treasures on cheap cardstock, and potions/rings/scrolls on paper. Each player has an envelope. The rule is, if you can get it in the envelope, you can carry it. Backpacks and mules get different sized envelopes, and some larger items have larger cards (or vice-versa)
One of the more awesome (pimp?) things I’ve read in comments here yet. Now I know what to do with my legos(*) (I have a metric buttload of “old” legos from back when you could use them to make something besides the box suggestion because the pieces had a pleasant genericity about them) – make little models of ‘stuff’ and give players boxes representing their various packs.
(*) by which I mean, of course, all my “Lego brand building blocks”. yah.
Sonic says:
Saturday Jun 5, 2010 at 9:16 am
That may have been the longest buildup with the most unexpected punchline I’ve ever read. I loved it.
Aleks` says:
Monday Sep 20, 2010 at 5:05 pm
This reminds me of a session in my current game. The players had just killed a witch who lived far off in the woods, and found out that she had been cursed to live forever. Hundreds of years of living in seclusion had driven her mad. In a moment of clarity before her death she begged the PC’s to bury her in a coffin she had built, which they found out was magical, and prevented whoever was buried in it from being resurrected. Well, long story short, the PC’s chucked her over a cliff, and tried to haul this big coffin through miles of woods (because “we could trap a vampire or something in here!”). When confronted by a situation where they had to leave the coffin, they refused to move forward until I threw a random NPC at them who could take care of their loot while they were gone.
wendypoos says:
Monday Feb 24, 2014 at 10:58 am
you should see how we abuse bags of holding, i think i have my house in mine
Thursday Jun 19, 2014 at 11:48 pm
Asking questions are truly pleasant thing if you are not understanding something fully,
but this piece of writing presents nice understanding even.
Sunday Jun 22, 2014 at 10:46 am
I would have pointed out that he wears his sword and his pants. He doesn’t wear a horse, and they are therefore much easier to mislay. If you forget about your pants for a few hours, you will still be wearing them when you remember them again (who sits there thinking about their pants, anyway?). If you forget about a horse for a few hours, it will be long gone by the time you backtrack to where you last saw it.
James Harrison will taste Manflesh says:
Friday Jan 26, 2018 at 10:43 am
Fat people think about their pants. One of the things I hate most about work is having to wear pants, and one of the best parts of quittin’ time at work is being able to go home and take them off. When you’re fat, pants are just the worst. People who are suited for a colder climate than they live in also think about their pants. I actually hated pants even before I got fat, just because they’re so warm. I just didn’t hate them as much as I do now.
The part of this strip that made me laugh wasn’t horses or pants or anything else directly referenced by the strip. It was imagining this whole thing from an NPC’s point of view. As a player, your goal some objective measure of success, and very commonly that success is measured in XP and loot. So Aragorn’s player is completely rational if we think of him as someone playing a game.
But imagine it from an in-universe POV like an NPC would see it: this guy obtained armor and weapons from the last kingdom he visited under what one might call a flimsy pretext. Then, he loaded his horse up with all this stuff, and brought it to this new kingdom, which he is now king of, just to sell it to one of his subjects to turn what, next to the wealth of a kingdom, is a piddling little amount of profit. It’s undignified almost to the point of being obscene. It’s also, in my opinion, hilarious.
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Writing a Realistic Superhero Story
Published by B. McKenzie under Realism,Writing Articles
I provide advice about how to write novels, comic books and graphic novels. Most of my content applies to fiction-writing in general, but I also provide articles specifically about superhero stories.
1. As always, realism is a stylistic preference. Feel free to disregard any/all aspects of realism. Generally, the fans of superhero stories are more likely to cut you slack on realism than, say, the readers of military fiction, so incorporate realism if you want to and not because you feel you need to.
2. Superpower selection. If realism is a major concern, I would recommend shying away from powers that insulate the character from vaguely realistic consequences to actions. For example, an invulnerable superhero can just wade into gunfire, whereas a character like Batman needs to put more thought into it. Batman’s restrictions are more human-like in that regard, so his actions will probably feel more realistic. Alternately, if you have a character like Superman, you can try using a variety of situations where the character has to act very carefully rather than just bumrush an enemy. (For example, rescuing hostages, dealing with an enemy like The Riddler that isn’t actually present, a “scavenger hunt” situation like finding and defusing several bombs, an enemy like Professor Moriarty that works a lot through proxies that don’t know enough to easily incriminate their boss, etc).
I’d recommend incorporating as many of the superpowers into the premise rather than having characters develop some superpowers later. I think it was fairly effective and acceptable that Heroes had a time-traveling character, but just wildly crazy that Superman went back in time in Superman I by flying around the world counterclockwise. Heroes introduced the time-travel angle fairly quickly, but in the Superman movie, it was a deus ex machina that came out of nowhere. (Likewise, erasing Lois’ memories with a kiss was not only a deus ex machina, but also an act of raw jackassery).
If uncertainty, doubt and/or paranoia are major elements of the story, I’d recommend cutting or severely limiting mind-reading and lie-detection. For example, if mind-reading is a very intrusive act tantamount to frisking somebody, then it’ll be easier to write a situation where the character is vulnerable to uncertainty than if the character is free to read everybody’s minds without anybody else knowing. Drama comes from vulnerability, so don’t use superpowers that will make it too hard to find vulnerabilities for the character.
Especially if the story is gritty, I’d recommend reconsidering incredible regeneration powers. The stakes will probably be higher if the character’s actions have consequences, and one very noticeable consequence is the risk of injury. For dramatic reasons, you might want to make the character regenerate faster and/or take less damage than normal*, but I just wouldn’t recommend overdoing it so much that you couldn’t raise the stakes with an injury at a terribly inconvenient time if you wanted to.
*Pretty much every superhero, even ones whose powers are mainly mental, are physically resilient enough to shrug off some hits that would put the average person in a hospital for weeks. Having heroes get hospitalized for weeks after every fight probably wouldn’t be very interesting.
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Ureparapara
Torba province is pretty remote and does not get many visitors. Of the few yachts that do come this far north, very few go past Sola, that motivated us to go further north. The next stop after Sola is the island of Ureparapara. The island was formed by an ancient volcano, and the north east portion is “missing” so the crater is actually a large bay.
Satellite image of Ureparapara
It took most of the day to sail from the northern edge of Vanua Lava to Ureparapara. It was somewhat surreal pulling into the bay, surrounded on three sides by steep jungle-covered walls rising out of what used to be the volcano crater. The only spot to anchor is just off the village at the end of the bay. The village is typical, perhaps a bit prettier than most. Everyone we met was very friendly and curious about us. The village chief told us that about 5 yachts visit every year. There are probably about 150 people living on the island, and nobody has any electricity other than an old car/boat battery and some donated LED lights.
The main path includes a bridge
We found the school and were welcomed by the teachers. We met some of the students and showed them our route on the world map hanging in the classroom. The “Sports” list showed that tomorrow’s activity was frisbee so we made a plan to return the next day to play “Ultimate”. Malcolm had an idea, so we stopped by the chief’s hut on the way back and confirmed that none of the children have ever been off the island.
Largest hut in the village (not the chief)
Pretty sitting area
The next morning Malcolm grabbed the camera, then put all of our ice cubes into a large thermos and we headed to the school for a bit of science before frisbee. At the school, we told the teacher what was in the thermos and he was excited. He confirmed that none of the kids, ages 10-15, had ever seen ice. With about 30 kids and two teachers around us Malcolm started to explain that we brought something they’d not seen, that we have a machine on the boat that makes things very very cold. So cold that water changes to a solid, just like you’ve heard about in science class. Malcolm pulled out an ice cube and showed them it was hard. It was melting fast, so Malcolm let the drops of water fall into his mouth. The kids were amazed, and Malcolm handed out ice cubes while Dina operated the camera. Some kids were afraid to touch the ice. It was so strange for them to handle anything that cold. A lot of them were very reluctant to drink any of the water that ended up in there hands.
Malcolm handing out ice cubes
Excited students
In the tropical heat, the ice cube adventure was over quickly. We asked about the frisbee and were told they don’t really follow the posted sports schedule and they don’t know what to do with the frisbee. However, a student ran and got it so it was time to play.
Before we knew it, the kids were splitting themselves into two teams, not caring about gender or age, and Malcolm was looked to for guidance. We played a modified soccer/ultimate game with all of the kids at once. Only Malcolm ended up playing because Dina is smarter(?) and took photos.
Frisbee game
It's good to be tall
After running around for 30 minutes, the teacher asked about drills, so Malcolm made up a few for them to use for practice. By this point, Malcolm needed to get back to the boat and rest with a nice cold drink. But he had given out all our ice!
Leaving Vanuatu
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3959, Viale della Liberazione, Milan
Prestigious one bedroom apartment of about 90sqm for rent in Milan, on the first floor (with elevator) of the exclusive Solaria Tower, one of the tallest residential buildings in Milan that represents the newest living philosophy: a carefully-blended mixture of Italian elegance and bright simplicity. Porta Nuova buildings have been designed by both Italian and foreign architects chosen during prestigious international competitions.
Location: Viale della Liberazione, Milan, Italy
No. of bedrooms: 1
No. of bathrooms: 1
Ironing Set
Maid service upon request
Upon entering the apartment, on the left, you find an anteroom with closet and laundry; from here you enter the big bathroom, equipped with tub.
The bedroom is located on the left and is furnished with a comfortable double bed and a capacious wardrobe.
Then, you continue into the living room, furnished with a table seating up to 4 people, a 3-seater sofa, TV and stereo, and a comfortable pouf. The open-plan kitchen, fully fitted with modern amenities, overlooks the day area.
From the living room you access the big terrace, offering ample views of the newly developed area of Porta Garibaldi.
The apartment is fitted with air conditioning and motorized blackout curtains.
Extra facilities:
-Fitness centre on the floor A (The use of the gym is not allowed for those staying less than a month.
-Weekly cleaning service (included into the rental price)
Services with extra charge:
-Pick-up service (on request)
-Extra cleaning service (on request)
Building and Residenza Porta Nuova
‘Solaria’ is a residential building of exclusive conception, designed by a famous architecture firm of Miami: it is composed of three wings, connected by a central core.
Being 143 meters high, ‘Solaria’ offers unique views, encompassing Milan city centre, its cutting-edge skyscrapers and, in the background, the Alps.
Moreover, all the apartments are incredibly bright thanks to the triple exposition and the big balconies with frosted glass balaustrades.
The building comprises: reception open 24 hours a day, bicycle parking, car drop-off, welcome area for guests and stroller parking. The guests’ security is guaranteed by a modern CCTV-camera system.
‘Solaria’ is located in the futuristic district of Porta Nuova, the beating heart of the new Milan, between Piazza Città di Lombardia -home to the cutting-edge building of the Lombardy regional government- and Porta Garibaldi railway station.
All around, you find some of the most important buildings of the urban renewal project: the Unicredit Tower -the tallest Italian skyscraper- Piazza Gae Aulenti, located 6 meters above the street level and stage of key events of Milan fashion and culture, and the Diamond Tower.
The area was also chosen by Google as its Italian headquarters (at the Zigghurat or Pyramid building, designed by the architect William McDonough).
The apartment is located between Piazza della Repubblica and Viale della Liberazione, close to Brera, one of the most fashionable districts in Milan, offering plenty of shops, restaurants and cafés. For those wanting a taste of Milan’s nightlife, we also recommend a visit to the nearby Corso Como, famous for its many clubs.
Moreover, at a stone’s throw you find the Fatebenefratelli hospital and Garibaldi-Isola district, which has recently undergone massive renovations ahead of Expo 2015.
Just around the corner: a supermarket -open every day (included on Sundays), 24 hour a day- a laundry, a pharmacy and a baker’s shop.
Within 1 km you find three fitness centers: one in Piazza della Repubblica, one in Corso Como and one in Piazza Cavour.
Public transports
The area is very well served by public transports: in less than 5 minutes you reach both subway stops “Repubblica” (yellow line) and “Garibaldi” (green and purple line), the ‘passante’ railway (blue line) and tramways 29 and 30.
Private garage is available in the building with extra charge (on the floor -2).
Private parking at 350m in Via Emilio Cornalia.
A city tourist tax will be applied. Cost per person per night: 2€, for maximum 14 nights (maximum 28€ per person).
Check-in: from 15:00 to 19:00
Check-out: from 09:00 to 11:00
Initial Cleaning
Utilities (included for stays up to 30 nights. For rentals over 30 nights, special conditions apply)
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WhatsApp: new download available for Nokia Asha
WhatsApp, the popular instant messaging application, has just released a new beta version for Nokia Asha smartphones that run on Symbian 40 (for example the Nokia C3). At the moment for users of Nokia Asha devices it is already possible to use WhatsApp to chat with their friends, colleagues and family, share audio files, photos and even their location.
But, unfortunately, they still can’t use the WhatsApp Calling feature since, so far, it is only available for devices that work on iOS, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry 10. And at this point Nokia Asha users doubt that they will ever be able to use the Calling feature with their devices. So, what changes with this new beta version? Once again, as already happend with the previous beta recently released, also this new WhatsApp version 2.13.9 doesn’t bring any new feature, so it could be possible that the new beta just fixes some bugs and improves the stability of the service.
It has already been noticed that the .jar (installation) file has the same size as the previous version: 1917KB now, 1917KB before the update. So now there are some rumours on the web that developers haven’t actually updated anything, only the version number. What do you think? Might it be possible?
Anyway, if you decide to install version 2.13.9 of WhatsApp for Nokia Asha devices, first of all you need to keep in mind that it’s a Beta version, not yet the stable one, so you have to download the .jar file manually in order to install it on your smartphone. As usual, you can find and download the .jar file from the official WhatsApp website: whatsapp.com/s40. But remember: before installing this new WhatsApp version 2.13.9, you have to first uninstall from your smartphone the one that you are currently using. After that you can easily proceed with the download.
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How to move WhatsApp to the SD card
Whatsapp for Lg C105
WhatsApp beta 2.12.88 for Windows Phone brings animated emoji and blocking unknown contacts
WhatsApp Messenger for Android: the improved 2.12.419 Beta version is available for the download
Whatsapp for DUAL SIM Android Mobile Phones
WhatsApp: how to use the new Status feature on your Android, iPhone and Windows Phone devices
WhatsApp: new, controversial, emojis will soon be available (or maybe not)
WhatsApp for Android: the new 2.16.150 Beta version finally brings drawing features
Whatsapp vs Viber: Who is king of the messaging apps?
Whatsapp for Nokia Asha 305
Whatsapp for Nokia N72
WhatsApp for BlackBerry 10: version 2.12.163.2 has been released
Another update for WhatsApp for Windows Phone
WhatsApp Plus 4.25 version available for Android devices
WhatsApp for Android introduces a new update: finally, Material Design
Whatsapp for COMPANIES
WhatsApp for Android: the new beta 2.12.285 introduces updates on video backup
WhatsApp for Windows Phone: the new 2.16.108 version is now available for download
Whatsapp for ANDROID 2.2 and 2.3.6
Whatsapp vs Skype, Who will Win?
Whatsapp for G-Tide E56
How to Dictate Messages on WhatsApp Using Google
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Bilic pleased to maintain unbeaten record
Last updated : 23 September 2019 By Wba-mad Editor
Slaven Bilic again watched his side come from behind to earn all three points after Albion's second-half comeback against Huddersfield.
The Baggies trailed 2-1 going into the break after familiar defensive errors again cost Albion.
After Matt Phillip's first half strike, Darnell Furlong scored his first for the club when he met substitue Grady Diagana's cross.
Minutes later Albion were ahead when Phillips got his second of the afternoon after more good work from Diagana before Semi Ajayi scored his second header in consecutive games.
Speaking to Radio WM, Bilic said: "It was a very good performance, especially in the second half. I am not happy with the way we were at times in the first half.
"Grady took his chance, but the guys started to play quicker. The whole team played on the front foot.
"It is nice to be unbeaten, we are playing good football and the crowd love it.
"It is still early days but we are only one point from the top, so well done to the lads."
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Why Litigate
Worcester Dispute Resolution
Do I need a lawyer during mediation?
June 28, 2018 by Palleyad
Mediation is not a substitute for the services of a qualified attorney. Both parties are encouraged to obtain independent counsel during the mediation process and to have their lawyer review the agreement before it is signed. Even when the mediator is an attorney, he or she cannot give either party legal advice.
A process in which an experienced attorney or retired judge assists the parties to clarify their issues, discusses options for resolution and seeks to obtain a settlement that is mutually acceptable to both parties irrespective of the strengths and weaknesses of their case.
Private Adjudication
A process in which an experienced attorney or retired judge renders a decision after hearing the parties respective positions and reviewing evidence. The adjudication may take place through a formal hearing with the presentation of evidence, or in a less formal hearing with the facts presented through the parties or their lawyers.
A process in which an experienced attorney or retired judge assists the parties to settle their case by clarifying their issues and assessing the strengths and weaknesses of each side of the case. If the case is not settled by conciliation in total, the attorney or retired judge helps the parties explore the steps which remain to prepare their case for trial.
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China Is Reportedly Building a Solar Power Station in Space
Newton February 18, 2019 Technology
China's Academy of Space Technology is working on an orbital power plant that would capture solar energy in space and beam it back to Earth. The plant would be able to harness solar power even when it's cloudy back on Earth, since its photovoltaic array would be floating high above any terrestrial weather.
With plans to launch a test facility before 2025, pursuing space-based clean energy shows that China is committed to its ongoing push towards using more renewable energy and asserting its place among global leaders in space. Needless to say, the biggest problem for a floating power plant is figuring out how to get the energy back down to Earth.
The scientists behind the project are still sorting that part out. But right now, the plan is to have solar arrays in space capture light from the sun and then beam electricity down to a facility on Earth in the form of a microwave or a laser, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
From there, the electricity could be used just as if it had been generated by conventional, terrestrial means.
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Archive for the ‘Sunset’ Category
Texas Should Reinstate Public Health, Environmental Protections Suspended in Response to Hurricane Harvey
Posted in TCEQ, tagged Texas on April 5, 2018 |
Groups Call on Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to End Rule Suspensions, ‘Return to Normalcy’
UPDATE: We want to thank Governor Abbott and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for their quick action. The public spoke up about their concerns and the state responded. Environmental rules are there to protect the public and it’s important that they stay in place and are enforced.
We are happy with the announced outcome today, and we thank Governor Greg Abbott and the TCEQ for taking this step to protect the people of Texas.
Generally, we don’t think that rule suspensions are appropriate. The TCEQ always can choose not to fine facilities that pollute during a disaster. But with 46 environmental rules having been suspended across 60 counties for six months, there could be consequences to public health. If TCEQ chose to enforce against any violations that occurred during that time, companies might use the rule suspension as a defense against enforcement. This could limit the TCEQ’s ability to hold polluters accountable. When the next disaster happens, Public Citizen believes the governor should leave our public health and environmental protections in place.
AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) should reinstate public health and environmental protections suspended in response to Hurricane Harvey, nine groups said in a letter (PDF) sent to the agency today.
Public Citizen’s Texas office and its allies warned that the public health and environmental harms outweigh any justification for the continued suspension of 46 TCEQ rules ranging from air pollution limits to vehicle fuel standards to wastewater standards. The letter was signed by representatives from Bayou City Waterkeeper, the Coalition of Community Organizations, Environment Texas, Gulf Restoration Network, the One Breath Partnership, Texas Campaign for the Environment, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services and Turtle Island Restoration Network. Accompanying the letter was a spreadsheet (PDF) listing the 46 rules and explaining why they should be reinstated.
“We believe that many of the rule suspensions were never appropriate. We also believe that, more than six months after the hurricane, there is no justification for continued suspension of these forty-six rules,” the letter reads.
“There may be serious public health consequences to leaving these suspensions in place. If they aren’t needed any more, they should be ended now,” said Adrian Shelley, director of Public Citizen’s Texas office, who spoke about the rules suspension at a TCEQ public meeting today.
One rule that should be reinstated limits visible emissions from flares to five minutes in any two-hour period. Pollutants from these flares have been linked to nonfatal heart attacks, irregular heartbeat, aggravated asthma, decreased lung function, coughing, difficulty breathing and premature death in people with heart or lung disease. A suspension of this rule carries grave consequences for public health, Shelley said.
“We are not aware of any companies that are experiencing continued operational difficulties as a result of Hurricane Harvey that would necessitate suspension of this rule,” the letter said.
The groups made three recommendations. First, the TCEQ must weigh the costs to public health and the environment against the value of continuing to suspend the rules. Second, the TCEQ needs to provide more information to the public about the continued rule suspensions. And third, if companies are not taking advantage of rule suspensions, those rules should be reinstated.
Earthquake in Texas, now you can see where when and how large.
Posted in Fracking, TCEQ, Texas Legislature, tagged Texas on October 26, 2017 |
Texas always had some natural earthquake activity throughout its history, but that activity seems to be increasing, and despite mounting evidence that oil and gas activity has triggered all of the recent earthquakes in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas regulators have consistently questioned the link.
A study by researchers at the University of Texas and Southern Methodist University argues that humans have been causing earthquakes not just in North Texas but throughout the state for nearly 100 years. The paper, concludes that activities associated with petroleum production “almost certainly” or “probably” set off 59 percent of earthquakes across the state between 1975 and 2015, including the recent earthquakes in Irving and Dallas.
Another 28 percent were “possibly” triggered by oil and gas activities. Scientists deemed only 13 percent of the quakes to be natural.
Between 1980 and about 2010 there were one to two earthquakes per year in the entire state. Between 2010 and 2015 that rate of seismicity changed to up to 15 small earthquakes per year. The number of earthquakes continues to rise, with 28 earthquakes recorded in Texas in 2016.
Almost a decade ago, the ground around the densely populated Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex started shaking. As the frequency and intensity of earthquakes increased in a region poorly prepared for the seismic activity, the risk became a priority for the state.
In the 84th and 85th Legislative Sessions, the Texas Legislature tasked the Bureau of Economic Geology in the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin with helping to locate and determine the origins of earthquakes in our State, and, where they may have been caused by human activity, help to prevent them from occurring in the future. And in June 2015, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the 84th Legislature authorized $4.47 million for TexNet.
Since then, the Bureau’s TexNet research team has developed the TexNet Earthquake Catalog, a dynamic mapping web page, which provides information on the location of monitoring stations, and recorded earthquakes across the state. Check it out – http://www.beg.utexas.edu/texnet
A Pass to Poison: A special report by the Texas Tribune
Posted in Air Quality, Pollution, TCEQ, Toxics, tagged Texas on July 17, 2017 |
The state of Texas allows industrial facilities to repeatedly spew unauthorized air pollution — with few consequences
For more than two decades, Dennis Gallagher was a proud Shell employee.
During his 22 years working at the energy juggernaut’s sprawling, 80-year-old complex in this Refinery Row suburb of Houston, he learned to oversee different parts of the massive chemical plant and refinery. The facilities manufacture not only oil but a variety of hazardous chemicals that — if mishandled — could easily explode and level the 2,300-acre compound, located less than a mile from residential neighborhoods.
Until two years ago, the Michigan native’s only truly bad day at work was in 1997, when a gas compressor exploded and he was “picked up like a leaf” and blown back 25 feet. Then came what should have been a quiet Sunday in August 2015, when everything went wrong.
A critical pump failed. A small tank overfilled. Then more than 300,000 pounds of 1,3-butadiene — a highly explosive chemical and known human carcinogen used to manufacture rubber — escaped into the atmosphere.
It was the largest malfunction-related air pollution event in the Houston area that year — in less than an hour, the plant spewed 258 times more butadiene into the atmosphere than allowed by state law — and air pollution watchdogs say it was one of the most dangerous they’ve seen.
An internal investigation later noted that the amount of hydrocarbons released that day was more than eight times higher than the amount released during the 2005 fire and explosion at BP’s Texas City refinery that killed 15 people and injured 180 others.
There was no explosion that day. But Gallagher says the incident cost him his job and maybe his health. He struggled with chest pains and balance issues afterward — the latter is a known side effect of butadiene exposure — and had to take a year off. When he came back, Gallagher said he was put on probation for the incident and, after a minor screw-up during a routine re-training, promptly fired.
And yet it cost Shell Chemical, a subsidiary of the fifth-largest company in the world, next to nothing.
State records show the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the state’s environmental regulatory agency, fined the company just $25,000 — the maximum allowed for an air permit violation under state law — and required it to execute a “corrective action plan,” which called for mostly refresher training.
It’s a scenario that plays out again and again in Texas when industrial polluters spew noxious chemicals into the air during malfunctions and other unplanned incidents, exceeding the emission limits of their state-issued air permits.
A Texas Tribune analysis of self-reported industry data shows that thousands of such rogue releases occur at Texas industrial sites each year. They are known generically as “emissions events”— a term that refers to both malfunctions or “upsets” and unplanned “maintenance, start-up or shutdown” activities.
Whether they are truly unavoidable is a point of dispute.
Read the full article by the Tribune here. Reporting and writing by Kiah Collier Data analysis by Ryan Murphy July 17, 2017
HB 1818 (reauthorizing the Texas Railroad Commission) being heard in the House today
Posted in Air Quality, Railroad Commission, Sunset, Texas Legislature, tagged Texas on March 28, 2017 |
Public Citizen along with the Alliance for Clean Texas are supporting the following amendments to the bill to significantly improve the
Texas Railroad Commission. These issues were brought up in the public process, but not included in the bill:
TABLED – but several stand alone bills exist – CHANGE THE NAME (Alonzo) to one that is more reflective of the agency’s functions and one the public can recognize such as the Texas Oil and Gas Commission.
TABLED – see HB 464 which is scheduled for a hearing this Thursday, March 30th, in the General Investigation and Ethics Committee – LIMIT POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS (Anchia). Limit the amount and timing of political contributions made to Commissioners – statewide elected officials – strictly to election season and also preventing a Commissioner from knowingly accepting contributions from a party with a contested case hearing before the RRC.
TABLED – see also HB 247 by Anchia – PUT ENFORCEMENT DATA ONLINE (Walle). While the bill does require the posting of an annual strategic plan, the RRC should also be required to put enforcement, inspection, and complaint data online now in an easy, searchable format with frequent updates.
TABLED – – RAISE MAXIMUM PENALTIES TO $25,000 (Howard). Current penalties for violations (not related to pipeline safety) should be raised from a maximum of $10,000 to $25,000 per violation per day. This increase would put the agency in line with the $25,000 penalty cap of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Attorney General’s office. The RRC should also be required to design new penalty guidelines that take into account the economic benefit of non-compliance, the seriousness of the violation and any hazard to public safety.
WITHDRAWN – see SB 1803 by Miles – INCREASE BONDING REQUIREMENTS (Canales). Increased and expanded tiers of bonding requirements for oil and gas wells will help ensure abandoned wells get plugged. Currently over 9,000 abandoned uncapped wells in Texas.
And Last but Not Least:
TABLED – REAUTHORIZE THE AGENCY FOR 6 NOT 12 YEARS (E. Rodriguez). Due to the lack of agency performance measures and accountability not incorporated into this bill, it makes sense for the Railroad Commission to be reviewed within a shorter timeframe.
Watch for updates on which amendments are adopted by the Texas House.
Extreme Makeover – Texas Railroad Commission Edition
Posted in natural gas, Railroad Commission, tagged Railroad Commission, reform, Texas on March 8, 2017 |
Ask most people what they think the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) is in charge of and most people will reply that it is railroads. Most people would also be surprised to discover that it is in fact, the wrong answer. The RRC actually oversees the oil, gas and coal production within the state. Ending this source of confusion by changing the name to something more appropriate seems like a no-brainer. This session, HB 237 attempts once again to change the name – to the Texas Energy Resources Commission, a name more in line with the actual work the commission does. HB 1818 offers a few of the reforms the RRC needs, but does not go nearly far enough.
Email your Texas State Representative to ask that he or she support amendments to HB 1818 that will offer real reform at the Railroad Commission.
Name vs. Mission
The Railroad Commission is 125 years old, making it the oldest regulatory agency in the state. When the commission was formed in 1891 its main job was to regulate the rail industry. Once the Texas Oil Boom started the commission’s responsibilities were expanded to include regulating oil and gas. Over the years, as oil and gas became more dominant and railroads became less, most of the non-energy functions like the railroads were eliminated. By 2005, when the RRC lost the last of any responsibility to regulate the railroads, its name became truly obsolete
Archaic Bond Limits and Unplugged Wells
One of the RRC biggest responsibilities is to cover the cost of plugging abandoned wells. The way the RRC attempts to do this is by requiring companies to buy either individual or blanket bonds as insurance to cover the cost of plugging an abandoned well before they can drill. The cost of plugging a well is about $5-17 per foot for an average well. Unfortunately the bond cost has been stuck at the 1991 figure of $2 per foot. Bond funds usually cover only about 15% of the total cost to plug a well. So in the end, the commission is only collecting a fraction of what is needed. Last year the commission collected on average about $2,707 per well but spent about $17, 012. That is an enormous discrepancy and therefore many of the wells remain unplugged. By the end of 2016, the total number of abandoned wells in Texas passed 10,050.
The environmental impact of unplugged wells is far reaching. In Texas there are estimates that put over 50,000 improperly or not plugged wells. These wells are often drilled over 1 mile deep and, if left unplugged there is the potential for salt water (4 times saltier than the sea) which is often full of heavy metals and radioactivity materials to flow up and seep into the surrounding land and into the fresh water aquifers. Abandoned or improperly maintained wells retain their potential to kill the land and crops around them and taint the water supply for years. To properly close a well, hundreds of feet of cement must to be poured into the well at various levels. SB 1803 would increase bonding requirements to ensure that unused wells are plugged.
Without a new statute that allows the commission to set realistic bonds based on the actual cost of plugging a well, this problem with continue to grow. In addition, the oil and gas industry is in a slump right now with oil prices low and production down, which of course means that the revenues it generates is down and since the RRC gets most of their funding from fees, it will definitely make it even more difficult to do their job.
Enforcing Regulations with Meaningful Fines
Weak fines do not provide a strong enough deterrent to keep companies committing the same infraction over and over again. This can be clearly seen in the fact that over the past five years a mere 114 operators, representing only 3 percent of all the wells in Texas, have been responsible for over 22 percent of all the pollution related violations. If the RCC would increase its penalty for infractions that were set in 1983, from $10,000 a day to a relative current value of $25,000 a day, it would do much to discourage companies from repeatedly violating regulations. SB 567 would bolster inspection enforcement and would increase revenue by increasing fines.
Insufficient Inspectors and Incomplete Inspections
The RRC is also in charge of inspecting all currently active and inactive wells within the state. This is a rather arduous task, considering that there are hundreds of thousands of well. The Texas inspector to well ratio is 2,340 active wells per inspector, one of the worst in the country. In contrast, Alaska, a state that is also heavily petroleum based, has an inspector to well ratio of 370 to one! Due to insufficient numbers of inspectors, the Texas Sunset Commission reported that in 2015 only about 30% of all wells and only about 42% of active wells can be were inspected. They found that in 2015 more than two thirds of leases had not been inspected for at least two years and each lease can have thousands of wells on it. SB 569 would take the first step in fixing this, requiring the RRC to submit review of its policies on reporting and enforcement in a study by this September 2017. But, in the end, the of only surefire way to reverse this shortcoming is that the RRC must drastically increase the number of inspectors. To help offset the cost of hiring so many additional inspectors, an annual inspection fee should be instituted.
Outdated System Denies Public Needed Knowledge
The Railroad Commission desperately needs to modernize itself when it comes to public access to important information about oil and gas wells. As far back as 2011 the Legislature gave the RRC $16 million to help update their systems and make information easier to access, but, as of today, the RRC still does not have a comprehensive and easily searchable database for the public to look up complaints, violations, or penalties levied against oil and gas companies. Without an adequate system, it is very difficult for Texans to learn information about potential dangers to both their lives and their livelihood. This can impact everyone from a community trying to discover if the wells that operate outside their town are complying with regulations, or for the family moving to a new home who might want to see whether the well that operates just outside of their new property has repeatedly leaked dangerous pollutants. Inspections, complaints, violations, and enforcement actions should be accessible on a public website and searchable by operator, drilling company and or by the well, all year around. While HB 1818 includes nothing about this incredibly necessary function, HB 247 would greatly improve transparency.
Lax Limits Contribute to Corrupt Contributions
Another problem the RRC deals with, is the monetary influence that a company or individual can have on a commissioner who is seeking office. While the RRC Commissioners were originally appointed by the Texas Governor, this was changed so that each of the three would be elected through public elections. And while greater accountability to the public is an improvement, it does come with its own set of potential issues that the current structure of the RRC fails to take into consideration. According to our own research here at Public Citizen, between 75-90% of all contributions for RRC Commissioner elections come from the very entities that the RRC is supposed to regulate, and much of it comes during non-election periods. In addition, Texas is one of the only states in the country that does not prohibit potential candidates with conflict of interests from running for Commissioner.
To address this situation, HB 464 would ban contributions during non-election years and prevent commissioners from taking any contributions from entities with contested case hearings pending before the RRC. Rules should also be added that officially require candidates to disclose any potential conflict of interests and only allow them to run if they can clearly demonstrate that they have resolved any conflicts.
All of these proposed changes to the way the RRC functions are crucial to make the agency operate in the interest of all Texans. Email your Texas State Representative to ask that he or she support amendments to HB 1818 that will offer real reform at the Railroad Commission.
Public Citizen Honors Tom “Smitty” Smith
Posted in Air Quality, Campaign Finance, Climate Change, Consumers, Diesel, Efficiency, Ethics, Global Warming, Good Government, Nuclear, Pollution, Radioactive Waste, renewable portfolio standard, Renewables, Right to know, solar, Sunset, Texas Legislature, Transportation, tagged Texas on February 2, 2017 |
After more than three decades of extraordinary work running Public Citizen’s Texas office, “Smitty,” formally known as Thomas Smith, is hanging up his spurs. Smitty is a Texas institution and a national treasure, and on February 1st, we celebrated him right.
Over 200 people attended a retirement dinner for Smitty at the Barr Mansion in Austin, TX on Wednesday evening. Friends and colleagues from around the state who had work with Smitty on issues over his career that included clean energy, ethics reform, pollution mitigation, nuclear waste disposal, etc came to pay homage to a man who had dedicated his life to fighting for a healthier and more equitable world by making government work for the people and by defending democracy from corporate greed.
Mayor Adler and Council members Leslie Pool and Ann Kitchens
Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea and Smitty
Dallas County Commissioner Dr. Theresa Daniel and Smitty
During the evening, Austin Mayor – Steve Adler, Travis County Commissioner – Brigid Shea, and Dallas County Commissioner – Dr. Theresa Daniel presented Smitty with resolutions passed by the City of Austin, Travis County Commissioners Court and Dallas County Commissioners Court all of which acknowledge Smitty’s contributions to their communities and the state of Texas.
Adrian Shelley (front left) and Rob Weissman (front right) at Tom “Smitty” Smith’s retirement event.
Public Citizen’s President, Robert Weissman, thanked Smitty for his service to Public Citizen for the past 31 years and introduced the new director for the Texas office, Adrian Shelley, the current Executive Director of Air Alliance Houston.
Smitty’ impending departure fromPublic Citizen will leave a big hole in advocacy for progressive issues here in Texas, but both Smitty and Robert Weissman expressed confidence that Adrian would lead the Texas office forward into a new era of progressive advocacy. Adrian is a native Texan from the City of Houston. He has served as the Executive Director of Air Alliance Houston since 2013. He first worked with Air Alliance Houston as a legal fellow in 2010, then as a Community Outreach Coordinator in 2012. In that time, Public Citizen has worked closely with Air Alliance Houston through the Healthy Port Communities Coalition (HPCC), a coalition of nonprofits and community groups which advocates policies to improve public health and safety while encouraging economic growth.
So be assured that Adrian and the Texas staff of Public Citizen are committed to carrying on the battle for justice, for democracy, for air clean and energy and for clean politics. We can and will protect our children and the generations to come. For this, we can still use your help. You can make a tax deductible donation to the Texas office of Public Citizen to help us continue his vital work on climate, transportation, civil justice, consumer protection, ethics, campaign finance reform and more
Decision Time on the TX Railroad Commission
Posted in Air Quality, Climate Change, natural gas, Railroad Commission, tagged Texas on November 4, 2016 |
UPDATE: By 10 am this morning, the Sunset Commission had already voted on the recommendations they were going to adopt for the report to the legislature.
All the STAFF good enforcement recommendations were adopted, and the recommendation (proposed by the Public Member on the Commisson, Allen West) on induced seismicity was adopted.
The name change recommendation was dropped as we heard it would be, as were the transfer of contested cases to the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH). The new issue proposed by Rep. Raymond, calling for bonding for cleaning up abandoned wells at the last hearing fell by the wayside. Raymond did not even bring up his proposals.
The things we do support on enforcement will be in the bill when it’s introduced during the 85th Legislative session, but we expect that it may be a fight to keep them in.
Thursday, November 10th, the Texas Sunset Commission will meet to vote on recommendations to the 85th Legislature regarding the future of the Texas Railroad Commission. Three times the Legislature has failed to pass a bill reauthorizing and making changes to this agency.
We are asking that you contact the Sunset Commissioners and tell them to support staff recommendations plus Raymond and West’s new issues as outlined below. For Sunset Commissioners’ contact information, click here. or contact your state rep and state senator to urge the Sunset Commission to support these recommendations. Find out who represents you here.
A coalition of environmental groups, including Public Citizen, have been following the Sunset review of the Railroad Commission and they are in agreement about supporting staff recommendations and new issues raised by Texas Sunset Commission Members – Representatives Dan Flynn, Richard Peña Raymond, and public member LTC (Ret.) Allen B. West – to increase transparency, improve safeguards and protect the public. It is time for more than a name change on failed agency!
For a full version of the recommendations click here.
Issue 1 – Continue the Railroad Commission of Texas for 12 Years with a Name That Reflects the Agency’s Important Functions. (Page 11)
Change in Statute
Rec. 1.1 (Page 17) Change the name of the Railroad Commission of Texas to the Texas Energy Resources Commission and continue the agency for 12 years.
We support this change. On the eve of another election where most voters had no idea what the Railroad Commission does, and where industry supplied some 70 percent of the funding to those running, changing the name is a needed first step. We also believe that the Commission should only be continued for 6 years.
Issue 2 – Contested Hearings and Gas Utility Oversight Are Not Core Commission Functions and Should Be Transferred to Other Agencies to Promote Efficiency, Effectiveness, Transparency, and Fairness. (Page 19)
Representative Raymond Proposed Modification
Under this modification to Recommendations 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3, the Commission would contract with the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) to conduct the Commission’s hearings for contested permit and enforcement cases and Gas Utility Oversight would be transferred to the Public Utility Commission (PUC), with potential to contest the rates at SOAH. In conducting hearings, the PUC and SOAH would consider the Commission’s applicable substantive rules and policies.
We are in full support of Issue 2 and the transfer of these functions from RRC to SOAH and PUC, but do agree that the applicable rules and policies related to these issues should be considered in that transfer, as recommended by Representative Raymond.
Issue 3 – Oil and Gas Monitoring and Enforcement Need Improvements to Effectively Ensure Public Safety and Environmental Protection.
Rep. Flynn Modification: Also direct the agency to provide oil and gas production information on its website in a format that is easier for royalty owners to use and understand.
We Support these Sunset Staff recommendations on Enforcement, as well as Rep. Flynn’s proposed modification.
Issue 4 – Insufficient and Inequitable Statutory Bonding Requirements Contribute to the Large Backlog of Abandoned Wells. (Page 43)
We support this change to assure that oil and gas wells pay their fair share in upfront bonding costs.
Issue 5 – Improved Oversight of Texas’ Pipeline Infrastructure Would Help Further Ensure Public Safety. (Page 51)
We support these proposed statutory and appropriations modifications.
Issue 6 – The Railroad Commission’s Contracting Procedures Are Improving, but Continued Attention Is Needed. (Page 55)
We support these proposed management actions.
Issue 7 – The Railroad Commission’s Statute Does Not Reflect Standard Elements of Sunset Reviews. (Page 59)
We support these proposed changes.
Proposed New Issues
Vice Chair Taylor Proposed New Issue 1
Direct the Railroad Commission to study, develop, and implement ways to clean up and revive old oil fields for secondary and tertiary recovery using either the unitization method or other legal means which the Commission may develop or recommend. As part of this recommendation, the Railroad Commission shall consult with the Bureau of Economic Geology. (Management action — nonstatutory)
We have not taken a position on this recommendation.
Colonel West Proposed New Issue 2
Direct the Railroad Commission to incorporate findings from the TexNet Seismic Monitoring Program at UT’s Bureau of Economic Geology as they become available into its oil and gas disposal well rules or guidance, as applicable. The rules should seek to prevent any induced seismicity caused by disposal wells. (Management action — nonstatutory)
We are in full support. Utilizing the information that is being collected to develop more protective rules and procedures makes sense.
Representative Raymond Proposed New Issue 3
Amend RRC’s statute to require the agency to publish comprehensive oil and gas enforcement data (complaints, inspections, violations, enforcement actions taken, and penalties levied/collected) online, in a publicly accessible, searchable, trackable format. Make data available by operator and on a well-by-well basis and by bulk download.
We are in full support of this recommendation. We would note this could also be accomplished as a management action by direction of the Director to publish this information on-line.
Management recommendation to direct RRC to: review all relevant rules on spill reporting and response, and make changes to increase environmental protection and cleanup during flooding, such as specifying time frames for responding to spills; clarify its rules, so that both oil and gas spills and other spills like brine, produced water, or fracking fluid are also reported, tracked, and cleaned up; and report these spills and the results of any cleanup effort in an accessible way, either directly on its website or by sharing the information with TCEQ as part of its joint work on spills. (Management action — nonstatutory)
We are in full support. This is considerable confusion about reporting and clean-up requirements, particularly in the event of floods.
Amend Chapter 26 of the Texas Water Code to require operators that treat “domestic wastewater” or “mobile drinking water treatment system wastewater” at oil and gas well drill sites to obtain a permit from TCEQ instead of RRC.
We are in support. TCEQ is the appropriate agency to assure water is cleaned up to the appropriate level.
Improve inspection, regulation, and reporting of injection wells by: either removing the specific permit fee amount in Chapter 27, allowing the Commission to set a more reasonable amount, or raising it to $1,000 (Change in statute); requiring RRC to require monthly reporting of liquid injection in all disposal wells and make the information publicly accessible (Change in statute); and directing RRC to conduct a comprehensive review of its rules and programs regarding oil and gas disposal wells, and consider changes related to casing and cementing, aquifer exemptions, notice and public participation, seismic activity, and wastewater reporting and tracking. (Management action — nonstatutory)
We are in support of both the management and statutory changes. Permit fees for disposal wells are too low and the rules should be reexamined to assure proper notice, and proper safeguards.
Sunset Advisory Commission Hearing for Public Input on the Railroad Commission
Posted in Global Warming, Railroad Commission, Sunset, tagged Texas on August 18, 2016 |
House Appropriations Committee Room
Room E1.030, Capitol Extension
Starting at 9:00 a.m.
This is not the Railroad Commission’s first rodeo. It was punted in the 2011, 2013 and 2015 legislative sessions with a temporary re-authorization because the legislature failed to agree and pass a bill that would reauthorize the agency for another 12 years. So once again this dysfunctional agency is in front of the Sunset Commissioners who must make recommendations about how the RRC should continue (and in case you were wondering – NO – the Railroad Commission does not regulate railroads. Pipelines, oil and gas wells, and mines are among the things it oversees/rubber stamps. And it does have some enforcement duties that don’t amount to much So this is an agency that could use some serious changes, but unless the Texas legislature via the Sunset Commissioners know that the public is paying attention to what they do, they could just re-authorize the RRC for another 12 years with no significant changes. This is where you come in. Below is a description of the Sunset Advisory Commission and their process. You can see the agenda for the August 22nd hearing here.
If you plan to testify, you will need to fill out a witness card upon your arrival at the Capitol in Room E1.030. We will have our internal sessions and refreshments in reserved rooms at the Capitol. Parking is available in the Capitol Visitors Garage accessible on 12th or 13th Streets between Trinity and San Jacinto on the east side of the Capitol., please fill in the sheet here, so we can plan to accommodate everyone and for you to get information about the rooms we have reserved. If you cannot come in person, there are other options (see below)
The Sunset Advisory Commission is an agency of the Texas Legislature that makes recommendations to the Legislature on whether to continue various state agencies.
The Commission was created in 1977 under the auspices of the Texas Sunset Act (now codified as Chapter 325 of the Texas Government Code).
The Commission consists of twelve members, ten of whom are legislators and the remaining two are members of the general public (see the current Commissioners below). The leader of each chamber of the Legislature (the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives and the Lieutenant Governor of Texas, who presides over the Texas Senate) each appoint five legislators and one public member to serve on the Commission. The chair and vice-chair rotate annually between the two chambers. The Commission appoints a director, who hires staff to carry out agency duties. (A list of the members is located at the bottom of this post)
Under the Act, every state agency (excluding universities, courts, and agencies mandated under the Texas Constitution) has a specific date on which it will automatically be abolished, unless the Legislature passes specific legislation continuing the agency’s existence. This issue came into play during the 2009 Legislative session, when the session adjourned without the Legislature providing for the continued existence of several agencies, thus requiring the Governor to call a special session.
Prior to the scheduled cessation date of an agency, the agency’s functions are scheduled for review by the Commission. Each agency provides to the Commission a Self-Evaluation Report; the Commission staff prepares its recommendations (coordinating with other state oversight agencies, such as the State Auditor’s Office and the Legislative Budget Board) and takes public comments. A final public hearing is held prior to the Commission making its final recommendations to the Legislature. The final recommendation can be any of the following:
Continue the agency as is
Continue the agency with modifications (including moving functions from the agency to other agencies, moving functions from other agencies into it, and most commonly, making improvements to the effectiveness and efficiency of an agency’s functions.)
Merge the agency with another agency
Disband the agency and either transfer its functions to other agencies, or abolish them altogether
If the Commission recommends continuation of the agency, it must provide draft legislation to continue the Agency and to make other recommendations. Generally, the legislation will allow the agency to continue for an additional 12 years (six biennial sessions), but may be shortened in order to equalize the number and size of agencies to be reviewed each biennium. Should an agency be abolished, the Act provides for a one-year wind-down period so the agency may conclude its operations. The Legislature must pass specific legislation to continue an agency’s existence and to define its roles and responsibilities, and has complete freedom to amend or reject the Commission’s recommendations (either to continue or abolish the agency).
The Sunset Process:
The Commission generally considers each agency under review during two public meetings. About a month after release of a Sunset staff report, the Commission discusses the report’s recommendations and takes testimony from the public. Any person is welcome to attend the public hearing and provide feedback on the staff recommendations or other issues relating to the agency. For the Railroad Commission this hearing is August 22, 2016 at the capital. Please note, however, testimony about individual cases or appeals is generally not allowed. The Sunset Commission cannot override an agency’s decisions.
At least a month after the public hearing, the Sunset Commission meets again to vote on its recommendations to the full Legislature about an agency. No additional public testimony is taken at this second meeting. The Railroad Commission’s second meeting is scheduled for November 10th. At this point the commissioners will issue their recommendations for any changes at the agency that will be considered in the reauthorizing legislation that needs to pass during the 85th legislative session, should the bill fail the agency is abolished but may continue business for up to one year. Should no reauthorizing legislation pass, there is an omnibus bill that will allow an agency to undergo the sunset process during the next interim session, but the Railroad Commission’s reauthorizing process was already delayed last session.
Public participation is the cornerstone of the Sunset process. It is how Sunset staff gains the broad perspective needed to conduct its review of state agencies and programs. It is how the Sunset Commission receives feedback about the Sunset staff review and hears new ideas and issues beyond what staff has presented. Ultimately, it is how the public itself can be assured of a say on fundamental matters affecting state agencies.
The public may participate in the Sunset process at this point by:
Giving feedback directly to the Sunset Commission.
After the Sunset staff report has been issued, the Sunset Commission conducts a public hearing to receive feedback on the staff’s work. Interested persons may provide feedback in writing or by testifying at the hearing. Because of the public nature of the proceeding, feedback received at this stage is public and will generally be placed on the Sunset Commission’s website for the public to see. To be most effective, this feedback should be short and to the point and clearly indicate support, opposition, or changes to recommendations. One may also present any new issues or solutions that were not raised in the Sunset staff report. Sunset staff compiles this feedback to help the Sunset Commission make decisions about an agency.
If you cannot attend but want to submit written testimony, you can use the Public Input Form and watch a live stream of the hearing. or you can go to Public Citizen’s Action form with pre-written testimony. Once you take action here you will both automatically receive an email about the hearing and will be directed to the page to sign up to attend the hearing
If the reason you cannot attend is because they happened to schedule this hearing on the same day school starts in your area, be sure to mention this in your written testimony.
Sunset Commission Members
The Commission has five Senators, five Representatives, and two members of the public, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House. The position of chair rotates between the House and the Senate every two years.
Senate Members House Members
Van Taylor
Plano Larry Gonzales
Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa
McAllen Cindy Burkett
Jacksonville Dan Flynn
Charles Schwertner
Georgetown Richard Peña Raymond
Kirk Watson
Austin Senfronia Thompson
LTC (Ret.) Allen B. West
2015 to 2017 William Meadows
Texas Oil & Gas Regulators Fired for Enforcing Regulations
Posted in Air Quality, Campaign Finance, Fracking, Good Government, Health, natural gas, Safety, TCEQ, Toxics, Water, tagged corruption, Texas on December 9, 2014 | 3 Comments »
Two non-profit and non-partisan investigative journalism organizations, the Center for Public Integrity and InsideClimate News, have concluded through their joint investigation that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Railroad Commission protect the oil and gas industry instead of the public whom they claim to serve.
Fred Wright and Morris Kocurek were two oil and gas regulators working for the Texas Railroad Commission who received praise from their supervisors, promotions, and merit raises throughout their careers. But they may have done their jobs too well. They were fired in 2013 for what they believe to be their insistence in making sure oil and gas operators followed the rules and regulations in place to protect the public and the environment.
Wright was responsible for determining whether oil and gas wells were up to code to prevent groundwater contamination. He was often encouraged or coerced by his superiors to bend the rules, to say that operators had met compliance standards when they had not. In 2013, his superiors told him that complaints had been filed against him by the operators claiming he was “unreasonable to work with” and “does not attempt to offer solutions to bring them in compliance with commission rules”, citing that Fred’s methods for compliance would be “costly”. Wright’s boss at the time, Charlie Teague, insisted that Write approve oil and gas wells despite the fact that they were in violation of statewide rules.
As the enforcer of proper toxic waste disposal in the oil and gas industry, Kocurek faced very similar problems. He said his bosses made it clear that he was supposed to go easy on the industry. The violation notices Kocurek filed were usually processed very slowly and follow-up inspections were assigned to the more lenient inspectors. Eventually, Kocurek realized the influence that the industry had on its supposed regulators and his reports were all ignored. Violations would disappear after the right phone calls were made.
Documents obtained from the Railroad Commission through the open-records corroborate the stories of Mr. Wright and Mr. Kocurek. Wright has filed a civil lawsuit alleging wrongful termination. He has also filed a federal whistleblower complaint. Kocurek, on the other hand, hasn’t taken any legal action and would rather forget the whole thing.
According to InsideClimate News and the Center for Public Integrity, the Railroad Commission is controlled by three elected commissioners who have accepted nearly $3 million combined in campaign contributions from the industry during the 2012 and 2014 election cycles, according to data from the National Institute on Money in State Politics. In the case of the Railroad Commission and the TCEQ, money talks and it’s louder than the voice of Texas citizens.
Read their extensive report here: [http://books.insideclimatenews.org/fired]
Texas Under Threat of High-Level Radioactive Waste Storage
Posted in Nuclear, Radiation, Radioactive Waste, TCEQ, tagged House Environmental Regulation Committee, ogallala aquifer, radioactive waste, TCEQ, Texas, waste control specialists, WCS on April 21, 2014 | 1 Comment »
At Waste Control Specialists radioactive waste disposal pit in Andrews, Tex., space inside goes for $10,000 a cubic foot in some cases. As aging nuclear reactors retire, their most radioactive steel, concrete and other components must be shipped somewhere for burial. Photo by Michael Stravato, The New York Times
Texas is under radioactive waste assault. There is already an existing “low-level” radioactive waste dump owned by Waste Control Specialists (WCS) in Andrews County. Weapons waste from Fernald, Ohio is already buried in one of the three pits there. The facility is now taking nuclear reactor waste from around the country and is accepting Department of Energy waste, including nuclear weapons waste. And there is an adjacent hazardous waste pit, which can accept some 2000 chemicals, many of the toxic or corrosive. WCS expects to make some $15 billion off the site, although Texans bear the risks of contamination and financial liability.
All of this is at a site for which Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) staff originally recommended denial of the license due to concerns about water contamination. There are 2 water bodies are present at the site, the the most significant of which is the southern tip of the massive Ogallala Aquifer. Although some maps have been drawn to show that the aquifer doesn’t extend as far as the WCS disposal site, water has been present in up to 40% of the monitoring wells on the site, indicating that a hydrological connection could exists. The site is supposed to be dry for safety reasons, but that hasn’t stopped the TCEQ from granting permits or WCS from burying radioactive waste there.
Now two new threats have emerged, including storage of very hot transuranic waste – which includes plutonium, neptunium, and americium from the failed national repository known as the Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP) site.
Carlsbad, NM Nuclear Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
Texas is getting the transuranic waste unexpectedly. The Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP) site in Carlsbad, New Mexico, is a disposal site for transuranic waste that is buried half a mile underground. The site had a fire on February 5th and a major radiation leak 9 days later. At least 21 workers were exposed to radiation. The New Mexico facility has been closed since the accident and the WCS radioactive waste dump in Andrews County, Texas is now taking this same highly radioactive waste and storing it above ground in steel sided buildings, raising concerns about what would happen if there were tornadoes, floods or wildfires.
In addition, now Governor Perry is actively campaigning to bring spent nuclear fuel to Texas for storage. This the hottest, most dangerous of radioactive waste, the kind that was to be sent to the failed Yucca Mountain site in Nevada.
It is so dangerous that shielding is required to protect humans from a lethal dose as a result of exposure to spent nuclear fuel. Even 10 years after this waste is removed from a spent fuel pool, the radiation field at one meter away is 20,000 rem/hour. It only takes a quarter of that amount to incapacitate a person immediately and cause the person’s death within one week.
The spent fuel is currently cooled and then kept in dry casks at the sites where it was generated. Storing the waste at the power plant sites raises the risks for people living in those areas, but transporting the waste to a central location increases risks for those living along transportation routes and those near the disposal site. There is simply no safe way to deal with the amount of radioactive waste we are producing in the long term.
The Texas House Environmental Regulation Committee will soon address an interim charge on how to bring this high-level waste to Texas and how much economic benefit there could be. Discussion of the risks isn’t on the agenda. It seems that the committee may be blinded by potential profit for their campaign donors.
Stay tuned and learn more at www.NukeFreeTexas.org (more…)
Fracking Boom Pours Toxic Cloud Over South Texans
Posted in Air Quality, Climate Change, Energy, Fracking, Global Warming, Health, natural gas, Safety, TCEQ, Toxics, tagged Air Quality, benzene, Big Oil Bad Air, Cottulla, Eagle Ford Shale, fracking, hydrogen sulfide, karnes city, Karnes County, natural gas, Texas, toxic on March 1, 2014 |
Oil drilling site, w/ pond for fracking water, Cotulla, TX
Photo by Al Braden
The Eagle Ford Shale play in south Texas is the 400-mile-long area that has become home to one of the country’s biggest energy booms in the past six years. The thousands of oil and gas wells producing in the region have brought dangerous air pollution to residents.
The Center for Public Integrity, InsideClimate News and The Weather Channel released a new exposé titled, “Fracking the Eagle Ford Shale: Big Oil & Bad Air on the Texas Prairie,” last week. Their eight month investigation reveals the dangers that come with fracking in the form of toxic chemicals released into the air as a result of the complicit culture of the government of Texas. In case you just want to read the highlights of the report, the team was nice enough to summarize their major findings:
Texas’ air monitoring system is so flawed that the state knows almost nothing about the extent of the pollution in the Eagle Ford. Only five permanent air monitors are installed in the 20,000-square-mile region, and all are at the fringes of the shale play, far from the heavy drilling areas where emissions are highest.
Anadarko Brasada Cyro Gas Plant, Phase 1 of 3, Cotulla, TX.
Thousands of oil and gas facilities, including six of the nine production sites near the Buehrings’ house, are allowed to self-audit their emissions without reporting them to the state. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), which regulates most air emissions, doesn’t even know some of these facilities exist. An internal agency document acknowledges that the rule allowing this practice “[c]annot be proven to be protective.”
Companies that break the law are rarely fined. Of the 284 oil and gas industry-related complaints filed with the TCEQ by Eagle Ford residents between Jan. 1, 2010, and Nov. 19, 2013, only two resulted in fines despite 164 documented violations. The largest was just $14,250. (Pending enforcement actions could lead to six more fines).
The Texas legislature has cut the TCEQ’s budget by a third since the Eagle Ford boom began, from $555 million in 2008 to $372 million in 2014. At the same time, the amount allocated for air monitoring equipment dropped from $1.2 million to $579,000.
The Eagle Ford boom is feeding an ominous trend: A 100 percent statewide increase in unplanned, toxic air releases associated with oil and gas production since 2009. Known as emission events, these releases are usually caused by human error or faulty equipment.
Residents of the mostly rural Eagle Ford counties are at a disadvantage even in Texas, because they haven’t been given air quality protections, such as more permanent monitors, provided to the wealthier, more suburban Barnett Shale region near Dallas-Fort Worth.
Citizens Group Challenges Permit for EFH/Luminant Coal Mine: Demands Cash Bond for Cleanup
Posted in Air Quality, Coal Plants, TCEQ, tagged EFH, Luminant, mine reclamation, Texas, Texas Railroad Commission on October 29, 2013 |
Neighbors for Neighbors (NFN), an organization of residents near Luminant Mining’s Three Oaks Mine, filed late Monday for a contested case hearing on an EFH subsidiary’s request to renew the mining operation in Lee and Bastrop counties.
In its filing, NFN asks the Texas Railroad Commission, the agency that administers mining law in Texas, to require Luminant Mining to post cash or an outside bond to cover the estimated $60 million cost of cleaning up the strip mine. The group points out since EFH, the parent company of Luminant Mining, is expected to file for bankruptcy by the end of this year, there may not be funds to cover the cost of cleanup. Click here to see a copy of the filing.
“Does a company have to go bankrupt and walk away from its mines in order for regulators to step in?” asked NFN president Travis Brown. “It would be the height of irresponsibility for Texas to allow a company going bankrupt to say, ‘Trust us, we’re good for it.’ We want Luminant Mining to post real bonds to assure that the mining restoration gets done.”
Russel Bostic, a local rancher and NFN member, said “I live next to the mine, and the company has condemned and is planning to use my land. My family wants our land to be restored to its original condition so we can return.”
Lignite coal mined at Three Oaks is used to supply Luminant’s two coal-fired power plants near Rockdale.
Under federal and state law, mining companies are required to restore mined areas to their original condition. Those companies must also set aside money so resources will be available for the restoration, even if the company abandons the mine. The law was created because many U.S. mines were abandoned when companies went bankrupt, leading to contamination of surface water and groundwater.
In Texas, Luminant Mining is responsible for the operation and cleanup of eleven active strip mines. If EFH goes bankrupt and sufficient cash has not been set aside for cleanup, taxpayers could end up with the estimated $1.01 billion cost of cleaning up all the mines.
Instead of requiring that $1.01 billion be set aside in cash or a real bond, the Railroad Commission allowed Luminant to “self-bond,” which means the company is relying on a “guarantee” that their own assets will cover the bonds without having real cash bonds set aside that the state can readily access. In recent years, EFH has shifted to third party guarantee of the bonds, but the third party is another subsidiary of EFH, so still them.
In its current request for a mining permit for Three Oaks, Luminant Mining is again asking to post a self-bond for cleanup.
Brown said, “The company recently said in a community meeting at the mine that they intend to pledge assets for the cleanup bond. They said they need to operate the mines and coal plants to generate revenues to pay the new debt. But nowhere in their most recent 8K [financial statement to SEC] do they make that commitment.”
Brown added, “This is especially disturbing since the company also says – in the same 8K – that they expect the price of gas to go up and coal to stay low. That’s the same poor business plan that has led to this bankruptcy.”
Michele Gangnes, an NFN member and a bond attorney, said “The law is clear, and Texas regulators should take immediate action to demand a cash bond so taxpayers and the environment are protected.”
Gangnes added, “In many states, Luminant Mining would be required to put up a cash bond before allowing the Tree oaks mine to expand. But EFH has been playing a shell-game, and state regulators have allowed it. We are asking the Railroad Commission to guarantee that EFH has to set cash aside or post a third-party bond specifically for cleanup of the mines in this bankruptcy deal.”
A Missed Opportunity for Cleaner Air in Texas
Posted in Air Quality, Coal Plants, Health, TCEQ, tagged air pollution, asthma, Coal Plants, Dallas County Medical Society, East Texas, emissions, Luminant, nitrogen oxides, nox, ozone, public citizen texas, TCEQ, Texas, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on October 23, 2013 | 3 Comments »
Instead of taking action to clean Texas air, as requested by the Dallas County Medical Society, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Chairman Bryan Shaw and Commissioner Toby Baker voted today to deny the petition for rulemaking and further postpone needed air quality improvements for East Texas and the Dallas-Fort Worth areas.
The DFW area has struggled with unhealthy levels of ground-level ozone pollution – caused emissions from vehicles and power plants mixing in the sunlight – for decades. While improvements in air quality have been made, they have lagged behind tightening air quality standards set by EPA to protect public health. Asthma rates – particularly among children – have continued to rise, as well as hospitalizations due to asthma.
In addition to contributing to ozone problems in East Texas & the DFW area, Luminant’s Martin Lake coal plant emits more toxic mercury than any other power plant in the nation, ranks 5th in carbon dioxide emissions & is responsible for $328,565,000 in health impacts from fine particle emissions.
Meanwhile, Luminant continues to operate three coal-fired power plants with a total of eight generating units in East Texas that were build in the 1970’s. These outdated facilities emit nitrogen oxides (NOx) – which is one of the two ingredients in ozone creation – at twice the rate of new coal plants in Texas. The rule changes recommended by the Dallas County Medical Society would have required those old coal plants to meet the same standards as new coal plants by 2018 – giving the plant owners more than ample time to make the upgrades or arrange to retire the facilities.
Instead of focusing on whether or not reducing NOx emissions from those old coal plants in East Texas would lead to reductions in ground-level ozone in the DFW area, the Commissioners persisted in questioning the science that shows that exposure to ground-level ozone results in increased and worsened incidents of asthma. Never mind that the research has been vetted by the EPA and reaffirmed by health organizations including the American Lung Association. The mindset at TCEQ, as at many of our agencies and with far too many of our elected officials, is that Texas knows best and industry must be protected at all costs.
We appreciate the more than 1,400 Public Citizen supporters who signed our petition in support of reducing emissions and protecting public health. All of those comments were submitted into the record and I read a few of them allowed at today’s hearing.
We will continue to fight for healthy air as TCEQ moves forward with developing a updated State Implementation Plan (SIP) to bring the DFW area into attainment with ground-level ozone air quality standards. That process will be ongoing in 2014, so stay tuned.
Public Citizen’s Legislative Wrap-Up: Where We Made Progress & Avoided Backsliding
Posted in Air Quality, Austin Energy, Budget, Climate Change, Coal, Coal Plants, Diesel, Efficiency, Energy, Global Warming, Nuclear, pipelines, Radioactive Waste, Renewables, solar, Sunset, Tarsands, Texas Legislature, Utilities, wind, tagged Air Quality, Austin, Austin Energy, Clean Energy, climate change, Coal, coal plant, Energy Efficiency, Global Warming, Keystone Pipeline, Public Citizen, public citizen texas, renewable energy, Renewables, Rick Perry, solar, solar power, Texas, Texas Legislature, wind on June 17, 2013 | 1 Comment »
With the regular session behind us and energy and environmental issues not likely to find a place in the special session, it’s a good time to look at what we accomplished.
Our wins came in two forms – bills that passed that will actually improve policy in Texas and bills that didn’t pass that would have taken policy in the wrong direction.
We made progress by helping to get bills passed that:
Expand funding for the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) by about 40%;
Create a program within TERP to replace old diesel tractor trailer trucks used in and around ports and rail yards (these are some of the most polluting vehicles on the road);
Establish new incentives within TERP for purchasing plug-in electric cars; and
Assign authority to the Railroad Commission (RRC) to regulate small oil and gas lines (these lines, known as gathering lines, are prone to leaks); and
Allows commercial and industrial building owners to obtain low-cost, long-term private sector financing for water conservation and energy-efficiency improvements, including on-site renewable energy, such as solar.
We successfully helped to stop or improve bad legislation that would have:
Eliminated hearings on permits for new pollution sources (the contested case hearing process is crucial to limiting pollution increases);
Eliminated additional inspections for facilities with repeated pollution violations;
Weakened protections against utilities that violate market rules and safety guidelines;
Eliminated property tax breaks for wind farms, while continuing the policy for other industries;
Granted home owners associations (HOAs) authority to unreasonably restrict homeowners ability to install solar panels on their roofs; and
Permitted Austin City Council to turn control of Austin Energy over to an unelected board without a vote by the citizens of Austin.
We did lose ground on the issue of radioactive waste disposal. Despite our considerable efforts, a bill passed that will allow more highly radioactive waste to be disposed of in the Waste Control Specialists (WCS) facility in west Texas. Campaign contributions certainly played an important roll in getting the bill passed.
We were also disappointed by Governor Perry’s veto of the Ethics Commission sunset bill, which included several improvements, including a requirement that railroad commissioners resign before running for another office, as they are prone to do. Read Carol’s post about this bill and the issue.
With the legislation over and Perry’s veto pen out of ink, we now shift our attention to organizing and advocating for a transition from polluting energy sources that send money out of our state to clean energy sources that can grow our economy.
We’re working to:
Promote solar energy at electric cooperatives and municipal electric utilities;
Speed up the retirement of old, inefficient, polluting coal-fired power plants in east Texas;
Protect our climate and our port communities throughout the Gulf states from health hazards from new and expanded coal export facilities;
Fight permitting of the Keystone XL and other tar sands pipelines in Texas;
Ensure full implementation of improvements made to TERP; and
Develop an environmental platform for the 2014 election cycle.
Our power comes from people like you getting involved – even in small ways, like writing an email or making a call. If you want to help us work for a cleaner, healthier, more sustainable future, email me at [email protected] And one of the best things you can do is to get your friends involved too.
Public Citzen’s Guide to Amending the PUC Sunset Bill
Posted in Energy, Good Government, renewable portfolio standard, Renewables, Sunset, Texas Legislature, Utilities, Water, tagged electric reliability council of texas, Public Citizen, public citizen texas, PUC, Sunset Advisory Commission, Texas, Universal Service Fund on March 20, 2013 | 2 Comments »
Public Citizen’s positions on the pre-filed amendments to the PUC Sunset bill can be viewed here: http://bit.ly/Guide_to_Amend_PUC_Sunset_bill_HB1600 or in the table below.
Support These Amendments to Improve the PUC Sunset Bill
Bar code # Sponsor Description Comment
830096 Cook clean up cleans up language in bill – no substantial changes
830077 Davis bans sharing of customer info from advanced meters eliminates the value of smart meter – demand response providers may not be able to operate (NOTE: amendment to the amendment will fix this problem)
830076 Davis requires annual review of certificate holders
830087 Davis requires written disclosure prior to releasing info from advanced meters protects customer privacy while allowing demand response providers to operate with permission of customer
830088 Davis makes utility liable for damages to advanced meter during installation or removal protects customer from unreasonable charges
830089 Davis bans billing for average use of electricity restricts customer choice (NOTE: amendment to the amendment will fix this problem by allowing customers to choose levelized billing)
830090 Davis reregulates the electric market assures adequate resources to meet the load
830101 King caps transmission congestion costs protects consumers
830104 Phillips prevents Texas generators from exporting electricity from ERCOT during an electricity emergency protects reliability in ERCOT
830084 Phillips bans cost recovery for interstate transmission lines out of state electric generators must finance their own transmission
830086 Rodriguez sets 35% renewable portfolio standard by 2020 increases generation, local jobs and investment
830082 Strama establishes a peak energy portfolio standard improves reliability and increases local investment and jobs
830106 C Turner requires study by gas utilities on replacing their gas distribution lines improves safety
830072 S Turner requires legislative approval to increase the Universal Service Fund limits costs to consumers
830073 S Turner restricts cease and desist orders for customers to those causing a danger provides reasonable restrictions of PUC power and protects customers
830078 S Turner increases state penalties for market abuses and eliminates double jeopardy restores recommendation of Sunset Advisory Commission staff to increase fines for market abuse
830103 S Turner requires cost-benefit analysis when PUC makes significant market changes helps protect consumers
830102 Vo requires 30 day notice of discretionary changes in electric rates provides some customer protection against unexpected electric rate increases
830098 Walle limits water companies to one rate increase each 3 years and limits the amount of any increase protects consumers
Oppose These Bad Amendments to the PUC Sunset Bill
830095 Cook changes qualifications for PUC commissioners allows utilities to have too much control over commission
830100 Gonzalez gives PUC citing authority over a new plant in the El Paso area shouldn’t apply to just one company
830085 Krause eliminates the PUC’s ability to issue a cease and desist order jeopardizes reliability
830105 Laubenberg eliminates the PUC’s ability to issue a cease and desist order jeopardizes reliability
830091 Phillips interferes with reliability must run plans could jeopardize reliability and create inefficiencies
830092 Phillips requires CREZ lines to be buried in a specific municipality significantly increases electric consumers’ costs
830093 Stanford eliminates cease and desist orders for retail customers prevents the PUC from stopping abusive behavior and protecting reliability of the electric grid
830094 Sheets creates a 5 member Public Utility Commission two commissioners could meet without following open meeting requirements
830079 Simpson eliminates the PUC’s ability to issue a cease and desist order jeopardizes reliability
830080 Simpson eliminates cease and desist orders for retail customers prevents the PUC from preventing abusive behavior and protecting reliability of the electric grid
830081 Simpson shifts cost of opting out of advanced metering to other customers puts unfair cost burden on customers
830074 S Turner changes to single elected commissioner opens door to even more industry influence over regulators through campaign contributions
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Immersive LDN (venue)
07 November 2019 (released)
Chloe Billington
Immersive theatre has established itself as uniquely thrilling date night in London for those willing to step out of their seats and into the ‘experience’. They range from intimate immersive dining experiences from ‘Gingerline’ to the vast hinterlands that ‘Secret Cinema’ have been creating for over a decade. Alexander Wright’s immersive adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic Jazz age novel sits somewhere in between with audiences dressed in 1920’s attire welcomed into a grand old building just behind Bond Street Station.
Ushered up the stairs we walk into a vast bar with art deco styling and black drapes hinting at scenes to come. As the room fills with the expectant crowd, many having made the effort with sequins and pearls, the actors start to weave their way through the party. Daisy Buchanan in white satin, played by Lucinda Turner joins us for a chat on our table as we sip an ‘Old Fashioned’ and it’s only when George Wilson (Tendai Humphrey Sitima) starts to play the piano and his wife Myrtle (Hannah Edwards) sings, a hush descends for the first official scene to unfold.
For those not used to immersive theatre, the key is to keep moving; when a scene comes to an end, follow a character you’re interested in as they will take you out of the main space into a new room where a more intimate scene unfolds before everyone is finally brought together for the dramatic denouement. Ultimately, every audience member will have experienced a different version of the play. In some ways ‘The Great Gatsby’ is the perfect choice for this form. Who wouldn’t want to join a glamorous party full of beautiful people? There’s singing, dancing and plenty of champagne. On the other hand, with so many unpredictable factors, it’s not easy to create the extraordinary tone of the original that hints at foreboding even while describing the magical world of youth and success.
Every member of the relatively small cast do an impressive job throughout; switching from moments of intensity to huge performances that have to rise above moving crowds, always ready to respond to the unexpected without losing forward momentum. Turner and Jessica Hurn have a crisp restraint perfectly suited to the period and James Lawrence who plays our narrator Nick Carraway has a magnetic presence, managing to travel from wide-eyed innocence to disgust as the night unfolds. One of the most poignant moments I was grateful to witness was the heart-breaking lament from George – Tendai Humphrey Sitima who gives an extraordinary vocal performance at the piano.
If you’ve never experienced immersive theatre before, The Great Gatsby is a great place to start. There’s no pressure to do anything but watch the performers work their magic with a glass in hand but if you’re feeling more adventurous you can dress up, chat to the characters and dance the Chalston. What more could you want?
Photo credit: Sam Taylor
EVENTS TICKETS DIRECTORY
© Theatre-News 2020
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Born 14 Aug 1912 in Lucas AR
Died 17 Mar 1981 at Springdale Memorial Hospital in Springdale AR
Interred Oakland Memorial Cemetery, Clarksville AR. GPS Coordinates - N 35° 28.082' - W 93° 28.686'
Debut Date 18 Apr 1934. Pitcher 9 Years.
Served in the U S Army during World War II. He was the brother of Dizzy Dean, and was known as "Daffy". A member of Ohio and Oklahoma halls of fame, he owned several minor league teams and conducted baseball schools. Died from a massive heart attack and complications from diabetes.
Last Updated 3 Nov 2011.
Click here to see Paul Dean at Baseball Almanac
Click here to see Paul Dean at Baseball-Reference.com
Photos Courtesy of Dr. Fred Worth, Professor, Henderson State University, Arkadelphia AR
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America > Uruguay: Weather, Map, Costs and Travel Guide
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Uruguay in January
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Uruguay in October
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Uruguay : When and where to go?
Click on a city for complete climate and weather tables
Town Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Uruguay: Climate & Weather
Temperate, the climate allows winters (from June to September) rather mild, with average temperatures between 10 and 16 ° C, and summers (from December to March) pleasant (between 21 and 28 ° C), Fresh in the interior than on the beaches, where the humidity is sometimes stifling.
Summer is the best time to enjoy the whole country, although there are many tourists.
Precipitation forecast: 0 mm
> Full report and 7-days forecast
Data updated at 02:12 (local time)
At that time, the weather was:
22.2 °C / Partly Cloudy
Uruguay: Map
What to do in Uruguay
Montevideo, the capital, is located on the banks of the Rio de la Plata. It has an architecture where flourish the Spanish and Italian styles, as well as Art Deco touches. You can stroll through the old town, or even better, take a long walk that takes you from the Plaza Independencia to the port, and discover on this occasion sites worthy of interest, such as the Mausoleum of Artigas marble The Palacio Salvo which is the city's tallest building, the neo-classical town hall, and the National History Museum. Also visit the lively Mercado del Puerto and the open air market of Tristan Narvaja Feria.
The coast to the east of Montevideo has several seaside resorts, such as Atlantida or Piriapolis, and this area is strongly influenced by the West. The best known of all, Punta del Este, offers tourists marinas and golf courses, but also beautiful beaches. From here, you can drive to Gorriti Island with its ruined fortress dating back to the 17th century. The island of Lobos shelters in its natural reserve a protected population of sea lions.
Also to be discovered is the village of Aguas Dulces, a small fishing port in the quiet, very simple, where you will taste in peace of the delicious seafood; Tacuarambo, a peaceful and shady town, where sculptors have worked on many statues scattered in every corner; The agricultural estancias of the center of the country.
Uruguay : The basics
As an EU citizen, you do not need a visa to enter Uruguay, if your stay is less than 90 days.
The current currency is the Uruguayan peso (UYP).
It takes about twenty hours to connect Paris to Montevideo, with one or often two stopovers.
To travel in the country, buses are frequent and inexpensive. In Montevideo you will use taxis. If you are driving, you will use a well-developed road network in good condition.
Budget: although this country is one of the most expensive in Latin America, prices are quite low. You can eat properly for an average price of 15 €, and rent a room for about 20 euros.
Health: there are few health risks in this country, so it is simply advisable to have your current vaccinations up to date and to take remedies against the turista, which is rather less frequent than in the neighboring countries.
Security: Uruguay is a safe country. Just take the usual precautions in big cities, especially at night.
Local craftsmen use wood and silver a lot, so you can bring wooden carvings, silver jewelery, and painted or engraved calabashes from your trip.
Request a local expert to customise your tailor-made tour
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UFC To Stymie Strikeforce By Recycling All Their Own Discarded Trash
In the latest round of the imagined (or is it?) UFC/Strikeforce conflict, Dana White and company have decided to stymie Scott Coker's recruitment efforts by recycling all of their own old, discarded trash. First up on the recycle list are "New York Badass" Phil Baroni and Dennis Hallman - two fighters who, before Strikeforce signed Fedor and became a major player in the MMA promotion business, couldn't even get UFC matchmaker Joe Silva to take their phone calls. Now Baroni and Hallman are the recipients of a pair of juicy UFC contracts. Expect more Octagon detritus and debris to be scooped up by Zuffa in months to come.
Labels: Dennis Hallman, Phil Baroni, UFC
Memorable Moments in Northeast Female MMA History
In honor of Saturday's highly-anticipated Gina Carano/Cris "Cyborg" Santos epic - the biggest fight in female MMA history - MMA Journalist has compiled this handy-dandy collection of the biggest moments in Northeast female MMA. Curiously, the Northeast has at times been a comparative hotbed for fighting femmes, with top talent like Amanda Buckner, Laura D'Auguste, Tara LaRosa and Roxanne Modaferri (before she moved to Japan) calling this part of the world home. Anyway, the list:
Laura D'Auguste vs. Shannon Logan, Reality Fighting 2, 11/02/02 - The first female MMA fight in the Northeast saw a Tiger Schulmann Karate rep in D'Auguste take on a Team Renzo blue belt in Logan, and it was like watching Chute Boxer Pele Landi Jons against Jorge Patino in Brazil circa 1996 (i.e., D'Auguste beat on Logan mercilessly). The crowd inside the Wildwood Convention Center went absolutely nuts - the first inclination that skilled women were viable competitors and just as exciting as men.
Laura D'Auguste vs. Del Greer, Reality Fighting 3, 2/8/03 - The audience was much bigger for this one, and when D'Auguste managed to defeat the larger Greer despite a weight disadvantage, the whole place erupted. This was the first time a female bout was the main event, and no one left the Bayonne High School gymnasium disappointed.
Shelby Walker vs. Angela Wilson, Ring of Fury 3, 5/3/03 - A Boston nightclub played host to Ring of Fury 3, and when the referee said "go!" Wilson charged right into Walker's fist. Walker got off another punch and that was all she wrote. At five seconds, it remains the fastest KO in women's MMA history.
Laura D'Auguste vs. Roxanne Modafferi, Ring of Combat 8, 3/19/05 - When Jennifer Howe was considered the best female fighter in the world, Modafferi kicked her ass, then kicked her ass again in the rematch. And though a loss on a Smackgirl card in Japan marred her record, "Roxy" was considered the new chick to beat at the time. So in the dank depths of the Asbury Park Convention Hall that's just what D'Auguste did. After ROC 8, D'Auguste went on to win a Smackgirl tournament in Japan - a win which had nearly everyone in the industry pegging her as the top female fighter in the sport.
Tara LaRosa vs. Roxanne Modafferi, MFC: "Boardwalk Blitz", 3/4/06 - Matchmaker Miguel Iturrate knew full well the appeal of women fighting, so he wasted little time in putting such bouts on his Mixed Fighting Championship cards. At this one, LaRosa - considered to be top contender - took on Modaferri in a grueling three-rounder.
Amanda Buckner vs. Shayna Baszler, MFC: "USA vs. Russia", 6/3/06 - Another Miguel Iturrate special. When Buckner and Baszler threw down at Boardwalk Hall, they really threw down, and pics of the donnybrook made the cover of the New York Times the next day.
Tara LaRosa vs. Kelly Kobold, BodogFIGHT: "Alvarez vs. Lee", 7/14/07 - BodogFIGHT wanted to crown a 135-pound female champ, and after pitting some of the best against each other for their weekly TV show, it was clear LaRosa was one half of the equation. Unfortunately, D'Auguste (now a full-fledged jiu-jitsu student) injured her ankle in training, so undefeated Midwesterner Kobold stepped in. LaRosa won via fourth-round armbar, and since then she's been the queen of the 135 pounders. D'Auguste, meanwhile, got married and retired from fighting.
Tara LaRosa vs. Alexis Davis and Sally Krumdiak, Extreme Challenge's "War at the Shore" and "Mayhem at the Marina", 1/23/09 and 3/28/09 - While Carano was making waves on national TV, LaRosa returned to action to prove yet again that she's the best by taking on all comers and dominating. She remains one of the best and most accomplished unsung heroes in MMA.
Posted by Jim Genia at 10:31 AM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: Amanda Buckner, Kelly Kobold, Laura D'Auguste, Roxanne Modaferri, Tara LaRosa
Posted by Jim Genia at 9:38 AM No comments: Links to this post
Predictions for Strikeforce: "Carano vs. Cyborg"
Jay Hieron will be declared the winner by disqualification when, after seeing opponent Jesse Taylor stumble, slur his words and vomit three times on the way to the ring, officials determine that Taylor is intoxicated to the point of blacking out.
Renato "Babalu" Sobral and Gegard Mousasi will wage an absolute war over the Strikeforce light-heavyweight belt. But no matter what the outcome, Babalu's finely-coiffed hair will remain pristine.
Utilizing world-class jiu-jitsu, Fabricio Werdum is going to get Mike Kyle down and mount him. Kyle will then produce a taser and stun the Brazilian, and when he's disqualified for cheating, he'll claim it was just "a heat of the moment thing".
Gilbert Melendez and Mitsuhiro Ishida are just going to wrestle. That's it. Just wrestle.
Gina Carano will defeat Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos after a long, protracted battle. She will, unfortunately, sustain a bite in the bout, and during the next full moon will temporarily transform into a feral Brazilian jungle cat.
Labels: Babalu, Cristiane Cyborg, Gegard Mousasi, Gina Carano, Jay Hieron, Strikeforce
UFC's Strikeforce Counter-Programming To Include Brock Lesnar Sex Tape
The UFC's anti-Strikeforce effort is in full-swing with the announcement that SpikeTV will air an alleged Brock Lesnar sex tape at the same time as Strikeforce's "Carano vs. Cyborg" event on Showtime on Saturday night. The Lesnar tape is rumored to include the UFC heavyweight champ's recent antics with a giant inflatable Coors Lite can, his molestation of the Minnesota Vikings' mascot "Viktor E. Viking", and clips of his bachelor party, where strippers reportedly frolicked in over 1,000 pounds of carp. "You want to take my Fedor from me?" crowed Chief UFC Cry Baby Dana White. "Scott Coker, I play for keeps!"
Labels: Strikeforce, UFC
UFC To Stymie Strikeforce By Recycling All Their O...
UFC's Strikeforce Counter-Programming To Include B...
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Главная » Dream interpretation » Dream interpretation, why dream of a river: dirty, clean, swim in a river in a dream
Dream interpretation, why dream of a river: dirty, clean, swim in a river in a dream
In order to understand what dreams of the river, you need to recall all the details, and begin to get acquainted with the values of various sources.
Dream Miller takes into account many nuances. Calm river — to joyful events, the growth of welfare.
Muddy and seething — quarrels. Spill of the river limited freedom of movement — trouble in the workplace.
When dreaming of a river with a dried up river bed, there is still to be grieving.
According to the dream Wang to be in the river right in clothes — excellent welfare. Suddenly to fall into the water, and take a little sip of it — to career advancement.
Successfully overcome the current — to gain wealth through significant works.
According to Freud’s dream book when a river dreams of no edges, in reality the sleeper has very bizarre and large-scale erotic fantasies.
Dream interpretation Tsvetkova interprets the powerful flow of the river, which makes it difficult to get out, as interference in business. Ill people will not get better soon.
Muslim source drinking river water is an unexpected acquisition of property. This will contribute to a senior or just a famous person.
Getting out of the boat on the river bank is a great symbol. The enemies will not be able to harm, and will be defeated.
The meaning of the dream in which it happened bathing in the river depends on the state of the water. Pure personifies inner harmony, dirty — unfavorable changes.
Sail on the river stormy means to face sudden obstacles. The reason for the delay will not be someone’s will, but changed circumstances.
In the dream to go with the flow rivers — a successful alignment of forces and the achievement of goals almost without effort. It was possible to fight with the flow — to succeed will have to work hard.
Having fun in the river means that it’s time to take the initiative and change your routine. It will definitely benefit.
Good sign when successful swim across swim the river All conceived cases will be fulfilled.
Dreamed dirty water in the river signals the approach of a difficult period. Understanding with friends and colleagues will noticeably deteriorate.
On the contrary clean Water in the river is considered an excellent sign. There will be joyful communication with nice people, receiving good news.
Also transparent the water in the river symbolically reflects the dreamer’s kindness, the purity of thoughts. Excellent health and success complement the interpretation of this plot.
Muddy water in the river warns about changing circumstances for the worse. Joy will be replaced by a dreary period.
For the most correct definition of what the river dreams, the most important thing to consider is how it looked. What matters is the color of the water, the speed of the current, and many other nuances.
Dreamed dirty the river has a sad meaning. There is a pain of loss.
There are various misunderstandings that will lead to quarrels.
Also muddy the river indicates the need to change the life course. Properly placed priorities will help to achieve success, which is currently unattainable.
The reflection of a hectic period is stormy river in a dream. This stage will not give rest, and will put everything upside down.
When the river dreams fast moving, this characterizes the dreamer as a person who can uphold his own convictions.
Sick man seething the river spells a speedy recovery.
Fast a river with breakers and whirlpools means unforeseen troubles. We’ll have to quarrel with others, which is not always beneficial.
Mountain The river is the most beautiful symbol among all the rapid streams of water. Dizzying events will occur, perhaps a passionate love interest will appear in life.
Frozen the river symbolizes the absence of change. Sometimes unshakable stability can even get bored.
A sign of something significant is a dream. the big river. This may be an important conversation with the authorities, a good or bad event.
Exact value prompt details.
Wide the river personifies unusual intimate fantasies.
On the occurrence of a favorable phase of life reports deep the river is clear and clean. Turbid — warns against participating in dubious projects and events.
Small river — to the difficulties. The information received may be misleading.
Small The river also symbolizes the breakdown. Need a rest.
Dried out river in a dream indicates the need in the near future to abandon large purchases. Ahead of the financial crisis, when you have to bitterly regret the rash spending. A dry river for gardeners means harvest problems.
People who are going on a business trip, the plot serves as a warning. The road will be accompanied by problems, so if possible it is worth postponing the trip
Net the river is a symbol of a correctly chosen life course. Therefore, the dreamer succeeds.
All without exception transparent small river means good health. Family also spell peace and harmony.
White a river in a dream means receiving good news. Fairy milk with sour trees — to wealth.
Green the river symbolizes that the dreamer is the true pet of fortune. Everything turns out effortlessly.
A sign of sadness and disappointment is black river.
Dark the river indicates obstacles that will cause many anxieties.
Nayava will be committed a bold act, that’s what dreams of the river, overrun, and flooded terrain with clean water. However, it will not affect the reputation.
If a spilled the river is muddy, the plot indicates a hidden malaise. It is advisable not to ignore even minor symptoms.
Another flood of the river is interpreted as a salary increase. Harvest will delight abundance.
The correct interpretation takes a lot of time, but these costs are justified by the fact that you can get a valuable hint. When dreaming of a river, to decrypt it is desirable to recall what details were encountered.
Whites waves on the river means a global stage in self-knowledge. High indicate delays in business.
Ice on the river — a symbol of cooling between lovers. The started business will slip when trying to continue.
To participate in a status event dreams ice drift on the river. All things will finally get over the ground.
A boat on the river — dreams of change. However, apart from thoughts about them, actions are absolutely necessary, otherwise the result will not be achieved.
Dreamed bridge on the river means achieving the goal thanks to dedication. Durable, indicates assistance from the side, from which you do not need to give up.
Rope — warns against taking drastic steps.
To the gifts of fate dream a fish in a river. Profit making is possible.
Plot in which she dreamed snake in the river, not too pleasant. But the value is innocent enough.
The son will become popular — that is what this dream means.
Own child in the river serves as a warning. At the moment he needs the support of his parents, otherwise he will be overwhelmed with problems.
If a car sank in the river, but none of the people was hurt, you get rid of obsolete ties. Initially, it will not be quite familiar, but soon it will be possible to feel the full beauty of change.
Life gradually calms down, if you dreamed sit on the shore rivers. You can finally relax.
Wash clothes in the river — a good story for the ladies. Unmarried can count on matchmaking, the rest is waiting for luck.
To discomfort — fall into the river. Especially bad if the water was very cold or littered.
To financial losses dream plot sink in a river. I managed to escape — soon everything will be fine. Drown in the river — to the feeling of shame and guilt.
It is also a symbol of indisposition.
Throw a wreath from flowers to the river — fine. The plot symbolizes longevity.
Cross the bridge across the river, and fear for its strength — to the losses. Reliable crossing — the right way is chosen.
To the postponement of a dream come true to ford the river. Prevent insufficient funding.
Financial situation will improve, if dreamed lot fishes in the river.
Dead fish in the river is a bad sign. Significant losses in reality are very sad.
Large fish in the river — to good luck. However, success will cause the envious desire to chatter.
Fish in the river a man — instructions to monitor well-being. Then it will be possible to avoid the disease.
Fish in the river a woman — symbol of pregnancy. It will come directly from the sleeper, or from someone from relatives or close friends.
In interpreting what the river dreams about, only a cumulative analysis of all the details of what you see will help to get the most accurate forecast and an indication of ways to stabilize the situation.
Предыдущий Dream interpretation, what dreams of a child: a boy, a girl, the birth of a child in a dream
Следующий Chihalka on time and day of the week
What do dreams from Saturday to Sunday mean? Do they come true? Interpretation by dream books?
What do dreams mean from Monday to Tuesday? Do they come true? Interpretation by dream books?
What do dreams mean from sunday to monday?
What does sleep mean from thursday to friday?
What does sleep mean from friday to saturday?
What does sleep from sunday to monday mean, does it come true or not
What does it mean to cut the meat according to Vanga, Miller’s dream books
What does it mean to wear a wedding dress in a dream
What does it mean if a dead man gives money in a dream?
What does it mean to fall into the mud in a dream?
What does it mean to pick berries in a dream?
What does it mean to break a mirror in a dream?
What does it mean to give birth in a dream?
What does it mean to buy fish in a dream?
What does it mean to catch a big fish in a dream?
What does it mean to hug a man in a dream?
What does it mean to fly in a dream according to the interpretation of dream books and basic values
What does skating mean in a dream?
What does it mean if you dream in a dream?
What does it mean if a guy who likes dreams?
What does it mean if a guy who likes dreams? Real tender feelings are indestructible, even in a dream they ...
What does it mean if in a dream I was drinking beer?
What does it mean if in a dream I was drinking beer? Beer is subconsciously perceived as a symbol of ...
What does it mean if the former eats meat in a dream?
What does it mean if the former eats meat in a dream? Meat in dreams symbolizes deterioration of health, trouble ...
What does it mean to see yourself from the side in a dream?
What does it mean to see yourself from the side in a dream? Many have heard that to see your ...
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About AEM
Journal Article | Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequences and the PCR to generate fingerprints of genomic DNAs from Vibrio cholerae O1, O139, and non-O1 strains.
I G Rivera, M A Chowdhury, A Huq, D Jacobs, M T Martins, R R Colwell
I G Rivera
M A Chowdhury
A Huq
D Jacobs
M T Martins
R R Colwell
Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) sequence polymorphism was studied in Vibrio Cholerae strains isolated before and after the cholera epidemic in Brazil (in 1991), along with epidemic strains from Peru, Mexico, and India, by PCR. A total of 17 fingerprint patterns (FPs) were detected in the V. cholerae strains examined; 96.7% of the toxigenic V. cholerae O1 strains and 100% of the O139 serogroup strains were found to belong to the same FP group comprising four fragments (FP1). The nontoxigenic V. cholerae O1 also yielded four fragments but constituted a different FP group (FP2). A total of 15 different patterns were observed among the V. cholerae non-O1 strains. Two patterns were observed most frequently for V. cholerae non-01 strains, 25% of which have FP3, with five fragments, and 16.7% of which have FP4, with two fragments. Three fragments, 1.75, 0.79, and 0.5 kb, were found to be common to both toxigenic and nontoxigenic V. cholerae O1 strains as well as to group FP3, containing V. cholerae non-O1 strains. Two fragments of group FP3, 1.3 and 1.0 kb, were present in FP1 and FP2 respectively. The 0.5-kb fragment was common to all strains and serogroups of V. cholerae analyzed. It is concluded from the results of this study, based on DNA FPs of environmental isolates, that it is possible to detect an emerging virulent strain in a cholera-endemic region. ERIC-PCR constitutes a powerful tool for determination of the virulence potential of V. cholerae O1 strains isolated in surveillance programs and for molecular epidemiological investigations.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Aug 1995, 61 (8) 2898-2904; DOI:
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GOLD WARRIORS: America’s Secret Recovery of Yamashita’s Gold
GOLD WARRIORS: America’s Secret Recovery of Yamashita’s Gold quantity
Category: Conspiracy
In 1945, United States intelligence officers in Manila discovered that the Japanese had hidden large quantities of gold bullion and other looted treasure in the Philippines. President Truman decided to recover the gold but to keep its riches secret. These, combined with Japanese treasure recovered during the U.S. occupation, and with recovered Nazi loot, would create a worldwide American political action fund to fight communism. This “Black Gold” gave Washington virtually limitless, unaccountable funds, providing an asset base to reinforce the treasuries of America’s allies, to bribe political and military leaders and to manipulate elections in foreign countries for more than 50 years.
Softcover, 365 pages
The CONTROLLERS: Secret Rulers of the World
NEW WORLD ORDER ASSASSINS
The HIDDEN FACTS behind the COVER-UPS: The uncensored TRUTH about the highest-profile MURDERS in world history . . .
The stories behind the headlines that made news across the globe. Murderers, hit men, guru cult leaders, school shooters, and cold-blooded political killers . . . In this latest exposé by AMERICAN FREE PRESS’s no-holds-barred investigative reporter Victor Thorn, 16 of the most high-profile cases that have shocked citizens in America (and the world) for the past 50 years are tackled. We guarantee you have never seen this information assembled in one book before!
BLACK 9/11: Money, Motive and Technology
NEW WORLD ORDER ASSASSINS BOOK & CD COMBO
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Jameela Jamil Goes After The Diet Industry In Two-Minute, Profanity-Filled Video
Alison Dance
10 daily video producer
“The Good Place” actor took a digital swing at celebrities and influencers who promote dieting or detox products by sharing her own experiences in a Twitter video.
“I’ve taken a lot of these products when I was younger, they don’t work,” she said in the video that runs for just over two minutes.
The actor said she is naturally slim. Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin via Getty
The self-proclaimed “annoying but effective” celebrity claimed she had been asked to sell a number of diet and detox products over the course of her 11-year career.
“People wanted me to attribute my naturally slim physique to their dodgy products and powders,” she revealed.
“Can you imagine how ridiculous that it? Asking someone who is naturally thin, to say that they got that way from using your product – which isn’t the truth.”
Jamil is the founder of I Weigh, a social movement against shame and self-hatred.
The 33-year-old also shared her own experience with weight fluctuation when she gained around 34 kilograms while on medication.
“I was offered so much money by diet detox companies and by exercise companies to be given a secret personal trainer, and chef and nutrition plan,” she said.
“But not to declare that and say that was just from using their production that I lost all this weight.”
“They wanted me to stage like unflattering, humiliating photos of me fat and sad at the beach and then happy and thin six months later, looking successful and finally ‘acceptable’ to society.”
Jamil has previously taken aim at Khloé Kardashian for promoting weight-loss products on Instagram.
This tweet is unavailable or no longer exists.
While the actor is determined to show weight isn’t indicative of a woman’s worth, she also offered her own health advice.
“If you ever want to change the way that you look, please contact a healthcare professional. Someone who can advise you on nutrition and all of the important things that you need to know about.
“Don’t use a ‘quick fix, don’t use a fad diet, don’t use products sold to you by celebrities.”
Instagram Snubs Slimming Products And Cosmetic Surgery To 'Reduce The Pressure' On Teens
You'll now see fewer ads and celebrity endorsements for skinny tea and lip fillers on Instagram and Facebook, particularly if you're under 18.
Despite commenting on plastic surgery, Jamil was quick to point out personal choices should not be shamed.
“There’s nothing wrong with surgery but you have to be transparent about it if you’re in a position of privilege and influence and power.”
The full video, with an offensive language warning, is available on Jamil’s Twitter account which has one million followers.
Feature Image: @jameelajamil and Getty
weight health diet
Perez Hilton Is Heading Into The Jungle To Break Up Charlotte Crosby And Ryan Gallagher
I'm A Celebrity 2020: Nikki Osborne On Unlikely Friendships And Her Babysitting Nightmare
I’m A Celebrity 2020: Nikki Osborne Out Of The Jungle
Dilruk Jayasinha Reveals His Biggest 'I’m A Celebrity' Disappointment
I'm A Celebrity 2020: Perez Hilton Heads Into The Jungle
Sophie Monk Shocks Fans With Hospital Video
Selena Gomez Hospitalised For Mental Health Treatment
James Corden Offers Emotional Rebuttal To Fat Shaming
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Any sustainable classroom, clean-energy lab, carbon-reducing structure or initiative, or sustainable agriculture on campus or managed in conjunction with your institution etc.
Total of 79 submissions.
Help us reach our goal of 150 inspiring stories celebrating the achievements of colleges and institutes across Canada.
Douglas College Institute for Urban Ecology involves community volunteers in insect research projects
Douglas College
from Maclean’s: People aren’t usually fans of bugs—not in their houses, not in their rooms and certainly not in their beds. So it stands to reason they don’t want them scurrying under their feet in their gardens, either. The User Network for Insects in the Urban Garden, or UNIBUG, is trying to convince you otherwise.…
The Centre for Applied Technology
NAIT
The Centre for Applied Technology is the largest building project in NAIT’s history. Opened in August 2016, the 51,600-square-metre (555,000-square-foot) building includes 77 classrooms, 45 labs and advanced simulation environments, a 135-seat lecture theatre, student lounges and commons areas, and food services. Approximately 5,000 students from NAIT’s JR Shaw School of Business, School of Applied Sciences…
Centennial Pollinator Gardens
Pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, and other insects are responsible for two thirds of the food we eat, but they’re disappearing at alarming rates. With a diminishing number of pollen- and nectar-producing plants, a decrease in viable habitat and nesting sites, and an increase in invasive non-native plant and insect species, Centennial’s Environmental Student Society…
Testing photovoltaic reliability for a brighter future
Centennial College has been working on a solar module reliability project in tandem with electronics manufacturing giant Celestica, giving students a chance to get a more robust understanding of photovoltaic (PV) panel reliability. The initiative, funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), involves collecting real-time data to build models that…
Selkirk College Students Visit Remote Calvert Island Research Station
Selkirk College
Prior to graduating from the Integrated Environmental Planning Program, students traveled to the west coast for an unforgettable experience where two years of study was applied at the Hakai Institute. A group of ten Selkirk College students in the Integrated Environmental Planning Program (IEP) spent a week off-grid on the west coast studying the impacts of climate…
Olds College Constructed Wetlands
The Olds College Treatment Wetlands were over 11 years in the making, and officially opened in 2013. Since opening, the Wetlands have welcomed hundreds of visitors to take in the beauty and learn more about our local ecology. The Wetlands encompass an area of 20 acres, and include 19 ponds and a 1.3 kilometre pathway.…
Okanagan College to open new $40,000 Indigenous garden
Okanagan College
from INFOnews.ca: Okanagan College will have a new addition to its Kelowna campus this summer – an Indigenous garden. The $40,000 garden will have a prominent location just north of the Centre for Learning Building, according to an Okanagan College media release, one of the busiest buildings for students and staff. The 6,000 square foot…
Un Plan de gestion des matières résiduelles au Cégep Édouard-Montpetit
Cégep Édouard-Montpetit
À la suite de l’élaboration d’un Plan de gestion des matières résiduelles (PGMR) au Cégep, des objectifs ont été clairement définis, concernant principalement la réduction des quantités globales de déchets produites dans l’établissement, mais plus spécifiquement les quantités de matières compostables pouvant être détournées de l’enfouissement. Pour cela, le Cégep a intégré et appliqué le…
Capilano University has lost tonnes of weight
Capilano University
William Demopoulos is proud of what a little willpower, prioritizing and teamwork can do. These three elements have not only helped Capilano University achieve its greenhouse gas reduction target a year ahead schedule, but also to exceed its target by nearly 20 per cent. “Capilano University’s success demonstrates what is possible across B.C.,” says Demopoulos,…
Selkirk College Integrated Environmental Planning Program students offer expertise to communities
from the press release: Integrated Environmental Planning Program students have explored a diverse range of areas for the City of Nelson and are now entering the stage of public input. An open house was held on March 13 at Mary Hall on the Tenth Street Campus to update residents and gather feedback. Draft versions of…
Thompson Rivers University saves $500,000 through new energy management efforts
Thompson Rivers University
BC Hydro has recognized Thompson Rivers University as an energy conservation leader. Saving $500,000 collectively in utility costs this year alone, TRU has more energy savings as a percentage of total consumption than any other post-secondary institution in the province. A participant in BC Hydro’s Energy Manager Program for the past seven years, BC Hydro…
Okanagan College takes top awards for Best Environmental Initiative on campus
Green technology took top nods at the 25th Tommie awards, with two Okanagan College projects recognized for their environmental innovation. One of the most advanced and sustainable trades training facilities in the world, the College’s new Trades Complex at the Kelowna campus landed top spot for Best Environmental Initiative at the Canadian Home Builders’ Association…
Niagara College hosts Agri-Food Startup Weekend to help solve global food problems
Niagara College
from Erie Media: “Budding entrepreneurs will have their opportunity staring Friday to pitch their solution to address global agriculture and food challenges at Niagara College’s (NC) Agri-Food Startup Weekend. Modelled after Google’s well known Startup Weekend, the college’s ncTakeoff program with sponsorship by Meridian will host teams of participants to prepare and present solutions in…
Home of Today/Home of Tomorrow: a real-world study on sustainable homebuilding
Recent EnerGuide testing has shown the Home of Tomorrow, one of two homes that make up the Wilden Living Lab project, to be 52 per cent more energy efficient than a standard home constructed to today’s building code. The Home of Today and the Home of Tomorrow – two houses constructed side-by-side in the popular…
Medicine Hat College partners to support a local renewable energy microgrid project
Medicine Hat College
from Electric Energy Online: Medicine Hat College, the City of Medicine Hat, and Bluenergy Solarwind Canada Inc. have entered into a memorandum of understanding for the purposes of developing, building and commissioning a showcase distributed generation renewable energy microgrid. In its initial configuration the project will consist of: Wind – 4 BSW UrbaVentoTM 3kWp vertical axis…
Students from Cégep de Sainte-Foy promote urban cycling with bike repair shop
Cégep de Sainte-Foy
from Maclean’s: Cycling to school in the cold, or pestered by honking cars and trucks, is not everyone’s idea of a good time. But students at Cégep de Sainte-Foy are raising awareness for active transportation around Quebec City through their bicycle committee and repair shop. The student-run group was formed two years ago to encourage…
Yukon College launches new Post-Degree Certificate in Climate Change Policy
Yukon College
On Tuesday, January 10th, 2017, the College held the first of several information sessions on the new Post-Degree Certificate in Climate Change Policy program. “Interest has been very high since this new program was announced. This session is an opportunity for people to hear more about course topics and ask any questions they may have,” said…
Algonquin College student research tackles environmental issues affecting Muskrat Lake Watershed
from the Daily Observer: On Dec. 6, Algonquin College’s Waterfront Campus in Pembroke held an Applied Research Day to give students in the Environmental Technician (E-Tech) Program the opportunity to showcase their work. The E-Tech Program, which was founded five years ago, is a compressed diploma that can be completed in 18 months whereas other…
Lakeland College teaches crop technologies with Student Managed Farms
Lakeland College
from Maclean’s: It all started with the cutworms. The moth larvae masticated through the tender young cellulose—even before the canola broke the surface of the soil. “In the spring, LC 14 got hit,” says Braeden Crone, a second-year student in Lakeland College’s crop technology diploma program. LC 14 is the biggest field, and the cutworms…
Yukon College teams up with local First Nation to create a source of sustainable food in the north
from Maclean’s: Close your eyes and imagine you’re standing in the fertile earth of a farmer’s field. It smells healthy and rich. You see harvested rows of large, perfect potatoes and orange carrots lying in the soil like nuggets of gold. It’s such good land, in fact, that it’s now home to one of the…
NVIT to build new Centre of Excellence in Sustainability
Nicola Valley Institute of Technology
from the press release: Canadians will be better equipped for the well-paying middle-class jobs of today and tomorrow as a result of a federal-provincial investment of $8.9 million in a new Centre of Excellence in Sustainability at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT). The investment was announced by the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of…
CNA studies invasive insects to protect Newfoundland ecosystems
College of the North Atlantic
from Maclean’s: The lily leaf beetle, with its shiny scarlet back, “is a cute little beetle,” admits Barry Hicks, who established the Applied Entomology Lab at the College of the North Atlantic (CNA) in 2008. But it’s a ravenous bugger, too. If your garden is full of lilies, “they will eat them right down to…
NSCC uses topographic-bathymetric sensor to map ocean floor
from Maclean’s: If you know the shape and size of seabeds, that information can be used in everything from the aquaculture industry to oil-spill response agencies. But it takes a special tool to peer beneath the waves and map the bottom of the ocean. And only one post-secondary institution in Canada has it. The million-dollar-plus…
Northern Lakes College launches online training for water and wastewater treatment
Northern Lakes College
from the Smoky River Express: With a shortage of qualified water and wastewater operators in the north, Northern Lakes College now offers online training for that work. Water / wastewater operator preparation program level 1 starts in September. “The program meets entry-level training requirements with Alberta Environment and no other courses are required to be…
College of New Caledonia’s unique research forest allows students to explore climate change links
College of New Caledonia
from Maclean’s: “From learning foundational map-and-compass skills to exploring the link between climate change and spruce bark beetles, students at the College of New Caledonia (CNC) spend a lot of time in the college’s 12,500 hectares of research forest. The two-year Natural Resources and Environmental Technology (NRET) diploma program is the only one in British…
Fleming College launches new Sustainable Waste Management program unique to Ontario
Fleming College
Fleming College’s School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences is launching a Sustainable Waste Management program, the only college program in Ontario that is focused on building advanced knowledge and skills in this sector. Sustainable Waste Management is a two-semester graduate certificate program that will be delivered at Fleming’s Frost Campus in Lindsay, Ont. Through…
Mohawk College begins construction on its first net zero energy institutional building
from Daily Commercial News: EllisDon broke ground on the first net zero energy institutional building at Mohawk College’s Fennel campus in Hamilton recently. In addition to renovations to existing labs, EllisDon, in partnership with McCallum Sather Architects and B+H Architects, will erect a 90,000-square-foot Centre for Partnership and Innovation, a release indicates. The building will…
Niagara College launches unique beekeeping program to help farmers pollinate crops
from Niagara College’s Community News Source: Niagara College’s Commercial Beekeeping program is the first of its kind in Eastern Canada. Following the annual lifecycle of the honey bee from its winter sleep patterns to the extraction of honey and back again. Al Unwin, associate dean of the School of Environmental and Horticulture Studies, says roughly…
St Lawrence College launches “Hello Future” project to meet innovation, entrepreneurial, and environment needs
St Lawrence College
from the press release: “St. Lawrence College welcomes today’s [Oct 13, 2016] announcement by the federal and provincial governments to help fund a new, state-of-the-art Student Life and Innovation Centre and other new student facilities. Combined, the governments of Canada and Ontario will contribute $11.5 million toward the project, which will help St. Lawrence College…
SAIT improves energy efficiency on campus with investment from federal government
from the Calgary Herald : Calgary’s SAIT campus plans to upgrade aging facilities and improve energy efficiency thanks to a $20-million boost from the federal government. Officials say funding announced Wednesday through the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) will allow for improvements in three unique projects. SAIT’s Green Building Technologies Lab and Demonstration Centre will expand advanced…
Douglas College students tour New Westminster to help solve urban environmental issues
Douglas College students toured New Westminster alongside Mayor Jonathan Cote on Oct 7, 2016 to investigate ongoing initiatives that will improve their urban environment. Students researched environmental and social issues facing the city, including waterfront revitalization plans, sober houses and congestion issues, for a 13-week interactive writing course. Following the tour, the students had the…
Fleming College launches new environmental planning program at Frost Campus
Building on its strong educational reputation in the environmental and natural resources field, Fleming College is launching a new post-graduate program aimed at preparing students for work in environmental and land use planning and integrated resource management. The Applied Planning – Environmental program focuses on sustainability in development projects for both urban and regional land use. An…
Une visite au Nicaragua pour les étudiants en Techniques de bioécologie du Cégep de Sainte-Foy
Quatorze étudiants du programme Techniques de bioécologie du Cégep de Sainte-Foy, accompagnés de Mme Joëlle Rondeau, professeure de biologie responsable de l’activité, se sont envolés vers le Nicaragua, le 3 janvier, afin d’y effectuer un voyage d’enrichissement de la formation. Pendant 14 jours, ces étudiants ont eu la chance d’en apprendre plus sur la biologie tropicale…
Le Cégep Garneau vise à réduire son empreinte écologique
Cégep Garneau
Le Cégep Garneau a lancé, le mardi 13 décembre, un important chantier qui vise à réduire l’empreinte écologique des milliers de personnes qui y étudient ou travaillent ! Le Plan de gestion des déplacements place l’établissement en tête de liste pour sa sensibilité aux enjeux environnementaux ! En cohérence avec le Plan de mobilité durable de la Ville de…
Le Cégep de Sept-Îles continue sa recherche sur les panneaux solaires adaptés au climat nordique
Cégep de Sept-Îles
Le Cégep de Sept-Îles est fier de recevoir une subvention du Fond de Recherche Nature et Technologies (FRQNT), relative à l’optimisation et à l’intégration des systèmes solaires photovoltaïques dans des microréseaux décentralisés, autonomes et isolés. Parmi ces microréseaux se trouvent les communautés autochtones qui ne sont pas connectées au réseau électrique principal ou encore certaines…
Le Cégep de Trois-Rivières lance un nouveau programme en Écodéveloppement et bioproduits
Cégep de Trois-Rivières
du Nouvelliste : “Le Cégep de Trois-Rivières proposera, dès l’automne prochain, un programme complètement revu afin de relancer le département de technologies des pâtes et papiers, qui est sans étudiant depuis le printemps 2011. La direction de la maison d’enseignement trifluvienne espère d’ailleurs que cette nouvelle formation mieux adaptée à l’industrie d’aujourd’hui permettra d’attirer une…
Le Cégep de Victoriaville annonce la sortie d’une nouvelle recherche sur le transfert d’entreprise agricole
Cégep de Victoriaville
Le Centre d’innovation sociale en agriculture (CISA) du Cégep de Victoriaville est fier d’annoncer la sortie d’une recherche inédite portant sur le transfert d’entreprise agricole à une relève non apparentée. Alors que la relève agricole familiale se fait de plus en plus rare, certains agriculteurs font le choix de transmettre leur ferme à une relève…
Le Collège Shawinigan obtient une fois de plus la certification Cégep vert du Québec
Collège Shawinigan
Le Comité d’action et de concertation en environnement (CACE) du Collège Shawinigan est fier d’annoncer que le Collège a obtenu la certification Cégep vert du Québec, niveau excellence pour l’année 2015-2016. Depuis plusieurs années, le personnel et les étudiants du Collège Shawinigan unissent leurs efforts afin de réduire l’empreinte écologique du Collège à travers divers projets environnementaux…
Le Cégep de Sept-Îles reçoit la mention honorable Vélosympathique du Vélo Québec
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Un projet de technologies combinés à l’Université Sainte-Anne
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Deuxième rang mondial pour le Cégep Limoilou
Cégep Limoilou
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Vancouver Island University’s aboriginal outdoor classroom
Vancouver Island University
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Sheridan’s District Energy Projects
Sheridan College
The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and Amrit Mangat, MPP for Mississauga-Brampton South, today announced a major investment in a $21.4 million infrastructure project at Sheridan. Through its Postsecondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund, the federal government is contributing $9.9 million, while the Province is adding $2.6 million, with the balance…
Award-winning climate change adoption tool brings big data to the local level
Saskatchewan Polytechnic
For Natural Resources Technology instructor Ryan Galbraith and Dr. Nirmil Subedi, a Forest Economist from Natural Resources Canada, the goal was simple: help make large-scale environmental data more useful at the local level. The result is the Climate Change Adaption Tool, which provides farmers and local communities with the environmental data they need to make…
Love Your Lakes brings applied learning to a whole new level
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Sask Polytech helps with oil spill clean up
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Committed to sustainability & reducing energy usage
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Living Green Initiative
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from Richmond News: “They couldn’t get their collective minds around the concept of burying their heads in their books at night without having any proper light. And when they learned that impoverished African kids were getting injured while using gasoline to produce light for a few minutes of studying, a group of Kwantlen Polytechnic University…
Yukon College artistic collaboration explores climate change in northern communities
A collaborative project from Yukon College art students looks to tackle climate change through multimedia: from Maclean’s: “A collaboration between Yukon College’s school of visual arts in Dawson City, its Yukon Research Centre in Whitehorse and the University of Saskatchewan is adding a human dimension to the science of climate change. “We are trying to…
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Home ▶ Vol 5, No 1 (2016) ▶ Visser
Childhood disability population-based surveillance: Assessment of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire Third Edition and Washington Group on Disability Statistics/UNICEF module on child functioning in a rural setting in South Africa
Marieta Visser, Mariette Nel, Caretha Bronkhorst, Lara Brown, Zaskia Ezendam, Kira Mackenzie, Deidré van der Merwe, Marné Venter
African Journal of Disability | Vol 5, No 1 | a265 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/ajod.v5i1.265 | © 2016 Marieta Visser, Mariette Nel, Caretha Bronkhorst, Lara Brown, Zaskia Ezendam, Kira Mackenzie, Deidré van der Merwe, Marné Venter | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 10 February 2016 | Published: 26 September 2016
Marieta Visser, Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
Mariette Nel, Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
Caretha Bronkhorst, Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
Lara Brown, Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
Zaskia Ezendam, Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
Kira Mackenzie, Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
Deidré van der Merwe, Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
Marné Venter, Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
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Background: Epidemiological information on childhood disability provides the basis for a country to plan, implement and manage the provision of health, educational and social services for these vulnerable children. There is, however, currently no population-based surveillance instrument that is compatible with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), internationally comparable, methodologically sound and comprehensively researched, to identify children under 5 years of age who are living with disability in South Africa and internationally. We conducted a descriptive pilot study to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of translated versions of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire Third Edition (ASQ-III) and the Washington Group on Disability Statistics/UNICEF module on child functioning (WG/UNICEF module) as parent-reported measures. The aim of our study was to identify early childhood disabilities in children aged 24–48 months in a rural area of South Africa, to determine the appropriateness of these instruments for population-based surveillance in similar contexts internationally.
Methods: This study was conducted in the Xhariep District of the Free State Province in central South Africa, with 50 carers whose children were registered on the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) database as recipients of a grant for one of the following: Care Dependency, Child Support or Foster Care. The researchers, assisted by community healthcare workers and SASSA staff members, conducted structured interviews using forward–backward translated versions of the ASQ-III and the WG/UNICEF module.
Results: Both measurement instruments had a clinically meaningful sensitivity of 60.0%, high specificity of 95.6% for the ASQ-III and 84.4% for the WG/UNICEF module, and the two instruments agreed moderately (Kappa = 0.6).
Conclusion: Since the WG/UNICEF module is quicker to administer, easier to understand and based on the ICF, it can be considered as an appropriate parent-reported measure for large-scale, population-based as well as smaller, community-specific contexts. It is, however, recommended that future research and development continues with the WG/UNICEF module to enhance its conceptual equivalence for larger-scale, population-based studies in South Africa and internationally.
population-based surveillance; parent-reported measures; early childhood disability; sensitivity; specificity
1. The development and testing of a module on child functioning for identifying children with disabilities on surveys. III: Field testing
Claudia Cappa, Daniel Mont, Mitchell Loeb, Christina Misunas, Jennifer Madans, Tijana Comic, Filipa de Castro
Disability and Health Journal vol: 11 issue: 4 first page: 510 year: 2018
doi: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2018.06.004
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"The Hunger Games" - Review part 4
One last time!
Read this article in: Deutsch, English
Estimated reading time:3minutes
alugha creator August 4, 2016
We will reveal a few insider information about the film and draw a conclusion. Bye bye, “Hunger games” :-(
The trilogy has been split into two parts for the final chapter, resulting in four films instead of three. The films were shot in the U.S, on Hawaii, in France and in Germany. It was revealed that over 30 actresses auditioned for the role of Katniss Everdeen including reputable actresses like Abigail Breslin, Shailene Woodley, Chloe Moretz or Emma Watson. The role of Peeta Mellark was also highly coveted: great actors like Evan Peters or Alex Pettyfer auditioned for the part. Worldwide, the films earned more than 2.5 billion euros. After Gary Ross directed the first installment, Francis Lawrence took over directing duties from the second film onwards. Philip Seymour Hoffman, who played the gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee, unexpectedly died in February 2014 so that important scenes with him could not be shot anymore. The last installment of the dystopia, “Mockingjay 2”, was dedicated to him.
The “Hunger Games” series has much to offer. Tension is skillfully created again and again. Especially in the two “Mockingjay” installments, unexpected events occur repeatedly. They managed to not give away the ending until the end. Every now and then, the characters (Woody Harrelson) and Effie (Elizabeth Banks) even make the audience laugh due to their extraordinary nature. Especially Effie doesn’t seem to live in this world nor in Panem’s, but in her very own one. Due to the love story between Katniss and Peeta, which thanks to Gale frequently turns into a love triangle, the films have many emotional moments. Furthermore, the tragic end of Prim makes some viewers shed tears. Also, Katniss’ emotional farewell to her fellow tribute Rue melts the hearts of the viewers. Thanks to Katniss’ authentic version of “The Hanging Tree”, it became a successful hit. “Royals” singer Lorde added to the film series’ musical success with her song “Yellow Flicker Beat”. The numerous war and fighting scenes promise a lot of action, not only in the Hunger Games but also in the ongoing rebellion. In addition, the films are full of great animation. First of all, they were shown in 3D from the second installment onwards, and secondly, all kinds of animation knowledge was used to make them. Especially the scene in “Catching Fire”, in which Katniss and her group encounter some mutated monkeys underlines the talent of the animation team. The Berlin underground scenes, in which important team members are killed by mutants, and the scene in which Team “451” loses fighters due to the oil wave, are also very impressive. Thus, the films guarantee action. However, what is most impressive about the series is the outstanding cast: Jennifer Lawrence won an oscar (Silver Linings) between the “Hunger Games” installments, Philip Seymour Hoffman played an authentic gamemaker, and Josh Hutcherson showed how diverse he is as Peeta Mellark. With Liam Hemsworth, they managed to cast another top actor. Julianne Moore completes the cast as the devious president Coin.
Nevertheless, the “Hunger Games” series has also received criticism. Newcomers will definitely lack context, especially the last two installments start completely abruptly. So, thorough prior knowledge is needed to be able to follow the story. Unfortunately, the end of the “Hunger Games” series is a bit too pessimistic: There is no sign of a happy, peaceful Panem. Like the “Spiegel” aptly said, there are “just survivors, no heroes”. The epilog conveys a rather utopian image of Katniss and Peeta as a happy family, even though both of them are still clearly scarred by the past events.
But we still say: Thumbs up! Watch it!
alugha - everyone’s language :-)
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Home > Information and Services > Consular services > Assistance > Repatriation and repatriation for health reasons
Assistance Toggle navigation
Health and economic assistance
Repatriation and repatriation for health reasons
Rimpatri e rimpatri sanitari
Consular protection
Other assistance services
REPATRIATION AND MEDICAL REPATRIATION
A particularly delicate sector within the assistance activities aimed at Italian citizens abroad concerns the repatriation of Italian nationals in serious difficulty that cannot be resolved locally in the foreign countries where they find themselves. The repatriation services provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the competent local authorities (prefectures, police commissaries, municipalities, local health departments, social services) concern:
· Italian emigrants who need to return to Italy permanently for economic or health reasons;
· abandoned minors;
· the mentally ill (the procedure is very complex in this case since it requires the presence of one or more qualified escorts, as well as the identification of specialised hospitals);
· Italian citizens who have reached the end of a period of imprisonment or have been expelled;
· elderly people without families for whom admittance to retirement homes in Italy has been requested;
· seriously ill people who cannot be treated locally for lack of suitable facilities.
Repatriation procedures at the expense of the Treasury are limited to cases of substantiated indigence as verified by the diplomatic-consular network; in all other cases, repatriation takes place subject to the signing of loans along with the promise of repayment to the Treasury.
REPATRIATION OF CORPSES
The loss of a loved one is always painful but, should it happen abroad, the need to resolve certain practical problems compounds that sorrow. Contact the nearest Consulate or Embassy for assistance with these problems.
In order to repatriate a corpse, the Consulate contacted will have to forward a request to the Italian municipality concerned to obtain a declaration of "nulla osta all’introduzione della salma" (police clearance for a corpse to be received in Italy from abroad).
Once this declaration has been received from the municipality the funeral home appointed by the family, who are having the corpse of the person repatriated at their own expense, will be able to proceed.
It is possible, however, to apply for reimbursement of expenses or contributions from regional and the local government bodies.
In the case that an Italian national has died in a certifiable state of indigence, the Consulate or Embassy that has been contacted can provide assistance to the deceased Italian national’s destitute relatives residing abroad in the form of the total or partial refund of any properly documented funeral expenses sustained locally.
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Home Home & Family‘The Dilemma’ Has More Than One Problem
‘The Dilemma’ Has More Than One Problem
Home & Family, Movie Night, Movies
https://americanprofile.com/articles/the-dilemma-has-more-than-one-problem/
By Neil Pond on January 27, 2011
https://americanprofile.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/the-dilemma-150x150.jpg
There are several problems in “The Dilemma,” a romantic comedy about a guy struggling with a secret.
For starters, there’s the one to which the title refers.
Vince Vaughn plays Ronnie, an automobile designer in partnership with his longtime friend, insecure engineering whiz Nick (Kevin James from TV’s “King of Queens”). Just as they’re about to land a big, life-altering Detroit contract with their revolutionary idea—an electric auto that “roars” like a muscle car—Ronnie sees Nick’s wife, Geneva (Winona Ryder), in a passionate lip-lock with another man.
Should Ronnie tell the overworked, already stressed, blissfully clueless Nick, most certainly torpedoing their project in the process with the emotional devastation it would bring? Or should he keep his mouth shut, at least until their deal is sealed?
And Ronnie’s got other problems, too. He’s feeling the pinch to put a ring on the finger of his restaurateur girlfriend, Beth (Jennifer Connelly), who has trust issues stemming from Ronnie’s gambling problem—and who happens to be best friends with Geneva.
Needless to say, numerous complications arise, and most of the movie involves Ronnie flailing around in the mess his “dilemma” makes of everything.
Another movie might have gotten some real traction with this idea, but “The Dilemma” never settles into a groove, skidding recklessly between broad slapstick and deeper, darker, relationship psychodrama, especially when a confronted, cornered Geneva starts spilling some secrets of her own.
Director Ron Howard, usually a surer touch behind the camera, seems out of his element here, unable to bring anything into clear comedic focus. And it’s a problem when your supporting players—Queen Latifah as a brassy Detroit auto exec, and Channing Tatum as the hunky, tattooed object of Geneva’s affections—are far more colorful and interesting than any of your leads.
The movie also seems to be courting two very different audiences: guys who want a jokey buddy comedy built around cars and sports, and gals who’ll hopefully relate to the serious romantic issue the plot raises: just how well can you ever truly know someone, even your lover or your husband?
But men will likely think it’s lame and too tame, and women will be turned off by the lack of any female character to which they’ll want to relate. Connelly’s character, Gina, comes closest, but she’s relegated to a sideline role, mostly unnecessary to the story, and eventually benched completely.
By the time everything gets wraps up with a preposterously tidy bromantic bow, Ronnie’s dilemma is over—and, thankfully, so is this halfhearted, misguided stab at romantic comedy.
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All in the Family: Top Picks for Netflix May 2015
Are you tight with your family? Or would you describe yours as dysfunctional?
The definition of family has certainly changed over the years. The once traditional family of mom, dad, two kids, a dog and a white picket fence is no longer. The new family has morphed into a multitude of ways – two dads, two moms, single mom or dad, step-parents, half-brothers and sisters, grandparents, foster parents, friends… Today’s modern family can come with quirks and a whole lotta love.
This month on Netflix, there are some great family themed shows and movies to enjoy. Grace and Frankie is Netflix’s new funny and fearless original comedy featuring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston. This show is a perfect example of how today’s families can shift, rearrange and blend in unexpected ways. When Grace and Frankie’s husbands leave them after 40 years of marriage—to be with each other—the women find themselves facing a change they never expected. They shift their perspective to get through it together, with the support of their new blended family and, of course, a sense of humour.
The affluent Banks family finds their lives turned upside down when street-smart Will, a Philadelphia relative, moves into their California mansion.
After their parents are killed, the five siblings of the Salinger clan must somehow make do, with eldest brother Charlie stepping in to lead the way.
Stepping out of the pages of Charles Addams’ cartoons and the 1960s television series, members of the beloved, macabre family take to the big screen.
Villainous Gru hatches a plan to steal the moon from the sky. But he has a tough time staying on task after three orphans land in his care.
Sisters D.J., Stephanie and Michelle grow up with three devoted father figures: their widowed dad, his goofy best friend and their cool uncle.
While struggling to endure his tightly wound wife, an unfulfilling job and a sullen teenage daughter, suburbanite Lester Burnham falls deep into a midlife crisis and becomes infatuated with one of his daughter’s friends.
In this retelling of Jane Austen’s novel set in 19th-century England, Mrs. Bennet is all atwitter in hopes of marrying her daughters to prosperous gentlemen callers, especially when a wealthy bachelor moves nearby.
Wes Anderson’s quirky drama follows the frantic search that ensues in a small New England town when two 12-year-olds fall in love and run away together. As the townsfolk hunt for the vanished kids, a storm causes even more profound communal upheaval.
Mommie Dearest
Based on Christina Crawford’s scandalous tell-all memoir, Mommie Dearest paints a portrait of a Joan Crawford the public never knew. The film portrays Crawford as a wicked, abusive mother who lives as though she’s perpetually onscreen.
After divorcing, a mother and father continue to share the task of guiding their young son through youth and adolescence, and finally to adulthood. As the years roll by, the relationships among the three characters continue to evolve as well.
all in the family netflixAll in the Family Netflix May 2015family movies on netflixnetflix may 2015tv shows on netflix
Author amw
Maria Lianos-Carbone is the author of “Oh Baby! A Mom’s Self-Care Survival Guide for the First Year”, and publisher of amotherworld.com, a leading lifestyle blog for women.
This is How We Watch Entertainment Now Thanks to Ignite TV
Canada’s Wonderland Has an Exciting New Ride That Will Make You Scream
TIFF 2018 My Highlights
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Data Science & AI
Business Intelligence as a Service
Population Health Analytics
PRESS RELEASE: The DHSC has selected Methods Analytics to support Medical Examiners
|In Analyitcs, Digital
|By Shannon Darg
The Department of Health & Social Care has awarded Methods Analytics, working with colleagues across Methods Group, the contract to deliver a new digital service supporting the roll-out of Medical Examiners to scrutinise non-coronial deaths. This service will improve the quality and accuracy of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, national data on avoidable mortality and contribute to improved patient safety.
“We welcome the announcement from the Department of Health and Social Care outlining the next stage for the implementation of medical examiners from April 2019. Medical examiners will be ideally placed to detect, monitor and escalate concerns. This is the culmination of a great deal of work by the College over many years.” – Professor Jo Martin, President, The Royal College of Pathologists
The benefits of medical examiners will be far-reaching and touch the work of numerous agencies. The DHSC states that the key aims for the introduction of medical examiners are to:
introduce a system of effective medical scrutiny applicable to all non-coronial deaths
enable medical examiners to report matters of a clinical governance nature to support local learning and changes to practice and procedures
provide information on public health surveillance (as requested by directors of public health)
increase transparency for the bereaved and offer them an opportunity to raise any concerns
improve the quality and accuracy of medical certificates of cause of death
link the introduction of medical examiners with enhancements to related systems, especially data on avoidable mortality, generated from the Learning from Deaths programme.
The programme requires a significant digital transformation through the creation of an end-to-end service, replacing manual processes & improving user experience, quality & efficiency. The Department for Health and Social Care require a skilled multidisciplinary team to design, test, iterate & build an end-to-end digital service that meets these user needs.
“We are pleased to have been selected to deliver this crucial service which will ensure consistency of approach and a record of scrutiny by Medical Examiners. Methods Analytics’ understanding of the healthcare landscape and Methods Group’s credibility in digital service design to GDS standards were key factors in winning this contract in a competitive tender situation. This is a great example of leveraging the strength and depth of skills across the Methods Group.” Simon Swift, MD Methods Analytics.
Methods Analytics in the media;
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jun/11/nhs-patient-deaths-investigated-medical-examiners-jeremy-hunt
https://www.hsj.co.uk/policy-and-regulation/medical-examiners-will-be-one-step-removed-from-nhs-trusts/7022867.article
https://www.brownejacobson.com/health/training-and-resources/legal-updates/2018/06/introduction-of-medical-examiners-and-reforms-to-death-certification-in-england-and-wales
Analyitcs
BIaaS
WEBINAR: Overview of data-sets in England and how they can be used for Real World Evidence
Moving the bell curve
How the UK data system can help the development of international healthcare systems
Simon Swift appointed Data Correspondent for the World Health Journal
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Windows 10 Latest Version Failing To Install With ‘OOBE MSA’ Error Agrees Microsoft And Offers A Temporary Fix
By Alap Naik Desai Send an email November 5, 2019
Search with a screenshot
Several individuals who attempted to install the latest Windows 10 1903 operating system were greeted with an installation failure. While the incidents weren’t significant previously, the numbers may have risen sharply after Windows 10 1803 version reached its end of service life recently. Interestingly, Microsoft has reportedly acknowledged that Windows 10 1903 installation might fail prematurely with a new ‘OOBE MSA’ error. Moreover, the company has offered a working but temporary fix to address the weird installation failure or stalling phenomenon. Microsoft even mentioned that it is working on a permanent fix to ensure all Windows 10 1903 installations proceed smoothly without interruptions or failures.
Windows 10 1903 is the latest stable version for several users of the operating system who had held on to the earlier iteration, which was Windows 10 1803. Microsoft has begun sending out seemingly mandatory updates to bring the Windows 10 installations to the latest, and supposedly stable release of the OS. However, some OS users installing Windows 10 1903 had previously received an error while completing Windows OOBE in Windows 10. This week Microsoft acknowledged the weird and seemingly random issue while installing Windows 10.
Windows 10 Latest Version Installation Randomly Stalls With Cryptic Error Message Typically After OOBE:
Windows 10 installations are one of the most elaborate ones even though the installation is simple and requires minimal user intervention and actions. Still, a few installations of the latest version of Windows 10 had failed with a rather cryptic error message that read:
“Something went wrong but you can try again. MSA”
Apparently, after a computer nears the final stages of the Windows 10 1903 installation, the user is greeted with a welcome message. The greeting is technically called the Windows Out of Box Experience (OOBE) and is essentially a few slides that need the user to click through. The OOBE requires the user to go through a series of screens where they need to accept the Windows 10’s license agreement, log in or sign up for a Microsoft Account. While the majority of the installations proceed smoothly, some stall abruptly even after appearing to complete. Explaining the weird phenomenon, Microsoft noted,
“After successfully completing the Out-of-box-Experience (OOBE) to set up a new Windows device or after resetting a device, once you reach the desktop you might see a screen with black bars at the top and bottom with blue in the middle and receive the error “Something went wrong but you can try again. MSA” with a Try Again button.”
Fix “Something went wrong but you can try again. MSA” OOBE error in Windows 10 1903 https://t.co/Pl4OudsXbH
— TechDows (@techdows) November 2, 2019
Incidentally, this is the second such reoccurrence of the installation failure. For the earlier occurrences, Microsoft suggested clicking “Try again” as a workaround. The company observed that “the issue occurs because the specific timing of the OOBE process causes a deadlock situation.”
It is important to note that this error does not appear to be connected with the indirect compulsion to sign up for a Microsoft account that installers recently started experiencing. Microsoft has assured that “During OOBE, you have an option to connect to the internet but are not required to do so. You might receive this error the first time you connect to the internet on a new device or after a new install of Windows that has not previously connected to the internet during the Out Of Box Experience process.”
How To Complete Windows 10 1903 Installation Stuck At ‘OOBE MSA’ Error:
One of the simplest methods to get rid of the OOBE MSA error is to restart the computer. However, Microsoft advises using the Ctrl+Alt+Delete on the keyboard to restart, instead of a hard reset. Hitting the key combination brings up a few options in the lower right corner of the screen. Users should select the Power button and select Restart.
The alternate method, if the simpler one doesn’t work, requires a few more steps as mentioned below:
Select Ctrl + Shift + F10 on the keyboard once.
Select Ctrl + Shift + Esc on the keyboard to open the Task Manager. (If Task Manager doesn’t open, repeat the first step.
In the Task Manager Select ‘Details’ or ‘More Details’ in the lower-left corner.
Select the “Details” tab
Find the “Wwahost.exe” process. Right-click the process and select “End Task” from the context menu.
Microsoft has detailed both the steps in addition to mentioning the weird error during Windows 10 installation. The company has noted in the official document that users won’t receive the ‘OOBE MSA’ error after completing the steps.
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Experts highlight women’s empowerment as a pathway for development at 9th Kuwait Women’s Conference
Date: Sunday, November 17, 2019
Panel discussion at the 9th Kuwait Women’s Conference. Photo: UN Women/Diego De La Rosa
Gender experts, government and UN officials along with civil society and private sector representatives from the Arab states region gathered at the 9th Kuwait Women’s Conference to discuss challenges and approaches in implementing Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG5) on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Organized by Kuwait’s General Secretariat for the Supreme Council for Planning and Development (GSSCPD), the Women’s Research and Studies Center at Kuwait University, UNDP Kuwait and UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States, the 9th Kuwait Women’s Conference discussed lessons learned and key elements of success to overcome various policy and implementation bottlenecks to advance SDG5 in Kuwait and the region.
The event featured substantive discussions on the use of data innovation and statistics for gender empowerment, strategies to enhance women’s political participation and leadership, the role of the State and civil society to combat violence against women, inclusive approaches to strengthen women’s economic empowerment and the role of the private sector in promoting gender equality in the region, including through the Women’s Empowerment Principles.
Voices from #kuWomenConference
"We look forward to improving women's political participation and accelerate the implementation of #SDG5 in #Kuwait"
- H. E. Mariam Aqeel Alaqeel, Minister of State for Economic Affairs #kwWomenConference 🇰🇼 https://t.co/M3Q0UY5PE5 pic.twitter.com/uKDWdoj6Oi
— UN Women Arabic (@unwomenarabic) November 11, 2019
"The #kwWomenConference will discuss the lessons learned from the region and key elements of success to promote #SDG5, support women's political participation as well as promote inclusion and equality in the workplace"
- Lubna Alkazi, @wrsc_kw 🇰🇼 pic.twitter.com/MwKLyJGeOw
"We are at a crossroads where accelerated action is needed to achieve the #SDGs, especially in the area of women's empowerment"
- @SarahPoole, @UNDPArabStates#kwWomenConference 🇰🇼 pic.twitter.com/hOrpMpBqlE
"We will continue to learn from governments, experts & activists, such as yourselves, to ensure we provide the best possible support to make gender equality & the empowerment of women & girls a reality by 2030"
- Moez Doraid, @UN_Women #ArabStates Reg Dir a.i. #kwWomenConference pic.twitter.com/MaaMqzsAxM
"Many discriminatory social norms & barriers need to be broken to advance women's economic empowerment and this is what we're aiming to do here"
- Ramesh Ramachandran, @EQUATEofficial#kwWomenConference 🇰🇼 pic.twitter.com/dKh1eRZBZP
For more photos:
Standing by Roaa to Obtain Justice for her Daughter
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Classic Clue
Sherlock Has a Clue
Blue's Clues: Blue's Alphabet Book
3-in-1: Risk, BattleShip, Clue
Move through the mansion, collect various clues, and try to figure out who the murderer in this classic video game adaptation of the popular board game – Clue! Figure out whether if it’s Miss Scarlet, or Col. Mustard killed Mr. Boddy? Or if it were someone else… Good luck!
Clue is a 1992 video game adaptation of the classic dice and card board game of the same name. Released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), the game’s objective is to figure out who the murderer is by investigation and deduction. In this game, Mr. Boddy was killed, it is the players’ jobs to find out who the killer is among them, and what weapon did the killer used. The game can be played with up to six players where each player is dealt with a number of cards.
ArcadePuzzleStrategyRetroTrickyClassicMiscellaneousEmulatorSNES
Play Clue game online in your browser free of charge on Arcade Spot. Clue is a high quality game that works in all major modern web browsers. This online game is part of the Arcade, Puzzle, Emulator, and SNES gaming categories. If you enjoy this game then also play games Classic Clue and Sherlock Has a Clue. Arcade Spot brings you the best games without downloading and a fun gaming experience on your computers, mobile phones, and tablets. New arcade games and the most popular free online games are added every day to the site.
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Ultimate Mortal Kombat Trilogy
Street Fighter II - The World Warrior
Street Fighter III: New Generation
Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers
The tournament that gives you chilling combos and brutal finishing moves is back in Mortal Kombat II! Use your death defying moves as you defeat all your opponents in the tournament. Use your fighter to win the tournament and stop the evil plans of Shao Kahn!
Mortal Kombat II is a fighting video game and the second installation of the game series that was released for Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). In this game, you will choose from the 12 playable characters and use them to fight in a battle tournament. Shao Kahn, the final boss and the ruler of the Outworld, holds a tournament to defeat the warriors of the earthrealm and conquer them. The game is bloodier than the first game and features new special moves, lesser attack delay, and additional fatality finishing moves.
There have been 313 likes from 379 votes on this game.
ArcadeActionFightingEmulatorSNES
Play Mortal Kombat II game online in your browser free of charge on Arcade Spot. Mortal Kombat II is a high quality game that works in all major modern web browsers. This online game is part of the Arcade, Action, Emulator, and SNES gaming categories. Mortal Kombat II has 313 likes from 379 user ratings. If you enjoy this game then also play games Ultimate Mortal Kombat Trilogy and Mortal Kombat. Arcade Spot brings you the best games without downloading and a fun gaming experience on your computers, mobile phones, and tablets. New arcade games and the most popular free online games are added every day to the site.
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Tag Archives: Creative Assembly
Warning: contains spoilers for the single player game.
Six months after its release it can be unreservedly said that Alien: Isolation has definitely left a very positive mark on the series at large: not only was it very well received by the gaming press and various award ceremonies, but more importantly it was lauded by a fanbase that has become increasingly jaded and skeptical following years (some would say decades) of disappointment. Thankfully, Alien: Isolation is, as we pointed out in our Thoughts on Alien: Isolation article, an invigorating and encouraging experience that recaptures the claustrophobia and fear of the original film and renews faith (or at least, my faith) in the franchise’s longterm prospects.
Luckily, developers The Creative Assembly were kind enough to put Strange Shapes into contact with Isolation writers Dion Lay and Will Porter, who were likewise very generous in giving me their time during a very busy period for the team.
Strange Shapes: Alien is often considered a simple monster-on-a-ship story but there are deeper themes and subtleties going on that other film, comic and game writers have struggled with. Was there a learning curve when writing for a property like this as opposed to other projects that you have worked on, or any trepidation that you might make the same mistakes?
Dion Lay: Fortunately for us, when we started writing the game we already had a very strong vision and identity to adhere to. The foundation was the first Alien film and so that was always used as the acid test – would this character/plot point feel at odds with the film?
Working with an established license does introduce some restrictions, but at the same time it also means you start off with a lot of well-loved material to mine from and build upon. I think there’s always a struggle to come up with something new while not stepping too far outside the source material and the trick is deciding where you want the final product to sit along that line and then aiming for it.
Will Porter: In terms of backstory and world-building the original Alien never plays its entire hand, whereas modern movies generally feel compelled to spell out absolutely everything (often poorly) to cater for some unknowable lowest common denominator punter who’s somehow found their way to the multiplex. Games can be like that too, and I think that – as in Alien – with world-building in Alien: Isolation we left a lot of details about Sevastopol, Seegson and Weyland-Yutani hanging for much of the game. The intrigue comes when the player is encouraged to imagine what life used to be like on Sevastopol, and what happened to it.
It’s been many years since I was first introduced to the Alien universe, and I still find myself wondering about the Nostromo crew’s previous missions, their former Science Officer, Ash’s past experiences and the origins of Special Order 937. As such I think the learning curve, albeit one we adapted too quite quickly as it was so fun to do, was to give the player just enough information about Sevastopol to get their mind whirring and then to fill in the blanks themselves.
SS: Amanda Ripley is familiar to fans, as an entity if not a character. Were there any concerns that foreknowledge of her ultimate (and relatively cosy) fate would hamper the outcome of your story in any way?
DL: I think we made a good case that the only information the audience knew about Amanda Ripley prior to this was from Burke, who was proven to be a manipulative and very shady character within a very shady company, so any information he gave could easily be false or manufactured for his own ends. Whenever we mentioned this the response seemed to be positive so we weren’t particularly worried about it.
The other thing it brings to mind is that there are a lot of stories where the audience knows the main character won’t really die but it doesn’t affect the tension of the stories at all. For example, we all know that Batman won’t die (okay, I know there have been exceptions as I’m a big comic geek) during his adventures but it’s still an exciting ride because his death means the player fails and that’s where the tension comes from.
WP: I think knowing Amanda’s fate, or at least what Burke informs is her fate, is actually a huge bonus. Speaking as a fan, you suddenly start to ask questions – and, as shows like Lost will testify to, having questions is so much more fun than knowing answers. What happened to her? Why the silence? Who is the McClaren when it comes to the name she dies with: Amanda Ripley-McClaren? If fore-knowledge of a character’s death were to hamper story-telling, then history books would be pretty dull! It’s the connective tissue between events that provides the interesting stuff.
SS: There are a lot of nice little touches in the game: snatches of Blade Runner-esque dialogue, origami unicorns, Kafka recitals, and even a purported visual reference to James Cameron – were things like these scripted and was there any sort of ode you would have liked to include that didn’t make the cut for any reason?
DL: There’s actually not much that was cut because we were very wary of putting in references and Easter eggs in case they detracted from the world or broke the immersion. You need to take a step back and make sure what you’re putting isn’t just because you want your favorite thing in the game! When we did put references in we still wanted them to be relevant in some way, for example the Kafka book went in because it was metamorphosis and the game is full of transformations – from the Alien life cycle to the population changing from civilians to survivors who would take extreme actions they never considered just to stay alive.
The only couple of things I can think of that were cut were from me, which was a bookshop called ‘Time Enough At Last’ which referenced the famous Twilight Zone episode and have the ‘Neversleep’ sleeping pills colored with red and green stripes in a reference to Freddy’s iconic jumper in Nightmare on Elm Street. In the end they didn’t really fit because I realized they were really just me trying to get some of my favorite horror stuff in!
WP: Something of mine I loved, that was recorded and in the game, but was ultimately cut was the androids quoting snippets of Shakespeare as vocal exercises. We had all these amazing Shakespearean actors so I followed through with that and snuck various ominous and death-heavy lines into the recording sessions. Androids would say something along the lines of ‘Initiating Vocal Routines’ and then deliver a malevolently neutral couplet or two.
Ultimately it was cut, I think because it didn’t fit the game world – which is probably fair enough, it certainly could feel like it was slightly out of nowhere. Then again I am still totally in love with the concept: of a man-made creation plunging into a gas giant on the edge of space still parroting lines written 650 years ago that it could never appreciate or understand. “We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.”
The only remnant is the way that some androids will garble the line “to sleep perchance to dream’ when Amanda is smacking them round the head with the maintenance jack. All a bit wanky I know, but I guess I felt all those Conrad references needed some company 😛
SS: Refreshingly, no human in the game is straightforwardly malevolent. Everyone has their own reasons for doing what they do. How important was it for you to dispense with the black and white morality (specifically, the Company = evil) that is so prevalent in the other games and comics?
DL: This was really important to us and was something we discussed very early in development. One reason was that we felt having human antagonists would reduce the Alien to a supporting player in its own game, whereas it was key that it needed to be the ultimate threat (on a side note, another thing we were careful to do was to never call it a ‘Xenomorph’ or ‘bug’ as naming it made it slightly more knowable and less terrifying). Instead, the humans were simply trying to survive and that actually gave us a lot of interesting things to play with. Some of them may have been more aggressive than others, some would simply follow someone else and make them make the hard decisions and others would retreat and hide. Waits was willing to sacrifice Amanda for the good of Sevastopol, whereas Ricardo helped her escape even though it meant the Alien got free again, but both of them were just doing what they thought was right even though they had very different consequences.
WP: Yet another of the towering achievements of Alien was the way that the Company was so unknowable in their actions – not quite evil, just very distant and entirely dispassionate. They’re so big, one assumes, that morality has been lost in the post. I think fictional corporations that act like real corporations, losing humanity and the power of the individuals within through their size and internal wranglings, are far more interesting than straightforward ‘evil companies’ that you can never quite believe in. That’s why I’m so proud of Seegson and their history: there’s no maniacal laughing, just an also-ran company that no-one cares about slowly circling the drain. Likewise with WY, while we do pull a similar trick to that found in the original movie – there are good people who work for them, and there are good androids too.
SS: The game plays a neat trick, in that you think there is one Alien at large when in fact there is an entire hive at play. This led to some turmoil at Creative Assembly on whether or not to include the Alien Queen. Were there other challenges in writing the script to fit the constraints of being an Alien game as opposed to an Aliens game (for example, multiple enemies working co-operatively to assault the player)?
DL: In lieu of having multiple Aliens to escalate early on, we used the human encounters, Working Joes and the station itself to provide challenges as the player progressed, so I don’t think that specifically created many challenges for the writing team. I think the hardest part was trying to balance story dialogue with the fact that Amanda was on her own most of the time and really wanted to be silent because the Alien was hunting her. We had to pick our moments carefully with the level designers and make room for those parts where we needed some story information!
WP: I guess the only real challenge was deciding which audio diary characters knew there were multiple aliens, and which thought there was only one. By the end it’s clear that the Sinclair and Winter’s characters, for example, know that there’s more than one threat up in the vents. One of the key things about Sevastopol is that what people know is patchy and haphazard, so I think it actually helps the overall feeling of the game that no-one quite knows what’s going on – or indeed where the creature(s) has come from.
SS: Let’s speak hypothetically – if you were to work on a sequel, even in your head, what lessons from the first game did you learn that would inform how you proceeded with the second? Would you escalate things, or would you diverge from what you’ve already established, or simply refine it?
DL: Sorry, we can’t comment on any of that!
WP: What he said!
I would like to thank Dion and Will for giving time to answering my longwinded questions! And of course, I’d like to thank the kind folks at The Creative Assembly – I’m certainly looking forward to more incursions into the Alien: Isolation game world.
Filed under Alien Series
Tagged as Amanda Ripley, Creative Assembly, Dion Lay, Isolation, Seegson, Sevastopol, Will Porter, Working Joe
On February 12 at the Ray Dolby Theatre in Soho (London), part of the team behind Alien: Isolation stood up before an assembly of fans to give them a behind the scenes look at Creative Assembly’s upcoming game. Our very own Valaquen was part of the public attending this lecture event organized by Develop Online.
And so just over a week ago I took the long, exhausting overnight journey from Scotland to London to have a peek at Creative Assembly’s Alien: Isolation – all courtesy of AVPGalaxy. Here’s my report at AVPG. Have a read and let us know what you think: fears, hopes, concern, relief or even your nonchalance!
Tagged as Alien Isolation, AVPGalaxy, Creative Assembly
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